New Amcor business platform helps small-volume bottle production

Plastic packaging manufacturer Amcor Rigid Plastics has created a new business platform to facilitate small-volume bottle production for start-up companies who want to explore niche markets, target regional products with lower demand, or test new products.

In a statement, Amcor said its new UpStart program is designed to work closely with growing start-ups by providing “a flexible and cost-effective system to launch niche products and conduct test marketing.”

“Our goal is to assist regional and emerging brands with launching their new, custom products and then scale them up to larger equipment platforms,” said Frank Lin, director of marketing for Amcor Rigid Plastics’ beverage unit. “In addition, customers are able to experience our full suite of capabilities, including design services, engineering and development, laboratory, and other technical services.”

In the past, Lin said, tooling costs to outfit large-cavity injection tools and large-scale blow molding equipment could approach more than $1 million. “This made it cost prohibitive for some customers to conduct market testing and perform small-volume manufacturing before introducing new products,” he said.

Using the UpStart program, packaging suppliers can launch products at lower volumes with regional production and a nationwide manufacturing network to support simultaneous regional launches. “In addition, UpStart offers significant savings in capital investment versus the standard high-volume production scenario, reducing tooling cost by to 75 per cent and affording bottle production with a wide range of technologies, finishes, and shapes,” Lin said. “UpStart is also designed for a smooth transition to medium- and large-volume production platforms when demand grows.”

Amcor’s dedicated network of small-volume platforms (injection molding and blow molding) are located at four U.S. sites including Chino, Calif., Allentown, Pa., Wytheville, Va., and Ames, Iowa. These locations provide cavitation up to 24 cavities along with small-scale blow equipment. Additionally, these platforms are located near co-packers who fill products for market trials to offer potential freight savings with bottle delivery.

Headquartered in Melbourne, Australia, Amcor Rigid Plastics is one of the world’s largest manufacturers of plastic packaging for the food, beverage, spirits, personal/home care, and healthcare industries with 58 facilities in 12 countries.