Close cooperation between Massmould and their Global Closure Systems sister company, Zeller Plastik has resulted in the development of a breakthrough oval hinged closure design for GlaxoSmithKline’s radical new packaging format for its Horlicks brand of instant malted barley drink.

In a traditional market sector, the former glass and screw cap pack had remained largely unchanged since the introduction of Horlicks seventy years ago. GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) has taken the bold step of a radical packaging redesign to revitalise the brand, aiming to widen its appeal to a younger demographic by maximising pack convenience and driving modernity into the product category. Working from an initial pack concept from the agency, Drink Works, Massmould was charged with the responsibility of realising the functional aspects of the concept and bringing it to the market.

Horlicks has now been relaunched in a curvaceous all-plastic pack featuring an innovative dispensing closure with push button opening for one-handed use, manufactured on the first Massmould tool to incorporate Zelsnap hinge technology produced by Zeller Engineering in Germany. The live hinge design holds the closure lid open to almost 180 degrees enabling the product to be spooned out easily from the generous oval aperture, which from the initial concept was a key requirement of GSK’s design brief.

Massmould, the leading European supplier of plastic closures to the instant beverage sector, was presented with a huge technical challenge by the brief for the Horlicks pack. In a highly automated manufacturing process, the closures are moulded in the open position; the difficulties of insertion and retention of the oval shaped IHS liners were overcome by the use of in-line assembly machinery with robotic equipment for accurate liner placement. The lids are then closed automatically prior to inspection and packing.

Ensuring that the unusually shallow oval cap skirt is adequately retained on the neck finish, as well as fitting flush with the oval geometry of the container to enhance the smooth outline of the full body shrink sleeve, were also essential requirements of the brief. Whilst snap-on induction seal caps are not new, retaining the oval closure to achieve a consistent sealing process required both careful design of the closure and container for a secure fit and tight manufacturing tolerances of the two components. The container neck finish, specifically designed by Massmould, also holds the key to the unlocking the lid catch. The use of an interruption recess in the container snap bead retention feature creates sufficient space to allow the cap skirt to be depressed with light pressure on the push button, which releases the catch and pop open the lid.

Embossed with the Horlicks brand name and supplied in light and dark blue to suit the products variants, the new closure fits all three of the polypropylene containers in 300g, 500g and 800g, which minimises the expense on closure tooling and provides a consistent image across the family range. Horlicks continues to enjoy widespread popularityaround the world with key markets in India, Jamaica, Southeast Asia and China as well as the U.K. and initial reports from GSK indicate that sales have increased since the launch of the new pack.