Then it comes to the materials used to make today’s beauty package, it’s safe to say that metal may be used the least, but makes the most impact. Metal components of aluminum, zamac and brass—as shells, caps, collars, ferrules and other decorative accents—add a look of luxury and an opportunity to communicate brand identity. Metal containers—aluminum and tinplate steel—bring strength, resilience and decorative possibilities to applications such as aerosol cans, bottles, jars and tins.
Avon’s beComing color products shine with metal components from Crown Risdon. |
Metal Use: Steady & Significant
“Business from the HBA side has been picking up recently, more than in past years, especially on the West Coast where retro-style tins are in demand from small sizes for lip balm to larger ones to hold personal care items,” said Todd Waxgiser, J.L. Clark’s national accounts manager for the HBA market for the U.S. and Canada. Based in Rockford, IL. J.L. Clark Packaging makes a variety of tinplate steel containers used as primary and secondary packages.
Waxgiser added, “The business from the New York metropolitan area is still quiet, but New England is picking up.”
Business is up in both the U.S. and Europe in terms of both ongoing projects and new production, according to Martin Maciossek, manager customer relations of Seidel, a metal and plastic components supplier that is based in Germany with a U.S. sales office.
“The metal business keeps growing,” said Lou Della Pesca, president of 3C Inc., Hawthorne, NJ, a source of a variety of packaging for the beauty business. “We’ve expanded our assortment of aluminum lipstick cases and mascara wands into a separate brochure,” he said.
Crown Risdon, Watertown, CT, supplies metal components as well as plastic parts for many cosmetics and fragrance products. “The market for metal is essentially flat,” said Steve Bigham, director of sales and marketing for closures at the company, “but there is a constant flow of projects that call for some metal use.”
“Business is doing pretty well in metal packaging,” said Eric Bigotte, executive vice president at Axilone USA. Axilone, part of the Ileos Group, came into being in 2002 when Ileos combined Chapon Alu and Niob-Armep to create a company with metal and plastic manufacturing capabilities. “Mainly we are getting customer reorders after Christmas and some new launches,” Bigotte noted.
“The cosmetics, fragrance and personal care part of our business is up,” said Benoit Ramet, sales and marketing for Elemental Container Inc., Union, NJ. The company distributes aluminum bottles along with aluminum caps and aluminum lotion and spray pumps for the perfume and cosmetic industry.
New York-based Préface Deux represents three French companies—G. Pivaudran, Solev and Dec Plus. “Our core business is supplying parts to fragrance marketers,” said Aviva Himoff, president of Préface Deux. “Currently, our repeat business is below forecast for the first quarter 2004, but new development has been improving. We recently received a number of inquiries for new launches with unusually short lead times.”
Raw Materials Prices Increase Cost Pressure
Suppliers are between a rock and a hard place as raw materials’ costs have been increasing at record rates. “We’ve had two increases in the cost of aluminum in the first quarter and costs are up for steel and brass too,” said Peter Philip, vice president sales and marketing, Eyelematic Manufacturing Co., Watertown, CT.
At the same time, retailer pressure for the lowest costs is making finished goods marketers extremely resistant to supplier price increases. Philip said, “Cosmetic buyers are very good at getting the best price from suppliers. The only defense as a supplier is to use technology/automation to get more production in the same number of hours.”
J.L. Clark has also been hit hard by raw materials’ cost increases. Waxgiser said, “Usually there’s an increase once a year, but there have been two or three this year so far. It makes it very difficult to meet prices that were set in 2003, but these increases are too much to absorb totally.”
Where the Growth Is
There is a growing trend to launching “flanker,” products in fragrance, color cosmetic and personal care lines, according to Eyelematic’s Philip. “These products use last year’s tooling, but make the package in a new color and/or use different finishing and decorating. The hot color we’re being asked for more than any other is brown. Some want a matte brown finish, others ask for anodizing for a metallic look.”
For lipsticks and eye product packaging, the trend is to combine plastic and metal for the fashion and functional pluses of each, according to Della Pesca. “The prices are more competitive and you can create a very different look with all the various finishes now available—matte, shiny and different colors.
Metal ferrules on brushes are also popular right now, according to Della Pesca. “And, we’re also getting more inquiries for metal retractable lip brushes. It’s a high end use. The packages come out of the Orient,” he added.
The strongest growth areas for Decorpart Ltd., Lancashire, U.K., are perfume collars and lotion collars, according to Nigel Clark, chief executive officer. “There is clearly a big move to perfume pumps that do not require crimping (and do require a collar) and we have the capability and approval for these items for all the major companies. Colors are also a growth area, with our standard range in big demand.”
Decorpart is a major independent producer of specialist aluminum component products, supplying pharmaceutical, cosmetic and perfumery markets. For color cosmetics, it manufactures lipstick sleeves, collars, caps and shrouds. For fragrance packaging, it supplies dispenser shrouds and actuator covers. In order to be able to deliver custom colors quickly, Decorpart recently added a specialist color chemist to assist with the rapid development of custom colors to compliment its standard range.
Some Suppliers Offer Plastic Too
Eyelematic, which manufactures metal components and closures, has added plastic production of jars and closures. “Now, we’re being discovered as a domestic source that has the ability to do it all,” emphasized Philip. “We can make the heavy-walled PET jars that are in demand and make the aluminum (or plastic) caps as well. We are seeing a lot of offshore pressure, but by having state-of-the-art technology, Eyelematic has stayed competitive. We’re now running 24/7.”
For Crown Risdon, expertise and manufacturing of plastic and metal components is a tradition, giving the company a unique perspective on the use of the materials. In five recent lipstick container projects, four (that are traditional full-size packs) called for an aluminum A-shell. The fifth, a Trimline pack, has a plastic A-shell, but both the cap and base are metal. “It shows that there is an attraction to metal because it gives the appearance of high quality,” said Stephen T. Pearlman, president of Crown Risdon.
The company recently supplied all the packaging components for the Almay’s Bright Eyes full-size mascara and promotional package. The full-size (0.3 oz.) mascara features a metal cover and base, with the cover anodized in green gold and the base in bright purple. The base contains an interior polypropylene mascara bottle. The promotional package (0.25 oz.) features a metal cap anodized in bright green gold and a polypropylene bottle molded in a bright purple color.
In fragrance caps, Crown Risdon has created many of the signature pieces for high-end brands. “The colors and finishes are very individual,” noted Bigham.
“Growth is the result of Seidel’s new technologies and new materials,” said Maciossek. “Seidel is increasing its business in PCTA and its ability to supply all parts of a project—metal, plastic and assembly—has given the company an advantage,” he stated. Seidel is building a new 10,000 sq. meter factory in Germany, which will house new machinery for aluminum and anodizing. Recent Seidel projects that called for special innovations include the collar for Avon’s Treselle fragrance, which required a unique hammered finish. “We were able to achieve that by developing a new sort of tool. It could not be done in the ‘normal’ metal forming process,” said Boris Schafer, director of Seidel’s customer relations in New York.
Seidel creates the domes for the Tony&Tina Vibrational Remedy Fragrance. |
“The shape and the size of the shiny Tony&Tina Vibrational Remedy Fragrance cap was also very challenging,” added Schafer. “Producing this shiny cap without witness lines is state-of-the-art technology!”
Most of Axilone’s metal projects are fragrance caps, but it began manufacturing mascara wands as well about a year ago, according to Bigotte. “Many of our latest projects have involved a mix of metal, glass and plastic components such as Estee Lauder’s Beyond Paradise perfume package, which includes a shiny metal collar with a clear Surlyn cap and a glass stopper.
Kenneth Cole’s Black is topped with an aluminum cap from Axilone. |
The cap, which Axilone supplied for Kenneth Cole Black, is a good example of the simple shapes that are now popular, noted Bigotte. The company produced an anodized aluminum cap with a shiny, deep black finish to perfectly match the black glass bottle of the new men’s fragrance. To provide the lightweight aluminum with a more substantial feel, the cap, which includes a PP insert, was assembled with a weight. Black is available in 50-ml and 100-ml sizes, but the cap was produced in only one size and two different sized inserts provide a snug fit on each bottle.
“In metal, we can achieve different colors and finishes than we can in plastic. Axilone also provides decorating and finishing in-house,” added Bigotte. The company is expanding capacity outside the U.S. to serve the North American market that will include stamping, decorating and anodizing. The new plant will enable the company to supply U.S. marketers, while being more in control of pricing with a faster turn around.
World Wide Packaging (WWP), Florham Park, NJ, a supplier of a wide range of plastic and metal packaging, offers a variety of sophisticated metal cases for lipstick, lip gloss, mascara, eyeliner and eye shadow and compacts. WWP has a new hologram finish available on metal lipstick packages as well as a new screw cap lipstick and double-ended lip/eye products.
New Metal Specialist in U.S.
Saco, Specialist Anodizing Co., Ltd, based in Lancashire, U.K., has recently opened a sales office in New York, where Claudia Grzanna, serves as marketing manager. “For the first time, we are able to offer U.S. customers the largest standard range of metal caps, which can be customized,” said Grzanna. “Later this year, we will open a warehouse in the U.S. and will then be able, subject to contractual arrangements and availability, to supply in box quantities.”
Saco supplies a wide range of aluminum fragrance caps and aluminum fragrance collars, according to Grzanna. “The caps can be inserted with a plastic liner to make the product more luxurious or simply triangulated to keep the cost down. Either way the customer receives a high end product with a quality look and luxurious feel, and the price is, in most cases, competitive with plastic caps that have been metallized of similar shape and design.
Saco has developed a unique tooling method that offers a vast range of easily modified standard caps that can be customized without massive tooling costs, according to Grzanna.
The Beauty of Aluminum
“The advantage of aluminum is the fact that it can be anodized,” said Seidel’s Schafer. “Anodizing is a treatment of the surface, which gets very hard and can be colored in almost any imaginable color—matte or shiny. The color is inside the anodizing layer, thus can never wear off. And it still keeps the metallic look in all colors,” Schafer explained.
G.Pivaudran and Preface Deux supply caps that are formed in aluminum as well as caps molded in zamak. The advantage of utilizing aluminum is that a wide variety of finishes can be applied, according to Himoff. “We are well known in the industry for our expertise in anodizing, double anodizing, silk screening and laser decoration.”
The laser is now used to a greater extent by G.Pivaudran and Preface Deux to cut and decorate aluminum. And, Himoff added, “We have developed our own technique of sublimation now used extensively in our factory to decorate items in 3D on glass, plastic and metals.”
Anomatic fabricates and/or anodizes a variety of aluminum components for beauty packaging. |
Anomatic Corp., Newark, OH, is a specialist in anodizing for the cosmetic industry. While volume in 2002 and 2003 was down slightly, there is growth so far this year, according to Scott Rusch, vice president sales and marketing. “The growth is across all product category lines—cosmetic, treatment and fragrance,” said Rusch. “The use of anodized aluminum components is an opportunity to upgrade a package.”
In 2003, Anomatic focused on enhancing value and service for its customers through improved internal capabilities with software. “We can track projects and see exactly where a project is in the process. We also improved quality control and process control and can now monitor all baths and processes precisely.
“We are working on improved speed-to-market in 2004-2005 and will soon be able to provide a certificate of conformance for orders, allowing our clients to eliminate incoming inspections and take the part right to the floor for assembly,” Rusch stated.
Anomatic also offers metal forming; about 40% of the parts that it anodizes are also fabricated by the company. “For a new project that we are forming and anodizing, start to finish is about 10 to 12 weeks,” said Rusch. “Lead time for anodizing is about two weeks.”
The Roles of Other Metals
While approximately 90% of Crown Risdon’s metal components are aluminum, brass makes up a small but significant 5% to 10%. “Brass brings more weight to a package for a very luxe look and feel,” said Bigham. Estée Lauder chose brass for the rich gold metal in its Pure Color Lipstick package.
Metapack uses zamac and special finishing processes for the Gucci pour Homme cap. |
Metapack s.a. is a member of the Toly Group of Companies. Based in Paris, France, the company was set up in 1998 with the aim of designing and marketing promotional products in metal for the luxury beauty market.
Over the past 12 months, the range of products has been extended to include: fragrance candles, solid perfume compacts, refillable purse sprays, fragrance packaging, dummy/factice caps, promotional accessories in metal and plastic, and compacts and kits.
Metapack created the brass band that encircles the bottle of Chanel’s Chance. The company also met the challenge of the Gucci pour Homme cap, which is large and heavy. “The coating is also very innovative,” said Annette Der Minbassian, Metapack’s general manager, “as the brown patina color is done with PU varnish and UV lacquer.”
Metapack produces components in aluminum, zamac, pewter, steel and brass, according to Isaure de la Noue, sales manager of the company. She explained that each metal has characteristics that make it more or less advantageous for a particular use.
Zamac, a mix of different types of metals (mainly zinc and aluminum), is injected inside a tooling made of steel. It is a hard material with very little tolerance, which makes it possible to inject very precise dimensional parts in huge quantity, according to Der Minbassian. Zamac, which is very heavy, has the advantage of more inexpensive tooling, but it requires a good deal of hand finishing. It can be electroplated in precious metals such as gold, silver, bronze and nickel (shiny or matte). It can also be electro-coated. Zamac is used for most of the Metapack’s metal caps including those for Gucci pour Homme, Dunhill, Aquawoman and Ellen Tracy.
Pewter is a very soft material with a lot of tolerance. Der Minbassian explained that pewter requires rubber tooling, which is less expensive than steel tooling. Pewter can be used for complicated shapes without precise dimensions, making it the choice for fashion jewelry. It can be plated and is appropriate for small quantity orders.
Aluminum, steel and brass are materials that can be stamped in very thin layers, according to Der Minbassian. These metals don’t have a lot of tolerance making them appropriate for the production of technical and precise dimensional parts. Aluminum cannot be plated, but can be anodized or lacquered to achieve different colors and finishes. Brass and steel can be plated. Brass is considered to be the most luxurious of these three metals.
Metapack offers laser engraving for very fine decoration and is working with a chemical company to develop new color coatings or varnishes.
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CCL Container Aerosol supplies cans for Joico’s K-Pak with ergonomic curves and a soft touch finish. |
Aluminum for Primary Containers
Customers that are packaging bath products are asking for brushed aluminum containers and caps, according to Dean Lang, account executive for Cosmetic Packaging Group, a division of Union, NJ-based O. Berk Company. Lang said, “They like the look, and with aluminum, there’s no problem with rust.” He noted, “There’s also increased demand for spray dispensers and pumps in aluminum. We can offer many different finishes and colors as well as embossing and debossing.”
The use of aluminum aerosol containers continues to grow, especially in the hair care category, according to Ed Martin, vice president sales and marketing, CCL Container Aerosol Division, Hermitage, PA. “Our business is very robust with a lot of new projects,” said Martin. CCL is responding to increased demand by adding three lines. “One came on in October 2003 and was fully operational in February 2004 and there are two more scheduled this year,” Martin noted.
The use of metal in aerosol containers is necessary to handle the pressure inside the can, explained Martin. “Function began the move to aluminum aerosols, but fashion is fueling the growth now,” Martin stated.
Other categories are beginning to see the potential in aluminum containers as well. Classified Cosmetics, a marketer firm based in Malibu, CA came to CCL for an aerosol container and aluminum cap to hold its spray foundation (see p. 52) as well as spray bronzers and shimmer products.
Martin added, “We’re also seeing a couple companies switch to aluminum for conditioners and shower gels.”
More diverse shapes are continuing to gain popularity. Comfort Hold features a tapered neck and rounded shoulder for an ergonomic grip and the TrimWave combines a bullet shape with ripples that slope in toward the top. The company will soon be able to offer even more diverse shapes, according to Martin, who explained, “CCL has made an investment that will enable us to shape the bottom third of a bottle as well.” The new capacity is expected to be available by the end of 2004.
New finishes are also adding an element of difference, such as a velvet touch over varnish that adds a different feel. Recently a package for Joico was finished with a soft touch finish.
J.L. Clark makes a variety of tins to be used as primary and secondary containers in the cosmetic, fragrance and personal care markets. |
Tin Plate Offers Fashion/ Function
While the processes used to shape the sheet metal into tins have not changed, J.L. Clark’s print technology used to decorate the sheets prior to conversion has improved greatly. A state-of-the-art press lays down all four colors in one pass and creates decorations that are bright and precise, according to Waxgiser.
U.S. Can Corp., headquartered in Lombard, IL, manufactures a variety of tinplate steel tins through its Custom and Specialty division. “We make decorative tins as well as seamless containers for lip balms, eye shadow and creams,” said Deb DeVoe, vice president of sales for the Custom and Specialty division. She added, “That business is growing nicely. The little containers are sleek and have an upscale look compared to plastic containers.”
U.S. Can also manufactures tinplate steel aerosol cans for hairspray, shaving gels and foams, deodorants and antiperspirants, body sprays and depilatories. The company adds an aluminum component for the bottom or laminates the base with a plastic film to eliminate rust problems in tubs and showers.
U.S. Container manufacturers tinplate steel aerosols with interesting curves and a variety of finishes such as these for a home fragrance line in Europe. |
“The material itself (tinplate steel) is generally considered more stable in terms of supply and cost than other metals,” said Sarah MacDonald, senior vice president of sales for U.S. Can. Tinplate steel aerosol cans are being made in Europe that are 38 MM in diameter, while in the U.S., the smallest diameter that the company makes is 45 mm or approximately 1 3/4-inches. “It’s called the 112 can and is used for sample packages as well as travel size and promotions,” noted MacDonald. “There’s been a trend to more slender cans that are easier to hold in addition to looking good on shelf.”
Tinplate cans are also being produced in shapes other than straight cylinders, according to MacDonald. The rotary debossing technique, available in the U.S., can produce an indentation in the can for ease of use and to enhance its silhouette. Hydraulic or air technology, available in Europe from U.S. Can, can produce symmetrical or asymmetrical cans that are more curvaceous.
Tinplate is also up-to-date with decorating. While in the flat form, traditional litho printing is used as well as Smart Color, a six-color process that produces very vibrant colors. U.S. Can is also using Stochastic Screening printing technology, which is a computer generated, micron-dot system that produces very fine details. The company also has a menu of inks and finishes available for a host of effects that include metallic, matte, shiny and pearlescent. Under development is Night Sky, a varnish in which are suspended micro-size hologram particles. “It can be used all over or in spot areas. On a black can, the effect sparkles as the can is moved,” said MacDonald. Also still in development: Crystalline, a coating that produces a cracked ice effect in texture; Stippled, a texture that adds interest as well as enhances grip; Soft Touch, applied to flat sheet or formed cans for a warm, soft feel; and powdered coatings that will produce “all sorts of effects including stone, terracotta and porcelain,” she added.