Product Development and Continuous Improvement
Drive Cost Savings

The Quest for Product, Process, and Cost Improvement Never Ends 

If you are part of the food or pet care industry, you are under constant pressure to do more with less. Material costs change quickly. Sustainability expectations continue to rise. Shelf appeal must work harder to drive purchase decisions. Even after your packaging solution is on shelf, performance, protection, and cost improvement still matter. 

You do not just need packaging solutions that only work today. You need product development and continuous improvement that support long-term cost savings while driving sales. 

How We Approach Continuous Improvement Through Product Development 

That is where we come in. At Printpack, product development is built on continuous improvement. Our work does not stop at launch. We study real world performance and apply those insights to improve design, materials, and manufacturing processes. 

Our product development teams work closely with strategic sourcing, suppliers, and manufacturing sites to improve supply security and reduce risk. By qualifying new suppliers and expanding material options, we unlock flexibility that supports both performance goals and cost improvement. 

Recent product development efforts include:

• Establishing broader matte film supply relationships to support premium packaging solutions in core markets 
• Developing new barrier films for metallization to meet higher protection demands for natural foods and color sensitive products 
• Creating new ink systems that increase opacity and improve print appearance while lowering overall cost 

Each packaging solution is refined to balance appearance, functionality, and continuous cost improvement.

Why Shelf Appeal Matters in Cost Improvement 

Cost improvement is not limited to material reduction. It also includes how a packaging solution performs in the market. Once packaging is commercialized, our product development teams reassess performance using real usage data and customer feedback.

In some cases, improvements come from simple design adjustments using existing tools. In others, progress comes through supplier collaboration or alternative structures that achieve the same or better performance at lower cost. 

Recent examples of continuous improvement include: 

• Confirming lower puncture resistance requirements and reducing extrudate weight, which lowered material costs, reduced virgin plastic use, and increased customer throughput for snack & pretzel products
• Transitioning from three ply to two ply lamination through supplier collaboration while improving barrier performance and reducing processing costs 
• Designing heat resistant, durable all PE packaging solutions for a pet food brand that reduce material costs as volumes scale 

These efforts show how thoughtful product development improves shelf appeal while driving long term cost improvement. 

Product Development Is a Collaborative Process 

Continuous improvement depends on collaboration. Our product development teams work closely with production, process engineering, and quality partners to ensure packaging solutions are manufacturable, repeatable, and efficient. 

As new materials and sustainability driven designs enter the market, production requirements become more precise. Early collaboration allows our teams to refine processes and apply existing capabilities in more efficient ways. 

This approach has supported product development results such as: 

• Transitioning select graphics from rotogravure to flexographic printing while meeting brand standards and reducing cylinder costs 
• Improving web handling conditions for sustainable materials, lowering waste and identifying process improvements that benefit conventional packaging solutions 

Collaboration ensures continuous improvement translates into measurable results for customers. 

What This Means for Our Customers 

As a Printpack customer, you gain packaging solutions that keep improving over time. Ongoing product development means your packaging adapts to changing markets, brand needs, and cost pressures. 

Printpack continues to invest in product development, materials innovation, and manufacturing capabilities to help you reduce costs, strengthen brand performance, and stay competitive. Stay on top of cost improvement opportunities with Printpack.