研究・開発
研究・開発

29 Screw hinge valve

Project vol.2 Cost reduction and improved functionality achieved by two-color molding technology Product Development Department Group 2 Satoru Shimada

In recent years, the seasoning & condiment industry has been seeking to improve the usability of caps, such as ease of pouring and dripping performance, in addition to sealing, which is an essential role of caps.For this reason, silicone valves are increasingly being used for spouts. But the unit cost of the cap is high due to the high cost of the silicone material, the need for a separate part to secure the silicone valve, and the need for a separate device to incorporate the cap. So we changed the valve material from silicone to elastomer, and dissimilar material molding(co-injection,double-shot injection) technology was adopted to enable integrated molding of the valve and cap.This has resulted in the productization of a new valve cap with stable performance and greatly reduced production costs.

▲ Cross-section view of 29-screw hinge valve
(①1st material injection, ②2nd material injection)

Achieves both pourability and dripless performance

A valve cap with a thin wall thickness facilitates valve deformation during dispensing, resulting in a smaller dispensing force and better dispensing performance.On the other hand, thicker valves allow the liquid to be shut off more quickly, resulting in better run-off after dispensing.In order to achieve both of these contradictory abilities, the base of the valve is made thinner and only in the center and where the liquid is cut is made thicker, thereby achieving both discharge and dripping performance requirements.

▲ Good pouring and dripless performance make it easy to pour contents and prevents dripping

Project Review

Product Development Department
Satoru Shimada
The newly developed technology is highly versatile as a technology for adding valves to closures, and we believe it can be applied to a wide range of products.In the future, we intend to apply this technology to other new developments.
Product Development Department
Jun Wakishima
It was the first large-scale development project I was involved in after joining the company.At first I was puzzled by the differences from the way we had been working, but I was happy to see that we were able to come up with a product that had never existed before by sharing ideas.
Production Promotion Department
Keitaro Hayashi
In the lead-up to production equipment for cross-slitting products, I spent every day thinking about what “cutting” means. In the end, I never thought it would work that way…!
MOLD Technology Department
Yuji Takayama
For the first time in our company, we were able to design and manufacture a dissimilar material core-back structure. Based on this experience, we would like to continue to challenge new mold structures to add value to products and improve productivity.

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