The guy we really need to find and punish is the one who invented "rigid plastic clamshells".
The kind that "conveniently" transforms from product packaging into a razor-sharp weapon while you are trying to open it.
The guy who made it so difficult to open your bag of potato chips
31–40 of 92 posts
Re: The guy who made it so difficult to open your bag of potato chips
#32"The point here is that while technical options exist to prevent premature opening of the bag, such as reducing the initial air pressure in the bag, attempting to add this to the existing processing equipment would be a nightmare. So it was necessary to increase the seal strength." You could also reduce the air pressure in the factory , e.g. by building it in one of the aforementioned high-altitude regions.
True, however there would be a trade off with chip cooking times, no? If water boils at a much lower temperature at high altitude, then I assume oil would as well.
But then again, you could cook your chips in pressurized vessels a la Kentucky Fried Chicken. But you'd still have to truck all your potatoes up into the mountains. Decisions, decisions...
Re: The guy who made it so difficult to open your bag of potato chips
#33The guy we really need to find and punish is the one who invented "rigid plastic clamshells". The kind that "conveniently" transforms from product packaging into a razor-sharp weapon while you are trying to open it.
Clamshell packaging was made for retail shelves. To prevent shrinkage and increase product visibility, it was designed to be transparent while simultaneously difficult to open.
The explosion of Amazon and other online retailers made the advantages of clamshell packaging moot. However if you are a manufacturer, it may not be economically feasible to produce two different types of packaging for different retailers so lowest common denominator wins out.
Amazon has tried to combat clamshell packaging[1] with a few manufacturers (Fisher-Price, Mattel, Microsoft), but it has yet to be adopted by the rest of the manufacturing industry.
[1]: http://bits.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/11/03/amazoncom-cuts-pack...
Re: The guy who made it so difficult to open your bag of potato chips
#34> Other options besides a stronger seal are technically possible, but not economically feasible.
It would have cost next to nothing to attach slabs of foam rubber or gentle spring plates to the sealer. As the two sides move together, the air is gently squeezed out of the bag first. Sheer incompetence.
Re: The guy who made it so difficult to open your bag of potato chips
#35> Other options besides a stronger seal are technically possible, but not economically feasible. It would have cost next to nothing to attach slabs of foam rubber or gentle spring plates to the sealer. As the two sides move together, the air is gently squeezed out of the bag first. Sheer incompetence.
I'm not sure if I exactly understand your solution. Would you be lightly squishing the contents of the bag with the spring plates while sealing the front?
It also seems possible that manufacturers wouldn't want chip bags to look comparatively "deflated" when sold in a same-pressure environment (and thus stand out less on the shelf compared to competitors'). Also, maybe bags rupture for reasons other than pressure change and thus a stronger seal is still desirable. Just guesses, though I know the article didn't make mention of any of those reasons.
Re: The guy who made it so difficult to open your bag of potato chips
#36Seems like a good design would be to have seals that are extra-weak to shear forces while being strong for all the other kinds.
One type of seal I see has a nick in the side. It's still sealed, but the nick gives you something to leverage, so you can tear the packet open. Perhaps this isn't as common in the US?
They frustratingly don't often work with greasy fingers. Which you might have if said sachet or packet comes with, say, a fast food meal, or from inside a bag of crisps (like Salt n Shake in the UK).
Re: The guy who made it so difficult to open your bag of potato chips
#37> Other options besides a stronger seal are technically possible, but not economically feasible. It would have cost next to nothing to attach slabs of foam rubber or gentle spring plates to the sealer. As the two sides move together, the air is gently squeezed out of the bag first. Sheer incompetence.
Wouldn't evacuating the air from the packaging make the chips inside the container crush and break easier?
It's always been my understanding that the head room inside the package helps protect the contents.
Re: The guy who made it so difficult to open your bag of potato chips
#38I love learning about things I would never come across in everyday life, like how a packing machine works and the problems no one would ever think to think of like air pressure and altitudes. Then also the restrictions put in place and how to come up with a creative solution to a problem. This is the kind of stuff I live for.
I think my love of these kinds of videos started with this: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HMU-wXsgyR8
Re: The guy who made it so difficult to open your bag of potato chips
#39> Other options besides a stronger seal are technically possible, but not economically feasible. It would have cost next to nothing to attach slabs of foam rubber or gentle spring plates to the sealer. As the two sides move together, the air is gently squeezed out of the bag first. Sheer incompetence.
But it's not until the chips settle that this will be effective, unless you are ok with crushing chips to get the air out.
Re: The guy who made it so difficult to open your bag of potato chips
#40"The point here is that while technical options exist to prevent premature opening of the bag, such as reducing the initial air pressure in the bag, attempting to add this to the existing processing equipment would be a nightmare. So it was necessary to increase the seal strength." You could also reduce the air pressure in the factory , e.g. by building it in one of the aforementioned high-altitude regions.
Building an entire new set of factories in a mountain region where there are, generally speaking, fewer residents to staff your factory is a pretty expensive decision.