This text considers packaging as part of the complete business strategy, with a strong emphasis on specifications and quality control. It describes, from a technological basis, the postdevelopment activities required to bring packaging specifications into production successfully.

The fourth edition of Packaging: Specifications, Purchasing, and Quality Control includes four case histories of production and marketing problems caused by quality and communications gaps; presents a unique perspective on the importance of bar codes; provides details on performance testing of unit loads and conformance to shipping regulations; offers new information on advanced flexible packaging; and more.

From the Preface: “In addition to being informative and meaningful, every `technical' book should be easy and pleasurable to read. That thought has been kept in mind during the writing of this book, with the additional idea that technology can be easier to grasp if set out, as on a stage, with backdrops and illumination of the broader principles and rationale on which the technology acts. I hope that the reader benefits from this approach...”

Target Audience: Professionals involved in all areas of packaging, including purchasing, manufacturing, design, quality control, research, and engineering, as well as students of these fields.

Table of Contents:

Functional and Marketing Criteria in Specifications

Manufacturing and Cost Criteria in Specifications

The Buyer—Supplier Relationship

Quality Control Principles

Glass Container Specifications and Quality Control

Metal Container Specifications and Quality Control

Plastics Package Specifications and Quality Control

Paperboard-Based Packaging

Flexible Packaging

Unitized Distribution Packaging

Computerized Specifications

Specifications and Quality Control of Bar Codes

Bibliography

Index