Smart, functional packaging design is particularly crucial to the more expensive fragrance ranges. However, the pump mechanism, which is an essential functioning part of the packaging, has traditionally impeded attempts at being more adventurous with design because of its size.
Pfeiffer says that its new pumps have been designed to minimise size, whilst maintaining functionality. Its research and development team spent months creating pumps that met the market's requirements for greater packaging flexibility. The result is the Inspiration and Progress pumps, created to be as unobtrusive as possible.
Pfeiffer product manager Andrea Vollmer says that because of the pumps size it makes them much easier to incorporate into the packaging design, which in turn allows perfume manufacturers the chance to approach far more innovative packaging designs for fragrances.
"The pump offers logistical advantages, such as cost and time reductionsand fewer risks during transport," said Vollmer. "It also reduces technical difficulties, which can occur when a number of suppliers become involved."
Inspiration is a crimp pump with a stake height of 10.8mm for 70µl doses, which is also available as a slightly larger pump with a stake height of 12.4mm and 100µl doses.
Progress is the crimpless version of the pump and is also available in two different sizes: the smaller having a stake height of 11.6mm for 70µl doses and a 13mm version for 100µl doses.
Both the pumps were tested for 4 weeks at a constant 60 degrees centigrade and are available with FEA crimp closures of 13mm and 15mm.
The design of the pump means that no metal parts are in contact with the product, which, Pfeiffer says, avoids issues of incompatibility. This has been achieved by locating the metal spring for the pump outside the dosage chamber and replacing the metal ball with a plate valve.
Further to this, the design also incorporates a crystal dip-tube and 'invisible' cylinder that allow the pumps to be as discrete as possible.
The pumps were both launched this month and are expected to marketed on a global basis.