The new frangrance was launched in Europe last month and is due to go on sale in the US and Asian market in 2006. It is available in 30 and 50-ml scent flacons and Crown has produced two caps to fit each of the different-sized flacons.
"Because the new molding process saves around 30 per cent mechanical down-time, it significantly speeds up the production process, allowing for costs savings of around 7 per cent, depending on the type of production run," said Gérald Martines, Crown Risdon's sales & marketing director-Europe.
The molding process has been developed at the company's facility in Maroles Les Brault, western France, where a considerable investment has been made in the molding machinery, especially the hardened steel moulds.
Martines says that the hardened steel molds are necessary because of the Surlyn polymer that is used to make the caps. Surlyn has become an industry standard for packaging parts over the years, but at the same time it has, until now, involved a more time-consuming molding process.
This is also the very first time the molding system has been used on a mass market product run.
The company says that the cap design itself highlights the elegant and modern look for the fragrance. It incorporates the fragrance name on a metal plate fixed on the cap's surface.
This plate is manufactured in a brushed anodized silver color to convey a fine texture, while the surface is screen printed in a pinkish gold with the fragrance name printed in white.
One of the design requirements was that the silver backing on the plate would be clearly visible when viewed from underneath the transparent Surlyn cap. To fulfil this requirement Crown Ridson had to use a pad printing and inking process to completely hide the glue that secures the plate to the plastic.
"Because of our advanced and automated technologies, the customer receives a remarkably stylish package but with added efficiencies and cost-savings," added Martines.