With a stable base in a number of sec-tors, the global market for triggersprays has been growing strongly, a

trend that is expected to continue.A recent report by Future Market Insights

said that manufacturers are making considerableinvestments in the production and launch ofinnovative trigger sprays for a variety ofproducts, with plastics anticipated to increaseits share in the global market.

The findings in Trigger Sprayer MarketSegments and Key Trends 2016-2026 alsoclaim that demand is expected to grow for anumber of reasons. One is the increasinglyhectic lifestyles of consumers and another isrising technological developments and improve-ments, which are expected to influence demandin all regions.

Mohit Loshali, a senior consultant for Indus-trial Automation & Equipment at the researchfirm, explained to Plastics in Packaging thatdevelopments in the use of plastics are highlyinfluential. On the other hand, the studyclaims that a restraining factor to growth is thehigh initial costs and limited use of applicationsas well as regulatory framework on plastics.

“Geographically, North America is expectedto be the largest market over the next fewyears, due to the higher use of personal careand hygiene products. Apart from this, thewide evolution of the consumer goods sector isexpected to boost further the sales of thetrigger spray market in Asia Pacific,” Loshalisaid.

In contrast, David Irvine, the head of digitaland marketing at UK-based converter Raepakfeels the market is static at the moment. “How-ever, new applications are emerging to targetparticular audiences. Popular new products onthe scene include organic product alternatives,shower glass demisters and car care productsincluding alloy-wheel cleaners and sanitisers.”

Meanwhile, Heiko Kresse, sales manager ofRPC Zeller Plastik, told Plastics in Packagingthat the global market has been growing by 2-3per cent in recent years depending on region,with trigger sprays offering a convenient wayof applying cleaning liquids to the surfaces.

Typical of the latest developments in triggersprays is RPC Zeller Plastik’s Booster 2.0,which Kresse describes as an “industry bench-mark”.

Developed in partnership with Henkel,Booster 2.0 is claimed to be eco-friendly, being

100 per cent plastics, and also features a fully-automatic assembly with in-line quality control.

Suitable for various applications such asbleach, hard surface, window and toilet cleaningand air care, Kresse says that it offers apremium alternative to the majority of triggersprays on the market.

“Unlike established versions, the Booster2.0’s pre-compression system efficiently dispensesthe output at high velocity. In addition, it offersexcellent spray and foam patterns with consistentdroplet size,” he said.

“Pre-compression technology keeps thetrigger sprayer perpetually primed and thereforeready for use while preventing leakage whenthe nozzle is open. It also ensures powerfulnon-drip dispensing as well as a customisedand precise spray control.”

DesignThe Booster 2.0 is just one of many designscurrently on the market, with construction,materials and weight varying across the sectors,according to Kresse: “Triggers are multi-partdevices nowadays made out of PP and PE.Some older triggers still may use metal springsor glass balls inside as a valve.”

Going into the design details, Loshali said:

“Depending upon the application, there arethree prominent configurations of trigger sprayclosures: Consumer, professional and cosmetics.By functionality, these can be further categorisedinto spray type, stream type, and foam type ofclosures. PP, PS and PE are some of thematerials used for manufacturing closures;however, PP is the most preferred material fortrigger sprays owing to its cost-effectiveness,durability, chemical resistance and dimensionalstability.”

He also described how the market iscurrently flush with manufacturers providingefficient light-weight trigger sprays; makinglight-weighting not a prime concern. Instead,companies are focused on launching productswith distinctive aesthetics and functional fea-tures that provide a competitive edge.

But what manufacturing techniques andinnovations are being implemented in order toensure safety?

“Trigger sprays have been designed to havea twist locking mechanism at the front of thespray valve. This allows the user to simplyturn the spray off and on. This is very userfriendly and simple to manufacture,” explainedIrvine.

Loshali elaborated: “To ensure whether the

Trigger sprays might be undergoing innovation in design and materials, butare they satisfying demands for recycling? Paul Hill investigates

18 Plastics in Packaging © 2017 Sayers Publishing Group • July

TRIGGER SPRAYS

A recent report claims that demand is expected to grow because of the increasingly hectic lifestyles

of consumers and rising technological developments. Opposite: RPC’s Booster 2.0 is an eco-friendly plastics trigger pump

Finger on the trigger

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trigger spray is child-proofor not, one must checkwhether the product is cer-tified in compliance with inter-national standard ISO 8317 andPoison Prevention Package (PPP).Child-resistant trigger sprays usu-ally incorporate an L-cap requir-ing double action mode ofoperation, hence preventing open-ing by children.”

However, child-proofing isjust one issue regarding the design oftriggers. Another is ensuring the entire contentof the packaging is properly dispensed. Kresseexplained that to deal with this, RPC firstmeasures the bottle and then defines theoptimal dip tube length for it. The dip tube isbent to the front so that the end of the tubereaches exactly into the front of the bottlewhere the final drop of the liquid remains. Itwill then be sucked out with the last stroke andthe bottle will be fully emptied.

Irvine described how Raepak overcomesthis issue: “Each trigger spray pump can workwith different sized bottles. Once the brandpicks a bottle they want to work with, we thenmeasure the length of the bottle. This gives usa measurement for the tube, which is placed

into the valve of thetrigger spray. The correct

tube length will sit nearthe bottom of the bottle,allowing all the contentsto be dispensed effi-ciently.”

Some productsrequire a different spray.

Explains Irvine: “Depending on the thicknessof the liquid, a different valve may be a betteroption. For example, a thicker liquid would bebetter using a 0.13cl dosage. This will allow thefluid to spread more easily across the desiredsurface area.”

Loshali echoes these sentiments: “Yes,depending upon the area of application, differentfunctionality is required. For instance, inhousehold applications, spraying a disinfectantwill require ‘spray’ functionality whereascleaning a glass will demand a ‘foam’ typesprayer.”

RecyclingAs with every type of packaging, recyclabilityis a key issue from the initial design stagethrough to the product’s end-of-life. RPC ZellerPlastik has set up a special programme toinvestigate the usage of post-consumer or post-

industrial materials. The aim is to protect theenvironment by using less new plastics.

“Booster 2.0 is 100 per cent plastics; we donot use any metal parts or glass balls any morein the system, to ease the recycling process ofthe entire plastics pack (bottle plus trigger),”explains Kresse.

At Raepak, Irvine believes bio-based plasticsare the new alternative for the production ofbottles, jars and dispensing pumps: “Bio-polymer is created using the waste of sugarcane. The renewable sugar cane capturescarbon dioxide from the atmosphere, helping toreduce greenhouse gas emissions. Raepak’snew biopolymers are totally recyclable andprovide a genuine direct replacement for stan-dard HDPE and PET products.”

Loshali adds: “Yes, bioplastics and bio-based materials can be used for manufacturingof bottles for trigger sprayers.

“However, presently the penetration of thesematerials remains significantly low when com-pared to conventional used plastics material.”

Plastics in Packaging © 2017 Sayers Publishing Group • July 19

More information from: Future Market Insights futuremarketinsights.comHenkel henkel.comRaepak raepak.comRPC rpc-group.com

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Assembly machine for sportcaps with 3 flywheels having 24 punches each for

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Assembling lines and slitting/folding machines for plastic caps and closures

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