How Do We Ensure Quality?

At Associated, quality is key. Creating custom packaging requires attention to detail and complete quality control. Here’s how we ensure the highest quality at Associated:

IFS PACsecure Certification

Our entire production facility is IFS PACsecure-certified, which means it measures up to the GFSI-recognized standard for packaging material suppliers and converters developed with the support of leading North American food and packaging material companies. IFS is an all-encompassing, internationally recognized food safety certification that is implemented across our facility, from the offices to the production floor.

Learn more about our IFS PACsecure certification and scores here.

In-House Plates

We produce all of our flexographic printing plates in-house to ensure that we have complete control over every project's accuracy, timing, and quality.

Made in North America

At ALP, we understand that premium products come from premium materials. This is one of the many reasons that everything we use, purchase, and produce is made in North America, with a few exceptions from Europe. Staying local also allows us to reduce the environmental impact of our products while ensuring better quality, timing, and reliability for our customers.

Our Equipment

With features such as micro perforation, macro perforation, hermetic seals, and many more, we take extra precautions with testing to ensure that all of these functions work perfectly on your packaging. Our testing equipment includes:

• Leak detector to submerge pouches in water and inflate to check for micro leaks in the seal area
• Tester to detect areas of weak seals or seal creep in pouches
• Airflow reader to measure the amount of air that passes through a micro-perforation
• Microscope used to measure the size and shape of a micro-perforation 
• COF tester used to measure the slip of various films, which plays a major role in the machinability of films during processing or post-processing
• Tensile test to determine the bond strength of various adhesives
• Test to determine the scuff resistance of applied lacquer or coatings

QC Team

Our Quality Control team leads all of our in-house testing. This includes colour checks, inspecting raw materials, and all compliance, such as ensuring IFS PACsecure regulations are in place and proper line clearance procedures are being followed.

If you have any questions about our quality control procedures or packaging solutions, you can reach out to our team here or request a quote online.