Indusrty news from the region & around the world

Fujifilm launches monochrome wide format MFPs

The monochrome wide format multifunction printers target manufacturing, construction and facility management industries

FUJIFILM Business Innovation Asia Pacific Pte. Ltd. announced the launch of the ApeosWide 3030/6050 monochrome wide-format multifunction printers.

The series entails three new products under two models for scanning and printing A0 size drawings with enhanced security functions to prevent leakage of confidential drawings.

The wide format printers are already available for sale to Asia Pacific.

The ApeosWide 3030/6050 multifunction printers with its existing security print and copy management are further equipped with more robust network security functions with the latest version of the network security standard - Transport Layer Security (TLS 1.3), which provides a stronger encryption for network communications.

For added protection, the single printer can also be connected to two independent networks, thereby enabling an environment where scanning and printing operations can be managed separately and securely. For example, connection to the company intranet for employee’s usage, while the other is connected to the internet for external users. There can be independent connections for different departments and users such as general users and departmental users only. These can be implemented via a secondary ethernet connection.

The ApeosWide 3030/6050 is also designed to provide enhanced experience to users with its new user interface (UI) via a 10.1-inch colour LCD panel and is equipped with an attention light to alert users that an error has occurred when the orange lighting flashes up for easier management and operation.

Siegwerk Thailand awarded for circular economy efforts

The Thai subsidiary of Siegwerk has won the Thailand Prime Minister Industry Award in the Circular Economy category.

The Circular Economy is a new category in the annual Industry Awards. It focuses on cost-effective use of resources, taking into account the use of sustainable materials as much as possible, aiming to reduce pollution and environmental impacts sustainably by developing a stable economy along with preserving the environment and natural resources of the country.

To qualify for the award, Siegwerk Thailand had to undergo a rigorous three stage vetting process including a site audit in order to qualify for the award.

In the application, Siegwerk Thailand highlighted innovations to facilitate recyclability in packaging, awarenessraising for paperization solutions, deinking/delamination technologies, collaboration with value chain partners for circularity solution and commitment to product safety among other achievements.

“This award builds the pride of the company and all employees as part of its success, and drives our company to continue to develop. We will also be an agent to raise awareness for partners as well as society, to focus on the circular economy in a sustainable way,” said Tussanee Leevongwat, Entity Manager, Thailand and Head of Human Resource for Siegwerk South East Asia.

The award serves as affirmation that Siegwerk is on the right track in it’s ambitions to become a leading enabler for circular packaging solutions.

ALPLA set up Asia Pacific arm in Singapore

Global packaging company ALPLA announced that its Asia-Pacific (APAC) head office in Singapore will go live on 1 January 2022.

According to ALPLA, the APAC office is a merge of the company’s North East Asia and South East Asia subsidiaries. It includes current operations in China, Thailand, Vietnam and the Philippines.

Specialising in plastic packaging, ALPLA produces custom-made packaging systems, bottles, caps and moulded parts. It has around 21,600 employees worldwide at its 178 sites across 45 countries. The packaging is used in a wide range of areas, including for food and drinks, cosmetics and care products, household cleaning products, detergents and cleaning agents, pharmaceutical products, engine oils and lubricants.

The APAC region will have 2,750 employees and managed by Roland Wallner, currently ALPLA Managing Director North East Asia. Alongside extending the reach of the company’s moulding technology, a strong focus lies on the further development of circular economy activities in the region.

ALPLA operates its own recycling plants for PET and HDPE in Austria, Poland, Mexico, Italy and Spain, and in the form of joint ventures in Mexico and Germany. Other projects are being realised elsewhere around the world.

“We are convinced that establishing this new regional organisation is the right step to support our ambitions in the region. It will especially enable us to develop market-leading products and services for our growing customer base in Asia,” said ALPLA CEO Philipp Lehner.

“With this step we are bundling our extensive competences and resources in different markets of the region and aligning them in terms of strategic development, customer service, sales and purchasing,” Wallner added.

Pantone unveils 2022 Colour of the Year

Pantone has unveiled its colour of the year for 2022, Very Peri (Pantone 173938). The colour institute described the colour as being a “dynamic periwinkle blue hue with a vivifying violet red undertone”.

Very Peri displays a spritely, joyous attitude and dynamic presence that encourages courageous creativity and imaginative expression.

“The Pantone Colour of the Year reflects what is taking place in our global culture, expressing what people are looking for that colour can hope to answer,” said Laurie Pressman, Vice President of the Pantone Colour Institute.

“Creating a new colour for the first time in the history of our Pantone Colour of the Year educational colour program reflects the global innovation and transformation taking place.” “As society continues to recognise colour as a critical form of communication, and a way to express and affect ideas and emotions and engage and connect, the complexity of this new red violet infused blue hue highlights the expansive possibilities that lay before us,” Pressman continued.

Amcor unveils state-of-the-art healthcare packaging facility in Singapore to serve accelerating customer demands in Asia Pacific

Amcor, a global leader in developing and producing responsible packaging, today announced the opening of its greenfield packaging facility in Tuas, Singapore. The dedicated healthcare packaging facility will address a current and future market need, as demand for healthcare packaging is rapidly increasing across the region.

Amcor’s new Tuas facility comprises cleanroom manufacturing environments, capability in three-, seven- and nine-layer co-extrusion blown film, and state-of-the-art flexographic printing. It is also fully certified to ISO 13485, ensuring the ability to fully satisfy industry regulatory requirements.

CANON SINGAPORE PTE. LTD.

“With the Asia Pacific healthcare packaging market expected to grow at a more than 8% through 2026*, Amcor is laying the foundation to support that growth with this advanced facility in the region,” said Amcor’s Chief Commercial Officer, Peter Konieczny. “Our innovative and regional approach in this space, coupled with our commitment to sustainability, will ensure our continued industry leadership for customers of all sizes, as well as the environment.”

As part of a global initiative to expand the reach of Amcor’s innovation network, Amcor is establishing an innovation center for healthcare films in the Singapore facility to drive advancement in co-extrusion blown film technology. Amcor will leverage its global product platform and the strengthened innovation capabilities enabled by this new center to bring new technologies, innovations and compelling products to market to serve customers in Asia Pacific.

“Healthcare is one of the fastest growing industries in the region, and customers are looking for packaging suppliers that can improve their speed to the market,” said Scott Jackson, Amcor’s General Manager, Southeast Asia Healthcare. “Our new Singapore facility is a meaningful step towards expanding our product offerings and increasing our capacity to support customer growth, now and well into the future.” the packaging industry and creating a powerful incentive for companies to lead through innovation. Amcor is pleased to lead by example, having previously pledged that all of its packaging will be recyclable or reusable by 2025. To that end, the new facility in Singapore uses printing technology that is water based with no solvent emissions. Its multilayer blown films can produce recycle-ready products and its multilayer film technology allows new product innovation with a lower carbon footprint.

You can Watch a video here: https:// youtu.be/Fn39BV1Cg58

Kongsberg appoints Oceania distribution partner

EKongsberg Precision Cutting Systems announced a new agreement with GMS Pacific (GMS) to handle its distribution and servicing business across the Oceania region.

Under the new agreement, GMS Pacific will manage all sales, distribution, and servicing of the complete range of Kongsberg digital finishing solutions and tools, from its base in Melbourne, Australia.

GMS delivers product solutions for labels, packaging, carton and display manufacturers in Australia, New Zealand, Southeast Asia and the Pacific regions.

“This latest agreement is a part of our ongoing process of moving towards a more efficient and effective way to meet the evolving needs of our customers,” said Stuart Fox, President of Kongsberg PCS. “The team at GMS Pacific has more than 20 years’ combined experience working with Kongsberg solutions. We are delighted to now begin this partnership as the exclusive digital finishing solution provider for its business.”

“With this distribution agreement, we are living up to our ethos of ‘global presence, local service’. While we realize a company our size doesn’t necessarily have the scale to offer the level of service we’d like in all parts of the world, having GMS Pacific as a local full-service distributor will enable us to give our customers across Australia and New Zealand the level of attention they deserve,” said Fox.

“GMS Pacific holds stock of spare parts and Kongsberg consumables in their Australian and New Zealand warehouses, so customers can enjoy the full range of sales and follow-up services and speak to a representative in the same local time zone, improving their experience and removing potential delays,” Fox continued.

“One of our digital finishing tables will be installed at the company’s Australian headquarters, giving customers the opportunity to have a close-up look at the impressive machinery in action. This exciting new agreement is about Kongsberg PCS focusing on improvements where we can really make a difference, to deliver the best levels of service to our customers,” said Fox.

GMS Pacific delivers solutions for label and packaging manufacturers for over 40 years. As well as introducing the latest technology products and supplying the highest quality equipment and consumables, the company provides expert advice to customers across Oceania.

According to GMS Pacific, the new distribution partnership would further complement the company’s own offering and strategic aspirations.

“We have built our business and reputation by consistently delivering quality, service and reliability, and developing long-term partnerships with leading brands that deliver profitable solutions to our customers,” said Andrew McNamara, Managing Director of GMS Pacific.

“Kongsberg PCS is the leader in its markets and a great fit with GMS Pacific. We are delighted to be cementing our relationship with Kongsberg, establishing a dedicated team to support customers achieve their own business growth through distributing the leading range of digital finishing solutions and technological advancements in the field,” McNamara concluded.

PepsiCo ramps up sustainable packaging in new initiative

PepsiCo, Inc. introduced pep+ (pep Positive), a strategic end-to-end transformation with sustainability at its core. pep+ will guide how PepsiCo will transform its business operations: from sourcing ingredients and making and selling its products in a more sustainable way, to leveraging its more than one billion connections with consumers each day to take sustainability mainstream and engage people to make choices that are better for themselves and the planet.

One of the pillars of pep+ is to promote a positive value chain by introducing more sustainable packaging into the value chain. In line with pep+, PepsiCo announced new goals to cut virgin plastic per serving by 50% across its global food & beverage portfolio by 2030 and using 50% recycled content in its plastic packaging.

PepsiCo will continue to scale new business models that require little or no single-use packaging, including its global SodaStream business, an icon of a Positive Choice and the largest sparkling water brand in the world by volume.

The SodaStream business is an innovative platform that almost entirely eliminates the need for beverage packaging, among other levers. SodaStream is already sold in more than 40 countries. Part of the brand's effort to help consumers avoid more than 200 billion plastic bottles by 2030.

Besides SodaStream, PepsiCo’s brands across its food & beverage portfolio are accelerating their efforts to realise the sustainable packaging vision and leveraging their influence to educate consumers on recycling and the planetary impacts of their choices. 11 European markets are moving key Pepsi-branded products to 100% rPET bottles by 2022. Meanwhile in the U.S., all Pepsi-branded products will be converted to 100% rPET bottles by 2030, with Pepsi Zero Sugar beginning to be sold in 100% rPET bottles by 2022. PepsiCo has been investing in breakthrough food packaging technology and is now introducing a fully compostable bag made with plant-based materials. Starting with Off The Eaten Path, one of Frito-Lay's plant-based brands, this industrially compostable packaging will be available to consumers in the U.S.

Notably, the company also announced today that it is willing to work with other companies to license the same technology at no cost given the importance of creating a circular food packaging system.