Century installs Mark Andy Digital Series iQ press to scale operations

BASF partners

StePac to develop sustainable packaging for fresh produce

COLOMBIA – German chemical company BASF has partnered with functional packaging provider StePac to develop sustainable packaging for the fresh produce sector.

US – Century Printing & Packaging (CP&P), a label converting company, has invested in one of the newly launched Mark Andy Digital Series iQ digital hybrid presses, to grow its digital capacity.

The Digital Series iQ press is said to combine the servo platform and technology from Mark Andy’s Evolution Series with the Domino N610i UV-inkjet engine.

Mark Andy said that the press is targeted at the intermediate segment of the label market and provides the ideal balance of speed, print quality, and cost-effectiveness.

The newly installed press at Century Printing & Packaging features a fourcolor digital capability with three flexo units along with Mark Andy’s QCDC die-cutting equipment.

Mark Andy said that the press can print at a resolution of 600 x 600dpi across a 13″ (330mm) web at a production speed of up to 230ft/min (70 m/min) in high-speed mode and 164 ft/min (50 m/min) in high-quality mode.

The new press is said to enable Century Printing & Packaging to increase its production volume and variety through the fast turnaround of high-quality labels with minimal waste and downtime.

Founded in 1997, Century Printing & Packaging converts labels for different markets including newspapers, chemical, nutraceutical, and the food and beverage sectors.

The label converting company now has five Mark Andy flexo presses, which include three 10” 2200 models and a 13” Performance Series P5, in addition to the latest Digital Series iQ.

BASF says it will supply StePac with its Ultramid Ccycled product, a chemically recycled polyamide 6 that will provide StePac with greater flexibility to advance contact-sensitive packaging formats to a higher sustainable standard within the circular economy.

StePac, which specializes in developing packaging, says it is pioneering the use of chemically recycled plastics for the packaging of fresh perishables.

The company’s two brands, Xgo and Xtend are based on MAP technology with built-in humidity control that slows respiration inside the packaging, delays the aging process, inhibits microbial decay and preserves the quality and nutritional value of the product during prolonged storage and long-haul shipm ents.

As part of the partnership, 30% of Xtend and Xgo packaging will be made from Ultramid Ccycled, with plans to increase the content in the future.

The packaging’s MAP properties are designed to slow the ripening process and maintain the quality when in transit from Colombia to Europe.

Harpak-ULMA introduces TFS 216 thermoforming machine for fresh food packaging

– eliminating the need for a plastic tray while generating zero cardboard waste.

The cardboard base material can be printed on both sides with product or marketing information and is registered.

The use of transport chains, a design common in most conventional thermoformers, requires that part of the original reel width be discarded as scrap.

US – Harpak-ULMA has unveiled the ULMA TFS 216 thermoforming machine, which is designed to offer more sustainable packaging for fresh food products.

The TFS 216 takes ULMA’s pursuit of sustainable packaging solutions a step further by offering a new model of thermoforming machine designed to package fresh products in vacuum skin packs on a flat cardboard base.

The TFS 216 uses cardboard roll stock to produce the flat, nonthermoformed base of the packaging

In contrast, the TFS 216 is equipped with an innovative bottom film traction system without chain, so the LeafSkin packaging produced retains all of the base material, regardless of its width.

This TFS 216 is part of the ULMAweCare range of solutions, which target more sustainable packaging with a smaller environmental impact.

Ishida Europe launches VFFS bagmaker to optimize productivity

operation and 25% less on standby than previous models.

Capable of operating in both continuous and intermittent motion modes, the machine features box motion technology that allows for the sealing jaw motion to operate in both vertical and in/out horizontal planes and apply more uniform pressure over the entire area of the jaws.

As such, the bagmaker can produce such pack formats as pillow packs, side gussets, block bottoms, chain packs, and flat bottoms.

light bar is reported to complete a film splice cycle in 20 seconds and allow for the management of more machines per head – increasing speed and efficiency in the automatic film splicing process.

EUROPE – Ishida Europe has launched a new INSPIRA Box Motion vertical form fill seal (VFFS) bagmaker to facilitate a lower-cost and flexible operation process for snack manufacturers.

According to Ishida Europe, the new VFFS utilizes 17% less energy in

Operators can switch between continuous and intermittent motion using the machine’s pre-settings, with no part changes required.

Other automated features for centering film, managing air fills, and adjusting tensions are also expected to cut down on human error and production waste, as well as maintain consistency in packaging production.

Meanwhile, its new splice table

This is expected to lower operational costs, lessen the challenges of manual intervention, and improve the speed of previous models by 30%.

Sidel to install EvoBlow blow molder at StrongPack facility, Nigeria

bottle lightweighting opportunities through bottleneck handling and the elimination of intermediary conveying.

Eric Thibault, chairman of StrongPack Nigeria, said: “We have partnered with Sidel right from the

NIGERIA – Sidel, a global provider of packaging solutions is set to install its 1000th EvoBlow blow molder as part of a high-speed PET water line at StrongPack in Nigeria early this year.

The new 86,000 bottles per hour (bph) high-speed line will be the fastest in Africa, the company said in a statement. It marks StrongPack’s entry into the still-water co-packing market.

StrongPack is one of the biggest producers by volume of Royal Crown (RC) Cola worldwide and is also the biggest and the most diversified copacker in Nigeria.

The company is co-packing products such as malt drinks, teas,

Tlačiareň Bardejov opts for Koenig & Bauer’s print and packaging technologies to scale operations

regular carbonated soft drinks, fruit juices, juice nectar, and fruit-flavored drinks, including some nitrogenpressurized packaging for major global brands.

StrongPack’s new water line will combine an EvoBlow regular blowmolding machine with filling and capping equipment, integrating these production phases into one compact Combi SF100 solution.

The integrated solution includes a water treatment room and automated cleaning-in-place (CIP), ensuring hygiene and food safety.

StrongPack’s choice of Combi set-up offers material savings, with start of our operations and we are very happy to have had the same trusted execution project manager,Yasser Seffo, throughout.”

THE NEW 86,000 BOTTLES PER HOUR (BPH) HIGH-SPEED LINE WILL BE THE FASTEST IN AFRICA, THE COMPANY SAID IN A STATEMENT. IT MARKS STRONGPACK’S ENTRY INTO THE STILL-WATER CO-PACKING MARKET.

SLOVAKIA – Print company

Tlačiareň Bardejov has bought a fivecolour Rapida 76 with an inline coater and an Omega Allpro 90 folder-gluer technologies from Koenig & Bauer to scale operations.

According to Koenig & Bauer, by investing in a five-color Rapida 76 with inline coater, together with an Omega Allpro 90 folder-gluer, Tlačiareň Bardejov has boosted its production capacities in preparation for new and future market demands.

The highly automated Rapida 76 in B2 half shape was built exclusively for Tlaiare Bardejov’s product line, Koenig

& Bauer said.

It will help Tlačiareň to produce packaging for wines and spirits as well as for e-commerce and print boards up to a thickness of 0.8mm.

Spot colors (Pantone, HKS, metallic inks) can be used with the fifth printing unit which ensures that the products can be printed and finished in a single pass, which eventually lowers production costs.

In addition, the Rapida 76 has an integrated high-flow coater unit that handles simple inline dispersion coatings, and in combination with the last printing unit can deliver special multiple finishes.

Equipments

Shawpak introduces new Rigid Blister Machine for pharma applications

UK – Medical packaging machinery company Shawpak has launched its new Shawpak Rigid Blister Machine for the pharma industry.

The Shawpak Rigid Blister Machine can create die-cut rigid blister packs of up to a maximum size of 600 x 280mm giving a web width of 620mm and an index length of 300mm, notes the company.

A single blister can be produced at the maximum size or any combination of blisters to make up the 600mm width.

Shawpak says that narrower materials can be loaded onto the machine down to a minimum width of 250mm.

According to the company, the machine gives medical device customers full flexibility, making packaging on demand from roll stock, rather than relying on supply chains.

The tooling can be quickly changed to give full control and allows customers to make trays ahead of time, preventing the need to store a surplus inventory of stock for months taking up space and tying up cash.

In addition, this machine can help integrate a company’s supply chain and allow them to control serialization and inspection as packs are made, allowing better quality control.

Understanding customer struggles with supply chains and limitations in the current standard market solutions was key in the development of Shawpak’s Rigid Blister machine.

Bühler,

ST partners on new center for PET bottle and flake sorting

SWITZERLAND – Swiss multinational plant equipment manufacturer, Bühler has partnered with Pellenc ST on a front and backend solution for PET bottle and flake sorting.

The two companies are hoping to improve and future-proof PET recyclers’ processing activities with a new Demo and Applications Centre opening in November.

Combining Bühler’s PET flake sorting solutions – the SORTEX N PolyVision and the SORTEX

A GlowVision – with Pellenc ST’s Mistral+ Connect bottle sorter, the companies have recently signed a North America agent agreement and anticipate that a joint Demo and Applications Centre utilizing the

SORTEX A GlowVision sorter will open there next month.

It is hoped that this development will make a contribution to a circular economy in PET production, as well as allow the companies to make further investments in R&D.

It is claimed that 5% of Bühler’s annual turnover goes into R&D investment and that 35% of Pellenc ST’s total staff headcount works in R&D.

Carlos Cabello, Sales Director of Digital Technologies and lead of Bühler in Northern Europe, says: “This alliance has been set up to streamline the sorting process for PET plastics recyclers, providing one port of call for our companies’ collective customer base. We look forward to the collaboration between the teams on both sides.

Gerresheimer partners Merck to develop digital twin packaging solution

GERMANY – Global packaging supplier Gerresheimer has partnered with pharmaceutical company Merck to develop a digital twin solution to further ensure traceability and trust in the pharmaceutical supply chain.

Under the partnership, the two companies have developed a Proof of Concept (PoC) to provide primary packaging with a unique ID to access its own trustworthy digital twin.

The PoC aims to transform the pharmaceutical supply chain by creating digital twins for primary packaging.

The automated process will result in full traceability and digital trust, resulting in cost savings, improved quality and even new business models through a single interconnected network.

Gerresheimer said that by using the jointly created solution, the physical primary packaging for Gerresheimer is given a dependable ‘key’ that grants access to its digital twin.

The primary packaging which includes syringe and vial are connected to their individual ID to travel across the whole supply chain, from production to the point of care, linking and gathering data.

They turn into the key to unblocking data from multiple digital ecosystems, enabling more effective communication between diverse supply network firms.

According to Gerresheimer, the innovative approach enables physical objects to be securely anchored in the digital world using a blockchainbased platform and multi-patent authentication technologies created by Merck.