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ROCKING IN THE BEER WORLD! Aisling Tomei, Corporate Relations Manager, Big Rock Brewery

Western Canadian Craft Brewer One Very Happy Quarter-Century Club Member

Publication mail agreement #40070230. Return Canadian undeliverables to: Canadian Packaging, Circulation Department, 7th floor, 1 Mount Pleasant Road, Toronto, ON, M4Y 2Y5

Story on page 18

Gordon Scott, Packaging Manager, Big Rock Brewery

CHICAGO CALLING! PACK EXPO INTERNATIONAL 2010 SHOW PREVIEW Pages 25-35 IN THIS ISSUE: AUTO ID NOW • PACKAGING FOR FRESHNESS • CONTRACT PACKAGING

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We offer: A team of design experts to provide you with innovative packaging designs and solutions to your packaging challenges, using state-of-the-art design software coupled with computerized sample making capabilities. A design team available to assist you in choosing packaging that minimizes product/package ratio, maximizes cube use, and optimizes transportation of your product. An integrated, environmentally friendly, corrugated company. Corrugated containers made from 100% recycled containerboard manufactured at our two mills in Scarborough, a simple way to maximize the recycled content of your package. We can help you sustain and increase your business with your customers!

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Atlantic Packaging Products Ltd. Corrugated Division Scarborough-Progress Ave., Scarborough-Midwest Ave., Brampton, Mississauga and Ingersoll 416-298-8101 • 1-800-268-5620 • www.atlantic.ca Add Ink (Atlantic Decorated & Display) Toronto 416-421-3636 • www.addink.ca Mitchel-Lincoln Packaging Ltd. Montreal and Drummondville 514-332-3480 • 1-800-361-5727 • www.ml-group.com

UPFRONT

FOR CRYING OUT LOUD!

OCTOBER 2010 VOLUME 63, NO. 10

SENIOR PUBLISHER Stephen Dean • (416) 764-1497 stephen.dean@packaging.rogers.com EDITORIAL DIRECTOR Lisa Wichmann • (416) 764-1491 lisa.wichmann@rci.rogers.com EDITOR George Guidoni • (416) 764-1505 george.guidoni@packaging.rogers.com FEATURES EDITOR Andrew Joseph • (416) 764-1529 andrew.joseph@packaging.rogers.com ART DIRECTOR Stewart Thomas • (416) 764-1547 ADVERTISING SALES Stephen Dean • (416) 764-1497 stephen.dean@packaging.rogers.com PRODUCTION MANAGER Natalie Chyrsky • (416) 764-1686 natalie.chyrsky@rci.rogers.com CIRCULATION MANAGER Celia Ramnarine • (416) 932-5071 rogers@cstonecanada.com ROGERS PUBLISHING LIMITED Brian Segal, President & CEO ROGERS BUSINESS & PROFESSIONAL PUBLISHING John Milne, Senior Vice-President Paul Williams, Vice-President, Financial Publishing, Brand Extensions & Online Services Keith Fulford, Director of Audience Development (416) 764-3878 • keith.fulford@rci.rogers.com Tim Dimopoulos, Executive Publisher, Industrial Group. (416) 764-1499 • tim.dimopoulos@rci.rogers.com CORPORATE SALES Sandra Parente, General Manager, Corporate Sales (416) 764-3818 • sandra.parente@rci.rogers.com WEB David Carmichael, General Manager, Online Operations (416) 764-3820 • david.carmichael@rci.rogers.com RESEARCH Tricia Benn, Senior Director, Rogers Connect Market Research (416) 764-3856 • tricia.benn@rci.rogers.com EVENTS Stephen T. Dempsey, General Manager, Conferences & Events (416) 764-1635 • steve.dempsey@mtg.rogers.com

aking sustainable packaging really stick with North American consumers for the long haul was never going to be an easy proposition. But it suddenly looks like mission impossible in wake of a stunning aboutface decision this month by Frito Lay to sack its widely-lauded, 100-percent compostable chip bags launched only 18 months ago to package the snackfood giant’s SunChips line of potato chips—to thunderous reception across the consumer marketplace and in packaging industry circles enraptured by this grandiose display of environmental responsibility from the chips’ brand-owner PepsiCo. Launched in April of 2009 in a glorious blitz of marketing hype touting the bags’ impressive sustainability virtues—primarily complete breakdown in an active compost pile in approximately 14 weeks, as opposed to 100 years for the conventional plastic bags—this packaging breakthrough may well have gone down in history as the defining ‘coming of age’ moment for the global packaging sustainability movement. During the launch phase, 43 per cent of consumers surveyed by Mintel researchers said they were likely to buy SunChips precisely because of the brand’s environmentally progressive positioning, which also included the new distinctive sound the bags made when handled by consumers—an audio clue, if you like, to the chips’ lessened carbon footprint. Well, so much for that little bit of green wishful thinking. Not only did the repackaged SunChips fail to set the market alight—with PepsiCo reporting an 11-percent drop in sales of the multigrain snacks since the launch—the compostable PLA (polylactic acid) bags, made from corn starch, were ultimately derided by some consumers for being too loud. In fact, nearly 40,000 people signed up to a Facebook group ripping the bags apart for their

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SUBSCRIBER SERVICES: To subscribe, renew your subscription or to change your address or information, please visit us at www.rogersb2bmedia.com/cpac SUBSCRIPTION PRICE PER YEAR (INCLUDING ANNUAL BUYERS’ GUIDE): Canada $72.10 per year, Outside Canada $106.00 US per year, Single Copy Canada $10.00. Canadian Packaging is published 11 times per year except for occasional combined, expanded or premium issues, which count as two subscription issues. Contents copyright © 2006 by Rogers Publishing Limited, may not be reprinted without permission. Canadian Packaging accepts no responsibility or liability for claims made for any product or service reported or advertised in this issue. Canadian Packaging receives unsolicited materials, (including letters to the editor, press releases, promotional items and images) from time to time. Canadian Packaging, its affiliates and assignees may use, reproduce, publish, re-publish, distribute, store and archive such unsolicited submissions in whole or in part in any form or medium whatsoever, without compensation of any sort.

CIRCULATION INQUIRIES: Cornerstone Publishing Services (416) 932-5071 We acknowledge the financial support of the Government of Canada through the Canada Periodical Fund (CPF) for our publishing activities. Canadian Packaging is indexed in the Canadian Magazine Index by Micromedia Limited. Back copies are available in microform from Macromedia Ltd., 158 Pearl St., Toronto, ON M5H 1L3 MAIL PREFERENCES: Occasionally we make our subscriber list available to reputable companies whose products or services may be of interest to you. If you do not want your name to be made available, please contact us at rogers@cstonecanada.com or update your profile at www.rogersb2bmedia.com/cpac. Our environmental policy is available at: www. rogerspublishing.ca/environment RETURN UNDELIVERABLE ITEMS TO: Canadian Packaging, Circulation Dept., 8th Floor One Mount Pleasant Road, Toronto, ON M4Y 2Y5, ISSN 0008-4654

Big Time By Andrew Joseph

Western Canadian beermaker has plenty to cheer and celebrate on its upcoming 25-year anniversary, including a new case-coding system facilitating full product traceablity compliance.

OCTOBER 2010 |

ROCKING IN THE BEER WORLD!

FEATURES

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MAKING THE CUT By Andrew Joseph Quebec veal processor maximizes its packaging prowess with new cuttingedge equipment to retain a leading marketplace position.

THE SUM OF ALL PARTS By Andrew Joseph Veteran Ontario co-packer leverages superior service capabilities and a proactive capital investment mindset to nurture customer loyalty and repeat business.

UNITED THEY STAND By George Guidoni Packaging Summit delivers clear sustainability message.

Western Canadian One Very Happy Craft Brewer Quarter-Century Club Member Story on page 18

CHICAGO CALLING! IN THIS ISSUE: AUTO ID NOW PACKAGING FOR FRESHNESS

PACK EXPO INTERNATION AL 2010 SHOW PREVIEW Pages 25-35

CONTRACT PACKAGING

Cover photography by Wiktor Skupinski.

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noise-making properties—supported by YouTube clips featuring self-styled investigative journos crinkling and rubbing SunChips bags on the store-shelves to obtain handheld noise-meter readings of up to 95 decibels, dear God! Alright, no one is saying that brand-owners should ignore consumer criticism—be it conveyed via social media or by other means—but how about a little sense of proportion and perspective? First of all, 40,000 people may sound like a lot, but it’s mere crumbs when measured in the context of a vast North American marketplace for potato chips, for better or worse. Secondly, just how many people really buy their food on the basis of noise made by its packaging, really now! And even accounting for the curiosity factor and social media-enabled gloryhunting, the whole business of walking into a store, video camera and noise-meter in hand, and mangling packaging to make a bit of noise to prove a point ultimately only proves that some people just may have a little too much free time on their hands. As for declining sales, it takes a mighty leap in logic to conveniently dismiss the reality of shaky consumer spending in a recession-battered economy to single out noisy packaging as a culprit. And yet there you have it: by the end of this month, five of the six SunChips f lavors switched over to PLA bags will revert back to their original conventional plastic pouches, with only the original SunChips f lavor left to retail in the compostable bags for some unexplained reason. In its defense, Frtio Lay did indicate that it was going back to the lab to develop less noisy PLA chip bags for future product launches, but in light of this early lame capitulation, alas, there are far more questions about the depth and strength of its environmental conscience right now than are there satisfactory answers.

DEPARTMENTS & COLUMNS 5 7-9

UPFRONT By George Guidoni NEWSPACK Packaging news round-up from across Canada. 10-11 ECO-PACK NOW All the latest on environmental sustainability. 12 IMPACT A monthly insight from the PAC. 36 EVENTS Upcoming industry functions. 37 PEOPLE Packaging world career moves. 38 CHECKOUT By Paul Pethick Joe Public speaks out on packaging hits and misses. NEXT ISSUE: Automate Now, Packaging for Freshness, Plastics in Packaging.

25-35 SPECIAL REPORT PACK EXPO International 2010 preview. 25

ON WITH THE SHOW! New exhibition features and highlights.

SAFE CHAIN REACTIONS Using modern technologies to ensure safe food and drug supply chains.

HIP TO BE SQUARE A Canadian packaging innovation cuts no corners on product safety.

30-35 CHICAGO SHOW-STOPPERS A sneak preview of select PACK EXPO exhibits.

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We’ll be unveiling our newest and most innovative marking and coding solutions at booth 2200. Markem-Imaje is working to change the way you think about marking and coding by delivering solid, transparent commitments to you supported by tangible beneﬁts: Increased uptime. Less waste. Planet-friendly. Reduced costs. Come by booth 2200 to see for yourself why we are: the team to trust.

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Leading spice producer wins Canadian consumers over with new packaging design Any company that has been around for over 125 years must know a thing or two about consumer loyalty, and leading spices and seasonings producer McCormick Canada Inc. certainly knows the value of consumer feedback when it comes to launching new products and packaging. Late last year, the venerable company—a subsidiary of the Hunt Valley, Md.-headquartered McCormick & Company—turned to consumer research specialists Ipsos to survey Canadian shoppers about the new packaging design developed for its Club House Core line of primary spices. Using advanced new OptiScan technology to measure eye movements when viewing a so-called ‘planogram,’ Ipsos researchers drew an overwhelmingly positive consumer response to the new packaging for the brand, which is now making a national rollout across all the major Canadian grocery and retail outlets. (See Pictures) “Results showed that consumers were very accepting of the packaging update, and were excited to see the evolution of the Club House brand,” says McCormick Canada product manager Linda Stiles. “Some descriptors used for the new look were ‘appealing, inspiring, educational, modern and unique’ when compared to other offerings in the marketplace, which are all very positive associations for the brand,” Stiles adds. Designed by the Toronto-based branding specialists Marovino Visual Strategy, the updated clear-plastic Club House containers now feature mostly clear wraparound labels—produced by All Stick Label of Vaughan, Ont.—that fully dis-

play the texture and color of the packaged spices or herbs, with the Lancaster, Pa.-based Berry Plastics providing a fitting crowning touch with embossed red caps outfitted with branded tamperevident stickers. Another Lancaster-based company, JL Clarke, handled the printing for the smaller, rectangularshaped Club House Core tins, which feature easyto-read variety names on the side panels and a new red f lip-top lid with a tamper-evident tab. The upcoming new packaging launch will also include larger-sized ‘club-pack’ plastic containers outfitted with decorative labels printed by the London-based Wright Lithographing Company Limited, with Novellus Graphics supplying the prepress services. All Club House Core brand products—comprising basic primary herbs such as cinnamon, pepper, oregano and parsley—are packaged at McCormick Canada’s production facility in London, Ont., where the company has maintained its Canadian headquarters since 1883. “We wanted a more contemporary, upscale look that also leveraged fresh and natural,” says Stiles, citing the use of compelling label photography showing the product in its natural, unprocessed state; easy-to-read, clean modern font; and helpful tips for using the product highlighted on the side or back panels. “The new look takes advantage of the current trend to cook or bake more at home, and it will inspire consumers to shop the spice aisle,” Stiles says. “The goal of the new design is to help elevate Club House spices and herbs to a more premium position.” According to results of the Ipsos survey, 41 per cent of respondents said they would definitely buy the new packaging, compared to 23 per cent saying they would buy the old packaging, while 67 per cent stated the stated they “really like the new design,” compared to 33 per cent preferring the old look.

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F I R S T C H O I C E F O R PR O D U C T I O N LO G I S T I C S

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Bundle Nordson Equipment with Your Adhesive

Your adhesive Nordson partners with all major hot melt adhesive companies serving the packaging industry. We work with you and your adhesive supplier to get you the equipment you need with the adhesive you want. No surprises We show you how much the adhesive – and the equipment will cost, in easy to understand language, with no unwanted surprises. Any temperature Industry-best Nordson systems process adhesives at any temperature, from 100° to 400° F (38° to 204° C), including low-temperature, metallocene and traditional EVA, giving you more ﬂexibility and productivity.

Unmatched support Nordson systems come with the largest, most experienced, direct, factory-trained, local sales and technical support team in North America plus, installation and start-up assistance, 24/7 access to live troubleshooting and part identiﬁcation. Add up the beneﬁts No capital expense, more productivity and less downtime are just a few of the many reasons to modernize your operation with an adhesive and equipment bundle. Call Nordson today to learn more.

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NEWSPACK

Compelling Canadian package design captures global accolades Good things often really do come in small packages, as Mississauga, Ont.-based package design specialists Anthem Worldwide just found out by winning a bronze Pentaward medal of the 2010 Pentawards Worldwide Packaging Design Competition in Shanghai, China—the only true global competition devoted exclusively to package design excellence. Selected by a jury of 12 packaging design professionals from leading branding and design agencies around the world, the award-winning design was created earlier this year at Anthem’s Toronto branch for the Nestlé Noir brand of pure dark chocolate from Nestlé Canada Inc.—a premium brand of Swiss dark chocolate featuring a unique, curvishsquare pattern and shape that is claimed to intensify a powerful and instant release of real cocoa f lavors to heighten the consumers’ pleasure. Boasting luxurious dark colors and seductive close-up product imagery, the highly decora-

tive wrappers managed to capture and project the brand’s high-end, upper-scale appeal with captivating effect, according to Nestlé Canada’s director of corporate affairs Catherine O’Brien. “The new packaging designs by Anthem for Nestlé Noir successfully translated on the pack the new curved chocolate shape that is uniquely designed to unleash cocoa f lavors,” says O’Brien, noting the Nestlé Noir packaging was also selected as a finalist in the first-ever Design Edge Canada 2010 Regional Design Awards competition earlier this year. “We see this as endorsement from a respected jury of branding and design leaders that our packaging communicated the new look for Nestlé Noir, ensuring that the cocoa content and the unique shape of the tablet form was successfully highlighted,” says Gary Oakley, creative director at the Toronto office of Anthem Worldwide, part of the global strategic branding consulting services group Schawk, Inc. “We are honored to have our work for Nestlé Noir selected from the vast number of global entries to receive this mark of distinction.”

Designer water bottle packs creative brand appeal Turning water into a real full-out beverage experience is becoming something of a true art form for the evian Natural Spring Water brand, which has just launched its fourth annual limited edition designer bottle created by the world-renowned fashion icon Issey Miyake, known for his innovative and minimalist style. Retailing at select Canadian restaurants and retailers right up through the holiday season, the shapely 750-ml glass bottle is decorated with an imaginary, shimmering f lower, a symbol of youth, and the signature evian message, “Live Young.” According to Miyake, the inspiration for the bottle sprung from his highly-acclaimed Pleats Please designer clothing line, which emphasizes a modern and functional design that has

garnered a big following across the global fashion world for both the f lexibility of movement and the ease of care and production of the garments. “The evian brand encourages everyone to live life by seeking memorable experiences, trying new things, and seizing every moment,” says Jerome Goure, vice-president of marketing for Danone Waters of America, Inc., brand-owner of the famed upscale spring water sourced from the northern French Alps, where it is filtered naturally through layers of glacial sand for at least 15 years. “Glowing with both optimism and freshness, the Issey Miyake bottle design is a perfect pairing with the brand,” Goure states. “This simple yet vibrant creation uniquely decorates our all-natural and perfectly pure evian water. “We are thrilled to add it to our collection.”

Rob Shoemaker, a 20-year veteran of the packaging industry, has been appointed the exclusive West Coast representative of Phoenix Innotech stretch wrappers, a leading North American stretch and pallet wrapping equipment manufacturer located in Laval, Que.

Announcement: Tony Boland, Director of Sales, Multivac Canada Tony brings to us an extensive background in automation, systems design and integration in the Food, Pharma, and Manufacturing sectors. You can meet Tony at the Pack Expo in Chicago at the Multivac booth.

Shoemaker will manage sales and customer service of the full Phoenix product line of automatic and semiautomatic stretch wrapping products throughout the West Coast.

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“Phoenix offers technologically advanced stretch wrapping machinery, engineered by industry veterans that will stand up to any competitive brand,” says Shoemaker. “It is a well established product that I am proud to be introducing to the West Coast.” For more information on Phoenix’s full product line of automatic and semi-automatic stretch and pallet wrapping products and parts on the West Coast, or to arrange an on-site demonstration, contact Rob Shoemaker at 925-362-9990. You may also visit www.phoenixwrappers.com.

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ECO-PACK NOW

NEW BIODEGRADABLE WATER JUG MADE TO DISAPPEAR WITHOUT A TRACE Bottling equipment specialist Norland International Inc. of Lincoln, Neb., has launched what the company claims to be the world’s first oxobiodegradable caps for five-gallon bulk water jugs. Developed as an eco-friendly alternatives for traditional LDPE (low-density polyethylene) plastic closures, the new injection-molded Earth Cap closures contain a special oxo-biodegradable additive that greatly accelerates the degradation process, according to the company, resulting in total degradation in five to 10 years. “It’s a significant milestone in meeting the sustainability needs of water-bottlers throughout the world,” says Norland vice-president Sam Noordhoff. “This is an environmentally-friendly

option that goes far beyond lightweighting and other recycling strategies—offering a truly effective means of reducing the environmental impact of these plastic products,” adds Noordhoff. Also featuring a biodegradable, nonadhesive, tamper-evident label and two-millimeter foam seal—making the entire cap structure totally biodegradable—the 55-mm caps boast two-year shelflife, according to Norland, which says the cost of manufacturing Earth Caps is virtually identical to that of making standard LDPE caps. Norland explains that it uses a special proprietary mixing and drying process to blend the new degradation-accelerating additive into the LDPE. Once discarded and exposed to UV

(ultraviolet) light, heat and moisture, the caps begin to embrittle and break down into small pieces. When the molecular weight is reduced sufficiently, the material becomes suitable for biodigestion—essentially becoming a food source for bacteria or microbial activity that ultimately biodegrades the whole cap structure in landfills, ditches, rivers or any type of other water sources. Claimed to provide the same clarity and tensile-strength characteristics as conventional LDPE closures, the new FDA (U.S. Food and Drug Administration)-compliant Earth Caps are already commercially available in three standard colors—earth-green, blue and natural—in the U.S. and the Pacific Rim region, according to Norland.

I Depend On My Alvey . ®

“I depend on my Alvey because it stands up to years of abuse and was an affordable option. Boulevard’s Alvey palletizer has been running for nearly two and a half years without a hiccup. Intelligrated builds a fantastic machine!” Michael Utz Engineer Boulevard Brewing Company

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Global consumer products powerhouse Procter & Gamble (P&G) of Cincinnati, Ohio, says it has commenced work on compacting the entire range of its Tide, Gain, Cheer, Dreft and Ivory Snow and powder detergents in order to package them into considerably smaller paperboard boxes, which it expects launch across Canada and the U.S. under the Future Friendly brand line in February of 2011. “Powder compaction is a winwin from operations all the way through consumer use,” says P&G vice-president of sustainability Len Sauers, adding consumers will get the same benefits of smaller, more convenient packaging for using and storing the product that were obtained with an earlier conversion of the company’s Tide ColdWater, PUR and Cascade Action Pacs liquid detergents to concentrated formulations, along with significant packaging reduction and notable fuel savings through greater transportation efficiencies. According to P&G, the switch to compacted detergents could enable North American consumers to save up enough energy annually to provide electricity to 34,000 averagesized homes for a year. “Concentrated powder detergents will really show how simple choices can lead to meaningful results,” says Maurice Coffey, marketing director for the Future Friendly product range. “By taking this small step with our consumers, we can create benefits for the environment and ultimately improve consumers’ lives.”

P&G WORKING ON A CLEAN BREAK

CANADIAN PACKAGING • OCTOBER 2010

ECO-PACK NOW

PET PROJECT YIELDS BIG GREEN PAYOFFS Switching to more sustainable packaging options is often thought to require some sort of a trade-off in terms of functionality and performance of the package, but the folks at Amcor Rigid Plastics of Manchester, Mich., are doing their best to turn that idea right on its head—having just facilitated a successful conversion of the popular Avalon Organics personal-care product line to 100-percent post-consumer recycled (PCR) polyethylene terephthalate (PET) bottles. The switch from 100-percent virgin resin to the 100-percent PCR resin used to make the new 11-ounce oval bottles for the Avalon Organics shampoo and conditioner (see picture)—along with the new 12-ounce round containers for hand-soaps, baths and shower gel, and body lotions—is claimed

NEW PACKAGE A NATURAL CHOICE

Dealing with dirty laundry is about to get much cleaner for environmentally-conscientious consumers down under with a recent switch by Natures Organics— Australia’s leading producer of all-natural laundry detergents and personal-care products—to the breakthrough Cardia Biohybrid sustainable packaging technology developed by the Melbourne-based Cardia Bioplastics Limited. Combining renewable thermoplastics with polyolefin material, the proprietary technology is claimed to facilitate significant carbon-footprint reductions by reducing dependence on petroleum-based plastic materials. “At Natures Organics, our motivation is based on a philosophy of creating environmentall- responsible products of the best quality and at the lowest possible price,” says the company’s managing director Justin Dowel, citing a strong track record of using environmentally-sensitive responsible packaging. “We were the first in Australia to produce 100-percent recycled PET (polyethylene terephthalate) bottles for household cleaning products,” he notes, “and we now use Bioplastics across our Organic Care product range.” Having conducted extensive performance testing at the Cardia Bioplastics application development center facility in Melbourne, Natures Organics selected the Cardia Biohybrid packaging for its Earth Choice (see picture) and Purity liquid laundry detergents.

to have yielded a 46-percent overall carbon footprint reduction for these products, according to the Melville, N.Y.-based brand-owner Hain Celestial Group Inc. “Among our primary business priorities is reducing the environmental impact of all our products,” says Manuel Mosqueda, Hain Celestial’s senior manager of packaging engineering. “This first use of PCR PET resin for one of our largest personal-care brands has delivered impressive results, and it shows how committed we are to meeting our sustainability goals. Mosqueda says the packaging conversion will enable an annual reduction of 258,000 kilograms of carbon-dioxide emissions; a 71-percent reduc-

tion in annual energy consumption; and elimination of four million PET bottles from landfills per year. Remarkably, the new recycled bottles—made at an Amcor plant in Commerce, Ca.—actually perform better than the old containers, Mosqueda notes. “With slight modifications in bottle configuration and without adding weight, Amcor deliverer greater bottle performance with a more rigid and robust container that was easier to fill and label,” he states, adding Hain Celestial is now planning a similar packaging switch for its other popular personal-care products, such as Alba Botanica Hawaiian shampoo, in coming months.

From processor to the retailer, you’ll Trustpack!

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CANADIAN PACKAGING • OCTOBER 2010

Labels&Labelingequipment Vivo! Touch Label Printer Intelligent Color Labels at Your Fingertips

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125

PACKAGING FOR FRESHNESS

MAKING THE CUT Quebec veal processor leverages high product quality and packaging excellence to cement its industry leadership credentials and pedigree

A new Reiser SuperVac chamber machine uses a highpressure sealing system for a strong, reliable seal.

Alex Fontaine Vice-President of Operations, Montpak International

BY ANDREW JOSEPH, FEATURES EDITOR PHOTOS BY PIERRE LONGTIN

s a healthy and tasty protein option, it is pretty tough to go wrong with veal—an important, time-honored ingredient in Italian and French cuisine since ancient times and, more recently, an increasingly popular choice among North American consumers for all the right reasons, including low fat content, subtle taste profile, buttery-soft texture, and a wealth of highly beneficial nutrients such as zinc, iron and Vitamin B12. Naturally, this is all part of a very healthy trend for companies like the Laval, Que.-headquartered Montpak International, a vertically-integrated supplier of veal products to the retail and foodservice markets operating two Quebec-based veal process-

Workers at Montpak International’s Laval facility place cuts of veal onto a bottom film so a Reiser Repack RE 20 form-fill-seal machine can add a top web to vacuum seal it.

14 • WWW.CANADIANPACKAGING.COM

ing plants in Laval and Sainte-Angéle-De-Prémont, along with North America’s largest HACCP (Hazard Analysis Critical Control Points)-certified abattoir (slaughterhouse) in St-Gérmain, Que. Today ranking as one of the leading players in Quebec’s $500-million veal processing industry, the family-owned company—founded by Mike Buksbaum back in 1959 and now owned by the Buksbaum and Fontaine families—posted revenues of over $75 million last year, according to Montpak vice-president of operations Alex Fontaine. Describing Montpak as a fully-f ledged “field-tofork enterprise” involved in all aspects of the veal business—including feed manufacturing, slaughtering, processing, transportation and research and development (R&D)—Fontaine points to the 2006 merger with former competitor Bellivio

Transformation Inc. as a defining moment in his company’s metamorphosis into a regional industry powerhouse. Montpak and Bellivio in fact used to share the same slaughtering facilities since the early 1990s, recalls Fontaine, “and while both companies were doing quite well, we discovered that we were both actually shooting ourselves in the foot somewhat. “Eventually, we both realized that we would be able to succeed better if we removed that element of competition between us and worked together as one entity,” Fontaine told Canadian Packaging recently, explaining how Bellivio’s strength in retail markets and Montpak’s clout in the foodservice sector quickly positioned the combined enterprise as a leading industry player. “When we merged our two operations, Montpak became one of the biggest veal companies in all of North America,” Fontaine states. The bulk of Montpak’s processing work takes place at the company’s federally-inspected, HACCPcertified, 75,000-square-foot facility that employs 180 workers to process over 100,000 kilograms of veal per week, Fontaine relates, adding that the company enjoys a stellar reputation for high product quality and unfailing customer service. And unlike many veal processors who specialize either in milk-fed or grain-fed veal—the former being milder-tasting and lighter-colored than the stronger-f lavored, pink-colored grain-fed variety—Montpak does both equally well, Fontaine points out. “We take a great sense of pride in being able to offer both milk-fed and grain-fed veal to food retailers, foodservice distributors, further processors and end-users,” explains Fontaine. “It presents choice—and choice is always a good opportunity for consumers to enjoy different veal products with unique textures and taste profiles. “In addition to our superb, high-quality products, what also really separates us from the competition is our attention to our customers,” Fontaine asserts. “They know that we constantly work to ensure consistent high quality in our veal that is, above all, completely safe—allowing them to concentrate on satisfying their customers.” Adds Buksbaum: “From farm to factory, our processes are consistent with all the HACCP guidelines,” he says, “but it is of equal importance that no product will leave our plants without meeting our own high safety standards.” While the veal industry has taken some consumer backlash in recent years as a fallout from some of the more controversial farming practices in the meat industry at large, Fontaine is adamant that Montpak is an industry leader when it comes to humane treatment of calves. “We are the first veal company in North

CANADIAN PACKAGING • OCTOBER 2010

PACKAGING FOR FRESHNESS America to be awarded the ‘Humane Certification’ by the American Humane Association for our NaturReserve Certified Grain-fed Veal program,” Fontaine states, citing Montpak’s use of the production monitoring services of Agri-Traceabilitié Québec to identify each animal’s origins and movement throughout its integrated supply chain—ensuring strict health surveillance from farm to slaughterhouse in order to safeguard the health of the herd, as well as the consumers. Retailing at most major retail chains throughout Canada and the U.S., Montpak’s products comprise three main popular brand families, including: • International Selections—fully-cooked entrées like its Veal Roll and Veal Parmigiana; • Veal Perfections—a line of portion-aged veal products like Veal Tournedos; • Veal Inspirations—cooked and raw value-added line featuring further-proOne of the three new Phantom metal cessed products such as stuffed Veal Scaloppini. detection systems from Fortress Technology “But it is not enough to simply produce the best quality meat and leave it at brought into the plant to maintain strict that,” Fontaine states. “We have to make sure that high quality is maintained quality control levels for each and every until it is delivered to the consumer. 񡑔񡑧񡑩񡑨񡑘񡑦񡑤񡑠񡑕񡑧񡑧񡑢񡑠񡑔񡑘񡑠񡑖񡑠񡑙񡑣񡑥񡑰񡑣񡑩񡑀񡑀񡑑񡑁񡑄񡑁񡑃񡑂񡑀񡑀񡑄񡑒񡑃񡑐񡑀񡑘񡑗񡑀񡑀񡑘񡑡񡑤񡑣񡑀񡑃 product leaving the Laval facility. “By investing in superior packaging technology, we ensure our products are safe, convenient and appealing to today’s consumer,” says Fontaine noting the Laval plant continuously invests in high-performance packaging machinery and equipment. This willingness to invest is wellsupported by the recent purchases of a Reiser Repak RE 20 form-fill-seal machine; a Reiser SuperVac automatic belt vacuum chamber packaging machine; and a Cryovac Old Rivers 8600E vacuum-packing machine from Sealed Air Corporation. Supplied through Reiser’s Burlington, Ont.-based Reiser Canada subsidiary, the Repak RE 20 machine is a stainless-steel, washdown-ready, horizontal form/fill/seal (H/F/F/S) system used by Montpak to seal in the fresh cuts of veal in vacuum packaging, as well as vacuum skin packages and plastic packages with formed top webs. Capable of handling film widths of up to 460 millimeters—and maximum cutoff length of 600-mm with maximum drawing depth of 120-mm— the RE 20 is designed for maximum At Reiser, we offer a variety of production f lexibility, according to packaging solutions designed Reiser, with its modular design facilitating easy washdowns. for all types of food products Equipped with the SYS drive-speed and applications. From Repak control and a touchscreen control sysform/ﬁll/seal machines to to tem from Omron Electronics LLC, Supervac vacuum chamber the RE 20 also features a self-diagnostic equipment to Ross modiﬁed system for fault finding, along with easy atmosphere tray sealers, Reiser access for cleaning and maintenance. is the one source for all your “It’s been a wonderful machine for us,” packaging needs. Join other extols Fontaine, “providing our meats satisfied customers that trust with a clear, sharp package that protects Reiser to deliver the perfect the product for the customer, while still solution. For more information, presenting it in a beautiful manner. call Reiser at (905) 631-6611. “Also, the vacuum-pack seal it provides for our product is of excellent quality.” Fontaine says he is also fond of Reiser’s SuperVac chamber packaging machine, which features a double bioactive high-pressure sealing system whereby heat and pressure are applied from above and below the film to produce two very secure seals. For its part, the plant’s new Cryovac Old Rivers 8600E octopus-style vacuum packing rotary chamber machine from Sealed Air produces a nice, skin-

Innovative packaging solutions in every shape and size.

Continues on page 16

OCTOBER 2010 • CANADIAN PACKAGING

1549 Yorkton Court, Unit #4 Burlington, Ontario L7P 5B7 Telephone: (905) 631-6611 www.reiser.com

Le leader de l’industrie en termes de transformation et de conditionnment.

PACKAGING FOR FRESHNESS MAKING THE CUT Continued from page 15

A Cryovac Old Rivers 8600E vacuum-packing machine from Sealed Air generates highlydurable, skintight seals around the contours of the fresh veal cuts.

Outfitted with pivoting Magelis interface from Schneider Electric (see inset right), a Meca-Systeme BMF 30.5 case erector builds finished cartons around the packaged veal products.

A SEW-Eurodrive motor helps propel product to a BMF 30.5 case eretor.

An all-steel strapping machine from Samuel Strapping Systems is used to wrap a security band around cartons of veal products.

16 • WWW.CANADIANPACKAGING.COM

tight seal that provides both superb product protection and great product visibility for the packaged product, according to Fontaine. To ensure strict quality control on all its packaging lines, the Laval plant employs one metal detection system from Mettler-Toledo Safeline, Fontaine relates, as well as three new Phantom metal detection units manufactured by the Toronto-based Fortress Technology Inc.—outfitted with rectangular apertures to provide optimal performance for Montpak’s specific application requirements. “We just love the Fortress Phantom metal detection units,” Fontaine states. “They are very fast with the scanning of the meat products, they are easy to use, and have never provided a ‘false positive’ reading at our plant since we got them.” After the primary packaging is done, the sealed meat products are transferred via a conveyor— powered by a SEW-Eurodrive motor—to be packed into corrugated cartons supplied by Montreal-headquartered paper products manufacturer Kruger Inc. This secondary packaging phase is handled by the model BMF 30.5 case erector manufactured by the by the French machine-builder Meca-Systeme/ SNP, and distributed in Canada by the Montrealbased Meca-Pac Inc. Constructed of stainless steel and profiled aluminum, the fully-automatic case erector makes quick work of forming, folding and gluing the four-sided cartons with a high-performance, hot-melt adhesive injector distributed by a rotary pump fed by an eight-liter holding tank. Designed for easy maintenance and quick, twominute manual changeovers enabled by manipulating the machine’s two starwheels, the durable, robust BMF 30.5 machine is set up to work as an autonomous system—requiring only occasional operator supervision—that can erect and form corrugated boxes at rates of between 1,200 and 1,800 cases per hour, depending on box design and complexity. According to Fontaine, the Meca-Systeme case erector provides a good example of Montpak’s commitment to using the highest-quality equipment and processes throughout its production f low process. “We’ve always been fans of having the best equipment we can find to help us showcase our products,” says Fontaine. “And to continue adding value and efficiency is the key. These machines keep operations running smoothly. “The veal industry is a very competitive one, and we are always looking for that edge that will enable us to garner more of the market. “With our continuing efforts to create a better product, we are confident that our state-of-the-art equipment will help us expand our markets.”

For More Information On: Reiser Canada Sealed Air Corporation Omron Canada, Inc. Mettler Toledo Safeline Fortress Technology Inc. Kruger Inc. Meca-Pac Inc. SEW-Eurodrive Company of Canada Samuel Strapping Systems Schneider Electric Canada

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CANADIAN PACKAGING • OCTOBER 2010

Cut your corrugated costs...

dramatically! Meca-Pac case formers and packers are taking the Canadian market by storm

Characteristics and advantages of Meca-Systeme/SNP machines

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Case Erector Type: BTM DP12

Olymel Flamingo We are proud to be associated with a company that is ahead of the curve, and which has helped us to improve our operations over the last 8 years.

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—Gilles Simard, Director of Purchasing. Entirely mechanical machine • Production capacity:1,000 to 1,300 b/h Flat capacity:1,260 x 1,260 mm • Setup time:10 to 30 min.

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Case Erector Type: BMF 20.5

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Entirely mechanical machine • Production capacity: 900 to 2,800 b/h Flat capacity: 800 x 800 mm• Ideal for production lines

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The recent installation of Meca-systeme trayformers on four of our major packaging lines has already resulted in a major reduction of board use, as well as streamlining of the type of trays we use at the plant.

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We’re saving about 30% on corrugate by using our new Meca-systeme case former.

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CONTACT: 14056 suite 102 boul. Curé-Labelle, Mirabel, Quebec J7L 1L6 Phone: 450 420-2269 • Fax: 450 420-2270 • Web: meca-pac.com FOR MORE INFORMATION CIRCLE

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PRODUCT ID NOW

Big Rock’s packaging manager Gordon Scott observes the newly-installed Markem-Imaje 5200 case-coding system apply lot data onto a moving tray of beer cans filled at the craft brewer’s busy Calgary facility.

Aisling Tomei, Corporate Relations Manager, Big Rock Brewery

THE BIG PICTURE

Craft brewer marks a key milestone in style with a timely case-coding systems upgrade BY ANDREW JOSEPH, FEATURES EDITOR PHOTOS BY WIKTOR SKUPINSKI

amed after one of the world’s biggest boulders—a giant glacial erratic that landed 18 kilometers south of presentday Calgary, Alta., between 12,000 and 18,000 years ago—Big Rock Brewery may not carry the historical weight of this imposing, nine-meter-tall landmark that draws thousands of admiring tourists each year to gawk at one of Mother Nature’s more celebrated western Canadian creations. But there is also nothing remotely lightweight about the considerable competitive and other challenges that the family-owned craft brewer had to overcome

through the years to allow itself to celebrate its 25th year anniversary this year in truly grand style. Founded in 1985 by company owner Ed McNally, the Calgary-based brewing upstart certainly had its work cut out for it early on—trying to shake up the existing local beer scene, mostly dominated by standard mass-produced national brands, with a big, round, rich and full-bodied brown ale brewcrafted in the finest old-school English tradition by Big Rock’s original brewmaster Bernd Pieper. “They definitely shared some initial fears of creating a brew that no one might ever appreciate, but they knew what type of beer they wanted and they figured that, if worst came to worst, they would at least have a great beer in which to drown their sorrows,” Big

Rock’s corporate relations manager Aisling Tomei told Canadian Packaging in a recent interview. “Even after Bernd presented Ed with our very first Traditional Ale brand beer, which completely delighted him, Ed still feared that it would be a tough sell in our market. “Happily, it seems that Ed may have originally underestimated the taste-buds of the general populace,” Tomei relates. “Having been in the beer business for a quarter-century now, it’s clear that Big Rock has really found itself a discerning customer base that appreciates the bold flavors of its beers.” Today operating out of a 200,000-square-foot facility employing 120 people, Big Rock markets its beers across right across Canada—excluding

Shoulder and body labels being applied to bottles of Grasshopper beer by a Krones Prontomatic cold-glue labeler.

An operator-friendly Allen-Bradley touchscreen from Rockwell Automation is used to control and monitor the Krones VK2VCF 40-valve filler.

18 • WWW.CANADIANPACKAGING.COM

CANADIAN PACKAGING • OCTOBER 2010

PRODUCT ID NOW

Freshly-filled bottles of beer pass by the FT-50 full-container inspection system from Industrial Dynamics/filtec.

Quebec—with its swelling product portfolio now comprising popular brands such as Grasshopper Wheat Ale, Traditional Ale, Warthog Ale, Honey Brown Lager, Jack Rabbit Light Lager, Gopher Lager, McNally’s Extra Ale, Big Rock Light Lime Lager, Black Amber Ale, Big Rock Pale Ale, XO Lager, Rock Creek Cider and McNally’s Reserve. While brewing over 219,000 hectoliters of beer in 2009 (a hectoliter being a rough equivalent of just over a dozen 24-bottle cases of beer)—including some co-packing for other beermakers—ranks Big Rock as one of the more successful regional craft brewers in North America, the company is more than happy to concentrate on solidifying its established Canadian markets, according to Tomei. Catering to all the different local beer-drinking trends and consumer preferences from one region of Canada to another, Big Rock retails its beer brands in a comprehensive array of packaging formats— including six-, 12- and 24-packs of 341-ml glass bottles and six-, 12-, 15- and 24-packs of 355-ml aluminum cans—as well as supplying pubs, bars and restaurants with 30- and 58.67-liter kegs.

Taking Stock Having such a fairly extensive offering of SKUs (stock-keeping units) on its hands naturally requires the company to have all its product marking and coding capabilities always in tip-top shape, according to Big Rock’s packaging manager Gordon Scott, who oversaw the purchase and installation of a pair of model 5200 case-coding systems from Markem-Imaje at the brewery this past spring. According to Scott, the case printers used at the brewery before would often leave the cases marked with smudged codes—making the printed product data and information unreadable and, consequently, prompting their removal from the store-shelves. “Because our older printers were using oil-based inks,” Scott recalls, “we began receiving complaints that the printed codes were often smudged, sometimes becoming completely unreadable. “We needed to do something to fix that problem, and we needed to do it quickly,” says Scott, relating that he was attracted by the 5200 model printers—part of the Markem-Imaje 5000 Series of hot-melt inkjet case-coders—in large part by their ability to control

After bottles pass through a Krones washer, an employee checks the bottles being scanned via the Omnivision 1 inspection system to detect any chips or other flaws, as well as any foreign objects.

OCTOBER 2010 • CANADIAN PACKAGING

two printheads simultaneously, meaning they could print on two sides of a box at the same time if required. Moreover, Scott says he was duly impressed by the final print quality, integrity and legibility despite all different surface variations resulting from the use of different grades of corrugated or recycled-fiber content variations, while remaining fully immune to the fairly high moisture and condensation typical of a brewery production environment. “These printers are perfect for our cartons, meeting all of our needs with very little maintenance,” states Scott, complimenting their adjustable inkjet printheads and the proprietary, quick-drying Touch Dry hot-melt ink technology used for generating high-resolution logos, symbols and other corporate branding graphics on the beer cartons and cases. “And the fact the 5200 utilizes inexpensive perishable consumables helps benefit our bottom line,” he notes. “Although we only use the 5200 for outside casecoding data, the ink technology does not allow for any ‘weeping’ of the ink into the corrugated substrate—which helps provide us with a nice, clean, readable code,” adds Scott, saying the new system has significantly improved the company’s compliance with the CFIA (Canadian Food Inspection Agency) regulations requiring fullylegible production codes for traceability purposes. “Moreover, these state-of-the-art coders are made with an innovative modular design that—although we have yet to utilize it—makes any maintenance quick and easy,” Scott states. According to Scott and Tomei, all the Big Rock beer is fermented in fully-enclosed, stainless-steel tanks to ensure a sterile environment, while also keeping it under pressure to retain the natural carbonation. After fermentation, the beer is cold-filtered through a multi micro-filtration system into bright beer tanks for bottling, canning or kegging, with the brewer currently operating two keg lines, and one line each for bottles and cans. Prior to the actual filling of product into glass containers, all the empty bottles pass through a Krones washer and on through a model Ominivision empty bottle inspection machine—to check for any chips, cracks, debris or foreign objects and contamination—from Industrial Dynamics/filtec, who incidentally invented the world’s first electronic bottle inspector in the late 1950s. Both the canning and the bottling lines employ Krones filling systems: a 40-valve, double preevacuation VK2VCF filler for filling and capping bottles at rates of up to 16,200 bottles per hour; and a 50-valve VCC filler that fills aluminum cans at up to 36,000 cans per hour. “Our multistage filtration equipment and our great Krones fillers have enabled us to create our beers without any additives, preservatives or pasteurization,” says Scott, “and provide distinctive f lavors for a significant segment of the beer market thirsty for a quality alternative to the products

made by large commercial breweries.” All the freshly-bottled product then passes by the Krones Prontomatic cold-glue bottle labeler that dresses each bottle with a body and shoulder label, with Hitachi printers then quickly applying all the required coding data onto the individual bottles. All the finished cans and bottles are also subjected to a final, high-speed quality assurance check by a model FT-50 full-container inspector from Industrial Dynamics/filtec, which examines the cans and bottles for fill levels, closure, low or high foam, pressure or vacuum, volumetric pressure, label placement at speeds of up to 140,000 cans and up to 72,000 bottles per hour. Sourcing its cases and cartons from the Toronto Norampac and Winnipeg Lithotech boxboard converting facilities, the brewery employs the high-performance ProBlue 4 hot-melt adhesive applicating systems—manufactured by Nordson Corporation—to seal the cartons together, just before they proceed making their way to the Markem-Imaje case-coding stations.

Human Touch While Scott says that having high-quality production and packaging equipment in place plays an important role in the craft brewer’s continued success, he is also quick to lavish praise on the plant’s dedicated and highly-motivated staff. “We are very much a teamwork-based company,” he states. “We are always updating our employees’ training requirements—from chemical handling to forklift certification—and we ensure that our production managers are attending all the important training seminars, while also continually investing in new training programs for our sales teams. “While it’s obviously important for us to be able to brew a great line of beer,” Scott sums up, “it is also important that we take care of our employees too.” According to Tomei, Big Rock intends to celebrate its 25th anniversary in some style this fall, planning various high-profile surprise parties and other commemorative events at numerous pubs and bars across the province of Alberta. Says Tomei: “We really believe that is important for us to share our success with the people who helped make us a success—it’s just the right thing to do.”

For More Information: Markem-Imaje Inc. Krones Machinery Co. Ltd. Industrial Dynamics/filtec Norampac Lithotech Nordson Canada, Limited Rockwell Automation

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WWW.CANADIANPACKAGING.COM • 19

CONTRACT PACKAGING

THE SUM OF ALL PARTS Ray Grzesik, Plant Manager

Farhatt Buchh President & Co-owner, Britman Industries

BY ANDREW JOSEPH, FEATURES EDITOR PHOTOS BY SANDRA STRANGEMORE

ome companies pride themselves on quality of their work; others on their fast turnaround. But for Britman Packaging Services, being good and being fast are both tightly intertwined core competencies that have kept the thriving co-packer of food, personal-care and other packaged consumer goods going from strength to strength since it was founded in Oshawa, Ont., back in 1961. “The only way to run a successful business for nearly 50 years is to ensure that we understand the customers’ needs well and satisfy them to the best of our ability,” says Farhat Buchh, president and co-owner of a division of Britman Industries that today operates out of a state-of-the-art, 47,000-square-foot facility a short drive east of Toronto in Ajax, Ont., where it relocated in 1993. “I know that almost every company one talks to is going to say they are ‘customer-focused,’ and while I can’t speak for anyone else, Britman certainly is,” states Buchh, who took over the company in 1998 and, despite the recent economic recession, saw Britman build up on its hard-earned industry reputation as a reliable, customer-centric provider of third-party packaging services to many types and sizes of consumer goods manufacturers and brand-owners. “It’s not enough to just say you are customerfocused; it’s all about actually putting it into practice,” Buchh told Canadian Packaging during a recent visit to the Ajax operation. “And it’s not something just for myself and my staff—it is understood and followed by every member of our team, the maintenance staff, f loor workers, everyone. “We can only be a great company if everyone works together with one common goal,” Buchh asserts, “and that is why we have the expertise to

One of the two packaging lines inside the 10,000 Class cleanroom uses a JDA Pro-Cap 5000 capper for packaging candies inside metal tins and containers.

20 • WWW.CANADIANPACKAGING.COM

Doing many things right keeps Canadian co-packer focused on future growth

provide customers with the right solutions for all their packaging needs.” Plant manager Ray Grzesik estimates that pharmaceuticals, personal-care products and dry foods account for about 80 per cent of the plant’s copacking business—citing products such as gum, mints, candies, granola bars, rice, oatmeal, cereals and tea, deodorants, body washes, soaps and toothpaste—with some cosmetics, automotive parts and plumbing fixtures making up the rest of production. “We certainly do not limit ourselves to what we can package for our customers,” Grzesik relates. “If it can be packaged, we will find a way to do it for them,” says Grzesik, stressing that the company works just as hard on behalf of its multimillion-dollar, multinational clients as it does for the smaller local manufacturers looking for some outside packaging expertise and know-how to get a leg up in the marketplace. “Being located on the eastern side of the GTA (Greater Toronto Area) region, we are in great position to service companies located in this area, and the easy access to Highway 401 allows us to efficiently cooperate with companies located west of Toronto as well,” Grzesik notes.

Go West “But as part of improving our service even further, Britman is now looking into extending its operations into the western side of the GTA region in the near future.” In addition to doing the actual packaging work for them, the company also offers its CPG (consumer packaged goods) customers considerable expertise in the area of packaging development and design, according to Buchh and Grzesik. “We often get customers who have a newlydeveloped product come to us saying they have no idea how to create a package for it, or what pro-

Packages of candy whisked from the 10,000 Class cleanroom pass by the Domino A100+ inkjet coder for quick printing of all the required product codes and data.

cesses and equipment should be used to package it,” Grzesik relates. “So we work with them and develop an effective package, using outside graphic services providers to create any required graphic elements, and an effective packaging process for bringing it to life,” explains Grzesik. “Our technical expertise and capabilities allow us to propose, source and provide integration of the packaging line without using outside technical services. “We really are a one-stop packaging shop.” Adds Buchh: “A lot of the co-packing we do is taking product that is already primary-packaged and placing into a secondary packaging—the outer packaging that protects the product as it sits on a store-shelf awaiting purchase—but we also provide primary packaging services.” Most of the products handled at the Britman facility get shipped out at most within days of being packaged, relates Buchh, citing one large Fortune 100 customer who sends four to eight rucks to the plant daily to move products in and simultaneously pick up the packaged goods for delivery to its distribution centers. Thriving in such a fast-paced environment is all part of what makes the company tick, according to Grzesik, who has been with Britman for over 19 years.

After coding, products transferred from the cleanroom are weighed by an Alpha checkweighing system supplied by All-Fill Inc.

The vibratory feedins system working with the JDA Pro-Cap 5000 capper incorporates several Omron photoelectric switches.

CANADIAN PACKAGING • OCTOBER 2010

CONTRACT PACKAGING

All the labeled packages pass through a high-accuracy Phantom metal detection system from Fortress for a final quality assurance check. Located inside the 10,000 Class cleanroom, the JDA Pro-Cap 5000 capper employs a pneumatic pick-and-place system supplied by Festo.

A JDA Pro-Label system applies product labels onto packages exiting the plant’s cleanroom areas.

“It’s always busy in here—we currently run two-eight hour shifts a day, five days a week,” he relates. “But in all my time here, we never missed a deadline and we’ve never had a customer complain about our turnaround times. “We always make time to understand what is important to our customer,” Grzesik explains, “so that we can tailor our services to achieve the results they desire. “But to make it all happen,” he adds, “it is key that we have the equipment and the facilities to allow us to perform to the best of our abilities.” To that end, Britman had made significant investment at the Ajax facility to install two speciallydesigned, controlled-environment cleanrooms—a 100,000 Class and a 10,000 Class cleanroom—for packaging products with extremely strict required limits for airborne particles. (Compared to a typical office environment containing on average anywhere between 500,000 and a million 0.5-micron or larger particles per cubic foot, the 100,000 Class cleanroom is designed to lower the particles count to less than 100,000 particles per cubic foot, and a 10,000 Class cleanroom to less than 10,000 particles.) “It’s a level of product safety we put in to ensure our customers feel safe about allowing us to do their food-grade primary packing,” explains Buchh, citing Britman’s unwavering commitment to quality control that enabled it to obtain Health Canada’s Drug Establishment Licence, as well as a NHP (natural health product) Licence. The 10,000 Class cleanroom is equipped with a model Slatmaster tablet and capsule filler— manufactured by Speck-Tech Systems Inc. of Gormley, Ont.—used primarily to count and fill plain and coated candy, mints, and hard and soft gelatin capsules into containers or pouches. “This filler provides us with fast, accurate and trouble-free operation,” explains Grzesik. “The equipment has been designed for gentle product handling from the feed-hopper right to the chute, which significantly limits product breakage. “And since it is located in a cleanroom, it is also very easy to clean and sanitize—which is important for eliminating any risk of product cross-

OCTOBER 2010 • CANADIAN PACKAGING

After weighing and coding, filled conainers move towards a flowwrapping system made by PFM Packaging Machinery.

contamination,” he adds. “The same applies to all other food packaging equipment at our facility.” The Slatmaster works in conjunction with the model JDA Pro-Cap 2 capping machine supplied by JDA Packaging & Processing Equipment (JDA), Concord, Ont.-based manufacturer of high-performance packaging and filling systems and equipment. After the product is filled and capped, the packages are moved outside the cleanroom via a conveyor system to an Alpha checkweigher—manufactured by the Exton, Pa.-based All-Fill Inc. Controlled by an operator-friendly touchscreen panel that can be set up for weight parameters of up to 50 different products in various container shapes and sizes, the Alpha checkweigher features an automatic rejection capability to remove any out-of-tolerance containers right off the line. From there, all the accepted packages have labeling applied via a model Pro-Label applicator from JDA and go through a final safety scan performed by a high-accuracy, high-speed Phantom metal detection system from Fortress Technology Inc., featuring cutting-edge digital signal processing technology.

Metal Mettle The second packaging line configured in the same the cleanroom—mostly used to count and pack candy mints into metal containers—consists of a PCL 80/167 electronic counter supplied by the Toronto-based Pharmaland Technologies; a JDA Pro-Cap 5000 capper that utilizes a Festo ‘pick-and-place’ pneumatic system; and a vibratory feeding system from Automation Devices Inc. of Fairview, Pa., which uses Omron’s E3A2-XCM4D photoelectric switches and other electronic controls. After the product is fully packaged, it is conveyed outside the cleanroom—passing by a Domino A-Series plus continuous inkjet coder that adds a bestbefore date and lot coding information—and through a two-motor flowwrap packaging machine, supplied by the Newmarket, Ont.-based PFM Packaging Machinery Corporation North America, before its final sealing by the shrink-tunnel. The packaging systems used inside the cleanroom

are part of an impressive packaging equipment arsenal housed throughout the Britman facility, which also includes: • a B1-ML manual loading cartoning system from Langen Packaging Group Inc.; • a Little David Microjet inkjet printer built by Loveshaw, and distributed by Dependable Marking Systems Ltd. of Oshawa; • a B-44 sleevewrapper from Damark Shrink Packaging Systems; • models A100 and A200 coders from Domino; • an automatic shrinkwrapping system from RBS Equipment Designs Ltd.; • an Autocheck 4000 checkweigher from Ramsey Icore; • a high-speed Doboy Stratus horizontal f lowwrapper from Bosch Packaging Technologies; • a model CF-1 shrinkwrapper from Shanklin Corporation; • an Alloyd blister-packing machine; • a weighfiller from Actionpac Sales & Automation; • an Econoseal Spartan horizontal mechanical cartoner from Econocorp Inc. to erect, load and securely seal loaded shipping cartons with hot-melt adhesive. “It’s not just one thing that has enabled us to become a successful company, but rather lot of different things that we do well,” Buchh sums up. “We have found that if we can focus on the four key elements of technical ability, quality control, speed and customer focus and do well with each one, we will continue to grow our business.”

For More Information On: Speck-Tech Systems Inc. Festo Inc. JDA Packaging Equipment All-Fill Inc. Fortress Technology Inc. Pharmaland Technologies Automation Devices Inc. Omron Canada Inc. Domino Printing Solutions Inc. PFM Packaging Machinery Corp. Langen Packaging Group Inc. Loveshaw, an ITW Company Dependable Marking Systems Ltd. Damark Shrink Packaging Systems RBS Equipment Designs Ltd. Ramsey Icore Bosch Packaging Technologies Shanklin Corporation Alloyd Actionpac Sales & Automation Econocorp Inc.

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WWW.CANADIANPACKAGING.COM • 21

SUSTAINABILITY

UNITED THEY STAND

Packaging and retailing leaders embrace shared sustainability goals and vision BY GEORGE GUIDONI, EDITOR

t takes much more than words to make meaningful genuine progress on environmental sustainability, but there is a lot to be said for sharing individual success stories and achievements with other like-minded industry stakeholders for the sake of greater good—as several high-profile packaging, food manufacturing, retailing and other executives did last month at the inaugural Packaging Summit conference in Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ont. Jointly organized by PAC-The Packaging Association and the Canadian Council of Grocery Distributors (CCGD), the timely event—organized under the umbrella theme of Innovating Packaging for People, Planet and Profit—delivered a comprehensive status update on what leading Canadian businesses are doing to lessen the respective environmental footprints of their operations, while also providing a fitting setting for the Toronto-based PAC to mark its 60th anniversary as the leading national voice of Canada’s packaging industry. With packaging sustainability finally becoming more of a quantifiable objective rather than an abstract altruistic notion—given the increasingly widespread use of LCA (life-cycle analysis) methodologies and global initiatives such as the ongoing Global Packaging Project (GPP) of the Paris-based group The Consumer Goods Forum—the consumer public has never been in better position to pass informed judgement on which retailers and brandowners are truly backing up their environmental claims with concrete actions. “The whole idea of life-cycle analysis is finally beginning to inf luence regulators, shareholders, consumers, academics and environmental groups, and it needs to inf luence us in a big way,” David Smith, national vice-president of retail strategy and sustainability for Canada’s second-largest grocer Sobeys Inc., told the summit audience of about 200 packaging, retail and CPG (consumer packaged goods) industry professionals. “It is critical, because in the business world, what gets measured gets done,” Smith stated. “Sustainability has tended to get neglected in the past because there was no way to measure it, so we couldn’t improve on it. “But now that we have some numbers to work with,” he said, “we need to be ruthless in attacking those numbers and making them better,” said Smith, citing water conservation, carbon emissions and other global environmental issues as serious roadblocks for a globally-sourcing retailer like Sobeys to maintain a truly sustainable supply chain. “We really have to address the issue of ‘externalities,’ or external costs becoming our internal costs,” he said, citing both food safety and carbon footprint as a new breed of internalized externally-imposed costs that “get magnified and compounded throughout the supply chain.” For CPG brand-owners in particular, Smith pointed out, any new internal costs implied by the probability of tougher EPR (extended producer responsibility) regulations in Canada down the road will be especially difficult to absorb in the current economic climate.

22 • WWW.CANADIANPACKAGING.COM

Sobeys national vice-president of retail strategy and sustainability David Smith urges greater sharing of key product information on the products’ environmental footprint among retailers and brand-owners to advance the cause of sustainable packaging.

“It will significantly challenge your internal cost structure,” he warned. At the same time, Smith noted, Canadian retailers and grocers still must do a better job of educating consumers on the virtues of making more ecologically responsible purchasing decisions through more “radical transparency,” or availability of key product data and information in terms of the products’ environmental impact. Said Smith: “Consumers want to do the right thing, they keep telling us this repeatedly, but we are not making it easy enough for them at the moment in terms of price, convenience and availability.”

Keeping Score Citing the Packaging Scorecard metrics launched by Walmart Canada Corp. four years ago, as well as the newly-developed GPP definitions for what constitutes sustainable packaging, Smith called for a more widespread and harmonized use of electronic product codes (EPCs) applied onto consumer packaging to carry more product data and “indicators” on the environmental impact of that packaging. For its part, Smith related, Sobeys is currently engaged in carrying out two ambitious and farreaching environmental objectives: reducing its carbon emissions by 15 per cent, and cutting down its packaging waste by 30 per cent by the year 2013. “From the waste diversion perspective, we are now at about 50 per cent of achieving our landfill diversion goals; we are working on reducing the packaging weight of our private-label products by five per cent; and we have reduced the use of plastic takeout bags at our stores by 61 per cent,” Smith related. In terms of future developments in the sustainability field, Smith urged summit attendees to pay close attention to the work being carried out by GPP, where Sobeys is an active participant, calling it “a critically important enabler for helping move things forward.” But because some of the GPP recommendations and prescriptions exceed the capacity of smallersized companies to carry them out—especially in the more science-based aspects of LCA calculations— there is an urgent need for the various supply chain partners to cooperate in sharing their databases and information amongst each other, along with utilizing more harmonized software and other measuring

tools for putting the obtained data to optimal use. “If we can all measure it,” Smith asserted, “we can fix it.” Such information sharing has been pivotal to the maintaining the momentum of Walmart’s Packaging Scorecard supplier evaluation system, added Walmart Canada’s vice-president of sustainable packaging Guy McGuffin, pointing out that more than 200,000 different products sold by Canada’s largest retailer have now been entered into the system, which was designed to allow companies to see how they stack up in packaging sustainability against their competitors, and where that performance could be improved further. Earlier this year, McGuffin related, Walmart’s global headquarters in Little Rock, Ark., set the company’s global operations a target of removing 200 million tonnes of GHG (greenhouse gas) emissions out of its supply chain by 2015. “This is really important,” McGuffin asserted, “because 92 per cent of the carbon footprint of Walmart’s operations is generated by activities taking place outside of our stores, so we will need to see even more collaboration between all our supply chain partners to meet these goals—collaboration on a level not seen before. “Packaging is always going to be very important for the safety and the security of the products that we sell to the consumers,” McGuffin summed up, “and it will remain a core part of how we go about promoting further collaboration of efforts throughout our supply chain.” But for all the efforts made by industry to improve the environmental profile of everyday consumer packaging, there remains a lot of weariness about the various provincial governments, particularly in Ontario, proceeding to place greater financial and regulatory burden on the industry by extending existing EPR for packaging collection and disposal to 100 per cent of program costs. “The fact remains that product packaging still accounts for one of the largest portions of the municipal wastestreams across Canada,” pointed out Gordon Day, program director at the Toronto-based waste diversion services consultants StewardEdge Inc. “Therefore you can expect governments to continue to legislate producer ownership of responsibility for the disposal of that packaging, either

Walmart Canada’s vice-president of sustainable packaging Guy McGuffin says more than 200,000 different products have been entered into the retailer’s Packaging Scorecard supplier evaluation system.

CANADIAN PACKAGING • OCTOBER 2010

SUSTAINABILITY Day lamented. “The fees change annually, the obligations may often change, new bag legislations coming in ... it all changes the dynamics of what someone has to track,” he said, citing an example of a retailer selling a television set having to account to three different program administrators for the product packaging, electronic waste, and battery disposal. “The programs are getting more complex all the time, and nowhere is it becoming more complex than here in Ontario,” Day stressed. “The administrative challenge of keeping up with all the required reporting is getting higher all the time, with retailEnvironmental consultant Gordon Day, program director ers having more and more things to report. with StewartEdge, warns Packaging Summit attendees “Before the end of the year,” Day predicted, about tough new environmental reporting requirements “British Columbia is going to become the first provbeing introduced across Canada. ince to announce 100-precent packaging obligation ErgoBloc L, Canadian Packaging, �00 x �� mm, CC-en�1-AZ10�_0�/10 for the industry, while with Ontario having a new collectively or individually,” Day advised. environment minister and an election coming up “This is an irreversible trend happening around the world, even in China, driven by legislators on the regulatory side and on the corporate side by companies like Walmart, and nowhere is this trend as pronounced as in Canada,” said Day, tracing the Canadian origins of EPR 010 X PO 2 /� back to the early beverage container PACK E , 10/�1 – 11 � � o � g deposit-return systems introduced back Chica all, Booth � H in the late 1970s and early 1980s under South the guise of anti-littering initiatives. “The fact is that these programs have actually been pretty good at harmonizing the efforts by companies to achieve the common goals,” he noted, pointing out that the often-maligned Stewardship Ontario actually pioneered the municipal curbside recycling of printed paper products through its Blue Box collection program.

... we really believe that Ontario will soon move to 100-perccent Blue Box funding [by industry]. “We also believe that they will want to move to individual producer responsibility, so rather than being able to discharge those costs collectively, you may opt to cover those costs on your own as an individual retailer or brand-owner,” Day said. “All in all, there are many new regulatory challenges coming up for retailers,” he concluded, “but there are also opportunities for them to reduce their provincial obligations and come up to speed on the reporting requirements they are now being asked to meet for their shareholders in terms of meeting their corporate social responsibility commitments, as well as make meaningful decision in terms of the controlled brands, private labels, product design ... and to set the bar high for their vendors to help them become Canada’s corporate leaders in packaging sustainability.”

Too Many Chefs The problem today, Day explained, is the existence of all the different provincial waste diversion programs and over 60 different agencies mandated with their supervision and implementation— resulting in a reporting “nightmare” for national retailers and brand-owners. “I recently had one retailer complain to me about having to go through 10 different audits last year, while dealing with 15 different agencies,” Day remarked. “In some cases you have to report in terms of units sold, in some cases by the weight of packaging, in some cases you have to know if you’re obligated for that product or your suppliers are, and this poses tremendous challenges for retailers, as well as for their brand-owner partners. “We have seen a tremendous increase in the amount of discussion and dialogue on the issue of packaging,” he said, “and while some companies have invested in updated systems to keep internal track of the vast amount of packaging information they must track, too many are still doing it in a haphazard way, with limited data and limited resources. “And even though we now have a lot of programs out there, there is not a lot of coordination—either at the provincial levels or among the programs,”

OCTOBER 2010 • CANADIAN PACKAGING

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137

SHOW PREVIEW

ON WITH THE SHOW! I

Biennial PACK EXPO International extravaganza back with a bigger bang

f practicing what you preach is a hallmark of sound organizational management and industry leadership, then the Arlington, Va.-headquartered industry group PMMI (Packaging Machinery Manufacturers Institute) certainly deserves well-earned praise and applause for all the hard work it has put in last year to ensure a resounding success for the fastapproaching PACK EXPO International 2010 packaging technologies exhibition in Chicago, Oct. 31-Nov. 3, 2010. With over 45,000 expected show visitors and more than 1,600 confirmed exhibitors poised to turn a large part of Chicago’s McCormick Place fairgrounds, over one million square feet of f loorspace, into a Mecca of packaging and processing innovation, the biennial event—said to be the world’s largest packaging and process- Charles Yuska, ing show this year—promises President, PMMI. to set new benchmarks for technological and marketing innovation, showmanship and networking opportunities. Bringing together key senior management and decision-makers from across a broad and diverse range of packaging end-user industries—from bakery and snack-foods to meat and poultry to paper and textiles, cosmetics and beauty products, dairy and beverages, fruits and vegetables, drugs and pharmaceuticals, etc.—the four-day expo is sure to have something for everybody, boasting several new and/or upgraded show highlights such as:

• Project 2020: The Consumer Experience Sponsored exclusively by the globally-operating life science products and services group DuPont (E.I. du Pont de Nemours and Company, Inc.), this futuristic exhibit is designed to provide insight into the primary drivers expected to propel packaging innovation 10 years from now— displaying prototypes of 20 package design solutions selected as “most creative” by an authoritative judging panel of packaging industry experts. “DuPont’s commitment to innovation has resulted in a number of breakthroughs in packaging technology that have enhanced product freshness, convenience and visual appeal,” says Chuck Yuska, president and chief executive officer the PMMI, whose membership comprises over 560 U.S.and Canadian-based companies that manufacture packaging, processing and related converting machinery, machinery components and packaging containers and materials. “This philosophy makes them a perfect match for Project 2020: The Consumer Experience, which at its core is all about pushing the boundaries of packaging and anticipating what will drive purchasing decisions in the years to come.” Adds DuPont’s global packaging and consumer marketing director Yasmin Siddiqi: “Our sponsorship of Project 2020 is completely in line with

OCTOBER 2010 • CANADIAN PACKAGING

DuPont’s commitment to collaborative innovation. “This project will stimulate thinking about future brand-owner needs, especially in terms of how brand-owners and suppliers work together, using a collaborative problem-solving approach to serving the consumers.” • Brand Zone Covering more than 60,000 square feet of exhibit space, the Brand Zone show section will highlight a comprehensive range of innovative containers and materials that respond to consumer demands for convenience, portion control, portability and sustainability, among others—displaying the latest advances in glass, plastic, metal and paperboard, along with an ever-growing variety of decorating and labeling techniques and reclosable packaging features. Says Yuska: “Packaging is an essential marketing vehicle for keeping brands competitive and relevant with the consumers, even as their priorities and tastes continue to change. “The Brand Zone is intended to help brand-owners stay connected to the latest technologies, so that they can position themselves for long-term success.” • Processing Zone Located at the Lakeside Center building of the McCormick Place, this special sold-out exhibit area—featuring displays from more than 150 companies over 70,000 square feet of exhibit space— will showcase the latest cutting-edge processing technologies from leading food-and-beverage processing equipment manufacturers. “The sold-out status of The Processing Zone is a clear indicator of the processing industry’s support for PACK EXPO’s integrated, total systems approach,” says Jim Pittas, PMMI vice-president of trade-shows. “With processing solutions integrated directly into the show, attendees have the entire packaging supply chain at their fingertips, while exhibitors can provide the collaborative, total systems approach their customers want and need.” • PAC Green Den Having debuted in Toronto in early 2010, The PAC Green Den competition of Canada’s leading packaging industry group PAC-The Packaging Association is an entertaining and interactive way for packaging innovators to sell their sustainable packaging ideas to leading retailers and brand-owners. Organized under the theme of Fast-Tracking Sustainable Innovation, the first edition drew over 200 packaging professionals to a half-day, reality-

show format presentation where large and small Canadian companies made brief demonstrations to the audience and the judging panel touting the environmental attributes and advantages of their respective packaging products, systems or processes, after which they were given an opportunity to make 15-minute, one-on-one pitches to the attending brand-owners and retailers behind closed doors in more detail. “Brand-owners and retailers are constantly bombarded with inquiries from inventors, and while they may wish to explore every new sustainable package and process opportunity, they don’t always have the time,” says PAC president and chief executive officer James Downham. “PAC is bringing this program to PACK EXPO because we know leading packaging buyers will be there to find the best solutions to their sustainabilityrelated challenges.” Scheduled to take place at the McCormick Place on Tuesday, Nov. 2, 1:00 pm – 4:30 pm, the live competition will feature no more that 10 entries from submissions by PACK EXPO exhibitors of environmentally-friendly packaging materials, containers, processes and services—chosen in accordance with the SPC (Sustainable Packaging Coalition) definition of sustainable packaging—with the judging panel selecting three top winners of the PAC Green Den Sustainable Awards, while the live audience will vote on the Best of Show winner. Featuring a keynote address by TerraCycle’s president and founder Tom Szaky, who will also serve as one of the panel judges openly evaluating each of the presentations in front of the live audience, the PAC Green Den truly promises to be one of PACK EXPO’s more memorable highlights. • DistriPak Pavilion Dedicated to packaging and paper distributors and sponsored by the NPTA Alliance (formerly the National Paper Trade Association), the DistriPak Pavilion will offer attendees a new way to find leading industrial packaging distributors and manufacturers of machinery and materials who sell through the distribution channel to endusers in the graphic arts/printing and publishing; electronics; food-and-beverage/wine; bakery and snack; cosmetics and toiletries; dairy & pharmaceutical/medical; chemical; candy and confection; and paper and textile sectors. For more on PACK EXPO International 2010, visit www.packexpo.com or expo@pmmi.org; or contact PMMI’s Show Department at (703) 243-8555.

WWW.CANADIANPACKAGING.COM • 25

SHOW PREVIEW

SAFE CHAIN REACTIONS Food and pharmacutical supply chain protection demands a multifaceted approach

here is no doubt that food safety has emerged as one of the biggest public health issues across North America in recent years, and there is also no doubt that the North American packaging industry—with many of its key players gathering at Chicago’s McCormick Place fairgrounds for the PACK EXPO International 2010 exhibition, Oct. 31 - Nov 3, 2010—has an important role to play in helping make North American consumers less vulnerable to sudden serious outbreaks of foodborne contamination and illnesses, often leaving serious fatal outcomes in their wake. Just last spring, high-ranking officials from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) met up to decide and on the best ways to measure progress in reducing foodborne illness in the U.S.—following up on the president Barack Obama’s Food Safety Working Group’s public appeal for urgent improvements in the methodology used to evaluate all the various efforts aimed at reducing the incidence of foodborne illnesses. Jerold Mande, deputy undersecretary for food safety at the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), summed up those discussions with an urgent plea: “To make our food safer, we must know as quickly as possible which foods are making people ill and why.”

compliance issues—featuring numerous prominent exhibitors with a wealth of leading-edge packaging, processing and product identification technologies and expertise. • Markem-Imaje (Booth #2200). In a recently-published white paper, MarkemImaje product manager of strategic accounts David Habib explains how product traceability became a necessity: “The product identification process was born out of international legislation requiring almost all food and drink products to display expiration dates. “For some years, the need to add date codes to packages was viewed merely as an additional manufacturing cost, but a series of major food scares affecting such products as fresh and processed meat, seafood, baby food, ingredients, and even spring water, threw the question of product traceability into much sharper focus. “Retailers began to be more forceful in their demands for product code accuracy, levying fines and other penalties on suppliers guilty of date and packaging errors,” Habib relates. “Manufacturers began to realize that an effective product ID and traceability process offers a measure of protection from such issues.” To help manufacturers address this issue, in mid2009 the company launched its new 9000 Series line of versatile, heavy-duty inkjet coding printers for primary package coding—comprising printer models 9020, 9030 and 9040—to meet the prodLost Income uct ID needs of a boad range of food, beverage, According to an early 2010 report from the pharmaceutical and cosmetics industries, offering a Produce Safety Project (PSP) group —Healthchoice of single-jet and bi-jet printhead configuraRelated Costs from Foodborne Illness in the United tions, a large selection of inks for printing possible States—acute foodborne illnesses are estimated to on just about any type of substrate, and operatorcost the U.S. economy about US$152 billion per friendly, intuitive user interface for easy system year in healthcare costs, lost time in the workplace, monitoring and control. and other related economic losses. According to Markem-Imaje, “The ability to The study’s author, former FDA economist closely monitor the codes being printed on each Robert Scharff, attributes no less than $39 bilproduct at all levels within the packaging line prolion of those losses to contamincess is critical to most industries. ated fresh, canned and processed “Wrong, missing or illegible produce. codes could lead to fines, With numbers like that, it is product recalls and, potenclear why the FDA is now in tially, products not being the overdrive mode in foraccepted by the retailer or mulating new product safety customer. All of these conand traceability standards to sequences could affect your track every individual unit of brand perception for idenproduct from farm to the storetity and quality. shelf, targeting 2012 for com“Wrong or illegible codes impinge plete compliance mandate. on the brand in many ways, includNaturally, this puts intense pressure ing additional labor costs, product on countless food industry supplyand packaging materials, disposal of chain partners to upgrade their prodthe used materials and packaging line uct coding, marking, identification downtime time to lost to reworking and tracking capabilities in a hurry. the product—as opposed to recodWith such a short time-frame to The 9000 Series of inkjet ing, marking and verifying the work with, the approaching PACK coding printers from Markemmark on the product correctly Imaje play a critical role in EXPO show in Chicago offers these the first time.” companies a terrific opportunity to tracking and tracing food • Microanalytics, a subsidiary of come up to speed on the technology and pharmaceutical products MOCON, Inc. (Booth #6232). side of food safety and traceability throughout the supply chain. Founded in 1992, the Round

26 • WWW.CANADIANPACKAGING.COM

Rock, Tex.-based Microanalytics specializes in practical sensory analysis technologies that help food manufacturers identify and neutralize sources of industrial odors, which has emerged as a major nuisance issue for the food industry following consumer complaints about moldy or musty odors associated with nausea, stomach pain, vomiting and diarrhea. “For example, imported wood pallets have come under fire for allegedly imparting odors to the products being stacked and distributed on them,” explains Microanalytics operations manager Fred Kuhrt. “There are fingers being pointed towards a chemical called tribromophenol (TBP), which is still used as a wood preservative in certain countries to control fungi and pests, and its byproduct 2,4,6-tribromoanisole (TBA), as being responsible for the odor.”

Bad Smell Although TBP has been banned in the U.S., Canada and Europe, it is still used in South America, notes Kuhrt, and in times of domestic wood supply shortages TBP-treated pallets can end up in the distribution channel—with significant downstream impact on absorption of odors into food and pharmaceutical products. “Because contamination can be instantaneous and quickly spread to other pallets, truckloads and even physical plants, it is key to identify the problem as quickly as possible to minimize financial impact and damage to brand equity,” Kuhrt says.

Microanalytic’s The AromaTrax GCMS-Olfactometry System from Microanalytic can literally ‘sniff out’ thousands of different odor-causing compounds.

“Warehouses should be particularly sensitive to any odd odors emanating from pallet loads.” According to Kuhrt, the health risk to mammals presented to exposure by TBP has been studied and given a Hazardous Materials Identification System (HMIS) rating of two on a zero-to-four scale, defined as: “A temporary or minor injury may occur.” Says Kuhrt: “In comparison to TBP, the HIMS rating for TBA in the area of health is zero, with no testing having been done, to my knowledge,

CANADIAN PACKAGING • OCTOBER 2010

SHOW PREVIEW to indicate that TBA at these low levels would be harmful to mammals. “Keep in mind that the human nose, on average, will detect the presence of TBA at the sub-partsper-trillion concentration,” Kuhrt cautions. “However, all off-odors that are of a concern to the public should be investigated to determine if there are health issues associated with them. “In many cases, because of the low threshold of most off-odors, the nose will pick up the odors well in advance of the concentration being high enough to be classified as a health hazard.” The company’s innovative, proprietary AromaTrax GCMS-Olfactometry system combines state-of-the-art technology with the human sense of smell to identify specific chemical odorants— down to parts per trillion or quadrillion, according to Kuhrt. In a nutshell, the system is designed to work by separating each chemical compound and delivering it to a designated odor ‘sniff port,’ after which a human analyst, or ‘the nose,’ evaluates and grades each compound by intensity and odor characteristic to characterize the critical odors. “This is relatively complex technology,” says Kuhrt. “In addition to the technology that has gone into the instrumentation, we also have developed ‘bookkeeping’ software that allows the analyst to react quickly to the compound presented by giving them a way to log their findings immediately. “Speed is critical, since analysts often have only a second or two to respond to one compound before the next one presents itself via the sniff port.” Although the AromaTrax system is capable of identifying thousands of compounds, typically only a small number are responsible for most odor problems, Kuhrt explains, adding that the technology’s wide-reaching applications make it suitable for researching odor issues in any solid, liquid or air sample—and even the walls of the plant itself. Adds Kuhrt: “The work we do ranges from environmental concerns to consumer product investigation, to identifying possible sites in a process where a contamination might have occurred, with all the testing designed to meet the customers’ specific needs. “We also manufacture and sell the AromaTrax instrument to those companies that have more than an occasional need to identify odors and have the trained staffing to do the job, as well as provide all the training as needed.” • Multivac Inc. (Booth #6242) “From our perspective as a manufacturer of food packaging equipment, the food safety focus is on making the machine conducive to complete and thorough sanitation by the customer, the food processor,” says Jerry Hirsch, Multivac’s manager of marketing communications in Kansas City, Mo. “This includes making it resistant to accumulation of solid and liquid contaminants,” citing the commonly-referenced Ten Principles of Sanitary Design framework developed by the American Meat Institute’s (AMI). “This is one of the foundations upon which we base our hygienic design.” The company’s versatile, high-capacity model R 535 thermoform packaging machine provides a good example of food processing and packaging equipment being designed for optimal sanitary operation, according to Hirsch. “The whole interior of the machine has been optimized for easy cleaning and maintenance tasks, as well as for CIP (cleaning-in-place) maintenance,” he explains. “The sides of the machine open easily

OCTOBER 2010 • CANADIAN PACKAGING

Multivac’s R 535 thermoform packaging machine is built for optimal hygienic performance in accordance with the AMI’s Ten Principles of Sanitary Design.

to access the interior parts, such as the chain guide, chain and motor. “The machine’s stainless-steel construction is completely washdown-compliant and, in accordance with the AMI sanitary design standards, the machine’s exterior has no corners or edges, so that any washdown water and any contaminants f low away easily.” Offering cutoff lengths up to 1,300-mm, throughput rates of up to 30 cycles per minute, a control system with 30 languages, and a broad range of custom-built options, the R 535 theromformer can be integrated in PC- or server-based systems, Hirsch adds. • Mettler-Toledo Hi-Speed (Booth # 302), part of the Mettler-Toledo Product Inspection Group, along with Mettler-Toledo Safeline and Mettler-Toledo CI-Vision, supplies high-performance checkweighers, metal detection, X-ray inspection and machine vision inspection systems and technologies to a broad range of food, beverage, pharmaceutical, and chemical industries.

Weight Gain According to Mettler-Toledo Hi-Speed product manager John Uber, checkweighers are playing an increasingly important role in protecting the food and pharmaceutical supply chains—being used right across the primary processing, primary packaging, secondary packaging and bundled-loads inspection and detection applications. “Although underweight packages may create an unfavorable image for any company, when you’re dealing with pharmaceuticals, any underfill poses a health hazard, since correct dosages are often critical to life itself,” Uber explains. “On the other hand, overfills can present problems in many processes downstream. “For example, retort may not heat to the required temperature to protect the security of the product.” For Mettler-Toledo Safeline product manager Robert Rogers, metal detectors and X-ray systems offer an effective means of protecting the consumer and further processing equipment from damage by ensuring the product is free of physical contaminants—often acting as critical control points (CPP) within a production line process—by inspecting incoming ingredients or materials in various stages of processing and production, including final packaging. Because the main goal is to prevent contamination rather than merely detect it, says Rogers, “It is not enough to simply have the systems in place; they must be incorporated into an overall contamination prevention program that includes areas for frequency

The Mettler-Toledo Safeline metal detectors can be installed on a pipeline carrying raw ingredients or processed products well in advance of the packaging stages.

The Mettler-Toledo Hi-Speed checkweighers can be used with primary packaging, secondary packaging and even bundled loads to detect underfills and overfills.

of testing, handling of rejected product, and tools to identify contamination at the source, so that processes can be modified to eliminate it completely.” While a metal detector works by reacting to conductivity in a product, X-ray inspection examines its density, explains Rogers. “Either inspection system can be used on a pumped liquid or slurry products from processing to packaging,” adds Rogers. “If a problem is detected in the product, a valve in the pipeline is opened to discharge it, or the line is stopped.” For their part, machine vision systems can also be used throughout the production process, according to Mettler-Toledo CI-Vision marketing manager Scott Stone, and are playing an increasingly vital role in brand protection. “Given the importance of the brand, damaged or malformed packaging, skewed labels or, in the worst-scenario, incorrect labels can severely impact the company image or trigger a costly recall,” Stone states. “Our label vision inspection systems use multiple cameras to accurately detect any of these issues at high line speeds, and they can also be used to inspect empty or filled bottles of any shape,” he explains. “With our proprietary [CIVCore] software, enduser food and drug companies can also perform multiple inspection operations simultaneously— such as ensuring proper neck shape, detecting the presence of foreign material in the bottle, ensuring proper fill level, detecting misapplied caps, and verifying the presence, positioning and correctness of the label.”

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SHOW PREVIEW

HIP TO BE SQUARE F

IPL reshapes the look of food safety through tamper-evidence innovation

ood safety is a deadly serious business these days, and packaging suppliers are not exempt from the hefty burden of obligation in ensuring optimal security and freshness for food products making their way through the supply chain and onto our dinner plates. And by any measure, Saint-Damien, Que.-based plastic products manufacturer IPL Inc. appears to be more than merely doing its part for the cause—having just developed a new-generation plastic food shipping container boasting a highlyinnovative Trustpack tamper-evidence feature that could well reshape some long-held notions of food safety, freshness, value and ease-of-use among enduse customers in the retail and wholesale food, restaurant, foodservice, institutional and other major food industry sectors. Produced at the company’s manufacturing facility in Edmundston, N.B., the Trustpack container will be unveiled for the first time at the upcoming PACK EXPO International 2010 packaging technologies exhibition in Chicago, Oct. 31 - Nov. 3, with the company planning a full-production launch in early 2011, according to IPL Plastics chief marketing manager Jean-Pierre Simard. “We are very excited by this new product that will help consumers feel more confident in the safety of the products they purchase,” Simard told Canadian Packaging recently. “Food needs to be free from contamination and tampering, and IPL has addressed this need by creating a unique integrity indicator, the new Trustpack tamper-evident system.” Unlike conventional containers utilizing detachable break-tab closures to provide tamper evidence,

Simard explains, the recyclable polypropylene Trustpack containers feature a unique ‘integrity indicator’ built into each of the four corners of the squareshaped lid—providing an easy visual clue from all angles as to whether the container has been IPL Plastics chief marketing opened or tampered with. Says Simard: “Previous tam- manager Jeanper-evident containers used a Pierre Simard. break-tab system which was confusing to use and prone to contamination, but the new ‘skirtless-f lange’ design eliminates the risk of contamination on the production line and increases customer confidence in product safety with an easy visual inspection—making them completely confident that no one has tampered with the contents of the Trustpack container they purchased. “It is also easy to open and close in one single motion, it is easy to manipulate, and it remains stable in a stack,” says Simard, stressing that the squarish design also provides key distribution and palletizing advantages over the traditional roundpail containers used to ship bulkier foods. “Yield and efficiency are necessary goals in our highly competitive market,” he notes, “which is why the Trustpack container uses an effective shape that optimizes shipping and warehousing costs. “We can put 40 per cent more full Trustpack containers onto a 48-inch pallet compared to the industry-standard round containers, which means our customers

FEATHER IN THEIR CAP Some of the best things in life come to fruition when a passion for perfection is combined with technological innovation. For Montreal-based packaging equipment manufacturer Capmatic Ltd., the company’s new SortStar Pharma bottle unscrambler is one of those things. Calling it “a masterpiece of modern engineering,” Capmatic says the new machine represents the culmination of years of continuous improvement on the SortStar platform—originally engineered to ensure quick and easy operator set-up by incorporating a fully-integrated pre-feeding system. Combining some of the best mechanical machine functionalities with some of the best software ever written for a bottle unscrambler, according to Capmatic, the new SortStar Pharma bottle unscrambler provides the versatility to handle a wide range of pharmaceutical bottles from 20-cc to 950-cc with one-touch program changeover—at rates of up to 200 bottles per minute. Capmatic Ltd. Booth # S-771

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A close-up view of the so-called ‘inetgrity indicator’ built into each of the four corners of the Trustpack plastic container to indicate tamper evidence from any viewing angle.

can ship and sell more products into the Club Store markets,” Simard asserts. “The container is also film seal-ready for accommodating extended shelf-life products,” notes Simard, citing a lengthy list of well-suited, compatible products such as prepared salads; grated and specialty cheeses; fruit salads; soups and sauces; confectioneries; spreads and dips; pastry fillings, icings and glazes; spices and nutritional supplements; and powdered detergents. Adds Simard: “The container continues to be leakproof even after it is opened up for the first time—containers have never been so secure!” Offered in 2.5-liter and five-pound volume capacities, the square-shaped Trustpack containers also offer inherently better graphic design and branding opportunities for the actual product, Simard relates, the via an advanced IML (in-mold labeling) decoration process. “The distinctive square shape offers a large surface area for labeling and graphics to enable brand-owners to incorporate photo-quality IML decorations in a wide range of colors,” Simard sums up, “so for all national brand-owners or private-label brands, Trustpack offers a real innovative way to maximize product differentiation while improving safety, sustainability and transportation efficiencies.” IPL Inc. will be exhibiting Trustpack containers throughout the PACK EXPO International 2010 exhibition at the McCormick Place on lower level of the Lakeside Building at Booth # 8613, while also displaying its full range of RPC (reusable plastic container) material handling products at Booth #5108.

FLEXING THEIR MIGHT Sophistication and simplicity may sound at odds with one another, but that’s what you get with the new X45 and X45e conveyor platforms to be displayed by conveying systems specialists FlexLink. Designed as a compact conveyor platform offering easy integration with other machinery, the X45 conveyor is engineered to ensure a long service life, low noise levels and easy engineering across the full spectrum of pharmaceutical and cosmetics industry applications, say FlexLink’s head of innovation management Fredrik Boberg. For its part, the X45e conveyor is designed as an “intelligent platform” for automated processes like assembly, controlled filling and samples analysis— offering sophisticated 24-V drive units and puck-handling modules with embedded controls for simplified controls engineering and high line efficiencies, with built-in RFID capabilities to facilitate full product traceability and automated quality assurance. “The X45e solutions with embedded controls and efficient PM motors open up new possibilities to make highly efficient production lines in an easier way than ever before,” states Boberg. FlexLink Systems, Inc. Booth # S-2654

CANADIAN PACKAGING • OCTOBER 2010

Samuel Strapping Systems manufactures and supplies a broad range of steel and plastic strapping, standard and custom engineered unitizing equipment – from manual and pneumatic tools, semi and fully automatic strapping machines to large turnkey packaging and unitizing systems.

Comprehensive in-house research and engineering • State of the art manufacturing of steel, polyester and polypropylene strapping. capabilities, with state-of-the-art CAD systems technology, offers our • Steel and plastic strapping tools and customers complete packaging accessories and unitizing solutions from a • Semi-automatic and automatic strapping and stretch film equipment single source. • Custom fabrication of material handling solutions • Made to order edge protection • High quality cast stretch film • Load securement solutions Our products and systems can be found in • Product identification and labelling equipment

virtually every industry and are supported by a comprehensive sales, customer service and

• Recycling equipment and baling wire

distribution network. Contact us today to find out how we can help eliminate

Visit us at booth N-4728

packaging bottlenecks and improve productivity.

New Westminster, BC • Edmonton, AB • Vaughan, ON • Burlington, ON • Lachine, QC Samuel Strapping Systems

www.samuelstrapping.com www.youtube.com/samuelstrapping

Packaging and Unitizing Solutions Toll Free - 1-800-607-8727

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A Division of Samuel SMT Inc

SHOW PREVIEW

CHICAGO SHOW-STOPPERS Preview of PACK EXPO International 2010 exhibits

Montreal-based packaging machinery manufacturer PallayPack is planning to unveil its allnew VersaBlock monoblock liquid filling system—a full-featured, automatic monoblock for filling, plugging, and pickand-place capping of any kind of small bottles and vials—at an entry-level price, according to the company. Well-suited for budget-sensitive applications where output volumes exceed existing manual capacity, the cost-effective VersaBlock operates at speeds up to 40 bottles per minute, while accommodating a wide range of containers. In addition, PallayPack will display the new VitaCount range of high-speed tablet and capsule counters—engineered and manufactured to ensure optimal accuracy and speeds at fast-running pharmaceutical packaging lines—that is particularly wellsuited for large products and counts, with the Windows-based touchscreen controls enabling userfriendly operation. Booth # 6432

The exhibit of Zip-Pak will showcase the company’s new Zipbox packaging, ZIP-PAK SLIDER Advantage closures and many zipper profiles manufactured from bio-based materials. Combining structural benefits of traditional cartons with the convenience and resealability of f lexible pouches, the company’s new Zipbox (see picture) package format offers a consumer-friendly packaging option for cereals, snacks, baking supplies, frozen foods, pet treats and powdered laundry detergent, while its ZIP-PAK SLIDER Advantage uses a minimal amount of material in manufacturing to decrease a package’s environmental footprint when used for products such as sliced bacon, sliced deli meats, cheese, snack and dry foods, frozen foods and pet treats. In addition, Zip-Pak will display a cellulose-based, 100-percent compostable zipper profile for resealable packaging made of mater-Bi resin from Novamont, which is already being used to package various fruit and fresh produce, meats and prepared foods. Booth # S-1902

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The exhibit of Meech International with showcase advantages of the company’s new IonRinse cleaning system, designed for economical and energy-efficient cleaning of blown containers, bottles, cans, jars and preforms used across a broad range of food-and-beverage industry applications. Incorporating powerful AC ionization, a custom-designed airf low distributor and high quality inline filtration, the compact IonRinse system quickly achieves high velocity during operation to make sure the filtered ionized air exits the IonRinse head unit via the airf low distributor and enters each and every container, whereby the precisely controlled airf low works in combination with the neutralization of static charges to break any static bond holding contamination to the inner surface, with the released contamination immediately caught by the vacuum airf low and extracted to the inline filter unit. Both the air volume and velocity are fully adjustable to match each application, according to the company, and the system can be integrated to run with the line to reduce energy requirements even further— with the clear LED displays allowing for easy monitoring of key data such as filter condition and ionization status. Booth # N-4417

ARPAC Group’s exhibit will feature the company’s new ARROW intermittent-motion, side-seal wrapper—designed as a highly versatile shrinkwrapping solution for applications not requiring precise spacing like a continuous motion wrapper, resulting in simplified infeed requirements. Fully compatible to work with printed film, the lowmaintenance ARROW is capable of running a virtually infinite number of products at speeds of up to 40 products per minute—with product height ranging from two to six inches—while accepting randomly-fed product, and intermixed lengths within its speed range. Booth # S-400

Spirof low Systems Inc. is planning to display one of the company’s latest models of a Bulk Bag Filler working with four different types of bulk materials and ingredients/additives conveyors, including:

• Flexible screw conveyors, offering a low-cost and highly hygienic way to transfer powders, granules, pellets, f lakes, lumps and other materials from storage to process, between processes, and from process to packaging; • Aero-mechanical conveyors, designed to provide the benefits and advantage of pneumatic conveying without the need for additional air filtration equipment; • Tubular drag conveyors for dust-free transfer of large volumes of product over longer distances; • Pneumatic conveying systems, designed specifically for long-distance conveying of product over tortuous routes with multiple twists, turns and bends along the way. Booth # N-4661

The Pharmaceutical Packaging Division of OYSTAR USA will showcase the company’s new model TFS 220 E machine from its IWK TFS-E Series tube-filling equipment range by running it at speeds of up to 220-tpm (tubes per minute) alongside the company’s model TZ 201 tube feeder. Designed primarily for pharmaceutical packaging applications but also offered with a wide range of optional systems that suit varying product needs in the cosmetics, chemical or food industries, all the TFS-E Series machines can process metal, plastic or laminate, round, oval or conical tubes from 10-mm to 52-mm in diameter and from 50-mm to 220-mm in length, according to the company, while boasting a three-color filling capacity, capability to fill volumes from two to 250-ml, and the ability to allow for specialty seals of virtually any shape in heights of up to 48-mm. Booth # S-830

Multivac, Inc. will display the company’s extensive range of thermoform packaging machinery, including the new, high-capacity model B610 belted vacuum chamber packaging system (see picture) equipped with a patented tilting lid; the highspeed model R245 thermoformer equipped with robotic product handling; the compact-designed R105 thermoforming machine; the company’s first-

CANADIAN PACKAGING • OCTOBER 2010

SHOW PREVIEW ever thermoformer built on an Allen-Bradley control platform from Rockwell Automation; and a variety of tray-sealers and vacuum chamber packaging systems designed for handling virtually any product size and volume requirements. Booth # E-6242

The exhibit of OYSTAR Jones, a subsidiary of R.A. Jones & Co. Inc., will showcase the company’s new Legacy 3 constant-motion, small-center cartoner—designed as an ergonomic, economical, multipurpose and highly flexible system capable of handling a wide range of cartoning applications with a single machine at speeds of up to 400 cartons per minute. Drawing on significant customer input from potential end-users in the food, consumer products, personal-care and electronic industries, the Legacy 3 system features a broad range of valueadded features, according to the company, including a straight-in, low-level carton magazine with comfortable loading height that does not require platforms; a balcony design that maximizes accessibility to all areas of the machine to allow easy clean-up and inspection; quick and accurate changeovers thanks to tool-less adjustments and changeover points; and an all-new, variable-velocity Orbi-Trak carton feed design that utilizes a vacuum-based pre-opening system for handling hard-to-open cartons. Booth # S-830

ing to machine discharge. (See Picture) • GSL10 horizontal case-packer. Capable of packing up to 10 case per minute and requiring no change parts to accommodate different case sizes, the GSL10 incorporates servomotor technology to control all the main machine movements, while employing ELAU ‘soft’ PLC (programmable logic controller) technology to control all of the machine’s drives. • Hasta plunger-rod inserter. Designed specifically for inserting plunger rods into syringe barrels, the compact Hasta machine—equipped with a P&A labeler with vision systems and control devices to ensure trouble-free operation—is offered with throughput speeds of 12,000 or 24,000 pieces per hour, with the system’s built-in f lexibility allowing it to interface with a broad range of upstream and downstream machinery. Booth # E-6645

MG America, North American subsidiary of subsidiary of the Italian-based packaging equipment manufacturer MG2, will exhibit its parent company’s broad range of high-performance packaging equipment for the food, pharmaceutical, cosmetic and nutraceutical industries, including: • GTL 30 case-packer. Incorporating servomotors for main machine movements and requiring no change parts for erecting different case sizes, the GTL30 features an operator-friendly touchscreen interface, an exclusive balcony design for easy of cleaning and maintenance, and robust throughput speeds of 22 cases per minute—from load-

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The Process Division of OYSTAR USA will demonstrate the company’s new-generation XSpress R&D bilayer rotary press—offering complete segregation between compression, mechanical and electrical zones—which can be fitted three different turrets, including a 16-station turret with D punch; a 20-station turret with B punch; and a specially-designed hybrid turret with eight B and eight D punches. The fullyautomated machine—featuring a high-resolution touchscreen to allow data acquisition for up to seven channels—is designed to ensure rapid format change by simply exchanging the two-piece upper cam-track and delrin fill cam to erect a new turret arrangement. Booth # S-830

SHOW PREVIEW Westfalia Technologies, Inc. will showcase the performance advantages of the company’s new dairy-case palletizing system—designed to handle both plastic and wood pallets and constructed of stainless-steel materials to withstand the washdown procedures in the dairy and beverage industries—for palletizing two full pallets per minute, with each pallet holding nine stacks of dairy cases, stacked six rows high, for a total of 54 cases on each pallet. In addition, the company will display the rest of its extensive product portfolio, comprising casers, case stackers, case palletizers, pallet f low systems, AS/RS (automated storage and retrieval systems), and the Savanna.NET warehouse management software (WMS) system. Booth # N-4371

Romaco Group’s exhibit will showcase the company’s FrymaKoruma vacuum processing units and the Unipac tube filling systems—used to process liquid and semi-solid products for the pharmaceutical, cosmetics and food industries. The new FrymaKoruma Frymix II employs an innovative process tool based on two conical rotors that shear the ingredients with a very high energy input, while using a funnel-shaped guide cone to ensure high turbulence inside the vessel, as well as optimal product deaeration thanks to the thin-film principle. Boasting modular design and a wide range of options, the machine integrates all the machine drives in the vessel lid to ensure there is no contact between the sealing systems and the product f low. Meanwhile, Romaco’s model Unipac U 2060 automatic tube filler—featuring an enclosed, compact design for easy access and equipped with eight stations—is intended for highprecision filling of semisolids such as ointments, creams, gels, pastes, etc., into aluminum, laminate or polyethylene tubes, which are closed either mechanically by a series of folds or via heat-sealing by a hot-air process, at rates of up to 60 tubes per minute. Booth # N-04071

Agr International will display the company’s Process Pilot closed-loop control system—designed to provide real-time process management for blowmolded PET (polyethylene terephthalate) containers—when working in conjunction with Agr’s PETWall Profiler measurement system to automate the management of blowmolder production—by continuously monitoring bottle material distribution data provided by the PETWall Profiler measurement system and automatically adjusting blowmolder settings to maintain optimal bottle distribution and efficient blowmolder operation. In addition, the

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company will display its vision-based OptiCheck multicamera inspection system for ensuring toplevel quality control for rigid plastic containers— compatible with a wide range of container shapes, sizes, materials and colors—with comprehensive sidewall, label and seal surface defect detection, as well as laboratoryquality finish gauging online. Booth # S-2089

The Specialty Group business of Great Northern Corporation will showcase the company’s Laminations unit’s innovative UChannel and UCrate (see picture) protective packaging solutions, which are both part of the VBoard family of sustainable laminated paperboard products made from 100-percent recyclable materials. The UCrate consists of seamless U–shaped channels that fit snugly together to create a sturdy, environmentally-friendly way to ship products such as window blinds and rods, tubing, metal rods/extrusions, fragile instruments and glass objects—offering superior impact resistance, scuff protection to corrugated, easy top loading of product, substantial beam strength, and reliable shock absorption, according to the company. For its part, the UChannel is three-sided laminated paperboard manufactured in single-piece construction that can be formed to provide a wide variety and range of base widths and leg heights. Well-suited for protecting the edges of all types and shapes of windows and doors—including garage doors—during shipping, handling and storage, the UChannel is designed as a costefficient alternative to wood and other materials, with its seamless construction ensuring no bottom overlap, or the risk of rivets accidentally scratching the product. Booth # E-7501

Uhlmann Packaging Systems, LP will showcase the company’s Blister Express Center 300 blister-packaging system (see picture)—a compact, integrated system designed to facilitate quick and frequent format changeovers and comprising blister and cartoner modules in an innovative configuration capable of producing up to 300 blisters and 150 cartons per minute, while providing for the direct transfer of blisters to the cartoner for secondary packaging. In addition, the company will also demonstrate its UPS5 blister machine, which uses differ-

ent modes of operation to package solid and liquid products into syringes, ampoules, patches, tropical blisters, all-aluminum blisters, etc., at rates of up 400 blisters per minute. Booth # N-4650

Delkor Systems, Inc. will display the performance advantages of the company’s Trayfecta R Series Retail Ready trayforming machine, which was designed to automate the traymaking sequence for display trays with die-cut openings to hold tapered cups for products such as cultured dairy foods in a continuous flow—at rates of up to 40 trays per minute. When integrated with Delkor’s Spot-Pak systems, the Trayfecta R Series former can immediately switch from forming retail-ready display trays to flat-pad Spot-Pak shipping cartons within seconds, according to the company, while continuing to supply the downstream shrinkwrapping operation. Booth # S-2517

Material handling equipment specialists Intelligrated is planning to use the show to launch the company’s new Alvey 890 mid-speed case palletizer—designed for maximum reliability and f lexibility by being able to form virtually any pattern, with a wide range of package types and sizes, on a variety of pallet platforms at throughput rates of up to 75 cases per minute. Claimed to be the most f lexible palletizer in the entire Alvey 800 series range—already boasting more than 1,200 machine installations to date—the Alvey 890 boasts enhanced standard pattern creation utility that enables it to meet increasingly complex pattern requirements, including the ability to build four different layer configurations in one load. Featuring a compact footprint and f lexible layout of front and side discharge configurations, the new Alvey 890 palletizer also offers enhanced diagnostics and alarm history, low noise levels, standard Ethernet communication capabilities, an improved frame design to reduce installation time, and fully-integrated safety guarding with Category 3 controls. Booth #S-2266

Optima Group’s exhibit will showcase the company’s MODULINE system (see picture), which boasts the capacity and capability to process two different products simultaneously, including liquid-viscous cosmetics and powder granulates for a filter product. In addition, the company will also demonstrate a high-performance will present a filling and closing machine for processing pre-filled

CANADIAN PACKAGING • OCTOBER 2010

SHOW PREVIEW syringes; the INOVA SV 125 self-optimizing checkweigher, designed specifically for powder detergents and other cleaning agents; a speciallydesigned packaging system for paper hygiene products; and an innovative packaging solution for producing single-serve coffee and tea packages. Booth # N-4606

Accraply, Inc., a Barry-Wehmiller Companies subsidiary specializing in the design and manufacture of automated pressure-sensitive label application systems, will unveil the company’s broad line-up of high-performance systems and equipment, including: • Accraply Model 9000VF—designed for highspeed, serialized-label application on cylindrical containers used in the pharmaceutical industry, and equipped with the latest laser-printing and intuitive vision-based technology for optimal quality assurance. • The full range of Accraply industrialgrad label applicators boasting a range of value-added standard features such as dual drives for optimal label placement accuracy, advanced web tension control for precise label stop position, automatic product speed following, and the ability to monitor operation through an integrated Ethernet port. • Trine Model 4800 inline labeling system for handling complex bottle designs at high speeds, featuring a full controls package and vacuum drum design. • Stanford Model SM10 Seammachine for high-speed shrinksleeve label production, incorporating an advanced solvent application system with an innovative approach to tension control and rewind roll oscillation to ensure optimal, high-quality output. Booth # S-800

an Allen-Bradley control platform from Rockwell Automation, the new BMK 2600 can be easily integrated to other filling systems such as liquid pumps, cup fillers or a multihead weigh-scale system, according to the company, with its stainless-steel frame construction ensuring reliable performance in all kinds of industrial environments. Booth # N-3839

Filamatic, a division of National Instrument, LLC, will be showcasing a variety of liquid packaging machines, including the Monobloc fill/finish packaging system designed for small plastic

The exhibit of Bossar Packaging S.A. will showcase the company’s new modular BMK 2600 S STU 2 Z zipper pouch machine—a highly versatile, horizontal form-fill-seal (F/F/S) pouching machine that accepts rollstock three different types of pouches, including three- and four-side seals, stand-up and zipper pouches. Boasting robust throughput speeds of up to 140 pouches per minute, the f lexible machine features a new Unwind Module with an enhanced edge alignment system a fast reel changeover, while its new Zipper Module employs mechanical actuation to ensure continuous production of attractive, fully-sealed, leak-free pouches with optimal consumer-friendly features. Operating on

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bottles and low-volume glass bottles. Outfitted with multiple pumps to ensure quick changeovers and enabling th,e machine to run up to 14 different bottles, the Monobloc system contains a manual tray for lyophilization, with capabilities to crimp and screw caps onto the bottles right after filling. Other systems on display will include the automatic DFS (Digifil) integrated filling system— designed to fill and stopper 100- to 625-ml containers at production rates of up to 90 containers per minute—the semi-automatic AdaptaFil benchtop filling system, and the company’s f lagship AB Series benchtop filler. Booth # S-842

SHOW PREVIEW PIAB’s display will feature the company’s new piINLINE range of inline vacuum ejectors— incorporating the company’s patented COAX technology to ensure good vacuum f low to enable reliable gripping, lifting and moving of varioussized objects—as well as a whole new range of suction cups designed to improve the operational f lexibility, speed and energy efficiency of packaging lines across a broad range of industries. Compared to the conventional grippers that can only be used for a limited number of applications, these suction cups can be tailored to handle a variety of products and fit with many types of packaging machines, including robotic arms, rotary cartoners, labeling machines and carton erectors. Booth # N-4620

Toray Plastics (America), Inc. will feature the company’s extensive range of leading-edge polypropylene, polyester and metallized film innovations covering a broad array of packaging applications, including: a new line of metallized heat-sealable polypropylene white cavitated films for use in snack-food, confectionery, ice cream, and industrial applications; the new TreaTear polypropylene directional-tear sealant films for retort and non-retort, gusseted and non-gusseted pouch applications; polyester lidding films; metallized PET (polyethylene terephthalate) films; clear-barrier polypropylene films; heat-sealable metallized BOPP films; and a growing selection of ultra-thin and bio-based packaging films. Booth # S-2935

Ryson International, Inc. will exhibit the company’s new high-capacity Mass Flow Spiral conveyors—designed to convey and transfer full and empty bottles, cans, jars and other similar containers up or down in a continuous mass f low, offering significant space-savings over conventional conveying methods thanks to the system’s compact footprint. Fully equipped with extended infeed and outfeed tangents to facilitate smooth side transfer to and from external conveyors, the Mass Flow Spirals can be supplied with 12-, 16- or 20-inch-wide slats with capacities of up to 800, 1,200

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or 2,000 bottles or cans per minute respectively, a well as in a choice of powdered coated carbon-steel, stainless-steel and washdown-ready finishes to suit various production environments. Booth # N-4634

DayGlo Color Corp. will unveil the company’s impressive range of innovative color solutions for helping brand-owners and consumer product manufacturers to increase shelf appeal, build greater brand preference, and enhance product security for their products, including: • The FDAcompliant GloPrill pigments and FDA- approved Gem-Tonepolymeric colorants, formulated for use in direct food and beverage contact packaging applications—from shrink labels and plastic bottles to paperboard boxes and flexible containers—with cleaner and bolder shades for high impact. • The dual-tone Cambio pigments for creating a unique, color-shifting effect for a cost-effective way to add a touch of luxury to plastic packaging formats without the risk of color separation or bleed from the mica base—especially well-suited for premium package designs or high-end cosmetic lines. • The invisible Phantom inks for ensuring optimal brand protection and anti-counterfeiting in package design, as well as for security and tracing applications. Invisible in normal daylight, the Phantom pigments produce a highly visible bright color when exposed to UV (ultraviolet) light—enabling brandowners to easily detect packages that have been counterfeited or tampered with. Booth # E-6545

HayssenSandiacre will demonstrate a broad range of innovative, high-performance packaging machinery and equipment, including: • The NOVUS 250 Quad/Doy with an integrated Ishida scale— designed to provide the f lexibility to run both Quad Seal and Doy Packs (picture below) with easy changeover during high-speed production of pillow-bags. • The ULTIMA ST with Spee-Dee’s CBS volumetric cup filler and Sealstrip Peel-and-Seal applicator, incorporating cost-effective, durable, intermittent-motion technology with more dwell time for better-looking seals and higher packaging speeds. • The high-speed NOVUS 250 with a Yamato scale—a continuous-motion, vertical form/fill/seal VFFS system combining high production speeds of over 200 pieces per minute with a high-quality final package. Booth #S-800

The exhibit of Bosch Packaging Technology will unveil the company’s extensive array of highperformance, cutting-edge filling, packaging technology and processing technologies, including the Doboy range of bag sealers; SVI and SVE series vertical fill/form/seal (V/F/F/S) bagging machines; Doboy Stratus and PACK series wrappers; carton formers and closers; and the fullyautomated Paloma-D2 Top Loader system from Delta Robotics. Booth S-2223

Domino North America will unveil the company’s comprehensive range of industrial marking and coding technologies—ranging from inkjet to laser to labeling—designed to accommodate the busy packaging line operators’ growing requirements for precise and reliable date coding, product marking, serialization and variable systems, as well as advanced networking solutions for each technology to provide remote management and control of coding and marking operations by enabling factory-wide vision and control from a single workstation. Booth # S-2259

Beverage processing and packaging technologies specialists Krones AG is planning to exhibit its second-generation modularized labelers—featuring significant design enhancements enabling them to handle more that 30,000 containers per hour. Designed for easy retrofit to existing packaging lines and featuring three docking stations for cold-glue adhesive applicators, the new labeler will be demonstrated in full action mode as it dresses plastic sauce bottles in body and back labels, while also adding a deepcone wraparound label that acts as a tamper-evident seal, according to Krones. Other Krones systems to be demonstrated at the show include new tube modules for shell-and-tube heat exchanger systems, designed to ensure optimal operational f lexibility in terms of product viscosity; and the Nested Packs container carriers, running on the Variopac Pro TFS 70 packaging system. Booth # S-2466

WeighPack Systems Inc. will demonstrate the CombiScale Primo 360 Weigher system (see picture) in full operation—outfitted with 14 heads and 2.5liter buckets, an r2b bagger and an infeed system— with its GUI touchscreen technology providing operators with a user-friendly interface to control all of the scale’s functions. Planning to demonstrate

CANADIAN PACKAGING • OCTOBER 2010

SHOW PREVIEW more than 25 machines at the show, the WeighPack exhibit will also feature: • The XPdius Elite Series V/F/F/S baggers— high-speed vertical, form-fill-seal seal baggers capable of production speeds of up to 120 bags per minute; • The Vertek Series V/F/F/S baggers—designed for mid-range production requirements with operating speeds of up to 60-bpm, with standard features including automatic film unwinding, touchscreen controls, pneumatically-operated sealing bars, and up 30 product set-up programs; • The r2b H/F/F/S bagger—designed to integrate bagmaking, filling, sealing, and printing into one automatic process for optimal productivity and cost efficiency, using laminated roll film stock. • The Swifty bagger—a horizontal bagging machine designed to handle many types of pre-made bags, including stand-up, gusset and f lat-bottom bags, with or without zipper closures, at rates of up to 100 bags per minute. Booth # S-2483

Nordson Corporation’s exhibit will feature the company’s new range of MiniBlue II guns—claimed to provide two times the service life of any pneumatic packaging gun on the market and featuring new insulation for optimal energy efficiency—as well as the ProBlue fulfill/ fulfill-retrofit adhesive filling systems for processing adhesives from 100°F to 400°F, featuring automatic filling for minimizing adhesive waste, reducing noz-

Primera Technology, Inc. will display the company’s new FX1200 digital finishing system— designed specifically for short-run, full-color digital label printing utilizing one of the fastest and highest-resolution color laser engines in the marketplace (see picture)—as well as the company’s popular LX-Series

FOR MORE INFORMATION CIRCLE

Videojet Technologies Inc. will demonstrate its complete line of industrial marking and coding equipment and supplies, including the models 1510 and 1610 small-character continuous inkjet printers (see picture); the DataFlex Plus thermal-transfer overprinter; the Wolke m600 advanced thermal inkjet printer; the model 3320 laser marking system; the 2300 series large-character printing systems; the Unicorn II drop-on-demand printer; the P3400 print-and-apply system; the CLARiNET package coding management software; and IMprints track-and-trace solutions. Booth # 1512

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Improve machine and business performance. Protect your investment. More than 40,000 packaging machines are in use around the globe with Schneider Electric and Elau solutions. Get connected to our worldwide service and complete machine lifecycle management. Ask Schneider Electric’s North America Packaging Technology and Solution Center experts to help your machines become faster, more flexible, more reliable and more energy efficient. For more information visit www.SEreply.com and enter keycode s956w, or call us at 800-265-3774.

FOR MORE INFORMATION CIRCLE

OCTOBER 2010 • CANADIAN PACKAGING

label printers and the CX1200 digital label press. Booth # N-3963

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Schneider Electric will unveil its extensive portfolio of electrical and automation products designed and engineered to help packaging machinery and systems their optimal operational efficiencies and f lexibility, including the PacDrive intelligent servo modules for distributing synchronized servo actuators with simplified networking, reduced electrical wiring and cabinet requirements, and enhanced machine f lexibility; the PacDrive embedded robots and robotic control software; and the new M238, M258 and LMC058 PAC machine controllers. Booth # N-4513

zle-clogging char, and maintaining adhesive temperature/viscosity for superior bonding and fewer ‘pop-opens.’ Other featured equipment will include carousel wraparound and rollfed labeling systems, as well as the PURBlue hot-melt adhesive applicating systems for ‘clear box’ manufacturing applications. Booth # 730

EVENTS OCT. 21

NOV. 3-4

Mississauga, Ont.: State of the Industry, paper packaging forum by Paper Packaging Canada (PPC). Contact Michelle Connolly of PPC at (905) 458-1247; or via email mconnolly@paperpackaging.ca

Toronto: Manufacturing Innovations - Medical Canada, exhibition for medical and dental device manufacturers by the Society of Manufacturing Engineers (SME). At the International Centre. Contact SME at 1 (888) 322-7333; or go to: www.sme.org/canmedical

OCT. 20-22 Monaco: Luxe Pack Monaco, luxury packaging exhibition by Luxe Pack Monaco. At Grimaldi Forum. To register, go to: www.luxepackmonaco.com

OCT. 27-29

NOV. 3-4

OCT. 27 - NOV. 3

NOV. 17-20

Düsseldorf, Germany: K 2010, international trade fair for plastics and rubber by Messe Düsseldorf. In Canada, contact Messe Düsseldorf Canada at (416) 598-1524; or via email messeduesseldorf@germanchamber.ca

Düsseldorf, Germany: MEDICA/COMPAMED 2010, international trade fair and congress for medical technologies by Messe Düsseldorf GmbH. At Düsseldorf Trade Fair Center. In Canada, contact Messe Düsseldorf Canada at (416) 598-1524; or via email messeduesseldorf@germanchamber.ca

Chicago: PACK EXPO International 2010, international packaging technologies exhibition and conference by the Packaging Machinery Manufacturers Institute (PMMI). At McCormick Place. Contact PMMI at (703) 243-8555; or go to: www.packexpo.com

NOV. 1-3 113

Frankfurt, Gertmany: European Paper Recycling Conference 2010, by Pira International. At Sheraton Conference Hotel. To register, go to: www.PaperRecyclingEurope.com

Lisbon, Portugal: European Ink Jet Printing Conference, by Information Management Institute, Inc. (IMI) At Sheraton Lisboa. Contact IMI at (207) 235-2225; or go to: www.imiconf.com

OCT. 31 - NOV. 3

FOR MORE INFORMATION CIRCLE

NOV. 3-4

Chicago: AIM Expo, auto ID (automatic identification) technologies conference and exposition by the Association for Automatic Identification and Mobility (AIM). At Hyatt Regency O’Hare. To register, go to: www.AIM-Expo.com

NOV. 3-4 Toronto: Canadian Waste & Recycling Expo, by Messe Frrankfurt Inc. At the Toronto International Centre. Contact Messe Frankfurt at (770) 984-8016; or go to: www.CWRE.ca

Orlando, Fla.: 2010 Automation Fair exhibition and 2010 Manufacturing Perspectives conference by Rockwell Automation Inc. To register, go to: www.automationfair.com

NOV. 18-20 Mumbai, India: PackTech India 2010, international packaging technologies exhibition by Messe Düsseldorf. Concurrently with the drink technology India exhibition by Messe München. Both at the Bombay Exhibition Centre. In Canada, contact Messe Düsseldorf (Canada) at (416) 598-1524; or via email messeduesseldorf@germanchamber.ca

NOV. 22-25 Paris, France: EMBALLAGE 2010, international packaging exhibition by Comexposium. At Paris Nord Villepinte Exhibition Centre. To register, go to: www.emballage.com

DEC. 8-10 New Delhi, India: Labelexpo India 2010, labeling technologies conference and exhibition by Tarsus Group plc. At Pragati Midan. To register, go to: www.labelexpo.com

2011 JAN. 25-28 You manage expenditures to get the best value so when evaluating chilling systems consider that Berg Chilling ranked number 1 against its competitors in all criteria in an independent survey*. • Product Quality • Environmental Impact • Reliability

• Installed Costs

• System Design

• Capital Costs

• Delivery

• Operating Costs

• Warranty

• Most Likely to be Recommended

Trust Berg to make every dollar count.

Hard earned, wisely spent.

Moscow, Russia: Upakovka/Upak Italia, packaging technologies exhibitions by Messe Düsseldorf GmbH, concurrently with the Interplastica 2010 exhibition for plastics technologies. All at Krasnaya Presnya Expocenter. To register, go to: www.upakovka-upakitalia.de

FEB. 8-10 Anaheim, Ca.: WestPack, PLASTEC West, Pacific Design & Manufacturing Show, ATX (Automation Technology Expo) West, Electronics West, MD&M (Medical Design & Manufacturing) West, DesignMed North America and Green Manufacting Expo, by Canon Communications LLC. All at the Anaheim Convention Center. Contact Canon at (310) 996-9427; or go to: www.canontradeshows.com/biz

Eco-positive, thermal management solutions

www.berg-group.com System Design | Installation | Service * Independent study: Rogers BPPG, Research Group FOR MORE INFORMATION CIRCLE

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CANADIAN PACKAGING • OCTOBER 2010

PEOPLE

Kisner

 INX Digital International Co., San Leandro, Ca.-based manufacturer of inkjet inks for wide-format and digital printers, has appointed Ken Kisner as president.

 Plastics processing machinery and equipment manufacturer DavisStandard, LLC of Wnuk Comeau Pawcatuck, Conn., has appointed Joseph Wnuk as manager of its aftermarket business, in addition to his current responsibilities as vicepresident of the company’s Elastomer Extrusion Systems division; Doug Comeau as product manager for foam at the Extrusion Systems Group; Steve DelTorchio as key accounts manager for the Converting Systems Group unit; and Kent Wang as process engineer at the company’s Technical Center operations in Pawcatuck.

 Key Technology, Inc., Walla Walla, Wash.-based manufacturer of process automation, integrated electrooptical inspection and sorting, and processing systems, Johnson has appointed Steve Johnson as product marketing manager for the company’s process systems line of products, including vibratory conveyors, sizing and grading systems, washers and dryers and other processing equipment for fresh-cut produce; and Rob Flodin as Major Account Manager responsible for the ConAgra business.  Buckhorn, Milford, Ohio-based manufactuer of reusable plasic containers, pallets and other related material handling and packaging products, has appointed Rob Tieman as director of sales and marketing.

 PolyOne Corporation, Cleveland, Ohioheadquartered supplier of specialized McAlindon Scheuring polymer materials, services and solutions, has appointed Julie McAlindon as vicepresident of marketing, and Kurt Schuering as vice-president of key account management.  Constar, Philadelphia, Pa.-headquartered producer of PET (polyethylene terephthalate) plastic containers and preforms for the food-and-beverage industries, has appointed Matt Dauzvardis as vicepresident of corporate technologies at the company’s R&D (research and Dauzvardis development) center in Alsip, Ill.

“We spec Eriez’ feeders on all our systems”

DelTorchio

“At Frazier & Son, we rely on Eriez’ wide variety of drive units, custom trays, screens and feeder configurations to help us handle difficult applications.”

Wang

 Package printing equipment and technologies supplier KBR Graphics Canada has appointed Aaron Hunter as account manager for the GTA (greater Toronto area) region and eastern Ontario, and Chris Gingras as account manager for the GTA region and western Ontario, with both to be based at the company’s Toronto office.

Feeders

Conveyors

Mark Frazier Frazier & Son Eriez Offers: • High Speed • Variable Speed • More Power • Less Energy • High Deflection • Greater Precision • Accurate Metering • Long Reach • Short Stoke

Hunter

Gingras

 Label converter and manufacturer Multi-Color Corporation of Cincinnati, Ohio, has appointed Sharon Birkett as vice-president and chief financial and accounting officer.  Pittsburgh, Pa.headquartered aluminum products group Alcoa, Inc. has appointed Kevin Anton Anton as chief sustainability oficer, responsible for developing a comprehensive strategy to integrate all of the company’s sustainability efforts.  PPT Vision, Bloomington, Minn.-based manufacturer of machine vision technologies for the consumer goods, electronic components, plastics, food-and-beverage, medical devices and other industrial applications, has appointed David Wick as vicepresident of sales and marketing.

OCTOBER 2010 • CANADIAN PACKAGING

Screeners

FREE! Brochures

Visit eriez.com or call 888-300-3743 FOR MORE INFORMATION CIRCLE

FOR MORE INFORMATION CIRCLE

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CHECKOUT PAUL PETHICK

MANLY PACKAGING TO PUT HAIR ON THE CHEST

No man can live by beer alone for too long, alas, but simply being a man is no excuse for not being able to enjoy a well-balanced healthy meal—despite the widespread lack of culinary skills among our species that sometimes limit our dining options to the short round-trip between the freezer and the microwave

oven. If that’s the case, than the Healthy Choice Gourmet Steamers line of 292-gram frozen entrées from ConAgra Foods Canada Inc. is an inspired and tasty option each and every time, in large part thanks to the product’s use of the innovative Unique DuoTray Steamcooker heating system that really brings the original f lavors of the frozen food and ingredients to life in a straightforward manner whereby you sou simply pop the product in the microwave for a few minutes, remove the top tray which holds the pasta, meat and veggies, mix the steamed goodies into the sauce in the bottom tray and voilà—cooking made easy! But it isn’t just the inner packaging ingenuity that makes this product a hit in this corner: the well-designed octagonal outer paperbox is also easy on the eyes and the mind, with its printed promises of iron-rich nutritional content and “no artificial f lavors.”

A man can be as cold and hard as Charles Bronson in one of his more vengeful moods, but that doesn’t mean he doesn’t have a sensitive side, which was the main motivation for a recent purchase of an eightpack of Schick Xtreme3 Sensitive disposable razors and a can of Edge Ampt Defiance shaving gel. Full credit where credit is due to the brand-owner—Walkerton, Ont.-based Energizer Canada Inc.—for managing to tweak run-of-the-mill, industry-standard packaging in some novel ways. The Xtreme3 package, for example, makes clever use of back-panel space to pack in the contents without encroaching on the stylishly designed front panel displaying the product through a clear-plastic window, along with some sharp graphics highlighting the razor’s features. Moreover, the peel-away top construction means that I no longer need to pack a blade on my

ADVERTISERS’ & ARTICLES INDEX R.S No.

For more information on Classified Advertising please contact: 416-764-1497

• Qty 2. 48” Thomas Accela Coaters 48-M-111 • Abacus Wraparound Labeler BA100/01GR • Semi-Auto S/S Auger Filler FLG-500A • Liquid Vertical Form Fill Sealer DXDG-100 • Benison L-Bar Sealer LSA-50 w/ Heat Tunnel • Matrix 337 Vertical Form Fill Sealer • Skin Packaging Machine, Model TB390 • New 48” S/S Feed and Accumulating Tables • Bartelt Horizontal Form Fill Sealer 7-14 • New & Used Net Weigh/Fillers(customizable) • Manesty Rotapress Mark II-A 61 Stn Tablet Press • Dott. Bonapace Blister Packager In-Pack

X-RAY INSPECTION SERVICE What would you do if you have or suspect Foreign Object Contamination?

RISK IT? SCRAP IT? INSPECT IT? Reclaim good product so you can ship with confidence & protect your brand reputation. CFIA approved x-ray system detects metals down to 0.8 mm. Stainless (even foil packaging) as well as glass, stone, bone, etc. Case-size also available. Onguard Product Inspection Inc. Tel: 905-631-8456 Fax 905-631-9307 info@onguardinspection.com www.onguardinspection.com

38 • WWW.CANADIANPACKAGING.COM

101 102 103 104 105 106 107 108 109 110 111 112 113 114 115 116 117 118 119 120-125

ADVERTISER’S INDEX

Page

Atlantic Packaging Prod. Ltd. 4 Berg Chilling Systems Inc. 36 Capmatic Ltd. 2 CombiScale 33 Domino Printing Solutions Inc. 31 Eriez Magnetics 37 Flexlink Systems Canada 7 Fortress Technology Inc. 35 IPL Inc. 11 Intelligrated 10 JDA Progress 7 Krones Machinery Co. Inc. 23 Langen Packaging Group 36 Markem-Imaje 6 17 Meca-Pac Inc. Multivac Inc. 9 Nordson Canada 8 Phoenix Innotech 9 Premier Tech Ltd. 37 QuickLabel Systems, An Astro-Med Product Group 13 126 Robert Reiser & Co. Inc. 15 127-132 SEW Eurodrive Co. of Canada 39 133 Salbro Bottle Inc. 7 134 Samuel Strapping Systems 29 135 Schneider Electric 35 136 StrongPoint Automation 9 137 Unisource Canada Inc. 24 138 Videojet Technologies Canada 3 139 WeighPack Systems Inc. 40

end to get at the razors, which is often the case with some of the standard hard-plastic clamshell package designs. And while the Edge Ampt gel container looks a lot like many of its competitors, the addition of a little Scratch N Sniff circle to show off the product’s scent is a stroke of consumer-friendly genius.

While I consider myself to be a lucky man to have a wife that will sometimes wear one of my shirt just to get a whiff of my ‘man scent,” wife has worn one of my shirts just to smell my “man scent,” I can’t really blame he for refusing to go anywhere near my sneakers. Most of the time, they stink to high heavens! Always the peacemaker, I recently picked up a pack of Sneaker Balls—manufactured by the Morrisville, N.C.based Implus Footcare, LLC—and I’ve been breathing a little easier in regards to any outstanding odor issues ever since. While there’s nothing truly remarkable about the packaging per se—a transparent plastic clamshell wrapped around two odorblasting balls—the sheer simplicity of such “you get exactly what you see’ sales pitch is a refreshing departure in itself, capably aided with some clever space-age graphics on the front and witty instruction on the back panel proclaiming their virtues as “the only-air fresheners with the moxie to tackle the inside of a sneaker, bag or locker—where the ugly stuff grows!” That’s music to any man’s ears. Paul Pethick is a copy editor and writer at InViVo Communications Inc., a provider of media-based healthcare services based in Toronto.

FREE

PRODUCT INFORMATION

OCTOBER 2010

CIRCLE THE R.S. NO. THAT MATCHES THE NUMBER ON THE ADVERTISEMENT OR ARTICLE OF INTEREST. FAX THIS BACK TO US AT (416) 764-1755 Name Title Company Name Address City Prov.

P/Code

Telephone Fax Email Address

ARTICLE OF INTEREST R.S NO.

CANADIAN PACKAGING • OCTOBER 2010

Photos by Paul Pethick

Maybe it’s the recent start of the 2010/11 NHL hockey season, or maybe it’s the early whispers of a sequel to Sylvester Stallone’s summer ‘blow ’em up’ blockbuster The Expendables, but it just feels like it’s a good time to be a man—an impression that seems to be strongly reinforced out in the retail world with a steady stream of new, manworthy consumer packaging reawakening our primal instincts and appetites. Every true man is entitled to growl now and then, which is exactly what I did recently when stumbling across this 1.89-liter Growler of beer from the good folks at the Mill St. Brewery in Toronto. While this heavyweight behemoth does require some interior refrigerator redesign to make room, being done in the name of beer makes it all the more worthwhile. Not only will this oversized glass stud provide a steady supply of suds to keep one covered through the Sunday football marathon on television, its welldesigned twist-off cap will keep any remaining beer fresh long into the work-week. True beer connoisseurs will rejoice at the apparent comeback of the growler container after a prolonged hiatus, with its consumer-friendly two-finger handle paying due homage to the old-school moonshine jugs that gave the North American temperance movements such fits back in the late 19th and the early 20th century.

MECHANICAL DRIVES

SEVERE DUTY CORROSION PROTECTION

the

F-SERIES SNUGGLER®

Parallel Helical Gearmotors SEW-Eurodrive’s F-Series parallel helical gearmotor lives up to its name as the ideal drive for tight space conditions. This compact drive, with its multiple mounting configurations, is a rugged alternative to right angled gearmotors.

SEW-Eurodrive has introduced a new line of aseptic gearmotors to meet the high levels of hygiene crucial to the production of food and beverages, as well as the stringent demands of the chemical and pharmaceutical industries. SEW has solved this challenge with the aseptic design of helical, parallel shaft helical, helical-bevel and helical-worm gearmotors made entirely of smooth stainless steel, cooled by pure convection cooling — eliminating conventional fan and cooling ribs, which prevents the build-up of germs and bacteria on the surface and allows for easy regular cleaning.

CORROSION PROTECTION PRODUCT RANGE Power ratings from 0.34 to 2.0 HP Can be mounted directly onto R, F, K, S-Series gear units in all standard positions FOR MORE INFORMATION CIRCLE

131

F-SERIES PRODUCT RANGE Power ratings from 0.05 to 336 HP Output speeds from 0.06 to 464 rpm (based on 4 pole motor) Output torques to 159,300 lb-in. FOR MORE INFORMATION CIRCLE

127

Energy Savings. Cost Savings. Together at Last.

K-SERIES Helical-Bevel Gearmotors SEW-Eurodrive’s K-Series right angle helicalbevel gearmotors deliver maximum performance and reliability with 95%+ efficiency and high torque density. Durable gearing designed for long service life makes this drive an ideal choice for demanding around-the-clock applications.

K-SERIES PRODUCT RANGE Power ratings from 0.05 to 615 HP Output speeds from 0.05 to 326 rpm (based on 4 pole motor) Output torques to 442,500 lb-in. FOR MORE INFORMATION CIRCLE

128

S-SERIES Helical-Worm Gearmotors SEW-Eurodrive’s S-Series right angle gearmotors offer helical-before-worm gearing combining durability with power-packed performance in a compact design that requires no motor belts or couplings.

S-SERIES PRODUCT RANGE Power ratings from 0.05 to 46 HP Output speeds from 0.05 to 257 rpm Output torques to 35,400 lb-in. FOR MORE INFORMATION CIRCLE

129

Introducing DR Series

AC MOTORS and Brakemotors SEW-Eurodrive’s squirrel-cage motors and brakemotors deliver exceptional performance and reliability combined with low maintenance. Designed for continuous duty under tough service conditions, these low-noise brakemotors are used wherever fast, safe braking is a major application requirement.

The built-in encoder is fully integrated into the motor, reducing the cost and complexity of encoder engineering as well as its footprint.

SEW-Eurodrives’s new DR Series of AC motors have been engineered from the ground up to meet motor demands of the 21st century: like high efficiency performance that complies with international standards; a compact footprint that saves space; a modular design that allows for three different brake sizes to be used with a single motor size; and a simple, integrated encoder that can be easily retrofitted. What’s more, these new motors can be integrated into SEW gearmotors, used as stand-alone motors or in decentralized control architectures. The DR Series also comes in two energy efficient options: DRE (energy-efficiency) and DRP (premium efficiency). FOR MORE INFORMATION CIRCLE

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Driving the world

AC MOTORS PRODUCT RANGE Power ratings from 0.25 to 100 HP 2-, 4-, 6-, 8-, 4/8-, 2/6-, 2/8-pole plus others Integral brakes to fit all frames FOR MORE INFORMATION CIRCLE

Toronto (905) 791-1553

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Montreal (514) 367-1124

Vancouver (604) 946-5535

www.sew-eurodrive.ca

FOR MORE INFORMATION CIRCLE

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