Packaging Europe Issue 10.6

VOLUME 10.6 – 2015

INNOVATION BEST PACKAGING INNOVATIONS OF 2015 COLLABORATION PACKAGING development THIS YEAR’S DESIGN TRENDS ACTIVE & INTELLIGENT PACKAGING Laminated with Cosmo Films’s velvet thermal lamination film

THE NEW WAVE OF CONSOLIDATION

Contents

VOLUME 10.6 – 2015

The cover of this edition has been laminated with a BOPP-based velvet film supplied by India based global group, Cosmo Films Ltd. which is a leading provider of lamination solutions & polypropylene films. The film with velvet fabric touch is one of the many premium laminating films with luxe touch that the company offers. Thermal lamination of this film is possible on all kinds of printed and non-printed paper and film is extensively used on perfume, liquor & cosmetic mono cartons; manuals; shopping bags and diaries. Various decoration printing techniques can be performed on the surface post lamination. For further info, write to enquiry@cosmofilms.com

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Editorial Tim Sykes

Comment & Reports 4 Breakthroughs HAVI: Breaking the mould in 2015 13 Markets TVK renamed Mol Petrochemicals 16 Collaboration Dow: the key to better, faster innovation 18 Collaboration II A win-win strategy for transport and logistics 26 Interview Active and intelligent packaging 30 Authentication Tackling counterfeit beverages 32 Design Trends of 2015 42 Events BrauBeviale 45 Events Plastics Recycling Europe 47 Targi Eighth International Packaging Trade Fair ‘Packaging Innovations’ in Warsaw 49 Research Neuroscience meets packaging design 52 Corporate What is driving the wave of mergers & acquisitions?

54 Flexibles Four trends driving development

8 10 12 14 22 24 25 34 36 38

Innovations of 2015 Leak detection Ishida Europe airscan Pet food Starlinger Pouches Mondi window paper Display Schelling cooler Hot Melt baumer HHS tesla Mailbags Jiffy Superlite® Digital print Jiffy Printplus® Corrugated Thimm protective Filling Tetra Pak E3 Design Smurfit Kappa shelf smart

Industry Profiles 56 Elba Winning synergies 59 Denso Next-gen handheld terminal: High performanace all-rounder 60 Datalase Behind digital doors 62 Logopak Perfect performance for pallet labelling 65 Ferag Masterly distribution intralogistics 66 Toyo & Deutsche Aerosol Light from a spray-can: Toyo & Deutsche Aerosol make it possible 69 Parkside Investing in advanced packaging innovation 72 Squid Ink Squid Ink extends its tentacles 78 United Caps New name, new strategy, same quality 82 Plastique Thermoformed Fibre & Rigid Plastic – An Outstanding Package 86 IGT Testing Systems Research in their blood 90 Corbion Purac Bio logical 94 Kodak Kodak packaging team exceeds goals at Labelexpo 2015 95 Delta Print At the forefront of carton design 102 UKRPLASTIC Specialists in flexibles 106 Treofan New high performance five layer production line 111 DS Smith Customised packaging solutions 116 Amut Group Double strength 120 RadTech A cure all 124 Airopack A breath of fresh air 128 TBMA Valves with value 132 Azmec Quality and customer service 136 Steurs Complete prepress services 139 Beiersdorf Sustainable success 146 Ishida Leaders in weighing and inspection systems 150 Albéa The beauty of great packaging 154 BM Flex Flexible packaging solutions update your investment!

158 ICR Ioannou Cylinder winner 162 Arla Foods Innovating to grow in a challenging market 167 Vicap Success encapsulated 169 Polibak Family focus on film

Advertisers Index A Aerzen Nederland Airopack Applied Materials Web Coating

K 131 127 105

B Belfast Foiling Company

100

108 153 93 6

35 5

E EasyFairs Elba Elsto Drives & Controls ESI Essentra Packaging

40 21 130 ii 31

8 171

131 135 152 108

H Hell Herti

15 43

I ICR Ioannou IFF GmbH Integrated Timber Solution Ishida Europe

161 143 101 149

J Jiffy

Macera MM Karton Moba Eurotubi MOL Petrochemicals Mondi Monomatic

157 113 23 13 174 97

O Oryx Green

PakTech Paul & Co

24, 25

Rahn Rapid Granulator Rhopoint Instruments (Hanatek) Rotoflex RPC Bramlage GmbH RPC Group Ruma Rubber BV

141

9 108

123 119 89 105 144 13 89

S SE Tylose GmbH & Co. KG Sidel Smurfit Kappa Sonoco Plastics SpanTech Europe Squid Ink Starlinger Steurs

109 100 23

T Think Laboratory Tubettificio M.Favia TVK

104 35 13

U Uni Packaging United Caps

165 81

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G GB Metaal & Kunststoffen GE.FA.S. Gevers Gruppo Nizzi

100 109 140 39 64 108

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F Fabo Firamer

Lasercomb Group Legnobotti Lindal Group Linpac Packaging Logopak Lucy Plast

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D D2 Printing Dow

99 98 51

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C CDS Equipement Celliose Coatings Corbion Purac Biochem Cosmo Films

KBA-Flexotecnica Komori-Chambon KWH Plast Schur Flexibles

STL Imballaggi Stora Enso Systech

140 17, 19 7 109 173 29, 77 10, 46 37

Valco Melton ViCAP

115 166

W Woodside Haulage

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Editor Tim Sykes

Art Editor Paul Abbott

Deputy Editor Victoria Hattersley

Designers Rob Czerwinski Leon Esterhuizen

News Editor Elisabeth Skoda Journalists Libby White Profile Writers Emma-Jane Batey Alessandra Lacaita Felicity Landon Romana Moares Barbara Rossi Piotr Sadowski Abigail Saltmarsh Marco Siebel Julia Snow Vanja Svacko Philip Yorke Art Director Gareth Harrey

Production Manager Tania Balderson Administration Amber Dawson Kayleigh Harvey Senior Account Managers Kevin Gambrill Jesse Roberts Features Managers Mauro Berini Jamie Gibson Clayton Green Matthew Howe Dominic Kurkowski

Packaging Europe

Alkmaar House, Alkmaar Way, Norwich, Norfolk, NR6 6BF, UK Telephone: +44 (0)1603 414444 Fax: +44 (0)1603 779850 Email: Editorial: editor@packagingeurope.com Studio: adcopy@packagingeurope.com Advertising: jr@packagingeurope.com kg@packagingeurope.com Website: www.packagingeurope.com Facebook: www.facebook.com/PackagingEurope Twitter: www.twitter.com/PackagingEurope

© Packaging Europe 2015 No part of this publication may be reproduced in any form for any purpose, other than short sections for the purpose of review, without prior consent of the publisher.

POSITIVE PUBLICATIONS

A Square Root Company

Tim Sykes

EDITOR

Web Development Neil Robertson

R

eaching the final edition of Packaging Europe in 2015, we take the opportunity to look back at some of the most innovative packaging developments that have defined the last year. From genuine revolutions in engineering to R&D in packaging materials and ingenuity in structural design, 2015 has been a classic year. In this edition we also explore the wider contexts driving and characterising innovation: the most exciting areas of technology, the market pushes and pulls, and new approaches to packaging development.

Jocelyne Ehret of HAVI picks out the technologies which have witnessed the biggest breakthroughs this year, including speciality fibres, micro-patterning, moulded fibre and coatings, while Sun Branding Solutions’ Gillian Garside-Wight talks us through the trends that have shaped and coloured packaging design over the last year.

Smart packaging has been the focus of some of the most exciting innovation around the packaging market in recent times. Andrew Manly of AIPIA discusses the hotspots in active and intelligent packaging, while Essentra’s Rupert Taylor surveys the problem of tackling counterfeit beverages. Meanwhile, as rigid containers continue to lose market share, Smithers Pira draws on its most recent market data to identify the four key trends which are driving the market for flexible packaging.

We’re honoured to present an article by Dr Alberto Gallace of the University of MilanoBicocca on the latest insights of neuroscience on the impact of touch on the brain and the way other senses can reinforce how we perceive a tactile surface. As science pushes back the boundaries of our knowledge of the human brain, designers can learn to make packaging stand out from the crowd better than ever before.

Taking a broader view of innovation, ‘collaboration’ has for some time been a buzzword across the industry but this year saw confirmation that it is already the founding principle of a great deal of concrete action. Javier Constante of Dow Chemical tells us what we can achieve when we work together, sharing some of the first lessons that have been learned through Dow’s bold investment in the collaborative Pack Studios project. Meanwhile, collaboration is also lighting the way to efficiencies right the way down the supply chain. Frank Verhoeven, CEO of Vos Logistics, argues that long-term partnerships between shippers and carriers can bring real sustainability gains and significantly cut costs.

Rounding off our end-of-year stock taking, we dip into the corporate world by sharing the conclusions of a new report on the global packaging industry from Capitalmind and Catalyst Corporate Finance, confirming that consolidation is back on the agenda for the European packaging industry.

Our magazine is back in January, with the first of six special editions marking the tenth birthday of Packaging Europe. We’ll be bringing you the key developments across the industry, throughout the year, tackling key topics such as sustainability, efficiency and food waste, as well as covering the essential events from drupa to K. I’m certain that watching the world of packaging in 2016 will be no less compelling than it has been this past year.

Tim Sykes ts@packagingeurope.com @PackEuropeTim Packaging Europe | 3 |

Breaking the Mould in 2015

By Jocelyne Ehret of HAVI Global Solutions.

Shark skin

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e often hear about how technology is changing our lives. From the ways in which we communicate to the tracking of our own health, there are few areas which are left untouched by innovations in technology. The packaging industry is no exception to this. At HAVI Global Solutions, we are constantly taking the pulse of the latest technological innovations that are shaping the packaging landscape. As 2015 nears to an end, we look at the key breakthroughs of the year and assess how they are likely to develop in the years to come.

Much of the research relating to the technology stems from tests conducted by scientists on shark skin. Scientists discovered micro-patterns on shark skin that prevent microbes from growing on its surface, essentially making it anti-parasitic.

The principle was then applied to the packaging sphere. As a result, we can now create food packaging which is more sustainable as it features better ‘release characteristics’. The more cleanly the food contaminants can be removed from packaging, the more easily and cost-effectively the packaging can be recycled.

Specialty fibres

Moulded fibre

Thanks to their ability to revolutionise a wide array of materials, specialty fibres are proving integral in transforming packaging technology. Whether it’s through enhancing strength, thermal stability, flexibility and crack resistance, or providing efficient thickening, the benefits of this new technology are vast.

One particular fibre which stands out is micro-fibrillated cellulose. Manufactured from waste generated from the food processing industry, often from carrots or sugar beets, the cellulose is a very efficient, highly sustainable, renewable material. According to pilot tests recently conducted, micro-fibrillated cellulose also enables the reduction of materials used, helping to drive better material performance.

To gain a more tangible sense of the benefits of the fibre, take corrugated boxes as an example. Adding micro-fibrillated cellulose to the paper used in the boxes can reduce the weight by 15-30 per cent and still maintain the material’s strength.

One additional material that is seeing rapid development is moulded fibre. Made sustainably from recycled paper, it can be found in egg cartons, beverage carriers at fast food restaurants, as well as package inserts which protect goods during shipping. UK consumption of moulded pulp products is estimated to be between 40,000 and 50,000 tonnes. The one problem with the fibre, however, is that it’s rough, unattractive, has limited spot colour printing capabilities, and offers very little aesthetic appeal.

However, new processes are now making the moulded fibre a highly desirable and appealing product by giving it a smooth surface texture which is consistent in colour, in addition to allowing full-process colour printing with increased strength and rigidity. The fibre is also becoming increasingly versatile. Thanks to the new processes, the moulded fibre can accept a more varied input, enabling flexibility for regionally available materials such as palm, cocoa and kiwi fibres, and many others.

All of these new developments offer brand owners the much-needed flexibility for design, differentiation and shelf appeal, as well the sought-after ‘sustainability factor’.

Micro-patterning Another key technology to emerge this year is micro-patterning. What began with biomimicry – essentially duplicating how nature works – is now proving to be integral in driving efficiencies within packaging. | 4 | Packaging Europe

Coatings Finally, coating technology is another area which is evolving rapidly. For example, food service cups are often made from paper that is coated with a thin barrier film of water-

Breakthroughs

resistant polymer. However, the polymer coating cannot be recycled and instead has to be separated and removed from the paper prior to re-pulping. This process is not only difficult and costly, but highly unsustainable with a waste stream of polymer.

We are trying to enhance the sustainability of coatings by changing the polymer base to an aqueous base, making them more compatible with recycling and composting systems.

Through the application of the sustainable, aqueous-based barrier coatings to paper, we can create water-resistant materials suitable for a number of applications that do not require separation before entering the recycling stream.

We’re already seeing this technology used for a wide range of goods including fresh produce, poultry and meat packaging, and grease barriers on wraps and bakery goods.

There is a strong need from brand owners for more sustainable packaging material and especially coming from renewable resources. According to Smithers PIRA, the functional and barrier coating for paper and board packaging market is expected to surpass $7 billion by 2020. Highest growth is expected in bio-chemical products and nano-based materials (though from low bases), as well as water-borne coatings. This is linked to the fact that sustainability is still a key packaging driver which creates the need for recyclable products, ideally with renewable material. Looking forward to the future, we expect this trend to continue gain momentum.

As varied as these developments are, one common theme unites them all: a commitment to increasing levels of sustainability. At the start of this year, we revealed that sustainability is regarded as the greatest challenge for companies within the packaging industry, yet is also believed to be the area of greatest opportunity. This remains very much the case.

The question is the extent to which organisations are recognising the benefits of new innovations, and how they can be built on to achieve higher sustainability levels for the future.

Jocelyne Ehret is the director of Packaging Technology Integrated Solutions at HAVI Global Solutions with responsibility for developing the packaging business and delivering strategic packaging solutions to customers in Europe.

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Ishida, AirScan The word ‘revolutionary’ is overused in the world of innovation and, as we know, advances in the world of packaging are more often incremental than the result of wild leaps of the technological imagination. AirScan by Ishida Europe, the first of the innovations of 2015 that we have singled out, is one of the exceptions.

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he new leak detector, launched at last month’s FachPack, has been developed to help food manufacturers minimise spoilage in pre-packed retail products such as fresh, cooked and cured meat, poultry, seafood, fruit, salads, vegetables, cheese and ready meals. The revolutionary credentials of Ishida AirScan reside in the technology. The system is the first to apply the capability of advanced laser technology to ‘sniff’ CO2 in order to detect subtle variations in the concentration of carbon dioxide levels in the air that occur as a result of faults in the packing process or damage to packaging materials. Using this technology, AirScan is able to identify leaks of CO2 from holes as small as 0.5mm in sealed modified atmosphere packaging (MAP) packs - at speeds of up to 180 packs per minute.

“With retailers and suppliers under pressure to minimise food waste, packaging leaks have been associated with almost 500,000 tonnes of food wasted in production each year,” explains Alan Mutch, Ishida Europe’s quality control manager.

“Compromised packaging can lead to bacterial spoilage, reduced shelf-life and a damaging rise in complaints and returns. This can result in increased cost of production, loss of brand image and reputation, and the heightened risk of retailer fines.”

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Designed to be easily integrated into existing production lines, the Ishida AirScan offers fast, 100 per cent reliable and completely non-destructive identification of leaks of C02. It is also effective in fast moving production environments so that maximum quality can be achieved without compromising on high throughput speeds and minimum packing time.

By maintaining the optimum gas fill for each pack, the leak detector provides consistent product quality, and allows production problems to be identified and rectified quickly. It also reduces the amount of packaging that has to be scrapped, while the non-destructive testing process ensures that product can be re-packed.

“Initiatives such as the Courtauld Commitment, aimed at reducing the environmental impact of the grocery sector, along with high profile food recalls, mean that suppliers and retailers are giving increasing priority to driving out waste, reducing risk and optimising performance,” points out Alan Mutch.

“Investment in quality control equipment delivers quick commercial returns, not only by ensuring a high quality product leaves the factory gate, but also in providing retailers with the added reassurance that they are sourcing from responsible suppliers that can deliver high levels of customer satisfaction.”

Visit: www.ishidaeurope.com/AirScan

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The freely customizable Easy-Open strip is applied in-line at full production speed.

A cutting-edge packaging solution for dry pet food The Austrian engineering company Starlinger provides the complete line of production equipment and process technology for packaging made of polypropylene and polyester tape fabric. A sack concept developed by Starlinger that is highly suited for pet food packaging is the PP*STARÂŽ pinch bottom bag.

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Only the best Animal lovers want the best for their pets. They opt for high-quality nutrition and pet care products to keep their furry, feathered or scaly friends happy and healthy. A safe and protective packaging solution is required to ensure that the food, nutritional supplements or litter are not spoilt or infested by insects. PP*STAR® bags keeps the packaged content safe during transport and storing, and makes it look good on the supermarket shelf.

Pinch bottom with a special touch PP*STAR® bags are exceptionally lightweight pinch bottom bags made of tape fabric laminated with reverse printed BOPP film. The BOPP-fabric composite is the perfect basis for high-strength, lightweight packaging that is also tear-resistant and appealing to the eye. Being made entirely of polypropylene, it is hygienic and 100% recyclable.

The PP*STAR® concept represents a step change innovation for dry pet food packaging and other applications – it combines the advantages of pinch bottom bags and polypropylene tape fabric. In many ways PP*STAR® is the ideal packaging solution for dry pet food: The bags are sift-proof, strong and durable, and offer excellent shelf display and visual appeal. Different opening features such as the easy-open feature make it very easy and comfortable for users/consumers to unpack the content of a PP*STAR® bag.

with a yearly production capacity of 31 million bags/machine. The specialised pinch bottomer converts flat fabric to open-mouth pinch bottom bags with side gussets and a stepped cut. The pinch bottom is closed in-line with special glue, while on the pinch top reactive glue is pre-applied. This allows fast and clean sealing during the filling process.

The heat sealing guarantees reliable closure against external agents. If desired, the application of the easy-open strip is integrated in the production process without requiring additional production steps.

Attractive packaging for high-quality bulk goods The PP*STAR® bag concept has been developed with sensitive goods – as typically sold through retail – in mind. In addition to being the ideal packaging for the growing pet food market, it also meets the requirements of other products, for example fertiliser, seeds, flour, sugar and rice.

The Company

Fully automated production

Starlinger & Co. GmbH is a market-leading provider of machinery and process technology for woven polypropylene packaging production and plastics recycling and refinement. Founded in 1835, Starlinger has over 45 years of global market experience in woven plastic packaging, supplies machinery to customers in more than 130 countries and maintains branch offices in Brasil, China, India, Indonesia, Russia, South Africa, USA and Uzbekistan.

PP*STAR® bags are produced by Starlinger customers on the pp*starKON conversion line – the world’s first fully automated conversion line for poly-woven pinch bottom bags

PP*STAR® is a registered trademark and produced exclusively on Starlinger machines.

Further information: Stéphane Soudais General Manager Division Consumer bags Starlinger & Co. Ges.m.b.H. Sonnenuhrgasse 4 1060 Vienna, Austria

T: +43 1 59955-0 F: +43 1 59955-180 E: ppstar@starlinger.com W: www.starlinger.com

Starlinger PP*STAR® bags offer excellent content protection, an attractive look, raw material savings and recyclability.

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In 2015 we have seen continuing migration of products from rigid to flexible packaging, and consequently quite a frenzy of packaging development and innovation in the area of pouches. Much of the focus has been on delivering improved functionality, for instance in reclosability and zips. Machinery producers have tweaked their product offerings to meet the demands of new types of contents - for instance, HDG Packaging this year released an entirely salt-water resistant FFS machine tailored to filling pouches with products in brine. Meanwhile, Bosch and Amcor teamed up to bring high-speed zip-closure filling to the market, in the form of Bosch’s SVE 2520DZ vertical Doy Zip bag machine and ZipSpeed material optimised for this equipment.

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mid the impressive growth of the flexible plastic packaging market, one can overlook the fact that these are also interesting times for paper-based flexible packaging. In this context, recent examples of R&D on the part of Mondi deserve a mention.

First in our spotlight is a new window paper packaging concept produced by Mondi San Pietro in Italy. Mondi’s novel solution has a natural touch and feel that resonates with consumer demand for eco-friendly packaging. Its transparent window can be adjusted in shape and design according to customer needs. The paper packaging is laminated with a plastic film, which offers excellent barrier properties and enhances the resistance of the final packaging. “During lamination the customised window is lasered into the packaging”, Thomas Gröner, head of Innovation, Mondi Consumer Goods Packaging, explained. He continued, “the shape and design of the window can be adjusted and modified exactly the way our customers envision it, to make the product inside the packaging visible to end-consumers.”

The window paper packaging is available as reel material for FFS applications, premade stand-up pouches or paper-based bags, such as SOS or pinch bottom bags. Thanks to the use of barrier laminates for instance for food products, the final packaging protects the contents ideally while accentuating the freshness and quality of the product. The attractive appearance and natural haptics of the window paper packaging offer great differentiation and enhance brand awareness at the point of sale.

A second Mondi innovation that has caught the eye this year is the new alufree BarrierFilm, devised for foods such as dried soups or herbs, which are stored for a period of time before use and therefore require strong barrier properties. The alufree BarrierFilm meets this requirement while, for the first time eliminating the need for aluminium foils.

The elimination of aluminium, it is reported, has a significant effect on environmental

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performance. One customer has reported that thanks to switching to this high-barrier liner for their convenience food packaging, it has been able to reduce the carbon footprint by as much as 25 per cent.

Aside from sustainability, it also offers other advantages. Because alufree BarrierFilm contains no metal of any kind, it is now possible to use a metal detector along the supply chain without losing any of the required functions.

“We are both proud and inspired by the recognition that comes with winning not only one but in total three awards with our non-foil high-barrier liner: the PPI Award, the DuPont Award and the WorldStar Award! It is a true testament to the innovative spirit, persistence and excellence in development that was required to deliver this great packaging breakthrough,” remarked Jussi Vanhanen, CEO Mondi Fibre Packaging.

By introducing a special sealing polymer that helps reduce the sealing temperature and subsequently lowers energy consumption, the sustainable approach has been further enhanced. In addition, the lower sealing temperature leads to higher efficiency on the filling lines. BarrierFilm also resolves another issue that aluminium laminates can cause: as it does not have a memory effect, it is not as sensitive to kink folds. The packaging stays scatheless and safe, emphasising the attractive visual appearance of the product and brand even more.

The alufree BarrierFilm is available for a wide array of applications, including dehydrated food stuffs as well as products such as instant coffee that require an outstanding oxygen barrier.

Visit: www.packagingeurope.com/News/65158 and www.packagingeurope.com/News/64556

TVK renamed

MOL Petrochemicals Changes implemented on 1 August are the culmination of a process spanning 15 years, and herald the start of a new chapter for the company.

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he integration of petrochemicals into MOL Hungary’s processing and commercial division serves to extend the parent company’s value chain ‘from petroleum to plastics’. A complex integration process was begun, not only to make petrochemicals processing more efficient and productive, but also to make every aspect of MOL Hungary’s activities more internationally competitive.

MOL’s decision to spend a significant portion of its HUF 100 billion Hungarian investment budget on this project underscores the division’s strategic role.

“As a result of investments currently in progress or in the pipeline, Tiszaújváros will continue to be regarded as a significant chemical industry hub in Europe. These changes will enable us to work within a more simple, efficient and transparent organisational structure,” said CEO Zsolt Huff of the transformation.

In Tiszaújváros, a butadiene plant with a capacity of 130,000 tonnes and value of HUF 35 billion has begun operation. This will allow decisions on new products to be made, and will provide more projects and jobs in the region. The change

in company name is also a step towards MOL establishing a unified company name and umbrella brand on an international scale, with a view to taking its petrochemical products successfully to market.

Visit: www.mol.hu

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Point of sale is traditionally an arena in which packaging has licence to show off. One of this year’s most eye-catching constructions was Panther’s ‘Big Ben’ clock tower display for the traditional British confectionery brand After Eight.

The five-colour offset printed display can accommodate two ¼-pallets to be positioned back to back. With a view to particularly strong confectionery sales figures during holidays and celebrations such as Christmas, Valentine’s Day, Easter or Mother’s Day, Nestlé focuses on POS displays based on famous buildings in London.

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ith the brand After Eight it is important to display the English way of life at the Point of Sale. London is a modern city which is trendy and attractive to all age groups, and offers a perfect combination between tradition and modern life,” explains Ute Hauptmeier, Senior Brand Manager Boxed Chocolate at Nestlé Kaffee & Schokoladen GmbH. The original sight now has an obliquity of 0.26° and thus an overhang of 46 cm.

Notwithstanding this, the display by Panther is straight and can be seen from a distance thanks to its height. The tower is open at the front and back, allowing access to the chocolate specialties from two sides.

While Panther’s Big Ben is a very impressive example, this year we have been even more interested in display packaging which explores innovations in functionality. For instance, Thimm brought out a ‘corrugated refrigerator’ – a POS solution with integrated cooling especially developed for special promotional and crossselling activities. ‘Thimm flexDisplay fresh’ is suitable for all products that must remain refrigerated throughout the whole supply chain. It is ideal for conveying advertising messages that directly address the customer as it offers a lot surface for attention-grabbing brand communication and is also easily recognisable in retail outlets.

Thimm’s flexDisplay fresh can be delivered as a flat-pack made of only a few individual elements that are easily assembled into a stable presentation display. There is a cooling device, device cover, display body, header and up to four trays for goods. The modular design enables individual elements to be exchanged easily so that the display can be adapted flexibly to changing product ranges. The flat display elements that can be folded away save space for inventory management and logistics.

The goods trays can be inserted both straight and diagonally into the display and they are also height-adjustable. This enables the products to be visible at the ideal height at all times and to be presented attractively. The cooling device can be regulated to between four and seven degrees Celsius. It is therefore well-suited to such refrigerated products as dairy, sausage, meat, fish, drinks, pastries or salads. A roller frame with four rollers, of which two

| 14 | Packaging Europe

can be made immobile, ensures the necessary flexibility for the display. This means it can be positioned quickly and easily at any location in the shop. Thanks to its slim design, it is ideally suited to sales promotion activities on free spaces or near the checkout. It simply requires a normal electrical socket. Moreover, for even more effective presentation of products, lights can be provided using modern LED rails.

The display can also be extended by adding extra shelves and flyer pockets.

However, it is another cooling solution which impressed us most this year.

Schelling’s ‘Cool Can Dispenser’ brings something new to the format by offering a crossover format between a POS solution and a dispensing bulk container for consumers. The Cool Can Dispenser is a satisfyingly simple concept: a carton filled with beverage cans, containing a compartment for a cooling unit and a circular hole on the side for easy access to the drinks. Conceived for contexts such as picnics and barbeques, the Cool Can Dispenser is equally at home in retail settings where refrigeration near the till is not available, such as pop-up shops, outdoor retail, and small businesses not specialising in beverages.

Visit: www.packagingeurope.com/ News/64381

Packaging Europe | 15 |

The Power of Collaboration Collaboration across the supply chain has emerged as a key trend in packaging development. Dow Chemical, which has a long tradition of cooperatively helping customers drive innovation for their packaging solutions, has made a bold move in this space by setting up Pack Studios, an international network of experts, equipment and testing facilities created to enhance the collaborative development of better packaging. Pack Studios brings its broad network of value chain partners – including equipment manufacturers, converters, brand owners, packaging designers, prototyping specialists, academia, technicians and scientists - together and puts their expertise to work , resulting in faster commercialisation of new, improved and more sustainable packaging. Having visited Pack Studios in Horgen, Switzerland, earlier this year, Packaging Europe invited Javier Constante (commercial vice president EMEAI for Packaging and Specialty Plastics, Dow Chemical and vice president of Plastics Europe) to share his insights on what we can achieve when we work together.

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ollaboration could be seen as the buzz word of the moment – the zeitgeist of our times.

Most corporations admit that there is value in bringing people together and giving space to even the smallest contributor to have a ‘voice’ at the table.

However, while we all may agree that collaboration is a good thing, it’s still something that many companies resist doing. Privacy, confidentiality, copywriting, patenting – we are somehow hardwired to keep all the best ideas for ourselves. These fears are well founded.

Perhaps we don’t want our good ideas stolen, perhaps we don’t want to generate extra

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work by getting others involved. Maybe we will use up our most creative processes by helping others or maybe collaborating won’t help ultimately and we will have wasted time, budget and energy.

And it’s true, all these things may happen. But my belief is that they should not halt the process of getting together and adding many voices to the conversation. I personally believe very strongly in the power of collaboration, even when it feels uncomfortable. I think three very important things happen when we come together.

Collaboration

The first point is that no organisation, no matter how big, works as a silo - a singular, independent organism. We require suppliers, customers, clients and partners to function.

In the same way, no successful project works completely in isolation. Great projects, great solutions come from teamwork – and adding to your team with outside parties, who have differences in values and opinion, skills and qualities, will only make a good project much, much better.

Alternative perspectives As a people leader I understand only too well that I need to surround myself with people who can do the things I cannot. In the same way, every successful project requires a breadth of talent as well as understanding and perspective, to make it strong. The added bonus of working together, is that it demonstrates how much you value the creativity and input of the other parties. Collaboration demonstrates very clearly how much we need each other in order to drive forward.

Secondly collaboration helps us to see the unseeable and define our blind areas. This is hugely important, as every organisation has its own way of doing things, and can be very rigid and inflexible about the way things have always been done. Working with people who have other viewpoints, brings fresh ideas and processes to the table. And this enables us see clearly what is important and what needs to stay, and what does not. Even though collaborating with other parties may feel initially cumbersome and difficult, it actually removes obstacles, and goals become clearer. It actually deepens our responsibility and accountability to make things happen.

Bringing in fresh perspective also has the added benefit of teaching us more about the subject or issue we are working on. I don’t need to stress the importance of learning in our everyday work, even when we consider ourselves experts. In my business, we work closely with many different partners throughout the value chain, and what seems vitally important for the raw material producer may not be so important to the retailer or the brand owner and vice versa. It is important to hear different perspectives for us all to keep learning and benefit.

Becoming advocates Finally but equally importantly, collaboration increases others’ participation in our aims and objectives. When we are inclusive of other companies and groups they can understand our goals, our strengths and our weaknesses. They become advocates for our team and our company and we become an advocate for them. This is particularly important when we are working with associations and societies and those parties who are not in our business. Collaborating with others helps us to add positive influence and voices to our cause.

We work in an industry that is aware of some of the difficulties associated with packaging and this is something our industry continues to address. Even though plastic packaging plays an essential part in decreasing food waste and making sure our food gets to our tables, fresh and well protected, as an industry we must all be involved in what we can do with packaging, when it is no longer in use.

This is where collaboration has to play a part. We must continue to strengthen our relationships, with trade associations and legislators, infrastructure providers, recycling and waste management companies, universities, institutes and all members of the packaging value chain in order to solve the challenges and work towards the best solutions.

Of course there are boundaries that need to be respected. Trust is important – we have to be able to open ourselves up so that opinions can be aired and heard and ultimately respected. That is not to say that everyone working together has to be in total agreement all of the time. Actually, I would argue that a degree of conflict or opposition is incredibly important in order to get to the best resolution. Everyone nodding around the table in unison is never going to create the best solution or bring out the best in a team. But opposition that is respectful, disagreement which is able to be verbalised in a trusting environment is essential. This is the power of collaboration, building on what is already positive, and making it truly excellent.

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A Win-Win Strategy for International Transport and Logistics Collaboration is not only making wins in packaging development, but lighting the way to efficiencies right the way down the supply chain. Frank Verhoeven, CEO of Vos Logistics, argues here that long-term partnerships between shippers and carriers can bring real sustainability gains and significantly cut costs.

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Collaboration

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very company using transport & logistics services wants to drive down its costs, and tenders are typically the key tool used to do this. But a narrow focus on tendering brings only short-term gains.

The road less travelled is to opt for a collaborative approach aimed at fostering longterm, collaborative relationships. These open up opportunities to achieve huge benefits both to the planet and the bottom line.

When products and services are seen merely as commodities, ‘getting the best deal’ is just another way of saying that one has paid the lowest price. Consumers as well as businesses are mainly driven by price, and when goods or services truly are commodities, this makes sense. Why pay more for something that’s no different from a cheaper alternative?

The truth of this can be clearly seen in transport and logistics services. For straightforward demands, a simple tender process may be the most appropriate way of agreeing a contract – and tenders are also an important way of testing market conditions. While price is key to such tendering, switching costs also have to be taken into account. This is one reason why the relationship between shipper and logistics service provider is continued in more than 60 per cent of tender processes, as research by ABN AMRO Bank has shown.

But there is another kind of price to be paid for relationships exclusively based on cost – and one that is not recognised often enough. In the transport and logistics sector, requirements on providers tend to be sophisticated and call for a tailored approach to achieve the best results. What’s more, many shippers are keen not only to cut costs but also to reduce their environmental footprint. To achieve these goals, collaboration and partnerships are the way to go.

Real collaboration can be a game-changer Take Michelin, for example, a Vos Logistics client. Hubert Franck, the Michelin manager responsible for sourcing European logistics services, was looking for a way to reduce the company’s costs per tonne moved. But he was looking for more than this, as he explains: “I wanted a durable relationship with partners, whatever the market is like.

Usually when the market is slow, it isn’t difficult to find a transport company. Basically, they’re crying out for work. But when the market goes up, these companies want to renegotiate. A longer-term commitment to work together can change the game for the better for all involved.”

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Collaboration

Having identified the need for a collaborative approach with service providers to meet his company’s logistics demands, Franck worked closely with Vos Logistics and several other operators to arrive at precisely the right relationship model. In doing so, he opened up new opportunities to increase efficiency – by avoiding empty kilometres and waiting time for drivers, for example, and by designing smart loops instead of point-to-point deliveries.

Durable relationships need commitment on both sides The high-value needs of big companies like Michelin can only be met by a select group of operators. Scale is obviously important, but quality of materials, environmental standards and the flexibility that allows for building a relationship are also key. A durable commitment can only be assured through adequate investment capacity and continuous progress in operational quality.

This sort of relationship also asks a lot from the shipper, not least because it involves a closer link between transport and logistics services and the value cycle of the shipper’s company. To avoid loss of time for the transporter, the in-house logistics service has to be connected flawlessly. And when European loops cover countries from France to Spain, Poland and Hungary (as is the case with Michelin) planning and execution depend on close attention to detail on both sides. To ensure this, top management commitment is crucial, both in the contracting and the operational phase.

Getting operational performance up to speed is demanding – success means that the process will run like a finely tuned but complex machine. But the sort of long-term relationships that make this possible, built on trust and two-dimensional commitment, also lead to better understanding of mutual needs, more dedicated staff (e.g. by allocating teams of drivers who know their clients) and fewer incidents and accidents.

The potential gains to be made from reducing empty kilometres through cooperation are very significant, in both financial and ecological terms. At present, no less than 30 per cent of the Europe’s truck capacity in Europe currently drives empty.

But there are other kinds of optimisation that are best achieved through a collaborative approach. The use of eco-combi trucks, as are already operating successfully in Scandinavia and the Netherlands, is a potential enabler for further efficiency in international transport, for instance, while the potential of multimodal transport (rail and ferries) in Europe offers plenty of room for further development. Developing these concepts and convincing national and European governments of their relevance calls for a mutual approach that takes a long-term view of the relationship between shippers and logistics service providers. | 20 | Packaging Europe

Partnering works for both planet and profit We are all increasingly aware of the need to transition to a low-carbon economy, and for a growing group of companies this is – quite rightly – an increasingly important objective. But in the transport and logistics sector this transition can only be achieved through partnerships that take a long-term view.

A good example is switching to liquefied natural gas (LNG), which is 20-30 per cent cheaper than diesel and much cleaner, thus offering big financial as well as ecological gains.

But running routes on LNG not only requires the trucks but also the fuel station infrastructure. At Vos Logistics, we are working with several companies in consortia that take a joint approach to expanding the European LNG network. In financial terms, the overall cost can be lower due to a lower variable component (fuel), despite higher fixed truck costs. But the bigger picture is that partnering in this way to realise a shared ambition should usher in cleaner, cheaper and quieter transport. And this is only the first step towards truly carbon-neutral transport – in the longer term, as replacing LNG by biogas (LBG) is only a small step away.

Partnerships are also likely to prove vital if we are to reap the benefits of other technological innovations that will define the future of the transport and logistics sector. Connected trucks are a first step towards driverless trucks, which are currently being tested by a range of manufacturers. It remains to be seen how quickly regulators will adapt to such new technologies, but I have no doubt that they will be most successfully integrated when the demand and supply sides in our sector are able to build on the experience of a collaborative partnership approach.

Collaborating for a cleaner and more prosperous future It is worth stressing that tendering will still have an important role to play. Hubert Franck of Michelin was very clear about this when he opted for a collaborative model. As he puts it: “This way of working does not replace tenders, which in some cases deliver just the kind of solutions I need. It is the combination of instruments that helps me make the most of my portfolio of activities.”

But I believe that the potential cost savings to be gained from the kind of collaborative initiatives I have outlined will add up to a double-digit percentage – a gain of a scale that cannot be expected to be captured sustainably by conventional tenders.

Success in transport and logistics will depend crucially on remaining proactive and riding new waves of innovation. Working in partnership is a precondition to doing so effectively. This means taking a differentiated approach to sourcing, and embracing collaborative loops alongside straightforward tendering. Working together in this way, shippers and carriers will build the foundations for the kind of partnerships that can propel the transport business into the future.

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Baumer hhs, ‘tesla’ hot melt application head

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The tesla family of glue application heads is a groundbreaking technology from Baumer hhs which sets new standards on the hot melt market in terms of reliability, productivity, user-friendliness and economic efficiency. At FachPack this autumn the company launched the tesla hot melt application head for connection to Baumer hhs controllers, as well as 24 V hot melt application heads for PLC operation under the names tesla red and tesla blue, for standard packaging applications.

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he common feature of all these hot melt application heads is the high-performance electromagnetic module, a completely new development that opens the door to hitherto unknown dimensions in performance. Robust, durable and environmentally friendly electromagnetic heads can now be used for many applications that could previously only be realised using delicate, electropneumatically operated heads. The new hot melt application heads also set new standards in safety. tesla is the name of the high-speed application head from the new product family. It is operated via a controller from Baumer hhs and can process high viscosities at an adhesive pressure of up to 80 bar. The wider viscosity and pressure range makes it possible to use electromagnetic hot melt application heads even in segments that were previously reserved for electropneumatic heads. The maximum frequency of up to 600 Hz offers plenty of room for increasing productivity and for saving adhesive by applying dots instead of lines.

“When developing the tesla family of application heads, our experts specifically focused on pushing back the previous boundaries in hot melt application on packagings and other products,” remarked Baumer hhs MD Detlef Engling. “Ultimately, the hot melt solutions of our new tesla family enable end-of-line packers and packaging producers to achieve a new level of performance on their production lines in almost every respect – and that at a favourable cost. In turn, the manufacturers of machines for packing and packaging processes particularly benefit from the high reliability and productivity of our new tesla solutions. They can now offer their customers even more efficient machines than ever.”

In the form of the tesla blue, the new family of application heads from Baumer hhs includes a 24 V head that can be used to replace existing hot melt application heads by the Plug & Play principle. It takes next to no time to replace the previously used electropneumatic application heads with the new hot melt application head, which is compatible with most of the plug-and-socket connectors available on the market. Since the tesla blue – and equally the tesla red – can moreover be operated by any PLC, no further modifications are necessary on the existing production equipment once the application heads have been replaced. This means end-of-line packers and packaging producers can switch their hot melt application to the latest technology with a minimum of installation effort and investment.

The service life of the tesla heads is up to ten times longer, due to the fact that, in contrast to electropneumatic application heads, these electromagnetic hot melt application heads do not need any dynamic seals, which are usually subject to severe wear.

Moreover, the higher wear resistance of the tesla application heads means they have to be replaced less often, resulting in less downtime. Another factor is the high energy efficiency of the new heads. Unlike electropneumatic hot melt application heads, the tesla heads do not need a compressed-air supply with its high energy consumption. Nor do they need compressed-air lines anymore, where compressed-air losses were so far almost inevitable.

The tesla hot melt application heads also make advances with their low noise levels.

Noise emissions of 65 dB(A) means that they operate 30 dB(A) more quietly than electro| 22 | Packaging Europe

pneumatic hot melt application heads and well below the new regulatory limit of 75 - 85 dB(A). A further important feature of all tesla heads is the innovative, integrated overtemperature switch. It is the first to meet the requirement for hot melt systems for packaging machines according to the latest safety standard DIN EN 415-10:2014, harmonised according to Machinery Directive 2006/42/EC. In the event of a fault, this technology interrupts the power supply if the temperature rises beyond the maximum permissible value.

Last but not least, the new hot melt application heads give end-of-line packers and packaging producers greater flexibility regarding the adhesives that can be used. Thanks to the high pressure of up to 80 bar, the tesla can even reliably process relatively highviscosity adhesives at very high speed.

Visit: www.packagingeurope.com/News/65174

Innovation 2015

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Interview: Active and Intelligent Packaging Smart packaging has been the focus of some of the most exciting innovation around the packaging market in recent times.

As the industry looks ahead to its premier annual event, the AIPIA World Congress, the most active and intelligent Andrew Manly (AIPIA communications director) discusses the hotspots of technological advance.

TS AM

What are the most important drivers of intelligent packaging in terms of market requirements?

Well, first of all we think of it as active and intelligent packaging (A&IP) as these perform different functions, although often in tandem. The major drivers are reducing food waste/extending shelf life/food security; anti-counterfeiting; and traceability in the supply chain. However, of course, it’s never that simple!

You can add consumer engagement and interaction; theft reduction; and inventory management to that list. Certainly many of the brand owners we talk to are as interested in the marketing and consumer engagement categories as anything else.

TS AM

Broadly speaking, what do you consider the most interesting areas of R&D at the moment in terms of opening up new possibilities?

There is really so much going on in almost every category it is difficult to single out any one. This year has seen a lot of developments as more and more A&IP products are getting into, or near to, commercial implementation. I suppose the area attracting a lot of interest just now is printed electronics. The produc-

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tion costs and speed are now coming down as new processes and inks are coming onto the market thanks to continued research and development.

Meanwhile, the roll out of RFID tagging in the apparel sector is also gathering pace.

I think this is due to the development of better and more reliable tags from a number of major suppliers such as NXP and Avery Dennison. In addition, there seems to be more going on in condition monitoring for food. But we are waiting for a breakthrough application to reach the market. A particularly nice product was launched in the last year. Bump Mark uses gelatine, set over a bumpy plastic label, to accurately identify the condition of, say, the meat inside the pack. Gelatine is protein, so it decays at the same rate as protein-based foods. It’s simple but highly effective – the inventors from Brunel University are looking for commercial partners.

In short there are many, many projects going on around the academic world, as well as in the business sector. And it seems more are in the pipeline every month.

TS

More specifically, are there any particular innovations and intelligent packaging solutions from the last year or so that have caught your eye? Are there any interesting recent applications you could mention?

Smart Packaging

AM

One or two major projects are underway, for example the Thinfilm Electronics and G World collaboration with winemakers Ferngrove in Australia. They will use Thinfilm’s OpenSense PE tag and G World’s Samscan process to authenticate that the wine is genuine. But it can also communicate information to the consumer via their smarthphone.

Recently Palladio Group, a pharmaceutical packaging company, and E Ink® Holdings, which develops electronic ink technology, launched a really clever new pack called PhutureMed. This incorporates features to monitor the quality of medicines shipped to patients and improve the adherence of patients to take their meds properly. It has an integrated E Ink display and sensors which constantly monitor the ambient conditions of the medication.

The display also shows the patient or customer any events that occur outside the required handling conditions, even if the batteries are completely drained. AIPIA sees a great future for such packs in the pharma sector, especially if they undertake more than one function.

TS AM

How quickly are printed electronics penetrating the packaging market?

We think this is the area seeing most investment and, because it has multifunctional capabilities, is attracting the most attention from brand owners and retailers. As l said earlier, the marketing aspects seem to be generating a lot of buzz as companies look to differentiate their products in a highly competitive environment - especially as consumers like using their smartphones ‘in store’.

In addition, the omni-channel sales environment, where more and more sales are online, needs new methods of tracking stock, to ensure the right product (size, colour, quantity) is in the right place at the right time. Retailers have identified how many sales they lose from goods being out of stock and how much better it can manage that with RFID

TS AM

Looking into the future, in which markets do you anticipate intelligent packaging developing and playing a bigger role?

The usual suspects - food, beverage, pharma and cosmetics - are top of the list.

They all have distinct issues which can find solutions in A&IP. The imperatives for cosmetics and beverages, particularly wines and spirits, are anticounterfeiting measures and brand protection. No one wants one of their bottles to be filled with a dangerous substance which could kill or injure a consumer. That could have far more impact than the loss of sales. But in Asia counterfeiting is on an industrial scale and if Brand Owners want to fight it they need the solutions A&IP offer.

For food products the whole area of food waste and its reduction are national, even global, issues. Look at the recent French legislation. It is clear ‘Best Before’ and ‘Use By’ labels are no longer fit for purpose and if the food industry and retailers fail to do something it might end up in the hands of the legislators. Do they want that?

Additionally, better supply chain management can solve a lot of problems and help in extending shelf life.

For pharmaceuticals the current top priority is traceability but reports indicate many are not nearly ready. Simple solutions from A&IP are available. These can also address the other major problems for the sector of counterfeiting (it is the largest product group for fakes) and patient compliance. So many drugs are wasted - up to 40 per cent in USA, it is claimed. So if A&IP offers a one stop shop for solving these problems, why not go there?

On a personal note l also like the idea of being able to access product information, such as contents and instructions in your own language via a QR code for example. We saw a really neat product recently from a US company, Complete Inspection Systems, which offers embedded security features as well as multi-language information from a QR code, without even the necessity of WiFi connection. Now that is smart!

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Smart Packaging

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Visit: www.aipia.info

What are the current roadblocks to adoption of intelligent packaging solutions, and how do you envisage the industry overcoming them?

Cost is always a factor and some companies supplying A&IP products are shy of, or not ready for mass production yet. But there are plenty who are. Also we are anxious not to make claims that cannot be met. This has held back RFID adoption as too many did not function properly outside ‘standard’ conditions.

There are certain brand owners ‘leading the charge’. For example, Heineken has used several A&IP products for marketing and promotion. But not, as yet, mass market stuff.

That is the case with many major brands. As more of them become confident of A&IP’s capabilities then we will see more and more products using it.

We gave A&IP a two- to five-year timeline to reach critical mass. We see no reason to change that view at just over half way. Of course, some sectors and products are going faster, others slower. But it’s all forward momentum. Like most things, you just keep working at it.

To what extent do you think tomorrow’s opportunities for intelligent packaging might come from creatively linking up existing ideas and technologies, aside from completely new inventions (e.g. harnessing the properties of smart packaging materials together with big data or digital print)?

AM

Yes, we see 3D and digital technologies as complimentary to A&IP, as just one example. And naturally the worlds of big data and the Internet of Things are tailormade for this sort of packaging and many companies, such as EVRYTHNG are already heavily involved with us.

Smart materials already play a big part in the A&IP sector. But there are pushes and pulls in materials development. What is more important just now? Development of bio based plastics? PET bottles made from plants? Transparent aluminium foil? I can wax lyrical about film made from sugar cane or shrimp shells or utilising nano technology. But perhaps that needs to be the subject of another big interview… | 28 | Packaging Europe

What is the role of AIPIA in this growing segment? Could you tell me about your recent and forthcoming activities?

AIPIA was founded in 2012 and set out to become the ‘hub’ for information about A&IP and companies developing, researching, using or wanting to use these technologies. Our aim is to speed up implementation across all sectors and help exchange information and ideas and act as a key networking forum.

Currently we have 680 members worldwide and our annual Congress has established itself as a ‘must go’ event if you want to learn about the latest products and trends in A&IP. It is the only meeting which brings together all sides of the sector so it has a unique take on how things are working out in the marketplace. These events tend to be the industry talking to itself. We have broken that pattern and the next Congress, in Utrecht, Holland (18-19 November) features Unilever, SAB Miller and Nestle as speakers. They want to tell us about their vision for A&IP and how it can benefit them. With over 30 expert speakers we are sure there is something for everybody involved with or interested in A&IP.

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Authentication

Tackling Counterfeit Beverages

By Rupert Taylor, global category manager, Household, Food & Drink at Essentra.

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he UK’s Department for Business, Innovation & Skills recently revealed that nearly 2500 litres of fake wine and spirits were seized as part of a pre-Christmas enforcement campaign by the UK Trading Standards, coordinated by the Intellectual Property Office. The campaign was part of an INTERPOL – Europol coordinated operation conducted during December 2014 and January 2015. On a European scale, the campaign recovered nearly 275,000 litres of counterfeit and illicit drinks.

The campaign illustrates not only the volume of counterfeiting in the alcohol industry, but also highlights the challenges the sector faces. For example, in the UK a plant making fake brand-name vodka was raided, and the raw material for the counterfeit product was found to be antifreeze. Elsewhere, police found shops selling fake beer in genuine bottles that had been previously collected and re-filled.

Regulatory bodies involved in anti-counterfeiting strategies commonly agree that the financial loss runs into the billions on an annual basis. HMRC predicts that each year alcohol duty fraud results in losses of up to £1.2bn to the UK taxpayer (£700m of which is represented by beer). This threat, however, extends far beyond corporate or governmental financial loss.

The risk to public health and safety posed by the proliferation of counterfeit beverages is significant. Contents of such beverages can often be substituted with Isopropyl alcohol (IPA) which is normally used in cleaning materials and can cause extreme drunkenness. Another substitute, methanol, is also very dangerous (100ml-200ml equals five or six shots of normal alcohol) and can have potentially fatal consequences.

International criminal gangs are helping to supply the consumer demand for cheap drink. The fight against counterfeiting therefore requires constantly evolving risk-mitigation strategies. The most effective strategies will include collaboration between law enforcement, central and local government departments, and the alcohol brands being targeted.

From the brand-owner’s perspective, packaging is a key element to improve security. From a primary packaging standpoint, brands can add non-refillable valves for high risk markets, eliminating the ability of counterfeiters to refill empty, original bottles with counterfeit product. In addition, brands can also incorporate tamper evident mechanisms on both primary and secondary packaging.

All of these efforts work to support brand equity by proactively protecting products before they are copied and sold to customers. Over time, customer awareness of a brand owner’s investment in anti-counterfeiting measures is likely to increase their loyalty to their preferred product as it will provide peace of mind that it is genuine.

Essentra, a global supplier of cartons, labels, leaflets, and security and authentication products, supports a multi-layered approach to brand protection. It works with its international customer base to develop and deliver brand protection and authentication solutions for their specific needs. The most enhanced protection uses multiple authentication technologies – layering overt, covert and forensic solutions – to provide the ultimate deterrent.

Overt technologies enable instant authentication through visual inspection, and most commonly feature holographic devices and colour-shift inks. Covert solutions, on the other hand, such as microtext and microscopic tagging, are difficult to detect without | 30 | Packaging Europe

specialist equipment, and rely upon technologies such as IR or UV-invisible inks. Forensic features, which include molecular markers and biological tracers, offer a further layer of authentication and can only be identified using laboratory equipment.

Ultimately, criminals will always try to find an opportunity to produce illicit products and leverage a product’s reputation for their own personal gain. To prepare for these risks and minimise the possibility of fake goods making their way into the legitimate supply chain, brand owners need to take a proactive approach to security and authentication.

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Design in 2015 Gillian Garside-Wight, packaging technology director at Sun Branding Solutions, talks us through the trends that have characterised, shaped and coloured packaging design over the last year.

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2014 was the year of convenience, then 2015 will be seen as the year that technology in packaging became more than a nice-to-have. Digital drove pack developments in FMCG, especially when it came to delivering quirky, pick-me-up packs. While packaging’s raison d’être – to create cut-through, drive sales and keep costs low – hasn’t changed, two new(ish) developments stood out for me, balanced by one ever-present concern.

Personalisation Personalisation is a crucial trends which has continued to pick up speed in 2015. In the wake of Coca-Cola’s much-publicised ‘Share a Coke’ campaign last year, other big names are keen to replicate the idea. Crucial to Coke’s success was its already iconic branding – with any slight alteration having an immensely striking effect. It’s a neat trick. But it’s by no means limited to big brands with the reach and campaign budgets of Coke.

As personalisation has evolved, variation within the trend has become more pronounced. Snickers’ recent forays into on-pack play are a great example. Swapping its similarly recognisable brand name for 21 hunger symptoms – ‘grouchy’, ‘impatient’, ‘sleepy’, etc. – this development suggests a more unconventional, wider (and perhaps more affordable) way of pack-specific personalisation. | 32 | Packaging Europe

In comparison to Coke’s far-reaching campaign (spanning a mind-boggling more than 70 countries and featuring more than a 1000 names) Snickers’ effort is obviously not as personal. But it’s a clever way to achieve the same effect with a much smaller budget. And I bet it raised the same number of smiles.

Of course, bespoke is by no means a new concept. It’s at the heart of gift-giving and as such, closely tied with spending that little bit more. Traditionally, it’s been associated with luxury brands – and that’s still the case today.

American perfume brand Unique, for instance, allows complete customisation of its products online. Catering to both men and women, shoppers are given free rein to choose exactly what goes into their fragrance, the design and shape of the bottle – even what’s written on the label. This uber-personalisation comes at a price, with cost reaching in the hundreds of pounds.

So there’s a scale at work within this trend. And there’s a huge gap that retailers are yet to crack. British supermarkets, for instance, could really get in on the action with their ability to print digitally. Products that offer packaging made to order in-store would certainly trump a card or label. The same could apply across many products that make popular presents.

Design Trends

Technology The journey between shelf and till has become more complicated this past year.

Brands aren’t just tweaking their logos. Their products, like us, are also increasingly linked with cyberspace. It goes without saying that the internet means the high street doesn’t have the same power it used to. Figures from Econsultancy, for instance, reveal that a third of consumers do online research before buying in-store. As a result, packaging trends are increasingly geared towards the ubiquity of smartphone use. Brands know that the technology we carry in our hands is inextricably linked to the choices we make as consumers.

In line with this, new technology is beginning to take hold. Take NFC, or ‘near field communication’. The more user-friendly brother of the QR code and cousin to Augmented Reality, NFC could have a very large impact. Early adopters like Remy Martin, for example, have employed tappable NFC tags to assure product authenticity. There are other interesting uses too. Apps that operate on a similar principle like Vivono, that give users access to a comprehensive wine database, offer only more evidence that in-store purchases are increasingly informed by information online.

Once ideas like this hit mainstream retail and the grocery sector there’s a great opportunity to educate consumers. Why not offer recipe suggestions and nutritional information to make for a healthier a weekly shop? Instead of crowding valuable on-pack space, brands now have the ability to give shoppers the information they need online. If used to its full potential, NFC could help not just in reducing the amount of packaging used, but could also instruct consumers how to recycle or reuse.

Sustainability Supplying environmentally-friendly packaging remains a key concern for the industry. But in 2015 the challenges remain the same. For manufacturers, it comes down to cost-effectiveness and often, cutting down on packaging actually works to their interests. Realistically though, recyclability also depends on whether consumers will actually go through with it.

We like to buy into the thought of being environmentally friendly, but the infrastructure still isn’t quite there.

What’s more, growing trends like home compostable packaging are very consumerspecific. It’s a niche market that hinges on whether the customer is likely to have composting facilities in their garden. As such, it can only be sold by particular brands in particular places. Nonetheless, any efforts to reduce the use of oil based plastics are always welcome.

Coke’s PlantBottle is a hugely exciting development and could have a dramatic effect on packaging made from renewable resources. Launched in 2009, the initiative is continuing to make real headway. After announcing a partnership with Heinz in 2011, this year CocaCola broke new ground with the first PET plastic bottle made entirely from plant materials.

There are ongoing efforts on our home turf too – it’s great to see WRAP increasing awareness with their latest Recycle Now plastic recycling campaign.

Barrier coatings are also a development worthy of attention. They can replace some multi-layer laminates without compromising functionality, while at the same time making for thinner and sometimes cheaper packs. But as flexible packaging, they’re not easy to recycle. Since recycling is determined by demand and therefore tonnage, flexibles continue to be an issue. Cardboard, for example, is much heavier and therefore a more lucrative proposition in terms of the recycling process. Add to that the issue of differentiating between flexible plastics, which is impossible to do with the naked eye, making separation almost out of the question.

Nonetheless, there have been new materials entering the market. PLA, more prominent in the States, for instance, offers an alternative to oil based plastic. Instead of oil, it’s made from cornstarch supplied by corn. It’s controversial, but at any rate, it’s good to see that this sector isn’t as stagnant as the format front.

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Thimm, Protective packaging for medical equipment Among the many things that caught the eye this year in the ever-ingenious world of corrugated packaging was a solution designed by Thimm Packaging Systems for the transportation of medical equipment with higher convenience. Increasing the usage of corrugated board in the packaging has resulted in a net reduction in packaging weight of 20 kilograms, thereby decreasing freight costs and lowering environmental impact.

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he concept has already won the backing of international medical technology company GE Healthcare, which has commissioned the system for a shipment of its heavy ultrasound systems.

The innovative system consists almost exclusively of corrugated cardboard. One wooden ramp is used to ease loading, which enables the technical systems to be packed and unpacked by just one employee. Polyethylene padding provides the necessary distance between the device and the corrugated cardboard. Fluted corrugated cardboard precut pieces create additional space for the probe cases. Previously the heavy ultrasound devices weighing up to 160 kilograms were shipped in big wooden crates which contained 14 PE pads to protect the goods.

Thanks to the new design the packaging dimensions have also been reduced in size to 1.130 x 735 x 1.430 millimetres. The environment is also protected through deliveries using this packaging, as the boxes and padding are flat-packed and take up | 34 | Packaging Europe

less space in the HGV than the wooden crates. The lower volume and the 20 kilogram reduction in weight have a positive impact on transportation costs, in particular on high air freight costs.

Meanwhile, Thimm earns a second honourable mention thanks to its ‘Thimm foodWave heatproof’ solution. This is a highly grease resistant corrugated board suitable for direct food contact, and which can be used in an oven or microwave. Pastries and baked goods or microwave products can be heated on this corrugated cardboard for up to 30 minutes at a maximum of 220 degrees Celsius.

The products can be delivered directly in the packaging and no re-packaging is required for the baking and heating process. This has many advantages in terms of hygiene and handling. Thanks to the seamless construction, oil can also be used on the cardboard baking trays.

Visit: www.packagingeurope.com/News/65575

Innovation 2015

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Innovation 2015

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Tetra Pak, E3 Platform

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Tetra Pak’s new E3 filling machine brings sterilisation of beverage cartons into a new age by using electron beams, rather than hydrogen peroxide, for to sterilise materials. The E3, launched at the Fispal Technologia International Trade Show in São Paulo earlier this year, promises a range of benefits to customers, not least the potential to run up to 40,000 portion packages every hour. Compared with the existing Tetra Pak® A3/Speed platform, Tetra Pak E3 machines will also lower operational costs, improve environmental performance and increase production flexibility.

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the heart of the new machine is the eBeam sterilisation technology that was developed by Tetra Pak in collaboration with COMET, a world leading company in high-voltage and high-vacuum technology. The technology works by focussing a controlled beam of electrons onto the surface of packaging material as it runs through the filling machine, killing any bacteria or micro-organism present.

Charles Brand, executive vice president, Product Management and Commercial Operations at Tetra Pak said: “This is a very exciting development. The E3 not only delivers significant cost and environmental benefits to our customers, it also marks the start of a new era in the world of carton packaging. The efficiency and effectiveness of filling equipment has just taken a major step forward.”

The use of eBeam removes a long-time physical limitation to carton packaging speed: the hydrogen peroxide sterilisation process. With eBeam, speeds of up to 40,000 portion packs per hour, or 11 packs every second, can be achieved … and market tests have shown this increased capacity can save beverage manufacturers as much as 20 per cent in their operational costs.

The replacement of hydrogen peroxide in packaging material sterilisation also significantly improves environmental performance; making water recycling easier, lowering energy consumption and cutting waste.

Furthermore, the modular design of the Tetra Pak E3 platform offers increased production flexibility to manufacturers. By installing an eBeam kit, manufacturers can switch between pasteurised and extended shelf life (ESL) production orders on the same Tetra Pak® E3/CompactFlex filling machine.

The launch of Tetra Pak E3 at Fispal follows successful pilots with some of the world’s leading dairy producers, such as Rajo, the largest dairy producer in Slovakia. Between 2011 and 2014, Rajo produced 110 million packages of UHT milk in Tetra Brik® Aseptic 1000 Slim on a Tetra Pak A3/Speed machine equipped with the new eBeam sterilisation system.

Peter Novorol’nik, Production Manager at Rajo said: “Innovation is one of the cornerstones of Rajo’s strategy. In the domestic market, we are the market leader in every segment where we are active, but it is not all about new products. We also need to constantly | 36 | Packaging Europe

drive for innovation in managing factory costs. Today we can say that the new eBeam technology could be the solution for future improvement. This innovative system offers clear savings on hydrogen peroxide consumption. To sterilise 1 million packages you need 300 litres of hydrogen peroxide, so the saving is considerable.”

The machine shown at Fispal is a Tetra Pak E3/Speed that will be commercially available starting from 2016. The machine produces family packages of Tetra Brik® Aseptic 1000 Edge with LightCap™ 30, running at 15,000 packs per hour. Tetra Pak plans to expand the new platform to more machines in future, and will start deployment with three versions: the Tetra Pak® E3/CompactFlex Extended Shelf Life, the Tetra Pak® E3/Speed Portion Packages, and the Tetra Pak® E3/Flex Extended Shelf Life.

Visit: www.packagingeurope.com/News/64126

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Smurfit Kappa, Shelf Smart Smurfit Kappa’s avowed innovation strategy is ‘single-mindedly focused on delivering packaging innovation that drives business success’. As part of this strategy, Smurfit Kappa continually conducts research to better understand its customers’ business needs. Through this process, Smurfit Kappa studied shopper behaviour and found that brands are not taking full advantage of an important marketing channel. Smurfit Kappa data revealed that 76 per cent of purchase decisions are made by consumers in store. This highlights the extent of the commercial opportunities at the point of purchase, and the need for brands to stand out on the shelf. Smurfit Kappa therefore developed Shelf Smart, a service designed to make its customers’ shopper marketing strategy more impactful where it matters most – and we consider it to be one of the most influential packaging innovations of the year.

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helf Smart is designed to open up new opportunities for customers. It is a unique, game-changing six-step process that will change the way they think about shopper marketing and shelf-ready packaging’s role within it. The service guides the development of its customers’ packaging to ensure that the end result strengthens customers’ shopper marketing strategies to influence the path to purchase. It is a stand-out proposition because it isn’t a one-size-fits-all solution. Instead, it’s a collaborative journey that blends sophisticated insights, extensive experience and innovative technology with customers’ brand knowledge and ambitions.

The process begins by identifying the issue through using Smurfit Kappa’s marketleading ShelfViewer tool to compare the positioning and merchandising of up to 22,000 other products and placements. Smurfit Kappa then deploy its first-in-market insights programme to discover how shopper marketing can help optimise its customers’ marketing and sales strategies. These insights are then compared against Smurfit Kappa’s cutting-edge InnoBook tool, which draws on the collective skills of over 700 global design specialists. Smurfit Kappa select the most relevant packaging solutions from this extensive pool of best practice creativity, and use these to kick-start the bespoke design process through an immersive workshop. Once ready, Smurfit Kappa’s innovative 3D visualiser brings the solution to life in a virtual shopper environment with fully customis| 38 | Packaging Europe

able channels and markets, to assess its performance quickly and easily in a risk-free, real-world context.

Finally, Smurfit Kappa test the impact of the shelf-ready packaging solution on real shoppers using online eye-tracking tools developed for the benefit of customers in collaboration with its dynamic, high-tech partner EyeSee. Everything learnt from the process is then fed back into the design to further improve the final product.

Since launching Shelf Smart, the service has revolutionised the impact of Shelf Ready Packaging as a shopper marketing tool driving sales increases for leading FMCG brands.

The results, reported by brand managers that have partnered with Smurfit Kappa and used the Shelf Smart process to transform how they market their products on the shelf, are further supported by the company’s own research. Over 50 tests, conducted across 11 categories and six countries, analysing the path-to-purchase behaviours of more than 10,000 shoppers, showed that Shelf Smart can help to drive double digit growth in brand visibility and perception.

Smurfit Kappa is committed to packaging innovation that generates proven and measurable business success, and continues to put innovation at the heart of servicing its customers.

Visit: www.packagingeurope.com/News/63054

Innovation 2015

LINPAC REFRESHES ITS DALIDET, FRANCE FILMS PORTFOLIO Leading global fresh food packaging supplier, LINPAC, is building on its high-quality products and service-led solutions offer, with a refresh of its films portfolio produced at its Dalidet production site in France. The rebranding and reorganization of the broad films range brings new opportunities for LINPAC customers and complements the company’s barrier and stretch films range currently supplied from Pontivy, France.

Since 1980, LINPAC has been a market leader in the manufacture of flexible films for the food industry across Europe. The core strength of the films business is considered to be its specialist approach to food packaging, which has driven a number of innovations and investments in barrier and stretch film production in France in recent years.

The Dalidet site currently produces a wide range of films including PE stretch films and speciality films for non-food applications. Introducing new brands LINpoly, LINBatt, LINbio, and Dalibag to join the company’s existing brands Dalipac, LINfreeze, LINlam, Dalimail and LINwrap, LINPAC Dalidet is extending its reach in both food and non-food sectors to meet the needs of its broad range of European and global customers.

For example, one traditional product from the site, Polydal, has been rebranded as LINpoly to bring it in to line with the overall company’s branding hierarchy and now offers a range of plain and printed low density PE films for flow pack bagging applications. Used by food producers and packers in the frozen food industry, there are three high gloss formulations available in two standard colours, transparent or blue tint; other colours may be available on request.

The LINpoly range is versatile and available in two reel formats; flat to suit both horizontal and vertical bagging machines and centre folded to suit

horizontal bagging machines. Customers also have complete branding flexibility with fully printed options available from the established European LINPAC Printer Network.

Laurent Bouffandeau, Managing Director of LINPAC France and responsible for the Dalidet site said: “LINpoly offers an excellent performance/price ratio, making the film very cost effective for our customers. It’s robust and reliable with excellent mechanical properties suitable for high-speed continuous or sequential lines and with the new branding enabling the film to be positioned at the heart of the LINPAC films portfolio, we have high hopes for its further growth in the coming years.”

Business Manager at Dalidet, Patrice Blayo, commented: “We’ve decided to refresh the Dalidet films range to coincide with the new corporate branding roll out at LINPAC. Over half of the films produced at the site are stretch films used within the food industry and it’s an important part of LINPAC operations so we felt it was right that we gave the business a new contemporary identity going forward.“ LINPAC has over five decades of experience in food packaging design and a deep understanding of the demands of today’s fast moving consumer goods markets. The company delivers fresh thinking and responsible packaging to help retailers, packers and food service clients sell a diverse range of products. The LINPAC team is constantly increasing its efforts to design packaging solutions that meet the ever-growing demands of the 21st century consumer.

For more information on LINPAC Dalidet or LINPAC packaging solutions, please visit www.linpac.com or email info@linpac.com

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EVENTS

BrauBeviale 2015 On 10-12 November the who’s who of the international beverages trade world will come together once again for BrauBeviale in Nuremberg, this year’s most significant equipment show for the sector. Around 1150 exhibitors of raw materials, technology, logistics and marketing will be presenting their innovations and newly developed products to the visitors. BrauBeviale is a must and at the same time a trend barometer for the sector. It presents creative ideas and solution concepts for everyone who is involved in the beverages industry.

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he range of products on display at BrauBeviale covers the entire process chain in the beverages industry. “This attracts experts from all areas of the sector to Nuremberg”, states Andrea Kalrait, director of exhibitions, BrauBeviale. “Brewers and maltsters, but also the producers of other alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages along with experts from the machinery and plant engineering sector, the packaging industry, retail and catering sectors – in the eight exhibition halls they will all find everything they require for operating their daily business.”

Craft meets high-tech Quality and efficiency are particularly close to the heart of every beverages producer. At BrauBeviale they find what they are looking for: from the right raw materials through to the technology up to logistics and marketing. Exhibitors discuss the customers’ individual | 42 | Packaging Europe

requirements with them. Be it machinery and plant engineering for beverages production, filling and packaging beverages or logistics within the company and beyond – together they produce perfectly-tailored solutions for every specific requirement. Ambitious brewers will be participating in the European MicroBrew Symposium the day before the fair.

The much-in-demand further training event is jointly staged by NürnbergMesse along with the Versuchs- und Lehranstalt für Brauerei (VLB, Research and Teaching Institute for Brewing, Berlin).

Questions covering all aspects of the PET value-added chain will be answered by PET@ BrauBeviale in the form of the PET PASSION WEEK, presented by BrauBeviale and PETnology. The event will be opened by an international, two-day Congress on 9-10 November.

Of interest to small and medium-sized companies and global players alike: in the PETarena under the motto ‘connecting comPETence’, companies will be presenting their range of

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products and services for attractive solutions across the entire PET value-added chain.

Information on the theme of PET recycling will be provided by the Gütegemeinschaft Wertstoffkette PET-Getränkeverpackungen (Quality Assurance Association Recycling Chain for PET Drinks Packaging).

BrauBeviale, will be discussing a very topical theme with leading representatives from the sector to mark the 2016 anniversary: ‘500 years of the German Purity Law: Opportunity or straightjacket’.

Marketing meets creativity

In addition to the comprehensive specialist range, in its support program BrauBeviale is offering numerous interesting points of contact for visitors from the food retail, beverages specialist trade and the catering sector. The effect will be strengthened this year through the cooperation with PRO FachHANDEL/GES eG, which aims to promote the direct exchange between the breweries visitor target group and the specialist retail.

The Craft Beer Corner, which had its premiere last year, is being further extended.

With no worries about the sales and marketing pressure from the suppliers, retailers and caterers can sample new beer specialties here and obtain ideas for extending their own range. At various bars, in a neutral and professional approach, renowned beer sommeliers, among others Sylvia Kopp, world champion Oliver Wesseloh and Markus Del Monego, will be presenting beers in the hops, malt, yeast and special categories with extra slots for products from the USA, England and Italy. And because the glass shape also influences the sensual experience, this will be impressively and tastefully demonstrated at a further bar. But not only beer has such a diversity and various facets to offer, that is why this year’s BrauBeviale is dedicated to exceptional drinking enjoyment in general. The motto: ‘Creative

The visit is also worthwhile for marketing experts and sales specialists: in the specialist range of services they can expect to find sparkling ideas covering all aspects of marketing, advertising and services in the beverages sector. In addition, every visitor in the Forum BrauBeviale can quench their thirst for know-how, ask questions, obtain answers or simply just briefly immerse themselves in the hustle and bustle of the fair. Numerous renowned sector partners have created a diverse program. On the marketing theme the audience will for example receive creative impulses on ‘New brand experiences - Beverage brands that strike a chord (with the consumers)’, ‘Brand experience through design’ right up to ‘Online marketing’ and ‘Wine for beer, what can I recommend you? What can we still learn from wine marketing?’. But the forum will also be presenting talks, explanations and discussions on further themes of great importance to the market: ‘Energy in the beverages sector’, ‘Packaged Water’, ‘Craft Distilling/Craft Spirits’ – and let’s not forget the aspect of training and further training. The opening will also take place once again in the Forum. The Private Brauereien Bayern (Bavarian Private Breweries Association), honorary sponsor of | 44 | Packaging Europe

Retail meets manufacturers

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Beer Culture meets Premium Spirits’. Fully in keeping with this, tasting sessions extending beyond beer will also be held. Internationally recognized spirits experts will be familiarizing interested trade visitors with the diversity of whisky, rum, gin and craftsman’s brewed fruit brandies. Last but not least, it is not only about alcoholic beverages – the so-inclined visitor can also put his or her taste buds to the test with a water-sampling session and test the right water for the retailers’ and caterers’ product portfolio. The driving force behind the trend theme is and remains however the European Beer Star, which has already had its trade fair home at BrauBeviale since 2004. It is part of the fine tradition that on the first day of the fair the visitors choose their favourite beer from the gold medal-winners: the Consumers’ Favourite in gold, silver and bronze.

Visit: www.braubeviale.de/programme

Craft Beer meets Streetfood Eating and drinking inevitably belong together. Here it stands to reason that exceptional drinking pleasure should be paired with unconventional food. A promising look beyond the

own horizon or rim of the glass is promised for beverages producers, marketing experts and caterers by the SFC Street Food Convention, which is being held within the framework of BrauBeviale for the first time – initiated and organized by the ‘father of the food truck scene’ Klaus P. Wünsch.

Andrea Kalrait sees clear synergies here: “This is a terrific opportunity for the visitors at both events to enter into discussion with each other and to get networked. Street food is unconventional – similar to Creative Beer Culture, the trend theme at BrauBeviale.” Both scenes are linked by the ‘Craft concept’ – strongly characterised by a healthy portion of creativity and a good deal of courage and optimism. In a meeting point on the ‘mobile culinary art’ theme, already established operators will be entering into an exchange in the SFC Street Food Convention and informing interested parties about all aspects of the business involving food trucks, street food & co. The two-day event will start on Thursday, the last day of BrauBeviale, and open its doors to the public on Friday afternoon with a Street Food Market.

Visit: www.streetfoodconvention.de

HP and P&G Share Recycling Visions at Plastics Recycling Europe 2015 Hewlett-Packard and Procter & Gamble are among the leading brands sharing their vision of the future of plastics recycling when technical specialists from across Europe converge at the Tour & Taxis venue in Brussels on 25th and 26th November 2015 for the Plastics Recycling Show Europe 2015 conference and exhibition.

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broad cross section of the industry will be represented at the event including plastics recycling machinery and equipment suppliers, plastic material suppliers and compounders, handling and logistics services, pre-processors, plastics recyclers, waste management specialists, industry associations and project management consultants.

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The conference will examine a wide range of industry themes including the economics of plastics recycling, the regulatory background, materials, processing, technology and innovation. Conference keynotes include David Ingram, Director (Fabric & HomeCare Packaging R&D), Procter & Gamble speaking on Sustainable packaging – introducing PCR for Fabric Care bottles and Jason Ord, Director, Environmental Responsibility, EMEA at Hewlett-Packard on Scaling the recycled plastics eco-system – an OEM perspective.

The opening session of the conference will focus on the most pressing issues within PET recycling including thermoforms plastics recycling, titanium dioxide in food content applications and increasing the availability of recycled PET from used bottles. The following PVC session will look at current collection schemes systems and recycled volumes across Europe, the legislative framework for PVC recycling and will provide an insight into the Product Environmental Footprint Project.

Speakers at the HDPE material focus session will look at hazardous waste classification, brand owners’ use of recycled PP and the future of HDPE recycling. The LDPE session will cover existing collection schemes for LDPE and the consumer perception of plastics in the horticultural industry. Speakers in the mixed plastics session, a relatively new and developing area of plastics recycling in Europe, will focus on the recycling potential of the mixed plastics and recycling of PE, PP, PS and PTT plastics.

Topics covered on day two of the conference will include finding markets for recycled materials, coping with price volatility in the virgin market and the future for producer responsibility schemes. In one of the closing sessions Stephanie Maes, Project Manager for Waste Free Oceans will address the problem of marine litter and look at the latest technology for recovering plastics from the marine environment.

Industry body Plastics Recyclers Europe (PRE) is strongly supporting the exhibition and is organising the conference in conjunction with event organisers Crain Communications.

The event is organised in association with Polymer Comply Europe, a service provider for the plastics industry specialised in EU legislation. Plastics Recycling Show Europe 2015 is also supported by EPRO, the European Association of Plastics Recycling & Recovery | 46 | Packaging Europe

Organisations, the Pan-European partnership of organisations committed to increasing efficient plastics recycling and recovery. Other industry bodies supporting the event include European Plastics Converters, Petcore Europe, Recovinyl, Plastics Europe, Federplast, FEBEM-FEGE and Vinyl Plus.

For more information or to register to attend the event for free please visit www.prseventeurope.com

Eighth International Packaging Trade Fair ‘Packaging Innovations’ in Warsaw – leader amongst packaging trade fairs in central Europe Eight years of experience, hundreds of satisfied exhibitors and thousands of visitors: These are not just empty numbers and statistics, but a confirmation of how important the ‘Packaging Innovation’ Trade Fair is for the packaging industry in central Europe.

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his is already the eighth edition of the event, which is supported by the experience, professionalism and, most importantly, passion, of the organisers, who not only follow the market trends, but first and foremost speak with the trade fair guests about their expectations. The trade fair takes place every year in Warsaw, the capital of Poland. The location of the city in the very heart of Europe means that many international companies have their headquarters there.

Warsaw, being one of the most rapidly developing cities in Europe, is a particularly attractive city for international investors. The trade fair takes place at EXPO XXI Warsaw, a comfortable facility located in close proximity to the city centre, railway stations and the airport.

Certainly, ‘Packaging Innovations’ (12–13 April 2016, EXPO XXI Warsaw) is the only trade fair in this part of Europe to focus solely on packaging. The international experience of the organisers means that they know what will be crucial in the industry, before new products and innovations actually become present on the market.

“We have visited the majority of this type of events in the country and abroad, we have spoken to representatives of hundreds of companies, we cooperate with key media partners and associations. Every year we strive to create the highest possible standard for our guests. The measure of success of our work is the satisfaction of the exhibitors. The majority of them cooperate with us every year, appreciating the possibilities resulting

from promoting their brands at the trade fair,” says Katarzyna Banach, manager of the Trade Fair Organising Team. These words are confirmed by the exhibitors and guests themselves, who say that participation in the trade fair results in new contacts and, most importantly, in new business contracts. The trade fair is an excellent space for both the producers of renowned brands, as well as for those who are debuting on the market and wish to join the leaders of the industry.

Every year the trade fair attracts the participation of, amongst others, company owners, managing directors, brand managers, designers, technologists and distributors of packaging, representatives of marketing departments, as well as directors and specialists in the area of sales. It is worth highlighting that the trade fair guests represent numerous industries, such as food, cosmetics, chemicals, pharmaceuticals, industry or marketing.

After all, everyone wants to package their product in the best possible way.

The ‘Packaging Innovations’ Trade Fairs are, however, more than just two days of exhibitions: they are two days of inspiration and professional knowledge. Every edition of the trade fair, thanks to their international character, indicates new trends and informs visitors of key trends in the industry in the coming months. As part of the trade fair, it is possible to participate in a series of training sessions and workshops led by valued industry practitioners. The seminars and workshops are an opportunity not only to listen to, but also to meet valued representatives of this industry, who present interesting case studies.

Those who have not yet attended a ‘Packaging Innovations’ Trade Fair will have this opportunity in the spring, as the eighth edition will take place from 12–13 April 2016 in Warsaw, in the EXPO XXI Exhibition Centre. We can already reveal today that the organisers are announcing an interesting supplementary programme, about which more information will be available shortly.

For details please visit the trade fair website, www.packaginginnovations.pl Packaging Europe | 47 |

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Tactile Packaging

Touch to Sell: Cognitive Neuroscience Meets Packaging Design

By Dr Alberto Gallace of the University of Milano-Bicocca and the Milan Center for Neuroscience (NeuroMi).

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eople love to touch objects and every marketing expert now knows that when a product is in the hand of the consumer the sale is much more likely. These observations alone might be sufficient to highlight the relevance of tactile feelings for packaging design. However, how can packaging designers create objects and materials that appeal to our sense of touch? How can they make the tactile feeling of a product stand out from the crowd?

Here we approach the problem from a neuroscientific perspective.

The importance of tactile sensations should come as no surprise to the attentive mind.

Our life actually starts with the soft and warm sensations of the womb, and as new-born children we primarily use our hands for interacting with the external word (especially given the poor resolution of vision at birth). For the rest of our life, the rich and intense pleasure of handling toys or being handled by our caregivers remains engraved in our neural circuits, likely affecting our adult preferences, behaviours and desires.

The relevance of tactile appeal in packaging and product design is a topic that has been more or less quietly discussed in the industry for decades. More than 80 years have now passed since the publication of the book ‘Consumer Engineering: A New Technique for Prosperity’ by Roy Sheldon and Egmont Arens. The claim by the authors on the relevance of touch in product experience is still perfectly up-to-date: “After the eye, the hand is the first censor to pass on acceptance, and if the hand’s judgment is unfavourable, the most attractive object will not gain the popularity it deserves.”

It is now believed that engaging the sense of touch influences sales in a positive manner, and empirical data would seem to support this claim. For example, it has been reported that consumers prefer to choose products from retailers who allow their products to be touched. Recent technological developments have made it much cheaper and quicker than ever before to prototype novel packaging designs, and to deliver novel product coatings. Plastic containers for household beauty products have recently started to incorporate new resins that provide a particularly soft and pleasurable feeling when held in the hand. Such distinctive tactile sensations are now making the packaging of a product something to keep rather than to dispose of.

The tactile feel of packaging has become so important that companies now begin to get trademarks for the sensations elicited by their product’s container (see for example the case of the Crown Royal velvet pouch bag). What’s more, changing the feeling of a product’s packaging has been shown to change its marketing destiny. Sapporo beer skyrocketed just after the introduction of their new can. The silver-bullet visual appearance of the can immediately conveys the sensation of freshness to touch, and its curved shape when hold in the hand, does not fail to remind our brains of a traditional glass-made pint of beer (with all the related emotional experiences).

Sometime tactile aspects of the packaging can be used to provide relevant or additional information to the consumer. This is the case of the 2014 Dyson Award winning ‘Bump Mark’ by Solveiga Pakstaite, designed for food containers, which has generated much discussion in Packaging Europe. The designers created a label that contains a layer filled with gelatine, covering rigid bumps beneath. The jelly is solid and flat when is set. However, as soon as the gelatine decays with time, it becomes a liquid and the consumer can feel the bumps underneath the label. This system provides an immediate, direct and vision-free information regarding food expiry dates. Further developments of this concept are certainly welcome in the industry. In particular, one might try to provide more intuitive forms of information by touch; that is information that is immediately understood by our brain, without the need to read instructions or to remember procedures. Just as it occurs for other animal species, humans’ brains are set to provide a number of automatic responses to certain classes of stimuli. Packagers only need to address the problem also from this perspective.

Vision or touch?

People’s often say that their decisions are mainly driven by visual attributes of a product or pack. As a consequence, a lot of resources in packaging industry are put into ameliorating the visual aspects of the container. After all, it is undiscussed that our initial interactions with an object are most of the time visual. On the basis of this consideration, should we give lower weight to touch when investing in packaging?

Packaging Europe | 49 |

Even if vision seems often to ‘dominate’ over our perception, many experts define touch as ‘the most arousing’ of the human senses. Neuroscientific research would seem to confirm this definition. In particular, it has been demonstrated that the presentation of soft materials on the skin activates the orbitofrontal cortex, a deep brain structure involved in the perception of pleasure. Why should we care about such brain activation? Consumer neuroscience shows that the activity of the orbitofrontal cortex is also related to our ‘willingness to buy’ and, even more importantly, to our willingness to pay a higher price to get a product.

No matter what people say then, our brain clearly tell us that touch is very relevant to our consumer behaviour - and we should not forget that ultimately it is our brain that decides what to put or not in the shopping bag! A study performed in our laboratory at university of Milano-Bicocca, clearly shows that the psychophysiological reactions elicited by materials rubbed on our skin are much larger than those elicited by sight alone. That is, that part of our neural system responsible for avoidance or approach behaviours, the most important and primordial reactions to external stimuli, respond more strongly to the tactile than to the visual sensations generated by materials. Importantly, our research also shows that if the participants are asked to directly provide an evaluation of the surface seen or felt, their judgments do not vary much between the two modalities. In other words, physiological responses do not necessarily match with people’s opinions. In our case, people say that vision and touch are equals but their neurally-controlled body reactions actually say that touch is more arousing.

Cognitive neuroscientists now know very well that people often do not tell what they think about their experiences, and most of the time they genuinely do not know what drives their behaviour. A completely unattended and apparently irrelevant aspect of a packaging might be the one responsible for the consumer’s decision to buy the product, even if she/he will not ever be able to tell you. Touch is likely to be one of these aspects. Opinions are often misleading when human beings are concerned. As packagers, can we afford to miss these apparently irrelevant aspects that drive our consumers’ behaviour? | 50 | Packaging Europe

Touch with not touch One big issue that should be discussed when the tactile attribute of packaging are considered, is related to the fact our first interactions with a product are most of the time mediated by vision (at least for sighted individuals). Therefore, one important challenge for packaging designers becomes how to use visual cues to lead the consumer to engage in further tactile interactions with the product. Another important point to be considered, is how visual information can be used to elicit some sort of ‘tactile feelings’ in the consumer’s brain. Is all of that feasible? Can we use the visual aspects of packaging to engage the sense of touch, with all of its beneficial effects?

Also in this case, cognitive neuroscience provides a positive answer to the question.

In fact, research has shown that tactile sensations can be elicited even without the need of a real contact with our body and even from positions of space where the body is not physically present. For example, just watching a person being touched on a given body part, elicits the activation of regions of the neural cortex that we use to perceive touch coming from that area of the body. The sight of effective packaging should then elicit in a consumer’s brain the activation of a neural network that is generally engaged during actual touch. This is likely to boost the appeal of a given pack. Consider in fact, that engaging more senses (directly or by using these mediated strategies) is likely to lead to a better perception and memory of the product itself.

New challenges for packaging What are then the challenges for the future of tactile packaging, seen from a cognitive neuroscientist perspective? One is certainly to find the best way to convey specific tactile feelings. That is, what is for our brain the touch of ‘luxury’, of ‘quality’, of ‘freshness’ and so on? Furthermore, how can we make use of sustainable materials without eliciting the perception of ‘cheap’, or even of ‘unpleasant’ to the sense of touch? Should we aim to reproduce certain qualities by working only on the physical properties of materials (e.g., trying to mimic certain microstructural properties of textures) or should we aim at reproducing the perceptual sensations elicited by them?

Tactile Packaging

Cognitive neuroscience clearly states that physical and psychological/perceptual variables are not the same. One can use the more luxurious and expensive materials (or an accurate physical reproduction of them) and a person’s brain might still fail to perceive luxury and to act accordingly. By analysing the responses (physiological and behavioural) of people to materials, we can try to engineer packaging that specifically elicit such responses. One possibility to apply this principle to packaging design should be to capitalise on our knowledge of how our brain processes information regarding objects and surfaces. As far as this topic is concerned, one of the most important aspects that cognitive neuroscientists have helped unveil is that tactile sensations are rarely, if ever, processed in isolation in the brain. Our neural system always integrates information from more sources, whether these are other senses or different locations.

In other words, our perception is always global and holistic. The application of this concept to packaging, means that if a pack is coated in a way that it emits the sound of a rough texture when explored by touch, our overall perception of the product’s smoothness will change accordingly.

In our laboratories, we demonstrated that mineral water tastes differently in the mouth if served in a rough, smooth, heavy or light cup. Similarly, research has shown that the texture of a deodorant’s handle can affect the perception of smoothness of the deodorant’s cap. Sensations can be somehow transferred from the packaging to the content, from a part of the packaging to another, or from one sense to a different one. What remains in the brain is always the overall perception of the object. This approach is now successfully used in food design, for enhancing the taste of different products (for example, by changing the sound that they make when eaten). Knowing how the brain works and analyses touch should therefore be considered a valuable step in the process of designing more effective and appealing packaging.

In conclusion, we believe that the future of packaging is linked to our ability to capitalise on the new knowledge emerging from neuroscientific research on touch and multisensory integration. New challenges seem to await brave packaging designers!

Further reading: Sheldon, R., & Arens, E. (1932/1976): Consumer engineering: A new technique for prosperity. New York: Arno Press.

Gallace, A., & Spence, C. (2014): In touch with the future: The sense of touch from cognitive neuroscience to virtual reality. Oxford: Oxford University Press.

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Consolidation Pressures Driving Mergers and Acquisitions

A new report on the global packaging industry from international corporate finance partners Capitalmind (France and Benelux) and Catalyst Corporate Finance (UK) shows that consolidation is top of the agenda for European businesses. This is in order to meet the challenges from suppliers and customers, improve scale benefits, R&D and innovation spend and purchasing power.

The market The packaging industry has been buoyant with an average growth rate of five per cent annually over the last five years and the global packaging industry is now estimated to be worth $600 billion. This growth is expected to increase to seven per cent per annum over the next five years, mainly due to the demand from emerging markets (see Figure 1).

Global growth will be driven by the Asia Pacific region, which is forecast to rise by eight per cent in the next five years. Within the region, China will account for much of this increase. China has seen significant growth in all aspects of packaging from industrial and transport through to retail. Demand has been based around less complex packaging solutions using paper and board and metals although interest in higher value packaging solutions, including flexible plastic, is growing.

Europe is expected to remain the largest packaging market in the world with the market set to rise from a valuation of $165 billion in 2013 to $200 billion by 2018. “Europe shows variations by country in terms of market growth forecasts, but overall we are anticipating a four per cent increase in the market, which will be led by demand in Germany,” commented Michel Degryck, partner at Capitalmind and co-author of the report.

Within these figures there are also variations between market segments. Paper and board packaging is currently the largest segment (£250 billion market) whereas plastic packaging has the strongest growth prospects. European producers have different chal| 52 | Packaging Europe

lenges to face depending on which segment they are in. For example, heavy investment by China in paperboard capacity has put pressure on European producers which in turn has seen innovation and new trends emerging. One such trend is the rise of Nordic white strategies based on high quality softwood. Plastic packaging producers are more concerned with the issues surrounding recycling and waste, with only 35 per cent of plastic packaging recycled in Europe compared to 73 per cent of paper and board packaging.

Mergers and acquisitions Both the plastic and paper and board segments are very fragmented and diverse which presents mergers and acquisition (M&A) opportunities through consolidation. “This is particularly the case for paper and board in Europe where the top three producers account for 36 per cent of the market compared to the US where the four largest players account for 75 per cent of the market. This means that there is greater potential for consolidation across Europe which will in turn drive M&A,” said Jeremy Harrison, partner at Catalyst.

The plastics market is more highly fragmented across all markets with both Europe and the US showing over 60 per cent of the market comprising small companies, so the leading players such as Amcor and Mondi in Europe and Bemis and SealedAir in the US are less dominant than the likes of Smurfit Kappa and IP in the paper and board market.

Consolidation

Consolidation is already underway with a 28 per cent increase in the number of packaging deals in 2014, a trend continuing into 2015 in both North America and Europe. “In the last three months we have seen a number of deals that clearly show consolidation is continuing across Europe, including the acquisition of UK-based Wrap Film Holdings Ltd by German-based Cofresco Frischhalteprodukte GmbH & Co. and the £135 million acquisition of Spanish-based Group Lantero Embalaje by UK-based D.S. Smith Plc,” explained Capitalmind’s Degryck. “With most activity taking place in the plastics sector, which accounts for 50 per cent of all deals, we are seeing deals within Europe and cross-border such as the acquisition of William Beckitt (UK) by MOCAP LLC (US)”, he continued (see Figure 2).

Both trade buyers and private equity (PE) are involved in the consolidation taking place within the industry. Many packaging companies have stated publicly their intention to grow through acquisition and many have been investing in this strategy for a number of years.

RPC, one of the world’s leading suppliers of rigid plastics packaging, has completed five acquisitions since 2011, during which time it has purchased Ace, M&H Plastics, Helioplast, Superfos and Promens.

At the same time many financial investors have actively been investing in packaging explains Harrison of Catalyst. “Between the end of 2014 and 2015 French PE firm Wendel Group made two major investments in the industry, acquiring 73 per cent of Constantia Flexibles for €604 million and CSP Technologies for €175 million. Most

recently we have seen UK-based 3i Plc invest £328 million to acquire Weener Plastik GmbH,” he said. Robust valuations have underpinned these investments with an average 7.5x EBITDA multiple.

The attractiveness of packaging is clearly demonstrated by the activities of Sun Capital which has been a major investor in the packaging market through The Coveris Group, a group founded from the combination of five investments made in flexible and rigid packaging business in North America and Europe. In the last 10 years the consolidation strategy of Sun Captial has resulted in 16 acquisitions which has created a company with a turnover of £2.5 billion. Other funds such as Platinum, Montagu, Oak Hill, Oaktree and Apollo have also been active investors in this market.

Packaging is therefore a sector which is attracting interest from investors from all sectors despite the challenges it faces as it strives to innovate and to meet the issues from waste and recycling and changing market economics. European producers also face increased competition from the US as access to cheap shale gas in the US and low priced oil decreases plastic production costs. M&A activity will continue as larger companies seek cost reduction from economies of scale and access to new products that meet the needs of waste management for example, and financial investors continue to see the return on investment as attractive.

Contact Michel Degryk at michel.degryck@capitalmind.com to obtain a full copy of the report.

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Insight: Four Trends Driving Flexible Packaging The global market for flexible packaging is forecast to grow at an annual average rate of 3.4 per cent over the next five years, and is expected to reach $248 billion (â‚Ź217 billion) by 2020. This dynamic packaging sector offers huge potential for technology suppliers, packaging converters and brand owners.

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lexible packaging is the most economical method to package, preserve and distribute food, beverages, other consumables, pharmaceuticals and other products that need extended shelf life. It can be designed with barrier properties tailored to fit the products being packaged and their end-uses, whereas other barrier packaging formats generally provide a one-size-fits-all approach. Flexible packaging can now | 54 | Packaging Europe

be made in a wide variety of innovative shapes, sizes and appearances, and can include components, such as handles; and opening and reclosing features, such as zips and spouts.

In this bulletin, Smithers Pira draws on its most recent market data to identify the four key trends which are driving the market for flexible packaging.

Flexibles Downgauging Flexible packaging uses less resources and energy than other forms of packaging. It provides significant reductions in packaging costs, materials use and transport costs as well as certain performance advantages over rigid packaging. Use of flexible packaging can minimise package transport costs between the converter, packer/filler, retailer and end user. It not only takes up less space when empty than rigid packaging, but can also be constructed on the spot from roll materials at the filling location, thereby minimising transportation of ready-formed empty packaging.

A key trend for flexible plastic packaging is continued downgauging as the combination of environmental pressures and high polymer prices make customers demand even thinner films.

This downgauging of plastic films will continue even though many of the traditional films are reaching the limits of this trend. The flexible packaging industry will begin to promote more of the ‘pre-cycling’ benefits of these packages versus rigids as the combination of environmental pressures and uncertain polymer prices persist. No declines for paper and aluminium foil are forecast as demand for them reached the bottom line in many regions.

shelf life. Milk oxidises very slowly at refrigerated temperatures and therefore does not require a barrier package at all.

The other extreme would be wine, which – even at refrigerated temperatures – reacts with oxygen very quickly and is suitable for a glass container. Flexible packaging can be easily designed for both types of products and all levels of moisture and oxygen barrier needs in both clear and opaque formats. For the most part, barrier flexible packaging for retail products is a lamination of several plies of plastic, so the level of barrier necessary can be accomplished through one or more of the plies.

Consumer convenience As more and more consumers lead increasingly busy and hectic lifestyles, they do not have the time to cook meals from scratch, preferring to opt for convenient mealtime solutions instead. This puts ready meals in new flexible packaging formats in a prime position to take advantage of the current social and economic trends.

Packaged fresh meat, fish & poultry consumption will grow at a faster rate than unpackaged produce to 2020. This trend is explained by consumer demand for more convenient solutions and the growing dominance of the large supermarkets where packaged foods provide longer shelf life.

Chilled food consumption has grown steadily during over last decade, driven by increasing numbers in supermarkets and hypermarkets, especially in developing markets, and consumer demand for convenience products that are precooked, pre-roasted or pre-sliced.

Growth in the pre-sliced sector and in premium lines has promoted growing demand for MAP packaging. Demand for chilled food is also being driven by a greater variety of ready meals, fresh pasta, seafood and exotic meats, and a trend towards more convenience food purchases by time-conscious consumers

Bio-derived and bio-degradable technologies

World: forecast consumer flexible packaging consumption by product, 2010–20 (‘000 tonnes). Source: Smithers Pira.

High-performance films As the other end of the spectrum to thinner films is the rise and importance of highperformance films. The trend in food packaging films is towards high-performance film structures that are less permeable to increase shelf life and enhance flavours. Growth is occurring from the transition of items packaged in rigid containers to high quality flexible packages. Non-food packaging applications are industrial and agricultural.

A growing share of premium products – including products sold in modified atmosphere packaging (MAP) – is also favourable for flexible packaging in baked goods. Some of these products are gluten-free bread, breakfast goods, such as croissants, pancakes, partly baked bread, and rolls; specialty bread; and cakes.

Two other favourable trends are increased pressure from retailers to extend shelf life, and a shift in foodservice sandwich bread from frozen to MAP-packaged bread.

The ongoing success of flexible packaging as a replacement for glass and metal packages, particularly retorted and hot-filled products, can be attributed directly to the substantial improvements in barrier properties of plastic films and particularly clear plastic films.

One of the advantages of flexible packaging is the ability of the brand owner to ‘dial in’ the barrier-based on product and shelf life requirements. With glass and metal packaging, very high barriers are incorporated whether they are needed or not. For example, packaging refrigerated milk in a glass container is completely unnecessary to maintain product

In the past few years, a number of new product launches involving bio-based plastic packaging have taken place. The proliferation of bio-based plastic films continues with polylactic acid (PLA), polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHA) and poly-trimethylene terephthalate (PTMT) showing the most promise on the truly materials side of the equation, and thermoplastic starch (TPS) films on the petroleum replacement side.

Brazil’s Braschem Green PE has made large strides on the latter, with much of the PE consumed in Brazil coming from locally grown sugar cane raw materials.

Braschem is having some success outside of its own region as well, with the large USbased bakery Bimbo Bakeries USA recently switching its Eureka! Organic Bread bags from petroleum based PE to Braschem’s sugarcane based materials. While these bags are only 36 per cent bio-based, this represents a significant change, especially in a package that is usually considered very low cost.

Emerald Packaging, a US–based flexible packaging converter, has launched a bag for potatoes that is manufactured partly from potato starch. The film is 25 per cent potato starch resin and 75 per cent low-density polyethylene mixture. Emerald claims that the film is stronger than 100 per cent low-density polyethylene (LDPE) film.

Another example from Toyota’s Tsusho Technologies is polyethylene terephthalate (PET) resin based on sugarcane. Films made from Tsusho’s resin are making their way into the market as a replacement for traditional PET films without suffering any of the typical processing challenges often found with biomass films.

Also from Japan, Dai Nippon Printing has launched vacuum-deposited barrier films based on their line of PET biomass films. These based films are produced from sugar cane and other ethanol sources and combined with petroleum based components to reduce the carbon footprint by 10 per cent, or more, versus traditional barrier PET films This research is based on Smithers Pira’s report The Future of Global Flexible Packaging to 2020, which is available for purchase now.

Visit: www.smitherspira.com Packaging Europe | 55 |

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Winning synergies With its worldwide market presence and annual turnover of €10 million, Elba is a major player in the industry.

Marketing manager Stefano Luoni explains what lies behind the company’s success.

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lba (Elettromeccanica Luoni Busto Arsizio) was founded in 1956 by the Luoni brothers. The company’s core business concentrated on the production of electrical equipment, until in 1964 its management added a dedicated mechanical department, focusing on the production of high-speed sealing machines for thermoplastic materials. Since then, Elba has concentrated on the production of bag making machines.

FAE, a company formed in 1978, manages the production of electrical equipment.

The ESM machine was the first of a long series of successful equipment (exceeding 2000) that have been sold worldwide during the company’s 50 years of activity.

Always recognizing new trends, in 1976 Fiborsin (the third largest company within the Elba Group) began manufacturing extruders for the production of plastic nets and re-closable systems (zippers).

A new challenge for Elba came about in 1998 when the company Fama, dedicated to the production of vacuum pouch-making machines, was incorporated into the Elba Group. This gave Elba the opportunity to expand its presence in the flexible packaging market.

“Since 1998, Elba has increased its presence in the food, pet food, and vacuum market by developing new solutions for 3-sided seal pouches, stand-up pouches, side gusset bags, zippered pouches and breathable pouches, becoming a market leader worldwide,” Mr Luoni explains.

Another important milestone occurred for Elba in 2010 with the addition of the new SA-M family, dedicated to the production of a wide range of medical pouches.

Elba Group employs more than 130 people in its three locations, covering a total of 15.000 square mt. Elba SpA is dedicated to the design and engineering of a wide range of automatic high-speed pouch and bag-making machines and is active in the food, pet

food, grocery, dairy, chemical, agricultural, courier and the medical and pharmaceutical markets. Fiborsin Srl is dedicated to the design and manufacturing of netting plants, frames and mechanical components for Elba. Finally, FAE Srl, a Siemens Solution Partner, focuses on hardware and software engineering; machine control and supervision systems.

“All the companies continuously work together to create a winning synergy to face the new and unpredictable market demands,” Mr Luoni explains.

State-of-the-art facilities Elba SpA today employs about 47 people in its production facility and offices of about 6.200 square mt. Three sales managers and one sales assistant are responsible for the worldwide market, directly or through an extensive network of agents who are always in contact with customers.

This connection is necessary to promote Elba’s philosophy to customize each machine based on a customer’s specific needs for a tailor-made solution.

The R&D department includes seven professionals involved with customers from the first inquiry to the final acceptance test.

“Elba invests about €500,000 each year into R&D to guarantee continuous innovation, because our philosophy is this: Innovation distinguishes between a leader and a follower (Steve Jobs.) The production department includes 25 skilled staff assembling each machine in our facility with constant quality control and the capability to test new solutions on site,” Mr Luoni says.

Ten people work in the service department, offering 24/7 service for spare parts and technical support, both remotely and at customers’ sites. A further 20 staff

Packaging Europe | 57 |

working in management, accounting, purchasing and shipping complete the Elba Group structure.

“Thanks to our sister companies Fiborsin and FAE, 80 per cent of the machine parts are built in Elba’s facilities, ensuring high quality control during the whole process and the utmost attention to the smallest detail,” Mr Luoni adds.

Impressive machinery range With more than 50 years of experience worldwide, Elba is proud to offer a wide machinery range. The SA-V pouch making machine has been designed and engineered to serve high-speed, pre-made pouch makers providing more flexible, advanced technology combined with ease-of-use. It is available in three different sealing widths: 650 mm (25.6”), 950 mm (37.4”) and 1250 mm (49.2”) allowing production (according to the chosen configuration) of the two- and three-sided seal pouches, Stand-up/Doypack® with folded bottoms, Doypack® with inserted bottom, side gusset bags with folded or inserted gussets and centre seal bags. The SA-V model has been equipped with a new system to recover the kinetic energy of the motors, allowing it to recover energy and store it in a reservoir for later use, recovering/saving 30 per cent of the motor energy and up to 5 per cent of the total machine energy.

The SA-V/TVB high barrier shrink bag-making machine has been designed and engineered with an ease-of-use concept for a wide range of high quality products. It can produce straight bottom sealed bags, curved bottom sealed bags, side sealed bags and bullet shaped sealed bags with an easy and fast changeover system. Bags can be collected both stacked and taped to increase machine flexibility.

The SA-M machines are designed and engineered to make high tech pre-made pouches, bags and flat rolls, for the medical and pharmaceutical market. SA-M machine is more flexible, technologically advanced with an ease of use concept, and capable of producing a wide range of high quality pouches.

The SA-U machine is a universal machine traditionally used to produce different types of boutique bags and has the capability to make many different types of sacks for the industrial sector. It can be equipped with accessories to obtain soft handle bags and patch handle bags, both positioned to work alternatively. Zippered bags, courier bags, heavy-duty bags, security bags, rigid handle bags and any side seal bag can be produced with this machine.

In addition, Elba’s portfolio includes the BM11GS and BM11BW machines (t-shirt and bottom sealed bag machines), and the SW97HP, a wicket machine.

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Customer orientation Elba’s customer-oriented approach allows it to offer a wide range of solutions to tackle unpredictable and ever-changing market demands.

“Thanks to the modularity of its machines, Elba can offer customers tailor-made solutions for their needs. Furthermore, as all modules are ‘plug and play’, they can be added onto existing machines to update and upgrade production lines. Last but not least, the easy-use, low maintenance, 24/7 service support and fast payback make any Elba machines a reliable and profitable investment within the flexible packaging market,” Mr Luoni explains.

Trade fair attendance At the PLAST show in Milan in May 2015, Elba introduced the latest upgrade of its SA-V model, which is able to produce stand-up pouches without zipper at 245 cpm, and with zipper at 165 cpm.

“Since 2014 Elba has sold more than 25 SA-V models worldwide and has orders for 5 machines in delivery for the end of 2015 and already 6 machines in delivery for 2016, confirming the great success of this model,” Mr Luoni adds.

In June this year, Elba exhibited at the Global Pouch Forum in Miami. It will also be exhibiting at Pack Expo in Las Vegas in September 2016, as well as at Global Pouch Forum West.

International focus Elba is selling machines worldwide, but the principal markets are in Europe, North and South America.

“We just finalized four machines in the Middle East and one machine in the Far East, where the local competition is really strong, proving that our technology is well appreciated in each country,” Mr Luoni tells us. “With about more than 2.000 installations worldwide, we would like to continue expanding in the Far East market, where the growth in flexible packaging has reached double digits.”

He looks to the future with optimism: “The flexible market is growing fast worldwide and as a consequence we are seeing our sales and turnover increasing in the coming years. More and more products are moving from rigid to flexible packaging, so we are sure that requests for our machines will increase too, allowing us to reach a new target with the worldwide installations to remain market leaders in this business.”

Visit: www.elba-spa.it

Next-Gen Handheld Terminal: HighPerformance All-Rounder The DENSO WAVE BHT-1400 series – a new generation of handheld terminals combines user-friendliness and reliability in a perfect way.

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ENSO WAVE has now launched its brand-new product series, the BHT-1400, a new generation of barcode handheld terminals that further enhances the range of the well-known BHT series. The BHT-1400 complements the previous successful DENSO terminal series.

It brings preceding devices’ familiar features in an ideal way, combining the operational qualities of the BHT-1300 with the functionality of a multipurpose device like the BHT-1100.

In addition, the BHT-1400 offers a host of new features, foremost is the especially large 3.2-inch, high resolution liquid crystal display. The display’s resolution is four times higher compared to former models and enables comfortable reading of information even under extreme conditions such as in bright sunlight or in cold storage houses with temperatures as low as minus 20 degrees. This permits an exceptionally wide range of application possibilities for the new BHT-1400 series.

Moreover, the BHT-1400 is characterized by its robustness and exceptional ingress protection, giving it IP65 rating. Due to its light weight but extremely durable polycarbonate body it offers ‘best-in-class’ impact resistance. It can be dropped multiple times during daily operation or left in dusty, moist, hot or cold environments with no impairment to its functions. The operating temperature of the BHT-1400 series ranges from minus 20 to plus 50 degrees.

The slim and curved grip of the terminal is ergonomically designed and the device can easily be operated one-handed. The BHT-1400 was especially designed under the concept of “a large screen model perfectly suited for singlehanded operation”. The special nonslip grip allows enhanced control during one-handed use and frequently used keys are located within easy reach of the thumb. Dome shaped keys enable accurate operation even while wearing gloves.

The combination of robustness and comfortable handling features markedly simplifies working with the terminal for employees and makes the BHT-1400 a particularly user-friendly device.

The omni-directional reading ability, thanks to an integrated CMOS area sensor, makes scanning simple at awkward angles as experienced on very high or low shelves. The terminal allows high-speed scanning even with long scanning distances due to “Advanced Scan Plus” and can therefore reduce working time by up to 30 per cent compared to conventional terminals. High-speed scanning is possible with any 2D code (including QR Code), and also 1D code. The new BHT-1400 series was designed with a special focus on improved power saving features, which now enable continuous operation for up to 32 hours even when the wireless function is switched on constantly. Thus, by using the BHT-1400 terminal, productivity can be enhanced significantly.

The operating system is Windows Embedded Compact 7-based and it is supported by a very powerful reading algorithm created exclusively by the experts at DENSO WAVE – developer of the QR Code – to ensure highest scanning performance and enabling the BHT-1400 to even scan low quality codes reliably. In addition, special codes such as medical supply labels more than 100mm wide, can easily be scanned with the BHT-1400.

All these features make DENSO’s new handheld terminal a high-performance all-rounder and the best option for any field of application: retail, logistics, and manufacture. Customers, who decide to use the new BHT-1400, can rely on the Global Support Service for DENSO WAVE products, through which clients can receive on-site support locally and in very short time frames, if an unexpected problem with the device occurs. DENSO WAVE offers a three-year warranty to its customers, if they are registered on DENSO’s website.

Visit: www.denso-autoid-eu.com Packaging Europe | 59 |

DATALASE: F

BEHIND DIGITAL

DOORS

“Inline digital printing experts, DataLase, are market leaders in laser coding and marking solutions for products and packaging that deliver improved quality at a lower cost. The company’s solutions enable high speed, high resolution, inline digital printing of products and packaging, by using a revolutionary technology, in which pigments on any substrate undergo an indelible colourchange reaction when hit by a laser. DataLase’s solution serve the pharmaceutical, FMCG, food and beverage, electronics, cosmetics and tobacco industries.”

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ounded in 1998 as a result of a spin-out from the University of Nottingham, the company is now experiencing exponential growth.

CEO Dr Chris Wyres talks about the company, its innovations and its future. He explains about DataLase and its role in the future of digital marking and coding of products and packaging: “We have a portfolio of unique patented materials and solutions, developed over several years, which enable the high-speed, inline digital printing of products and packaging with lasers.

“Coatings containing DataLase core colour-change pigments, which are available from ink companies such as Sun Chemical/DIC, Flint, Siegwerk and Actega, can be applied to virtually any substrate and enable high speed, high resolution laser coding and digital printing of products and packaging to deliver enhanced quality, productivity and marketing capability for converters and brand owners.

“Coding with a low energy laser results in an irreversible colour change from white or clear to black, or clear to white, enabling printing of high contrast text, date and lot codes, QR codes, barcodes, images and graphics across a wide range of substrates and applications.

“Laser technology provides a clean environment with no risk of ink spills or need for high extraction and reduced production down time. Manufacturers can use the technology for product coding, case coding, labeling and cartons or directly on to the product, for example in direct bottle printing.”

Unique solutions Asked about what makes DataLases’s solutions so unique, Dr Wyres explains: “Our products deliver innovative, high-speed, in-line digital printing of variable information with lasers. This allows late stage customisation of products and packaging to improve brand owners’ operational efficiency, as well as enhance their marketing capabilities, protect brand value and grow market share.

“Inline digital printing of products, packaging and labels can take place at full production line speeds. Inline digital printing of labels on a beverage line at takes place at >100k bottles/hr and inline digital printing of cartons on a packing line at >1000 packs/min.

“Enabling brand owners to digitally print products and packaging in-line at full line speeds ensures they realise the maximum benefit from late stage customisation without the traditional upfront large capital requirements typical of out-of-line digital solutions. In summary, they can run our technology on existing lines.

“Our core technologies and integrated product strategies are supplied via our global supply-chain partnerships and over four billion products have been coded with a DataLase product in 2015; a figure that continues to increase with wider adoption of our revolutionary technology on a global basis.”

Future projects DataLase has several exciting projects in the pipeline, as Dr Wyres points out. “This year we are launching a new digital printing platform branded Variprint®. This new innovative solution combines our core colour-change materials technology with the next generation of ultra-high performance laser print engines.

“Variprint materials can be incorporated into a broad range of coatings, including water-based, solvent-based and UV curable systems, allowing virtually any substrate to be digitally printed. In combination with the scalable modular design of the Variprint print engine, this allows a diverse range of applications to be addressed, including high-speed coding, addressing, inline digital printing of labels and packaging, late stage customisation of corrugated cases and direct decoration of bottles and closures.”

He sees DataLase continuing to go from strength to strength. Identifying the biggest immediate growth opportunities as North America, Europe and Japan, Datalase is expecting to double in turnover several times over the coming years. It is able to face this growth as a lean organisation with a clear focus on where value lies.

“The future for DataLase looks extremely bright. We have continually invested in technological innovation and development of our strategic partnerships, unlocking substantial growth opportunities. We began by establishing ourselves in the coding

and marking sector but we are now looking to leverage our technologies into full inline digital printing for products and packaging – a true breakthrough in the market. The digital sector is growing rapidly and we are perfectly placed to offer brand owners and printers a unique high value solution to their flexible marketing needs.

“It is clear that we’re entering a new and exciting phase of growth and our latest developments and ground breaking innovations will be showcased at the largest printing equipment exhibition in the world, Drupa, which is taking place between May 31st and June 10th 2016, in Düsseldorf, Germany.”

Visit: www.datalase.com

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Perfect performance for pallet labelling Logopak, the leading developer and manufacturer of labelling systems, barcode printers, label-ling software, industrial printers and applicators, is presenting the new high-performance pal-let labelling machine in the 800 series.

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he labeller is designed for two or three-sided labelling in compliance with the GS1 standard and has a capacity of up to 180 pallets per hour. The newly developed mechanical-pneumatic applicator unit guarantees secure application of the labels even on curved or uneven pallets as well as on hard or soft surfaces. The housing with its applicator and service flaps protects the print and apply system against the accumulation of dust. Integrated barcode validation functions ensure the label complies with all applicable standards, is correctly attached and is legible automatically in subsequent processing steps. Standard industrial interfaces enable seamless integration of the 800 series in ERP systems and conveyor system controls. Self-monitoring routines and quick-changeover modules ensure a high level of availability during operation. This is also true of reliability in offlinemode, because the labelling system buffers the article data decentrally so it can also be used when the network is not available.

In many respects Logopak goes a step further than the market standard with its 800 series. Boasting a capacity of up to 180 pallets an hour, the fast labelling systems are able to meet the high throughput performance of state-of-the-art or upgraded palletisers and packaging ma-chines – even during peak times.

The labels themselves are extremely versatile: the ‘One-Stop Labeller’ for twosided or three-sided labelling of CHEP, euro or industrial pallets are designed for labels in DIN A5 format in compliance with the GS1 standard.

Smaller formats of down to 52 x 74 mm are also possible. And what is more, thanks to the new-ly developed mechanical-pneumatic applicator, the system is not only capable of labelling all pallets types, but also all standard kinds of product and pallet surfaces as well.

In addition the new Logopak labelling systems are height adjustable enabling them to attach customer-specific labels on the front or side. And last but not least there is also the option of using hybrid labels with an integrated RFID chip if required.

The user can also be sure of maximum labelling reliability in compliance with ISO standards at all times: in contrast to labelling during throughfeed, the one-stop labelling concept of the 800 series enables validation of the barcode directly after printing as well as verification of its legi-bility on the pallet. This guarantees the label is 100 per cent legible all along the supply chain, so customer complaints owing to ‘no-reads’ in automatic processes are now a thing of the past.

The 800 series can be connected directly to all standard databases or ERP systems – including data synchronisation and realtime postings in SAP – via the integrated

Packaging Europe | 63 |

data interfaces RS -232 and Ethernet and the LogoSoft software. Communication with a transport system control is effected via potential-free I/Os. In the event the online connection is not available during oper-ation, the labelling systems provide the article data directly. This guarantees maximum availa-bility. Whether the print data are sent from external sources or selected in the system, the Logopak-specific “data ready” signal communicates readiness for labelling to the control of the pallet labelling machine. This ensures that only labels with valid print data are created and applied. During offline mode the log data are buffered in the labelling system and transferred later – so that all demands on seamless Track & Trace are met reliably.

Intelligent self-monitoring functions optimise the uninterrupted operational readiness of the pallet labelling machines in the 800 series. These functions include the individually adjustable “end of roll” advance warning, continuous verification of the gaps and lengths of the labels, integrated thermo-transfer foil breakage recognition, diagnostic functions for error tracing and test of signals as well as visualisation of maintenance intervals on the main screen. Continuous pallet handling is thus guaranteed without any unnecessary downtimes.

Another feature of the One-Stop Labeller is the high level of operating and maintenance friendliness. The operator side is accessible via doors with viewing windows. Generous service flaps provide optimum access for service and maintenance work. The print engine is designed as an easily replaceable fast-changeover module. Even the consumables can be changed in just a few simple steps. The test print function ensures optimum operational readiness after maintenance work has been carried out.

With their many diverse innovative features the labelling systems in the 800 series from Logo-pak offer users perfect performance in pallet labelling – and therefore also a maximum level of availability and future security.

Visit: www.logopak.co.uk

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Masterly

distribution

The Ferag PKT transport system ensures that the assignment of newspaper bundles to the loading docks is fully automatic. The bundles can be sent to a holding loop for call up at any time.

intralogistics

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he system takes up newspaper bundles from the production line and assigns them to the correct loading dock, fully automatically and without manual intervention. The Navigator control uses production and distribution data to identify the individual newspaper bundles. The result is easy tracking of the newspaper bundles from the compensating stackers through to their transfer to the vehicles.

Holding loop for selective distribution With the PKT transport system, the line can be laid out freely on multiple levels.

Such flexibility allows the integration of buffer sections. The buffer serves to accommodate newspaper bundles that have been produced with a specific route allocation but are not yet due for distribution. The Navigator control sends these bundles into a holding loop, calls them up at a set time, and automatically releases them for distribution.

The buffer integrated into the PKT transport system enables all editions of a newspaper to be produced on the printing machine non-stop. The task of selective distribution is handled by the PKT transport system and the Navigator control.

Energy savings and zero maintenance The basis of the PKT transport system is a strong metal chain with separate plate elements manufactured in rugged plastic. Tight curves allow the line layout to be adapted in all three dimensions to the spatial environment. The chain is supported on rollers and slides with low friction inside a tough steel channel. That saves energy and costs: three motors, each producing 1.5 kW of power, are enough to drive the chain on a 400-metre section.

Low operating costs, high security The PKT transport system is a simple and economical solution for efficient distribution logistics. The system forms a fully automatic interface between the newspaper printing machine and the loading dock, where bundles are transferred to the vehicles. A buffer section can be integrated into the system, and allows bundles to be retained after coming off the production line, before their release for targeted distribution.

PKT is the master of a complex distribution structure Each night, SociĂŠtĂŠ Ouest-France SA produces around 7500 newspaper bundles in Rennes, split into 37 regional editions, and about 3500 bundles in Nantes, covering some 13 editions. At both facilities, newspaper bundles destined for the same route must be released for distribution by the control at different times.

Accordingly, the PKT transport systems in Rennes and Nantes are laid out on two levels: the lower level is for the evacuation of bundles intended for direct distribution; the system sends newspaper bundles not meant for direct distribution to the upper level and into a holding loop, where they remain until being cleared for distribution.

The PKT evacuation systems are configured for a capacity of 160 bundles per minute in Rennes and 80 bundles a minute in Nantes. The upper levels for the holding loops are 200 and 150 metres long respectively. In addition to the eleven loading docks in Rennes and seven in Nantes, at each location there is also an outlet for subscriber newspapers sent by post and small, manually processed volumes.

Visit: www.ferag.ch Packaging Europe | 65 |

Light from a spray-can: Toyo & Deutsche Aerosol make it possible Imagine standing in total darkness… Light fascinates us and is critical to our life: car lights guide us through a dark forest, spot lights mark an opera singer or mood lights glow for enjoyment. With the help of Toyo & Deutsche Aerosol GmbH and THE DUAL® it is now possible to apply light whenever it is needed: Light out of a spray can.

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oyo & Deutsche Aerosol (T&DA) prides itself of being an innovator, who can transform innovative ideas into concrete products. In the case of the Light Spray, T&DA has not only shown its competence and expertise in packaging but also its chemical know-how regarding formulations. This allowed them to accomplish the Light Spray: an aerosol can that dispenses liquid light.

Toyo & Deutsche Aerosol - Connecting values Among the companies that for decades have significantly, sustainably and successfully been engaged with new and established technologies regarding aerosols are the Japanese Toyo Aerosol Industry and the Deutsche Aerosol. At the beginning of 2014, both companies, together with the German Care Connection, pooled their extensive know-how, creative energies and cultural values in the joint venture Toyo & Deutsche Aerosol, in order to follow a common goal: making life easier with smart, new aerosol technologies.

The joint venture T&DA is young and innovative, yet rich in tradition, as the company combines the extensive experience and profound know-how of two companies from Japan and Germany with a long history in different markets but in the same industry.

This expertise is the solid foundation for the work on new, innovative developments such as THE DUAL: a unique aerosol packaging system based on the “Bag-on-Valve” technology. It combines two pouches on one valve allowing two components to be separately stored in one system and the release of both components with one push. THE DUAL-principle is applicable for almost any two-component product. It offers ideal problem solving capabilities as well as added values for the consumers. For this reason, it was presented an award from the “Aerosol Dispensing Forum” in 2014. | 66 | Packaging Europe

In 2015 T&DA has been building up its production site in Neutraubling and working on numerous product developments with customers and partners from diverse industries. Each product highlights the unique characteristics and problem solving capabilities of THE DUAL.

THE DUAL – one packaging solution, multiple application The roots of THE DUAL lie in hair color, where products are already available in the Japanese market. As hair coloration functions based on the chemical reaction between an oxidation agent and colorants. It is critical that the reaction takes place inside the hair and so an immediate application to the hair after mixing of the two components is necessary. THE DUAL hair color solution can stores the oxidation agent and colorant separately, can mix the two components in its actuator and being aerosol the components remain hermitically sealed in the package even after the first application.

This solution makes the life easier of consumers by making manual mixing obsolete and allowing multiple applications.

Similarly T&DA’s developments in technical product has been driven by THE DUAL principle of initiating a reaction with one push and sealing the components to allow multiple uses. Next to the Light Spray® with numerous application as a marking paint in construction and forestry, T&DA has been optimizing its packaging and formulation to accomplish two component glues and coating. The key advantage of the two-component coating and glue in THE DUAL package is the theoretically infinite storage stability coupled with rapid curing reaction once the two resins are mixed.

Another application of THE DUAL involves the separate storage of active ingredients and bulk, in order to keep the active ingredient fresh and increase the

The clean room production in Neutraubling works with pioneering, custom-made machinery.

durability of the product. Skin whitening is a rapidly growing market in the cosmetic sector, with approximately 15% of the world’s population investing in such products.

A key ingredient to achieving the whitening effect is 4-n-Butylresorcinol, which inhibits the production of melanin, the pigment responsible for skin color. The airtight, sterile pouches of THE DUAL allow the separate storage of 4-n-Butylresorcinol and hinders oxidation, decomposition or a reaction with the ingredients of the cream. That way the product will have the same effect until the last application.

Similarly THE DUAL can be used in skin care for other sensitive active ingredients such as vitamins.

THE DUAL is a great marketing tool. As an aerosol and “Bag-on-Valve” (BOV) package it brings the consumer added convenience through a 360° application, constant application, no pumping, up to 100% emptying and longer shelf life. On top of that THE DUAL as a 2-in-1 system can be used to achieve new functions and optical appearance.

At T&DA we developed a two colored shaving gel, which combined the shaving gel with an after-shaving-lotion. In that way the consumer already protects, cools and soothes his skin while shaving. Another example of T&DA’s diverse developments in formulations concerns the health care market. Here T&DA is working on a new, tasteful omega-3 product, with superior product features. In this case THE DUAL combines a white omega-3 emulsion with a colorful fruit or multivitamin concentrate. On top of that the omega-3 was prepared with the unique Micro jet reactor (MJR) technology.

This technology allowed the creation of omega-3 with higher bioavailability, no fish taste and higher palatability. Together with THE DUAL this makes a superior product in the market place.

The traditional production in Neutraubling invests in pioneering technologies

THE DUAL® with its two pouches allows for a wide range of applications in numerous industries. Because of its innovative characteristics it was awarded a prize by the “Aerosol Dispensing Forum” in 2014.

The Micro jet reactor (MJR) technology T&DA was introduced to through the development of the omega-3 product led them to become the first in cosmetics industry who will be working with this technology. Beginning of next year the technology will be set up in the plant in Neutraubling and T&DA can share the advantages of the MJR with its customers. The MJR is a one-step mixing technology (mixing time < 0.1 ms) in which two jets (jet speed of 100 m/s) collide and mix. This will allow T&DA to have a more efficient and economical production but enables them to make nano- and micro-particles and encapsulations to achieve new and revolutionary product characteristics. This will allow T&DA to enhance its position as innovative leader for aerosol packaging and formulation.

Packaging Europe | 67 |

Aerosol describes a phenomenon of nature that occurs everywhere: the finest dispersion of solid or liquid particles in air.

An example is the spray created by waves in the ocean. The principle offers the ideal technological foundation for modern, eco-friendly products and fosters the growth of innovative ideas.

Besides the investment in the MJR technology, T&DA has created a state of the art production site in Neutraubling with a new two ton Ekato high pressure homogenizer, custom made assembly and filling lines for the DUAL. Furthermore the production area was set up to operate under clean room conditions, in order to exceed the quality standards of our customers. For this reason T&DA was certified according to ISO-9001 in April this year and the GMP certification will follow beginning of 2016. T&DA’s high tech machinery, stringent quality control and experienced, creative staff set the foundation for the work on innovations that matter.

One of these innovations is the Light Spray: an aerosol can that dispenses liquid light. Similar hair color and the technical products a push on the actuator of THE DUAL triggers a chemical reaction. In the case of the Light Spray the principle of chemiluminescence is applied. Specifically, an oxalate salt and anthracene reacts with an oxidizing agent to create a product in an electronically excited stage. Upon | 68 | Packaging Europe

relaxation the product falls in it ground state and emits the energy as light. The result of the combination of this chemical phenomenon and THE DUAL is a ground breaking product. It allows consumers to apply light conveniently when needed to mark objects, signal others or simply to be fascinated once more by light.

The Light Spray is an example of how T&DA can take ideas and make them into tangible products. Just as THE DUAL has diverse application fields T&DA with its experienced team, extensive know-how and state-of-the-art production site and R&D center can handle the challenges that customers from different industries and markets.

With an eye on the market, consumers’ needs and latest technological developments T&DA can make life easier with smart new aerosol technologies. Or as Mr. Peter Lamboy, director of KAO Germany, states, “this young company is very innovative. We are curious with what products they will surprise us in future.”

Visit: www.td-aerosol.com

INVESTING IN

ADVANCED PACKAGING INNOVATION P

arkside is fast becoming a leading edge designer of flexible packaging solutions and is diversifying from the heart of its business. Probably best known for its tobacco packaging capabilities in the past and with the European tobacco market severely declining in recent years, Parkside is now shifting its strategy. 2015 has seen the company move to a clear position as a speciality-packaging provider for the broader FMCG marketplace.

To drive the repositioning, the company has developed its new APEX innovation strategy – APEX being an acronym for Advanced Packaging Expertise – to structure its new product development processes. Brave ideas and clever thinking are driving the business forward by focusing employees on improving products, services and processes across the business.

Parkside understands that creating and developing high value, differentiated products for new and emerging markets is the key to a successful future for the company.

By combining its range of competencies and technical skills for brands, retailers and

To inspire, create and excite – that’s what UK and Asia based speciality-packaging supplier Parkside will be committing to its customers, as it launches its New Product Development Suite and laboratory facilities in the UK.

converters, Parkside can deliver value added packaging solutions based on its capabilities including flexographic printing, specialist lamination, laser scribing and smart packaging technologies.

Parkside’s strong technical innovation skills and technology portfolio is now being backed by an investment in a New Product Development Suite and state-ofthe-art laboratory facility, which has just been launched at its Normanton, West Yorkshire headquarters.

The new facilities allow customers and partners to visit the company to discuss new pack and product launch concepts with the APEX team, in a contemporary creative space, with the latest white board, video and projection capability to aid the flow of ideas. However, the real thinking behind the investment is to allow the ideation process to come to life in the same environment. Investment in a fully equipped laboratory with in-house reprographics support, pack testing, prototyping and digital printing capability, enables the APEX team to move from concept to sample while customers are still Packaging Europe | 69 |

on site. An impressive feat considering the breadth of materials and technologies the company handles.

Steve McCormick, Parkside NPD director, said: “The APEX innovation team manages projects from concept to consumer, delivering fresh thinking innovation and development with speed to market front of mind. This new facility is incredibly important to us being able to demonstrate our capabilities with our customers and those brands that have visited us already have been very impressed with the approach that we’ve taken.”

The new investment also delivers a new level of rigour for Parkside. Prior to any launch the company can now ensure all products undergo a demanding testing procedure in house to ensure packs are fit for purpose and fulfill the expectations of both the brand owner and the consumer. Parkside works closely with customers to ensure the correct packaging design is used to achieve the required expectations, driving customer loyalty through excellence in product, process and service.

Let’s challenge, change, create and deliver Parkside constantly looks for new ways to innovate, grow and deliver advanced packaging solutions that add value to their customers’ businesses. Where Parkside can’t supply the whole solution, it works effectively with supplier and converter partners to make it easy for customers to do business with it.

A key packaging design trend in recent years has been the need to more easily open and reclose packs. This is demanded for a number of reasons: an aging population that require ease of pack opening due to disability, growth in consumer obesity and the need for portion control, as well as budget conscious shoppers wanting to store food for longer and minimise waste. As such, Parkside invested in laser scribing technology and launched it under the Parkscribe® brand to deliver a new level of pack opening and closure functionality.

Parkscribe enables the inclusion of easy-open and re-closeable features in a pack design replacing the need for costly tear strips and zips. The Parkscribe laser is used to create an integral opening of any size, shape and position as a part of the standard pack design.

But it’s not just reclosability: today’s consumers, brand owners and retailers are looking for increased functionality from packaging. For example, Parkside has recently launched an intelligent packaging solution, which incorporates an embedded image technology that can be printed on packs to enable consumers to connect directly to the retailer or brand, via a Parkside App, downloaded on to their smart phone or tablet. | 70 | Packaging Europe

Developed under the brand name, APParition™, the solution allows an embedded image to be hidden within existing pack graphics, invisible to the naked eye, but detectable by most modern mobile devices. This avoids the need to include bulky QR codes on pack and frees up space for brand graphics and key marketing messages.

Once the pack is scanned, consumers can access recipes, nutritional information, sourcing details, vouchers, competitions and much more. APParition can also be used for pack anti-counterfeiting purposes to increase brand security and is therefore particularly attractive to alcohol, tobacco and high value categories.

Whilst Parkside is driving innovation, there is also a growing demand for sustainability considerations within packaging design. In Europe, there is significant focus on the end of life scenario for packs and increasing awareness of the need for recyclability and compostability. From coffee pouches to confectionary packaging, the Parkside APEX team has developed a range of paper and film barrier duplex and triplex lamination structures under the brand Park-2-Nature® that are fully accredited to Vincotte OK Compost Standards for both home and industrial composting of packaging. Parkside is the first flexible packaging company to produce a compostable triplex laminate structure, which is groundbreaking for the industry.

These successes also mean that environmentally aware brand owners, packers and retailers finally have a choice of flexible packs that can be disposed of by consumers, avoiding landfill and without any detrimental effect on the environment.

Smith continues, “The future looks extremely bright. We have continually invested in technology innovation and development of strategic partnerships, generating unique solutions and unrivalled growth opportunities. We have established ourselves in the flexible packaging sector and we are now looking to leverage our technologies into speciality products and packaging. This sector is growing rapidly and we are perfectly placed to offer brand owners, retailers and converters a unique solution to their needs.”

Visit: www.parksideflex.com

Fast, flexible and responsive Over the past 12 months, Parkside has upgraded its innovation team and product development strategy to offer a new proposition for brands and retailers. Customers can work collaboratively with the aptly named APEX Innovation team to develop bespoke solutions that create differentiated pack aesthetics and functionality; all with the ultimate aim of creating shelf stand out and profitable retail sales.

Parkside is aiming to become a leader in the packaging industry in developing new and exciting products and its investment in the New Product Development Suite and laboratory will put the company at the forefront of developing industry first innovative solutions.

The APEX team is continually looking at what the market needs and how Parkside can deliver practical cost effective solutions. Parkside is one to watch; with metal free RFID tags, anti campylobacter coatings and aroma burst solutions being just some of the future concepts currently in development!

Parkside managing director, Nick Smith, says, “We are a company that is really changing the game in speciality packaging, combining a number of technologies and competencies to deliver the value-added solutions that brand owners are looking for. The company is going from strength to strength as a result of our APEX innovation strategy.

We understand that speed to market in today’s fast paced commercial world is crucial, so the service we offer is built on our flexible approach to business and the solid supplychain relationships we have established.”

Packaging Europe | 71 |

Squid Ink Extends

its Tentacles

Squid Ink Manufacturing, Inc. is a leading manufacturer of industrial coding and marking systems and superior quality inks. Libby White spoke with Squid Inkâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s president, Bill Hoagland, to find out more about a company that has flourished since its establishment around 25 years ago.

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riginally focused on providing water-based inks for dot matrix printers, the company proceeded to move into the high-resolution and marking sector, both for primary and secondary product markets. Bill Hoagland comments on the manufacturer’s success story so far, “Currently, we are present in 55 countries around the world and are in expansion mode. We have achieved an annual growth rate of between 11 and 12 per cent for the last ten years.”

Growing presence on the European market With its head office and manufacturing facilities located in Minnesota, Squid Ink is a key part of the Engage Technologies family. A long-term member of the respected PMMI, Squid Ink is a well-known name in the fast-moving world of product identification.

Bill Hoagland comments that the company has three factories based in Minnesota, one in California, one in Shanghai and a joint-venture in Thailand. Recently announced, Squid Ink has set up a new sales support and warehousing facility in Europe, with a view towards international expansion.

The facility in The Hague, Netherlands, contains space for ink, printer and parts storage, technical and sales support, and other office space. The location will allow

Squid Ink to better support a growing list of distributors in Europe with space allocated for warehousing, sales, customer service and technical support. Squid Ink has been selling inks and ink jet printing systems in Europe since 2000.

“The opening of a new facility in The Hague marks the achievement of an important milestone in Squid Ink’s global growth strategy,” says Bill Hoagland. “The facility will certainly expand our physical presence in Europe and improve our ability to compete in a newer market.”

Furthermore, the company has just signed a distributor agreement in Russia, and also in the Czech Republic. Mr Hoagland confirms that Squid Ink is looking forward to attending two upcoming large trade shows in Europe, whilst also supporting localised trade exhibitions with its distributors.

Strong customer base As testament to Squid Ink’s service and solutions, Mr Hoagland is proud to point out that of its first ten customers, eight are still customers today. Working very closely alongside clients to develop inks suitable for their applications, he adds that Squid Ink has in this way built a very solid reputation on the market. Food and beverages are the largest markets for Squid Ink, and its second largest market is the building sector.

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“Customers value us for a number of reasons, such as our advanced ink development laboratory. We can offer approximately 225–250 active ink formulas. We also employ 13 full-time engineers who specialise in developing software and answer our customers’ unique requests,” he points out.

Exciting developments of new technologies at Squid Ink are currently underway, which give it the possibility to expand into the untapped pharmaceutical and cosmetics industries. It has already developed and released UV curable systems which eliminate the need for solvents whilst also lowering the maintenance of the print systems, allowing the company to take its first steps into these new markets.

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Mr Hoagland adds. “We have installed around 60 systems in the US already, and are now offering a full inventory of our products and inks from our base in The Hague to Europe, which will allow us to expand into new markets in the European community as well.”

Latest solutions One of Squid Ink’s latest additions to its wide portfolio is its thermal transfer overprinters (TTO). Its line of TTO printers offers consistent, high resolution print quality for users in a number of industries including food, healthcare, cosmet-

ics, pharmaceuticals and more. The line is ideal for printing lot codes, date codes, barcodes or logos on flexible film.

Bill Hoagland adds that Squid Ink has also recently developed and released an entirely new product range called the CoPilot family. Squid Ink’s CoPilot uses proven Xaar piezo technology to print up to .7” of hi-resolution characters, razor-sharp text, scannable bar codes, and great looking logos at 185 dpi and a 4.3 full colour touchscreen provides access to the system’s internal messages and print functions.

Messages are created and edited on Squid Ink’s easy-to-use Orion™ PC Software and transferred via Ethernet or USB device. For larger applications, multiple CoPilot

printing systems can be connected via Ethernet or wirelessly and controlled through one central Orion print station.

The Orion Graphical Package allows the user to easily connect to Squid Ink Manufacturing’s Jetline and CoPilot printers. The software enables the ability to create industrial inkjet message files using a powerful graphical user interface. Orion features automatic printer detection that allows the software to find all Squid Ink printers connected to the network. There is no limit on the number of printer connections from a PC running Orion software with an unlimited printer license, giving more power to the user. Even better, dot matrix and piezo printers can be programmed from the same print station.

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A key element in Squid Ink’s expansion strategy is its new capability to include CE certification details on its products, using the most sophisticated coding and marking technologies. “We are very excited to emphasise that Squid Ink has developed and manufactured the precise devices needed to enable us to also offer CE certification across our coding and marking product portfolio so we can deliver advanced product identification solutions to customers worldwide,” explains Mr Hoagland.

Future outlook Squid Ink is currently in discussions and looking to expand its technology base outside of the high-resolution market. “Within the next 12 months we will release an expanded base of technologies for coding and marking, and will be aggressively building new products for the market that are uniquely differentiated,” Bill Hoagland comments.

He concludes with a refreshing opinion, “I believe that to succeed you have to differentiate with new and unique technologies, or take an existing technology and improve upon it. We aim to be different.”

For more information, visit www.squidink.com

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New name,

new strategy, same quality UNITED CAPS, formerly PROCAP, a major player in the plastic caps and closures industry, invited Packaging Europe to its recently completed new production and storage facility in Hoboken near Antwerp in Belgium on 17th September 2015. At the site, a new brand name and group strategy was revealed. This announcement was underlined by several key appointments. Elisabeth Skoda reports.

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he new name UNITED CAPS kickstarts a new growth strategy to help the group achieve its aim of becoming the industry reference for plastic caps and closures for customers globally.

“UNITED CAPS builds on PROCAP’s history of mergers, acquisitions, and successful growth. Like PROCAP, UNITED CAPS will be a reliable partner to leading global brands, offering highly-performing standard and bespoke solutions for both food and non-food segments,” Mr. Henckes explains.

“The name UNITED CAPS ties the company’s past success and future ambitions together. It embodies the firm’s core strengths and demonstrates its commitment to a one-company global approach, with a common culture and uniform standards.

This approach will enable it to leverage its scale and institutionalise best-practice sharing throughout the firm.”

A strong European presence With its seven manufacturing plants supplying customers all over the world, UNITED CAPS, a family-owned business has its headquarter in Luxembourg.

The company’s manufacturing facilities are situated in Belgium, France, Germany, Hungary, Ireland, Luxembourg and Spain, and enable the company to supply its customers all over the world. Employing more than 490 people, turnover amounted to 116 million Euros as at end 2014.

The new premises in Hoboken more than doubled the company’s warehouse and production space and put the company in an ideal position to follow its ambitious

growth strategy. The extended site offers room for over 60 injection moulding machines and around 40 lining assembly machines, to ensure meeting increased customer demand.

Key appointments and investments At the event in Hoboken, UNITED CAPS announced two new appointments - Philippe Thivet as new Chief Innovation and Coaching Officer and Astrid Hoffmann-Leist as Director of Marketing and Communications. They join the current management team who remain in place with CEO Benoît Henckes at the helm.

“With their different cultural backgrounds and with expertise in various industries, UNITED CAPS’s new management team is highly diverse. That diversity is reflected throughout the organisation,” Mr. Henckes adds.

A major investment by the company’s shareholders boosts UNITED CAPS’s investment strategy, entering new markets and growing in markets where it is already present, providing a steady stream of innovation and get closer to customers. The investment strategy was underlined with the formation of cross-functional teams, working on product development and sales thoroughly, transparently and globally.

Its over 75 years of experience working with plastic give UNITED CAPS an excellent understanding of the material, and how to work with the material. It has also become an expert at combining plastic with other applications, including in-mould labelling (IML), multi-component assembly, ultrasonic welding, and different types of tamper evident bands.

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Product highlights At the event, Philippe Thivet highlighted a few of the company’s recent innovations, to give a taste of things to come.

A recent innovation to facilitate bottle opening is a closure for low-salt mineral water Wattwiller.

“The requirement was a low torque on first opening and easy closing and reopening thereafter. UNITED CAPS worked on a resin and design that would provide the necessary low torque. Repositioning the cap and working with the customer to also improve the thread profile, the solution fully meets the customer’s needs. The patented flower shape of the closure is very ergonomic, adding to ease of opening, and making it the first and only cap to facilitate opening and closing,” Mr. Thivet says.

To meet strict UN homologation requirements for the transportation of dangerous goods, UNITED CAPS designed a closure with tolerant and performant tamper evident (TE) band for agrochemical packaging.

“The folded snap/slitted flexband is the principal feature of 63 PROSLIT, a standard, leak-proof closure for HDPE, Co-ex and PET agrochemical containers. The band improves the compatibility to different container necks and its adequate seal – through IHS or foam liner - protects the product to help improve overall safety for end users, as the container remains continuously sealed on re-closure. The TE band also helps prevent counterfeiting to protect the product’s brand. It can be used for all types of agrochemicals, from powder to liquid and whether water or solvent-based and can be easily recycled,” Mr. Thivet points out.

Catering for light weighting requirements, UNITED CAPS developed GREENCAP, a lightweight cap for infant milk powder.

“Using thinner walls, the GREENCAP series of highly-performant snap caps weigh less than other snap caps on the market. These unique closures are the outcome of extensive research and the perfection of an optimal resin blend by a dedicated chemical engineer, which resulted in a highly-efficient product and one of the lightest and most competitive snap caps available. GREENCAP snap caps are very easy to open and offer fillers a notable increase in productivity.

They’ve also been specifically designed to assure high capping efficiency. As production is fully automated, the possibility for contamination is eliminated,” Mr. Thivet explains.

Catering for consumer demand for high levels of hygiene and safety in food packaging, UNITED CAPS launched its PROTECSCOOP flip-top hinge solution for infant milk powder. Its unique design includes an aseptic chamber to protect the scoop until first opening. | 80 | Packaging Europe

“The production process maintains the hygiene of the scoop throughout the supply chain. The unique design of the closure, with no retention areas, means it remains clean throughout the product’s lifetime. A circular skirt ensures a good seal to protect the infant milk powder. A hook system inside allows the scoop to be repositioned after use. The scoop itself has been devised to be highly ergonomic, it features a venting hole for easy powder release and is offered in a range of sizes and shapes to meet customer requirements. An integrated solution, PROTECSCOOP means customers require just one supplier for both closure and scoop” Mr. Thivet adds.

Last but not least, he points out a particular technical challenge - the development and production of an adjustable and disposable grinder for spice company McCormick, for its European and US customers.

“Again the solution was the result of cooperation; this time between the customers’ and UNITED CAPS’s R&D teams. At the time of the request, there was no such product available on the market, meaning in-depth research and a substantial amount of creativity were required to provide McCormick with the most ideal solution. Not only did the end product have to please the consumer, by offering three choices of granulometry and optimal flow for the product, but it also had to fit with the customer’s industrial constraints.

The five assembled parts that make up the complete closure had to allow assembly lines to work at high speed. The resulting innovation won an IOPP (Institute of Packaging Professionals) award in 2010 in the US.”

Looking ahead UNITED CAPS regularly exhibits at trade fairs, choosing to attend a mix of major packaging fairs and specialised beverage packaging fairs.

“This will be our first visit at Brau Beviale. We will be showcasing a range of our beverage cap innovations there. It is an important fair for us in Germany, as 90% of our customers in the beverage industry of this region will be there,” Mr. Henckes adds.

With its new name and brand strategy, the company is ideally set up for the future.

“Our move to becoming UNITED CAPS represents our efforts to truly unite all the companies we’ve brought together. To create one culture, one DNA across the global group. We intend to partner with customers wherever they need us. Customer relationship management will be a central focus point – along with managing our portfolio, making operational efficiency gains and managing our innovation pipeline. We’ll be looking to increase the number of global accounts we already serve and grow the segments we’re active in. These are exciting times for our company and this move is just the first step,” concludes Mr. Henckes.

Visit: www.unitedcaps.com

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Thermoformed Fibre & Rigid Plastic – An Outstanding Package Plastique is known as a market and technology leader in rigid plastic thermoformed packaging. Since its’ foundation in the UK nearly 40 years ago, it has experienced consistent growth thanks to its unique approach to the market, broad spectrum of packaging expertise and manufacturing facilities in the UK and Central Europe.

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enowned for creativity and innovation, the company strives to constantly push the boundaries of thermoformed packaging. Whether it’s implementing European production of new and challenging technologies for the likes of P&G’s Gillette brand, using its innovative design capability to create

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solutions to packaging dilemmas others have been unable to solve or helping a new client who’s been let down and needs bespoke packaging designed and delivered within a 5 week time frame, Plastique’s can do attitude means that they will always rise to the challenge.

Fibrepak In keeping with its status of being at the forefront of thermoforming technology, in early 2014 the company launched Fibrepak and began production of smooth sided, thin walled thermoformed pulp at its state-of-the-art production facility in Poznan, Western Poland. Now firmly established and running multiple production lines, Fibrepak combines the latest manufacturing technology with Plastique’s thermoforming expertise to manufacture products to a customer’s exact specifications.

During the production process, natural fibres are converted into high tolerance thermoformed pulp products using a unique vacuum thermoforming technique and ‘Cure-in-theMould’ technology which uses high heat and pressure to press and evaporate water from the fibres leaving a completely dry product at the end of the process that’s ready for packing.

A variety of feedstocks are available, all of which are natural and sustainable with chain of custody certification, which, at end of life, are kerbside recyclable with mixed paper and will compost if required. Products can be coloured and blended using food safe pigment dyes to provide a variety of finishes if there is a high quantity requirement.

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Fibrepak â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Custom designed smooth sided packaging made from sustainable natural fibre Hybrid fibre and plastic

The versatility and inherent qualities of thermoformed fibre lend themselves perfectly to consumer goods. Products produced can be precisely trimmed, have defined hinges and will be highly stable in tolerance, allowing accurate registration to ensure a consistent fit. When the perceived value of a product and quality of packaging is important, this solution provides the answer. Manufacturing both thermoformed pulp and thermoformed plastic under the same roof puts the company in the unique position of being able to offer its customers hybrid fibre and plastic packs, when there is a requirement that product visibility is retained.

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Single part fragility packaging

In addition to manufacturing products across market sectors such as cosmetics and toiletries, food, electronics and general retail, Fibrepak is also well suited to the packaging of high value fragile goods. Designed using patented Lo-g solutions, thermoformed fibre packs can replace existing multi-part packaging with one easy-to-use, cost-effective, singlepart pack. These packs prevent damage in transit without the use of traditional packing materials such as foam or expanded polystyrene and improve product protection, packaging performance and transport logistics. Being smooth sided and able to nest in transit they reduce freight and storage requirements to one fifth of those of foam and EPS.

For customers in the food industry, trays can be sprayed with a fully FDA approved compostable barrier coating suitable for the packaging of hot foods and liquids and Fibrepak is currently developing top web films that can be heat sealed to the top flange of a container. These can have a range of peel strengths, from easy peel to semi-permanent.

As the tooling investment required for thermoformed fibre products is substantial, this makes the process more relevant to clients with high volume requirements. Where alternative substrates may be more suitable or cost effective, the highly experienced in-house designers and sales team can advise accordingly.

For further information please visit www.plastique.eu or www.fibrepak.eu

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RESEARCH IN THEIR BLOOD IGT Testing Systems, one of the global leaders in the production of printability testers for paper, ink and printing industries, is returning to Labelexpo Europe 2015 in Brussels with some new high-tech products. Mr Wilco de Groot, managing director of IGT, talked Vanja Švačko through the journey that has made the company what it is today.

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ounded in 1939 in the Netherlands as a national research Institute for Graphic Techniques TNO, IGT has kept research at the core of its business for eight decades. The company started by studying various aspects of ink and printing technologies, developing some provisional tools for TNO using what were, at the time, very basic facilities.

Over time the Institute has become an outstanding global player, resulting in cooperation with similar organisations and availability of instruments for all. As the national institutes were not allowed to have any commercial interest, research remained their primary business. However, the sales of test equipment significantly increased turnover, which inevitably influenced what happened next.

“In 1982 the Institute was closed down and the process of privatisation began,” explained Mr De Groot. “The independent life of IGT, working not only for research but for industry as well, started when many national institutes in the Netherlands were closed. Commercial activities such as selling equipment became the focus of the newly privatised business.

“However, for IGT research has always been the basis of its existence. We continued working on past projects, hoping for some possible spin-offs in the future. This gradually grew into third-party research and troubleshooting. Once we moved from TNO, we started running new laboratories with different functionalities and we are still doing the same work.”

Changing product philosophy In the 1990s IGT changed its product philosophy, turning from complicated multipurpose instruments for the research institutes and departments at large-sized companies towards a two-tier range of instruments. Exploiting the findings from the complex products, the company has developed a number of smaller, single-purpose instruments mainly for quality control in paper mills, ink manufacturing and the printing industry.

Today IGT’s portfolio is directly related to printability and tack measurement, including printability testers, which produce strips in offset, flexo and rotogravure. These are suitable for measuring colour and testing the quality of inks, paper, plastic and many other substrates. The company also runs training and offers education on the printability on all kind of materials, consultancy, troubleshooting and laboratory testing. Services also include a print shop certification for ISO 12647 and ink certification according to different parts of ISO 2846.

Mr De Groot told us, “Although sales of the instruments create the most revenue, we cannot sell them without providing proper test methods. Most of our instruments are sold based on preliminary research by our trouble-shooters in direct contact with clients on their premises. Once we develop test methods for them, they buy the instruments related to specific methods. It means that we actually sell the test method to the customers who then buy the instruments with it.”

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The company has affiliates in the USA, Singapore and Japan, and is currently opening a new office and a completely new laboratory. Its representatives are located in 40 countries, but in terms of sales IGT is active in more than 100 countries.

Eye-opening exhibitions In 2011 IGT took over the company Testprint, whose outstanding design team helped IGT to redesign several instruments, introduced at DRUPA in 2012.

“The exhibition was an eye opener as well as a confirmation for us,” added Mr De Groot. “We have learned that demands on the market were high, so over the past three years we have been developing a number of small devices and redesigning existing ones and this was the right choice.”

“We strive to make a compatible range of instruments for research and QC. The larger, more expensive, multi-purpose instruments can be used in R&D and to develop the QC test procedures. In the QC departments the materials can be tested with the same settings and materials on single purpose, lower cost machines. Also most printing processes can be simulated on one multipurpose instrument. All new instruments have almost identical displays and operational interface so that handling can be easily learned by anyone who already knows how to operate one instrument.”

This year was exceptional for the number of innovations developed by IGT’s expert team. They include Amsterdam 6 (a general purpose printability tester with 6 print-

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ing stations), a Laray-type viscometer with integrated temperature sensor and viscosity calculation software, completely renewed software for Lintview tester, Cloudoscope and a sizing tester for paper coating.

IGT regularly introduces new instruments at Labelexpo. “This year we will formally introduce our F1 Flexographic tester,” said Mr De Groot. “This device has been fully renewed with a complete PC functionality inside for control and storage of data and settings for each test. It has a number of pre-programmed test methods and the possibility to add customised or complete new test methods. The settings can also be exported, for example, to an Excel file for later analysis or can be printed on a label printer to mark the printed strips before filing. Another device, initially intended for the Asian market, will be introduced to the European customers: Simply Gravure, a very low cost gravure ink proof printer with limited functions for the small print shops.”

The company is actively pursuing the options for printability testing for digital printing in the widest context.

“Our strategy for the future with respect to modern instruments is to link them to our own relevant devices and to allow the connection of third party instruments so the results and the settings are available in an integrated database, saving the user time, errors and effort to do their own analysis.”

Visit: www.igt.nl

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Bio Logical High performance biobased products specialist Corbion Purac is active across the packaging industry thanks to its ability to convert lactic acid into PLA thermoplastic resin. Packaging Europe spoke to Corbionâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Marketing Director Bioplastics François de Bie to learn more. Emma-Jane Batey reports.

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uropean biotechnology company Corbion Purac is the global market leader in lactic acid, lactic acid derivatives and lactides, and a leading company in functional blends containing enzymes, emulsifiers, minerals and vitamins, Corbion is proud to deliver high performance biobased products made using renewable resources.

Thanks to continual innovation and investment and an in-depth understanding of the plastics and packaging industries, Corbion Purac is able to offer lactides and PLA resins for general purpose and high performance bioplastics. Marketing Director Bioplastics François de Bie told Packaging Europe, “We are also developing biobased FDCA for high performance PEF (Polyethylene Furanoate) resin. This is very interesting because PEF can, for example, be used for bottle and film applications thanks to its excellent barrier properties. Furthermore, through our Succinity joint venture with BASF, we are now producing and selling biobased succinic acid for PBS.”

The science bit The range of lactides and resins for the global bioplastics market sees Corbion Purac convert lactic acid into lactide monomers which are then polymerized into PLA thermoplastic resin. This PLA resin is then supplied to compounders and converters who then produce everything from packaging products to automotive components. Mr de Bie continued, “PLA is increasingly becoming the material of choice for more demanding applications in the automotive, electronics and textile industries. PLA is a biobased plastic with a low carbon footprint that is currently already used in the packaging and food serviceware industries. Now, thanks to our latest developments in lactide technology, PLA that is based on our high quality lactides delivers even better heat resistance.”

With the Corbion Purac PLA proven to withstand temperatures of between 100 – 140 degrees Celsius, the company can assure its customers and users – primarily brand

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owners and manufacturers – that biobased PLA can be a replacement material for polystyrene, polypropylene and acrylonitrile butadiene styrene in more demanding applications. Mr de Bie added, “Corbion is a true partner to our customers; a reliable partner.

We offer our customers high performance PLA bioplastics, as we are the innovator in the industry that has commercialised high heat technology.”

As industry innovator, Corbion Purac’s ongoing investment and development is clearly evident in its latest launch – its new range of PLA neat resins which will be unveiled at Fakuma in Germany this October. This solutions-based brand will be tailored to enabling optimal processing for its converting customers, with specially-developed grades for injection moulding, fibre spinning, extrusion and thermoforming.

Packaging partner In terms of applications and potential applications for PLA, Mr de Bie notes that PLA is well-suited to the packaging industry. He explained, “PLA is a great material of choice for any packaging items where compostability or biodegradability is of importance. But it is also ideal for tougher, more challenging packaging applications where PLA can be a biobased replacement for PS or PP, offering a significantly reduced carbon footprint.

Bioplastics can already be found in the packaging and food serviceware markets, such as single-use cups at festivals, yoghurt pots in the supermarket, biobased films around | 92 | Packaging Europe

fresh fruits and vegetables and shopping bags. We’ve also more recently seen a huge new market in single-serve coffee capsules for use in Nespresso-type machines which is made possible thanks to our high heat technology.”

In order to support its customers, Corbion Purac operates a global service network with extensive expertise in key conversion processes utilised in combination with profound application knowhow. This means that the company can effectively match application requirements from markets like automotive, appliances, packaging, wovens and 3D printing.

With ambitious plans for continued development, Corbion Purac’s future looks set to be as bright as its achievements so far. Currently in the pre-engineering stage of the construction of a new PLA polymerisation plant, the company is ready for its predicted growth. Mr de Bie concluded, “As our global capacity increases it will allow for even more parties to make the switch from oil-based to biobased plastics for their packaging applications. More and more brand owners, retailers and converters are using bioplastics within their packaging portfolio. We are also seeing increasing activity amongst European governments and local authorities as they take a more active role in promoting the sustainability benefits of bioplastics to their constituencies.”

Visit: www.corbion.com

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Kodak Packaging team

exceeds goals at Labelexpo 2015 The Kodak Packaging team used an impactful stand design to showcase a full packaging portfolio – including workflow, flexographic, digital, letterpress and offset printing solutions – at Labelexpo Europe 2015 in Brussels. The team made it a primary focus to invite visitors to ‘Discover their NX advantage’ with the latest advancements for the KODAK FLEXCEL NX System.

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ne of the highlights on the Kodak booth was the live demonstrations of the impressive KODAK FLEXCEL NX Wide 5080 System, the largest and newest addition to the popular FLEXCEL NX System portfolio. Visitors discovered the NX advantage for a wide variety of applications, ranging from the production of labels and flexibles to corrugated boxes, with a set of newly-launched features for which Kodak recently received a prestigious PIA InterTech™ Technology Award.

Developed over a period of two years, and with consistency, simplicity and pressroom savings as key goals, the latest NX advantage includes an advanced set of KODAK DIGICAP NX Patterns that are once again revolutionising ink transfer for flexo printing.

FLEXCEL NX Plates with the advanced surface patterns can now be used across a wide range of print conditions that include white and spot colours on film, to reduce ink usage and visibly boost on-shelf appearance. Kodak experts were on hand with tools designed to help flexo prepress providers and printers understand how this new technology can help them stay competitive in today’s challenging market, including insightful information on how the Kodak plates drive a major positive impact on the overall efficiency of the printing operation.

With more than 30,000 visitors and 30,000 square metres of exhibitor space, the biannual Labelexpo attracts an international mix of printers, prepress providers and suppliers from the label and packaging industry. Customers came to see the latest technology and make purchasing decisions – which they did in full force on the Kodak stand.

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Four days of customer meetings, live FLEXCEL NX System and PRINERGY Workflow 7 demos, a packed press event and a customer-focused social media campaign resulted in FLEXCEL NX System sales that significantly exceeded all targets and delivered a healthy pipeline of new prospects for the industry-leading solution.

“Labelexpo Europe is the world’s largest event for the label and package printing industry and was a great opportunity for us to spend time understanding how we can help customers to become even more successful,” said Chris Payne, general manager, Flexo Packaging Business, Kodak. “Kodak’s focus is to provide technology that helps brands market their products more successfully while driving automation and cost savings in the production process. The latest developments for our industry-leading KODAK FLEXCEL NX System, KODAK FLEXCEL Direct System, KODAK PROSPER Imprinting Systems and KODAK PRINERGY Workflow do just that and we were excited to showcase them at Labelexpo.”

A video crew on-site captured the experiences of current Kodak customers who were eager to share how Kodak technology is helping to transform their businesses. Customer Will Parker from Reflex Group, UK – who also shared his ‘NX journey’ at the press event – summed it up in just a couple of sentences: “It isn’t a game-changer: FLEXCEL NX is a game definer. The commitment to NX is possibly the best investment we’ve ever made.”

Reflex has been a FLEXCEL NX System user for the last three years and has just committed to a multi-million pound investment with Kodak over the next five years.

At the forefront of carton design With the winning combination of a strong background and a drive and ambition for growth; anticipated turnover from Belfast-based printing business Delta Print Ltd is expected to be over â&#x201A;Ź70 million in 2016. Libby White spoke with company chairman Terry Cross to find out more about the successful investments and expansions that have been driving it forward since its humble beginnings.

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elta Print Ltd was founded 35 years ago by current chairman, Terry Cross, as a small commercial printing business in North Belfast. In the late 1980s, the company focused on folding carton packaging, invested in converting capability. Settling on the present site in 1995, the now named Delta Packaging Ltd operates a 20,000m2 facility encompassing flexo and litho printing and converting lines and is a major supplier to the branded food service and frozen, chilled and ambient retail food sector.

Advanced capabilities Delta has invested in exciting expansion plans to its facilities and also in pushing new innovations into the forefront of the industry. Its production capabilities in Belfast have recently been expanded to include a new 55,000 square foot facility housing one of Europe’s most advanced carton manufacturing environments. Mr Cross comments, “Delta’s new plant offers 10-colour HD flexo reel-to-reel printing with bespoke, variable, downstream coating and drying units for the in-line application of functional barriers and specialist finishes. Complementing the press are off-line sheeting, large format platen die-cutting and off-line rotary die-cutting options. This new plant has the capacity to convert an extra 300 million square metres of substrate per annum.”

2015 will see the establishment of a new manufacturing facility in Poland, giving Delta a strong base for geographical expansion. “Through the relationship with EPS Poland, Delta can expand its geographical reach throughout central and eastern Europe,” Mr Cross explains. “The facilities in Gliwice will also offer both flexo and litho printing op-

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tions with a full range of converting capability designed to enhance Delta’s penetration of the European Food Service business and also to facilitate further growth with existing general carton packaging customers.”

Strengthening skills Delta has recently invested in P4CK ltd, leading to an exciting synergy of skill sets between the two companies. “P4CK is a young, talented product design company which brings patented designs for portable, direct- and indirect- contact pack concepts to market. Delta brings procurement, manufacturing and logistics strengths to the association as well as its extensive customer and contact base. In addition to putting weight and scale behind the marketing of existing designs, the companies are working on specific customer-driven design briefs and new industry-focused pack concepts to bring to market,” Mr Cross tells us.

On a wider basis, P4CK’s pure design and invention credentials will enhance Delta’s innovation capabilities and broaden the product ranges available from both Belfast and potentially through EPS in Poland. An example of the innovative designs born from this collaboration is the BevBax™, a robust packaging solution that can carry a combination of snack food and beverages. The flat-pack design pops open easily and can feature high impact branding with up to six colours. The BevBax™ can be configured to suit a number of different applications: Multiple beverage sizes and snack types, from popcorn to fast food, to drinks, and branded and unbranded applications.

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DELTA PACKAGING CHOOSE KOMORI-CHAMBON AS THEIR IDEAL PARTNER Presentation of the company:

Komori-Chambon is specialised in the design and manufacture of web offset and gravure presses and rotary die-cutters. It was founded in 1989 through the merger of Machines Chambon: a French company established in 1887, pioneers of in-line printing, cutting and delivery systems for packaging, and the Komori Group, established in Japan in 1923, world leader manufacturing high-quality offset presses.

Liquid, tobacco packaging and general folding carton are the company’s main markets.

Delta and Komori

Delta Packaging, well-known for delivering high-volume packaging, with the quality, accuracy and stability demanded by the large brand owners, have now more than doubled their production capacity in Belfast by investing in an extremely productive Komori-Chambon new line.

Neal McCone, director of Delta Packaging Ltd., Belfast, explains: “We spent a lot of time to examine all the possibilities, benchmarking everything available globally.

In the end we chose Komori-Chambon as our ideal partner for the offline rotary die cutting. We are delighted to have made this choice - the Komori-Chambon solution is the best fit for our growth aspirations, meeting the high productivity, low waste and demanding engineering expectations. We now have an incredibly productive line, designed for delivering the demands of large brand owners.”

“The new Komori-Chambon rotary die-cutter installed in Belfast enables us to have important technical capabilities, and the very stable profile, accuracy and super-high volumes sought by the large brands” Neal McCone tells us, adding that “the customers have to be big enough to get their production made on the new line”.

With its new manufacturing capability in Poland, Delta will therefore have two rotary die-cutting units amongst their equipment to service their customers in Europe.

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KBA-FLEXOTECNICA S.p.A. Sets Top Performance in the Folding carton After a number of successful installations in the North American market KBA-FLEXOTECNICA is proud to announce to have successfully delivered and put into production a unique flexographic printing press of the prestigious series EVOXG fully sleeved and gearless featuring highly innovative technical systems and specially engineered for HIGH PERFORMANCES up to 600 m/min (1969 fpm) on paper and board up to 450 gsm with water based inks in Northern Ireland to Delta Print & Packaging.

Delta Packaging print for Blue Chip companies such as McDonalds, Kellogg’s, Nokia and Jacobs to name just a few. Primarily the press has been purchased to run medium and large fry scoops and burger boxes for all of Europe in vast quantities together with fast food products the press will be printing a large variety of cartons for the breakfast cereal marketplace, biscuits, phone boxes and a variety of food cartons.

The high grade press from KBA-Flexotecnica will be run reel to reel to feed a reel to rotary die cutting line and a reel to sheeter which in turn will feed two sheet fed flat-bed die cutters. The press has been future proofed with a 10 unit CI with large repeats, 1500mm (59”) web width and two independent in-line flexo units with large capacity, multi zone drying capacity to cope with future developments of anti-grease coating applications with large lay down capability which ensure optimum converting efficiency.

Both of these in-line units have the facility to print on the front side and backside of the substrate in tight register to the CI section for patterned varnish and anti-grease coatings.

Developed to achieve top performances in terms of quality, productivity and operational efficiency, this machine incorporates several unique features such as the fully Automatic Impression System AIF, automatic register control between the print run on CI and the patterned front and reverse varnish or coatings, automatic wash-up system SPEEDY CLEAN with integrated new generation ultrasound viscosity controls, in-line spectral colour measurement system which together with high performance 100% video inspection offer standardized consistent print quality and significant reduction of in setup time and material waste minimizing the need for human intervention at press stops.

The printing press will be completed at the end user’s plant in Belfast with the installation of automatic shaft-less winders from Monomatic capable of handling reel diameter up to 1,800mm for automatic butt splice at maximum line speed featuring the ability to easily handle long run jobs with high speed capability.

To achieve cost effective and reliable performance KBA –Flexotecnica relies on comprehensive innovative design engineering, precision machining and advanced electronics to offer with their presses ease of operation, high quality execution, technical sophistication and proven performance.

Further details and info: Ms Maria Costantino, Sales & Maketing Manager, maria.costantino@kba-flexotecnica.com or visit www.kba-flexotecnica.com

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Colm Bradley, Managing Director, Delta Packaging and Senator Stanley Rosenberg, MA Senate take a tour of the Delta Packaging headquarters.

Another innovative design is the Flexicarry™, a one-, two-, three-, or four-pint beer carrier whereby one size fits all pint cups. Flexicarry™ is the only flexible multi-cup carrier in the world which can conveniently and safely carry and share up to four drinks without spilling. Supplied flat, this international patented design is manufactured in the UK from fully recyclable low slip PP. It can be branded on both sides with up to 4 colour litho printing. On testing at stadia events, the Flexicarry™ has been shown to increase speed-of-service at beer concessions by up to 50 per cent versus existing cardboard carriers. The product also benefits from being extremely light, reducing packaging waste and storage space by over 75 per cent compared to competitors. The Flexicarry™ has passed stringent health and safety tests, and unlike other carriers, is not a trip hazard or a potential projectile.

Customer relations From ice cream to consumer electronics, Delta produces packaging for some of the world’s largest brands, and offers supply and logistics support across Europe whilst protecting the global brands. In particular, Delta manufactures a broad range of branded retail packaging for customers across the dairy, cereals, prepared meals, biscuits, confectionery, added value meat and ice cream sectors.

Delta has significant, long-standing client relationships, with the first key packaging client acquired 25 years ago. Terry Cross is quick to point out, “Customer retention has been achieved through a flexible attitude to service, production and development needs, underpinned by a commitment to reinvesting profits into renewing production assets.”

Offering both rotary flexo and sheet-fed litho capabilities and being early adopters of productivity driven technologies has allowed the Company to maintain a competitive edge throughout the UK, Ireland and western Europe. A constant focus on cost reduction and seeking optimum scale supports the investment plans.

Future growth Geographical expansion is important for the business. Terry Cross explains, “Driving market share in branded foodservice packaging is a key facet of our growth strategy.

However, building a flexible production footprint that allows the business to target a ‘best fit’ product mix across central Europe is important. The team is seeking opportunities that play to the company’s innovation, production and service strengths within the food, household goods, foodservice, healthcare and consumer products sectors.”

A commitment to R&D and process improvement has resulted in a leadership position in the application of functional barriers for direct food contact and other areas. This remains a key strategic direction for the company in light of the many emerging migration issues driving European legislation.

Delta will focus on maintaining the growth profile established for the Belfast site in line with qualifying supply from EPS in Poland by Summer 2015 and ramping up volume production there in the months ahead. Terry Cross concludes, “We expect 2016 and 2017 to offer double-digit growth on the way to targeted turnover of €120 million by 2020.”

For more information, visit www.deltapack.com or contact Neal McCone, Sales Director of Delta Packaging on +44 (0)7785 327252

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Specialists in Flexibles UKRPLASTIC was established in 1927 in Ukraine and has evolved into a company that works with nearly all of the global manufacturers of food products with facilities located in its local markets.

The company produces modern polymeric flexible packaging for the food, cosmetic, pharmaceutical and other industries. Mrs. Irina Mirochnik, President, talked to Packaging Europe about the latest developments within the company and discussed its strong stability rooted in nearly 100 years of experience and knowledge.

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KRPLASTIC traditionally focuses on the European market. Key areas of focus are food, pastries, tea and coffee, however with the universal concept of packaging the range does not stop there. The company develops packaging solutions for construction materials, products for home care, for engine oils, and many other products. The range of applications for flexible packaging materials is expanding every year.

As a private company with a great deal of expertise in flexible packaging, UKRPLASTIC has a clear-cut advantage. “When we approach our clients, we immediately show them where we can be helpful, and offer and implement solutions that enable our customers to become stronger on the market,” Mrs. Mirochnik comments.

She continues, “In recent years we have experienced events that have been both joyful and dramatic. The past eight years have shown us the strength and dedication of our team, and the stability of our business. Our company continues to follow the spirit of innovation, offering the highest standards of service and uncompromising product quality. Over the past eight years we have significantly expanded our sales territory and our product line.”

cally satisfies all of our needs for semi-finished products. We also have our own high-tech production of rotogravure cylinders.”

UKRPLASTIC is constantly developing new technologies and applications for its products and strives to become more efficient. Currently, a majority of its packing materials consist of complex multi-layer designs. Such a package ensures the reliable protection of packaged products, protecting the producer from damages and the consumer from purchasing spoiled products.

Back in 1994 UKRPLASTIC started a chain of innovation that has allowed for stable investment in new technology and equipment. “For many years now we have been investing, and using profits for our development,” Mrs. Mirochnik says. “Currently we are implementing several projects to install innovative printing equipment, which will increase our capacity flexibility and open us up to new markets.

We are in the process of acquiring an additional films production line and implementing a comprehensive programme to improve the environmental performance of our production. We have registered several patents for new technologies and new kinds of packaging.”

Under one roof

Wide portfolio

UKRPLASTIC is one of the few European companies that is able to produce flexible packaging under one roof, starting from the production of polymer films to metallising, printing, laminating and so on.

Mrs. Mirochnik points out, “This not only improves the quality of products, but also minimises the cost of producing flexible packaging. Our plant is equipped with the latest rotor and flexo printing machines. We produce every kind of lamination that is currently on the market. Our production capacity for polypropylene and polyethylene films practi-

Among the new products that the company has launched between the years 2010-2015 are laminated flexible materials with a glossy or matte surface, decorated using multicolour rotogravure printing with specialty inks (metallic, thermo-sensitive and so on). It also offers laminates manufactured by extrusion lamination and extrusion coating for flexible packaging for products such as syrup-like liquids and fine powdery products. Special laminates are also produced with anti-static properties for the packaging of fine powdery products. These materials can be used on high-speed equipment.

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The company can also offer special laminates for packaging, including: ‘Flow Pack’, which can be closed by twisting; the ‘Doy Pack’ for the packaging of soft cheese and other perishable food in a modified atmosphere; flat and stand-up retort pouches for ‘soft’ preserved goods, and flexible packaging materials provided with QR-coding that can be read by mobile phones.

The new developments at UKRPLASTIC are aimed at reducing materials used while increasing its informational and promotional components. Now the company is experimenting with dot code applications for flexible packaging, an encoding method which enables information to be read and played by smartphones, including the use of advertisements that are posted online. These technologies allow the flexible package to develop away from a two-dimensional design towards a multisensory design which acts on all of the senses.

Strong relationship with Dow UKRPLASTIC and Dow have a long-standing relationship which goes back many years.

“Today we are not just a customer and a supplier, but partners in everything we do.

Owing to this relationship we are able to receive the latest information about innovations from Dow. Testing and implementing these new polymers for the production of new packaging materials gives us the ability to be one step ahead of the market,” Mrs. Mirochnik is proud to say.

UKRPLASTIC is able to use the laboratory equipment and pilot machinery of Dow’s collaboration centre Pack Studios to speed up the implementation of new joint projects and develop products and solutions which meet the needs for better and smarter packaging.

The collaboration has bred a number of joint innovation projects which include the creation and implementation of more sustainable solutions. The implementation of complicated joint projects with Dow is possible thanks to UKRPLASTIC’s unique technological capabilities and rich experience in the packaging industry.

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Mrs. Mirochnik adds, “We are sure that the further development of close cooperation between our companies is the most effective way to reach success together in the packaging market.”

Expanding presence “The packaging industry is fairly local, primarily owing to the capabilities of suppliers to deliver timely customer service. We have an advantageous geographic location that allows us to make deliveries within two to three days to huge markets with a total population of about 300 million people throughout Russia, Ukraine and central Europe,” Mrs. Mirochnik comments. UKRPLASTIC is working on expanding its presence in European countries. For many products the distance is not an issue. For example, it supplies products to South Africa.

Mrs. Mirochnik concludes, “We plan to grow organically. We know that we can do it because our company has been built from the ground up. While acquisition would be a faster way, there are risks in integrating management, financial flows and culture.” With its strong position on the market, and supported by a long heritage, it’s clear to see the company will continue to flourish in today’s marketplace.

For more information, visit www.ukrplastic.com

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New high performance five layer production line Treofan is on course as a prominent innovator in film surface technologies under the leadership of CEO, Dr Walter Bickel, who was recently appointed in March 2015. The company specialises in BOPP film and benefits from a rich history with 40 years of experience, offering a comprehensive portfolio of packaging and label films, films for the tobacco industry, and technical films for electronic applications such as capacitors and lithium-ion batteries.

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ajor investments totalling 60 million euros within the last two years have accelerated Treofan into the forefront of the industry, and with the winning combination of passion, innovation, a drive to invest, and a solid organisational restructuring, Treofan is able to offer specialty products to address the needs of the marketplace. Libby White was given the opportunity to see the latest investment of 30 million euros into an impressive high performance five layer packaging and label film production line at the facility in Neunkirchen, Germany, launched in July 2015, and saw how the company will meet the demands of its customers.

At a length of 182 metres, the new BOPP line is according to Treofan the longest for producing specialty films in the world. With the ability to produce 35,000 tonnes per year, and with a maximum speed of 460 metres per minute, it has the capacity to produce one billion square metres of premium film annually- which can be wrapped around the world a remarkable five times. Treofan expects to see a return on investment in four to five years’ time.

Dr Hady Seyeda, COO, says the plant was constructed in four months, and the machine installed in six months, since the contract was first signed in December 2013, “This was achieved in an impressive time scale, which we are proud of managing as a team in such a short period of time.” Far from a standard production line, the 8.7 metre wide

machinery was configured and custom made specifically for Treofan’s requirements in partnership with plant engineering group Andritz.

Premium supplier The new line will produce premium label and packaging film for the European market and for export to Asia, Australia and New Zealand, making it a key component in Treofan’s strategy to position itself as a global premium supplier.

Treofan aims to offer more and more functionalities for protective effects, barrier properties and processing methods to address the increasing use of global packaging concepts by major brand manufacturers, and the demand for monomaterials that can be fully recycled.

By July 2015 – just over a year after the ground-breaking ceremony in May 2014 – production at the new plant started, and its first products have already been delivered to customers. Treofan invited 250 guests in October 2015 to officially inaugurate the new high-performance plant at the company’s site. The event included a partner exhibition where companies like Bosch Packaging Systems, Henkel, Krones and Xeikon presented themselves to the audience. By the end of November, the plant will be operating in stable series production at maximum speed.

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At the site in Neunkirchen, the new asset will replace an older line, which Dr Bickel explains, “increases the quality and efficiency of our products dramatically. We positioned it in Neunkirchen especially because our R&D centre is also based here - it is necessary to have a close relationship between the two so as we can be much more flexible with our offerings to our customers. We also have a complete pilot line at this facility for our customers, so we can test how products run on a real converting scenario.”

With 14 production lines in total around the globe, Treofan now benefits from eight five-layer facilities. Dr Bickel comments, “Our strategy is to provide solutions to complex customer demands - and our customised machinery allows us to deliver exactly this. We serve global brand owners, who demand specialty products. On the new equipment, we are mainly producing IML products and packaging specialities.”

Worldwide focus With around 1100 employees worldwide and an annual capacity overall of approximately 7.5 billion square metres, Treofan is clearly a force to be reckoned with. Dr Bickel remarks, “Our annual turnover is approximately €450 million. Due to our major investments, we have seen a leap in profitability which will enable us to continue to make the necessary investments. We have focused on reducing costs, improving our cash-flow, and making key changes to our organisational structure globally. For example, we have refocused our two sites in Italy purely on production.”

Asides from the investment in Germany, Treofan has also invested seven million euros into a new metaliser in its plant in Zacapu, Mexico for the US market. “We see a high demand in metalised solutions and already have a strong reputation in this field. We are also seeing a shift in demand in the US towards more specialty products rather than standard products. Our order income on metalised solutions is currently so large that we are nearly sold out.”

Treofan is also interested in expanding its geographical reach with regards to its IML solutions. For example, it sees a big demand for IML in Brazil, and is increasing its business in South America. Australia and New Zealand are also new markets which Treofan intends to expand into.

Diversification Treofan benefits from an R&D centre at its facility in Neunkirchen, with a dedicated team working continuously on improving existing products and developing new films to meet current and future customer needs. Dr Bickel comments, “We follow a very structured

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approach to innovation, based on a state-of-the-art process management software. So if one of our team has a fresh idea we are proactive in developing this forward through a stage-gate process, narrowing down the magnitude of options to the feasible ones that will eventually make it to the market. We also have an excellent technical support team who can specifically help our customers adapt their own lines to run at the highest efficiency with our films, adding further value to our products.”

Treofan’s technical film range has seen advancements such as a special separator film developed for lithium-ion batteries, called TreoPore. “Currently the trend is to use a ceramic coating due to the risk of ignition associated with these types of battery, however we are able to offer an interesting alternative to the market. The product is currently being tested by some major battery producers and we are receiving great feedback.”

Behind all of Treofan’s activities, Dr Bickel explains the core focus is on developing film surface technologies. “Regardless of the industry sector, we aim to invent and drive innovation in this field, and will continue on this path.”

Optimum performance To address the needs of international customers, Carolyn Wagner, head of BU packaging and labels explains that the new production line has the technical abilities to provide specialty products which are further processable and printable, whilst providing functionality and barrier properties. “We offer flexibility on the conversion of film types, reliability, dynamic lead times and shorter delivery times. We can really differentiate in what we offer from our competitors, meaning our customers can also differentiate in terms of the packaging they bring to the shelves.”

“To be successful, a competitive cost structure hand in hand with innovative solutions are key to growing a business. Continuing on from our 60 million euro investment in the last two years, we have a clear strategy going ahead,” underscores Dr Bickel. “The high speed five layer production line is designed to give the optimum service to our customers, focusing on their demands.”

He concludes, “One of our key goals was to implement a high-speed organisation with clear routes of responsibilities. We have also focused on cleaning up our processes and accelerating speed and flexibility within the group. Our logo combines two expressions ‘Passion and Innovation’. Passion drives an organisation to improve, and innovation allows us to grow. We can be very proud of what we have achieved to date, supported by the spirit of our employees and the trust of our customers and business partners.”

For more information, visit www.treofan.com

Customised packaging solutions

DS Smith is a European leading producer of customerspecific packaging with an emphasis on state-of-the art packaging design and local services close to customersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; facilities. With a product portfolio that includes transit packaging, consumer packaging, displays and promotional packaging, customised protective packaging and industrial packaging, DS Smith answers every market requirement.

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orking in collaboration with HP to develop and deploy digital preprint solutions for high-volume corrugated packaging, DS Smith took delivery of the bespoke HP T400 Simplex Color Inkjet Web Press in March 2015.

The narrow-width press, which will print four colours onto the liner prior to corrugating, precedes the delivery of a wide-web machine – currently in development – which is more size-compatible with high-volume fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG) corrugated packaging needs.

The investment will enable DS Smith to deliver products to market faster, customise batches to support brand and marketing initiatives, deliver short and long print runs, and ensure consistent print quality.

The HP T400 Simplex Color Inkjet Web Press is installed at the Belper site, part of DS Smith’s UK packaging division, which has been chosen as the test site given its long pedigree of print innovation and will act as the digital preprint R&D centre for the company.

This installation is a big step in DS Smith’s collaboration with HP towards deploying a high-volume, digital preprint solution to meet the corrugated packaging needs of FMCG markets. DS Smith will also be the world’s first user of the HP T1100 Color Inkjet Web Press, HP’s recently announced wide-web digital preprint solution. DS Smith intends to lead the corrugated packaging industry with this game-changing technology.

Stefano Rossi, divisional CEO for DS Smith, commented: “We invest in the latest printing technology at an early stage to ensure our customers have unrivalled access to the highest quality and widest range of printing techniques.

“We look forward to developing digital alongside our other print processes; the combination of speed, quality and agility provided by our extensive range of printing options opens up many opportunities for our customers.

“This is a big investment; it shows our determination to be at the forefront of technology, to lead the market and to continually enhance the service and support we provide to our customers.”

HP looks forward to the DS Smith solution deployment in Belper. “We believe our HP T400 Simplex Color Inkjet Web Press and the HP T1100 Color Inkjet Web Press preprint solution will provide DS Smith with innovative new capabilities, and that combined with DS Smith’s vision and focus around quality and customer service will help us sharpen our packaging presses offering to the market,” said Eric Wiesner, General Manager for HP’s Inkjet High-speed Production Solutions division.

Fujifilm has announced that UK-based DS Smith has made a significant new investment in a flatbed digital printing system that will deliver further improvements in quality for its customers, as well as ensure greater production efficiency.

The supply cycle specialist has chosen Fujifilm‘s corrugated solution – a combination of the Inca Onset S40i digital printer, Uvijet OL inks and fully automated handling system – which has been installed at a Display production site in the UK. DS Smith is the first packaging company in the world to place an order for the complete offering, which will enable it to produce a range of single and double-sided corrugated display and packaging applications, at a productivity of over 500m2/hr.

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David Atchinson, Display Manufacturing Manager at DS Smith, said the automatic handling system was a big factor in their decision to opt for Fujifilm. He said: “The fully automated handling system will maximise productivity and allow our operators, after starting the run, to focus their attention elsewhere as the print job is running.

“We were also very impressed to see how effectively the system handles single or double sided print, enabling a wide variety of board types to be perfectly printed whilst being held flat on the table.

He concludes: “Exceptional print quality, production speed and reliability were other key drivers when we reviewed the various offerings. Fujifilm’s solution was the only one that easily ticked all these boxes for us. Finally, the Uvijet OL low odour ink will allow maximum functionality, delivering a superb gloss with excellent finishing properties.

Overall, a brilliant solution.

DS Smith completes acquisition of Duropack Further to the announcement on 22 May 2015 confirming receipt of unconditional competition clearance from all of the relevant authorities, DS Smith Plc, the leading provider of recycled corrugated packaging in Europe, announced on 31 May 2015 that it had completed the acquisition of Duropack.

Miles Roberts, Group Chief Executive said: “We are delighted to complete the acquisition of Duropack, a business that is highly complementary to DS Smith’s geographic footprint and transforms our position in higher-growth South Eastern European geographies. We look forward to integrating the business into the DS Smith Group and are excited about the excellent opportunities for customers, employees and shareholders.”

Innovative labelling solution for maximum flexibility

With an innovative laser labelling process DS Smith, together with Videojet Technologies, a manufacturer of high-quality label solutions, is opening up completely new dimensions in the area of late stage customisation of packaging for its customers. With laser coding, correspondingly pre-printed packaging can be individually and quickly labelled to the highest quality directly on the production line. The result is a far more efficient process design. At a well-known manufacturer in the FMCG sector, the packaging and display Specialist reduced the complexity and process costs significantly with the new procedure.

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“With the significant reduction of packaging types, which we have achieved with a project for format and print layout harmonisation through the use of laser coding, there are a whole list of benefits: lower storage costs, less logistical and administrative effort, larger runs, greater planning reliability and maximum flexibility. At the end of the project there was a palpable increase in efficiency and cost effectiveness,” says Michael Lamprecht, Sales & Marketing Director at DS Smith l Packaging Division D-A-CH.

An innovative process solution With its innovative process solution, DS Smith offers its customers the highest level of flexibility when adding texts, images or codes to packaging. The quick implementation of varying country versions or content information that changes at short notice can be directly made on the packaging line.

In the flexo direct printing process on corrugated cardboard packaging, the field that is designated for later individual labelling is printed with laser paint. The paint includes laser-sensitive pigments that turn into black upon contact with a laser beam through a chemical reaction. This allows pre-printed packaging layouts to directly print the individual information on the fly, or during down time, in no time at all. “Labelling using lasers generates a stable reproduction of plain writing and codes. The printing result is convincing with its permanent durability and outstanding quality,” says Robert Zimmermann, Key Account Manager at Videojet Technologies.

“We are able to significantly reduce the complexity and costs of packaging processes for our customers with this process,” says Lamprecht. “At the same time, we are increasing the efficiency and effectiveness of their processes.”

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Innovation in print DS Smith demonstrates its commitment to innovation after taking the pre-print category gold, technical jury, and outstanding awards at the ‘Flexostar Awards 2014’.

After unveiling a high definition print of a quality never seen before, the company didn’t just scoop the award for its own pre-print category; it also took home the prestigious ‘Super Flexostar’ award along with the ‘Prix du Jury Technique’.

Founded in 1982, ATF Flexo seeks to enlighten the world of packaging to the wealth of possibilities enabled through flexographic processes. The association’s members include printers along with ink, machine and board manufacturers – primarily specialising in packaging print.

Each year, ATF Flexo organises its Flexostar competition to reward the best in flexographic printing. The 2014 event was its 28th. A total of 39 companies entered 150 prints divided into 14 categories, according to their usage: cardboard, paper, films, and labels, to name just a few. Entries were judged by two juries: a technical jury, focusing on the complexity of the design, and an artistic jury that judged the aesthetics of the design.

Two representatives from DS Smith’s packaging division stepped up to receive three awards at the flexography gala evening at the Palais des Congrès de Biarritz on 18 December 2014: • The gold award for the pre-print ‘pré impression pour carton ondulé’ category • The ‘Prix du Jury Technique’, which rewards exemplary technical achievements across all categories • The ‘Super Flexostar’ award, which rewards the top design and print in all categories The winning ‘Envoûtante’ (which means ‘bewitching’ in English) pack was designed

specifically for the event. The challenging full colour print and varnish was produced using a 175 lpi high definition print on coated white kraft paper.

Envoûtante was printed on the Bobst Fischer & Krecke machine recently installed in DS Smith’s packaging plant in Velin. Equipped with latest technologies – including a GPS RFID for ensuring perfect pressure and registration between up to eight colours – it is one of only two such machines in Europe, and one of three in the world. The machine allows for HD printing with very specific criteria and the prints it produces are comparable in quality to offset prints – but at significantly lower cost.

It may have been the pack’s technical complexity that led the technical jury to award it with the ‘Prix du Jury Technique’, but it was the company’s ability to also impress the artistic jury that brought it the coveted ‘Super Flexostar’ award, the highest honour to be received at the ceremony.

The company plans to continue pushing the boundaries, bringing its customers the latest in technical and design innovation.

Assuring quality through quality suppliers For DS Smith the preferred supplier of Liner is clearly Mayr-Melnhof Karton: MMK´s Liner produced on a recycled basis is impressing in particular with an outstanding printability and high smoothness, in combination with best gloss and perfect laminating properties. In this way, it enhances packaged or displayed products to make an outstanding brand appearance at the point of sale.

MM Karton with its total capacity of nearly 250,000 tons is the leading manufacturer of White Top Coated Liner in Europe. The company´s portfolio includes classic offset liner qualities (MM Liner™ and MM Topliner™), as well as liner for flexo print (MM X-Liner™ and MM X-Liner aqua-fit™), which are both supplied to DS Smith. Both companies are connected by a long and profound collaboration for years.

MM Karton’s well-established Liner qualities are manufactured in two highly efficient mills: FS-Karton in Neuss, Germany, and Kolicevo Karton in Domžale, Slovenia. Both

Valco Melton Offering 60+ years of technical experience, Valco Melton is a leading manufacturer of adhesive dispensing equipment and vision inspection systems across a wide range of converting industries.

From packaging and corrugated, to folding carton, Valco Melton’s ClearVision® Camera Inspection System offers an all-in-one quality assurance program that guarantees zero defect boxes and offers remote analysis. Featuring GlueChek™, which analyzes glue patterns to ensure no problems exist, FoldChek™, which identifies manufacturer’s joint gap issues, and the new, award-winning PackChek™, which offers real time hot melt inspection for end-of-line packaging. When any of these systems detect a flaw, BundleChek™ works to quickly divert that bundle to an alternate conveyor. Together, Valco Melton’s ClearVision® System is helping manufacturers everywhere to deliver The Perfect Box™.

mills are ideally located in the centre of Europe, providing ultimate supply security with short transportation routes for customers.

Passion and resources to develop innovative, future-oriented solutions is what drives MMK every day. This is also reflected in MMK’s latest Liner innovation: MM BIB Liner™, MMK´s response to a growing Bag-in-Box market. MM BIB Liner™ offers its customers with its totally new fibre structure the best BCT values of all white top coated recycled Liner qualities, ensuring high converting performance. Attractiveness and safety to bring the final product to the attention it deserves.

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Double strength The AMUT GROUP is a leading Italian reality that manufactures extrusion, recycling and thermoforming custom-tailored lines for plastic materials. The company recently acquired another major global player, thereby doubling its market presence and overall global capabilities. It is now known as AMUT DOLCI BIELLONI. Philip Yorke spoke to Riccardo Castello, the company’s general manager about exciting new developments and its latest ground-breaking products launched recently at the PLAST 2015 trade fair in Milan.

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he AMUT GROUP has been a major force in the business of manufacturing equipment for plastic processing since it entered the market in 1958. Subsequently, it has gained a leading position in the international marketplace. AMUT began developing its own advanced recycling technology in the early 1980s and its new thermoforming division was established in the late 1990s. The group’s on-going success is based upon its ability to meets its customers’ diverse needs, its unparalleled product reliability and a high level of investment in research and development. | 116 | Packaging Europe

Fusion of specialised expertise The newly formed company AMUT DOLCI BIELLONI represents a unique fusion between two major players in the field of plastics conversion technology. Dolci Bielloni, which is now operating as AMUT DOLCI BIELLONI, is a well-known international manufacturer of printing and slitting rewinding machines, as well as blown and cast lines for various multi-layer production that include stretch, silage, barrier, technical, PP and masking films. In addition, the company produces coating and laminating lines.

AMUT GROUP’s booth at Plast Milan trade fair in Milan

“Taking over the Dolci Bielloni company is a brilliant success for the future of the AMUT GROUP. Together we can boost our leading role in the international scenario.

The synergies between us enhance our individual strengths,” says Mauro Drappo, CEO of AMUT. The AMUT GROUP is a leading producer of lines that deliver rigid plastic products such as foils, sheets, pipes, profiles and other thermoformed items. The newly formed amalgamation of the two leading companies offer a wide range of printing machines and blown and cast lines for flexible packaging films. AMUT ECOTECH is reference for waste sorting and disposal equipment. It offers recovery and recycling facilities for urban and industrial waste for the handling of glass, plastic, biomass, ferrous and non-ferrous materials, as well as for municipal solid waste and mixed RDF material.

AMUT COMI is another member of AMUT GROUP that is dedicated to providing state-of-the-art equipment for the thermoforming industry: in-line plants, off lines machines and turnkey projects. These machines are distinguished by their rugged and modular structure and for running high volume performances with low levels of energy consumption and waste.

More than 90 per cent of the products are exported worldwide, also through a dedicated regional agents and established subsidiaries in North America, Brazil and Vietnam.

“We are now able to offer even better customer service with tailor-made machines whose quality surpasses all others” continues Mauro Drappo. “Although we must consolidate our gains now, we will be keeping the door open for possible future acquisitions.”

Mr. Riccardo Castello and Mr. Mauro Drappo

New technologies on display The entire range of AMUT GROUP’s capabilities were on display recently at the international Plast exhibition held in Milan. An exhibition booth covering more than 800 square metres underscored the importance of the launch of the new AMUT DOLCI BIELLONI and of the ground-breaking new products. Visitors were able to see first hand the company’s latest thermoforming machine the AMP850W-GP in operation, which is equipped with a 50-cavity mould capable of producing aqua cups in PP with a diameter of 73.5mm, a weight of 3.3g and a capacity of 240ml. Output is quoted as being in excess of 110,000 cups per hour and complies fully with the highest rates of energy and material savings.

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De-Labeller dry system removing shrink sleeve labels by AMUT Recycling Division

Thermoforming machine model AMP850W-GP by AMUT COMI

Printing flexo machine by AMUT DOLCI BIELLONI

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Coating line by AMUT DOLCI BIELLONI

Other major technological breakthroughs are to be found in the company’s De-labeller, with DLB-6000kg/h of PET bottle capacity, which is the patented dry system of the recycling division ideal to remove shrink sleeve labels. In addition, the company has launched a new compact series for in-line thermoforming, its AKV-IT120 model, a unique counter-rotating twin-screw extruder, model BA92 peculiar developed for producing WPC and a head model TEAT 7 for PVC pipes with diameter up to 710 mm.

Superpower stretch film Castello said, “My family founded Dolci Bielloni in 1919 and we started by producing machines for flexible packaging including blown film lines and extrusion and lamination lines. A year ago we began talks with AMUT to begin the journey to achieving a new milestone in the AMUT’s history. AMUT is known worldwide for developing ground-breaking extrusion technology. The merger of such a renowned company AMUT DOLCI BIELLONI means that AMUT is now in an even stronger position to take advantage of the growth in flexible packaging with our Flexo machines and super-stretching machines, as well as with the upturn in demand for extrusion coating and lamination equipment.

“Today AMUT GROUP is one of the very few realities that is capable of providing the complete range of the whole equipment covering from extrusion to printing. In addition to our wide-blown film lines and our new ten-colour printing machines, we are also the first to offer sevenlayer, two meter-wide stretch film technology with six extruders. These special machines have been developed thanks to the renowned experience of AMUT in designing and manufacturing high performance and low energy consumption Extruders The flagship line is the two meter-wide producing ‘superpower’ stretch film, which has marked a sweeping change in the conventional extrusion concept of stretch film cast lines manufacturing: seven-layer, six extruders and a constant production speed up to 800 m/min.

This line has been specially developed for the production of jumbo, automatic and hand rolls of ‘Superpower’ film even for productions at low thickness (10 my).

Long screws to increase homogenization and output, a cooling unit with double cylinder, a compact design and low energy consumption (0,4 kW/per kg) complete the main advantages of this line.

For further details of AMUT GROUP’s latest innovative products and services visit: www.amutgroup.com

Super Power Stretch Film Line

Super Power Stretch Film Line

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A cure all RadTech is the European industry association focused on promoting the development, use and benefits of UV/EB curing. Emma-Jane Batey spoke to secretary general Mark Macaré to gain an insight into its aims and its latest influential conference.

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ounded in Switzerland in 1988 and with its headquarters in The Hague, RadTech Europe (RTE) is the European UV/EB curing industry association. With members across the markets of graphic arts, electronics, industrial coatings, automotive, medical, dental and cosmetics, as well as a vast array of emerging applications in other industries, it is clear that the wide reaching capabilities and potential of UV/EB curing are not to be underestimated.

RTE’s membership ‘provides access to a collaborative platform for knowledge transfer at educational and networking events and offers effective representation as a body in public affairs initiatives’. RTE’s members include raw materials manufacturers, equipment suppliers, formulators, universities, consultants and end-users.

Strategic changes Packaging Europe spoke to RTE’s secretary general Mark Macaré to learn more about the association and its latest activities. Mr Macaré explained, “We have implemented a number of strategic changes to our association in recent months, for the benefit of our members and potential members. Our upcoming conference and exhibition is a great example of how we are becoming more focused on the end-user element of our industry.

Essentially, we’ve expanded attention from our membership to the greater sphere of industries in which UV and EB technology is used or could be used, establishing closer links with relevant associations.

RadTech is dedicated to promoting radiation curing technology, with its members representing a variety of related products and applications. Mr Macaré continued, “UV/ EB technology has many applications such as wood furniture, packaging, parquet flooring, fibre optics, architecture, automotive components, communications and so on. New trends we’re seeing include 3D printing and printed electronics as well as sterilisation.

Another key development we’ve identified is the growth of UV-LED technology, with a growing market share in a number of existing applications as well as new applications opening up owing to its ‘instant on’ and low temperature characteristics.”

This clear understanding of industry trends and the impact they have on its members will be demonstrated at RTE’s upcoming ‘new look’ conference and exhibition. Due to be held at the Clarion Hotel Prague from 13–15 October 2015, the RadTech Europe Conference and Exhibition is the latest of the association’s long-running and well-respected industry events.

Combined exhibition and conference RadTech has made a number of changes to its signature event, with the theme of the 2015 conference and exhibition ‘UV/EB NOW: New place, new format, new applications’. Mr Macaré explained, “Our conference and exhibition have now been integrated into one comprehensive industry under one roof, allowing for better networking than ever before: this new format reflects that a lot has changed since our last event in 2013. One aspect

of this is that we have brought the organisation of the conference in-house; it was previously handled by an outside organisation. As such, rather than a stand-alone event it is now an integral part of RTE’s on-going programme.”

The aims of consolidating the conference and exhibition into one event are centred on ‘streamlining’ the experience for its participants. Mr Macaré noted, “We will certainly continue to provide leading technological content but what was originally a three parallel session has been condensed into a two-track set up – albeit with two extra sessions to accommodate the large response to our call for papers.”

Increased involvement The event will also offer a great opportunity for increased end-user and student involvement through the application-focused sessions, as well as the dedicated stage for student presentations. Mr Macaré added, “This is the first time we’ve offered a platform for students at our event. We’ve got a great exhibition floor session planned specially for them: it’s so important to bring fresh blood into the industry. It’s imperative that we strike

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the right balance between the invaluable experience of our established members with the ideas and potential of new people and students joining our industry. I think our combined exhibition and conference is the perfect illustration of this aim and we’re certainly looking forward to it coming to life.”

With RTE offering an on-going programme of events and industry development, the combined conference and exhibition will be immediately followed by a debriefing and communication session to report on key findings and take up leads. Mr Macaré concluded, “It’s been pretty intense leading up to this event and we’re pleased to carry on like this!

We’ve already got a seminar event scheduled for 30th September 2016 entitled ‘Safe use of UV and EB for food packaging’, which will be focused on the changing legislation and what new technological possibilities are emerging. Education is one of our main tasks, with regulatory developments of key concern to our members. It’s up to us to present the latest information in a clear, relevant and engaging manner.”

Visit: www.radtech-europe.com

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A breath of fresh air In 2012, Airopack was launched as a company to promote, sell and manufacture the Airopack dispenser.

Its leadership’s rich history of success in the beauty and personal care market made that category a natural starting point. Early on, Airopack was recognised for its innovation and environmental advantage over aerosol, and that drove interest in other categories including air care, home cleaning, and health care. Earl Trout, vicepresident global sales and marketing, spoke to Packaging Europe about the company’s ground-breaking technology on offer and its growing success.

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iropack, as a technology, has been in development for more than seven years with the intent of developing a more environmentally friendly alternative to traditional aerosols. Mr Trout comments, “During this time our pressurised air system was realised, and optimised, and our key developments – the Pressure Control Device (or PCD) and the Pressure Vessel – along with the overall design and manufacturing approach, were perfected and commercialised.”

To facilitate customer adoption of Airopack, the company developed and launched Airopack Full Service which provides turnkey finished goods production including formulation mixing, Airopack filling, labelling, and supply chain distribution. “These complementary capabilities of our company quickly expanded our portfolio as we made it easier than ever for brand owners to bring Airopack into their range of products,” points out Mr Trout.

Airopack benefits from a growing customer base that drives further interest across brand owners. An existing customer base of P&G Gillette, Method, Conair, Remark, DECIEM, and Elizabeth Arden, amongst others, is proof of its success. Fully funded and growing, Mr Trout points out Airopack has a strong investor base that gives it the opportunity to stay ahead of demand and evolve its products.

As a company, Airopack benefits from clear advantages. First is the experienced leadership found throughout the company. “Our CEO, Quint Kelders, has been a packaging developer and entrepreneur for more than twenty years,” says Mr Trout. “From R&D to manufacturing to sales, we have key team members that have significant experience in packaging from other industry leaders and significant past product launches.”

Secondly, it has a proven supply chain. Mr Trout shares that the company’s manufacturing footprint will soon expand beyond Europe and global supply chain coordination.

In order to share its innovations with customers and potential new customers, Mr Trout says, “We were at Luxepack Monaco in October 2015. In 2016, we are currently planning for PCD in Paris, Cosmoprof in Bolgona, Luxepack New York, and then returning for Luxepack Monaco.” | 124 | Packaging Europe

Distinct advantages The Airopack dispenser is the core product of Airopack. Mr Trout is pleased to say, “It has been integrated into our customers’ portfolios as a new dispensing platform for implementation across their market applications.”

The heart of the Airopack is pressurised air, which is contained in the pressure vessel at the base of the dispenser. Airopack’s globally-patented PCD (pressure control device) regulates the release of the air into the Airopack, pushing the product out consistently, from start to finish, with nearly full product evacuation.

Airopack has clear advantages over aerosols and standard dispensers. “Overall, though, Airopack has three specific advantages compared with just about any dispensing solution: consistent performance and delivery from start to finish; near complete restitution (evacuation) of the product; and the ability to dispense very high-viscosity formulations,” underscores Mr Trout.

In addition to those core advantages, Airopack has distinct performance benefits that may be available in aerosols, or standard dispensers, but not both: an airtight system allowing for unique and/or oxygen-sensitive formulations; the ability to deliver products that are purer (less preservatives); and a performance at any angle with true 360-degree capability. It is also completely powered by air instead of chemical propellants.

Mr Trout adds, “Airopack has a clear environmental advantage over conventional aerosols. When compared with standard bag-on-valve systems, Airopack has a 26 per cent lower carbon footprint and a 32 per cent lower total environmental footprint.”

Enhancing design Airopack continues to develop and invest in its system to expand capabilities and meet specific customer needs. Recently it launched its Lily actuator for dispensing and spraying. For both applications, Lily brings a much lower force-to-actuate and a more feminine aesthetic. As a spray, Lily brings a refined spray performance that is optimised for air, skin and hair formulations.

This new high-pressure option enables Airopack to dispense highly viscous formulations like pastes, pomades and very thick gels. These types of products, normally found in tubes and jars, can now be dispensed one-handed with the Airopack dispenser.

“We are also very excited to announce the expansion of our existing range with custom-made container shapes. Airopack is bringing complete freedom of shape to the world of pressurised packaging. Our patented innovations for regulated, pressurised air, can now be applied to designs beyond the cylindrical shape of aerosol (and airless) packages,” comments Mr Trout. “Working with our customers, we keep innovating to set free the world of pressurised packaging and enhance their shelf presence and impact to the consumer.”

Airopack has also expanded its capabilities to better serve its customers and the market as a whole. “We launched three business platforms to complement our existing Full Service segment. Airopack Labs offers complete formulation creation, development and support, whilst Airopack Equipment Solutions provides fill-line equipment that is optimised for Airopack. Thirdly, and currently being implemented, is the Airopack Authorised Filler Network which will bring localised filling to the United States, Brazil and other locations,” Mr Trout comments.

Meeting global demand Airopack has two production facilities. Its dispensing system is manufactured in Switzerland and filling and turnkey services are based in Belgium. In October 2015, Airopack Technology Group AG acquired Proficos, Airopack’s partner for filling, sleeving, labelling and packing of Airopack dispensers since 2013. With this acquisition, Airopack offers complete, vertically-integrated services from shape to function to filling and logistics.

Proficos was founded in 1967 by the Van den Brande family, allowing Airopack to leverage their decades of experience in the skincare and make-up world under the rebranded name of Airosolutions formulation & filling.

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Mr Trout considers the next progressive step will be “to localise what we do through a mixture of Airopack manufacturing, strategic partners for filling and turnkey, and growing the customers and markets we serve. In parallel, we continue to invest back into the Airopack platform to expand its capabilities, address specific customer desires, and position us for new markets.”

From a product perspective, Airopack’s growth will be through organic expansion.

Mr Trout sums up why the company has been successful thus far, and why he believes this will continue into the future: “Airopack, as a technology and a dispenser platform, is something significantly new in a market that usually sees iterative innovation. Compared with traditional aerosols, this is the first true alternative pressurised packaging solution and the first major innovation since bag-on-valve. Compared with standard packaging, Airopack brings many of the same advantages as airless, but adds airtight containers and pressurised dispensing. Brands and marketers see how Airopack solves their needs and opens new opportunities.”

Visit: www.airopack.com

Today Airopack continues to expand to meet global demand and the high-level of interest in its product. Although its manufacturing has remained European-based to date, its capacity of Airopack production has more than doubled.

Mr Trout adds, “We have concrete plans to expand internationally in the near future.

We will soon be formally announcing the inaugural members of our Authorised Filler Network in the United States. This will bring localised filling to the US – something many of our customers have requested – and will leverage the expertise of those partners in terms of formulation support, market understanding and distinct capabilities unique to their businesses.”

Already achieving considerable success in the US, Mr Trout comments, “We believe localised capabilities will fuel considerable growth in that market. We are currently localising Airopack filling in North America (and soon after Brazil), and we expect to expand our operations significantly outside Europe in the near future. Our network of sales managers and agents is representing Airopack throughout Europe, North America, and South America.

“In South America, the Brazilian market is very compelling for us owing to our strong fit in the sun care category, the high level of aerosol and other complementary packaging, and an interest in the brand owners there to bring innovation to their markets.”

Room for expansion Airopack has already established itself as a unique packaging company owing to its business platforms that provide the distinctive Airopack dispensing system, complete formulation development, turnkey services and equipment solutions.

As a company and supplier, Airopack is on solid footing. Mr Trout is pleased to share, “Our sales continue to grow beyond projections: we have just recently acquired a filling company to completely optimise our Full Service business, and key investments in Airopack have secured our expansion in capacity, capability and geographically.” | 126 | Packaging Europe

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Valves with value International solids handling specialist TBMA is well-known for its broad range of rotary valves for niche applications.

Emma-Jane Batey spoke to sales manager Ted Van Bavel to gain an insight into how its worldwide success in selling components is set to grow further in the coming years.

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ased in Holland and Belgium and active worldwide, TBMA is an internationally operating company. Focused on dry solids handling and process engineering for the design, supply, installation and commissioning of components and automatic process plants to a wide variety of industries, TBMA is known for its ‘better in bulk’ slogan.

Sales manager Ted Van Bavel spoke to Packaging Europe to update the magazine on the recent developments in the company and its plans for continued success. Mr Van Bavel said, “Essentially, TBMA stands strongly on two legs; our engineering projects in Europe and our worldwide selling of components. It is the second ‘leg’ that we have identified as being the most important for our future growth strategy as we know that our sales of components to OEMs is a market with exceptional opportunities across new and active territories.”

TBMA has developed and designed an extensive range of standard processing equipment with proven reliability in practice. Its rotary valves are its bestselling and most important product, particularly owing to its own unique product development initiated 40 years ago that still is proving relevant today. Mr Van Bavel continued,

“Of course, we’re never standing still. Our rotary valves are not the same product that we developed 40 years ago! We are always developing, always taking care to listen to our customers and to understand exactly what type of rotary valve they require and how they need it to perform – even if they don’t know themselves, our dedicated and experienced team can ascertain that information and then the perfect solution is created.”

While Mr Van Bavel noted that there are plenty of European producers of rotary valves, he is clear that the added value of TBMA’s rotary valves is easy to explain.

He said, “Our rotary valve USP is all about quality, certification and development in certain niche markets. We have developed exceptionally high quality rotary valves for niche applications in the starch industry for example, and we have won desirable contracts with major starch producers. Take potato starch: it’s a product that tends to grow on the rotary valve, forming a hard, glassy layer that quite quickly makes the rotary valve stop, which is terrible for production. TBMA have a special rotary valve for potato starch applications that means it always keeps running. I can’t tell you how though, it’s our secret!”

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Special solutions For many years TBMA has been certifed for using its rotary valves as an autonomous protection system suitable for explosion and flame containment up to 10 bar for Kst2 Dust, as well as various high temperature-based solutions. Mr Van Bavel added, “We work a bit differently to other rotary valve producers. Whilst we’re not the biggest in our field, I’m pretty sure we’re the most flexible. Our success is built on the promise of always taking care to find the right solution for our customers. We totally understand the processes our customers go through so we look deeply into their operation and create the perfect rotary valve solution for their specific application.”

With a complete test facility available to ensure that all customer solutions meet their purpose precsisely, TBMA offers an extensive range of rotary airlocks, blowing seals, diverter valves and shut-off valves with numerous execution possibilities. These possibilities can vary from a simple gravity feed diverter valve to rotary valves for hazardous environments. Mr Van Bavel said, “We also have the complete certification of our explosion-proof rotary valve, which offers a considerable safety protection to our customers as it can function as an autonomous protection system.

If an explosion happens in the customers’ system, it cannot pass the TBMA rotary valve so there is no chain reaction. It’s a great safety feature that not all rotary valves offer as it’s a highly complex process to be approved.”

In terms of future growth, TMBA is focused on bringing its range of standard and unique rotary valves to a wider audience. It is especially keen to enter the UK market as it has identified a number of interesting opportunities and has stepped up its marketing strategy to promote its rotary valves in the UK. Mr Van Bavel concluded, “We are looking to expand our OEM partnerships both for rotary valves and for bag emtying, big bag filling and big bag emptying systems in our bulk handling activities. It can be harder to export the big engineering projects outside Europe so we very much see our future success in working with worldwide OEMs and a network of local distributors for n our components.”

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Quality and customer service Azmec Srl is one of the major Italian players in the design and manufacture of liquid ring vacuum pumps and vacuum compressors. Eugenia Fiusco talks to CEO Claudio Vergani to find out more.

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hen it comes to vacuum technology, each industry has its own requirements. Azmec Srl offers unparalleled expertise in the design and manufacture of systems designed to meet its clients’ specific process needs.

These systems are ready for operation, easy to integrate into process automation, help minimise installation and operating costs, and most of all are designed to meet the most demanding applications.

“Azmec Srl was already involved in the production of vacuum systems when my father and I acquired AZMEC in 1987,” begins Mr Vergani. “At the time, we owned a company located in Merate, near Milano, that manufactured centrifugal pumps; the headquarter of AZMEC is still in Genova today.”

The acquisition of the plant near Lecco gave the Vergani family the opportunity to expand its production line and gain a leading position in the Italian market.

Production lines and applications Azmec vacuum pumps are particularly designed for all those uses which require a large quantity of humid air with medium vacuum capacities, and are equipped with great safety and durability features. The Azmec AL, ALBV, ALCZ and ALC pumps can be used as air or other gas compressors up to an effective pressure of around 1.6 Kg/cmq.

Its current range includes the AL/2000 liquid ring vacuum pumps with flow rates from 180 to 10.200 m3/h, the ALZ/2000 pumps built with two suction vents – which in effect means that the user can have two pumps in one with totally independent and differentiated vacuums, the ALCZ and ALC pumps can reach a maximum capacity of 50.000 m3/h Of course, Azmec also provides all the necessary accessories, from transmission units and pre-separation units to from discharge separators, silencers and so on.

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Leading the large pump market, Azmec’s vacuum pumps are designed to operate in demanding environments such as the paper, power, mining and chemical process industries; they offer durability and reliability at low operating costs.

“We are particularly proud to be working with some of the major companies that manufacture paper machinery, such as the Cartiere Burgo Group, one of Europe’s leading producers of coated and speciality papers,” says Mr Vergani.

Tailor-made pumps Azmec has an internal Research and Development division that works in synergy with clients, calibrating the pumps and compressors to suit their future applications. In particular, specialised staff calibrate products in compliance with the ISO regulations in areas such as pump capacity, vacuum degree, speed, service liquid temperature, temperature and absorbed power.

“Azmec is in charge of the design and manufacture of our production lines. All adjustments and improvements are carried out internally by our R&D department with a view to reduce final costs while preserving our top-of-the-range quality and performance,” says Mr Vergani. “In the future, we might want to expand our production lines, but for now we are focusing on optimising our current lines.”

Geographical presence Azmec Srl is widely present on the international market thanks to a well-connected network of external agencies. “We have worked on developing a network of agencies that represent our brand all over the world including in South America, Egypt, Turkey and Europe, whilst working on maintaining our strong position on the domestic market,” says

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Mr Vergani. Its commitment to engaging with international markets is also exemplified by its regular participation in all the most important fairs and exhibitions in the industry.

Upcoming events include MIAC – the International Exhibition of Paper Industry that takes place in Lucca, Italy, in October 2015.

“Unfortunately, the crisis hit us back in 2008 and put a stop to a growth that had been relentless until then. The main goal for the future of the company is to regain our momentum and keep working to come up with the most reliable solutions for our old and new customers,” concludes Mr Vergani.

Visit: www.azmec.it

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Complete prepress

services

Belgium-based STEURS has over 65 years of experience in artwork & repro services. The company identifies itself as an innovation-focused prepress company, offering unique software solutions and printing technology to cover the entire process from brand design to printing. Victoria Hattersley talks to managing director Dirk Cantens about this companyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s specialist services for the packaging sector.

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S

TEURS is one of the leading providers of prepress services in the Benelux. As we shall see, the company has been able to maintain its leading edge by remaining both innovation-focused and service-oriented. The former allows it to offer unique software solutions to provide complete internal packaging workflow management, whilst the latter enables it to significantly reduce costs and lead times.

To look briefly at the background and development of this company: it was established in 1947 by the Steurs brothers, who proceeded to transform their small business into a market leader. In 1985 it was sold to the Cantens family under the leadership of Paul Cantens who, through a series of investments and the addition of a pool of talented employees, were able to grow STEURS into the largest independent prepress company in the Benelux. The year 2003 saw the second generation of the family take over under the leadership of Dirk Cantens.

Headquartered in Antwerp, Belgium, today STEURS employs around 75 people and its activities are focused on two main areas: Packaging and Commercial Publishing. The former of these will be the focus of this article.

Investing in technology Over the past couple of years STEURS has been making some significant investments in hardware and software in order to enhance its packaging services still further. It has, for example, purchased both Esko HD and Kodak NX technology – but it has not stopped there, as Mr Cantens tells us: “Our own R&D department has enriched both technologies with their own developments to result in never before-seen printing stability and colour brightness for all kinds of materials.”

In terms of software, STEURS has invested in the development of a groundbreaking portal that not only manages the internal packaging workflow but also incorporates all processes on the client’s side as well as external parties such as design agencies, printers and so on. This portal is linked to customers’ ERP and specification systems as well as to STEURS’ internal workflows – all of which can reduce administrative efforts and eliminate human errors.

Full service offering STEURS is able to stand out from its competitors in part thanks to its ability to offer a complete prepress service in-house. It operates an entirely digital workflow, handling the whole process from concept to CTP platemaking including design & repro, photo studio, imaging services and all kinds of press proofs. Its print production processes include offset, flexographic, gravure and digital and it is also widely regarded for its accompanying expertise in imaging and colour management (of which more later). No outsourcing is therefore required, which as we have seen enables it to significantly shorten lead times for its clients.

Mr Cantens goes into a little more detail about the full range of services offered by his company: “We are a prepress company that performs all tasks between the brand design (usually done by a design agency) and the printing. The flow starts with design translation where we use the brand images and guidelines to create master designs for the different packaging types of a product. From that, we perform the artwork on these master designs.

“We then perform the repro tasks (trapping, colour management etc.) to come to a ready-for-print file. Here the customer gets two choices: we deliver this ready-for-print Packaging Europe | 137 |

file to the printer, or we produce plates and deliver these to the printer. The latter workflow facilitates a complete control over the final printing result and enables the customer to make use of our advanced plate-making technologies.”

S-dot and S-color: Two unique technologies working hand-in-hand And this last point brings us to perhaps the most significant achievement of STEURS’ R&D team in recent years. As mentioned above, the team has been working very hard to develop entirely new ways of approaching colour management and plate-making for flexo printing.

For those unfamiliar with these kinds of processes, S-dot plates are based on existing technologies but come with a number of additional advantages for the user. For one thing, they decrease the dot gain considerably while also greatly increasing the colour intensity.

The printing process is also far more stable than with conventional plates, which enables the standardisation of the printing presets. Indeed, they allow for an entirely new way of applying colour management, reducing the number of colours required while maintaining precise brand colours – something that is very important for an established brand of course.

Mr Cantens tells us that the S-dot was launched on the market in March this year (2015) with a solution for the corrugated market. In the meantime STEURS has been launching solutions for solid board and this will soon be extended to foils and labels. He says: “We are continuously improving the results of these products by gathering all feedback from customers and measuring the actual printing results.”

New S-dot plates based on the recently installed Kodak NX system will also be launched this month.

He goes on: “Since we get such stable printing results with the S-dot plates, we were | 138 | Packaging Europe

able to develop a whole new way of approaching colour management. We call this technology ‘S-color’. S-color comes with an online tool that shows the possible results of certain colour choices on-the-fly. It therefore enables the customer to quickly judge on the best colour combination without having to go through the whole prepress process.

Most of the time, this results in the use of fewer colours which enables us to lower costs whilst preserving the brand colours. We have launched the basic version of this tool and our R&D department is working hard to expand its possibilities.”

Main markets and future plans STEURS’ geographical coverage continues to grow: it wins customers throughout Europe, although its main markets are currently Belgium, the Netherlands and Germany.

Owing to the large demand for its new products it is also in the process of expanding its business in other European countries.

Mr Cantens tells us that future growth is likely to be of an organic nature, although the company does not rule out the possibility of acquisitions if the right opportunity presents itself. But it is innovation, first and foremost, that will be the main focus for its strategy moving forward.

He concludes: “Innovation is an important keystone to facilitate the simplification and standardisation of the packaging workflow for brand owners and packaging producers. Scolor and S-dot are just two products that fit into this strategy, but our R&D team is full of ideas that will be developed and released in the coming year. We will continue to involve our customers strongly throughout the development process to come up with products and services that meet the market needs.”

Visit: www.steurs.com

Sustainable success

Beiersdorf is a global leader in the development and manufacture of personal care products. The company builds sustainability into every aspect of its operations and is responsible for some of the worldâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s most recognisable brands, which include Nivea, Eucerin and Elstoplast. Philip Yorke reports on a company that sets the benchmarks for innovative, consumer-driven skin care products.

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LINDAL Group The accelerating launch of compressed deodorants and antiperspirants throughout the world marks the further use of exciting aerosol technology developed and patented by LINDAL Group.

A worldwide leader in aerosol packaging technology, LINDAL Group anticipates comprehensive global acceptance of the new compressed deodorant and antiperspirant format. Watch for new compressed format aerosol solutions in cosmetics and body care, sun protection, hair care and styling, household and technical products.

The Hamburg, Germany-based company has more than 50 years of experience with aerosol solutions for the cosmetics, household, pharmaceuticals, food and technical industries.

The LINDAL Group is represented by subsidiaries and licensees in more than 15 countries throughout Europe, Asia and The Americas.

The company is renowned for its innovative designs, which deliver optimal functionality and return on investment. As a result, LINDAL packaging solutions are the choice of the world’s most prestigious and trusted brands.

Your Best Partner

Tylose

®

for Personal Care

For personal care the following properties of Tylose® cellulose ethers are particularly significant Thickening / adjustment of consistency of hair conditioners, hair gels, toothpastes and lotions Stabilisation High compatibility with other raw materials such as surfactants

SE Tylose GmbH & Co. KG Industriepark Kalle-Albert, Rheingaustrasse 190 - 196, 65203 Wiesbaden, Germany Phone: +49 611 964 - 04 | E-mail: info@SETylose.com | www.SETylose.com

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eiersdorf was founded in Hamburg in 1880 by Paul C Beiersdorf, who started by taking over a chemist shop before building a laboratory a year later to develop and manufacture medical plasters.

In 1892 a leading pharmacist, Dr Oscar Troplowitz, acquired the laboratory and quickly expanded it to become a leading branded goods company. International success soon followed with a contract with the US trading company Lehn & Fink. The most significant company achievement at that time was the creation of brands that are still famous today.

Namely Labello in 1909 and Nivea in 1911.

Today Beiersdorf is a true global brand leader and is organised in two separate business units: Consumer business and Tesa self-adhesive products. The company is quoted on the Frankfurt Stock Exchange and employs more than 17,000 people worldwide. In 2014 Beiersdorf recorded sales of €6285 million.

Innovative technologies One of the key factors driving Beiersdorf’s global success is its ability to innovate. New product research and development activities have always played a major role within the Beiersdorf organisation. To strengthen yet further the unwavering consumer trust in Beiersdorf products, the company is continuing to invest substantial funds in dermatological research and new, innovative technologies. Beiersdorf’s global brands unite international trends with regional consumer needs because no two markets are the same and consumer skin care requirements differ considerably from one continent to another.

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Innovation continues to drive Beiersdorf ’s sales and the company has been setting the gold standard for skin care products for decades, initially with the introduction of the first sun screen protection factor, followed by the first skin care regime especially for men. In addition it has developed countless numbers of active ingredients such as the co-enzyme Q10 in the field of anti-aging and Hydra IQ technology in moisturising products. These products stand out from the crowd due to their exceptional, gentle action and outstanding quality.

The company’s basis for progress and innovation is its continual search for new biological opportunities in order to target specific skin-related needs of different skin types and age groups.

Strategic sustainability During the last three years Beiersdorf has reduced its CO2 emissions per product sold by 48 per cent and has already exceeded its environmental commitment for 2020 by 18 points. In other areas, the search for more sustainable solutions has led to some surprising results. An analysis relating to the Nivea facecare range revealed that plastic jars appear to be more environmentally friendly than the previously used glass jars. Today over 12 per cent of annual sales are achieved by products with significantly reduced environmental impact, and by 2020 Beiersdorf plans to raise that percentage share to 50 per cent.

Another important aspect of Beiersdorf’s sustainability strategy is its social and brand commitment. By maintaining transparent communication and encouraging active

consumer involvement, the company’s products not only create social value, but also strengthen the brand’s positioning, resulting in a ‘win-win’ situation for both society and the company’s business objectives.

When it comes to packaging the company believes that every stage of its packaging life-cycle can offer potential savings that can make a substantial contribution to environmental protection. The development of retail pouches is just one example of Beiersdorf ’s commitment to reducing packaging waste and environmental impact. Thanks to its refillable containers and the possibility of using product packages like soap dispensers for an extended period, waste volumes can be

reduced significantly. The refill pouches used in the Nivea Crème Shower Gel result in 75 per cent less waste.

Today almost 100 per cent of Beiersdorf’s packaging materials are recyclable. The company works closely with accredited regional and national recycling organisations to improve the quality of recycling to consumers and to increase its recycling rate. Worldwide the reclaiming and recycling of used packages is dealt with by different disposal companies that also observe country-specific requirements. Since 2009, sustainability has been strategically anchored in the company’s packaging development processes. Wherever possible, it applies the sustainability criteria of ‘avoid, reduce and recycle’ to all its innovations.

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Positive performance Beiersdorf continued on its profitable growth path in 2014 despite a more difficult market environment. The company recorded organic growth of 4.7 per cent in the past financial year. Innovation and new product development were largely responsible for the company’s on-going success.

“Beiersdorf was successful in 2014. Once again we increased sales and earnings. We also gained market share in our relevant markets and became even more innovative and more competitive,” said Stefan H Heindreich, CEO of Beiersdorf AG. “This positive performance is based upon our clear and systematically implemented business strategy.

We have achieved a level of stability that leads us to expect further growth in even more difficult political and economic conditions. This makes us cautiously optimistic for 2025.”

A recent innovative and significant breakthrough was announced recently in the company’s goal to stimulate the skin’s natural defences against free radicals. Scientists from Beiersdorf’s ‘Front End Innovation’ team, in cooperation with Eucerin, have now discovered a way to enhance the skin’s protective capacity. Licochalcone A, an active ingredient

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derived from licorice root extract, directly activates cellular safeguard mechanisms and helps the skin to naturally defend itself. The current publication in the peer-reviewed scientific journal ‘Experimental Dermatology’ initiated a press release by the journal which has resulted in a very positive reception from the scientific community.

“We did not expect such a response,” says Beiersdorf researcher Dr Jochen Kuhnl, head of the company’s Experimental Technology Lab. Jochen Kuhnl has been working intensively on making skin cells more robust against stress. He explains, “When it gets

chilly outside, cold showers help to boost our immune system which protects us from colds. We asked ourselves if this analogy is transferable to the UV protective mechanisms in skin and whether we could make it cosmetically useful.” The new active ingredient, Licochaclone, developed by Beiersdorf, helps the skin in two ways against UV stress: it activates the skin’s own protection and is an antioxident itself.

For further details of Beiersdorf ’s latest innovative products and services visit: www.beiersdorf.com

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Leaders in quality control solutions Ishida has been providing innovative weighing and in-line inspection systems for over 40 years. Elisabeth Skoda talked to Ishida Europe about the industry focus on food safety and quality control and how Ishida is helping packers, processors and manufacturers meet the tough quality and performance challenges of today.

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roduct recalls, quality issues, tightening regulation, new industry standards and rising commodity costs are impacting food supply chains across the globe. In this dynamic market, driven by new technologies, increased product differentiation and more affluent consumers, there is a heightened focus on food safety, transparency, traceability and quality.

Earning and maintaining the trust of retailers and consumers is a sector-wide challenge. As a result of several high profile food scares and an increasing number of product recalls, consumer trust in the food supply chain is fragile. Consumers have also never been harder to please in terms of quality. Across the full spectrum of products, expectations of taste, size, shelf-life and packaging are high and consistency is key.

“The desire to safeguard brand reputation, remain competitive and meet the rising standards and expectations of retailers is driving the uptake of quality control technologies. Quality control systems are increasingly being integrated into whole production lines,” says Steve Jones, Marketing Director at Ishida Europe.

The real impact of a product recall Whilst primarily a public health issue, a product recall can also represent a serious economic threat. The cost of a recall can have a dramatic impact on a business’s bottom-line, especially when you factor in the expense of lost and wasted product, any damages you’ve had to pay to out of pocket customers or fines you’ve been issued by retailers, as well as any lost contracts, third party liability or business interruptions.

Another serious consequence of a recall is the potential for loss of future sales and

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confidence in the associated brand. With industry research suggesting that one in two consumers will stop buying an affected product for at least a year , it is vital that recalls are prevented where possible and dealt with effectively when they do occur.

As companies like Volkswagen have found recently, the media is very quick to judge the way companies deal with a crisis. Effectively dealing with a major recall reduces its impact on both costs and reputation. Of course, the reverse is true if a company fails to handle the situation well.

Reasons for recalls Unfortunately, despite the best laid HACCP plans, food security policies and good manufacturing practices, food recalls still happen. Although outbreaks of foodborne illnesses such as Salmonella, E.coli or Listeria may capture the headlines, in reality there are numerous other reasons for product recalls.

As food supply chains grow longer and more complex, labelling regulations are tightening, putting manufacturers at risk of recall should labelling errors or inconsistencies occur. Whilst the presence of undeclared allergens topped the list of reasons for recalls in the UK last year, there were also 78 instances of food items recalled due to physical contamination.

Products can become contaminated with foreign bodies at various points in the supply chain. Often, the contaminants detected are stones or other small objects found in raw materials, metal fragments introduced during processing or shards of plastic or glass introduced as products are packaged. Earlier this year some of the

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leading supermarkets had to recall own-brand products due to physical contamination concerns; as a result of the failure of a supplier’s potato blanching machine small bits of metal found their way into various potato-based products .

In-line inspection Manufacturers are increasingly realising that inspecting products in-line is the quickest way they can effectively detect and reject products that contain physical contaminants. By using x-ray inspection, vision testing and checkweighing to inspect products at critical control points throughout the line, anomalies can be successfully flagged. Such systems incorporate fully integrated automatic rejection systems, also detecting incorrectly packaged or labelled packs and those that are over- or under- weight, ensuring that all non-conforming packs can be removed without the need to stop or slow the production line.

“Causes can be quickly identified and rectified, effectively preventing any substandard product from entering the supply chain and thus sparking a potentially costly recall.”

More recently, manufacturers, particularly those using MAP (modified atmosphere packaging), have also welcomed the latest innovation in quality control - the Ishida AirScan.

A revolutionary leak detector The Ishida AirScan is a revolutionary leak detector designed to minimise spoilage in pre-packed products.

Using equipment that utilises advanced laser technology, manufacturers can detect leaks of CO2 from holes as small as 0.5mm in sealed MAP packs that would have been missed by other in-line inspection methods.

“The leak detector verifies seal integrity which ensures that the MAP gas is maintained within the pack - providing consistent product quality, and allowing production problems to be identified and rectified quickly. It also reduces the amount of packaging that has to be scrapped, while the non-destructive testing process ensures that product can be re-packed.

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Not only can suppliers ensure a high quality product leaves the factory gate that won’t spoil prematurely either in transit or on-shelf, but also in providing retailers with the added reassurance that they are sourcing from responsible suppliers that deliver high levels of customer satisfaction.”

Prevention on your production line When developing and designing a line, suppliers also have a vital role to play helping ensure that the necessary monitoring, reporting and training processes are in place. This helps to quickly identify issues and drive continuous improvement by increasing the potential for applying lean and efficient practices without compromising quality control.

“By training staff to make full use of advanced data management systems used to automate monitoring and reporting processes, manufacturers can quickly identify anomalies, taking corrective action further down the line, thereby enhancing end-of-line efficiency.”

Should there be an incident, manufacturers need to be able to demonstrate an audit trail. In other words, there needs to be demonstrable proof that the product left the manufacturing facility was checked to confirm that it was in perfect condition and labelled correctly.

As part of the Quality Control range, manufacturers can employ Ishida’s advanced data management systems to ensure that the checks on every single pack are recorded and easily accessed, if and when required.

This should form part of a strong food recall plan that, when instigated, allows for contaminated, damaged or out of specification food products to be quickly and effectively located, removed from the marketplace, isolated and destroyed. Such plans must also cover the process for ascertaining the cause of the incident and how the manufacturer communicates their commitment to customers, the press and the wider public.

The good news is that by working closely with suppliers such as Ishida, manufacturers can both demonstrate their commitment to quality and safety and reduce the likelihood of a costly incident whilst ensuring that neither performance nor flexibility is compromised.

Visit: www.ishidaeurope.com

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Brand building beauty and personal care packaging partner Albéa continues to grow and develop. Packaging Europe spoke to Laurent Villemin, vice president Europe, to learn more. Emma-Jane Batey reports.

The beauty of great packaging T

he entrepreneurial approach of what is today known as Albéa was evident back when the company was founded over 50 years ago as Cebal Tubes and Techpack.

Enjoying rapid success across Europe and in both North and South America, and then in Asia, the cosmetics packaging company was initially part of the Pechiney Group. A series of mergers and acquisitions played a part in the next chapter of the company’s history, with private equity fund Sun Capital Partners gaining the operation in 2010 and renaming it Albéa. | 150 | Packaging Europe

This development has seen Albéa grow considerably, particularly thanks to four bold acquisitions that have helped to strengthen Albéa’s competitive position in the market.

Laurent Villemin, vice president Europe, explained more to Packaging Europe. “We have invested significantly Albéato the tune of EUR100 million every year in order to support our customers and our business,” he said. “The four acquisitions included Betts in 2011, a leader in laminate tubes, which turned Albéa into a clear leader in the tubes market, and Rexam Personal Care in 2013. This acquisition has strengthened our

market positions in cosmetic rigid packaging and has both broadened our footprint in Asia and allowed us to enter the attractive pumps market. The other two key acquisitions were Eyelematic and Tex China, which have boosted our presence, respectively, in surface treatment and China.”

Global history With over 50 years of recognised technical expertise gained from industrial manufacturing experience and a passion for innovation, Albéa enjoys a strong and solid presence across the world. Generating USD 1.6 billion sales thanks to 16,000 employees based at 38 industrial facilities in 14 countries throughout Europe, America and Asia, Albéa serves global, regional and local brands. Mr Villemin continued: “What is key is that we have a broad range of packaging with three industrial activities. And although each activity serves global, regional and local customers, their footprints are the result of their different business models and so are perfectly in tune with their customers’ specific needs. Our tubes activity is best suited to regional operations as empty tubes do not travel well over long distances. Our dispensing systems operate on a hub and spoke mode, with high-tech ‘engine’ manufacturing in designated centres in Europe and the US and assembly and decoration taking place closer to our markets and customers.”

The third product area, CRP, or cosmetic rigid packaging, embodies the highlyvaluable ‘made in France’ mark where this is appealing to customers – but not only. Mr Villemin added, “Our cosmetic rigid packaging activity is a global network of world-class technical expertise for each beauty product segment, such as mascara, lipstick, fragrance

caps and compacts. Some customers value proximity in a facility, such as when responsiveness or the ‘made in France’ promise is desired, and others appreciate working with the world’s best experts in beauty packaging development.”

“Albéa offers a broad range of packaging solutions, unrivalled industrial expertise, a solid local presence with extensive global reach, an unwavering commitment to corporate social responsibility and, perhaps above all, a team of passionate people that have been contributing to the success of our customers and our business for over 50 years.”

The defining features of Albéa’s brand position are at the core of the company’s continued success. “Our unique value proposition is everything,” Mr Villemin explained. “Albéa offers a broad range of packaging solutions, unrivalled industrial expertise, a solid local presence with extensive global reach, an unwavering

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Gevers Albéa invests continuously in innovation, with the full support from its Intellectual Property partner GEVERS. “Working with GEVERS, gives us valuable insight into how to develop further our intellectual property capabilities as a strategic business tool.” says Guillaume Mouraret, IP Group Manager for Albéa. “GEVERS doesn’t just help us protect our packaging innovations through patents, designs or trademarks, but provides a 360° vision on innovation. They help us identify where some innovation opportunities lie, monitor our existing patents and brands.

In other words, they are an extremely reliable partner intrinsic to our growth” Guillaume adds.

commitment to corporate social responsibility and, perhaps above all, a team of passionate people that have been contributing to the success of our customers and our business for over 50 years.”

Dedicated to looking good As one of the few companies within the packaging industry that is fully dedicated to the beauty and hygiene market, with a small but solid pharmaceutical activity, Albéa is very much market orientated. This particular strength and differentiator means that the company is very much a ‘multi-expert’, as Mr Villemin explained. He said, “We have excellent ‘one stop shop’ capabilities that support a quick time-to-market and offer easy project management with a single point of contact for cross-technology developments, complex logistics and multiple product expertise. Our one-stop-shop also means that a brand is more than able to build its whole product range with us thanks to our large product portfolio.”

Brand development and on-going research and development are integral to Albéa’s achievements. With around 30 per cent of its portfolio renewed each year and extensive and well-funded R&D departments employing over 200 people worldwide, it’s something the company takes seriously. Mr Villemin noted: “The will to invest in an ambitious innovation strategy strengthens the group’s commitment to keep earning its customers’ confidence and to contribute to their success on this vibrant market.”

With strong growth expected worldwide in both its established and newly-developed markets, Albéa is confident in its own on-going success. Its vision is to partner with customers to build a positive future for their brands and to ensure total customer satisfaction thanks to driving operating excellence which includes cost competitiveness, quality and service, inventing and developing great packaging and building best-in-class teams. n Visit: www.albea-group.com

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FLEXIBLE PACKAGING SOLUTIONS Update your investment!

Swiss-based BM Flex is a young company, which offers a range of solutions for the flexible packaging sector. MD Bruno Massaria tells Barbara Rossi how the company offers both new machines and retrofitting of older models. | 154 | Packaging Europe

“We offer customised solutions, so if customers contact us with their requests, thanks to our contacts and expertise we can source the best solution for them, accompanied by our technical assistance.”

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Flex commercialises packaging machines and accessories manufactured by a number of suppliers. Mr Massaria specifies, “We do not simply carry out the work of a commercial agent.

We also have a real focus on technical and spare parts assistance, so as well as taking care of commercial support we are very strong in these two areas. In fact, this is the real added value that we offer.”

Wide product range The company has a very interesting range of packaging solutions. The core of its offer is composed of pouch making machines (retrofitting and new models), but the range also includes vision systems, SCADA systems, bag making machines, spout inserting devices and other equipment for possible additional flexible packaging needs. “We offer customised solutions, so if customers contact us with their requests, thanks to our contacts and expertise we can source the best solution for them, accompanied by our technical assistance.”

BM Flex works in close collaboration with two of its suppliers, Swiss-based Flex 4 and Zhou Tai, a Chinese manufacturer of flexible packaging machines. Thanks to the collaboration with Flex 4 the company is able to offer a range of retrofitting solutions for old pouch making machines. This is a very interesting option, as

many customers find that they do not wish to purchase a brand new machine and that, after the guarantee period has expired, the original manufacturer might be more interested in supplying a new machine than technical assistance for an older model. Retrofitting work can take place at the Flex 4 premises in Ligornetto (near Mendrisio, Switzerland) where BM Flex is also based, or at a client’s premises. Flex 4 has a great deal of experience in this field and Mr Massaria has been taking care of the commercial side of the Flex 4 business for a number of years, hence today’s close collaboration. The company can also supply other additional devices as part of the Flex 4 retrofitting solution, so as to totally fulfil customer needs.

Moreover, as well as this retrofitting offer, BM Flex has recently expanded to the supply of new models of pouch-making machines with a special touch. In fact, the company can offer brand new machines produced in China by Zhou Tai, but equipped with Western electronics and software provided by Flex 4. The types of machines that it can provide through this method are, amongst others, three-side seals bags, stand-up pouches (bottom folded or inserted) with zipper or valve, gusseted bags with or without valve, bag-in-box pouches and flat bottom pouches.

“This is a way of offering an Asian-made machine, but with a European guarantee. The mechanics part is from Asia, electronics and software are European.

I think that this is a winning combination, combining Asian prices with European

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“We can cater for different kinds of bags and products. Because of this, we serve a range of sectors, from the pharmaceutical industry to the food, non-food and pet food segments.”

performance and technical assistance. Before choosing Zhou Tai we conducted a careful survey of possible suppliers and realised that they were the right company with which to develop this collaboration. Of course, if some customers just want a Zhou Tai machine, without the added electronics, we can do that as well.”

Looking after medical pouches BM Flex also supplies Vision VSF4, a vision system for quality control employing Data Logic technology, which can be mechanically adapted to any existing machine.

The benefits that it offers are a 100 per cent fault-free product, exceptional monitoring that cannot be matched by human checks alone and significantly increased production quality. All these factors make market success easier. This product is in particular demand for medical pouches.

Also for medical pouches, there is the SCADA, a data collecting and traceability framework software developed by Flex 4. Thanks to this product companies can monitor their production process, increase productivity and guarantee product quality. In fact, any downtime is automatically recorded by the system and requires the operator to input the reason for the problem incurred. At the end of each day a data log can be produced, reporting all the issues that have taken place and what caused them (in Excel or PDF format). SCADA can be integrated in any compatible system or be used as a stand-alone device employing simple I/O communication.

BM Flex also offers spout-inserting devices which can be fitted on various pouch-making machines, as well as commercialising bag-making machines. The latter can be supplied for the production of a range of bags for different uses, from t-shirt packaging to carrier and rubbish bags. “We can cater for different kinds of bags and products. Because of this, we serve a range of sectors, from the pharmaceutical industry to the food, non-food and pet food segments. Obviously a bag or pouch-making machine can serve different sectors and similar packaging can be put | 156 | Packaging Europe

to different uses. I would say that only the pharmaceutical and pet food sector have sector-specific requirements in terms of pouches.”

Recently the company has extended its offer to pet food packaging machines, which are supplied by an American producer. “The pet food sector requires packaging of higher quality, which cannot be produced with Asian machines.”

Sales regions The company has customers in both Europe and the US (with a 50/50 share). There are two US numbers that customers can call, as two dedicated support technicians are based there. So far the US has mainly been supplied with retrofitting solutions, but the future could be different as the offer of new Zhou Tai machines with Flex 4 electronics is fairly recent. “We have introduced this option, because some customers decide that, as their machines are quite old, if they have to make an investment they would rather purchase a new machine.”

The main current European markets are Italy, Switzerland and Germany, but in future the company intends to expand to France, Spain, Portugal and Ireland.

Further expansion is expected in the American continent, as previously discussed, with a special focus on Mexico. “We also have a project with Zhou Tai, which is at the planning stage. The idea is to offer Far Eastern clients made-in-China machines (manufactured by Zhou Tai) but equipped with our own dedicated software, so as to offer an added value to customers who have higher quality requirements.

“In May this year we participated in Plast 2015 in Milan as Flex 4. We are currently working to publicise our solutions and the advantages that they offer. Sometimes, some clients might be sceptical when we first approach them, but when they meet us at a different forum, such as a trade fair, and they actually realise what kind of issues we can solve for them, they see things in a very different way and come to us.”

Visit: www.bmflex.com

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Cylinder winner One of Europe’s largest manufacturers of rotogravure cylinders, ICR Ioannou SA is a leading name in electronic engraving across Europe, the Middle East and North Africa. Emma-Jane Batey spoke to business unit manager Vaggelis Simitzis to learn more.

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ounded in Greece in 1956 by Evangelos Ioannou, ICR Ioannou SA has always been dedicated to rotogravure cylinders. With the business initially focused on the engraving of rotogravure cylinders, the family company has continued to grow and develop, with constant improvement and innovation at its core. Today the company is managed by Yiannis Ioannou and, following the traditions established by his father, is successfully maintaining ICR’s market leading position.

As the largest manufacturer of rotogravure cylinders in Greece and a key player across Europe, the Middle East and North Africa, ICR Ioannou is proud to keep its long-held dedication to total product quality and service, with ongoing investment in new technologies and human potential. Business unit manager Vaggelis Simitzis spoke to Packaging Europe about how the solid foundation of the company continues to support its aims. He said, “The basic principles of our company were founded back in 1956 and have been developed based on the notion that each customer is unique.

We are always interested in the success of our customers because through their success our recognition is achieved. By continually investing in new technologies, our people and our knowhow, we can maintain the market-leading position we have enjoyed for many years.”

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With its core product its unique award-winning lightweight aluminium rotogravure cylinders and flexographic photopolymers, ICR mainly serves the food packaging sector.

In order to maximise its opportunities in this growing field, the company is currently investing heavily in a forward-thinking ‘green technological’ method of manufacturing cylinders. Mr Simitzis explained, “As we all know there is strict legislation concerning the substances in the food packaging sector and, in line with the Swiss Ordinance and the REACH regulations that all converters and brand owners have to comply with and follow, our R&D department is taking our new generation product a step further. So despite the fact that cylinders are not directly related to the food products but rather the packaging materials, ICR Ioannou is now in the exciting position of being able to offer eco-friendly solutions for this sensitive process.”

ICR Ioannou offers pre-press services as well as its aluminium rotogravure cylinders, enabling it to provide customers with excellent quality, sustainability and consistency throughout the printing process, including where the customer wants to print the same job at any converter anywhere in the world. It has recently developed the Ecoton Rotogravure Cylinder, an aluminium-based cylinder without a chrome finish that is ideally suited to short runs.

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What goes around...

Growth goal

ICR Ioannou’s recent investment of more than €1.2 million has seen it increase the capacity of its main plant in Greece, with further plans to expand additional facilities in western and central Europe in the near future. Mr Simitzis continued, “Our main plant for the development and manufacture of aluminium cylinders is based in the well-known Inofita Industrial area, just 25km north of Athens. Here, we produce and engrave the aluminium cylinders for exports and for the Greek market. We also have a state-of-the-art production site located in Sousse in Tunisia and here we have a full production line and engraving for steel rotogravure cylinders.”

The growth plans for ICR Ioannou are in response to increased demand from outside its domestic market. Already exporting around 65 per cent of its production, mainly to customers throughout Europe, in South and North America and in North African markets, the company’s expectation is that it will continue to perform well in these markets whilst also finding new customers. Mr Simitzis added, “Our aim is to penetrate into the Asian and Far Eastern markets in the next two years by really focusing on existing synergies and by creating mutually-beneficial joint ventures in cooperation with skilled converting partners. We also predict that we will grow by working with engraving companies that are interested in ICR’s unique technology.”

So while organic expansion is at the heart of ICR Ioannou’s growth plans, its general philosophy for development comes from an understanding that its first priority is not only to increase its capacity but rather to underline the quality and services it offers as a result of its knowhow and technology. Mr Simitzis explained, “Our goal is to make sure that our customers can be more competitive in terms of quality and cost through using our aluminium cylinders. From our current position we have seen that there is great potential for growth in the European rotogravure sector and we can see that the opportunities available for a competitively-priced, high performance, eco-friendly cylinder are increasing. This is a very interesting time for us as we are pleased to say that ICR Ioannou is one step ahead of any requirements that may arise in the packaging sector in the next few years.”

Visit: www.icr-ioannou.gr

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Innovating to Grow

in a Challenging Market In the face of a downturn of the global commodity market, the increasing milk volumes and price pressure, building strong brands has never been more important for Arla Foods.

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acknowledged in Arla’s interim results announcement in August 2015, internationally declining prices have impacted on the dairy industry in the first half of 2015, creating a tough situation for Arla’s farmer-owners. Nevertheless, Arla has managed to navigate through the hardpressed global market relatively well by growing brand volumes and keeping a tight grip on costs.

During the first half of 2015, Arla achieved a volume-driven revenue growth of the three global brands Arla®, Lurpak® and Castello® of 2.4 per cent.

As Packaging Europe has reported in the past, Arla Foods has long emphasised the importance of packaging innovation in its quest to create value by meeting the need for natural, inspiring, safe and healthy dairy products. “We try to get involved in the packaging development process as early in the process as possible to ensure that we understand the challenges we may face,” Jenny Klingberg, manager of GCO cheese packaging for global categories and operations, told Packaging Europe. “This enables us to align it with the requirements of the brands. During the process we carry out a lot of testing to maintain the best quality and create the best solution possible.”

Strengthening brands

New Concepts; Innovative Packaging

“Even when our milk intake has increased by seven per cent we have managed to keep our industry trading sales share at 20-22 per cent while moving more milk into branded retail sales and food service,” commented CEO Peder Tuborgh. “Lurpak is doing especially well, winning market shares and growing sales in key markets in Europe, Middle East, Latin America and beyond. We need to grow our three global brands significantly, as outlined in our strategy, and we are targeting volume-driven revenue growth of three to five per cent in 2015. The global dairy market has rarely been as unpredictable as now, and unfortunately 2015 is proving to be as challenging as we anticipated. Our long-term view is that the market will turn again in the first half of next year, which is why we will stay focused on our strategic agenda.”

Last year saw the launch of new products. In particular, Jenny Klingberg points out “the new ‘Cooking’ range for Lurpak enables consumers to benefit from Lurpak products whilst frying and cooking for example. The new range of Lurpak products will benefit from innovative packaging to ensure they can be used in the best way, from a spray bottle to an aerosol can. The combination of Lurpak products in these types of packs has been quite a challenge to perfect. This whole new concept and demand from the brand, has driven the innovations that we use in our packaging.”

An important trend within the sector is the challenge faced of ensuring the best shelf-life for dairy products. Jenny Klingberg pointed out: “We are always trying to challenge the shelf-life of our products, by testing the constantly evolving new combi-

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nation of materials and barriers on offer for packaging. We look to improve our packaging in a number of ways, from using carbon layers for a modified atmosphere to increase shelf-life, to using metallised printing processes on our packaging.”

use it securely and without immigration for our packaging. We are also looking into nano-technology to help reduce food waste, for example with our cream and yoghurt products.”

Optimised Solutions

Ongoing Investments

Always aiming to find cost optimised solutions, Arla Foods continuously tests materials and focuses on down-gauging. Arla Foods has an overall ‘closer to nature’ strategy to reduce emissions by 25 per cent by 2020 (compared to 2005). To be able to reach that target it needs its suppliers’ help in the development of new packaging. However, Jenny Klingberg observed: “We have had some issues in the past where we have taken downgauging too far. For example there have been issues with flexible foils where although the down-gauging saves costs and CO₂, it has affected the consumer experience adversely as the foil can break when opening. So we are always trying to find the best long-term solution and there are always new materials to be tested. We are continuously trying to optimise. We have also been focusing since 2013 on looking to the outside rather than the inside and observing our competitors to see what we are competing with on the market.

This has helped us to identify possible savings.”

She continued: “We are always looking to find solutions that help to reduce food waste. We are not so much in the driving seat when it comes to developing greener packaging today, however we try to keep online with current developments and for example work a lot with post-consumer recycled materials, to see if we can

At Arla Foods there are always continuous investments in all areas of the company.

Jenny Klingberg explained: “We have been investing recently in new machinery for our dairies, especially in Africa where we are growing our milk powder offerings.

We also have a new dairy established in Germany, and of course Arla UK.” With six core markets of the UK, Sweden, Denmark, Germany, the Netherlands and Finland, Arla’s first focus area is to develop its core business. However, it is also focusing on expansion outside of the EU, where it is already present in many large and small markets. Jenny Klingberg concluded: “We are expanding in China, Africa, the Middle East and Russia where we are focusing on developing these markets and making significant investments. There is big potential coming from our milk powder products and those with a longer shelflife. We are seeing healthy growth in Russia at the moment and see future growth coming from Africa and Latin America. We see a big trend and more and more volume growing in the emerging countries.”

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For more information, visit www.arla.com

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Success encapsulated When Vicap launched its unique integrated bottle cap for the beverage industry in 2008 it not only took the market by storm, but established an entirely new product sector for the industry. Philip Yorke talked to the CEO, Roger Wilfinger about the evolution of the concept and its on-going success in serving new market sectors.

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icap Systems was founded in Zurich, Switzerland in 2006 and for the first two years the company focussed on filing international patents for its unique concept: a bottle cap with a sealed reservoir to preserve sensitive ingredients such as vitamins and other super foods. Normally these items would degrade with time when dissolved in water or through exposure to oxygen and sunlight. Thus the Vicap system extends a product’s shelf life and improves its taste as well as making it possible to create entirely new formulas.

Following its launch, the company pursued a strategy of integrating packaging, processing and marketing under one roof in order to provide its licence holders with a ready-made, innovation-friendly business network. Since its inception, Vicap has won numerous industry awards such as the ‘Aqua Award’ in the category of best product innovation in 2009 and the silver medal for the ‘Pentawards’ in Tokyo 2014 for the cooperation partner INK Drinks, from Norway.

Functional solutions The Vicap system offers an infinite variety of functional solutions especially for vitamin health drinks and neutraceuticals. The main clear advantage of Vicap is that it is an integrated solution comprising a bottle cap with a reservoir for a beverage’s more

sensitive components. It holds up to 7.5g of powder or 12.5ml of liquid concentrate.

Upon pressing the red nail at the top of the bottle the aluminium foil is pierced releasing the contents into the bottle where they mix with the other ingredients.

In addition to the pleasing optical appearance when the concentrate dissolves in the water, consumers can actually see the vitamins and nutrients dissolve in the beverage, the Vicap system holds tangible advantages for both the producers and consumers alike. Sensitive components such as vitamins and certain flavours are protected from deterioration through exposure to oxygen and sunlight. This significantly extends the product’s shelf life and also allows for the creation of new formulas.

“The main idea is to establish what the customer wants and his needs in relation to taste, freshness and function,” remarked Mr Wilfinger. “We work in close collaboration with our clients and we travel to different countries throughout the world in order to understand the local needs of the consumers. For example, the market requirements in the UK are very different from those in say Russia or the Middle East. Whilst we are continuing to see strong growth in the vitamin and health drinks sectors, we expect that pharmaceuticals and neutraceuticals will be the big markets of the future. Our concept is revolutionising the way companies and consumers think and the Vicap can be compared in many ways with the

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success of the expresso sachet concept, where the product is kept fresh until the day it is used.

“We have created a blue ocean of opportunity for our customers and we help them to develop new products that set new standards in taste, function and wellbeing. In addition to having our own in-house R&D department, we also work in tandem with our new product development partner here in Switzerland.”

Companies welcome new technology As the success and visibility of the Vicap system is manifested in retailers and supermarkets throughout Europe, more and more companies are moving to adopt.

Orthomol, Germany’s market leader in neutraceuticals, recently launched a new functional drink called ‘Quickcap’ utilising the new Vicap technology. This single cap solution comes in four different flavours and functions: Brain, Sports, Sun and Beauty, now available at pharmacies throughout Germany. This represents a significant step forward for Vicap as it is an extension of its business model beyond that of the beverage industry and brings it into the realm of pharmaceuticals.

Another Vicap success story involves a leading German-based beverage company’s brand, Powerlook, which recently was distributed throughout one of Ger-

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many’s largest supermarket chains and has also extended its distribution network to Austria and Russia. It is available in two formulas: ‘Powerlook Drive’, which targets those behind the wheel with caffeine and added vitamins that are an aid to healthy eyesight, and ‘Powerlook Brain’, which contains lecithin to improve memory and reduce stress levels.

As far as Vicap’s geographic markets are concerned, the business is building upon its success in Europe, where it sees the UK as one of the most important markets, due to its high consumer awareness of health and vitamin supplements. This has been optimised recently by the government’s campaign to educate people about the risks of excessive sugar in food and beverages. The Middle East is also a key market for Vicap, which will be looking further afield in the medium term to the big global markets such as the US and Asia.

As part of this expansion drive, at the end of September 2015 Vicap will be launching a new communication platform “vicapworld.com”. The content platform will demonstrate the company’s vision for the future, focusing on the message of how it is meeting the new demands in the marketplace for healthier, innovative and more functional beverage and healthcare solutions.

For further details of Vicap’s innovative products and services visit, www.vicapsystems.eu

Family focus on film Turkey-based BOPP film manufacturer Polibak has been going from strength to strength. As a family owned company, it was founded in 1994 in Izmir to produce BOPP films for the flexible packaging industry. Elisabeth Skoda spoke to Murat Ertekin, the companyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s sales director, to find out more about the companyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s growth thanks to recent investments.

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T

he company, with its main markets in Turkey, the biggest BOPP consuming market in Europe, and Western Europe, achieved an impressive 2014 turnover of 150 million Euros.

Mr. Ertekin is proud to describe the company’s manufacturing prowess: “Currently we have four BOPP lines up and running, with a combined name plate capacity of 80,000 tons per year. We are about to complete the installation of our 5th BOPP line which will bring another 50,000 tons/year on top.”

position itself in the value added film category.

“The share of transparent coex films within our portfolio is less than 40 per cent,” Mr Ertekin adds.

“Polibak continuously works hard on new innovations, and recently has developed an extra high barrier metallised film, an in-mould label film as well as a scratch resistant matt and wrap around label film. This way company has become the market leader for in mould label films in Turkey.”

An effective approach to production

Showcasing innovation

Polibak’s modern facilities and its approach to efficient productivity management make the company stand out from the competition.

“Not only do we use the latest state-of-the-art technologies in our facilities, but we also have a very lean and neat approach to production. Polibak is the only BOPP film manufacturing company in the world which implemented TPM (total productivity management) for operational excellence and this year we have been awarded by the Japan Institute of Plant Maintenance for our successful productivity execution,” Mr Ertekin is proud to point out.

“We are in a competitive industry, therefore running an efficient production process with new fast lines consuming less energy gives us the competitive edge to become a preferred supplier for many converters and brand owners.”

Transparent commodity films account for around 70 per cent of the BOPP market.

Thanks to advanced technical and quality properties of its films, Polibak managed to

Polibak will be showcasing highlights of its eclectic product range at the upcoming Labelexpo trade fair in Brussels.

“We will be exhibiting our white voided wrap around label films, which have a density range of 0.55-0.72 and thickness range of 33-48 µ’s together with our pearlised metallised and matt wrap around label films. We will also be displaying our solid white and transparent in mould label films together with our white voided, solid white and transparent self-adhesive label films,” Mr Ertekin says.

Polibak is proud to have some of the world’s best known end user and converting companies in its portfolio, many of which have been long standing customers and partners for up to 19 years.

“We value long term and sustainable partnerships which require a very strong, reliable commitment for all the aspects of the business. We have a very dedicated and young core

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frequent product change over related lost times and increase our efficiency and output.

Using its high speed and low energy consumption, we plan to dedicate the 5th line to produce coex and metallisable films 24/7 without interruptions. Together with the 5th production line, we are also introducing two new 2,45m wide metallisation units and our metallisation capacity will reach to 25,000 tonnes per annum.”

From Turkey to the world

management team whose main vision is to understand client needs and deliver solutions to them with the best possible response times. Ultimately, once we commit to something, we will do anything to keep our promises under any circumstances no matter what,” Mr Ertekin explains.

“Currently we have two production sites at the Atatürk Industrial Zone in Izmir, with four BOPP production lines, four metallisation units and one CPP production line. Our 5th line, which is 8.7 metres wide, will be operational in late July and it will become to be the fastest line in Europe with a speed of 525m/min,” Mr Ertekin is proud to point out.

“Thanks to our new line, our production planning flexibility will improve. We will be able to dedicate each line to a specific film family, and therefore we will minimise

Polibak’s principal markets are situated in Turkey, with over half of the company’s current production consumed there.

“Turkey will always stay the biggest market in our portfolio, followed by the UK, Italy, Poland, Israel, Greece and Spain,” Mr Ertekin says.

“We are currently working to develop North American markets and we already have a subsidiary called Polibak US in Washington DC for those activities.”

Going forward, Polibak will keep on its course of growth and investment, as Mr Ertekin explains.

“The flexible packaging industry is the main focus and business interest of the Bakioğlu family, who owns Polibak. They are willing to invest into further growth. When the new building for the fifth line was constructed, we also allowed space for a potential sixth line. Once this is up and running, we will be able to become Europe’s market leader for BOPP film supply.”

Visit: www.polibak.com.tr

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