Packaging Europe Issue 11.1

VOLUME 11.1 – 2016

SAVE FOOD AT FIVE: WHAT NEXT FOR WASTE? FOOD TRENDS & INNOVATIONS TEN YEARS IN PACKAGING Laminated with Cosmo Films’s matte thermal lamination film

PHARMAPACK

Contents

VOLUME 11.1 – 2016

The cover of this edition has been laminated with a BOPP-based matte film supplied by India based global group, Cosmo Films Ltd. which is a leading provider of lamination solutions & polypropylene films. The film with a matte finish is one of the many premium laminating films 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.

3

4 8 14 22 24 28 32 34 36 40 46 48 51 52 55 58 60

Editorial Tim Sykes News and Comment Big Interview SAVE FOOD at five SAVE FOOD A short history Innovations Developments in food packaging Flexibles Is food waste driving migration?

10 years in packing A decade in packaging Special report Glaspray: Evolving perfection Convenience Shift to convenience retailers pushes innovation Food The challenges facing food retailers Thin walling Wafer-thin food packaging set to stay Preview Packaging Innovations in Poland Preview EasyFairs’ heavyweights pack a punch Events Serialisation Roundtable for CMOs Preview Gulfood Preview ADF & PCD Special report Stölzle wins triple Worldstar award 2016 Preview Pharmapack Pharma news Latest innovations

62 66 70 74 77 80 85 88 91 94 98 102 106 110 116 118

Industry Profiles Sentega Delivering advanced laser-print label PACE Pacing ahead Madern International A cut above Convectra Delivering serialisation prime solutions ERCA Innovation for the dairy industry Engel Austria Innovative injection moulding Schawk Making brands shine Fatra Celebrating 80 years of plastics Alphasonics The next level of ultrasonic cleaning Petainer Pioneers in plastic packaging EOC Group Competitive and environmentally-friendly adhesives Virto Group Redefining screening technology Innovia Films High-tech films Supravis Group High value barrier films NOVEXX Solutions Improving labelling and identification processes TBMA Valves with value

Advertisers Index A ADF&PCD Aerzen Nederland Arizona Chemical AVT

M 53 121 43 21

C Carpenteria Moro Clondalkin Cosmo Films Covectra Custom Special Tools CZL Tilburg

104 23 39 21 73 73

D DataLase Dow

12 35

E Easyfairs EKB Elba Elsto Drives & Controls Evonik

45 72 112 120 100

G GB Metaal & Kunststoffen GEA Food Solutions Glaspray Global Vision Gulf Packaging & Polymers Show

54

I Innovia Films Iscar

O OCME Optel Vision

17 59

P Pacepacker Packaging Innovations PakTech Plastique Polyart Procap

27 44 15 37 65 33

R Recyl Reiloy Metall Rockwell Automation

35 82 5

Schawk Squid Ink Starlinger Stir PR Rexam

87 122 69 11

T Targi w Krakowie Tubettificio M.Favia

44 39

V 109 73

K Karl Finke GmbH & Co. KG Kornelis

121 49 104 114 43 82

S 121 9 31 50 7

H HAPA

Mak Aandrijvingen Measom Freer Mecc 2000 Mitsui Chemicals Europe Mobi Eurotubi Movomech

113 49

Valspar Viscotec

19 69

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

Administration Amber Dawson Kayleigh Harvey Senior Account Managers Kevin Gambrill Jesse Roberts Features Managers Mauro Berini Clayton Green Matthew Howe Dominic Kurkowski

Packaging Europe

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 2016 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.

A Square Root Company

EDITOR

Production Manager Tania Balderson

Alkmaar House, Alkmaar Way, Norwich, Norfolk, NR6 6BF, UK

POSITIVE PUBLICATIONS

Tim Sykes

Web Development Neil Robertson

T

his month Packaging Europe is proud to mark the tenth anniversary of its launch.

What a decade it has been! Since January 2006 we have witnessed (and reported on) an industry transformed by a combination of external developments and its own internal dynamism.

Over the last ten years e-commerce has exploded from the niches to redefine shopping and reshape supply chains, while the apparently unstoppable trend towards out-of-town giant grocers was challenged by the rise of discount and smaller format stores. The rise of private label has driven competition with branded goods and further effort to differentiate through packaging, as well as fuelling the growth in contract manufacturing. Digital print has grown an ever more viable option and given breathtaking demonstrations of its potential in packaging applications. Packaging lines across Europe are more automated, smarter and more flexible.

The sustainability agenda has remained at the forefront, and better understanding of the issues has led to more substantive measures and innovations, with no room left for crude greenwashing, in addition to adding momentum to the migration of numerous products from rigid to flexible packaging. Meanwhile, increased scrutiny and regulation of food and pharma markets have provided a similarly sharp focus for innovation. All of this has taken place on the backdrop of the most severe and prolonged economic crisis since the 1930s, which has certainly placed caution on investment decisions throughout the packaging supply chain over the period. It’s testimony to the vibrancy of the industry that, despite these challenging conditions, it has found ways to provide consumers with a more convenient, more functional, more reliable product that results in less material waste and less product waste than ten years ago. The exciting thing is that the pace of change is only accelerating – and I hesitate to predict what Packaging Europe looks back on in January 2026.

In this edition of the magazine we celebrate another anniversary: five years of the SAVE FOOD initiative. In an exclusive interview, Bernhard Borgardt (VP of interpack and MD of Ostedruck) shares his perspective of the past and future role of the project. We further explore the subjects of packaging, food and waste with contributions from Roy McAdoo (Clondalkin), Martin Leeming (TrakRap) and Nigel Flowers (Sumitomo (SHI) Demag), as well as picking out the most interesting recent innovations in the food packaging sphere. Paul Wilkinson of Pacepacker Services, who also have a tenth birthday to celebrate, offers his take on the tumultuous changes to the end-of-line landscape over the last decade. Finally, we preview the most interesting exhibitions taking place around Europe and beyond in the early months of 2016, and in the run-up to Pharmapack we review the latest developments in the pharmaceutical packaging segment.

Tim Sykes ts@packagingeurope.com @PackEuropeTim

Packaging Europe | 3 |

Interview

Save food Launched on 27 January 2011, SAVE FOOD marks its fifth anniversary this year. Bernhard Borgardt, managing director of Ostedruck, former president of EuPC and vice president of interpack 2017, who has been involved with the project since its inception, discusses its history and the future with Tim Sykes.

TS

We conduct this interview as we approach the fifth anniversary of the launch of the SAVE FOOD initiative. Could you remind us of the context in which the project was launched: what was new about the approach of SAVE FOOD to the problem of food waste and why was it required?

BB

The idea for the SAVE FOOD project was already developed by Messe Düsseldorf, the organiser of interpack, in cooperation with the conceptual sponsor associations back in 2009. With this idea the trade fair company then approached the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations in the run-up to interpack 2011 and initially had a hard time convincing them. At the end of the day, they were convinced by the realisation that the problem of global food losses and waste can only be combated with industry support. After all, the FAO had itself back then stated that one third of all food produced ended up going to waste. This roughly corresponds to 1.3 billion tonnes. The kick-off then took place at interpack 2011.

TS

A huge amount of discussion and activity has taken place under the SAVE FOOD banner since 2011. To what extent do you consider it has succeeded in achieving its founding objectives?

BB

By raising awareness about food losses and waste – or FLW for short – in the public sphere since, the SAVE FOOD Initiative has already achieved an important aim. But this is only a first step. At the end of the day concrete projects for | 4 | Packaging Europe

direct FLW reductions need to be launched by way of networking between industry, NGOs and policy-makers.

TS BB

Are you able to quantify the amount of food that is wasted globally today? Has there been an improvement in this statistic since 2011?

FAO still cites the 1.3 billion tonnes figure. This, however, is only an estimate because FLW cannot be recorded 100 per cent. I assume that things have already changed prompted by a change of mind-set among some consumers in the western industrialised nations. But this problem cannot be solved within a short period of time. It takes considerable patience. Which is why the work of the SAVE FOOD Initiative and all its partners and members continues to be so important.

TS

SAVE FOOD fosters partnership across the value chain as well as between industry, government and NGOs. What are the potential benefits of collaboration?

Would you be able to tell us the results of a particular initiative, for instance the mango project in Kenya?

BB

The objective of a cooperation across the value chain is to create a win-win situation for all stakeholders – also and especially so for industry. Because only then will companies become sufficiently involved. The mango project in Kenya is now the first concrete business case where SAVE FOOD members want to prevent mangos from perishing

Packaging Europe | 5 |

Interview

by having them converted into dry fruit by a local processor. So far up to 64 per cent of the annual harvest had been lost there. For some months the dried mangos have now been available in retail in Kenya and the idea is to also market them in Europe.

Food in XXL-packs is wasted more frequently. In the future smart packaging with sensors monitoring its contents could play a more prominent role. It would allow consumers to see right away whether a foodstuff is still edible regardless of the best-before label.

TS BB

TS BB

TS BB

Considering the problem in geographical terms, do we require different approaches to different types of problems in the developed and the developing world?

TS

It is true indeed that in developing countries the biggest problem is food loss occurring in the early stages of the food value chain due to poor packaging and lack of logistics infrastructure. By contrast, in developed countries it is above all the consumers that are very careless about foodstuffs and in part discard them unused.

BB

So you believe we still need SAVE FOOD? What work is still to be done, and in what areas are there further gains to be made?

Definitely. Many more projects should emerge that especially reduce food losses in developing countries. Furthermore, it is still true that consumers’ awareness about food waste issues in Western industrialised nations needs to rise. Many are still far too careless.

TS

What contribution has packaging innovation made in addressing the problem of food waste? Are there any particular examples that you would pick out? Are there any new areas of innovation that you expect to help further cut food waste?

BB

All packaging innovations that extend the shelf life of food can contribute to reducing waste, such as MAP-packaged products, for example. At times, even very simple measures are sufficient like portion packs or smaller batch sizes. | 6 | Packaging Europe

What roles can the stakeholders in the packaged food supply chain play in cutting food waste? Whose responsibility is it ultimately to drive improvements?

I think every individual that is part of a value chain has to bear his own responsibility. The more people become aware of this and the sooner this prompts concrete commitment, the more significant the improvements will be.

Looking to the future, are there any new ways in which the SAVE FOOD community could be more effective or contribute even more to the war on waste? Does it need to expand its scope, methodology or range of activities?

I am of the opinion that the exchange among all stakeholders is key to initiating concrete projects as a consequence. In this respect, I can only encourage the industry, in particular, to take action against FWL and to approach potential partners – preferably as a member of the SAVE FOOD Initiative.

I feel everyone should be aware that feeding the world population will increasingly become an issue in coming years. In 2015 it is estimated that more than nine billion people will be living on earth. Simply doing business as usual and expending more and more resources on producing more food while dumping vast quantities at the same time will not work any longer. Even today, no one of the nearly 850 million people affected would have to suffer from hunger if the one third of food produced that is wasted or lost was consumed by human beings.

Packaging Europe | 7 |

A Short History of SAVE FOOD As the initiative celebrates its birthday, Packaging Europe takes a look at its activities and the ethos that underpins them.

S

AVE FOOD came into being as the result of a collaboration between three organisations: the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), Messe DĂźsseldorf GmbH and the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP). From the outset it has relied on the support and involvement of international stakeholders from industry, politics and civil society. Its launch in 2011 was marked by an international SAVE FOOD Congress and an exhibition at interpack of that year demonstrating the scale of food loss and waste.

Since then the project has achieved important results. Having commenced its life with a drive to raise awareness of the issue of food loss, especially among high-ranking decisionmakers, this mission has been pursued ever since. In particular SAVE FOOD has participated in major international events, such as the presentation of the Initiative at the German Permanent Representation in Rome on the occasion of German Unity Day in 2013, a dedicated exhibition at the PROCESS EXPO trade fair in Chicago and the UPAKOVKA / UPAK Italia trade fair in Moscow the same year. This subject also played a central role at the Food Processing & Packaging Exposyum (FPPE) in Kenya in November 2013 and 2014.

An important and acknowledged driver of the momentum of the SAVE FOOD initiative is the broad variety of its supporters. Over 120 companies and associations from the industry are now part of the Initiative in combating food loss and waste, including renowned international corporations such as Bayer, Tetra Pack, Dow Chemical, Henkel, Maersk and

| 8 | Packaging Europe

Bosch but also many committed medium-sized companies from all segments of the food value chain. In addition, a number of organisations, universities and research institutions are registered with the FAO under SAVE FOOD.

The challenge SAVE FOOD has set itself the objective of playing a decisive role in solving one of the greatest challenges to mankind: combating food loss and waste. A growing world population needs sufficient food. To feed them adequately, food production under the existing conditions needs to increase significantly. This would require more arable land, more water consumption, more animal feed and more fertilisers and have significant adverse effects on the environment.

Curbing and minimising food loss and waste can considerably limit the scope of additional resource requirements because a quarter of the food that is currently lost and wasted would already be sufficient to feed the starving world population. As Bernhard Borgardt stated on the previous pages, about 1.3 billion tons of food is discarded each year, either because it spoils due to incorrect storage or inappropriate transport methods or because it no longer meets the standards of the trade and consumers. On top of this, a lot of food is not eaten by consumers because, for example, the quantities purchased by them are too large.

SAVE FOOD

The GEA PowerPak family – Thermoformers at the heart of automated end-of-line solutions The GEA PowerPak horizontal form-, fill- and seal thermoformers range from compact, flexible machines for handling many different products to a speed-optimized thermoformer for just one type of product. Applications include raw and processed meat, poultry, cheese, bakery products, seafood, fish, salads, fruits, snacks and confectionery. Non-food applications include surgical supplies and technical goods. The GEA PowerPaks also meet specific packaging requirements like air, vacuum, MAP, shrink, top-form, skin, steamflush, zipper and cardboard/plastic combinations. The thermoformers can be stand-alone or integrated into end-of-line solutions comprising pre-scanners, loaders, slicers, weighers, labelers, printers, line convergers and quality control systems. This level of integration simplifies changeover and reduces the number of operators required.

To ensure correct filling and sealing, process parameters such as temperature, air, water, vacuum and time are monitored and logged. The thermoformers are ruggedly constructed to safeguard package quality and achieve up to 99 percent machine technical availability even in harsh production environments.

Options include continuous oxygen measuring, adjustable sealing- and forming pressure, label- and legibility detection, and faulty pack detection with ejection.

There is also a choice of heating, forming and cutting systems. GEA’s innovative membrane sealing technology is a maintenance-free, low wear and gentle sealing process that builds up contact pressure evenly to produce a permanently tight seal. It also delivers reliable peel opening with large-format tools.

Hygiene is critical for food packaging so the GEA PowerPak has an open frame with easy-to-clean surfaces, no cavities, inclined panels, hinged sides, grease-free bearings and cleaning modes for tooling and transport chains. The

user interface features intuitive pictograms, language choice and plain text alarms, and can be personalized so operators see only relevant information. An optional RFID tag access control system virtually eliminates human error. There are integrated cross-web and in-line labeling solutions for pre-printed labels, and integrated printers for ‘product identification on demand’ labels. These solutions help meet requirements regarding traceability and dietary information.

GEA’s line convergers (positioned after the thermoformer’s cutting station and synchronized with the cutting knives) ensure packs arrive in line, in the correct orientation and with a consistent gap between packs. The range starts with the GEA EasyGuide, an intelligent outfeed system that dispatches packs in a single line from up to 6 tracks at up to 70 packs per minute (ppm). The fully automatic GEA PowerGuide multi-indexing system converges from six tracks to one at up to 100 ppm. The GEA PowerGuideSpeed achieves up to 250 ppm with a double-lane outfeed. For line converging when speed really matters, the GEA PowerPick can be synchronized with the speed-optimized GEA PowerPak. Available in combination with the convergers is the GEA EasyCheck by Bizerba, a compact check weigher with metal detection. This total inspection system filters out products with metal or incorrect weights and is compliant with HACCP, IFS, BRC and other processes.

GEA also provides slicing solutions for slices and pieces that achieve up to 99% of on-weight portions even with (natural) products with varying shapes.

The slicer portfolio serves high-capacity demands as well as simple lower volume production tasks.

Further information is available on the Internet at: www.gea.com

Packaging Europe | 9 |

SAVE FOOD

Using existing capacities is in every respect a more expedient alternative here. This benefits the environment too: the carbon footprint of food lost worldwide each year is the equivalent of about 3.3 gigatonnes of CO2. Compared with the emissions of individual countries, only the carbon footprint caused each year by the USA is higher.

The objective The SAVE FOOD Initiative focuses on four interrelated elements. First, the raising of awareness of the issues and therefore a corresponding awareness of the problem. Secondly, the involvement of the industry to combine all available resources of private and public organisations. Thirdly, the generation of know-how for the development of fundamental strategies. And fourthly, as ultimate objective, the realisation of concrete investment programmes. This resulted, for example, in the presentation of two fundamental FAO studies on the scale and reasons for food loss in different regions of the world in 2011. These studies highlighted the role of packaging in preventing such loss in order to gain further understanding on how to secure a global resource-conserving food supply.

Based on this, the Initiative presented its study results on reasons for and solutions to food loss in Africa in 2014 at the second SAVE FOOD Congress. At the same time, a joint project started, involving SAVE FOOD members, which is aimed at preventing the loss of mangos in Kenya by using more efficient packaging and processing technologies.

It is above all its concept that distinguishes the SAVE FOOD Initiative: to achieve its objectives through the involvement and networking of as many stakeholders as possible from all areas of industry and public life. This includes industry representatives as much as politicians, NGOs, scientists or activities and, of course, consumers. That is precisely what has made the SAVE FOOD Initiative to date unique. A permanent dialogue is the basis for interdisciplinary model solutions that are related to all areas of the value chain, ‘from farm to fork’.

Holistic approach The SAVE FOOD initiative strives to address problems with a holistic approach, believing that solutions lie in the interaction of activities and impetus from a large number of different areas. These areas include politics: the political framework has to be corrected and also actively shaped to allow room for change.

A further key area is the agricultural industry. Above all here, the factor sustainability plays a role which is at least as important as the development of methods to maximise efficiency in cultivation and harvesting. The objective here, apart from combating losses, is also and above all resource-conserving management.

The situation is similar in food production. Suppliers have a vital control function in terms of both the demand at local producers and customer behaviour. Concrete solution approaches here include inter alia sustainable production methods. | 10 | Packaging Europe

An essential element is the use of expertise from the packaging and process industry.

Efficient logistics are the key to minimising food loss effectively on route to trade and consumers. This includes state-of-the-art processing methods as well as intelligent packaging systems which ensure comprehensive protection. interpack as founding member of the SAVE FOOD Initiative also stands here for the collective competences of the packaging branch and the associated processing industry as well as the international contacts required to coordinate corresponding programmes.

Trade needs to review its product lines, supply chain management but also logistics and recycling comprehensively in terms of whether and in what form food loss occurs and how it can be effectively curbed.

In contrast to many producer countries in parts of the developing world, it is, apart from the trade, above all the consumers in the industrial nations who have a decisive influence on the scale and form of food waste. Purchases without an underlying need or inappropriately sized trading units give rise to a throw-away mentality and are the reason why food lands on the rubbish tip.

In all these areas, the SAVE FOOD Initiative focuses on dialogue, best practices and cooperation to achieve its objective sustainably while at the same time involving all stakeholders.

The principle ‘zero waste and loss’ is an essential component of the UN’s ‘Zero Hunger’ vision. SAVE FOOD’s raison d’être can be summarised as helping bring this vision to fruition through a combination of identifying concrete value chain solutions and promoting communication across borders and segments.

Packaging Europe | 11 |

STEP INLINE WITH DATALASE DataLase, a market leader in laser digital printing of products and packaging, is setting a benchmark for the future of global digital print solutions with its inline revolutionary technology.

DataLase VARIPRINT allows YOU to custom print this text in any language, on demand in-line at the point of packaging

DataLase VARIPRINT enables YOU to custom print this text in any language at high speed, YOU can also include your best © Product Image Copyright of DataLase Ltd. All Rights Reserved.

T

he solution delivered by DataLase enables the technology to be integrated into existing production lines, avoiding excessive investment costs for packers and fillers, reducing costs and generating enhanced marketing capability for brand owners. It also opens up a wealth of opportunities for printing in applications that have been considered impossible or problematic using traditional print techniques.

DataLase technology can be used on both primary and secondary packaging, across virtually any substrate, to print date and lot codes, 2-D data matrix codes, barcodes, images and graphics.

DataLase uses a novel additive that can be incorporated into a coating or substrate which, when exposed to a low power CO2 laser on a packing line, generates a colour change reaction resulting in a high definition, premium quality digital print finish exceeding the quality of classic printing techniques.

It allows for high speed, laser printing, which is ideal for bespoke, customised print jobs and is essentially an inkless print solution, removing the requirement for consumables at the point of packing and filling.

Bespoke branding For brand owners, the DataLase inline digital print solution brings a wealth of advantages to deliver high quality, timely, flexible product marketing solutions for maximum impact.

It enables late stage mass customisation and personalisation of products and packaging to deliver just-in-time flexible marketing campaigns. Graphics relating to promotions,

before date and batch number

advertising, unique codes, track and trace and tailored messages can be quickly integrated into pack designs at the point of packing and filling, in response to brand owners’ marketing needs.

Uniquely incorporated in the packing or filling line, DataLase offers brand owners low cost differentiation through high-speed variable print solutions, maximising marketing effectiveness and value.

The images and graphics delivered via DataLase technology are high definition, premium and durable, offering brands excellent on shelf appeal.

CEO of DataLase, Chris Wyres, said: “Digital print is growing because it offers significant advantages over traditional print techniques today. On demand printing, mass customisation and personalisation of products and packaging are all recent trends in FMCG marketing and the DataLase solution meets these needs.

“Our technology allows brands to target and engage with their customers anytime, anywhere, delivering the promotional communications flexibility they require to increase sales.

“The demand for global flexible marketing is driving late stage packaging customisation. Brands are enjoying the ability to customise their packaging in order to vary their messages according to the season, location, latest promotion or target consumer segment. Other digital print products simply do not deliver the flexibility, performance or cost advantages for the brand owner that the DataLase solution does.”

© Product Image Copyright of DataLase Ltd. All Rights Reserved.

© Product Image Copyright of DataLase Ltd. All Rights Reserved.

DataLase PRIME DataLase PRIME

enables YOU to custom print this

enables YOU to custom print this

entire area with specific branding,

barcode, best before date or batch

batch numbers, barcodes / product

number at high speed

codes all at high speed AND at point of packing

Packing efficiency The inline aspect of DataLase technology brings multiple benefits to the entire supply chain. For packers and fillers this includes avoiding the need to invest in large-scale out of line digital capacity and there is a reduction in SKUs through the removal of the requirement for pre printed materials. This delivers a huge impact on cost and efficiency, and minimises inventory and tie up of capital.

Inline laser digital printing is also high speed relative to traditional inkjet and thermal print techniques bringing improved efficiency and capacity on the packing line. For example, DataLase label printing on a beverage line can take place at more than 100,000 bottles per hour.

Wyres added: “DataLase is effective, efficient and evolving. It provides packers and fillers with a cost effective, high added value solution for today’s fast moving product and packaging print market. Our inline digital laser process offers a real competitive alternative to traditional label and printing methods. One of our partners, for example, has seen their line speeds increase by up to 20 per cent, thanks to the use of inline DataLase technology.”

For packers too, the high definition, ‘no rub-off’ feature of DataLase technology brings several benefits. It means print quality is not compromised as packs progress along the packing line and they are able to meet the high specification packaging requirements demanded by today’s brand owners.

Printer Benefits Great advances have been made in product and pack printing in the past two decades.

The existing technology choices for printers include ablation, inkjet and thermal printing. The downsides of these methods are that they can be messy, with overspray and particulates forming in the air which contaminate products. As DataLase technology is inkless, printers avoid such issues and benefit from being able to deliver a clean, highdefinition, cost-effective printed pack.

The equipment for those current systems can easily become dirty, leading to increased maintenance and repair costs. Nor can these technologies mark under laminates, unlike DataLase, and are both expensive and wasteful.

DataLase technology is versatile; it can be incorporated into a range of coatings, including water-based, solvent based and UV curable systems. It’s also suitable for use on a wide range of substrates and packaging applications, including labels, flexible

films, cartons, bottles and closures. The DataLase solution offers a high quality, cost effective alternative to traditional label and printing methods and uses a non-toxic, environmentally-friendly coating that provides a stable, high contrast and durable image on virtually any substrate.

Like brand owners and packers, the printer also benefits from the fact DataLase technology is high-definition, durable laser printing with no post-print smudging and rub off. For printers this negates the risk of low quality graphics and codes, resulting in reduced returns and supply chain waste.

The technology allows printers the opportunity to offer customers a highly advanced digital print solution, utilising existing print assets and machinery and precluding need for capital expenditure on new digital machinery and training of workforce.

Inline DataLase technology delivers integration versatility and is superior to any other digital laser printing technology. The solution is designed to complement the industry’s most dynamic production lines running cartons, cans, bottle, labels, flexible materials, cases and other packaging materials. As the need for production efficiency and code complexity increases, DataLase is able to deliver the latest solutions to meet the needs of the entire supply chain, from brand owners, to packers and printers.

Wyres added: “Digital technologies are not only changing the way that brands communicate with consumers, they are changing the print industry. Our inline digital technology enables more coding and graphics placement flexibility than ever before.”

Incorporated in more than four billion packs in 2015, DataLase technology originated as laser digital printing of simple bar code text and has now been developed to incorporate monochrome technology - a breakthrough in inline digital laser printing – ready for the mass market.

Launching at Drupa 2016, DataLase will demonstrate its single colour print solution and intends to launch its full colour solution, Infinity, in 2017.

All the latest DataLase developments and solutions will be showcased at Drupa 2016, the largest printing equipment exhibition in the world which takes place May 31 – June 10, in Dusseldorf, Germany.

www.datalase.com Packaging Europe | 13 |

Natural Extracts Extend Life F

or many years Sirane has been at the forefront of research into shelf-life extending technology for fresh produce, and this latest product development combines ground-breaking work with existing technologies to create another major step forward.

Sirane’s new Dri-Fresh ABV pads contain a blend of natural bio-flavonoids and organic acids which work together to naturally enhance the fruit’s own protective defences.

Together with the absorbency within the pad, they offer an outstanding level of protection.

The technology can be supplied as standard absorbent pads or incorporated into Sirane’s Dri-Fresh Soft-Hold pads – absorbent cushioned pads which prevent damage to soft-fruit during transportation. The technology is activated by moisture – so only functions when needed.

Simon Balderson, Sirane MD, said: “Shelf-life extension within fruit, particularly the softfruit world, is a big deal in the industry, just a few extra days can make a big difference.

Soft-fruit has a short-shelf-life and so additional shelf-life is very valuable. It has little in the way of protective skin, so is vulnerable to fungal and bacterial degradation. As it is soft it is also vulnerable to damage during transportation – which can often be a long way.

“This is a completely natural solution to those problems that is very effective.

What we’re doing is effectively taking the fruit’s own natural defences and supplying it when needed in a concentrated form. The results so far have proven to be very impressive. The combination of flavonoids which are anti-oxidants and anti-microbial, with organic acids including citric acid and ascorbic acids is harmless, as all elements are found naturally within fruit. It is clean, simple, and effective. Nature itself often has the answers. This complements our existing shelf-life extending technologies, | 14 | Packaging Europe

including absorbent cushioned pads, anti-fungal pads, ethylene-absorbing pads and labels and more.”

Dri-Fresh ABV has FDA approval, and approval for the EU is in hand. Successful trials have been held in the US with cut fruit – including strawberries – and in the Far East.

Those trials have shown shelf-life extension of several days. Simon Balderson added: “Actual shelf-life extension can be notoriously difficult to quantify, as it is affected by many parameters, however we believe this will offer several days or more additional shelf-life.”

Fruits that would potentially benefit from Dri-Fresh ABV or Dri-Fresh Soft-Hold ABV include all types of berries – strawberries, raspberries, blackberries and blueberries, as well as other fruits vulnerable to damage including tomatoes, apricots, kiwi fruit, nectarines and grapes.

Sirane’s Dri-Fresh Soft-Hold cushioned pads are already being shipped in large quantities to berry producers across North and Central America and Chile – some of the biggest softfruit growing regions globally – with the product starting to appear on supermarket shelves worldwide, including the UK. Dri-Fresh Soft-Hold ABV will only increase this demand.

Dri-fresh Soft-Hold fruit cushioning pads are ‘absorbent bubble pads’ – perfect for berries of all types - combining the cushioning and protective properties of bubble films with effective absorbency, high permeability and excellent product presentation.

Simon Balderson said: “The Soft-Hold surface has a unique ‘tear-drop’ embossing pattern which raises the fruit from the surface to encourage air-flow and inhibit sweating, damage and corresponding fungal growth. The thermo-formed pattern minimises the contact area between each berry and the surface and stops the berries from moving around the pack.

Visit: www.packagingeurope.com/News/66031

Food innovation News iFoodbag with Chiller and Freezer Functions A

fter recently signing an agreement with global packaging company Mondi, iFoodbag now takes the next step in its international expansion. The company is to partner with Mat.se, to deliver foods in a completely new way together with a major car manufacturer. The agreement means that Mat.se and the car manufacturer will make flexible ordering of foods and recipes possible direct from the car for next day delivery. And that’s where iFoodbag’s unique carrier bag comes in: iFoodbag’s® technology means that the water-resistant bag is perfect for containing frozen and chilled foods during delivery to the customer’s home, in contrast to anything else currently on the market. “iFoodbag® enables us to take our concept a step further by increasing flexibility for our customers and giving us additional delivery alternatives. Ensuring that the food remains chilled even after leaving our delivery vans opens up a whole new world of opportunities, which we will be marketing as from tomorrow,” says Måns Danielsson, CEO at Mat.se.

The product is designed for e-commerce companies selling foods online and for high street food retailers. This technology means easier and more eco-friendly transportation of frozen and chilled goods, enhanced food quality and less need for additives. The company hopes that iFoodbag® will mean reduced food waste and save food that would previously have been spoiled, e.g. in a hot climate, as the paper bag has a chiller and freezer function that keeps the goods chilled or frozen for up to 24 hours.

“It feels great to be able to deliver this totally unique technology after seven years of hard work. The product can potentially make life easier for so many people, and it is really fantastic to finally be able to present it. This world-leading technology will mean that the carrier bag will be the next global success story,” states Karl Fallgren, CEO and founder of iFoodbag.

Visit: www.packagingeurope.com/News/65881

Packaging Europe | 15 |

Food innovation News Dow Launches MOR-FREE™ L75-300 High Speed Lamination Adhesive S

uitable for a wide range of general purpose food packaging applications, such as dry pasta, snacks, and confectionery, MOR-FREE™ L75-300 offers advanced performance to help converters increase production output and improve operation costs.

“The launch of MOR-FREE™ L75-300 further enriches the MOR-FREE™ Solventless Adhesives portfolio, a product family designed to enable more efficient production and deliver greater value across the packaging value chain,” said Cristina Miotto, EMEA Marketing Manager for Laminating Adhesives. “As a high speed lamination adhesive solution, MOR-FREE™ L75-300 is yet another example of Dow’s commitment to deliver Science that Connects.”

“For partners within the packaging value chain, the MOR-FREE™ L75-300 is an innovative adhesive solution that delivers advanced performance. From easy processing to faster primary aromatic ammine decay compared to standard general performance adhesives, and enhanced product stability, the new MOR-FREE™ adhesive ultimately helps increase production outputs and improve operational costs,” continued Cristina Miotto.

For converters specifically, performance benefits of MOR-FREE™ L75-300 include high speed lamination, excellent wettability at high web speed, comfortable pot life stability, and easy processing, handling and cleaning. It has also been designed for challenging weather conditions, retaining product stability against a range of different temperature conditions.

“As an industry leader, Dow has the capabilities and technical expertise to drive collaboration across the value chain to address key market needs, such as food safety, enhanced functionality and production efficiencies,” said Thorsten Schmidt, Principle Scientist for Laminating Adhesives. “Dow is committed to deliver adhesives solutions which bring sustainable value creation and customer success. MOR-FREE™ L75-300 is a tangible illustration of this commitment and Dow’s ability to provide customers with efficient, higher performing products that provide a distinctive competitive position.”

Visit: www.packagingeurope.com/News/66017

Interceptor Makes Waves in Wet Food Inspection S

pecifically designed to tackle the longstanding challenge of high product rejects when using metal detectors to inspect meat, dairy, ready meals, bakery and fortified cereals applications, Fortress’s latest technology splits the frequency signals.

This means that the machine can clearly differentiate between the signal generated by the product as a result of moisture or mineral content and any metal contaminant, putting a stop to a potential stainless steel signal being ‘swamped’ by product effect.

Although stainless steel contamination in products is a rare occurrence, the metal is prevalent in industrial food preparation equipment. “Whether you are mixing batches of bread or snack ingredients or slicing and dicing wet meat, bakery and cheese products into smaller portions using wires and knives, there’s a risk of tiny fragments entering the production chain,” comments Fortress’s Sales Director Phil Brown.

In contrast to recent metal detectors, the sensitivity of the Interceptor means it can pick up metal contaminants half the dimensional size previously identifiable. “Detection depends on the size, shape and orientation of metal particles. Although a test sample sphere isn’t a real world contaminant, a 0.5mm change in sphere size can equate to 25mm difference in wire length,” stresses Phil.

| 16 | Packaging Europe

The Interceptor builds upon the cutting-edge Simultaneous Multi-Frequency Technology introduced by Fortress some six years ago. The new technology works by carrying out a real-time analysis of a low-frequency and a high-frequency signal in parallel.

Phil explains: “Using an advanced algorithm the Interceptor is able to split the product and metal detection signals and then link the readings back together. Compared to the traditional approach where we would tune into specific frequencies, this new method means we can identify the product effect (most noticeable at lower frequencies) and eliminate it from the higher-frequency signal, where the potential effect of the metal is more prominent.”

In some cases, alternative approaches may work on up to 10 different frequencies, where the system homes in on the most relevant range. However, metal detectors that select individual frequency ranges are not able to eliminate the product effect as readily and reliably as Interceptor, claims the Fortress team.

Single pass learning is another valuable feature. Already available on the Phantom and Stealth models, the detector range instantly teaches itself and can recall the signature of a given product with a single pass, making the manufacturing process much simpler for production staff and reducing the time spent introducing and checking operational protocols.

“The combination of 100% increased metal detection sensitivity, reduced false product rejects, single pass product learning, and straightforward upgrades go a long way to boosting overall equipment effectiveness and quality assurance for food processors and manufacturers, as well as safeguarding consumers,” highlights Phil.

Sticking to the Fortress watchwords of simplicity and reliability, the Interceptor mobilises well-tried technologies in new and efficient ways. By adopting the type of microprocessing power present in today’s smartphones, the company can continue to offer customers its unique ‘Never Obsolete’ guarantee ensuring future equipment compatibility and giving more expansion options. “A few years ago this type of technology would have been far more difficult and costly to integrate into metal detectors,” adds Phil.

For additional accuracy, Fortress’s FM Software is built into the Interceptor. This brings a predictive element to the analysis of signals. In its own right, FM Software increases detection sensitivity by up to 40%.

Visit: www.packagingeurope.com/News/65798

Packaging Europe | 17 |

Food innovation News Clear Plastic Can From Sonoco S

onoco, one of the largest global diversified packaging companies, has introduced its new TruVue™ Can as an innovative alternative to the traditional metal can that has been a mainstay packaging option for more than 200 years. The clear, retortable plastic can has the potential to revolutionise not just the canned food aisle in supermarkets, but an entire food category that has not seen significant innovation in decades and is challenged to meet the demands of a new generation of shoppers.

“With more than 47,000 products competing for attention in the average supermarket, standing out from the crowd is increasingly important,” said Sonoco President and CEO Jack Sanders. “This is especially true for processed and shelf-stable foods like soups, sauces, fruits and vegetables and even wet pet foods – products traditionally sold in a metal can in the center of the store, an area which is losing share to fresh products found on the perimeter. This new solution creates multiple placement opportunities around the store, including high-traffic areas like the perimeter.”

The TruVue can, made with Sonoco’s patented FUSION Freshlock Technology™, is made of a highly engineered, multilayer plastic substrate that allows consumers to see the product inside. It incorporates the easy-open metal lid and metal bottom that consumers prefer on a traditional metal can. Most importantly, TruVue is the first clear plastic can to withstand the rigors of continuous retort systems without overpressure, performing in hightemperature and high-pressure environments. In addition, the unique construction of the

TruVue can provides a more uniform heating experience, a quicker retort cycle and greater strength performance throughout the supply chain, compared to competitive formats. The package is non-BPA (BPANIA) for food contact.

A by-product of Sonoco’s i6 Innovation Process™, the TruVue Can delivers excellent contact clarity, which in turn creates dramatic shelf impact and communicates the fresh brand image today’s shoppers are looking for. It runs on fully depreciated equipment assets used for traditional metal cans, thereby minimizing additional capital investment, while delivering a true marketing and merchandising advantage for canned food companies.

Visit: www.packagingeurope.com/ News/65989

ULMA & Sealed Air Transform Fresh Food Packaging U

LMA’s TFS Thermoforming equipment, combined with the Cryovac® Darfresh® skin film, uses roll stock material to create a cost-effective, vacuum skin consumer pack that fits around the product like a second skin to produce a securely and hygienically sealed pack, providing retailers with secure and exceptionally attractive product presentation.

The major advantages of skin packaging for retailers are extended shelf life and enhanced pack appearance, while other benefits include moisture retention, the ability to customise pack shape and dimensions as well as vertical merchandising.

Especially suitable for regular or irregular cuts of fresh meat, Cryovac® Darfresh® skin film is also ideal for processed meats, pork, lamb, poultry, fish and cheese. There is also Darfresh Bloom™ to help red meat sealed under vacuum retain its colour and a microwavable version for ready meals, while double decker packages are available for providing a flat top surface to apply a label.

Commenting on the global non-exclusive partnership with ULMA, Sealed Air Packaging Systems Director Europe, Hughes Wygaerts, said: “The ULMA partnership has been very successful. I would really underline the flexibility and willingness of ULMA to strive towards the perfection to deliver top class equipment. Together with the top in class Cryovac® Darfresh® materials we are able to deliver a complete system that will satisfy our customers.” | 18 | Packaging Europe

In addition ULMA’s TFS Thermoforming machines for skin packaging, from the entry level 407 to the high performance 707 model, make each vacuum skin pack to the precise size required for any particular product and can accommodate a variety of product protrusion.

Leak proof packs mean less rejects and cleaner shelves for retailers. The high premium look provides striking merchandising opportunities for shelf appeal and benefits for the environment through continuous improvement in packaging weight reduction.

Versatile skin packaging equipment from ULMA is ideal for both food manufacturers and retailers as it allows for customised packs, as well as enhanced presentation by ensuring the most natural and original appearance of the product, with the bonus of easy opening for consumers ULMA’s UK MD, Chris Pickles, said: “We are delighted to be partnering with Sealed Air for this packaging format, which delivers operational efficiency and sustainability for suppliers and stand-out shelf appeal and less waste for retailers. It is further verification of our commitment to provide the very best packaging solutions in the UK.” Innovative skin packaging technology like ULMA’s offers food sectors fully integrated solutions that are highly productive and efficient to meet the growing demand from retailers for extended shelf life, great commercial visibility and speed to market.

Visit: www.packagingeurope.com/News/65297

Packaging Europe | 19 |

Reducing Salmonella and Listeria on Food Packaging E rze Ambalaj is the largest producer of expanding foam packaging for food in Turkey producing around 15 million food trays per day from their two locations in Turkey. Together with biochemistry developer Parx Plastics a new added value has been developed for their product line-up making the packaging antimicrobial.

The technology derived from bio-mimicry and free from biocides is significantly reducing the growth of Salmonella, Listeria, E.Coli and Staphylococcus Aureus on the packaging. Erze and Parx Plastics spend the past months researching the best solution for incorporating this innovative technology into the expanding foam packaging in an economical way to make it available throughout the entire line-up of Erze.

The results of the combined efforts are an antibacterial performance, measured according to ISO 22196 by the independent University of Ferrara in Italy, of 92.5% against Listeria, 96% against Salmonella and up to 96.5% against Staphylococcus Aureus. This means that this improved food packaging has, scientifically proven, 93-97% lesser bacteria on the surface of the material after 24 hours compared to normal packaging of the same kind.

Specifically the presence of Listeria and Salmonella is an increasing challenge for the market of packaged meats, poultry and fish. With this development a strong tool is in hands to fight the dangers of these bacteria. And the developed protocol makes it possible to implement this technology in a very economical way making the technology available for the entire line of food packaging products.

By reducing the presence of bacteria after the manufacturing of the packaging material, during the transport of the packaging material, during packaging of the food and during the shelf life period of the product the ultimate conditions are created to prevent contamination and to have the best possible shelf life for the product.

The Parx technology is derived from bio-mimicry and it is using one of the most abundant trace elements in the human body to bring forth a change in the materials mechanical/physical property characteristics. The technology is not using biocides; it is able to have an efficient impact on bacterial growth by only a changed material surface property. The trace element used is compliant to the European regulations for plastics that come in contact of food and it is not migrating from the packaging.

Visit: www.packagingeurope.com/News/65835

Seafood Packing System Delivers Benefits R

PC Bebo Kristiansand - Food Packaging Systems (formally Promens Kristiansand) has introduced a new seafood packing system that provides important logistical and sustainability benefits compared to more traditional packs.

Comprising lightweight trays, sealing film and tray lidding machines, the system is able to pack a range of seafood products from fish fillets to shellfish,

| 20 | Packaging Europe

and in conjunction with modified atmosphere packing (MAP) can deliver extended shelf life.

The specially-designed thermoformed HDPE trays are available in a range of sizes and contain features such as Pyramids which when used in combination with plastic layer pads avoid discolouration of the fish from residual water and liquid.

The trays ensure long shelf life without the need for ice, offering a typical 10-12 days for fish fillets.

For efficient distribution, the trays feature a robust construction and are fully stackable – a full truck load can contain around 10 times more trays than EPS boxes. Filled trays can also be transported with other products, including dry goods, since their leak-proof construction prevents salt water from seeping out. Trays can be packed directly onto pallets using film-wrap.

The trays are the strongest on the market and offer full tamper-evidence, delivering consumer convenience and reassurance.

The RPC Bebo Kristiansand facility in Norway has extensive experience and is at the forefront of the supply of packing solutions to small, medium and large seafood processors throughout the world. “We believe this new system offers seafood processors an ideal solution in terms of delivering quality, freshness and convenience to their end customers,� comments sales and marketing director Espen Eggerdink.

Visit: www.packagingeurope.com/News/65573

Food innovation News

Packaging Europe | 21 |

Flight to Flexibles The migration from rigid to flexible packaging in the food and beverage markets has been one of the most salient developments in the industry over the last decade. Roy McAdoo, chief commercial officer for Clondalkin Flexible Packaging, suggests here that the ability of flexibles to compete with rigid containers on extension of shelf life has been a key driver behind this shift.

D

emand for flexible packaging is on the increase and continues to gain market share over traditional rigid packaging, such as glass bottles and metal cans. Recent figures from Smithers Pira indicate that the global market for flexible packaging is forecast to grow at an annual average rate of 3.4 per cent during the period 2015-2020, reaching $248 billion.

Attributable to this shift in demand are the huge advancements that have been made in flexible packaging over the last ten years. Flexible packaging is now an efficient, adaptable and versatile packaging solution for the food and beverage market.

Listening to the consumer and retailers has resulted in rapid technological development. In recent years, flexible packaging products have progressed from basic items such as printed bags and films into more technically advanced products, such as stand up pouches, re-sealable solutions, engineered films with highly specialised properties and biodegradable materials.

These developments have resulted in flexible packaging solutions that provide high barrier properties, extended shelf life and convenience, all of which are becoming increasingly important to both the retailer and consumer. | 22 | Packaging Europe

High barrier properties Keeping foods free from contamination has long been important, but there is growing concern about the safety of the packaging itself. Discussions are ongoing about the migration of potentially harmful mineral oils from packaging into the food products.

Mineral oil hydrocarbons are derived from printing ink used in newsprint, which is commonly used to make recycled cardboard for food packaging. Recent studies have linked these mineral oils to the inflammation of internal organs, including the liver, spleen and lymph nodes. At Clondalkin we’ve welcomed the launch of an online petition from FoodWatch to take action against mineral oils in food. The campaign calls for the introduction of suitable barriers for food packaging to limit the migration of harmful mineral oils into food products and it’s something that we’ve been focussed on for a long time at Clondalkin. We’ve developed a barrier film, known as WENTOPRO-Barrier Film® which prevents the migration of potentially harmful mineral oils from the outer packaging into the food itself by way of a multi-layer film. It can be used as a ‘bag in box’ liner for a wide variety of dry foods, including rice, dry pasta, dry noodles, baby-food and cereal products.

Flexibles

It’s not just food safety that is driving demand for high barrier laminates and films, but food waste. More than 100 million metric tons of food was wasted in the EU during 2012, according to a European Commission study released last year. As a result, the Commission released a policy paper encouraging EU member states to develop food waste prevention plans, with an option that they reduce food waste by 30 percent overall by 2025.

Extended Shelf life There are increasing pressures on manufacturers to improve material functionality to help extend the shelf-life of products. At CFP we’ve developed a skin-tight film for the food processing industry, known as WENTOPRO-SkinTight®. This invisible film is suitable for a wide variety of food products including: fresh, frozen and processed meat; fish; cheese and ready meals. The film surrounds the product like a second skin, creating a safe and secure barrier against contamination and leakage, and most importantly extends the shelf-life of the product.

With all of these developments we have to consider the environmental impacts that the packaging itself will have on the environment. But if optimized well, plastic packaging can provide important environmental benefits. For example, preventing food waste can have a greater impact on carbon dioxide emissions than the actual plastic packaging used to protect the food. And because the materials used are lighter than rigid packaging such as glass and metal it means lower transport costs which also helps reduce carbon dioxide emissions. Taking this a step further, engineering films so that they are biodegradable makes for even more sustainable solutions that food producers and end users both desire.

Other properties of flexible packaging leading to a rise in market share, are features such as ease of decoration. For example with pouches there is no requirement for labels.

Generally, labels would come from a different supplier to that of the bottle or container which complicates the supply chain. And print quality is getting better. We have recently developed a new HD printing technology, known as Flextreme®. This provides a quality comparable to Gravure printing, with very high ink and colour density, but at a far more competitive cost level. It also has the added flexibility of allowing shorter production runs and lead times.

Despite all the advances that have been made in flexibles, innovation and investment remains as essential as ever. Consumers are always looking for new products that better suit their needs and we’re going to see increasing pressure on us to reduce waste and limit our use of resources. Packaging manufacturers and retailers need to make packaging smarter so it satisfies all the demands - we need to continue to develop economical ways of packaging, preserving and distributing our food and drink products.

Clondalkin Flexible Packaging is an international producer of high value added flexible packaging solutions, with production locations throughout Europe and North America. The company specialises in barrier films, stand up pouches, bundle wrap, caps and lids, shrink sleeves, bio plastics, twist wrap, fold and seal and laminates.

Convenience Customer convenience is another key aspect that is driving this growth in flexibles. Flexible packaging offers greater choice in terms of shape and format compared to rigid packaging. Smart solutions, such as re-sealable packaging, refills for frequently used products such as milk and coffee, and stand up pouches for drinks, all have tangible benefits for consumers as well as ‘novelty value’ on shelf.

Packaging Europe | 23 |

A Decade in Packaging As Packaging Europe this month celebrates its tenth birthday, Pacepacker Services marks the end of its own tenth anniversary year. Paul Wilkinson, business development manager, shares his perspectives on the tumultuous changes that have impacted on the end-ofline landscape over the last decade.

What have been the most important innovations and technological advances shaping the packaging industry in the last decade?

Over the last ten years the packaging industry has profoundly altered. External market forces have projected robotics and automation into mainstream manufacturing, with labour efficiency and productivity, implicit in our earlier work, continuing to be a key driver. With technology advances and industry innovations, robotics and automation have become more commonplace among small and medium sized manufacturers, and this is enabling them to compete in broader markets. Industry experts attribute this boom to three key factors - factory modernisation, increases in production capacity and rising demand from a number of emerging markets.

Over recent years innovative packaging machine designs incorporating mechatronic solutions have inspired a culture of packaging machinery builders to combine functions once considered the domain of standalone systems. Now robotics can be integrated and bespoke automated solutions developed to accommodate package designs and product mix in ways unachievable a generation ago.

One major change in retail has been the rise of e-commerce.

How has that impacted on the packaging supply chain and businesses such as yours?

Internet shopping came of age in 2007 with nearly one pound in every seven spent online, an increase of more than 50 per cent on 2006. This rise in online shopping can predominantly be attributed to consumers seeking greater value, choice, convenience and competitive pricing. However, one of the leading deterrents for customers shopping online has been the long waiting times from when the item is originally purchased to when it’s received. Manufacturers have realised that by automating the order fulfilment and packing process they meet consumers’ online expectations, particularly in relation to the logistics operations.

Automation enables warehouse operatives to accurately pick, pack and distribute stock much faster and achieve their delivery targets, which in turn instils greater confidence among consumers.

We are also witnessing a major shift in the food sector with home cooking undergoing a revival. This has lead to a boom in ingredients kits, comprising boxes containing a selection of fresh items ready to cook. Again, many of the companies offering this service require consumers to place their orders online. Equally, retailers are rethinking store layouts, how they group products together for consumer convenience and how swiftly they react to the scramble for the latest ‘must have’ ingredient or kitchen gadget as a result of the popularity of TV cookery programmes. | 24 | Packaging Europe

10 Years In Packing

In order to be responsive, processors and packers are again turning to technology.

Mixed tray loading is a classic example of how Pacepacker responded to this trend. It enables companies to pack an array of products into a tray or delivery box. When handling fresh ingredients in particular, such as meat, fish and dairy, same day turnaround is vital to maintain freshness.

Likewise, retailers are latching onto the trend of presenting ingredients together and with shelf space being squeezed, they too are requesting mixed trays. Following the first installation developed 18 months ago for a manufacturer of chilled dips, spreads and deli fillings, this customer reported that orders for mixed trays has quadrupled. This for us is a strong indication of how the market will continue to evolve. By stocking mixed trays of product, a larger supermarket can hold a wider range o product types, flavours and variants. Equally, a smaller inner-city store, which may previously have had to drop lines to make way for other products, can continue to offer a good variety.

Trends like these will constantly change to accommodate how people are shopping.

So, equipment buyers seek assurance that their automation solution can be adapted. A large part of our role is to keep tabs on the trends and showcase where automation can enhance operational efficiency and overcome a production bottleneck.

Partly also fuelled by the increasing prominence of the internet – and social media – we have seen far more instances of food safety panics and product recalls, and with it much more emphasis on quality control and traceability. What has been the market’s technological response to this demand?

While high speed, accurate and agile systems are all key benefits of automation, the most recent demands from producers relate to food safety and the use of robots to maintain hygiene standards during the manufacturing process. Although IP67K certified robots have been commonplace for many years, the very nature of a robot arm, with its many crevices and less durable construction materials, has in the past prevented it from working in harsh food environments.

The automation and robotics market, however, responded and in the last decade we have seen suppliers, like FANUC, launch IP69K certified systems. Capable of operating in high-pressure, high-temperature wash-down environments, these robots meet individual Retailer Codes of Practice (COP) and the latest hygiene and product line integrity requirements set out by the British Retail Consortium. Also vision system are becoming much more intelligent, They don’t just check for problems up and down stream, but also accurately pick and pack products from a conveyor and undertake regular quality checks, such as ensuring packaging labels have been correctly placed for code reading.

What have been the big developments in motion control over the last ten years?

Human/machine interfaces (HMIs), sensors and motion-control devices control, monitor and improve the efficiency of the machines on a packaging line. The growth in this area is escalating in conjunction with the rising adoption of robotics and automation. Motion control can be provided via complex motion co-ordinators, allowing full-interpolated path control, right down to point- to-point pick and place for the simplest and most cost effective solutions.

How quickly has the consumer packaged goods market taken up automation, how much further will this trend go, and what pressures are driving this?

The adoption of robotics over the last ten years has rapidly increased in sectors where fast and accurate assembly has been a top priority – particularly for the FMCG market.

Companies packaging FMCG goods view automation as a necessary business expense to increase efficiency and at Pacepacker we have seen a significant rise in enquiries and orders from FMCG manufacturers, especially for IP69K certified systems.

Packaging Europe | 25 |

However, these manufacturers are often squeezed by retailers as they drive down manufacturing costs in their pledge to lower prices. Couple this with short retail contracts, FMCG manufacturers no longer just need automation to boost efficiency and output but also require flexible systems that can be moved between lines and adapt to meet changing demands and new contracts.

We are all too familiar about how fast trends change, especially consumer packaged goods. Growth in brand extensions, personalisation and customisation of products is one of the most important trends in the retail sector. Consumers are used to having a wide choice of branded product options and we will continue to see new packaging formats. The development of interchangeable end effectors has been a real game changer, as it means you can move your system to a different application as production needs change.

The past decade has been dominated economically by the financial crisis and ensuing recessions. How have the market conditions been for end of line machinery producers?

For many machinery producers, particularly SMEs, the picture was bleak. However, the government provided private companies with incentives and packages to facilitate growth.

Pacepacker was one of the organisations that utilised the support available to grow our export business. Many turned their attention to overseas growth as Europe was so far ahead in the automation stakes. Equally, by offering cash strapped UK manufacturers economical alternatives to automation, such as our second hand robotic Blu-Robot palletising system (roughly half the cost of a new system) we also maintained our UK growth.

Uncertainty during the recession meant that a number of larger projects were deferred; however these are coming around again. Having a varied spread of clients, from smaller companies to contract packers and the larger retailers, plus such as broad spectrum of solutions, has enabled machinery producers, like us, to ride out the recession. We also advised our customers about how important it is to invest during a recession, as it’s a time to develop a leaner organisation that can react quicker to market developments. | 26 | Packaging Europe

What other trends in the broader economy are impacting on your industry?

Ten years ago the UK was lagging behind Europe in the uptake of robotics and automation. Now we are catching up, achieving a quicker ROI on machinery has become a deal breaker. Pacepacker recently developed a new ROI calculator tool for customers. Inputting a range of data from the previous financial year, factoring in the number of shifts a facility runs, the number of operatives and agency staff employed, holidays and sick days taken by the workforce etc., we can accurately calculate the payback period based upon the specific project value and the types of robotic solutions that could be deployed.

Sustainability has also been cited as one of the key trends over the coming years. In its strictest sense sustainability is about the endurance of systems and processes. Naturally, the longevity of equipment is vital, coupled with a quicker return on investment. But when you drill down into what sustainability means for the fast moving food market, it is about adaptability.

How do you see the growth prospects for the next ten years, compared with the last?

The next decade looks set to be a challenging one for manufacturers. Packaging manufacturers need to avoid falling behind their competitors, missing critical business opportunities or losing industry influence. Shorter time to market, quality, efficiency, retail squeezes on profit margins and sustainability are all key trends. Like Europe, emerging markets and Asia are swiftly recognising the benefits of automation and investing now. UK-based machine manufacturers continue to lead the way in creating world-class automation solutions to boost our economy, as well as maintaining our British engineering skills and manufacturing heritage.

Machinery wise there continues to be an emerging requirement for multifunctional and flexible equipment that can easily be reconfigured, which is driven by ever-changing consumer tastes and pack variations. As a company we have

10 Years In Packing

witnessed a definite shift from single use systems built for a specific application to perform a set task, to robotics, which can easily be reprogrammed and redeployed to do a different job. We are also seeing a larger number of companies, especially retailers, switch from contractors to bringing their packing operation in-house. In part this is linked to driving down costs, but also it gives greater control and more flexibility. As a result, we anticipate seeing more companies investing in process and packaging equipment.

What have been Pacepacker’s own milestones over the last decade?

Have there been any developments in your approach to market in this time?

Building on the solid business pillars instilled by innovator and founder Robert Christy in the 1970s, the Pacepacker Services business, which was formed in its current function in late 2004, set about creating a new company that would continue to have a positive impact on packing processes and automation adoption. Focusing on our core strengths of building customised and cost effective solutions, in just a mere decade, we have made a significant imprint on the food manufacturing industry.

Critical to our success has been the adaption and collaboration with our equipment partners and we share the same vision, energy and drive to work with likeminded engineering companies to boost customer productivity, enhance product quality and increase overall output.

Pacepacker’s work with schools and universities is also positioning us as an authoritative and innovative figure within our sector. With the rise in demand for automation today and the subsequent need for an increased head count, educational programmes like apprenticeships, work placements and open days, offer a route to harness fresh new talent ensuring that our workforce has the practical skills and qualifications we need now and in the future. Pacepacker will continue to make this investment.

Packaging Europe | 27 |

Evolving

perfection Glaspray is a market leader in the design and development of dispensing pumps and systems for the fragrance and cosmetic industries. Philip Yorke talked to Canaan Chen, the company’s vice general manager about its latest innovative products and move into new markets.

| 28 | Packaging Europe

G

laspray is a privately owned company that was founded in Taiwan in 1987, which from the outset has been focused exclusively on developing products and dispensing solutions for the fragrance and cosmetic industries. Today the company works in partnership with the leading European packaging company, WestRock, (formerly MWV) to develop innovate fragrance delivery systems that meet all international standards and legislation.

Glaspray has a major production facility in Taiwan and continues to invest in new technology in order to stay at the forefront of the industry. Its products constantly evolve to meet the changes and challenges in the global business environment. The company is committed to creating the most sophisticated ideas in their simplest form, in order to change traditional perspectives on fragrance and cosmetic packaging.

Currently Glaspray has registered more than 30 international patents and has developed a wide range of innovative products which include Sliding Duo Packages, Twist-up Dispensers and those with refillable cartridges. The company’s product categories include Dispensing Pumps, Fragrance Packages and Travel Sprays, as well as Twist-up Dispensers and Custom Designed Products manufactured in plastic and aluminium.

systems into its packages. With its unrivalled expertise in the design and manufacture of dispensing systems, metal technologies and plastic moulding, the company is able to offer precision, customised packaging solutions to its broad customer base.

One of the most exciting new developments has been the recent launch of its unique, patented product the ‘ISA Airless®’, which consists of a twist-up canister with an airless cartridge refill. This is an entirely new concept in dispensing systems for fragrances and cosmetics as it enables consumers to refill the original dispenser.

With the Glaspray ISA Airless®, the actuator is available for priming when in twist-up position and locked in a twist-down position. The all-new Airless pump utilises the WestRock metal-free path ‘Aria’ pump.

New concepts

High-precision technology

From its earliest beginnings, Glaspray has placed a high priority on innovation and creativity in its fragrance and cosmetic delivery systems. As a result, it leads in its key product areas and is the foremost travel spray designer and manufacturer in the international fragrance industry. The company incorporates the most advanced European dispensing

Glaspray’s technical alliance with its European partners has allowed the company to consistently achieve the highest quality in dispensing packages. These new technologies provide the opportunity for Glaspray to broaden its product range in order to suit different applications.

Packaging Europe | 29 |

“Our unique technology is complimented by the state-of-the-art dispensing engines provided by our partner WestRock, which have the approval of the international fragrance and cosmetic companies, thanks to their high-precision technology.”

Chen said, “We are expanding our factory facilities to meet the increasing global demand from our multinational clients. Most of our customers are based in Europe and the US, and when we do not work directly with our customers, we rely on our approved global agents. As far as the future is concerned, although our main markets are Europe and the US, we are now looking at the Middle East market and will be attending the forthcoming ‘Beauty World Middle East’ Trade fair in May 2016, for the third consecutive year.

“We are recognised as a market leader when it comes to atomisers for perfume sprays and have developed a unique, twist-up dispenser and atomiser which has extended our product range and attracted many new clients. We have also developed a new product for the skin-care market which again we have developed in-house. Our wide range of twist & spray products include Glaspray brands such as Rondo, Scala, Lea, Kira, Luna and Sole and they all come in 15ml, 20ml and 30ml sizes.

Chen added, “Our unique technology is complimented by the state-of-the-art dispensing engines provided by our partner WestRock, which have the approval of the international fragrance and cosmetic companies, thanks to their high-precision technology. We are always looking for unique dispensing solutions and the trends for miniaturisation and refillable solutions are continuing to drive the market. People are travelling more often today and there is a global demand to reduce packaging for environmental reasons. Our new products fit these important criteria.

“We plan to continue to grow organically and will place even greater emphasis on design and functionality. We offer a more personal and more flexible approach than our competitors and we prefer to develop mutually beneficial long-term relationships with our clients.” | 30 | Packaging Europe

With its on-going commitment to developing more innovative dispensing systems for the fragrance and cosmetic market and its continuing investment in new technology, the future for Glaspray looks positive.

For further details of Glaspray’s unique and creative range of products and services visit: www.glaspray.com

Packaging Europe | 31 |

Convenience

Shift to Convenience Retailers Pushes Innovation A net of demographic and economic factors are transforming the European retail environment for food and beverages packaging. The Smithers Pira report The Future of European Food and Drink Packaging to 2020 analyses these. The report provides analysis on the market which is forecast to grow at an average rate of 3.2 per cent annually over the period 2015-2020, reaching over 954 billion packages.

T

he highest per-unit national consumer is Germany, closely followed by the UK and Russia. Smithers Pira’s analysis highlights four interlinking trends contributing to the current transformation of the market.

Lightweighting is an increasingly important factor in the packaging market, with most significant influence in beverage cans and bottles. There are two drivers for this. The first is environmental pressures from government and environmental groups stimulating demand for greener solutions in the general public. Secondly, lower material usage for packages means reduced material and transport costs, which are always welcomed by both brands and retailers.

Despite otherwise strong environmental credentials, glass bottles and jars have a high CO2 footprint due to their weight in transit and are seeing declines, in favour of plastic bottles or jars; and flexible formats, like bags and pouches.

For example, UK-based APPE is enjoying penetration for its range of thermalite polyethylene terephthalate (PET) jars, as a substitute for traditional glass containers, which weigh by up to 85 per cent less. They are suitable for a number of food applications such as cooking sauces, pasta sauces, relishes, chutneys, jams and spreads – with the additional benefit that they are shatterproof.

Consumer calls for convenience is key overarching factor. This is seen in the new types of foods people are eating. Convenience foods such as breakfast cereals and bars, savoury snacks and ready prepared chilled foods are proving increasingly popular.

For a time-poor consumer five minutes spent cooking a ready meal is often a more attractive option than taking 30 minutes to prepare a meal from scratch.

In turn, this is changing the dynamics of packaging, with new pack features and more demand for specific pack types – especially those that enable in-pack microwave cooking.

| 32 | Packaging Europe

This has, in part, been to the detriment of the food service industry as convenience stores provide substitutes for their goods in the form of sandwiches, pasta pots and other meal options.

Retailers are opening more convenience-size stores in urban locations. This allows consumers to move from prolonged single weekly visits to a two- or three-visit per week strategy. Such shops attract consumers to buy single-portion on-the-go format breakfast or lunch goods for their daytime meals. Significantly within this new retail model, smaller outlets need to manage their merchandise differently, and require greater amounts of packaging – including retail-ready solutions – to do so.

Another market approach to managing consumer demand for convenience is to move shopping online. A key example of this is France, where consumers prefer to order online, but pick up their deliveries on a click-and-collect basis. Breaking the link totally with a physical retail presence, Amazon is planning to set up its own online grocery stores across Europe, most notably in Germany and the UK. The main driver for the packaging industry of this trend to online purchasing is a call for greater packaged fresh foods – this is especially felt for products like fresh fruit and vegetables that brick-and-mortar retailers typically display loose.

In the foodservice segment there has been weak consumption growth, with a weak economic climate forcing customers to downgrade to either fast-food options or eating at home instead. This has also opened up a market for more premium products in grocery retail, which provide restaurant quality food at a cheaper price.

In the key market segment of alcoholic beverages – in-home consumption has become more prevalent, especially for beers and ciders. This decline is supported by a general trend away from alcohol consumption. It is however stimulating the market in non-alcoholic beverages, with dispensing pouch and rigid plastic bottle suppliers benefiting.

Packaging Europe | 33 |

At Your Convenience: The Challenges Facing Food Retailers In the last few years there have been major changes in the food retail sector caused by a seismic shift in consumer buying behaviours, which has seen the number of convenience stores grow rapidly. Martin Leeming, CEO of secondary packaging specialist TrakRap, looks at the challenges facing the secondary packaging sector as a result of the accelerated growth of this expanding channel.

Martin Leeming, CEO

T

he reality currently facing the food retail sector is that, while the number of large out-of-town supermarkets is still increasing, consumers are choosing to buy their food in convenience stores, online or with discounters such as Aldi and Lidl. As a result, sales are falling and a number of the big players in grocery retail have re-focused recent investment to convenience stores.

In many cases, this has been out of necessity in light of shoppers’ growing preference for convenience stores. Statistics show that reliance on the traditional weekly ‘big shop’ is diminishing and shoppers are instead making regular, sometimes daily, visits to smaller convenience stores to meet the demands of increasingly busy modern lifestyles. It is estimated that as consumers continue to be time-poor, changes to the way they choose to shop will see convenience stores grow 22 per cent to £20.2bn by 2020. Similarly, ‘meal for tonight’ purchases will increase by 50 per cent to 2.7bn and purchases of often-warm ‘food to go’ is expected to rise by 60 per cent to £8.3bn.

Recent figures from commercial real estate company, CBRE, show that the UK’s leading four grocery retailers now operate nearly 3500 convenience or small stores, such as Tesco Express, Tesco Metro, Sainsbury’s Local and M Local. This compares with 2500 traditional supermarkets. Online shopping has long been heralded the key disruptor in grocery retail, but the growth of convenience stores has arguably had a much greater impact. Like online, it has | 34 | Packaging Europe

encouraged a change in shopping habits and has encouraged people to fragment their shopping.

The challenge facing food retailers stems form the reality that convenience stores are expensive shops to run. Deliveries cost more, rent bills are often higher and they do not benefit from economies of scale because of their smaller size. Add to this the pressure placed upon them from discounters that continue to peg any potential for price increases by focusing on a limited product range - less than 1500 SKUs at very low prices - underpinned by an astonishingly low cost to sell. All in all, something must give to allow convenience stores to successfully meet consumer demand.

The result? Changes must be made to secondary packaging formats and design.

Retail ready packaging for convenience stores creates a very specific set of challenges. For instance, space, both on shelf and in the back ups, is at even more of a premium so delivering “one way stock” and minimising replenishment time becomes much more critical. It’s unlikely that a pack size that is right for a big store is going to be right for a convenience store. Too big a pack size in fresh food will lead to higher food waste, multiple handling and space pressure in the back up areas, whereas smaller pack sizes lead to increased packaging cost, increased packaging waste and more packs to handle in the supply chain. Retail ready packaging needs to be ready to offer solutions to these challenges, whilst simultaneously meeting the demands of large supermarkets, hitting sustainability targets and reducing fresh food waste.

Food Retail

It is imperative that food producers take these new challenges into account when planning their packaging requirements. The industry is crying out for new innovations that can deliver smaller packs that are lower cost, consume fewer resources, are quicker and easier to prepare for unpacking and maximise brand impact. One of the barriers is the polarisation of packaging materials supply chains, whether it be corrugate, RPET, cartonboard or film. Individually, each of these pack types have come a long way in reducing the amount of material and therefore cost. However, the pace of improvement is now slowing and new approaches are required.

The focus of design innovation is too often primary packaging but secondary packaging has to be clever too if it is to show the primary pack in order to maximise its sales potential. If the product is hidden or there are ripped edges on show, the consumer will not get the best first impression of the product or brand.

With the smaller nature of convenience stores, having the right pack size to drive one-way stock and speed of opening is crucial. Similarly, making sure the pack size isn’t too big will protect against food waste. The answers lie in refocusing on secondary packaging and creating efficient, often hybrid, solutions that consume fewer resources and use fewer materials, to offset the impact of smaller pack sizes.

With much of the focus on primary packaging, secondary, RRP or transit packaging - the basic building blocks of the supermarket supply chain - is often seen as an afterthought. However, there should be two clear objectives for secondary packaging: sell more and lower the cost of sale. Applying the same packaging formats used in large supermarkets to the convenience store simply will not work. Reduced space, high relative operating costs and a broader variety of packaging formats means that much more will be demanded of this type of packaging, and as such, the challenges faced by the sector are greater than any other.

Packaging Europe | 35 |

Thin Walling

Wafer-Thin Food Packaging Set to Stay Nigel Flowers, Managing Director at Sumitomo (SHI) Demag

W

ith our consumerist culture continuing to grow, the flexible and rigid plastics packaging market is also set to expand as we fast approach 2020. Given that the average European discards 159kg of packaging material each year, sustainability is an ongoing concern with a strong commercial incentive to do more with less. Thinner, lighter and easier to handle packaging is one of the fastest emerging trends writes Nigel Flowers Managing Director of Sumitomo (SHI) Demag.

The food industry, like so many sectors, is balancing a wide range of variables, including cost and functional requirements, increasingly stringent legislation, as well as responding to demographic and lifestyle changes and environmental impact. However, with material still being the largest cost element of a packaging, thin walling and weight reduction has been a focus area for innovation at Sumitomo (SHI) Demag. Food packaging needs to be engineered for increased strength, using less material, and always taking into account the cost element. These will continue to be key focus areas for the remainder of this decade.

Because of the rise in convenience and single serve packs and smaller size packs, plus the continuing requirements for light-weighting and pack size reduction, the technology is finding greater usage in many food packaging applications, including containers and lids for both food and non-food products. In retail and catering outlets, thin walled containers are the packaging of choice. The use of bioplastics is also poised to play a greater role in packaging going forward. Technically speaking, a moulder doesn’t need to invest in new processing equipment to run bioplastics through it, although they do need to carefully consider how the material will perform as an end product and factor in the melt stability.

With thin wall thicknesses typically less than 0.6mm, food containers are lighter, cheaper to produce, easier to transport and store, use less materials and as a result are more sustainable. Manufacturers are also able to make substantial energy savings. And many containers, especially those using in-mould labelling, provide simple indications of product tampering. The whole package, so to speak!

“It’s a fast and ever-growing segment offering multiple benefits over traditional and thermoformed packaging materials,” reiterates Nigel. Thin wall packaging can be applied to tubs, cups, pots, trays, clamshells and plastic jars and are used in everything from margarine, yogurt, meat, bakery, fresh fruit, vegetables and microwave, freezer and oven-proof ready meals. As specialists in injection moulding machines and systems, Sumitomo (SHI) Demag provides injection moulding machines capable of thin wall production to a number of food packaging clients in plants all over Europe.

AMI Consulting, a leading market research consultancy, has estimated that over 2.8 million tonnes of polymer is used annually for thin wall packaging in Europe. “The food market is by far the largest end-use category,” highlights Neil Farmer, independent consultant and spokesperson for the packaging sector. “However, there are also non-food applications such as pharmaceuticals, cosmetics, paint and adhesives.”

Putting this into context, Neil says that the global consumer goods packaging market show that rigid and flexible plastics account for 37 per cent of all global packaging sales.

“Rigid plastics, which is the category thin walled containers sits in, is forecast to be the fastest growing packaging material up to 2016, with an estimated annual growth of four per cent. Light-weighting and convenience are important factors in this expansion.”

Catering to lightweights Nigel Flowers, MD of Sumitomo (SHI) Demag

| 36 | Packaging Europe

There are occasions when being a lightweight is a clear advantage. A lower moulding weight means significant reductions in material and shipping costs. Stackability of containers is another reason food suppliers and retailers choose it over thermoformed

Packaging Europe | 37 |

Produced on an all-electric machine, a thin-wall container incorporating peel off IML cover.

containers. What’s more, the price of oil directly correlates to the price of plastics, and this can have a ripple effect on businesses; when the price of crude oil is high, businesses will typically have to pay more for packaging, so this can increase demand for thin-walled plastics. Equally, with thin-walling, more product can be stacked into transportation vehicles, which does its bit to cut fuel emissions in the logistics supply chain.

Thin walling allows for faster cycle times compared to thicker walled plastic parts. This naturally ticks the cost efficiency and productivity boxes for manufacturers of injection moulded food packaging who are always seeking shorter lead times and reduced cost per part, without compromising on quality or competitiveness.

Nigel elaborates: “To successfully succeed in the thin walling arena it’s vital for food packaging manufacturers to examine every potential application to ensure that the selection of materials, machine and tooling give the optimum blend of speed, quality and consistency.”

Demands to create smaller, lighter parts have made thin-wall moulding one of the most sought after capabilities for injection moulders in the fast-paced world of food packaging and production. “The choice of machine is obviously important, and it’s here that Sumitomo (SHI) Demag’s expertise in hybrid – electric/hydraulic – and all-electric machine technology is assisting existing users and new customers alike,” adds Nigel.

“Designed to withstand higher stresses and speeds in a 24/7 production environment, the company’s El-Exis SP machines have become the equipment of choice for many thin wall moulding specialists.”

Franz Henke GmbH & Co. KG, Lohne Germany bought its first machine from Sumitomo (SHI) Demag back in 2008, a hybrid El-Exis S 550. The company had good experience with this machine, prompting the decision to order 15 more machines from the German/ Japanese manufacturer following the reorientation. “Sumitomo (SHI) Demag is the right partner for our requirements,” says Henke. “The machines deliver the right performance and price/performance ratio. Furthermore, the service is very good. The service technicians get to us very quickly when required, and offer us very good advice when it comes to dealing with new requirements.”

“The El-Exis SP range of hybrid moulding presses is designed for high-speed thin walling production,” continues Nigel. “It incorporates a number of innovative mechanical and software features and typically achieves 3-5 per cent more productivity than other machines on the market. When fast production speeds and frequent mould changes are | 38 | Packaging Europe

required, machine versatility is vital. It’s here that advanced system controls combine with superlative build quality to minimise maintenance requirements, changeover times and energy consumption.”

Efficient production of thin wall plastics also relies on operator skills and experience, and Sumitomo (SHI) Demag places great emphasis on pre-installation training and familiarisation, as well as on-going process optimisation. From a machinery manufacturer point of view, thinner wall containers bring changes in processing requirements: higher pressures and speeds, faster cooling times, and modifications to part-ejection and gating arrangements. These process changes have in turn prompted new considerations in mould, machinery, and part design.

In-mould labelling (IML) is another key element within the packaging sector and also a growth area taking off across the UK and Europe as it offers clear operational efficiencies and improved graphics to maximise the on-shelf impact of consumer brands. Speed is all-important in this role, and IMM suppliers can incorporate robotic label dispensing and placing technology into their thin-wall packaging processes.

Thin walled containers provide a range of storage and functionality benefits, as well as tackling the on-going debate surrounding sustainability. Far from reaching its limits, there is significant growth in territories beyond Europe too. Asia, Oceania, Africa and the Middle East have increased their share of the consumer goods packaging market, now matching that of Europe. This, and the trend towards light-weighting and the rising sales of convenience meals and on-the-go snacks, means thin walling in the food industry looks set to stay.

Dessert tubs are typical products made by Franz Henke

Thin Walling

Packaging Europe | 39 |

Packaging Innovations in Poland “T

his year’s edition of Packaging Innovations is going to be unique. It is the first time we have registered so many confirmed participants four months prior to the event. We expect this number to double soon. The larger exhibition space will enable us to organise additional, complementary attractions, such as conferences or training sessions,” says Katarzyna Banach, project manager at Packaging Innovations Fair.

The fair will take place on April 12th – 13th 2016 in Warsaw. The capital of Poland is a heart of business in Central Europe, full of life and energy. Strategic location of the city creates opportunity for interaction of Polish and foreign investors interests. It is worth highlighting that Warsaw is also one of the most rapidly developing cities. That is why Packaging Innovations Fair in Warsaw used to host exhibitors from Austria, Netherlands,

| 40 | Packaging Europe

The International Packaging Fair Packaging Innovations has never before generated so much interest.

Although the fair is still five months away, the organisers are already noting record sales of the stands.

Germany, Sweden, Switzerland, Great Britain, Italy, France, Lithuania as well as from USA and China. The power of fair are our visitors. During the last edition there was around 4000 visitors from over 30 European countries.

The fair will take place at EXPO XXI Warsaw. The facility is located close to the city centre as well as the train station. Easy access and proximity to good hotels means that participation in the fair is very comfortable. “We look after the comfort of our clients; that is why Packaging Innovations Fairs are organised at EXPO XXI Warsaw, so that, no matter which mode of transport you choose, you can quickly and affordably reach the fair. The comfort of our guests is very important to us,” adds Elżbieta Hołody, specialist in fair organisation.

Without doubt, Packaging Innovations Fair is characterised by its unique atmosphere.

This is a result of many years of cooperation with partners and companies, who return year after year to reserve increasingly larger stands. A good atmosphere goes hand in hand with good business relations.

It is also worth highlighting the experience of the event organisers, who have attended hundreds of events in the country and abroad, have good relationships with clients, and an openness to the changing market. Thanks to this the fair, in a short space of time, has become the most important event for the packaging industry in centraleastern Europe. The organisers, knowing the market, also know the needs of their clients. They know ‘what drives the industry’ and what kinds of products visitors to the fair are looking for.

A fresh outlook Packaging Innovations Fair is one of the best examples of a trade show linking tradition with a modern approach to organisation. The success of the event is backed up by the numbers: eight years of experience, hundreds of satisfied exhibitors and thousands of visitors. The fair is organised by a team of young people, who are actively engaged in creating an event with a unique and exceptional character.

If we are talking about youth and creativity, it is important to note that during the fair a Student’s Zone is also organised. This is a competition aimed at young designers of packaging. The competition is divided into two stages: ‘Internet-Users’ Voting’ and ‘Professionals’ Voting’. During the fair itself the finalists get to meet key personalities within the industry and establish worthwhile contacts, which, as with previous editions of the fair show, often result in lucrative contracts.

Packaging Innovations Fair brings together representatives from different sectors. This year there will also be several interesting thematic zones, including: LUXPACK Zone: • Packaging for luxury products • Decorative packaging • Premium type packaging LABELLING Zone: • Labels, codes, stickers, intelligent labels • Labelling, signing and control equipment • RFID systems • Solutions in the area of labels overprinting

Packaging Europe | 41 |

CO-PACKAGING Zone: • Packing • Repacking • Confectioning • Quality control LOGISPACK Zone: • Logistical packaging • Ready-made packaging • Collective, internal and protective packaging SAFETYPACK Zone: • Safe packaging • Packaging protected from unwanted opening and child-proof • Closing and repeated closing systems • Danger warnings detectable by touch • Packaging for dangerous substances • Closings adjusted to the packaging requirements of a product As part of the fair, companies are encouraged to take part in the Innovation Programme, where market novelties will be presented. The fair is an ideal location for premiering products, because every year they attract the interest not only of visitors to the fair, but also the leading trade media.

If you are still hesitating as to whether you should take part in the fair, it is worth serious consideration. One crucial benefit of taking part is that you will save much of the time and costs associated with advertising. Showcasing your company at a trade fair is an excellent opportunity for promotion, securing clients, promotion of new services or gath-

| 42 | Packaging Europe

ering opinions about your brand. Furthermore, the fair offers opportunities for finding n out about your competitors and the possibility of securing new business partners.

All those interested in Packaging Innovations Fair are encouraged to visit the website www.packaginginnovations.pl

Packaging Europe | 43 |

| 44 | Packaging Europe

Packaging Europe | 45 |

Easyfairs’ Packaging Heavyweights Pack a Punch Packaging Innovations, the UK’s leading packaging event, returns to Birmingham’s NEC on 24-25 February, alongside Empack and Label&Print, covering the whole packaging spectrum. Visitors can expect to discover an abundance of product launches and new packaging solutions, in addition to a wealth of first time and international exhibitors.

T

he show, which is committed to bringing the UK packaging industry together, will demonstrate the most advanced innovations, inspire new developments and look at the latest machinery. Contract packers and manufacturers will also have opportunity to promote their services at Contract Pack and new sustainability features at Ecopack.

Gerry Sherwood, Event Director for Easyfairs’ UK Packaging Portfolio, says: “Our show’s play a pivotal role within the UK’s packaging market, pioneering the latest innovations and looking into the future of branded and inspirational packaging. Recent reports showed that the packaging industry is currently worth $424 billion globally, of which

| 46 | Packaging Europe

Europe contributes $127 billion. It is therefore vital for shows like ours to continue leading the way, ensuring we are producing the very best in order to stay competitive. I can’t wait to see what the 2016 event has to offer!”

Show Entertainment New for 2016 will be an array of show features, including The Great Innovation Debate, The Innovation Showcase and The Rising Star Scheme. Plus, show favourites including The BIG Print Debate, the Drinks, Pharmaceutical and Retail Symposium will all be returning due to popular demand.

There will also be a full Learnshops programme, featuring a prestigious line-up of packaging and brand professionals, with Keynote speakers including Weetabix, Innocent Drinks, Kraft Heinz, Britvic, Taylors of Harrogate, John Lewis, Wilkos, JML Group, The Body Shop, SABMiller plc and Quorn Foods.

This high-level, yet highly practical, free to attend two-day programme will run throughout the event, also featuring experts from Quintessential Brands, Little Fingers Organic Baby Food, Sun Branding Solutions, Cambridge Design Partnership and branding agency, Hornall Anderson.

These major players will draw on the very latest thinking, technological trends and real-life examples as they address the top industry concerns faced by many packaging experts. Gerry Sherwood, Event Director for Easyfairs’ UK Packaging Portfolio, says: “The Learnshops programme aims to cover the full packaging spectrum, providing visitors with practical and pioneering insight that just might help their business or packaging idea evolve.”

Innovative Show Floor As always, innovation is set to take centre stage, with numerous exhibitors using the show to present new products and solutions to key decision makers and senior packaging figures. For instance Fantastak will be launching its SuperRoller. It is the latest development in industrial adhesive tape application, holding up to 75 metres of double sided adhesive tape. It features a cartridge form re-fill, which means no threading and faster tape changing.

Roisbros will be presenting a new series of boxes for hot and cold food portions, salads and oily products called the Special Delivery series. Features include six-corners, leakproof and collapsible, making it more cost-effective in terms of transport and warehousing costs compared to conical boxes.

Beardow Adams will be showcasing its major new innovation, the BAMFutura 50’s range. It is the most technologically advanced adhesive in packaging, offering the broadest spectrum of hot and cold temperature resistance. It also has a low odour and is quick setting.

Simply Cartons will be displaying the capabilities of its new press, which offers eight colours, giving more design options. It can produce spot varnishes with super tight registration and depth of colours, plus it can now print directly onto APET. Addressing & Mailing Solutions will be launching AMS Ilumina, its new heavy stock printer, which has the ability to print on stock up to 500gsm. This is both heavier and thicker than comparable printers.

For those in the food industry, Waddington Europe will be showcasing Hydrozorb (H-PET), its new packaging material with altered characteristics. It is perfectly designed to reduce surface tension and capture condensation in pre-packed produce, such as mushrooms, offering improved shelf-life over standard r-PET. Dantex Graphics will be showcasing its new PicoColour II UV inkjet digital press, which is a versatile, small footprint label printing system. It offers a printing width of 210mm and runs up to 35m per minute, on substrate thicknesses of 30 microns to 320 microns.

AG/CAD Ltd will launch its state of the art DYSS X5 digital cutter, along with the latest K-CUT vision software. The new X5 machine offers a high quality fast service and has been designed to handle all the prototyping, sample making and short to medium run needs of corrugated and solid board converters.

Advanced Labeling Systems, will be debuting its third generation R-Series Rotary Labeller. It allows more frequent product change-over, across a wider

range of label placement positions. This happens at a faster speed, with the ability to upgrade specifications in the future, making it a future proof and a cost effective option.

A-Safe will be displaying its new rack protection solution, iFlex RackGuards. It will also display its new range of pedestrian guardrails and vehicle check systems, which are made from a new material Memaplex; a robust, flexible polyolefin blend of eight materials and rubber additives that flexes on impact, before absorbing and dissipating the impact force.

Specialists in high performance paper cushion packaging, Easypack, will be using the show to launch its Spiral Pro dispenser, which delivers high volumes of 100% recycled void fill paper packaging in seconds.

Kite Packaging is using Empack 2016 to raise its profile within the industry. Not only is it taking the largest stand ever seen by Easyfairs, but it will also introduce its range of new products to the UK market.

Leading coding and marking printer company, Sauven, will be showcasing its latest Sauven 600 Printer with Touch Screen. It provides a more user friendly interface, offering unlimited fonts, more functions and illuminates the need for training.

For anyone interested in visiting, free registration can be found at www.easyfairs.com/PIUK, www.easyfairs.com/EmpackUK and www.easyfairs.com/label&printUK or via the show team on +44 (0)20 8843 8800 or PackagingUK@easyfairs.com.

Packaging Europe | 47 |

Diary Gulf Packaging & Polymers Show Date: 1-3 February Visit: www.gpps.ae

Venue: Abu Dhabi, UAE

Polyethylene Films 2016 Date: 2-4 February Venue: Daytona Beach, USA Visit: www.amiplastics-na.com/events

PCD Packaging of Perfume Cosmetics & Design Date: 3-4 February Visit: www.pcd-congress.com

Venue: Paris, France

Aerosol Dispensing Forum Date: 3-4 February Visit: www.aerosol-forum.com

Venue: Paris, France

Pharmapack Date: 10-11 February Visit: www.pharmapackeurope.com

Venue: Paris, France

Gulfood 2016 Date: 21-25 February Visit: www.gulfood.com

Venue: Dubai, UAE

Packaging Innovations Date: 25-26 February Visit: www.easyfairs.com

Venue: Birmingham, UK

AMI’s Specialty Packaging Films Asia 2016 Date: 15-17 March Venue: Singapore Visit: www.amiplastics.com/events/event?Code=C711

European Plastics Recycling Show Date: 22-23 March www.prseventeurope.com

Venue: Brussels, BelgiumVisit:

drupa Date: 31 May - 10 June Visit: www.drupa.com | 48 | Packaging Europe

Venue: Düsseldorf, Germany

Second Serialisation Roundtable for CMOs Comes to Frankfurt “Serialisation timelines are tight. CMO’s that are proactive, will gain significant market share.” – Louis Roy, CEO, Optel Vision

F

ollowing up on the success gained from the 1st Serialisation Roundtable event in Philadelphia, October 2015, Optel Vision, Movilitas and Supply Chain Wizard are now organising a 2nd Serialisation Roundtable exclusively for CMOs supported by Teva, Mylan, Apotex, Acino, Abbott, Domino and Packaging Europe.

The Roundtable event is scheduled for Frankfurt, Germany, on February 16, 2016.

Registration is now open with early bird price until January 16, 2016.

Optel Vision’s goal is to encourage rich discussions between the pharmaceutical manufacturers and CMOs: targeting successful serialisation processes that are currently in use throughout the industry. Recognised keynote speakers will raise the question, “Who should initiate, and who should endorse these complex processes?”

The hosts realise that meeting the upcoming serialisation regulations are a challenge - one that must be addressed sooner rather than later. As the European Commission’s 2018 serialisation deadline approaches, companies continue to scramble not only to meet, but also to fully understand, the complex requirements contained Directive 2011/62/EU. A highlight of this event will be the bringing together of pharmaceutical companies and industry experts discussing specific serialisation challenges facing CMO’s across three major categories: financial, technical and operational.

Attendees will improve their understanding of serialisation, in the process gaining insights into developing robust strategies, preparing them for European serialisation compliance. Participants will learn, first-hand, about real world solutions and innovative IT solutions in use throughout their industry.

EVENTS

Each presentation will be followed by strategic roundtable discussions on current hot topics. Past industry participants have praised these open peer-level forums as “invaluable”, “totally worthwhile” and “motivational”.

Optel Vision urges Packaging Europe’s readers not to miss the opportunity to learn from leading companies in the Track & Trace industry. Potential visitors are invited to come, contribute, and share their experiences with the companies and people that have already started the process to serialisation compliance.

As partners, Optel Vision are ready to help companies get serialisation compliance on the right track.

For more information, and to review who is currently registered, visit: www.serialisationcmo.eu

Packaging Europe | 49 |

| 50 | Packaging Europe

EVENTS

Gulfood Delivering Tastes, Trends and Trade T

he 2016 edition of Gulfood will cement its standing as the world’s leading global food trading platform when more than 5000 international companies from 120 countries gather at Dubai World Trade Centre (DWTC) on 21-25 February.

Among the 85,000-plus visitors from more than 170 countries expected, Gulfood 2016 will host international heads of state, ministers, government officials and national trade associations from five continents.

With event and year-round legacy trading expected to run into billions of dollars, Gulfood 2016 will connect nations and suppliers, open distribution channels for industry-related business, and highlight Dubai’s strategic role as a key global food industry trading hub.

Having this year celebrated its landmark 20th outing, Gulfood 2016 is poised to deliver ‘More Tastes, More Trends and More Trade’ as the specialist event readies to welcome tens of thousands of finished food suppliers, bulk commodity wholesalers and exporters, and the show’s largest-ever collection of hospitality equipment suppliers.

Led by the nation’s Ministry of Agriculture, Gulfood 2016 will also welcome its first Russian national pavilion – one of 114 national pavilions spanning in excess of 120,000m² of world-class, multi-functional indoor exhibition space and two purpose-built, temporary structures spanning a 10,900m² at DWTC. The expanded indoor exhibition space includes three new DWTC halls - Za’abeel 4, 5 and 6.

“Gulfood is internationally renowned for providing a trusted and accessible platform for the world’s food industry to meet, transact and trade out of Dubai – one of the world’s most diverse, energetic and vibrant trading hubs,” said Trixie LohMirmand, Senior Vice President, Exhibitions & Events Management, DWTC. “As global food producers and traders establish new supply routes to reach customers and monetise opportunities in emerging markets, the heightened visitor experience will enable industry heavyweights to make strategic purchasing decisions with trusted suppliers, all while consolidating the UAE’s key role as a major transshipment destination for food products and hospitality equipment,” added LohMirmand.

Gulfood 2016 will host the third Halal World Food, the world’s biggest annual Halal food sourcing trade event. The dedicated show-within-a-show leverages Dubai’s mounting credentials as a global Islamic Economy capital and increase the emirate’s share of yearround trading in halal foods.

“This is now an essential prerequisite for any supplier looking to establish a foothold in the world’s fastest growing food industry sectors with the global Halal market expected to reach US$10 trillion by 2030,” said LohMirmand.

While facilitating global transactions for halal food and foodstuff commodities such

as meat, cereals, grains, rice and tea, Gulfood 2016 will shine a spotlight on coffee. In a historic first, Gulfood 2016 will host the ninth World Cezve / Ibrik Championship, the first time the competition for the centuries-old art of brewing coffee in a ‘Cezve’ or ‘Ibrik’ – the small, long-handled pot – has been held in the Arabian Gulf.

With an international field of 20 baristas bringing their own style and cultural elements to one of the world’s oldest and most traditional coffee-making methods, popularly known as ‘Turkish coffee’, the World Cezve / Ibrik Championship will see the UAE’s very-own Karthikeyan Rajendran square-off against reigning world champion Italy’s Davide Berti.

Owned and organised by the Speciality Coffee Association of Europe (SCAE), the ninth World Cezve / Ibrik Championship will be overseen by an independent judging panel that will rate baristas’ brewing skills on criteria including taste, presentation and technique.

“To debut the World Cezve / Ibrik Championship in a region of the world where the technique was first created feels like something of a homecoming,” said David Veal, Executive Director, SCAE. “Cezve coffee preparation remains hugely popular across the Middle East, as evidenced by the standards shown during the National Championship in October.

I’m sure our other competitors will be keeping a keen eye on Karthikeyan Rajendran – he’s definitely got a chance of giving the UAE its first World Cezve title.”

The show-floor culinary demonstrations will peak at the annual Emirates Culinary Guild International Salon Culinaire – a showcase of the region’s best culinary talent and expertise. One of Gulfood’s undisputed draws for the regions’ top professional chefs, pastry chefs, cooks and bakers, this year’s Salon will see more than 1,300 professional chefs evaluated by a panel of 25 renowned experts, mandated by the World Association of Chefs Societies (WACS) to judge culinary events across the globe.

With the number of F&B outlets in the UAE expected to double by 2020 when Dubai hopes to receive 20 million tourists as the emirate hosts Expo Dubai 2020 – food service and hospitality equipment is an expanded focus at Gulfood 2016.

Every year, thousands of f&b products and services debut at Gulfood and the seventh Gulfood Awards will recognise best-in-class excellence of individuals and companies behind the region’s leadership and innovation in the food and drink industry. Judged by an international panel of independent industry experts, the Gulfood Awards cover six categories and 10 accolades.

Gulfood 2016 is a strictly trade-only event for business and trade visitors. The show is open 11am-7pm from February 21-24 and 11am-5pm on February 25. Visitors can preregister on the show website to save AED100 on the AED250 on-site entry fee.

Visit: www.gulfood.com Packaging Europe | 51 |

ADF & PCD 2016 ON

3-4 February 2016 at Espace Champerret in Paris over 5800 participants from 70 countries will be representing leading international brands, both in the cosmetics industry (for PCD), and pharmaceutical, household products and decoration, industrial and food sectors (for ADF). They will assemble to meet their main suppliers in the fields of aerosols, dispensing technologies, cans, valves, spray systems, bags on valve, products, technologies, machines, decoration, TTS, etc., in addition to co-packers.

The number of exhibitors keeps growing (350 exhibitors – a 20% increase on the previous edition). All the main suppliers of packaging and dispensing systems will be present, including: Albéa, Pochet Group, WestRock, Metsä Board, Iggesund, SGD, Neopac, Ileos Group, Geka, RPC Group, Dieter Bakic, Wauters, Kurz, Lana papier, Amcor Flexibles, Aptar Groupe, Ardagh, Clayton-Corporation, ACOA, Cosmed Gmbh, Coster, Dieter Bakic, Fareva, Geka, Hinterkopf, Hutchison, Iggesund, Ileos Group, Inventec, Kurz, Laboratoires Chemineau, Lana papier, Lindal, Mall + Herlan, Metsä Board, Neopac, Nussbaum, Pochet Group, PPG Sales & Services, Precision, RPC Group, Sarten, SGD, Simsek Ambalaj, Sleever International, Schuler Group, Sun Chemical, Tubex, Volcke, Wauters, and WestRock.

| 52 | Packaging Europe

EVENTS

This next edition will enable brand and packaging experts to take stock of innovations, both present and in the making, on a particularly dynamic market for a large number of sectors encompassing hygiene, beauty, pharmaceuticals, food, decoration, DIY, paint, gardening, household goods, industrial products, and cars.

The PCD Awards ceremony Chaired by Philippe Thuvien, Packaging and Development Director at L’Oréal, The ceremony will reward innovations and new applications for cosmetics. The criteria for granting an Award or a certificate focus on the work carried out by packaging teams in design, ease of use for the consumer (ergonomy), technical innovation, eco-design, etc.

As part of the not-to-be-missed conference programme, Pascale MARCINIAKDAVOULT, research & innovation packaging director at Chanel, will chair the second session of PCD, entitled ‘Fragrance & Perfume Sublimation’. Here students from the packaging school “ESEPAC” and from the perfume school “Ecole Supérieure du Parfum” will present their works about what will be the future of perfume within the next ten years. This Think-Tank is performing its work through two complementary groups of future professionals who are meant to be key players of the in-coming market.

Online registrations: www.aerosol-forum.com and www.pcd-congress.com ADF&PDC New York: www.adf-pcd.com

Packaging Europe | 53 |

| 54 | Packaging Europe

STร LZLE WINS TRIPLE WORLDSTAR AWARD 2016 Another year has come to an end culminating in yet again more success for the Stรถlzle Glass Group: Two unique Whisky bottles and a stunning perfume flacon have been awarded winner in the World Packaging Awards 2016.

Packaging Europe | 55 |

2

93 packaging projects from 35 countries worldwide were judged for their perfect design, shelf appeal, functionality and technical execution. The blue Whisky bottle Haig Club, as well as the heavy weight Whisky bottle Aultmore, both manufactured in the British glassworks Stölzle Flaconnage, convinced the jury to be worthy of winning in the category ‘Beverages.’ The impressively decorated perfume flacon Acqua di Giò, produced and decorated in Stoelzle Masnières, the French site of the Glass Group, resulted winner in the category ‘Health & beauty.’

World Stars are presented only to those packages which, having already won prior recognition in a National competition, and are then compared by an expert panel of judges to similar packages from around the world. Awards are based on the judges’ consensus that a package is superior in its own right, and better in its class in execution or innovation by comparison.

The judging session took place in October, 2015 as part of the 95th WPO Board Meeting activities. Representatives from 19 packaging associations, members of WPO (World Packaging Organisation), judged 293 packaging projects, from 35 countries that entered the World Star Awards 2016.

| 56 | Packaging Europe

The Stölzle Glass Group has six European production sites and is a leader in both custom design and standard glass containers for Perfumery & Cosmetics, Prestige Spirits as well as Healthcare & Consumer. A variety of in-house decoration techniques like hot foil blocking and multi-colour spraying are offered to make your product unique.

Private collection sets steps in terms of luxury perfumery In the occasion of ‘Luxepack’ Monaco 2015, Stölzle Glass Group proudly presented its fabulous new fragrance standards, ‘Private Collection.’ Created by a team of designers, a fine range of very appealing flacons for the high end perfumery and cosmetic market will now be available upon short notice. Clear shapes, brilliant glass and perfect technical execution turn the new Stölzle standard bottles into valuable alternatives to cost intensive customized flacons.

In order to add further value and shelf appeal to the final products, the Group offers a variety of sophisticated techniques in its three allocated decoration facilities.

Be it traditional screen print or innovative digital printing, hot-foil stamping or

multi-colour spraying – there are almost no limits to your requirements of making flacons unique.

At PCD in Paris Stölzle will show further flacon collections for Perfumery and Cosmetics, taking care of the market trends and requirements of international brands.

Individuality by innovation Design and decoration have become increasingly important to allow products to gain individuality and improve shelf appeal. Most of our customers today increasingly rely on sophisticated and innovative decoration techniques to enhance and improve the branding of their products.

In recent years Stölzle decorated over 150 million bottles annually and this output has been increasing every year as the Glass Group constantly invests in state-of-the-art decoration machines and techniques in all of its three decoration sites, in France, Great Britain and Poland.

Decoration techniques & innovations STO’s customers can choose from a wide range of the major traditional decoration techniques to add value to their products; Stölzle’s key decoration

disciplines can make standard products look very different. Techniques like partial spraying, or selective removal of spray on the bottle, as well as fluorescent and textured sprays make bottles look really exciting. Accessories like a branded logo, a shoulder piece, an aluminium plate or leather and even cotton sleeves make bottles look unique.

Latest innovations at Stölzle include sprayed metallisation, mask-spray, Carbon spray, UV cured spraying or printing, digital printing, printing with special inks (fluorescent under UV light, phosphorescent - glowing in the dark, and colour changing), mirror inks, embossed lettering, and IPET. Stölzle Glass Group has six European production sites, three of them have in-house decoration facilities. For many years now Stölzle has worked on its forward thinking investment plan to offer state of the art innovation in decoration allowing individualism and unique design results.

For more information please contact: Stölzle Glass Group office@stoelzle.com www.stoelzle.com

Packaging Europe | 57 |

Pharmapack Europe 2016: Discover the latest trends and innovations in pharma packaging and drug delivery.

P

harmapack Europe 2016 – held at the Paris Expo Porte de Versailles (10-11th February 2016) – is widely acknowledged as “the place to be” in the pharmaceutical and drug delivery supply chain. The event gathers key industry players together to meet with leading suppliers and discover the latest innovations in pharmaceutical packaging and drug delivery.

Since its launch in 1997, Pharmapack Europe has nurtured a great reputation thanks to its unique concept and continues to draw major companies from all over the world. According to Pharmapack Event Director Anne Schumacher, Pharmapack attracts new exhibitors every year from start-ups through to CMO and CMDOs, but also suppliers from emerging markets. In 2016, the event will gather 380 exhibitors from 31 countries and Anne commented: “This increase in exhibition scale is driven

| 58 | Packaging Europe

by organic growth within the market, but also by our efforts to continually adapt our platform to present the latest innovations and insights for decision-makers seeking specific packaging solutions in new therapies and drugs.”

At this year’s Pharmapack, a series of conference sessions packed with content and insightful learnings will take place. Focused on the latest changes in regulations, novelties in packaging material, but also patient compliance and latest developments and future trends, the conference is simultaneously translated from French to English and vice-versa and is a unique opportunity to broaden your industry knowledge.

To help stay up to date on the latest issues across Serialisation and Track & Trace, the Symposium returns in 2016 and will provide in-depth analysis on the subject.

EVENTS

First hand answers and discussion will be provided from industry experts across CIP, Teva pharmaceuticals, and other leading solutions suppliers.

On the exhibition floor, visitors are encouraged to spend time exploring some of the many free sessions, powered by industrial experts in the Learning Lab. Topics for 2016 include “Biosimilar Packaging and Device Technologies to Shorten the Time to Market”; “Innovative Materials: Choices for Next Generation Medical Devices”; and “Intelligent subcutaneous delivery: moving beyond the bolus”.

Positioned at the heart of the event, newly launched products will be showcased through the Innovation Gallery, which offers visitors an overview of some of the most exciting developments. This year’s most significant innovations will be revealed

during the Pharmapack Awards’ ceremonies, recognizing the best innovations from exhibitors and visitors, held respectively on the 10th and the 11th of February, at 13:00, in the Innovation Gallery.

A new addition for 2016, the Innovation Tours, will depart at 10:30 from the Innovation Gallery on both days, giving curious visitors the unique opportunity to be guided by an industry expert to the stands of the most innovative exhibitors.

Pharmapack Europe 2016 is the essential event for anyone looking to do business in or learn more about innovations in drug delivery and packaging – the trends and partnerships emerging here will push boundaries, create new revenue streams and drive the industry forward.

So please, explore more about the event on www.pharmapackeurope.com

Packaging Europe | 59 |

Faller Develops ‘Hanger Info Label’ for Infusions W

hen it comes to attaching infusions, hospital staff in intensive care units face a variety of challenges. With conventional metal holders, the infusion first has to be laboriously inserted into a holding frame, a loss of time that in the worst case can cost a life.

The only alternative until now has been label holders that did not hang completely perpendicularly and thus could not ensure complete and uniform emptying of the infusion.

August Faller KG, a manufacturer of packaging solutions for the pharmaceutical industry, based in Waldkirch, has now developed a labelling solution for hanging infusions that allows perpendicular attaching for faster and easier handling.

Faller developed the existing label holders further in two work steps. In November of last year, the latest development, called Hanger Info Label, was awarded the German Packaging Award.

The invention has opened up a new market for Faller. “We are proud to be able to hold our own in the ever-changing market environment with another solution-oriented design,”

explains Frank Ehling, innovation and development consultant for labels at Faller, who developed the Hanger Label together with his colleague Detlef Zabel. “August Faller KG has thus once again shown that it is open to new requirements and is the ideal partner when it comes to individual customer solutions.”

Possible further developments of the Hanger Label Twist and Hanger Info Label could include attaching a multi-page information brochure to the label or attaching additional safety elements. Even variable data such as numbers for infusions or variable micro-texts could be included on the infusion label, thus further increasing patient safety. The US already has a requirement that, probably by 2020, every drug will have to be labelled with a number. The application of this regulation to infusions is not ruled out and would require another further development of the Hanger Labels.

Visit: www.packagingeurope.com/News/65838

US Label Institute TLMI Awards Pharma-Tac Plus S chreiner MediPharm’s Pharma-Tac Plus label with a particularly robust hanger for infusion bottles, which was jointly developed with Octapharma, was recognised with the first place in the ‘Multi-Process’ category by the North American Tag and Label Manufacturers Institute (TLMI). The judging panel was mainly impressed by the high-level printing technology and sophisticated label design.

The awarded Pharma-Tac Plus label for infusion bottles combines product marking with a hanger, several pages for product information and detachable documentation parts.

The tear strength and stability of the label-integrated hanger are very important to ensure secure hanging of the infusion bottle. Due to its two-layered construction, the label provides ample text space for product information in three languages and thus meets regulatory requirements for multilingual countries. The label is easy to open and close again. In addition, it has two detachable documentation parts for the patient’s medical records that can be post-printed with the batch number.

| 60 | Packaging Europe

“The pharmaceutical manufacturer receives a reliable solution in this label that upgrades the final product and can be easily processed in manufacturing operations. In addition, it optimizes processes in daily hospital care settings because healthcare staff can efficiently and reliably use the product. Furthermore, the traceability of the infusion makes an important contribution to patient safety,” says Ann L. Merchant, president of Schreiner MediPharm, in summing up the benefits.

Since 1977, the North American Tag and Label Manufacturers Institute (TLMI) has been sponsoring an annual international competition to recognise the industry’s best products in various categories. The panel of expert judges attaches particular importance to aspects such as innovation and outstanding printing and manufacturing quality.

Many of Schreiner MediPharm’s innovative products were awarded already at this prestigious competition.

Visit: www.packagingeurope.com/News/65540

Pharma innovations Stiplastics Unveils Spoonbox® S

Rondo: Smart Packaging for Pharma R

tiplastics, an industrial SME that designs, develops, manufactures and markets innovative injected plastic-based medical devices for the health sector, has unveiled its new 13ml Spoonbox® dosing spoon.

This latest development follows a number of requests on the part of pharmaceutical laboratories seeking a device with a capacity greater than that of the flagship 8ml and 9ml versions.

The Spoonbox® product, of which Stiplastics produces several million units every year, offers a reliable alternative to the pipette in terms of economics, hygiene and even ergonomics. Quality and reliability are also among its strong points, along with the decorative options it offers, which include pad-printing, to bring an element of fun to the task of taking medication, particularly where children are concerned.

Furthermore, the validation work carried out by the Stiplastics team means the Spoonbox® can also be used to measure micro-granules. Laboratory Lucane Pharma, for example, has chosen it for a micro-granule product designed to treat a rare disease.

“We had been looking to extend our Spoonbox range for some time already. We needed a greater production capacity for the purposes of optimising production, in addition to the millions of spoons already produced - something that we have now achieved thanks to our new production site, which opened in Isère (France) last June. This additional 2000m² will enable us to fulfil our medical device orders, in terms of both small and very large runs, and therefore to efficiently produce this new Spoonbox® model,” explains Stiplastics CEO Jérôme Empereur.

Visit: www.packagingeurope.com/News/65340

ondo is the first folding box manufacturer to present solutions for the use of NFC technology in the pharmaceutical industry. The aim is to create new interactive communication paths between pharma manufacturers and patients and between the patient, the physician and the pharmacy, through the incorporation of radio chips.

Cashless payments of small amounts, keyless opening of a car, electronic admission and travel tickets: the use of Near Field Communication (NFC) is becoming more and more common in people’s everyday lives. This is made possible by the widespread use of smartphones, which support this international transmission standard for contactless exchange of data using radio technology over short distances.

In addition to banks, car manufacturers and transport companies, pharmaceutical manufacturers have also shown interest in the technology. The integration of an NFC chip into packaging for medicines is intended to make direct communication with the patient possible and to improve communication between patient, physician and pharmacy. The possible applications are manifold. They range from reading out the enclosed leaflet via automatic re-ordering of medicines to the provision of additional information, for example on the correct administration of a medicine (patient compliance) or the correct use of a medicinal product.

Rondo AG was the first folding box manufacturer to present solutions for so-called ‘smart packaging’ at Fachpack 2015 in Nuremberg and subsequently at CPhI in Madrid, Spain. They are based on the integration of an NFC chip and/or an electrochromic display into pharmaceutical packaging.

The NFC chip is incorporated when the packaging is manufactured and transmits its information by radio as soon as a terminal which can read it is within range. To do this, a smartphone is placed on the packaging of the pharmaceutical product. “The difference and the advantage - compared with solutions using RFID codes lies in the small distance between transmitter and receiver, which must be complied with”, explain Mike Bernhardt, product manager at Rondo. “This means your data cannot be read over a greater distance.

This increases data security quite considerably.”

Visit: www.rondo-packaging.com Packaging Europe | 61 |

Delivering advanced laser-print label solutions Sentega is a European market leader in the supply of labels and labelling solutions for the VIP market. Philip Yorke spoke to Jens Brusgaard, the company’s managing director, about its innovative Xonad technology and move into new markets.

Jens Brusgaard, managing director

S

entega was founded in Utrecht, the Netherlands in 1957 and was the subject of an MBO in 2002. Since that time the company has seen significant growth. In 2012 Sentega strengthened its position in Europe with the addition of H&P Labels of Germany to the group. With its unique portfolio of products and related technologies Sentega delivers solutions that produce measurable benefits to improve its customers’ quality and workflow, as well as their productivity, reliability and cost-efficiency.

Today Sentega serves a diverse range of markets including the chemical, retail, healthcare and pharmaceuticals markets as well as those involved in logistics and manufacturing. The company is ISO 9001 certified and continues to achieve consistent growth of between 5 per cent and 10 per cent per year. | 62 | Packaging Europe

Innovative technology Sentega prides itself on its ability to design and produce special labels that address the most challenging labelling applications. The company manages a range of different methods of laminating during the production process and can offer finishing in fan-folded options, rolls or sheet formats. The application of its unique Xonad ÂŽ technology makes this possible. With this innovative system a customer can choose precisely where the adhesive or silicone should be applied.

In addition, the machine can also produce innovative label applications for other high-tech applications, as well as providing tailor-made combinations of materials and adhesives.

Packaging Europe | 63 |

Sentega’s product portfolio is very broad and the company offers a one-stop shop for self-adhesive labels, thermal transfer ribbons and laser printed labels in up to 11 colours. In addition, the company produces multi-layer labels and booklet labels and all these products benefit from the innovative solutions developed

by Sentega.

Furthermore, Sentega offers a solution for the carrying of heavy products. With its ‘Easy-Take®’ system, boxes that weigh up to 25kg are easier and simpler to carry.

This special carrying device significantly reduces the problems of carrying bulky products and offers the perfect replacement for traditional, very large plastic bags. It is possible to use this special device to carry heavy boxes of wine, pet-food packag-

| 64 | Packaging Europe

ing, toy packaging and electronic goods. The innovative removable adhesive also enables undamaged products to be exchanged without marking or affecting the original carton’s presentation or integrity.

Tailor-made solutions Sentega is well known for its ability to produce highly specific label solutions and this applies to all its market segments and in particular to the pharmaceutical industry where the highest standards of quality and reliability are standard practice.

For example, Sentega has developed special labels for clinical trials, as well as watersoluble labels and labels for inspection following the sterilisation process, where it

offers labels with ink that changes colour in the autoclave and are validated according to ISO 11140-1 (Class 1 indicator).

Brusgaard said, “We are focused on the VIP market and we work in close collaboration with our clients to optimise their label solutions and cost-effectiveness. We are able to take on any challenge thanks to our in-house R&D and our expertise gained over many years of problem solving. We see our main growth coming from the increasing demand for multi-layer labels and booklet labels, which we can produce with up to 16 pages. Although much our business comes from the chemical industry sector we are seeing consistent growth in the food and manufacturing sectors too. We have always been a major supplier of transfer ribbons and this experience has gained us the accolade of being selected as the official supplier of ribbons to Ricoh of Japan for the Dutch market.

“Traditionally our home markets have been the Benelux countries but we are also gaining market share in France, the UK and in Germany through an extensive dealer network. We tend to do what others are unable to do and our Xonad technology makes it possible to place adhesive anywhere and in any configuration. For example it can be delivered in dots, in a triangle or in a crescent and this can be combined with silicone, which further extends our range of adhesives. We believe that our advanced technology and innovative expertise differentiates us clearly from our competitors.”

He added, “We always strive to be ‘best in class’ and we achieve this by keeping a number of core values always in mind. These are working in close partnership with our customers, ensuring purchasing and material quality and efficiency, minimising waste in our manufacturing processes and providing clearly focused management and manufacturing. This enables us to excel in quality, service and flexibility.”

It is worth noting that Sentega’s formula for success is not only based upon its culture of innovation and quality, but also upon many years of continuous improvement and the refinement of its products and services.

For further details of Sentega’s innovative products visit: www.sentega.com Packaging Europe | 65 |

Pacing ahead

The Arena International Events Group is gearing up for its 2016 Packaging and Converting Executive Forum (PACE), an invite only event designed to provide an interactive platform for elite senior executives in the packaging industry.

Set to take place on 9–11 February 2016, the forum has been strategically repositioned to Amsterdam, with the intention of attracting fresh faces and a novel perspective. Martin Ryan, business development director, provided Libby White with details of the highly anticipated programme, and shares the trends and challenges that will be addressed.

| 66 | Packaging Europe

Y

ear on year, PACE has built a strong reputation, and brand owners and suppliers alike have come to benefit from and rely on the business intelligence gleaned from the event. Martin Ryan comments, “PACE’s vision was to bring together senior packaging experts within the FMCG market, incorporating the whole supply chain. We have created a reputable platform where brand owners can discuss ideas and challenges, meet converters, and find solutions to help improve their packaging performance.”

industry experts and carry out in depth research leading up to the event, and invite some of the biggest names in the packaging industry to give presentations.”

For the last two years, PACE has been held in Brussels, Belgium. Martin Ryan enthuses, “2016 will see a fresh location and new faces. We settled on Amsterdam, a packaging community hub, which is also logistically easy to get to. We have already confirmed 90 brand owners for PACE 2016 and look forward to attracting new attendees.”

An evolving event

Covering relevant issues

Striving to meet the demands of its attendees, PACE has evolved into a portfolio of events with a global reach. PACE Europe has been running for 13 years, PACE USA for eight, and PACE Asia is the fastest growing event since its establishment three years ago.

When the European forum was first launched, it attracted around 15 companies.

Now in its 12th year, it attracts over 200 companies from all different parts of the value chain across the FMCG, food, beverage, personal care, cosmetics and pharmaceutical markets. Martin Ryan explains, “The key to our growth is our programme.

We ensure every year that we provide a packed schedule covering all the current and relevant issues within the packaging industry. We speak regularly with the

Masi Azizi, conference producer, shares that PACE prides itself on its agenda content which covers several key challenges faced by the industry. “We also tackle technical issues in packaging, supply chain efficiency, and materials selection amongst other topics. We spend a lot of time researching the current issues of the industry, collecting our research by speaking to the decision makers of leading companies.”

The three day event will be brimming with a series of visionary keynote presentations, in-depth workshops, interactive roundtables, stimulating panels and one-to-one private business development meetings. Martin Ryan adds, “Attendees can benefit from our fantastic networking opportunities, in both formal and

Packaging Europe | 67 |

informal settings- on top of our schedule, we also host drinks receptions and dinners. We also always ensure an optimal balance between the end-users and the suppliers at our events, providing great opportunities for frank business and partnering discussions.”

PACE’s end goal is to provide as many opportunities for attendees to share knowledge.

“To allow our guests more control of their day, we will continue with a convenient solution introduced in 2015, which we have further improved upon,” Martin Ryan shares.

“Our event will be streamed, allowing brand owners to have more options relevant to their specific focuses. For example stream A will focus on materials and the supply chain and stream B will focus on equipment and sustainable manufacturing.”

Focus on case studies Attendees will benefit in 2016 from an innovative approach of case study driven presentations. Masi Azizi explains, “We encourage our solution providers to invite their own clients to speak on their behalf. This means attendees can take away key knowledge and benefit from a learning experience rather than a sales pitch.” The event will provide a unique opportunity to hear the latest and most innovative case studies from leading brand owners such as L’Oreal, Danone, Unilever, Coca Cola, Heineken and many more.

A successful example from 2015 was from Polymer Logistics, a leading RRP solutions provider, who invited Unilever to speak on their behalf. Unilever discussed how Polymer Logistics helped them overcome the challenges they faced- and solved problems through an innovative solution.

Panel discussions will be led by esteemed packaging professionals in the industry such as Claudio Finol, head of packaging development at McBride, Eric Näf, Absolut Vodka’s director of packaging development, Ranko Jelaca, marketing director at Atlantic Grupa, and Marko Honkanen from Fiskars. “This allows us to hear

| 68 | Packaging Europe

perspectives from different market sectors, and importantly from different regions as well,” points out Masi Azizi.

Of particular interest concerning relevant issues, Virginia Janssens, managing director, EUROPEN, will deliver a presentation delving into the circular economy.

Masi Azizi notes, “EUROPEN has recently released its own set of recommendations addressing the EU Commission’s circular economy proposals, so it will be interesting to hear a key perspective which will allow our attendees the opportunity to share stories and develop strategies.”

Attendees can also expect presentations from Lindt & Sprüngli and Nescafé Expresso. Coca-Cola will be delivering a presentation on increasing consumer appeal through insightful innovations. Paul Bruijn, head of environment, Heineken, will be exploring ways to reduce carbon footprint within the supply chain.

Premium networking Brand owners ultimately benefit from PACE as it allows them to achieve their goals and explore solutions to extend shelf life, reduce costs, speed up print runs, and provide shelf appeal. Martin Ryan comments, “In a cost efficient manner, they will be connected with a select amount of suppliers in a positive setting where they can really discuss their challenges and capabilities.”

He concludes, “Most importantly, brand owners are attracted to PACE as we look to meet their expectations, compared to a trade show scenario where they may be inundated with suppliers. We strive to carry out research and collect intelligence so as to address key objectives. Ultimately, the PACE platform is a conducive environment for business, where serious challenges can be addressed. We look forward to welcoming both old and new faces next year.”

Visit: www.arena-international.com/pace/speakers

Packaging Europe | 69 |

A cut above Madern International is a leading manufacturer of custom-made rotary converting tools and solutions for the cardboard packaging sector. Its sales manager, Menno BrakelĂŠ, talks to Barbara Rossi about recent developments at the company.

| 70 | Packaging Europe

M

adern is a specialist in high-end tooling and operates in three main areas: rotary converting tools and solutions; engraving; and special products and services. Today rotary tools and converting solutions are its core business and its products are customised according to clients’ specifications. However, Madern also continues to carry out its long-established engraving activity, meeting the needs of all different types of industries and consumer applications. It is able to process a wide range of materials using a number of techniques. Through its special product and service division the company is able to provide a number of services and high-precision parts to a wide range of industries. In addition to this, thanks to the acquisition of AJB Instrument in 2013, it supplies high-precision engineering products to the medical and automotive sectors, as well as to other high-tech industries.

Madern International is ISO 9001 certified. The Dutch Madern factory produces die-cutters and rotary tooling, while their US counterparts take care of rotary tools only.

These works supply the different companies of the group, regardless of geographical location. This means that Madern USA sources its die-cutters from Holland, and will supply the tooling and take care of the service.

Mr Brakelé explains, “As a group we supply customers all over the world. Madern International is equally focused on Europe and Asia. The great majority of our tools and solutions are for cardboard packaging (95 per cent) while the remainder are used to process paper or plastic materials. Our main client segments are general folding cartons, tobacco and liquid packaging. As you may understand, in recent years the tobacco packaging sector has decreased in Europe and grown in Asia. However, the consequent decrease in demand for our products from the European tobacco sector has been compensated by growing requests liquid packaging industry. In Europe our sales are equally split between the tobacco and the liquid packaging segments, while in Asia (including the Far East) the share of the tobacco sector is still larger than that of liquid packaging.”

Investing in the future Madern International invests in new production machinery on a regular basis, updating its equipment every year. “We continuously acquire new high-precision machinery, such as lathes, milling and grinding machines, in order to remain at the technological cuttingedge.” The company has an internal R & D department, which is currently focusing on special steel for rotary dies and achieving higher die-cutting speeds.

“In terms of new products we are extending the dimensional range of our die-cutters, which in terms of width now span from 650mm to 1750mm.Having increased the width means we are able to offer cylinders of a larger diameter. We have developed our new die-cutters in order to meet the needs of the liquid and general folding carton packaging sector and we are experiencing a very good response.”

One of the trends discussed the last time Packaging Europe met Madern was an increasing market demand for shorter run solutions. “We do quite a lot of this for the general folding carton sector and we are currently developing it for the tobacco segment,” Mr Brakelé confirms. “I have to say that in reality there is a bi-directional trend: while some companies in the tobacco industry do require shorter run solutions, some brands are moving towards standardisation and are thus interested in solutions for larger volumes. The same is happening in the liquid packaging sector.

Packaging Europe | 71 |

| 72 | Packaging Europe

“I expect growth to be driven by rotary tool and die-cutting systems. In particular, we are currently finalising some projects for 2016, thanks to which we should experience growth in this continent next year. We are not planning to expand into new geographical markets right now, but to grow in existing ones.

While we have no plans for new production sites, we might decide to set up a service facility in the Far East to be better able to serve our customers there. As we are a relatively small company, it is hard to forecast if either Europe or Asia will become prevalent in the next few years, as each of the projects in which we are involved can easily make this fluctuate in either direction. For instance, the setting up of a new factory in one of our client segments in either Europe

or Asia would translate into an important increase in demand for our tools and systems and could make the share of one of these geographical regions increase significantly in comparison to the other.�

Madern International works in very close collaboration with other companies that, while not being direct competitors, are part of its customers’ supply chains. The rationale behind this is to be able to offer clients the best solutions on the market.

Madern International will be in hall 11, stand C61 at Drupa 2016 in Dusseldorf to update you on the latest rotary developments.

Visit: www.madern.com

Packaging Europe | 73 |

Delivering Serialisation Prime Solutions Covectra is a global serialisation, authentication and track-and-trace technologies service provider and a market leader in its field. Philip Yorke spoke to Steve Wood, the company’s CEO in the USA, and Conor O’Neill, Covectra’s VP and Managing Mirector for European operations, about its latest ‘AuthentiTrack®’ Prime products and move into new markets.

| 74 | Packaging Europe

C

ovectra was founded in the US in 2006 by Dr David Bear after he had observed that a growing number of his psychiatric patients were addicted to painkillers.

Many of these were on government ‘Medicaid’ insurance support and were purchasing large quantities of powerful painkillers at a fraction of their cost. It was then he became aware that drug diversion and counterfeiting had become a dangerous menace to society.

As a result, Bear founded Covectra and in 2006 developed the company’s first system for authenticating an opioid unit dose using unique codes inscribed on the tablet. Following other ground-breaking innovations such as ‘iSTARx®’, a product for image storage tracking and recognition, the company launched its now famous ‘AuthentiTrack®’ serialisation solution in 2010. In the same year Covectra supported the launch of a high volume opioid that was serialised down to the unit dose.

Unique solutions Today Covectra offers anti-counterfeiting, diversion control and serialised track and trace technologies and services from the point of manufacture right through to the consumer, covering all levels of packaging. The company’s unique serialisation technology provides a number of solutions for regulatory, supply chain and brand promotion requirements.

Covectra’s packaging security technology is applied as additional layers of brand protection, from labels and cartons with taggants to sophisticated, unique holograms.

By combining these various layers of security, a product travels from manufacturing, through packaging, into distribution, through the retailer’s point of sale, and into the hands of the consumer with optimal security, traceability, consumer protection and brand integrity.

Wood said, “We differ from our competitors in a number of key ways. Most of them approach the market from the factory point of view, whereas our focus is from the business benefit perspective and we work back from there. We have built a highly specialised team that offer value-added customer services throughout the supply chain all the way to the consumer. Where we come from defines us as a company and this shines through on all our product offerings.”

“In the US, when a company serialises a product, it typically includes all levels of packaging to provide efficient traceability and meet the requirements of the US Drug Security Chain Security Act. We try to help the brand owner find other business benefits from the use of serial numbers to get additional ROI. However, in Europe brand owners have different requirements - they don’t require track and trace in the supply chain, but they do require end-to-end authentication. China has their own unique requirements. So, as you can see, globally every country has a different requirement – but whatever the need

Packaging Europe | 75 |

is, we are equipped to provide the optimal solution. We offer holistic solutions and can guide a customer through the whole process from initial concept, to user requirements definition, to full implementation. As far as the future is concerned we have an innovative new product to launch later this year and we plan to continue to grow organically.

However, we strive to develop strategic partnerships where the synergy is right and we also keep an open mind about the possibility of acquisitions.”

Protecting supply-chain integrity Covectra’s advanced track and trace technology is being applied more widely than ever before and is now being utilised by the makers of infant formula milk as well as by other OTC product manufacturers.

The company recently announced its new anti-counterfeit and track and trace system to meet the increasing need for protecting infant formula products from counterfeiting.

This latest system was developed to meet the increasing need for the supply-chain integrity of infant formula products, particularly given the recent increase in illicit trade activity and supply-chain leakage in markets such as China.

“Managing food safety standards across a global supply chain is complex and challenging. However, steps must be taken to ensure safe and secure shipping and distribution of food products that end up in the hands of consumers,” added Wood.

The latest innovative packaging-line serialisation system from Covectra offers maximum supply-chain integrity and brand protection. This new, low-cost system is called AT-Prime.

“Compliance with EU FMD regulations is a key driver for our products in Europe. ATPrime is basically a low-cost system that enables European pharmaceutical companies | 76 | Packaging Europe

to meet all EU FMD requirements including the addition of ‘tamper-evident’ seals. This unique product has taken our highly specialised expertise and applied it to every layer, right down to the business level,” commented O’Neill.

Covectra’s ‘AuthentiTrack®’ platform has been awarded the EPCIS mark by the GS 1/ EPC Global Software Certification Programme. This is a standards-based compliance testing programme sponsored by the GSI organisation. This prestigious mark demonstrates that Covectra is a certified EPCIS platform that can be used by manufacturers, distributors and wholesalers for smooth data transfer, as well as for the capture and sharing of information for effective track and trace and ePedigree programmes.

For further details of Covectra’s unique track and trace products and services visit: www.covectra.com

Innovation for the dairy industry Inventor of the Form Fill Seal (FFS) concept more than 50 years ago, ERCA SA was created through the merger of two companies founded in 1958 and 1965. Successively acquired by JAGENBERG in 1991 and by IWKA in 2001, ERCA followed the packaging division of IWKA which in 2007 became the OYSTAR Group. R&D director Dominique Schwab talks about what makes the company a leader in its field.

S

ince the beginning of 2015, ERCA SA has been a part of the Italian IMA Group’s Dairy & Food division. The IMA Group is world leader in the design and manufacture of automatic machines for the packaging of pharmaceuticals, cosmetics and food products. It is established in 80 countries and operates 34 factories, with 4600 employees and a consolidated turnover of €854.6 million for 2014.

“IMA Group’s Dairy & Food division is made up of the companies BENHILL, CORAZZA, ERCA, GASTI, HAMBA and HASSIA, which gives us further opportunities for sharing technology and new developments in the long-term. IMA also brings with it all the advantages of a worldwide industrial organisation,” Mr Schwab explains.

Technology leaders In the almost 60 years since its establishment, ERCA has served the food industry (particularly dairy) with the introduction of a wide range of technologies, including: wraparound labelling technology; three aseptic technologies (clean, ultra-clean and aseptic); open mould technology for cups with a neck smaller than the body; high output machines up to 80,000 cups/h for the yoghurt and fresh cheese market; conical cups with wraparound label; and a fruit station with pigging system to save fruit during changeovers.

ERCA has a policy of constant innovation to maintain its position as the leader in FFS technology, as Mr Schwab points out. “ERCA’s positive image is partly based on the

Packaging Europe | 77 |

| 78 | Packaging Europe

robustness of our machines and original solutions to answer the needs of the customers.

Furthermore, our strong customer services enable us to maintain a solid presence on the worldwide market, and long lasting partnerships. That is what makes the customers come to us, stay with us, and come back to us. Every customer can find what he or she needs in the wide range of machines and equipment that ERCA can offer.”

Sophisticated solutions for complex tasks FFS machines are complex and designed for many different technologies. “Our areas of expertise include covering, forming and labelling, dosing and bacteriological safety, but we have also unique solutions in many others domains. ERCA can offer machines with different hygienic levels – clean, ultra-clean and aseptic – depending on the product, the expected shelf-life and the distribution conditions. For each hygienic level different solutions can be implemented depending on the packaging materials and on the fillers,” Mr Schwab explains.

The company’s R&D department supports its growth company by keeping it up to date with regard to external changes such as environment and packaging materials, by developing new functions either to improve efficiency or to meet new needs and by proposing new packaging concepts. “Our continuous work with packaging suppliers ensures that our machines are in line with today’s materials and prepared for tomorrow’s materials,” Mr Schwab adds.

European coverage With its headquarters close to Paris, its manufacturing plant for new machines in Normandy and a daughter company close to Barcelona dedicated to refurbished machines and small output machines, ERCA employs just over 200 people throughout the world. A wide network of selected suppliers in France, Spain and Europe ensure the delivery of all the machine components and spare parts.

“If the natural growth is mainly in Asia, Africa and South America, our vision for the future is to consolidate this growth by taking steps in markets we are not yet present in.

It’s a long and challenging path,” Mr Schwab concludes.

Visit: www.oystar-group.com

Packaging Europe | 79 |

Innovative

Injection Moulding Engel Austria GmbH is a family-run company founded in 1945, which has emerged since the end of the Second World War to become a global market leader in manufacturing and developing injection moulding machines and automation robots. In 1952, the first Engel injection moulding machine was launched and since that pivotal moment, the company has continued to innovate and lead in this industry. Libby White reports.

| 80 | Packaging Europe

T

oday Engel has nine production plants worldwide and subsidiaries and representatives in more than 85 countries. The global turnover for 2014/15 was more than one billion euro.

Divided into five business units: automotive; packaging; medical; teletronics; and technical moulding, Kurt Hell, sales manager Business Unit Packaging , points out, “Automotive is the largest unit making up 40 per cent of our business; however our injection moulding machines and turnkey solutions for the production of packaging articles is an integral part of our business making up around 12 per cent.”

The packaging division is divided into four different product groups: thin wall moulding (i.e. for food containers); caps and closures (for beverage and other applications); pails, buckets and round containers; and large containers and pallets (i.e. for transporting large volumes of fruit and vegetables).

This division is in fact generating the most growth for Engel and has marked potential to develop further. Michael Feltes, vice president of the packaging business unit, asserts, “We believe there will be a further significant growth in the next three to five years.”

lessons learned along the process. But we have never moved away from the target of reducing energy consumption, which we see as the key driver. Today, converters choose our machines due to the excellent energy efficiency we can provide.”

He stresses, “We have not only calculated, but measured data that shows that we are leading the fiel with regards to the energy consumption of the all-electric machine concept.”

The latest machine innovation from Engel is the ENGEL e-speed. Presented for the first time in 2013, the 650-tonne hybrid machine with electrical clamping unit and hydraulic injection unit will be presented as a second variation with a larger injection unit at the 2015 Engel symposium. The machine size six with a screw diameter of 120mm has added a larger dimension to what the system can offer. Until now, the ENGEL e-speed 650 was available with a 90 mm screw. The new machine size guarantees short cycle times even with large shot volumes. The ENGEL e-speed 650 in machine size six achieves the highest hydraulic force that ENGEL has realised in the area of packaging thus far, and with that it sets new standards in the industry.

High performance and efficient production

Strong global market position

Engel has been building all-electric moulding machines since 2002 and with a wealth of experience and expertise can today offer efficient, profitable and clean solutions to the packaging industry. Michael Feltes explains this has been a difficult but rewarding focus for the company, “Like everybody else, we have had our share of issues and

Globally active, family-run. These key attributes of Engel confirm its leading position on the market, coupled with the fact it can supply complete production systems with high efficiency from a full range of all-electric, hybrid and hydraulic machines for packaging applications up to 650 tonnes.

Packaging Europe | 81 |

Movomech AB Movomech was established in Kristianstad in 1986 and is since 2006 part of the Sunnex group. The company is specialized in lifting technology and delivers customized material handling equipment to customers all over the world.

Movomech does also provide a complete product range of anti-vibration and levelling machine mounts under the trademark Sunnex. Sunnex product series are specially developed to minimize the effects of unwanted vibrations to improve ergonomics at the workplace and to reduce strain on machines.

Movomech AB is proud supplier of machine mounts to a number of Engel production sites. A strong and two ways beneficial cooperation has been established during the years and the two companies´ positive development creates good prospects for continued healthy cooperation.

Reiloy Metall GmbH Reiloy Metall is the globally leading manufacturer of highly wear-resistant screws and barrels for the plastics industry. Nearly 30 years Reiloy is a professional partner of Engel Austria GmbH with manufacturing units in Troisdorf Germany and Wichita USA. In order to secure just in time delivery a rolling forecast as well as necessary stock planning are synchronised weekly. Providing know-how, experience and the right technologies we protect barrels and screws sustainably against abrasion, adhesion and corrosion. We are a manufacturing company, but primarily we are consultants. We use our expertise in engineering and metallurgy to find optimal specifications for plasticizing units, select suitable material combinations, and support our customers in their developments of new barrels to improve profitability and functionality.

| 82 | Packaging Europe

Packaging Europe | 83 |

“The packaging industry has a lot of global manufacturers which provide brand owners all across the world, therefore their machine suppliers need to be in a similar position to support them,” Kurt Hell explains, “Engel can provide support and services globally.” To maintain long-term success, Engel is currently implementing a regional support structure, not only for sales, but also for service, application engineering, and configuration management.

Engel’s willingness to invest in the future and the development of its machines is another reason it attracts big customers who exclusively buy from them time after time. With a budget of more than 50 million euro invested in R&D every year even throughout the recent crisis years, Engel is able to stay ahead of the competition. In addition, Engel invests in its personnel. Every year, more than 50 apprentices are placed on the Engel training programme, ensuring staff possess in-depth knowledge, skills and expertise.

Engel has also recently further strengthened its service offerings with a new customer portal for processing service requests and ordering spare parts. Michael Feltes explains, “Every production environment will sooner or later require spare parts. With the new Engel e-connect, our customers can order new parts easier and faster from the machines, minimising delays and the ordering of incorrect parts. With the help of 3D models, the needed spare parts can be selected easily and quickly.”

A progressive industry Developments in pack design and materials drive and impact the manufacturers of packaging machinery. As an advanced provider of solutions, Engel will continue to remain one step ahead of the progressions made in the industry.

Michael Feltes offers his proficient insights into market trends: “The packaging industry will be influenced in the next few years by the demographics of the global population which will increase in age,” He says. “There is a trend that consumers are wanting smaller packs at a higher volume. I believe that the demand for single-serve packs is going to continue to increase.”

Secondly, Michael Feltes discusses the exciting new trend of intelligent packaging, “Cutting-edge developments such as implementing an active indicator (such as a colour code replacing a printed date) into a pack to convey the shelf-life of a product, are going to be interesting innovations to support with our technologies.”

He also points out a third area of development, “In Asia, there is an interesting trend that packages are either manufactured as ultra-cheap i.e. foil-backed, or as a premium package using rigid plastic material. There is huge potential in China | 84 | Packaging Europe

and Asia for thin-wall packaging and in turn our thin-wall packaging solutions, to penetrate the market and provide solutions in between these two extremes.”

The shelf-life of food products, a crucial area rich in packaging development, has seen a rise in demand for advanced barrier technologies. Michael Feltes elaborates, “There is a lot of activity in Europe and North America surrounding barrier functionality, typically an EVOH or nylon barrier layer inside a polypropylene structure, either to extend the existing shelf-life properties of food stuffs, or to substitute metal tins and cans with a plastic or plastic/metal combination container.

“Engel can provide the technology and injection synchronisation with its allelectric machine concepts that is required to create these typically three-layered structures with small micron ranges that require extreme precision.

“We are working on barrier projects in the development stages with large converters globally. Our machines can provide the advanced capabilities and technologies needed, and the focus is on developing the packaging itself.”

Sustainable growth Over the last two years, Engel has injected huge investment into increasing the capacity of its facilities. Spotlighting Asia, Engel has doubled the capacity of its plant in Korea, which manufactured around 1000 machines last year. It has also doubled the capacity of the Shanghai plant and in July 2014 the ENGEL group opened a second facility in China.

In addition to expanding in Asia, Engel has progressive plans to increase its capacity in Europe. Kurt Hell comments, “The focus for 2015 and onwards is to increase our capacity in Austria at the headquarters with new offices and a state-ofthe-art technology centre, and to increase capacity at our plants located in Austria.”

He underscores that future growth will come from several directions. “In Europe we hold a market share of 35 per cent. We aim to maintain this strong position whilst looking at the huge potential there is to grow in Asia and America. In America we hold around 16 per cent of the market share and in Asia around 12 per cent. During the last years we continually increased our worldwide market shares and we will remain on this growth path in the coming years.

For the coming years ENGEL sees further growth of at least 5 per cent per year. Michael Feltes asserts, “Engel has the muscle, the technology, and the market share to achieve this, however at the same time we aspire to achieve sustainable rather than aggressive growth so will not be pushing Engel to its limits to reach this target.”

For more information, visit www.engelglobal.com

Making brands

shine

Schawk offers production, premedia print and workflow services, and helps to protect brands across media channels by producing high quality assets while improving supply chain efficiencies.

Elisabeth Skoda spoke to Carsten Hoppmann, Schawk’s Business Development Director for Germany, Austria and Switzerland, to find out how a recent rebranding positively affects business.

Packaging Europe | 85 |

S

chawk is part of SGK, a division of Matthews International Corporation.

Matthews International was established following the emigration of John Matthews to the United States from his native England, where he then opened a small engraving shop in Pittsburgh in 1850. The early business focused on military stamping dies, branding irons, ornate engravings and stamps for wooden crates. Over the years the company grew and developed. The company’s SGK Brand Solutions segment has become a leader in pre-press services, helping companies create eye-catching and brand-building packaging graphics.

Schawk was founded in 1953 by Clarence W. Schawk as a one-man platemaking business and from there grew into a trusted partner for production, premedia, print services and workflows with several thousand employees over the world.

“Following the merger between Matthews International and SGK in 2014, the SGK Group currently has more than 6300 employees in more than 30 countries in over 78 locations on five continents. From small businesses a hundred years ago we have grown to have a strong worldwide presence,” Mr Hoppmann is happy to report.

Successful rebranding The Matthews Brand Solutions flexographic business was recently rebranded as Schawk. “We have rebranded our brand solutions and flexographic business in Europe, Asia and America as Schawk. This affects eight local flexographic business brands in Europe, one in Asia Pacific and one in America,” Mr Hoppmann explains.

Rebranding is part of strategy to optimise SGK’s brand portfolio by consolidating the brand. Mr Hoppmann points out the reasons behind this move as such: “This facilitates the buying process for our clients, creates a more seamless service experience, and unifies the knowledge, expertise and resources of all these brands around

| 86 | Packaging Europe

the world. With the one Schawk brand, we focus on delivering a consistent brand experience as we offer a consistent brand experience to our customers, we also have to offer a consistent brand experience with our own brand. Rebranding provides best of both worlds for Europe. European business brands become an integral part of the global brand, and Schawk is in a position regionally to continue to deliver flexographic solutions in Europe.”

Impressive portfolio There are two business lines under the SGK brand. The brand development group is focused on improving top line growth for brand owners, including the creation of corporate brand strategies, brand experience and design across all media channels online and offline, and merchandising at retail stores.

“Brandimage offers comprehensive branding and design services including research, strategy and creative to generate meaningful brand stories,” Mr Hoppmann adds.

Secondly, the brand deployment group is made up of Schawk and Saueressig, focusing on improving bottle line efficiency for brand owners and printers.

“We offer workflow audit, continuous improvement services, print and colour management and flexo plate making. Innovations include security and 3D micro embossing, nanosecond laser three-dimensional gravures, large surface laser structuring of embossing equipment with high-performance ultra short pulse lasers, proofs and mock-ups that depict all finishes like coatings and embossing and colour consistent print previews directly on screen.”

Schawk offers a unique packaging e-content service, allowing customers to keep control of their online presence and create a consistent brand identity.

“We produce artwork for our clients’ packaging. There is no need for printed samples, we can master up details to produce 3D CGIs and combine this with

other elements of artwork. This means that pictures in online shops show the same pack as packs in the supermarket. This guarantees consistency, avoiding confusion if a customer sees a different pack in supermarkets than in online shops,” Mr Hoppmann says.

Showcasing the brand at Fachpack For the first time this year, Schawk did not showcase its products and solutions at the Fachpack trade fair in Nuremberg, but focused on its rebranding in Europe, giving customers background information on the company’s restructuring.

Schawk also shared its expertise. At the fair, the FTA (Flexographic Technical Association) was asked to present a 90 minute slot at Packbox, a space dedicated to innovation and information, communicating information on packaging, machine construction, packaging printing and packaging logistics. Within this framework, Carsten Hoppmann gave a presentation on packaging prepress and the efforts to make creative work printable, addressing why digital graphic files that have been generated by graphic designers still need a great deal of re-work to make them suitable for packaging printing and production.

“I gave some background information and outlined the necessary steps to transform computer design files into a print ready artwork file,” shares Mr Hoppmann.

Successful outlook

He is keen to point out that Schawk is ideally positioned for present and future success: “Our 150 years of experience in the industry, our combination of global and local presence, our deep knowledge in technical imaging, printing processes, colour behaviours, work efficiency and inks and substrates, enable us to provide consistent solutions worldwide, paired with local services for brand owners and printers.”

Visit: www.schawk.com

Packaging Europe | 87 |

Celebrating 80 years of plastics Fatra a.s. is one of the major central European processors of plastics (PVC, PE, PP and PET), and holds a significant share in the plastics industry in the Czech Republic with 1100 employees. Celebrating its 80th anniversary this year, it offers top quality products and specialised customer solutions, which include not only production but also development activities as well as consulting services. Libby White spoke with Mr Miroslav Vecerka, sales manager, about how the company has achieved an impressive turnover in 2014 of €140 million, with sales to more than 50 countries worldwide.

F

ounded in 1935 by Baťa group (a worldwide famous Czech shoemaker), Fatra is a member of the Agrofert Holding Group, which associates over 230 subjects from the chemistry, agriculture and food industries, and ground machinery across central Europe. Currently, more than 75% of the company’s production is heading to foreign markets. Two manufacturing facilities are ideally located in Napajedla and Chropyně, Czech Republic, within a short distance of around 30km from each other.

Fatra offers a high level of customer service in the field of testing and development laboratories with testing, preparation of samples and mixtures, expert advice and consultation. The high quality of products and services are supported by the implementation of quality and environmental management systems ČSN ISO 9001 and ČSN ISO 14001. | 88 | Packaging Europe

Comprehensive portfolio With 80 years of knowledge to build upon, Fatra provides processed materials include PVC-P, PVC-U, LDPE, LLDPE, HDPE, EVAC, TPO, PP, PET, and ABS across a variety of markets: the construction industry, food industry, fancy goods, sanitary products, healthcare, consumer industry and the automotive industry. Consequentially, Fatra’s product portfolio is vast. For the construction industry alone Fatra produces waterproofing membranes, technical foils, flooring, PE sheets and cooling filler panels.

For the food industry, Fatra offers PVC foils, PVC packages (cups, containers, lids), BO PET films and laminates, and crates for baked goods. PE sheets, PVC-P foils and extruded profiles are produced for the fancy goods market, and for the sanitary products

sector it produces breathable films and laminates, and bed liners. Special PVC foils and tubes cater for the healthcare sector and lastly for the consumer industry, Fatra produces PE and PET and EVAC foils and sheets, injected products, printed foils, floor tiles, tablecloths and profiles.

Taking a closer look at what Fatra produces for the packaging industry, BO PET films TENOLAN® includes the production of packages for foodstuff and technical products, production of multi-layer flexible packages for industrial and food processing use (duplex and triplex laminates), and thermal food processing up to a maximum of 220°C (for baking).

BO PET films TENOLAN® and multi-layer laminated films FOLAM® (lamination of two or more materials - BOPET, PE, PP films, paper, etc.) are used in the manu-

facture of flexible packages – suitable for the packaging of foodstuff and technical products. TENOLAN® films are also used for electrical insulation and other applications. Films are supplied transparent or coloured in mass (yellow, white, black, red, blue) or matt. They can be also corona treated, metallised or chemically treated.

Technical BO PET films are offered for the production of labels and adhesive tapes and so on.

Multi-layer laminated foils FOLAM® are designed mainly for the production of so-called flexible packages. They are manufactured by connecting two or more areal materials (BOPET, PE, PP film, paper, etc.). Films, which are treated by aluminium metallisation, through dyeing, or deposition of water dispersion of polymers in the context of improved surface adhesion of final materials, can be used in the production.

“Around 75 per cent of our focus is on the European market. Germany and Italy are our biggest markets for BO PET, and we sell this in 28 countries including the US and China.”

Packaging Europe | 89 |

Fatra’s solutions for the packaging industry have many applications: food packages for the packaging of aggressive content (e.g. spice, sauerkraut), lids of alimentary packs, decoration wine funnels, and thermal bags etc. Foil treatments and laminates can add further properties to Fatra’s offerings, such as metallisation, application of water dispersions of polymers for the purpose of improving surface adhesion of final materials, special surface finish such as peel effect and inner/outer printing. Lamination improves functionality and can add a barrier to prevent the permeability of gases, water, water steam and oxygen, strengthen the package, extend durability, offer easy printing, and reduce the microbial risk.

Engaging with the market In a strong position for expansion, Fatra exhibited for the very first time this year at FachPack, a leading European trade fair for packaging, technology, processing and logistics.

The main aim was to find new business contacts and opportunities in the European market and to raise awareness of the performances of the Czech manufacturer. Another key focus was to monitor the competition on the market of packaging and logistics. Mr Vecerka comments, “Fatra has attended FachPack three or four times in the past in a passive manner, to keep up to date with the industry. This year, we decided to put Fatra on the packaging radar, to show the packaging industry what we have to offer, and benefit from the countless opportunities.”

Visitors of the fair were introduced to Fatra’s products: BO PET packaging and technical films and laminates, anti-slip foils and sheets of EVAC and PET, transparent and coloured vinyl oils (PVC-P) for the haberdashery, packaging and special purposes, extruded

| 90 | Packaging Europe

profiles for the packaging consumables, furniture and other industry, injection products (multifunctional floor tiles, containers) and vinyl floors for commercial spaces.

FachPack is held in Nuremberg, Germany, which is Fatra’s biggest market for BO PET films, and where it also sees the biggest opportunity for growth. Mr Vecerka says, “I would definitely say that FachPack exceeded our expectations. As well as gathering fresh contacts within the packaging industry, we managed to attain contacts for every single segment we are involved in asides from packaging, which was a brilliant result.”

Expansion plans Conveniently located in central Europe, the most important regions for Fatra are Western and Eastern Europe, North Africa, Middle East, North and South America. Mr Vecerka points out, “Around 75 per cent of our focus is on the European market. Germany and Italy are our biggest markets for BO PET, and we sell this in 28 countries including the US and China.”

For the next few years, Fatra will focus their expansion mainly on the floor coverings market, and sees big potential in its LVT (luxury vinyl tiles) product range. Mr Vecerka concludes, “We will spend around €500milion for our brand new line for products in construction section (LVT and waterproofing membranes where main growth is expected on the markets outside of Europe. In BO PET films we plan to focus on the product with higher additional value (coloured films, metallisation projects, lower haze and matt surface etc.), and we would like to expand on the markets n in North and South America.”

For more information, visit www.fatra.cz

The next level of

ultrasonic cleaning Liverpool-based Alphasonics designs and manufactures premier ultrasonic cleaning systems for the print, electronics and engineering industries. Elisabeth Skoda visited Alphasonic’s site in Knowsley, was given a tour round the facilities and spoke to marketing and sales manager Chris Jones to find out more about the company’s complete solutions for printer cleaning systems, including anilox roll and gravure cylinder cleaners, blanket wash module cleaners, flexo plate cleaners and parts washers.

Packaging Europe | 91 |

S

ince its foundation in Liverpool in 1993, Alphasonics has been able to develop a worldwide reputation for innovation and technical excellence.

“We have a big reach, with 2.500 of our systems installed all worldwide and are proud to be an industry leader with the most advanced technological framework out there. Our key customers are award winning printers. Our impact on production quality is apparent, and that is recognised in the industry.”

Understanding ultrasonic cleaning Ultrasonic cleaning is a process in which high frequency sound waves and a cleaning agent are used to gently clean various items. So-called ‘transducers’ are fixed to the base of a cleaning tank which force this base to ‘flex’ up and down at a pre-determined rate.

The rate of this flexure is tens of thousands of times a second. This flexure is far too quick for the tank fluid to flow and the formation and collapse of millions of bubbles, or vacuum chambers, occurs.

This sucks out dirt and contamination on a microscopic level due to the implosion of the vacuum chamber on the surface structure of the item being cleaned. The size and strength of these bubbles is controlled by the frequency employed. The higher the frequency, the smaller the bubble and therefore, the cleaning action is gentler.

Gamechanging technology Over the course of its history, Alphasonics successfully addressed the problem that ultrasonic cleaners not fit for purpose were sold to clean anilox, causing problems and damage.

In 2000 the company developed its Alphasound brand, which offers dual frequency variable power ultrasonic, ideal for cleaning delicate parts, and flexible enough to offer optimal cleaning, whatever the component or how often cleaning is required.

The Alphasound system allows a very equal distribution of ultrasonic throughout, guaranteeing safety and increasing production quality.

“Ultrasonic technology previously didn’t offer the necessary quality, printers were worried to clean anilox, and quality suffered. We came into the market doing the same thing, but far and away more advanced. Unfortunately, these competitors have not changed their technology since that time whereas we have consistently developed new and exciting additions solely aimed at delivering benefit to the industry.” Mr Jones explains.

| 92 | Packaging Europe

Two years ago, the company developed Betasound, allowing to put two different frequencies into a tank at the same time, further enhancing quality and performance.

Mr Jones also is keen to point out the company’s latest development, Active Cavitation, which makes ultrasonic work harder through sonolysis.

“Active Cavitation creates disturbances in the tank, increasing and enhancing the formation and collapse of the vacuum bubbles that give the cleaning effect, enhancing the cleaning on the surface of the part being cleaned, and causing a chemical reaction which speeds up the cleaning process.”

International focus Keen to showcase its products to international audiences, Alphasonics regularly presents its solutions at trade shows, such as Scanpack in Gothenburg and Labelexpo in Brussels.

“Labelexpo in Brussels has been a good show for us in the last couple of years. Last year, we could have sold our equipment twice over, and this year we are still picking up orders from it months later. This year, we are looking forward to exhibiting at Drupa in Düsseldorf in Germany, which is a useful fair for us to showcase all we can do for all different types of printers. I predict that Drupa’s position as an offset-focused show are numbered, and that digital and flexo print will come into the fore,” Mr Jones adds.

Having built its international customer base thanks to attending trade shows, the export market is important for Alphasonics, with around 60 per cent of products being exported, and 40 per cent going to the domestic market.

“We also have cemented our place as the market leader in the UK, and year on year, we are increasing our sales across the board,” Mr Jones notes.

Vast product range Alphasonics offers a wide range of products in a number of options and sizes, starting from simple benchtop units to larger systems. Machine sizes range from 430mm up to 5 metres in width.

“Our product range expands from simple benchtop units up to machines with fully automatic features, cycle alarms and fluid filtration. We do what our customers ask us to do. We start with the anilox roll and build our machine around it. Customers can be confident they will get a product that is specifically suited to them,” Mr Jones says.

He adds that machines are modular and can maintained and easily. They can also be adapted according to individual needs. “We can now also bring extra cycle features in gradually, so there is scope for growth. This means that a small company operating from a garage can use our products just as well as a multinational company that needs machines on a number of sites.”

Alphasonics is working hard to be able to offer its customers a complete product range, from anilox cleaners to plate cleaners and part washers.

“We are currently in the process of developing an on press cleaning system, adding extra flexibility for the printer. Once we have streamlined design, we are hoping to launch it into the market next year.”

In order to offer customers complete cleaning solutions, Alphasonics recently expanded its plate cleaning offering with the PCX series plate cleaning systems, featuring a fully automated brush type plate cleaner, eliminating problems commonly associated with plate cleaning. It is suitable for narrow web through to corrugated and available in widths from 450mm to 1200mm.

“PCX was launched at Labelexpo in Chicago last year and has attracted a lot of interest. Since we launched the PCX series last year, several companies have bought complete packages from us consisting of plate cleaners, anilox cleaners and parts washers. We’re a high quality one-stop shop for all cleaning requirements,” Mr. Jones is happy to report.

Mr Jones is keen to highlight the brush-type plate washer, a piece of equipment that enables the printer to clean plates with a minimum of fuss. “This new system uses non-hazardous chemicals, which means there is no need for an ADR or other HazChem requirements.”

Alphasonics puts a lot of time and effort into its R&D, and is particularly proud of the development of a cleaner for surgical equipment.

“At its core, the technology is the same as for print, and this shows the quality of our machines, as the level we are working at is medical grade,” he points out.

Ongoing investments Thanks to Alphasonics’ success, the company needed more space and has built an extra mezzanine level on site with further site expansion in the next 12 months. Mr Jones is proud of the fact that profits get reinvested in R&D in order to anticipate what is coming next in the industry.

“We also invested in and assisted in the development of a cavitometer, which allows us to measure the equality of our ultrasonics. It is important that people understand how important even distribution is in ultrasonic cleaning. When you put sound into water, it can get patchy and there are hot and cold spots, which can cause roll damage to the delicate anilox. A lot of our R&D has gone into eliminating overexposure and provide a balanced clean all over. Our equipment means no spikes in the ultrasonic. Therefore we

are now going to distribute this equipment as a means of validating our capabilities. It is mainly aimed at the medical sector, but if our print customers are interested, they are welcome to it too,” Mr Jones points out.

The company is so confident in the quality of its ultrasonic equipment that it provides a guarantee: If Alphasonics’ technology damages a roll, it will replace it. “In the 25 years we had this guarantee, we never had to replace a roll,” Mr Jones is happy to report.

Motivated, highly skilled staff is another important factor for the company’s success.

Alphasonics doesn’t outsource any work and utilises the skills and knowledge of its staff, offering regular training so they can develop as engineers.

Alphasonics is proud of the quality of product it is able to supply. “Our technology is effective, easy to use and reliable. We are an engineering company and adapt our equipment to our customers’ needs. Major customers, such as press manufacturers and anilox measurement companies such as Troika Systems, are happy with our products and help us to prove what we have been saying about the benefits of ultrasonic cleaning for so long,” Mr Jones points out.

He is proud to list the many benefits of Alphasonics equipment: “Because the roll is clean, printers don’t have to add pigments to make colour stand out. Our equipment allows quick job changeovers, and waste is reduced- if the anilox is clean there is no material waste getting the print right, and print quality is continuously high because roll is 100 per cent clean. This allows printers to control the anilox inventory a lot closer and plan lifetime of the roll, and gives power back to the printer in terms of relationship to the anilox suppliers.”

Looking ahead Mr Jones sees a brig0ht future for Alphasonics, with a focus on branching out in different industries which will also help to further develop products for the print industry. Alphasonics is also determined to focus on expanding its business into the US more and dispel the idea that ultrasonic can cause roll damage.

“It’s holding the industry back, and getting the message out to the US is the next big thing, it’s vastly important they understand that thee equipment currently used en masse in the ‘States just isn’t fit for purpose,” he adds.

With exciting developments in the packaging industry, with label printers producing wider and wider products and packaging printers steadily improving the quality of what they are doing, Mr. Jones sees exciting potential.

“Packaging printers exist in order to make brands look their very best, and with our equipment we can make sure that products will shine on the shelf,” he concludes.

Visit: www.alphasonics.co.uk

Packaging Europe | 93 |

Pioneers in

Plastic Packaging Built on the foundation of a long and rich heritage, Petainer has gone from strength to strength since its management buy-in in 2009. With a focus on becoming the world leader in sustainable PET and other plastic container innovation, 2015 has been a year of growth for the company both in terms of the development of innovative products and the expansion of its market presence. Libby White spoke with Annemieke Hartman-Jemmett, group commercial director, to find out about the company’s vision built on the principle of excellence in sustainability based on zero waste.

| 94 | Packaging Europe

O

riginally Petainer was a part of Rexam, a leading beverage can manufacturer. At the time, the business was focused on small containers between 200ml to 2 l for carbonated soft drinks or water. The company’s current CEO, Nigel Pritchard, took over the business in 2009 together with a number of private equity partners.

Advanced technology Ms Hartman-Jemmett highlights the evolution of the company into the business it has become today: “Our focus has shifted from one key product group of Petainer small containers into a total of four product groups, adding petainerKeg™, petainerCooler™ (bulk watercooler containers, between one gallon to 20 litres, with or without handle) and petainerJar™ (wide mouth jars from one litre to eight litres).”

Additionally, Petainer has expanded on its range of PET containers with products made from different materials (HDPE, PP and CPP) to service all packaging needs. This has opened up new market sectors for Petainer: as well as catering for the beverage sector, it now serves the needs of customers in personal care and food packaging, etc.

“One thing all of our products have in common is that they are created in preform format first, then we ship in bulk to the location, allowing brand owners to blow in their country, which means we can take many lorries off the road,” Ms Hartman-Jemmett points out.

Petainer’s preform sets itself apart from the competition in that it is shorter with a thicker wall. Fittings are also unique to Petainer, and the company works with a number of specialised closure manufacturers.

Leading the way, Petainer has combined its advanced polymer engineering with pioneering concepts to create a two-stage process. This is particularly innovative for the Keg and Jar ranges of HDPE and CPP. “We believe we are one of the only ones on the market able to offer this concept, which has generated a lot of interest from brand owners and our customers as they can benefit from the many advantages,” Ms Hartman-Jemmett comments. Benefits include increased supply chain flexibility, cost savings in freight and removal of logistics complexity.

Hub-and-spoke Owing to the success and interest garnered around the two-stage process, Petainer has transformed its business model to address the needs of the market. “Where before Petainer used to focus predominantly on territories within Europe, we have created and are expanding on the model of the hub-and-spoke system, meaning we are able to ship preforms and then blow our products on a global basis,” Ms Hartman-Jemmett explains.

Petainer established a facility in Klin, Russia, located 40 miles from Moscow in late 2013, which is a model example of the hub and spoke system. Preforms are shipped from Packaging Europe | 95 |

the hub in Aš, Czech Republic, and then blown at the spoke in Kiln for the local market.

The facility is currently supplying petainerKegs™ and water cooler bottles to customers in Russia, as well as Belarus and Ukraine. It also partners with a number of customers, particularly in Russia, who blow the preforms and distribute in their local markets.

Following the same business model, Petainer has established a facility in Modesto, USA which is currently blowing petainerKegs™ and will soon be blowing petainerCoolers™. Ms Hartman-Jemmett adds, “Working with our joint venture partner, we have recently opened our first facility in Asia, in Mumbai, India. We are also partnering with a distributor to be our blowing partner in Australia and we also expect to be adding supplementary hubs in the USA. We are currently reviewing markets in Europe to establish where would be the ideal locations to add hubs.”

This business model has supported Petainer as an organisation traditionally focused on Europe, into a truly global group. “Our expansion is continuous, and will be an ongoing development that has supported and accelerated our growth,” Ms Hartman-Jemmett is proud to share.

Innovation One example of many of Petainer’s innovations, is the petainerKeg™ Linestar, a product that allows brand owners to use existing filling lines for PET kegs. The petainerKeg™ Linestar is based on the petainerKeg™ classic blown, one-way, recyclable PET keg, and features a significantly redesigned outer shell which enables it to fit specifically on existing steelkeg filling lines. The taste of the contents is comparable to with the use of a steel container, and every year at Brau Beviale Petainer invites customers to join them in a ‘taste test’ of beers from Russia, Australia and Europe.

A specially designed, rigid casing means that the petainerKeg™ Linestar travels efficiently and smoothly on existing steel-keg lines. The casing also makes the keg easier to handle in bars, clubs and restaurants; it can also be printed to users’ specifications to create new branding opportunities. | 96 | Packaging Europe

“We have been working for the past year with a brand owner based in the Netherlands who has committed to adding Linestar to their product portfolio, and we are looking to launch it with a number of brand owners in food production by the end of Quarter One,” Ms Hartman-Jemmett shares.

Expansion into Asia Petainer guided its eye towards India around three years ago, knowing it provided a worthy opportunity to introduce high-performance packaging to the market. In January 2015, a joint venture between Petainer and Innnopac Containers saw the launch of Petainer Innopac Packaging, with the official opening of a new manufacturing facility close to Mumbai.

The plant has been designed to provide customers with high quality, high performance and sustainable PET/plastics packaging solutions using Petainer’s advanced polymer engineering technology, enabling customers to enter new markets and enhance their brand at a reduced cost of ownership. The plant houses world-class blow moulding equipment to manufacture the 20-litre bulk water cooler jar, petainerCooler™, using preforms produced from Petainer’s manufacturing sites in Europe, as well as a fully equipped on-site design studio, laboratory services and warehousing.

Petainer Innopac Packaging recently also introduced the petainerKeg™, a one-way 20 or 30 litre keg made out of highly engineered advanced polymers for the beer, wine and other beverage segments. More equipment and products will be brought online in the coming months.

“It has been our proposal to bring high performance packaging solutions to India, and we have received a lot of interest from brand owners in the market,” Ms HartmanJemmett points out. “It is also our intention to gain an understanding of the Asian market from our well positioned facility and we are reviewing further expansion onto the Asian market as we speak.”

For more information, visit www.petainer.com

Packaging Europe | 97 |

| 98 | Packaging Europe

Competitive and environmentallyfriendly adhesives Producing increasingly environmentally sustainable and competitive adhesives is the motivation behind the work of the EOC Adhesives division, part of the Belgian-based EOC Group, as Jean-Paul Vandekerkove explains to Barbara Rossi.

T

he EOC Group manufactures high-quality chemical products employed in a large variety of applications in a wide range of industries. The company was founded in the Netherlands in 1948 and initially produced foam rubber. EOC is a family owned, medium- sized group, which is however active on a worldwide scale. The group relocated to Belgium in the mid-1970s.

Today EOC counts six divisions, namely Compounds, Latex, Polyurethanes, Emulsions, Adhesives and Surfactants, all of which offer innovative chemical solutions. It employs 700 people distributed over 13 production sites all over the world.

The EOC Adhesive division started its production at a site in Oudenaarde in 1999, later moving to a larger production unit in Evergem. Today, this division is one of the market leaders in paper and cardboard converting adhesives in Europe.

This specific division has seven production plants in Europe and two in Asia. “Expansion is ongoing and the implementation of new production plants in Spain, Turkey and India has already been scheduled,” Mr Vandekerkove states. “All our plants are able to

produce most of our water-based adhesives and the high quality of our product range is guaranteed. EOC Adhesives has set up a business continuity plan, which enables us to offer the same flexibility and delivery assurance to all our customers all over the world.

Thanks to this plan, plants can step in for each other if need be. Not all of our competitors can do this.”

Effective and sustainable “We have recently integrated polymerisation in some of our plants and further integration in the rest of them is planned,” continues Mr Vandekerkove. “This has been implemented to reduce transport costs and our carbon footprint, alongside becoming even more competitive.”

Furthermore, EOC Adhesives has considerably increased its raw materials storage capacity, so as to secure the supply chain within each production plant and guarantee in-time deliveries to its customers.

Packaging Europe | 99 |

| 100 | Packaging Europe

In terms of market segments, EOC Adhesives mainly supplies the paper and cardboard industry, alongside the tube winding, laminating, litho-laminating, graphic, honeycomb, side-gluing, paper bags, hygiene, bookbinding and labelling sectors, as well as construction, woodworking, textiles and transportation.

The division’s core products are water-based adhesives, powder adhesives and hot melts. It offers standard products, but all of them can be modified and adapted according to customers’ specifications and most of them are. This means that the R&D Department is constantly working on new developments. Customers’ requests range from adapting glues to new technologies (e.g. faster running machines) to enable them to comply with new regulations.

The R&D Department is also proactive, working towards sustainable developments.

Expanding globally Geographically-speaking, the focus of the EOC Adhesives division lies on the whole of Europe, extending as far as Russia to the east, but it exports worldwide. “Our customers can count on a high level of professional and technical advice, thanks to an experienced sales team equipped with extensive know-how on our products and their applications.”

As mentioned, while it serves customers at global level, production is mainly based in Europe and Asia. The company will start manufacturing in Spain at the beginning of 2016. This is a country which it already supplies, but with its own production facilities there it will be able to become more effective and competitive. The setting up of production facilities in Turkey and India will follow.

“With regard to our future, we plan to grow through organic expansion and diversification. The constant search for environmentally-friendly raw materials will

enable us to offer sustainable solutions to our customers and increase their number.

Also, as a division, we will keep on looking for further expansion and integration of raw materials production.

“Finally, I would like to emphasise that the EOC Adhesives division is producing as sustainably as possible. The production of water-based adhesives requires the use of a considerable amount of water, but the waste water is cleaned onsite and reused in production, guaranteeing no loss of production quality. Moreover, the R&D department continuously works towards the development of new products, improving machine speed and trying to find solutions to reduce waste and humidity, thus enabling our customers to run cleaner production processes. It is also developing starch-based glues, offering sustainable solutions to our clients.”

The EOC Adhesive division takes pride in building long-term relationships with its customers by offering high-quality products and being a flexible and reliable supplier. For example, it offers its clients the option of a joint investment to equip them with storage bulk or tankers on site, enabling them to order and store larger quantities of products, but above all to reduce packaging and transport costs as well as packaging waste.

The EOC Group has its own Regulatory Affairs department that follows legislation and any changes in national and international regulations closely, for example the changes in CLP regulation which took effect in June 2015. Its staff offer constant back-up and are able to provide customers with information on food contact, the use of mineral oil, plasticisers and biocides with regard to all of the products in the EOC range.

Visit: www.eocgroup.com

Packaging Europe | 101 |

REDEFINING SCREENING TECHNOLOGY The Virto Group is a global leader in the design and manufacture of screening and separation equipment. During the past few years the company has begun to revolutionise the industry with its patented multi-frequency vibrating sieve technology called “ScreenX”. Philip Yorke talked to Mark Peatey, the company’s CEO, about its unique screening products and its move into new markets.

| 102 | Packaging Europe

T

he Virto Group traces its origins back to 1946 when the Cuccolini screen maker was founded near Bologna in Italy. By 2008, when the Virto Group acquired the business, Cuccolini had become one of the biggest manufacturers of vibrating sieves in the world. By acquiring the Cuccolini product range and combining it with its patented and revolutionary multi-frequency vibrating (MFV) ‘ScreenX’ line, the Virto Group is rapidly becoming one of the most successful and diversified screening equipment businesses in the world.

Today the Virto Group is a global leader in the design and manufacture of screening solutions with a unique manufacturing heritage in the production of screening equipment that goes back almost 70 years. It has provided advanced vibrating sieves and separation tools for thousands of customers operating across more than 50 different industries worldwide. These range from fine food powders to heavy aggregate and mining materials. With its extensive production facilities located near Bologna in Italy, its R&D labs in multiple locations and worldwide network of agents, Virto is a truly global

operation. Its diverse range of screeners are FDA and ATEX compliant and are presented across its two distinct product lines: Cuccolini and ScreenX.

Revolutionary technology Virto’s diverse product portfolio of screeners offers highly efficient and large capacity screening solutions for diverse particle separation requirements, in particular for difficult-to-sieve materials that may be wet, sticky, agglomerative or aggressive. Whilst the company’s Cuccolino brand is well known for its high quality, cost-effective and traditional industrial sieves, Virto’s ScreenX brand is unique and utilises the company’s patented and cutting edge ‘MFV’ technology. This is a revolutionary process that is unrivalled in its ability to not only significantly increase capacity, but also to process problematic materials that are abrasive, sticky or very fine. The company’s ScreenX line of vibrating sieves utilises its patent protected multi-frequency technology to convert single-frequency oscillations into multi-frequency movement. As a result,

Packaging Europe | 103 |

| 104 | Packaging Europe

the acceleration transmitted to the screen mesh reaches 500G as opposed to just 5G delivered by traditional screening equipment.

This new screening technology has been developed over a 20-year period by Virto through a robust, in-house R&D programme. These cutting-edge industrial sieves consistently outperform other screening brands in terms of their throughput for the classification, screening and de-dusting of coarse materials but also with highly efficient fine particle separation going down to 6 micron. It is able to do this because it overcomes mesh blinding and material agglomeration due to the power of the 500G of acceleration imparted in to the screening mesh which is transferred in to the material that requires particle size separation.

Peatey said, “As a privately owned company we are able to offer not only our unique cutting-edge technology but also a more flexible and dedicated service to our customers.

During the last five years we have revolutionised screening processes for many industries and made what was previously impossible, possible. Our multi-frequency industrial sieves can cover an infinite range of materials with a particle size ranging from 20 mm to 6 micron. Today around 80 - 85 per cent of traditional separation needs can be met with traditional screeners such as Virto’s Cuccolini line. However, the remaining 15 - 20 per cent is a very different market because that material is typically “unscreenable” for standard technology because it is wet, sticky, agglomerative or too fine. This is where ScreenX comes into its own. For example, until now many types of metal powders could not be “economically” separated below 30 micron but now they can to as small as 6 microns.

Our laboratories are also our shop windows and a place where we can demonstrate and test any screening challenge that a customer might have.

“In fact, we recently created the ‘Virto Challenge’ where we invite prospective customers to send us difficult samples for free testing and we ask them for the toughest that they have, in order to prove that we have a screening solution for what was not previously possible.”

Peatey added, “We are extending our global reach and have recently established a new facility in Latrobe near Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania and will shortly be opening another in South Africa. In addition we have an extensive network of agents, distributors and re-sellers (ADRs) that we are looking to continuously grow. We offer equipment that ranges from standard, cost-effective and highly reliable to cutting edge, high quality and tailored machines specifically designed to meet the exacting standards of our clients, including the de-dusting and control screening for the packaging industry. We serve many of the biggest names in foods, pharmaceuticals, chemicals, metallurgy and mining and petroleum.”

New technology driving sales The Virto Group continues to see strong growth and has set itself the target of becoming the world’s number one screening and separation technology company in the world. It is already one of the world’s largest manufacturers of screening equipment producing more than 2,500 machines a year sold in more than 75 countries.

With its patented MFV technology that allows Virto equipment to achieve previously unobtainable particle size separation results for difficult materials across multiple industries, it is well placed to achieve its objective.

For further details of the Virto Group’s revolutionary screening products visit: www.virtogroup.com

Packaging Europe | 105 |

Propafilm™ RCU from Innovia Films provides proven protection from mineral oils for up to 1.5 years.

| 106 | Packaging Europe

High-tech

films

Innovia Films is a leading global manufacturer of speciality high performance BOPP and Cellulose films with production sites on three continents. Packaging Europe looks at the background behind the company and its continued dedication to innovation.

I

nnovia Films was established in 2004 when the UCB Group sold its films business to a consortium of private equity Investors. However, the company’s roots reach back to 1933 when the first cellulose film, Cellophane™, was manufactured at the Wigton, UK site. That’s over 80 years of innovation and manufacturing.

In 1968 it entered into a joint venture with ICI to manufacture Biaxially Oriented Polypropylene (BOPP) on its Wigton site, with the first film being produced and sold in 1971. Its popularity was down to its clarity, gloss, sparkle, crispness and grease resistance, which resembled cellulose film rather than the polyethylene to which it is chemically related. Continued growth over the next 15 years led to continued expansion and increased output. In 1998 the company acquired full ownership of ICI’s film business, making it the world’s largest producer of speciality cellulose and BOPP films. In 2003 a new range of renewable and compostable cellulose films – NatureFlex™ – was launched onto the market.

International presence Today the company has BOPP production plants in Wigton, UK, Ghent, Belgium and Melbourne, Australia – the latter being opened in 1999. Cellulose film production is centered at Wigton and Tecumseh, USA. Altogether, Innovia Films employs 1350 people

throughout the world with a turnover in excess of Є400 million and annual film production capacity of more than 120,000 tonnes.

Innovia Films’ speciality products are supplied into the packaging, labels, tobacco overwrap and securities markets, through converters, brand-owners and end-users across the globe. They become part of the packaging, labelling or overwrap solution for some of the world’s best known brands across a wide variety of everyday consumer goods. These include chocolates, perfume, cheese, tea, shampoo, cigarettes, coffee and biscuits and bakery products.

State-of-the-art equipment In November 2015, Victoria Cleland, chief cashier, Bank of England, officially opened the new Bubble 8 line. This will produce Clarity™ C film for the new £5 and £10 polymer banknotes that the Bank of England will issue in 2016 and 2017. The new line is part of an investment programme of over £40 million by Innovia Group. This includes the build of an opacification plant next to Innovia Films in Wigton for Innovia Security. It will enable Guardian® substrate to be produced at the same location as the manufacture of Clarity™C, the base film used to make Guardian®.

Packaging Europe | 107 |

Neil Hudson, Team Leader – Chromatography, Innovia Films undertaking Mineral Oil Barrier testing at their R&D facilities in Wigton, Cumbria, UK.

Spotlight on innovation

Cooperation

Innovation is high on the agenda for Innovia Films. Its scientists focus on improving the technical properties of existing films, developing new products with additional features including higher barrier, optimised performance or enhanced printability.

In fact this year four new films have been launched onto the packaging market. Two are the BOPP films Propafilm™ RCU (clear) and RBCU (white) films that were proactively developed in response to research on mineral oil migration by Dr Koni Grob from the official Food Control Authority of the Canton of Zurich. Typically these films are targeted at dried foods packaged in the box, such as pasta, rice, breakfast cereals and biscuits. MOAH are suspected of being carcinogens. Both Propafilm™ RCU and RBCU provide 18 months proven protection from mineral oil migration. In addition Innovia Films’ NatureFlex™ range of renewable and compostable films also provide protection against mineral oil migration for 5 years and are particularly well matched for the Organic and Natural foods sector.

The other two grades newly launched include NatureFlex™ NK Matt, which has a premium natural paper appearance. “If you are looking for a tactile quality pack with sustainable credentials, NatureFlex™ NK Matt is the answer,” stated Clare McKeown, Innovia Films’ marketing manager. The other new product is a high barrier white metallised NatureFlex™ film, which has already seen success as part of an eco-friendly composite coffee pack structure.

A new technology partnership with Rolling Optics, a high tech company based in Stockholm, Sweden, was announced in September 2015. Since then Rolling Optics have been presented at exhibitions with Innovia Films to highlight their unique 3D micro-optical designs and 3D effects which are specifically aimed at fighting counterfeiters. Chester W. Anderson, CEO of Rolling Optics, claims: “Micro-optics is a revolutionary technology providing new levels of security for the protection of brands. Our proprietary micro optic printing technology is easy to authenticate without the use of special lights or tools.”

Both standard and customised security designs can be supplied, including tailored solutions to meet specific security needs. This technology allows Innovia Films to offer leading edge technologies that deliver the next generation of security into a range of growing and attractive market sectors.

Innovia Films New Product and Market Development team is already evaluating the next round of potential new films and applications. The aim is to focus on becoming a leader in differentiated, higher margin niche markets.

Visit: www.innoviafilms.com

Innovia Group CEO, Mark Robertshaw, Bank of England Chief Cashier,

Innovia Films Headquarters based in Wigton, R&D Centre

Victoria Cleland and Innovia Films MD, Joe Piccione inspecting a reel of

in the foreground and their BOPP and Cellulose plants in

Clarity™C film at the end of the new bubble line.

the background.

| 108 | Packaging Europe

Packaging Europe | 109 |

High value barrier films Rigorous market requirements, the automation of packaging processes in food manufacturing plants, limiting the use of non-renewable resources and the reduction in the cost of both packaging and production have all inspired Supravis Group SA to introduce new, innovative packaging solutions.

| 110 | Packaging Europe

AT

a time of strong competition in the market it is not enough to simply offer thinner plastic packaging. Instead, a completely new approach was needed – one that would reduce the packaging cost on the one hand and offer better functional properties on the other. This way, Supravis now offers new thinner films that allow their users to save money and to benefit in six different aspects: 1. Procurement (lower unit cost of packaging); 2. Optimisation of the production process: • achievement of high efficiency in automatic packaging machines (excellent hot-tack in conjunction with optimal slip and anti-blocking factors), • shorter downtime periods in thermoforming, flow pack and tray sealer machines (longer rolls mean fewer changeovers), • high power sealing (low seal initiation temperature), • increase in packaging efficiency per every kg of film, • less storage area needed (longer rolls mean less storage per square meter); 3. Production losses due to piercing of the film have been eliminated thanks to higher mechanical strength; 4. Safety of the product: • longer shelf life (EVOH layer as a superior barrier against gas – standard instead of optional), • less leakage (very strong and reliable seals);

5. Aesthetic properties of the product – the film is perfectly transparent and glossy; 6. Environmental charges – less packaging placed on the market.

All of the above-mentioned benefits are linked to a unique technology of co-extrusion of barrier film (sandwich-type) and the opportunity to make use of the newest achievements in terms of applying innovative polymers. The thickness of new films is 25/30/40 μm (previously it was 50/60 μm). Thinner Supravis films can be used either as ready-made lidding films or as a substrate for producing a broad range of laminates that can be used in tray-sealing systems for PE, PP and PET trays. Moreover, its solutions can also be used in flow pack systems and in thermoforming machines (MAP/VACUUM packaging).

Apart from the company’s range of new, effective, non-heat-shrinkable solutions, it also offers heat-shrinkable films. Thanks to the commissioning of one of the most modern 11-layer production lines in the world, Supravis has become a leading producer of heat-shrinkable materials in Europe. It is the only producer on the continent to offer heat-shrinkable materials that are highly transparent, glossy, pierce-resistant (PET and PA layer), heat-shrinkable (up to 60 per cent) and also provide a strong gas barrier (EVOH layer).

All of the achieved benefits are accompanied by a decrease in the thickness of the produced film down to 45 μm, or down to 25 μm in the case of one of its highly-shrinkable products (a thin film used for wrapping trays, often used for fish packaging).

Packaging Europe | 111 |

ELBA Spa ELBA has been manufacturing automatic high speed pouch and bag maker machines since 1956.

Our mission to build machines around customer’s needs, allows us to develop equipment with a modular design that grants tailor made solutions and the possibility to update and upgrade any machine later on.

Today, the ELBA machine family range includes: three side seal, stand-up and side gusset pouch maker machines, wicket bag maker machines, high barrier shrink film bag machines, retail bag maker machines, Pet food pouch maker machines, STEB maker machines, medical/pharmaceutical pouch and bag maker machines.

Celebrating 30 years Supravis Group SA, currently the biggest Polish manufacturer of barrier film for food packaging, is celebrating its 30th anniversary this year (2015). It has been a family business since its foundation, with the second generation currently involved in its operations. Supravis Group consists of three entities dealing with the production and the distribution of plastic packaging: Supravis Group SA, Flexpol Sp. z o. o. and Darmex Casing Sp. z o. o. Altogether it employs more than 500 people, of which Supravis Group SA itself employs 260. Supravis Group is currently a leading player in the plastic packaging market in central-eastern

| 112 | Packaging Europe

Europe. The company focuses on continuous development, which is reflected in the size of investments made. In the past three years alone, more than â‚Ź40 million has been allocated for this purpose. The coming years will see further intensive investments.

The current phase of investments will be completed with the launch of a modern flexographic printing machine, a cold roll laminator and new pouch-making machines.

This way, in the third quarter of 2015 the company is going to provide its customers with the possibility of printing films using up to 10 colours, including the function of synchronised double-sided printing.

Karl Finke GmbH & Co. KG – Reliable Relationship For more than 25 years Finke has been Supravis Group’s recommended supplier of color masterbatches.

When it comes to colorings, Supravis Group S.A., a leading manufacturer of plastic

Finke’s competence in plastics coloring is founded on long standing experience.

Supravis can rely on a comprehensive service from color design to production stage. Each year, experienced colorists develop more than 8,000 new color shades

packaging in East-Central Europe, is relying on Karl Finke GmbH & Co. KG as their

in accordance with customer specification and envisioned application. Due to their

preferred supplier. This is the result of a long standing and reliable cooperation that

expertise plastics and packaging manufacturers are able to react quickly to the latest

was formed between the Polish packaging and plastics manufacturer and the German

market trends and new requirements from the world market.

masterbatch producer more than 25 years ago.

The second generation family business Supravis Group produces a comprehensive

About Finke

range of barrier and high barrier flexible film packaging used in the food industry,

Karl Finke GmbH & Co. KG, with registered office in Wuppertal (Germany), ranks

in particular in meat, fish and milk processing. Supravis products are also used to

among the largest medium-sized manufacturers of pigment preparations for the

protect medical products and in the technology industry (e.g. in the furniture and

plastics’-processing industry in Europe. The high-quality master batches, liquid

automotive sectors). Almost 70 years of experience and expertise in those industries

paints, color pastes and pulverised pigment preparations are used in cosmetics’ and

have made Finke an ideal partner for Supravis.

foodstuffs’ packaging, in injection-moulding applications, in technical components,

For coloring one and multilayer casings for sausage and food packaging, Finke provides versatile masterbatches, based either in PA or PE carrier polymers. The

in film- processing as well as in the automotive and furniture industries.

With more than 65 years of experience in the sector, the ISO 9001, 14001

pigments harmonize particularly well with the carrier material and feature the highest

and 50001-accredited company prides itself in its ability to accompany its

degree of visual and physical quality. Due to their physiological harmlessness they are

customers and their products from the design phase all the way through to start

perfectly suited for food applications and comply with food law requirements.

of production. State-of-the-art technical equipment is the customer’s guarantee of

Apart from dying packagings in simple colors from white and black to red or blue,

a second-to-none, application-specific advisory service in colors, all of which can

the masterbatches enable a variety of outstanding special effects like metallic gleam,

take place either in the company’s in-house laboratory facility or on the customer’s

pearly shine, interference, or a transparent or semi-transparent appearance. Thus

own premises.

the final packaging product can be quickly and easily adapted to topical trends and changing market requirements.

As an independent company, Karl Finke GmbH & Co. KG operates distribution bases in numerous different countries and exports its products on a worldwide scale.

Packaging Europe | 113 |

Mitsui Chemicals Europe GmbH Mitsui Chemicals Europe GmbH is the European headquarters of Mitsui Chemicals Inc., a Japanese chemical company belonging to the Top 30 chemical groups worldwide.

We would like to congratulate Supravis for 30 years of success and innovation in the packaging industry!

We are very happy about the close cooperation with them and are grateful for their loyalty to our adhesive resin ADMERTM. We do wish all the best for the years to come and are looking forward to a successful continuation of our collaboration.

ADMERTM adhesive resins are modified polyolefins with functional groups, designed to bond to a variety of polyolefins, ionomers, polyamides, ethylene vinyl alcohol (EVOH), PET and metals. They serve as tie layers in coextruded multilayer applications such as films, tubes, bottles, sheets, etc. and, thus, help to combine the excellent properties of incompatible materials, such as gas barrier resins and polyolefins.

When coextruded with a gas barrier resin these products are the ideal solution for food packagings that are in need of barriers against oxygen, flavour, odour and moisture.

ADMERTM is THE missing link for your coextruded multilayer innovations!

| 114 | Packaging Europe

Supravis Group SA takes great pride in offering many possibilities for a broad range of packaging users. The company can supply its customers with the following film solutions: • Thermoshrinkable materials such as films, bags and sleeves • Flexible and rigid bottom thermoforming films • Lidding films • Laminates • Vacuum pouches • Casings The above-mentioned packaging types are suitable for packaging products in the form of pieces, blocks, slices, as well as powders and liquids.

Supravis offers several other services – from graphic design through printing and casing packaging to servicing and consulting in the field of packaging technologies.

The company’s team consists of veteran specialists who know all the ins and outs of packaging devices and systems.

Technical consultants and technologists offer advice, introducing and improving the packaging processes for particular products. Thanks to the experience gained over the years and a great number of production possibilities, Supravis knows how to cooperate with its customers to provide the most efficient solutions currently available on the market.

Visit: www.supravis.pl

Packaging Europe | 115 |

Improving Labelling and Identification Processes NOVEXX Solutions, a former division of Avery Dennison and provider of industrial labelling and identification solutions shared a prime example with Packaging Europe: One of its customers VARTA Microbattery GmbH was able to significantly increase the productivity and reduce the costs. They are using an impressive range of printing and labelling solutions and benefit from tailored solutions for their individual demands.

| 116 | Packaging Europe

V

ARTA Microbattery GmbH, the largest producer of micro batteries worldwide, generates sales of approximately 190 million annually. It develops, produces and packs almost one billion micro batteries for use in electrochemical systems.

Brands include VARTA and power one.

VARTA requires fast, cost-efficient printing and labelling systems for its packaging lines. These lines are tailored to each individual site and must satisfy the demanding quality requirements the company expects of them. NOVEXX Solutions has been a solutions provider to VARTA since the first printer was put into operation at its Ellwangen plant in 2005. One of the first NOVEXX ALX Print and Apply Systems commissioned by VARTA has processed nine million orders and 935km of material.

The challenge VARTA required a printer that could handle 350g package labels with thermal transfer processes in high quality. Setting up the machines was too time-consuming and the film labels were not printed efficiently. An operator was responsible for the manual set-up and inputting of data into the individual machines, filling them with material and also for all monitoring and observation.

“More than 15 minutes in which production was stopped would go by until all data was correctly put in, the individual screens had been called up and the set-up procedures had been completed,” explained Klaus Schöbel, Lean Manager at VARTA Microbattery.

“Also, the set-up procedures had to be carried out up to four times a day – which was extremely time-consuming and costly.”

Furthermore, the traditional printing and labelling solutions used by VARTA did not use the film labels efficiently as the majority of the labelling surface remained unprinted, resulting in wasted material and unnecessary costs.

Firmware solution Together with VARTA, a software has been developed that releases the operator from costly, manual and time consuming activities. The new system saves VARTA a lot of time and minimises the risk of errors occurring. The data is automatically sent from an individual font and bar code library which saves around 15 minutes per entry with no need to halt production.

“The developers at NOVEXX Solutions set themselves the task of fulfilling VARTA’s requirement for a continuous print function and worked closely with their development department until the printer firmware was adapted accordingly,” said Manfred Bradler, coordinator of the engineering and packaging team at the VARTA plant in Ellwangen.

Printing and labelling solutions With NOVEXX Solutions printing and labelling solutions – ALX 92x series, 64-0x printers and TDI – VARTA Microbattery GmbH is equipped with excellent print and apply solutions. In total, 32 NOVEXX Solutions systems are used in an area of 13,700 square metres on 15 packaging and production lines which are used to label packages and pallets.

64-0x and ALX 92x series printing and label dispensing systems allow for an intelligent use of label film courtesy of the foil-saving mechanism. “From 6mm of unprinted label

area, this mechanism can reduce material consumption by raising the print head, holding the foil and only letting the labelling material run. With this technology we save roughly 10–20mm in material per printing run. With a label roll that is 600m long, the costs that are saved soon mount up,” said Manfred Bradler.

In addition, VARTA is still using the TDI, a single tag thermal transfer printer which was the only solution on the market able to meet its requirements to print directly on packaging cardboard and to generate the print data from the batch and SAP information.

Continuous improvements There are currently 32 NOVEXX Solutions printing, dispensing and labelling machines on all packaging and production lines at the VARTA Microbattery GmbH site in Ellwangen.

Many of these machines were specially adapted to VARTA’s production processes. The battery manufacturer now saves considerable time on set-up and therefore saves costs, reduces labelling errors down to almost zero and continues to improve on already high levels of quality. These innovations have become indispensable, especially when considering the constantly growing set-up frequency coupled with increasingly smaller batch sizes owing to changing customer requirements.

From 2005, the number of NOVEXX Solutions machines at VARTA has continuously increased. “Naturally we aim to work with a system that is as standardised as possible and to consistently optimise our packaging and production lines. We have already ordered the next new systems,” explained Bradler and Schöbel.

About Novexx Solutions GmbH NOVEXX Solutions stands for outstanding products and integrated solutions when it comes to industrial labelling and identification along the supply chain.

As a former division of Avery Dennison, NOVEXX Solutions combines 50 years of top-class expertise from a global player with the straightforward flexibility of a powerful mid-size enterprise. The product and service portfolio of NOVEXX Solutions includes hardware and software solutions, high-quality consumables, and professional on-site service. NOVEXX Solutions operates in 11 locations across three continents.

Visit: www.novexx.com

Packaging Europe | 117 |

| 118 | Packaging Europe

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.

B

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!”

Packaging Europe | 119 |

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.”

| 120 | Packaging Europe

Mak Aandrijvingen – Total supplier in the field of drives

From the center of Holland MAK supplies the OEM-market with an extensive range of drive components: rollerchain, conveyorchain, sprockets, timing belts and pulleys, gearmotors and gear reducers, electric motors, inverters etc. MAK represents a number of high quality brands of solid partners. Each manufacturer is considered as a specialist within its field. This enables MAK to perform as a solid link in the supply chain with strong performance, reliable quality, high-end solutions in process engineering. The modern building in Lelystad from which MAK operates, houses besides a large warehouse several well-equipped facilities for chain assembly, cutting and welding of timing belts, assembly of gearboxes and revising sprockets to custom-made requirements. MAK’s highly automated order handling process and digital communication result in optimal efficiency and lowest additional costs for the customer.

MAK Aandrijvingen, Pascallaan 26, 8218 NJ Lelystad, The Netherlands T +31 320266966, www.mak.nl

Packaging Europe | 121 |