Packaging Europe Issue 11.6

VOLUME 11.6 – 2016

KNOWING YOUR CUSTOMERS’ CUSTOMERS TETRA PAK’S INNOVATION MODEL Pharmapack Europe THE SENIOR DEMOGRAPHIC Laminated with Cosmo Films’s Velvet Thermal Lamination Film

PACKAGING FOR HOME CONSUMPTION

Contents

VOLUME 11.6 – 2016

The cover of this edition has been laminated with a BOPP-based velvet lamination film supplied by Cosmo Films Ltd., the world’s largest manufacturer of thermal lamination films.

The flagship product of the premium lamination films range, as the name indicates, lends a rich velvet finish to the printed surface. Engineered on a special matte base, this film is ideal for post laminating procedures and gives a premium finish to premium/luxury liquor, perfume, watches and jewellery packs/boxes. The film can also be used for laminating coffee table books, high end magazines, brochures, manuals etc. For further info, write to enquiry@cosmofilms.com.

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Editorial Tim Sykes

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36 38 40 42 44 46 52 54 56

Comments & Reports Collaboration Tetra Pak’s innovation model Unboxing Thinking outside the box DataLase Sitting on the digital retail shelf Efficiency Finding efficiencies Consumption patterns Home sweet home Events Pharmapack Europe Ageing Population Packaging in a greying Europe Assan Alüminyum Further Investments of Assan Alüminyum in the Aluminium and Aluminium Packaging Industries Events ADF&PCD Events PPMA Total Show 2016 review Design Opinion The challenge of redesigning a market leader Events PACE Asia 2016 Events European Bioplastics Bioplastics The evolution of the industry in Europe OWS A one-stop shop for biodegadability testing Events The world of industrial printing at InPrint Machinery Proactive asset management

46 52 58 61 64 68

Industry Profiles European Bioplastics The evolution of the bioplastics industry in Europe OWS A one-stop shop for biodegradability testing MMR Research Worldwide Winning products and packaging Arena International: Beverage Packaging Congress Beverage packaging covered APLIX® EASY-LOCK by APLIX®: Feel the difference Mossi Ghisolfi Be PET, be smart

74 76 79 82 84 85

88 91 94 98 101 102 106 110 113 116 120 124 128 130 133 138 143 144 146 149 150 151

GEA Procomac GEA optimises decontamination technologies for aseptic filling Palsgaard Experience, credibility and know-how Jindal Films A passion for film Airpack The continuous growth of Airopack’s revolutionary aerosols Karl Finke Finke presents topic plastics colour trends for 2017 Mitsubishi Electric Air Conditioning Europe Guided operator solutions enhance quality control Rockwell Automation The future of machines Omso All you can print Blackware Right on track InfinityQS Unique software solutions CB Automation Not only assembly, driving business OCME Innovations in packaging machinery Novamolt Group Revolutionary advance in sustainable packaging production Ivers Lee Clinical packaging perfection Schoeller Allibert Driving returnable transit packaging efficiency Proctor & Gamble Global leaders in sustainability and innovation European Rotogravure Association Transformation in publishing – Future of print Anfima Metal forever Packaging Première Exclusive opportunity Fefco Guaranteed quality and performance in corrugated tray Elopak Elopak’s next generation paper-based packaging solutions Ondulati ed Imballagi del Friuli International packaging partner Saralon Electronically Secure Package solutions based on Printed Electronics Robatech Tankless reliability in the production process Arena International Pace steps up a gear Athena Graphics Perfecting and protecting brand values Targi Packaging Innovations International trade show in Warsaw OMC Collareda Specialists in water treatment

Advertisers Index A ACMI Ampacet API

J 21

9

156 48

Arkay Packaging

119

Assan Aluminyum

35

Athena Graphics

148

Autotrasporti Pigliacelli

Jiffy

S Saueressig

K

Schur Flexibles Group

33

36

Servizi Logistici Integrati S.r.l.

71

KHS

63

Squid Ink

25

KWH Plast

33

Systech

57

Leuthardt

112

thyssenkrupp Industrial Solutions

51

Limea-Fisma

126

Tubettificio M. Favia

13

8

C CB Automation Christiansen Print Cosmo Films

Marexport Global Forwarding 139 31 139

U 70

Uhde Inventa-Fischer

51

Mariani

135

Unicom International

55

Max Speciality Films

155

United Caps

Mitsubishi Electric

87

D

Netstal

Daksan Packaging

19

DataLase

17

O

Dow Europe

21

OCME

E

5

Videojet 105

P Packaging Première

Easyfairs Oriex

37

PakTech

Elitron

23

PE Labellers

41

Perstorp

49

Pharmapack

29

F

129 7

Fabo Tape Solutions

23

Preco

43

Fischbein

39

P.W. Masterchem

43

G

R 75 127 41

H Heidelberg Web Carton Converting

137

Valco Melton Vice

26

Graco Packaging

137 93

V

EasyFairs

Giorgio Fanti

uviterno

14, 15

N

GEA

4

T

M Cartiere del Polesine

123

73

B Blow Moulding

31

Karl Finke

L Bericap

Saralon

Robatech Rockwell Automation RPC Containers

11 ii 11

14 140 97

Editor Tim Sykes Deputy Editor Victoria Hattersley 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 Art Editor Paul Abbott

Designers Rob Czerwinski Leon Esterhuizen IT Support Levi Gant Syed Hassan

Tim Sykes

EDITOR

Web Development Neil Robertson Production Manager Tania Balderson Administration Amber Dawson Kayleigh Harvey Senior Account Managers Kevin Gambrill Jesse Roberts Features Managers Clayton Green Matthew Howe Dominic Kurkowski Marc Lewis Colin Osbaldstone

Packaging Europe

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

© Packaging Europe 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.

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elcome to the final 2016 edition of Packaging Europe magazine.

This month we start with a report from our visit to Tetra Pak’s premises in Denton, Texas, where the launch of a white paper on the needs and preferences of the Senior demographic revealed, in addition to fascinating insights into an increasingly important consumer group, a bold and unique approach to innovation. Tetra Pak opened the doors to its Consumer Innovation Centre, while VP Libby Costin shared the inside story on the value of knowing one’s customers’ customers.

Staying on the subject of Seniors, the European Commission has stated that ageing is one of the greatest social and economic challenges of the 21st century across the continent, affecting every industry from healthcare to tourism. Darren Dodd of Selig explores what the packaging sector can do to accommodate the greying of Europe.

We take a look at another important market trend – the transformation of the home to a high-tech leisure zone, and how brands are now looking to meet the needs of the consumer for at-home consumption. Another consumer trend that has emerged in recent years is ‘unboxing’. Rajapack examines the science and asks three experts in their field what lies behind this phenomenon.

In addition, we present the second part of Esko’s guide to conquering packaging and artwork inefficiencies. The article published in our September edition delved into the costs of packaging and artwork inefficiencies. Here, Esko looks at the benefits you can expect once you have implemented process improvements through innovative technology, to make your packaging and artwork processes more efficient, and the implications in the short and longer term. Meanwhile, James Pryor of Touch Packaging Innovation describes the challenges of meeting changing consumer requirements, redefining brand identity and achieving company sustainability targets involved in redesigning the packaging for a recognised market leader: Lucozade Sport.

As this year comes to a close, we look forward to an exciting 2017 in the packaging industry. Packaging Europe will be busy reporting on hundreds of product launches and innovations. Many of these will be unveiled at interpack 2017, to which we will be taking our entire team, including our new film crew. Look out for our new video reports and a completely new website for the New Year. In the meantime, we wish you all a happy Christmas and a prosperous 2017.

Tim Sykes ts@packagingeurope.com @PackEuropeTim

POSITIVE PUBLICATIONS

A Square Root Company

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Collaboration

Knowing Your Customer’s Customer Tim Sykes visited Tetra Pak headquarters in Denton, Texas, for the launch of the latest edition of the company’s latest Consumer Generations report series. In the process, he learnt not just a great deal about the world’s fastest growing consumer group, but about a unique innovation model based on a combination of end user market intelligence and supply chain collaboration.

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etra Pak’s annual Consumer Generations White Paper is renowned for its in-depth analysis of consumers by their age, needs and spending habits. This autumn, the company unveiled its insights into the food and beverage market for seniors (defined as those aged 60 and over) which, thanks to the improvement and proliferation of healthcare, globally constitutes a large and rapidly growing demographic. Drawing on a mixture of extensive original research and collation of existing academic resources, and featuring insights from 27 countries across developed and developing markets including Japan, the US and Brazil, the report delves into the packaging interactions and shopping experience of ageing consumers, identifying in the process product opportunities.

Perhaps the headline finding of the white paper is the sheer weight of the older consumer in the marketplace. As Libby Costin, vice president for global marketing, summarised, “Seniors have more disposable income than previous generations, and are poised to become one of the most important consumer groups over the next decade with a total spending power of US$10 trillion by 2020. Moreover, they spend 20 per cent of their income on food and beverages. This creates a huge opportunity for manufacturers to respond to their needs.”

Drilling into the detail of the report reveals that the task of realising these opportunities means creating new products that respond to the distinct needs of the ageing

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demographic, and that appeal to them in a sensitive manner. We learn, for instance, that 32 per cent of Seniors actively look for products and services that help them lead a healthy lifestyle. They demand greater quality, with 92 per cent finding product quality very important, and they are willing to pay more for it. They prefer traditional tastes to ‘experimental’ ones. This preference for the familiar extends beyond the product to the packaging, which they want to look and feel traditional, rather than appear overly radical or be ‘different for different sake.’ Moreover, Seniors are more loyal as shoppers than the average consumer.

Once they find a brand that satisfies them, 30 per cent usually don’t experiment with new ones. They tend to shop closer to home, and in smaller stores.

Generally, we discover, the older consumer dislikes being made to feel old by marketers. They prefer products and packaging that are subtle: ones that are ageless but appeal indirectly to their demographic, rather than those that appear directly targeted at them because of their age. Therefore, any overtly ‘For Seniors!’ branding tends to be unappealing. The language and marketing around a product should appeal to them without directly addressing their age. | 6 | Packaging Europe

Products tailored for Seniors Nevertheless, Tetra Pak demonstrates there are clear opportunities for products in the food and beverage market that specifically target Seniors. With more time on their hands, greater spending power and a growing interest in leisure pursuits, Seniors value a healthy, active lifestyle, and want to use food and drinks to improve their health. The white paper shows that they are willing to pay a premium for products that contain healthy ingredients.

In particular, there is an opportunity for products that fortify food and drinks with additional minerals and vitamins. Seniors are heavy consumers of health supplements. Products that are fortified to promote stronger bones, or better digestive or cardiovascular health are likely to be particularly popular in developed markets, where there are higher incomes and a greater awareness of senior-specific health issues. Conversely, Seniors are more focused on low-salt, low-sugar, low-calorie and low-fat diets than other adults. Offering products that offer less of the ‘bad’ is just as big an opportunity as those that offer more of the ‘good.’

Of course, senior consumers tend to interact with packaged goods differently, as the ageing process presents physical challenges. As eyesight deteriorates and wrist strength

Collaboration declines, packages have to be easy to handle, easy to open and easy to read. The white paper suggests that products aimed at this demographic should use larger prints, more striking images and clearer labelling. Closures should require less force for opening. Packaging should be lightweight but robust in order to enable better holding. In addition, it is recommended that brand owners create packages that deliver longer shelf life to minimise shopping trips.

Insights feeding innovation So how do these insights into ageing consumers fit into the Tetra Pak business model?

“It’s crucial for us to be knowledgeable in the industry’s our products serve,” Libby Costin told Packaging Europe. “There is a lot of packaging knowledge woven into the white paper, but also many insights into the end user markets. There are concrete benefits to collecting and sharing this market intelligence. By working more effectively with long-term customers using the insights of such research, we can identify new spaces in the market and create the most effective products to serve these. As a result, both Tetra Pak and our customer will benefit. The right product with the right differentiation for an emerging market need will deliver us both volume.”

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Collaboration

It’s important to emphasise that this sharing is in no way confined to the theoretical realm. As part of the visit to Denton, Tetra Pak opened the doors of its Customer Innovation Centre – one of several across the globe – and pilot plant, designed as a creative and technical space for collaborative product development. Featuring product formulation facilities, testing equipment, a packaging line to fine-tune the prototypes, the centre also contains an ‘ideation room’ in which creative experts, designers and branding specialists from Tetra Pak can sit down with brand owners. Here the task is to translate market insights such as those carried in Consumer Generations into viable, concrete brands that can be launched onto the marketplace.

Collaborative innovation has become a buzzword across the packaging industry but few businesses have applied the principle to quite such a profound degree. “More than many B2B companies, we think it’s very important to understand the customers of our customers,” said Ms Costin. “We have customers with whom we have decades-long relationships.

Many of these are family businesses, and many rely on us to bring a broader understanding of their markets and every part of the value chain – starting from consumer and retailer, but also understanding the whole distribution chain. Collaboration is about continuing to bring them new ideas. In our ideation room, we use our methodology to reveal insights about the market. In the course of spending two or three days with a customer, pooling our knowledge, we always come up with fresh ideas.”

The profile of customers taking up the opportunity of the Customer Innovation Centre is unexpectedly diverse. “When we started planning these centres, we assumed there was no way the big guys would have need the support and resources we were offering,” remarked Ms Costin. “In fact, we’ve been surprised to find that they are equally attractive to our bigger and smaller customers. Sometimes the global brand owners won’t use certain resources, such as our branding service, because they have plenty of branding expertise of their own. They might not use the formulation service, but they would be keen to undergo the product ideation process. Having undertaken some 130 engagements in the last 18 months, we find that the customer list is about half and half multinational and smaller customers.” | 8 | Packaging Europe

Two-way learning As a company that goes out of its way to understand its customer’s customers, Tetra Pak naturally sees the process of collaborative product development as an opportunity to learn as well as impart its own knowledge. While customers take full ownership of product concepts that they select at the end of a session, ideas that are left over are collected and kept in order to feed future ideation. Meanwhile, the insights gathered from close discussion with brand owners and from market research ultimately inform Tetra Pak’s own product devilment in the longer term.

“Clearly, we can’t develop bespoke packaging formats with customers, because this would involve developing whole new systems, projects that would stretch to several years,” said Ms Costin. “By contrast, customer innovation projects might take place over six to eight months. However, we certainly collect the ideas that come from these customer sessions – and if we keep seeing certain themes and trends popping up, this can inform our own future innovations.”

Ultimately, the model of assembling market intelligence, know-how and hardware in once place is a recipe for accelerating the process of bringing viable products to market.

“We’ve had the pilot plants for a long time,” Ms Costin concluded. “In aseptic packaging it’s important to test any product going through an aseptic filling line, to make sure the product is safe and tastes good before it goes to market. We’ve always run those sorts of trials. Introducing the Customer Innovation Centres has been a step-change, adding new capabilities – pointing out gaps in the market, offering product design, product formulation, which we are including more and more in our sessions. It’s not so much a case of customers being unable to do it without us, but of making it easier for them, being able to do it all under one roof. That’s where the acceleration comes in. The market requires a faster turnaround of new products than ever before. Consumers want that. And our services make it possible.”

The Consumer Generations White Paper can be downloaded by following the link from: www.tetrapak.com/about/newsarchive/food-beverage-opportunities-in-senior-market

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Thinking Outside the Box ‘Unboxing’ has become a widespread obsession among consumers – and a mainstream cultural interaction with packaging. Rajapack examines the science and asks three experts in their field what lies behind this phenomenon.

How popular is unboxing?

Why is unboxing so popular?

The first recognisable unboxing video was uploaded back in 2006. Titled ‘Unboxing Ceremony of Nokia E61’, this video featured what is now synonymous with the trend – tech unboxing. Since then, unboxing has taken YouTube by storm, with 6.5 years’ worth of unboxing videos uploaded to the site in 2015. The products unboxed cover everything from common tech gadgets to luxury clothing, children’s toys to live reptiles. In fact, if a product is available to buy, there is more than likely an unboxing video to go with it.

In 2014, a YouTube search for the term ‘unboxing’ yielded more than 20 million search results. At the time of writing, the exact same search returned almost 50 million results.

The highest earner on YouTube is the owner of a channel dedicated to unboxing Disney toys. DC Toys Collector is estimated to have earned $4.9 million in 2014 and has absolutely no affiliation with Disney.

The third most popular YouTube channel, by views, belongs to unboxer FunToyzCollector, with a view count of over 11.6 billion. The channel’s most popular video alone racked up a staggering 499,514,454 views, putting it at number 155 on the list of most watched YouTube videos ever.

The appeal of unboxing videos can be explained by our capacity for empathy. Humans have the capability to put themselves in someone else’s place. Research has identified responses in the brain called ‘anticipation circuits’, and it’s these that begin to fire in our own brains when we watch a stranger unbox something. This discovery was made by accident in 1992.

Since then more studies have been undertaken at different laboratories that have verified the existence of what has been called the ‘mirror neuron system’. These neurons activate not only when we perform an action ourselves, but also when we watch someone else perform that action.

Unsurprisingly, this goes a long way in explaining the universal fascination with unboxing videos. As we watch someone else carefully removing the gift packaging, our brain acts as though we’re the one performing the action. We spoke to psychologist Diana Parkinson, who described unboxing to us as, “…totally voyeuristic, there is no material reward, only transitory visual reward. The popularity of unboxing videos is astonishing, and I cannot think of a comparison.”

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Unboxing

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Unboxing as entertainment

Packaging is as important as the product

To delve deeper into this, we asked vlogger Chase Aimee what she thought of unboxing videos. For her, some of the appeal lies in seeing something she may purchase herself, “The appeal lies in seeing a bag I might be interested in and experiencing the unboxing with the individual. Usually, there’s a story that goes with it (how the bag was decided upon, etc.) and a little bit about the experience of buying it. It helps me to make more informed buying decisions and is also just as exciting seeing something beautiful being unwrapped.

Luxury design houses spend a fortune on their packaging so it’s all part of the experience.”

We also asked popular parent blogger Rachel, who writes the blog ‘Coffee, cake, kids’, about why she believes her children enjoy unboxing videos so much. “I think it is because every time it’s a surprise. They tune into a child’s natural curiosity to see what’s in the box – the kids love looking in the bags when I come home from the supermarket – it’s just nosiness. The very few videos that I’ve sat and watched are all very bright and colourful, which of course attracts young children.”

Rachel also commented on how, for her, unboxing videos are perfect for keeping children entertained. “They’re relatively easy to find, generally safe for kids to watch and when you need five minutes’ peace to go and make the dinner, they’re perfect for keeping them amused.”

Director of the Media Psychology Research Centre, Pamela Rutledge, believes that, for children, unboxing videos could actually be beneficial. “For kids, handing them a toy ice cream parlour [for example]—it’s already done the work for you. There’s no imagination, no building, thinking, creativity, or problem-solving,” she continues. “With these videos and other games, there’s learning: How are they putting it together? How are they using the Play-Doh? How are they making different creations? We have a negative understanding of acting vicariously in our society—that you’re not doing your own living, [unboxing] is a different thing. It’s more of an exploratory learning process.”

Packaging induces a sense of empathy in viewers of unboxing videos. As mentioned before, the science suggests we get a similar experience watching somebody else carefully unwrap a package, as we would if we were doing it ourselves. This experience can be capitalised on by brands with clever use of gift packaging.

One of the most popular genres of unboxing video is ‘luxury products’. Exclusive brands, such as Chanel, invest in high-end packaging because they realise the opening is as important as the final reveal of the product. And, this is true whether the item is being opened in private or shared with billions on the web.

For a truly immersive unboxing experience, the packaging not only needs to look attractive, but it should also feel and sound pleasant as well. The feel of satin ribbons being untied, the sleek sound of tabs being opened and the crinkle of tissue paper being unwrapped are just a few things that have an instant effect on the viewer.

These, combined with considering how deep the box or bag should be, all contribute to the overall experience of being able to fully explore the contents. In an era of online shopping, the anticipation of receiving and opening an item is almost as important as eventual gratification.

This idea is discussed in the New York Times bestseller Buyology: How everything we believe about why we buy is wrong. Authored by Martin Lindstrom, the book discusses the many subconscious effects that take place during the buying process. Lindstrom comments that brands should be making the packaging of their products as interesting as the items within.

Our unboxing vlogger Chase Aimee backed this up. We asked her if the packaging of an item was important during the experience. “I think it does matter. I’ve had very expensive bags delivered to me in simple packaging before which has been underwhelming! If the item is packaged beautifully, then that certainly makes an impact – it adds to the whole experience and can make you even more excited about the bag. The best packaging is thoughtful, practical and recyclable! If there is a hint of luxury, then even better.”

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Unboxing

Rachel, our parenting blogger, believes the packaging is also an important factor for children. “We get a lot of parcels and deliveries, and the kids are all so excited to open them and see what’s inside. We get a food subscription box, and they go nuts every month to help me open it! It’s the promise of something exciting inside, especially if it’s unknown!”

Unboxing as marketing?

For brands, this trend is doubly important, and there are already a number of companies getting in on the act. Brands, such as Disney, are starting to leverage the power of these videos for themselves. Disney recently held a live 18-hour unboxing marathon on YouTube culminating in the release of its new range of Star Wars toys.

This marathon campaign created a storm on social media, and this probably won’t be the last unboxing PR stunt of its type. These videos are getting millions or sometimes billions of views, brands should be seeing these viewers as their potential customers.

Psychologist Diana Parkinson recognises the importance of unboxing videos for brands, “It’s the best, and cheapest form of advertising ever! These videos make us drool and desire what may well be unattainable.”

The importance of unboxing videos for brands is of equal value to word-of-mouth marketing. The ever-growing popularity of online customer reviews and the importance of influencers as brand advocates is something brands can no longer ignore.

A study conducted in the U.S. found that 61 per cent of internet users made a point of reading customer reviews online before deciding whether to make the purchase. Customer reviews are clearly influential to potential customers. Unboxing videos – which are essentially customer reviews in a visual format – offer an unbiased view and element of authenticity to the products featured, which in turn could lead to more sales.

Sources for this article can be seen here: www.rajapack.co.uk/blog-uk/unboxing-thinking-outside-box Packaging Europe | 13 |

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DataLase: Sitting on the digital retail shelf Technology is changing the way consumers are shopping and the internet has opened up a myriad of ways for consumers to make informed decisions about what they buy. DataLase, inline digital printing experts, discuss what this means for brands and retailers and how they can tailor messaging to today’s consumer.

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he growth in e-commerce is impacting packaging as consumers research and view potential purchases online before they ever see and touch the product in person. This stage of the buying process is now known as the ‘Zero moment of truth’, in contrast to the ‘First moment of truth’ in store or ‘Second moment’ in the home or on opening.

Mark Naples, DataLase vice president business development, Europe and APAC, said: “With the use of technology and data, consumers have a wide choice of how they receive information and what information they accept. Thanks to the Internet, e-commerce and m-commerce, consumers now have access to an incredible resource giving them more buying power than ever before.

“Smart phones and other mobile devices have created the opportunity to wield the power of the Internet anywhere, at any time. Consumers can learn about products and their alternatives on-the-go and social networking is also key with potential customers tapping into online reviews and ratings, opinions and interacting with brands themselves to support their decision making process.”

But what role does packaging play on the digital shelf compared to the instore retail shelf?

According to the Centre for Retail Research, the UK has the highest proportion of online retail sales in Europe – forecast to be 16.8 per cent in 2016. Mr Naples believes the look and design of packaging – even in an increasingly online world – will continue to be vitally important.

“Shoppers are creatures of habit and the distinctive packaging of their favourite brands can help them navigate to that particular item. But with an ever-growing choice of products on offer, it’s about creating and retaining the right branding.

“Brand consistency is crucial. Brands need to stand out both online and in store and want to add value to the shopper experience to drive longer-term consumer loyalty. The right packaging design will reinforce brand identity and build customer loyalty.

“Consumers want to see the brand promise in every aspect of their shopping journey – whether that’s online or in store – and packaging is actually the marketing tool with the greatest leverage over and above all the other information sources consumers receive.

Packaging has more impressions than any other media. The challenge for brand owners is to create a uniform experience across the channels.”

Equally as important is the user experience. Brands seek to create opportunities to engage consumers on a local, personal and ideally, emotional level.

Mr Naples continued: “Consumers today have higher expectations of product packaging. They are much more open to being engaged and targeted by brands; indeed, customisation and personalisation of product packaging forms part of the purchasing and product experience.” | 16 | Packaging Europe

According to Mintel, there is a parallel path between brands striving to engage consumers on a more personal level and consumer expectations for packaging to deliver that experience. The growth in digital printing in recent years has created ‘hyper’ personal experiences, allowing brands to create unique limited editions and emotionally charged customisation. However, today’s digital printing technologies have really only delivered mass customisation of packs, most notably recognised in the global success of the Coca Cola ‘Share a Coke’ project, but all failed to deliver truly unique, personalised packs except in very niche or low volume circumstances.

DataLase is leading a revolution in the advancement of digital printing delivering the capability to digitally print unique variable brand messages pack-by-pack, product-byproduct, on a truly industrial and economic scale.

The UK headquartered company has partnered with a range of technology suppliers on a global basis to bring ‘Inline Digital Printing’ to reality. The DataLase solution allows true personalisation of products and packs to ensure relevant and timely messages are delivered to targeted groups of consumers. Producing completely bespoke and targeted packaging on a mass-scale is now a reality thanks to this unique technology.

The DataLase solution combines core colour-change materials technology with the latest generation of laser print engines to deliver high speed, high resolution, on-demand digital printing. The technology relies on a laser-reactive additive which is incorporated into an ink or coating and applied as a ‘patch’ on to a pack. When exposed to a diode array, CO2 or Near InfraRed laser, this generates a colour change reaction in the pigment creating a high quality, durable digital print finish.

The technology is highly responsive enabling brand owners to maximise their interaction in real time around key events and promotions, ultimately maximising retail and engagement value. Traditional print methods can take anywhere from 2 to 14 weeks to respond and arrive on shelf. Inline digital printing allows the brand to respond within 24 to 48 hours for the mass-market enabling the ‘wow’ factor.

Mr Naples added: “Thanks to the DataLase technology, brands can now tap into human emotions and feelings by developing new marketing initiatives and campaigns that haven’t even been considered before because the technology hasn’t been there.

“As a relatively new technology, digital print is only just beginning to infiltrate the packaging market and demonstrate its true potential. As smart packaging becomes the norm we will see that packaging will carry a message that creates a direct and personalised dialogue with the consumer.”

Whether purchases are made via a click or brick, DataLase can meet the needs and demands of brands and retailers who wish to craft experiences for each individual customer via their packaging.

To find out more about DataLase and its innovative inline digital printing solutions, please visit datalase.com

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Efficiency

Finding Efficiencies Following the article published in Packaging Europe’s September edition, global printing integrated solutions supplier Esko presents the second and final part of its guide to conquering packaging and artwork inefficiencies.

PART 2: Benefitting from improved efficiency and driving innovation

IN

Part 1 of this two-part series, we saw how packaging and artwork inefficiencies which are being driven by factors such as increases in SKUs and shorter product lifecycles to meet customer demands - are costing companies dearly. We discussed how to identify these inefficiencies through methods such as value stream mapping, and how companies can gain the control and visibility of their processes to become more efficient.

Digital packaging management and asset management platforms help companies to build quality and automation into the company packaging and related marketing processes and to have visibility of all assets, communication and interaction with stakeholders, driving quality, regulatory compliance and security and, ultimately, time and cost savings.

In this second part, we look at some of the benefits you can expect once you have implemented process improvements through innovative technology, to make your packaging and artwork processes more efficient, and what this could mean in the short and longer term. | 18 | Packaging Europe

Evolution or revolution?

In Part 1 we talked about the need to take a holistic, strategic approach to implementing new technology. As this will likely involve multiple functions across the organization, the implementation process may be a gradual one.

“If you are a new company just starting a new brand starting from scratch, you could set up a very efficient system right out of the box, but for most companies it’s an evolution,” says Kevin Karstedt of Karstedt Partners, a consultancy focusing on helping those in the packaging supply chain to get products to market more effectively.

Immediate benefits Although it is an evolution, you will likely see some fairly immediate benefits from a digital packaging management and asset management platform. As your new process is rolled out, you will have a more streamlined process flow with seamless hand-off between each of the process steps, replacing slower, manual hand-offs with full control over rights management and audit trails.

THE RIGHT SOLUTIONS FOR YOUR PACKAGING NEEDS Daksan Packaging offers its customers variety of innovative We make your products stand out with exceptional products and solutions which are specifically custom designed packaging solutions. Daksan offers high-impact corrugated to fit your product requirements with exceptional quality and superior customer service while boosting your productivity and brand impact.

graphic solutions can make the difference by making your product stand out on the shelf that ensures your product competitive edge.

Pizza boxes deliver your brand messages

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izza boxes can be custom printed with your logos, brands and marketing messages to capture your customer’s attention.

All our pizza boxes are quickly and easliy assembled and can be shrink-wrapped for easy handling and storage under hygienic conditions.

Up to 3 days longer fresh citrus on the shelf

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orrugated trays keep fruit fresh for up to 3 days longer, based on a recent study. Our products are specifically designed to get fruit and vegetables from farm to the retailer in the best possible condition.

For more information, please contact us:

T: +90 532 303 8592 E: info@daksan.com.tr W: www.daksan.com.tr/en

“The technology, when applied correctly, will give you the control and the visibility that makes your operation functional and makes your operation efficient,” says Karstedt.

Online collaboration tools and virtual work spaces make it possible to conduct virtual reviews of artwork and labelling. Users can review and approve artwork anywhere, any time, and are alerted when it is ready for their attention. Electronic sign-off and a full audit history ensure transparency and accountability throughout the process.

This online process leads to a 60 per cent reduction of hardcopy proofing and shipping costs and a 25 per cent savings on operator time because of quality feedback and less number of amendments. Companies can also expect to save manpower due to automation, ease-of-use and increasingly getting it “right first time”, all leading to higher productivity and better manufacturing and supply chain efficiency.

“A big advantage of some of these digital solutions is that they allow you to customize the system completely to your needs in a very user-friendly way,” said Nico Schenk, Packaging Specialist at Vandemoortele, a leading food company in The Netherlands. “Our predefined flows perfectly match our processes. The software is our decision model-based ‘approval tool’. People get to see the specific information they need to see at the right moment. They can review the latest version of the artwork online from any location and take immediate action. This speeds up the approval cycle in a very efficient and effective way.”

And a faster approval cycle ultimately means faster time to market for your brands.

Taking the next step – using newly gained time to drive innovation

From decathlon to relay race “To use an Olympics analogy, imagine the old way as a decathlon race,” says Karstedt.

“You may do the 100 metres one day then the hurdles the next day and so on,” he says.

“Similarly in the old way on doing artwork and print, it was a linear thing and it was done in fits and starts. Now with the technology, it is a relay race so that you start off going as fast as you possibly can and you hand it off to the next person and it’s a clean handoff.

And if you look at the entire race you have eight teams all running as fast as they can and handing it off, so now you have that entire programme going and now it’s not linear, it’s three dimensional. That’s the new way.”

Consumers now shop at the intersection of the digital and physical worlds of retail (for example, a customer may do some initial research on their tablet, then continue in-store and use their mobile to get more information when in the store). It is vital that their experience of your brand is consistent throughout this process, but it rarely is, often due to a lack of data and connectivity of systems.

With the utilization of new technology (for example Studio software), you can create a virtual retail environment where you can see your product designs on the shelf next to the competition. You can present a complete product launch in 3D, including retail-ready packaging, displays and other branded items.

Measuring the benefit

Efficiency – the key to unlocking innovation

In today’s cost and time pressured world, it is vital to be able to demonstrate the value of new processes / technology to the organization.

Using value stream mapping, you can measure value add time – which is the time of those work elements or process steps that actually transform the thing in a way that the customer is willing to pay for.

“You can understand ‘If I can cut this amount of time out of this process, these steps are reduced and these cost-savings can come out of it’ - it is calculable.”

Time to market and cost savings are the metrics that matter most to companies.

According to Kevin Karstedt, cost savings are even often underestimated. “Usually when you calculate a saving, there are intangible savings on top of that - probably another 25-30 per cent over the tangible savings. So if you are saving a million dollars a year in tangible savings, you are probably saving $1.3 million or $1.4 million in total.”

The packaging artwork environment is fast-changing as consumer needs and behaviors evolve. It is important that companies can keep looking ahead, challenging themselves to innovate in the face of the latest consumer trends. If companies are struggling to keep on top of their existing workload, it is unlikely they will have the time or resource to do this. Becoming more efficient therefore, is not a “nice-to-have”, but a “must-have”.

Digital packaging management and asset management platforms provide quality and automation into the company packaging and related marketing processes and can help to drive quality, regulatory compliance and security and, ultimately, efficiency.

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Ultimately increased efficiency will provide more time and resource. But why stop there?

It can be a platform for bigger and better things; with employees no longer “firefighting” to keep on top of unwieldy packaging processes, their time can be better spent driving innovation for the company.

Such as? Well, you could consider ways to make your packaging more engaging, either through different shapes, colors, graphics or images. You can utilize software that can actually create packaging designs in 3D and even virtually fold in 3D. Importing 3D models directly into structural design software makes it possible to build the packaging around the product. This way it becomes very easy for designers to create packaging that accurately fits the product.

Or you could consider completely new innovations. For example, electronic screens for paper-based packaging are nearly a reality and could change the way brands attract and interact with customers like sound posters and album covers.

Labels on packaging could become much more innovative, and allow customers to interact with and explore new products. The use of displays or light emitting panels on packaging will also allow companies to communicate brand awareness in a more sophisticated manner.

Integrate the moment of truth for your consumers

Visit: www.esko.com

Efficiency

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Home sweet home European consumers favour domestic drinking – with a specific type of packaging at their side.

In the wake of digitisation and sophisticated consumer electronics, modern homes have transformed from simple dwelling places into full-blown leisure zones. As attractive alternatives to cinemas or restaurants, they serve as important social hubs, offering today’s consumers trendy settings to relax and celebrate. This phenomenon, referred to as the ‘homing trend’, has been accompanied by a significant increase in beverage can usage due to their keen ability to meet the convenience, cost and quality requirements of at-home consumption. Below we delve into the new trend and its consequences for beverage packaging producers.

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oday’s consumers have every reason to believe their home is their castle: on-demand TV, streaming platforms and an ever-growing number of online delivery services provide unprecedented domestic comfort. As such, their fully equipped leisure zones prove to be not only a tempting and cost-effective alternative to cinemas, clubs or restaurants. They are also among the main drivers of homing – a way of life centred around private homes as major social hubs. However, this highly complex trend, which sees conscious enjoyment being preferred to mere quantitative consumption, has been triggered by much more than technological achievements alone. Economic developments and cultural preferences have played an equally crucial role.

Off-trade consumption on the rise Over the last few years, the UK has seen a significant shift from on-trade to off-trade alcohol consumption. Instead of drinking alcohol in pubs, nightclubs or restaurants, consumers increasingly opt for alcoholic beverages sold in retail stores. According to the British Beer & Pub Association (BBPA), consumers purchased 13.73 million barrels of beer in 2014, while 13.66 million barrels were sold at pubs, clubs and restaurants. The same applies to the European mainland: The Brewers of Europe observed a major increase in off-trade beer consumption between 2008 and 2013, with growth rates close to 12 per cent in Belgium, 14 per cent in Germany, and 23 per cent in Spain. And that trend keeps going strong: In the first half of 2016, German consumers purchased three billion liters of alcoholic and non-alcoholic beers from retailers to drink them at home – but not in just any fashion.

“When it comes to drinking at home, consumers favour lightweight packaging since it has to be carried home from the shops. Moreover, it should make for convenient consumption and in that respect, small packaging sizes are becoming more important,” explains Ulric Woerster, manager Consumer Markets & Trends at packaging provider Ardagh Group.

Consequently, cans are playing a crucial role regarding consumer choice. The latest findings of Beverage Can Makers Europe (BCME) and the German Society for Consumption Research (Gesellschaft für Konsumforschung) reveal that at-home beverage can usage has more than doubled over the last nine years in Germany, while Spain has seen a solid 26 per cent increase. Numbers like these truly testify to the can’s privileged position in the packaging mix – and for good reasons.

“Cans are a packaging solution that effectively meets the key requirements of at-home consumption in terms of beverage quality,” Woerster adds. Thanks to their aluminium body, they chill quickly for an extra-refreshing effect and stay cooler for a prolonged period of time. Moreover, the can’s weight has been continuously reduced: Today they weigh less than ten grams, which makes them an easy-to-carry choice for at-home consumers. In addition, the cans’ hermetic seal keeps them completely airtight and lightproof, preserving carbonation and preventing oxygen from affecting the contents. | 22 | Packaging Europe

Slim

Home Consumption

Packaging Europe | 23 |

Home Consumption The Nitro cold brew craze “Consumers are looking to create an atmosphere similar to pubs or restaurants in their own homes,” says Woerster. “Gathering with friends is an engaging social event – including all the cultural habits that go with it, like serving their favourite beverages.” This especially holds true for coffee, a beverage cherished by French and German consumers alike. Sixty per cent of French coffee drinkers prefer enjoying the savory beverage at home, according to research from StrategyOne on French coffee consumption habits. In that respect, they are on par with their German neighbours. Project Kaffee2015 Deutschland, a study conducted by Allegra Strategies, shows that Germans also drink coffee mostly at home – about twelve cups per week. And although Germany is a typical filter-coffee-drinking nation, 62 per cent of consumers are keen to try out new products. “Among the many coffee types available, nitro cold brew coffee is extremely popular, especially in the US, and is gradually building momentum in Europe and Asia. In order to address the homing tendency, Ardagh Group developed a special nitro coffee can to support brands interested in capitalising on the cold brew trend”, emphasises Adriana Escobar, product manager at Ardagh Group.

Cold brew coffee is usually infused with nitrogen and served on tap in high-end coffee bars. In order to replicate the nitro cold-brew experience, Ardagh Group has developed the 250 ml slim aluminium Nitro Can. The packaging solution uses a so-called widget, an in-can capsule filled with nitrogen. Upon opening the Nitro Can, the widget is activated and releases nitrogen into the beverage, creating a cascading pour and foamy head when transferred to a glass. “The new Nitro Can allows consumers to indulge in the quality, taste and texture of cold brew coffee, something previously exclusive to high-end coffee bars, which can now be enjoyed while relaxing or celebrating at home,” Escobar adds. The Nitro Can’s advantages go far beyond consumer convenience: due to the treatment process applied to the beverage, the can is shelf stable, allowing retailers to sell nitro coffee outside the cold chain while providing a safe and fresh product.

Music to beer lovers’ ears Product safety and quality are also at the top of craft brewers’ agenda, and thus triggered a real run for the can. “Canned specialty beer is on the rise, as microbreweries around the globe are exploring new ways to protect the delicate aroma of their brew and easily market small batches”, says Jochen Sczepanek, head of logistics at Ardagh Group and trained beer sommelier. BCME figures indicate growth in the canned beer market, with fillings across Europe having increased by two per cent to roughly 31 billion units in 2014 and recording a year of growth again in 2016 after a negative development in 2015.

A recent poll by the German Brewers’ Association (Deutscher Brauer Bund) reveals that 66 per cent of the country’s beer consumers prefer drinking at home or with friends, and 93 per cent tend to do so at the end of their workday. “The can is a sound solution as it optimally protects the brew’s delicate ingredients against light and oxygen, thus allowing consumers to enjoy their favourite beer just like they would at the bar – without having to sacrifice on overall freshness or taste,” Sczepanek explains. “Canned specialty beers in particular speak to the tastes of adventurous consumers who prefer craft products with unique flavours over lagers. Given the relative scarcity of craft beer brew pubs in Germany, beer fans are opting for the can. It allows them to enjoy their favourite beverage with friends in their own homes and at a comparably lower cost than on-trade.”

And yet there is still beverage can potential to be leveraged. As beer connoisseurs tend to celebrate the ceremony around its consumption, from pouring the brew into matching glasses and swirling the liquid around, to sampling the brew’s bouquet, there is an entire art to serving specialty brew “the right way” – which also provides further opportunities for can manufacturers to take steps in optimising metal packaging.

Standard

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Pharmapack Europe Meet with leading suppliers and discover the latest innovations in the industry

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harmapack Europe (#PharmapackEU), organised by UBM EMEA, is a two-day exhibition and conference dedicated to pharmaceutical packaging, drug delivery and affiliated industries. Next year’s event takes place on 1-2 February 2017 at Paris Expo Porte de Versailles (Hall 4), Paris.

2017 marks the event’s 20th successful year, and over its lifetime it has grown in size, profile and popularity from a bi-annual event to a major annual show that attracts 5,100+ visitors and over 380 exhibitors from more than 70 countries around the world.

Attendees and delegates range from CEOs and CMCs to pharmacists and business execs, and work in every area from R&D and drug development to purchasing, engineering, marketing, logistics and business development.

Innovation is at the very heart of Pharmapack. An Innovation Gallery showcases selected industry innovations from exhibitors, while Innovation Tours guided by industry experts take visitors on a tour to innovating exhibitors’ stands.

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EVENTS

Pharmapack Europe: 2017 marks 20 years of the pharma packaging and drug delivery event!

Pharmapack Europe (#PharmapackEU), organised by UBM EMEA, is a two-day exhibition and conference dedicated to pharmaceutical packaging, drug delivery and affiliated industries. Next year’s event is on 1 & 2 February 2017 at Paris Expo Porte de Versailles (Hall 4), Paris.

2017 marks the event’s 20th successful year, and over its lifetime it has grown in size, profile and popularity from a bi-annual event to a major annual show that attracts 5,100+ visitors and over 380 exhibitors from more than 70 countries around the world.

Attendees and delegates range from CEOs and CMCs to pharmacists and business execs, and work in every area from R&D and drug development to purchasing, engineering, marketing, logistics and business development.

Innovation is at the very heart of Pharmapack. An Innovation Gallery showcases selected industry innovations from exhibitors, while Innovation Tours guided by industry experts take visitors on a tour to innovating exhibitors’ stands.

The newest addition for 2017, the Pharmapack Start-up Hub, is designed to let innovative young pharma firms benefit from valuable networking and learning opportunities. This dedicated area on the show floor gives them a unique platform to showcase their ideas, meet potential customers, partners and investors and forge new relationships that will help them develop for years to come.

The Pharmapack Awards recognize new products that are set to shape the future of the industry, in two categories. The Exhibitor Innovations category is dedicated to Pharmapack exhibitors who have developed a new product. For those who are not exhibiting, there is the Health Product category.

Both Awards recognize products that have significantly contributed to the proper use of medication, increased patient/user safety and compliance or represent a significant step towards sustainable packaging.

Pharmapack is a unique opportunity to sharpen up technical and industry knowledge. The extensive content programme comprises two days of conferences, a one-day Serialisation, Track and Trace Symposium, a day of Workshops and a Learning Lab that hosts short, sharp presentations on key topics from exhibitors throughout the 2 show days.

Dedicated networking areas and a special drinks reception mean there’s never a shortage of new faces to meet. It’s a unique opportunity for companies to boost their networks and kick-start their growth.

For more information visit http://bit.ly/2cwmYMO and get registered for Pharmapack Europe 2017!

Packaging Europe | 29 |

The newest addition for 2017, the Pharmapack Start-up Hub, is designed to let innovative young pharma firms benefit from valuable networking and learning opportunities at a price that suits their budget. This dedicated area on the show floor gives them a unique platform to showcase their ideas, meet potential customers, partners and investors and forge new relationships that will help them develop for years to come.

Exhibitors in the Pharmapack Start-up Hub will be highlighted as the most innovative firms at the show, giving them a unique platform to showcase their ideas, meet potential customers, partners and investors and forge new relationships that will help them develop for years to come.

The Pharmapack Awards recognize new products that are set to shape the future of the industry, in two categories. The Exhibitor Innovations category is dedicated to Pharmapack exhibitors who have developed a new product. For those who are not exhibiting, there is the Health Product category. This latter category distinguishes the packaging of new | 30 | Packaging Europe

health products introduced to the market, or the improvement of the packaging of an existing health product (for human or veterinary use).

Both Awards recognize products that have significantly contributed to the proper use of medication, increased patient/user safety and compliance or represent a significant step towards sustainable packaging.

Pharmapack is a unique opportunity to sharpen up technical and industry knowledge.

The extensive content programme comprises two days of conferences, a one-day Serialisation, Track and Trace Symposium, a day of Workshops and a Learning Lab that hosts short, sharp presentations on key topics from exhibitors throughout the 2 show days.

Dedicated networking areas and a special drinks reception mean there’s never a shortage of new faces to meet. It’s a unique opportunity for companies to boost their networks and kick-start their growth.

For more information on Pharmapack Europe 2017 and to register for the event, please visit http://bit.ly/2cwmYMO

EVENTS

Packaging Europe | 31 |

Packaging in a Greying Europe The European Commission has said that ageing is one of the greatest social and economic challenges of the 21st century for nations across the continent, affecting every industry from healthcare to tourism. But what can the packaging sector do to accommodate the greying of Europe? Darren Dodd, marketing and service director at Selig, explains.

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s the wealthiest and one of the most advanced continents in the world, Europe is home to a growing proportion of people who are living considerably longer than ever before. The median age has risen by more than eight years in the last half a century, jumping from 31.5 in 1960 to 39.8 in 2010, and predictions suggest this figure will climb by a further 7.4 years, to 47.2, by 2060.

Moreover, the percentage of Europeans aged 65 and over is projected to rise to 29.3 per cent by 2060 from 16.0 per cent in 2010, while the number of residents over the age of 80 is expected to increase sharply to 11.5 per cent by 2060 from just 4.1 per cent in 2010. However, this increasing life expectancy when coupled with consistently low birth rates is creating something of a challenge as the number of elderly people grows and the number of those that are of working age reduces. | 32 | Packaging Europe

The European Commission has admitted this demographic transition is likely to be one of the biggest challenges facing the European Union in the coming years. The impact is expected to be felt by Governments, society, the economy and businesses as the continent struggles to adapt to its transforming structure. Every industry is likely to experience profound consequences, and the packaging sector is no exception.

The biggest challenge facing this industry lies in creating packaging that strikes a balance between adequate consumer protection and ease of opening. Indeed, a container needs to be secure and hermetically sealed to safeguard the integrity of its contents, yet this objective cannot compromise the practicality of the packaging and make it difficult to open for elderly consumers, who may lack strength and suffer dexterity or mobility impairments.

Ageing Population

Packaging has already taken some flak over its inaccessibility for older consumers.

It even featured on BBC comedy television series Room 101 when the late Terry Wogan banished restrictive packaging. “It becomes very difficult to open things when you get to my distinguished age,” he said at the time.

However, the consequences that difficult to open packaging can have on the independence of a mature or disabled person are no joke. In a survey, market research specialist Which? found that two thirds of people get frustrated – or suffer “wrap rage” – when trying to get into everyday packaging, whilst a staggering four in ten people said they have hurt themselves while trying to open something. A quarter of people also said they regularly need help to open packaging, which is perhaps especially worrying as a substantial number of older people live alone with little help.

More concerning still is the fact that one in five people said their food choices were limited by complicated packaging, with many elderly Europeans relying on pre-prepared and packaged food and drink if they are housebound or unable to shop regularly. As well as having a huge negative impact on elderly consumers, packaging that is difficult to open can affect purchasing decisions for many products and could, ultimately, cost businesses dearly in lost customer goodwill and therefore revenue.

Tamper-proof peelable seals on containers, such as milk bottles and pill pots, are amongst the examples of packaging that is proving to be especially challenging for elderly people to open. Seals that are tough to peel off or that fail clearly to mark the point from where the seal should be lifted, are highlighted as particular problems among consumers with dexterity issues and visual impairments. With so many vital products featuring this type of seal, it is essential that packaging companies continually develop products to ensure they provide enough protection for the goods while keeping the container accessible for the consumer.

Peelable seals are normally applied using an induction heating process. The optimum conditions can be achieved by using the correct measure of pressure, heat and time during induction sealing, together with the correct choice of lining material. Too much pressure – or cap-on torque – between the liner and bottle neck finish, excessive heat to activate the

liner seal surface, or extended dwell time under the induction coil will leave users with a seal that cannot be removed with ease, while too low a level of heat, pressure or time will result in leaks or the ingress of contaminants.

So, what are the optimal operating window settings? This depends on several key factors and can be determined by running a trial on the production line under typical conditions. Start by setting the induction unit to approximately 25 per cent power output and run a series of containers, gradually increasing the power output by five per cent each time until the desired result is produced.

Closure application torque will also need to be adjusted during trials to determine the closure torque required for the best seal and easiest opening for the consumer. Ensure the power output and torque settings are marked on each container so the operating window can easily be identified during inspection following cooling and repeated for future processes.

The choice of liner is also critical to ensure easy open packaging and reputable liner manufacturers are constantly developing products to match this ever changing need by the consumer. There are literally hundreds of different specialist liners available to meet any application. Those liners with an easy-to-grip tab, such as Selig’s widely used Lift ‘n’ Peel induction seals, are an ideal choice across a wide range of applications. This type of easy open polyester tab is designed to be ergonomic, flexible and extremely strong, and is engineered specifically to maintain product quality whilst being easy for the consumer to peel.

In addition, they can be printed with a customer specific design or logo for superior brand image. Another benefit to this type of liner is the ability to print clear opening instructions on the liner itself, helping the consumer.

With the trend of an ageing European population looking set to continue well into the next few decades, the packaging sector must ensure its products constantly evolve to accommodate the elderly and remain relevant by removing restrictive design. By selecting the most appropriate lining material and optimising the induction heat sealing process, it is possible to remove the barriers that sub-par packaging can create to ensure it is easy to open while also being totally secure for a positive user experience.

Packaging Europe | 33 |

Further Investments of Assan Alüminyum in the Aluminium and Aluminium Packaging Industries The largest flat-rolled aluminium producer of Turkey, Assan Alüminyum, a subsidiary of Kibar Holding, is planning to grow over the short and medium term through remarkable new investments. One of the major investment plans is the first modern and high-width aluminium hot rolling facility in Turkey. It stands for the vision of producing semi-finished goods for a wide range of sectors: flexible packaging aerospace, defense, aviation and transportation. Assan Alüminyum considers this to be the key factor to become one of the world’s leading brands in the aluminium industry.

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fter the completion of the investment, Assan Alüminyum will be capable of producing first-class aluminium alloys, which are currently not in the company’s product range. While Assan Alüminyum will become the only hot rolling mill operator in Turkey, Assan Alüminyum will simultaneously support the further development and the competitiveness of the mentioned sectors, by improving quality of the corresponding flat rolled products. Furthermore, this investment will allow Assan Alüminyum to diversify its product portfolio strategically and to focus even more on high-value-added products. Last but not least, the installation of an integrated port at the same site will be the cherry on the pie for the ambitious expansion plans of the company.

Asked about short-term investment plans of Assan Alüminyum, Göksal Güngör, the General Manager of Assan Alüminyum, states that their strategic expansion plans would begin by increasing their casting and foil rolling capacities, through two new casting lines and a state-of-the-art universal foil mill. Göksal Güngör notes: “With its excellent barrier properties, formability and lightness, aluminium is a very resource-efficient material for packaging. This is why we believe that aluminium has a special place in the future of the packaging industry and we are absolutely determined to grow further in this sector. Our technological know-how and our pioneering position in the aluminium continuous-casting market, will allow us to focus more on high-value-added flexible packaging products.

With our new investments in our existing facilities, we are targeting to reach an installed annual aluminium foil production capacity of more than 100 thousand tons within the next few years.”

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Assan Alüminyum, founded in 1988, currently has an annual installed production capacity of 280,000 t/a of flat-rolled aluminium and 60,000 t/a of aluminium coil prepainting. It produces out of two facilities: Istanbul Tuzla and Kocaeli Dilovası.

In 2016 Assan Alüminyum acquired a hydroelectric power plant to ensure that all necessary electricity is supplied from renewables. The company has become one of the worldwide pioneers of continuous casting technology, both in terms of production capacity and technical know-how, with a strong focus on sustainability.

As a summary, Göksal Güngör describes this strategic move as follows: “Today Assan Alüminyum is one of the leading European flat-rolled aluminium producers and has a very good reputation. Aside from our domestic market, we sell the majority of our products to more than 70 countries around the world, mainly to Western European companies. We offer them customized supply chain solutions, with our warehouses set up in various countries. With 280 thousand tons of production capacity, we are currently ranked as the 40th largest industrial company of Turkey, according to statistics of the Istanbul Chamber of Commerce and also the 3rd largest aluminium foil producer in Europe. Assan Alüminyum’s flat-rolled coil, sheet, foil and pre-painted coil products are sold to many different sectors, such as construction, distribution, automotive, packaging and consumer durables, in teamwork with our 1200+ highly qualified and motivated employees. As we have repeatedly been selected as the supplier of the year by a significant number of customers, we consider this a confirmation that we are on the right track.”

Visit: www.assanaluminyum.com

Packaging Europe | 35 |

EVENTS

ADF&PCD Over 6500 brand packaging experts from about 70 countries, and more than 420 manufacturers and service providers from the aerosol technologies segment, dispensing and beauty packaging, convene in Paris on 18-19 January for the co-located and complementary ADF and PCD events. ADF 2017 is billed as the expert meeting on the aerosols and dispensing technologies of the future, while PCD 2017 focuses on the next developments in cosmetics and beauty packaging.

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the new year the Paris Packaging Innovation Hub will bring together experts from leading international brands, spanning not just the skincare, make-up and fragrance subsections of the personal care market, but also representatives of the household, pharmaceuticals and veterinary, food, industrial and technical branches. They will be joined by key suppliers in aerosol technologies, components, dispensing systems and the wider packaging industry.

At the two events leaders and influencers will engage in informative conference programs featuring 90 speakers, developed in collaboration with major brands packaging experts. Visits to the exhibition will be considerably enhance by the insights shared in the course of the lectures.

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In addition, technical advancements, leading performers and forward-looking trends will be showcased on the exhibition floor and spotlighted through two special awards ceremonies. These will highlight the quality of work carried out by packaging teams to meet the challenge of marketing briefs.

Meanwhile, a strong focus on innovation and education opens the pathway to the future of packaging. Exchanges are prolific; participants take stock of advances and project launches, technical progress, innovations in the pipeline and market trends.

ADF&PCD takes place in Hall 6 at Porte de Versailles, Paris, France, on 18-19 January.

Visit: www.aerosol-forum.com and www.pcd-congress.com

Packaging Europe | 37 |

PPMA

PPMA Total Show 2016 Review Visitors flocked to the PPMA Total Show in Birmingham’s NEC this September to encounter the latest trends and innovations in packaging machinery. Regular exhibitors once again appearing at the exhibition included Bosch Packaging Technology, Schubert, and Festo.

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lso returning to the PPMA Total Show 2016, Rotech, designer and manufacturer of offline advanced carton feeding systems, launched its new double-speed coder, responding to demand for solutions facilitating the switch from rigid packaging to pouches. Rotech also unveiled the latest developments in its pouch feeding and coding system that can personalise codes at twice the speed of its current offering.

Addressing the theme of eradicating contamination, Fortress Technology unveiled the latest version of its Halo automatic test technology at the show. It can save manufacturers thousands of pounds a month, by reducing the frequency of manual testing. The solution automatically checks that a metal detector is identifying ferrous, non-ferrous and stainless steel contaminants and tests the reject system. For food suppliers, it offers a more robust, objective and auditable testing procedure, satisfying the most demanding retailer Codes of Practice.

Also returning to the 2016 event, Loma Systems & Lock Inspection displayed its range of in-line inspection systems used to identify product defects and contaminants for the food industry. Speaking about the exhibition, Toby Kemp, global marketing manager at Loma Systems & Lock Inspection, commented: “Loma Systems has generally exhibited every year at the PPMA show, as it is a great place to meet up with important customers involved in the packaging industry. At the 2016 PPMA Total show we’re showcasing some of our latest product inspection developments and giving customers the opportunity to meet with our technical and application experts.”

Debuting at the PPMA Total Show 2016, new exhibitor TIPA Sustainable Packaging revealed its flexible food packaging – recognised in Packaging Europe’s 2016 Sustainability Awards – which behaves just like an orange peel. TIPA, a developer and manufacturer of breakthrough bio-based, fully compostable, flexible packaging, showcased its next | 38 | Packaging Europe

generation of sustainable, flexible food packaging that provides the same properties as conventional plastic packaging.

Speaking about the motivation behind the innovation, Daphna Nissenbaum, CEO & cofounder, said: “I believe the majority of people would like to treat their packages as a natural part of their kitchen waste. TIPA was founded with the purpose of providing a holistic solution to significantly reduce the enormous amount of non-recyclable waste currently generated by the flexible packaging industry. Flexible packages have now become one of the most popular packaging types in the world and this continues to spread due to its supreme functional properties. TIPA’s breakthrough technology combines these same supreme properties, while enabling the packages to decompose back to nature post-usage.”

Speakers address food hygiene and waste Speaking at the show, Emma De-Alwis, hygiene specialist at Campden BRI highlighted how contaminated food products and food hygiene problems that go undetected along the supply chain have a serious negative impact on the UK manufacturing industry. Addressing another highly topical issue for UK’s food manufacturers, Claire Shrewsbury, packaging programme manager for WRAP, took to the stage to address the number of government programmes focusing on food and packaging waste that promote both environmental improvements and the cost benefits to industry, including current projects with GlassRite Wine, and the benefits of developing recycled food grade PP processes.

In addition, Ashwin Moorthy, head of engineering & innovation at Nampak Plastics, discussed the latest packaging innovations in the FMCG world, and how packaging can both protect products and extend shelf life whilst being environmentally friendly.

Packaging Europe | 39 |

The Challenge of Redesigning a Market Leader At first glance the brief from Lucozade Sport, the UKs number one sport drink brand owned by Lu-cozade Ribena Suntory (LRS), to redesign their bottle appeared straightforward. However, as James Pryor (creative director at Touch Packaging Innovation) writes, meeting changing consumer re-quirements, redefining brand identity and achieving company sustainability targets was a hard goal to achieve.

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xtensive research was carried out by Lucozade Sport into what the consumers wanted from a sports bottle.

The new bottle needed to meet key usage and performance needs across a wide range of sports ac-tivities. Most importantly it had to take a major step away from the multitude of ‘me too’ sports drink brands and private label offerings, whilst achieving lightweighting requirements and seam-lessly integrating with the existing production line for LRS. The result is that Lucozade Sport has met all of these requirements and created a revolutionary bottle in the process.

Touch Packaging Innovation seeks to span the divide between consumer, design & manufacturing. By joining up the dots between insight, innovation, 3D design & manufacture, we’ve attempted to create ‘joined up packaging innovation’, resulting in packaging solutions that are technically viable and commercially feasible.

The Foundation Lucozade Sport’s deep dive into their target consumer’s conscious and unconscious relationship with the bottle uncovered insights that set the foundation for our design team.

Touch were then able to establish four opportunity platforms for creative and technical development that were to become the core of the redesign brief: visibility, perfect form, controlled delivery and intuitive access.

Lifecycle

Understanding the consumers’ interactions with a sports drink was only one part of the narrative. Touch considered each and every aspect of the bottle’s entire lifecycle, from how a consumer holds it to the need to work in vending machines.

Balancing act Every element identified within this lifecycle had to be balanced with the requirements of the pro-duction process, secure transportation and above all health and safety.

Sifting through all these elements enabled Touch to define three key areas we needed to focus on. From the consumer’s perspective we needed to reduce the overall bottle weight, increase its strength and improve the grip. These areas overlapped with the brand requirement to stand-out. But what Touch managed to achieve, as well as delivering on the fundamentals, was the other part of the brief, to meet the sustainability needs of LRS and improve the carbon footprint of the product by light-weighting, without compromising on performance.

More with less Light-weighting the bottle threw up a fresh set of challenges. Reducing the weight and rigidity of plastic bottles can create impacts in performance both on the shelf and throughout the supply chain.

As with many bottles, Lucozade Sport is gas flushed to protect the product. This increases the pres-sure inside the bottle, which can distort lighter weight bottles. The | 40 | Packaging Europe

challenge was to create a better performing bottle that was lighter, using less plastic, which survived the physical forces encoun-tered during filling and transportation.

To achieve the exacting balance required, Touch carried out a factory audit to highlight the tech-nical constraints we were working with as well as to identify areas where we could propose benefi-cial changes. This was followed by a technology trawl, to explore processes and materials and push packaging technologies to their limit with the help of innovative suppliers. A fundamental part of the process in so many of Touch’s packaging Innovations.

Touch carefully calculated the exact profile required to ensure an increased radial strength through-out the entire bottle and gave the bottle an ergonomic waist that further delivered grip as well as on-shelf standout.

The result is a bottle that is both stronger and lighter by 3g, and has driven purchase intent up by 10 per cent.

Working in close partnership with Lucozade Sport’s marketing team as well as their technical team gave Touch the opportunity to resolve both the consumer need, the business challenge and the brand differentiator.

The bottles visual identity is grounded in the grip pattern played across the bottle’s surface.

Simul-taneously creating a unique functional slip-free texture, and strengthening the bottle whilst creating unique visual appeal with the interplay between the graphics and structure.

From Touch’s perspective, one of the most powerful take outs of the entire project was the way in which people with real passion, worked seamlessly together. The new bottle works well on so many levels, improving usage experience, brand impact, and delivery for the consumer, whilst also im-proving the delivery for the LRS business.

The end product is a transformational design that LRS will have in the market place for many years to come and is a testament to what can be achieved with insight, rigor and the expertise to use these to great effect.

Visit: www.touchdesign.com

Design Opinion

Packaging Europe | 41 |

PACE Asia 2016 P

ackaging and Converting Executive (PACE) Forum is the established, highly focused event bringing packaging, procurement and sourcing directors from across Asia to discuss the critical issues faced by the packaging industry. At the PACE Asia event, held in Singapore on 9-10 November, participants will discover the latest global packaging trends, customer value engineering, innovations in packaging that are transforming the industry and promoting sustainability to reduce the bottom line and engage consumers, amongst a few of the key topics. The overriding focus this year is on ‘delivering an inspiring, functional and engaging packaging experience for a sustainable future’.

Diverse topics include packaging innovations, the latest in sustainability and regulatory updates, achieving consumer engagement, customer value engineering and next generation packaging materials. This year’s event will feature a bigger focus on packaging innovation than last year so delegates can learn from their peers with exclusive case studies to benchmark your strategy.

The forum is squeezed into two days to minimise participants’ time out of the office but with maximum productivity - as there will be more speakers, more business meetings and more case studies than ever before.

The days will comprise dynamic formats with exclusive case studies, insightful spotlights and interactive roundtables to maximise networking opportunities and ensure delegates leave with key insights to influence their packaging strategy.

Meanwhile, for those looking for tailor made, specialised solutions or the latest technology Arena International is offering the unique opportunity to engage in face to | 42 | Packaging Europe

face 1-2-1 business meetings. These match attendees’ challenges with solutions providers to understand the latest technologies in the market to improve your packaging performance. The PACE platform will enable such connections through a specialised vendor selection process, whereby the attendees have the opportunity to sit down with a number of vendors over the course of two days and make informed decisions and create long lasting partnerships.

Visit: www.arena-international.com/paceasia

EVENTS

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11th European Bioplastics Conference 2016 New policy frameworks, market developments, innovative products and materials

E

very year the European Bioplastics Conference features a well-researched conference programme, an impressive speaker line-up, a highly popular product exhibition, and lots of social networking events, attracting more than 350 senior bioplastics decision makers from across the bioplastics value chain, policy bodies, NGOs, and brand owners.

As the leading international conference dedicated to bioplastics, this is the best place to position your bioplastics business, get up to speed on the latest global bioplastics market developments, regulatory changes, and material and product innovations, and network with hundreds of like-minded peers. | 44 | Packaging Europe

Preparations for this year’s 11th European Bioplastics Conference, which takes place on 29-30 November 2016 in Berlin, are in full swing, as the speaker line-up for the two-day event features some exciting new faces and innovations.

The 2016 edition of the leading business and networking event for the bioplastics industry in Europe will present you with a programme that will showcase the outstanding progress of our industry in ‘rethinking plastics’ in a sustainable and resource-efficient way.

The agenda covers a wide range of important areas, including the EU policy landscape, the latest technological innovations in materials and conversion of bioplastics, advances

in standardisation and labelling, bio-based feedstock, end-of-life solutions, as well as the consumer and brand perspective.

And in keeping with a well-received tradition, the Bioplastics Magazine will announce the winner of the 11th Annual Global Bioplastics Award. The conference (full programme available at www.european-bioplastics.org/programme) brings together an exciting range of speakers, including: • Hugo Maria Schally (European Commission, DG Environment, Head of Unit for Sustainable Production, Products & Consumption) on ‘The potential of bioplastics in the course of the Commission‘s evironment agenda’ • Waldemar Kütt (European Commission, DG Research & Innovation, Head of Unit of the Directorate’s Bio-based Products and Processing Unit) on ‘The Commission‘s R&D agenda for a Circular Bioeconomy’ • Rob Opsomer (Ellen MacArthur Foundation) on ‘The future of the new plastics economy’ • Sabine Wirén-Lehr (Tetra Pak International) on ‘An Enabling regulatory framework for biobased materials and products’ • Yuki Hamilton (Sustainability Director, Braskem) on ‘Green Bags – They are renewable and recyclable, but not what you think’ • Peter O’Sullivan (HENKEL Ireland, Packaging Engineering Europe) on ‘Sustainable packaging for anaerobic adhesives’ • Alexia Roma (Technoscentre Renault) on ‘Bio-sourced materials: a future for the car industry?’

• Enrique Moliner (AIMPLAS) on ‘Development of PLA packaging for food and beverage products: fresh pasta, cheese and wine’ • Chinnawat Srirojpinyo & Ryuichiro Sugimoto (PTT MCC Biochem Joint Venture of PTT and Mitsubishi Chemical Corporation) on ‘BioPBS bioplastic technology’ Other highlights this year include the presentation of the market data update 2016 and a session dedicated to the market outlook in Europe, as well as a panel discussion on “The potential of bioplastics in the New Plastics Economy”. The panel will be opened by Rob Opsomer from the Ellen MacArthur Foundation and debated between panellists and representatives of NGOs, including Piotr Barczak from the European Environmental Bureau and Delphine Lévi-Alvarès from Zero Waste.

Another highlight will be a panel discussion on “The future of European Waste Management” that will explore how efficient waste management with regards to bioplastics can look like in the future, which no doubt will be of great interest for all delegates.

The conference programme will be complemented by a number of networking opportunities and an exhibition alongside the conference. Following the great success of the past years, we again expect another exciting, informative, and fruitful conference in 2016 with more than 350 delegates, speakers, and exhibitors.

Who attends?

The European Bioplastics Conference has evolved into the leading business and discussion forum for the bioplastics sector in Europe and worldwide. As the major industry association in this field, the hosts at European Bioplastics are committed to representing the interests of stakeholders along the entire value chain. The diversity of the delegation – 350 strong in 2015 and expected to grow – reflects that, and the trend towards a pan-industry gathering is set to continue as the event embraces the inclusion of political and other non-private sector actors.

If you would like to participate or present your organisation in the exhibition alongside the conference you can secure your place via the online registration. To find out more, please visit www.conference.european-bioplastics.org.

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The Evolution of the Bioplastics Industry in Europe European Bioplastics (EUBP) is the association representing the interests of the bioplastics industry in Europe. The diversification of available waste treatment options such as mechanical recycling and organic recycling can contribute to higher volumes of waste being recycled in the EU and are facilitating the transformation to a circular economy in Europe. Libby White spoke with Ms Kristy-Barbara Lange, Deputy Managing Director at European Bioplastics, about the growing duties and focus of the organisation, its successful annual conference, and the increasing involvement in lobbying activities in Brussels.

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ON

their website, European Bioplastics provides comprehensive information and encourages both members and non-members to learn about the opportunities and benefits of bioplastics, their contribution to a resource-efficient and sustainable future, and the shift to a circular economy. European Bioplastics is uniquely placed in the industry with a broad network of businesses, partners, and experts in the bioplastics sector across Europe and beyond. It represents the interests of around 70 member companies along the entire value chain of bioplastics.

Ms Lange comments, “In the industry, we are well known as the partner to go to for any questions related to bioplastics. We aim to provide insight knowledge to all interested stakeholder groups. In our daily work, we are increasingly focussing on policy issues and legal framework conditions, gathering policy intelligence, forming industry positions, and representing our members in Europe vis-à-vis the European institutions, while, at the same time, focusing on building and maintaining valuable coalitions with other interest groups.

“Since last year, we have paid particular attention to reviving our network with bioeconomy associations on EU level and other bioplastics associations on Member State level in order to work together, exchange information, and join forces to make our voices and arguments heard in Brussels.” For example, European Bioplastics plays an active role in the European Bioeconomy Alliance, an alliance of twelve European organisations active in the bioeconomy.

European Bioplastics strongly supports the recently published draft reports of European Parliament ENVI Committee rapporteur Simona Bonafe on the revised European waste legislation. Ms Lange points out that “Ms Bonafe has the right ideas on how to tap the enormous potential of bioplastics within the waste framework of the circular economy package. In particular, she has put great emphasis on encouraging better market conditions for renewable raw materials and promotes the use of biobased materials in packaging. She has also made very clear that mandatory biobased waste collection is very important.”

Successful events 2015 saw the tenth anniversary of the European Bioplastics Conference, the leading business and networking event for the bioplastics industry in Europe, organised by European Bioplastics, which attracted over 350 delegates and received very positive feedback from attendees such as a score of 94 per cent of good or above for overall satisfaction with the conference programme.

This year, the conference will take place on the 29th and 30th November at the Steigenberger Hotel in Berlin and is expected to attract even higher numbers of attendees than in the last years. Ms Lange says, “The full conference programme will be published in September, however we can already confirm a keynote speech from the Ellen MacArthur Foundation who are currently driving the development of the New Plastics Economy with their same-titled initiative, an ambitious, three-year project aiming to transform the current plastics economy into a system that works and is sustainable.

“Our conference is strategically timed to take place after the discussions around the circular economy have been held in Brussels. We will hear first-hand insights from Waldemar Kütt from DG Research & Innovation and Hugo Maria Schally from DG Environment of the European Commission.”

Another highlight of this year’s conference will be specific topical sessions, such as a session dedicated to the market outlook in Europe as well as an NGO session discussing the potential of bioplastics in a ‘new plastics economy’. In a brand owner session, we will learn more about the end-user perspective on bioplastics and new product innovations from leading brands such as Henkel or Renault. Tetra Pak, for example, will elaborate on their lobbying activities for biobased products in the EU in order to create a favourable regulatory landscape for biobased materials.

Advancements in bioplastics New innovative materials are constantly being developed by the bioplastics industry, for example new packaging solutions with enhanced barrier properties and improved

Packaging Europe | 47 |

API SpA

At K’2016 API is presenting the latest developments on Biodegradable & Compostable Coffee Capsules.

Following the great success achieved in 2015 with the launch of the Biodegradable & Compostable single-serve coffee capsule made with APINAT BIO further developments have been made to increase material thermal resistance.

Comparative Oxigen barrier properties measured on plates 0,8 mm thickness under ASTM F 1927 demonstrate that APINAT BIO have an Oxigen barrier 6 times higher than a conventional homopolymer polypropylene.

New grades show an improved processability and an easier demoulding on multi-cavity moulds. In addition these grades are in compliance with FDA and EN 10:2011 regulation and comply with severe Migration tests.

Compostability certificate under UN 13432 has been achieved for thicknesses up to 1,60mm.

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Packaging Europe | 49 |

Uhde Inventa-Fischer Uhde Inventa-Fischer owns proprietary, cutting-edge polycondensation technologies for producing various grades of polyesters, polyamides and sustainable biopolymers, such as polylactic-acids, with customizable viscosity levels ranging from high over medium to low. It’s know how is based on engineering experience gained since 1924 by constructing more than 250 polycondensation plants worldwide as well as through intensive research and development work in close cooperation with prominent scientific and industrial partners.

Uhde Inventa-Fischer is part of thyssenkrupp Industrial Solution’s polymer division with two locations in Berlin, Germany and Domat/Ems, Switzerland. Around 150 polymerization specialists and engineers cover the entire field of professional project execution from R&D trials and studies, via plant engineering with delivery of proprietary- and key- equipment only, up to procurement- and construction- services for turn-key EPC projects strength and breathability, adding to the functions and properties required from conventional plastic packaging materials.

European Bioplastics’ role also is to highlight these innovations, such the latest research and development project of NatureWorks, which aims to develop and commercialize a process to produce bioplastics from the greenhouse gas methane. A joint venture between BASF and Avantium focuses on the production and marketing of furandicarboxylic acid (FDCA) based on renewable resources, the main new building block for polyethylenefuranoate (PEF). Compared to conventional plastics, PEF is characterized by improved barrier properties for gases like carbon dioxide and oxygen.

This can lead to longer shelf life of packaged products. Due to its higher mechanical strength, the thickness of PEF packaging can be reduced, thus a lower amount of packaging material is necessary. Therefore, PEF is particularly suitable for the production of certain food and beverage packaging, for example films and plastic bottles. After use, PEF can be recycled.

European Bioplastics also promotes new applications and products, such as a certified bio-based and compostable coffee capsule for Nespresso systems from Original Food GmbH. The entire capsule, including the cover, is bio-based, free of aluminium, and compostable according to the European standard for industrial composting EN13432.

Within 12 weeks, more than 90 per cent of the material will have turned into CO2, water and humus.

Project involvement The European Bioplastics Conference is the leading event for the bioplastics industry in Europe and is an ideal environment for attendees to find new business partners, to form collaborations, or to discuss how to drive bioplastics innovations forward collectively. European Bioplastics itself is often sought to be part of collaborations and EU-funded projects, such as the Swedish project STEPS (sustainable plastics and transition pathways), a project introduced and approved by the University of Lund, where European Bioplastics is part of the board of experts.

It is also active in other projects such as Open-Bio, which investigates how markets can be opened for bio-based products through standardization, labelling and procurement. Part of the project is to conceptualize an Ecolabel that can be

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in close cooperation with more than 19’000 specialists in over 70 worldwide locations of thyssenkrupp Industrial Solutions.

applied to bio-based products to strengthen consumer confidence and boost market demand.

Ms Lange concludes, “Looking into the future, although there are currently many valuable projects we are involved in, as part of our agenda we aim to create a project to bring together delegates from all over the bioplastics value chain. We have a comprehensive overview and have the tools to establish the industry as one of the main drivers of the circular economy in Europe. This is not going to happen over night and we are supporting this transition with the necessary information, lobbying, research, education, projects, n and of course a focus on future developments.”

For more information, visit www.european-bioplastics.org

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A one-stop shop for

biodegradability testing Belgium-based OWS (Organic Waste Systems) is a world leading expert in the construction and operation of anaerobic digestion plants, the biodegradability and compostability testing of different types of materials, and in waste management consultancy. Elisabeth Skoda spoke to marketing and sales manager Sam Deconinck to find out more about the company’s internationally successful biodegradable materials testing business.

O

WS was founded in 1988 in Gent in Belgium. With its 80 employees, it is made up of two main departments. One department works on the engineering, design and construction of large scale anaerobic digestion plants, treating organic waste to be converted to biogas, which can then be used to produce electricity or can be purified to be put into the grid. Secondly, the lab and consulting department offers services in biodegradability, compostability and ecotoxicity (BCE) testing, consultancy and support in anaerobic digestion, auditing, controlling and sorting of different waste streams and sustainable development.

“The BCE business unit has for over 25 years been working on testing biodegradable materials and products. The focus lies on testing in different environments, such as compost, soil, fresh water and also marine conditions, where we offer degradation tests in sea water as well as toxicity testing. This is a very popular service due to the ongoing issues of marine pollution and the so-called ‘plastic soup’,” Mr Deconinck points out.

OWS’s BCS (Biogas Consulting and Support) department offers R&D for large scale anaerobic digestion plants, while the ACS (Auditing, Controlling and Sorting) department offers audits, waste sorting analyses and control analyses focused on quality control, mostly local to Belgium. Finally, the Sustainability Assessment Services (SAS) department offers carbon footprint analyses, LCAs and different sustainability assessments. | 52 | Packaging Europe

Quality pays off OWS is proud to offer its testing services at an outstanding quality. “We value quality above on else. We had customers who went to different testing laboratories because of price, but returned to us, because they were not satisfied with the quality. The figures speak for themselves. Looking at market, of products that have been tested and certified 70 to 80 per cent of materials on the market have been tested by us. If you look at sales from the testing labs, 60 per cent is within Europe, 20 per cent in the US and 20 per cent in Asia.”

Mr. Deconinck is keen to underline the company’s worldwide focus. “As an international company, OWS’s focus is very export oriented. Our head office is situated in Gent, we also have affiliates in the US and Germany, and we have a partner in Japan.”

Extensive testing services OWS holds the position of world leader in the field of biodegradable materials testing.

“The general operation and activity of compost analyses is certified and accredited to ISO 17025, while the other specific laboratory activities are following ISO 17025 rules as much as possible, this in combination with the rules of Good Laboratory Practices (GLP). We are recognised by all certification bureaus in the field worldwide. We are strictly independent and only offer testing, and no product development, which means

that we are not linked to any company or producer. It is important to be independent in this business,” Mr Deconinck points out.

OWS offers a wide range of independent tests and is very active in standardisation. “All our tests were developed at European, US and international level by experts in the field.

As an independent company, we are a member of all different standardisation groups, and regularly discuss test methods,” Mr Deconinck says.

He goes on to explain the testing process further: “In our testing laboratories, we offer different biodegradation tests. For example, a producer who manufactures biodegradable collection bags sends the material to us, we do the testing in line with recognised international test methods, and our customer can use the test report in order to apply for certifications to put a nationally accepted logo on their material to prove it has been independently verified.”

OWS is involved in work developing test methods for materials which can cause issues such as marine pollution, as Mr Deconinck explains. “We continue to grow thanks to our further development of standards and test methods, and we are developing test methods in different marine environments: surface sea water, the shoreline and deep sea water.”

Biodegradation varies from environment to environment. Biodegradable plastics can end up managed or unmanaged in organic waste collection, can be littered, and can end up in beaches or in rivers, and OWS is well equipped for testing in a wide range of circumstances.

“We run testing in different environments, covering composting, home composting, soil degradation for mulching films and agricultural films, which biodegrade in soil, and don’t need to be collected at the end of harvesting. They can be ploughed into the soil. In addition, testing is available in fresh water, for tissues you can throw in toilet, for

packaging of dishwasher tablets, and other items that end up in the fresh water system or sea water,” Mr Deconinck points out.

Valuable experience Over the time OWS has been in business, the company has gained lots of valuable experience in the industry. “We were there at the ’birth’ of the industry in the late 1980s, when we started out with major customers such as Procter & Gamble,” Mr Deconinck is happy to report.

OWS performs tests for many major companies who produce a range of different materials, including coated paper board, packaging for consumer goods, inks, bags, drinking cups, straws, cutlery, food baskets and other materials that could be contaminated with food.

Mr Deconinck is keen to point out OWS’s international recognition. “What is unique for us is that we are recognised by all certification bureaus. Customers can apply for certifications in Australia, Japan, Korea, Germany, Europe and anywhere in the world where these certifications exist. We have worked with major experts in the field, such as BASF, Natureworks, Novamont, International Paper, Lenzing, PTT MCC Biochem, etc.”

The company looks back on an impressive success story that looks to be set to continue in the future.

“Over the last ten years, our testing capacity almost tripled to 1000 test reactors, and personnel numbers also tripled. We tested over 3000 samples for 800 different clients all over the world. In the same period, our sales revenue increased by 500 per cent. We are a good parameter for the growth in biodegradable materials and the bioplastics industry.

In the last seven years, we achieved double digit growth, which is quite exceptional, and I n expect us to continue on this successful path,” Mr Deconinck concludes.

Visit: www.ows.be

Packaging Europe | 53 |

The World of Industrial Printing at Inprint InPrint Italy promises to be the keynote industrial printing event, showcasing the best and most innovative solutions. From 15 to 17 November the only exhibition in Italy dedicated exclusively to industrial print technology will take place at the MiCo Milano Congressi exhibition centre, with around 120 exhibitors, 80 of which will be from abroad, from 12 countries.

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EVENTS

W

hen FM Brooks organised this exhibition, it had in mind those searching for customised solutions, systems developed collaboratively and designed to generate new business opportunities in industrial printing production.

InPrint Italy will bring to Milan the whole gamut of industrial printing, showcasing its three macro sectors: functional, decorative and packaging.

‘Functional’ printing is present in almost all objects in everyday use. Mobile phones, washing machines, dishwashers, cars, computers, smart technology and consumer electronics all employ industrial printing as part of their manufacturing processes. At InPrint Italy this sector is represented by companies such as the French firm Ceradrop, which designs and markets digital printers designed exclusively for the printed electronics industry and Smart 3D printing, and is able to offer new opportunities for feasibility studies and product launches. From the United States comes Engineered Printing Solutions, recently acquired by Xaar, specialising in industrial inkjet integration with a strong focus on direct to shape. And then there is the Italian company Seristampa, noted for printing logos and stickers for multinationals in the car and motorbike industry, as well as manufacturers specialising in household appliances, fashion, etc.

Another leading sector is ‘decoration’. Industrial printing is very closely involved in the creation and decoration of flooring, textiles, wallpaper and even furniture. For flooring, for example, digital printing offers clear advantages over traditional printing: print can actually be applied to a substrate for application to the finished surface, vastly increasing the opportunities and encouraging ‘on demand’ production, without storage. This means that production itself becomes much more efficient, the products can be made to order and, last but not least, designers have more creative freedom. Take, for example, the applications that Canon Italia is exhibiting at InPrint Italy for flooring, textiles, ceramics and cork. No less impressive are the textiles and

leather exhibited by the Belgian company Agfa Graphics.

The British company Inca Digital will demonstrate its capabilities as a company specialising in the development of industrial inkjet technology solutions, whilst the German firm Heidelberg is bound to catch the eye with the launch of the Omnifire 1000a direct to shape industrial inkjet machine. Also worthy of attention is the Italian company Metis Systems, noted for its scanners used in artistic reproduction and which has recently achieved significant 3D printing innovations thanks to an agreement reached with Kuei, another exhibitor at InPrint Italy. The third sector to benefit from industrial printing is packaging.

Think about all the things we consume and the way they are packaged. How have they been packaged? What do the markets and retailers require for their packaging?

What functionality should they have? As with the most recent media, packaging has an added value for the marketing and distribution process sectors. Intelligent packaging helps the market to sell more units. What does the packaging have to offer in terms of what we eat and drink? Innovative packaging increases sales. With the innovation of special inks for screen printing on luxury products and direct to shape technology, this sector is becoming increasingly interesting and positive for the industry.

What links the segments featured is an increasing need to respond to changing demand from consumers.

Manufacturers are requiring more innovative technology that enables flexible production, an ability to print short runs and a need for mass customisation. Digital inkjet production is responding to this demand and is positioning itself as a genuine new option. At InPrint Italy all this will be brought together in three days of exhibitions, seminars and discussions that are certain to inspire the manufacturing sector, thanks to the presence of innovative industrial printing technologies, products and services and the focus on the up-and-coming Italian market, recognised worldwide for printing on textiles, ceramics, wood, packaging and other manufacturing sectors.

Packaging Europe | 55 |

Proactive Asset Management: Unlocking Business Efficiency Ben Potenza, VP Marketing at EquipNet Inc., takes a look at how manufacturers are reaping the benefits of buying and selling surplus and idle equipment.

Out with the old, in with the new

A dynamic model

Packaging plays a vital role in product innovation in most industries with the global packaging industry estimated to hit close to $1 trillion by 2018. Sometimes packaging is about safety and protection, as in the pharmaceutical industry, for example. For other products its role is to create or reinforce a brand experience, as with consumer electronics brands for example. Oftentimes, it is visual appeal in a retail environment that is most important.

Interestingly, a recent industry report highlighted a series of packaging trends for 2016, including: the rise of digital printing to personalise packaging; the market drive for clearer information on packages; a need for larger (and smaller) pack sizes for many products; and the importance of recyclable packaging in the customer buying decision. It is easy to imagine the potential impact each of these could have on production and packaging processes.

Against this background, manufacturing companies around the world are buying and selling all kinds of equipment and production assets (Figure 1). In fact, they always have done, and a variety of equipment dealers and auction houses have been around to help. In recent years however, as forward-thinking businesses have moved to take a more strategic view of managing idle and surplus equipment, a new breed of specialist companies – like EquipNet – has emerged as leaders in this field.

With so much capital tied up in the equipment needed to run a business, and with research suggesting that as much as 10% of a manufacturing company’s assets lay idle at any one time, it is no surprise that this has come under close scrutiny. Relocating assets to a different facility or, if this is not appropriate, selling equipment that has fallen out of use can deliver a significant return on the original investment in a piece of kit, freeing up useful capital. With growing demand fuelled by the need to control equipment acquisition costs and manage project timetables more efficiently, proactive asset management has emerged as an important tool for enterprises large and small.

Accessing the benefits of asset management on a day-to-day basis requires the same commitment and rigour as any other business area. Although companies are often looking to obtain the most returns in dividends from surplus assets, this requires time and knowledge from industry experts, which a lot of companies don’t have. Successful implementation of an asset management strategy therefore most often involves a partnership between the company and a specialist provider. Outsourcing or partnering in those tasks considered non-core is now a well-accepted strategy.

Best practice has been developing over the last decade and specialist service companies staffed by industry experts and proven project management professionals have emerged to become leaders in this new field. They offer an approach and services that are significantly different from the ‘traditional equipment dealer or auctioneer’. As one of the preeminent vendors in this field, EquipNet provides a holistic approach to surplus asset management that balances the needs of both sellers and buyers. This is effectively illustrated using its ‘Value Control Model’ (Figure 2).

The value control module, based on time, can be customized using a central tracking platform that provides communication and workflow tools and ensures the exposure of assets throughout the business. Various disposition channels which include redeployment, negotiated sales with managed pricing through an online market and competitive auction events can also be used, as well as clearance, disposal and scrap programs, customized specifically for each individual company.

In order to redeploy equipment and therefore keep track of surplus assets, a partner should possess a solid software platform to list all assets in a company or business. These programmes can sit behind a corporation’s firewall, in order to allow visibility of all assets belonging to a business in various locations worldwide.

Figure 2 EquipNet’s ‘Value Control Model’ shows how redeployment, negotiated sales with managed pricing through an on-line marketplace, competitive auction events and clearance programs fit together to deliver a consolidated service that ensures a ‘seller’ company achieves maximum return and at the same time sees equipment come into the channels that are used by a ‘buying’ company. In many cases, a business is both a seller and a buyer at different times.

Planning for success

Figure 1: Second-hand Packaging Equipment Supplied Through EquipNet

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When deciding to purchase second hand equipment, it is important to do your research.

This can be time consuming and the choice available can be overwhelming. Experts like EquipNet know the marketplace inside out and can provide useful, objective insight relating to budgets, specifications and risk mitigation (e.g. how reputable a supplier is).

Machinery Value control model TIME

RETURN

REDEPLOYMENT Assets relocated within organization, managed through EqipNet ARMS™ platform

$$$$

MANAGED SALES Individual assets marketed and sold through a brokerage model

$$$

COMPETITIVE BID SmartAuctions™ Events, Online, Sealed Bid, Webcast, Live

$$

CLEARANCE Donations, Scrap, Environmental Recycling

$

Figure 2

Guiding buyers through a possible purchase, including reading the small print and assessing warranties and future support the equipment may require makes the process as efficient and stress free as possible for the buyer.

In conclusion As manufacturers continue to look towards increasing productivity whilst striving to keep costs as low as possible, more

companies have been turning towards the second-hand equipment business for both buying and selling. However, this industry does have its downfalls and in order to provide the buyer with the best possible product whilst allowing the seller to recoup the maximum amount from their original investment, expert evaluation of equipment is required. Therefore, a reliable asset management partner is crucial in order to obtain the best result for both buyer and seller.

A buyer’s story Terry Geck is the Founder of Stage Coach Sauces LLC, a Florida-based contract and bottling company specializing in pourable food products. The company continues to invest in equipment that upgrades the facility and increases throughput by de-bottlenecking the packaging lines. There is a constant drive to do things faster, quicker or better, but maintaining a low cost base is also vital.

Mr Geck commented: “The savings that can be made by investing in used equipment are significant - as much as 20 to 70 per cent. Re-using equipment can transform the economics of a re-tooling or upgrading project, but you need a trustworthy partner to source good kit. They need to know the market and the machinery inside out, and be able to set a deal at the right price for both the seller and buyer.”

Mr Geck continued: “Putting it bluntly, the biggest concern is that you will buy junk. Some of the equipment I have bought has been in the region of $50,000 - a significant sum. So when I came to look at re-tooling via this route, establishing a quality supplier relationship was critical. EquipNet was recommended to me by other companies and their professionalism and quality is now so valuable to us.”

“EquipNet has been very good at researching any guarantees available from the vendor and in making sure that they transfer through to us, but in truth, all the equipment we’ve purchased has been of really high quality and worked reliably.

And that’s why we keep going back,” concluded Mr Geck.

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Winning products and packaging Having a brand that customers ‘like’ is not enough to be successful. Brands need to connect with consumers at a deeper level, to be loved not just liked, and packaging plays a fundamental role in driving this engagement. MMR Research Worldwide helps its customers achieve success thanks to its sensory branding approaches, as Luisa Robertson- Director, Future Focus - explains to Barbara Rossi. | 58 | Packaging Europe

M

MR Research Worldwide belongs to the privately owned and independent MMR Group. It is the largest independent research agency in the UK and was established in 1989 by Professor David Thomson, who wanted to bring scientific rigour and sensory expertise to market research. He was able to achieve this thanks to his background in academic sensory science and consumer psychology.

Today he is the chairman of the company and continues to drive innovation with his forward thinking.

A full service consumer and sensory research agency, MMR uses both quantitative and qualitative approaches. It helps clients achieve brand love by creating winning products and packaging that consumers truly love rather than simply like. In order to achieve this, it offers a vast array of different approaches and tools. It is an expert in its field and offers services for the whole product/packaging developing process, from the early stages to the final phase. What differentiates it from its competitors and constitutes its overarching ethos is its sensory branding approach, which is applied to all the work that it carries out, at concept level and in terms of product brand. This makes it very successful in optimising products and packaging in such a way that the brand promise is perfectly conveyed to the consumers, both at conscious and non-conscious level.

Ms Robertson has been with the company for twelve years, spending most of these delivering research for food and drink manufacturers. In her current role, she works at the interface between account teams and MMR’s innovation team to help drive development of methods specifically designed to put consumers at the heart of product and pack development.

Sensory branding She explains, “Consumers already have plenty of choice, especially in the food and drink sector. The market is saturated, with a lot of competition between the different brands as

well as fierce competition from own-label. In order to succeed, brand manufacturers and retailers need to offer a benefit to the customer, going beyond liking to understand and deliver what customers really want and desire. In order to acquire and retain consumers, companies have to optimise the overall brand experience at every touchpoint and reinforce key brand benefits at every stage in order to achieve brand engagement and loyalty.

Unfortunately, poorly designed product and pack research can become a beauty contest – rewarding superficial appeal and lacking an understanding of what they are communicating at a deeper level and how this fits with (or even drives) the brand positioning.

Leveraging brand equity is essential for product success and the sensory attributes of product and pack can be used to achieve this.

A holistic research approach based on the whole consumer experience is key to enable brands to capitalise on their sensory assets and connect with consumers more effectively.”

“We help our clients uncover their sensory signature – the sensory attributes which communicate the emotional and functional benefits core to their brand’s positioning.

Identifying these sensory assets is important in packaging and reformulation of existing products so that manufacturers know what to protect. Focussing on graphics alone is a missed opportunity when it comes to packaging and only understanding the impact of design changes on liking and shelf standout can present a huge risk to brand equity.”

Understanding the role of sensory assets is equally important in NPD. MMR’s EROS (Early Rules of Success) approach brings principles of sensory branding in to the development process from an early stage. EROS is employed in the early stages of packaging development to provide guidelines for pack design briefs, based on the deeper meaning consumers attach to the visual and structural ocmponents of packaging – enabling creatives to work their magic within parameters that will enhance overall brand equity. Creative and sensorially articulate consumers are recruited for this challenging, detailed and fully immersive focus group, in which brand owners and designers also take part and Packaging Europe | 59 |

which is carefully moderated by MMR’s qualitative and sensory experts. Thanks to EROS, companies can achieve better alignment between brand positioning and packaging, or use packaging more effectively to drive advantage.

“The key to EROS’ success is that it brings together the R&D, marketing and creative teams with consumers at an early stage of the development process. It prevents teams working in silos, putting the consumer at the centre of the development process. Ensuring alignment from the outset not only provides a common framework and clarity around positioning, but also grounds this in consumer need and expectation, helping avoid falling at the final hurdle of pre-launch validation.

Even at later-stage validation, MMR believe an holistic approach is key to understanding pack potential. Their Impackt approach is designed to understand the impact of design changes in terms of appeal and on-shelf standout, but also communication of key brand equities at both a functional and more emotive level.

MMR Research Worldwide’s core areas of expertise are food and drink, as well as personal and household care. “We work with fourteen of the top twenty global food and beverage manufacturers. This is a challenging and exciting time for our industry. Our clients are under pressure to drive innovation more quickly. Their consumers are changing and Millennials in particular have different expectations, demanding a more authentic experience. Their continual connection through smartphones has changed the playing

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field for researchers and we’re able to use that technology to engage with previous hard to reach groups and help answer our client’s questions”.

Headquartered in Oxfordshire, MMR has grown organically at an international level in response to its clients’ needs. Today it serves the globe from regional hubs in London, New York, Shanghai, Singapore, Mumbai and Durban. Four of these facilities (UK, US, China and Singapore) also house world-class sensory science centres. Research has been conducted in fifty countries around the world – often multi-country studies. “An important point is that we can guarantee the same standards of service regardless of the country in which we are operating. We can really deliver to our clients on a global scale and are forging global partnerships with them.”

Innovation is also key to MMR itself with research into sensory-based triggers under way. Chairman, Prof. David Thomson, presented his recent academic research work at IFT16 in Chicago in July. Other events in which the company has taken part in this year include the Beauty Trends & Innovations Conference in September, Eurosense in the same month, NPD Food and Drink Trends & Innovations in October, and Food Matters Live in November. MMR is also planning its own event in London, building on the success of the UK Consumer Health Priorities event that it ran at the end of 2014.

Visit: www.mmr-research.com

Beverage

Packaging

Covered The Canadean Beverage Packaging Congress is back for the fifth time after a very successful 2015 event.

It will be held on the 25th and 26th October in Brussels, Belgium. Libby White spoke with Mr Masi Azizi, Event Producer, Arena International, to find out more about the rationale behind the conference, and how it aims to bring together non-alcoholic and alcoholic brands under one roof to discuss the latest packaging trends and promote innovative thinking.

T

he annual congress will take a very holistic approach to beverage packaging and focus on every aspect within the packaging value chain. This content driven event will focus on three key trends the industry is facing; convenience, sustainability and disruption.

Over two days, the event will connect senior level packaging individuals from across the beverage industry, and showcase innovative case studies from eight of the largest beverage companies in the world. On top of high-class presentations, attendees will also have the unique opportunity to participate in interactive roundtables and panel discussions, conducive to inspiring new packaging ideas.

A unique platform The Canadean Beverage Packaging conference aims to provide a unique opportunity to bring together attendees from across the drinks packaging sector in order to discuss the challenges they face and also how they address them with strategies and innovative solutions within a competitive industry.

The event prides itself on bringing the whole drinks sector together, from alcoholic to non-alcoholic, including dairy brands and water brands. It gives an opportunity for networking, and for attendees to see challenges from different perspectives.

Mr Azizi comments, “The successful event has evolved over the years in three different ways. When we initially held the conference we attracted delegates mainly from the close Benelux region. Over the years we have established a strong reputation within the industry, and we now attract attendees from all over Europe. We even have speakers travelling from further afield such as from the Caribbean.

“It’s also clear that we are attracting attendees now from more senior levels. Packaging professionals see this conference as an important event as it is unique and niche in the fact that it focuses on beverage packaging.”

The event also places a strong focus on smaller, up-and-coming and innovative beverage brands. This innovation shootout will showcase Dalston Cola with Duncan O’Brian who are challenging the market with their own version of a soft drink. Mr Azizi says, “This is a prime example of a form of disruptive innovation and we really like the unique packaging. Angel Tears Vodka is another prime example that will feature at our event. They have developed a story behind their vodka and brought it to life through the packaging.”

Rich content The conference’s speaker line-up is coloured by decision makers and senior individuals.

Mr Azizi explains, “We have put a lot of work into creating our programme and carried out extensive research by talking to 40 different packaging experts in order to understand the current challenges they face, and what they want to hear about. We have therefore devised an informative and comprehensive portfolio that takes a holistic approach.”

With a rich array of case studies, attendees will benefit from real word experiences.

Two key topics, disruption and sustainability, will be explored through a holistic approach from the start to the finish of the packaging process. Stefano Pellegrini, global design manager, ILLVA Saranno, will be speaking on a case study regarding rebranding from concept to final design. Mr Azizi comments, “When you understand Packaging Europe | 61 |

every point throughout the packaging supply chain, along with consumer appeal, that is when you can disrupt the market.”

With on-going advances in technology taking place year on year, consumer engagement is continuously being built on at the point of sale and after purchase. Digital printing has played a big role in helping to create new packaging designs along with mobile engaged technology which is now on the rise. As a result, more and more brand owners are seeking ways to learn how to differentiate their brand through mobile engaged packaging. Eef De Ferrante, AIPIA, will deliver an informative talk on leveraging mobile engaged packaging to provide interactive consumer experiences.

Heineken and Danone Waters will be flying the flag for sustainability and both will be discussing waste reduction. Philippe Diercxsens, head of environment at Danone Waters, will be presenting a case study showcasing the bottled water EU product environmental footprint pilot experience. Paul Bruijn, senior global lead environment & safety, Heineken, will be utilising a holistic approach to providing the perfect blueprint for waste reduction within beverage packaging.

Why attend?

The conference attracts delegates from all across the value chain, which is why this year has taken a more holistic approach. Mr Azizi shares, “We are expecting attendees from within the design, sustainability, materials, procurement, R&D, innovation and manufacturing areas of packaging.”

There will be a focus on new emerging categories this year. Specific emerging markets looked at include the Middle East and Eastern Europe, while we will also have speakers with markets based in Cuba (Havana Club International), Italy (Turin - Vermouth), the Nordics (Aquavit) and Luxembourg (Stoli Group Headquarters).

Vermouth takes a new position as a spotlight, while Aquavit and Cachaça are set to hold discussions on our spotlight panel which for brand consultants is a great way to seek new clients in these emerging categories.

There will be a case study on eastern Europe delivered by the Nemiroff Ukrainian Vodka Company, as well as a focus on the Middle East, Gulf and Indian Subcontinent duty free which is delivered by William Grant.

On top of the draw of key presentations, attendees can also benefit from a panel session evaluating strategies to leverage packaging innovation to help build brand loyalty. The session will be chaired by the managing director of the NVC Netherlands Packaging Association, Michael Nieuwesteeg, and include speakers from the head of innovation, GROLSCH, Bastiaan Saris, and Bart Wellens, Innovation Director Europe, Anheuser-Busch InBev, discussing the key factors that are driving packaging innovation today.

The conference places a strong focus on networking, with allocated networking slots and a drinks reception. “The beverage market is quite interactive and we find there are a lot of questions asked and discussions are rife at the conference. Ultimately, it is a platform which gives everyone an opportunity to network and hear about different experiences,” says Mr Azizi.

He highlights that key case studies showcasing smaller brands such as Silent Pool Distilleries, Muddle & Mash, and Nix & Kix will give a strong reminder of key factors not to overlook when facing challenges within the industry.

Visit: www.arena-international.com/bevpack | 62 | Packaging Europe

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EASY-LOCK by APLIX : FEEL THE DIFFERENCE ®

EASY-LOCK by APLIX® is a hook-to-hook reclosable solution designed for flexible packaging. This closure was developed with simplicity and functionality in mind, and provides a tactile and audible feedback when opening and closing to let consumers know their package is sealed.

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E

ASY-LOCK by APLIXÂŽ is a sensory and intuitive closure which offers improved audible and tactile feedback when opening and closing, letting consumers know their package is sealed. This value-added feature secures the package and provides an enhanced overall experience to the consumer.

This hook-to-hook closure allows minimal pressure to close. Hooks engage on multiple levels, making it easy to open and reclose. Unlike other systems, precise alignment is not required for sealing and its resistance to particulates keeps freshness locked in! The closure allows for numerous openings and closings, is excellent for dry product applications and readily seals through powders and fine particles. It remains flexible and easy to reclose under frozen & refrigerated conditions.

EASY-LOCK by APLIXÂŽ is made from a food-grade, heat-sealable polyethylene material. It runs on automated packaging machines and is available in single or mated tapes. This closure is certified BRC.

Solutions for all bag sizes APLIX offers reclose solutions for all bag sizes, including: EASY-LOCK TOUCH: an easy closure for small bags (<1kg). This narrow closure (16mm) provides reclose options in many markets including cereals, cheese, coffee, confectionery, dried fruits, snacks and other packaged goods.

EASY-LOCK TOUCH+: a robust closure designed for heavy bags (>1kg). This large closure (26mm) is ideal for large opening bags with or without gussets. It is a great reclose option for markets such as pet food, detergents, fertilizers and bulk products.

Key customers and applications Thanks to its inspired design and technology, this intuitive closure offers opportunities in many markets such as cheese, cereals, pet food, coffee, frozen food, confectionery.

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Intuitive & sensory closure

for flexible packaging

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Since its launch in 2010, EASY-LOCK by APLIX® has been very successful in both Europe and the United States.

In Europe, it consolidated its position with key market launches with ARLA (Anchor cheddar) and Kellogg’s (Kellogg’s Extra® and Special K® cereals). “Our relationship with ARLA really changed the game for us: their commitment to innovation matched our own and this led to some great product launches such as Anchor cheddar,” says APLIX’s Packaging Director.

EASY-LOCK is also a suitable closure for pet food bags and was selected by Affinity Petcare and Tyler Packaging. Adam Kay, Sales and Technical Director at Tyler Packaging, commented: “The APLIX closure system is a fantastic option. It’s extremely straightforward and hard-wearing, meaning that packaging can be opened and resealed almost indefinitely. Its ease of use makes it particularly suitable for the food industry, both pet and human, as it doesn’t need exact alignment to reseal, meaning it’s both very simple for the consumer to use and also preserves food for longer.”

In the US, AMPAC, a world leader in packaging solutions, introduced its first commercial stand-up pouch utilising the EASY-LOCK closure. Millie Nuno, AMPAC Senior Market Manager for food, says: “AMPAC is proud to provide an enhanced consumer experience with an innovation like the EASY-LOCK closure in their California Almond pouch.”

Furthermore, when Big Heart Pet Brands launched Milk-Bone Brushing Chews, new dental treats for dogs, it opted for the EASY-LOCK closure. “Ultimately, the reason we went with APLIX on the pre-applied pouches was due to the fact that they were the only company that could meet our needs,” says Paul Baker, Brand Senior Manager of Packaging R&D. EASY-LOCK by APLIX® has already received several awards and continues to amaze consumers with its unique features and reliable closure.

Please visit: www.easylock-aplix.com or email: packaging@aplix.com Packaging Europe | 67 |

BE PET, BE SMART

Think green and focus on research: the Italian company Mossi Ghisolfi tells Industry Europe how to thrive in a commodity market.

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H

aving been the first company to introduce PET in Italy and across Europe, Mossi Ghisolfi has since then actively developed this material, now considered vital to the food packaging industry.

“We believe in a PET revolution,” begins Roberto Bertaggia, European sales director of the Mossi Ghisolfi Group. “Packaging is a major differentiating aspect in most consumable goods; where competition is intense, prices are low, and packaging provides a substantial marketing advantage.”

Over the past 10 years the company, which is now a global leader in its field, has almost tripled its production volumes from 600,000 to 1.7 million tonnes of PET per year.

PET can now be considered the industry standard when it comes to the effective preservation of water, tea and soft drink. Furthermore, an increased demand for fresh packaged food has emerged on the back of the ‘on-the-go’ lifestyles of many of today’s consumers. As consumers become increasingly demanding and short on time, packagers need to work to meet the need for more convenient food solutions. At the same time, the demand for high quality food is also growing, along with a higher awareness of the need for healthier choices: all of this represents a new challenge for retailers, packagers and packaging suppliers alike.

“We have developed a high-performance packaging standard, characterised by an elevated barrier,” says marketing manager Cécile Bourland. “Thanks to their intelligent content, these new packages have changed both in-pack contents and environmental approach, as well as extending the product shelf life.”

Extensive know-how The PET part of the group, M&G Chemicals, has plants in Brazil, Mexico and the USA. All of its plants are based on proprietary technology and have a production capacity far in excess of that of the competition. M&G Chemicals is now building the world’s largest PET production plant in Corpus Christi (Texas) with the opening scheduled for the second half of 2016.

Engineering first Thanks to its R&D and engineering company, M&G is unique in its capacity to develop processes and products, and its ability to industrialize new technologies. It also offers to third parties’ customers, working closely with its partners, a total EPC single-window solution to develop projects, including pre-feasibility studies, licensing, basic and

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Packaging Europe | 71 |

detailed engineering, procurement, construction, training, plant commissioning, start-up, performance guarantees and warranties. BicoPET™ is M&G’s unique patented technology which allows it to mix in a single chip the active barrier (preventing the oxygen entry) and the passive barrier (preventing the loss of CO2).

The market for PET resin has been driven by strong demand from the food and beverage packaging industries, with carbonated soft drinks and bottled water representing the largest single market. PET is now also making incursions into the beer, still beverages, juices, milk and pharmaceutical segments. Consumers across the world are increasingly looking for more sustainable products, including those made from plantbased plastics.

Bio-revolution In 2006 the group launched a series of research projects that gave birth to a revolutionary technology, Proesa®, which makes it possible to obtain biofuels and other chemical compounds from non-food-chain crops. At present, Proesa® is the only technology in the world able to produce second-generation bioethanol on an industrial scale. The bio-refinery is situated in an area with a strong agricultural tradition, which allows it to exploit an extensive variety of biomasses, available at a low cost within a 70km range from the plant (such as wheat straw, wood and rice straw, which is plentiful in the region).

Although it can also use a variety of other biomasses, from agricultural waste to dedicated crops, not related with food.

Proesa® is one of the so-called ‘second-generation’ technologies – those that allow the use of the sugars present in lignocellulosic biomass to obtain fuel and other chemical products with lower greenhouse gas emissions and at competitive costs compared to fossil fuels, without conflicting with food crops. The technology is protected by 26 patent families, 14 of which are public.

It is essential that those involved in food packaging innovation have a thorough technical understanding of the requirements of a product when it comes to protection

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and preservation, together with a broad appreciation of the multi-dimensional role of packaging. In the competitive, fast-moving packaging industry it is vital to stay ahead of the latest technological developments. Advanced Packaging Technology provides authoritative analysis of the latest developments in packaging materials and innovations, and of how they will impact the industry.

“The current market for PET resin in packaging applications is about 20 million tonnes, of which around 80 per cent is for beverage applications,” concludes Cecile Bourland. “We expect the market to grow in volume by 7.5 per cent annually over the next few years. Currently, the largest applications for our products are water and carbonated soft drinks (CSDs), but we are increasingly seeing growth in a number of oxygen-sensitive beverages such as beer, juices and dairy. Europe, Latin America, the Middle East and warmer areas in Asia tend to require the strongest barriers in PET packaging and are also an area of potential growth.”

Visit: www.gruppomg.com

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GEA optimises decontamination technologies for aseptic filling When filling sensitive products it is necessary to combine the most stringent hygiene levels with the highest efficiency and performance. GEA technologies Whitebloc and ABF ensure a maximum of decontamination efficiency and reliability.

ABF is planned to be introduced to commercial dairy production in 2017 with FDA validation.

O

ver the last few years, the aseptic PET bottling market has seen a strong growth into new market applications and products. The technological effort to keep up with market demands is definitely one of the main commitments and missions of GEA, for almost 25 years one of the leading companies when it comes to the aseptic filling of sensitive beverages. Todayâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s aseptic filling market requires continuous process optimization to ensure the best cost / productivity ratio. This is possible thanks to H2O2 technology applied to closure, container, either to the preform or to the bottle itself.

With its Aseptic Blow Filling (ABF), a rotary aseptic blow moulding machine with an integrated aseptic filler and capper, GEA sterilizes preforms before they are blown into their final shape. This allows the weight of the bottle to be reduced up to 25 per cent compared to traditional aseptic systems. With 11 projects already delivered, ABF has been validated following different aseptic validation protocols in compliance with the requests of the most important corporate companies, and it is used for the commercial production of High Acid and Low Acid beverages, as well as for dairy applications.

In 2015, the validation procedure to obtain the ABF LONO of the US Food and Drug Administration FDA for Low Acid productions in the USA has started. ABF has successfully passed all internal review stages and successfully completed a proof of concept with the support of a local process authority. In 2016, the first FDA line has been sold, and by spring 2017 it will be used for the commercial production of dairy products.

When applying the H2O2 technology to the already blown bottle, Whitebloc is GEAâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s last advanced technical solution for filling sensitive beverages and dairy products in cold chain distribution and even shelf stable ones. GEA Whitebloc uses a completely dry H2O2-based decontamination technology for plastic bottles and caps which ensures maximum decontamination efficacy and reliability without requiring any water rinse. Filling and capping are performed inside an ultraclean/sterile (for ESL/ aseptic application) environment that guarantees a high level of hygiene thanks to an overpressure of sterile air which prevents re-contamination after the H2O2 treatment.

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Whitebloc offers the possibility to handle both PET and HDPE bottles, flat and sport caps as well as foil aluminum closures. It can be coupled with a traditional blower (in case of PET bottles filling) featuring a very compact design and small footprint, or can be used as a stand-alone machine that receives bottles from air conveyors. This flexibility, together with the possibility to fill beverages with particulates, fibres or pieces with dimensions up to 10x10x10 millimeters thanks to a dual filling system, makes Whitebloc ideal for a wide range of products and applications.

Visit: www.gea.com

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Experience,

credibility

and know-how With nearly 100 years of experience and activities in over 100 countries, Palsgaard has become synonymous with the manufacture and supply of emulsifiers and stabilisers to the global confectionery, dairy, ice cream, bakery, mayonnaise, margarine and related food industries. In the context of the plastic packaging industry, Palsgaard has transferred its know-how to deliver functional agents for polymers, including anti-static and anti-fogging agents as well as colour dispersing aids that provide green, safe solutions to replace petrochemical additives. Piotr Sadowski reports.

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P

alsgaard was founded on a strong philosophy of loyalty, commitment and responsibility, and this philosophy is kept alive in the heart and actions of every single one of the company’s employees today. Having diversified from a food ingredients manufacturer, with its offer of sustainable functional agents for polymer applications in which it has been operating for more than a decade, Palsgaard is now successfully expanding this offer to markets across the world.

“Our aim is to become the leading supplier of 100 per cent plant-based polymer additives for food packaging in the world, over the next three to five years,” explains Bjarne Nielsen, business development manager for polymer products at the company. “Our key selling point is the fact that we offer absolute safety since the functional agents are based on vegetable oils. They are sustainable and green. With lab facilities for testing and evaluation, we are also able to guarantee efficiency by modifying chemistry to design products which are highly efficient – which is highly demanded by customers worldwide.”

Sustainable solutions…

As Mr Nielsen points out, consumers and producers are becoming increasingly safety and environmentally conscious. The company’s Einar® range of functional agents (in fact, named after Palsgaard’s founder, Einar Viggo Schou) for polymer applications help plastics manufacturers and producers of other polymer-based products, as well as their polyolefin and additive masterbatch suppliers, meet these

demands, with vegetable-based products which are food-contact approved from the very outset. In clear and highly transparent food plastics packaging, where food is on display, Einar® agents prevent fogging and keep polyolefin film, and other clear packaging, transparent by making the polymer surface more hydrophilic. Anti-static agents, in turn, dissipate electric charges and thereby keep dust and fine particles from clinging to polyolefin-based products, such as caps and closures, thin wall packaging, homeware and containers, as well as many other types of products.

However, the use of bio-based polymer additives reaches far beyond food-contact products. Two newly developed dispersing aids for masterbatch production, also based entirely on vegetable oils, have recently been introduced to the market: Einar® 101 and Einar® 102. Dispersing aids are used for distributing colour pigment in polymers, and independent tests have shown that Einar® 101 and 102 deliver superior performance when measured against industry-standard waxes. The result: increased colour strength and yield and less use of expensive colour pigment.

…for global audiences Palsgaard is getting ready for the world’s number one trade fair for plastics and rubber: K 2016, taking place in Dusseldorf on 19–26 October 2016, you can meet Palsgaard at K-2016, booth G03 at level 2 in Hall 7. The fair will undoubtedly be the biggest event for the industry and the starting point for momentous deci-

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sions for products and processes – and Palsgaard is looking to get its name better known in the industry as well as to introduce the Einar® range of products. The company will show what dedicated research effort and excellent market knowledge can do in terms of solving some of the issues facing the polymer business.

“What we offer in the Einar® portfolio of products is sustainability, high performance, approval for food contact, 100 per cent vegetable base, and amine and amid free solutions,” points out Mr Nielsen. “As a key player in the highly regulated world of food ingredients, all our products comply with, or even exceed, the demands of food safety regulators and other major market influencers. So polymer and food plastic packaging manufacturers can be sure that Palsgaard’s functional agents present efficiency and no risk to their end customers.”

Sustainable supplier for the future “In fact, our products are even produced in a sustainable manner,” Mr Nielsen explains. “Palsgaard has a declared goal to achieve CO2-neutrality for all our production sites around the world and actually reached a major milestone last year as our plant in Denmark became CO2-neutral.”

The company also sources sustainable raw materials and is a frontrunner in the food industry to use RSPO-certified segregated palm oil in its emulsifiers – a prac-

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tice that also extends to its polymer additives. For plastics manufacturers and their polyolefin suppliers, working with a partner such as Palsgaard can open the door to a profitable future, introducing a wide variety of new products and product variations that find favour with today’s producers and consumers. In addition, with a focus on absolute safety, the company will continue to provide products that perfectly fit the current green, sustainable and safe agenda in polymer functional agents.

“We are undergoing a major investment to further upgrade our technology and lab facilities, to meet customers’ needs and develop fruitful partnerships with clients,” says Mr Nielsen. “We strive to generate projects in which we can become a customer’s key business partner, offering them products of the highest possible efficiency, performance, safety and sustainability.”

With its ability to modify chemistry in vegetable oils, Palsgaard is also looking to develop new, highly efficient products, which are innovative and can be used in other industrial applications besides polymers. The company’s target is very broad in the long term and outside of the food industry it is looking at areas such as, for example, additives for fuels, personal care ingredients (cosmetics) and lubricants.

“There are huge opportunities that we aim to take advantage of in the next few years and over the longer term,” concludes Mr Nielsen.

Visit: www.polymers.palsgaard.com

A passion for films Jindal Films is a global leader in the development and manufacture of speciality biaxially oriented polypropylene (BOPP or OPP), offering its customers a wide product range that includes multi-layer clear, white opaque and metallised films along with water-based coated films. The main markets served are flexible packaging and labelling. Elisabeth Skoda spoke to Oliver Bruns, the companyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s CE for Europe, the Middle East, Africa and Asia Pacific, business development manager Laurent Chantraine and Denis Rousseau, the global segment manager for labels, to find out how Jindalâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s enthusiasm for flexible packaging is the driving force behind a flurry of investments and an ongoing push for innovation.

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As

a family owned business, Jindal Films started out as an OPP business in India, Jindal Polyfilms, which grew and expanded over the years. In 2013, the company acquired ExxonMobil’s global business of BOPP films, thereby dramatically increasing the company’s capacity in the US and Europe.

Jindal Films global headquarters are located in New Delhi, India. The headquarters for the Americas are in La Grange, Georgia, and the HQ for Europe, the Middle East and Asia Pacific business is situated in Luxembourg, with several production sites in Asia, America and Europe.

“We are industry leaders in the areas of capacity and innovation. In recent years, we have broadened from being a BOPP company to looking at a range of different materials – we are a films business. We are tapping into new applications, substrates and materials, and we are excited to expand on what films can do. We recently launched a couple of polyolefin films and are also active in polyester films and different polymers,” Mr Bruns says.

He is keen to highlight that Jindal Films is all about innovation and custom-made solutions. “We are happy if a company comes to us with a problem that has no off the shelf solution, then we can develop something and play to the strengths of our company. We are a sophisticated high end innovation company, but are also active in the commodity business. This combination enables us to be a complete partner to our customers.”

Focus on investment Jindal’s strategy is to constantly reinvest profit. “Recently we doubled the size of our site in Brindisi in Italy, where we are installing a world class 10.5m orientation line, which will add 10,000 tonnes of metallisation capacity. The layout is designed under the lean manufacturing concept in one single flow.”

A second major investment was made in Virton in Belgium, an innovation centre which will be inaugurated in January 2017. Mr Bruns is excited about the unique opportunities it will offer to the company’s own R&D teams as well as customers: “This centre will allow us to simulate all the processes from compounding, printing, laminating, slitting film, coating etc. with our pilot orienter, which will allow our R&D people to speed up work on innovation. We can also bring in our customers and partners and can show them how everything works from raw materials to the finished product, without our customers to have to shut down their production line to give it a try.”

Fast and flexible Mr Bruns believes that speed in innovation and decision making is key in order to make the company stand out from the crowd. “We take educated decisions extremely fast, and like to challenge ourselves to work and develop new products faster and increase our response rate. We constantly challenge our suppliers to make our machines quicker too.”

At Jindal, everybody is welcome to contribute. “Our hierarchy is flat, and the doors are always open for anybody who has a good idea. We are a market leader, but don’t solely rely on our core competence. If we can create value for the customer, we will do it, and we make it easy to do business with us. For example, our customers don’t have to figure out which films work best with which machine or application, we do the work for them, optimise manufacturing, answer questions about food compliance etc. We offer a one-stop shop,” Mr Bruns is happy to explain.

This results in a constant stream of new developments and innovations. “Our innovation pipeline is so full that we have to limit ourselves on releasing new products, as we want to do it properly. In order to cater for this, we’re constantly hiring new people.”

Committed to sustainability Jindal Films takes its commitment to sustainability very seriously. “Irrespective of our business model, sustainability is important to us because it is the right thing to do. Luckily, it is also in full alignment with what market is asking for anyhow. We | 80 | Packaging Europe

invest to replace old machines with newer ones which require less energy and enable better waste recycling. Flexible packaging is a fantastic product to reduce food waste, but more work needs to be done to increase recycling rates – we are keen to be part of the solution,” Mr Bruns says.

Mr Chantraine adds: “We take lightweighting and downgauging very seriously.

Source reduction is key. Everything we do is to ensure we take weight out of our packaging and physically replacing older, thicker materials with oriented materials and use coatings to achieve functionality.”

Game changing innovations One of Jindal Films’ recent exciting innovations, the SealTOUGH™ films, puts this principle into action. They offer excellent puncture resistance, enhanced clarity, improved modulus and seals that can exceed 5000g/25mm. This breakthrough technology gives the down gauge potential of up to 30 per cent or 40 per cent, or more compared to traditional sealant films.

“SealTOUGH™ bridges the attributes of BOPP and blown PE film to achieve enhanced performance benchmarks for clarity and strength,” Mr Chantraine explains.

Mr Chantraine sees exciting possibilities ahead for this technology creating value and being used in different applications. “With a three-fold improvement in tensile strength, a two-fold improvement in modulus, puncture resistance, and impact resistance, SealTOUGH™ surpasses the current performance of blown PE films including confectionary, snacks, dry fruit and nuts, pasta, rice, bakery items, frozen foods, home and personal care, fresh produce, and dry products.

We have only just scratched the surface with this new technology, and have had interest from companies in industries that are new territories to us, such as medical and pharmaceutical,” he adds.

Labelling and packaging become one Mr Rousseau explains that for a long time, the food packaging and labelling market were two different channels with different players, but that he has observed a merger between the two markets, not just for printing and packaging designs, but as part of the functionality of a pack.

“The label becoming an intrinsic part of the packaging is one of the mega trends I have observed, and this works well with Jindal Films’ strengths, as we can transfer our food know-how to labelling. A label becomes part of the packaging in terms of protection and barriers,” he points out.

Jindal Films offers a wide range of label films. The Label-Lyte film range delivers consistent, efficient, high-performance solutions to printers, converters and consumer goods companies for a wide range of labelling needs. Made with oriented polypropylene (OPP), Label-Lyte offers a broad range of substrates with moisture resistance, durability, excellent stiffness, dimensional stability and aesthetics.

Varying grades of Label-Lyte films can be used in labelling applications that include pressure sensitive, shrink reel-fed wrap-around, cut-and-stack wraparound and reel-fed wraparound. White, clear and metalized films are available in one- and two-side coated structures, meeting multiple labelling specifications.

Mr Rousseau is keen to highlight a breakthrough technology, an example of Jindal entering a new market. “As a company, we have traditionally not been so active in coding and marking. Tracking is becoming more and more important, so we developed a polypropylene film for this market. Paper labels today are top coated and need to be produced in two steps. With our technology, the label is produced in one step.”

A white, surface-printable polyolefin film is built using a breakthrough singlelayer polymer substrate that replaces both coated direct thermal (DT) substrates and thermal transfer ribbons (TTR), providing outstanding printability using standard thermal and barcode printers which enables sharp, durable and fade-proof images that are ideal for both indoor and outdoor applications. Its unique print surface is compatible with a broad range of ink systems – including UV- and water-based technologies – and its back-side surface is receptive to pressure sensitive adhesives.

Unlike coated DT paper, Platinum Thermal technology provides crisp, clear image resolution when printed on standard and higher resolution thermal printers.

With no ribbon to use, change over or adjust, printing long-lasting labels is simple.

Water does not affect the film’s printed image or surface, and the film is not irreversibly affected by volatile solvents such as IPA and Xylene. In wet conditions, the film demonstrates rub durability that is superior to both paper DT and TTR technologies. The films are also resistant to UV light and temperatures up to 130°C. “These new films can be used on any standard equipment, so our customers don’t need to invest in new machines – our technology is literally plug and play,” Mr Bruns points out.

He concludes by highlighting what makes Jindal Films a little bit different from the competition. “You see a difference with us. We are a little bit unconventional, a little bit more creative, more agile, and more enthusiastic. We have the right spirit, and with this, a lot of things fall into place.”

Visit: www.jindalfilms.com Packaging Europe | 81 |

The continuous

growth of Airopack’s revolutionary aerosols The remarkable growth of Airopack – the truly revolutionary aerosol.

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iropack is the planet friendly aerosol. But what exactly does that mean?

Well, it’s an all-plastic aerosol that’s powered purely by air. And because there are no harmful gas propellants or chemicals added, Airopack could help reduce total global CO2 emissions Airopack’s transparent PET packaging is a further reflection of the brand’s sustainability. Transparency enables consumers to be directly aware of quantities and volumes leading to less waste. PET aerosols also offer environmentally friendly recycling and safe, stable transport.

Governments worldwide are aware that fresh air, like fresh water, is a valuable resource and needs protecting. It’s time to get serious, it’s time to think about the future now and to collectively prevent environmental and health problems today and tomorrow.

The innovative PCD – patented worldwide Airopack offers ‘Ready to Fill’ as well as ‘Ready to Sell’ solutions. ‘Ready to Fill’ includes complete production and sssembly. ‘Ready to Sell’ incorporates Formulation development, Bulk Production, Filling, Branding / Decoration and Logistics.

Airopacks are plastic pressurised dispensers that utilise pure air as the propellant – not harmful gases. The Pressure Control Device (PCD) is Airopack’s revolutionary component that makes this possible and is patented worldwide.

The PCD guarantees constant pressure and a smooth, continuous dispensing flow from start to finish. And it’s possible to dispense at any angle – even upside down. A truly user friendly 360° dispenser.

| 82 | Packaging Europe

Stop thinking Aerosol, start thinking Airopack Airopack dispensers are already utilised for many Hair & Beauty products. This is in addition to sprays, creams, lotions and lubricants found within Personal Grooming, Health Care, Food & Beverage, House & Garden and Industrial Applications.

Virtually every formulation can be produced by Airopack, together with any kind of nozzle / applicator to suit everything from ultra-fine air-sprays to rich, luxuriant hand creams. Hair stylists can now make use of a 360° dispenser to enhance results for their clients. But the benefits extend far beyond the way products are physically dispensed: As there are no harmful propellants, there are no more inhalation risks or side effects like headaches. Airopack is powered by pure clean air, which is simply better for everyone.

Airopack has already made a big impression in the Personal Grooming category, collecting the ‘Best Body Hydrator’ prize at the recent Cosmopolitan Beauty Awards. One of Airopack’s corporate clients uses Airopack clean air technology combined with a cleaner dispenser that doesn’t rust or leave unsightly rings. It also contains a special gel gauge that allows consumers to see the quantity of product used and how much is left.

Obviously health is the number one priority within health care. But it’s still a challenge for companies to ensure healing products like ‘spray on plasters’ don’t contain products that are harmful to the environment or the people using them.

Standard aerosols contain propane or butane as the propulsion system. They’re also restrictive and inconvenient to use as they need to be kept vertically upright. Finally,

pharmaceutical companies can make use of a 360° dispenser without any harmful propellants whether dispensing sprays, liquids, creams or gels.

In food preparation, consumers are looking to cut back on excess fats, sugars and artificial ingredients. Airopack allows consumers to dispense precise quantities of oils, dressings and vinaigrettes without drowning their food. In this health conscious age, consumers want to avoid chemical propellants and use clean products, especially in the preparation of food.

Health and hygiene products such as disinfectant sprays often have to be kept upright, but Airopack offers complete 360° dispensing to make cleaning far more effective.

Airopack also brings safety, stability and an even a lower cost of ownership within Industrial Manufacturing. Airopack containers don’t require costly equipment or specialised, legally compliant facilities. There are no hazardous, volatile or flammable gases involved so overheads and insurance premiums are far lower.

High-performance hair care Airopack recently launched a range of hair care products that can be directly dispensed onto the fingertips; this means no more dirty jars and messy tubes with Airopack’s hair fixative formulations. The time to market is minimised thanks to ready to use formulations, in-house production and filling possibilities. The scentfree formulations can be customised to fit every brand.

The Airopack hair care line consists of three types of formulations: Texturising Pomade, Styling Paste and Shaping Putty.

• Texturising Pomade consists of a light hold wax pomade for the most demand ing hair styles – dispensed smoothly and easily.

• Styling Paste provides a medium hold fixative and blends easily with all hair types for a little control and a much lighter touch.

• Shaping Putty provides a strong hold, more control with a fixed and firm look and an overall natural tone.

New plant, new possibilities Airopack has recently moved its production plant from Bilten, Switzerland to Waalwijk, The Netherlands.

“Overall production should be increased from 80 million airopacks per annum to 840 million airopacks by 2018,” according to Airopack’s CEO Quint Kelders. The modern, dynamic looking building is located on an easily accessible industrial park.

Assembly and Logistical processes are now all combined under one roof and Airopack’s Global R&D and Laboratory facility will also soon be based at this location.

The 12,500m² flat floor facility offers enhanced logistics regarding transport to the United States. From this location, Airopack can ship directly from Waalwijk to Rotterdam and then worldwide.

The current production process contains the PET Injection moulding, but Airopack will soon be able to source its own resin.

With PET blow moulding, Airopack will insource the PET technology. The manufacturing price of Airopack will significantly improve through a dedicated Airopack PET conversion process. Airopack will continue to injection mould the other Airopack components, in order to guarantee the quality of the product. To protect the technology and guarantee the quality of the product, the fully dedicated Assembly process will be continued in-house.

Airopack is very happy with this new development and will also expand its business within North America and Asia in the future.

Visit: www.airopack.com Packaging Europe | 83 |

Finke presents topic plastics colour trends for 2017 The impulse to buy is almost always driven by subconscious emotions, especially for consumer items. And there is no design element more suited to influence emotion than color. Colour trends mirror the spirit of times and attitude of life and are thus constantly changing.

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Finke, experienced specialists are continuously watching these trends. International colour studies and trend reports are evaluated regularly in order to translate emerging global colour trends for customers’ applications.

Based on these observations Finke’s colourists and technicians develop new and topic colour master batch collections for plastics. These production stage colourants can be employed in most serial production processes with just a few subtle adjustments to the application, saving plastics processors valuable time on the way from colour concept to serial product.

Observing major trends in different aspects of life and society, Finke’s specialists came up with four topic colour themes: ‘Vintage’, ‘New Freedom’, ‘Just for me’ and ‘Simplicity’.

Those were translated to ready-to-use colour batches and are now displayed in the Color Inspiration Box 2017.

The ‘Vintage’ collection stands for the continuing nostalgia and retro trend. It symbolises value and quality and is marked by elements from ‘the good old times’. Haptic structures and geometric lines and patterns are typical for this collection. Old crafting techniques are combined with style elements from the 1970s. The ‘Vintage’ colour collection is dominated by reds from self-confident pink to pastels and dynamic bright red. Shining and metallic warm copper and bronze hues are reminiscent of old crafts.

Rapturous and exotic combinations bring out the ambivalence of ‘New Freedom’.

Global networks, a token of modern society, bring about freedom but are not without risk. Information is virtually unlimited and accessible everywhere. On the other hand it is getting harder to extract relevant facts from all this abundance. Virtual and real | 84 | Packaging Europe

goods are shared more and more easily, while on the other hand there is the danger of becoming too dependent on new technologies and services. These mixed feelings of ‘New Freedom’ are expressed by deep and intensive colours and radical colour changes, intensified by extravagant technical and modern effects from neon-pink to blue and strong yellows.

In ‘Just for me’ quiet blues and purples create an equilibrating effect and embody the awareness for interaction of the self with one’s surroundings. ‘Just for me’ is about fathoming life as such, deciding what is really necessary and how one wants to change the world. Light and partly indifferent combinations stand for meditative moods. Selfconfident fresh and dynamic accents symbolise a get-up-and-go attitude.

‘Simplicity’ expresses the desire for a simple life in accordance with nature and the environment, represented by natural materials like wood, stone or metal and a reduction to absolute necessity. The ‘Simplicity’ colour world shows muted or delicate organic and mineral tones. Soft noble shine is paired with a functional, sober and down-to earth haptic.

Experienced colourists at Finke have developed ready to use additive systems for these four trends. The Color Inspiration Box 2017 contains six samples for each colour theme, giving a first impression of the looks that can be created in plastics. Designers, product developers and plastics processors can estimate the aesthetic appearance and be sure that the colour concept is feasible both technically and economically.

The Color Inspiration Box 2017 is available through the Finke sales team (info@finke-colors.de, www.finke-colors.de), who will also provide a comprehensive introduction to the application of this new design tool.

Each assembly station was then equipped with the most effective solution, improving quality, while also making the operator more productive and the production line more efficient.

GUIDED OPERATOR SOLUTIONS

ENHANCE QUALITY CONTROL The need to maximise quality, productivity and efficiency on production lines and in manual assembly cells is a challenge faced by much of manufacturing industry. It has been met at Mitsubishi Electric Air Conditioning Europe by employing Guided Operator Solutions from sister company Mitsubishi Electric, Factory Automation.

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ased in Livingston, Scotland, Mitsubishi Electric Air Conditioning Europe wanted to enhance quality control processes by reducing the opportunity for picking mistakes in its production cells where several different products are assembled. In addition, there was a desire to increase productivity by helping workers adapt quickly to new assembly processes.

The answer came from Mitsubishi Electric, Factory Automation with its Guided Operator Solutions, a versatile solution that uses a PLC to control parts picking sequences using lights, doors, terminals and touch sensors. This is coupled with high definition HMI screens that guide operators through live assembly tasks.

The HMI screens have been used to replace a system of complex product cards that were previously used for work instructions. As part of the integrated Guided Operator Solutions, the screens allow for dynamic instructions and prompts to be added to a pick sequence that ensures the correct part is selected.

Reducing operator error Audrey Smith, production section manager, Mitsubishi Electric Air Conditioning Plant, explained: â&#x20AC;&#x153;We operate semi-automated assembly cells, each of which offers the facility to assemble a number of different products. Due to the fact that we make Packaging Europe | 85 |

several products in one work space there is a high potential for operator error. To combat this, operators have to have a high level of training in order to work on the assembly line.” The high level of training required in the past also added to the overall cost of production, and so was an obvious target for improvement.

Greg Hookings, senior manager Strategic Business Development EMEA for Factory Automation at Mitsubishi Electric Europe, added: “The complexity of the products was clearly a challenge for the operators and was resulting in picking mistakes. This often resulted in re-work of products, which significantly reduced the efficiency of the assembly process. Furthermore the process to identify which components were required in different air conditioning systems was also time consuming.”

This challenge was solved by implementing Mitsubishi Electric, Factory Automation Guided Operator Solutions.

“Guided Operator Solutions were first installed in a cell assembling modules for heating and cooling units,” says Smith. “Initially it was used only on the first two stages of the assembly operation, so that we could assess the benefits and see if it was worth moving forwards with.”

Tried-and-tested solution For the trial installation a pick-to-light system with visual indicators on the parts bins was combined with light curtains or touch switches for pick confirmation.

Mechanised doors that opened in sequence were also used to create a physical barrier to prevent wrong part selection. The effectiveness of each combination was compared and the results combined with user preferences in order to gauge overall effectiveness for different component bins and process sequences.

The variety of operator guidance devices ensured that a wide range of picking scenarios could be accommodated and tested. Each assembly station was then equipped with the most effective solution, improving quality, while also making the operator more productive and the production line more efficient.

The installation built for the air conditioning plant was commissioned around Mitsubishi Electric MELSEC Q series modular PLCs and GOT2000 HMI operator terminals, all connected over a dedicated network.

The simple but effective Guided Operator Solutions from Mitsubishi Electric, Factory Automation ensures the correct part is selected.

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“From an operator’s point of view, rather than complex paper based assembly instructions, the HMI now presents a set of clearly defined work instructions.

It gives the operator a sequential visual indication of the parts to be picked for building each assembly, and their quantities,” explains Smith. “Although the work instructions for the assembly of these products are complex and detailed, the installation has had an immediate impact on the assembly cells. Picking has not only become inherently more reliable and error-free, but also much faster. Quality and overall productivity have both shown a marked improvement.”

Importantly, the application has also addressed the operator training challenge at the plant. The terminals now guide operators to the correct parts and the GOT HMI shows clear images of the product to be assembled. This has reduced the resource required for training, while actually improving the time taken to learn each process.

Another key benefit for the air conditioning plant was the excellent integration of the hardware. The PLC and the HMI seamlessly integrated with the other components in the system, while providing the potential to link to wider automation systems at the plant.

This will enable new product specifications to be sent directly to the production cells and an inventory report to be sent back for logistical planning. Further, connectivity to other guided assembly cells throughout the production facility in the future could also allow for workflow information to be passed downstream.

“The success of the trial on the first two stages of the assembly process has been dramatic,” Smith concludes. “Compared to the original process, we have seen a huge enhancement in the quality control process, picking accuracy, assembly speed and consistency. We are now looking at implementing similar systems on all six stages of the assembly line, plus the parts loading process. We are passionate about making improvements and the benefits of this technology are now really showing their worth.”

As part of the introduction of Guided Operator Solutions, Mitsubishi Electric Europe has produced a video that explains the benefits in terms of quality, assembly time, accuracy and efficiency.

Visit: eu3a.mitsubishielectric.com

The variety of operator guidance devices ensured that a wide range of picking scenarios could be accommodated and tested.

Packaging Europe | 87 |

The Future of Machines Rockwell Automation, the world’s largest company dedicated to industrial automation and information, makes its customers more productive and the world more sustainable.

Headquartered in Milwaukee, Wis., Rockwell Automation employs about 22,000 people serving customers in more than 80 countries. Libby White spoke with Dominic Molloy, EMEA marketing director, Urs Marti, EMEA industries director, about Rockwell’s latest innovations and interpack developments, and Davide Brancaleoni, EMEA packaging segment leader to find out more about trends driving technological advancements.

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ver the past couple of years Rockwell Automation has cemented its strong presence on the packaging market, and has had a huge impact at the interpack exhibition held in Düsseldorf every three years. Rockwell Automation has increasingly witnessed over the last few years a drive for more productive, smart machines in the CPG industry (life sciences, food & beverage and home & personal care). It has a strong focus on addressing new developments in the industry such as the internet of things, smart manufacturing, industry 4.0 and factories of the future.

Celebrating innovation Rockwell Automation will be concentrating its stand at interpack 2017 on The Connected Enterprise as well as showcasing a range of its latest technologies. Dominic Molloy comments, “We will focus on highlighting how our technologies can enable OEMs to produce low cost, highly efficient, highly productive machines that can be easily integrated into an end users environment to help them drive their productivity.”

Rockwell Automation is to launch a new global award at interpack 2017 that will recognise and reward engineering innovation and machine design – especially in terms of addressing the future needs of this very demanding industry.

Urs Marti: EMEA industries director

Davide Brancaleoni: EMEA packaging segment leader

With major worldwide end users on the judging panel, it will also be a superb opportunity for machine builders to showcase and discuss their technology in front of some of the industry’s most influential companies.

Urs Marti comments, “In this industry, OEMs innovative spirit drives adaptation and investments in new technology. We have created partnerships with a number of OEMs globally to develop machines, and interpack is the perfect platform to jointly present and show our strengths. “interpack is the perfect event for showcasing innovation. As well as addressing the needs of one of the most demanding markets globally, many exhibitors use the show to launch their latest innovations and machines. Speaking as a major supplier to machine builders in this market, we are always hugely impressed with the level of technological advancement we see at every event and we felt that it was time to recognise these achievements with an award specifically for innovation. The award also fits perfectly with the back-up and programmes we offer machine builders at interpack, in terms of co-marketing, product availability and on-site technical show support. If 2014 is anything to go by, we know we are going to have a tough job picking a winner. In 2014 there were over 220 machines equipped with Rockwell Automation products and solutions and in 2017, we target this number to double. All of these machine are eligible for entry.”

Connected Enterprise Dominic Molloy discusses one of Rockwell’s latest responses to the market, “The Connected Enterprise uses our technology to enable smart manufacturing facilities. The ability to have highly productive, highly efficient machines that are also flexible is critical in the food and beverage & Life Sciences market.”

The Connected Enterprise consists of industrial operations that are intelligent, optimised, and secure. Central to achieving The Connected Enterprise is the convergence

of information technology (IT) and operations technology (OT) into a single unified architecture to capitalise on operational, business and transactional data for improved enterprise, operations and supply chain performance.

As such, The Connected Enterprise leverages technology to better gather and analyse data, and transform it into actionable, real-time insightful information. It enables the connection of global operations to the enterprise and extended business systems, allowing for better collaboration, faster problem-solving and improved innovation.

Equipment and devices are transformed into intelligent assets capable of reporting a wealth of production information including diagnostics and energy. Having this knowledge enables faster and better business decisions that can help increase productivity, improve quality and help to meet demand more precisely and cost-effectively. The Connected Enterprise enables operations managers to manage and improve manufacturing and industrial processes more profitably. IT executives are able to reduce network complexity and risk, providing visibility of the information that drives better decisionmaking, eliminates inefficiencies and nurtures collaboration.

Dominic Molloy comments, “CPG’s are very much consumer driven, so the ability to change for the market demands is critical, with machines that can change their function easily without much downtime. With an integrated packaging line, a machine may stop, but it might not necessarily be the machine that has stopped which is causing the problem. We want to promote the use of automation technology to bring smart manufacturing and a smart machine environment to the workplace, in order to increase productivity and solve existing problems.”

Urs Marti comments, “We believe Connected Enterprise will change the environment going forward in a way which we haven’t seen before- it is a hugely important step for the manufacturing environment and the IT world. It is already a reality for larger accounts and global opinion leaders across the consumer markets and our own company as Packaging Europe | 89 |

Dominic Molloy: EMEA marketing director

Rockwell Automation who see it as a huge opportunity to differentiate themselves, whilst running their manufacturing with less risk and higher productivity.”

Dominic Molloy casts his eye on reports from the last few years, “There has been much discussion of a rise in the middle class population globally, in emerging markets such as India, China, the Far East and Latin America. This will drive consumer spending which generates a huge opportunity for manufacturers. It is critical that with this global opportunity, manufacturers can compete on a global scale. Labour can be a high proportion of the manufacturing costs, so manufacturers may struggle to compete in emerging markets which are low labour cost based economies.

“So, from our viewpoint if you want to compete, you need highly productive manufacturing, which we can provide through The Connected Enterprise. The smarter the machines are, the smarter the environment, and we can offer aspects such as simplified integration, information enabled real time analysis, operational efficiency, predictive maintenance, meaningful diagnostics and flexibility.”

Development programmes Urs Marti explains that Rockwell Automation’s account managers are specialised to either support the machine builders or the end user accounts. “This is important as we can bring the two sides together which is the secret to having a shared success. We organise ‘speeddating’ events for example where OEMs can talk to end users such as Nestlé, P&G and Unilever to find out learn about their expectations and how to become strategic suppliers.”

He continues, “We have built first class competency centres where OEMs are invited to come and simulate and test their new solutions.” The Rockwell Automation Competency Centres combine unparalleled engineering know-how with state-of-the-art testing equipment to help OEMs achieve new and innovative solutions which are also reliable and field-ready. Rockwell Automation Competency Centres are located in Bologna, Italy; New Delhi and Bangalore, India; Beijing and Shanghai, China; Singapore; and Melbourne, Australia.

Rockwell works with many OEMs around the globe to design, develop, and deliver innovative equipment with its solutions that drives business value for the OEM’s customers and gives them a competitive advantage. Some of these OEMs are recognised as OEM Partners within Rockwell’s PartnerNetwork program. They show a commitment to use Rockwell Automation content across their portfolio and together Rockwell searches for the most innovative solutions to suit their needs.

Rockwell Automation also prides itself on providing technical consultants to help machine builders as part of this programme to help make improvements. Urs Marti adds, “These are just a few examples of what we offer, showing our collaborative approach in developing a strategy and the related execution with co-shared objectives together with our partners.” | 90 | Packaging Europe

Trends driving advancements Rockwell Automation looks to market demands which drive the technological advancements it develops. Davide Brancaleoni outlines these demands as improved time to market, reduction of the total cost of ownership, improved management of manufacturing risks, and flexibility.

To address these requirements, he comments, “Rockwell Automation is ready to meet all of these demands with Integrated Architecture, a complete portfolio of controllers, integrating process batch, discrete, drives, safety and motion into one connected and segmented plant wide infrastructure, offering the highest scalability from small to large systems. The new Compact Logix and Control Logix have pre tested function blocks to simplify the development time, through a standard Ethernet IP network, with the possibility to have Integrated Safety.

At Interpack 2017 we’ll also be able to show machines equipped with iTRAK- which is having a profound impact on the way in which machines are developed at the moment. iTRAK is a breakthrough in fast, flexible motion control with faster production changeover. We have several applications at the moment in the market, increasing the throughput of machines by 30–100 per cent with an average of a 50 per cent approximate increase in production capability. Some manufacturers have reported that the iTRAK system has reduced the changeover time by 80 per cent.”

Serialisation and traceability in the supply chain are also critical elements. Davide Brancaleoni comments, “This has been prominent in the pharmaceutical market but is progressively present in the food industry for several reasons: from legislative pressure, to brand protection.”

Rockwell Automation’s serialization solution takes a holistic approach, giving both OEMs and end users a single solution to address current and upcoming regulations, product counterfeiting and product recalls for the pharmaceuticals and food and beverage industries. This is a complete turnkey solution, from packaging to MES to ERP to Cloud.

Davide Brancaleoni adds, “We can provide a mechatronic approach which is revolutionary in the way we can change machine engineering, leveraging innovative electronic technologies in order to overcome the limitations of mechanical technologies. This creates higher flexibility, and an increased productivity and output. Rockwell Automation has recently acquired MagneMotion, specialising in intelligent conveyor systems based on linear synchronous motors, this acquisition continues our strategy to build a portfolio of smart manufacturing technologies that brings next generation performance to our customers today.”

With such a progressive portfolio focused on the future of machines, Rockwell Automation looks set to support OEMs and end users well into the future.

Visit: www.rockwellautomation.com

All you can print In the six decades since its establishment, the Italian company Omso has built an unrivalled know-how in the production of offset, flexo and screen printing presses. Daniele Garavaglia reports.

Packaging Europe | 91 |

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mso has been designing and producing high-tech machines for printing objects and containers of different shapes and sizes for more than 60 years. In virtue of our long experience, we are now industry leaders with our activities focusing on three basic types of presses: dry offset printing, flexographic and the third one for screen printing. For all three segments, the range of available models can satisfy any requirement,” says Alfredo Campioli, president of Omso SpA, a historic company that has been able to carve out a role as an international leader in its field. Today, the Emilia-based group has a solid presence in the major markets on five continents, particularly France, Germany, USA, Japan, China, India and Indonesia.

“Omso has always distinguished itself for its continued ability to invest in new products and develop tailor-made machines, always with a sharp focus on market trends. The most recent products to join our extensive range is a family of servo

printing machines that enable the decoration of 3-D objects with the same principle as flat paper printing – that is, the ‘print dry’ process. The possibility of applying each colour on already-dried hues prevents contamination and ensures the highest quality. Moreover, formats can be changed more quickly, resulting in a more profitable use of the machine. Also enhancing productivity is our most recent innovation, a machine for digital printing on medium-sized cylindrical plastic objects.”

Production profile Omso concentrates its activities in its Reggio Emilia plant, where technical offices and facilities as well as assembly departments cover an area of 11,000 square metres.

At the US headquarters in Erlanger (Kentucky), Omso North America provides technical assistance, supplies equipment and refurbishes its machines operating on the US territory.

“Omso has always distinguished itself for its continued ability to invest in new products and develop tailor-made machines, always with a sharp focus on market trends. The most recent products to join our extensive range is a family of servo printing machines that enable the decoration of 3-D objects with the same principle as flat paper printing – that is, the ‘print dry’ process.”

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uviterno We can look back to a long and good relationship between OMSO and uviterno ag. Since decades we are working closely to develope the UV requirements for different applications. At this point we will take the opportunity to thank OMSO for the long and good cooperation with uviterno ag. We are specialised for UV-curing in the decoration of three-dimensional plastic or glass containers.

For all standard industry printing processes, used in various printing machine concepts, we offer economical and technical reliable UV systems. Whether in traditional radiation head systems with vapor lamps as well as in the new radiation systems with UV LED technology.

Omso’s huge range of printing machines includes many sought-after models. For the cosmetics industry, the offer includes screen printing and flexo machines that are able to apply up to 8 colours and include pioneering technical features that can also decorate objects with irregular shapes. For the food sector, there are offset and flexo machines with up to 9 colours for printing on yoghurt pots, beverage glasses and stadium cups: “They can be produced very quickly and ensure such a high print quality that they can compete with other decoration systems which use various label types but whose cost is 25 per cent higher,” says Campioli. For the beverage industry, particularly when it comes to closures for spirits and wines, Omso offers screen printing, offset and flexo machines able to meet the demand from this production segment for customised solutions.

Strong supplier base The company has cemented long-standing and solid relationships with suppliers that guarantee a high quality supply chain: “They are partners rather than suppliers and even make their technicians available to find the best solution for our applications: for example, we are studying with our supplier Sonzogni a new divider for our

servo machines – we are jointly analysing UV systems which can ensure certified process solutions. As far as components are concerned, we use internationally recognised brands that can provide innovative technical solutions, know-how and reliability. In recent years we have introduced Sew, Schneider, Heidenhain, Beckhoff, Idam and Scheffler components, and we have always been regular clients of Smc, Mitsubishi, Thk, Siemens and Pilz. As for mechanical parts, we choose suppliers that can guarantee a certified testing system, able to supply finished components as well as assembled elements. These companies already work with major players in the automotive, biomedical and food & beverage industries, which today set the benchmark of product quality. We are manufacturers of equipment and we must count on component reliability.”

Campioli has clear ideas about Omso’s business developments: “We will continue investing in our products, because only by optimising the quality process – that is if we define printing and productivity – will we be able to conquer spaces occupied by alternative decoration systems. With regard to commercial expansion, we are openeyed and alert in monitoring markets that some markets, such as Iran, have recently n started opening.”

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Right on track

As a Netherlands based producer of control systems, Blackware BV has already set up over 700 installations all over the world. Elisabeth Skoda spoke to general manager Marco van der Veer to learn more about the company and its successful shift from the graphical industry to the packaging and food industry as well as security printing.

F

ounded in 1993, Blackware started out as a provider of inkjet controllers for the graphical industry for major companies including Kodak. Over the years, the company moved into the development of line controllers, offering not just inkjet controls but also full line control, cameras, selective feeding on addressing lines and controller stackers for the graphical industry, which provided the majority of the business over the first 20 years.

Moving beyond the graphical industry The focus began to change with the decline of the graphical industry, as Mr van der Veer explains. “Since the graphical industry has been in decline for several years, we decided to have a look at the packaging and food industry as well as security printing. In 2011 we started doing projects for factory automation, and also looked into tracking and tracing inside the production facility, where an original product is coded so that everything that happens to it can be tracked throughout the factory.

We are very database oriented.”

Blackware serves its customers from Maarssen in the Netherlands with five employees, but its installations are present in a range of European countries beyond the Netherlands, such as the UK, Germany, Spain, Switzerland, the Czech Republic, Scandinavia and Russia. There are even Blackware installations further afield in Japan, Australia and New Zealand.

“Our main focus is on Europe, which is our commercial base. We work closely together with original equipment manufacturers, who sell our systems,” Mr van der Veer adds. | 94 | Packaging Europe

Wide range of applications Blackware’s controllers can be used with a range of different machines such as saddle stitchers, film-wrapping machines, folding machines and mailing bases.

Blackware also controls various inkjet printers for numbering jobs on web presses where high speed and reliable numbering is required.

Blackware’s printer controllers from the Mailguard range are mainly for the graphics industry, offering multi print head controlling for mailing productions.

Packaging applications include a management information system for a supplier of sterilising equipment for dairy products, a control system for a bottle closing system and a central control system to check decentralised production lines, involving programming of the central server as well as the decentralised control systems for the various production lines.

“Blackware’s main focus now is on engineering in the packaging and food industry. One of our biggest partners is Videojet, a major supplier of inkjet printers who is also very active in the labelling industry. We also offer full factory automation control for paper factories, where sheets of paper can be coded individually when it is produced and then be tracked across the factory, so it is always possible to say where the paper is located,” Mr van der Veer explains.

Mr van der Veer describes the innovative ways in which Blackware controls are set up: “Our factory automation control is module based. There are different processes within a production process – every process is made out of various processes which are controlled by a database, and every database is in turn communicating

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with another database, so we are dividing the software in the same way production processes are divided in the factory. This makes it easy to take something out or to put something in.

“We recently developed an information system for the manufacture of a dairy food production machine. The data is stored in a database, so the management has control over the machine, what the status is and whether maintenance is needed, and can see what is happening to different products.”

Blackware is proud of being a reliable partner to its customers. As a small company it is flexible and dedicated to the projects it takes on. “It is of key importance that you do what you promised your customer. Our expertise makes us reliable. We offer a proven product, and our software is always working. We believe Blackware listens to customers, and that there is no standard product that can solve customer problems in production environments.”

Blackware has a generous office space for its five employees with an attached manufacturing and assembly site where control boxes are put together.

“Any expansion is dependent on the amounts of projects we are handling. We believe in partnerships with other companies, and work together closely with big names in the industry such as Kern, Winkler&Dunnebier, Buhrs, Videojet and Kodak, and we also have several projects on the go with Impika, a provider of full colour based inkjet printers in France,” Mr van der Veer says.

He is optimistic for the future. “We have had some tough years with the decline of the graphics industry, but there is a big need for tracking and tracing solutions in | 96 | Packaging Europe

the food and packaging industry, so we would like to position ourselves as a solution provider for production companies as a missing link between manufacturing/ production floor and ERP systems. Organic growth together with our partners is important to us.”

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Unique software solutions

I

nfinityQS has a long history working with high-tech manufacturers, providing the necessary data and information to help those organizations improve quality and stand out from their competitors. The company also delivers statistical analysis tools that help optimise manufacturing processes in order to minimise costs, reduce defect levels, and ultimately make a business much more efficient, Mr Fair says.

“At InfinityQS, we believe that anyone who manufactures or assembles a product can benefit from our software.”

Safety and speed are key Mr. Fair explains that the key market trend for increased security and traceability in packaged goods is being driven by the consumer wanting more from their products, wanting them safer and wanting them delivered faster. As a result, suppliers have had to act accordingly.

“In the early 1980s, one of leading over-the-counter pharmaceutical companies was caught up in a terrifying scandal in which a number of its pain relief tablets had been tampered with, leading to a number of poisoning deaths. The impact of this sent shockwaves through consumer groups globally. Before the crisis, the pharmaceutical company controlled more than 35 per cent of the over-the-counter pain relief market; only a few weeks after the murders, that number dropped to eight per cent,” Mr Fair explains.

Following this, it became apparent that the existing methods of packaging were no longer fit for their purpose and immediate action was needed to correct the situation. The parent corporation of the pharmaceutical company, worked with U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) officials to introduce new tamper-proof packaging, which included foil seals and other features that made it obvious to a consumer if foul play had occurred.

These packaging protections soon became the industry standard for all over-the-counter medications. Since then, we have seen a continued scaling-up of product security. | 98 | Packaging Europe

InfinityQS International is a leading provider of manufacturing intelligence and statistical process control (SPC) software and services to manufacturers worldwide.

The company offers solutions that automate data collection and streamline analyses during the manufacturing process, allowing customers to make real-time process improvement decisions and prevent defects before they occur. Packaging Europe spoke to Doug Fair, COO at InfinityQS International, to find out more about how the company’s solutions can reduce costs and improve safety.

“Today, products often contain double or even triple layers of security before you can access the contents of the package. This heightened level of security isn’t restricted to food, beverages, and medication –every type of human consumable product is now placed under stringent guidelines to keep consumers safe. And this trend will only continue,” Mr Fair adds.

Engineering technology improves safety Manufacturers now use an extensive range of technologies to ensure product safety and security, which encompass a huge cross-section of machines and materials. “If you look at the evolution of soft drinks, they were typically only sold in glass bottles. Today the choice for the consumer is extensive, including glass, PET, aluminium and shaped aluminium, all of which offer a range of closures or security devices focused on protecting the consumer. In the actual production methods, the focus is again about scaling up prevention and security.

“Historically, there is a huge risk of metal contamination during production, which is why companies invest significantly in detection processes. Previously, metal inspections were only conducted once during production, but the need for heightened food safety and security often requires up to three inspections. Manufacturers are being held accountable for their failures, which is becoming more damaging to brands and organisations can simply no longer afford to show negligence. That is why inspections are so rigorous,” Mr Fair points out.

Software takes centre stage Mr. Fair is keen to highlight the critical role software plays in supporting security and traceability capabilities. “If you look at the example of metal detection, data from these inspections can be used to determine how frequently metal is found, how much metal is

found and where it is found during the production process. We can also use data streams to ensure those metal detection methods are being used correctly and consistently in order to prevent failure in the future.”

In supporting these data streams, the ability to provide and capture traceability data across manufacturing operations is equally critical. When a product reaches the end of a production process it will be assigned an alpha-numeric code which essentially acts as its ID or DNA. In the event that a consumer makes a complaint against a product, manufacturers can use that alpha-numeric code to trace back through key stages and processes within the supply chain to determine why, when and how a failure most likely occurred.

It can then use that data to address the process in order to reduce the risk of failure, and thus recalls taking place across that production line in the future.

“In order to address these issues, InfinityQS provides all the necessary capabilities to support a wide variety of measurement tools. These include detection, which can alert an operator to any issue regardless of how big or small, and historical data aggregation, which can be used for compliance and auditing purposes,” says Mr Fair.

Customer success Evidence of InfinityQS’ success can be seen from its work across an array of businesses and enterprises. Mr Fair uses the company’s work with super-premium ice-cream maker Ben & Jerry’s to illustrate the benefits of the InfinityQS ProFicient enterprise quality management system.

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Ben & Jerry’s maintains the strictest standards of product quality to ensure its customers get the full flavour experience. This attention to detail can be seen from ‘cow to cone’, as the company says, meaning that each step of its supply chain – from suppliers and distributors to manufacturing operations – must comply with the company’s three-part mission statement, which emphasises product quality, economic reward and a commitment to the community.

To track quantitative data, the ice-cream manufacturer had previously been using a paper-based system, which was proving to be cumbersome for operators and data administrators alike. This system was not only slow and inflexible, but also costly in terms of man hours required for calculation and analysis. Ben & Jerry’s needed a fast and reliable way to collect and analyse the vital quality data of its super-premium ice cream products.

Ben & Jerry’s decided to deploy InfinityQS ProFicient to streamline its quality control procedures. Powered by a statistical process control (SPC) analysis engine, the system easily automates data collection and integration from terminals on the shop floor, while its real-time monitoring and analysis functions enable the quality department to acquire manufacturing intelligence by tracking variability across each production line.

Because each line has a different run capability, Ben & Jerry’s created run charts within ProFicient based on Six Sigma data collected on the plant floor to determine variations specific to each individual line. By measuring, monitoring and controlling four main product attributes – weight, volume, air addition and inclusion amounts – as the pints come off the production lines, quality teams can work with production to quickly make adjustments in real time as products or processes approach specification limits.

Quality teams can also compare the data acquired through visual cut-ups – a process by which a pint is cut into quadrants to ensure the proper amount of inclusions appear in each serving – to the run capability data in ProFicient to identify the source of any variability in inclusion or variegate distribution and volume as identified during the cut-up. | 100 | Packaging Europe

ProFicient was able to give Ben & Jerry’s impressive results, as Mr Fair is happy to report. “Since implementing InfinityQS ProFicient, Ben & Jerry’s has used manufacturing intelligence to identify instances to improve run capability and raw material usage. Because high-quality ingredients are typically high priced (up to $800 for a single barrel of swirl), the ability to fine tune processes with more precise specification limits results in less raw material variation, increased cost savings and a higher quality product for the consumer.

Furthermore, with ProFicient’s advanced reporting suite, the ice cream manufacturer is saving a significant amount of time by eliminating manual calculations and time-consuming report creation. Reports now run in seconds as opposed to the eight to 10 hours that quality assurance personnel previously spent calculating data. Operators have dramatically reduced paper usage and can better focus on improving production processes n and efficiency.”

Not only assembly, driving business CB Automation provides its Customers with reliable technology solutions in the fields of special automatic, assembly, control and final handling platforms. Elisabeth Skoda spoke to CB Automation’s sales and project manager, Claudia Giulini, to find out more about what lies behind the company’s successful history, its unique strengths and its upcoming appearance at Pharmapack 2017 in Paris.

CB

Automation has grown and evolved from its beginnings in 1953, when it was founded by Constantino Bettinelli as a small mechanical workshop. The company today is part of the Inman Group, which boasts a total of 330 employees and production facilities covering an area of 45,000m².

The group is made up of four business units: “CB Automation deals with assembly, control and final handling, CB Packaging offers packaging platforms, and CDS and Colombo Filippetti provide cam driven systems and index technology.”

HR stability and Innovation Ms. Giulini is keen to highlight the company’s loyal employees, many of them have worked there for 20 years or more, which is one of the secrets of success. “Our stability of employment is a major USP. This enables us to grow a culture ideal to nurture innovation at customer service. We invest around five percent of our income into R&D every year.”

Continuous investment in R&D, supported by skilled teams, is at the core of CB Automation’s strategy. This strategy pays off in many ways, and in October 2016 resulted in receiving an award in innovation by the Italian Minister of Economic Development.

Product portfolio CB Automation designs and manufactures automation platforms from assembly to final handling and packaging, including tray loading, box forming and filling, blistering and labeling systems. Validation processes such as IQ and OQ packages are also part of the supply.

The platforms are dedicated to the pharmaceutical and cosmetic markets and process drug delivery systems such as inhalers, valves, pumps, enclosures, nasal sprays, injection devices, IV sets, medical connectors and devices. Around 85 per cent of business is in the pharmaceutical and medical industry, and 15 per cent in the cosmetics and home care sector.

“We mainly focus on the pharmaceutical/medical market sector and we have been able to consolidate long-term partnerships with our Customers, most of them last since decades. The feedback is that they appreciate the quality and the service we can offer them”.

Showcasing strengths at Pharmapack 2017 At Pharmapack in Paris in February next year, CB Automation is keen to underline that it can be the one-source partner for automation from assembly to secondary packaging.

Highest-level technology, based on servo-driven intelligent mechanics, grants high speed, flexibility and efficiency.

“Our SPC (statistical process control) integrated solution offers continuous improvement for the entire chain. It shows the platform status to establish the grade of engineering and predictive maintenance, the production status to establish compliance with Customer market demands, and the product quality status, including the entire traceability system. XRS charts, OEE, CP and CPK data are included as a standard in order to enable our Partners to an effective control of the resources, the assets and the product. We are fully conscious that real-time data analyze, through digitalization and connectivity, is the key to drive business performance”.

At the fair, CB Automation hopes to consolidate its partnership with existing Customers and forge new long-term relationship with new companies.

“This year will be our ninth year of exhibiting at Pharmapack. Due to our specialization, this is a great opportunity to meet our market and openly discuss on old and new synergies,” Ms. Giulini explains.

Developing markets CB Automation sees great opportunities in the pharmaceutical market. “Due to the mega trends in demography, environment and new technologies, this market grants a stable demand for a company of our size. Further to this prudent consideration, the demand is potentially set to grow, also thanks to the generic drugs expansion after the expiry of many international patents.

The new challenge is to manufacture automation in parallel with pharmaceutical devices final development. This is a great opportunity for us as we are structured to react to this trend: we offer high technology solutions, competence, flexibility and structure and we can answer well to our market demand”.

Visit: www.cbautomation.com Packaging Europe | 101 |

Innovations in

packaging machinery Based in the Italian â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Packaging Valleyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;, OCME manufactures primary and secondary packaging machines including fillers, end-of-line and logistic machines for the Beverages, Food, Detergent, Petrochemical and Tissue sectors.

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T

his year OCME has developed new innovations including:

• • • •

RAINBOW LINE PACKETTO™ VIRGO ADVANCE RANGE

RAINBOW LINE: The revolutionary multi-flavour packing solution This new solution has been launched for a key player in the beverage industry, following a request to package trays at high speed containing different flavours of loose bottles, in order to achieve specific multi-product pallets for merchandising P.O.P. (Point of Purchase).

This was a challenge to which OCME answered, giving birth to the Rainbow Line*: a system with a high degree of automation, speed and flexibility in terms of configurations and mix of different flavours, coupled with an automatic format change.

OCME has designed an optimal solution using a high-level technology robot system, a wrap-around machine and finally a high-speed palletiser. This integrated system allows the bottler to vary both the combination of flavours and the number of rows in the trays, without changing the gripping head.

Rainbow Line is an advanced solution that can increase a customer’s productivity and profitability, while being an excellent marketing tool that allows multi-brand promotion and highly efficient merchandising displays. *OCME Patent Pending

PACKETTO™: How to increase the on-shelf impact of your bundles During Brau Beviale 2016, OCME will present its newest secondary packaging innovation, PACKETTO™, which is achieved using OCME’s Vega Shrinkwrapper. Born from the fierce competition in the beverage industry, this solution allows customers to

improve the aesthetics of their shrinkwrapped packs, drastically improving the impact on the final consumer.

PACKETTO ™ offers a real upgrade of the brand image while saving money on raw materials and also respecting the environment.

One of OCME’s customers, COCA-COLA Oricola (part of the Hellenic Bottling Company), has already understood these major benefits and has integrated this module into its Vega shrinkwrapper. The solution comes in three different options: • SMART PACKETTO™: offering wrinkle-free packs while saving on film and increasing the print area for branding artwork and the pack aesthetics. During the shrinking process, the film remains in position, to allow the pack to be perfectly formed.

• The unique feature of ECO PACKETTO™ is the comfort carry handle which runs right around the pack, adding strength to it. Packetto™ ECO also uses very thin but solid film (down to 25 µm). Thanks to this concept, the amount of film used is also reduced by up to 30 per cent.

• With a unique ‘sharing-friendly’ design, PARTY PACKETTO™ allows the final customer to chill their cans or bottles, enjoying their parties either at home or out doors. This concept enables a pack to become a great marketing support for multbrand promotions and merchandising.

VEGA PACKETTO™’S innovative character has been recognised and awarded at the ‘World Beverage Innovations Awards’, as a Top 5 finalist among 356 entrants in the ‘Best Environmental and Sustainable initiative’ category (in 2014 and 2015).

Maximum flexibility and performance: OCME’s new filling machine for edible oil!

VIRGO is OCME’s new rotary weight filler for edible oil, delivering high performance and efficiency. Thanks to its high degree of flexibility and the choice between the neck & body handling options, the VIRGO can meet each and every need in terms of production speed and types of container.

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The VIRGO range is able to handle a wide variety of containers: • PET bottles: from 0.25 to 3 L or 5 L with neck handling • PET bottles: from 0.25 to 10 L with body handling • GLASS bottles: from 0.25 to 1 L with body handling only • HDPE: from 0.25 to 10 L with body handling only.

Two configurations are available on this machine: • Medium speed range • High speed range.

Marco Botti, OCME Filler Product Manager, explains more: “Today, one of our customers’ challenges is to find an efficient filling system that guarantees a precise quantity of filled product: in this context we’ve created VIRGO. OCME’s new weight filler will be certified according to MID directives ensuring the quantity of filled product.

“With a weight filling system, VIRGO is able to ensure high filling precision, thanks also to advanced electronic components and algorithms developed over the past 20 years. In addition to the high precision features of the solution, a reject system allows the expulsion of any anomalous containers, in order to ensure the absolute quality and integrity of the packaged product. By the end of the production process, all the product remaining inside the machine is recovered so as to reduce waste to a minimum.

OCME’s new filling solution aims at reaching maximum efficiency in terms of productivity and performance.

“Safety was one of our priorities during the machine’s design phase and a programmable control unit has been specifically designed for safety management purposes. A stainless steel enclosure, combined with tempered glass screens, guarantees high hygiene standards, which is a key priority in the food industry. It also allows excellent operator visibility and easy access for maintenance.

“Finally, thanks to the PC dedicated to the supervision and control of the machine, it is possible to monitor the weighing statistics and the archiving of data related to each container, so as to ensure optimal control of production.”

OCME’s high-speed range to speed up your productivity: Discover ADVANCE RANGE “In recent decades the consumer goods industry – even more so in recent years – has undergone major changes and transformations.”

David Buratti, in charge of the Research & Development department explains further: “The high competition level, due to an increasingly globalised and connected market, aggressive pricing policies and the pervasive spread of electronics and information technology, are the main factors that have driven these changes, bringing new challenges. | 104 | Packaging Europe

“The production lines, in addition to being increasingly automated, have become more reliable, easily maintainable, rapidly reconfigurable and characterised by a steady increase in performance and speed.”

OCME responds and anticipates these market demands by expanding its range of high performance machines. The ADVANCE range is composed of: • VEGA ADVANCE: this high speed shrinkwrapper is able to reach 150 cycles/ minute with film only and 120 cycles/minute with tray + film. This machine is composed of a fingers and counter fingers selection system driven by brushless motors, and of an oven which ensures high quality film retraction. The film cutting and automatic film splicing of the reels are OCME patented systems. With VEGA ADVANCE, energy savings and safety are combined to ensure high level performance and easy maintenance.

• ORION ADVANCE: this high speed palletiser was originally created for the beverage industry but is used for all projects requiring accessibility, compactness and speed. Technology and safety are combined to ensure high quality performance, reaching a speed of 570 layers/hour (on low level mode). The acknowledged priority of OCME to respect the environment meets the need for energy savings associated with high efficiency. The ORION ADVANCE uses brushless and energy saving motors.

• PEGASUS ADVANCE: this high speed robot palletiser can reach up to 630 layers/hour, thanks to the unique patented technology of the OCME gripping head. It allows low level palletisation by using the layout flexibility that is typical of robot systems.

OCME’s experience with this technology is combined with premium quality standards and maximum attention to safety.

OCME’s engineering team that worked on the ADVANCE Range design have not only focused on achieving maximum performance in terms of production speed, but have also have set ambitious goals in terms of profitability and productivity – all the time complying with the highest safety standards. The ADVANCE range is characterised by maximum product handling care.

To discover our new innovations, visit OCME at: • PACK EXPO INTERNATIONAL, Chicago – USA from 06/11/16 to 09/11/16 • GULFOOD MANUFACTURING, Dubai – E.A.U from 07/11/16 to 09/11/16 • BRAU BEVIALE, Nuremberg – Germany from 08/11/16 to 10/11/16

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Revolutionary advance in sustainable packaging production The Novamont Group is a world leader in the development and manufacture of bioplastics and biochemical packaging through the integration of chemistry, the environment and agriculture. Philip Yorke reports on the recent opening of the company’s €100 million investment in the world’s first industrial-scale plant for the production of Butanediol via the fermentation of renewable raw materials.

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he Novamont Group was founded in 1989 and has its roots in the Montedison School of Material Science, from which emerged Fertec, a strategic research centre responsible for integrating chemistry and agriculture.

This centre is a Novamont subsidiary and has now become the leading industrial company in its sector.

The Novamont Group promotes a new model of bio-economy in the logic of the circular economy, which is not only based upon efficiency and sustainable use of renewable resources, but also as a factor of territorial regeneration. Materials made from Butanediol are obtained by means of pioneering proprietary technologies using starches, cellulose, vegetable oils and their combinations. These are made using three state-of-the-art Italian production facilities.

Today the group employs more than 600 people and in 2015 recorded sales of over â&#x201A;Ź170 million. It has continued to make investments in research and

development activities that amount to 6.4 per cent of its annual sales. The group has registered more than 1000 patents and has its headquarters in Novara, a production facility in Terni and research laboratories in Novara, Terni and Piani di Monte Verna.

The group is active in Germany, France and the United States through its commercial offices in Brussels, Belgium. Novamont also operates through its own distributors in the Benelux, Scandinavia, Denmark, the United Kingdom, China, Japan, Canada, Australia and New Zealand.

Driving sustainability forward The worldâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s first industrial-scale plant for the manufacture of Butanediol was officially opened on 30 September 2016. The Italian prime minister said in a telegram to Catia Bastioli, the companyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s founder and CEO, concerning the news of the in-

Packaging Europe | 107 |

auguration of Mater-Biotech. “I wish to congratulate you along with the company’s top management, for the large investment made in the territory, also wishing all employees every success for the future. I am sure that the Mater-Biotech plant will provide an opportunity to confirm once again the leadership of our country in the field of biotechnology, ensuring also great opportunities for the local community.”

| 108 | Packaging Europe

Mater-Biotech is the result of a close working partnership with Genomatica, a leading US research company in bio-engineering innovation, and Novamont’s unique skills and know-how in developing low-impact manufacturing sites. Using technology developed by the California-based company, Novamont has developed the bio-technological platform which takes sugars and transforms them into biobutanediol through the action of suitably engineered e-coli type bacteria.

This innovative break-through product from Novamont will be produced on an industrial scale, achieving 30,000 tonnes per year and providing CO2 savings of more than 50 per cent. This new chemical intermediate, with an estimated market of €3.5 billion, and a vast range of applications, has up until now only been possible to obtain on an industrial scale by using fossil-based fuels.

When put into the context of the Novamont integrated bio-refinery project, the scope of this innovation goes well beyond the availability of new technologies, where bio-based products can make the difference when it comes to ‘de-carbonising’ planet Earth.

As Catia Bastioli, Novamont’s CEO, explained, “Mater-Biotech is just one facet of a system of world-leading, interconnected plants can be seen as a formidable accelerator, a way of multiplying opportunities in the bio-plastics and chemical fields for the producers of raw materials, for the producers of finished products, for new entrepreneurial initiatives, for the creation of jobs, and for those who are concerned about planning a future with greater environmental and social sustainability.”

Today Novamont has revitalised six such bio-technology sites and has also fine tuned four world-leading innovative technologies. These can be increased in accordance with the local area, in which such technologies and products are developed to provide concrete solutions to solve large-scale problems, such as the recycling of organic waste.

World’s first industrial-scale bio-plant

Bastioli concluded, “Mater-Biotech, together with the Novamont research centres in Piana di Monte Verna and Novara, represent a formidable platform for industrial bio-technologies, from basic research to flagship plants.”

When fully operational, Novamont’s new Bottrighe plant will employ around 70 people directly, plus a further 200 depending on the supply chain. For further details of Novamont’s innovative bio-technology products and services visit: www.novamont.com

At the end of September 2016, with the international conference titled ‘Reconnecting economy and society through innovation – a new bio-economy infrastructure for the regeneration of local areas’, Novamont officially inaugurated ‘Mater-Biotec’, its new industrial plant in Bottrighe in the Veneto region of Italy. The conference was designed to stimulate the debate among key players from leading institutions, enterprises and research associations on how the development of a bio-economy infrastructure and investment can make a major contribution to growth.

The company’s patented technologies are interconnected with its Mater-Biotech facilities along with its local areas, new innovative bio-products and partnerships.

These represent the pillars of Novamont’s bio-economy model that Catia Bastioli, Novamont’s CEO, referred to during her speech. The conference saw the attendance of several national and international stakeholders, as well as over two hundred attendees, including local dignitaries and many captains of industry

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Clinical packaging perfection Ivers Lee is a European market leader in the development and manufacture of specialised packaging solutions for the pharmaceutical and healthcare industries. Philip Yorke spoke to Peter Schuepbach, the companyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s CEO, about its latest niche market successes and growing involvement in the clinical trials sector.

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vers-Lee AG was founded in Burgdorf in 1947 by Peter Schuepbach and built the company through the post war depression years by adopting American technologies that were unknown in Europe at that time, and a commitment to offering high quality, innovative products.

Following his death the family took over the majority of the shares. A milestone was reached in 1961 when the company established Ivers-Lee Italia SpA near Milan and this significantly enhanced the companyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s activities in the broader European marketplace. To| 110 | Packaging Europe

day the company remains in the hands of the same family, with CEO Peter Schuepbach representing the third generation of the founding family. Currently Ivers-Lee GmbH employs more than 200 people and in 2015 recorded sales of over â&#x201A;Ź30 million.

Continuous process optimisation From its earliest beginnings Ivers-Lee followed entirely organic principles within its diverse packaging businesses. Since 1947 the company has placed a very high value on

providing tailor-made customer solutions and dedicated customer services. It maintains a state-of-the-art structure that strives to achieve success through continuous product innovation and process optimisation.

The Ivers-Lee Group has built up an envious reputation for its ability as an innovator and a quality-conscious packaging partner and co-packer. The company handles a variety of branded products for small, medium sized and multi-national companies in accordance with the current rules of Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP), at certified locations in Switzerland and Italy.

Ivers-Lee MedTec offers high quality packaging solutions and services in the medical technology sector. The integration of the strategic Ivers-Lee CSM Clinical Supplies Management GmbH business unit, has turned Ivers-Lee into an overall solutions provider and attractive partner to the healthcare industry, with locations at the heart of Europe.

Schuerbach said, “We are involved in many medical technology fields and continue to invest heavily in the latest equipment for the preparation of sterile products as well as many others. Our recent move into the clinical trials market has opened up many new

opportunities for us and we are able to help customers both large and small with the early development of their new compounds.

“For many years we have been involved in the manufacture of wipes, which until recently were classified as a cosmetic item, however today they are officially medical wipes.

We are specialists in this area with exclusive expertise and it offers many opportunities for us to grow this sector of the market. In addition, we have also been involved in the packaging of face masks with non-woven fabric and in 2011 further growth enabled us to integrate bulk production of water based solutions, with the aim of supplying a full service in a number of key sectors such as wipes for the eye contour area.

“We are also very involved in the production of stick-packs and tubular packaging products which offers easier-to-pour solutions with far greater accuracy. In fact we can accurately measure as little as one quarter of a gram filling volume. We also do counting of small granules for packs of mini tablets. As you can probably see, we do not compete with the very big companies as we prefer to focus on niche pharma markets and offer a truly dedicated and flexible service.”

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Full service packaging Ivers-Lee provides full-service packaging for the medical technology sector. Ivers-Lee MedTec is an Ivers-Lee holding company working in packaging services for the medical devices sector, which is regulated by ISO 13485. The packaging services for these pharmaceutical preparations are provided by Ivers-Lee Schweiz. The main consideration at Ivers-Lee is to define the optimal packaging system for the specific requirement of the customer. It also works to establish full processing sequences and ensure that they can be reproduced, with implemented quality assurance measures and with a suitable documentation system.

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Customer benefits are the companyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s first priority and the full service provided includes all activities necessary for the complete process. Ivers-Lee services include the development of packaging systems for medical devices and low microbial packaging in clean rooms (class ISO7) as well as labelling, finishing and final packaging. In addition, the company provides cleaning and assembling, sterilising, logistics and validating.

For further details of Ivers-Leeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s innovative pharma packaging products and services visit: www.iverslee.com

Driving returnable transit packaging efficiency Schoeller Allibert is a global leader in the design and manufacture of returnable transit packaging. For more than 60 years the company has been creating returnable packaging solutions for a broad range of industrial market sectors. These range from agriculture and automotive, to food processing, retail and industrial manufacturing. Philip Yorke takes a closer look at a company that continues to lead the field with its innovative, highly-efficient and sustainable products.

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choeller Allibert HQ is in Hoofddorp, Nederlands (near Amsterdam) and develops, manufactures and supplies industrial, returnable transit packaging solutions worldwide. The company’s broad portfolio of products includes large, foldable containers, rigid pallet containers, pallets, stack-nest containers and dollies, as well as helix and rotomoulding products. In addition to its standard range of products, Schoeller Allibert also offers a bespoke, innovative design and engineering service.

Today the company delivers high-quality, durable and sustainable products designed to enhance supply chain efficiency and profitability and to lower transportation costs, reduce waste and increase green branding in all its sectors.

Innovation driving NPD From the outset, innovation has played a major role in the company’s new product development (NPD) success and today Schoeller Allibert is responsible for over 80 per cent of the innovations created in the RTP (Returnable Transit Packaging) industry. In addition to its head office located in the Netherlands, it has branches in Austria, Belgium China, the Czech Republic, Finland, France and Germany.

With more than 5 per cent of its turnover dedicated to R&D, the company also has the largest R&D programme in Europe, spread over three locations around the world. Its main technology centre is fully integrated into one of its primary production plants in Hardenberg, Nerderlands and this will enable it to launch over 40 new products in 2017.

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Ludo Gielen, Schoeller Allibert’s Chief Innovation Officer, told Packaging Europe: “In 2017 we will launch 41 new, innovative products to enhance the usage of RTP in all our markets, from pooling to retail, with new FSC (Foldable Small Crates) pallets and home-delivery crates, to agriculture with a new big box concept and customised packaging solutions for the top players of the beverage industry.

“We are constantly innovating in our product development programme and creating new processes to lower weight, while providing improved mechanical performances. We also strive to improve our customers’ fleet efficiency and upgrade their logistics packaging thanks to our unique recycling/upcycling offer. Our EFSA approved recycling process allows us to manufacture recycled food-contact crates with old customer food container crates.

“Our main focus today is to grow with a strong focus on innovation and the introduction of new products on a monthly basis. Acquisition is not ruled out if a good opportunity arises outside of the European marketplace, and comes on the table.”

On-going investment in new technology and plant In 2016, in keeping with its commitment to maintaining its pole position in the RTP industry, the company implemented a brand new manufacturing facility in Poland.

This state-of-the-art plant covers an area of more than 28,000 square metres and is equipped with the latest injection moulding machines. The 6350 square metres of production space allows Schoeller Allibert to produce a full portfolio of products for its customers in the CEE region, including its brand new ‘EuroClick® system.

In total, the company operates 13 modern production facilities worldwide, with 11 of these located in Europe. There is also a major facility in Phoenix Arizona, USA, and another in Shanghai, China. Schoeller manufactures over 3000 different reusable transit packaging solutions for more than 10,000 clients located in 50 countries worldwide.

Spread throughout Europe, its diverse production sites allow the company to follow its global industrial customers wherever they are and wherever they go.

Schoeller’s ability to deliver on time, anywhere in the world, is key to its success and especially important to the automotive industry’s major players.

Enhancing the future of RTP packaging The future of the RTP industry will be shaped by companies that can adapt and innovate to follow the trends of the different world markets.

Gielen added, “Material innovation is important because it allows us to improve the core capacity of products but a lot of innovations come from smarter design and a better understanding of an evolving market’s needs.

“For example, in Retail, consumer attractiveness has become a major issue, even for standard packaging for fruits and vegetables for instance. Today we are focusing on how the packaging should look in order to draw consumer attention to our clients’ products.

“In the automotive sector, we have to develop products that can better protect the technical and electric parts of cars, with functions such as anti-electrostatic discharge, fibre-free, waterproof, anti-contamination and tamper-proof solutions.

“Finally the most important trend of the decade is Internet E-Business, with products that can be integrated within automated warehouses with speed and accuracy. We are proud to be a certified Autostore® Hatteland supplier. For the food market, we recently acquired the European Food Safety Accreditation (EFSA), so we can guarantee direct food contact from a cradle-to-cradle recycling processes. This is a very important value-proposition for our customers,” said Gielen.

For further details of Schoeller Allibert’s innovative RTP products and services visit: www.schoellerallibert.com

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Global leaders in sustainability and innovation The global consumer products giant Proctor & Gamble is one of the worldâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s best known and revered companies with one of the strongest portfolios of trusted, quality leadership brands. Philip Yorke reports on the latest developments in a company that sets the trends and benchmarks for the industry. With a clear focus on innovation and sustainability it is leading the field in its ambitious programme of bio-based product labels and environmental leadership.

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roctor & Gamble (P&G) was founded in 1837 and has grown to become a truly global phenomenon, with operations in more than 70 countries and serving over 5 billion people around the world. It has one of the strongest portfolios of leading consumer brands including Ariel, Always, Braun, Gillette, Lenor, Olay and Pantene to name but a few. P&G’s unique organisational structure is one of the key reasons behind its ability to continually grow and achieve new targets. It is able to combine the benefits that come from being a global $80 billion company with a dedicated local focus. This is vital as it enables the company to tailor its products and operations to meet the differing needs of its customers anywhere in the world.

The company’s four main business units are: Global Beauty, Global Baby, Feminine and Family Care, Global fabric and home care and Global Health and Grooming.

P&G’s products include many of its most recognisable brands in the areas of beauty and personal care, feminine hygiene and health and grooming. These include Gillette, Head& Shoulders and Gucci fragrances. One of the most recent product launches in its beauty sub-division is its new Herbal Essences Naked Collection.

Integrated sustainability In a recent sustainability report the company said “sustainability is integrated into every aspect of the way we do business, however there is much more that needs to be done.”

Martin Riant, P&G’s group president, and executive sponsor for sustainability, said, “We have been dedicated to driving change within our own company by partnering with others to deliver standards and practices that make a difference. We have a long track record

of doing the right thing, from pioneering breakthroughs such as compaction, integrating recycled content into packaging and supply-chain innovation. We are focused on our usage of energy, including our need to help drive consumer behaviour change with initiatives such as our Cold Water washing campaign, reduced packaging, reduced water usage and increased recycled content in our packaging.

“Our focus is also to bring more renewable energy into our plants to find substitutes for petroleum derived raw materials and to ensure responsible and sustainable sourcing for renewable materials, including Palm Oil (PO), wood pulp and paper packaging. We know that protecting the earth and giving back to those in need is a responsibility and a business opportunity. We plan to accelerate our delivery of these objectives by ensuring the full integration of our sustainability initiatives within the strategies and plans of our 10 core businesses.”

Since 2010 P&G has been guided by its vision to achieve 100 per cent renewable energy use and 100 per cent renewable or recyclable materials for all its products and packaging, with zero consumer and manufacturing waste going to land fill sites. Its recent announcement has seen the addition of new goals for 2020, with an emphasis on water conservation and product packaging.

Expanding biomass renewable energy P&G has invested in a new biomass plant that will be operational in 2017 and will significantly increase the company’s use of renewable energy, thus moving it closer to its goal of obtaining 30 per cent of its total energy from renewable sources by 2020 and 100 per

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cent one day in the future. Currently P&G obtains 8 per cent of its energy from renewable sources including wind, solar, geothermal and biomass. The new project will get the company almost half way to its 2020 goal. “As this project enables us to operate one of our largest global plants with a renewable energy source, it will reduce the environmental footprint of two leading brands, Bounty and Charmin. We see this as a win for our business, consumers, partners and the environment,” said Riant.

The project has been in the works for almost two years and has involved more than a dozen partners. The $200 million plant will be built, owned and operated Constellation, a leading Retail supplier of power, natural gas and energy products and services, and is a subsidiary of the Exelon Corporation. In addition to producing steam for P&G, the plant will also create electricity that Constellation will sell to local utility, Georgia Power, who will then share it with residents across the state.

Len Sauers, vice-president, Global Sustainability added, “The environmental focus on this year’s report is on impacting on climate change. We’ve made meaningful progress, but there is still much more to do. P&G recognises the scientific consensus linking greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and climate change. As a global citizen, we are concerned about the negative consequences of climate change, and we believe prudent and cost-effective action by governments, industry and consumers to reduce emissions to the atmosphere is necessary.

“We’ve made important progress in our efforts to address climate change. We have reviewed our initial reforestation plans from our palm suppliers and are working together to ensure robust, time-bound policies and systems are in place to meet our requirements. We are also partnering with industry experts to develop new approaches to help the many thousands of smallholders in our supply chain comply with our nodeforestation objectives.”

Pioneering bio-based products For more than a decade, Tide® has been committed to developing detergents that provide environmental benefits like energy and water saving. P&G’s latest innovation in the company’s commitment to sustainability is Tide Purclean™, the world’s first bio-based detergent with the acknowledged cleaning power of Tide. With a 65 per cent bio-based

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formula, Tide Purclean™ delivers the same cleaning power, stain removal and colour care found in Tide Original Liquid Laundry Detergent. With every step in the product lifecycle, from sourcing to manufacturing to use and disposal, Tide is committed to making a difference. The detergent is produced at a zero manufacturing waste to landfill facility using 100 per cent renewable wind power electricity and the bottle is also 100 per cent recyclable. It is formulated to perform in cold water conditions to help save energy, but can be used at any water temperature.

“We know we cannot positively impact on the planet with a laundry detergent if people will not use it,” said Sundar Raman, vice-president, North America Fabric Care.

“Many people have yet to embrace laundry detergents with bio-based ingredients because they feel there is a trade-off when it comes to cleaning performance, so we designed our bio-based formula to provide more of the environmental benefits people increasingly seek, without compromising the trusted cleaning power of Tide. This is our first step with bio-based ingredients and while we know we have much to learn, we hope that Tide Purclean will set a new standard for eco-friendly detergents,”

Genius unveiled Recently at the GSMA World Congress in Barcelona, P&G unveiled its latest innovation in oral care: the Oral-B Genius, the first of its kind and Oral-B’s most intelligent brushing system to date. P&G’s Oral B Genius has set a new standard in the industry and is claimed to be the next big thing after the introduction of the electric toothbrush, as it helps to eliminate the wrong behaviours in brushing.

The new Oral-B Genius features ground-breaking Position Detection Technology that combines cutting-edge motion sensor technology located in the brush, and video recognition using the smartphone’s camera to track areas being brushed so that no zone is missed. These features combined with the Oral-B Oscillating-Rotating-Pulsating technology and unique round brush head helps users improve their oral health. Oral-B Genius includes best-in-class product features, making it the most intelligent brushing system available that helps consumers smarten their daily brushing routines.

For further information about P&G’s latest innovative products and sustainability programmes visit: www.pg.com

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Transformation in publishing – future of print The gravure industry met in Dusseldorf for ERA’s Annual Conference. Winners of the European Publication Gravure Award 2016 were presented.

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elegates from publication printers from Europe and overseas, as well as their suppliers of equipment and materials and customers accepted the European Rotogravure Associa-tion’s invitation to its Annual Conference in Dusseldorf on 26–27 September. The dele-gates witnessed presentations from industry experts reflecting the theme of the confer-ence, ‘transformation in publishing - future of print’. The conference programme also included a visit to the publication gravure printing plant in of TSB in Moenchenglad-bach, where the largest printing facility of the TSB Group with up to 3.68 metre wide gravure presses and a gravure capacity of 170 000 tonnes were shown.

The conference discussed the situation of publication gravure in Europe. Currently the work load of the publication gravure printers is at a satisfactory level, and due to the insolvency of a large publication printer the capacity has further decreased by 250,000 tonnes to an overall capacity in Europe of some three million tonnes. Good news for the gravure industry came from the European Chemical Agency (ECHA), which has proposed that the EU Commission give the gravure industry the authorisation for further use of chromium trioxide for a review period of seven years. The formal approval by the EU Commission is expected in spring 2017.

Challenges to face In his keynote address Prof Stephan Weichert of Hamburg Media School discussed the media consumption of the millennials which includes the generation born after 1990. He explained that their primary news source is social media instead of classic print media.

For them, ‘mobile is king’ and they use apps and platforms such as Facebook, You Tube, Instagram, WhatsApp and SnapChat, which is the latest and fastest growing among these digital platforms. Instead of mere news consumption the millennials prefer interaction and create their own content. This requires the publishers to change their traditional business model, as well as calling for a different type of journalism. The problem for the publishers remains the monetisation of their content, and Prof Wei-chert’s advice to the publishers is to transform their brands into the digital world of the millennials.

Key trends ‘Developments and trends in publication printing’ was the theme developed by Chris-toph Mueller of KBA. He responded to Prof Weichert’s thesis by mentioning the week-ly newspaper ‘Die Zeit’, which has an increasing circulation and many young people among its readers. Altogether print generates a higher turnover than Packaging Europe | 121 |

the automotive in-dustry. However the market for traditional publication and news presses has shrunk since the financial crisis, although it now has stabilised on a lower level. The market for packaging presses has growth potential, as well as the market for digital presses where KBA has a project with HP to develop a press for corrugated topliner. Also, books are increasingly printed on demand with digital presses as the overall costs are lower than with traditional offset printing. Encouraging for print is that it has more effectiveness, particularly in advertising. Gravure printed school books in India and Brazil also show an interesting and growing market for print.

A highly interesting niche for print was demonstrated by Dr Giancarlo Cerutti, who reported on the latest application for Cerutti’s gravure presses. The newly issued five pound note is the latest currency printed on a clear plastic substrate (BOPP) which is preprinted with security features by a Cerutti gravure press.

Another example of print’s effectiveness and its opportunities for growth was shown by Martin Kunz, editor-in-chief of ADAC Motorwelt. The monthly magazine of the Ger-man motorists’ association has one of the longest print runs worldwide with almost 14 million copies. It was started in 1925 and its role is ‘to solve mobility problems of members’. Contrary to the trends in the industry the magazine has a constant reach, and though there is an iPad version, 94 per cent of its readers want the printed version deliv-ered too. The magazine consumes more than 20,000 tonnes of paper per year and is printed in gravure divided among the large German gravure printers.

The view of a paper manufacturer was presented by Tommy Wiksand of the over 400- year-old Swedish company Holmen. Since the market for printing paper is heavily chal-lenged by digital media the paper industry is in transition and “print has to be high defi-nition.” The most important factor still is “the feel of the paper.”

Whereas average mag-azines are declining, those for the young generation are growing. Print remains a strong channel for advertising: customers act on print to a higher extent than on digital adverts. Holmen has adapted its structure by reducing capacity, but is still a leading supplier with one million tonnes in operation.

Dr Michael Zenke of Sun Chemicals added the ink manufacturers’ perspective.

The trends are that during the last decade the packaging market has overhauled publication, and publication suffered from heat-set and cold-set. Black ink has increased in use rela-tive to coloured inks (CMY) due to improvements of colour separation software without an impact on print quality. This ink optimisation has resulted in cost savings for the printer, however the impact of the paper grade on ink consumption is significant. | 122 | Packaging Europe

The conference presentations were rounded off by Mr Josef Aumiller of Manroland, who reported on the status of web offset in commercial printing. The global market for heat-set presses is almost at the same level as six years ago, whereas the market for newspaper presses has fallen to less than a third of its level then. A significant share of the orders is for high volume presses of up to 96 pages. Hybrid solutions are another trend, with ink jet printing added to a conventional press. He concluded that “print is alive,” and that modern print production requires “automation, output and flexibility.”

Apart from market and technical issues, the ERA Annual Conference traditionally fea-tures a political or socio-economic issue of current importance. This year Dr Christoph von Marschall, chief diplomatic correspondent of the Berlin daily newspaper ‘Tagess-piegel’, discussed the ongoing presidential election campaign in the USA. Against the background of the election campaign he described the cultural differences between the USA and Europe, and explained the unforeseen success of Donald Trump. His personal feeling is that it will be a close run on 8 November, and his advice is “not to bet more than you can afford to lose.”

During the conference the winners of the European Publication Gravure Award 2016 were presented. The competition, which is organised every two years by the ERA in cooperation with the Eurographic Press, awarded prizes this time in market-related cat-egories: inserts/flyers, catalogues and magazines. Trophies were won by Burda Druck France for ‘Cora’, Eurogravure for ‘Maty’ and Imprimerie Hélio Charleroi for ‘Hello’.

Visit: www.era.eu.org

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Metal forever Italyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s metal packaging association Anfima represents over 40 companies and nearly 4000 employees. Dedicated to promoting the many practical, performance and environmental benefits of metal packaging, the association is attending a number of trade exhibitions in the coming months. Emma-Jane Batey spoke to manager Giovanni Cappelli to learn more.

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nfima is the association for the metal packaging industry in Italy, promoting their activities across Europe and acting as the industry’s voice in terms of legislation, development and other challenges. Giovanni Cappelli, Anfima’s manager, spoke to Packaging Europe to highlight the association’s work and to bring its membership benefits to a wider audience.

Anfima members have are over 40 plants, all connected to the metal packaging industry in Italy, with varied activities including ‘open top’ cans for foodstuffs, containers for industrial products, beverage cans, aerosol cans, various types of metal closures and large steel sheet drums. Mr Capelli said, “As you can see we represent a large range of different types of activities across the metal packaging industry, but there is one very important thread that connects us – we are all dedicated to promoting the professional, environmental and practical use of metal packaging in Italy and Europe. Our members generate an annual turnover of around €1.5 billion, 40% coming from export.

We know that our work as an association is an important element in protecting and promoting that income, both for the 40 or so member companies and for their nearly 4000 employees.”

Be strong Working at European level, Anfima notes that it stays closely connected to a number of its European counterparts. Mr Cappelli explained how this ensures the association is as strong as it can be, for the benefit of its members. He said, “Anfima represents the Italian manufacturers of metal packaging and the associated companies. We are continually promoting their development and carrying out work on their behalf. This means we adhere to professional bodies at a European level, such as EMPAC and SEFA. Furthermore, there are various technical committees and working groups within Anfima which are coordinated by our experts across different metal packaging fields – it is precisely

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for this reason that Anfima is widely considered to be an important meeting point for all manner of operators across the Italian metal packaging industry.”

Metal packaging is big business, with a huge variety of products and applications that rely on it. Mr Cappelli said, “We are here to support manufacturers of metal packaging both for the consumer and the industrial sectors, so from beverage cans to large steel drums. Metal packaging is a major sector for the Italian economy so it is crucial that we both support it and promote it.”

Mr Cappelli continued, “In 2015, the production of metal packaging in Italy reached around 659000 tonnes, an increase of nearly 2,6 per cent from 2014. We have seen a continued demand for metal packaging as the understanding of its performance and

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environmental benefits increase. Obviously we are very proud of this as it is precisely what Anfima is for. The largest players in the sector come from the beverage, food and chemical industries.”

Perform and promote The two key messages of Anfima are therefore the impressive packaging performance and environmental benefits of metal packaging. Mr Cappelli explained, “We represents both independent local companies and large multinationals – we are here to give a voice to all of the Italian metal packaging industry. We are very flexible and we are always open to discussion with regards to finding suitable partners, meeting requests and challenges

Giorgio Fanti Giorgio Fanti spa produces high quality metal packaging since 1948. The key concept for the Italian founder turned around recycling metal cans and give them a brand new life. Step by step we faced the modernity challenges and we became an industrial and international company producing more than 100 million metal cans per year throughout Europe for general line. Of course, this have been possible by making huge investments on quality and technology. Nonetheless, the real secret relies on investing in our people, which made possible for us to offer to our customers not only high quality products, but also a whole technical support to solve their problems on packaging, bringing more than 60 years of experience at their service.

whatever they may be. We also represent a huge amount of exports, so it is imperative that we stay up to date with the changing legislation and export trends and to change them wherever we have influence. All our members are passionate about highlighting the performance benefits of metal packaging – it can be utilised effectively and reliably for such as huge number of products across consumer and industrial industries.”

He went on to highlight how the ‘total recyclability’ of metal also means that it is a smart choice. He said, “Both aluminium and steel can be continually recycled without any degradation of their properties, making them the ideal packaging solutions. They can be recycled and reused forever without losing an characteristics or seeing a decrease in quality. That is an amazing fact. Metal packaging, as well as being hygienic, safe, unbreak-

able, reliable and cost are environmentally friendly, with CO2 emissions among the lowest in comparison to other materials.”

It is this amazing fact that has prompted an European new logo. A bright, fresh logo that states ‘Metal Recycles Forever’, this is being widely used to communicate the ‘total recyclability’ of metal to consumers as well as to manufacturers, fillers, regulators and any other partners that are keen to highlight this impressive quality of metal packaging. “We are proud to say that due to informations we gave to our members and their cooperation, we estimate that during 2016 about 500 millions of food, beverage and aerosol cans in n Italy have the logo!”

Visit: www.anfima.it

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Exclusive opportunity The packaging industry will shortly be given an exclusive opportunity to target more effectively the blue chip clients they wish to attract. This has been made possible by the advent of an entirely new trade fair which is to be held in Milan in May 2017. The ‘Packaging Première’ show is the world’s most selective luxury packaging exhibition and is dedicated exclusively to the top designers and manufacturers of luxury packaging goods, as Philip Yorke reports.

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ackaging Première is the first highly-focused trade fair of its kind and will be held at the prestigious Milano venue known as ‘The Mall’. Major international brands that rely on only the best and most innovative luxury packaging presentations will be looking for the latest trends and designs in the industry to promote their luxury goods brands.

The response so far from industry leaders is that the applications emphasise the high standing of the exhibitors, who have already committed themselves to participating in the new event by booking an exhibition stand many months in advance.

Extensive facilities The modern exhibition area extends to more than 4000 square metres of usable space and is designed to showcase the entire luxury packaging industry. In particular it is likely to attract manufacturers of raw materials, trimmings and finished products for the

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packaging of luxury fashion items and accessories, as well as to attract top cosmetics and fragrance brands, jewellery and watches. This is in addition to spirits and confectionary luxury goods.

Packaging Premièrealso aspires to be a centre for learning and sharing information through conferences, round tables and debates involving key international speakers.

The unusual layout of the new exhibition will facilitate visits and play a businessmatching role, while the spacious lounge area will provide an elegant and lively environment for visitors and exhibitors to meet.

This is the first event of its kind to feature in the Milanese calendar. The city occupies a leading position on the world stage as a centre for fashion, furniture and design products positioned in the luxury segment. Packaging Première is an event organised by OPS, which is at the front line of successful exhibition management events, with in-depth experience going back more than 20 years.

Design and fashion hub Packaging Première is the worldâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s most selective packaging exhibition and the only one that is dedicated to the full supply chain, including designers and manufacturers of luxury packaging products. This event also appeals to major international brands that entrust the safekeeping of their products to containers that bear the tangible and unmistakeable mark of luxury, all of which can be presented on a stage that enhances the entire luxury packaging industry.

Milan is renowned worldwide as a leading light when it comes to design and fashion trends. As well as hosting the headquarters of a large number of global luxury brands, the city has acquired a central role in the international scene as a unique fashion and design hub.

The choice of Milan as the venue for the new exhibition is intended to make the meeting between demand and supply easier to ensure efficient business matching for all packing related issues. Packaging Première will be held in a 4000 square metre area that has been built to the highest architectural standards and located in the recently developed Porta Nuova business district. It offers cutting edge equipment and facilities, as well as excellent access for visitors with extensive parking areas and efficient public transport. It is located within close proximity of two main railway stations.

For further information about this exciting development in luxury packaging goods promotional opportunities visit: www.packagingpremiere.it

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Guaranteed quality and performance in corrugated tray Europe-wide CFQ standard ensures corrugated is consistently strong and stackable. | 130 | Packaging Europe

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oday’s fresh produce market has hundreds of different types of fruit and vegetables. These must travel on varied journeys along different types of road to their diverse destinations.

Only quality packaging specifically tailored to both the type of fresh produce and the journey can ensure it always arrives safely at its destination. That packaging must be strong enough to cushion, carry and protect a particular fruit or vegetable on a specific journey. After all, apricots need different cushioning to watermelons, and short trips apply less stress on the packaging than long journeys.

That’s why FEFCO and the national associations of corrugated manufacturers designed the new CFQ European-wide technical specification for corrugated trays, which considers both the type of fresh produce being packed and the distance it must travel.

Building on the CF standard You may already be familiar with the Common Footprint (CF) standard. It ensures trays from various origins can be stacked safely by defining a standard base size along with the size and position of tabs and receptacles.

The CFQ standard adds a new dimension to CF: Q for QUALITY. If there’s a CFQ logo on your tray, you can be sure it will be right for your produce. It promises you: • Strength and durability you can trust • Cross-border compatibility • The best weight to volume ratios for shipments • Trays that can be stacked easily and safely

How does it work?

If you want to pack cucumbers for a long distance journey, from Spain to Austria for example, the CFQ accredited corrugated manufacturer will offer a quality tray that’s specifically fit for that purpose.

Assurance of the quality of that tray is based on the experience of the industry and its customers. Spain and Italy, in particular, have been defining quality packaging for many years. This know-how has led to the technical specifications that will ensure the safe transportation of your fruit or vegetables.

Built-in resistance for storage and transport So let’s get technical. What tests are carried out to ensure trays are fit for purpose?

• The Box Compression Test is the most critical. It measures the strength of a box, using vertical compression to verify that trays stacked on a pallet, especially those at the bottom, can support the weight of those above without being crushed.

• The Static Bottom Deflection Test measures resistance to bending to verify that the trays won’t sag under the weight of produce, ensuring your fruit and vegetables retain the maximum protection throughout the journey.

• The Water Absorption Test (Cobb method) verifies that, when kept under the correct storage conditions, the corrugated in CFQ trays can absorb a defined amount of moisture or fluid while maintaining the characteristics of the tray.

Going the distance We’ve seen how the distance to be travelled also has a major impact on the quality of box required. That’s why CFQ defines three different classes of transport:

CFQ benefits

“With CFQ, FEFCO and the national organisations have created a standard that takes into account both the produce to be packed and the distance it travels.

The CFQ standard will not only help growers and retailers select the tray that is a perfect fit for their needs, but also deliver the quality promised every time.”

Angelika Christ, Secretary General of FEFCO

Consistently high performance: The strength and durability of any tray carrying the CFQ stamp has been rigorously tested to ensure it is fit for purpose while optimising handling and transportation.

Simplicity for your supply chain: The CFQ stamp offers assurance that trays can be stacked safely and quickly so distribution centres can handle trays from different origins, stacking them on top of each other with ease.

Optimised transportation: Light and modular, with standardised bases and variable heights, CFQ trays offer the best weight to volume ratio for shipments, maximising truck loads and minimising transportation costs.

Cross-border compatibility: The modular CFQ trays are strong and fit for purpose. In Europe, all trays with the CFQ logo are compatible, facilitating handling and logistics operations.

Assured quality: Use of the CFQ stamp is only granted to corrugated manufacturers once their trays have been audited to ensure they meet CFQ’s strict technical specifications.

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• Class D is for domestic or nearby cross-border transport • Class E is for exports over shorter distances, for instance from Italy to Germany • Class L is for long-distance or overseas exports, for instance from Spain to Russia

Quality assured

Corrugated benefits Sustainable: Corrugated packaging cares for the environment. It’s 100% natural, 100% renewable, 100% biodegradable, 100% recyclable and made of 88% recycled materials.

Safe & hygienic: Only ever used once, the trays are always new and perfectly clean. More than that, during the manufacturing process the paper is heated above 100°C – high enough to kill germs.

Superior protection: Corrugated is resistant to shock, impact, dropping and vibration. It can endure the worse treatments without losing any of its incomparable properties.

Ideal logistics partner: Corrugated packaging is computer designed for maximum product fit. It maximises stacking and space use to transport your product more efficiently.

Excellent runnability: Corrugated is ideally suited for fully automated systems. It’s easy to erect and can be filled at high speed on automated packing lines.

Eye catching: Corrugated packaging is ideal for high-quality, eye-catching multicolored printing. Its printability makes corrugated packaging an ideal promotional tool.

Informative: By conveying information on quality, ripeness, brand, country, locality of origin and more, in attractive full colour, corrugated packaging helps to increase sales.

Innovative: New solutions for material resistance and weight, adhesives, fluting and digital printing are emerging almost every day. New fields such as micro encapsulation and nanotech are opening up new possibilities.

A circular economy: Our industry supports the Circular Economy in which raw materials are sourced from renewable, responsibly managed resources and where possible, recycled after use.

Contributing to society: The European Corrugated Industry is a local employer. Across Europe there are 701 corrugated plants employing around 91,000 people.

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The use of the CFQ stamp is limited to producers whose trays meet the technical specifications defined by FEFCO and the national corrugated board associations.

All tray testing is performed externally under standard conditions prescribed by FEFCO. National organisations managing CFQ, such as Bestack in Italy, Uniq in Spain and COF in France, have each implemented a local control system to ensure their members meet CFQ’s strict technical specifications.

Corrugated manufacturers retain reference samples for an external accredited laboratory to test a number of times each year. If the required quality is not met, they will initially be fined. In the (rare) case of repeated violations, the manufacturer will be barred from using the CFQ logo on its tray.

The system is rigorous and the penalties are high enough to be painful.

Efficiency from grower to retailer CFQ ensures that the tray will do a perfect job for the retailer throughout the entire logistic chain – from the grower to the retailer.

A tray with the CFQ stamp is a tray where quality is the main priority, so you can be certain your fruit and vegetables will arrive in optimum condition.

Visit: www.corrugated-ofcourse.eu/CFQ

Proven superior hygiene Science has shown why corrugated packaging keeps your produce fresher than plastic.

A study conducted by the University of Bologna’s Department of Agricultural Food Sciences in Italy found that contamination by spoilage bacteria is significantly lower when fruits are packed in corrugated trays. Researchers calculated that the shelf life of fruits packed in corrugated fruit trays is up to three days longer than that of fruits packed in returnable plastic crates (RPCs).

Building upon the results of that study, a second study investigated the reasons for the difference in cross-contamination levels between RPCs and corrugated packaging. The team discovered that the higher levels of packed produce cross-contamination in RPCs were due to microorganisms surviving longer on plastic surfaces than corrugated.

With the corrugated microorganisms became trapped inside the corrugated fibres and unable to reach the surface – severely reducing their ability to crosscontaminate packed fresh produce.

With the plastic the smooth, continuous plastic surfaces were unable to trap microorganisms. In addition, tiny cuts and difficult-to-clean scratches could easily fill with organic matter – particularly in worn, RPCs – and multiply with humidity and suitable environmental conditions.

Elopak´s next generation paper-based packaging solutions Elopak is an international supplier of paper-based packaging solutions for liquid food. Based in Norway and wholly owned by the Ferd Group, the company is continually developing its expertise to meet changing consumer demands for better packaged food products. Elopak continues to set new benchmarks and recently launched its greenest Pure-Pak carton ever. Philip Yorke reports.

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lopak’s mission is to preserve the world´s resources in a healthy, safe and sustainable manner by breaking new ground at every level of packaging and processing, as well as in food science, logistics analysis and packaging concepts. These goals are enhanced by the company’s systems-based approach, which largely characterises its contribution to the world of packaging.

Over half a century of continuous expansion and growth has seen Elopak transform into a global corporation operating on every continent, with in-depth market penetration through a network of distribution units and associates in more than 40 countries worldwide.

New filling technologies Elopak broke into the ambient dairy market in 2015 with its new aseptic filling technology for UHT milk. The completely new filling platform has been developed in the company’s production plant in Germany and utilised to fill the first aseptic milk carton in gable top format at its customer Arla’s plant in Pronsfeld, Germany. The innovative filling line E-PS120A provides both dairies and juice producers with efficient and flexible filling of high and low acid products in ambient distribution.

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So far eight filling lines have been installed, of which three are at Arla’s production site in Pronsfeld and filling Arla’s own brand ‘Weidemilch’, as well as lactose-free specialities for several major retail brands.

In addition to several of those new filling lines already in operation in the juice industry, Eckes Granini Finland is currently installing an E-PS120A – aiming to transfer Eckes Granini´s “ Marli Natur” and “Vital” products to Elopak new packaging format “Pure-Pak Sense”.

The advanced filling technology provides cost-effective, ultra-clean processing with the flexibility and filling technology needed for today’s markets. Depending on product specification, a shelf life of up to 12 months can be achieved, with up to 12,000 cartons filled per hour.

The E-PS120A has a modular and space-saving design that provides maximum flexibility in manufacturing, assembly, operation and maintenance. Elopak’s convenient gable-top carton format has proven successful for decades. As the leading carton packaging format in fresh dairy and juices, the company expects that the Pure-Pak will support brand values such as freshness, naturalness and premium appeal as well in the UHT segment.

For further details please visit: www.elopak-aseptic-system.com

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Pure logic The latest carton innovation from Elopak is called Pure-Pak Sense, introduced for fresh dairy and juices. A number of industry leaders have already decided to switch from the classic Pure-Pak carton to the new Pure-Pak Sense design, which is offered in different formats, closure- and feature-combinations.

Leading food and beverage manufacturers such as Friesland Campina in the Netherlands, Glanbia in Ireland, Tine in Norway and Farmi in Estonia all benefit from the latest Pure-Pak Sense technology. The modernised design of the Pure-Pak Sense format comprises new features giving the well-established gable top carton a new look and feel. It includes embossed ‘first touch’ zones on the side panels providing better, firmer grip and sensory experience when taking the carton from the shelf or out of the fridge. In addition, the rounded top fin and front panel gives a more organic shape. The printability of top fin combined with the option of the so-called corner panel provides a variety of combinations to increase visibility at the point of sale.

Elopak told Packaging Europe, “Several consumer research studies have proved that Elopak is ahead compared to our competitors when it comes to solutions for handling properties with easy opening, non-dripping, pouring and safe re-closuring. Within the UHT milk market, the single opening device has been evaluated as very important, thus helping brand owners to increase customer satisfaction and loyalty.

For further details please visit: www.purepaksense.com

Greenest ever Elopak is committed to reducing the carbon footprint of its products and late in 2014 it launched its ‘Greenest Pure-Pak carton’ ever. This is a beverage carton featuring renewable polyethylene (PE) as an alternative to fossil-based PE. The new carton further reduces the carbon footprint and gives an environmental advantage over other packaging materials. The use of renewable PE reduces the carbon footprint of a typical milk carton with closure by approx. 20 per cent.

Compared to other renewable PE solutions on the market, the latest Elopak innovation is derived from second generation feedstock. These are made from bi-products from food production. They are not in competition with food supply and are regionally | 136 | Packaging Europe

sourced within Europe. The company is proud that its latest packaging has been well recognised within the industry, as it won the UK Starpack Silver Award, the German Packaging Award and has been honoured with the PepsiCo sustainable supplier trophy in France.

Arla Denmark was the first customer to introduce the 100 per cent renewable packaging for its Arla Harmonie brand. Several other customers followed suit, such as Royal Friesland Campina, which changed the packaging of its ‘Optimel’ and several products from its ‘ViFit’ range to Elopak’s renewable PE. For further details please visit: www.elopak.com

UNITED CAPS

UNITED CAPS is a proud long term partner of Elopak. Together, we support brands to further growth and improve product sustainability and convenience. Our pioneer packaging concepts help beverage and dairy producers keep absolute hygiene and safety.

Elopakâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s packaging solutions benefit from our high quality closures which offer perfect balance between tightness and easy-opening. Our advanced production technologies guarantee high accuracy at the assembling process.

Thus, the closures deliver reliable quality and consistent opening properties.

UNITED CAPS offers a wide range of innovative closure solutions. With GREENCAP, we have pioneered a technology breakthrough overcoming traditional limitations of closure manufacture and providing higher capping speeds. This efficient solution combines low weight with high performance.

For more information, please visit www.unitedcaps.com

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International packaging partner Ondulati ed Imballagi del Friuli has become an important packaging supplier to many leading international companies by focusing on a wide range of products and innovation, alongside a continuous investment plan. Daniele Garavaglia reports.

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eing labelled a ‘green’ company in the field of packaging is no mean feat: Ondulati ed Imballagi del Friuli SpA, was awarded the FSC® (Forest Stewardship Council®) Certificate way back in 2009, and this has been the backbone of its industrial development. “Our company manufactures corrugated cardboard packaging of all types and sizes, mainly for food and furnishings. In addition, we also operate in the ‘mainstream’ fields of paper and textiles and, lately, with a fast growing presence in plastics,” says the company’s management.

The assets? “Thanks to the use of modern and wide-ranging production techniques, we can provide a full-scale service both in terms of quantity (from a box to infinity) and in terms of service (inventory for clients, co-packers, management of assembly lines). We can customise every package on the basis of a client’s requirements, whether using the flexographic or the digital method. We are also in a position to provide a broad array of complementary products, including foam pads, inserts and carton pallets (Ready-made pallet®).”

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Production profile Ondulati’s manufacturing activities are distributed over five facilities – two in Villesse (Gorizia), and one each in Carnia-Venzone (Udine), Cormons (Gorizia) and in Jazbereny (Hungary) – covering a total covered area of 40,000m2. These factories use cutting-edge machinery in the production of corrugated cardboard packaging (American boxes, die-cut boxes, hives, displays and angular protections).

A workforce of 200 guarantees a daily output of around 600,000 square metres of cardboard. This organisational efficiency has enabled the company to win international clients such as Unilever, Ikea, Norbert Marcher, Alpla Werke and Ljubljanske Mlekarne – product innovation being a key factor behind this success.

“Our Carnia site has recently rolled out the production of display packaging in order to complete the range of products we can offer to clients. We have also launched a line of pizza boxes, Dove Vuoi®, with a highly insulating metallised PET lining which keeps the food warm for longer. Furthermore, the Italian market has played host to the online

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Vice s.r.l. is a young and dynamic reality, which produces and distributes mainly chemical products for the corrugated board, whose history began thanks to two men perseverance, who believing to their dreams they started a project fruit of the exchange between high chemical competences and impartial love for their work.

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he investments have been constant and very significant, always carried out in order to expand the company. Since then the company has gained a great know-how, acquiring new market shares and the collaborators number is progressively extended. Persons, which improving their specific knowledge and their creativity, have further affected on Vice growth: the professionalism development of everyone, full and real, is an integrating part of the company philosophy not less about to work promptly with the aim to individuate new solutions that satisfy the well-structured and complex global market needs as the corrugated board one.

The challenge has been and is even now great also if the results collected in these activities years are more than satisfactory, Vice in fact has reached a national leadership position in the chemical products production and distribution for the corrugated board industry: today, 80% of the national market is its exclusive prerogative. This reason has contributed to increase sensitively its production capacities arriving in 2016 summer to decide to transfer in a new operations head office with wider spaces. This transfer is foreseen for the spring of 2017.

Being a reality strengthened in the Italian market, Vice next objectives is to expand always more also outside the national boundary; it is no coincidence that, in the last years, Vice has frequently participated to international events such as Sino Corrugated, CCE International, etc.

One of Vice “must” is that to curate in particular way the comparison with the partners: supplying direct assistance, giving a continue information exchange, paying attention the customer needs and trying to support its expectations.

Vice s.r.l. via E. Reginato 85H – 31100 Treviso – Italy Tel. +39 0422 725829 – Fax +39 0422 725830 info@vice-srl.com – www.vice-srl.com – www.vice-chemicals.com

Not of secondary importance is the constant research to obtain the lowest environmental impact that Vice has with its chemicals.

Since some years, the environmental safeguard is one of Vice project central ideals, so that the business research is oriented to the raw materials reworked version with low environmental impact, possibly characterized from danger thresholds approximately equal to zero. Vice has been among the firsts to offer, for example, a wide range of alternative solutions to powder borates in the corrugated board field.

The Research and Development department is constantly committed in the individuation of low environmental impact new solutions, thanks to the work of high-specialized technicians into the internal equipped laboratories.

Vice reconfirms to be an important reference point also for the competitors and this fact gives an incentive to the Company to improve its research and increase further its experience in the field.

As is known that the packaging sector in paper and cardboard has need of additional incentives, just knowing its constant, great development, but the improvement margins are clear and Vice knows that their chemical solutions can contribute in decisive way in in this sense.

Observing from close up Vice experience, it is evident that the reasons to be a great company aren’t its dimensions, but rather its capacity to take on every new market stresses, every particular need, as many starting points to conquer other aspiring goals in a global competition context that encourages to go always beyond its own limits.

Study, research, innovation are Vice rallying cry, a company that has a great field competence, a “be able to do” that it is the distinctive characteristic of made in Italy in the world.

We help your ideas bloom For over 15 years we are specialised in the research, production and commercialisation of chemical additives for the industry. We analyse and study every single production process by providing a range of skills and services that make every product the tailored solution.

Vice s.r.l. via E. Reginato 85H – 31100 Treviso – Italy Tel. +39 0422 725829 – Fax +39 0422 725830 info@vice-srl.com – www.vice-srl.com – www.vice-chemicals.com

Chemicals for corrugated board: Biocides, liquid borax, rheological adjuvants and rheology stabilisers, resins, and polymers to increase the mechanical properties of the corrugated board in wet or dry environment, defoamers, deaerating agents, barriers, wetting agents, detergents, lubricants, antistatics, antiscales.

sales platform ODFshop®: the resounding success of the e-commerce tool will now be extended to the main European markets.”

The company enjoys a good grassroots presence in Slovenia and Austria, with Hungary and Croatia also being important export markets: “Harnessing a favourable geographical position, the company has been able to operate in different markets, with the goal of significantly expanding and strengthening our existing operations.”

Keys to success What are the factors that propel Ondulati’s international development plan? “Quality production that satisfies the needs of the most discerning clientele calls not only for a great organisation but also state-of-the-art machines coupled with trusted suppliers. We are currently in the midst of upgrading all our factories, a process slated

to last until 2019. A new production unit, ‘ODF2’, has been created at the Villesse factory: raw materials will be replenished automatically and production will focus on Ready-made pallet, foam pads and inserts. Villesse, since the beginning of the year, has hosted a rotary die-cutter while a new case-maker is slated for installation.

The Carnia facility now houses a second plotter for large format production; an upgrading of digital printing is also in the pipeline.”

The company also has a precisely outlined development plan: “Our strategy over the past few years has been focused on product diversification so we can be a partner with a full range of products for our clients. The decision was taken to endow each factory with a high degree of specialisation. We have become a one-stop shop for every type of corrugated cardboard packaging, with exceptionally high levels of n specialisation, competitiveness and innovation.”

“Thanks to the use of modern and wide-ranging production techniques, we can provide a full-scale service both in terms of quantity (from a box to infinity) and in terms of service (inventory for clients, co-packers, management of assembly lines). We can customise every package on the basis of a client’s requirements, whether using the flexographic or the digital method. We are also in a position to provide a broad array of complementary products, including foam pads, inserts and carton pallets (Ready-made pallet®).”

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Electronically Secure Package solutions based on Printed Electronics Saralon is a market leader in the field of printed electronics and specialised inks for the packaging industry. The company is developing revolutionary technologies that are transforming the industry and its options for high quality, cost-sensitive packaging. Philip Yorke talked to Steve Paschky, the company’s CMO, about the innovative products it plans to showcase at the forthcoming Pharmapack trade show in Paris in 2017.

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aralon is a privately owned company that was founded in 2015 as a spin-off from the Institute of Print and Media Technology, at the University of Technology in Chemnitz, Germany. The team at Saralon has accumulated unrivalled expertise and in-depth knowledge of printed electronics. The company not only offers specialist expertise in the development and manufacture of advanced printing inks, but also in circuit design, package design, package production and printing.

Super-functional inks Saralon has developed a set of various functional ink (Saral Inks©) to print electronic applications comprising of printed batteries, sensors and displays for Smart Packages. This technology can be applied to cartons, plastic boxes or glass bottles.

The company has also developed several approaches for Anti-Counterfeiting in packages branded as SaralSecurity©, which includes a printed antenna or battery as well as printed circuit, sensor and electrochromic display. With these approaches end consumer can easily check the authentication of package and its content.

With its solutions for tamper evidence closures Saralon is providing effective and cost efficient approaches for packaging industry to be used for pharmaceutical package or premium and luxury goods packs.

Paschky said, “We target two key audiences and these are brand owners and packaging companies. We look at what they require and then develop the best solutions for them prior to committing the products to high volume production. We have developed some unique solutions for the anti-counterfeiting market too, as well as for the pharma and automotive industries.

“We are selected for Start-up Hub at the forthcoming Pharmapack trade fair in Paris in 2017, where we will be showcasing our latest innovative technologies based on our developed functional inks. These will include ground-breaking innovations for anti-counterfeiting working with fully printed electronic applications. Today it is easy to make things expensive and complicated, but we at Saralon make things simple and cost-effective. Our technologies have been developed to fulfil the requirements of our clients and the most cost-sensitive packaging industries.”

For further details of Saralon’s ground-breaking products and services, visit: www.saralon.com

Simplifying packaging electronics Saralon GmbH told Packaging Europe that it is fully committed to producing electronics in a simple and cost-effective way. Therefore it has developed various innovative inks (Saral Inks©) in order to produce different electronic devices via conventional printing machines. By using these special Saral Inks©, a packaging manufacturer can print various disposable electronics themselves and integrate them into different packages by using their existing production lines.

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Tankless reliability in the production process Concept Stream, the new tankless solution made by Robatech, has proven itself in a field test at Chocolat Frey AG.

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the end of September 2016, Robatech introduced a new adhesive melter, the Concept Stream. Prior to that, the device was tested intensively for capacity and reliability during the field test at Chocolat Frey AG – and proved itself. This possibility was opened up thanks to the successful collaboration of more than 30 years between the two companies in adhesive applications. The partnership is based on reliability, local proximity, and competent customer support.

Chocolat Frey AG, with headquarters in Buchs AG, was founded in 1887 by the brothers Robert and Max Frey in Aarau. Early on, the company distinguished itself through its quality products and earned an excellent reputation in the ‘luxury food market’. In 1950, Chocolat Frey AG was acquired by Migros, and in 1967 the company relocated to its current production site in Buchs AG.

Stability through reliability In the field test, the Concept Stream was used at Chocolat Frey AG’s facilities on a carton erector for shipping boxes of the popular Classic Branches chocolate bars. For this purpose, the new melter was integrated into an existing adhesive application system made by Robatech. Due to the modular design and high compatibility of the Robatech components, the retrofit was quick and easy. The system was put into operation at the beginning of March 2016. For the respective process, the carton blanks are pulled individually from the magazine. Next, one bead of adhesive is applied to the four flaps using two hot melt adhesive application heads. Then, the blank is pressed down. In doing so, it is erected and sealed.

The packaging is filled fully automatically with 30 Branches each.

Mr Leuenberger, Confectionary Technology Team Leader at Chocolat Frey AG, said: “We are very satisfied with the new Robatech solution. The Concept Stream completed its task reliably from the start. The system is quickly ready for use and production is very stable. The great user-friendliness helps as well.”

As the melter is filled manually at Chocolat Frey AG, operator safety is of great importance. For this purpose, the filling area of the melter is separated from the hot tank using a plastic adapter. In addition, the CoolTouch insulation increases operator safety, as it significantly reduces the risk of burns.

Concept Stream The Melt-on-Demand technology of the compact and innovative high-performance tank combines the highest melting capacity (8 kg/h) with a very small tank volume. For this reason, the Concept Stream can be adjusted for effective adhesive consumption. Thanks to this controlled adhesive flow, less chars occur in the system and residues in the tank are significantly reduced. This leads to significantly less nozzle blockage and increased reliability during adhesive application. Operational readiness from the cold state is achieved within the shortest time (up to 160 ºC in 16 minutes). Production can be resumed immediately after a shutdown, which promotes a reliable gluing process. As a member of the GreenLine family, the Concept Stream features the proven CoolTouch insulation by default. This contributes to energy savings as well as operator safety.

Another advantage of the Concept Stream – confirmed by Chocolat Frey AG – is easy device cleaning/maintenance, as – thanks to MOD technology – less chars occur caused by residues in the tank. This significantly reduces the cleaning effort. Both companies are very satisfied with the achieved results. “The new Concept Stream has proven itself at work with a stable production process trough reliability and is ready to demonstrate its qualities for other applications in different industries,” states Martin Berli, Regional Sales Manager Central Switzerland at Robatech AG. Visit: www.robatech.com/de-ch

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PACE steps up a gear Leading conference and event organiser Arena International is currently planning its 12th annual PACE Packaging and Converting Europe Forum which is set to be even more informative and engaged than previous years thanks to fresh topics and live streaming. Emma-Jane Batey spoke to Head of PACE Martin Ryan to learn more.

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he 12th annual PACE event will be held in Amsterdam from 28 February to 2 March 2017 and it is already proving to be a highly effective forum for the packaging community. A proudly different event, PACE, organised by Arena International, attracts many of the world’s senior level executives from the packaging and converting major players, all coming to gain valuable contacts and build business.

Arena’s Head of PACE Martin Ryan spoke to Packaging Europe magazine to explain how the upcoming PACE forum is sure to be even more focused than ever before. Mr Ryan said, “For the first time our two and a half day packaging industry event is going to be live streamed. It’s very much a content-led event, packed with packaging and converting industry information on the current packaging trends, innovations and challenges.”

Mr Ryan explained how the PACE forum is a ‘must-attend event’ that will be focused on optimisation of the supply chain, customer trends and promoting compliance within a circular economy. He continued, “By streaming this year’s programme we believe we will provide a better engagement for our attendees, who are primarily R&D directors, head of packaging engineering, marketing directors, material buyers and procurement directors from across the packaging and converting supply chain. With this high level of attendance, we know that the PACE event is strategically geared to winning and optimising business. We are well aware that trade events can sometimes be very expensive with very

little tangible benefit, so we consistently direct PACE to ensure that attendees are actually getting in front of decision makers that are actually looking for a new supplier or service provider for a particular role in their business.”

Solutions focused This strategy is achieved in two key ways: firstly, PACE is an invitation-only event; secondly, attendees are able to connect with fellow attendees in advance of the event in order to establish how they may benefit from working together. Mr Ryan explained, “The 2017 forum will, as ever, be a great opportunity for brand owners and innovative solution providers to meet and focus on the latest technologies, best practice and innovations that are set to influence and transform the packaging and converting industry. As an invitation-only event, attendees can be assured that all the people they meet are serious about improving their packaging performance. All of the visionary keynote presentations, in-depth workshops and interactive round tables are geared up for moving forward, for finding solutions and for delivering value. We know that all our attendees are busy, so PACE is certainly an effective use of their time!”

Having established itself as the packaging and converting industry’s key invitationonly, interpersonal event, PACE advises its attendees to plan their time at the event well

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Flagship event

in advance in order to maximise the clear advantage. Mr Ryan noted, “All attendees know that anyone they meet at the event is the top person or the next-in-line. Decisions can be made. This smart strategy saves money and saves overheads when compared with ‘traditional’ trade shows. PACE is packed with people with upcoming projects and people looking for solutions. It’s packed with business intelligence!”

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PACE is Arena International’s flagship event and the organiser is keen to highlight just how effective it is as business development tool. Mr Ryan added, “PACE is very well known across Europe and worldwide, as it has grown into a truly global event that is attended by many of the world’s leading brand owners. Yes, other events can be good, but the key difference with PACE is that we have strategically developed the who, what, why – the actual aims of our attendees. PACE is all about business, it’s about growth...it’s not just a marketing event for people to show their face at. It’s a place to meet decision makers and get stuff done. It can be an intense couple of days but it is fantastic in terms of value.”

With the 2017 PACE forum centred on the issues of innovation, sustainability and design, attendees are already analysing the latest business intelligence provided by PACE to ensure they meet the right people for their current needs. Mr Ryan concluded, “We have detailed industry reports from our partner Canadean to make sure we know what consumers are saying. Big brands then come to PACE with access to our business intelligence, which means they know what their customers’ customers want. That close understanding of the end user means that attendees can speak to potential suppliers knowing what consumers are saying. It’s a great opportunity to essentially narrow the packaging supply chain, which can be so convoluted. There’s nothing wasted here: the right people meet the right people at PACE.” Visit: www.arena-international.com/pace

Perfecting and

protecting brand values

Athena Graphics (participating at Pace Europe) is a European market leader in pre-press solutions for a broad range of customers in the packaging business. Philip Yorke reports on a company that continues to grow and set the standards for the industry.

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thena Graphics is an independent, family-owned business that was founded in 1991 in order to offer ‘best-in-class’ pre-press solutions for printers, retailers and brand owners. The company has seen consistent growth with offices in France and the Netherlands and more recently moved into purpose-built state-of-the-art offices in Roeselare, Belgium.

Today over 100 people are employed at the company’s three sites, which has a wide customer base that includes brand owners in many diverse sectors ranging from the food industry to pharmaceuticals.

Tailor-made solutions Athena Graphics guarantees its high-quality prepress services for its client’s prepress packaging requirements and handles more than 35,000 orders a year for more than 100 important brands. The company has developed a platform for tailor-made solutions that simplifies the packaging chain, streamlines workflows and brings a structure to workflow visibility that eradicates bottlenecks. In addition to offering a unique status overview, it is possible to use an online approval cycle, a digital asset management tool and an advanced project management system to optimise operations.

The company told Packaging Europe that it acts as a brand guardian: its operators perform the necessary colour corrections and are able to optimise images according to each individual printing technique. Athena also ensures brand consistency on all its customers’ packaging requirements regardless of the type of substrate or material involved.

A multilingual team of 25 dedicated account handlers are responsible for the coordination and optimisation of the finished product either on- or off-site. The carefully

calibrated proofs in combination with GMG software provide a realistic image of the final printed result, and in addition the company can create exciting 3D visuals, videos and virtual pack-shots. Athena’s goal is to minimise the need for re-work, reduce the time-tomarket and decrease operational costs.

On-going investment in new technology As an independent company, Athena Graphics is able to make fast decisions that benefit its customers and reduce overall production costs. These values, along with the strategic decision to invest constantly in the latest technologies, form the basis for the competitive edge Athena Graphics enjoys.

Concerning artwork and pre-press solutions, Ignace Cosaert said, “We continue to invest in all the latest software from both Esko and Hybrid. When it comes to flexo printing plates, we are able to select the relevant technologies from Esko Full HD Flexo, Kodak NX, Next and Pixel+ to achieve the best possible printed result.”

Over the next few years the company plans to continue investing in new technologies and will also develop its own online range of dedicated customer services. The latest development is ‘Packaging Couture’, which consists of three unique concepts designed to optimise the printing on labels, foils and cardboard. Ignace Cosaert added, “Packaging Couture is just like Haute Couture offering the cream of the crop at a quality level where artwork is transformed into the most beautiful printed result.”

For further details of Athena Graphics innovative prepress solutions and services visit, www.athena-graphics.be

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Packaging Innovations International Trade Show in Warsaw A record breaking 4,500 industry specialists, presentations of innovative solutions, 200 exhibitors from Poland and abroad – this was the 2016 Packaging Innovations International Trade Show in a nutshell. Now, with a few months before the start of next year’s event, more than 100 exhibitors have announced their participation. The next Packaging Innovations International Trade Show, the most important industry meeting, will take place on 4–5 April, 2017 in EXPO XXI Warsaw, Poland.

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is no coincidence that the greatest packaging trade show in central and eastern Europe has been held in Warsaw every year. What had made the event a fixture in the EXPO XXI calendar? One reason is the attractive location of this modern facility, situated in close proximity to the town centre, to the railway station and to the Chopin Airport. The city of Warsaw is located in the heart of Europe, where many international companies have their headquarters.

Each year, the event is visited by company owners, managing directors, brand managers, designers, technologists and distributors of packaging, representatives of marketing departments, purchasing managers and specialists. It is worth noting that guests represent a wide range of industries, including: food, cosmetics, chemicals, pharmaceuticals, industrial or advertising.

The key to success Aside from the encouraging visitor and exhibitor numbers, the Packaging Innovations International Trade Show has many more reasons to be proud. From the show organisers’ point of view, the satisfaction of the guests, who each year appreciate the high standards of the event, is one of the most important reasons to be proud. This opinion is confirmed by the words of one of the exhibitors, Mr Boleslaw Jasinowicz from the company FANO. “We have been taking part in the Packaging Innovations Trade Show for seven years, so we know them very well. It is without a doubt the best packaging trade show in Poland. For several years the event has strengthened its leadership position, so a large number of substantive, meaningful business customers come here. We appreciate the trade show very much, we praise it and will certainly be back. The excellent location of the event is worth a particular note.”

The perfect composition The Packaging Innovations Trade Show has an extremely rich accompanying programme, which includes, among others, conferences organised during the event and the annual competition for young designers of packaging – the Student Zone. Young talented designers, finalists in the competition to create the most interesting package, | 150 | Packaging Europe

show their works in a special exhibition space. For them, participation in the show means a platform to launch their career, with introductions to industry experts often resulting in job or internship offers.

The Workshops Zone, where leading industry leaders have their presentations and workshops, is a vital part of the Packaging Innovations Trade Show. The topics of the meetings are carefully selected and they address key issues related to the packaging market. The invited guests are experts in their professions and are happy to share their experience.

New edition means new challenges The ECOPACK Zone will be a new addition to the 9th edition of the Packaging Innovations International Trade Show in 2017. Environmental protection is one of the biggest challenges of the modern world. The Trade Show organisers have prepared a special space for packaging producers and distributors, where biodegradable packaging and labels as well as those that use environmentally friendly technology will be presented.

The Packaging Innovations International Trade Show is always accompanied by additional attractions. The previous edition’s hot item was the presentation of the print from the legendary Campbell’s Soup Cans, Andy Warhol’s famous work from 1969, signed by the artist.

To find out more about the 2017 edition, visit: www.packaginginnovations.pl

Specialists in

water treatment

O.M.C. Collareda Srl is a company that for over 40 years now has been involved in the design, manufacture, assembling and commissioning of water treatment plants for water produced by civil and industrial processes, as well as of systems for stock preparation for the paper industry. In over 40 years of business, O.M.C. Collareda Srl has sold and installed more than 2000 plants and systems in several countries around the world.

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he mission of O.M.C. Collareda is to research new technologies with the aim of achieving three key results: the recycling of raw materials, water recovery and energy saving. All this with an eye to the environment both when it comes to ensuring compliance with national laws and the standards of the countries where its customers are located: OMC examines the given situation case by case, offering its customers the best solutions and making its advanced technologies available to them.

“This is precisely our strength: to meet with customers in person, presenting a comprehensive technical file with detailed drawings of the plants and offering them an industrial know-how that can count on our extensive experience in the field.

What makes the difference is our ability to be a reliable partner for our customers and not just mere suppliers.

Product offering “Our production of water treatment plants includes dissolved air flotation systems DELTAFLOAT and TIGERFLOAT, dissolved air settling-flotation systems SEDIDELTAFLOAT, continuous self-cleaning sand filters OMEGAFILTER, drum filters GAMMAFILTER, fractioning/separator filters SIGMAFILTER, disc filters DENSIDISC and filters for water micro-filtration MICRO-FILTER.” | 152 | Packaging Europe

When it comes to drainage systems, O.M.C. Collareda designs and manufactures Biological Plants according to different technologies, such as activated sludge oxidation AST, MBBR (Moving Bed Biofilm Reactor) and MBR (Membrane Biological Reactor), with the aim of recovering some of the treated water.

Another important line of business is primary and process waters from rivers, lakes and polluted groundwater: its Primary Water Division designs and manufactures systems for filtration, ultra-filtration and reverse osmosis. This division offers equipment and systems for filtration on sand beds, iron removal systems, activated carbon filtration, ion exchange plants, electro-deionisation, microfiltration & nano-filtration, seawater desalination, UV sterilisation, ozonation and containerised systems.

O.M.C. Collareda Srl can also offer its range of plants and systems for stock preparation for paper mills. In recent years, it has made considerable efforts to meet the latest demands of the paper industry. Flexibility and modularity, coupled with knowledge of the process, are now the key words in the design phase.

Machines such as pulpers, screens, cleaners, fractionators, flotation cells, washers, hot dispersion plants, under-machine pulpers, refiners, deflakers and stirrers are an integral part of its production. Individual machines or complete lines for stock

preparation can be designed and manufactured to meet all customer requirements and for any type of paper or cardboard product.

Extensive experience and organisation enable O.M.C. Collareda not only to build equipment, but also to develop any engineering project in specific fields of industry, provide turnkey installations anywhere and carry out studies for the improvement of existing water cycles.

“All this is made possible thanks to a widespread sales network that allows us to reach and serve every corner of the world; a specialised Technical Department, where skilled technicians are steadily at work researching and developing new projects in order to be abreast of the times; and an R&D laboratory equipped with the most modern tools – essential nowadays in order to remain competitive and to constantly upgrade the technologies we offer.”

Continued expansion

the design, manufacture and after-sales service are all based at our headquarters in Schio, where not only are all ideas and experiments are hatched and conducted, but also the site of production of high-quality products.”

In the near future, O.M.C. Collareda Srl expects to grow even further, looking for new markets and new technologies for cleaning up pollution in general, and its goals will be to increase the diversification of its products and further enhance the customer service and engineering consulting available to its customers.

“A major bet for O.M.C. Collareda: the desire to always put ourselves to the test, the ability to keep up with new advancements and an unwavering commitment to a future where technology helps humans to interact sustainably with the planet’s energy resources.”

Visit: www.omc-collareda.com

First established to provide solutions for wastewater treatment in paper mills in particular, over the years O.M.C. Collareda has widely diversified its business, so that today it spans many civil and industrial sectors: from the petrochemical industry to the food and dairy industry; from meat and fish processing to the textile and tanning industry.

“Our company also purifies primary and secondary water for civil and industrial biological plants, water produced by the wine and beverage industry, brewery effluents and much more. You can be sure that wherever the manufacturing process involves water to be purified, O.M.C. Collareda will be there!

“It’s hard to say in which countries in the world today at least one of our plants hasn’t been installed: besides Europe, O.M.C. Collareda is present in the Maghreb, the Middle East, in Central and South America, Oceania, Japan, Russia and China.

“The fact that we can offer our own technology worldwide while yet boasting that all components are Made in Italy is today one of our greatest satisfactions. In fact, Packaging Europe | 153 |

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