Packaging Europe - Drinktec-LabelExpo Special

drinktec and Labelexpo Special – 2017

EXPO SPECIAL DRINKTEC LABELEXPO EUROPE PPMA SHOW PACK EXPO LAS VEGAS

CONTENTS

3 Editor Tim Sykes Comment 4 Circular Economy Completing the circle 8 Beverage closures Spirit cap moulders fight the fakes drinktec Guide 10 drinktec Facts and figures 12 Fairground map Finding your way around 14 Retal Aim high 16 Interview Where the future is made 20 CCL CCL EcoStream® labels for Desperados bottles 22 Preview A record line-up at drinktec 2017

24 25 26 28 29 30 30 32 34 34 36 38 41 42 45

drinktec Industry Profiles Liepājas Papīrs Modern, fast and high quality Tech-Long European expansion AGR Process Pilot® product offers a three-step approach Meypack New development in case packing Teledyne Taptone Tapped in to success Schubert Schubert and KHS present block solution WaveGrip Innovative multipacking canning Gebo Cermex AQFLEX on show Leibinger Showcasing smart solutions H.B. Fuller ‘labelling without limits’ Silgan Demonstrating its beverage credentials Donaldson Filter innovations at drinktec, Hall C1, 243 Logopak Showcasing numerous innovations Rexnord FlatTop Taking engineered sustainability to the next level Hexpol Epseal liner sealing compounds for caps and closures

drinktec and Labelexpo Special – 2017

46 Graco InvisiPac HM25c: The fast, safe and compact hot melt system 48 REPI Additives for more efficient and value PET-packaging 50 Plastotecnica Joining the club!

52 Manjushree Technopack A jewel in India’s packaging crown 54 Graphic Packaging Beverage packaging premiumisation: Shape and visual impact PPMA Show Preview 56 PPMA Show The best of manufacturing innovation PACK EXPO Preview 58 PACK EXPO Show An unmissable PACK EXPO Las Vegas 2017 61 Somic Latest technology at Pack Expo Labelexpo Europe Guide 62 Labelexpo Fact and figures 64 Preview The largest label event in the world Labelexpo Europe Industry Profiles 67 Velcro Europe Velcro Companies ensures reliable sealing 68 Berhalter Die-cutting where profitability and efficiency meet 70 Interview Pushing the boundaries of the labelling market 74 Sappi Innovations in release liner and label papers product groups 75 CRON Europe Flexo CTP for greater flexibility in packaging 76 Domino The launch of K-Series white digital printer 77 acpo Leading the way in overlaminate solutions 78 Avery Dennison Sense, sustainability & shelf appeal 80 Nilpeter New flexo press premiere

Packaging Europe | 1 |

ADVERTISERS INDEX A acpo AGR International

77 26

B Ball Beverages Barberán Bennett Berhalter Bostik

35 27 27 69 71

C CCL Label Cham Paper Group Cosmo Films CRON Europe

21 63 Inside back cover 75

E Engel Global Esko Evonik

19 79 73

G Graco Graphic Packaging

18 55

H Hapa Heat and Control Hexpol TPE I Innovia Films

13 5 23

Inside front cover

L Liepājas Papīrs Logopak

25 41

M Manjushree Technopack Limited

53

N Netstal Nissei ASB Machine Co. Ltd.

17 11

P PakTech Plastotecnica

35 51

R Repi Retal Rexnord Robatech

49 Outside back cover 33 9

S Sidel Somic Squid Ink Sukano

15 61 37 31

T Tech-Long Teledyne Taptone Toyobo

23 29 63

V Velcro Europe

67

W WP Group

7

Tim Sykes

EDITOR Editor Tim Sykes

Senior Account Managers

News Editor

Kevin Gambrill Jesse Roberts

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Telephone: +44 (0)1603 414444

elcome to our special autumn events supplement, where you’ll find everything you need to know about the next month’s most important packaging expos.

The first major show of September is drinktec, which we might call the interpack of beverages. As part of our collaboration with the fair, which takes place in Munich on 11-15 September, we present a dedicated guide to the fair, featuring all the practical information you require about the exhibition and its programme of events, an exclusive interview with exhibition director Petra Westphal and analysis of key drink packaging trends, along with in-depth profiles of many of the most exciting exhibitors. In addition, Sumitomo’s Kevin Heap discusses how new injection moulding precision techniques are helping premium beverage closures keep one step ahead of creative counterfeiters.

Just a fortnight later Brussels welcomes the labelling world to LabelExpo Europe. In addition to our comprehensive guide to the event, we take the chance to delve into market trends and what is new in the market, talking to Andy Thomas-Emans of Labelexpo Global Series about today’s challenges and opportunities in the dynamic world of print and labelling.

Simultaneously in Birmingham, the UK’s preeminent packaging event, the PPMA Show, will be taking place, along with the co-located Interplas. As well as previewing the exhibition’s highlights, I chat with Dr Forbes McDougall, Veolia’s head of Circular Economy, about sustainable packaging and recycling.

This proved to be useful preparation, as I’ll be chairing his session at PPMA on 26th September! Finally, we also preview the third significant fair taking place in the same week: Pack Expo in Las Vegas.

Packaging Europe magazine will be back next month, covering October’s events, including a special focus on COMPAMED, CPhI, pharma and traceability, digital print and new retail formats. In the meantime, we wish you a stimulating events season.

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Tim Sykes ts@packagingeurope.com @PackEuropeTim

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Packaging Europe | 3 |

CIRCULAR ECONOMY

COMPLETING THE CIRCLE On 26th September at the PPMA Show Packaging Europe’s Tim Sykes will be chairing a session with Dr Forbes McDougall, Veolia’s head of Circular Economy and previously head of global waste at P&G, on sustainable food and drink packaging and the circular economy. The two caught up for an interview ahead of the show.

Tim Sykes: What do you consider the key packaging challenges in relation to realising a circular economy?

Forbes McDougall: This was summarised well by the Ellen MacArthur Foundation: A key challenge will be going from efficient packaging to effective packaging. It is unrealistic to demand that the tail wags the dog – we cannot demand that only certain packaging materials or components are used. However, we need to strike a balance between packaging that functions well throughout the supply chain and at end of life. Combining the development of effective packaging with material capture at consumer level is a huge challenge.

TS: Where are the biggest recent and coming advances in recycling technology?

FMcD: A major driver is the fact that sorting technologies are getting better and better. At the PPMA session, I will be showing videos demonstrating this. The fragment size of sortable pieces is getting smaller and smaller.

Automated sorting is key, as it can treat a large volume of materials.

There are lots of cool technologies emerging, addressing the recycling | 4 | Packaging Europe

of niche materials, but it’s important to acknowledge that not everything is viable, and demand for some materials is limited. For the biggest impact, we need to focus on the technologies that deliver volume. Automation is going to have a big impact, particularly when recycling high value goods and precious metals, for example when applying robotics for TV recycling.

TS: Are there situations where packaging falls short of where it could be from a recyclability point of view?

FMcD: In the current climate with the circular economy moving up the policy agenda, I’d say that any packaging that can’t be recycled is a failure. Of course, I recognise the benefits of lightweight packaging protecting and preventing waste.

It is still a success from a packaging point of view, but from a system point of view, if we cannot capture or recover it, it’s a failure. Multi-layer materials that cannot be identified by optical sorters are also a challenge. Materials can end up contaminating a bale of food quality material, and we have to work on optimisation. Furthermore, while we might be able to recover a material, if there isn’t a market for that recycled material afterwards, there’s no value in recovering it.

CIRCULAR ECONOMY TS:

FMcD:

Are there any types of packaging or any packaging materials where you can see potential to significantly increase recycling rates?

The Circular Economy Package has certainly boosted the interest in the circular economy, and there was a jump from where we were in sustainability discussions and the framework. It created as a huge change in mindset, trying to embrace many parts of the economy. It is a move in the right direction, but not yet the finished article. It is early days, a good starting point but it will require a lot of further debate.

FMcD: It wouldn’t be fair to say that the industry isn’t doing well enough. Shortcomings tend to come down to systems rather than individual stakeholders, and how materials move through collection, sorting and recovery systems. Consumer behaviour can also pose a challenge. We are working on new systems for the public to capture coffee cups. In order to improve recycling, big manufacturing shifts, for instance either moving away from multi-material products or ensuring that multi-materials can be dismantled and are recyclable, would help, but there is very little progress there at the moment. New packaging materials with better properties than existing materials could be a solution.

TS: Within the packaging value chain, a lot of R&D effort goes into ensuring recyclability. At the same time, there’s a lot of talk about the need for better infrastructure: more regionally consistent collection and recycling.

What is your take on this? What roles do the respective stakeholders need to play?

FMcD: The task is too big for one sector to solve on its own, so everybody needs to get together. Coming back to ‘circularity’, everybody doing their own thing can lead to problems. The system in both the UK and in Europe is fragmented.

We need to review what works well and rearrange, without causing too much disruption. We need to map out the big picture and find sensible ways to deploy it. Clear discussion and central coordination is key, talking to all players involved all the time.

TS: Do we need to develop new business models to underpin growth in recycling?

And who takes the lead in realising these?

FMcD: This is very important. In Leeds, we operate an energy recovery system, and recycle an extra ten per cent of black bag waste to extract more value prior to incineration. We capture dirty paper, wash it and use our own pulper to process it. We found a customer, a manufacturer of medical devices, who uses the recovered material for sick bowls in hospitals. There are many opportunities for creating new circular solutions. The challenge can sometimes be to find customers for recycled materials. We recently acquired a closed loop HDPE recycling facility in Dagenham, and have increased the amount of recycling available, but it is a challenge to find customers to consume the volume created.

TS: How do you view the EU’s Circular Economy Package? Is it an effective vehicle to stimulate change? | 6 | Packaging Europe

TS: How do you relate these issues to supply chain security?

FMcD: Let’s take the example of precious and rare earth metals. None of these originate in Europe. Everything that drives our technology comes from regions such as China, Latin America or Russia. The only reliable source of these materials we have available in Europe is from recycling.

With projected price increases, seen in the context of the growing middle classes in China and India, who will want the same technology we have, prices are going to increase. Therefore, international brands are looking to increase the amount of recycled content in their products. Where are they going to get it from? The more forward-thinking companies are already talking to the owners of these resources – waste management companies or municipalities. If you’re slow off the mark, you will struggle. Virgin materials will still be available, but you need to know where material is coming from well in advance. Historically recycled materials have been supplied on short-term contracts, favouring buyers. If a material becomes scarcer, this will favour resource management companies. Competition for resources will cause change, and we will start to see the emergence of longer-term contracts.

The UK’ alcoholic beverage market is one of the worst affected by counterfeiting

Many cap producers are now investing in all-electric injection moulding systems to manufacturer the plastic components found within intricate anti-tamper caps

SPIRIT CAP MOULDERS FIGHT THE FAKES Counterfeiting in the drinks industry is a multi-million pound industry. But, thanks to new security measures, including anti-refill and tamper evidence caps, many of which are designed using complex injection moulding techniques in the UK, drink companies are fighting back against the illicit bootleggers. Kevin Heap, packaging expert at Sumitomo (SHI) Demag UK explains how specialist closure moulders are using the latest injection moulding precision techniques to keep one step ahead of the creative counterfeiters to protect trademarked brand integrity.

IN

the UK, the alcoholic beverage market is one of the worst affected by counterfeiting with the Intellectual Property Office reporting that alcohol accounts for 73 per cent of all UK Trading Standard investigations – a rise of 51 per cent from four years ago. The level of counterfeit alcohol sold in the UK is reported to have increased by almost 400 per cent between 2009 and 2012.

The issue extends right across Europe, with the European Union Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO) releasing a report in July 2016 estimating that legitimate industries lose approximately €1.3 billion of revenue annually due to the presence of counterfeit spirits and wine in the EU marketplace. Due to their brand value, premium spirit and wine brands are generally the most vulnerable. The counterfeits commonly contain low-grade liquors, such as adulterated wine or whiskey thinned down with water. Seized bottles of alcohol have also been found to contain lethal ingredients, such as chemicals, which can be harmful when consumed.

As well as replicating the bottles, labels and packaging of well-known drink brands, the technique of refilling is increasingly widespread, especially in Asia. In an effort to crackdown on groups profiting from illicit versions of their branded spirits, manufacturers are making labels more difficult to copy and bottles harder to refill.

| 8 | Packaging Europe

“One way to counteract counterfeiting and product tampering is through the innovative design of packaging that cannot be easily copied,” highlights Kevin. “Until recently, this may have involved putting shrink or foil sleeve around a bottle of wine. However, for premium brands, cap moulders are stepping up the anti and investing in dedicated cells to produce high quality closures made up of a number of complex parts.”

A recent example involved developing a combination aluminium and plastic tamper evident snap-on security closure. Comprising a non-refillable valve for high-risk markets, it also includes an innovative tamper evidence mechanism that provides an irreversible opening event to leave permanent evidence of initial opening. The cap is produced in high volumes and is modular by design, so that trade customers can adapt it to different spirit brands.

The cap works by releasing a plastic part when each bottle is opened.

It is impossible to reinsert this part back into the cap’s neck and when it drops down it reveals a highlighted ring to indicate that the bottle has been opened. For the production of these caps, Sumitomo (SHI) Demag supplied five all-electric IntElect Smart 220ton and 450ton machines, all fitted with the company’s award-winning activeFlowBalance technology. The line up forms part of a dedicated manufacturing cell.

Kevin outlines the intricacies of this customer project, emphasising that repeatable moulding precision is crucial to the performance of each cap’s

BEVERAGE CLOSURES

internal mechanism: “Within each aluminium cap are 14 plastic parts, making the assembly highly complex. Because each plastic element is small and needs to fit together to form the overall tamper evident mechanism, part quality is paramount. This is where activeFlowBalance helps, by ensuring even filling of the mould, precise shot weights and consequently fewer defects.”

Sumitomo (SHI) Demag IntElect machines mould the plastic component, which are then assembled into the cap’s aluminium sleeve by downstream automation lines.

Other methods of deterring counterfeits include concealing unique identifiers, such as a QR code or holograms, on the inside of cap labels. While these can assist with track and tracing, Kevin claims that they only really help to validate the origin of a bottle. “To outsmart quick-witted counterfeiters, drink manufacturers may need to deploy several tactics simultaneously to prevent brand value being diluted, including tamper evident caps, barcoded labels and batch codes, and even chemical markers.”

Similar approaches to cap innovation are also being deployed by the soft drinks and mineral water sector, including widespread adoption of secure closures, tamper evidence bands and push buttons to reveal when a seal has been broken. “For trade moulders that are producing beverage caps and closures by the millions, cost effectiveness is vital. It therefore makes good economic sense to build a complete moulding system to take care of all the anticipated applications, rather than trying to adapt existing equipment. Due to the increased precision involved in moulding caps, many manufacturers today are prepared to invest in new high-performance plant and switch from hydraulic and hybrid to all-electric injection moulding systems,” concludes Kevin.

Kevin Heap, UK packaging expert at Sumitomo (SHI) Demag

Packaging Europe | 9 |

FACTS AND FIGURES drinktec 2017 will welcome approximately 1,600 exhibitors from more than 75 countries in 15 halls with more than 150,000 m2 of exhibition space. More than 70,000 visitors are expected from more than 180 countries.

Date:

Contact:

September 11–15, 2017

Messe München, Germany

Messe München GmbH Messegelände 81823 München Germany

Opening hours:

Telephone:

Monday to Thursday – 09:00 to 18:00 Friday – 09:00 to 17:00

+49 89 949-11318

Location:

Exhibitors have solutions for all branches of industry: 79% 65% 63% 60% 59% 50% 50%

Beer, brewery sector Soft drinks Fruit juices Wine, sparkling wine, spirits Water Milk, liquid dairy products Liquid food

Website: www.drinktec.com

Tickets

On site

Online

Savings Online

Day ticket Three-day ticket Five-day ticket Day ticket Students / Pupils*

EUR 59 EUR 99 EUR 109 EUR 0

EUR 29 EUR 49 EUR 69 –

50% 50% 36% –

All prices include 19% VAT.

SIMEI@drinktec—Big premiere in 2017

SIMEI Knowledge & Innovation Area & SIMEI Sensory Bar

For the first time ever, the International Enological and Bottling Equipment Exhibition will be part of drinktec. Machines and systems for wine production and wine processing as well as suitable packaging will be on display in two halls. The exhibits will perfectly complement the range of technology for the wine industry. You can also look forward to a unique supporting program for this sector.

Leading experts from the wine sector will make presentations on the industry’s most important topics. Representatives of the wine industry, academia and international organizations such as the CEEV, OIV, CERVIM, Stazione Sperimentale del Vetro and Unione Italiana Vini meet here.

At the Sensory Bar, visitors are guided through a “sensory session” to find out how their senses react to the characteristics of wine. The results of the analysis will then be shared at an Italian meal with all participants.

The Innovation Flow Lounge The lounge examines the future of product innovation, packaging and marketing. Decision-makers from sales and marketing and product, brand and innovation managers will encounter top-notch experts there. The lounge focuses on an active exchange about innovative beverage strategies.

New Beverage Concepts This platform is a must for product developers, brand and innovation managers, marketing decision-makers and buyers who are looking for new ingredients or beverage concepts. Manufacturers present and explain their new developments that pertain to sweeteners, colourings, flavourings, ingredients and additives as well as treatment agents and recipes. A tasting area will round out your visit. | 10 | Packaging Europe

World Beverage Innovation Awards This competition honours leading achievements and innovations in all areas of the global beverage industry. Categories range from finished products and packaging to technologies, marketing and sustainability. The award ceremony is on September 14, 2017.

SIMEI Innovation Challenge As part of the fourth Innovation Challenge, this award honours SIMEI exhibitors’ most innovative and future-oriented pioneering achievements and solutions. The award ceremony is in Hall C2 at 16:30 on September 12, 2017.

FAIRGROUND MAP

| 12 | Packaging Europe

AIM HIGH

Fast-growing multinational company RETAL Group manufactures PET solutions as its core offering, with more than 20 years’ experience in the packaging market. Its advanced technology focus ensures that its concept to completion service is widely respected and appreciated. Exciting expansion plans sit strategically with its well-established and comprehensive portfolio available to customers worldwide. Emma-Jane Batey spoke to VP Sales & Service Milos Kuzman to learn more.

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ith 24 production sites in 13 countries worldwide, including locations in North America, Asia, Central-, Western- and Eastern Europe and CIS countries, the RETAL Group is truly global. Active in over 60 countries, the company is headquartered in Limassol, Cyprus.

Milos Kuzman spoke to Packaging Europe to explain how the company’s impressive, steady growth has been a key ingredient in its long-term recipe for success. Mr Kuzman said, “RETAL has been delivering innovative PET packaging solutions and exceptional service for over two decades and we are fully to understanding our customers’ needs and the PET market’s latest trends. We are continually pushing the boundaries of PET technology and capabilities to ensure that we are serving our customers as best we can.”

Mr Kuzman continued, “I am very proud to say that in 2016 RETAL has been recognised as one of its most innovative partners with an award at the Danone Supplier Day and the best supplier for Coca-Cola Hellenic in Russia.”

The first steps to achieving the Grand Prix from Coca-Cola, the number one worldwide brand in the market of carbonated beverages, were already made three years ago, when RETAL launched its strategical task for reducing the weight of primary packaging. Owing to such work during 2013-2016 and a subsequent weight and preform thickness reduction, more than 4600 tons of PET-granulate has been saved, and the share of recycled raw materials in packaging increased almost six-fold. This has made the business of both companies more advanced, environmentally friendly and responsible.

Complete service

Driving forward

Mr Kuzman continued, “We have always worked with the aim of providing the highest quality product at a competitive price, which we achieve through guaranteeing we combine the efforts of our carefully-selected developers, manufacturers and suppliers in a single holding company. This gives RETAL a considerable advantage and maintains excellent transparency across our value chain. It also allows us to rapidly deploy innovative polymer packaging solutions and service support wherever our customers are in the world.”

RETAL expands its geographical presence and product portfolio, paying close attention to commercial transparency as an integral element of its business.

Last year Plastec, the Italian container producer, became a member of the RETAL Group, enabling the company to expand its presence in the container sector in Europe.

As RETAL looks forward to its predicted continued success, the global group is keen to highlight how, as one of the fastest organically growing companies in the PET packaging industry, its smart integration, dedication to innovation and transparent operations means that it is a smart partner across the food, beverage and household sectors.

Mr Kuzman concluded, “Most driving forces in the packaging industry already know about RETAL but it never hurts to say it again! We are a committed, proven partner to the PET packaging industry and we have a solid global presence. We proudly deliver complete solutions across preforms, closures and containers and we work closely with our customers to guarantee that we do whatever it takes to make optimised products on the shelf that gives consumers the best quality. In addition, I would like to note this year RETAL participates in international Drinktec exhibition and we will be happy to invite everybody at Hall A4, Stand 521, where our specialists will introduce new products and help to find personalized packaging solutions.”

Visit: www.retalgroup.com

PET project Another area of strong expansion for the RETAL Group is North America. Mr Kuzman noted that having successfully started production in October 2016 in the Pittsburgh, PA area, the plant acts as the regional headquarters and centre of excellence for R&D, with a full range of services from design development to commercial product launch. In addition to offering packaging solutions for the preforms and closures market, RETAL PA is planning to expand in container business in different market segments such as dairy products, oil, wine, cosmetic, vinegar and beverage.

All of the RETAL activities have a common thread: optimising packaging solutions for customers. As a proud ‘one stop shop’ for high quality, competitively priced PET packaging, it is already working with a huge number of the world’s largest brand owners, including all of the leading beverage, dairy, and oil brands and many well known household names. | 14 | Packaging Europe

WHERE THE FUTURE IS MADE Petra Westphal, exhibition director drinktec 2017, shares compelling reasons for attending the show this year, and gives visitors an idea of what to expect from the show floor.

What would you say to a first time visitor who is thinking about going to drinktec?

If you are part of the beverage and liquid food industry and if you want to grow your business successfully today and in the future - drinktec is the place to be – it’s the one and only festival of innovations.

Can you give an impression of the show for first time attendees?

They would be surprised by what they can experience at drinktec: the “Who is Who” of the beverage and liquid food industry – on the exhibitor as well as on the visitor side; world premi-eres and exciting innovations live and in operation; an unique networking and exchange of ideas with industry experts from all over the world; meeting with old friends, getting to know new friends, discussing current and future projects. In a word: drinktec is the place where you find the solutions you are looking for, where the future is being made.

How is the conference program designed? What can attendees expect?

Most lectures are taking place in the drinktec forum and in the Special Area New Beverage Concepts. The drinktec forum focusses on themes like ´Process technology for safe bever-ages´, ´New raw materials´, ´Industry 4.0´ and ´Batch size 1´. Independent experts from re-search and development will be providing answers and presenting practical solutions.

A special new highlight takes place at the end of the day in the Forum: The 5 o’ Clock Theme. On Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday, at 17:00, visitors can experience visionary keynote lectures on future scenarios. In the Innovation Flow Lounge beverages manufacturers will be reporting on future themes in the field of product innovation, packaging and marketing.

The place2beer is another conference area where for example startups report about their experiences in building up their business. Besides there are a lot of other lectures on special topics, for example within the International MicroBrew Symposium or the water-technology @drinktec symposium.

Are exhibitors expecting the trend to continue of real new business investment?

Petra Westphal, exhibition director drinktec 2017

| 16 | Packaging Europe

Of course, that’s what makes drinktec unique! That´s the reason why exhibitors are ready to invest a lot of money in their presentations at drinktec! Many of them benefit from these five days for the next four years.

Will there be Special areas again this time dedicated to ingredients/sweeteners/ flavourings/colourings? How are they organised?

We have a lot of special areas – too many to introduce all of them in detail.

That´s why I would like to focus on our beer specials: The place2beer is a new format, a conceptual development from the Brewers’ Meeting Point, which was introduced at drinktec 2013. In Hall B1, on around 500 square metres of exhibition space, the place2beer is a gathering place for brewers and all those who are involved in the world of beer. A place to experience, experiment and interact - with tastings of beer from all over the world, with lectures (e.g. on the themes of food and beer, packaging and branding), panel discussions and presentations by start-up companies.

Additionally there is a new exhibition section in hall C1 called Home&Craft. This section, de-signed for craft and hobby brewers, showcases equipment, ingredients and trends. In short: everything craft and hobby brewers need to brew beer. Lectures on techniques and raw ma-terials round off this offering. The best way to get an overview of all the special areas is online at www.drinktec.com

This creates a globally unique platform for the interna-tional wine industry, covering not only the wine business, but also enabling visitors to look beyond their own particular field, and experience what´s new in other segments, such as the beer industry.

For the exhibitors at drinktec, around 60 per cent of whom also offer solutions for the wine industry, SIMEI is a chance to reach even more potential customers. And in return, the exhibi-tors in SIMEI@drinktec can present their offerings to a global trade audience. SIMEI retains its two-year cycle, but its venue will alternate in future between Italy and Munich.

For the first time the Italian wine technology show SIMEI is taking place during drinktec. Can you tell me more?

That´s right. SIMEI will be an integrated component in drinktec. Organised by the Unione Ital-iana Vini (UIV), “SIMEI@drinktec” will have its own dedicated area in Halls C2 and C3. The spectrum of products and technologies on show at drinktec is therefore now expanded to include all areas of wine technology.

Packaging Europe | 17 |

What are the new online tools drinktec has introduced to make it much easier for visitors to find what they are looking for?

You are talking of the solutions catalogue and the innovation guide. The solution catalogue is part of our online exhibitor list. It allows visitors to search not only for product categories but also for solutions to the most important problems. This way you can see with a mouse click which exhibitors have solutions for problems like “conserving packaging materials” or for the “efficient, sustainable use of water” – things like this.

Our new Innovation Guide is part of the drinktec App. As soon as a visitor enters the halls, he will receive information about the exhibitors’ innovations directly on his smartphone. Of course you have to download the app, otherwise it doesn´t work. Both tools are really easily to oper-ate with. A detailed explanation is available at our website.

Are you optimistic for the fair’s success?

I am convinced that drinktec 2017 will end with records in all regards. We will see smiling ex-hibitors because they have made good business and met new customers. As well as smiling visitors as they have found each and

| 18 | Packaging Europe

every solution they have been looking for a long time. drinktec is charming as it is all in one: business platform and family re-union, national and in-ternational – family owned and big global concern – low- and high-tech – simply everything.

CCL ECOSTREAM® LABELS FOR DESPERADOS BOTTLES Brau Union Austria have launched Desperados PET event bottles with CCL Label’s EcoStream® technology.

L

aunching this Desperados range with a recycling friendly decoration was the main goal for Brau Union. To achieve this without any limitations to label performance, appearance and design they teamed up with longterm supplier CCL. By combining the advantages of Pressure Sensitive Labels (PSL) with the newest ecological developments CCL has created a low-density label enabling bottle-to-bottle recycling for PET bottles with PSL decoration without sacrifices to quality.

The EcoStream® labels shrink in hot washing baths and detach from the PET flakes without leaving traces of ink or adhesive behind. While the label flakes float to the surface the PET flakes sink, which enables an easy separation of materials.

Since inks and adhesive stay on the labels neither washing bath nor PET flakes are contaminated or discoloured. Thanks to their reliable functionality EcoStream® labels meet the critical guidance of the two leading recycling associations EPBP (Europe) and APR (US).

Due to the clean separation of the low-density material from the PET flakes, valuable raw materials can be returned seamlessly into the recycling stream ensuring complete reuse. Therefore the EcoStream® technology helps maximise both the yield and quality of the B2B recycling stream.

No limitations or alterations had to be made for the Desperados EcoStream® version. The famous label design was transferred completely – even the tactile varnish giving it a 3D look and feel. EcoStream® labels with this kind of embellishments were approved separately by EPBP and APR as EcoStream®+ to verify that their functionality is not affected.

The labels show how the EcoStream® technology is beneficial to the recycling process while offering great possibilities for embellishments without limits to label design. Whether clear or opaque, special inks or varnishes – everything is possible.

Thanks to EcoStream® food and beverage companies are able to re-invent their market presence following recycling obligations without any restrictions on POS or consumer convenience. In summary, the labels are a great step forward from an ecological, visual and operational perspective.

Visit: www.ccllabel.com | 20 | Packaging Europe

A RECORD LINE-UP AT DRINKTEC 2017 In September 2017 drinktec will be able to boast the biggest participation figures in its over 60-year history.

Around 1,700 exhibitors are expected to take part in the “World´s Leading Trade Fair for the Beverage and Liquid Food Industry”, taking place from September 11 to 15, 2017 in Munich. With the integration of SIMEI, the world´s leading international trade fair for winemaking and bottling technology, total hall space taken up by drinktec rises to over 150,000 square metres. Messe München expects more than 70,000 trade visitors from all over the world.

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rinktec is the world´s leading trade fair for the beverage and liquid food industry, and as such it is the biggest global gathering of this sector—a kind of world summ it. From small, family-owned firms to global players, anyone who has anything to say in the sector is putting on a presentation at drinktec 2017. The exhibitors represent the entire process chain: from the manufacture, filling and packaging of beverages and liquid food through to marketing—raw materials, beverage ingredients and logistics solutions included. Specifically, drinktec 2017 encompasses the following main exhibition sections: process technology; containers/packing materials; filling and packaging technology; raw materials/ingredients; process automation; energy systems; PET technology; restaurant and catering supplies and equipment; sales promotion and marketing.

Innovations showcase and spectacular displays drinktec is regarded as a platform for innovations. The latest solutions and entire systems are presented in Munich for the first time—and this is a unique selling point of drinktec. This trade fair is renowned for the spectacular displays put on by its exhibitors at their booths. Nothing is too much trouble for them when it comes to making a big impression with the global trade audience. For example, entire filling and packaging lines of all kinds (from low-tech to high-tech) are set up in the halls, bottles run past on conveyor belts, innova| 22 | Packaging Europe

tive PET bottles are produced live—just like in a real industrial set-up. And all of this is on view and in operation for trade visitors on all five days of the fair.

Key themes The key themes at drinktec 2017, which are covered in all the exhibition halls and affect almost all sections, are: energy and resource efficiency, water and energy management, hygiene and product safety and process optimization/flexibility.

Over 70,000 trade visitors from all over the world More than 70,000 trade visitors from all over the world and from all areas of the beverages industry will be coming to drinktec 2017. Around two-thirds of the visitors come from outside Germany. drinktec addresses the entire industry: trade professionals from the soft drinks and fruit juice industry, from brewing, from mineral water producers, dairies, the wine and sparkling wine segment, from the spirits industry, and from beverages wholesale and retail businesses. Employees from manufacturing and production make up the biggest proportion of visitors, closely followed by plant managers and CEOs. Representatives from marketing and sales have also discovered the attractions of drinktec and come along to learn about all the latest developments and trends. In 2013 this group of visitors numbered 12,000, and in 2017 that figure is expected to rise.

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JSC LIEPĀJAS PAPĪRS LABELS – MODERN, FAST AND HIGH QUALITY The company ‘Liepājas Papīrs’ is one of the leading manufacturers in the printing industry in the Baltic States. In 2018, the company will celebrate its 120th anniversary. During these years it has grown, accumulated experience, introduced modern technologies, recruited qualified specialists and always ensured high quality standards.

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he company’s activity is focused on sticker and label printing, using various printing technologies, including flexography, digital printing, silkscreen printing (rotating and flat), foil printing (both hot and cold), relief printing, lamination, perforation, numbering, UV-Varnishing (glossy, matte, fluorescent, thermal), and large-scale stencil varnish and other special effects.

Export is Liepājas Papīrs’ first priority, with 50% of total production capacity.

The main partners abroad are situated in countries such as Germany, Scandinavia, Great Britain and the Netherlands, and include companies like Orkla (groceries), Puratos (groceries), Coffee Brewer (coffee), Grindeks (medication), Faberlic (cosmetics), German Products Baltics and FrieslandCampina (Friso baby and infant food products), Kinetics Nail Systems (nail cosmetics) and many others. In the future, the company plans to have a stable rise in export volume.

Over the years, “Liepājas Papīrs” has established a close cooperation with world-renowned manufacturers of materials such as UPM Raflatac, Avery Dennison and Ritrama. This enables the production of high quality products, provides accuracy, reliability and the most suitable solution for the client. Highquality and flexible logistics are also offered, collaborating with internationally recognized transport companies.

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In order to maintain a constant level of service quality, a quality management system, which is certified according to ISO 9001 and ISO 14001 requirements, has been introduced to the company.

“Our company is always working for the benefit of the client, constantly evolving and taking care of the environment by reducing the impact on it, as well as cooperating with world-renowned manufacturers. ‘Liepājas Papīrs’ is a modern, stable and development-oriented printing company. Join our clients and assess our quality and service!”, a company spokesperson concludes.

Visit: www.liepajaspapirs.lv

TECH-LONG EXPANDS TO EUROPE Tech-Long packaging machinery Co., a renowned manufacturer of PET solutions for the bottling industry, has recently opened its European branch in Vienna, Austria. Tech-Long Europe is the sales and servicing centre addressing the large European PET bottles and PET liquid food and non-food bottling industry markets.

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ech-Long is one of the largest manufacturers of PET Stretch Blow moulding and bottling equipment in Asia.

Since its creation in 1999, the company has been growing at a fast pace, supplying PET equipment to the major local and international brands in more than 54 countries.

Its range of PET blow moulders is unique in the industry, ranging from two- to 26-cavity blow moulders, from 0.2 to 20L containers, and covering applications including cold fill, hot fill as well as preferential heating.

Following the great success of Tech-Long USA, a subsidiary created few years ago to address the American market (a market reputed for its high demand on equipment reliability and service) Tech-Long Europe was founded late 2016.

The Tech-Long Europe team in Vienna is composed of highly experienced professionals from the European bottling equipment industry, offering a strong service mindset, high reliability and reputation.

The European head quarter is led by Dominique Lipinski, who has 25 years of experience in the bottling industry. Dominique commented: “The reliability of equipment, trust within supplier-customer relations, a competitive offering, low and controlled maintenance costs, and highly responsive servicing are the key drivers of our ambitious European growth plans.”

‘Runs for you’ is the Tech-Long motto: run to give you a competitive edge, run to deliver 11–15 September 2017 your needs!

Messe München Visit: www.tech-long-intl.com

B5 – 322

CPX Blow Moulding Machines – Generation 5

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AGR’S PROCESS PILOT® PRODUCT OFFERS A THREE-STEP APPROACH TO BETTER PET BOTTLE PERFORMANCE AND PRODUCTION EFFICIENCY

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he Process Pilot automated blow moulder management system was designed to simplify the production of PET bottles. The system is ideal for PET bottle converters and beverage producers that self-manufacture bottles yet have limited manpower to oversee blow moulder operations on a continuous basis. The Process Pilot system offers precise material thickness distribution management on PET bottles, while offering hands-off blow moulder control. With the trend towards ever lighter bottles, the Process Pilot system offers producers the ability to aggressively light weight bottles to the absolute minimum while providing the confidence that material is distributed, with the proper thickness in all critical areas, on every bottle produced.

The Process Pilot system offers a simple three-step approach towards PET blow moulder management: Step one includes the measurement of material distribution on every bottle. In step two, the blow moulder is controlled to overcome process variation and maintain on-target material distribution. And, in step three, the process is optimized in order to manage bottle performance, preform variability, shelf-life or other attributes that suit the product, application or business objective of the production facility.

To further expand the capabilities for process and bottle optimization, the Process Pilot system can be configured to include comprehensive vision inspection to identify defective preforms and random defects that may occur in the blown bottles. It can also be outfitted with the M-RULE® Container Performance Model to determine shelf-life characteristics at the

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time of production, and the latest option, CrystalView®, for advanced material and bottle performance optimization. This option offers a simple and reliable means to accomplish the optimization of PET material properties without overstretching or going beyond the temperature boundaries that cause molecules to break and create pearlescence. CrystalView manages the process to the point where it is “just right” by detecting the very edge of where the process gets too cold and pearlescence begins to form. This makes it possible to reduce the preform processing temperature to the ideal processing point for a given bottle design while producing bottles with maximum strength and performance.

The Process Pilot product simplifies and stabilizes the production of PET bottles in a manner not possible with manual control. It also brings a number of benefits to improve productivity such as eliminating the need for section weight analysis, reduced start-up time during job changes, and faster start-ups after blowmolder shut down as well as savings in scrap and energy consumption.

Whether the goal is to make the lightest bottle possible, process preforms of mixed lineage or material quality, improve bottle shelf-life and performance characteristics, save energy or just run a stable process 24/7, the Process Pilot product group offers a means to realize this goal, profitably and with confidence.

Visit: www.agrintl.com

MEYPACK EXHIBITS WITH A NEW DEVELOPMENT IN CASE PACKING

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eypack offers individual end-packaging solutions for all types of beverages. On the occasion of the drinktec trade fair (Munich, September 11th to 15th, 2017, Hall A6.325), Meypack is presenting its new development in the case packing area. The VP 600 has been quickly and specially adapted to process highly sensitive beverage and liquid food pouches, which require particularly gentle handling. The VP 600 case packer stands out in general because it processes small products in small formations within a small space and in doing so, fulfils the current market demands.

The beverage industry is producing ever smaller packaging units while at the same time, the available space in many production facilities is at a premium. The VP 600 case packer being presented at the drinktec successfully fulfils the demands of the market. Thanks to its extremely compact footprint, this continuous motion machine fits in nearly every production facility. The dimensions of the formats range from 70 x 50 x 80 mm up to 200 x 150 x 200 mm (W x L x H). In a fully automatic process, this new machine packs single rows of small pouches sealed with a large screw caps in 1 x 6 formats into small trays with lids, without causing any damage to the sensitive soft packaging. The pouches being processed on the machine at the drinktec are being provided by the company SN. The SN Maschinenbau GmbH is a specialist in Germany for pouch packing machines and is also exhibiting at its own stand (Hall A2.500) at the drinktec.

Fast format changes, hygienic construction A very small number of finely tuned format parts enable fast and reproducible format changeovers that can be carried out without any tools. A high degree of accessibility is made possible by low-maintenance linear bearings and guiding elements (no central lubrication necessary) as well as self-cleaning vacuum valves. The high standards demanded by the beverage industry with respect to hygiene in the end-packaging area have been met completely by the VP 600 case packer. The hygienic design in stainless steel execution features sloped surfaces that allow liquid to run off.

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corners or empty spaces. In addition, the machine stands out with its high degree of ergonomics.

The product infeed of the VP 600 is carried out via a paddle chain with interchangeable belts that have product-specific pockets and paddles and are able to stack and erect products. With a fast changeover function, the belts can be exchanged immediately and then automatically adjusted for tension and positioning. The blank magazines, which can be adjusted in height, are easily loaded and can be equipped with saw-tooth belts for the tray transport.

This prevents the creation of too much pressure at the blank pickup. The interchangeable format-dependent safety guards are also equipped with quick-change elements, which provide additional magazine protection in addition to the certified SICK sensors (Safeguard Detectors).

In a further developmental stage, Meypack will also be completing a model of the VP 600 series to efficiently pack miniature bottles (glass and PET) as well as cans and jars. In a future variation of the model with a larger machine footprint, wrap-around cases, shoulder trays and trays with external lids will be processed. The packaging dimensions will then be enlarged accordingly.

More info: www.meypack.de

TAPPED IN TO SUCCESS Teledyne TapTone, a company with global reach based in Falmouth, Cape Cod, USA, will be exhibiting its latest solutions at drinktec 2017. Michael Mierjeski, Product Line Manager, shares the strong foundations that the company is built on, and what will be on display at the company’s exhibition stand.

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apTone technology was originally introduced by Benthos (now Teledyne Benthos), a company founded in 1962 to provide custom-designed oceanographic products to researchers. In 1971, the company leveraged its expertise in acoustic technology, widely used in underwater applications, to create a new line of non-oceanographic products for inspecting consumer packages made of metal, glass or plastic.

Since then, Teledyne TapTone has developed and patented a range of inspection equipment for the food, beverage, chemical, health and beauty, pharmaceutical, and nutraceutical markets. TapTone’s original acoustic sensor has become the gold standard in glass beer bottle inspection and its line of compression and force systems are used worldwide for leak inspection on flexible plastic containers and pressurised metal and plastic containers.

Teledyne TapTone staff will be showcasing at drinktec its PRO Series Acoustic Cocked Crown sensor for inspection of glass bottles with crown seals, the TapTone T550 with Proximity sensor for inspection of canned beverages with pull tab closures, and the PRO Series FS Force sensor and Segment 8 rejector for rapid inspection of leaks in beverage cans at production line speeds. The Segment 8 rejector is an excellent rejector/laning option for high speed conveyors.

Visit Hall B4, stand 108 to learn more about the full range of TapTone Container Inspection systems.

For more information, visit www.taptone.com Packaging Europe | 29 |

SCHUBERT AND KHS PRESENT BLOCK SOLUTION FOR BEVERAGE MANUFACTURERS

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the drinktec 2017, Schubert will be presenting the Innopack-TLM block packaging system which was developed with the company’s collaboration partner KHS. The block system seamlessly combines a Schubert TLM packaging machine with a KHS packer. Customers in the beverage industry stand to greatly benefit from this self-contained total solution which delivers significant increases in packaging quality and flexibility. The Innopack-TLM can be used to pack several different bottle and end-packaging formats – very efficiently and in the tightest of spaces.

At the drinktec trade fair, Gerhard Schubert GmbH will be presenting all the benefits of the Innopack-TLM block solution at the KHS booth (Hall B4, Stand 328). The inline packaging system connects the Schubert and KHS machines by linking individual modules into a compact, space-saving unit. The system exhibited at the fair consists of five TLM sub-machines from Schubert and a machine section from KHS. The block solution, commissioned by an Israeli brewery, packs baskets of 6 0.33 l bottles in a wrap-around carton, or baskets with 6 0.5 l bottles in crates.

The seamless connection between the KHS packer and the TLM packing system from Schubert is achieved by the use of the Transmodul. This patented robot takes on the transport of the erected cartons into the KHS system and then conveys the cartons filled with bottles to the appropriate module for gluing and sealing. The multifunctional machine is clearly laid out, ideally accessible and compact. The entire block system is operated centrally via a single control terminal. Despite the versatility of this solution, personnel requirements are low. In fact, one person can operate the compact system.

The system can pack beverage crates as well as baskets, clusters and other cardboard packaging. The block system presented at the fair achieves an output of up to 48,200 bottles per hour, and therefore up to 134 6-unit baskets, or 45 crates or cartons per minute.

Thanks to its modular design, the space-saving solution can be extended flexibly as production increases or to adapt to different formats and product mixes. This allows customers to react quickly to changing requirements, while enabling forward-looking competitiveness.

More info: www.gerhard-schubert.de

WAVEGRIP DEMONSTRATES INNOVATIVE MULTIPACKING CANNING

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anufacturer of a new generation of beverage multi-packing solutions, WaveGrip is making its debut at this year’s drinktec, where its stand will demonstrate the many advantages that its hi-tech system offers over more traditional can multi-packing options.

WaveGrip is the most efficient carrier available and also the most environmentally-sustainable, and it has the versatility to be adapted for all types of drinks businesses, from smaller artisanal producers to high volume operations. The WaveGrip stand will showcase the choice of applicators available as well as previewing the carrier’s latest development with the availability of colour options.

Both the G1 and G2 applicators will be at the show to demonstrate the significant operational efficiencies available to both larger and smaller volume beverage producers.

In particular the G1 manual machine is ideal for craft producers seeking to offer multi-packs of product for the first time.

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Working closely with OEM partners across the globe, WaveGrip applicator technology is easily integrated into the latest packaging equipment. The applicators offer greater flexibility and control to provide a seamless multi-packing solution, designed to give users complete peace of mind.

In addition, WaveGrip will be previewing its latest branding innovation with the availability of its carriers in a choice of different colours, helping beverage producers to create further on-shelf impact and brand differentiation.

In line with all WaveGrip carriers, the new WaveGrip Colours are valueengineered to be lighter but stronger and use less plastic than any existing solution, while securely collating cans to the rigorous standards required of the retail sector.

“As the World’s leading trade fair for the Beverage Industry, drinktec is the perfect show for us to demonstrate first-hand the advantages of all the new WaveGrip multi-packing solutions for cans,” said WaveGrip Managing Director, Aaron McIvor. “From the small operational footprint of our applicators and their significantly greater efficiencies, to the branding opportunities of our WaveGrip Colours, we are able to clearly demonstrate the very latest in multi-packing technology and invite can users from across the beverage market to visit stand C1.635 to find out more”.

More info: www.wavegrip.com

GEBO CERMEX PRESENTS AQFLEX

ith the packaging industry facing increasingly sophisticated consumption trends that present various challenges to the production and distribution of goods, Gebo Cermex is responding to these complexities with the introduction of AQFlex® - a breakthrough product handling technology. Thanks to its radically new approach of conveying and accumulation, AQFlex delivers unprecedented packaging line performance. It offers this, together with unique agility and smooth contactless product conveying and accumulation, in a very compact space. This is a significant first step towards bringing the factory of the future to life and will be on show at drinktec 2017.

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Freeing product innovation thanks to total flexibility

Responding to the ever-changing needs of the industry

High performance via unprecendented capability

With packaging quality playing a key role in brand recognition and everincreasing production diversity, a growing number of stock keeping units (SKUs) and even product and secondary packaging personalisation now possible, manufacturers are looking for improved flexibility and responsiveness from their existing packaging systems. Easy re-engineering of existing lines is also important if producers are to easily adapt to big changes in demand.

Producers and brand owners are therefore becoming increasingly demanding when it comes to their line requirements. They cannot afford to compromise on extended performance in terms of production uptime, efficiency and reliability, always paying close attention to keeping total cost of ownership (TCO) as low as possible. As a consequence, they look for packaging solutions that are space-saving, easy to maintain, ergonomic in design, simple to use and sustainable.

In face of these ever changing demands, Gebo Cermex – part of the Sidel Group and world leader in packaging line engineering solutions – has reinvented the design of packaging lines thanks to a breakthrough product handling technology. The company decided on a system that would help manufacturers meet all their current performance objectives, as well as prepare for the challenges of tomorrow.

“After spending 50 years in pioneering conveying solutions and line regulation systems, we believe this introduction to be the culmination of our innovation processes,” says Ludovic Tanchou, Vice President Strategy, Products and Innovation at Gebo Cermex. He goes on to explain: “AQFlex is the new IQ in product handling, encompassing all the advantages given by the existing conveying machines in a much smarter way.”

More proof of the unprecedented packaging line performance of AQFlex is its ability to operate at any speed, from 1,000 to 100,000 containers per hour, delivering energy savings of up to 60%, without compromising high efficiency (99.5% even at high speeds) or sustainability.

This is ensured by high line performance regulation, together with a high accumulation performance to maintain continuous product flow - at any speed with the use of advanced robotics based on a proven logic motion technology and a centralised system architecture ensures the accurate synchronisation of motion control for all the servo axes of the equipment.

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AQFlex is designed by Gebo Cermex as a new concept in packaging solutions that accommodates any product, whatever the application, whatever the market, in all container materials, formats and shapes, full or empty, while also enabling automatic changeovers via an intuitive and user-friendly Human Machine Interface (HMI).

Care of product integrity is completely ensured by the single-lane, contactfree product handling and accumulation system that is able to process even fragile, unstable or premium containers.

More info: www.gebocermex.com/drinktec

H.B. FULLER EXPLORES ‘LABELLING WITHOUT LIMITS’ AT DRINKTEC 2017

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he global adhesives company is asking brewing and beverage customers to discuss their labelling challenges at drinktec 2017 – and discover how H.B. Fuller’s technology, expertise, facilities and reach can help them achieve truly limitless labelling for a competitive edge.

H.B. Fuller’s adhesive range and expertise opens up new opportunities for those operating in the brewing and beverage industry – both in terms of creative labelling and performance on the production line.

“With so much global expertise on tap, and with a comprehensive and flexible range, we can offer our customers many adhesive options,” says Crjstians Porcheddu, End-of-Line Packaging and Labeling Business Manager at H.B. Fuller. “Competition within this industry is fierce, and we believe our labelling solutions provide greater value to bottling companies. This is why we are launching our limitless labelling concept at drinktec – to help brands be more creative in all aspects of their labelling, deliver production line efficiencies and be assured of the quality of the final output.”

Today’s highly competitive retail climate means that brands need to have real visibility, standing out from their competitors on the shelf and grabbing consumers’ attention. H.B. Fuller’s complete offering for those using labelling solutions in the brewing and beverage market has been designed to help

customers remove barriers, stretch the limits, and support them to work in a more flexible, creative and profitable way.

“H.B. Fuller is helping customers innovate through the use of our wide range of advanced labelling adhesive technology, our global expertise, and our testing facilities in Germany. By connecting with us, businesses can go beyond previous design and production limitations and let their imagination soar,” says Porcheddu. “Our Adhesive Academy in Lüneburg, Germany, is a world-class hub of adhesive expertise, where customers can test new processes, materials and labelling approaches off line, without having to halt their own production.”

At drinktec, H.B. Fuller will offer customers access to top labelling adhesives industry experts, and explain more about how the company can provide a new-found production freedom. Says Porcheddu, “Our staff are ready and eager to discuss customers’ labelling challenges – and to show them how our adhesives can provide more opportunities for them than ever before.”

H.B. Fuller’s labelling adhesives can be seen at drinktec, Hall A2, Stand 127.

More info: www.hbfuller.com/eimea-packaging

PAUL LEIBINGER SHOWCASES ITS SMART SOLUTIONS AT DRINKTEC 2017

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he German marking specialist Paul LEIBINGER is presenting its marking solutions for the beverage industry at the drinktec trade show in Munich.

At Booth 506 in Hall B4, trade show visitors will be able to see for themselves the quality and reliability of the German-made industrial inkjet printers.

They will get the chance to watch as samples they have brought with them are marked and coded live at the booth.

A reliable and flexible marking system is of central importance to the filling process, because bottles, cans and beverage cartons cannot be sold without an expiration or best before date. If a marking device fails, then the whole production line stops—a scenario that can be avoided. The continuous inkjet printers from the German company Paul LEIBINGER provide the reliability and flexibility that the beverage industry needs.

To ensure high reliability of the marking technology and prevent downtimes, all LEIBINGER inkjet printers are equipped with the automated Sealtronic nozzle seal. This keeps the ink from drying in the printhead, even during long pauses in production. Therefore, the printer is ready for use at any time, within a few seconds and without the need for rinsing before starting the printing process.

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At the same time, the digital printing technology offers a variety of application options. For example, it is possible not only to print expiration dates and LOT numbers, but also to implement advertising campaigns with lottery codes and QR codes for customer loyalty. Thanks to the non-contact marking with fast-drying inks during ongoing production, it is possible to label all kinds of materials (glass, PET, metal, etc.) and surfaces (concave, convex, etc.) with individual dates in a matter of seconds.

LEIBINGER meets the stringent requirements for raw and wet production environments in the beverage industry with its JET3up PRO inkjet printer.

This printer has a particularly rugged stainless steel housing with protection class IP65, which protects it against dust and spray water. With special inks for coding glass bottles and industry-specific software for printing promotion codes from a database, LEIBINGER provides a variety of solutions for specific needs of the beverage industry.

In addition to the inkjet printers, Paul Leibinger GmbH & Co. KG offers a vision system for quality control of printed data. V-check automatically compares the marking applied to the product using a LEIBINGER inkjet printer against a reference sample and detects incorrect or incomplete data. The system is based on an image sensor and enables complete monitoring of elements that have been defined in advance, such as letters, numbers or logos. For customers who need a high-end solution in the area of verification, LEIBINGER’s LKS 5 camera system is the right choice.

More info: www.leibinger-group.com Packaging Europe | 35 |

SILGAN TO DEMONSTRATE ITS BEVERAGE CREDENTIALS AT DRINKTEC Twist-Off® & PT

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lobal closures specialist Silgan Closures will have a major presence at this year’s drinktec, providing a showcase for its wide-ranging solutions for key sectors of the beverage industry.

The Silgan Closures stand (Hall A4, Stand 531) will underline the company’s expertise in the design and manufacture of both metal and plastic closures, demonstrating their ability to effectively seal all types of containers with different neck sizes, including glass, PET and liquid cartons, for a variety of end markets such as still mineral water, dairy drinks, non-carbonated beverages and liquid foods.

Among its plastic closure highlights, Silgan will display its market-leading range of Sports Caps combining a robust design with a tamper-evident spout and maximum consumer convenience, including variants offering one-step opening. For the still-growing water cooler sector, the company’s new improved 5 Gallon K-Seal closure incorporates Silgan’s innovative Probe+® system that ensures full plug engagement to the cooler spike to keep hygiene levels high and bottles consistently sealed when not in use. A reduction in pigment usage also substantially reduces the risk of taint or odour issues, while the latest manufacturing techniques together with a new resin and low-power consumption moulding during production, help to reduce a company’s carbon footprint.

Other plastic closures on display include Silgan’s extensive choice of flat caps for hot, cold and aseptic filling requirements, all helping to deliver line efficiencies, product integrity and ease of use.

Silgan’s metal closure ranges will underline the extensive choice available for non-carbonated beverages and foods packed in glass or plastic containers, with aseptic, hot fill, pasteurisation and retort offerings.

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Flat & Sport

In addition, the stand will detail the extensive range of support services offered by Silgan Closures in the development of its closure solutions. These include its Litho Design Service that maximises efficiencies while taking customer designs from concept to production; the range of decoration options available for effective on-shelf branding; Food Technology Service that ensures process reliability and product quality to meet all food and drink standards; and Customer Technical Service and Line Planning that provide a one-stop engineering solution with the supply of machines and support services for an efficient filling operation.

“We are delighted to be returning to drinktec, as the exhibition is the ideal vehicle to enable us to reach a global beverage audience,” comments Markus Laurenz, Vice President Sales & Marketing/Service EMEA of Silgan Closures.

More info: www.silgan-closures.com Water

Carton Fitments

The new LifeTec® depth and membrane filter elements for prefiltration, fine and sterile filtration can be used in all common housing constructions.

With the new sterile filters of the P-SRF series, high retention rates (bacteria, viruses and particles) of down to 3nm (nanometer) are achieved, thus guaranteeing product and process integrity.

DONALDSON: FILTER INNOVATIONS AT DRINKTEC, HALL C1, 243 Increased process security and lower production costs with new liquid and sterile filters.

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onaldson introduces new filtration solutions for lower production costs and increased process reliability at drinktec 2017. LifeTec® depth and membrane filters for the filtration of liquids and the new sterile filter program enhance the efficiency of beverage and liquid food production processes. Food and beverage manufacturers will benefit from shortened delivery times due to digital production processes, which allow them to react flexibly and economically to growing product diversity in accordance with high hygienic standards. Also, the very silent and compact new adsorption dryer Ultrapac® Smart will be presented.

Increased process security with LifeTec

For the manufacture of LifeTec, a new cleanroom production line has been set up at the Donaldson plant in Haan/ Germany. This makes a fast customized production possible. | 38 | Packaging Europe

LifeTec depth and membrane filters for the pre-, fine and sterile filtration of liquids with retention rates from 0.2 to 100 μm and lengths up to 40 inches differ significantly from the previously known element designs, now incorporating a more stable PP liner and an increase in the dirt-holding capacity of the filter media. The number of sterilisation cycles increases.

The liner features a new rhomb-shaped structure, which offers a better pressure stability and torsional stiffness than conventional liners. This increases the process reliability. The larger filter surface, the high retention capacity as well as the mechanical and thermal stability of the pleated filter media lead to

The new LifeTec® liners (top) compared to other liners (bottom): The high pressure stability (top left) offers protection against pressure shocks. The torsional stiffness (top right) prevents damage during installation and removal of the filter.

higher volume flows and an extended life cycle of the filters. In addition, the user also benefits from a lower pressure loss: It is possible to either save energy for generating pressure or use less filters in an accordingly smaller housing.

Seven types of connections are available to fit all common housing designs. The digitalised clean room production in line with Industry 4.0 is based on the single piece flow concept at the production site Haan, Germany, and ensures that delivery times are short. The need for replacement filters, stock and storage area and fixed capital is significantly reduced. A QR code allows complete traceability.

A new performance level for sterile filters With the new sterile air filters of the P-SRF series, high retention rates (bacteria, viruses and particles) of down to 3 nm (nanometer) are achieved, thus guaranteeing product and process integrity. Mechanical stability and temperature resistance reduce maintenance costs and prevent production downtimes.

The robust design of the filter with its stainless steel liner allows a higher number of sterilisation cycles. More than 160 cycles are achieved. After steam sterilisation, the dewetting time is only a few seconds. Downtimes, energy consumption and mechanical load on the media are significantly reduced. The high temperature tolerance allows applications up to 200°C. Use in applications with VPHP and ozone sterilisation is also possible.

The high filtration rate, the strong increase in the number of sterilisation cycles and the short dewetting times after steam sterilisation lead to a significant reduction in operating costs. The operational and process safety is also guaranteed under extreme conditions. The lower pressure loss allows for energy savings or for the reduction of filter elements and, hence, a smaller housing. This leads to a positive development in overall costs (Total Cost of Ownership).

With its two new series of filters, Donaldson has managed to open up new and more economical possibilities in filtration technology for the entire beverage industry. This includes bottled water companies, breweries, fruit juice manufacturers and wine / sparkling wine producers. The increased process security of these filters also plays an important role in the liquid food and dairy industry. The global Donaldson network ensures high delivery capability and a user-oriented service.

Low noise: Adsorption dryer in whisper mode The new adsorption dryer Ultrapac Smart from Donaldson is the first compressed air dryer of its kind that is operated with a sophisticated silencer, with noise emissions in the range of just 60 dB. “Our silencer technology reduces noise production to a level equivalent to a normal conversation,” explains Wolfgang Bongartz, Engineering Manager Packaging Europe | 39 |

The Ultrapac® Smart adsorption dryer, with integrated pre- and afterfilters.

Industrial at Donaldson in Haan. “These merits make the Ultrapac Smart series ‘best in class,’ and allow the adsorption dryer to contribute to relief for employees in the workplace.”

Adsorption dryers are used whenever highly purified and dry compressed air is required in accordance to ISO 8573-1. Areas of use are food processing or the plastic, filling and packaging industry. Part of the compressed air generated is used for the operation of the dryer itself. It extracts stored humidity from the desiccant and is then discharged to the environment via the new UltraSilencer.

In addition to the quiet operation, the current series also offers additional new features: For instance, the dryer can be configured, installed, or integrated into machines and systems in different ways thanks to its compact, space-saving design. A removable display also enables the comfortable monitoring of the adsorption dryer when space is limited. This allows to comfortably read e.g. the dew point, cycle times, and temperature. This and other data can

also be exported via Bluetooth and app as well as interfaces (i.e. common bus systems, WLAN).

The adsorption dryer works with a desiccant with a high absorption capacity and outstanding regeneration capability. Thanks to a dew point transmitter built into the Superplus version, which measures directly in the compressed air flow, switching between the two cartridges takes place only when the desiccant is truly saturated. The pressure dew point is kept stable at a minimum of -40°C. This results in a high level of efficiency and operational safety.

An additional plus is the spring-loaded desiccant bed in the corresponding cartridge, which prevents abrasion of the desiccant. The proven UltraPleat® energy saving filter is also used in the integrated pre- and after-filters.

For all products, the customer also benefits from service worldwide coverage and reliable spare parts supply that are standard at Donaldson.

The UltraSilencer allows to operate the dryer with noise emissions in the range of just 60 dB.

Ultrapac® Smart sound emissions compared to standard adsorption dryers.

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Visit: www.donaldson.com

LOGOPAK TO SHOWCASE NUMEROUS INNOVATIONS AT DRINKTEC

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ogopak’s labelling systems are widely used in the beverage industry.

At the drinktec fair (Munich, 2017, September 11–15, Hall B4.125) the manufacturer is presenting a host of new machines for different applications developed completely in-house.

The new labelling system Series 500+ is intended for the beverage industry. This standard machine can be easily customized with over 30 applicator types and flexibly supports all standard application methods. For labels up to A5, the Series 500+ labelling system provides direct thermal and thermal-transfer printing. Both inside and outside wound labels as well as thermal-transfer ribbons with widths up to 165 mm can be used. What makes the Series 500+ stand out from conventional machines is its synchronised running length of up to 800 metres for labels and thermal transfer.

reduces waste and optimises supply logistics. The QTB applicator is suitable for pallet-, carton- and small-shipping-labelling (even over-corner), and the label surface is individually printable.

State-of-the-art adhesive bonding

Visitors to Logopak’s booth will also be able to see the newly developed Series 300 labelling system which applies labels to trays and containers by the printand apply-method. This robust entry-level option comes with many tried-andtested features. The machine processes both inside and outside wound labels and thermal transfer rolls. Media can be inserted effortlessly thanks to the accessible structure of the main driver roller.

Visit: www.logopak.com

Unique on the market, the new QTB applicator can apply liner-free labels, boasting an extremely stable adhesive bond. The revolutionary thermal applicator head takes care of heating and applying in one single operation.

The label rolls minimise line stops up to 70 per cent, thanks to maximum lengths of 2,400 metres. Flexible label lengths on demand are an option with infinite label rolls. As silicone backing paper is not used, this significantly

High-performance pallet-labelling A new innovation is the Series 850+, which features the P3 applicator for pallet-labelling according to GS1 standards. Easy to operate, it makes twosided labelling possible with a speed of up to 180 pallets per hour at only one stop, or three-sided labelling with a speed of up to 120 pallets per hour at two stops. The system can cope with more than 100 standard applications with changing data.

Successful start with Series 300

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REXNORD FLATTOP AT DRINKTEC 2017: ENERGY SAVING 1040 SERIES TABLETOP AND 1001 SERIES MATTOP TAKE ENGINEERED SUSTAINABILITY TO THE NEXT LEVEL Sustainability is the capacity to endure. Engineered Sustainability™ by Rexnord® is a product program to help you design durable conveyor systems with components that guarantee optimal product handling without compromising the ability to meet targets on safety improvement, increased productivity, water reduction and energy savings.

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he programme highlights the on-going commitment to creating and manufacturing environmentally-friendly conveyor equipment.

Selecting the right conveyor equipment can deliver impressive energy reduction, water reduction and improved conveyor safety in comparison to more traditional conveyor concepts. Rexnord believes that everything starts with the voice of the customer. The products support customers’ goals and have been developed and manufactured in line with what customers need.

KPI’s, safety goals and sustainability goals such as water usage in their production facilities are studied. All this information is the basis to define Rexnord’s strategy in this area.

The Engineered Sustainability Product Program includes the Rexnord 1040 Series TableTop® Magnetflex® Chain and Rexnord 1001 Series MatTop® Chain, which will be presented at drinktec in Munich, Germany in Hall B4, Stand 313.

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Rexnord 1040 Series TableTop Magnetflex Chain The Rexnord 1040 Series TableTop Magnetflex Chain contains state-of-the-art features to provide the lowest friction at a constant level, resulting in direct energy saving on each conveyor.

The chain helps reduce or completely eliminate external lubrication and additional waste water collecting on your equipment, with products that are suitable for “dry running” at high-speeds.

Rexnord 1001 Series MatTop® Chain In any working environment, safety comes first. In the beverage filling industry, potential safety hazards on production lines include: slippery floors, high noise levels and excessive high-speed moving parts in machinery and on conveyors.

At the Drinktec, Rexnord will demonstrate how safety is further improved with the Rexnord 1001 Series MatTop Chain. The chain requires little to no external lubrication and features closed chain surfaces for minimized noise levels.

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The result: increased production and security at the lowest possible overall operating costs, plus reduced water and energy consumption.

About Rexnord FlatTop Rexnord FlatTop, a subsidiary of the American company Rexnord, is a leading manufacturer of conveyor products for the beverages and liquids production industry. The company has plants located in The Netherlands, Italy, the U.S.A. and China. The company’s product portfolio includes conveyor chains, gears, bearings, clutches and industrial chains, ensuring the secure transportation of containers regardless of container contents or transportation speed.

Rexnord FlatTop collaborates closely with its clients to co-develop sustainable conveyor systems that increase productivity and security while minimising water and energy consumption.

More info: www.rexnordflattop.com

EPSEAL LINER SEALING COMPOUNDS FOR CAPS AND CLOSURES Epseal thermoplastic elastomers (TPEs) are sealing compounds for the food and beverage industry. They were developed by global polymer compounding group HEXPOL TPE, at their operation in Germany, to meet growing demands for customised, high-performance and taste-free solutions for caps and closure liners.

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eter Ryzko, managing director at HEXPOL TPE GmbH commented, “Epseal is an important and growing product area for us. Their neutral sensory properties, sealing performance and consumer friendly functionality deliver the optimal combination. Epseal TPEs are also highly customisable, we create tailored solutions that precisely match application and processing requirements. Opening up new product design and branding possibilities. Our customers manufacture food and beverages with a pure and natural taste; Epseal TPE compounds keep them that way.”

A range of Epseal compounds have been developed with series dedicated to different types of closures including t-stoppers, crown corks, aluminium closures, both roll on and roll on pilfer proof, plastic closures, both out shell and in shell liner moulding. They are PVC free and conform to FDA and EU regulations for food contact. Solutions are available for carbonated soft drinks, beer, wine, fruit juice and milk based beverages. Including versions for cold-fill, hot-fill, pasteurisation or sterilisation processing.

Epseal 100 The Epseal 100 series is designed for crown corks and can be used for carbonated beverages including lemonades, beer, mineral water, juices and milk based drinks. Different versions accommodate all the beverage processing systems including sterilisation. Grades have been developed to address steel down-gauging as well as twist off crown applications.

Epseal 300 The Epseal 300 series was developed for aluminium screw closures. Different versions are available for a wide range of beverages for example mineral water, wine, lemonades and milk based drinks. The 300 series includes versions for cold fill through to sterilisation and additionally for returnable or one way packaging systems. Included in this series are very low migration versions for sensitive application areas such as mineral water. A variety of lubricant packages address different applications leading to consistent and reliable consumer friendly closures, whilst accommodating the special needs of children and senior citizens.

Epseal 700 The Epseal 700 series are for PP or PE closures using the out shell compression moulding system and also tape extrusion process.

There are versions for both carbonated soft drinks and the premium segment of mineral waters where very low migration is required. Additionally, laser marking versions are available for beverage promotional campaigns.

Epseal 800 The Epseal 800 series was developed for PE and PP closures specially designed for the in shell moulding liner technology.

The series includes versions for cold fill, pasteurisation and hot fill beverage treatment systems. This series also includes versions with different rheological values to address the special processing requirements of different lining machine types. An assortment of lubricant packages addresses the spectrum of closure and liner profile designs but all lead to a neutral taste and odour sealant whilst remaining consumer friendly and reliable.

Product safety “Customer specific solutions, manufactured from quality raw materials and compounded under exact and consistent conditions, this is what makes us a trusted and reliable partner for the food and beverage industry,” added Ryzko.

“When working with sensitive applications, the whole supply chain needs to be considered. From sourcing the correct raw materials and suppliers, managing production, traceability and consistency, to the knowledge about the application requirements. Our Epseal team work hand-in-hand with customers to tailor compounds to their specific application. Our knowledge and experience in this area means we are familiar with evolving legislation and application criteria, particularly in regard to sealing, organoleptics and migration values.”

Visit: www.hexpolTPE.com

Epseal 400 The Epseal 400 series was developed for synthetic wine corks and T-stoppers for spirits. Various grades are available for both extrusion and injection moulding process. The addition of foam masterbatch enables the user to reach individual customer specifications. The optimal slip systems allow for consumer friendly removal from the bottle mouth.

EPSEAL 100

EPSEAL 300

EPSEAL 700

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INVISIPAC HM25C: THE FAST, SAFE AND COMPACT HOT MELT SYSTEM Graco’s newly designed InvisiPac HM25c hot melt system is compact enough to easily integrate into an existing packaging line, where the benefits of tank-free technology lead to improved productivity and profitability.

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raco’s InvisiPac HM25c stands out from many of its competitors because it is tank-free instead of tank-based. Tank-based systems keep your glue heated for long periods of time. This degrades material quality and produces time-consuming, plug-forming char. The fluctuating temperature changes your glue viscosity, causing inconsistencies in dispensing and uncontrolled glue waste.

With InvisiPac tank-free technology, you’ll experience far less downtime and produce more with a better seal. You’ll use far less adhesive and be able to drastically reduce your spare parts inventory. This translates into increased profitability for your operations.

How it works InvisiPac HM25c uses an integrated vacuum system to feed adhesive to an in-line melter. An ultrasonic sensor monitors adhesive in the chamber, and additional adhesive is automatically added as needed, based on the demand of your application. With its efficient heat transfer design, the InvisiPac system has adhesive throughput capability equivalent to or better than many hot melt tank systems. The result? You get a continuous flow of adhesive during production that significantly reduces the time adhesive sits at high temperature. Less time at high temperature means less char, less maintenance and more uptime.

Start-up in only 10 minutes When you start working with a traditional hot melt system, it won’t take long before you become impatient! Why? Because it probably takes a long time to heat up. Some hot melt systems can even take up to one hour before they reach the right temperature to enable production to start. Whatever your industry, one thing’s for sure: time costs money. With high productivity a key objective in all companies, a start-up time of almost one hour means a significant loss of production time.

Graco’s InvisiPac HM25c needs only ten minutes to heat up. This is because it’s a tank-free system, which means that the bulk of the material is not melted, nor is it kept at a high temperature for a long time. Instead, only the amount of material that is needed is heated up and melted. By just melting a small amount of material, you eliminate the chance of char and nozzle blockings and thus reduce the need for maintenance. The InvisiPac system can do this because it has a uniquely designed, melt-on-demand heating surface.

Compared to an hour start-up, a ten minute start-up increases your productivity and decreases your energy costs significantly. Such a system

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is particularly advantageous in production plants where a temporary gluing station is needed. Here, the quick start-up of the InvisiPac HM25c can get the station up and running without losing valuable time.

Automatic feed for improved safety Hot melt adhesive granules are commonly used in every carton packaging line. However, working with material at temperatures up to 200°C can lead to safety hazards, such as burns or toxic fumes.

The best way to increase operator safety is to keep the interaction with heated systems or materials to a minimum. This is why Graco offers an automatic feeding kit for its InvisiPac HM25c hot melt dispensing system. The feeding kit consists of a large adhesive container, a shaker system and a hose linked to the InvisiPac system.

The operator simply fills the container with a large amount of adhesives, and the system does the rest. When the level of adhesives in the InvisiPac melter reaches a certain minimum, a signal is automatically sent to the feeding system, causing adhesive to be sucked from the container directly into the system – totally without operator intervention. A further opportunity to increase safety is to remove the control box (ADM) a distance away from the hot melt system, which allows InvisiPac to be operated remotely, and thus from a safe distance.

Thanks to these features, the InvisiPac HM25c operator should never come in contact with the hot melt system or the molten adhesives.

Receive real-time performance feedback Another great benefit of the InvisiPac HM25c is that you can receive alerts when your material usage is out of desired range, as well as performance notifications on your lines. These can be sent to you anywhere and anytime, giving you the ability to leverage data as a powerful business tool to cut additional costs. The InvisiPac LineSite remote monitoring system lets you see line activity via a connected laptop, tablet or smartphone from wherever you are, in real time.

Fine-tunings for further benefits Next to a more compact design, the HM25c has fewer parts than its predecessor model; for example, there is only one air regulator that controls the whole system. The heated melter is now machined from one part, which includes a more robust drip tray, and the new funnel air filter is more dust and oil tolerant and longer lasting. All these improvements are aimed at making this system almost maintenance-free.

With the new InvisiPac HM25c, Graco also introduces a completely new feeding system. It uses self-adapting software ‘Pulse Width Modulation’, so that manual tuning isn’t needed. The software controls the width of air pulses given to the feeding system to control the particle speed of the granules of adhesive. This way, the system will be able to fine-tune the feeding time as well as virtually eliminate the probability of having a clogged funnel.

In addition to these improvements, an improved shaker design is introduced to break any blocks of pellets and also reduce air consumption by up to 30 per cent. An encapsulated bin eliminates any external contamination of the glue pellets. All these improvements are made to make the system even more reliable, to increase your packaging line up-time, and make the system as maintenance-free as possible.

More information With a new, more compact design, the InvisiPac HM25c can easily be integrated into your packaging line. And with its traditional features, focusing on operator safety, savings and quality, the InvisiPac system is the reliable option in hot melt packaging.

If you are interested in reducing your hot melt start-up time, increasing productivity and cutting energy costs, then contact the InvisiPac HM25c team at greg.vangansen@graco.com or visit www.invisipac.com

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ADDITIVES FOR MORE EFFICIENT AND VALUE PET-PACKAGING FROM REPI Lucia Buffoni, marketing manager at REPI S.p.A., talks about the company’s innovative additive solutions.

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ne of the main challenges facing the world today is how to save the resources of our planet, including all types of natural raw materials and energy, which allow us to live on a level of comfort, which we have become used to, and from which, more and more, we depend.

Also in the field of plastics processing, manufacturers are looking for the possibility of lowering the costs of materials and processing, while maintaining the highest quality for their products. In the production of PET preforms, for example, work has long been going on to reduce the weight of the preforms. At the same time, machines yield a higher productivity: cycle times have been reduced, while the quantity of preforms in one shot has increased.

In this context, REPI is established with a series of liquid additives and special solutions for PET packaging, as a support to the market needs. The fastest growing REPI additive family is the one of Anti Yellow. These additives in liquid form are dosed from 0,005 per cent to 0,05 per cent both in the R-PET resin production and in the R-PET packaging injection moulding process. If we consider PET produced on «bottle-to-bottle» recycling lines, these additives are able to perfectly make up the preforms since this material has the characteristics of virgin PET, with one exception, namely that the r-PET has a slight yellow or grey shade… which is successfully neutralised by using the additive.

In the field of R-Pet, REPI IV Enhancer is widely used both in injection moulding, where it enhances the physical and mechanical characteristics of the bottle and in the extrusion of R-Pet sheets for thermoforming, where it optimizes the process parameters, enables better thickness distribution and allows for a less frequent cleaning of calendars.

The above-mentioned “process additives” are closely followed by others no-less successful, the first one being REPI Blowing Additive. This product is able to improve and control the absorption of infrared in the blowing stage, giving customers the possibility of reducing blowing temperatures. At the same time, the blowing equipment works in a smoother way, without unplanned stops, and the productivity of blown bottles per hour is increased. From the aesthetic point of view, this additive hardly affects the colour of a transparent preform. It even happens that custom-

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ers who have access to Fast Reheat PET resin, prefer to work with standard PET and Blowing Additive, since they enjoy the flexibility in production having the freedom to modify the addition rate of the additive themselves.

REPI offers also the option of colour with additive inside: popular ones are not only dark amber and dark green for beer preforms, but also blue for mineral water preforms, and even a white colour developed for milk monolayer preforms.

REPI Process Aid is another additive positively acting at the blowing stage by reducing sticking between one and other of preforms and bottles. This product creates a better slip effect between preforms and as a result, up to +10 per cent of preforms can be stored in a box, with consequent advantages in terms of storage and transport costs. Preforms maintain a better visual aspect, remain more transparent and clear, with fewer scratches. “All-in-one� solutions of colour and this additive are often demanded by customers.

As far as the packaging content is concerned, some additives offer valid protection enabling brands to preserve taste and aesthetics of its products on the shelves.

On the one hand, SenzAA™ acetaldehyde reducers act to avoid the unpleasant off-taste of waters bottled in PET. The reduction performance goes up to nearly 85 per cent allowing measuring a AA value of less than 1 ppm.

On the other hand, REPI UV Absorbers create a barrier to the harmful UV-rays and visible light, which when passing through bottles and jars wall, can damage the product inside. Like the others, also this additive is liquid, and here too, the dosage, from 0,1 per cent to 0,2 per cent, is significantly lower, than for its solid masterbatch alternatives, while obtaining equal or better final results. It is used especially for transparent preforms meant for sensitive liquids like vitaminic waters, juices and sauces in the food industry as well as for fabric conditioners, detergents and household products.

The world of packaging experiences widespread innovation, and we as colorants and additives producers are proud to play a leading role and to be involved in this process, offering smart solutions where nature and production processes do not come yet.

Visit: www.repi.com Packaging Europe | 49 |

JOINING THE CLUB! Established in 1976, with over 110.000 tons of films processed every year by around fifty state of the art production lines, Plastotecnica is the national leader in the flexible packaging industry and ranks among the top ten polyethene film extruder companies in Europe.

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ustomers come from all over the world and from all the industries where films play an essential role as primary, secondary or tertiary packaging: the food and beverage, pharmaceutical, HPC, technical and industrial sectors.

Plastotecnica keeps investing in technologies and skilled people, working with suppliers and customers to deliver innovative, reliable and cost-effective packaging solutions perfect for the beverage industry: • Primary packaging - FFS films, roll of tubing, pre-made sacks and bulk container PE liners.

• Secondary packaging - collation shrink films and stretch wraps.

• Tertiary packaging - palletization stretch films, stretch hood and other covering products.

The company’s production process of primary packaging intended for contact with food, fully complies with Commission Regulation (EC) No. 2023/2006 on good manufacturing practice (GMP): this, combined with responsible and careful selections of raw materials and exhaustive food contact compliance tests, ensures that packaging solutions are consistently realized and controlled according to quality standard and perfectly suitable to satisfy existing legislations and customers’ expectations.

Plastotecnica’s products, expertise and customer devotion are already well recognised in the sector, as the company’s customer base counts on local as well as global companies.

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Sustainability as an integral part of the way the company operates, striving together with partners to reduce the negative effects of packaging on the society, on the environment and turn waste into a resource.

Achievements in sustainability include a Green Division creation targeting the development of new environmentally friendly products, such as biodegradable compostable films, polyethylene packaging films from renewable sources and packaging solutions from post-consumer waste; membership to CEFLEX, whose goal is to make flexible packaging even more relevant to the circular economy by improving products recycling rate through the implementation of both guidelines for the design of flexible packaging and the management circuits of post-consumer waste and by creating an infrastructure for the collection, separation and recycling of post-consumer flexible packaging all over Europe; and finally responsible and efficient use of natural resources. A great example is the new trigeneration plant which enables the company to save 30 GWh every year and cut CO2 emissions by 5,700 tons, the equivalent of the annual emissions from 2400 cars.

“We believe we are fully entitled to help our existing and coming partners to map the future of beverage packaging out,” a company spokesperson explains.

On September 11-15, Plastotecnica will be in Munich, Germany to get in the game!

Visit the company at their stand 133 in Hall A/4.

More info: www.plastotecnica.com

A JEWEL IN INDIA’S PACKAGING CROWN India’s 1.34 billion population and GDP growth rate of seven per cent are fueling the consumer goods market.

With a CAGR of 14.7 per cent, the Indian consumer goods market is set to become a US$ 110.4 billion opportunity by 2020. Favourable demographics and improving infrastructure are driving this growth. Rising demand and product diversification are bringing new packaging trends and formats.

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India, the current market for plastic packaging is estimated to be US$ 42 billion, which is growing at a CAGR of 12 per cent and rigid packaging contributes 40 per cent to this business.

Consumer goods companies are competing to make their brands standout with innovative packaging. In order to achieve their packaging goals, they are tying up with large packaging solutions companies, which have a holistic approach, R&D capabilities and the ability to scale. India has over 2,000 rigid plastic packaging manufacturers, but the jewel in its packaging crown is Manjushree.

Manjushree Technopack Limited is South Asia’s largest rigid packaging solutions company that offers a 360 degree packaging experience to its 200 plus customers. Its clientele includes Coca-Cola, Unilever, ITC, P&G, Pfizer, Mondelez, Reckitt Benckiser, Nestlé, Diageo, GSK and Heinz among others. The company has nurtured long-standing client relationships with its superior product quality, consistency and speed of delivery.

Several customers source major volumes from Manjushree across Asia, Middle East and Africa.

Manjushree’s core focus is on rigid plastic packaging across multiple product offerings including bottles, wide-mouth containers, PET preforms, closures etc. Technology platforms include injection stretch blow moulding, extrusion blow, 6-layer barrier co-extrusion, injection moulding and specialised preform injection moulding among others.

This year marks Manjushree’s 40th anniversary. From humble beginnings in 1977, as a packaging supplier to tea estates of Assam, the company has become an Indian packaging giant in 2017. Late last year,

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the company acquired the packaging business of Varahi, which included its four production facilities in North India. Additionally, it also established a Greenfield facility in Assam. Now, Manjushree can boast of a PAN India presence with eight strategically located manufacturing facilities, to cater to the discerning needs of its customers.

The Varahi acquisition gave Manjushree access to its patents and R&D, in addition to its own, and added a number of important customers including Dabur, SC Johnson, Perfetti Van Melle and Patanjali. Today, the company has an installed capacity of 125,000 MTPA and a revenue of Rs. 8000 million (US$ 125 million), making it one of the leaders in rigid plastic packaging.

Manjushree’s R&D department is duly recognised by DSIR, Govt. of India. Its in-house technical design centre specialises in innovative design development, practical engineering and easy deployment of rigid packaging solutions.

Manjushree has been bestowed with several industry awards and honours, under the aegis of its founders, Mr Vimal Kedia, Managing Director and Mr Surendra Kedia, Executive Director. The company has won packaging design awards of IndiaStar, Asia Star and also the coveted World Star. Mr Vimal Kedia is a recipient of the President’s Award for entrepreneurship and was recently conferred the Lifetime Achievement Award at a leading industry forum in recognition of his service to the Indian plastic industry.

Visit: www.manjushreeindia.com

BEVERAGE PACKAGING PREMIUMISATION: SHAPE AND VISUAL IMPACT Beverage packaging premiumisation has become more of a ‘must-have’, rather than ‘nice-to-have’ element of new product development, to properly address the demands of the modern beverage sector in line with consumer trends.

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remiumisation is not a new concept, but it is increasingly making a difference when consumers make their decisions at the shelf.

Consumers are choosing more premium beverage offerings on a regular basis which makes it critical that the package communicates the premium brand promise.

Additionally, shelf-standout and brand presence are often enhanced through innovative features that resonate with the eco-conscious millennial consumer and respond to global megatrends such as sustainability, environmental responsibility, and individuality.

When it comes to creating a premium package, selecting a premium material is just the start. Creating a premium package can be achieved by shape, graphics or decoration enhancements. Craft beer, for example, has experienced an unprecedented amount of growth in sales in both the UK and US in the last five years and often relies upon packaging for premium positioning and also serves as their primary marketing tool.

The craft beer sector is currently the fastest growing sub-sector in the wider beverage market. A Nielson audit reports that ‘70% of typical craft beer buyers decide which beer to purchase while at the shelf, rather than in advance’.

Of many examples, a recent graphic update for Devils Backbone Brewing Company featured silver metallic ink, embossing and a matte-gloss contrast for shelf impact. The design also included soft-touch coating for an element of surprise and luxury. So, while a striking finish draws the consumer in, touch can actually be more important in suggesting that a pack exclusive and of superior quality, and therefore, premium.

In addition to graphic enhancements and decorations, new pack shapes can also convey a premium effect. Unique, sophisticated shapes stand out as a disruptive feature in an otherwise linear retail space and demonstrate that a subtle, less-is-more approach often holds more perceived value with today’s consumer than numerous additional features.

Advanced innovation must of course be supported by operational excellence to deliver packaging of the high standard that consumers expect.

At drinktec 2017, Graphic Packaging International (GPI) will be demonstrating a ‘world of possibilities’ - its advanced machinery and packaging solutions to customers. GPI’s ReShapeTM machine will be featured

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on the stand and is a revolutionary technology capable of creating virtually any pack configuration seamlessly with one piece of packaging equipment.

Championing smart added-value pack premiumisation, ReShape allows beverage manufacturers to reinvent, reimagine and reshape their packaging for increased shelf standout.

From the company’s AutoMaxxTM, the company will display a range of wrap and basket solutions to create on-shelf differentiation from robust handle options to full-coverage designs.

Often, consumers’ interest in premium products coincides with a desire for a variety of brands and flavours. GPI’s robotic integration capability simplifies and automates variety packing operations so brands can offer an array of options in one pack at the shelf.

GPI will exhibit how the company’s vertically integrated business can supply the board, cartons, machinery and enhancements to deliver premium packaging that consumers demand today, as well as the designs of the future.

For more information, please visit www.graphicpkg.com

PPMA SHOW 2017 RETURNS TO REVEAL THE BEST OF MANUFACTURING INNOVATION The PPMA Show, the UK’s unmissable, free-to-attend, processing and packaging machinery exhibition, returns to the NEC from 26-28 September to provide manufacturers with insights into the latest machinery products, technologies and materials. Registration is now open and easier than ever before – taking less than three minutes for attendees to secure their place to join all corners of the industry together under one roof this autumn.

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he PPMA Show is organised by the Processing and Packaging Machinery Association (PPMA) which comprises the PPMA, British Automation & Robot Association (BARA) and the UK Industrial Vision Association (UKIVA). Serving manufacturers within the food and beverage, pharmaceutical, personal care and FMCG industries to contract packers and more, the show will offer visitors a chance to see new machinery in action, find inspiration, new ideas and solutions, gain access to potential new suppliers and evaluate and purchase the latest technology as well as talk face-to-face with the industry’s leading technical experts.

Building on its reputation as a best-in-class exhibition, the PPMA Show 2017 will feature a new and improved Learning Hub, providing visitors and exhibitors with insights from influential industry experts and opinion leaders on the industry’s hottest trends and topics. From the implications and opportunities of Brexit, IIoT enabled adaptive packaging to the potential of waste and busting the myths of robotics and automation, the Learning Hub at the PPMA Show 2017 is set to deliver an unrivalled programme of informative and engaging sessions.

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Popular TED speaker and Chartered Engineer Peter Anderton. Peter, who previously worked as Production Manager for United Biscuits (UB), will take to the stage for two sessions. The first (Tues 26th, 12:00) will provide attendees with helpful insights into how to build a successful team, followed by a second session (Weds 27th, 12:00) where Peter will share his two-rule approach to great leadership and reveal what packaging chocolate Hobnobs has to do with successful management.

Joining Peter on the opening day of the show, Forbes McDougall, Head of Circular Economy for Veolia UK & Ireland, will shine a spotlight on packaging recycling faux pas from laminates, coffee cups, plastic bottles and food trays.

Confirmation of Forbes’ PPMA Show appearance (Tues 26th, 11:00) follows recent news that the waste management giant has initiated a national solution to coffee cup recycling, encouraging a mass collaboration between designers, manufacturers, vendors and consumers to ensure a long-lasting solution is found. Forbes will share insights on everything from material recovery to ensuring supply chain security within the wider context of the circular economy.

Tackling one of the most widely debated and hotly-anticipated topics, Ian Wright, Director General of the Food & Drink Federation will discuss the implications and opportunities of Brexit for the food and drink industry, the UK’s largest manufacturing sector (Tues 26th, 13:30). The sector, which is larger than the automotive and aerospace sectors combined, contributes £28.2bn to the economy and employs more than 117,000 EU workers. Ian will help visitors understand the complexities of a decision which will have significant impacts on key issues including employment, trade, product regulation and Britain’s relationship with Ireland.

Another hotly debated topic to be explored within the Learning Hub is robotics and automation. Jeremy Hadall, Chief Technologist – Robotics & Automation of The Manufacturing Technology Centre will first address the myths surrounding robotic uptake in the manufacturing industries (Weds 27th, 11:00). His session will explore the benefits of automation and robotics in the food and drink industry, while exploring the myth that robots are a risk to human employees.

In a second session, Dr. Graham Deacon, Robotics Research Team Leader of Ocado Technology will reveal how Ocado’s robotics research team are using robotic manipulators to pack shopping orders (Weds 27th, 13:30). This case study led session will explore how the British online supermarket uses sensor guided robotics and 3D point cloud cameras to pick and pack groceries, guaranteeing warehouse efficiency and offering a first-class experience for its customers.

The PPMA Show 2017 will also feature all-new entertainment and interactive features, including a computer-controller goalkeeper, known as RoboKeeper. Described as the World’s Best Goalie, the RoboKeeper has already taken on the likes of footballers Lionel Messi and Neymar and will challenge visitors and exhibitors to try and score a goal live at the show. The RoboKeeper uses cutting-edge robotics and vision technology, reacting within fractions of a second, making it almost impossible to score.

Speaking about the exhibition, Valerio Del Vecchio, Head of Marketing, PPMA Group of Associations, said: “Over the past 30 years, the PPMA Show

has united buyers and suppliers at one of the UK’s most visually dynamic exhibitions. It enables manufacturing professionals to come together, network, discuss future trends, find inspiration and gain invaluable insights from thought leaders.”

“The PPMA Total Show 2016 saw over 1,000 leading packaging and processing machinery manufacturing represented, with more than 7,500 visitors descending on the NEC to find out more. Feedback from visitors attending the 2016 show revealed that the show is the destination to keep up to date with the industry, find inspiration and meet with new suppliers or business partners. We’re looking forward to building on this success when we open the doors to the PPMA Show 2017 on 26 September.”

For more information on the PPMA Show and its new features for this year, visit www.ppmashow.co.uk

Packaging Europe | 57 |

AN UNMISSABLE PACK EXPO LAS VEGAS 2017 Sustainability, efficiency and product safety are among the top issues to be addressed with the latest packaging technology at PACK EXPO Las Vegas (Las Vegas Convention Centre, Sept. 25–27), produced by PMMI, The Association of Packaging and Processing Technologies.

Date:

Opening times:

Telephone:

Monday, September 25 – Wednesday, September 27, 2017

9:00 am – 16:00 pm, daily

+1 571-612-3200

Venue:

Contact:

Registration:

PMMI 11911 Freedom Drive, Suite 600 Reston, VA 20190

Badges are only $30 through September 1.

Price increases to $100 after September 1.

Las Vegas Convention Center, 3150 Paradise Rd., Las Vegas, Nevada 89109, USA

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Email: expo@pmmi.org

One badge gives you access to two shows at the Las Vegas Convention Center.

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o-located with the Healthcare Packaging EXPO, the event is expected to host 30,000 attendees, including 5,000 international visitors from more than 125 countries, and 2,000-plus exhibiting companies that will span nearly 900,000 net-square-feet of an almost sold-out exhibition floor.

In addition to the technology on display on the show floor, PACK EXPO Las Vegas will offer a host of educational and networking opportunities, as well as industry specific events. Here’s what to look out for: The Containers and Materials Pavilion will address innovations, including updates on paperboard, glass, metal and plastic. Flexible and resealable packaging options will also be on display. The Showcase of Packaging Innovations®, sponsored by Dow® and located within the Containers and Materials Pavilion, will host award-nominated packaging solutions utilising breakthrough technology to address consumer demands.

Sponsored by the Reusable Packaging Association, The Reusable Packaging Pavilion, is the hotspot to learn how to reduce waste, cut costs and gain supply chain efficiency.

Candy and snack connoisseurs will find the newest trends and technologies relating to aeration, batch refining, shaping, cluster production and much more at The Confectionery Pavilion, sponsored by the National Confectioners Association (NCA).

Attendees of PACK EXPO Las Vegas can network with peers, gain specialised insights or just rest and recharge at three different industry-specific lounges: The Beverage Cooler Lounge (Booth #S-7632), hosted by the International Society of Beverage Technologists, The Baking and Snack Break Lounge (Booth #S-7832), hosted by the American Bakers Association, and the Candy Bar Lounge (Booth# S-7202), sponsored by Dorner Manufacturing Corp. and hosted by NCA, located in The Confectionery Pavilion.

Packaging Europe | 59 |

PACK EXPO Las Vegas attendees will also have free access to educational programming on the show floor. Both PACK EXPO Las Vegas and Healthcare Packaging EXPO will feature 30-minute seminars at the Innovation Stage, offering a look at breakthrough technologies, innovative applications and proven techniques from industry experts.

The PACK gives Back™ benefit concert, sponsored by Rockwell Automation, will be headlined by Grammy award winning band, The Doobie Brothers. A portion of the proceeds

from the annual benefit will go towards the PACK EXPO Scholarship (now accepting applications from students), providing grants to U.S. and Canadian colleges with packaging and processing programmes.

Registration, which includes access to both PACK EXPO Las Vegas and Healthcare Packaging EXPO, is $30 until Sept. 1, where after the price increases to $100.

For more information and to register online, visit www.packexpolasvegas.com

Chuck Yuska, President and CEO, PMMI

Jim Pittas, COO, PMMI

| 60 | Packaging Europe

SOMIC SHOWCASES LATEST TECHNOLOGY AT PACK EXPO

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leading manufacturer of innovative and precise end-of-line packaging machine technology for cartons, retail ready and wraparound cases, Somic will feature a variety of high profile samples produced by its 424 T2 (D) multi-purpose, retail-ready case packer at Pack Expo. The machine is popular for collating, grouping and packaging products in open display trays, trays with covers and wraparound cases, and can be fitted with individual format tools for a variety of product dimensions and case models.

The 424 T2 (D) is capable of collating 600 products per minute, depending on size, and can carton up to 35 cases per minute. Samples featuring Milk Duds and Whoppers chocolate from The Hershey Company will be displayed with coffee, cereal, flour, jam, noodles and others.

Find Somic America, Inc. at booth S8468 More info: www.somic.us

Packaging Europe | 61 |

FACT AND FIGURES

FOUR DAYS | NINE HALLS | 650 EXHIBITORS At Labelexpo Europe 2017, you’ll discover the most advanced label and package printing technology ever assembled. See it live in action.

Date:

Contact:

Tickets:

September 25 to 28, 2017

Early registration rate: €55 (until 15 September at 18:00 CET)

Brussels Expo, Belgium

Brussels Expo 1 Place de Belgique / Belgiëplein 1, 1020 Brussels Belgium

Opening Hours:

Telephone:

Monday to Wednesday – 9:30 to 17:30 Thursday – 9:30 to 16:00

+44 20 8846 2700

Location:

Standard rate: €80 All prices include Belgian VAT at 6%.

Tickets are valid for entry on all four days of the show.

Website: www.labelexpo-europe.com

Travel: By metro Brussels Expo is just a few minutes’ walk from Heysel/Heizel metro station.

There is a direct line between Heysel/Heizel and Bruxelles-Midi/Brussel-Zuid station, with a journey time of 15 minutes.

By road Brussels Expo is situated near the Brussels Ring (R0) and is easy to reach by car. Take exit 7A from the ring road and follow the “Expo” signs. Parking is available for 10,000 cars in car park C.

By taxi Labelexpo Europe has partnered with Taxi2share for ease and great value.

You can either share your taxi or have your own and save between 50% - 66% of the cost. Book online or through the app. | 62 | Packaging Europe

By rail Brussels is easily reached by Eurostar from London or by Thalys from Paris, Amsterdam and Cologne. Trains stop at Bruxelles-Midi/Brussel-Zuid station - an easy link to the metro.

From Brussels South Station (Bruxelles-Midi/Brussel-Zuid): Take metro line 6 in the direction of Roi Baudouin/Koning Boudewijn.

This will take you straight to Heysel/Heizel (a journey of about 15 minutes), which is the metro station at Brussels Expo.

From Brussels Central Station: Take metro line 5 in the direction of Erasme/Erasmus. At Beekkant, change to line 6 in the direction of Roi Baudouin/Koning Boudewijn. This will take you straight to Heysel/Heizel metro station at Brussels Expo. The total journey will be about 20 minutes.

Visit us at stand 5A10

Features and schedules

Inks, Coatings & Varnishes Workshop

In addition to the hundreds of new product launches and live demonstrations, the show will also include feature areas that focus on fast-growing parts of the industry.

Understand how inks, coatings, primers and varnishes are being adapted and applied to modern narrow web converting operations.

Wednesday 27 September Price: €535 (including VAT)

Automation Arena A demonstration and overview of two automated press lines for digital and conventional label production. Each session is 30 minutes long.

Location: Hall 11 25 to 27 September: 11:00, 13:00, 15:00 28 September: 11:00

Label Academy MIS & Workflow Automation Master Class

Linerless Trail

Label Academy Shrink Sleeve Technology Masterclass

Learn how linerless labels make your label production more efficient and increase your green credentials. Visit linerless experts to discuss solutions, see demonstrations and collect samples.

Learn about shrink sleeve technology, markets and applications from the experts.

Wednesday 27 September Price: €636 (including VAT)

Learn how to electronically manage an efficient and profitable twenty-first century operation from the experts.

Tuesday 26 September Price: €636 (including VAT)

Packaging Europe | 63 |

THE LARGEST LABEL EVENT IN THE WORLD Labelexpo Europe 2017 is gearing up for its biggest edition to date. The four-day trade show returns to Brussels Expo in Belgium during 25 – 28 September, with over 650 exhibitors lining-up to unveil the latest in cutting-edge developments for the label printing market.

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imed at printers, FMCG brand owners, label, packaging and graphic designers, Labelexpo Europe is the largest all-inclusive trade fair for label and package printing professionals. Creating a buzz of excitement within the industry, the show will cover an unprecedented total of nine exhibition halls. Buyers attending the show will be able to sample the newest tech and next generation materials from over 100 new exhibitors and Labelexpo regulars including: HP Indigo, Avery Dennison, Bobst, Codimag, Domino, Durst, EFI, Epson, Esko, Flint Group, FUJIFILM, Gallus, Konica Minolta, Mark Andy, MPS, Nilpeter, Omet, Ritrama, Screen Europe, SPGPrints, Sun Chemical, UPM Raflatac and Xeikon.

As ever, the main attraction at Labelexpo Europe will be the opportunity to see and compare the latest big machine displays and live demonstrations.

The show will again be an important global showcase of newly unveiled product innovations and visitors will be able to see and compare a wide | 64 | Packaging Europe

range of technologies including flexo, digital and inkjet as well as a range of combination systems.

There will also be two dedicated feature areas with the return of the popular Linerless Trail and the debut of the Automation Arena as well as several educational paid-for master classes run in collaboration with the Label Academy.

Automation arena Industry 4.0 is the current trend of automation and data exchange in manufacturing technologies. Demonstrating this shift towards combining industry with the Internet of Things, the Automation Arena is a practical live workshop featuring two automated press lines for digital and conventional label production. It will show visitors how information management can integrate workflow and automate production, working towards better performance, reliability and profitability for today’s printer.

Located in Hall 11, the Automation Arena is being held in collaboration with Cerm, Esko, Xeikon, MPS, Kocher + Beck, AVT, Rotocontrol, Matho and Wasberger. Three half-hour long real-time presentations will run daily at 11.00, 13.00 and 15.00 over the show’s first three days and once at 11.00 on the final day. These sessions will be filmed live and relayed via large screens to show visitors every single, detailed aspect of the job.

The print jobs run during the Automation Arena will be produced using digital and conventional printing technology. Job creation, artwork uploading and MIS order processing steps will take place in Cerm’s system before the pre-flighting, quality checks, proofing and customer approval are progressed using Esko’s software platform and automation engine. This will be followed

by Cerm scheduling, ink and substrate checking, tool ordering and the sending of JDF files, ready for printing. Both presses will utilize AT740 film from Avery Dennison, with inks supplied by Flint Group.

The conventional print runs will be produced on an MPS EF 430, 8-color press – with no gear cylinder connection, intelligent pressure setting and zero waste roll change – which in turn will be fitted with a Kocher + Beck UR Precision 440 U non-stop splicer unwind and AVT’s Helios Product Line inspection. A Rotocontrol RSC 340 WFL slitter and turret rewinding unit will also feature with Wasberger’s fully automatic Core Cutter S and Matho’s EM180 Cuttopipe waste removal system.

Job files, differing from the conventional print runs, will be sent to a Xeikon X-800 digital front end for batching, step and repeat and preparation of job identification, die-cut, inspection and turret rewinder barcodes for printing on a Xeikon 3300 press with an inline laser die-cutting unit. When the Xeikon press starts its run, the audience will be able to see the different identification barcodes in operation, AVT defect detection, laser die-cutting set-up and rewinder automation.

The final stages in the job automation process will return to the Cerm operator and the audience will be taken through steps including warehousing, job picking, shipping carrier allocation, customer notification and invoicing.

Linerless trail The Linerless Trail will return to this year’s show with a particular focus on in-house production and new materials. Linerless labels are essentially preprinted pressure sensitive labels but without the traditional release coating and

liner format that stops it from sticking to other labels. Displaying their labeling technology, the Linerless Trail participants will be highlighting the commercial benefits of adopting and offering a linerless capability to customers. Show visitors will be able to see live demonstrations as well as collect linerless samples.

Leading industry suppliers including Evonik and Henkel will be giving show visitors an insight into the label industry of tomorrow by showcasing ways to reduce cost, produce less waste and improve sustainability right across the supply chain.

Label academy master classes and workshop Two Label Academy master classes will give participants with the opportunity to enhance and further their technical printing knowledge from educational presentations by a host of renowned industry experts. The master classes – MIS & Workflow Automation and Shrink Sleeve Technology – are being run in association with The Label Academy.

The Academy is the global training and certification program for the label and package printing industry and is supported by FINAT, the TLMI and LMAI. Consisting of a series of self-study modules, combining free access to a detailed synopsis, relevant articles and videos with paid-for text books, the Academy is sponsored by Cerm, Flint Group, Gallus, MPS, Taghleef Industries (Ti) and UPM Raflatac.

Taking place on Tuesday 26 September the MIS and Automation Workflow master class will be led by Mike Fairley and feature presentations by sector experts from AVT, Cerm, EFI Radius, Esko, Label Traxx, OPM Group and Tharstern. Attendees will learn how a joined-up approach to electronically managing an efficient and profitable twenty-first century operation is able to offer an integrated management information solution. Providing both day-today problem solving and long-term strategic decision making, it will look at: fast accurate estimating, procurement, production planning and scheduling, workflow automation, asset data collection and post data analysis.

Running on Wednesday 27 September, those signed up for the Shrink Sleeve Technology master class will hear about the latest in the area’s technology, markets and applications. Attendees will gain a clear understanding of design and origination requirements; find out about suitable shrinkable films; review the different printing processes and how to select them; gain an appreciation of the latest converting technologies and specialized applications and Packaging Europe | 65 |

also find out about sleeve performance and quality, including troubleshooting and fault finding. Also headed up by Mike Fairley, there will also be presentations from Accraply, Esko, Flint Group and Klöckner Pentaplast.

Both master classes are five-hours long and places are limited. The price includes the master class as well as a copy of the associated text book and an opportunity to take an online exam afterwards to earn a Label Academy certificate.

Being held on Wednesday 27 September, the inaugural Inks, Coatings and Varnishes Workshop is also being organized by the Label Academy.

The workshop will show how inks, top and barrier coatings, primers and varnishes are being adapted and applied to modern narrow web converting operations using various technologies such as flexo and offset. Workshop delegates will also get an insight into how ink components interact with drying and curing technologies. Current legislation, including ink migration, will also be addressed, along with how to establish adhesion testing and quality assurance procedures.

The four-hour workshop will be presented by leading experts from the field of ink and coating technology with contributors from Flint Group, GSE Dispensing, Pulse Roll Label Products, RK PrintCoat Instruments, Siegwerk and Sun Chemical.

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The show will also play host to the 14th Label Industry Global Awards and gala dinner on the first night of the show. Four prestigious industry gongs will be up for grabs with the label community celebrating the industry’s trailblazers and their efforts in pioneering innovation and sustainability. Renowned as the Oscars for the label printing trade, the Awards provide the sector’s finest a worldwide stage to celebrate and showcase excellence, innovation and best practice.

To help make the visitor and exhibitor experience even more enjoyable, the facilities at Labelexpo’s home, Brussels Expo, have been refreshed and undergone a recent improvement program. With enhanced security and upgraded lighting, the venue has also overhauled its catering services and now has free Wi-Fi throughout. The City of Brussels is also kindly providing free transport for visitors and exhibitors on the metro, tram and bus system during the show’s open days. Visitors can find their unique metro code along with instructions on their badge letter. If registered after 18 August or if they don’t have their badge, visitors can also collect their free event pass from the Visit Brussels desk in the front of Hall 3 or from Heysel/Heizel station (both from Sunday, 24 September).

Visitors can register online and find out more about the show at www.labelexpo-europe.com

VELCRO COMPANIES ENSURES RELIABLE SEALING F

or more than 75 years, Velcro Companies has collaborated with the world’s leading brands to deliver innovative, reliable closures for all types of products. The company, like you, knows that better packaging simplifies consumers’ busy lives. Even more, when a closure eliminates the need to use additional bags, ties or wraps, that’s a win for our environment, too.

That’s where Velcro Companies comes in. By using VELCRO® Brand fasteners, brands can help consumers save time and money while avoiding waste. VELCRO® Brand fasteners allow packages to easily open and close, over and over again. Its closures are consumer-friendly hook-to-hook and hook-and-loop technologies that perfectly align to seal packages tight.

The company’s long-trusted fastening solutions can be simply applied to any existing packaging. VELCRO® Brand Shapes (like its VELCRO® Brand

Easy-Coin closure) aren’t impacted by dust, grease or moisture, so they can be used in the fridge, on the shelf or on the go. So go ahead, take that favorite snack on holiday.

Closures can also be integrated into product design. For example, take the VELCRO® Brand REPLAY® Tab, an elegant and patented reclose solution, integrated into wet wipe packs. REPLAY® Tabs create a strong seal from the same soft-to-the-touch fasteners it used 20 plus years ago to revolutionise diapers. The REPLAY® Tabs combine the ease of adhesive closures, typically found on wet wipes, with the reliable reusability of its mechanical hookand-loop closure; they ensure that the packs won’t lose their ability to seal, keeping the wet wipes moist until the last one is gone.

More info: www.velcro.com/packaging

Packaging Europe | 67 |

DIE-CUTTING WHERE PROFITABILITY AND EFFICIENCY MEET Berhalter – Switzerland’s leading manufacturer of high-performance die-cutting machines – is presenting a patented technology exclusively at LabelExpo Europe to cut in-mould labels and polyester labels.

High-tech die-cutting on a low budget

The mark of flexibility

Berhalter is presenting a new die-cutting tool concept for in-mould labels (IML) and polyester labels that offers the advantages of favourable tool cost in combination with short lead times.

The Berhalter LABEL-light™ punching tool is a patented concept combining the improvements in flat-bed die-cutting, such as unique print-to-die registration, and perfect handling properties.

The costs for a LABEL-light™ punching tool are up to 70 per cent lower compared to a traditional punching tool, even allowing a label contour correction of +/- 0.5 mm. Furthermore, there is no need for re-grinding a tool – the cutting components can be easily exchanged by the operators in order to continue production immediately.

Over the last few years, Berhalter has reacted continuously and flexibly to increasing market demands and has introduced a number of innovations to the market. Alongside its capacity for constant innovation, Berhalter is synonymous with the production of efficient and customer-oriented die-cutting systems. The business specialises in manufacturing user-friendly but highly productive die-cutters.

This applies for aluminium or polyester flat packaging lids, such as Nestlé yoghurt lids, as well as for packaging lids with relief impressions, like Philadelphia cheese spread lids. Deep-drawn aluminium lids such as those used for pet food like Sheba or Cesar enhance the extensive range of product opportunities. However, Berhalter die-cutting machines can also be used to produce paper labels, e.g. on beer bottles and labels for IML applications, such as those on Starbucks coffee cups.

Berhalter has the unique possibility to supply die-cutting machines and tools according to the specific market demand.

Visit Berhalter at LabelExpo Europe at Hall 5 E41.

BERHALTER – the number one in die-cutting Visit: www.berhalter.com

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PUSHING THE BOUNDARIES OF THE LABELLING MARKET Libby White talks to Andy Thomas-Emans, Labels Group Strategic Director, Labelexpo Global Series about the biggest Labelexpo Europe show to date. He introduces new feature areas attendees can visit at the event, and discusses the main challenges and trends he sees driving solutions in the industry today.

Libby White: What can attendees expect from Labelexpo this year?

Andy Thomas-Emans: This will be the biggest Labelexpo in the history of the show and there will be a wide range of digital and conventional presses and finishing systems on show, as well as materials ranging from pressure-sensitive, shrink and in-mold labels to flexible packaging. The show is used by many leading manufacturers as a platform for global technology launches.

LW:

production process from pre-press through to print, inspection and rewinding. This workshop will look at how the different stages of the production process can be automated using a management information system to eliminate double entry of information and automatically track and job against a customer’s specifications – for example automating colour management on a range of different print processes and materials against the customer proof.

The display will include a full pre-press system, a dedicated CERM MIS and a fully automated MPS UV flexo press feeding onto a RotoControl rewinder, demonstrating the automated workflow between each production step on wide-screen monitors.

Why has Labelexpo created dedicated feature areas?

LW:

ATE:

What do you see as the key trends, developments and challenges in the labelling industry?

Labelexpo originally created its feature areas to allow visitors to focus on a particular area of new technology creating waves in the wider industry. Previous feature areas have included digital printing and laser die-cutting, giving converters the chance to ask questions and see practical demonstrations of a range of closely associated technologies.

LW: In particular can you tell me more about the dedicated automation arena?

ATE: There is an increasing focus on reducing costs and waste on the converter’s shop floor in response to an increased throughput of shorter run jobs and pressure on prices from the end user. A key strategy is automating the | 70 | Packaging Europe

ATE: The main trend in the label industry – and the main challenge – is the move towards shorter runs, as well as to personalised and customised labels targeted at the millennial generation of consumers. Digital printing and converting is one way label converters have tackled these challenges, but there have also been major developments in conventional flexo technology.

For example, the move to fixed palette ink systems, print sleeves, automated pressure and registration adjustment, in-line spectrophotometric inspection for automated colour measurement, and automation of the rewinder using a fault-finding camera located on the press. Also, the integration of all processes into a management information system to provide vital production feedback to management and allowing automated forward planning.

LW:

ATE:

Can you give me some examples of the biggest advancements in technology and materials in the industry visitors can expect to discover at Labelexpo?

This is the key area addressed by the Automation Arena feature. The big push is to integrate all production steps into an automated process which can then be monitored and controlled remotely via secure web links. The key is to use the data and metadata contained in the approved PDF file to drive the whole production process automatically, including job planning, choice of digital or conventional press routes and finishing machine availability. End users are also being brought into this loop with the ability to view jobs already in the production queue, re-order via a secure web browser.

ATE: This Labelexpo Europe sees a wide range of new press launches, both digital and conventional. Digital highlights include the worldwide launch of digital presses from both Bobst and Uteco. The Bobst-Radex company Mouvent launches 7-color UV inkjet presses, 170mm and 340mm wide printing at 100m/min at 1200 x 1200dpi; Uteco enters the label market with the Gaia inkjet press using Electron Beam curing; HP launches GEM in-line digital varnish and 3D decoration unit for WS6800; Xeikon has the worldwide launch of the PX3000 ‘Panther’ UV inkjet press; Screen’s TruePress Jet350UV now prints at 60m/min with nitrogen inerting and low migration inks; Mark Andy launches its Digital One entry level hybrid press in Europe; Durst and Omet launch a hybrid digital-flexo press and Durst shows the new Tau330 RSC printing at 1200 x 1200dpi at 76m/min. Other digital press launches include the Dantex 7-color PicoJet LED-UV inkjet printing 75m/min at 600dpi and Epson SurePress 4533 6-color water-base press, which replaces the 4033.

Another key trend is adding digital capability to conventional presses: Domino, Colordyne, FFEI/Xaar and Amica launch retrofit digital UV units to add digital varnish, White, Black to conventional flexo presses.

Interesting to note is the Mimaki stand, where the company launches a flatbed direct-to-container printer and direct-to-corrugated digital press with cutting table.

Conventional press highlights include the launch by Gallus of a highly automated version of its LabelMaster 440 UV flexo press with newly designed dual flexo module and lightweight print cylinders and a multi-web capability; Nilpeter launches its new FA-4* press with multiple automation levels, as well as new flexo and finishing units for its Panorama hybrid press. Edale and MPS launch automation and MIS integration technologies including auto pressure setting, while Mark Andy debuts a Performance P7 with in-line digital unit printing White at 73m/min and a new semi-rotary die-cut unit. Omet launches a film package for its entry level iFlex and the new X6.0 press with automated pressure and Multivision register adjustment.

An interesting launch is GEW’s UV sensors which measure UV cure at the web surface. This is a key enabling technology for the certified measurement of UV cure for indirect food contact materials. The show sees the launch of a new industry group, FoodSafeUV, which aims to persuade brand owners that this is a safe and ‘greener’ alternative to water-base and solvent-based inks.

LW: How is industry 4.0 advancing and pushing the boundaries of the labelling market? | 72 | Packaging Europe

LW: What do you see driving printing solutions in the market (i.e. the need for efficiency, compliance, and ink migration solutions?)

ATE: The need for efficiency and waste reduction is key, and converters are increasingly being asked for low migration UV inks, particularly on labels used for pharma and indirect food contact packaging applications. Digital colour standards are also being used by end users to standardize proofing and delivery of key brand colours, and converters are responding with automated ink mixing systems and by the use of spot colour simulation using extended gamut inks, all checked with spectrophotometric inspection cameras.

LW: How is the industry changing in terms of its focus on developing more sustainable solutions?

ATE: Sustainability is more of an internal issue for suppliers and converters, who find they can increase efficiency and reduce waste by implementing standards such as ISO14001. The wider PS industry is still seeking answers to the issue of release liner waste, as most big end users currently are not making huge efforts to sort, collect and deliver it to recycling facilities, and label converters are generally too small to take on this role. Linerless labels will be a major focus at this Labelexpo, with its own dedicated trail, and this has an established niche – especially in logistics labelling.

LW: How do you see the market developing over the next few years?

ATE: There will be increased consolidation among label converters and suppliers, more price pressure from label buyers, continuing increases in the speed and resolution of Inkjet UV presses and a continued drive to ‘Industry 4.0’ automation.

Andy Thomas-Emans, Labels Group Strategic Director

Packaging Europe | 73 |

SAPPI PRESENTS INNOVATIONS IN RELEASE LINER AND LABEL PAPERS PRODUCT GROUPS Sappi, a leading provider of speciality papers for self-adhesive applications and packaging, has announced it will be participating in Labelexpo Europe 2017 from 25 to 28 September at the Brussels Expo site.

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he world’s largest event on the label and packaging industry calendar provides the year’s most important forum for Sappi to demonstrate its expertise in the field of silicone base papers and label papers. The primary focus of Sappi’s presence at the trade fair, under the theme “People, Paper, Possibilities”, will be its innovations in the Release Liner and Label Papers product groups. These include the new CCK (Clay Coated Kraft) carrier paper Sappi Sol DNC as well as two new label papers in the form of Sappi Parade Face Stock C1S and Sappi Parade Face Stock Vellum. Sappi will be exhibiting in Hall 5, Stand E05.

Release Liners: silicone usage reduced even further For more than 40 years, Sappi has been a market leader in the field of silicone-based papers. CCK papers under the Sappi Sol brand are undergoing continuous innovation. This ongoing development work is reflected in the improved surface structure of the new Sappi Sol DNC papers.

This is because carrier papers with a smoother surface result in lower silicone consumption during the finishing process. This is why Sappi is constantly working to improve the surface quality of its silicone-based papers, resulting in ongoing improvements in the quality of its carrier papers. The most recent examples of this are the Sappi Sol DNC carrier papers with a satin finish. The use of a state-of-the-art calendar further reduces scratches on the paper and significantly improves the surface quality. This results in lower overall silicone consumption, a condition that is important to label converters.

Label Papers: New Face Stock qualities With its Parade product range already well-established on the marketplace, Sappi offers a comprehensive range of wet glue label papers for a variety of processing options. At Labelexpo, Sappi will be presenting two new Face

| 74 | Packaging Europe

Stock label papers in the form of Parade Face Stock C1S and Parade Face Stock Vellum. They are approved for direct contact with food and conform to DIN EN 71 for toy safety. The range of applications for these self-adhesive label papers include decorative labels for tins, glass containers, single-use and multi-use bottles and stickers or price labels (such as those found in the fruit and vegetable aisle) and more. Thanks to their excellent surface properties, these label papers ensure a brilliant appearance and excellent print results.

Single-side-coated Semi-Gloss-Paper Parade Face Stock C1S can be processed with all standard printing processes, while Parade Face Stock Vellum meets the requirements for a high quality result in thermal transfer printing.

Parade Face Stock C1S is available in a weight of 80 g/m2, and Parade Face Stock Vellum in grammages of 70 and 80 g/m2. Both papers are also available in FSC-certified versions.

FLEXO CTP FOR GREATER FLEXIBILITY IN PACKAGING A

new generation of High-Definition flexo CTP is revolutionising the way flexo plates are produced, offering greater flexibility for today’s packaging printers and converters.

While the label and packaging printing industry has seen many changes in recent times, the most significant has been the reduction of time to market, created by the increasing trend for seasonal versions and promotional variations in branded packaging. While flexo printing is the ideal format for meeting customers’ demands for faultless quality as well as fast turnarounds, a streamlined pre-press process is also essential to achieving perfect printing results.

Traditionally, pre-press and plate production for packaging has had to be outsourced to specialist suppliers, for all but the largest printers, due to the high cost of the pre-press machines and the specialist processes involved.

However, as packaging printers and converters are facing ever greater pressures from their customers, outsourcing plate production is becoming less practical.

CRON’s HDI Flexo CTP solutions are a game changer for plate production, offering a complete CTP package, at a surprisingly affordable price. Compre-

hensive integrated features guarantee accuracy and high performance, while each CRON HDI Flexo model offers special adaptations to make it easier to fine-tune for specific applications. Innovations in laser imaging means high quality plate making is now achievable – and affordable – for all label and packaging printers. All models produce 5080 dpi resolutions as standard, with options up to 9600 dpi, creating smooth gradations and superbly round dots whatever the output speed.

Whether producing short-notice label jobs or mass-production flexible packaging, CRON’s range of CTP options ensures label and packaging printers can always deliver the exceptional quality and speedy turnaround that brands demand.

Visit: www.cron-europe.com

Packaging Europe | 75 |

DOMINO ANNOUNCES LAUNCH OF K-SERIES WHITE DIGITAL PRINTER Domino Digital Printing Solutions is set to launch the new K600i White digital print module at Labelexpo Europe 2017 (Stand 9A60).

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eaturing a new state-of-the-art ink management system designed to provide high reliability while utilising a heavily pigmented UV curable white ink, the K600i White is targeted primarily at printers looking for a digital alternative to screen printing, offering instantaneous job change, minimal maintenance, variable data printing capability and eliminating the need to purchase screens.

The solution is particularly well suited to printing high definition white text in very small point sizes onto personal care labels and for other transparent label applications. With variable data print capability, the K600i White can also be used for promotions such as personalising with different names, places and promotional games, providing a real ‘added value’ offering. It can also be readily integrated into an existing PDF workflow.

“It is widely known in the print industry that there are issues surrounding white ink,” explains Philip Easton, Director of Domino Digital Printing Solutions. “The reason it can be problematic is that it is heavily pigmented.

When not in use, white ink tends to settle and thicken, which for ink jet technology can cause blocked nozzles resulting in unplanned downtime and higher maintenance costs.”

He continues: “We have solved that problem with a complete ink system redesign. By adding a new white ink tank to our K-Series printer and a new ink system which continuously mixes the white ink, we are able to maintain performance and reliable operation.”

This white ink system has already been proven in the latest generation Domino N610i seven colour digital label press, and now becomes available for retrofitting on existing digital label presses and finishing lines via the release of the K600i White.The K600i White is an evolution of the K600i piezo dropon-demand ink jet system and incorporates two print bars for increased ink laydown capability at higher speeds. It has an industry standard print width | 76 | Packaging Europe

of 333mm (13”) and runs at a production speed of 50m/min (164ft/min) or 75m/min (246ft/min) in lower coverage mode.

“With the ability to print high quality small font sizes in white text, the system is both a good replacement for screen printing and is substantially more versatile,” says Philip. “Thanks to the digital print capability of the new K-Series system, there is no need for screens or manual changeovers, which significantly reduce downtime as well as costs.”

He concludes: “With this latest innovation, Domino is providing faster turnarounds, operational simplicity and overall added value, a much soughtafter benefit for most label printers. We are expecting the K600i White will be well received by the industry and look forward to exhibiting it at Labelexpo Europe.”

ACPO LEADS THE WAY IN OVERLAMINATE SOLUTIONS For over 30 years, acpo, ltd. has been the only US manufacturer dedicated to developing the widest array of technologically engineered overlaminate products available. acpo provides package and label printers with reliable and functional components for end use applications in markets such as: food and beverage, health and beauty, industrial and pharmaceutical. As an industry leader, acpo prides itself in maintaining the highest quality manufacturing standards while providing customers with superior products and exceptional service.

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ecognising the desire for innovative products in the label and flexible packaging markets, in 2016 acpo launched several new products including: Anti-Counterfeit overlaminates and High Barrier Flexible Packaging films.

Counterfeiting costs brand owners and US businesses over $250 billion annually. To help combat this, acpo has developed multiple self-wound overlaminate products with embedded security features. With options of hidden customised messages, visual and audible authentication or layered technologies, acpo makes anti-counterfeit measures easy to implement and verify.

As previously announced, acpo has partnered with Sun Chemical to provide SunBar coated films to flexible packaging converters. These clear films will give converters a cost effective alternative to multi-layer and PVDC coated barrier films while providing ultra-high oxygen barrier properties, flex crack resistance and thermal resistance to support high speed filling on packaging lines and pouch converting equipment. Excellent print reception will eliminate the need for a third layer which supports package lightweighting, economics and efficiency. “Films with Technology. Products with Purpose.�

More info: www.acpo.com Packaging Europe | 77 |

SENSE, SUSTAINABILITY & SHELF APPEAL FROM AVERY DENNISON | 78 | Packaging Europe

Performance, sustainability and intelligent solutions will be at the top of the list for Avery Dennison at Labelexpo Europe 2017, as new products will be launched that deliver enhanced shelf appeal, higher performance, increased sustainability, intelligent solutions, and increasingly transparent compliance and services. These innovations will be brought to life in an interactive section of the booth with five special zones (5A31).

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our industry’s most important show, Labelexpo Europe provides a vital opportunity for us to learn and share. We gain massive insights by listening to our customers that attend, and we have a golden moment to demonstrate what we do, how we do it, and the things that will change for the better, especially in the coming year,” says Georg Mueller-Hof, vice president marketing. “This year we will focus particularly on how we will meet customer demands for more environmentally sustainable products and processes, as well as demonstrating innovations that create incredible brand shelf appeal.”

Among the new products Avery Dennison will be demonstrating is a Recycled Paper facestock certified by FSC, the “Sensorial Collection” of textured label materials, and Clear Hotmelt adhesive for chilled food packaging.

FSC Recycled paper facestock FSC Recycled facestock comes from a unique blend of post-consumer waste and modern paper manufacturing processes. Manufactured without chlorine bleaching, the facestock has similar whiteness and brightness compared to its conventional alternatives, converts as quickly, and enables label converters to help customers meet sustainability targets while still delivering exceptional print results, and without adding costs following the pricing at parity.

Sensorial Collection The Avery Dennison Sensorial Collection gives designers a broad toolset to create soft, textured or patterned papers that can give a premium, vintage or artisanal feel. These diverse label surfaces can give consumers subtle messages about a bottle’s contents while contributing to an outstanding visual impact.

Clear Hotmelt Adhesive A hotmelt adhesive without the yellowing, Avery Dennison’s new clear hotmelt adhesive offers a straightforward and competitive solution that allows for more design freedom in the chilled food section.

It also delivers a lower total applied cost as it does not require a barrier-film facestock.

“Labelexpo continues to be the most important industry platform, and we do our utmost to provide innovative solutions and interactive experiences that, combined with our serious listening to customer needs, make it a memorable and positive experience for our customers,” says Rob Verbruggen, director communications. “We look forward to sharing our commitment to sustainability, service and superior performance in Brussels this autumn.”

Packaging Europe | 79 |

NILPETER TO PREMIERE NEW FLEXO PRESS Nilpeter is pulling out all the stops at LabelExpo Europe 2017, premiering the all new FA flexo press, the latest addition to its state-of-the-art flexo programme, and displaying one of its newly upgraded digital PANORAMA Hybrid presses.

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he new FA is the most versatile flexo press on the market – designed to accommodate the printer’s ever-growing needs, and built around the modern press operator, with an intuitive user interface and fully mobile print controls.

The FA provides a maximum level of stability, the tightest register tolerance, and excellent printing results on multiple substrates. Based on Nilpeter’s Clean-Hand design approach, the FA ensures clean hands during press operation, with a minimum of hands-on press interaction; all data is saved, jobs are easily recalled, and the press will auto register.

Last but not least, the new FA allows printers to enhance the performance and capability of their press with Value-Adding Units as well as

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Application and Automation Packages, according to application needs and budget.

In addition to the all new FA, Nilpeter is also bringing their newly upgraded PANORAMA Hybrid to the show. Since the launch of the PANORAMA digital product line at LabelExpo Europe 2015, the Danish press manufacturer has made major enhancements, including a re-design of the PANORAMA’s converting and flexo printing units, as well as updates of the press software.

The new digital PANORAMA Hybrid configurations cover a wide and varied spectrum of customer needs and requirements – from stand-alone, to allround, and value-added hybrids.

Nilpeter will be in Hall 7 at stand 7B35 & 7B39.