Packaging Europe - interpack special

interpack Special – 2017

IN ASSOCIATION WITH

INTERPACK SPECIAL NVC: PACKAGING MUST REJUVENATE EXCLUSIVE WPO, VDMA, EUBP & AMEC INTERVIEWS SPOTLIGHT ON INTERPACK INNOVATIONS

CONTENTS

5

Editor Tim Sykes

6 12 14 16 18 24 32 36 44 50 54 60 66 70 78 82 88 90 97 98 106 122

interpack Guide Interview NVC’s Michaël Nieuwesteeg Welcome to interpack 2017 interpack info Floorplan Perspectives VDMA introduces Industry 4.0?

Interview Bioplastic at interpack Interview España: Düsseldorf Overview The trillion dollar industry Trends The multiple facets of efficiency Market insights Solutions for the pharmaceutical industry Previews Innovations from Siegwerk, Bosch, Sun, ACMA Market insights Safe, efficient, smart and sustainable Previews Spotlight on Mondi & Krones Market insights Industrial goods Previews Schreiner, Heidelberg & Gallus Market insights Beauty out of a package Previews Visiting Mettler Toledo Market insights Stand out – but not at any price Rohrer Blister machine R 760 – A unique modular concept Market insight Beverage packaging Previews Guide to the most exciting innovations WorldStar WPO & the famous awards

126 128 129 130 132 133 134

WorldStar Industry Profiles Sealed Air Meeting sustainability demands through packaging Imballaggio Introducing Hexabag® Schoeller Allibert Leader in reusable transit packaging DS Smith The whole package packit! Verpackungen Environmentally sustainable Peerprint One of a kind print house since 1942 Wave Paper Celebrating 25 years in the packaging industry!

interpack Special – 2017

Industry Profiles 136 SAXOPRINT® SAXOPRINT® easy box – The new way to create bespoke packaging

138 140 143 144 146 149 150 150 151 154 158 160 163 164 166 169 172 174 175 176 178 181 182

interpack Industry Profiles Gore GORE® Packaging Vents at interpack 2017 MagneMotion – Rockwell Automation Smart move Heuft Systemtechnik Pathbreaking innovations SICK Extra sensory perception Siemens Digitalisation – A recipe for success Dorner Transforming conveyor automation Testing Machines Focus on precision Emerson Innovative packaging solutions from Emerson at interpack Bostik 100% peace of mind in a 12kg bag OCSiAl Added value for ESD coloured rotomoulded thermoplastics Ispak Ambalaj (Ispak) World class innovation and customised packaging with Ispak Sonoco Alcore Tube and core solutions at interpack Mark Allen Packaged Summit – Future industry insights from the speakers at the Packaged Summit Sukano World leader in PET and BOPET applications bio!PAC Bio-based future Rexnord Efficient and sustainable Lan Handling Technologies We handle it Intertape Polymer Group (IPG) Ready for the future Elif Holding Leading the way of flexible packaging Assan Alüminyum Further expansion plans for Assan Alüminyum Langen Group New horizons Silgan Dispensing Systems – WestRock Dynamic dispensing has a new name Eurofoil Leading the way in high quality foil

ADVERTISERS INDEX A

H

allfo Vakuumverpackungen 48 allvac Folien 48 Alvey Group 26 AmbaFlex 99 Ampacet Inside back cover Assan Alüminyum 177

Habasit Hapa (IFF Media) Heat and Control Heuft Hitachi Europe HSA Systems HSM Hugo Beck Maschinenbau

B Barry-Wehmiller Bedford Industries Bemis Berhalter Bericap Beumer Group Bobst

73 41 113 49 55 13 119

C Cham Paper Group Citus Kalix Cosmo Films Coveris

16 87 3 51

105 45 131

E Elitron Emerson Esband Eurofoil Euromac Evonik

181 99 57 95 15 58

F Filca Univel Flex Films Flexlink Flexopack Freund-Vector Corporation

15 11 7 39 65

G GEA Food Solutions Gore Graco Greiner Packaging

I Illig Imballaggio IMS Deltamatic Intertape Polymer Group Ipack Ima Ispak Esnek Ambalaj

84 128 115 57, 59 31 159

J J+P Maschinenbau

54

K KHS Kiefel Technologies

D Dorner Dow DS Smith

P 67 93 107 85 79 30 114 72

11 91

L Lachenmeier Lan Handling Technologies LasX Loma Systems

35 101 91 121

M MagneMotion – Rockwell Automation Mark Allen Group Marpak Extrusions Max Schlatterer Micvac MultiWeigh HD Wiegetechnik

75 162 14 57 25 67

N Nitro-Chem

Outside back cover

O 33 139 78 17

OCS OCSiAl Optima

71 157 47

Packaged Summit packit! Verpackungen PakTech Peerprint PET Engineering Polivouga PPMA Preco ProAmpac

T 162 132 47 133 125 117 81 7 37

Q Quadpack Qualicaps

14 21 13 150 167 112 77 186 65

U 123 21

R Regal Beloit Romania Reifenhauser Repsol Rieke Packaging Robatech Rockwell Automation Rofin-Baasel Rotomac RPC R.Weiss

Talos Packaging Systems Technophar Teledyne TapTone Testing Machines Tipa Corp Tonejet Toppan Triniflex TSC Auto ID Technology

United Caps

V Velcro

111 9 116 89 37 4 69 115 27 83

S Sarten Ambalaj 29 Saxoprint 137 scanware electronic 71 Schoeller Allibert 19, 129 Schur Flexibles 111 Sealed Air 127 Serac 99 Sick 63 Signode Industrial Group 35 Silgan Dispensing Systems 68, 181 Somic 41 Sonoco Alcore Inside front cover Squid Ink 43 Starlinger 58 Stevanato Group 31 Sukano 165 Super Film 61 Systech 103

23

88

W WaveGrip Wave Paper Weiler Weiler Engineering WestRock Wilhelm Rasch Windmoeller & Holscher Wipotec

120 134 53 53 68 96 109 71

Packaging Europe | 3 |

| 4 | Packaging Europe

Editor Tim Sykes

Art Director Gareth Harrey

News Editor Elisabeth Skoda

Art Editor Paul Holden-Abbott

Journalist Libby White

IT Support Andrew Wood Levi Gant Syed Hassan

Profile Writers Emma-Jane Batey Alessandra Lacaita Felicity Landon Romana Moares Barbara Rossi Piotr Sadowski Abigail Saltmarsh Marco Siebel Julia Snow Vanja Svacko Philip Yorke Production Manager Tania Balderson

Administration Amber Dawson Kayleigh Harvey Senior Account Managers Kevin Gambrill Jesse Roberts Account Managers Dominic Kurkowski Colin Osbaldstone Ryan Camsey

Packaging Europe Ltd

Packaging Europe Ltd is part of the Rapid News Communications Group Alkmaar House, Alkmaar Way, Norwich, Norfolk, NR6 6BF, UK Registered Office: Carlton House, Sandpiper Way, Chester Business Park, Chester, CH4 9QE. Company No: 10531302.

Registered in England. VAT Registration No. GB 265 4148 96 Telephone: +44 (0)1603 414444 Fax: +44 (0)1603 779850 Email: Editorial: editor@packagingeurope.com Studio: adcopy@packagingeurope.com Advertising: jr@packagingeurope.com kg@packagingeurope.com Website: www.packagingeurope.com Facebook: www.facebook.com/PackagingEurope Twitter: www.twitter.com/PackagingEurope

Tim Sykes

EDITOR

AS

the international packaging industry prepares for its biggest event, we present our special interpack 2017 edition – the essential show companion. Over the following pages you will find the information you need to navigate Messe Düsseldorf on 4-10 May and get to know the packaging innovations that matter to you, but also to put this vast hive of innovation into context.

Helping make the connections between the micro and macro pictures are interviews with some of the most active international packaging associations. Michaël Nieuwesteeg of NVC, the Netherlands Packaging Centre, shares his vision of an industry that has to constantly rejuvenate itself through investing in education and innovation if it is to meet the societal and economic demands placed upon it. Tom Schneider of the World Packaging Organisation talks about the latest batch of WorldStar winners, due to be celebrated in interpack week. VDMA’s Vera Fritsche introduces the hotly anticipated special exhibition on Industry 4.0, and discusses the massive implications of this disruptive trend for the packaging supply chain. We also hear from European Bioplastics on the growing representation of carbon-friendly plastics at interpack and amec envasgraf on why the Spanish machinery sector is so strongly export-orientated.

In addition, we look at the market trends driving innovation in food, beverages, cosmetics, pharmaceuticals and industrial packaging, while at show floor level pick out some of the most exciting product unveilings scheduled for interpack. Our writers also take an in-depth, backstage look at the booths of some of interpack’s most exciting exhibitors.

Packaging Europe’s entire editorial team will be at interpack seeking out the best innovations the industry has to share. Watch out for our live reporting, our expo videos, and for the next edition of Packaging Europe magazine, where we’ll tell the story of interpack 2017.

Tim Sykes ts@packagingeurope.com @PackEuropeTim

© Packaging Europe Ltd 2017 No part of this publication may be reproduced in any form for any purpose, other than short sections for the purpose of review, without prior consent of the publisher.

Packaging Europe | 5 |

“PACKAGING MUST CONSTANTLY REJUVENATE” The Dutch Packaging Association (NVC) is known throughout the industry as one of the most proactive, outward-looking and forward thinking national organisations in Europe. Tim Sykes spoke to NVC managing director Michaël Nieuwesteeg about interpack, the big issues facing packaging, and the way innovation is transforming industry education.

ON

the eve of interpack, with the entire packaging industry assembling for its triennial snapshot, it seems fitting to discuss NVC’s recently published its ‘NVC Special’ report, a yearly distillation for the benefit of its members of the key issues facing the industry. The 2017 edition picks out four areas: continuous learning, sustainability, retail and innovation.

The first item on NVC’s checklist is the importance of continuous learning.

“Every second businesses pack and distribute a hundred thousand products, an activity tens of thousands of professionals are involved in every day,” comments Mr Nieuwesteeg. “How do businesses keep their employees up-to-date? And how do employees make sure they stay employable in the fast changing and complex world of packaging? The pressure is increasing on all these businesses to get a better insight in the knowledge and expertise their employees have – both now and in the future.”

Live and online In fact, NVC is taking active steps to address this need by supporting organisations in making effective education plans in the field of packaging and offering a range of opportunities for business students to follow education. These range from short courses | 6 | Packaging Europe

and workshops to longer course programmes. The lessons can be given at a joint physical location, but nowadays also in a live online NVC classroom.

“In our vision, using online learning means the barriers to lifelong learning in packaging should be lowered while at the same time maintaining – and even improving – the actual learning result,” explains Mr Nieuwesteeg. “Compared with physically gathering in a classroom the loss of time is notably less and the environmental impact is a lot lower. It is no longer necessary to travel and therefore there is less counterproductive stress related to unexpected delays and perceived safety risks. The live online NVC workshops and courses are accessible worldwide, with live tutors offering specialised three-hour sessions, full Q&A opportunities and complete interaction between participants and the live tutor during the lessons.”

The three-hour sessions provide the flexibility of enabling business students to spend half a working day in the online classroom and the rest of it on their own work. In addition, NVC has found that the effectiveness of knowledge transfer is higher, because the period between two sessions provides room for contemplation and discussion about the material that was shared. “The NVC online classroom is lively,” Mr Nieuwesteeg says. “The tutor asks individual participants to share their answers with the group and discuss their ideas or solving particular questions. It is just like in the real world – but in this case in a setting where course participants from various places in the world can follow the lesson at the same time.”

INTERPACK INTERVIEWS

Packaging Europe | 7 |

Sustainability

Holistic innovation

Another topic addressed by NVC Special is the environment. As Mr Nieuwesteeg stated, every second a hundred thousand packaged products are unpacked globally, resulting in the same number of empty packs. These generate a serious environmental challenge.

“Over the past two decades (1996-2016) NVC has been working on writing worldwide standards, providing reliable information and effective business education about packaging and the environment,” Mr Nieuwesteeg reveals. “The goal of the PUMA project (20172026) is to end packaging as an environmental problem. The key element of PUMA is ‘spiral’ thinking, where recycling transforms in upcycling and the inevitable after-life phase of the packaging material is taken into consideration already at the moment of the design of the packaged product.”

The third theme is the role that packaging plays in the new retail landscape.

“Omnichannel is still the most important characterisation of the new retail,” Mr Nieuwesteeg remarks. “The location and moment of purchase and delivery of the purchased product are disconnected because of the increasing use of internet on smartphones and tablets. This results in a less predictable supply chain, new forms of return logistics and extra attention to the interaction between consumer and packaging.” This is very much a dynamic landscape, and therefore an issue which requires sustained attention and innovative thinking.

Finally, the report touches on packaging innovation, a subject for which NVC is internationally renowned thanks to its famous biennial ‘De Gouden Noot’ (Golden Walnut) competition.

The NVC Special uses the 2016 contest as the reference point for talking about the aim it is promoting, namely holistic packaging innovation.

“De Gouden Noot is the world’s most competitive packaging innovation contest,” says Mr Nieuwesteeg. It is a global competition with only one ultimate winner selected. The winner receives the unique trophy with a solid golden walnut. The aim is to stimulate truly holistic packaging innovation and to disseminate the considerations that come into play in that perspective to the benefit of the world packaging community.”

The judging of the award is arguably the most rigorous of all the myriad packaging competitions in existence. A jury of jury members consists of representatives of all packaging activities, led by one independent chairperson. Judging the first round alone takes up two days. In the first day each jury member gives an individual score to each of the maximum forty entries. The following day all entries are discussed in a plenary session, and the chairman invites jury members to ‘propose’ or ‘oppose’ based on their individual scores. That process results in ten finalists, who are then published worldwide via internet for comment. Each non-finalist receives a report with the jury considerations; a very useful piece of feedback for their innovation. Two months later, the jury meets again. In that

| 8 | Packaging Europe

INTERPACK INTERVIEWS

Packaging Europe | 9 |

second round, each finalist is given thirty minutes to explain to the full jury why they should win the solid Gold trophy.

“The ten 2016 finalists represent a phenomenal variety of packaging, from consumer to B-to-B and from e-commerce to conventional retail,” Mr Nieuwesteeg states. “They share a combination of user-oriented thinking with unexpected breakthroughs in materials, usability or functionalities. Just have a look online and make up your mind yourself, as each finalist will resonate with your own plans and ideas most surely.”

The 2016 winners and finalists will be promoted by the NVC at their interpack stand near the North Entrance of Messe Düsseldorf. This includes the ultimate winner FLEX/ design for the FLEXA Creations Color Testers, a novel package for consumers based on both creative and functional design that fulfils a real consumer need for testing colours to be used at home. The Zilveren Noot (silver) went to the Ecobulk HX IBC of Schütz Benelux, a combined IBC comprising a closed packaging system with an Impeller which enables repeated stirring processes without having to open the packaging. Meanwhile, the third placed ‘bronze nut’ was awarded for Huhtamaki’s GreeNest, an innovative pack that is made out of 50 per cent natural grass and 50 per cent recycled paper fibres.

Saving food Another topic featuring heavily on the NVC radar, set to be a focus for 2018 as well as a prominent theme at interpack, is the fight against food waste. “We live in a world in which two billion people are over-fed and suffer from obesity,” remarks Mr Nieuwesteeg. “At the same time, 800 million people are at the edge of starvation as they have no food available. This happens at a moment, where substantial amounts of edible food are thrown away as waste, either in the supply chain towards the customer or after purchasing at home.” This is a topic NVC recently addressed at the international 13th PDI Conference in Rome, and it will be looking to accelerate and consolidate the work | 10 | Packaging Europe

going on at exhibitions such as interpack (with the Save Food initiative) and Anuga Foodtec 2018.

“Packaging as an activity most certainly is playing a very important role in the food industry and retail, both for good and bad,” suggests Mr Nieuwesteeg. “The challenge is clear: how to fight food waste via better packaging? First of all, we have to be honest to ourselves and to the outer world. Is an 18 per cent loss of packaged meat in a retail environment really acceptable? What is our operational definition of ‘fresh’ food and how does this relate to the on-pack communication with the consumer? Last but not least: how can we altogether define the rules that stimulates packaging innovation into the right direction, i.e. less food waste?”

Drawing together each of these themes, responding to the needs of the market, of the environment, of feeding the world, for innovations that solve problems and for people who can deliver the packaging innovations of the future would seem an appropriate summary of NVC’s mission. As Mr Nieuwesteeg says: “Packaging has to constantly rejuvenate in order to maintain its licence to operate in tomorrow’s society.”

The NVC stand at interpack is located at ENB/03, near the north entrance.

INTERPACK INTERVIEWS

Packaging Europe | 11 |

WELCOME TO INTERPACK 2017 After months of anticipation, our industry finally descends on interpack. This year’s exhibition looks set to be the biggest in its 55-year history. Booked out in record time and 20 per cent overbooked by the closing date, interpack 2017 will see 2700 exhibitors from 60 countries covering a staggering 262,400 m2 across 19 halls.

Dedicated sub-exhibitions

Components now integrated

here size and internationalism are concerned, interpack is a unique platform for businesses offering products and solutions in packaging technology and related processes as well as packaging media and materials for the various segments of this industry: food, beverages, confectionery and baked goods, pharmaceuticals, cosmetics, non-food consumer goods and industrial goods. The products and services presented here will be supplemented by several innovative specialist areas. Working together with the German Engineering Federation (VDMA), interpack 2017 will put the focus on Industry 4.0, in particular. The special show will take the form of a Technology Lounge at the VDMA stand, featuring examples of solutions in packaging machinery and process engineering and opening up new opportunities for applications in security, traceability, copying and counterfeit protection as well as in customised packaging.

Following the première of components, special trade fair by interpack, in 2014, the general idea of this trade fair has been substantially revised for 2017. Visitors will now find it at a central location within the exhibition centre, in Hall 18, a temporary lightweight hall, approximately 5,000 square metres in size. It is situated between Halls 10 and 16, complementing interpack for its entire duration.

Hundreds of companies from the supplier industries will each have their own stands, offering products in drive, control and censor technology, industrial image processing, material handling technology and other (machine) components. components will be freely accessible to all interpack visitors and exhibitors.

innovationparc

Do and don’t

As in 2014, SAVE FOOD will play a role at interpack 2017. A special show called innovationparc (Innovation Park) will be held, with packaging ideas and solutions designed to reduce food losses and waste. They will include the winners of the international competitions for the SAVE FOOD Packaging Awards, held by the World Packaging Organisation (WPO). The prizes were awarded prior to interpack, and the winners are now set to compete with one other for the WorldStar Awards at the trade fair. The innovationparc will include a presentation forum which can be used by companies to showcase their ideas and solutions. As before, the innovationparc will be held in a temporary pavilion, situated between Halls 1, 2, 3 and 4.

The first day of the trade fair will also feature the third international SAVE FOOD convention, held in partnership with the UN Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) and the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP).

Do: • Check out the interpack Android / Apple apps, which include exhibitor and event databases (updated daily), graphically optimised hall plans and exhibitors’ details, an appointment form and the ability to pin notes.

• Follow Packaging Europe’s reporting during the show.

• Invite our film crew to visit your stand

W

| 12 | Packaging Europe

Further details are available at www.packaging-components.com

Don’t: • Go unprepared: instead, make a plan of the exhibits and product launches you want to see.

Visit www.packagingeurope.com for ideas.

• Wear impractical footwear.

• Order the currywurst!

Packaging Europe | 13 |

ESSENTIAL INFO INTERPACK 2017 Getting there

Contact

Public transport: U78 or U79 from Düsseldorf Hauptbahnhof to Messe Ost (for East entrance) or ESPRIT Arena / Messe Nord (for North entrance).

Messe Düsseldorf GmbH Postfach 10 10 06, 40001 Düsseldorf, Germany Messeplatz, 40474 Düsseldorf, Germany

Bus 722 takes passengers from Hauptbahnhof, stopping at all fairground entrances.

T: +49 (0)211 / 45 60-01 W: www.interpack.com

Admission tickets entitle holders to travel to the Trade Fair Centre and back free of charge on public transport within the Rhine-Ruhr Regional Transport Network (VRR) fare zone.

From airport: 10 minutes by taxi or Bus 896.

By car: Via the A3 or A52, then change onto the A44 and follow the “Messe Düsseldorf” signs. Approaching from the opposite direction, take the A57, then A44 and follow the signposting.

Opening times 04 -10 May 2017, daily from 10:00 to 18:00

Prices One-day ticket: Three-day ticket: Catalogue: €65 €130 €35

Special exhibitions innovation parc Save Food: Industrie 4.0: Pavillion between Hall 5 1,2,3 & 4

| 14 | Packaging Europe

Components: Hall 18

Packaging Europe | 15 |

n Processes and machinery for the packaging of: food and beverages,

pharmaceuticals and cosmetics, consumer goods (non food), industrial goods n Packaging materials, packaging means and packaging production n Processes and machinery for confectionery and bakery

Hall 9 / C22

| 16 | Packaging Europe

Packaging Europe | 17 |

INTERPACK INTERVIEWS

ARE YOU READY FOR INDUSTRY 4.0?

One of the most anticipated special exhibits at interpack 2017 focusses on the most disruptive technological wave hitting the packaging supply chain in decades. Hosted by VDMA (Europe’s largest industry association), Industry 4.0 brings together presentations and applications to offer a comprehensive briefing on how automation and smart production is permeating into world of packaging. Tim Sykes speaks to VDMA’s Vera Fritsche.

T

here are numerous conferences, studies and publications on Industry 4.0 and the Internet of Things, addressing the effects of digital transformation on machine manufacturers and users. Faced with the bewildering array of technologies and the scale of transformation in business practices, there is a vital emerging need for practical guidance on how companies can use and implement this digitalisation. In cooperation with industry partners, science and research, VDMA will be hosting a special presentation on the topic in the technology lounge of the VDMA booth. Exhibits demonstrate ideas and solutions for tomorrow’s machinery (Smart Future). | 18 | Packaging Europe

“The focus is on our demonstrator, also called smart4i, where visitors can have engraved an individual label on a power bank,” reveals Ms Fritsche. “‘smart4i’ presents state of the art technology implemented in an Industry 4.0 concept. An intelligent operator assistance system is a prerequisite for efficient and smart production processes. We will show such a system within our technology lounge.

“Another exhibit is devoted to security. The reliable and permanently safe operation of machines and systems that are networked worldwide must be guaranteed. You see, the topics dealt with at the special presentation Industry 4.0 are very diverse and we are already looking forward to many visitors, exciting talks and discussions.”

Packaging Europe | 19 |

Networked production The networked factory is taking shape before our gaze. In this environment communication between man and machine and communication between machines play a central role.

“HMIs are the key to sustainability-oriented process management,” remarks Ms Fritsche. “HMIs of the Industry 4.0 generation serve as an interface for the data acquisition, transfer and visualisation of individual machines or complete lines. Intuitive operation via multi-touch technology – similar to smartphones or tablets – makes it easy for the operator to deal with the supported work. Step by step, he is guided through the individual production workflows. The same applies to format changes, cleaning and maintenance processes as well as other procedures.

“Packaging machines and equipment are very complex, which increases the risk of errors and plant downtime. Continuous measurement and monitoring of the system condition (Condition Monitoring) is therefore a key function. In addition to integrated sensors for the detection of changes, continuous networking of the systems with fast data transmission as well as intelligent analysis and diagnostic programs are a prerequisite. Together, this makes the continuous acquisition, documentation and evaluation of plant, operating and process or production data possible in real time. | 20 | Packaging Europe

“The networking of the systems plus the data obtained by condition monitoring also add to the quality and variety of the possibilities of intervention. This is a new feature of remote monitoring and remote control of machines and systems. These are some examples of many of the great range of industry 4.0 options that we get to see at interpack.”

Efficiencies The interaction of plant technology, sensors, software and real-time communication makes it possible to gain data at many points in the plant. However, the abstract data on its own is of course quite useless. “They only gain value through intelligent algorithms which recognise characteristic patterns for certain events in the unsorted data and generate useful information from these patterns,” says Ms Fritsche. “With this information, processes and events can be judged objectively, and this allows quick and targeted decisions and taking preventive action when an irregularity in production reveals itself.”

An important manifestation of this is the application of Industry 4.ro realise predictive maintenance. The trend is moving away from reactive and regular maintenance, with its fixed replacement intervals of components, to predictable, targeted and, above all, precisely predictable maintenance measures. This offers significant benefits for

INTERPACK INTERVIEWS

Packaging Europe | 21 |

INTERPACK INTERVIEWS

machinery manufacturers. These are a higher availability of machines and systems, significantly lower failure risks, higher operating and production reliability, as well as significantly lower maintenance costs.

Barriers While the technological possibilities mushroom, large swathes of the user industries of packaging machines are still at the very beginning of digitalisation. Many machines and factories have been running for many years, if not decades. “These companies find it rather challenging to join up their old systems with the technical possibilities and the digital world of today,” comments Ms Fritsche. “The effort required often clearly exceeds the expected benefits. Limiting factors in the transition to Industry 4.0 are: Machines often are not network-connected and cannot exchange data, individual machines are very heterogeneous with regard to their functional and technical configuration, an existing digital data collection is an isolated solution or the existing IT systems were created independently of each other and there is no correlation regarding master data and structure.”

However, with retrofit solutions existing systems can be simply and cost-effectively connected to local condition monitoring solutions or MES systems. The resulting information enables plant operators to improve their own production processes or product quality.

“Regrettably, customers are often not ready to provide machine-related data from their production process to the packaging machine supplier. This creates another obstruction for the implementation of far-reaching industry 4.0 solutions. If both sides want to use the advantages of networking, it becomes necessary that they trust each other and work together even more closely than they already do today.” | 22 | Packaging Europe

Industry 4.0 trailblazer At the centre of this hive of innovation, VDMA is actively evangelising the opportunities of Industry 4.0 on behalf of its member companies. At the same time, the association serves as a network platform for dialog and exchange of experience. “Each one of the numerous studies and guides are mosaic pieces with which VDMA wants to contribute to the success of Industry 4.0,” says Ms Fritsche. “We have pooled the expertise within the federation in the VDMA Forum Industrie 4.0. In addition, VDMA represents the interests of the mechanical engineering industry in all working groups and within the strategy group of the ‘Industrie 4.0 Plattform’, which is the largest Industry 4.0 network worldwide. The platform aims to identify all relevant trends and developments in the manufacturing sector and to combine them to produce a common overall understanding of Industry 4.0.”

Packaging Europe | 23 |

INTERPACK INTERVIEWS

BIOPLASTICS AT INTERPACK European Bioplastics is the association representing the interests of the bioplastics industry along the entire value chain in Europe. Its members produce, refine, and distribute plastics that are either bio-based, biodegradable, or both. Managing director Hasso von Pogrell talks to Tim Sykes about the state of the industry and EUBP’s expectations from interpack.

Tim Sykes

European Bioplastics was a memorable presence at interpack 2013. How has the situation for bioplastics in packaging developed in the last three years? How has the market grown and how has its attitude changed?

Hasso von Pogrell

A lot has changed in the past few years.

The bioplastics industry has flourished and developed into a fast growing and innovative sector. Bioplastics saw a steep increase in interest and awareness on the potentials of bio-based materials to deliver better social, economic, and environmental outcomes for our society by replacing fossil resources with | 24 | Packaging Europe

renewable, bio-based feedstock. Accordingly, the market for bioplastics is predicted to grow by 50 per cent over the coming years from around 4.2 million tonnes in 2016 to approximately 6.1 million tonnes in 2021. Bioplastics are not merely a buzzword and niche product any longer but have become a viable, innovative and sustainable alternative to the status quo.

Packaging remains the largest field of application for bioplastics with almost 40 per cent (1.6 million tonnes) of the total bioplastics market in 2016. Major brands and manufacturers are responding to the rising consumer demands for more sustainable products and packaging by switching from fossil-based to bio-based materials or offering biodegradable solutions. Many packaging applications, including bottles, wrappers, pouches and bags,

Packaging Europe | 25 |

| 26 | Packaging Europe

INTERPACK INTERVIEWS are already being made from bio-based materials that are easily recyclable, such as biobased PE, bio-based PET or PLA. Compostability is an added feature of some bioplastics materials that is increasingly sought when it comes to packaging of food or perishables.

Flexible packaging such as films and trays are particularly suitable for fresh produce such as fruit and vegetables as they enable longer shelf life and can be discarded together with the food and organically recycled in industrial composting plants.

TS HVP

Have there been significant shifts in terms of the affordability of bioplastics, through economies of scale or other supply chain developments?

Today, there is a bioplastic alternative to almost every conventional plastic material and corresponding application. While offering the same qualities and functionalities as conventional plastics, bioplastics moreover provide innovative solutions with improved properties and performances as well as the unique ability to reduce emissions and our dependency on fossil resources. As more companies and brands are switching to bio-based plastics, and as production capacities are rising, supply chains and processes are becoming more efficient, and prices have come down significantly. Even though the currently low oil prices are making it difficult for bioplastics to achieve competitive pricing levels compared to conventional plastics at present, we are confident that this trend will continue given the positive signals from Brussels to support the bio-based economy in Europe.

TS

How would you characterise the regulatory climate today? Does the EU’s Circular Economy policy represent an opportunity for the industry?

HVP

The EU has started to acknowledge the many benefits of bio-based materials and just recently took a major step towards paving the way for bioplastics. In March, the European Parliament plenary voted for amendments of the waste legislation that will encourage Member States to support the use of bio-based materials for the production of packaging and to improve market conditions for such products. In addition, the MEPs voted for a definition of recycling that includes organic recycling. A mandatory separate collection of bio-waste will be ensured across Europe, facilitated by certified collection tools such as compostable bio-waste bags. These developments are a clear signal that Europe is committed to making the circular economy a reality and presents an important opportunity for the bioplastics industry across Europe, which has invested greatly in the development of innovative materials over the past decades. We expect this decision to contribute to the increased demand for bioplastic solutions in packaging and many other sectors.

TS HVP

What do you hope to achieve from interpack 2017?

At this year’s interpack, European Bioplastics will highlight the latest innovations and advancements of the bioplastics industry and will inform visitors about the many benefits of bio-based and biodegradable plastic materials.

Our booth will be a hub for all visitors interested in bioplastics and assist them in finding the right company amongst the over 30 bioplastics representatives at the trade show.

Packaging Europe | 27 |

INTERPACK INTERVIEWS TS HVP

What do you hope visitors to the fair will learn about bioplastics in packaging?

European Bioplastics will offer two on-site seminars during interpack to inform visitors to the fair about bioplastics, to provide a comprehensive overview over the most important bio-based and biodegradable materials and corresponding applications, and to look more closely into specific fields of interests, including standardisation and communication. The seminars are designed for professionals from the plastics industry and related fields and will provide substantial, in-depth information to equip the participants with the essential theoretical knowledge and practical tools to work with bioplastics. A seminar ‘Bioplastics – An Introduction’ will be held on 4 May, 14:00-17:30 and will give newcomers to the topic of bioplastics a succinct and comprehensive overview over the fundamental basics. A second seminar ‘A Guide to Communication on Bioplastics’ will be held on 8 May, 10:30-13:30, and will cover the essentials of sound and effective communication of the properties of bio-based and biodegradable plastics. More information on the seminars is available on our website.

TS HVP

Without favouring particular member companies, are there any areas of innovation or product development that are particularly exciting in bioplastics at the moment?

There are many innovations and very promising developments in the field of new materials as well as improved properties. PHA (polyhydroxalkanoates), for example, is a new polymer family that has been in development for a while and has now finally entered the market at commercial scale. As more and more companies are getting involved in the production of PHA products, the prices for PHA dropped, and sales volumes went up. PHA polyesters are 100 per cent bio-based and feature a wide array of physical and mechanical properties, including improved barrier properties suitable for food packaging. PHA is biodegradable and compostable in industrial composting plants but also in other environments such as marine waters. Another new exciting material is PEF (polyethylene furanoate), a new polymer that is expected to enter the market in 2020.

PEF is a next-generation polyester that is comparable to PET but that also features 100 percent bio-based content, superior barrier and thermal properties, making it ideal material for the packaging of soft drinks, water, alcoholic beverages, fruit juices, food and non-food products. Currently, PEF is still at the development stage, but with more players getting involved, the future for this new material is looking very optimistic.

TS HVP

What are the most important challenges for the industry at the moment?

The main challenges faced by the bioplastics industry are not of technical nature but the lack of effective policy measures or regulatory incentives to encourage a full-scale market entry. While the European Commission has given priority to assessing how to reduce the plastics industry’s dependency on fossil resources in its recent Roadmap for a Strategy on Plastics, effective instruments are still missing.

Replacing a significant proportion of the conventional fossil feedstock with plant-based or waste-based alternatives would not only contribute greatly to the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions but also make sure we use our resources more efficiently. Both market push and pull measures could drive this transition, as would a level-playing-field regarding access to bio-based feedstock in the EU. Even though a lot still needs to be done, the initiated policy shifts and amendments are important opportunities for the bioplastics industry in Europe.

Hasso von Pogrell, Managing director

| 28 | Packaging Europe

Visit: www.european-bioplastics.org European Bioplastics can be visited at interpack in hall 9, stand F07.

Packaging Europe | 29 |

| 30 | Packaging Europe

Packaging Europe | 31 |

INTERPACK PERSPECTIVES

ESPAÑA: DÜSSELDORF Another dynamic association supporting its industry at interpack is amec envasgraf – the Spanish Packaging Machinery Manufacturers Association, itself a branch of the venerable Association of Internationalised Industrial Companies (amec), created in 1969. Its members, mainly medium-sized industrial companies, enjoy a high international and innovative profile, often featuring in the pages of Packaging Europe. Director Carmina Castellà speaks to Tim Sykes.

Tim Sykes Carmina Castellà

What is the role of amec envasgraf as an organisation?

Our aim is to help companies compete in a global market, creating a framework to enable constant competitive improvement, thus facilitating their internationalization and innovation.

TS CC

What are your most important activities at the moment?

To Promote the presence of companies in overseas markets through activities and services adapted to the needs of the sector. After interpack we are still organising the Spanish participation on the following exhibitions: Expopack (Guadalajara, Mexico, June), Propak (Thailand, Bangkok, June), Pack Expo (Las Vegas, USA, September), Gulf Food Manufacturing (Dubai, November), and SWOP (Shanghai, China, November).

We will also organise other activities in order to generate networking, promote innovation, promote the internal market and provide training to companies of the sector.

TS CC

Are there any particular issues you are promoting?

During interpack we will present an interesting tool in order to promote our companies and their ‘WHO IS WHO IN THE PACKAGING SECTOR?’ in which

| 32 | Packaging Europe

you can select a product type (solid or liquid), packaging type (flexible or rigid), material, and a market sector, and you will be able to find the right process including the name of the manufacturers.

TS CC

How would you characterise your membership? What are the particular strengths and characteristics of the Spanish packaging branch?

amec envasgraf’s member companies have a collaborative profile and international vision. We are dynamic, restless and willing to share their experiences and know how. The companies have taken advantage of these years of crisis to adapt the companies and the equipment that they are manufacturing to the current needs of the market.

They manufacture equipment with high technology, quality and good price, and some companies occupy positions of world leadership in their specialties. To highlight the capacity that they have to manufacture tailor-made solutions, according to the needs of the customer.

TS CC

Are there any particular challenges facing your members at the moment?

I would say we face the same challenges that the global packaging industry is meeting, such as the commitment to sustainability, adapting to Industry 4.0, digitalisation, etc.

Today companies manufacture equipment taking into account pressures such as efficiency and productivity; increasing automation; automatic formatting changes; the

Packaging Europe | 33 |

INTERPACK PERSPECTIVES need for more robotics; greater security; the need for more environmentally sustainable equipment. They are also looking to incorporate Hygienic Design in the food and pharmacy sectors. Equipment is also involved in improving the conditions of conservation of the product. And of course interconnectivity of equipment is playing an increasingly prominent role.

TS CC

Speaking of interpack, what kind of representation of amec envasgraf members will visitors to the exhibition encounter?

There is an important participation of the Spanish companies at interpack: we have a total of 87 Spanish companies participating in 2017, covering an exhibition space of more than 5000 m2. amec envasgraf will be coordinating the participation of 25 member companies. We give them the support on selection of space, advice on contracting supplies, logistics services (especially with regard the decoration and transport), marketing promotion (through the media, internet and during the exhibition) and networking among the participants. interpack is the most important fair in the world in the packaging sector and of course it’s a ‘must’ event for the association’s companies. We look forward to this appointment every three years, to present our equipment and our latest technological developments. It’s the perfect opportunity to meet clients, agents and distributors from countries around the world and share projects, trends and concerns with them.

TS

The Spanish machinery sector is, as you mentioned, highly export-orientated.

What proportion of its output leaves the Iberian peninsula, and what are your most important markets?

CC

Indeed, Spanish manufacturers of Packaging Machinery export more than 60 per cent of their production. The main buying countries are shown in the table below.

RANKING

PAÍS

2015 (Miles €)

2016 (Miles €)

% VAR

% TOTAL

1

USA

95.764

88.437

-8%

12%

2

France

57.018

62.116

9%

8%

3

Mexico

35.168

60.116

72%

8%

4

Germany

29.879

29.262

-2%

4%

5

Poland

25.103

25.195

0%

3%

6

UK

32.323

23.647

-27%

3%

7

Netherlands

10.651

23.514

121%

3%

8

Italy

19.102

21.053

10%

3%

9

Morocco

15.367

20.470

33%

3%

10

Portugal

18.725

19.089

2%

50%

Subtotal

339.101

373.310

10%

50%

Total

699.828

754.827

8%

100%

| 34 | Packaging Europe

Packaging Europe | 35 |

THE TRILLION DOLLAR INDUSTRY According to Smithers Pira the global packaging market is growing at an annual rate of 3.5 per cent, and by 2020 is set to reach a volume of nearly one trillion US dollars (or around €900 billion). So what are the market dynamics driving the growth we witness reflected in the largest ever edition of interpack?

Plastic dominates

A

ccording to Euromonitor 4000 billion packages were sold worldwide in 2015.

Plastic is the material most commonly used: 50 per cent of all packaging is made of plastic. The largest share of this (almost 60 per cent) goes to flexible plastic packaging – and the figure is rising. More and more products are packed in flexible packaging of all kinds, such as bags, stand-up pouches, films etc. The demand comes mainly from the food industry. Convenience is the keyword here: The packaging should be light, easy to open and close, and the product should be easy to portion. | 36 | Packaging Europe

Stand-up pouches are a major growth driver in the area of flexible plastic packaging, since they meet the consumers’ desire for more convenience. Stand up pouches can be opened easily, especially when provided with a spout.

Stand-up pouches do not weigh much, which means that the use of resources on the one hand and the transport costs of the goods on the other are decreasing. In addition, for products that need to be sterilised, stand-up pouches need a lower heating time, since the temperatures necessary for sterilisation can be reached faster than in larger sized cans, a cardboard box or a bag made of aluminium. Together with sterilisable bags modern filling processes ensure an ever better quality of products and an increasing filling speed.

INTERPACK TRENDS

Packaging Europe | 37 |

INTERPACK TRENDS

The second largest category of plastic containers (40 per cent) is packaging made of solid plastic. One of the foremost buyers of these packages is the beverage industry.

Here PET has held the top position in beverage packaging for many years. Rising global consumption of soft drinks and in particular bottled water will cause the demand for PET packaging to rise in the coming years. Another growth driver is the increasing substitution of glass by solid plastic containers.

While so far it was the beverage industry that had their focus on PET bottles, they are also used more and more now for food and household chemicals. They benefit from their positive characteristics: they are light, you can recycle them, they are unbreakable, and offer high clarity. They also achieve increasingly better results in terms of gas barrier properties and UV protection.

PET bottles with an inner wall of an ultra-thin protective layer of glass also allow the filling of sensitive products such as beer, wine and juice in PET bottles. The protective layer extends the shelf life of the filled products. Quality, taste and vitamin content are maintained over a long period.

| 38 | Packaging Europe

The carton packaging market is highly competitive worldwide. In 2015, more than 620 million packages of paper / cardboard were sold. By 2019 the demand for cardboard packaging is expected to grow by six per cent overall, according to the estimates of Euromonitor International. This development is also driven by the growing online trade.

Here cardboard is the packaging of choice.

The counter retail already feels the increasing competition from Internet sales clearly. It is therefore important to design on site workflows efficiently and to present the goods at the point-of-sales in the best possible manner. Here shelf-ready packaging (SRP) made from corrugated cardboard, the so-called shelf-ready-packaging (SRP), is gaining in importance. SRP helps retailers optimise processes and reduce costs. With SRP, goods on the shelves can be presented better, the consumer has a good view of the products and is granted easy access.

With sales of 420 million units in 2015, metal packaging is the third largest packaging segment. The main buyer of metal packaging is the beverage industry. The can is an established container for canning beer, energy drinks and other functional drinks

Packaging Europe | 39 |

– and often distributed worldwide. The rising global demand for these beverages have a positive effect on the demand for beverage cans. By 2019, a growth of 12 per cent is forecast.

Compared to the beverage industry the food industry only uses a small proportion of metal packaging. Containers made of metal are practical but also protective packaging.

Due to their very good barrier properties they allow the uncomplicated storage of food without refrigeration. Filling substances stay fresh without preservatives. Metal packaging allows high processing speeds and thus meets all the requirements of an efficient processing and supply chain. Although metal packaging has grown less heavy in recent years, they are increasingly being replaced in the food industry by the lighter plastic packaging.

Glass protects items perfectly, because it is inert and diffusion-tight. Glass containers are mainly used in the beverage industry, in particular for filling beer, spirits and wine. Many | 40 | Packaging Europe

consumers, however, perceive container glass as difficult and impractical (breakage) and therefore prefer products in plastic packaging. Glass will remain the packaging material of choice in the premium range. The sales figures of glass packaging are expected to rise by seven per cent to reach 338 million units by 2019.

Active and intelligent Smart packages are all the rage. They are to monitor and record environmental influences to which the food is exposed. This means they give direct information on the quality status of the product. As a result packages that are provided with time-temperature indicators depict the exact degree of freshness of the product - even after the expiry date. This technology also provides a reliable indication of whether the cold chain was interrupted, or if the product is still suitable for consumption.

INTERPACK TRENDS

Packaging Europe | 41 |

INTERPACK TRENDS

Enhanced food safety Packaging protects food against external influences such as the transfer of microbial germs, damage due to pressure, dust or the ingress of moisture. But so far this protection is purely passive. Modern packaging materials go much further here – they engage “actively� in the physical-biological-chemical proceedings. They regulate the moisture in the packaging, absorb oxygen, carbon dioxide or ethylene and extend the shelf life and quality of food. But most important of all, they are biochemically active and so combat the spreading of microbial germs.

New materials For better sustainability, brand manufacturers increasingly rely on the use of plastic packaging based on renewable resources such as bio-plastics based on corn starch or sugarcane.

An example here is flexible plastic packaging made from transparent multilayer films with barrier materials of whey protein instead of barrier layers made from petrochemically produced polymers. The protein layers of whey are biodegradable and the ingredients that are integral parts of whey can extend the shelf life of food products in a natural manner. After only a few adaptions, the films can be produced

on conventional machines. Researchers are currently working on the use of whey protein-based coating material for the production of thermoformed containers such as cups or bowls.

Growth engines Growth keeps happening in the packaging market for two reasons: increasing urbanisation and the continuing trend towards more convenience foods. Worldwide, more and more people live in cities. Providing them with sound and high quality food and other needed goods on a daily basis poses enormous logistical challenges. Packages here are the key to transport food and goods undamaged and unspoilt to customers. Rising consumption due to growing middle classes in developing and emerging countries and the growing competition in mature markets also are responsible for growth in the packaging market.

Convenience continues to be a strong growth driver for packaging. The consumer demand for quick and easy-to-use products is steadily increasing, especially for food and beverages that can be easily consumed on the go or at work. The classic requirements for packaging, such as protection and transportability, now have gained new challenges such as dosing solutions, easier handling, reclosability and controlled removal. Demographic change on the other hand leads to an increasing demand for small and single-serve packages.

Urbanisation is a major driver of growth in the packaging marke

| 42 | Packaging Europe

Packaging Europe | 43 |

INTERPACK TRENDS

THE MULTIPLE FACETS OF EFFICIENCY Striving for a more efficient use of energy and resources within the packaging supply chain will be a dominant topic at interpack. The fair, representing the entire supply chain and providing all industry sectors with tailored solutions, is the perfect platform to generate new ideas and discuss technical solutions with machine suppliers. Below we highlight a few of the areas and examples of innovation emerging in the industry.

T

he growing energy needs of humanity are faced with declining reserves of fossil fuels and other important natural resources. Against this background, measures for the sustainable use of resources and energy-efficient processes along all process lines are the central challenges of our time. These are topics that are taking up more and more space in the processing and packaging technology and that lead to innovative solutions.

Intelligent control and automation engineering, economical actuators, compressors, fans or pumps are classic solutions to save power and resources, and to increase energy efficiency. Efficient engines that are optimally adapted to the movements and acceleration processes of the machine reduce power consumption. When using a whole variety of servo motors within a packaging machine these share their braking energy in a common DC intermediate circuit. | 44 | Packaging Europe

A sole focus on energy-efficient drives however, is not taking the matter far enough.

Energy efficiency also means that machinery and equipment produce a high yield of accepted products because with each subsequent step in a production line the value of the goods produced will increase. In other words, the largest share of energy is taken up by the actual product – followed by the packaging material. Therefore, optimised processes and structural changes, which affect the process as a whole, are rather more promising.

Innovative processes Processes for producing foods, such as heating, cooking tempering, cooling, etc., use up a lot of energy. The use of innovative process and plant engineering can save up to 50 percent energy in the production of hard candy. Also in chocolate tempering modern equipment can reduce energy consumption by 50-80 per cent.

Packaging Europe | 45 |

The necessary process heat for the production of baked goods must use a lot of energy.

Optimising the manufacturing process therefore offers a large energy savings potential.

Intelligent controls reduce the energy consumption of ovens by up to 50 per cent or more (depending on the type of oven).

Water economies To prepare food the food industry relies on fresh water, which has become one of the most valuable resources. Water is not only needed for the process itself, it is also contained in the finished product.

Further, it is indispensable for many cleaning processes in food processing and packaging. The extraction, treatment and provision of clean water is extremely energy intensive - as well as the subsequent disposal of waste water. | 46 | Packaging Europe

Cleaning-in-place systems in food processing and packaging machinery are, therefore, currently all the rage. They provide defined and time-optimised cleaning processes with the lowest possible use of resources such as water, energy and cleaning agents and disinfectants. This protects the environment, saves resources and reduces costs for procurement and disposal of detergents and sewage.

More with less More and more consumers today make a choice for or against a brand due to environmental criteria. Companies therefore increasingly tend to reduce the size and weight of their packaging. The buzz word here is: light-weighting. Whether metal cans, plastic or glass packaging, all are getting lighter and at the same time show better packaging performance and stability of packaging. This weight

INTERPACK TRENDS

Packaging Europe | 47 |

INTERPACK TRENDS

reduction helps to save raw materials and energy, optimises handling and reduces transportation costs.

Sealing with ultrasound The use of ultrasonic sealing saves packaging material. First, the sealing joints produced in this process are much narrower. This in turn creates a better use of the film material needed, resulting in a significantly larger number of tubular bags that can be realised per film roll. On the other hand, the method allows the use of thinner and less expensive film material for the packaging of the products, as no additional heat-sealable layer is needed in the film. By using cheaper and thinner films, it is possible to save up to 30 percent of material as well as costs.

Ultrasonic welding can also join those packaging materials cleanly and tightly that are product soiled. This way one can reduce the headspace volume of the packages and as a result, packaging material can be saved. In comparison to hot and cold sealing this will also increase the yield of accepted products.

This method will not only save packaging material but also energy. Compared to thermal contact methods with permanently heated tools the energy consumption of ultrasonic welding is reduced by up to 80 per cent.

Optimal use Not only is the film material crucial for sustainable packaging, but also its way of processing. Modern packaging machines allow a very precise and flexible adjustment of the processing parameters for the film material. This way, the packaging material can be processed gently and efficiently. Highly efficient film feed systems help to keep the film waste consisting of edge strips and lead frames as low as possible. As a result, more packaging can be produced from a length of film. | 48 | Packaging Europe

Packaging Europe | 49 |

MARKET INSIGHTS

SOLUTIONS FOR THE PHARMACEUTICAL INDUSTRY Global demand for pharmaceutical products is unbroken and will grow well into the future. Market researchers predict that by 2020, pharmaceutical expenditure will have risen from currently 963 billion euros to 1.3 billion euros worldwide, an increase of 31 per cent.

T

oday, more and more people worldwide have better access to health care. While only a third of the world population had access to pharmaceutical products in 2005, half of the world population is estimated to have access by 2020. Impetus for further growth can be found in growing populations and increasing prosperity in the ‘pharmerging markets’ such as China, India, Brazil as well as Indonesia, North Africa and the Middle East.

According to IMS Health estimates, the global medicine consumption is expected to rise to 4.5 trillion Standard Units by 2020 (standard units for volumes of pharmaceutical formulations), an increase of 24 per cent compared to 2015. This growth is especially driven by the demand for generics in the pharmerging markets. In these countries, 88 per cent of the pharmaceuticals consumed are generic and OTC products.

In industrialised countries, the drug consumption remains stable. Specific therapies, personalised and new biopharmaceutical medicines for rare, chronic or genetic diseases are growth factors here. By 2020, specialised drug therapies will account for almost 28 per cent of global spending on medicines.

The importance of blockbuster products will decline and the production of drugs with such a high turnover will more and more form an exception in the future. Pharmaceuti| 50 | Packaging Europe

cal companies worldwide therefore remain under cost pressure. This development is further increased by growing competition in the field of generic drugs. At the same time, the demands and regulations in terms of quality are also growing as they continue to get internationally harmonised. Efficiency has therefore become one of the key issues in the pharmaceutical industry. In order to produce and package large quantities competitively the focus on efficient and reliable processes is becoming ever more significant. The field of action here rises far beyond the optimisation of mere machine availability. The entire production process must function smoothly in order to achieve the maximum effectiveness of the entire system and to reduce costs by a significant extent. The two major factors to increase efficiency are: reducing downtimes and minimising material waste.

Modular concepts The production of highly potent drugs is very complex and requires precise processes and the highest safety measures along the entire processing chain for both product and staff.

Therapies with personalised medicines are very rarely distributed so far, but their number will rise in the future. As a result, product diversity will increase. All these medicines are

Packaging Europe | 51 |

MARKET INSIGHTS

produced in smaller batches. This requires smaller and highly flexible processing and packaging solutions that can adapt to the required product quickly. At the same time, maximum process safety must be guaranteed. In order to introduce pharmaceutical products more quickly to the market and also to reduce costs and increase flexibility, modular concepts are chosen increasingly often. Machine manufacturers therefore offer lines that expand as needed or can be recombined and so offer a wide range of applications. Multipurpose systems are currently much sought after since they are designed for a wide range of applications and make a better capacity utilisation possible.

Countering the counterfeiting Worldwide, the number of counterfeit drugs is increasing: It means a high, often lethal risk for patients, high revenue losses, and it is damaging to the image of pharmaceutical manufacturers. Legislators worldwide have recognised the dangers of counterfeit drugs and have established appropriate guidelines and directives which in some areas today are even strengthened.

| 52 | Packaging Europe

Safety is of top priority for the manufacture of pharmaceuticals. This applies both to the production process as well as to the packaging. Serialisation here is the keyword to tackle the problem of drug counterfeiting. Packages must be labeled with a unique, non-predictable serial number. This makes sure that production output can be clearly assigned not only to the charge, but right down to the individual sales packaging. Products can be retraced completely through the entire value chain using highly efficient, computerised tracking and tracing systems such as the new bar codes or RFID tags. This way, customers can check at the point of sale or at home – for example by phone – whether the product is genuine.

However, one feature alone is not enough. Only the combination of a variety of counterfeit protection features will ensure maximum safety. From 2019 onward, pharmaceutical products sold in the EU must not only be serialised, but also provided with temper evident functions that prove that the package has not previously been opened. For this purpose, tamper-proof protection is placed into the cardboard packaging. When the consumer opens the packaging, a preset perforated breaking point tears open thus making it clear that this package has now been opened for the first time.

Packaging Europe | 53 |

SIEGWERK LOOKS TO SHINE AT COMPONENTS 2017

S

iegwerk, one of the leading global providers of printing inks for packaging applications and labels, will exhibit at this year’s ‘components 2017’, a dedicated supplier exhibition co-located with interpack in Hall 18.

By providing a combination of best-in-class ink performance, optimum product safety and continuous support and guidance, Siegwerk is making every effort to help its customers address upcoming trends and to meet their individual needs with cutting-edge ink solutions. Visitors to the fair can get in touch with Siegwerk’s experts at Booth E13 in Hall 18 to learn more about its packaging inks and services or to discuss packaging print innovations and trends.

In combination with ‘components’, interpack is showcasing every part of the value chain and it therefore offers a great overview of all relevant segments in the packaging industry.

This trade show is one of the go-to international events for a highly specialist audience interested in intelligent and innovative packaging strategies and designs. “Offering optimum solutions and products that meet the individual needs of every single customer is key for us at Siegwerk. We are always ‘Focused on your needs’,” is how Hugo Noordhoek Hegt, President EMEA at Siegwerk, explains what the company’s motto for the show is all about.

“Therefore ‘components’ is an ideal touch point for sharing ideas as well as discussing challenges and new requirements with our customers. This kind of lively exchange helps us understand our customers better and focus our R&D efforts to continue shaping the future of packaging.”

Siegwerk focuses on continuously expanding its offering for the packaging market. In line with the company’s goal of providing solutions for all packaging applications – i.e. enhancing its portfolio in order to become a full-range provider to packaging printers – Siegwerk completed a number of strategic investments during the last year. The company has, for example, built a laboratory dedicated to the development of customized inkjet solutions, opened a brand new Blending Centre for the production of water-based inks and expanded its local presence in China by opening its new Packaging Ink Solution Centre – to just name a few examples of the company’s latest investments aimed at driving the future of packaging.

As international ink manufacturer Siegwerk knows that different customers have different needs. The company wants to enable every customer to achieve greater levels of efficiency and safety and therefore aims to provide customized solutions meeting specific circumstances and individual requirements. When formulating its inks, Siegwerk is not only looking for optimum performance based on customers’ processes but also to ensure that these inks are safe to use for the desired packaging applications. As a global leader in providing product safety, Siegwerk supports its customers when protection against regulatory risks or product contamination is required. In addition to its best-in-class ink solutions the company also offers customers guidance and support, for example in terms of process optimization, complexity reduction and efficiency gains for printing shops.

The company is not only looking into product trends but also into future management issues to enhance its future viability and ensure the company’s success going forward.

Siegwerk recently made a commitment to the widely dicussed topic of digitalization in order to take account of inevitable changes in good time. “We just established a new digital business unit to understand how customer proximity and big data can help us improve our services to customers, to enhance the work of our sales teams and to initiate new

| 54 | Packaging Europe

infrastructure projects designed to generate worldwide synergies,” says Herbert Forker, CEO of Siegwerk. The Berlin-based digital unit will be looking at all areas where digitalization affects the company’s business; from customer interfaces to IT infrastructures as well as knowledge capture and sharing. It’s about determining the relevant pain points that customers face and analyzing whether digital processes could help to improve and simplify the day-to-day work of customers and thus enhance the overall customer journey. To drive its own digital transformation forward, Siegwerk partners with etventure, a digital consultancy and start-up builder, to facilitate increasing communication between the company, other digital innovation centres and start-up organizations. It’s all about making the company ready for the future and supporting customers to achieve optimum performance by providing modern solutions and services.

In line with the “Focused on your needs” motto, Siegwerk’s presence at ‘components 2017’ will be a touch point for discussions and conversations about current packaging print requirements and solutions as well as future trends.

18 E13

BOSCH LAUNCHES NEW KLV SERIES FOR LEAK DETECTION OF RIGID CONTAINERS

B

osch Packaging Technology will be presenting the new KLV series for Container Closure Integrity Testing (CCIT). Bosch has continuously expanded its portfolio of CCI technologies in recent years. High voltage leak detection and laser-based headspace analysis are now complemented by the new KLV series for vacuum leak detection. At Interpack, Bosch unveils the first in the series – the KLV 1360, which has been specially developed for vials.

Generally, the platform is suited for all rigid glass containers.

In vacuum leak detection, negative pressure is created in hermetically sealed chambers. If the container is faulty, the leaking fluid or gas causes the pressure to rise. The KLV 1360 measures this pressure increase with very high sensitivity. Thanks to state-of-the-art measuring technology, the machine is able to measure leaks equivalent to hole sizes of less than five micrometers.

The KLV 1360 can inspect between 250 and 600 containers per minute. It achieves its maximum performance thanks to special inspection chambers, where the containers can be tested either individually or in groups. “Depending on the body diameter – which can vary from eight to 56 millimeters – the KLV can inspect up to three containers simultaneously in one chamber.

This enables us to significantly increase the output,” Schindler explains.

The KLV ensures a consistently high inspection quality. It is the first machine of its kind where the integrated robotic system not only feeds the containers that require inspection into the process.

It also adds reference samples for internal process control. In addition, automatic re-inspection makes sure that only containers, which have clearly been tested, leave the machine.

Even after inspection, the product and closure quality remain a top priority. The KLV does not grip the containers from above. Instead, the slightly slanted transport system makes it possible to remove the containers from the inspection chamber sideways in order to prevent leaks occurring due to closure gripping. Furthermore, a star-wheel system ensures gentle transportation through the system with minimal wear and tear.

6 A30-C58 Packaging Europe | 55 |

SUN ILLUMINATING SOLUTIONS FOR BRAND OWNERS

S

un Chemical and its parent company, DIC, will demonstrate to brand owners the expertise, experience and capabilities to deliver ground-breaking, innovative and creative packaging solutions, from concept to consumer, that play a key role in driving the success of products and brands.

Using the theme “Brighter Ideas for Packaging”, Sun Chemical will demonstrate its capabilities as a global, full service packaging solutions provider to uniquely address the key aspects of packaging optimisation, reflected as five separate zones on the stand: Consumer Protection, World of Color, Lightweighting, Food Waste and Consumer Experience.

Steering brand owners through the increasing international legislative requirements for compliant materials, consumables and labelling, at interpack 2017 Sun Chemical will showcase its wide range of solutions to address the increase in counterfeit trade and to ensure the security of brands and the health and safety of their customers.

Sun Chemical offers a range of overt, covert and semi-covert brand protection solutions including UV responsive and infra-red inks, infra-red taggants integrated within spot colours or varnishes, hidden images embedded into existing packaging designs and smartphone authentication. Highlighted at interpack 2017 will be SunTag, an integrated sensor-taggant system for cartridges and refills, which provides interactive point-of-use authentication and identification and helps protect product quality and safety at a fraction of the cost of competing technologies. Also on display will be a smartphone authentication solution that incorporates the AuthentiGuard smartphone validation application from anti-counterfeit technology specialists DSS (Document Security Systems, Inc.), giving Sun Chemical customers even greater choice, flexibility and potential for protecting their products.

In the Consumer Protection zone, Sun Chemical will also be highlighting a new near infrared-based food contaminant detection system. Combining a near infrared (NIR) fluorescent dye that emits NIR and a device that detects NIR, the system, which can be built into a processing line, is able to detect plastic fragments and other contaminants in food, a task that has previously been difficult to achieve.

Helping brand owners achieve global consistency of high impact, high quality colour, Sun Chemical will be launching SunColorBox, a ‘toolkit’ comprising a comprehensive set of applications and services aimed at supporting packaging printers and converters to produce brand colours consistently, anywhere in the world, within a fully optimised digital process.

DIC highlights in this zone will include the latest issue of its Asia Color Trend Book, the only book of its type in the world that focuses on inspiring designers with art and design trends unique to Asian cultures, and a Model Color Palette for Color Universal Design, a user-oriented design system to allow information to be conveyed to individuals with colour blindness.

Sun Chemical offers a choice of creative packaging solutions to help brand owners meet their obligations to cut raw material consumption, reduce costs across the packaging supply chain and limit their environmental footprint while still providing high performing brand-enhancing packaging. Currently, most flexible packaging consists of three to four layers of material that give the packaging its structure, protecting the contents from external contaminants and providing an effective oxygen barrier to preserve the contents.

Patented developments in solvent-based lamination adhesives and speciality coatings from Sun Chemical/DIC offer brand owners the scope to eliminate one of these layers.

On display in the Lightweighting zone will be the SunLam family of performance lamination adhesives and coatings with oxygen barrier properties, which converters can use to replicate the protective functionality of the additional layer, with reduced material. These cutting-edge lamination adhesives and coatings can be fully compliant for food packaging applications. | 56 | Packaging Europe

With its broad range of functional coatings, Sun Chemical helps brand owners to develop food packaging solutions to prolong freshness and increase shelf-life, limiting food spoilage and helping consumers make more informed decisions that will reduce food waste. Highlights in this zone at interpack 2017 will include SunBar (Aerobloc) oxygen barrier coatings, which improve the protective qualities of packaging and increase shelf life, and DIC Easy Peel, an easy-to-open sealant film with high heat resistance and stable heat seal strength. Also showcased will be the SunLase™ laser marking solution, a coating that enables brand owners to add high quality QR and bar codes to secondary packaging and serial number or dates to primary packaging information, whether for practical supply chain purposes or as a late stage pack differentiator.

In the Consumer Experience zone, Sun Chemical will be showing how it helps brand owners to develop packaging throughout the product life cycle, from concept to consumer, that offers maximum functional and aesthetic appeal as well as providing engaging, interactive and creative opportunities to enhance the consumer’s emotional experience.

Highlighted in this zone will be the range of SunInspire specialty inks and coatings, in particular its tactile coatings, ranging from coarse and gritty to soft and smooth, which appeal to the sense of touch.

On display will also be the SunVetro family of products for ceramics and glass, the SunCarte® family of screen and offset inks, adhesives and varnishes to help printers meet the needs of the plastic card market, and, based on DIC technology, printed magnetic tape options for card manufacturers.

Within a separate Product Portfolio zone, Sun Chemical will also showcase its extensive range of inks and coatings suitable for use on multiple substrates across a wide range of packaging applications. With the most comprehensive portfolio in the industry, irrespective of print process and application, Sun Chemical offers a vast choice of both solvent-based and solvent-free products. In addition, the SunJet team will also be available throughout the show to meet with existing and prospective partners and explore collaborative projects that will continue to push the boundaries of digital inkjet printing for packaging.

7a C06

Packaging Europe | 57 |

| 58 | Packaging Europe

A NEW CUSTOMERORIENTED ERA

A

CMA has recently launched several activities, from updating the product portfolio, to service and communication operations. The latest addition is the new classification code of the machine portfolio: short names, including market segment, technology and speed. A new language, which goes side by side with technological innovations. ACMA solutions are focused on flexibility and waste reduction, to guarantee efficiency and meet the market’s requests. ACMA, part of the Coesia Group, at the Düsseldorf fair will showcase a wide range of machines, confirming its ever-increasing commitment to consumer goods solutions.

One complete coffee line, a tea lines, and two confectionery solutions: this is the machine range that the Italian company will showcase at Interpack. The offer for the confectionery field will include the CW 600 F, the latest addition to the multi-style machine family, and the CW 800 R, for round chocolates, heir of the well-known and reliable 880UNI. For the tea field, ACMA will present the TD 300, the latest addition to the double chamber bag packaging range, with a renewed design, enhanced performance and a new unique packaging format. Last but not least, the complete coffee line, the ultimate testimony to the company’s commitment to the capsule filling sector. In this case, the company will showcase the capsule sealer and filler QI 500, the QW 200-H and the QC 60 for secondary packaging. But that’s not all.

ACMA continues to innovate all its technological sectors, from flow packing to bottle filling, not to mention the fold wrapping applied to the personal care. An Open House at the Mazzoni LB headquarters will be held simultaneously to interpack, to launch the new soap wrapper, SW 700 D, developed to be included in Mazzoni soap lines, and interconnected with their new printing machine, STUR Ultra.

6 E31-D57 Packaging Europe | 59 |

MARKET INSIGHTS

SAFE, EFFICIENT, SMART AND SUSTAINABLE Modern packages think for themselves, remind us, extend shelf life, can be heated at the press of a button and influence our senses with their appearance, odour and feel – and some of them can even speak. What packages in the food sector are capable of today goes far beyond their original purpose of protecting foods.

P

ackages have to perform numerous feats simultaneously: meet the needs of marketing and sales, comply with safety and hygiene regulations, and satisfy such consumer requirements as sustainability and easier handling while keeping the cost of production, transport and storage low. Thanks to the very latest machines with highly automated sensor- and microprocessor-controlled drive technology, coupled with innovative materials that can be produced and disposed of sustainably, the packaging industry has succeeded in converting a 6000-year-old idea into a modern high-tech product.

First and foremost: protection due to packaging And yet the primary purpose of each package – that of protecting its contents during transport and storage – remains unchanged. Packages prevent contamination and damage and protect foods from harmful environmental influences such as light, oxygen and moisture. They provide protection from spoilage due to microorganisms and prevent the loss of flavour or vitamins.

Up to 1.3 billion tonnes of foods, says the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) of the United Nations, are lost each year worldwide. In some cases, fresh goods spoil during transport, are not consumed in time or are deemed unsaleable because they fall short of the given standards. And often enough, still edible food is discarded by consumers because the sell-by date has expired. | 60 | Packaging Europe

For over six years now, this overall issue has been addressed by the SAVE FOOD initiative of the FAO, the environmental programme of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and Messe Düsseldorf in cooperation with globally leading companies, organisations and research institutes. Their joint goal is to devise solutions to prevent food loss and wastage along the value chain. This involves making suitable infrastructure available, re-examining and modifying standards for packaging, raising awareness and, last but not least, working on the package itself.

For what is now the third time in succession, the initiative with the international SAVE FOOD congress, which marks the start of interpack in Düsseldorf, is being given a suitable platform and bringing together various stakeholders from business, science, the political sphere and civil society in the fight against food wastage. Within the fair, the special SAVE FOOD exhibition will be held for the second time in the innovationparc, which has been energetically taking up a selected issue from the sector at each interpack since 2008.

Hygiene’s not everything, but food is nothing without hygiene When it comes to food packaging, hygiene is top priority, and sensitive meat and sausage products are subject to extreme standards of hygiene. Complete high-performance production lines inclusive of meat grinder, portioner and tray-sealing unit focus not only on performance, flexibility and product quality, but also on the interfaces – because these have a huge bearing on productivity.

Packaging Europe | 61 |

MARKET INSIGHTS

The responsibility for food safety lies with the manufacturer itself. In-plant hygiene controls are strongly advised, but even more important is the exclusion of possible hygiene traps from the outset. Covering everything from comprehensive hygiene design and effortlessly cleanable components to sterilisation of the ambient air with short-wave UV radiation, highly advanced equipment delivers the highest standards of hygiene.

In the SB sector particularly, the skin pack, a two-component SB package consisting of PP or CPET tray sealed with a skin film, has become increasingly prominent. “It’s possible to extend product shelf life considerably with vacuum skin packaging,” explains Stefan Dangel, Sales and Marketing Manager at Sealpac.

Intelligent packaging The innovative powers of the packaging industry are remarkable. Anyone investigating the very latest packaging technologies cannot fail to encounter nanotechnology, and printed and organic electronics. Intelligent and smart wrappers that are capable of identifying and affecting the degree of food freshness in a controlled fashion are now anything but utopian.

Active packages control the moisture level, prevent the proliferation of germs and even kill them – by using absorbers, for instance. Iron keeps oxygen-sensitive beverages like beer or juice fresh for longer. Table salt in the package inhibits the formation of condensation and enables mushrooms, for example, that tend to discolour after a short while, to look good for longer. “The idea was to develop a package that can take up and regulate moisture,” says Dr Cornelia Stramm of the Fraunhofer Institute for Process Engineering and Packaging IVV in Freising, explaining the aim of the research project. | 62 | Packaging Europe

Visibly fresh Whether food is still edible can be rendered visible by the special sensors of modern packages. These react when certain substances or gases are released and indicate this with a change in colour and fluorescence. The state of the food is then evident at a glance.

One of the most frequent causes of food spoilage is breaks in the cooling chain. Intelligent time-temperature indicators are capable of indicating such discontinuities, usually with a colour change.

Consumers expect a great deal of their food packages. Their demands of the packaging industry cover not only safety and hygiene, but also sustainability. Consumers mainly associate sustainability with recycling and disposal. The development of deposit and recycling systems and, no less importantly, clear targets have led to a strong increase in package recycling in the last few years. Recycling is on the advance, particularly in Europe, and all EU states are to recycle half of their domestic waste by 2020.

In the assessment of package sustainability, both the material used and its quantity are important as well as package size in relation to its contents. In the industry, there is a clear trend towards using renewable resources. Used instead of conventional materials with a view to diminishing the carbon footprint, these are often hailed as extra-sustainable.

However, studies show that precisely these conventional materials, e.g. classical plastics, yield environmental benefits when a product’s entire life cycle is considered – as a result of efficient recycling systems, for example. Ultimately, what counts as the most sustainable solution calls for a comprehensive consideration of the case in question, taking account of the various factors at all stages in the value chain.

Packaging Europe | 63 |

Packaged 4.0 In addition to consumer expectations, the packaging industry is also exposed to the growing requirements of its customers. Responding to the desire for greater flexibility and efficiency, the sector reacts among other things with an intelligent and interlinked factory in which classical mechanical engineering efficiently networks with sensors, software and services.

Industry 4.0 has long become the standard in the food industry and is closely associated with the component industry, which can be seen as blazing the trail of technological progress. In the special show “components – special trade fair by interpack”, highly advanced drive, control and sensor equipment will be exhibited alongside products for industrial image processing, handling technology, industrial software and communication, and complete automation systems for packaging machines.

Modern lines are capable of not only autonomously supplying information on process and system states, but also communicating with each other and independently correcting processes where necessary. “Intelligent products then individually control their own production process. And this is not all: thanks to communication throughout the value chain, a product’s life cycle becomes continuously traceable. Totally new business models are possible,” explains Hartmut Rauen, deputy executive director of Germany’s Mechanical Engineering Industry Association (VDMA).

A pioneer in the use of such progressive technologies is Bosch Packaging Technology which is planning to equip all new process and packaging machines with its next-generation Human Machine Interface HMI 4.0 as of interpack in May 2017. One of the new features is guided intuitive operation with multi-touch technology – much like on smartphones and tablet computers. The system reports malfunctions immediately and, in addition, provides information on the possible cause and assistance with remedying the problem.

“This is a revolutionary innovation,” says Stefan König, member of executive management at Bosch Packaging Technology. | 64 | Packaging Europe

Packaging is indispensable for modern society. And this applies especially to foods and becomes apparent above all where it is lacking – in developing countries. Food often spoils due to the lack or inadequacy of packaging for transport and storage before it reaches the consumer. In the industrialised nations, on the other hand, a package not only has to protect, but it has to look good as well. And it has to stand out on the overloaded supermarket shelves, because the majority of customers only decide while shopping which product actually lands in the basket.

MARKET INSIGHTS

Packaging Europe | 65 |

MONDI ADDRESSES INDUSTRY & END USER

M

ondi, the international packaging and paper group, will be talking about how its packaging solutions are addressing current trends at interpack. Consumers today are sophisticated and demanding. They prefer packaging that is convenient and that helps them make a buying decision. According to a survey from the market intelligence agency Mintel on Packaging Trends 2017, today’s consumers are also attracted by packaging that stands out through unusual and pleasing design, texture or innovative features.

To meet these expectations, consumer goods producers are asking the packaging industry for solutions and materials that are easy to use and that help increase brand recognition, differentiate at the point of sale and build trust with consumers.

Under the theme of ‘Discover how Mondi’s products touch millions of lives, every day’, the company will show how its solutions protect and preserve the things that really matter in everyday life and that can help a brand stand out.

Mondi has identified five industry trends linked with its innovative packaging solutions that visitors can experience at their booth.

1. Convenience: busy lifestyles, more single households, and longer life expectancy are all factors driving the importance of convenient packaging solutions. Consumers want packaging that is quick and simple to handle, can be reclosed to preserve partially consumed contents, can be disposed of easily, and is suitable for on-the-go consumption – as highlighted by the Mintel survey on Packaging Trends 2017.

Mondi’s ‘easy-open initiative’ has produced several innovations to meet the needs of all customer ages, which visitors can experience at its interpack booth. They include CornerPack, StripePack, FlexziBox Flat Bottom with diverse features, ZipperPouch and Peel Film. In collaboration with Twinings, a well-known tea manufacturer, Mondi developed an innovative ZipperPouch with a special structure and new look and feel that can be easily opened and reclosed including high visibility on the shelf.

Mondi’s water-soluble film adds convenience to daily life. The film dissolves in water and is biodegradable, making it an excellent choice for packaging single doses of household detergents in the form of powders, tabs and granulates. Not only does it protect both the product and end-user, Mondi’s water-soluble film is more environmentally friendly than other similar products.

2. Packaging with a natural look and feel: Differentiation at the point of sale is one of the most important factors influencing consumers’ purchasing decisions. The growing trend towards packaging with a natural look and feel helps brands stand out. What’s more, highquality food packaging is an indicator of premium product quality and stimulates positive consumer perceptions about the product.

Mondi’s paper touch solutions help brands to differentiate on the shelf by combining a natural look and feel with optimal freshness protection. One example is ArtPack, a special matte lacquer applied to flexible film that looks and feels like real paper. ArtPack won a 2016 German Packaging Award for Krosse Kerle potato crisp packaging.

3. Packaging that builds trust with consumers: End-users increasingly want to see and evaluate the product inside the package, especially for food packaging, according to the Mintel survey on Packaging Trends 2017. Being able to see the product stimulates their buying behaviour and increases purchasing confidence.

Mondi offers different cut out window solutions for a wide number of packaging applications. SKOG is made of Mondi’s FSC®-certified sack kraft paper combined with extrusion | 66 | Packaging Europe

coating technology. The unique and environmentally friendly solution has been developed in cooperation with Silbo, a packaging converting company. It keeps food fresh and allows the package to be thermo-sealed – while still offering the consumer a view of what is inside.

4. Packaging that boosts brand recognition: In an increasingly competitive marketplace, Mondi’s customers want packaging that enhances their brand recognition to promote sales and increase market share.

Stand-up pouches are growing in popularity with their vivid printing, clear designs and convenient use. According to 2014 research by Schönwald Consulting, total global sales of stand-up pouches are expected to increase from $6.6 billion in 2013 to around $10.5 billion by 2018 as demand increases.

With Advantage Kraft White Print sack kraft paper, customers benefit from advanced branding possibilities. The paper combines the excellent printability of calandered machine finished grades with the strength properties of standard sack kraft papers. This paper is the perfect match for open mouth bags to set brands apart on the shelf.

5. Eye-catching corrugated solutions trending in the cold chain: The food, medical and flower industries all face the same challenge of transporting products that need to be kept chilled at up to five different temperature zones. At the same time, these industries want packaging solutions that are sustainable and space-efficient. With a range of examples, Mondi will show how well corrugated can perform in the cool chain while being an eyecatcher and product promoter at the point of sale.

Mondi anticipates changing customer needs by applying the latest materials, designs and technologies in its packaging solutions on show at interpack. The company works closely with customers to help their brands stand out and appeal to today’s consumers. For customers from many different industries, Mondi creates packaging solutions that are as cost-effective, innovative and sustainable as possible.

9 A24/B23

Packaging Europe | 67 |

WELCOME TO THE ‘HOUSE OF KRONES’

T

he ‘House of Krones’ will also be built in Düsseldorf – at least conceptually. It will constitute the five core sections of Krones AG, Neutraubling, Germany: digitisation as the roof and superstructure, process, filling and packaging technologies, plus intralogistics, as the functional premises, and Lifecycle Service as the base, the solid foundation.

In terms of machinery, the principal focus at interpack will be the Varioline packaging system, which has proved highly successful in gaining widespread acceptance among bottling and canning companies. The firms are frequently tasked with first placing individual containers in multipacks, and then packing these in suitable sales or secondary packaging.

This necessitates maximised flexibility. So by developing the Varioline as a responsively flexible solution, Krones has found the right answer for this job profile: here, a single machine replaces up to six conventional individual machines with conveyors. With the Varioline, up to three-stage packaging processes can be implemented with just a single machine. Space savings in the layout, reduced maintenance outlay and fewer operators are the logical consequences. The modular Varioline kit consists of three units: cartoning module, feed module, and basic module, which can be combined to form a customised packaging system. This modularised construction also offers flexibility for the future. The machine handles up to 52,000 containers per hour.

The Belgian specialty brewery De Brabandere is one of more than 30 bottlers who have already benefited from the Varioline’s versatility. It bottles 23 different beers, and thanks to the Varioline produces up to 34 different packages – and all of it on a single line. The wide choice available for packaging options is particularly useful for the brewery when it comes to exports. Brewmaster Yves Benoit sounds entranced by the Varioline: “It’s the ultimate luxury for a brewery of our size: we can supply our customers faster. The quality of the packaging is better, and the automated packaging function is significantly more affordable. We cause a smaller CO2 footprint, since intermediate transports for repacking are no longer needed. The Varioline can be swiftly modified to handle different formats. This system enables us above all to operate with significantly more flexibility in our end-of-the-line packaging.”

14 E33 | 68 | Packaging Europe

Packaging Europe | 69 |

MADE-TO-MEASURE FOR INDUSTRIAL GOODS Whether transported by sea, rail, air or road, industrial goods have to be packaged well and securely so that they reach the user or consumer in immaculate condition. The goods often travel long distances to their final destination, over bumpy roads, on clattering rails or in rough seas. The packaged product has to withstand sharp braking and bumpy landings as well as climatic stressing and frequent reloading and repacking. In addition, packaging companies have to satisfy the rising expectations and specific needs of their customers: quality and first-class service are decisive in an industry marked by growing competition. Called for are packaging systems that ensure minimal waste and rapid re-equipping while of course running efficiently in terms of costs, energy and resources.

Impact-resistance

Pulling out the stops

ptimal protection on gruelling journeys is provided by high-grade industrial packages made of any of a wide range of materials. Geared to the needs of the product and mode of transport, suitable protection is afforded by pallets and crates made of wood or corrugated board, collapsible transport containers and pallet cages (gitterboxes) made of plastic, transport racks, bubble-wrap packaging, bags and special heavy-duty and dangerous goods packages.

Ideal for the transport protection of fragile or impact- and scratch-sensitive products such as those made of glass, plastics or rubber are impact-resistant packages of corrugated board. Above and beyond protection, the material offers wide-ranging scope for individual design by printing and finishing. Consumption instructions and brand messages can be communicated easily without additional products, thus cutting the cost of marketing.

Special efforts are required for heavyweight items, i.e. goods with above-standard size or weight for transportation. For products weighing in at 100 tonnes or more, customised packaging is required. For the direct protection of the packaged contents, packagers make use of classical polyethylene or aluminium laminated films. Desiccants and chemical treatments with steam or contact phase inhibitors (using the VCI (= volatile corrosion inhibitor) method) additionally inhibit corrosion, mould and other damage, e.g. due to condensation.

The overall packaging process for heavy goods is extremely challenging, as the loads can only be efficiently packed and loaded with the aid of heavy equipment like slewing cranes and other crane equipment. The vacuum specialist Schmalz has at its disposal special overhead cranes made of aluminium that score particularly highly with their favourable ratio of dead weight to payload.

O

| 70 | Packaging Europe

MARKET INSIGHTS

Packaging Europe | 71 |

MARKET INSIGHTS

Ergonomic and safe handling during the packaging process is assured not only by pneumatic grab systems, but also by special vacuum lifting devices. These are noted for their high degree of versatility in action, although “vacuum handling is also noted for its speed,” says Dr Kurt Schmalz, managing partner of J. Schmalz GmbH. Originally a razor blade manufacturer, the Black Forest firm has evolved since its founding in 1910 into one of the world’s leading suppliers of vacuum technology in the automation, handling and clamping sectors. Its VacuMaster swivelling lifting device is capable of effortlessly lifting metal sheets, wooden or plastic panels, drums, windows and glass panes weighing tonnes. Even heavy glass units can be loaded or packaged effortlessly and breakage-free by a single person. | 72 | Packaging Europe

Heavy equipment can be accompanied by an elaborate logistical exercise: as familiar from numerous TV reports, the transportation of heavy goods, often at night and under escort, sometimes necessitates the closure of whole roads. Transport safety issues have to be settled in advance by everyone concerned, i.e. customer, manufacturer and haulier.

Professional packaging planning is therefore indispensable when extra-large items are sent on their journey in wooden or iron crates.

Safely packaged hazardous goods A different and at the same time special kind of packaging comes into play for the shipment of dangerous goods, i.e. substances, mixtures, and objects containing

Packaging Europe | 73 |

MARKET INSIGHTS

substances that present specific hazards during transport owing to their nature or physical or chemical properties. Fireworks, automotive seatbelt tensioners, hair spray, petrol and fertilisers as well as airbags and lithium batteries are all classified as dangerous goods.

The packages for such substances are subject to stringent legal regulations, based on the UN Recommendations on the Transport of Dangerous Goods. Worldwide, each dangerous goods package therefore has to be marked with a UN symbol followed by an alphanumeric code.

In view of the growing popularity of electric vehicles, lithium-ion batteries are produced in large numbers worldwide. A suitable package for such dangerous goods has been designed by packaging specialist DS Smith for the BMW Group. Thanks to the special corrugated board interior, a total of twelve power storage units can be simply and quickly lowered with lifting gear into the transport boxes and secured – without folding or further padding. Unloading is just as convenient. The batteries and padding are simply removed from the transport and storage package and, if desired, sent on individually or, for example, as a replacement parts shipment. | 74 | Packaging Europe

Pallets galore For the handling of industrial goods, shipment pallets are perfectly adapted to needs as regards load-bearing capacity, quality and economy. But pallets can differ enormously.

These practical helpers that are capable of carrying up to 1500 kilos are available in numerous versions on the market. Two- or four-way pallets, disposable, reusable, heavyduty or special-purpose pallets are just some of the possible types.

One distinguishing feature is the material. The majority are made of wood, and usually of the types of wood available in the country of manufacture. Alternatively, plastic and metal pallets are employed – or pallets made of corrugated board. For the familiar Euro-pallet, birch, pine and spruce timbers are most frequently used. Depending on the stressing from the product itself, climate and handling, reusable pallets are capable of withstanding as many as fifteen trips.

The American equivalent of the Euro-pallet is the GMA pallet. Measuring 40 x 48�

(101.6 x 121.92 cm), it is slightly larger. For freight transport by ship, special industrial pallets are therefore required. These conform to the American system of measurement and can be loaded trouble-free into ISO containers.

Packaging Europe | 75 |

MARKET INSIGHTS

Pal-box® is the name of the practical pallet container made of corrugated board. The shipping container from the paper and packaging specialists of the London-based Mondi Group literally stands on its own feet. On the corrugated board box available in different sizes, the pallet feet are attached to the base. stac-pac®, Mondi’s heavy-duty storage container made of die-cut heavy-duty corrugated board, is designed to handle the heaviest goods. Reinforcing wooden planks are fixed with reusable clips to the exterior for extrahigh stability.

For a longer life To improve the robustness and durability of shipping carriers made of mixed materials, special coatings can be used. The further-developed Elastocoat C spray system that seals hybrid pallets of plastic and medium-density fibreboard (MDF) for extra strength and makes additional priming superfluous comes from German chemicals giant BASF. The hybrid MDF pallets sealed with Elastocoat C are said to be not only more robust, but also some 25 per cent lighter than traditional pallets. Gorm Carsting, team leader sales Western Europe PU Systems, explains: “The Elastocoat® C spray system seals pallet surfaces efficiently, quickly and durably and thus offers optimum protection from water, dirt, microbial infestation and abrasion. The service life of pallets from Ahrma has thus been extended to up to 10 years.” | 76 | Packaging Europe

5% goods value In such an innovation-driven sector as packaging, technology makes all the difference.

Today, packages can be produced with fewer defects, shorter production times, closer conformity to specification and more energy-efficiently than ever before. Customer expectations are rising accordingly. Tailoring packaging systems to individual needs is therefore decisive for success in the marketplace.

At interpack visitors can gain their own impression of suppliers’ strategies and products for satisfying market requirements.

One thing is certain: economising in the wrong area can prove costly in the long run.

If the packaged goods are damaged due to insufficient transport packaging, the loss can easily run into the thousands or tens of thousands of euros. And there’s also the risk of a tarnished image.

According to logistics experts, some five per cent of the value of the goods should therefore be spent on the packaging, and even more for high-value products or technical parts. Furthermore, extensive training and clear handling instructions for employees involved in storage and transport operations are essential. Anyone who invests sufficiently in the packaging and draws up a precise requirements profile will save costs on possible complaints and ensure that the product and the manufacturer’s reputation remain undamaged. It makes economic sense.

Packaging Europe | 77 |

SCHREINER PRESENTS SYRINGE MARKING SOLUTION

S

chreiner MediPharm will be showing its novel marking solution for syringes: Pharma-Multi-Act. The label, together with the cap, is easy to open with one flick of the wrist, which makes it particularly user-friendly. Pharma-Multi-Act also offers reliable and irreversible first-opening indication and may include various additional security and indicator functionalities.

At the fair Schreiner will be presenting the wide range of possibilities offered by the label’s special design as part of its lineup of innovative solutions.

Pharma-Multi-Act by Schreiner MediPharm has a unique feature: a label-integrated perforated tab that ends on the syringe cap. The marking label’s first-opening indication is automatically triggered along the perforation when opening the cap. As a result, the label and the container are opened at the same time by a single flick of the wrist, without requiring another step to remove the seal.

| 78 | Packaging Europe

Syringes require special tamper protection solutions that can be activated fast and effectively without impairing the injection process: the fewer moves needed and the simpler the activation, the better. In many cases, it is also necessary to document the administered medicine in the patient’s file or vaccination card.

In the process of opening Pharma-Multi-Act, a readily accessible, detachable documentation label is exposed on the cap, which can be easily peeled off even with gloves.

In addition, the area underneath the detachable label can be used as an indicator field for various functions.

Examples range from an initially covert warning message, an additional security feature for authentication, an integrated NFC chip for interactive applications through to a temperature or UV indicator that is activated by opening the label.

7a B02

Packaging Europe | 79 |

HEIDELBERG AND GALLUS HIGHLIGHT POS SOLUTIONS

T

he appearance of packs at the point of sales has a direct influence on the purchase decision and the brand experience of consumers. Heidelberg is the leading provider in the industry that can guarantee digitized and industrial packaging production with a defect-free, standardized end result.

In the face of progressive globalization, brand companies with an international sales and production infrastructure also have a growing need for additional packaging variants, a more individual sales approach, and a shorter time-to-market. This increases complexity and the risk of defects in packaging production. On the other hand, the digitization of all key process steps in production offers a way of greatly reducing this risk of defects, or even eliminating it altogether. Heidelberger Druckmaschinen AG (Heidelberg) and its Swiss subsidiary Gallus will therefore be presenting a range of solutions and measures aimed at automating quality assurance and control, all integrated in the entire workflow and the participating machines in an intelligently networked production environment, under the motto “Smart Print Shop – Zero Defect Packaging” at the upcoming Interpack, taking place from 4 to 10 May in Düsseldorf. These solutions and measures are designed to boost the

| 80 | Packaging Europe

international competitiveness of packaging producers by enabling reliable, productive, and economical production, especially of defect-free, high-quality folding cartons and labels in offset, digital, and flexo printing.

Visitors to the Interpack trade fair, especially from brand companies, packaging producers and print shops, will be able to speak to experts and get detailed information about the various topics relating to defect-free, industrialized packaging printing at Heidelberg’s stand in hall 13. The appearance by Heidelberg and Gallus at Interpack will focus on the following: the question of a color management system that can span different sites and production methods, the reduction of complexity and therefore susceptibility to defects as well as the means to safely and reliably identify incorrectly printed products without delay and remove them directly from the press or postpress process while production is underway. As part of this process, Heidelberg will show how a zero-defect principle can be implemented across the entire production process, from prepress through press to postpress.

13 E82

Packaging Europe | 81 |

MARKET INSIGHTS

BEAUTY OUT OF A PACKAGE “Beauty is everywhere a very welcome guest,” wrote Johann Wolfgang von Goethe at the start of the 19th century.

And already 3000 years before this, a great deal of time and extensive care was devoted to external appearance. The Ancient Egyptians were famous for their highly developed beauty culture; serving as a reference and the epitome of purity and beauty was legendary Queen Nefertiti. Whether make-up, ointments or tinctures – often made by priests the products found their place in select and finely decorated vessels made of clay, slate, metal or wood. And even today, packaging for cosmetics evokes the idea of luxury combining high-quality materials with sophisticated graphic applications and finishes.

That certain something

T

he cult around bodycare does not seem to be tailing off. On the contrary: spending on cosmetics is rising year on year. According to a business report by cosmetics giant L’Oréal, 2016 saw the global sale of cosmetic goods worth an estimated Euro 205 b – a rise over the previous year of four per cent and more growth than achieved in the previous three years. However, this growth goes hand in hand with increased competition.

Therefore, anyone wishing to be successful on the highly competitive cosmetics market also has to ensure they have precise positioning and communication of brand content.

When selecting packaging, brand and packaging firms therefore look for unmistakable brand design. Going hand in hand here are multi-sensory effects and special finishes that turn simple packaging into a real brand experience.

| 82 | Packaging Europe

A specialist in the high-quality packaging solution sector is the family firm Edelmann. To achieve surprising results here the packaging experts combine different finishing technologies, amongst other things. Oliver Eschbaumer, in charge of Marketing at Edelmann, explains the special effect this achieves: “By combining individual elements the original contrasts develop into a new symbiosis and in a smart combination they achieve unexpected impact.” An example of this is the interplay achieved by using both matt and gloss coatings.

Surfaces can be emphasised like this or lettering can be highlighted. Tactile aspects are also very on trend in packaging and beauty products. By embossing graphic elements individual accents can be created. “At Edelmann time and again we are inspired by tactile communication,” explains Eschbaumer. “But we know that featuring tactile-looking elements on packaging often only makes sense if a dialogue is initiated with the product promise.”

Packaging Europe | 83 |

Whiter than white A product promise of this kind is not only conveyed by the washing detergent brand Persil but also the Finnish-Swedish group Stora Enso. Here we are referring to the white tone of their new improved virgin-fibre carton board Ensocoat. “Luxury packaging typically includes processes like embossing and hot-foil embossing as well as other special effects that make high demands of the material in terms of smoothness, whiteness and folding characteristics,” stresses Product Manager Eva Lundqvist. Whiteness and lightness of the card are, she says, the most important technical properties. Established on the market now since the 1960s this card made of bleached cellulose (solid bleached board or SBS) is being presented at this year’s interpack alongside many other innovative packaging solutions for the cosmetics industry. Here visitors will find answers to all questions concerning the manufacture, packaging and logistics of highly sensitive products.

| 84 | Packaging Europe

Also providing interesting insights into the latest components for manufacturing technologies is the accompanying event “components – special trade fair by interpack” that is primarily aimed at upstream suppliers to the packaging industry and firms that offer drive, control and sensor technology products for industrial image processing, handling technology, industrial software and communication as well as complete automation systems for packaging machinery.

Nature in focus In the beauty sector now it is not only ingredients and production that need to be as sustainable as possible because consumers also make the same demands on packaging. Here they want recyclable packaging in the same way as they want resource-saving production. Alongside the use of renewable raw materials, companies also offer special compact

MARKET INSIGHTS

packaging that can help to avoid unnecessary waste. Special packaging solutions also help to reduce cosmetic residue by ensuring tubes, bottles and jars can be emptied more easily.

Especially with natural cosmetics, brand owners and manufacturers look to sustainable packaging concepts. Originally known for its comfortable sandals, footwear firm Birkenstock developed a natural cosmetics line focusing on the main active ingredient cork at the beginning of February 2017. To tie in with this, packaging systems with a refill system were selected. The stable bottles with airless dispensers and cork bases contain replaceable cartridges. When a product is finished you just buy the refill and swop it in the original container. This saves resources and shows how clever and uncomplicated sustainability can be. What’s more, the product is protected as the airless dispenser allows no air to reach the contents. This very naturally protects against oxidation, contamination and dehydration.

Safety as a basic principle With sensitive products like cosmetics protection is very much top priority. Like in the pharmaceuticals and food sectors here stringent hygiene rules apply. Use of cleaning products and disinfection methods means the materials in the sterile environment of the packaging machinery are often subjected to high stresses; at the same time they must offer as little room for contamination as possible.

To prevent contamination ingress from cleaning or packaging materials unsealed closures must be avoided as much as possible in the filling process. For filling ointments, creams and other paste-like products the specialist packaging technology firm IWK offers “FP Sterile�, a platform for the tube filling in metal, plastic or laminate tubes that rules out so-called dead spaces where residue or bacteria can collect and multiply. This particularly applies for critical transitions to components. To Packaging Europe | 85 |

MARKET INSIGHTS

prevent any particles entering the open tube the grippers only touch the outer sides of the tubes – unlike with conventional machines where the mandrel penetrates the open tube.

Gender differences With men’s altered care routines men’s cosmetics have become one of the biggest growth markets in the bodycare sector. The segment saw its first boom at the beginning of the noughties when the cosmetics industry shifted the metrosexual man into the limelight and the promise of men who not only shave but also use creams, scents or even make-up on their skin led to numerous dedicated men’s cosmetics lines. Seventeen years later expectations many have lowered but at the same time niche products have become generators of income. Market researchers value the turnover at more than 47 billion US dollars.

The packaging world has also changed in pace with the development of this male target group for beauty care products. This is because what women might like does not necessarily appeal to men. And this is something corporate consultant Diane Jaffé, CEO at bluestone AG, knows only too well. She advises companies on the topic of gender marketing and is familiar with men and women’s different expectations of packaging. Shape, size and material play an equally decisive role as surface textures, colours or ornamentation. “Women are often attracted to the opposite of what appeals to men,” explains Jaffé. | 86 | Packaging Europe

Straight, square and angular means masculine; rounded forms look more feminine.

Brand-name companies have long since recognised the potential of targeted packaging design and do not just attune their marketing and packaging according to gender but also their prices.

The right colour However, packaging colours must not just be seen in the context of gender. Colours also increase recognition levels and underline brand identification. More than fonts, colours are more easily recognised by consumers and remain in their memories for longer. Strong brands like Coca-Cola or Nivea have managed to be unmistakable purely based on their choice of colour. Special colour systems help to choose the unique corporate or brand colour. There are thousands of colours to choose from. But for long-term recognisability it is vital that the same colour tone is uniformly used. This also entails technical challenges – especially in printing and finishing processes that can impact the chosen colour tone. To choose, compare and check printing inks there are so-called colour fans that are produced using offset printing and which therefore ensure particularly high concordance. Proprietary colours can be defined in any gloss level as a colour standard: as a printed version, in plastic or digital. The nearer the material of the master is to the original material the easier it is to compare. And the easier it is for the packaging to meet shoppers’ expectations thereby making it the perfect brand ambassador.

Packaging Europe | 87 |

PROTECTION, PRODUCTIVITY & QUALITY M

ettler-Toledo will present a comprehensive range of solutions and upgrades for the food and pharmaceutical sectors, as well as providing a wealth of technical knowledge via its experts at the stand. Protection, productivity and quality are at the core of Mettler-Toledo’s product portfolio. The company will demonstrate how focusing on these three principles will help manufacturers to improve processes and increase competitiveness in their markets. Visitors will be able to discuss their needs and requirements in detail while interacting with the various systems on display.

Experts will focus on areas such as: improvements to brand protection and compliance, as the regulatory landscapes within food and pharmaceuticals become ever more complex; enhancing productivity and increasing operator efficiency to improve OEE; enhancing product quality through the detection of physical contaminants, ensuring accurate package weights, complete contents and correct labelling; plus, importantly, the safety of workers who operate inspection systems on production lines.

| 88 | Packaging Europe

Neil Giles, marketing manager at Mettler-Toledo Product Inspection, commented: “Mettler-Toledo is committed to support the industries it serves and that is always reflected at interpack. The company has invested a huge amount of time and effort in the preparation of the stand, and every care has been taken to select the most appropriate systems to feature. A wide range of solutions will be present – from x-ray and checkweighing to vision inspection and metal detection – alongside advance software packages such as ProdX, designed to make integration and data management as straightforward as possible for customers with demanding production schedules.”

Mettler-Toledo’s stand will comprise four operational lines, one for general food, one for dry food, one for wet food and a final line dedicated to pharmaceuticals. All four areas of product inspection technology are represented, with highlights including: There are many exciting developments to be showcased at interpack 2017 with regard to metal detection systems. Visitors will be able to try a new Emulation feature based on

VNC technology, for example, which allows users to remotely access and control multiple metal detectors via networked mobile phones, tablets, laptops, and other production line equipment. New Reduced Test mode technology is also being showcased. Visitors can see live demonstrations of how this innovative new technology helps reduce the frequency of routine performance monitoring by up to 83%, helping users to increase productivity and significantly reduce costs associated with routine testing. Complementing these enhancements is new technology, which delivers up to 20 per cent better detection sensitivity in high volume, dry applications. Interpack attendees can also see the latest Profile Advantage Pipeline system in action – the recirculating demo system shows how this metal detection system overcomes the issues of bubbles and product voids to virtually eliminate false rejects in pipeline applications.

Mettler-Toledo’s Checkweighing product line will be in focus at interpack with the launch of two new systems offering a performance increase of 30 per cent – both developed to further meet the requirements of customers and to offer a full spectrum of options to manufacturers of all sizes in the food and pharma sectors. Terminal sizes vary accordingly and the systems will be available with numerous options in various combinations. Also on display will be an advanced checkweighing and marking system designed for serialisation in the pharma industry, which combines ink jet printing and vision verification with highly accurate in-motion weighing and tamper evident sealing. This ensures global traceability and assists with fraud protection and process safety.

A number of vision inspection systems will be incorporated into the four lines present at the Mettler-Toledo stand, covering a wide range of market sectors that deal with packaged products. New systems will be on display that cover top and bottom inspection, 360

degree inspection and that feature brand new camera devices – including smart camera options. Aggregation and serialisation solutions will also be available to view, which enable manufacturers to meet the requirements of their customers and to remain compliant with current and forthcoming regulations.

A wide range of x-ray inspection systems will be on display at the Mettler-Toledo stand, including a brand new, class-leading glass inspection system from the X-series. The system offers complete inspection of glass jars up to 130mm in diameter at speeds of up to 1200ppm. As with all X-series detection systems, a number of value-add inspection capabilities are also featured – such as accurate fill level and vacuum checks.

Data management and the ability to integrate systems easily into existing lines is of paramount importance in modern manufacturing operations. Developments surrounding Industry 4.0 and the Internet of Things have started to facilitate a major paradigm shift in various manufacturing industries and Mettler-Toledo has invested heavily in its software solutions - many of which will be available to interact with at the stand. One such product is an inspection data management software solution that provides seamless integration of product inspection devices. The solution streamlines processes, making them more accessible and more efficient, and allows manufacturers to control the entire product inspection management process from a single point or from multiple remote locations. This eliminates the need for time-consuming production line patrols, allowing operators to focus on more productive tasks.

11 B55

Packaging Europe | 89 |

STANDING OUT – BUT NOT AT ANY PRICE As the consumption of confectionery and bakery products continues to rise, so do the expectations of consumers. Not only do they want to be wowed by the taste, but they are also becoming choosier as far as the packaging is concerned. The latter has to catch the eye and provide additional functions while also responding to long-term environmental requirements.

And this is forcing manufacturers of confectionary and baked goods to be more creative and efficient. The good news is that packaging producers and machine manufacturers are able to help out with material-conserving packaging solutions and more efficient production lines.

T

he confectionery industry goes to enormous lengths to sway consumers with its products. Packaging chocolate and similar delights in appetising wrappers and allowing the product to speak for itself are no longer enough these days. To entice the consumer, manufacturers today are digging deeper into their box of tricks. The latest trends include fun videos and commercials for their products that consumers can watch in the process of consumption. One of the pioneers of ‘snackertainment’, in which the real and the digital worlds merge, is food giant Nestlé. In a marketing campaign with Internet leader | 90 | Packaging Europe

Google, it has the red rectangular wrappers of “have-a-break” KitKat printed with QR codes that lead straight to the manufacturer’s own “YouTube my Break” channel. This is where users are entertained in a variety of ways – and thus cleverly hooked by the product.

What makes the campaign different is that the striking KitKat logo with its strong brand identity has been removed from its central position on the wrapper for this special edition and replaced by YouTube. In addition, Google’s Android operating system, in the wake of Cupcake, Donut, Froyo, Gingerbread, Honeycomb, Ice Cream Sandwich and Jelly Bean,

MARKET INSIGHTS

Packaging Europe | 91 |

MARKET INSIGHTS

was given a brand name in the shape of KitKat for the first time in history. It is an open secret in the industry that Nestlé dug deep into its pocket for the privilege. This way the group is underlining something that experts and studies have recently repeatedly found: that the package is of supreme importance today in communicating the brand – particularly in the confectionery sector. “With increasing product diversity, competition is getting tougher. If you want success on the confectionery market, you have to present your product well,” says Torben Erbrath of Germany’s Association of the Confectionery Industry (BDSI).

This applies all the more as the selection of sweets and bakery products at the point of sale is constantly growing. The existing products with traditions going back many years are being supplemented more and more by sugar-free or sugar- and fat-reduced confectionery. The range of confectionery suitable for vegetarian or vegan diets is also on the increase. In addition, confectionery that is gluten- or lactose-free or even halal or kosher can now be found in almost any supermarket. In the snack sector, says BDSI, the palette is growing in diversity and with a huge variety of flavours – whether in nuts, deep-fried or baked salty snacks. “Thanks to this vast diversity, there’s a matching product for every consumer,” says Erbrath. “The package paves the way into the shopping trolley.” Package designers are therefore faced with a difficult task. They have to publicise the snack with memorable slogans across all possible media and showcase it on the shelves with attention-grabbing colours and shapes.

However, when jostling for position, it is best not to overdo it. Because making excessive use of materials and hence resources does not go down well with the consumer. “Customers are attaching growing importance to keeping their ecological footprint as small as possible. And they also have a strong desire for healthy, ultra-fresh foods that also come in high-convenience and attractive packages,” says Andreas Steinle of the Zukunftsinstitut (Future Institute), a think tank for trend and future research. But industry should do without | 92 | Packaging Europe

overly flamboyant and elaborately produced packages for economic reasons as well as ecological ones. The cost not only of raw materials such as milk, cocoa and sugar, but also of energy and packaging materials is steadily rising.

To lastingly attract consumers who want sustainably produced goods and prevent the cost of materials and production from spiralling out of control, industry has no alternative but to economise on materials and above all avoid excessively extravagant packages while also reducing energy input in production. The fact that material downsizing is possible is illustrated by studies by pacproject, an international firm of consultants. As an example, it has taken a close look at the historic Corny muesli bar wrappers and discovered that the product’s aluminium barrier film wrapper has been steadily reduced in the last 30 years and finally replaced by a new composite barrier material – without detriment to the product. “Even without full barrier protection, the Corny bar was still in a very good qualitative condition at the end of its sell-by date. And this raised the question whether the cereal bar actually needs the level of protection and barrier effect provided by current films,” says pacproject packaging engineer Alexander Witt.

Alternatives to classical packaging materials like aluminium and plastics are already making increasing inroads into the marketplace. Under its Greenbox label, Bionatic, for example, has developed its first range of some 250 different packaging solutions using renewable or recycled resources such as wood, cellulose, bioplastics and palm leaf. Many of these solutions are biodegradable or can be incinerated pollution-free, says Bionatic founder Robert Czichos. And their production is straightforward: “A single leaf is converted into package by first cleaning it with a high-pressure water jet. And then it is moulded on exposure to heat in a mechanical press. So it’s a kind of deep-drawing process. This is followed by finishing in which the edges are smoothed and the surfaces polished. And that is pretty well it.”

Packaging Europe | 93 |

MARKET INSIGHTS

Meanwhile scientists are searching for further alternative materials. In the context of its ThermoWhey project, the Fraunhofer Institute for Process Engineering and Packaging (IVV) is working on a production process for barrier coatings made of whey protein capable of replacing conventional oil-based polymer coatings. The advantage of whey is that its ingredients are naturally capable of extending the shelf life of foods. However, whey is heatsensitive, so researchers first have to find a coating formulation that can also be processed at high temperatures.

At interpack many more packaging innovations for confectionery and bakery products will also be on show. Of the 2700 exhibitors expected, some 1000 have named the confectionery industry as a target group for their products and services – and what they will be exhibiting will be suitably wide-ranging. Machine manufacturers will also be present in Düsseldorf with numerous innovations. “Manufacturers of food-processing and packaging machines accord high priority to handling natural resources responsibly and managing their processes with minimal environmental impact. They know how important sustainable production processes are for customers,” says Vera Fritsche, expert at the association for food processing machines and packaging machines within VDMA (Mechanical Engineering Industry Association).

In confectionery production, Fritsche continues, there is still plenty of room for optimisation. Intelligent control and automation technologies and energy-efficient drives, compressors, fans and pumps are some of the classical solutions for saving electricity and other resources and boosting energy-efficiency. Efficient motors perfectly adapted to machine movements and acceleration processes reduce power consumption. In addition, says Fritsche, innovative and optimised processes cut the consumption of energy and water, while innovative machine designs extend service and maintenance intervals and service life and thus save energy. | 94 | Packaging Europe

Swiss plant manufacturer Bühler, one of the prime movers in efficient processing solutions, has set itself the goal of reducing energy consumption in all of its core processes by at least a further 20 per cent by 2020. “This way we can both raise the energy-efficiency of our products and also do our bit for environmental protection at the same time,” says Ian Roberts, the Group’s Chief Technology Officer. He sees a central aspect here in productivity – by shortening cycle times, for example. Additionally, Bühler is redoubling its efforts to improve the energy efficiency of existing customer installations. Because of the numerous process steps such as cleaning, roasting, debacterising, crushing and grinding the cocoa beans, chocolate manufacture is highly complex and costly. Bühler pledges to slash energy costs in cocoa processing by 65 per cent if customers make use of the company’s free energy audit and also adopt its shell burning technology. The audit is used for tracking down energy leaks in the production process. As an alternative to the direct disposal of the shells, the new combustion system exploits the energy obtained from the shells for roasting and debacterising, so no heating energy has to be bought in.

Theegarten-Pactec is also pushing vigorously ahead with machine solutions that help customers cut their costs. The company is focusing among other things on Industry 4.0, i.e. the digitalisation of production and streamlined human-machine and machine-machine communication with the aid of the latest software. “Making production processes transparent, keeping key data retrievable at all times, analysing them correctly and ultimately deciding on the appropriate course of action holds great potential for boosting efficiency,” says Markus Rustler, Theegarten’s Managing Partner. For this purpose, the company started back in 2011 to overhaul its user interface and the associated data processing for the machine operator and management. “We have thus created a platform that makes the performance of our systems more transparent. For example, it is possible to establish correlations between efficiency losses and time, ambient temperature or other parameters.

Packaging Europe | 95 |

MARKET INSIGHTS And this helps operators to track down errors and to find their own solutions,” says Rustler.

Furthermore, the intuitive support of maintenance and cleaning processes has been optimised – with active service and maintenance interval reminders from the machine itself, for example. The advantage of automation and digitalisation is that the machinery linked into complex communication systems can be operated by fewer operators, in some cases even only one. And by integrating the user interface into mobile consumer devices, the data from the machinery can be accessed and even edited from anywhere in the world, says Rustler.

The Swiss company Knobel Maschinenbau, a specialist in machines for chocolate manufacture, helps producers to cut costs in other ways. It sells its equipment – moulding lines, stand-alone depositors and other devices – on the modular principle so that customers can extend their production step by step and, if required, re-equip their production locally segment-wise. This offers them high flexibility and thus permits rapid and efficient changeover to new products. Swift re-equipping has also been made possible by simply integrating new machines in the system on the plug-and-play principle, Knobel explains.

With numerous efficiency-boosting innovations, machine manufacturers have attuned themselves to the requirements of manufacturers of confectionery and bakery products. This gives the latter plenty of scope not only in their choice of packaging materials, but also in the modernisation of their lines. And at interpack, we can find out all about these innovations.

| 96 | Packaging Europe

BLISTER MACHINE R 760 – A UNIQUE MODULAR CONCEPT

R

ohrer AG specializes in developing process technology for flexible films and associated products. Rohrer’s experts accompany the entire development process from the initial idea through to the finished product to ensure that the machines and tools are tailored precisely to the customers requirements. Rohrer AG makes specific use of its know-how and technologies for development projects with future potential. The R760 blister machine is ideal for developing packaging solutions and

producing small to medium-sized batches. It can be used to manufacture flexible film blisters throughout the development process through to serial production thanks to its customizable configuration. It is ideal for deep-drawing, sealing, perforating, punching and discharging blister packs. The number of modules can be reduced if space is at a premium or increased to raise output at a later date. The machine is also suitable for use in cleanrooms thanks to its GMP-compliant design.

CREATE YOUR PERFECT PACKAGE We accompany our customers from the initial idea to volume production with the goal of enabling customised solutions.

Case in point

Sterile blister with franglible seal

Gewerbepark Bata 10, 4313 Moehlin, SWITZERLAND Tel.: +41 (0)61 855 21 80, E-Mail: messe@rohrerag.com, Web: www.rohrerag.com

BEVERAGE PACKAGING: INDIVIDUALITY AND EFFICIENCY In the beverage sector, the packaging industry has to kill two birds with one stone. Firstly, consumers expect individually designed packages, if possible with supplementary functions. And secondly, increasingly eco-minded drinks consumers are showing a growing thirst for resource-conserving containers manufactured with environmentally compatible methods.

The industry achieves this balancing act with new packaging strategies and efficient production equipment.

IT

is no longer enough for guests to bring their host a bottle of wine, sparkling or otherwise. The latest trend in gift packages involves celebrating the act of giving and stimulating the emotions with new materials and finishes. The companies in this segment develop cartons, folding boxes, baskets, wooden crates, decorative items and carrier bags so that gifts make a big impression. Bottles of wine are presented in exclusive gift boxes with the feel and appearance of real wood. Or the packages come with intriguing extra features – such as a miniature lamp shade for easily converting the empty bottle into a decorative table lamp. Exclusivity and diversity are all-important as far as gift packages are concerned.

| 98 | Packaging Europe

What applies to this packaging segment is evident throughout the beverages market: selling just wine and beer in standard bottles is hardly capable of inspiring consumers any more. The selection of alcoholic, mixed and flavoured drinks and thus of ornate bottles as well has now become so vast that the consumer can afford to be choosy. Anyone who wants to take the consumer’s fancy has to have a product that stands out of the crowd at first glance.

“There is a growing emphasis on packaging aesthetics – and hence on the emotions – and this is increasingly important in goods consumption. In a complex world, this applies all the more, as it saves time if decisions are taken not rationally but intuitively,” says Andreas Steinle of the Zukunftsinstitut (Future Institute), a think tank for trend and future research.

MARKET INSIGHTS

Packaging Europe | 99 |

MARKET INSIGHTS

Individuality and differentiation For example, the mineral water brand evian, which is owned by Danone Waters, goes to huge lengths to highlight the uniqueness of its products. For its prestigious plastic bottles, it exploits the new Nature MultiPack technology, a packaging innovation that uses specialised adhesives to join the individual PET bottles together in such a way that they can be individually positioned and later released from the others with ease. In the design field, Danone is also going unusual ways. Since 2008, evian has issued nine Limited Editions of mineral water bottles styled by well-known fashion designers. In 2016 the American couturier Alexander Wang took up the barcode as a package theme and rendered it with black-andwhite stripes on the glass bottles. The spaces between the stripes and the purist design are intended to express evian’s natural purity. But individuality and differentiation are highly popular not only among upmarket brands, as a growing throng of drinks manufacturers are marketing their mineral water and lemonade additionally in smaller, 0.5 litre returnable bottles to appeal to smaller households. Or they sell their product in elegant faceted bottles to improve their chances of selection by high-class restaurants, for example.

The benefits notwithstanding, lavish packages do have their drawbacks. The greater the individuality and complexity of the product’s packaging, the more elaborate and expensive its production. The higher production costs are ultimately passed on to the customer in higher prices – a point that consumer activists often criticise. What is more, | 100 | Packaging Europe

elaborate production methods and disposable bottles burden the environment. To minimise the impact, some countries have set in some cases ambitious targets for bottle reuse.

Germany, for example, wants to achieve an 80 per cent reuse rate, although this has fallen since 2004 from two thirds to 45 per cent. At the same time, the quantity of waste from one-way drinks packages has since increased by 30 per cent. According to current statistics from the German Federal Government, package consumption rose from roughly 465,000 tonnes to 600,300 tonnes in 2014. Retailers and manufacturers are regarded as the instigators of this single-use boom. In the mineral water sector particularly, price wars are taking place in drinks markets and supermarkets, but the special offers only work with single-use bottles, as the collection, cleaning and refilling of plastic bottles is a costly process. Among other things, politicians are therefore demanding the development of the single-use deposit into an environmental steering charge on one-way packages and the extension of the obligatory deposit to juices and nectars.

Demand for efficiency Packaging manufacturers are also under an obligation. They have to achieve the balancing act of spectacularly presenting the package with a consumer-friendly design while conserving raw materials and thus easing the burden on the environment. The requirements that have to be met by packaging machines are therefore becoming

Packaging Europe | 101 |

MARKET INSIGHTS

more exacting as well. “Treating natural resources responsibly and doing business in an environment-friendly way have high priority among manufacturers of food processing machines and packaging machines. They know that sustainable production processes are hugely important for their customers,” says Vera Fritsche, expert at the VDMA association for food processing machines and packaging machines. Intelligent control and automation technology and energy-saving drives, compressors, fans and pumps rank, she claims, rank among the classic solutions for saving power and other resources and boosting energy efficiency. Efficient motors perfectly adapted to the machine’s motions and acceleration processes reduce power consumption. In addition, Fritsche continues, innovative and improved processes lower the consumption of energy and water while innovative machine strategies extend service and maintenance intervals and service life and thus save energy.

At interpack 2017 visitors can find out about the strategies and products that companies are adopting to meet market requirements. The accompanying “components – special trade fair by interpack”, held for the first time in 2014 and taking place again with a revised concept at interpack 2017, also offers interesting insights into the latest production technologies. “components” is mainly targeting component suppliers to the packaging industry and companies offering drive, control and sensor equipment, products for industrial image processing, materials handling equipment, industrial software and communication, and complete automation systems for packaging machines. Manufacturers of machine parts, components, accessories and peripheral equipment are also being addressed, as are producers of components and auxiliaries for packaging materials. | 102 | Packaging Europe

Upcycling The example of smoothie manufacturer True Fruits demonstrates that environmental protection in the drinks industry has now become a key factor and can even be turned to one’s own advantage. Unlike many other manufacturers, the company markets its drinks not in plastic bottles, but in ceramic-printed, cylindrical 250 and 750 millilitre glass bottles in order to communicate the values of honesty, purity, high quality and transparency that go with the purist design. To ensure that the bottles are not simply discarded into the bottle bank after consumption of their contents, the True Fruits team has given the matter of bottle reuse a good deal of thought. The solution they have come up with is what is known as “upcycling”, where the used object serves as the basis for a new product. True Fruits has developed attachments that are simply fitted to the tops of the emptied bottles: at present, the company is offering durable tops, a sprinkler for sugar, salt and spices, a pourer for oils, vinegar and sauces, and a tea strainer. The combination of vitamins, extravagance and sustainability is evidently appreciated by customers: True Fruits is currently one of the market leaders with smoothies.

Bio-plastics are another avenue for sustainable beverage packages. Last year, CocaCola unveiled its new PlantBottleTM generation made entirely of renewable resources and announced market launch in the near future. These bio-based materials of its “first generation” are to be produced in the long run from biomass, e.g. from wood wastes. In a research project, scientists at the University of Hohenheim are testing another promising natural resource as a bottle material – chicory root, used until now for the production of

Packaging Europe | 103 |

MARKET INSIGHTS

biogas. The inedible root amounts to 30 per cent of the plant. From it, researchers are obtaining unpurified hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF) which can be used for the production of PEF bottles.

Innovation potential in production However, quite a bit of development work will be required before plant-based bottles succeed the currently widely used PET bottles. All the same, big potential for cost savings can be found not only in the materials sector, but also in production equipment. Industry is therefore doing all it can to improve production methods. An example of this is the Doğuş Çay tea factory in Izmir equipped by Krones. In 2015, at its Ödemiş site in Izmir, the Turkish company commissioned a NitroHotfill line from Krones with an output of 22,500 containers per hour. A year after installation, a Krones team on site at the line launched tests to improve the compressed air system. After an upgrade and simple optimisation of the Contiform 3 blow moulding machine, the line went back into normal operation. A test run has achieved extraordinary results, the company claims. With unchanged container quality, this modification has achieved 44 per cent savings in compressed air consumption.

The upgrade yields cash savings amounting to some EUR 40,000 per year based on a calculated machine running time of 6,000 hours per year.

The Dortmund company KHS is also showing that the innovative potential of production equipment is still far from fully exploited. The company Mineralbrunnen Teinach GmbH has been using the KHS stretch blow moulding machine InnoPET Blomax Series III for the production of PET bottles since 2007. To cut the line’s energy consumption, the KHS experts have modified its heater box in which the PET preforms are heated for subsequent stretch blowing. For Mineralbrunnen Teinach GmbH, this has yielded over 40 per cent energy savings – savings made possible essentially by the use of new, advanced ceramic | 104 | Packaging Europe

reflectors and precision-adapted geometry in the heater boxes, explains Frank Goebel, Head of Service Engineering at KHS. Thanks to the special design, the physical properties of the ceramic elements have had a markedly beneficial effect on energy distribution, so less energy is needed to heat the preforms. In addition, the reflectors and infrared radiators have been conPhotod in such a way that the bottle’s delicate thread zone is not unnecessarily heated. The cooling of this area can be reduced, says Goebel, thus saving further energy in Teinach. “Thanks to greater efficiency, it is often possible to shorten the heating section,” he adds. If fewer heating elements are necessary in the oven, energy consumption by the infrared radiators also drops as a consequence.

Packaging Europe | 105 |

INSPECTION SOLUTIONS FROM THERMO FISHER M

aking its debut at the show is the Thermo Scientific NextGuard Pro—the latest model in the Thermo Scientific NextGuard X-ray inspection platform.

In addition, the Thermo Scientific Versa Flex checkweigher will be on display for the first time in Europe.

The NextGuard Pro has been engineered to handle heavier product weights of up to 50 kilograms. The long, rugged, washdown conveyor is completely removable to facilitate maintenance and repair. To meet the needs of processors in countries with more stringent X-ray radiation regulations, additional shielding options are available.

The NextGuard technology platform, including the C330 conveyor and C500 wideraperture models, is already used in more than 30 countries.

The Thermo Scientific Versa Flex (fixed height) and Versa Flex GP (height-adjustable cantilever) checkweighers are suited for dry applications and designed to enable users to control accuracy and reliability, helping to decrease product giveaway, maintenance and total cost of ownership.

Also on display will be the Thermo Scientific Xpert S400 X-ray inspection system.

The unit was developed for tall-profile package inspection with a flexible, easy-touse and cost-effective horizontal beam X-ray system. It’s designed to detect metal, glass, dense plastics and other foreign objects in vertically-oriented containers such as metal cans, plastic bottles, cartons and standup pouches.

“Customers around the world need to respond to increased regulatory requirements with inspection and detection technologies that are easy to use and reliable.

At the same time, the solutions must support customers’ goals for operating effectiveness,” said Bob Ries, lead product manager, product inspection, Thermo Fisher.

“Drawing on our more than seven decades of product inspection experience, our applications and product experts understand our customers’ needs and respond with solutions designed to meet these growing requirements.”

Rounding out the company’s interpack offerings are the: • Thermo Scientific APEX 500 metal detector designed to reduce product effect and costly waste caused by false rejects. It offers excellent sensitivity and a multi-coil design for magnetic flux consistency.

• Thermo Scientific Global VersaWeigh combination checkweigher and metal detector, as a space-saving solution.

• Thermo Scientific Versa RxV marking and verification pharmaceutical checkweigher for track and trace applications.

• Thermo Scientific Versa 8120 chain checkweigher for high-speed weighing, control and reject functions for cartons, cans, bottles and pouches.

8a C77 | 106 | Packaging Europe

Packaging Europe | 107 |

NEW VALMATIC SINGLE-DOSER T

he Italian company Valmatic will be unveiling an innovative solution for single-dose packaging that has been designed to meet specific market needs. Designed equally for those who produce directly and for contractors, the solution is suitable for a range of different sectors, including the food, cosmetic, chemical and pharmaceutical industries.

Primarily created to serve the pharmaceutical market, the single dose is now also widespread in the food and in the home & personal care industries, areas that increasing take into account aspects such as ease of use and waste reduction. Furthermore, producers are placing growing importance on the materials used and prioritising process costs.

The company from San Prospero has been investing heavily now for several years in the development of machines suitable for single-dose product packaging, designing and marketing solutions that anticipate the needs of customers who increasingly require flexible machines that are simple to operate and easy to maintain. Valmatic V75 was created to respond to these needs, offering the ideal solution for the single-dose packaging of a wide range of liquids and creams, marketing applications in heterogeneous sectors, from food to pharmaceuticals. Specifically, the Valmatic unit can package products such as detergents | 108 | Packaging Europe

for home care, vitamins, dietary supplements, balsamic vinegar, olive oil, sauces, creams for cosmetic use and medications, to mention but a few. Essentially V75 appeals to the global market in the broadest sense of the term and it does so accompanied by strong mechanical and technological know-how.

Just a few details are needed to comprehend the flexibility of the machine: V75 is in fact able to work at a speed of 30 cycles per minute, packaging liquids in vials from 0.5 to 150 ml, being able to work both materials coupled with aluminium and a wide range of barriered plastic compounds, such as PP/PET/EVOH/PE, PET/EVOH/PE and PET/PS/PE. V75 is also able to work very thick material, from 150 to 500 microns, ensuring cutting processes and the forming of packs that is always at the highest levels. The peculiarities of the machine in fact include the adoption of a latest generation cutter that was designed with a focus on flexibility and ease of use. This group can be changed quickly and easily to allow different types of cutting. V75 is also characterised by an extremely evolved operatormachine interface which greatly simplifies its use.

8a B21

Packaging Europe | 109 |

MULTIVAC SHOWCASES PHARMA INNOVATIONS

M

ULTIVAC will be presenting a comprehensive range of packaging solutions for the medical and pharmaceutical industries. In addition to a packaging line with automated product handling, the company will also be presenting on a range of solutions for packing small series of products.

The trend towards increasing individualisation and greater product diversity continues uninterrupted - individual medical and pharmaceutical products are being manufactured and packed ever more frequently in small batch sizes. At the same time, statutory requirements and standards, which result for example from the UDI Directive on medical products or from the serialisation of pharmaceuticals, are having to be incorporated into packaging and marking processes. In order to meet the daily challenges, manufacturers have mostly relied up to now on a combination of packaging solutions for large output and compact stand-alone machines for packing small batches.

MULTIVAC offers companies in the healthcare industry a wide range of needs-based packaging solutions from one source, as well as comprehensive expert knowledge, a high level of expertise in automation and very professional service.

The machines presented at interpack by the manufacturer from the Allgäu region of Germany will include a thermoforming packaging machine in GMP design with a singleside chain guide for packing syringes. The machine is equipped with an automatic syringe infeed, which ensures that up to 300 pre-filled glass or plastic syringes per minute can be transported and monitored with great process reliability. The infeed system consists of a product infeed conveyor, a star wheel, a trapezoidal belt, a 3-axis robot and a H 242

| 110 | Packaging Europe

handling module for loading the syringes into the pack cavities. The packaging machine has great flexibility for packing products in a wide range of formats and materials. Fast and reproducible conversion of the machine is achieved through simple quick-change systems for the dies and complete cutting tool. All the components of the packaging line are synchronised with the thermoforming packaging machine, and they can be operated via its control terminal in a user-friendly and reliable way.

The single-side chain guide on the thermoforming packaging machine ensures that there is simple line clearance and a high degree of machine availability and efficiency. The monitored web advance contributes to a low level of start-up loss after batch changes for example. The functions for running the machine empty and cleaning it are also designed to be very simple. This means that this concept is particularly well-suited to small product series and frequent batch changes.

At interpack MULTIVAC will be presenting the compact R 081 thermoforming packaging machine for packing small series of medical and pharmaceutical products. It is ideal as an entry-level machine for small-scale production and those companies, which are planning to enter into automated packaging. The R 081 has a “slide-in” die change system for quick and easy format change, and it is possible to freely configure the formats. It is designed to run both rigid and flexible film and can be equipped with a variety of marking systems. The machine can also be equipped with evacuation and gas flushing systems to produce either vacuum packs or packs with modified atmosphere and reduced oxygen content.

In Düsseldorf the R 081 will be presented for the first time with the DP 230 direct web printer, which is equipped with the TTO 06, a network-enabled thermal transfer printer of the latest generation. The DP 230 is installed in the area of the sealing station, which means that the loading area of the packaging machine is easily accessible. The DP 230 can print the packs in both the longitudinal and cross directions and is therefore suitable for machines with multi-row and multi-track dies. Thanks to the new servo drives, no measurement runs for positioning the printer are required this saves time at machine start and batch change.

A 51 in Hall 17

Packaging Europe | 111 |

| 112 | Packaging Europe

Packaging Europe | 113 |

NEW GAS PERMEATION KIT UNVEILED A

mongst Systech Illinois’ display of packaging gas analysers will be the new DualPerm, combination OTR and WVTR permeation station and the 8700, multiple bottle oxygen permeation analyser.

The 8700 oxygen permeation analyser offers an exceptionally fast Turbopurge™ feature which allows up to 11 bottles to be tested in three to 12 hours providing much greater production throughput. It has the ability, to test a variety of samples; bottles, packages and films and the software capability to allow individual packages to be started, stopped or delayed during testing. Custom made adaptors are available for a wide range of applications such as complete package testing, including bottles

| 114 | Packaging Europe

with closures. The 8700 is ideal for use in beer bottle manufacturing where oxygen permeability testing is essential, as permeation of oxygen barriers has a significant influence on shelf life integrity.

Systech have been designing and manufacturing oxygen permeation and water vapour permeation analysers for many years offering reliable and versatile testing of all films, packages and bottles. These leading permeation instruments deliver: the fastest permeation results; extremely fast purge down time; accurate readings at the lowest levels and the highest quality sensor on the market.

5 A29

RPC SHOWCASES TWO MAJOR INNOVATIONS W

aveGrip, the first genuine alternative to current beverage multi-packing solutions, and the WorldStar-winning Twist Cup with screw lid, the latest in a long line of award-winning packs, will be arguably the two highlights of the RPC Group stand.

RPC will be showing off its ability to create packaging solutions across a huge range of markets and applications, while demonstrating its expertise in polythene film products through RPC bpi Group as well as its capabilities in mould design and manufacture.

A major theme on the stand will be RPC’s design and technical expertise in the creation of both standard and bespoke containers and closures, demonstrating plastic’s flexibility in producing solutions that deliver both superb aesthetics and complete functionality. The selection of packs on display will highlight this use of design combined with advanced manufacturing and decoration techniques to help create brand image and product differentiation.

Another important focus will be the availability of a variety of solutions to provide effective product protection and extended shelf life for food products. This ability to help minimise food waste will also be part of RPC’s sustainability message, underlining the different ways that plastics can contribute to businesses’ environmental programmes and CSR commitments.

Two major innovations stand out. The first is the new WaveGrip solution is the most efficient and environmentally-sustainable beverage carrier system on the market, with the

versatility to be adapted for all types of drinks businesses, from smaller artisanal producers to high volume operations. The applicator technology can improve line efficiencies by up to 30 per cent while WaveGrip Carriers are produced using advanced lightweighting technology and strength-enhancing polymers to create a carrier that securely and efficiently collates product according to individual customer requirements. Carriers have been rigorously tested to meet the high standards of the retail sector, and enables easy pack reconstruction to avoid spoilage.

Secondly, the Twist Cup from RPC Superfos and RPC Promens, which will receive its WorldStar Award 2017 at a ceremony during Interpack, is an innovative packaging solution developed for a range of premium cold salads from Orkla Foods Norway.

The pack successfully mixes two different resin materials and two different technologies to create a thermoformed cup with an injection moulded lid. The result has similarities with a traditional glass jar which makes it stand out as something special in the cold salad segment. In spite of the challenges that come from using two different resin materials, perfect compatibility between the thermoformed polyethylene body and the injection moulded lid of propylene has been achieved. The lid latches into the locking groove of the cup and, when closed correctly, the consumer hears a comforting click-sound.

10 D21

Packaging Europe | 115 |

| 116 | Packaging Europe

Packaging Europe | 117 |

GROUNDBREAKING TECHNOLOGIES BY BERICAP

B

ERICAP will be one of the exhibitors at this year’s Interpack trade fair in Düsseldorf, where it will be presenting ground-breaking technologies, integrated solutions and innovations tailored to individual packaging requirements.

On its stand BERICAP will be showcasing new packaging solutions, such as the e-smoCapTM for e-liquids, alongside advances in its tried-and-tested closure solutions for canisters, metal packages, pesticides, lubricants, sauces & dressings, edible oil, food and beverages.

Innovative ideas are born of the increasingly high requirements made of packaging and, more particularly, the closure. Depending on the area of use, the latter must not only ensure that the container is closed and tightly sealed, but also protect its contents against product piracy whilst complying with high official technical safety standards.

In order to guarantee product safety and quality, the assembly of all BERICAP closures is fully automated and process-controlled on state-of-the-art machines.

10 E67

NEW WRAPAROUND LABELLING SYSTEM

H

ERMA will present an innovative solution that offers the best of both worlds: the compact 152E wrap-around labelling system covers a wide range of product dimensions but can, for example, be equipped with the complete pharmaceutical equipment from the outset. This includes, for example, modules for variable data printing, for con-trolling printing and codes or for checking that labels are present and for the corresponding ejection.

HERMA produces the new 152E in two variants: the version with a label application belt has no format sets whatsoever. This not only leads to particularly short set-up times but also to a remarkable performance of up to 100 products per minute. Higher precision can be achieved in the version with the roller prism. This version handles around 90 products per minute. Only a few for-mat sets have to be replaced here when changing the product dimensions. A rotary starwheel no longer needs to be | 118 | Packaging Europe

replaced on both variants through the use of a linear concept. With the 152E, ejection is effected via a box. “Some users, such as pharmaceutical or cosmetic manufacturers, place great value on stable and efficient production processes. Short set-up times but also the perfect interplay of proven and optimally coordinated modules are important prerequisites in this respect”, states Martin Kühl, Head of the HERMA Labelling Machines Division. “The new 152E fulfils every need in the case of common product dimensions and even with typical pharmaceutical requirements through the use of standard components.”

The new wrap-around labelling system will celebrate its European première at interpack 2017. A global preview, taking place at the end of February 2017 at Pack Expo East in Philadelphia generated numerous advance orders.

12 B24

Packaging Europe | 119 |

GEA HELPING TURN IDEAS INTO REALITIES ‘P

acked with inspiration’ is the theme for GEA’s stand, which spotlights a revolutionary non-destructive quality control system for MAP packaging, an entry-level thermoformer, an ultra-hygienic vertical bagger and a coating/wrapping line designed to rejuvenate the lollipop market. These products help customers keep pace with industry trends and consumer demands by turning their ideas into realities that work. One of the headliners is a new thermoformer configuration developed as a basic machine with limited functionality. The entry-level GEA DeltaPak gives smaller-scale packaging operations access to the quality and reliability of the GEA PowerPak platform. It is part of the recently re-defined GEA PowerPak range, which makes specifying a thermoformer for a specific application much easier and more cost-effective by omitting functions that are not required. There’s a PowerPak for medical and technical packaging on the stand too.

The PowerPak presence continues with an integrated slicing/packaging line for larger scale operations. The line includes an OptiScan, a Pre-scanning system to minimize

| 120 | Packaging Europe

give-away and increase the yield of sliced portions, a DualSlicer 1200 with Interleaver and Check 4000 weigher, specified for slicing raw ham, and a ShingleLoader to load automatically the portions into the PowerPak. This thermoformer is fitted with a new labeller, end-of-line lane convergers, and a revolutionary new, non-destructive quality control system for MAP packaging. For vertical bagging users, there are two continuous motion SmartPackers, a CX250 with a multi-head weigher, and a CX400 that meets the highest hygiene standards.

For lollipop makers, the Aquarius BunchWrapper wrapping machine on the stand is fitted with labellers for placing labels inside the wrapping film and on the stick. This enables manufacturers to differentiate products by adding information such as barcodes or promotional information like logos and actions. Another way to distinguish lollipops is by adding taste, colour texture or shine with coatings of powder, syrups or granulate. GEA recently introduced the Aquarius Coating Line, the world´s only fully automated line which forms, cools, coats and wraps lollipops. Visitors to the stand can sample the sweet and sour coated lollipops this line produces, and draw inspiration for their next new products.

In addition to the medical and food packaging, slicing and lollipop equipment on the 1047 square meter stand (Hall 7a, stand B09-B31), GEA equipment serving the bakery, beverage, dairy, pharma and chemical industries is on display. There is also an information desk where Customer Service personnel are available to talk about the recently introduced care concept.

7A B09/31

KAUTEX SHOWCASES HIGH-PERFORMANCE PRODUCTION A

longside the all-electric packaging machines in its KBB series, the extrusion blow moulding specialist Kautex will also present a number of potential solutions that manufacturers of bottles, containers and other plastic packaging can use to set new standards in productivity. These solutions not only include materialsaving and advanced quick-change production systems, but also services that help to reduce the ‘time to market’. The company’s new IntelliGate integration system was also developed with the aim of increasing the process efficiency of its machines.

These Industry 4.0 applications help to transform Kautex machines into a closed

system for high-performance production and enable Kautex to secure its typical high level of process quality.

The main component of the IntelliGate integration system is its modules, which are connected to the newly developed Connext interface.

Another highlight at the Kautex exhibition booth will be the live presentation of the company’s latest generation of virtual machines. This tool enables users to simulate and train production processes for different types of machines and applications in real time.

13 B03

Packaging Europe | 121 |

A WORLD OF PACKAGING Among the key events of interpack week will be the ceremony recognising the 2017 WorldStar Award Winners. This year, however, the collaboration between organisers WPO and interpack takes a further step: with the unveiling of a special Save Food WorldStar. Packaging Europe reconnects with Tom Schneider, president of the World Packaging Organisation, to chat about the awards and find out what has been going on at the parent of all packaging associations.

PE

Mr Schneider, I last interviewed you in 2013. What have been the most notable developments at WPO in the last four years? What have your main preoccupations been as president?

TS

WPO continues to grow as a leading organisation in the field of packaging education. We have launched a large number of residential training programs in such diverse places as Vietnam, Indonesia, Italy, Philippines, China, Nigeria, and Singapore. In addition, we have inserted into the international packaging community a designation called ‘CPP’ or Certified Packaging Professional. Our template for this program came from the Institute of Packaging Professionals (IoPP) in the US and is licensed to WPO members

by IoPP. The purpose of this special designation for individuals is to allow them to stand out from the rest as exceptional members of the packaging profession. This program is administered by individual member countries. The charter members are: IoPP – USA (Founding Member); AIP – Australia; ABRE – Brazil); IIP – India; Graphispack – Spain; IPSA – South Africa. Qualification requires a substantial CV (résumé) and successful completion of a comprehensive test of the individual’s packaging knowledge. Our statistics suggest that a Certified Packaging Professional can earn up to 10 per cent more in annual salary.

The SAVE FOOD Initiative is underwritten by the Food & Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, also known as FAO and has partnered with Messe Düsseldorf and Interpack. There are hundreds of participating members, including WPO and global corporations such as Dow, DuPont, Henkel, and Nestle. These forward thinking organisations are the vanguard of perhaps one of the most important subjects in the broad definition of Sustainability. Finding practical ways to save food so that more people can receive adequate nutrition on a daily basis. WPO is proud to be part of this significant initiative.

Finally, WPO has launched a very special honour called the Lifetime Achievement in Packaging Award. This extraordinary award will be given each year to no more than four recognised practitioners from all corners of the discipline who have made a significant and nationally or internationally recognised contribution in packaging over a prolonged period of time. A suitable candidate will be able to point to a track record of success of not less than 25-30 years duration in some aspect of packaging, including design, engineering, marketing, science, or journalism, to mention a few. This year, during our WorldStar Awards ceremony at interpack, we will honour: Anne Emblem from UK, Dharma Ratnayake from Sri Lanka, Sergio Haberfeld from Brazil and Soren Ostergaard from Denmark.

On a personal level, my main preoccupation has been providing guidance to the Board of Directors and especially to our Executive Committee as they work together to execute the vision of WPO. It has been an honour to work with all of these individuals, none of whom are paid a salary of any kind. They volunteer their time quite selflessly and with great effect.

PE TS

Has the wider packaging landscape shifted in any ways since 2013 in terms of the market’s evolving needs and the impact of new technologies?

That is a question that is not easily or briefly answered. Let me just say that consumer attitudes and demands are having a larger impact on packaging design and marketing than ever before and I expect those influences to accelerate further.

PE TS

What has your experience been as president of WPO? Have your preconceptions or priorities changed over the years?

Serving as President of the World Packaging Organisation has been one of the greatest highlights of my 40+ years in packaging. It is an honour that I never expected but has been so rewarding. In particular, my greatest challenge has been learning how to negotiate in a multi-cultural environment. And as a bonus, my wife and I have made great friends from so many different countries and cultures. Until I became involved in WPO leadership, my perspective was somewhat parochial. Now my eyes are open much wider regarding the value and importance of packaging, in every culture.

As I like to say in some of my speeches: there is no culture on earth that can do without packaging. But too often, packaging is viewed by many as a problem. But the truth is, packaging is important, so we must educate people everywhere to respect the purpose of packaging and teach them how to incorporate this tool into the process of building an ever more sustainable process that benefits society.

PE TS

Turning to WorldStar how have the awards evolved over the years?

The WorldStar awards have grown significantly over the years, both in terms of number of entries and with regard to sophistication of the designs. Pushing the package design envelope, by recognising the best of the best each year, has brought dividends to all members of the packaging community.

PE TS

How do this year’s entries and winners reflect the characteristics of the packaging industry today?

I must emphasise again how important the consumer’s role is in bringing products to the marketplace, in the correct package. A product won’t sell if it is not packaged properly. And it isn’t just about style or shelf appeal. It’s also about function, more and more. For instance, many developing nations do not have adequate refrigeration, certainly at the household level in rural locations. This circumstance dictates the need for smaller, portion-size, single-use packages.

| 122 | Packaging Europe

WORLDSTAR AWARDS

SPOTLIGHT ON WORLDSTAR WINNERS Hopcraft Clifton Packaging collaborated with major brewing and beverage company SAB Miller to develop a unique dispensing system which revolutionises the way consumers experience beer and represents a global first for the industry. The Hopcraft pouch allows beer to be infused with dry hops at the point of pouring, creating a premium beer with a novel point of difference. It uses a bespoke dispensing font that massages the hops to release their oils into the beer as it flows through.

Taking inspiration from pod systems used in coffee dispensers, the Hopcraft pouch comprises a sealed perforated sachet to contain the hops. The sachet is secured to the inside of the pouch ensuring thorough interaction between the hops and the beer and its special design helps to keep the hops fresh and allows the beer to ‘strain’ over them to give maximum flavour.

The pouch is double sided and multi-spouted to allow beer to flow through the font at the required rate and is shaped to give the best physical appearance to the final product, fulfilling SAB Miller’s brand requirements. The individual pouch is then packed into a premium quality metallic high barrier outer wrapper designed to enhance shelf life by maintaining hop freshness for up to three months.

Packaging Europe | 123 |

Tech-rack variogrid FRIES scooped a WorldStar for its tech-rack variogrid variable workpiece carrier system.

In sensitive trades like the metal working industry, optics, medical technology, mechatronics, microelectronics or precision engineering - component cleaning is the basis of many production - and mounting processes. Suitable workpiece carrier systems are therefore required. They are fixing the workpieces in a certain position and at specific points to ensure a perfect cleaning.

Tech-rack variogrid is an all-rounder for the individual composition of the workpiece carrier systems – the base plates can be manufactured in the required size. This makes sure that the plates can be adjusted to the requirements on site – such as in the cleaning machine, or for storage in KLT-boxes. A number of pins, dividers and accessories complete this smart system.

The plates are stackable in each size. Tech-rack variogrid offers numerous applications for the process-optimized production, starting with production, cleaning up to transport and storage.

All-In-One Fondü bowl Ardagh’s All-In-One Fondü bowl produced for Emmi caught the eye of WorldStar judges, who were impressed by the collaborative way this highly original package was developed.

Ardagh’s dedicated R&D Centre worked closely with students on the packaging design course at the University of Twente in the Netherlands, and leading international marketing innovation consultancy, The Foodatelier.

“We are very proud of this WorldStar Award as recognition of a commercially successful development that started as a brief for students to create a futuristic ready to (h)eat premium metal packaging concept,” says Woep Möller, CEO of Ardagh’s Metal Food & Speciality Division in Europe. “Above all else it shows how important top quality packaging courses are to our industry, and the value that we as manufacturers, designers and marketing innovators can give when we involve universities in real projects.”

E-commerce Packaging Clorox came up with a packaging innovation that allows spray products to be shipped by mail without leaks and with minimal waste. The new packaging consists of custom closures that fit our existing spray bottles to help ensure product integrity during transit. The presence of S.O.S® sponges provide additional consumer value while also supporting bottles in the shipping box, eliminating the need for separate padding. To further reduce the amount of materials, the package is shipped using only a single box and one trigger for two bottles.

Through this innovation, Clorox has been able to increase its presence in the e-commerce channel, helping expand its ability to market the four products launched with this system. Because of its success, the business is now beginning to offer the feature with 15 additional products, bringing them from retail into e-commerce. Nondeliveries have been eliminated, and consumer approval and ratings have increased dramatically.

Cowboy Cowboy Bath’s sustainable package includes a surface printed flexographic that utilizes a UV curing ink system that eliminates a layer of film, reducing manufacturing costs, and | 124 | Packaging Europe

enabling a substantial reduction in work in process waste. Reduction in layers reduces package noise, while harmonizing the appearance and feel with the product.

The Cowboy Bath’s conversion to flexographic reduces greenhouse gas emissions through a reduction of heat ovens and ink consumption. The package includes superior scratch and scuff resistance with its superior coating technologies. Utilising a combination of structure design, printing, and lamination provides improved package performance and speed to market.

CEFAPAC The key features of CEFAPAC are mono material, easy-open, no blister varnish, one piece packaging, tamper proof, material minimisation, and simple package logistics. There is great emphasis on easy opening, with tailor made simple opening mechanisms and adapt the product. The opportunity is huge when it comes to marketing effects and product display without using any additional materials.

One can customise the strength of the paperboard material, depending on the product to be packaged. The aim and principle is thus always minimising, thinnest carton quality and less material.

Light products - easy backboard. Heavier products - double backboard. This therefore avoids excess packaging with unnecessary powerful materials for very light products.

bloom guard plus Weber Verpackungen’s award winning entry started with the idea of creating an alternative and environmentally friendly packaging solution for the conventional plastic sleeve used for potted plants and herbs. Two challenges needed to be overcome: 1. Stiffness of paper is unfavourable for packing plants and herbs. 2. There is no transparent paper and the consumer cannot see what is inside the packaging. bloom guard plus addressed these by combining paper and film. The complete lower part, covering the pot, and the upper back side of the bag are made of 100 per cent paper. Only the upper front is made of film and grants insight to the packed product. The use of plastic is reduced by about 80 per cent in comparison with the conventional foil sleeve.

Universal Packaging for I 1000SR Vacuum Accumulator A solution was needed to pack two similar spare parts with different bottom dimensions.

The parts were originally packed individually, which meant an increased amount of unnecessary packaging that leads to increased waste. Greenpac’s team scrutinised the factors in play and came up with a universal packaging solution that will help in the reduction of packaging waste, reduction in overall weight of packaging with the spare part, reduction of carbon footprint with same payload during air, land and sea transportation while improving on productivity, operation efficiency and achieve product protection performance.

A universal packaging that saves time and lesser manpower to pack is innovated - The I 1000SR Vacuum Accumulator. It comes with an adjustable bottom cap bottom slot diameter. Simply peel off one layer to achieve desired diameter. The slot is able to cater to spare parts with different bottom diameter.

WORLDSTAR AWARDS

Haircair POS Solution TIGI Haircare briefed BoxMart, a UK-based packaging specialist, to create a new promotional tool to showcase its salon professional grooming range, Bed Head For Men. The POS unit had to resemble a wooden beer crate and transform effortlessly from an easy-to-carry sales tool into a fully functioning retail promotion. The salesperson would present the crate to the hairdresser and offer to set it up as a fully functioning POS retail unit before they left the salon. This would guarantee a quick sale for the salesperson and ensure the crate was properly merchandised and ready-to-retail within minutes.

TIGI advised BoxMart that any design it proposed would have to be extremely authentic as it was also investigating the possibility of using a real wooden crate. To achieve a lifelike crate, BoxMart’s unit featured fully formed slats on a hinged lid, cut-out carry handles on the sides, and jute cord detailing.

Krones cycling bottle The Krones cycling bottle consists of stable PET, is extremely sturdy and can be reused. Geometric embossments in the body and neck area enhance the container to a veritable eye-catcher. The handy shape is also very convincing: An ergonomic grip area ensures that the bottle fits comfortably in the hand and makes it your perfect companion for sports. In addition to the haptic highlights, the Krones cycling bottle mainly stands out with its design. The digital Krones DecoType ink-jet system applies ink in a direct-print method onto the bottle. This enables the realisation of structures which up to now could not be processed The direct-print method enables a great variety of designs and makes sure that containers printed with DecoType are really eye-catching.

Glenmorangie Whisky Karl Knauer’s design with its excitingly complex finish certainly impressed the jury, which commented: “Never before have so many 3D elements been realized on such a large packaging surface. Combined with holographic elements, more than 16,000 3D lenses create an amazing effect on the packaging.” For additional sparkle, the package is coated with an UV hybrid paint, inside printing, and relief embossing for the logos.

Legado The ‘Legado’ EVOO packaging design project is one of the flagships of the Al Margen Comunicación olive oil brand. It is an integral project of development of branding and packaging for a single variety hojiblanco early harvest. In the choice of the packaging a bottle of extra-white glass with extra thick bottom was selected, transmitting a premium concept by its weight. The bottle is treated with a matte olive green paint process binding to the product. Next a floral illustration that wraps around the bottle and forms the decoration was designed, giving it a strong Andalusian baroque style. All the graphic design envelope on the bottle is developed in black and white, applied on the base of matte green colour of the painted bottle.

Packaging Europe | 125 |

MEETING SUSTAINABILITY

DEMANDS THROUGH PACKAGING The importance of sustainability is increasing for European meat processors. It forms the base of two core business challenges: minimising supply chain waste to keep prices competitive for retailers and managing carbon emissions to satisfy consumer demand. Innovative packaging can prove an effective solution for addressing both challenges, while also increasing productivity and extending the shelf life of fresh meat.

L

eading companies and governments are calling for the accelerated implementation of policies, incentives and practices to achieve food waste targets . This is resulting in the EU meat trade prioritising sustainability. This year, it is expected that the European Commissioner for Agriculture and Rural Development, Phil Hogan, will publish proposals for the beef sector to promote its contribution to addressing climate change and other environmental challenges .

Meat processors must improve efficiencies and minimise waste throughout production and distribution to maximise carbon emissions savings. This will strengthen their competitive edge in an increasingly tough market. They will be able to satisfy retailers’ corporate responsibility agendas, which are increasingly influencing buying decisions.

Additionally, processors will realise cost savings in a market that is under constant pressure from rising imports. The price of meat represents a huge challenge due to the strong competition from Brazil, China and USA.

The strategic role of the packaging Didier Marteau, Sealed Air Food Care Fresh Red Meat Market Director EMEA, explains, “Processors face the tough task of driving sales volumes, while meeting the needs of retailers and consumers. An innovative packaging system is necessary for addressing this and creating a new marketing opportunity. Such an approach can help operators satisfy retailer and consumer demand for more visually appealing products and lower carbon emissions, while also increasing productivity to reduce operating costs.”

With these demands in mind, Sealed Air developed Cryovac® Darfresh® on Tray, an innovative system which creates a consumer pack to fit the meat product like a second skin. This innovative technology makes the packaging process 35 per cent | 126 | Packaging Europe

faster, uses up to 40 per cent less film material and reduces pack volume by 50 per cent compared to other packaging systems.

The reduced packaging volume allows meat processors to significantly decrease distribution costs and maximise space for storage. In fact, in one typical truck it is possible to load up to 14,500 kilograms of meat packaged with Cryovac Darfresh on Tray instead of the 8200 kilograms usually loaded with other packaging solutions.

These benefits are enhanced further. The hermetic seal and highly resistant film of Darfresh on Tray extend shelf life and promote greater food safety. Food can be transported over greater distances without compromising the length of time that retailers have to sell products in-store. The risk of food waste associated with products damaged and contaminated through punctured films and leaking seals is also significantly reduced.

Didier Marteau commented: “The yypically used Modified Atmosphere Packaging (MAP) extends shelf life up to ten days. This has limited export opportunities as shelf life is lost through lengthy supply chains, meaning retailers have less time to sell meat. Using Darfresh on Tray, beef shelf life can be doubled to around 20 days.

This means that processors can offer retailers products that can be displayed in a refrigerated unit for up to ten days.”

The ‘second skin’ formed by Cryovac Darfresh on Tray uses special top and bottom webs to create a consumer pack that improves the appearance of the food product, maintaining its fresh look and increasing marketing and brand building opportunities.

Sealed Air, in collaboration with G. Mondini SpA, has developed and patented dedicated tray sealing equipment with a new vacuum cycle. This new machinery – branded as Darfresh on Tray – cuts carbon emissions by 20 per cent across the entire system.

Visit: www.sealedair.com

Packaging Europe | 127 |

INTRODUCING HEXABAG® Hexabag®, an Imballaggio® product, represents a new concept in the paper bag industry.

D

eveloped to meet the clean room concept, Hexabag® has two layers: an external one of laminated paper with aluminium providing a high barrier of up to two years against smell and moisture; and an internal one of plastic, both with valves. The Pulled! Opened!® strip system allows for the full separation of the layers and their further disposal. Hexabag’s composition combines productivity and practicality with all the safety requirements for clean room usage.

This industrial valve bag was developed in partnership with Ingredion® Brazil to meet the requirements of its customers in the Food, Baby Food, Chemical and Pharmaceutical industries.

“The Ingredion® Brazil project, in partnership with Imballaggio®, sought the development of an industrial bag for food and pharmaceutical packaging, in order to meet the concept of ‘Clean Room’ quality. The implementation of Hexabag® has ensured total product safety, allowing for safe handling within controlled areas without the need for

| 128 | Packaging Europe

further packaging,” says José Judice, Packaging Engineering Manager at Ingredion® Brazil.

In addition to being recognised at the WPO WorldStar Packaging Organisation Awards 2017, HexaBag® has also been awarded by ABRE – the Brazilian Packaging Association – in 2016.

One of the most important paper sack manufacturers in Brazil, Imballaggio® has maintained a tradition of constant innovation since 1893. Accredited by the certifications ISO-9001:2008, Sedexglobal®, HACCP and GMP, Imballaggio® only uses raw materials certified by the FSC.

Visit: www.imballaggio.com.br

LEADER IN REUSABLE TRANSIT PACKAGING Ludo Gielen, Chief Strategic Growth Officer at Schoeller Allibert, explains why the company has become the European leader in Reusable Transit Packaging (RTP) and his vision of the future of innovation in the industry.

You have been in RTP for decades. What are the core advantages of Schoeller Allibert?

How do you see the future of innovation in the packaging industry?

Schoeller Allibert has been inventing, developing, designing and manufacturing RTP for more than 60 years. Our added value lies in our capacity to develop highend products from A to Z, fully customisable and on-demand.

We are the company that offers the largest range of standard and tailor made RTP packaging solutions across ten key product segments, with a portfolio of more than 1000 products. They are lighter, stronger and more environmentally friendly.

The future of our industry will mainly be about adapting ourselves to the trends of the different markets we work in. Material innovation is important but a lot of innovations come from smarter design and better understanding of the market’s needs. I see three top trends for the following years.

Globalisation still has a major influence on our business: competition being global and fierce, all companies look for savings and efficiency.

In Automotive, we have to develop products that can better protect electric parts, with functions such as anti-electrostatic discharge, fibre free, waterproof, tamper proof and so on.

Finally, the most important trend of the decade is E-Business, with products that can be integrated within an automated warehouse, with speed and accuracy. Here, we are proud to be a certified AutostoreÂŽ Hatteland supplier.

As a leader, how does innovation drive product development?

Innovation is a big thing for us. Schoeller Allibert has always been at the top of the industry by being responsible for over 80 per cent of innovations in RTP. We have the largest R&D programme located in three places around the world and 5 per cent of our turnover is dedicated to R&D. The main technology centre is fully integrated in one of our production plants in Netherlands, and will allow us to launch over 41 new products in 2017.

Visit: www..schoellerallibert.com

Packaging Europe | 129 |

THE WHOLE PACKAGE Innovation is a popular word when it comes to packaging, but for DS Smith it really means something. Through collaboration, sustainability and market understanding, this leading European packaging solutions company makes innovation a reality. Emma-Jane Batey spoke to Innovation Director Chiara Covone to learn more.

DS

Smith is a leading provider of corrugated packaging and is present in 36 countries worldwide, employing over 26,000 people. Established in east London in the 1940s, the company has grown considerably in the last few years beginning with the acquisition of SCA packaging in 2012 and culminating with ten acquisitions since 2015 with a focus on display capabilities and developing a panEuropean presence.

Innovation is such a key part of DS Smith’s ongoing success that the company has an Innovation Director, Chiara Covone, who ensures innovation enhances DS Smith’s 600 designers and highly-touted PackRight Centres. She told Packaging Europe: “Responsible packaging has a huge part to play across the supply chain, particularly with the huge growth of e-commerce. We like to think we’re rather different to other packaging companies in a number of ways; we think about the whole supply cycle and we involve our customers at all stages – including right from the start in our unique PackRight process: Insights, Pack Development, Review and Validate, and Implement. We are a real partner for our customers and we offer a different type of relationship –one that optimises our customers’ business and helps us both to grow. We do this by looking at how their packaging performs at each step in their supply cycle and deliver maximum value.”

Understanding the supply cycle DS Smith’s operations include its own recycling facilities across Europe that collect used paper, corrugated cardboard and other waste, which it then makes it into recycled paper for use in corrugated packaging. It also designs and manufactures certain types of plastic packaging. Ms Covone explained, “It’s a model that is absolutely unique in the industry and a key advantage. Our customers want broader reaching solutions to their packaging needs, with innovation and processes that will help them lower costs, manage risk and grow their sales.”

The holistic approach to delivering solutions to customers’ packaging needs is integral to DS Smith. Ms Covone explained: “Our approach sees us involve our customers very early on, engaging with them to create solutions that are not just a box. To give just one | 130 | Packaging Europe

example from our 12 WorldStar winners; we developed a transit solution for a major Swedish auto manufacturer that reduces their transport costs by 25%, reduces CO2 emissions per pallet by 33%, drastically reduces the amount of storage space needed for their packaging and is actually cheaper than their original packaging!” .”

Understanding the consumer The company’s value added approach is clearly working, having won 12 WorldStar awards in 2016, including awards for transit, luxury and point of sale. Ms Covone said, “We like to put ourselves in the consumers’ shoes to appreciate how the packaging is ultimately used. This is also part of our ongoing e-commerce focus which continues to be a huge growth area. And it’s not just about Amazon! Small and medium e-commerce sites are seeing growth of 20 per cent year on year, so of course there’s massive potential for packaging. But this is also a great responsibility; studies show that 50 per cent of the box travels empty with online shopping, so we’re working with customers to develop what we call ‘right-size’ packaging.”

DS Smith’s plans to present at the upcoming interpack show will likely result in increased connections to new and existing customers. “interpack is a great opportunity to meet with a huge international audience and we’ve decided to focus our presence on an exciting new packaging machine offering, the Combi 150R, that produces the holy grail of faster performance and higher quality than what is currently on the market.”

With the future of DS Smith essentially already a part of its every-day activities, Ms Covone is clear that the company also has ambitious objectives. She concluded, “Connectivity is a big thing, so we’re creating new solutions around connectivity. We’re also implementing track and trace through smart packaging and just last month we opened our new office in China to support our global customers with over 600 designers in our workforce, everything has a creative edge; we’re always inspired to do more and I hope we continue to inspire our customers too.”

Visit: www.dssmith.com

Packaging Europe | 131 |

WorldStar for foodmailer® from Austrian company packit

ENVIRONMENTALLY SUSTAINABLE The World Packaging Organization (WPO) has recognised the foodmailer® as a World Star 2017 award winner.

T

he foodmailer® mailbox is the first completely recyclable food package, highly insulating and made out of 100% corrugated cardboard.

Due to the very good insulation it is used to deliver cooled and frozen goods to the customer. Meanwhile, the printable surface makes the foodmailer® a brand messenger.

Delivered flat, it saves up to 60% volume in storage and transport.

Due to the variable internal insulation system, the foodmailer® can be divided into sections, with one section cooled and the other remaining at ambient temperature.

The foodmailer® comes with a cooling medium made out of paper and wood pulp.

The foodmailer® online calculator shows the amount of ICE-packs needed. This amount depends on: • The temperature and weight of the goods • Surrounding temperature • Desired delivery temperature • Time of delivery “A total concept instead of many individual solutions” The foodmailer® is certified with FSC (Forest Stewardship Council) and is produced climate neutral.

Visit: www.packit.at

| 132 | Packaging Europe

Packaging Europe | 133 |

Celebrating 25 years in the packaging industry!

COMPANY PROFILE Wave Paper was established in 1991 by Andrew Gourley, the founding Director. The factory is situated in New Germany, which is an industrial area in Durban, South Africa. The customer base is serviced through to Johannesburg and Pretoria in the north and down to Port Elizabeth in the southern part of the country. These are the predominant industrial areas in South Africa. The total staff complement of the company is 88 people.

The automotive industry constitutes approximately 70% of our business turnover, and hence makes this an integral part of our business expertise and focus. The remainder of our customers cover a range of industries from pulp and paper and cosmetics, through to food.

We offer a just in time service to certain customers due to the volumetric nature of some packaging that is delivered erected.

Wave Paper has been supplying most of our top ten customers for more than 15 years, and values the fact that relationships drive business commitment and opportunities.

Wave Paper specializes in the design, development and manufacturing of industrial packaging solutions. Wave Paper utilizes a range of different packaging materials, but primarily utilizes corrugated board and kraft. Other materials include timber, corrugated plastic, chipboard, masonite and recycled laminated paper. Particular focus is given to International Packaging Standards and compliance to ISPM15.

Wave Paper also strives to achieve cost reduction through innovation, and acknowledges that this attribute differentiates companies.

From a factory point of view, Wave Paper has a Factory Forum to represent the workforce, and this has been working well for many years with great success.

Wave Paper is power Independent from the grid should there be any electricity supply outages. From a water perspective, there is a rain water harvesting system that will be sufficient to sustain the company for more than a month.

OUR VISION / MISSION STATEMENT Develop a team mentality where the focus is on the end result and the effort is cohesive in achieving this result in the shortest time, yet complying with all good people, environmental and business practises.

WAVE PAPER

| 134 |

58 Henwood Road, New Germany, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa, 3610 P O Box 51154, Musgrave Road, Durban, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa, 4062 Packaging Europe Tel: +27 31 705-3344 • Fax: +27 31 705-3346 • Email: info@wavepaper.co.za • Website: www.wavepaper.co.za

Packaging Europe | 135 |

SAXOPRINT EASY BOX – THE NEW WAY TO CREATE BESPOKE PACKAGING ®

The importance of packaging in the customer experience

B

efore a customer holds the actual product in their hands, it is up to the packaging to make an impression, build suspense and encourage shoppers to make a purchase.

Whether a product ends up in a customer’s shopping basket depends on the perception of quality, modernity and appearance. According to a 2011 study conducted by the German Association for the Packaging Industry (Fachverbands Faltschachtel-Industrie e.V. - FFI), these emotional factors can influence the impulse to purchase in two out of three shopping scenarios. Since packaging represents the first physical contact between the customer and the product, it is used to create a positive first impression.

The product and its packaging become a single unit which is understood and internalised by the consumer. Manufacturers are increasingly coming to the conclusion that they need to offer customers a complete unboxing experience. Attractive packaging has a positive effect on building suspense, while the unboxing process has become an important moment for the consumer within the customer experience.

The various unboxing videos available on YouTube are further evidence of the special nature of this process. It is with good reason that unboxing is celebrated millions of times on the internet. These videos represent a new way of getting to know products, and attractive packaging enhances this experience exponentially.

SAXOPRINT® easy box – packaging with bespoke dimensions Retailers, marketing agencies, manufacturers and resellers can take advantage of a completely new way to print custom packaging with the SAXOPRINT® easy box.

Using this packaging solution, we can print and produce bespoke folding cartons, gift packaging and mailer boxes tailor-made down to the millimetre. With a wide range of packaging types and over 1 billion different variations, the SAXOPRINT® easy box online tool provides a tailor-made product to suit your individual needs. Full-surface offset printing supports individual, creative designs and ensures a special unboxing experience for your customers.

At SAXOPRINT, small and medium-sized companies, in particular, have the opportunity to produce individual packaging in smaller print runs of 100 | 136 | Packaging Europe

to 10,000 units. Be it online marketplaces, brick-and-mortar shops, marketing service providers, manufacturers or resellers, SAXOPRINT® easy box products provide the perfect solution for every type of supplier. Individually printed packaging offers considerably more freedom of design, which in turn provides a professional overall appearance.

Your ideas packaged with the SAXOPRINT® easy box SAXOPRINT® easy box offers you the individual packaging you need. Choose from seven categories with a total of 25 standard models and then adjust your packaging based on your specific needs. You can order our sample set first to get an initial impression of all our types of packaging. SAXOPRINT® easy box products are based on the standards of ECMA (European Carton Makers Association) and FEFCO (Fédération Européenne des Fabricants de Carton Ondule). Both classification systems were developed in order to provide box manufacturers and printing companies an internationally agreed upon standard of shapes for packaging models.

Bespoke packaging made just for you The variety of the packaging industry matches the demands of the trade sector and advertising industry. With the SAXOPRINT® easy box, we want to meet these challenges and doing so offer you over 1 billion variations for designing folding cartons, gift packaging and mailer boxes.

What initially sounds like an overwhelming range of options ultimately represents products that are precisely tailored to your needs. Simply select the desired standard model of packaging from one of seven categories and then adjust the dimensions down to the millimetre in the SAXOPRINT® easy box. A 3D preview displays your product as you adjust the dimensions to ensure you get the exact shape you need. The SAXOPRINT® easy box offers unprecedented opportunities for bespoke packaging, tailor-made for your specific needs.

Visit: easybox.saxoprint.co.uk

Packaging Europe | 137 |

GORE PACKAGING VENTS AT INTERPACK 2017 ®

GORE® Packaging Vents are the safe, reliable way to relieve pressure differentials that would otherwise cause containers of liquids to deform, leak or burst.

F

or liquid manufacturers, such defects can reduce productivity and efficiency in palletising / ware-housing. Such defects also hurt profits and brand image, when defective goods are returned or cannot be sold at all. For cap and container manufacturers, diagnosing and resolving packaging problems can be time-consuming and costly – and can compromise customer satisfaction as well. And all along the supply chain, leaks can create huge risks for end-users and hazards to the environment, as well as costly clean-ups. GORE Packaging Vents minimise all these risks. They reliably and continuously equalise pressures, to minimise the potential for leaks and maintain the integrity of containers and their contents.

Unlike competitors who purchase their membranes, we use only GORE™ Membranes made from thin films of expanded polytetrafluoroethylene (ePTFE). The material’s microporous nature allows gases to pass through to equalise pressures, but it blocks larger substances like liquids, dust and dirt, to prevent leaks or contaminant ingress. Our proprietary processes convert “plain” PTFE to ePTFE, and then further tailor the ePTFE to achieve various different characteristics for specific application needs. This is how we can provide trusted and innovative packaging solutions to tackle pressure differentials in the hazardous chemicals, agrochemicals, institutional cleaners and household chemicals industries.

Gore is at the forefront of the scientific debate on packaging integrity over the product lifetime. While the industry focuses on established performance criteria like initial airflow and water entry pressure (WEP), Gore data suggests it is vital to shift these paradigms to consider residual airflow and liquid entry pressure (LEP).

Initial Airflow & Residual Airflow What you normally find in data sheets for venting solutions is the “initial airflow.” This is a measure of the airflow through a dry membrane prior to contact with any liquids. To assess how a vent will perform in normal use – for example, when liquid splashes onto the vent as the container is transported or handled – it is important to understand the | 138 | Packaging Europe

vent’s “residual airflow.” This is a measure of the amount of gas that can pass through the vent after liquid has splashed, and been repelled by, the membrane.

GORE Packaging Vents maintain high residual airflow for a wide variety of chemicals.

Unlike competitive products, the roll-off optimised GORE™ Membrane ensures fast airflow recovery after exposure to challenging liquids, such as high-viscosity or low surface-tension liquids, to prevent container deformation.

“WEP” versus “LEP” Another established performance criterion is “Water Entry Pressure” (WEP) resistance.

This measures how much water pressure a membrane can withstand before it leaks.

While a membrane must pass the WEP test to meet regulatory packaging requirements, the surface tension of most chemical formulations is typically much lower than that of water. So, vents that test “water-tight” may leak or spill chemicals if containers fall over during transportation or handling.

To know how a vent will perform in real-world conditions, it’s important to test for “Liquid Entry Pressure” (LEP) resistance. Gore performs extensive LEP testing, exposing our oleophobic membranes to a wide range of chemicals with diverse surface tensions and viscosities. This ensures GORE™ Membranes will perform as expected in real-world conditions.

Gore at Interpack 2017 In Hall 10 at booth E98, Gore will introduce two products that set new standards for packaging safety and versatility, and present its latest technologies that benefit both chemical companies and cap and container manufacturers.

Gore will also introduce its new “Membrane University” at interpack. Booth visitors will be able to participate in hands-on experiments that illustrate the scientific principles that affect how well packaging vents perform in real-world conditions.

Visit: www.gore.com/packvents

Packaging Europe | 139 |

SMART MOVE

Over the past few years Rockwell Automation has gained a leading position in the growing market of independent motion systems, leveraging on recent acquisitions of Jacobs Automation and MagneMotion. However, at interpack 2017, Rockwell will not only demonstrate its latest innovations in terms of technology like the new scalable range of controllers part of Integrated Architecture solution, but also show how it helps customers put the concept of ‘Connected Enterprise’ into reality.

R

ockwell Automation, Inc., the world’s largest company dedicated to industrial automation and information, headquartered in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, employs approximately 22,000 people serving customers in more than 80 countries. Throughout its century-long history, a focus on innovation has been one of the keys to Rockwell Automation’s global success. In today’s changing marketplace and with the increasing role of ‘smart manufacturing’ this focus remains unchanged – in line with its Connected Enterprise (or Industry 4.0) concept, Rockwell Automation has launched innovative products helping customers to face

| 140 | Packaging Europe

new and future challenges in the increasingly ‘smarter’ world, to further improve performance improvement, increase efficiency, shorten product-to-market time and reduce machine footprint.

iTRAK and MagneMotion The expanded portfolio of revolutionary motion systems that will be demonstrated at interpack will include iTRAK for ‘in-machine’ application, requiring deterministic control and high dynamic performances, and MagneMover

Lite, QuickStick and QuickStick HT for ‘between machines’ flexible and smart transportation systems. The systems are designed for applications of almost any length, speed and thrust requirements, with no cables limiting the motion of the vehicle or moving frame.

The products are based on linear and curved segments (motors) including power and control electronics that can be connected in a path of almost any shape on which independently controlled vehicles (movers) can run to perform different tasks. The flexibility of this independent control allows customers to design smarter machines capable of quick format change and increased speed while at the same time, thanks to direct drive technology, removing all traditional mechanics, saving precious square metres and greatly reducing maintenance needs.

However, Rockwell Automation emphasises its role as solution, not product provider, and this message will be reinforced in Düsseldorf. “With our network of dedicated technical consultants, Rockwell Automation can deliver solutions which help customers to better understand how to engineer the next generation of machines to take full advantage of independent motion technology,” confirms Davide Brancaleoni, the Packaging Business Development Manager for Rockwell Automation.

Smart new world In the past few years there has been an increasing awareness that we are in the era of the ‘Internet of Things’, a new reality where both original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) and end-users need smart machines and smart solutions

that are connected to the Internet. This is an area in which Rockwell Automation is well ahead of its competitors.

Connected Enterprise (or Industry 4.0 in Europe, Smart Manufacturing in the US) will also be the key message the company will be presenting at interpack 2017 – a concept that links production lines, in-the-field assets, utilities and enterprise IT to deliver contextualised information where it is needed. Connected Enterprise leads to a greater productivity and competitiveness by enabling the convergence of IT (Industrial Technology) and OT (Operation Technology) in more cost effective and scalable ways, getting products to market faster, reducing the total cost of

Packaging Europe | 141 |

ownership of assets, improving asset management/optimisation and reducing or improving the management of broader manufacturing business risk. As a result, companies can make better decisions faster – and achieve a new level of operational intelligence to improve productivity and global competitiveness.

“We will be showcasing some of our latest technology to show OEMs how they can produce low-cost, highly efficient machines that can be easily integrated in the end-user environment,” confirms Mr Davide Brancaleoni. “interpack will be a great connection point for the end-user and OEM communities – it is very rare that these two meet at the same time in the same place,” adds David Lefebvre, Rockwell Automation’s Industry Sales Manager. “interpack will be an opportunity to demonstrate to both these groups our innovations and the way forward in the industry in the next five to ten years.”

Smooth and safe One of the areas in which IOT is much further advanced is the life science sector – a key industry for Rockwell Automation. Globally, Rockwell Automation boasts a life sciences installed base of more than US$1 billion, supplies 95 per cent of the Fortune 500 Pharma companies and works directly with 75 per cent of the major life sciences OEMs. The company has developed a comprehensive solution for serialization and aggregation fully supporting the Connected Enterprise strategy. “As we said before, the Connected Enterprise concept is mainly about integrating two worlds: Information Technology and Operational Technology. Our Serialization and aggregation solution is a perfect example of such connected strategy,” says Mr Lefebvre. “The demand for serialisation is now also starting to increase in the food and beverage industry. For example, we have already introduced a serialisation solution for baby milk production and have launched several pilot studies within the sector in line with expected growth,” he explains.

Rockwell Automation’s serialisation solution is scalable to adapt to a wide variety of packaging-line technologies and production-management systems. Easy integration across control and enterprise levels means the solution provides a centralised platform for managing serialisation/aggregation data and facilitates product traceability across the entire supply chain. The solution offers seamless interoperability among all machine devices, information and business systems, giving manufacturers the tools to improve long-term profitability and easily adapt to future production or regulatory changes. “We have entered into partnerships with leading software companies to provide solutions that are not only extremely reliable but also very secure. Security is something Rockwell Automation is very much focused on,” stresses Davide Brancaleoni.

| 142 | Packaging Europe

Leading the way The packaging market in Europe is experiencing profound changes and manufacturers face complex challenges in a highly competitive environment. “Innovative companies are embracing ‘The Internet of Things’ in manufacturing by adopting technologies that increase efficiency and performance, by converging information technology and operation technology into a single structure, enabling information sharing between devices, processes and people. This is what our machines are designed to do, with the aim of supporting both OEMs and end-users in this respect,” says Mr Brancaleoni.

This, more of less, summarized the core of the Connected Enterprise strategy that the company will pursue in the future, with a view to provide value added solutions using the latest technologies, helping customers in their digital transformation journey and supporting their expectations and needs.

“There is a cultural change going on in manufacturing of machines. Machines become smarter, the whole environment becomes smarter,” adds Mr Lefebvre.

“With the focus on synergy of mechanical parts and controllers, on robotic functionality as seen in MagneMotion and iTRAK, Rockwell Automation can provide an answer to these new challenges. We work with our customers as industry consultants, as advisors to help them envisage and put into practice innovative machines of the future. With our Connected Enterprise concept, we try to make Industry 4.0 a reality for them,” he concludes.

Visit: www.rockwellautomation.com

Give way to food safety: superior technologies from the HEUFT SYSTEMTECHNIK GMBH modular system enable users to achieve the detection quality necessary for this. The technology leader will be revealing ground-breaking new developments for the continuous in-line quality inspection of product and packaging at interpack 2017 (Stand 11-D14).

PATHBREAKING INNOVATIONS

F

rom metal detection to glass in glass detection systems, and from checking the closure integrity to verifying and tracking product markings – HEUFT will be showcasing innovations at interpack which pave the way for absolute packaging integrity and food safety. New solutions for the precise identification of foreign objects and other safety defects in a confined space can be experienced there for the first time, in addition to the highly automated, self-explanatory inspection systems of the HEUFT SPECTRUM II generation.

The HEUFT eXaminer II XB top-down inspector for the extensive examination of packaged food and solid products has been optimised in terms of sustainability. Not only its head but also its pulsating heart are more powerful than before: the modular system is based on the HEUFT SPECTRUM II platform and is also equipped with innovative fullfield image converters. This makes the unique pulsed X-ray technology for the careful detection of solid foreign objects even more precise: the size of the contaminants that can be reliably identified is halved to the lowest ever radiation levels possible up to this point.

Maximum detection reliability This in-house developed X-ray procedure exclusively available from HEUFT also makes food safety a priority during the continuous inspection of filled jars and cans with the HEUFT eXaminer II XAC. It increases the range, speed and precision of the foreign object inspection and in this way the highly automated, self-explanatory system achieves an unprecedented level of detection reliability. Its true strengths are revealed particularly with regard to the glass in glass detection: even minute fragments hidden behind product and container structures are detected reliably at line speeds of up to 1200 containers per minute.

HEUFT will be showcasing a newly developed solution at interpack especially for the detailed all-around inspection of food container closures and their safety elements: the HEUFT FinalView II CAP. This compact detection unit based on the HEUFT SPECTRUM II identifies all possible faults using innovative illumination, camera and real-time image processing technologies – even insufficiently pronounced thread turns and the defective tamper evident rings of screw closures. The continuous complete examination of each individual closure wall and surface also uncovers minute cracks and damage as well as non-brand colouration, designs and logos. Incorrectly positioned and inaccurately aligned closures cannot escape detection either – and all this at line speeds of up to 1600 containers per minute! In this way the HEUFT FinalView II CAP safeguards the integrity of the packaging in a sustainable manner, and therefore the microbial purity and safe consumability of the product contained within.

pable devices with powerful core processors, MHI and image processing cards as well as the latest software: hence, the number of characteristics that can be checked over a given period increases significantly. The precision during the tracking, inspection and reliable removal of food containers has effectively quadrupled.

All the container transport and detection units can adapt themselves automatically to the new brand during program changes with no manual intervention required. The systems are equipped with the HEUFT NaVi – a self-explanatory user guidance with individual audio-visual step-by-step assistance for the rare occasions when the user has to spring into action. Error-free and tamper-proof operation is therefore possible for the user without any previous special knowledge.

Ground-breaking new developments However, it is not this hi-tech new generation of inspection systems that are giving full priority to food safety standards. In addition, HEUFT will be revealing two particularly compact innovations at interpack which will be setting standards in terms of detection accuracy, operational reliability and price / performance ratio for n the in-line quality inspection of products and packaging.

Visit the company at Stand 11-D14 to find out more.

High degree of automation and reliable operation As with all its SPECTRUM II devices, HEUFT’s solutions for foreign object and closure inspection are impressive owing to their unprecedented level of performance and automation as well as self-explanatory machine human interface (MHI). This gives priority not only to the detection but also to the operational reliability of the systems. The universal, network-compatible HEUFT SPECTRUM II control unit for the most varied modules, systems and tasks increases the computing power of the multiprocessing-caPackaging Europe | 143 |

EXTRA SENSORY

PERCEPTION

SICK AG is a global leader in the design and manufacture of sensors and sensor solutions for a wide range of industrial applications. The company has been a pioneer in many of the product areas in which it is active, including that of factory automation, logistics and process automation. Sick AG continues to set the standards for advanced sensors and sensor solutions in the packaging industry, as Philip Yorke reports.

S

ICK AG was founded in 1946 by Erwin Sick, who had received a license from a US local authority to operate his engineering company. His commitment to innovation paid off in 1952 when he invented the accident-prevention light curtain, which the company presented at the Machine Tool Trade Fair in Hanover that year. Since then SICK AG has pioneered many of the world’s product advances in areas such as factory automation, logistics and process automation.

Today the company has a global presence with over five subsidiaries in addition to a global network of sales agencies. In 2015 the company recorded revenues of over €1.3 billion. It currently employs more than 7500 people worldwide. | 144 | Packaging Europe

Latest twin-eye technology at interpack SICK AG offers a wide range of vision sensors for quality control as well as dedicated customer services and customised solutions for the packaging industry. Consumer goods industries benefit from the company’s compact and easy-to-use devices that provide stand-alone solutions up to programmable high-speed cameras. On show at interpack will be several new, ground-breaking solutions that involve integrated functions for image processing, which can be used within the context of ‘Industry 4.0’, especially for tasks such as quality control, track and trace, object data collection and predictive maintenance.

The company’s latest ‘Twin-Eye’ technology can be used to optimise the performance of glossy materials, as well as less-contrast and oscillating materials. This delivers high process stability and significantly reduced downtime. SICK will also be demonstrating its ‘missing objects detection’ capabilities with its latest 3D cameras that check the existence and right position of the date-of-expiry information.

The company told Packaging Europe, “We would like to present SICK AG as a solution provider. We not only offer components but a wide portfolio of products, systems and services for individual requirements and applications. And of course at interpack, we are looking forward to meeting our customers and to have interesting and fruitful discussions with them to find out which existing and future requirements they may have.”

Meeting future industry requirements The packaging industry requires sensors and sensor systems that are tailored to complex, frequently changing tasks, while meeting the increasingly challenging standards of tomorrow. These include areas such as trademark protection, safety and documentability.

From the rugged moisture-proof photoelectric sensor, glass identification via image sensors and checking the position of packaging elements through protecting robotic loaders with safety laser scanners, SICK systems meet the growing requirements of tomorrow’s packaging industry.

For further details of SICK AG’s presence at Interpack and its innovative products and services visit: www.sick.com

Packaging Europe | 145 |

DIGITALISATION –

A RECIPE FOR SUCCESS A 30 per cent increase in engineering efficiency by 2020 – that is the joint threeyear goal of Bausch + Ströbel and Siemens. The solution of choice is end-to-end digitalisation across the entire value chain: from design and dimensioning right through to engineering, commissioning, operation and service. At the heart of the concept is a ‘digital twin’, a digital representation of the machine as a virtual model that mirrors a system in every detail throughout its lifecycle, enabling both simulations and virtual optimisation.

Dr. Hagen Gehringer, CTO Bausch + Ströbel Maschinenfabrik Ilshofen

| 146 | Packaging Europe

The digital twin comes to life

M

anufacturers of filling and packaging machines for the pharmaceuticals industry are under increasing pressure, with the trend toward individualised medicines leading to ever smaller batch sizes. This means that machines and systems must become more flexible to keep pace, while other special requirements, such as sterility and validation during integration and commissioning under increased time constraints and pressure to succeed, are just as pressing.

Machines must be ready and able to run precisely and reliably right from the word go. To set themselves apart from the competition, companies need more than just pure innovation: they also need to be able to manufacture faster, have greater cost efficiency and operate with rock-solid processes.

Looking to the future with end-to-end digitalisation In order to achieve these objectives, Bausch + Ströbel Maschinenfabrik Ilshofen is relying increasingly on digitalisation across the entire value chain. The world’s leading specialist machine manufacturer for filling and packaging machines for the pharmaceutical industry is working in partnership with Siemens, its long-time supplier of automation technology, and the only supplier to offer product lifecycle management (PLM) as well as the prerequisite hardware and software for automation, driving digitalisation to the maximum.

The company from Ilshofen, Germany, has dispensed with classical, disciplinebased team structures and completely redesigned the workflow process. The initial stages always involve the design of a machine in line with specific customer requirements. Siemens NX CAD software is used to create a 3D model and the original version of the ‘digital twin’. This virtual model has all the characteristics of the real-world machine and is continuously further developed as part of the ongoing process. With NX Mechatronics Concept Designer (MCD), engineers simulate motions within the machine, define the kinematic and dynamic properties of the system, develop interpolative axis dependencies (‘cams’) and dimension the drives.

Virtual development for rapid machine model optimisation Previously, original-size wood models were developed when needed based on customer specifications to test mechanical properties, ergonomics and transport routes for the development of special machines for the pharmaceutical industry – a time-consuming process that allowed for little in the way of flexibility. It was with this in mind that Bausch + Ströbel began work on a virtualisation centre as early as 2012. Thanks to virtual reality, a full-size digital model of the new machine is able to be displayed on a large screen based on the data from the Siemens NX environment, meaning that the design, functionality and ergonomics of a machine can be tested

Packaging Europe | 147 |

In its virtualization center, the machine manufacturer creates a digital twin of new machines to be able to test operator ergonomics in a virtual-reality environment.

The pilot machine, which is manually fed with nests, can fill and seal up to 3,200 single-use syringes, vials or cartridges per hour.

in a realistic manner. Special glasses and stereoscopic 3D give an authentic visual impression, while the system is capable of detecting user movements, and haptic feedback is provided by hand controllers.

Changes necessary at this early stage are performed solely on the digital twin, which is optimised until everyone involved is happy with the results. All these insights are fed back into the design and are stored for subsequent steps. The machine manufacturer has implemented an integrated data environment with the Teamcenter PLM program package from Siemens, enabling machine builders access to all the data at any time, ranging from 3D models and circuit diagrams to technical documentation – paperless engineering at its finest. To become even more efficient, Bausch + Ströbel has also aligned the cooperation of its departments and created interdisciplinary teams. It is only through mechatronic development and software support that the possibilities of digitalisation can be fully exploited, enabling the separate disciplines of design, electrical engineering, mechanical systems and programming to work together on one project simultaneously. Compared to the conventional, sequential workflow, with its multitude of interruptions and inevitable waiting, this offers significant gains in terms of time.

The next step is to transfer the digital twin to the real world. From a technical standpoint, the process of building the real-world machine is far more mature than would be possible in a conventional mechanical engineering setting. With automation hardware and software from Siemens, the machine comes to life, and what began as a customer requirement is finally able to move exactly as desired. A further benefit is that changes made when building the machine and during customer acceptance can be fed back through the integrated data storage mechanism in Teamcenter, and thus into the digital twin. This way, the twin always remains an accurate real-time representation of the machine.

Increased efficiency – even when it comes to servicing Bausch + Ströbel can deliver excellent service too, as even years after supplying a system the machine manufacturer still has an identical virtual representation of the customer’s machine at their location. This allows for quick, targeted servicing and preventive maintenance. Furthermore, the customer’s experience with the machine flows back to the manufacturer, contributing to future development improvements. Every change not only improves the current phase of development, but also subsequent steps too, as well as, in the long term, new developments and servicing for the customer. Based on the machine data, such as component operating times and overall lifetimes, Bausch + Ströbel is able to schedule and reduce downtimes, thus increasing the utilisation of machines.

TIA Portal allows new heights in integration Even though a digital twin can be brought to life very quickly, the joint path of Siemens and Bausch + Ströbel is far from over – indeed, it has only just begun and results in existing interfaces between disciplines being optimised even further. The | 148 | Packaging Europe

aim here is to make all the necessary steps available in a single tool, rendering island solutions a thing of the past. By using the Totally Integrated Automation Portal (TIA Portal) engineering framework, Bausch + Ströbel and Siemens are significantly closer to achieving their joint objective of efficiency increases in engineering.

The final goal is within reach The pilot machine is a perfect example of the interplay between hardware and software from the initial idea right through to manufacture. The TIA Portal integrates the engineering of all of the hardware components, including a Simatic S7-1500 TF-CPU with safety functionality, which, as well as additional hardware, also reduces overhead and interfaces. The T-CPU coordinates the interplay of a total of eight drive axes, four of which are via established modular Sinamics S120 converters and SIMOTICS S servo motors. The other four servo axes come in the new Sinamics S210 design – innovative units consisting of a high-performance converter and servo motor with a one-cable connection (OCC), which can be configured, commissioned, optimised and diagnosed easily via a web browser. The distributed machine I/O, based on Simatic ET 200SP with an AS-i master interface for Safety Integration, and the HMI engineering for an IFP1900 INOX industrial flat panel used as an Ethernet monitor in conjunction with a central IPC 227E (Nanobox IPC), are both also implemented under the roof of the TIA Portal. The complete integration of all components and end-to-end digitalisation with software tools for all the tasks along the value chain have always been, and indeed remain, the key to higher mechanical engineering efficiency.

In this case, these elements enabled the interplay of all of the drive axes to be represented and optimised virtually, in turn allowing for the resulting ‘cams’ to be imported one-to-one into the program in the TIA Portal for real-world commissioning. The entire behavioural model of a machine can even be mapped and simulated with the PLCSIM Advanced and Simit tools from Siemens (hardware/ software-in-the-loop).

The first tangible result, which will be showcased at interpack 2017, is the highly flexible SFM 5110 filling and sealing system for single-use syringes, vials or cartridges in small nests (up to 100 units) with a throughput of up to 3200 units per hour. Fair visitors will be able to experience the merging of the virtual and real production worlds, and will see for themselves that the planned engineering efficiency increases of 30 per cent by 2020 are far from utopic – especially as the recently introduced Version 14 of the TIA Portal also supports powerful scripting features, which further automate the configuration of automation tasks across different machine variants.

A significant positive side effect for operators is that, thanks to the simulation environment, companies are able to train and validate machine operators at an early stage, meaning that reliable production can start even earlier.

Siemens invites you to visit the interpack trade fair, Hall 6, Stand D27, from May 4 to 10, 2017 under the motto ‘Innovation in packaging – Benefits of digitalisation’.

Visit: www.siemens.com/digima

TRANSFORMING CONVEYOR AUTOMATION Dorner is a recognised leader in the manufacturing of precision conveyors with a proven track record of over 50 years. At interpack the company will present an extended, comprehensive product portfolio, unparalleled in the packaging sector.

W

hat started as a small tool and die shop in 1966 has evolved into an industry leader in the design and manufacture of low profile conveyors. Today, Dorner provides thousands of custom stainless and aluminium conveyor automation solutions to countless industries including packaging, automation, industrial, food processing, medical, pharmaceutical and many more. Designed to improve efficiency and productivity, Dorner’s conveyors are flexible, easy to select, easy to integrate and easy to acquire through a world-class delivery and support network.

product range perfectly and gives us a clear competitive advantage. I am not aware of any other company that is able to offer such a breadth of products at the moment,” says Enrico Berlenghi, and explains that the company will have two booths – one featuring the aluminium conveyor lines for all three companies, the other featuring the stainless steel product lines. “We hope to show customers that our growing company has even more capabilities, and that we are able to offer a wide breadth of products for a variety of packaging applications.”

Set to grow

Customised innovations

“We specialise in low profile precision conveyors. We offer belted, modular belt chain, and flexible chain conveyors in a variety of configurations, including curves, inclines, declines, and Z-frames,” says Enrico Berlenghi, managing director, European Sales. The company offers both aluminium frame conveyors for small, medium, and large products, and a full line of sanitary conveyors from light wipe down applications to full wash down.

“Dorner is a growing company. In the last two years alone, we opened a sales office in Burlington, Canada, and completed two international acquisitions; FlexMove in Malaysia and Geppert-Band in Germany,” says Enrico Berlenghi. He explains that the company’s focus is on three aspects: brand, breadth and speed – Dorner is a leading conveyor manufacturer renowned for innovation, offering not only the broadest portfolio in the marketplace but also the fastest lead times in the sector. interpack will be the debut for the Dorner holding family – Dorner Mfg. Corp.

(USA), Geppert-Band (Germany) and FlexMove (Malaysia). “Since Geppert joined the Dorner family, we are now able to manufacture FlexMove conveyors at Geppert.

We will have a number of FlexMove conveyors on display. FlexMove complements our

The US market is strong at the moment, with an increasing demand for sophisticated, customised solutions. In Europe, the focus is on automation and prompt service & delivery. Dorner is well placed to satisfy that demand by offering innovative product solutions capable not only of moving objects from A to B but of getting products in the right orientation, with the proper spacing, at the precise time to properly hand it off to the next machine in the line. “We look at the total line solution; we want to know what’s occurring upstream and downstream of the conveyor to determine how the conveyor can best complement the entire line,” confirms Mr Berlenghi.

About 70 percent of total output is sold to the packaging sector where Dorner machines are used for both primary and secondary packaging as well as for palletising.

“Dorner is very heavily focused on new product development and solving customer issues. In the near future, we will focus not only on integrating the three companies but on finding ways to combine technologies to provide greater solutions for our customers,” concludes Enrico Berlenghi.

Visit: www.dornerconveyors.com Packaging Europe | 149 |

INNOVATIVE PACKAGING SOLUTIONS

FROM EMERSON AT INTERPACK Ultrasonic plastics assembly solutions improve packaging for multiple products with geometrical complexity.

P

lastics welding technology capable of solving some of the packaging industry’s biggest challenges – from reducing seal failures to meeting high production demands – will be featured as part of Emerson’s display of Branson ultrasonic plastics assembly solutions at this year’s interpack trade fair in Düsseldorf, Germany.

The trade fair showcases innovative solutions for the food, beverage, confectionery, bakery, pharmaceutical, cosmetics, non-food and industrial goods sectors and attracts more than 175,000 attendees from around the world.

“The assembly technologies are designed to keep customers at the forefront of packaging innovation through improving the performance of various packaging types and ensuring safe, quality products,” said Grégory Collomb, Emerson’s market segment manager for packaging and textiles in Europe.

“The Branson welder is doing an amazing job: it’s producing a very consistent, strong seal. We actually use a stand test at the end of line and literally stand on selected samples to ensure a quality seal, and there have been no failures,” said Adrian Reif, co-founder of Yumbutter, a company that uses Emerson’s plastic welding technology to seal its nut butter products in a lightweight, squeezable plastic pouch.

Yumbutter had initially relied on a thermal welder to seal its YumbutterGO pouches, but residual oil trapped in the sealed area caused a high level of seal failures. In need of a

FOCUS ON PRECISION

T

esting Machines, Inc is a multi-national organisation that manufactures laboratory testing instruments for measuring package integrity including material thickness, coefficient of friction, sealing strength, oxygen transmission and hot tack. In line with expanding its global reach, the company has just launched new innovative products, which will be presented at interpack 2017, Hall 12, booth 12/C04-5.

Headquartered in New Castle, Delaware, USA, the company has a network of sales and service offices and agents throughout the United States and in over 50 countries, providing service and calibration to customers worldwide.

“Testing Machines Inc is recognised as the leading manufacturer of testing instruments for package testing. We offer complete laboratory testing solutions for our customers and excellent global technical support,” explains Mr Dave Muchorski, director of marketing for the core business, adding that TMI’s instruments are designed in-house, incorporating the latest state-of -art microprocessor technology and software, which exceeds customer requirements a very competitive price.

“We will be exhibiting at interpack with a view to introduce our company, our products, our service capabilities and technologies to new customers who are interested in improving or expanding their laboratory testing quality program.

Specifically, Testing Machines Inc. will introduce new instrumentation for OTROxygen Transmission Rate, its new coefficient of friction tester and a new film thickness measurement device. The new instruments incorporate innovative electronic and mechanical designs,” Dave Muchorski says, concluding: “One of our most important objectives this year is to expand our global reach. We hope that Interpack will bring us closer to this goal.” | 150 | Packaging Europe

viable solution, Yumbutter worked closely with Emerson to employ ultrasonic welding techniques that displaced the product from the seal area while quickly creating a strong bond. Using a Branson benchtop ultrasonic integrated welder, the company achieved the necessary weld integrity for its pouches and is now looking to expand its operations with a fully automated, customised packing solution from Emerson.

Branson ultrasonic technology also helped another company, Pocket Shot, overcome its production challenges by producing a sealing solution for the company’s single-serve plastic bottles of alcohol. Made from three laminated layers of plastic that simulate a bottle top with shoulder and cap, Pocket Shot’s bottle package featured a complicated geometry that was experiencing frequent leaks during high-speed production. After thorough analysis of the company’s requirements, Emerson created a contaminant-free seal capable of dispersing alcohol from the seal area and allowing the plastics to join without triggering the flashpoint of alcohol and impeding production. The new seal, produced by a Branson model ST 30 tube/pouch sealer, maintained its integrity during high-volume cycle times, enabling Pocket Shot to produce up to 35 packages per minute.

“Greater competition and scarcer resources are increasing pressure on manufacturers to minimize downtime, improve efficiency, reduce energy, and save material,” Collomb said. “Emerson’s packaging technologies like the ones on display at interpack 2017, coupled with our application expertise, can overcome these challenges.”

100% PEACE OF MIND IN A 12KG BAG Bostik launches Kizen™ for consumer goods packaging.

Your company is a leading manufacturer of food products.

You work hard to find the perfect recipe, one that is tasty and healthy for the consumer.

You put lots of effort into selecting quality raw materials from trustworthy suppliers and negotiate the best purchasing conditions.

Your creativity and communication skills concentrate into new user-friendly and appealing packaging.

You spend hours designing an efficient production process to guarantee the best quality and performance.

Not forgetting the energy and care you dedicate to maintain the equipment at its highest productivity level.

Are you familiar with packaging hotmelt glue? A low priority for you.

Unless of course you have had troubles on your packaging line…

Because packaging hotmelt glue should leave you trouble-free, Bostik presents KIZEN™.

Packaging Europe | 151 |

Since 2015 Bostik has belonged to Arkema, A specialty chemicals global major with 3 business segments – High Performance Materials, Industrial Specialties, and Coating Solutions – and globally recognized brands, the group reports annual sales of 7.5 billion euros. Buoyed by the collective energy of its 19,500 employees, Arkema operates in close to 50 countries.

Designer of materials and innovative solutions, Arkema shapes materials and creates new uses that accelerate customer performance in lightweight and design materials, biosourced materials, new energies, water management, solutions for electronics, and home performance and insulation.

Arkema ranked among TOP 100 GLOBAL INNOVATORS

by Thomson Reuters “A culture of innovation, closeness to customers and a willingness to continually adapt to a changing world are part of Arkema’s DNA.” Thierry Le Hénaff, CEO of Arkema

Number 3 worldwide in adhesives, Bostik employs some 5,000 people in 50 countries across five continents.

The company develops high performance and high value added bonding and sealing solutions for the industrial, non-woven, construction and consumer markets.

With applications ranging from packaging and food labelling to hygiene and transport, Bostik partners with industry leaders, to design ever smarter adhesives.

Over 500 researchers work on new generation adhesives.

Bostik allocates 3 per cent of its sales to research and runs three smart technology centres (France, China, United States), as well as eleven applied technology centres.

With a focus on centralized R&D and materials science, Bostik’s innovation strategy can be broken down into three distinct levels.

• Adhesives research and technology development Within the three smart technology centres, and often in collaboration with academic partners, Bostik research chemists and materials scientists explore the boundaries of our core technologies. These specialists develop functional materials, new polymer building blocks and adhesive bonding processes that are the base of the company’s present and future innovations.

• Product development and innovation Drawing on global technology know-how, Bostik product development teams, in each region, develop a constant stream of new smart adhesives to answer the needs of customers.

• Technical support Bostik applied technology centres are fitted with state-of-the-art pilot application equipment. They provide industrial customers with invaluable advice on adhesive bonding process optimization. Many Bostik customers benefit from these application and training facilities close to their locations.

Expertise in food packaging.

Worldwide pioneer in resealable fresh food packs with its M-Resins, Bostik centres its thoughts on the user.

A leading adhesive manufacturer in applications such as cardboard manufacturing and converting, flexible lamination and labels, Bostik is a recognized expert in food and consumer goods packaging.

With KIZEN™, its next generation hotmelt adhesive range for cardboard box & case sealing, Bostik offers Comfort to consumer goods manufacturers, and confirms the company’s ambition to set new standards in packaging adhesives. | 152 | Packaging Europe

“Our customers manufacture dairy products, pasta, cereals, biscuits, cosmetics or detergents. They are the best in their fields. The product packaging step including box & case sealing is what they call the End-of-Line. They expect this operation to run troublefree, like the rest of their production process: Lean.”

Pascal Peroni, Bostik Industrial Adhesives Marketing Director EMEA

“A look at the existing hotmelt adhesive landscape from the industrial user’s perspective, was the actual trigger for the Kizen™ R&D program.” Pascal Peroni says.

“Customers made it clear and simple: they need a glue that closes boxes in a faster, cleaner way, that allows full line automation, and that is compatible with their current equipment.”

Bostik researchers benefited from newly established synergies with Arkema.

They have leveraged the group’s unique expertise in polymers to develop the next generation of hotmelt glues for cardboard packaging.

Kizen™ is a water-white hotmelt adhesive, in the form of round and flat pellets.

Fed into the packaging line’s melting equipment either manually or with a vacuum system, thanks to its free-flowing properties, Kizen™ will generate clean adhesive beads and dots for reliable box closing, while allowing reduction in glue consumption.

Using Kizen™, equipment stays clean and running, avoiding the carbonization effect which can result in fumes and bad odours, costly nozzle clogging, and ultimately packaging line stops.

Kizen™ can be used on all equipment and does not require specific investment or heavy conversion.

Kizen™ is a full product range addressing all the specific constraints of consumer goods packaging: from deep-freeze environments to hot climates, very high-speed processes, the bonding of cardboard materials that are very difficult to adhere to, as well as low adhesive-melting temperatures for energy saving.

There is a Kizen™ for each industrial need.

Starting with Kizen™ FORCE, Bostik’s flagship product, which has been designed for difficult substrates.

Last but not least, Kizen™ range comes in easy to handle 12kg bags, to relieve the strain on operators’ backs, while 600kg super-sacks are available to feed fully automated lines.

In one word, comfort.

More information on www.bostik.com/kizen_packaging, or send an email to kizen.contact@bostik.com

Packaging Europe | 153 |

Dr. Evgeniy Ilin, Senior Researcher and Head of Polymer Division at OCSiAl.

ADDED VALUE FOR ESD COLOURED ROTOMOULDED THERMOPLASTICS Rotational moulding is one of the fastest growing fields in the plastics industry, increasing by about 10–20 per cent annually. Rotational moulding spans practically every market sector where plastic parts can be found, owing to the design and size versatility, the low cost of moulds, and the improved mechanical properties of rotomoulded products. A growing number of specific applications in storage tanks, industrial equipment, containers, automotive parts and materials handling require ESD protection. One of the driving forces of this market is the diversity of rotomoulding powders with advanced features for ESD protection. | 154 | Packaging Europe

UP

to now, most manufacturers leaned towards the use of conductive carbon black for ESD applications. However, when that additive is used at the high loadings required to achieve anti-static properties in polymers, it inevitably leads to degradation of mechanical properties and to the colour of the product having to be black. The most advanced additive that overcomes these obstacles and limitations is single wall carbon nanotubes, which have confirmed their dominant position and opened up new prospects with their unique balance of cleanliness, processability and electrical performance in nanotube-formulated compounds.

Yield, performance, conductivity and colour with TUBALL The advantages of single wall carbon nanotubes center around their exceptional conductivity-to-weight ratio (as conductive as copper, but 5 times lighter), their temperature stability (up to 1000°C) and their strength (100 times stronger than steel). The high ratio between their length and their mean outer diameter – around 5000 – leads to an extremely low percolation threshold: an interconnecting conductive network of nanotubes can be formed throughout the material matrix at extremely low concentrations, starting from just 0.01 per cent of the total weight. When embedded into a material’s matrix, nanotubes create a 3D reinforced and conductive network that imparts uniform properties to the host matrix. This ultra-low concentration has for example opened doors for manufacturers to use this opportunity to produce coloured anti-static polymers.

While these exceptional properties of single wall carbon nanotubes have been known for some time, their commercial application has been largely restricted by the absence of technology for producing them in sufficient industrial volumes at a cost-effective price.

However, in 2014 the high-tech company OCSiAl solved this issue and launched their TUBALL single wall carbon nanotubes on the market. TUBALL is an advanced additive

that has blazed a trail in different applications for manufacturers to use less raw material while producing more end products with significantly better performance at attractive cost. Combined with the availability of TUBALL-formulated masterbatches that simplify nanotube use, this disruptive technology is on the fast track to expand TUBALL applications across an array of industrial sectors.

Coloured reinforced ESD tanks When filling or emptying containers used for storing and transporting flammable and explosive liquids, or when carrying out a mixing within them, friction on the surface of the container can result in electric charges build-up, which is of course a concern from a safety point of view. This is why the industry uses metal or anti-static thermoplastic tanks.

While metallic tanks are indeed good conductors, they exhibit a number of negative characteristics, such as corrosion risk, heavy weight and limitations on design and size parameters. ESD thermoplastic tanks produced with the use of carbon black address most of these issues and bring great flexibility in design; however, they have other drawbacks, such as a detrimental influence on mechanical properties and result only in black coloured products.

PolyTeam, one of the leading Russian manufacturers of polyethylene products, is now using TUBALL to make the first-ever coloured and permanently anti-static polyethylene tanks, produced by a rotation moulding method. Dosage as low as 0.07 per cent of TUBALL enables to obtain blue-coloured polyethylene tanks with a uniform and permanent resistivity level of 3×106 Ω·cm, while a loading of 0.1 per cent of TUBALL would achieve a resistivity level of 2×106 Ω·cm. Even such low concentrations are enough to create a uniform 3D network while maintaining the mechanical strength of the tanks.

From a technical point of view, it is also relevant to note that the utilization of TUBALL

Anti-static mining signal light body with 0.3% of TUBALL single wall carbon nanotubes

Colored conductive PE and PVC with 0.1% of TUBALL single wall carbon nanotubes

Packaging Europe | 155 |

does not lead to any significant increases in viscosity or density of the host material and that, aside the tanks, a range of other types of rotomolded parts can now benefit from this new additive.

Unique balance of processability, performance and sustainability As well as developing off-the-shelf solutions for TUBALL’s utilization in various industries, OCSiAl is committed to reshaping cautious manufacturers’ perceptions regarding single wall carbon nanotubes, and to providing its clients and the global community with a more comprehensive understanding of TUBALL and its nature, as well as specifications on risk management. Well in advance of its clients raising any concerns, OCSiAl invests in expertise and remains in close collaboration with respected research institutes that are conducting a number of toxicological tests, nanomaterial handling simulations and waste management research. Currently, OCSiAl is the only SWCNT manufacturer that is registered in accordance with the EU-REACH regulations and is thus able to commercialise

| 156 | Packaging Europe

up to 10 tonnes of TUBALL annually in Europe. In 2017 it plans to apply for increasing the permitted volume up to 100 tonnes annually. TUBALL has been deemed to be compliant according to the definitions and restrictions given by the Restriction of Hazardous Substances (RoHS) Directive 2011/65/EU, and OCSiAl has filed a pre-manufacture notice (PMN) with the US EPA. OCSiAl’s market- and research-driven progress in the widening of TUBALL-formulated applications in thermoplastics produced with rotation moulding methods, together with increasing transparency of nanotube management, are sparking more interest from the industry. Substituting conventional conductive additives in thermoplastics with TUBALL achieves benefits in conductivity and colours, and adds significant value to the yield and performance of polymers.

Visit: www.ocsial.com Email Dr. Christian Maus, Development and Support Leader OCSiAl Group: europe@ocsial.com

Packaging Europe | 157 |

WORLD CLASS INNOVATION AND CUSTOMISED PACKAGING WITH ISPAK Ispak Ambalaj (Ispak) is a well-established and fast-growing Turkish packaging company. Building on 43 years of proven expertise, we offer integrated packaging production, from raw material sourcing and lacquering/lamination extrusion to printing/cutting and delivery of customised packaging products. We recently tripled our award-winning innovative product design and production capacity to 40.000 tons/year by opening a new advanced manufacturing and production facility in Izmit. Together, with our world class R&D team, we are ready for “Industry 4.0”!

I

ndustry 4.0 is all about the smart factory of the future and our new facility, with its state of the art solvent recovery plant offers the most up to date and innovative technology available in the industry. At Ispak, security, innovation and sustainability are our first considerations in packaging. We take the responsibility of protecting our customers, employees and the environment very seriously and are continuously working with our customers to produce safe, cost-effective and practical packaging.

Our distinctive track record demonstrates our commitment. We are proud members of a number of international industry associations and have been recognised for our high standards compliance. Most recently, we won the 2017 World Packaging Organisation (WPO) WorldStar Award and the 2017 Packaging Manufacturers Association (ASD) for one of our coffee capsule packaging products.

We have particular expertise in flexible packaging and have the ability to produce applications for chocolate products, sugar and confectionary, dairy products, beverages, dried food and snacks, medical and pharmaceutical packaging, toiletries, hygiene and pet food. We also design and produce tobacco and industrial packaging applications. As | 158 | Packaging Europe

part of the Kibar Group, Ispak has direct access to aluminium foil production from Assan Alüminyum (one of the leading flat-rolled aluminium producers in Europe).

Our team is the secret to Ispak’s success. We have a hard working innovative R&D team that ensures we are using the latest processes and technology in every aspect of our work. Our graphics department is well experienced in graphic design, cylinder production, digital media, 3D design and printing. In addition, our management and dynamic production team are trained in applicable regulations and procedures to help improve recycling and to promote the effective use of natural resources without damaging the environment and human health.

Ispak proudly serves many major companies in Turkey and across the world. Together, we are continuously working with our customers to understand their needs and expectations. High quality, sustainable, cost effective and easy to use packaging is at the core of our business.

For customised packaging, you can rely on Ispak.

Keeping our word since 1974.

Visit: www.ispak.com

Packaging Europe | 159 |

TUBE AND CORE

SOLUTIONS AT INTERPACK Thanks to its integrated facilities and specialised approach, leading tube and core solutions provider Sonoco Alcore continues to support its customers’ production and supply chain optimisation. Marketing manager Ozan Ozturk spoke to Packaging Europe magazine.

A

leading global provider of innovative packaging products and services, Sonoco enjoys annual sales of USD 5 billion and employs more than 21,000 people throughout the world. Sonoco Alcore is the Sonoco family’s tube and core solutions division (EMEA, Russia, Turkey), where it serves customers in the paper, film, man-made fibre yarn, metal and construction industries.

Sonoco Alcore’s marketing manager Ozan Ozturk told Packaging Europe magazine how the company’s approach helps it to stand out from the competition. “Our specialised approach is certainly an important part of our on-going success. Sonoco Alcore is divided into strategic segments so that we are best able to meet the very

| 160 | Packaging Europe

specific needs of each area. We have dedicated segments for textile cores, paper mill cores and film cores, with our most recent addition being our metallan segment, which is focused on delivering cores for various metal applications.”

Tubes in tune The film cores segment of Sonoco Alcore is particularly in tune with the demands of packaging customers. Providing the leading cores in the industry, this segment uses the very latest testing technologies to ensure that customers get the optimal core for their needs. Ozturk explained, “Our film cores segment is well

suited to the flexible packaging industry; the cores are designed specifically to manage the stresses and pressures experienced during winding, handling, storage and unwinding of various film types including PE, PPE, BOPP, polyester and PVC. We know that one of the biggest issues for the film industry is core crushing, so we use the latest technology, such as radial crush, which reduces machine downtime and cuts waste and cost for customers.”

The technically advanced approach of Sonoco Alcore’s film cores segment is equally evident across its various segments. The company’s focus on technology and the complementary engineering means that its sophisticated understanding of customers’ needs is reflected in its products and services. Ozturk added, “Our cores are engineered to the precise requirements of our customers, with our innovative solutions perfectly designed and manufactured to help improve their production and supply chain. Our technical services team is highly experienced in utilising unique methods and our state-of-the-art testing equipment so that our customers’ production processes are totally optimised, ensuring that our engineered tubes and cores deliver the best possible results time and time again.”

Alongside the radial crush testing, Sonoco Alcore also offers dynamic strength testing, critical speed evaluation and torque resistant evaluation for the paper industry. Its trade-marked Intellicore Roll Identification is available for all markets and offers a valuable RFID-based smart packaging tracking service.

Present across Europe

Turkish markets proving particularly successful, the company has strong capabilities within Europe and in many countries worldwide.

An important aspect of Sonoco Alcore’s optimisation focus for customers is its totally integrated approach. With five strategically located paper mills across Europe, it has the proven ability to deliver a complete service under the Sonoco umbrella. Ozturk explained, “Our own paper mills allow us to provide the exact customised paper grade that is required for each application. By producing our own raw materials in accordance with what our customers need, we have a considerable advantage. By working closely with our own mills, we know that we have the specific board we need. We produce a range of brown board grades from low-end chipboard to high grades, ensuring that we offer the required grade, thickness and density factor for each customers’ application. We use customisable standardised processes to ensure consistent board quality.”

With the optimised focus of Sonoco Alcore present in every element of the company’s activity, its participation at the upcoming interpack exhibition is a great opportunity to meet with new and existing customers. At the Sonoco Alcore stand there will be further information on the Intellicore RFID roll tracking system, amongst others. Ozturk said, “We will be presenting a number of our optimised tube and core solutions at interpack and we welcome the chance to talk with visitors that would like to know more about how Sonoco Alcore can support the improvement of their production processes and supply chain.”

Sonoco Alcore’s broad footprint sees it supply customers in over 65 countries throughout Europe, the Middle East and Africa. With the EMEA, Russian and

Visit: www.sonocoalcore.com

Packaging Europe | 161 |

| 162 | Packaging Europe

FUTURE INDUSTRY INSIGHTS FROM THE SPEAKERS AT THE PACKAGED SUMMIT Ahead of ‘Packaged. The 6th Global Summit’, some of the speakers took part in interviews. Here’s what they had to say about materials innovation, sustainability and their daily challenges.

Santanu Chowdhury Senior General Manager, Packaging Development Sun Pharmaceuticals

Q. Where is the sweet spot between the design and technical elements of packaging? How should the two sides of the coin be working together to create a truly great product that speaks to the customer?

Design and Technical elements cannot run in parallel; they have to intersect at some point and that’s where our result lies. While designing a product we must consider the multitude of technical and economic constraints. While for design creation there are no boundaries, technology also always has a scope of advancement. We thus need to work out what best limits can be achieved with amalgamation of both.

Q. What is the most important piece of technology in your role?

Technology that can help improved compliance & ease in dispensing.

Q. What are your three biggest challenges on a daily basis?

• •

•

To achieve innovation without impacting product GC Project management – To align different stakeholders along with vendors for timely product launches To replace traditional packaging

Q. What do you foresee as being the biggest game changers in your industry over the next 5–10 years?

• Sensory marketing (Marketing techniques that aim to seduce the consumer by using senses to influence feelings and behaviour) • The digital transformation of the packaging industry Carlo Rottuno Group Head of R&D – Packaging Nomad Foods, Europe

Q. At the Summit you’ll be discussing how to increase the perceived value of products through packaging. Can you give us a few insights into some of the issues you’ll be covering in your session?

There are four key points I will touch on: • Value for money – what are the cost efficient packaging solutions in frozen food • Convenience – how to make consumers more aware of convenience driven through packaging solutions • Consumer Perspective – frozen food has a perception among consumers of not being fresh and full of additives, so I will look at how we can re-establish the ‘fresher than fresh’ perception of frozen food through packaging • Merchandising – how we can leverage merchandising to change the landscape of the frozen food shelf

Q. What role do packaging material innovations have in driving business growth?

They have a key role. My obsession is with addressing consumer needs – we have such tight margins that we can’t accept changing our packaging without addressing the consumer needs.

Q. What are your three biggest challenges on a daily basis?

•

• •

Influencing business partners about the value of packaging innovation, to put it at the top of their mind Making partners obsessed with print quality designs Energise and keep my team focused on packaging innovation

Shira Rosen Packaging Development Manager Strauss Group

Q. In your talk at the Summit you’ll cover the topic of combining physical and digital communication through packaging. Can you give us a few insights into some of the issues you’ll discuss?

I’ll be talking about the changing needs of generation Z and how we can fit to their needs by combining between packaging and the digital world. Today the digital and the physical are two separate platforms, and there is a big opportunity to combine the two worlds. The combination is an opportunity to create a stronger engagement with our customer.

Q. What role do packaging material innovations play in driving business growth?

Packaging must continue with its most important role, which is to protect and sell the product, but it’s time to widen its role also as a platform for interactive conversation with the consumer. Our consumers are looking for extra benefits, and we can provide these through smart packaging and the internet of packaging, for example.

Q. Where is the sweet spot between the design and technical elements of packaging? How should the two sides of the coin be working together to create a truly great product that speaks to the customer?

The design and technical elements should be developed in synchronisation. There are a lot of special effects that can be reached through the material and technology.

Different colours and materials give practical feelings, and even sometimes you can add another element such as smell which can give a 360-degree experience by utilising all our senses. The combination of the shape and the functionality is also important in the design of the product.

Contact: Email: mabconferences@markallengroup.com Telephone: +44 (0)20 7738 5454 Website: www.packagedsummit.com

Packaging Europe | 163 |

Sukano is continuously looking for ways to improve the look and feel of end products without compromising stringent light barrier requirements for packaged goods. Expertise in surface gloss management allied to light barriers for PET bottles and BOPET films combines customised functionality levels and attractive packaging aesthetics.

WORLD LEADER IN PET AND BOPET APPLICATIONS S

ukano is a world leader in the development and production of additive and colour masterbatches for polyester and specialty resins. The company aligns its knowhow and expertise in ultimate light barrier technologies to produce customised, fit-for-use masterbatches to protect packaged good contents from UV and visual spectrum wavelength light degradation.

Light protection is a must-have feature for nearly all processors of transparent PET bottles – especially those made to hold light-sensitive ingredients such as vitamins, certain proteins, medications, or food and beverage natural ingredient enhancers.

The challenge has always been how to successfully balance cost-in-use without sacrificing final product integrity – all while keeping the best possible aesthetics and packaging communication for consumers. Achieving this delicate balance is something Sukano’s analytical laboratory equipment can help solve by tailoring and designing custom solutions.

Functionality linked to aesthetics Another creative possibility Sukano´s experts have just recently launched: using its latest matting agent additive masterbatches for biaxially-oriented polyethylene terephthalate (BOPET) flexible packaging applications and polyethylene terephthalate (PET) rigid packaging bottles to enable total gloss control. This allows producers to fully manage the desired final product appearance.

Sukano’s extensive matting and UV performance masterbatches know how allows customers to produce packaging with a sophisticated look and feel at affordable let down ratios – yet still protect the packaged goods from the harmful effects of UV radiation.

By enabling total gloss control of the final product’s appearance, designers finally have total creative freedom with regard to gloss, matte including UV protection to package their end products.

For PET rigid packaging, Sukano’s also offers new additions to its matting agent and UV masterbatches portfolio. These enable converters to provide high-performance PET bottles with a polyolefin-like low gloss visual look, while retaining all of the performance and features of PET-based packaging. | 164 | Packaging Europe

Meanwhile, for BOPET film applications, Sukano’s experts have developed a new formula of matting agent that makes uncoated BOPET films appear very similar to coated flexible packaging, in terms of visual aesthetics and low gloss effect. This new innovative matting agent masterbatch enables customers to finally consider coating replacement.

Sukano has in-house specialists dedicated to each specific functional masterbatch formulations and applications in PET. They are well equipped with UV-vis/ NIR equipment, including integrated spheres, which enable them to customise each masterbatch formulation to a specific packaging shelf life requirement.

All formulated products come with certified and validated technical data. This allows customers to pre-select a starting point, providing both improved accuracy and speed to market.

“Sukano is seeing very rapid and sustainable growth globally. In response to the increased demand for its products and services, significant investments were made in the past year and the results are now readily available for joint development of new projects and products launched with our customers. This includes a Karo IV stretching machine from Brückner, a multilayer coextrusion flat film line from Dr Collin, a new Dart Impact tester – and last but certainly not least our state of the art UV-vis/NIR equipment. Altogether, this is a comprehensive upgrade of our inhouse analytical lab, as well as our pilot plant,” reinforces Michael Kirch, global head of the R&D Centre, based in Switzerland.

“As a result, the company is now also able to produce multilayered films, as well as orient monoaxial and biaxial films in-house for customers worldwide. We can also test and validate all our specialty additives performance claims in real-time and in real applications. This unique offering from Sukano will drastically shorten development times and speed up time to market for customers, while reducing development costs,” complements Alessandra Funcia, head of marketing.

Sukano´s expertise plays a decisive role, and PET bottles producers looking to develop products with great added value are making it their priority to partner with Sukano. n

Visit: www.sukano.com

Packaging Europe | 165 |

BIO-BASED FUTURE With increasing focus on environmentally friendly solutions across all industries, there are several interesting opportunities to be explored in the packaging sector. Romana Moares spoke to Dr. Michael Thielen, the founder and managing director of bioplastics MAGAZINE, the organiser of the bio!PAC 2017 conference, about bio-based plastics and their increasing packaging potential.

b

ioplastics MAGAZINE is the only special interest magazine specifically dedicated to bioplastics, namely plastics from renewable sources and biodegradable plastics.

Established in 2006, the magazine aims at providing sector-specific information and educating its growing global readership on new research in bioplastics, market surveys and data from industrial associations and politicians alike. In cooperation with Green Serendipity, the magazine now organises the second bio!PAC conference on packaging made from bio-based materials, i.e. from renewable resources, with experts from all areas of bio-based materials presenting their latest developments. The conference will not only cover bio-based materials and application examples from suppliers and brand owners: different disposal options (end-of-life scenarios) will also be discussed, alongside the availability of agricultural land for material use versus food and feed.

Bio-based versus bio-degradable “The aim of the conference is to inform the packaging industry that alternatives from renewable resources are available,” stresses Michael Thielen. “That is why we are organising bio!PAC in parallel with interpack this time. Packaging does not necessarily have to

| 166 | Packaging Europe

be made from petroleum-based plastics. Petroleum resources are limited, its price will eventually rise again and we all know that incinerating petroleum-based products creates green house gases. Bio-based products could be the solution to all of these problems.”

He further explains the common misunderstanding of bio-based versus bio-degradable. Not all bio-based materials are bio-degradable as well – the focus with bio-based plastics is on the use of renewable materials rather than the end of the product life. “Of course we also support bio-degradability but only where it provides added value, for example in agriculture. In packaging, the aspect of bio-degradability has limited value – at least in certain countries. The use of bio-based materials, such as bio-based polyethylene, bio PET and bio PEF is of far greater importance,” he says.

Growing potential While a lot of packaging companies appreciate the new alternatives and agree on the need to reduce greenhouse gases, the full potential of bio-based plastics is yet to be exploited.

Some are not convinced that the new materials will have the same, proven mechanical and thermal properties, while others are worried about higher cost.

Packaging Europe | 167 |

However, Michael Thielen is convinced that the interest in using bio-based plastics for packaging is on the rise globally. “I can imagine that industries producing more expensive goods, such as pharmaceuticals or cosmetics, where the cost of packaging represents a smaller percentage of overall cost than, say, mineral waters, will look at this option more readily. However, the use of bio-based packaging is increasing overall,” he says. He adds that this is precisely the area where his magazine can make a difference – informing the industry of the advantages of bio-based materials by means of newsletters, B2B communication and conferences like bio!PAC2017.

There are examples of companies that are already focusing on the bio-based alternative: Coca Cola is working on a solution for 100 per cent bio-based bottles, Ikea announced that by 2020 all of its packaging will be either recycled or bio-based and, most recently, multi-national food company Danone has teamed up with the bottled water division of the Nestlé Group and a Californian start-up company to launch a new alliance aimed at commercialising 100 per cent bio-based plastic bottles made from non-food crops.

Food or bioplastics?

In this respect, Mr Thielen points out that consensus is yet to be reached on whether the same crops should be used for making food as well as bioplastics and on whether bio-mass should be used for materials as opposed to energy generation only. “Contrary to biofuels, there are currently no strong, comprehensive policy frameworks in place to support bio-based materials (such as mandatory targets, tax incentives, etc.). As a result, these products are hindered by a lack of a stable raw material supply as well as low investment security. There is still a lot to be done to increase the awareness that using biomass for making bio-based materials is just as important as for making energy,” he says.

Similar debate is still open on whether the same crops should be used for bio-based plastics as for food. Mr Thielen supports the argument that differentiating the end result is not justified. “In the end, it is the question of availability of land. From the total available arable land on this planet, bioplastics today use less than 0.02 per cent. On the other hand, 30 per cent of total arable land is used for producing food that is wasted. I believe

| 168 | Packaging Europe

it makes sense to make bioplastics from the most effective part of the plant, which is in many cases the same part used for animal and human food, and use less land, than use non-edible, the least effective parts, which would require larger areas of land,” he points out. “This is not about agricultural waste streams”, he adds, “which of course is a very good approach.”

Whatever side of the argument one may be on, the fact remains that bioplastics is the material of the future. According to the latest market data compiled by various surveys, global production capacity of bioplastics is predicted to grow by 50 per cent in the medium term, from around 4.2 million tonnes in 2016 to approximately 6.1 million tonnes in 2021. Packaging remains the largest field of application and, supported by events like bio!PAC2017, it is a safe bet to predict that the use of bioplastics in this sector will further increase.

Visit: www.bio-pac.info

EFFICIENT AND SUSTAINABLE Rexnord, a well-established market leader, offers complete conveyor solutions to a variety of sectors. With its Engineered Sustainability – a product program that guarantees optimum product handling while improving safety, increasing productivity and enabling water reduction and energy savings – the company is striving to meet its customers’ needs in the increasingly challenging packaging environment.

H

eadquartered in Milwaukee, Wisconsin (USA), Rexnord is a leading worldwide industrial company comprised of two strategic platforms: Process & Motion Control (PMC) and Water Management (WM), with approximately 7400 employees globally.

The Process & Motion Control portfolio includes motion control products, shaft management products, aerospace components, and related value-added services, sold into a diverse group of markets, including Food & Beverage, aerospace, mining, petrochemical, energy and power generation, cement and aggregates, forest and wood products, agriculture, and general industrial and automation applications.

Engineered sustainability In the past few years, focus on environment and savings increased across all industry sectors, driving innovative solutions meeting new challenges and satisfying sophisticated

customers’ needs. Paul van der Meer, the Global Product Manager for FlatTop chains within the Rexnord Power Transmission division, explains that these market trends have been reflected in the company’s latest product offerings. For several years, Rexnord has been developing a new concept – Engineered Sustainability – a product program designed to provide not only reliable products but system solutions that help customers meet their environmental targets.

The product range of his division includes tabletop conveying chain and related system accessories. The chains and conveyor components are primarily sold to the food and beverage processing and packaging, consumer products, warehousing and distribution, automotive, and parts processing industries.

“Our conveying products help customers to reach their goals on sustainability. The products support our customers’ goals and have been developed and manufactured in line with what our customers need,” he says, explaining that Engineered Sustainability is Packaging Europe | 169 |

based on four pillars – maximise operators’ safety, minimise water consumption, optimised productivity and save energy.

“Safety is of utmost importance in any industrial operation,” Paul van der Meer continues. “Our Engineered Sustainability product program helps customers improve conveyor system safety with products that require no external lubrication, feature closed chain surfaces and minimize noise levels,” he explains. The product program also reduces or completely eliminates external lubrication and additional wastewater collecting on the equipment, with products that are suitable for ‘dry running’ at high-speeds. The state-of-the-art material combinations used in the conveyor system help to provide the lowest friction at a constant

| 170 | Packaging Europe

level, resulting in direct energy saving on each conveyor. By using these new designs and materials for the chains and components, Rexnord’s Engineered Sustainability product program also helps customers to upgrade the conveyors to increase productivity.

Innovative solutions The Engineered Sustainability line includes for example the Rexnord® ZeroGap™ Multiflex Chain with a patented top plate design, allowing for tight side-flexing with no gap opening on its surface. This enhances product performance resulting in less tippage, reduced debris trapping and improved safety.

Rexnord will present some of its latest solutions at interpack 2017, so that existing and new customers may get a first-hand experience of their innovative features. The display will include the Dry-PT™ TableTop® and MatTop® Chains, proven to be the first plastic chain material to provide the required low friction against PET on a constant level over time, where other plastic chain materials always show a permanent increase of friction level after hours of running. Another product to be seen is the Rexnord 1005 XLBP Series MatTop – ideal for pack conveyors that require a low backline pressure. “This design sets a new standard for the beverage industry,” says Paul van der Meer.

“The concept of Engineered Sustainability underpins all products that we will show at Interpack. As mentioned before, sustainability has been reflected in some of the new materials we use – for example, the Rexnord PSX® material has been developed for highspeed conveying of glass bottles, and cans in conditions where minimal or no external lubrication is present,” he explains.

suppliers of metal conveying and engineered woven metal solutions, primarily used in food processing end markets, as well as in architectural, packaging and filtration applications. The acquisition aligns with Rexnord strategy to expand in consumer-driven end markets, significantly extending its portfolio of food and beverage conveying solutions. “interpack is an excellent opportunity for demonstrating our innovative products. It is also a good opportunity to listen to customers and to resolve any issues they may have with their conveyor systems, perhaps helping them, with our team of design engineers, to select the optimum products for their needs. I would like to invite everyone to our booth – they will be able to experience the benefits of our solutions in practice,” concludes Paul van der Meer.

Visit: www.rexnord.com

In line with latest trends The emphasis on sustainability, energy saving and product line optimisation is increasing throughout the industry and that Rexnord will further develop growth in line with this demand. “The trend also shows a growing variety of packaging types in single conveyor lines and this is something which we also address, so that we can provide conveyor solutions that can handle this variety of multiple packaging sizes easily and smoothly,” Paul van der Meer says.

He confirms that in the coming years, Rexnord is ready to increase its share in its established markets but also expand to niche markets where opportunities may arise for its kind of conveyor applications. This expansion will be supported by Rexnord’s latest acquisition of Cambridge International Holdings Corp in 2016, one of the world’s largest Packaging Europe | 171 |

Jar handling

Testing a robotic solution

Robotic pick & place of packaged meat

WE HANDLE IT

Dutch handling specialist Lan Handling Technologies is proud to present its system integration technology for robotic systems to an ever-increasing global audience. Emma-Jane Batey spoke to managing director Kees van de Wiel to learn more.

L

ocated in the Netherlands, Lan Handling Technologies specialises in the design, construction, assembly and installation of handling systems. Following the merger of two respected Dutch companies (LAN Handling Systems in Tilburg and Abar Automation in Halfweg), the system integrator for robotic systems is part of the Hydratec Industries group.

Lan Handling Technologies offers customised, turnkey handling solutions that are based on standardised concepts, with its focus on the food, pharmaceutical and hatchery industries worldwide. Managing director Kees van de Wiel told Packaging Europe, “We have three key areas of operation; sterilised packaged product handling, end of line automation and hatchery automation. In all of these areas, we create specialised solutions for each customer using our expertise and established standard solutions as a base. We pay great attention to our customers businesses in order to completely understand the specific solution they require and to ensure that what we make perfectly meets their needs.”

Robotic pouch handling

| 172 | Packaging Europe

Broad experience Since 1970, the sterilised product handling solutions offered by Lan Handling Technologies have answered the particular issues of the industries requiring sterilisation. Mr Van de Wiel explained, “We have specialised in systems for the handling of packaged products in sterilisation processes for over four decades. Some of the machines we have built in those first years are still in action today. Our expertise is not limited to a specific type of product packaging. We have experience in building machines for any type of product packaging found in the food and pharmaceutical industries. We closely follow market trends to anticipate new developments and have the most suitable technologies available.

We are proud to be the industry leader in robotic pouch handling and work with many of the leading FMCG brands.”

Within the sterilised product handling field, Lan offers a range of techniques and solutions, including robot handling, conventional handling, transport & shuttle,

Can handling

Semi-rigid packaging handling

system software, track & trace and product packaging. The company also offers suitable support across these services. Mr Van de Wiel noted, “Over the years of working with many leading brands, their high expectations have positively influenced our levels of craftsmanship and the high standards to which we develop our handling solutions today.”

In end of line automation, the Lan offer sees the design and construction of solutions for the food processing and packing industry. The company has proven solutions for a range of applications, including the automation of bagged or netted products, heat sealed stretch-wrapped or flow-wrapped trays as well as the automation of ‘naked’ products such as meat or fish. Mr Van de Wiel added, “We supply modular equipment in the form of case packers, crate de-stackers and bale arm folders. Customers know they can ask us for complete integrated automation solutions as we use our own equipment and work together with suitable suppliers to deliver a total package.”

SetterTrayTransfer

require minimal maintenance, as well as being fully integrated with our automated data management software to further optimise hatchability and process planning, monitoring and control.”

Interpack excitement

The hatchery automation solutions on offer from Lan include both chick counting systems and setter trolley loaders. Working in partnership with its sister company Pas Reform, a well known market leader in integrated incubation, climate control and hatchery automation solutions, it has developed a complete range of automated solutions that have been designed to meet the specific demands of this dynamic and growing sector. Mr Van de Wiel said, “Our solutions are built to last, easy to clean and only

This year marks an important development for Lan Handling Technologies as it is the first time the company will be participating at Interpack. Mr Van de Wiel told Packaging Europe why and how it has chosen this show. He said, “Interpack is a massive show, with an awful lot of international visitors, so it is the perfect opportunity for us to present ourselves and our automation handling solutions. We are big and an established company in the field of handling solutions with a well-respected loyal customer base. That will be our main message at Interpack. We expect to meet with end users, potential customers and our partners – we’re certainly looking forward to speaking with people we can have a synergy with. It’s also going to be a great opportunity to meet with potential employees; we have a wonderful workforce of highly experienced engineers and we’re expanding.”

Interpack is also an opportunity for Lan to present its various robotic solutions, as well as details on its new Dutch facilities that are set to open in November 2018. Mr Van de Wiel concluded, “Working with us is hassle free, and Interpack will provide a new way for us to share this smart way of working with a wider audience. We take care of everything and we go for it! We focus on turnkey solutions; the total cost of ownership with Lan is exceptional.”

Visit: www.lanhandling.com

Lan technician, Wout Lankhaar, in action

Kees van de Wiel, Managing Director

Tailored solutions

Packaging Europe | 173 |

READY FOR THE FUTURE Since its foundation in 1981, Intertape Polymer Group has grown to become one of the leading packaging and Industrial tape providers in the United States.

Specialising in tapes, films and machinery, IPG is uniquely positioned to service the changing needs of a host of industrial clients with specific needs. Elisabeth Skoda speaks to James Apap Bologna, the company’s VP for marketing and corporate communications, to find out more.

I

PG is a key player in the development, manufacture and sale of a variety of paper and film based pressure sensitive and water activated tapes, polyethylene and specialised polyolefin films, and complementary packaging systems for industrial and retail use.

Its broadness and diversity make the company stand out.

“IPG is the only company capable of servicing the market with hotmelt, acrylic, natural rubber and gum tapes together with stretch films and shrink films. The company also offers a range of flap folding and carton sealing machines. In the area of industrial tapes, IPG offers masking tapes, duct tapes, filament tapes and double coated tapes. This allows IPG to hone in on its customer’s unique needs and to truly solve the ‘end of the line’ packaging requirements of its changing industrial base,” Mr Apap Bologna says.

Ahead of the competition IPG’s focus has always been on solving the unique needs of its customers. “IPG places itself at the forefront by thinking outside the box. By gearing up its offering to address the needs of its customers, IPG assembles customisable solutions like no other supplier,” Mr Apap Bologna explains.

He uses a solution for the fast-growing electronic fulfilment industry as an example: “IPG has patented technology with ‘Auto H2O’, a semi-automatic water activated (gum) taping machine designed to deliver automation and secure packaging where it is needed. Couple that with IPG’s ability to custom print water activated tape to the customer’s delight, together with being able to deliver modular solutions with a host of table top gum taping machines under its world renowned Better Packages brand, and it’s clear that IPG stands head and shoulders above its competition in delivering a ‘Better Package’ to this industry.” | 174 | Packaging Europe

Innovations at interpack 2017 IPG is looking forward to harness the exciting prospects the European markets are offering and will be exhibiting at interpack as the parent company to Powerband, and will showcase Better Packages in partnership with Hade.

“At the Powerband stand there is activity around two distinct messages: IPG’s ability to service packaging needs tied acrylic and hotmelt tapes in conjunction with IPG’s Portugalbased Fibope SA’s production of technical shrink films,” Mr Apap Bologna points out.

At the Hade stand, the company’s offering will include an entire range of performance water activated (gum) tapes.

“IPG is uniquely positioned to custom print branding on its gum tape which reduces the customers cost of operation, and delivers brand equity to every doorstep. This function adds to the customer experience and inspires repeat purchases. IPG’s Better Packages brand will be prominently displayed at the Hade stand, featuring both manual and electric water activated tape dispensers which are built to last and designed for ease of use to ensure productivity and fulfilment continuity,” he adds.

He sees great opportunities for the packaging industry to flourish in the coming years.

“It’s an exciting time to be in the packaging industry. The manufacturing industry in the Western world is showing signs of renewal. Robotics are going to play a more prominent role in the packaging process. Manufacturing will come back faster, smarter, stronger, and automation will be key. There are big opportunities for innovators, and our business will hopefully grow in step with the evolution that we see in other types of packaging. There is symbiotic relationship between product development, packaging development and n ultimately the end of line solution that IPG provides,” he concludes.

Visit: www.itape.com

LEADING THE WAY OF FLEXIBLE PACKAGING We are ‘Packaging for Life’

E

lif ’s flexible packaging solutions reaches millions of people all around the world every day, helping to create a happier and healthier life. Elif believes that its business is ‘Packaging for Life’ and works relentlessly to create value in a spirit of leadership, through diversity and integrity and with a clear awareness of its responsibility.

Innovation for Life Elif is committed to creating flexible packaging solutions tailored to match the consumer trends of today and tomorrow. Through collaboration and strategic partnership, Elif develops high performance products fulfilling the unique needs of its customers and provides packaging solutions for better and more sustainable business results. Elif ’s the latest packaging innovations and technologies allow brand owners even better, faster service and wide range of packaging features contributing to reach their business targets.

Through its innovation oriented B2B2C approach, Elif aims to offer optimum solutions for its sustainability framework. Parallel to this approach, Elif will continue to develop innovative solutions and produce ‘Packaging for Life’. ElifHybr, ElifHolo, ElifCare and ElifFine are the most recent innovative flexible packaging solutions launched by Elif.

‘ElifHybr’: Changing the printing game ElifHybr is the hybrid printing technology of Elif using a combination of different ink transfer systems with electron beam curing and ElifHepta color system. ElifHybr offers elegant printing results and cost efficient solutions, especially in short runs.

• • • • • • • • • •

Very sharp, high quality colours and print results Cost efficient printing operation for especially in short runs Completely solvent-free green technology No need for hot air in drying process Much lower carbon footprint Considerably less ink consumption No migration potential for food products Faster pre-press preparation and set-up Excellent print/ink abrasion and chemical resistance properties High register accuracy throughout the print run

‘ElifHolo’: A cost effective solution for differentiation on shelf and anti-counterfeiting

• No emission of VOCs • Cost saver respect traditional holography solutions • Applicable to all type of packaging solutions including food & pharma

‘ElifFine’: A new tactile experience of natural touch Elif ’s new packaging solution, ElifFine, is a natural material based, environmental friendly product. ElifFine provides stiffness, high strength and tear resistance, offers barrier properties against humidity and gas, and presents a natural texture with the folding property of paper due to its unique formulation. Having a light structure due to its mineral filling and lamination-free barrier properties, ElifFine does not contain any solvent-based bonding chemicals and it is easily recyclable compared with traditional laminated films.

• • • • • • •

Offers tactile experience of natural touch without destruction of forests Combines vapour and oxygen barrier of plastics with dead fold of paper Applicable for wrapping food, personal and home care products Non-laminated eco alternative to standard laminated packaging materials Light-weighted due to mineral fill and elimination of traditional barrier layers Enables consumers to recycle, unlike traditional laminated films Provides high stiffness, high maximum force and high tear resistance

‘ElifCare’: Bio-degradability with unlimited shelf life ElifCare is differentiated from other eco-friendly packaging solutions, with its unlimited shelf-life eliminating inconvenient problems during the manufacture, use and disposal of the package. ElifCare has stable optical and mechanical properties and is suitable for all packaging purposes, both printed and unprinted. A well-designed packaging solution, ElifCare brings significant benefits for brand owners by reducing the environmental impact and ecological footprint of the brand.

• • • • • • •

100% Bio-degradable and compostable Offers unlimited shelf-life Wide range of uses for all printed and unprinted flexible packaging solutions No change in optical and mechanical properties of the material Standard test methods can be applied No heavy metal residue left in soil Hygienic and ideal for food & beverage packaging

The increase in commercial counterfeiting is a risk for all brands threatening brand image as well as damaging brand loyalty and revenue. Hence proper holographic packaging on consumer goods serves as an important weapon for brand protection.

Elif’s new technology makes it possible to create three dimensional and holographic printing effects to provide distinctive packages with high visual impact and incorporating anti-counterfeiting features. While ElifHolo offers a stimulating visual experience for consumers, it also provides brand authentication against counterfeiting.

• • • • • •

Holography, 3D and cold foil effects Strong solution against anti-counterfeiting No need for lamination with metal substrate to create holographic effects Metal substrate free No effect on recyclability of the package or product Completely green process Packaging Europe | 175 |

FURTHER EXPANSION PLANS

FOR ASSAN ALÜMINYUM The largest flat-rolled aluminium producer in Turkey, Assan Alüminyum, a subsidiary of Kibar Holding, is planning to grow over the short and medium term through remarkable new in-vestments.

I

mportant investment projects, as a part of the planned expansion of Assan Alüminyum, include the casting and foil rolling capacity increases. The company plans to start production on its two new casting lines and a state-of-the-art universal foil mill by the end of this year. Göksal Güngör, the General Manager of Assan Alüminyum, notes: “With its excellent barrier properties, formability and lightness, aluminium is a very resource-efficient material for packaging. Therefore, we firmly believe that aluminium will hold a special place among packaging materials in the future of the industry. Ultimately we are very determined to grow further in this sector. Our technological know-how and our pioneering position in the aluminium foil market will allow us to focus more on high value-added flexible packaging products. With our new investments in our existing facilities, we are aiming to reach an installed annual aluminium foil production capacity of more than 110,000 tonnes within a few years. As our core brand values are flexibility, innovation and reliability, we feel that our business approach is a perfect fit to provide customised solutions for our business partners in the packaging industry.”

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

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

| 176 | Packaging Europe

With this perspective, the company has also acquired an aluminium recycling facility a few years ago and continues to implement several energy-saving measures with new projects every year, in order to reduce the overall carbon footprint.

Assan Alüminyum has further, larger-scale investment plans as well. The most important one is the establishment of the first modern and high-width aluminium hot rolling facility in Turkey. This facility would aim to produce semi-finished goods for a wide range of industries, such as flexible packaging, aerospace, defense, aviation and transportation. The company is aiming to gain significant improvements in competitiveness by producing more high value-added products and to play a key role in the advancement of its targeted strategic industries.

In summary, Göksal Güngör describes all of the company’s plans as follows: “Today Assan Alüminyum is one of the leading European flat-rolled aluminium producers and has a very good reputation, which is certified by the supplier of the year awards given to us by a significant number of our customers. We sell the majority of our products to more than 70 countries around the world, mainly to western European countries. We are currently ranked as the 40th largest industrial company in Turkey, according to the statistics of the Istanbul Chamber of Commerce, and we are the third largest aluminium foil producer in Europe. We are on track to increase our annual production capacity to 300,000 tonnes at the end of this year to become one of the key players in the flat-rolled aluminium market in Europe, thanks to the teamwork of our more than 1300 highly qualified and motivated employees.”

Visit: www.assanaluminyum.com

Packaging Europe | 177 |

NEW HORIZONS Langen Group is one of the world’s most innovative suppliers of secondary packaging and product handling equipment. For the past 20 years, it has been a member of the Packaging Division of Molins PLC, an international specialist technology and services group. Alongside introducing new products for the packaging sector, the group is now changing its structure and brand name to Molins Langen to further enhance growth and strengthen its position in global markets. Romana Moares reports.

| 178 | Packaging Europe

T

he Langen Group has over 60 years of experience in the fast moving consumer goods machinery markets. The business has a wealth of experience in the supply of highly automated product handling, cartoning and robotic end-of-line machinery and systems. It operates internationally and provides packaging solutions to renowned multinational organisations as well as more regionally based customers.

Global synergy Langen Group has deep roots in both Canada and the Netherlands, with a heritage of excellence that goes back more than 60 years. The company has evolved into a leading provider of advanced packaging equipment and packaging integration and a highly innovative supplier of secondary packaging and product handling equipment. Its product range, broadly divided into infeed systems, cartoning machines, case packing and palletising equipment, is supplied to a variety of industries but predominantly to the food and beverage sector.

The group’s sales manager, Mr Frank Jeurissen, explains that the last few months have been a time of fundamental organisational change: “While the Langen Group and Molins have been working together for several decades under a single umbrella, a strategic decision has been made to re-brand our company as Molins Langen. This is how we will now present ourselves to the marketplace, with a view to further strengthening our global position and boosting sales and growth. Bringing the two companies together as Molins Langen in a single, global organisation will immediately result in a much larger team of experts, jointly covering the whole market, as well as the consolidation of sales expertise.”

The group has a number of production plants in the Netherlands, Brazil, the UK, Canada and the Czech Republic, , production capacity has been increased. “We have expanded the facility in he Netherlands by one quarter of floor space recently. Also, the plant in the Czech Republic is growing. By combining the resources of all plants we have more capacity as a group,” says Frank Jeurissen.

At the forefront Langen has developed a range of equipment suited to the secondary packaging needs of its customers. Its infeed & collation equipment offers a wide range of systems used to collect products from primary packaging equipment, collate those products, and feed them into the cartoning equipment – the heart of the company’s business. From high quality manual load to high speed fully automated cartoning equipment, the company offers

packaging solutions that could range from 21000 luxury bottles per hour of spirits or even more than 2000 stick packs per minute. Last but not least come the case packing and palletising machines, including fully automated case packers and palletising equipment for complex product handling.

Langen also delivers true integration excellence, based on its own in-depth understanding of complex product handling. The company is an expert in the full production and packaging value chain, which enabled it to integrate key activities and deliver to customers from a single point of contact and responsibility, covering everything from secondary packaging to palletising.

At interpack 2017, the company is going to introduce a new generation of its revolutionary continuous motion cartoner MAESTRO™, which is regarded, according to Frank Jeurissen, as the new standard for cartoning machines in the industry.

It delivers a unique combination of quality, accessibility, flexibility and hygienic design features. MAESTRO™ comes as standard with all of the seven recognised key principles for hygienic secondary packaging. This makes it easy for manufacturers to meet their increasingly stringent hygiene regulations at a lower cost. It is designed for single as well as multiple infeed solutions, providing flexibility and readiness for future production expansion. The machine is capable of running at over 500 cartons per minute, while changeovers and kickers are fully servo controlled.

“As a group we are also going to add testing equipment to our portfolio. This will not only test, for example, the quality of cartons but also the quality of certain products. By introducing this new type of equipment, we will further increase the added value to our customers,” says the sales manager. “Molins also specialises in supplying specific equipment for customers where there is no standard solution available. Making use of this capability within the group will further improve our customer focus and we will be even more able to accommodate individual customers’ needs.”

Customer-dedicated As mentioned earlier, the most prominent sector for Langen’s portfolio has been the food and beverage sector, but the healthcare, personal care and pharmaceuticals industries are also in its sights. The company has a worldwide presence and intends to focus on boosting its position in all markets. “Today, a strong emphasis is on China and South East Asia but we are going to reinforce our sales activities in Europe also. Russia offers good potential too, ,” says the sales manager. “We are striving to achieve an even stronger position in Packaging Europe | 179 |

the future. Molins is a listed company on the stock exchange, so Langen Group will now be part of an entity that wants to grow, attract investors and the drive to be successful.”

And the next challenge? “Today’s market requests state-of-the-art solutions. To stay ahead of competitors, we need to continue to be innovative, to keep launching new solutions. That is challenging in itself. We want to be an innovative partner for our customers – a partner that thinks of solution they don’t yet know are possible,” says Frank Jeurissen.

And the company is well on track to meeting this challenge. For example, in terms of the highly topical issue of biodegradable packaging, Langen has the best carton handling system in the market – highly advanced and capable of handling cartons of any quality including recycled.

| 180 | Packaging Europe

Its reliable, trusted suppliers have been an integral part of Langen’s success for decades.

Frank Jeurissen confesses that the list is long but mentions Rockwell Automation, Lenze Aandrijftechnik, Nordson Benelux, Robatech, Fanuc and ABB as just a few examples.

“Our company has been active in the packaging world for over 60 years. The proven track record and our good reputation are two of the factors that have significantly contributed to our worldwide position today. By focusing on innovation and foreseeing customer needs, by introducing customer-dedicated solutions, we will further enhance this position. The recent organisational changes will help us on this way,” concludes Frank Jeurissen, who looks forward to meet you at interpack 2017.

Visit: www.langengroup.com and www.molins.com

DYNAMIC DISPENSING HAS A NEW NAME

T

he recent acquisition of WestRock’s Home, Health & Beauty (HH&B) dispensing solutions business by Silgan Holdings combines Silgan’s long leadership in rigid packaging with the market insights, technical expertise, global footprint and innovative products of HH&B. And while the Silgan Dispensing Systems name is new, the company’s commitment to providing industry-leading flexibility to its customers remains unchanged.

That flexibility means customers can choose from a broad product portfolio. The Home & Garden division alone offers trigger sprayers for both consumer and professional applications, aerosols appropriate for use across diverse end markets, dispensing closure solutions to meet an array of other industry applications—including food and beauty— and hose-end and battery-operated sprayers for lawn and garden applications.

Thanks to Silgan’s dispensing technology leadership, brands can dial in the exact performance attributes they desire—from spray outputs, foaming options and particle size to spray pattern, valving components and output ratios.

In addition, thousands of aesthetic and ergonomic options allow customers to customize their dispensers to create the ideal first impression on shelf.

And, with Silgan Dispensing’s nimble supply chain options, customers benefit from a responsive global manufacturing network, flexible minimum order quantities, quick service lead times and end-to-end services such as lab testing and design resources.

Visit us at interpack 2017 in Hall 9 to see how our flexible dispensing solutions can help you meet your goals and make your mark.

silgands.com

Packaging Europe | 181 |

LEADING THE WAY IN HIGH QUALITY FOIL Eurofoil is a market leader for foil in liquid and flexible packaging, containers and heat exchangers in Europe and delivers foil to a variety of blue chip customers all around the globe. Packaging Europe spoke with Antonio Falchi, Managing Director and Amanda Willepotte, Sales & Marketing Manager, to find out the key reasons for Eurofoil’s attendance at interpack 2017, and about what sets the company apart.

B

ased on strong roots in the giants of the aluminium industry, Alcan, Pechiney and Novelis, Eurofoil today is an independent, company with a family oriented management style. It is owned by a private equity group specialising in the metal industry – AIAC -the American Industrial Acquisition Corporation. Eurofoil defines itself as a mid-size company with the flexibility to find quick solutions.

| 182 | Packaging Europe

Progressive facilities Eurofoil has two world class rolling mills located at the crossroads of Europe, in the Normandy region of France (Rugles) and near the French and German borders in Luxembourg (Dudelange). Both plants are dedicated to the production of aluminium foil from 6 µm up to 300 µm.

Supporting these plants, the Eurofoil Innovation Centre is a dedicated R&D and technical support centre for aluminium foil. Established in Belvaux within the Luxembourg Institute of Science and Technology, the Eurofoil Innovation Centre was the first industrial company located in the heart of Luxembourg’s future ‘science city’.

Eurofoil Paper Coating is a converting plant based in Berlin, Germany. It has world class laminating and lacquering lines, metallisers, slitting facilities, fully automated robot systems and a rapid prototyping pilot line.

Dedication, experience and autonomy With on site continuous casting and recycling Eurofoil has a highly independent supply chain which enables quick, flexible responses to its customer’s requirements. Antonio Falchi comments, “Continuous casting is a shortened process which enables us to recycle all industrial scrap (our own and from our customers), in house. By optimising our casting and downstream processes, we can respond very quickly to customer requirements.”

Eurofoil has six decades of experience in the aluminium and packaging industries.

Through research projects and exchange of best practices over the years, Eurofoil has learned to develop and manufacture aluminium foil best suited to ensure customers’ product performance.

The Eurofoil Innovation Centre is a unique R&D facility fully focused on aluminium foil. This combined with plant based quality teams and dedicated technical customer account specialists enables the company to bring dependable answers to a broad range

of specification demands. Eurofoil is committed to producing good quality foil, with uniform characteristics.

Antonio Falchi highlights, “Approachable and efficient account teams and an embedded customer focused culture ensure the voice of our customers are heard throughout the organisation. Eurofoil has strong long standing relationships with key customers based on partnerships developed over the years.”

Areas of expertise Eurofoil is the leading manufacturer using the continuous casting method to supply high quality foil products, enabling the company to become market leaders in Europe. It offers a comprehensive product range with technical specifications adapted to market needs, and ensures the supply of high quality foil to customers in a range of sectors.

Amanda Willepotte explains that Eurofoil supplies five major product segments, “Firstly we supply converter foil for packaging applications, typically for food and pharmaceuticals; aseptic cartons, lidding, laminates, blister foil, pouches, and cheese foil. Eurofoil is a leading supplier of converter foil to key customers with a worldwide footprint, we supply to plants all over the world. Meeting the constantly evolving needs of our customers and understanding their end consumers is a priority for us. The company’s investment in research and development seeks to continuously optimise the performance of its foil.”

“We also supply foil and strip for industrial applications, such as insulation and tapes, and container foil for wrinkle wall and smooth wall applications. Eurofoil is a market

Packaging Europe | 183 |

leader in the European container foil market, noted for good quality reliable and consistent products, delivered in short lead-times with flexible and efficient customer service.

We also supply industrial and automotive fin stock, a highly engineered product requiring superior gauge control capabilities, precise narrow width tolerances and exacting chemical and physical properties.”

Each of these critical variables is met with industry leading technology and product development support.

interpack focus “At interpack our sales and technical teams will be present to meet our existing customers and new contacts,” says Amanda Willepotte. “We will present the range of products supplied by Eurofoil but also our outstanding customer service and customised supply chain solutions. Our supply chain solutions will be a key part of our discussions at interpack, taking full advantage of our continuous casting and supply chain independence.”

Users of aluminium foil and packaging products need to be in complete control of their raw material supplies, in particular those who supply demanding markets such as the automotive, food, tobacco and pharmaceutical industries where short lead times are expected.

In order to fulfil this need, Eurofoil continuously optimises production availability and the flexibility of its processes to offer short delivery lead-times and a rapid and reliable service.

Amanda Willepotte adds, “interpack is the ideal forum for us to meet and talk to our customers and stakeholders in companies we may not usually be in contact with. It is

| 184 | Packaging Europe

an opportunity for us to get closer to our customers and understand their needs and expectations. Our developments are customer led so the opportunity to engage with multiple stakeholders in an informal environment often sparks ideas which lead to future projects. We also look forward to making new contacts and exploring new as yet undiscovered opportunities.”

Strengthening partnerships Partnership is key to Eurofoil. “Our main focus is to continue to develop and strengthen current partnerships and grow with our customers organically. We want to be our customers preferred supplier. As partners, both companies should listen to each other, help each other and complement each other. We want to know how our customers consume and how their clients produce in order to be better informed and to react faster to the needs they may encounter. Together we can minimise stock and improve efficiencies,” explains Antonio Falchi He concludes, “We aim to harness the potential of the independence we have through continuous casting to become the most reactive foil supplier.”

Visit: www.eurofoil.com

Visit Eurofoil at interpack, Hall 10, stand D59

Packaging Europe | 185 |

| 186 | Packaging Europe