The Packman September-October 2021 by The Packman

Volume 4 l Issue 2 l sePTemBeR-oCToBeR 2021

Rs. 150

AbArnA Colours instAlls tAmil nAdu’s first Heidelberg speedmAster CX 75 5-Color press

SB Packagings gets USD 25 mn investment from Premji Invest

Emerson and Renwick makes path to Asia and the Middle East markets

Kodak Flexcel NX sets NS Digital Flexo on the path to flexo pre-press success

Editorial

he world’s changing and we’re seeing a lot more virtual B2B exhibitions, conferences and meet-ups everywhere ever since the pandemic has gripped us. Several go-to exhibitions including drupa and interpack were canceled to be scheduled on different dates. Back home, the Printpack exhibition after rescheduling its event dates canceled it once again. New dates will be announced soon according to the organizer. While virtual exhibition hardly replaces the emotional and sensory interaction in a physical exhibition, virtual exhibition has additional values – virtual exhibition is able to be saved and stored digitally; people are able to access the information from their personal computer or smartphone, everywhere and anytime. Another advantage of a virtual exhibition is that it presents an exhibition that can be reached by all groups in various regions at any time. However, after attending so many virtual exhibitions over the last many months, now I am yearning to attend a physical exhibition. I am sure you too are! Physical exhibition has its own charm and needs to make a comeback. Finally, there is some good news here! This month, two important exhibitions are making a comeback – Pack Expo in Las Vegas, 27 to 29 September; and FachPack in Nuremberg, 28 to 30 September. “We can’t wait to welcome the industry back to the Pack Expo show floor,” says Jim Pittas, president and CEO, PMMI. “With nearly 2,500 new registrations coming in last week alone, the industry is looking forward to seeing brand new show features, engaging in-person and exploring new technologies never seen before. It is sure to be a meaningful event not to be missed.” Show producer PMMI, The Association for Packaging and Processing Technologies, will reunite the packaging and processing community with over 1,500 exhibitors, world-class education and countless networking opportunities spread across four expansive halls at the Las Vegas Convention Center. Almost 800 exhibitors have registered for the FachPack exhibition and are currently preparing their exhibition stands in the nine booked exhibition halls. A new feature this year is the digital tool myFachPack, which offers FachPack exhibitors the opportunity to extend their reach into the digital world. And visitors who don’t want to travel to Nuremberg can still take part in FachPack this way. myFachPack offers, for example, online matchmaking and networking even before the show starts, digital additions to the product displays on the exhibition stands, e.g. through videos, chats or virtual meeting rooms, as well as live streams of the three forums Packbox, Techbox and the new exhibitor forum Innovationbox. Those who are visiting the exhibitions, have a great time, networking and business. For those who are unable to make it, please check out this space for all important reviews from the events. – Mahan Hazarika, Editor, editor@thepackman.in

THE PACKMAN | SEP-OCT 2021

www.thepack man.in

Contents Design and Marketing

PAGE 30

S eptember - O ctober 2 0 2 1

PAGE 46

PAGE 48

EDITORIAL

FLEXIBLES

AUTOMATION

DESIGN AND MARKETING

Water-based barrier coatings as a solution for more sustainable end products-----------24

IM Group installs twin mixing station at Samograph in Italy-------------------------------42

Cosmo Films re-launches direct thermal printable top coated label films----------------25

FILLING AND SEALING

Editorial----------------------------------------------- 3

Coca-Cola HBC’s new paperboard solutions for larger multipacks------------------ 6 Heinz unveils recyclable cap for squeezy bottles-------------------------------- 6 Elopak announces aseptic carton with aluminum layer removed--------- 8

Prakash Group makes huge investments over expansion and diversification-----------22

Recyclable Platina toothpaste tubes in India---------------------------------------26

Efficient packaging automation rounds off IML processes-------------------------------------40

V-Shapes to debut AlphaFlex fill & seal converting machine at PackExpo-------------44

Amcor to invest approximately USD 35 mn in two innovation centers-------26

Carlsberg and KHS implement successful projects in China----------------------------------45

PREPRESS AND SOFTWARE

Huhtamaki strengthens its flexible packaging business in attractive consumer product categories------------------27

Syntegon’s processing technologies for renewable packaging materials at FachPack---------------------------46

Esko unleashes power of Variable Data Printing---------------------------- 11

UFlex announces host of remarkable products-----------------------------28

FOOD AND BEVERAGES

Kodak Flexcel NX sets NS Digital Flexo on the path to flexo pre-press success----------10

SB Packagings gets USD 25 mn investment from Premji Invest-----------------29

Taking advantage of optical sorting machines for spices and dried chili-----------48

FachPack marks the European debut of Asahi Photoproducts AWP CleanFlat flexo plate-----------------------------13

BASF, BillerudKorsnäs develop home-compostable paper laminate for flexible packaging---------------------------------30

Parle Agro diversifies to dairy segment with Smoodh---------------------------------------------50

PACKAGING PRODUCTION

LABELS

Yash Pakka drives packaging sustainability with Chuk-------------------------15

Vinsak installs complete label production equipment at Paramount------------------------33

MONOCARTON

SMI and FLEXcon announce partnership -----------------------------------------34

Xaar buys FFEI------------------------------------54

PHARMA PACKAGING

H.B. Fuller to build new facility in Egypt-----55

Kongsberg Precision Cutting Systems acquires MultiCam---------12

Emerson and Renwick makes path to Asia and the Middle East markets---------14

Abarna Colours installs Tamil Nadu’s first Heidelberg Speedmaster CX 75 5-color press---------------------------------------16 Malaysian packaging printers invest in cutting-edge Heidelberg production technology------------------------------------------18 Baumer focuses on sustainable packaging solutions at FachPack 2021--------------------20

XSYS and Nilpeter collaboration confirms no compromise in print quality---------------------32

Sai Paks invests in Jetsci M Series----------34

Sustainable design concept cuts costs------36 Overcoming challenges in pharmaceutical products packaging---------38

inno-tech and Rovema bundle capabilities for the frozen food industry---------------------51 SIG develops robotic sleeve magazine for F&B manufacturers-------------------------------52

INDUSTRY NEWS

Clariant pigments certified for use in compostable plastic------------------------------54 Huhtamaki launches 100% plastic-free egg carton for cooked colored eggs---------55 interpack 2023 is already 85% booked------56 Printpack India will not take place in December 2021-----------------------------------56 Registration opens for Labelexpo Asia 2021-------------------------------------------57 MacDermid appoints Prasenjit Das as senior sales manager-------------------------------------57

THE PACKMAN | SEP-OCT 2021

www.thepack man.in

Design and Marketing

z Innovative paperboard solution

Coca-Cola HBC’s new paperboard solutions for larger multipacks

raphic Packaging has partnered with Coca-Cola Hellenic Bottling Company (HBC) Ireland and Northern Ireland on their journey to achieve a ‘World Without Waste.’ The partnership will result in new paperboard solutions across all multipack can configurations, and it supports Coca-Cola HBC’s strategy of using more sustainable packaging.

Coca-Cola HBC’s larger multipacks are now available in a new fully enclosed carton

Coca-Cola HBC’s larger multipacks (10, 12, 20 and 24 cans) are now available in a new fully enclosed carton. This follows the introduction of Graphic Packaging’s new KeelClip late last year, which saw smaller multipacks (four, six and eight cans) transition to an innovative paperboard solution. Both packaging types were designed and developed by Graphic Packaging; in total, transitioning to these new secondary packaging solutions will eliminate 500 tonnes annually of hard-to-recycle shrink-wrap plastic.

message directly to consumers, highlighting that the packs are recyclable. The more premium feel of the pack will enhance the brand and elevate shelf appeal within the multipack aisle, improving the point of sale and the consumer experience.

Coca-Cola HBC has also introduced prominent onpack messaging to communicate their sustainability

The product development team at Graphic Packaging worked closely with Coca-Cola HBC to ensure the

plastic replacement solution was in harmony with the company’s sustainability plans while upholding high-quality standards. The bold yet practical design is made from paperboard – a substrate made from renewable resources – and reflects Coca-Cola HBC’s ambitions to lead in sustainable packaging design and innovation. To support the production requirements of the venture, Graphic Packaging has installed the highly flexible QuikFlex machine in Coca-Cola HBC’s plant in Lisburn, Northern Ireland, producing a variety of configurations from four- to 24-packs. z

z Global roll out from 2022

Heinz unveils recyclable cap for squeezy bottles

einz has announced that it is introducing innovative and more sustainable caps for its squeezy sauce bottles, made to be 100% recyclable. The move is part of Heinz’s pledge to aim to make 100% of its packaging recyclable, reusable or compostable by 2025.

THE PACKMAN | SEP-OCT 2021

www.thepack man.in

The new cap has been created after Heinz invested eight years of research and development involving more than 185,000 hours and investing USD 1.2 million to find a suitable replacement cap for their convenient and extremely popular squeezy bottles, which sold one billion units globally in 2020.

Heinz created 45 different designs in total on the mission to create the new cap, which were printed in-house using a state-of-the-art 3D printer. After creating the prototypes, Heinz then followed a rigorous testing procedure to make sure the cap met the highest quality standards.

Design and Marketing The first Heinz varieties to get the new cap will be the world’s most loved ketchup, Heinz Tomato Ketchup, and the popular Heinz BBQ Sauce. The cap will be rolled out globally from 2022, starting in Europe. The move will reportedly mean a potential one billion plastic caps – enough to fill 35 Olympic swimming pools – can be recycled, instead of finding their way into landfill. To date, Heinz sauce bottles have used a flexible valve, which had been designed to deliver the ideal portion of sauce per squeeze, but was typically challenging to recycle. The new innovative cap has been designed to provide the same perfect squeeze of your favorite Heinz Tomato Ketchup using a single, rigid and more

recyclable material. Resulting in the cap – and Heinz Tomato Ketchup bottle – being easily and conveniently recycled alongside other household curbside recycling. Jojo de Noronha, president of Kraft Heinz Northern Europe, said, “We’re excited to be announcing these first-to-market innovative new caps, meaning our consumers can now recycle every part of their Heinz squeezy bottle in their weekly curbside collection. A huge amount of work has gone into finding the right solution that means no compromise on using and enjoying our hugely popular squeezy bottles for the hundreds of millions who buy them. While we know we still have more to do, from a sustainability and environmental perspective this is positive news.” z

The first Heinz varieties to get the new cap will be Heinz Tomato Ketchup and Heinz BBQ Sauce

z Reduces carton’s carbon footprint by 28%

Elopak announces aseptic carton with aluminum layer removed

lopak has announced Pure-Pak eSense, an aseptic carton with the aluminum layer removed – a decision that reportedly results in a reduction of the solution’s carbon footprint by 28%, while facilitating full recyclability. The new solution is the same shape as the existing Pure-Pak Sense Aseptic carton. It has been developed using technology from Elopak’s portfolio which reportedly means that the carton can preserve product integrity, safety, and lifespan without requiring the aluminum layer which is commonly used in aseptic packaging. Elopak’s director of sustainability, Marianne Groven said, “Elopak is on a journey to become even more sustainable, both as a company and through the cartons we produce. Over time we have continuously improved the environmental profile of our cartons. For example, between 2014 and 2020 we achieved a reduction in the carbon footprint of an average carton with a closure from 32 gCO2e to 25 gCO2e.”

THE PACKMAN | SEP-OCT 2021

www.thepack man.in

“Life Cycle Assessments have demonstrated that beverage cartons already have strong environmental credentials when compared to alternatives such as plastic bottles. They also play an important role in keeping products safe and minimizing food waste, which is a major source of greenhouse gas emissions. “The addition of the Pure-Pak eSense carton to our offering is important because it means our customers in the aseptic segment will also be able to select an aluminum-free option,” she continues. “Aluminum is a finite natural resource, meaning it does not replenish over time. In addition, the extraction and production of aluminum is relatively energy-intensive and thus has a higher carbon footprint compared to the other materials in beverage cartons,” Groven claims. z

Elopak claims elimination of the aluminum layer reduces the carbon footprint of the carton by 28%

Key Clients

BLA PACKAGING

ENGRAVE

CONVERTING IDEAS INTO REALITY

PACKAGING

And Many More...

ERP & CRM Solution Providers For: Flexible Packaging Films & Paper Alu Alu Foil Induction Wads, Lids Mono-cartons Rigid Packaging Labels Corrugation Roto Gravure Printing Cylinders Chemicals ATS Bouquet, BGF-001, Sector 132, Noida - 201301, UP, India

+91 9871597781 | +91 9958859813 Email: info@ﬂexibizerp.com www.ﬂexibiz-erp.com

Prepress and Software

z Simplicity of making Flexcel NX plates

Kodak Flexcel NX sets NS Digital Flexo on the path to flexo pre-press success

or Shyam Sundar, partner at Hyderabadbased flexo prepress specialist NS Digital Flexo, meeting the challenges – and helping customers reap the benefits – started in March 2020, when the company opened for business with a new Kodak Flexcel NX System, supplied and supported by Miraclon. Sundar describes NS Digital’s service offering as “all things flexo – wide web, labels, folding cartons, corrugated.” A notable feature of the company’s philosophy is the effort and time it puts into building relationships with customers and showing them the potential of the Flexcel NX System. “We really engage with each customer, so that we can see things from their perspective, and truly understand their current capabilities and practices. Then we show them how simple adjustments to their production practices – fingerprinting the press, for example – can improve efficiency without additional investments or press set-ups, because if we can work with the available resources, we save customers time and money,” Sundar explains. “Next, we explain the further improvements and enhanced benefits achievable with Flexcel NX plates – how we can change anilox rollers and inks, reduce impression and generally introduce better control into the press environment,” he adds.

Efficiency made easy With the Flexcel NX System it’s relatively easy for NS Digital to help customers become more efficient, Sundar continues. “The biggest benefit for us is the simplicity of making Flexcel NX plates. The flexo process can have many variables, but the Flexcel NX System either eliminates them or makes managing them really simple, which yields substantial savings throughout the whole packaging printing process. So as a service provider are totally confident that we can provide customers with consistent, repeatable results. It also makes it easier to solve any print issues that

THE PACKMAN | SEP-OCT 2021

www.thepack man.in

advantage. We can use it to create a ‘micro anilox’ on the plate, which produces efficient ink transfer and overcomes the usual challenges of maintaining ink density and controlling dot gain. Used in conjunction with press fingerprinting, it makes it easy to select the best pattern for each job.”

Offset-to-flexo transition is ‘booming’

Shyam Sundar, partner at Hyderabad-based NS Digital Flexo

arise, because we can eliminate the plates as a cause straightaway. With other solutions, the investigation is more complex – is it the file, or the software, or processing, or exposure, or the press?” As an example of a customer who benefited from the NS Digital approach and the Flexcel NX System, Sundar describes a reverse-print packaging job. “We discussed how Flexcel NX plates could improve the overall print quality, especially on the whites. Then we worked with Miraclon – who are always supportive at all stages and a delight to work with – on the fingerprinting. This approach gave the customer confidence to proceed – and the 20% reduction in ink consumption was very persuasive too.” He adds that across all types of work customers report faster makereadies, lower white ink consumption, reduced start-up waste – down from 50 meters to 20 meters, in some cases – and varnish savings as high as 20% on many jobs. Mohan Rao, partner at NS Digital Flexo, singles out two features of the Flexcel NX Technology as especially valuable. “Kodak TIFF Assembler Plus software – TAP 5.0 – is a really fantastic product that makes our life easier, from layout optimization to automating job settings. And DIGICAP NX Patterning is a huge

NS Digital Flexo is part-owned by Mumbai-based prepress solutions provider Numex Blocks, who also provide technical expertise. Asked what NS Digital regards as the most noticeable trends in flexo at present, Sundar replies, “Gravure-to-flexo conversion, of course, but there’s also a big opportunity for flexo to take label work from offset. This is booming already, and there’s more growth to come, with more offset label players looking to have at least one flexo label press. For a tradeshop like us, this is good news on two fronts. First, there’s the challenge of helping many small label players produce complex jobs, which will keep the market engaged and growing. And second, there’s the demand for faster turnarounds, which is only possible with the Flexcel NX System. “Put these capabilities together, and by providing a high-quality service and products we’re in a good position to respond to the price pressures that are common in the packaging printing space.”

Part of a journey Looking ahead, Shyam Sundar speaks eloquently of his expectations for NS Digital and the flexo industry in general. “It’s great to be part of a journey that’s transforming flexo into a modern, standardized manufacturing process through technology such as Flexcel NX. This will always be my passion – to work with the latest, most advanced technologies, and to continue to push the boundaries of what’s possible with flexo.” z

Prepress and Software

z Integrated automation solution

Esko unleashes power of Variable Data Printing

sko has collaborated with Scantrust and ePac Flexible Packaging to deliver a connected packaging production, supercharging secure Variable Data Print (VDP) capabilities in terms of both speed and scale. Esko Automation Engine is at the heart of the operation, with its VDP technology enabling the printing of serialized and secure QR codes on flexible packaging on a mass scale, unleashing the power of VDP for the new connected packaging and connected goods service, ePacConnect. “Variable Data Printing has the ability to take the role of packaging to a whole new level,” said Esko product manager, Paul Land. “With opportunities for localization, serialization, personalization and traceability, the advances in automation mean it is now possible to further harness the technology to transform the prepress environment. With cloud deployment for 24/7 global access to data and new scalability capabilities, Automation Engine is enabling ePac to realize the power of VDP for an organization without the downsides. “By connecting the VDP module in Automation Engine with Scantrust, we have created a framework for codes that makes it easy for converters to use,” said Land. “Not only is this implementation the first of its kind, but it also unlocks capabilities that were previously difficult to achieve.” Because every ePacConnect flexible pack includes a Scantrust QR code, every pouch becomes an online gateway. The unique on-pack code, which is smaller than a postage stamp, activates the Scantrust suite of connected goods and connected packaging tools. Accessible features range from consumer engagement tools to active brand protection and anti-counterfeiting features that work through scans of a safe QR code on the pack. “Scantrust gives every single physical product a unique digital identifier, which adds complexity for prepress

and production,” said Peter Kostur, Scantrust sales and partnership director. “Our platform can deliver protection against counterfeiting and improve traceability within the supply chain as every single label, pouch, or bottle can be traced, even when in the hands of the consumers,” he said. “Brands utilize such digital interface technology to connect with consumers, integrate with loyalty platforms and customer relationship management tools, and also for internal supply chain operations. When incentivizing consumers to interact with the products, not only can the relationship and trust between brand and consumer be significantly improved, it can also help by crowdsourcing the supply chain data for further strategical improvement. “There are three building blocks to making the connected packaging,” added Kostur. “There’s the variable QR code, a mobile environment enabling the user interactions, and a platform that enables the customer to manage the codes, product content, and extract the data. “However, each project starts with a question from the brand: How do we get the variable data on our product? It is now simple to integrate the VDP requirements into the process,” said Land. “The process can even happen in the cloud, for added flexibility in terms of printing a job at any location. “Typically, once the order details are entered, the information is passed through into Automation Engine which then acts as the enabling platform between all the systems. It consolidates and pulls the variable data information through, determining the quantities and parameters of the job. So for example, with a quantity of 100,000 records it expands the files and the variable elements for printing, and then automatically expands the template file to the quantities needed – each with its own unique QR code – and lays them out for production. The automation means that a process that used to take hours or even days is now completed in just a few minutes.”

Ryan Kiley, director of market development, ePac Flexible Packaging, said the ability to produce mass scale VDP regardless of run size had been a game changer. “Scale is where the rubber meets the road. Scale is what we can accomplish through working together. Now, with a single click, a customer can turn their packaging into an interactive platform delivering consumer engagement, proof of provenance, and brand protection while reducing touchpoints in prepress and production. “With the VDP automation, we can accelerate our rate of growth as we add plants, people, systems, languages, currencies, substrates, structures and other technologies. And with Automation Engine being cloud-based, it means we have total control over our production – with our teams able to access files from anywhere, at any time for 24/7 operation, scale production up or down to meet demand and enabling us to divert the production to any plant around the world. “As a result, our ePacConnect service has achieved customized, flexible packaging with connected packaging features that require very little or no up-front costs, lower minimum order requirements, and minimal technical setup.” z THE PACKMAN | SEP-OCT 2021

www.thepack man.in

Prepress and Software

z Expands market reach across North America and Europe

Kongsberg Precision Cutting Systems acquires MultiCam

ongsberg Precision Cutting Systems (Kongsberg PCS) has acquired MultiCam, a US manufacturer and distributor of Computer Numerical Control (CNC) cutting machines and digital finishing processes. The acquisition of MultiCam, including its operations in the US and sales offices in Canada and Germany, expands Kongsberg PCS’ market reach and customer base across North America and Europe, and creates the world’s first diversified provider of digital finishing and CNC cutting machines. Stuart Fox, Kongsberg PCS president, said, “This is a monumental day for Kongsberg and MultiCam. Our businesses coming together to drive best-inclass cutting and finishing processes will deliver a tremendous advantage for our global customer base. Following the completion of the deal, I am now excited to begin integrating our businesses and exploring new markets.” News of the acquisition comes just five months after Kongsberg PCS was established as a stand-alone business after being acquired by OpenGate Capital. OpenGate Capital’s Partner, Julien Lagrèze said, “We recognized the importance of digitization for this business and developed an investment thesis that includes the growth of Kongsberg PCS through innovation and add-on investments. With this strategic combination, Kongsberg PCS gains greater scale, and expands its reach to a broader, global customer base with new products and services.” Fox added, “Since 1965, the Kongsberg name has been synonymous with innovation. Our systems have led the industry in delivering precision, reliability and quality through seven decades, and with the investment of our owners, we have a roadmap that will undoubtedly take this robust company to a new level. MultiCam shares this ambition, and just like

THE PACKMAN | SEP-OCT 2021

www.thepack man.in

Kongsberg the business has a loyal and valued team that has been with the company for many years and helped build and shape it into what it is today. “At Kongsberg PCS, we are excited to develop and expand the product portfolio and to create new opportunities to grow our tooling and consumables offering. In addition to strengthening our hardware offering, we are also planning routes into new markets, in areas we know are currently not catered for and will benefit from our market-leading solutions. MultiCam has extraordinary market reach with its range of CNC routers, laser, plasma, waterjet and knife cutting machines, and we are thrilled to now welcome MultiCam to the Kongsberg family.” Founded in 1989, MultiCam supplies innovative, CNC cutting solutions for a multitude of industries and applications ranging from sign making to digital finishing, aerospace to automotive, sheet-metal to plate-steel processing, hardwoods to cabinet making, thermoform trimming to plastics fabrication. Commenting on the acquisition, MultiCam, CEO, David J Morse added, “At MultiCam, we have worked for over

30 years to diligently build a world-class organization in the focused cutting arenas of routing, fabrication and digital finishing. The MultiCam brand is synonymous with quality, durability, and ease of use. We are very pleased to join forces with Kongsberg who has built an outstanding global brand and culture that align directly with what we have built at MultiCam. “It has always been my goal to provide the necessary scale to MultiCam to truly become one of the top global cutting companies in all three categories of CNC cutting. Combining Kongsberg’s 50 years of outstanding history in digital finishing and over 12,000 machines installed, together with MultiCam’s 14,000-plus installed machines, strengthens our position in the global market. I look forward to working side by side with the great leadership team at Kongsberg to build a world-class global cutting solution provider. Together we are stronger.” The company will continue to operate under the MultiCam name within Kongsberg Precision Cutting Systems, with David J Morse joining the Kongsberg PCS senior management team and continuing to lead the MultiCam business. z

Prepress and Software

z 28-30 September in Nürnberg

FachPack marks the European debut of Asahi Photoproducts AWP CleanFlat flexo plate

sahi Photoproducts, a pioneer in flexographic photopolymer plate development, will exhibit at the upcoming FachPack event. At the show, which is scheduled for 28-30 September in Nürnberg, Germany, Asahi will be located in Stand 7A307 and will present the European debut of its new AWP CleanFlat FlatTop water-washable flexo plate with CleanPrint technology, and display its full range of CleanPrint plates. “We are excited to be attending our first in-person event in Europe since the start of the pandemic, and are looking forward to presenting our line of CleanPrint plates, especially the AWP CleanFlat water-washable FlatTop plate that will make its European debut at the show,” said Philip

Mattelaer, head of sales. “Increasingly, flexographic printing operations are looking for more sustainable platemaking processes as focus increases on reducing their carbon footprint. Asahi’s line of CleanPrint plates ticks all the boxes in this regard.” The Asahi AWP CleanFlat FlatTop plate with CleanPrint technology is used out of the box with no special workflow or equipment required. CleanFlat plates are compatible with standard workflows including UV bank light tubes, UV LED or FULL HD exposure systems as well as modern microcell screening technologies to ensure the highest level of quality and consistency throughout the print run. z

Asahi CleanPrint plates are available for a wide range of applications and substrates

Packaging Production

z Starts operation in India

Emerson and Renwick makes path to Asia and the Middle East markets Dev Dutta

Ronojoy Basu, Asia and Middle East sales manager, Emerson and Renwick

merson and Renwick recently started to explore the Asia Pacific, South Asia, Middle East and Africa with currently a residential office based in Pune, the automobile and engineering hub in India to showcase the capabilities in the coating applications in high-value addition industries. “Asia and the Middle East are the big powerhouses for many economic developments and reforms as well as investment in renewable energies, low carbon technology, biodegradability. Our focus is to cater to these markets from India. We already started our operations in India in April 2021 to scale our reach in these markets. Over the next three years, we aim to expand and set up sales and service functions catering to the Middle East to far East markets. We see a huge potential in packaging, architectural industry (moving towards solar energy), electronic vehicles (which will require rechargeable batteries), advanced artificial intelligence (which will dominate touch glasses), virtual reality and pharmaceutical industries,” says Andrew Jack, sales director of Emerson and Renwick. Founded over a century ago by two family businessmen specializing in textile finishing machinery, Emerson expanded its business in the 1930s to the leathercloth industry. Three decades later in the 1960s, it further diversified to fluid management, and in the 1970s to inregister hot embossing. In the 1990s, the company diversified to the automobile industry. In 2014, the dynamic change branched its innovation and technology to the vacuum coatings for solar and flexible electronics. “One of our key milestones was our centenary year in 2018, which strengthened our business at different verticals to focus on solutions. We offer both vacuum and atmospheric coatings and look at the

THE PACKMAN | SEP-OCT 2021

www.thepack man.in

Over the last five years, Emerson and Renwick has partnered with academia and select industrial partners to see what crossfading is possible in innovations and therefore invested in building its own technology center and launching new products

other developmental milestones, particularly over the last ten years. We have learned a lot about the product stream and started applying it to new applications. We are utilizing all that experience and history, and moving forward to the next generation of products and applications, new branding which helps markets to understand that we are present in different segments of the industry, as it is the right time to expand our geographic presence from the silicon valley, which we cater to about 80% of the business from the west, to look at the opportunity to explore the east,” says Jack. A new area in which Emerson and Renwick is extending its innovation is sustainability to support the green revolution. “Today every stakeholder is looking at greener solutions – from flexible packaging to medical to energy storage, there is a lot of work going on as a whole suite of possibilities,” says Nick Butcher, direc-

tor of product and engineering development. Butcher adds that the team is investing in more energy-efficient measures such as looking at heat and energy recovery systems to feed back into the process for supporting energy savings within the production of the products. Over the last five years, Emerson and Renwick has partnered with academia and select industrial partners to see what crossfading is possible in innovations and therefore invested in building its own technology center and launching new products. “We have several test stations, vacuum and atmospheric coatings. We actually walk the risk with our customers together allowing us to mitigate the challenges. Our work involves technology that is not ready to offer. We need to walk through the concept to execute the right and apt solutions for our customers,” says Ronojoy Basu, Asia and Middle East sales manager, Emerson and Renwick. z

Packaging Production

z Lightweight, flexible and compostable

Yash Pakka drives packaging sustainability with Chuk Dev Dutta

stablished in 1981 by KK Jhunjhunwala, Ayodhya-based Yash Pakka (formerly known as Yash Papers) began its journey as a global manufacturer synonymous with machineglazed varieties of paper. Today the company is spearheaded by his son Ved Krishna. Under his able leadership, the company has emerged in its all-new avatar as Yash Pakka, transitioning from paper manufacturing to creating sustainable packaging solutions. Yash Pakka aims to replace single-use plastics by providing sustainable packaging solutions for a cleaner planet. The over 450-member company works towards building a plastic-free future through its holistic approach. “We have a strong business presence across 43 countries and aim to double our production capacity by 2023. We have been recognized as ‘Top 10 Environmentally Sustainable Companies’ by B-Corp, a reputed international organization,’ says Ved Krishna, vice chairman, Yash Pakka. The company offers innovative compostable packaging solutions to leading players in the food and pharmaceutical industries. Some of its key customers include McDonald’s and CCD, among others. Under the brand name Chuk, the company offers lightweight, flexible and compostable tableware products to several Quick Service Restaurants (QSR) such as Haldirams, HMS Host, Chai Point, and Lite Bite Foods. In addition, Yash Pakka has a strong global presence and exports its products to 43 countries.

Chuk – lightweight, flexible and compostable tableware products Speaking about Chuk, Krishna says, “In the world of impact investing, I am ambitious to change the world

through sustainable packaging solutions. I took the entrepreneurial mantle at Yash Pakka in 1999. That is when I identified that most of the materials used in packaging, especially food, were either laminated, plastic-coated, or covered in cellophane that was harming the environment. “So, it was this epiphany about the massive amount of non-biodegradable garbage produced each day that prompted me to conceptualize Chuk in 2014. I was certain, India and the world needed a sustainable solution that could contribute towards a cleaner and greener future. Since then, I started my endeavor to eliminate the usage of single-use plastic and styrofoam products to secure the environment from further damage. “Through Chuk, our company decided to build a movement towards environmental sustainability. Chuk produces an innovative range of compostable tableware products which are untreated with any kind of chemicals. While plastic takes more than 500 years to decompose, Chuk’s tableware products which are made from sugarcane waste (bagasse) decompose within 60 days. The advantages of using bagasse are that it makes the products lightweight, flexible, microwaveable, and strong enough to prevent leakage. In addition, Chuk recovers 95% of cooking chemicals used in manufacturing, thereby making it even more environment-friendly.”

Sourcing raw materials for Chuk “Chuk follows the circular economy approach. Our products are made from locally sourced sugarcane fiber called bagasse that is untreated with any kind of chemicals. Sugarcane is produced in abundance in nearby villages. Farmers bring the sugarcane crop to the mill which squeezes all the juice out and then the stalk is left behind. We use that fibrous stalk to make the pulp using which we manufacture our tableware

Under the brand name Chuk, Yash Pakka offers lightweight, flexible and compostable tableware products to several Quick Service Restaurants

products. We have long-term contracts with the nearby villages within 100 km of our radius and access to raw material is actually one of our strengths. We are looking to double up the production capacity within this year,” says Krishna.

Food industry is the primary focus “We are focused on the food industry as of now as it is one of the biggest industries that use a lot of single-use plastic and thus also provides a big opportunity and market to be served. Along with the current range, we are also developing high-strength paper bags to replace polybags and greaseproof paper for bakery,” says Krishna. “There is a rise in awareness regarding sustainable packaging and more and more businesses are looking towards biodegradable alternates in packaging such as restaurants opting for compostable tableware like Chuk, manufacturing companies are looking at Poly Lactic Acid-based (PLA) clear packaging as a substitute to single-use plastics,” concludes Krishna. z THE PACKMAN | SEP-OCT 2021

www.thepack man.in

Monocarton

z Fulfilling unique printing requirements

Abarna Colours installs Tamil Nadu’s first Heidelberg Speedmaster CX 75 5-color press Manash Das

irupur-based Abarna Colours has installed Tamil Nadu’s first Heidelberg Speedmaster CX 75 5-color plus coater press. AP Murugan, managing director at Abarna Colours, said, “The Heidelberg CX 75 is the latest addition to our kitty. The highly configured press will enable us to move to the next level of quality assurance and to expedite deliveries on time as per our commitment to the clients. Our average production ranges from 2 to 3 lakhs impressions daily.” The company owns a handmade paper board manufacturing unit that uses recycled cotton as raw material. According to Murugan, the sole reason for investing in the Heidelberg Speedmaster CX 75 is to fulfill their in-house requirement for printing and bringing in quality printing on paper boards where the company had a tough time due to the nature of the board owing to handmade production. AP Murugan, added, “We began our journey with a Heidelberg single-color SORM press and then added a Heidelberg SM 72 5-color press in our arsenal based on the business volumes. The questions about the improvement of quality and how to bring in machine intelligence on this aspect had pushed us to go for a brand-new press. Also, the guarantee given by the Heidelberg team on the less environmental impact led us to invest in the Speedmaster CX 75. We are growing as an organization and are still on the learning curve and have a lot more arenas to taste and adapt to. We consider learning from our partners, who are

THE PACKMAN | SEP-OCT 2021

www.thepack man.in

L to R: Sumith, head production; Mohanraj, partner; and AP Murugan, managing director of Abarna Colours

Monocarton

“Our vision is based on a step-by-step growth strategy with a focus on having less impact on nature. We aim to have 50% growth every year and try environment-friendly ways of printing techniques and with more focus on the sustainability and growth,” AP Murugan

our suppliers and customers as we believe in quality and timely delivery.” The company started its operations in 2017 and the Heidelberg Speedmaster CX 75 5-color press was installed at the 30,000 sq/ft plant in August 2021. The packaging firm also installed screen-printing equipment for labels and tags and die-cutting equipment for postpress operations. Currently, they produce garment packaging cartons, paper covers, hang tags, packaging boxes, folding tags, hangers, band rolls, etc., for garment manufacturers – all using their specialty paperboards. Abarna Colours has already secured the FSC certification and is currently working towards securing ISO and other printing certifications to cater to wider clients. “We have started the production with Heidelberg Speedmaster CX 75 now. One of the key reasons for investing in Heidelberg Speedmaster CX 75 is to explore special packaging jobs for our clients and create wonders for them. The production quality is exceptional and the job setting times have come down considerably. The service and installation were done on time by the Heidelberg service team, and we are happy,” added Sumith P Nair, head – production at Abarna Colours. The Speedmaster CX 75 is the combination of XL 75 technology with the SX platform, boasted with automation and peak performance. The doublediameter impression cylinders facilitate gentle sheet transport while accommodating diverse substrates, from paper to cardboard up to 0.8 mm in thickness. Even at a top printing speed of 15,000 sheets per hour, the CX 75 is completely noise-free, according to Heidelberg.

The inking and dampening units of the CX 75 offer color stability and remote-controlled functions ensure short path inking with minimal ink consumption. A maintenance-free, fully foil-lined ink fountain allows quick and easy ink changes, while precise inking and fast ink control response is supported by digitally controlled ink zone motors. On the new installation of Speedmaster CX 75 at Abarna Colours, Venkataraman, DGM sales of Heidelberg India, said, “When we met Abarna, they had a unique requirement of printing on special paper board made from garment surplus, the paper grammage starts from 300 gsm and they do mostly packaging jobs with special colors and customized cartons, and we analyzed their jobs thoroughly and offered them the CX 75 5-color press with coating configuration.” For better finishing standards for diverse applications, the coating unit of the CX 75 is fitted with a chamber blade system and a wide range of coating supply and screen roller technologies. Coating plate changes are automatic, quick, and easy for the Speedmaster CX 75. The Speedmaster CX 75 is a compact press designed to take a maximum sheet size of 605 × 750 mm. “Our vision is based on a step-by-step growth strategy with a focus on having less impact on nature. We aim to have 50% growth every year and try environmentfriendly ways of printing techniques and with more focus on the sustainability and growth,” concluded, Murugan. z

THE PACKMAN | SEP-OCT 2021

www.thepack man.in

Monocarton

z Heidelberg’s Shanghai manufacturing site in demand

Malaysian packaging printers invest in cutting-edge Heidelberg production technology

alaysia’s packaging market has been growing strongly in recent years. An annual growth rate of 3.8% has been predicted for the period 2019 to 2024, and the folding carton segment is set to be the number one growth driver (source: Global Data). The coronavirus pandemic has given a further boost to this development. Solid board packaging for medical products, masks, and gloves is in particular demand. This growth has led packaging printers in Malaysia to invest in cutting-edge production technology. To a large extent, these companies are placing their trust in state-of-the-art sheetfed offset technology from Heidelberg – especially presses manufactured at the Heidelberg site in Shanghai.

Complete system for Percetakan Konta Percetakan Konta is based in Perai, in the northern state of Penang, and has been a loyal Heidelberg customer for many years, having been won over by its reliable technology and exemplary services. Around six years ago, Percetakan Konta replaced an older Speedmaster CD 102 with a new 4-color Speedmaster press with a coating unit from the Heidelberg plant at the Wiesloch-Walldorf site in Germany. In 2017, this press was joined by a Speedmaster CD 102-5+L manufactured in China. The next investment came just one year later in the form of a Speedmaster CD 102-4+L, also manufactured at the Chinese plant in Shanghai. In parallel to this third sheetfed offset press, Percetakan Konta also ordered a Diana Eye 55 offline inspection system. This system inspects the quality of finished folding carton blanks at a speed of 300 meters per

THE PACKMAN | SEP-OCT 2021

www.thepack man.in

Percetakan Konta in Perai, in the state of Penang, has been using Speedmaster technology manufactured in China in its production operations since 2017

minute. In addition to identifying printed image and typeface errors, high-resolution camera technology analyzes the gloss levels of coated packaging, blind and foil embossing, and holograms. An OCR (optical character recognition) function also detects incorrect characters, punctuation marks, accents, and decimals. In 2020, the Diana Eye 55 from Masterwork was joined by a second, identical inspection system and a Suprasetter 106 CtP platesetter with Prinect Production Manager packaging workflow.

Vivar Printing invests in packaging printing Vivar Printing was founded in 1985. For the first oneand-a-half decades of its existence, the company’s main specialty was book production. In 2010, Vivar recognized the opportunities offered by the rapidly growing packaging market. It initially invested in the flexible packaging segment and then moved into folding carton production, which involved creating an official packaging division and investing in a Speed-

Monocarton

Although his company’s sales fell significantly last year due to COVID-19, he is optimistic about 2021. “As we see it, packaging production offers a great deal of growth potential that will shape our company’s development in years to come,” he says.

Seven Speedmaster presses at Tiong Tat Printing Industry

Vivar Printing is making use of Heidelberg technology to achieve its ambitious growth targets in the folding carton production segment

Folding carton manufacturer Tiong Tat Printing Industry has a production area of 82,000 square meters and a total of seven Speedmaster presses, three of them manufactured in China

master CX 75-5+L from Heidelberg. The 5-color sheetfed offset press with coating unit provided Vivar with a robustly built printing system based on a design principle that was equally suited to commercial products and high-quality packaging. “Key features of the Speedmaster CX 75-5+L include quick and easy job changes, outstanding print results, and high net outputs,” says Kok Wai, Managing Director of Vivar, who describes this press as exactly right for the needs of his company. Barely a month after the

Speedmaster CX 75 started operating, Vivar made its next big investment and ordered a Speedmaster CD 102-5+L from Heidelberg. The contract for the 5-color press in the 70 x 100 sheet format with coating unit, which was manufactured in Shanghai, was signed in November 2020 and it started operating in March 2021. Book production has remained a key cornerstone at Vivar, but Kok Wai insists moving into the rapidly growing folding carton market was the right decision.

The pressroom of Tiong Tat Printing Industry has six Speedmaster CD 102 presses and a Speedmaster XL 105. In the interests of productivity, the majority are elevated presses. The latest Speedmaster CD 102-5+L – the company’s third Speedmaster press to have been manufactured at the Shanghai plant – entered into operation in July 2020. Prinect Production controls the workflow based on volumes and Tiong Tat uses a Suprasetter 106 for CtP operations. Two Easymatrix 106 CS (cutting and stripping) die cutters from Masterwork Machinery have been operating in the postpress section since 2018. “We very much appreciate the equipment’s reliability and the teamwork with Heidelberg, so we opt for technology from this manufacturer time and again,” says managing director Tan Jock Hong, who has won several awards for her leadership qualities. Tiong Tat started out in 1993 with a single pre-owned press and a production area of around 130 square meters. Today, this has grown to a total area of close to 82,000 square meters, which makes the company one of Malaysia’s largest packaging printers. Packaging for hygiene gloves is its principal market. Tiong Tat prides itself on being a market leader and demand is growing, as confirmed by Hong. “In 2020, in the midst of the pandemic, we decided to expand our sheetfed offset capacities,” she reveals, referring to this step as the right decision at the right time and emphasizing that the company once again obtained excellent advice and support from Heidelberg. z THE PACKMAN | SEP-OCT 2021

www.thepack man.in

Monocarton

z Nuremberg 28 – 30 September

Baumer focuses on sustainable packaging solutions at FachPack 2021

aumer’s related theme for FachPack 2021 (28 – 30 September in Nuremberg) is ‘Sustainable Solutions for Packaging Production.’ Based on several illustrative solutions on exhibit at its stand (2-411), Baumer underscores how the latest equipment, combined with intelligent ideas, can make processes more sustainable and cost-efficient. “As a full-range supplier of turnkey solutions for industrial gluing, Baumer meets the needs of all its customers in folding carton and corrugated packaging production and end-of-line applications. Services start with general consulting and extend to glue storage, feeding, distribution, filling, melting, conveying and application, as well as quality control and monitoring. In Nuremberg, we want to showcase the advantages to customers, for example, with our centralized Xfeed glue supply system for packaging lines,” explains Martin Kotecki, end of line packaging business development manager at Baumer. Xfeed turns connected hot melt units into melt-ondemand systems. Compatible with equipment from multiple manufacturers, the closed system automatically supplies adhesive granules on-demand to up to 20 hot melt units from a central storage location, bridging incomparably long distances of up to 200 meters at high feed rates. This maximizes the availability of packaging lines and guarantees continuous production. In addition, a central supply of adhesive ensures a clean work area and perfect adhesive quality at all times because it keeps the fill level in the melters at optimum level. No charring occurs and the viscosity of the adhesives remains constant. The technical data provided by the energy-efficient equipment can be used to analyze the process and optimize glue consumption, in line with Industry 4.0 standards. Xfeed also significantly enhances

THE PACKMAN | SEP-OCT 2021

www.thepack man.in

Baumer’s theme for FachPack 2021 is ‘Sustainable Solutions for Packaging Production’

ease-of-operation and occupational safety for machine operators. Baumer is introducing the dot box kit at FachPack 2021, a turnkey system that includes two tesla go hot melt application heads, one dot box controller and all the required mounts and cables The company demonstrates live how packaging manufacturers can integrate Baumer’s innovative equipment in their gluing processes in just a few steps and start producing all their packaging with dot application. Kotecki says, “Practice has shown that investing in the dot box kit pays off in just a few months, based

solely on the reduction in adhesive consumption of at least 50%. On top of that, our solution doesn’t need compressed air, so that boosts the sustainability of packaging production even more. Our customers accordingly are thrilled with the advantages of our equipment. We offer interested customers a test kit they can use for three months to experience the benefits first-hand.” At FachPack, Baumer will also show customers how easily they can use the GlueCalc smartphone app right at their production lines to calculate reductions in glue consumption and CO2 emissions on an order-by-order basis, just by entering a few parameters. z

The right paper for Indian snacks

Preserve the taste and looks with a 100% natural grease-repellent paper for bags & wraps Packaging that looks beautiful and stays beautiful Healthy for consumers – food remains fresh A sustainable choice – paper from cultivated forests In the competitive Indian snack and fast food business, you are what you serve. Packaging from BillerudKorsnäs makes the food look just as good in the wrap or bag as it did in the frying pan. The packaging paper is free from optical brightening agents – good for consumer health and the environment. Protect your brand, not just the product. Scan the code for more info.

billerudkorsnas.com Mail: Zaheer.Abbas@billerudkorsnas.com Mobile: +919599225212

Flexibles

z Aims to increase capacity to 19,200 MTPA

Prakash Group makes huge investments over expansion and diversification Manash Das

rakash Group is a diversified conglomerate with business interests in steel, mining, PVC pipes and fittings, internet services, and flexible packaging. “Our relation with plastic and plastic products dates back 40 years, with the start of PVC pipes manufacturing. As our country progressed, we found many opportunities that were made a reality by the entrepreneurial spirit of our chairman, Shri VP Agarwal,” says Kanha Agarwal, managing director of Prakash Group. The company has invested around Rs. 80 crores so far to build a capacity of 14,400 MTPA including

backward integration into captive ink plant, cylinder plant, blown film plant. In the current FY, the company is investing further Rs. 20 crores to take the capacity to 19,200 MTPA. “Our investment in the next phase will be focused on value-added products such as pouches, new product development, and consolidation such as system integration, efficiency improvement, cost optimization,” says Agarwal. Agarwal adds, “Our flexible packaging division is growing at a fast pace. We have grown from 50 MT/ month to 850 MT per month in the last two years. I believe we are able to onboard and retain customers because we are able to provide quality products with

timely deliveries. We do not chase volumes. Instead, we focus on gaining customers’ confidence. Within four months of starting this division and in the very first audit, we received BRC-IoP, ISO 9001:2015, and ISO 22000:2018 certifications, which are in conformity and continuity to date. This has been possible because we had the vision from the beginning to create a state-of-the-art plant with a primary focus on quality and systems.”

Flexible packaging journey “Four years ago, we were looking to grow further in the plastics industry after we saw an ample opportunity in the flexible packaging industry. The growth of the

The newly installed 9-color ELS printing machine with turnbar from UFlex at Prakash Group

THE PACKMAN | SEP-OCT 2021

www.thepack man.in

Flexibles A well-equipped quality control lab at Prakash Group

packaging industry is directly linked with the growth of its customer i.e. FMCG, FMEG, pharmaceuticals, and food and beverage, which has been growing at over 15-18% annually. We further realized that as the economy shifts from unorganized to organized sectors, demand for packed, hygienic products is bound to increase. Being the second most populated country, India still has one of the lowest per capita consumption of plastics at ~12 kg, whereas China’s is ~39 kg, EU ~65 kg, USA ~109 kg. With this view, we made a humble beginning with one converting line. We had decided from day one that our focus will be only on the organized segment, with best-in-class equipment, processes, and product quality.”

Pandemic and the future Agarwal says, “The flexible packaging industry is one of the few industries which recovered fast during the pandemic last year. Demand was robust as consumers were stocking up. We have been running at 100% utilization levels, with orders exceeding our capacity. We expanded our capacity in the second half of the year, added more brands to our customer portfolio, and even increased exports to 15% of sales. “However, this year, the second wave has been more painful for everyone as Covid spread deep into every household. As the situation is improving, we are seeing gradual improvement in demand.”

Blown film line with Plast-Control automation

Agarwal believes that in the next year, FMCG, F&B, and the packaging industry will witness a major demand supercycle. “With the majority of the population getting vaccinated, economic activities will start normalizing. Schools, universities, other public places, and tourism will start functioning again, which will bring exceptional demand for packaged products,” he says. z THE PACKMAN | SEP-OCT 2021

www.thepack man.in

Flexibles

z ACTGreen Barrier Coatings and Sustainability

Water-based barrier coatings as a solution for more sustainable end products Benjamin Lux, chief technology officer at ACTEGA, and Markus Locher, global barrier manager at ACTEGA, business line paper and board, talk about the importance of sustainability in general and in the packaging industry in particular. They discuss ACTEGA’s approach to sustainability and the technical, commercial, and regulatory requirements for water-based barrier coatings as a solution for more sustainable end products. What does sustainability mean to you? Ben: Sustainability is something that I have heard about ever since I joined the industry. For the last 15 years, it has been an emerging trend, but the good news is that it has moved beyond that - it is now most definitely a fundamental requirement and expectation of the market. As developers and industry partners within this space, this is a major shift for ACTEGA too. And for us, it is very important to understand exactly what brought us to this place. Knowing why sustainability is important and what we are looking to achieve helps shape our current and future decisions.

owners who have stepped up and voluntarily made some bold commitments around sustainability. They have set some very aggressive goals, and in doing so, are now really pushing sustainability up and down the supply chain, particularly around packaging. What’s more, when we look at the claims that these brand owners are making, they are big, bold, public commitments. Commitments that go beyond just packaging and that set a benchmark for other companies to follow, such as ourselves. As such, you now see these same sustainability objectives being incorporated into the DNA and daily focus of some of the largest companies in the world.

What steps are companies making towards sustainability? Markus: Global brand owners have taken many initiatives to reduce their impact on the environment, but one of the biggest we’ve seen is the trend towards more paper-based alternatives in packaging. Another big trend is the move towards more sustainable barrier coatings, which we predict will continue and eventually represent the bulk of the packaging market as the water-based barrier coatings provide an effective, economical, and truly sustainable solution for the printing and packaging industry. As businesses continue to make these commitments to sustainability,

How does the shift to sustainability impact companies? Ben: Sustainability was previously driven by consumer preferences, and that is still true today. However, brand owners now value sustainable practices too, and not just to satisfy the consumer. They understand its importance to the planet and that it is a fundamental requirement for their business’s long-term viability and profitability. Sustainability is no longer a niche trend, but something that these businesses have really bought into and are leading the charge for, especially in the packaging industry. A great example of this is the new ‘plastics economy,’ a multinational project of hundreds of different brand

THE PACKMAN | SEP-OCT 2021

www.thepack man.in

Benjamin Lux, chief technology officer at ACTEGA

Markus Locher, global barrier manager at ACTEGA

Flexibles they are ultimately compelled to work with new sustainable approaches while slowly moving away from the traditional products and techniques that are no longer fit for purpose.

creating new products – which we must do. However, to see real progress and make real change, businesses will need to confront the complexity of laws, policies, and regulations.

What does this mean for the packaging barrier industry?

The regulations in the US, for example, can change by region or even by the municipality, making this process incredibly complex. ACTEGA currently has a network of global regulatory experts who deal with these complications every day. However, even as a global supplier, this process is a major challenge for ACTEGA.

Markus: Well, there are many implications. But a big change to the industry, and one that could have hugely positive sustainable benefits, would be the replacement of PE extruded paperboard. It’s currently the most ubiquitous material used in the barrier world today and for good reason – it’s well-established within the supply chain and offers great functional performance. However, it isn’t recyclable and as a result, a large amount of it ends up in landfill or the ocean. We must find an adequate and sustainable replacement for it. What other challenges can we expect? Ben: When exploring new solutions, one of the biggest challenges is the ever-changing and complicated regulatory landscape. Those paperboard materials mentioned before already have a well-established regulatory profile, meaning it’s easier to apply a ‘bandaid’ approach to solving these problems instead of

Markus: With the new directive on single-use plastics, the EU aims to reduce the negative impact of certain plastic products on the environment and human health. This shows how important this issue is in today’s world. Unlike products traditionally used in the packaging industry, ACTEGA’s barrier coatings are all water-based, enabling substrates to be widely and easily recycled utilizing standard practices. In terms of barrier coatings, are there any challenges to consider? Ben: Something to always consider is the possibility of ink migration on the exterior of the packaging. A big concern for the packaging industry is that these inks

could potentially get into the packaging substrate, and then into the consumer product. And as we use more and more recycled papers, it is common to find more impurities within the substrate, making it even more difficult to reuse materials and protect the product from impurities – this must be solved. What is ACTEGA doing to kick-start this change and what do you think the future will hold? Markus: We are working with other businesses to create the best solutions for the industry and achieve a greater impact. We are approaching this by trying to fully understand all aspects of sustainability and to define key pillars, which also include other aspects that are important for the success of any product solution. Ben: Essentially, we are striving to make a positive impact by incorporating sustainable solutions. To achieve that, we are currently developing new supply chains to help bring these technologies and products to life, working with brand owners, raw materials suppliers, and regulatory agencies. This partner-centric approach, utilizing the best and most innovative technology and expertise available today, we hope will help build a better tomorrow. z

z BOPP based films with a proprietary coating

Cosmo Films re-launches direct thermal printable top coated label films

osmo Films, a global leader in specialty films for flexible packaging, labeling and lamination applications, and synthetic paper, has re-launched BOPP-based direct thermal printable (DTP) top-coated film, with a proprietary coating that enables the formation of an image or impression on the film upon contact with the heated print head of a thermal printer. The film is specially designed for niche applications such as information labeling (airport baggage tags etc.), inventory tracking, frozen food labeling, and parking ticket applications and reportedly has the potential to grow in many new applications as well. A non-tearable, cost-effective, and easy-to-use film

offers a paper-like matte finish producing a fine and sharp dark image on printing. With reportedly no additional high equipment costs, the film is available in thickness varieties of 70, 75 and 95 microns. In addition, the company says that the film is designed to protect the privacy and primacy of sensitive information as the sensitive data is always imaged directly onto the BOPP DTP films. Pankaj Poddar, CEO, Cosmo Films, said, “Being a global leader, we aim to keep growing exponentially and thrive to bring innovative products to our customers. The direct thermal printable film is extremely easy to use, and there are no additional high equipment

Pankaj Poddar, CEO, Cosmo Films

costs. According to several reports, the global direct thermal market was valued at 491.2 million USD in 2021 and will grow with a CAGR of 5.7% from 2021 to 2027. We look forward to being a big part with our innovation in the direct thermal printing market.” z THE PACKMAN | SEP-OCT 2021

www.thepack man.in

Flexibles

z EPL partners with Colgate-Palmolive (India)

Recyclable Platina toothpaste tubes in India

PL (formerly known as Essel Propack), world’s largest specialty packaging company, has partnered with ColgatePalmolive India, one of the largest oral care brands, to produce recyclable Platina toothpaste tubes in India. This first set of recyclable tubes is the starting point for converting to 100% recyclable tubes for Colgate-Palmolive. EPL has innovated the first-of-its-kind recyclable Platina tubes for Colgate-Palmolive, keeping in mind superior functionality and no-compromise on key product attributes and efficacies. This innovation was enabled via EPL’s Association of Plastic Recyclers, USA(APR) approved 100% recyclable and fully recyclable Platina tubes to pack Colgate Active Salt and Colgate Vedshakti, with other brands in the portfolio to follow. Deepak Ganjoo, president AMESA, EPL, said, “We are proud partners to Colgate-Palmolive India for many decades and the relationship has enabled us to create path-breaking firsts which are visible via such first-ever conversions to recyclable tubes. Going

ahead, we believe, sustainability is the cornerstone of packaging innovation and EPL is leading the pack globally on sustainable packaging. In line with brand requirements and our vision towards a net zero impact on our environment, we are committed to partnering with all the brands to offer innovative sustainable tube packaging solutions.” EPL’s Platina, an eco-friendly laminated tube, is designed to deliver source reduction and recy-

clability without the loss of any barrier properties. This allows for sustained product stability and durable shelf life of the packed content. Platina tube is especially suited for oral, and beauty and cosmetics products. Platina tubes and caps are certified as 100% recyclable by The Association of Plastic Recyclers (APR) and RecyClass European certification for Code 2 (recycling), making it the first specialty packaging tubes and caps to be recognized as 100% recyclable, globally. z

z Innovation centers in Belgium and China

Amcor to invest approximately USD 35 mn in two innovation centers

mcor, a global leader in developing and producing responsible packaging, has announced its plans to build two new state-of-the-art innovation centers. The new facilities in Ghent, Belgium, and Jiangyin, China, will welcome customers as of mid-2022,

THE PACKMAN | SEP-OCT 2021

www.thepack man.in

with full build-out over the next two years. The total investment is expected to be approximately USD 35 million. “Our innovation centers have already become trusted destinations for some of the world’s biggest brands as

they work to improve both the sustainability of their products and the overall consumer experience,” said Peter Konieczny, chief commercial officer for Amcor. “We’re excited to expand our global innovation network and remain the growth partner of choice for customers across the world.”

Flexibles The innovation centers announced will include differentiating features that are in high demand from customers. The centers will include immersive customer experience facilities to generate consumer insights, run co-creation sessions and conduct rapid prototyping. There will be advanced analytical and material science labs and dedicated pilot manufacturing equipment. The

company also said that the centers will have packaging machinery that replicates customer operations to run trials without disruption to customer production, and the latest packaging recycling and composting know-how across multiple materials. “Our innovation and design centers offer customers a

unique space to test new ideas and technologies across a variety of materials and formats without disrupting commercial operations,” said William Jackson, chief technology officer for Amcor’s flexibles business.“Our customers will be able to access our innovation capabilities wherever they are in the world and benefit from a seamless transfer of expertise and knowledge across the network.” z

z Acquires flexible packaging specialist Elif

Huhtamaki strengthens its flexible packaging business in attractive consumer product categories

uhtamaki has entered into an agreement to acquire Elif Holding, a major supplier of sustainable flexible packaging to global FMCG brand owners, with operations in Turkey and in Egypt. With this acquisition, Huhtamaki reinforces its position as a leading flexible packaging company in emerging markets and strengthens its existing flexible packaging business in attractive consumer product categories. Founded in 1972, Elif provides sustainable flexible packaging in Europe, Middle East and Africa, serving major global brand owners In line with Huhtamaki’s 2030 growth strategy, the acquisition adds scale in strategic geographies and supports Huhtamaki’s progress towards reaching its high sustainability ambitions. The acquisition also expands Huhtamaki’s technology capabilities and product range, allowing it to serve its customers even better. In 2020, Elif’s net sales were approximately EUR 163 million (USD 195 million) and it employs approximately 1,500 highly skilled people in its two state-of-the art manufacturing locations in Istanbul, Turkey and Cairo, Egypt. The acquisition of Elif supports Huhtamaki’s 2030 growth strategy by leveraging scale, strengthening capabilities and improving competitiveness.

The acquisition adds state-of-the-art flexographic printing capability with in-house cliché production to the Huhtamaki technology offering. It expands Huhtamaki’s flexible packaging product range and creates cross-selling opportunities across customers and geographies. With the acquisition, Huhtamaki also expands its flexible packaging manufacturing footprint into Turkey, one of the top future growth countries. With the vast majority of Elif’s product range already recyclable or compostable, the acquisition is also a significant milestone in reaching Huhtamaki’s ambition to have 100% of its products designed to be recyclable, compostable or reusable by 2030. Charles Héaulmé, president and CEO of Huhtamaki, said, “I am thrilled to announce this acquisition. With a great portfolio, a strong focus on sustainability and high growth ambitions, Elif is a perfect fit for Huhtamaki. We are impressed by Elif’s focus on its customers with decades of strategic partnerships with blue-chip multinational companies who are leaders in their field and Elif’s strong and capable leadership team. Our 2030 growth strategy is particularly focused on sustainability and competitiveness, which Elif strongly supports. I look forward to working with Elif’s management to continue their success under the new ownership. I am delighted to welcome Elif’s Group CEO Selçuk Yarangűmelioğlu, Elif’s Group CFO and MEA GM Mehmet Çayirezmez, the leadership team and

the entire Elif organization to the Huhtamaki family. We are looking forward to build on the existing strong foundations together, to further grow the business and deliver innovative sustainable packaging solutions to current and new customers globally.” Selçuk Yarangűmelioğlu, CEO of Elif, added, “We are excited to join Huhtamaki, a company that shares our sustainability and growth vision. Elif has always been a dedicated partner for multinationals with a best-in-class asset base, service and quality. Under new ownership, we will continue to deliver sustainable solutions to our customer base globally, enhance our focus on fast-growing emerging markets, realize synergies through scale and expand our capabilities.” Huhtamaki will acquire Elif for a cash-free debt-free purchase price of EUR 412 million (USD 483 million). The business will become part of Huhtamaki’s Flexible Packaging business segment. To support the financing of Huhtamaki’s acquisition of Elif, Huhtamäki has signed a bridge financing facility of USD 500 million with Citi, who has also acted as an advisor in the transaction. The transaction is subject to the approval of competition authorities in Turkey, and it is expected to be closed after regulatory approval. Both companies will continue to operate on a business-as-usual basis until closing. z – Anwesh Koley THE PACKMAN | SEP-OCT 2021

www.thepack man.in

Flexibles

z Commissions 10.4-meter BOPP line in Hungary

UFlex announces host of remarkable products

t the end of Q2 2021, UFlex announced a host of noteworthy products and solutions across its various businesses to make packaging a better experience for brands and consumers alike, especially in the wake of changing trends in packaging.

In another development, the flexible packaging business of UFlex has come up with material reduction at source with 3-ply stand-up spout pouches for large quantity liquids. The recent development for Wipro

Flexible Packaging Business UFlex Flexible Packaging Business has replaced conventionally used high metal content foil and poly structure packaging in Vicks Action 500 giving it an enhanced look and feel. The aesthetically rich looking pharma packs come with a paper structure comprising of 40 gsm OLB paper, LDPE and foil. The packaging

Water-based synthetic adhesive technology FLEXBOND SF WET LAM–1178, another new launch by the chemical business of UFlex, is designed for side pasting and inner liner pasting in cartons, and can be used on all standard nozzle/roller applicators. UFlex recommends the adhesive for various laminated substrates like BOPP, PET and also on metalized PET with paper board, and is designed for ‘side and bottom sealing of mono carton’ compatible with automated high-speed mono carton making machines. The ready-to-use adhesive has found takers in major brands such as KFC, MDH Spices, and more.

Softouch Fabric Conditioner has a 3-ply structure of polyester combined with the virtues of BON (Bi-axially Oriented Nylon) and Natural Poly against the earlier conventional 4-ply structure.

Chemicals Business Meanwhile, the newly launched PU resin by UFlex Chemicals Business for 1K matt coating FLEXPAK 2765 reportedly offers an excellent matt finish on the surface of printed PET and BOPP films. UFlex says, the coating resin also offers high heat and chemical resistance due to its high cross-linking densities that lend an enhanced look to the pack and builds an instant connect with the consumer.

format uses emerging high-energy curing chemistries for delivering high performance, low migration product system that supports cross-linking of inks and high gloss coatings. According to UFlex, the cross-linking reactions ensure scratch resistance, chemical resistance, and color fastness. The company also says that the overall process outshines the traditional process since there is no carbon dioxide emissions.

THE PACKMAN | SEP-OCT 2021

www.thepack man.in

Holography Business UFlex Holography Business has developed holographic lidding foils with a special invisible ink. This novel offering was conceived, developed and engineered to increase the degree of difficulty and prevent duplicity. This first time development for holographic blister foil substrate includes an addition of new layer of security that includes covert features by incorporating the invisible ink which is visible only under UV light, thus making it easy for brands to confirm product originality throughout their value chain. On the other hand, the overt feature helps the consumers to identify the genuine brand before any purchase, which helps build trust in their preferred pharma products.

Flexibles Engineering Business UFlex Engineering Business has designed a combi laminator for use in both dry and solvent-less lamination processes. The combi laminator overcomes the challenge of change-over-time, thus saving time. With an operator-friendly interface the laminator runs at speeds up to 450 mpm and has both the lamination units pre-exist in a fixed frame that helps achieve higher accuracy by reducing downtime since no change-over is required.

Aseptic Liquid Packaging Business After tasting success with foil stamping new-age packs by Asepto for one of its IMFL brand, Radico Khaitan once again turned to Aseptic Liquid Packaging Business to manufacture aseptic packs with foil

stamping aesthetics for its liquor brand UDAAN. These packs have created an elevated shelf appeal for the brand with superior aesthetics that make the packs stir the retail shelves. Moreover, Aseptic Liquid Packaging Business has added new brands to its client bouquet. South Indiabased Thirumala, a 100% owned subsidiary of dairy company Lactalis Group chose Asepto to supply milk in its pillow packs whereas Oral Rehydration Solutions manufacturer FDC India collaborated to sell their ORS and energy drinks in Asepto packs. The flexible packaging volumes were affected due to the second wave of Covid-19 that struck India in April-May-June 2021 quarter. Despite the headwinds, the company continued with a streak of good performance and introduced a host of new innovations. It also commissioned a 10.4 mt

wide BOPP film line in Hungary with a production capacity of 42,000 TPA. Ashok Chaturvedi, chairman and managing director, UFlex said, “UFlex has been on the path to fulfill its vision to get closer to its patrons with manufacturing units across the world with BOPP line in Hungary commissioned and Nigeria set to be commissioned. With consumers getting more mindful of what and how they consume, the packaging industry needs to be proactive in developing sustainable packaging without compromising on convenience and functional attributes of plastic. UFlex has progressed in developing green products and solutions such as biodegradable packaging, water soluble bags and more, which will not only meet the approval of consumers but also uplift their perception of flexible packaging industry.” z

z Innovation and sustainability are core pillars of SB’s business model

SB Packagings gets USD 25 mn investment from Premji Invest

elhi-based SB Packagings (SBP) said Premji Invest has picked up a significant stake in the company. The deal size is estimated to be around USD 25 million. The transaction primarily involves partial stake sale held by the existing shareholders in SBP and infusion of primary capital for capacity expansion and inorganic acquisitions to enable faster scale-up of its product portfolio for both domestic and international markets, a press statement from the company said. Founded in 1989, SBP manufactures flexible packaging materials in India, supplying to major players in the hygiene and food industry, including P&G, J&J, Unicharm, Kimberly Clark, Nobel Hygiene, Walmart, Future Group, PepsiCo, Dabur, and Tata among other leading brands. Post-transaction, Amit Banga, son of founder OP Banga, will continue to remain a significant shareholder in the company and will continue to drive the business, supported by a professional

management team further bolstered by the financial and strategic support from Premji Invest. “We have grown steadily over the last decade, winning the trust and market share with our global marquee customers who have a very high threshold for quality and consistency. Innovation and Sustainability have been the core pillars of SBP’s business model. With the backing from Premji Invest, one of India’s leading PE investors, we look forward to further expanding our capabilities through organic and inorganic routes thereby strengthening our position in the Indian flexible packaging industry,” Banga said. Premji Invest is the investment arm of Azim Premji’s endowment and philanthropic initiatives. It has been active in investing in the Indian markets for over ten years with a significant investment corpus. The focus of investments has been to grow medium-sized Indian companies into large companies that can compete

Amit Banga

globally. Premji Invest’s investments are spread across sectors like consumer, financials, technology, and manufacturing and include, Fab India, Hygienic Research, ID Foods, Lenskart, Policy Bazaar, Flipkart, Gold Plus Glass and Shubham Housing. EY and Khaitan & Co acted as advisors to SB Packagings on the transaction. z THE PACKMAN | SEP-OCT 2021

www.thepack man.in

Flexibles

z Wraps with individually adjusted barrier properties

BASF, BillerudKorsnäs develop home-compostable paper laminate for flexible packaging

ASF and the Swedish packaging material manufacturer BillerudKorsnäs have developed a unique home-compostable paper laminate for flexible packaging. It can be used to produce wraps with individually adjusted barrier properties, e.g. for cookies, ice cream, cereal bars and dairy items as well as wrappers for fish, meat and cheese freshly sold in supermarkets. And it is a solution that meets today’s requirement for sustainability by being organically recyclable. The multi-layer laminate consists of three basic components – BillerudKorsnäs’ paper ConFlex Silk, a sealing layer made of BASF’s certified home compostable and partly bio-based biopolymer ecovio and BASF’s water-based adhesive Epotal Eco 3675 X. All components are certified home-compostable according to official European certification schemes for home-composting. The laminate reportedly contains a high share of renewables and extends the end-of-life options for multi-layer flexible packaging by being organically recyclable. The companies say that the new homecompostable solution has the same performance features as conventional multi-layer packaging – it is puncture resistant, shows good printability, has excellent heat-seal properties and can be processed on standard packaging machines. “We wanted to create a paper-based laminate with good heat-seal properties by using certified home-compostable components only,” says Amir Pourirani, head of global marketing Biopolymers at BASF. “There is a huge trend in society, in some countries driven by legislation, to move from plastic to paper-based packaging. Moreover, currently

THE PACKMAN | SEP-OCT 2021

www.thepack man.in

The laminate is reportedly puncture resistant, shows good printability, has excellent heat-seal properties and can be processed on standard packaging machines

available multi-layer flexible laminates are difficult to recycle but the technical need is still present. In BillerudKorsnäs we found the ideal partner to develop a home-compostable solution based on paper with a broader end-of-life option for packaging while maintaining the technical performance of traditional laminates.“ “With BASF’s certified home-compostable biopolymer and adhesive, we found the ideal components to take

the next step towards another sustainable solution for flexible packaging in our portfolio”, says Markus Saari, business development manager at BillerudKorsnäs. “Our joint development represents a shift to paperbased and compostable material in order to replace traditional laminates for food packaging – meeting hygiene and barrier requirements, maintaining form and enabling many design possibilities just like conventional packaging but with the decisive added benefit that it is home-compostable.

Labels

z Thermal versus solvent plates

XSYS and Nilpeter collaboration confirms no compromise in print quality

ollowing the completion of a comprehensive new print trial, XSYS has revealed the results of detailed tests comparing flexo printing with thermal plates and those processed with solvents. Working together with press manufacturer Nilpeter, the company set out to find a more sustainable solution that would not compromise print quality.

The benefits of thermal processing rival the print quality of solvent plates

The sample job was printed, in turn, with the solvent nyloflex FTS plate and the thermal nyloflex XVH plate from XSYS. The thermal plate was processed with a nyloflex Xpress Thermal Processor, which offers considerable sustainability benefits compared to standard solvent processing systems in use. “Our main aim with this print trial is to confirm that there is no compromise in print quality when switching from XSYS solvent plates to thermal,” said Friedrich von Rechteren, global commercial VP at XSYS. “In fact, what we found is that besides producing excellent print quality and improving flexo’s green credentials, the versatile nyloflex XVH thermal plate – like the solvent nyloflex FTS – also reduces complexity, inventory, and waste to provide a higher Overall Equipment Efficiency (OEE).” The thermal nyloflex XVH Digital plate brings similar benefits to the table as the solvent nyloflex FTS Digital. Both are inherent flat top dot plates with a smooth surface that has a very fine grain making them able to hold customized surface screening patterns, such as Woodpecker. They also both feature good wettability and anti-ink fill-in (AIF) technology, which keeps plates clean for longer print runs to allow increased press uptime. The thermal nyloflex XVH, however, offers additional benefits, most notably in sustainability by not requiring solvents for processing and thereby avoiding VOC emissions in the print room and further into the atmosphere. Productivity is also significantly increased as the nyloflex Xpress Thermal Processor delivers print-

THE PACKMAN | SEP-OCT 2021

www.thepack man.in

ready nyloflex thermal plates in less than one hour, which translates to 88% lower energy consumption. It also eliminates the long drying times experienced with solvent systems, which often cause a bottleneck in production and delay press restart when damaged plates have to be replaced. The print trials were conducted at the Nilpeter Technology Center in Denmark, where the sample jobs were produced on a flagship FA-17 Line narrow web flexo press running at 200 m/min. The same design was printed on three different substrates – a 38-micron white BOPP, a self-adhesive white PE, and a 45-micron PET shrink material with a solvent nyloflex FTS 114 digital plate and a thermal nyloflex XVH 114 digital plate using UV flexo inks from Flint Group Narrow Web. Jesper Jørgensen, global sales manager at Nilpeter, said, “When we compared the results from the two different plates, there was no difference in quality or registration – it was just spot on. With most new jobs,

there are always some start-up difficulties getting the plates, the inks, and the material to mix and match together, but we found it surprisingly easy. It was a walk in the park.” “We continue to investigate ways in which printers can improve their process to make it more efficient and productive, and we do that by partnering with other leading manufacturers in our industry to offer the best solutions to our customers,” said von Rechteren. “Sustainability is one of the biggest drivers in today’s market, so naturally we have a very strong focus on finding ways to produce eye-catching print without negatively impacting the environment.” Friedrich von Rechteren concluded, “We can now fully recommend the nyloflex XVH plate as an alternative solution to current market challenges, because it delivers print quality that equals solvent plates, offers reduced Total Cost of Ownership, and is more environmentally friendly.” z

Labels

z UAE-based adhesive labels manufacturer

Vinsak installs complete label production equipment at Paramount

insak has announced the installation of a complete set of label production equipment, including a Lombardi Flexoline press, Vinsak USAR 430-universal slitter-rewinder, Vinsak LFD flatbed die-cutter, and roll lifter at Paramount Label Printing Press in the UAE. Paramount is an adhesive labels manufacturer (in roll form) operating from Ajman, New Industrial Area, United Arab Emirates. It manufactures different kinds of labels for pharmaceutical, sequential, barcode, weighing scale, industrial and clothing tags. “In Vinsak we found a partner of choice,” says Sadiq

Ali, owner of Paramount Labels. “They have taken on the complete project as a turnkey, procured and installed the machines, and provided operator training to us to make us operative in the shortest possible time. In addition, their consultative approach vs. some of the hard-nosed sales teams in the region is really positive for us.” “We thank Mr. Sadiq Ali for the confidence he reposed in Vinsak,” said Malkhan from Vinsak Middle East. “We hope to continue to grow our relationship with them and support them in their growth story for many years to come.” z

MDC GAMUTSTAR

Sadiq Ali, owner of Paramount Labels

THE PACKMAN | SEP-OCT 2021

www.thepack man.in

Labels

z Inkjet systems for variable data

Sai Paks invests in Jetsci M Series

research we found the Jetsci inkjet imprinting system a good match which is productive and delivers great quality of printing, ” says Deepan Samarth, managing director, Sai Paks.

“We were looking for a solution for printing variable data and implementing track and trace for oil, lubricant, pharma, and other segments. After thorough

Conceptualized, designed, and manufactured in India by Monotech Systems, the Jetsci M Series is integrated with Konica Minolta 1024i industrial-grade inkjet printhead. According to Monotech, the system can be integrated easily into a customer’s existing production line for upgrading their conventional printing setup to a digital production system. z

une-based Sai Paks has bought the Jetsci M Series Inkjet imprinting systems for variable data printing and track and trace. Sai Paks is a leading manufacturer of bar-code labels, stickers in roll and sheet form with multi-color print capability, serving varied segments like the pharmaceutical, electrical, electronics, cosmetics, food, etc. The company acquired the ISO 9001 certification in 2015.

Deepan Samarth, managing director at Sai Paks

z Durable label stocks distribution across India

SMI and FLEXcon announce partnership

n 18 August 2021, SMI Coated Products, a label stock solutions company, and FLEXcon Company, an innovator in adhesive coating and laminating, announced their partnership to provide durable label stocks across India. SMI Coated Products and FLEXcon are both family-owned companies with multiple generations actively involved in their operations.

“FLEXcon has the capabilities to produce label materials that will enable SMI to penetrate the durables market in their region effectively,” says John Forster, VP international sales and corporate development, FLEXcon. “This synergistic relationship will allow SMI and FLEXcon to jointly provide exceptional products into the Indian market without the challenges of time differential or cultural barrier.”

Among the largest label stock companies in India, SMI enjoys a strong brand presence among printers and converters. Until now, SMI has offered a wide range of paper and filmic label stock solutions using acrylic and rubber-based hot melt adhesives. By partnering with FLEXcon, SMI will provide polyester and vinyl label stocks with high-performance adhesives ideal for harsh environment labeling. SMI will initially offer eight of FLEXcon’s UL-recognized base films along with one robust overlaminate. The products will complement SMI’s existing offering to provide a full range of solutions across the automotive, outdoor power equipment, power tool, appliance, and electronics markets.

The offering will include selections from established product lines such as THERMLfilm NEXgen and COMPUcal EXCEL as well as FLEXcon’s recently launched FLEXcon NEXgen line. According to FLEXcon, these products are UL-recognized and easily adaptable to a printer/converter’s UL file, enabling them to support equipment OEMs that sell in regions of the world that require it.

THE PACKMAN | SEP-OCT 2021

www.thepack man.in

Most products also comply with both REACH and RoHS, according to the company. The products utilize some of FLEXcon’s highest-performing adhesives along with topcoats that optimize printability with conventional, digital and hybrid printing platforms. Products will be stocked in either 27 inches or 30 inches masters with

Rohit Mehta and Ajay Mehta of SMI Coated Products

custom finishing available from SMI. “The addition of durable labeling products from FLEXcon to our offering is in line with SMI’s resolve to provide consistently relevant solutions to our customers in an ever-broadening durable labels market,” says Ajay Mehta, founder and managing director, SMI. “As solutions partners working collaboratively, the two companies can ensure that printer/converters in our region have convenient access to the highestperforming materials on the market today.” z

The total Packaging, Converting & Supply Chain Show of Southern India is ready to open the doors for buyers. 07 08 09

October 2021

HITEX, Hyderabad

We look forward to welcoming you at the show oor

CONTACT OUR TEAM Akshita Kapoor T: 91 98117 15124 E: akshita.kapoor@rxglobal.com

Co-located events

Deepak Kabdwal T: 91 99107 39090 E: deepak.kabdwal@rxglobal.com

SupplyPluS

south

Neeraj Negi T: 91 96541 81043 E: neeraj.negi@rxglobal.com

PACKAGING SHOW

Pharma Packaging

z Romaco Noack Unity 300 blister packaging line

Sustainable design concept cuts costs Pia Britsch and Marcus Gallmann

clear trend is visible in the pharmaceutical industry – the production of small to medium batch sizes is following a steadily upward trajectory. There are two main explanations for this – the growing number of generics and the unbroken advance of personalized medicines. Accordingly, the demand for machines that serve these markets is also increasing. The Noack Unity 300 is Romaco’s first fully integrated blister packaging line to be launched in the market for the low to medium speed segment. The monobloc transfer solution has a central control system and consists of a single-lane blister machine with rotary sealing and a continuous motion cartoner. The line – which is used to pack pharmaceutical solids into blisters and cartons – achieves a maximum output of 300 blisters per minute. Especially where small batch sizes are concerned, the focus is increasingly on improving overall equipment effectiveness (OEE). A technology’s economic efficiency is principally determined by its performance, the quality of the end product and system availability. The aim when developing the Unity 300 was, therefore, to systematically enhance these efficiency values. In keeping with the conviction of the pharmaceutical machinery manufacturer that long-term economic growth inevitably goes hand in hand with active climate protection, these requirements were linked to a sustainable system concept.

Modern presupposes sustainable A compact system design was a key priority for the engineers who developed the Unity 300. With an overall length of 7.8 meters, it is one of the shortest blister lines in the low to mid-performance class. The machine’s

THE PACKMAN | SEP-OCT 2021

www.thepack man.in

4.1-meter-long primary packaging unit features a prepared interface with the pharma wall and has a particularly small footprint. The extra-compact layout allows a significant potential saving, most evident during energy and cost-intensive cleanroom operation. Generally speaking, the less space a machine occupies in the cleanroom, the lower its total cost of ownership and the more sustainable it is with regard to maintenance. The economical and ecological room design is the outcome of various measures, such as the optional repositioning of the forming foil reel inside the machine or the ultra-compact arrangement of the blister coding, perforating and die-cutting components. The in-process control for removing the sample blisters is located directly in front of the punch in order to save space. The IPC magazine can simply be swung out for the duration of format changes, ensuring good access to the station behind it. The Unity 300’s compact design was realized strictly according to ergonomic criteria.

The transfer station which transports the blisters to the cartoner was likewise designed, making economical use of space. The punched blisters are removed vertically by an indexing wheel and then transferred to the cartoner directly in a uniform circular motion. This rotary blister transfer system enables a very compact design of the transfer station. To improve the shuttle’s energy efficiency, the indexing wheel was additionally fitted with suction cups, which are only activated while blisters are being transferred. Compared to alternative vacuum transfer systems, the indexing wheel thus has a distinctly lower power consumption. Less power is likewise needed at the cutting and splicing table for the lidding foil because the vacuum is adapted to the foil width. What’s more, both the air pressure and the power consumption of the blister line can be reduced in Romaco’s standby mode, leading to a significantly lower baseload. However, this has no effect on the restart times and hence on the OEE values. The power and air consumption of the Unity 300 are continu-

Pharma Packaging

Noack Unity 300 is Romaco’s first fully integrated blister packaging line

ously monitored and displayed by an energy monitor. High-efficiency servo motors with energy recovery, lightweight format parts and 100% recycled acrylic glass panes give the blister packaging line an even better environmental balance.

Climate-neutral and digital As things stand today, carbon dioxide emissions can neither be completely avoided nor sufficiently reduced. That is why, in the production process for the Unity

300, Romaco puts the emphasis on greenhouse gas compensation as part of the ‘Climate-neutral machine’ project. Initially, this is done by calculating the total mass of carbon dioxide released during the manufacture of the machine, including all components and transport distances. Unavoidable emissions can then be fully offset by purchasing a Gold Standard climate certificate. This entals buying a certified amount of CO2 bound in biomass. In the case of the Unity 300, the terrestrial biomass originates from a reforestation project called ‘CO2OL Tropical Mix Panama.’ To manufacture climate-neutral machines, Romaco

A compact system design was a key priority for the engineers who developed the Unity 300

cooperates with FORLIANCE, one of the Alliance for Development and Climate foundation’s offsetting partners, on behalf of the Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development.

Satisfied operators For machine operators, the moment of truth comes when format and product changes are carried out. Time is of the essence here because prolonged downtime has negative impacts on efficiency as well as on the unit packaging costs. All Romaco Noack technologies are designed to handle frequent product changes. Owing to the small number of parts per set, it was possible to reduce the format costs for the Unity 300 blister line still further and shorten the retooling times. The relatively lightweight format parts are easy to remove and reinstall, and the ergonomic working height ensures convenient access to the main components. Thanks to the quick-lock systems, changing these no longer require tools. The poka-yoke design moreover prevents the parts from being incorrectly assembled, for instance when fitting the suction cups to the transfer station, and the ramp-up times are even shorter now that the blister magazine is loaded automatically. Users can choose between four different feeder configurations depending on the product specification; a pharmaceutical-grade safety guard can also be supplied for the feeding area. With its modular design and format flexibility, the Unity 300 is exceptionally versatile as well as easy to use and set up. A north German manufacturer of natural remedies has already opted for Romaco Noack’s newest blister technology even before the official market launch. z THE PACKMAN | SEP-OCT 2021

www.thepack man.in

Pharma Packaging

z B&R’s integrated machine vision system

Overcoming challenges in pharmaceutical products packaging Manash Das

he primary and secondary packaging stage in pharmaceutical industries holds many scrutinies and an extra eye to detect defects. For example, one of the most crucial pharmaceutical packaging challenges is preserving the curative effects of the medicine. Moreover, they must meet existing quality control standards. Here lies the opportunity for a machine vision system to play a vital role in improving packaging processes. The machine vision system can detect the defects and reject that particular part immediately to maintain uninterrupted production. The pharma packaging industry has embraced this innovation to become more organized and uplift its brand image. With the current surge in the growth of pharma packaging, there lies a huge demand for machine vision systems.

Pharma packaging market scenario The pharma packaging industry is exponentially rising high. During recent years, manufacturing processes have increased, and the market looks relatively stable. Investors are eyeing the more prominent prospects of the market. The companies are making various investments to meet the surging demand for pharmaceutical packaging and capture a majority of the market share in the pharmaceutical packaging sector. Along with this, expansion in the facilities by these companies can further enhance their market position in the pharmaceutical packaging sector.

THE PACKMAN | SEP-OCT 2021

www.thepack man.in

A machine vision system can inspect a bottle or vial for the correct size, color, shape, dimensions, and other critical properties

The emerging need for better healthcare facilities and a rising population ratio strongly contribute to the growth in the pharmaceutical packaging industry. The key players with a considerable market share in the global pharmaceutical packaging market are spreading their wings and investing a large chunk. Machine builders are now investing in R&D and rationalizing various innovative products. The machine vision system is one of them – B&R’s integrated machine vision system fulfilling the manufacturer’s demand and making their processes less complicated. The model has mainly been designed after understanding machine builder demands and fully integrated into the control system. The market is collaborating with the automation vendors primarily to seek a better approach and secure market position. Pharmaceutical packaging includes

various parenteral containers, plastic bottles, blister packaging, closures, specialty bags, labels, etc.

Machine vision solution for packaging Machine vision technology is the ‘eye,’ which the human eye misses noticing the defects. It results in higher efficiency and accuracy at lower costs with robust brand integrity. We know with this accuracy and efficiency, pharmaceutical guidelines are stringent compared to the packaging of other goods. Packaging of pharmaceutical products requires passing through many scrutinies. A manufacturer needs to fulfill many specifications to achieve the quality of the drugs including its labeling and packaging,

Pharma Packaging

which are two essential things, as it involves health adherence, QR code, ingredient details, information about usage etc. Packaging and labeling are two vital rudiments for any pharmaceutical company. The quality of the packaging here is outstanding as it maintains the drug quality. There is defined guideline from FDA for labeling and packaging. Here, any fault related to the printing of composition of drugs or related compliance guidelines or dosage directions requires strict verification. These are certain things that can be missed by any human naked eye and can pass through quality assurance unintended. In contrast, these faults undetected hold serious issues to many levels. To achieve the goal of making inspection more flexible and efficient while at the same time saving costs and precision in detecting the faults, B&R has already joined hands with many customers to bring the machine vision system into the light. The heart of B&R’s vision solution is a broad selection of intelligent camera technology. For the entire portfolio of cameras, there are easy-to-configure machine vision functions for creating applications with minimal programming. Machine vision machine is a boon to pharma packaging Industry. It has made life easy. The growing demand for pharmaceutical packaging is due to rising healthcare expenses and consumer awareness regarding healthier lifestyles. In addition, today’s innovative packaging solutions, higher patient convenience, and compliance drive the market for pharmaceutical packaging.

Machine Vision technology is termed scalable and easy to use. Automated machine vision systems were once considered highly expensive and impractical for drug packaging; this outlook has changed among manufacturers allowing them to monitor line performance, eliminate operator error. With B&R’s integrated machine vision system to market, it is exceptionally approachable and manageable for the machine builder and its developers. From the comfort of their familiar automation environment, they can access all the camera functions they need and easily integrate them into the machine application. No specialist image processing know-how is required, so introductory training is kept to a minimum. In circumstances that require just one specific image processing function, such as reading a QR code or position detection, the Smart Sensor version of B&R’s camera is the right choice; there is no need to install extra camera hardware for each function. Instead, the user configures the desired Smart Sensor function as needed in the Automation Studio engineering environment. Manufacturers can justify installing machine vision at many locations along a packaging line, with each performing a single inspection to verify quality following each specific value-adding function. A machine vision system ensures the integrity of the product and packaging components and is one of the most critical applications today. A machine vision system can inspect a bottle or vial for the correct size, color, shape, dimensions, and other critical properties such as curvature finish or

the presence or absence of any minute contamination. The vision systems are used to verify the correct assembly of packaging components, which requires vast and accurate knowledge of the characteristics to be inspected. Monochromatic inspection can be useful when components’ colors are standardized within the system it can also be used to detect the missing closures on bottle packaging. This application is becoming increasingly important on high-speed packaging lines to detect defects at different inspection windows within a limited processing time. In blister packaging lines, seal integrity can be challenged or faults detected by the systems based on pre-established sealing patterns. This allows machine vision systems to verify the package’s protection and dispensing functions. In the packaging industry, the packaging faults or defects unnoticed by the human eyes can be easily spotted with machine vision solutions in less than a second. B&R’s vision system gives a better choice for an inspection process. This fast and detailed infection performs 100% online inspections and offers results in improved quality, higher profits, and lower production costs; as It refers to new measures in pharma packaging, the barcode recognition will take on a new role in the quality assurance process. Equipped with these abilities, pharmaceutical manufacturers can put their machines to work to comply with strict new regulations and answer some of the questions at the end of the production line. Machine vision is beneficial on large-scale pharmaceutical production lines, where the requirements are highly scalable and focus on detailed quality inspection. There are several ways that this can take shape. z THE PACKMAN | SEP-OCT 2021

www.thepack man.in

Automation

z Beck Automation offers customer-specific solutions

Efficient packaging automation rounds off IML processes

o make the entire process of packaging production for containers and buckets as efficient as possible, further automation steps are necessary in addition to the plastic injection molding process and in-mold labeling (IML), especially for the transport and cartoning of the manufactured buckets, cups and other containers. For this reason, Beck Automation offers customer-specific solutions for the further handling of these packages, also known as ‘Down Stream.’ “Basically, for our customers, the automation of further process steps, such as packaging in cardboard boxes, is primarily about increasing cost-effectiveness. Simple, repetitive as well as often physically strenuous and not entirely harmless work can be taken over by robots in the future, massively increasing the efficiency of a plant. Automatic packaging of plastic drinking cups, for example, also has the advantage that the risk of contamination by people is reduced to almost zero,” says Nino Zehnder, chief sales officer of Beck Automation. “However, this automatic packaging requires that the produced parts undergo a 100% inspection beforehand. Only if it can be ensured that no bad part is packed, Beck Automation can automate the downstream work steps. For this reason, the company has been integrating the IMLWatcher from Intravis in Aachen, Germany, since 2016. Their camera systems are perfectly tailored to the requirements in the IML packaging market and allow them to offer customers a complete package that is perfectly tailored to their needs.” “For the automatic packaging of containers in cartons, we offer both standardized and customized solutions,” Zehnder continues. The packaging automation is connected directly downstream to the IML system. Buckets, yogurt pots or coffee capsules are stacked automatically and placed in packaging cartons by a robot. In the process, the finished stacks are placed

THE PACKMAN | SEP-OCT 2021

www.thepack man.in

Buckets, yogurt pots or coffee capsules are stacked automatically and placed in packaging cartons by a robot

horizontally into the boxes with special grippers. Slight tilting of the boxes ensures that the stacks are placed in a controlled manner. “The company from the Zurich area uses 6-axis robots from FANUC for depositing the stacks and integrates them into the control concept. The entire packaging process takes place in a safety cell. “It is important that the systems are developed with sufficient space capacity to provide enough room for both full and empty packaging cartons.” Other process steps, such as inserting a plastic or protective bag into the carton packaging, are also taken into account. The systems can be operated via an intuitive HMI and are characterized by their simplicity in both operation and maintenance. During the development of the equipment, attention is paid to optimal accessibility, which is particularly advantageous for operators when servicing or changing products. During the design phase of a process line, the product dimensions and stack lengths are also defined together with the customer. The arrangement of the stacks in the packaging carton can be freely selected by the customer. Basically, the solutions around packaging automation are adapted to the customer’s needs in

such a way that the space conditions on-site as well as the cycle times and packaging types are ideally utilized. “Basically, we are fully geared to the customer here, regardless of whether this involves 30-liter buckets or coffee capsules. Especially for the latter products, which are often produced in large quantities and fast cycle times, an automatic packaging solution can provide great economic benefit. Our downstream packaging automation should not only complement our IML process, but also provide a long-term, efficient solution for the customer,” says Zehnder. “For this reason, the engineers at Beck Automation are also looking at future developments. Intelligent, driverless transport systems (AGV) and the integration of further support modules, such as carton erectors, bag insertion machines, carton sealers or palletizing systems, play an important role here. “We have already successfully implemented these downstream developments. For example, in cooperation with partner companies, we implemented a project for a customer in Switzerland in which almost all logistical processes were automated. In addition to developing its own systems, Beck Automation also assumed overall responsibility for a turnkey project,” Zehnder explains. z

Automation

z Automated production line

IM Group installs twin mixing station at Samograph in Italy Mahan Hazarika

Powered by IoT and stateof-the-art industry 4.0 technology, fourteen pumps are explicitly dedicated to food packaging, while another fourteen are aimed at conventional inks

he recently rebranded IM Group (formerly Inkmaker Group) has completed a double ink-mixer installation at Samograph’s international headquarters in Sant’Anastasia, Campania, Italy. The two mixing stations, commissioned through Samograph, were purchased specifically to automate and speed production and come complete with IM Group’s ‘Polare Offset’ dosing heads controlled by the group’s proprietary software, Inkpro. The dosing heads – capable of dispensing up to 20 colorants and additive components – have an output of up to 30 liters of offset inks, distributable across pails or drums, using a 30 kg scale of up to 0,1g resolution with a precision of detecting weights as low as 0.1g. The automated production line also comes equipped with full traceability conforming to ISO Food certifications, registration of formulas and processing history

– with optional customization of dosage parameters to optimize production times and conditions when required – and production reports throughout the process. Powered by IoT and state-of-the-art industry 4.0 technology, fourteen pumps are explicitly dedicated to food packaging, while another fourteen are aimed at conventional inks. The two mixing stations were purchased specifically to automate and speed production and come complete with IM Group’s ‘Polare Offset’ dosing heads controlled by Inkpro software

THE PACKMAN | SEP-OCT 2021

www.thepack man.in

“We are very proud of this installation; it is a remarkably flexible and efficient system made all the more powerful due to the sophisticated technology that drives it. Thanks to the efforts of our award-winning software team, Inkpro has distinguished itself as a leader in the industry,” said Alessandro Tallone, area sales manager from IM Group, responsible for securing the project. Samograph is a leading manufacturer and distributor of inks and materials for the graphic arts for over two decades, specializes in various printing techniques such as offset, UV, flexo, and food in both commercial and technical-scientific industries. “The precision of the automated dosing combined with the production speed and traceability of workorders of the two IM Group mixing stations has given us the advantage we were looking for,” said Salvatore Montella, director of Samograph. “IM Group’s quality and service has always put them in a league above their competitors, and with the expertise of so many companies within one group, which inevitably benefits most from this synergy is us – the clients.” z

Establishing Face to Face meetings. 23 24 25 OCTOBER 2021 INDIA EXPO MART, GREATER NOIDA, DELHI-NCR

Witness the live machinery for the 1st time in two years and understand new trends in the current market scenario.

Giving push to Atmanirbhar Bharat – 100% participation from Homeland.

We look forward to welcoming you at the show ﬂoor

Highlights: Folding Carton Summit Contact:

Live demos

Technical Workshops

Partner Association

Jasmine Chopra | +91 99710 09337 jasmine.chopra@rxglobal.com www.IndiaCorrExpo.com | www.IndiaFoldingCarton.com

ICCMA Congress

Co-located Events

INDIA FLEXOGRAPHY

Organised by

Filling and Sealing

z Las Vegas – 27 to 29 September

V-Shapes to debut AlphaFlex fill & seal converting machine at PackExpo

-Shapes will make its debut at PackExpo by showing its latest innovation, the AlphaFlex print, form, fill and seal solution. According to the company, the machine will feature high-quality synchronized printing on both sides of the sachets, powered by Memjet’s DuraFlex technology and ColorGATE Packaging Productionserver when it becomes commercially available later this year. The V-Shapes AlphaFlex dosing and delivery technology reportedly makes it possible for vertical integration of high volume production of the patented V-Shapes single-dose sachets. Eliminating the need to outsource printing and giving complete manufacturing control back to the brand owners and co-packers. PackExpo,

scheduled for 27 to 29 September in Las Vegas, marks the first time AlphaFlex will be shown in North America. V-Shapes will be located in the Central Hall, Stand C-4703, at the show. Memjet representatives will also be available at the V-Shapes stand. “We are excited to be able to show our new AlphaFlex dosing and delivery solution to the many attendees expected at PackExpo Las Vegas 2021,” said Charanjit Hayre, president and CEO of V-Shapes North America. “This revolutionary filling/converting machine was made possible through a variety of important partnerships, including Memjet, Siemens and SIHL, as well as the talented V-Shapes engineering team. It was no small challenge to develop synchronized feeds and professional

quality printing of our patented single-dose sachets, and we think the visitors to PackExpo will be amazed when they see what we and our partners have accomplished.” V-Shapes AlphaFlex features integrated in-line printing into the V-Shapes 6-lane ALPHA machine, enabling packaging converters/fillers to accomplish the complete manufacturing process of V-Shapes’ unique single-dose sachets under one roof with a compact footprint, full-color branding capabilities, in line, ondemand and with the industry’s highest quality. In the AlphaFlex configuration, the printing module prints a single side of the single-dose sachets inline, synchronized with each other, and precisely married for die cutting, filling and sealing. z

The V-Shapes AlphaFlex dosing and delivery technology reportedly makes it possible for vertical integration of high volume production of the patented V-Shapes single-dose sachets

THE PACKMAN | SEP-OCT 2021

www.thepack man.in

Filling and Sealing

z Streamlined canning line concept

Carlsberg and KHS implement successful projects in China

HS recently installed two canning lines at Carlsberg Dali Brewery (Dali City, Yunnan Province) and at Carlsberg Yibin Brewery (Yibin City, Sichuan Province). “We’ve been working successfully with KHS for around ten years on the Asian market and have developed further together. This continuity throughout a good number of projects has created a sense of trust between us and makes us feel that we’re all one big team,” says Paul Kime, asset and projects director at Carlsberg Asia. Despite the restrictions imposed by the corona pandemic, the new canning lines were actually commissioned before the agreed date. “In setting up our own sales organizations and increasing our local service proficiency, we provide the regional expertise needed to independently maintain, install and commission our machinery with the help of local teams,” explains Norman Gras, global key account manager at KHS. “With travel restrictions still in force, this is a great advantage. Our proximity to the customer and short transportation distances have considerably helped us to meet our supply obligations throughout the entire value chain,” he adds.

Clear, streamlined layout In this large-scale project, Carlsberg found it important that its new canning lines have a clear and streamlined layout. This was also to be as identical as possible at the two Chinese sites. “We succeeded in quickly implementing an intelligent, space-saving line concept in close cooperation with the customer’s project team,” Gras continues. The heavily reduced number of buffer and conveying segments in the new line design make higher demands of the system control and machine availability – the shorter distances between the individual stations on the line tolerate no faults in the production processes. The high degree of reliability and ease of operation and maintenance of

The heart of the line is the Innofill Can DVD can filler that, as here in Yibin, processes up to 90,000 0.33-liter cans or a maximum of 60,000 0.5-liter cans per hour, holding local brands and Carlberg’s famous products

KHS’ technology proved convincing, however. “KHS sets standards in the canning segment,” states Kime. “The reject rate is under 1% and the level of efficiency is over 95% – and is even 100% in Yibin. These are fantastic figures.” The heart of the line is the ultramodern Innofill Can DVD can filler that processes up to 90,000 0.33-liter cans or a maximum of 60,000 0.5-liter cans per hour, ranging from local brands to Carlberg’s famous products. The concept also incorporates an Innopas SX tunnel pasteurizer and a packaging system comprising an Innopack SP shrink packer at each respective plant plus two wrap-around packers in Yibin and one in Dali, where several years ago KHS installed three convincing returnable glass lines. With its state-of-the-art robot grouping, palletizing with the Innopal PB1 RG2 gives Carlsberg the flexibility it needs to also cope with any tasks the future may have in store. The total package is rounded off by a wide range of safety equipment such as a key-in-pocket door safety system and extended protective housing.

Lubrication-free container conveying concept Another special feature of the current project was the request for a lubrication-free container conveying concept and a dry production environment. “Normally we work with belt lubrication to minimize wear and keep the coefficient of friction constant,” Gras explains. “At both plants the beverage cans run dry on the belts.” In opting for this solution KHS has disproved an ancient dogma – in the past brewers were absolutely convinced that the floor had to be wet– and helps Carlsberg in its striving for greater sustainability by saving water. “The entire project was ideally executed and is an important role model for future canning line setups,” says Gras. The customer is just as positive about its continuing cooperation with KHS. “The successful implementation of the current project sends out a strong signal to our Chinese plants. We’ll use the positive experiences we’ve gleaned here to carry on improving – also with the help of KHS,” Kime concludes. z THE PACKMAN | SEP-OCT 2021

www.thepack man.in

Filling and Sealing

z 28-30 September 2021 in Nuremberg, Germany

Syntegon’s processing technologies for renewable packaging materials at FachPack

yntegon will showcases its sustainable packaging technologies at Stand 1-204 at this year’s FachPack from 28 to 30 September 2021. Visitors to FachPack can experience the efficiency of a comprehensive solution for paper packaging and the glue-free technology of the Kliklok ACE carton erector.

Vertical packaging line combines sustainability and flexibility An integrated system consisting of a vertical SVE 3220 DZ form, fill and seal machine and an Elematic 2001 WAH case packer produces stand-up pouches for pasta from recyclable paper and places them in shipping cases. Besides using mono-materials for all common bag styles, the SVE 3220 DZ processes paper to package products in pillow, block-bottom or doy bags with a stand-up height of up to 311 mm. This makes it suitable for packaging confectionery, as well as baked goods, cookies, and powdered products. The integrated case packer also uses renewable raw materials. According to Syntegon, it processes solid and corrugated board of varying quality – even particularly sustainable corrugated board made of grass fiber. Bernd Bruckert, sales manager for the Elematic portfolio, says, “The Elematic 2001 WAH processes even bent blanks, and significantly reduces rejects. Up to 100 different packaging

THE PACKMAN | SEP-OCT 2021

www.thepack man.in

The lock-style process allows enables manufacturers to replace conventional plastic trays for cookies or bars with an eco-friendly cardboard tray

designs are possible. From simple trays to shelfready trays with hoods, the case packer offers maximum flexibility.”

Optimized recycling thanks to glue-free carton forming According to Syntegon, the Kliklok ACE carton erector also supports the improved recyclability

of secondary packaging – it erects cartons either with glue or – thanks to the lock-style technology – completely glue-free, and therefore in a more environmentally friendly manner. In addition, the Kliklok ACE is available with a new and unique ultrasonic sealing technology. The lock-style process further allows glue-free forming of paper trays with compartments, which enables manufacturers to replace conventional plastic trays for cookies or bars with an eco-friendly cardboard tray.

Filling and Sealing

The Elematic 2001 WAH processes even bent blanks, and significantly reduces rejects

The future relies on paper The German Packaging Institute confirms that Syntegon is ideally equipped to process paper – in July, it awarded Syntegon with the German Packaging Award for its innovative paper blister packaging, which the company developed in cooperation with the Finnish packaging material manufacturer Huhtamaki. The paper blisters provide an environmentally friendly alternative to conventional push-through packaging for tablets. The year before, Syntegon received the Packaging Award for its ‘Shaped Paper Pods’, that are characterized by their unique look and texture. Visitors can view these and other paper solutions at the trade show stand.

Reliable service from a single source

The paper blisters provide an environmentally friendly alternative to conventional push-through packaging for tablets

Syntegon will also present its services and digital solutions. They range from remote services and digital shopfloor solutions to material testing and the transition to sustainable packaging alternatives. Further customer-specific services along the machine life cycle complete the portfolio. Starting in November, Syntegon will deliver all machines IoT ready – with this access to digital applications, customers benefit from a holistic concept of collecting, visualizing and analyzing machine and production data, and can thus elevate their production to a new level of digitalization. z

THE PACKMAN | SEP-OCT 2021

www.thepack man.in

Food and Beverages

z Tomra food equipment

Taking advantage of optical sorting machines for spices and dried chili

lthough India leads the world in exporting spices and dried chili, producing these crops in great quantities can no longer guarantee international sales success. Great quality is also necessary, now more than ever before. To retain their leadership position, Indian businesses must maintain high quantities while also efficiently removing foreign materials to satisfy increasingly stringent global standards. One reason for this is that increasing numbers of consumers around the world now expect food products to be perfect every time. If shoppers find serious fault with the food, they buy and complain about it on social media platforms, their criticisms can reach enough people to damage brand reputations. Another reason is food regulations defining maximum permissible levels of pesticide residues, mycotoxins, heavy metals, microbiological organisms, and additives. These rules are already so strict in some nations that products, including dried chili spices, sometimes get turned back from export destinations at the point of entry. Even where food regulations are not so strict, they are expected to get tougher in the future. The good news is that other sectors of the food industry have faced such challenges and overcome them. One of the most effective solutions is to replace manual sorting methods with optical sorting machines. Whereas manual sorting is unavoidably subjective, imperfect, and especially vulnerable to error when laborers are tired or bored, automated sorters can work hour after hour with superior accuracy, consistent standards, and unflagging efficiency. Switching to automation requires investment, of course, but it pays back handsomely by delivering greater throughputs and consistently higher product quality. Tomra Food recently made new sorting applications available for spices and dried chili. According to the

THE PACKMAN | SEP-OCT 2021

www.thepack man.in

Tomra Food recently made new sorting applications available for spices and dried chili

company, these applications were fine-tuned here in India, at Tomra’s Test Center in Bangalore and on the premises of a small number of spice and chili producers in Kerala, Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat, and Andhra Pradesh. These extensive validation tests reportedly led to impressive results. The two key objectives, ensuring food safety and consistently high product quality, were convincingly achieved. One of India’s earliest adopters of this technology, Amit Singhal of DKC Tradex, says, “We had been using conventional sorting machines in our spices and herbs business for quite some time and had some challenges in pushing our limits. Now, with our new Tomra machine, we see excellent results on our final product and our end customers are also very happy with these results.” Another early adopter of Tomra’s technologies is the leading coriander processor in India. The owner and managing director of PC Kannan & Co, PCK

Maheswaran explains, “The Indian spices industry is shifting from traditional manufacturing methods to global food safety and hygiene standards. With the right investments, we believe that we will be able to satisfy our end customer market requirements. Higher technology machines will help in improving the quality of the product at the same time as minimizing wastage. Tomra sorting machines are high-quality equipment that helps in solving industry issues. We have seen the improvement in end products and are happy to partner with Tomra.”

How sorters see When Tomra’s sorting machines look for foreign materials and product defects, they inspect the processing line’s material stream with one or more detection technologies: high-resolution color cameras, lasers, near-infrared sensors, and biometric signature identification software. These are reportedly able to assess objects on the line according to

Food and Beverages their color, size, shape, and even their structure and internal characteristics. In the instant after the sorting machine inspects materials, air jets precisely separate unwanted and wanted products into ‘eject’ and ‘accept’ streams. Ejected materials are either discarded or sent along another line to be sorted again; accepted materials continue along the line toward packaging. Whether the product is sent through the sorting machine one, two, or three times, and what’s most likely to be removed by the sorter on each of these occasions depends on the type of food being processed.

A brief look at the processes for dried chili and spices The biggest nuisance crushed chili processors have to deal with is stems. If just one of these gets all the way down the line and packaged with the final product, it can spoil the consumer’s eating experience, tarnish their opinion of the brand that sold the product, and worse still, perhaps pose a choking hazard. Other threats to food safety include foreign materials that get mixed up with the crop during harvesting, such as stones and rat excreta, and materials that fall onto the processing line, such as fragments from workers’ glass bangles. It’s simply not possible for the human eye to see all of these unwanted materials when they’re mixed into the product stream, but that’s no excuse: for the sake of food safety, they must be removed.

product with discolorations. Another common defect is cross-contamination of one type of product with another. Again, these things are difficult to detect manually but essential to remove: export markets strictly require packets of food to contain only what’s named on the label listing ingredients.

At the same time that the sorting machine looks for foreign materials, it also detects and ejects defective product. With dried chili, this typically means removing

When processing spices, the sorting machine is located some way down the line. Before the spices reach this point, they will have passed through a

Abhishek Bhargava, area sales manager Tomra Processed Food at Tomra Food

pre-cleaning machine to remove dust and heavier impurities such as sticks, stones, and plastic bags and threads; through a finer cleaning machine to remove smaller foreign materials; and through a gravityseparator which divides light and dense product. Then it’s the sorter’s job to detect and eject any remaining foreign materials (likely by this stage to be very small) and discolored products. After this, the rejected product is sent through a sorter once again - a two-step process that minimizes food waste by ensuring that no good materials get discarded.

Cameras, lasers, and seeing beyond the surface

When Tomra’s sorting machines look for foreign materials and product defects, they inspect the processing line’s material stream with one or more detection technologies

In the company’s view, the optical sorting machine Tomra 3C has numerous advantages. The dual laser-induced scattering results in superior glass and foreign material removal; the double-sided RGB cameras, combined with high intensity LED lighting, remove the subtlest color and shape defects; the high-speed ejection valve, with direct nozzle connection, results in an exceptionally low rate of false rejects; intelligent auto-cleaning sustains the machine’s optimum performance; and the control interface, with a large touch screen showing application-specific tuning parameters, is easy for operators to use. z THE PACKMAN | SEP-OCT 2021

www.thepack man.in

Food and Beverages

z Transforming dairy industry with new consumer experiences

Parle Agro diversifies to dairy segment with Smoodh Manash Das

ndia’s multi-category, multi-brand beverage behemoth Parle Agro, which has dominated the fruit-based drinks category in the country for over three decades with iconic Indian beverages, has diversified to the dairy category. The move is backed by years of intense, in-depth research and extensive investment in modern and innovative technologies to build a robust dairy infrastructure and introduce novel products to Indian consumers. With this, Parle Agro aims to dynamically transform the dairy industry in India with innovations and new consumer experiences that haven’t existed in the category before. Parle Agro makes its entry into the dairy segment with a high-quality and premium range of flavored milk products – Smoodh. With disruption ingrained in the company’s philosophy, Smoodh becomes the only flavored milk beverage in the market globally, to be available in 85 ml Tetra Pak cartons and priced at only Rs. 10. With this offering, Parle Agro is gunning to grow the branded flavored milk market in India from the current Rs. 800 crores to Rs. 5000 crores in the next four years. Smoodh is a silky, wholesome and delicious flavored milk beverage available in two universally popular consumer choices – chocolate milk and toffee caramel. Commenting on the launch of Smoodh, Nadia Chauhan, joint managing director and CMO, Parle Agro said,“Years of dedicated R&D have gone into developing this incredible product. And like all Parle Agro products, I am extremely happy and delighted to finally launch it in the market for our consumers to experience.As one of India’s leading beverage companies that has always been led by innovations, it has been a conscious effort to bring Indian consumers high quality and rich in taste products at the best value. Smoodh is in sync with this very vision.”

THE PACKMAN | SEP-OCT 2021

www.thepack man.in

Elaborating further on the impact that the innovative Smoodh will bring to the beverage industry, Chauhan added, “Smoodh is a product that can be described as a technological marvel from all aspects – product, quality, price and pack-size. With the immense consumption opportunities that it presents, we are looking to create a substantial dent not just in the beverage category, but in the Rs. 10 chocolate category as well, which is currently an Rs. 4,300 crore industry.”

Disruption in the flavored milk and Rs. 10 chocolate category with Smoodh Smoodh is the only brand in the flavored milk category priced at an incredible value of Rs. 10. This gives Parle Agro the opportunity to break the pricing barrier, a factor that has hampered the growth of the flavored milk category in India. The price and pack-size also enables Parle Agro to achieve high penetration and distribution for Smoodh. Smoodh also meets the need of consumers looking for a quick energy boost or a quick sweet fix, equivalent to that of a Rs. 10 chocolate bite. Thus, with the unique and disruptive pack size and price for a chocolate milk beverage, Smoodh is sure to make an impact not only in the flavored milk category but in the Rs. 10 chocolate category as well, according to Parle Agro. Since its soft launch, Smoodh has seen almost equal offtake in rural and urban markets, a phenomenon that has never been experienced by existing branded flavored milk brands in aseptic cartons as they don’t exist in rural markets. With this breakthrough combination in price and pack size, Parle Agro has brilliantly activated almost 80-90% of the rural market for flavored milk which has never been activated to date until the launch of Smoodh. Speaking about the launch of Smoodh by Parle Agro,

Smoodh is available in two universally popular consumer choices – chocolate milk and toffee caramel

Adolfo Orive, president and CEO, Tetra Pak said, “Tetra Pak’s partnership with Parle Agro has been a partnership of many ‘firsts’, from the first Frooti package that made Tetra Pak a household name in India three decades ago, to being the partners of choice for this pivotal entry into the dairy segment. We’re inspired by the vision they have for the dairy market in India, and with our integrated packaging, processing and services solutions, we are committed to supporting them in taking the category to new heights. In addition, Smoodh is being launched in the TBA 90 Ultra package, which is not just a first in India, but a global first for Tetra Pak. We are truly honored to be part of the Parle Agro story for over three decades and look forward to supporting this new phase of growth.”

Technological innovation and infrastructure Smoodh is currently being produced at two manufacturing locations – Mysore and Sitarganj. By the end of 2021, Parle Agro will have added two more manufacturing locations producing Smoodh. The company has invested Rs. 100 crores for the latest and most advanced manufacturing technologies at their plants to ensure the premium quality of Smoodh is maintained and remains top-notch. z

Food and Beverages

z Fachpack 2021

inno-tech and Rovema bundle capabilities for the frozen food industry

t FachPack 2021, Rovema will present sophisticated solutions for packaging frozen food and milling products. A continuous motion inno-tech Revo S machine and a Rovema SBS packaging system will be exhibited.

shown is optimized in volume, which saves packing material and reduces transport volume.

With the inno-tech Revo series, Rovema now has even more to offer the frozen food industry. The continuous Form Fill and Seal (FFS) machines of the Revo series are modular and available from a simple version for small budgets up to a special machine with an inclined filling tube for the particularly gentle packaging of fragile products.

In the company’s view, the SBS block pack machine offers maximum flexibility, even for batches of different bag sizes, in addition to the many options for bag top and bag closure design. The machine is equipped with the new Rovema HMI, featuring a dashboard that accompanies the operator with graphic support during production. Clear graphic elements provide real-time information on the machine’s most important data, such as infeed rate, film progress, and production output, at a glance. All upstream and downstream machines can be integrated. Illustrated operating instructions guide the operator step-by-step through the most important conversion and adjustment operations, such as film or product changeover. The Rovema SBS is also available with Allen Bradley control as an option. z

Convertible to continuous or intermittent motion packaging, the inno-tech Revo can also reliably process demanding packaging materials such as paper. The inno-tech Revo is available with Siemens or B&R machine control as standard. At FachPack 2021, Rovema will showcase a pillow bag solution made of kraft paper with a water vapour barrier for the frozen food industry. A paper from Mondi that can be disposed of via the paper recycling stream is used.

Flexible, efficient and economical

At FachPack 2021, Rovema will showcase a pillow bag solution made of kraft paper with a water vapour barrier for the frozen food industry

Paper bags from the flat film web With the SBS block pack machine, Rovema offers a system for low-dust, compact and dust-tight packaging of powder. Live at FachPack 2021, compact bags filled with rice flour are produced from barrier paper. Developed specifically for applications in the food industry, Sappi’s Guard Nature 1-MS barrier paper guarantees 100% protection when in direct contact with dry foods such as cereals, rice, pasta or flour, and can be recycled in the paper waste stream, the company claims. The SBS block pack machine is a combination of a Form Fill and Seal machine and downstream integrated bag top and bag closure system. The block bottom bag

The inno-tech Revo is available with Siemens or B&R machine control as standard

THE PACKMAN | SEP-OCT 2021

www.thepack man.in

Food and Beverages

z Fully automated filling plants

SIG develops robotic sleeve magazine for F&B manufacturers

ith R-CAM 2, SIG developed a new, fully automated sleeve magazine designed to work with all filling machines in its current machine portfolio. With the latest solution, SIG says it enables food and beverage manufacturers to increase workflow efficiency while reducing the manual labor they require. In the company’s view, this means manufacturers can easily develop fully automated filling plants – and keep up with growing consumer demands and advances within connectivity and digitalization. In an ongoing bid to help manufacturers stay competitive and keep up with a constantly evolving industry, SIG is committed to designing and building filling machines that streamline every stage of their production process. R-CAM 2 is one of SIG’s solutions that reportedly enables the company to meet this demand in the market. Stefan Mergel, senior product manager equipment at SIG, says, “With this next-generation sleeve magazine, SIG created a highly robust, stable and reliable solution that is designed to cater to all filling machines in our current machine portfolio, making it a key component in building the fully automated filling lines of the future – and helping manufacturers save time and costs in the process.” R-CAM 2 is a robotic sleeve magazine that consists of two parts – a pallet magazine and an unpacking station, with the former offering space for two Euro pallets or industrial pallets. SIG’s latest sleeve magazine is designed to automatically remove shipping boxes from the pallet, open them, and then load the filling machine with carton sleeves. This allows customers to operate an end-to-end filling line with one operator. R-CAM 2 is also loaded with other time-saving fea-

THE PACKMAN | SEP-OCT 2021

www.thepack man.in

R-CAM 2 is a robotic sleeve magazine that consists of two parts – a pallet magazine and an unpacking station, with the former offering space for two Euro pallets or industrial pallets

tures: from being able to run continuously for up to 2.5 hours without the need to change a pallet to an ability to compress and pack empty shipping boxes – among many other things. SIG customer Arla Foods has acquired the first R-CAM 2. Already familiar with the first iteration of SIG’s robotic sleeve magazine – again as the first manufacturer to acquire one, back in 2015 – Arla Foods wanted to achieve even greater levels of efficiency. Peter Bratsch, project manager packaging at Arla Foods Germany, says, “In order to meet our smart factory goals while placing more focus on employee

productivity and efficiency, we required a sleeve magazine that needed no manual intervention from an operator. A sleeve magazine that could free up our employees to concentrate on other responsibilities – in addition to reducing their physical workload. With R-CAM 2, we can optimize the performance of all our filling lines, no matter how many carton packs they are designed to fill per hour.” z

SUBSCRIPTION FORM

Year 1 year (6 issues) 2 years (12 issues) 3 years (18 issues)

INR 900 1500 2200

You Save INR NA 300 500

We enclose cheque* / draft no. _______________________ drawn on ___________________for Rs (INR)_______________ Payable to “RH Media Publications” Name/Designation_____________________________________________________________________________________ Organization _________________________________________________________________________________________ No. Building/Street/Road_______________________________________________________________________________ City _____________________ Pin Code ______________State Country__________________________________________ Cell_______________Phone_____________________Email___________________________________________________ Please mail to: E448, First Avenue, Gaur City 1, Greater Noida West, Uttar Pradesh – 201306, India Contact: +91 9910189285, Email: ads1@thepackman.in

Industry News

Clariant pigments certified for use in compostable plastic

lariant’s pigments business unit is offering customers new coloring opportunities with a range of certified OK compost Industrial pigments. To meet sustainability targets and fulfill commitments to the plastics circular economy, producers of plastic articles are increasingly using compostable polymers.

Nine selected products in Clariant’s PV Fast and Graphtol ranges now feature the label OK compost Industrial

Nine selected products in Clariant’s PV Fast and Graphtol ranges now feature the label OK compost Industrial, that meet the requirements of the European Union EN 13432: 2000 standard when not used above the maximum concentration in the final application, representing a significant contribution to sustainability. “We are proud of this development that is part of our strategy to offer solutions for more sustainable packaging and to strengthen our product portfolio,” said Andreas Buder, technical marketing manager plastics at Clariant. “This certification allows our customers to use bright colors in their biodegradable products since they are suitable for industrial composting.”

The PV Fast and Graphtol range of pigment powders are high-performance organic pigments. Both product ranges are used in various consumer goods sectors, such as sensitive food contact packaging, plastics tableware/dishware, or toys.

The coloration of biodegradable polymers requires the pigments to meet certain characteristics in order to be considered compostable. This requires a low heavy metal and fluorine content for processing through organic recovery facilities and no ecotoxicity towards plants. z

Xaar buys FFEI

aar has completed the acquisition of print systems and printbar specialist FFEI. The deal will accelerate the company’s existing growth strategy and enable Xaar to capture additional opportunities in vertically integrated solutions.

CFO Julian Payne will remain in their current roles and report to Xaar’s CEO John Mills. Bob Wilson, FFEI’s CTO, will join Xaar in a senior position within the printhead business, where he will focus on delivering technologies for the company’s UDI customers.

FFEI is a leading integrator and manufacturer of industrial digital inkjet systems and digital life science technology with many years of experience managing technical integration and engineering projects.

John Mills said, “Having restructured and stabilized our core printhead business, the acquisition of FFEI will accelerate our strategy and expand our customer offering in a range of markets. As well as providing a number of ready-made solutions, the acquisition will further enhance Xaar’s world-class expertise.

The addition of FFEI strengthens Xaar’s capabilities and skills and will help provide a more comprehensive solution for its growing number of OEM and User Developer Integrator (UDI) customers. Based in Hemel Hempstead, UK, CEO Andy Cook and

THE PACKMAN | SEP-OCT 2021

www.thepack man.in

“I’ve personally known the FFEI team for many years and have long admired their capabilities having previously worked closely with them. We are very excited to welcome them to Xaar and look forward to integrating

the business as we continue to deliver on our strategy.” Andy Cook said, “We are delighted to become part of Xaar which represents a fantastic opportunity for the business to develop and grow. Xaar has been a long-term market leader with great technology and great people and is a perfect fit for the business.” FFEI employs over 60 people and in the year to 31 March 2021 generated revenue of £9.9 million. The initial cash consideration of £3.7 million was paid on completion, reflecting existing FFEI free cash reserves, with an additional £5.4 million deferred consideration to be paid out over three years. The Board expects the acquired expertise and resource to be utilized for projects that will drive long-term profitable growth in Xaar’s core printhead business. z

Industry News

Huhtamaki launches 100% plastic-free egg carton for cooked colored eggs

uhtamaki, a key global provider of sustainable packaging solutions, is launching Futuro, which it says is the first 100% plastic-free egg carton for cooked colored eggs, across markets in Europe. The innovation is especially relevant to the German market, where hard-boiled eggs or ‘Bunte Eier’ remain a popular snack and an addition to lunch or dinner, with more than 80 million packs sold yearly. Hard-boiled eggs are currently regularly packed and sold in plastic packaging for sale in supermarkets. “This is a step forward in helping our customers meet their sustainability targets and drive a circular economy. By simply switching to our fiber-based Futuro cartons, Germany could eliminate almost 2,400 metric tons of plastic from packaging for eggs yearly,” says Hilbrand van Dijk, sales and marketing manager at Huhtamaki. Futuro cartons are made of post-consumer recycled

fiber, and in Germany they can be recycled in the paper and cardboard stream as well as composted at home or in an industrial composting facility after use. Also, the new flapless design makes the cartons 10% lighter than standard fiber cartons, reducing their carbon footprint. The patented design also allows consumers to be able to see the eggs on retail shelves. With a long tradition of selling fresh and cooked colored eggs, Moos-Butzen is the first distributor to start using Futuro egg cartons for their products in June. “Partnering with Huhtamaki was a strategic choice for us,” states Rainer Becker, managing director for Moos-Butzen. “Quality and sustainability are integral to how we operate, and we expect our partners to reflect these values. Bringing in the Futuro egg carton helps our customers make their products stand out on shelves in a sustainable way.” z

Futuro egg carton for cooked colored eggs

H.B. Fuller to build new facility in Egypt

.B. Fuller, a leading global adhesive manufacturer, has announced a strategic investment to build a new facility in Cairo to support customers’ increased demand in the fast-growing markets of Egypt, Turkey, the Middle East, and Africa. The new factory will become a regional supply hub and a center of excellence for manufacturing adhesives serving the hygiene, packaging, labeling, paper converting and graphic arts, among other industries. “Egypt has naturally become a main gateway to the region and with the new plant, we will extend our current leadership in Egypt and Turkey and grow our competitive position across the emerging markets of the Middle East and Africa,” said Harsh Gupta, H.B. Fuller’s managing director for India, Middle East and Africa. “Our expanded presence in Cairo, with a hightech site designed with future growth in mind, allows us to double our production capacity and advance our technologies. This investment represents our

commitment to better serving our customer base in close proximity to where they operate, for example, in the markets for hygiene and packaging.” The company says that the production facility will fulfill industry-leading sustainability standards. With a gross area of 37,000 sq.m in a two-story building, the planned site will be built at the well-equipped CPC Industrial Park, in the 6th of October industrial city in Cairo, which is considered a strategic location for manufacturing, and will commence full production in the last quarter of 2022. value through their adhesive applications. H.B. Fuller has had a presence in Egypt since 2008 and this new strategic investment will allow them to grow and create new jobs opportunities in the region and offer improved quality, capacity to serve increased regional needs, excellent access to transportation and logistics advantages, and technical support to ensure a superior service that can help customers gain business

Recently, H.B. Fuller also has strengthened its adhesive business in Africa, with a robust commercial expansion in South Africa serving many of over the 30 market segments of the company’s portfolio. Across the globe, the company works with customers in more than 100 countries. z THE PACKMAN | SEP-OCT 2021

www.thepack man.in

Industry News

interpack 2023 is already 85% booked

he registration window for the next interpack, which will be held from 4 to 10 May 2023 at the Düsseldorf trade fair center, was set to open this year in autumn. Due to this year’s cancellation (because of the pandemic), which first delayed the trade fair until spring 2021 and then canceled it entirely, the companies that had already registered were given a one-off opportunity to rebook immediately for the next interpack, and this proposition was met with almost universal acceptance. Together with new registrations from other companies, the bookings received by midAugust 2021 have already filled 85% of our capacity. “We’re really excited by how enthusiastically our customers have taken up this offer. Again and again, we’re hearing that you can hardly wait until interpack is back on again – as an in-person trade fair where you can meet face-to-face,” says Thomas Dohse, project director for interpack.

on the trends for the coming years. In 2023, sustainability and all of its facets will be even more significant than it has been in years past, which means that we will be tackling this set of themes in cooperation with our partners. In addition to these impressive in-person offers, there will also be digital offers,” says Dohse.

Interpack 2017 recorded the highest exhibitor demand in its more than 55-year history. Photo: Messe Düsseldorf

“The uniqueness of interpack is primarily characterized by the unparalleled diversity of the products and services that our exhibitors offer, but it is rounded out by our special themes that pick up

In the past, interpack’s special themes have always grabbed the public’s attention, for example, Save Food, which aimed to reduce food waste, or the concept of the innovation parks which demonstrate smart solutions and approaches for specific issues, and which are now a firm favourite at the other international trade fairs held by the interpack alliance. The details on the individual special themes and also on additional digital offers at interpack 2023 will be made public during the coming year. z

Printpack India will not take place in December 2021

he Printpack India exhibition will now not be organized in December 2021. Keeping in view the second wave of Covid-19 in the country and promulgation of lockdowns by various state governments and its impact on the industrial operations, IPAMA conducted a fresh survey relating to the organization of the 15th Printpack India Exhibition on the rescheduled dates – 20 to 24 December 2021. The council had sent questionnaires to exhibitors and other related companies seeking their views regarding organization the Printpack India exhibition. The officials of IPAMA had also personally contacted each exhibitor for submission of the survey report.A comparative statement was prepared by IPAMA secretariat, based on the information provided by the exhibitors. Around 80% of the exhibitors had recommended postponement of the exhibition, while 20% had stated that they are comfortable for participation in the exhibition under the prevailing conditions. Regarding the new dates, IPAMA will announce the new dates as and when the situation permits. z

THE PACKMAN | SEP-OCT 2021

www.thepack man.in

The new dates for the 15th Printpack exhibition will be announced by IPAMA as and when the situation permits

Industry News

Registration opens for Labelexpo Asia 2021

egistration for Labelexpo Asia 2021 is now open. The event takes place at the Shanghai New International Expo Centre in Shanghai, China, between 7-10 December 2021. “Labelexpo Asia will be the largest exhibition for the label and package printing industries held anywhere in the world this year and will be a must-visit for printers wanting to see what suppliers have been developing since before the global pandemic,” said Labelexpo event director Kevin Liu. “With global vaccination programs continuing at a rapid rate, we look forward to welcoming label and package printers. This will be the only Labelexpo show this year and we know there is a huge appetite to see machinery in action again and to network safely with industry friends and contacts.” Key technology trends on view at Labelexpo Asia 2021 include digital and hybrid printing, wider web flexo/offset for both labels and flexible packaging, and sustainable materials.

With the global pandemic driving printers to invest heavily in automation, Labelexpo Asia will include a special ‘Print Automation 4.0’ feature area and learning hub on the show floor, with regular interactive demonstrations throughout the show. Learning and networking opportunities begin the day before the show when Labelexpo Asia 2021 and the China Packaging Federation (CPF) will jointly organize a Summit on label and package printing trends and technologies. A detailed agenda will be available shortly.

Three masterclasses Also running alongside Labelexpo Asia 2021 will be three masterclasses. The Label Academy will present a masterclass on self-adhesive label materials on the morning of 8 December; and on inks, Coatings and Varnishes on the afternoon of 9 December. A series of masterclasses on New Prepress technologies, coorganized with the Shanghai Publishing and Printing College, will take place between 5-7 December.

Lisa Milburn, managing director of Tarsus Labels, Packaging and Brand Print Group, said, “We are very happy to announce the opening of registration for Labelexpo Asia 2021. With the cancellation of so many printing shows over the last two years, label and package printers have not had the possibility to see at first hand the exciting technology which leading industry suppliers have been busily developing. Labelexpo Asia 2021 now provides that opportunity.” z

MacDermid appoints Prasenjit Das as senior sales manager

rasenjit Das recently joined MacDermid Graphics, a global enterprise in flexographic platemaking as well as printing solutions, as cluster senior sales manager for the South Asia region. Rahul Dwivedi, the previous head of sales for South Asia, has been appointed as senior business development manager for South Asia. Das brings his 20 years of experience in the printing, textiles, and packaging industry to MacDermid Graphics Solutions. He was serving as vice president marketing – Asia and the Middle East for Apex Asia Pacific before joining MacDermid.

Das’ new role would include managing and implementing MacDermid’s sales strategies, recognizing new market opportunities, and furnishing dynamics to generate growth in the South Asia cluster. He will be reporting to Jesper Bringstrom, vice president – APAC, MacDermid Graphics Solutions. Bringstrom shares his views on the new appointment, “I am confident that Prasenjit will excel in his new role and will help transform our sales operations to best serve our customers and meet our strategic goals in our growing South Asia market.” z

Prasenjit Das

THE PACKMAN | SEP-OCT 2021

www.thepack man.in

Services

Events Calendar Dates Event Name

Place

26 to 28 November 2019

CPhI India (P’Mec)

Greater Noida, India

3 to 6 December 2019

Paperex

Delhi, India

6 to 8 December 2019

Print & Packtech

Bangalore, India

12 to 14 December 2019

Pacprocess Food Pex

Delhi, India

6 to 9 January 2020

Pamex 2020

Mumbai, India

16 to 20 January 2020

Plastivision 2020

Mumbai, India

28 Feb to 1 March 2020

PacProTech

Kathmandu

19 to 21 March 2020

Asia Packaging & Printing Industry Expo

Shenzhen, China

PLEASE VISIT OUR WEBSITE FOR THE UPDATED EVENTS CALENDAR

20 to 22 March 2020

PackPlus South 2020

Hyderabad, India

21 to 23 April 2020

Label & Flexible Packaging & Film Expo 2020

Shanghai, China

24 to 26 April 2020

Food Pack India Expo

Chennai, India

5 to 9 May 2020

Metpack 2020

Messe Essen, German

7 to 13 May 2020

interpack 2020

Dusseldorf, Germany

3 to 4 June 2020

Innopack Pharma Confex

Mumbai, India

16 to 26 June 2020

drupa 2020

Dusseldorf, Germany

19 to 22 June 2020

Plastasia 2020

Bangalore, India

6 to 9 August 2020

PackPlus Delhi

Delhi, India

17 to 19 September 2020

Pharma Pro&Pack 2020

Hyderabad, India

30 September to 2 October 2020

IndiaCorr Expo

Mumbai, India

8 to 10 October 2020

ProPak India

Delhi, India

25 to 27 November 2020

CPhI & P-MEC India

Greater Noida, India

29 October to 1 November 2020

Labelexpo India 2020

Greater Noida, India

29 October to 1 November 2020

Brand Print India 2020

Greater Noida, India

9 to 11 December 2020

pacprocess India

Mumbai, India

3 to 8 February 2021

Printpack India 2021

Greater Noida, India

4 to 8 February 2021

PlastIndia 2021

Delhi, India

THE PACKMAN | SEP-OCT 2021

www.thepack man.in

RNI UPENG/2018/76741 Editor Mahan Jyoti Hazarika editor@thepackman.in Cell: +91 9910189285 Senior Desk Editor Sunil Jain Senior Associate Editor Dev Kumar Dutta Associate Editors Pranay Mathur Manash Das Guest Editor Anwesh Koley Design and Production Biswajeet Chaliha Sales and Marketing Mahan Jyoti Hazarika Subscription Address E448, Gaur City 1, First Avenue, Greater Noida West, Gautam Buddha Nagar 201301, Uttar Pradesh, India Issue Published on 8 September 2021 Printed at JK Offset Graphics Pvt. Ltd. Printed, Published and Owned by Mahan Jyoti Hazarika, and Printed at JK offset Graphics Pvt. Ltd., B278 Okhla Phase I, New Delhi 110 020, India and Published From E448, Gaur City 1, First Avenue, Greater Noida West, Gautam Buddha Nagar 201301, Uttar Pradesh, India Editor: Mahan Jyoti Hazarika

Industry News

THE PACKMAN | SEP-OCT 2021