Food & Beverage Industry News May 2022

MAY 2022

SCAN ME 17.09.2022

2DBarcodes A new dimension in barcodes

2DBarcodes

A new dimension for intelligent packaging; achieving dynamic results

“

Manufacturer

One small barcode can reveal a lot of information that can’t be squeezed into a traditional linear barcode, this is what I call dynamic data. This helps brand owners to solve problems such as food waste, food fraud and food safety.

The implementation of 2DBarcodes requires a slight shift in the printing process away from pre-printed barcodes to inline printing on the consumer pack to take advantage of the 2D evolution.

Mark Dingley Chairman of Australian Packaging and Processing Machinery Association & CEO Matthews Australasia

Visit GS1 Australia at AUSPACK Business Leaders’ Forum Conference 2022

Transport

MAY 2022

My Muscle Chef has capitalised on ready meals growth PLUS: AUSPACK Feature | Digital Transformation | Packaging

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Packaging innovations are critical for the future

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Copyright Food & Beverage Industry News is owned by Prime Creative Media and published by John Murphy. All material in Food & Beverage Industry News is copyright and no part may be reproduced or copied in any form or by any means (graphic, electronic or mechanical including information and retrieval systems) without written permission of the publisher. The Editor welcomes contributions but reserves the right to accept or reject any material. While every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of information, Prime Creative Media will not accept responsibility for errors or omissions or for any consequences arising from reliance on information published.

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4 Food&Beverage Industry News | May 2022 | www.foodmag.com.au

Editor: Adam McCleery

I

used to give little thought to the packaging used in food and beverage manufacturing, beyond the cosmetic that is, until I started working within the industry.

Now, as I continue to cover the food and beverage packaging space, I have begun to look at things differently when I walk the supermarket aisles and start to wonder whether my brand loyalty to certain items was born from the look of the packaging or not.

I do know that it had nothing to do with the make-up of the packaging.

However, now, as a grown man, I begin to consider these things and have realised, due in no small part to speaking with experts in the field, the massive impact overhauling the use of particular materials in packaging can have on the wider world.

Society continues to move towards a more sustainable future off the back of scientific data and the continued push from stakeholder groups around the need to reduce things like single use plastics.

As consumers we are seeing the changes in packaging happen, we are aware of the reasons why, but give little thought to the machinations behind the changes and the positive impacts it will have going forward.

AUSPACK returns this year and with it, I am sure, a string of innovations in the packaging sector which will continue the evolution of the space while creating a far more sustainable business model for the future.

Advancements in packaging have several advantages for the industry including mitigating the risk of food spoilage, breakage, and wastage, which goes a long way to helping reduce the millions of tonnes of food that end up in Australian landfills every year. Stronger plastic alternatives, better recycling programs, and completely new forms of packaging, are all playing a role.

The return of industry expos will also help to remind all of us about the importance of face-to-face interactions, especially in terms of demonstrating new industry innovations for interested stakeholders.

And in the years since the last AUSPACK, there is an expectation that many of the products being showcased at the expo will give a look into the future of food and beverage packaging.

The role consumers have played in the evolution of the packaging space also can’t be understated. The consumer has become increasingly product savvy and wants to play a part in helping create a sustainable economy moving forward and when it comes to the food and beverage industry, they do that with what they choose to spend their money on.

Brand loyalty, as mentioned at the top, can be created among the adult consumer base through more sustainable practices, just as my brand loyalty as a child was likely based on the colour scheme of the product, a product I no doubt still consume today.

Knowing what draws a rapidly educated consumer base to a new product has always been a critical part of brand success and with the rise of environmentally conscious consumers comes a desire to play their part in reducing waste. The food and beverage industry is in prime position to capitalise on this growing sentiment while simultaneously reaching industry targets which have been set out by key stakeholders and governing bodies.

Many of the manufacturers and producers we work with here at Food & Beverage Industry News are already well and truly on the track so more sustainable processes and offer services, machinery, software, and other solutions, which make that transition much easier.

Have a great month.

CONTENTS

INSIDE

14

07 NEWS 12 MEET THE MANUFACTURER My Muscle Chef is finding great success and growth in ready meals.

WHAT'S ON AT AUSPACK 17 We cover the upcoming AUSPACK 2022 expo in Melbourne.

18 A comprehensive list of the speakers booked for AUSPACK. 20 Details about the agenda and drivers behind the AUSPACK expo.

28 AUSPACK’s Leaders’ Forum Conference set to provide invaluable insight.

32 The top five reasons to visit AUSPACK 2022.

18

34 Find the event floorplan for the 2022 AUSPACK expo in Melbourne.

36 Key speakers from GS1 speak about the importance of 2D barcodes.

38 Insignia is set to highlight two key products at its AUSPACK 2022 stand.

40 SMC Australia and New Zealand is returning to AUSPACK 2022.

42 Nupac will be showcasing offerings from Syntegon at AUSPACK 2022.

44 A comprehensive wrap up of what AUSPACK 2022 has to offer.

46 Supagas details one of its latest offerings for the industry.

49 FLOORING Allied Finishes continues to help stakeholders repurpose facilities.

48

50 PACKAGING Bonfiglioli demonstrates the importance of gearmotors.

52 WEIGHING EQUIPMENT Tecweigh’s weighing solutions are being used in bulk handling.

54 PRODUCT WEIGHING Select Equip is providing multi-head weighing technology to Australia for Bilwinco.

56 FOOD PROCESSING Flexco’s work on a lamb processor’s conveyors helped to reduce carryback.

58 Experts in food processing, Marel, detail how to keep up with trends.

58

60 RADAR SENSORS New measurement pieces from Vega are improving processes.

62 PACKAGING Heat and Control showcases a high-speed snack bagmaker.

64 INGREDIENTS Motion Industries helped a small business find greater success.

67 DAIRY 68 AFGC 70 NEW PRODUCTS www.foodmag.com.au | May 2022 | Food&Beverage Industry News 5

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NEWS

GrainCorp, CSIRO, v2food partner on plant-based research G

rainCorp has partnered with the CSIRO and the plant-based food producer, v2food, on a $4.4 million research project in the fastgrowing plant-based protein market.

The partnership will work towards building Australian processing and manufacturing expertise to reduce reliance on imported ingredients and to add more value to grains and oilseeds so they can be used in new products.

Australia is the world’s second largest exporter of canola seed, with GrainCorp keen to build domestic manufacturing and supply chains for plant-based protein ingredients as a major exporter.

GrainCorp received the funding from the federal government’s Cooperative Research Centres Projects (CRC-P) Program, to separate and manufacture proteins from canola, soy and fava beans and chickpeas at commercial volumes.

GrainCorp managing director and CEO, Robert Spurway, said the partners will identify infrastructure needs for commercialisation and put Australian grains and oilseeds growers at the forefront of the world’s plant protein market.

“Global consumer trends are driving

demand for plant protein and it represents an attractive opportunity for Australian agriculture,” he said. “We are well placed to participate in the plant protein boom and we are confident the sector can comfortably co-exist, and indeed flourish, alongside our essential animal protein industry.

“Our partnership aims to create a commercial plant protein supply chain that benefits Aussie growers and food and aquafeed manufacturers, as well as consumers. We’ll be able to access new export markets and meet growing domestic demand while creating jobs and informing future research and development into high-quality plant varieties.”

A key focus of the collaboration will be adding value to existing plant protein capabilities at GrainCorp’s oilseed processing site in Numurkah, Victoria.

CSIRO will bring its expertise in science, food technology, agronomy and genetics to the collaboration. Professor Michelle Colgrave, who specialises in proteins research and leads the CSIRO Future Protein Mission, said the collective research power of the three organisations will push faster outcomes for Australia.

A new partnership aims to place Australian grains and oilseeds at the forefront of the global plant-based protein market.

“We grow many plant crops in Australia but typically export these as commodities. If we can add value through product development, research and processing, we can export them at a higher price,” said Colgrave.

“The project will be a game changer for Australian food manufacturers, including small-to-medium enterprises that can leverage our research to deliver new products for consumers.”

Australia boasts significant natural resources, a strong farming sector and research and development capabilities through CSIRO and industry groups. v2food CEO, Nick Hazell, said the research supported a thriving

Australian agricultural and value-added manufacturing sector.

“It is important for the sector to operate at scale, and with end-toend domestic capability, which will create resilience and boost global competitiveness,” he said.

“We are assessing options across the plant protein spectrum, including in soy protein, to potentially replace imported soy protein concentrate with locally produced production and processing.”

The research project is expected to culminate in 2023 following a staged approach to process development, pilot scale protein fractionation, sensory evaluation and product application. F

Outcomes for food and grocery in the Federal Budget 2022-23 T he Federal Budget 2022-23 has allocated $2 billion in the Regional Accelerator Program (RAP), to support regional food and grocery manufacturers who employ 40 per cent of this $132 billion industry’s workforce.

The Australian Food and Grocery Council (AFGC) has welcomed the support for regional manufacturing delivered in the Budget.

The targeted funding will strengthen regional food and grocery manufacturing, with measures including a $500 million boost in funding for regional business through the Modern Manufacturing

Initiative (MMI) and a $200 million increase to the Supply Chain Resilience Initiative.

“The past two years have underscored how critically important a strong, sovereign food and grocery manufacturing industry is for Australia.

The support for regional manufacturers, who are major employers and providers of essential items, is a significant boost,” said AFGC CEO Tanya Barden.

The AFGC welcomes the further $328.3 million provided for the MMI’s six national manufacturing priorities over the next five years, however notes that this is inadequate given the investment

challenges faces by the food and grocery sector.

Food and beverage manufacturing was identified as one of the six priorities and the AFGC has developed a vision for doubling the size of the industry by 2030, which requires significant capital investment. The Budget’s projected fall in non-mining investment after 2023 is of concern and will need attention if Australia is to grow the future productive capacity of the national economy.

Barden commended the federal government on delivering a responsible budget while supporting the Australian community and businesses through the

challenges of COVID-19 and natural disasters.

“This budget comes as Australian food and grocery manufacturers face unprecedented costs, inflationary pressures and disruption,” she said.

“It is pleasing to see the government has delivered a deficit that is considerably below forecasts while introducing measures to support consumers and shore up Australia’s supply chains.”

The AFGC represents Australia’s food and grocery manufacturers, who employ the nation’s largest manufacturing workforce, comprising 16,000 businesses employing over 270,000 people. F

www.foodmag.com.au | May 2022 | Food&Beverage Industry News 7

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NEWS

Market for Australian wine grows with $1.8 million grant A

ustralian Grape & Wine has been awarded a $1,817,000 Agricultural Trade and Market Access Cooperation grant to improve trade and grow demand in diversified international markets for locally produced premium wine.

Following the announcement, a $989,000 grant was given to Wine Australia to support a wine industry consortium and build an online pricing and market data digital analytics platform for greater transparency throughout the supply chain.

Australian wine is recognised among the best in the world, and expanding its markets will see demand for its premium product grow across the globe, minister of agriculture and Northern Australia David Littleproud said.

“It is great to see the industry – led

by Wine Australia, Australian Grape and Wine, and the Inland Wine Regions Alliance – coming together to deliver these outcomes,” said Littleproud.

The funding would support Wine Australia to work with ABARES on improved wine grape price forecasts and build on the success achieved by

Australian Grape & Wine in expanding export market opportunities in Japan and South Korea.

The grant will help Australian Grape & Wine improve market access, tackle trade barriers, and generate growth in key target export markets, including the United States, Canada, United Kingdom, Southeast Asia, India, and Scandinavia.

The benefits go beyond the wine sector, driving jobs and growth across regional Australia and helping contribute to the goal of increasing the value of Australian agriculture to $100 billion by 2030.

The funding will focus on three key pillars of work to improve trade and grow demand for Australian wine exports, Australian Grape & Wine CEO Tony Battaglene said.

“We’re going to build consumer understanding of Australian wine through expanding promotion, improving trade and market access, and initiating a long-term strategic collaboration with India to enable future potential and support broader trade relations,” said Battaglene.

Wine Australia will see better market

The Australian government grant will support the growing demands in the domestic wine industry.

data, insights, and information available to the sector, helping all players make better business decisions and mitigate against bargaining power imbalances.

This project would fill a significant knowledge gap in the domestic market, Wine Australia general manager Rachel Triggs said.

“Independent price forecasts will help 6,000 independent growers negotiate prices and make informed decisions about future production,” said Triggs.

“Reliable data on domestic sales will offer a clearer picture of supply-demand balance term and help identify trends,

while robust price forecasting will redress imbalances and increase market efficiency.”

Wine Australia will partner with Australian Grape & Wine, using its experience in market insights, platforms, and marketing.

The work will also utilise the expertise of Austrade, the Australian government’s agricultural counsellors, and the broader diplomatic network.

The Australian government’s grant to Australian Grape & Wine and Wine Australia will support the growing demands in the wine industry. F

New study examines social media’s role in reducing food waste S

ocial media campaigns can play a role in people’s food waste behaviours but work best when combined with other intervention tools, according to a new Fight Food Waste CRC report.

Led by the Queensland University of Technology (QUT), with government partner the NSW Environment Protection Authority, the “Social Media: The Real Impact on Food Waste Reduction Beyond the Swipe or the Click” report found emotional messaging is the best way to attract attention that can lead to long-term impact.

According to Food Innovation Australia Limited (FIAL)’s National Food Waste Strategy Feasibility Study,

Australians waste around 7.6 million tonnes of food annually. This equates to $36.6 billion, or $2,500 per household, each year.

“We know through such previous CRC research as the ‘Fight Food Waste: It’s Easy As’ campaign that social media definitely has a role to play in reaching people in their homes, where the majority of food loss and waste occurs in Australia,” Fight Food Waste CRC CEO Dr Steven Lapidge said.

“What this latest research from QUT underlines is that while there is still more we need to understand about exactly how social media influences decision-making around food waste, it’s not the only tool that we should use.”

The report also found an approach to bring stakeholders together across the value chain would help drive behaviour changes. Fight Food Waste is leading the way on this, Lapidge said.

“With the cost of living rising across Australia, saving money on food is becoming even more important. At Fight Food Waste, we are working very hard to bring about a nationwide consumer behaviour change campaign which we hope will elevate the issue of food waste across Australia and lead to a meaningful and sustainable reduction of food waste.”

While social media campaigns can attract a lot of traffic and attention, the greatest challenge lies in how to evaluate their true influence.

“We have found that social media as part of an intervention mix was effective in raising awareness, developing social norms, enhancing food waste literacy, and increasing ‘perceived’ behaviour control over food waste,” QUT Digital Media Research Centre lead researcher Dr Jenny Hou said.

“There is no one-size-fits-all model, but many social marketing campaigns also include a wide range of other tools, all of which are useful to prompt behavioural change. These include printed information packs, game apps, websites, email alerts, fridge magnets, recipe cards, grocery shopping notepads, digital kitchen scales, and lidded buckets for waste composting/collection.” F

www.foodmag.com.au | May 2022 | Food&Beverage Industry News 9

Benefits of new LW radar level sensor The latest sensor solution technology from ifm offers precise monitoring of liquid media in tanks of a height of up to 10 metres, without any blind areas. Ease of use starts at the beginning with IO-Link enabling installation and parameter set up in just minutes.

The powerful LW2720 package will quickly translate to benefits in terms of cost savings and efficiencies.

KEY FEATURES: Simple installation and maintenance-free operation Reliable monitoring of tanks with agitators Splash water or condensate from CIP cleaning is no problem Can be used in large tanks with viscous media Suitable for rapid emptying and filling Remote sensor parameter setting and level monitoring

Mixing tanks with agitators

CIP Process

Storage Tanks

Process Tanks

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NEWS

Image credit: Anson Smart.

Four Pillars Gin: Australia’s first carbon neutral gin distillery

Four Pillars Gin co-founders Cameron Mackenzie, Matt Jones and Stuart Gregor.

F

our Pillars Gin has become the first carbon neutral gin distillery in Australia as it unveils a $7 million upgrade to its Healesville headquarters in Victoria’s Yarra Valley.

The expanded distillery door opened to the public at the end of April.

This certification, under Climate Active, is only awarded to businesses that have reached a state of achieving zero net emissions. Climate Active is an Australian government initiative and is one of the most strident carbon neutral programs worldwide.

Not only will all Four Pillars gins bottled onsite be certified carbon neutral, the business operations of Four Pillars have also achieved carbon neutral status by being included in the boundary of the Lion Australia’s organisation certification last year.

Four Pillars has been working with Climate Active and consultants Ndver Environmental for more than a year to achieve this accreditation, which

considers all elements of the gin’s journey beyond the distillery door.

“This is a landmark day for Four Pillars and our commitment to sustainability,” Four Pillars co-founder and distiller Cameron Mackenzie said.

“From the very first day we distilled gin we have tried to recycle, re-use and replenish our environment and give back to the community. We cannot give more to the community than assure it that our gins tread carefully on our planet especially in this time of climate crisis.

“Our journey to carbon neutral began with the simple idea of reusing oranges for marmalade, giving spent botanicals to pigs for feed, putting solar panels on our roof and of course offsetting what can be an energy intensive production process by carefully purchasing mainly domestic carbon credits.”

The soon-to-launch Four Pillars distillery, named Healesville 2.0, has seen more than a 1000sqm expansion of the original site and is set to

become a new benchmark for craft gin distilleries worldwide. The new site is directly adjacent, and wholly connected, to the original Four Pillars home on Lilydale Road, Healesville and has been designed by Melbourne’s award-winning and sustainability led Breathe Architecture.

In addition to Four Pillars’ commitment to an emissions reduction strategy, the business is dedicated to achieving broader sustainability wins which were instrumental during the planning and build of Healesville 2.0.

The construction has used materials including recycled and upcycled concrete and bricks, pineapple “leather” upholstery and even building “waste” has been carefully used and given a second life. Furniture is all locally sourced, solar power panels clad the roof, and internal and external landscaping includes plantings of local natives and botanicals, many of which will be used in future gin distillations.

Gin will also be “piped” directly into the main bar through featured copper pipes to reduce glass waste plus bottled tonic usage will be massively reduced, replaced in the most part by tonic in kegs. These two initiatives alone will see the site save 29 tonnes of glass per year.

The whole site, incorporating the old and new buildings, will be enclosed by a copper “veil” made from 1650m of raw copper tubing, giving Healesville a stunning new landmark as well as working as a natural heat exchange to reduce energy consumption.

Ongoing sustainability programs include re-using the one tonne of spent botanicals produced each week in Four Pillars’ Made from Gin food range or as mulch for local gardens.

Healesville 2.0 will place Four Pillars, the two-time winner of the IWSC International Gin Producer of the Year, on the global distillery destination map. F

www.foodmag.com.au | May 2022 | Food&Beverage Industry News 11

MEET THE MANUFACTURER

My Muscle Chef: Producing a convenient route to nutrition Food and Beverage Industry News speaks with My Muscle Chef co-founder and CEO, Tushar Menon, about how their healthy ready meals manufacturing business has thrived and become an iconic Australian food brand for active individuals in a short period of time.

I

n both working full-time and trying to maintain a solid foundation for a health and fitness journey, Tushar Menon and his brother, Nishant Menon, noticed that for time-poor consumers like them there were no options in the Australian market for healthy, hearty, high protein ready meals. While there were ready meals intended to promote weight loss, there was a gap in the market for active consumers who required more energy.

With the added incentive of wanting to start their own business,

My Muscle Chef was born in 2013.

The key elements the brothers wanted to address were time on the one hand, and convenience on the other. Additionally, at the time the company began, buying a healthy meal was expensive.

But My Muscle Chef co-founder and CEO, Tushar Menon, said before they could overcome these factors, there was a steep learning curve.

“The biggest challenge when we started was that we didn’t have any experience in the market; it was a huge learning curve to understand

the requirements of running a food business,” he said. “Also, the fact was that we were dealing with a perishable product, so it couldn’t be produced in big runs and stored in an ambient facility. Our meals were frozen at the time but still perishable, so understanding transportation and storage and how to produce it in a safe environment was critical.”

Almost ten years later, having attained a sound understanding of these logistics has benefitted the business. It also translated when they ventured into producing fresh meals

rather than frozen. Wanting to steer away from a modified atmosphere packaging (MAP) sealed model – which uses a tray with a top seal that preserves the product for 10-12 days – My Muscle Chef turned to vacuum skin packaging to maintain quality, prolong the shelf life and assist with logistics.

Vacuum skin packaging aims to keep the oxygen out of the product, which preserves it for 14 days and ensures the flavour is as good on the use by date as it is when produced.

After researching and locating

My Muscle Chef now distributes over three million meals per month.

12 Food&Beverage Industry News | May 2022 | www.foodmag.com.au

MEET THE MANUFACTURER

suppliers, they trialled the packaging.

“The trials were successful and at first, we were a little uncertain because no one in Australia was doing that yet for ready meals,” Menon said.

“But we were confident the positives would outweigh anything else, and it was the best decision we ever made.

“The quality of the product when vacuum sealed is second to none and the food doesn’t move around, so from a presentation perspective it was great and from a taste and quality perspective it was incredible.”

Building a connection Another important aspect in building the business has been forming transparent relationships with partners and suppliers, especially in delivering their cold chain products. Menon says one of the biggest challenges has been ensuring that the correct temperature is maintained from when the product leaves the facility to when the customer receives it. They key to this communication with a trusted network of partners and suppliers.

“Delivering cold chain products is always challenging. Maintaining that temperature from start to finish is important for our products,” he said.

“We are very lucky that we have a great team that we have worked with for a while now who understand our requirements and our high standards in terms of customer service.

“We’ve built that relationship over a long period of time, and it runs smoothly. If you don’t get that right, it is a huge challenge because otherwise you are chasing stock across the country. Having clear visibility is key and that is a strength for us. Our delivery success rate is at over 99 per cent.”

The ready-made meals manufacturer now distributes more than three million healthy and fresh meals, drinks, and snacks per month to over 4,500 suburbs nationwide.

Menon greatly attributes this success to customer research, which was conducted in 2018 to better understand their target market and why customers chose to purchase their products. This had a massive impact on the My Muscle Chef brand.

“The real turning point for us was when we spent some time reflecting on what we were doing well and what our next steps were moving forward, and a big part of that was moving toward a more data-driven approach and really understanding who our

The Menon brothers noticed that there were no options in the Australian market for healthy, high protein ready meals.

“Delivering cold chain products is always challenging.

Maintaining that temperature from start to finish is important for our products. We are very lucky that we have a great team that we have worked with for a while now who understand our requirements and our high standards in terms of customer service.” customers are,” Menon said.

“The research really blew us away – we always assumed our target customer was the gym goer focused on performance, health and fitness.

But we found 60 per cent of our customers ordered our products for convenience.”

This valuable data gave the

manufacturer a clear direction: rather than advertising My Muscle Chef as a fitness-focused brand, they broadened their appeal and product range to reflect “Every Body, Every Goal.”

Also, due to the stigma surrounding frozen meals, once the business shifted towards producing fresh ready meals and extended their

range of products, they were able to reach a wider audience and the brand’s growth began to skyrocket.

Quality and automation Although My Muscle Chef started out in a small kitchen in Potts Point in Sydney, the business’ growth has allowed them to accommodate plans to build a new facility in Yennora, where they are now based. This facility will merge both manufacturing and distribution under one roof and help meet the everincreasing demand.

“It will be a custom-built site and accommodate our current plans

www.foodmag.com.au | May 2022 | Food&Beverage Industry News 13

MEET THE MANUFACTURER

My Muscle Chef broadened their appeal and product range to reflect “Every Body, Every Goal.”

C Quality is an attribute that extends across the My Muscle Chef enterprise, including in the produce. All their fruit, vegetables, and meat, including beef, chicken, and fish, are sourced within Australia, and delivered daily. and growth expectations. A lot of our challenges will be eliminated by creating more efficiency and automating our new facility, which is very exciting,” Menon said.

Automating their processes will enable clear traceability on the quality of the products, from start to finish in every product, batch, and ingredient.

“You need to know where the ingredients are coming from, what all the batches are, when they were produced and when they were dispatched, giving us full visibility.

We factored that into the new site to ensure we have the right technology and processes to protect and improve our quality,” Menon said.

“Quality is the number one priority. Having scaled up so quickly, it would have been easy to jeopardise quality – but the team have done a phenomenal job to make sure at every point that quality is number one. It doesn’t matter how good your marketing is – if your product is no good, the customer won’t buy it.”

Quality is an attribute that extends across the My Muscle Chef enterprise, including in the produce. All their fruit, vegetables, and meat, including beef, chicken, and fish, is sourced within Australia, and delivered daily.

And while automation is involved, Menon says that their point of difference is in how the meals are cooked and presented – with care.

“One piece of feedback we always get from customers is that it tastes like home cooked food, and we love hearing that because the way our production is set up, we produce it like a large-scale restaurant,” he said. “It isn’t a heavily processed product, and the food also looks very appetising because of how we treat the product and the ingredients we use.”

Muscling forward Once the business extended their range of products, they could reach a wider audience.

14 Food&Beverage Industry News | May 2022 | www.foodmag.com.au

Since setting out in 2013, My Muscle Chef has succeeded in becoming a healthy, convenient, affordable option for time-poor consumers who are

looking for a fresh meal that tastes just as good as one they could cook at home.

“We received a lot of feedback from customers who were eager to find My Muscle Chef products they could pick up on the go,” Menon said.

“Customers now accept you can get a healthy, quality, home-style ready meal and I think the sector as a whole has been doing a really good job of lifting product perception.”

The focus for the ready meals manufacturer now is growing brand awareness, starting with a “Strong Like This” marketing campaign.

Centred on educating Australian consumers that good nutrition is a key part of sustaining mental and emotional health as well as physical health, the campaign was launched in February to resoundingly positive feedback.

“I think this is the start of a whole new chapter for My Muscle Chef and it is really going to help us to reach more Australians and grow our brand,” Menon said. “The sky is the limit for our business. We have achieved some great things so far, off the back of some fantastic quality products. Now that we have a very focused marketing and brand strategy, we are excited to see how many more households we can tap into.” F

COUPLED WITH THE NEW

Reduces carryback (sticky food residue) Prevents bacteria growth Minimises product contamination

Welcome to AUSPACK 2022 On behalf of the APPMA Board, I would like to welcome everyone to AUSPACK 2022. As the first major industry exhibition in Australia since 2019 courtesy of the pandemic, this show – the flagship event in the APPMA calendar – is promising to be very exciting.

A

USPACK has now become the southern hemisphere’s leading exhibition for the packaging and processing industry, and there are so many reasons to be here: AUSPACK Leaders’ Forum Conference, 18-19 May: This year’s forum has been reshaped to allow plenty of time between forum sessions for networking and visiting the exhibition floor. It means visitors can attend the sessions of their choice, and still either visit stands on the floor for research and networking, or be on their own stands. Or both. Running in the middle two days of the exhibition, the forum begins each day at 7:30am with a breakfast, finishing on the first day with an informal cocktail and networking function. Lunch is supplied on both days during the middle session. A strong line-up of speakers will present on topics from where business and the economy are at and what’s next; sustainability and the circular economy; future

technology; risk, resilience, rebalance and reward; investment and collaboration; adapting and diversifying for commercial success; future supply chain; and people, planet, profit. This year’s forum is informative and flexible, offering both in-person and online tickets.

Solutions Theatres, 17-20 May, free entry: This expanded offering of curated sessions will dive deeply into solutions that educate, while solving complex problems. Visitors will be presented with in-depth overviews of technology, solutions and strategies, with sessions covering: packaging & packing materials, technology, consumer trends, packaging design, processing & equipment, meat processing, procurement, cyber network security, sustainability & the circular economy, supply chain, future manufacturing, future warehouse, future trends, preventative maintenance and education.

APPMA Awards of Excellence, 18 May: This year’s APPMA Awards of Excellence will celebrate finalists and winners in eight award categories, focusing on the four main themes of recognition, celebration, inclusivity and education.

Always a wonderful night, the 2022 event is not to be missed.

AUSPACK floor exhibition, 17-20 May, free entry: Whether you’re looking to make new contacts or source solutions across processing, packaging or filling machinery, through to product identification solutions, packaging materials, materials handling or ancillary components in food & beverage, frozen goods, pharmaceuticals & cosmetics, chemical & household items or FMCG, you’ll find it at AUSPACK 2022. Once again, the zoned floor space will make it really easy for visitors to spend their time researching, learning and networking for the specific areas in which they are most

interested. AUSPACK 2022 features an array of new zones: IT & Services, Processing Equipment, Packaging and Packaging Materials, and Packaging Machinery.

This year, nearly half the exhibitors are APPMA members, while physical space booked by Australian companies is near the previous record. After the two very tough years that businesses have experienced, this shows the benefits that manufacturing businesses find in AUSPACK. We trust that you will find AUSPACK 2022 the perfect place to research new solutions or potential agencies, and engage in very-welcome in-person networking while expanding your knowledge base I encourage you to visit the APPMA on Stand C030.

Mark Dingley Chairman Australian Packaging & Processing Machinery Association (APPMA) www.appma.com.au

www.foodmag.com.au | May 2022 | Food&Beverage Industry News 17

Exciting speaker lineup drawing interest for Leaders’ Forum Conference A

combination of the new format and an exciting speaker lineup is seeing ticket sales for the AUSPACK 2022 Leaders’ Forum Conference proving popular.

Mark Dingley, Chairman of the Australian Packaging and Processing Machinery Association (APPMA), which owns AUSPACK, said, “We changed the format quite a bit, and I think this has also encouraged ticket sales.

“This year, we’ve deliberately created three breaks during both days, from one to 1.5 hours, that will allow people to network with others at the forum, or give them time to visit the exhibition floor and not rush. In this way, they can spend time talking to companies whose products, solutions or services they’re interested in, properly, so they get full value out of their visit to AUSPACK 2022.

“It also means that if exhibitors are interested in the Leaders’ Forum, they can attend the sessions of their choice, and still have time to be on their own stand.”

High-level start

Mr Dingley said after the short opening remarks on day one, Rose Herceg, President – Australia & New Zealand, WPP, will talk about the 10 trends that businesses need to know for 2022 and beyond.

“Rose is one of Australia’s leading social forecasters and futurists and the author of three books on business

leadership and innovation. She is a powerhouse presenter, and this is a fantastic, high-level way to begin the AUSPACK 2022 Leaders’ Forum Conference.”

Following this will be the CEO Leaders’ Panel Breakfast, where delegates can listen to a discussion on “where are we at and what’s next?” while eating breakfast. Led by Nicholas White, CEO of Flavour Makers, business leaders will share their experiences and insights in an in-depth discussion on future strategy for the industry, looking at critical steps for the “next normal”, the role of technology in transforming businesses and growth opportunities.

“The rest of the morning is all about ‘Sustainability and the Circular Economy’, with an international keynote presentation on sustainability innovation followed by a panel discussion on ‘Future packaging, recycling & the circular economy’.”

Australian Packaging Covenant Organisation CEO Brooke Donnelly will lead this panel discussion, with TerraCycle’s Jean Baillard, Mondelez International’s Paul Chatfield, and AMCOR’s Director of Sustainability, Richard Smith. These leaders will talk about the packaging industry’s responsibility when it comes to waste, practical design steps that businesses can take to move to a circular economy, growth and collaboration opportunities, and how to change consumer

18 Food&Beverage Industry News | May 2022 | www.foodmag.com.au

Brooke Donnelly behaviour through packaging recycling messaging.

Getting technology under control

Mr Dingley said, “The afternoon is all about technology, with a keynote presentation from Christian Ruberg, the Future Digital Manufacturing Lead with CSIRO, talking about Industry 4.0, followed by a panel discussion on Industry 4.0, 5.0 and the future of technology.

“We hear a lot about ‘Industry 4.0’ and I think many manufacturers will be interested to hear his comments, because while some Australian SME’s have Industry 3.0 well under control, 4.0 is more challenging and really, not many businesses have actually fully achieved it.

So Christian will cover insights in the Industry 4.0 ‘toolbox’ to build competitive advantage, for manufacturers across the

Christian Ruberg board.”

Christian will then be part of a panel discussion with Allan Frydman, Founder & Managing Director of DC Works, and Simon Dawson, Director Industrial Transformation with IMCRC. This trio will talk about “lights-out” business processes, highly automated manufacturing and selfmanaged supply chains as future realities, covering roadblocks in adopting 4.0, overcoming them and then looking towards Industry 5.0.

Becoming part of the infrastructure investment explosion

Mr Dingley said, “Another highly interesting panel discussion – this time about how can manufacturers get a seat at the table as part of Australia’s infrastructure investment explosion – rounds out day one, led by

Day two ‘highly informative’

Emma Greenhatch

Brendan Stayte

Emma Greenhatch, CEO, Agribusiness Food Network and Director - Turbine Sunshine Coast.

“Emma, the 2021 Outstanding Sunshine Coast Business Woman of the Year, is well known for being a translator of ideas into strategies and actions that deliver sustainable outcomes. This is such a timely session on finding and optimising opportunities for the processing, packaging

and manufacturing industries, including creating a coalition with other manufacturers, in light of the Australian Government’s $4 billion infrastructure stimulus package to help support the national economy after COVID-19.

“At 4:30, we’ll then stop for a networking session we’re calling ‘Cocktails and Contacts’, which will be a fantastic way to round out day one.”

Day two of the forum will also be highly informative, with speakers including Kate Whitehead, from Avant Group Pty Ltd; Diem Fuggersberger, Founder & CEO of Berger Ingredients; Brown Family Wine Group’s Dean Carroll; Australia Post’s Solutions Consultant, Brendan Stayte; Coles’ Head of Marketing Own Brand, Belinda Anderson; Mikey Hart, Creative Director of Hulsbosch; Jennifer Keegan, Head of Retail and Product Portfolio Delivery Group Business Enablement with Woolworths Group; Andrew Steele, GS1 Australia’s Director - Retail; Greg Calvert, Co-founder and Director of FreshChain Systems; Laava’s Joint-CEO and Commercial

Director, Gavin Ger; Luke Wood, CEO & Founder of Escavox; David Inderias, Co-Founder & CEO of Fresh Supply Co.; Nestle Oceania’s Director - Corporate Affairs & Sustainability, Margaret Stuart; and Melissa Crawford, GM Future Workforce with Vector NZ.” Mr Dingley said, “We’re very proud of this wonderful line-up of international and domestic speakers.

“As well, the new-format AUSPACK 2022 Leaders’ Forum Conference offers opportunities to gain in-depth knowledge from other business leaders, and the interactive breaks will allow visitors to ‘get other things done’ out on the show floor to maximise their AUSPACK 2022 visit.”

AUSPACK 2022 will be held at the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre, 17-20 May 2022. Tickets to the exhibition are free.

Please visit www.auspack.com.au for more information.

www.foodmag.com.au | May 2022 | Food&Beverage Industry News 19

The new world of industry, innovation & collaboration The AUSPACK Leaders’ Forum Conference is a program of high-end, keynote presentations and panel discussions designed for key decision makers in the processing and packaging industries.

A

ustralia is at a critical recovery stage post COVID-19 pandemic.

Supply chain disruption, sustainability demands and technology and automation leaps, combined with fast paced changes in consumer

buying habits, environmental impact and regulation and governance - are all driving unprecedented organisational transformation in the processing, packaging, and manufacturing industries.

What will your business

look like in three, five- and 10-years’ time? And where can you benchmark your progress as an organisation of the future, gain knowledge and inspiration, and network with like- minded, forwardthinking leaders?

The AUSPACK Leaders’ Forum Conference brings together the thought leaders, game changers and big discussions the industry needs to raise the bar, collaborate, and shape the future.

DAY 1 – WEDNESDAY MAY 18 2022 BUSINESS BREAKFAST SESSION – WHERE ARE WE AT AND WHAT’S NEXT? 07:30 - 07:40 – Opening Remarks Mark Dingley, Chairman, APPMA 07:40 – 08:10 - The 10 trends your business needs to know for 2022 and beyond The last 2 years have been exceptional and the world is likely changed for good. The next 2 years will be critical for businesses to survive, adapt and thrive. Explore the political, social, environmental, and economic trends your organisation absolutely needs to know to build your strategy for 2022 and beyond.

SPEAKER: Rose Herceg, President Australia & New Zealand, WPP 08:10 – 09:00 – CEO Leaders’ Panel Discussion – Where are we at and what’s next?

Join 4 business leaders for a high level, in-depth discussion on future strategy for the industry as they share their experiences and insights on the key issues, challenges and opportunities impacting their organisations: • What are the critical steps for recovery to readiness for the next normal?

• What role will technology play in transforming businesses?

• How will sustainability change the way organisations operate?

• What growth opportunities exist across global and domestic markets?

MODERATOR: Dr Barry McGookin, General Manager Innovation, Capabilities and Skills, FIAL PANELLISTS: Nicholas White, CEO, Flavour Makers Stephen Thomson, CEO, Acacia Energy Maurice McGrath, CEO, Moon Dog Brewing (TBC) 09:00 – 10:00 - Solutions provider networking in the exhibition hall MID MORNING SESSION: SUSTAINABILITY & THE CIRCULAR ECONOMY 10:00 – 10:30 – International Keynote Presentation: Sustainability innovation INVITED: SPEAKER: Professor Edward Kosior, CEO & Founder, Nextek Michael Grima, Founder, qDesign Enterprises and The Pack Collective

20 Food&Beverage Industry News | May 2022 | www.foodmag.com.au

10:30 – 11:15 – Panel Discussion: Future packaging, recycling & the circular economy There is both disruption and opportunity for the manufacturing and packaging industry when it comes to sustainability. With new regulations coming into effect in Australia, it’s critical to be agile: innovating and adapting to increasingly changing regulatory and consumer needs and providing progressive solutions to help Australia minimise its waste. Join our expert panel as they discuss: • What is the industry’s responsibility when it comes to waste and how is it tracking?

• What steps can businesses take to shift to a circular economy from design to operational systems?

• What opportunities for growth and collaboration are out there?

• How do we change consumer behaviour through packaging recycling messaging?

MODERATOR: Brooke Donnelly, CEO, APCO PANELLIST: Jean Bailliard, General Manager, TerraCycle PANELLIST: Paul Chatfield, Vice President, Marketing, Mondelez International Panellist: Richard Smith, Director of Sustainability, AMCOR 11:15 – 12:30 - Solutions provider networking in the exhibition hall 12:30 – 14:00 - LEADERS LUNCH: 4.0, 5.0 AND THE FUTURE OF TECHNOLOGY 12:30 – 12:50 - Industry 4.0: taking value chains to the next level Whilst Australia’s most successful SME’s have Industry 3.0 well under control, 4.0 is more challenging and not many businesses have fully, successfully achieved it.

• What insights are in the Industry 4.0 toolbox to build competitive advantage, whatever your manufacturing sector?

• What can we draw from the Industry 4.0 maturity model to take value chains to the next level based on: visibility, transparency, predictive ability and adaptability?

• What new technologies, such as low cost secure IoT networks featuring intelligent machine vision, or autonomous design platforms featuring AI, are on the horizon?

SPEAKER: Christian Ruberg, Future Digital Manufacturing Lead, CSIRO 12:50 – 14:00 – Panel Discussion: 4.0, 5.0 and the future of technology “Artificial Intelligence is the New Electricity”. Lights out business processes, highly automated manufacturing and self-managed supply chains will become a reality in the not-too-distant future.

• What is working already in 4.0 and how has it changed the Australian manufacturing industry to date?

• What roadblocks have organisations faced in adopting 4.0 and how have they overcome them?

• How close is industry 5.0 really?

• What are the practical implications for the industry and how does your business prepare for this game-changing next wave?

MODERATOR: Christian Ruberg, Future Digital Manufacturing Lead, CSIRO Panellist: Simon Dawson, Director – Industrial Transformation, IMCRC PANELLISTS: Allan Frydman, Managing Director, DC Works 14:00 – 15:30 - Solutions provider networking in the exhibition hall AFTERNOON SESSION – INVESTMENT & COLLABORATION 15:30 – 16:30 Panel Discussion: How can collaborative manufacturing drive growth, capability and innovation?

Collaborative manufacturing and ‘coalition not competition’ as business models are undoubtedly on the rise, driving step changes in industry productivity and innovation. From start-ups to large, established brands, these partnerships are growing more and more necessary to succeed and grow in today’s market from R&D to NPD, as well as embedding resilience and sustainability in organisational decision-making. Join our panel discussion to understand: What is to gain from collaborating with others, even ‘competitive’ organisations?

What investment channels and untapped resources are out there and how do you access them?

How can you create a coalition with other manufacturers and knowledge providers for greater ‘pulling power’ and commercial success?

MODERATOR: Emma Greenhatch, CEO, Food Agribusiness Network / Director, Turbine Sunshine Coast PANELLISTS: Dr Ingrid Appleqvist, Food Innovation Centre | Leader / Senior Principal Research Scientist, CSIRO Agriculture and Food Alison Angleton, Director Strategic Partnerships & Precinct, La Trobe University 16:30 – 18:30 – Cocktails and Contacts 18:30 – late - APPMA Excellence Awards Dinner

www.foodmag.com.au | May 2022 | Food&Beverage Industry News 21

DAY 2 – THURSDAY MAY 19 2022 BUSINESS BREAKFAST SESSION – RISK, RESILIENCE, REBALANCE & REWARD 07:30 - 07:40 – Opening Remarks Mark Dingley, Chairman, APPMA 07:40 – 08:10 – Keynote Presentation – The emerging landscape for Australian manufacturing Australia’s success as a manufacturing nation has a lot of untapped potential. To recover from the effects of the pandemic, supply chain disruption and the drive for sovereign capability, over the last three years the Australian Government has provided $1.3Bil in additional stimulus to support manufacturing innovation and growth.

• What trends and insights are driving the industry for 2022 and beyond?

• Where does your business fit with state and federal policy priorities?

• How do you access and unlock funding for your business to advance your manufacturing capabilities?

SPEAKER: Kate Whitehead, Managing Director, Avant Group 08:10 – 09:00 – CEO Leaders’ Panel Discussion – Risk, resilience and rebalancing organisations Join 4 business leaders for a high-level in-depth discussion on the organisation and workforce of the future: • Developing organisational flexibility and agility and why is it the key to responding to changing market conditions?

• What strategies are working around risk, resilience and rebalancing organisations ‘post’ pandemic?

• How will collaboration future proof your organisation?

MODERATOR: Kate Whitehead, Managing Director, Avant Group PANELLISTS: Diem Fuggersberger, Founder & CEO, Berger Ingredients Dean Carroll, CEO, Brown Family Wine Group Alan Oppenheim, CEO, Ego Pharmaceuticals 09:00 – 10:00 - Solutions provider networking in the exhibition hall MID MORNING SESSION – ADAPTING & DIVERSIFYING FOR COMMERCIAL SUCCESS 10:00 – 10.30 – Keynote Presentation: Sustainable Ecommerce – what’s your organisation’s share in a $62billion market value opportunity?

The market for ecommerce goods has changed drastically over the last decade - compounded in the last 3 years by the COVID-19 pandemic – and is expected to grow to a $61.55 billion dollar market value by 2025. From operations to packaging, the demand for sustainable solutions across all aspects of the supply chain has grown alongside it. What initiatives can your organisation harness to grow and scale as part of the new eCommerce economy?

• Have you maximised your organisation’s growth opportunity and share of the sustainable Ecommerce market, wherever you are in the supply chain?

• How does packaging impact your customers’ experience and have you overlooked this for functionality?

• What would your organisation need to change to support the next five years of growth – from warehouses, freight, technology and data to inventory?

SPEAKER: Brendan Stayte, Solutions Consultant, Australia Post 10:30 – 11:00 – Keynote Presentation: NPD as an integral part of your corporate strategy As customer and consumer behaviour changes, offering new products, adapting and diversifying has become a forced focus for organisations looking to create sustainable competitive advantage.

• What are the key steps required when researching and establishing a new product or approach to market?

• How do you read the patterns and trends in your industry to predict ‘what’s next’?

• How do you get started with investment and collaboration opportunities?

SPEAKERS: Belinda Anderson, Head of Marketing Own Brand, Coles Mikey Hart, Creative Director, Hulsbosch 11:00 – 12:30 - Solutions provider networking in the exhibition hall 12:30 – 14:00 LEADERS LUNCH PANEL DISCUSSION SESSION – FUTURE SUPPLY CHAIN The recovery of Australia’s supply chain post pandemic, trade tensions, geo-political issues and fast changing consumer buying preferences is critical.

Disruption caused by an increasingly volatile business landscape means organisations need more resilient supply chain networks, flexibility, and agility.

Sustainability expectations both from regulatory, customer expectation and a CSR perspective require a transparent and circular value chain.

• How will traceability improve efficiency, resilience and competitiveness?

• What technology solutions are paving the way for a transparent, traceable supply chain?

• What does the future supply chain look like and what steps can you take today to prepare?

This session will feature 2 expert panel discussions: Panel One will cover the opportunities presented by industry adoption of 2D barcodes across Australian retail: MODERATOR: Lindy Hughson, Publisher, Business Press, Yaffa Media PANELLISTS: Jennifer Keegan, Head of Retail and Product Portfolio Delivery, Woolworths Group Andrew Steele, Director – Retail, GS1 Australia Greg Calvert, Co-Founder & Director, FreshChain Systems

22 Food&Beverage Industry News | May 2022 | www.foodmag.com.au

Panel Two will explore advanced identification technologies for traceability: MODERATOR: Lindy Hughson, Publisher, Business Press, Yaffa Media PANELLISTS: Gavin Ger, Joint CEO & Commercial Director, Laava David Inderias, Co-Founder & CEO, Fresh Supply Co. Luke Wood, CEO, Escavox 14:00 – 15:30 - Solutions provider networking in the exhibition hall AFTERNOON SESSION – PEOPLE PLANET PROFIT 15:30 – 16:00 – Keynote Presentation: CSR and the real world Corporate Social Responsibility comes in many forms, from carbon footprint, fairtrade and modern slavery to company culture, diversity, and inclusion. CSR has gone well beyond a feel-good box ticking exercise and has moved into the realms of essential business strategy for ALL organisations, B2B, B2C, large or small and wherever you sit in the supply chain. Not only do your CSR policies allow your business to enact positive change, they grow your customer loyalty, trust and your bottom line.

• Is your CSR policy as good as it gets? How does your organisation better meet society’s expectations, and go from having good intentions to meaningfully delivering on them?

• Does your organisation have an intention delivery gap?

• How can a strategic CSR policy hit the sweet spot of social and environmental impact as well as profit?

• How do you measure the value of CSR in tangible returns that make sense to all stakeholders: employees, customers, partners, and shareholders?

SPEAKER: Margaret Stuart, Director Corporate Affairs & Sustainability, Nestle Oceania 16:00: 16:30 – Keynote Presentation – Future workforce: Do you have the right people in your organisation to be a company of the future?

Automation, upskilling and attracting the new generation of skilled professionals in an industry not deemed as ‘sexy’ are key challenges facing the future of your organisation. Investing in your human talent is as critical as investing in machinery or technology.

• What will your business look like in three, five- and 10-years’ time and do you have the strategy, skills and resources in your organisation to reach your goals?

• How do you future proof your workforce?

• How do you merge people and technology on a strategic level?

SPEAKER: Melissa Crawford, GM Future Workforce, Vector NZ 16:30 – End of AUSPACK’S Business Leaders’ Forum 2022

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www.foodmag.com.au | May 2022 | Food&Beverage Industry News 23

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Seminar series agenda TUESDAY MAY 17 THEATRE STREAM: PACKAGING & PACKING MATERIALS 10:00 – 10:30 – PFAS in Compostable Packaging and how to become PFAS Free Certified PFAS hit the headlines a number of years ago due to the harmful health and environmental impact and toxicity of its 9,500 chemical compounds. But just how far has PFAS Free come and what solutions are out there that don’t just provide a stop gap (eg compostable plastics)?

Join Dr Wyatt as he shares his insights from working with 14,000+ retailers and a global network of partners in Australia, Europe, the UK and North America on a global standard for PFAS testing and certification.

• Understand PFAS and Total Fluorine and their ecological and health impacts • What benefits have North American retailers and QSR operators seen from PFAS Free 100% compostable packaging?

• What PFAS Free strategies can you implement across your operations today to ensure you are future proofing your organisation?

PRESENTER: Dr Morgan Wyatt, Co-Founder &CEO, Greenlid

10:45 – 11:15 - You can’t recycle your way fully out of the plastic problem but you can do this…..

While the 2025 packaging targets are focused on recycling our plastic waste, it will take a considerable change in recycling infrastructure and company operations to get to these recycling levels. In the meantime, there is still going to be a large amount of plastic going to landfills.

Manufacturing and warehousing businesses around Australia use around five million tonnes of packaging material annually, which end up discarded into landfills and waterways, either by the end consumer or the establishment itself.

The only way this figure will change is for Australian businesses to seriously take stock of their packaging choices and find more responsible options that will not compromise on the quality and safety of their products but will also minimise the environmental impact.

In this session, Dr Headifen will explore innovative solutions to this challenge and share insights on: • Why simply making plastic recyclable is not going to solve our plastic problems • How to champion environmental concerns by reducing the impact of everyday plastic waste in landfill • If you have to have plastic packaging, how do you avoid its centuries’ long legacy?

PRESENTER: Dr Ross Headifen, Co owner, BioGone

11:30 – 12:00 - The Next Hurdles for Flexible Packaging: Closing the loop at kerbside and using recycled content in products and packaging With a positive focus on flexible packaging, hear the latest innovations that provide an avenue for soft plastic packaging and pouches to be processed through existing waste infrastructure here in Australia, eliminating previous issues with end-of-life recovery.

• How can we use recycled soft plastic waste in new products?

• H ow does the Roll ‘n’ Recycle Program revolutionise our ability to reclaim soft plastics and remove complex laminates for optimal recycled feedstock potential?

• How can we get recycled content into flexible packaging, close the loop and reclaim plastics as a vital resource?

Sharing practical case studies, Joe will prove that nothing is impossible with enough creativity and persistence when it comes to re-engineering flexible packaging for the better.

PRESENTER: Joe Foster, Managing Director and Co-Founder, O F Packaging PTY and CEO, Close The Loop Group

12:15 – 12:45 – Reinventing the future of soft plastics With less than 5% of soft plastic being recycled in Australia, there is great pressure to ‘do something’ about soft plastics. Some would push for bans on this material but this overlooks the benefits of soft plastics from product protection and food safety, food waste and environmental impact and overall total cost of packaging perspectives. Emerging technologies are coming to the fore to drive food-grade quality recycling of soft plastics. The opportunities for the whole supply chain may be large if we can develop a whole of industry approach to all aspects of soft plastics. Hear insights on: • The current state of soft plastics recycling in Australia • Emerging technologies to recycle plastics • Delivering a circular economy for soft plastics in Australia PRESENTER: Ian Hayes, Program Lead, National Plastic Recycling Scheme, Australian Food & Grocery Council

13:00 – 13:30 – TBC

13:45 – 14:15 - The Evolution of Connected Packaging to Meet Market Trends We live in a connected world and data drives everything – including brand protection and consumer engagement. This session will explain market trends driving the evolution of how brands protect their products and connect with customers; as well as introduce innovative approaches that work in-line with existing packaging processes.

• Gain better understanding of trends in counterfeiting, diversion and consumer engagement • Learn about innovation in the space of connected packaging • Understand how specific brands have benefited from having a connected products strategy PRESENTER: Tessa Eastman, Connected Products Strategist, Markem-Imaje, Software Solution Division

14:30 – 15:00 - Research and Development Tax Incentives for Packaging Technology The Government provides up to 43.5% refundable rebates for businesses undertaking R&D. Learn more about this program with deeper insights and case studies within a packaging technology environment.

PRESENTER: Kate Whitehead, Managing Director, Avant Group

*Schedule correct at time of publishing - subject to change

www.foodmag.com.au | May 2022 | Food&Beverage Industry News 25

THEATRE STREAM: DIGITAL TRANSFORMATION 10:15 – 11:15 - futuremap® - future-proofing Australian manufacturing SMEs Behind the scenes, Australian manufacturing companies are enhancing their product portfolio, re-thinking their business processes, introducing new technologies and datadriven services to adjust and transform their operations to meet the demands of today’s economy.

These developments change not only individual businesses, but also impact the market dynamics across Australia’s manufacturing sector, affecting, in particular, small and medium enterprises (SMEs) along the value chain. This short workshop has been designed to encourage you to think about the capabilities of your business and start your journey of digital transformation: • Think differently about the opportunities and the challenges of digital manufacturing • Tap your organisation’s current capabilities and characteristics and determine your future competitiveness and success • Identify areas of focus for growth, potential investment and wider opportunities to transform and future-proof your business • Understand where assistance may be sought to help the transition to digital manufacturing PRESENTER: Simon Dawson, Director – Industrial Transformation, IMCRC

THEATRE STREAM: PROCUREMENT 11:30 – 12:00 - Risk Free Machine Procurement What do you need to consider when commissioning new or modified machines? What safety aspects must be taken into account during machinery procurement? In this presentation, the entire lifecycle is observed – from the decision to make an investment in a new or used machine through to the decommissioning or disposal of a machine.

Another area of focus is how to draw up specification documents from a safety viewpoint. You will learn more about the aspects you need to consider when using machinery at new locations. This is especially important when a machine is to be commissioned in another country or under a different legal structure (placing on the market).

PRESENTER: Andy Pearson, National Services Manager, PILZ Australia

12:15 – 12:45 – TBC

THEATRE STREAM: TECHNOLOGY 13:45– 14:15 - Quick Wins for Industry 4.0 Implementation Join an informative session with Jim Wallace and Jozef Ceh as they explore the ‘quick wins’ to get you out of the starting blocks of your Industry 4.0 implementation.

Both Jozef and Jim form part of the Open IIOT cohort which aims to make the implementation of Industry 4.0 as straight forward and easy as possible.

In this interactive session, they will cut through the jargon to give you real life examples of: • Where to start your Industry 4.0 implementation, today!

• The critical steps on your digitisation journey • Quick wins to data gathering PRESENTER: Jim Wallace (Balluff Sales Manager) and Jozef Ceh (SMC Corporation Digital Transformation and Industry 4.0 Manager)

THEATRE STREAM: TECHNOLOGY 13:00 – 13:30 - Deep Learning for Factory Automation Machine Vision systems are teaching computers to perform inspections that detect defects, contaminants, functional flaws and other irregularities in manufactured products.

Machine Vision excels at the quantitative measurement of a structured scene because of its speed, accuracy and repeatability. A Machine Vision system built around the right camera resolution and optics can easily inspect object details too small to be seen by the human eye and inspect them with greater reliability and less error. In this session we will be comparing Deep Learning To Human Visual Inspection and Traditional Machine Vision. Learn how: • Deep Learning improves consistency • Deep Learning improves reliability • Deep Learning increases processing speed • Deep Learning tolerates variations in data • Deep Learning is designed for hard to solve applications PRESENTER: Tony Bowyer, Owner, Automation Systems & Controls

14:30 – 15:00 - Long-term business sustainability, now!

This session will explore how one company saved thousands of dollars by embarking on an energy saving journey.

Join Bill Blyth, Head of the Energy Saving Conservation Group at SMC Corporation as he talks you through a world-first energy saving implementation strategy. The project took three years to implement and energy saving was considered in all aspects of the automation process. The result was a staggering saving in energy costs, that keeps on growing. Bill will share his insights on: • Where to start your energy saving journey • What type of outcome you can expect • Easy fixes and quick wins PRESENTER: Bill Blyth, Head of the Energy Saving Conservation Group, SMC Corporation

15:15– 15:45 – The Future of Smart Packaging - connecting the physical to the digital With government and industry pushing Australia’s fresh produce sector to improve traceability, as well as the Modern Manufacturing Initiative aiming to double the size of the food and grocery manufacturing sector by 2030, there has never been a more critical time for the sector to get coding and labelling right.

Join Braydon as he shares the smart packaging insights and trends that are driving demand for Australian-made package code management software. In this session he will explore: • Connecting the physical to the digital – what technology supports the future of smart packaging?

• How to reduce costs and improve efficiencies in your supply-chain • How to resolve coding and labelling errors PRESENTER: Braydon Cocks, Product Specialist - iDSnet & LPA Solutions, Matthews Australasia

16:00 – 16:30 – TBC 26 Food&Beverage Industry News | May 2022 | www.foodmag.com.au

WEDNESDAY MAY 18 THEATRE STREAM: INNOVATION 10:15 – 10:30 – Turning science into solutions - CSIRO overview How CSIRO works with industry, government and the research community to turn science into solutions to address Australia’s greatest challenges.

10:30 – 11:15 - Grants, training and support for Australian businesses - SME Connect Would your organisation benefit from grants, training and support? How can collaboration help with R&D? Join CSIRO to understand how they help Australian SME businesses grow and succeed.

PRESENTER: Dr George Feast, SME Collaboration Nation Lead, CSIRO

11:15 – 11:45 – Enabling technologies for future manufacturing Come and hear about innovative technologies and improving process efficiency for creating high value products for new markets, and how we partner with industry.

PRESENTER: Filip Janakievski, Team Leader Food Engineering, CSIRO

11:45 – 12:30 - Panel discussion – Industry 4.0 and what is the vision for future advanced manufacturing in Australia?

Moderator: Blair Keating, Business Development Manager, CSIRO Panellists: • Buhler Group • Siemens • LaTrobe University Join CSIRO and panellists from Buhler Group, Siemens and LaTrobe University as they discuss: • What is working already in 4.0 and how has it changed the Australian industry to date?

• What roadblocks have organisations faced in adopting 4.0 and how have they overcome them?

• What are the skills required for Australia?

12:30 – 13:00 - CSIRO networking & informal Q&A Your chance to network and ask your burning questions of CSIRO - the organisation advancing Australia with a range of inventions and innovations that have had significant positive impact on the lives of people around the world

13:15 – 13:30 The Evolution of Connected Packaging to Meet Consumer Trends and Engagement We live in a connected world and data drives everything – including brand protection and consumer engagement. This session will explain market trends driving the evolution of how brands protect their products and connect with customers; as well as introduce innovative approaches that work in-line with existing packaging processes.

• Gain better understanding of trends in counterfeiting, diversion and consumer engagement • Learn about innovation in the space of connected packaging • Understand how specific brands have benefited from having a connected products strategy PRESENTER: Tessa Eastman, Connected Products Strategist, Markem-Imaje, Software Solution Division

THEATRE STREAM: PROCESSING & EQUIPMENT 10:00 – 10:30 - Leading the way in allergen control With a growing number of allergen sufferers worldwide and increased awareness of the health risks associated with allergic reactions, consumers and auditing bodies are now holding manufacturers accountable. Failure to manage allergens effectively can not only be life threatening for the end user but will also create reputation and operational damage to an organisation. The processes that control the handling of ingredients have therefore never been more important, and manufacturers with systems that are agile enough to meet the changes in consumer demand can gain a competitive advantage.

Do you handle powders that contain allergens? Join this presentation to discover more about increasing efficiency and flexibility in your manufacturing process, whilst minimising allergen risk: • Allergen Control • Reducing cross contamination • Reducing risk with automation • Designing the right factory PRESENTER: David Newell, General Manager and Business Development Director, Matcon

10:45 – 11:15 - Long-Term Benefits of Hygienic Equipment Design Increasing consumer, customer and regulatory requirements combined with a stronger focus on overall operational excellence, makes this the right time for a deep dive into the benefits of Hygienic Design for the food industry. Join this session to understand: • How more than just sanitation will benefit from Hygenic Design • How a proactive approach to Hygienic Design will positively impact your overall operation • How your business’ long-term profitability be affected PRESENTER: Karin Blacow, Food Safety Specialist, Commercial Food Sanitation L.L.C. - An Intralox company

*Schedule correct at time of publishing - subject to change

www.foodmag.com.au | May 2022 | Food&Beverage Industry News 27

11:30 – 12:00 – Machinery Guarding Basics Machines can help improve production efficiency in the workplace. However, their moving parts, sharp edges, and hot surfaces are often the cause of serious workplace injuries such as crushed fingers or hands, amputations, burns, blindness or even death. Safeguards are essential to keep workers out of harm’s way, but what requirements apply when designing safeguards?

During this presentation we will introduce the requirements of Australian legislation and standards for guarding and the standards that you can use in the design of safeguarding in order to select appropriate solutions for various hazards.

Any organisation that uses machinery and anyone that designs, manufactures or supplies machinery should attend to learn: • The key points from legislation on guarding • What standards should be used when designing guarding for machinery • What types of safeguarding devices are available PRESENTER: Andy Pearson, National Services Manager, PILZ Australia

13:45 – 14:15 - Impact of packaging design on meat processing We will take you through the typical journey of a water reliant organisation implementing Net Zero Water strategies; the corporate ESG commitments needed, practical and regulatory design considerations and the practical design and build of a wastewater recycling plant including what lies behind technology selection and what success looks like. Gain practical examples on: • how to overcome regulatory hurdles • what is wastewater recycling practically?

• understanding why Net Zero Water is a smart strategy PRESENTER: Matt Castersen, Lead Process Engineer, Waterform

12:15 – 12:45 – TBC

THEATRE STREAM: MEAT PROCESSING 13:45 – 14:15 - Impact of packaging design on meat processing In this seminar, we will be looking at global packaging trends, innovations in protein categories and what is on the horizon for our region. Learn how through innovative packaging design we can maximise shelf life and throughput whilst minimising downtime, rework and energy costs. Join us to understand: • Global packaging trends and how these will affect Australia • Impact of sustainability drivers • Ability of packaging to maximise throughput PRESENTERS: Adam Waldron, Technical Sales & Sustainability Manager, Food Packaging, Klöckner Pentaplast and Ben Elkington, Director of Product Line Management – Global Trays, Klöckner Pentaplast

14:30 – 15:00 - An unintended path to disruption Provenir’s mission to introduce on-farm processing as an alternative to the current meat supply chain was always going to be disruptive. Though the challenges of soaring cattle prices, lack of supply and a global pandemic meant that this innovative company had to go back to the drawing board to re-imagine itself. By seeking to value every part of the animal, Provenir has become one of the most diversified, vertically integrated meat companies that asks the question... what is a cow worth? You may be surprised what their answer is..Join Chris and find the answers to: • Finding and harnessing company resilience • Finding opportunity in dire situations • Challenging the status quo PRESENTER: Chris Balazs, CEO, Provenir

15:15 – 15:45 – Please refer to the website / onsite agenda for further information

THURSDAY MAY 19 THEATRE STREAM: SUSTAINABILITY & THE CIRCULAR ECONOMY 10:00 – 10.30 - FFS technology and the future of sustainability An increasing concern about the need to control the volume of plastic packaging that is produced and disposed of, has led many countries to implement stringent regulations. The Form Fill Seal technology used to make cups from plastic reels (usually polystyrene) and fill them, is very much concerned by these measures. This session will explore this challenge and the surprising opportunities to move to more sustainable solutions using FFS as a tool to improve the overall footprint: • What is at stake on the 2025 horizon?

• What solutions are available to move away from Polystyrene cups?

• Recyclability, circular economy: what is possible and what is not?

PRESENTER: Wilfrid MARIE – IMA DAIRY & FOOD ASIA PACIFIC - CEO

10:45 – 11:15 - A new frontier for the future packaging of liquid products The creation of a circular economy in the field of HDPE plastic containers opens a discussion that involves various stakeholders, from local councils / community collection, sorting and recycling system operators, organisations with a commercial interest, manufacturers producing blow molding machines to the consumer / end user.

The manufacturers of extrusion blow molding machines have an important responsibility in supporting new technologies that drive the development of the circular economy.

In this presentation, you will examine: • How increasing the efficiency of EBM machines promotes the circular economy • How the use of recycled materials (other than plastic) in containers can decrease the use of HDPE without compromising strength and quality • How Total Quality Control solutions support the circular economy • How electricity consumption can be reduced through the production process PRESENTER: Moreno Minghetti, Executive VP, Alpha Mac 28 Food&Beverage Industry News | May 2022 | www.foodmag.com.au

11:30 – 12:00 - 3 Steps to Zero Waste With customers, shareholders and regulators scrutinising the operations of every business and brand they engage with, there is no excuse for not having your Zero Waste strategy in order. After 20 years at the forefront of the recycling business, and now leading the circular charge with the Loop initiative, TerraCycle has worked closely with brands all over the world to guide more sustainable outcomes at every step of their operations.

So how do you go Zero Waste when you have products that are not accepted in kerbside recycling?

Jean will share case studies to demonstrate how to: • 1- Make products recyclable • 2- Make products from waste • 3- Make products reusable PRESENTER: Jean Bailliard, General Manager, TerraCycle

12:15 – 12:45 – How can packaging be truly circular?

Not everything is as it seems when it comes to packaging and the sustainability discussion. Learn how we can make food packaging truly circular and how we can give packaging the best chance of staying in that loop. Understand the considerations we must look at when comparing formats and their impact, taking a holistic approach.

• How to create sustainable, circular food packaging from 100% post-consumer material • Sustainable packaging materials and supporting life cycle analysis • Circular packaging design PRESENTERS: Adam Waldron, Technical Sales & Sustainability Manager, Food Packaging, Klöckner Pentaplast and Ben Elkington, Director of Product Line Management – Global Trays, Klöckner Pentaplast

13:00 – 13:45 - UnpackIt! - A Live Webinar Event by Signet PRESENTER: Brad Jeavons, Business Improvement Manager, Signet

14:00 – 14:30 - Food loss and waste: A sustainability conundrum with nationally focused solutions PRESENTER: Dr Simon Lockery, Reduce Program Academic Lead, Fight Food Waste

THEATRE STREAM: FUTURE MANUFACTURING 10:15 – 10:45 - Factory Floor Space – the value of manufacturing real estate Many manufacturers are increasingly needing to do more in less space. They may want to increase production or have new regulations or requirements put on them by their buyers such as coding or metal detection. These changes often take up additional floor space which may mean a costly and impractical relocation or compromises on safety and access.

This session will give practical examples of how to review your engineering design and processes to optimise your available space, ensuring solutions for: • Automation • Operator access and operational environment • Maintenance access • Safety PRESENTER: Michael Alaoui, Business Development Manager, Contech

11:00 – 11:30 - IoT- Enabled Smart Manufacturing Transformation – Case Studies from Australian Food and Packaging Companies Australian manufacturing and packaging companies are adopting digital technologies at a rapid pace but there is a lot of confusion about the best approach. Often the entry point is to implement equipment-based monitoring, downtime or OEE solutions.

These approaches are valuable but leave arguably the most important driver of efficiency out of the equation – the operators. This session focusses on real-world examples of a unified approach to digital manufacturing operations and packaging solutions that considers the equipment, processes and people interacting seamlessly for a common goal.

Hear case studies from leading Australian companies Oliveri, Lifestyle Bakeries, Derby Rubber and more, representing successful SME manufacturers on a global scale and how they achieved paperless operations in a matter of weeks: • How Smart Manufacturing is within reach for SME manufacturers – hear from some of Australia’s best brands on how they are approaching Industry 4.0 • How paperless operations transform the shop floor, removing waste and improving responsiveness • Combining Quality, Asset Performance, Maintenance and Management Overview in a single digital platform • What will the future of manufacturing in Australia look like?

PRESENTER: James Balzary, CEO, TilliT

11:45 – 12:15 - Solving problems – getting the most out of data and people Businesses are struggling to turn their data into real world improvements. We can get any data we want and create great reports faster than ever before but turning this information into results is the real challenge. Join Diren as he discusses the challenges facing business owners, managers and data scientists in getting the most out of data, as well as some proven ideas for tackling these roadblocks. This presentation is applicable to any business need, with examples from the operations space.

Data itself will not improve your business so you will learn how to: • Understand the problem • Establish a winning culture with small, fast teams where every team member is a) needed and b) given clear goals • Be process driven in your problem solving • Beware of heroes and martyrs!

PRESENTER: Diren Gokal, Head of Manufacturing, NCI Packaging

*Schedule correct at time of publishing - subject to change

www.foodmag.com.au | May 2022 | Food&Beverage Industry News 29

THEATRE STREAM: PREVENTATIVE MAINTENANCE 14:45 – 15:15 - Maintenance Team Villain to Superhero In this presentation Simon will share the key reasons why the maintenance team in a reactive manufacturing environment is seen as the villain. He will then explore the simple steps that the team and wider business can take to move from reactive to proactive maintenance, leading to the maintenance team being known as superheroes.

Gain insights into a simple model on which to assess the current state of your maintenance and reliability maturity, together with a framework and structure to move through the improvement stages.

Move your business from reactive to proactive through: • A simple reliability model for any team to establish their current state • The 3 MUSTS to getting out of reactive maintenance • Where and how to start the reliability journey PRESENTER: Simon Murray, Your Maintenance Coach

THEATRE STREAM: FUTURE WAREHOUSE 14:00 – 14:30 – Future warehouse automation In this session, Allan will answer: • How can robots and people work together to improve productivity and customer service?

• What software is needed to make it work?

• How do we utilise automation to attract and retain a workforce in light of existing labour shortages which will only get worse as the population becomes more tech savvy?

PRESENTER: Allan Frydman, Founder & Managing Director, DC Works

14:45 – 15:15 – Barcode scanning tunnels Not only are manual sorting systems a thing of the past, old technologies are fast becoming impediments to meeting the demands of today’s high volume product warehousing and sorting requirements New Cognex Camera technologies are replacing redundant barcode scanning products resulting in cost savings, time saving and better utilisation of premium warehousing floorspace.

This session will review successful Australian applications where the latest 3D dimensioners and barcode scanning products have been deployed and integrated with weight scalers and auxiliary devices to create world class read rates producing fast, reliable product sorting and warehousing. Learn about: • Camera technologies and how they are improving dramatically • Upgrading barcode scanning devices and processes to save time and money • How prime warehouse real estate floorspace can be gained by upgrading redundant technologies • Modernisation of warehousing and logistics in Australia today • Proven world class solutions and how factory automation experts can advise and help PRESENTER: Ryan Hart, Manager Deep Learning & Machine Vision Solutions, Automation Systems & Controls

FRIDAY MAY 20 THEATRE STREAM: FUTURE TRENDS 10:45 – 11:15 – Future sustainability for retailers and food packaging companies – improve your environmental footprint AND your competitive edge In an age where sustainability is top of line - but where regulations and certifications are constantly changing - how is your company ensuring the decisions you make today can improve both your environmental footprint and competitive edge in the future? Join Dr. Morgan Wyatt, CEO of Greenlid Sustainable Products, as he shares his story from his start on Dragons’ Den (Canadian Shark Tank) to now. Learn how he has helped major North American retailers and others transition to sustainable products for the benefit of the environment, profitability and internal management. Hear insights into global, national and regional considerations when determining future product lines, the hidden profit values in marketing these changes, quantifying your impact and saving time and money in the future. In this session you will explore: • Packaging and product trends in retail and food service in North America and beyond • Redefining terms such as recyclability and compostability • Protecting your brand and customers from dangerous chemicals and bad PR • Leveraging planogram and sustainable product decisions for hidden values • Material considerations when selecting your new sustainable packaging • The pathway to a successful transition from unsustainable to sustainable PRESENTER: Dr Morgan Wyatt, Co-Founder & CEO, Greenlid

11:30 – 12:00 Systematic Innovation Governance This presentation focuses on Systematic Innovation and the differences between short term “tactical” innovation and strategic, long-term innovation management.

Systematic Innovation is not a new methodology but rather the integration of a set of processes which work together to optimise the innovation investments made by any business.

The process of Systematic Innovation integrates the business analysis of markets and opportunities with the long-term strategic agenda for the business.

It defines the white space in which to target ideation efforts as well as the governance processes for effective execution of innovation projects. Join this session for an understanding of: • The Systematic Innovation Governance model as a set of best practice innovation management tools to optimise business performance • How to integrate Innovation planning with business strategy and address strategic planning gaps • How to create targeted idea campaigns aligned with strategy • How to govern and execute projects to deliver the strategy • How to review the Innovation portfolio for strategic alignment PRESENTER: Gerard Ryan, Managing Director, Prodex Systems

*Schedule correct at time of publishing - subject to change 30 Food&Beverage Industry News | May 2022 | www.foodmag.com.au

2021

Gold Winner

Top 5 reasons to visit AUSPACK 2022 As the Southern Hemisphere’s leading exhibition for the packaging and processing industry, there are so many reasons to be at AUSPACK. Here are just five to be at AUSPACK 2022 from 17-20 May. 1. The awesome exhibition.

As the industry’s first in-person exhibition since 2019, excitement is even greater for this flagship event as the world adjusts to the new “covid-normal” way of doing business. By February, just under 100 APPMA members had signed up to exhibit, which is a record. APPMA Chairman Mark Dingley said this meant that APPMA members made up nearly half the total number of exhibitors. “This support from APPMA members for the Association’s premier event highlights its value. On top of that, the actual space booked

by Australian companies was right up near the previous record. After the two very tough years that businesses have experienced, this backing illustrates the benefits that business and brand owners find in AUSPACK.” So whether you need processing, packaging or filling machinery, through to product identification solutions, packaging materials, materials handling or ancillary components in food & beverage, frozen goods, pharmaceuticals & cosmetics, chemical & household items or FMCG, you’ll find it at AUSPACK 2022.

2. The celebratory awards

This year, the APPMA Awards of Excellence were expanded from five categories to eight.

Mark Dingley said, “It was exciting to bring back these

awards at the last AUSPACK, and APPMA is even more excited for the expansion, with the four main themes in 2022 being recognition, celebration, inclusivity and education.” He said it seemed this has hit the mark, with exhibitors keen to enter products and solutions in the Australian Machinery Manufacturing Award, Import & Distribution Machinery Award, Packaging Design Innovation Award, Sustainability Award, Community Contribution Award, and Emerging Leadership Award. To aid the awards’ inclusivity, both the new machinery awards have a section for SMEs, that being companies with up to $10 million in annual turnover, and corporates, being over $10m. Don’t miss out on celebrating the best the industry has to offer at the Gala Awards Ceremony on Wednesday May 18.

3. The highly informative Leaders Forum Conference.

On top of being informative, the forum sessions have been designed to allow plenty of time for networking and to visit the exhibition floor, so delegates can attend the sessions of their choice, and still be on their own stands or visit others for research and networking.

The AUSPACK Leaders Forum Conference runs from 18-19 May, starting at 7:30am each day with a breakfast and concludes on the first day with

32 Food&Beverage Industry News | May 2022 | www.foodmag.com.au

cocktails and networking. Lunch is supplied on both days during the 12:30 session. Already, more than 25 speakers are confirmed, with more lined up, presenting on topics from where business and the economy are at and what’s next; sustainability and the circular economy; future technology; risk, resilience, rebalance and reward; investment and collaboration; adapting and diversifying for commercial success; future supply chain; and people, planet, profit.

4. The information-packed, practical Solutions Theatres.

The Solutions Theatres will give visitors in-depth overviews of technology, solutions and strategies, with sessions covering: packaging & packing materials, technology, consumer trends, packaging design, processing & equipment, meat processing, procurement, cyber network security, sustainability & the circular economy, supply chain, future manufacturing, future warehouse, future trends, preventative maintenance and education. Mark Dingley said, “The show floor seminar series was popular at AUSPACK 2019, so at AUSPACK 2022 we’re

expanding it into Solutions Theatres; these curated sessions will dive deeper into solutions that educate while solving complex problems.

What’s more, entry to any of the Solutions Theatres is at no cost with a visitor registration badge. Entry is free to make these accessible to as many people as possible.”

5. Zoned floor space.

Everyone is time poor, and zones make it really easy for visitors to spend their time researching, learning and networking for the specific areas in which they are most interested. Of course, it’s also valuable for exhibitors to have such qualified leads. AUSPACK 2022 will feature an array of new zones: IT & Services, Processing Equipment, Packaging and Packaging Materials, and Packaging Machinery.

Mark Dingley said early visitor registration was moving along nicely, and he encouraged those thinking about researching some new solutions, or potential agencies, engaging in some verywelcome in-person networking, or expanding their knowledge base, to register now.

Solutions that futureproof manufacturing.

Across all industries and applications, we achieve automated coding precision.

LABEL. CODE. VALIDATE. TRACE. Visit us at AUSPACK 2022, Stand G150, to learn about the latest coding, labelling, mobility and supply chain solutions designed to enhance manufacturing productivity.

Assembling leading brands in coding, marking and labelling equipment for any industry, our solutions achieve consistent, reliable results for fully integrated modern production environments.

See working demonstrations of coding equipment, printers, and scanners. Talk to our experts about the right equipment to reduce operational risk, increase uptime, efficiency, and operational predictability.

Join us at Stand G150

insignia.com.au

AUSPACK floorplan I028 I030

AUSPACK RESTAURANT & BAR

I034

I040

H038 H040

H041H042

H045 H047

H046

H043H044

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Café

I100 I102 I104 I105 I110

H080

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Coffee

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APPMA LOUNGE

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APPMA Awards

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Meeting Rooms

ENTRY

EXIT

*Floorplan correct at time of publishing - subject to change.

Stand Name

Stand #

3M Australia Pty Ltd / ATA Distributors Pty Ltd

i155

A&D WEIGHING & INSPECTION

A150

Abaris Printing

E170

ABB Australia

G085

Stand Name ATA Distributors Pty Ltd

Stand # i155

Stand Name Blue Parrot | Skywire | Zebra

Stand #

Stand Name

Stand #

i110

D&D Barry Pty Ltd

F035

ATS Applied Tech Systems

H049

BluePrint Automation

F170

Detmold Group

A055

Austbrokers AEI Pty Ltd

H102

G170

DFC Packaging

E190

Australia HM Pharmachine Group

A210

Bosch Australia Manufacturing Solutions

Diverseco

i040

Bosch Rexroth

A080

DOBMAC

F057

H165

Brenner International Pty Ltd

i050

EB Packaging SDN BHD

i232

B195

Ecocap’s

E230

H135

Ekato

C004

Elliott Automation

D047

Emerson Automation Solutions

E031

Enoberg S.r.L

G106

Eriez Magnetics

H130

Ernest Fleming Machinery & Equipment

A075

Esko Australia

B170

EZYCOLLECT

H043

Fallsdell Machinery Pty Ltd

F060

FANUC

F200

FB*PROPAK

E065

ABBE Corrugated

D130

Australian Filling & Packaging Machines

Acacia Energy

H044

Australian Wrapping Company

D230

Busch Vacuum Pumps and Systems

Adept Turnkey Vision Systems

A155

Australis Engineering

C130

Case Packing Systems

ADM Packaging Automation

B100

Automaint Solutions

B130

CDE Design Solutions

H042

Adventpac

D080

Automation & Packaging

G040

Central Innovation

H045

Aerofloat

D190

Automation Systems and Controls Pty Ltd

i145

Axelent Australia

C115

AmbaFlex Asia Pacific bv

A205

Andrew Donald Design Engineering Pty Ltd

D172

Barry-Wehmiller Australia

C180

Apollo Industries

G240

Baumer

G040

Apollo VTS Asia Ltd

D246

Becker Pumps Australia

H100

APTA Automation

i060

Biogone

H195

A-SAFE Australasia

D045

Biosteam

A110

Asset Packaging Machines

E002

Biotec Solutions

B035

34 Food&Beverage Industry News | May 2022 | www.foodmag.com.au

Centreline Engineering

B116

Chadwick Lids

H244

Clayton Industries

i100

Clevertech

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Cobot Pty Ltd

H190

Combilift

H050

Concetti S.P.A

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Contech

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CPS

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Ferag Australia

i140

LINCO Food Systems

B185

POLYtij Australia

F216

Stevco Seals and Pumps

D192

Festo

C190

Logicap

C242

Premier Tech

H200

Summit Machinery

F025

Fibre King

A140

LUCID Vision Labs, Inc

A050

Pressco Technology Inc

H155

Supagas

E219

Filler Specialties

C120

Mach Australia Pty Ltd

G035

Process Partners

E244

Superior Pump Technologies

H142

Flexiwrap

E228

Machine Knives (Aust) Pty Ltd

B115

Prodex Systems

A045

i222

Food & Beverage Industry News

B197

Makum Pty Ltd

F215

Profilium

C020

Sustainable Packaging Research group

Markem-Imaje

F070

Propak Industries

A070

Food Process Machinery

i034

Matcon Limited

i105

Protection Experts

H114

FOODMACH

E150

Fuchs Lubricants Australasia

I165

Fulun Packing Manufacture

E015

Futamura Australia P/L

H230

General Processing Systems Pty Ltd

i105

Gold Peg / Natec Network

E025

Graph-Pak Pty Ltd

H220

Haver & Boecker

E215

HBM Plastics & Packaging Technologies

H165

Heat and Control Pty Ltd

Matrix Process Solutions

C055

Matthews Australasia

D140

Megawatt Heating Elements

B005

Milliken

H240

Minipack International Pty Ltd

D100

Mitsubishi Gas Chemical

A112

Molenaar Australia

E100

Motion Australia

H038

Narrowtex Australia

H112

NETZSCH Pumps & Systems

i102

D150

Nordson

H150

Hipex

D055

Nupac Industries

D065

HMPS

G140

O F Packaging

C170

Hotpack Packaging Ind. LLC

H232

HRS Process Solutions

F022

IFM

A175

Industrial Dynamics

B232

INOX Australia

E055

insignia

G150

Intralox

C100

J.L Lennard

B080

J.L. Packaging Pty Limited

D170

JBT - Proseal Australia

OFI Weigh & Inspection Solutions OFS (Operations Feedback Systems)

H166 H041

C045

Technomik Pty Ltd

E045

TecnAir

i082

The Glove Company

H185

A187

The Van Dyke Press

F240

i156

PRYDE MEASUREMENT PTY LTD

D048

Pulford Air & Gas Radius Technology

Tapflo

Thermaflo Limited

G200

Reactive Engineering Pty Ltd

H080

TigerPak Packaging

B025

Recopak Machinery

E180

TNA Solutions

G190

Regethermic

H146 B205

Toyota Material Handling Australia

D115

Result Group of Companies Rhima Australia

C065

RK Rose+Krieger

B125

Robatech Gluing Solutions

C172

Robot Spares

i104

Robotic Automation

E080

Romheld Automation

B175

SAGE Group

H192

SAN CHIOU CORPORATION INC

i220

Trimatt Systems

D200

Triton Commercial Systems

i045

TRONICS

H070

TXM Lean Solutions Pty Ltd

C254

Vendart Filtration

B008

VISY

G110

Wedderburn Pty Ltd

C200

WF Media

H046

Wipotec Australia

F040

Omni Group

E130

Schenck Process Australia

D022

Workflow Ltd

C014

Opal Group

C080

Schmalz

H110

WRD WELLS

B118

Open IIOT

G130

Scholle IPN

G100

X-Pak Global

i030

PAC Food Pty Ltd

E217

Schur Star Systems

i070

Your Maintenance Coach

B240

Package Mate

B006

SCHÜTZ

C015

Zipform Packaging

E240

Packaging Solutions & Equipment

H120

SELECT EQUIP

B055

APPMA Lounge

C030

B177

Jet Technologies

A160

Packserv Australia

B015

JMP Engineering

F130

Packsize Pty Ltd

E200

Johns Adhesives / BeardowAdams

H040

PacMatix Pty Ltd

G080

Pattyn Pacific

H106

Payper

i167

Peacock Bros. Pty Ltd

i177

KHS Pacific

C202

Klockner Pentaplast

F020

Konica Minolta

D020

KPPL

A215

Krones Pacific

G180

LACO Automation

A135

Lantech Asia Pacific

B045

LAPP

G105

Leuze Electronics Pty Ltd

H180

Perfect Automation

B070

PerForm Packaging Solutions

E170

PFG Group Victoria Pty Ltd

C025

PharmEquip Pty Ltd

G055

PILZ Australia

F172

PKN Packaging News

B120

Selpak

E115

Fight Food Waste CRC

C002

SICK

B145

Rebul Packaging

i230

Sidel Group

A105

Manroland Goss

D240

Signet

B140

Flick Anticimex

D244

Slimstock

H047

GEM DRYTECH INDIA

E019

SM Innotec

G245

i157

Smalte Conveying

E030

TPAC PACKAGING INDIA PVT LTD

SMC Corporation

E140

Waterform Technologies

E017

SMI S.P.A

G106

SMIG

G106

Splatt Engineering Group LTD

A125

Star Stuff Group

H212

Sterling Robotics

i060

*Schedule correct at time of publishing to the leaders forum conference page as well

www.foodmag.com.au | May 2022 | Food&Beverage Industry News 35

WHAT’S ON AT AUSPACK

Don’t get left behind by 2D barcodes Food & Beverage Industry News speaks to GS1 Australia executive director and CEO, Maria Palazzolo and director of retail, Andrew Steele, about digital transformation and why collaboration among industry is the key to the widespread implementation of 2D barcodes.

G

S1 Australia is a leading standards and service provider for over 20 industry sectors. Having introduced barcoding to Australia in 1979, the company now assists over 22,000 companies in becoming more efficient using the global GS1 system. GS1 Australia advises and supports businesses, associations and industries on their supply chain challenges through administering global standards to achieve world’s best practice.

As a member-based, not-forprofit organisation, GS1 Australia supply and manage the GS1 system of identification, global data standards and barcodes as well as recommend solutions through their services to members.

Most recently, their focus has been centred on supporting companies in their digital transformation journey.

This is being brought on for many companies in the food and beverage industry for various reasons, such as changing consumer behaviours stimulated by the COVID-19 pandemic.

According to GS1 Australia executive director and CEO, Maria Palazzolo, digital transformation is likely on every organisation’s agenda in the same way traceability is. The ability to integrate it in a seamless way is the challenge.

“You have a very well-informed consumer that isn’t satisfied anymore with just knowing what product they have brought, they want more visibility about all aspects of the product like, the sustainability of the product and its packaging, allergen information, expiry and use-by dates etc; they want to be better informed about the safety of the products they purchase.

“What you’ve got is this alignment of companies looking at digital transformation and at the same time dealing with complex supply chain issues and consumer demand for more specific product information, all of which has become more pronounced through COVID”.

The solution In the plight of the COVID-19 pandemic, consumers also rapidly became more comfortable with QR codes, a 2D barcode technology. This presented an opportunity for both brand owners and retailers to enable the transfer of more information to consumers.

Retailers were also searching to better utilise data to manage their products within the supply chain. Palazzolo said many items are dumped each year that are past their use-by dates because systems are not in place to capture the data prior to the products’ expiration.

“One could ask the question as to why an existing technology, available today, is not more widely adopted to help solve some of these supply chain issues. The potential benefits are well documented and ready to be realised” One example is Woolworths, which has a vision to roll out 2D barcodes across perishable categories and eventually into its ambient products.

“Woolworths have been the

trailblazers. They look through three lenses: the voices of the customer, the supplier, and their staff,” GS1 Australia director of Retail, Andrew Steele said.

“They identified a number of drivers in listening to those three voices and the recurring theme was around waste reduction, better food safety, and better traceability information.”

By identifying these drivers, Woolworths saw that 2D barcodes would provide more visibility and granular information, as well as prevent stock being dumped.

“Woolworths has already recorded up to 44 per cent reduction in stock dumps due to use-by and best before dates for products with 2D barcodes,” Steele said. “The other thing is, if you have a barcode with a batch number that can be tracked and you have to do a recall or withdrawal, it can now be more targeted and you don’t have to pull everything off the shelf, which is important to mitigate the costs of recalls. That is a great opportunity for

GS1 is providing expert advice and services around the implementation of 2D barcodes across the industry.

36 Food&Beverage Industry News | May 2022 | www.foodmag.com.au

suppliers, and it is going to open a whole new world of possibility.”

Palazzolo informs all GS1 Australia members and companies to learn from history when the linear barcode was introduced 50 years ago.

“That was a perfect situation where retailers and manufacturers were looking for some kind of solution,” she said. “They all came together and did something that had never happened before – everyone realised that collaboration was needed. This ultimately resulted in the adoption of one single barcode standard for all point of sale around the world, which meant equipment and software suppliers were able to build their systems based on a single standard.”

By collaborating to introduce the linear barcode we are all familiar with today, many problems were solved. But while Palazzolo endorses collaboration to progress digital transformation now, she feels that it should be done for the right reasons, “to avoid the ensuing chaos”.

WHAT’S ON AT AUSPACK

GS1 CEO Maria Palazzolo is helping the industry adapt to digital transformations.

“We need to avoid the potential chaos that is caused when companies go their own proprietary way. And just as industry collaborated 50 years ago to agree on standardisation for the greater good, so we should be doing the same today,” Palazzolo said. “It’s not about having a competitive advantage, but about standardising in an agreed practical way for the benefit of all, consumers, brand owners and retailers around the world.”

Also, if a supplier requires a barcode with additional data, the need to move away from pre-printed linear barcodes and towards printing capabilities for the 2D barcode will create a paradigm

shift. Steele’s view is that industry collaboration will be the key to adapting and making the widespread adoption of 2D technology work.

“For example, Woolworths has discussed with other retailers and don’t see it as a competitive advantage, but the way ahead for everyone,” he said.

“This is where the industry needs to come together and collaborate. If I am a supplier and I need to provide new 2D barcodes for one client and linear barcodes for another, then all of a sudden, we need two barcodes on every product, which creates an added cost.

So, there will be a transition period with two barcodes on some products; that is just the nature of moving into new systems.”

Next dimension in barcodes The beauty of new-age barcoding systems such as 2D is that enormous amounts of data can be embedded to provide greater efficiencies for retailers and give consumers the confidence to make well-informed decisions about a product. This also amplifies more transparency in the relationship between the customer and the brand.

“The data and how it’s used and the value that it brings to retailers, for their supply chain and consumers, has become

increasingly important,” Palazzolo said.

However, the barcode itself is only a carrier of data. Manufacturers first need to have practices in place that can collect the appropriate data, including the use-by date, batch number, manufacturing date and promotions. Effectively, identifying this would give manufacturers the information needed to mitigate the risk of taking the product off the shelves, like Woolworths has done.

“The key is identifying what problems they are trying to solve and that should then determine the data they embed in the barcode,” Palazzolo said. “It will also give consumers more trust in a transparent product.”

GS1 Australia develops the standards for 2D barcodes and aims to educate industries in implementing and integrating these solutions into their businesses. This focus on collaboration has led them to the upcoming AUSPACK 2022 event, where they will have the opportunity to demonstrate 2D barcode technology first-hand.

“We will have two as a focus at AUSPACK, one being the GS1 Data Matrix – which is the 2D barcode that Woolworths is scanning – the other one is a GS1 Digital Link,” Steele said.

“I am also going to be on a panel with one of the key people from

Woolworths who has been involved in the project since day one, and other solution providers. Any food or beverage product that has a use-by or best before date and a batch number are right in the scope for 2D barcodes. It is still early days, but people are seeing the major benefits.”

Palazzolo expresses the hope that the event will give people the opportunity to see what they need to consider before implementing 2D barcodes in their own operations.

“The ambitious date of 2027, where retailers around the world need to be ready to scan 2D barcodes on products they sell, isn’t as far away as it seems,” Palazzolo said. “There is so much to do and so much that needs to be decided; there is a whole program that needs to take place on communicating internally and externally. In my experience, every rollout of a new major program requires somebody within an organisation to champion the cause, and that helps to ensure that the project progresses and that all relevant parties are included in the decisions that need to be made.

The question of transitioning to 2D barcodes is not only about why, but also of when”. F Visit www.gs1au.org/2d-barcodes

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www.foodmag.com.au | May 2022 | Food&Beverage Industry News 37

WHAT’S ON AT AUSPACK

insignia takes Domino to AUSPACK insignia national sales and product manager, Boyd Rose, speaks to Food & Beverage Industry News about the company’s plans for AUSPACK 2022 and two featured product ranges from Domino that attendees can discover at the event.

A

USPACK 2022, to be held on 17-20 May at the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre, will welcome exhibitors from across Australia to showcase their product innovations.

One such exhibitor is identification and traceability solutions provider, insignia.

As an Australian owned and operated business, insignia supports more than 5,000 customers nationwide across all industries to improve their operational efficiency. Solutions include labelling, barcoding and marking, warehouse mobility, inventory and supply chain, and traceability.

Exhibiting at AUSPACK since the mid-1990s, insignia’s focus at the last event was centred on the benefits of cloud monitoring for equipment, and remote monitoring of data collected by the machinery. This year, the broader theme for many exhibitors will be how the COVID-19 pandemic has impacted Australian manufacturing, addressing labour shortages and the closure of international borders.

This year, insignia’s focus is to present our customers with integrated labelling, coding and data capture solutions for the processing, packaging and manufacturing sectors. Changes in regulation and governance, traceability and sustainability demands, combined with digitisation, integration and technological advances are transforming how Australian manufacturer’s implement operational improvements. insignia provides manufacturers with the operational insight to be agile and responsive to industry changes and pursue manufacturing operations transformation (MOT) that maximises visibility of production lines and physical throughput.

“There’s a strong focus on remote machinery support, but also automating

manual applications because there’s simply not the people there to manage the labelling or coding requirements,” said insignia national sales and product manager Boyd Rose.

“Our focus is embedding automation in coding and labelling processes in production lines to remove the requirement for human intervention. This covers a number of areas of automation areas including data entry, automated quality control and of course, remote monitoring and support of equipment.”

According to Rose, there’s an increased focus on remaining agile and responsive to rapid industry changes and regulatory requirements, as well as traceability.

“Traceability is essential in an expanding into the global market and there’s increasing industry focus on ‘batch traceability,’ or ‘batch-of-one’, which is takes traceability down to the individual item,” he said. “And that’s important for when products are sent overseas and on the odd occasion where customers get a recall, they don’t have to recall everything back in the batch.

They can recall small batches and narrow it down to the individual item.”

In terms of the products on display at AUSPACK 2022, insignia will shine a spotlight on their partner, Domino.

Attendees will be able to investigate two product ranges from Domino – the Ax-Series Plus and new R-Series range, among other coding and labelling technologies.

Domino R-Series The Domino R-Series is a range of inline vision systems that will be launched at the AUSPACK event, off the back of the brand’s existing coding and labelling technologies. It offers validation of the correct printing of code and the quality check for the

38 Food&Beverage Industry News | May 2022 | www.foodmag.com.au

The Domino Ax-Series Plus range is designed to code variable information such as date and batch codes. legibility and readability of that code.

“The R-series is essentially a range of inline vision systems that are designed to check the text codes, machine readable barcodes and label data to ensure that the code is of high quality and correctly correlates to a master data source,” Rose said.

The range expands Domino’s ability to automate the quality control of the printer in real time – a true quality check for each product within the manufacturing line.

There are also different levels of speed in which the R-Series can operate, depending on production requirements: • Code presence – the basic level of vision, which can operate at a high speed for as many as 2,000 products per minute; • Character count – whereby the number of characters is checked within a code; and • Optical character recognition – the code is manually read and then checked against the master data source.

Although vision systems have been on the market in Australia for a while, they are often expensive and difficult to

integrate. However, the R-Series range from Domino is a high-end vision system without the hefty price tag and can be seamlessly integrated with any Domino coder off the shelf “It gives some flexibility in tying into customer ERP manufacturing systems as well,” Rose said. “It’s pretty exciting from a Domino supply perspective, because it gives us that extra piece of the puzzle when we’re looking at coding and the integration within an entire manufacturing line.”

Domino Ax-Series Plus The Domino Ax-Series Plus range of continuous ink jet printers, launched in the Australian market at the last AUSPACK event, are designed to code variable information such as date and batch codes for food and beverage manufacturing.

A central feature of the Ax-Series is it’s robustness and suitability for harsh environments including the dairy industry, which has a lot of caustic washable areas, and in organic mulch applications produced in a packing shed, often operating at a high temperature. CIJ printers are well suited to high-speed applications

WHAT’S ON AT AUSPACK

The Domino R-Series is a range of inline vision systems that will be launched at AUSPACK.

at such as canning and bottling lines where approximately 1,500 products are produced per minute within a washdown environment.

Since its launch, the Domino Ax-Series has proved to be a highly robust product that has displayed great dependability over the last few challenging years, according to Rose.

“The reliability is fantastic, especially when we haven’t been able to get out and repair machines as easily with all the restrictions on technicians visiting site due to the pandemic,” he said. “It highlights the importance of remote monitoring – because we haven’t been able to send our technicians to sites, the Domino cloud interface has become critical to monitor manufacturing production lines.”

Easy to use, robust and minimal training required, Domino have mitigated production interrruptions for the Ax-Series with continuity of parts and consumable supply throughout the pandemic.

“Domino has been one step ahead of the curve in the event of not being able to get supplies through to Australia,” Rose said. “We have seen massive shortages in raw materials, and Domino has mitigated potential

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delays in supply of spare parts and consumables, which are the fluids and inks used in those machines. That’s really helped us with this range of products over the last couple of years to provide exceptional reliability and uptime for our customers.”

Best in class As a global brand with eight technologies that are standouts across the board, Rose said that Domino invests heavily in research and development and considers what their customers really need when developing products.

“Domino is a world-renowned brand and insignia is the sole Australian distributor within Australia,” Rose said.

“We complement their technologies with an Australia-wide service and support team. The technologies which are built to be future-proof – and with capabilities like the R-series vision system you can potentially integrate into older legacy installations. F Visit insignia at AUSPACK 2022, Stand G150, on 17-20 May at the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre to find out more about Domino’s products and how you can automate your coding and labelling processes.

sales@tecweigh.com.au P: +61 3 9775 0266

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Tecweigh Pty Ltd Factory 3, Silkwood Business Park 7, Lakewood Boulevard Carrum Downs Victoria Australia 3201 www.foodmag.com.au | May 2022 | Food&Beverage Industry News 39

WHAT’S ON AT AUSPACK

SMC automates food and beverage at AUSPACK Food & Beverage Industry News speaks to William Lebihan, head of field sales and marketing for SMC Australia and New Zealand (ANZ), about their plans for AUSPACK 2022 and what they will showcase for their customers.

S

MC Australia and New Zealand (ANZ) will return to AUSPACK at the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre on 17-20 May to showcase their product and service offerings for the industry. Chief among these offerings is automation.

As the largest pneumatics provider in the world – and listed in Forbes Global 2,000 as one of the world’s most innovative companies – SMC delivers automation solutions to its diverse customer base.

With more than 12,000 basic products and over 700,000 variations, SMC has exhibited at AUSPACK since 2016. At the last event three years ago, their focus was on energy saving and optimisation capabilities. Since then, more government incentives have become available in Australia, throwing energy saving into sharper focus for many of SMC’s customers.

“At the last AUSPACK event, energy saving was still fairly new for everyone, although our products are generally designed to save energy. But now, we can also talk to customers about some triedand-tested cases,” said SMC ANZ head of field sales, William Lebihan.

Therefore, SMC plans to continue with the theme this year through showcasing their next generation of products which are more compact, more efficient and smarter, and consulting with customers to uncover what level of automation is really needed in their factories.

“We’re focusing on helping customers understand how easy it can be for them to take the first step in becoming ‘smart,’” Lebihan said. “But rather than selling a widget to people, we would rather sit down and say, ‘Let’s see what’s happening in your factory and the area where you’re working and see if we can help manage that a little better for you.’”

Some of the products on display will include robotic pick and place units,

interchangeable end effectors for cobot arms, and electric actuators that rapidly move substantial loads vertically and horizontally.

Additionally, SMC head of Energy Saving Conservation Group Bill Blyth will speak about SMC’s recent work with the abattoir, Fletcher International, where they conducted a complete energy audit that saved 38 per cent of Fletcher’s energy consumption that is produced via compressed air.

This presents a good opportunity for attendees in the food and beverage industry to discover how this was achieved and what technology SMC recommended to bring this about.

Preparing for the future For their clients in the essential food and beverage sector, Lebihan said that SMC’s automation products have allowed better self-efficiency in the past few years. A key part of achieving this was helping to shift their clients’ mindsets to safeguard against future disruptions like the COVID-19 pandemic.

“We looked at things like automation, measuring how much energy they’re using, and getting an understanding of how they’re going about doing their business from an automated point of view, rather than relying on the older school technologies they were previously using,” Lebihan said.

Visit the SMC stand at AUSPACK to discover how they can help with automating processes.

40 Food&Beverage Industry News | May 2022 | www.foodmag.com.au

William Lebihan, head of Field Sales and Marketing for SMC Australia and New Zealand.

A focus on staff training during the pandemic also positioned the sales team well to better inform customers about the extensive range of automation solutions on offer.

Companies also realised their own shortcomings during the COVID19 pandemic and relied more on

WHAT’S ON AT AUSPACK

component suppliers to provide solutions. This worked in SMC’s favour, as they used the time to bolster and internally prepare the sales team to offer comprehensive automation solutions.

Overall, SMC has fared well in terms of sales across Australia and New Zealand during this period, as state sales managers were also able to adapt in the way they interacted with customers.

“It’s been quite challenging in a lot of ways, but we’ve come through and had a successful finish to the year,” Lebihan said. “We got on the front foot early and asked our customers how they wanted to be interacted with during that period, whether it was via text message, email or a Teams meeting.

“We also had a virtual support email address where we invited people to send a note to us and set up a meeting with the applications engineers to get further support, which previously we wouldn’t have done. That way they could talk directly to an application engineer about a project they’re working on.”

Taking care of the team was also paramount to ensuring that SMC continued to meet their targets and succeed.

“We took it seriously and made sure that we were first and foremost making sure our colleagues, staff and their

Expertise - Passion - Automation

families were safe and then went from there – that seemed to stand us in good stead,” Lebihan said.

Pursuing a greater focus on automation is a key part of SMC’s plans for the long term, while still maintaining their core focus on pneumatics.

“We can do and offer so much more,” Lebihan said. “We want to continue to push into the automation side and get more of our electric products and serial interfaces out on the market and become better known as an automation provider.”

In the short term, SMC will continue their growth trajectory and market share via both supporting existing customers and finding new ones. The food and packaging industry remain a firm growth target for the company.

Lebihan encourages the food and beverage industry to visit the SMC stand at AUSPACK 2022 to garner more information on how to navigate the best route towards automating their businesses.

“The work that’s been going on with the demo units on the stand is some of the best stuff we’ve done – it’s going to be even bigger and better than last time, so come and see us at AUSPACK,” he said. F

SMC’s automation products will help to safeguard against future disruptions.

S AT VISIT Uumber Stand n

E140

Smart Steps

to Flexible Manufacturing

Increase your efficiency with the implementation of NextGen solutions from SMC.

Come and view our complete range of compact and lightweight components designed for robotic applications.

Discover easy smart steps to NextGen automation.

Register to attend

www.smcanz.com

SMC Corporation Australia | New Zealand Group www.foodmag.com.au | May 2022 | Food&Beverage Industry News 41

WHAT’S ON AT AUSPACK Nupac will be showing off the latest offerings from packaging experts, Syntegon, at AUSPACK 2022.

Syntegon to make debut on Nupac stand at AUSPACK 2022 Nupac will be proudly presenting Syntegon at their debut AUSPACK after the purchase of Bosch Packaging Technology in 2020. Adam McCleery writes.

A

USPACK 2022 will see Nupac showcasing Syntegon as part of their stand after the purchase and rebrand of Bosch Packaging Technology to Syntegon in January of 2020.

After three years without exhibitions, AUSPACK presents the first opportunity for Nupac to present Syntegon in a public forum to the industry. Peter Pontikis, managing director at Nupac Industries stated that “presenting the Syntegon brand for the first time at an Australian exhibition is important moment, and one we are proud to be a part of ”.

Representing Syntegon, and previously Bosch Packaging Technology for over 35 years in Australia and New Zealand, Nupac is a trusted provider of

high-quality packaging and processing solutions, working with companies such as Mondelez, Mars, McCains, Arnott’s, Bega, and Nestle, as well as smaller companies looking to take the next step towards high quality, high speed packaging solutions.

With their first presence at an Australian exhibition since the rebrand, Syntegon will be exhibiting their focus on sustainable, future proof solutions, while also reinforcing to the industry that although the company has a new name, it still provides the same market leading, innovative, expert packaging solutions.

Standing for synergy, technology, and future focus, Syntegon have placed an emphasis on sustainability, with their mission statement highlighting the company’s goal, ‘processing and

42 Food&Beverage Industry News | May 2022 | www.foodmag.com.au

packaging technology for a better life’.

“Now, more than ever before, we are working on intelligent and sustainable technologies and embracing the collaboration with our business partners in the true spirit of partnership,” said Dr. Stefan König, chairman of the Syntegon Executive Board.

Building on their 160 years of experience providing flexible and reliable technologies to produce and pack confectionery, dry food, frozen food, and dairy products, Syntegon have continued to grow the brand.

In 2021 alone they saw order income rising 13.1 per cent while total sales also saw an increase of 9.9 per cent, showing strong gains.

“We have successfully strengthened our global presence and will continue

Syntegon provides expert packaging solutions backed by more than a century in the industry space.

WHAT’S ON AT AUSPACK

to be an important partner for food and pharmaceutical manufacturers worldwide,” says Dr Walter Bickel, chief financial officer at Syntegon.

In 2021, Syntegon also strengthened its efforts towards environmental, social, and corporate governance (ESG), committing to the UN Global Compact and successfully completing its first sustainability assessment by the global rating agency EcoVadis. On conjunction with this, Syntegon have set a goal to reduce emissions for 2025 to reduce CO2 emissions by 25 per cent, compared to 2019. This goes hand in hand with its focus on providing manufacturers with solutions to achieve sustainability goals, which includes evolving its packaging machines. Syntegon also caters to the growing demand for automation and flexibility by bringing two innovative robotic solutions to the market: the integrated Sigpack TTMD top load cartoner and the scalable, modular Robotic Pick-and-Place platform RPP. Both complement Syntegon’s system competence for the food industry, which ranges from process technology to primary, secondary, and tertiary packaging.

Moreover, Syntegon expanded its inline filling portfolio for preformed containers with the new LFS filling machine for clean and ultra-clean hygiene levels of liquid and viscous products.

“We are setting the course for a successful future,” said Dr Grosse.

“Our expanded service and machine portfolio will help us to build and maintain strong partnerships with our customers. We will support them in leveraging the full potential of future trends in the food and pharmaceutical industries.”

Since the purchase and rename of Bosch packaging Technologies, Syntegon has continued to provide high quality solutions in Australia and NZ, with Nupac additionally contributing, selling and commissioning machinery across the Australian and New Zealand markets.

With a positive outlook in the future, especially locally, Nupac realises the growth and potential in the manufacturing industry.

“With a focus on localisation within Australia and New Zealand, manufacturing is expected to grow and develop. We are looking forward to being part of the development in this country, realising a strong and profitable manufacturing industry.”

Pontikis commented.

As trusted providers, and partners of Syntegon, Nupac will also be presenting other market leading solutions including European brands SN Maschinenbau, AZO and Russell Finex.

On display at AUSPACK will be some of these solutions including a Cobot Palletizing system and high speed VFFS bagging machine.

The team at Nupac will also be on the stand, open to discuss new and innovative solutions, sustainable options as well how manufacturers can look at getting the best outcomes out of their upcoming projects.

Pontikis said the Nupac was excited for AUSPACK. “After three years of absence we are excited for AUSPACK to be back.

Speaking face to face with customers and key industry players is something we have missed and the Nupac Australian,” said Pontikis. F

Come and talk to the Supagas Team at Stand E219 AUSPACK www.foodmag.com.au | May 2022 | Food&Beverage Industry News 43

EVENTS

What’s on at AUSPACK 2022?

AUSPACK 2022 will celebrate the industry’s top movers and shakers.

Food & Beverage Industry News delves into what’s on at AUSPACK 2022 on 17-20 May at the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre.

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s the southern hemisphere’s leading exhibition for the packaging and processing industry, AUSPACK 2022 will deliver the new “COVID-normal” way of doing business and celebrate the industry’s top movers and shakers.

As the industry’s first in-person exhibition since 2019, excitement is even greater for this flagship event, with just under 100 Australian Packaging and Processing Machinery Association (APPMA) members having signed up to exhibit by February – a new record.

“This support from APPMA members for the Association’s premier event highlights its value,” APPMA chairman Mark Dingley said.

“On top of that, the actual space booked by Australian companies was right up near the previous record. After the two very tough years that businesses have experienced, this backing illustrates the benefits that business and brand owners find in AUSPACK.” Whether attendees are looking for processing, packaging or filling machinery, through to product identification solutions, packaging

materials, materials handling or ancillary components in food and beverage, frozen goods, pharmaceuticals and cosmetics, chemical and household items or FMCG, they’ll find it at AUSPACK 2022.

Celebrating industry excellence This year, the APPMA Awards of Excellence have been expanded from five categories to eight. To aid the awards’ inclusivity, both the new machinery awards have a section for SMEs, that being companies with up to $10 million in annual turnover, and corporates, being over $10 million.

According to Dingley, the main themes of the awards this year are recognition, celebration, inclusivity and education.

“It was exciting to bring back these awards at the last AUSPACK, and APPMA is even more excited for the expansion,” he said.

These themes also reflect what the AUSPACK exhibition will offer to delegates. With so many suppliers showcasing their most innovative products in one place, attendees will

44 Food&Beverage Industry News | May 2022 | www.foodmag.com.au

have a great opportunity to find the solutions that are most needed in their packaging and processing businesses.

For example, stretch-wrapper pioneer and expert in case and tray-handling equipment, Lantech Asia Pacific (Stand B045), is celebrating its 50th anniversary in 2022. Lantech will have its Lean technology on display at AUSPACK, including Load-Seeking Clamp, pallet grip, Metered Film Delivery and Load Guardian Technology.

The Load Guardian Technology is Lantech’s patented control system that creates, maintains and delivers the right containment force for safe-to-ship loads every time. It minimises operator interaction and eliminates the guess work for stretch wrapping any load configuration.

Another AUSPACK exhibitor is ProMessa, a supplier of fresh meat products to supermarkets in the Netherlands, who has achieved a 70 per cent reduction in plastics with an Omori Flow Wrapper.

The change benefits the environment, while the style of packaging also allows for extended

shelf-life plus the bonus of reduced transportation load, in terms of both the packaging material and the packaged end products. This means ProMessa has been able to reduce its overheads with transport movements, material costs, energy costs and running costs. Using Omori sealing technology, the flow packs are encased in a strong barrier protection film and allow for longer shelf life and reduced food wastage.

Meanwhile, Perfect Automation (Stand B070), will have sustainable, SMART technology on display, demonstrating its workable solutions in answering the call for environmental change in the packaging sector.

Leaders’ Forum Conference The sessions in the Leaders Forum have been designed to allow extra time for networking and to visit the various exhibitions, so delegates can attend the sessions of their choice and still circulate throughout the event.

Running from 18-19 May, the Forum will start at 7:30am each day with a breakfast and concludes on the first day with cocktails and networking.

EVENTS “This is such a timely session on finding and optimising opportunities for the processing, packaging and manufacturing industries, including creating a coalition with other manufacturers, in light of the Australian government’s $4 billion infrastructure stimulus package to help support the national economy after COVID-19.”

Lunch is supplied on both days during the 12:30pm session.

The AUSPACK Leaders’ Forum Conference has more than 25 speakers already confirmed with more lined up, who will present on topics such as: • from where business and the economy are at and what’s next; • sustainability and the circular economy; • future technology; • risk, resilience, rebalance and reward; • investment and collaboration; • adapting and diversifying for commercial success; • future supply chain; and • people, planet, profit.

Some of the speakers include Rose Herceg, president – Australia and New Zealand, WPP – who will open the event with the ten trends that businesses need to know for 2022 and beyond – and CSIRO’s Future Digital Manufacturing lead, Christian

Ruberg. Ruberg will deliver a keynote presentation on Industry 4.0, followed by a panel discussion on Industry 4.0, 5.0 and the future of technology.

“Rose is one of Australia’s leading social forecasters and futurists and the author of three books on business leadership and innovation,” Dingley said. “She is a powerhouse presenter, and this is a fantastic, high-level way to begin the AUSPACK 2022 Leaders Forum.”

An interesting panel discussion around how manufacturers can get a seat at the table as part of Australia’s infrastructure investment explosion will be led by Emma Greenhatch, CEO of the Agribusiness Food Network and director of the Turbine Sunshine Coast.

“Emma, the 2021 Outstanding Sunshine Coast Business Woman of the Year, is well known for being a translator of ideas into strategies and actions that deliver sustainable outcomes,” Dingley said.

“This is such a timely session on

Rose Herceg, president – Australia and New Zealand of WPP.

Register now

Leaders’ Forum Conference offers opportunities to gain knowledge from business leaders, and the interactive breaks will allow visitors to ‘get other things done’ out on the show floor to maximise their AUSPACK 2022 visit.”

He encourages those thinking about researching new solutions or potential agencies, engaging in some in-person networking or expanding their knowledge base to register now. F

Dingley said that APPMA are very proud of the line-up of both international and domestic speakers.

“The new-format AUSPACK 2022

AUSPACK 2022 will be held at the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre, 17-20 May 2022.

finding and optimising opportunities for the processing, packaging and manufacturing industries, including creating a coalition with other manufacturers, in light of the Australian government’s $4 billion infrastructure stimulus package to help support the national economy after COVID-19.”

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www.foodmag.com.au | May 2022 | Food&Beverage Industry News 45

WHAT’S ON AT AUSPACK

The importance of food grade gas to the industry is highlighted through Supagas’ work with key stakeholders.

Supagas MAP gases assist businesses with their food products to extend shelf life and freshness Gas at food-grade level for processing and packaging purposes in the food and beverage industry is important to preserve food quality and extend shelf life. Food & Beverage Industry News reports.

F

ood grade gas is important for the food processing and packaging industry. The gas used is to help keep food fresh for a longer period and assist food quality for manufacturers.

Supagas, as a business has worked in the Australian gas industry since 1968 and continues to work with a range of food and beverage businesses offering Specialty and Industrial gases. Supagas’ state-of-the-art facilities allows them to offer multiple gas types and gas products, as well as manage a specialised NATA Accredited laboratory to blend and test specialty gas mixtures.

George Elhlou, national specialty gases manager at Supagas, said the company is exhibiting at AUSPACK 2022, as the show will provide wide

ranging access to emerging technologies within the food industry with continued development as more businesses use Modified Atmosphere Packaging (MAP) gases for food production.

An important area of application is MAP, known at Supagas as the SupaMap product range available in cylinder, pack and bulk form. The gas mixture is selected to help improve the conditions and spoilage, individually for various products.

“Supagas’ extensive experience and knowledge in food gas applications and processing, including packaging is focused direct to the customer. Allowing the food packaging, original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) to focus on their scope of work. Whilst leaving the

46 Food&Beverage Industry News | May 2022 | www.foodmag.com.au

total MAP gas supply system solution in the hands of Supagas, where customer satisfaction and support is paramount,” George highlights.

“To investigate and liaise with food equipment packaging OEMs will allow us to help equipment manufacturers and their customers on the set up and installation of appropriate MAP gas cylinder and bulk supply modes. MAP tends to be a combination of carbon dioxide, nitrogen and oxygen mixtures, as each product will determine the mixture of gas required,” expresses Elhlou.

“Nitrogen and carbon dioxide are the dominant gases used. It’s about ensuring we do enough experimental work with the client to determine what is the most

efficient mixture for their product,” explains Elhlou.

For food packaging customers and equipment manufacturers, Supagas are here to help with gas supply and application of MAP gases. As gas specialists, Supagas’ knowledge of gases is to help manufacturers with the most appropriate gas mixture that will provide the greatest possible solution to meet the customers’ product requirements.

MAP gas machines will flush oxygen out of the packaging to inject the required gas (i.e. pure or mixture gas), prior to sealing. The objective is to ensure the product quality and shelf life, thereby providing manufacturers with the greatest opportunity for markets,

WHAT’S ON AT AUSPACK

domestic and further abroad.

“There are specific food packaging machines and there are different types and designs for different products,” said Elhlou. The most common machine for this is tray sealing, but it could vary and be in any form.

For customers’ who contact Supagas, it is not simply for expertise in the application of gas, it is also how Supagas can assist with a company to grow.

David Petroff, national industrial bulk manager at Supagas, said one of our critical roles is to work with customers to pick the best type of solution for them.

“If you can imagine, a customer has an idea of what they want but we can help them sharpen the focus of what will work best for them,” expresses Petroff.

“The concept of small, medium and large customers is very important to be able to pick an appropriately sized tank, for example, for packages they use to do gas flushing, tray sealing, MAP packaging, carbonation and so forth,” highlights Petroff.

“It is important that you size something that not only suits the clients’ budget, but also what they are trying to achieve. But you then might get to a point where cylinders are not efficient or appropriate for the required output and

that is where bulk systems come into the equation,” Petroff explains.

It is important to understand and be mindful of the customers efficiency level for the size of the business, that is one of the main reason’s customers come to Supagas, the level of knowledge, expertise and specialisation.

“As a consumer you want something that looks and is fresh,” Petroff said.

“When things like meat or potato chips, for example are being packaged and distributed domestically, it isn’t so critical. But if any company wants to export something then shelf life needs to be extended to six or even twelve months because it may not get on the shelf for three months.”

The development of technology and food production, Elhlou further highlights is the rapidly growing ready meals market, where further growth is expected in the coming years. The COVID-19 pandemic and advancements in packaging technology, has played a major role in the growth of the ready meals market, Petroff believes.

It is important to understand frozen meals have a longer shelf life compared to ready-to-eat meals which have a shorter shelf life. The use of MAP gas it to help assist in the preservation of food freshness and prevent perishability

Another area that Supagas continues to innovate is with Modified Atmosphere Packaging. without freezing, even if heating is required you will then have a fresh meal to consume.

The growth of the food and beverage processing and packaging industry is evident. The advancements of technology in the industry will assist the processing and packaging industry to extend the quality and shelf life of

products. The appropriate set up and installation of equipment accompanied by the correct MAP gas solution for packaging is important to provide positive outcomes and results. F To find out more about Specialty and Industrial Bulk Gases contact Supagas on 13 78 72 or visit supagas.com.au.

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www.foodmag.com.au | May 2022 | Food&Beverage Industry News 47

Food & Beverage Industry News is distributed nationally to more than 5000 subscribers, while the website has more than 40,000 unique views every month. It is the food and beverage industry’s one-stop-shop when it comes to the latest products, services and technologies in this space.

Visit our website and subscribe to get your print and digital editions in additon to our free daily newsletters today!

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Ready meals market growth exceeds expectation PLUS: AUSPACK Feature | Digital Transformation | Packaging

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FLOORING

Repurposing a key facility area requires expert advice Every year producers could find themselves needing to completely repurpose an area of their facility due to new supply contracts, among other changes, and finding the right support is a critical factor. Food & Beverage Industry News reports.

“I

f it’s worth doing, it’s worth doing well.” This is a statement that Allied Finishes subscribes to and uses as a company motto and as experts in flooring solutions for the food and beverage industry, it is a good position to take.

Over the course of the last decade Allied Finishes has built a reputation for providing durable and safe solutions which are always complaint with food safety standards while also being delivered as fast as possible.

Among the suite of Allied Finishes’ capabilities are construction projects, with a specific focus on internal construction. Fit out projects, which is backed by extensive experience in cool room fit outs. And repurposing areas within the facility, such as turning cool rooms into productions areas.

Over the course of the last decade Allied Finishes has worked with a string of food and beverage manufacturers and producers from a large variety of sectors, including meat processing, commercial bakeries, snack food, and fruit and vegetable facilities.

This extensive work has allowed Allied Finishes the opportunity to see what works across the entire sector and evolves alongside food safety standards, which is especially important with a renewed focus on the reduction of food waste in Australia.

The rest of this article will focus on Allied Finishes repurposing capabilities and how food and beverage manufacturers and producers can benefit from them.

Internal construction and repurposing in food manufacturing facilities Internal construction in the food and beverage manufacturing industry is huge and hugely important.

Every year, new supply contracts are won with distributors, meaning a new production line must go in, or a change in existing production lines to cater for

the new contract. This requirement is always a large-scale undertaking for the producer and manufacturers and the right solutions from the right experts can make a big difference.

Cool rooms are turned into production areas, warehouses into cool rooms, or production areas into storage areas/warehouses. There’s a lot that goes on that no one would see. And while these projects are internal, there’s a lot to be considered before signing the purchase orders and kicking off the project.

Below are some of the key pieces of advice Allied Finishes feels customers should be aware of when undertaking a repurposing project.

When repurposing, customers need to be aware of drainage, fall correction, and access to other areas.

First things first – Drainage When using part of a cool room, storeroom, or even another production room, it can be easy to overlook the drainage design in the room.

Most areas will have their own drainage points, or strip drains, so a new drainage design is often not considered.

And yet rarely will the new production line fit the mould for your existing drainage.

Overlooking this will mean water will pool in various areas, washdowns will be difficult, and the area may be unnecessarily slippery and dangerous. In addition to this, not all areas throughout your facility will have forklift-rated drainage. Production areas typically require this, so ensuring this has been catered for is essential.

So, ensure the drainage is designed specifically to cater for the new room requirements. Allied Finishes’ consultants are more than happy to discuss this with you and develop a new design.

Fall correction Alongside drainage design planning, goes fall correction. Look at your existing areas, and where the water falls to the drains. It is essential to review this

Allied Finishes is focused on repurposing for food and beverage manufacturers and producers. and consider any changes that may need to be made prior to having a new floor installed.

Access to other areas When an area is being repurposed, typically multiple walls are knocked out and new ones installed. While it may seem obvious, entry points to the area must be considered, ensuring a pre-production clean room is accessed first before workers enter the room.

In addition, entrances to other areas,

as well as main exits must be thoroughly thought out, to ensure factory efficiency and safety of staff.

There’s a lot behind a repurposing project. From the design, to demolition, reconstruction, and finally the new machinery being installed, the whole project can be quite a mission.

But getting in touch with experts that work on the design of these facilities on a daily basis is only a phone call away with Allied Finishes providing round the clock support to customers. F

www.foodmag.com.au | May 2022 | Food&Beverage Industry News 49

PACKAGING

Signed, sealed and delivered: Bonfiglioli gets the stamp of approval The importance of gearmotors to the food and beverage industry is highlighted by Bonfiglioli’s work with manufacturers and key stakeholders. Food & Beverage Industry News reports.

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he food, beverage and packaging sectors are vital to the performance of Australia’s economy, and gearmotor manufacturers are paying close attention to meet their needs.

Danie de Vries, sales manager for Bonfiglioli Victoria says that customers in these sectors prioritise 1) good quality products 2) competitive pricing and 3) customisation above all else.

“Customers cannot afford to have countless breakdowns and maintenance issues on a plant. These hamper productivity, output and ultimately profits in a very competitive sector,” he said.

Bonfiglioli can be found on applications such as conveyors, wrappers, cartoners, palletisers, shrink wrappers and general materials handling of all sizes.

Speaking to its industry alignment, Danie says that customers benefit from its range of best sellers such as precision planetaries, helical bevel units, worm style gearboxes and servo motors.

“Many companies supply gearboxes, but our key differentiator is that we stock sub-assemblies.

Customers benefit from a shorter lead time to assemble gear units locally with factory precision quality on the subassemblies”

Danie de Vries, sales manager for Bonfiglioli Victoria.

Product selection

“In addition, our C5 paint spec prevents corrosion and offers a safe washdown for clean environments. Food grade oil is also an optional extra offered

by Bonfiglioli,” he said.

When it comes to selection of the right gearbox, Bonfiglioli roll up their sleeves and get involved.

50 Food&Beverage Industry News | May 2022 | www.foodmag.com.au

Locally, Danie notes that helical bevel units and worm style gearboxes prove popular thanks to their versality and competitive pricing.

Short lead times and maintenance “Many companies supply gearboxes, but our key differentiator is that we stock sub-assemblies. Customers benefit from a shorter lead time to assemble gear units locally with factory precision quality on the sub-assemblies” says Danie.

When it comes to maintenance, the W series of worm style gearboxes from Bonfiglioli are filled for life and sealed which means that they never require an oil change. “This proves to be cost effective and efficient in the long run.”

The helical bevel unit, on the other hand, requires routine maintenance which also extends its service life.

“Conducting regular oil change intervals and inspections and checking the ingress of water and corrosion goes a long way” he advises.

When it comes to selection of the right gearbox, Bonfiglioli roll up their sleeves and get involved. “Just as a customer trusts the OEM (Original Equipment Manufacturer) to select the right design and deliver a product that meets their need, we see it as our responsibility to help the OEM’s select the right gearbox,” said Danie.

“OEM’s will contact Bonfiglioli in the design phase with their requirements in terms of specs and outputs and we, in close co-operation with the OEM, will calculate and size the gearbox requirement to make sure that the customer gets what they need.”

This means the selection of the right product, size, torque rating and extras required to suit the customers application.

Product highlights Danie highlights the coaxial gearbox and decentralised inverters as two recent product launches for the industry.

“The coxial gearbox – EVOX CP – is a helical in-line product designed with a smooth surface for easy cleaning.

It comprises of top-quality components and offers unlimited mounting positions to market standards,” he said.

“The decentralised inverter comes

PACKAGING

Fresh, fast, simple.

This is Customers are prioritising good quality, competitive pricing and customisation.

DGM and offering this with the EVOX CP completes the package. Its available in sizes 0.55kW to 30kW. We believe that this combination will be greatly welcomed by OEMs as a simple solution to conveying.”

About Bonfiglioli Bonfiglioli is a worldwide designer, manufacturer, and distributor of a complete range of gearmotors, drive systems, planetary gearboxes, and inverters, which satisfy the most challenging and demanding needs in industrial automation, mobile machinery, and renewable energy.

The Group serves more industries and applications than any other drive

manufacturer and is a market leader in many sectors; its three business units - Discrete Manufacturing & Process Industries, Mechatronic & Motion Systems and Mobility & Wind Industries - embody all the expertise and experience acquired over the years in the respective industries.

Established in 1956, Bonfiglioli operates worldwide with 21 branches, 14 production facilities, a network of 550 distributors and about 3.770 employees. Excellence, innovation, and sustainability are the drivers behind its growth as a company and team, representing the guarantee of the product and service quality the company offers its clients. F

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Bonfiglioli specialises in gearmotors, drive systems, planetary gearboxes, and inverters for the industry.

www.foodmag.com.au | May 2022 | Food&Beverage Industry News 51

WEIGHING EQUIPMENT The food grade, stainless steel weigh belt feeder can be tailored to clients’ individual needs.

Weighing the benefits of feeder tech Food & Beverage Industry News speaks with Barry Gamble, business development manager at Tecweigh, about their range of products that are specifically tailored to the food industry.

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esigning and manufacturing in-motion weighing and metering products in Australia, Tecweigh’s bespoke solutions are used in bulk handling applications for dry materials within the food industry, among multiple others.

With more than 20 Years manufacturing experience, Tecweigh, located in Carrum Downs in Victoria and provides quality weighing equipment for the Brisbane, Sydney, Melbourne and Perth areas.

There are several products that sets Tecweigh apart from their competitors – these include their food grade, stainless steel weigh belt feeder and volumetric auger feeder.

Built for accuracy, dependability and food grade hygiene, the weigh belt feeders offer great performance and easy calibration. Meanwhile, the volumetric feeder harnesses a simple design and has an internal agitation system that promotes product flow.

Weigh Belt Feeder Tecweigh’s business development manager, Barry Gamble, explains how the weigh belt feeder works for the food industry.

“For the weigh belt feeder, the product arrives on a non-weighing section of the belt then travels over the weighing section and then over a second non weighing section before leaving the belt “he said.

“It’s about mixing the raw product, recipe mixing, or batching. It works on many products and ensures each product is given the correct ingredients in the right proportions.”

There are certain elements that can be custom made to cater to the clients’ needs, such as the belt width, belt speed and the height and depth of the material bed.

“We custom engineer the product using the customer’s parameters of product bed depth, belt width, and belt speed to optimise and meet the flow

52 Food&Beverage Industry News | May 2022 | www.foodmag.com.au

required in either kilograms or tonnes per hour,” Gamble said. “It could have an Ethernet IP output to go into a PLC that can monitor the scale parameters in real time.”

We use parameters around depth, belt width, and speed to achieve the optimum throughput.”

High accuracy

Another feature of the Tecweigh weigh belt feeder is it minimises the amount of material build-up. On its continuous loop belt in the production line, once divested of its material the belt travels underneath where an ultrahigh molecular weight polyethylene (UHMWPE) belt scraper cleans it as it moves.

“The inlet and outlet chutes can be custom-made to fit the needs of the end user’s process,” Gamble said. “Sometimes a tank or hopper is installed above, the head of product sits there and as the belt moves along and drags the product out at the speed that’s required. After weighing the product is dispensed off the end of the belt through a flanged discharge chute”

The accuracy of the weigh belt feeder is +-0.5 per cent for a single idler weighing system, or +-0.25 per cent for a dual idler. Another factor Tecweigh has considered in their designs is how to contain the material on the belt for different applications.

“Another important factor is containment of material on the belt which can be by a wave edge belt, or if they want a larger bed depth, they can use stainless steel side rails,” Gamble said.

“We are talking to a customer who produce salads and because it is a much a lighter product than say potato, the product bed depth bed needs to be higher to achieve the same throughput.

Maximum accessibility, minimal build-up

WEIGHING EQUIPMENT

The weigh belt feeders also include built-in calibration weights.

“Firstly, you zero a clean belt–any small deviations in the weight of the belt are absorbed in the zero tracking function of the WP20 Weight Processor,” he said. “A calibration cycle is initiated and the WP20 process guides you through adding the weights and advises you when to take them off. Then the process is complete.”

Volumetric Auger Feeder While the weigh belt feeder can be used for any product, the volumetric auger feeder from Tecweigh is intended for more precise dosing of flowable or granular products, in smaller additions.

Gamble says the augers are available in sizes from 12mm to 152mm in diameter, and there are various feederr sizes capable of dispensing between one and 20,000 litres per hour.

“It’s a screw auger, where its speed and diameter will determine how many litres per hour it can move, as opposed to kilograms per hour,” he said. “It’s all about how dense the product is. It’s

suited for a more accurate dosing of powders and granular products into food; the biggest application is salt, spices, and seasonings in the snack food industry.”

Toolless disassembly The volumetric auger and Feedtube assembly is easy to remove, using a single lever operation. If an operator tries to remove the Auger and Feedtube during Operation a safety sensor fitted to the mounting shuts down the drive motor

Prevents bridging Many feeders on the market have solid metal sides with the auger turning around at the bottom. This can lead to the product caking up and becoming stuck, which is known as bridging.

“In response to this, we have a poly flex hopper with massaging paddles, and they help the flex hopper stop bridging,” Gamble said. “The flowability of the product is key” “The options are single drive, where one motor will drive the auger and the massaging paddles together. For difficult

products, a dual drive option with 2 motors is available, in this case the auger and the massaging paddles are driven independently.

“For more accurate control, you would mount the feeder onto four load cells, so you can measure kilograms per hour instead of litres per hour,” Gamble said. “Then using the feedback from the load cells to a PLC, you can adjust the speed of the paddles and auger independently to achieve the optimum dosing – this is called loss in weight.”

This means that the food producer can determine how much product is being dispensed and if the speed of the paddle or auger needs to be altered.

A level Sensors can be installed in the inlet hopper to identify when to refill.

“When refilling the inlet hopper, the weight signal from the load cells is ignored by the PLC and the last remembered speeds of the Auger and paddles are maintained during the refilling process. A second level sensor can be incorporated near the lid of the hopper to restart the feeding process when the hopper is full.” F

The belt transfers the product to the end of the line and falls off the end.

www.foodmag.com.au | May 2022 | Food&Beverage Industry News 53

PRODUCT WEIGHING

Bringing flexible multi-head weighing to Australia As an agent for Bilwinco, Select Equip has seen first-hand the response to the company’s multi-head weighing technology. Food & Beverage Industry News reports.

Bilwinco has built a reputation for its ability to design custom solutions to meet the specific needs of clients.

A

s a respected worldwide company, Bilwinco prides itself on the ability to design multi-head weighing solutions that meet Australia’s specific needs by combining existing technologies and machines in new and innovative ways.

Bilwinco has built a reputation for its ability to design custom solutions to meet the specific needs of clients by combining existing, and proven, technologies and machines with innovative processes.

By completely rethinking the way they handle customers products, from the product infeed over the centre cone and into the individual weigher heads, they have accomplished nothing less than a performance leap in this crucial area.

The vibrator technology can be set to move almost any product carefully and efficiently, including difficult products such as wet, sticky/greasy and fragile products.

With less giveaway – direct weighing ensures 20 to 30 per cent less giveaway compared to traditional weighers and with higher constant throughput and superb vibration technology, it has allowed Bilwinco to keep productivity high and the ability to handle product no-one else can.

High speed and high accuracy start

with the ability to transport the product perfectly.

Bilwinco’s machines start out with basic default settings, but within few seconds the control has optimised the speed and performance automatically, which makes the job for the operator easy and the production managers happy.

It is a skill Bilwinco has been known for since 1955. Every machine leaving the factory has gone through a custom and product dependent routine, securing ideal amplitude and frequency for the specific product and project requirements.

“With our partnership with Bilwinco, the number one priority is making life easier for our customers,” said Select Equip’s sales director James White.

“From Bilwinco’s design, pre-test and engineering and Select Equip’s installation, commissioning, and service, it’s a partnership that our customers benefit from and with the lowest cost of ownership on the market, it makes Bilwinco a standout in the Australian market” Bilwinco provides semi or fully automatic units and complete solutions covering feeding, multihead weighing, filling, portioning, positioning, and packaging, traceability, data

54 Food&Beverage Industry News | April 2022 | www.foodmag.com.au

management and local quality service and support through Select Equip.

For example, the multihead weighing programme can cover portion sizes from 10 grams to 25 kilograms, along with weighing capacities of up to 300 portions per minute.

Knowing that weighing needs to be flexible, because of the differences in products, Bilwinco has divided its weighers into two groups, one for wet groups and one for dry. This move is designed to enhance performance in a cost-effective way.

In terms of packaging technology, Bilwinco offers complete, and custom built, solutions designed to make a business more profitable and efficient.

The weighing lines are combined with the packaging solution of choice, which is up to the customer, with an expert team that understands the packaging solutions and how they interact with our state-of-the-art multihead weigher.

Bilwinco stands for practical and

profitable solutions, solutions designed to work in your production 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.

The expert team’s know-how covers practically all types of food products which means Bilwinco know what it takes, whether your product is fresh, frozen, wet, or dry, fragile, or extremely sticky.

“Everything is geared towards increasing productivity, decreasing maintenance costs and promoting overall profit,” said White.

Select Equip is a highly regarded packaging equipment partner that helps its clients grow through expert knowledge of the industry, with a flexible range of packaging solutions, such as those from Bilwinco, on offer to the Australian market.

Select Equip are experts in a wide range of packaging solutions for fresh produce, dairy, ready meals, baker, and meat, poultry, and seafood, all backed by a company mandate to get ahead of market trends. F

Bilwinco has divided its weighers into two groups, one for wet groups and one for dry.

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FOOD PROCESSING

Food processor saves thousands through conveyor carry back When a lamb processing facility in New Zealand experienced severe carry back on a conveyor in its processing room, Flexco arrived with the perfect solution. Food & Beverage Industry News reports.

Until working with Flexco, the company had limited options for machinery.

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hen a lamb processing facility’s conveyor was seeing over 20kg of carry back per day, which meant a huge amount of product waste and a hit to the bottom line of the company, stakeholders had to act.

There were eight conveyors in the lamb cut room, two modular and six white nitrile plied belts. The two modular belts experienced the most carry back and presented challenges for the site. These two belts were in the cold-boning lamb processing facility, which operated two, eight-hour shifts per day.

The meat processing company originally had a cleaner which consisted of segmented blades mounted onto a head pole. This cleaner was then mounted onto the head pulley with the blades tensioned via a counterweight system.

“Back when we first introduced the product in 2016, they visited our Foodtech Packtech tradeshow stand

in Auckland, New Zealand, where he mentioned he was having these problems at his facility and we were able to offer a solution straight away and what’s interesting is this food grade cleaner, and consequently, our secondary food cleaner is the first of its kind to launch in the market,” said Ellaina Mackay, product and marketing manager at Flexco.

“Prior to Flexco researching and developing this product there was nothing in the market to clean a light duty belt so people were using homemade solutions because that was all that was on offer.”

Peter Mueller, the senior supervisor in the lamb cutting room of the processor, said until working with Flexco the company had limited options when it came to machinery choices.

“The meat processing company originally had a cleaner which consisted of segmented blades mounted onto a head pole. This cleaner was then mounted onto

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the head pulley with the blades tensioned via a counterweight system. “ The cleaner was of poor design, but that was all the market had to offer at the time.

“Meat would accumulate between the cleaner tips and the belt’s surface, and the build-up would cause such tension between the cleaner and the belt that the force of tension would eventually cause the cleaner to flip over. Often, this problem occurred during a shift where the counterweight system was tied firmly in place.”

The counterweight system did not work well in the application, with the blades needing to be cleaned every 15-20 minutes, causing production to stop three or four times per hour.

The main reason for excess stoppage in production was the counterweight system, which was extremely difficult to tension, explains Mueller.

The excessive amount of carry back also meant that whole cuts of meat would bypass the cleaner, travelling onto the return side of the belt and drop to the floor, making it unfit for human consumption. The company was losing hundreds of dollars per week in lamb that was being dropped onto the floor because it couldn’t be sold and contribute to the profit of the company.

“The first problem they were having was losing a lot of stock and a lot of money and wasting a lot of food and it creates issues with cleanliness,” said Mackay.

“A second issue is the conveyor issues; it causes belt rips because you’ve got this hard piece of plastic up against the belt.

“Our system has a built-in tensioner, which means the blade can move and allow larger things to pass through easily if there are any big bits of material, other than that it stays flat on the belt and moves food onto the next conveyor belt

FOOD PROCESSING

All of Flexco’s food grade cleaners are FDA approved and USDA certified. where it needs to be.”

Flexco approaches every job with flexibility in mind, to best meet its customer’s needs.

A key part of the company’s sales process is the auditing of a customer’s facility where a team of experts with decades of experience assess the systems in place.

“We go out free of charge and look around their factory and then come up with some offers of improvement and they may or may not be our products. Our salespeople are experts and have been in

the industry for decades, so we are happy offer a helping hand,” said Mackay.

From there, Flexco will put forward a comprehensive brief on which solution it feels it’s the best one for the customer.

In many cases Flexco also allows customers, and potential customers, trial the solutions in site to get a first-hand idea of what the solution will provide, so confident is Flexco in its innovations and solutions.

“We have found in the past customers are generally happy after they trial one of our products, as happened with this lamb

processing facility in New Zealand,” said Mackay.

It’s more so the quality of our products and the innovation we provide. We are known in light and heavy-duty sectors for the quality and longevity of our products and the amount of support we give, like free training, being on site for installation, we offer a lot of support.”

This was the process the lamb processing facility went through before finally settling on the Flexco stainless steel FGP cleaner, which features an FDA approved, and USDA certified metal detectable blade.

After installing the cleaner, the company saw an almost complete and immediate reduction in carry back, with 20kg worth of product being saved per day, just on the one conveyor.

The cleaner was installed in 2016 and two years later, the results still stand.

By reducing carry back, the company salvaged “up to 20kg per day, depending on cuts and room speed,” said Mueller.

The company was able to add to their stock levels, instead of constantly throwing spoilt meat in the bin. This meant added profitability for the company. By installing the new cleaner, Flexco also eliminated the need for the cleaning system to be constantly cleaned and maintained.

“As long as the tension is set correctly, they do not need clearing all day,” said Mueller Another major advantage to Flexco’s offering is all its food grade cleaners are FDA approved and USDA certified due to the ability to mitigate the risk of cross contamination on the conveyor.

This allows production to be constant throughout eight hour shifts without interruption.

By eliminating the need for constant maintenance, the company saved labour charges of over $2,500 NZD per year for the lamb processor.

Apart from monetary savings in wages for the excess labour required, the company also gained time and increased productivity as staff were now free to perform other productivity-boosting tasks instead of constantly reacting to the same problem.

Flexco’s FGP Cleaner was able to increase productivity by reducing the number of labour-intensive hours spent cleaning and maintaining tension on the previous, ineffective cleaner.

Flexco was able to save the company a considerable amount of money which added to the profitability of the company and was used toward the purchase of additional resources to improve output. F

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www.foodmag.com.au | May 2022 | Food&Beverage Industry News 57

FOOD PROCESSING

How to keep up with rapidly changing consumer habits Consumer needs and wants are constantly changing and successful producers must find the right food processing equipment to increase output and quality. Food & Beverage Industry News discovered.

The primary meat industry is an example of how Marel creates value via by-products and off-cuts.

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arel, global experts in food processing, is constantly adapting to the needs of its customers and helping grow markets on the back of innovative products which add value to otherwise wasted material.

A key focus for Marel has always been centred on sustainability and value adding for clients.

“For example, every new machine we develop is required to meet sustainability benchmarks,” said David Bertelsen, regional managing director Asia and Oceania at Marel.

“We measure those and if it doesn’t tick the right boxes than we don’t allow the development to continue, so it is built into the machines from the very start.”

Bertelsen used cod, the first food product Marel took on after its creation in Iceland in the 1970s, as an example of how the company creates more value for its clients.

“When we started, we were getting just over half of each piece of fish was

being turned into valuable sold products and today in Iceland as much as 99 to 100 per cent of the fish is used in different formats and that is due to capturing more in the yield and using the by-products,” he said.

“Sustainability is central to our mission.”

Bertelsen said an important part of the above process was having an in-line processing system that looks after main products and quickly refrigerates valuable by-products.

Meanwhile, Greg Bulluss, regional sales director, retail and food service solutions at Marel, said the company was always innovating new versions of its machinery, and machine pieces, to constantly create greater innovation for customers.

The RevoPortioner 1000 is a good example of this, Bulluss said.

“Most of our large 1000mm lines have two RevoPortioner’s at the moment, typically TPR 500s and 570s,” he said.

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“We can replace two machines with the RevoPortioner 1000, and this doesn’t use the same amount of power.

There are savings just by going to the larger machine, including less energy and less services from factory point of view, and less materials for us.”

Bulluss said that Marel doesn’t aim to reduce the workforce in place of automation, but the use of Marel’s machinery has proven to reduce the cost of labour in factories.

“Not that we want to cut labour from factories but as many in the industry are aware, labour is hard to come by,” he said.

“It still takes one operator per machine but with one larger machine there is the labour saving and the other area we are really focused on now is the renewal campaign on our machines.

“Where machines come to end of life or service where we can actively trade those machines in, retrieve some of the components, if they are applicable, and then get the customer to upgrade to

more modern technologies which create further savings.”

Bulluss said the primary driver behind Marel’s innovation always hinges on using modern technology for a lesser cost.

The primary meat industry is a perfect example of how Marel helps create value through by-products and off-cuts.

“It’s about taking off cuts and using them to value add, that is where we see our involvement. There is always a way to take secondary or off-cut products and value add through use of our equipment,” he said.

“Without technology we can increase yields, for example more meat will stay on the fillet to begin with, and then the off cuts can be formed for other products whether be salmon nuggets, potato scallops, and those sorts of things.

Marel is also increasing its focus on customers supplying into retail and food service, which is becoming a more important market for the company. It

FOOD PROCESSING

has also set up a structure to explore new markets and segments that will drive the growth and evolution of Marel.

Marel already has a proven track record for helping client’s increase the capacity and quality of their production and ensure growth.

Increasing capacity and quality OSI Food Solutions Germany turned to Marel for help when it needed to increase its production of chicken nuggets and experts from Marel quickly identified the RevoPortioner 1000 as the low-pressure forming machine that would be capable of completing the task.

The company produces 35,000 tons of chicken products per year. A RevoPortioner has been helping them do this since 2007.

“We decided to install the RevoPortioner 1000 because there are very few forming machines on the market that can meet our production requirements,” said Juergen Wehner, plant manager, OSI Food Solutions Germany.”

The RevoPortioner 1000 has the proven technology of previous generations, including the innovative Helix Drum. The drum molds run in a diagonal line instead of a straight line, which requires less pressure for food forming and increases product consistency.

“With the Helix Drum, only the mold that’s directly under the filling slot must be filled, which reduces the pressure on a product.

“The new set-up brings many advantages.”

Plus, an essential factor for switching to the RevoPortioner 1000 was the lower space requirement.

“Before, we needed two filling machines, two X-ray devices and two forming machines. Now, we can save a lot of space by having only one of each machine,” Wehner continued.

The set up was simplified and energy consumption was also reduced, contributing to a more efficient and sustainable production.

“Using one forming machine instead of two gives a significant reduction in energy use,” said Wehner.

“This is particularly noticeable in the need for less compressed air, one of the most expensive energy types. So, the less you need for forming, the better.”

Convenience food processors have experienced significant benefits from the low-pressure food forming solutions that Marel has been continuously developing for more than 25 years.

Securing future growth When Netherlands based Tyson Foods Europe decided to add chicken strips to its product range it had to upgrade its facility with a new cutting line that maximised yield and quality.

One of the company’s biggest challenges was ensuring it met strict quality standards for a manual cutting line.

“From the start of this project, we knew how difficult it would be to replicate this manual cut,” said Federico Carro Lazarini, senior manager technical development, Tyson Foods Europe.

OSI Food Solutions Germany turned to Marel to increase its production of chicken nuggets.

Using Marel’s machinery also reduces the cost of labour in factories.

“That’s why we wanted to work with a company that really knows the process and could advise us on how best to build up this line.”

Meanwhile Geovani da Silva, senior manager in the engineering and maintenance department, said Marel gave the company the insight it needed to maximise the use of raw material and how to achieve the best possible yields.

“Marel understands the process and knows the possibilities. From the start, we had a firm belief that Marel could live up to our high expectations,” he said.

After consultation between both companies, Marel finally recommended three pieces of machinery for the new strip-cut line, the SensorX, a SmartSplitter, and an I-Cut 122.

The SensorX employs X-Ray technology to detect bones and other hard contaminants, while the SmartSplitter produces uniform thickness, high throughput and leaves a small footprint. Meanwhile, the I-Cut 122 provides intelligent cutting to ensure there is minimal give away and a fixed-eight for each cut.

“Marel worked with us to optimise the line. It is unbelievable how much we’ve improved our process, quality and yield,” said Lazarini. F

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RADAR SENSORS

The 6X: A simple radar formula that makes processes better How do you optimise a level sensor that already has the best focusing, highest accuracy, simplicity of operation, and universal communication? What sounds like an obvious question led VEGA to create a new radar sensor for the market. Food & Beverage Industry News reports.

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hen using the new VEGAPULS 6X, it’s not just the sensor that counts, but what can be achieved with it in the application, which according to Vega, is better processing.

Traditionally, the search for a suitable radar sensor begins with one question, which frequency would work best for this particular application? As well as thoughts about the properties of the media and the impact it would have on measurement as well as the specific installation environment.

Furthermore, the temperature range or the presence of aggressive chemicals may give cause for concern. Will a standard process fitting be sufficient, or would special materials that meet the highest requirements be the right choice, if only because the user is not completely sure and wants to be on the safe side?

And what else should be considered if the sensor is to measure great distances or be exposed to wind and weather all year round?

These and countless other questions make one thing clear: with such a wide choice, you also have to select the right one.

Customers must choose from the large variety of radar sensors that are currently on offer.

The buyer needs a good understanding of what the market is offering Because the areas of application are becoming more multi-faceted and the processes more complex.

Having the right knowledge is a great way to mitigate the risks of making the wrong decision and ending up with a costly, and incorrect, investment, and instead, having the right measuring system.

One for everything Choosing an instrument used to be a tricky and time-consuming task and often involved a lot of questions and product research.

Four-stage, all-round protection

The new VEGAPULS 6X can help to achieve better processing.

VEGA is now turning this process inside out with its new VEGAPULS 6X. “Ultimately, it’s not the sensor that counts, but what the users can achieve with it in their individual applications,” said Florian Burgert, one of the product managers who has been closely involved in the development from the very beginning.

“Just knowing that they’ve chosen the best possible instrument solution, and that they’ll reach their goal faster with it, makes a big difference in their everyday operations.”

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Selecting the right frequency or determining the DK value of the medium are no longer obstacles, because choosing the right sensor specifications has become easier. The new configurator asks for the type of application and then quickly determines which sensor version is required.

The entire procedure now consists of just a few mouse clicks. The result is a simplicity for users and a measurement solution that delivers perfect results independently of the media properties, process conditions, vessel shapes and internal installations.

VEGAPULS 6X also offers some new technical innovations such as being equipped with a comprehensive safety concept. Which means functional safety is guaranteed, as it conforms with all the requirements of Safety Integrity Level.

The certified sensor has SIL characteristics and provides the necessary operational safety to minimise risks in safety-related applications.

Another increasingly important focus is “cybersecurity”. In this regard the VEGAPULS 6X conforms to IEC 61511, which fulfils the strictest requirements for security of system access and communication control, creating extensive process security, right through to the control system.

An important third aspect of its extensive safety features is its selfdiagnosis system. It continuously monitors the function of the sensor and recognises if it has been impaired in any way, thus contributing significantly to higher plant availability and sensor performance.

Central to these important features is a new, second generation radar chip directly from VEGA. Because there was no chip available on the market that would have met all requirements, the research and development team set to work to design one themselves, from scratch.

“The result pretty much consolidates our entire radar experience from three decades”, said VEGA product manager Jürgen Skowaisa, praising this achievement.

“In its scope and functionality, the chip is unique in the whole world.

It is especially characterised by its low energy consumption, high sensitivity, scalable architecture, and universal applicability. The radar antenna system and the chip are connected directly to each other, without any cable, for maximum performance.”

RADAR SENSORS

requiring now just a few clicks and the input of basic data.

“Our customers can even order a sensor that has been factory calibrated, customer-specific down to the last detail, that only has to be installed and connected. It doesn’t get any easier than that,” he added.

Radar made for people

The new configurator asks for the type of application and then determines which sensor version is required.

New in a different way: Innovation of values This new approach gave rise to the impulses that make VEGAPULS 6X different. By carefully considering the users and the process conditions of their applications, other points came into focus. These include the challenges in using measuring instruments, such as complicated adjustment procedures, the constant pressure to increase efficiency,

and time constraints in general.

Focusing on the application The actual task of level sensors is to help users and make it easier for them to monitor their industrial processes.

They often make processes more controllable and efficient, but even if they are basically easy to use, the process of selecting the right one for an application can still be difficult.

Skowaisa sums up in two words the strategy VEGA is pursuing with VEGAPULS 6X: ‘Maximum simplification’.

“Until now, there were many different sensors that could be used for an application, but today, with VEGAPULS 6X, there is one sensor for all applications,” said Skowaisa.

Even setup and commissioning, he says, has been reduced to a minimum,

With VEGAPULS 6X, VEGA has rounded out its radar measurement technology with four important innovations.

More safety and self-diagnosis, new radar chip technology, new application possibilities and simpler adjustment.

“Furthermore, our technology has reached such a high level today that reliable function is no longer the issue.

The only risk now is choosing the wrong sensor,” said Skowaisa.

Thanks to the new approach with VEGAPULS 6X, VEGA now provides the tools to get right sensor version for the application in 99 per cent of all cases, while keeping experienced application engineers on standby to help with the special, more difficult applications.

“The user will no longer have to worry about the technology, frequency or instrument version, the measurement will simply work,” said Skowaisa. F

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PACKAGING

Meet one of the world’s fastest snack bagmakers A new snack bagmaker that achieves highest possible speeds in the packaging room is helping Australian snack food processors pack their products quickly and carefully. Food & Beverage Industry News reports.

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he Inspira Snack Bagmaker is the next generation of snack packaging technology from industrial technology innovators — Ishida.

Their new Vertical Form Fill Sealing (VFFS) machine provides a whole new level of automation and efficiency — for processers of snacks — by consistently producing quality bags and dramatically increasing production.

Ishida’s previous VFFS solution (Atlas Series) became the industry benchmark for high-speed operation thanks to a versatile twin-jaw system and innovative continuous back seal system which facilitated previously unattainable processing speeds of up to 250 bags per minute.

A unique bag stripping and product settling system saw Atlas deliver unmatched seal integrity and performance in packaging rooms around the world.

Atlas is well acknowledged by industry for its reliable performance, efficient sealing, reduced raw material waste and film loss, and quick film and size changes.

Despite achieving market success with Atlas — Ishida invested heavily in research and development — and customer feedback has played a major role in the development of their new Inspira range.

A new evolution of VFFS technology The Inspira range has answered industry’s call for greater efficiency and more automation in the packaging room. A new evolution of VFFS technology, this equipment provides the highest levels of efficiency and seal quality currently available; and better communications between weigher-bagmaker-other packaging room equipment.

Inspira has a host of new features including improved film change-over times and reduced film waste when changing over to a new roll.

“A new auto splicer feature keeps

Inspira provides consistent forming and sealing performance of up to 200 bags per minute.

production running — by automatically joining the end of the expiring web roll to the leading edge of the new roll — removing the need for operator involvement,” a Heat and Control spokesperson said.

Auto tracking enables the new roll to track correctly, and registration mark recognition splices the two rolls together to minimise film waste during change over.

“The new auto splicer feature reduces splicing time — by 85 per cent — and delivers a dramatic increase in production,” said the spokesperson.

An accumulator (festoon) holding material storage keeps production running while the splice takes place.

When the splice cycle is complete, the accumulator is re-filled, and the expired roll can be changed while the new roll is running.

A new splice table light-bar provides easier and faster film splicing, simpler film-feed with fewer rollers, and error-free forming tube insertion and removal.

A film pattern alignment function and a film positioning mechanism to facilitate automatic adjustment in the machine removes wait time when the film ends.

Film splicing now takes only 20 seconds and this delivers a significant

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reduction in downtime for snack food processors. In addition, this feature also prevents human error and reduces film loss.

For snacks processors considering an upgrade to existing equipment — the increased productivity and automation gained with Inspira — will provide a rapid return on investment.

A single source solution In Australia, Ishida is represented exclusively by Heat and Control.

Their solutions serve multiple snack food processors, including some of

Australia’s best-known brands.

Heat and Control are a worldleader in providing snacks solutions for complete processing lines and Ishida are global manufacturers of snacks weighing, packaging and quality control solutions.

“Through a global alliance, the two companies acknowledge today’s environment of increased machine automation and system integration,” the spokesperson said.

Both companies have a long history of supplying bagmaking and packaging systems — exclusively to the snack industry — and their alliance serves as a response to customer demand for a one-stop solution.

With a combined industry experience of over 200 years, their alliance benefits the Australian packaging and processing industry through its ability to respond quickly to the constantly changing requirements of the food industry.

Design innovations show industry leadership Ishida’s bagmakers are long recognised by snack food processors as the industry benchmark in packaging technology.

Ishida’s latest evolution of VFFS technology shows clear industry leadership — the Inspira design innovates all the most critical areas of the snack

The Inspira Snack Bagmaker is the next generation of snack packaging technology.

PACKAGING

The Inspira range has answered industry’s call for more efficiency and automation in the packaging room. bagmaking — process, product and film handling, seal quality, accuracy, efficiency, weigher interface, changeover, and control and communication functions.

Inspira provides consistent forming

and sealing performance of up to 200 bags per minute (when not combined with other Ishida equipment) and the highest levels of efficiency and seal quality come from new motor and drive technology which has improved the positional jaw

control at the point of sealing.

As most snack food processors produce a variety of snacks, packaging equipment must be able to cater for a range of shapes, sizes, seasonings, and density’s.

Another key element of this equipment, is its in-line seal checker (TSC). By utilising feedback communications to the Inspira, the TSC can continuously monitor fill level and compare bags to the targeted thickness.

When using an autocase packer, bag airfill is important to remain consistent.

In a manual operation, an operator can compensate for variations in bag fill, therefore bag thickness, by applying increased pressure or manipulating the bag into a pack pattern.

Automatic case packing is not capable of handling out of thickness bags — this leads to production downtime in order to remove any oversized bags. Similarly, underfilled bags can cause a poor appearance and be the reason product becomes damaged during transit.

The combination of seal testing with bag thickness measurement — feeding back to the bagmaker — enables consistent bag thicknesses to be produced through this ability to adjust the bag air fill.

The new Inspira design also provides

exceptional ease of access for operation and maintenance and has been designed to help the operator act (and react) quicker and more intuitively, removing the need for complex decision-making and unnecessary physical exertion.

In addition to all the impressive performance upgrades, Inspira also comes with reduced energy and air consumption, and lower operating noise levels.

An Industry win for the packaging room While Ishida’s latest VFFS tech brings forth many new ideas and multiple modifications — it is Inspira’s new auto splice feature — that really takes the cake for design innovation.

This equipment is designed to deliver the highest possible packaging speeds, and it’s already helping snack food processors operate faster, more accurately and more efficiently than ever before.

All points lead to higher productivity which in turn leads to higher profitability.

When combined with other Ishida equipment, the Inspira Series Bagmaker can achieve speeds of up to 250 bags per minute, making it the world’s fastest bagmaker and demonstrates the capabilities of Heat and Control. F

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INGREDIENTS

Humble recipe to household name Three Threes has become one of Australia’s most recognisable supermarket brands and has a reputation for sourcing both high-quality produce and parts locally. Partnering with CRC Industries through Motion Australia has been an instrumental part of this.

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rom selling pickles on a horse and cart around the streets of Sydney, to being one of the country’s most recognisable supermarket brands, Three Threes has built a powerful reputation on McAlpine family values for over 100 years.

Stanley Roy McAlpine and Winifred Grace started making and selling delicious condiments from their home in 1919. Over time, the business grew and eventually they established a factory in Lidcombe that is still operating today.

Three Threes’ extensive product lines span across premium condiments such as pickles, relishes, olives, and gourmet table sauces. The now fifth generation business exclusively supports Australian farmers, sourcing produce from across New South Wales and Queensland.

“We try and focus on locally made products, and everything is processed here. In answer to consumer requests for Australian grown pickles and beetroot, we have also proudly introduced the McAlpine Signature Range,” Three Threes office manager Justine McAlpine said.

In manufacturing some of Australia’s most iconic household products, Three Threes aims to source locally for dependable and consistently high-quality parts. Through Motion, the business has benefited from CRC Industries lubricant products, and industrial motorisation from TECO. “While our food products are quite

Three Threes have extensive condiment product lines, including pickles.

traditional, we try wherever we can to upgrade and improve our machinery to ensure the best quality,” McAlpine said. “Things like our filling machine, labeller, palletiser and similar equipment needs to be serviced in a way that is cost effective, but also going to deliver a better result. Motion helps us a lot in that way.”

Over the last 100 years, Three Threes have kept family recipes at the heart of their business, introducing

iconic products such as Mightymight to the range. Quality is at the heart of everything they do, operating to thorough codes of safety and hazard mitigation from start to finish.

“I think when products are being imported, there is no guarantee that it is coming from the same supplier all the time,” McAlpine said. “So, because it is all sourced here, we are following strict rules and regulations which helps consumers feel confident in their

purchase.”

McAlpine is optimistic about the future of Three Threes, as many of the operational duties are becoming the responsibility of her son and fifth generation McAlpine, Tim. “Often people will ring us just to say that it is great that we are still a family company,” she said. “You know, we are one of the oldest original national food manufacturers, and it is something to be immensely proud of.” F

Three Threes is a family owned business that has benefitted from CRC Industries through Motion Australia.

Partnering with Motion Australia has enabled Three Threes to upgrade machinery to ensure the best quality.

64 Food&Beverage Industry News | May 2022 | www.foodmag.com.au

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DAIRY

Global dairy commodity update for April 2022 Already tight supplies of milk for fat and protein commodities have been overlaid with complex supply and demand impacts of the Russian invasion of Ukraine and sanctions on Russia and its allies.

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airy markets are experiencing complex and challenging times.

Global dairy commodity markets will remain under the strong influence of tight EU milk supplies.

Product and ingredient prices have been pushed to records in the EU and Oceania which will ration demand and may also eventually see some supply-side response.

US markets are also managing tighter milk supplies while demand recovers from the effects of COVID restrictions, although supply chain challenges continue to drive some price volatility.

While EU milk prices are rising and on-paper margins might appear a little better, high bought-in feed and operating costs and limited fertilizer availability will influence feed availability and milk production.

Weather is hardly supportive in the next year. Europe is forecast to have another hotter than usual spring and summer, and other regions face challenges. The US drought is worsening, while La Nina is weakening in Oceania.

Demand will inevitably be rationed in sensitive consumer markets and segments although little of that is evident yet with the fast ramp up in wholesale prices. This may be compounded in some developing regions that face higher prices in other food staples due to conflict in Ukraine.

Maxum Foods has released their Global Dairy Commodity Update for April.

The world faces higher food and energy costs as a consequence of the Ukraine war which will slow economic

growth and eventually affect consumer confidence and spending.

The world market is experiencing unprecedented prices for dairy commodities and products. Milk supply growth in major (top 5) exporting producers weakened to 0.5 per cent in H2-2021, while H1-2022 output will shrink 1.2 per cent.

It comes after dairy leaders called on Woolworths, Aldi, and Coles, to increase the price of milk. eastAUSdairy vice chairman Graham Forbes said Australian shoppers need to now pay two dollars a litre for generic milk in order to keep the sector viable.

He said historically low prices for milk – a hangover from the dollar-a-litre 2010s — were unsustainable.

“Two dollars a litre for milk is still very cheap. You pay more per litre for

soft drink or sparkling water,” Mr Forbes said.

“Throughout the dollar-a-litre years, we were always pretty reasonable. We’d say $1.40 a litre or $1.50 a litre was about where the price needed to be.

“But the economy has shifted in the past few months. Inflation is running and the dairy industry needs to keep up, otherwise you’re producing milk for hardly any return.

“Labour costs are high due to worker shortages. Fuel, as we all know, is far more expensive than it was at the start of the year. Two dollars a litre for generic milk is still reasonable in the bigger scheme of things.”

The dollar-a-litre milk push was introduced by Coles and Woolworths in January 2011 and lasted eight years until it rose incrementally to $1.10 a litre. F

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AFGC The Australian Food & Grocery Council welcomes the federal government’s funding boost for soft plastics recycling.

AFGC welcomes extra government funding for industry Tens of millions of dollars in extra funding for Australia’s food and beverage sector is being viewed as a positive step forward for the industry. Food & Beverage Industry News reports.

T

he recent announcement from the federal government that it would provide a $60 million funding boost for advanced recycling of soft plastics, along with the announcement in the Federal Budget of more funding for regional stakeholders, has been welcomed by the Australian Food & Grocery Council.

The AFGC and major food and grocery manufacturers including Arnott’s, Nestlé, Mondelez, Unilever, Mars Wrigley and Kellogg have welcomed Prime Minister Scott Morrison’s announcement of a new $60 million stream under the Recycling Modernisation Fund targeted at advanced soft plastics recycling technologies.

AFGC CEO Tanya Barden said the funding will allow the development of onshore recycling capabilities for hard-to-recycle soft plastic packaging, such as bread bags and cereal box liners, and allow Australian manufacturers to source more food-grade recycled content for packaging here in Australia.

“Australia’s food and grocery manufacturing industry is committed to creating an effective and sustainable circular economy for plastic packaging in Australia,” said Barden.

“The AFGC is currently developing the National Plastics Recycling Scheme (NPRS), which will be Australia’s largest industry-led plastics recycling scheme. This new investment to support advanced recycling provides a key link for creating a successful product stewardship scheme for soft plastic packaging.

“Plastic packaging has an important role in keeping food safe and fresh, reducing food waste and keeping products intact. Our industry understands we must maximise recycling to reduce use of virgin plastics, build Australia’s advanced recycling capabilities and avoid harmful effects on the environment.”

Meanwhile, Barden was also happy with the Federal Budget announcements regarding the industry.

Barden said the targeted funding

68 Food&Beverage Industry News | May 2022 | www.foodmag.com.au

will strengthen regional food and grocery manufacturing with measures including a $500m boost in funding for regional business through the Modern Manufacturing Initiative (MMI) and a $200m increase to the Supply Chain Resilience Initiative.

“The past two years have underscored how critically important a strong, sovereign food and grocery manufacturing industry is for Australia.

The support for regional manufacturers, who are major employers and providers of essential items, is a significant boost,” said Barden.

The AFGC welcomes the further $328.3m provided for the MMI’s six national manufacturing priorities over the next five years, however, notes that this is inadequate given the investment challenges faces by the food and grocery sector. Food and beverage manufacturing was identified as one of the six priorities and the AFGC has developed a vision for doubling the size of the industry by 2030, which requires significant capital investment.

The Budget’s projected fall in non-mining investment after 2023 is of concern and will need attention if we are to grow the future productive capacity of the Australian economy.

Barden commended the federal government on delivering a responsible budget while supporting the Australian community and businesses through the challenges of COVID-19 and natural disasters.

“This budget comes as Australian food and grocery manufacturers face unprecedented costs, inflationary pressures and disruption,” said Barden.

“It is pleasing to see the government has delivered a deficit that is considerably below forecasts while introducing measures to support consumers and shore up Australia’s supply chains.”

The AFGC represents Australia’s food and grocery manufacturers, who together employ the nation’s largest manufacturing workforce and comprise 16,000 businesses employing more than 270,000 people. F

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Accuracy and stability with the FLT93B The FLT93B BASIC insertion type FlexSwitch for level and temperature monitoring represents the first true technological breakthrough in thermal technology in over a decade. FCI is the only thermal manufacturer providing temperature compensation to ensure set point accuracy for process temperatures that vary up to ± 100° F. The FLT93B is easily field configured, providing unparalleled flexibility, accuracy and stability for all multiple process sensing and switching requirements.

The FLT93B BASIC level switch is available with all of the below listed standard features for a very attractive price and with quick delivery as soon as 2 business days ARO.

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Interface and sump level detection Interface/sump level detection in separation vessels Agitation detection Interface/level detection in settling vessels Foam or sediment level control Liquid/resin interface detection

Company: AMS Instrumentation & Calibration Phone: (03) 9017 8225 Website: www.ams-ic.com.au

Precise and convenient: radar level sensor with IO-Link The new radar level sensor LW2720 sets new benchmarks for speed and accuracy.

Starting with rapid installation times: A standard M12 cable, fast parameter setting using IO-Link and a large selection of adapters enable simple and customized out of the box start-up.

For example, if the LW2720 is active in tanks up to 10-meter precise level measurement is still possible with integrated mixers or spray balls.

Also, different media do not have a detrimental effect on measurements.

Even the high-speed filling or emptying of tanks are registered by the radar sensor thanks to the 80GHz technology – fast, with high precision and without blind zones.

With the LW2720 level sensor, levels of liquid media in tanks with a height of up to 10 metres can be monitored precisely and without blind areas. The non-contact radar measuring principle prevents malfunctions or failures of the sensor caused by the adhesion of viscous media or damage from agitators.

The 80 GHz frequency used ensures stable and precise measurement results even in the presence of steam or condensate in the tank. The sensor is designed for use in hygienic areas, so that even CIP and SIP processes or the use of spray balls do not impair its proper functioning.

The powerful LW2720 package is completed by the following comfort factors: Sensor installation only takes a few minutes, and sensor parameters can be conveniently set and read out remotely via IO-Link.

Features: • 80 GHz frequency enables level measurement with millimetre precision of up to 10 metres • Non-contact measuring principle: no malfunctions due to deposits or wear

70 Food&Beverage Industry News | April 2022 | www.foodmag.com.au

• Certified for use in hygienic areas • Simple installation and maintenance-free operation • Remote sensor parameter setting and level monitoring via connection to the IT system Company: Turck Australia Contact number: 1300 132 566 Web address: www.turck.com.au

NEW PRODUCTS

New digital flowmeters monitor pressure and flow EXAIR’s new Pressure Sensing Digital Flowmeters provide a way for plant personnel to monitor pressure throughout a compressed air system along with flow. A pressure sensor is mounted between the two flow sensing probes and the display can be configured to show air pressure or air flow.

A transistor output can also be configured to provide a low-pressure alarm to protect your processes and/or equipment. Pressure values are capable to display PsiG or BarG. Measuring compressed air is the first step toward identifying high compressed air use areas, compressed air leaks and optimizing air use.

Each meter ships with the necessary hardware and tools for installation including drill bit, drill guide, and hex wrenches. The Pressure Sensing feature is available on 2 inch and 50 millimeter or larger flowmeters. They are available in standard units which display airflow values on a bright LED screen, with optional data logger to capture and manipulate the data. The pressure signal is also available through optional wired and wireless serial outputs. Airflow values are expressed in Standard Cubic Feet per Minute or Cubic Meters per Hour.

Pressure Sensing Flowmeters for schedule 40 iron pipe and Type L Copper and nominal millimeter sizes are now available. They are CE and RoHS compliant and join EXAIR’s full line of Digital Flowmeters for air lines from 1/2” through 8” including Hot Tap, Wireless and Data Logging flowmeters.

Company: Compressed Air Australia Phone: 08 8983 3999 Website: www.caasafety.com.au

Flow meter helps chemical company meet ISO 50001 Standard to lower energy costs Process and plant engineers tasked with new stringent energy conservation goals to meet the requirements of ISO 50001 while also reducing costs will find the ST80 Series Thermal Mass Flow Meter from Fluid Components International (FCI) helps them meet both their environmental energy conservation and operational cost goals.

A global manufacturer of specialty chemicals that employs compressed air throughout its process facilities recently installed the FCI ST80 Air/Gas Flow Meter with VORTAB Meter Run (VMR) Flow Conditioners to help it attain ISO 50001 Energy Management System certification. The installation of the ST80 Flow Meters was part of an initial benchmarking project to establish present energy usage and to identify areas for improvement.

The company engineers chose to install the thermal mass flow meters with the tab-type flow conditioners for several reasons. First, they wanted to avoid any installation concerns with regard to sufficient pipe straight run for optimum flow measurement accuracy at their desired measurement points. The ST80 Flow Meters achieve a standard accuracy of ±1.0 per cent reading, ± 0.5 per cent full scale, or better, with repeatability of ±0.5 per cent of reading with flow rates as low as 0.07 to 305 NMPS and up to 100:1 flow turndown.

Second, they also chose to install the thermal flow meters with isolation ball-valve connections for easy extraction of the meters from the compressed air process lines during operation to permit calibration verification or re-calibration if necessary, which also is required to comply with the ISO standard. The thermal dispersion meters, which require virtually no maintenance, were installed on 101.6 and 152.4 mm compressed air lines. They are also available for other applications in line sizes from 25 to 2500 mm and air/gas temperatures up to 454°C. The VMR Meter Run flow conditioner is a low-pressure loss solution for flow profile irregularities caused by elbows, valves, blowers, compressors and other disruptions often present in industrial piping systems. The VMR is suitable for Schedule 40 or 80 pipe from 51-305 mm. Construction materials are 316L stainless or carbon steel or Hastelloy C.

Featuring FCI’s Adaptive Sensor Technology (AST), the ST80 Flow Meter is designed with an innovative, patented hybrid sensor drive. This measuring technique combines, for the first time, both of the industry’s highly proven constant power (CP) and constant temperature (CT) thermal dispersion sensing technologies in the same instrument.

In addition to this new measurement drive technique, an exclusive flow sensor design was developed by FCI and optimized for compressed air applications to ensure high levels of measurement performance. This unique sensor design is immune to the pulsations and mechanical noise commonly found in compressed air systems. Coupled with the FCI’s ability to calibrate under actual flow, pressure and temperature conditions, accuracy and repeatability is unrivalled within the industry.

This outputs and user interface choices for this meter are extensive and interface with virtually any control system and/or set-up or configuration

www.foodmag.com.au | April 2022 | Food&Beverage Industry News 71

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