Packaging Jun 08 by Reed Business Information RBI

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THE BUSINESS

THE ISSUES

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THE SOLUTIONS

JUNE 2008 $7.00

Leading Edge Marking & Labelling Companies

SUSTAINABLE FUTURE

FOODMACH CASE STUDY

EVO TRAY SEALER

Print Post Approved PP255003/00311

Australia’s Top Coding

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Complete Food Packaging Solutions • Cheese cutters • Cheese wrappers

• Pouchers • Cartoners

KHS Pacific Pty Ltd

• Bag inserters • Bag folders • Bag sealers

• Tub filling & sealing • Thermoform fill & seal

PO Box 378, 1-3 Freight Road Tullamarine 3043 Victoria Australia Telephone: +61 (03) 9335 1211 Fax: +61 (03) 9335 1331 Email: info @khspacific.com.au

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A.C.N. 008 427 067

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this month

June 2008

8 Shift to broader thinking

18 Leading Edge

38 Serious obligation

Industry thinking has developed to encompass aspects of sustainability such as raw material use, the energy required for production and water usage.

The A-Z of top coding marking and labelling companies in Australia. What are their latest innovations and success strategies?

As Australia’s only manufacturer of aluminium foil containers, new Evolution Awards sponsor Confoil is serious about preserving the environment.

14 Making your Mark

44 Exclusive: Foodmach innovation stacks up

42 Shining Example

The Australian coding marking and labelling industry is currently experiencing a heightened focus on quality, accuracy and data integrity, along with reducing downtime and costs.

Packaging solutions provider, Foodmach Australia has created a customised palletising system founded on drive technology from SEW-Eurodrive.

PACKAGING REPORTS

Viscount Plastics has chosen to sponsor the Evolutions Awards once again to demonstrate its leadership in packaging waste reduction.

REGULARS

Sealing Systems….48

News ..............................4,7

The EVO tray sealing machine makes the job easier and more efficient generating several tons of sealing force cycle after cycle. From G Mondini.

Diary ...............................50

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NEWS

Evolution Awards winners reap rewards

opinion pack@reedbusiness.com.au

Fire with Fire Technology, while an exciting indication of industry innovation, can leave the way open for unscrupulous individuals. European Commission statistics in the last few years, show customs officials seized approximately 95 million fraudulently produced articles during 2001 alone. According to studies conducted by the OECD and the International Chamber of Commerce, imitations made up 5-7 per cent of total world trade, amounting to 2.5 million euros per annum in the EU. This led to the loss of approximately 200,000 jobs. Product piracy can tarnish a company’s image or reputation beyond repair – posing a great financial cost. In addition the replication of sensitive products such as medicines pose risks to the consumers. The World Health Organisation has counted over 770 cases of counterfeit medicine as far back as 1999. Active ingredients in these hazardous products were either absent, or present in very small quantities. To fight fire with fire, a range of technologies now exist to combat forgery. Some of the greatest advances have been pioneered in Australia, such as a new method for laser written security features developed by John Grace of Raymax Lasers in the late 1990s. As you’ll read in this issue, the most effective barrier to counterfeiting lies in the creativity of such leading Anna

Anna Game-Lopata Editor

4 PACKAGING June 2008

Kimberly-Clarke Australia (KCA), who won two Evolution Awards last year, including Best In Show, has put a lot of effort into achieving packaging material reductions and increasing recycling content over the years. South Asia packaging manager Frank Bova says being recognised for the excellent job the company does in this area was a real pleasure. “We’re proud of our progress in sustainability, and winning the 2007 Packaging Magazine Evolution awards was a nice way to say

thanks to our dedicated people.” Bova says the award benefited the KCA business in that it enabled the company to further highlight the great success it’s had in packaging development. “We have a long history of packaging optimisation at KCA,” he explains. “Winning the awards further enhanced our continuous efforts to have the National Packaging Covenant principles at the front of everyone’s mind when we

are updating or developing packaging.” “In 2008, we’re doing a lot of work developing and qualifying new flexible films for a range of our products,” Bova enthuses. “We’re underpinning this with a scientific approach to understanding how packaging properties interact with our equipment, to enable us to optimise accordingly.” According to pharmaceutical company Ego Pharmaceuticals, the winner in the pharmaceutical packaging waste category, issues such as ethics and environmental responsibility are becoming increasingly important to the consumer when choosing between products. “It’s always good to receive recognition for doing the things that often go unnoticed on a day to day basis, such as improvements in environmental performance,” says Ego manufacturing chemist Jeff Anders. “The award has highlighted that Ego’s philosophy extends to more than just the bottom line and increased the awareness of the National Packaging Covenant to people within the company.” Anders says Ego has continued to perform well in terms of minimising waste generated during the manufacturing process and the quantity of waste going to land fill.

Radiation-free carton inspection Detection Systems has released its second generation of Package Contents Inspection Systems (PCIS). The ultra compact second generation is easy to install, simply dropping over existing product lines and occupying minimal line length. PCIS uses radio waves to detect items with wrong count, wrong fill level, wrong position or orientation inside sealed cartons as they are conveyed down a production line at high speed. Series 4400, for inspecting cartons of bottles, jars or cans, is the first of the second generation to be released. PCIS sees through the outer packaging, whether cardboard or shrink

wrapped plastic or other, to reveal the true picture of carton contents. Bottle opacity and fill liquid colour do not affect performance. PCIS technology offers accurate inspection as it focuses in on each item inside the package. The technology has no speed vs accuracy trade-off, so ultra high production rates are easily accommodated. PCIS equipment uses safe, low energy radio waves to reveal the true picture of the internal contents. No special handling or shielding requirements are required. Ultra reliable, PCIS equipment typically requires a single factory calibration only, and has negligible running

costs. Models as short as 50mm are available, to fit almost any production line. In some cases PCIS can even be installed inside existing packaging machines. Several more models from the second generation will be released during coming months.

Ultra reliable: new PCIS technology.

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NEWS.

High-tech packaging at foodpro The packaging industry is turning to technology to provide customers with more efficient, cost effective and environmentally products. oodpro 2008 will span four halls of the Sydney Convention and Exhibition Centre and the four-day show will showcase every aspect of the food processing industry, including packaging. Multivac, a world leader in automated packaging systems serving a range of international industries, will demonstrate the flagship of a new generation of thermoform packaging machines, the R535. The first of its kind seen in the industry, the R535 features a clean-in-place automatic system which cleans both the inside and outside of the machine. “The R535 will set new standards for hygiene, process stability, precision, performance and total efficiency,” Multivac says. Leaders in the materials handling Ozkor will showcase the ExPal 1140 export pallet and the Ozpal 1165 heavyduty production pallet. Ken Scanlon, of Ozkor, says plastic options were the way

Multivac’s R535 is flagship thermoform packaging technology.

of the future. “Plastic pallets are more hygienic, durable and easier to clean than timber alternatives,” he says. “They do not absorb and retain harmful bacteria. When it comes to exporting, the adoption of plastic reusable pallets shows an international trend towards a desire by many countries to reduce the dependence on timber.” foodpro 2008 will run from Monday to Thursday, July 21-24 at the Sydney Convention & Exhibition Centre, Darling Harbour.

Plastic from plants Australian researchers are a step closer to turning plants into 'biofactories' capable of producing oils which can be used to replace petrochemicals. Scientists working within the joint CSIRO/Grains Research and Development Corporation Crop Biofactories Initiative (CBI) have achieved a major advance by accumulating 30 per cent of an unusual fatty acid (UFA) in the model plant, Arabidopsis. UFAs are usually sourced from petrochemicals to produce plastics, paints and cosmetics. CBI is developing new technologies for making a range of UFAs in oilseeds, to provide Australia with a head start in the emerging 'bioeconomy'. "Using crops as biofactories has many advantages, beyond the replacement of dwindling petrochemical resources," says the leader of the crop development team,

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CSIRO's Dr Allan Green. "Global challenges such as population growth, climate change and the switch from non-renewable resources are opening up many more opportunities for bio-based products." The production of biofactory plants can be matched to demand and will provide farmers with new, high-value crops bred to suit their growing conditions. The technology is low greenhouse gas generating, sustainable and can reinvigorate agribusiness. "We are confident we have the right genes, an understanding of the biosynthesis pathways and the right breeding skills to produce an oilseed plant with commercially viable UFA levels in the near future," Dr Green says. The team announced the successful completion of the first stage of the CBI on 28 April during the Fifth Annual World Congress on Industrial Biotechnology & Bioprocessing (WCIBB), in the US.

June 2008 PACKAGING 7

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SUSTAINABILITY

Shift to broader thinking The National Packaging Covenant, a collaborative initiative between industry and government to reduce packaging waste has entered a new phase, writes Derek Parker. here’s a clear shift in Australia towards broader thinking about reducing packaging waste. Gavin Williams, chief executive of Packaging Council of Ausytalia, (PCA), notes that the revised version of Australia’s National Packaging Covenant includes a series of key performance indicators on sustainability and environmental issues, an evolution from the more general guidelines of the first Covenant. Williams admits to some initial concerns over the 2005 decision at the ministerial level to establish a benchmark of 65 per cent for the recycling of used packaging.

The second Covenant has about 600 signatories across the supply chain. It covers, Williams estimates, between 80 and 90 per cent of goods on supermarket shelves, although the Covenant also affects many packaging products that do not directly reach the consumer. As a result of the first Covenant, the current recycling rate for used packaging is about 56 per cent. For plastics, about 30 per cent is recycled, up from 21 per cent in 2003. “The message we keep hearing from packaging firms is that brand owners want sustainability in packaging,” Williams says. “So in that sense packaging firms are responding to market

“The packaging industry has a very good story to tell about the positive role of packaging developments”

Amcor’s SureFresh carton eliminates black printing on a paper substrate from the process, is recyclable and has a one-touch distribution capability.

“Everyone understands the importance of recycling, and it is useful to have a target figure,” he says. “But it should not be seen as the sole issue. Generally, industry thinking has developed to encompass aspects such as raw material use, the energy required in production, and water usage. This shows the flexibility of the Covenant, which can incorporate new issues and approaches. It would be difficult for that to happen in a legislation-based regime.”

demands. It means that sustainability issues are now locked into the industry picture – and many firms have found that it improves their own bottom line as well.” Ed Cordner, CEO of the National Packaging Covenant, agrees that packaging companies are increasingly taking a broader view. “The first generation of the Covenant set the principles, and now we are moving to specifics,” he says. “That

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8 PACKAGING June 2008

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SUSTAINABILITY

means looking not just at disposal issues but right back to the design process, even to the elimination of unnecessary packaging. We have also seen some very useful tools developed, such as PIQET from RMIT’s Centre for Design, which turns packaging impact evaluation into a uniform, systematic process.” The National Packaging Covenant will soon announce the projects to receive financial assistance in the second round of funding for 2007/08. A total of up to $6 million is available each year, half from industry contributions and half from state governments. “The focus is again on assisting projects which will divert substantial tonnes of packaging from landfill into new uses,” Cordner says. “We always look for innovative proposals, and projects diverting over 5,000 tonnes from landfill are given priority. We also invite proposals on projects tackling litter and addressing education issues.” There are now 50 projects with Covenant funding under way, with a total value of $47 million and the capability to divert an additional 500,000 tonnes of discarded packaging per annum from landfill. The PCA publication Australian Packaging: Real Examples of Change and Innovation provides a series of examples of innovative packaging. One of the most interesting is the Brita Fill & Go bottle, a 700 ml sports bottle with an activated

carbon filter inside, enabling users to fill from any tap. The filter, which removes any unpleasant tastes and odours while retaining fluoride, processes up to 57 litres, or 80 refills. This effectively reduces the amount of water bottles that would otherwise go to landfill. “The technology was meant for industrial uses but it works very well for a consumer product,” says Mike Alborough, marketing manager of Brita. “The product was originally in an opaque bottle, with written information about the filter. Early sales were not particularly strong, especially because it is more expensive than conventional bottled water. “But when we switched to a clear bottle, so the customer could see the filter inside, it began to move very well, and people saw it as a cost-effective option. That says a lot about what consumers want.” An example of redesign for better use of resources is Golden Circle’s 440 gram steel food can. The thickness of the can was reduced from 0.19 mm to 0.16 mm, providing an estimated saving of 125 tonnes by late 2007. The steel is entirely recyclable. A product that emphasises recyclability is the Brightlite Wine 750 ml aluminium bottle, produced by JMB Beverages. A first for the Australian market, the bottle is 15 per cent of the weight of an average empty glass wine bottle.

Brita’s “Fill and Go” is a sports bottle with an inbuilt activated carbon filter, while Brightlite Wines are packaged in recyclable aluminium bottles -an Australian first.

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SUSTAINABILITY..

There is a 95 per cent energy saving in recycling aluminium compared to producing aluminium from bauxite, and the financial return on one tonne of recycled aluminium is about $1800 compared to $285 for glass. The target market is consumers who are new to the wine market, and JMB Beverages reports that the product has established a solid place in the market, with product promotion emphasising the innovative packaging. One of the biggest players in the packaging industry, Amcor, has developed a new product carton called Surefresh, a tray which uses a high-gloss laminate film to replace wax coating. “The product was a response to what we were hearing from our customers,” says Wes Bray, Amcor’s Marketing Manager for Agribusiness. “In designing

the Surefresh tray, we took the broadest possible view, looking at energy consumption and the use of water and detergent for cleaning. The unit cost is higher than the previous tray product but over the life cycle it turns out to be very good value. Even more, the lessons we learned will inform the Amcor product range from here on.” Despite the changes that have been seen since the introduction of the Covenant, Gavin Williams is concerned that there has not been the shift in public attitudes that might have been expected. “People see discarded packaging blowing around as litter or finding its way into waterways and they conclude that the packaging industry is more part of the problem than part of the solution,” he says. “That view doesn’t reflect the reality but that does not mean it is not

Generally, industry thinking has developed to encompass aspects such as raw material use, the energy required in production, and water usage” there. And there are some ‘deep green’ groups that push that line, often with very articulate spokespersons. “I think it is fair to say that the packaging industry has sometimes, in the past, been reluctant to get into debates. In fact, the industry has a very good story to tell, about the positive role of packaging and about the developments of the past few years, but it has a lot of ground to make up.” Williams points to a major publication on the industry and sustainability

released in May, as well as information packs distributed to schools, that have been very successful. “It might be worthwhile to consider including information about the sustainability characteristics of a packaging product on the product itself,” he says. “But it has to be carefully considered and done in the right circumstances, and within the Covenant framework. If it is done with meaningful information, as a dialogue with consumers, then it could be very worthwhile.”

Recently, considerable activity has taken place to reduce the cost and lightweight of steel cans produced by Amcor Foods for Golden Circle, conserving a significant amount of energy and material.

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SUSTAINABILITY

Ecocube is truly sustainable packaging VIP Packaging has expanded its standard plastic cube range to include a 100 per cent recycled alternative made from Post Consumer Recyclate (PCR). IP Packaging’s EcoCube® is a true, closed loop packaging solution, manufactured from millions of used chemical containers collected every year by the company’s Sustainability Services division from around Australia. Suitable for standard non DG applications like janitorial and surfactant products, the EcoCube® is available in 10, 15, 20 and 25L in both black and natural PCR tones. With streamlined colours, sizes and a consistent supply of recyclate from VIP-led industry programs, the EcoCube® is not only an environmentally sustainable alternative, but a financially sustainable product choice. Business development manager Darren Clark, from Sustainability Services, urges customers who currently use VIP Packaging’s cubes or household consumer and industrial applications to

“The EcoCube® can be purchased by customers at no extra and it’s a sustainable alternative to buying cubes made from virgin resin.”

Ecocube is manufactured from millions of used chemical containers collected from around Australia.

make the switch to the more economical and environmentally friendly option. “Customers can purchase the EcoCube® for no extra cost and it’s a sustainable alternative to buying cubes made from virgin resin,” he explains.

“This initiative supports the recycling industry’s plastic recovery programs.” A number of studies indicate that there is now genuine concern about the environment. Darren Clark says the Ecocube product enables brand owners to

respond to these concerns while meeting National Packaging Covenant requirements and generating value from environmentally responsible packaging. “The new offering is in line with VIP Packaging’s Noble Purpose: ‘To help people make sustainable choices’,” Clark enthuses. More information: 0437 102 245.

Laboratory Services for the New Zealand and Australian plastic packaging market since 1995

For manufacturers of plastic products or packaging: and quality assurance. • Competitive analysis. • Investigation of product failures, material problems, etc.

For users of plastic products or packaging: • Testing for compliance to speciﬁcations, and comparative performance of packaging from different suppliers. • Objective analysis to determine if there are any differences between batches of packaging materials supplied to you. • Identiﬁcation of plastic foreign objects found in foods, etc. Contact: Bruce Gunn New Zealand +64 3 326 4762 Australia Toll Free 1800 427 216 Website: www.gunnlab.co.nz Email: bruce@gunnlab.co.nz

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• Independent and conﬁdential specialised testing for product development

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SHAPING TOMORROW HELPING YOU WITH SUSTAINABLE SOLUTIONS For more information, visit www.vippackaging.com.au or call (03) 9765 2655

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CODING MARKING AND LABELLING

APS Apsolute fast dry coding and marking in action aon plastics

Making your mark In the competitive environment of the Australian coding marking and labelling industry, there’s a heightened focus on quality, accuracy and data integrity, reports Anna Game-Lopata. ccording to managing director Visy Technology Systems, Steve Jowett, the bar has been rising in terms of the image quality expected by manufacturer end users and their customers. “As a result, higher resolution marking is replacing the older coarse dot matrix style printing,” he says. “The supply chain also has an expectation that primary product and secondary carton codes for example, will feature clearly legible date, batch and product contents information. There is a further expectation the printed data will be accurate especially where expi-

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ration dates are concerned. The data printed must also precisely match the product contents.” The Australian Food and Grocery Council (AFGC) participates in an ongoing industry process to standardise information exchange between suppliers and manufacturers to make sure that manufacturers know exactly what ingredients are in their products. Deputy chief executive officer Dr Geoffrey Annison says many larger manufacturers have sophisticated databases of ingredients linked up with automatic mechanisms for calculating information about ingre-

dients that will be transferred to a label. “While industry has constructed very good mechanisms for managing information about their products, the Food Standards Australia New Zealand (FSANZ) Code also clearly states specific requirements for nutrient information,” Dr Annison says. “The code provides for percentage labelling for ingredients and allergen statements, so there’s very little ambiguity about these requirements.” Dr Annison admits the process becomes more difficult when claims such as ‘low fat’ or ‘gluten free’ are high-

lighted on product packaging. “Some of these claims are directly regulated in the Food Standards Code” he says, “but others are more loosely provided for through industry codes of practice.” Compliance has become more of an issue recently as FSANZ is considering a new regulatory regime for nutrition, health and regulated claims.” “There’s been some variation around the jurisdictions in the enforcement of such label claims which has caused some confusion in the marketplace,” Dr Annison says. “In addition, the Trade Practice Act

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CODING MARKING AND LABELLING..

requires that a reasonable consumer shouldn’t be misled by either written or graphical representations of food ingredients on product packs. So, that’s a little bit harder for companies to come to grips with in terms of how they might present their product overall to consumers.” Dr Annison says his organisation is hopeful complexities in the legislation can be ironed out over the next few years, but meanwhile compliance issues remain a significant burden for manufacturers. The AFGC believes that the Victorian Competition and Efficiency Commission Review into food regulation, released at the beginning of the year, and the Victorian government’s subsequent response, foreshadows an overall review of food labelling. “We support the development of policy mandating the placement of particular information on food packages and the basis for any prohibitions to being made available to consumers. We consider it important to establish some basic principles to allow labelling to more effectively meet the needs of consumers and

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“Compliance has become more of an issue recently as Food Standards Australia New Zealand is considering a new regime for nutrition, health and regulated claims.” to provide guidelines for compliance.” The ability to trace products through the supply chain is also central to ensuring product and brand integrity. “Counterfeiting is becoming increasingly prevalent due to advances in technology and is putting the lives of the consumer at risk if genuine pharmaceutical products are not identifiable,” says Markem-Imaje national sales and marketing manager, Greig Francis. “To combat this issue, Markem-Imaje utilises the Datamatrix bi-dimensional barcode. This method of coding allows the identification of the product by lot or by the unit and guarantees both effective internal and external tracking.” “This is just one of several applications that are being refined at present,” Francis says. “We are proud to be Strategic Alliance partners with GS1 Australia,

ensuring that we are at the forefront of traceability technology and assisting companies to work towards the common goal of international traceability.” As Australian production lines become increasingly automated, manufacturers must find ways to improve the volume and quality of their output while controlling costs. The demand for smarter, more integrated line devices is at a premium. Matthews Intelligent Identification national sales and marketing manager, Phil Biggs says while compliance can be a headache for processors and manufacturers, a greater challenge is to offer “more than mere compliance”. “There’s still a common element of ‘slap and ship’, pop on a code or label to get your goods into the customer’s’

door,” Biggs says.”But that’s just a cost without benefit. Gaining business intelligence, say, along with compliance, is not a big hurdle. The key is integration; turnkey solutions with ERP integration.” “This is an area in which Matthews excels, particularly through our Identification Systems (IDS) group, led by Mark Dingley. Sometimes, companies just need a new, stand-alone coder or labeller. Easily done, once the right technology has been determined for the end use. However, IDS is all about complete integration, for when companies need more than a single, self-contained unit.” IDS networks coding and labelling equipment so devices talk to each other and the rest of a business’s systems. “IDS specialises in turnkey engineering design and installation, starting with reviewing the whole-of-business needs, not just coding needs,” Biggs explains. Expectations around compliance mean that users of coding and marking systems must implement processes to control and manage data quality and integrity. This includes the use of vision inspection and printer data management

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CODING MARKING AND LABELLING

“We’ve found that the most common key factors influencing a manufacturer’s buying decision are: simplicity of operation, robustness and reliability to ensure maximum uptime”

The Food Standards Australia New Zealand Code provides for percentage lablelling for ingredients and allergen statements allowing for very little ambiguity. Picture thanks to HP Singapore.

systems that integrate and operate with plant automation infrastructure.” Visy Technology Systems addresses this key challenge by offering high resolution printers with capability to connect to customer plant automation controls. “We also offer our own ID-LINK multi device control system to synchronizes multiple print devices with automation systems and local data management interfaces,” says Steve Jowett. “This reduces the risk of human error when using multiple coding and labelling machines on individual production lines.” APS Australia vice president Andrew Sharp believes thermal ink jet printers offer the greatest potential to provide a single technology able to address the fundamental needs of primary, secondary and tertiary packaging. “These are scalable, future proof and by nature of the disposable print engine, maintenance free,” he says. “The one-size-fits-all technology potentially allows a manufacturer to use the same hardware to control marking and coding applications throughout the factory.” But what are customers looking for? Steve Jowett says customers want solutions that comply with their print specifications while performing comfortably with the demands of a production environment. “Up time is paramount and marking machinery must offer a high

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level of reliability while always delivering code quality and integrity,” he says. “Production environments can be harsh with the presence of running water, high humidity, temperature extremes and production dusts challenging the reliability of line components. Customers require solutions that are designed for these conditions.” Markem Imaje’s Greig Francis points to coding and labelling solutions that run with minimal human interaction and training, while still delivering a high standard of performance. “We’ve found that the most common key factors influencing a manufacturer’s buying decision are: simplicity of operation, robustness and reliability to ensure maximum uptime,” he says. “These attributes are a cornerstone in the design of various Markem-Imaje identification technology solutions. We also combine these revolutionary technologies with a user friendly interface to optimise usability.” “Manufacturers have also come to realise that they need to consider the total cost of ownership as opposed to the initial upfront cost, as with today’s rapidly developing software and increasing demands on manufacturers themselves, the purchased product must be able to evolve.” “Another more noticeable trend emerging is that companies in general are becoming increasingly more envi-

ronmentally aware, and as such more manufacturers are seeking environmentally-friendly consumables.” In terms of future technology Steve Jowett says developments in ink technology seem to be outpacing advances in hardware. “In the past many application ideas were restricted by the narrow capabilities of the inks available,” he says. “We’re now seeing nano technology playing a role in the development of inks which contain active components. Advanced fluid products open up new opportunities in commercial and package printing and in many cases are waiting for the development of the application systems and coders to fully realise their potential.” “I would expect the future to feature an increased use of RFID labelling in FMCG,” Jowett adds. “Human readable data will still need to accompany RFID as a trusted fallback so marking systems such as Labelling, Ink Jet and Laser coders will remain active. Developments in both technologies will see lower hardware costs, higher consumable yields and greater reliability. Printers will be more modular and feature live redundancy, hot swap or disposable components to reduce downtime.” Maintaining as clean a manufacturing/production environment as possible is especially important for the food, bev-

erage and pharmaceutical markets. APJ Industrial OEM sales manager, for HP’s Speciality Printing Systems Gavin Zau says technology of the future will be clean, able to print more data at high resolution within a small print swath, easy to use and low cost. Coding, labelling and marking technologies will continue to evolve; yet according to the vendors, the mainstay of future developments will still be service. “It’s essential that solutions be supported by the supplier with a servicing program to ensure marking machine performance does not impact negatively on production line performance,” Steve Jowett says. “Customers expect us to accept accountability for the performance of the products we support and we structure our support commitment and associated programs in response to that expectation.” “We see customers who want peace of mind,” agrees Phil Biggs of Matthews. “They want to reduce production costs and increased productivity using our Planned Maintenance Programs (PMPs), which even include a discount on parts. Service also extends to our Consumable Support Plans, which protect customers’ coding and labelling investments.” “It’s terrific to have the latest equipment and software developments, but service must, must back that up.”

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APS

Winds of change APS Germany has developed breakthrough technology which enables the use of high alcohol content, fast dry inks in thermal ink jet technology, reports Anna Game-Lopata. s well as being a technological leader in the development of ground-breaking thermal ink jet printers, APS is a major international supplier of fluids (inks, additives and make-up) for all major brands of industrial ink jet printers. The company is headquartered in Germany where its products are engineered and manufactured. Distribution takes place worldwide, to over 35 countries, including Australia through the local APS subsidiary. Vice president Andrew Sharp says the company’s mission is to open the restricted supply of consumables to major brands of ink jet printers, while simultaneously offering a maintenance-free alternative ink jet technology suited to the marking and coding of packaged products. In terms of APS’s most recent and exciting innovations, Sharp points to the Apsolute™ thermal ink jet printer, launched in Australia early in 2007 along with APS patented technology that extends the use of high alcohol content fast dry inks suited to coding nonporous primary packaging. “While Thermal Ink Jet (TIJ) is a Hewlett Packard technology used daily in many workplaces for printing on porous materials, Apsolute™ significantly expands the number of applications through the use of high alcohol content, fast dry disposable ink cartridges for coding non-porous packaging materials,” Sharp explains. “This unique breakthrough in ink jet technology is a mast head development from APS engineering, as it allows the enormous benefits of ink jet to be enjoyed without the drawbacks of current day continuous small character printers.” “The winds of change are here

“The old days of high maintenance CIJ, service technicians, ink stained floors, handling of dangerous flammable liquids and exclusive supply agreements are gone.” By empowering a manufacturer with the ability to ‘repair’ problems with the simple exchange of a cartridge, the Apsolute TM eliminates time and expense.

already and blowing stronger,” Sharp says. “The old days of high maintenance CIJ, service technicians, ink stained floors, handling of dangerous flammable liquids and exclusive supply agreements are being replaced with clean, maintenance free, enviro-friendly ink.” In the current environment, Sharp believes thermal ink jet offers the greatest potential to provide a single technology able to address the fundamental needs of primary, secondary and tertiary packaging. “Thermal Ink Jet is the natural coding and marking technology of the future and will be dominant within the next decade,” he asserts. Of all the other ink jet technologies, Andrew Sharp says APS recognised the enormous benefits offered by thermal ink jet, such self maintenance through disposable cartridges, scalability and simplicity. “With millions of systems being used daily in mailing and office environments, thermal ink jets are a well tried and tested solution,” he says. “But thermal ink jet only works with

water based and low alcohol content inks, meaning it is only suitable for porous materials. It’s a secondary rather than a primary packaging solution.” APS therefore undertook a significant development project to engineer a proprietary driver pioneering high alcohol content, fast dry inks suited to coding non-porous primary packaging materials. “The result was the launch in 2007 of the Apsolute™,” Sharp enthuses. A significant number of marking and coding packaging requirements are legislatively governed, forming a critical link in the production chain, and are installed in no-print-no-production locations. Unlike current day continuous ink jet, laser and thermal transfer ribbon printers, the Apsolute™ thermal ink jet has no moving parts (no pumps, no motors, no filters, no tubes, no solenoid valves, and no membranes). “This system is maintenance-free and allows the user to get on with the job without having to worry endlessly about the up-time of the marking and coding

equipment,” Sharp says. “Any potential problems are resolved simply by replacing a print cartridge, a task that takes no more than five seconds.” “By empowering a manufacturer with the ability to ‘repair’ potential problems with the simple exchange of a cartridge, the Apsolute™ eliminates time, expense, lost production and the uncoded products normally associated with coder failure,” he adds. “This increases efficiency, productivity and sustainability in all packaging situations.” At Interpack 2008, APS launched a further innovative technology, the Apsolute™ in-line shutter to increase the range of fast dry inks available for this product range. “The patented inline shutter automatically caps the ink cartridge when not being used for printing,” Andrew Sharp says. APS has also launched an ink for Apsolute™ suitable for marking and coding on to BOPP film, which is traditionally a challenge for ink jet technology. “This new ink provides excellent adhesion with all the benefits of disposable cartridge technology,” Sharp says.

Filling and Capping Collier Packaging P/L (02) 4324 0441 www.colpack.com.au

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DY-MARK

Pursuit of excellence Dy-Mark Identification Solutions aims to be recognised as a prominent customer service driven organisation which is relentless in its pursuit of excellence, writes Anna Game-Lopata. y-Mark Identification Solutions is the exclusive distributor for Collamat and United Barcode Systems, and distributes the Willett range of small and large character ink jet equipment, and the Datamax range of industrial desk top thermal printers and print engines. The company also manufactures its own labels from primary product labels through to pallet labels. National sales manager Mark Luft tells Packaging Magazine that Dy-Mark’s long term vision is to provide customers with the best ‘total package’ seen in the industry; not just through innovative, high quality product identification equipment, but also through the best possible system integration, supply of consumables, technical support and equipment maintenance. “One of the key issues facing industry at the moment is the ability for new

UBS APL 8000: durable high quality

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20 PACKAGING June 2008

“Dy-Mark coding and labelling systems are extremely robust and reliable. We know that the system will work as intended.” product identification equipment to offer a good Return-On-Investment,” Luft says. “Dy-Mark coding and labelling systems are extremely robust and reliable. We know that the system will work as intended.” “Our most recent product development is the introduction of the UBS APL 8000 series dedicated pallet labelling system,” Luft says. “The UBS APL 8000 offers an extremely durable high quality, PLC controlled solution that can be integrated into an existing palletiser or set up as a completely independent stand-alone system with no requirement for even a PC.” “Designed for single, dual and three panel applications, the newly launched APL 8000 series is purpose-built for pallet labelling and as such, sets the range apart from others available on the market today,” Luft says. “The APL 8000 series makes compliance with traceability regulations easy and ensures the ultimate technology in GS1-128 barcode label printing. The series is offered with an optional elevator, allowing the pallet labeller to adjust and adapt to any pallet configuration and pre-programmed height. The optional elevator can also label one pallet from different heights.” The APL 8000 series integrates the Datamax A-Class family of print engines which is designed to include some of the most innovative features ever found in a print and apply engine. “We now also have the UBS APLINK SV high resolution ink jet system for non-porous substrates, and the newly released Collamat Etiprint in-line or semi-automatic high-speed print and apply system,” Luft says. UBS equipment is new to Australia and is exclusively distributed by DyMark Identification Solutions. “The two latest additions to the range offer some of the most durable equipment yet seen,”

enthuses Mark Luft. “The APLINK ink jet system has an on-board PC to manage formats and print parameters. It prints high quality text, graphics and barcodes on to almost any substrate.” “The APL 8000 series pallet labelling system has a unique fully enclosed media supply cabinet, onboard PLC with touch screen operation and an optional barcode verifier. It is the complete package designed specifically for pallet identification.” The Collamat Etiprint is another of the company’s newly released innovations. According to Luft, it is the perfect solution for printing on-demand labelling where the last printed label gets directly labelled on to the product. “The Print & Apply system from Collamat is built for harsh environments and fulfils all industrial needs,” he explains. “The Collamat Etiprint is reliable and the modular applicator system makes top, bottom, left, right or over edge labelling possible with the same base module.” “The selection of modular applicators can also be continuously expanded including the printer solutions. Common print engines like Datamax, Sato, Zebra, and TEC can be integrated in the unit.” Luft says the Collamat Etiprint range offers ‘in-line print and apply’ for secondary packaging and carton labelling at up to 100 metres per minute by using a unique air loop system. “Until recently these sorts of speeds were unheard of,” he asserts. “Coupled with the extremely high build quality of the Swiss made Collamat equipment, the range offers a long term solution for carton identification.” “Since the launch of the UBS range and the partnership with Collamat, DyMark Identification Solutions can now offer a total range of labelling solutions to match any configuration or requirement,” Luft says.

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Green Giant HP is focused on incorporating track & trace, the desire for a cleaner environment and deriving cost efficiency, reports Anna Game-Lopata. ith a portfolio that spans printing, personal computing, software, services and IT infrastructure, HP is the world's largest IT company. According to Singapore based APJ Industrial OEM sales manager, SPS Gavin Zau, HP prioritises investments in the graphics art printing markets by providing a wide selection of solutions for the industrial and commercial printing environment. “Within the Imaging & Printing Group, Specialty Printing Systems (SPS) licenses HP’s thermal inkjet (TIJ) technology to OEM partners, who develop package coding solutions,” Gavin Zau explains, “while Indigo provides label and flexible packaging printing, and Scitex offers packaging printing on corrugated media.” For decades, HP has worked to manage its environmental impact, adopting environmentally responsible practices in product development, operations and supply chain. “Our company strives to be a global leader in reducing its carbon footprint through limiting waste and recycling,” Zau says. “In April 2007 our efforts earned the company recognition as one of Fortune Magazine’s ‘Ten Green Giants’.” HP’s SPS reinforces the company’s commitment to environmental responsibility by leveraging company processes with OEM partners. “Our OEM partners, including those in Australia, have developed a variety of solutions for package coding applications,” Zau says. “Initially they focused on porous applications like secondary case coding, cartons and boxes, but recently, they have been successful in non-porous applications for plastic wraps, cable wires, wax papers and more.” “Customers are also asking for the ability to track and trace products back to the production line,” Zau says. “This occurs by printing important data like serial numbers, 1D/2D barcodes which help manage quality issues, prevent diversion and product counterfeiting.” Gavin Zau says the SPS OEM busi-

22 PACKAGING June 2008

ness model has been in existence for about 10 years, allowing OEM partners to tap into the commercial success of HP thermal inkjet technology. “OEM partners integrate specialty ink and HP’s thermal inkjet technology for the package coding requirements of their customers,” Zau says. “HP supplies are easily installed and removed by the operator without the need for trained technicians on-site. This increases production line productivity. Effectively, you get a new printhead whenever a cartridge is replaced, refreshing the printing system and contributing to overall system reliability.” “HP inks stay contained within the print cartridge and aren't re-circulated during operations, so solvent evaporation is minimal,” Zau says. “This improves the work environment and reduces the chance of solvent contamination.” “In addition, there are no ribbons, ink spills or spare parts to handle,” he says. “This ensures that people, products and premises stay clean, which is particularly important for food and pharmaceutical manufacturing. It also keeps costly downtime under control.” HP also enables the recycling and easy return of Original HP printing supplies through the HP Planet Partners program on a global basis. “In Australia, HP has joined forces

HP’s OEM partners integrate speciality ink and HP’s thermal inkjet technology for the package coding requirements of their customers.

with Planet Ark in a unique environmental program called ‘Cartridges 4 Planet Ark’,” enthuses Zau. “Free of charge and easy to use, the C4PA program is nationwide.” In terms of new products, Gavin Zau points to the HP Indigo WS6000 Digital Press targeting label and packaging converters, which will be available worldwide towards the end of the year. “This machine can print up to 7 colours and includes an improved white ink for printing on metallic label stock as well as flexible packaging,” he says. “It’s is driven by the HP SmartStream Labels and Packaging solution and powered by EskoArtwork, which includes a new version of digital front-end.” Zau says HP Indigo press print-ondemand technology drastically cuts the waste of paper and supplies as well as

storage costs. “This technology not only produces less waste and fewer emissions than conventional offset printing, but also reduces power consumption by 25 per cent per printed label and gives consumables a longer lifespan,” he says. In February, HP Australia announced the first recycling program for its Indigo ink canisters, in partnership with Currie Group targeting Brisbane, Sydney and Melbourne. In an industry first announced in January, HP has also developed an engineering breakthrough enabling the use of post-consumer recycled plastics in the production of new Original HP inkjet print cartridges. “More than 200 million cartridges have been manufactured using this process so far,” says Gavin Zau. “HP used more than 5 million pounds of recycled plastic in its inkjet cartridges last year, and the company is committed to using twice as much in 2008.” “This is an unprecedented, closed loop plastic recycling system,” Zau explains. “It results in HP utilising inkjet cartridges with 70 to 100 per cent recycled content that still meet the company's high-performance standards.” In recognition of HP’s inventive approach to using recycled content, the Society of Plastics Engineers, a trade organisation for plastics professionals, presented HP with its most prestigious environmental stewardship award at the Global Plastics Environmental Conference in March 2008.

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INSIGNIA. .

People Process Passion insignia combines labelling systems expertise, lifetime support, leading global brands and shared business values to support a mutually beneficial partnership with its clients, writes Anna Game-Lopata. ith 40 years experience in the industry, insignia is a leading, national label manufacturer. “Our focus is quality,” says general manager Jack Winson. “Quality awardwinning labels, quality brands and quality people. We offer labels, systems hardware, software and service to support our clients labelling needs.” “insignia’s mission statement is: ‘Through People, Process and Passion, build a labelling business which brings unprecedented delight to customers, fear to competitors and delivers long term security and opportunity to all of us’,” Winson says. “Supporting our mission and our dedication to quality are our company values: honour, diligence, change for strength, ownership and commitment,” he says. “insignia operates in a fair and truthful manner, and knows that success is achieved through dedication to the job. We embrace change to improve and grow, and act with diligence by taking responsibility for our work as we strive to achieve our goals.” “We believe a labelling partnership is much more than a sale or a transaction,” Winson adds. “It is an intuitive relationship, developed over time to

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address business needs, impacts and issues. insignia carries this approach into every single customer interaction.” According to national sales manager for Labelling Systems Brad Jeavons, recent product innovations insignia has been proud to introduce to the market include technological advancements in both hardware and software capabilities for some of the company’s leading brands. “In labelling and coding hardware, the specialised Domino M-Series Label Printer Applicator with new tamp pad technology is a product innovation that has meant increased efficiency for many of our customers,” Jeavons says. “The tamp pad of an applicator traditionally has been the originator of many faults, however the new design ensures greater reliability in the system’s operation.” Jeavons says the Domino M-Series Applicator’s utilisation of standard and readily accessible parts makes the M-Series a viable and cost-effective choice to implement into a production line. “Readily available parts reduce the total cost of ownership of labelling and coding equipment for the user and provide greater accessibility for the supply of both spare parts and options,” he says. “The machines are user-friendly and easily integrated into existing production control systems and software. This in turn leads to improved productivity and savings in running costs, which for our customers means improved bottom-line performance.” In software innovation, Jeavons points to Bartender Labelling Software which has made improvements in system integration with a customer’s existing ERP or WHMS Databases. “The software ensures that data being used for identification and coding is coming from one central source,” he says. “This improves data

integrity and reduces the chance of errors. Improved integration with client companies’ central management software and databases is important as it impacts on the effectiveness of the whole supply chain.” “If the initial label applied to a carton or pallet is incorrect, the efficiency of the supply chain is compromised,” Jeavons explains. “Bartender’s software innovation means users have greater peace of mind with the knowledge their data is correct.” “The quality and reliability of the new labelling solutions insignia is providing the Australian market will allow companies to finally achieve the benefits they require from automated labelling.” In addition, Jeavons says the ability to use generic cartons means reduced

“insignia’s hope is that the company will play a part in the increased competitiveness of local manufacturers in an ever-competitive global market.” carton inventory and the ability to get production data on to the carton at the point of production. “This includes information such as batch numbers and best before dates, allowing for more efficient traceability throughout the life of that carton or pallet,” he says. Along with the key benefits of automated labelling - such as data accuracy, application speed and increased throughput, Jeavons says the reliability of the new Domino M series Applicator means companies implementing the machines can feel confident of a fast return on investment. “There are also considerable OH&S benefits from the removal of people from production areas and forklift zones, where previously they might have been entering to apply a label manually,” he adds. “Finally, one central source of data is much better for a company than having

multiple databases with lots of duplicated information floating around - this scenario is never easy to manage.” In terms of the future, Jeavons says insignia aims to continue providing automated labelling solutions to its major food and beverage, metallurgy, and automotive industries, as well as many other markets. “insignia is experiencing growth from the support of its satisfied customers,” he says. “Our goal is to expand on this successful formula. We’re looking to use our achievements to grow our national customer base and improve the quality of labelling and coding systems overall. In turn, this will lead to cost reductions and the creation of efficiencies for our customers through a more efficient and accurate supply chain. Our hope is that insignia plays a part in the increased competitiveness of local manufacturers in an ever-competitive global market.”

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KHS PACIFIC

KHS Pacific world record Designed especially to meet the requirements of Coopers Brewery, the modular KHS Innoket SE 2090 labelling machine, is a world first, writes Anna Game-Lopata. oopers Brewery has a long-standing relationship with KHS Pacific. When the South Australian brewery was newly established in 2001, KHS equipment was installed. This included an Innokeg Till Transomat 5/1 keg line, an Innopack Kisters WP wrap-around packer, an Innofill DRS ZMS filler, which is virtually predestined for bottling beer with low oxygen pickup, an Innopas P pasteurizer, and the Innoket SE. With a pitch circle of just less than 2.40 meters, the Innoket SE produces a labelling performance of up to 72,000 bottles per hour, the fastest speed ever recorded. The Innoket SE labels all styles of beer bottled by Coopers Brewery. The company currently relies mainly on 375-ml glass bottles, but 750-ml bottles are provided for three of the naturally conditioned ales. From the point of view of the Innoket SE, this range of glass can be extended at any time, as the labelling machine is equipped for processing widely differing bottle sizes and shapes. “We’re extremely satisfied with KHS equipment,” says Brewery manager Dr Tim Cooper, whose family is the fifth generation to run Coopers since it was founded in 1862. “KHS once again presented us with precisely the solution we needed, so the decision was quite firmly made in favour of our trusted supplier when it came to our latest investment in labelling equipment.” Seventy five per cent of the beers Coopers produce are supplied to the consumer in glass bottles. Another 22 per cent goes to the restaurant trade in kegs, and the remaining 3per cent is distributed in aluminium cans. At present, the Innoket SE works exclusively using the cold glue labelling process, but the modular design of this generation of labelling machines provides plenty of flexibility to meet future requirements. If Coopers Brewery should decide to apply adhesive-pressure labels, for example, this can be implemented easily by changing labelling stations on the central carousel.

24 PACKAGING June 2008

“KHS Pacific is a global manufacturer and supplier of turnkey plants and individual machines for filling, sealing, labelling, packing and palletising of glass and PET bottles, cans and kegs” Coopers Brewery has a long-standing relationship with KHS Pacific, relying on the Innoket SE to label its glass bottles, which comprise 75% beer supplied.

The base version of the Innoket SE has been deliberately kept simple. It is comprised of a table structure and the central labelling carousel which can be equipped with a wide variety of different labelling stations. Wet glue, self-adhesive, hot glue, or roll-fed units in any combination are all feasible. The Innoket SE at Coopers Brewery is currently equipped with three cold-glue labelling stations that apply the body and shoulder labels for the bottles on the Australian market, and additional back labels for exported products. Wet glue labelling involves spreading glue over the entire surface of the paper labels. In the Innoket SE concept, the stations are driven by a servo motor. Movements within the stations are controlled by an external double cam race. Glue segments remove the labels gently from the labelling magazine and guide them with an optimum peeling angle to the gripper cylinder, which finally applies the label to the bottle. The Innoket SE is also equipped with the VarioDrive electronic bottle turret control system. The VarioDrive is a single unit comprised of a turret, motor, and electronic components that makes it possible to rotate containers individually - to suit the particular bottle format

and style of dressing. These drives can be adapted or expanded to suit new container shapes and dressings at any time, and can be quickly programmed. If Coopers Brewery should decide to use relief or contour bottles that require labels to be applied in specified positions with millimetre accuracy, combining VarioDrive with a camera module (easily be docked with the Innoket SE), would provide a solution for this difficult task. A high level of user-friendliness and maximum machine efficiency is ensured by using three Innoket Automatic Label Magazine (ALM) hoppers, one for each cold glue labelling station. Each label hopper is designed with five additional back-up units, which used in succession, are assigned to an active label storage unit. Operators only have to replenish labels when all the labels stored here have been used. Each Innoket ALM label hopper holds up to a total of 50,000 labels. In addition, the KHS cold glue labelling stations are characterised by a long service life. Overhauls are only required after 20,000 hours of operation at the earliest. Several factors contribute to the long service life of KHS cold glue labelling

stations. The first important feature is the rotation of the glue segments that prevents vibration, overload, and wear. Other aspects include direct drive without additional gear stages, a conical coupling without play, and multiple labyrinth seals. The external oil circulation lubrication system is also an advantage. The quantity of lubricant and its distribution are exactly defined and all lubrication points are automatically monitored. This system ensures lubrication regardless of station rotation. For cleaning purposes, the labelling station is equipped with an integral hot water spray, which selectively flushes off the gluing segments as well as the glue drum. KHS also provides Coopers Brewery with a glue that exactly matches the application. In addition to the qualitative evaluation of the label material, which included testing the interaction between glass bottle, glue and label, a test run was carried out in the KHS in-house laboratory under practical conditions before the label adhesive was adopted. “All this has been well worth the effort,” Dr Cooper says. “The Innoket SE has been running like clockwork since its installation.”

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KURZ

Hot and cold foil Mention KURZ to an experienced printer and they’ll tell you the company is best known as a prominent supplier of hot and cold foil stamping technology throughout the world, writes Bruce Manuel. URZ has 18 international branch offices and 70 distributors, more than 2,600 employees and ten production facilities throughout Europe, the United States and the Pacific region. Recently, the company has come to the forefront of another realm of finishing, with its innovative range of high quality thermal transfer printer ribbons. “Suitable for the company’s thermal transfer desktop or inline printers, flat head or near edge head, KURZ Australia’s K-series thermal transfer ribbons provide a better print finish on almost every substrate,” says managing director Neil McIver. “They are suitable for the company’s thermal transfer desktop or inline printers, flat head or near edge head, and in addition, KURZ ribbons are environmentally friendly.” To further increase the company’s drive into thermal transfer ribbon technology, last year KURZ announced an agreement with leading North American thermal transfer ribbon manufacturer IIMAK, which sees KURZ incorporate the CleanStart™ Printhead Cleaner on the company’s complete range of thermal transfer ribbons. “In a nutshell, CleanStart™ Printhead Cleaner is designed to sit between the leader and the ribbon on the printhead and clean the printhead by removing debris before it builds up - thus removing residue and helping maintain an excellent print quality,” McIver explains. “CleanStart™ Printhead Cleaner is a revolutionary technology for thermal transfer printer ribbons, that will greatly enhance the productivity and longevity of a thermal printhead.” “The idea behind this product is that every time you load the printer with a new role of ribbon, CleanStart™ cleans the printhead, so it’s preventive maintenance; stopping build up before it happens.” “The main benefits include hassle free printhead maintenance, unbeatable printhead quality, a reduction in cost - as the printhead lasts around three times longer - and it only takes six seconds to clean,” says McIver. Kurz Australia also delivers brand

26 PACKAGING June 2008

“Trustseal® diffractive optical structures are produced by means of a computer based proprietary process and replicated in a foil polymer structure. These striking structures can be recognised easily, even under unfavourable lighting conditions.”

KURZ Australia’s thermal transfer ribbons provide a better print finish.

protection high-security products through state-of-the-art, optical anticounterfeiting technology. McIver says Diffractive Optical Diffusion features provide economical and effective protection against forgery while strengthening the consumers trust in the brand name of a product. “The most effective barrier against counterfeiting and tampering is a combination of suitable, available security technologies, such as optical authenticity features made with special security materials and non-visible information written with security inks,” he says. “Alternatively a product or its packaging must have copy proof appearance.” Bank notes are perhaps the best example of how these features can be combined, however this is not usually possible on clothing, watches, cosmetics, consumer articles, medicines or automotive spare parts. “This is where refractive authentication features such as Trustseal ® and Kinegram ® from KURZ come in to play,” McIver says. “The Kinegram ® process has unique features that are easy to verify but difficult to copy, and is widely used around the world for bank note security-marking; notably the Euro banknotes,” McIver explains. “The Trustseal* range, which comprises stand-alone security

features, offers a very high functional level of security. A flexible element of any design, these features can reinforce the purchaser’s trust in the brand.” Optical security features from KURZ, can self-destruct, if required, when someone attempts to tamper with the product. “The design possibilities for this foil are virtually unlimited,” McIver enthuses. “Different technological processes, from holography to digital computer technology, can be used to generate the tools for foil production, depending on the customer’s security level requirements.” “Even though a hologram is an effective security feature, it is by no means safe from the skills of a professional Counterfeiter,” McIver warns.

“For that very reason, KURZ has devised an even more effective form of security technology.” Trustseal® diffractive optical structures are produced by means of a computer based proprietary process and replicated in a foil polymer structure. These striking structures can be recognised easily, even under unfavourable lighting conditions. Additional security elements, such as information that can be read by using a special viewing apparatus and so-called ‘nanotext’ also provide highlevel protection against counterfeiting. “Trustseal® technology can also be used to implement diffractive bar-codes, thereby allowing automated authenticity verification,” says McIver. “A holographic forgery would be readily identifiable on account of the bar-code’s Trustseal® microscopic structures.” “All in all, the best protection against product counterfeiting is to always stay (at least) one technological step ahead of potential counterfeiters,” McIver says. “KURZ Trustseal® and Kinegram ® technology can help you do just that.” Bruce Manuel is marketing consultant to KURZ Australia.

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We take your sustainable packaging further Amcor can take your sustainable packaging further than ever before. While our entire focus is on creating extra value for our customers, we also appreciate the need to create solutions that are environmentally sustainable. A recent innovation, Amcor SureFresh® cartons combine superior strength with premium product appearance at point of sale, offering high level moisture resistance and base sag resistance for outstanding supply chain performance.

But moreover, Amcor SureFresh® cartons are the silver winner d 2007. of the PCA Packaging Awards Sustainability Award Used as a replacement for returnable plastic crates, expanded polystyrene foam and some non-recyclable wax coated trays, Amcor SureFresh® cartons have no need for return transport or cleaning, eliminating costs, use of water and detergent. Amcor SureFresh® cartons are also recyclable through the standard paper and recycling stream.

To ﬁnd out how we can take your packaging further visit:

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INNOVATING. INTEGRATING. DELIVERING.

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LINCO FOODS

Modular Options from Linco Foods Linco Foods plans to continue providing its Australian customers with new technology and innovative solutions from its European based suppliers, reports Anna Game-Lopata. inco Food Systems is a wholly owned Australian company which supplies packaging and labelling systems for the food industry in Australia. The company began its life over 30 years ago as a supplier of poultry processing equipment. In 1996, Linco Foods expanded to include a packaging division which imports and sells leading brands of packaging and labelling equipment such as iMAP systems and Espera weigh price labelling equipment among many others. According to Linco Foods director Geoff Bourke, the most pressing issue facing the coding, marking and labelling sector is the necessity to work with ever increasing label sizes and printed information. Bourke says the

new range of Espera weigh price labelling systems addresses this challenge as the company continues to expand. “Espera have added the budget entry level ES2000 series and the brand new ES7800 Multi-cassette weigh price labeller to the existing range,” Bourke says, “as well as expanding the modular options available for the very popular mid-priced ES5000 range.” “The ES2000 series offers scale capacity of 12kg and 60kg but still has a full colour touch screen and 104mm wide thermal printer,” Bourke explains. “It’s ideally suited for smaller operators wanting to label individual packs or cartons.” The ES5000 series of machines is now available to be configured as multi-printer systems with the availability of additional top and bottom printers. This allows for up to two top and one bottom printer/applicator combinations. “The bottom label applicator is a new design featuring an innovative label transfer system that doesn’t require the normal drum The only one of its kind in the world: The ES7800 Multi-cassette system.

“The brand new ES7800 Multi-cassette system from Espera is the only one of its kind in the world. roller applicator common in higher speed machines,” Bourke says. “This enables Espera to keep the price of the bottom labelling system low without the loss of functionality.” “The ES5000 series of machines are suitable for use in conjunction with tray sealing, stretch wrapping, and thermoforming machines operating at speeds up to 65 packs per minute,” Bourke adds. “It has minimal floor space and is a very simple system to operate and maintain. The series can also be customised to connect to central database software.” According to Geoff Bourke, the brand new ES7800 Multi-cassette system is a truly innovative development from Espera. “This system is the only one of its kind in the world,” he enthuses. “It takes the concept of a standard single printer/applicator machine and adds a five roll cassette system to the printer. This allows the use of five different label roll stocks on the one thermal printer.” “Our patented label delivery system has been honed and perfected over the

last two years,” Bourke says. “Linco Foods ensured the system passed dedicated customer factory trials in Europe prior to its release for sale in Australia.” In the system, all cassettes work independently of each other. Label rolls can be changed in one cassette while the machine is in operation. “Label cassettes in use at any one time will automatically be changed when the product code is changed,” Bourke explains. “They can also be utilised as reserve cassettes when another cassette runs out of labels. The system takes up minimal floor space when compared with the previous option of using a five printer/applicator system. It operates at speeds up to 120 packs per minute.” “The ES7800 system will allow producers to label their products for multiple customers without the need for stoppages,” Bourke says. “In addition, instantaneous product code changes can be made using the preselected quantity feature available on the operation screen for setting up labelling quantities and production in advance.”

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MARKEM-IMAJE..

Best of Breed Markem-Imaje brings together the strength and experience of two leading marking and coding companies to form the largest product identification solutions provider in the world, writes Anna Game-Lopata. arkem-Imaje, a wholly owned subsidiary of the New Yorkbased Dover Group, is a trusted world manufacturer of product identification and traceability solutions, offering a full line of reliable and innovative inkjet, thermal transfer, laser, print and apply label systems and RFID- based systems. According to Markem-Imaje Australia national sales and marketing manager Greig Francis, the company’s mission is to be a trusted business partner. “We bring knowledge and experience to every product identification and marking challenge,” Francis says. “We strive to improve business through our deep market knowledge and consultative approach.” “Our customers value innovation, passion, integrity, performance and sustainability and so do we,” he says. Asked about the company’s latest innovations, Greig Francis is coy, as the new product range will be launched in Australia at FoodPro 2008. What he will say is that the brand new product range includes the finest coding and labeling technology from both Markem and Imaje R&D teams along with the tried and true equipment known to FMCG manufacturers. “Our brand new product range will first be unveiled at Interpack in Germany and FoodPro will be the first viewing and demonstration of the new product range in Australia,” he says. “Markem-Imaje’s products cover coding and marking requirements from “paddock to plate” with tailored solutions for all our customers,” Francis says. “Our continuous inkjet offers the best quality print in the market at a very affordable cost, while our print and apply labelers have won two awards for their modular design and ease of integration. This makes them a favourite in high profile beverage and confectionary plants. No matter what substrate needs to be marked, Markem-Imaje will strive to provide the best solution.” “Coding and labeling is our core busi-

ness,” Francis explains. “Unlike the majority of identification providers, we design and manufacture our own products. As we are not simply resellers, Markem-Imaje can provide unique tailored solutions with the associated commitment to the product.” “Efficiency and maximum uptime are cornerstones in the development of Markem-Imaje products,” Francis adds. “It’s through our ‘best of breed’ philosophy that our identification technology has been distilled and released in modular and flexible designs.” “A perfect example of this would be our 2000 print and apply product which can change from thermal to direct transfer in seconds,” Francis says. “This creates minimal interruption to the workflow, unlike competitors’ products which require integration.” “With Markem-Imaje’s focus on maintaining our products and providing our customers with maximum return on their investment, we have also set up local service by a team of factory-trained technicians to support our customers,” he says. Greig Francis points to the outstanding quality offered by Markem-Imaje products as the reason the company is known worldwide. “Along with the awards we’ve received for our print and apply technology, our ‘3rd generation’ laser has also received notoriety as the next evolution in laser technology,” he enthuses. “These are only a few of the innovative products that have emerged from the integration of Markem-Imaje, resulting in ‘best of breed’ technology.” While Markem-Imaje is the largest global coding and marking specialist, Greig Francis says the company will continue to strive to secure its place as the first choice for coding and labeling solutions. “Markem-Imaje also will maintain its support for not-for-profit organisations such as GS1 and will continue to work with various major FMCG manufacturers to develop a unified international traceability system,” he says. “R&D will still be a focus to

ensure that we consistently provide cutting-edge technology and future-ready equipment to maximise the customer’s initial investment.” By way of example Greig Francis says Markem-Imaje plans to make use of its leadership position within the $US6 billion+ Dover corporation to continue its heavy investment into traceability technology. “We aim to meet and exceed our customers’ marking and coding requirements,” he says. “In terms of the future, we’re focusing particularly on new technologies such as RFID, laser as well as the control centre software applications that enable networking of labeling and coding technologies that streamline the information process. These technologies save the customer both time and money.” “This is an exciting time in the

Markem-Imaje has won 2 design awards for print and apply technology

FMCG and packaging industries. We’ll make sure we’re supporting our customers 100 per cent in their future endeavours.”

UNDERSTAND THE CORE PRINCIPLES OF

FOOD & BEVERAGE

PACKAGING Short course on the core elements of food and beverage packaging. This short course provides a basic understanding of the core elements of food and beverage packaging principles and systems to, predominantly, early career professionals. The course combines lectures, company visits and interactive workshop sessions. There are no academic entry requirements to this short course. An optional assessment leads to a Certificate of Achievement which may serve as credit for the VU Packaging Degree Program that will be offered shortly. COURSE LECTURE TOPICS Food and Beverage Packaging - Introduction to Food Science: Food and Pharmaceutical; Composition, Sensitivities and Critical factors (including fresh, minimal processed and processed foods); Preservation technologies related to packaging; Principles of aseptic/septic systems and MAP; Shelf Life; Package-Product Interaction. Packaging Technologies - Conventional Filling Methods: Cold filling; Hot Filling, Aseptic filling, MAP, Form Fill and Seal (FFS) systems (horizontal and vertical), Closures and Closing; Material and Product Interactions including critical features in filling; secondary and tertiary packaging systems and features. Date: 28, 29 & 30 July 2008. Cost: $2000/- (Includes handouts and catering) For information call Marilyn Welch at the Packaging and Polymer Research Unit on 9919 8044 or email marilyn.welch@vu.edu.au WWW.VU.EDU.AU/HES CRICOS Provider No. 00124K

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June 2008 PACKAGING 29

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MATTHEWS

Hand in hand Matthews Intelligent Identification continues to post strong growth in Australia owing to its strategy of delivering traceability solutions that integrate with all manner of ERP and MRP systems, reports Anna Game-Lopata. atthews is Australia’s largest and most successful coding, labelling and traceability company. “Our capabilities include applying simple alpha-numeric codes by small stand-alone printers, right through to designing and installing networked hardware and software systems for highly sophisticated, multi-faceted needs,” says national sales and marketing manager Matthews Intelligent Identification Phil Biggs. Biggs tells Packaging magazine that his company’s mission is to alleviate labelling, coding and marking ‘hassles’, while bringing greater business intelligence to a company. “With integration driving every Matthews effort, our aim is to solve problems and increase efficiencies and productivity, hence profits, for our customers,” he says. “We do this with leading-edge product and software, plus technical service, which inherently includes knowledge. This trio must go together, hand in hand. “Technically, to remain at the top, we regularly attend international trade exhibitions and conferences, such as Taiwan RFID Expo, Packexpo and Interpack,” Biggs says. “But to be the best, we need more than just having the top technologies and integration capabilities: it’s about looking beyond our business and our customers’ businesses. We do that by being part of various industry associations — it helps keep us ahead of the game.” “For example, we were the first marking and coding company to be a GS1 Strategic Alliance Partner. We’re members of Electronic Product Code (EPC) Australia, committee members of Automatic Data Capture Australia and a board member of the Australian Packaging Machinery Association.” “For us, being a part of these associations is important. Their aims are to develop and maintain standards and education in the market place, which jells with Matthews’ business philosophies.” Asked about its most recent innova-

30 PACKAGING June 2008

tions, Biggs points to the development of inkjet printing and software solutions that have been patented in several international locations. “Our heavy R&D focus has seen us develop capabilities such as laser marking bar codes on cartons and being able to use laser coding on flexible film — packaging common in the snackfoods industry,” he says. “We first demonstrated marking bar codes on cartons at last year’s Auspack. It drew immense interest, not least of which was for the very positive cost implications. The laser marks a high quality bar code, plus uses no consumables to do so.”

the first company in Australia to offer Label Printer Applicators for RFID labels, and in 2006, was the first company to implement an EPC Gen2 RFID traceability project in conjunction with GS1 Australia at Patties Foods. “Matthews made a significant investment on the hardware and software supplied to the project because we really believe in the benefits of RFID,” Biggs proudly says. “The trial, which ran in parallel to Patties’ existing SSCC labelling system, used Class 1 Gen 2 RFID technology — then the newly ratified global standard for use with the Electronic Product Code in global

“To be the best, Matthews sees the need for more than just having the top technologies and integration capabilities: it’s about looking beyond our business and our customers’ businesses.” “Matthews will launch the Linx 6900 Solver at the AIP National Conference,” Biggs says. “This highly efficient continuous inkjet (CIJ) coder uses a new ink system and specially created intelligent software to ‘think as it inks’. By adjusting its operation according to the needs of the code being printed, it only uses the amount of solvent required.” “The Linx 6900 Solver will be of particular interest to large-scale users of CIJ technology, who are printing 24/7. Solvent reduction also has positive environmental impacts by cutting raw material usage along with packaging and transportation costs,” he adds. “The Solver also reduces the amount of solvent evaporated, reducing any potential risk of tainting products.” “Linx printer solvents are nontoxic, so can provide even greater environmental benefits compared with other coders.” According to Biggs, Matthews was

The Linx 6900 ‘thinks as it inks’ to adjust the amount of solvent required.

supply chains.” “Along with bar code compliance on shipping containers, Patties Foods could see other potential benefits,” Biggs recalls. “For instance, logistics is a large part of Patties’ business. Every day it

receives truckloads of ingredients (fresh and dry), and dispatches 200-odd pallets of pastries. A lack of real-time information was compounding any inaccuracies, in turn hampering production scheduling and distribution functions.” “RFID potentially revolutionise the entire supply chain, by improving its efficiencies and overall business intelligence,” he says. “For Patties, just some of the outcomes of this pilot were freeing up inventory and working capital, along with streamlining the flow of materials to and from production.” “Australia’s largest pie maker wanted to improve traceability by having the facility to trace individual customers as well as use-by dates. Such detailed information would reduce its exposure to the risk of a product recalls.” Matthews has strategically grown over the past 30-plus years, giving it a strong national network of sales and service operations. “Indicative of our dedication to the market is the signing of an extended 10-year exclusive distribution agreement with Linx Printing Technologies Ltd last year, to distribute its ink jet and thermal product range throughout Australia,” Biggs says. “In an era where there is significant change and consolidation globally of coding and labelling manufacturers and channels to market, this agreement demonstrates the strength of the relationship that exists between Matthews and Linx Printing Technologies. The agreement provides Matthews and its expanding customer base with stability and tremendous confidence.” As for the future, Biggs says pursuing integration will continue to drive Matthews’ R&D efforts, along with technical learnings. “In addition, we don’t ‘plonk and run’,” Biggs quips. “Our service teams around Australia are fully trained in all equipment and we pride ourselves on our commitment to continued technical training.” “Matthews will continue to be available around the clock, because our customers want peace of mind.

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PEACOCK BROTHERS..

Global Village Peacock Brothers will continue to assist its customers in Australia and overseas with products and advice that enables them to remain competitive in the ‘Global Village’, reports Anna Game-Lopata. stablished in 1888 in Melbourne, Peacock Bros. was originally a general printing company producing high quality printing, loose leaf systems and binders for companies to track and record their inventory stock control. Today the Australian owned and operated company has three label printing plants that print a wide array of barcode and product labels for the food and beverage, transport and logistics, and chemical industries, and all manner of labels and tags for manufacturers and retailers. Managing director Neil Crump says the company’s vision is to provide quality on-going service to clients and to offer the latest in products and services that the world can provide. “We aim to continually update our manufacturing facilities with technology that will reduce overall costs and pass further savings on to our customers,” he says. With development complete in March, the Peacock Bros. Sky-trax vehicle management system is an exciting new technology. It complements the company’s RFID Forklift which was released last year in conjunction with Intermec Technologies and Cascade Corporation. “The combined solution of Sky-Trax vehicle management and RFID inventory tracking gives the Australian market solutions to the most common and

advanced warehouse management issues in one implementation,” Crump says. “This is world-leading technology available first in Australia and New Zealand because of the locality of Peacock Bros’ current branches.” While RFID Technology has been around for many years, with a wide array of products using different frequency band widths, Neil Crump says EPC Global (GS1 in Australia & NZ) has established an international acceptance through Telcos and Industry Groups for the UHF Class 1 GEN 2 frequency. “This acceptance has given confidence to many major international companies like Motorola, Intermec, Zebra Technologies, UPM Raflatac, Alien and Avery to invest in the technology and develop products that allow companies like Peacocks to design and build systems that can be accepted and used internationally,” he says. Crump points to improved automated label print and apply systems such as the Weber 5300 as another example of recent Peacock Bros innovations that increase the functionality of high volume labelling. “This solution covers remote VPN access, control of multiple systems using one computer terminal, advanced programming capabilities such as job queuing, additional variable label data and

database management control as well as RFID label tag encoding, verification and application,” he says. “Australian warehouse management solutions are mostly focused on the goal of reducing labour costs and inventory errors to make the process of stock identification more efficient,”

the Automatic Label Print and Apply systems, RFID and the Sky-Trax vehicle and inventory management technology.” “Additionally, by adding a real-time virtual simulation of the whole warehouse area on a PC, warehouse event management, productivity recommendations and revisions can be made,” he

“Australian companies are constantly seeking more advanced wireless RF and RFID solutions with automated functionality” Crump explains. “Automated barcode print and apply systems are advancing in Australia whereas in many Asian countries the cost of labour isn’t such a big issue when selecting equipment or identification systems.” Accordingly, Crump says Peacock Bros solutions are designed to reduce the number of operators required and to decrease errors and delays in stock picking. “As a result of the high cost of warehouse management and operations, Australian companies are constantly seeking more advanced wireless RF and RFID solutions with automated functionality,” Crump observes. “Australian markets need more efficient solutions to compete with international competitors. This is why we’ve invested so much in

enthuses. “New technologies such as these offer more advanced functionality within multiple operations in an easy to operate and monitor format.” As for the company’s long term plans, Neil Crump says Peacock Bros. is already establishing its international presence by offering a variety of automatic tracking solutions to industry and the fresh food market. “We’ll continue in this vein into the foreseeable future,” he says. “We’re also looking to establish new markets for Peacock Bros. by developing innovative solutions to the growing needs of the world population in the form of superior track and trace solutions, asset management, variable data and security labels and tags using RFID technology.”

Weber 5300 print and apply system (left) and the Sky-Trax vehicle management system.

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June 2008 PACKAGING 31

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RAYMAX LASERS

Making Light Work Leading technology company Raymax Lasers® is dedicated to the supply of lasers and optronics equipment and solutions to the Australasian industrial and technical marketplace, writes Anna Game-Lopata. aymax Lasers® has been supplying laser systems since 1992. “We only provide lasers and related accessories,” says general manager Andrew Gotley. “As such, we’re committed to advancing this technology in Australasia.” “Our vision is to continue to promote the use of Lasers where appropriate and provide cost effective and innovative solutions to our customers.” In Australiasia, Raymax represents two major Coding & Marking Laser Manufacturers: Linx Printing Technologies and Alltec GmbH. “Both Linx and Alltec are the world’s leading suppliers of coding laser systems and Raymax is proud to be their distributor,” Gotley says. According to Andrew Gotley, Raymax has pioneered many new laser technologies in Australia including the use of Coding Lasers in wine bottling and packaging processes. “We’re currently supplying 4th generation LinxXymark laser coders to these and other industries within Australia and New

32 PACKAGING June 2008

Zealand,” he says. “In addition, Raymax installed the first Nd:YAG laser marking system for marking metal products on the fly in Australia and possibly the world. “We were the first company to introduce fibrelasers to the Australian market in the early 2000s and led the industry in Laser written security features, a technology which we’re continuing to develop.” “Raymax intends to remain at the forefront of laser technology in Australia and we have many new applications and projects in progress,” Gotley enthuses. Released in late 2007, the company’s most recent major product for Coding and Marking is the Linx Laser Coder series. “Comprising the Linx SL101 and SL301 scribing lasers, this technology is intended for applications such as carton and product coding,” Gotley says. “Offering respectively 10W and 30W power options, the range allows customers to choose the system that best suits their own production line requirements.” “The major features of the new Linx

The new Linx laser coder series allows the choice of two power levels (10 or 30W) and has a wide variety of beam delivery options.

“Raymax installed the first Nd:YAG laser marking system for marking metal products on the fly in Australia and possibly the world.”

Laser Coder series includes the choice of power levels (10W or 30W), a wide variety of beam delivery options to allow a cleaner, safer installation and simplified software user interface.” The series also introduces the IP65 rating, which allows lower power lasers to be installed in harsh environment areas such as wash down, high humidity and dusty areas. “Typically, lower power lasers are traditionally air cooled, limiting their applications to cleaner environments,” Gotley explains. “The release of the Linx 301/ and SL101 series allows organisations to install laser coding into environments where ink jet coders were considered the only technology possible.” “As the laser coders don’t use consumable inks or solvents, no monthly maintenance visits The new Linx SL101 and SL301 are required,” Gotley scribing lasers were released in 2007.

adds. “Stoppages due to ink blockages, the availability, production costs and harmful effects on the environment of inks and solvents are reduced or eliminated.” Another recent Raymax product is the Alltec LF050 Fibrelaser. “Available in 5W or 10W versions, the Fibrelaser marking system is designed for marking and coding the smallest parts with highest resolution and accuracy,” Andrew Gotley says. “As the fibrelaser emits a laser beam at around 1.064 micrometer wavelength (CO2 is at 10.6 micrometer), the energy can be absorbed by metals and other selected packaging materials more easily. Some of the applications now possible with this system include marking foils, films, bags and composite packaging.” “A major innovation from Raymax is security marking and coding features,” says Andrew Gotley. “While we can’t elaborate on specific applications due to customer confidentiality, the Raymax process has led the laser written security market.” For many years, companies have been attempting to implement a variety of methods to ensure the integrity and gen-

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RAYMAX LASERS..

“Raymax intends to remain at the forefront of laser technology in Australia and has many new applications and projects in progress” uineness of their products such as security labels and holograms. “A new method, pioneered by John Grace of Raymax in the late 1990s, is currently utilised for millions of products around Australia and the world,” Gotley says. “Essentially, a laser that could be CO2, Nd:YAG, Fibre, Diode or other, is used to write a unique mark, either covert or overt, on to the product or packaging.” “The features can be used on many different material types including metals, plastics, ceramics and organic materials,” he says. Gotley points to ensuring the genuineness of a product, traceability and cost elimination as the main benefits of laser written security features. “A product with a laser written feature allows easy identification, so its integrity can be protected,” he says. “In addition, a

traceability code allows a product’s path to be traced. More traditional methods, such as security labels and inks are easily detected, removed or circumvented.” The principals of Raymax Lasers are a group of physicists and engineers with many years of combined experience in the laser and manufacturing industries. “We’re all factory trained in installation and maintenance,” Andrew Gotley says. “Our engineering product design group offers customer integration and design expertise to compliment the products we sell.” “With all the different technologies and options available to producers, the key is to pick the most suitable technology for identifying products,” Gotley adds. “Raymax’s leading laser system brands and the benefit of our knowledge ensures the correct laser system can be supplied for any application.”

Raymax has pioneered the use of Coding Lasers in wine bottling and packaging processes.

SmartLase

Complete costs Coding Solution CutThe consumable with Laser Coding

The SmartLase 10 and 30 watt laser systems provide the perfect balance between power, safety and flexibility while remaining the most cost effective method of coding. Accurate, reliable and durable, it’s the perfect choice for any industry coding on primary cartons, printed labels, PET, PVC, glass and many other substrates. Consider replacing your current CIJ system with the SmartLase and enjoy the cost savings. The benefits of laser are clear….the SmartLase: • offers clean & safe operation, without any chemicals or toxins. • does not require any consumables, offering huge annual savings on ink & solvents. • permanent high quality print, that will never fade, rub off or smudge. • does not require daily warm-up process, purging or cleaning, reducing operation downtime thus making production more efficient. • is flexible enough to be used across different manufacturing lines. Join the thousands of customers internationally already using the SmartLase and enjoying the benefits and cost savings.

For more information or to obtain a free on site demonstration or trial call Unimark on 1800 353 054 or visit our website www.unimark.com.au VICTORIA • NEW SOUTH WALES • QUEENSLAND • SOUTH AUSTRALIA • WESTERN AUSTRALIA • TASMANIA • NEW ZEALAND

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June 2008 PACKAGING 33

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TRONICS

Designed for Uptime Tronics’ long-term vision is to have an aggressive growth strategy based on product innovation and new markets, writes Anna Game-Lopata. ronics manufactures and distributes efficient, cost-effective, hightech machines that apply professional labelling, decorating, coding and identification marking to almost any container. “Our machines are fast, accurate and most of all reliable,” says business development director Frank Floriano. “Our Australian made systems effectively handle a wide range of containers, materials and label shapes under a variety of conditions and production line speeds.” “Tronics equipment will blend seamlessly into any production line to improve output and reduce operating costs,” he adds. Founded in 1983, Tronics has grown to a very profitable organisation, with 110 staff worldwide. Domestically Tronics represents Videojet a global leader in identification equipment. “Videojet arguably has the largest identification product range in the world, consisting of small character, large character, thermal, laser, and array printers,” says Floriano. Tronics also has a comprehensive manufacturing

V I B R A T O R Y

34 PACKAGING June 2008

facility in Melbourne, which supplies labelling equipment for both the domestic and international markets. “The facility has an in-house design team including electronics, software and mechanical,” Floriano says. “We manufacture priming labelling, secondary labelling, label print apply (LPA), leak detectors, high-speed applicators and heat transfer equipment.” Another facet of the business involves the supply of label applicators to the Newspaper industry, for the application of promotional material (post it notes) to the front page or other sections of the newspaper. “We’ve recently appointed the large multinational Muller Martini to exclusively distribute our high-speed publication applicators worldwide,” Floriano says. In the last twelve months Tronics has launched 3 new products: the S1000 and S1000 plus and the highspeed publication labeller (HSPL). “The company is also about to launch its Series 4 and the Videojet 1510 at Foodpro this July,” Floriano says. “All our product innovations are designed to increase

“The first ‘DIY’ labeller in the world, the S1000 and S1000 Plus have been specifically developed to assist start up businesses.” uptime and reduce setup and service requirements,” he says. The first ‘DIY’ labellers in the world, the S1000 and S1000 Plus have been specifically developed to assist start up businesses. “We deliberately designed the S1000 and S1000plus to have all the features and reliability of our existing product range, but at 30 per cent of the cost,” Floriano explains. “They have a flat pack design, and come with a DVD and tool kit for ease of assembly.” “A truly modular system, the Tronics Series 4 was designed with three objectives in mind,” Floriano says, “ease of use or repeatability, ease of upgrade in the field and finally the ability to use non-propriety parts.” “Constant competitive pressure to reduce cost and improve uptime means more and more customers expect a one touch start and stop with minimal service requirements,” Floriano says. “With 600 hundred hours between cleaning and 9000 hours between services, the Videojet 1510 is the next gen-

eration in inkjet. It’s designed for uptime and ease of use.” According to Frank Floriano, Tronics aims to continue its growth through research and development, product innovation, and new markets. “Tronics has recently secured agency for Serac filling and capping equipment which has a head office France,” he says. “Using net weight technology, Serac is considered to be the world leader in dairy, personal care, chemical and foodstuff in fill and capping equipment.” “We also place great importance on maintaining a thriving working environment for our employees,” he says. “We believe it’s essential to acknowledge successes and encourage each person to reach their potential.” “Our vision also revolves around the delivery of real value to our customers by going beyond their expectations. We achieve this by working with suppliers and partners to develop the best possible solutions for our customers,” Floriano says.

E Q U I P M E N T

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UNIMARK..

Resourcefulness as a matter of necessity Unimark’s Australian innovations are often adopted, exported and scaled up to suit overseas markets; a contribution the company takes pride in, reports Anna Game-Lopata. stablished in Melbourne in 1977 and now servicing Australia and New Zealand, Unimark provides marking and coding solutions to industry, offering an extensive range of equipment and a skilled team of professionals. “Our mission at Unimark is to provide the best possible solution for marking and coding applications,” says managing director Gary Pritchard. “We recognise that coding is an essential part of the production line but adds little value. Therefore, the process has to out-perform all the other components of the production line to avoid being a weak link.” To achieve this, Pritchard says it’s essential to start with the right coding machine for the job. “The coding equipment has to be installed correctly, it has to integrate seamlessly with the host machine and other equipment, and it has to fulfill performance expectations,” he says. “These points are often overlooked, but are actually the key to a successful application. At Unimark we pride ourselves on the success we can achieve in this area.” According to Gary Pritchard , the role of marking and coding in the manufacturing process has changed dramatically over the last 10 years. “Originally, the

addition of a ‘use by date’ added no value to the product and even limited the production,” he recalls. “With the development of technology, marking and coding has become an integral part of the production line. While the original purpose was legislated to provide information to the consumer, coding now provides real benefits to the producer.” Pritchard points to the use of generic packaging, traceability, quality control through real time coding and improvements to logistics using barcodes as a few developments that have brought about such savings. “Marking and coding will also provide solutions to future challenges as well,” he says. “Sustainability and environmental issues are looming as the next big challenge.” In terms of current innovative projects, Pritchard says Unimark is installing 24 Print & Apply label machines for major soft drink manufacturer throughout Australia. “Our customer’s requirements were challenging and specific,” he explains. “A SSCC label must be fitted to opposite sides of a pallet using two separate units. Barcode verification, re-apply and line interruption have to be managed for both machines on opposite sides of the line. The customer also required product selection through a hand held scanner via Ethernet to the

warehouse management, plus feedback for inventory.” “Unimark achieved this by developing an interface module that uses a micro-controller to manage the tasks at hand,” Pritchard says. “The controller utilises a touch screen LCD panel to display current count data as well as an operator interface for the initial setup of the SSCC range and manual input of the pallet count.”

“It’s common for such innovations to be developed locally then spread to other parts of the world,” Pritchard says. “Australia is in a unique position where we are a sophisticated market, but on a smaller scale to the US or Europe. Our isolation also contributes to our resourcefulness as a matter of necessity.” “For example, I believe Canada is about to implement laser coding on to bread tags, followed by the US,”

“The coding process has to out-perform all the other components of the production line to avoid being a weak link.” “Laser coding on to bread tags is an innovation developed by Unimark that demonstrates the benefits of exploring new technologies,” Pritchard asserts proudly. “This improvement dramatically cuts operational costs and results in virtually zero down time. It provided the customer with all their coding requirements, including real time, with the absolute minimum of input or attention. The lasers use no consumables; they’re serviced and maintained by Unimark so the customer can concentrate fully on production.”

Pritchard says. “The concept is likely to be adopted by all large bakeries using the tag system all over the world, as it’s the simplest and most cost effective method of coding.” Gary Pritchard says the future challenges for marking and coding within the Packaging industry will undoubtedly be environment related. “Sustainability, recycling and package minimisation are developing into issues that will become a priority,” he asserts. “The faster, bigger better, mentality will continue, but as public concerns over the cost to the environment gathers momentum, the consumer will dictate what is acceptable. Fortunately the technology exists to cater for most environmental concerns, it’s just waiting for public acceptance.” “The environmental impact of laser coding is much less than other forms of coding,” Pritchard says. “There are no inks, solvents, inked ribbons or foil; even the fumes from the laser are collected using an extraction system.” “Unimark offers a range of products that allow the customer to make a choice between environmental impact and cost,” Pritchard adds. “More and more, to their credit, customers are choosing the sustainable option.” Unimark’s mission is to provide the best possible solution for coding and marking applications.

www.packagingmag.com.au

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VISY TECHNOLOGY SYSTEMS

Industry Powerhouse Visy Technology Systems’ strategic vision is to develop and deliver solutions that make its clients more competitive in the global marketplace, reports Anna Game-Lopata. s production lines in Australia continue to evolve and feature higher levels of automation, pressure for increased output quality and volume at lower cost drives the demand for smarter more integrated line devices. Visy Technology Systems managing director Steve Jowett says his company is meeting this challenge by offering higher levels of reliability, higher standards of print quality, smarter device integration, support programs to optimise uptime and ultimately a lower total cost of ownership. “Visy Technology Systems has recently entered into an agreement with Kodak to assume distribution of the Kodak Versamark range of Ink Jet printers,” Jowett says by way of example. “Kodak Versamark is an industryleading ink jet platform for variable data printing in the commercial printing and packaging markets. It fits neatly with the Visy Technology Systems existing range of product.” “Offering new print head technology in widths from 1 inch to 9 inch to application of wide format, high speed vari-

36 PACKAGING June 2008

able data is a reality for many emerging applications in commercial print and packaging,” Jowett observes. “The new Kodak products join recent new product releases from our other partners.” Hitachi, Visy Technology’s supplier of CIJ ink jet systems for date and batch number marking has recently released the PXR-H High Speed version of the already successful standard speed PXR printer. “The PXR-H lifts image quality at very high speeds an important consideration when code legibility is of critical importance,” Jowett says. “New ink products have also been released by Hitachi for use in all models and in particular a range of new NON-MEK inks which comply with our customers desire to limit the use of MEK inks and solvents.” Jowett says high performance ethanol and acetone inks are now offered as high performance alternatives. “Our partner HSAjet of Denmark is a licencee to Hewlett Packard and we recently released a range of printers that feature the well known HP ink cartridge as the printhead and ink supply.” The simple idea of using the deskjet style head in industrial applications has proven to be an enormous success worldwide. “The use of HP print cartridges in an industrial printer is a unique concept that has changed conventional thinking about outer

“Areas of market opportunity for Visy Technology include developments in ink technology, which seem to be outpacing advances in hardware” carton printing,” Jowett says. “The amount of ink volume required to print a typical carton code is now substantially less that with traditional dot matrix printers.” “Using precision jets to place smaller droplets of inks on the product surface to create the image it is possible to extend the print yield for every millilitre of ink used. This translates into lower running cost and higher print yield from less ink.” “The cartridge contains the both ink and 300dpi printhead and is designed to be replaced regularly,” Jowett explains. “This removes the need for technical support and ensures quality of print remains as new indefinitely.” “Inkjet printing has traditionally involved the use of ink in large volumes leading to risk of spillage and general contamination of the environment around the printer,” he adds. “The closed cartridge format of HP cartridges and the high ink yield offered reduces these risks and enhances the handling experience for operators and maintenance personnel.” “Visy also offers a special new ink for use in the HP cartridge which can dry in less than 1 second on plastic and other non porous materials. This opens up many new printing applications for high resolution inkjet marking that were traditionally not achievable.” According to Steve Jowett, areas of market opportunity for Visy Technology include developments in ink technology, which seem to be outpacing advances in

hardware. “In the past many application ideas were restricted by the narrow capabilities of the inks available,” he says. “We’re now seeing nano technology, which contains active components, playing a role in the development of inks.” “We have inks which can be influenced to change colour when exposed to certain temperatures and other micro pigment inks which develop into vivid colours when printed onto dark substrates.” “We also have inks which can be applied directly to packaging making them turn black when exposed to laser coding,” he says. “These advanced fluid products open up new opportunities in commercial and package printing and in many cases are waiting for the development of the application systems and coders to fully realise their potential.” “One such ink is the Jettdry ink Visy offers for the HP based HSAjet,” Jowett says. “There’s a big market worldwide for an alternative to thermal transfer marking of flexible films. Our HSAjet printer and Jettdry Ink combination offers tangible benefits in reduced running costs and lower maintenance taking the HP cartridge concept into the world of plastic film marking.” Steve Jowett says Visy Technology System’s alignment with key technology partners Kodak, HP via HSAjet and Hitachi gives the company access to the product developments of these industry powerhouses. “Combining the proven products from these brands with our own local integration and support skills best equips us to provide our customers with a product coding and marking roadmap for the future that is in alignment with our strategic vision.”

www.packagingmag.com.au

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EVOLUTION AWARDS

Packaging Magazine is now online! P Serious obligation aging Magazine is now online! Packa As Australia’s only manufacturer of Aluminium foil Magazine is now online! Packaging M containers and pressed Dualpak paperboard trays, Confoil zine is now online! Packaging Magaz takes its obligation to preserve the environment very now online! Packaging Magazine is n seriously, writes Anna Game-Lopata. online! Packaging Magazine is now o and to consider the products, services onfoil views sponsorship of the Packaging Magazine is now online! P Evolution awards as an ideal and opportunities offered to Confoil.” “Confoil continues to actively proopportunity to demonstrate its aging Magazine is now online! Packa commitment mote the Covenant and its environto environmental issues mental stance in all literature and online sustainable packaging while proMagazine is now online! Packaging M and marketing,” Rogers says. “As a well moting and recognising other company zine is now online! Packaging Magaz initiatives and achievements in the area respected Australian owned company, a core focus for Confoil is to communienvironmental governance. “The now online! Packaging Magazine is n ofEvolution cate, educate and raise awareness awards provide a public our suppliers and customers forum to share ideas and innovations, online! Packaging Magazine is now o giving public recognition and acknowl- amongst who in turn are encouraged to promote Packaging Magazine is now online! P edgment to those outstanding achieve- it to their business base.” ments,” says Marketing project officer aging Magazine is now online! Packa Lynda Rogers. “All companies can from the success and achieveMagazine is now online! Packaging M learn “All Australian ments of others.”

Packaging magazine

is now online! Visit www.packagingmag.com.au

For all the latest: • industry news • white papers • product comparisons • podcasts • videos

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38 PACKAGING June 2008

“Confoil is committed to taking the necessary action to minimise the impact of its daily operations on the environment and gives a high priority to environmental considerations when making short term and long term decisions,” Rogers quotes. “With this statement underpinning the company’s environmental philosophy, Confoil identified and recognised the benefits associated with becoming a signatory to the National Packaging Covenant in 2002. “Confoil also signed up to the NPC Mark II in 2005,” says Lynda Rogers, “so reaped the rewards not only from an environmental standing but also commercially, benefiting from cost reductions, efficiency gains and from a marketing perspective.” According to Lynda Rogers, the key benefit for Confoil of becoming a voluntary signatory to the NPC has been the ability to set objectives and establish targets in terms of the company’s environmental policy. “This course of action challenged all departments to audit current processes and modify and instigate initiatives that would benefit the company and further our environmental agenda,” she says. “Communication was sent to suppliers and customers notifying them of Confoil’s commitment to the NPC and inviting them to join Confoil on the journey

companies need to ensure they remain abreast of international trends in this developing area of environmental sustainability.and bench mark against world best practices.” Confoil reviews and revises its policies and operating procedures periodically, in line with the latest developments and findings on environmental issues, waste minimisation and recycling. “Reviews focus on all aspects of the company’s business activities; product design and development, recycling and disposal, warehouse and distribution efficiencies and education and community awareness,” Rogers says. Striving for continual improvement with emphasis on waste minimisation, recycling and energy consumption, Confoil’s major achievements over the past 12 months have seen a 16.5 per cent reduction in landfill waste from

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the previous year, an increase in recycling rates for all primary and secondary scrap materials used in production and an improvement in energy utilisation in the production facility. A systematic, continual maintenance program of tooling and machinery together with significant investment in new technology and capital equipment has provided Confoil with opportunities to conserve resources and reduce waste. “The development and installation of state of the art tooling technology has led to a reduction in manufacturing waste and the ability to down gauge products whilst ensuring the integrity of the product remains,” says Rogers. “A recent upgrade to our scrap systems has resulted in significant increases in the utilisation of scrap and improvements in labour efficiencies.” “New procedures have been implemented throughout all departments for assembling and assorting waste for collection by outside contractors resulting in less waste to landfill,” Rogers adds. “Recognising the value of purchasing recycled goods and material as a positive contribution to a sustainable

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Confoil’s achievements over the last 12 months include a 16.5% reduction in landfill from the previous year.

future, Confoil is now also governed by a ‘Buy Recycle Policy’.” Strong relationships with customers allows Confoil the opportunity to regularly advise on the configuration of packaging lines, materials handling systems and maintain equipment to handle Confoil product, such as denesters and depositors. “Confoil also works with customers to streamline ordering processes, minimise stock holdings and

advise on innovative food packaging which assists in taking costs out of their production and inventory,” Rogers says. “Good customer communication allows Confoil to explore opportunities to consolidate freight loadings and delivery schedules to better utilise transport.” “Innovative ways to manage waste commence with inventive design,” Rogers says. “The adoption of the Environmental Code of Practice (ECoPP)

ensures this process commences from the conception of a new project and may include; design of scrapless tooling, down gauging raw material whilst retaining the strength and integrity of the container, optimising carton utilisation and maximising logistic savings by effective freight management.” “The covenant has been critical in providing the framework necessary to form a cohesive and managed approach to packaging waste management,” Rogers says. “Confoil recognises that customers and suppliers are driving similar environmental initiatives.” “We are pleased to have the opportunity to sponsor the ‘Most Innovative Solution in Packaging Waste Management’ in the Packaging Magazine’s annual Evolution Awards, which recognises and rewards brand owner excellence in packaging waste management.” Have you got some great packaging waste reduction projects? Are you a signatory to the National Packaging Covenant? Enter the Evolution Awards now: email anna.game-lopata@reedbusiness.com.au to find out how. Hurry! Entries close June 13th.

June 2008 PACKAGING 39

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annual

THE EVOLUTION AWARDS RECOGNISE AND REWARD SUCCESS IN PACKAGING WASTE MANAGEMENT AND REDUCTON

2008 Evolution Awards For too long the packaging industry has been a soft target for criticism about its performance in packaging waste management. It’s time for brand owners and retailers to come forward, be publicly acknowledged for outstanding packaging waste management under the National Packaging Covenant.

Sometimes it’s not enough to just ‘do the right thing’.

NOW ACCEPTING ENTRIES! CATEGORIES Beverage Packaging Action Award

Community Partnership Action Award

Food Packaging Action Award

Most Innovative Solution In Packaging Waste Management

Household Goods Packaging Action Award

Most Outstanding Demonstration of Packaging Waste Management in Australia Award

Personal Care & Cosmetics Packaging Action Award Pharmaceutical Packaging Action Award Retail Packaging Action Award

Most Outstanding Demonstration of Packaging Waste Management in New Zealand Award

ENTRY IS FREE! Entries must be received by 13th June 2008. Email pack@reedbusiness.com.au for a nomination kit.

Proudly Sponsored By

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EVOLUTION AWARDS..

Covenant report card A Covenant review will focus on Covenant Mk II providing a thorough evaluation of results to date, areas that can be improved and what a future Covenant might look like. ment of the Action Plan and Annual Report process.

CORDNER

components of the mid term review.

Data Covenant Funded Projects

Executive Officer ne of the key challenges facing the Covenant Council in 2008 is to undertake a comprehensive and independent mid-term review of the Covenant’s performance. The review has been broken down into a series of discrete components:

To evaluate projects funded under Covenant Mk II and their contribution to Covenant goals and targets, including an assessment of the current process for evaluating funding applications and monitoring project performance.

Stakeholder Views A snapshot of views about the performance of the Covenant from a range of stakeholders.

Contextual and Economic Overview Action Plans and Annual Reports To evaluate the contributions and tangible outcomes signatories are delivering through their Action Plans and Annual Reports, including an assess-

To provide an assessment of Covenant performance by understanding key changes and trends impacting on packaging. It will provide an important context for the other

Reporting the most recent results against Covenant targets. The final steps will be to develop an overall review report incorporating the findings of each of these components and to have this report peer reviewed to provide an independent assessment of these findings. If the mid-term review indicates that progress has been unsatisfactory, Ministers have given a commitment to consider implementing complementary mechanisms to address any gaps found in the review. A preliminary investigation into potential mechanisms was presented to Ministers at their meeting in April. The final report must be completed for presentation to Ministers at their

next meeting currently scheduled for mid-November. We are looking forward to the midterm review as it provides a great opportunity to highlight to Ministers and stakeholders the range of achievements the Covenant has made and to reassure them of its importance if we are to meet the recycling target of 65% by 2010. The review is also a chance to reinforce to the critics that there is much more to the Covenant than just recycling – over 600 companies with a combined annual turnover of more than $130 billion, over 40 active projects across Australia with a total value of $47 million and a collective commitment to continuous improvement. To find out more about he National Packaging Covenant please go to: www.packagingcovenant.org.au or phone (03) 9861 2322.

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EVOLUTION AWARDS

Shining Example Viscount Plastics has chosen to sponsor the Evolution Awards to further demonstrate the benefits of packaging waste reduction and highlight its leadership in the area, writes Anna Game-Lopata. iscount Plastics is a leading fullservice provider of rigid plastic materials handling, packaging and industrial products with operations across 12 locations in Australia and New Zealand. According to Viscount Plastics manager – Materials Handling Catherine Moran, the company is a leader in the Returnable Transit Packaging and customer logistics solutions market. “With the integrity of the established Nally brand, Viscount offers knowledge, timely service and local manufacture for key retail, manufacturing and distribution markets,” Moran says. Using Returnable Transit Packaging, Viscount is able to assist customers in delivering significant environmental benefits while optimising and driving costs from their supply chain. “The products

42 PACKAGING June 2008

are suitable for automated and manual systems and include foldable, rigid and swing bar crates, pallets, merchandising systems, tubs and bulk bins,” she says. Viscount Plastics is currently excited about its participation as the co-sponsor of cutting-edge new research into the life cycle of returnable plastic crates (RPC). “Commissioned by Coles Group Limited, the Hyder Consulting Returnable Plastic Crate Life Cycle Analysis finds that plastic products far outperform competing materials such as corrugated fibreboard, waxed corrugated fibreboard and expanded polystyrene,” Moran enthuses. “Plastic, often unjustly vilified in some environmental literature, has triumphed in this new research study of materials handling and packaging products.”

Conducted by international environmental engineering consultants, Hyder Consulting, the study found that RPCs outperformed their rivals across seven fresh product lines. “The study was carried out during 2007 and a final report presented to Coles Group in late 2007,” Moran says. “Coles commissioned the study to assess the environmental impacts of these materials handling products.” The fresh product lines selected for this study were tomatoes, celery, beans, apples, chicken (rotisserie birds), lamb (legs) and pork (tenderloins). “While conducted on the supply of fresh products to Coles’ Victorian stores, the conclusions were extrapolated to national impacts using existing data from a broad range of sources,” Moran explains.

“The researchers used the Life Cycle Assessment method, an internationally accepted and standardised method for product-based assessments,” Moran says. “One of the interesting of the findings in the research was that using RPCs requires consumption of only 7.8 per cent of the water of alternative products,” Moran says. “This means that in 2007/08 the water savings equate to the annual water consumption of 3,200 households.” In terms of energy use, the study finds using RPCs for fresh products requires 35.9 per cent of the energy required when using alternative products. The difference in energy consumption in 2007/08 between RPCs and alternatives equates to electricity and gas consumption of 8,900 average

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EVOLUTION AWARDS..

Australian households. Catherine Moran says the study also reveals that RPCs emit 38.2 per cent of the greenhouse gases of alternatives. This equates to removing 20,400 cars from Australian roads for 2007/08. “RPCs have a mere 40.7 per cent impact on non-renewable resources compared with the alternatives,” she points out. “Overall, the environmental burden of RPCs is 20.1per cent of the alternative products.” “The study demonstrates the value of using readily recyclable materials,” Moran adds. “Good environmental outcomes are also good for the bottom line. It makes sound economic sense to adopt the best environmental practices.” “In particular it’s worth noting that used in the correct applications, plastics are the best environmental solution, as the Coles study has found,” Moran says. “For example, every recyclable plastic crate in use will complete an average 12.5 cycles in 2007/08.” Making use of the research findings, Viscount Plastics – Materials Handling offers a wide variety of crate and supply

chain solutions. Catherine Moran says most recent of the company’s innovations is the design and launch of the Returnable NallyenviroTM Crate. “Developed specifically to eliminate waste from the farm and supply chain and consistently expanding, this product range provides corrugated trays with greater life expectancies of between one and five trips,” Moran adds. “It’s all about offering environmental solutions from recycled product.” “Since commercialisation in February 2007, customers of the NallyenviroTM Crate have used 20K less cardboard waste cartons, achieved $60 thousand savings in carton purchases and $20 thousand saving in damaged stock due to cardboard trays collapsing,” explains Moran. “Viscount Plastics also offers to take back the crates for re-birth or to

facilitate recycling.” In addition, Viscount Plastics offers materials handling solutions such as the Nally Eco Range made from post consumer waste. “This means the product utilises landfill nasties like empty used milk bottles and shrinkwrap,” Moran says. “Reductions in greenhouse gases, water consumption and energy use through by utilising Viscount’s plastic returnable crate system provides great environmental news to consumers,” Moran says. “We at Vis-

count Plastics therefore believe providing sponsorship to industry initiatives such as Packaging Magazine’s Evolution Awards is a natural fit for our company,” Moran says. “It shows both a commitment to our customer base and to the packaging industry.” Is your company leading the way in waste reduction? It’s not too late to enter the Evolution Awards! Contact: anna.game-lopata@reedbusiness.com.au

Returnable plastic crate usage requires 35.9% of the energy compared to that of alternatives.

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CASE STUDY

Foodmach innovation

stacks-up Evolving to meet ever-changing industry demands, packaging solutions provider, Foodmach Australia, has created a customised palletising system founded on drive technology from SEW-Eurodrive. nnovation is crucial to long-term success in the manufacturing sector. Endlessly seeking to evolve and employ new technology is central to continued prosperity. It enables companies to offer unique solutions and standout in the marketplace, while at the same time providing the continual improvements in productivity demanded by manufacturers. One company with a focus on integrating innovation into its products is leading packaging solutions provider, Foodmach Australia. Serving industry for over thirty years, today the company provides a range of patented robotic and automated packaging solutions. These innovations are continually evolving, fuelled by industry's ceaseless drive for faster, more efficient manufacturing solutions. For Foodmach Australia, ongoing innovation is a necessity. Foodmach Australia recently combined two of its automated packaging solutions to create a unique hybrid palletising machine--the Robomatrix

44 PACKAGING June 2008

Hybrid. The new system combines features of Foodmach Australia’s Robomatrix series of high-speed patternforming palletising solutions, along with elements of the company’s S3000 floorlevel case-palletising system. Almost all of the Robomatrix Hybrid’s motion processes rely on SEW-Eurodrive electronic drive control technology, as well as SEW-Eurodrive standard and servo gear motors. The result is a fast and efficient single-level palletising machine, adaptable to nearly anything that comes off a production line in a package.

Hybrid Solution Foodmach's Robomatrix Hybrid features the latest in materials handling systems, underpinned by precision automation, and advanced robotic and drive technologies. Its robotic arm manipulates and orients finished packaged product into pallet layers. Each pallet layer is then hoisted and stacked from the ground up to form a pallet. In operation, packaged product

moves off the production line and is conveyed to the Robomatrix Hybrid’s two synchronised side-grip conveyor belts. These servo-driven belts control the in-feed rate of the unit. The packaged product is then fed to a 2.5m-wide conventional conveyor known as the ‘pattern-forming belt’, which passes beneath a robotic arm equipped with a servo-driven ‘gripper’. Individual packaged products are tracked by the robotic arm/gripper and quickly manoeuvred--in two planes--into the desired orientation. With the packaged product continually moving along the pattern-forming belt at up to 50 metres per minute as they are rearranged, the process resembles an impressive game of high-speed Tetris. The correctly orientated packaged product continues along the patternforming belt until it encounters a vertical divider or ‘layer stopper’. At this point the positioned cartons accumulate and form a pallet layer--with the patternforming belt continuing to move

beneath it. When a layer is completed, the divider is raised and the arranged products are passed along the conveyor to the ‘sweep carriage’ area. To enable the fully formed layer to be hoisted and set-down onto a pallet, a rectangular sweep carriage or frame, is lowered around the product layer. Once set around the layer, servo-driven squaring plates--an end stopper, and two sidesquaring plates--grip the tightly-formed layer and moves it over a nearby 'stripper plate'. The stripper plate acts as a support as the product layer is lifted off the sweep carriage area. The sweep carriage and stripper plate then make a coordinated movement, positioning themselves over the pallet and any existing pallet layers. This hoisting and horizontal movement is achieved using standard motors powered by drive modules equipped with incremental encoders. When in position, the stripper plate is withdrawn and the layer is set down. This process is repeated as required to form a full pallet.

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CASE STUDY. .

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Sew-Eurodrive’s applications engineer John Gattellari (left) discusses the Robomatrix Hybrid with Foodmach Australia’s electrical engineer Wes Brown and software engineer Ken Orr (right)

Finding the drive With the Robomatrix Hybrid requiring a range of motor and drive capabilities--from simple conveying, to pinpoint positioning--Foodmach opted for the advantage of an inverter module that could be used across-the-board to meet each requirement--the MOVIDRIVE ‘B’ application inverter from SEW-Eurodrive. Each of the Robomatrix Hybrid system’s twelve SEW-Eurodrive motors, whether servo or standard, is combined with the MOVIDRIVE 'B' application inverter. “The MOVIDRIVE ‘B’ provides users with a valuable combination of versatility and processing power for both standard variable speed drives and sophisticated positioning and synchronous applications,” says SEW-Eurodrive applications engineer John Gattellari. “It was this combination that allowed Foodmach to deploy the MOVIDRIVE ‘B’ across the various servo and standard motor drive application on the Robomatrix Hybrid. It was just a matter of which encoder card and application module we used.” According to Foodmach Australia Software Engineer Ken Orr, the preprogrammed application module libraries were a key feature of the MOVIDRIVE ‘B’. “We utilised the application modules extensively,” he says. “Ten of the twelve drives used in the hybrid Robomatrix palletiser employ pre-programmed application modules. For instance, we

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“SEW-Eurodrive’s comprehensive stock of spare-parts and 24hour around-the-clock service capabilities, positions the company as Australia’s most dependable drive solutions provider.” used a sensor-based positioning module at the in-feed servo-motors, and then a different extended positioning module for the squaring plates, and servo gripper head. Basically, it saves an enormous amount of programming. It’s just a matter of picking the right application, putting the correct parameters in, and you’re up and going.” For Foodmach Australia, capitalising on this flexibility translates into savings in time, and cost. “If we have to do the positioning programming on a PLC, we could spend two or three days attempting to program that during commissioning on site,” Orr says. “Using the application modules that came with the drive, it’s programmed in the workshop and ready to go. For an experienced person it may be a matter of one hour. That makes all the difference when it comes down to budget.”

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CASE STUDY

Safety and support With application modules helping to handle positioning and conveying tasks, site installation was further simplified with the integrated safety feature of the MOVIDRIVE ‘B’. “From an electrical engineering point of view, the hybrid Robomatrix palletiser was designed and built from scratch,” Orr says. “That means we’re able to use the integrated safety features that are built into the drive. In the past we had enormous three phase contactors dropping the power supply to the drive. Now we only have to drop off a 24V supply to the drive, and it’s Cat-3 safety rated.” According to Orr, SEW-Eurodrive’s after-sales support was a key factor for choosing the drive technology group. SEW-Eurodrive’s comprehensive stock of spare-parts and 24-hour around-theclock service capabilities, positions the company as Australia’s most dependable drive solutions provider. “We have received tremendous support from them in the past,” Orr says. “If we have any questions, all we have to do is make a phone call and we get a solution on the line, or if not, in 15 to 20 minutes they call us back with an answer.” This is music to SEW-Eurodrive’s ears. “Support is something we pride ourselves on,” says John Gattellari. “Not only is SEW-Eurodrive contactable by phone 24-hours a day, but we ensure a wealth of information and documenta-

Sew-Eurodrive gear motors propel the Robomatrix Hybrid’s motion.

tion is available through our website and online DriveGate portal.” The completion of the new Robomatrix Hybrid palletising machine has seen Foodmach Australia expand its extensive range of innovative packaging machinery. With the support of SEWEurodrive, Foodmach Australia will continue to integrate innovation into its customised packaging technologies, and provide Australian industry with faster, more efficient manufacturing solutions.

The Robomatrix Hybrid is a fast, single level palletising machine adaptable to any package coming off the production line.

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SEALING SYSTEMS

New generation of sealing machines The EVO makes tray sealing easier and more efficient.

The EVO tray sealing machine has been designed to be as simple as possible with fewer moving parts and components.

fter years of proven performance ,G Mondini has launched a new generation tray sealer; the EVO. With the Evolution range of tray sealers as its design base, the EVO has a smaller footprint enabling manufacturers to utilise factory space more efficiently. The EVO is designed for durability and reliability. This robust and compact tray sealer will continue to generate several tons of sealing force cycle after cycle. Improvements have been made to the operator interface. Integrating the Bizerba weigh price and label system means the interface can now control the entire packaging line and provide higher packaging and weighing data. The PC base interface, with individual usernames and passwords, is easier to use and requires less time for operator training. Because the entire packaging line is controlled from the one operator panel, tray sizes can be changed without having to reset all upstream equipment. A packaging line diagnostic is also controlled from this single source. Because tools are the most stressed and sensitive part of any tray sealer, G Mondini has engineered the EVO to be as simple as possible, reducing the number of moving parts and components as well as eliminating the need for air actuators and multi-heating elements. This increases the machine¡|s reliability and ease of maintenance. Access to the machine has also been

“The EVO is designed for durability and reliability. This robust and compact tray sealer will continue to generate several tons of sealing force cycle after cycle.” improved so maintenance or cleaning downtime is minimised. Maintenance is a merely a matter of greasing, which is handled by a centralised system. Fully integrated features of the EVO include: ● Check weigher ● Snap on Lid machine ● Double Sealing station ● Tool Chip ● Gas Mixer ● Infra-red vision system, which checks that sealing has been properly carried out A labelling and weighing system by Bizerba can also be integrated into the EVO, without the need for an additional conveyor between the tray sealer and check weigher. Integration of the combined check weigher and labeller further enhances the EVO’s space saving design.

FORMATS THE EVO CAN ACCOMMODATE: ●

●

Blow Moulded Break-Away ● Protruding ● Whole Bird ● Double Decker

48 PACKAGING June 2008

Skin M.A.P. ● Rigid Dome Lids ● Shallow Packs ● Enclosed Inserts

www.packagingmag.com.au

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DIARY Proudly sponsored by

Major Sponsor

what’s on

EVENTS FROM AROUND THE WORLD

FOOD CHALLENGE AWARDS 2008 Propak Asia 2008, Bankgkok

Drupa DUSSELDORF GERMANY MAY 29-JUNE 11, 2008.

Messe Dusseldorf reports drupa 2008 will break all of its previous records. With some 170,000 sq. m. of net exhibition space and exhibitor numbers topping 1,800, this will be the biggest drupa ever in its more than 50-year history. For more information visit: http://www.mdna.com/sh ows/drupa.html

Propak Asia 2008 BANGKOK INTERNATIONAL TRADE & EXHIBITION CENTRE, BANGKOK, THAILAND 11-14 JUNE, 2008-05-13

ProPak Asia is the leading international event for the processing and packaging sector’s of Asia’s fastevolving manufacturing industries, in particular for food, beverage, brewing, pharmaceutical, cosmetic industries. For more information please visit: www.besallworld.com/enews/ppka/2008/ebrochu re/index.html

AIP National Conference 2008 LUNA PARK SYDNEY JUNE 12-13, 2008

With the theme “Climate of change: towards a sustainable packaging industry,” the AIP National Conference will discuss the latest packaging technology related issues.

50 PACKAGING June 2008

Presentations will focus on sustainable packaging. For more information plese visit: www.aipack.com.au

foodpro 2008 SYDNEY CONVENTION AND EXHIBITION CENTRE, DARLING HARBOUR, 21-24 JULY

Foodpro 2008 promises to be the largest, most prestigious, high profile trade event for the food and beverage manufacturing industry in the Asia Pacific region. For more in formation visit www.foodproexh.com

Australia’s largest retailing exhibition Retail Expo Australasia is returning to Sydney in 2008 to showcase the latest in retail technology and shopfitting solutions. It will be held in conjuntion with the National Retail Forum.

Tickets now available for the Food Industry night of nights.

For more information visit www.retailforum.com.au

HBA Global Expo & Educational Conference NEW YORK, US 9-11 SEPTEMBER

2008 Retail Expo Australasia 2008 National Retail Forum

The largest product development event and educational conference for the personal care frangrance, wellness and cosmetic industries.

SYDNEY CONVENTION AND EXHIBITION CENTRE, 12-14 AUGUST

For more information please visit: http://www.hbaexpo.com/

HBA Global Expo, New York, 2008

EVENT DETAILS Venue: Doltone House, Jones Bay Wharf, Pyrmont, Sydney Date: Wednesday 23 July, 2008 Time: 7.00pm Dress: Cocktail attire Tickets: $175 incl gst per person or $1500 incl gst for a table of 10

Seats are limited! Bookings are essential to attend the annual Food Challenge Awards

Tickets are $175 incl. gst per person or $1500 incl. gst for a table of 10. Please call customer service on tel:1300 360 1261 or visit www.rbievents.com.au to book your seats All ﬁnalists attend free!