The facility is located in Dunedin and will be the company's first office in the country.

Amid the ban on single-use plastic, paper bags and compostable food containers have found many takers.

Mondi, one of the global leaders in sustainable packaging and paper, has collaborated with Swiss converter ATS-Tanner

 Packaging and process solutions for companies operating in food, beverages, pharmaceuticals and cosmetics will once again be the focal point of this year’s interpack. In Hall 18 / D15, the Schmersal Group will be presenting new products and innovative safety solutions that meet the central requirements of this industry: hygienic design and high plant availability.

New command device series for food-processing machinery

The H series from Schmersal will be showcased at interpack 2023 as a full range of command and signalling devices for hygiene-sensitive applications, particularly food processing. The new H range not only meets the requirements of the new standards for these applications and the ‘hygienic design’ construction principle but is fully modular as well. A total of 147 different devices are available, including 26 mushroom pushbuttons, 24 selector switches and four potentiometer-rotary switches.

New compact safety light barriers for the packaging and food-processing industries

Schmersal has developed the new SLB440 series safety light barriers for hygiene-sensitive applications in the packaging and food-processing industries. With a diameter of 62 mm and a height of 115 mm, the light barriers in the SLB series are extremely compact and achieve protection class IP69. The sealing caps on the SLB440 are made from stainless steel (V4A), while the transparent protective tube is made from robust polycarbonate (PC).

AZM300 solenoid interlock with a hygienic design

The AZM300 RFID solenoid interlock has also been designed according to hygienic design principles. The AZM300 with protection class IP69 is an innovative safety interlock that finds particular use in the food-processing and packaging industries. The AZM 300’s features include the patented operating principle with a rotating shaft and star handle. It allows the safety door to be held virtually without play when closed. An RFID sensor is used to identify the actuator reliably, thus providing three different code levels and, consequently, protection against tampering.

With dimensions of 119.5 x 40 x 20 mm, the AZM40 is the smallest electronic solenoid interlock in the world. With these compact dimensions, the AZM40 is particularly suitable for installation on machinery equipped with small flaps or rotating/sliding doors. Due to extensive integrated monitoring functions, the AZM40 can be switched in series with all other electronic safety switchgear from Schmersal. This makes monitoring multiple safety doors in a single system much easier and more cost effective. The AZM40 is especially suited to use on packaging machinery and in complex packaging lines.

Visit Schmersal at interpack in Düsseldorf between 4 and 10 May 2023:
stand D15, hall 18.

About the Schmersal Group

The Schmersal Group is an international market and expertise leader in the challenging field of machine safety. With the world’s most comprehensive range of safety switchgear products, the Schmersal Group develops safety systems and solutions for special requirements in a variety of user industries. Schmersal’s tec.nicum business division offers a comprehensive service portfolio to complement the range of solutions offered by Schmersal.

Founded in 1945, the company is represented by seven manufacturing sites on three continents with its own companies and sales partners in more than 60 countries. The Schmersal Group employs more than 1900 people worldwide.

European Bioplastics sides with specific EU Commission proposa

European Bioplastics (EUBP) supports the intention of making single-serve coffee units mandatorily compostable and calls on the EU Parliament and Council to uphold this specific proposal to not undermine its effectiveness

“While we regret that currently only a limited number of applications have been suggested to mandatorily be compostable, we wholeheartedly support the Commission’s inclusion of coffee capsules in the listing of products that, in the future, shall be allowed to be placed on the EU market only if certified compostable, as part of the Commission’s proposal for a revision of the Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR)”, says Hasso von Pogrell, Managing Director of EUBP.

Coffee makes up approximately 80% of a coffee capsule, by weight. Capturing the capsules’ main component – the coffee – via organic recycling ensures the greatest value retention from the used application, which is in line with the fundamentals of circularity. For instance, compost containing coffee grounds has several benefits when used as a soil amendment, such as an improved C/N ratio. In any other end of life option, the valuable organic material is simply lost.

The Commission’s own Impact Assessment concludes that compostable coffee capsules are a preferred option from a Life-Cycle Assessment (LCA) point of view. EUBP reiterates the findings, which clearly indicate that compostable coffee capsules significantly increase the capture of biowaste, reduce the contamination of compost with non-compostable plastics, and do not lead to increased contamination of other waste streams.

If all single-serve units on the market are compostable in industrial composting facilities, in compliance with EN 13432, consumers are not confused where to dispose their coffee capsules after use. At the same time, the organic recycling operators have the peace of mind that whatever single-serve unit enters their facilities is safe, in a sense that it can biodegrade like the rest of the input material and does not leave persistent microplastics.

In addition, given that separate collection of biowaste will be mandatory from beginning of 2024 in EU, there is no need for a dedicated separate infrastructure build up for collection, sorting and organic recycling of certified compostable coffee capsules. The structure is anyways needed to organically recycle the separately collected biowaste. This is, however, not the case for other forms of coffee capsules on the market. Even if recycling schemes exist in very few countries, investments are needed to build up sorting, and efficient recycling of the packaging material at scal

“We, therefore, strongly believe that organic recycling is the most environmentally sound end of life option for single serve coffee units and call on the European Parliament and Council to keep coffee capsules on the positive list for mandatorily compostable packaging applications as set out in Art. 8 of the Commission’s proposal for a revised PPWR”, von Pogrell concludes

The full position of EUBP on compostable coffee capsules can be found here: https://docs.european-bioplastics.org/publications/pp/EUBP_PP_Compostab…

About European Bioplastics:

European Bioplastics (EUBP) is the European association representing the interests of the bioplastics industry along the entire value chain. Its members produce, refine and distribute bioplastics i.e. plastics that are bio-based, biodegradable, or both. More information is available at www.european-bioplastics.org

SÜDPACK and ULMA Packaging will present two sustainable packaging con-cepts at this year’s interpack trade fair – in Hall 5, Stand C23. The flow pack and the thermoformed packaging are based entirely on mono-materials – and are therefore fully recyclable. Visitors will be able to watch the production of flow packs live on the FM 500 horizontal flow pack machine as well as the pro-duction of thermoformed packaging on the TFS 600.
With this flow pack concept
... the focus is on Flow Pack mono material solutions as sustainable alternatives to conventional flow pack films. These mono-structures are designed to ensure efficient processing with a high output on standard flow pack machines. They can be equipped with different barrier properties and together with a wide sealing range, results in high process and packaging reliability. At the same time, the structure of the sealing layer allows the simple and efficient in-line applica-tion of common zipper systems. 
Despite their reduced material thickness, the attractive flow packs based on Pure-Line films offer a level of product protection that is comparable to con-ventional packaging systems and thus prevent food from premature spoilage. They also contribute to a significant reduction in packaging weight – for exam-ple, material savings of up to 60% can be achieved by substituting rigid tray packaging with flow pack solutions. 
At ULMA’s stand in Düsseldorf, Landjäger salami will be packaged in a modified atmosphere on the FM 500 horizontal flow pack machine. This robust and reli-able high-speed machine can output up to200 packs per minute and is equipped with an LD (Long Dwell) cross-sealing head, which ensures the pack-ages are 
airtight even at high production rates thanks to a long sealing time combined with a rotary motion. 
This recyclable flexible film concept for the production of thermoformed pack-aging
... is based on SÜDPACK’s PurePP film and is processed on ULMA’s hygiene-certified TFS 600, a thermoform packaging machine designed for the produc-tion of both modified-atmosphere and vacuum packaging for a wide variety of food products. This machine combines maximum flexibility and efficiency in the packaging process – and impresses with fast format changes, easy opera-tion and cleaning, as well as a high level of packaging and process reliability even in high-performance mode.
Thanks to its excellent thermoforming properties and good machinability, the Multifol PurePP bottom film can be processed on standard machines such as the TFS 600 with only minor adjustments – even at high cycle rates in continu-ous operation. The top web, an Ecopol PurePP Peel, ensures good sealability. These perfectly matched films are a guarantee for high process and packaging reliability. This flexible film concept is suitable for a wide range of applications, such as stackable packaging, large-volume gastronomy applications and even fresh pasta. 
More information:
 

About SÜDPACK
SÜDPACK is a leading manufacturer of high-performance films and packaging materials for the food, non-food and medical goods industries. Our solutions ensure maximum product protection as well as additional pioneering function-ality with minimum material input. 
The family business, which was founded by Alfred Remmele in 1964, is head-quartered in Ochsenhausen. The production sites in Germany, France, Poland, 
Switzerland, the Netherlands and the USA are equipped with the latest plant 
technology and manufacture to the highest standards, including the capacity to operate under clean room conditions. The global sales and service network 
ensures a high degree of proximity to the customer and comprehensive appli-cation technology support in more than 70 countries.
With its state-of-the-art Development and Application Center at its headquar-ters in Ochsenhausen, the innovation-oriented company offers its customers an 
optimal platform for carrying out application tests and for developing individu-al and tailor-made solutions.
SÜDPACK is committed to sustainable development and fulfills its responsibility as an employer and towards society, the environment, and its customers by 
developing packaging solutions that are highly efficient and sustainable.
www.suedpack.com 

About ULMA
ULMA Packaging is the leading packaging machine supplier who specializes in the design and manufacture of packaging equipment and services.
With an extensive experience of more than 50 years together with a highly qualified team of professionals, we offer an extensive and innovative solutions of Packaging equipment and systems to provide extra value to your customers.
With seven product lines, we are proud to say that we are the only supplier capable of offering such a wide range of packaging solutions for the food & fresh food and medical sectors. 
Our capabilities goes beyond primary packaging machines, we offer Complete Line Solutions which represent the highest level of automation, being capable of carrying out comprehensive installations from the automatic loading of the product to the palletizing of packaged products.
www.ulmapackaging.com
 

Global paper-based packaging leader Smurfit Kappa is proud to have won two awards at the prestigious Fastmarkets Forest Product PPI Awards for its sustainability and safety.

The awards are dedicated to recognising the achievements of companies, mills and individuals in the worldwide pulp and paper sector.

The HYFLEXPOWER project, which is located at the Smurfit Kappa Saillat paper mill in France, took home the Green Energy and Biofuels award. The ‘100 Stories on Safety’, a project created by employees at the Smurfit Kappa Tijuana plant in Mexico which highlights the safety challenges of working alongside machinery, took home the Risk and Safety award.

The HYFLEXPOWER project is the first in the world to introduce an integrated hydrogen gas turbine demonstrator and involves significant collaboration across industries, academic bodies and research institutes.

The overarching aim of the HYFLEXPOWER is to demonstrate the industrial feasibility of the concept of storing electricity in the form of hydrogen and ultimately using hydrogen as a source of renewable energy. The pilot phase of the project, which saw hydrogen successfully trialled with a mix of 30% hydrogen and 70% natural gas, took place in November.

Smurfit Kappa Tijuana’s ‘100 Stories on Safety’ looks at the value of safety from an employee’s perspective. It was delivered in book format that included illustrations by a local artist. The project has been very positively received and although it initially included only stories from the Tijuana corrugated plant employees, it is now branching out to include further Smurfit Kappa sites.

Commenting on Smurfit Kappa’s success at the awards, Saverio Mayer, CEO of Smurfit Kappa Europe, said: “We are very proud of winning these two awards in the global PPI awards which has a very high standard of entries. It is great that the hydrogen pilot has been recognised because at Smurfit Kappa, we are focused on reducing our emissions with the best available technology whilst at the same time trialling new technology to help us achieve our Better Planet 2050 goals.”

Juan Pablo Perez, CEO of Smurfit Kappa North America, added: “It is a great honour to see Tijuana’s 100 Stories on Safety project acknowledged at this year’s PPI Awards. Safety is a core value so we felt it was important to reinforce safe behaviour in a new and engaging way from the perspective of our employees working both in plants and offices. It has been a huge success so far and one we are keen to replicate across multiple sites.”

Now in their 14th year, the PPI Awards took place last month in Prague, Czech Republic.

PPI Awards

Company’s VRI Series provides precision, high-speed. 
visual inspection & leak detection of liquids in glass containers. 

Antares Vision Group – a leading global provider of hardware and software Track & Trace solutions and a prominent player in inspection systems and intelligent data management – will showcase an automatic visual inspection machine capable of inspecting up to 400 liquid-filled glass containers per minute at INTERPHEX NYC, Booth 2821, April 25-27. The company’s Visual Rotating Inspection (VRI) series combines sophisticated particle & cosmetic detection able to integrate with high voltage, vacuum, and headspace gas analysis (HSGA) technology-driven closure integrity verification at an exceptionally rapid production pace. 

The machine allows for the precise detection of cosmetic defects and particles and checks fill levels. The VRI unit can inspect liquids in a wide variety of viscosities, including water-like, oily, suspension, gel, emulsion, lyophilized, and powder products. Vials are also inspected for cosmetic defects such as crimping quality, flip-off color, neck-shoulder sidewalls, and stopper position. Molded glass and plastic containers also can be inspected for particles and cosmetic defects.  

Optional add-on features include code verification, optical character recognition (OCR)-optical character verification (OCR-OCV), and serialization incorporation.

A split-infeed screw setup provides smooth and reliable operation, preventing undesired stops and restarts. A main floating carousel with a torque motor-driven inspection platform allows ideal cleanability and single-point product handling (from the neck), providing a constraint-free optical setup and improving detection capabilities through enhanced Field of View (FOV) and Depth of Field (DOF). Guideless conveying utilizes vacuum-operated star wheels, minimizing container breakage risks and false rejects. Changeover for star wheels and grippers is approximately 30 minutes, thanks to a guided operations sequence that does not require mechanical adjustments. Inspection reconfiguration occurs intuitively according to recipe selection. 
 
Also at INTERPHEX NYC, Antares Vision Group will showcase its new EASY TS EVO, a benchtop unit providing compact, versatile high-voltage leak detection of any liquid-filled container, including glass ampoules, vials, plastic bottles, infusion bags, and blow-fill-seal (BFS) strips. The convenient lab equipment is ideal for offline sample testing, manual small batch inspection, and Acceptable Quality Level (AQL) determinations. 
 
Employing High Voltage Leak Detection (HVLD), the TS EVO provides reliable detection of microcracks or pinholes affecting the sterility of containers. The sophisticated detection system is a quality control differentiator compared to conventional benchtop equipment.
 
“As pharmaceutical companies continue to meet evolving and escalating demands, solutions that provide exacting product inspection without diminishing line speeds are increasingly attractive,” said Andrew Pietrangelo, President of Antares Vision North America. “Our Visual Rotating Inspection series utilizes state-of-the-art technology to combine precision with expedience, despite the difficult-to-inspect niche of liquids in glass containers. We look forward to showcasing its capabilities at INTERPHEX.”

About Antares Vision Group 

Antares Vision Group is an outstanding technology partner in digitalization and innovation for enterprises and institutions, guaranteeing the safety of products and people, business competitiveness, and environmental protection. Antares Vision Group is a technological enabler of supply chain transparency and sustainable transition to protect each country's business competitiveness and uniqueness. 

It provides a unique and comprehensive ecosystem of technologies to guarantee product quality (inspection systems and equipment) and end-to-end product traceability (from raw materials to production, from distribution to the consumer), with integrated data, production, and supply chain management, also achieved through the application of artificial intelligence and the use of blockchains.

Antares Vision Group is active in the Life Science sector (pharmaceutical, biomedical devices, and hospitals), in the beverage, food and cosmetics industries, and has potential in other sectors. The world leader in Track & Trace systems for pharmaceutical products, it provides the major global manufacturers (over 50% of the top 20 multinationals) and numerous government authorities with solutions to monitor their supply chains and validate product authenticity.

Listed since April 2019 on the Italian Stock Exchange in the AIM (Alternative Investment Market) segment, and from 14 May 2021 in the STAR segment of the MTA (Electronic equity market), Antares Vision Group recorded a turnover of Euro 162 million in 2020, operates in 60 countries, employs around 1000 people and has a consolidated network of over 40 international Partners. 

Further information please visit www.antaresvisiongroup.com.
 

Food and beverage brands constantly launch new products and new packages, many of which are posted to social media —

As with all sports, basketball has a lexicon all its own.

Bioplastic packaging made from renewable sources is a high-interest option in the broad market of sustainability.

The market for returnable packaging — materials and structures systematically reused within logistics operations — is

The diverse team here at Packaging Connections is constantly striving to promulgate its vast trove of knowledge relevant to the packaging industry. In our attempts, we also hope to further new ideas and innovations that can help revolutionize the same industry.

Our founder and CEO, Mr. Sandeep Kumar Goyal, has been a pioneer in the Indian sphere of packaging and has also impacted other Asian, European and American markets. His book, the Big Book of Packaging, authored over a year and published in 2015, is his sincere attempt to bridge the gap in accessibility to in-depth packaging theory.

The beauty of the book lies in its painstaking collection of evergreen data and facts. It serves as an encyclopedia of sorts, a single source to answer all your packaging-related questions. As stated on the dedication page, this book is for everyone; anyone who might need to better understand a concept, strengthen their knowledge base, learn something new, or refer to a credible source to verify a plausible course of action.

Packaging professionals including designers, manufacturers, material and machinery specialists can all use the book as a reference guide.

“The Big Book of Packaging is a great effort by hands-on packaging professionals to simplify the concepts of packaging – from basic to advance. The content is simple, usable and systematic. I am sure this will raise the standards of packaging to the next level”, says our author, Mr. Goyal.

The Big Book streamlines the learning process for packaging students and enthusiasts through graphical representations (tables, charts) and troubleshooting examples for each presented case. Such detailed problem statements with comprehensive solution strategies have never been put together before.

“Without reservation, I heartily recommend The Big Book of the Packaging. It covers all the basic and updated info on Packaging and is ideal for all who are connected with packaging in any format. Value for Money. This is an example of extracting required data from lengthier references and converting into a readable format. Great Work.”, commends Dr. Hiren Patel, the Director of Orbicular.

The book was also recently shared with co-founders of InTin, a business growth and solutions platform that combines the power of technology tools with the insightful experience of seasoned consumer marketers and subject matter experts. Packaging Connections and InTin have also formed a strategic partnership to use intelligent packaging insights to achieve quantifiable achievements.

Furthermore, sustainable packaging is essential for brands to remain competitive and relevant in today's market.

MAC Cosmetics has news to share for Earth Month.

The Technical Committee of the Tray Circularity Evaluation Platform (TCEP) of PETCORE Europe has officially endorsed the use of Akestra™ 100 and Akestra™ 110, products manufactured by leading specialty chemicals innovator Perstorp, for the production of heat-resistant PET trays. Furthermore, the committee has recognized that the use of Akestra 100 and Akestra 110 do not have a negative impact on current European PET recycling streams.

The Tray Circularity Evaluation Platform (TCEP) is a voluntary European industry initiative that provides PET thermoforms design guidelines for recycling, evaluates thermoform packaging solutions and technologies, and facilitates understanding of the effects of new PET thermoforms innovations on the recycling process. The TCEP initiative fully supports the economic and environmental sustainability of the European PET value chain.

Akestra 100 and Akestra 110 are a high-performance products that enable customers to enhance recycled PET by adding heat resistance capabilities and also achieve sustainability targets by increasing recycled material content and enabling design for circularity. With this endorsement, Akestra 100 and Akestra 110 are established to enable a circular packaging solutions with high post-consumer content (high PCR), and for being recyclable in existing recycling streams for tray-to-tray. Akestra 100 and Akestra 110 are hereby confirmed in Europe as replacement of fossil based, linear traditional packaging made of polystyrene or polypropylene.

"We are thrilled to receive this endorsement from PETCORE Europe. To help our food value chain partners to design improved circularity in food packaging has been a missing piece in the puzzle. Akestra 100 and Akestra 110 can help to close the material loop in hot-fill applications to enable circular packaging solutions and a massive saving of fossil raw material and CO2 emissions over time. This is a true example of our long term vision and mission”, says Patrice Pinsard, EVP Strategic Markets & Innovation at Perstorp

Akestra 100 and Akestra 110 enable

• Design of circular thin wall food packaging solutions* for hot-fill applications

• Glass-like transparency and heat resistance up to 100°C

• Tunable performance characteristics

*Post-consumer recycling of tray packaging solutions with Akestra 100 and Akestra 110 have been verified at commercial scale.

SACMI’s goal: to provide customers with profitable ‘green transition’ solutions, such as the ready-to-market products and technologies on show in Düsseldorf. That means solutions for tethered caps, yet also new internationally certified lightweight neck standards and excellent opportunities on the PET ‘circularity’ front.

New tethered standards, lightweighting and recycling will be SACMI’s focal points at Interpack (Düsseldorf trade fair 4-10 May 2023), with one clear goal: to provide customers with immediate, tangible benefits by seizing green transition opportunities.
How we achieve that
SACMI is the only company in the world to provide solutions for every stage of rigid packaging production, from cap to preform, from stretch-blow molding to complete bottling lines.
On the cap manufacturing front, SACMI has already implemented the EU Directive that requires adoption of the new tethered standard from 2024 onwards.
With a complete range of caps and profitable methods – such as post-process slitting and integrated quality control – SACMI is ready to respond to market requirements and guide the transition.
New ultra-light standards
In recent years, few industries have focused as sharply on sustainability as packaging has. As the data clearly shows, container and cap weights have fallen by 50% or more since 2010.
The latest developments in this area include the 26/22 mm (with the 25/22 variant) and the new lightened 29/25 mm necks, a set of standards on which the SACMI Laboratory has developed ready-to-market solutions that can cut neck+cap plastic consumption by 30% or more.
There are, of course, challenges, such as successfully making this switch while continuing to ensure an optimal consumer experience. Some examples? The new ‘tethered-friendly’ caps for GME 30.40 necks and the 26/22 caps for water which combine increased height with considerable raw material savings.
The circularity challenge
From a 3Rs (reduce, reuse, recycle) perspective, the PET supply chain is the one best suited to a circular economy approach, from resin recycling to finished containers for food use. That’s why SACMI has long since ensured its preform injection presses are able to process up to 50% PET in recycled flake form, a figure that can rise to 75% with the latest developments being introduced. 
The outcome: the ability to offer customers an adequate technological response on markets where the ecological transition is a must, at a time when the tools to achieve it - and the existence of a complete recycling chain - are still in the making.
Customer service
Europe may lead the global packaging industry’s drive towards sustainability, yet producers are nevertheless forced to operate in a ‘VUCA’ (volatile, uncertain, complex, ambiguous) environment that places them between strict regulatory frameworks and the need to remain, in any case, competitive on global markets.
The SACMI response is not just technological. Above all, it’s about effective customer assistance and support: from the product ‘idea’ to the technologies needed to make it, from the revamping/efficiency enhancement of existing solutions to the implementation of new production standards, processes and raw materials. In short, SACMI delivers complete solutions so producers can tackle the transition with the right tools, such as next-gen vision systems where AI unlocks enormous plant control potential while enhancing user-friendliness.
All the latest from SACMI Packaging & Chocolate
Solutions exhibited at the fair will also include the SACMI Packaging & Chocolate range of machines and plants for processing and packaging chocolate and other food/non-food products. At the SACMI Packaging & Chocolate stand, visitors to Interpack can look forward to ‘experiential tours’ that focus on specific aspects of the industry: chocolate processing and molding, chocolate packaging, packaging for other industries.
SACMI Packaging & Chocolate is renowned for high levels of automation, outstanding versatility and unmatched productivity: hardly surprising, as its brands have led European and international markets for over 110 years. Electronically controlled drive systems, low maintenance, fast machine set-ups and a multi-style, multi-format approach are just some of the plus-points of today’s SACMI Packaging & Chocolate range: a range designed to meet the burgeoning demand for versatile chocolate processing and traditional/flowpack secondary packaging solutions.
 

Muri b. Bern/Switzerland, April 4, 2023 – The Swiss polymer distributor Meraxis has successfully completed its acquisition of the French Fournier Polymers group. In the run-up to the closing in Madrid, the responsible authorities had issued all the necessary approvals and clearance following an antitrust review. The corresponding purchase agreement had been signed in September 2022. Fournier is one of the leading distributors in Europe and North Africa of standard and technical polymers as well as additives. The acquisition will enable Meraxis to strengthen its regional presence in Western Europe and North Africa as well as expand its service and product portfolio.

“Fournier and Meraxis have very similar values and ways of thinking, but we are also united by our international orientation,” emphasized Dr. Stefan Girschik, CEO at Meraxis. “We see ourselves as a comprehensive product and service provider for our customers. The merger will allow us to expand our services in distribution, supply chain management, digitalization, and material development, as well as sustainability. In addition, the joint product portfolio offers optimal synergy potential – next to standard polymers and additives, this includes technical polymers in particular.”

Fournier serves plastics processors in a variety of industries, such as automotive, electronics and construction. With this acquisition, Meraxis is consequently pursuing its growth course. The globally active company is acquiring companies in nine countries. This includes the entire European branch with locations in France, Benelux, Spain, Portugal, Italy, UK and Germany, as well as the North African companies in Morocco and Tunisia. All employees will be taken on. The contact persons for customers and partners will remain the same.

The previous Fournier Managing Director and shareholder, Bruno Fournier, will remain with the company. He will continue to manage the day-to-day operations. “We will continue working together with our customers and partners as we did before – except that the integration into the Meraxis Group means an increase in services from a single source,” says Fournier. “Meraxis’ one-stop shop offers polymer processors everything they need – polymers, tools, technical advice, digital solutions, and more. Such a full-service offer maximizes our customer centricity and significantly simplifies the purchasing process. Together with Meraxis, Fournier can shape the polymer business of the future.”

About Meraxis Group

With a turnover of over 2 billion euros, Meraxis is one of the world’s leading plastics distributors. As a full-service provider with a global distribution and logistics network, the globally active distributor, headquartered in Muri near Bern, Switzerland, provides its customers with targeted support in the strategic procurement of plastics: Meraxis supplies companies from all industrial sectors with polymers and polymer-related products for a wide range of production processes - from the automotive industry to the construction sector and packaging companies. Meraxis combines a global partner and supplier network with many years of experience in the development and processing of high-quality polymers as well as in-depth material and product knowledge. 

The Group’s product portfolio includes standard plastics (including PE, PP, PET, PVC), engineering plastics, masterbatches (color granules) and recyclates. In addition, the company offers specific products (including metal, films, injection molded parts), as well as machines, equipment and tools for various plastic processing techniques. 

The full-service provider also works with its customers to develop solutions to promote the sustainable use of polymers and the circular economy. Meraxis sees itself as an active partner for digital transformation in the plastics industry. 
 

Serializing for DSCSA compliance, TQS-HC-A-TE Checkweigher combines traceability and anti-counterfeiting capabilities with company’s hallmark precision weight control.

Wipotec, a leading manufacturer and supplier of precision in-motion weighing, track and trace/anti-counterfeiting solutions and X-Ray scanning equipment, will showcase a three-in-one checkweigher/track & trace/temper-evidence module with industry-leading compactness at INTERPHEX NYC, Booth 2261, April 25-27. The TQS-HC-A-TE offers the precision weight monitoring for which the company is known, plus added traceability and anti-counterfeiting elements increasingly required on pharmaceutical packaging lines.

Notably, the serialization-ready TQS-HC-A-TE is an ideal solution for compliance with the final regulations of the Drug Supply Chain Security Act (DSCSA). Scheduled to take effect in late November 2023, this last track & trace hurdle requires interoperable, electronic tracing of products at the package level, including the incorporation of parent-child relationships to distinguish lots and other product groupings.

The TQS-HC-A-TE unit is literally bookended by built-in quality control: its lead acronym, “TQS,” stands for “Traceable Quality System,” indicating the machine’s ability to perform such serialization-centric duties as in-line printing of batch or unique product identifiers, print verification, and the ability to add extra sensory data to a product’s unique identifier. “TE” indicates that the machine is equipped with tamper-evident labeling systems on both sides, allowing pharma manufacturers to seal the insertion flaps of folding boxes or even apply further anti-counterfeiting vignettes from above.

The machine’s valuable extras do not come at the expense of its checkweighing duties: the TQS-HC-A-TE utilizes Wipotec’s precision Electro-Magnetic Force Restoration (EMFR) technology, which enables extremely short settling times to deliver fast, accurate and repeatable weighing results. Thanks to the company’s’ ConfigureFast User Interface, the transport system, coding unit, camera, scales and labeler are all controlled with a single software application.

Wipotec’ s TQS-HC-A-TE can handle up to 300 products per minute at lowest-possible reject rates, with an upgrade available that doubles throughput capacity to as many as 600/min. Its standard weighing range of up to 750g also can be doubled, and options also are available that expand the base unit’s maximum product length (120mm), height (150mm) and depth (200mm). The weigh cell’s performance while performing all functions mentioned above is barely hindered, with standard deviations as low as 200mg for a blistered carton.

About Wipotec
Wipotec, Inc. is a leading manufacturer and supplier of precision in-motion product weighing, X-Ray scanning, product inspection, parcel dimensioning, package marking, and serialization and aggregation equipment. The company's weighing, inspection, and track and trace solutions serve applications in a broad array of industries, including pharmaceutical, food, chemical, cosmetics, healthcare, e-commerce and logistics. 
Located in the Atlanta, GA suburb of Lawrenceville, Wipotec headquarters includes a demonstration showroom, customer application engineering labs, a spare parts warehouse, and state-of-the-art meeting and training rooms. The company is part of Germany-based Wipotec group, which employs more than 1,000 people worldwide and has been pioneering dynamic weighing solutions for more than three decades. For more information, call (678) 344-8300 or visit http://www.wipotec.com/us.