Every second, at least 100,000 products are packaged and distributed globally by industry and retail – and unpacked by the end-user. Tens of thousands of professionals contribute daily to the continuous improvement of the activity of packaging. How do organisations ensure that the skills, knowledge and know-how of the professionals in packaging will be available and up-to-date? How do they implement life-long education and training to nurture the agility of their ageing work force in packaging? Answers to these questions will be given on 15 March 2018 in Paris at the 4th annual European Conference on the Future of Business Education in Packaging (FBEP2018). Location of the conference is the Mercure Convention Centre at Charles de Gaulle international airport.

Agility is generally considered to be a positive factor for the competitiveness of companies and for the people that work there. Ageing is often defined as the process of becoming older and (therefore) less healthy or efficient. The word may be applied to both people, organisations and even materials. The word ageing mostly evokes negative associations; ageing would result in illness, slowness and malfunctioning.

Whether these negative associations are really justified can be disputed. Who could be against living a longer life? How could the world population stabilize peacefully in the 21st century after the phenomenal tenfold increase since the 19th century, without ageing?

For society as a whole, ageing results in a shift in the age distribution. The population ‘pyramid’ morphs into a ‘vase’ with relatively few younger people and relatively more elderly people around. The same is true for the effect of ageing on the workforce: the percentage of workers in the 50-plus age category increases, the youngsters are getting relatively scarce.

Specifically interesting to the FBEP2018 conference in Paris is the unique insights lecture given by Mr. Patrick Bruaux (Coordination & Performances Director at L’Oréal) and Ms. Nathalie Carletto (International Director Learning Operations at L’Oréal). Subsequently, Mr. Leon Patty (Director Human Resources at Fromageries Bel) will share his views on nurturing packaging agility in an international food manufacturing environment.

As in every FBEP edition, the afternoon programme includes three interactive Round Table Discussions. In FBEP2018 these will focus on the effects of ageing and flexibilisation in the European workforce, new education technologies and the impact of legislation on employability and job security.

Düsseldorf (Germany), January 15, 2018 – According to research of the MacArthur Foundation (EMF), merely 14 percent of the plastic packaging used globally makes its way to recycling plants, while 40 percent ends up in landfill and only 1/3 in fragile ecosystems. By 2050, it is estimated there will be more plastic than fish in the world's oceans. Contributing to the transformation of global plastic packaging material flows is essential for each stakeholder of the plastics value chain.

Based on this claim, a consortium of leading technology companies, comprising of BOBST, BOREALIS, EREMA and HENKEL, hosted a Circular Packaging Event and of last year at GEA in Weert, The Netherlands. During this day experts from the industry presented the latest developments in The Full PE Laminate solution as well as other fully recyclable monomaterials and shared insights into recyclability properties and second life possibilities. One of the main innovations presented at the event is the brand-new barrier solution for fully recyclable monomaterial, suitable for flexible food packaging. The innovation was demonstrated on the GEA SmartPacker CX400. Guest speakers from the European Organization for the Packaging and the Environment (EUROPEN) and SUEZ, gave another dimension to the day and helped close the circle.

Current challenges of flexible packaging

As sustainable and recyclable packaging is becoming an increasingly important topic in the market for flexible packaging for both brand owners and end users, the plastics and packaging industries are looking for ways to ultimately move to monomaterial structure to facilitate recycling. Current structures cannot be recycled because of the use of mixed polymers in the structure, such as barrier or printed substrates/films typically involving PET laminated to sealant substrates consisting of PE, OPP or CPP dependent upon the application. To deliver a full PE barrier laminate structure is not easy as the mechanical properties of PE are not optimised for web transportation, stability and conversion and the heat sensitivity of the film also creates additional challenges when using vacuum deposited barrier layers.

The Full PE Laminate

The Full PE Laminate solution by Borealis and Borouge is a step-change concept in flexible plastic packaging. It is based on the proprietary Borstar® Bimodal Polyethylene (PE) Technology in combination with machine direction oriented (MDO) processing technology. Packaging solutions of The Full PE Laminate are as efficient in terms of performance as other flexible packaging structures and serve as 100 percent substitutes for multi-material film solutions in pouches and packs. Most compellingly, the recyclate gained from The Full PE Laminate packs can be used for valuable end products with no loss in efficiency, and can even be used to produce PE film products.

Importance of recyclable packaging

Additionally, Henkel gave more insights about the growing importance of recyclability in the flexible packaging industry. Both, from a brand owner’s perspective for Laundry & Home Care products and as technology leader for adhesives & coatings, Henkel showcased different packaging design solutions and concepts towards a circular economy, such as the Full-PE Laminate for laundry detergents or the Megaperls pouch with recycled plastics and highlighted the role of adhesives & coatings in a circular economy. Extensive tests, performed by Henkel, partners and other market participants, have successfully demonstrated the viability of recycling PU laminated films into high quality secondary materials when mutually compatible films are used.

Barrier solution on fully recyclable PE film

As part of the collaborative project with the other partners, BOBST utilized its world leading Competence centers in Bobst Manchester and Bobst Italia to provide a full turnkey solution for the conversion of the newly created MDO PE film. The film was first AlOx coated on a new BOBST K5 EXPERT metallizer, a unique barrier topcoat was then applied using an AlOx optimized BOBST CL 850D coating & laminating machine, the film was then printed on a new RS 6003C HS gravure printing press and finally laminated on the CL 850D machine. As well as being recyclable, the new packaging solution also needs to meet barrier targets which are to achieve barrier levels equivalent to that of metallized PET (OTR - 1 cm³/(m²d) & WVTR - 1 g/(m²d)), BOBST is now heading towards achieving this important market requirement.

Stand-up pouch (SUP) manufacturing

The new material has been tested on Vertical Form Fill Seal equipment by GEA experts in Weert, who were entrusted with the task of adapting the packaging equipment GEA SmartPacker CX400 Quatro Seal for use with the new film material. Jacques Timmermans, the product application specialist at GEA, who was in charge of the project, said, “We managed to adjust our pack line for the flexible PE film so that we can now work in continuous mode without a loss of speed or efficiency. The Full PE laminate runs well on GEA two-line with rubber in-lay seal profiles – special profile.”

Addressing sorting and recyclability

When talking about the recycling of packaging, one has always to consider both – the recycling of production waste generated during the production of the packaging and of course the impact on the postconsumer recycling performance.

Production waste recycling

Whenever it is possible during the design phase to make packaging less complicated in terms of the recyclability, this also has a positive impact on the recycling of production waste. Material costs during the production of packaging account for about 80 percent of the total production costs. This means the recycling of the production waste, which can be up to 30 percent, is crucial for economical packaging production. The recycling can be handled in-house by the packaging producer or by recyclers using this industrial production waste. “In the case of monomaterial solutions the respective repellets can be used for a broader field of applications in the next product life – e.g. the Full PE laminate pouches can be used again for film applications which is not possible with PET/PE packaging, according to EREMA experts.

Post consumer recycling

A test carried out at the SUEZ Rotterdam sorting plant indicates that the large majority of the tested sheets were recognized as film and sorted out in a fraction that is being sold to specialized PP/PE film recyclers. These recyclers are currently suffering from the loss in yield and quality due to the presence of multi-layer packaging in the film fraction. The quality of the multilayer packaging waste fraction is significantly increasing by incorporation of the Full PE laminate.

Also in industrial sorting plants, these Full PE pouches can be sorted out with the PE film fraction from the technical point of view. It can also be the case that it is collected with the mixed film fraction. In that case monomaterial solutions are in general a contribution to make these fractions less complicated.

Plastindia 2018, the area's biggest plastic industry-dedicated event, will see the Group play a leading role with solutions for the manufacture of caps, containers and preforms, all characterised by unbeatable standards in terms of productivity, reliability, precision and energy savings.

Sacmi solutions for the plastics-closures industry will soon be on show at Plastindia 2018, the 10 th edition of the country's leading fair with 600 exhibitors from 40 countries and a staggering 200,000 visitors. Already a key player in the area with Sacmi Engineering – a one-stop production, sales and assistance reference point serving the entire Indian market – the Sacmi Group will soon head to India (7-12 February 2018, Gandhinagar Ahmedabad, Gujarat State) to illustrate the tried and tested advantages of compression technology in the manufacture of caps and containers.

A pioneering developer of compression presses for the manufacture of plastic caps, Sacmi has invested heavily in this technology, making it the global industry benchmark. The key winning features of the CCM (continuous compression moulding) press range are productivity, energy savings and reliability. CCM was developed by Sacmi to make full use of the intrinsic advantages of a technology that operates at lower temperatures (i.e. reduced on-material stress and a longer working life for both machine and plant).

As visitors to Plastindia will see for themselves in the eye-catching videowall presentation (on the 78m 2 Group stand, hall 8, n° 8B60), the advantages of the range include the ability to manufacture caps with different designs using the same mould. Compared to alternative solutions such as injection, this technology allows - in addition to the briefest cycle times in the industry - for the manufacture of lighter, better-performing caps; moreover, their weight and other parameters are easily modified via the operator interface.

With the aim of extending the advantages of compression moulding to plastic container manufacturing, in 2004 Sacmi began designing and developing the CBF (compression blow forming) range: a new technological platform that allows containers to be manufactured directly from pellets in all commonly used resins.

Together with the outstanding flexibility that stems from being able to use different resins, winning characteristics such as high thermodynamic stability, no injection gate, high productivity and precision-moulded necks have drawn the attention of many dairy and pharma players. Of keen interest to the Indian market – where several Sacmi machines have been installed by leading local pharmaceutical firms – CBF has set its sights on becoming the new international standard on the blow moulding market by combining the best characteristics of other technologies (EBM, IBM, ISBM). This is similar to what happened over the last 20 years with the compression presses the Group designed, developed and marketed for the plastic caps sector.

One of just a handful of competitors able to lead the way across a range of different industries and technologies, Sacmi also provides the IPS (injection preform moulding) system. This preform manufacturing solution uses an injection technology that fully meets the market's need to combine productivity, efficiency, process hygiene and versatile size changeovers. Furthermore, the IPS range is also characterised by the lowest specific consumption on the market (kWh/kg PET) thanks to innovative solutions such as KERS (kinetic energy recovery system). Important design innovations, such as automated preform unloading in the post- cooling area - which, thanks to the use of a pick-up unit, eliminates the need for belts and conveyors - increase process efficiency while simultaneously reducing consumption and any risk of contamination.

At Plastindia 2018 we'll also be showcasing advanced supervision and control systems. Both the CCM and CBF systems can, in fact, be integrated with the all-round quality control solutions developed by the Sacmi Automation & Inspection Systems Division. With an eye to Industry 4.0, supervisors can be configured to ensure real-time plant performance control, maximising efficiency and ensuring ever-more sophisticated diagnostics that permit predictive maintenance.

The Group returns to the plastics-packaging fair in Dhaka - in a market with one of the highest growth and development potentials in the world - to illustrate new additions to its range. It does so after gaining key customers in recent years thanks to numerous successful projects with key players in the local industry

Sacmi [hall1 #163] is to attend IPF Bangladesh, the plastics, printing and packaging fair soon to be held in Dhaka that is expected to attract at least 18,000 visitors from 11 countries. Buoyed by a series of successful projects and plant engineering solutions that have boosted recognisability and positioning in recent years, the Sacmi Group is returning to Dhaka (2018.1/31-2/3) to showcase the latest developments in the range, all aimed at improving efficiency and process integration while optimising consumption and performance.

Sacmi is the world-leading supplier of plastic cap manufacturing plants that use compression technology. With decades of experience and know-how in supplying integrated packaging- beverage solutions and a considerable number of complete lines recently supplied to leading players in the local industry (which cover Sacmi's full range for the industry), we're perfectly placed to play a key role at this latest edition of IPF, a pivotal event in one of the world's 20 leading markets (source: EUROMONITOR) with the highest growth and development potential from now until 2019.

Thanks to sales and after-sales service branches located on every continent, the Sacmi Group is also equipped to provide - in addition to technological excellence - fast customer support: this extends from the design stage (thanks to smooth synergy with the Group R&D facility) and on throughout the working life of the machine or plant. In this regard, what really makes the difference is the advanced tele-assistance software (installed across the entire range) and the latest-generation line supervisors which effect real-time monitoring (also remotely) of all production line performance parameters.

After exhibiting for the very first time at Saudi PPPP, the country's biggest packaging-plastics fair (Riyadh 21-24 January), Sacmi will then fly to Moscow for the twenty-fifth edition of Prodexpo (5- 9 February 2018). Sacmi will be showcasing the entire beverage-closures plant engineering range, which in 2018 will also include the new heroLINE.

For the very first time, Sacmi will take part in Saudi PPP, Saudi Arabia's key moulding, packaging and plastics technology/petrochemical fair. The event will be held in the capital city of Riyadh (International Convention & Exhibition Center) from 21 to 24 January 2018. The Middle East is strategic to the Group's growth prospects and Sacmi has had a structured presence there for some time, operating throughout the area via its Dubai branch in the nearby United Arab Emirates.

At the Sacmi stand (n° 115-3), the over 16,000 expected visitors will have a great opportunity to get a close look at the Group's plant engineering range. Sacmi is already a key technology provider to Saudi Arabia and enjoys a sterling reputation with major players in local industry. Labelling solutions will be particularly prominent, as Sacmi roll-fed technology provides a perfect response to the complex labelling needs of high speed container production lines.

Outstanding performance, a versatility that translates into minimum label and/or size changeover times and advanced in-line quality control systems have won widespread customer approval. They are key features on all machines developed by the Sacmi Labelling Division for this market, which is eager to adopt solutions that combine quality and speed with optimisation of raw materials and consumption. Sacmi lines for the manufacture of lighter yet equally high- performance containers take a similar approach. On the one hand, they offer perfect plant engineering integration and, on the other, superior technology (CBF, compression blow forming) characterised by reduced cycle times, low container weights (that comply with green packaging policies) and the ability to switch from one resin to another simply by changing some settings.

A far-reaching presence on individual markets and excellent after-sales services are just some of the qualities the Sacmi Group will be illustrating at Prodexpo in Moscow. After its successful participation in the 2015 and 2016 editions, Sacmi will make its third appearance at the 25 th edition of this international food and beverage fair , which covers everything from raw materials to conversion and packaging (Moscow Expo Centre, 5-9 February 2018).

Industry protagonists from 60 countries, many from the vast Russian Federation, will have the opportunity to visit the Group's stand (Hall 7, hall 1, n° 71C90) and get a close look at Sacmi, which leads the world in the field of cap manufacturing with compression technology. Moreover, Sacmi is more and more focused on providing complete lines where cap and preform manufacturing are synchronised with downstream blowing, filling and labelling tasks.

Sacmi's flagship beverage-closures product, the new Sacmi heroLINE, represents an additional opportunity for both bottlers and preform manufacturers, as plant engineering integration reduces the need for handling and transfer, thus boosting process efficiency. Another essential ingredient in the Sacmi 'recipe' consists of the quality control solutions developed by the Sacmi Automation & Inspection Systems Division. These are designed to perform high speed inspection (directly on the line) of every aspect of the cap, preform, container and label.

With regard to Russia, since 2004 the fulcrum of the Sacmi Global Network has been Sacmi Moscow, a fully equipped facility that provides customers with close support at every stage of the project and throughout the working life of the machine and plant.

Versatility and weight reduction - which means greater competitiveness, quality and process repeatability - have made this technology a true winner. And with a complete solution just supplied to a major player on the local dairy market, the positive feedback keeps on coming.

Sacmi CBF technology has won the FBE Award (Food Beverage Engineer Annual Innovation Production Award). This prestigious prize, assigned at the third Food Beverage Equipment and Engineer Summit in Shanghai, aims to identify the best technology on the blow moulding market.

CBF merges the very best characteristics of alternative container-making technologies (e.g. EBM, IBM, ISBM), a fact that grabbed the jury's attention and saw the Sacmi-developed process acknowledged for its intrinsic advantages: excellent thermodynamic stability, no gate on the bottom of the container, high productivity and precision-moulded necks. When combined with the excellent flexibility that stems from being able to use different resins, these factors make this solution ideal for the dairy sector where weight reduction and process versatility are in great demand.

Needless to say, such characteristics are greatly appreciated by those key global players that have invested in CBF. The latter now includes a leading local dairy producer that has purchased the Sacmi solution to produce 200 ml HDPE containers. Ultra-fast cycle times (just 7 seconds for this specific application) and weights no greater than 15.5-19 grams have been combined with high quality, process repeatability and a weight reduction of some 20%, ensuring savings in terms of both energy and raw materials. Long-lasting reliability - which stems from lower temperatures that prevent stress on vital machine parts - completes the picture.

Companies investing in our solutions can also count on the far-reaching presence of the Sacmi Group, which has local branches worldwide and provides a quick-response consultancy and after-sales assistance service. More specifically, the Sacmi Shanghai branch's highly qualified technicians provide close customer support right from the design stage and help implement innovative solutions that meet Industry 4.0 requisites.

Wolfertschwenden, 10 January 2018 - At Anuga FoodTec 2018 MULTIVAC will be presenting its comprehensive expertise in automation and line technology with an automated traysealer line for packing sliced fresh meat. The packaging line comprises a meat portioner and Flexible Packing Unit (FPU) from TVI as well as a high- output T 800 traysealer, conveyor belt labeller and inspection solution from MULTIVAC.

The multi-functional and highly flexible GMS 520 singlecut portioning system from TVI can process all types of red meat and poultry with the minimum of personnel involvement - for every portion in any consistency, and always optimised for weight and product waste. Fillets, cutlets and steaks can be cut from small and medium-sized primals, as for example can pork sirloin steaks from frozen product (down to -3° C), or roulades and thin grill strips from large primals, as well as diced products such as goulash and many other cuts. Even meat with bone can be cut into very even slices with the GMS 520 singlecut. If the product is well tempered, slice thicknesses of 1 mm can be achieved, while the maximum slice thickness is 50 mm. The portioner ensures that the highest product quality is always achieved, even at high throughput, in terms of cutting, forming and arranging of the product. An output of up to 4 cuts per second, together with its very short changeover time, makes the GMS 520 a highly efficient portioning system, where the yield can be further increased with trim-free portioning.

After being portioned, the meat products are transferred to the multi- functional FPU 500 multitray loading module from TVI. The loading module accomplishes all the loading processes very efficiently. Trays with formats of up to 340 x 275 x 80 mm (L x W x H) can be loaded. The cycle output is on average around 40 trays per minute.

The filled trays are then transferred to the high-output T 800 traysealer, which is designed to produce MAP packs and MultiFresh TM vacuum skin packs in large batches. It enables trays to be packed with a product protrusion of up to 20 mm with a particularly attractive pack appearance.

The packaging machine, which can be scaled to particular requirements, has energy-efficient drive systems, can be washed down and allows for quick die changes. Thanks to the IPC06 machine control with touchscreen, its operation is exceptionally user-friendly. The packaging machine can be operated from both sides and is available with various equipment options.

The finished packs are then labelled on a high-performance L 310 conveyor belt labeller with D labelling from MULTIVAC Marking & Inspection. A LD 210 label dispenser, which is designed to the high hygiene requirements of the food industry and has an IP69K protection rating, applies a label up to 500 mm long to the top of the tray and then down both sides, before applying it to the base of the pack. This type of labelling produces a very attractive pack, particularly on vacuum skin packs, since the label, which can be either right-angled or rounded, works like a sleeve label. At Anuga FoodTec paper labels will be used, which have a very high degree of rigidity and therefore give a particularly high- quality impression.

The fully integrated TTO 10 thermal transfer printer, which enables the labels to be printed with production data or codes, provides durable and precise printing of all the relevant pack data. Labeller adjustment units with a graphic display in the HMI control terminal, together with the machine recipe settings stored for the particular product, ensure that product changes are performed easily and quickly.

In addition to this, MULTIVAC will also be showing in the line a space- saving and user-friendly combination of checkweigher and metal detector (I 211) for reliable detection of all metals. Its rigid and vibration- reducing floor stand ensures that a precise weight check is achieved. Since the settings are saved with the machine recipe for the particular product, a quick product change presents no problems.

What is the connection between a newborn baby and a glass jar? This question will be answered when the ‘Great Orchestra of Christmas Charity’ hosts their annual fundraiser in Poland on Sunday 14 th January.

The annual event, now in its 26 th year, is a series of public fundraising initiatives, culminating in a Grand Finale – televised concerts, fireworks and an auction - to raise funds in support of neonatal departments in hospitals throughout Poland.

It is during this year's 26th Grand Finale, that an auction will be held for a unique set of glass jars from Friends of Glass, signed personally by Jerzy Owsiak, founder of the Orchestra and well-known Polish journalist and social campaigner.

Barbara Maciałczyk, Marketing Manager from Ardagh Group, representing Friends of Glass in Poland, says: "Glass packaging has a close connection with this year’s fundraising goal. For most new mums, driven by the health of their children, glass jars are the first choice for weaning babies onto solid food. Therefore, glass jars embossed with ‘I ❤ glass’ seemed the natural choice for promoting this great cause."

Each glass jar has a capacity of 4.250 litres and is presented in an ecological, cotton bag. All products have an official band, a hologram and a stamp of this year's 26th Finale, as well as the signature of Jurek Owsiak together with the famous Polish ’Sie ma!’, meaning ‘Howdy!’.

To give further support to the campaign, the Ardagh Glass plant in Gostyń, Poland, has produced 100 limited edition bottles, engraved with the hearts of the Great Orchestra of Christmas Charity, together with the Ardagh Group logo and the coat of arms of the city of Gostyń. They will be auctioned at the Cultural Centre in Gostyń, also on Sunday 14 th January.

Packaging Expert Will Direct U.S. Pharma Equipment Operations, with Emphasis on MHI’s Signature Blister Machine, “Eagle”

Norwell, MA –– Maruho Hatsujyo Innovations (MHI) – the U.S. subsidiary of Osaka-based Maruho Co. Ltd, a leading Japanese dermatology pharmaceutical company with subsidiaries in Europe and the U.S. with global sales exceeding $700 million – has hired Timothy Saarinen as Chief Operating Officer of its Medical Packaging Machinery business. Dr. Saarinen will be responsible for directing and overseeing operations, developing sales personnel and channels, and strengthening products, services, and technical resources.

Before joining MHI, Dr. Saarinen worked for packaging provider Amcor, first as Commercial Director, North America and then General Manager, Mundelein. Prior to that, he was Vice President of Sales for Isotec.

Dr. Saarinen will focus on providing customer guidance and consultation for – and continuing to raise market awareness of – Eagle, the company’s debut U.S. blister machine. Since its introduction in 2016, the servo-driven Eagle has blazed a trail for additional compact, high performance blister machines planned for 2018, including the Spirit (lab scale), Patriot (small production), and Denali (large scale production). Together, the product line will serve a comprehensive spectrum of blister packaging applications.

Capable of handling all commonly used forming and lidding materials, the competitively priced Eagle can produce up to 100 blisters per minute at a maximum index length of90mm and maximum index width of 130mm. The machine features fast, tool-free changeover in less than 10 minutes, offers multi-zone pre-heating, recipe-driven format change, and is compatible with third-party feeders. Other attractive attributes include ease of operation, user-friendly HMI, and easy expansion of feeder area when required.

In addition to his breadth of packaging industry experience, Dr. Saarinen also is a Lean Six Sigma Black Belt – a respected managerial distinction.

“Timothy brings a depth of experience that will help pharma manufacturers and contract packagers appreciate the quality, precision and performance that Eagle offers, all in a compact footprint,” said Gregory Zaic, President and CEO of MHI. “He also will help spearhead the introduction of new equipment in 2018 and beyond, focusing on service and growth in the North American marketplace.”

Dr. Saarinen earned a Ph.D. in Physical Chemistry at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, and a B.S. in Chemistry at Florida Atlantic University.

Serialization solutions leader to showcase Adents Seriza and Prodigi, which help pharma companies generate, transfer, secure and empower their serialization data – from packaging lines to end customers.

Taking place in Paris on February 7-8, Pharmapack Europe will – this year more than ever – be the premier destination for pharma companies and CMOs searching for alternative serialization solutions. As the industry enters stretch runs for several high-profile serialization mandates, the time is now for companies struggling to comply to reimagine their track & trace architecture in favor of more nimble, far-reaching solutions.

At Pharmapack, Adents will showcase its latest innovations (booth G66, hall 7.1) specifically Business Intelligence capabilities, Optimized Connectivity tools, and a HoloLens application accompanying Prodigi. Moreover, Christophe Carissimo, Customer Service Director at Adents, will give a presentation titled “How to ensure reliable and seamless management, sharing and reporting of your serialization data” during the “Serialization and Track & Trace” Symposium on February 7th.

Over the last months, leading serialization solutions provider Adents has noticed that many pharma companies – including large industry players – have experienced onerous difficulties in deploying serialization. In most instances, these implementations failed because the software solution could not seamlessly adapt to regulatory changes, or manage new requirements for additional markets, without time-consuming, resource-laden coding jobs.

Given the looming deadlines to comply with the Drug Supply Chain Security Act (DSCSA) in the US and the EU Falsified Medicines Directive (FMD), and also the numbers of packaging lines to be upgraded, large pharma companies are turning to Adents’ innovative, robust solutions to help them master serialization data utilization and maximize its business potential.

With its two serialization solutions, Adents Seriza (for manufacturing sites), and Adents Prodigi (for marketing authorization holders), Adents is differentiating itself through several crucial factors:

• Permanent compliance: Adents offers the only fully configurable serialization solutions, ensuring compliance with current regulations as well as future regulatory requirements.
• End-to- End data management: Adents has deployed a global serialization solution from Level 2 through Level 5 for its customers. This gives Adents unique expertise on the serialization data lifespan, from initial generation and exchange with supply chain partners all the way through reporting or sharing with local authorities and governments.
• Widest connectivity: Thanks to Adents Prodigi, a cloud-native solution co-developed with Microsoft, Adents became the first European provider to offer a certified Gateway to the EMVS (European Medicines Verification System). Having joined the pilot program, Adents is in the process of connecting Prodigi with the Russian Hub. Furthermore, the integration with Origin, a central data repository in the US operated by the Healthcare Distribution Alliance (HDA), is underway.
• Global network of serialization experts: Along with highly respected partners such as Microsoft and Siemens, Adents offers the only global network that keeps on growing. This network consists of more than 800 experts eager to ensure fast and seamless implementation of Adents solution.

“Our experience shows that the most critical step for pharma companies to successfully achieve serialization compliance is effectively adapt their information system architecture. From the packaging line to the patient, they need a versatile serialization solution that can properly generate, transfer and secure their serialization data,” comments Christophe Devins, CEO of Adents.

French dermatological specialist Laboratoires Ducray has selected AirFree airless solutions from RPC Bramlage for its new Dexyane anti-scratching emollient.

The company is using the patented AirFree ® Vega bag-in- bottle and Ecosolution™ airless pump for Dexyane balm.

The AirFree ® Vega comprises a co-extruded airless bottle incorporating a multilayer pouch with EVOH barrier protection, produced in a single stage process, which keeps the formula intact and preserves its active ingredients. Similarly, the Goya bag-in- bottle provides high protection for the product’s active ingredients, enabling fewer preservatives to be used and preserving the cream’s non-sticky texture, with efficient 95% evacuation from the bottle.

For user convenience, both solutions deliver precise and consistent doses with easy and intuitive activation, and can be used in any position in order to reach all parts of the body.

The fully recyclable Vega bottle and Ecosolution™ pump combination has been awarded Ecocert certification. The Ecosolution™ pump is made completely from plastic, with no metal parts. It is also produced using over 50% fewer parts – four instead of the 10 typically found in a traditional dispenser.

The Vega bottle offers excellent flexibility on production lines as it is compatible with all standard filling equipment and is capable of both atmospheric and top filling with a high speed snap-on of the pump. It is certified by COTREP (Technical Committee for Plastic Packaging Recycling), which supports the development of recyclable packaging solutions without hampering innovation.

Noida, 04 January 2018: India’s largest multinational flexible packaging materials and Solution Company Uflex in an endeavour to extend the very use of flexible packaging is particularly paying a lot of emphasis on developing resource optimized packaging for essential staples like Pulses, Wheat Flour, Sugar, Salt and Oil.

Talking more about this initiative, Mr. Jeevaraj Pillai, Joint President, Packaging and New Product Development, Uflex Limited pointed out, “Flexible Packaging sector in India will get the real boost when high volume (bulk) commodity food items like Pulses, Wheat-Flour, Sugar, Salt and Oil are marketed in packaged form. In India almost 80- 85% of unbranded food products are still sold loose without pre-designated packaging. With steadily increasing demand from urban consumers for branded high volume commodity food items, we are now getting a lot of enquiries from popular food brands for developing cost effective packaging particularly for the essential staples category. We have recently developed a 2 ply laminated packaging for wheat flour comprising a specialised Polyester (PET)/ specialised Polyethylene (PE) structure.

Two rather dichotomous situations had to be addressed in manufacturing this packaging solution for Wheat-Flour (in the 5 Kg Segment). In order to restrict the pricing within 2.5-3% of the total MRP of the 5 Kg Wheat Flour Pack we had to optimally down gauge the packaging. Down gauging cannot come at the cost of functionalities and strength of the pack. Therefore to ensure that the wheat-flour packaging is sturdy enough with good mechanical properties to withstand the weight of the product being packed as well as to sustain the rough supply chain conditions, we adopted a three pronged approach. We modified both the Polyester Film and the Sealant PE Layer to optimize the overall characteristics of the packaging. Both the layers were rendered special high dart impact resistant to pass 5 drops from 1.2 m height as per the ASTM standards. We were able to reduce the thickness of the PE by almost 38% which substantively down gauged the overall packaging. This reduction makes the packaging light-weight/resource optimized and far more sustainable than its erstwhile version.

The third and the most important modification has been registered nano- perforation on the laminate for which we installed a new machine with the most contemporary software. No other flexible packaging company in India has this capability.

The nano-perforation helps dispelling the air while filling the flour inside the pack and also ensures that no infestation by mites and other micro-organisms takes place resulting in spoilage of the wheat-flour packed inside. In fact the perforations are designed just enough for removing the air and restricting the passage of mites. Further the nano-perforation on the pack also imparts anti-skid properties to the bag paving way for easy stacking all through the supply chain.”

Expressing delight over the new development, Mr. Ashok Chaturvedi, Chairman & Managing Director, Uflex Limited said, “Resource optimized packaging for bulk commodities, particularly high consumption commodity food items as the name suggests, entails significant reduction at source. Since the target market consumption of this product category in a country like India is fairly large, resource optimized packaging for this segment beholds tremendous potential in overallreduction of polymer consumption. I am glad that my packaging engineers have been able to develop this packaging solution which is light-weight, sustainable and significantly contributes towards extending the use of flexible packaging for this volume driven food category. Considering that the per-capita packaging consumption in India is just about 4.5 kg currently, whereas that for countries like Taiwan, Germany and US is around 19, 50 and 71 kg respectively, resource optimized packaging for essential Indian staples is a tangible and definitive step in making flexible packaging a more popular option in India.”

South Beloit, IL – December 19, 2017 – American Control Electronics (ACE) announced that Nate Kuehl has joined the company in the role of Sales Manager. Nate comes to ACE following successful sales assignments at NIDEC-SHIMPO and Oriental Motor. Nate will be responsible for channel management, OEM account development, and market penetration efforts in the Midwest, and selected other areas of the country.

“We’re happy to have Nate on board,” said Dan Schnabel, President of ACE. “His knowledge of motors and control systems will be a great resource for our customers.”

“I am excited to work with the consultative ‘Design To Win’ approach that ACE employs.” said Kuehl.

ACE manufactures a wide variety of innovative AC & DC motor control systems and power products. It is a business unit of Trident Motion Technologies (TMT), a global powered-motion solutions provider.

The countdown is on: On February 9, 2019, EU Directive 2011/62/EU will come into effect. It aims to stop illegal trade in falsified medicines. From then onwards, pharmaceutical manufacturers have to provide secondary packaging of all medicines placed on the market with an individual serial number as well as an anti-tampering device to ensure the integrity of the medicinal packaging: a challenge that should not be underestimated and demands customized and efficient solutions. At Pharmapack in Paris on February 7 and 8, 2018, Schreiner MediPharm will present its extensive portfolio of innovative analog and digital security solutions for reliable counterfeiting and tampering protection in Hall 7.1, Booth J48. The highlight of the product lineup will be the BitSecure copy detection pattern which enables easy, digital authentication of pharmaceutical packaging using a smartphone app.

Digital, Innovative and Secure: BitSecure Mobile

BitSecure copy detection pattern by the Competence Center Schreiner ProSecure is a printed digital security feature based on a high-resolution, cloud-like random pattern. In an attempt to copy the BitSecure pattern, which has a size of only a few square millimeters, the printed image will suffer a loss in precision and optical details. These differences can be reliably detected by means of a smartphone app or a handheld reader.

At Pharmapack 2018, Schreiner MediPharm will present a new app for BitSecure authentication with selected smartphones as well as the latest generation of handheld readers. As a result, authentication can then be performed easier and more reliably. Improvements include user-friendliness and an enhanced app back-end: The user interface of the app is intuitive and the analysis algorithms have systematically been further developed. The back-end data management system is integrated into a powerful and future-proof development environment.

Versatile and Reliable: Multi-Level, Customized Security Systems

Reliable product and brand protection in the pharmaceutical supply chain can only be successfully achieved by combining analog and digital security features. Schreiner MediPharm will be showcasing its extensive portfolio of products for tampering and counterfeiting protection: from diverse closure seal solutions for clear, irreversible first-opening indication through to a wide range of integrated overt, covert and digital anti-counterfeiting features enabling reliable authentication by laypersons and experts.

Hatzopoulos S.A. has won the ultimate packaging award at this year's competition organized by the World Packaging Organisation (WPO).

The "Power Gel Stick-pack" that was presented by the company is a Worldstar Winner 2018 in the Packaging Materials and Components category.

This novel packaging solution concerns a quadriplex structure with laser scoring for a unique-shaped stick of energy gel for athletes. The packaging material provides high barrier properties against moisture, oxygen and aroma. In addition the raw and secondary materials have been selected carefully, to withstand the hot-filling and pasteurization procedures. The stick form remains intact during transportation and it can resist as well any pressure exerted by the athlete who may carry the pack on them during practice / or on the field (e.g. bicycle race). Hermetic sealing is safeguarded at all times, irrespective of gel viscosity or pasteurization conditions.

The stick is hyper-functional, as triple laser scoring is applied to the packaging material, in order to ensure fast, easy and safe opening by the athlete and the top area shapes a nozzle, so that the gel may be consumed immediately by the athlete. Critical point is the “trash chain” that is created on the top corner of the stick, which is necessary so that environmental pollution is avoided. Rotogravure printing has been selected for this range, with the metallic effect giving an impressive and dynamic visual appeal.

The private equity firm, Blue Equity has acquired 40% of the shares in Pack Tech, and invests in Pack Tech’s ambition to be the preferred provider of customised packaging solutions in the global market.

The Danish packaging company Pack Tech has sold 40% of its shares to the private equity firm, Blue Equity. In recent years, Pack Tech has enjoyed great success in both the domestic and international markets. Now that Blue Equity has joined the group of owners, the plan is to expand the business - including acquisition of competitors in the global market.

The capital from Blue Equity will also lead to an increase of investments in Pack Tech itself. The company’s ambition is to become an even better partner for their customers. Investment plans include the expansion of the engineering and design team and enlarged warehouse facilities. This will pave the way for even more customised solutions, and reduce both time-to-market and delivery times in general.

In addition, investments will be made in reciprocation of customers’ loyalty by constantly developing both the degree and the quality of service. In addition to the expanded engineering and design team, more specialists will be appointed in the administrative department, to ensure customers are always served by a specialist in the field they require, whether in the order or sales support department, or in the sales or design team.

Pack Tech’s management team will remain the same, and Henrik Breck, Klaus Hein Andersen and Christian L. Jensen continues in their present roles.

The Pack Tech management team and the Blue Equity investors are excited about the future.

Christian L. Jensen (CEO of Pack Tech) says:

“Having Blue Equity on board means we can really accelerate our plans for investing in our customers. I firmly believe that this is the key to continued success. In addition, we will increase our investment in business development and boost our growth. I am really looking forward to working together with Blue Equity. The company is a solid, well-capitalised partner who shares our values, providing us with an excellent basis for continued, profitable expansion. Our cooperation will take the company to the next level.”

Thomas Gullacksen (Blue Equity’s Investment Director) says:

“It isn’t very often that we come across a company with such a high level of dedication and commitment to its customers. The possibilities seem infinite. Its extraordinary competence in terms of designing and providing packaging solutions is impressive, particularly when combined with its highly value adding focus on the needs of their customers. The high quality, the skilled staff, the care for customers’ needs and the international mind set, provide Pack Tech with an excellent basis for further expansion. We are therefore proud to be given the opportunity to join Pack Tech as a partner on their journey of further development.”

International player invests in Sacmi inspection systems for correct cap application on the dairy and ready-to- drink products made in its US plants

Sacmi has become the official “problem solver” of a leading food&drink multinational that has several plants across the USA (with dairy and ready to drink tea bottling lines), meeting their quality control needs efficiently and effectively. For example, a common bottling line problem concerns the need to check the cap application angle on every single container and reject all containers with caps that are either too tight (i.e. too difficult to open) or too loose (i.e. with compromised product sealing performance).

In this case, the solution is the CVS360-3D, the module for 360° quality control of three-dimensional objects. Developed by Sacmi's Automation & Service Division, this advanced system (mounted on the LVS360 platform) caught the attention of the customer, who then carried out in-the- field trials plus dynamic tests performed in Sacmi Imola's Beverage R&D facility. The outcome: output quality that is 100% guaranteed, with false rejects reduced to less than 0.03%.

Installed and started up just recently - to the customer's immense satisfaction - the LVS360 system equipped with the CVS360-3D module has the outstanding capacity of being able to check for correct cap application and, more specifically, measure (using 4 HD video cameras) the exact distance between the embossed logo on the cap and the one on the bottle support ring (the PUM or pull-up mark). Moreover, advanced CVS360-3D module software, which translates the acquired 3D image into a 2D image, gives a perfect reconstruction of both cap and bottle neck. This allows measurement of the distance between the PUMs (a key parameter in testing for proper cap application), allowing real-time detection of every minimal deviation from quality parameter settings.

Designed for use on food&drink lines, the LVS360 system has an inspection capacity of 72,000 bottles per hour, with neck diameters of up to 38 mm. Made of stainless steel and featuring an excellent protection rating (IP65), it can be washed with water both inside and out.

Once again, this key order underlines the soundness of Sacmi's integrated, modular and customisable quality control solutions for every stage of bottle, label and primary packaging manufacture. The same user- friendly interface of the machine – and the CVS3000 software shared by the entire range of Sacmi inspection systems – makes control incredibly easy, speeding up setting times and allowing remote control of line performance from any device connected to the corporate network.

Two Opera labellers - selected on account of their proven reliability, productivity and efficiency - supplied to an industry multinational with plants in the USA for use on the bottling lines of a well-known international brand

A world-leading beer producer and bottler has gone for the productivity, reliability and compactness of Sacmi labelling solutions, designed to maximise efficiency and performance whatever the manufacturing scenario. This beverage multinational, whose plant is located in the economic and manufacturing heartland of the USA – has purchased two OPERA 400 AD 36T labellers for installation on the production lines of a famous international beer brand.

The two labellers feature three high-speed labelling stations and are designed to manage up to 48,000 self-adhesive label applications an hour. Equipped with a frontal feed device, the modules mount an automatic splicing system and can apply three different label types, continuously and in parallel, on the front, back and neck of the bottle.

In the very best Sacmi tradition, the labeller has been supplied together with the patented bottle positioning system and ultra-high speed label quality control (the LVS002B system, with 6 HD video cameras) integrated on each labelling module. This system, together with the design characteristics of the machine – especially the automatic splicing system, once of the key features of the solution – reduces line downtimes and/or production slowdowns.

This multinational’s interest was aroused by the tough, smart, compact design of the OPERA labellers; moreover, that same multinational controls over 200 of the world’s best- known brewery brands. This is a pivotal order for Sacmi and constitutes top-level acknowledgement of the Group’s ability to provide customers with high-grade technology and personalised solutions that respond to their specific production and market requirements.

A key player on the American market through its Sacmi USA office (established in 1994) and dedicated branches, the Sacmi Group stands out on account of its ability to provide all round beverage line control solutions, from filling lines to labelling and advanced after-sales services. Moreover, all the companies in the Group can count on the services provided by the Beverage R&D facility, certified by the industry’s biggest global players.

Following their success in the fruit-infused wines market, Accolade Wines have launched their Summer Berries Vodka with an elegant new bottle from Ardagh Group.

Accolade asked Ardagh to design something special for their first step into the spirits market. Giving a fairly open brief to the design team based in Knottingley, West Yorkshire, UK, Accolade trusted Ardagh to deliver a bottle that would stand out on the shelf, while staying true to the Echo Falls brand.

The sleek new bottle shape was developed by taking cues from wine and vodka bottles, reflecting the new direction of the brand. Once the shape was agreed, a design session between the two companies resulted in striking, art deco-style facets being added around the root of the neck.

The 70cl bottle has been produced at a weight of just 380g, which supports Accolade’s sustainability and environmental values.

Claire Gittins, Head of Procurement at Accolade Wines comments:

“This is the most unique bottle that Accolade Wines have ever launched, and we couldn’t be more pleased. Ardagh totally understood our brief and timelines and quickly engaged with their design team to develop a number of options.  They worked with us closely and adapted designs to meet our key criteria, advising design enhancements for the greatest impact whilst optimising costs and benefits at all times. 

“It has been a true collaboration and something we are very proud to have achieved together.”

December 18 th 2017 - Since 2015, TSC Auto ID and Datalogic have had a successful, dynamic strategic sales alliance in the EMEA region. Now, the two manufacturers are pleased to announce a global strategic alliance agreement that aims to leverage sales and marketing efforts of both companies worldwide.

“Our Customers and channel partners all over the world will take advantage of complete, valuable solutions with complementary and compatible high-quality products and, additionally, an outstanding service by qualified personnel”, comments Sam Wang, CEO of TSC Auto ID Technology Co. Ltd. TSC Auto ID is one of the global top 5 manufacturers of innovative thermal label printers for industrial, desktop and mobile applications in all sectors. Over 25 years of experience in development and production, a first-class product range and more than 3 million installed solutions in over 90 countries make the taiwanese company a reliable partner. “And Datalogic as a global leader in the automatic data capture and process automation markets confirms its disposition as trustworthy supplier of solutions that meet the actual needs of end customers and channel partners, establishing partnerships with the leading companies worldwide”, Francesco Montanari, Chief Marketing Officer of Datalogic adds.

Both manufacturers will guarantee a complete and high-quality offering, focused on all current and incoming tasks and market needs. Joint marketing activities underline their high standards and highlight their brands.