Boris Miksic, a Croatian-American entrepreneur and owner of Cortec® Corporation, has received special recognition for 50 years of dedicated work at NACE-International, the largest global organization focusing on developing standards for corrosion prevention. Cortec® is a global corrosion inhibitor manufacturer and a leader in green corrosion protection technologies. This valuable recognition confirms Mr. Miksic as one of the leading global experts in the field of VCI/VpCI corrosion inhibitors. Patented Vapor phase Corrosion Inhibitors are revolutionary technology that simplifies corrosion protection and is ideal for keeping enclosed void spaces such as packages, equipment internals, or structural metal cavities,

corrosion-free. This technology is designed to save time, money and offer more thorough, reliable, and easier-to-use protection than a variety of other metals preservation strategies.

Boris Mikšić is a Croatian-American who immigrated to the USA in the 1970s, where he founded Cortec® in his garage. From modest beginnings in Hugo, Minnesota, Cortec® grew into the world's leader in VpCI®/MCI® corrosion protection technology. With its 9 plants, warehouses, and laboratories, Cortec is the world's largest producer of VCI, VpCI®, and MCI® products and services. It operates in over 100 countries and is the world's largest privately held company involved in corrosion and environmental protection. "I have dedicated my life to developing new green technologies in the corrosion industry, and this award is a great honor. All my investments have a sustainability focus, and my vision from the beginning was to develop environmentally safe solutions. Our plants operate on the circular economy principle, and we recently started utilizing our energy resources by installing solar power plants,” says Miksic. “Most of our products are bio-based and recyclable. We reprocess them in-house, significantly reducing the amount of waste for disposal. This is how we demonstrate not only responsibility towards our customers but also toward our communities. For me, this is equally important. Cortec®, is an example of a modern company that is based on sustainability principles,” he adds. In his rich 50-year career, he received 66 patents and played an important role in the National Association of Corrosion Engineers (NACE, now AMPP). He has won numerous awards, chaired NACE symposiums and working groups, helping to develop numerous industrial testing standards. His discoveries on vapor-phase corrosion inhibitor technology have been published in various scientific journals.

Green Production Complex in Croatia

In the early 2000s, Mikšić launched production in his home country Croatia, which experienced significant expansion. Today, Croatian plants supply not only Europe but also a large part of Asia. Boris Miksic is very pleased with how business is developing in Europe: “EcoCortec®- our sustainable, solar-powered production complex, located in the green fields of the Baranja region, made Croatia one of the central points in Europe for manufacturing and exporting green corrosion inhibitors worldwide" he states.

50 years in NACE-International

The event entitled CORROSION 2024—Conference and Exposition was organized earlier this month by NACE International. During the event, NACE’s recognition for long-standing work and achievements in the field of corrosion protection was awarded to Boris Miksic. He received this honorable recognition at a grand ceremony held at the World War II Museum in New Orleans. Over the past 50 years, Boris Miksic issued 66 patents and played a significant role in the National Association of Corrosion Engineers (NACE, now AMPP). He has won numerous awards, chaired NACE symposiums and working groups, and helped develop numerous industrial testing standards. His discoveries on vapor-phase corrosion inhibitor technology have been published in various scientific journals. Miksic’s vision of pushing boundaries towards sustainability in the industry is prevalent today. More and more companies are following Cortec’s example and turning towards environmentally responsible technologies. "My mission was, and still is, to always be one step ahead. I promoted the importance of green anticorrosion solutions when it was still something that very few were considering. Today, it has become the gold standard in our industry. After many years of hard work advocating for sustainability, I am pleased to see great progress," concludes Miksic.

Inspired by the great success of interpack 2023, concrete planning for the trade fair’s next edition scheduled for 07 to 13 May 2026 is under way. About two years before the start of the trade fair, the registration phase has now officially begun. This gives companies from all over the world the opportunity to secure a place at the industry’s leading trade fair.

From start-ups to global corporations: no business is too small or too large to be part of this unique event. In 2026, interpack will continue to bring together the global processing & packaging industry and become a driving force for the industry's future topics.

For seven days, the entire value chain of the industry will be represented – from packaging machines and processing technology, packaging supplies, packaging materials and packaging aids, the production of packaging supplies, converting and printed packaging, marking technology and labelling up to warehousing, logistics and transport technology. There are products and services for all types of application industries: food, beverages, confectionery and bakery, pharma, cosmetics, non-food and industrial goods.

interpack and components, the parallel trade fair for the industry’s suppliers, last year welcomed 2,809 exhibitors from 61 countries. And 95 percent of them want to come back. One reason is that interpack is always about “big business”: 82 percent of the visitors are top managers involved in investment decisions.

The waiting list for the world’s largest trade fair of the industry is traditionally long, so early booking is an advantage. Starting on 20 March, exhibitors can register online and reserve their desired booth. interpack 2026 will take place from 7 to 13 May at the Düsseldorf Trade Fair Centre. All halls will be available again. The new assignment of halls according to sectors of the industry, which was introduced at the last interpack, will be continued. This makes it easier for visitors to efficiently navigate the event.

Registration documents for interpack and components 2026 are available at:
https://www.interpack.com/en/Exhibit/Become_an_exhibitor
and https://www.packaging-components.com/en/Exhibit/Become_an_exhibitor.

Previous exhibitors from 2023 can use their known access data to log in and register. First-time exhibitors will be guided step-by-step through the registration process.

Company also will highlight its PTA/PTCA Balloon Catheter Tubing for coronary and non-coronary angioplasty applications

Wayne, PA – TekniPlex Healthcare, which utilizes advanced materials science expertise to help deliver better patient outcomes, will highlight its recently added catheter design and manufacturing capabilities at the China International Medical Equipment Fair (CMEF), April 11-14 in Shanghai. At Hall 8.1, Stand W41, the company also will showcase its PTA/PTCA Balloon Catheter Tubing for coronary and non-coronary angioplasty applications, which are produced and extruded in ISO-certified cleanrooms and can incorporate up to three layers of specified raw materials.

TekniPlex Healthcare, a longstanding leader in a multitude of tubing solutions, now offers additional product service solutions to support its customers from early ideation stage through product development and full production of catheter-based systems. This includes product design, prototyping, an array of precision secondary processes, and clean room assembly of Class II and Class II devices, including the design, development and fabrication of stents and stent delivery systems.

At CMEF, TekniPlex Healthcare will highlight its unique offerings as an end-to-end service provider of interventional device solutions by featuring its PTA/PTCA Balloon Catheter Tubing for coronary and non-coronary angioplasty applications. Ranging in balloon size from 1 to 30mm, the company’s customized balloon catheter tubing is manufactured at tight tolerances (± .0005”) with concentricity of over 90%. The tubing’s controlled elongation rate provides blown balloons with uniform wall thickness, improving overall yield and substantially reducing bursting risk.

TekniPlex Healthcare’s tri-layer inner tubing constructs are particularly sophisticated. The solutions consist of polyamide (nylon) or polyether block amide copolymer (PEBA) outer layers with high-density polyethylene (HDPE) inner layers. The small-diameter, thin-wall, tight-tolerance, high-precision configurations are required for use in interventional vascular apparatuses to allow diagnostic and therapeutic devices – for example, balloon catheters for coronary, peripheral and neurovascular intervention – to more easily advance over guidewires.

The inner tubing’s HDPE inner layer reduces friction on the wire, while the outer layer is bondable to balloon catheter tubing of similar materials; the middle layer is an extremely thin adhesive ‘tie layer’. The thickness of the inner and outer layers can be customized to suit various applications. 

TekniPlex Healthcare is also dedicated to developing custom solutions to unique problems in the medical and bioprocess fields. The company will also showcase its paratubing, which the company can produce in up to eight customer colored, textured, or striped tube formations to distinguish between flow paths. Other examples include patented multilayer tubing configurations that offer extremely low absorption properties to help extend the usable life of insulin and other unstable drug products, such as chemotherapy drugs. Another patented configuration, designed for fluid transfer of DMSO and other solvent suspensions, allows for safe product delivery in dual hormone delivery systems and advanced cell & gene therapy processes.

“In the past few months, TekniPlex Healthcare has become a fully functioning contract development and manufacturing organization, capable of partnering with medical and healthcare customers right from the concept stages and straight through to large-scale production,” said Chris Qualters, CEO for TekniPlex Healthcare. “In terms of balloon catheter tubing specifically, our precise manufacturing techniques can incorporate up to three layers of specified raw materials, and are extruded in ISO-certified cleanrooms. This prowess is only bolstered by participating in the initial product design and development phases.”

About TekniPlex Healthcare

TekniPlex Healthcare utilizes advanced materials science expertise and technologies to develop and deliver critical solutions for medical and diagnostic devices, drug delivery systems and healthcare packaging applications. With a global reach, the division’s deep understanding of the greater pharmaceuticals and medical landscape helps it produce exemplary barrier properties for drugs and precision medical devices for interventional and therapeutic procedures.

In the medical device niche, TekniPlex Healthcare embodies a comprehensive CDMO partner capable of servicing every stage of the product life cycle, from design and development through component manufacturing and final assembly. Throughout its broad purview, the division’s ever-evolving portfolio helps meet demands for high-leverage medicines and mission-critical healthcare products that benefit care providers and patients. For more information visit www.tekni-plex.com/healthcare.

Solutions from Aprotec – System supplier with a major specialisation advantage

Cologne, March 2024 – The system supplier Aprotec from Karlstadt in Bavaria is a specialist for modern, customised solutions in automation, process plant and leak testing technology. The team of around 30 engineers and technicians offers customers from the automotive and semiconductor industry, mechanical engineering and vacuum technology portfolio – from the idea to the turnkey system.

Leybold expertise secures knowledge advantage

To achieve this, Aprotec relies on the products and the expertise of Leybold. This collaboration goes deep into areas of application where experience is important. Managing Director Michael Landgraf: "It is precisely on this knowledge is the basis of our specialisation advantage over our competitors. Our positioning in the niche ensures not least that. we can react quickly to customer requirements."

Aprotec is therefore a system supplier that offers its customers turnkey systems for customised applications. As a result these are specially designed for processes and their process environments, such as vacuum, overpressure, temperature or gases – from laboratory scale to industrial production. Aprotec's strategic goal, however, is to go into series production.

The company is managed by Michael Landgraf and Matthias Roth. The founders, who started their own business in 2015, have been working in the vacuum industry – in process, testing and automotive technology.

Their customers rely on established methods, such as helium leak testing. The proven leak detectors PHOENIX Quadro and PHOENIX Vario with their high detection sensitivities play an important role. In addition to fuel cells, components, transmission and engine components, pharma packaging and battery housings are tested.

The high-tech systems from Aprotec are designed for short cycle times, low tolerances and a high level of safety. This requires high-quality materials and a great deal of engineering expertise are necessary. The solutions are therefore experts with decades of application application knowledge – such as for high-temperature systems for the semiconductor industry. In addition to the expertise, it is also used in crystal systems in which the ingots for silicon wafers are produced, the use of the best vacuum pumps – because it is elementary here, to be oxygen-free and to be able to set particle pressures precisely.

Leybold has a high level of experience with crystal pulling processes and can also supply the vacuum pumps suitable for this purpose. The VARODRY dry screw pump is not only attractively priced, but also completely oil-free. Thanks to its toothed belt drive, it works without gear oil so that there is no risk of contamination due to oil backflow from the vacuum pump to the vacuum chamber.

Q&A with Michael Landgraf, Managing Director aprotec

What characterises your systems?

In our division testing technology, where we primarily use helium leak testing, we develop systems that push the limits of what is technically feasible. This is where most other suppliers reach their limits.

Which detection limits are they exactly?

We test in measuring ranges up to 10-10 mbar l/s or at test gas pressures of up to pressures of up to 1500 bar. Recently we have put a leak test system for fittings into operation with a test gas pressure of 1500 bar and a detection limit of 10-7 mbar l/s. Implemented in this is a PHOENIX Quadro and a Leybold NEO D rotary vane pump.

Why did you choose in favour of products from Leybold?

Because of the good performance of the products and the great expertise and the good advice from Leybold.

Where do you currently see particularly good opportunities in the market?

In testing technology, especially in applications with hydrogen and fuel cells. For some industries, such as semiconductors, we can supply both the testing systems and the semiconductor equipment.

Why is Leybold the right partner?

Our contacts are experts with decades of application knowledge - especially in the field of leak testing. On this basis, we can offer systems that are not yet available on the market, for example in hydrogen technology. This is how we will assert ourselves in this market

About Leybold

Established in 1850, Leybold is a pioneer in vacuum innovation. Our inventions have paved the way for many modern-day vacuum technologies, including our range of next-generation vacuum products. We are recognized globally as a leader in the manufacture of vacuum pumps and systems for industrial and scientific vacuum applications, that are supported by our specialized and globally accessible Service solutions.

We are proud to live up to our brand promise - Pioneering products. Passionately applied.

Founded in Cologne, Germany with sales and service locations around the globe. We are a part of the Atlas Copco Group. For more information, visit leybold.com

Ardagh Glass Packaging-Europe (AGP-Europe), an operating business of Ardagh Group, works closely with The Absolut Group to create the limited edition Absolut vodka bottle each year. The latest design: Absolut Mosaik was created in a collaboration with British artist Olly Alexander: a singer, songwriter, actor and social activist.

The 70cl and 1 litre glass bottles feature a stunning ribbed design within the glass, with a concave label area containing a bold mosaic design and Absolut branding.

AGP–Europe created a series of ribs and fins around the surface of the glass using 3D software and used sculptured embossing to soften the design across the bottle’s part line.

Katharina Chemnitz, AGP–Europe Product Designer, explains one of the challenges of developing the design into the finished glass bottle:
 

“The front label, which is the main print area for the mosaic design, originally stood out from the bottle, making it a potential contact point on the production line. To accommodate this challenge, the label area was carefully engineered within a concave, curved surface, framed perfectly by the surrounding rib design.”

Deb Dasgupta, Global Vice President Marketing, Absolut Vodka, comments:

“Absolut Mosaik, as part of the Born to Mix brand values, is our latest launch that represents Absolut’s ongoing commitment to celebrating the power of diversity. Deeply embedded in Absolut’s DNA, it’s our invitation for everyone to make positive change by creating connections beyond differences. The vibrant, colourful bottle designed by the formidable Olly Alexander is the perfect embodiment of this, and how we’re all part of a greater whole in society.”

In a pivotal move, the European Union has extended the compliance deadline for legacy medical devices under the Medical Device Regulation (EU MDR). This extension, shifting the deadline from May 26, 2024, to either 2027 or 2028, presents a unique opportunity for the medical device packaging community to elevate their standards and create safer, more innovative products.

Staggered Transition Period: Mitigating Critical Device Shortages

The staggered compliance deadline is a strategic measure aimed at preventing shortages of critical medical devices. High-risk devices face a deadline of 2027, while low- to medium-risk devices enjoy an extended timeline until the end of 2028 for conformity assessments.

Navigating Challenges

The extension is a response to the challenges posed by COVID-19 and a shortage of EU-notified bodies. These factors have impeded medical device manufacturers' certification efforts, necessitating a phased extension to ensure a steady supply of life-saving medical devices.

Opportunity for Improvement: Enhancing Safety, Design, and Shelf Life

For medical device packagers, the extension offers a valuable window to address compliance gaps. This includes considerations for material safety, package design, and shelf life, among others. The focus is on creating better, safer products that meet the evolving regulatory landscape.

Advocating for Redesign

While the extended timeline allows for retesting, experts advocate for a shift in mindset. Instead of solely relying on retesting, medical device manufacturers are urged to consider redesigning devices and packaging. This approach can assist in the creation of superior products rather than merely meeting regulatory standards.

Gaining a Competitive Edge

With a spotlight on usability and patient safety in recent years, the extension provides packaging engineers the time to concentrate on innovation. This emphasis on improving user experience can be a key driver for gaining a competitive advantage in the medical device market.

Building Equity in the Industry

Beyond short-term gains, the extension is positioned as a strategic advantage for medical device manufacturers. The call is to adopt a high-level stance, focusing on end-to-end improvements. Those who embrace this approach are poised to emerge as industry leaders with sustained success.

What is 3D Printing?
Also known as additive manufacturing, 3D printing take a digital file as input to produce solid, three dimensional objects by ejecting molten plastic (or bioplastic) on to a base and gradually building up the design by layers. Each layer can be seen as a thinly sliced horizontal cross-section of the eventual object.

Benefits of 3D Printing
1.    The super-speed to prototype: 3D printing technology is exponentially faster than most other manufacturing methods and is the best way to test products before initiating full blown production.
2.    High levels customization and creative design: Computer-Aided Design (CAD) modelling and simulation prior to making any investments in raw material or production machinery  enhances the overall design process and final product quality. Visualization capabilities of design ideas have grown immensely since the introduction of 3D printing.  
3.    Versatile Application: 3D printing can be used to manufacture both the product and the machinery required to manufacture the product. 

3D Printing in Use

SMART CUPS

Smart Cups is a California-based start-up that ships empty biodegradable plastic cups with polycapsule flavours created with additive manufacturing. When water is added to these cups, it turns into flavourful energy drinks. This happens because of the 3D printed capsules embedded in the cup, which react with the water to produce the drink. 
The product is not only one-of-its-kind in its category but also leads to a sharp reduction in storage and transportation requirements. The manufacturing process is also completely waterless.
 
Currently, the primary factor holding 3D printing back from going mainstream in packaging remains the higher costs in scaling up production using 3D printers compared with more standard formats.

Market Insights1
The global 3D printing market was valued at USD 18.33 billion in 2022
It is projected to grow from USD 22.40 billion in 2023 to USD 105.99 billion by 2030, exhibiting a CAGR of 24.9% during 2023-2030. 
North America dominated the global market with a share of 37.26% in 2022.

At stand B/16 - C/21, Hall 15, Berlin Packaging | Premi Industries presents the hands-on 'Refill experience' dedicated to refillable solutions innovation for the beauty markets

Berlin Packaging, the world's largest Hybrid Packaging Supplier® specialising in the supply of glass, plastic and metal packaging and closures, participates at Cosmopack with the Berlin Packaging | Premi Industries stand to present new collections designed for fragrance, makeup and skincare markets in the name of premium offerings focusing on sustainability.

At stand B/16 - C/21 in Hall 15, the company – the ideal partner for companies of all sizes in the beauty industry - will present its 'one-stop shop' proposition. In fact, Berlin Packaging | Premi Industries, offers value proposition that is tailored to customers’ need and aimed at accompanying them at all stages of project development: from concept and branding creation to primary and secondary packaging manufacturing, to decoration, to customized solutions, and to logistics services.

One of the main news at the trade show regards fragrance market - Euphoria, a collection of elegant glass perfumery bottles, available with FEA15 or 15/415 refills neck, in 30, 50 and 100 ml capacities with a cylindrical conical section.

 The 15/415 refill models, in combination with the refill set, consisting of a larger capacity glass bottle and a refill accessory for a unique refilling experience - offer a consumer the possibility to easily and safely refill bottles once the product has been used up. Also with the screw neck it is easy to separate different materials of the packaging solution, facilitating proper disposal.

 The Euphoria collection is characterized by details that make its design unique: its rounded shoulder and the thick glass base give it the ability to adapt to any type of brand, inspired in a contemporary manner by the refined shapes of high-end classic perfumery. It is possible to customize Euphoria with different glass decorations and with accessories that add character to the packaging, such as the new Sopoy and Kopoy capsules. For this launch, the collection is presented with two types of decoration: the first proposal enhances product’s shape with an opaque shiny pastel-coloured varnish, with tone-on-tone screen-printing and hot-foil printing; the second proposal with black screen printing and gold hot stamping in while maintaining the transparent bottle, to enhance the bulk in an extra flint glass.  

 In the fragrance 'Refill Experience' area of the stand, Euphoria Refill collection will be flanked by the iconic Infusion Refill collection now expanded with 50, 30 and 15ml capacities in addition to the 100ml container. Infusion has been designed to enhance the fragrances of high-end perfumery and home fragrance in the name of sustainability and personalization. The innovations introduced with this proposal are the fruit of our corporate mission, which drives us to create attractive and iconic premium full packaging solutions that are sustainable and future-oriented, as the luxury market demands.

 The branding made by Studio One Eleven, design and innovation division of Berlin Packaging, enhances the sophistication of   Infusion Fragrance Refill collection’s silhouette with apothecary overtones through a semi-transparent deep purple varnish and a tone-on-tone screen print enriched with glossy gold hot stamping. Beauty of this collection lives in its details; the combination with metallic wood capsule echoes the gold details of the customization, highlighting the natural texture of the wood thanks to the highly reflective metallic effect.

 Perfumery packaging beauty lies in the perfect balance between container and accessories: the new collection of Kopoy and Sopoy capsules with their modern and sophisticated shapes has been designed to enhance silhouettes of perfumery bottles in the best possible way. Their aesthetic impact comes from the materials used: strong natural connotations thanks to the use of wood, or fascinating textures with no limits on patterns ensured by the use of special bio-based resin, used to create closures with a strong aesthetic impact.

 The company also focuses on new makeup and skincare innovations. For instance, new Interstellar, Double Glass Refill & Go collections and the range extension of the Luxe collection with new Luxe Refill 50 ml jar.

 Insterstellar features full-bodied, angled tip flocked applicators designed to provide a pleasant, a soft sensation on skin. Thanks to precise dosage, this collection represents ideal high-quality glass packaging for different beauty formulas: foundations, concealers, lip oils, primers, serums and skincare treatments. Available in sizes of 10, 20 and 30 ml, these versatile solutions are perfect for carrying around without sacrificing a safe and premium product. Interstellar’s capsule and rod have been designed to be easily customized according to the needs of each brand to match with other bottles in the Berlin Packaging | Premi Industries catalogue.

 Always in line with the company's eco-design mission, Berlin Packaging | Premi Industries presents at Cosmopack the range extension of its iconic Luxe collection with a new refillable glass jar: Luxe 50 ml refill. This packaging was designed to allow consumers to reuse most of its components (the outer glass jar and its accessories), thanks to glass mouth’s design that houses monomaterial PP Refill Cup that is easily to replace with a new one. Studio One Eleven design team worked on a special mechanism between the neck of the glass jar and the cup, which ensures a secure fitting but at the same time easy removal of the refill.

 For extra-premium skincare and makeup segments, Berlin Packaging | Premi Industries presents Double Glass Refill & Go, the new refillable glass collection available in 15 and 30 ml sizes. This packaging takes on a new connotation in terms both of experience and loyalty by offering a consumer a possibility to carry around the product's heart, glass ampoule and its pump, but also to refill the product quickly and intuitively. The technical detail of the ring developed by Studio One Eleven is the strong point of this sustainable solution designed to enhance the quality of high-end beauty formulas: packaging components can be easily separated and differentiated by material at the end of use.

 Berlin Packaging

Berlin Packaging is the world's largest Hybrid Packaging Supplier® specialised in the supply of glass, plastic, and metal packaging and closures. The company supplies billions of items annually along with package design, financing, consulting, storage, and logistics services for customers across all industries. Berlin Packaging brings together the best service providers in terms of production, distribution and increased profitability. Its mission is to increase the net income of its customers through packaging products and services.

Xaar’s Ultra High Viscosity Technology is enabling Koenig & Bauer Kammann (Kammann) to drive its latest innovations by enhancing quality, speed, and sustainability for customers using its K15 and K20 decorative print machine families.

Utilising the new high viscosity fluids developed by global ink manufacturer Marabu, Kammann’s machines allow both new and current customers to create personalised embossed effects on glass bottles, plastic and metal containers at a build height of up to 3mm. This latest development is entirely backwards compatible, enabling existing machines to jet at greater viscosity and carry a significantly increased pigment load, delivering more colour vibrancy and capturing fine details with up to 50 per cent less ink.

Thanks to the unique architecture of Xaar’s Nitrox printheads and its Ultra High Viscosity & High Laydown Technologies, Marabu’s inks can be jetted at higher temperatures, improving the ease of application and speed of Kamman’s machines at jetting distances of up to 15mm. Colours no longer need pinning, delivering significant savings in the time required for printing, as well as reductions in energy and material use. Overall, by using these new inks from Marabu, the speed of production can be more than doubled, making inkjet print a greater reality for a wider variety of decorative applications.

Kammann’s Managing Director, Matthias Graf expressed his delight at the new developments: "This collaboration is not just about advancing technology; it's about reshaping the future of digital printing. Xaar’s Ultra High Viscosity Technology and Nitrox printheads have enabled Marabu to develop inks that provide a real leap in innovation and sustainability, opening new possibilities for our decorative printing machines.

“By combining our technical expertise with Xaar and Marabu we have together been able to deliver higher quality, speed and sustainability in decorative inkjet printing, to both new and existing Kammann customers.”

Xaar’s Group R&D Director, Karl Forbes, also celebrated the results of the cross-party collaboration: “Our partnership with Kammann and Marabu is a testament to what can be achieved when industry leaders unite. This breakthrough in Marabu’s ink technology, facilitated by Xaar’s high viscosity innovation and Kammann’s machine expertise, is set to revolutionise the market by defining new standards for decorative digital inkjet printing.”

About Xaar

Xaar is an inkjet innovator, providing printheads and technologies for OEM and UDI customers worldwide.

By helping customers lay down precise volumes of inks and fluids with absolute pin-point accuracy, time after time, Xaar’s inkjet printheads and technologies meet the needs of numerous markets. Covering graphics, labelling, direct-to-shape, packaging, product decoration, ceramic tile and glass decoration, décor, and outer case coding applications – as well as printing with specialist functional fluids for advanced manufacturing techniques.

Collaboration is at the very core of its business. Xaar works as a trusted partner from sites in Europe, China, and North America, providing expert insights and technical support every step of the way.

With over 30 years’ experience, around 300 patents registered or pending, and major ongoing R&D investment, Xaar’s digital printhead and precision jetting technologies create infinite opportunities for today’s sustainable manufacturing innovation.

Siegwerk, one of the leading global providers of printing inks and coatings for packaging applications and labels, is pleased to present its Sustainability Report 2023, showcasing the company’s dedication to transforming Siegwerk to a truly sustainable business.

In the 2023 Sustainability Report, Siegwerk provides a comprehensive overview of its sustainable business strategy “HorizonNOW”, including details on its 2025 sustainability targets and progress for the years 2020 to 2022. Through quantitative metrics, Siegwerk transparently presents its achievements, challenges, and initiatives across all focus areas, including qualitative milestones for 2023. “Siegwerk’s commitment to sustainability extends beyond mere compliance; we are weaving it into the fabric of our corporate ethos”, says Siegwerk’s Head of Global Sustainability and Circular Economy, Alina Marm.

Key Highlights from the Report:

Innovating for safe and circular inks & coatings: Siegwerk provides insights on its product innovations and processes that enable converters and brand owners to achieve their functional, safety & sustainability targets. In 2022, Siegwerk was a three time winner of the Sustainability Awards by Packaging Europe for the product series UniNATURE and de-inking plastics solutions.
Comprehensive Climate Action: With the ambitious target of being net-zero by 2050 (target validated by the Science Based Target Initiative), Siegwerk showcases what is being done today to achieve this goal. Between 2020 and 2022, Siegwerk achieved a nine percent decrease in scope 1 and 2 greenhouse gas emissions from baseline year 2020.
Global Alignment: Insights on how Siegwerk aligns with United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the Paris Agreement on climate change.
Stakeholder Engagement: Collaboration is at the heart of Siegwerk’s sustainability efforts. Siegwerk actively seeks feedback from its  stakeholders, including customers, partners, and the public. Explore current collaborations, like Siegwerk’s global social development program with SOS Children’s Villages, and find out how to get in touch.
CEO commitment: Hear from Siegwerk’s CEO on his vision and commitment for Siegwerk’s sustainable future.
This report reflects Siegwerk’s leading position to drive innovation in safe, circular, and digital packaging solutions. By working closely with its customers, brand owners, and other vital partners, Siegwerk aims to shape the future of sustainable packaging.

Siegwerk invites everyone to join in on this journey. Let’s create a more sustainable world—one that benefits current and future generations alike.

Read the full report here.

About Siegwerk
Siegwerk is one of the leading global manufacturers of printing inks and coatings for packaging applications and labels. Based on 200 years of expertise, we provide customized solutions for all types of packaging needs - from functional and eye-catching to safe and sustainable. As a seventh-generation family business, we have long been aware of our responsibility for future generations. Under the motto “rethINK packaging”, we are therefore actively driving the transformation to a circular economy by developing eco-friendly solutions that enable packaging circularity. Here, 30+ country organizations and ~5,000 employees worldwide ensure consistent high-quality products and customized support around the world. Learn more at www.siegwerk.com

First Kumac Plant in Germany Goes Live

In March 2024, Agrar GmbH Reichenbach commissioned its Kumac digestate processing system from WELTEC BIOPOWER. This is the first Kumac plant to go live in Germany, in addition to the 16 that have been built worldwide to date. The agricultural company based in the Vogtland region of Saxony, Germany, specialises in dairy farming and the cultivation of feed crops. In addition to the dairy farm with 1,400 cows and breeding cattle, the farmers have been operating a biogas plant with an electrical output of 845 kW since 2006. The facilities generate up to 72,000 t of liquid manure and digestate a year

Every day, the biogas plant feeds 12,000 kWh of electricity into the public grid. In addition, the plant supplies up to 500 kW of heat to small consumers and to the site of the former Paracelsus Clinic in Reichenbach via a heating network. The plant‘s main business consists of the delivery of biogas via a 3.2-km raw biogas pipeline to the heating plant of Stadtwerke Reichenbach for the base load supply of flats and social facilities. The amount of electricity generated each year corresponds to the annual consumption of around 6,000 private households.

Tried-and-Tested, Fine-Tuned Processes

Within the scope of the Leipzig Biogas Expert Talks, Deutsche Biomasseforschungszentrum gemeinnützige GmbH (DBFZ) had already invited visitors to the Application Day in Reichenbach in December 2023. The numerous professional visitors made use of the opportunity to visit the biogas plant as well as the digestate processing plant of WELTEC BIOPOWER. The introduction of modern technologies and systems such as the Kumac system greatly contributes to the recycling of nutrients and the conversion of liquid manure into compost, fertiliser, animal bedding or biogas substrate. For the conversion, Kumac makes use of tried-and-tested processes that are fine-tuned to each other.

High-Quality Fertiliser for Plant Cultivation

„In Reichenbach, the output of the Kumac process consists of around 25 percent solid and 20 percent liquid farm manure and 55 percent dischargeable water. The resulting solid matter and the nutrient concentrate are applied as organic, high-quality fertiliser to our own crops. In this way, long transport routes are avoided,“ explains Lars Bittermann, Managing Director of Agrar Reichenbach GmbH. „This closes an efficient material flow cycle, and the individual areas of our portfolio interlock perfectly. From the cultivation of feed crops to dairy farming to the utilisation of the liquid manure in the biogas plant and the processing of digestate into fertiliser and water, all components have their place.“

Dry Matter Content: 30 Percent

In the first step of the liquid manure and digestate treatment, flocculants are added to the source material. These additives ensure flocculation of even the finest components, facilitating the separation from the water. At the same time, they contribute to the reduction of odour emissions. After the material has been squeezed through a belt press via various rollers against a second, water-permeable belt, the solid material can be used directly as fertiliser, compost, animal bedding or biogas substrate with a dry matter content of up to 30 percent

One Quarter of the Original Volume

Subsequently, the liquid phase is passed through a tank in which small particles and suspended solids are separated. Any remaining solid particles are removed by means of a fine filter. In the next step, the filtrate traverses a three-stage reverse osmosis process to remove salts and nutrients. The resulting liquid fertiliser is rich in nitrogen and merely accounts for one quarter of the original volume. Clear water accounts for the greatest share of the treatment products and is currently discharged into the receiving water.

Support from the European Agricultural Fund

The scalable modular system can be used from an amount of 70,000 t of liquid manure or digestate a year. Should the processing needs increase, several Kumac lines can easily be combined. „The processing here is almost fully automated, which also minimises the amount of personnel required“, says Managing Director Lars Bittermann. „By the way: Operators who decide to set up a system can receive funding from the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development“, adds Nico Sudbrink, the responsible process engineer at WELTEC BIOPOWER.

Company Portrait Since its foundation in 2001, the WELTEC group of companies from Vechta in Lower Saxony has developed into one of the world‘s leading specialists for the construction and operation of biogas and biomethane plants. The Group covers the entire biogas value chain with the design, planning, and construction of energy plants, permanent and temporary plant operation, 24/7 service, and sustainable utilization concepts for output streams.

One of WELTEC BIOPOWER‘s strengths is the construction of individual, technically sophisticated solutions up to a plant size of ten megawatts. A central element here is the high proportion of components developed in-house. Stainless steel technologies also ensure flexible substrate use, fast assembly with low effort, and a consistently high-quality standard regardless of location. After commissioning, WELTEC‘s mechanical and biological service significantly ensures economic efficiency.

The company has just as much experience in the field of biogas production and utilization. At ten of its sites the plants produce biogas. Some of this is processed into biomethane and made available to energy suppliers and filling station operators throughout Germany via the public gas network. Furthermore, at 16 locations, municipalities and companies, such as those in the gardening, housing, and healthcare sectors, are supplied with decentralized heat as part of WELTEC‘s energy contracting.

Proximity to customers and investors is an important concern for the biogas specialist, which is why the Group is represented worldwide with its sales and service network. Customers include companies from the waste and food industries, agriculture, and the wastewater sector. The WELTEC Group and its 164 employees have implemented over 350 energy plants in more than 25 countries on five continents. The biogas specialist thus ensures annual savings of around 600,000 tons of CO2eq.

• Plastics and foam processor Greiner aims to be a fully circular business by 2030
• To this end, Greiner relies on its "Design For Recycling" strategy, new business models, and innovative partnerships 
• With its own recycling plant, Greiner is able to secure access to secondary materials and comprehensive expertise 

Vienna/Kremsmünster, March 14, 2024 –

For plastics and foam company Greiner, the future lies in the circular economy. Greiner's vision in this area does not just include recycling but also developing re-usable products and generally conserving resources along the entire value chain. 

"The circular economy is the opposite of a throw-away society. It does not see waste as garbage but as a valuable raw material. This is where our future lies. This is why circular business models are also a central pillar of the Group-wide corporate strategy that has been devised for the period up to 2028," explains Manfred Stanek, member of the Executve Board of Greiner AG.

A key theme here is "Design For Recycling," a guideline for product development. Products are designed and produced so that, ideally, they are 100% recyclable. This involves looking at how products have to be designed so that they can be collected, separated, and finally, recycled as easily as possible.

"We want to drastically reduce our emissions and be a fully circular business by 2030. The production of packaging made from r-PET generates significantly fewer CO2 emissions than when new PET is used. So, the circular economy also offers enormous opportunities to achieve our climate targets," explained Stefan Grafenhorst, Vice President of People & Sustainability at Greiner AG and a member of the Austrian federal government's circular economy ask force, which was set up last year.

Subsidiary Greiner Recycling produces its own r-PET flakes Greiner is already working directly with recycling plants and other companies along the value chain to better close the loop. Greiner Packaging reached a milestone one and half years ago when it purchased the first recycling plant of its own in Serbia. The r-PET flakes produced there are reused in the manufacture of new food packaging, among other things. The entry into the recyclables business has helped Greiner place an even heavier focus on cycles. For more on Greiner Recycling, see the interview with Peter Fessl, Director of Operations Recycling at Greiner Packaging.

In line with the Group-wide "Blue Plan" sustainability strategy, Greiner is not afraid to blaze its own trail and pursue completely new approaches. For example, Greiner Innoventures, Greiner's start-up hub, is constantly on the lookout for innovative ideas for circular business models. Strategic partnerships also play a major role for Greiner when it comes to the circular economy. 

Many circular projects with partner companies

The NEVEON foam division, for example, is a founding member of the recently initiated Austrian Mattress Alliance, which is focusing on "circular mattresses." In addition, NEVEON launched a partner project with BASF back in 2021 to close the cycle for mattresses through chemical recycling. The project has succeeded in returning discarded mattresses to the materials cycle and producing new, high-quality mattresses from recycled materials. 

In the state of Upper Austria, Greiner Packaging is collaborating with local farmers that produce milk for schools and two other companies (Starlinger viscotec and PET-MAN) in a joint project in which the school milk is packaged in cups made of r-PET. This cooperation model along the regional value chain has al-ready been awarded the TRIGOS sustainability prize.

About Greiner Based in Kremsmünster, Austria, Greiner is a world-leading plastics and foam solutions company. With the three operating divisions Greiner Packaging, NEVEON, and Greiner Bio-One, the company is at home in all manner of industrial sectors. Established in 1868, the Group is now one of the leading foam producers and plastics processors for the packaging, mattress, furniture and sports industries, for the mobility sector as well as for medical technology and the pharmaceutical sector. In fiscal 2022, Greiner generated turnover of EUR 2.33 billion and had over 11,600 employees at 120 locations in 34 countries. The Executive Board consists of CEO Saori Dubourg, CFO Hannes Moser and COO Manfred Stanek.

One of India’s leading label and packaging converters, Zircon Technologies, is installing an Omet Varyflex 670 press fitted with a Vetaphone corona treater at its production facility in Dehradun, some 250km north of New Delhi in the State of Uttaranchal, close to the border with Tibet.  The company already has Vetaphone corona technology on its existing two Omet and seven Mark Andy presses.

Established in 2007 by owner and Managing Director Sanjeev Sandhi, the company, which employs 450 people across five sites, produces more than 40 million square metres of printed material each year.  Markets supplied include food & beverage, healthcare, industrial, and pharmaceutical sectors, with a range of products from labels and flexible packaging to anti-counterfeiting and brand authentication items, as well as shrink sleeves, pouches, and blister packs.

With a high-quality portfolio of international brand owners to service, Zircon prides itself on its end-to-end support from R&D through to delivery of the finished product.  According to Mr Sandhi: “We have stringent quality and delivery processes in place to ensure our products can be put straight onto our customers’ production lines at the time requested – what’s more, we can automate production for a seamless solution.”

Working typically with PE and aluminium foil, corona treatment was always going to be required to ensure good ink adhesion.  Two of the Mark Andy presses are fitted with Vetaphone corona technology as well as the Italian-manufactured Omet VaryFlex 430 flexo press that is configured to some proprietary web passes and attachments to meet Zircon’s requirements.  Fitted with automatic registration control and the facility to print back and front in a single pass, the Omet is capable of printing substrates from 12-micron film to 600-micron board.

As Mark Andy and Omet are both leading OEM customers of Vetaphone, the Danish company’s corona technology was an easy choice.  The Mark Andy presses are fitted with VE1A-A corona treaters with four ceramic electrodes in their removable cartridges.  Each has an iCorona-1UL generator, one with 1.5kW power, the other with 2kW.  The Omet has two VE1A-A treaters with four ceramic electrodes and 2kW iCorona generators.

“We were aware of other options for surface treatment but decided to go with Vetaphone.  They invented and have pioneered corona treatment and came highly-recommended as a trusted and reliable brand,” said Mr Sandhi, who is looking to grow his business in the aluminium packaging, screen printing and stand-up pouch markets, where the non-absorbent substrates will all need surface treatment.  

With Diageo, Yamaha, and Pernod Ricard among its 300 customers, Mr Sandhi knows that only state-of-the-art technology will allow him to deliver the quality demanded.  “I am very satisfied with the Omet/Vetaphone combination – it allows our team of skilled professionals to offer customers what they want, when they want it, and at a quality and price that meet their expectations.”  With 7 in 10 consumers admitting that packaging influences their purchasing decision there is a premium on getting it right first time, every time.
 

The global cost of corrosion was an estimated $2.5 trillion USD in 2016, according to a study published by NACE International. Allowing for inflation, that number could easily surpass $3 trillion USD today. Unfortunately, many are not aware of the high price tag of corrosion even for individual businesses and corporations. Cortec® Corporation therefore encourages manufacturers, maintenance managers, and other decision-makers to consider the potential cost of corrosion and take reasonable measures to avoid it.

Why Count the Cost of Corrosion?
Failure to count the cost of corrosion may leave manufacturers and facility managers blindsided by consequences such as faulty equipment, delayed production, and customer rust claims that must be made right. Furthermore, without counting the cost, managers may have difficulty getting the approval needed to budget time and money for corrosion prevention. Counting the cost of corrosion helps achieve both the motivation and approval needed to take corrosion protection measures.
 

Identifying Corrosion Costs in Manufacturing

Manufacturers who work with metal must beware of corrosion risks at every stage: receipt of goods, work-in-progress (WIP cycle), and export. Manufacturers can hope that suppliers will make good on any raw materials that arrive rusty on site, but they cannot make up for production delays or time lost negotiating the rust claim. In the WIP cycle, manufacturers lose time and sometimes metal when parts rust in between manufacturing stages and must be restored or scrapped. Export is even more dangerous. Unpredictable, fluctuating conditions inside a truck or shipping container may lead to corrosion from condensation by the time the customer receives the good. This is perhaps the costliest corrosion stage of all, as the manufacturer must remedy the damage done.

An example of how significant corrosion costs can be for manufacturers is apparent when calculating the price tag of a 1.5% economic loss due to corrosion at a hypothetical steel mill operating 24/7 and producing 100 ten-ton coils per shift, three shifts per day at a nominal material and manufacturing cost of $300 per ton. In only one week, corrosion losses could be near 100 grand. At a fraction of the cost, manufacturers could avoid most of this loss by implementing Cortec® VpCI® protective technologies and also avoiding the time lost for rework.

Hypothetical Steel Mill Cost of Corrosion at 1.5% Loss
Per Shift    $4,500
Per Day    $13,500
Per Week    $94,500
Per Month    $410,625
Per Year    $4,927,500

Identifying Corrosion Costs on Greenfield Projects
New oil and gas facilities or other large-scale energy projects often take years to build. Meanwhile, custom assets shipped from afar may sit one or two years before being installed. With inadequate protection, the component may be rusty and unsafe by commissioning time. Replacement could not only cost tens of thousands of dollars, but the time and distance required to make and deliver a new part could significantly delay the opening of the project. In contrast, internal protection with CorroLogic® VpCI®-339 Fogging Fluid and external protection with MilCorr® VpCI® Shrink Film could easily save not only the cost of the equipment but also the cost of the production otherwise lost by a delayed startup.
 

Identifying Corrosion Costs on Spares
The energy industry and other industrial plants also need critical and operational spares that can be installed quickly and efficiently if a main component fails or needs repair. Unfortunately, it is not uncommon for large warehouses to be full of rusty spares that are in no condition to use at a moment’s notice. Even though some of these individual pieces may not cost much, the total cost of corrosion from lacking a clean spare can quickly add up to millions of dollars of lost production value from downtime, along with the cost of restoration and the intangible cost of safety issues that could arise from installing a faulty component. In contrast, a Cortec® restoration and preservation plan eliminates most of these costs and headaches with solutions that are easy to apply and remove.

It's Time to Calculate Your ROI!
Whether the calculation is done on paper or estimated mentally, counting the cost of corrosion gives a better picture of the importance of corrosion protection, allowing decision-makers to see the value of making a small relative investment in rust prevention to protect their bottom line. If you want additional guidance counting the cost of corrosion and factoring in the price of possible solutions, be sure to contact Cortec® for assistance.

Keywords: cost of corrosion, calculating corrosion cost, Cortec, preservation, WIP cycle, corrosion protection, corrosion on steel coils, oil and gas corrosion, critical spares, greenfield construction costs
Need a High-Resolution Photo? Visit: www.cortecadvertising.com
Cortec® Corporation is the global leader in innovative, environmentally responsible VpCI® and MCI® corrosion control technologies for Packaging, Metalworking, Construction, Electronics, Water Treatment, Oil & Gas, and other industries. Our relentless dedication to sustainability, quality, service, and support is unmatched in the industry. Headquartered in St. Paul, Minnesota, Cortec® manufactures over 400 products distributed worldwide. ISO 9001:2015, ISO 14001:2015, & ISO/IEC 17025:2017 certified. Cortec® Website: http://www.cortecvci.com Phone: 1-800-426-7832 FAX: (651) 429-1122
 

Dear ladies and genlemen,

hubergroup is launching the new NewV set UEL 5000, the evolution of its two Ink Series within the NewV set range for high-performance applications on coated and uncoated substrates. The improved product impresses with optimal reactivity and color/water stability, elevating the overall performance to a new level.

Delivering top-notch results of the highest quality—this is the promise fulfilled by hubergroup's new NewV set UEL 5000. The relaunch of the color series NewV set UEL 4000 and UEK 5000 is hubergroup's latest innovation and is now being introduced across all markets. Successfully tested in Europe and North America, it overcomes challenges where other products falter and delivers optimal results.

NewV set UEL 5000 is suitable for LED-UV and Iron-doped UV offset printing, distinguished by low build-up on impression cylinders after the turn, very high reactivity and fast curing, as well as the rapid establishment of a stable color-water balance. hubergroup's latest innovation also recommends itself for all types of printing presses with or without color mixers and is ideal for IPA-free printing. The NewV set UEL 5000 features low dot gain, good transfer, and high mechanical film resistance. The colors are compliant with ISO 2846-1 and ISO 12647-2. NewV set UEL 5000 is suitable for laser printing, hot foil stamping, and cold foil lamination (pretrial required) and optimized for NBR and EPDM rollers. 

"At hubergroup, our goal is to constantly impress our customers with new innovations. That's why we continuously evolve our products. However, with NewV set UEL 5000, we deliver more than just a mere advancement. The new color series delivers results of the highest quality. It stands out for its reactivity, color and water stability, and performance at the highest level," says Patrick Hübel, Director of Global Product and Color Management, hubergroup.

The NewV set UEL 5000 benefits from the insights gained from the color series NewV set UEL 4000 and UEK 5000 and has undergone extensive testing before its market introduction. Initial successful printing trials were followed by fine-tuning and long-term testing. Excellent results were achieved on various machines, often in conjunction with the dampening agent additive Substifix AF 8319-19 from hubergroup. The new NewV set UEL 5000 mastered all challenges and performs even on machines where its predecessors encountered issues. Regardless of the type of printing press and after long-term tests over several weeks in Europe and North America, NewV set UEL 5000 demonstrates excellent results. Numerous customers in the Netherlands, Italy, Poland, and Germany have already been convinced of the advantages of the optimized color series and have switched to it.

NewV set is hubergroup's UV ink system for offset printing and can be used for various types of commercial printing on absorbent substrates. NewV set demonstrates its special strengths in high-speed UV sheet-fed offset printing machines. It is available for various curing technologies. Its special features include high color intensity, fast, immediate curing, high dampening tolerance, and rapid attainment of color/water stability. It can be used in UV sheet-fed offset printing. Suitable substrates include coated and uncoated papers and boards, as well as thermal papers (after preliminary testing).

The highly successful Compounding World Expo and Plastics Recycling World Expo are set to make their debut in India next year. Building on their achievements in Europe and America over the past five years, these industry-leading exhibitions will take place in Mumbai on 14-15 May 2025.

The launch of the Compounding World Expo and Plastics Recycling World Expo in India comes as these markets experience rapid growth and development. The exhibitions and their associated conferences will provide a platform for professionals to explore the latest technologies and trends, compare suppliers and build connections.

AMI, the UK-headquartered founder and organiser of the expos, is partnering with Mumbai-based Polymerupdate to ensure the success of the events in India. Polymerupdate is a provider of information and data for the polymer market and is the co-organiser of the RACE plastics recycling conferences in India. This collaboration brings together the expertise and resources of both companies to deliver an exceptional experience for exhibitors and visitors alike.

"We are thrilled to bring the Compounding World Expo and Plastics Recycling World Expo to India," said Andy Beevers, Events Director at AMI. "This launch is a direct response to the industry's requests, and we are confident that the events will provide a valuable platform for knowledge exchange, business opportunities, and collaboration within the compounding and plastics recycling sectors."

Sajjid Mitha, CEO and Founder of Polymerupdate, added: “The Indian economy is expected to grow at an impressive 7% in the coming years. Amongst the many well placed industry sectors within the Indian economy, plastics is seen as a bright spark and we at Polymerupdate see huge opportunities within the compounding and recycling sectors in particular. This is the perfect time for us to partner with AMI to bring their well-respected expos focused specifically on these markets to India.”

The Compounding World Expo and Plastics Recycling World Expo will take place in Hall 4 at the NESCO exhibition centre in Mumbai. This tried and tested venue offers large and flexible spaces in a convenient location. One of India’s leading B2B event management companies, Falcon Exhibitions is providing operations support to ensure smooth running of this major new show.

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Siegwerk, one of the leading global providers of printing inks and coatings for packaging applications and labels, partners with DG press, a specialist of manufacturing hybrid web offset sleeve machines in flexible packaging and label printing with over 100 sleeve offset machines installed worldwide, in the production of functional mono-material packaging structures for food applications.

Together, the two partners aim to demonstrate the efficient production of mono-material food packaging using an oxygen barrier. To achieve the required barrier properties, Siegwerk's coating innovations Cirkit® OxyBar BC 1582 and Cirkit® Heatguard 2K Overprint Varnish are used. The coatings are applied in one pass, in line with printing and varnishing using DG press’ hybrid web offset printing press.

Siegwerk’s Cirkit® OxyBar is an innovative oxygen barrier coating that ensures a prolonged shelf-life especially for dry food packaging applications. The coating can be applied on both flexo and gravure presses at industrial machine speeds on various substrates, giving excellent transparency. With Cirkit® Heatguard, in turn, Siegwerk offers a range of heat-resistant lacquers that ensure a good performance on high-speed FFS (Form, Fill and Seal) lines with mono-PE structures. They have an excellent rub and scratch resistance and thus enable the transition to surface-print structures.

With the collaboration project, the two partners are not only showcasing that Siegwerk’s printable coatings can create the functional properties required for mono-material food packaging, but also that the modularly designed hybrid web offset printing presses of DG press can produce such packaging structures in one pass with at least one functional barrier coating in line. “This project once again shows the importance of collaboration along the packaging value chain to enable change and drive the development of new circular packaging solutions,” summarizes Lothar Schaeffeler, Technology and Innovation Expert at Siegwerk. “Together with our partners, we can make mono-material packaging a reality and thus, set new standards for the future of packaging.”

About Siegwerk
Siegwerk is one of the leading global manufacturers of printing inks and coatings for packaging applications and labels. Based on 200 years of expertise, we provide customized solutions for all types of packaging needs - from functional and eye-catching to safe and sustainable. As a sixth-generation family business, we have long been aware of our responsibility for future generations. Under the motto “rethINK packaging”, we are therefore actively driving the transformation to a circular economy by developing eco-friendly solutions that enable packaging circularity. Here, 30+ country organizations and ~5,000 employees worldwide ensure consistent high-quality products and customized support around the world. Learn more at www.siegwerk.com

Berry Global, a leader in the design, development, and production of patient-centred healthcare solutions, recently launched the BerryHaler, a dual chamber, dry powder inhaler (DPI) with a dose counter designed to provide better patient access to and support the effective delivery of combination drugs.
“The BerryHaler demonstrates our commitment to delivering patient-centred products for our pharmaceutical customers with customisable, off-the-shelf solutions that help bring new treatments to market quickly,” said Marco Franza, Sales and Business Development Director for Berry Global Healthcare. “By partnering with our experts, customers can reduce investment costs and development time, relying on Berry for the device and focusing their resources on formulation development.”
The BerryHaler offers pharmaceutical companies a ready-to-use and customisable solution for the fast-to-market introduction of inhalation treatments that relieve the symptoms of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD), asthma, and other lung disorders. The patented design incorporates dual chamber Puck properties that enable the delivery of 30 doses of double and triple formulations simultaneously to the patient. 
The all-plastic inhaler with no metal parts is ideal for more complex inhalation treatments, including those that would otherwise require several different inhalers to achieve the correct dosage and combination drug treatments that cannot be combined in a single blend. Additionally, the BerryHaler provides easy and intuitive operation for various patient profiles, including seniors and children.
Special features include a bi-directional non-detachable mouthpiece cover that enhances ease of use and helps prevent cover loss, protecting the formulation and providing a more hygienic application for patients. The device also emits an audible signal when opening and closing the mouthpiece so that users know it has been fully opened for inhalation and then safely closed. The integrated dose counter helps patients to accurately monitor medication usage and remaining doses and avoid accidental over-or underdosage.
The BerryHaler has been developed as part of Berry’s ‘Dose Better’ initiative, which is focused on the introduction of patient-centred packaging and drug delivery devices that deliver accurate and user-friendly dosing administration and support improved medicine adherence.
The BerryHaler was launched at Pharmapack 2024. For more information, visit or email healthcare@berryglobal.com.

Ends
About Berry 
At Berry Global Group, Inc. (NYSE: BERY), we create innovative packaging solutions that we believe make life better for people and the planet. We do this every day by leveraging our unmatched global capabilities, sustainability leadership, and deep innovation expertise to serve customers of all sizes around the world. Harnessing the strength in our diversity and industry-leading talent of over 40,000 global employees across more than 250 locations, we partner with customers to develop, design, and manufacture innovative products with an eye toward the circular economy. The challenges we solve and the innovations we pioneer benefit our customers at every stage of their journey. For more information, visit our website, or connect with us on LinkedIn or X.  
 

Mondi invests in slitting and rewinding equipment to extend capacity in narrow reels
Mondi broadens product offering with a special focus on printing, envelope and other converting papers
Paper produced sustainably in the heart of Europe
 

 A global leader in the production of sustainable packaging and paper, recently put a new slitting and rewinding unit into operation at its Slovak paper mill in Ružomberok. The equipment allows for an extended capacity in narrow reels thus complementing Mondi’s portfolio offering. “We want to give our customers supply security for their paper needs in folio and various reel widths and for this we needed to extend our narrow reel capacity,” explains Bernhard Cantzler, Marketing and Sales Director at Mondi Uncoated Fine Paper.

A broad portfolio for a wide range of applications

The extended portfolio allows Mondi to service customers especially in the professional printing and converting sectors. Narrow reels are used for example for print applications or converted into envelopes or writing pads. IQ ALLROUND Envelope and IQ UNIVERSAL Notebook are two of the products now readily available in narrow reels ensuring a steady paper supply to converters. Offset and preprint papers such as MAESTRO PRINT, IQ PRINT and DNS Performance Plus are used by professional printers who require trouble-free print runs and good print results.

Sustainable paper produced in the heart of Europe

This wide paper portfolio is offered from Mondi SCP, Mondi’s integrated pulp and paper mill located in Slovakia fulfilling strict sustainability requirements. All Mondi uncoated fine paper brands produced at the site are Cradle to Cradle Certified® at the Bronze level. This certification ensures that, regardless of the level, all certified products are safe, circular and responsibly made. Depending on the specific product the papers carry the EU Ecolabel and are chain of custody certified according to PEFC and/or FSCTM requirements. “Sustainability is at the core of what we do. We work together with our suppliers, customers and partners to get one step closer to our common goal of a true, fully circular economy. To achieve this, we invest in climate-efficient production assets and processes, responsibly source 100% of our wood and work with independent certification bodies to confirm our standards and stringent European regulations,” explains Bernhard Cantzler.

About Mondi Uncoated Fine Paper

Uncoated Fine Paper is a business unit of Mondi Group. In its operating sites, Mondi Uncoated Fine Paper produces pulp and environmentally sound office and professional printing papers tailored to the latest professional digital and offset print technologies. The company complies with the strictest international certification standards to support sustainable production processes through the responsible management of forest, water and air resources. Mondi’s Green Spirit approach guides the future-oriented, positive attitude connecting the company with its customers in order to achieve great things together. MAP2030 (Mondi Action Plan 2030) makes Mondi the first company to offer a comprehensive portfolio of uncoated fine papers that are Cradle to Cradle Certified® Bronze and meet the high standards and demanding requirements of this certification system, marking the leap from a linear system towards a circular economy.

Its renowned brands such as Color Copy, PERGRAPHICA®, NAUTILUS®, NEUJET®, IQ, MAESTRO®, BIO TOP 3®, DNS® or ROTATRIM are used in office environments on laser or inkjet printers and by professional printers on digital or offset presses to create brochures, transactional material, folders, invitations, business cards, letterheads or other high-impact communication. Converters appreciate the excellent printability and smooth handling of Mondi’s professional printing papers.

About Mondi

Mondi is a global leader in packaging and paper, contributing to a better world by producing products that are sustainable by design. We employ 22,000 people in more than 30 countries and operate an integrated business with expertise spanning the entire value chain, enabling us to offer our customers a broad range of innovative solutions for consumer and industrial end-use applications. Sustainability is at the centre of our strategy, with our ambitious commitments to 2030 focused on circular driven solutions, created by empowered people, taking action on climate.

In 2023, Mondi had revenues of €7.3 billion and underlying EBITDA of €1.2 billion. Mondi has a premium listing on the London Stock Exchange (MNDI), where the Group is a FTSE100 constituent, and also has a secondary listing on the JSE Limited (MNP).

European tube market defies adverse conditions 

The European tube market remained stable in 2023 despite adverse conditions. Deliveries by tube manufacturers organised in the european tube manufacturers association (etma) remained at the previous year's level with a total volume of just under 11.9 billion units.

The most important end user markets developed differently. While deliveries to the dental care sector increased by a good 2 per cent, demand from the pharmaceutical and cosmetics markets both fell by around 2 per cent. Deliveries to the food industry were able to repeat the previous year's result.

"Despite the multiple crises we are currently seeing around the world, the tube market remained stable in 2023. The war in Ukraine and Gaza, stubborn inflation and the associated political and economic uncertainties are weighing on consumer sentiment and buying behaviour. The overall result achieved by the European tube industry in 2023 is therefore quite satisfactory," says etma President Mark Aegler.

Sustainability remains the dominant trend

The industry is expecting a new European packaging regulation to be passed before the European elections, which will stipulate numerous stricter requirements for the sustainability of packaging. In particular, the recyclability and design for recycling of packaging are to be improved. The packaging industry must rise to this challenge and offer innovative packaging solutions.

The European tube industry has been working intensively on innovative packaging solutions. Improvements in terms of sustainability have been realised in particular through the use of less material, less complex packaging structures and optimal recyclability. The result is reflected in optimised resource efficiency. "However, the quotas for the use of recycled material in plastic packaging contained in the new EU packaging regulation will pose major challenges for the packaging industry. These can only be solved through appropriate investments in the entire sorting, processing and recycling supply chain and through corresponding progress in the authorisation of recycling processes for polyolefins in the EU. In fact, the availability of high-quality post-consumer recycled plastics is still very limited at present," adds Aegler

Satisfactory outlook for the first half of 2024

Despite the difficult political and economic conditions, the European tube industry is cautiously optimistic about the first half of 2024 

"The order backlog in our industry remains satisfactory overall. In addition, the European tube industry has always proven to be resilient in years of crisis in the past. In addition, energy costs and inflation are easing slightly. The further development of the raw materials and freight markets, on the other hand, is rather uncertain. However, the biggest challenge for the industry in the coming years will probably be increasingly fierce competition for qualified employees," summarises Aegler.