Visit our virtual

showroom at
PACK EXPO
Connects
[Link]/158

OCT2020
[Link]

102
PACK EXPO
Connects
Brings the
Event to You

46
Secondary
Packaging &
RRP Shine at
Fisher Nuts
80
Supply Chain
Stakeholders
Get Fresh
Eyes on
Ocean Plastics
116
Job-Creating
CPG Balances
Packaging
Automation &
Workforce
134
Laundry Pod
Pioneer Shifts
to E-Comm
with Slick
Shipper

Cover_1020.indd 1 9/28/20 10:46 AM

 kpfilms_PackagingWorld_FullPageAd_Elite_Loop_Chicken_PAC.pdf 1 3/13/20 2:11 PM

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_PW_Ad_PreflightTemplate_UpdatedSpecs.indd 1 9/22/20 5:55 AM
 2 PW OCT2020
VOL27 NO10

FEATURES
102

38 80
Texas Brewer Upgrades Collaboration is Key
Bottling and Adds Cans to Solving Ocean Plastics
Installation of a canning line became a top Stakeholders throughout the supply
priority as Altstadt Brewery opened new chain are joining to tackle ocean plastics.
markets in Houston and Dallas. Also getting For environmental impact organization
some serious upgrades was an existing SoulBuffalo, this means immersive experiences
bottling line. that ignite ideas and speed implementation.

46
Smooth New RRP Case
Packing at Fisher Nuts
PACK EXPO Connects is an entirely new Secondary packaging on this new line includes
virtual event taking place November 9 to
the latest in case erecting, loading, and closing. CONNECTS
The machines also accept three very different
13, 2020. This month’s cover embraces case styles all formed from one flat blank.
the virtual nature of that event with a
scene created and rendered entirely
using 3D modeling software. This “behind
56 EMERGING BRANDS
EVENT PREVIEW
the scenes” version of the cover shows
the wireframe models used to make up Small Batch Skin- and 102 COVER STORY
that completed virtual environment. Haircare Line Offers Glass
Packaging on a Budget PACK EXPO Connects
After making the switch from a career in
Takes the Trade Show
60 occupational therapy, a former hand specialist to You
offers a variety of personal care products with Live. Virtual. Reimagined. Connect
cruelty-free, natural ingredients in recyclable with the packaging industry at the
packaging. year’s most engaging event, to be
held everywhere Internet is available
on Nov. 9 to 13, 2020.

60 108
Two-phase Upgrade Honoring Hall
at Ferrara Candy of Fame Careers
After four scale/bagger systems produced Now on a biennial cadence, the
welcome results on primary packaging Packaging & Processing Hall of Fame
efficiency, some impressively versatile and is inducting four new members into
compact case packers were added to the mix. its ranks in 2020. Here, we introduce
a distinguished class.

80
68 114
Sophisticated Coding Be the First to Learn
and Marking of Mangoes About New Packaging
Ensures Traceability Trends
This Mexican leader in the export of fresh The Innovation Stage at PACK EXPO
mangoes has automated the traceability Connects brings you the latest
process in its secondary packaging, and advances taking place across the
made it profitable, by integrating the latest industry. Check out these 30-minute
generation printing equipment with automatic sessions to discover coming trends
data collection. and technologies that need to be on
your team’s radar.

Contents_1020.indd 2 9/28/20 11:25 AM

 Quick
& Easy
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• Innovative Triangle technology
• Industry-leading sanitation
• Optional Ultrasonic sealing

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[Link]/140

800.621.4170 | [Link]
V F FS B AG G E R S | CO M B I N AT I O N W E I G H E R S | C A RTO N E R S & T R AY LOA D E R S | R OTA RY P O U C H F I L L E R

Contents_1020.indd 3 9/25/20 12:05 PM

 4 PW OCT2020

150

FEATURES
160

continued

116 160
Custom Cartoner Caramel Wafers are Wrapped
Helps Employ the Blind and Case Packed at 650/Min
As a non-profit with a mission to create jobs, New packaging line for caramel wafer
automation can be a tricky proposition. But biscuits from Scotland’s Tunnock’s die-fold
with a custom machine optimized to be easily wraps, multipacks, and case packs caramel
used by legally blind operators, Horizon wafer biscuits with high flexibility and fast
Industries struck a positive balance between changeover.
labor and automation.

168
126 AUTOMATION Big Packaging Line in a
Automation Platform Helps Small Footprint? No Problem
Liquibox Build Better Bags if it Handles Every Format
An advanced automation and controls platform With the large but flexible Innopack TLM
combined with a fast communications protocol packaging system, a KHS and Schubert
has helped this bag-in-box bag maker optimize collaboration, this many-SKU winery
manufacturing over the years. introduced just one machine to pack a dozen
168 formats and varieties.

134 SUSTAINABLE PACKAGING

Laundry Pod Pioneer 178
Advances Sustainability Multipacking Applicator
with Move to E-Commerce Maximizes Can Output
The first company to launch liquid laundry for On-Trend Mixed Drink
detergent pods in 2005, Dropps moves from Producer
retail to D2C to strengthen its responsiveness
A multipacking applicator helped leading
to consumers and advance its sustainable
Canadian beverage producer Black Fly to
packaging efforts.
fully automate its packing line and double its
canning output, achieving a noteworthy ROI.

150
New Line Features 182
Two Blow/fill Systems ‘Quality Conscious’ Canning
To maximize the ability to change over from This Portland, Maine, brewery decided to
one neck diameter to another and to fill “dip our toes in the can market” by installing
either aseptic, CSD, or still products, Bickford’s a small filler/seamer. It quickly became clear
doubled down on blow/fill technology. that a 300 can/minute line was going to be
required.

Contents_1020.indd 4 9/25/20 12:05 PM

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Contents_1020.indd 5 9/25/20 12:06 PM

 6 PW OCT2020

DEPARTMENTS [Link]
VIDEO
10 COLUMNS
New Insert
9 Lead Off Extends
30 The Legal Side Avocado
32 The Big Picture Shelf Life
34 ISTA Omnichannel Answers [Link]/5720
36 Sustainable Packaging
188 Shelf Impact!
200 Looking Forward
VIDEO
NEWS/EVENTS Innovative
10 News Case Packing
22 Quotables/By the Numbers Line at Fisher
24 194 Industry Watch Nuts
[Link]/5745
INTERVIEW
24 First Person

PRODUCTS VIDEO
132 Automation Technology Primary and
196 Technology Secondary
Packaging
ADVERTISING at Ferrara
198 Advertiser Index Candy
[Link]/5742

EDITORIAL ADVISORY BOARD

Aladin Alkhawam Director, Packaging Operations, Par Pharmaceutical REGISTRATION
OPEN
Jan Brücklmeier Technical Application Group Packaging Technology Expert, Nestlé
David France Packaging Research Fellow, Conagra Foods Register
Patrick Keenan R&D Packaging Engineer, General Mills/Annie’s Organic Snacks Now for
Mike Marcinkowski Global R&D Officer, GPA Global & Hub Folding Box Co. PACK EXPO
Paul Schaum Chief Operations Officer, Pretzels Inc. Connects
David Smith, PhD Principal, David S. Smith & Associates CONNECTS [Link]/5758
Brian Stepowany Packaging R&D, Senior Manager, B&G Foods, Inc.
Jasmine Sutherland President, Texas Food Solutions; Vice President, Perfect Fit Meals

Connect with a Leaders in Packaging Connect with us:

supplier and support packaging education!

[Link]/leaders

Packaging World® (ISSN # 1073-7367) is a registered trademark of PMMI, The Association for Packaging and Processing Technologies. Packaging World® is published monthly by PMMI with its publishing office, PMMI Media Group, located at 401 N. Michigan
Avenue, Suite 300, Chicago, IL 60611; 312.222.1010; Fax: 312.222.1310. Periodicals postage paid at Chicago, IL, and additional mailing offices. Copyright 2020 by PMMI. All rights reserved. Materials in this publication must not be reproduced in any form
without written permission of the publisher. Applications for a free subscription may be made online at [Link]/subscribe. Paid subscription rates per year are $200 in the U.S., $285 Canada and Mexico by surface mail; $475 Europe, $715 Far
East and Australia by air mail. Single copy price in U.S. is $20. To subscribe or manage your subscription to Packaging World, visit [Link]/subscribe. Free digital edition available to qualified individuals outside the United States. POSTMASTER; Send
address changes to Packaging World®, 401 N. Michigan Avenue, Suite 300, Chicago, IL 60611. PRINTED IN USA by Quad. The opinions expressed in articles are those of the authors and not necessarily those of PMMI. Comments, questions and letters to the
editor are welcome and can be sent to: editors@[Link]. Mailing List: We make a portion of our mailing list available to reputable firms. If you would prefer that we don’t include your name, please write us at the Chicago, IL address.

Contents_1020.indd 6 9/25/20 12:06 PM

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Contents_1020.indd 7
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9/25/20 12:52 PM
PM
 8 PW OCT2020

Follow us on twitter
@PackagingWorld

EDITORIAL
Matt Reynolds Editor
Patrick Reynolds Vice President, Editor Emeritus @Packcentric
Iris Zavala Managing Editor
Anne Marie Mohan Senior Editor @PackagingTrends
Aaron Hand Editor-at-Large
Jim Chrzan Vice President, Content and Brand Strategy
Kim Overstreet Content Strategist, Alignment
Eric F. Greenberg, Ben Miyares, Sterling Anthony Contributing Editors

ART
David Bacho Creative Director

AUDIENCE & DIGITAL

David Newcorn Senior Vice President, Digital and Data
Elizabeth Kachoris Senior Director, Digital and Data
Jen Krepelka Director, Websites & Digital Design Strategy

ADVERTISING
Wendy Sawtell Vice President, Sales • wsawtell@[Link]
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Kelly Greeby Senior Director, Client Success & Media Operations
Alicia Pettigrew Senior Manager, Product & Revenue Strategy

PMMI MEDIA GROUP

Joseph Angel President, Publisher
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Masthead_1020.indd 8 9/22/20 7:08 AM

 9
LEAD OFF
VISION-GUIDED
CARTONING
Hall of Famers
Exemplify
Stewardship
One of a few bright spots in a generally daunting 2020 has been the
Oct. 1 induction of four extremely qualified packaging professionals
into the Packaging and Processing Hall of Fame (see page 108). As the results came in from the
selection commission, Packaging World set out to profile each of this year’s inductees. Now, on
the surface, there looked to be three separate career categories in the group: two distinguished
academics, a longtime brand-side engineer turned association pro, and a career packaging
communicator and media mogul. It seemed like we’d have four very different profiles.
But as the last of the four drafts crossed my desk, it became overwhelmingly apparent that
the 2020 class shares a key attribute: They understand that equipping the next generation of
packaging professionals is more important now than ever before.
Even though a profile is, by its very nature, a bit of a rearview mirror, each of the inductees
is focused on the future. They’ve been accomplished stewards of an entire industry, one that
has been so good to them that they feel they still owe it something. To this day, they want to
see the industry succeed.
Consider Jane Chase, IoPP Executive Director, who told me that nothing gets her more
energized than when a former student or junior engineer calls her up to bounce new package
design ideas off of her. Similarly, Fritz Yambrach noted with delight that former students
of his—who graduated from a program he developed specifically with long-term graduate
engagement as a goal—are coming back from industry to give talks at SJSU or look for ways to
participate in the program. S. Paul Singh talks about how much he learns from his students—
even casting himself as a fellow student among his own pupils. In a circular fashion, the
young people he graduates go off to industry and become valuable resources to Singh’s own
ongoing learning. And Pat Reynolds indicated how important it was to him to create a sense of
continuity in packaging communication and journalism, to be sure the Packaging World ship
was helmed, and the future looked reasonably bright. As the current captain, I can assure you
that Pat’s hand is still on the wheel in an Emeritus, advisory fashion. I draw from that well
quite frequently, and he’s always happy to help.
The bigger picture is that the above sentiments are not those of folks who have put in the
time and now wish to reap the rewards on the golf course, fishing boat, or tennis court as
the case may be. These are actively engaged individuals with lifetimes of experience who are
readily on offer to any young person or career changer who is wise enough to listen. And we
need their consistent rudder more than ever.
As Pat Reynolds says in his profile, “New blood was definitely called for, with all the new
High-Speed JLS TRAK
digital and social media technologies,” and there’s no doubt that the pace of change is fast and with Small Footprint
speeding up. I’ve said in this space before that trying times accelerate innovation in packaging,
and I’m happy to say I’m taking my own advice as it applies to packaging media. As I type *Patent Pending
this, the PMMI Media Group, of which I am a member, is crafting a never-before-seen, digital
industry event called PACK EXPO Connects (see page 102 or visit [Link]).
As we’re rolling out an online interactive event that appropriately reflects an industry that’s
teetering at an inflection point—with a sustainable, data-driven brave new world on the other
side—maybe it’s a good time to be tapping industry stalwarts like our distinguished 2020 Hall [Link]
of Fame inductees for their guidance, advice, and deep body of knowledge. As their profiles
indicate, each and every one of them is happy to be of service. PW

mreynolds@[Link] Watch Video

[Link]/peregrine

LeadOff_1020.indd 9 9/25/20 1:14 PM

 10 PW OCT2020
NEWS

Enhanced Water to Pioneer Aluminum Cans, rPET

Perfect Hydration (pH), an ultra-purified alkaline water with electrolytes, are made of BPA-free, 100% recyclable PET-1.
is launching its enhanced water in a 16-oz. recyclable aluminum can to The rPET bottle will not initially replace the existing PET bottles, but
meet the growing demand for sustainability. The new line extension, represents a first step towards doing so. The company is planning to roll
available for purchase beginning in December 2020, will feature alumi- out additional sizes as the supply of rPET increases.
num that can be recycled indefinitely, as opposed to PET, which the com- “The printed can does offer us a bit more of a billboard and won’t
pany says loses clarity and function as it continues to be recycled. The can require an additional label, which means fewer components in the supply
will continue with Perfect Hydration’s notable crisp, blue color-blocked chain,” Lawless says. “Aluminum cans also chill faster than plastic, so they
design, this time on a printed can. are great for convenience stores, foodservice, and any single-serve oppor-
The can joins a container lineup that currently features four sizes of tunity. Single cans are also stackable, which makes for more efficient stor-
100% recyclable PET-1 bottles. These PET bottles use a p-s label, but the age in stock rooms and in foodservice and non-traditional sales channels.
company is are exploring different substrates as They’ll also get colder, quicker, in consumers’
it makes a push towards converting single serve refrigerators at home.”
PET-1 bottles to rPET in Q1 of 2021. There are tradeoffs to aluminum cans,
“We are challenging ourselves to exceed in- namely they are generally intended as single-
dustry standards on our path towards focused sitting products without much of an option for
innovation and sustainability,” says Louisa resealability. But since the format complements
Lawless, Chief Strategy Officer of brand owner existing PET bottles with closures, rather than
Stratus Group. “Enhanced, still water in a can is replaces them, the company sees this as an op-
quite new to our category, but because of de- portunity to let consumers decide what’s best
mand from consumers and retailers alike, we for them, and to diversify supply chains.
are excited to lead the charge. Agility is critical “With pH’s PET bottle and aluminum can as-
with advancement in new technologies and sus- sortment, we’re able to address a wide variety of
tainable, responsible resourcing.” hydration needs. A person who needs a reseal-
Perfect Hydration’s domestically sourced able format can still purchase our bottle, while
cans offer a new category entry point for con- someone who is more sustainability-driven will
sumers seeking alkaline water, which now is the choose the Perfect Hydration can,” Lawless says.
fastest growing segment within water according “Our can is basically the same size as a pint or
to the company, outpacing sparkling water and a standard water glass, so it’s the perfect one-
private label water. The line extension will be and-done size to deliver a hydrating experience.
available in 16-oz aluminum cans, and display- This size is also guaranteed to easily fit in a cup-
ready 12-packs and 24-packs. The new 16-oz holder, which makes it super convenient to take
cans will retail from $1.29 to $1.49 each. on the road.”
The company sees cans are best suited for
Comprehensive single-serve situations and for take-home op-
portunities. That translates into merchandising
sustainability goals single cans in cold vaults, or 12-packs for off-
We’ve seen the big water brands think about premise consumption.
moving to cans, too, or do so in regional test “We expect the single cans to do really well
markets, but adoption is still in its infancy. Pack- in convenience stores, where consumers are
aging World asked Lawless what pushed Perfect typically on the go,” Lawless says. “At grocery
Hydration to make this change. and larger format stores, COVID-19 has caused
“We are constantly seeking new ways to meet consumers to buy in bulk as they decrease their
consumer demands within the water category shopping frequency (fewer, bigger shopping
and we’ve seen a shift in interest toward aluminum packaging,” she says. trips), so they are seeking more multipacks and larger sizes than in the
“Aluminum is infinitely recyclable and ultimately, we want to offer the con- past. We’re also planning to launch our 12-pack via e-comm.
sumer what they are demanding. We know people are used to recycling “While the pH bottle offers a nice brand block, rows of our opaque
aluminum and they feel good about it. Launching a can will allow us to cans with our signature blue gradient logo will look fabulous in the cold
diversify our supply chain and test different packages amongst channels.” box,” she adds.
As a part of a multiple-pronged approach to sustainability, Perfect On the dry shelf, the 12-packs will provide even more brand visibility
Hydration is currently vetting claims associated with recycled plastics and a secondary point of distribution. The 12-packs are also easy to stack,
(rPET) and has committed to launching bottles made with 100% rPET in which helps for end caps and displays. These paperboard 12-pack cartons
Q1 of 2021. Perfect Hydration is also committed to the continued use of will use a spot color + CMYK print in six colors.
renewable, domestic water sources. The proprietary nine-stage filtration In Q1 of 2020, pH successfully launched two larger sizes–1.5-L and 1-g
and alkalizing process enables the brand to transform water from any bottles–at Ralph’s, Albertson’s southern divisions, and select CVS stores, to
supply into crisp, refreshing, pH Water. Unlike other brands that mine name a few. Perfect Hydration is sold in 1-L and 20-oz, bottles in conve-
watersheds and mineral springs, pH doesn’t have to ship water to or from nience, mass, drug, and grocery stores nationwide, and online via Ama-
remote locations across the globe. In addition, Perfect Hydration’s bottles zon and Instacart. —Matt Reynolds

News_1020.indd 10 9/23/20 7:52 AM

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News_1020.indd 11 9/23/20 7:53 AM

 12 PW OCT2020
NEWS

E-Comm Mailer’s Striking Graphics Serve Social Media Set

There’s no glossing over the fact that in the e-commerce world, a on-pack kiss of life. Says Tim Andrisani, PAC Worldwide Associate
positive consumer experience—especially among the social media Director of Sales of West Coast, “Our job was to figure out how to
set—can play a significant role in creating buzz around a product, replicate the super high-gloss tone and texture of the design.” The
and that experience begins with packaging. Unboxing videos, most significant challenge, he adds, was process color matching.
Instagram posts, and online reviews are among some of the most PAC prints the mailer—a custom version of PAC’s Airjacket®—
powerful marketing tools brands have today.
That’s why subscription makeup brand
LiveGlam turned up the gloss and the sass
on the mailers for its “lippies” line of lip
products, which includes lipsticks, liners,
scrubs, balms, and more. Now, members
of its Lippie Club receive their monthly
trio of lippies products in a black-matte
plastic bubble mailer emblazoned with an
illustration of a pair of fantastically shiny
red lips in the midst of a seductive bite.
The mailer replaces one used previously
by the Los Angeles-based company and was
designed to extend the brand experience
beyond the interaction with the product
itself, beginning with the moment the
customer first sees the package. “We
want them to feel a sense of anticipation
and excitement about what’s inside,” says
LiveGlam Brand Copywriter Samantha
Nguyen. “We take great pride in the quality
of our product line, and we want that to be
reflected in every aspect of our branding,
including the packaging.”
LiveGlam’s goal for the new package
was to highlight the glossier, longer-lasting
shine its lippies are known for. Says Nguyen, “We knew that with using a five-color flexo printing process, along with two varnishes,
the right combination of design, engineering, and production, we one glossy and one matte, according to LiveGlam’s brand
could engage our customer on a deeper, more emotional level. standards. Andrisani shares that color matching was addressed
“We wanted something that our customers would feel excited through several complex drawdowns to capture the right shade
enough about to share on social media. That was our bar. We and tone of the red lips.
wanted to build our community of Lippie Club brand evangelists.” He adds that the 6.5 x 9.25-in. PAC Airjacket was chosen
With the lip graphics designed by LiveGlam’s internal creative for the application because it offered the best protection and
director, the company approached PAC Worldwide to give them the cost efficiencies with handling and shipping. The mailer is a
coextruded construction of tough but lightweight high-density
polyethylene/low-density polyethylene and is 100% recyclable at
Jumpstart store drop-off locations.
Says Nguyen, “Customers can recycle by simply following the
Your Day at PACK EXPO Connects [on-pack] published guidelines of the How2Recycle program.” The
mailers can be recycled at more than 34,000 locations, including
Interested in e-commerce packaging solutions at retailers such as Target, Kohl’s, Walmart, and Lowes.
LiveGlam started exploring concepts with PAC six months
like the one featured here? Jumpstart your day
before production of the cheeky mailer in Q1-2020. “They were
at PACK EXPO Connects with a segment devoted
great partners throughout the process, patiently working through
to e-commerce on Friday, Nov. 13th at 9:00 the complex design and production issues that are needed at this
a.m. Central, to charge up ahead of a full day of level of customization,” Nguyen shares.
product demos, innovative educational sessions, Lippie Club members are likewise thrilled with the end result,
and more. Visit [Link] she adds. “We’ve heard great feedback from customers, both
directly and through their posts on Instagram, Facebook, and
Twitter.” —Anne Marie Mohan

News_1020.indd 12 9/23/20 7:54 AM

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November 9-13, 2020

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News_1020.indd 13 9/23/20 7:58 AM

 14 PW OCT2020
NEWS

Recyclable, Mono- Working with Dow Chemical

and Accredo Packaging, in

Material Packaging Film mid-2018 Seventh Generation

was one of the first brands

on Growth Trajectory to launch a mono-material

flexible pack.

With its light weight and ease of transport, flexible packaging has According to the report, PE is
long been lauded by producers for its environmental footprint. the most widely used polymer for
However, until recently, the fly in the ointment was the fact that mono-material film packaging,
the multiple film layers used to provide various functional prop- accounting for over half of fore-
erties made it unable to be recycled. But a raft of new mono-ma- cast global consumption in 2020.
terial film options have been introduced that provide the same It will see strong growth through
functionality while being recyclable in store drop-off locations. to 2025, but will be outstripped by rising demand for PP grades. RCF use
According a recent market report from Smithers, The Future of Mono- will rise only slowly over the forecast period, and demand for mono-ma-
Material Plastic Packaging Film to 2025, the demand for mono-material terial PVC will decline as alternative solutions are adopted by converters.
flexible polymer packaging will reach approximately 24 million tons and Smithers’ research shows that fresh foods, snack foods, and confection-
a value of $58.9 billion in 2020. It adds that by 2025, the growing demand ery are the largest users of mono-material film in 2020. It adds that fresh
by brand owners and consumers for more sustainable solutions will see foods will see the most rapid increase in demand across the next five years,
this market accelerate at a CAGR of 3.8% to reach $70.9 billion, with a total while the growth in snack/confectionery segments will be more muted.
of approximately 29 million tons consumed. Other fast-growing applications for mono-material film packaging include
Smithers’ analysis tracks the demand for the four principal mono-ma- chilled foods, frozen foods, and pharmaceutical and medical products.
terial packaging film constructions: polyethylene, polypropylene (includ- Currently, Smithers says, mono-materials have technical limitations in
ing biaxially oriented PP, oriented PP, and cast PP), polyvinyl chloride, and certain packaging applications, making further R&D to overcome these
regenerated cellulose fiber (RCF). limitations a top priority. —Anne Marie Mohan

Large-Format PET Bottled

Water Closure Helps Sustain
Sales During Pandemic
Transforming large, rigid containers into convenient, at-home
dispensers, this closure is a differentiating feature for islanders
seeking to stock up on water during pandemics and hurricanes.
Headquartered in Trinidad and Tobago and serving nearby
Santa Lucia, Blue Waters is the leading bottled water brand in
the southeastern Caribbean. Handling all the processes from the
initial stage of blowing bottles to marketing the product both
locally and regionally, the water bottler continues to expand and
diversify at a rapid rate.
Early in 2020, its 8-L bottle recently added the unique UpTap®
dispensing closure, debuted in 2019 from Worldwide Dispensers, Waters is excited to continue leading this category for another
part of Liquibox,to become the only format of its kind in the 20 years with the advent of the more sustainable UpTap from
Caribbean. The closure feature offers ease and convenience that Liquibox,” says Dominic Hadeed, owner of Blue Waters.
was particularly evident amongst consumers stocking up on high- UpTap fits on all standard 48/41-mm bottle necks and uses
quality water during the COVID-19 pandemic. This should also 48% less plastic than its predecessor, which in turn reduces
apply to weather events in the region, like hurricanes. transportation costs by up to 20% due to its smaller size. As
Blue Waters had already been using standard varieties of an added bonus, its minimalistic, three-piece system improves
Worldwide Dispensers’ closure taps for its water bottles for more recyclability and is safer for children to use. It dispenses easily
than a decade, but was looking for new ways to create greater from a horizontal position on the counter or in the fridge and
value. UpTap, a next-generation dispensing tap, offered Blue enables one-handed pouring thanks to a self-closing button.
Waters the opportunity to cut costs through a lightweight design. Public response to the new Blue Water dispensing tap has
“Over the last 20 years, Blue Waters has led the family-serve been positive and has enabled the brand to meet the needs of
and HOD bottled water category in no small part thanks to families who seek a convenient, reliable, and safe source of water
Worldwide Dispensers’ innovative 8-liter dispensing tap. Blue during uncertain times. —Matt Reynolds

News_1020.indd 14 9/23/20 7:58 AM

 Visit our virtual showroom
at PACK EXPO Connects
November 9-13, 2020

REDUCE LABOR COST

WITH RIGHT-SIZED AUTOMATION.
WestRock’s Pak On Demand™ Pouch System 3D scans products
on a conveyor, creates a custom, right-sized, curbside recyclable
pouch on demand and seals the package for shipment—all with a
single operator. The streamlined process not only reduces labor
cost, it also eliminates unnecessary void fill and shipping charges
and increases packing rates up to five times over manual operations.
Pak On Demand™
Right sized. Right now. Pouch System

[Link]/pakondemand

©2020 WestRock Company. All rights reserved.

News_1020.indd 15 9/23/20 8:00 AM

 16 PW OCT2020
NEWS

Maxwell House Launches “Zero Waste” Compostable

Single-Serve Coffee Pods
Canadian icon Maxwell House has always told us that it’s “Good to
the last drop.” Now, thanks to a 100% compostable pod innovation
Jumpstart
launch, it says it’s “Good to the last drop. And long after.” Your Day at PACK EXPO Connects
Signifying the brand’s commitment to sustainability, Maxwell
House’s latest 100% compostable coffee pods, launched Interested in compostable packaging
exclusively in Canada, provide an alternative to the popular
developments like the one featured here?
single-serve pods. Made entirely from plant-based materials, all
Jumpstart your day at PACK EXPO Connects
pod components and its inner bag are 100% compostable, plus
the outer carton is 100% recyclable, leaving zero waste for the
with a whole hour devoted to the sustainable
consumer. This helps Canadians reduce waste without sacrificing packaging and processing landscape on
the convenience of single-serve pods. Monday, Nov. 9th at 9:00 a.m. Central, to
“We recognize the significant concern packaging waste charge up ahead of a full day of product demos,
presents and we are working collectively at all levels of our innovative educational sessions, and more.
operations to explore alternative solutions,” says Nicole Fischer, Visit [Link]
Head of Sustainability, Kraft Heinz Canada. “Through ongoing
collaboration with packaging experts, organizations and
coalitions, Kraft Heinz Canada is working towards a circular
economy to ensure real measures are taken to reduce single-use designation verifies that the compostable coffee pod meets global
plastics and divert food waste from our landfills, limiting harmful scientific standards for industrial compostability and is formulated
impacts to our environment.” to break down in a period of about seven weeks. Gone are the
days of tedious separation of recyclable pod elements, including
the removal of the lid, ring, mesh filters, and coffee grounds.
Further, organization into the correct recycling and composting
categories is no longer required.

Consumer education
Dr. Calvin Lakhan, industry expert and leading environmental
researcher at Toronto’s York University says, “Both brands and
consumers have a critical role to play in driving sustainability
forward through innovative technology and developing solutions
that balance the demands of modern society with the needs of the
planet. By making the switch from traditional single-use plastic
pods to compostable pods, we could help reduce plastics by the
height of more than 4,000 CN Towers [totalling 7,260,000 ft.]
annually.”
As a way to showcase the innovation, Maxwell House launched
an immersive educational experience to highlight how the pods
decompose. Located at stackt market in downtown Toronto,
visitors can witness first-hand how the compostable pods break
down over the next few weeks in a shipping container filled with
500 lb of shredded organic material, such as expired fruits and
veggies, and the 100% compostable pods.
By the end of the process, all the pods used to create the
With the launch of Maxwell House 100% compostable coffee experience will break down completely so all that is left is
pods, waste reduction is at the forefront, with sustainable nutrient rich soil. Time lapse assets of the decomposition
packaging from beginning to end. It’s a simple one-step process: experience will also be shared with Canadians across social media
toss the pod into the compost bin and it will decompose into to demonstrate the reality of the process.
nutrient rich soil. Leaving zero waste for the consumer, the Kraft Heinz will be releasing its 2020 Environmental, Social,
compostable coffee pods are made of 85% coffee grounds Governance (ESG) report as part of its corporate citizenship
(real, actual coffee) with a paper lid, a coffee filter made from and sustainability efforts in Fall 2020. The report highlights its
cornstarch and a plant-based compostable ring made from over commitment to sustainability, including the company’s aim to
20% coffee bean husks. make 100% of packaging recyclable, reusable or compostable by
Certified by the Biodegradable Products Institute, this 2025. —Matt Reynolds

News_1020.indd 16 9/23/20 8:01 AM

 Visit our virtual showroom
at PACK EXPO Connects
November 9-13, 2020

INCREASE FLEXIBILITY
WITH AUTOMATED
SHELF-READY PACKAGING.
WestRock’s Meta® Duo offers true multi-channel, in-house
automation of one- and two-piece shelf-ready packaging designs
and ships-in-own-container units. Utilizing our unique Meta®
Systems precision-forming technology, Meta Duo efficiently
transitions between 4-sided, 8-sided and half-slotted containers,
helping you meet various retailer and e-tailer requirements from
Meta® Duo
a single, small footprint machine.

Multiple channels. One solution.

[Link]/metaduo

©2020 WestRock Company. All rights reserved.

News_1020.indd 17 9/23/20 8:02 AM

 18 PW OCT2020
NEWS

BUILT TO FILL.
BUILT FOR LIFE. Label-less Bottle a Cinch to Recycle
Just built better... Miami-based spirits conglomerate Toast Distillers, Inc., known for its ultra-premium vodka, is rais-
ing a glass of a different sort—new Toast H2O alkaline purified water in a label-less PET bottle that
simplifies recycling. Dubbed “the healthy water,” Toast H2O is treated with reverse-osmosis, UV light,
ozone, carbon filter, multimedia filter, and microfiltration, and is produced by Toast Distillers’ sub-
sidiary, The Miami Distilling Company.
READY TO SHIP According to Dieuveny “DJ” Jean Louis, founder and CEO of
Toast Distillers, Inc., Toast H2O was added to the company’s spir-
its-only portfolio so that it could share its products with many
more customers, “even the smallest in the house.” He adds, “Wa-
ter is an essential liquid for life, and today more than ever, the
motto of our company supports it: ‘TO LIVE, TO LOVE, TO US.’”
The decision to go label-less, using a screen-printing process
for decoration instead, was made in an effort to maintain the
elegance of the bottle, but more importantly, to facilitate re-
cycling. “Most plastic bottles are made from polyethylene, the
easiest plastic to recycle in the industry; most adhesive labels are
made from polypropylene. Although the two materials are plas-
tic, they have different recycling processes, which means that
in order to recycle a bottle, the label must be removed,” says
Louis. “Can you imagine how many bottles of water of this type
are consumed in the world? Removing the label is usually done
manually. Normally this plastic is sent to other countries with a
slightly cheaper labor cost but with poor production controls, so
guaranteeing the recycling process is complicated.
“We are aware of the situation that exists worldwide with
plastic, and we deeply believe that the solution to this problem
is to teach customers and develop methods to facilitate recycling
processes.”
The sleek, 16.9-oz, clear wine-bottle shaped package uses
minimal decoration, with the logo positioned in black type verti-
Mobile Pail Filler cally up the front panel of the bottle. It is topped with a match-
ing black cap. The bottle is produced and printed by Savani Wa-
7KLV PRELOH SDLO ĆOOHU ZDV FUHDWHG IRU EDWFK
ter of Medley, Fla.
ĆOOLQJRSHUDWLRQVDWPXOWLSOHORFDWLRQV,WLVWRS
Says Savani Water Director Guillermo Castro, Savani is cur-
DQG VXEVXUIDFH SDLO ĆOOHU WKDW PRYHV DURXQG rently the only water bottle factory capable of printing its own
RQFDVWHUV7KLVĆOOHUZLOOKDQGOHWRJDOORQ PET bottles on a high-speed, automatic machine on-site. “Nor-
FRQWDLQHUVDQGRQO\UHTXLUHVOEVRILQHUWLD mally this type of printing is expensive,” he shares, “but Savani
WRPRYHLW Water, after overcoming several obstacles, found a way to do it
with high quality and at a competitive price. One of the main
%HQHĆWV challenges is that the bottle must be quite hard, however today
we can say that we are in the standard weight of the high-end
» ,PSURYHG(IĆFLHQFLHV $FFXUDF\
brands in the market.”
» ,QFUHDVH3URGXFWLRQ 0D[LPL]H8SWLPH Savani blow molds bottles in-house and can customize the
» +HDY\'XW\ /RQJ/DVWLQJ shape, depending on customer requirements. The bottles are
» 8VHU)ULHQGO\ then decorated with an automatic screen-printing machine. Ex-
plains Castro, the bottle enters the printer on a horizontal conveyor. A line of pistons then transports
7KLVVROXWLRQKDVDYDULHW\RISURGXFWRSWLRQV the bottle to the center of the machine, where it is printed, and then the ink is sealed with ultraviolet
DYDLODEOHWRPHHW\RXUQHHGV7ROHDUQPRUH light. “The process happens in seconds, and the bottle is ready to fill,” he notes.
FRQWDFWXVE\FDOOLQJ The cost of the bottle at the material level is similar to that of a normal water bottle. “Basically
the difference is in the work behind each bottle, since the lines must operate separately for blowing,
printing, and filling,” Castro explains. “However, we continue to bet on the future of this industry,
and do our bit to solve the current recycling problem. If we don’t take a different stance and raise
We also provide installation, awareness, the damage could be irreversible.”
SDUWVDQGĆHOGVHUYLFH
Toast H2O alkaline purified water is available for purchase in cases of 24 at $0.98 per bottle,
or $23.52 per case. Toast Distillers is working to have the product distributed through its existing
833-467-3432
relationships with liquor stores, distributors, restaurants, and more. Announcements regarding ad-
[Link] ditional purchasing options and availability are forthcoming. —Anne Marie Mohan

News_1020.indd 18 9/23/20 8:11 AM

 What if
food packaging were
carbon-neutral?

Go nature.
Go carton.
Food packaging plays a critical role in getting food safely to consumers around
the world. But it can also cause problems for the planet. What if all food packaging
came from plant-based materials and didn’t impact the climate? At Tetra Pak,
we already have paper-based carton packages with reduced climate impact. But
we won’t stop there. Our aim is to create cartons made solely from plant-based
materials that are fully renewable, fully recyclable and carbon-neutral. It’s all part
of our journey to deliver the world’s most sustainable food package.

Learn more at [Link]

News_1020.indd 19 9/23/20 8:12 AM

187921_TetraPak_GNGC_Ad_Inuit_Packaging_World_9x10,875_US.indd 1 09/09/2020 14.04
 20 PW OCT2020
NEWS

Peanut Butter Brands Add Flexible, Squeezable Formats

Jif brand peanut butter from The J. M. video about the different applications using the
Smucker Co., launched in June a 13-oz. packaging format, including as DAISY brand
creamy peanut butter in a flexible, squeezable sour cream at [Link]/3937 and Guy Gone Keto
Standcap Pouch. According to Jif, the specialty condiments at [Link]/5743.
squeezable pouch format that makes it easier According to R.A Jones, “Our sister company
for kids to serve themselves, for cooks to Volpak was responsible for the development of
measure accurate amounts in recipes, or for the technology, while we built the machines for
parents to precisely spread that perfect “ants our exclusive partner, Glenroy, to manufacture
on a log” snack, all without needing a knife or the pre-made pouch solution. The Standcap Pouch
other utensil. is patented and available only in North America
“Jif lovers enjoy their Jif in a variety of through R.A Jones and Glenroy. We developed such
ways—in smoothies and snacks, as a key partnerships to ensure economical solutions for
ingredient in cooking and baking, or even eating retailers of any size and product volume demand.
it ‘straight up’ with a spoon,” says Rebecca Additionally, we have developed a complete supply
Scheidler, Vice President, Marketing for the Jif chain so that organizations of any size can test their
Brand. “With our new squeezable pouch, we’re product in the pouch with minimal upfront cost to
making it even easier and quicker for Jif lovers them.”
everywhere to get their Jif fix. No more ‘peanut
butter knuckles’ when you’re trying to get the last Flexible squeeze pack part of new line
ounce of goodness from the bottom of the peanut Meanwhile, also in June, makers of Skippy peanut
butter jar. No knife. No spoon. No problem!” butter Hormel announced the launch of three new
The new pack format represents yet another packaging formats, a lineup it says provides consumers
major brand to adopt the Standcap Pouch, a even more ways to add high-protein, plant-based functional
collaboration between Glenroy, Aptar, Viking Masek, foods to their diets. Most notably among them is another
and Coesia’s Volpak and R.A Jones. Read more or watch flexible peanut butter pack. Hormel worked with ProAmpac to

Five Keys to Private-Brand Success in the ‘New Normal’

A white paper from private-brand consultant Daymon lists five ways pri-
vate brands and retailers can prepare to address the fundamental shifts
in consumer shopping and spending behaviors that have resulted from
COVID-19. While Daymon gathered survey information for the white
paper early in the pandemic, in April 200, these trends have continued
throughout the crisis.
According to Daymon, those shifts that have occurred due to the CO-
VID-19 that will affect future buying habits are social distancing, altered
brand and shopping behavior, and reduced spending. Since March, social
distancing has made the home the center of eating and entertaining, with
60% of consumers reporting that they planned to eat at home more and
only 25% reporting that they expected to eat out as frequently as they
had before.
Regarding altered behavior, Daymon notes that vast out-of-stocks
have forced shoppers to change brands and preferred stores. When sur-
veyed, 70% of shoppers reported purchasing new a new or different brand
than they had pre-COVID, with nearly 30% reporting a positive experience
after switching brands and intending to maintain these purchasing shifts
post-pandemic. Online shopping has also increased, with 49% of consum-
ers reporting in April they would shop online versus 42% before the crisis.
With roughly one-third of U.S. families having been affected finan-
cially, either with job loss or a decline in salary, consumers are looking
for alternative solutions to national brands, notes Daymon. As a result,
as of April, private-brand sales increased 34%, outpacing national brands.

News_1020.indd 20 9/23/20 8:12 AM

 21

Visit our shoow room page

[Link]

develop a flexible PET peanut

butter pouch that allows
for easy snacking, peanut
butter on the go, and easy
dispensing with less mess.
“We know consumers are
looking for new ways to enjoy
the peanut butter they love
while still delivering on
taste and product benefits,”
says Jennesa Kinscher,
Skippy brand manager. “We
are thrilled to bring the first
mainstream squeeze peanut butter and squeeze natural peanut
butter spread to the category. It has already become a staple in
our home for easy snacking, without the mess!”
The new 6-oz. squeezable format launched carrying two
peanut butter varieties: Skippy Squeeze Creamy Peanut Butter,
and Skippy Squeeze Natural Creamy Peanut Butter Spread. The
pouch was specifically designed for portability and its ease to
squeeze for the whole family.
The remaining new formats include a no-sugar-added line
available in 16-oz peanut butter jars, and an added-protein
variety, with three additional g of plant-based protein per serving
available in 14-ounce squat jars. —Matt Reynolds

To address these shifts, Daymon recommends the following five key

action areas to drive brand success in the world’s “new normal”:
1. Prioritize Innovation: The need for innovation across categories
has been especially heightened as consumers express added interest in
making their daily routines and homemade meals more exciting. Pri-
vate brands should continue planned innovation and drive innovation
in high-growth categories.
2. Enhance Solutions: The at-home-meets-foodservice consumption
behavior will likely persist post-COVID-19. Private brands should create
new foodservice-comparable meal solutions, forge partnerships with lo-
cal businesses, and promote solutions with creative merchandising.
3. Educate on Benefits: There will be a desire to return to a sense of
normalcy when shopping for groceries. Private brand communications
should emphasize quality, destination-worthy products, and savings
4. Deliver Inspiration: Consumers are likely to continue a more
home-based lifestyle as stay-at-home orders continue to lift and non-
essential businesses reopen. Private brands can deliver inspiration to
customers by delivering unique private brand recipes and events, as well
as distributing unique content such as online or live-streaming cooking
classes
5. Lead E-Commerce: Digital shopping services are here to stay. Ded-
icating online space to private brands, along with linking private brand
solutions for consumer needs is imperative for being on the forefront of Cama Group is a leading supplier of advanced technology secondary packaging
digital solutions and top of mind for consumers. —Anne Marie Mohan systems, continuosly investing in innovative solutions.

/user/Cama1Spa /company/cama-group /camagroupsocial

News_1020.indd 21 9/23/20 8:13 AM

 22 PW OCT2020
QUOTABLES

BY THE NUMBERS “As director of U.S customer supply chain for Hershey, I’ve

3
seen some incredible things happen since COVID-19 began. In
the shadow of uncertainty and rapid change, I believe there
is a silver lining in the ways that families have come together
during quarantine to savor the simple things in life. At our West
The number of U.S. paper and
Hershey plant, our teams have been working 24 hours a day,
paperboard product manufacturers seven days a week to churn out more chocolate. Thanks to our
that have begun a three-year phase- excellent, always-on communication between our sales team,
out of their sales of certain substances category managers and supply chain, we were able to make
that contain the short-chain per- and week-to-week decisions about where Hershey’s bars were most
polyfluoroalkyl substance (PFAS) 6:2 needed to ensure the best possible access for s’mores makers.”
fluorotelomer alcohol (6:2 FTOH) for –Ryan Britt, Director of U.S. Supply Chain, The Hershey Co., in an article from
use as food-contact substances [Link], “More s’mores please: Sales of American classic soar during

21%
COVID pandemic”

“When you think about a world of a contained set of supply on

the shelf, when we are not able to fully meet demand, it does
The amount of total plastic packaging open the door to other businesses or other brands that may be
that can be replaced by corrugated left on the shelf or available that has filled in a little bit. I think
packaging, according to FEFCO – over time, we’re going to get back to a better place.”
European Federation of Corrugated
–Mark Clouse, CEO, Campbell Soup, in the company’s third-quarter earnings call, as
Board Manufacturers reported in an article, “Big CPGs struggle to gain market share during COVID-19 despite
sales boost,” from Food Dive

35,000 sq ft
The size of Amazon’s new high-tech
“Growth in the food and beverage industry will propel the
global form/fill/seal equipment market on to a higher growth
grocery store, Amazon Fresh, in trajectory. Longer work hours and reduced time to fix balanced
Woodland Hills, Calif., which offers the
Amazon Dash Cart for cashier-free
and nutritious meals is leading people towards processed and
checkout and Amazon Alexa to help packaged food, driving growth in the market.”
manage shopping lists and find items –Transparency Market Research, commenting in a press release, “Growing Preference
in the store for Flexible Packaging to Propel Growth in Vertical Machines Segment of Form-Fill-Seal
Equipment Market: TMR”

80%
Americans who say they are concerned
about single-use plastics, compared
“We expect many consumer habits formed during the
pandemic, like cooking and at-home eating, to continue in
a post-pandemic world. Meal kits offer a more convenient,
sustainable and affordable dinner solution for home-cooked
to 87% last year, according to a meals than a supermarket can, and we expect meal kits to
survey conducted by the Consumer continue filling this need for fresh ingredients delivered to your
Brand Association that shows the doorstep.”
shift in mindset since the start of the –A spokesperson for Hello Fresh, as quoted in an article from [Link],
pandemic “Meal kit industry shines during pandemic”

QuotablesBTN_1020.indd 22 9/23/20 1:50 PM

QuotablesBTN_1020.indd 23 9/23/20 1:50 PM
 24 PW OCT2020
FIRST PERSON

Plastic-Free Packaging
for Homecare Line
And who is represented on the team?
Kelly Murosky, I’m the sole packaging professional, and I’m joined by people in
product formulation, sustainability, brand management, consumer
Senior Packaging insights, supply chain, and finance. It’s essentially one team member
Engineer at Seventh from each of the major departments to bring a broad range of
expertise.
Generation, the
Burlington, Vt.-based Your firm is pretty well known for pushing the boundaries when it
comes to developing sustainable packaging. Was there anything
firm that sells eco- different this time around?
friendly cleaning, What this represents is not a traditional Seventh Generation launch.
It’s what we call test-learn-iterate. The idea is to use the marketplace
paper, and personal care products, launch to learn what consumers think rather than do consumer
talks about the packaging for the new research prior to launch. It allowed us to launch within about a year
instead of the two or three years that might ordinarily be the case.
Zero Plastic Homecare line. The team kicked off formally in July of last year and product went into
production this July. The plan is to improve upon the proposition as
we learn more through interacting with consumers and getting their
feedback. It’s a matter of moving the consumer input phase from the
Packaging World: innovation stream to post-launch.
How challenging is it to get to a package that is zero plastic?
Did you decide on steel as the packaging material at an early stage?
Kelly Murosky: Since speed to market was such a priority, we favored a number
It’s not easy. In our case it helped to have the project grounded in a of off-the-shelf packaging technologies very early on. We knew we
team that we call our Growth Incubator Team. Small and agile, it lets didn’t have time for a long R&D development timeline as we sought
us bring a new idea to market quickly so that we can get real-world our plastic-free option. We determined that tin-plate steel canisters
learnings on the idea and then iterate and optimize. This was the offered the best moisture barrier for our product and that they would
team’s first big launch. help us achieve the required shelf life. We also explored paper-based

FirstPerson_1020.indd 24 9/23/20 5:54 AM

   

FirstPerson_1020.indd 25 9/23/20 5:54 AM

 26 PW OCT2020
FIRST PERSON

packaging, but the existing technologies we tested couldn’t achieve I see six varieties all in one container size. Is it a stock container?
the required moisture barrier that we needed unless we included a Off-the-shelf tin-plate steel containers are easy enough to find, but
plastic coating or liner. But remember, we want this to be truly plastic- we did have custom dimensions in mind so that the one container we
free. Right down to the paper tamper-evident stickers we apply, which specified would meet the needs imposed by both tablets and powders.
also help keep the closure from coming loose during e-commerce The tablets, for example, are stacked in four columns nine-high for
distribution. a 36-count presentation. And for the powders we have custom sifter
inserts for dosing, one with larger openings for the toilet bowl cleaner
while the kitchen, bathroom, and hand soap powders
all use an insert with smaller openings for more
| AT11-14USA |

controlled dosing.

A revolution in linear
transport systems: XTS
NEXTSTEP The XTS advantage
circulatory movement
flexible modular system
individually movable movers

User benefits
reduced machine footprint This is a two-piece, side-seam can
software-based changeovers
with a seamed-on bottom, yes?
improved machine flexibility
increased throughput
Yes. It stands 144 mm tall and has a 70-mm dia.
shorter time to market The cans are printed by way of offset lithography in
four colors and supplied by TinWerks, a company
I first heard of, by the way, in a Packaging World
article. Included in the graphics on the back of the
container is the How2Recycle logo. We see some
really attractive efficiencies in shipping because we
removed water from the formulations. It makes our
packaging footprint more compact if you do a direct
comparison with some of our current products. For
example, our 36-count laundry tablets in the Zero
Plastic SKU brings a 70% weight savings and a 75%
[Link]/xts volume reduction in shipping compared to our 50-oz
Manufacturers around the world need to offer increasingly customized products – liquid laundry that’s currently on the market today in
with machines that deliver reduced footprint and improved productivity. Available a 100% post-consumer extrusion blow molded HDPE.
now in the U.S., the eXtended Transport System (XTS) from Beckhoff answers these
Those are significant numbers.
machine design challenges and more. In combination with PC- and EtherCAT-based
control technology, the XTS features a high level of design freedom for machine See XTS live!
[Link]/213 Like most of your product offerings, this new
builders to develop game-changing concepts for product transport, handling and
assembly. A stainless steel hygienic XTS version is ideal for use in the pharmaceuti-
container is filled by one of your contract
cal and food industries. Take your next step in machine design with XTS: manufacturing partners. What does the filling
total freedom of installation position equipment look like?
compact design integrates directly into machinery The powders are filled with a volumetric filler directly
freely selectable track geometries into the container. For the tablets, we did not have
few mechanical parts and system components existing tablet filling technology in place. So we had

FirstPerson_1020.indd 26 9/23/20 5:55 AM

 Intelligent Packaging
Technology from Nordson

Modular & Scalable

Range of options & upgrades to
meet your needs.
Dispensing Accuracy
Precision technology for accurate
adhesive application.
ProBlue Legacy
Known for its robustness, longevity
& consistent reliability.
Connectivity
Easily communicate with parent
machines & other devices.
Seamless Integration
Easy physical integration & remote
operation for harmonious UX.
Industry-Leading Safety
Meets the highest safety standards.

We’re committed to staying connected

with our customers during this time.
For more information visit [Link]

FirstPerson_1020.indd 27 9/23/20 5:55 AM

 28 PW OCT2020
FIRST PERSON
Designed with
a Purpose® to design a more
manual filling
process. We used
our 3D printing
capabilities in our
own lab to come up
with product filling
jigs for the tablets. As
this concept evolves
we’ll continue to
optimize the filling
methods.

How does all of this fit in with Loop, the Tom Szaky-inspired program for reusable containers
that has caught the attention of so many leading Consumer Packaged Goods companies?
We have a separate group of products in the Loop platform. But for phase two of this concept
we’re exploring the possibilities of bringing refills into the picture. When the containers are
as robust and durable as they are, why wouldn’t you look into that possibility? We’re just not
there yet.

So how would you say this fits into your overall approach to packaging in general?
In our plastics journey, our packaging team has been focused on an approach we view in terms
of less plastic, better plastic, no plastic. Less plastic is downgauging, or concentrating product into
smaller bottles. Better plastic is using 100% PCR resin. Or it can be dropping in biopolymers where
necessary to supplement PCR, as we do with
some of our larger bottles where we couldn’t
Watch our Jumpstart meet technical requirements at 100% PCR. For
our 100-oz Laundry, we use 80% PCR HDPE
Your Day at
Live Demos PACK EXPO Connects
and use a 17% drop-in, recyclable bioHDPE
from Braskem, with the remaining 3% being
ProCore® Accumulation Solutions white colorant. This new line of products in
Kelly Murosky will describe tin-plate steel is our first step in the direction
Spirals & Vertical Conveyor Solutions 7th Generation’s experiences of zero plastic. We know we need to keep
with durable packaging and iterating and improving on what we’ve
Automation Solutions the Loop platform on Monday, launched, but we feel it’s the only direction to
Nov. 9th, at 9:00 a.m. CST take when we see how aggressively consumers
HydroCore® ~ Sanitary Conveyor
during PACK EXPO Connects’ are asking for these plastic-free alternatives.
Jumpstarts sessions. Visit This launch is just a first step in giving them a
[Link] choice, but we hope it’s one step in the right
direction as we begin to move the home care
products industry away from plastic.

Why so many product varieties in such an ambitious test?

A key goal of the proposition is to give consumers a plastic-free option across pretty much the
entire home care range. So we have laundry tablets, dishwasher tablets, a kitchen powder
cleaner, a bathroom powder cleaner, a toilet bowl foaming powder cleaner, and a lathering
hand soap powder.
Register at
[Link]/138 Where can a consumer find these products? And is there a way to talk about the relative
cost of this packaging?
The line is launching first through online retailer Grove Collaborative in a canister of 36
dishwasher or laundry tablets. The powders range from 10 to 14 oz depending on the product.
As for the canister’s cost to us, the short answer is it’s higher than plastic alternatives. But that’s
partly because we’re dealing with lower launch volumes than a traditional product launch. As
we continue to grow the proposition, that cost will come down close to parity. —Pat Reynolds

[Link]
844-293-2814

FirstPerson_1020.indd 28 9/23/20 5:55 AM 200721_S

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18:02
 30 PW OCT2020
THE LEGAL SIDE

By Eric F. Greenberg, Attorney-at-law

What do PFAS Actions

Tell us About State
Regulatory Officials?
Last month we looked at some recent FDA action against lative” and toxic or “very persistent and very bioaccumulative.”
perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances, aka PFAS, some of The clearinghouse expresses concern with the logic of having
which are used in grease-resistant coatings in paper and paperboard. persistent chemical substances in packaging whose use life is
Turns out, there’s a fair amount of state-level action as well. relatively short, if those substances present safety issues via
For one thing, the organization who brought us the model toxics packaging contact with food or other products, or complicate “[D]
law back in the 1990s that prohibited intentional use of four heavy isposal, recycling, composting, littering or incinerating the packaging
metals in packaging, is considering amending their model law to material” which can “release the substances into the environment.”
include PFAS and phthalates. The primary substantive concern with this proposed law is that it’s
The group is called the Toxics in Packaging Clearinghouse, and too broad, encompassing “all” perfluoros, which it calls “the class of
recently they sent out their draft amendments to the Toxics in fluorinated organic chemicals containing at least one fully fluorinated
Packaging Model Legislation for comments. If they finalize the model, carbon atom.” There seems to be agreement that some but not all
presumably numerous member states will make it law, similar to the PFAS raise safety or bioaccumulation concerns, so it would be best if
pattern seen with the quick adoption of the heavy metals restrictions, they were considered individually, but the draft law bans them all.
which are now law in 19 states. There are practical concerns as well, primarily the prospect of
But as they branch out from the limitation of heavy metals in differing states banning or placing differing requirements on a
packaging—relatively non-controversial and adopted quickly—to product or substance that is permitted elsewhere.
PFAS in packaging, there is reason to be concerned that these state That kind of non-uniformity is a concern if these are substances
officials might not be led by strong science about chemical safety, or used widely in packaging. It appears they are used by some
due concern with the practical effects of their actions. companies but others have already started looking for alternatives.
What they’re considering is expansion of the law’s applicability Remember that FDA’s actions against PFAS involved word from
from heavy metals to other substances in packaging if they think they industry that the substances had already been essentially abandoned.
pose a risk. They were inspired in part by actions that the states of What’s more, if the law requires there to be no detectable levels
Maine and Washington have already taken. The clearinghouse’s past of the substance, every company would have to test for it even if they
actions against heavy metals in packaging have become a fixture in don’t use it and never have, on top of the analytical ambiguities of a
packaging product stewardship considerations worldwide. vague concept such as “no detectable PFAS.”
The newer draft model law calls for the “Prohibition of sale or Another practical concern is with “alternatives.” So far, the draft
distribution of a package or packaging components containing PFAS.” model law doesn’t have a requirement that an alternative substance
After the law’s effectiveness date, “a manufacturer, supplier or dis- exist before a state can phase out a PFAS chemical, though it does for
tributor may not offer for sale or for promotional purposes a package heavy metals. The laws already passed in Washington and Maine talk
or packaging component to which PFAS has been intentionally intro- about banning the use of PFAS chemicals if the state finds safer alterna-
duced during manufacturing or distribution in any amount. There tives available. But what if those alternatives cost five times as much?
shall be no detectable PFAS in any package or packaging component.” Can we agree that it’s not appropriate to ban or restrict substances
There’s a further provision that says, with especial imprecision, or materials simply because they are similar or related to other sub-
that no material used to “replace a chemical regulated by this Act… stances? And before you answer, remember that the level of sophisti-
may be used in a quantity or manner that creates a hazard as great or cation of public debates over substances and materials is character-
greater than the hazard created by the [regulated chemical].” ized by many people thinking every “chemical” is a hellacious danger.
Beyond PFAS and phthalates, the criteria proposed for adding Word around the campfire from those I have spoken with is that
additional chemicals of high concern and therefore ripe for regulatory many suppliers are already exploring alternatives to PFAS because
limits are quite broad, and include, for example, those that credible they anticipate there will be more legal, or public perception,
scientific evidence has led a state government or authoritative govern- restraints on the way. In fact, by the time this state law is adopted,
mental entity to find it to be a carcinogen, a reproductive or develop- if it is, perhaps industry will have already moved on to alternative
mental toxicant, or an endocrine disruptor, or “persistent bioaccumu- substances. PW

Eric Greenberg can be reached at greenberg@[Link]. Or visit his firm’s Web site at [Link].
INFORMATIONAL ONLY, NOT LEGAL ADVICE.

LegalSide_1020.indd 30 9/22/20 6:10 AM

 12’6”

31’

LegalSide_1020.indd 31 9/22/20 6:10 AM

 32 PW OCT2020
THE BIG PICTURE

By Sterling Anthony, CPP, Contributing Editor

Packaging Pros
Need to Know Basics
of Product Liability
A packaged product is an integrated whole comprised of two defense strategy.
components: product and package. Product liability suits can target Product liability laws differ throughout the U.S. as to limitations
the packaging even when no claims are leveled against the associated and requirements. What the laws have in common, however, is
product. The rationale is that if the packaging is faulty the packaged the process known as discovery, through which the parties obtain
product is faulty. Product liability suits alleging personal injury caused information. That information can be about anything concerning the
by packaging vary as to industry, product, and circumstances. Such packaging, including conception, research & development, testing,
cases, nonetheless, are built on just a few principles. manufacturing, commercialization, distribution, and purchase and
Strict liability. If the package caused Plaintiff’s injury, liability is use by the consumer.
imposed, period. It’s not necessary for the Defendant to have done Packaging professionals might be accustomed to interacting
something wrong, nor to have otherwise been at fault. with the legal department (or outside counsel) regarding regulatory
Negligence. The Defendant owed Plaintiff a duty-of-care, that was compliance, for example. Interactions might be less frequent
not met, which caused personal injury. regarding product liability, limited to when the company is sued. But
Failure-to-warn. A product posed one or more hazards, such that prior to (and even in the absence of) product liability cases, the two
its safe use depended on adequate warnings, but the absence of such disciplines should cement an understanding of their mutual reliance.
warnings caused personal injury. Such can be achieved through meetings and presentations (attended
Breach-of-warranty. Any of three types of warranties were not by other disciplines, too), leading to policies and standard operating
honored. An expressed warranty is a guarantee conveyed in words procedures.
and text. An implied warranty of fitness guarantees a consumer’s Companies are known to take out product liability insurance, but
right to assume that a product is suited for its advertised purpose. An the premiums become more expensive the more often the policies
implied warranty of merchantability guarantees a consumer’s right to pay out, assuming that the insurance company doesn’t cancel. Even
assume that a product is not defective. so, insurance doesn’t cover all the possible damages that might result
Through one or more of the aforementioned principles, it will from being sued. An example is a suit that becomes so publicized
be alleged that the packaging rendered the product unreasonably that it hurts the Defendant’s reputation. As another example, a
dangerous and/or defective. Plaintiff can name as a Defendant any member(s) of the supply
Some products are dangerous by nature (e.g., poisons); however, chain (including the retailer), possibly damaging relationships among
unreasonably dangerous products are dangerous to a degree that members.
exceeds the knowledge and expectations of a typical consumer. Every year there will be new product liability cases alleging that
Defective products are so due to either design, manufacturing, the packaging was of a certain condition, the condition existed at
or marketing. A design defect is inherent in all items manufactured the time the product left the manufacturing site, the condition was
to that design; in other words, items made exactly to design are unchanged at the time of product purchase, the condition caused
nonetheless defective. A manufacturing defect is item-specific, the injury, and, if not for the condition, the injury would not have
meaning that it was not made to specification. A marketing defect is happened.
synonymous to failure-to-warn. Product liability is a risk of doing business and should be reflected
Packaging professionals automatically are stakeholders whenever in the company’s risk management/quality assurance planning.
a product liability case cites packaging. That’s because those cases To best position itself, a company needs to be ever-vigilant, always
allege (whether explicitly or implicitly) packaging-related errors of challenging its own beliefs and assumptions regarding the safety and
omission or commission, intention, or lack-of-foresight, dereliction, or fitness of its products. A company convinced of its own due diligence
something less-than. is vulnerable to blind spots.
Packaging is interdisciplinary, subject to the competing (and Fortunately, there are management tools available to best assure
sometimes conflicting) demands of other disciplines. That fact that product liability concerns are reflected in decision-making at all
notwithstanding, packaging professionals, by title or job description, phases of the life of the packaging. One such tool that’s growing in
are the persons who are most knowledgeable about the accused popularity, called Failure Mode and Effects Analysis (FMEA), will be the
packaging; therefore, they are valuable partners in their company’s topic of next month’s column. PW

BigPicture_1020.indd 32 9/23/20 6:11 AM

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 34 PW OCT2020
OMNICHANNEL ANSWERS

By Eric Hiser, Vice President of Standards & Certification, ISTA (International Safe Transit Association)

Five Considerations for

Preventing Product Damage
Prior to Launch
Preparing your package for its journey to entities concerned.
the end consumer involves many consider- These are going to vary significantly
ations. One of the critical considerations is depending on the product manufacturer’s will-
to verify that your packaging will perform as ingness to accept damage, but some example
designed and leaves the customer with the Product Damage Tolerance (PDT) definitions
desired brand impression. The verification of are no aesthetic damages, fully functional i.e.
performance involves testing the packaged TV turns on, scratches less than 0.5” in length
product to an industry-developed general and 0.125” in width are acceptable on the
simulation protocol. At times, this task can “bottom” side of the product. Additionally,
feel overwhelming, especially for those who Package Degradation Allowance (PDA) exam-
are entering into new markets or are finding ples are no punctures to the outer shipping
themselves engaging testing for the first time. container, tape or sealing method shall remain
To help prepare you for this important task intact, minor crushing of exterior shipping
and potentially ease those overwhelming container corners is acceptable, or packaging
feelings, ISTA would like to share five common system can provide further protection for the
pre-testing considerations. product upon completion of the testing.
1. Utilize the appropriate test. An 3. Use a Certified Laboratory. There are
important step in the selection and use several benefits to leveraging an ISTA-certified
of test protocols is the user’s familiarity laboratory, including their direct access to the
with their actual distribution environment. most current test protocols and confidence
Understanding the flow of packages—how that their equipment can conduct ISTA tests
they are shipped and handled and stored—is critical to test selection per requirements. There are nearly 600 ISTA-certified labs around the
and interpretation of results. Users should regularly observe package globe. The easiest way to find a lab that is near your location and/or
distribution, both in the manufacturer’s facility and outside of it in products is to use the ‘Find A Lab’ search tool on [Link]
warehouses, transportation facilities, vehicles, and customer locations. 4. Prepare for Testing. If you can’t bring the packaged-product
There are many established test protocols and ensuring you select to the test lab, then take precautions to overpackage your test sample
the correct one for your desired outcome is important. Absent of for shipment to the testing location. This will help ensure that the test
detailed knowledge of your distribution environment the test selection sample is free of any fatigue or damage prior to starting the testing.
matrix (above right) will assist in narrowing down the test options. 5. Do not save testing until the end of the development pro-
2. Define Success Criteria Prior to Conducting Testing. Before cess. The need for testing comes from the difficulty of predicting
testing begins, a determination must be made as to the definition what will happen in large-scale operations, coupled with the require-
of damage to products and packages. These are dependent upon ment to make decisions prior to implementation. Therefore, testing
the product, package, distribution system, market, customers, and can and should be done throughout the full design and development
other factors and can vary widely. Therefore, product damage and process. This starts with challenging early prototypes to simple and
allowable package degradation must be defined by the stakeholders quick tests that allow you to gain insights on the integrity of the
and interested parties (carrier, manufacturer, damage claim group, design(s). This also helps build confidence in a design and minimizes
retailer, and/or others). In most cases, the shipper/manufacturer is in the risk of discovering concerns directly leading into launch.
the best position to define product damage due to detailed familiarity While these considerations help provide a clearer understanding
with the product. Sometimes others may contribute to these deter- of how to tackle this critical design step, designing effective packaging
minations, including carriers and test lab personnel. But in any case, doesn’t end when testing is complete. In a follow up article planned for
definition and agreement should be reached cooperatively among all December 2020, we will outline five key post-testing considerations. PW

ISTA is a non-profit, member driven association for the packaging and logistics sectors. For over 70 years, ISTA has helped its members control costs,
damage, and resources during the distribution of packaged-products. ISTA’s members include product manufactures, carriers, suppliers,
testing laboratories and educational and research institutions.

ISTA_1020.indd 34 9/22/20 11:44 AM

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 36 PW OCT2020
SUSTAINABLE PACKAGING

By Anne Marie Mohan, Senior Editor

Insert Extends Avocado Shelf

Life By Two to Four Days
For the past decade, one top-of-mind to that specific crop. Says Mouat, “With Mission, we optimized
sustainability challenge has been the our product’s application for Hass avocados in supply chains with
reduction of food waste and the resulting adverse social, economic, different lengths and origins to have a truly flexible solution.”
and environmental impacts. From an environmental perspective, “in Before partnering with Hazel, Cortes says that Mission had
the U.S. alone, food distribution waste consumes about 6% of our total explored a number of post-harvest shelf-life solutions, but they were
energy budget and 24% of our fresh water, and generates somewhere challenging to integrate into the supply chain. “AvoLast is so easy
around 300 million metric tons of harmful emissions.” That’s according to use, it was a no-brainer in comparison,” he shares. “Mission will
to Aidan Mouat, CEO & Co-Founder of Hazel Technologies, a USDA- tailor the implementation of the packet depending on the supply
funded (it has received $1 million in grants thus far) agricultural chain and the customer’s end goal. That could mean at source, right
technology company that has partnered with Mission Produce to after packing all the way to treatment after ripening, right before we
introduce a shelf-life extension program for Hass avocados. deliver to the customer, and anywhere in-between.”
AvoLast Powered by Hazel® relies on a He adds that one box of fruit can be
quarter-sized biodegradable, food-safe sachet served by just one insert. While the number of
that blocks ethylene receptors, extending the avocados in a box depends on the fruit’s size,
ripe shelf life of an avocado by two to four he offers the example of a standard Mission
days. For more than a year, Hazel worked with box, which holds 70 “size 70” avocados (those
Mission Produce, the world’s largest supplier measuring from 4.75 to 6.25 oz), “meaning one
of avocados, to test, validate, and perfect insert can serve 70 pieces of fruit,” he explains.
its technology—Hazel® 1-MCP—throughout Typically, an avocado’s shelf life is eight days
Mission’s global supply chain. from the time it’s packed to when it begins to
According to Mission Produce Sr. Director ripen, the duration varying with seasonality.
for Business Development Patrick Cortes, the AvoLast by Hazel lengthens that time by two to
year-long development phase gave Mission four days. Reads a press release from Mission,
the opportunity to ensure the product worked “By increasing the shelf life of both hard and
and, even more so, that it made a significant difference in the fruit’s ripe Hass avocados, Mission’s retail and foodservice customers can
extended quality and shelf life. “Our research team felt it necessary to reduce throwaways, in turn increasing profit and minimizing inventory
test the Hazel 1-MCP product in various environments for a prolonged stress, while creating more positive consumer experiences that drive
period before exposing it to consumers,” he says. category growth. Above all, AvoLast can also reduce global food waste,
As Mouat explains, the basis for all of Hazel’s core technologies is an increasing environmental, ethical, and financial threat.”
the controlled release of active ingredients from solid materials. “We Adding to AvoLast’s sustainability story, the active ingredients
start with natural materials and modify them to become functional inside the insert are biodegradable, while the sachet material is a
for storing and time-releasing atmospheric active ingredients. The recyclable, food-grade Tyvek. “Many packaging products used in the
core innovation is the controlled release—we are not inventing new produce supply chain are not biodegradable and therefore have
types of active ingredients, but rather allowing a more dynamic a net negative impact on the supply chain,” Mouat says. “As the
deployment of industry-standard and food-safe active ingredients that world moves to find non-plastic methods of packaging food while
have been academically validated.” maintaining optimal shelf life, we believe our active biotechnology
The active ingredient used depends on the application, he will support suppliers as they seek to use more eco-friendly packaging
continues. “For crops like avocados and apples, the active ingredients types.” Another plus, Mouat adds, is that Hazel’s products are entirely
we use neutralize the effects of ethylene, a hormone that many fruits made in the U.S.—a rarity in the space in which it plays.
and vegetables release, which self-triggers continued ripening and
Watch a video of the partnership at [Link]/5720
eventually spoilage.”
Explains Cortes, “In order to extend the shelf life of an avocado, AvoLast Powered by Hazel was launched in July 2020. According
the fruit’s respiration rate must be slowed, and the insert does so by to Cortes, the number of inserts that will be used annually by Mission
conditioning the atmosphere in the box.” will depend on how many customers incorporate the product. “But if
Because different crops have entirely different respiration rates we estimate that 20% of Mission’s customers incorporate the insert,
and ethylene production levels, each Hazel product must be tailored we will use about 5 million packets per year.” PW

SustainablePkg_1020.indd 36 9/24/20 5:12 PM

SustainablePkg_1020.indd 37 9/24/20 5:13 PM
 38 PW OCT2020

Texas Brewer Upgrades

Bottling and Adds Cans
Installation of a canning line became a top priority as Altstadt Brewery opened new markets
in Houston and Dallas. Also getting some serious upgrades was an existing bottling line.
WHAT
YOU’LL Shrink sleeve label on cans Depalletize glass or aluminum
LEARN

By Pat Reynolds, VP Editor Emeritus

In the historic German settlement town of Fredericks-

burg, amid the rolling hill country of Texas, sits Altstadt
Brewery, a three-story German Tudor brewery, restaurant,
and entertainment center that occupies some 58,000 sq
ft. Co-founded by William Scripps Jr., part of the Cincin-
nati-based E.W. Scripps media empire, Altstadt produces
German style beers that are guided by the German beer
purity laws of 1516 and are brewed using only four in-
gredients: hops, barley, yeast, and artesian spring water.
When the brewery opened in 2018, its only packaging
format was glass bottles. But when the HEB supermarket
chain suggested that sales of Altstadt’s beer in its stores
would triple if cans were available, plans for a can line
were boosted from the back burner to “let’s do it right
now.” In charge of making it happen was Brien Harper,
Senior Consultant at J.S. Held LLC. Altstadt management
brought on J.S. Held to assist in building and operation-
alizing the ambitious expansion.
“A can line was always in the plans,” says Harper. “It
just happened about two and a half years sooner than
Alstadt originally anticipated.” He notes that in addition
to the increased production capacity needed to meet
HEB’s requirements, there were also plans to open up
new markets for cans in Dallas and Houston. That’s why
Altstadt, unlike other craft breweries that might opt for
modest canning capabilities at first just to get their feet
wet with a new packaging format, invested in a canning
line capable of 245 cans/min.
To make things even more interesting, it wasn’t just
the canning line that got fast-tracked. Also implemented
at about the same time were some serious automation

Near the end of the new canning line sits a tray

packer that receives six-count cartons from an
upstream cartoner and packs them into corrugated
trays four per tray.

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Altstadt_PW.indd 39 9/22/20 10:38 AM
 40 PW OCT2020

upgrades to the bottling line. All cans are undecorated bright stock. Full-body shrink-sleeve la-
But let’s begin with a look at the canning line. Predictably enough, bels supplied by Resource Label are applied by an Aurora labeler
it begins with a depalletizer. Supplied by Uni-Pak, it handles both cans from Axon. The mandrel-style machine uses servo motion control from
and bottles, so the brewery runs one container format or the other but Rockwell to deliver consistent, repeatable performance. A fiber optic
never both formats at once. A short distance downstream from the de- sensor reads film registration marks so the PLC can calculate cut lengths
palletizer is a fork in the conveyor connection—down one fork go the to assure sleeve length accuracy. The labeler also features industry-stan-
bottles and down the other go the
[Link] 1 cans.
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The labels are immediately shrunk tight in an Axon
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The model of choice when speed and greater label placement ionizer that pre-sanitizes the insides before the cans
accuracy are required. reach an ionized air rinser and a Domino ink-jet coder
that prints the bottom of each can with lot and date
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Altstadt_PW.indd 40 9/24/20 8:29 AM

 41

More Craft Brewing and Distilling Resources

Craft beer and craft spirits are two segments of the beverage automation, small-batch changeover, outsourcing and
market that have garnered significant attention in the last packaging considerations. Learn more from Craft Breweries
decade, attracting consumers to a product that is a specialty and Distilleries Machinery and Automation Trends, a 20-page
item steeped in the authenticity whitepaper from PMMI’s Business Intelligence. Download the
of its production methods. asset for free at [Link]/5430.2 PW
[Link] 7/21/20 10:26 AM
While at first
glance these
two markets
may appear to
diverge in both
needs and scale,
they are in fact
closely related.
Trusted by
Both are largely
consumer-driven,
and while they
the best.
are at different
stages of growth
and maturity, they share several overlapping
industry challenges and needs.
Common concerns amongst craft producers
include: space constraints, implementing CONNECTS

Following an accumulation table, multipacking in

paperboard cartons is next, and it’s done on a Brew-
pack 200 intermittent-motion cartoner from Switch- C

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return to the cartoner infeed lanes.

The Brewpack 200 cartoner picks flat blanks from
a magazine feed and erects them while also collating
cans into six-count groups that can be pushed into the
cartons. Flaps are automatically tucked and closed
with hot melt applied by a Nordson adhesive dispens-
ing system. The paperboard cartons get a date code
from a Domino ink-jet system.
At this point the six-count cartons of 12-oz beer Developed with over 50 years of Engineering know-how, our tough and
cans enter another Switchback machine, the TP-15 reliable labeling systems adapt seamlessly into any production line.
%DFNHGE\DIDFWRU\ZDUUDQW\DQGVXSSRUWHGE\WKHLQGXVWU\·VPRVW
Traypacker. It erects 2-in. tall corrugated trays from flat
knowledgeable Distributor Network, Label-Aire is the perfect choice for
blanks, pushes four six-count cartons into them, and
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closes up the flaps with hot melt glue applied, again,
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when Alstadt is running 16- or 19.2-oz cans, the Brew-
pack cartoner is bypassed and cans go directly into the
corrugated trays 12 per tray.

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Altstadt_PW.indd 41 9/24/20 8:29 AM

 42 PW OCT2020

CONNECTS

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The WMCE Case Erector (far left)

sends cases to the BCI Basket Carrier
Erector/Inserter on the right so that
the carriers can be inserted into the
cases. The servo-driven paperboard
carrier inserter (above) picks up four
carriers at a time and maintains control
throughout the process of inserting the
carriers into corrugated cases.

and can depalletizer, case conveyors, and

the TopTier palletizer. Van Zyverden pro-
vided Altstadt with turnkey installation that
included electric, line controls, sanitary
piping, and rigging.
Palletizing of trays and stretch wrapping of pallets are both per- One thing that was retained in the bottling line is the Leibinger bot-
formed on a palletizer from TopTier. A concurrent stretch wrapper, tle filler that got things started at Altstadt a few years ago. It’s capable
the TopTier machine is optimized for palletizing and wrapping loads as of speeds as high as 12,000 bottles/hr. But it never had a chance to run
the load is built, so loads are stabilized during the palletizing process. much past 6,000 bph because the operations upstream and downstream
Empty film rolls can be replaced in less than 30 seconds. And advanced of the Leibinger machine were not optimized or automated. Now that
film management technology developed by TopTier means that the rate they are, Altstadt is running 12-oz bottles at 8,000 bph and aims to reach
of film dispensed is accurately controlled by precise load cell feedback 11,000 as soon as some additional adjustments are finalized.
in combination with proprietary algorithms to assure load stability. As was mentioned earlier, the same Uni-Pak depalletizer used for
cans is what depalletizes glass bottles. Harper says it only takes about 30
Bottling line upgrade minutes to make a change from glass to cans or vice versa. The bottles
Now for the bottling line upgrade. Designed and integrated by Van run through a pressure-sensitive labeler from P.E. Labellers. It applies
Zyverden, Inc., that firm determined that the most economical way to paper labels supplied by Resource Label. Next is a laser coder from
increase the speed of the bottling line and include the new canning line Domino that puts lot and date code information on the bottle.
was to combine the two. This allowed both lines to fit in the new pack- The bottles run single file into the Leibinger rinser/filler/crowner. A
aging hall and share some container conveyors, a combination bottle Filtec inspection unit kicks out any bottles with improper fill levels and

Altstadt_PW.indd 42 9/22/20 7:57 PM

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Altstadt_PW.indd 43 9/22/20 10:49 AM

 44 PW OCT2020

Shown here is the decline conveyor on

Altstadt’s upgraded bottling line that takes
cases filled with six-pack paperboard carriers
from the overhead mezzanine level down to the
case packer on the main floor.

equipment because carriers are opened upright and

inserted into the case on one compact system. Six-
pack paperboard carriers are erected and transport-
ed onboard to the inserter section. The servo-driven
inserter head picks up four carriers (two per side)
at a time and maintains control throughout the in-
sertion process. The use of servo-controlled motion
on the BCI enables it to achieve the speeds needed
while bringing greater repeatability, better manage-
then comes case packing on a system from Climax Packaging Machin- ment of paper quality and variability, and ease of maintenance.
ery. Feeding this machine from a mezzanine level above are a pair of The cases then slide down a conveyor connection to the main floor
machines from Wayne Automation. Both offer reliability and ease-of- and the Climax case packer, which fills two 24-count cases per cycle.
operation features to help make the automation upgrades a smooth Then the filled cases enter a Wayne WTS Case sealer that closes the top
transition for the bottling line. flaps and glues them shut. Mounted near the case sealer is an ink-jet
The first of these mezzanine-level Wayne machines is a WMCE Ver- date coder from Domino.
tical Case Erector. It’s an all-mechanical-motion system that erects Now that the dust has begun to settle after the recent flurry of instal-
corrugated cases and hot melt glues the bottoms. The highly reliable lation and upgrade activity, Harper looks forward to rolling out the new
upright case discharge simplifies conveyance to the next Wayne ma- cans. “We’ll hit Dallas first and then HEB, which could involve up to 250
chine, the BCI Basket Carrier Erector/Inserter. The BCI outshines similar stores,” he adds. PW

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Altstadt_PW.indd 44 9/22/20 10:50 AM
s

[Link] AM
Altstadt_PW.indd 45 9/22/20 10:52 AM
 46 PW OCT2020

Smooth New Case

Packing at Fisher Nuts
Secondary packaging on this new line includes the latest in case erecting, loading,
and closing. The machines also accept three very different case styles
all formed from one flat blank.
WHAT
YOU’LL Handling multiple formats Quick changeover
LEARN

Pat Reynolds, VP Editor Emeritus

Sheltering at home, pantry-stocking, and baking are all the rage since This is by no means Fisher Nuts’ first experience with Delkor. In fact
COVID-19 reared its ugly head. One consequence has been that demand the firm was an early adopter of Delkor’s Cabrio Case® in 2016. Today
for snacking and baking products like those sold by Fisher Nuts has in- Fisher Nuts has eight Delkor packaging lines, all running the Cabrio Case
creased considerably. That led the firm to install a whole new packaging format for their Retail Ready Packaging (RRP) needs.
line in its Elgin, Ill., headquarters facility to keep up with the increased “Delkor did a fantastic job of taking their Cabrio Case concept direct-
demand, which had been building even before the pandemic. ly to the big retailers, who are our customers, and generating interest
Secondary packaging is executed on equipment supplied by Delkor. there,” says John Schafer, Vice President of Engineering at Fisher Nuts.

From Cabrio Case to stackable club store to regular brown kraft corrugated shipper, the end-of-line equipment in Fisher Nuts’ new line
handles it all. Behind the cases is the LSP-100 robotic case loader. Inset shows a closeup of the Cabrio Case (Patented & Pats. Pending).

[Link] 46 9/22/20 10:55 AM

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[Link] 47 9/22/20 10:55 AM

 48 PW OCT2020

“By getting the big retailers excited about Cabrio Case, and providing not like we were forced into the Cabrio Case format because there are
free use of this innovative case design on their case packers, Delkor certainly other Retail Ready Packaging options out there, but they made
created a situation where Cabrio Case was rapidly pulled into the mar- it a whole lot easier for us to lean in Delkor’s direction because they had
ketplace, so we didn’t have to sell it to our customers much at all. It’s already done all that difficult leg work with the Walmarts of the world.
In addition, the Cabrio Case was more cost effec-
tive and provided great shelf appearance for the
Fisher Nuts brand.”
The idea with this new line was to provide
Fisher Nuts with a case packing line that could
accomplish the following:
• accept all 40 of their different nut mix com-
binations
• handle each of 14 different primary package
sizes—6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 10.25, 11, 12, 14, 16, 22,
and 23-oz
• package not just the retail-ready Cabrio Case
mentioned above but also the other two cor-
rugated shipper formats required by today’s
retailers: a conventional brown kraft shipping
case and a stackable club store case (see photo
on page 46 for examples of each)
Shown here are freshly erected • perform the above tasks yet require no more
Cabrio Cases entering the than 8 min for the packaging line—case erec-
robotic case packer. tor, robotic loader, case sealer—to change
from one case style to another

WE ARE LABELING.

UÊ7À`½ÃÊLiÃÌÊÌ>LiÌ«Ê>Li}ÊÃÞÃÌi
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UÊ>LiÊÕ«ÊÌÊn]äääÊ«À`ÕVÌÃÊ«iÀÊ`>Þ
UÊ->iÊ`>ÞÊë«}

Call 1-877-236-0266 or see videos of our machines in action and more at [Link]

[Link] 48 9/22/20 11:32 AM

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 50 PW OCT2020

All of these goals are accomplished by three Delkor machines, which with this upstream configuration of primary packaging systems is some
we’ll explore in more detail shortly. The upstream machines feeding unique product mixing equipment that makes Schafer reluctant to talk
them include a 24-head combination scale from Ishida that sits above about primary packaging in any real detail. “It’s not like we’re building
a K260 vertical form/fill/seal machine from KHS. Integrated with the the space shuttle over here, but the front end of this line is pretty spe-
bagger is a film splicing machine from Butler Automatic that, says cial so I think we’ll keep that to ourselves,” says Schafer.
Schafer, greatly reduces downtime caused by the need to feed in a new One thing that he does say about the bagging machine is that it has
roll of flexible packaging film when it’s called for. Also tightly integrated on it two date coders. One is a thermal-transfer system from Videojet
and the other is a Hitachi ink-jet unit. “We print black
with the thermal transfer, but if we need to do white
ink, we find the ink-jet works best,” says Schafer.
He also notes that in some cases it’s not Fisher
Nuts who specifies the flexible film on which the date
coding must be done, let alone whether the graphics
on that film require black or white ink. “In addition
to our own brand we’re contract packagers, so we do
what the market demands,” notes Schafer. “I’d say
something like 65 to 70 percent of our business is con-
tract packaging. That’s also the reason why we need
to be able to send 14 different bag varieties into the
secondary packaging equipment and why we need to
complete a changeover on that equipment in less than
eight minutes.”

Adjustable case forming cavity

Filled pouches drop out of the KHS bagger and pass
over an Ishida checkweigher on their way to the Delkor
LSP-100 case packer. That machine is fed by the Delkor
Trayfecta® G-Series Case Erector. This is Fisher Nuts’
first implementation of a Trayfecta erector equipped
with Delkor’s adjustable forming cavity.
The adjustable cavity, a new (patent pending) fea-
ture for the Trayfecta case erector, enables multiple
formats and sizes to run on a single cavity. This feature
enables the erector to transition among the three case
styles in just 3 min.
“Since our engineering team developed this adjust-
able forming cavity design in 2019 we have installed
about fifty Trayfecta G case erectors with this capabil-
ity,” says Rick Gessler, Delkor’s Vice President of Engi-
neering. “Our customers have had such success with
this development that it has become the new stan-
dard. This feature enables a 3-minute changeover, is
highly tolerant of warped corrugated, and the dynam-
ic compression provides perfectly square cases.”
No one appreciates these optimally squared-up
cases more than Shafer. “We’ve had some experience
over the years with failed glue joints,” he says. “After
all, it’s corrugated, and sometimes it can get a little
wonky on us, which can lead to having trouble with
those glue joints. With this system we get more com-
pression on those joints so we can tolerate board that
is less than ideal.”
Applying the hot melt adhesive that makes those
glue joints is a Nordson ProBlue hot melt adhesive sys-
tem. As for the Trayfecta’s controls platform, it features

[Link] 50 9/22/20 11:35 AM

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[Link] 51 9/22/20 11:37 AM

 52 PW OCT2020

5-axis servo control, Compact Logix PLC,

and Panelview HMI—all from Rockwell.
The case closer handles
The Trayfecta G-Series offers recipe-driven
all three case styles at
changeover that minimizes the number of
speeds to 60 cases/min.
manual adjustments involved.
Fisher on its new line produces 5 Cab-
rio Case sizes for retail ready display, two
standard top-load shipping cases, and
one stackable club store tray. With each
shipper style on this new line the case is
formed from a flat corrugated blank to
minimize corrugated usage and reduce
shipper cost. For example, Gessler says
that by replacing the traditional Regular
Slotted Carton (RSC), which includes a
manufacturers joint, savings on corrugat-
ed are in the range of 15%. He estimates a
20 to 30% savings on the Cabrio Case com-
pared to a tray/hood shelf-ready format.
Some additional aspects of the Cabrio Case are worth noting. The Robotic case packing
display front can be tailored to best complement the product being Erected cases discharge from the Trayfecta case former and are con-
displayed, and the size can be optimized to meet shelf-facing require- veyed a short distance to the Delkor LSP-100 case packer. Also conveyed
ments. “In addition, the case design is provided free of charge with the on a path parallel to the cases are freshly filled bags of product. The
purchase of Delkor equipment, with no obligations to buy your corru- LSP-100 is equipped with two Fanuc M-10 six-axis vision-based robots
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 54 PW OCT2020

Watch a video of Fisher Nuts’ new packaging line at: [Link]/5745

Closely connected to the robotic case packer is the Trayfecta case erector, which now features an adjustable forming cavity (Pat. Pending).

system eliminates the need for collation chains, pushers, and buckets Gessler points out that in some cases, such as when loading club
commonly associated with case packers, thus greatly reducing the num- store display trays, it’s beneficial for primary packages to be loaded in
ber of, or need for, change parts. Each robot uses a vacuum end-of-arm a vertical orientation. While some makers of case packers rely on sheet
tool to pick bags one at a time and place them into cases. The robots are metal buckets and a tipping mechanism to bring this about, the LSP-
programmed to share the loading of incoming products, and cases are 100 relies on a push-button tilt-index button on the HMI that the op-
moved between load positions with a high-speed case-feeding system. erator can select if needed. This automatically causes the conveyor on
This case-feeding system, Gessler notes, is important for CPGs that are which the erected cases are carried to tilt at a 45-deg angle. At the same
supplying their product in low case counts for e-commerce. “We can time, the robotic end-of-arm tooling tilts at a 45-deg angle just before
easily feed through cases at a rate needed for two-packs,” adds Gessler. putting its bag into the case. The net result is that when those cases exit
the case packer, bags are oriented vertically. Go to [Link]/5744 for a
video showing the conveyor tilting function:
Jumpstart End-of-arm tooling is typically produced on one of four 3D printers
that Delkor operates. “We run anything from standard 3D printed nylon
Your Day at PACK EXPO Connects to carbon fiber-impregnated materials,” says Gessler. “It lets us get really
low-mass tools with high strength, which in turn helps to maximize the
Interested in robotic case packing equipment like speed at which the robots can operate.”
those featured here? Jumpstart your day at PACK All that remains at this point is for the filled cases to be closed. This
EXPO Connects with a segment devoted to the is performed by Delkor’s Capstone F350 case sealer. Like the Trayfecta
robotic revolution on Wednesday, Nov. 11th at 9:00 G-Series, it is able to close all three of the case formats, and it does so
a.m. Central, to charge up ahead of a full day of at speeds up to 60 cases/min. And once again it uses a Nordson unit to
product demos, innovative educational sessions, apply the adhesive.
and more. Visit [Link] Schafer says that a final piece of equipment involved is a pressure-
sensitive labeler from Multi-Color Corp. that puts a pre-printed label
on each case for lot and date code information. “Currently,” he adds,
“we palletize and stretch wrap manually.”
The bags going into Cabrio Cases are loaded flat and shipped flat. One last observation by Shafer is in regard to how much he appre-
“This means they level out nicely instead of product all settling at the ciates the modularity of the most recent Delkor systems compared to
bottom like it would if they went through distribution standing up verti- some earlier machines installed at Fisher Nuts. “You can bend and twist
cally,” says Shafer. “And then, when you open the case in the store and and curve the connecting conveyors much more readily with this modu-
pull that hood off, each bag lines up vertically and looks just right.” lar approach and make things fit your space better,” says Schafer. PW

[Link] 54 9/22/20 4:59 PM

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 56 PW OCT2020

Small Batch Skin- and

Haircare Line Offers Glass
Packaging on a Budget
After making the switch from a career in occupational therapy, a former hand specialist
offers a variety of personal care products with cruelty-free, natural ingredients
in recyclable packaging.
WHAT
YOU’LL Glass in the e-comm channel Advantages of local suppliers
LEARN

By Keren Sookne, Director of Editorial Content, Healthcare Packaging Magazine

Natural skin- and haircare company Scrubtious Inc. is remaining agile a thriving range of facial serums, beard oils, hair/scalp products, pain
during the pandemic. Founder Shannon Clark has been producing nat- salves, and more.
ural skincare products since 2008, when she began blending moisture- “My goal is to get natural products out to people, with ingredients
rich oils and soaps for her then one-year-old nephew whom suffered you can pronounce,” says Clark, adding that every product she sells is
from a severe case of eczema. edible (though not advisable), without questionable chemicals, para-
Clark’s Compton, Ca.-based apothecary has expanded from the origi- bens, or sulfates. Scrubtious touts some vegan products and some with
nal “Huggy Bear’s Butter” body butter—named after her nephew—to hemp oil—all are cruelty-free.

Clark switched from glass to plastic two years ago, and though the extra weight was an adjustment with shipping, she says consumers
enjoy the premium feel and the product benefits from higher quality and longer shelf life.

Scrubtious_EmergingBrandsFtr.indd 56 9/25/20 6:20 AM

Scrubtious_EmergingBrandsFtr.indd 57 9/25/20 6:21 AM
 58 PW OCT2020

What began as a side hobby for Clark, an occupational therapist for

13 years, grew into a full-time career. The company has temporarily
Jumpstart
pivoted away from brick-and-mortar to its longstanding e-commerce Your Day at PACK EXPO Connects
channels. “We did have a brick and mortar store in Long Beach prior
to COVID-19, but we recently Interested in emerging brands like the one featured
closed. Once we’re able to get here? Jumpstart your day at PACK EXPO Connects
back, we’ll have another store- with a segment devoted to how emerging brands
front to sell the product… cur- tackle packaging for scale on Friday, Nov. 13th at
rently we’re busy with online 9:00 a.m. Central, to charge up ahead of a full day
sales in our Etsy shop and on of product demos, innovative educational sessions,
our website.” and more. Visit [Link]

Packaging
considerations
Whenever possible, Clark Scrubtious selected SKS Bottle & Packaging and Berlin Packag-
uses glass packaging, especial- ing glass bottles. “SKS Packaging is an eco-friendly company that offers
ly for oil-based products. “It’s paperboard-based packaging, glass, and BPA-free plastic. We switched
Scrubtious Inc. founder Shannon non-porous so it makes prod- from plastic to glass two years ago. It was a bit of a switch dealing with
Clark has been producing natural ucts last a bit longer,” she says, the extra weight in shipping, but it did make a major difference in the
skincare products since 2008. and offers a high-quality feel. quality of the product. Things didn’t expire as quickly and customers
“We also prefer glass because were happy to receive a glass bottle.”
it’s recyclable and reusable. We have a promotion that if customers uti- Products come in a plethora of package configurations and sizes, in-
lize at least three products and recycle their bottles with us, they can cluding jars (in clear, black and amber), 2- and 3-oz amber glass bottles
receive a product for free.” This is not only a valuable for sustainability with eye droppers or sprayers, clear frosted bottles with pumps, and
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Scrubtious_EmergingBrandsFtr.indd 58 9/25/20 6:21 AM

 59

The Scrubtious branding has remained the same, with labels mainly Prior to COVID-19, formulation and filling also took place at the
in black, gold, and silver. Says Clark, “We want people to feel they have brick and mortar location. “We’re pretty compact now that we’ve moved
a bit of luxury at a budget cost.” from brick and mortar into a smaller facility for inventory and opera-
Packaging liquids and oils for e-commerce comes with extra consider- tions for now. Hopefully once all this is clear, we can get back into a
ations. “We use a double-stick sticker after we’ve sealed everything and we bigger facility.” Clark says there is a silver lining in the smaller location.
heat-wrap all of our bottles with plastic. Once it’s in the shipping environ- “It’s helped us to be a bit more efficient with being in such a small space
ment, the packages bounce around. Temperatures are high in summer. because we have to.” PW
Things loosen up if you don’t put a seal on them, so we
add a sticker seal on most products so they don’t leak.”

Beginnings of automation
As an emerging brand, all of Scrubtious products

PERFECT
have been produced in small batches and filled manu-
ally at the apothecary. “We’ve added an automated
hand pump for pumping oils into jars, just to make it
easier since we have larger inventory now. We used to be
THE

BOTTLE FOR YOUR LINE

hand-poured for a lot of our oils, but once we got a little
bit bigger, we chose a Sumeve manual filling machine.”
Sealing and heat shrink wrap are applied manually.

Facial serums
are available in
2- and 3-oz amber
glass bottles with
droppers or sprayers.

Changes due to COVID-19

Beyond the temporary switch to all e-commerce,
Scrubtious made changes once the pandemic hit. “We
STARTS WITH THE
were using an overseas label supplier prior to the PERFECT DESIGN.
COVID situation, so we switched to a U.S.-based com-
pany. Since we had this change, it did make us look at
more domestic sourcing and distribution. We all try to A SPECIAL SERVICE FROM

find a cheaper way of getting products—sourcing from

other countries—but now that this happened it’s kind
of pushed us to shop locally.” Your KHS Bottles & Shapes service provides
Clark updated her company’s sanitization for dis- you with support from the initial design to
infecting bottles and cleansing them prior to ship out.
VJGƂPKUJGFRCEMCIGFDQVVNG
“We purchased an autoclave because I wanted to be
sure products were disinfected,” notes Clark. 1WT$QVVNGU5JCRGURTQITCORQQNUQWTWPKSWGYGCNVJQH2'6GZRGTVKUGHQT[QWTDGPGƂV9JGVJGTHQTVJG
FGXGNQROGPVQHPGY2'6DQVVNGUQTVJGQRVKOK\CVKQPQHGZKUVKPIQPGUYGCTGJGTGVQJGNR[QWTKIJVHTQO
VJGXGT[UVCTVsHTQOFGUKIPVJTQWIJGPIKPGGTKPICPFVGUVKPIVQVJGRGTHGEVUGEQPFCT[RCEMCIKPI#PFQH
EQWTUGYGCNYC[UDGCTKPOKPFVJGGHƂEKGPE[QH[QWTEQORNGVGNKPG+PVGTGUVGF! MJUEQODQVVNGUUJCRGU

Scrubtious_EmergingBrandsFtr.indd 59 9/25/20 6:22 AM

 60 PW OCT2020

Two-phase Upgrade
at Ferrara Candy
After four scale/bagger systems produced welcome results on primary packaging efficiency,
some impressively versatile and compact case packers were added to the mix.
WHAT
YOU’LL Case packing versatility ‘Fines removal’
LEARN

Pat Reynolds, VP Editor Emeritus

Chicago-based Ferrara Candy Co., a company related to Ferrero Group, Phase two addressed secondary packaging. Four Somic automatic
recently completed a two-phase upgrade of the packaging operations case packers were installed as well as four Ryson spiral conveyors that
for two of its best-selling candies: Trolli Sour Brite Worms and Black take finished cases back up to the mezzanine level and then to palletizing.
Forest Gummy Bears. The new equipment went into the firm’s facility Prior to these upgrades, the confectionery products made in Bell-
in the Chicago suburb of Bellwood. wood were bulk packed and shipped to a Ferrara facility in a nearby
Chicago suburb for primary and secondary
packaging. Lack of space in the Bellwood
plant was the key driver behind this bulk-
pack-and-transfer arrangement. But eventu-
ally the Ferrara operations team saw an op-
portunity to increase efficiency. Perhaps even
more important, the team was able to identify
automated packaging equipment that would
fit where it needed to fit in the Bellwood plant
once some modest reconfiguring, involving
the removal of a wall, had been completed.
Ferrara Project Engineer Rafal Nagorzanski
says each of the four Somic 424 T2D case pack-
ers runs at 23 to 25 cases/min. He emphasizes
how important it was that both the primary
and secondary packaging equipment selected
be capable of keeping up with the upstream
candy-making system, which produces 127 lb
of Trolli Sour Brite Worms every minute. But
he also points out that the footprint of the
case packers was of paramount importance.
“We evaluated a number of case packing
systems, and what we found was that some
Shown here is one of four case packers that receive bags (lower left) and then discharge have a pretty sizeable footprint,” says Nago-
finished cases (lower right) into a spiral conveyor takeaway. rzanski. “We did not have the space for that.
What Somic has been able to do is condense
Phase one in 2018 consisted of the installation of four Multipond things so that multiple functions take place in a very tight space. Con-
MP-22-1000/400-H combination weighers each paired with a Smart- sequently, you don’t need much floor space to fit their machines in.”
Packer CX250 low-drop vertical form/fill/seal bagger from GEA. Also One additional requirement that the Ferrara team had is format
essential was the installation of hundreds of feet of mezzanine-level flexibility. “In addition to conventional wraparound cases, we also do
conveyor connections from Dorner that take the freshly made candy two other formats,” says Nagorzanski. The formats he refers to are both
out to the four weighers. Retail-Ready Packages (RRP), and there are two varieties. One is a tear-

[Link] 60 9/22/20 12:00 PM

 61

The combination scale (left) is notable

for a “fines removal” system that
minimizes the amount of unsightly
sugar that would otherwise collect in
the bottom of each bag of product.

Each of the four wraparound case

packers feeds a spiral conveyor that
takes cases to an overhead level and
on to palletizing (below).

apart wraparound case, with perforations, that

turns into a Retail-Ready Package in the store.
No tools are needed by store personnel. They just
break the perforations along the sides and pull
off the top.
The other RRP produced at Ferrara is a two-
part tray-plus-lid format, and the tray is a brightly
decorated paperboard. Any one of the four case
packers could be called upon to produce this two-
part format. That’s why all of the case packers
are equipped with a second magazine feed from
which corrugated lids can be picked. According
to Somic’s Peter Fox, this tray-plus-lid format has
some rather noteworthy features.
“Most notable is the way we tuck the corru-
gated cover inside the paperboard tray,” says Fox.
“We then glue that tab to the inside of the pa-
perboard tray so that there’s no adhesive to spoil
the graphics on the outside of the tray. Also, the
person in the store can easily push their thumbs
into the two thumb holes on opposite sides to
break the adhesive bond and easily pull the corrugated cover off. It’s tray, and tray cover designs. That collaborative element was a big part
much easier than the tear-apart wraparound case with perfs.” of what made this installation such a winner.”
According to Fox, it’s largely because Somic embraced servo technol-
‘Great solution’ ogy and mechatronics so long ago—and then continued to optimize
“These case packers proved to be a great solution,” says Nagorzanski. their deployment of these technologies—that the firm is able to design
Director of Project Engineering Jim Tandy adds this: “When Somic made machines having a small footprint, impressive speeds, and the ability to
a presentation to our marketing team, that’s when the Somic machines handle multiple case formats. The machines at Ferrara, he notes, use
became the leading candidates, because our marketing team had never Schneider controls, including PacDrive-3 for motion control.
seen equipment capable of handling so many formats at such speeds in “We’ll use other controls technology if a customer requires it, but
such a small footprint. We worked very closely with Somic on the case, our standard is Schneider,” says Fox. “It’s very decentralized, which

[Link] 61 9/22/20 12:00 PM

 62 PW OCT2020

means, for example, that our electrical enclosure can be very small be- The other impressive characteristic of Somic’s equipment is the re-
cause there are no drives housed in that enclosure. The drives are all sponse time. “It’s all the more critical when you’re combining all these
integrated out on the servo motors wherever they are on the machine. functions together,” says Fox. “If you’re going to layer all these different
In this case that’s something like 40 servo motors. With servo motor functional groups on top of one another, everything has to be precise
and drive in one form factor, you greatly reduce the amount of cabling and fast when it comes to sending and receiving signals.”
needed going in and out of the electrical enclosure. It also simplifies Also from Schneider is the case packer’s industrial PC. “That’s where
troubleshooting.” we store all our format recipes and case parameters, and it’s where
operators interface with the machine,” says Fox. “You
don’t have to go into the PLC ever on our machine.
That’s all done through the HMI. No plugging a laptop
into the controls cabinet.”

In addition to conventional wraparound cases and

a tear-apart wraparound case with perforations,
each case packer can also produce this retail-
ready paperboard tray-plus-lid format.

At least one, and oftentimes all four, of the lines

are in production practically 24/7—except, of course,
during scheduled maintenance and sanitation. All
four lines—each consisting of a combination scale
over a vertical f/f/s bagger, a case packer, and a spiral
takeaway conveyor—receive candy directly from the
cooler that is the last piece of processing equipment.
A bucket conveyor from Deamco brings product from
Wexxar Bel’s Semi-Automatic Form, the ground-floor discharge of the cooling unit up to
Pack and Seal Systems allow 1 oper- the mezzanine level. Eventually the product reaches
an impressively efficient array of Dorner belt convey-
ator to do the work of 3 people
ors that split the flow of product twice. This is how the
more quickly, effectively and effi- product eventually reaches the vibratory infeed con-
ciently. Manual hand-pack lines veyors of the four Multipond combination weighers.
without the use of machines can For a good look at how product flows, be sure to see
video at [Link]/5742.
be deceptively expensive with the abundant amount of people, space
and time required. With the use of a BEL semi-automatic packaging ‘Fines removal’
solution, an operator can create perfectly formed and sealed cases Primary packs produced on the line can range from
without error, resulting in less wastage and superior product protection. 4 to 8 oz. On the day of our visit, the primary pack in
production on all four baggers was an 8-oz bag of Trolli
Sour Brite Crawlers, and all four case packers were set
up for the same case format: a 12-count wraparound
Wexxar@[Link] 1.888.565.3219 corrugated. We’ll focus here on just one of the four

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[Link] 62 9/22/20 12:02 PM

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 64 PW OCT2020

of sorts (this can be seen clearly in the top left photo on page 61). The
contents of the trough are constantly removed by vacuum. This greatly
minimizes the amount of fines that are able to make it into the scales
below or, ultimately, into the bags.
“Ferrara has had a long relationship with Multipond,” says Tandy,
“and they have demonstrated that they are the best when it comes to
handling the gummies and sticky kinds of products that we produce.
Their fines removal technology is definitely one of the things that
makes them stand out.”
As bags are formed and filled on the GEA bagger, they pass a
Markem-Imaje ink-jet coder for imprinting of date codes. The bags
then drop onto the belt conveyor that is the first component of the
Somic case packer. It includes a product conditioner that vibrates and
applies top-load compression to smooth out each bag and keep product
from clumping in the bottom. “If this clumping is allowed,” says Fox,
“you need to oversize your case to account for the ‘thicker’ bag.”
A belt conveyor drops candy into a diverter bucket that swings Just ahead of the actual case packer infeed, bags pass through a
back and forth to feed belt conveyors that run in opposite Mettler Toledo metal detector and an Ishida checkweigher. Then a
directions, each feeding a pair of baggers. servo-driven smart belt feeds bags with the proper spacing onto an
independent servo-driven pivot belt that pivots up slightly as it drops
lines, beginning with the Multipond 22-head weigher. Like all such ma- bags into one pocket of a two-pocket collation device. Then, once the
chines, it uses load cells to weigh product and then picks the best com- collator indexes slightly at a right angle so that its second pocket can be
bination of weighments to drop into the bagger below. But one rather filled, the pivot belt returns down to its start position and again pivots
unique feature offered by Multipond is what’s called “fines removal.” in an upward direction as it neatly stacks another six bags into the sec-
Fines are the fine-grained substances that occur during the manu- ond pocket. Once the collation device has all 12 bags, it strokes a short
facturing and processing of products including not only confectionery distance perpendicular from the direction of the pivot belt to a position
but also sugared gum sweets, salted crackers, and nuts. If too much of from which two overhead paddles take turns sweeping 12 bags at a time
this substance makes its way into the bag, the package simply doesn’t at another right angle onto a flat corrugated blank that has been picked
look as attractive. Also, fines can sometimes interfere with seal integrity from the magazine feed by vacuum cups.
if they interfere with the heat-seal jaws that need to close as cleanly as
possible on the flexible film. Bag orientation varies
Multipond’s machine removes fines through a unique patented de- It’s important to note that for the conventional wraparound case,
sign. Product is vibrated from the center cone and down into the 22 bags simply lie flat as they are fed onto the corrugated blank. But when
vibratory cross-head feeders. Each feeder has a very small slit cut into it. either of the Retail-Ready Packages are in production, specialized tool-
The product pieces are much too big to pass through these slits, but the ing is used to first tilt the bags into a standing position before they’re
fines slide right through and into a funnel that leads to a circular trough pushed onto the flat blank.

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 66 PW OCT2020

Confectionery Trends
According to Trends and Advances in Food Packaging and
Processing, a 2019 report by PMMI Business Intelligence,
candy and confectionery hold a 5.1% share of the nine food
categories, but face headwinds like increasing cocoa prices
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One other design detail Fox points out is the “forming cassette”
that positions itself around the bags the instant they’re in place on the
flat corrugated blank. The single-wall B-flute corrugated (or the 30-pt
SUS in the case of the tray-plus-lid format), is thus formed around
this sturdy steel frame rather than around the comparatively shapeless
bags themselves. This produces a much sturdier case. It’s while the
corrugated is being pushed against the forming cassette when the hot
melt adhesive, applied by a Nordson Pro Blue Liberty 14 unit, sets up.
Then a hold-down device comes down and holds down the bags while
the forming cassette is extracted.

Shown here are hot melt adhesive dispensers that are part of
the wraparound case packers.

At this point the container is indexed at a right angle to a station

where Nordson-applied hot melt adhesive is applied to the top flap
and the case can be closed. Or, in the case of the paperboard tray-plus-
lid format, a corrugated top is picked from a secondary magazine feed
and placed over the tray.
All that remains is finished case discharge around a turn, a Markem-
Imaje coder that ink jets the date code information, and an Ishida
checkweigher. Then cases enter a roller conveyor that takes them to a
spiral conveyor from Ryson leading to an overhead conveyor and even-
tually to palletizing. So far, palletizing is done manually, as once again
space constraints make it difficult to fit an automated system in. But
considering how efficiently the Ferrara team found a way automate
case packing in a tight space, it’s possible this could also change before
too terribly long. PW

[Link] 66 9/22/20 12:07 PM

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 68 PW OCT2020

Sophisticated Coding
and Marking of Mangoes
Ensures Traceability
This Mexican leader in the export of fresh mangoes has automated the traceability process
in its secondary packaging, and made it profitable, by integrating the latest generation
printing equipment with automatic data collection.
WHAT
YOU’LL Ready for retailers’ requirements International coding, marking, track and trace
LEARN

Lilián Robayo, Editor, Mundo PMMI, and Media Director for Latin America

In a company like the Cultivares Group’s Fruta-Exporta, where fresh gated shippers in which the mangoes are packed, and the varied infor-
mangoes are the only products, one could think that packaging, mark- mation requirements printed on the packages regarding batches, dates,
ing, and traceability operations are simple, thus they experience few barcodes, and other data necessary for their shipping and marketing.
setbacks. But the complex demands of international traceability stan- Fruta-Exporta is a second-generation family business that currently
dards—which precede the fruits’ harvest—are evident when looking at holds a 15% share of total exports of fresh Mexican mangoes to the U.S.,
the set of variables involved throughout the chain: five varieties pro- with annual sales of more than 6.5 million boxes, as well as customers in
duced, different sizes and weights, about 20 types of different corru- the European, Japanese, Korean, Australian, and New Zealand markets.

Fruta-Exporta
is a second-
generation family
business that
currently holds
a 15% share of
total exports of
fresh Mexican
mangoes to the
United States,
with annual
sales of more
than 6.5 million
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[Link] 68 9/23/20 1:36 PM

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Traditionally, marking and traceability operations for their products’ in the Municipality of Rosario, Sinaloa, 80 kilometers south of the Port
boxes were carried out with thermal printing labels, requiring up to six of Mazatlán.
people per packaging line. “We did everything manually, we did not Every year, the agricultural products industry handles around six bil-
have barcodes, and the information on lots, compliance stamps with lion boxes of fruits and vegetables in the U.S. alone. These volumes have
United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) requirements and other raised marketers’ awareness of the benefits of a systematic, industry-
data were provided even with ink stamps,” recalls José Luis Aramburo, wide approach that improves supply chain speed, efficiency, visibility,
director of Operations and of the Fruta-Exporta packing plant, located and control. In 2008, health problems on the Mexico-United States
border gave rise to what was known as the “tomato
crisis.” Leading buyers such as Walmart, Costco, Dole
Food Company, Publix Super Markets, Sun Pacific, Con-
sumers Produce, Inc., and Dawson Orchards, among
others, established strict control measures for agricul-
tural products entering the country—which in turn
led producers to implement traceability technologies
and ensure hygiene and safety conditions.
Walmart, in particular, had announced a project in
2016 to track the origin of mangoes sold in its stores.
On its website, the chain points out the background
and results of this initiative and quotes the then Vice
President of Food Safety, Frank Yiannas: “For mangoes,
What do you want to weigh? we started by establishing a benchmark. We brought a
Yamato can weigh it. package of chopped mango to a Walmart store and
asked employees to identify the farm it came from
as quickly as possible. Employees started calling and
writing to suppliers and finally got a response, almost
seven days later. This is not bad by industry standards,
but at Walmart we wanted something much better.”
After several tests and work with partner compa-
nies, the chain developed a traceability system that
dramatically streamlined the identification process:
“The time required to determine the origin of man-
goes went from 7 days… to 2.2 seconds,” reads the
summary of this project.

Efficient Management Solutions

In 2017, the approach between Fruta-Exporta and
Impresoras Tintas y Fluidos, S.A. de C.V., a Mexican dis-
tributor of inkjet coding and marking equipment from
manufacturer Squid Ink, allowed the company to ad-
dress this need to improve traceability of its products.
Fruta-Exporta’s production and marketing of fresh
mangoes for export were already part of a diversified
operation, which over time included different types of
packaging. “For cardboard boxes where we pack our
mangoes, we have more than 20 different designs (4,
9, 14, and 21 kgs), while most other companies only
use one or two types of boxes,” says Aramburo, refer-
ring to the complexity of their packaging and marking
and coding operations.
Combination Scales · Multi-Point Depositor · Checkweighers This diversity required versatile and efficient so-
Commercial Scales · Industrial Scales lutions, provided ideally by the integration of Squid
Ink’s inkjet printing technologies with special software
developed by Impresoras Tintas y Fluidos, S.A. de C.V.
By the end of June 2018, Fruta-Exporta had ac-
quired 14 of Squid Ink’s CoPilot 500 systems for mark-

Find your scale at [Link]

[Link] 70 9/23/20 1:39 PM

[Link] 71 9/23/20 2:44 PM
 72 PW OCT2020

ing and coding, whose technical specifications comply with the de-
manding traceability standards. Thanks to the height of its heads (2.8
in.), high resolution of printed characters, clear text, and use of high-
contrast inks, the equipment guarantees accurate reading of barcodes
on the mango boxes. As of 2020 the number of CoPilot 500 systems
acquired by Fruta-Exporta has risen to 25, with the purchase of 11 more
units in two years.
Along with installing the equipment in various Cultivares Group
plants in the states of Chiapas, Oaxaca, Michoacán, and Sinaloa, Squid
Ink—together with Impresoras, Tintas y Fluidos—began developing spe-
cial software that allows managing variable information for each packed
box, eliminating the use of thermal printing labels. “We started by devel-
oping the support, based on information on communication protocols
and working closely with systems and mechatronics engineers, to begin
integrating data into Squid Ink equipment that would allow dynamic
changes to be made to packaging lines,” recalls Enrique Vázquez, engi-
neer at Fruta-Exporta’s Squid Ink distributor, Impresoras Tintas y Fluidos.
With the Squid Ink´s CoPilot 500 equipment, the items required for
traceability are now included on the boxes of mangoes ready for export:
barcodes that store valuable product information, regulated by the au-
thority in this field (GS1). “The code contains a large amount of informa-
By the end of June 2018, Fruta-Exporta had acquired 14 CoPilot
tion, so when it is entered into a computer the entire associated chain
500 pieces of equipment for marking and coding, whose
can be printed and you can access, anywhere in the world, the product’s
technical specifications comply with the demanding traceability
information and complete trajectory,” says Vázquez.
standards.
“This software allows specific information to be added or deleted

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 74 PW OCT2020

during printing, according to the specific needs of each client, which

helps meet traceability requirements,” adds Aramburo. “To facilitate
Due to the magnitude of its operation and the large number of plants
and lines, savings in labor costs represented by Squid Ink’s marking and
D
the marking and coding process, boxes are distributed among different
lines in the packing plants, to ensure only three or four different types
come out of each one,” explains the director of the plant in Sinaloa.
The advantages the installation of the new equipment has repre-
coding technologies translate into high economic efficiency.
Before acquisition of the CoPilot 500 equipment, marking and cod-
ing operations at Fruta-Exporta used manual application of thermal
printing labels that required six operators on each line. Now, after the
6
sented for Fruta-Exporta are notable beyond this operational aspect. Squid Ink equipment was installed, only one operator is required per
production line. “We did cost, personnel, and mate-
rial waste analysis, and calculated we will recoup the
investment in equipment in the course of just two or
3
three seasons,” Aramburo says of the quick ROI.
Innovating Solutions to Your
Packaging Challenges Since 1958 Technology that Leaves a Mark 1
Current printing solutions in the different Grupo T
Cultivares plants offer a wide range of properties that
speed up the marking and coding processes. The Squid A
Ink PZ Pilot Pro model, one of the first purchased by
the company, has been specifically designed for use O
Horizontal End Load on corrugated boxes and porous surfaces. It has the m
JET-BC-120 ability to print characters and codes up to 2.1 in., from
a controller that handles up to four print heads and p
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growing, until the purchase of 14 more units for the El

Rosario plant, where we changed the entire marking and
coding system to inkjet,” explains Aramburo.
The relationship between Fruta-Exporta and Squid
Ink has consolidated since their first meeting during an
association of Mexican mango producers show. “We saw
their equipment at the booth, and it is in widespread use
in the sector; between 30 and 40 percent of mango pack-
ers in Mexico work with them,” says Aramburo. Today, the
two companies’ close collaboration ensures that opera-
tion of the installed equipment is reliable and its service
timely. “We have an on-site engineer at Fruta-Exporta’s
main plant in Sinaloa. We are not taking risks; service
is immediate, guaranteed from an office in the City of
Celaya, Guanajuato, and by four additional engineers
who live in the places packaging operations are carried
out during harvest seasons,” says Vázquez, referring to
customer care in the service and maintenance areas.
This timely response to precise needs is also reflected Fruta-Exporta and Squid Ink are currently working on developing a box counting
in the specific properties of the equipment, adapted to function to estimate payment for packers, on using the production data acquired
the requirements of Fruta-Exporta. “The printing systems through a software, and on process optimization in all packaging lines.
are operator-friendly and intuitive,” says Vázquez. “When
we developed them, we understood that the operators, members of Vázquez points out that his company is making progress in adapt-
communities close to the operations, would often have limited educa- ing software for data acquisition and collection to optimize control
tion, so we included special functions that facilitate their handling.” and packaging processes. They are also currently working on capturing

    

    

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 78 PW OCT2020

production data information, such as the number of boxes by batch, external media such as databases, for example, allows the printer to not
sizes, and cold storage entry, among other variables, to develop new only receive data but also communicate information about the process
modules for the program that allow better control of inventories and and products.
product movement. “From the point of view of Squid Ink machinery,
several advantages are offered. One is a communication protocol from Growth Forecasts
an external medium that allows dynamic and variable printing, in the For Squid Ink and its Mexican distributor, working with the Cultiva-
case of Fruta-Exporta,” says Squid Ink’s Cartagena. This integration with res Group has been an enriching and mutual learning experience. “The
Cultivares Group is very representative of the mango
producers sector in Mexico, and an example of effi-
ciency. Every time they need something, they call us
and we develop solutions jointly,” says Vázquez. An ex-
ample of this joint work was a modification requested
by Walmart to the package’s coding, six months after
Choose Quality. the traceability standard was implemented. “Fruta-
Exporta communicated the required guidelines to us
and we applied them quickly. We have achieved a win-
win relationship, where they bring us up to date with
trends and changes in the markets and we develop
the answers, always with the future in mind,” states
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 80 PW OCT2020

The inaugural Ocean Plastics Leadership Summit gathered 160 multi-stakeholders for a four-day journey to the North Atlantic Gyre.

Multi-Stakeholder
Collaboration is Key to
Solving Ocean Plastics Crisis
Up and down the plastics supply chain, stakeholders are joining together to address
the ocean plastics pollution crisis. For environmental impact organization SoulBuffalo,
collaboration involves immersive experiences that ignite new ideas and accelerate
their implementation.
WHAT
YOU’LL Ocean plastics’ impact Recycling Ocean-bound plastic packaging
LEARN

By Anne Marie Mohan, Senior Editor

In January 2016, the World Economic Forum and the Ellen MacArthur of dumping the contents of one garbage truck into the ocean every
Foundation launched “The New Plastics Economy – Rethinking the fu- minute. While it’s estimated that 20% of these plastics come from ma-
ture of plastics,” a watershed report that provided a vision of a global rine sources, e.g., fishing ropes, nets, and lines, during the Ocean Con-
economy where plastics never become waste. Contained within the servancy’s most recent International Coastal Cleanup program in 2018,
report was this stunning pronouncement: “Without significant action, nine of the top 10 most prevalent items collected were plastic packag-
there may be more plastic than fish in the ocean, by weight, by 2050.” ing. Among them were single-serve plastic bottles and caps, foodservice
The scope of ocean plastics pollution is staggering. Each year, 8 mil- items such as straws, stirrers, plates, cups, and lids, and plastic grocery
lion metric tons of plastic leak into the ocean, which is the equivalent and other bags.

[Link] 80 9/22/20 1:19 PM

 81

Given the visible nature of the crisis, end users of plastics, such as
Consumer Packaged Goods companies, foodservice operators, and re-
tailers, along with plastic providers have borne the brunt of the blame.
To stem the flow of plastic packaging into the world’s waterways, these
companies, along with others up and down the supply chain, as well
as non-profits, legislators, and academics have formed a number of al-
liances, initiatives, and programs dedicated to finding solutions. These
include The Alliance to End Plastic Waste, the Global Plastics Alliance,
Project STOP, the Plastic Bank, and Clear Blue Sea, to name just a few.
Most of the strategies put forth by these organizations include a
focus on at least one of the following: expanding waste management,
consumer education, design thinking around single-use plastics to
optimize end-of-life, research and development, and cleanup, among
others. No matter the composition of its members or its focus though,
all agree on one thing: global collaboration will be the key to solving
the ocean plastics pollution crisis.
SoulBuffalo is one environmental impact organization that has
made collaboration the keystone of its efforts, designing immersive
experiences that foster a common goal among industry leaders and
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On the first day of the expedition, participants were invited to

visit the gyre in a Zodiac boat.
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 82 PW OCT2020

A Journey to the North Atlantic Gyre

If a picture tells a thousand words, then experiencing first-hand the
devastation caused by ocean plastics speaks volumes about the scale
of the problem and the need for immediate solutions. In May 2019,
SoulBuffalo gathered 160 people from 60 organizations from up and
down the plastics supply chain to visit the North Atlantic Gyre for an
experience many participants called “life changing.”
Shares Ed Huber, Vice President - General Manager, Kingsford and
Chief Sustainability Officer for The Clorox Company, who joined two of
his Clorox colleagues for the four-day expedition, the boat had just set
out on its first day at sea when the organizers from SoulBuffalo spot-
ted a massive patch of sargassum, a floating brown microalgae where
plastic debris is often entangled.
Members of the summit
“They said, ‘We’re going to re-juggle our entire agenda so that every
went diving within the gyre
single person on the ship who wants to go out and snorkel and see for
to see first-hand the plastics
themselves what’s going on can do so,’” Huber recalls. “And literally, I
entangled in the sargassum.
don’t think there was a single person left on that boat. When we all got
back and were sharing stories and the samples we had collected, there replicate if the starting point had been pictures on a PowerPoint. There
was a realization that, at that point in the journey, we were 70 to 100 was a crystallization that action is required, and we have some of the
miles from the nearest point of land. Yet, to see all the plastic debris biggest brains in the industry across multiple spectrums of the total
that was captured in that floating sargassum that far away from civiliza- supply chain here on the boat, so let’s do this.”
tion, it was moving. I mean, there was everything from toothbrushes to Catalyzing that desire to find solutions to the ocean plastics crisis
a toilet seat that had survived who knows how long out in the middle and facilitating an environment in which to do so was SoulBuffalo’s
of the ocean. intention when they created the event, which they named the Ocean
“And so that created the motivation, which would have been hard to Plastic Leadership Summit.

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 84 PW OCT2020

First 100% Certified Ocean-Bound Plastic Beverage Bottle Launched

The use of ocean plastics for packaging is not new. In late additions to their portfolio that incorporate ocean plastics have
2011, Method was the first, with a liquid laundry detergent included Procter & Gamble, SC Johnson (see sidebar on p. 90),
bottle made from 100% recycled polyethylene, 25% of which and Dell. What is new is the use of ocean-bound plastics for a
was retrieved from the Great Pacific Garbage Patch. Since then, food-grade application.
companies introducing limited-edition or everyday packaging While Coca-Cola introduced a sample beverage bottle in
October 2019 made from 25% marine PET to show
the potential of recycled ocean plastics, bottled
water company ZenWTR has actually done it. Last
February, the company launched its vapor-distilled,
high-alkaline water in a bottle that uses 100%
recycled ocean-bound plastic, certified by social
enterprise OceanCycle. Ocean-bound plastic, or
“ocean-diverted plastic,” is plastic recovered from
within 30 miles of a coastline, or collected from
beaches, waterways, and coastal areas.

ZenWTR is a mission-led company formed

by entrepreneur Lance Collins, the man behind
CORE, NOS, FUZE, and Body Armor. According
to company CEO Bryan Crowley, ZenWTR was
inspired to use ocean-bound plastics because
“the team feels there is a great responsibility
for companies to play their part in innovating
more-sustainable solutions that can contribute to
helping solve global problems like pollution and
climate change.”
“When people think of plastic, inevitably
they think of the plastic pollution issue in the
ocean,” Crowley continues. “So we set out to
create a more-sustainable option that effectively
helps to clean plastic from coastal environments,
preventing it from reaching and polluting the ocean
where the likelihood of its retrieval is low. There
is plenty of plastic already in existence that can be
recycled, and ZenWTR believes we should work to

[Link] 84 9/22/20 1:29 PM

 85

reuse what’s already available as opposed to making new plastic.” and sustainable bottled water. It is available in 16.9-oz, 23.7-
The ZenWTR bottle was in development for more than three oz, and 1-L sizes, with 1% of ZenWTR sales going to charities
years, due to the complexity of its operations. As Crowley dedicated to ocean conservation and coastal cleanup. Based on
explains, sourcing from global communities means it takes current projections, the company says it’s on track to rescue 70
longer for the recycled plastic to reach the U.S. for production, million bottles from the ocean by the end of the year. PW
recycled plastic is more expensive pound for
pound than virgin plastic, and processing recycled
plastic versus virgin plastic requires additional
steps and takes more time.
“This means that timelines for production are
longer, making the process more complex and
costly than it would be if plastic was sourced
locally or if we used virgin plastic,” he says.
“However, producing with recycled plastic versus
virgin plastic uses about 84% less energy and
cuts greenhouse gas emissions by 71%, and we’re
helping to contribute to the cleanup of coastal
environments and prevent a lot of plastic from
polluting oceans, so for us, it’s worth it.”
The plastic resin is sourced from CarbonLITE,
a California company that specializes in
processing used bottles into bottle-grade PET
pellets that can be used to manufacture new
beverage bottles and other products. Regarding
the network of accredited supply partners
employed to collect the ocean-bound material,
as well as the manufacturer of the bottle,
Crowley says the information is proprietary. Also
confidential is the technology used to remove
the haziness that results from the use of 100%
recycled PET.
While PET is widely recycled, the labels, ink,
and adhesives used for beverage bottle decoration
often result in lower-grade recyclate that can’t
be used for food applications. With this in mind,
ZenWTR created a proprietary label material
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The bottle is topped with a recyclable cap, as well. efficiency to package more products on the same lines,
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that advises consumers that the package is made and quickly ramp up to full-production speed for new
from “100% Recycled, Verified Post Consumer products. Highlights include vision-enabled palletizing
Ocean Bound Plastic” and is “100% Recyclable.” It and depalletizing systems that can adapt to infinite box
also notes that up to five plastic bottles are rescued variations on the fly; and the unmatched agility of the
from coastal environments to create each bottle. IRB 360 FlexPicker®, the most widely used Delta robot in
Says Crowley, the product has been fast- the industry for high speed robotic picking and packing.
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 86 PW OCT2020

SoulBuffalo was co-founded by Dave Ford, Jason Throckmorton, and Before organizing the summit, SoulBuffalo had worked primarily
Rick Fascina. Notes their website, “In 2015, after traveling the world, with individual corporations, leading their executives and senior man-
SoulBuffalo’s founders recognized the urgent need to create systematic agement on expeditions to areas with environmental challenges. When
change on a global scale. To do that, we brought a broad spectrum of two very large CPGs simultaneously inquired about having them put to-
leaders from across the value chain to the table. Our role in all of this: gether a trip to see ocean plastics, “the light bulb went off,” says Throck-
to control the chaos and navigate change through learning, collabora- morton. “What we realized was that this was a big opportunity to do a
tion, and action.” multi-stakeholder event. That was the first evolution of our business.”
To gather together as broad a spectrum of partici-
pants as possible, Throckmorton says SoulBuffalo in-
vited “everybody.” He adds, “We have a very robust list
through our advisory board and through our own re-
search of all the companies in the plastics value chain,
and we literally reached out to the entire industry.”
Those who accepted the invitation included corporate
executives from some of the largest CPGs and plastics
suppliers in the industry, NGOs, scientists, artists, in-
novators, and students, among others.
Huber says Clorox had already begun working with
partners across the supply chain to find solutions, so
they saw the expedition as a great opportunity to learn
more and engage more deeply. “We’re a big company,
but we’re not a multinational,” he says. “So we’re very
reliant on collaboration. And so we used that opportuni-
ty to take some of the partnerships we already had and
extend them further up and down the supply chain.”
Joining Huber from Clorox were Paula Alexander,
Burt’s Bees Director of Sustainable Business and In-
novation, and Matt Kopac, Burt’s Bees Manager of

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 88 PW OCT2020

Sustainable Business and Innovation. At the time, Huber represented

Clorox’s Glad and Brita brands. “At Clorox, we’re proud to say that we’re
in 90% of U.S. households, but with so many brands, we have a lot of
different initiatives that are at different stages,” Huber says. “The idea
was that we wanted to have brands there that were already leading in
the [sustainability] space and the ones that were motivated to do so,
and then also brands that were newer in the space looking to get some
motivation to be a bit more transformative.”

Close quarters lead to greater understanding

According to Throckmorton, coming across the plastic gyre on the
first day of the expedition was an auspicious beginning for the trip. As
he explains, most people’s understanding of the gyres is that they com-
prise “football field, after football field, after football field of garbage
and plastic that you can see.” The reality is very different. “A lot of it is
very, very fine micro and even nanoplastics,” he says. “So to even be Ed Huber, Vice President - General Manager, Kingsford and Chief
able to find one of the gyres is a challenge.” Sustainability Officer for The Clorox Company, was among those
Because the seaweed in the North Atlantic Gyre acts as a natural trap representing CPG companies at the event.
for plastics, participants in the summit were easily able to reach down
below the plants and pull up handfuls of microplastics. “I think for a lot where relationships are contentious. In one example of this “forced”
of people, it was an emotional experience,” Throckmorton says. interaction, an executive from Nestlé Waters and a member of Green-
While the ship was the literal vehicle that allowed participants to peace were assigned a shared cabin.
share the experience of seeing the gyre, it was also the vehicle through “I was on that boat, and I can tell you, the cabins were maybe 150
which they were able to form relationships and collaborate in ways that square feet, so very tight quarters,” says Throckmorton. “One of the big
don’t typically happen outside of such a unique setting—especially Aha! moments for us [during the trip] was that when you bring people

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 90 PW OCT2020

SC Johnson, Plastic Bank Focus on Collection, Fighting Poverty

In June 2020, SC Johnson rolled out a 100% approximately 1.5 billion plastic bottles from
recycled ocean-bound plastic trigger bottle entering the ocean—a target that an SC
for its Mr Muscle Platinum Window & Johnson spokesperson says they are on track
Glass Cleaner in the U.K. and Ireland. The to meet.
package joins another ocean plastic bottle “Under the new three-year agreement, we
from the company: the Windex trigger bottle will reach a total of more than 500 collection
for its Original, Vinegar, and Ammonia Free centers and points across several countries,
formulas, with 8 million bottles hitting North including Indonesia, the Philippines,
American retail shelves in February 2020. Thailand, and Vietnam—four of the five
The new product offerings are part of countries that contribute the most to ocean
the company’s global partnership with plastic—as well as Brazil,” the spokesperson
social enterprise Plastic Bank, forged shares.
the previous fall, to reduce the amount of An interesting twist to the initiative is
waste entering the ocean, while also helping Plastic Bank’s use of Blockchain technology
alleviate poverty in developing countries. to help plastic waste collectors earn a stable
The partnership is also a major part of its income. The Social Plastic ecosystem invites
plan to triple the amount of PCR plastic residents in the world’s poorest regions
content in its packaging by 2025. Under the to collect and exchange plastic for digital
partnership’s three-year agreement, the goal tokens. Through blockchain, they can use the
is to collect 30,000 metric tons of ocean- tokens in exchange for access to necessities,
bound plastic, the equivalent of stopping healthcare coverage, school tuition, local

[Link] 90 9/22/20 1:55 PM

 91

currency, and more, reducing the risk of loss loop and advance a circular economy while
or theft. developing infrastructure in the areas where
According to Plastic Bank, residents can it is needed the most. We are eager to expand
substantially boost their incomes through exponentially and maximize our efforts in
this system, as they receive the spot market cleaning the environment, prohibiting waste
rate plus premium for the plastic they collect. from entering the ocean, and alleviating
Explains the SC Johnson spokesperson, once poverty simultaneously. There is no better
the Social Plastic is collected, the company partner than Fisk [SC Johnson Chairman and
purchases it at a premium over other CEO Fisk Johnson] and SC Johnson—other
post-consumer recycled plastics. It is then CEOs should take note.”
recycled through a number of SC Johnson In the U.S. and Canada, the three Windex
suppliers and is manufactured into the Mr formulas in the Social Plastic bottle are sold
Muscle and Windex trigger bottles. in a number of retailers, such as Target and
Notes the spokesperson, there are some Walmart, as well as on Amazon. In the U.K.
imperfections in the PET bottle, which come and Ireland, the Mr Muscle bottle is available
with the use of any PCR plastic, but the from homewares and household goods
plastic is ground, washed, and re-pelletized to retailer Wilko and through Amazon. Thus
ensure its strength and quality. far, says the SC Johnson spokesperson, the
Says Plastic Bank founder and CEO company has collected 4 million kg of ocean
David Katz, “Together with SC Johnson, plastics through its partnership with Plastic
we now have the ability to help close the Bank. PW

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D
together who may have different viewpoints, especially in person in a Says Huber, the lack of distractions from cellphones and e-mail also
Y
very unique setting, the humanity of the experience can really bring allowed participants to be more present and engaged. “We were in the
them to common ground on some issues. Now there are obviously go- middle of the Atlantic Gyre, disconnected from technology and other-
ing to be areas where these groups will never, ever agree, and so we wise. What we found was that even though during our day jobs we may
focus on that middle ground, where there can be some collaboration have differing points of view on the how, everybody on that boat was
and some meeting of the minds where they can agree to disagree on committed to the what,” he explains. “It fostered an air of creativity and
some things and agree to agree on others.” a kind of solution-first mindset in which everyone just kind of parked
their egos and their current strategic plans at the door,
and rolled up their sleeves, talked about the problem,
and looked for different points of view.

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“You learn so much more from people who have a

different point of view than your own, but having the
time to really invest and learn and listen is tough. The
boat enabled that, and it was amazing, the energy on
the ship, because of that. There were no clocks, and so
we were steamrolling through meals, and next thing
you know, it’s like, ‘Well, the sun’s going down, maybe
we need to grab a bite to eat.’
“The environment created was very, very unique
in that regard, and I’ve stayed in touch with multiple
people that I met for the very first time on that ship.
Now it’s been well over a year, so that’s a good testa-
ment to the power of that kind of event.”

Teams tasked with finding solutions

The work that summit members were steamrolling
through meals to get back to included activities such
as presentations, panels, and discussions. In addition,
participants were divided up into teams of approxi-
mately eight multi-stakeholders and placed in one of
10 Design Labs. The labs each focused on a different
issue—for example, chemical recycling, the elimina-
tion of (non-essential) single-use plastics, and creating ©
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 94 PW OCT2020

The Lab Challenge for Huber’s team, Zero Hero, was that the retail
experience is a significant driver for plastic waste in CPGs. The goal was
“to incentivize both the public and industry to minimize negative im-
pacts associated with consumption and waste and make zero waste
mainstream.”
As described in the report published following the summit, the
Breakthrough Idea for the Zero Hero team was “a transformative col-
laboration between big box retailers and CPG companies to create uni-
fied messaging, commitment, and support for zero-waste products and
behaviors.”
Explains Huber, “Because of the timing of the trip, we didn’t have
any retailers on the ship. So my working group was tasked with, ‘Okay,
how can we take some of these ideas and see if they can get traction
with key retailers and find ways they could be part of the solution.’”
Decision Labs made up of a mix of stakeholders in teams of eight As a result of the ideas generated from the working group, in Febru-
were tasked with identifying needs around specific challenges ary, Clorox began testing concentrated cleaners with a major retailer.
and creating solutions along with roadmaps to support “Talk about examples of being holistic, right?” Huber says. “So you start
implementation. with a bottle that lasts 10 years versus is one that is disposable. There-
fore, you’re actually using 75% less plastic by using a refill cartridge in-
a roadmap for minimal-to-no packaging in the CPG ecosystem. stead of a spray bottle. And then because you’re not shipping water
The task of each team was to identify needs, come up with ideas around, you can fit 70% more product on a truck. To put it another way,
for high-impact solutions, and develop action plans and roadmaps to to ship the same amount of product, you’d use 70% fewer trucks.”
support implementation. On the final night of the summit, each team While he acknowledges that concentrated cleaners paired with re-
presented the concepts they had developed, requesting commitments fillable bottles is not a new concept, with several e-commerce retail-
from other participants to pursue the concepts. ers offering the solution, he notes that Clorox’s position as the largest

[Link] 94 9/22/20 2:07 PM

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 96 PW OCT2020

PepsiCo, TerraCycle Tackle Plastic Waste in Thailand

While ocean plastics pollution is a global issue—some of the
highest concentrations of plastic litter particles have been found
as far as remote parts of the Arctic—90% of this pollution
originates from only 10 rivers, eight in Asia and two in Africa.
The main offenders are China, Indonesia, the Philippines,
Vietnam, and Thailand and are the result of poor or mismanaged
waste systems in those countries.
In 2018, TerraCycle founded the TerraCycle Global
Foundation (TGF) with $450,000 in seed money from The
PepsiCo Foundation. TGF is a 501(c)3 public charity dedicated
to dramatically reducing the volume of marine debris and plastic
waste found in the world’s waterways. The foundation’s inaugural
platform is focused on Thailand (the Thai Foundation, or TGFT).
According to Burgess Davis, Vice President, Global
Sustainable Plastics at PepsiCo, the company chose to support
TGF because it aligned with PepsiCo’s focus on creating a
circular economy for plastics. “We look for recognized partners
like TerraCycle that have deep expertise and a demonstrated
track record of success as well as hyperlocal, respected waste
TGFT has installed a river plastic capture trap in the waterway
management organizations as part of our global portfolio of
of Khodpor public park in Rayong, Thailand.
partners to reduce plastic waste and build a world where plastic

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 97

need never become waste,” she explains. “Our Foundation’s plastics from reaching the wider rivers and oceans.”
partnerships are focused on outcomes—including tons of waste Other projects of TGFT include working with local waste
recovered and CO2 avoided—and we prioritize investing and pickers to improve collection rates by providing fair wages,
funding projects with partners that are innovative, scalable, and tools, supplies, financial literacy, education, care for children,
can create lasting systemic change. and health and safety training; engaging local district
“Our goals through this partnership are to recover tons governments and organizations to ensure the long-term stability
of plastic waste from our waters, increase public awareness and maintenance of the collection programs; and engaging a
and engagement to reduce plastic pollution, catalyze funding network of partners to identify innovative recycling solutions
from others to scale impact, and ultimately to use recycled and end markets to sell the collected materials.
waste to create materials like primary packaging and road or “We believe the TerraCycle Global Foundation will lead
constructions materials.” international public awareness about the need to address river
In 2019, TGFT partnered with the Blue Carbon Society, a and ocean plastics, and by finding recycling solutions for the
local Thai environmental group, to support the Thai government collected materials, it offers a holistic approach to reducing
in installing marine debris capture devices, the River Trap, in the plastic waste to create meaningful, long-lasting change that can
tributaries of the Tha Chin River, located in Samut Sakhon. Says be replicated across the world,” says Davis.
Davis, “In Bangkok, in close collaboration with the Bangkok The foundation’s plans for the future include expanding to
Municipal Administration, TerraCycle Global Foundation has local communities in Central and Southeast Asia, including
installed three river plastic capture devices in the Lat Prao India. PW
Canal that are intercepting five metric tons of plastic waste per
week, and they anticipate installing additional devices in the Read the full interview with PepsiCo’s Burgess Davis
surrounding waterways to further prevent the large volumes of at [Link]/5741

[Link] 97 9/22/20 2:13 PM

 98 PW OCT2020

manufacturer of household cleaning products will allow for their use on

a larger scale. “We’ll continue to be inspired by competition and other
folks,” he says. “But more importantly, controlling our footprint, coming
Stumped about
up with ideas, and then working with major retailers, that’s where we
can make the biggest impact.”
Sustainability?
“Maybe the biggest takeaway [from the working group] was that
meaningful solutions require collective action,” Huber adds. “We can’t
Listen Up.
rely solely on one thing. We’re going to have to do better at design—like During a period in time when new challenges arise daily,
the refillable spray bottles. We’re also going to have to focus more on concerns around the global pursuit of environmental sus-
consumer behavior, which is really more around reduce. So how can tainability could have—and can still—fall by the wayside.
I get people to, instead of going for another single-use plastic bottle, A two-part series of unPACKed with PMMI podcasts (#43
just fill up their Brita at the tap, which is a behavior change more than and #44) provides a look at the overarching effect of a
anything else.” global pandemic on packaging sustainability as well as how
one major packaging company is managing its ambitious
Summit results in four funded initiatives sustainability goals. Visit [Link]/5757 to access these
From those Decision Labs evolved what are now called Action Ac- free podcasts, or find them by searching for the unPACKed
celerators, or initiatives that have now been funded. Currently there podcast wherever you usually get your podcasts. PW
are four, soon to be five, says Throckmorton, with Zero Hero being one.
Another Action Accelerator he says has gained a lot of momentum is the
Plastic Pickers Operational Working Group (POW), which since its incep- sentative organization or body that is looking out for things like quality
tion at the summit has received more than $100,000 in funding from of life, health and wellness, making sure there is fairness in pricing and
major organizations across the globe. so forth.”
Explains Throckmorton, “There are 1.5 million informal waste pick- POW has a two-pronged goal: 1.) to help waste picker communi-
ers in the world. As you know, they’re all over, in developing countries in ties gain access to healthcare, living wage training, and micro-financing
Africa, Asia, some parts of Europe—you name it. There’s no real repre- loans, and 2.) to connect these communities with global market leaders

[Link] 98 9/22/20 2:14 PM

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100 PW OCT2020

to stabilize secondary plastics markets. COVID-19 requires pivot to digital, expanded focus
Another working group that has received funding is Zero Plastic The member organization that resulted from the summit, the Ocean
Waste Communities, administered by Pyxera Global. The idea is to take
Plastics Leadership Network (OPLN), managed by SoulBuffalo, was
best practices that look at how plastic is being introduced into local vil-
formed in January 2020. At that time, SoulBuffalo had three experi-
lages and communities, how it is being sold and distributed, and how it
ential events planned for the year, all of which have been postponed
is being captured, and share the intellectual property around the world.
indefinitely due to COVID-19. Switching gears in order to keep the
Takoradi, Ghana is the first village earmarked for the [Link] from the first summit, SoulBuffalo moved the organiza-
tion online. Every two weeks, it hosts a gathering that
may feature a speaker on a topic—for example, green
chemistry—or a virtual networking event for mem-
bers to discuss a number of issues.
Container Handling Systems “We have panels and breakout panels and so
forth,” Throckmorton says. “So it does start to look a
bit like a virtual conference. But we found that people
We provide automation solutions for the most demanding production environments. are adapting to the Zoom life, and they are looking to
Capabilities to design, manufacture, customize, install: stay engaged, so it’s something that’s been very well
• Container palletizers and depalletizers received.”
• Container transport Conveyor Systems (single lane, mass, single When SoulBuffalo moved the network online, it
filers and deceleration tables, gates and laning systems) created a half-dozen products. One, called SALT – Sus-
• FILO or FIFO Accumulation Systems tainable Action Leadership Training, comprises online
• Elevators/Lowerators courseware that many of its members are mandating
• Cable Conveyors that all of the employees in their company complete.
• Case Conveyors In working with CPGs, SoulBuffalo found that many of
• Can Twists and Fittings them had just a few employees tasked with bringing
• Air and Water Rinsers sustainability to the entire company. SALT helps those
• Container Washers and Dryers in other departments, such as engineers, plant manag-
• Bulk container totes and dumpers ers, R&D, and salespeople, to understand what ocean
• Production line electrical control systems plastics are, why the problem is happening, and the
ethical and financial impact for the organization in or-
der to motivate them to work toward solutions in their
own areas of expertise.
Since COVID-19, Throckmorton says OPLN has be-
come almost a “COVID-specific charter,” at least for the
next 12 to 18 months. Each month, a specific OPLN
taskforce comprised of advisors and members meets
to look at all the issues related to COVID. “So it could
be everything from policy, to bag bans, to packaging,
to the amount of PPE that is being created, to just the
amount of plastic that’s being introduced into con-
sumers’ lives beyond what they were normally con-
suming, and try and figure out solutions to that,” he
shares. “Our mission has always been to bring people
together, educate, and accelerate. This has just ex-
panded our mission.”
Says Huber of the postponement of SoulBuffalo’s
immersive events, “I would love another engaging ex-
perience, but I’m fine just continuing to roll up the
sleeves and work on the solutions. Hopefully, when
this epidemic is behind us, we’ll get back together on
something that looks like another physical summit.
Until then, it’ll just have to be virtual, but we’re not
going to quit working at it.”
For more information and specifications call Details on the COVID-19 Ocean Plastics Crisis Hub,
Container Handling Systems Corporation the SALT Standard, OPLN, and Action Accelerators can
at 708-482-9900 or go to be found at [Link] PW
[Link]
We Handle a World of Containers ©2020 Container Handling Systems Corporation

[Link] 100 9/22/20 2:19 PM

 100% COMMITTED TO SUSTAINABILITY
For more than 60 years, we have grown through collaboration with brand owners to design
and deliver packaging solutions and manufacturing processes, driving demand for the next life
of products and helping to reduce food waste.

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PackWorld_Committed_9.[Link] 1 9/8/20 9:34 AM

[Link] 101 9/22/20 2:19 PM
102 PW OCT2020
EVENT PREVIEW

PACK EXPO Connects

Takes the Trade Show to You
Live. Virtual. Reimagined. Connect with the packaging industry at the year’s most engaging
event, to be held everywhere Internet is available on Nov. 9 to 13, 2020.

The value of domestic shipments for packaging machinery is forecast to The first experience of its kind, this event boasts several new impor-
continue growing nearly 5% (CAGR) to $8.7 billion by 2025, according to tant features that will help foster connections with the widest variety of
State of the Industry 2020, from PMMI, The Association for Packaging solutions providers available anywhere–minimizing attendee time and
and Processing Technologies. With a continually evolving—and some- effort to find the innovations that you need. An easily searchable data-
times crippling—worldwide pandemic making supply chains and previ- base of exhibitors and products, conveniently organized by 12 major
ous supplier and consumer packaged goods (CPG) connections complex, categories, allows attendees to zero in on specific needs and schedule
PMMI Media Group introduces a live, virtual event like no other, PACK live chats and interactive product demos with technical experts. The
EXPO Connects 2020, Nov. 9-13. Complete with live chats, live product intuitive, state-of-the-art interactive platform makes live engagement
demos and engaging educational opportunities, this reimagining of vir- with exhibitors simple via MyConnects planner. At the same time, Out-
tual shows provides attendees a direct connection with top suppliers to look calendar integration allows attendees to add My Planner events to
the solutions they need. their Outlook calendar for ease of reference.
Now more than ever, packaging and processing professionals need
solutions for a rapidly changing world. PMMI Media Group brought to-
gether all of its digital marketing expertise and decades of extensive
industry knowledge to provides attendees an event full of virtual show-
rooms for live demos, live chats with product experts, and overarching
educational offerings.
n Live Product Demonstrations will connect attendees with exhibi-

tors. These time-efficient, 15-minute, live demonstrations will allow

attendees to check out what’s new, ask questions and engage with
exhibitors in real-time.
n Live 1:1 Chat will allow attendees to chat directly with exhibitors

during dedicated event hours. If an attendee can’t catch an exhibitor

during the event hours, Virtual Business Cards will help foster those
connections even after the event’s conclusion.
n Comprehensive Educational Content will feature thought-provok-

ing sessions from leading suppliers and industry experts on today’s

packaging trends. Attendees can take the information gleaned from
these sessions to enhance their knowledge before heading back into
the virtual showrooms for specific solutions. All content noted will be
available both as scheduled and on-demand after the event.

Immediate industry excitement

Early exhibitor commitment and support outpaced initial projec-
tions, forcing PMMI Media Group to extend exhibit hours, adding an
additional hour to each day to ensure attendees were able to visit as
many virtual showrooms as possible.
“The packaging industry looks forward to PACK EXPO each year, so
any virtual event linked with the PACK EXPO name is something we

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CM

MY

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EVENT PREVIEW

PMMI. “We are so happy that the research and effort invested in this
debut event received such an enthusiastic response.”
In the months leading up to the announcement of PACK EXPO Con-
nects, PMMI Media Group conducted extensive end user interviews with
some of the world’s leading CPGs. These all-encompassing in-depth
interviews had one goal: To ensure PACK EXPO Connects represents ex-
actly what the packaging and processing industry wants out of a web-
based event.
Immediately, the number one request across the board was a desire
not only to see live technology, but also to have the ability to interact
with exhibitors during the video demos of actual machines.
PACK EXPO Connects delivers the technology for exhibitors to con-
duct these interactive connections, complete with live chat features, re-
know we needed to be a part of,” says Dustin Lee, director of sales, sembling virtual Factory Acceptance Tests (FATs). These live video dem-
Morrison Container Handling Systems. “In our ever-evolving world, os, coupled with the ability to interact with technical personnel and
we have to be agile and continue to adapt. It may feel different but product experts, best mimic and fulfill the expectations and experience
using this virtual platform to come together at PACK EXPO Connects is of what attendees expect from an in-person event. This also reinforced
an opportunity for our industry to grow in a new innovative way.” the need for a collective group of exhibitors demonstrating technology
More than 500 exhibitors committed to the show in the first three in action, with PACK EXPO Connects offering a one-stop-shop for CPGs.
weeks of sales and live showroom hours will run Monday through Beyond experiencing technology in action, attendees want to spend
Thursday, 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. CST and Friday 10:00 a.m. to 1:00 their valuable time exploring new products, rather than existing prod-
p.m. CST. PACK EXPO Connects will bring together a full range of solu- ucts presented as new. PMMI Media Group solicited its in-house team of
tions providers–minimizing the time and effort necessary for attend- editors to vet what is and isn’t new, serving as neutral industry experts.
ees to find answers to real-world packaging and processing challenges. Together, they will help make sure that attendees can track down the
PACK EXPO Connects has been designed to foster interactions between latest and greatest offerings and the virtual exhibitor showrooms pre-
CPGs and suppliers with an intuitive, state-of-the-art virtual platform senting them.
that makes live engagement easy. Finally, attendees wanted robust, engaging virtual exhibits. The re-
“We are excited by the level of support we’re getting from exhibitors search revealed that attendees are not impressed with fancy 3D render-
who are eager to share their technologies through this new platform,” ings of booths on a computer screen. They want to quickly understand
says Dave Newcorn, senior vice president, digital and data, PMMI Media what products are available, see live demos, and connect with experts in
Group. “To ensure the greatest possible access for both exhibitors and real-time. As a group, participants revealed that they would prefer fully
their customers, we are expanding exhibit hours for PACK EXPO Con- fleshed-out web-based showrooms, complete with live feedback and
nects. And, despite the expanded inventory, we expect live demo slots interactions vs. simple listings offering a static encounter. PACK EXPO
will fill up soon.” Connects developed the package to ensure exhibitors can deliver the
Long time PACK EXPO exhibitor Dorner Manufacturing is also in- solutions to attendees’ current packaging and processing challenges.
trigued and enthusiastic about the prospects of the web-based PACK Free attendee registration launched Sept. 15, giving CPGs plenty of
EXPO Connects. time and opportunity to prepare for preview week, Nov. 2-6.
“As Dorner worked to adapt our marketing strategy through these This soft opening is a key time for registered attendees to browse
challenging times, selecting and then participating in the right virtual live demo descriptions, build their planner and save items to Outlook
events is essential,” says Matt Jones, vice president Dorner Mfg. Corp. “An calendars. Organization and pre-planning are the means to success as
event with the cache and name recognition of PACK EXPO is sure to bring there will be so much to see and experience at PACK EXPO Connects.
the packaging community together to educate, enlighten, and even en- As a bonus, [Link] will remain live until March 31,
tertain target customers seeking our products for their applications.” 2021, offering additional opportunities for attendees to connect with
Each day also features international demo hours to expand PACK companies via their virtual showrooms.
EXPO Connects global reach. International demos will be broadcasting
at 10:00 a.m. China Standard time (8:00 p.m. CST) and 10:00 a.m. Green- Get Schooled at PACK EXPO Connects
wich Mean time (4:00 a.m. CST). These time slots will enable exhibitors Wide-ranging and informative content make up the backbone of
to demonstrate their solutions and enjoy live interaction with attendees PACK EXPO Connects educational and networking offerings, featuring
outside the Western Hemisphere. In addition, all educational sessions will thought-provoking sessions from leading suppliers and industry experts
be available on-demand for international attendees to watch at times on packaging trends. All content noted will be available both as sched-
convenient to them. Spanish language closed captioning will also be pro- uled and on-demand:
vided for specific content and interviews with industry newsmakers. n Innovation Stages: Tune in for these 30-minute sessions to hear

“PACK EXPO Connects is shaping up to be the most innovative and from exhibitors and industry experts on the latest breakthroughs and
engaging industry event this year,” says Jim Pittas, president and CEO, trends in sustainability, food & beverage, and more. Presenters will

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106 PW OCT2020
EVENT PREVIEW

be available during their scheduled session for a live chat Q&A. If at-
tendees miss a live scheduled session, video links will be available for
future viewing.
n Start each day with the morning Jumpstart sessions. The dynamic

daily kick-off presentations are highly engaging and fast paced, fea-
turing multiple subject matter experts in addition to reporting from
our own PMMI Media Group editors. Visit [Link] for
more detail, but for quick reference the topics each day include:
• Monday - Sustainable Packaging and Processing
• Tuesday - Workforce Development. A special Packaging & Pro-
cessing Women’s Leadership Network Education Session with
Jan Tharp, president and CEO at Bumble Bee Foods, sponsored by
Morrison Container Handling Solutions, Plexpack, Septimatech,
and SMC. PPWLN events connect the audience through valuable
insights on women in the packaging industry. n The Showcase of Packaging Innovations, sponsored by Klöckner
• Wednesday - The Robotic Revolution Pentaplast, will feature winning entries from worldwide packaging
• Thursday - Remote Monitoring, Remote Access, and Virtual FATs competitions, including the Association of International Metallizers,
• Friday - E-commerce, Emerging Brands, Healthcare Packaging Coaters and Laminators (AIMCAL), Flexible Packaging Association
Trends and Contract Packaging (FPA), Foil and Specialty Effects Association (FSEA), Institute of Packag-
n Trend Chats will feature interactive discussions on buzzworthy in- ing Professionals (IoPP), ProFood World’s Sustainability Excellence in
dustry topics. Manufacturing Awards, Paperboard Packaging Council (PPC), Reusable
n Daily Download: Get the best-of-the-best rundown from our PMMI Packaging Association (RPA), The Tube Council, and World Packaging
Media Group editors as they recap can’t miss showcases, the latest Organization (WPO).
innovations, and thought-provoking sessions. Listen in as they review n Miles to McCormick Walk/Run Challenge: Have some fun, be active,

their daily highlight reel and what they are most looking forward to and support a good cause, the PMMI Education Foundation. While we
seeing tomorrow. Catch the session live daily or listen on-demand to will be missing PACK gives BACK and the miles we put in at McCormick
make sure you are experiencing all the latest opportunities. Place we encourage PACK EXPO Connects participants to take a break,
n The Solution Room will consist of 45-minute interactive sessions led get some fresh air and go for a walk. Log your miles on a tour from
by industry thought leaders and partner organizations, discussing O’Hare Airport to McCormick Place in Chicago. Participants logging
packaging challenges. Collaborate to find the solutions you are search- their walks/runs three times throughout the week will be entered to
ing for and engage via live chat with our industry gurus from the In- win one of three, $150 gift cards for Chicago-themed treat from Taste
stitute of Packaging Professionals (IoPP), The Association for Contract of Chicago.
Packagers & Manufacturers (CPA), the OpX Leadership Network and n PMMI Media Group Awards

OMAC - The Organization for Machine Automation and Control. • Sustainability Excellence in Manufacturing Awards
n Packaging and Processing Women’s Leadership Network: Fea- ProFood World will recognize food and beverage processing and
tured in a morning Jumpstart session, PPWLN will feature a pre- packaging innovation projects via the 6th annual Sustainability
sentation from Jan Tharp, President and CEO at Bumble Bee Foods. Excellence in Manufacturing Awards competition. Speakers from
PPWLN is sponsored by Morrison Container Handling Solutions, Smithfield Foods, Conagra Brands, McCormick & Co., and Hiland
Plexpack, Septimatech, and SMC. Dairy will present details about their award-winning projects in
water, electricity, landfill, and product-loss reduction.
• Packaging & Processing Hall of Fame
Pub Trivia PMMI will introduce the Packaging & Processing Hall of Fame Class
FOR YOUNG PROFESSIONALS of 2020 during PACK EXPO Connects. The Hall of Fame celebrates
professionals who have advanced the fields of packaging and/or
Sponsored by Duravant
processing; honorees are professionals who have dedicated them-
Emerging leaders and young professionals alike can selves to the industry. Inductees, who are profiled starting on page
engage, interact, compete, and have some fun with Pub 106, will be introduced during Friday’s Jumpstart sessions.
Trivia. Just like the good old days of happy hour trivia, this • Manufacturing Innovation Awards
opportunity promotes fun, games, and networking for a good ProFood World will recognize food and beverage processing and
cause, the PMMI Foundation. Pub Trivia will take place via zoom packaging innovation projects via the 4th annual Manufacturing
meeting on Monday, Nov. 9, 4 p.m. – 5 p.m. CST. All you need is Innovation Awards competition. Speakers from The J.M Smucker
a pen and paper to participate. Visit [Link] Company’s new Colorado facility, Hermes Boissons—world’s first
for further details. installation of in-bulk HPP, and Lotus Bakeries’ greenfield facility
in North Carolina will discuss their award-winning projects. PW

PEC20_Preview.indd 106 9/26/20 1:07 PM

 Each of the following market-leading companies* participating in Packaging World’s 2020
Leaders in Packaging Program are named sponsors of PW’s Future Leaders in Packaging scholarship.
This year’s recipient is the University of Florida Packaging Engineering Program.
We appreciate the support of all participants on behalf of packaging education.

More Information: [Link]/leaders

*These logos represent some of the recent Leaders in Packaging Participants. Sponsor recognition will alternate every other month. ©2020 PMMI Media Group

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108 PW OCT2020
PACKAGING & PROCESSING HALL OF FAME

Honoring Hall of Fame Careers

Now on a biennial cadence, the Packaging & Processing Hall of Fame
is inducting four new members into its ranks in 2020.
Here, we introduce a distinguished class.

The Packaging & Processing Hall of Fame recognizes career packaging and expanding knowledge and volunteer leadership and have personally ad-
processing professionals for their significant contributions to the industry vanced the field of packaging.
and education. The honor, which PMMI coordinates, had been awarded an- “Without theses pioneers, the packaging and processing industry would
nually from 1971 until 2014. After a brief hiatus, the Hall of Fame induction not be the dynamic manufacturing business that it is today,” says Jim Pittas,
schedule resettled into a biennial cadence starting in 2018, thus a new class CEO, PMMI. “It is our honor for them to receive the recognition they deserve as
is being inducted in 2020. Packaging World presents the four distinguished the newest class of inductees into the Packaging and Processing Hall of Fame.”
members of the 2020 Hall of Fame class, first announced on Oct. 1, 2020. The You can view videos to learn more about the individuals who have been
2020 class includes Jane Chase, Pat Reynolds, Paul Singh, and Fritz Yambrach. chosen for induction into the Hall of Fame Class of 2020 by visiting www.
The Packaging & Processing Hall of Fame is the top honor a packaging [Link]/hall-of-fame, or by joining PACK EXPO Connects, and viewing
or processing professional can receive in his or her career. Past inductees are the morning Jumpstart session on Friday, November 13th. Check out more
packaging leaders who have dedicated themselves to the industry through precise dates and schedules at [Link]. PW

Pat Reynolds, Packaging World

Currently VP/Editor Emeritus at Packaging World, a publication of PMMI Me- that it’s a horizontal market with an endless range of topics to cover. “One
dia Group, Pat Reynolds has spent 37 years in the packaging trade press. day it’s soup, and another day it’s nuts, and everything in-between,” he says.
Looking back on his career, he says he’s most grateful for the people he’s That variety plus being in constant contact with the talented people
worked with and the opportunities he’s had to who drive innovation in the packaging market
travel across the globe—from places as near as have continued to fuel his enthusiasm for all
Gilman, Ill., to locations as far-flung as Hong things packaging. “They’re problem solvers,
Kong and Australia, to name a few. and they’re really, really clever. And it’s not
Reynolds’ path to packaging journalism af- just the marketer, or the engineer, or R&D, or
ter studying English literature at the University the procurement person—it’s all of these titles
of Illinois Urbana-Champaign and Anglo-Irish that you interface with on a daily basis. It’s
literature at University College Dublin was pure constantly varied, it’s constantly interesting.
serendipity. After deciding a career in academia I’ve always enjoyed the problem-solving aspect
wasn’t for him, Reynolds sought a job in a field of packaging.”
requiring similar skills. “One day I saw an ad Reynolds believes his role as a packaging
in the paper for an opening at a trade press editor is to bring together suppliers and buy-
magazine,” he recalls. “And it turned out to be ers and inform them of each other’s needs and
Packaging Digest. That was in 1983.” capabilities. “It’s really an extension of what
A decade later, Reynolds joined—without PMMI does,” he adds.
hesitation—a new challenger in the packag- Despite the many changes in the packaging
ing space, Summit Publishing and Packaging market Reynolds has covered in his nearly four-
World magazine. Reynolds says he was confi- decade career, he says that some of the most
dent in the success of the new venture, given transformative ones he’s witnessed are also
the knowledge and experience of the people he some of the most recent, specifically digital
was joining. Among them were two future Hall printing, e-commerce, and SKU proliferation.
of Famers, Lloyd Ferguson and the late Arnie Another sea change occurring of late, he notes,
Orloski, along with Chuck Winnicky, Joe Angel, and Jim Chrzan. Angel and is the amount of collaboration taking place among brands and suppliers,
Chrzan are still with the company, occupying the positions of President of especially in the sustainable packaging space. Along those lines, he shares
PMMI Media Group/Publisher of Packaging World and Contract Packaging, that one of the most fascinating articles he’s worked on was one he just
and VP, Content, respectively. produced in July 2020 on a 10-year project by Numi Organic Tea to develop
From the beginning, what attracted Reynolds to packaging, he says, is a compostable film overwrap for its tea bags that involved a number of

PEC20_HoF_11grid.indd 108 9/23/20 12:58 PM

 109

S. Paul Singh, Michigan State University

At the relatively young age of 59, S. Paul Singh Ph.D., CPP, has U.S. Department of Defense during the Gulf War deployment, he
achieved a lifetime of accomplishments. He became a Lifetime learned that it was just as important to get the beans and Band-
Certified Packaging Professional at the age of 47. Two years Aids there as the bullets—and it all comes down to packaging.
later, he was inducted into the Military Packaging Hall of Along with Gary Burgess, Singh created the Consortium for
Fame. And this year, in addition to being welcomed into PMMI’s Distribution Packaging Research at MSU in 1990 and served as
Packaging and Processing Hall of Fame, he has its director until 2010. The consortium brought
received a Lifetime Achievement Award from the together federal agencies, associations, and
International Association of Packaging Research leading companies like Clorox, Exxon, and
Institutes (IAPRI). General Motors. “Over the 20 years of that
Through 26 years as a faculty member at research center we did everything,” Singh says.
Michigan State University’s School of Packaging, “You name a fruit, and we followed it from
the Consortium for Distribution Packaging orchards all the way to the store. And then we
Research, and his current work in consulting and did the same thing for high-tech.”
legal testimony, the lynchpin of his career has Ultimately, Singh moved into sustainability
been education. Born in India, Singh was raised and how to reduce packaging. He emphasizes,
in a family that put a high level of importance on however, that reduced packaging is not
education. His grandfather travelled to England sustainable if it causes more damage. “A
to get a Ph.D.; his father went to Australia for damaged bottle is more expensive than over-
his Ph.D.; and Paul Singh went to the U.S. He packaging,” he says, noting that one leaking
got both his master’s and his doctorate at MSU, bottle will cause an entire 24-pack to be tossed
where he is now Professor Emeritus. in the trash. “Something that costs more is not
“Knowledge belongs to humanity. Anybody who is an sustainable. You have to make sure sustainability is sustainable
educator should be sharing this always through every media,” he on an economic front.”
says, emphasizing the importance of publications like Packaging Singh has worked closely with professional organizations like
World as well as PACK EXPO—the first trade show he attended ISTA and ASTM over the years to develop packaging standards.
as an MSU student back in 1982 and where he first learned “Industry standards are the best way to prosper—not only for
about the packaging wonder that is the common banana. the United States but the whole world because they look to us
Singh continues on his road to learning. “If you want to learn, for our standards,” he says.
I’m ready to put my hand in as a student, know the subject Packaging is not the field Singh had in mind when he set his
matter, and then become the expert in that field,” he says. He sights on studying in the U.S. As a top student in mathematics,
draws on former students for some of that knowledge. “I go and he wanted to be a nuclear scientist. But he has no regrets,
see what my students are doing. I find the right people, the right and recommends packaging for students today the same way a
students from before, and I become a student.” teacher did for him in 1983: “A packaging major knows more
With a background in mechanical engineering and engineering than a business major and knows more business
fundamentals in dynamics and robotics, Singh sees packaging than an engineering major,” he repeats, adding, “We are the
as universal, regardless of what’s inside. “Every time I do a bridge between engineers and business. And we make things
project, I look at the four functions of a package: to contain, successful. I want people who are in packaging to be proud of
to protect, utility, communication,” he says. Working with the that.” —Aaron Hand

packaging suppliers (see [Link]/5753). olds recalls. “John was extremely accommodating in helping me understand
Continuing to catalog the highlights of a richly rewarding career, Reyn- as much as I needed to in order to get by.”
olds shares how much he has enjoyed the globe-trotting that has come with He is also grateful to his first packaging trade press colleagues at Packag-
reporting on the packaging market, including the opportunity to visit Düs- ing Digest who helped bring him along, including Bob Heitzman and the
seldorf, Germany, a number of times to cover international shows such as late Sarah Lee Gerrish—both hall of famers. “It was Bob who brought me
interpack and drupa. “Along the way, a lot of my travels also had to do with into packaging journalism in the first place,” he adds.
being a member of IPPO [the International Packaging Press Organisation],” In 2014, PMMI – The Association for Packaging and Processing Technolo-
Reynolds explains. “IPPO was another real highlight of my career. I’ve made gies purchased Summit Media Group. Four years later, Reynolds turned the
lifelong friends in that organization with people from around the world, editorial reins of Packaging World over to Matt Reynolds, transitioning from
and that means a great deal to me.” his 16-year role as Editor to his current position as VP/Editor Emeritus. The
Reynolds emphasizes the important role played by his wife of 44 years. change was a smooth and seamless one, a fact that Reynolds is thankful for.
“Without Sue’s support and understanding, there simply is no packaging “Transitions are important in any business, and on a personal and profes-
journalism career,” he notes. Another friend Reynolds would like to ac- sional note, I’m pleased with the way it’s gone,” he says. “New blood was
knowledge is the late John Kowal, Director of Business Development at B&R definitely called for, with all the new digital and social media technologies,
Industrial Automation, who passed away July 8, 2020. “When I was assigned so the timing was perfect. I believe I’ve left the editorial ship in good hands,
to cover controls and automation, I had a steep, steep learning curve,” Reyn- and I’m very proud of that.” —Anne Marie Mohan

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110 PW OCT2020
PACKAGING & PROCESSING HALL OF FAME

Fritz Yambrach, San Jose State University

Just as we continue to see in today’s youth, a barely college-aged Fritz Yam- by University of Buffalo. His dissertation was the first to specifically identify
brach, now Ph.D., had no idea packaging was an option, much less that he packaging suppliers as geographic sources of competitive advantage driving
was attending a school with a world-class packaging program, when he was innovation in the medical device industry. This specialization of skill sets in
admitted to Michigan State. external support areas create a milieu of shared learning, labor, and tech-
It was a tennis buddy—Yambrach was a competitive junior tennis play- nologies, which benefits each firm. This is the main reason medical device
er, more on that later—who lobbed him this tip: “Take firms have agglomerated in specific regions in the U.S.
a look at the packaging school.” The advice led him to and the EU.
take an introductory course that would serve as the A current example of this type of agglomeration is
gateway to his career in the industry. in Silicon Valley, where medical device firms have lo-
“It seemed to me that it was interesting, there was a cated to secure IT expertise to create products that have
reason for everything, and it was incredibly necessary,” therapeutic benefits but now record and transmit data
he says of his experience in that course. in real time.
Degree in hand, Yambrach entered the real world By 2007, Yambrach had made his way to Silicon Val-
for years before returning to the academic life. A Michi- ley, too. He did so after being asked to develop a pack-
gan kid, it was fitting that his first packaging job was at aging program at San Jose State to help feed that new-
Mopar parts, then part of Chrysler, on Eight Mile Road in found local packaging need with educated talent. SJSU
Detroit. Next up was a gig as a packaging engineer at ICI Packaging program director Herb Schueneman sought
Pharmaceuticals in Wilmington, Del., one of the largest him out based on several recommendations along the
petrochemical companies in the world that would even- lines of, “If you need a new program, call Fritz. He’ll do
tually be folded into McNeil J&J. He then spent time as it.” His RIT reputation had preceded him.
a packaging engineer at Baxter Labs, a medical device “I think part of it is because I like teaching,” Yam-
specialist in Chicago, and followed that up with a stint brach says. “I’m good at it, and I realized that the stu-
in Rochester, N.Y., as a tennis pro. dent’s career is very important, almost more important
Wait, what? A tennis pro? than my career at that point. Teachers are blessed with
Let me explain. In the intervening years, Yambrach the ability to improve people’s lives. I’ve seen that posi-
met and married a globe-trotting academic in pursuit of a doctorate in toxi- tive change for my students, and that’s why I teach and why I’ve taught so
cology and pharmacology, so he followed her as she moved from school to long. I decided to take the opportunity at SJSU because, as I asked myself,
school. When his wife, Caroline English, followed her major professor to the ‘how often are you given the opportunity to actually build something in the
University of Rochester, he left Baxter and made the move with her. It just way that you want it to be built?’”
so happened that it was down the street from another one of the world’s Yambrach says that while all packaging programs, at least at the bache-
leading packaging institutions, RIT. lor’s level, are somewhat similar, there are different slants and tacks to take.
“The first year I was in Rochester, I was a tennis pro at one of the local One element of SJSU’s packaging program has been Yambrach’s creation of
clubs,” he says. “At some point I happened to walk in the door at RIT and a learning community, where students in the program would take classes
met Dave Olsson, who hired me as a faculty member. There, I helped de- together, be routed on course tracks together, and hence would study, eat
velop maybe five or six different courses at RIT over 23 years.” lunch, socialize, and learn with one another.
While on faculty at RIT, Yambrach completed a Ph.D. of his own at near- Continued on page 112

The 2020 Packaging & Processing Hall of Fame Selection Commission

Coordinated by PMMI, a Packaging & Processing Hall of Fame selection commission evaluates nominations and chooses the 2020 class out of a deep pool
of deserving, influential nominees. The commission is made up of a cross-section of industry professionals, including suppliers, journalists, and end users.

• Joe Angel, President, PMMI Media Group, Publisher, Packaging World • Jeffrey Loth, Global Packaging Manager, Microsoft Corporation
• Kim Carswell, Director, Packaging, Target • James Perry, Director, Package Innovation + Sustainability, Abbott Nutrition
• Kay Cooksey, Ph.D., Professor and Cryovac Endowed Chair, • Bill Rice, Principal, Packaging Technology, SC Johnson & Son, Inc.
Department of Food, Nutrition and Packaging Sciences, Clemson University • Michael Richmond, Ph.D., PTIS, LLC Global Management & Packaging
• James Downham, President & CEO, PAC Packaging Consortium Consultants
• Suzanne Fisher, CPP, Fisher Packaging, LLC • Thomas L. Schneider, CPP, Past Chairman, Institute of Packaging
• Mary Gregg, President, Springboard Packaging Solutions, Inc Professionals

• Glen Long, Senior Vice President, PMMI, The Association for Packaging • David S. Smith, Ph.D., R&D Executive, Consultant, David S. Smith Associates
and Processing Technologies • Nancy Wilson, CEO, Morrison Container Handling Solutions

PEC20_HoF_11grid.indd 110 9/26/20 1:16 PM

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112 PW OCT2020
PACKAGING & PROCESSING HALL OF FAME

Fritz Yambrach continued from page 110

“What they did is they became a single unit community at the univer- Also, in a small cohort of interdependent folks that number from 15 to
sity, one that works together, and it’s worked exceedingly well. The students 25, kids can’t hide. Packaging students are expected to be active in their
support each other,” he says. “Right now, after 13 years, I have a number of learning. Accountability is key in this program, just as it will be in the real
students who are out working that are now coming back and they’re hiring world.
our kids, they’re giving talks, and they’re supporting the program, because “There’s no reason to make the students feel competitive,” Yambrach
they’re part of the culture.” says. “There are more than enough opportunities in packaging for everyone.”
This collaborative culture serves students well in their careers on mul- He knows that dynamic well. He’s been capitalizing previously unseen,
tiple levels. First, it accurately reflects the collaborative nature of packaging even previously non-existent opportunities in packaging for an entire ca-
itself, and prepares students for accepting inputs from a number of dif- reer. Case-in-point: He started a non-profit firm which designed a water
ferently skilled stakeholders on any given project. Packaging is multidisci- vest for easier carrying of potable water in impoverished areas ([Link]
plinary in that it’s composed of material science, engineering, marketing, [Link]). Expect that kind of innovation to continue—except, of
and logistics, to name a few. course, during his weekly court time at the tennis club. —Matt Reynolds

Jane Chase, Institute of Packaging Professionals

As Executive Director of the Institute of Packaging Professionals (IoPP), Jane you’ve been able to influence a business, an industry, and the consumer.”
Chase, CPP, Fellow, taps into a swath of experience, education, achievement, Such innovations garnered awards—she has a handful of Ameristar
and skill that fits the multidisciplinary field of packaging. Her start in engineer- Awards—new projects, new positions, and new brands. After SC Johnson,
ing has branched into safety, operations, packaging R&D, processing. brand Chase has served in roles of increasing importance in packaging develop-
design, and a recent emphasis on education and networking. This collection ment and innovation at places like General Mills, Ecolab, U.S. Food Service,
of attributes rounds her into a complete, for lack of a better term, package. ConAgra Food, and Schwans, where her specialties included structural de-
A Midwesterner through and through, she left her North sign, packaging line efficiency improvement, and strategic
Dakota home to study mechanical engineering at Milwau- business development. She also holds three U.S. patents for
kee’s Marquette University. Then, with bachelor’s degree in packaging inventions and has been published and spoken
hand and a master’s degree from the Milwaukee School of on packaging innovation and sustainability on many occa-
Engineering in the making, she balanced grad school with sions.
real world experience while working at Johnson Controls. At least one constant through her varied and successful
That quality engineering background opened doors at near- career has been membership in, and volunteer leadership
by SC Johnson Wax, and an early introduction to packaging of, IoPP. Chase first became a member only six years into
came when they asked her to develop a supplier certifica- her career and has been a fixture ever since. In a lot of ways,
tion for packaging components. her ascendency to the helm of IoPP mimics her “day-job”
“As I thought of it then, I was only three years out of career, with responsibilities and scope incrementally grow-
school, and I got to do what I considered play,” Chase says. ing over time. She had served for more than 25 years and
“I couldn’t help improve a quality system if I didn’t under- twice as chairman of the all-volunteer board before being
stand the supplier’s process. So, I had to learn blow mold- hired as Executive Director, where she now serves.
ing, injection molding, thermoforming, paperboard, corrugated, aerosol “IoPP provided me with so much support as I was building my career,”
cans, you name it. It gave me a strong, early background in packaging.” Chase says. “I benefited greatly from the networks that I have been able to
This led to an aerosol packaging manager’s role for a few years, and a establish, the leadership opportunities that were afforded to me, and the
packaging R&D role for six years after, a decade she thinks of as her grow- skillsets I was able to build. In my mind volunteering in the organization
ing-up period. It was around then that the die was cast for a lifetime as a was my way of giving back for what they had afforded me.”
packaging pro. Over her three years as executive director, Chase has been able to build
“In quality, the packaging was either good or bad, and you had to figure out a bridge to a bigger, broader base of the packaging industry through a part-
what to do with it,” she says. “I thought I could go into operations, never make nership established with PMMI. She led the charge to convert IoPP classes—
any bad product, and save the world. I discovered quickly that if you didn’t specifically the Fundamentals of Packaging Technology program—from
have good R&D up front, you were pretty much doomed from the get-go.” a classroom course to an online, digital learning format, and did so well
Over the years with SC Johnson, Chase had the opportunity to work on before the specter of a pandemic. She also oversaw the launch of PackChat,
iconic brands and launch pack formats that, though revolutionary for the the online packaging ideas exchange, which has an active online commu-
time, now seem mainstream. Consider the Shout brand of textile stain re- nity following. These most recent activities have been tactics as part of a
lease gels. Remember the splash made by the gel-dispensing molded bottle larger strategy to get kids energized about the packaging industry.
with integral brush closure? That was Chase. How about the Schwan’s Food “The industry continues to struggle to fill positions. We need to be mak-
Co. pizza in a thermoformed tray and a peelable lid instead of on a shrink- ing those matches and developing the next generation to take up the new
wrapped corrugated disc? Also Chase. challenges,” Chase says. “The thing that I am the proudest of, and what’s
“It’s just when you look back on the series of different products that going to drive me for the rest of my career, is developing the next generation
you’ve been able to bring to the market, you look at them all as a whole,” of packaging engineers. There’s nothing that gets me as energized as when
Chase says. “Once you’ve done it for so long, the product innovations start to someone who I’ve connected with in my career over the years picks up the
blend together, and as a leader, your recollection becomes about the contri- phone and wants to stay in touch and bounce ideas off me. It’s about devel-
butions of your teams. There’s an overarching sense of accomplishment that oping and encouraging that next generation.” —Matt Reynolds

PEC20_HoF_11grid.indd 112 9/26/20 1:17 PM

 MORE PRODUCT
VERSATILITY
IN LESS SPACE

Honeywell Intelligrated’s Alvey® 890i palletizer can handle a variety of SKUs, stacking patterns and
packaging types — from packaged food and beverages to converted paper and personal care products.
Featuring an updated and user-friendly design, the 890i provides improved safety and enhanced
maintainability — all in a compact footprint.

To learn more, please go to [Link]

© 2020 Honeywell Intelligrated. All rights reserved.

PEC20_HoF_11grid.indd
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EXPO-ShowcaseProfile Ad_9x10_875.indd 1 9/23/20 1:21
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PM
114 PW OCT2020
EVENT PREVIEW

Be the First to Learn About

New Packaging Trends
The Innovation Stage at PACK EXPO Connects brings you the
latest advances taking place across the industry. Check out these
30-minute sessions to discover coming trends and technologies
that need to be on your team’s radar and create your event plan
today at [Link]. CONNECTS
November 9-13, 2020

PEC20_InnovationStage_PWStyle.indd 114 9/26/20 1:33 PM

 115

Below is a sampling of what you’ll see at the the Innovation Stages.

Please note this is a listing as of 9.1.20. For a complete listing visit the full Innovation Stage schedule here - [Link]/IS

Monday, November 9, 2020

12:00 PM
An Interview with Ventura Foods - Building the Ventura Edge Operating System with Redzone at Its Core Redzone Production Systems

Navigating the Challenging Path to More Sustainable Packaging Amcor Flexibles North America

The Secret to F&B Manufacturing Agility in a Changing World Siemens Digital Industries US

1:00 PM
Automation 201 – Clarifying Your Automation Requirements for Project Success Epson Robots

Packaging as an Ally: Sustainable Considerations in the Evolving Normal Presto Products Company

The Intralox® ARB™ Multilane Divider S7050 Intralox, L.L.C.

2:00 PM
Product Inspection Solutions for Foreign Material Prevention METTLER TOLEDO

Tuesday, November 10, 2020

12:00 PM
Initiating a More Sustainable Future with New Packaging Guidelines Amcor Flexibles North America

Manufacturing Pivots in a Post-COVID Environment Hitachi America, Ltd.

1:00 PM
Adapting to be Future-proof as the Demand for Sustainable Packaging Increases Syntegon Packaging Technology, LLC

Automate Your Factory Via App Bosch Rexroth Corporation

Leveraging Digital Twins for Virtual Factory Acceptance Tests Siemens Digital Industries US

2:00 PM
Metal Detection with Artificial Intelligence Sesotec Inc.

Unlock the Value of your Fluid Control & Pneumatic Systems by Turning Data into Actionable Insights Emerson
and Driving Operational Improvement

Wednesday, November 11, 2020

1:00 PM
End-of-Line Automation – Risk Reduction Through Digital Twin Technology Pearson Packaging Systems

Role of Packaging Innovation for Successful HPP Process Teinnovations LLC

2:00 PM
Adaptable, Efficient & Fast: A Look at the Future of Packaging Automation B&R Industrial Automation Corp.

Ensure Seal Integrity for Every Package with New Food and Beverage Leak Detection System Emerson

PEC20_InnovationStage.indd 115 9/23/20 9:31 AM

116 PW OCT2020

Custom Cartoner
Helps Employ the Blind
As a non-profit with a mission to create jobs, automation can be a tricky proposition.
But with a custom machine optimized to be easily used by legally blind operators,
Horizon Industries struck a positive balance between labor and automation.
WHAT
YOU’LL Validated changeover for vertical startup Custom features for unique workforce
LEARN

By Matt Reynolds, Editor

Non-profit Horizon Industries, a division of East

Texas Lighthouse, is one of the largest converters
of industrial cleaning towels for the U.S. govern-
ment, and uniquely is based on initiatives meant
to rehabilitate and support the blind community.
Industrial towels converted and packaged at Hori-
zon are sold through distribution to government
institutions like the military, schools, and federal
and state agencies, among other accounts. The mis-
sion underpinning Horizon’s core paper converting
competency is to empower the visually impaired
population to succeed through rehabilitation, edu-
cation, training, and, most prominently, employ-
ment. Horizon currently has about 40 legally blind
employees working at its facility, accounting for
more than 75% of direct labor and more than half
of all the personnel in the company. Horizon’s Tillson says the versatile Criterion CL-240 cartoner was enhanced with safety
Business had been humming along happily features, which allow its blind employees to successfully operate the machinery.
until February, but it received a big bump from
what was then an unexpected source. The 2020 pandemic precipitated min. For a company that had been running at around 20-30 cartons/
a newfound consumer adherence to sanitation, and a whole lot more min previously, that’s a big leap.
surface cleaning and hand-washing in public spaces. So, as we consum- After all, while business was good last year when the installation
ers remember from our experiences in retail store shelves in March, went in, neither Tillson nor anyone else could have anticipated the
paper towels and their ilk became a hot commodity. pandemic-led demand spike awaiting Horizon. And since the company
“That’s a slight understatement to call it a bump. It’s been more like was—and still is—hand-loading the infeed, the blazing 240 carton/min
a mountain,” says Lee Tillson, Vice President Sales/Business Develop- speeds wouldn’t seem necessary. Currently, the speedy machine is run-
ment at Horizon. “Essentially, we almost doubled our business over- ning at a leisurely pace of around 40 cartons/min. So why automate to
night. I think the pandemic started making waves for us around March that degree of speed and sophistication?
13th, and we started seeing a huge increase the very next week.” What at first blush seemed to be overkill was in fact a well-laid plan
rooted in the local workforce dynamics, a previously unmet need for
“Overkill” automation ends up just right parts and service, and a blend of safety and flexibility considerations
By sheer luck—if any luck at all can be ascribed to a global pan- that truly are unique to Horizon.
demic—Horizon had in July 2019 upgraded its primary packaging ma- First, with a mission to employ those who are blind, Horizon’s re-
chinery from older, slower legacy equipment to a new Criterion CLT-240 cruiting focus must be very specific to continue to find people who are
cartoner from R.A Jones, capable of cartoning towels at speeds of 240/ qualified to work, ready to work, and also happen to be blind or visually

[Link] 116 9/22/20 10:03 AM

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[Link] 117 9/22/20 10:04 AM

118 PW OCT2020

packaging equipment, and the OEM itself

had gone under or been sold off a few times,”
Tillson says. “Meanwhile, we had quite a few
packaging professionals in our plant that
knew of R.A Jones and spoke highly of the
equipment. In fact, I had looked into it in the
past. Back then [five years ago], it just wasn’t
practical—we just weren’t ready to spend
that kind of money at the time. But when
it came down to looking to replace the old
equipment, we knew where we wanted to go.
I went back to R.A Jones in [2018], and they’ve
made a lot of advances in their equipment
over the last five or six years. I was immensely
surprised what all they had to offer.”
What really sold Tillson on selecting R.A
Jones was the number of field service techs
the company had on staff. At the time, the
number stood at 34, a number large enough
Colors that readily reflect light to communicate to him that there was an extensive installed base of
are easiest for the legally blind to well-cared-for machines that lasted a long time. That was the tipping
see, so bright orange sheet metal point that ensued in a partnership.
plates were added between the
article bucket openings as a color Flexibility and safety are 1A and 1B
contrast to aid the operators in On a sheer practicality level, Tillson required more flexibility than
loading the article bucket pocket was afforded by any of the standard, off-the-shelf equipment he
and preventing access to the shopped. The carton size mix at Horizon ranges from 4.5 in. to 16 in. in
bucket conveyor chains. length, almost all solid bleached sulphate (SBS) paperboard with a few
new clay-coated exceptions.
impaired. Packaging World readers know that there’s already a nearly “For all the OEMs I went through this exercise with, the range they
pan-industrial labor shortage. There are only so many people who are could accomplish was much smaller, and would require two machines
blind or visually impaired in any given population—and Tyler, Texas or parallel cartoning lines,” Tillson says. “R.A Jones had standard ma-
isn’t a major metro area with a lot of candidates from which to choose. chines that went to 14 inches, but they were able to modify that machine
“From that standpoint, we needed automation that could stand in to run up to 16 inches. And those two inches might as well be a mile.”
for any potential lack of employees in the future,” Tillson says. “But on In Horizon’s unique case, the need for OEM supplier flexibility ex-
the other hand, we’re in the business of employing people, not elimi- tends well beyond the range of SKUs it can handle. With more than half
nating jobs through speed and automation. We’re not looking to reduce of the total employees being legally blind, visual acuity considerations
jobs, that’s not what we’re about. But you can’t just ignore the fact we not present in most production facilities required further machine cus-
may encounter times where we’re just unable to find employees. That tomization on the line.
resulted in a balance of us keeping and trying to maintain a lot of older,
fairly manual equipment.”
About five years ago, some of the upstream converting equipment
aged completely out of usefulness. Tillson started replacing some of
Jumpstart
these lines, but not necessarily packaging equipment, at least not yet.
Your Day at PACK EXPO Connects
His upstream equipment productivity improvements, as they tend to
do, strained downstream resources, and the existing packaging equip- Interested in optimizing your employee safety
ment’s age—on a line that the majority of the company’s revenue ran and productivity like Horizon Industries did?
through—began to show. Jumpstart your day at PACK EXPO Connects with
This pushed to a breaking point the company’s collective negative a segment devoted to workforce development on
experiences with older equipment. Even if they couldn’t yet use all of Tuesday, Nov. 10th at 9:00 a.m. Central, to charge
the speed or functionality of a new line, Tillson and his team wanted a up ahead of a full day of product demos, innovative
recognizable, dependable brand that they could count on for the fore- educational sessions, and more.
seeable future. They were willing to pay a premium for service and sup- Visit [Link]
9
port.
“It was hard to get parts or any kind of service for the old primary

[Link] 118 9/22/20 5:00 PM

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[Link] 119 9/22/20 10:05 AM

120 PW OCT2020

“It was a no-brainer when we understood they could provide specific operators having to keep pace with loading. Colors that readily reflect
features for our visually impaired employees to work independently, light are easiest for the legally blind to see, so bright orange sheet metal
and every operator that runs that machine is legally blind,” Tillson says. plates were added between the article bucket openings as a color con-
Some custom features of this Criterion CLT-240 system included trast to aid the operators in loading the article bucket pocket and pre-
modifications to the standard infeed buckets, which were monotone venting access to the bucket conveyor chains.
gray metallic steel in appearance, in favor of bright orange bucket walls. The infeed itself was also lengthened by about 10 feet to allow more
The infeed is manual, but it’s a continuous operation with one to two operators or allow the standard operator configuration more room to
load buckets. Another feature is the ergonomic, low-
level magazine. Operators find it easier to load at waist
height, around 36 to 40 in with more of a bird’s-eye
view of their task, instead of loading at shoulder or

For Motion Feedback in eye height. Once loaded, magazines incline to be fed
into the cartoner. Machine design alterations also in-
cluded a safety lift gate and a lifeline emergency stop

Packaging Applications, for added protection and assurance.

Beyond the structural considerations, a custom
fault-zone system, developed with the help of Banner
EPC has your solution. Engineering, uses Banner’s WLS28-2 two-color red/
white lights, with the XS26-2 safety controller, to direct
operator’s attention directly to the precise location of
any problems. This bypasses the need for an operator
trip to the HMI to determine where a detected fault
resides.
“Compared to some of the custom builds we’ve
done, our team really beefed up this machine for
safety, and for good reason,” added Sean Spees, Key
Account Sales Manager, R.A Jones.

Safe and secure changeovers

We already mentioned Horizon’s SKU range is
significant. And going from 4.5- to 16-in. carton for-
mats mean changeovers are a major consideration.
That’s why Tillson opted for R.A Jones’ Acc-U-Change
validated changeover platform. Within this system, ev-
ery change part carries RFID information. When each
change part is swapped out, the platform reads the
RFID to find out whether it’s the correct change part
for the recipe indicated. The red light/green light is
Innovation in motion feedback since 1969 for the electric counters with feedback on rotary ad-
For 50 years, EPC has been providing encoder solutions for justments. This is a touch-to-verify system. RFID is the
reliable motion feedback. second part of the Acc-U-Change system. There is also
a mobile touchscreen tablet to assist the operator. The
Whether it’s an application for servo labeling, heavy-duty packaging,
platform simply will not let the machine start back
material handling, or any place where motion feedback is required, we have
up until every change part is validated as a go. An op-
the solution you need and the expertise to help you find it.
erator likely wouldn’t be tempted to try unless all the
lights are green, validating the right parts are locked
Specializing in custom encoders, fast
into the correct positions.
When you call EPC, you talk to real engineers and encoder experts who can help Strictly from a changeover perspective, the process
you spec the right encoder for your motion control application. And we’ll get it to on an R.A Jones machine remains largely the same
you fast. Standard lead time is still just 4 - 6 business days, with same-day whether the machine has Acc-U-Change system or not,
expedite options available on many models. just with the added measure of validated assuredness.
The real gains come in the ensuing startup, which can
Call us today to get started. be said to be a vertical startup.
“Press go and you’re making product,” says Spees.
Any ramp-up, calibration, or dial-in that operators

1-800-366-5412 | [Link]

[Link] 120 9/22/20 10:08 AM

[Link] 1 121
[Link] 12/16/19 10:09
9/22/20 2:59 AM
PM
 122 PW OCT2020
PFLOW INDUSTRIES
ENGINEERING SOLUTIONS
FOR THE PACKAGING INDUSTRY
SINCE 1977
once had to complete—which usually meant first
finding, then tinkering with one ill-fitting change
Maximize
part—is eliminated. The vertical startup also elimi-
material movement and
nates any scrap, waste, or ugly product associated with
workplace safety with
slowly coaxing a machine up to speed and dialing into
a PFlow VRC
a more precise flow.
“If you follow the changeover steps one-by-one,
Lifts loads up to 100 lbs.
and the lights are all green, you’re good to go,” Tillson
says. “If you miss a step, the machine will not start. You
Standard travel speed
of 60 FPM can’t mess it up really. In the past, we’d have missed
a step, turned it on, and ‘boom,’ the machine just
Loading and unloading jammed up. So that technology, it’s amazing. It really
accessible from three sides is amazing.”
But Horizon wasn’t simply adding Acc-U-Change to
an existing machine. Compared to the legacy equip-
CONTACT US TODAY ment it had been running, Tillson was able to drasti-
TO LEARN MORE! cally cut down on changeover time and reduce labor
with the new machine, irrespective of the vertical
DB SERIES startup capabilities.
“Changeovers used to mean involving our mainte-
nance department, and if we wanted to make a major
change, it would take two to three hours,” he says. “I
[Link] | (414) 352-9000
WE ELEVATE Milwaukee, WI don’t even think the maintenance department is in-
YOUR BUSINESS volved anymore, now it’s our operators that do it. Most
Employee-owned and proudly manufactured in the U.S.A.
changeover are down to eight or nine minutes.”
Taken together, the triad of:
1. greatly shortening changeover time,
2. drastically limiting the labor involved, and
3. eliminating dial-in time and waste via the
vertical startup
account for perhaps the most significant practical
performance improvements on the line. That is, of
course, unless Tillson decides to use more of that 240
carton/min machine’s capacity.

What’s on the horizon

Future packaging requirements for the company
were also considered in the custom machine design,
and Tillson made sure he had the ability to easily
modify or enhance the packaging line as needs may
grow or change. The hand-loading operation at the in-
feed is currently a bottleneck if you’re only looking at
the speed variable, but it fulfills the larger mission of
providing meaningful employment to vision impaired
people.
But the reality is that labor is hard to find, East Tex-
as is somewhat sparse, and people move around. Add
to that the mission of hiring blind or visually impaired
associates, and the available labor pool gets even
shallower. Tillson is hyper-aware of that dynamic, and
future automation may be necessary. One likely spot
for that is the manual infeed, since it sits between the
Criterion CLT-240 and increasingly sophisticated and
fast interfolders—equipment that prepares and folds
clips of towels to be cartoned—just upstream.

[Link]/334
[Link] 122 9/22/20 10:12 AM
 Packaging Automation Solutions

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[Link] (416) 663 7071

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[Link] 123 9/22/20 10:14 AM

124 PW OCT2020

R.A Jones machine was built to handle a

change to automation,” Tillson says. “So
now we manually put the clips in the buck-
ets, but we set it up so that in the future,
with minor modification, we could auto-
mate where the clips would be machine-
fed into the cartoner.”
During the FAT in Covington, Ky., Till-
son’s team even tested a faster infeed, at
about 130/min, or the pace newer inter-
folders, to ensure the catoner could keep
pace if and when that time comes. It met
the challenge.
Given the nature of Horizon as a non-
profit serving a good that’s greater than
simple efficiency, Tillson has to walk a
fine line between what can seem to be
The machine’s Acc-U-Change feature provides validated changeover, which ensures set-points competing goals. It didn’t bear mention-
are placed for vertical start-up, while Fault Zone Indication illuminates the work area and ing earlier, but Tillson himself is legally
highlights the area of the machine where a fault may occur. blind, and he is as invested in the societal
goals as he is the performance goals. But
“We have multiple interfolders that we feed into the cartoner now. if this cartoner is an indicator of the path he intends to walk with labor
But part of the process in the efficiency part, and this back up to the dif- and automation, he’s threading the needle between workforce realities,
ficulty in finding employees, that if and when we get to the point where and keeping viable a cause that helps people gain meaningful employ-
we’re ready to buy a larger, faster interfolder, from say like Bretting, the ment. That’s a winning balance to strike. PW

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Accurate.
Reliable.
Labeling Systems from Weber
Your packaging line is the final step in your manufacturing process, whether its
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Available in right- or left-hand versions, the IP65-certified Alpha HSM has
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[Link] 125 9/22/20 10:16 AM

126 PW OCT2020
AUTOMATION

OEM APPLICATION NOTE

Automation Platform Helps

Liquibox Build Better Bags
An advanced automation and controls platform combined with a fast communications
protocol has helped this bag-in-box bag maker optimize manufacturing over the years.
WHAT
YOU’LL Effective use of sensors Adjustment on the fly
LEARN

A leading producer of the flexible film bags used in a wide variety of to be more environmentally responsible—is minimal material waste.
bag-in-box applications, Liquibox has steadily optimized the perfor- “Our relationship with Omron has enabled us to move forward from
mance of its Maverick line of bag-making machines by leveraging an their CJ2M PLC and G5 servo systems to their Sysmac platform, which is
Omron controls and automation platform. High on the list of perfor- providing even better performance,” says Kyle Brookes, Liquibox Engi-
mance characteristics enjoyed by Liquibox thanks to its use of Omron’s neering Manager. “Our machines deliver 133% higher output than com-
technology is the ability to handle a range of film types, bag sizes, and parable machines made by our competitors.”
dispensing fitments with minimal downtime thanks to quick change- Sysmac is the latest machine automation platform from Omron
over and simple-to-navigate machine operation. An added benefit— and features full integration from controller to software. The result is
and one that is increasingly important as businesses of all stripes strive a robust platform whose NJ Machine Automation Controller (MAC) in-
tegrates motion, sequencing, safety, networking, and vision inspection.
A new software, Sysmac Studio, includes configuration, programming,
simulation, and monitoring. Included is a fast fieldbus network, Ether-
CAT, to control motion, safety, vision, sensors, and actuators.
The processing speed of the MAC combined with the network speed
of EtherCAT makes it possible to use feedback to make calculations that
let operators adjust on the fly to bring about improved performance.

Accurate control of film

speed and tension is
critical on the Maverick
bag making system, and
Liquibox gets a big help
from both fiber optic and
proximity sensors that
feed into the automation
platform. Also a key are
temperature controllers
that deliver consistent
side seal temperatures
(inset above).

OAN_Liquibox.indd 126 9/23/20 7:30 AM

OAN_Liquibox.indd 127 9/23/20 7:31 AM
128 PW OCT2020
AUTOMATION

As for the quick changeovers, Brookes attributes that to Omron’s NS10 ucts, the Maverick machines react in near real time, reducing energy
TV002 HMI. “Being able to select a variable combination of film types, consumption and minimizing waste.
material sizes, and fitments allows our machines to produce a variety The films used to produce Liquibox’s bags come in large rolls. It’s im-
of applications during a single shift with minimal downtime,” he says. portant for each roll to be loaded on the unwinder properly and also for
Each selection on the HMI triggers a signal that indicates the need to the film to be controlled accurately all along the length of the machine.
stop producing the current product and to load a new set of raw materi- Otherwise, wrinkles and other defects can occur, which in turn means
als. With the additional guidance of Omron’s motion and control prod- waste. To prevent such defects, Liquibox relies on Omron’s servo mo-
tors to ensure accuracy as the film is drawn along the
machine. “We have a tight tolerance of plus or minus
2 mm on the draw,” says Brookes. “The Omron servos
allow us to achieve our specification without experi-
encing over-pull or under-pull.”

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Also critical parameters in the films that Liquibox

runs on its machines are the gauge and melting points.
Both dictate the temperature needed for effecting a
proper heat seal without burning through the film.
“Omron’s E5C series of temperature controllers ensure
the temperature on the sealing bars remains stable
throughout any production run,” says Brookes. “And
they easily adjust to accommodate the temperature
variance from any changeover in film.”
Another way Liquibox has been able to minimize
waste in production is with sensors. “When used in
combination with control and motion products, Om-
ron’s sensors predict and counteract slippage,” says
Brookes. Liquibox uses the E2E series of proximity
sensors to detect the alignment of film between the
guide rails as well as for tracking the accuracy of the
draw when multiple layers of film are present for an T
application. They also use the E3XDA series of fiber
optic sensors to detect film position at various critical

OAN_Liquibox.indd 128 9/23/20 1:46 PM

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OAN_Liquibox.indd 129 9/23/20 7:33 AM

 130 PW OCT2020
AUTOMATION

control points. Both types of sensors provide data to Omron’s

automation platform, which then automatically adjusts the
servos to the correct speed and tension, making sure the film
enters and stays in alignment throughout a production run.
Liquibox’s bags boast features that are more sustainable
than bags it made in the past. Film thickness, for example,
has been reduced by 20% in recent years. They’ve also re-
duced the width of the top and bottom seal area from 0.6
to 0.25 in. while still maintaining seal strength according to
ASTM standards. “The best way to handle lightweight pack-
aging like this is by relying on an automation platform like
Sysmac and a communications protocol like EtherCAT that
permits optimized communication between the various au-
tomation products and components on the machine,” says
Brookes. “Omron’s automation platform allows modules
along the entire machine to talk to each other. Everything
is synchronized to compensate for any changes needed to
produce the new films, from sealing temperature to sensing
for different film thicknesses all the way to adjustments in
motion or speed.
“My experience with Omron has been exceptional and
has exceeded not only my expectations but also those set
forth by Liquibox on behalf of our customers. I’m excited
The bags made by Liquibox hold a wide variety of liquids, from wine to milk to
FOCKE PS AZ PMMI 9 x 5_4375 Messe 01RZ [Link]
1 07.09.20 10:50 about continuing this partnership into the future.”
motor oil.
—Pat Reynolds

CM

MY

CY

CMY

OAN_Liquibox.indd 130 9/23/20 7:34 AM

 FOOD AND BEVERAGE PACKAGING SOLUTIONS
Safeguard Inspections, Improve Quality, and Protect Your Brand
with Machine Vision and Industrial Barcode Reading
8 _[Link]

OAN_Liquibox.indd 131 1
FoodBev_ad_9x10.[Link] 9/23/20
11/30/2017 7:36PM
[Link] AM
132 PW OCT2020 Visit the link below each item for more info.
AUTOMATION TECHNOLOGY

Pressure,
Conductivity
Sensors
Baumer adds to its line of
process sensors with the new
PP20H pressure sensor and
CombiLyz AFI conductivity
sensor featuring digital and
analog interface.
Baumer [Link]/5734 Line Scan Cameras
Omron Automation launches the compact GigE
Vision line scan cameras featuring PoE and PTP
technology.
High Torque Omron Automation [Link]/5702
Brushless Motors
SMAC launches the HT35
and HT55 series of brushless
motors designed for specific
OEM applications. They are
available in 7.5-, 35-, and
55-mm sizes as standard.
SMAC Moving
Coil Actuators
[Link]/5736

Code Reader for

Miniature Codes I/O System Field
Sick launches the Lector61x Wago introduces the I/O System Field designed for
compact camera-based code cabinet-free automation. It meets the requirements
reader designed to detect of decentralized production facilities, providing
1D, 2D, and stacked codes maximum performance and high-level connectivity.
for identification, inspection, Wago [Link]/5703
or content monitoring in
production processes.
Sick [Link]/5735

Item Detection
Camera
Cognex introduces
the 3D-A1000 Item
Detection System, a
motion-capable smart
camera that can identify
the presence or absence
Rotor Motors
of objects on all types Nanotec expands its line of BLDC motors with the
of sorters traveling at DFA90 external rotor motor, which has a rated
production line speeds. power of up to 170 W and a diameter of 90 mm.

Cognex [Link]/5738 Nanotec [Link]/5704

Automation_Technology_1020.indd 132 9/24/20 2:06 PM

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Automation_Technology_1020.indd 133 9/22/20 6:39 AM

134 PW OCT2020
SUSTAINABLE PACKAGING

Laundry Pod Pioneer

Advances Sustainability
with Move to E-Commerce
The first company to launch liquid laundry detergent pods in 2005, Dropps moves from
retail to D2C to strengthen its responsiveness to consumers and advance its sustainable
packaging efforts.
WHAT
YOU’LL Sustainable product & packaging E-commerce strategy
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By Anne Marie Mohan, Senior Editor

In 2012, Procter & Gamble made a splash in the laundry products mar- Over the years, Dropps has pioneered other firsts in the single-dose
ket with its introduction of single-dose, dissolvable pods containing detergent pod market. For example, in 2015 it was the first in the U.S.
concentrated detergent that reduced the use of water from 50% to 10%. to introduce an aversive bittering agent to the capsule’s water-soluble
The concept was lauded for injecting some much-needed innovation film as a precautionary measure for child safety. Despite the company’s
into the category and represented a significant step in sustainability by ingenuity however, the preferential treatment given by retailers to “big
a global brand owner. laundry,” as Dropps founder and CEO Jonathan Propper refers to well-
But years before Tide’s announcement—seven, to be exact—Phila- known brands such as Tide and others, as well as a recent saturation of
delphia-based Cot’n Wash, Inc., introduced what was actually the first green brands in the category motivated Dropps in 2017 to move
water-soluble laundry pod with its Dropps brand. In contrast to Tide’s away entirely from retail to an e-commerce model.
product however, removing the excess water was just one aspect of According to Propper, the shift to Direct-to-Consumer
Dropps’ sustainability proposition. Its formulation was also biodegrad- sales has significantly enhanced the company’s ability
able—a rarity at the time. to gather and act on insights from consumers and
has further reduced its products’ environmen-
tal footprint. In early 2020, the company
The shipper for Dropps’ 64-ct order is a shared that it had experienced year-over-
unique construction of two tuck-top year sales growth for the previous two years,
E-flute corrugated boxes, each holding driven exclusively by direct-to-consumer (D2C)
32 pods, that are connected at the e-commerce. Since its inception, the company
bottom with a perforated panel. has sold more than 50 million pods.
On Feb. 18, 2020, London-based investment firm
The Craftory, which describes itself as a “cause capital,
counter-corporate, and anti-traditional VC” firm, an-
nounced it would be investing $16 million in the com-
pany. Given that The Craftory invests only in mission-driven
challenger brands, news of the partnership was an affirmation of
Dropps’ eco-conscious efforts and its growing success.

Pod packaging progression

Dropps’ roots go back to the early 1980s, when Propper and his
mother, Lenore Propper Schwarz, developed a detergent that would be
gentle enough for the cotton sweaters they produced at their textile

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136 PW OCT2020

factory, Conshohocken Cotton Co. The first iteration, Cot’n Wash, elimi- we make smaller?’ Then we thought the last thing anyone needed was
nated the enzymes used in traditional hand-laundry detergents, which another huge drippy, sticky jug of detergent to deal with. So we put all
the company says can damage fabric fibers over time, as well as irritate the cleaning power in small, convenient, dissolvable pacs. Each is pre-
sensitive skin. measured to make laundry down-right fool-proof. You just drop ’em in
Dropps’ website tells the story of the next evolution of the product: the laundry. Voila! Dropps was born.”
“With all the stuff we took out of this new detergent, we knew we had The single-dose pods use a dissolvable, low/mid-hydrolysis polyvi-
a small wonder on our hands. Which got us thinking: ‘What else can nyl alcohol membrane to contain the liquid detergent. The PVOH used
by Dropps is listed on the EPA’s CleanGredients data-
base—the definitive marketplace for chemical ingre-
dients whose formulations have been pre-approved by
the U.S. EPA for use in Safer Choice-labeled products.
After the pod membrane dissolves in the washer, it en-
ters the water stream, and micro-organisms, including
bacteria, yeasts, and fungi that commonly exist in wa-
ter treatment plants, consume the monomers.

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The layout of the shipper allows it to be closed

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While Propper says he can’t disclose the company’s

suppliers, he notes that Dropps has invested time and
resources in ensuring that all its suppliers meet its
high standards for safety and sustainability.
Since the pod was launched, the product’s second-
With the holiday season approaching and more people shopping online than ever before, ary packaging has gone through several iterations,
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ET Xtreme™ tape head, can improve your packaging uct was packaged using an rPET clamshell,” shares
RSHUDWLRQZLWKORZHUFRVWVDQGKLJKHUHIƓFLHQF\3OXV Propper. “Then in 2007/2008, we switched to a flexible
our printed tapes can help you create customized stand-up pouch to reduce plastic and create a more ef-
packaging solutions while ensuring the security of ficient package. One high-density polyethylene plastic
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made it non-recyclable. In 2011, the company part-
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Laundry Detergent Pouch Brigade to collect pouches after use, but ac-
cording to Propper, “the process was inconvenient for the consumer,
adoption was incredibly low, and it ultimately led to more plastic pack-
aging production.
“Then, in 2016, we rethought our packaging to introduce the world’s
first liquid unit-dose laundry detergent packaged in a recyclable, com-
postable, and repulpable container.” When Dropps transitioned to D2C
the following year, the durable construction of the corrugated packag-
ing allowed it to double as a shipper as well, further reducing excess
packaging.

Compact and clever shipper

In the e-commerce age, it’s not uncommon for emerging brands to
launch online first to quickly expand their geographical reach and then
move to retail as their brand grows. Dropps took the exact opposite
route, completely removing its products from store shelves and shifting
entirely to online sales—a move that Propper says has enabled it to
boost consumer convenience and sustainability.
As opposed to pod products from “When third-party retailers were part of our strategy, we didn’t have
‘big laundry’ that use multiple very much insight on consumer behavior from our retail partners. Now,
chambers and colorants in their we have a direct line of communication with our customers, which
formulas, Dropps’ pods use just one gives us invaluable insight to streamline the user experience and help
layer of PVOH and contain natural, us formulate new products,” he says. “Also, the traditional third-party
transparent ingredients. retail model is extremely wasteful. Quite simply put, it adds an extra
layer of shipping into the supply chain. By eliminating those retailers,

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Dropps Partners with Oceana

to Protect World’s Oceans
In September 2019, Dropps announced a partnership
with Oceana, an international organization focused on
protecting the world’s oceans, “to make prevention the
cure by addressing the issue of plastic pollution at the
source,” said Dropps at the time of the announcement.
“At Dropps, we are dedicated to designing daily
consumer products in a manner that is convenient for the
consumer and engineers-out single-use plastic. To some
extent we are all experiencing Sustainability Anxiety
Disorder (SAD). Dropps gives families easy-to-use
solutions that are both eco-responsible and economical—
which, if multiplied across a multitude of families, can
have a measurable impact both on the planet and their
wallets,” said Propper. “This forms part of our initiative,
One Family, One Home, One Future.”
The One Family, One Home, One Future platform is
designed to educate American households on small, easy
changes that, in the aggregate, can have a big impact on
the environment. Elements of the platform include content
and initiatives on a dedicated Dropps site that are being
rolled out throughout a year-long partnership. They include:
• Educating consumers on the impact of their actions
and choices, and encouraging them to care about the
massive global plastic pollution crisis.
• Providing actionable and shareable content, including
articles, infographics, interactive quizzes, and a
pledge to eliminate single-use plastic.
• Advising individuals on how to choose plastic-free
alternatives, and mobilizing industry and government
to do the same.
“Plastic is everywhere in our ocean—floating on the
surface, mixing in the saltwater, and sitting on the ocean
bottom, miles and miles deep. And it’s no secret that the
household consumer goods category contributes to the
problem,” said Andy Sharpless, CEO of Oceana. “Dropps
is showing that companies can address this issue now and
reduce throwaway plastic by giving people real plastic-free
choices. We face a tsunami of plastic in our future, unless
more companies also take meaningful action.” PW

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our product goes from warehouse to the customer’s doorstep, reducing a unique construction of two tuck-top E-flute corrugated boxes, each
our carbon footprint in the process.” holding 32 pods, that are connected at the bottom with a perforated
Dropps detergent pods are available as a one-time purchase or on panel. The layout of the shipper allows it to be closed like a book, with
a subscription basis, for a 25% discount, and come in quantities of 64 one box placed upside down on top of the other. When the consumer
(Single), 120 (Couple), and 240 (Family). Products are also available in receives the shipper, they can separate the two boxes via the perfora-
bulk quantities of 804. tions for easy storage.
The secondary-package-turned-shipper for Dropps’ 64-ct order is Despite holding enough detergent for 64 loads of laundry, the ship-
per is compact, with its front and back panels sized to
fit a 4 x 6-in. shipping label. As noted, the corrugated
material that makes up the box is robust enough that
the pods can be loose-packed without the risk of dam-
age. In addition, the stability of the pods’ PVOH mem-

Partner With the brane also helps protect them in transit.

“These days, almost everything you get in the mail
is double-packed,” says Propper. “No one likes getting
Product Inspection Experts a box inside a box, and it’s a huge waste of resources.
That’s why our packaging doubles as a shipping con-
tainer.”
For ultimate brand protection, regulatory Giving the packaging material its sustainability
credentials, Dropps’ corrugated board suppliers are
compliance, and an improved bottom line. Forestry Stewardship Council-certified, with forests
certified by the Sustainable Forestry Initiative. The
tape used to seal the shipper is a kraft paper material,
which Dropps chose after consumers called for the
Metal Detection company to swap out the plastic tape it had been us-
ing previously. “We’ve even gone several steps further
by using recycling-compatible adhesive [RCA] to ensure
the [paper] tape remains recyclable and compostable
X-ray Inspection after use,” says Propper. “Our sustainable shipping la-
bels are also recyclable and compostable and use the
same RCA as our packaging tape.” The labels’ release
liners are recyclable too, unlike traditional silicone-

Checkweighing coated liners.

Watch Dropps’ cheeky YouTube commercial,

“The Naked Truth About Laundry,”
here: [Link]/6724
Vision Inspection Aesthetically, the kraft shipper is brown on the out-
side and white on the inside, with copy and line draw-
ings printed in dark blue throughout. When the shipper
is open, a note from Propper with the heading, “We’re
Track & Trace All in This Together,” is visible on the connecting panel.
Penned pre-COVID, his message refers to Dropps’ com-
mitment to making “sustainable and powerful cleaning
Our solutions prevent contamination, minimize product accessible to all.” Copy and illustrations on the outer
panels of the shipper read, “Save Plastic,” “Save Time,”
giveaway, and protect your brand image. “Save Water,” and “Save Money,” while a message on
the inside of the opening flap of each box asks consum-
ers to “Please re-use, recycle, or compost this box.”
Visit us at Pack Expo Connects According to Propper, the driving force behind
to See All New Products and Dropps’ packaging design is the digital and customer
Live Demonstrations! experience. “When we were in third-party retailers, we
had to comply with their standards and requirements
for packaging in order to sit on their retail shelf, and
even then, ‘big laundry’ was always front and center. It

[Link]/pi

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[Link] 143 9/22/20 9:27 AM
 144 PW OCT2020

was truly a hierarchical caste system,” he says. “Now that our business
is 100% e-commerce, our packaging is designed for efficacy and sustain-
ability, with aesthetics being a close second.
“Our compact packaging size allows us to maximize space when it
comes to shipping, and the same can be said for the end user as well.
Smaller living is becoming more apparent, especially for our customers
in major cities. Sustainability is a journey, so we continue to innovate
our packaging, while keeping sustainability top of mind.”

Not all pods are created equal

Since water-soluble pods were first introduced to the market, nearly
every major brand as well as smaller players in the laundry and dish-
cleaning products markets have launched single-dose detergent packs.
But not all pods are created equal. Says Propper, Dropps prides itself on
offering a safer, more sustainable clean than its competitors.
According to Dropps, in contrast to some mainstream detergent pod
products that contain more than 20 different chemicals, its pods use
just six natural ingredients and are free of phosphates, dyes, and non-
ylphenol ethoxylates (NPEs), which are toxic to aquatic life. The pods
themselves are smaller too. Dropps pods weigh 10 g and use a single
layer of PVOH. In comparison, many of its competitors’ products weigh
25 g-plus and comprise multiple chambers filled with “water, unneces-
Over the years, Dropps has added to its dissolvable-pod
sary additives, and colorants.”
household cleaning line with products such as this powdered,
In the years since it first developed its liquid laundry detergent,
lemon-scented dishwash detergent.
Dropps has reformulated the product and has developed new product

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lines with the EPA’s CleanGredients ingredient database as a guiding more options than ever to be ‘eco-responsible.’ It can be overwhelming
resource. Dropps’ products now also include scent booster and fabric to some, especially when greenwashing buzzwords come into play,” he
softener pods for the laundry, oxi-booster pods for household and laun- says. “Because Dropps has such a tenure and a reputation that supports
dry use, and dish detergent pods, all in powder form. it, we have been able to maintain trust with both experienced and nov-
While many eco-friendly-positioned household cleaning products ice sustainable households.”
have entered the market of late, Propper says Dropps’ longevity in the In the online space, Dropps offers another competitive benefit ver-
space has been a big selling point for the brand. “The customer has sus its competitors as well: The company recently achieved carbon-
neutral shipping status. In addition, it now offers free
carbon-neutral shipping on all of its products.

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Merge, Divert, Lane, Sort: It’s what we do. Full supply chain control
For many brands, both startup and established,
one of the more complex aspects of implementing
Wednesday, November 11th: 10:15 a.m. an e-commerce strategy is logistics, or shipping D2C,
rather than to a distributor. Instead of employing a
Hand Pack & Semi-Automated Ideas 3PL, Dropps operates its own distribution and fulfill-
ment center in Franklin Park, Ill., a northwest suburb
Wednesday, November 11th: 1:15 p.m. of Chicago. Propper says the location was strategically
Avoid Costly Sanitary Equipment Retrofits selected, “as historically this region of the country has
always been the epicenter of logistics because of the
seemingly equal distance from end to end.”
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However for Dropps, that has always been the case,”
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 147

our distribution center, we have made significant in-

vestments in our logistics and warehouse staff to meet
this new normal.
“Prior to being D2C, we had to trust our product
in the hands of the complex logistics systems of third-
party retailers, many of which have been scrutinized
as of late because of the way they operate. Now that
we control the entire supply chain, including logistics,
we ensure that all operations are efficient and sustain- Standard-Knapp is here to help keep your product flowing.
able, and not just for the consumer, but also for our
valued staff that are fulfilling all of these orders and We recognize that this is an uncertain time for
successfully keeping our supply chain moving.” everyone. Here at Standard-Knapp, we are Join Us For
committed to providing you with the standard
A risk that has paid off of service you are used to, and to continue Live Demos >
Moving out of retail to a 100% D2C model turned producing the best packaging machinery
out to be a very successful strategy for Dropps, but it available today.
was not without its risks. One of the biggest challenges,
says Propper, was increasing brand awareness. “Brand
Our customers and employees will
always be our first priority. Thank you for
TriWraptor
discovery wasn’t happening in brick-and-mortar since allowing our company the opportunity to THE FUTURE OF TRAY/SHRINK
we were no longer on the shelf,” he says. “So how do you earn your business daily.
find the consumers to whom your brand appeals if they
don’t walk by and pick up your product on the shelf?” Standard-Knapp, Inc.
Dropps addressed this challenge by heavily in- 63 Pickering Street, Portland, CT
vesting in various digital marketing plays. “That, cou- info@[Link]
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148 PW OCT2020

D2C/e-comm, has been our saving grace,” Propper notes. connection back to customer service,” Propper says. “When we were
Further propelling its success has been the opportunity the D2C in traditional retailers, we didn’t have the insight into who our cus-
model has afforded the company to quickly understand and adapt to tomers were. We couldn’t see how or when they bought our products,
consumer behavior. Using sophisticated e-commerce tools, Dropps is and we couldn’t hear what they wanted from us. Now, our customers
able to generate consumer data, providing a glimpse into how its cus- have direct access to us. We can see the varying nuances of laundry day
tomers shop and what they expect. from customer to customer via Instagram. We can hear how Dropps
“Big data aside, moving to e-commerce only has brought human has allowed families to cut down on their plastic waste in our prod-
uct reviews. We can gather feedback on how we can
improve, or what we should do next via our 24/7 cus-
tomer service.

Schneider is a
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We have been designing the
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Jonathan Propper,
founder & CEO,
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Big data aside, moving to

e-commerce only has brought
human connection back to
customer service.
“In addition to this human connectedness, mov-
ing to e-commerce has allowed us to significantly cut
down on waste. We thrive in the digital world. So much
so that outside of our warehouse, all Dropps staff work
remote to help cut down on our carbon footprint. This
has been the case for the past four years.”
Moving forward, Propper says Dropps will use the
$16 million investment from The Craftory to continue
to broaden its product offerings, expand its market
reach, and build its sustainably-focused infrastruc-
ture. “The Craftory is an ideal partner for our business,
and I’m humbled by their investment,” he says. “Their
founders and operational team provide more than just
money to their portfolio companies. In addition, The
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154 PW OCT2020

Two labellers, too By replacing so much of its hot-fill production with aseptic filling,
Bickford’s gained great freedom in terms of packaging design and con-
Also notable is that the line incorporates two labelling machines.
The 1-L bottles filled on the SF300 are always labelled on a Fuji Seal
tainer decoration. In total, the new line now processes more than 20
different SKUs, including still water, CSD, four different flavored waters,
shrink sleeve labeller that applies a partial PETG shrink sleeve label.
coffee-flavored milk, coffee-flavored non-dairy products, and eight types
But the 250-mL, 500-mL, and 1-L bottles filled aseptically can either be
of juices. In addition to switching quickly from one product to another,
decorated by this sleeve labeller or they can bypass it and receive front,
the line also moves efficiently from 250-mL to 500-mL to 1-L bottle sizes.
back, and neck pressure-sensitive labels applied by a Sidel labeller.
Throughout the project, Sidel’s packaging experts
worked in close collaboration with Bickford’s market-
ing team to launch their products. “Looking at our wa-
ter and CSD range filled through the Combi SF300, we
wanted to achieve an iconic shape to help our brand
stand out in a very crowded marketplace. Our new
Engineered for Performance bottles needed to offer convenient handling to our
consumers and be robust enough to hold their ergo-
nomic shape and carbonation once opened,” explains
Beverley Reeves, Senior Brand Manager at Bickford’s.
Nalbach Engineering’s NECOFLO-G6 high speed In the case of Bickford’s water and CSD bottles, the
powder filler runs faster, cleaner, provides superior Sidel packaging team started from scratch. The bottle
they came up with incorporates Sidel’s StarLITE base.
product settling and fill accuracy. Formed during blow molding, it gives the finished
bottle improved mechanical properties—without the
need for adding additional weight to the bottle—that
help it resist deformation that might otherwise occur
due to top load weight during distribution.
A redesign was also needed for the family of drinks
previously packaged via hot-fill technology and now
packaged aseptically. In this case, the top priority was
to retain as much of the previous design’s brand equity
while at the same time achieving some serious light-
weighting goals. The results are impressive. The asepti-
cally filled 1-L juice bottle weighs in at 32 g, which is
half of what its hot-filled predecessor weighed. Not to
mention that the hot-filled PET bottles needed vacuum
panels in the sidewalls to prevent the bottles from de-
Patent Pending forming as internal pressure formed during product
cooling. With aseptic filling, these vacuum panels are
The NECOFLO-G6 has been designed from the ground up and provides no longer required, which translates into a smooth and
the following features: far more attractive surface on which to apply a label.
• Controlled valve actuation “We were really impressed by Sidel’s package design
• Single piece, FDA approved, long life, elastic polymer container seal capabilities,” says Reeves. “To streamline our decision
• Bi-flow, self cleaning vent system process, they provided many bottle design alternatives
• Recipe driven, multiple zone, product settling system and great conceptual designs with current labels as
• Stainless steel measuring flasks well as new prototypes. Considering the productivity
• “Lift Table” for each container advantages we gained and the high consumer accep-
• Variable height fill head tance around our redesigned containers, we are plan-
• Closed loop MAP gassing system ning to strengthen the cooperation with Sidel further
• “no-container no-fill” system by launching additional new formats.”

For more information Video: Hot-fill lines removed

and specifications call Scan the QR To install the new line, Bickford’s reorganized pro-
Nalbach at: Code to the right duction set-up and raw material handling. This pro-
+1-708-579-9100, to learn more cess was made easier by the removal of two out of
go to about the Nalbach three hot-fill lines previously in place. The challenge
[Link], or NECOFLO-G6. was to complete the installation without disrupting
scan the QR Code to
the right. [Link] ©2020 Nalbach Engineering Company, Inc.

[Link] 154 9/22/20 8:50 AM

[Link] 155 9/22/20 8:52 AM
156 PW OCT2020

the production routines, while also packaging solution when Predis and
securing the very high hygienic re- Capdis are combined.
quirements needed in aseptic pro- Included in the new operation
duction. is aseptic processing technology
The Aseptic Combi Predis system from Tetra Pak Processing Systems,
has six blowing stations that feed which, like Sidel, is part of the Tetra
directly into 30 filling stations. The Laval Group based in Switzerland.
key value proposition of the whole Maximum speed is 13,500 bottles/
Predis concept is that it is small hr on 1-L bottles.
preforms that are being decontami- Over on the non-aseptic blow/
nated prior to blowing rather than fill operation, where 1-L bottles
blown bottles being decontaminat- are filled at speeds to 18,000 bot-
ed. With this approach, there is no tles/hr, the Combi SF300 has eight
need to rinse with water, thus the blow stations and 70 filling valves.
term “dry decontamination.” Filled bottles run through a 10-sta-
Predis technology employs the Both of the newly installed filling systems feed into this tion capper. Also featured on the
injection of H2O2 into the preform wraparound case packer. Combi SF300 is Sidel’s compact and
just before it enters the oven. This hygienic BlendFill configuration for
results in activation of the H2O2 by the existing preform heating stage, CSD products, combining carbonator and filler in a single system for
ensuring a high level of decontamination while minimizing not only the reduced consumption of CO2. Gebo OptiDry, a fully washable, stainless
size of the item being decontaminated but also the size of the sterile steel drying system with a proven efficiency of over 99%, is integrated.
zone required. Critical parameters are continuously monitored to ensure Downstream from the two Combi blow/fill systems, their two dis-
full production sterility, beverage integrity, and food safety, regardless of charge conveyors merge into a single conveyor leading to the rest of
liquid type or beverage characteristics. The same dry decontamination the line. This includes a VersaWrap wrap-around case packer and a Pa-
technology is applied to caps with Capdis, ensuring a 100% dry aseptic lAccess palletizer, both from Sidel, followed by a stretch wrapper from

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[Link] 156 9/22/20 8:54 AM




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[Link] 157 9/22/20 8:55 AM
158 PW OCT2020

Robopac. These pieces of equipment are designed with multi-format case, and a thermal-transfer print-and-apply labeller that applies a la-
versatility and fast and simple format changeovers in mind, therefore bel to each wrapped pallet.
perfectly suiting Bickford’s needs. According to Reeves, “We produce according to forecasts, so it’s hard
Naturally, date coding of primary, secondary, and tertiary packaging to say if half the running time is aseptic and the other half not. The
is part of the new line. This is accomplished by various Videojet sys- flexibility built into the line lets us pivot from one filler to the next de-
tems, including an ink-jet coder that marks the shoulder of each bottle, pending on what is required.”
a thermal-transfer print-and-apply labeller that labels each corrugated Bickford’s first sellable product from the new line was introduced to
the market in the summer of 2019. The firm celebrat-
ed the opening ceremony for the line commissioning
in September in the presence of Australian Prime Min-
ister Scott Morrison and Premier of South Australia,
SUPER COMBI COMPACT Steven Marshall.

MORE PERFORMANCE,
LESS SPACE.

This shrink sleeve labeler is one of two labeling

systems on the line.
Sidel Super Combi Compact integrates five process
steps into a single system: preform feeder, blower,
“It’s a pretty advanced and capable line with a lot
labeller, filler/capper and cap feeder. of new equipment, so we had to get comfortable with
that level of sophistication,” says Reeves as she looks
This solution drastically reduces the space
required, while enhancing performance thanks
back over the past year. “But we’re proud of how it’s
to new dynamic filling technology that produces gone. There were two key drivers. One was to future-
up to 54,000 bph. This makes it the ideal proof the business by bringing in capabilities we did
solution for maximising water production and
not have at the time and leveraging them not only
increasing line efficiency while reducing
your TCO. for our own brands but for contract packaging busi-
ness, too. And the second was to create something that
That’s one compact, super-efficient was world-class, something that would identify us as a
solution.
leader, something that would say we are firmly plant-
ed here and this is where we are going to stay.” PW

[Link]/supercombicompact

[Link] 158
ADVSuperCombiCompact_5.125x8.375inch_03092020.indd 1 03.09.20 13:27 9/22/20 8:57 AM
[Link] 159 9/22/20 8:58 AM
160 PW OCT2020

The caramel wafer biscuits

are individually die-fold
wrapped in aluminum.

Caramel Wafers are Wrapped

and Case Packed at 650/Min
New packaging line for caramel wafer biscuits from Scotland’s Tunnock’s die-fold wraps,
multipacks, and case packs caramel wafer biscuits with high flexibility and fast changeover.
WHAT
YOU’LL Die-fold wrapping Horizontal flow wrapping Flexible case packing
LEARN

By Anne Marie Mohan, Senior Editor

Thomas Tunnock Limited, commonly known as Tunnock’s, is a family- to me, I always buy the best equipment. I am happy with my Syntegon
owned baking business based in Uddingston, near Glasgow, Scotland. packaging lines, and that’s why I asked them to suggest a solution for
Founded in 1890 by Thomas Tunnock, the company is now one of the our new caramel wafer line.”
region’s largest employers and is renowned in the U.K. for its caramel One of the requirements for the new line was that it have a smaller
wafer biscuits and teacakes. footprint than Tunnock’s existing equipment, due to limited space in a
Sir Boyd Tunnock, the 86-year-old Chairman and CEO of Tunnock’s new packaging hall. In addition, machinery on the line had to be easy
and the grandson of Thomas Tunnock, sets high standards not only for to operate, clean, and maintain for fast changeovers.
the manufacturing of the company’s products, but also for the packag- Syntegon’s solution was a two-leg packaging system, comprising a
ing of the products. In 2017, due to a steady growth in demand for Sigpack DFR buffer, two die-fold machines from Sapal, two Sigpack HCM
its caramel wafers, Tunnock’s decided to invest in an additional pro- horizontal flow wrappers, and a Sigpack TTMC case packer.
duction and packaging line to increase its output. Having worked with
Syntegon, formerly Bosch Packaging Technology, for decades, Sir Boyd Buffer, linear motor ensure constant product flow
Tunnock turned to the equipment supplier to provide the needed pack- Tunnock’s Real Milk Chocolate Caramel Wafer Biscuits come in one
aging equipment. size: 94 mm L x 29 mm W x 20 mm high. Packaging of the product on
Says Tunnock, “As quality and reliability are of highest importance the line takes place after the caramel wafers are enrobed in chocolate

[Link] 160 9/25/20 6:05 AM

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162 PW OCT2020

of the buffer’s gondola and move through the buffer to the discharge
zone. Here, the rows are discharged on a first-in-first-out basis on two
levels to the infeeds of the two wrapping legs.
Should either or both of the downstream legs stop running, the buf-
fer will start to accumulate rows of products by moving the two triple
carriages down. This increases the percentage of filled gondolas within
the DFR buffer. Once the interruption is remedied, the downstream legs
speed up to empty the buffer as quickly as possible. The DFR can ac-
cumulate products for up to 12 minutes.

Watch video of the system at [Link]/5496.

Each wrapping leg consists of a metal detector from a proprietary
third-party supplier, a Sapal DPN7 single-lane aluminum foil wrapping
Via the Syntegon horizontal flow wrapper, individually-wrapped machine, and a Sigpack HCM multipack flow-wrapping machine with
wafers are multipacked in units of four, five, six, or eight. Sigpack FIT intelligent infeed.
In the first step, the wafers are wrapped singly in aluminum by the
and then cooled to an appropriate temperature so they can be auto- DPN7 die-fold wrapping machine at speeds to 400 packs/min. After
matically handled and packaged. wrapping, the packs are discharged crosswise and evenly spaced onto
Once on the packaging line, the wafers are transported to a 90-de- the infeed of the Sigpack HCM multipack flow-wrapping machine.
gree-angled infeed conveyor and are passed on to a row aligner down- One of the reasons Syntegon says Tunnock’s chose the HCM was the
stream. Here, rows are accurately aligned before moving on to the in- machine’s FIT infeed system, which uses Beckhoff XTS linear motors,
feed of the DFR buffer. The rows are then accelerated to the required rather than a traditional infeed with chains, to assemble group packs.
speed for loading onto gondola shelves within the buffer. Misaligned This vacuum-free technology provides gentle handling for the wrapped
rows are rejected beforehand by way of a pull-nose dump and a lat- wafers to protect the products. It also enables a fast and continuous flow
eral reject conveyor. Suitable product rows are passed on to the shelves of product within the machine, where the packs are collated into groups

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164 PW OCT2020

of four, five, six, or eight. After collation, movers emerge in the appropri- Easy changeover, high-flexibility case packer
ate gap and push the groups to the HCM wrappers. After multipacking, the flow-wrapped packs are transported in two
Syntegon adds that the XTS linear motor technology also enables streams from the two flow wrappers into one Sigpack TTMC case packer.
format changes at the push of a button, without the need to use tools The TTMC is based on Syntegon’s TTM platform, which Syntegon says
or to add or remove lugs. In addition, the machine supplier notes that was engineered for extreme flexibility for different formats and pack
continuous production is also aided by fast and safe film reel changes, styles and offers a high degree of process safety.
which are enabled by automatic film splicing. On Tunnock’s caramel wafer line, the TTMC uses two parallel in-
feed chains to index the multipacks into batches on
edge before they are pushed out into a joint collating
unit that forms and compresses rows of multipacks
on edge. The collated rows of packs are then lifted by
an overhead robot and are top loaded into an erected
+RZWR(QDEOH5HPRWH:RUNIRU<RXU RSC case. Tunnock’s uses three case sizes, which hold
20-, 30-, and 40-ct multipacks of product. Once a case
3DFNDJLQJ7HDPZLWK6SHFULJKW is full, it is transported out of the TTMC and passes
through an integrated taper that closes and tapes the
MATTHEW quickly adapt. In early March, we top flaps of the case.
WRIGHT transitioned our Designed for easy, tool-less changeover, the TTMC
Founder & CEO, One of our customers, company to a “work has lightweight, pre-formatted changeparts that are
Specright the packaging from home” model. As easily locked and unlocked to ensure the complete
company Gadge USA, a software company,
reproducibility of settings. Explains Syntegon Sales
is in the midst of this it was simple. Since
During the COVID-19 transition. I spoke we use cloud-based Manager Meyrick Hilton Long, “All of the components
pandemic, many with Anne Mao, their systems, as long as that have to be exchanged during a changeover are
companies have Director for Customer employees have their designed in a way that one person can handle them
struggled to transition Experience. For Anne laptops and an internet and do the format changeover in a very short time.”
to remote work - and her team, their VPN connection there is
especially packaging
teams.
couldn’t support the
FOUJSFPGmDFXPSLJOH
no change in our
capabilities or response
Requirements met
from home without times. Installed in June 2018, the new, two-leg packaging
Why? Because huge lag times. Moving line has an overall footprint that is four meters, or ap-
packaging to a cloud-based It should be easier proximately 13 ft, smaller than Tunnock’s existing lines.
professionals have software like Specright for packaging Says Tunnock’s Project Manager Stuart Loudon, “The
never been given the will help them both professionals and
digital tools they need increase performance manufacturers to do the
to do their jobs. and collaboration – no same.
matter where they are.
Most are using The world is demanding
spreadsheets, PDFs, With Specright, more of packaging -
shared drives, or packaging and supply you need to design
outdated systems. chain teams can use for more channels,
7KHVHDUHGLIÀFXOWWR their phones, tablets, or mOENPSFTVTUBJOBCMF
XVHLQWKHRIÀFHDQG
EDVLFDOO\LPSRVVLEOH
computers to log in and
have access to all the
options, and quickly
adapt to change.
CONNECTS
to use outside of it. data they need within
seconds. And as a society, we
I created Specright, can’t afford to have you
UIFmSTUQVSQPTF 7KH\FDQVWLOOORJ miss a beat.
built software TXDOLW\LVVXHVFUHDWH
Live. virtual. reimagined.
GPS4QFDJmDBUJPO QHZVSHFLÀFDWLRQV 7KDW·VZK\LW·V Interested in flow wrapping,
Management, to help RUFRPPXQLFDWHZLWK time to give multipacking, or case packing
packaging and supply VXSSOLHUV²DOOIURP \RXUSDFNDJLQJ equipment? Don’t miss
chain professionals WKHFRPIRUWRIWKHLU teams the right
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NBOBHFTQFDJmDBUJPO own home. WRROVWRGRWKH
data and collaborate job. a wide range of packaging line
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[Link] 165 9/25/20 6:16 AM

166 PW OCT2020

new Syntegon packaging line is very compact.

It saves us valuable floor space and achieves
excellent efficiency results at maximum flex-
ibility. The machines are easy to operate, easy
to clean, and easy to maintain, which helps us
to achieve a continuous product flow.”
Along with the new line, Tunnock’s decided
to take advantage of Syntegon’s training pack-
age for its operators and maintenance staff.
Through a combined classroom and practical
machine training program, Tunnock’s employ-
ees learned how to maintain and adjust the
new equipment. In addition to the training
course, Syntegon also provides support through
its U.K. service hub in Derby, England. “After the
installation, the support has always been very
good as we worked very closely with the Syn-
tegon experts. This is beneficial for both Syn- The TTCM case packer can handle 20-, 30-, and 40-ct cases with fast and easy changeover.
tegon and ourselves,” Loudon says.
After several months of operation, Tunnock’s found that the produc- And the joint projects between Tunnock’s and Syntegon are not over
tion levels on the new line—at 650 packs/min—repeatedly exceeded yet. Sir Boyd Tunnock has decided to invest in two more Syntegon ma-
those achieved on its existing lines. “With the new line having the intel- chines to assist in the company’s growth. “We are keen to take our pro-
ligent infeed system, we expect to generate a fast return on investment duction to the next level,” he explains. “Knowing each other’s business
based on increased efficiency, quicker changeover times, and reduced for more than 25 years is a great advantage and translates into an open
maintenance costs,” says Bill Gow, Financial Director at Tunnock’s. and trustful business and personal relationship.” PW

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168 PW OCT2020

At 33 m in length, 13 sub-machines, and up to 33,000 bottles an hour—the new packaging machine at Rotkäppchen-Mumm not
only has an impressive set of statistics but also provides outstanding flexibility.

Big Packaging Line in a

Small Footprint? No Problem
if it Handles Every Format
With the large but flexible Innopack TLM packaging system, a KHS and Schubert
collaboration, this many-SKU winery introduced just one machine to pack
a dozen formats and varieties.
WHAT
YOU’LL Single-solution for multi-SKU case-packing
LEARN

Matt Reynolds, Editor

With 180 years of history behind it, German wine maker Rotkäppchen- different packaging styles required is thus also sizeable, proving some-
Mumm Sektkellereien has in modern times grown into a world-lead- thing of a challenge for production.
ing manufacturer of wine and spirits. Since 1984, the brand with the “Up until now we needed a separate secondary packaging machine
eponymous red cap (in German, Rotkäppchen refers to the “Little Red for each format,” says Lars Grebe, head of Sparkling Wine at the Rot-
Riding Hood” nursery rhyme) has been the leader for sparkling wine in käppchen-Mumm Enology Competence Center in Eltville, Germany. The
the local Saale-Unstrut wine-growing region. More recently, it has been Center is where the winery’s all-star sparkling wine brands—Mumm,
acquiring complementary wine brands and vineyards on its journey to MM Extra, and Rotkäppchen fruit secco—are filled into 0.75-liter bottles
offer a comprehensive selection of wines of all varieties. The range of and piccolo containers holding 200 mL. “Our production site is in the

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170 PW OCT2020

isfy growing market and marketing requirements. The company arrived

at a collaboration between two local German companies with global
scope—KHS and Gerhard Schubert GmbH. Working together on the
Innopack TLM packaging system, these two suppliers were able to mas-
ter this mammoth task using just one machine to cover an immense
variety of wines and their ensuing pack formats.

Taming a growing SKU and format list

The packaging variants range from batches to individual bottles in a
gift pack—which are bundled in wrap-around cartons of 24 for ease of
transport—to clusters of four bottles. When the packaging system was
first ordered, the list already included nine formats, and further formats
were added during the machine’s commissioning. The need for more
varieties is in part due to the fact that market requirements in Germany
and Europe are changing ever faster, and the shelf space provided by re-
“Compared to our previous standard we’ve doubled the line tailers is not always increasing despite the growing variety of products.
capacity for our gift packs of one and two bottles,” reports This is why, for example, in the future 12-pack cartons might have to be
Lars Grebe, head of Sparkling Wine at the Rotkäppchen-Mumm filled with two 6-packs instead of the previous 3x4 bottle-format. The
Enology [study of wine] Competence Center in Eltville, Germany. KHS and Schubert mono-block solution implements all desired formats
in a single machine at up to 600 products/min.
middle of a residential area bordered on one side by the River Rhine.
There’s therefore no room to expand. As we only have a very limited The single-machine solution
space at our disposal, it’s imperative that we make efficient use of it.” The Innopack TLM system, installed in late 2018, includes 13 sub-
Grebe and his team began looking for a specialist who could make machines, and is an impressive 33 m (108 ft) long. This is anything but
its secondary packaging area more powerful and flexible in order to sat- small, but the combined packaging system scores on performance,

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 172 PW OCT2020

one integrated module

could easily divert,
transfer and sort multiple
package types?

As many as 33,000 bottles per hour are placed by the KHS

pick-and-place packer in the cartons erected by Schubert
sub-machines.

quality, adaptability on several counts, and its flexibility to cover all

sorts of formats, making the space efficiently spent.
“Compared to our previous standard we’ve doubled the line capac-
ity for our gift packs of one and two bottles and can now package up
to 33,000 bottles an hour,” reports Grebe, who thus far has run the
machine in two-shift operation. Even so, speed is not everything, as
he is keen to emphasize. “While a shipping carton of 24 can get away
with the odd tiny flaw, we want 100% quality for our gift packs, so
there’s practically no leeway here.” After all, the person receiving the
gift should have fun unpacking it, and the wine producer believes that
beautiful wrapping makes a gift all the more enjoyable.
Speaking of gift packs, in the case of gift packaging for the MMchen
sparkling wine, for example, up to 10 of the 13 sub-machines can be
used. In the first two sub-machines, F3 robots take up to 550 blanks/
min from the magazine, depending on the desired output. Then, dF2
robots pick up the individual packs lying in a row, straighten them for
correct orientation during transfer, and place them on a Transmodul

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Regal, Creating a better tomorrow, ModSort them on the Transmodul.
and System Plast are trademarks of Regal Beloit
Corporation or one of its affiliated companies.
©2019, 2020 Regal Beloit Corporation, All Rights
Reserved. MCAD19047E • Form# 10307E

[Link] 172 9/22/20 7:49 AM

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LOGISTICS
PACKAGING

[Link] 173 9/22/20 7:50 AM

174 PW OCT2020

Securely packed and sealed

Shortly before the end of the packaging process, the shipping cases
come into play: similarly to the gift packs, flattened, die-cut shippers
are unstacked, erected, and placed on their own Transmodul line. In
the second to last sub-machine, two F2 robots lift and transfer the pre-
pared MMchen into the outer cartons—in four groups of six products.
The Schubert machine fills up to 23 cycles/min, with three Transmodul
lines working in parallel. To ensure that Rotkäppchen-Mumm can fi-
nally transport everything safely to the customers, the tabs of the large
outer cartons are also glued and closed on the upper side.
The various sub-machines are linked by Schubert’s patented Trans-
moduls. Thanks to their inductive (wireless energy transfer) energy sup-
ply and wireless transfer of data and signals they glide back and forth
on their rails along the entire line without interfaces. Maximum avail-
ability and the best possible efficiency are ensured by a considerable
Ready for delivery to customers: The shipping cases containing reduction in the number of mechanical parts.
gift packs are sealed by F2 robots.
Tight timelines for the install
for further processing. On the way to the next sub-machine, the tabs are One can imagine that the planning, installation, and commissioning
glued. There, F2 robots seal the underside of the gift packs, stand them of such a complex machine was a huge challenge for all involved. “The
up and place them in rows of two on another Transmodul line. The KHS time slot for installation was extremely ambitious,” says Max Schwaiger,
packer feeds the small bottles and carefully places them into the open who is responsible for Packaging Product Support at KHS. “Thanks to
top gift packs. In the next two sub-machines, four F2 robots then also our good project management we were able to keep to the deadlines.
seal the top of the packaging and place it on one of two further Trans- This wasn’t just a matter of course, as the growth in the number of for-
modul sections for pre-grouping. mats during the process resulted in a certain level of complexity.” Owing

[Link] 174 9/22/20 7:51 AM

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176 PW OCT2020

to the limited space at the final place of where we have to change over several
installation in Eltville, the system had to Transmodul plates, or just switching the
be completely dismantled and brought heads on the KHS pick-and-place packer,
into the building horizontally. With the this only takes 30 to 90 minutes,” Grebe
help of 3D simulation, calculations were says.
also made with millimeter accuracy as
to how much space the machine column More formats,
on the pick-and-place packer would twice the speed
need during erection of the machinery. Thanks to the Innopack TLM from
In a work of absolute precision, the ceil- KHS and Schubert, the wine producer
ing grid only had to be dismantled and benefits from a variety of formats that,
cut out at this point. according to them, no other manufac-
turer could have implemented in a sin-
Prepared for the future gle machine. And it does it in a system
The most important criterion for the that works twice as fast as the legacy
winery was flexibility. As such, the ma- equipment it replaces.
chine is designed in such a way that only “[KHS and Schubert] make a re-
a few format changes are necessary, tools ally strong team,” Grebe observes. “We’d
can be changed quickly, and the system never have come up with the idea of
can absorb new packaging variants that Schubert and its Transmoduls on our own
may be implemented in the future. as we associate these with totally differ-
“It was extremely important for us to ent branches of industry—from pharma-
know that our new packaging machine ceuticals to candies. Only in conjunction
would enable us to meet all the require- with KHS’ expertise in the beverage sector
ments of the retail trade for many years and particularly in the handling of bot-
to come,” says Joachim Engler, Technical tles have we found the perfect solution.”
Manager at Rotkäppchen-Mumm. For Rotkäppchen-Mumm one big success
“I’m convinced that we’re also well- factor was also that there was only one
able to meet future demands from the retail trade with our new tech- point of contact in KHS’ system of project management.
nology,” Grebe adds. “One prospective option could be the packaging In the meantime, the new technology also has the system operators
of 0.75-liter wine bottles, for instance, and also new format sizes, such convinced.
as packs of three or five.” Another major aspect of the machine’s flex- “Over the years our colleagues of course build up a kind of emo-
ibility is that it has been designed so that only a few format changeovers tional bond with their old machines which can be ‘knocked back into
are necessary and the tools can be switched over relatively quickly. “We shape’ with a hammer if need be,” Grebe says. “The overall function and
convert the machinery a maximum of four times a week. Depending on look of the new machine are so fascinating and convincing, however,
whether we’re making a hard change from fruit secco to sparkling wine, that initial skepticism has long given way to total enthusiasm.” PW

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178 PW OCT2020

Multipacking Applicator
Maximizes Can Output for
On-Trend Mixed Drink Producer
A multipacking applicator helped leading Canadian beverage producer Black Fly to fully
automate its packing line and double its canning output, achieving a noteworthy ROI.
WHAT
YOU’LL Flexible multipacker Sustainable can handle Multiple pack formats
LEARN

By Matt Reynolds, Editor

Based in London, Ontario, Canada, Black Fly Beverage Co. produces a and at Black Fly, the applicator is packing regular and sleek 12-oz cans
range of ready-to-drink alcoholic beverages alongside its co-packing and regular 16-oz cans in both four and six-pack cartons, at speeds of
services, beverage alcohol production, and packaging sales. With cus- up to 245 cans/min (cpm). Operating 24/7, the G2 has replaced a pre-
tomers across Canada and the U.S., the business was looking to auto- viously manual process and, at the time of purchase in June, it was
mate its previously manual multipacking process for its range of cans. expected to deliver payback within six months.
A G2 multi-packing applicator from WaveGrip, a Berry Global com- “When it comes to the multipacking of cans at mid-range volumes,
pany, was selected for the project, and Black Fly hasn’t looked back. The our research showed that the WaveGrip G2 is the only practical solu-
system was specifically designed for medium-volume can multipacking, tion in the marketplace,” says Martin Kamil, Vice President of Finance

This can multi-

packaging system
is packing six-
and four-packs
of cans at Black
Fly Beverage
Company at rates
of 245 cans per
minute.

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[Link] 179 9/22/20 6:52 AM
180 PW OCT2020

and Operations, Black Fly. “Installa- through the strength of the wider
tion was both quick and easy, with group, we knew we would have ac-
the G2 operating straight out of the cess to the latest material develop-
box. Our multipacking is now fully ments and sustainable multipack-
automated, delivering significant ing options.”
savings both in terms of output The company says the WaveGrip
and the ability to re-deploy labor G2 is competitively priced, can run
elsewhere in the business. We are multiple pack formats, and signifi-
delighted with the results we have cantly reduces downtime with its
achieved to date.” quick changeover times. With the
As well as the improvements in ability to handle both standard and
production, the sustainability of the sleek can designs, it boasts speeds
WaveGrip carriers, and their contin- of up 400 cpm for standard, and
ued material development, played Designed and engineered by manufacturing partner Massman 325 cpm for sleek carriers.
a large part in the decision-making Automation Designs, the G2 is one of the WaveGrip range of Designed and engineered by
process for Black Fly. applicators, which also includes the G1, an entry level machine, manufacturing partner Massman
Weighing less than 4g for a stan- and the larger G3 model which can handle higher volume Automation Designs, the G2 is
dard six-pack, and according to the packing. part of the WaveGrip range of ap-
company, using less material than plicators, which also includes the
any other multipacking solution, WaveGrip says it’s the lightest carrier G1, an entry level machine capable of speeds of 80 cpm, and the larger
on the market. Additionally, all WaveGrip carriers are fully recyclable in G3 model, which can handle higher volume packing over 2,000 cpm.
PE film collection streams and meet current U.S. Packaging regulations. “Overall, we have been extremely happy with our choice of Wave-
“Knowing that WaveGrip was a part of Berry Global was another im- Grip,” Kamil says. “From the build-quality of the machine through to its
portant factor in our selection of the G2 applicator,” Kamil says. “We felt consistent 24/7 performance, we would highly recommend the G2 to
reassured that the supply of carriers would grow with our business and others looking to automate their multipacking for cans.” PW

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[Link] 180 9/22/20 6:56 AM

KAGED

[Link] 181 9/22/20 6:57 AM

182 PW OCT2020

‘Quality Conscious’ Canning

This Portland, Maine, brewery decided to “dip our toes in the can market”
by installing a small filler/seamer. It quickly became clear that
a 300 can/minute line was going to be required.
WHAT
YOU’LL Minimize dissolved oxygen in cans Parallel packaging lines
LEARN

By Pat Reynolds, VP Editor Emeritus

Like plenty of other craft brewers, the folks at Allagash Brewing Co. What happened? Predictably enough, cans took off. Consumers,
watched with interest over the past few years as aluminum cans grew retailers, and wholesalers all responded enthusiastically, to the point
in popularity across the country. Wondering if it was a container format where the five-head filler just wasn’t able to cut it anymore. “So we
that they, too, should have in their portfolio, the Portland, Maine, firm pulled the trigger on a can line that runs 300 cans/min,” says Diffley.
invested in a small, in-line, five-head filler and seamer to “dip our toes “It handles 12-, 16-, and 19.2-oz cans. It’s in an 8,000-sq-ft expansion to
in the market,” as Engineering Director Sean Diffley puts it. He continues. our bottling hall. That allowed us to reposition the secondary packaging
“We’re very quality conscious here at Allagash, and we wanted to equipment of the existing bottling line so that both canning and bot-
make sure we could produce a quality product in a can before invest- tling lines run parallel and they merge at the full case conveyors. Due
ing heavily in canning operations.
Total dissolved oxygen remaining
in the can, that was the measure-
ment we were focused on. We
wanted some prior knowledge
of canning before adding on to
the building and putting a high-
volume can line in.”

Automatic full-pallet infeed

capability ahead of the
empty-can depalletizer is a
recent addition to the range
of equipment made by Ska
Fabricating. Allagash was the
first to install it. Shown below
is the brewery’s flagship beer
in both 12- and 16-oz formats.

Allagash_PW.indd 182 9/22/20 1:07 PM

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Allagash_PW.indd 183 9/22/20 1:09 PM

184 PW OCT2020

to labor restrictions we don’t run both lines simultaneously—not yet, Also in place is an automatic can-end feeding system from CSW. “It
at least. But there’s room to split the end-of-line equipment eventually. holds something like 15,000 ends and feeds them to the seamer auto-
“We installed the new line ourselves and provided our own inte- matically,” says Diffley. “Otherwise an operator has to put a sleeve of
gration services. But Ska Fabricating Products provided a lot of help ends into the seamer every two minutes or so.”
in terms of line design. We also bought our conveyors through them, Full cans are inspected by a Heuft Prime X-ray system and date cod-
including the ionized air twist-rinser.” ing on the bottom of the cans is done by a Markem-Imaje ink-jet coder.
“We have their ink-jet coder on our bottling
line as well as on the low-speed canning line
we installed, and we’ve been very pleased with
both,” says Diffley. “The Markem-Imaje coders
seem able to operate efficiently in the slightly
wetter environment that you’ll find in our
brewery. Our cans are a little wetter because
we actually warm our beer in a double heat
exchanger and add yeast and sugar before fill-
ing so that the beer is conditioned in the can
as opposed to force-carbonating the beer. It’s a
way of carbonating naturally in the can, which
gives you a better mouth feel to the beer.”

The 27-valve filler (below) plays a key role

in permitting Allagash to reach its 300
cans/min operating speed. An automated
end feeder (left) frees up operators to
perform more meaningful tasks than
putting a sleeve of ends into the seamer
every few minutes.

Both the conveyors and the rinser were made by A&E

Conveyor Systems. The can depalletizer is from Ska, and
just ahead of that is a piece of equipment from Ska that
bears serial number one.

Pallet infeed system

“It’s a pallet loader,” says Diffley, “that lets us queue
up a full pallet of empty cans in an infeed system that will
then automatically index that next pallet into the depal-
letizer rather than waiting for a fork lift driver to do it. It’s
one more way of making sure we keep the filler running
and don’t starve it of cans somehow. We were the first to
install one of these systems from Ska.”
The KHS Innofill Can C filler was selected, says Diffley,
for several reasons. First, both the filler and the seamer
are made by KHS in Wisconsin. That made it easy enough
for Diffley and colleagues to reach mechanical, electri-
cal, and controls technicians at KHS to absorb informa-
tion from them first-hand, something they greatly appreciated being Borrowed from Belgium
able to do. There was also considerable flexibility on the part of KHS to Allagash is one of a handful of breweries that carbonate this way.
build equipment having whatever footprint and number of filling and “It’s a traditional Belgian way of bottling that we just moved across to
seaming stations that Allagash wanted. It was a KHS 27-6 system that canning,” says Diffley. “When I mentioned to most of the companies
Allagash selected—27 filling nozzles and a six-head seamer. whose filling systems we were considering that we fill at upwards of

Allagash_PW.indd 184 9/22/20 1:10 PM

Allagash_PW.indd 185 9/22/20 1:11 PM
186 PW OCT2020

handle that groups the cans into four-packs. The four-packs then are
conveyed into a tray packer from Design Machine & Manufacturing
that puts six four-packs into a corrugated tray.
The 12- and 19.2-oz cans, on the other hand, usually are multi-
packed in 12-count paperboard cartons on a QuickFlex 300 System from
Graphic Packaging. Two cartons are then put into corrugated trays on
the DMM traypacker.
“The cost of the DMM machine was attractive,” says Diffley when
asked what led to that firm’s equipment being selected. “But a lot of
their competitors at the same price point were only able to do 15 trays
per minute. We needed 21 trays per minute, so that made DMM even
more attractive.”
Hytrol case conveyors after the DMM machine link up with an exist-
The QuickFlex 300 System is used frequently for cartoning of ing spiral conveyor that leads to the overhead case conveyance system.
12- and 19.2-oz cans. Eventually the filled cases wind up back in the vicinity of the depalletiz-
er and move into a Top Tier palletizer with an integrated stretch wrap-
24 degrees Celsius--when most beer is filled at three to four degrees per. Diffley arranged this end-of-line section in such a way that both
Celsius—some balked. But fortunately the KHS engineers were willing the bottling line and the canning line feed into the same palletizer/
to work with us on it.” stretch wrapper, depending on which package format is in production.
Most of the cans Allagash fills are printed by the supplier. But for The top Tier system, he adds, is a concurrent palletizer/stretch wrapper.
smaller-batch beers, unprinted bright stock is ordered and those cans “It applies stretch wrap as it builds layers,” says Diffley. “It’s a pretty slick
go through a Model Pro-516 high-speed wraparound pressure-sensitive system.”
labeler from Pack Leader. In looking back at the brewery’s entry into cans, Diffley sums it all
At this point cans are multipacked in one of two ways. Most of the up this way. “There was good planning and we had good vendors to
16-oz cans run through a PakTech system for application of a plastic work with. It’s paying off well.” PW

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Allagash_PW.indd 186 9/22/20 1:13 PM

 SUMMER 2020 One Voice Factory Acceptance Tests

SUMMER 2020
One Voice: Virtual Factory Acceptance Tests
Protocols for Capital Equipment in the CPG industry

SUMMER 2020
Performing Virtual Factory Acceptance Tests Addendum

SUMMER 2020
PLANNING SET-UP
CURRENT SOLUTIONS LAST UPDATE: JUNE 2020 CRITERIA EXECUTION TOOLS
Following are the common tools suggested for an OEM to have on-hand when performing a vFAT.
CRITERIA EXECUTION TOOLS
The specific tools necessary to execute the vFAT need to be agree
agreed upon. These tools may include physical
1. CAMERA 7. MICROMETER
DESCRIPTION test devices, ancillary equipment, software and tracking systems.
tems. Proper utilization of these tools needs to be
FAT.

CURRENT SOLUTIONS
LEADERSHIP GUIDANCE
1. Logitech PTZ Pro Camera Video Conference System meets the abov
above guidance criteria #1.
1. Need to have a solid webcam with remote control
a. Thethat enables
AVER 520 the userthat
camera to zoom
has ain/out and panzoom feature
high-quality re that
th can access more details of the
2. INFRARED CAMERA 8. DECIBLE METER
sideways (controlled by the OEM). Camera system machine. It allows
should work k withyou
PC to
andget two
Mac perspectives zoomed in and out.
computers/
laptops.
2. A suitable gimble (criteria #6) can be found at
2. Provide a tripod so the webcam can be mounted at the correct heig
height for a variety of systems. May
[Link]
t_b_a
also benefit from a gimble to improve camera movement.

3. TACHOMETER 9. screen
VACUUM GAUGEfor the OEM so the3. VideoPoint meets the above criteria #8. See
3. Large TV/monitor presenter can see what the other participants can see
[Link] forr det details.
(if using a second laptop as a participant) or mirror what is being
ng shown
sh on the camera output to
choose the best output device to show.
4. The Open Broadcaster System in criteria 9 is found at [Link]
bspr
4. Wireless headsets (x2) for the OEMs – one for the presenter, andd one
on to plug into a second laptop
if present, to stop any sound interference5. VideoPoint
and feedback (or similar)
occurring software
ng ffrom app that
the audio enables
output; the user to monitor
noise monit and show multiple web cam,
4. MOISTURE METER 10. VIBRATION
cancellation headsetsMETER
are best. video, IP camera and streaming video feeds in PowerPoint. Open n Broadcaster
Br System (OBS) manages
multiple cameras/images for simultaneous display.
5. PowerPoint (or similar) tool to show the slides containing the agenda
gend and series of checklist items
to work through during the vFAT.

6. VideoPoint (or similar) software app that enables the user to monitor
onit and show multiple web
5. TEMPERATURE / WIND METER cam,11.
video, IP camera and streaming video feeds in PowerPoint.
MULTIMETER t. Open
Op Broadcaster System (OBS)
manages multiple cameras/images for simultaneous display.
CURRENT SOLUTIONS
7. Optional equipment may include:

a. Wireless keyboard and mouse

6. CALIPERS b. Wireless clicker if using PowerPoint

c. Docking station to enable multiple USB devices to be connected,

necte as many laptops are limited
in the number of ports they provide

d. Photography lighting/background kit to block out unnecessary

11 essar or sensitive backgrounds that
©2020 PMMI
are not relevant to the vFAT, such as projects for other clients.
nts.

14
©2020 PMMI

15
©2020 PMMI

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188 PW OCT2020

By Anne Marie Mohan, Editor, Shelf Impact!

Boombox-Inspired Shippers
Reinforce ‘Soda with Soul’
Proposition
With the COVID-19 lockdown, U.K. craft soda company Dalston’s unveiled new shippers
for its growing online sales that pay homage to its music roots, while introducing new
consumers to the brands’ values and personality.
Dalston’s, a London-based company that first
launched its craft soda products in a culturally-rich
music venue called Passing Clouds near trendy
Kingsland Road, Dalston in East London, has
positioned itself as “Soda with Soul.” While the
tagline reinforces the brand’s musical roots, it also
taps into Dalston’s community-focused ethos and
its products’ real ingredients, which it says are at
the heart of its soft drinks.
Says Dalston’s of the drinks, “…they’re
refreshingly responsible—out to do the right thing
for our planet and people. Because ours is soda
with soul. And it does more than just sparkle.”
In March 2020, in response to the coronavirus The three shippers include a 24-ct, a 12-ct, and a four-count case illustrated to
lockdown, Dalston’s developed new e-commerce resemble vintage turntables and a boombox. A booklet designed to look like a
shippers that incorporate all the various cassette tape provides an introduction to the brand and its varieties.
interpretations of soul: community, health and
sustainability, and music. The unique design
facilitates the social distancing demanded by the virus through online provenance, and a clear point of difference from the brands they
shopping while at the same time bringing consumers together with buy into,” he says. “Creating an emotional connection with this fickle
Instagram-friendly graphics that celebrate its heritage. The sharable consumer group has been key to the brand’s success.”
designs include two recyclable shippers illustrated to look like According to Bowen, the rise of crafted adult soft drinks is having
turntables and one that looks like a boombox, in Dalston’s bright a marked effect on traditional category conventions and the brands
brand colors. within them, where once-distinct sectors like soft drinks, mixers, or
alcohol are now starting to merge. “It is a market full of opportunity,
Focus on community ethos but brands need to have clearly defined values in order to take
Dalston’s was founded in mid-2012, but the current graphic design advantage of these opportunities in a way that is true to them,”
for its canned craft sodas was done in 2017 by brand design firm B&B Bowen says.
studio. Since then, B&B studio has extended the brand look beyond With this in mind, B&B studio designed Dalston’s brand identity
Dalston’s six soda varieties to three seltzers and two alcohol-free G&T with the soda maker’s community-focused ethos at the forefront. The
products, as well as to the new e-commerce shippers. brand logo is a “big D,” with the stem of the letter illustrated at the
As Shaun Bowen, Creative Partner for B&B studio relates, the top with a hand squeezing the main ingredient of the variety into
agency approaches every project with a clear understanding of the a cup or other vessel, which is held by a hand at the bottom of the
consumer, category, competitors, and cultural context. “Through stem. “The ‘big D’ identity provides an iconic mark while highlighting
our ongoing partnership with Dalston’s, we are aware that theirs the handmade craft and ingredients that make up each variant,”
is a switched-on consumer who demands authentic personality, Bowen explains.

ShelfImpact_1020.indd 188 9/24/20 5:16 PM

ShelfImpact_1020.indd 189 9/24/20 5:17 PM
190 PW OCT2020

Vintage nostalgia combines with modern utility

With the advent of the coronavirus lockdown in the U.K., Dalston’s
became began selling more of its product online, so it turned to
B&B studio to develop a shipper that would not only be utilitarian,
but that would also encourage consumer engagement. “Dalston’s
wanted to use the shipper as a way to playfully build the brand story
while also creating something people might want to keep and reuse,”
Bowen shares.
All three boxes are made from corrugated board, which was
important to Dalston’s, as it aligns with the brand’s sustainable values
and its commitment to A Plastic Planet, a charity that’s working
toward a plastic-free supermarket aisle. Dalston’s has also set a goal
of going carbon neutral by 2021.
There are three flavor-generic sizes: a 24-ct, a 12-ct, and a four-
count. The 24- and 12-ct sizes, colored bright pink and yellow,
The new corrugated shipping cases, including this 24-ct case respectively, are illustrated with line art to look like vintage turntable
with turntable artwork, pay homage to Dalston’s original launch systems. On the top (when the box is positioned flat) is a drawing of
pad—a music club in Hackney, East London. a spinning record with tonearm, along with various dials. On the side
of the case are more switches, dials, and meters, and the “Soda with
Bold background colors, matched to each flavor variety—e.g., pink Soul” tagline. The Dalston’s logo appears on the top and sides.
for Fizzy Rhubarb, orange for Orangeade, etc.—evoke flavor and taste The four-count shipper, in bright powder blue, uses line art to
and stand out on shelf. Crucial to the visual identity, Bowen adds, is replicate a boombox, complete with speakers and a cassette deck on
“the development of the broader graphic and illustrative style, brand the front (when the box is positioned on its side). On the top is an
personality, and tone of voice that touches every aspect of the brand, illustration of a foldable carry handle, along with the Dalston’s logo
from packaging to social media and digital campaigns.” and a heart bearing the words, “Devoted Drinks.”

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ShelfImpact_1020.indd 190 9/24/20 5:18 PM

 UPM Raflatac presents:
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ShelfImpact_1020.indd 191 9/24/20 5:19 PM

 192 PW OCT2020

Expand Your
Packaging Expertise
with IoPP
CONNECTS

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Interested in more e-commerce packaging
trends? Don’t miss PACK EXPO Connects to
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What have you done lately to invest in design solutions for your application.
your career success? Today’s the day to Visit [Link]
make the commitment to increasing your for more information.
professional net worth! Fundamentals
of Packaging Technology (FPT) is IoPP’s
signature course that is a springboard to
Extending the vintage boombox theme, B&B studio also
elevating your career in packaging. FPT is
developed a booklet designed to look like a cassette tape. Included
offered online to allow for flexible, self-paced
in the four-count shipper, the booklet acts as a sales brochure,
learning, covers all the major packaging introducing the brand and the rest of the craft cola portfolio.
areas and delivers the knowledge you need “As we [consumers] are currently much more reliant on online
to elevate your career. sales and delivery, Dalston’s wanted to create some delivery
packaging that would help facilitate our social isolation, while also
Why train with IoPP? being able to bring people together,” says Bowen. “The delivery boxes
are clearly Insta-friendly, especially stacked into your own at-home
• Features industry recognized content DJ booth, and they’ve also helped reinforce Dalston’s collaboration
developed through collaboration with a with Deviate Music—a weekly live-streamed lockdown session every
broad array of subject matter experts Saturday at noon on Twitch and Facebook.”
The shipper is being used primarily for online sales, but as Bowen
• Prepares you to pass the certification explains, it has been designed with a versatility that encourages
exam to become internationally other forms of use, for example, for storage or for use in tradeshow
recognized as a Certified Packaging marketing.
Professional (CPP)
Engagement facilitates brand marketing
• Delivers broad-based knowledge of the As Dalston’s works to grow from a niche startup to an
packaging industry to establish yourself international scale-up, its new shippers are helping create and foster
a community of brand advocates that are assisting the handcrafted-
as a go-to problem solver
soda maker market its brand and reinforce its values of community,
• Trusted by companies of all sizes from authenticity, and provenance.
Says Dan Broughton, co-founder and Managing Director of
small startups to multinational CPGs
Dalston’s, “Being able to add fun and joy to our consumers’ lives is
very important to us, especially as people are at home and needing
tasty, healthier, and refreshing treats from time to time.
“The record player and boombox packaging brilliantly reflects
Visit Dalston’s ‘Soda with Soul’ positioning and musical roots. It is also a
[Link]/fundamentals shipper that people want to reuse, as storage or even stacked into an
at-home DJ booth.”
[Link]/eLearning As Bowen reports, in early May, as Dalston’s foodservice sales
declined, its online sales tripled, with the shippers receiving
for more information on our Fundamentals “fantastic feedback—all commenting on the packaging design.” PW
of Packaging Technology curriculum.

ShelfImpact_1020.indd 192 9/25/20 8:25 AM LIP2020_A

 Each of the following market-leading companies* participating in Packaging World’s 2020
Leaders in Packaging Program are named sponsors of PW’s Future Leaders in Packaging scholarship.
This year’s recipient is the University of Florida Packaging Engineering Program.
We appreciate the support of all participants on behalf of packaging education.

More Information: [Link]/leaders

*These logos represent some of the recent Leaders in Packaging Participants. Sponsor recognition will alternate every other month. ©2020 PMMI Media Group

LIP2020_Ad_EVEN.indd 193
ShelfImpact_1020.indd 1 2/27/20
9/24/20 10:07
5:23 PM
AM
 194 PW OCT2020
With the QuikDot™ Pro Glue Dots® applicator
INDUSTRY WATCH

STICK
HAPPENS Companies
ePac installed 26 HP Indigo digital presses at its new site in Sacramento, Calif.

Amcor joined the U.S. Plastics Pact to advance circular economy goals in
the U.S.

TricorBraun acquired Price Container and Packaging.

KHS GmbH announced it will be acquiring a stake in Ferrum Packaging AG.

JLS celebrated its 65th anniversary with a virtual Founder’s Day event on
August 19, 2020.

Markem-Imaje acquired Solaris Laser.

ABB offers an Augmented Reality app for smartphones to simplify robot

installations.
forr food & beverage
beverage, post-press
post-press, mail and
printing applications. Columbia/Okura LLC’s miniPAL collaborative palletizer, featuring the
UR10e robot, has been certified and added to the Universal Robots UR+
Applications Program.

The Massman Companies launched [Link],

a new website that describes the capabilities of the multiple companies that
make up the business.
For cleaner packaging repairs and faster application
of promotional items, call 262-814-8500 or visit Allied Electronics & Automation and Schneider Electric partnered
[Link]/StickHappensQuik to deploy a suite of digital resources to help customers design, build, and
Scan for informational pdf. maintain industrial control panels.

Motion Industries, Inc. acquired Applied Machine and Motion Control.

Ryson International, Inc. is celebrating its 25th anniversary.

DataLase announced a distribution agreement with Macsa ID where both

companies will offer a complete solution to brands and converters utilizing
DataLase’s coding and marking technologies and Macsa’s global distribution
network.

People
Kyle Chapman was promoted to President of Barry-Wehmiller, and
Michael Monarchi joined the company as Chief Financial Officer.

Paul Cooke, President and CEO of Bosch Rexroth North America, will retire
on December 31, 2020. His successor as of December 1, 2020, will be
Greg Gumbs.

Ana Pryor was appointed Director of Finance for Schubert North America.

Patrick Kivits was appointed President of WestRock’s Multi Packaging

Solutions (MPS) business.
Standard Parts. Johan Nilsson joined Syntegon Technology’s executive board. He will head
the newly created Service and Digital Solutions business unit.
Winco. Jeffrey Schuch was hired as Regional Sales Manager—Southeast Region
for Triangle Package Machinery Co.
800-877-8351
sales@[Link] Lloyd Kent joined Domino as Senior Sales Manager for Corrugated,
Digital Printing North America.
[Link] Steve Lynn, Director and GM, New Markets, at Durst North America will
Inch and metric sizes available — lead its label and packaging division.
Explore our full product range online

IW_1020.indd 194 9/22/20 6:05 AM

 Learn about PMMI U’s TechEd 365

Industry
online technical training, tailored to the
packaging and processing industries.

Courses include:

Training ■ Basic Electrical Components

■ Basic Mechanical Components

■ Fundamentals of Risk Assessment

Cost-effective, ■ Introduction to Packaging Machinery

virtual training...
just for you.

Learn more at [Link]/industry-training

IW_1020.indd 195 9/22/20 9:10 AM

196 PW OCT2020 Visit the link below each item for more info.
TECHNOLOGY

Modular Labeler
The Innoket Neo Flex from
KHS is designed to label plastic
and glass containers and cans
in all standard sizes at speeds
to 74,000 containers/hr.
KHS [Link]/5695
Flow Wrapper
Syntegon Technology launches the Pack 202
horizontal flow-wrapping machine for low to Embossed Induction Seal
medium speeds. It is designed to produce up to Closure Liners
350 packs/min with a film speed of 50 m/min. Tri-Seal, a Tekni-Plex business launches
Syntegon Technology Luxe® seal two-piece, embossed
[Link]/5724 induction seal closure liners, which
provide an embossed alternative to
traditional printed liners.
Tri-Seal [Link]/5404

Recyclable Disposable Cooler

Gummy Filling System DS Smith developed a 100% recyclable cooler, using its Greencoat corrugated
SpeeDee’s sanitary gummy filling system features moisture-resistant and food-contact safe material, as a replacement for EPS.
multiple proprietary steaming mechanisms to ensure DS Smith Packaging [Link]/5733
accurate filling at speeds up to 180 bottles/min.
SpeeDee Packaging
[Link]/5723
SCARA Robots
Epson Robots launches the LS3-B SCARA
robot featuring a payload of 3 kg and
Recycled a 400-mm reach and the LS20-B SCARA
PET Bottle robot featuring a 20-kg payload and
Krones’ 3 Circles available reach of 800 mm and 1000 mm.
bottle is made of Epson Robots [Link]/5725
100% rPET and in turn
can be recycled into
food packaging after
use. Instead of having
Stock Creamer Closure
a label, which may be Creamer closure from Silgan
unable to be recycled, Closures is a stock cap that
the bottle can be incorporates features usually found
decorated using only in custom closures, such
digital direct printing. as custom-matched colors and
customer logos molded into the cap.
Krones
[Link]/5730 Silgan Closures [Link]/5639

Technology_1020.indd 196 9/24/20 5:15 PM

 197

SCARA Robots
Yaskawa Motoman’s SG-series SCARA
robots are suitable for assembly and
sortation, as well as multi-process
systems requiring pick-and-place
capability.
Yaskawa Motoman
[Link]/5727
Renewable-Fiber Food Tray
Harpak-ULMA’s new PaperSeal food trays are made
from 80% to 90% renewable fiber sourced from
sustainably managed forests and 10% to 20% film,
Food Packaging-Compliant depending on tray dimensions.
Black Ink Harpak-ULMA [Link]/5729
Domino launches UV97BK, a food
packaging-compliant, UV-curable black
ink available for use with its K600i
high resolution digital ink-jet printer.
Domino [Link]/5697

Filler/Capper for Vials

and Small Bottles
ESS announces the FC Series filler/capper
for vials and small bottles. Model FC60
handles up to 60 vials/min, and Model
FC120 fills 120 vials/min.
Portable Oxygen Analyzer for MAP
GasLab’s Tecpen oxygen analyzer for modified
ESS Technologies atmosphere packaging is designed to provide oxygen
[Link]/5633 level measurements between 0.01% and 5% by
volume.
GasLab [Link]/5726
Thermoplastic Elastomer Valve
Aptar’s SimpliCycle valve is made from a thermoplastic
elastomer material with a low density that allows the
valve to float, so it is easily separated from the PET
stream, then recycled within the PP/PE olefin stream.
Aptar Food + Beverage [Link]/5728

Security Printing
Solutions
Nanografix offers security
printing solutions, such as
color shifting ink, invisible ink
guilloche, and invisible ink
Rainbow Holographic
QR codes, that integrate with Overlaminate Film
its custom anti-counterfeiting Nobelus launches Rainbow Holografik overlaminate
products for pharmaceutical, film designed with a seamless luminous rainbow
food and beverage, and holographic pattern so the eye cannot detect any
personal care applications. repeat in the design.
Nanografix [Link]/5731 Nobelus [Link]/5732

Technology_1020.indd 197 9/24/20 5:15 PM

198 PW OCT2020
AD INDEX

Search [Link] for additional information on any of the advertisers listed or visit their website directly

ADVERTISER WEBSITE PAGE ADVERTISER WEBSITE PAGE

Aagard [Link] 31 DS Smith [Link]/ 69
ABB Motors & Mechanical [Link] OBC Eastey Enterprises [Link] 37
ABB Robotics [Link]/robotics 85 EBS Inkjet Systems [Link] 33
ACMA S.p.A. [Link] 186 Econocorp Inc. [Link] 66
ADCO Manufacturing [Link] 74 Emerson Industrial Automation [Link]/packaging 129
Advanced Poly Packaging, Inc. [Link] 50 Encoder Products Company [Link] 120
AFA Systems Inc [Link]/ 77 Enercon Industries [Link] 72
AirTAC USA Corporation [Link] 47 Eriez Magnetics [Link] 176
All Packaging Machinery [Link] 79 Fallas Automation Inc. [Link] 71
All-Fill Inc. [Link] 7 FlexLink Systems [Link] 81
ALLIEDFLEX Technologies, Inc. [Link]/ 25 Focke Packaging Solutions GmbH [Link] 130
AmbaFlex Inc. [Link] 8 Fortress Technology Inc. [Link] 58
American Packaging Corporation [Link]/ Targeted Cover FoxJet, An ITW Company [Link] 51
ANRITSU INFIVIS, INC. [Link] 67 Frain Group [Link] 121
Arrowhead Systems Inc. [Link] 53 Garvey Corporation [Link] 138
Automation24 [Link] 43 GLUE DOTS International [Link] 194
Batching Systems, Inc. [Link] 73 Graphic Packaging International [Link] 93
Beckhoff Automation [Link] 26, Targeted Cover Harpak-ULMA [Link] 75
Bell-Mark Sales Company [Link] 90 Heat and Control, Inc. [Link] 49
Bevcorp [Link] 76 Hitachi America [Link] 117
Blueprint Automation, Inc. [Link] 88 Honeywell Intelligrated [Link] 113
Bradman-Lake Inc. [Link] 87 IASE Co., Inc. [Link] 95
Brenton [Link] 84 ID Technology [Link] 5
Brother USA Machinery [Link]/ 133 Independent Can [Link] 189
Busch Vacuum Solutions [Link] 55 INSITE Packaging Automation [Link] 119
BW Integrated Systems [Link] 99 Institue of Packaging Professionals [Link] 192
BW Packaging Systems [Link] 103 Intralox, Inc. [Link] 1
CAMA Group [Link] 21 Intertape Polymer Group [Link] 136
Cloud Packaging Solutions [Link] 65 ITW Hartness [Link] 82
Cognex [Link] 131 J.W. Winco [Link] 194
Columbia Machine, Inc. [Link] 92 JLS Automation [Link] 9
Columbia/Okura LLC. [Link] 174 Kawasaki Robotics [Link] 39
Container Handling Systems [Link] 100 KHS AG [Link] 59
CTM Labeling Systems, Inc. [Link] 128 King Plastic Corporation [Link]/ 162
Delkor [Link] 57 Klöckner Pentaplast Food & Consumer [Link] IFC
Diagraph Corporation, An ITW Company [Link] 63 Label-Aire, Inc. [Link] 40, 41
Domino [Link] 45 LEIBINGER Coding and Marking Systems [Link]/en 83
Dorner Manufacturing [Link] 170 Mamata Enterprises, Inc. [Link] 140
Douglas Machine Inc. [Link] 111 Markem-Imaje [Link] 127

Oct_adindex_draft.indd 198 9/23/20 10:26 AM

 199

Connect with a Leaders in Packaging supplier and support packaging education!

[Link]/leaders

ADVERTISER WEBSITE PAGE ADVERTISER WEBSITE PAGE

Material Transfer & Storage [Link] 52 Serpa Packaging Solutions [Link] 122
Matrix Packaging [Link] 89 SEW Eurodrive, Inc. [Link] 11
Mettler-Toledo Product Inspection [Link]/pi 142 Shorr Packaging Corporation [Link] 135
Morrison Container Handling Solutions [Link] 44 Shred-Tech [Link] 163
Mpac Langen [Link] 156 Shurtape Technologies [Link] 179
Multi-Conveyor [Link] 146 Sick Inc. [Link]/packaging 149
Multivac Inc. [Link] 141 Sidel Group Americas [Link] 158
Nalbach Engineering Company, Inc. [Link] 154 Siko [Link] 64
Nercon [Link] 28 Sleeve Seal [Link] 167
New England Machinery, Inc. [Link] 94 SMC Corporation of America [Link] 183
Nita Labeling Equipment [Link] 35 Somic America, Inc. [Link] 155
Nordson Corporation [Link] 27 Sonoco Products Co. [Link] 157
Nuspark Inc. [Link] 123 Span Tech [Link] 169
P.E. North America [Link] 180 Specialty Equipment [Link] 18
Packaging World [Link] 107, 193 SPECRIGHT [Link] 164
PDC International Corp. [Link] 105 Squid Ink Manufacturing [Link] 181
PDI Packaging Distributors, Inc. [Link] 98 Standard-Knapp, Inc. [Link] 147
Pepperl + Fuchs, Inc [Link] 96 Starview Packaging Machinery [Link] 23
PFlow Industries [Link] 122 Suedpack Oak Creek Corporation [Link]/en/ 185
PIAB [Link] 143 TDI Packsys LLC [Link] 177
PMMI, The Association for Packaging Tetra Pak Inc. [Link] 19
and Processing Technologies [Link] 145, 187, 195
Triangle Package Machinery Company [Link] 3
Pneumatic Scale Angelus [Link] 144
TRIpack [Link] 78
Precision Automation Inc [Link]/ 151
U.S. Tsubaki, Inc. [Link] 86
Pregis Corporation [Link] 124
Universal Labeling Systems, Inc. [Link] 48
Printpack Inc. [Link] 101
UPM Raflatac [Link]/ 191
Propack Processing & Packaging Systems [Link] 175
UVA Packaging [Link] 152
Quad Graphics, Inc. [Link] 165
Van der Graaf [Link] Targeted Cover
R.A Jones & Co. [Link] 159
Verst Logistics Packaging [Link] 173
Regal Beloit Corporation [Link] 172
Videojet Technologies Inc. [Link] 161
Rennco LLC [Link] 147
Volpak, S.A.U [Link] 166
Roberts PolyPro Inc. [Link] 190
Weber Packaging Solutions [Link] 125
Ryson International, Inc. [Link] 153
WestRock [Link] 13, 15, 17, IBC
SACMI Packaging & Chocolate [Link]/ 137
Wexxar Bel [Link] 62
SATO America [Link] 171
WIPOTEC-OCS, Inc. [Link] 91
Schneider Packaging [Link] 148, Targeted Cover
Yamato Corporation [Link] 70
Schubert North America [Link] 29
Sealed Air Product Care [Link] 139
Serac Inc. [Link] 97

Oct_adindex.indd 199 9/23/20 10:41 AM

200 PW OCT2020
LOOKING FORWARD

By Tim Brown, principal at PTIS

Holy Grail 2.0 Initiative

Relies on ‘IoP’
The packaging industry is beginning to makes checkout scanning more reliable. It can also reduce food waste
realize a significant transformation as and feed data to online systems for improved control and up-to-
companies increasingly implement manufacturing advances offered the minute inventory levels. By using labels printed on inkjet label
by digitization and the Internet of Things (IoT). In fact, the changes printers and registered to a database in the cloud, they can also track
are so profound that we are justified in saying that an Internet of food from the exact farm field to the table, enhancing food safety and
Packaging (IoP) now exists. speeding any recall efforts.
The IoP creates the ability to connect the entire value chain up In Europe, the Digimarc Platform has been selected to participate
and through the consumer with packaging. The most obvious benefits in the cross-chain initiative “Holy Grail 2.0,” to improve sortation and
may be the ways in which packaging is being made more attractive to improve recycling rates for packaging in the European Union. The
consumers. Through the use of internet-related tools such as QR codes Holy Grail initiative includes companies such as Procter & Gamble,
and augmented reality, brands are able to engage consumers by Nestlé, PepsiCo, and Danone. Global recycling firm TOMRA plans to use
sharing further information about the product beyond what is printed cameras and lighting to identify Digimarc codes on packaging and sort
on the label—often in entertaining ways, such as the storytelling the different materials at speeds up to three to five meters per second.
buyers can see when they point their smart phones at a bottle of While visiting many fast-moving consumer goods manufacturing
19 Crimes wine (read more on this smart packaging application at sites around the globe, many companies invest significantly more
[Link]/5759). At the same time, brands can use this engagement to in the process of manufacturing the product than they do in the
gather data about customer preferences. packaging process. However, slowdowns, inefficiencies, or breakdowns
While this is beneficial in attracting potential consumers, perhaps in packaging often create bottlenecks in processing that can be
even greater benefits might be available throughout the production costly over time. Having real-time data that shows how a plant’s
and packaging process. This new wave of advances can make package integrated systems are performing is paramount to ensuring that
manufacturing safer and more efficient, allow the production of the processing and packaging lines are properly balanced and the
unique products through flexible automation, and create intelligent collective operation is running efficiently. The IoP allows automated
packaging through the use of codes, printed electronics, or near-field data collection in real time. Dashboards based on this information
communications (NFC). enable quick corrective action. Companies must learn how to harvest
Networking machines, vehicles, buildings, and the packaging the value of the data and learn to use it create value for their
itself, through the use of electronics, software, and sensors, allows stakeholders.
the collection and exchange of data across networks. These data A simple yet powerful example is Worximity’s discreet Wi-Fi
can be sensed and controlled remotely, creating opportunities to enabled sensors and mobile dashboard. Regardless of the age of a
improve productivity, eliminate waste, provide authenticity, and allow company’s manufacturing assets—whether it’s a new or 25-year-old
traceability that creates transparency and safety across the value chain. machine—sensors are connected to the Input/Output of specific
A prime example is the use of imperceptible identities developed machines, data is filtered by smart algorithms, and the analytics are
by Digimarc. These unique identifiers—known as Digimarc provided in real time to hand-held or desk-top devices via intuitive
Barcodes—can be added to printed images or integrated into three- dashboards. Basically, you need to have WiFi connectivity in the plant,
dimensional objects, such as plastic packaging. These codes can be sensors that pull I/O information from the machines, and a mobile
repeated across the package or label without affecting the aesthetics device or computer.
of the packaging or taking up valuable space for messaging. The data There are elements of the IoP that are available now. It may
in the Digimarc can be reliably detected by enabled devices, such seem more of a novelty, but it is moving into the mainstream. This
as phones, computers, barcode scanners, and inspection systems. approach must overcome obstacles such as breaking down ingrained
These data can link to online content, provide serialized identities for structures and processes, selecting the right technologies, and
traceability, verify authenticity, or even identify packaging materials to securing financial and machine data. However, as more companies
improve plastic sortation and recycling. adopt the necessary tools such as software and sensors, the cost
For instance, Walmart and Digimarc are working together to use of utilizing the IoP is coming down. There is tremendous value
the Digimarc codes on packaged fresh foods. Labels on the products and efficiency to be harnessed in the supply chain by advancing
can be easily damaged, but having the codes repeated across the label connectivity within packaging operations. PW

PTIS, LLC is a leading business and technology management company focused on Creating Value Through Packaging©.

PTIS_LookingForward_1020.indd 200 9/23/20 9:26 AM

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November 9-13, 2020

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©2020 WestRock Company. All rights reserved.

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