The 9550’s breakthrough design eliminates mechanical adjustments, wear parts and failure points that cause everyday operational problems.
Using Intelligent Motion™ technology, the entire machine is automatically and precisely controlled. In addition, the 9550 applies the label directly onto the pack without the need for an applicator.
The smarter way to print and apply labels
www.videojet.com/9550
Filling Systems
Filling Systems
Special Purpose
Automated
Special Purpose
Custom
Automated
Hazardous
Automated
High
JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2017
VOLUME 70, NO. 1&2
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DISRUPTIVE BEHAVIOR THE NEW NORMAL
Responding to unfolding consumer trends in timely manner is a key prerequisite for a successful branding strategy and, by extension, effective package design.
But with modern-day consumers being so spoilt for choice on the store shelves and so exposed to an endless stream of opinion and dubious facts circulating en masse on social media networks and other online platforms, distinguishing between lasting trends and passing fads is becoming an increasingly tricky task.
While there’s no doubt that modern digital technology has given consumers the means to become more well-informed and better educated on a broad range of subjects—from food waste and environmental sustainability to organic farming and healthy nutrition—there is no conclusive evidence that today’s consumers are necessarily using that information to make better choices for themselves or the planet.
In fact, it sometimes seems that the only predictable thing about modern consumer behavior nowadays is its unpredictability.
For all the talk about healthy eating, for example, obesity rates are on the rise throughout most of the western world. For all the posturing about the impending dangers of global warming, everyone whines with righteous indignation every time the price of gasoline goes up a couple of cents.
According to Jean-Pierre Lacroix, founder and president of the highly successful Toronto-based branding agency Shikatani Lacroix Inc., interpreting consumer behavior in the new digital age requires a new skillset and understanding of what really drives modern consumers’ purchasing decisions.
“The most recent U.S. election has reminded all
COVER STORY
DEPARTMENTS & COLUMNS
of us that the consumer is irrational, and that Big Data predictive tools and conventional research methodologies cannot effectively gauge future behaviour,” Lacroix states in his recent blog, titled Ten ThinkBlink Predictions to Consider as you Plan for 2017. (Dec. 22, 2016)
“We will start seeing the rise of neuroscience research as a more effective tool in understanding how people feel, which has proven to be the true predicator to what they will do,” he adds.
“Research firms arguing neuroscience is not effective will join the same voices that foretold us movies in color with sound would never take hold.”
That being the case, brands will have to work harder and smarter than ever before to earn and retain brand loyalty from the increasingly finicky consumers, Lacroix proclaims.
“Brands will refocus their efforts on creating unique and compelling brand experiences well beyond conventional approaches to marketing,” he states.
“We will see more pop-up stores, experiential programs, and the rise of augmented reality apps that drive greater storytelling and brand engagement.
“We will also see the continued growth of online retailers, such as Amazon and eBay, opening physical stores as a strong vehicle in gaining market share and new customers,” Lacroix predicts.
“We will also see the blurring of conventional digital signing found in stores and fast-food chains with mobile devices, smart watches and the ‘Internet of Things.’
“This will bring a new channel for brand marketers to connect with consumers at the moment-ofpurchase—the ultimate decisive split second when preference is converted into a tangible sale.”
For better or not, welcome to 2017!
George Guidoni
FEATURES
single-serve
Canadian soup and sauce producer cooks up a recipe for further success in the hospitality industry with timely X-Ray inspection system installation.
Vermont cheese producer keeps getting better with age through proactive investment in packaging
Why
interpack
global
its affiliates and assignees may use, reproduce, publish, republish, distribute, store and archive such unsolicited submissions in whole or in part in any form or medium whatsoever, without compensation of any sort.
We acknowledge the [financial] support of the Government of Canada
trade fair is a ‘can’t miss’ event for progressive packaging enterprises.
How today’s global beverage producers are responding to new consumer trends and marketplace pre ssures.
Cover photography by Naomi Hiltz
PACKAGING DESIGN STALWART LIFE OF THE PARTY
There’s nothing like a good housewarming party to mark a move to a bigger and better home, and for long-time Canadian packaging design specialists Pigeon Brands, moving to a new headquarters in downtown Toronto late last year was a moment worth celebrating on an epic scale.
Featuring a live jazz band and a splashy tribute to the speakeasy boom of the 1930s, complete with a classic Rolls Royce parked at the front door, the early December soirée provided a classy stetting for the invited guests to enjoy a lively display of some of the company’s past and current package design creations for leading multinational brands like Tim Horton’s, Kraft, VUSE, IKEA, Corby Spirit and Wine, Hershey’s and Irving, among many others.
“The event gave us a chance to not only invite our clients and VIPs to see our new office space, but also to showcase our work while saying ‘thank you’ to our valued clients,” said company founder and chief executive officer Thomas Pigeon.
“Pigeon is fiercely independent and we’ve been building brands for nearly 40 years,” said Thomas.
“You don’t get to succeed with Top Tier clients over that span of time without providing excellent work and maintaining genuine relationships with those who matter most—our clients and their teams.”
Located at 179 John Street near the heart of the city’s popular Entertainment District, the new office is now home to two Pigeon Brands creative teams previously housed in Oakville, Ont., and Toronto’s Liberty Village neighborhood.
Now operating out of two regional locations in Toronto and Montreal, Pigeon Brands is also expecting to open up a new branch office in New York City later this year.
“Thanks to our hard-working and exceptionally talented team, we work with some of the best brands in the business,” said Pigeon Brands managing
director Vince Antonacci.
“We’re poised for further growth for 2017 and well beyond.”
Consistently ranking among the top independent brand design and communication agencies in North America, Pigeon Brands’ core competencies include strategy, planning, packaging, in-store, POS/POP (point-of-sale/point-of-purchase), OOH (out-ofhome), digital, activation and brand amplification.
Added the party’s master of ceremonies and business writer Shane Schick: “Pigeon is an agency that has stood the test of time, and whose management is leading the pack with cutting-edge innovation and design.
“Based on their previous and ongoing successes, they are one of the best branding agencies in North America.”
LABEL PRINTER LOOKING FOR THE X-FACTOR WITH NEW DIGITAL INKJET PRESS
As digital printing presses continue to become the norm rather than exception in today’s fast-changing graphic arts industries, Edmonton-headquartered Factor Forms and Labels is quickly becoming an exceptional champion of this digital revolution.
Established in 1971, the company’s three “trade only” print shops in Edmonton, Victoria and Niagara Falls, Ont., have all been extensively upgraded over the past 10 years with periodic investment in newgeneration digital printing technologies to develop a strong competency in the so-called “short-run” printing segment.
To keep that momentum going, the company recently became the first printer in Canada to purchase the Domino N610i digital UV inkjet label press from the Cambridge, U.K.-based Domino Printing Sciences PLC, which is the sixth digital printing press Factor Forms has installed since 2008.
“Our focus for labels has been the ‘short run’ marketplace, and our exclusive use of digital label presses and laser die-cutters allows our dealers to be very successful going after this ‘short run’ business,” says Factor Forms and Labels vice-president and general manager Tom Moore.
“But we are now seeing requests for larger
quantities,” Moore says, “and this new Domino N610i will allow our dealers to pursue mid-range quantity orders, especially those with multiple SKUs (stockkeeping units).
“We also see texturing being a great ‘value add’ to what our dealers can offer their customers,” says Moore, citing the unique Textures by Domino capability of the new press to produce visually striking, digitally printed tactile, textured labels that enhance shelf presence and make the brandowners’ products stand out.
“It provides a cost-effective way to create amazing ‘feel appeal’ without the use of expensive textured label materials,” says Moore, singling out the new press’s robust throughput speeds of up to 246 feet per minute and high-resolution of 600x600- dpi (dots per inch).
CANADIAN CONVERTER SHOWS ITS BEST SIDE
Brampton, Ont.-based flexible packaging converter Peel Plastic Products Ltd. struck gold last month at the second annual PAC Global Leadership Awards competition of PAC, Packaging Consortium for its key role in helping Greenville, S.C.-based pet-food producer Solid Gold Pet, LLC upgrade the packaging of its premium brand of cat and dog foods to a whole new level of package design excellence.
Selected as a winner of the competition’s Best-ofShow Package Design award, Peel Plastic was lauded for its expertise in changing the Solid Gold brand’s flexible medium-sized bag packaging from the simple pinch-bottom format to flat-bottom bags that offers five different panels to display all the product information and highly engaging artwork, created by Tired Wolf Studios, LLC of Alpharetta, Ga. (Picture Above)
“The bottom panel offers larger billboard space and works with the bright brand colors to deliver a more prominent message,” explained Peel Plastic business development manager Arnoud Prins. “We resized the bags to optimize their shelf-space allocation and create the perception of a fuller and better-filled bag, despite no change to formulation or fill weight.”
Other two Best-of-Show awards handed out at the PAC Global Leadership Awards gala—hosted jointly with the Package Design magazine last month at Bonita Springs, Fla.—included:
• Best-of-Show Package Innovation Award for the PurPod 100 compostable single-serve coffee pods developed by the Toronto-based Club Coffee LP, featuring a new logo designed by Aardvark Inc. of Oakville, Ont.
• Best-of-Show Brand Marketing Award for the new Pizza Express takeout pizza boxes, designed by New York City-based branding agency Bulletproof
To see all of the competition’s winners, please go to: www.pac.ca
Pigeon Brands founder Thomas Pigeon welcoming invited guests to the company’s new downtown Toronto office.
The brand transformation wall displaying some of the more prominent package design work executed by Pigeon Brands.
Holding up the Best-of-Show award, Peel Plastic business development manager Arnoud Prins is joined by Gerri Bronstein (left) and Linda Casey of the Package Design magazine.
The Domino N610i model digital inkjet label press.
Award-winning Solid Gold pet-food bags produced by leading Canadian flexible packaging converter Peel Plastic Products.
TEAM EFFORT HITS THE SUSTAINABILITY SWEDE SPOT
Making the world a sweeter place is all part of the day’s work for companies like Pfeifer & Langen GmbH & Co. KG, a venerable family-owned German sugar processor operating in the historic German city of Cologne since 1870.
Ranking as Germany’s third-largest sugar producer, the company in renowned across Europe for its iconic Diamant brand of retail sugar products covering about every type and variety of sugar that comes to mind— from refined, preserving and gelling sugars to sugar cubes, cane sugar, brown, dark, hybrid and so on.
A couple of years ago, the company decided to make some of its retail product packaging more sustainable by switching from flexible plastic packaging produced on high-speed VFFS (vertical form/fill/seal) machines to a fully-recyclable paper packaging format.
Despite the good intentions, however, the idea had to overcome some serious challenges.
For one, the existing VFFS machines could only use process polymer film or fully polymer-coated paper, and the production of monomaterial paper packaging was only possible with glued pre-made bags and paperbags and formed on mandrel wheel technology.
Sensing an opportunity, leading German packaging machinery group Bosch Packaging Technology took it upon itself to develop just the right kind of VFFS system to do the job.
Being one of the world’s leading suppliers of automated processing and packaging systems for a diverse range of CPG (consumer packaged goods) industries, designing the machine itself was not an issue, but finding the right paper to process was.
Specifically, the monolayer paper bag would have to be fully-recyclable; completely dust- and spill-proof; durable and printable; easily reclosable for consumer convenience; and achieve high shelf impact with colorful graphic design.
STARTING POINT
To get the ball rolling, Bosch Packaging reached out to BillerudKorsnäs, a leading Swedish paper products manufacturer operating eight production sites in Sweden, Finland and the U.K, with annual revenues of nearly $3.3 billion.
Soon after hooking up at the interpack 2014 global packaging trade fair in Düsseldorf, Germany, to form their partnership, the two companies proceeded in their joint development of the first-ever sealed paper packaging to be processed on VFFS equipment.
“We sat down at interpack 2014 to transform the idea from a vision into a project,” recalls Bosch
Packaging sales rep Marcus Velezmoro.
“After receiving the letter of intent, we started to deliver a machine prototype, delivering the complete machine within 12 months to the customer’s site in Elsdorf, Germany.”
According to Bosch, the newly-developed ZAPModule, incorporated into the modified PME series VFFS machine, was designed to facilitate inline coating of a specially-formulated sealing agent onto the minimal surface area of the monolayer paper.
Integrated with a dosing unit and checkweiger, the PME ZAP machine features an innovative forming shoulder to ensure gentle paper guidance throughout the process; escorting cross-sealing jaws with a semicontinuous mode for tight seams; and a modified gusseting unit for gentle processing of gusseted bags, along with pillow-bags and block-bottom bags with gable or flat tops.
with its new specially-formulated Axello ZAP paper, featuring enhanced strength and durability properties that make it a practical eco-friendly alternative for packaging sugar, grains, flour, rice, powders and many other dry food products.
“The combination of the strength, flexibility and stiffness of Axello ZAP paper fits perfectly with Bosch’s technology,” says BillerudKorsnäs sales director Ole Paulussen, saying the company used its collective expertise to optimize the paper’s mechanical properties, while ensuring full compatibility with conventional municipal recycling streams.
“The sustainable characteristics of this new material will greatly increase the product’s appeal to ecoconscious consumers,” Paulussen extols.
“It’s a new and better packaging material that reliably withstands the stronger mechanical requirements in processing, with no additional polymer fractions, enabling retailers and consumer to profit from clean shelves, high product protection, and improved product quality,” he states.
“Apart from being all-paper and therefore renewable, recyclable, and biodegradable,” Paulussen explains, “the new sealed paper packaging is also dust-tight and insect-proof.
“This keeps food particles in and contamination out during transport and while on the shelf, thereby resulting in a cleaner environment and less food waste,” he says.
“This revolutionary concept would not have been implemented without the collaborative effort of both companies,” adds Joachim Dittrich, head of Bosch Technology’s Liquid Food product division. “Together we have developed a solution that will change the packaging market.”
“In addition to all the sustainability attributes, the new machine and material almost doubled the throughput speeds of the previously used VFFS machine at the Elsdorf sugar production plant, according to Pfeifer & Langen division manager Mark Oliver Burkhardt.
CUTTING COSTS
“The new installation automated our production line and allowed us to cut operational costs,” Burkhardt recalls.
“Due to the enhanced flexibility of the customized machine, we are now able to switch between paper and film whenever we want.
“Likewise, the quality of the ‘sealed paper packaging’ solution greatly exceeded our expectations,” says Burkhardt, complimenting the precise creasing of the corners of the paper bags enabled by the new PME ZAP machine.
With filling weight of up to one kilogram per pack, the PME ZAP machine can turn out up to 40 paperbags per minute, or 55 bags made from heat-sealable laminates.
For its part, BillerudKorsnäs developed what it calls “the world´s first sealed paper packaging”
As Burkhardt relates, switching from film to Axello ZAP paperbags has also yielded significant costsavings all around.
“When using films, we usually had to order it well in advance because film has relatively long delivery times compared to printed paper, due to the timeconsuming lamination and printing procedures.
“With paper, we have the option of keeping unprinted material in stock and just have it printed quickly whenever we want,” he adds.
“Not only is this a great convenience,” Burkhardt states, “it also gives us great flexibility for co-packing and private-labeling.”
The PME ZAP machine from Bosch Packaging Technology is the first VFFS sytem for high-speed filling of paperbags.
Some of the Diamant brand sugar products packaged in Axello ZAP packaging paper on the new PME ZAP system.
The Capmatic SortStar bottle unscrambler is designed to handle a wide range of plastic bottles. Using centrifugal disks and adjustable guides, most bottles can run on this machine without the use of any change parts.
FIRST GLANCE
STRETCHING THE LIMITS
Orion Packaging‘s first automaticallyguided portable stretchwrapper is designed to move itself around the pallet or product, wrapping as it goes and adapting to the load’s size and shape, rather than the other way around. Developed as a cost-effective alternative for busy industrial and retail product manufacturers encountering many unusual product and load dimensions, the new model AG-360 stretchwrapper is not confined to specific load or product dimensions, making it especially well-suited for pick-to-order distribution centers and other warehouse environments with many different load size and shape requirements. Ideal for many e -commerce retailers shipping a wide assortment of items on a daily basis, the AG-360 stretchwrapper features a powerful battery and a sophisticated power monitoring system that lengthens the time between charging for extended battery life, while the choice of 200- or 260-percent prestretch provides for extra variability in load stability requirements, as well as minimizing material usage.
tom container from the base of the primary bottle; removes the heat seal and closure from the bottom and top components respectively; and pours the alcohol into the juice to make an instant cocktail. Although the premixed cocktail application features a bottom container holding 500- ml of alcohol and the main bottle, which holds 6.5 ounces of hot-filled, shelfstable juice, the size and shape of the compartments can be altered to ac commodate a wide variety of other applications, according to PTI.
Plastic Technologies Inc.
BUILDING A BETTER SHELF-LIFE
ardous compounds, the non-toxic, biodegradable, and fully-recyclable/ repulpable, the can be used to protect any material capable of being damaged by elec trostatic discharge, including PCBs (printed circuit boards) and PCB components; integrated circuits; tele communications equipment; electri cal panels and enclosures; batteries
Orion Packaging (Div. of Pro Mach, Inc.) 401
THE PERFECT MIX
A new two-compartment plastic container developed by Plastic Technologies, Inc.—with the bottom container snapping into the base of the larger top bottle—provides a unique packaging solution for boundary-pushing food, beverage, pharmaceutical, nutraceutical, and household chemical products by enabling for two different products to be consumed in sequence or mixed together. First put to commercial use by Texas-based ready-to-mix cocktails producer Yumix LLC , the Clasper technology combines two polyethylene terephthalate (PET) containers, with the bottom container snapping into the base of the larger top bottle. To use, the consumer simply separates the shrinksleeve at the seam between the top and bottom containers via a perforation; unsnaps the bot-
Having recently commenced its North American manufacturing op erations in Greer, S.C., Israeli-head quartered Aran Group North American beverage and liq uid food producers a broad range of specially engineered bags from one quart to 300 gallons or more for aseptic and nonaseptic packag ing of fruits and vegetables, purees, sauces and condiments, dairy prod ucts, liquid eggs, edible oils, wines, and other liquid products requiring superior shelf-life properties and safe transportation. Optimizing advanced capabilities in thermal lamination technology, the company’s flexible film structures are designed to ensure layer-by-layer precision and superior Stress Crack Resistance) prevent products from being com promised by flex-cracking during transportation and distribution stag es. For instance, the Superflex preci sion bag for drum bags and the IBC (intermediate bulk container) for industrial applications (picture above) is specifically designed to protect perishable products shipped in volumes from 55 to 350 gallons. In addition, the company offers a broad range of advanced bags and fitments for aseptic product applications—including juices, concentrates, sauces, condiments, pastes, dairy products and liquid eggs—to ensure 100-percent extraction of the shipped perishable products in order to prevent any food waste. Aran U.S.A.
Cortec Corporation oped as static-dissipative, corrosioninhibiting packaging paper for valuable electrical and electronic items, offering optimal protection from damaging static electricity build-up and corrosion. Incorporating ecofriendly coating made from soybean applied throughout the paper’s surface, the EcoSonic ESD Paper eliminates static electricity build-up even at high temperatures in excess of 200°C, while also providing optimal contact, vapor, and barrier phase corrosion inhibition for ferrous and nonferrous metals. Free of nitrites, phosphates, silicates and other haz -
no VOCs to make it well-suited for a broad range of bakery applications, the 905A CoPilot system utilizes easy-to-use software modified specifically for the baking industry for easy message programming and message recall. For its part, the Kwik Lok 872 automatic bag closing machine enables the packager to close and label bagged packages with one machine using Striplok brand closures—available in many closure opening sizes to accommodate a large number of bag widths and film thicknesses—at speeds of up to 105 bags per minute, according to Kwik Lok. Squid Ink Manufacturing 406
PURE INTENTIONS
FIRST GLANCE
Engineered to reduce the effects of adhesive degradation and extend the useful life of hoses in highperformance environments, the new patent-pending PureFlow hoses from Nordson Corporation allow users to enjoy greater operational efficiency with enhanced preventative maintenance properties that enable the hoses to achieve improved performance and longer service life. Fully compatible with standard hot-melt adhesives, reactive hot-melt adhesives and most heated fluids such as perfumes and lotions, the PureFlow hoses offer optimal protection from the most serious effects of adhesive degradation, including charring, discolora-
tion, curing, odors and nozzle clogging, according to the company. All of the PureFlow hoses feature the RediFlex II hangers to enable users to install, move and replace hot-melt hoses by simply pressing a lever and sliding the hanger out of the mount to remove the hose, while placing another one exactly in the same spot.
Nordson Canada, Limited 407
FILLER UP
The new model F12 rotary filling machine from Fogg Filler offers a 12-foot forged ring filling bowl with 56 to 120 fill-
ing valves and between 14 and 30 capping heads to enable filling at speeds of up to 1,200 bottles per minute for single-serve bottles. The versatile F12 machine can fill both glass and PET plastic bottles ranging in sizes from 0.5 to five liters. Coupled with a Fogg bottle rinser, the F12 filler employs an innovative dual trough system that allows unprecedented flexibility with multiple product paths and faster product evacuation. According to Fogg, the system’s two nozzles enable users to evacuate the product and complete CIP (clean-in-place) cycles in remarkably short time, according to the company. Fogg Filler 408
BREAKING THE CODE
PRIMARY PACKAGING SOLUTIONS
MonoBlocks
Unscramblers
Fillers
Linx Printing Technologies has launched two new laser coders designed to significantly extend the application range for this technology for a greater variety of products. Boasting fast printing speeds, enhanced versatility and quick installation and setup, the Linx CSL10 (10-watt) and CSL30 (30-watt) laser coders feature a new powerful processing board that is able to relay the message from the control unit to the marking head at higher speeds, while easily applying complex messages and graphics without any loss of quality. Well-suited for high-speed packing and bottling lines, both models can apply crisp permanent codes onto a broad range of packaging materials, including coated paper and cardboard, plastic, glass, rubber, coated metal and anodized aluminum. Boasting a new marking head for wide-web applications, the new laser systems can code across multiple lines with just a single laser to print on areas measuring up to 440x600-mm, which would previously require the use of two machines.
Linx Printing Technologies Ltd 409
AIR SUPERIORITY
Counters
The new patentpending AirSpeed Fit from Pregis LLC is a versatile inflatable protective packaging system engineered for compact packing stations typically deployed at “ship-from-store” retail locations. Designed as a cost-effective replacement for traditional void-fill and pre-made bubble wrapping, the lightweight AirSpeed Fit machine can produce two sizes of air pillow and quilted wrappable void-fill to cradle a product with protective cushioning layers. By making cushioning material on-demand, there are no storage requirements for stocking pre-made materials and, according to Pregis, one roll of AirSpeed Fit material can replace up to four rolls of pre-made bubble wrapping.
Taking the Packaging Industry to New Levels
by Rachel Morier, Director of Sustainability, PAC, Packaging Consortium
Being part of an industry association is not just about getting a ticket to an annual conference and receiving a newsletter now and then – it is about being part of a much broader business community to collectively gather insights and expertise to stay ahead of the curve, to truly collaborate with stakeholders throughout the value chain to address important issues that one organization would not be able to tackle alone, and to celebrate the success of new ideas that promote the packaging industry’s progress and development.
CIRCULAR ECONOMY
Adapting to the changing sustainability landscape. PAC is actively participating in the ongoing discussion that surrounds the Waste-Free Ontario Act through its PAC NEXT initiative as stakeholders try to understand how the new regulatory framework will impact their organization. Because packaging changes faster than the current recycling system can adapt, the cost to manage the recovery of packaging materials is on the rise. Of course, packaging changes are driven by consumer demands for convenience, customization and cost competitiveness. These same factors are also driving the growth of e-commerce in which the primary packaging must be optimized to not only fit the appropriate shipping requirements, but to also suit the need. PAC NEXT is working for our members to lead the collaboration with groups such as the National Zero Waste Council (NZWC) and the Circular Economy Innovation Lab (CEIL) help to mobilize packaging optimization solutions that move toward a circular economy.
FOOD WASTE
PAC FOOD WASTE packaging solutions reduce food waste. It is no surprise that packaging helps to reduce food waste since the purpose of packaging is primarily to protect the product from damage and the consumer from tampering and mishandling. Given the rising global pressures to reduce food waste, it provides a unique opportunity to promote packaging solutions where small packaging adjustments can help to maintain freshness, extend shelf life and prevent spoilage. Highlighting smart food packaging technologies such as modified atmosphere, anti-microbial and aseptic packaging through case studies is just one example of how PAC FOOD WASTE is leading the packaging industry to address food waste and we will continue to play a key role in this global issue.
intelliPACK accelerates SMART PACKAGING innovation. Smart packaging applications will play a key role in how packaging evolves in the near future. With increasing awareness on social and environmental issues, intelligent and active packaging technology has the capability to provide real-time information to meet consumer demands for a healthy and sustainable lifestyle. Smart labels are developing to help consumers find information on how to better store food and how to recycle. intelliPACK is leading the exploration of opportunities to make packaging more meaningful beyond its traditional functions and to increase its value to consumers.
Real connections. Real collaboration.
At PAC, we do not simply share news of emerging trends, but also offer educational tools and resources that enable business agility. Market economics, consumer trends, changing health and safety regulations, new waste diversion policy and developing technologies are key drivers that affect the packaging industry. With busy schedules and limited resources it is often difficult to filter through all the news and activity that directly impact your business. This is why PAC is your one-stop shop to all packaging related matters, working to drive momentum to take the packaging industry to new levels.
Well you get the idea.
It’s the type of thinking that has been allowing us to take care of our customers’ labelling and coding needs for over 80 years by designing & manufacturing eye-catching labels and ensuring production lines run flawlessly with a wide range of Label Applicators, Print & Apply Systems, Customized Labelling Solutions and Continuous Inkjet Printers.
With a comprehensive product line, we can help take your brand to a whole new level.
WE REALLY DO THINK OUTSIDE THE BOX… BECAUSE YOU’LL NEED TO PUT A LABEL OR CODE ON IT.
www.webermarking.ca
info@webermarking.ca 1.800.265.9974
MOTHERLY INSTINCTS
Venerable
Canadian coffee and tea processor deploys leading packaging automation technologies to sustain rapid growth in the single-serve capsule
segment
BY GEORGE GUIDONI, EDITOR
PHOTOS BY NAOMI HILTZ
For all their significant differences in origin, preparation, taste and perceived health benefits, coffee and tea are forever twinned in the larger context of being the world’s two most popular and most widely consumed hot beverages.
And for companies like the Mississauga, Ont.-headquartered Mother Parkers Tea & Coffee Inc., being able to offer North American consumers both options, at the same high level of product quality and taste, is a win-win proposition any way you look at it.
Founded in 1912, the family-owned company is anything but a newcomer to the global coffee and tea business, nowadays sourcing its raw coffee beans and tea leaves from over 30 countries around the globe for its own brands and an ever-growing range of private-label products for both retail and foodservice channels.
But for a company with more than a century of proud history of continual growth behind it, its openness to trying new ideas and new ways of doing things is the
proverbial breath of fresh air in an industry placing a big premium on familiarity and tradition.
Always striving to stay ahead of the curve and competition through relentless product innovation, Mother Parkers was not only one of the first tea and coffee processors to fuel the meteoric rise in the popularity of single-serve coffee and tea pods (aka capsules) a few years ago, but also one of the first to respond in a meaningful way to a heavy barrage of public condemnation aimed at the new format’s environmental shortcomings—primarily related to its lack of recyclability.
Rather than simply brush off the criticism as a fair trade-off for delivering the single-serve convenience that consumers themselves were demanding from the industry, the company embarked on a far-reaching quest to produce a more environmentally-friendly single-serve coffee capsule to bridge the gap between growing consumer demand and the heavy burden of
The relatively new Mother Parkers Tea & Coffee production facility in Mississauga, Ont., produces millions of single-serve coffee capsules per year under its own brand labels (above) and as private-label products for retail, foodservice and institutional customers across North America, with major emphasis on improving the recyclability of the plastic capsules.
James Zaebst, Special Projects Engineer, Mother Parkers Tea & Coffee Inc.
alleged ecological insensitivity.
With the company’s 320,00-squarefoot Mississauga plant currently producing millions of single-serve coffee capsules per year, the stakes could hardly be higher for the storied firm owned by Paul Jr. and Michael Higgins, third-generation siblings of the founding Higgins family.
“There is definitely a major focus in the industry to develop a more sustainable solution for single-serve coffee,” says Mother Parkers special projects engineer James Zaebst.
Originally used exclusively for looseleaf tea when launched in 2014, the company’s EcoCup capsules have since been adopted for use across all of its flagship coffee brands, including Mother Parkers, Brown Gold, Martinson and Marley Coffee
Utilizing patented ‘click-and-peel’ technology to separate the capsule’s brewed contents from the recyclingready clear-plastic shell and lidding has enabled EcoCup capsules to be accepted into many more municipal recycling streams than single-serve pods used by many competing coffee products, according to Paul Yang, packaging development group leader
for Mother Parkers.
“In the past we used several different colors for the capsules in order to differentiate the brands from one another,” he says, “but we found that transitioning to one single [clear] color makes them more acceptable for recycling in more municipalities.
“The plastic material we use is recyclable, and we believe that our clickand-peel content removal technology is highly effective in removing the compostable organic waste from the cup to provide a clean, pure material to the recycling stream.
“Our team works very closely with municipalities and many of them are impressed by the progress we have made.”
Indeed, continuous progress is a daily modus operandi for the busy Mississauga capsule plant, which runs on a threeshift, around-the-clock schedule five days a week, employing about 135 production staff to manufacture over 300 different SKUs (stock-keeping units), including its own brands and many leading private-label brands for major retail and foodservice customers.
While the plant’s product portfolio includes hotel pods and fractional packs, the bulk of its business is
several
nowadays focused on EcoCup capsules, which are multipacked in preprinted folding cartons containing 12, 16, 18, 24, 36, 48 and 72 capsules per box.
“There is definitely a different tea and coffee culture in North America, depending on where you go,” Navin relates. “In southern U.S., for example, the vast majority of tea is consumed as iced-tea beverages, whereas in Canada and northeastern U.S. it is mostly served as a traditional hot drink.”
Being able to process both coffee and tea capsules provides the highly-automated capsule plant with enhanced economic efficiencies and flexibility to
“Our production volumes and capacity have grown continuously with growth of the single-serve format and the rising popularity of our more environmentally-friendly capsule format,” says Mother Parkers vice-president of operations Joe Navin, who is also responsible for overseeing daily production at the company’s other three plants in Mississauga (coffee roasting/ grinding), Ajax, Ont. (tea processing); and Fort Worth, Tex., which produces both tea and coffee products primarily for the U.S. markets.
The smooth-running, fully-automated single-serve capsule line at the Mother Parkers plant in Mississauga can accommodate robust throughput speeds of up to 22 cases per minute.
One of
high-performance SEW Eurodrive electric motors used to power the new FlexLink conveyor line.
Each EcoCup capsule on the FlexLink conveyor line is thoroughly tested and monitored via an HMI terminal for quality and fill level.
Manufactured by FlexLink Canada, the multilayered conveyor system at the Mother Parkers capsule plant provides extended accumulation capabilities for uninterrupted production flow.
COVER STORY
ensure quick response to market needs, Navin and Zaebst concur.
Says Navin: “There have been continuous major investments carried out in the facility over the last four years, including processing, transfer systems and capsule manufacturing systems, that have enabled Mother Parkers to produce millions of RealCup and EcoCup capsules annually.”
One of the plant’s more recent capital upgrades involved the installation of a highly flexible conveyor system for transporting the filled single-serve cups from the capsule filler to the box-erecting machine to box the product.
Manufactured by FlexLink Systems Canada, Inc. in Burlington, Ont., the FlexLink Alpine System is a highly modular, aluminum chain conveyor that capably met the plant’s specific requirements for modularity and flexibility, compact footprint, and extended accumulation capabilities.
Installed as a continuous spiral overhead conveyor consisting of six circular tracks stacked on top of one another, with a few inches of space gaps between the six layers, the two-inch-wide conveyor is partially hung from ceiling and partially floor-supported with customized floor and mezzanine mounts to maintain its stable position in mid-air at all times.
“The FlexLink conveyor systems that were installed at the capsule plant to convey the finished capsules from our packaging machines to our nested carton and bulk-off equipment handle the product in a very gentle and efficient manner,” says Zaebst, who designed the conveyor’s aerial layout and configuration with the aim of optimizing all available floorspace.
“It is a very flexible system that allows us to run product from point A to point B by snaking it around other equipment on the packaging line without any interferences,” says Zaebst, adding the system’s foodgrade nylon and UHMW (ultra-high-molecular polyethylene) plastic belting ensures good stability for the lightweight capsules through their transfer from the filler all the way to the case-packing station.
“It provides a good grip so that there is very minimal slippage during the process,” he says. “The system is highly automated, so that if there is a problem with any of the capsules, it will automatically direct the other capsules into the accumulation buffer zone, thereby ensuring uninterrupted production while we address the problem.”
Synchronized with a fully-automatic Lantech model C-1000 case-erector, supplied by Veritiv, the FlexLink conveyor system enables the plant to maintain a brisk line speed of up to 22 cases per minute on this line, depending on carton size and the number of capsules per pack.
“Having worked with FlexLink conveyor systems many times well before this installation, I was quite confident that they would deliver us a robust, highly automated solution that would help us drive down our cost-per-cup, which it certainly has,” Navin states.
“Still, it was very impressive to see them meet all our layout requirements and conserve plant real estate at the same time,” he points out.
“The engineering and installation teams at FlexLink can turn out a complete conveyor regime in less than three weeks, which is remarkably fast compared to other competitive vendors,” he reflects.
Adds FlexLink Systems Canada general manager Jeff Jones: “It is a pleasure for FlexLink Canada to partner with Mother Parkers, as it brings two industry leaders together to create manufacturing solutions that fit with the core competencies of each organization.
“FlexLink is a specialist in factory automation and a leader in solving unique production flow opportunities with sound safe systems that will withstand the test of time,” Jones states.
Part of The Coesia Group of companies, headquartered in Bologna, Italy, Swedish-based FlexLink AB operates 30 globally dispersed subsidiaries, including the Burlington location, delivering a diverse range of industrial conveying solutions to customers across a diverse range of CPG (consumer packaged goods) industries: from food and pharmaceutical to electronics and personal-care products.
“We have worked hard to earn our position as a leader
in the design of systems specifically for transporting single-portion coffee pods through the various packaging stages,” Jones notes.
“Also, being a local supplier to the GTA (Greater Toronto Area) region enables us to maintain close contact with our key customers, like Mother Parkers, to facilitate quick response to any required design modifications.”
The FlexLink conveyor installation is the latest in a long series of proactive capital investments carried out at the capsule plant, which currently houses multiple cup forming lines—yielding significant costsaving in transportation and warehousing—along
The Mississauga capsule plant makes extensive use of corrugated boxes supplied by Atlantic Packaging Products to ship its products to customers across North America.
Supplied by Veritiv, the fully-automatic Lantech rotary-arm stretchwrapper secures finished loads of boxed product onto the CHEP transport pallets.
The model C-1000 case-erector manufactured by Lantech is integrated into the recently-installed FlexLink conveyor line.
The model SmartLase C350 laser coder from Markem-Imaje applies permanent product codes onto the folding cartons used to pack the EcoCup single-serve capsules into various multipack formats.
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other multiple filling/packaging lines, including those dedicated exclusively to organic coffee products.
Boasting the coveted SQF Level 3 food safety and quality certification of the Safe Quality Food Institute (SQF), along with OCIA (Organic Crop Improvement Association) and QAI (Quality Assurance International) certifications for organic food production, the capsule plant is also a beneficiary of a highly motivated, dedicated and well-trained workforce, according to plant manager Stephen Leung.
“The engagement of our plant
employees is one of our most important competitive advantages,” states Leung.
“Every person that works in the plant feels a personal sense of responsibility for continuous improvement.
“Although the plant is only a few years old, it has grown at a rapid rate since we first opened, so there are always opportunities for process improvements, which usually come from the bottom up,” Leung relates.
“Whenever our manufacturing teams see opportunities and ideas to improve the way we work, they feel comfortable bringing those ideas to management.”
Says Leung: “From inception, Mother Parkers’ capsule plant has built a culture of employee engagement that has made a significant impact on the facility’s rapid expansion and success.
“All our employees are involved in decision-making and are empowered to identify opportunities and propose improvements in a continuous improvement environment,” Leung relates. “We also deploy small groups of production employees to form continuous improvement teams to address specific areas of improvement, such as changeover times and processes, preventive maintenance, production and shift scheduling.”
In a similar vein, Leung expects the company’s employees to play a critical role in further refinement of the EcoCup capsules.
consumers are willing and able to participate in making a difference by separating and recycling single-serve coffee capsules,” Yang states, “and we’ll continue to work diligently with the many actors in the post-consumer supply chain to improve our product’s environmental performance.
“Packaging innovation is definitely a big part of the marketing strategy for the company as a whole.
“We want to continue to create relevant products that meet the evolving needs of consumers,” Yang concludes, “and we see technology play a large role in shaping the future of packaging.
“Our in-house packaging innovation team has a unique combination of marketing and consumer insight experience, combined with some highly technical engineering skills, to help affect consumer behavior in positive incremental ways to the benefit of our industry and the environment.”
“We’ve had a very positive response from the market,” he states. “Since its launch in 2014, the EcoCup capsule format has been embraced by many iconic brands across Canada and the U.S., growing this part of our business to over a billion capsules annually.”
Adds Yang: “We strived to redefine the single-serve experience with the EcoCup capsule format.
“We married careful material choices with smart packaging design to come up with a solution that would be easy for our customers to adopt,” he explains. “Technology has allowed us to add more features and functionality to the EcoCup capsule without adding more cost.
“Our research has shown that
The EcoCup single-serve capsules incorporate innovative click-and-peel technology to facilitate complete removal of the cups’ inner contents to make them more compatible for recycling.
Mother Parkers vice-president of operations Joe Navin oversees production at all four of the company’s North American plants.
Packaging development group leader Paul Yang has headed the EcoCup product development efforts since its initial 2014 launch.
KITCHEN RULES
Alberta soup producer takes food safety and product quality to the next higher level with high-speed X-Ray product inspection capabilities
BY ANDREW JOSEPH, FEATURES EDITOR
PHOTOS BY DEVON RIEL
It seems fair to say that when it comes to achieving success in the dog-eat-dog business world, there’s no such thing as having too much help from your trusted partners to put you on a firm path to accomplishing your goals and objectives.
Like its name suggests, the privately-owned Kitchen Partners Limited is all about meaningful and successful partnerships. Based in Edmonton, the company specializes in preparing, cooking, chilling, packaging and shipping a wide assortment of liquid foods and sauces to restaurants and retail stores across Canada from Victoria, B.C., to St. John’s, Nfld., with the ability to go south of the border when its customers require it.
“As cliché as some might think it sounds, we believe our customers deserve a partner, not a supplier, and we know that our reputation hinges on the customer’s reputation for providing high-quality, delicious food,” Kitchen Partners vice-president of operations James Maitland told Canadian Packaging
Kitchen Partners Limited vice-president of operations James Maitland says the company’s new Eagle PACK 320 PRO X-ray inspection system from Eagle Product Inspection, purchased through Canadian packaging systems distributor and integrator PLAN Automation, is helping the food processor maintain high product quality and food safety levels at its Edmonton operation.
A close-up view of a soup pouch passing the reject system of the Eagle Pack 320 PRO X-Ray system, a high-accuracy, highspeed food inspection system featuring robust imaging rates of up 120 meters per minute.
FOOD SAFETY
in a recent interview.
The company got its start in the mid-1980s in Edmonton when, as a small commissary, it supported some local restaurants by preparing food for them.
“But, with new ownership in 2004 and a new management team in 2005, Kitchen Partners quickly changed its focus because we knew it could become something more,” says Maitland, with a tip of the hat to company president Jeff Clark.
“We have experienced exceptional growth since then,” he notes, “and we continue to add new customers and new products every year.”
According to Maitland, anything that can be made in a pot on a stove, or served in a bowl at home or in the back of a restaurant kitchen, falls into the Kitchen Partners area of expertise.
“We produce a wide range of products from salad dressings to soups to pasta sauces,” advice Maitland. “We are also licensed for processing seafood as well, and we make some fantastic clam chowders for a few of our customers.”
With a total of 68 employees, Kitchen Partners operates a 27,000-square-foot facility that houses 5,000 square feet of office space, 13,000 square feet
for warehousing and cooling, and 9,000 square feet for manufacturing operations.
“We used to have two facilities, but through efficiency gains and lean manufacturing, we were able to consolidate them into one CFIA (Canadian Food Inspection Agency) federally-inspected, USDA (United States Department of Agriculture)-eligible, GFTC (Guelph Food Technology Centre)-certified building,” Maitland relates.
The company’s main customer segment are the multi-unit foodservice operators and the retail deli/ HMR (home meal replacement) service providers, with restaurants making up the largest portion of Kitchen Partners’ business.
While it also produces some industrial support marinades and sauces for other producers, Maitland says that its multi-unit foodservice operators represent over 80 percent of its business, with HMR and institution business accounting for the rest.
With over 100 SKU (stock-keeping units), the company focuses primarily on stirred foods with soups and sauces representing approximately 70 per cent of its output, and the remaining 30 per cent taken up with the production of dips and dressings.
Customers can either provide Kitchen Partners with their own recipes to follow, says Maitland, or they can have the company create them on their behalf.
“Our business is all about the innovation and the ease-of-use that we can bring to the customer,” relates Maitland.
“That often means that we need to take their ideas and commercialize them.
“Sometimes that means having our team work with their recipes, or us creating them from scratch.
“We have a fantastic product development team at Kitchen Partners that is very creative, with a wide range of capabilities,” he says. “We also hold regular innovation sessions with our customers and their teams, so that we can continue to tailor our business to their business.
“It’s really all about customization here,” says Maitland, describing the two processes employed at the facility: RTE (ready-to-eat) and Cold, whereby it takes meat from a raw state and cooks it so it is RTE.
The company runs five-days-a-week, 24-hours-aday, and tends to have a busier time of year falling between September and December.
“We do have the ability to run overtime shifts, if the project warrants it,” says Maitland, “but for the most part, we have the capacity to scale up our production with the same number of people on the lines.”
Kitchen Partners purchases all of its own ingredients and works with its customers to customize products that meet their needs, according to Maitland.With no brands of its own, Kitchen Partners makes everything proprietary for each specific customer, if required.
“We try to purchase as close to the source as possible,” Maitland reveals. “For example, we buy onions directly from the growers, which are then peeled, cleaned and processed to the exact specification we require.
“We only use fresh ingredients, as we believe that it makes such a major difference in the quality of our products, that you can taste it in the product.
“By buying as close to the source as possible, we eliminate any extra required processing steps, which ultimately leads to a superior product and allows us to customize our products easily to satisfy the enduser’s needs.”
The Kitchen Partners plant operates two basic processing lines: the vegetable preparation manual trimming and prepping line, combined with a highly
The Eagle PACK 320 Pro X-Ray system Kitchen Partners purchased through Canadian packaging systems integrator PLAN Automation is also used to weigh product pouches for consistency by electronicaly communicating directly to the food processor’s bag filling machine before inspecting it for food safety assurance.
A Kitchen Partners employees checks the data on the HMI (human-machine interface) on the Eagle PACK 320 Pro X-Ray system to ensure top-flight product inspection at its Edmonton facility to ensure customer and consumer safety for its high-quality soups, sauces, dressings and condiments and more packed in pouches.
automatic cleaning step line that feeds the second line—the stirred foods operation.
“The vegetable prep line is manual at the beginning, handling all the different types of inputs from celery and cauliflower to onions and bell peppers,” Maitland explains. “Peppers need coring, the onions need to be topped, tailed and peeled, the cauliflower requires destemming, and the celery requires separation—all very different processes.”
Kitchen Partners has opted to automate its critical control points and key process controls, while keeping other processes manual.According to Maitland, this solution provides a high degree of production flexibility for the plant.
“We chose to maintain our manual batching process to provide quality inspection of ingredients and for customization purposes,” relates Maitland. “But for our cooking and chilling operations, we needed to be highly automated to ensure that each step is controlled, and be able to repeat each step precisely to ensure a consistent end product, which can be matched from batch to batch.
“We also prefer to use a manual casepacking method to ensure that every packed product placed into a master case enters in perfect condition,” Maitland confides.
In layman’s terms, Kitchen Partners operation comprises processing of fresh vegetables, scaling of all ingredients, building of emulsions in its batching area, and then adding all the ingredients into its large-scale kettles to cook according to the customer’s recipe.
After the product is prepared, it undergoes a quality check before being released for packaging.
“Once filled, the product passes through an X-Ray system placed a few feet away, with the two machines communicating with each other to ensure the proper fill level is consistent,” says Maitland.
“After the X-Ray inspection, the product is conveyed to pass through our chilling system to cool down to the desired temperature, before being released for boxing and, eventually moved to our finished goods storage area.”
To ensure optimal quality control, Kitchen Partners purchased an Eagle PACK 320 PRO X-Ray system last April 2016.
Manufactured by Eagle Product Inspection of Tampa, Fla., the system is distributed in Canada by the Orangeville, Ont.-headquartered automated packaging systems integrator PLAN Automation, whose X-Ray technical center and warehouse is located in Richmond Hill, Ont.
“We were using a metal detection unit previously,” Maitland recalls, “but we were afforded an opportunity to change to a supplier we could partner with long-term in order to further our own goal of making quality and food safety a competitive advantage.”
Maitland says that because his company
FOOD SAFETY
The robust and accurate Liquiflex filling and bagging system manufactured by Bemis Company saves Kitchen Partners time and costs.
A bird’s-eye view of pouches of Bolognese sauce moving (from left to right) through the Eagle PACK 320 Pro X-Ray system.
FOOD SAFETY
uses so many vegetables as part of the product make-up, that stones are inevitably a key area of concern.
Maitland says the same holds true with protein sauce creation, but with the possibility of bone fragments posing the biggest risk.
According to Maitland, the combination of checkweighing and improved food safety justified X-Ray as a solution for improving Kitchen Partners’ overall food safety program and reducing the risk to its customers and consumers.
“It has also allowed us to be more consistent on our yields, by having the checkweigher communicate directly to the packing machine and auto adjusting the fill weights,” he notes. “We now have a very small range of variability for each and every package for fill weights.”
The Eagle PACK 320 PRO X-Ray system provides 100-percent product inspection of foreign contaminants, including metal, stone, glass, dense plastics and calcified bone.
As Maitland stresses, the system can checkweigh, measure fill-level and verify component presence or absence, and is capable of multi-lane capable operation.
According to Mat Bedard of PLAN Automation, the Eagle PACK 320 Pro X-Ray system is designed to
second to none.
“I based my final decisions around three factors: the company and their values, service and price, says Maitland, adding that Kitchen Partners genuinely believes in the value of partnerships.
“Both Eagle Product Inspection and PLAN Automation have demonstrated to me over my career in the industry that they have what it takes to create a dynamic partnership, which made the purchasing decision a lot easier for us,” relates Maitland.
With regards to PLAN Automation’s technical expertise, Maitland has nothing but high praise.
“JP Perreault and PLAN Automation have always done great work in many of the plants I had the pleasure of leading,” he says. “Their service and values are superb, which really defines how their technicians conduct themselves in aligning with our personnel here at Kitchen Partners.
“Having PLAN Automation as a partner was an easy decision.”
Maitland says that the Eagle PACK 320 Pro X-Ray system has been doing yeomen’s work for Kitchen Partners, allowing the plant to not only improve the bag weight consistency, but also to work with its own suppliers to improve their food safety programs.
“For me, all of the interactions were a true reflection of PLAN Automation’s leadership, and I am proud to have them as partners of Kitchen Partners.”
Maitland says that the foodservice industry is both very exciting and competitive, adding that Kitchen Partners has found its niche and has continued to grow it over the years.
“Whether it’s with new products offered to existing customers or simply attracting new customers, we have discovered, and will continue to discover, new business opportunities for Kitchen Partners,” Maitland opines.
He points out that recent trends of cleaner ingredient declarations, and full customization options are “trends we are seeing and are able to take full advantage of.”
On top of all that, it is the quality of the food they produce, and the safety aspects they can offer their customer’s consumers that set Kitchen Partner’s apart.
provide inspection of high-speed flowwrap lines and small- to midsized packaged items.
Providing 320-mm (12.5 inch) of detection coverage at the belt, the PACK 320 PRO can perform highspeed imaging at a rate of 120 meters per minute (400 feet per minute) with multiple inspection capabilities.
“All of the Eagle systems are network-capable, which allows users to have remote access to the equipment by Eagle expert technicians, like ourselves, who can provide fast diagnostic relief and hopefully correct any issues without having to send a technician for on-site service,” explains Bedard. “It’s a great way to quickly get production lines working efficiently.”
Adds Maitland: “Kitchen Partners had never had direct experience with X-Ray systems before and had little knowledge of the capabilities that were available to us.
“The PLAN Automation team took the time to educate, share and train our team on all of the options that have allowed us to drastically improve our business and reliability to our customers and their end-users,” he continues.
Having used Eagle equipment at other companies he has worked at in the past, Maitland notes that its capabilities, service and price were
“Since the Eagle PACK 320 Pro X-Ray system was installed over the second weekend of July 2016, we have been able to provide feedback to our suppliers around how their detection systems are working,” Maitland reveals.
“Not allowing any bone fragments or stones to be included into our food products for consumers to find has made our entire supply chain more efficient and safe.”
Even before the X-Ray system was installed, Maitland recalls how Bedard invited him to visit PLAN Automation’s X-Ray center to see and test a wide range of Kitchen Partners’ products first-hand.
“Matt Bedard did a fantastic job in fitting us with a solution for our process, including adding a rejection system,” says Maitland, adding the company was kept in the loop throughout the entire process, and that when technician Josh Milne arrived to install and teach Kitchen Partners’ staff how to use the equipment, they already felt he was part of the family.
“Josh really fit in with our culture and values,” explains Maitland. “It felt like he had worked with our entire team for years.
“He had the set-up done quickly and effectively, and worked with our entire team to ensure everyone had the proper training we needed to ensure safe and effective operation of the X-Ray system.
Kitchen Partners follows OSHA (Occupational Health and Safety Administration) standards, with Maitland proudly citing his company’s record 1,162 consecutive days of no time lost due to worker accidents, at the time of this writing.
Along with a comprehensive quality and food safety scorecard in which Kitchen Partners measures a wide range of criteria, Maitland points to the plant running on “an OEE (overall equipment effectiveness) metric to calculate efficiency yields and utilization over a five-day, 24hour schedule, with us running at an average of 79 per cent right now.
“As for fill-rate, if we drop below 99.7 per cent, then there is a serious problem,” Maitland acknowledges.
“So we decided that scheduling conformance was a better metric, where we target 97 per cent of plan.”
Summing up, Maitland says he is optimistic about his company’s continued growth and ability to produce high-quality, safe food for its customers.
“Having a great partner like PLAN Automation has certainly been a great way for Kitchen Partners to improve our efficiency,” Maitland concludes.
“And we are glad to have them with us as we continue to take things to next level in the foodservice industry.”
A Kitchen Partners plant employee oversees the filling and sealing of soup pouches performed by Bemis Company’s Liquiflex bagger, which is capable of processing different-sized pouches ranging from six ounces to five gallons in volume.
ALL THE RIGHT MOVES
Vermont cheese manufacturer keeps the packaging line moving full speed ahead with high-performance automatic secondary packaging equipment
A top-down view of the index area of the new Delkor Systems C Series 2C 1200 robotic loading case-packing system,
facility of the 1,100-member family farm co-op that
BY ANDREW JOSEPH, FEATURES EDITOR
PHOTOS BY PAUL KRITZECK
If you were to travel to Cabot, Vermont, by car, you could almost experience what it’s like to miss a place just because you blinked. Located in an area of 2.8 square kilometers, the tiny community only had a total of 233 people making their home there, according to the 2010 United States Census.
But whatever Cabot lacks in size, it more than makes up for it in cheese.
Operating as part of the Andover, Ma.-headquartered Agri-Mark Dairy Cooperative, the Cabot Creamery Co-Operative Inc. is part of a prospering network of three cheese processing plants operated by
Agri-Mark in northeastern U.S.
This includes a cheese processing plant in Chateaugay, N.Y., producing cheddar and muenster cheeses; and West Springfield, Ma., where it makes butter and skim milk powder; a plant in Middlebury,Vt., where cheddar and whey protein powder is made; and Cabot, where it creates its award-winning cheddar cheese and other cultured products.
Best known for its award-winning Cabot brand of cheddar cheese and other dairy products, Cabot Creamery is a classic agricultural dairy co-operative business jointly owned by 1,100 farm families spread across the New
featuring the iconic yellow Fanuc M-710iC/50H robot, at the packaging
own the Cabot Creamery Co-operative plant in Cabot, Vermont.
The main control panel and Rockwell’s Allen-Bradley brand HMI on the Delkor C-Series robotic case-packing system provides Cabot with fast and precise production line efficiency.
York state and New England.
The company was founded in 1919 as the Cabot Creamery Co-operative by 94 local farming families who invested US$3,700 in the original manufacturing plant using a wood-fired boiler.
At that time, dairy farmers produced much more milk than they could sell, so the Cabot farmers churned their excess milk into butter—selling their Rosedale brand all over the New England area.
As more and more of the population moved away from rural communities to urban confines during the 1920s, the co-operative started to expand its business by shipping some of its milk and butter output south. By 1930, when Vermont’s human population was actually outnumbered by cows (358,000 people to 421,000 cows), the co-op added cheddar cheese to its production mix.
While Cabot cooperative membership was 600 farms in 1960, the total number of farms across Vermont and the rest of the U.S. begun to shrink. By 1964 there were 9,000 farms in Vermont, and 6,000 in 1967. By the 1980s, there were fewer than 2,000 farms in Vermont, less than one-fifth of the total a mere 10 years earlier.
It wasn’t all doom and gloom for Cabot Creamery Cooperative.
In 1989, the co-op won the first prize at the U.S. Championship Cheese Contest in Green Bay, Wis., starting a remarkable winning streak that continues to this day
To date, the company has garnered nearly 140 major national and international awards, including first place for its cheddar in the 1998 World Championship Cheese Contest
The turn of the century saw the company undertake a series of strategic mpves, including:
• In 2000, Agr i-Mark constructed a US$20-million state-of-the-art whey protein processing facility in Middlebury—the only one of its kind in the U.S. at the time;
• In 2003 Agri-Mark merged with Chateaugay Cooperative of Chateaugay, NY;
• Also in 2003, Cabot purchased the MacAdam cheese
AUTOMATE NOW
brand and a plant from Valio of Finland;
• 2006, Agr i-Mark joined with the Allied Federation of Cooperatives, adding new members to supply the Chateaugay facility;
• In 2009, larger cheddar vats were installed in Middlebury;
• In 2010, increasing sales prompted the opening of a new 10,400-square-foot warehouse in Middlebury. “Cabot Creamery Co-operatives still holds onto generations of family traditions, while looking forward in the adoption of best practices to ensure we look after the land, improve animal care, provide a stable business for our member farming families
and, of course, make sure we consistently produce high-quality dairy products,” Cabot Creamery cut and wrap production manager Cristin O’Donnell told Canadian Packaging magazine in a recent interview.
She continues: “We look at the cooperative as us supporting our community, and our community supporting us,” O’Donnell states.
There are close to 200 full-time employees at the 119,000-square-foot cut-and-wrap facility in Cabot, with an additional 100 employees who work at the manufacturing plant making cheddar cheese and cultured products.
“As the facility name suggests, we cut and wrap aged, flavored and light cheddar, Pepper Jack, Monterey Jack, Muenster, and Horseradish cheeses—all made with local fresh cow’s milk,” O’Donnell relates.
The Vermont facility primarily produces the Coop’s two flagship brands—Cabot and McAdam but O’Donnell points out that it also makes dairy products for other company brands as well.
“We produce about 200 SKUs (stock-keeping units) at our cut-and-wrap plant,” notes O’Donnell. “And while our exact numbers are proprietary, the Cabot plant alone handles close to a million pounds of milk a day.
“And while all of that milk is used for a variety of dairy products, I can tell you that our cheddar production tops 70 million pounds per year,” O’Donnell reveals, adding that Cabot dairy products can be found on the east coast of the U.S. from Maine south to Florida.
“While our distribution is mostly concentrated along the eastern seaboard of the U.S., our products can be purchased nationally via major stores,” says O’Donnell, citing the likes of Costco, Walmart and Whole Foods Market
“Across the U.S. grocery segment, our Cabot brand is Number Three in terms of sales of Cheddar, Monterey Jack and Muenster cheeses, behind Kraft and Tillamook,” she notes. “So we’re doing well.” She adds that while most of Cabot’s dairy products
The Delkor Systems C Series robotic case-packing system was installed in late 2016 to work with Delkor’s retail-ready Cabrio cases already being used by Cabot Creamery.
After a Fanuc M-710iC/50H robot places individual packs of cheese into a corrugated Cabrio case, product moves along a conveyor line to a Delkor Capstone F-series 550 case-closer.
At the infeed area, the corrugated Cabrio Cases of individual packed cheese awaiting closing via a Nordson ProBlue 7 hotmelt adhesive system within the Delkor Capstone F-series 550 closer.
AUTOMATE NOW
are sold through the standard grocery channel, the company does have an active foodservice division that works directly with individual restaurants and restaurant chains.
In the larger dairy industry beyond the cheddar category O’Donnell says that Cabot Creamery is ranked the Number 46 in sales.
“Our market share varies from region to region,” points out O’Donnell.“In top markets like Vermont or Boston, we have a 20-percent share of all cheeses sold. In our growing markets, that number can be anywhere from five to 10 per cent.
Knowing the industry is key for any business, O’Donnell notes, monitoring how the rise in popularity of yogurt in recent years has caused a corresponding rise in competitive yogurt brands on the market available to consumers.
Not wanting to compete against the industry heavyweights, Cabot stayed away from the single-serve market and instead only offers its GreekYogurt in the two-pound size.
But when it comes to cheeses, Cabot doesn’t shy away from anyone.
“In the cheese category, Kraft and Sargento are the big players,” O’Donnell acknowledges. “While the competition is strong, we just focus on our own product quality and hope that the end consumer can taste the difference.”
The quality exacted into its cheese and dairy products is extended towards its food safety initiatives, with Cabot Creamery achieving its SQF Level 3 certification, the highest level of food safety standards of certification offered by the Safe Quality Food Institute, denoting a comprehensive implementation of safety and quality management systems.
As O’Donnell relates, the co-op’s mission focuses around producing high-quality products and customer service, while ensuring worker safety and sustainability matters within the cooperative as a whole.
“We have specific teams and programs to continually evolve and improve in both safety and sustainability areas,” she states.
O’Donnell notes the Cabot Creamery Co-Operative is the first dairy co-operative in the world to be BCorp-certified, a third-party private certification issued to for-profit businesses with offices in the U.S., Canada, Europe, South America, Australia and New Zealand, awarded for high social sustainability and environmental performance standards.
The cut-and-wrap facility in Cabot runs two shifts of production and one shift of sanitation operating 24-hours-a-day and five-days-a-week, while the cheese production areas run non-stop seven-days-a-week.
O’Donnell relates that the second half of the year
is typically the co-op’s busiest time, saying it manages the increased workflow thanks to a combination of planning and a flexible workforce set-up to adjust to the seasonal variations.
Featuring 11 production lines, the cut-and-wrap facility packs dairy product ranging in size from four ounces up to 38 pounds in various substrates, such as film, bags and wax.
“Different lines are set up with different amounts of automation,” explains O’Donnell. “While we still perform more manual production on lower volume and specialty lines, our highest volume lines have the most automation.”
An open case in the infeed area of the Delkor C-series 2C 1200 case-loader neatly stacked and packed with Cabot’s famous Seriously Sharp Cheddar Cheese.
To meet current and future customer needs for Cabot Creamery, Delkor provided the co-operative with a new case-packing system featuring its Trayfecta S-series, robotic C-series loading system, and its Capstone F-series 550 closer, capable of running at a speed of up to 200 units per minute.
At the collation area of the Delkor C-series 2C 1200 robotic loader, the EOAT (end-of-arm tool) gently picks flowwrapped packs of cheese and places them within the corrugated Cabrio Cases in preparation for transportation to customers.
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Cheeses are brought in to the facility from company warehouses after it has been aged anywhere from six months to three years. Arriving in bulk as 40-pound “blocks” or the appropriately named 640-pound “giant blocks,” depending on what was selected by the Cabot cheese graders to be packed as a specific product, these cheese blocks are then cut to size, as chunks or slices.
“The sizing is dependent on the specifics of each customer in the retail or Club Store or foodservice market segments, and what sizes each prefers,” notes O’Donnell, adding that these cheese products are packed using either Hayssen or Multivac plastic films, Sealed Air Cryovac plastic bags, or wax, depending on customer requirements.
“Again, based on the line, we have case-packers and palletizers, but we also have lines where we hand-pack the cheese into cases and palletize those cases by hand,” O’Donnell relates.
“We transport the finished pallets to our distribution center located just down the road in Montpelier.”
For one of those production lines, in November of 2016 Cabot purchased three pieces of equipment from the St. Paul, Minn.-headquartered Delkor Systems Inc. for a new Delkor C Series robotic loading case-packing workcell, featuring:
• Trayfecta S-series TF-S4 1501 XL former;
• C-series robotic loader featuring a Fanuc M-710iC/50H robot;
• Capstone F-series 550 closer Already having enjoyed a positive experience owning and operating
a case-packing system from Delkor, O’Donnell says it was a no-brainer to purchase the second one when the time was right.
“It wasn’t just the performance of the original casepacker, which was superb,” she notes, “but it was also the high level of friendly, knowledgeable and timely servicer and support that Delkor provided us.
“We thought was a very important factor in expanding our relationship.”
Delkor Systems sales manager Scott Shepard says that the Cabot facility has been a Delkor customer for over 20 years, installing their first Spot-Pak line in 1996 to pack tapered cups of cultured dairy products at a rate of 180 containers per minute.
A second, higher-speed Spot-Pak line was installed in 2012 for the same products to keep up with Cabot’s growing production demands.
These Delkor machines were designed specifically to handle product in tapered cups, an area Delkor has specialized in since its beginnings. According to Shepard, Delkor has a large footprint within the cultured dairy industry, with thousands of machines installed throughout North America.
Says Shepard: “The two Spot-Pak systems pack Cabot’s rigid containers into Spot-Pak packages, Delkor’s patented low-cost pad-shrink shippers.
“The systems have allowed Cabot to enjoy savings on their packaging lines for several years,” continues Shepard, “as Spot-Pak packaging typically costs about half that of a typical corrugated shipping case.”
As for the new robotic case-loader, O’Donnell says it wasn’t about saving money on packaging as much as it was about looking to the future.
Needing to replace an existing casepacker manufactured by another equipment builder after it had reached the end of its expected life, O’Donnell says Cabot had also “seen an increase in the number of customers requesting shelf-ready display cases from us.”
Delkor’s solution could not only provide a case-packer that could meet the current needs of Cabot’s shipping boxes, but it could also offer them a leading retail-ready package (RRP) in the Cabrio Case to meet current and future customer needs.
“We can run the Delkor C Series robotic case-packing line at speeds up to 200 units per minute handling sixto 32-ounce blocks of flowwrapped cheese,” relates O’Donnell.
The robotic case-packer’s Trayfecta S-Series former is, according to Shepard, “Capable of forming economical harness wrap shipping cases, as well as our popular Cabrio Case retail-ready package.”
A fully packed case of Cabot’s Seriously Sharp Cheddar Cheese exits the outfeed area of the robotic loader before heading towards the Delkor Capstone F-series 550 hot-melt adhesive closing system.
He says that in late 2016, Delkor’s Cabrio Case was called out by name in Walmart’s Retail Ready Packaging guide as one of the retail giant’s preferred formats.
“This flexibility to switch from an economical shipper case to an award-winning retail-ready package, and vice versa, enables manufacturers to better future-proof their operation,” continues Shepard.
“The machinery solution we supplied Cabot offers similar benefits in terms of flexibility, and simple, tooless changeover that takes just minutes to implement.”
This Delkor system uses a Fanuc-based robotic case-packer, featuring a M-710-iC/50H five-axis robot arm with a payload capacity of 50-kilograms and a reach of 2,000-mm.
“The Fanuc M-710-iC/50H is a medium-payload robot that is designed to perform high-speed product transfers with a wide range of motion,” says Shepard. “In this case, it enables Cabot to pack into more shallow shipping cases, as well as the deeper Cabrio Case RRP without ever dropping the product.”
Adds Shepard: “With the collation-style robotic loader we chose for Cabot’s application, up to 12 blocks of cheese are loaded per transfer to achieve the desired rates.
“Because Cabot runs several differentsize blocks and needs to be prepared for future RRP requirements, we designed a highly-flexible end-of-arm tool (EOAT) for the robot.
“This EOAT allows for a wide range of pack patterns and configurations, including the option to load cheese for horizontal or vertical presentation on the shelf.”
As a certified Level 4 Fanuc Integrator the highest possible level—Shepard says Delkor offers a wealth of experience and support that Cabot will be able to rely on.
“The simplicity of the modular approach to the system, with separate forming, loading and closing operations, allows the system to be configured to fit into a variety of layouts,” says Shepard, “including the relatively tight area Cabot had available in the facility.”
O’Donnell says that when it came time to purchase the new case-packer, it was very important that it be able to run the exact same corrugated blanks it was running on its existing wraparound machines.
“We consider the case blank we use to be highly efficient,” mentions O’Donnell, “when compared to a traditional RSCs (regular slotted cases).
“As well, the fact that the Delkor system can allow us to change over from one format to the next in time measured in minutes, was a key deciding factor as well.”
Despite the majority of its business revolving around cheese, there’s nothing cheesy about the Cabot cut-andwrap facility in Vermont.
dairy industry, Cabot is run as a modern business, but it also mirrors the values of the farmers who own the business,” says O’Donnell.
“We are a company that cares greatly for people, natural resources, and returning profit to our member farms,” she states.
“And nowadays, we see consumers shifting their purchasing habits from simple ‘item quality’ to ‘company quality,’ which means they want to know if they can stand behind the company and the company’s practices,” O’Donnell concludes.
“When it comes to Cabot Creamery, we find that more and more consumers are choosing our products, and we are striving to ensure that continues well into the future.”
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SHOW OF STRENGTH
The world’s biggest packaging exhibition gets set to dazzle the global audience with comprehensive technolgies showcase and busy conference agenda
When it comes to putting on a show, the German city of Düsseldorf is in a league of its own, big time!
As a host to more than 40 major global trade shows, including 23 leading events in their respective sectors, the country’s seventh-largest city has few equals as a regular global meeting place for some of the world’s most important industries—with packaging no exception.
Held every three years, the 59-year-old interpack trade fair is the proverbial Mother of all trade shows in the global packaging business by any objective measure—from the staggering numbers of visitors and exhibitors to the comprehensive scope of leading packaging technologies, materials and services displayed during the week-long extravaganza.
Running this year May 4-10, 2017, at the vast Messe Düsseldorf fairgrounds complex near the city’s international airport, interpack 2017 already seems well-poised to smash all previous attendance records, according to the show’s organizers Messe Düsseldorf GmbH, which cites unprecedented levels of interest in all parts of the world.
According to Messe Düsseldorf, “Interpack 2017 has already recorded the largest exhibitor demand in the show’s history.
“By the official registration deadline end of February 2016 for the world’s most important trade fair for the packaging sector and related processing industries, companies had booked about 20 more space than is available in the 19 halls of the Düsseldorf exhibition center.
“In terms of its scope and international mix, interpack offers an unparalleled platform for companies with products and solutions from all sectors of packaging technology, related processes and packaging materials for the key food-and-beverage, confectionery and bakery products, pharmaceuticals, cosmetics, non-food consumer goods and industrial goods segments.”
Representing all facets of the packaging supply chain, the last interpack 2014 show drew 174,798 visitors—with 106,463 from outside of Germany—and 2,670 exhibitors, and Messe Düsseldorf is erecting an additional temporary exhibit hall this time around to house packaging machinery components suppliers.
This surge in interest accurately reflects the strengthening packaging industry renaissance worldwide—driven by key new market trends and mandates for packaging producers and users across the globe.
According to leading market research firm Smithers Pira, the global packaging market is currently growing at an annual rate of 3.5 per cent—putting it on track to surpass the coveted US$1-trillion threshold by 2020.
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Another market research firm, Euromonitor, estimates that there were more than four trillion packages sold worldwide in 2015, with plastic packaging accounting for half of that total.
“The largest share of this, almost 60 per cent, goes to flexible plastic packaging,” Euromonitor states, “and the figure is rising.
“More and more products are packed in flexible packaging of all kinds, such as bags, stand-up pouches, films, etc., to meet growing demand from the food industry,” says Euromonitor, singling out stand-up pouches as the fastest-growing segment within flexible packaging.
“Convenience is the keyword here: The packaging should be light, easy to open and close, and the product should be easy to portion,” Euromonitor states.
“Stand-up pouches do not weigh
much, which means that the use of resources on the one hand, and the transport costs of the goods on the other, are decreasing,” according to Euromonitor.
“In addition, for products that need to be sterilized, stand-up pouches need a lower heating time, since the temperatures necessary for sterilization can be reached faster than in larger-sized cans, cardboard boxes or bags made of aluminum.”
Despite the outstanding growth for flexible and rigid plastic packaging— with beverage industry continuing to fuel strong demand growth for PET (polyethylene terephthalate) containers—suppliers of all core packaging materials can expect good growth prospect in coming years, according to Euromonitor.
• Carton Packaging. With 620 million paperboard packages sold in 2015,
the “highly competitive market” is expected the grow by six per cent overall by 2019—driven by soaring e-commerce sales and robust demand for more retail-ready packaging from traditional brick-and-mortar retailers.
• Metal Packaging. With 2015 sales of 420 million units, the third-largest packaging segment will grow by 12 per cent by 2019, as cans continue to make inroads into the global markets for beer, energy drinks and other socalled “functional beverages.”
• Glass Packaging. Remaining the packaging of choice for premium range products— especially in markets for upscale beer, spirits and wine—demand for glass is also expected to rise by seven per cent by 2019, according to Euromonitor, reaching an estimated 338 million units.
According to Euromonitor, “Growth keeps happening in the packaging market for two reasons: the increasing urbanization and the continuing trend towards more convenience foods. “Worldwide more and more people live in cities, and providing them with sound high-quality food and other essential goods on a daily basis poses enormous logistical challenges.
“Hence, packaging is the key to transport food and goods undamaged and unspoiled to the customers,” says Euromonitor.
“Rising consumption due to growing middle classes in developing and emerging countries, along with growing competition in mature markets, also are responsible for growth in the packaging market.”
According to Euromonitor, the classic requirements for packaging are also undergoing a profound change: shifting from focus on protection and transportability to new challenges such as dosing solutions, easier handling, reclosability and controlled removal.
“On the other hand, demographic changes are also leading to increasing demand for small and single-serve packages [that] can be easily consumed on-the-go or at work.”
With all these packaging trends and innovations to be showcased in extensive detail, interpack 2017 offers an unparalleled opportunity to generate new ideas, meet innovative designers, and to discuss technical solutions with leading machine and packaging suppliers.
As in the past, packaging sustainability will also be explored in great detail both at the show and throughout the numerous educational forums and conference sessions planned throughout the week-long event.
According to leading German industry group VDMA (Mechanical Engineering Industry Association), representing the country’s
leading processing and packaging machine-builders, “Packaging manufacturers are under an obligation to achieve the balancing act of spectacularly presenting the package with a consumerfriendly design, while conserving raw materials and thus easing the burden on the environment.”
The demand for resource-efficient packaging is at its highest point in history, according to VDMA spokesperson Vera Fritsche, with a profound impact on the design of next-generation packaging machinery.
“Treating natural resources responsibly and doing business in an environment-friendly way have high priority among manufacturers of food processing machines and packaging machines.
“They know that sustainable production processes are hugely important for their customers,” says Fritsche, citing burgeoning demand for energy-saving drives, motors, compressors, fans and pumps that can also help reduce water consumption.
On the materials side, interpack 2017 will provide an outstanding platform for innovative developers of smart and active packaging, as well as renewable bioplastics, to provide an insight into the future of packaging.
“Designed to monitor and record environmental influences to which the food is exposed, ‘smart packages’ are all the rage these days,” according to Messe Düsseldorf, “because they provide direct information on the quality status of the product.
“As an example, more packages that are provided with time-temperature indicators to depict the exact degree of freshness of the product—even after the expiry date.
“This technology also provides a reliable indication of whether the cold chain was interrupted, or if the product is still suitable for consumption.”
For its part, the so-called “active packaging” not only protects food against external contaminants such as germs, pressure or moisture, but can actually regulate the moisture in the packaging, absorb oxygen, carbon-dioxide or ethylene, and extend the shelf-life of the packaged food.
“But most important of all, they are biochemically active in being able to combat the spreading of microbial germs to enhance food safety,” says Messe Düsseldorf.
As for bioplastics, show organizers look forward to displaying the latest commercial product packaging innovations derived from corn starch and sugar cane, as well as a new generation of protein-based coating materials for the production of thermoformed containers such as cups or bowls.
In addition to the staggering array of product ranges to be displayed throughout the show, interpack 2017 will also explore several key themes shaping today’s
PRE-SHOW REPORT
packaging research and development with special events and pavilions such as:
• Save Food Congress. Sponsored by the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) of the United Nations and the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), the third international Save Food Congress held on the opening day of the show—will be supported by the special Innovationparc area devoted to the exhibit of packaging strategies and solutions to help reduce food loss and waste.
individualized packaging.
• WorldStar Awards ceremony of the World Packaging Organisation (WPO), featuring winners of the competition’s inaugural Save Food Packaging Awards category, along with all other category winners selected from a vast pool of international entries.
For further information on visiting or exhibiting at interpack 2017, as part of the Canadian Pavilion or as an individual exhibitor, contact Messe Düsseldorf (Canada) in Toronto at (416) 598-1524. For more general information, contact Messe Düsseldorf North America in Chicago at (312) 781-5180, or go to: www.interpack.com
• Industry 4.0 technology lounge at the VDMA stand, running a continuous display of new applications in the applications in the packaging machinery and process technologies sector for new areas for improvement in safety, traceability, copy and piracy protection, and
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THIRSTY FOR INNOVATION
Beverage companies stress individualized packaging and production line efficiencies to maintain competitive edge and market share growth
Packaging suppliers to the global beverage industry are increasingly tasked to kill two birds with one stone.
On one hand, consumers expect individually designed packages with, if possible, enhanced value-added features and supplementary functions.
At the same time, the increasingly eco-minded beverage consumers demand more sustainable, resource-conserving containers manufactured with environmentally compatible methods.
The industry achieves this balancing act with new packaging strategies and efficient production equipment, which will be emphatically displayed at the upcoming interpack 2017 international packaging exhibition in Düsseldorf, Germany, May 4-10, 2017.
These days, it is no longer enough for guests to bring their dinner host a bottle of wine.
The latest trend in gift packages involves celebrating the act of giving and stimulating emotional connection with new materials and finishes, whereby bottles of wine are presented in exclusive gift boxes with the feel and appearance of real wood.
For packaging companies serving the wine industry, developing attractive cartons, folding boxes, baskets, wooden crates, decorative items and carrier bags are all part and parcel of making a gift able to leave a long-lasting impression via exclusivity and diversity.
This trend is not confined solely to gifts. Experts in the beverage industry agree that just selling wine and beer in standard bottles is no longer enough to inspire consumers.
The fast-growing selection of alcoholic, mixed and flavored drinks packaged in ornate bottles has become so vast in recent years that consumers can afford to be choosy.
As a result, anyone who wants to attract the consumer’s attention has to have a product that stands out of the crowd at first glance.
“There is a growing emphasis on packaging aesthetics, and hence on the emotions, and this is becoming increasingly important in goods consumption,” says Andreas Steinle of Zukunftsinstitut (Future Institute), a German think-tank for trend and future research.
“In today’s complex world, this trend
The evian brand of bottled water reflects the general current trend to individualized packaging with its Special Edition collections of fashion world-inspired glass bottles, this one paying tribute to Alexander Wang.
is gaining prominence because consumers actually save time by making their decisions intuitively, rather than rationally.”
For example, the famed mineral water brand evian, owned by Danone Waters, goes to great lengths to highlight the uniqueness of its products.
For its upscale plastic bottles, it employs the innovative new it Nature MultiPack technology that uses specialty adhesives to join the individual PET bottles together in a way that allows them to be positioned individually, and easily released from other later.
The evian brand is also a pace-setter when it comes to graphic design—releasing nine Limited Edition releases of mineral water bottles styled by wellknown fashion designers since 2008.
Last year, American couturier Alexander Wang took the barcode as a package theme and rendered it with black-andwhite stripes on the glass bottles—using the spaces between the stripes and a purist design to express the evian brand’s natural purity.
But individuality and differentiation are not only popular among upmarket
The versatile lid of the True Fruits smoothie bottle can be unscrewed and replaced by a salt sprinkler or tea strainer attachment, thereby upcyling the continer into a whole new useful product.
brands, as a growing number of European beverage companies are marketing their mineral waters and sodas in smaller, half-liter returnable bottles to appeal to smaller households.
Likewise, many sell their product in elegant faceted bottles to improve their chances of selection by high-class restaurants and other upscale establishments.
Despite the benefits, lavish packages have their drawbacks.
The greater the individuality and complexity of the product’s packaging, the more elaborate and expensive its production, with production costs ultimately passed on to consumers in higher prices.
Moreover, elaborate production methods and disposable bottles are a burden on the environment, which some countries are trying to remedy by setting some ambitious targets for bottle reuse. But setting targets is easier than achieving them.
While Germany, for example, wants to achieve 80-percent bottle reuse rate, it has in fact fallen to about 45 per cent today from 66 per cent in 2004.
During that time, the amount of waste
Modern, energy-saving production machines like the Contiform AseptBlock from Krones AG help beverage producers boost overall efficiency by requiring less energy and water.
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from one-way drink packages has increased by 30 per cent, with total package consumption rising from 465,000 to 600,300 metric tonnes in 2014.
Retailers and manufacturers are both seen as culprits behind the single-use dilemma, and German politicians are increasingly demanding implementation of a single-use deposit into an environmental steering charge on one-way packages, along with the extension of these charges to juices and nectars.
However, quick-thinking companies like True Fruits are finding ways to turn environmental protection into a competitive advantage.
Foregoing single-use plastic bottles, the company markets its drinks in cylindrical, ceramic-printed 250- and 750-ml glass bottles to project the image of honesty, purity, high quality and transparency, to go with the purist design.
To ensure that the bottles are not simply discarded into the recycling bin after use, the company developed a series of special attachments that can be fitted onto the top of the emptied bottles. Depending on the attachment, the “upcycled” bottles can thus be used as a sprinkler for sugar, salt and spices; a pourer for oils, vinegar and sauces; or as a tea strainer.
Tellingly, the True Fruits brand is currently one of Germany’s market leaders in the smoothies segment.
With Coca-Cola recently unveiling its new-generation PlantBottle containers—made entirely from renewable resources—bioplastics offer another promising path for more sustainable beverage packaging.
However, there is still a lot a development work to be done before plant-
based bottles can replace the widely used PET (polyethylene terephthalate) containers on a large global scale.
In the meantime, optimizing energy efficiency in the production process and equipment offers the biggest sustainability payback, along with significant cost-savings.
Headquartered in Dortmund, German beverage production equipment manufacturer KHS GmbH has recently enabled water-bottler Mineralbrunnen Teinach GmbH to achieve 40-pecent energy savings by modifying the heater box of the KHS-made InnoPET Blomax Series III blowmolding machine used for the production of PET bottles.
According to KHS head of service engineering Frank Goebel, this was primarily achieved by incorporating advanced new ceramic reflectors and infrared radiators into the heater box, where the physical propertied of ceramic elements had dramatically improved energy distribution—significantly reducing the amount of energy required to heat the pre-forms.
“In addition, the reflectors and infrared radiators have been configured in such a way that the bottle’s delicate thread zone is not heated unnecessarily, thereby reducing the amount of energy required to cool that area of the machine,” says Goebel.
“Thanks to greater efficiency, it is often possible to shorten the heating section,” he adds, “so that the energy consumption by the infrared radiators also drops correspondingly.”
For further information on interpack 2017, please go to: www.interpack.com
The direct printing of bottles provides an effective way of individualizing beverage containers.
The new InnoPET TriBlock line from KHS is a three-in-one packaging solution for PET plastic bottles combining a stretch blowmolding machine, a labeler and a bottler.
PRE-SHOW REPORT
EXTENDED REACH
The XTS (Extended Transport System) from Beckhoff Automation combines the best of linear and rotary motion control to provide a new level of product transport for the packaging industry in a lean and simple design that present a radical departure from traditional machine designs, according to the com-
pany. Consisting of only three components—linear motor modules, passive ‘movers’ and a structural rail to support the load—XTS can enable a continuous flow of material across a diverse range of packaging applications, including solid and liquid filling, flowwrapping, case-packing and point-of-sale packing, along with the flexibility to convert to random product feed into single or multiple product lanes, with precise spacing for downstream packaging.
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SLICK FROM SICK
Designed for use in the food-and-beverage
industry, packaging machines, medical technology, and outdoor applications in port and offshore plants the AFS/AFM60 Inox and DFS60 Inox encoders from SICK provide an optimal solution for monitoring and securing motion sequences to ensure precise and efficient processes. Based on high-performance optical and magnetic technologies, the encoders are engineered to detect the exact speed, revolution, path, or angle of a movement and deliver the results to the process control, or the Cloud, for further calculations. Featuring simple configuration and flexible programming options, the rugged encoders feature IP-rated enclosures and stainless-steel housing to enable their use in applications with harsh ambient conditions and strict requirements for resistance to aggressive media, such as cleaning agents or salt. SICK
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TAKING CONTROL
Designed for use in virtually every area of plant and mechanical engineering, the configurable PNOZmulti 2 control base units from PILZ are designed for monitoring safety functions and performing standard control functions using one of two new communication modules for connection to Ethernet -based systems. With these modules, the base unit can now be expanded on the left-hand side for easy connection to PROFINET or Ethernet/IP networks to offer full performance benefits of illuminated display of error messages, state-ofthe-supply voltage, inputs/outputs, status and device information, and individual customer texts for faster commissioning and easier diagnostics, according to the company.
PILZ 417
LINEAR THINKING
Recently enhanced to deliver high dynamic response and speed, along with superior rigidity and high load bearing capacity, the versatile EGC electric linear axis from Festo Corporation can be shipped in 54 different configurations—including electric tooth belt drive, spindle drive, driverless, extended slide or second slide—in standard or heavyduty (HD) versions to suit a diverse range of application requirements. According to Festo, all versions feature specially-engineered aluminum profiles with an optimized crosssection to absorb high torques and forces with maximum load capacity, which can be further enhanced with optional safety features such as inductive proximity sensors, incremental displacement encoders and clamping units.
ON TO THE NEXT BIG THING
As the momentum for Industry 4.0 implementation in the packaging industry continues to grow at a dizzying pace, many of the world’s leading industrial automation companies are already jostling for market supremacy in what is still a relatively uncharted territory.
For some companies, like the renowned German automation technologies and services giant Bosch Rexroth, the industry’s keen interest in the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) is well-justified in terms of the enormous potential for driving greater cost efficiencies, productivity levels and equipment performance throughout all facets of the packaging supply chain.
But achieving those lofty goals requires finding the right automation partner to navigate the CPG (consumer packaged goods) companies or packaging OEMs (original equipment manufacturers) through the highly complex, disruptive and genuinely revolutionary journey demanding exceptional technological competence, knowledge and expertise.
Happily for Bosch Rexroth, the company has it all in spades, along with a vast product portfolio that it will unveil at the upcoming interpack 2017 global packaging trade fair in Düsseldorf, Germany, May 6-10, 2017, under the Connected Automation i4.0 now show banner.
According to the company, “As Industry 4.0 moves from potential to reality, it’s clear that no single company or organization can do it alone.
“Only with open cooperation and the exchange of ideas and solution approaches will Industry 4.0 concepts find their way to/into practical solutions.
“That is why Bosch Rexroth is collaborating with research organizations, OEMs, manufacturers and IT partners for cutting-edge solutions to enable our partners and customers to work with their preferred development environment and programming languages from the IT world—to maximize the efficiency and versatility of automation development.”
Building on over 30 years of experience in the packaging area as a premiere motion control solutions supplier, Bosch Rexroth’s Connected Automation portfolio offers packaging machinery numerous competitive advantages, including:
• Connectivity for all Industry 4.0 applications for horizontal and vertical networking of automation components via the company’s robust Open Core Interface technology to achieve higher OEE (operational equipment effectiveness) performance.
• Ease-of-Use, enabled by the ActiveCockpit interactive communication platform to processes and visualize data in real time, along with VarioFlow plus system for effective individual part transfer with minimal planning effort,
for fast and easy line integration.
• Eff iciency of uniformly digital engineering systems with seamlessly integrated control, and an extensive library with ready-made technology functions to deliver faster time-to-market and perfect fulfillment of end-user requirements.
• Adaptability of software functionalities on both network and control level with decentralized, intelligent und highly dynamic drive concepts using drives as sensors, or employing external multifunctional sensors (MEMS) technology for higher
machine intelligence, improved productivity, and more cost-efficient production of small batch sizes.
• Cabinet-free modular packaging machinery design with decentralized, intelligent drive concepts for minimized assembly space, wiring requirements, and installation area.
Check the list of packaging machinery headings to discover the heading which addresses your packaging needs.
Under each heading appear the names of manufacturers who supply packaging to the Canadian market. Manufacturers are listed alphabetically.
Following the name of the manufacturer is a notation indicating a Canadian supplier, if one exists.
Under the name of the manufacturer is a list of the machinery that the firm produces for that packaging application. A capsule description of speeds, sizes, materials handled, packaging materials, etc., is included to help you identify packaging machinery that might be of interest to you.
To contact a manufacturer, or a Canadian representative, turn to the section immediately following the list of manufacturers. There you will find an up-to-date list of addresses, including phone and fax numbers, to which you can forward your inquiry.
ABBEY PACKAGING EQUIPMENT LTD.
5030 South Service Rd Burlington ON L7L 5Y7 Tel: 905-681-3010 Fax: 905-681-3018
President: Robert McNaught
Year Established as a Packaging Line Integrator: 1990 Ser vices Offered: A complete Sales and Service provider for a select group of specialized equipment manufacturers. Planning, project management, radiation safety training, installation & commissioning, on-site operator and maintenance training, technical services, after hours support, field service support, preventative maintenance training, calibration and certification, spare parts inventory.
6791 178B St Surrey BC V3S 9E1 Tel: 604-495-1997 Fax: 604495-1989
President: Juergen Flachowsky
Year Established as a Packaging Line Integrator: 2005
S ervices Offered: Labeling Equipment including : APEL40PL pouch labeler , APEL50 wrap labeler, APEL60 front and back labeler, APEL70 top and bottom labeler , Micro420 10 lane cannabis weigh filler , Inline filling systems , ActionPac weigh fill systems , Novexx labeling heads , ArtyPac system including , ARTY75 horizontal flow wrapper , Atyband 50 shrink sleeve applicator , Arty80V vertical form fill seal system.
Markets/Industries Served: Cannabis, Food and Liquids
AESUS PACKAGING SYSTEMS, INC. (IN CANADA: ROSS PACKAGING, DELTA, BC)
Year Established as a Packaging Line Integrator: 1998
S ervices Offered: Packaging & Processing Systems
Markets/Industries Served: Food, Beverage & Chemical Industries.
BANDING SYSTEMS
289 Broadway St Orangeville ON L9W 1L2 Tel: 866-7791492 Fax: 416-479-0787
President: JP Per r eault
Head of Manufacturing/Engineering: PS Paul Slipper
Year Established as a Packaging Line Integrator: 2014
S ervices Offered: Bandall is a patent technology that eliminates the need for pressure-sensitive labeling on your products by securing a 360 degree band around the package of the product. The banding material is available in plain or printer paper or plastic film and will allow your products to stand-out and get noticed! The system is used
in 2 main applications: replacing a paper sleeve or PS label or to bundle products together for club packs. Systems are available as stand-alone units or can be fully automated to band over 160 ppm. Banding Systems will design, install, and commission the system that is right for any size of application.
Markets/Industries Served: Food and Beverage, Pharma, Industrial, Health and Beauty, Graphics, Logistics etc.
BAUMER HHS CORP.
10570 Success Lane Dayton OH 45458 USA Tel: 937-8863160 Fax: 937-886-3161
President: Chris Raney
Year Established as a Packaging Line Integrator: 1986
S ervices Offered: Full field and technical services available.
Markets/Industries Served: Folding Carton, Corrugated, Commercial Print Finishing, Tobacco and End of Line.
BEST PACKAGING SYSTEMS 1-8699 Escarpment Way Milton ON L9T 0J5 Tel: 905-864-3005 Fax: 905-864-6245
President: Dave Sweetland
Year Established as a Packaging Line Integrator: 1987
S ervices Offered: 24-7 service all make Pallet Wrappers, 3M Case Sealers
2431 Dallas St Los Angeles CA 90031 USA Tel: 323-225-4248 Fax: 323-225-7316
Year Established as a Packaging Line Integrator: 1952
Markets/Industries Served: Worldwide: Pharmaceutical, Medical device, Nutraceuticals, Cosmetics, Personal care, Contract packagers , Automotive, Hardware , Snacks/candy
BLUEPRINT AUTOMATION (BPA) (IN CANADA:
FLEXI-PACK MACHINERY SOLUTIONS; TECHNO PAK) 16037 Innovation Dr South Chesterfield VA 23834 USA Tel: 804520-5400 Fax: 804-526-8164
Year Established as a Packaging Line Integrator:
1980 Services Offered: Vision Guided Robotics:
Sophisticated DELTA robots picking individual packaged and un-packaged items for loading into your container, wrapper or hffs machines. (Applications include Stacking, Wrapper Loading, Variety Pack, Dinner Tray Loading and Kit Assembly)
Case and Tray Packing:
Solutions for flexible and other tough-to-handle packages. We provide vertical and horizontal case packing solutions, including end-load cartoning and wrap-around casepacking for your retail ready packaging.
Turnkey Packaging Systems:
Complete packaging solutions taking control of your packaging line from the end of processing through palletizing!
Markets/Industries Served: Snack Food, Bakery, Dairy, Pet Food, Confectionery, Personal Care, Pharmaceutical, Household Products, Frozen Food, Beverage, Poultry, Beef and Seafood and more!
BOSCH PACKAGING TECHNOLOGY (KLIKLOKWOODMAN) (IN CANADA: PROPACK PROCESSING & PACKAGING SYSTEMS INC.)
5224 Snapfinger Woods Dr Decatur GA 30035 USA Tel: 770-9815200 Fax: 770-987-7160
President: Bruno Oberle
Year Established as a Packaging Line Integrator: 1947 S ervices Offered: Bosch Packaging Technology in Decatur, GA, manufactures and services Kliklok topload, endload, and wraparound cartoners, and Woodman vertical form-fill-seal bagmakers and multi-bag balers. We also build Kliklok product handling and indexing machines and other specialized machinery. As part of the Bosch Group we can offer complete packaging systems from primary packaging through case packing.
Markets/Industries Served: Bakery, snack food, frozen food, refrigerated and prepared foods, cereal, confectionery, and industries requiring related technologies.
BRADMAN LAKE 3050 Southcross Blvd Rock Hill SC 29730 USA Tel: 704-588-3301
Fax: 803-366-3690
President: Gary Pickett
Year Established as a Packaging Line Integrator: 1948 S ervices Offered: The Bradman Lake Group is synonymous with providing innovative packaging solutions to a global client base; a client base that demands a partner to go ‘above and beyond’ to help them excel in today’s competitive markets.
By integrating our three key brands - Autowrappers, Bradman Lake and Europack - we are a major supplier of packaging technology to the Bakery and Biscuit, Chocolate and Confectionery, Frozen Foods, Dry Foods, Consumer and Healthcare industry sectors.
From distribution and feeding systems to flow wrapping,
carton erection, loading and closing and end-of-line options of case packing and shrink wrapping, time after time many leading companies place their trust in Bradman Lake technology.
At our three factories in the UK, Beccles and Bristol and South Carolina in the USA, research and development teams strive to ensure Bradman Lake technology remains at the forefront of innovation.
The group has one clear aim – to maximize clients’ profitability by utilizing the most cutting edge technology available. With decades of experience and many thousands of installations to our credit, whether the requirement is for a single machine or a totally integrated solution. Bradman Lake makes the ideal partner.
Bradman Lake is a wholly owned subsidiary of the multidisciplined global UK engineering group Langley Holdings plc. www.langleyholdings.com
3-226 Industrial Parkway N Aurora ON L4G 4C3 Tel: 905-7375400
Head of Manufacturing/Engineering: Mike Potts
Year Established as a Packaging Line Integrator: 2008
S ervices Offered: Robotics integration, systems integration, custom machinery manufacturing, automatic feeding solutions, material supply & recommendation to ensure low individual package costs while maximize machinery capabilites. Unique software monitoring solutions for complete lines; CAM InSite.
Markets/Industries Served: Food, beverage, industrial, horizontal & vertical form fill and seal, primary and secondary packaging systems including end of line solutions.
CANPACO INC.
7901 Huntington Rd Woodbridge ON L4H 0S9 Tel: 905-771-7791
Fax: 905-771-1115
President: Robert Appel
Year Established as a Packaging Line Integrator: 1993
S ervices Offered: Buy and sell new and used packaging equipment. sales and service.
Markets/Industries Served: Food and pharmaceutical industries
Year Established as a Packaging Line Integrator: 1964
S ervices Offered: Full turnkey packaging solutions specializing in monoblocks, unscramblers, fillers, counters, pluggers, cappers and sleevers
Markets/Industries Served: Pharmaceutical, Diagnostic, Bio-Medical, Nutraceutical, Cosmetic Health & Beauty Care, Food & Beverage and Chemical Industries.
Year Established as a Packaging Line Integrator: 1980
Services Offered: Looking for high-performance equipment that will optimize your operations and improve your competitiveness? Compact machines that will help you get the most from your space? CARTIER offers innovative packaging systems that will generate the best return on your investment.
CHARLES DOWNER & CO. LTD.
7-52 West Beaver Creek Richmond Hill ON L4B 1L9 Tel: 905-8822222 Fax: 905-882-0437
President: Jeff Downer
Year Established as a Packaging Line Integrator: 1977
S ervices Offered: System engineering, planning, equipment supply, installation commissioning, training,parts,service, preventative maintenance programs
Markets/Industries Served: ALL
DELKOR SYSTEMS, INC. (IN CANADA: ABBEY PACKAGING EQUIPMENT LTD)
4300 Round Lake Rd W St. Paul MN 55112 USA Tel: 651348-6700 Fax: 651-348-6705
President: Dal e A ndersen
Head of Manufacturing/Engineering: Kurt Kern
Year Established as a Packaging Line Integrator: 1973 S ervices Offered: Packaging Machinery & Supplies
Markets/Industries Served: Flexible pouches case packed into shelf ready packaging (SRP) and standard shippers. Rigid bottles, cups, tubs, sleeves packed into cartons, cases, or shrink-bundled packaging (pad or tray). Combination lines (case/tray/pad-shrink).
Food, dairy, beverage, snack foods, confectionery. DESCON CONVEYOR SYSTEMS 1-1274 Ringwell Dr Newmarket ON L3Y 9C7 Tel: 905-953-0455 Fax: 905-953-1335
Year Established as a Packaging Line Integrator: 1993 Services Offered: Project consultation, mech. & controls design engr., controls programming, sys. integration, project mgmt., custom mfg., mechanical & electrical installation, plant layout & design, spare parts. Markets/Industries Served: Soft drink, water, spirits,
Year Established as a Packaging Line Integrator: 1991 S ervices Offered: DJS Enterprises buys and sells New, Used and Reconditioned Process and Packaging Equipment for the Pharmaceutical, Vitamin, Food and Confectionery Industries.
Markets/Industries Served: Process and packaging equipment to the pharmaceutical, vitamin, herbal, food, confectionery, and cosmetic industries.
DOMINO PRINTING SOLUTIONS INC. 1-200 North Service Rd E Suite 317 Oakville ON L6M 2Y1 Tel: 905-829-2430 Fax: 905-829-1842
Services Offered: 24/7 Technical Helpdesk, Renowned Training academy, Consumable agreements that work for YOU , National network of tenured service engineers, Financial Services options
Markets/Industries Served: Food, Beverage, Pharmaceuticals, Medical Devices, Industrial and Personal Care
DORNER MFG. CORP.
975 Cottonwood Ave PO Box 20 Hartland WI 53029 USA Tel: 262-367-7600 Fax: 262-367-5827
Year Established as a Packaging Line Integrator: 1966
Markets/Industries Served: Automation , Food Handling & Processing , General Manufacturing , Material Handling , Medical , Metal Working , Packaging, Pharmaceutical, Ready-Made-Food ECKERT MACHINES INC.
Year Established as a Packaging Line Integrator: 1959
S ervices Offered: Canadian Sales Representative Company representing manufacturers of equipment for the food processing, industrial and packaging industry. Markets/Industries Served: Food Processing Industry , Beverage Industry, General Industrial
EDSON PACKAGING MACHINERY LTD. (IN CANADA: ALEX E JONES & ASSOCIATES) 215 Hempstead Dr Hamilton ON L8W 2E6 Tel: 905-385-3201 Fax: 905-385-8775 President: Gary Evans
Year Established as a Packaging Line Integrator: 1962
S ervices Offered: Upgrades, Retrofits, Machine Relocation, Machine Audits, Training and Parts Markets/Industries Served: Tissue, Paper Towels, Facial Tissue, Feminine Care Products, Baby Diapers, Adult Diapers, Consumer Products, Food Products, Pharmaceutical Products
ELLIS PACKAGING
1830 Sandstone Manor Pickering ON L1W 3Y1 Tel: 416-798-7715
Year Established as a Packaging Line Integrator: 1946 Services Offered: Folding Cartons, Blister Cards. Markets/Industries Served: Our 3 facilities cover Cosmetic, Confectionary, Pharmaceutical, Personal Care, Spirits and Food Packaging.
FORTRESS TECHNOLOGY INC.
51 Grand Marshall Dr Scarborough ON M1B 5N6 Tel: 416754-2898 Fax: 416-754-2976
Year Established as a Packaging Line Integrator: 1996
Services Offered: Metal Detector Solutions, Product Testing, Custom Applications, Contaminant Risk Consultation, Preventive Maintenance Inspections, PreAudit Inspections, Operator Training
Year Established as a Packaging Line Integrator: 1982
Services Offered: We fully service and support the products we sell with Factory Trained Technicians. Our support facilities are located across Canada.
Markets/Industries Served: Food & Beverage, Wire/ Cable, Automotive, Agriculture, Building Materials, Pharmaceutical, Confectionary, Co-Packers. Any Industry that Manufactures any type of product requiring Codes and Package Identification.
LINE INTEGRATORS
HARPAK-ULMA PACKAGING, LLC
175 John Quincy Adams Rd Taunton MA 02780 USA Tel: 508-884-2500 Fax: 508-884-2501
President: Char l es Harlfinger
Year Established as a Packaging Line Integrator: 1994 Ser vices Offered: Complete integration services of HUP and ancillary/ secondary equipment.
HMA SYSTEMS 12-185 Advance Blvd Brampton ON L6T 4Y3 Tel: 905-458-8182 Fax:
President: Wayne Wood
Year Established as a Packaging Line Integrator: 1976
Ser vices Offered: We provide engineered solutions for adhesive and sealant applications, with in house manufacturing capabilities to customize equipment to meet specific customer requirements. Full sales and service support, installation and training services, supported by parts and equipment inventory.
Markets/Industries Served: Industrial, manufacturing, packaging, product assembly applications that require adhesive or sealant applied in a controlled, automatic or manual manner.
Year Established as a Packaging Line Integrator: 1995 Ser vices Offered: Shrink Packaging Equipment, Used Wrapping Machines, Packaging
Sales, Service, Parts & Installation, New And Used Stretch Wrapping Machine Sales, Horizontal AndVertical Wrapping Machines, Tray Lidding Machines, Service, Parts & Installation, Markets/Industries Served: Manufacturers; Distributors; Wholesale; Retail JG PACKAGING 92 Henderson
Way range of Manfacturing Companies
KHK USA INC.
259 Elm Place Mineola NY 11501 USA Tel: 516-248-3850 Fax: 516-248-4385
Services Offered: Supplier of power transmission components designed for use in packaging automation equipment. We offer over 15,200 stock configurations of metric dimensioned spur gears, helical gears, internal ring gears, gear racks, straight, spiral & zerol tooth miter gears, straight, spiral, zerol & hypoid tooth bevel gears, screw gears, worms & wormwheels, ratchets & pawls, involutes splines & bushings, gear couplings and rightangle gearboxes.
Markets/Industries Served: Packaging equipment, Gantry and Conveyor systems.
KLOCKNER PENTAPLAST OF CANADA, INC. 604-419 King St W Oshawa Executive Centre Oshawa ON L1J 2K5 Tel: 905-433-4232 Fax: 905-436-3478
Year Established as a Packaging Line Integrator: 1979 Services Offered: Manufacturer of high-end PVC, Polyester (APET and PETG), HIPS, PP and other films for food, pharmaceutical, medical device, general packaging, print and label film applications
LANGEN PACKAGING INC. 6154 Kestrel Rd Mississauga ON L5T 1Z2 Tel: 905-670-7200 Fax:
Year Established as a Packaging Line Integrator: 1956
Services Offered: Langen Group provides reliable and robust packaging machinery solutions for high-speed product collation, cartoning, case packing and palletizing.
Markets/Industries Served: Food and beverage, Consumer goods, Personal care and cosmetics.
LAPP GROUP CANADA 10-3505 Laird Rd Mississauga ON L5L 5Y7 Tel: 877-799-5277 Fax: 905820-6516
Services Offered: Lapp Group Canada is a single-source connectivity solutions provider that include a robust suite of standard and custom-made power control and data cable, connector, train relief and accessories.
Markets/Industries Served: Food & Beverage , Oil & Gas , Automotive, Machinery and Equipment, Wind Energy , Mining . Pulp and Paper, Logistics Centers, Steel and Metal, Water Sewage and Waste, Robotics, Leisure and Entertainment
M & M PACKAGING ASSOCIATES LTD. 657-2 Campbell Dr Uxbridge ON L9L 1T2 Tel: 416-399-5300 Fax: 905852-1352
Year Established as a Packaging Line Integrator: 1984 Services Offered: 44 years of experience and expertise in the flexible packaging industry provides for reliable recommendation and suggestions of packaging machinery suitable for low, mid and high speed applications.
Markets/Industries Served: Food, snacks, health products, hardware and medical industries served.
MARKEM-IMAJE INC.
5448 Timberlea Blvd Mississauga ON L4W 2T7 Tel: 800-2675108
Services Offered: Markem-Imaje is a trusted global manufacturer of product identification and traceability solutions. Markem-Imaje delivers fully integrated solutions that enable product quality and safety, regulatory and retailer compliance, better product recalls and improved manufacturing processes. We also have a long history of providing integrated solutions in collaboration with all major packaging OEMs like Bosch, Hayssen Flexible Systems, Sidel, Ishida, Viking, Ilapack, etc.
Markem-Imaje can rely on 30 subsidiaries worldwide to supply more than 50,000 customers with optimal product marking and coding solutions. Markem-Imaje provides strong local support with 10 offices throughout North America and over 170 experts in technical and after sales service. Additionally, Markem-Imaje customers are supported by 6 technology centers, several equipment repair centers and manufacturing plants with the most comprehensive marking and coding portfolio available in the marketplace.
From retail pack to pallet load, Markem-Imaje offers a unique portfolio of coding and labeling technologies.
In addition, Markem-Imaje also provides customized engineering solutions to address specific customer needs like promotional coding, UDI compliance, Serialization, Track and Trace, GS1 compliance, vision system integration etc.
1010 E Lake St Villard MN 56385 USA Tel: 320-554-3611 Fax:
320-554-2650
President: Jeff Bigger
Year Established as a Packaging Line Integrator:
1978
S ervices Offered: Case Packers of all types, Gantry and Robotic Palletizers, Cartoners, Product Placers, Timing Gates, Flexible Pouch Form, Fill,and Seal machines, Net Weight Liquid Fillers, Tin Tiers of bagged product, Coilers of hose and cable products, and twist tiers.
1570 rue Nationale Terrebonne QC J6W 0E2 Tel: 450-961-1228 Fax: 450-961-1200
President: Raymond Gingras
Head of Manufacturing/Engineering: Mark Beatty
Year Established as a Packaging Line Integrator:
1981
S ervices Offered: Mechanical and Electrical engineering, custom and standard packaging machinery or system design, Installation and service, complete turn key solutions.
Markets/Industries Served: Food and Beverage, consumer goods, pharmaceutical, electronic and many others.
Year Established as a Packaging Line Integrator: 1915
Services Offered: Packaging and labeling equipment for the Pharmaceutical, Biotech, Cosmetic, Personal Care, Food and Chemical industries
Markets/Industries Served: Pharmaceutical, Nutraceutical, Vitamin, BioTechnology, Cosmetic & Personal Care, Food and Household Chemical Industries & Contract Packaging
NUSPARK INC.
29-111 Flint Rd Toronto ON M3J 3C7 Tel: 416-663-7071 Fax: 416663-0233
President: Michael Elent
Head of Manufacturing/Engineering: Felix Elent
Year Established as a Packaging Line Integrator: 1999 Ser vices Offered: We are a packaging machinery manufacturer which has the capability of providing single machines as well as fully integrated turnkey systems. Our customer needs evaluation and feasibility review includes:
- Determining the number and variety of machines needed to accommodate your operations
- Acce ssing adequacy of your existing floor space
- Recommending “best-fit” possibilities and an accurate speed for optimal automation
- Proposing where automation may be ill-advised (los speed, high complexity). Through experience we have learned that at times, it is better to stay with a manual system if it is complex and slow.
We will provide full engineering, manufacturing, modification, installation, service and after sales support to our lines, Markets/Industries Served: Agricultural, Automotive, Bakery, Dairy, Food and Beverage, Meat and Poultry, Fish and Sea Food, Nutraceutical, Personal Care, Pharmaceutical OMEGA DESIGN CORP. (IN CANADA: PACKAGING EQUIPMENT SOLUTIONS INC.)
211 Philips Rd Exton PA 19341-1336 USA Tel: 610-363-6555 Fax: 610-524-7398
Year Established as a Packaging Line Integrator: 1969 Services Offered: Integration of equipment for Serialization
Markets/Industries Served: Pharmaceutical, Nutraceutical, food, beverage, chemical . Contract Packagers
Year Established as a Packaging Line Integrator: 1984 S ervices Offered: Pineberry Manufacturing Inc. is a precision manufacturer of high quality friction feeders, dispensers, inserters, pick and place, tray denesters, batch counters, collation systems, serialization and track & trace
solutions, foil stamping equipment, affixing / tipping systems, plastic card equipment, labeling systems, inkjet printers, on serters, top serters, hot melt glue systems, flow and shrink wrapping systems, packaging solutions and custom automation.
Year Established as a Packaging Line Integrator: 2009
S ervices Offered: PLAN Automation’s primary focus is in assisting clients implement quality downstream Package Automation and Food Safety Inspection Solutions. We offer comprehensive planning, organizing, procurement, and management of resources to achieve these goals.
PLAN provides this service at no expense to our clients and only benefits if we are successful within our own sponsored bids. Ultimately our process is totally transparent and provides clients with our years of packaging automation expertise for risk management and effective project execution.
NO CHARGE - What PLAN Offers Your Company:
*** PROJECT INITIATION | ANALYSIS / BID BUILDING ***
1) Co-development of URS (User Requirement Specifications) and scope of work (aka rfq) / clear definition of project - production objectives
2) Co-development of project risk analysis
3) Line Layout Mechanical Plan View Drawings | establish physical installation parameters
4) Multi-vendor sourcing | qualify vendors based on established project needs and thresholds.
5) Evaluation Matrix | full due diligence analysis of vendor capability, financial risk analysis (DB), system technological offering
*** BID EXECUTION ***
1) Centralized project financial responsibility | single purchase contract based on total vendor individual selection
2) Development of packaging specifications in association to each individual machine efficient requirements
3) Contract development including by example | late delivery penalties, efficiency guarantees, operational “costof-ownership” limitations
Markets/Industries Served: Agricultural, Bakery, Dairy, Food and Beverages, Meat and Poultry, Fish and Sea Food, Nutraceutical, Personal Care, Pharmaceutical PPI TECHNOLOGIES GROUP (IN CANADA: CHARLES DOWNER & CO., LTD, RICHMOND HILL, ON; AESUS PACKAGING SYSTEMS, POINTE CLAIRE, QC) 1610 Northgate Blvd Sarasota FL 34234-2114 USA Tel: 941-3596678 Fax: 941-359-6804
President: Stuart C Murray
Head of Manufacturing/Engineering: Tom Richard
Year Established as a Packaging Line Integrator: 1996
S ervices Offered: Integrate pouch, machinery and endof-line systems
Markets/Industries Served: Food, beverage, chemical, personal care
PRIMERA TECHNOLOGY INC.
2 Carlson Parkway N Plymouth MN 55447 USA Tel: 763-475-6676
Fax: 763-475-6677
Markets/Industries Served: Food , Beverage, Cosmetics , Industrial, Name badge, Vitamins/Supplements, Chemical
PROPACK PROCESSING & PACKAGING SYSTEMS
INC. 4902 Union Rd Beamsville ON L0R 1B4 Tel: 905-563-9400 Fax: 905-563-7224
President: Chris Follows
Year Established as a Packaging Line Integrator: 1996
S ervices Offered: Complete line integration utilizing Robotics:
21-3615 Laird Rd Mississauga ON L5L 5Z8 Tel: 905-828-6301
Fax: 905-828-3674
President: Ray Ralph
Year Established as a Packaging Line Integrator: 1985
S ervices Offered: Modular pre-assembled bottle drying systems to dry bottles/cans prior to labeling or coding Markets/Industries Served: Bottle and can packaging, food packaging
Services Offered: For more than 50 years, Reiser has been a leading supplier of processing and packaging equipment solutions for the sausage, meat, poultry,
seafood, prepared food, bakery, cheese, produce and pet food industries. During that time, the company has gained recognition for its high-quality equipment, innovative engineering, and outstanding service and support. Today, this total commitment to its customers positions Reiser as the one supplier that processors can trust for better, smarter solutions.
Markets/Industries Served: Sausage, meat, poultry, seafood, prepared food, bakery, cheese, produce and pet food industries
RJP PACKAGING
3317 Mainway Dr Burlington ON L7M 1A5 Tel: 905-319-7562 Fax: 905-335-6734
President: Ray Perry
Year Established as a Packaging Line Integrator: 2000
Ser vices Offered: Field service for all types of V.F.F.S. and scales
Markets/Industries Served: All RYSON INTERNATIONAL INC.
300 Newson Dr Yorktown VA 23692 USA Tel: 757-8981530 Fax: 757-898-1580
President: Ole R ygh
Year Established as a Packaging Line Integrator: 1995
S ervices Offered: Our products include Spiral Conveyors, Spiral curves, Mass Flow Spirals, Continuous Lifts, Vertical Accumulation Buffers, Bucket Elevators, Incline and Decline slat Conveyors. All products can be delivered in powder coated carbon steel, stainless steel, wash down or freezer versions.
Markets/Industries Served: Ryson Spiral Conveyors are today being used in a rapidly growing number of small and large companies across a broad spectrum of industries. Our spirals effectively handle any conveyable loads including bags, bundles totes, trays, pales, cans, bottles, containers, wrapped and unwrapped items.
SCHNEIDER PACKAGING EQUIPMENT CO., INC. (IN CANADA: GARTH DANGERFIELD)
5370 Guy Young Rd PO Box 890 Brewerton NY 13029-0890 USA Tel: 315-676-3035 Fax: 315-676-2875
President: Rick Schneider
Head of Manufacturing/Engineering: Peter Squires
Year Established as a Packaging Line Integrator:
1970
S ervices Offered: Design and manufacture of a complete line of case packers, cartoners, case sealers, tray packers and robotic palletizing systems which easily integrate with coding/labeling equipment, code readers, check weighing and stretch/shrink wrapping equipment.
Markets/Industries Served: Food, beverage, tissue, paper, pharmaceutical, plastics, replication (CD/DVD), industrial and personal care industries
SESOTEC CANADA LTD. 114-7 Grand Ave S Suite 100 Cambridge ON N1S 2L3 Tel: 519621-6536
Year Established as a Packaging Line Integrator: 1979
Services Offered: Sales and Service of Sesotec Metal Detection, Magnetic Separation, X-ray Inspection, and Optical Sorting Systems
Markets/Industries Served: Serving the Food, Pharmaceutical and Plastics Industries SHAWPAK SYSTEMS LTD. 8-785 Pacific Rd Oakville ON L6L 6M3 Tel: 905-847-0122 Fax: 905-847-0123
President: Nigel Turnpenny
Year Established as a Packaging Line Integrator: 1984 S ervices Offered: Shawpak Systems Ltd are your Trusted Advisor in Product Inspection and Food Safety. Shawpak Systems is the sole representative Nationwide for Mettler Toledo Product Inspection, TOMRA Process Analytics & ATTEC Hygiene Solutions along with Detectamet Food Safety Products.
The Entire Shawpak Systems Team are GFTC trained to better understand your Food Safety Programs, from GMP HACCP & CCP implementation and advise on global standards BRC/SQF/GFSI from a Product Inspection perspective.
Collectively Shawpak and the Equipment Manufacturers represented provide a global knowledge base to advise on the best equipment & best practice solutions for Product Safety, choosing the right inspection equipment is paramount for achieving the ultimate detection and duediligence capabilities, also achieving the maximum production uptime, Shawpak Systems Technical Advisors
LINE INTEGRATORS
will guide you through the best practice options available based on your specific application, acting as your Trusted Advisor.
Markets/Industries Served: Food & Beverage, Bakery, Dairy, Meat, & Poultry, Seafood, Pharma, Chemical, and Personal Care.
SPEEDWAY PACKAGING MACHINERY
10 Gormley Industrial Ave Unit 2-3 Gormley ON L0H 1G0 Tel: 905888-5344 Fax: 905-888-5374
President: Peter Pfingst
Year Established as a Packaging Line Integrator: 2002
S ervices Offered: Sales & Manufacturing, Complete Machine Shop, Welding, Line Design
Markets/Industries Served: Packaging - Co Packers, Food & Beverage, Personal Care - Cosmetics, Pharmaceutical, Cleaning Supplies
Year Established as a Packaging Line Integrator: 1948
S ervices Offered: Original equipment manufacturer (Phin labellers) and designer of complementary packaging machinery. Project Management, line integration, commissioning and training.
Markets/Industries Served: Food, beverage, pharmaceutical, personal care, household chemical.
SQUID INK MANUFACTURING
7041 Boone Ave Brooklyn Park MN 55428 USA Tel: 763795-8856 Fax: 763-795-8867
President: WH W illi am Hoagland
Year Established as a Packaging Line Integrator: 1991
S ervices Offered: Squid Ink specializes in the manufacture of high quality industrial inks and industrial ink jet printers for the packaging industry. Our products and services are designed to provide reliable cost-effective solutions to your industrial applications. Squid Ink has relied on a wealth of knowledge and experience in the ink jet industry to design a full family of Large Character and Hi-Resolution printing systems. Additionally, Squid Ink has been able to formulate the most comprehensive line of Hi-Resolution, Piezo, and Large Character fluids in the product identification market today.
Markets/Industries Served: Manufacturing , Building Products, Food Manufacturing STANMECH TECHNOLOGIES INC.
944 Zelco Dr Burlington ON L7L 4Y3 Tel: 905-631-6161 Fax: 905631-1852
Year Established as a Packaging Line Integrator: 1981 Services Offered: Engineering services , Hot air systems , Individual hot air tools, High-pressure blow-off systems
Custom designed nozzles and air knives , Custom system development.
140 Desroches Trail Tiny ON L9M 0H9 Tel: 705-526-5810 Fax:
705-526-5811
President: Brian Tandy
Year Established as a Packaging Line Integrator:
1990 Ser vices Offered: Manufacturer of Rotary Heat Sealers, parts for sealing machines, Refurbish Sealing Machines, Sealing Bands various lengths and sizes.
Markets/Industries Served: North America, England, South America, Europe.
STORCAN LTD.
108 rue Bélanger Châteauguay QC J6J 4Z2 Tel: 450-365-2158
Fax: 450-698-1178
President: Jean Martin Savoie
Head of Manufacturing/Engineering: Benoit Cliche
Year Established as a Packaging Line Integrator: 2000
Ser vices Offered: High speed conveyor lines for the Food & Beverage industries, turn-key packaging lines
450 Richardson Rd Orangeville ON L9W 4W8 Tel: 519-941-6120
Fax: 519-940-6067
President: John Voight
Year Established as a Packaging Line Integrator: 1987 S ervices Offered: Precision Machining of Plastics for industrial application serving multiple sectors. Stocking Distributor of KMS Polymer Bearings.
Markets/Industries Served: Material Handling Equipment , Conveyors , Food Processing , Agricultural Equipment , Mining Equipment , Municipal Equipment.
THERMO FISHER SCIENTIFIC (IN CANADA: THERMO FISHER SCIENTIFIC, BURLINGTON, ON)
501 90th Ave NW Minneapolis MN 55433 USA Tel: 800-227-8891
Markets/Industries Served: Thermo Fisher Scientific has supplied food, personal care and pharmaceutical manufacturers with high quality standard and specialty product inspection systems, spare parts and service for over 65 years.
Year Established as a Packaging Line Integrator: 1932
Services Offered: With headquarters in Mississauga, Ontario and direct sales offices across Canada...Weber Marking Systems of Canada provides eye-catching, highquality custom labels, labelling solutions and marking/ coding systems to the Canadian marketplace.
Our 24,000-square-foot, state-of-the-art, high-efficiency manufacturing and administration facility is capable of supporting all of your company’s labelling and coding requirements. Our Canada-wide network of sales, service and technical support specialists, along with our commitment to quality, has established our position as a leader in the industry.
Our representatives have an in-depth knowledge of labelling and coding equipment, data collection systems, labelling software, and label materials. They work as partners with our customers to acquire an understanding of each application. Our high-speed label presses and extensive library of die shapes give us the capacity and flexibility to meet your easiest and toughest labelling application. Visit us at www.webermarking.ca
4364 Southwest 34th St Orlando FL 32811 USA Tel: 407843-1300 Fax: 407-843-8459
Head of Manufacturing/Engineering: Rick Anderson Services Offered: WestRock is the only North American comp any in the paper packaging industry with an in-house machinery manufacturing and service division that designs and manufactures a complete line of precision, semi- and fully-automatic case equipment. We offer more than 80 standard and customized configurations for customers in a variety of markets, for all types of products, and in multiple line speeds.
Before we deliver machinery to your facility, our team of packaging and machine engineers thoroughly analyzes your entire supply chain -- from the layout of machines on your factory floor to the way packages are unitized for transport. Armed with this knowledge and insight, we custom create a system that integrates our machines with our corrugated containers and offer support services to ensure that you get the most from your equipment to achieve your strategic objectives and meet your tactical needs.
WRIGHT HAND PACKAGING INC.
7-2679 Bristol Circle Oakville ON L6H 6Z8 Tel: 905-829-0025 Fax: 905-829-0027
Year Established as a Packaging Line Integrator: 1990 Services Offered: Contract Packaging to all industries Markets/Industries Served: Pharmaceutical , Health and Beauty , Food , Stationary.
Year Established as a Packaging Line Integrator: 1990
Services Offered: Wulftec is a world-leading manufacturer of packaging solutions to help maximize productivity, minimize downtime and slash costs. Wulftec’s packaging equipment line includes: semi-automatic pallet stretch wrappers, fully automatic conveyorized stretch
wrapping systems, pallet strapping equipment and pallet handling solutions & conveyors. Wulftec is based in Ayerøs Cliff, Quebec. Its start-of-the-art, 146,000 sq. ft. facility houses 198 highly skilled employees. Wulftec is part of the M.J. Maillis, a leading European Group that designs, manufactuers and distributes end-of-line industrial products and systems, including: trappers, stretchwrappers, shrink wrappers, carton sealing equipment and materials.
WHAT MAKES US UNIQUE
We offer a broad product range which allows you to buy from one single source. Each product can be customized to meet customer’s specific needs. Wulftec offers a complete range of affordable options that allow end-users to customer build a machine that will meet their exact needs.
YASKAWA AMERICA, INC. (IN CANADA: YASKAWA CANADA, INC., MISSISSAUGA, ON) Motoman Robotics Division 100 Automation Way Miamisburg OH 45342 USA Tel: 937-847-6200 Fax: 937-847-6277
Year Established as a Packaging Line Integrator: 1989
Services Offered: Founded in 1989, Yaskawa Motoman is a leading robotics company in the Americas. With more than 300,000 Motoman robots, 10 million servos and 18 million inverter drives installed globally, Yaskawa provides automation products and solutions for virtually every industry and robotic application.
Markets/Industries Served: Yaskawa provides automation products and solutions for virtually every industry and robotic application; including arc welding, assembly, coating, dispensing, material handling, material cutting, material removal, packaging, palletizing and spot welding.
YASKAWA MOTOMAN (IN CANADA: YASKAWA CANADA, INC. MISSISSAUGA, ON) 100 Automation Way Miamisburg OH 45342 USA Tel: 937-8476200 Fax: 937-847-3288
Year Established as a Packaging Line Integrator: 1989
Services Offered: With nearly 300,000 robot arms installed worldwide and the broadest range robots on the market, Yaskawa Motoman is the global leader in robotic automation. Our robotic packaging systems handle a wide variety of food, beverage and consumer products.
Ever-changing products and packaging configurations require companies to manage endless variation in their manufacturing process. Our fast and flexible robots are designed specifically around packaging requirements and are accompanied by application enabling software and vision capabilities, designed with ease of use in mind to help companies meet the demands of todayøs food, beverage and consumer products marketplace.
Markets/Industries Served: Yaskawa packaging systems handle a wide variety of food, beverage and consumer products.
ZARPAC INC. 1185 North Service Rd E Oakville ON L6H 1A7 Tel: 905-338-8880 Fax: 905-338-3521
President: Frank Roberts
Head of Manufacturing/Engineering: Paul Zepf
Year Established as a Packaging Line Integrator: 1989
Services Offered: Complete systems integration and design build solutions
Markets/Industries Served: N.A., Mexico, S.A., Europe, Asia, Food and beverage; confectionery; Homecare; personal care and cosmetics; pharmaceutical; paper products; chemical; pet food
• Increase the flexibility of your robots by adding the ability to use more than one end-effector in an application.
• Production line tooling changed in seconds for maximum flexibility.
• Change tools in seconds for maintenance and repair.
• Increase operator safety by changing tools automatically.
• Million-cycle tested for reliability.
AUTOMATION DEVICES
Eagle PI
EDSON PACKAGING MACHINERY
Harlund Industries Ltd.
Mettler-Toledo Inc.
Multivac Canada
NITA LABELING EQUIPMENT
NORTH AMERICAN LASER SYSTEMS
PINEBERRY MANUFACTURING Plan Automation
ROCKWELL AUTOMATION, SHAWPAK SYSTEMS LTD.
SIEMENS CANADA
TECHNO PAK PACKAGING SYSTEMS TRI-TRONICS COMPANY
VC999 Canada Videojet Technologies VISUASCAN INC.
ZARPAC INC.
METAL DETECTORS
ABBEY PACKAGING EQUIPMENT
Eagle PI ERIEZ
Fortress Technology Inc.
Mettler-Toledo Inc.
Multivac Canada Plan Automation
ROCKWELL AUTOMATION, SESOTEC CANADA
SIEMENS CANADA THERMO FISHER SCIENTIFIC
& SOPER INC. ALEX E. JONES & ASSOCIATES LTD. ATS - TANNER BANDING SYSTEMS
B&R INDUSTRIAL AUTOMATION
BIZERBA CANADA INC.
BLUEPRINT AUTOMATION (BPA)
Capmatic Ltd.
CHARLES DOWNER & CO. LTD.
COGNEX CORP.
Eagle PI
EDSON PACKAGING MACHINERY
FILAMATIC
Harlund Industries Ltd.
Mettler-Toledo Inc.
Multivac Canada
NITA LABELING EQUIPMENT
OMEGA DESIGN CORP.
OMRON CANADA INC.
Plan Automation
PMR PACKAGING
ROCKWELL AUTOMATION, SESOTEC CANADA
SHAWPAK SYSTEMS LTD.
SORT PRODUCTION PRODUCTS LTD.
TECHNO PAK PACKAGING SYSTEMS
Valco Melton
VC999 Canada
Videojet Technologies
VISUASCAN INC.
X-RAY
ABBEY PACKAGING EQUIPMENT
ALEX E. JONES & ASSOCIATES LTD.
BIZERBA CANADA INC.
CHARLES DOWNER & CO. LTD.
Eagle PI Heat and Control Canada
LOMA SYSTEMS INC.
Mettler-Toledo Inc.
Multivac Canada Plan Automation
SESOTEC CANADA
SHAWPAK SYSTEMS LTD.
TECHNO PAK PACKAGING SYSTEMS
THERMO FISHER SCIENTIFIC
VC999 Canada
ZARPAC INC.
INTEGRATED LOGIC NETWORK SYSTEMS
AESUS PACKAGING SYSTEMS, AHEARN & SOPER INC.
B&R INDUSTRIAL AUTOMATION
Bosch Rexroth Canada
Capmatic Ltd.
LOMA SYSTEMS INC.
NEWMAPAK LTD.
OMRON CANADA INC. Plan Automation
ROCKWELL AUTOMATION, SIEMENS CANADA
SORT PRODUCTION PRODUCTS LTD.
VC999 Canada
VISUASCAN INC.
ZARPAC INC.
MACHINE VISION
AESUS PACKAGING SYSTEMS,
AHEARN & SOPER INC.
ATS - TANNER BANDING SYSTEMS
Balluff Canada Inc.
BLUEPRINT AUTOMATION (BPA)
Bosch Rexroth Canada
Capmatic Ltd.
COGNEX CORP.
Eagle PI
EDSON PACKAGING MACHINERY
Harlund Industries Ltd.
MATROX
NJM PACKAGING
Plan Automation
PPI TECHNOLOGIES GROUP
ROCKWELL AUTOMATION, SESOTEC CANADA
SIEMENS CANADA
SORT PRODUCTION PRODUCTS LTD.
TECHNO PAK PACKAGING SYSTEMS
VC999 Canada
VISUASCAN INC.
YASKAWA AMERICA
ZARPAC INC.
MOTION CONTROLLERS
ABB
ABB INC.
AHEARN & SOPER INC.
B&R INDUSTRIAL AUTOMATION
BAUMER INC.
Bosch Rexroth Canada
Relax, tomorrow has already been tested. Say goodbye to hardwiring with HARTING connectors.
Capmatic Ltd.
Festo Inc.
GENERAL CONVEYOR CO. LTD.
IGUS
LENZE AMERICAS
NORTH AMERICAN LASER SYSTEMS
OMRON CANADA INC.
Plan Automation
PLEXPACK
ROCKWELL AUTOMATION, Schneider Electric Canada
SEPTIMATECH GROUP INC.
SEW Eurodrive Company of Canada
SIEMENS CANADA
VISUASCAN INC.
ZARPAC INC.
PNEUMATIC DRIVES & CONTROLS
AHEARN & SOPER INC.
ASCO Numatics
B&R INDUSTRIAL AUTOMATION
Capmatic Ltd. Festo Inc.
FILAMATIC
Flexlink Systems Canada
GEBO CERMEX CANADA
GENERAL CONVEYOR CO. LTD.
OMRON CANADA INC.
Plan Automation
ROCKWELL AUTOMATION, SIEMENS CANADA
TRI-MACH GROUP
VISUASCAN INC.
ZARPAC INC.
PROGRAMMABLE LOGIC CONTROLLERS
ABB
ABB INC.
AHEARN & SOPER INC.
B&R INDUSTRIAL AUTOMATION
Bosch Rexroth Canada
Capmatic Ltd.
COUSINEAU PACKAGING INC.
EDSON PACKAGING MACHINERY
Festo Inc.
Flexlink Systems Canada
GEBO CERMEX CANADA
GENERAL CONVEYOR CO. LTD.
Intelligrated Industries Canada
LENZE AMERICAS
NEWMAPAK LTD.
NORTH AMERICAN LASER SYSTEMS
OMRON CANADA INC.
Plan Automation
PLEXPACK
ROCKWELL AUTOMATION, Schneider Electric Canada
SEPTIMATECH GROUP INC.
SIEMENS CANADA
SORT PRODUCTION PRODUCTS LTD.
STEELTEK - A DIV. OF 877418 ONT.
TRI-MACH GROUP
UNITRONICS
VISUASCAN INC.
YASKAWA AMERICA
ZARPAC INC.
Reduce the number of wiring errors, save time and headache.
HARTING,
With
HARTING.ca
ROBOTIC EQUIPMENT
CASE PACKING
ABB INC.
ABBEY PACKAGING EQUIPMENT
ALEX E. JONES & ASSOCIATES LTD.
ARPAC LLC
ATS - TANNER BANDING SYSTEMS
B&T SALES
BIZERBA CANADA INC.
BLUEPRINT AUTOMATION (BPA)
BOSCH PACKAGING SYSTEMS AG - SIGPACK
BRADMAN LAKE
CHARLES DOWNER & CO. LTD.
CHISHOLM MACHINERY SOLUTIONS
CONSOLIDATED TECHNOLOGIES INC.
COUSINEAU PACKAGING INC.
Delkor Systems
EDSON PACKAGING MACHINERY
EUROIMPIANTI SPA
FANUC ROBOTICS CANADA, LTD.
FLEXI-PACK MACHINERY SOLUTIONS
GEBO CERMEX CANADA
GENERAL CONVEYOR CO. LTD.
Harpak-ULMA Packaging, LLC
Intelligrated Industries Canada
KUKA ROBOTICS CANADA
LANGEN PACKAGING INC.
M & M PACKAGING ASSOCIATES
MECANO INDUSTRIES
Multivac Canada
NALBACH ENGINEERING COMPANY, INC.
NEWMAPAK LTD.
NUSPARK
OMRON CANADA INC.
Pilz Automation Safety Canada LP Plan Automation
PMR PACKAGING PPI TECHNOLOGIES GROUP
PREMIER TECH CHRONOS
ROCKWELL AUTOMATION, STANDARD KNAPP INC.
TECHNO PAK PACKAGING SYSTEMS
TRINAMICS INCORPORATED
YASKAWA AMERICA
YASKAWA CANADA, YASKAWA MOTOMAN
ZARPAC INC.
END-OF-ARM TOOLING
ASCO Numatics ATI Industrial Automation
BRADMAN LAKE
CHARLES DOWNER & CO. LTD.
EDSON PACKAGING MACHINERY
Intelligrated Industries Canada
LANGEN PACKAGING INC.
Multivac Canada
OMRON CANADA INC. Pilz Automation Safety Canada LP Plan Automation
PMR PACKAGING
PREMIER TECH CHRONOS
ROCKWELL AUTOMATION, YASKAWA CANADA, ZARPAC INC.
PALLETIZING
ABB INC.
ABBEY PACKAGING EQUIPMENT
ALEX E. JONES & ASSOCIATES LTD.
ARPAC LLC
B&T SALES
BEUMER CORPORATION
BLUEPRINT AUTOMATION (BPA)
CHARLES DOWNER & CO. LTD.
CHISHOLM MACHINERY SOLUTIONS
CONSOLIDATED TECHNOLOGIES INC.
COUSINEAU PACKAGING INC.
Delkor Systems Eagle Packaging LLC
EDSON PACKAGING MACHINERY
EUROIMPIANTI SPA
FANUC ROBOTICS CANADA, LTD.
FLEXI-PACK MACHINERY SOLUTIONS
GEBO CERMEX CANADA
GENERAL CONVEYOR CO. LTD.
Intelligrated Industries Canada
KUKA ROBOTICS CANADA
LANGEN PACKAGING INC.
M & M PACKAGING ASSOCIATES
MECANO INDUSTRIES
Multivac Canada
NALBACH ENGINEERING COMPANY, INC.
NEWMAPAK LTD.
NUSPARK
OMRON CANADA INC.
Pilz Automation Safety Canada LP
Plan Automation
PMR PACKAGING
PPI TECHNOLOGIES GROUP
PREMIER TECH CHRONOS
ROCKWELL AUTOMATION,
SAMUEL PACKAGING SYSTEMS GROUP
TECHNO PAK PACKAGING SYSTEMS
TOPTIER
Valco Melton
YASKAWA AMERICA
ABB INC.
BLUEPRINT AUTOMATION (BPA)
BOSCH
PROCESSING & PACKAGING SYSTEMS INC. Reiser (Canada)
AUTOMATION,
SAMUEL PACKAGING SYSTEMS GROUP
Schneider Electric Canada
SIEMENS CANADA
TECHNO PAK PACKAGING SYSTEMS
TRINAMICS INCORPORATED
VC999 Canada
YASKAWA AMERICA
YASKAWA CANADA, YASKAWA MOTOMAN
MACHINERY
Fortress Technology Inc.
GENERAL CONVEYOR CO. LTD.
OMRON CANADA INC.
AUTOMATION DEVICES
COUSINEAU PACKAGING INC.
Pilz
ROBATECH CANADA
ROCKWELL AUTOMATION,
SAMUEL PACKAGING SYSTEMS GROUP
Schneider Electric Canada
SIEMENS CANADA
SORT PRODUCTION PRODUCTS LTD.
ZARPAC INC.
LIGHT CURTAINS
ABB INC.
ARPAC LLC
Balluff Canada Inc.
Carlo Gavazzi (Canada)
COGNEX CORP.
COUSINEAU PACKAGING INC.
GENERAL CONVEYOR CO. LTD.
OMRON CANADA INC.
Pilz Automation Safety Canada LP
Plan Automation
ROBATECH CANADA
ROCKWELL AUTOMATION,
SORT PRODUCTION PRODUCTS LTD.
ZARPAC INC.
SAFETY RELAYS
ABB INC.
ARPAC LLC
Carlo Gavazzi (Canada)
GENERAL CONVEYOR CO. LTD.
OMRON CANADA INC.
Pilz Automation Safety Canada LP
Plan Automation
ROBATECH CANADA
ROCKWELL AUTOMATION, Schneider Electric Canada
SENSOR PRODUCTS
SIEMENS CANADA
SORT PRODUCTION PRODUCTS LTD.
ZARPAC INC.
SENSORS
BARREL
AHEARN & SOPER INC.
ARPAC LLC
ASCO Numatics
Balluff Canada Inc.
Carlo Gavazzi (Canada)
Festo Inc.
Harlund Industries Ltd.
PINEBERRY MANUFACTURING
ROCKWELL AUTOMATION, Schneider Electric Canada
SIEMENS CANADA
SORT PRODUCTION PRODUCTS LTD.
ZARPAC INC.
COLOR MARK
AHEARN & SOPER INC.
ARPAC LLC
Balluff Canada Inc.
BAUMER INC.
Carlo Gavazzi (Canada)
Harlund Industries Ltd.
PINEBERRY MANUFACTURING
ROCKWELL AUTOMATION, Schneider Electric Canada
SIEMENS CANADA
SORT PRODUCTION PRODUCTS LTD.
TRI-TRONICS COMPANY
ZARPAC INC.
LIMIT SWITCHES
AHEARN & SOPER INC.
ARPAC LLC
ASCO Numatics Balluff Canada Inc.
Carlo Gavazzi (Canada) Festo Inc.
GEBO CERMEX CANADA
GENERAL CONVEYOR CO. LTD.
Harlund Industries Ltd.
OMRON CANADA INC.
PINEBERRY MANUFACTURING
ROCKWELL AUTOMATION,
Schneider Electric Canada
SIEMENS CANADA
Innovative Automation Solutions
Whether it’s our industry leading range of solid state relays and contactors, or our vast range of sensors, power
energy meters and electromechanical contactors, CARLO GAVAZZI has the solution for your application needs.
Contact us today, and one of our field sales representatives will show you why CARLO GAVAZZI is one of the fastest growing automation companies worldwide. We’ll be more than happy to provide a free evaluation sample to qualified OEMs.
AUTOMATION DEVICES
SORT PRODUCTION PRODUCTS LTD.
STEELTEK - A DIV. OF 877418 ONT.
VISUASCAN INC.
ZARPAC INC.
OBJECT DETECTION
AHEARN & SOPER INC.
ARPAC LLC
ASCO Numatics
Balluff Canada Inc.
BAUMER INC.
Capmatic Ltd.
Carlo Gavazzi (Canada)
COGNEX CORP.
Festo Inc.
Fortress Technology Inc.
Harlund Industries Ltd.
LOMA SYSTEMS INC.
PINEBERRY MANUFACTURING
ROCKWELL AUTOMATION, Schneider Electric Canada
SENSOR PRODUCTS SIEMENS CANADA
SORT PRODUCTION PRODUCTS LTD. TRI-TRONICS COMPANY VISUASCAN INC. ZARPAC INC.
AUTOMATEDPACKAGINGSYSTEMSINC(InCanada:PackProSystems,Inc.Stouffville,ON) HB-65PaceSetterAutobagto20bpm various 2-11.5"x2-22"L Semi-automatic
AB180Autobag to80bpm various 2-11"Wx2.5-22"L Semitofullyautomatic AB145Autobag to45bpm various 3.5-11"Wx3.5-22"LSemitofullyautomatic AutobagAB255WideBaggerto55bpm various 4-16"Wx5-26"L asabove
AutobagAB255Horizontal Wide to55bpm various asabove asabove
EconosealSpartanHorizontalF,I,C,SFolding& corrugated 2x1x5to10x4x12 in. 40cpmAutoloadMechanically driven,stainless PegasusHorizontalFlexibleF,O,I,C,SEndload2x3/4x5to8x3x12 in. 120cpmAutoorManual
FLEXIPACKMACHINERYSOLUTIONSINC
EconocorpTwin Seal,E-2000, Spartan,Pegasus, Econo-60&T System EndLoad/TopLoad Systems F,O,In,C,SSemiAuto, Intermittent& ContinuousMotion VariespermodelUpto120cpm SSConstruction, Economical solutions,Small Footprint
Hitachi’s UX Series continuous inkjet printers represent the pinnacle of innovation in marking and coding technology, all while showcasing Hitachi’s reputation for Reliability, Efficiency, and Ease of Use.
Next-generation leadership performance ECOLOGY
Environmentally friendly while realizing a low running cost
RELIABILITY
USABILITY
High reliability, and reassured maintenance and service networks
Simple touch panel operation and maintainability
One Size Doesn’t Fit All
Squid Ink’s new family of CoPilot Printing Systems offers 3 different print heights for your different applications.
Squid Ink’s CoPilot 128 is a proven choice for printing small character codes or barcodes on egg cartons, PVC pipe, corrugate cases or more. The CoPilot 382 is ideal for replacing costly print and apply labels or printing GS1 barcodes on the side of a box. The CoPilot 256 fits right in between, making Squid Ink’s CoPilot family the ideal solution for your specific coding and marking applications.
For more information visit www.squidink.com or call 1-800-877-5658 for your local Authorized Squid Ink Distributor today.
SmalleyManufacturing Various BucketLifts,HorizontalMotion Conveyor,Pack-Off,Storage Conveyors,BlendingConveyors
Hartness-Dynac7000
From food to pharmaceuticals, Heat and Control supports you with efficient and reliable equipment for weighing, container filling, conveying, packaging, and inspection. With more technicians in more locations, we also offer the industry’s most responsive technical support. Visit one of our demonstration centers today
ALS Automaticadjustableguides.Diversifiedproductionmeansalargenumberofformatchangeovers,whichhavetobequick,inlessthenaminuteandreliable.The simplicityoftheALSguidemeansthatitcanbereliablyadaptedtothemajorityofcontainersandconveyorsonthemarket.Itacceptsanunlimitednumberof formats.
Innovative Belt, Modular Belt and Flexible Chain Conveying Solutions ✔ Industrial & Sanitary Styles ✔ Easy Integration ✔ Industry Best Transfer Options ✔ Fast Delivery
DualAxisFunnelFollowerBox,tray Various Various Travellingfunnel IshidaCCWMultiheadWeighersBag,box,jar,can,trayVarious Various Computercombinationweighing withproducttransfer ProductTransferShuffleMulti-pocketthermoformVarious Various Multi-hopperfillstatons MECANOINDUSTRIES
PPS-tabletcapsulefillingvarious various various semi-automatic&automatic PPITECHNOLOGIESGROUP(InCanada:CharlesDowner&Co.,Ltd,RichmondHill,ON;AesusPackagingSystems,PointeClaire,QC) Laudenberg/PSGLEEStanduppouches 500ppm Upto1LitreorKg Form,Fill,Seal PSGSung Trays,Tubs,Cups Various Various Fill,Seal Caveco Trays,Tubs,Cups Various Various Fill,Seal
Ryson’s new super compact spiral conveyors are designed to handle your smaller loads.
They feature a centerline diameter of only 3’-7”. A new 6” and 9” wide nesting slat design facilitates endtransfer of small cartons and packages or side-transfer small bottles and containers in mass or a single file at speeds in excess of 200 FPM.
These new spirals offer significantly larger elevation change capacity than what is currently available in the marketplace. For application assistance or more information, call us or visit www.ryson.com.
See our Spirals run in Booth 805 at Pack Expo East
Designed for maximum available production time and operating convenience, the new modular belt conveyor in stainless steel is robust, safe and easy to clean.
The standardized design and modularity make changes of the production line easy. It’s the smart, long-term investment in your bottom line and your operators!
For more information, please call us at +1 905-639-6878 or by email at info.ca@flexlink.com.
flexlink.com
PMRPACKAGINGINC
CrandallFillingMachinery -pailanddrumfillers (variousmodels) Fillbyweight cans,pails,drums,totesvarious various semi-automatic& automatic
PallayPack-VersaBlockMonoblock,fill/plug/capvarious various various automatic
REB-IVSseriesInline,piston&fill-to-levelvarious various various semi-automatic& automatic PPITECHNOLOGIESGROUP(InCanada:CharlesDowner&Co.,Ltd,RichmondHill,ON;AesusPackagingSystems,PointeClaire,QC)
MECANOINDUSTRIES MecanoPF-1200Pistons Pails,buckets,blistersUpto1200fills/minuteCustomerspecificAutomatic PEMBERTON&ASSOCIATESINC CarruthersVFSeriesVolumetric Any 0-100 Various
Discover how big packagers are using EcoStitch™ all-electric adhesive dispensing technology to improve uptime, reduce maintenance and part changes, and decrease adhesive usage by up to 75%, all while maintaining strong bond integrity in this detailed white paper.
Supervac Various All both Map&capApplications TNANORTHAMERICAINC TNARobag OPP/BOPP 2-1/2to16-1/2in.WContinuous Softwareintegrationwithbagger VC999CANADALTD VC999TSLine Allsizetrays Singleandmultiple Both Upto200trays/min XtravacTSLine Allsizetrays Asabove Both Asabove
ORIENTING&UNSCRAMBLING
MAKER&MODELPRODUCTSHANDLEDOPERATION SPEED FEATURES
Compact and robust servo-driven Fabbri packaging machines are built for speed, versatility and the highest levels of productivity. Fabbri Stretch Wrappers can handle a wide range of tray sizes with no changeovers, producing up to 62 packs per minute. All models feature a user-friendly full-size control panel for easy operation and maintenance. Test the Fabbri at our Reiser Customer Center and see for yourself how it can improve your packaging. Contact Reiser today. Fabbri_2013Feb_MeatPkgAd_Sausage_CP_Layout
Fabbri Automatic Stretch Wrappers produce highly attractive packages that make your products look fresh and “just packed”. Fabbri Stretch Wrappers use stretch film to package fresh sausage in preformed trays to provide an in-store wrapped appearance. They employ four-way stretch technology to produce tight, over-the-flange, wrinkle-free packages with securely sealed bottoms and a superb case presentation.
And here’s something you might find even more attractive: Fabbri Stretch Wrappers can help increase your profitability. Fabbri packaging is produced using low-cost packaging materials. And when you factor in its Best in Class low cost of ownership, the Fabbri Stretch Wrapper is your most economical and affordable packaging solution.
MULTIVAC offers the widest range of equipment for packaging, marking and inspection. Increase your output and minimize downtimes with a customized packaging solution which seamlessly suits to your needs. http://ca.multivac.com
Hartness-GlobalShrinkVariesdependentonproduct60,80and100cyclesper minute Various FullyAutomatic-Filmonly, Pad/Film,Tray/Pad/Film
AMERICANPACKAGINGMACHINERYAPM(InCanada:ChisholmMachinerySalesLimited,NiagaraFalls,ON) APM Various ModeldependentratesLDPE,PolyOlefin,...SemiAuto,Automatic-High Speed/HighQuality
H.B. Fuller continues to strengthen is Flexible Packaging Adhesives Team
We are pleased to announce that Bob Lloyd has joined the H.B. Fuller Flexible Packaging Adhesive team. Bob brings 30 years of adhesive experience and converting knowledge to further strengthen the H.B. Fuller team in North America. This move supports the H.B. Fuller commitment to provide our customers the best in class service, innovation and products for the flexible packaging adhesives market.
6607
BOSCH PACKAGING TECHNOLOGY
INC.
869 South Knowles Ave New Richmond WI 54017 USA Tel: 715-246-6511 Fax: 715-246-6539
BOSCH PACKAGING TECHNOLOGY
(KLIKLOK-WOODMAN)
5224 Snapfinger Woods Dr Decatur GA 30035
USA Tel: 770-981-5200 Fax: 770-987-7160
BOSCH REXROTH CANADA
3426 Mainway Dr Burlington ON L7M 1A8 Tel: 905-335-5511 Fax: 905-335-4189
BRADMAN LAKE
3050 Southcross Blvd Rock Hill SC 29730 USA Tel: 704-588-3301 Fax: 803-366-3690 C
CAM PACKAGING SYSTEMS
3-226 Industrial Parkway N Aurora ON L4G 4C3 Tel: 905-737-5400
CANADIAN CORRUGATED & CONTAINERBOARD ASSOCIATION
3-1995 Clark Blvd Brampton ON L6T 4W1 Tel: 905-458-1247 Fax: 905-458-2052
YAMATO CORPORATION 6306 W Eastwood Crt Mequon WI 53092-0036 USA Tel: 262236-0000 Fax: 262-236-0036
YASKAWA AMERICA, INC. Motoman Robotics Division 100 Automation Way Miamisburg OH 45342 USA Tel: 937-847-6200 Fax: 937-847-6277
YASKAWA CANADA, INC. 3-3530 Laird Rd Mississauga ON L5L 5Z7 Tel: 905-569-6686
YASKAWA MOTOMAN 100 Automation Way Miamisburg OH 45342 USA Tel: 937-8476200 Fax: 937-847-3288 Z
ZARPAC INC. 1185 North Service Rd E Oakville ON L6H 1A7 Tel: 905-3388880 Fax: 905-338-3521
ZEBRA TECHNOLOGIES CORP. 333 Corporate Woods Parkway Vernon Hills IL 60061 USA Tel: 847-634-6700 Fax: 847-913-8760
OUT-OF-THE-BOX PACKAGING A CAT’S MEOW
With water being an essential part of our everyday life, access to clean, safe water away from home without a reusable drinking vessel depends on packaging. While plastic bottles still seem to dominate this retail space, growing public criticism over their environmental impact, along with outright bans in some communities, are prompting many individuals and organizations to look for alternative packaging solutions—like boxed water. Located in Grand Rapid, Mich., Boxed Water Is Better is small a company with a big commitment to changing the way that water is sold, shipped and consumed. Boasting 76-percent renewable content validated by the on-pack FSC (Forestry Stewardship Council) certification, the 100-percent recyclable, BPA-free, 500-ml gabletop cartons are manufactured by the Norwegian liquid packaging products group Elopak, and they are shipped flat right to the filler to reduce carbon footprint, according to product info printed on the side panel. Outfitted with a sealed plastic screw-top for enhanced consumer convenience and resealability, the boxes’ visual appeal is rooted in its plain back-and-white simplicity, whereby the Boxed Water is Better brand logo is prominently printed in English and French on the opposite panels. The remaining panels just feature a cursive-written greeting “hello,” surrounded by blank space where one can presumably write one’s name or initials to denote its rightful owner, which is a great way to interact with the package and to avoid confusion in communal fridges shared in the workplace.
When seasonal winter blues have you daydreaming about basking in the warm Caribbean sun, the
ADVERTISERS’ INDEX
9
27
Mfg. Corp.62
7
Inc. 45
Systems Canada Inc. 65
Labels & Shrink Sleeves Inc. IFC 149Fortress Technology72
Spicy Ginger Beer from The Great Jamaican Ginger Beer Co., may just be the temporary fix you need to lift your spirits. Packaged in 250- ml containers reminiscent of the glass “stubby” bottles used by the famed Jamaican-made Red Stripe brand, the clear bottles allow for a good look at the golden-hued contents inside, while the playful graphics of brand mascot Pirate Jake on both the cap and the product label, along with cartoonish palm trees and ornate bold lettering, fittingly underscore the non-alcoholic product’s “naturally flavored” authenticity and tropical point of origin. Extra points, also, for displaying all the nutritional information required on the label as reference points for the full 250- ml single serving, rather than some arbitrary amount that is invariably always too small or too large for what constitutes a full serving in the real world.
flavor featured inside the box—ranging from the dark Italian Roast to the light and breezy Veranda Blend blonde roast.
There are often times in the middle of a busy day when you really need a quick boost of caffeine to stay on course, but not so much of it that you have to make a full pot or step outside to buy some. For such occasions, Starbucks Via Instant sachets offer a perfect pick-me-up. Packed in slim, flat-bottom stand-up paperboxes shaped like a skinny pyramid, the eight 3.3-gram sachets are neatly stacked up inside ready-for-use, with a reclosable tab on top of the box returning it to its original sloping shape after opening. Small enough to throw into a bag or a purse, the elegant boxes feature all the required product information displayed in clearly legible type, enhanced with the signature-green Starbucks logo of a two-tailed mermaid traced to Norse mythology. The sharp product photograph is fittingly supported by stylized images emblematic of the particular coffee style or
152H.B Fuller 82
140Harlund Industries Ltd.58
150Harpak-ULMA Packaging, LLC 75
133Harting 48
142Heat and Control Inc.61
123Heidelberg 36
119hhs Baumer Group31
103Hibar Systems Limited2
127ICE USA 2017 39
108Intelligrated 11
136KHK USA Inc. 50
122Markem-Imaje 34
139Matthews Marking Systems 57
120Messe DusseldorfInterpack 32
153Mettler Toledo 85
125mk North America Inc.38
151Multivac Canada Inc.79
135PILZ 49
128Plan Automation42,43,80
146Regal Beloit 67 RSN ADVERTISTER
121Reiser 33, 77
144Ryson International64 113Schneider Electric21
111SEW Eurodrive 18, 53
141Squid Ink 59
116TSUBAKI 28
112Uline Shipping Supplies20
148Valco Melton 70 124VC999 37
154Veritiv 86 102Videojet Canada 1
109Weber Marking Systems of Canada 13
110WestRock 17
Life as a city-dweller with pets has its share of challenges when it comes to purchasing their food, toys and other less glamorous essentials— namely litter. For someone who used to spend a lot of time reading countless packages of kitty litter made from various raw materials and retailed in numerous formats and sizes, my recent discovery of the sWheat Scoop bags of all-natural clumping cat litter from Minnesota-based Pet Care Systems was a joyous revelation. The front of the bag features large colorful lettering clearly explaining the nature and the purpose of the bag’s contents, along with a nice earthy depiction of large wheat sheaves trembling in the wind, giving deep cover to the two whitewashed feline silhouette images lurking about in the field. A transparent circle at the bottom right of the front panel allows consumers to have a good look at the grounded wheat pellets, capably supported by easy-to-understand graphics on the left indicating the product’s fast-clamping, odor-controlled and biodegradable attributes. The bag’s strong, sturdy built-in carrying handle, incorporated in the middle of one side, facilitates balanced weight distribution of the contents for easy carrying, while its Velcro -style closing feature help to keep any accidental spills to a minimum. The thoughtful design and construction enables the bag to remain upright from the first scoop right to the bottom until empty, after which it can be put into recycling Blue Bin as a fully-approved #7 recyclable plastic product.
Photos by Jeff May
Jeff May is the owner and proprietor of Scallywags, a popular midtown Toronto sports pub specializing in live coverage of major international sporting events.
