Andrew Mitchell, President. Select Food Products Limited
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JULY/AUGUST 2017 VOLUME 70, NO. 7&8
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HOPING IN SPITE OF THE DEEP DESPAIR
Making a mess, willfully or not, is always easier and cheaper than cleaning it up—it’s just part of human nature. Unfortunately, ignoring a growing problem does not make it go away, and when the problem is as pervasive and unseemly as the staggering amount of plastic waste being dumped into the world’s oceans, finding the will to start putting things right can seem hopeless.
Sadly, by the time fixing the problem like that actually becomes more economically urgent than simply carrying on as before, any feasible remedies can well turn out to be too little too late.
And it would be nothing less than a crime against humanity itself if the modern disposable society—for all its complexities, achievements and aspirations—allows plastic marine pollution to reach the doomsday tipping point.
There is a growing body of undeniable evidence that we are headed towards unmitigated environmental disaster on the high seas, with potentially
COVER STORY
15 NATURAL SELECTION by George Guidoni
tragic impact on human health and future wellbeing. Depending on whose numbers you choose, there is an estimated five to 13 million tonnes of man-made plastics ending up in the world’s oceans each year. On any given day, there are more than five trillion (!) plastic pieces, weighing more than 250,000 tonnes, just drifting about on the water’s surface around the world, with discarded single-use plastic packages accounting for the lion’s share of that unbiodegradable litter.
While a tiny portion of it keeps washing up on the beaches as a shameful reminder of our collective neglect for the planet’s well-being, a considerable portion of the stuff ends up being ingested by birds and fish—ultimately contaminating the global food chain all the way up to the consumers’ dinner plates.
Maybe not tomorrow or next week, lucky us, but just how long can we expect to go on tempting fate without owning up to this most inconvenient truth about our hapless mismanagement of the earth’s resources? In worst-case scenario, not nearly as long as we would like to hope.
Leading Toronto condiments co-packer off to the races in the-red hot Canadian ketchup market with a fast-growing brand and a new state-of-the-art packaging line sizzling with world-class packaging automation.
Cover photography by Naomi Hiltz
DEPARTMENTS & COLUMNS FEATURES
3 UPFRONT By George Guidoni 4 NEWSPACK
Packaging news round-up.
8 FIRST GLANCE
New solutions for packaging applications. 10 ECO-PACK NOW
The latest on packaging sustainability.
12 imPACt
A monthly insight from PAC, Packaging Consortium
13 NOTES & QUOTES
Noteworthy industry briefs.
87 PEOPLE
Career moves in the packaging world.
87 EVENTS
Upcoming industry functions.
88 CHECKOUT By Elena Langlois
Joe Public on packaging hits and misses.
25 A BERRY GOOD IDEA By Andrew Joseph
Ontario producer of premium organic jam spreads loads up on high-end packaging automation to boost packaging line productivity and process efficiencies.
32 PASSING OF THE TORCH By George Guidoni
Multivac Canada bids fond farewell to retiring company president after more than a decade of solid marketplace growth and leadership.
By Andrew Joseph
Growing brand of natural jointpain relief remedies catches lightning in a bottle with a userfriendlier cap design.
41-49 PRE-SHOW REPORT
Our exclusive preview to next month’s PACK EXPO Las Vegas 2017 international packaging technologies showcase features special insights from the show’s producers and a select sampling of the exciting machinery and equipment to be displayed at the show.
BUYERS’ GUIDE 2017-2018
Our annual Buyers’ Guide issue is structured to help keep you up-to-date on the latest packaging technologies, equipment, materials and services available to the Canadian packaging and related industries in the upcoming year, including categoryspecific listings of leading suppliers of:
COORS LIGHT ADDS TO FESTIVE SUMMER FUN WITH DAZZLING LIGHT EFFECTS
Having fun in the sun is a great Canadian summertime tradition that the bestselling Coors Light beer brand has raised to a whole new level this year with special sunlight-activated inks applied to select 355- ml and 473- ml cans of the popular brew.
Launched in late May and running through the end of the summer, the Coors Light Summer Certified can program features six limited-edition cans—released in phases throughout the summer months—decorated with advanced printing techniques and specialty inks that appear to grow bolder in their color intensity and brightness when exposed to outdoor sunlight.
“This innovation, which leverages both photochromic and thermochromic inks, is a key differentiator for Coors Light this summer,” notes Garrick Frittelli, assistant marketing manager for the Coors Light brand, marketed by the country’s leading beer producer Molson Coors Canada
“Our market research has shown that one of the top drivers of consumer purchase intent is ‘packaging that stands out,’ and these cans with photochromic ink have really heightened the outdoor summer drinking occasion for our consumers,” Frittelli explains
“The colder the beer, the brighter the colors—making them both coldcertified and summer-certified.”
To bring the project to life in time for the busy summer season, Molson Coors Canada worked with leading beverage can manufacturer Crown Beverage Packaging North America , a business unit of Philadelphia, Pa.-headquartered metal packaging Crown Holdings, Inc., to develop eye-catching designs that would show off the innovative ink technology in the best possible light.
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For its part, Crown turned to the Colorado-based printing inks innovator C hromatic Technologies, Inc. (CTI) to develop the most effective ink formulations for the summer-long marketing endeavor.
“The six unique cans are based on variations of geometric designs inspired by Coors Lights iconic mountain shape and updated visual identity and using a range of yellow, orange and purple inks as well as a bolder ‘cold certified’ blue,” states Ron Skotleski, director of marketing for North America at CROWN Beverage Packaging.
“Our graphics team and plants, working closely with CTI and Molson Coors, did a fantastic job of pulling it all together in a very short time,” Skoletski says.
“Crown has been an amazing partner to work with: from providing us with quick and honest advice to delivering on our somewhat ambitious asks,” adds Frittelli.
“Their team has helped Coors Light really bring these cans to life and to deliver a new level of excitement to our packaging this summer,” says Frittelli, noting that Canadians consume about four times the amount of beer in the summer months compared to other seasons.
“We know that Canadian summers are short and that Canadians want to make the most of the sun and patio season,” Frittelli states, “and these inks will bring the can to life like never before by revealing bold, bright colors when the cans are exposed to the sunlight.”
CONVEYOR MANUFACTURER EXPANDING TO KEEP UP WITH ITS MARKET GROWTH
For a company built on making things move from one point to another in the most efficient way possible, Canadian conveying systems manufacturer Storcan International seems to be headed firmly in the right direction with the recent opening of a new facility in the heart of the country’s industrial heartland.
With its growing customer base now reaching well outside its hometown province of Quebec, the opening of a new office and shop facility just north of Toronto in Maple, Ont., is a logical extension of the company’s growing skillset, confidence and reputation in the extremely competitive packaging machinery sector.
According to Chris Hall, the company’s regional manager and application specialist working out of the new 7,000-square-foot Maple facility, “Being a leader in the food, beverage and packaging industry positioned us to become a fast-growing company that needed to find a location that best suited all of our needs.
“We feel that this location in Maple is a great fit for our Storcan team and our customers,” Hall told Canadian Packaging in a recent interview, adding the new location will offer a comprehensive range of services that will include sales, product testing, equipment demonstration, technical support services, engineering, product management, and factory acceptance tests (FATs).
“We are committed to analyzing our clients’ requirements, planning an efficient layout, and implementing clear innovative solutions,” Hall states. “Thanks to our cutting-edge techniques, we are able to develop conveyors capable of transporting many types of products with optimal speed and precision and speed.
“We are proud of our tradition of excellence,” adds Hall, citing the company’s proud track record of meeting its clients’ budgets, timelines and expectations.
“We are there from the moment our customer is contemplating getting a new product into the market, moving a production line to a new location, changing equipment, or just upgrading and rejuvenating a production line,” Hall explains.
“Thanks to our multiple partnerships in the food and beverage industries, we can offer new clients the right equipment, the newest technologies, and turnkey solutions for optimal production efficiencies,” Hall proclaims.
“Most importantly our project management team will accompany our customer all the way to the integration and installation to make sure the project is a success.”
Chris Hall, Storcan International
ICONIC MILK CHOCOLATES GET A TIMELY PATRIOTIC PACKAGING UPGRADE
Although they’ve been around since 1941, the iconic button-shaped M&M coated chocolate candies never seem to get old in the tooth, as it were, thanks to the relentless product innovation by its brand-owner Mars, Incorporated
And this summer especially, Canadian M&M fans have been treated to another tasteful bit of sweet new product development creativity with the time-limited release of the Oh Canada! M&M’s milk chocolate candies pulling at all the right patriotic heartstrings.
Launched across the country in early June on the eve of Canada’s upcoming 150th Birthday celebrations, the
190-gram stand-up pouches, produced by Sonoco, contain roughly the same number of red- and white-colored round chocolates bearing the brand’s iconic lower-case letter M trademark logo.
Featuring an image of an adorable beaming M&M brand icon waving a Canadian flag—created by Mississauga, Ont.-based branding specialists Bridgemark—the vibrant pouches proved to be an instant hit with the Canadian consumers, according to Mars Canada Ltd.
“We’ve received amazing feedback from Canadian consumers who were absolutely thrilled to celebrate Canada’s 150th birthday with M&M’s,” says Dina Frost, vice-president of marketing for chocolate products at Mars Canada in Bolton, Ont.
“The main thing we wanted to convey with the design was Canadian pride, and we naturally want M&M’s to be the brand that Canadian consumers choose to celebrate with,” Frost explains.
“Of course, we also wanted to ensure that the product would stand out on shelf, and we wanted it to be clear that the M&M’s candies contained in the package were all red and white in color.
“We think Bridgemark did an outstanding job in getting that message across,” Frost states.
“Consumers tend to gravitate towards chocolate during the summer, and the red and white M&M’s add a whole new another layer of patriotic fun to the much-anticipated Canadian summer rituals such as barbecues, road trips and camping.”
GARY R. KOHL APPOINTED PRESIDENT OF SGK BRAND SOLUTIONS BUSINESS
Matthews International Corporation announced that Gary R. Kohl, executive vice president, global business development at SGK and a member of the SGK Executive Leadership Team, has been named President of its SGK Brand Solutions business effective immediately.
Kohl continues to report to David A. Schawk who now moves into a new role within the Office of the President at Matthews. Schawk’s title of Group President, SGK reflects his continuing strategic oversight of the SGK group where he will focus on acquisition opportunities and strategic planning.
In making the announcement, Joseph C. Bartolacci, President and CEO of Matthews International remarked “With continued disruption in the industry and marketplace, SGK has developed a bold growth strategy designed to extend current client relationships while building new business, remaining focused on growing our clients’ top line while concurrently driving out costs. I believe these executive moves position us extremely well to reshape the business to capture the opportunities ahead.”
Kohl takes over the day-to-day and P&L responsibilities for the SGK business globally. A seasoned executive with deep experience in the digital and print communications industry, Kohl joined SGK in 2016 from RR Donnelley, where he was group senior vice president, Digital Solutions, Global Packaging and Printed Electronics Groups and responsible for driving the group’s foundational strategic plan and building new capabilities and services. Prior to that, Kohl held additional senior level positions in sales, marketing and general management, achieving topline growth for these groups.
www.sgkinc.com
FIRST GLANCE
INDEPENDENCE DAYS
Equipped with new cooling options to suit a wider range of production environments and applications, the new decentralized supply and mains modules from Rexroth allow machine manufacturers to completely install an allelectrical control cabinet into the machine by using the IndraDrive Mi motor-integrated and motor-near drives. According to the company, the control cabinet-free IndraDrive Mi drive system enables the use of a completely independent drive solution through the integration of the supply unit directly integrated into the machine. Adding the convection cooling and forced-air cooling options to the thermal interface for cold-plate mounting or insulated mounting eliminates the need for any process water for cooling or recooling across a broad range of conveying, material handling, and packaging applications in various food processing and production environments.
Bosch Rexroth Canada
LOK AND LOAD
Designed for reliable high-speed forming of corrugated and chipboard trays with inserts, the new PopLok Inserter from Eagle Packaging Machinery was developed to automate the tedious hand-loading process for placing an insert into a fold-and-tuck style tray with straightforward operation, whereby the PopLok Inserter conveniently loads an insert blank, forms it squarely, and precisely places it into the tray. Extremely well-suited for packaging valuable electronic pieces and componentry, the inserts help to ensure that all the fragile contents are separated and neatly secured for shipping, while the machine’s delicate handling process poses no risk of marring or scratching of the high-gloss graphics used for high-standard retail requirements. Because the PopLok Inserter does not use a mandrel, operators can also perform rapid changeovers without any special tooling, according to the company. Eagle Packaging Machinery
UP IN THE AIR
First introduced by Festo Corporation in 2015, the MSE6-E2M (E2M) intelligent energy-efficient pneumatic system-monitoring module is now compatible with Ethernet/IP and PROFINET communication protocols, according to the company, thereby significantly expanding potential applications in North America. Delivering typical payback in energy savings in about a year, according to Festo, the E2M units automatically shut off the air supply to a machine when in standby mode to reduce energy consumption, while generating realtime data on system pressure, flow rate, and other monitoring functions to enable a faster response to compressed air leaks. The E2M units feature a solenoid valve integrated with a pressure and a flow sensor in one compact package to monitor flow levels of up to 5,000 liters of compressed air per minute, enhanced with easy programmability and connectivity to the company’s MS series air preparation units. Festo Inc.
ROLL UP THE SLEEVES
around the container and securely seal it with hot-melt adhesive or locking-tabs at speeds of up to 200 units per minute.
AFA Systems Ltd.
LASER PRECISION
Designed for food and beverage, pharmaceutical, cosmetic, and other primary coding applications, the new SQ-Laser series laser coders from Squid Ink Manufacturing, Inc. can permanently mark onto paper, cardboard, plastic, glass, wood, coated metal, leather and many more materials in applications requiring both vertical and horizontal marking, with their laser heads easily rotated up 90° in less than five minutes. Designed for maximum versatility, the new 10W (SQ-10 ) and 30W (SQ-30 ) models feature small footprint to provide an easy fit into production environments with little space availability—enabling quick and easy installation for both stationary and moving applications. Featuring a rugged cast aluminum controller body and an IP54 rating to ensure maximum reliability and uptime for the most demanding applications, the SQ-10 and SQ-30 marking systems utilize sharp and clean scribing technology that produces razor-sharp marks on a variety of substrates at high rates of speed, with their enhanced message flexibility offering users the ability to mix different fonts and logos in a single message, as well as provide the ability to produce discrete codes for anti-counterfeiting and traceability applications.
Squid Ink Manufacturing, Inc.
ALL ABOARD!
The new high-speed HD-CMS (Heavy Duty Continuous Motion Autoload Sleever) system from AFA Systems Ltd. features a robust timing screw infeed that accepts jars, tubs, or cups from a single lane to ensure that the product remains on the proper pitch for the bottom lug conveyor to drive the product through the machine. Equipped with an Allen-Bradley servomotor and drives, along with an A-B CompactLogix PLC controller, the HD-CMS incorporates a high-speed rotary feeder to place the sleeve on top of the product, and a reliable closing system to tightly wrap the sleeve
HARTING Canada Inc. has announced the availability of its parent company’s award-winning MICA mini industrial computer (2016 HERMES Award for industrial innovation) with an EtherCAT board, allowing for critical data to be collected directly from industrial production networks, preprocessed and forwarded to IT systems via standard protocols such as OPC UA or MQTT. According to HARTING, MICA’s innovative modular hardware concept allows users to incorporate individual function boards while retaining full compliance with all the important industrial standards, and its modular Open Source Software Architecture platform makes it a useful solution for developing innovative Edge and Cloud applications in many production environments.
HARTING Canada Inc.
EARNING TOP MARKS
The new wax-based Go-Mark 100 wax-based thermaltransfer ribbons from Weber Packaging Solutions are compatible with both coated and non-coated label materials, according to the company, working well on even flood-coated color labels. The Go-Mark 100 ribbons are engineered to generate exceptionally rich blackness for basic label printing applications such as shipping and product identification barcode labels, according to the company, and each ribbon also features a clever built-in Clean-Start leader that will automatically clean the printer’s printhead each time that a new ribbon is loaded onto the thermaltransfer printer. Moreover, the Go-Mark 100 wax-based ribbons also use a notably lower heat setting for the printhead, which can significantly reduce wear and extend the life of the label printer.
Weber Packaging Solutions
BAND ON THE RUN
Designed to ensure optimal precise control of each package from the time it enters the stacking unit until the stage where it is banded to produce a complete multipack, the new Bandall automated stacking and banding unit from Banding Systems features servomotor-controlled shelves and conveyor for quick, fully-automatic changeover from one stack configuration to another—as programmed by the user through the system’s recipe-driven HMI (human-machine interface) control terminal—to produce tight, secure and attractive bundles of food packages, pharmaceutical products and beauty products, clothing, industrial items and a wide range of other fast-moving goods at high throughput speeds. Banding Systems
MANITOBA SETTING PACE FOR CONTAINER RECYLING
According to the Canadian Beverage Container Recycling Association (CBCRA) and its Recycle Everywhere program, the province of Manitoba is the most progressive jurisdiction in North America when it comes to recycling and recovery of empty beverage containers.
Between 2010 and 2016, the recovery rate in the province has gone from 42 per cent to 70 per cent, with millions of beverage containers being recycled and turned into new products such as books, bicycles, and new bottles and cans, CBCRA claims.
“We achieved a record high of 70 per cent of all beverage
containers being recycled across the province, and we are now closer than ever to reaching our goal of 75 per cent,” says Jim Goetz, chairman of the CBCRA board of directors.
“The beverage containers recycled in Manitoba last year would fill over 1,042 rail cars.
“What’s more, Manitoba’s third-party litter audits show that year after year, litter is decreasing in major urban centers, including Winnipeg, Brandon, Steinbach, Flin Flon and Thompson.”
Under the association’s Recycle Everywhere initiative, more than 55,000 trademarked Recycle Everywhere bins have been distributed for free to public spaces across the province to provide Manitobans with easier access to beverage container recycling at work, home and at play than ever before.
As CBCRA explains, the Recycle Everywhere program was set up promote beverage container recycling wherever beverages are consumed, and it includes Canada’s first province-wide away-fromhome beverage container recycling program.
Specifically, Recycle Everywhere has partnered with communities, municipalities, schools, businesses, institutions, parks, festivals and events throughout Manitoba to provide them with the best Recycle Everywhere bin for the space free of charge.
Under the scheme, participating partners simply
arrange for the collection of the recovered beverage containers with a recycler.
“Together with our partners, we are enabling new products to be made, while decreasing greenhouse gas emissions, and reducing litter in streets and parks,” says Goetz.
“All of our initiatives combined allow CBCRA to fuel a circular economy where materials are not treated as waste, but as a resource, and where packaging is considered in the full product lifecycle,” says CBCRA’s executive director Ken Friesen. “This allows beverage containers to have a new life after its contents are done.
“We are proud to be a part of this cycle, and will continue to increase beverage container recycling for the benefit of Manitobans, their communities, and the environment that we live in,” Friesen states.
GOING RIGHT WHERE THE ACTION IS TO CUT PACKAGING FOOTPRINT
Packaging sustainability is increasingly a team game these days, requiring brand-owners and their packaging suppliers to be on the same page in pursuit of their common sustainability objectives.
While some companies out there are still mostly paying lip service to the notion of strategic collaboration, Ann Arbor, Mich.-based Amcor Rigid Plastics is literally putting its money where its green heart is with the recent opening of an on-site bottle manufacturing operation at the Paris, Tex.-based juice processing facility operated by its long-time customer Campbell Soup Co.
According to Amcor, which invested about US$7 million to repurpose an existing 6,000-squarefoot building to produce 46- and 64-ounce PET (polyethylene terephthalate) plastic containers for a variety of V8 brand vegetable juice products, the new operation has the capacity to produce about 50 million hot-fillable plastic bottles per year.
Campbell’s increased access to the packaging is expected to deliver multiple sustainability benefits, including reduced freight costs and carbon emissions, and enhanced operational efficiencies.
“We’re excited about establishing this onsite operation because it expands our long-time strategic partnership with Campbell’s and gives us an opportunity to better serve a key strategic customer,” says Larry Weber, vice-president and general manager of Amcor’s North American beverage business unit.
Compared to continuing to ship PET containers to the Paris plant from Amcor’s operations in Fort Worth, Tex., having on-site production of hotfill PET will enable the Paris plant to keep 2,000 truckloads of containers off the road each year and eliminate over 376 metric tons of carbon-dioxide emissions—an equivalent of 901,246 miles driven annually by an average passenger vehicle.
The Paris project is far from being the first such strategic collaboration for Amcor, which has been in running on-site manufacturing operations with similar hot-fill facilities located at several beverage filling plants throughout the U.S.
Since 2004, Amcor has operated an on-site blowmolding operation at Campbell’s beverage production plant in Napoleon, Ohio, where it produces 150 million hot-fill PET containers annually.
Amcor and Campbell officials inaugurate the new Amcor bottle-making facility opened up at the Paris production complex making the popular V8 brand of vegetable juices.
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nMississauga, Ont.-based Cascades Flexible Packaging, Mississauga, Ont.-based a subsidiary of the Kingsey Falls, Que.-headquartered forest products group Cascades Inc., has achieved the IFS PACsecure certification for food safety, validating that the plant’s processes and products comply with global packaging materials safety standards in terms of maintenance, hygiene, traceability, management commitment and effective food protection. “We are very proud of this certification, which recognizes our constant efforts to enhance safety, transparency and social responsibility,” says Luc Langevin, president and chief operating officer of the Cascades Specialty Products Group. “We are determined to offer our customers innovative packaging that meets the highest quality standards,” adds Langevin, citing 99.16-percent rating earned by the plant during the independent third-party audit. “We believe every product should be packaged in a safe and ethically responsible container.”
nSt. Louis, Mo.-headquartered glass and plastic containers manufacturer TricorBraun has reached an agreement to acquire Salbro Bottle, Woodbridge, Ont.-based manufacturer of beverage containers and closures operating three production plants in Woodbridge, Vaughan, Ont., and St. John’s, Nfld., along with a sales and distribution office in Montreal. “Salbro fits our strategic vision extremely well,” says TricorBraun president and chief executive officer Keith Strope. “We were interested in expanding our reach and presence in Canada and this acquisition helps us do both.”
nUhlmann Packaging Systems LP, Towaco, N.J.-based provider of contract manufacturing and co-packing services for the pharmaceutical industry, has completed the acquisition of Cremer Speciaalmachines B.V., Dutch manufacturer of counting and packaging systems for pharmaceutical products packaged in blister-packs and bottles.
nGN Thermoforming Equipment, Chester, N.S.-based manufacturer of servo-driven, rollfed thermoform packaging machinery for food packaging applications, has expanded the existing distribution agreement with its Chinese distributor Vulcan Plastics Technology Co. Ltd to include key Southeast Asia markets in Vietnam, the Philippines, Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, and Singapore.
nKankakee, Ill.-based printing inks supplier hubergroup, USA, Inc. has
completed the acquisition of virtually all business assets of the Alden & Ott Printing Inks Company of Arlington Heights, Ill., for an undisclosed amount.
nCincinnati, Ohio-headquartered packaging product group ProAmpac has completed the acquisition of Trinity Packaging Corporation, leading flexible packaging converter specializing in large-format packaging for the lawn-and-garden, food and specialty industrial markets. With manufacturing operations in Rock Mount, Va., and Buffalo, N.Y., Trinity Packaging will retain its name and operate as a separate division of ProAmpac, whose other main packaging assets include the Prolamina, Ampac and Tulsack brands.
NOTES & QUOTES
nLeading Swedish forest products group SCA has announced it will split itself into two listed companies in a corporate restructuring move that will transfer the company’s hygiene, personal-care and tissue businesses into a brand new company called Essity, while retaining the SCA brand name and banner for the company’s remaining paper products portfolio, which includes pulp, kraftliner, publication papers and renewable energy. According to SCA, hygiene and tissue products—including the well-known TENA brand of for incontinence products and the Tork brand away-from-home tissues—accounted for 86 per cent of the company’s net revenues in 2016.
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Venerable Toronto co-packer proud to wave the Canadian flag with a fast-selling brand of made-in-Canada ketchup produced on new state-of-the-art production line
BY GEORGE GUIDONI, EDITOR
PHOTOS BY NAOMI HILTZ
Saying the only bad publicity is no publicity may be stating the obvious.
But that doesn’t make any less true, as the French’s brand of ketchup discovered a year ago after Canadian grocery giant Loblaw’s tried to pull the stuff off its store-shelves on the account of underperforming sales, or so they said.
True or not, the mere suggestion to do so instantly ignited a furious social media backlash among a multitude or patriotic Canadian consumers outraged that the country’s largest retailer would willingly delist a product made entirely from Canadiangrown tomatoes.
And not just any tomatoes, mind you, but the ones harvested near and around Leamington, Ont., once famed as the unofficial ketchup capital of Canada on the account of a massive Heinz tomato processing plant that was the economic backbone of the local farming-based communities.
With the highly publicized consumer outcry immediately resulting in soaring sales for the French’s
ketchup brand, New Jersey-based brand-owner
The French’s Food Company LLC , a division of U.K.-headquartered multinational consumer powerhouse Reckitt Benckiser Group plc, wisely decided to make good on its ‘Canada Promise’ strategy not only by reiterating its 100-percent Canadian origins, but also making the decision to produce and package it in Canada.
For Toronto-based Select Food Products Limited, that decision turned out to be the proverbial epic game changer that thrust the 75-year-old specialty foods producer from relative anonymity right into the upper echelons of the highly competitive condiments business.
“I got a call from French’s president Elliott Penner about a year ago saying they were looking for a copacker to make the brand in Canada and asking if we would be interested in meeting to discuss possibilities,” recalls Select Foods’ youthful president Andrew Mitchell, who acquired the company two years ago after working for the consulting division
of leading professional services group Deloitte in Toronto.
“They were clearly interested in producing their product in Canada, for Canadian consumers, using made-in-Canada tomato paste, because they saw it as a competitive advantage,” Mitchell told Canadian Packaging on a recent visit to his company’s 100,000-square-foot production facility in the city’s east end. “So we invited them for a visit and they clearly liked what they saw and where we want to take the company.
“After many discussions, they decided to give us the French’s ketchup business on the understanding that we would make the necessary capital investment in new production and packaging equipment to enable us to produce the mass volumes they required,” Mitchell recalls.
After several months of commissioning and testing the new highly-automated line, Select Foods commenced the commercial production of French’s ketchup in earnest in May of this year, producing about 5,000 liters of the popular condiment per hour.
Andrew Mitchell, President. Select Food Products Limited
Although Select Food has been making and copacking mayonnaise, mustards, barbeque sauces, gravies, salad dressings and other condiments for decades, the new line represents the company’s first foray into ketchup production.
“In the past this plant also used to make some rather offbeat food products such as canned chicken, pigs’ feet, marinated cherries and olives and other lesser-known specialty foods,” says Mitchell, “but those products were phased out long before I took over the company. Now we’re focused on condiments and building up our co-packing business.”
As Mitchell relates, being awarded the French’s ketchup business was something of a leap of faith by the brand-owner, so Select Food had little time to waste in getting down to business of install a new state-of-the-art production and packaging line dedicated to the French’s ketchup product to hold up its part of the bargain.
To set the stage for the new equipment, Select Food hired Kitchener, Ont.-based mechanical engineering experts Roberts Onsite Inc. to update and upgrade the plant’s outdated electrical, mechanical, plumbing, drainage, ventilation and other key infrastructure pieces to the standards required for modern high-speed, high-output automated food manufacturing and packaging operations.
In the processing area of the plant, Select Foods
worked with the Brampton, Ont.-based processing systems integrator Simmtech Process Engineering Ltd. to install two brand new 5,000-liter kettles, a heat exchanger and a cooler, a deaerator, a homogenizer, and a chilling system to cook and cool the raw tomato paste shipped to the plant in massive industrial totes in bulk from Leamington by Highbury Canco Corp., which took over the mothballed Heinz operations a couple of years ago. It also worked with Clayton Industries and Custom Steam Inc. to install a new boiler system.
On the packaging side of things, Select installed a comprehensive range of new high-performance packaging equipment to package French’s ketchup—retailed in Original, Garlic and Buffalo flavor varieties—in the one-liter, 750-ml and 500-ml plastic bottles supplied by Amcor Rigid Plastics of Ann Arbour, Mich., as well as the 1.5-liter and 375-ml plastic containers from Graham Packaging
Expertly installed under the watchful eye of Select director of engineering and continuous improvement Ghalib Hendow, with technical assistance and on-site support provided by industrial conveying systems manufacturer Storcan International, the
A 12-pack of one-liter bottles of French’s tomato ketchup stand up snugly together inside a retail-ready corrugated shipping box manufactured by Cascades Containerboard Packaging.
Manufactured by Amcor Rigid Plastics, the one-liter plastic bottles used to package French’s brand ketchup are topped off with white flip-top dispensing closures made by Zeller Plastik.
The one-liter bottles of French’s brand of tomato ketchup have quickly become the most active SKU (stock-keeping unit) produced at the Select Food facility in east-end Toronto.
new packaging line comprises:
• A Pr iority One bulk depalletizer from Arrowhead Systems Inc., used to sweep the layers of empty containers from loaded pallets into a hopper and transfer them onto the outfeed conveyor;
• A ser ies of stainless-steel Storcan product transfer and accumulation conveyors—both tabletop and mattop—linking all of the key packaging line stations together in a highly automated, fully-integrated turnkey configuration;
• A 21-head rotary piston filler from Elmar Industries Inc., integrated into a monoblock system with the nine-head EURO VP model rotary capper from Arol Closure Systems Designed to handle plastic twist-off and screw
caps supplied by Zeller Plastik USA, Inc., the system features an integrated CT-600 cap inspection system from FT System, a division of Arol Closures.
• A high-speed induction sealer from Pillar Technologies Inc.;
• A high-speed Krones Autacol pressure-sensitive rollfed labeler with the capability to apply up to 600 labels, printed by the Toronto-based TAPP Label Company, per minute;
• A model BestCode 88 inkjet coder from Weber Packaging Solutions to apply best-before dates and other variable product information onto the wide-mouth white caps topping the filled plastic containers;
• A Loma Systems model IQ3 metal detec-
tor to detect foreign objects and other possible contaminants in the bulk product stream piped to the packaging area;
• A model 835 Flex drop case-packer from Hartness International, used to place finished bottles of ketchup inside the 12-pack corrugated shipping containers manufactured by Cascades Containerboard Packaging in Vaughan, Ont.
• A model U2 SP4 case-coding system from Anser Coding Inc., used to mark the sides of the Cascades-made corrugated shipping boxes.
• A Columbia Machine model HL20000 palletizer, capable of leading two pallets at a time;
• A Wufltec series rotary-arm automatic stretchwrapping system from M.J. Maillis Group, used to secure and stabilize pallet loads with
A side view of the towering Priority One depalletizer used to unload layers of plastic bottles shipped to the Select Food plant in bulk by Amcor Rigid Plastics and Graham Packaging.
One of the many SEW-Eurodrive electric motors (center foreground) deployed throughout the Select Food plant’s fullyintegrated network of Storcan-made conveyors.
A close-up of empty plastic bottles being swiftly transferred in a single file along a Storcan food-grade conveyor upstream towards the filling and capping stations.
A single-file row of freshly filled, sealed and capped one-liter bottles of French’s ketchup making its way towards the plant’s case-packing machine to be loaded into shipping boxes.
Conveyor systems manufacturer Storcan International provided the lion’s share of all the conveyor types and systems used on the high-speed French’s ketchup line at Select Foods.
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Storcan creates innovative solutions for your production, bottling, food process and packaging lines. Our turnkey formula allows us to simplify each stage of a project with comprehensive manufacturing line solutions. That’s why we developed our One Stop Shop:
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stretchwrap film on top of the blue CHEP and red PECO shipping pallets.
• An Allen-Bradley PanelView Plus 600 humanmachine interface (HMI) control panels and other Allen-Bradley series industrial and automation controls from Rockwell Automation to enable virtually fully-automatic operation of the entire packaging line from start to finish.
“It’s all a highly automated process that is completely new to this facility,” says Mitchell, “and it will provide a good roadmap for us in the future as we begin to automate our other lines and operations.”
That’s sweet music to the ears of Storcan Conveyors and Packaging Systems general manager Chris Hall, senior solutions specialist Hugo Lorquet and project manager Anthony Dirracolo, who worked tirelessly on the project to ensure its swift on-time execution.
“It was a very tight timeline to work with,” Hall recalls, “but at the end of the day Select Food was very pleased with the overall outcome of the project.
“We were able to successfully provide them with a complete working system—incorporating both new and used equipment—to handle their full array
of bottle sizes,” he states.
In addition to integrating the entire new line from the depalletizing station on through the stretch wrapper and pallet conveyors, Storcan also provided all the required mechanical, electrical, civic and rig ging services related to the project, while handling all the related permit work.
According to Hall, it was ultimately all worth the etra time and effort.
“Select Food has been in business for many years and it has earned a great reputation in the industry,” he says, “and we were very proud to be chosen to join them on this critically important project.”
A close-up view of the nine-head EURO VP model rotary capper from Arol Closures integrated with the Elmar rotary filler to produce an average of 83 one-liter bottles of ketchup per minute.
Close-up of the touchscreen operator interface used to control operation of the CT-600 cap inspection system from FT System.
The French’s ketchup line at Select Food uses a 21-piston rotary filler from Elmar Industries to fill the bottles with product.
As requested by The French’s Food Company, Select Food only uses red PECO pallets to ship French’s brand to market.
Toronto-based labeling converter TAPP Label supplies the Select Food plant with rolls of pres sure-sensitive paper labels used to decorate the French’s brand ketchup bottles.
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THINKING OUTSIDE THE BOX FOR MORE THAN 50 YEARS.
REDEFINING PACKAGING WHILE PRESERVING THE ENVIRONMENT. Cascades relies on facilities and equipment that are at the cutting edge of technology. We pride ourselves in making high-quality products designed to match our clients’ needs and expectations and we do all that while continiously surpassing our ambitious goals in our efforts to preserve our planet. So when you choose to do business with Cascades, you also become greener, naturally.
“Working with Select Food was a great experience on many levels,” he adds, “because both companies have a similar take on how to run a proper business.
“At Storcan we have a reputation of excellence and exceptional product quality,” Hall expands, “but we are also renowned for our commitment to customer service.
“From design and project management to installation, integration, customer service and technical support, customers can rely on our expertise and reliability,” he states, “and Select Food is a very special customer for us indeed.”
According to Mitchell, contract manufacturing and co-packing of retail consumer brands now accounts for about half of the company’s revenues.
About 30 per cent of the plant’s total output is shipped to foodservice operators under the Select foodservice brand label, he relates, and the rest to industrial clients in the food processing sector.
“All in all we make about 400 different SKUs (stock-keeping units), which range from huge plastic totes, drums, pails and jugs to small plastic and glass containers found on the store-shelves of your neighborhood grocers,” says Mitchell, noting that the one-liter plastic bottles of French’s ketchup are already the biggest single SKU produced at the 150-employee facility.
“We are now producing about 83 one-liter bottles of French’s ketchup per minute with the new line,” says Mitchell, “and more for the smaller sizes.”
As Mitchell relates, the new line also provides a wealth of production possibilities and operational flexibility because it can be easily changed over to other product types.
“We can easily put in another production shift or two as our demand volumes dictate,” says Mitchell, noting the HACCP (Hazard Analysis Critical Control Points)-certified plant, which also boasts the internationally-recognized SQF Level 2 certification of the Safe Quality Food Institute, co-packs a fairly extensive number of products popular with
NEED A NEW PACKAGING IDEA?
the Canadian consumers, including the PC Smokin’ Stampede BBQ’s barbecue sauces, Guy Fieri Steak Sauce, Newman’s Own salad dressings and barbecue sauces, and the Neal Brothers range of salsas, pasta sauces, mayonnaises and barbecue sauces, among others.
“We also have all the pertinent kosher, organic, non-GMO and other certifications to make us an attractive co-packing proposition for a broader client base,” Mitchell says.
“The condiments sector is an extremely competitive business,” notes Mitchell, “especially when dealing with the increasingly cost-conscious retailers.
“Just operating in Canada means having a higher cost base than many of our competitor,” he explains, “but there are also advantages of being closer to a good labor pool and the proximity to major highways to reach big consumer markets.
“There are a lot offsetting factors at play,” he expands, “but it manly comes down to us being on top or our game, which is what this new line is really about.
“We have no choice but to continue investing in more automated equipment to remain competitive and to attract more customers and get some volumes going,” Mitchell asserts.
“We have been good in the past in serving our small customers with smaller production runs, with a lot of starts/stops in between the changeovers,” he says. “But it wasn’t a very efficient way of running the business.
“This new line will enable us to streamline the number of customers we’re working with and to rationalize some of the under-performing SKUs out of our product mix,” Mitchell explains. “I am very impressed with the high caliber of automation incorporated into this line.”
Says Mitchell: “You really have to be a world-class manufacturer to be able to win a business for a brand like French’s ketchup, so this installation really validates our competence levels in both processing and packaging.
“There is quite of bit of innovation taking place in the industry right now with the flavor mixes, ingredient, organics, clean natural ingredients and so on, making it an exciting time to be in this business,” says Mitchell.
“The key for us is to work the right types of customers to help us drive our volumes,” says Mitchell, adding he aims to triple or quadruple the company’s sales in the near future.
“This will probably mean narrowing down our product portfolio from the 400 SKUs to substantially lower levels,” he acknowledges, “but we would be doing much longer production runs with much higher line efficiencies, which is all about producing more product with less manual labor.”
Despite the new line and well-trained, loyal and long-tenured workforce at the Select plant, Mitchell acknowledges there are still many areas at the plant that need to be improved to reach his lofty goals in revenue and market share gains.
That said, he seems genuinely confident that the company is on the right track to getting there.
“I really see us adding a second and even third shift to our production sched-
ule down the road,” Mitchell reveals, “but we must first get the word out to the Canadian and U.S. markets about what we can offer them with our co-packing capabilities now.
“People can’t do business with you if they don’t know who you are,” he chuckles, “but having had this successful experience with the French’s ketchup line will definitely help to cast us in the best light with potential new customers.”
Says Mitchell: “In addition to making ketchup we also produce various types of salsa, salad dressings, mayonnaises, sauces, liquid beef gravies and many other fantastic products that help Canadian consumers make their food taste better and to enjoy a better meal experience—all made right here in Canada!
“So even though I am never entirely satisfied,” he sums up, “as a proud Canadian I find running Select Food Products a very satisfying way to make a living.”
SUPPLIERS
Storcan International
Elmar Industries Inc.
Arol Closure Systems
Amcor Rigid Plastics
Zeller Plastik USA, Inc.
Graham Packaging
Arrowhead Systems Inc.
Weber Packaging Solutions
Loma Systems
Hartness International
Cascades Inc.
Anser Coding Inc.
Columbia Machine
M.J. Maillis Group
Rockwell Automation
CHEP Canada Inc.
PECO Pallet Canada
Pillar Technologies Inc.
Krones Machinery Co. Ltd.
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Filled bottles of French’s brand ketchup are swiftly whisked by yet another Storcan conveyor inside the Krones Autocol pressure-sensitive rollfed labeler (inset) for high-speed application of product labels with unerring precision and repeatability.
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A BERRY GOOD IDEA
Small-town Ontario producer kicks out the jams to make its mark in the North American markets with world-class product quality and cutting-edge packaging automation
BY ANDREW JOSEPH, FEATURES EDITOR PHOTOS BY NAOMI HILTZ
Up until very recently, the picturesque Northern Ontario cottage country town of Parry Sound could lay much of its international claim to fame at the skates of hockey legend Bobby Orr—thanks to the breathtaking skill and talent this home-grown superstar showed at a multitude of arenas across North America jam-packed with adoring hockey fans during his illustrious career. But small places like Parry Sound—a popular cottage town located some 250 kilometers north of Toronto in the UNESCO Georgian Bay Biosphere Reserve and boasting the world’s deepest natural freshwater port— can’t survive on past sporting glories alone.
Blessed with a thriving local tourism industry and virtually endless possibilities for year-round outdoor recreation, Parry Sound is also a fertile ground for progressive entrepreneurial companies like Crofter’s Organic, acknowledged as the leading manufacturer
of organic fruit spreads and preserves in North America.
Started in 1989 by German immigrants Gabriele and Gerhard Latka, Crofter’s provides a compelling example that size is not everything when it comes to achieving success in the food processing business, especially in the fast-growing organics segment.
Currently employing 57 full-time people, the family-owned company has spent nearly $18 million in the past four years to not only modernize its existing Parry Sound production site, but also start up a second manufacturing plant in the neighboring community of Seguin Township.
Nearly 88 per cent of its manufactured output is exported to the U.S. market which continues to grow, and now the company’s products are exported to Germany with CETA (Comprehensive Economic Trade Agreement) and to Japan via the Canadian Or-
(From left): Crofter’s Organic co-owner Gerhard Latka and Arrowhead Systems product manager for case handling product Chris Cunningham hold samples of Crofter’s delicious organic spreads at the new, highly-automated facility in Seguin, Ont.
Available in various jar sizes, Crofter’s has three different product lines and 26 flavor profiles of certified organic jams, preserves and spreads.
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ganic Regime/Japan (JAS) equivalency.
According to the company’s hands-on owner Gerhard Latka, both plants house an extensive arsenal of high-performance production and packaging machinery designed and integrated to keep the jam manufacturer’s labor and other productions costs at highly competitive levels.
“We moved into the newer Seguin facility two years ago, but we decided to keep the older one in Parry Sound as well, for our smaller private label customers, and as a redundancy backup.”
Combined, both plants ad up to a total of over 70,000 square feet of production space.
“The Parry Sound facility runs at a rate of about 110 containers per minute,” reveals Latka, “while the newer Seguin plant can reach speeds of up to 250 units per minute. It can also handle larger jars up to 32-ounces.”
The production lines at both facilities are fully-automated, explains Latka, with very little human interaction required outside of machine operation.
While the company had to rely mostly on locallygrown crops back in the early days to make its jams, preserves and fruit spreads, “Today Crofter’s operates a global supply chain to purchase ingredients from around the world,” notes Latka.
“That said, we still exclusively use organic wild blueberries sourced from the Quebec Wild Blueberries co-op, located in the heart of the boreal forest north of Quebec City,” says Latka, noting that 100 percent of the products it makes are certified organic, sweetened with either “fair trade”-certified organic sugar or organic white grape juice concentrate as an alternative sweetener, and typically containing onethird less sugar than most of the conventionally massproduced brand-name jams out in the market.
The company’s expansive product portfolio comprises:
• The Premium Spreads line, sweetened by organic fair-trade cane sugar, consisting of Apricot, Berry Harvest, Concord Grape, Four Fruit, Mango, Morello Cherry, Pomegranate, Seedless Blackberry, Seedless Raspberry, Strawberry, Wild Blueberry, Biodynamic Apricot, Biodynamic Blueberry, and Biodynamic Strawberry flavors.
• The company’s Just Fruit Spreads line of premium-quality, fruit-juice sweetened-spreads in Apricot, Black Currant, Blackberry, Raspberry, Seville Orange, Strawberry, Superfruit, and Wild Blueberry flavors.
• The high-end Superfruit Spreads line named after four different continents— Asia, Europe, North
America, and South America—sweetened with fair-trade cane sugar and incorporating 10 socalled “superfruits” high in antioxidants derived from the respective geographic regions.
According to Latka, the Premium Spread product line is currently Crofter’s bestselling line, especially the 16-ounce containers, while strawberry remains the most popular flavor.
“When we first started up this business, we only created our own Crofter’s branded products,” says Latka, “but having developed a very significant organic private-label program has helped us gain further recognition in both Canada and the U.S.”
Says Latka: “We currently operate one 10-hour shift
Crofter’s purchased a Priority One/Busse Xodus low-level bulk depalletizing system (above left) and a Priority One/Busse palletizer (above right) from leading packaging machinery supplier Arrowhead Systems, Inc. of Waterloo, Ont., who helped to integrate not only these two machines, but all the other key pieces of production equipment at the company’s new facility in Seguin.
After going through a bottling and pasteurization process in the lower level of the Crofter’s Seguin-based facility (left), jars move along a Ryson spiral conveyor system to the upper floor for coding, labeling and secondary and end-of-line package processing.
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every weekday.
“But thanks to the high efficiency of our new production facility here in Seguin, we have more than tripled our capacity, while still maintaining a singleshift operation.”
To help the Seguin plant hit the ground running smoothly from the get-go, Latka sought out the expert advice of Chris Cunningham, product manager for case handling product at the Wisconsin-based packaging machinery group Arrowhead Systems, Inc.
Well-known for its expertise in conveyor systems integration and fully-automatic end-of-line packaging equipment, Arrowhead immediately proceed to design, commission and integrate a range of ‘best-inbreed’ packaging machinery and equipment that ultimately helped Crofter’s to triple its weekly output to three million cases per week.
The comprehensive range of the newly-installed equipment includes:
• Custom fr uit and sweetener processing area with Flexicon bulk sugar dispensing system;
• Two 2,500-kilogram L&A pre-cookers;
• Three 2,500-kg L&A rotary coil vacuum cookers;
• Six Prosysco double-jacket 1,000-kg vacuum pans
• Custom PLC/HMI automation control system;
• Inline rare-earth magnets;
• Ar rowhead Systems’ Priority1/Busse depalletizer, and a palletizer system;
• Storcan elevator and inverter;
• Elmar 14-head piston filler;
• Massily steam capper;
• Mettler-Toledo metal detector unit and a HiSpeed CM9400 Canweigh checkweigher—the Canweigh provides high-precision checkweigh solutions for round containers at high production line speeds thanks to its patented seam-to-
Arrowhead conveyors form the focal point of product movement at the Crofter’s facility, quickly and quietly moving product from the opening fill to the end-of-line.
After the glass jars have been depalletized, a SEW-Eurodrive motor provides the power to the Arrowhead conveyor system at the Crofter’s facility.
A Langguth E65 pressure-sensitive labeler applying front and back labels to filled and sealed Crofter’s jars at speeds up to 300 containers per minute.
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seam weighing technology;
• I+H (now part of BW Container Systems) pasteurization/cooling tunnel;
• Ryson spiral elevator;
• Dynac first-in-first-out accumulation table from Hartness, an ITW Company;
• Peco dud detector;
• Mettler-Toledo weight checker;
• Langguth E40 inline full paper wrap labeler and E65 rotary self-adhesive three-station labeler;
• Domino laser coder for QR (quick response) code printing on unit label, and multiple QRcapable case label printers;
• Domino and Markem-Imaje inkjet coders
• Ar pac 12-pack tray, six-pack pad, and two-pack unsupported bundler, and a pallet stretch wrapper;
• Secondar y Vantage Pak tray packer for twopack bundles at line speed;
• Kuka robotic pallet picking arm;
• Mer v 15-rated air quality in cleanrooms. The higher the value—with 16 being the highest— the fewer dust particles and other contaminants pass through.
According to Langguth, its E65 pressure-sensitive labeler machines are offered with Rockwell Automation’s Allen-Bradley or Siemens controls, and can include fully-automatic speed control in relation to upstream/downstream container flow. Depending on label length and number of labels on the container, a speed of up to 500 containers per minute is available.
The Langguth hotLAN 310 hot-melt labeler offers Crofter’s a full wrap labeling on round containers, utilizing a Nordson hotmelt adhesive completely closed system with no return glue and no chance of the glue being contaminated and no tarring of the tank.The hotLAN 310 is available with all the options offered with the E65
“When we thought about all the equipment we wanted in this new facility, we were puzzled as to how we were going to lay it out, but Chris and his Arrowhead team came in with full confidence and put all of our fears to rest,” Latka recalls.
“They worked from Day One to help make the installation a success,” Latka adds, citing the seamless integration of the Xodus model low-level bulk depalletizer that quickly and safely moves tiers of glass jars onto the accumulation table, before they are conveyed single-file to the filling room.
Built by the Busse/S.J.I. division of Arrowhead, the Xodus depalletizer comes standard, according to Cunningham, with Category 3 safety features such as interlock safety doors, muted light curtains on the entry and discharge areas.
“Any attempt at entry trying to bypass the light curtains will stop the machine,” says Cunningham, adding that a high-speed Xodus can depalletize approximately four layers of jars per minute.
After the glass jars pass through the Storcan inverter/sterilizer, they are transferred to the production area for precision filling, executed by the Elmar 14-head piston filler and a Massily steam capper, after which they are conveyed to the post-pasteurization and cooling tunnel.
From there, the filled and sealed jars are elevated on a Ryson spiral elevator to the upper production floor area to pass through either of the two Langguth labelers (full wrap paper, or pressure-sensitive self-adhesive labels front and back).
The pressure-sensitive labeler is equipped with a
A Domino multiple QR-capable case label applicating system is used by Crofter’s to apply a wide range of product identification onto a six-pack of Crofter’s Seedless Raspberry Premium Spreads.
Crofter’s uses a Priority One palletizing systems purchased from Arrowhead to stack levels of jam jars, featuring safety guard rails and conveyor by Regal Beloit.
A large KUKA Robotics KR 700 PA robotic palletizing system is used by Crofter’s to build up mixed product pallet loads via a rare earth magnet to pick up layers from surrounding pallets one at a time.
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Domino laser system for printing the QR code on the backside of each jar at a line speed of 250 jars per minute.
“We are probably one of the first companies in the food business to be able to print the QR code with a Domino laser system directly onto the backside of the jar’s label,” Latka notes.
“For us, the QR code offers a way to trace the product all the way back through our process,” he explains, “but it also enables the consumer to check on the production status of the product by scanning the code with a smartphone, and automatically linking it to our web page in case of a product recall or any concerns they might have about the product.”
The labeled jars are then packed in either two-, six- or 12-packs, which are then passed through a short heat-tunnel to apply a tight layer of shrinkwrap to keep the multipacks together, with a corrugated pad used as a base for the larger-sized sixpack bundles and 12-pack trays for extra support.
“For club pack customers we also provide the option of packing six two-packs of jam into 12-pack trays,” notes Latka.
The six-packs and 12-pack trays then have case labels applied by twin Domino case label printers with pack information for distributors, including scannable barcodes and QR codes for full traceability and automated order picking.
Applying a QR code onto single jars running at a line speed of 250 jars per minute was an engineering accomplishment, according to Latka, that has allowed the plant to employ a special Kuka Robotics KR 700 PA robotic palletizing robot system to build mixed loads of products while sustaining 100 per cent traceability.
“It uses a rare earth magnet to safely pick up the layers one at a time to build the mixed-load pallet,” explains Cunningham.
“We also add QR codes onto the case labels and on the pallet tag—the latter of which we use with our Kuka Robotics palletizing system to prevent any misspicks,” relates Latka.
“We wouldn’t want to send any Canadian products to the U.S., for example, and the QR codes help ensure we only ship what we are supposed to ship to where it is supposed to be shipped.”
Like most leading food processors, the Crofter’s plant follow a strict HACCP (Hazard Analysis Critical Control Points) food safety regime protocol, and in 2011 achieved the globally-recognized SQF Level 2 certification of the Safe Quality Food Institute (SQF).
Says Latka, “We are constantly taking steps to improve our company from an
operational perspective, including adding top-flight automation equipment or by constructing a custom GE wastewater treatment facility.”
According to Latka, the new plant is far more sustainable and energy-efficient than the older Parry Sound facility.
“Our new vacuum kettles are highly energy efficient, with rotary coils heating the fruit mass from the inside,” he explains.
“And because the new plant distributes the fruit mass by gravity, we engineered the new buildings to create a 15-foot drop from the release valve of the L&A vacuum kettles to the entrance valve of the filler bowl,” he says.
“There is no pumping required to transfer the fruit mass, allowing for better fruit piecing.”
Most of the plant’s daytime energy requirements are supplied via a 530 kWh natural gas generator, a reliable source of low cost energy for the rural plant, and a source of free heat energy. Two million BTU/hour of heat is generated when it
Inset: After six-packs of filled and sealed product have a corrugated pad placed under it and have a plastic sheet placed over it, it moves through an Arpac Eco-Tunnel shrink tunnel (above) to shrinkwrap the Crofter’s product.
is running, and if not captured would be lost into the environment.This free source of energy does not go to waste.
A connected heat exchange system transfers the generator heat into a water loop that circulates through the plant where the recovered heat is used to supply the kettles and pasteurizer with production energy, provide in-floor heat to the plant, warehouse and offices, and provide other users with heated water as needed.
The system is so efficient that heating boilers in the plant function as back-up heat sources that basically never comes on, other than on the coldest Northern Ontario winter nights.
At night when there is no production, the plant uses Ontario Hydro’s reduced night rates to power the plant.
The process of making jam requires high amounts of energy because the fruit mass must be pasteurized to 90C, and after hot-filling the jars and capping them, it passes through an extra pasteurization process where the jars are sprinkled with hot (92C) water in a heat tunnel. Within minutes, the 90C jars must be cooled to 40C.
To accomplish this, a 300,000 liter closed-return cooling water system sprinkles 20C water over the jars as they pass through a cooling tunnel.
The cool water picks up the heat from the jars, which raises the temperture of the cooling water to 35-40C.
“Our trick is how to cool the water back down to 20C without the use of an energy consuming cooling unit, so after cooling the jars, the now-warm water is run through a heat exchange system around miles of piping under the floors and outside into the earth where the heat in the water is exchanged into the cooler grown to keep loading ramps and parking areas snow and ice-free in the winter,” Latka explains.
“During the summer, loops located deeper in the ground cool the water back down to the 20°C temperature.
could build our production line, that we used them to complete the entire project.
“Thanks to Arrowhead and their integration engineering, Crofter’s now has a state-of-the-art production process that has not only enable us to become more functional, but more importantly to become a better business.”
“There is no additional energy consumed to operate our cooling units,” says Latka, adding that unlike most food processors, the new Crofter’s plant is not hooked up to the local municipal water supply—operating its own 270-foot-deep well instead.
“Whereas our old plant would use up to 50,000 liters of municipal water per day ho handle an output of one million cases,” Latka remarks, “we currently consume about 25,000 liters of water a day to produce three million cases, conserving water and protecting our well.”
Moreover, Latka says that Crofter’s recycles 95 per cent of its wastewater to clean its facilities, with the remainder disposed of through a licensed waste operator, or in the future as biosolids in agriculture.
According to Latka, sustainability is always a key consideration in the way the company goes about its daily business.
“We know that land fertility is always an ongoing concern in our business,” says Latka “and to help ensure our growing lands maintain its fertile growth Crofter’s has formed long-term relationship with our framers globally to ensure that the highquality ingredients we us to create our great tasting spreads and jams are grown and always produced in an environmentally sustainable and socially-responsible way.”
Combined with the new leading-edge production line integrated by Arrowhead, Latka is naturally upbeat about his company’s future growth prospects and potential.
“Initially we contacted Arrowhead for the purpose of purchasing a depalletizer and a palletizer,” he sums up, “but they were so proficient and thoughtful in designing how we
SUPPLIERS
Flexicon Corporation
L&A Process Systems Inc.
Prosysco Ltd.
Mettler-Toledo Inc.
Elmar Industries
Massily North America Inc.
Storcan Limited
BW Container Systems
Ryson International Inc.
Hartness, an ITW Company
Peco InspX
Langguth America Ltd.
Domino Printing Sciences plc
Markem-Imaje Inc.
ARPAC LLC
Vantage Pak International, Inc.
KUKA Robotics Canada Ltd.
Rockwell Automation North America
Siemens Canada Limited
Nordson Corporation
In
An Arpac EWA-C Series electro-wrap inline conveyorized automatic rotary tower quickly and quietly wraps a protective film around a pallet of Crofter’s product.
A Domino laser coder tracking the printed QR code applied to a Crofter’s product label.
PACKAGING FOR FRESHNESS
PASSING OF THE TORCH
Packaging machinery industry veteran making a graceful exit on a high optimistic note
BY GEORGE GUIDONI, EDITOR
As eminent American educator Reed Markham once deftly observed, “Outstanding leaders pass the torch with fire blazing.”
In this light, the word ‘outstanding’ may in fact be understating the stellar market growth enjoyed in the past 12 years by packaging machinery supplier Multivac Canada Inc. under the leadership of its outgoing president Nestor Plawiuk, who announced his pending retirement from packaging equipment business a few weeks ago.
In a recent interview with the Canadian Packaging magazine, Plawiuk was pleased to share his deep insider knowledge of the burgeoning Canadian market for food packaging machinery, where his German-based parent company MULTIVAC Sepp Haggenmüller SE & Co. KG has grown in leaps and bounds over the past decade in both equipment installations and marketplace prominence.
While the Multivac brand name is a solid mainstay in contemporary Canadian packaging machinery nowadays, as it is throughout North America, this was not always the case.
Plawiuk was initially appointed as head of a five-person crew to help the newly formed Canadian subsidiary find its feet and establish itself as a Canadian market leader.
“Until 2005 all the Multivac business in Canada was directed from the company’s U.S. subsidiary in Kansas City and handled through various third-party machine distributors,” Plawiuk recalls.
“But that year Multivac’s board of directors wanted to explore if the Canadian market was ready for expanding the company’s global footprint into the country, bringing me on-board in 2006 to implement the strategy of serving the domestic market directly.”
According to Plawiuk, Multivac had implemented this strategy worldwide in order to serve all its international markets through local personnel as a commitment to customers locally.
“Today there are over 80 globally spread-out Multivac ‘daughter businesses’ around the world,” Plawiuk points out.
“We have grown the Canadian business six-fold since establishing a bona fide Canadian corporate entity,” says Plawiuk, recalling he had to overcome lukewarm response and skepticism from many existing Canadian-based Multivac end-users
Incoming Multivac Canada Inc. president Evan Segalowitz (left) and the retiring president Nestor Plawiuk, who has headed the German parent company’s Canadian operations since 2006, strike a pose behind one of several high-performance thermoforming machines displayed at the company’s Packaging Technology Centre equipment demonstration facility in Brampton, Ont.
PACKAGING FOR FRESHNESS
who at the time were content with the status quo.
“I had a chance to revisit this issue with them a couple of years after the Canadian business was up and running,” he relates, “and for the most part they were happy to admit that they were wrong.”
Having turned 65 years old last year, Plawiuk says he feels very gratified professionally by handing over his leadership role to current vice-president of sales and operations Evan Segalowitz, who joined Multivac last spring from a leading product coding and marking systems manufacturer Markem-Imaje
“It’s been a very good enjoyable ride,” Plawiuk says, “but having reached the so-called ‘Golden Age’ I am very happy to step aside for a dynamic younger person with new skills and talents to create an exciting new chapter in Multivac Canada’s history.”
While Segalowitz says he is well aware of the challenge of expectations that comes with the territory, he appears to be more than willing and eager to embrace it.
STARTING POINT
It helps a great deal that he is starting from a very strong base with a formidable talent pool and an exceptionally loyal customer base placing a high value on the renowned German engineering prowess and high-quality craftsmanship for which Multivac equipment is universally acclaimed worldwide.
As Plawiuk points out, Multivac Canada today employs about 50 full-time engineering, technical, service and sales personnel across the county to market a constantly expanding portfolio of high-performance, automated packaging machinery ranging from standalone thermoformers, tray-sealers and vacuum-packers to complete packaging line solutions fully-integrated with Multivac-made robotics, inline product inspections systems, coders and labelers, and all other manner of requisite subsystems, accessories and peripherals.
“While we have mainly been focused on the food industry in a very proteincentric way,” Plawiuk relates, “we have also developed a good base in the medical, produce, bakery and prepared meal markets where Multivac has been traditionally strong globally.
“In addition, we have been very active in the development of new automation products and platforms that have enabled us to expand our food packaging solutions beyond protein into all food processing systems and medical device businesses with great success.
“I am very bullish on the food business in Canada and our ability to meet its unique needs,” he asserts.
Adds Segalowitz: “We are very keen
Manufactured by Multivac in Germany, the company’s thermoformers and other meat-processing equipment feature stainless-steel construction and highly sanitary design for full washdown compatibility, user-friendly operation enabled by touchscreen control panels, high throughput capacity, quick changeovers, and the renowned German engineering excellence that has enabled the machine manufacturer to build up prominent market shares in the global meat markets, including right here in Canada.
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PACKAGING FOR FRESHNESS
to keep focusing on our automation equipment— from automated product loading to pick-and-place robotics and on the case-packing—so that we can offer our customers fully-integrated line solutions.
Adds Plawiuk: “One of Multivac’s greatest strengths lies in its belief in the importance of building all our own equipment, but we also partner with a lot of other companies to give our customers the right solution for their needs.”
Plawiuk and Segalowitz both cite this long-nurtured, confident self-reliance as a key growth driver that has enabled Multivac to gain significant market share across several key equipment categories.
“We are a global market leader in thermoformers, and tray-sealers; we’re a big player in the industrial chamber machines business; and we now have over 200 automation installations worldwide and growing fast,” Plawiuk relates.
Both executives explain that the family-owned company continues to make optimal use of all of its global manufacturing capabilities.
In addition to continuously modernizing and upgrading its original hometown manufacturing plant in Wolfertschwenden in southern Bavaria, more recently Multivac either built or acquired new manufacturing facilities in Austria, Bulgaria, Spain and Brazil, with its U.S. subsidiary in Kansas City also considered for future manufacturing expansion.
BUILT TO LAST
As well as being universally lauded for all the key performance attributes in terms of throughput speeds, accuracy, quality and changeover capabilities, Segalowitz adds that Multivac equipment enjoys legendary reputation for sheer longevity.
“We recently had a Vancouver customer in the specialty foods business that bought a new machine from us, while trading in a 40-year-old Multivac machine that the company originally bought as a back-up for spare parts in case something went wrong with the Multivac used on the shop floor,” he relates.
“That spare machine was still in its original crates, untouched, when we took it back from the customer as part of a trade-in,” Plawiuk remarks, “and we are now considering installing it as an exhibit at the company’s own Multivac museum.
“It’s a real testament to our technology and manufacturing competencies,” Plawiuk extols, noting the vast majority of the more than 2,000 new machines the company installs each year globally are customengineered to fit the customers’ varying application requirements.
“The scope and breadth of application knowledge we have built up at Multivac is truly phenomenal,” Segalowitz enthuses, adding that the company’s practice of sharing best practices between all its global operations is also an important ingredient in the company’s value proposition to the marketplace.
“The resulting cross-pollination of our collective expertise is a remarkable enabler.”
Adds Segalowitz: “As we expand our manufacturing sites globally, we make it a point to certify them all to the standards of our original home site in Germany.
“This means taking all that superior knowledge and technology and replicating them to obtain the same high levels of engineering, quality and robustness at each and every site.”
Segalowitz and Plawiuk agree that growing customer demand for smaller, more compact and more agile machinery, along with sanitary design, is a pro-
Nestor Plawiuk fielding questions from the audience at a recent Multivac Canada open house event in front of the model R 105 thermoformer installed at the company’s Packaging Technology Centre equipment testing and demonstration facility.
Also displayed at the company’s Packaging Technology Centre, the Multivac R 175 CD thermoformer is a compact-design machine intended for lower- to medium-range VSP (vacuum skin packaging) applications in the meat and poultry processing industries, offering broad operational flexibility in terms of packaging materials, cutting systems and package formats.
found market trend across all the major industries served by Multivac.
“Serving both the food and medical industries really complements each other,” says Plawiuk. “Both have strict criteria for cleanliness and hygiene that push us to produce machinery at ‘white room’ sanitation levels.”
In addition to ensuring better food safety, the smaller new-generation machines also make it possible to introduce primary packaging into the value chain at a much earlier stage in the product’s life-cycle, according to Plawiuk, which can have a positive impact on product shelf-life and on food waste—especially for fresh produce.
“If you take freshly-grown lettuce and package it in a hermetically-sealed container at the right atmosphere at the farm level, rather than ship it to a store where the staff keep removing any brownish leaves and rewatering the product to make it look appealing to consumers, you have addressed an important part of the sustainability equation,” he explains.
“At the end of the day, the consumer has a better, fresher and safer head of lettuce or other produce that lasts longer.”
WAR ON WASTE
Says Plawiuk: “The amount of food wasted around the world is obscene, and Multivac is very much focused to provide the packaging technologies to help minimize that waste by helping to keep meat, bread or produce in the fridge longer, without spoiling and going to waste.
“In my mind, it’s one of the biggest issues facing the food industry and the packaging sector today,” states Plawiuk, pointing out that Multivac is a firm supporter of the United Nations-administered Save Food global initiative on food loss and waste reduction.
“It’s not just about packaging the product in more sustainable materials,” Plawiuk reiterates, “but making the production of that product a more sustainable and economical process from harvesting through distribution and right up to consumption.”
Although Multivac does not manufacture the plastic films used on its packaging machines, the company has set up its own film distribution network dedicated to supplying the best-quality film to all its active installations worldwide.
“Film is an integral part of our packaging solutions,” proclaims Segalowitz, citing an extensive range of different plastic film structures optimized for Multivac machinery: from rigid multilayer constructions to thin skinpackaging films.
With the cost of food in Canada continuing to rise well above the general inflation rate, Multivac Canada is uniquely positioned to help food processing companies to keep their labor and other internal production costs in line with more automated machinery and systems supplied by Multivac.
“It’s all about being able to produce the right package effectively for your target audience,” says Plawiuk, noting the food industry is becoming increasingly niche-oriented to
PACKAGING FOR FRESHNESS
tailor to growing demands for greater product variety and differentiation among the various consumer demographics.
“This means more multipacks, better portion control, reclosability, ease-of-opening, longer shelf-life, and all those other things that go into play when you’re offering food products to a single millennial, elderly seniors, or to a family of eight,” Plawiuk states.
“It is our job to provide our customers with the optimal packaging solutions to satisfy their customers, the everyday consumers, with the package that fits their individual lifestyle preferences,” Plawiuk says.
“I have been very fortunate to be a part of this exciting growth chapter for Multivac in Canada,” Plawiuk reflects,
“and it’s a great feeling to know that the company has all the right pieces in place to sustain that growth momentum well into the future.
“All in all I am very bullish on the Canadian market,” he concludes. “It has a lot of challenges, no question, but a company like Multivac is built on turning challenges into opportunities for ourselves, for our customers, and for the industry at large.”
SUPPLIERS
PRIMARY PACKAGING SOLUTIONS
Multivac Canada Inc.
FILLING & CAPPING
Genacol vice-president Frédérick Michaud showing off samples of his company’s collagen-based product that is claimed to helps restore joint mobility, while also providing a welcome reduction in joint aches and discomfort.
JOINT EFFORTS
Leading Quebec nutraceuticals supplier chooses the path of least resistance to create a better consumer experience
BY ANDREW JOSEPH, FEATURES EDITOR
PHOTOS BY PIERRE LONGTIN
Sometimes, just getting up out of bed can be a real pain in the … knee.
For millions of people around the world, joint pain caused by either injury to a ligament or a tendon, or recurring joint inflammation, is a very discomforting fact of life.
The aching, stabbing pain can that can come and go, but mostly stay, can seriously affect the quality of life for people who may no longer be able to play their favorite sports, jog, walk or even just sit around in comfort.
While operations or limb braces have long been available as a last-resort solution, most sufferers would understandably prefer a less invasive medicinal drugbased remedy to alleviate their joint pains.
Although there is still no magic silver-bullet solution on the market, Genacol Canada Corp. is certainly doing its fair share to address the issue.
Headquartered in the Montreal area, the company is pioneering a unique, naturally-based approach with its collagen-based supplements that are formulated to help strengthen the damaged cartilage, rather than provide temporary pain-numbing relief for its effects.
“The beauty of utilizing collagen as the core of our products is that collagen actually accounts for two-thirds of the cartilage mass,” explains Genacol vice-
FILLING & CAPPING
president Frédérick Michaud.
“Collagen is also found everywhere in your body—the skin, joints, bone, tendons, ligaments and other body parts, so while our scientific studies have focused mainly on joint pain, there are additional problem areas that may see positive affects from the treatment,” says Michaud, describing collagen as a natural protein that makes up most of the human body’s structural support and connective tissue.
Michaud explains that his father Guy started the company, originally named DirectLab Laboratory Inc. in October of 2000 as part of his own personal quest to find long-term relief from his own arthritis issues.
“My father suffered from very bad knee pain, so there was definitely a bit of self-interest involved,” Michaud told Canadian Packaging in a recent interview.
“After being prescribed an expensive collagen supplement, his knee issues were resolved,” Michaud recalls, “but he thought that a more cost-effective and efficient collagen supplement would help more people to benefit.”
Because Genacol is a molecular-enhanced formula that adds a collagen concoction to repair and rejuvenate damaged areas in the body, Michaud explains, consumers are assured of getting 100 per cent of the protein chain required to help restore joint mobility and to reduce pain and joint discomfort levels.
Nowadays, Genacol Canada produces eight purpose-specific products that but are all based around the company’s proprietary naturally-derived, patent-pending AminoLock Collagen compound.
According to Genacol, AminoLock Collagen is made using a special manufacturing process that breaks down bovine collagen into specific peptides that have a very low molecular weight to collagen hydrolsate—allowing the human body to absorb more of the beneficial components than a standard collagen infusion.
Ranking as Quebec’s largest producer of natural remedies against osteoporosis, arthritis and joint pain, Genacol Canada now distributes the Genacol brand remedies in over 40 countries, according to Michaud.
In Canada, these products include:
• Genacol Optimum (in liquid form) available in 450-ml and one-liter versions;
• Genacol Instant (topical gel) in 120-ml tubes;
• Genacol Triple Action (topical spray) in 120-ml size
• Genacol Anti-Inflammatory caplets packaged in blister pack);
• Genacol Bone & Joint, Genacol Original For-
mula, Genacol Plus and Genacol Sleep capsules, all packaged in 200-cc or 250-cc pharmaceutical bottles.
All of these and other products are manufactured and co-packed for Genacol Canada across several FDA-regulated, GMP (Good Manufacturing Practices)- and HACCP (Hazard Analysis Critical Control Points)-certified pharmaceutical co-packing facilities in both the U.S. and Canada.
“We take the quality of our product very seriously,” asserts Michaud.
“Our contract manufacturers in Canada and abroad use stainless-steel equipment and self-contained CIP (Clean-in-Process) systems to ensure
Realizing that its joint-pain suffering customers had difficulty opening a twist-off cap, Genacol Canada recently switched to a customer-friendly NutraGen II nutraceutical dispensing flapper cap manufactured by Mold-Rite Plastics, purchased by Genacol via Roda Packaging.
Along with Genacol Original formula and Genacol Plus, Genacol Canada offers seekers of joint pain relief optional products in liquid, topical gel and topical spray formats. Palleted and wrapped retail-ready packs of Genacol products awaiting delivery to a customer.
optimal product quality and traceability,” he states.
“The highly regulated manufacturing process creates a very high-quality collagen product that is preservative- and additive-free, made without GMOs (genetically-modified organisms), and is also gluten-free,” Michaud states.
“In fact, the cows used to produce our collagen are pasture-raised.”
While Genacol naturally has exacting quality requirements in regards to the packaging of its product, the company is always on the lookout for ways to improve it, according to Michaud.
As he relates, a planned launch of a new product in March
of 2017 provided an opportunity to implement new, easier-toopen bottle closures because some of its customers were struggling with the Genacol’s lidding because, ironically, of their arthritic symptoms.
“We pride ourselves in providing a product that can help provide relief from the daily grind of joint pain, but there we were—forcing our customers to deal with a difficult-to-open bottle to find that relief,” Michaud relates.
“That had to change,” says Michaud, recalling the switchover from the traditional twist-off cap lidding to the more easy-toopen pop-up lids.
“We also felt that moving away from a standard twist cap
to the pop-up style lid would lend our package a higher-tier look,” adds Michaud.
To find a new solution, Michaud reached out to the Laval, Que.-based Roda Packaging, a well-established supplier of rigid-plastic containers, bottles, caps and closures to customers throughout North America for over 30 years, selling about 70 million units of packaging components annually.
“I had previously met Roda’s chief executive officer Stéphan Berthiaume on several occasions,” says Michaud, “and this felt like the right time to see if Roda could provide a possible solution.”
WITH OUTSTANDING PACKAGING SHOWCASE YOUR BRAND
After several meetings to select and test various packaging options distributed by Roda, Genacol ultimately opted to go with the NutraGen II nutraceutical dispensing flapper cap, a high-end plastic closure manufactured by MoldRite Plastics (MRP), LLC of Plattsburgh, NY.
Although the color selection of the cap was made in early December of 2016, Genacol had a last-minute rethink and placed a rush order for a color match of its Genacol Green— leaving MRP to work hard over Christmas to meet the tight deadline.
“From approval to line testing, sampling, production, and delivery to the co-packer in the first week of February, it was all done with flawless on-time excellence,” revels Michaud.
Incorporating a lift-and-peel liner to preserve product freshness on the retail shelf and to provide tamper evidence, the one-piece NutraGen II nutraceutical dispensing cap features a full open-mouth design requiring a simple one-handed flipping action to open, generating a positive snap closing after use.
Genacol Canada’s previous capping system utilized two different-sized screw caps, now replaced by a single flapper cap size that is easier to open for its customers.
For Genacol, the fact that the singlesized NutraGen II pop-up flapper closure was able to fit both the 200- and 250-cc bottles the company was already using, helped seal the deal.
“That was a great benefit for us,” explains Michaud, “which meant we did not need to purchase a new-look bottle, just a new style of closure that could change the way our product is perceived on the retail shelf by consumers.”
For his part, Berthiaume points out that the new capping solution did not necessitate the addition of any new equipment at the co-packers’ existing packaging lines.
“That’s why I am a fan of the MRP dispensing closures: a simple adjustment on the existing equipment was all that was required,” he extols.
“Because Roda supplied samples of the NutraGen II closures to the manufacturing facility well prior to the final decision to greenlight the project, we had a very smooth transition on the production line,” he adds.
Although the NutraGen II nutraceutical dispensing flapper cap is a little pricier than the standard twist caps, Michaud says Genacol was able to keep its costs in line by being able to use the same-sized cap for two different bottle sizes.
“Instead of purchasing two smaller loads of caps, we purchase the same number of caps consisting of a single product, which provides us a lower per-unit-cost pricing from Roda,” he says.
“It’s a more affordable option for us, looks great on the bottles, and it provides customers with superior ease-of-opening,” states Michaud.
“It’s a win-win-win situation.”
Having already received positive feedback on the new closure from both retailers and consumers, Genacol has already earmarked another one of its products for a conversion to NutraGen II closure, Michaud reveals, while conducting further discussion with Roda about further brand identity streamlining down the road.
“Even with a great product, we need to be competitive in our market, which
FILLING & CAPPING
is why moving forward with a customer-friendly cap solution shows we are more than just a pill producer,” Michaud proclaims.
“We produce a product that can help people’s physical ailments,” he concludes, “hence our packaging should be part of the solution. “And with a great supplier like Roda Packaging, we have successfully achieved that goal.”
Contiform AseptBloc, Canadian Packaging, 200x273 mm, CC-en31-AZ0?? 09/16
SUPPLIERS
Roda Packaging Inc.
Mold-Rite Plastics, LLC
The full line-up of available joint-relief products produced by Genacol.
BY SPECIAL DELIVERY
Booming e -commerce segment a hotbed of packaging innovation and growth opportunities for aspiring online industry leaders
Jorge Izquierdo, V-P Market Development, PMMI
As technology and communication channels continue to evolve, so does the growth of the e-commerce business.
According to a recent BMI Research report, e -commerce sales in the U.S. are forecast to grow from US$329.4 billion in 2015 to US$476.7 billion in 2020.
As a birthplace of ecommerce giants such as Amazon and eBay, it is hardly surprising that North America is clearly positioned to be one of the strongest e -commerce markets in the world.
There are many advantages that e -commerce presents for businesses. As consumers find products they need from the convenience of their homes— or by using their mobile devices—it facilitates faster buying and selling of products.
Moreover, brands have a greater reach to consumers—since there are no geographical limitations—and e -commerce offers startups a low-cost investment option by eliminating the need for physical retail locations.
While consumer electronics, books, e-tickets and apparel remain the most active product categories in the e-commerce space, other segments are quickly catching up—notably food and beverage.
While food and beverage might not seem like a natural fit at first glance, many food retailers already offer online grocery shopping to meet basic consumer needs, whereby consumers can pick up their orders at the store or have it delivered straight to their door.
And with health-and-wellness driving numerous trends in the food and beverage industries, consumers are increasingly ordering items like coldpressed juices and detox packages online.
More innovative trends increasing in popularity include meal-kit delivery services, which provide consumers with all the ingredients and instructions they need to cook their own meals.
According to a 2016 Wall Street Journal article, the revenues generated by businesses that sell online or deliver premeasured food ingredients rose from US$370 million in 2014 to US$1.65 billion in 2015.
As of October 2016, New York-based Blue Apron Inc. was on track to surpass $1 billion in revenue over the next 12 months.
While consumers love the convenience of ecommerce, there are definitely areas for improvement.
As existing brands, retailers and startups launch their own online platforms to keep up with con -
sumer demand, businesses must look for ways to enhance the e -commerce retail experience.
First and foremost, there are growing concerns around the environmental impact of e-commerce, where return rates of 20 to 30 per cent more than double the nine-percent average of return rates in the traditional retail outlets.
Such high returns can significantly expand the carbon footprint of a product due to the extra energy and materials involved in the additional
PRE-SHOW REPORT
transportation.
At the same time, e-commerce is particularly vulnerable to product damage during shipping, with brands expected to pick up the additional costs of ensuring product protection.
Despite consumers enjoying the convenience of ecommerce, many of them are becoming frustrated with the “boxes within boxes” approach to packaging used to protect the product during shipping and handling.
According to a recent Harris Poll survey conducted for Sealed Air Corporation , 56 per cent of surveyed American on-line consumers have significant packaging pet peeves: chief among them being excessive packaging and packaging that is difficult to discard.
In 2014, there were 35.4 million tons of containerboard produced in the U.S., with e-commerce companies identified among the fastest-growing users.
Although containerboard is a highly recyclable material, it is crucial that businesses optimize their packaging to avoid waste.
Previously, businesses were charged for freight based on the weight of a package.
But since the introduction of dimensional weight (DIM) pricing, carriers now compare the dimensional weight of a package versus the actual weight—charging the larger of the two. With this new pricing method, brands pay for empty space in packages, which makes it crucial for businesses to reconsider the most cost-effect -
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ive solution.
Happily, there are technologies businesses can turn to that help adapt the size of the box to the product, eliminating unnecessary space, reducing void fill usage, increasing the number of deliveries per truck—thereby addressing consumers’ sustainability concerns and helping businesses save money throughout fulfillment.
To see these technologies first-hand, there’s no better place to start than the upcoming PACK EXPO Las Vegas 2017 exhibition—and the co-located Healthcare Packaging EXPO —at the Las Vegas Convention Center, Sept. 25-27, 2017.
Whether your company already has an online platform or still considering making the big move online, the three-day event—produced by PMMI, The Association for Packaging and Processing Technologies —will provide a perfect setting for exploring the latest e-commerce trends and solutions.
Structured to allow the attendees to network and exchange ideas among peers, this year’s show will feature numerous free education sessions on a daily basis.
This includes the show’s popular Innovation Stage area, which will conduct 30-minute sessions on breakthrough ideas and technologies, presented by leading suppliers, throughout the day.
One of the most prominent challenges currently associated with e-commerce is the cost incurred by same-day and on-demand deliveries—made even more daunting with the consumers’ expectations for greater transparency and real-time visibility of their deliveries across the board.
This requires the use of enhanced track-and-trace capabilities to ensure that products make their way through the supply chain and delivery paths in a timely manner.
Likewise, highly-durable labels and inks are crucial assets to secondary packaging, preserving the integrity of product information and keep that information accessible to companies and, ultimately, the consumers.
Businesses can also leverage many new-generation technologies—including apps and other open digital channels—that enable open communication with customers and the person delivering products to ensure the smoothest delivery experience possible.
Once again, there is no better place to get a better grasp of all these new exciting technologies and opportunities under one roof than at PACK EXPO Las Vegas 2017
See you there!
To register online, please go to: www.packexpolasvegas.com
THE CONVENIENT TRUTHS
New generation of healthier snacks driving demand for greater convenience and food preservation
BY SEAN RILEY
Snack manufactur-
ers are increasingly leading the push to meet changing demands for convenient, portable packaging that keeps their healthy food fresh longer, while capturing and keeping the shoppers’ attention.
According to leading worldwide marketing research agency Nielsen Media Research (NMR), the global market for savory snacks is expected to grow from US$94.5 billion in 2015 to US$138.2 billion by 2020. And with snacks already accounting for 11 per cent of all meal occasions in the U.S., North American
consumers are no longer just reaching for potato chips and cookies—with 54 per cent of U.S. consumers polled by Nielsen claiming they are trying to eat as many vegetables as possible.
For their part, shoppers in Europe are similarly concerned about the healthfulness of their snacks.
Two-thirds of Europeans enjoy savory snacks like chips and nuts at least once a week, according to Nielsen, and 11 per cent eat them several times a day.
Tellingly, more than one-third of European survey participants care more about the presence of natural ingredients in their food than they do about fat content or calorie count.
As buyers are becoming more attuned to healthful ingredients, the definition of what foods fall in the snack category is changing.
The recent emergence of meat bars as a bona fide snack category in its own right is a vivid demonstration of this unfolding trend, with companies such as Colorado-based Wild Zora Foods shaking up the snack market with its Wild Zora brand of meat and
veggie bars in tantalizing flavors such as Mediterranean Lamb with Spinach, Rosemary and Turmeric
For its part, Boulder, Colo.-based Wilde Boldr Co. is also rocking the market with its premiumquality range of slow-roasted meat bars made of beef, turkey and chicken, lauding its recently-launched line of Chicken Chips as “the ultimate portable protein.”
Most of the current empirical evidence suggests that millennials are even more concerned with health than their Baby Boomer counterparts.
According to a 2016 survey by U.K.-based global market research firm Canadean Ltd, 57 per cent of all shoppers say that health and well-being are important, but this figure jumps to 65 per cent for the 25- to 34-year-old consumers.
Brands are responding to this demand by producing snacks that contain whole ingredients easily recognized by the consumers.
For example, a Mediterranean-inspired snack company Mediterra released a savory bar offered in Kale and Pumpkin Seeds, Bell Peppers and Green Olives,
Sean Riley, Senior Director, Media & Industry Communications, PMMI
PRE-SHOW REPORT
and Sundried Tomato and Basil flavor varieties.
tions in a few weeks from now at the upcoming PACK EXPO Las Vegas 2017 exhibition at the Las Vegas Convention Center, Sept. 25–27, 2017, where more than 2,000 exhibitors will offer a plethora of solutions to improve packaging productivity, efficiency and security.
With the food and beverage industry continuing to introduce more products that emphasize plant-based key ingredients such as fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, grains, botanicals, flexible packaging offers brand-owners an increasingly attractive marketing option by appealing to the shoppers’ health-and-wellness priorities.
With these changes in the snack industry, brands can turn to flexible packaging designed for on-the-go lifestyles that keep snacks fresh and brings added convenience to today’s busy buyers.
The baking and snack industry has focused on a number of new trends and technologies that offer effective solutions–including barrier films, zipper closures and airtight seals—to help keep the next generation of snacks fresh longer.
Baking and snack professionals will be able to see these and many other innova-
According to Sal Pellingra, vice-president of innovation and technology at ProAmpac (Booth #S-6332), the swift growth in demand for flexible snack packaging in North America is increasingly the United States is driven by millennials.
As Pellingra explains, “Millennials really appreciates the fact that flexible packaging allows for brands to incorporate clear windows to the packaged structure, so that the shoppers can see that the food they are buying matches what’s promised on the package.
“In general, millennials find flexible packages to be more modern than rigid packaging, and marketers are increasingly embracing the format to attract this audience,” Pellingra states.
“Consumer satisfaction scores largely tend to improve whenever folks change from rigid to flexible packaging solutions,” says Bill Kuecker, vice-president of marketing at packaging machinery manufacturer Mondi (Booth #S-6715 ).
“One of the trends we are seeing today is the need for packaging that pops in a lot of different display environments, because one package is being displayed across different store formats,” Kuecker says.
“The right packaging choice allows for more flexibility on how manufacturers and brand-owners go to market.”
Says Kuecker: “Given that 48 per cent of shoppers purchase healthy snacks from a convenience store rather than a grocery store, at least occasionally, the ability to display one’s product in different store formats is an important advantage for snack brands.”
When shoppers seek products with fewer preservatives, snack manufacturers must respond with packaging that maintains freshness and extends shelf-life to achieve optimal preservation, Kuecker notes.
“Packaging that extends shelf-life can help reduce losses related to spoiled wasted product,” he says, “while allowing retailers to feel confident stocking larger displays of baked goods.
Technical Support
Before and after sale support includes same-day parts shipment, rapid-response service, applications assistance, engineering, installation and operator training.
Demonstration + Testing
Test the latest inspection equipment at Heat and Control demonstration centers.
Heat and Control offers a complete line of metal detectors, checkweighers and X-ray inspection systems for pharmaceutical products from the leading manufacturers: Ishida and CEIA.
CEIA Metal Detection
The world’s largest manufacturer of metal detectors, with over 90,000 units installed. CEIA PH21-Series pharmaceutical metal detectors deliver unparalleled accuracy and sensitivity to all metals and provide high throughput rates for pills, tablets, and capsules. In addition, CEIA offers a complete range of solutions for packaged and non-packaged tablets, powders, liquids and other products; with all solutions including FDA 21CFR compliance.
Ishida X-ray Inspection Find foreign objects including metal, glass, bone, plastic, hard rubber, shell and stones. Or detect product defects like cracks, voids, missing items and improper weights.
Ishida Checkweighers
Verify product weight, count, or missing items with DACS checkweighers. User-friendly controls include advanced data collection and management features.
“Depending on the incumbent packaging material, switching to flexible packaging can double the shelf-life of packaged foods,” Kuecker states.
“It’s not just about wrapping things in the least costly single-layer structure any more,” says Heather Chandler, president of Sealstrip Corporation (Booth #C3502).
“Barrier properties in today’s packaging can help foods stay fresh for longer,” she explains, “and brands can also turn to packaging solutions that leave less air in a package after the buyer has enjoyed part of the snack.”
Based in Gilbertsville, Pa., Sealstrip produces the Peel&Seal and FreshPak brands of pressure-sensitive tape closures, similar to a zipper, that run as part of a flexible bag when the package is formed.
Widely used by household names like Frito-Lay and Mission Foods in markets around the world, these closures are will-suited for bags of chips, donuts, tortillas and cookies and other products requiring airtight seals to keep food from going stale.
As consumers continue to adopt more active lifestyles, recent years have seen growing demand for portable, portion-controlled snack sizes, with the number of global food and beverage product launches with ‘on-the-go claims’ increasing by 54 per cent in 2016.
“Don’t underestimate the consumer’s need and desire for portable portions,” advises Pellingra. “Consumers will pay more for it.
“They want to take food on-the-go, and they want healthy choices,” says Pellingra, suggesting that snack manufacturers should focus on making their snacks more convenient for end-users with enhanced resealability and microwave-safe packaging.
For example, ProAmpac’s E-Z SnackPak offers a new single-serve packaging pouch that becomes a tray upon opening, whereby its eye-catching tetrahedron shape stands out on the shelf and provides an added, unexpected convenience, Pellingra explains.
“There’s a lot of excitement around packages that can differentiate and offer some added functionality.”
To register for PACK EXPO Las Vegas 2017 online, please go to: www.packexpolasvegas.com
SMARTER BY DESIGN
Dorner Mfg. Corp. will unveil the company’s new SmartFlex Helix Conveyor —designed for demanding product handling applications where product needs to travel up or down in a confined space. Featuring a proprietary flexible chain manufactured by a sister Dorner company FlexMove , the conveyor’s compact design allows for five feet of elevation change in a 10-foot footprint— with and incline angle of up to 12°—giving users more freedom and flexibility in designing a material handling system with multiple layouts using a single conveyor. Offered in a choice of 85-mm, 180-mm, and 260-mm belt widths, the SmartFlex Helix does not require any lubrication, according to the company, providing a cleaner environment and reduced risk of contamination. At the show, the new SmartFlex Helix will be operating in a loop with a 3200 Series modular belt conveyor and a SmartFlex Wedge Elevator in a synchronized system where products are wedged securely between opposing conveyors to move them vertically or horizontally between production floors or different elevations at rapid transfer rates—making them ideal for continuous high-capacity packaging line operations.
Booth #C-1444
MOVING RIGHT ALONG
SEW-Eurodrive will display the company’s full range of MOVIGEAR Mechatronic Drive Systems, which combine a servomotor, gear unit and electronics into one highly-reliable, efficient and hygienically-designed unit to help users achieve substantial saving in both startup costs and operating costs, according to the company. Claimed to consume up to 50-percent less energy than conventional drive systems, the MOVIGEAR units com -
PRE-SHOW REPORT
bine power and communication in one cable to minimize installations costs and error risks, while its smooth, completely-enclosed design eliminate the need for a fan— eliminating the hygienic risks associated with air, dirt or particle swirls.
Booth 6182
THE CASE IN POINT
Edson Packaging Machinery Inc. will showcase a highly flexible I/O-Link enabled robotic model 3600 casepacker for high-speed handling of mixed cases. Well-suited for a multitude of busy e-commerce industry applications
with little tolerance for downtime, the 3600 case-packer can handle quick and simple tool-less product changeovers in minutes, according to the company.
Booth #S-3832
PRE-SHOW REPORT
IMPERIAL AMBITIONS
Matthews Marking Systems will demonstrate the performance advantages and attributes of the company’s MPERIA marking and coding automation platform for centralizing the control of the users’ existing primary, secondary, and tertiary marking systems—regardless of equipment technology or vendor. Designed to improve the efficiency of all product coding and printing operations by controlling all the barcode readers, vision systems, scales and actuators through a single ‘one-touch’ user interface while managing multiple printers manufactured by Matthews, including high-resolution piezo inkjet, high-resolution thermal inkjet, drop-on-demand valve jet, continuous inkjet and laser marking technologies, along with other manufacturers’ printheads already in place. Equipped with an intuitive, touchscreen, MPERIA makes local and remote message creation and selection simple, supporting production managers with a built-in image editor to facilitate centralized message creation that remains consistent throughout all coding and marking operations. Moreover, MPERIA also populates production data in real-time from order processing files and new or existing databases by seamlessly integrating with higher-level production software, such as SAP or other enterprise resource planning (ERP), manufacturing resource planning (MRP), warehouse execution (WES) and warehouse management (WMS) systems, without third-party middleware. Booth #C-3626
BUILDING CHARACTER
protected in IP 65 -rated enclosure to enable its use in extremely harsh, humid and temperature-challenging production environments up to 45°C/ 113°F, the robust F720i fiber laser delivers exceptional operating speeds of up to 90,000 cans per hour for standard product codes, and up to 42,000 cans per hour for complex codes and promotional data of more than 60 characters—even on concave or curvy surfaces of the can bases. Unlike conventional fiber lasers, the 3D power concentration of the F720i generates a highly-focused beam which is distributed in short intense pulses, resulting in increased marking speeds. Its unique design and unrivalled optical laser beam quality enables it to create the finest, yet robust characters without disturbance from production vibrations or water condensation, limiting downtime and eliminating waste through product throw away. According to Domino, the F720i not only meets current coding demands within the beverage canning sector but also provides the flexibility to cater to future customer requirements with fast production speeds, more intricate and detailed promotional marketing codes, and by meeting key legislative requirements for clear, legible and long-lasting characters.
Booth #C-2225
THE OPEN FIELD
Domino Printing Sciences plc will showcase the world’s first high-speed F720i fiber laser coder developed specifically for inline coding of filled aluminum beverage cans of beer, soft-drinks and other beverage products. Fully
Emerson will display the ASCO Numatics G3 Fieldbus Electronics platform, designed to help packagers meet modern market demands by enabling automation capabilities in their lines with a next-generation distributable electronic platform that offers easy access to connections for enhanced control of pneumatic actuators across all bottling and packaging processes. Offering a virtually infinite number of I/O distribution options, the fully modular platform improves line performance by providing rich, diagnostic data on field devices such as valves and actuators to help identify why failures happen and prevent others from ever taking place, according to the company.
BOOTH #C-5222
SUPER SOMIC
Somic America, Inc. will demonstrate the versatile capabilities of the company’s 424 T2 (D) multi-purpose, retail-ready case-packer, designed to deliver high performance by collating, grouping and packaging products in open display trays, as well as trays with covers and wraparound cases. Capable of collating up to 600 product per minute, depending on size, and processing up to 35 carton cases per minute, for a diverse range of products from coffee and cereal to flour, jam and noodles, it also can be fitted with individual format tools for a wide range of product dimensions, along with the ability to form, load and condense soft or flexible products into a tighter package to provide significant savings on carton costs.
Booth #S-8468
TWO FOR ONE
METTLER TOLEDO will showcase the company’s new model CM33 CombiChecker product inspection system, which integrates two key inspection functions into one simple space-saving solution. The innovative system first allows inspected products to pass through a metal detector, after which they weighed on a checkweigher. Products detected to be contaminated with metal, or that are beyond weight parameters, are immediately rejected from the production line into separate reject bins for each defect. The CM33 CombiChecker allows companies to customize this system by selecting from a variety of available options to match the needs of the specific operation, including a selection of available conveyors, guide rails, transfer plates, dual locking reject bins, and rejector types to ensure safe and secure handling of virtually any package type.
Booth #C-1814
CAUGHT ON CAMERA
Valco Melton will exhibit the extensive range of the company’s high-performance adhesive dispensing equipment—both hot-melt and cold-gluing—and quality assurance systems for demanding packaging and package converting applications: from case and carton sealing to sift-proof closures and pallet stabilization. Developed for end-ofline applications, the company’s new Clear Vision PackChek camera inspection system utilizes advanced thermal and visual imaging techniques to ensure that hot-melt glue is applied to the correct locations to each and every package coming off the line.
Booth #C-4901
CONTINUOUS SERVICE
Hitachi America, Ltd. will display the company’s UX Series of continuous inkjet printers featuring an intuitive 10.4-inch touchscreen for user-friendly operation; a highly reliable, individually replaceable diaphragm pump; messfree, mistake-proof fluid refills; a highaccuracy dedicated viscometer; and an IP-65 rated enclosure for safe operation in harsh washdown environments.
Booth #S-6160 (with Harlund Industries)
TAKING THE LOAD OFF
Intelligrated will showcase the company’s extensive range of robotic palletizing and depalletizing solutions offering the flexibility to accommodate a variety of packaging types, stacking patterns and layout constraints, while delivering reliable, high-throughput performance demanded by modern manufacturing and distribution operations. This includes the company’s innovative unitizing approach to robotic palletizing where the loads are built directly onto slip sheets or conveyor, rather than a pallet, and transported on the full-width, heavy-duty modular plastic-belt Palmat conveyor—offering an ideal solution for applications with unitized or column-stacked loads that are unstable or
PRE-SHOW REPORT
difficult to handle. All of Intelligrated’s robotic solutions are designed with integrated IntelliGen palletizing software to ensure a user-friendly, flexible solution for easy adjustment of pattern and load configurations according to changing product dimensions and other variables, without the need for a service call or complex external software programs.
Booth #C-3906
EXPERT INTEGRATION
Harpak-ULMA Packaging, LLC will demonstrate a broad range of fully-integrated packaging solutions for primary and secondary packaging applications, including G. Mondini tray-sealers; ULMA primary packaging equip-
ment; RAMA secondary packaging equipment; and DIGI weigh/price / labeling equipment. The company will also provide valuable information on its broad expertise in custom-designed packaging solution for a multitude of thermoform, tray-sealing, flowwrapping, meal assembly, skin packaging, vertical form-fill-seal (V/F/F/S), cartoning, sleeking, case-packing, automation and robotics applications.
Booth S-6101
PRE-SHOW REPORT
RING AROUND THE COLLAR
Regal Beloit America, Inc. will demonstrate the advantage Seal Master SKWEZLOC of the company’s concentric locking collar, which has been redesigned to provide improved lock reliability on turned, ground and polished (TG&P) shaft tolerances and to accommodate commercial turned and polished (T&P) shafting. According to the company, the new innovative circumferential groove on the inner ring bore improves the clamping force to ensure near perfect concentricity of the shaft to bearing bore and maintains near perfect ball path roundness, while
Ink Jet Printer
a cap screw and collar also improves the clamping force and holding power to the shaft, along with improved elasticity. This ‘Next Generation’ design utilizes the same simple single screw installation of common concentric lock design, and does not require axial movement while also eliminating the risk of pre-loading the bearing compared to adapter lock design, with its TORX Plus head cup screw said to outlast stripping 12 times longer than hex head cap screws.
Booth # S-8022
FOR HEAVY PAYLOADS
American-New long, Inc. will be exhibiting its new model EC-201 robotic palletizer, featuring heavy-duty
UXSeries
Next-generation leadership performance
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.
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
payload capacity of 440 pounds and throughput speed of 1,600 cycles per hour, with all the versatility to palletize all types of bags, cases, pails and other packaging formats across a broad range of industrial and agrifood applications.
Booth #S-7615
BAGGING TO DIFFER
The exhibit of tna will feature the company’s new ropac 5 high-speed case-packer for flexible bags— designed to provide food manufacturers with exceptional fast throughput rates of up to 300 bags per minute in a very compact footprint.
Booth # C-5442
PET PROJECTS
Agr International, Inc. will highlight the advantages of its three-step approach to simplified blowmolder management for PET (polyethylene terephthalate) plastic bottles incorporating the proprietary Process Pilot blowmolder management system, which enables PET bottle converters and beverage producers to lightweight their bottles, while providing proper material distribution and thickness in all the key areas on every bottle produced. Developed to simplify and stabilize the production of PET bottles, as well as to provide the versatility to manage bottle production in a manner most suitable to the product and application, the three-step process comprises:
• Measuring material distribution and pearlescence on every bottle;
• Controlling the blowmolder to overcome process variation and maintain on-target material distribution;
• Optimizing the process to suit the product, application or the facility’s business objective.
Booth #S-6727
BOSCH REXROTH OPENS THE GATEWAY TO INDUSTRY 4.0
As the packaging industry continues to come to grips with the so-called Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT), leading German automation technologies group Bosch Rexroth is taking the lead in facilitating the advance of the new wave of more productive packaging machines that can handle more data—without making existing machines obsolete.
To be unveiled at next month’s PACK EXPO Las Vegas 2017 packaging technologies exhibition at Booth C-5026, the IoT Gateway is a system of fully-coordinated hardware and software components for new and existing machines that collects sensor and machine data without intervention in the available automation and transmits it to higher systems for further detailed analysis and evaluation.
Engineered by Bosch Rexroth’s leading Industry 4.0 experts, the IoT Gateway creates transparency for existing and new packaging machines and establishes a sufficient information base for improved system efficiency and more flexible processes—without undue intervention in the existing automation infrastructure.
As the packaging industry continues to be exposed to time, cost and flexibility pressures, system operators must continue to optimize complex processes, reduce standstill and service periods, accelerate retrofitting, and produce increasingly smaller batches.
According to Bosch Rexroth, the IoT Gateway makes it possible by offering a precisely coordinated combination of control hardware and software for implementing IT applications to collect sensor and process data, and to transmit it to MES (Manufacturing Execution System) software, Cloud applications, or local machine state monitoring systems to enable meaningful process data analysis. The modular software concept of the IoT Gateway is based on Linux , Java apps and open interfaces, with the Web-based configuration and handling providing significant time and cost savings because there is no additional software required to set up the system.
Because the users don’t need to learn a special programming language to utilize the system, IoT Gateway makes it easy to get started by using scalable, embedded control hardware complemented by three system apps that make data recording, processing and forwarding easy, including:
DASHBOARD APP – THE CENTRAL HUB
The Dashboard App provides web-based interfaces for administration, configuration, parameterization and visualization of process data.
Users receive a detailed overview of the collected data and the device’s app enables local monitoring of process data via a standard browser without special software.
DEVICES APP – FLEXIBLE PERIPHERAL CONNECTIONS
The Devices App establishes connections with peripherals such as sensors, and signal values are converted into process data (known as endpoints).
Connection options for this app include analog voltage and current signals, digital voltage signals, OPC UA, Open Core Interface for Controls, Siemens S7, RFID (radio frequency identification) and Bluetooth LE
PROCESSING APP – FAST DATA TRANSFER
The Processing App converts process data into information using logical and mathematical operations. The app then forwards that information to higher-level systems such as Bosch SI – Production Performance Management, Bosch Sensor Cloud, Bosch Energy Platform, Bosch Rexroth ODiN, and MES systems and databases.
Booth #C-5206
607-1 Concorde Gate, Don Mills ON M3C 3N6 Tel: 416-391-2362 Fax: 416-441-4062
CANADIAN MEAT COUNCIL 930-220 Laurier Ave W, Ottawa ON K1P 5Z9 Tel: 613-729-3911 Fax: 613-429-4997
CANADIAN PALLET COUNCIL 239 Division St, Cobourg ON K9A 3P9 Tel: 905-372-1871 Fax: 905-373-0230
CANADIAN PHARMACISTS ASSOCIATION 1785 Alta Vista Dr, Ottawa ON K1G 3Y6 Tel: 613-523-7877 Fax: 613-523-0445
CANADIAN PLASTICS INDUSTRY ASSOCIATION 125-5955 Airport Rd, Mississauga ON L4V 1R9 Tel: 905-678-7748 Fax: 905-678-0774
CANADIAN POULTRY AND EGG PROCESSORS COUNCIL 400-1545 Carling Ave, Ottawa ON K1Z 8P9 Tel: 613-724-6605 Fax: 613-724-4577
O’Connor St, Ottawa ON K1P 1A4 Tel: 613-232-9601
FOODSERVICE PACKAGING INSTITUTE 421-7700 Leesburg Pike, Falls Chruch VA 22046 USA Tel: 703-592-9889 703-592-3264
FOREST PRODUCTS ASSOCIATION OF CANADA 410-99 Bank St, Ottawa ON K1P 6B9 Tel: 613-563-1441 Fax: 613-563-4720
NORTH AMERICAN MEAT INSTITUTE 1150 Connecticut Ave NW, 12th Floor Washington DC 20036 USA Tel: 202-587-4200 Fax: 202-587-4300
ONTARIO INDEPENDENT MEAT PROCESSORS ASSOCIATION B1-52 Royal Rd, Guelph ON N1H 1G3 Tel: 519-763-4558 Fax: 519-763-4164
FURTHER POULTRY PROCESSORS ASSN. OF CANADA 206-1545 Carling Ave, Ottawa ON K1Z 8P9 Tel: 613-738-1175
CONVERTING EQUIPMENT MANUFACTURERS ASSOCIATION 201 Springs St, Fort Mill SC 29715 USA Tel: 803-948-9470
FARM CREDIT CANADA 1800 Hamilton St, Regina SK S4P 4L3 Tel: 306-780-6463 800-387-3232 Fax: 306-780-5001
FIBRE BOX ASSOCIATION
500 Park Blvd, Suite 985 Itasca IL 60143 USA Tel: 847-364-9600 Fax: 847-364-9639
FLEXIBLE PACKAGING ASSOCIATION
CANADIAN PRODUCE MARKETING ASSOCIATION 162 Cleopatra Dr, Ottawa ON K2G 5X2 Tel: 613-226-4187 Fax: 613-226-2984 630-544-5053 Fax: 630-544-5055
PAC, PACKAGING CONSORTIUM 607-1 Concorde Gate, Toronto ON M3C 3N6 Tel: 416-490-7860
PMMI - THE ASSOCIATION FOR PACKAGING AND PROCESSING TECHNOLOGIES 11911 Freedom Dr, Suite 600 Reston VA 20190 USA Tel: 571-612-3200 Fax: 703-243-8556
PAPER & PAPERBOARD PACKAGING ENVIRONMENTAL COUNCIL (PPEC) 3-1995 Clark Blvd, Brampton ON L6T 4W1 Tel: 905-458-0087 Fax: 905-458-2052
PAPER SHIPPING SACK MANUFACTURERS ASSOCIATION 5050 Blue Church Rd, Coopersburg PA 18036 USA Tel: 610-282-6845 Fax: 610-282-1577
PAPERBOARD PACKAGING COUNCIL 1350 Main St, Suite 1508 Springfield MA 01103-1670 USA Tel: 413-686-9191
PLASTICS INSTITUTE OF AMERICA One University Ave, Ball Hall Room 204 Lowell MA 01854 USA Tel: 978-934-2575 Fax: 978-934-3089
PROCESS EQUIPMENT MANUFACTURERS ASSOCIATION 201 Earle Washington Crt, Falls Church VA 22046 USA Tel: 703-538-1796
MATERIALS & COMPONENTS
BLISTERS
• This section includes any item that forms part of the finished package. Examples: closures, coatings, films, foils, inks, labels, papers, tags and tapes.
• Advertisers are shown in red type
• For full addresses of companies listed on the following pages, turn to the Address Section of this Buyers’ Guide.
1
2, 4, 7, 8, 10
Vacuum
3M Canada 2, 19, 23, 32
Abbey Packaging Equipment Ltd. 12
Alpha Poly 21, 32
Automationdirect 5, 32
Bericap North America Inc. 2, 7, 8, 9, 10, 12, 14, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 23, 26, 27, 32
Leveraging more than half a century of box development, WestRock’s precision mandrel-forming technology has set a new industry standard in container and equipment flexibility. Our revolutionary mandrel-formed cases do what no one else’s can. Across any retail channel.
Come talk to us at PACK EXPO Las Vegas, booth #C-2023.
Discover how we build better boxes that help you improve production line efficiencies and optimize your supply chain.
one easily-integrated station could divert, transfer, and sort?
The MODSORT station is an innovative low-noise, low voltage modular transfer and diverter station. It can easily integrate with new or existing material handling systems, eliminating the need for a lift, pneumatics, or Z-direction position feedback devices, and can help achieve energy savings from 50-60% when integrated with a motorized roller-based system.
MODSORT utilizes System Plast™ 2253RT Roller Top Belt featuring a 1-inch on-center sphere array, allowing very small packages to be moved. Motorized Drive Rollers and controls allow flexibility in wiring, the ability to move everything from exceptionally small polybags to boxes, and safe, efficient, quiet and low-maintenance operation. For more information, visit www.RegalBeloit.com
Express Packaging Chooses the Ax-Series Inkjet for a Reason.
"It [the Ax350i] saves us money, it runs faster for us and we have clearer print.
Reason.
We've used other suppliers in the past but no one has equalled the production that a Domino printer puts out and the service that Domino technicians back it up with."
- Fred Hartzler, President, Express Packaging
“It [the Ax350i] saves us money, it runs faster for us and we have clearer print. We’ve used other suppliers in the past but no one has equalled the production that a Domino printer puts out and the service that Domino technicians back it up with.”
- Fred Hartzler, President, Express Packaging
To find out more or to book a demo, visit www.ax-series.com
THE RULES
PACKAGING MACHINERY
WHO MAKES/SELLS WHAT AND WHERE TO FIND THEM
A marking and coding automation platform that’s simple to integrate? Now that’s Mpressive.
Automate changeovers. Reduce recalls. Scale without limit. Only MPERIA® cuts the cost and complexity of centralizing control of your packaging lines so you can stop waiting and start updating.
Learn more at matthewsmarking.com/mperia Or call 888-622-7183
Compact, quick to install and easy to configure, the new standardized palletizing cell from FlexLink means operators can safely work side-by-side with the robot, without the need for a fence or cage. Call us on +1 905-639-6878 or email us at info.us@flexlink.com for further information.
PACKAGING MACHINERY
Habasit Canada Limited
Heat and Control, Inc.
Ilapak Inc.
Longford International Ltd.
M.D. Packaging Inc.
New England Machinery Inc.
PMC Industries
Pineberry Manufacturing FIBRE CANMAKING
1 Crimping Seaming
2 Filling
All-Fill Inc. 2
Cousineau
2
Canpaco Inc. 1, 2, 3, 4
Charles Downer & Co. Ltd. 1
DJS Enterprises 1, 2, 3, 4
Habasit Canada Limited 1, 2, 3
Longford International Ltd. 1, 4
M.D. Packaging Inc. 2
Nordson Canada Limited 1
PMR Packaging Inc. 1, 2, 3, 4
Plan Automation Inc. 1, 2, 3, 4
Spee-Dee Packaging Machinery 2 FEEDERS
Bradman Lake Inc.
Capmatic Ltee
Celplast Packaging Systems
Alpha Checkweighers 2
Chisholm Machinery Solutions 1
Kaps-All Packaging Systems 2
M.D. Packaging Inc. 2 FILLING
1 Counting
2 Dry Gross & Net Weight
3 Dry Volumetric
4 Liquid 5 Non-Free Flowing Solids
6 Semi-Liquid & Viscous
Abbey Packaging Equipment Ltd. 2, 3, 4
Alex E. Jones & Associates 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6
All-Fill Inc. 2, 3, 4, 5, 6
Alpha Checkweighers 2, 3, 4, 5, 6
Artypac Automation Inc. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6
Auto-Mate Technologies, LLC 4, 5, 6
Automationdirect 1, 5
B & T Sales Inc. 2, 3, 4, 5, 6
Baumer Inc. 1
Bizerba Canada Inc. 1, 2
Bosch Packaging Technology 4, 6
Bosch Packaging Technology / Kliklok-Woodman 2, 3
Britman Packaging Services 1, 3
Canpaco Inc. 1, 2, 3, 5
Capmatic Ltee 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6
Charles Downer & Co. Ltd. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6
Chisholm Machinery Solutions 3, 4, 5, 6
Combiscale Inc. 2
Confab Laboratories Inc. 1, 4, 6
ControlGMC 2, 3, 4, 6
Elopak Canada Inc. 2, 3, 5
Feed Systems Inc. 2, 4, 5, 6
Flexi-Pack Machinery Solutions 3, 5
General Packaging Equipment 2, 3, 4, 6
Harpak-Ulma Packaging, LLC 3, 4, 6
HayssenSandiacre 1, 2, 3, 4
Heat and Control, Inc. 1, 2, 5
Hibar Systems Ltd. 4, 5, 6
Ilapak Inc. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6
IMA North America 1, 4, 5, 6
JG Packaging 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6
Kaps-All Packaging Systems 1, 4, 5, 6
KRONES Machinery Co. 4, 6
M.D. Packaging Inc. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6
M+L Testing Equipment (1995) 1
Massman Automation Design 4
MultiFeeder Technology, Inc. 1
Newmapak Ltd. 4, 6
NJM Packaging 1, 4, 6
Omnifission Packaging 4
Optima Machinery Corporation 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6
Oystar North America 4, 6
PFM Packaging Machinery Corp. 1, 2
PMR Packaging Inc. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6
Pacific Packaging Machinery 4, 5, 6
Pack West Machinery – Div. of Pacific Packaging 4, 5, 6
Packaging Machinery Concepts 1, 2, 3, 4, 6
Pemberton & Associates Inc. 5, 6
Plan Automation Inc. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6
PPI Technologies Group 2
Prodo-Pak Corp 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6
R.A Jones & Co. 4, 6
R-J Machinery Inc. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6
Reiser (Canada) Co. 4, 5, 6
Sarong Spa North America 4
Shawpak Systems Ltd. 3, 4, 5, 6
Spee-Dee Packaging Machinery 2, 3, 5
Speedway Packaging Machinery 2, 3, 4, 5, 6
Stock Packaging Canada 3, 4, 6
Techno Pak Packaging Systems 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6
Triangle Package Machinery Co. 1, 2, 3, 5, 6
WeighPack Systems Inc. 2, 3, 4, 5, 6
Winpak Portion Packaging Ltd. 1, 3, 4, 6
Yamato 1, 2, 5
FILM INSERTING
Canadian Paper & Packaging Co.
Charles Downer & Co. Ltd.
M.D. Packaging Inc.
Plan Automation Inc.
Techno Pak Packaging Systems
WeighPack Systems Inc.
FLATTENERS,
High-Tech Electronic Tablet Counter
1, 2, 3
Automated Packaging Systems 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7
Automationdirect 1, 6
Bemis Packaging 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 7
Capmatic Ltee 1, 3
Charles Downer & Co. Ltd. 1, 2, 4, 5, 6
Columbia Coding & Marking Ltd. 1, 3, 4, 5, 6
Crawford Packaging 1, 4, 5, 6
Dependable Marking Systems 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 7
Domino Printing Solutions 1, 4, 5, 6, 7
FlexLink Systems, Inc. 4, 5, 6
Greydon Inc. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7
Harlund Industries Ltd. 4
Iconotech 1, 6
Industrial Marking Systems 1, 3, 7
JG Packaging 1, 7
KRONES Machinery Co. 2
Label-Aire Inc. 3
Labelling Technologies 1, 2, 3
Leibinger 4
Loveshaw, an ITW Company 1, 4, 6, 7
Markem-Imaje Inc. 1, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7
Matthews Marking Systems 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7
MultiFeeder Technology, Inc. 3, 4, 5
Newmapak Ltd. 1, 5, 6, 7
NJM Packaging 1, 5, 6
Norwood Marking Systems 1, 2, 3, 6, 7
PMR Packaging Inc. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7
Packaging Machinery Concepts 1, 2, 4
Pineberry Manufacturing 1, 2, 4, 5, 6, 7
Plan Automation Inc. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7
Plexpack 1, 2
QSG 1, 7
R-J Machinery Inc. 2, 3
Samuel Packaging Systems Group 1, 4, 6
Speedway Packaging Machinery 1, 3, 4, 5, 6
Squid Ink Manufacturing 1, 4, 6
Give us a call today.
PACKAGING MACHINERY
Sterling Marking Products Inc. 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 7
TNA North America Inc. 1, 4
Techno Pak Packaging Systems 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7
Tharo Systems, Inc. 1, 6
Thermo Fisher Scientific 6
Valco Melton Inc. 6
Videojet Canada 4, 5, 6, 7
Videojet Technologies Inc. 1, 4, 5, 6, 7
VisuaScan Inc. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7
Weber Marking Systems of Cda. 6
INDUCTION CAP SEALERS
Artypac Automation Inc.
Auto-Mate Technologies, LLC
B & T Sales Inc.
Capmatic Ltee
DJS Enterprises
Enercon Industries Corp.
Feed Systems Inc.
Kaps-All Packaging Systems
Lepel Corp Capsealing Div.
M.D. Packaging Inc.
Newmapak Ltd.
NJM Packaging
PMR Packaging Inc.
Pack West Machinery – Div. of Pacific Packaging
Plan Automation Inc.
Speedway Packaging Machinery
Techno Pak Packaging Systems
INDUSTRIAL REFRIGERATION
Berg Chilling Systems Inc.
INJECTION BLOWMOLDING
Buckhorn Canada Inc.
Newmapak Ltd.
Plan Automation Inc.
Richards Packaging Inc.
Sesotec
Silgan Plastics Canada
INJECTION MOLDING
Plan Automation Inc.
Polytainers Inc.
Sesotec
Silgan Plastics Canada
INSERTING & PLACING
MACHINES
Artypac Automation
Alex E. Jones & Associates
FORMULATING
PACKAGING MACHINERY
WHO MAKES/SELLS WHAT AND WHERE TO FIND THEM
LABELERS
HIGH SPEED INLINE & ROTARY
PACKAGING MACHINERY
PACKAGING MACHINERY
PACKAGING MACHINERY
Plan Automation Inc. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7
QSG 1, 2, 3, 4, 6
R.A Jones & Co. 1, 5
RFID Canada 1, 3, 4
Robatech Canada 1
Samuel Packaging Systems Group 1, 3, 4
Shawpak Systems Ltd. 5
Sick 1, 5
Strong Point Automation Inc. 1, 5
TNA North America Inc. 1
Techno Pak Packaging Systems 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 7
Optima Machinery Corporation 4
PDC
HayssenSandiacre 7
Heat and Control, Inc. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7
Heat Sealing Pkg Supplies 2, 8
Ilapak Inc. 1, 3, 4, 5
IMA North America 1
JG Packaging 1, 7, 8
Lock Inspection Systems, Inc. 2, 4, 5, 7
Loma Systems Canada Inc. 2, 3, 4, 5, 7,
8
M.D. Packaging Inc. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8
M+L Testing Equipment (1995) 1, 2, 4, 7
Matrix Packaging Machinery 3
Tri-Tronics Company Inc. 4, 6
Turck Chartwell Canada 1, 4, 5, 7
Uhlmann Packaging Systems LP 5
Uline Canada 1
Videojet Canada 1, 3, 4, 5
Videojet Technologies Inc. 1, 5
VisuaScan Inc. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7
Weber Marking Systems of Cda. 1, 3, 4
Zund America, 1, 5
SENSORS
Ahearn & Soper Inc.
Mettler-Toledo Canada 2, 4, 7
Multivac Canada Inc. 2, 3
Newmapak Ltd. 2, 4
Optima Machinery Corporation 4
PFM Packaging Machinery Corp. 4
PMR Packaging Inc. 1, 2, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8
Pemberton & Associates Inc. 2, 4, 5, 7, 8
Pineberry Manufacturing 1, 2
Plan Automation Inc. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8
PPI Technologies Group 2
Premier Tech Chronos 3, 4
QSG 7
R-J Machinery Inc. 1, 4
Reiser (Canada) Co. 2
Rockwell Automation 1, 2
Shawpak Systems Ltd. 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8
Siemens Canada 1, 2
TNA North America Inc. 1, 2, 3, 5
Techno Pak Packaging Systems 1, 2, 4,
5, 7, 8
Tharo Systems, Inc. 8
Thermo Fisher Scientific 2, 4, 5, 7, 8
Triangle Package Machinery Co. 4, 5, 7
VisuaScan Inc. 1, 2, 4, 5, 8
Weber Marking Systems of Cda. 8
WeighPack Systems Inc. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5
Yamato 2, 3
SCANNING
1 Barcode Reading
2 Closure Sensing
3 L abel Reading
4 L abel Sensing
5 Machine Vision Systems
6 Product Container Sensing
7 Product Level Sensing
Abbey Packaging Equipment Ltd. 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7
Ahearn & Soper Inc. 1, 3, 4, 5
Alex E. Jones & Associates 2, 3, 4, 5, 6,
7
Artypac Automation Inc. 1, 3
Auto-Mate Technologies, LLC 1
Automated Packaging Systems 1, 3, 4
Automationdirect 1
Banner Engineering Corp. 3, 4, 5, 6, 7
Barcode Graphics Inc. 1
Baumer Inc. 7
Beumer 1
Capmatic Ltee 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7
Charles Downer & Co. Ltd. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7
Columbia Coding & Marking Ltd. 1
DJS Enterprises 1, 3, 5
Dependable Marking Systems 1, 4, 6
Domino Printing Solutions 1
FANUC Robotics Canada Ltd. 5
Festo Inc. 5
General Conveyor 1
Harlund Industries Ltd. 1, 5
IMA North America 4, 5
Industrial Marking Systems 1, 3, 4, 6
Kaps-All Packaging Systems 1, 2, 3, 4, 6,
7
KRONES Machinery Co. 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7
Labelling Technologies 1, 3, 4
Langguth America 1, 4, 5, 6
Lock Inspection Systems, Inc. 5
Longford International Ltd. 5
M.D. Packaging Inc. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7
Matthews Marking Systems 1, 3, 4
MultiFeeder Technology, Inc. 1
Multivac Canada Inc. 1, 4, 5
New England Machinery Inc. 2
Newmapak Ltd. 2, 4, 6
NJM Packaging 1, 3, 4, 5
Nordson Canada Limited 2
Omega Design Corp. 1, 5
Omnifission Packaging 5
Omron Canada Inc. 2, 3, 4, 6, 7
PMC Industries 6
PMR Packaging Inc. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7
Pineberry Manufacturing 1, 3, 4
Automationdirect
Banner Engineering Corp.
Baumer Inc.
Capmatic Ltee
Charles Downer & Co. Ltd.
DJS Enterprises Festo Inc.
M.D. Packaging Inc.
Newmapak Ltd.
PMR Packaging Inc.
Pineberry Manufacturing
Plan Automation Inc.
Rockwell Automation
Sick
Siemens Canada
Techno Pak Packaging Systems
Tri-Tronics Company Inc.
Turck Chartwell Canada
VisuaScan Inc.
SHELVING
Britman Packaging Services
Chestwood – Mezey Distribution
M.D. Packaging Inc.
Plan Automation Inc.
Schaefer System International
Uline Canada
VisuaScan Inc.
SHRINK PACKAGING
1 L-Sealing
2 Palletizing
3 Tunnels 4 Wrapping Sealing
Abbey Packaging Equipment Ltd. 4
Alex E. Jones & Associates 2, 3, 4
American Film & Machinery 4
Artypac Automation Inc. 4
Automated Packaging Systems 3
B & T Sales Inc. 2, 3, 4
Beumer 2, 4
Bradman Lake Inc. 1, 3, 4
Britman Packaging Services 1, 3, 4
Canadian Paper & Packaging Co. 1, 2, 3, 4
Canpaco Inc. 1, 2, 3, 4
Capmatic Ltee 2, 3, 4
CAPS/PhoenixWrappers 4
Cartier 1, 3, 4
Celplast Packaging Systems 1, 2, 3, 4
Charles Downer & Co. Ltd. 1, 2, 3, 4
Chisholm Machinery Solutions 1, 3, 4
Cima-Pak Corporation 1, 3, 4
Cousineau Packaging Inc. 1, 2, 3, 4
Crawford Packaging 1, 3, 4
DJS Enterprises 1, 2, 3, 4
Damark Shrink Packaging Systems 1, 3, 4
Douglas Machine 3, 4
Eastey Enterprises 1, 2, 3, 4
Edelstein Diversified Co. Ltd. 3, 4
EDL Packaging Engineers, 3, 4
Farnell Packaging Limited 1
Flexi-Pack Machinery Solutions 2, 3, 4
Formost Fuji Corporation 4
Gebo Cermex USA 3, 4
General Conveyor 2, 3, 4
Habasit Canada Limited 2, 3, 4
Harpak-Ulma Packaging, LLC 1
Hartness International 3, 4
Heat Sealing Pkg Supplies 1, 3, 4
Ilapak Inc. 3, 4
IMA North America 2, 4
JG Packaging 1, 3, 4
KRONES Machinery Co. 3, 4
Label-Aire Inc. 3, 4
Lantech.com, LLC 3, 4
Longford International Ltd. 4 M.D. Packaging Inc. 1, 2, 3, 4 Multivac Canada Inc. 3
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Abbey Packaging Equipment Ltd.
Alex E. Jones & Associates
Anritsu Infivis
Bizerba Canada Inc.
Heat and Control, Inc.
Loma Systems Canada Inc.
M.D. Packaging Inc.
Mettler-Toledo Canada
Plan Automation Inc.
Sesotec
Thermo Fisher Scientific
XR75
In an ever increasingly competitive world, you need the highest performing, most cost effective equipment to minimize costs and grow sales. In a neutral data study, all three Heidelberg 40" platforms outperformed all of the competitor machines in the market. When linked with color management and industry leading color control systems, on a cost per sheet basis, these presses are simply unbeatable. Speedmaster CD 102
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CAPMATIC LTEE 12180 boul Albert Hudon Montréal-Nord QC H1G 3K7 Tel: 514-322-0062 Fax: 514-322-0063 Email: sales@capmatic.com Web: www.capmatic.com Pres: Alioscia Bassani. Types of products packaged -- Pharmaceuticals, Hair Sprays, Shaving Lathers. Toiletries. Perfumes. Insect Sprays, Room Deodorizers, Paints, Coatings, Veterinarian and Pet Products, Automotive Waxes, De-Icers, Tire Inflaters, Cleaners, Household Polishes, Laudry Products, Show Dyes, etc.
PACIFIC PACKAGING MACHINERY
1284 Puerta Del Sol San Clemente CA 92673 USA Tel: 949-369-2425 Fax: 949-369-2429 Email: information@pacificpak.com Web: www.pacificpak. com Pres: Pete Carpino. Types of products packaged -- Hairspray, household cleaners, pharmaceutical, room deodorizers.
BARCODE CERTIFICATION
BARCODE GRAPHICS INC.
5-25 Brodie Dr Richmond Hill ON L4B 3K7 Tel: 905-770-1154 Fax: 905-787-1575 Email: info@barcodegraphics.com Web: www. barcodegraphics.com Pres: John Herzig. Sales Mgr: Connie Furtado. Instant Barcode EPS/PDF Masters And Nutrition Facts Graphics Online 24/7. Barcode Labels And Tags (QR, Data Matrix, UPC, EAN, SCC, B3, Cargo, Pars, Paps, Etc), Barcode Labeling Software, Printers, Blank Labels (Thermal Transfer, Laser). Thermal Transfer Ribbons And ANSI/ISO Verifiers. ScanRight™ Certification, QC Seminars And Training.
GOLDRICH PRINTPAK INC.
100 Industry St Toronto ON M6M 4L8 Tel: 416-769-9000 Fax: 416-769-5454 Web: www.goldpak.com Pres & CEO: Leslie Goldberg. Certification and testing services -- Barcode scanning.
2280 Drew Rd Mississauga ON L5S 1B8 Tel: 905-677-2888 888-539-2091 Fax: 905-677-8858 Email: sales@soopak.com Web: www.soopak.com CEO: Carol Jiang. Plant Mgr: Welson Shi. Sales Mgr: Richard Martin. Cartons. Facilities -- Coating, Creasing, Diecutting, Embossing, Litho, Perforating, Scoring. Other -- Printing, Gluing Making window, Window Patching.
CONTAINER DECORATING
CHEMFIL 3258 Marentette Ave Windsor ON N8X 4G4 Tel: 519-969-5570 Fax: 519-969-8512 Email: info@chemfil.ca Web: www.chemfil.ca President: Brian Patton. Sales Manager: Andrew Conway. ---Types of products packaged: Dry, Liquid, Powders, Chemical toll manufacturing and copacking. ---Types of packages: Bottles, Cartons, Jars, Bag in Box & Powder Bag manufacturing.
GOLDRICH PRINTPAK INC. 100 Industry St Toronto ON M6M 4L8 Tel: 416-769-9000 Fax: 416-769-5454 Web: www.goldpak.com Pres & CEO: Leslie Goldberg. Types of Products Packaged -- Blister, Plastic to Plastic Sealing, Skin, Shrimk Wrap, Display Builds and Filling, Light Assembly, Boxing, Bagging. Types of Packages -- Blister Packs, Skin Packs, Folding Cartons, Displays Corrugated or Fibre Boxboard, Shrinkwrapping, Conveyor Assembly, Light Manufacturing.
JONES PACKAGING INC.
3000 Page St London ON N5V 5H3 Tel: 519-451-2100 800-265-9093 Fax: 519-451-2107 Email: info@jonespackaging.com Web: www.jonespackaging. com Pres/CEO: Ron Harris, Sr VP: Rob Radich. Other Plants: Jones Contract Packaging Services, 55 Walker Dr, Brampton, ON L6T 5K5. Phone (905)790-0302. Types of products packaged -- Dry, Liquid, Pastes, Powders, Pharmaceuticals. Types of packages -- Blister, Cartons, Form/Fill/Seal, Shrink, Pouch packaging of drugs, cosmetics, liquids, powders, solid dose and medical devices, Vial-filling, Cold Chain services.
LABELLING TECHNOLOGIES
31& 32-1435 Bonhill Rd Mississauga ON L5T 1V2 Tel: 905-564-2794 888-250-1524 Fax: 905-564-2793 Email: sales@labelling.com Web: www. labelling.com Representatives -- EXA Systems Inc., St Laurent, QC 514-333-3116 Fax: 514-333-5688. Snell SPL Packaging, Mississauga, ON 905-565-9484 Fax: 905-565-9485. Pres: William K. Batter. Sls/Mktg Mgr: Alex L. Simeonov. Types of Products Packaged -- P.S. Labelling Equipment. LES EMBALLAGES KNOWLTON / KNOWLTON PACKAGING 315 ch Knowlton Knowlton QC J0E 1V0 Tel: 450-243-6161 Fax: 450-243-0559 Pres: Nick Whitley. VP-Finance: Pierre Prudhomme. VP-Sls/Mktg: Mario Allaire. Types of Products Packaged -- Health & Beauty, A/P-DEO, Facial Care, Sun Care, Nail Care, Hair Colour. Types of Packages -- Tubes, Bottles, Jars, Canister, Cartons, Shrink.
NOVA PACK LIMITED 6470 Northam Dr Mississauga ON L4V 1H9 Tel: 905-673-6682 Fax: 905-672-7225 Web: www.novapk.com Pres: James Houghton. Types of Products Packaged -- Dry, Pharmaceutical. Types of Packages -- Blister, Carton, Form/Fill/Seal, Shrink, POP/POS Display, Bagging, Kitting, Shrinkbanding.
PORTABLE PACKAGING SYS. INC. 5875 Chedworth Way Mississauga ON L5R 3L9 Tel: 905-507-3042 888-994-9008 Fax: 905-507-2983 Email: dtsinokas@portablepackaging. com Web: www.portablepackaging.com CEO: Al Leger. Types of Products Packaged -- Dry, Food, Liquid, Pastes, Powders, Promotional Bins & Materials. Co-Packer, Repacker. Types of Packaging -- Blister, Bottles, Cartons, Form/
Jars, Pouches, Shrink, Tubes. REPACK CANADA & THE FREELANCE PORTFOLIO 130 Claireville Dr Toronto ON M9W 5Y3 Tel: 416-656-6227 416-736-4441 877-804-4841 Fax: 416-736-4442
Types of Packaging -- Flexible, Trays: PP, HPDE, CPET, EVOH, APET and Film. Other: Sealing Machine, Thermoformer, Fill, Seal and Retort.
100 Woodbine Downs Blvd Toronto ON M9W 5S6 Tel: 416-675-3999 800-263-4258 Fax: 416-675-3457 Email: salesdept@ahearn.com Web: www. ahearn.com Vice Pres: Paul Pope. Sls Mgr: Paul Bergin. Material Converted -- Papers, Films. Facilities -- diecutting, flexo. ALL-FILL INC. 418 Creamery Way Exton PA 19341-2500 USA Tel: 610-524-7350 866-455-3455 Fax: 610-524-7346 Email: info@all-fill.com Web: www.all-fill. com Materials converted: -- Papers, Films, Foils. Facilities -- Laminating, flexo, hot stamping, cold foil, embossing, diecutting, multipanel labels.
ALPHA POLY CORPORATION 296 Walker Dr Brampton ON L6T 4B3 Tel: 905-789-6770 Email: packaging@ alphapoly.com Web: www.alphapoly.com Sales Mgr: Matthew Kerrigan. Materials converted -- Films. Facilities -- Bagmaking, Coating, Flexo, Laminating, Roll Stock, Pouches, Slitting and Rewinding.
ASL PRINT FX LTD.
A-1 Royal Gate Blvd Vaughan ON L4L 8Z7 Tel: 416-798-7310 800-263-2368 Fax:
EVENTS
n Leading packaging industry group PMMI, The Association for Packaging and Processing Technologies of Reston, Va., has appointed Laura Thompson as senior director of expositions, with responsibilities for the entire portfolio of the organization’s domestic and international trades shows for the packaging and processing industries.
n Baltimore, Md.headquartered industrial systems, controls and infrastructure products group Danfoss has appointed Kim Fausing as the company’s president and chief executive officer.
Sept. 11-17
Munich, Germany: drinktec 2017, world fair for the beverage and liquid food industry by Messe München GmbH. At Neue Messe Exhibition Centre.To register, go to: www.drinktec.com
Sept. 19-20
New York City: MakeUp in New York, international beauty products exhibition by Bauteam US Inc. To register, go to: www.makeup-in-newyork.com
Sept. 20-23
Bangkok, Thailand: Pack Print International 2017, packaging and printing machinery, materials and processes exhibition by Messe Düsseldorf. At Bangkok International Tade & Exhibition Center. In Canada, contact Messe Düsseldorf (Canada) at (416) 598-1524; or go to: www.mdna.com
Sept. 25-27
Sept. 27-29
Ottawa: Forests: A Way of Life, 2017 SFI Annual Conference of SFI (Sustainable Forestry Initiative) Inc. At The Westin Ottawa.To register, go to: www.sfiprogram.org
Oct. 3
Toronto: Circular Economy or Spinning Our Wheels?, packaging sustainability conference by the Paper & Paperboard Environmental Council (PPEC). At Islington Golf and Country Club.To register, contact PPEC via email ppec@ppec-paper.com
Oct. 9-11
St. Louis, Mo.: The Gateway to Technology, annual fall conference of the Flexographic Technical Association (FTA). At Hyatt Regency St. Louis at The Arch.To register, go to: www.flexography.com
n Printing press technologies supplier KBA North America of Dallas, Tex., has appointed Martin Corall as sales manager for the company’s new product line for the corrugated packaging markets, including new corrugated sheetfed flexo presses for large-format corrugated board printing and die-cutting.
n Downers Grove, Ill.-headquartered Silgan Closures has appointed Kevin Osborn as project manager, responsible for both new and ongoing development projects for plastic and metal closures designed and manufactured by Silgan.
n St. Louis, Mo.headquartered rigid packaging products manufacturer TricorBraun has appointed Collin Akemann as industrial designer at the company’s TricorBraun Design & Engineering Group business division in Oak Brook, Ill.
Las Vegas, Nev.: PACK EXPO Las Vegas 2017, international packaging technologies exhibition by PMMI-The Association for Packaging and Processing Technologies. Concurrently with Healthcare Packaging EXPO, pharmaceutical and packaging conference and trade show by ISPE (International Society for Pharmaceutical Engineering). Both at Las Vegas Convention Center. To register, go to: www.packexpo.com
Sept. 25-28
Brussels, Belgium: Labelexpo Europe 2017, labeling technologies exhibition by Tarsus Group. At Brussels Expo. To register, go to: www.labelexpo-europe.com
Sept. 27-29
Montreal: 2017 Conference on Canadian Stewardship, sustainability and circular economy summit by PAC Packaging Consortium and Eco Enterprises Quebec. At Le Centre Sheraton Hotel. To register, go to: www.canadianstewardship.com
Laura Thompson has been promoted to senior director of expositions at PMMI, the Association for Packaging and Processing Technologies, owner and producer of the PACK EXPO portfolio of trade shows. Thompson will replace Jim Pittas who has been promoted to chief operating officer at PMMI.
During her 19 years with PMMI, Thompson has held several jobs within the show department and contributed to the success of PMMI’s trade shows. Thompson was most recently director of trade show operations, responsible for the operations of all PACK EXPO events in addition to managing EXPO PACK Mèxico and being part of the successful launch of EXPO PACK Guadalajara in 2013. In her new role as senior director of expositions, Thompson will oversee PMMI’s show department including all aspects of sales, promotions and operations for both international and domestic trade shows.
“Laura has made significant contributions to the growth and success of our PACK EXPO portfolio of trade shows. Her leadership abilities and operational expertise will ensure the continued success of our shows. I look forward to working side-by-side with Laura to continue to build the PACK EXPO brand,” says Jim Pittas, chief operating officer, PMMI.
Laura will lead the trade show team based in PMMI’s Reston, Virginia office.
n Oakbrook Terrace, Ill.headquartered Institute of Packaging Professionals (IoPP) has appointed Jane Chase, an authoritative packaging industry educator and long-time member of the institute’s College of Fellows advisory board, as the group’s executive director.
n Dayton, Ohioheadquartered industrial robotics manufacturer Yaskawa Motoman, a division of Yaskawa America, Inc., has appointed Doug Burnside as vicepresident of North American sales and marketing.
Thompson
Fausing
Corall
Akeman Chase Burnside
CHECKOUT ELENA LANGLOIS
PACKAGING KEEPS PARTY SPIRIT ALIVE
To commemorate Canada’s epic 150th birthday bash, the federal government held a logo design contest targeting graphic design students, specifically excluding professional graphic designers, which drew over 300 entries. Ultimately, an inspired and colorful entry submitted by the 19-year-old Ariana Cuvin, a secondyear business and digital arts student at the University of Waterloo and a proud and happy recipient of the $5,000 cash prize, won the contest. As part of the contest, any Canadian company was entitled and encouraged to use the brandmark or accompanying typeface for free with a simple online application to the Canada 150 Federal Secretariat program, coordinated by the federal Department of Canadian Heritage. While I saw this logo on a myriad of items this year—from T-shirts to coolers and paper plates—it was surprisingly hard to find on everyday consumer packaging, as leading brands seemed to have their own ideas on how to mark the big occasion. That said, the Wellington, Ont.-based based Sandbanks Estate Winery did a stellar job with on the label of its Shoreline 150 2016 vintage Chardonnay-Pine Gigi blend white wine. The diamond esque maple leaf atop a parchment style label dramatically enlivens an otherwise ordinary 750- ml clear glass wine bottle, with its elongated neck collar and metal screw-cap smartly picking up the orange cue from the logo design—resulting in an eye-pleasing color scheme to provide a lovely inspiration for my summer sangria.
Miller on the back of the bag proclaims, “Canadian pride may not rest on our sleeves, but it resides deeply in our hearts.” And sometimes, it resides deeply in our bellies to boot.
For its part, Ferrero Canada Ltd joined the party in real festive spirit with the eye-catching red-and-white Canada 150 Years shrinksleeve wrapped around the 98-gram rigid-plastic, roundedbodied container filled with 200 white Tic Tac brand fresh mints, each emblazoned with a tiny, but cheery, red maple leafs. Incorporating a consumer-friendly flip-top opening to dispense the tangy breath fresheners and snap it shut with minimal effort, the container is a real eye-candy, deftly combining the limited-time celebratory messaging with the product’s traditional green logo in a jovial harmony of colors, leaving plenty of see-through cutout window space to admire the tightly-packed mints inside. Curiously though, the perforation of the tamper-evident shrinksleeve label runs just below the lid’s opening, meaning that the celebratory Canada 150 Years branding line gets thrown away after the first use. On the other hand, if that’s what prompted you to buy the product in the first place, it’s mission accomplished and, furthermore, no birthday lasts forever, eh?
BY
Oozing with patriotic red-and-white pride, the 300-gram bags of the O’ Canada flavor of the Que Pasa Organic Tortilla Chips —produced by the Richmond, B.C.-based Que Pasa Mexican Foods —are a treat for the senses on every level, with the clear see-though window in the middle of the pillow bags letting consumers awe at the thoughtful arrangement of red and white corn chips inside. The colorful flourish of floating red maple leafs on the upper side of the bag contrast perfectly with the red bottom half enlivened with thick white typefaces bringing out the best of the flashes of green and appearing on the Certified Organic , Gluten-free and Non-GMO certifications near to bottom. As the featured quote from Steve
Few food products are more genuinely Canadian-rooted than maple syrup, and General Mills of Mississauga, Ont., certainly had its heart in the right place this year by starting off our mornings with a rather dazzling 340-gram Special Edition box of Cheerios Maple Naturally Flavoured cereal. Although the ringshaped whole-grain oats are actually made in the U.S., there is no shortage of Canadiana on the carton’s front panel, decked out in red-and-white, and of course, in sweet deep amber colors reminiscent of sweet maple syrup. An enormous image of a spoonful of glazed cereal sitting pristinely atop a pool of milk—just above a shapely swirl of maple syrup strewn above a white-bleached woodgrain tabletop—cheerfully completes the scene.
With candied nuts being an enduring enjoyable Canadian treat, David Robert Food Corporation of Oakville, Ont., seems to have all the patriotic angles well-covered with the 454-gram round tin of Maple Peanuts. Gloriously crowned with a white removable lid decorated with 22 geometrically-positioned red maple leafs circling around the clear plastic see-through window with a large-diameter Canada 150th maple-leaf sticker right in the middle the seasoned peanuts inside look as tantalizing as they taste, and the eminently reusable metal tin looks like it’s durable, rigid and practical enough to last right up to Canada’s 200th birthday celebrations.
Elena Langlois is a proud Canadian advertising sales professional living in Toronto.
PHOTOS
ELENA LANGLOIS
Prevent
Costly Label Mix-ups and Recalls with CI-Vision
METTLER TOLEDO CI-Vision inspection systems allow you to inspect a variety of package integrity applications and labels.
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