Canadian Packaging April 2018

EVERY DOG

HAS ITS DATE

A robust track-and-trace system eases food safety concerns for premium dog-treats manufacturer Story on page 16

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UPFRONT

SOMETIMES BIGGER REALLY IS BETTER

APRIL 2018

VOLUME 71, NO. 4 SENIOR PUBLISHER Stephen Dean • (416) 510-5198 SDean@canadianpackaging.com EDITOR George Guidoni • (416) 510-5227 GGuidoni@canadianpackaging.com FEATURES EDITOR Andrew Joseph • (416) 510-5228 AJoseph@canadianpackaging.com MEDIA DESIGNER Brooke Shaw • (519) 428-3471 bshaw@annexweb.com ACCOUNT COORDINATOR Barb Comer • (888) 599-2228 ext 210 bcomer@annexweb.com CIRCULATION MANAGER Anita Madden • (416) 442-5600 x3596 AMadden@@annexbusinessmedia.com VICE PRESIDENT Tim Dimopoulos • tdimopoulos@annexbusinessmedia.com COO Ted Markle • tmarkle@annexbusinessmedia.com PRESIDENT & CEO Mike Fredericks ANNEX BUSINESS MEDIA 111 Gordon Baker Rd., Suite 400, Toronto, ON M2H 3R1; Tel: 416-442-5600.

Canadian Packaging, established 1947, is published 10 times per year except for occasional combined, expanded or premium issues, which count as two subscription issues.

W

hile the notion of being too big to fail may not carry as much credence in the modern world of global business as it used to not so long ago—just ask anyone once employed by the likes of Sears, Polaroid, Enron or Nortel—no modern business worth its salt can honestly resist the natural lure of growing its sales, profits, market share, assets, client base and all other like indicators of corporate success and prosperity by whatever means necessary.

The global packaging industry is no different in this respect, as evidenced by the fairly intense mergerand-acquisition activity of the past couple of decades, whereby a multitude of once-prominent independent producers of packaging machinery, materials and services have been gobbled up by much bigger fish used to swimming in much bigger waters.

And while Canada’s contribution to the overall growth of packaging worldwide has mostly been in line with the country’s general economic heft and clout, it is a refreshing break to see a Canadian company being one of the driving forces in the still ongoing industry consolidation process, rather than mere merger fodder.

With this month’s spectacular $1.72-billion takeover of Chicago-headquartered Coveris Ameicas, Montreal-based Transcontinental Inc. has thrust itself into a very elite group of the Top 10 flexible packaging producers and converters in North America—a remarkable feat for a company that had no presence in the packaging industry to speak of at the start of this decade.

Founded 42 years ago, the publicly-traded TC Transcontinental built itself into $3-billion-a-year powerhouse over the years largely through newspaper publishing and commercial printing, which have both

PRINTED IN CANADA ISSN 008-4654 (PRINT), ISSN 1929-6592 (ONLINE)

COVER STORY

PUBLICATIONS MAIL AGREEMENT NO. 40065710 CIRCULATION e-mail: rthava@annexbusinessmedia.com Tel: 416-442-5600 ext. 3555 Fax: 416-510-6875 or 416-442-2191 Mail: 111 Gordon Baker Rd., Suite 400, Toronto, ON M2H 3R1 SUBSCRIPTION PRICE PER YEAR (INCLUDING ANNUAL BUYERS’ GUIDE): Canada $77.00 per year, USA $135.00 US per year, Outside Canada $153.50 US per year, Single Copy Canada $10.00, Outside Canada $27.10.

From time to time Canadian Packaging will mail information on behalf of industry-related groups whose products and services we believe may be of interest to you. If you prefer not to receive this information, please contact our circulation department in any of the four ways listed above.

ANNEX PRIVACY OFFICER Privacy@annexbusinessmedia.com Phone: 800-668-2374 DISCLAIMER: No part of the editorial content of this publication may be reprinted without the publisher’s written permission. ©2018 Annex Publishing & Printing Inc. All rights reserved. This publication is for informational purposes only. The content and “expert” advice presented are not intended as a substitute for informed professional engineering advice. You should not act on information contained in this publication without seeking specific advice from qualified engineering professionals. Canadian Packaging accepts no responsibility or liability for claims made for any product or service reported or advertised in this issue. Canadian Packaging receives unsolicited materials, (including letters to the editor, press releases, promotional items and images) from time to time. Canadian Packaging, its affiliates and assignees may use, reproduce, publish, republish, distribute, store and archive such unsolicited submissions in whole or in part in any form or medium whatsoever, without compensation of any sort.

We acknowledge the [financial] support of the Government of Canada

suffered through great pains in the Internet age.

While full marks to the company’s management for having had the foresight to diversify its business interests by lessening its dependence on the aforementioned sunset industries, the sheer speed and audacity with which it has pursued its sudden transformation into a world-class packaging powerhouse is nothing less than epic in both scope and ambition.

“We are thrilled to announce such a game-changing transaction and to bring our vision of becoming a North American leader in flexible packaging to life,” says TC Transcontinental president and chief executive officer François Olivier, pointing out that the company’s flexible packaging operations will now account for the biggest single revenue stream at about 48 per cent of annual turnover.

“This transaction complements and bolsters our existing product offering in several flexible packaging end markets including dairy, pet food and consumer products [and] it allows us to enter new and attractive flexible packaging end markets such as agriculture, beverage and protein,” Olivier adds.

While buying a company roughly three times your own size may not be for everyone, Transcontinental’s historical track record of continuous growth and sound management leadership offers a good starting point for optimism that the aptly-described “transformational” deal will ultimately work out in the best interests of both Transcontinental and Canada’s packaging community at large.

Bragging about size and scale may not be the most Canadian thing to do at most times, but when you witness history being made in front of your eyes, a little dose of immodesty and self-indulgence in being a big shot just somehow seems fitting for the occasion.

George Guidoni, Editor

16 DOGGED PURSUIT By Andrew Joseph

EVERY DO

G HAS ITS DATE

Premium ingredients and leading-edge product coding equipment fuel relentless product innovation and packaging excellence for a dedicated producer of healthy dog treats.

A robust track-andtrace food safety conce system eases rns for prem dog-treats manufactuium rer Story on page 16

Cover Photography by Naomi Hiltz

DEPARTMENTS & COLUMNS

FEATURES

3

UPFRONT By George Guidoni

4

NEWSPACK The latest packaging news.

12 FASTEST WEIGH FORWARD Multihead weighers measure up to salad producer’s rapid volume growth.

6-7

NOTES & QUOTES Noteworthy industry briefs.

8-9 FIRST GLANCE

New packaging solutions and technologies.

10 ECO-PACK NOW

The latest on packaging sustainability.

11

imPACt A monthly insight from PAC, Packaging Consortium

25 EVENTS

Upcoming industry functions.

40 CHECKOUT By Jaan Koel

Joe Public speaks out on packaging

hits and misses.

IN THIS ISSUE: AUTOM

ATE NOW • CONVE

YING • PACKAGING

FOR FRESHNESS

13 FIT TO A TEA Old World tea producer keeping up with the times through thoughtful conveyor lines integration.

20

CODING & LABELING

22 WORLDS AWAY Essential packaging tips for overseas success.

23 GET YOUR MOTORS RUNNING By Ajay Rana How to leverage the latest motion control technologies to your competitive advantage.

26 THE DEEP FREEZE Renowned pasta maker cooks up a winning recipe with packaging line automation.

28 BAKED GOODNESS A preview to this month’s Bakery Showcase 2018 in Toronto.

30 THE PREMIUM ADVANTAGE

32 PLENTY OF FISH Reiser’s open house serves up a feast of packaging solutions for seafood producers.

36 HERBAL REMEDIES By Jim McMahon 38 KEEP ON ROLLING

APRIL 2018 • CANADIAN PACKAGING WWW.CANADIANPACKAGING.COM • 3

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NEWSPACK

B.C. ORGANIC FOODS PIONEER FOLLOWS NATURAL INSTINCTS TO REFRESH ITS PRODUCT PACKAGING While organic products may no longer be automatically equated by consumers with being generic, boring and bland, there is nothing wrong with a little positive reinforcement of the idea through some truly vibrant and eye-catching packaging.

Something like the Richmond, B.C.-based organic foods trailblazer Nature’s Path Organic Foods, North America’s largest independent producer of organic breakfast cereals and snack-foods, has done with some of its better-known brands, including the popular EnviroKidz line of children’s breakfast cereals.

“We want our packaging to stand out and ref lect how Nature’s Path is different from your standard cereal and breakfast company,” says Arjan Stephens, executive vice-president at Nature’s Path.

“We’re different: we’re independent, familyowned and from Day One, over 32 years ago, always organic,” Stephens states.

“We want this message to literally jump off the shelves,” says Stephens, calling the introduction of new packaging as more of a “brand refresh” rather than a full-on package redesign.

“Our new packaging is exciting, innovative and fun,” says Stephens, adding that the new look is based on a package design initially created several years ago by prominent New York City-based branding and design agency Wallace Church & Co. Says Stephens: “The bold colors and clean designs virtually ‘pop’ on the shelves, making it easier for consumers to spot their favorite products.

“The front-of-pack imagery focuses on the visual aesthetics of the food and highlights the deliciousness of the product inside the package,” he explains, “while the back-of-pack features improved product descriptions, tells the story of the company’s origin, and outlines the benefits of choosing Certified Organic and non-GMO products.”

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For the EnviroKidz line, the new brighter and more playful packaging look features a more integrated brand logo and a more engaging depiction of the various animals featured on different recipes/f lavors in the line, according to Stephens.

“The kid-friendly and informative packaging highlights information about the animals and how consumers support the conservation efforts when they choose EnviroKidz,” explains Stephens, “while also providing parents with important nutrition information on an updated front-of-pack and nutrition panel.”

Stephens explains that the company has recently decided to implement a ‘f low-through” approach to its packaging, whereby the old packaging is replaced at the same time as the items are sold and store-shelves are restocked.

Says Stephens: “This is the most transparent, sustainable and environmentally-friendly option, which fully supports the company’s mission of always leaving the Earth better than they found it.”

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2018-04-06 2:38 PM

PRE-PACKED CHICKEN SKEWERS OFFER THE HEIGHT OF HEALTHY SNACKING CONVENIENCE Meat on a stick may not be a new culinary idea, but the recentlylaunched ProSticks line of chicken skewers— created by Montrealbased Expresco Foods for a leading convenience store chain 7-Eleven— is boldly elevating the concept to a whole new level of consumer convenience and mobility.

Packaged in pairs inside microwavable plastic thermoformed trays sealed with peelable preprinted lidding material, the high-protein all-meat snacks come with a choice of three dipping sauces and f lavor varieties to deliver a healthy, nutritious, satisfying and savory snack that is completely free of preservatives, according to Expresco.

Boasting refrigerated shelf-life of 28 days, the 115-gram street food-inspired skewer f lavors and sauce pairings include Mediterranean with Sweet Teriyaki sauce, Sweet Sriracha with Sriracha sauce and Chipotle Style with Chipotle BBQ sauce, each of the three grilled-to-perfection ProSticks pairings can be enjoyed cold or quickly reheated in their packaging, comprising plastic film supplied the Les Produits MGD Inc. of Blainville, Que., and labels with peel-to-open tabs provided by Calgary-based Precision Label Ltd. “It’s really exciting to begin each new partnership,” says Expresco’s marketing manager Michael Delli Colli.

“With 7-Eleven so well established a leader in the convenience market world, we know our products are in good hands,” Delli Colli states.

“High-protein convenience store shoppers are actively looking for ways to bring functionality to their on-the-go snacks, and with 21 grams of protein, ProSticks are the perfect way to do so,” he states.

“Nothing else quite comes close,” Delli Colli, asserts, citing a recent NutraIngredients study showing high-protein snacks as the most sought-after products in the North American snack-food markets growing at double-digit rates annually.

CANADIAN PACKAGING • APRIL 2018

2018-04-09 3:46 PM

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NOTES & QUOTES

nIndustrial automation systems integrator Eclipse Automation, Inc. of Cambridge, Ont., has been named as one of Canada’s Best Managed Companies for the fourth consecutive year last month—reaching the Gold Standard status in the 25th annual national rankings compiled by the Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce (CIBC) and Deloitte. Recognized for its overall business performance and sustained growth, Eclipse Automation enjoyed a robust year of business expansion in 2017, starting up its sixth facility in Cambridge and expanding its U.S. operations to Mesa, Az. According to the company’s president and chief executive officer Steve Mai, “We feel that over the last five years our sustainable growth has been the result of our diligence and planning in the execution of our global footprint, as we continue to strive to be a market leaders in the custom automation industry.” Today employing over 350 people at nine North American faculties, including two other U.S. branches in California and North Carolina, Eclipse was selected from among hundreds of entries sub-

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mitted to the 2018 Canada’s Best Managed Companies competition. “CIBC is pleased to congratulate Eclipse Automation in recognition of its excellence in leadership, business performance and innovation,” says Dino Medves, senior vice-president for CIBC Commercial Banking. “As a sponsor of the program for over 20 years, CIBC is proud to celebrate private companies like Eclipse Automation as leaders in their industry.” nMontreal-headquartered f lexible packaging products group TC Transcontinental Packaging picked up a Gold Award in the Sustainability category of the 2018 Flexible Packaging Achievement Awards Competition of the Flexible Packaging Association (FPA) last month for a compostable peanut bag supplied to the concession stands of many leading North American sporting venues. Produced at the company’s Transcontinental Ultra Flex facility in Brooklyn, N.Y., using certified compostable materials, the compostable bags were developed to help sports teams, venues, and leagues achieve the next level of landfill waste diversion, according to Transcontinental. “The chief benefit of the new bag is that it reduces the amount of labor previously devoted to the manual sorting of materials collected during clean-up after games,” says TC Transcontinental

Packaging’s vice-president of product development Todd Addison, “while the environmental benefits of this package center around the use of renewable resources and its easy inclusion into the venue managed composting program. Currently used at specific Aramark venues that have verified the package’s compostability, the two-layer construction comprises a print and barrier layer made from NatureFlex, a cellulose-based product from Futamura USA, and the heat-seal layer is composed of ecovio, a compostable biopolymer from BASF. “It is a great honor to be recognized by the industry for setting a new bar for packaging sustainability,” says Addison. “Our customers can count on us to always look for new materials, new technologies, and new techniques to create brilliant packaging that meets today’s consumer needs.” nToronto-headquartered labeling products group CCL Industries Inc. has reached a definitive agreement to acquire the Treofan Americas business— comprising Treofan America Inc. and Trespaphan Mexico Holdings GmbH—from an Italian holding company M&C S.p.A. in a US$225-million transaction. Based in Zacapu, Mexico, Treofan Americas is a leading producer of BOPP (biaxially oriented polypropylene) films for specialty applications in consumer packaging and labeling markets, with approximately 65 per cent of the output exported to the U.S. Ac-

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NOTES & QUOTES cording to CCL, the acquired Treofan entities—generating about US$212 million in revenues last year—will operate under the Innovia brand name, with M&C S.p.A. retaining the rights to the Treofan name for its remaining European operations in Italy and Germany. “The proposed acquisition gives Innovia a solid strategic footprint for BOPP films in both North America and Europe with highly complementary technologies and products,” says CCL Industries president and chief executive officer Geoffrey Martin.

Currently employing over 20,000 people at 167 production facilities in 37 countries worldwide, CCL Industries is the world’s largest converter of pressure-sensitive and extruded film materials for a wide range of decorative, instructional, functional and security applications for large global customers in the consumer packaging, healthcare and chemicals, consumer electronic device and automotive markets. nIndustrial technologies conglomerate ABB Group has completed the integration of its Baldor Electric Canada business into its global ABB brand as part of the company’s global Next Level strategy, which includes harmonizing different ABB-owned brands under the global ABB master brand label. As of last month, the supplier of Baldor-Reliance motors and Dodge mechanical power transmission products is operating its four Canadian locations under the new ABB Motor and Mechanical (Canada) Inc. corporate banner. “This represents yet another great step in building a market-focused, lean organization and unifying the ABB brand across the globe,” says Daniel Cotton, ABB’s general manager for motors and drives.

“With aligning all of our activities under the ABB brand we are delivering on our Next Level Strategy to unlock value by streamlining and strengthening our portfolio.” Adds ABB Canada president Nathalie Pilon: “ABB has invested over $13 billion in North America in the past 10 years [and] its strong backing for its operations in Canada gives our customers the best of both worlds with local support, backed by pioneering ABB technology, and a globally connected footprint to ensure we partner with them wherever they may be.” nMade with several high-performance polymer resins produced in Canada by the Calgary-headquartered NOVA Chemicals Corporation, the innovative heavy-duty ConservaCube packaging from ConservaCube, LLC of Kent, Ohio, has picked up a total of four awards at the 2018 Flexible Packaging Achievement Awards Competition of the Flexible Packaging Association (FPA) last month. Shaped like a cube and boasting load capacity of up to 55 pounds, the ConservaCube sack was recognized with

WWW.CANADIANPACKAGING.COM • 7

two Gold Awards for Sustainability and Expanding the Use of Flexible Packaging, along with two Silver Awards in the Technical Innovation and Packaging Excellence categories.

“ConservaCube is a unique product in the heavy duty sack space,” says Mark Kay, performance films group leader for NOVA Chemicals’ polyethylene business. “Sustainability is critical to today’s consumers, and ConservaCube has been able to leverage NOVA Chemicals’ resins in a recyclable film structure with outstanding physical performance.” According to ConservaCube, the new sack structure is produced on a three-layer co-extrusion blown film line and printed on a f lexograph-

ic press to produce fully-recyclable plastic packaging comparable to that of laminate in terms of strength, creep resistance and sealability. “Testing multiple resin and layer combinations was critical to obtaining the performance results we were looking for,” says ConservaCube president Mark Martinez. “NOVA Chemicals understood our need for manufacturing efficiency, cost control and minimizing impact on the environment, and was instrumental in delivering a great new product.”

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Jeff Thrams, president of ConservaCube LLC and parent company Primary Packaging Inc. (right) alongside Joe Kaplan, president of the company’s investment partner Field Holdings LLC, holding up the four FPA awards won by the ConservaCube heavy-duty sack packaging last month.

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FIRST GLANCE DRIVE TO SUCCEED The IndraDrive ML range electrical drives from Bosch Rexroth Canada has been expanded from 110 kW to four MW output to suit a wider range of complex motion control tasks in industrial applications. Operated as a supply or frequency changer or as motor inverter, the IndraDrive ML is particularly well-suited for complex multi-axis applications, according to Bosch Rexroth, using the drive-based Motion Logic solutions to regulate synchronized movements via their own intelligence, even without higher-level control units. With a multi-Ethernet interface for all common communication protocols and one multi-encoder interface, the drives are designed for seamless integration into virtually all existing automation environments.

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PUT A LID ON IT! Designed for top-applying foil lids to beverage cans at speeds up to 60,000 containers per hour, the new Taxomatic machine from Krones AG is a highspeed cold-glue cold glue labeler that can be configured as a stand-alone machine or it integrated into an existing Krones labeling line. Gaining in popularity,

the foil lids can be embossed and printed to provide additional branding space on each can to enhance their shelf appeal, with promotional and contest information also printed on the underside of the lids. From a functional standpoint, the lids can protect the cans from contaminatnts before being opened, and then further protect the contents by using the lidding to reseal the cans. And since the foil is made from aluminum, it is completely recyclable.

The system can achieve very high speeds thanks to its tightly controlled product handling, whereby the incoming containers are spaced by an infeed screw to the correct pitch and then transferred to a starwheel.

While captured in the starwheel, the foil lid is applied to the top of the container via a hardened steel glue roller to transfer a thin layer of food-grade labeling adhesive to a rubber-faced glue pallet. That pallet then presses into the label magazine and picks up one lid, which

Weigh Convey Package Inspect 

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is then transferred to a gripper cylinder. The gripper cylinder then transfers the lid to the top of the container, and as the container works its way through the carousel, the lid is pressed into position on top of the container.

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ON THE RIGHT TRAK Designed for handling small loads, the new compact Narrow Trak spiral vertical conveyors from Ryson International, Inc. are especially well-suited for reliable end-transfer of small cartons and packages or side-transfer of small bottles or containers in a single file or in a continuous mass flow.

Equipped with the newly-designed six- or nine-inch-wide nesting slats to provide an efficient flat conveying surface without gaps, the new sprirals can run at speeds of over 200 feet per minute, according to Ryson, while offering large elevation change capacity. Requiring no adjustment for varying product sizes, the compact units are equipped with Ryson’s proprietary low-friction chain slat arrange-

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FINDING THE CURE

to Loma, changes in products or packaging that require an alteration in frequency will hence no longer require costly and inconvenient operator intervention. In addition, Variable Frequency allows processors to easily run different pack sizes and shapes while benefiting from improved stability and sensitivity. With built-in capacity to learn the characteristics and variable frequency settings for up to 100 different products, the IQ4 metal detector is standard with a seven-inch color touchscreen with a modernized and more intuitive interface—designed to simplify operation, deliver instant clarity for inspection status, and provide straight forward access to a host of advanced

functionality features. The IQ4 metal detector search heads feature a ‘beyond’ IP69K rating as standard for ultimate robustness and it makes them capable of withstanding the often-harsh conditions found within food processing plants. With a newly expanded Auto Learn functionality significantly reducing set-up time and providing a more optimum sensitivity set up, the IQ4 metal detector is ready to use, virtually straight out of the box, ensuring more uptime and reducing the need for time-consuming product set up by engineers.

LOMA SYSTEMS

Designed to provide accurate and consistent ultraviolet (UV) curing across a variety of commercial and industrial applications, the new-generation Squid UV Gen 3 LED curing system from Squid Ink Manufacturing, Inc. uses new Gen 3 lamps said to generate 40 per cent more output power, compared to previous models, to ensure more reliable curing across all UV applications. Along with the improved power output, the new generation dual controller increases application flexibility by featuring two separate trigger inputs that allow two UV lamps to be triggered independently from one controller. Incorporating enhanced safety measures, the Gen 3 controller has been configured to use an encoder to power the lamps on and off as the conveyor runs or stops—avoiding possible conveyor spot burn and reducing wear on lamps. Fully programmable to run in manual, semi-auto, and automatic mode to match the application requirements, the Squid UV Gen 3 system is capable of curing ink in a 20x80-mm illumination area to ensure consistent luminance and a reliably cured product, every time, while using about 75 per cent less energy than typical UV arc-lamp curing systems.

Squid Ink Manufacturing, Inc.

A HEAD START The new IQ4 metal detector search head from Loma Systems offers improved sensitivity compared to previous models and a plethora of exciting industry first features purposely designed to deliver optimum production efficiencies. Using its 50 years of experience in developing advanced metal detection technology, Loma has developed the new IQ4 series to meet customers’ common inspection challenges and provide major design, performance, usability, quality and flexibility benefits, while ensuring low lifetime cost of ownership and meeting the company’s ‘Designed to Survive’ criteria.

The IQ4 technology has enabled Loma to introduce true Variable Frequency operating between 31-882 kHz, allowing the metal detector to automatically select the correct operating frequency. According

Extending genius For 25 years, Matrox Imaging Library (MIL) software has been at the center of vision systems the world over performing critical guidance, identification, and inspection tasks. More than ever, developers turn to MIL for dependable, effective, and practical vision tools.

Our latest update highlights cutting-edge technical progress. The classification tool employs Matrox-trained deep learning technology for assigning images or image regions with challenging content to preestablished classes for identification and detection. A dedicated tool finds often-encountered rectangular shapes faster and with greater flexibility than generic tools. A photometric stereo tool produces a composite image from varied directional illumination that emphasizes surface irregularities.

MIL 10: 25 years of know-how built in Learn more www.matrox.com/imaging/mil25years/cp

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ECO-PACK NOW

ONTARIO WATER-BOTTLER REINFORCES ITS GREEN MESSAGE WITH A TASTEFUL PRODUCT EXTENSION One good idea often deserves another one, or several.

Just two years since shaking up the bottled water world with its much-lauded launch of the first premium alkaline mineral water packaged in eco-friendly Tetra Pak paperboard beverage cartons, Aurora, Ont.-based Flow Water is following up on its early marketplace success with a two-phase introduction of four “naturally f lavoured” FLOW Water varieties to offer North American consumers a tastefully refreshing zero-calories alternative.

“We are thrilled to offer our customers the first naturally alkaline organic f lavored waters,” says Nicholas Reichenbach, founder and chief executive office of Flow. “These innovative zero-calorie and zero-sugar beverages deliver all of the core functionality of FLOW artesian spring water with refreshing organic f lavors, providing a variety of healthful new beverage options.”

After hitting the market last December with the new FLOW cucumber + mint and FLOW lemon + ginger f lavor-enhanced premium alkaline water— sustainably sourced from a glacial spring on the Reichenbach family’s property in Ontario’s South Bruce County, the water producer duly followed up last month with the release of new Organic strawberry + rose and Organic watermelon + line f lavors–using organic essence to lightly f lavor the water without any sugar, juice, preservatives or GMOs (genetically-modified organisms).

“Flow is rooted in providing mindful hydration,” Reichenbach states, explaining that Flow’s

water comes from a spring where it is naturally filtered and enriched with minerals through the limestone aquifer where it is stored.

The result, he says, is high-quality, completely pure water full of natural electrolytes, essential minerals and an alkaline pH level of 8.1.

Retailing all its f lavors in 100-percent recyclable 500-ml and one-liter Tetra Prisma Aseptic Edge cartons—topped with 70-percent renewable content Tetra Pak plastic caps derived from sugar-cane—FLOW water brand products are currently available at over 5,000 retail locations across Canada, including Whole Foods Market, Loblaws, Sobeys, Metro, Rexall and Farm Boy. “What makes these products so unique is the combination of Flow’s naturally alkaline, electrolyterich water infused with organic f lavors,” says Matthew Jimenez, who heads new product development at Flow Water. “Our goal was to create sophisticated

IN METAL DETECTION

At a much lower cost of ownership than x-ray systems, our simultaneous multi - frequency technology provides commercial bakers and frozen bakery product manufacturers a cost - effective alternative for their food safety programs.

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THE VIT FOR TH

f lavor combinations of fine fruits, plants, and herbs that complement the great taste and performance of Flow, without compromising the purity of our water, for a smooth and wellbalanced drinking experience.”

Jimenez points out that while the bottled water product category in general is still growing steadily, more than half of consumers are now looking for premium water products offering more minerals and other health benefits.

“Our new offerings will innovate the market by merging the increasing popularity of alkaline water and f lavors into a fresh new beverage— all in an eco-friendly package.”

Says Jimenez: “Consumers are growing more aware of their impact on the environment, and hence they are naturally attracted to Flow water’s dedication to create products that leave a minimal mark on the environment.”

Company founder Reichenbach adds he is very pleased with the light packaging graphic enhancements developed by Toronto-based branding specialists Jackman Reinvents to differentiate the new f lavors.

“The design approach of the new organic f lavor packaging for strawberry + rose and watermelon + lime was to extend the family of our organic f lavors, while still maintaining the fact that it’s a water product,” he explains.

“We integrated colors to our original packaging that best represent the f lavors within the water,” Reichenbach relates. “For example, light pinks and vibrant magentas to ref lect the fruit and f loral f lavors.

“In addition, the eco-friendly packaging is printed with a Certified Organic logo, Flow being the first water company in Canada and the U.S. to create and market a certified organic f lavored water product.

“Our pack also illustrates the story behind our Canadian aquifer through the topographic design, which celebrates the location of our natural source.”

CANADIAN PACKAGING • APRIL 2018

2018-04-09 3:46 PM

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CONVEYING

FIT TO A TEA

Old World tea producer using modern manufacturing and packaging technologies to keep up with the times and its growing product portfolio

F

amily-owned and operated, Yamamotoyama was founded in Tokyo in 1690 by Kahei Yamamoto II as part of fulfilling his personal dream of introducing green tea—at that time only accessible to the wealthy—to the general public.

According to popular folklore, he learned that steaming the tea leaves instead of brewing them, which was the accepted method at that time, resulted in a more delicious, sweet-tasting tea that retained its nutrients.

The tea quickly became an instant sensation—making Yamamotoyama a household name in Japan.

Since that time the company has expanded its operations around the globe, while staying current with modern manufacturing methods.

The company remains family-owned to this day, as it continues to specialize in manufacturing green tea and nori seaweed.

More recently, the company’s Yamamotoyama of America subsidiary was seeking to improve its production operations in Pomona, Ca., in order to achieve greater productivity and flexibility in producing multiple products.

The facility operates multiple IMA tea bag manufacturing and carton machines, each of which can produce 300 tea-bags, an equivalent of 18 full cartons of tea bags—per minute.

Once cartons are produced, the next step in the process involves packing the full tea cartons into shipper cases, after which the cases are labeled and palletized for shipment.

As management at Yamamotoyama planned to expand production, they needed to add more automated case-packers, which in turn needed to be hooked up to the tea-cartoning machines.

This required the installation of a robust carton delivery conveyor system connecting the tea cartoners to the case-packers, with the ability to organize multiple flavors to the case-packers in the proper grouping of 12 cartons per flavor.

As part of a careful review of all the available equipment options and solutions, the management of the Yamamotoyama plant contacted leading German industrial automation group Bosch Rexroth to find out what the company’s VarioFlow plus conveyors could do for their operation.

Developed for moving high-volume packaged goods and other consumer goods, such as packaged foods, pharmaceuticals and healthcare products, VarioFlow plus is a highly flexible, modular plastic chain conveyor system that can be used to move products horizontally, vertically, on incline or decline, overhead, sub-floor, around obstacles and over long distances.

Well-suited for using workpiece pallets to convey products in applications requiring high precision and accurate positioning, VarioFlow plus is claimed to sim-

Rexroth’s VarioFlow plus allows Yamamotoyama to move products horizontally, vertically, on incline or decline, overhead, subfloor, around obstacles and over long distances.

VarioFlow plus’ smooth conveyor belt allows the Yamamotoyama to fill shelf-ready cartons that remain neat and unscratched.

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CONVEYING Rexroth’s VarioFlow plus conveyor helped increase productivity and flexibility to improve Yamamotoyama’s ability to produce multiple products.

ply be the quietest, most flexible, energy-efficient and easiest-to-assemble plastic chain conveyor available in the market, according to Bosch Rexroth.

The management team at Yamamotoyama were particularly interested in VarioFlow plus because of its smooth-running belt, low-profile channel, tight radius curve wheel, and ability to create a ‘stacked’ conveyor configuration with vertical curves, according to Yamamotoyama of America’s chief operating officer Daniel Goldstein.

“We needed the flexibility to source multiple flavors of tea product from multiple IMA cartoners into a single IMA case-packer,” Goldstein recalls.

“We researched Bosch Rexroth products, and ultimately selected Bosch Rexroth Corporation for the project based on the high quality of their products.”

Although each IMA machine can produce just one flavor of tea at any given time, the Yamamotoyama plant is strategically arranged so that the machines are located in groups—each producing 18 cartons per minute.

This meant that the conveyor system had to accommodate this volume of tea cartons per minute, and accurately merge/induct groups of 12 cartons into the case-packer, without error.

A second requirement was to protect the carton surface. With the tea product packaged in glossy, shelfready cartons, the appearance of each carton needed to remain neat and unscratched—requiring the use of a smooth-surface conveyor belt.

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The third challenge was one of space. Because of the tight spacing between different pieces of plant equipment, with minimal lateral distance between production equipment, the conveyor system needed to have a very small footprint.

To bring this arrangement to life, Santa Ana, Ca.based systems integrator TransAutomation Technologies Inc., a member of the Bosch Rexroth ProBuilder network, was asked to complete the design and installation of the system.

As Goldstein explains, “We needed the system to be locally supported, and were confident in the fact that the system would be built and completely integrated by the local ProBuilder, TransAutomation Technologies.”

Specifically, the mechanical design of the VarioFlow plus conveyor needed to be complemented with custom mechanical devices for controlling product groups of cartons, and further integrated with an electronic controls system.

The new Yamamotoyama system receives the output of the IMA cartoners onto individual take-away conveyor runs, while the Bosch Rexroth conveyor elevations were varied through the use of vertical inclines and lateral off-sets to achieve a stacked configuration—allowing for a very narrow footprint.

At the terminus of the system, the product travels in a vertical incline onto the trunk conveyor by using the Bosch Rexroth vertical curve declines.

Once product cartons approach the end of the Bosch

Rexroth conveyors prior to the case packer, they stop and accumulate at the end of each of the conveyors.

An electronic controls system counts the cartons in queue and via a priority counting system, with the control PLC (programmable logic controller) establishing which conveyor lane is to be released onto the trunk line.

Once 12 cartons are accumulated on any given conveyor, that conveyor is cleared as ‘eligible’ to release the slug of 12 cartons onto the trunk line, with the slug release accomplished through the use of pneumatic stops, escapements and right-angle pushers.

Under this set-up, the shortest conveyor line with the least amount of accumulation capacity has the highest priority; then the second, and so on.

As a conveyor is signaled to release the product, a custom right-angle pusher activates and ejects the cartons, six at a time, onto the Bosch Rexroth trunk line—requiring two pusher activations to create a slug of 12 cartons, as required for the case packer.

All conveyor sections in the accumulation area are constantly monitored by the electronic controls system to keep the cycle repeating throughout the production run. Once tea cartons enter the IMA casepacker in groups of 12, two full shipper cases of six cartons each are produced and discharged from the case-packer.

The cartons are then printed and then rotated upright, to be palletized by the robotic palletizer.

According to Goldstein, the Bosch Rexroth solution has proved to be a huge success for the manufacturing facility—increasing the speed of production without damage to the products, all in a small footprint.

As Goldstein concludes, “The project went very well from start to completion.”

The above text, first published in the April 2017 issue of Packaging World, is reprinted with the permission of PMMI Media Group of PMMI, The Association for Packaging and Processing Technologies, which reserves all 2018 copyrights.

SUPPLIERS Bosch Rexroth Canada IMA Group

CANADIAN PACKAGING • APRIL 2018

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COVER STORY

DOGGED PURSUIT

Ontario manufacturer of healthy dog treats finding marketplace success with robust product coding technologies

BY ANDREW JOSEPH, FEATURES EDITOR PHOTOS BY: NAOMI HILTZ

F

or some, the term “going to the dogs” is actually a good thing, such as Northern Pet Products, Inc., a Concord, Ont. family-owned company that has quite literally grown its business from within their own family kitchen to where it is now one of the great Canadian success stories with happy dogs around the world.

In 1992, after a failed effort to find a healthy treat that their finicky American Eskimo puppy dog Tasha would eat, company co-founders Patricia and Nick Grillo, decided they would try and create something themselves.

Armed with a bag of Canadian flour and some fresh beef liver, they went to work.

The concept of creating their own treats for a dog wasn’t that far out there, as company president Patricia Grillo was already making homemade baby food for her two very young toddlers, as well as food for herself and her husband chief executive officer Nick—so she made it a perfect trifecta and went about creating something healthy for the pooch as well.

“But it wasn’t as simple as people might think—I spent months on animal nutrition trying to come up with the perfect biscuit for Tasha,” Patricia Grillo told Canadian Packaging during a recent visit to the 14,000-square-foot facility.“But, I knew I had a winning recipe when Tasha began sitting in front of the ‘cookie cupboard’ waiting for me to give her treat.”

Being neighborly, she sent some extra dog cookies from her second batch to Max, whose owner stopped by a few days later to say that his dog was constantly salivating by their own ‘cookie cupboard’, and wouldn’t move until he got one of the liver biscuits.

“That’s when I knew I might have stumbled onto something,” Patricia smiles.

After giving out samples to family and friends with dogs, she was soon baking to order.

Possessing that wonderful homecooking mentality, she began packing the dog biscuits in economical but classical brown paper lunch bags—a look that has stayed with the now national company, making it instantly recognizable on the pet food shelves.

Even with the quick success, Patricia Grillo was still working out of her home kitchen, with her and hubby Nick working together to make and bake the treats in the family oven in their small family apartment in Toronto.

“Part of the problem was sourcing the ingredients in such a large quantity, true, but also trying to get them into our building without anyone figuring out

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Northern Pet Products packaging supervisor Maria Wu (left) and company president Patricia Grillo with three examples of many flavor varieties offered by the Concord, Ont. company, growing from a home business baking in a small kitchen to an international healthy dog biscuit business with some 64 SKUs at its 14,000-square-foot facility.

what we were doing,” explains Nick Grillo. “We carried out midnight forays from our car in the parking garage with our large amounts of flour, fresh liver and other ingredients hoping we would go unnoticed.”

With the apartment transformed into a small bakery, they used a small hand-held mixer, small meat

grinder, placed extra racks in the oven to bake more in one go, and turned their young son’s bedroom into a walk-in cooler leaving the window open in his room to let the cold air in.

The Grillo’s laugh as they recall how in the early days of baking the healthy dog biscuits involved having toddlers walking through their feet, an anxious

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COVER STORY

A controller for the Squid Ink AutoPilot, sold via Dependable Marking Systems, shows the type of data to applied via the coder to product packaging: time of manufacture, a fouryear best-before date, lot code data, and a message indicating that the bag is 100 percent compostable.

dog smelling all the cookies, and having to stand up and eat their meals because the dining room area was replete with drying racks, “And while challenging, it was a very rewarding time,” says Patricia Grillo.

After grabbing a table at the St. Jacobs weekly farmer’s market, they placed their all-natural dog biscuits in paper bags, much to the chagrin of the more established crew of vendors selling their arts, crafts, foods and beverages.

But despite the 4 A.M. wake-up calls to drive from Toronto to set-up and sell at the market, the Grillo’s discovered that week after week they were receiving return business.

On the way home, they would stop off at the country stores lining the roads and try and convince someone to stock their shelves—with the famous Apple Factory Farm Market in Brampton, Ont. taking a leap of faith by purchasing 12 bags of their now branded Northern Biscuits—an homage to their pride in Canada.

The Apple Factory is a small, family-run market that specializes in organic, natural baked goods, fruits and vegetables—and their faith was rewarded.

Soon after, pet food stores began calling telling the Grillo’s that people were asking for Northern Biscuits.

Almost immediately, however, Nick Grillo’s work wanted to transfer him to Halifax, Nova Scotia, and within the week the family was out on the east coast looking at possible residences.

“My mind, however, was already made up when we returned to Ontario,” says Patricia Grillo. “But it was finalized for both of us when we heard all of the messages on the answering machine chastising us for not having a supply of the Northern Biscuits available for the dog-owners, especially before Christmas.

“Nick quit his job, but that’s okay, because now he had a full-time job making the dog biscuits,” recalls Patricia Grillo.

Now aware that going into business full-time producing the healthy dog cookies, the family thought about renting a facility and purchasing the processing equipment—things that cost money they didn’t have.

But because this is a success story, after all, the Grillo’s caught a break. Earlier that year, their two-year-old son had been chosen to play a role in a national television commercial and the monies earned from it allowed the Grillo’s to physically start up their business in a small bakery space in Woodbridge, Ont. in 1993, getting them out of their Toronto condominium.

In 1995, the company moved to its current location in Concord, taking over a single unit.

In 2000, Northern Pet Products took over an additional two units in the same building, expanded again in 2008 to 8,000 square feet, and lastly at the end of 2017, they took over every unit within the building, now occupying a robust 14,000 square feet.

According to Patricia Grillo, company growth hasn’t changed the way they go about their business, as they still utilize fresh, local Canadian meats, flours and other ingredients.

“We always source for the freshest, food-grade meats and vegetables from Canadian growers,” she notes, adding that most of fresh ingredients they use are grown within a couple of hours from their bakery.

The AutoPilot at work, quickly and quietly applies the coding data to the back of a bag of Northern Biscuits brand healthy dog treats at the fast-growing Northern Pet Foods facility in Concord, Ont.

Examples of the larger 500-gram kraft paper bag package, and the 190-gram pack, are individually coded before being hand-packed into master cases, which are then coded by a Squid Ink CoPilot system for Northern Pet Products, sold to them by Dependable Marking Systems of Oshawa, Ont.

“Our meats come in fresh and whole, while we ensure our flours are simply milled grains or root vegetables.”

It’s all part of its key plan to maintain the spirit of the original recipe, but to expand its product range where it now has some 64 SKUs (stock-keeping units).

Northern Pet Products has three basic food package sizes for its Northern Biscuits brand: 190-grams, 500-grams, and 1.5-kilogram versions, with specific brand types: Wheat-Free; Grain-Free; Functional (promoting specific dog health solutions); Mini; Dental, and a Soft & Chewy version.

Flavor-wise, Northern Pet Products is quite diverse, offering tasty treats that will leave you wondering if your dog isn’t indeed eating better than you: Peanut Crunch!; Liverlicious; Lamb Berry; Canadian Bacon with Blueberries—the company’s best-seller; Pumpkin Pie; Turkey Cranberry; Peanut Banana with Cinnamon; Grilled Venison; Smoked Fish with Blueberries; Grain-Free Bison with Blueberries; Salmon with Kelp; Venison with Apple; Bison with Blueberries; Sweet Potato with Cranberries; Duck with Tart Cherries; and Craft Beer.

“Our Duck biscuits are made with real duck livers,” explains Patricia Grillo, “and our Bison biscuits use fresh Alberta Bison livers—you can’t beat authentic ingredients for a quality product.”

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COVER STORY

A CoPilot 382 manufactured by Squid Ink is mounted on an Eastey EC1248 conveyor applying product identification data after exiting an Eastey SB-2 Taper unit, which were all supplied to Northern Pet Products by Dependable Marking Systems.

Clearly printed cases marked by a Squid Ink CoPilot 382—from Dependable Marking Systems—containing Northern Pet Products Lamb Berry healthy dog biscuit packs are ready for delivery to customers.

It’s no wonder that Northern Biscuits is one of the top-selling premium brands of healthy dog treats in North America, and growing.

Northern Pet Products bakes its dog biscuits to order in small batches, which Patricia Grillo says enables the bakers to concentrate on quality.

“It’s true that our biscuits will sometimes vary in color and or size from batch to batch,” she says, “but that’s because fresh food ingredients can vary from herd to herd or crop to crop.

“No two Northern Biscuits are alike, and we kind of like it that way.”

Another way the company stands out is with its packaging, opting for the most part to keep things as simple as possible.

“We started our sales by packing the biscuits in pre-printed, stand-up paper bags, and while we have expanded on that, the look is still pretty much the same,” says Patricia Grillo.

For the 500-gram packs, the Northern Biscuits brands are sealed in kraft paper packaging—6” x 2.75” x 9.75” stand-up pouches meant to resemble paper lunch bags. These 60-pound kraft paper packs feature a PLA (polylactic acid) liner and window, affording a clear view of the dog biscuits inside.

The smaller 190g 3.5” x 2.375” x 10” Junior bags are also made of 60-pound kraft paper with a PLA liner and clear window.

The PLA liner is a biodegradable and bioactive thermoplastic aliphatic polyester made from renewable resources such as corn starch, cassava root, chips, starch or sugarcane, which makes the entire empty package 100 percent biodegradable.

According to Nick Grillo, the company currently complies to CFIA/USDA (Canadian Food Inspection Agency/United States Department of Agriculture) standards for export into the U.S., and are currently in the midst of establishing manufacturing practices to achieve SQF (Safe Quality Food) compliance within the next 12 months.

“Our process begins with fresh ingredients, meats and fish which we grind on site, that are added to a mix that is baked, cooled, packed and palletized for shipment,” Nick Grillo explains.

While the manufacturing process can best be described as semi-automated, helping Northern Pet Products with its automation are a pair of coders manufactured by Squid Ink, and sold to them via Dependable Marking Systems Limited, an Oshawa, Ont.-based international sales company of high-quality marking equipment for use on a wide range of products and containers.

Incorporated in 1986, along with its coding offerings, Dependable Marking also provides labeling and case sealing equipment, and like its company moniker suggests, provides dependable service to its customers.

Squid Ink operates as a subsidiary of Engage Technologies Corporation, parent company to Squid Ink, Eastey Enterprises, AFM, and Cogent Technologies.

Northern Pet Products purchased its first Squid Ink marking unit three years ago—a solvent-based AutoPilot to replace a hot stamp bagger purchased elsewhere, giving itself a less expensive coder possessing more flexible print options than standard continuous inkjet printers.

The AutoPilot system is used by Northern Pet Products to print the date and time of the content’s production, as well as lotcode information onto the back of its individual kraft paper bags and paperboard boxes.

“The AutoPilot printing system features a rich, high-resolution printing system available at an entry level price, something a still-small company like Northern Pet Products appreciates,” explains Dependable Marking Systems’ vice-president of sales Dave Frenette.

With the AutoPilot, users are able to print up to 0.7-inches (1.8 cm) of highresolution characters, razor sharp text, scannable bar codes, and even logos, with a 180 dpi (dots per inch) print resolution for excellent quality coding and marking up to a rate of 135 feet/minute (41 meters per minute).

The AutoPilot features a durable full-color touchscreen user panel, and has a industrial strength resin printer construction, meaning it can work well even in harsh factory environments without clogging up the printheads.

Liking what they saw from Dependable Marking Systems, in 2017 the Grillo’s purchased a second AutoPilot—oil-based—for case printing.

This Squid Ink AutoPilot was mounted onto an Eastey Case Sealer, previously sold to them via Dependable Marking Systems’ Frenette. “This AutoPilot was added to replace a contact coder I had sold them about eight years previous.”

Frenette says that the company is now trying out a CoPilot 382—a demo machine—mounted atop the Eastey conveyor, where it applies lot code data to the corrugated shipping cartons converted by McLeish Corr-A-Box. According to Frenette, the CoPilot 382 is a merely “test” machine in lieu of an incoming new CoPilot 500 that will provide a larger barcode area for marking on the cartons as demanded by the Northern Pet Products’ customers.

“The CoPilot 382 will do barcodes—don’t get me wrong,” starts Frenette, noting that he and the company have been working alongside Northern Pet Products for the past 10 years, “but they want a larger marking area, so Dependable Mark-

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The bakery uses a Stealth metal detection unit manufactured by Fortress Technology, providing Northern Pet Products with an additional comfort level regarding the safety of its healthy dog biscuits, thanks to the system’s highly-sensitive digital signal processing tech.

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COVER STORY ing will provide a top-of-the-line CoPilot 500 series marker that they can use as the business continues to grow.”

Frenette says that the CoPilot 500 has replaced the CoPilot 382 as the top-end printer for Squid Ink, as far as print size, line speed and mounting options go.

The CoPilot 500 printing system is designed to print superior quality, highresolution characters on porous substrates, and thanks to its Piezo impulse printhead technology, it always provides sharp resolution up to a print height of 2.8 inches (7.1 cm).

It can also be run with an additional print head allowing the user to print front and back, if needed.

The CoPilot 500 prints at 185 dpi, providing sharp, easy-to-read marking.

As well, the CoPilot 500 comes with an easy-to-use 4.3-inch (10.9 cm) full-color touchscreen that provides easy access to its internal message and print functions. The messages are created and edited on Squid Ink’s Orion PC Software and transferred via USB, Ethernet, wireless or even Windows tablet.

Nick Grillo agrees that he is quite happy with the received performance from the CoPilot 382, “But, at the same time, I am looking forward to working with the CoPilot 500.”

For porous substrates such as the corrugated cartons used by Northern Pet Products, Squid Ink’s PZ-1000 ink offers low-maintenance performance, eliminating the need for auto-priming functions, and has better ink utilization than competitive systems.

The coding machines both utilize conveying systems—built by sister company Eastey—for smooth distribution along the production line.

“We have been very impressed by the Squid Ink machines, and are thankful to Dave at Dependable Marking for introducing them to us,” says Nick Grillo.

“Not only do they produce a very legible ink that the customer can easily read, but both machines are very easy for our operators to use,” he adds.

For additional safety, Northern Pet Products uses a Stealth metal detection system manufactured by Fortress Technology, a Toronto-based global designer and manufacture of top-quality metal detection systems.

The Stealth units are custom-manufactured to suit any application. It uses digital signal processing technology and has a very high sensitivity range for ferrous, non-ferrous and stainless steel contaminants.

For traceability, the Stealth also uses built-in data software—something that is very handy for Northern Pet Products as it furthers its food security standards.

Regarding the company’s Squid Ink coders, Patricia Grillo is effusive in her

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description of the machines purchased via Dependable Marking Systems: “As far as attaining the manufacturing standards we are hoping to achieve within the year, the traceability aspect we are able to achieve via the Squid Ink coders is extremely important.

“No one wants anything bad to ever happen, but should a dog become hurt or sick, it is extremely important that we can go back to the exact time the product was made with the code applied on each bag by the AutoPilot to affect a proper investigation and recall, if necessary,” she notes.“Dependable Marking has helped us every step of the way.

“And we look forward to working with them as we conRossIN650TraysealerAd_Patties_2016March_CP_Layout 1 2/29/16 8:29 PM tinue to grow our business.”

SUPPLIERS Dependable Marking Systems Limited Engage Technologies Corporation Squid Ink Eastey Enterprises McLeish Corr-A-Box Packaging & Design Fortress Technology Inc.

Page 1

Please see the Squid Ink coding equipment in operation at Northern Pet Products on Canadian Packaging TV at www.canadianpackaging.com.

Only Ross MAP packaging keeps your product looking this fresh and appetizing.

Nothing keeps your product fresher than MAP packaging produced on a Ross IN inline tray sealer. n Produces MAP packages using preformed trays of almost any size or shape – easily packages your entire product line. n Consistently produces packages with reliable, high-quality seals that extend shelf-life. n Fast, highly flexible, and extremely easy to operate. n Innovative tool/storage cart allows rapid, tool-less changeovers between tray sizes in 10 minutes or less. n Stainless steel washdown construction and IP67 components. n Compact footprint allows it to fit into tight areas. n Test the Ross IN for yourself. Contact us to set up a demonstration at the Reiser Customer Center.

www.reiser.com Reiser Canada Burlington, ON • (905) 631-6611 Reiser Canton, MA • (781) 821-1290 2015

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PRODUCT ID

NEW LABELER AN AMERICAN CLASSIC

AN OPEN AND SHUT CASE FOR CODING

Designed for low- to medium-speed applications in a broad range of food-andbeverage, nutraceutical, health-and-beauty, and other CPG (consumer packaged goods) manufacturing applications, the new model LX-150 labeler from American Film & Machinery is an inline single-head, mandrel-style labeling system engineered to meet the demands of user’s workf low.

The LX-150 can be rolled up to any conveyor to provide accurate shrinksleeve placement up to 300 products per minute, with all the product runs programmed with the user-friendly touchscreen HMI (human-machine interface) control panel featuring standard and custom menus that can be password-protected for an added layer of security.

Constructed using 304 grade stainless steel to ensure optimal strength, reduced vibration and quiet operation, the LX-150 can handle oval and round containers made of plastic, glass or metal, with users having an option of purchasing additional mandrels for non-cylindrical containers.

Like all other LX Series machines, the LX-150 system is outfitted with servodriven, PLC (programmable logic controller)-controlled label drive rollers, cutter assembly, and label shooting wheels to provide accurate and consistent shrinksleeve labeling, with its multiple blade rotational cutting mechanism providing exceptionally smooth and even cutting of the film from 35 up to 70 microns in thickness.

Featuring an innovative quick-change system for switching mandrels with a simple turn of a knob, the system also facilitates quick size changes via the control panel’s touchscreen interface to adjust the length, while the different product heights are accommodated by raising or lowering the machine with a user-friendly turn-screw mechanism.

Designed to print superior quality hi-resolution characters on porous surfaces, the new CoPilot 500 printing system from Squid Ink Manufacturing, Inc. offers a versatile and highly cost-effective solution for coding and marking applications with its 2.8-inches-high printhead and the ability to run up to two printheads from one controller.

Equipped with the new 502 series print engine from Xaar—a leading developer of piezoelectric technology for the industrial inkjet market— the CoPilot 500 can perform both binary and greyscale printing to offer an economical option for end-users looking to replace the high cost of labels for their case-coding needs.

The system is capable of running oil-based inks to print high-resolution characters, razor-sharp text, scannable barcodes, and attractive branding logos up to 5.6 inches in height (2.8 inches from a single head) at 200-dpi (dots per inch) resolution, and it can be easily set up to work in multiple positions, including horizontal, down-shooting, and side-shooting configurations.

Moreover, the system’s 4.3-inch color touchscreen terminal provides access to the system’s internal messages and print functions to allow for the creation and editing of messages via Squid Ink’s easy-to-use Orion PC Software and transferred via Ethernet or USB device.

For larger applications, a virtually unlimited number of CoPilot 500 printing systems can be connected wirelessly or via Ethernet and controlled through one central Orion print station.

For mobile users on-the-go, Squid Ink also offers a 10.1-inch, full-color Windows tablet with Orion software for mobile programming within the production facility.

American Film & Machinery

Squid Ink Manufacturing, Inc.

NEW CODERS MAKE CLEAR CASE FOR ON-DEMAND CLARITY To address evolving case coding needs of manufacturers, Videojet Technologies, Inc., a global leader in coding, marking and printing solutions, introduces its latest innovations, the Videojet 2351 and 2361 high-resolution large character inkjet printers for producers with ondemand case coding operations.

Leveraging the proven patented technology of the Videojet 2300 Series, the new Videojet 2351 and 2361 not only print high-quality, durable bar codes, text and images on white and brown corrugated boxes, but also offer a new standard in simplicity of maintenance, reliability and ease-of-use.

“Retailers are demanding 100-percent scannability of case barcodes and CPG companies need on-demand print solutions that can meet this requirement without having to devote resources for continual monitoring of print quality and frequent maintenance,” says Bob Neagle, business unit manager for case-coding and workf low solutions at Videojet.

“The Videojet 2300 line of high-resolution, large character inkjet printers has been addressing this need with its patented micro-purge technology, and now we’ve innovated with the new 2351 and 2361 models—improving functionality and reducing daily maintenance to a minimum.”

Replaceable in seconds with basic tools, the new Videojet 2351 and 2361 printers’ innovative and cost-effective return line filter helps maintain high print quality and clean operation, even on

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extended runs.

The multiple daily steps required to maintain print quality have been reduced to a simple wipe of the printhead surface, simplifying maintenance and minimizing operator intervention.

As part of the Videojet 2300 Series, the 2351 and 2361 also feature Videojet-patented automatic micro-purge technology that blows dirt and debris off the printhead surface.

This technology clears potential blockages caused by dust from corrugated materials and helps these printers deliver consistently high-quality codes without the need for operator intervention.

The purged ink is recycled to provide cleaner operation and optimized ink usage, and abbreviated purge times can be coordinated in between prints to help to keep the production lines running.

Moreover, each printer’s compact ink canister can be quickly and easily changed without stopping production.

The Videojet 2351 and 2361 have a builtin intuitive touch controller featuring Videojet CLARiTY software that streamlines data content—helping to remove operator error from job selection.

Included with the CLARiTY interface is a new feature that drives a printer priming process to eliminate the need for external priming equipment.

This improved functionality makes it quick and easy to get the printer back online in the event it requires re-priming. Networking is also easily

done with multiple printers in a master-follower configuration with multiple devices such as scanners and data interfaces.

Adding to the printers’ ease of maintenance and minimized operator intervention is the inclusion of the Videojet LifeCycle Advantage service offering users dynamic printer data, remote connectivity and Videojet expertise to keep printers operating at peak efficiency over their operational lifetime.

“Print quality is mission critical for our customers who use a print on-demand case coding solution,” says Neagle. “Without it, the f lexibility and efficiency of an on-demand solution can be lost.

“That is why we always strive to continuously improve our technology to help ensure that print quality is consistently achieved without unnecessary thought or effort,” Neagle concludes. “This allows our customer’s resources to be redirected to other more critical tasks.”

Videojet Technologies Inc.

CANADIAN PACKAGING • APRIL 2018

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2018-03-13 3:47 9:30 PM AM 2018-04-09

PACKAGING FOR DISTRIBUTION

WORLDS AWAY

Six essential packaging tips to ensure manufacturing success in overseas operations

M

anufacturing your products overseas can help you meet customer demand and reduce per-unit costs, but it can also put your product quality, customer experience, brand and profitability at risk.

How do you make sure this doesn’t happen to you?

Here are six tips to help you improve your overseas packaging process:

1. Be sure to get the products you pay for.

When you’re manufacturing overseas, you might be dealing with an unknown market and a lack of price transparency, which could make you vulnerable to surprises.

One way around this is to partner with a packaging company that has an international presence and knows the market—one that can leverage economies of scale and negotiate the best market price with suppliers.

“A company with international presence can visit the factory, oversee manufacturing, work directly with suppliers, take photos, and give updates, so you don’t have to have that late-night conference call or, worse, take that last-minute flight to China to get the answers you need, ” says Josh Larson, global business manager with the Atlanta, Ga.-headquartered packaging and facility supplies distributor Veritiv.

“This will help you increase your speed to market and better manage your costs.”

2. Monitor materials to prevent damage.

Once you start negotiating with suppliers in another country, you might discover new challenges.

One of these might be discovering that materials determined in the development phase are being replaced with lower-quality substrates during the production phase.

“Ensuring your substrates are properly specified for global production, and not substituted for cheaper options, is critical,” says Bin Jiang,Veritiv’s director of international packaging operations.

Using lower-quality substrates can lead to significant product damage, a high customer return rate and, ultimately, the erosion of brand value.

In addition to fostering freight and warehouse inefficiencies, product damage can also drive up the costs of service labor and warehouse fulfillment resources,

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which may resort to work overtime to resolve quality issues. Add these costs to the actual product replacement, and the value of protecting your product through strategic packaging is clear.

To prevent this, you can put measures in place to continuously monitor and evaluate the materials in your packaging. This will help minimize and resolve issues before they affect your profitability.

You can also outsource packaging material management to a partner who can ensure that the materials you agreed on in the development phase will be the same materials that make it to the production phase, which will help ensure your packaging performs in the transcontinental shipping environment.

3. Perform rigorous testing to ensure success.

Considering the international travel plans of your product—from truck to ship to warehouse—you’ll want to enlist the help of a testing facility that puts your product through rigorous testing. Shaking, vibrating and even slightly crushing your package all help identify the need for design improvements.These can ensure that your package will perform even under the most arduous conditions.

Climate is also critical to determining materials.

High humidity, for instance, can adversely affect corrugate strength.

4. Monitor quality on 24/7 basis.

To make sure your package performs, keep a quality engineer on the factory floor.

At the very least, you will need a trusted partner to perform critical inspections, such as First Article Inspection and Certificate of Conformance. Make sure you have a physical presence at the factory, even if that factory is in Mexico City.

You can set the stage for quality by choosing the right suppliers; training those suppliers on your brand criteria and specifications; and ensuring that quality inspection is based on your company’s specific needs.

This approach can help avoid issues that could impact your bottom line.

5. Strive for brand consistency and customer loyalty Manufacturing overseas sometimes requires produc-

tion at multiple locations, which can lead to major inconsistencies that could negatively impact your brand.

“The contract manufacturers and suppliers you’re working with overseas are often not design or packaging experts,” says Jiang. “When you have a brand to protect, you need a packaging design expert—someone who can provide guidance to the manufacturer to ensure brand color and graphics are consistent throughout production.”

To improve the brand consistency of your packaging, consider working with a company that offers graphic and structural packaging design solutions with a physical presence overseas. Your brand consistency could improve, which could help increase customer loyalty.

6. Go with a partner who has global supply chain knowledge Finally, when evaluating an international packaging partner, find one that’s an expert at moving your package across the globe.

“It’s important to have a partner who’s familiar with all the import/export trade compliance policies for each country and the duties that need to be paid,” says Jiang.

“They should have advanced knowledge of the material regulations, including the potential fines for not using environmentally-friendly materials in Europe.”

Following these six tips is just one step towards improving your overseas packaging and end-user customer experience. “Packaging is so much more than ‘just packaging,’” says Larson. “So many questions need to be asked, such as, ‘How can we design to further reduce cost? How much more efficient can we make it for shipping? How can we reduce product damage? How can we improve the customer experience? And how can this package increase both sales and sustainability?”

No matter where your manufacturing takes place, packaging needs to be more than just a process. It needs to be a strategic design.

The above text originally appeared in the 2017 issue of the Packaging Unwrapped magazine, published by the Veritiv Corporation.

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AUTOMATE NOW

GET YOUR MOTORS RUNNING Essential tips for improving motion control performance in your packaging lines

BY AJAY RANA

P

ackaging lines, whether being designed for ‘greenfield’ installs or ‘brownfield’ expansions, can take advantage of the many technical innovations being made in the areas of motion control, software communications platform integration, safety, remote connectivity, washdown rating, or international standards compliance and modularity.

The burgeoning market for North American-built equipment in the emerging and traditional offshore markets, plus a continued strong domestic business climate, are driving the development of more advanced technologies and flexibility in design of such equipment and systems.

While there are a multitude factors to consider in any major packaging line projects, there are 11 main recent technology developments in packaging machine and line motion control offering both end-user line improvements and expanded capabilities for the machine ORMS (original equipment manufacturers).

A new decentralized drive technology consisting of a drive mounted directly over the motor.

This technology significantly reduces the amount of cabling required, plus conserves control cabinet space, cooling costs and related energy efficiencies.

Quick-connects and a common DC bus further enhance the effectiveness and field performance of this decentralized drive concept, while having just one cable per motor also eliminates the need for a separate communication cable.

This is an integral part of “Hybrid Cable technology” now on the market.

1

The incorporation of EtherNet I/P interface into the drive to permit online communication with other brands of equipment.

This development has significant advantages in a brownfield line expansion/upgrade with legacy controls, or when new equipment that utilizes various brands of motion control components is being incorporated by an end user or system integrator.

Through a regular Ethernet/IP cable connection, other communication languages can be routed to the drive system components and motion controller, thereby providing huge capital savings and time savings.

In short, it gives the end user and OEM a flexibility to choose the best control components.

From the software perspective, the heterogeneous automation environment of the past was a significant

2

engineering challenge and financial roadblock, but not anymore.

Advancements in the “safety wall” for packaging machine builders, whereby a safety PLC, hardware and software, plus features such as safety integrated into the drives, provide an effective

3

double safety scenario.

The days of the mandatory key-switch lockouts and intense engineering of the line safety have given way to the fail-safe controller with safety functions integrated on the drive, while closed-loop position control of the drive remains fully active.

This facilitates faster restart of the line, as setup func-

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AUTOMATE NOW password will allow for complete condition monitoring and onsite troubleshooting on a packaging line.

The end user can also access a full library of “fixes” online, and the web server can be customized to suit the user’s needs.

In a more complex arrangement, the machine builder and end user can also extract performance data to track machine uptime, component wear, maintenance strategies and other considerations in an overall equipment effectiveness (OEE) paradigm.

In terms of functionality on the floor, the key advantage is the maintenance engineer’s ability to quickly and accurately isolate an issue in the line, do the diagnostic analysis, get a part ordered or obtain onsite service in the most efficient and cost-effective means possible.

The price of a single hour of downtime on a major packaging line makes a compelling case for deploying such remote connectivity plant-wide.

Global standards compliance is becoming

10 increasingly important with more North Ameritions can be performed with the protective covers and guards open, so you get shorter downtimes, less wasted product and a resulting higher level of productivity— all in a totally safe environment that protects operators and machinery alike.

New motion controller technology, ranging from one- to128 axis capacity with just two form factors, motion control and a PLC functionality, in one hardware package is getting widespread acceptance in the industry.

Having a single software platform and the same programmability to configure from one axis to 128 axes adds an extra advantage both on cost saving and engineering time. This development is emerging in tandem with enhanced communication protocols from machine-to-machine or up to a full Manufacturing Execution System (MES) network.

The result is faster construction, commissioning and line integration.

Also, having an integrated web server inside the controller helps troubleshooting, which can be anywhere from basic to advanced. Operator control, maintenance and diagnostics data are standardized, while the data links to the master mainframe or IT system are simplified.

4

Motor advancements, including field-replaceable encoders plus plug-and-play technology and quick-connect technology, have changed the landscape in both machine-building and line maintenance.

As an example, high-performance, energy-efficient AC servo motors, coupled with a drive component, are being offered as a package and manufacturers are today making more software tools available for motor size selection, drives pairing and communications hardware options.

Likewise, servo, torque and linear motors are all available with a quick identification device to make line integration a one-click operation.

5

Gearmotor packages are generally used for specific heavier duty conveyor applications.

The use of advanced helical bevel technology that

6

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allows lower-horsepower motor usage, smoother starts, high torque control, operating efficiency and less energy consumption are some of the features that should be considered when specifying gearmotors.

As a side note, most manufacturers today provide downloadable CAD files for easier design integration by the builder and end user communities, to facilitate both in-plant and engineering system documentation.

In addition, all mechanical data are usually available online for the mounting of gearmotors, which is a real plus for the installer.

New washdown motor technology for the food and beverage production that feature a complete stainless steel enclosure is around the corner.

Hygienic design gets special consideration in certain sectors of the packaging and processing industries, whenever machine components are in direct contact with food, beverage, cosmetics etc.

Having a washdown motor with totally hygienic design adds value to the overall machine for the builders and keeps the downtime to a minimum for the end users.

Currently, the IP69K standard—used for all applications where high-pressure and high-temperature washdown are used to sanitize equipment—is getting considerable attention in this huge market segment.

This new standard will become the norm for food processing in the near future, as it represents a decided improvement over the older IP ratings.

7

Modular solution technology, whereby a single large machine with multiple sections of motion control or a full production packaging line can be run without the need for multiple CPUs. Modularity breeds flexibility to enable one engineer the solution to provide a seamless transition from a machine with all options to a machine with fewer, but more job-specific options.

The economic advantages here are self-evident, and they are the key driver to this development of the enhanced open architecture of the motion controller and drive systems.

8

9

Remote connectivity through an integrated web server with a maintenance person having a

can machinery and equipment builders selling overseas.

Supplier presence worldwide is essential to make it easier for the machine builders to get parts and competent service quickly.

The remote connectivity detailed above is also a factor here, but the need for standards-compliant machine components that can be integrated into an existing design for foreign sale is critical.

To be competitive on the world market, builders must be cognizant of their vendors’ international capabilities and for the multinational end-user as well: this norm is consequential in achieving efficient compliance approval from the local standards organizations.

The sustainability and the flexibility of en-

11 ergy conservation afforded to both machinebuilders and end-users by the emergence of regenerative drives technology in the packaging world is of paramount importance, as any excess energy can be used to drive other machine components or returned to the grid in a measurable manner.

This “active front end” technology on the drive, coupled with more energy efficiency on the motors used, yields a definable best practice accomplishment in energy cost savings for the builder and end-user alike.

In the overall evaluation, automation is the watchword for a modern packaging line and the equipment or machinery builder who supplies it.

Automation combined with trained personnel will provide faster, more efficient and cost-effective production.

With automation products and software becoming so much more reliable and affordable, the days of the purely mechanical system are numbered, if not already spent.

Having a high degree of automation in your line or on your machine means faster product changeover, faster recipe adjustments, homing of new line components after an install, and greatly enhanced troubleshooting capabilities.

Ajay Rana is the industry business development manager for packaging with Siemens Industry, Inc., a subsidiary of global automation, digitalization and electrification technologies group Siemens AG, headquartered in Munich, Germany.

CANADIAN PACKAGING • APRIL 2018

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—

Yo To

See to n Me, rea

ww

CPK_AB

EVENTS April 16-18

May 2-4

Philadelphia, Pa: PACK EXPO East, packaging and processing technologies show by PMMI, The Association for Packaging and Processing Technologies. At Pennsylvania Convention Center. To register, go to: www.packexpoeast.com

Montreal: SIAL Canada, international food show for North America by Comexposium. Jointly with the SET Canada food industry equipment and technologies exhibition. At the Palais des Congrès, Montréal.To register, go to: www.sialcanada.com

April 17-18 Green Bay, Wis.: Converters Expo, package converting technologies exhibition by BNP Media. At Lambeau Field Atrium. To register, go to: www.convertersexpo.com

April 18-20 Atlanta, Ga.: AWA International Sleeve Label Conference & Exhibition 2018, by AWA (Alexander Watson Associates). At Crowne Plaza Atlanta. To register, go to: www.awa-bv.com/events

April 23-27 Hannover, Germany: Hannover Messe 2018, global industrial technologies fair by Deutsche Messe. At Hannover Messe exhibition grounds. To register, go to: www.hannovermesse.de

April 24-25 Guadalajara, Mexico: Label Summit Latin America, by Labelexpo Global Series.

At Expo Guadalajara. To register, go to: www.labelsummit.com/mexico

April 24-26 Vancouver: Live Healthy: Eat Fresh CPMA 2018, annual convention and trade show of the Canadian Produce Marketing Association (CPMA). At Vancouver Convention Centre. To register, contact Jennifer Oakley of CPMA at (613) 2264187, ext. 218; or via email joakley@cpma.com

April 29-30 Toronto: Bakery Showcase 2018, trade show and conference by the Baking Association of Canada. At The International Centre (Mississauga, Ont.), Hall 5. To register, go to: www.baking.ca

May 1-2 Toronto: Partners in Prevention 2018, occupational health and safety conference and trade show by Workplace Safety & Prevention Services (WSPS). At The International Centre. Contact WSPS Customer Care Department at 1 (877) 494-9777; or via email conference@wsps.ca

May 7-8 Indianapolis, Ind.: INFOFLEX 2018, package printing and converting exhibition by the Flexographic Technical Association. Concurrently with the Forum 2018 conference. To register, go to: www.f lexography.org

May 7-10 Orlando, Fla.: SPE ANTEC (Annual Technical Conference) by the Society of Plastics Engineers (SPE). At the Orange County Convention Center. To register, go to: www.4spe.org

May 7-11 Orlando, Fla.: NPE2018: The Plastics Show, by the Plastics Industry Association (PLASTICS). At the Orange County Convention Center. To register, go to: www.plasticsindusry.org

May 7-9 Muscat, Oman: Oman Plast 2018, international plastics, rubber, petrochemicals, printing and packaging industry exhibition by Silver Star Corporation LLC. At Oman Convention & Exhibition Centre. To register, go to: www.silverstaroman.com

May 8-11 Barcelona, Spain: Hispack 2018, international packaging, processing and logistics exhibition. At Fira de Barcelona Gran Via. To register, go to: www.hispack.com

May 10-12 Bangkok, Thailand: Labelexpo Southeast Asia, labeling technologies exhibition by Tarsus Group. At the Bangkok International Trade & Exhibition Centre (BITEC).

To register, go to: www.labelexpo-seasia.com

May 16-18 New York City: Sustainable Cosmetics Summit, international conference by Ecovia Intelligence. At Park Central Hotel New York. To register, go to: www.sustainablecosmeticssummit.com

—

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• 25 APRIL 2018 • CANADIAN PACKAGING WWW.CANADIANPACKAGING.COM2017-07-31

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PACKAGING FOR FRESHNESS

THE DEEP FREEZE

Frozen pasta product manufacturer comes in from the cold with robust automatic packaging machinery

F

or a fairly simple dish and everyday staple, pasta comes in a rich recipe variety and diversity far exceeding its seemingly basic premise of combining unleavened dough of durum wheat flour with water or eggs and formed into sheets of various shapes.

Served hot or cold in popular dishes around the world, there are an estimated 310 specific forms of pasta known by over 1,300 different names, with a seemingly endless array of recipe and serving possibilities.

As such, the dish is a well of constant innovation for companies like Surgital, a well-established Italian manufacturer of deep-frozen pasta that produces 300 pasta varieties daily at its central production facility in Lavezzola, located in the EmiliaRomagna region in the country’s northeast.

Employing some 230 people, the 60,000-square-meter factory processes 135 tons of fresh pasta a day to make over 60,000 ready-made, single portion meals, along with eight tons of froze pasta sauce in cubes, to make a wide assortment of Ravioli, Lasagne and other poplar dishes sold in over 50 countries worldwide.

Founded in 1980 under the name Laboratorio Tortellini by Romana Tamburini and her husband, Edoardo Bacchini, it began producing fresh pasta for the retail trade, soon making a name for itself as the demand for its delicious products grew rapidly.

With time, the company discovered that deep-freezing was the best solution for marketing its pasta specialities beyond the local markets because this method retained the products’ freshness and natural flavors without the need for preservatives.

Renaming itself to Surgital, the company has become synonymous with the surgeleta (deep frozen) pasta products over the past three decades—supplying markets worldwide with a growing range of typically Italian delicacies that can be prepared in a flash.

Employing a full-time team of top chefs and biologists at its on-site R&D (research and development) center, the company is continuously introducing new product into the markets, including nine new varieties of frozen Ravioli readymade meals.

“We are constantly extending our product range with innovative products with different shapes or different colors,” explain Tamburini and Bacchini, managing directors of Surgital.

To support this volume growth on the production floor, the Surgital plant has made extensive use of the robust, fully-automatic TLM (top-loading module) technology incorporated into the automatic tray-packing machine installed by in 2005 by prominent Germany packaging machinery manufacturers Gerhard Schubert GmbH Verpackungsmaschinen.

The F4 picker arms take the frozen Ravioli product from the infeed belt (background) and place them in the tray pockets.

A total of nine F4 picker arms sort the Ravioli precisely into the trays.

The Schubert system automatically sorts and packs nine different varieties of Ravioli inside the corresponding trays.

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Leveraging the high flexibility of the TLM technology for new products and formats, the company has been able to combine robust throughput with gentle product handling and optimal packaging performance for over 10 years.

So when the time arrived to install a new machine to accommodate the new Ravioli product range, Surgital naturally turned to Schubert again with full confidence that the new investment would prepare it for the future and pay for itself fairly quickly.

“We have been able to automatically pack anything we invented over the last 10 years with our Schubert installation,” says Bacchini.

“We value the reliability of our collaboration with Schubert, as well as the quality and flexibility of the machinery,” Bacchini adds, complimenting the Schubert systems’ delicate product handling, high-speed sorting capabilities and precise, repeatable positioning of the product inside the trays while maintaining precise weight of the contents.

Handling nine new Ravioli varieties with different shapes, colors and fillings, the

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PACKAGING FOR FRESHNESS meeting the plant’s production requirements.

As Bacchini points out, “The stainless steel version of the machine ensures fast and thorough cleaning, which plays an immensely important role in the hygienic packaging of our food.”

With Surgital’s delicious creations and Schubert’s flexible packaging combining to help the two family-owned companies showcase their core strengths on a daily basis, this is one happy relationship that seems to be well prepared for whatever the future may hold in store.

Ravioloni is the name of this tasty 7x8-cm giant from the new Surgital product range, with nine of these squares placed into a tray.

A picker arm swing into in action to place are positioned precisely inside the tray.

SUPPLIERS Gerhard Schubert GmbH

April 29 & 30

Schubert system’s optical image recognition capabilities naturally play an import part in the process, whereby Schubert uses a reflected light color scanner to determine the positioning of the passing product and to transmit the corresponding information to the TLM F4 robotic picker arms.

The new Schubert installation at the Surgital plant comprises four expertly integrated submachines configured to ensure a smooth-running process.

The deep-frozen Ravioli pieces transported from the cooling tunnel to enter the first submachine unsorted and without touching each other at an approximately -20°C temperature to make their way to the infeed conveyor of the Schubert picker line.

The products are then guided through the following submachines, which have a total of nine F4 robots installed at strategic intervals.

Designed to provide maximum spacesavings, the new line enables three F4 robotic arms to be be installed in a single submachine.

The F4 robots are equipped with custom-fitted suction cups with which they take the Ravioli coming off the belt using careful air suction, and gently place them into the trays.

Fed onto the line from a three-track magazine, the empty trays are supplied by an F3 transfer robot removing the trays, three-at-a-time, from the magazine and placing them onto a chain conveyor.

This in turn guides the trays in the opposite direction to the product flow through the individual stations, where they are filled by TLM F4 robots.

The filled trays are passed to a delivery conveyor from the Schubert machine to the sealing unit downstream, where all nine different varieties of Ravioli are sorted and packed in the matching trays.

Depending on the variety, the Schubert system can reach output rates of up to 720 Ravioli packs per minute, easily

AL BAKI NG I ND US TION A TR N S YE ’ A D VE A N AN

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The International Centre Toronto (Mississauga) Ontario, Canada

Join more than 4,500 baking and food industry professionals from bakeries (retail, commercial, in-store & artisan) grocery stores & foodservice companies.

For exhibit space, sponsorship & attending information: Baking Association of Canada Tel: 905-405-0288 / 888-674-2253 info@baking.ca

www.baking.ca

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PRE-SHOW REPORT

BAKED GOODNESS

Canada’s baked goods sector primed for biennial showcase of the country’s collective baking expertise and know-how in Toronto

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here are few food manufacturing sectors in Canada today rivaling the profound economic, social and nutritional impact of Canada’s $8.6-bllion commercial baking industry, and no place better to see it all for yourself that at The International Centre, Hall 4, at this month’s upcoming Bakery Showcase 2018, April 29-30, 2018.

Like the fast-changing baked goods industry itself, the biennial event of the Baking Association of Canada (BAC) has grown in leaps and bounds since its debut edition back in 1965—offering visitors to this year’s Bakery Showcase a plethora of networking and learning opportunities to improve their business.

Featuring over 300 exhibits—including 75 new first-time participants—the upcoming two-day event will cover over 100,000 square feet of exhibit floorspace to demonstrate all the latest baking ingredients, equipment, services and technology, along with an expansive variety of finished baked goods: from fresh and par-baked to freezerto-oven and thaw-and-serve product offerings.

As one would expect, many of Canada’s leading machinery and materials suppliers—including the likes of Abbey Packaging Equipment, Alpha Poly Corporation, Genpak, Paxiom Group and Reiser (Canada) Co., among others—will be eager to display their latest packaging innovations for boosting productivity and bottom-line results for Canadian baked goods producers facing challenging conditions in the fiercely competitive marketplace.

As the country’s second-largest packaged foods sector in total revenues, the Canadian baked goods industry is a critical ingredient to Canada’s economic growth and well-being, but with much work to be done to reach its full world-class potential.

According to a recent industry report from IBISWorld, sales of baked goods in Canada grew “moderately over the five years to 2017, rising from $5.67 billion in 2012 to $6.18 billion in 2016.

Much of that growth came as a result of rising exports and strong demand for higher-end products, which helped offset “stagnating domestic consumption of wheat products,” according to the study.

“Over the next five years to 2022, a shift in health consciousness and consumer preferences are likely to continue affecting the industry’s product mix,” the report states, “as operators increasingly focus on expanding their portfolio of nutritious, specialty and artisanal breads.”

With an estimated 5,000 bakery business professionals expected to attend this year’s show, the BAC has assembled a strong roster of speakers to address some of the industry’s top-of-mind issues, including:

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PRE-SHOW REPORT

SUNDAY, MAY 29, 9:30 AM TO 10:00 AM: From NAFTA to Food & Nutrition Policies: What is Next for Canada’s Baking Industry in 2018 and Beyond?

Will NAFTA be renegotiated or thrown away, and what will it mean for product exports and equipment/ingredient imports? How will the upcoming labeling regulations impact bakers both large and small? What will the proposed ‘Marketing to Children’ prohibition mean for advertising and in-store promotions? These are a few of the questions that will be addressed during the fastpaced session presented by the Baking Association of Canada’s Paul Hetherington and Johanne Trudeau.

As a special show attraction, the fully-equipped mobile sensory lab called Sensobus—developed by the Puratos Group in 2005 to gather consumer insights while they went about their daily business—will be accessible to registered show attendees throughout the show to let them identify their target demographics and to determine their preferences to gain a better understanding of the modern consumers buying habits.

To register for the Bakery Showcase 2018 trade show and conference, please go to www.baking.ca

10:00 AM TO 11:00 AM: Baking to Fulfill: Satisfy Your Customers and Yourself Popular celebrity pastry chef Anna Olson will share her insights on today’s baking business, entrepreneurship, promotions and channeling your drive to succeed by way of personal anecdotes and experiences.

“Simple and flexible financing allowed us to expand the way we wanted.”

MONDAY, APRIL 30, 8:45 AM TO 9:30 AM Consumers and Bakery Products: Examining Today’s Consumer Behaviors and Expectations With consumers becoming ever more knowledgeable and articulate about the food choices they make, global market research firm Puratos Group has interviewed almost 11,000 consumers in 25 countries about their choices, attitudes and perceptions related to the baked goods industry. Presented by Liesbaet Vandepoel, director of marketing at Puratos Canada, this session will provide a wealth of valuable information to inspire you to further innovate and add value to your baked offerings to exceed your customers’ expectations.

Mike Timani, President, Fancy Pokket Food Processor

9:30 AM TO 10:15 AM Stop Telling Your Story: Become Part of Mine Award-winning marketing, sales and communications expert Tony Chapman will share his keen insights on how to inspire, motivate, educate, engage and persuade the people you market and sell your products to, and to grow your business.

10:15 AM TO11:00 AM Dealing with Change: How Three Baking Industry Experts are Managing Today’s Challenges Moderated by Tony Chapman, this panel discussion will explore the many new complexities and opportunities associated with today’s changing consumer demands and business expectations. Sharing the stories of their respective companies’ ongoing success in environment of growing scrutiny by consumers, health group and governments, the three-speaker panel includes: Brad Bissonnette, vice-president of marketing and franchise recruitment at COBS Bread; Tom Mattes, vice-president of operations at Del’s Pastry; and Connie Morrison, chief operating officer at Chudleigh’s Limited.

Back by popular demand, the College Creative Challenge will feature student teams from Centennial, George Brown and Humber community colleges competing in the interstellar competition, based on the Dreams theme, featuring the design skills, creativity and ingenuity of participating students in the building and displaying of their baked masterpieces, with the winner selected by the Bakery Showcase 2018 attendees.

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AUTOMATE NOW

THE PREMIUM ADVANTAGE

Famed Italian mineral water brand reaps rewards of an expert equipment installation to reap big savings in time, money, energy and floorspace real estate

O

ver the past few years, the global market for bottled water has grown significantly, driven by increasing demand for premium, healthier drinks.

According to recent industry forecasts, this buoyant market is projected to grow at an average CAGR (compound annual growth rate) of 6.6 per cent over the period from 2016 to 2024, nearly doubling in value from US$170 billion to over US$307 billion by the end of 2024.

Comprised of four primary product categories—including still, flavored, carbonated and functional—the bottled water market is currently led by still bottled water, followed by a fast-growing carbonated bottled water segment.

The growing global demand for both sparkling and mineral products have driven the need for increased production capacity at the San Pellegrino water-bottling facility in Ruspino, Italy.

Widely marketed as the ‘finest sparkling natural mineral water’ and chosen by top chefs and diners all around the world, the S.Pellegrino brand of mineral water—owned

by Nestlé Waters—is well-renowned as a fine dining water on tables worldwide, both in elegant restaurants and at home.

Flowing from natural springs in Val Brembana in the San Pellegrino Terme area, at the foothills of the Italian Alps, the water takes an estimated 30-year journey inside the earth that mineralizes the water through contact with underground rocks.

During that time, the S.Pellegrino mineral water beSEW-ECDRIVES-CANPACK11x4-2018.pdf 1 25/01/2018 11:08:02 AM

comes naturally enriched with salts, including the essential calcium and magnesium, which gives it a slightly bitter note to complete a unique and unmistakable beverage experience anywhere on the planet.

Produced in the same region for over 600 years, this unique mineral has even been called “miraculous” by the great Renaissance figure Leonardo Da Vinci back in 1509, inspiring him to write a whole treatise on water.

In more modern times, however, the celebrated brand has benefitted extensively from a 50-year-plus business relationship between Nestlé Waters and the Sidel

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Group, a leading French manufacturer of equipment and machinery for the packaging of liquid, food, home and personal care products in PET (polyethylene terephthalate) plastic, cans, glass and other materials.

The mutually-beneficial relationship has resulted in many important and significant developments within the global beverage industry, with the recent installation of state-of-the-art Sidel Matrix Combo integrated blow-fill-cap solution being no exception.

Combining blow molding, filling and capping processes into a single system, this solution reduces operating costs and uses up to 30 per cent less floor space, compared with traditional standalone equipment.

The masterful integration of the different equipment types and production phases into a single system essentially eliminates the need for extra conveying, empty bottle handling, accumulation and storage, according to Sidel, while improving both the production line efficiency and bottom-line impact through lower TCO (total cost of ownership) expenditures.

As Sanpellegrino’s plant director Salvatore Sbriglione recalls,“We wanted to increase output rates according to the different bottle formats we produce in Ruspino.

The line dedicated to the bigger formats—the 750-ml, 1,000-ml and 1,250-ml bottles—was projected to grow to output rates of 36,000 bottles per hour, while the one used to produce the 0.5-liter bottles was intended to increase speed to 54,000 bottles per hour.

“In awarding the contract to Sidel to upgrade our existing PET lines and to increase output rates and speed, we clearly considered the longstanding relationship between Nestlé Waters, the group we are part of, and this supplier,” Sbri-

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AUTOMATE NOW glione relates.

“However, what convinced us most were the high hygiene standards offered by their solutions and the fact that we both share the same, absolute focus on product and process quality.”

By using fewer component machines, the Sidel Matrix Combi offers two- to four-percent higher efficiency levels than stand-alone machines, faster format changeovers, lower energy consumption, and a reduction of operating costs of eight to 12 per cent through additional costsavings in labor, raw materials and spare parts, according to Sidel.

Also, by handling the bottles by the neck throughout the latter stages of the production process, along with the elimination of intermediary conveying, the Sidel Matrix Combi also offers greater freedom of shape and significant lightweighting opportunities.

Featuring a unique look and feel, the PET version of the S.Pellegrino bottle was conceived and designed to be enjoyed both at home and on-the-go.

According to the water-bottler, it is created in the same unique Vichy silhouette shape to ensure that the effervescence and bubbles of the mineral water’s unique style would be immediately recognizable.

Both Sidel Matrix Combi units supplied to the Ruspino site are equipped with Sidel’s model SF300 FM filler built to ensure a strict hygienic environment with a reduced filler enclosure, with all the fullyautomatic changeovers performed via an operator-friendly HMI (human-machine interface) for optimum uptime and highest productivity levels.

As Sidel’s global key account director Andrea Lupi points out: “Both Combi’s feature Sidel’s Blendfill configuration combining carbonator and filler in a single system for ensuring top-quality sparkling water.

“This solution contributes to further reducing consumption of carbon-dioxide and results in a smaller footprint,” says Lupi, also citing the use of servomotors to reduce electricity consumption.

Adds Lupi: “The system guarantees the utmost precision of filling thanks to magnetic flowmeters and no vertical movement of bottles, which allows for smoother handling, minimal foaming, and no bottle jams.

“Moreover, the reduced filler enclosure ensures minimum use of water and chemicals during external cleaning to achieve full food safety compliance, which is a major priority for Sanpellegrino.”

For his part, Sbriglione attributes the success of the Sanpellegrino project to excellent communication between the installation teams of both parties, along with Sidel’s proactive approach to project management and expert advice that greatly facilitated the implementation of new equipment.

“The Installation of both Sidel Matrix Combi units was performed without affecting our production planning,” Sbriglione states.

“We are confident that our ongoing collaboration with Sidel will ensure that we quickly attain our top line efficiency objectives and—with the company’s ongoing support—we will maintain, and maybe even improve them, at some future point.”

SUPPLIERS Sidel Group

We’re more than just packaging Increase your output and minimize downtime with one single source.

Compact Thermoformer

Manual Traysealer

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PACKAGING FOR FRESHNESS

PLENTY OF FISH

Packaging equipment powerhouse Reiser shows off its seafood packaging prowess at its Customer Center open house event

T

here is no way better way to break the ice before a big important trade show than to have a little housewarming party, which is what leading processing and packaging machinery manufacturer Reiser did in fine style the day before last month’s Seafood Expo North America exhibition in Boston, Ma. Having just recently completed a massive expansion of the company’s Reiser Customer Center facility just outside of Boston in Canton, the venerable equipment manufacturer used the occasion to invite dozens of seafood industry professionals and show attendees to see the company’s world class line-up of highperformance equipment in a live demonstration of the processing and packaging of various seafood products.

“The expansion of our Canton facility reflects the continued growth of Reiser and the many services we provide to our customers,” says vice-president of strategic business development John McIsaac.

Designed by Roth & Seleen and completed by Bowdoin Construction Company in less than a year, the multiphase project consisted of a complete retrofit of the existing 22,000 square feet of office and staff lounge space within the Reiser headquarters, along with installation of new windows along the building perimeter, as well as an outdoor courtyard and a patio.

The subsequent phase included a 46,000-square-foot warehouse addition with an active rack system, and a new 6,600 temperature-controlled commercial Test Kitchen, showroom for food preparation, and a fitness center.

All in all, the expanded Reiser facility now features about 70 more per cent interior space than before, with the top-quality features including epoxy floors, polished concrete, a new structural mezzanine, and high-quality interior finishes.

For its part, the new building construction consists of steel, light gauge framing, masonry, metal panels, and an aluminum and glass curtainwall system to provide optimal protection from the harsh weather condition often encountered in this part of New England.

Randy Belcot, field sales manager with the company’s Reiser Canada subsid-

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A sampling of the different packaging formats for seafood products tested at Riser’s expanded Customer Center facility.

iary in Burlington, Ont., says the expanded facility provides a far more accurate reflection of the wealth of technical expertise and knowledge that Reiser is keen to share with its customers and potential clients in the seafood and other protein industries, as well as those in the bakery and cheese sectors.

“Our new Customer Center is one more way that Reiser can help processors develop the best solution for their particular application,” Belcot said.

“Food processors who would like to test and develop new products and processes, as well as our equipment will find a very welcome reception here.

“The expanded Customer Center features a full test kitchen for preparing, cooking and sampling finished product,” said Belcot, “along with modern conference rooms for meetings and training, as well as comfortable workstations for visitors.

“The Reiser Customer Center features customizable processing rooms with space to run individual machines or fully automated lines, and a full test kitchen for preparing, cooking and sampling finished product.”

As Belcot explained, “The revamped facility includes modular walls to allow running of up to four separate tests simultaneously, and rooms can be configured to run full lines in a real-life production environment.

“The facility includes a full restaurant kitchen, licensed as a restaurant for foodservice, and the rooms are designed to simulate the plant environments of bakery, meat, cheese and other food producers.

“This bustling facility has already hosted numerous customers each and every day since it’s been open,” said Belcot, citing an extensive line-up of Reiser’s processing and packaging equipment housed on-site, including: • Vemag brand stuffers, grinders, formers, fillers, portioners, depositors, extruders, co-extruders and dough dividers; • Holac dicers, slicers, and cutting equipment.

• AMFEC range of mixers, blenders, tumblers, massagers, and macerators; • Fomaco brand injectors, tenderizers, brine mixers and tanks • Seydelmann bowl cutters and choppers, mixers, grinders, and mixing grinders.

• Ross tray-sealers for case-ready and modified atmosphere packaging (MAP) applications • Repak horizontal form/fill/seal packaging machines.

• Supervac automatic vacuum-chamber packaging machines.

“We are currently hosting about 10 clients per week, and are very happy to count seafood producers among them,” said Reiser’s marketing director Todd

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PACKAGING FOR FRESHNESS

From Left: Reiser’s owner Roger Reiser, executive vice-president Patrick Ditchfield and Paul Lansbergen, president of the Fisheries Council of Canada, take part in Reiser’s open house festivities.

Reiser (Canada) Ltd. field sales manager Randy Belcot (left) and Chris Gregan, operations manager at Cedar Bay Grilling, sampling some of the seafood treat prepared at Reiser’s open house event.

Watlington, citing recent test runs of salmon burgers and crab-cakes processed visa Seydelmann mixer/grinder and a Vemag former; lobster multipacks packaged in Winpak film on a VarioVac Optimus thermoformer; and shaved lobster meat vacuum-packed on a Supervac machine.

“I have been very impressed with what I have seen here,” said Chris Gregan, operations manager at family-owned salmon processor Cedar Bay Grilling Company in Blandford, N.S. “We have purchased a VarioVac machine from them for our Florida operation, along with some other machinery,” he explained, “but great machinery aside, the support Reiser offers its customers is truly outstanding, and I look forward to continuing our relationship with them.

“This new facility really does justice to the kind of a top-class company they are.”

Paul Landsbergis, president of the Fisheries Council of Canada, agreed.

“For those in the seafood industry, this was a great opportunity to get a much fuller perspective of what Reiser has to offer than just seeing their exhibit on the show floor,” Lansbergen said.

“This is a very professionally run company with a lot to offer to Canadian seafood producers large and small.

A close-up of a planked salmon package skinpacked on Reiser packaging equipment.

Reiser marketing director Todd Watlington.

According to Lansbergen, it is vital for Canadian producers to keep adding value to their products through further processing and packaging to compete in the world markets.

“We export about US$6.9 million of fish and seafood per year, about 80 per cent of it to the U.S., as well as shipping about $1 billion domestically.

“The industry supports about 80,000 jobs across Canada,” he said, “and product innovation is an important part of maintaining such a vital economic sector.

“With knowledgeable and helpful suppliers like Reiser, processors have a real opportunity to continue to grow their business across all the important demographics.

“Packaging is very important component of meeting the demands of a marketplace looking for healthier and more sustainable sources of protein,” he concluded, “and we really need to do more of that in Canada to respond to market trends more effectively.”

SUPPLIERS Reiser (Canada) Ltd.

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AUTOMATE NOW HEAVY-DUTY TOOL CHANGERS PASS THE STRENGTH TEST

TAKING A STAND Regal Power Transmission Solutions has developed a new single­piece stand­off for flanged mounted bearings that integrates the bolt-spacer ferrule and stand­off in one assembly for simpler installation and sanitation compliance in food/beverage operations. Engineered for use with System Plastflanged mounted bearings and Sealmaster composite-­flanged PN Gold bearings, the patent-pending one-piece design eliminates loose parts during installation, improves bearing installation alignment, and creates a perfect gap behind the bearing flange for easier cleaning and inspection. Made of 300 can be either factory-installed in new bearings or easily Series passivized stainless steel and sold in packs of four retrofitted with common tools. for both OEM and retrofit applications, the stand-offs Regal Power Transmission Solutions

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ATI Industrial Automation Schmalz Vacuum Technology Ltd.

Gluing Systems · Quality Assurance Systems · Camera Verification Systems

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THE SMARTER CHOICE The AMKASMART Series decentralized drive solutions from AMK Automation is designed for automation machine-builders and processes requiring compact, integrated solutions and can easily integrate into existing systems.According to the company, the AMKASMART Series portfolio is perfect for an expanded range of automated packaging applications such as tubular bag packaging, blister packaging, carton forming, palletizing, pick-and-place, sealing, wrapping, etc.

Credit: Krones AG

COMPLETE CATALOG

Manufactured by ATI Industrial Automation, the new heavy-duty QC-310 robotic tool changers recently enabled vacuum systems specialist Schmalz Vacuum Technology Ltd. to speed up the concept-proofing process for its Layer Gripper products.

For Schmalz, a leading supplier of vacuum suction cups and vacuum generators, the appraisal of the customer’s current application is one of the most time-consuming tasks in the project timeline.

Or at least it used to be, until the arrival of ATI’s QC-310 tool changers to the Schmalz plant’s robotic test cell, which enabled it not only change the tools automatically, but also to handle the variable payloads of customer material and seamlessly transition between each of the different Layer Grippers during testing.

Due to the wide variety of customer materials used in vacuum gripping applications, Schmalz needed a system to accommodate almost anything.

Now housing one QC-310 Master plate and three QC-310 Tool plates mounted to different Schmalz Layer Grippers, the new robot cell can easily run multiple trials to narrow down and select the best equipment for the job.

Schmalz application engineer Lee Strahler says he was very impressed with the ATI tool changers’ quick learning curve.

“Even without dedicated robot programmers, they were up and running right away,” says Strahler, adding the tool changers suited both the size of the robot cell’s 600-kg payload FANUC robot and the unpredictable loads of the customers’ test material.

Moreover, the tool changers’ automatic changeover keeps employees out of the robot cell to ensure optimal workplace safety, with their fail-safe features also helping to prevent accidental tool drops.

“With these tool changers in our robot test cell,” Stahler says, “we can design and test more custom systems in a shorter amount of time and evaluate each customer sample more thoroughly, with full confidence that their grippers will stay safely attached to the robot or nested in their tool stands.”

AMK Automation

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CPK_Ba

AUTOMATE NOW ALWAYS ON THE MOVE

LET’S CONNECT

Manufactured by SEW-Eurodrive, the MAXOLUTION automated guided vehicle systems (AGVs) offer a perfect automated solution for ensuring consistent in-house flow of materials on busy high-speed assembly lines across a broad range of industries.

Consisting of intelligent vehicles, contactless MOVITRANS energy transfer system and WLAN communication, these AGVs can work around-the-clock operating on the principle of inductive energy transfer, whereby electrical energy is transferred from a fixed conductor to one or more mobile carts without contact. Resistant to contamination and generating virtually no noise, the emission-free vehicles can move on their own at speeds of more than 10 meters per second along the pre-programmed routes thanks to the electromagnetic connection made via an air gap, with all the line cables routed under the floor, where there are no longer any obstacles disrupting transverse traffic.

The new stainless-steel M12 INOX connectors from Harting Canada are designed to provide superior corrosion resistance in harsh environments, indoor or outdoor, across a broad range of factory automation, robotics, transportation and other demanding industrial applications. Engineered to resist against salt spray and mist, the M12 INOX connectors can safely operate in a broad ambient temperature range from -40°C up to 100°C, according to Harting, and up to 500 mating cycles.

SEW-Eurodrive Co. of Canada Ltd.

FEEDING TIME

TIME TO GO Designed for reliable use in harsh and challenging industrial environments in the food-and-beverage, material handling and other high-output industries, the new 12-mm Topworx GO Switch 52M proximity sensor from Emerson incorporates innovative dry-contact proximity sensor technology that uses magnets to control a set of contacts to offer a broad array of advantages that include: • No power requirement for optimal application flexibility; • H igh reliability, being tested to five million cycles at full-rated load; • Broad temperature range from -40° C to 100°C) to enable use across multiple applications; • Simple contact arrangement enabling highly flexible wiring schemes; • Polarity insensitivity, eliminating need to specify NPN or PNP products; • Weld-field immunity for large-magnet field applications; • H igh and low current compatibility to facilitate use with PLCs (programmable logic controllers) and relay-based control systems.

Emerson

Harting Canada

Omron Corporation’s new AnyFeeder Solution combines vision and robotics with the company’s powerful ACE Sight software to deliver a complete system for flexible bulk part feeding. Well-suited for a broad range of cosmetics, electronic, medical device, automotive and any other application involving varied parts and frequent changeovers, a single AnyFeeder can replace several conventional feeders on the production line, with its powerful visual part recognition capabilities eliminating the constraints of manual feeding, speeding up configuration, and doing away with manual feeder calibration. In addition, the system’s integrated vision architecture also allows for high-speed latching of robot positions and a reduction in cycle-time for products requiring fast inspection and orientation after pick up.

Omron Canada Inc.

YOUR INDUSTRIAL AUTOMATION IS SMARTER AND EASIER WITH IO-LINK Credit: Krones AG

With your preferred control architecture, we enable visibility into your production process. Our market leading portfolio of IO-Link products prove the value of smart manufacturing and make your life easier.

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AUTOMATE NOW

HERBAL REMEDIES Herbal tea producer smooths its path to market success with end-of-line packaging automation

BY JIM MCMAHON

A

t Traditional Medicinals’ headquarters and manufacturing operations in the Northern California town of Sebastopol, it is all about herbal teas.

The company’s co-founder and chairman of the board Drake Sadler, is just as passionate now about passing along the centuries-old wisdom of how to use plants for wellness as he was when he started the company in the early 1970s.

Along the way,Traditional Medicinals has pursued the rigorous process of getting nearly every product it makes certified as organic, with many also certified Fair Trade and, more recently, Fairwild.

Over time, the company’s expert herbalists have carefully crafted over 50 highquality herbal teas categorized into nine wellness collections: detox, digestive, green, herbal, laxative, relaxation, seasonal, kids’ and women’s.

With the company still widely acknowledged as a leading pioneer in the wellness tea categories, its popular brands like Nighty Night, Ginger Aid, Chamomile ◊ BLANK & PRIME LABELS ◊ PRINTER APPLICATORS ◊ LABEL PRINTERS

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SIAL CANADA BOOTH # 2323 May 2-4, 2018 Palais des congrès Montréal, Québec

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with Lavender, Mother’s Milk, and Smooth Move are carried by more than 70,000 Big-Box and specialty retailers throughout the U.S. and Canada, with Traditional Medicinals continuing to grow it sales by 17 to 18 per cent annually.

Such stellar growth eventually necessitated an urgent need for automated solution to streamline the high-volume throughput in Traditional Medicinals’ end-of-line packaging area, which was largely a highly manual process.

As such, there was a considerable lack of balance between end-of-line operations and the straightforward, highly automated upstream workflow.

After the plant’s filling equipment measures an exact amount of tea to be put into a tea bag, the bag is stapled closed, a little piece of string is attached to a tag, and the whole assembly is inserted into an envelope.

Sixteen of these envelopes are put into a carton, put through a checkweigher to confirm the carton’s proper content volume, and then glue-sealed for tamper resistance.

At any given point, up to eight different tea SKUs (stock-keeping units) can be run on the filling and packaging machines.

But it was a different story when the product made it down the line for casepacking, where workers would have to pre-print and apply labels to the cartons manually, and then pack six cartons of the same tea product into a case.

After applying a label to identify the case SKU, the case would be sealed and stacked onto one of eight pallets of the same product.

This process would be repeated, simultaneously, for all eight teas produced on that run.

“We had three individual case-packers in place that serviced our three packing lines,” recalls Bryan Hoffman, director of engineering at Traditional Medicinals.

“The packing equipment used a pre-folded corrugated case that we pushed the cartons down into, but many of these cases were old and presented a lot of issues that adversely impacted our throughput,” Hoffman states.

“What we really wanted was one automated solution that would support our growth for the next five years,” says Hoffman, who contacted ARPAC, LLC, a leading manufacturer of end-of-line secondary packaging systems headquartered in Schiller Park, Ill to engineer a solution.

In turn, ARPAC partnered with Shuttleworth, LLC, a Huntington, Ind.-based manufacturer of specialized and custom conveyor systems, to jointly develop an automated system that would take the tea from the filling/packaging process through case-packing and directly to palletizing—with virtually no manual intervention.

As requested, Shuttleworth proceeded to develop a robust sorting/accumulation

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conveyor system that would receive the outgoing tea cartons from the filling/packaging process and divert them into eight different lanes, each with a different type of tea.

“Our eight filling machines produce different flavors of tea at different throughput rates,” explains Hoffman, “and the cartons come down from the filling/packaging line on one of two lanes.

“A barcode on the bottom of each package identifies the flavor of tea, which is scanned by the receiving accumulation/sorting conveyor and directed into one of the sorter’s eight lanes, separated by flavor of tea.”

The 26-foot-long sortation/accumulation conveyor system was designed by Shuttleworth to accumulate and monitor the volume of the different tea flavors in each of the eight lanes.

When any of the lanes filled up to a specified level of cartons, as determined by a sensor in the conveyor, the cartons in those lanes are released into the case-packer infeed.

The sortation/accumulation conveyor utilizes innovative Slip-Torque technology that eliminates accumulation jam-ups with the tea cartons—low-line pressure to ensure that the cartons do not get damaged.

Should the accumulation line need to slow or stop, the conveyor can continue to take cartons from the upstream line for a specified period of time instead of stopping the line.

A low-pressure accumulation buffer absorbs irregularities in the production flow to maintain smooth and even product flow through the line.

“The Slip-Torque technology utilizes individually-powered rotating roller shafts and loose-fit rollers, which become the conveyor surface, powered by a continuous chain,” explains Todd Eckert, regional sales manager for Shuttleworth.

“The size and weight of the cartons determines the driving force, so that when a carton stops on the surface of the conveyor, the segmented rollers beneath the carton also stop.

“Conveyors with Slip-Torque have the ability to modulate the speed of different sections of the conveyor, via a central control PLC and HMI,” Eckert expands.

“As the cartons are moving down the line, the rollers at the back end of the conveyor can be moving faster than the ones at the front end of the conveyor,” says Eckert.

“The tea cartons can be moving at variable speeds on different sections of the conveyor as dictated by throughput requirements.”

The sortation/accumulation conveyor releases six cartons at a time from each of two accumulation lanes (12 cartons total), into a 16-foot-long case-packer infeed conveyor.

The infeed conveyor is split into two lanes, handling six cartons in each lane, one for each SKU. Release of the cartons from the sortation/accumulation conveyor is controlled by the case-packer, which measures the accumulation in each of the lanes and instructs the sortation/accumulation conveyor to release two of the lanes that have at least six cartons.

“With six cartons being packed to a case, the case-packer is instructing 12 cartons to be released at a time, because this is the most efficient way for it to manage the cartons,” says Chuck Mayberry, product manager and director of control systems for robotics and integration at ARPAC. “Hence the case-packer is actually controlling and balancing the different amounts of inventory in the system,” Mayberry points out.

“The various teas are produced at differing rates, so the system selectively pulls from those lanes of accumulation that are waiting to be case-packed, releasing those in two slugs of six cartons.

“This allows the system to balance case packing with actual production,” May-

berry states.

The new case-packer itself is a wraparound-style case packer that literally forms the carton around the product by buildings an array of the six cartons and then pushes the array onto a blank, which literally folds a box around the cartons.

The infeed rotates the cartons on their side, for better positioning, before being pushed into the case-packer, which verifies the barcodes as they came in.

The barcode data allows the case packer to print the corresponding product label, which is applied to the case prior to discharge.

According the Mayberry, wraparound case-packers can reduce the amount of corrugated board used by up to 25 percent, with additional savings in warehouse space and lower handling costs.

To this end, ARPAC installed a DPM-2000 Series intermittent motion wraparound case-packer at the plant.

Designed to reach speeds of 25 cases per minute, it minimizes labor requirements and increases production output by combining blank feeding, product loading, case forming, labeling and case-sealing into a single, compact machine.

“Because it is not trying to load material into a preformed case, the case does not have to be oversized,” points out Mayberry. “It can be exactly the size of the product going inside of it.

“That can do a couple things: for one, it packs the cartons in tight enough so as to not require dividers in between.

“And because the carton is not oversized, it allows a better utilization of space on a pallet,” says Mayberry, noting it enabled Traditional Medicinals to reduce the case dimensions in length and depth.

“Not only does this help reduce any damage caused by products shifting during shipping and handling,” he notes, “but it can allow more efficient pallet-builds, which can reduce shipping costs.”

After packing, the cases are scanned, and discharged from the case-packer onto a 12-foot-long sortation conveyer, which routes the cases into one of eight different lanes corresponding to the different product SKUs for palletizing and shipment to customers.

“We have grown by over 50 per cent since we put this end-of-line system installed in April of 2014,” says Hoffman, “and have been able to support that growth with the new case-packer.

“I would say we have certainly been able to put more throughput into our case packer line,” says Hoffman, citing the system’s robust operating speed of up to 19 cases per minute and its ability to run consistently at near-capacity levels during peak periods.

“When we purchase a piece of equipment,” Hoffman sums up, “it is not just about its capabilities.

“It is after installation, the continuing support that we get from ARPAC which has been very good,” he states.

“And as we continue to expand and experience new challenges, we are very pleased to have partners that will help us solve all those challenges as they arise.”

Jim McMahon is a California-based writer specializing in packaging automation technologies.

SUPPLIERS ARPAC, LLC Shuttleworth, LLC

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KEEP ON ROLLING

Engineered plastic components keep modular labeling machinery running free at full speed ahead

S

ome say life can be lonely at the top, but you won’t hear too many complaints about being ignored at the Dortmund headquarters of leading German manufacturer of filling and packaging equipment for liquid products KHS GmbH. As one of the world’s leading suppliers of highperformance beverage production and packaging line machinery, the wholly-owned subsidiary of the Salzgitter Group is far too busy developing newer, better and faster systems for the global beverage industry around–the-clock to feel left out of action in the highly demanding sector where change is the only real constant.

Established in 1993 from a merger between Holstein & Kappert AG of Dortmund (founded in 1868) and Seitz-Werke GmbH, the company employs nearly 5,000 people at five plants across Germany and global subsidiaries in the U.S., Mexico, Brazil, India and China to produce the full range of filling and packaging machines, including fully-integrated turnkey lines.

Besides serving as the company’s headquarters, the company’s Dortmund site, aptly located in the country’s Ruhr industrial heartland, is also the center for the design and production of sanitizing, pasteurizing, inspection, conveying and labeling technology.

With overseas sales accounting for about 80 per cent of annual sales of the company’s labeling business, KHS enjoys worldwide acclaim for the superior quality, craftsmanship and performance of its high-speed labeling equipment—including the much-lauded KHS Innoket Neo range of modular labeling systems launched in 2016.

Featuring an intelligent combination of various individual components the machine is able to reliably handle the full spectrum of labeling tasks by providing fast, ergonomic format changeovers—using height-adjustable stations enable labels to be attached at different heights—for product packaged in either glass or PET (polyethylene terephthalate) containers, or cans.

The highly versatile machine offers several modules to enable self-adhesive labeling from a self-adhesive label dispenser; cold glue labeling for paper labels; hot melt application of sheet-feed, wrap-around labels; and roll-fed labeling and hot melt application of sheet-feed, wrap-around labels.

Designed for the wrap-around hot melt application of film/foil or paper labels to cylindrical and rectangular one-way containers, the Innoket Neo RF roll-fed station feeds the label material to the labeling station to be cut to exact length via an optimized cutting station outfitted with shelf-sharpening cutters.

The labels are then applied, or brushed down onto the passing bottles that are quickly rotated during the label application.

Capable of reaching speeds of up to 50,000-bph (bottles per hour) in single-station version and up to 60,000-bph on two stations, the Innoket Neo RF features featherweight, aluminum vacuum segments which can be unlocked very quickly without tools using a single

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The compact Innoket Neo RF labeling module from KHS can achieve throughput speeds of up to 50,000 bottles per hour.

Supplied as a ready-to-install module, the drylin W linear guide from igus facilitates the sensor adjustment for the cutting mark detection of the label.

central lever and easily exchanged, along with an innovative induction heater with optimized temperature control and slip-free transfer of labels to the vacuum drum.

According to Cornelius Adolf, product manager for KHS labeling technology, choosing the right label is becoming as important for brand-owners as choosing the right bottle design for their product.

“With the right label to achieve positive promotional effect, beverage manufacturers can generate attention for their product to drive the sales,” says Adolf.

Given the breathtaking speed with which the Innoket Neo RF system applies the labels—more than 300 bottles in 20 seconds or so—it is essential that all the key machine components and modules, such as horizontal adjustment units or guide rollers, are all up to the task of

maintaining optimal precision and repeatability.

To ensure that, KHS purchases many of the system’s ready-to-install components from its long-time German technology partner igus, inc., Cologne-based manufacturer of engineered industrial plastic products like ball and spherical bearings, linear guides, cable carriers and flexible cables, among many others, that require no lubrication and remain corrosion-free throughout their service life.

As Adolf explains, “During the filling process it is actually always quite wet or at least damp, which is why the components must be very resistant to corrosion and common cleaning media.

“High wear resistance and hygiene are also very important,” he says.“Lubrication-free components help to avoid the risk of contamination, especially when label-

Igus also supplies the various guide rollers incorporated into the Innoket Neo RF labeler design, which are mounted with xiros polymer ball bearings (inset).

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While KHS has made extensive use of igus-made bearing technology for nearly 20 years—notably the iglidur plain bearings and the drylin linear technology—supplying completely ready-to-install functional components was something new to igus.

“KHS has introduced many ideas into the collaboration, but it also made some very high demands,” says igus technical sales consultant Florian Blömker.

“However, we have undoubtedly benefited from this scrutiny,” he adds, “as it has given us the impetus for implementing some real new developments in functional modules.”

For example, the drylin W linear guide WS-10-40—made from hard anodized aluminum—is used for height adjusting the height of the cutting mark sensor.

“Up to now, we have always assembled this function ourselves from numerous parts,” says Adolf.

“But now we are completely looked after by igus with linear adjustment unit, clamping, measuring scale, and positioning for assembly.”

Likewise, the lubrication-free, corrosion-resistant guide rollers used for label guidance through the rollfed station are equipped with xiros polymer ball bearings, with the roller materials carefully selected after a series of stringent tests to achieve their required frictional resistance.

Also, the horizontal adjustment of the entire worktable is done manually via a handle using a lead screw connected to the drylin W linear guides WSQ-16, and the mobile labeling station uses an igus-made energy chain to provide flexible supply of energy, programming signals, vacuum and compressed air.

Says Adolf: “All the steps in the labeling process have to be very precise at maximum speed, and being able to obtain ready-to-use, standardized modules CPAC_half_page_April2017_Print_Ad_HGO.pdf 1 16/03/2017 8:20:45 AM in which all parts are matched to each other enables us to achieve this precision.

In addition to saving considerable assembly time required to put Innoket Neo labelers together, Adolf says the use of easily replaceable igus modules and components enables greater operation flexibility for the end-use bottlers.

“Many users are moving disposable and reusable bottles on one line, thereby requiring two different label types on one machine,” Adolf points out.

“The changeover time is therefore an important criterion, just like a fast format change depending on bottle and label sizes.

“The igus components help to meet these requirements economically and with high repeatability, which is a decisive factor for beverage manufacturers requiring optimal flexibility.”

Says Adolf: “Even when you are labeling 60,000 bottles per hour, each and every bottle must look like the other, and the functional systems and components of igus also make an important contribution to obtaining this end result.”

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JAAN KOEL

PACKAGING TO SIMPLIFY OUR BUSY LIVES Making our lives easier lies at the very heart of the premise and purpose of consumer packaging.

It’s a simple notion, but bringing it to life is not always as easy as it sounds. Simply being new is not really the same as being innovative unless accompanied by an appreciable level of consumer acceptance and, subsequently, marketplace longevity. One great example of this is the paperboard carton package called the Fridge Pack—widely used today for 12-packs of 355-ml aluminum cans for various types of soft drink such as Coca-Cola, Canada Dry, Club Soda, Ginger Ale, Pepsi and many other popular brands. Lightweight, highly decorative and attractively printed, these cartons are fully-recyclable, made for a renewable resource (trees) and offer great consumer convenience with a perforated opening in the middle of the pack to let the consumer slide their fingers inside to turn the box into an instant carrying case. Once it makes it home into your fridge, another pre-perforated opening at the front end turns the pack into a gravity-driven dispenser unit that lets the cans slide to the front one a time like a mini-vending machine. When done, the boxes easily collapse into a f lat blank that takes up minimum space in the recycling bin. First filed-tested in 2001 and adopted by Coca-Cola’s largest bottler, Coke Enterprises, in 2002, the Fridge Pack is now being routinely used by virtually all the major soft-drink brands who use the 355-ml aluminum cans. Notably, The Coca-Cola Company has once gone on record to call the Fridge Pack to be one of its greatest packaging innovations since the launch of the contoured plastic bottle some 40 years ago. Such longevity is well backedup by industry figures showing double-digit sales growth for brands that started using Fridge Pack to sell their canned beverages.

Produced by the venerable household goods giant Church & Dwight Co., Inc. of Ewing, N.J., the colorful 2.2-liter jugs of the XTRA brand liquid laundry detergent are easy to open thanks to their oversized wide-mouth cap, which is also easy to use as a measuring cup for the heavy-duty cleaning solution boosted for maximum cleaning power with the famed OXI CLEAN stain-removing formulation. As an extra consumer perk, the product is usually very reasonably priced—compared to the other leading brand names—especially when it makes its way onto the shelves of my local neighborhood Dollar Store.

Speaking of laundry, it seems only fair to direct a little praise to my recently-acquired Hollister Laundry Hamper for making this unavoidable household chore a less daunting and frustrating experience than it can be. Not only does it look better than reusable plastic milk crates or other similar improvisations, it provides a real safety upgrade for anyone who has to travel a set of stairs or two to get to the laundry machine.

Although it takes a few minutes to assemble, the lightweight collapsible frame allows you to carry the load with one hand, while holding on the railing as you make your way. The odor-resistant bags are evenly divided in two compartments—one for light-colored clothes and one for dark—to remind one not to ruin the fabric colors in the wash, and it easily stores away in the closet folded f lat until the next laundry collection cycle. It may not make doing laundry more fun per se, but it certainly helps to make it a less intimidating endeavor.

inside. Made of rustresistant stainless steel, the shelf unit comes with specially designed suction cups that fasten securely to glass and glass-finished ceramic surfaces with application of user-friendly twist-to-grip techniques that allows for the whole unit to be set up in minutes with no tools and, thoughtfully, no holes in the walls to fret about.

Also putting suction to good use, the Griipa towel rack from Trimtag Trading of Richmond Hill, Ont., has a sleek, modern look nicely enhanced by its stainless-steel construction. While the bar is considerably heavier than the cheaper plastic or faux metal alternatives, the company’s proprietary Griipa friction technology, claimed to be three times stronger than the average suction force, makes light work of keeping this exceptionally useful accessory in place safe and snug. Packaged on top of a firm printed strip of solid cardboard, encased in a form-fitting see-through plastic blister, the Griipa rack gets full marks in this corner for full product transparency, simplicity of design and, so far at least, delivering on its promise to stay in its designated place.

It’s an amusing quirk of history that the so-called French Press coffee press was actually invented, patented and refined in Italy before going mainstream in the European coffee culture. Be that as it may, the French Press is nowadays made in various versions by companies round the world, with all sorts of valueadded features to enhance their appeal. Some of the more popular versions include the Bodum coffee press from Denmark and the Trudeau Maison coffee press from the Quebec-based tableware and housewares supplier Trudeau Corporation—featuring heatresistant glass, insulated handles and ample one-liter brewing capacity. And while there are more than few single-cup coffee presses on the market today, the Swiss-made Zyliss Travel French Press from Diethelm Keller Brands AG really hits the spot for on-the-go coffee aficionados by making the coffee right inside the carry-away cup, made from tough BPA-free polymer that can withstand whatever knocks, drops or other punishment come its way during the travels. Featuring double lining on the inside to keep the coffee warm longer, this innovative mug/press combo delivers your own freshly-pressed, on-the-go coffee at a fraction of the price charged by the vast majority of the bigger coffee chains out there.

Jaan Koel is a freelance writer living in Toronto.

ADVERTISERS’ INDEX ADVERTISER PAGE

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ABB Robotics Inc................... 25

Fortress Technology Inc......... 10

Schneider Electric Canada Inc.. 7

Baking Association of Canada.27

Harlund Industries Ltd............. 8

SEW Eurodrive Ltd........... 30, 32

Balluff Canada Inc................. 35

Heat and Control...................... 8

Stock Packaging Canada.......... 4

Baumer hhs Corp................... 34

ID Technology (ProMach)....... 21

Uline Canada Corporation...... 34

Bosch Rexroth Canada........... 12

MATROX Electronic Systems.... 9

VC999 Packaging..................... 6

Dependable Marking Systems Ltd........................... 33

Mettler Toledo...................... IBC

Veritiv Canada, Inc.............. OBC

Multivac Canada Inc........ 31, 39

Videojet Canada....................... 1

Domino Printing Solutions Inc.. 5

The whimsically-named ta-da large multipurpose shelf from Jascor Housewares Inc. of Dollard-des-Ormeaux, Que. comes in a clean and simple whiteand orange paperboard carton that aptly ref lects the simplicity of the product

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PHOTOS BY JAAN KOEL

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Packpro Systems Inc.............. 39

Weber Marking Systems Ltd... 36

Engage Technologies Corporation (Squid Ink)............................. 15

Plan Automation...................... 6

Weighpack Systems Inc........IFC

Farm Credit Canada FCC........ 29

Regal Beloit America, Inc......... 2

Festo Inc................................ 39

Reiser / Robert Reiser & Co.... 19

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PHOTOS BY JAAN KOEL

Prepare to Improve Safety and Ensure High-Quality Food Compliance is a fluid topic which needs to be under constant evaluation.

As the markets and your business change, so do your requirements and responsibilities.

To learn more about how you can choose the right level of compliance for your business and deliver on consumer expectations, download our new Food Regulatory Guide today by visiting www.mt.com/ind-food-regulatory-guide.

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