The Packman | May-June 2020

VOLUME 2 | ISSUE 6 | MAY-JUNE 2020

Rs. 150

PLASTICS – A GLOBAL SAVIOUR IN COVID-19

Technology

INTEGRATED MACHINE VISION More than embedded Complete portfolio: www.br-automation.com/vision

Expanding the ďŹ eld of vision

UV

2 | NOVEMBER-DECEMBER 2017 |

IR

Editorial

From the editor’s desk!

C

ompanies across all sectors are staring at a huge revenue loss due to the COVID-19 crisis. A survey by the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) shows 60% of firms are operating at less than a quarter of their full capacity, with just 10% managing plant utilization at over 50%.

However, despite the pandemic, the packaging industry has become the core sector working as the barrier between coronavirus and human beings.

Before the pandemic, if there was one single compound or substance that had been much maligned in the public imagination, it had to be plastic. The list of ills associated with it is long and exhaustive – it piles up in the environment, is a threat to wildlife, damages the food chain, pollutes ground water, and what not.

So, plastic was literally at the receiving end and was probably looking for an opportunity to redeem itself. The COVID-19 provided it a tailor-made situation to do exactly that, and it grabbed it with both hands. Much of the COVID-19 fight back story today is linked to plastic products, be it PPE suits, masks, gloves, sanitizer, head cover, shoes, etc.

Also, single use plastics, which was believed to be the biggest villain of humankind, is getting into the good books again, thanks to safety gears like personal protective equipment (PPEs). Dr. Meenu Sethi Sachdeva says in her article ‘Plastics – a global saviour in COVID-19 pandemic’ published in this edition of The Packman that “during this pandemic there will be a paradigm shift the way plastics are perceived globally and it will emerge as life saving rescuer rather than a polluting entity on earth.”

This edition also looks at the dilemma faced by container glass manufacturers due to the lockdown. Container glass manufacturing facilities use high-temperature furnaces that must run continuously, 24 hours a day.

The furnace, which cannot be turned off or easily idled, takes months to

restart after it is shut down, highlighting the need for the supply chain to be fully functional and operational. The furnace, which is the main heart of the process, typically operates for about 7-10 years before it is rebuilt. The rebuilding of the plant involves large capital investment and takes about 3-4 months. If operations are stopped during the campaign period, it can result in severe damage to the furnace. The furnace runs on a continuous supply of natural gas flow and a furnace, of say, 650 tonnes capacity per day, contains about 2000 tonnes of molten glass at any given point of time.

The after-effects of COVID-19 on the packaging industry is likely to be a mixed bag if we go by what has happened so far in countries like China and South Korea, where the pandemic first struck. The general pattern is a sharp rise in demand for packaging for food items, medicine, healthcare products like PPEs, sanitizer, hand gloves, etc, and for e-commerce transport. At the same time, packaging needs for luxury items, industrial products and to some extent B2B-transport will bear the brunt as demand will plummet. Also, not all packaging players will be equally impacted, as each player may have an unique portfolio, serve in different regions, apart from having distinct end uses for packaging and substrates. This edition of The Packman carries several interviews of top executives from different verticals of packaging, explaining the current market pattern and sentiments getting unfolded during COVID-19, and in its aftermath.

– Mahan Hazarika, Editor, editor@thepackman.in

THE PACKMAN | MAY-JUN 2020

www.thepack man.in

3

CONTENTS Design and Marketing

PAGE 30 EDITORIAL From the editor’s desk---------------------------- 3

DESIGN AND MARKETING PB Creative partners with Rum start up Rumbustian----------------------------------------- 6 Innovia launches embossable BOPP film--- 6

PREPRESS AND SOFTWARE Creative Graphics installs its third Kodak Flexcel NX system--------------------------------- 8 Innovating new working methods amid Covid crisis--------------------------------------------------- 8 Asahi Photoproducts launches AFPLeggeros--------------------------------------------10 Miraclon announces return of Global Flexo Innovation Awards--------------------------------12 Valmet introduces renewed quality management system-----------------------------13

MONOCARTON Heidelberg’s digital interface for customer support plays crucial role-----------------------14 Building business opportunities during COVID-19-------------------------------------------15 Bobst reaches milestone with sale of 300th VisionCut--------------------------------------------16 Next-generation coating technology for folding carton--------------------------------------17 Heidelberg stops Primefire production------17

LABELS Avery India makes progress in reduce, recycle and redesign-----------------------------18 Xeikon launches new high-end digital label press-------------------------------------------------20

4

THE PACKMAN | MAY-JUN 2020

www.thepack man.in

M AY - J U N E 2 0 2 0

PAGE 40 First Gallus label press for Elloflex in Brazil----------------------------------------------22 Gallus appoints new CEO----------------------22

BUSINESS Flat sales reflect unprecedented impact of COVID-19-------------------------------------------23

PAGE 54 METAL PACKAGING Steel packaging in Europe hits a new alltime high of 82.5%--------------------------------44 Tecnocap enters India to make lug caps----44 Ball Corporation announces SBTi-approved carbon reduction targets------------------------45

An interview with Sabine Geldermann------26

GLASS PACKAGING

FLEXIBLES

Impact of COVID-19 on the container glass manufacturing sector----------------------------46

Flexible packaging trends in India------------28 An interview with Amitava Ray of Uflex-----30 An interview with Atit Gandhi of Montage Group------------------------------------------------32 Manjushree Technopack opens new plant in Silvassa---------------------------------------------33 Shrinath Flexipack to build its first plant in UAE--------------------------------------------------33 Plastics – a global saviour in COVID-19 pandemic-------------------------------------------34 From the diary of an optimistic printing ink manufacturer---------------------------------------36

PHARMA PACKAGING DSM expands textured coating resin range-------------------------------------------------38 Essel Propack appoints MD and CEO------39

AUTOMATION Next generation transport technologies-----40

FILLING AND SEALING Syntegon Technology showcases sustainable packaging system for powder products------------------------------42

SUSTAINABILITY Ecolean sets up first package recycling point in Moscow------------------------------------------47 Mondi and Reckitt Benckiser collaborate---48 Bobst joins CEFLEX-----------------------------48

PHARMA PACKAGING The FreshSafe PET success story-----------50 Clariant’s new shelf life-extending masterbatch----------------------------------------52 Syntegon and BillerudKorsnäs launch joint system-----------------------------------------------52

INDUSTRY NEWS Konica Minolta India appoints Tai Nizawa as its new managing director----------------------54 Xerox drops its takeover plan for HP--------54 DOMO Chemicals to invest €12 million-----55 UPM’s adhesive for low-temperature food labeling in Southeast Asia----------------------55 Bobst and Cito-System announce strategic investment------------------------------------------56 Aptar launches InvisiShield active packaging solution----------------------------------------------56 Kraton launches CirKular+ product-----------56

Introducing two new machines Inspection Rewinder & Doctoring

NAPH Design and Marketing GRAPHICS PVT. LTD.

For Queries Contact:

Unit 1 : D 93, Sector 63, Noida 201307 (U.P.) India Unit 2: Plot No. 105, Toy City, Greater Noida 201308 (U.P.) India | MAY-JUN9999767656 9811444928, THE PACKMAN 2020 5 naphgraphics@yahoo.co.in www.thepack man.in www.convertingpackaging.com

Design and Marketing

z BRAND RE-LAUNCH

PB Creative partners with Rum start up Rumbustian

A

ward winning brand design agency PB Creative, has partnered with Sussex rum producer Rumbustian, to redesign their range of rums as part of a complete brand re-launch.

Rumbustian is a handcrafted range of small batch rums crafted in the heart of Old Town, Hastings on the Sussex coast. Rumbustian founders Jamie and Sue Keenan teamed up with London based agency PB Creative, with the brief to create a totally new brand expression that fully represented the hand crafted nature and provenance of the product. The couple were also keen to bring the raw, natural edge of the town of Hastings to life within the new branding.

The new Rumbustain brand aesthetic has an

The new Rumbustain brand aesthetic has an artisanal look and feel

artisanal look and feel. Bottle closures have been hand dipped in black wax and a bold ‘stacked’ brand mark has been created for maxi-

mum impact behind bar. The much-loved black weather-boarded fishermen’s huts which populate the Hastings beach front, feature front and centre on the label alongside other local icons such as the castle, funicular railway and traditional fishing boats. Strong varianting and brand consistency has been achieved through using a natural substrate in different colours to represent each blend – white for the core Spiced rum, gold metallic for the Golden rum and a rich copper metallic for the Coffee & Vanilla variant.

Rumbustian has recently won Gold in the best label category of the renowned World Rum Awards and was also awarded Gold for best redesign. z

z RAYOFACE MBOSS

Innovia launches embossable BOPP film

I

6

nnovia Films has launched Rayoface mBoss, a new Biaxially Oriented Polypropylene (BOPP) film. According to the company, its new film has been specially engineered to offer long-lasting premium embossing performance.

to its exceptional dimensional stability.”

Richard Southward, Global Product Manager, Labels states, “It offers increased shelf appeal and consumer engagement through bold tactile features as well as the eye-catching print and foiling capability of the paper-like surface. At 130 microns, it has a premium feel and offers high conversion and labelling efficiencies due

Southward continues, “Third-party trials have demonstrated the longevity and robustness of the embossed features through the supply chain, ensuring the on-shelf impact and brand experience that Rayoface mBoss can generate.” z

THE PACKMAN | MAY-JUN 2020

www.thepack man.in

Innovia also reports that Rayoface mBoss has a high level of opacity, even when wet, and is suitable for use with a wide range of inks and foils as well as textured varnishes.

Rayoface mBoss has a high level of opacity

Design and Marketing

THE PACKMAN | MAY-JUN 2020

www.thepack man.in

7

Prepress and Software

z PREPRESS BUREAU MUMBAI BRANCH Creative Graphics installs its third Kodak Flexcel NX system

T

he expansion programme at Indian trade prepress trade shop Creative Graphics Solutions shows no signs of slowing down with another Kodak Flexcel NX installation entering production at the company’s Mumbai branch. The latest investment is the third Flexcel NX system since 2016. The first system was installed at Creative’s Delhi plant.

Deepanshu Goel of Creative Graphics with the Kodak Flexcel NX Wide imager

Continued investment in technology has been central to the Creative Graphics approach since beginning, and is a major reason for the company’s significant investment in Kodak Flexcel NX. “We serve the top end of each of our markets,” says Deepanshu Goel of Creative Graphics. “So it’s essential we deliver consistently high quality. With Flexcel NX, we can do this.

The technology offers a wide range of benefits, from high-quality halftones and smoother tonal gradations to improved solid

densities and image contrast. Text is crisp, reverses sharp, and dot gain is minimal. It all adds up to excellent print quality.” z

z INDUSTRY DURING COVID 19 Innovating new working methods amid Covid crisis

A

s world over, people are struggling to keep up with their daily routine amid the covid crisis, new ways have come up to cope with daily work tasks like online meetings which have really taken a surge.

People are using online platforms to conduct tasks like machinery Functional Testing (FCT) before it gets shipped to the buyer, online diagnostics of machine via remote access or intelligent Google Glass which lets the machinery service engineer figure out the problem with the machine while he is sitting at his place. Internet of Things (IOT), automation 4.0 have become

8

THE PACKMAN | MAY-JUN 2020

www.thepack man.in

even more important and will be adopted even more in future.

Gaurav Bansal, director, Kiran Consultants

Packaging material manufacturing companies, being in the essential commodity domain, has been allowed by the government to operate but with limited workforce. Having limited supply of material, workforce, transport problems, cash crunch, it becomes imperative to smooth out the business operations even more in these times by adopting latest technologies like enterprise software, marketing tools like CRM. The essential commodity buying has hiked with

Design and Marketing

THE PACKMAN | MAY-JUN 2020

www.thepack man.in

9

Prepress and Software panic buying and stockpiling by consumer.

Packaging manufacturing companies are under stress to fulfill this surge in demand with limited resources at their disposal. In these testing times, every resource matters and ought to be used to its maximum potential.

during such time. Having access to material inventory data from anywhere could be of great help to plan out the production schedule. With limited resources, minimum cash flows, managing wastage and downtime becomes all the more important to ensure greater productivity.

It is predicted by health experts that such pandemics could be an every year occurrence making it imperative for organizations to build a standard operating procedure (SOP) to deal with such trying times in future so that work doesn’t get affected.

Work from home can be made more effective by adopting enterprise solutions whereby the workforce can continue taking decisions by making all relevant data available to them in a timely manner. As the saying goes, “Data is the new gold,” marketing activities can continue uninterrupted from home or elsewhere. Accounting, tax return filing, financial planning

Managing the supply chain is a major task

can happen uninterrupted from home as well.

Technologies which we foresee being adopted more in future would be digital marketing, IOT, business intelligence based on data collected from machines to reflect true job wastages, wastage patterns, machine breakage/downtime analysis. All this sea of data captured at the grassroot level will only result in making us lean and mean which is very much required in these times. z - Gaurav Bansal (Director, Kiran Consultants)

z FLEXOGRAPHIC PLATE FOR CORRUGATED BOARD APPLICATIONS

Asahi Photoproducts launches AFP-Leggeros

A

sahi Photoproducts has announced the availability of a brand-new flexographic plate. Asahi AFP-Leggero CleanPrint plates have been specifically designed for printing on lower quality low-liner corrugated board. This super-soft plate delivers kiss-touch printing without board crush, good ink density with reduced washboard effect, and is ideal for simple brown-box corrugated applications such as fruit trays and single-color logo type printing.

Leggero CleanPrint plates. In addition, as with all of our CleanPrint plates, the Leggero plates ensure less waste, fewer press stops for plate cleaning and consistent exceptional quality throughout the run, the hallmark of Asahi’s CleanPrint flexo plates. We expect packaging converters will be able to achieve up to 15% improvement in Overall Equipment Effectiveness (OEE) when they use these plates for corrugated post-print, delivering a solution in harmony with the environment.”

“With the growing use of corrugated board packaging around the globe, brands and retailers increasingly seek ways to increase quality appearance and protect their goods at the same time,” said Dieter Niederstadt, Asahi Photoproducts’ technical marketing manager.

CleanPrint plates from Asahi Photoproducts have been specifically engineered to transfer all remaining ink to the printed substrate. The AFP-Leggero CleanPrint effect is achieved because of the soft plate base material. The result is very clean printing. Another important benefit of Asahi’s CleanPrint plates, including AFP-Leggero, is that they do not need to be cleaned as often as conventional digital solvent plates. Reduction of plate cleaning stops creates a significant productivity improvement as well as more consistent quality.

“Asahi’s AFP-Leggero flexographic printing plates deliver both higher quality and better protection of the product by not damaging the corrugated box flute structure. This is a very new approach inside Asahi, not only to focus on print quality aspects, but also to add value for protection of the packaged goods. Our ‘Just Kiss. No Crush.’ tagline reinforces this quality and protective result delivered by Asahi AFP-

10

THE PACKMAN | MAY-JUN 2020

www.thepack man.in

“With AFP-Leggero’s soft-touch kiss printing not only is the historical problem of board crush and washboarding virtually eliminated

Asahi AFP-Leggero CleanPrint plates have been specifically designed for printing on lower quality low-liner corrugated board

due to the softness of this plate, but there is also virtually no dot bridging and good ink laydown.

That means that areas of solid color as well as highlight areas are clean and crisp, as are fine lines and smaller type. This is the ideal plate for corrugated board post-print and will enable packaging converters to broaden the range of applications they can produce for customers, especially those that are not willing to sacrifice quality,” Niederstadt concluded. z

st

1

time in India C.I.Flexo Press From Manugraph

For more details contact : Marketed by :

Prepress and Software

z ENTRIES FOR 2021 OPENS IN JUNE 2020

Miraclon announces return of Global Flexo Innovation Awards

M

iraclon, home of Kodak Flexcel Solutions, has announced the return of the Global Flexo Innovation Awards to honor companies that are at the forefront of the transformation of the flexo industry. Christopher Horton, former senior vice president of SGS, will chair the independent international judging panel that will comprise a rich selection of flexo industry influencers, technical experts and CPGs. The inaugural Global Flexo Innovation awards, launched in 2018, received over 200 entries spanning across 26 countries. With high quality considered a pre-condition, the ‘one of a kind’ program looks beyond the print sample and recognizes innovations that deliver value across the print production value chain. Entries had to demonstrate how flexographic printing, Kodak Flexcel NX Technology and their own innovative approach resulted in outstanding achievements in the use of creative design, production workflow improvements, greater use of the flexo print process and commitment to sustainability.

Emma Schlotthauer, chief marketing officer at Miraclon, said, “The transformation and growth of the flexo industry is dependent on companies that grow their businesses through innovation that impacts the whole supply chain while driving an efficient, consistent and sustainable manufacturing process. The first iteration of the Global Flexo Innovation Awards proved that there are a great number of these businesses that have motivating stories to tell. The Global Flexo Innovation Awards not only celebrates these companies, it also helps bring like-minded individuals together and creates a valuable global network in pursuit of the same goals.

The next round of the Awards program will

12

THE PACKMAN | MAY-JUN 2020

www.thepack man.in

Global Flexo Innovation awards on table

further strengthen that network.”

Christopher Horton, who was also on the previous Global Flexo Awards judging panel, said, “It’s great to see what companies around the globe are accomplishing with flexo to differentiate themselves from competitors and bring additional value to their customers. While other awards typically focuses on quality print, the Global Flexo Innovation Awards allows the industry to showcase how they are using flexo technology to be more efficient, reduce waste and leverage environmental benefits, and execute work to a higher level to meet brand and financial needs. It is the perfect platform to showcase the transformation of flexo and the future of the flexo industry.”

As an entrepreneur, innovator, and executive, Christopher spent the last 30 years of

his working career driving exponential gains in company value for the organizations he worked with. He entered the Graphic Services space by founding Advance Printing Products (APP) in 1988, and grew the business value to several million dollars before merging the company with Southern Graphic Systems (SGS) in early 2001. With SGS, Christopher was instrumental in the company’s growth into a Global Graphic Services powerhouse before he retired from SGS in 2015. He remained active in Graphic Services – today providing business optimization and exit planning consulting services.

The rest of the judging panel, which will see experts representing the complete flexo and packaging value chain, will be announced next month. Entries for the 2021 Global Flexo Innovation Awards will open in June 2020. z

Prepress and Software

z SYSTEM FOR PULP, TISSUE, PAPER, BOARD, AND CONVERTING INDUSTRIES

Valmet introduces renewed quality management system

V

of the entire production process and is a step towards an autonomous mill. The new capabilities of Valmet IQ increase the degree of automation and reduce the human role in the process.

The system utilizes Valmet’s latest innovations and expertise on pulp and paper quality management. It integrates the quality management

“Valmet IQ extends from traditional quality controls to the retention and refining online optimization with wet end analyzers. The new moisture management solution optimizes the drying process from the wire-former section through the press and dryer section to the end of the reel. It will stabilize the process and improve

almet renewed quality management system for pulp, tissue, paper, board, and converting industries lets papermakers optimize quality through the entire value chain from fiber to finished product, enabling improved process performance and increased savings through the process.

the performance even further,” says Marko Toskala, director, quality management systems from Valmet.

According to the company, Valmet IQ consists of all the devices and applications needed to monitor and optimize both process performance and end-product quality: scanners, measurements, profilers, machine vision, and quality control applications. on the value that digital can offer.” z

THE PACKMAN | MAY-JUN 2020

www.thepack man.in

13

Monocarton

z GLOBAL CORONA VIRUS CRISIS

Heidelberg’s digital interface for customer support plays crucial role

H

eidelberg has responded as quickly as possible to the difficult conditions caused by the global coronavirus crisis, and provides its customers in the area of commercial, packaging and label printing with support at all levels. “Especially in these challenging times, our digital interfaces to print shops worldwide are proving their worth in helping our customers in their daily operations,” explains Rainer Hundsdörfer, chief executive officer of Heidelberg. The company generates around 85% of its sales abroad, and supports its customers in the best possible way locally with its globally based and proven service and sales network in the graphics industry. Customers in all major printing markets are served directly or via partners.

“In these times of the coronavirus pandemic, our top priority is the health and safety of our employees and our customers. In terms of service, for example, we are relying even more heavily on our tried-and-tested and longestablished Remote Service and the Heidelberg Assistant , taking care of everything we possibly can via digital telephony or video conferencing, and providing information via our customer databases,” continues Hundsdörfer.

Only recently, for example, the first Speedmaster press was thus sold in Germany via a video conference. A reliable supply of spare parts and consumables will also be ensured during the coronavirus pandemic. In addition, all installations or necessary on-site technical services are provided with due regard to health precautions, as far as the current situation allows, and always in mutual agreement with the customer and the prevailing local conditions. The World Logistics Center at the Wiesloch-Walldorf site has around 100,000 parts in stock, which means that more than 96% of the parts ordered are available when the order is received. Customers benefit from

14

THE PACKMAN | MAY-JUN 2020

www.thepack man.in

Masterwork MK founded MK healthy Co., Ltd. at the end of February, and has entered into the production of medical face masks

digital business models, such as subscription.

With the Prinect Production Manager, for example, only the actual TIFF consumption per square meter is billed, which means that fewer jobs also cost less. In individual cases, Heidelberg grants extended payment terms for maintenance agreements. “We greatly value our customers, and, as their partner, are convinced that we will master this time together,” emphasizes Hundsdörfer.

PRODUCTION IN CHINA RAMPED UP AGAIN In China, currently the largest single market for Heidelberg, the company runs its own production site in Shanghai. Having been the first market to be affected by the outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic, the situation there seems to be gradually easing. Production is now back to pre-crisis level, and all employees are back at work. Since the end of February,

all employees at the local sales company have also been back in action, providing support to customers, if possible in person, or otherwise by telephone.

HEALTH AND SAFETY ARE PARAMOUNT The top priority for Heidelberg is the health of its employees at all sites. Appropriate regulations on safety and hygiene are strictly observed. Masterwork MK, partner and largest single shareholder in Heidelberg, founded MK healthy Co., Ltd. at the end of February, and has entered into the production of disposable medical face masks, including the complete supply chain. To date, the MK Group has also provided 35,000 medical face masks for the Heidelberg Group, and another 40,000 will follow shortly, primarily for the use of service technicians on customer assignments. z

Monocarton

z LOCKDOWN - SWOT ANALYSIS

Building business opportunities during COVID-19

I

n this time of crisis, the only medicine we are able to find yet is social distancing and by staying home. The timely action by the government to intervene the arrest of COVID-19, I am sure, will help us save lives. However, there may be fallout, if we are not fully protected and do not care about ourselves. I see the way forward for all citizens is to break the chain from spreading further, hence social distancing is important.

“PRINT CAN’T BE IMMUNE FROM THIS DEADLY KILLER VIRUS” The lock down is likely to have its impact on the industry in terms of value. The total print business in India in all forms is Rs 46,507 crore.

The total print business in India in offset is Rs 27,551 crore.

According to a market research company executive, while discussing the way forward, if the lock down continues for a period of four weeks or 30 days, the estimated loss for the print industry is expected to be Rs 3,850 core.

For the offset industry, this number is expected to be between Rs 2,270 core and Rs 2,800 crore.

Offset industry will be the hardest hit. This will account for not only loss of business but also the cost of man-days which have gone without work. Captive installed base and underutilized capacity, which is a part of perishable assets like manpower time, production capacity utilization, etc, which can never ever be made up. The loss of opportunity certainly is something India could have tried to cash in after the outbreak of the pandemic in China.

If India is able to contain COVID-19 within a stipulated time-frame, I am sure the graphic arts industry has the capacity to bounce back.

In a worst-case scenario, if the citizens of India fail to align with the government, we will be heading for a disaster. It will take months to recover from the situation.

However, as I speak to some of my customers and friends from the industry, I have mixed reaction – from an extremely confident to fairly confident; few are not confident on the total outcome.

The Government surely wants to avoid the accumulation of NPAs, hence the pressure on the banks ability to recover money from defaulters, Strict action on default might be a cause of concern for printers. I have always been an optimist, and do see that there is opportunity for all in the making provided we apply ourselves well enough. As social distancing will be the way we live from now on, the print industry too will transform. I see COVID-19 as a game-changer for all of us in the near future.

Look for opportunities in this moment of COVID-19 crisis and appreciate, the change is there to stay with us from now on. Let’s look for solutions and share our success and failures so as we all can learn from each other.

As my mentor used to say, “Business has always been done with exchange of money and material. The only thing that will change is the way of doing Business.” Those who adapt to the change and embrace will survive and the rest will parish.

Global economies are in shock from COVID-19 as Real GDP growth numbers touching bottom, says KPMG report 1. COVID-19 has put the world economies on a shock bigger than The Great depression. COVID-19 is a unique kind of supply shock, demand shock and a market shock.

2. A hopeful ‘U’ and ‘V’ shaped recovery depends upon the timings and the magnitude of government assistance as well as the level of corporate debt and how companies and market cope with

Sangam Khanna , deputy managing director, Komori. Photo: The Packman

lower demand.

3. The higher the debt levels the more costly and economically damaging social distancing is for an economy among G-7 countries India’s debt level is low.

EYEING FOR THE OPPORTUNITY I don’t think in the history of the printing industry we ever had such an opportunity to sit back and analyze the situation for the next three weeks. I see it as an opportunity to restructure our mindset and our businesses. We must plan to look within us and do a quick SWOT analysis.

STRENGTH 1. India has great entrepreneurship zeal, full of energy to surge ahead of other countries 2. We have the youngest and dedicated manpower in the world 3. Banks are willing to extend money for growth at reasonable rates 4. Land for the industry is cheap in many state allotments 5. Internet penetration is high 6. GST has made business transaction easier for businesses to do business interstate THE PACKMAN | MAY-JUN 2020

www.thepack man.in

15

Monocarton 7. Skilled, affordable manpower 8. Raw material like paper, inks and chemicals are comparable to world prices

WEAKNESS 1. Entrepreneurs are scared to take risk in the present scenario 2. Rise of Forex USD, JPY Euro to INR is a big concern as most high-productive equipment, raw materials are still imported in India and it directly affects the final product 3. Minimum wage bills and local skilled manpower to get subsidy in some industrial area too are a concern as most industrial areas have to get skilled manpower from other towns making it difficult for them to avail government subsidy 4. Unable to add value to the finished product, the printers fail to cut through competition 5. Aside from a few, most printers lack trained manpower 6. The bigger issues for the printers today are standardization and lack of certifications like ISO, TQM and Six

Sigma, etc 7. Most MSMEs have press owners as the CEO. This results in lack of specialization and ability to delegate the right work to the right person.

All they key decision are taken by the owner (irrespective of whether he understands the final outcome or not)

OPPORTUNITIES 1. Internet order-taking, business to be done avoiding contact, keeping in mind social distancing 2. More and more customers and suppliers will choose to do business without physical contact 3. We have opportunity in every vertical of print as I see, from commercial, semi-commercial, publishing, label, digital, packaging, specialty packaging, food packaging, etc.

4. Domestic collaboration of printers combining capacities to fight with bigger players 5. Export from India is on the mind of world buyers. After they put all their eggs in one basket (COVID-19 episode in China), they will look for other

alternative destinations like India, Vietnam, Sri lanka, Bangladesh, etc.

THREATS 1. If a permanent solution for COVID-19 is not found in weeks, the economic impact may multiply and the loss may be irreparable.

2. If the permanent solution takes several months, the economic fallout will be really difficult for the industry to recover from 3. The demand and supply gap is likely to grow bigger 4. Banks get too conservative before they lend to the customers. However as the RBI and most banks will like to fund as many industries as possible, it will be challenge for the banks to fund the industry as most balance sheets will be bleeding for cash crunch 5. Global uncertainty and frequent ups and downs in Forex, gold, oil and stock markets will directly affect the industrial cost of production 6. Frequent hire and fire in the MSME job sector too will hit the quality, productivity and creativity. z - Sangam Khanna

z ADAMS IN POLAND INVESTS IN VISIONCUT Bobst reaches milestone with sale of 300th VisionCut

B

obst has announced that it has sold its 300th VisionCut. The flat-bed diecutting machine was purchased by Adams, a corrugated packaging manufacturer, based in Poland. The company is a long-standing Bobst customer, already owning five flatbed die-cutters, two of which are VisionCut machines and a range of folder-gluers, plus the MasterFlex-HD 5-color printing press.

Adams supplies a wide range of corrugated packaging to sectors including food and beverage, industrial chemicals, point of sale and display signage, and more recently e-commerce markets. Adam Skrzyniarz, founder and president of the management board at Adams, said, “We are operating in a very competitive environ-

16

THE PACKMAN | MAY-JUN 2020

www.thepack man.in

ment and we are strongly attuned to the needs of the market in order to quickly respond to any new developments and expectations of our customers. It’s important that our equipment and infrastructure enables us to deliver the high-quality standards that both we and our customers demand.”

“The VisionCut offers a short changeover time, helping us to maximize uptime and productivity, along with an advanced print-to-cut register system which delivers the high precision and accuracy that we need. With the VisionCut, we can improve production planning capabilities and deliver first-time right excellence, every time.” z

Adams supplies a wide range of corrugated packaging to sectors including food and beverage, industrial chemicals

Monocarton

z TRESU ICOAT II Next-generation coating technology for folding carton

T

resu, a leading provider of flexographic printing technology and coating solutions, has consolidated the successful partnership with HP Indigo to supply the next generation of inline coating solutions for the new HP Indigo 35K digital press.

According to Tresu, its iCoat II delivers high-end coating opportunities for digital printing using industry-standard UV or water-based varnish in a single production pass and is capable of applying spot, partial or full surface coating immediately after the printing stage.

The new Tresu iCoat II was developed in synergy with HP Indigo and as the result of a successful

partnership of more than eight years, Tresu now presents a new fully integrated inline coating solution enabling higher productivity and full inline connectivity with HP’s Indigo 35K digital press. Folding carton customers will now benefit

from a competitive solution based on experience, know-how and high-quality components. The new Tresu iCoat II is designed on a flexible modular platform, which can be updated with further modules and functionalities at any time in order to accommodate future changes in brand owners’ printing operations or changes arising from short-run seasonal fluctuations or fashion cycles.

Ronni Nielsen, vice president, Tresu Solutions Division, said, “With the next generation Tresu iCoat II, the converters in digital printing enter a new era of coating application opportunities.” z

z AIMS TO FOCUS ON PROFITABLE ACTIVITIES Heidelberg stops Primefire production

H

eidelberg has adopted a wide-ranging action package, as announced last year, for a short-term reduction in structural costs and long-term improvements in the company’s profitability. Focus on the profitable core business and systematic streamlining of the cost base are geared to delivering a €100 million improvement in EBITDA, excluding the restructuring result. At the same time, a return transfer of liquidity reserves from the trust fund will almost completely eliminate net debt, thereby significantly improving Heidelberg’s financial stability.

Heidelberg will discontinue individual products that earn far too little and significantly impact the company’s profitability with an annual loss

totaling some €50 million. In digital printing, for example, the company noted that the market for the Primefire 106 product has grown much more slowly than anticipated because of the difficult industry and market environment. Similarly, in sheetfed offset printing, the very-large-format product range has been falling well short of sales targets because of a fundamental change in the market structure for this sub-segment.

To improve overall profitability as soon as possible, production in both businesses is to be discontinued by the end of 2020 at the latest.

The aim is to focus Heidelberg consistently on profitable activities in order to secure strong operational performance and profitability under its own power, also when times are difficult.

Heidelberg’s chief executive officer Rainer Hundsdörfer said, “Heidelberg’s realignment is a radical step for our company that also involves some painful changes. As hard as it was for us to make this decision, it is necessary in order to put our company back on track for success.

Discontinuing unprofitable products enables us to focus on our strong, profitable core. This is where we will further extend Heidelberg’s leading market position by leveraging the opportunities of digitalization. Going forward, we will continue to provide our customers worldwide with technologically leading digital solutions and services across the board.” z

THE PACKMAN | MAY-JUN 2020

www.thepack man.in

17

Labels

z SUSTAINABILITY GOALS 2025

Avery India makes progress in reduce, recycle and redesign Recently, we met with Pankaj Bhardwaj, vice president and general manager – India & SAARC, label & graphic materials, Avery Dennison, to learn about the company’s advancement in intelligent labels and sustainability initiatives in India.

Here is an excerpt from the interview:

Mahan Hazarika: Please tell us about what interesting is happening at Avery Dennison India.

Pankaj Bhardwaj: There are interesting things happening at our organization. There are a few directional themes that we are looking upon currently – first is what we term as intelligent labels where labels do more than simply dissipating passive information and adding aesthetic touch to products. So that is one direction wherein we are putting in a fair bit of energy into. The second important direction for us is sustainability. We are continuously working on bringing new solutions to the market which are more sustainable and look further to our commitment toward the society that we are living in. The third theme is, continually looking around the challenges that brand owners and customers are facing in the marketplace, and trying to solve them. We have a large R&D development setup in the country which is also clubbed with a knowledge center.

This facility is dedicated towards developing new solutions befitting the need of the customers in India and nearby markets. While the first two initiatives are more about developing products, the third one is more about developing differentiated services which ultimately delivers better values to customers.

Mahan Hazarika: How are you ensuring

18

THE PACKMAN | MAY-JUN 2020

www.thepack man.in

loss prevention across the value chain, from manufacturing source to consumer.

Pankaj Bhardwaj, vice president and general manager – India & SAARC, label & graphic materials, Avery Dennison

that intelligent labels make things smarter for users?

Pankaj Bhardwaj: Intelligent labels or smart labels – labels inlaid with Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) technology – are rapidly improving many aspects of how we live, from the clothes we wear and the food we eat to our cars, medicine, and air travel. As the world’s largest UHF RFID partner, Avery Dennison is at the forefront of this transformation, developing pioneering integrated RFID solutions designed to help improve inventory management and

In intelligent labels, we ensure that we are able to deliver two unique propositions – the first being a better supply chain efficiency. So, we use RFID as the base technology for ensuring that the supply chain footprints are clearly visible, and one is able to manage its inventory, stock upkeep and fulfillment of the trade far better than what the current technologies are offering.

Second, we are using the same base technology through Near Field Communications (NFC) where a label with NFC is able to engage with consumers in a far more meaningful way, and is able to unlock values for brand owners by giving better information around customer, and giving customer far better information around products.

Mahan Hazarika: You have also launched your iLab at ADIKC. How is it adding value to the industry?

Pankaj Bhardwaj: Yes, in India we have recently launched iLab at The Avery Dennison Innovation and Knowledge Centre (ADIKC) so that the industry would be able to use this infrastructure to understand intelligent labels and its technol-

Labels ogy better. The lab helps improve the awareness of the technology and get into the immersive experience of how the technology works. The center is up and running and we can already see that a good number of eco-system stakeholders are putting it to good use. Very clearly, we see a lot of interest of the retail companies, companies in logistics warehousing, and to a certain extent, beauty and personal care products exploring and using intelligent labels. We believe that it is at an inflection point where adoption is going to multiply every year. Even the government is a huge target market for RFID.

Intelligent or smart labels are rapidly improving many aspects of how we live , from the clothes we wear and the food we eat to our cars, medicine, and air travel

Mahan Hazarika: Tell us about the developments taking place at Avery Dennison India in the run-up to your 2025 Sustainability Goals.

Pankaj Bhardwaj: As we work toward our 2025 Sustainability Goals, in India we are making progress in all three directions – reduce, recycle and redesign. First on the reduce, we have got a series of products, wherein without compromising the product performance and quality, we are decreasing the amount of material used for that products. We ensure that these products meet the Avery Dennison ClearIntent Portfolio standards. The Avery Dennison ClearIntent Portfolio offers meaningful improvements in sustainability over other Avery Dennison products. I am glad to share that this year we have doubled the ClearIntent Portfolio over the last. This means, our offerings are significantly ramping up in ClearIntent.

We are continuously redesigning our products to have lesser carbon footprint as well as help recycling. For example, a large portfolio of our paper products today is Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) certified. And it is more of an organization led initiative rather than customer or market led initiative. Almost 50% of the paper that we sell today is FSC certified and our goal is to become 100% FSC certified by 2025. We are continuously re-looking at how we can help circular economy advance from the recycling point of view. So we are designing new adhesive solutions which make separation of labels from bottles much easier and hence the recycling process. Our solution CleanFlake, which we are introducing to the market, makes separation

“Intelligent labels or smart labels – labels inlaid with RFID technology – are rapidly improving many aspects of how we live, from the clothes we wear and the food we eat to our cars, medicine, and air travel. As the world’s largest UHF RFID partner, Avery Dennison is at the forefront of this transformation, developing pioneering integrated RFID solutions designed to help improve inventory management and loss prevention across the value chain, from manufacturing source to consumer” – Pankaj Bhardwaj

of labels from polyester bottles much easier.

The third, recycling: we have taken the initiative early on to ensure that we are disposing whatever waste we generate very responsibly.

At our factory, we have been landfill free for quite some time now. For the industry, for which waste management is a huge problem, we have rolled out two programs. These two programs are for liner recycling and matrix recycling.

These projects were extremely difficult to get going initially, but I am happy that we have been able to crack it and now we have tied up with the industry association to ensure that we are creating awareness around these two programs.

We are able to facilitate the pickup of the liner waste from brand owners’ sites and send it to our designated paper mills who are able to recycle it to make industrial tissues. A lot of brand owners have already signed up for this program. The second one is matrix recycling which has been the biggest problem of the industry. Now we have a program wherein the matrix can be either picked up by a recycling center or transported by converters themselves to a recycling center where it can be either used for generating energy or used for re-polymerization. Both of these programs have come up in the last one year. z

THE PACKMAN | MAY-JUN 2020

www.thepack man.in

19

Labels

z CHEETAH 2.0 TECHNOLOGY

Xeikon launches new high-end digital label press

X

eikon has launched a new digital label press based on next-generation Cheetah 2.0 technology. “The Xeikon CX300 delivers exceptional application versatility, designed to achieve the highest possible Overall Equipment Effectiveness (OEE) and is even more productive than the very successful Xeikon CX3 first generation of Cheetah presses,” said Filip Weymans, vice president of marketing. “With Cheetah 2.0 technology, we have focused on combining high production speeds with a high OEE, ultimately resulting in maximum sellable output.”

The new full-color 13-inch label press can offer production capacity of over 50,000 square meters per month in a single shift operation.

The press is equipped with five print stations, including CMYK and single-pass opaque white

but can also support color gamut expansion, custom or security colors.

Other markets ideally served by the Xeikon CX300 are those that use challenging substrates such as natural structured papers. This includes wine & spirits, craft beer, luxury food, and more. Health and beauty labels also benefit from high-quality full-color printing and singlepass opaque white toner. These are just a few of the end-use market applications that make the Xeikon CX300 a versatile solution that can also be used for the production of heat transfer labels, in-mould labelling, wet glue, wraparound labels, and cartons.

Xeikon’s fleXflow process enables the Xeikon CX300 to produce flexible pouches, combining dry toner printing with thermal lamina-

tion to deliver a laminated construction with turnaround times never before possible, and increased sustainability driven by the fact that there is no solvent used during either printing or laminating. Xeikon fleXflow is driven by the industry-leading Xeikon X-800 digital front end and includes an innovative inline thermal lamination process.

“The Xeikon CX300 can be the cornerstone of digitizing label manufacturing. Its built-in technologies enable label converters to address current and future industry demands: connectivity, responsiveness, flexibility and scalability. We believe the Xeikon CX300 can be a valuable addition to any label shop floor and the spark that ignites a digitization process that is unmatched in the industry,” Weymans concluded. z

The Xeikon CX300 is equipped with five print stations, including CMYK and single-pass opaque white but can also support color gamut expansion, custom or security colors

20

THE PACKMAN | MAY-JUN 2020

www.thepack man.in

Labels EARLY BIRD DISCOUNT Last Date

30.04.2020

WHERE THE WORLD

L BE

S , l e ab

LA

YP AR TN ER S

C fll or

a H d te

TR US IND

FEDERATION OF CORRUGATED BOX MANUFACTURER OF INDIA

n e e cr

a c i d De

ia on, t rrug

L

iPr nt &

e

ag n g Si

o

:

CO

RR

SC

UG AT I

RE EN

ON

PR

IN T

SI

GN AG E

CONVERGES

15th

PRINTPACK INDIA February 3-8, 2021

India Expo Centre, Greater Noida, NCR Delhi PRINTPACKIPAMA

PRINTPACKIPAMA

IPAMAPRINTPACKINDIA

0120-4292274 www.printpackipama.com FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT +91-9717199385, +91-9717199388 ORGANIZER : INDIAN PRINTING PACKAGING & ALLIED MACHINERY MANUFACTURERS’ ASSOCIATION

THE PACKMAN | MAY-JUN 2020

Plot No C-54, Sector-62, Institutional Area, Noida, 201 307 U.P, INDIA I Ph: +91-120-2400109/4292274 Fax: +91-120-4207076 Email: admin@ipama.org; info@ipama.org; marketing@ipama.org

www.thepack man.in

21

Labels

z GALLUS LABELMASTER 440

First Gallus label press for Elloflex in Brazil

H

igher production efficiency, reliable print quality and the ability to enter new markets are the insights for the Brazilian print shop Elloflex one year after the successful installation of a Gallus Labelmaster. The 8-color flexo narrow web press is the first Gallus press for the label printer and converter.

Gallus, a subsidiary of Heidelberger, installed the narrow web production line in the North of Parana in Brazil in December 2018. The Gallus Labelmaster includes eight flexo printing stations including cold-foil and a further unit for rotary screen. With a printing width of 440 mm it is the first Gallus press for Elloflex and thus, the second Gallus Labelmaster for the Brazilian label and flexible package printing market.

“We chose Gallus because it is a durable and stable running machine which guarantees reliable results which we can really achieve during daily production. Now, more than one year after the installation, we can say that we increased the efficiency of sleeve production and were able to conquer new markets thanks to this investment,” says Rafael Polessi Rampazzo, commercial director at Elloflex.

Applications produced on the Gallus Labelmaster are mainly sleeves for the flexible packaging market, but also the whole range of narrow web applications can be produced on the conventional label press. Elloflex was established in 2007 and is now serving different markets segments with about 110 employees. z

Rafael Rampazzo, sales director, Elloflex

Gallus appoints new CEO

F

rank Schaum is heading Gallus, the label division of Heidelberg in St Gallen, Switzerland since the beginning of March 2020. He succeeds Christof Naier, who left the company at his own request.

Frank Schaum studied mechanical engineering at the University of Kaiserslautern and received his doctorate at the Technical University in Darmstadt in Germany. He started his professional career at Heidelberg in 1992 as a product developer. His professional career was characterized by different management functions within the Heidelberg Group. Between 2014 and 2018, he was responsible for the postpress division, among other things.

All of the company’s activities relating to sheet punching, folding box gluing, inspection

22

THE PACKMAN | MAY-JUN 2020

www.thepack man.in

systems for folding boxes, as well as folding and cutting are bundled in one organization.

Most recently, he worked for the Heidelberg Group in corporate development. At the beginning of March this year, he took over the responsibility for the label division, which is reflected in the Gallus brand.

“It is my goal to evolve the Gallus brand with its products and services in the growing market of label business. In doing so, we consistently will continue to pursue our way of digitization and we will provide our customers with sustainable support in the development of their individual business models,” explains Frank Schaum.

Gallus with production facilities in Switzer-

land and Germany, is a leading company in the development, production of conventional and digital narrow-web , reel-fed presses designed for the label and packaging business.

The machine portfolio is augmented by a broad range of screen printing plates (Gallus Screeny), globally decentralised service operations, and a broad offering of printing accessories and replacement parts. Products and services of the Gallus brand are distributed through the global Heidelberg sales and service network. The comprehensive portfolio also includes consulting services provided by label experts in all relevant printing and process engineering tasks. Gallus employs around 273 people, of whom 163 are based in Switzerland. z

Business

z UNILEVER’S Q1 RESULTS

Flat sales reflect unprecedented impact of COVID-19 Unilever has announced its results for the first quarter of 2020, which show flat underlying sales with developed markets growing 2.8% whilst emerging markets declined 1.8%.

“C

OVID-19 is having an unprecedented impact on people and economies worldwide.

Unilever has moved at speed to support our multiple stakeholders and maintain our operations through the crisis, and prepare for growth in a new normal. We have structured our immediate response into five areas: supporting our people; protecting supply; serving demand; contributing to society; and maintaining our financial strength,” said Alan Jope, CEO, Unilever.

Jope said the company will continue to adapt throughout this crisis. “However, the unknown severity and duration of the pandemic, as well as the containment measures that may be adopted in each country, mean that we cannot reliably assess the impact across our markets and our business. We are therefore withdrawing our previous growth and margin outlook for 2020,” he said.

The company stated that most major markets, outside China, saw normal sales patterns in January and February with COVID-19 impacting in March. The Chinese market slowed significantly during the lock-down period, which began in January, whilst Europe and North America, saw a positive impact of household stocking in March. The Indian market had slowed even

before the strict lock-down began at the end of March. Conditions in Latin America remain challenging, as they were before COVID-19, although the company has seen some household stocking at the end of the quarter.

UNILEVER OVERALL PERFORMANCE Underlying sales growth was 0.0% with 0.2%

from volume and negative 0.2% from price.

Developed markets grew 2.8% whilst emerging markets declined 1.8%. China declined as a result of the downturn in food service, out of home ice cream and retail sales during the lock-down. Growth in India was impacted by both the slowing market and the lock-down implemented at the end of March, which stopped THE PACKMAN | MAY-JUN 2020

www.thepack man.in

23

Business production and shipping for a number of days.

Latin America grew 4.9% whilst South East Asia was mixed, following the introduction of strict restrictions in the Philippines. North America and Europe benefitted from household stocking, despite a decline in food service and ice cream.

E-commerce grew as shoppers moved from offline to online channels.

Turnover increased 0.2%. There was a positive impact of 0.6% from acquisitions net of disposals and a negative impact of 0.4% from currency.

BEAUTY AND PERSONAL CARE Beauty and personal care underlying sales grew 0.3%, with volume growth of 0.7% and negative pricing of 0.5%. Growth in key categories was driven by both consumption and household stocking.

“Skin cleansing saw mid-single digit volumeled growth as we responded to the critical need for hygiene products to prevent the spread of COVID-19. Through our Lifebuoy hygiene brand we continued to raise hand-washing awareness, introducing lifebuoy products to 43 new markets, as well as working quickly across brands to expand our range of formats to support the pandemic response,” said Jope.

Skin care declined, as travel restrictions impacted the Carver portfolio and India was impacted by lock-down conditions. Vaseline continued to perform well, with mid-single digit growth, and the company launched anti-bacterial hand cream in the UK as well as a new Pro Derma Clinical range in China. The Prestige portfolio was impacted by health and beauty channel closures in many markets.

Whilst hair grew in the US, the lock-down impacted the portfolio in China and in India. Deodorants grew mid-single digit, with strong performances from Rexona Clinical range and Dove deodorants. Oral care grew, with growth from natural toothpastes and bamboo toothbrushes. Negative pricing was primarily driven by India following price reductions in the previous quarter.

HOME CARE Home care underlying sales grew 2.4%, with 2.6% from volume and negative price of 0.2%.

24

THE PACKMAN | MAY-JUN 2020

www.thepack man.in

Beauty and personal care underlying sales grew 0.3%, with volume growth of 0.7% and negative pricing of 0.5%

The company stated that its home and hygiene brands, including Cif surface cleaners and Domestos bleach, benefited from increased demand for household cleaning products, with double digit underlying sales growth. In China, the company accelerated the launch of the new germ-killing Botanical Hygiene range, addressing demand for natural cleaning supported by advanced and effective technology.

Format premiumization continues to be a driver of volume-led growth in fabric solutions, with liquids and capsules both growing double digits. Clean and green home care brand Seventh Generation also saw double digit growth.

FOODS AND REFRESHMENT Foods and refreshment underlying sales declined 1.7%, with volumes down 1.8% and positive pricing of 0.1%. The largest volume decline was in ice cream, as the seasonal sell-in

for out of home consumption in key markets such as Europe, Turkey and Latin America were heavily impacted by lock-down measures and the reluctance of distributors to commit to buying ice cream stock with an uncertain holiday and tourism season.

There was also a sharp decline in food service, as restaurants in China and elsewhere closed due to COVID-19 mitigation measures. This was offset by increased in-home consumption and household stocking in some markets, particularly the US and Europe, leading to volume-led growth in savoury and dressings. Knorr saw low single digit growth, while Hellmann’s grew double digits as Unilever’s brands helped to feed the many families at home.

Tea declined low-single digit, impacted by India and out of home channel closures. The strategic review of the company’s tea business is ongoing.z

Flexibles

THE PACKMAN | MAY-JUN 2020

www.thepack man.in

25

Business

z DRUPA 2020 POSTPONED TO APRIL 2021

An interview with Sabine Geldermann Mid-March, the postponement of the world’s leading trade fair for printing technologies, drupa, to 20 - 30 April 2021 was announced due to the exponential spread of the coronavirus. Director drupa and global head print technologies of Messe Düsseldorf, Sabine Geldermann, is now answering questions that concern the print industry.

Sabine Geldermann, what was the decisive factor for Messe Düsseldorf to postpone drupa?

Messe Düsseldorf is following the recommendation of the crisis management team of the German Federal Government to take into account the principles of the Robert Koch Institute when assessing the risk of major events. Based on this recommendation and the recent significant increase in the number of people infected with the new corona virus (SARS-CoV-2), including in Europe, Messe Düsseldorf has reassessed the situation. In addition, there was the general ruling issued by the city of Düsseldorf on 11 March 2020, in which major events with more than 1,000 participants present at the same time are generally prohibited. Against this background, there was unfortunately no other option than to postpone drupa.

On which criteria did you determine the new date?

Under normal circumstances, the year 2020 would have been a trade fair rally for Messe Düsseldorf, because from August last year until this June almost all of Düsseldorf ’s major worldleading trade fairs should have taken place – with drupa as the finale. Due to the influence of the coronavirus and the associated official decrees or restrictions, seven trade fairs planned for this spring have already been postponed to the second half of 2020 and to spring 2021. Since we need a time frame of around two months for

26

THE PACKMAN | MAY-JUN 2020

www.thepack man.in

Sabine Geldermann, director drupa and global head print technologies of Messe Düsseldorf. Photo: The Packman

drupa (due to its set-up, duration and dismantling), there were only limited options available.

Having weighed up all the parameters and in view of the international trade fair calendar, the date chosen, 20 - 30 April 2021, is the earliest and best possible date, which we have agreed together with our President and the VDMA as the supporting association. Under the current circumstances, this date now allows the greatest possible planning security for all parties involved. Fortunately, we are now once again in

a similar timeframe to the original, traditional May date of drupa, which has become widely established in the industry.

How has the global printing community responded to your announcement?

The current situation is affecting all industries worldwide in an unprecedented way and the effects of the coronavirus are already having a drastic impact on public and economic life. As in

Business other industries, the printing industry is feeling the effects of this in the form of short-time work, production downtime and supply bottlenecks – on a national and global level. In this situation, however, the health and protection of employees and partners takes precedence. The reaction of our international customers and partners to the postponement was therefore consistently positive and met with great understanding and acceptance. Three months before the regularly scheduled start of drupa, we were thus able to give many exhibitors the opportunity at this point in time to reschedule their upcoming logistical and very cost-intensive measures, such as the shipment of machines.

We were very pleased with the numerous emotional feedbacks on our social networks and platforms. One thing is certain: the industry wants to have a drupa again, one that retains its image, its radiance and its global standing – this would not have been feasible under the current conditions. That’s why we will now take every possible measure to meet the expectations of our global customers in April 2021 – let’s embrace the future in 2021 together!

Exhibitors traditionally work towards the drupa date with their new products: Much is already completed for June; exhibitors do not want to wait to present the new products to their customers. Does drupa now see itself confronted with alternative, virtual presentation formats?

Our exhibitors will certainly present some of their innovations this year already, using different formats such as customer events or digital platforms. However, these can only bridge the current demand – in our opinion, they do not offer a complete replacement for a trade fair with worldwide appeal. drupa is and will remain the top platform for the printing industry to present innovations, come together and, above all, network. That is why drupa will remain the target the print industry is working towards even after the postponement. drupa represents an indispensable platform for industry participants, providing orientation, impetus and, above all, satisfying the demand for face-to-face meetings and worlds of experience to a high degree. It is all about human needs, haptic experiences and running machines that fascinate participants and which definitely cannot be fulfilled at this

point by digital media. What distinguishes leading world trade fairs such as drupa is the concentrated energy that arises from the selective gathering of many people; the personal and emotional exchange; the joint presence of decision-makers, multipliers and idea providers; lively discussions; presentations that set the pace; chance encounters; opportunities to acquire new customers; recruiting options...

Especially in the current situation, where numerous European countries are subject to unexpected restrictions, the need for personal encounters and an extraordinary customer experience after such an experience will certainly be even more pronounced in the future. We are people, not avatars – and the desire for personal exchange, knowledge transfer and networking in a fascinating ambience is unbroken despite all digital formats. That’s why it’s great to see that numerous key accounts are already shaping the motto ‘let’s embrace the future in 2021 together.’

How do you believe print businesses can weather the storm caused by the pandemic?

There is no doubt that there will be declines and lasting economic setbacks. The government’s measures and aids are on the way. However, it is important that the industry does not suffer a complete standstill in production as a result of the current measures. Our industry must continue to invest in the future in order to seize market opportunities, because print, with its so many different and extensive applications and forms of use, will continue to be indispensable in many markets in the future. The exchange of ideas between industry players and the necessary inspiration are key means to this end, and are lived out and introduced in a future-oriented manner at leading world trade fairs such as drupa.

What changes will the postponement mean for drupa 2021?

The postponement represents a new, unprecedented scenario for all concerned and requires a certain degree of flexibility. As in the past, we will continue to take every possible measure to carry over the successful status of drupa to the new date in 2021. It is our ambition and desire to

organize another unique and successful drupa for our global customers in 2021.

Will the framework programme remain in place?

Our supporting programme at the five special forums has already impressed with a fascinating range of formats, renowned speakers and exciting topics. Our top priority is to offer our visitors highly relevant, inspiring and lastingly valuable content. The lecture programme is rounded off by Guided Tours and was already available for bookings via our portal. Our aim is now, of course, to adapt and transfer the programme as far as possible to the April date.

Significant issues concerning the ongoing digital transformation, topics related to circular economy and sustainability or new business models, which will be presented as keynotes, panel discussions and best cases, will continue to inspire and successfully advise companies – and this will be more relevant than ever after the impact of the coronavirus.

What are the effects of the postponement on the satellites?

We do not currently see any effects of the shift on our ‘Printing Technologies’ portfolio and thus on Messe Düsseldorf ’s foreign trade fairs.

As a result of drupa’s postponement, the most important trade show in our international portfolio, All in Print China in Shanghai in October, will become the largest and most important print trade show in 2020, giving our international exhibitors another highly relevant trade show in Asia this year. Furthermore, PPP Manila in October will provide an additional platform in an emerging Southeast Asian market. And indoprint in Jakarta, planned for September 2020, will also take place on schedule – according to current information. Of course, we are also closely monitoring the situation together with our subsidiaries Messe Düsseldorf China and Messe Düsseldorf Asia as well as participating partners and will act in good time if necessary. For this purpose we keep in touch with our customers via our various platforms and our foreign representatives and my team in Düsseldorf are available for all questions.z THE PACKMAN | MAY-JUN 2020

www.thepack man.in

27

Flexibles

z PACKAGING INDUSTRY IN INDIA TO REACH US$ 73.6 BILLION BY 2020

Flexible packaging trends in India PP SANYAL

P

ackaging is the fifth largest sector in Indian economy and is one of the highest growth sectors in the country. According to the Packaging Industry Association of India (PIAI), the sector is growing at 22-25% per annum.

A study by trade and commerce trade association Assocham and global consulting firm EY revealed that the packaging industry in India is anticipated to reach US$ 73.6 billion by 2020, due to India’s growing population and income levels.

In recent years, India has seen sustainable packaging growth due to the increase of packaged food consumption and awareness, and demand for quality products. Consumer awareness surrounding packaged food, specifically packaged food deliveries, has heightened. Earlier this year, the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) announced new packaging regulations to replace the former 2011 provisions. The new regulations comprise of a migration limit of 60 mg/kg or 10 mg/dm2 and migration limits for specific contaminates in plastic packaging materials. Recycled plastics and newspaper used for food packaging have also been banned. New labeling regulations were also revised.

Recent years have seen a boom in the e-commerce and the organized retail sectors in India, with the manifold increase of packaged food consumption, awareness and a demand for quality products. This, in turn, has seen a tremendous growth in packaging innovations across the country. Brands are catching up to the trend by using innovative packaging solutions to enhance consumers’ experience

28

THE PACKMAN | MAY-JUN 2020

www.thepack man.in

The packaging industry seems to be moving towards flexible packaging owing to its multi-fold energy and environment benefits. Photo: The Packman

and increase the shelf appeal of their products.

Latest technologies in the packaging space like nanotechnology is gaining popularity in several areas of food sciences such as food safety, packaging, processing, bio-availability, fortification, encapsulation among others.

With packaging, sustainability is another driver which plays a huge role in influencing companies and consumers to find innovative technologies for greener, more environmental friendly solutions. The global consensus to reduce negative environmental effects of packaging in conjunction with technological innovations have driven brands to reduce material usage, use recyclable material in packaging and develop the use of other sustainable materials.

Let’s examine some key trends in the Indian food & snack packaging market:

SHIFT TO FLEXIBLE PACKAGING The packaging industry seems to be moving towards flexible packaging owing to its multi-fold energy and environment benefits. Flexible packaging uses the best characteristics of plastic, paper and aluminum foil, without compromising on the products freshness, barrier protection, durability, printability and ease of use.

With its versatile nature, light weight, reduced cost and improved shelf life due to barrier properties, flexible packaging films have become the preferred choice over traditional packaging materials.

ENHANCED FUNCTIONAL PROPERTIES OF FLEXIBLE PACKAGING Packaging deals with functional properties

Flexibles and aesthetic properties. With the continuous increase in the availability of packaged food products in the market, it is extremely important for brands to use innovative packaging techniques which allows the inside product to remain fresh till the time it reaches the end consumer.

Packaging materials which have excellent barrier properties (Both Water vapor and oxygen) for example, have become an essential in product packaging, with examples like High Moisture Barrier Films (HMB), which are metalized and corona-treated on both sides for duplexes as well as a sandwich layer for lamination in snack foods, because loss of moisture is the most important area of concern in this case.

Other options are Aroma and Oxygen Barrier Films – that have strong moisture and gas barrier properties and are used for packaging of cream biscuits, chocolates, chips and snacks.

Needless to say that end customers today do not accept any of these products if its original taste and crunchy quality is lost.

ENHANCED SHELF APPEAL – IMPROVEMENT OF AESTHETIC VALUES When looking through retail shelves, consumers often run into a wide variety of similar products, which makes it really important for brands to make their products stand out from their competitors. Shelf appeal of the product is as important as its quality, and has become a key component for successful marketing.

Flexible packaging for example, provides better aesthetics and also offers a better visibility of the product, allowing brand owners and product designers to think out-of-the-box.

It may be mention here that revolutionary improvement of flexo and gravure printing with CtP flexo plates, laser engraving gravure printing cylinder and improvement of flexo, gravure ink technology can enable the brand owner to provide a very attractive printing quality. A summary can be provided as follows – packaging textures like matte, velvet, scuff-free and linen give a premium texture and look to the products’ packaging, thus creating a feeling of luxury in the minds of the customer.

SUSTAINABILITY In the last few years, sustainable products have become a priority for consumers and for brands.

The staggering growth in consumer awareness about sustainability, and frequent dialogues on social responsibility has pushed brand owners to do away with traditional, non-environmental friendly packaging methods, focusing more on homogeneous (same family of polymers) film structures.

BOPP, CPP and PE come from the same polyolefin family of polymers which can be used individually or in combination to form monomaterial (homogeneous) laminate structures without compromising on the aesthetics and performance of the pack. BOPP and CPP films also offer benefit of better yield and in turn less consumption of plastics and overall lesser laminate cost.

INTELLIGENT PACKAGING Consumer expectations are becoming increasingly high, and industries across the spectrum are upgrading their products and systems to become smarter, and provide exceptional customer experience. Intelligent packaging uses its unique features such as sensing, detecting, tracing, and recording and communicating to facilitate extension of shelf life, enhance quality and safety, provide information, and warn about potential problems. The technology of intelligent packaging can be applied to identify counterfeit products, boost consumer engagement with the help of smartphones, and avoid wastage through clear indication of freshness levels or expiry of the product.

USE OF NANOTECHNOLOGY Nanotechnology is gaining a lot of popularity in several areas of food sciences such as food safety, packaging, processing, bio-availability, fortification, encapsulation, and pathogen detection among others. In the food packaging industry, research shows that nanotechnology-based food packaging offers numerous advantages over conventional food packaging materials.

The nano materials used in the packaging are ‘smart materials’; they respond to the external environment, repair themselves or alert the consumers about contamination.

Nanotechnology is gaining a lot of popularity in several areas of food sciences

Apart from the obvious advantage of smart packaging, the application of nanotechnology also comes with other advantages such as improvement in temperature resistance, enhanced durability, flame resistance, barrier, recycling and optical properties. Indian companies are dependent on foreign machinery and investing a huge amount for raw materials. Initiatives by the Indian Government like ‘Make in India’ are opportunities for foreign players to export, import and provide the latest technology and innovation.

Moreover, by setting up packaging institutes and collaborating with foreign universities, the government is continuously improving the process of training potential workforce and tries to meet the need of skilled workforce throughout.

Even though the market opportunities have been substantially increased in the last years, there are still some barriers as the industry is largely unorganized. The requirement of investments, lack of bank credit facilities and a long gestation period have been impeding the adoption of newer technologies. Either way, the flexible packaging has helped enhancing to carry the ability of products and increases their shelf life. In the future, it will further strengthen the entire packaging industry and will attract more foreign companies to invest.z PP Sanyal is a packaging and printing consultant, currently engaged in rendering end-to-end services to the printing and packaging industry, and providing training in flexo, gravure, hybrid and other printing/laminating/slitting state-ofthe-art machines.

THE PACKMAN | MAY-JUN 2020

www.thepack man.in

29

Flexibles

z AN INTERVIEW WITH AMITAVA RAY OF UFLEX

“The Corona crisis that has hit us is not going to be a short story” We caught up with Amitava Ray, executive director of UFlex, who spoke about the COVID-19 crisis, how UFlex is adapting throughout the situation and the way forward. Here is an excerpt from the interview:

Mahan Hazarika: How is UFlex affected by the current situation?

Amitava Ray: COVID-19 has impacted right at the gut of the industrial production and affected the world economy at large. The overall brunt of which is still being estimated. According to United Nations, the pandemic is likely to shrink global GDP by almost 1% in 2020. Even though people are hoarding commodities due to fear mongering, the consumption levels and demand have relatively come down. Many of our customers in food and pharma business are also facing issues of on-time transportation, distribution and lack of manpower due to lockdown and they are only able to run their plants partially.

This has impacted their businesses and in turn has impacted the packaging industry as well.

UFlex is putting in enormous efforts to contribute to the fight against this challenging situation. We are making sure that there is no shortage of packaged products for public, which are essential for survival. As we come under the essential services sector, our plant is open with minimal staff strength to support packaging demands of FMCG and pharmaceutical sectors.

Mahan Hazarika: How has your production been affected?

Amitava Ray: The lockdown was declared by our Prime Minister keeping in mind the health of people of the country; however, it was clear that essential services would continue to ply.

Since packaging is an essential service that is indispensable to FMCG and pharmaceutical requirements, we were able to obtain neces-

30

THE PACKMAN | MAY-JUN 2020

www.thepack man.in

sary permission from the local authorities to resume our production process by following all necessary preventive measures. Due to lack of clarity and the fear that gripped the nation when the lockdown was announced, we saw a lot of workers going back to their villages in the initial days. Sourcing of raw materials and distribution also has been a challenge in this situation and the whole ecosystem has been affected.

But now with some relaxations announced over a period of time, the situation is improving each day. The transportation and logistics that was affected is getting better. Today, we are running our Packaging Business lines at about 50% capacity however our Packaging Films lines overseas are running at almost full capacity.

Our other business verticals are running at lower capacities due to similar challenges of lesser manpower, limited transportation and raw materials’ shortage.

Mahan Hazarika: How are you managing your supply chain?

Amitava Ray: Despite the permissions availed to operate the plant, the biggest bottleneck being faced by us is the continuity of supply chain process and manpower issues. Many external partners who are into supply-chain service of packaging are not running to their full potential due to lack of manpower, financial resources and other on-ground challenges related to distribution and transportation. This in turn is posing a dual impact of shortage of raw materials for the industry as well as final consumables reaching the retail shelves.

Amitava Ray, executive director of UFlex

Given our relation with customers and delivery performance, UFlex is being seen as a preferred partner to supply packaging and the customers are turning to us for solutions, especially in these times. I must admit it’s extremely humbling to know the belief they have placed on us and we can’t them down. We all realize that these are extraordinary times and it calls for extraordinary solutions. Therefore, if it means that we have to source our raw material locally, we are doing that. Also as we are across the value chain of flexible packaging, it works as an advantage point for us.

Flexibles Mahan Hazarika: How is your company adapting throughout this crisis?

crisis situation for employees and the organization?

Mahan Hazarika: What plans does UFlex have for the near future, post lock-down?

Amitava Ray: The COVID-19 situation has bought a unique challenge to the entire industry and we are not an exception. Our strong Business Continuity Plan helped us navigate through this unforeseen situation. We had to adapt to rising demand for particular category while facing zilch demand for another which we have successfully done so far.

Amitava Ray: At UFlex, we are concerned about the health and safety of our employees and workers, beyond the normal standard. We are equally committed to this fight against the deadly virus and we are ensuring that we support the food and pharma industry with packaging supplies, at this tough time. To operate our plant, we are allowing only minimal staff to work who are thermal screened each day, before entering the plants. Anyone who has any signs of fever, cough, and cold are advised to stay at home.

Timely sanitization measures are also being undertaken at our plant and social distancing is being maintained at the workplace as well.

Amitava Ray: The Corona crisis that has hit us is not going to be a short story. Even after the lockdown is lifted, the misery of COVID-19 is likely to continue for months leading to restriction on running of many services. So far, we have been fortunate not to have any UFlex employee or family get infected and there are many steps that one needs to take to make sure that we don’t see another wave of this pandemic, post the lockdown. Our shop-floors should continue to be COVID-19 guidelines’ compliant that ensures safety of all workers. Manpower crunch would be a challenge to face so getting those labours back to cities with assurance of their health and safety would be required.

Mahan Hazarika: Which all divisions of your company are currently active?

Amitava Ray: Our Packaging division is functioning at 50% capacity, while other business verticals like Cylinder, Engineering and Chemicals are running at lower capacities against usual.

However, our Packaging Films lines overseas are working at almost full capacity.

Mahan Hazarika: What action is UFlex taking during this time to manage the

Even in the last few weeks preceding lockdown, we had enforced measures related to travel restriction and frequent sanitation cycle, across all UFlex premises. In a bid to discourage gatherings, we had suspended all training activities and were encouraging our employees to make use of virtual meetings.

PACKAGING CONNECTED

We will need to adapt to the new normal as we expect the world at large to change post COVID-19. Right from organizational work culture, consumer habits to business behavior, this crisis will lead to a new order! z

Packaging production has never been under so much pressure. As customers demand shorter run lengths with less lead time, Esko helps premedia houses, converters and brands with a wide range of scalable solutions to speed up and control their packaging production.

From flexo platemaking equipment and software to prepress workflow software, automation and digital cutting and creasing - Esko solutions can help you achieve 50% more productivity.

Esko - Packaging Connected

THE PACKMAN | MAY-JUN 2020

www.esko.com | info.sa@esko.com

www.thepack man.in

31

Flexibles

z AN INTERVIEW WITH ATIT GANDHI OF MONTAGE GROUP “Within the existing limitations, we are managing the show quite well” Montage Group, a leading flexible packaging company in South Asia, makes intelligent packaging solutions for food, beverages, healthcare, personal care, agro products, pet care and home care industry. The company is based out of Noida and has got five stateof-the-art production units in Silvassa (near Gujarat), Noida, Haridwar, Malanpur (near Gwalior), and Jammu. With a production capacity of 100,000 tonnes across its five factories, the company employs 4,500 people – 2,400 are on its payrolls while the remaining on contract basis. We recently caught up with Atit Gandhi, director, of Montage Group to take stock of the impact the current lock-down situation is having on the company. Here is an excerpt from the interview:

Mahan Hazarika: What is the impact of lock-down on the Indian packaging industry?

Mahan Hazarika: How long will it take for the industry to get back to normal after the lock-down ends ?

Atit Gandhi: Just like any other sector, the packaging industry has also been impacted by the present COVID-19 crisis. Today, the capacities are being utilized just to meet the essential needs of the common man i.e. dayto-day groceries such as dal, rice, atta, oil, salt, sugar etc. Due to the lock-down, it has become difficult in moving people to factories for work.

Even moving limited number of people for meeting the restricted production of essentials has become difficult.

Atit Gandhi: As it is, the country was already reeling under the pressure of bank and NBFC scams. And to top it, supply chain disruptions due to the COVID-19 crisis will have a negative impact on the country’s economy. For the next 3-4 quarters, at least, the industry is bound to show negative numbers amid margin pressures.

Lock-down has severely affected transportation, dispatch and logistics. Packaging related to the essential sectors are the only ones which are operational. The industry is currently operating at just 20% of its existing capacity.

At Montage, we are ensuring safe work environment for the existing workers at all our plants.

We ensure the essential packaging reach our FMCG clients on time, so that common man receives his essentials on time.

Within the existing limitations, we are managing the show quite well.

32

THE PACKMAN | MAY-JUN 2020

www.thepack man.in

The ongoing crisis is going to disrupt the purchasing behavior of a consumer for a long time to come. Amid factory closures, job losses and a gloomy uncertain immediate future, there is going to be a huge demand contraction with consumers delaying their important decisions such as buying a house. The expenditure towards entertainment, travel and transport, fashion and retail are also going to be hit as the consumer would think it to be judicial in saving for the future rather than spending it at the moment.

When the sales of consumer goods fall, it is likely to severely affect the packaging industry.

It remains to be seen how far the situation goes.

However, once it fades, the companies should come together and take joint decisions to bring the industry back to its feet.

Mahan Hazarika: What major steps according to you should the government and packaging companies take to come out of this situation fast?

Atit Gandhi: As the industry is surrounded by heavy competition, the profitability (EBITDA & Net) margins are already wafer thin, when compared to other industries. The cash flow is seriously affected. We need complete support from the government here.

The government needs to come up with relief package for the economy, without which it will be difficult to survive. It needs to come up with actions that will pump enough liquidity in the economy, provide employment and increase consumption. The industry should be allowed to raise working capital without collateral and security. The banks need to come up with a moratorium period for term loans.

All the packaging players need to think about ways to collectively increasing margins. There is no point if the industry is not united here.

Otherwise it will be difficult to manage the operations on ground. At Montage, we are positive. We believe in the strength of the country.

We will definitely bounce back. z

Flexibles

z RS 100 CRORE PLANT WITH 10,000 MTPA CAPACITY Manjushree Technopack opens new plant in Silvassa

M

anjushree Technopack (MTL), a leading rigid plastics packaging company in India backed by Advent International, has opened a new greenfield plant in Silvassa in Western Indian. The new plant has a capacity of 10,000 MTPA and MTL has committed an investment of more than Rs. 100 crore for the same. The plant will cater to diverse sectors of clients including FMCG, lubricants, agrochemicals and paints.

For MTL, the new plant is a strategic investment that is expected to help forge deep relationships with existing customers and pave the way for acquiring new customers. Silvassa, has a strong presence of plastics, textiles, FMCG, chemicals and other industries. Dadra and Nagar Haveli district contribute to 28% share of India’s plastic production and is the epicenter of filling units of brands that extensively use rigid plastic pack-

aging. Brands like Castrol, Proctor & Gamble, Hindustan Unilever, Marico, Nivea and others have a huge presence in and around Silvassa.

MTL can now leverage the proximity to such large companies to accelerate its business in the West.

The Silvassa plant will focus on the production of plastic containers and bottles for a diverse range of food and non-food segments. The plant is extensively equipped with extrusion blow molding technology, which is best suited for packaging products like shampoo bottles, surface cleaners, toilet cleaners, lubricants, paints and fertilizers.

Announcing the launch of the new plant, Sanjay Kapote, CEO, MTL said, “West India will play a critical role in our growth, and we are estimating 10% of MTL’s business coming from this

Sanjay Kapote, CEO, Manjushree Technopack

region. With the launch of the new plant at Silvassa, we will bolster our relationship with scores of brands who are active in the region.

Like Silvassa, we aim to be present in more manufacturing hubs across the country in the next 4 years as part of our growth strategy.” z

z KIZAD SIGNS DEAL WITH INDIAN PLASTIC FIRM Shrinath Flexipack to build its first plant in UAE

S

hrinath Flexipack, India’s leading manufacturer of plastic packaging materials has finalized an agreement to build its first factory in the Middle East at Kizad. The investment of US$ 15 million will allow the Hyderabad-based plastics player to set up on a greenfield site within Kizad’s Polymers Park.

company like Shrinath Flexipack setting up in the Kizad Polymers Park, shows the true value of our cluster-based approach which enables companies within the zone to benefit from each other’s products and services in close proximity, leading to lower cost of production, faster production cycles, and quicker shipment to market.

The new facility will serve Shrinath Flexipack’s clients in the Middle East, while also enabling the firm to expand its reach into African and European markets.

“Kizad’s multimodal connectivity including Abu Dhabi Ports’ flagship deep-water port, Khalifa Port, is a boon for companies such as Shrinath Flexipack who plan to export and import out of Abu Dhabi.

Khalid Al Marzooqi, director commercial, Kizad, said, “The setting up of a packaging

“The benefits and ease of setting up, combined

with our ability to offer the region’s lowest utility rates ensure Kizad is the ideal location for a business to grow and succeed.”

Shrinath Flexipack is part of the Shree Group of Industries, a leading Indian supply chain, logistics and warehousing group with operations in flexible packaging, masterbatches, poly bags, stretch and speciality films, laminated woven sacks, and pharmaceutical products.

Upon completion, Shrinath Flexipack’s newly constructed Abu Dhabi site will produce up to 30,000 metric tonnes of plastic goods per annum. z

THE PACKMAN | MAY-JUN 2020

www.thepack man.in

33

Flexibles

z PARADIGM SHIFT Plastics – a global saviour in COVID-19 pandemic

T

he year 2020 will remain etched in the history for a virtual global war fought between humankind and a tiny virus. Economies have crashed, GDPs slowing down and man seems helpless against this invisible enemy. One third of world’s population is either under lock-down or quarantine, making humans powerless. Globally, health workers are working day and night to save precious human lives. At this time of pandemic, one material, which was facing tremendous criticism in past, has emerged as a global saviour, and this material is Plastics. During this crisis period, plastics are omnipresent material, be it food and pharma packaging, healthcare, transportation of goods and other essential commodities.

34

Since its inception, plastics have replaced many traditional materials in various application, but in recent past it has been in news for all wrong reasons

Since its inception, plastics have replaced many traditional materials in various application, but in recent past it has been in news for all wrong reasons. Various environment protection agencies have raised concerns on account of its endof-life waste management, and more emphasis was on single use plastics (SUPs). There have been a lot of pressure from environmentalists and activist to ban single-use plastics.

Apart from this various plastics are used in life saving medical devices such as pulse oxygen sensors, ventilators, blood mentoring equipment, syringes, blood and fluid bags and many other medical types of equipment. During COVID-19 outbreak, ventilators have become life saving devices, which are used to keep people alive if they struggle to breathe, these ventilators are again made up of plastics.

However, today during the COVID-19 catastrophe, imagine any hospital without single use sterilized personal protective equipment?

Plastics and elastomers are used for manufacturing of masks, gowns, gloves and suits, which keep healthcare professionals safe while they treat COVID-19 patients. These plastics are not only protecting the dedicated men and women on the front line but also the social care worker who are providing support to most vulnerable in the society. Face mask, which has become a necessity nowadays to step out from home, are made up of polypropylene non-woven fabric.

All these personal protective equipment are single use plastics, which were facing public outrage for its disposal.

Recently in Italy, where lot of people died due to COVID-19 outbreak, polymer scientists and engineers worked together to make polyamide based valves, which connect oxygen masks to respirators for corona virus patients. In addition, the kit used for COVID-19 testing also utilizes plastics in its making. In present circumstances, no hospital can be imagined without contribution of plastics through PPEs, sterile packaging, testing kits, medical devices and equipment.

THE PACKMAN | MAY-JUN 2020

www.thepack man.in

All this contribution towards life saving activities has raised a question that perhaps the role of plastics in our life has been overshadowed by much exaggerated anti-plastic drives.

The other front where plastic is contributing

unceasingly is packaging. Amid this lock-down, when all the industries are closed, packaging industry is working round the clock to cater to food and pharma industry so that supplies of essential commodities remain uninterrupted.

Plastic packaging has always been target of environmentalist for its disposal, but in present scenario it is difficult to envisage how without plastics commodities like milk, oil, grains and other staples would reach market.

Apart from this soap, hand wash, sanitizers, which have become pressing priorities couldn’t reach to remote locations. This pandemic has made packaging a core sector which is working as a bridge between commodities and consumers.

Last, I would sum up by saying that during this pandemic, there will be a paradigm shift the way plastics are perceived globally and it will emerge as life saving rescuer rather than a polluting entity on the earth.z – Dr. Meenu Sethi Sachdeva (The author is currently working as Head QA and R&D with Ultimate Flexipack Ltd.)

Pharma Packaging

THE PACKMAN | MAY-JUN 2020

www.thepack man.in

35

Flexibles

z THE IMPACT OF COVID-19 ON INK MANUFACTURING SECTOR

From the diary of an optimistic printing ink manufacturer JK Sharma, CEO – Yansefu, India; and Neelakamal Mohapatra, VP – R&D/innovation – Yansefu, India writes about the impact of COVID-19 on the ink manufacturing sector.

I

ndia is the only country which imposed a complete lock-down in the entire nation for 21 days during the initial stages of the Corona virus outbreak. A day before completion of the first lock-down, the Indian government took an audacious decision to extend the lock-down period for another 19 days, from 15 April to 3 May 2020.

to drop from 3.3% to 3% in just 3 months, something which has not been seen since the 1930s. As per the estimation of IMF, nearly all the countries except China and India, which largely contribute to the world economy, will not be able to reach the levels to GDP growth at 2019 even in 2021. India’s GDP growth has contracted from 5.80% to 1.9% between Janu-

ary and April 2020. According to IMF, India will be the fastest growing major economy in 2020. However, one should not forget that this pandemic is still at the early stages in India. And the fastest economic recovery is only possible, if corona virus cases don’t spike in the later phases of the novel corona virus.

In this extended lock-down 2.0, keeping in view the interests of farmers and daily wages earners, the government permitted services like transportation, farming, fisheries and few other industries established in nonhotspot zones to resume their operations post 20 April, strictly following the norms and guidelines provided by the central government. However, the packaging industry, including printing ink manufacturers, has already been allowed to operate industrial plants with limited manpower, so that the supply of packaging materials for essential consumer goods is not hampered.

A RACE FOR SURVIVAL AND NOT JUST BEING ON TOP Although most of the countries have been implementing the lock-down method to slow down and break the unstoppable spreading chain of corona virus, the COVID-19 pandemic shows no signs of ebbing. The world’s economy has been undergoing wretched suffering. The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has revised its global GDP growth rate which is estimated

36

THE PACKMAN | MAY-JUN 2020

www.thepack man.in

The demands for printing inks will rise sharply for packaging of groceries like packaged food, pharmaceutical and healthcare products. Photo: The Packman

Flexibles BLOW OF CORONA VIRUS PANDEMIC ON INDIAN PRINTING INK MANUFACTURERS The impact of COVID-19 pandemic on printing ink manufacturers is heavily dependent on the consumer goods and pharmaceutical companies. On one side, the demand of printing ink for pharmaceutical packaging is likely to increase at a constant pace amid the lock-down and post pandemic that may take a quarter or almost a year to end. However, it is expected that the impact of the corona virus crisis on the FMCG sector will be varied, so on the printing ink industries and rest of the packaging sector.

The change in consumer’s behaviors will influence the consumer goods companies differently.

ESCALATION PHASE – OPPORTUNITY FOR CONSUMER GOODS AND E-COMMERCE SECTOR In the initial escalation phase of the corona virus spread, people reacted more quickly and stockpiled the goods including shelf stable food staples, healthcare, skincare, and basic essential products. This initially led to an increasing demand for many food, beverage, and home care categories.

With the extended lock-down, the preference of the Indian citizens has been changing. As travel, entertainment, social gatherings, hospitality and restaurants came to a screeching halt, the threat of COVID-19 spread has left the business leaders around the world, counting costs and trying to access what this epidemic means to their businesses. But, these heavy restrictions on going outside the houses lead to tremendous increase in the rate of buying groceries, skincare and other essential products from online grocers.

Now, people are adopting the habits of consuming packaged food products over loose products, using more hygiene products such as hand wash, sanitizers, cleaning wipes and preventive essentials like floor and home appliances cleaners, as well as to changing brand preferences. The increasing demands and changing preferences are creating newer business growth opportunities for FMCG sector, meanwhile significantly impacting the printing ink industry.

The demands for printing inks will rise sharply for packaging of groceries like packaged food, pharmaceutical, healthcare products, and

e-commerce transportation whereas the demand for industrial, luxury goods and some B2B-transport packaging could decline at the same time.

INCREASING DEMAND OF PACKAGED FOOD IN RURAL AREAS Few years back, people living in rural areas of India used to complain about the quality, hygiene and shelf life of food staples such as sugar, flour, milk, rice and others. This is because most of these products were sold in loose conditions since the availability of packaged food products were limited to urban areas only. And, people living in small towns and villages went to cities to buy the packaged products of big brands.

However, flexible packaging which inherits qualities like versatility, lightness, flexibility, strength and durability, has made the transportation of packaged products to small towns and rural areas more convenient and easier. In the near future, people will largely opt for packed food products over loose, which will be much healthier, compared to the latter. This will have direct and positive impact on the growth of printing ink segment.

FUTURE OPPORTUNITIES FOR PACKAGING SECTOR The increasing use of flexible packaging also drives the opportunities for innovation and development for printing and packaging sector. In the past two decades, the growth rate of flexible packaging has been multiplying tremendously.

Now, big companies and brand owners are substituting rigid packaging, containers and bottles with flexible packaging. In developed countries like the US and Europe, the per capita consumption of packaging is far more than the consumption rate in India. Therefore, the potential growth of packaging sector is very high in our country.

Although, plastic is largely consumed for packaging, but still it is heavily criticized as a curse due to the increased plastic waste in the world.

But, packaging sector has evolved a lot in past few years. The use of barrier coatings with flexible packaging to restrict the transmission of oxygen and water vapors has become more significant these days. This reduces the amount of plastic used in the packaging. Additionally,

flexible packaging could be easily recycled repeatedly. Now, various technologies are available for recycling of mono-layer as well as multi-layer packaging structures into materials which can be reused to make packaging materials, concrete roads, furniture etc. The growth of packaging industry will aid government’s plastic waste management programmes to become more functional, meanwhile creating more job opportunities in the country.

SLOW MOTION ECONOMY In the second phase, that is post lock-down when the pandemic is expected to be under control, consumer’s sentiments will be changed.

Reduced household income, savings and weakened balance sheet will result into the slowdown of stockpiling of pantry load, medicines, sanitizers and other products. Additionally, consumers may cut down on expenses in a number of categories, reducing demands of packaging and consequently declining the printing ink supply. Plus, the hikes in raw materials prices and slow down on import and export of goods are other challenges to be faced by the printing ink manufacturers in this phase. On the far side, restrictions on import of raw materials provide new opportunities for local manufacturers and vendors.

TIME TO BLOOM AGAIN However, in the third phase that is the recovery period post pandemic crisis, it is expected the demand for packaging materials including printing inks will gradually return to normal.

In this rebound period, consumers may likely become hesitant to return to luxury products, travel and hospitality sectors.

However, the purchasing of consumers goods would be normalized and consumers will possibly choose to buy their products through channels different from those they used to buy before the pandemic. As a result, e-Commerce platforms will definitely experience a growth in their businesses. These changes will impact the printing ink sector positively. Nonetheless, the speed of recovery of printing ink manufacturers will be differentiated largely by segment, depending on the degree of disruption among the customers and challenges of different players including printers, distributors, suppliers and brand owners, among supply chain.

THE PACKMAN | MAY-JUN 2020

www.thepack man.in

37

Flexibles PACKAGING REGULATIONS WILL BECOME MORE STRINGENT Considering, the present COVID-19 crisis and future opportunities for packaging industry, there may be more stringent national as well as international packaging regulations. For instance, China government is believed to be tightening the regulations for the handling and distribution of meat and sea foods, post the recovery of pandemic crisis. Similar actions are likely to be taken by other countries, particularly for the distribution of packaged food products.

POST LOCK-DOWN STRATEGY – BE AN OPPORTUNIST The impact on printing ink manufacturers will depend on their portfolios,

exposures to different regions and end user applications. It is the high time for all printing ink manufacturers i.e., big, medium or small players to choose whether they want to pivot or perish through the situation. No doubt, the current situation is more challenging to SMEs but doing nothing and waiting to see what others are going to do is definitely not a correct strategy.

the business growth. Also, constant talking, providing motivation to the employees and team members is equally important, in order to make them confident and be clear about how they can contribute in the upcoming journey of organization’s growth.

The smart approach is being an opportunist and grabbing chances and creating new opportunities for innovation, collaborative working and business growth. Being an optimistic printing ink manufacturer, we are positively looking at this challenging period of pandemic as a boon for printing ink and packaging industry not as a curse.z

The best option is revisiting capabilities, evaluating available resources, making a review and responding to the situation accordingly. Utilize the lock-down period in learning new skills through online training, collaborating with new raw materials suppliers and boosting communication with the customers, in order to revive

z EXTRA LAYER OF SENSORY EXPERIENCE DSM expands textured coating resin range

R

oyal DSM, a global science-based company in nutrition, health and sustainable living, has announced the release of Skins Sandy, the newest addition to its Skins range of haptic coating resins. Like the other Skins resins, Sandy will enable brand owners and converters to differentiate their products by adding an extra layer of sensory experience.

Specifically, the new resin will enable print and packaging manufacturers to add sandlike textures to a wide range of materials, including food packaging.

Tactile elements in print and packaging are increasingly used to differentiate brands, by providing a sensory experience that reflects their products. DSM’s Skins coating resins range aims to meet this need by enabling different textures in a range of print and packaging materials. Skins Sandy will offer sandy-feel textures ranging from fine to coarse and is particularly suitable for overprint varnishes, paper & board, and flexible packaging. In particular, its broad food contact compliance will open new possibilities for textured food packaging.

Skins Sandy will make it easier for coating

38

THE PACKMAN | MAY-JUN 2020

www.thepack man.in

formulators and converters to deliver sandy textures. Unlike many sandy-feel coating resins on the market, Skins Sandy delivers the desired sandpaper texture in a single coating without fillers or additives, making application easier and reducing formulators’ contact with harmful chemicals. The new resin also offers high shelf stability and production yield, delivering competitive cost-in-use. In this way, the new resin offers a level of functional performance beyond other commercially available sandy-feel resins.

DSM’s new resin will also offer high levels of sustainability. Its compatibility with one-component waterborne systems avoids the need for potentially harmful solvents, and its ability to add texture in a single coating will also facilitate mono-material packaging that can be easily recycled. The resin is lightweight compared to other laminates, allowing manufacturers to reduce energy and material usage.

Adri van der Waals, product launch director, DSM Coating Resins, said, “With Skins Sandy, we’re continuing to meet the print and packaging industry’s need for more brand dif-

SM expands textured coating resin range with highly functional sandy-feel resin

ferentiation options. In particular, Skins Sandy addresses the growing demand for sandy-feel coatings that are sustainable and easier to apply at industrial scale.”z

Flexibles

z NEW LEADERSHIP Essel Propack appoints MD and CEO

E

ssel Propack has appointed Sudhanshu Vats as chief executive officer and managing director, effective 16 April 2020.

The board has further appointed Vats as additional director of the company. He has also been designated as key managerial personnel pursuant to the Companies Act 2013.

Vats has more than 28 years of industry experience across FMCG and media sectors.

Prior to joining Essel Propack, Vats spent eight years as managing director and group CEO of

Viacom18. During his tenure, he scaled the business from six to over 54 television channels across more than 80 countries, added three more lines of business and grew revenue by over 4x.

Before Viacom18, Vats spent more than 20 years at Unilever in various sales and marketing and general management roles. He left Unilever as the head of Unilever’s laundry business in South Asia and head of the Radiant brand globally.

He made Radiant the fastest growing laundry brand in the world with over Euro 500 mm turnover. During his tenure at Unilever, Vats

INPACK SOLUTIONS INDIA

shaped household brands like Lipton, Vim, Wheel, Surf, Rin, Lifebuoy and Lux. Meanwhile, media reports, Essel Propack is being bought by Blackstone for $310 million.

The latter will be buying 51% of the promoter stake at the rate of Rs 134 for a share and as per media agencies will be launching an open offer for an extra 26%.

Essel Propack is a manufacturer of laminated plastic tubes and packaging used in oral care products, food and pharmaceuticals. z

D-120, Sector – 7, Noida, 201301 India Phone No. 0120 -4294375 Email: sales@inpack.in www.inpack.in THE PACKMAN | MAY-JUN 2020

www.thepack man.in

39

Automation

z B&R’S MACHINE VISION SOLUTION IN AUTOMATION

Next generation transport technologies NINAD DESHPANDE

A

s the demand for various goods increased, it was no longer possible to only use human labor, which resulted in automation. Since then automation is evident in machines and factories for decades. It has helped us to manufacture goods with higher quantity, precision, accuracy and quality.

Today, most of our machines, factories, plants and processes are either semi-automatic or fully automatic with some areas having manual operations.

Packaging, F&B, printing are among the industries, which are highly automated and this has been the case for many years. Today, when we talk about automation, it is just not limited to basic automation but machines and factories looking at advanced automation concepts making their machines and factories next generation factories or future factories. Technology is evolving rapidly and keeping pace with such evolving technologies is definitely a challenge for many. However, we see machine builders and factories working hard towards such adoptions and providing innovative products to their customers.

The kind of automation and advanced automation concepts needed in manufacturing is also owing to the constantly changing consumer demands. Consumer buying behavior has changed over the years. Today, consumers are willing to pay a premium for customized and individualized products. These rising consumer demands requires a paradigm shift in the way factories are manufacturing products. It is essential for manufacturing setups to keep costs economical even for small batches.

This has led to the adoption of next generation transport technologies such as B&R ACOPOStrak and SuperTrak. B&R’s track-based transport

40

THE PACKMAN | MAY-JUN 2020

www.thepack man.in

With ACOPOStrak, factories are able to increase overall equipment effectiveness , boost the ROI on investment in machines and lines, and shorten time to market

systems let you move products through your production line more efficiently while simultaneously improving quality. ACOPOStrak is a revolution in adaptive manufacturing. This highly flexible transport system extends the economy of mass production down to batches of one. With ACOPOStrak, factories are able to increase overall equipment effectiveness (OEE), boost the return on investment (ROI) in machines and lines and shorten time to market (TTM).

Moreover, robots and quality are playing an increasingly important role in manufacturing setups for higher productivity and lower rejections. Conventionally robots, vision inspection and machine controls were always separate elements when automation was considered. In addition, robots and vision were looked as good to have additional features. Today, with a need for higher product quality, precision, reduced waste and losses, robots and vision are no longer good to have but a must have.

B&R is the first company to seamlessly incorporate machine vision solution in the automation system and takes integrated machine vision to a completely new level making it easy for machine builders to incorporate vision algorithm in machine control. From the robot point of view, B&R also offers ABB robots as an integral part of its automation system.

Customers benefit from unprecedented precision in synchronization between robotics, vision and machine control. Merging robotics, vision and machine control into one unified architecture enables manufacturers to embrace the trend of mass customization, optimize their batch-size-one processes and further enhance product quality. In a way, this is just the tip of the iceberg with tremendous possibilities underlying in advanced automation concepts such as artificial and business intelligence, machine learning, remote and predictive maintenance, energy and condition monitoring among many others.z

Pharma Packaging

LABELEXPO INDIA

29 October – 1 November 2020 India Expo Centre & Mart, Greater Noida – Delhi NCR

LABELEXPO’S FASTEST GROWING SHOW IS BACK FOR 2020!

The 2018 edition of Labelexpo India was its largest to date, with a 22% increase in visitors compared to 2016. Between them, the 250 exhibitors met over 9,500 buyers from 55 countries.

This made it Labelexpo’s most successful show yet in the region – and the 2020 edition is set to be even larger.

TO TAKE PART IN 2020 CONTACT: Pradeep Saroha psaroha@tarsus.co.uk | +91 124 423 4434 WWW.LABELEXPO-INDIA.COM

CO - LO CATE D W I TH :

THE PACKMAN | MAY-JUN 2020

www.thepack man.in

41

Filling and Sealing

z MONO-MATERIAL MEETS GRASS FIBRE

Syntegon Technology showcases sustainable packaging system for powder products

S

ince interpack 2020 has been postponed, Syntegon Technology will present a bagging and case packing system for powder applications with brand new features online at their virtual show. The system yields a number of new sustainability benefits: the SVE 3220 Doy Zip vertical form, fill and seal machine can now use recyclable plastic and paper mono-materials. As a first, the Elematic 2001 WAH case packer can use corrugated blanks made from grass fiber. “ COMBINATION OF SVE 3220 DOY ZIP AND ELEMATIC 2001 FOR POWDER APPLICATIONS Syntegon Technology offers a broad portfolio of packaging solutions for applications of any kind.

At its virtual show, the company is exhibiting a comprehensive bagging and case packing system that suits the needs of powder foods producers, such as bakery and cake mixes, milk powder, infant nutrition, coffee or flour manufacturers, in particular. The SVE 3220 Doy Zip and the Elematic 2001 stand out for their high levels of flexibility and productivity. With a bag-filling degree of up to 80 percent on the SVE 3220 DZ, powder manufacturers now require less film to pack the same weight of product, thereby reducing packaging material consumption and contributing to sustainability. As part of the system, the Elematic 2001 packs 16 cases per minute, with each case containing five powderfilled stand-up bags. Since the two machines can both process recyclable materials, Syntegon offers a solution that supports manufacturers in their sustainability efforts.

sustainable polyolefin-based mono-materials as well as paper packaging, enabling them to pack their products in the most popular bag styles, namely pillow, gusseted, block bottom, corner seal and Doy (Zip) bags. The polyolefin-based mono-material can be recycled by pyrolysis and re-used in the food industry, while paperbased materials can be recycled via the wastepaper stream. Depending on the product and film specifics, existing Doy Zip machines from Syntegon can be retrofitted with upgrade kits for mono-material films.

The overall performance and flexibility of the SVE 3220 Doy Zip has been improved: bag heights of up to 320mm are now possible and format changes only take 30 minutes. The machine achieves an output rate of up to 100 Doy Zip bags per minute.

Flexibility and sustainability go hand in hand The Elematic 2001 WAH case packer stands out for its efficient use of packaging materials,

RECYCLABLE MONO-MATERIALS FOR ALL VERTICAL PACK STYLES The SVE 3220 Doy Zip vertical form, fill and seal machine has received a major upgrade in terms of sustainability. Manufacturers can now process

42

THE PACKMAN | MAY-JUN 2020

www.thepack man.in

Elematic 2001 WAH case packer

including the ability to work with bent blanks in particular. The machine has been developed with a view to offering maximum pack style flexibility: it can now handle up to 100 different case designs, from simple trays to complex shelfready tray and hood cases on one machine with a speed of up to 40 cases per minute.

True to their mission to offer sustainable solutions for everyone, Syntegon Technology can now run corrugated board made from grass fiber on the Elematic 2001 WAH case packer. The machine can handle solid board and corrugated board of any quality as well as a combination of different packaging materials for trays and hoods. What is more, Syntegon Technology partners with packaging material suppliers of all kinds to test the machine runability of sustainable materials without compromising on speed and quality. z

Filling and Sealing

THE PACKMAN | MAY-JUN 2020

www.thepack man.in

43

Metal Packaging

z FIGURES ISSUED BY APEAL

Steel packaging in Europe hits a new all-time high of 82.5%

R

ecycling of steel packaging in Europe has hit a new all-time high of 82.5%, according to figures issued by APEAL. This new record rate, which represents data from 2018, confirms steel as Europe’s most recycled primary packaging material and means that more than 8 out of 10 steel items put on the EU market this year have been recycled into new steel products.

Alexis Van Maercke, secretary general of APEAL, said, “A recycling increase of two percentage points sends a clear message to all stakeholders in the value chain that steel for packaging is a tried, tested and sustainable packaging solution, fit for a 21st century circular economy.”

“Steel is circular by design. Magnetic proper-

ties make steel easy to collect and steel can be recycled over and over again without any loss of material quality. Today’s rise in recycling rates is largely the result of increased separate collection in countries such as Italy and Poland.

As 100% of separately collected steel packaging is used to make new products, steel is clearly the best placed of all packaging materials to achieve the aims of the new Circular Economy Action Plan (CEAP 2.0).”

In the case of steel packaging, an input of steel scrap is a necessary component for making new steel at any one of more than 500 steel plants in Europe. Indeed, the more quality scrap that can be used in new steel production, the less raw materials and energy are needed and in turn, this reduces emissions.z

Steel packaging in Europe hits a new all-time high of 82.5%

z JOINT VENTURE WITH ORICON ENTERPRISES

Tecnocap enters India to make lug caps

T

ecnocap, a global player of metal packaging, has announced its entry into India and far east and signs the joint venture with the Indian producer of metal and plastic packaging, Oricon Enterprise. According to the agreement, the two partner companies have set up a new Tecnocap Oriental, based in Mumbai, controlled at 75% of the share capital by the Tecnocap Group through the acquisition of the metal lug business of the Indian partner Oricon, which will hold the remaining 25% of the new company.

“This joint venture marks our full entry into the

44

THE PACKMAN | MAY-JUN 2020

www.thepack man.in

Indian and far eastern markets and represents a key stage in our international growth strategy, achieved through business diversification and expansion towards high growth markets,” said Michelangelo Morlicchio, CEO, shareholder and founder of Tecnocap. “Beyond seizing the great opportunities for market growth, this alliance gives us the chance to exploit mutual synergies to operate successfully thanks to the highest quality products, services and logistics.”

Founded in Italy in 1993, Tecnocap is a global metal packaging company operating in the industrial production of metal closures for glass

and plastic containers, aluminum aerosol cans and bottles as well as capping machines with over 75% of its sales volume generated abroad between Europe and North America. The group expects to achieve a turnover of around 180 million Euro in the current year through eight production sites (Italy, Spain, Czech Republic, Ukraine and the United States), three R&D centers and over 900 employees. Moreover, a significant increase in operating margins is expected as an effect of ongoing investments and the launch of several industrial projects for the recovery of production efficiency.z

Metal Packaging

z SCIENCE BASED TARGETS INITIATIVE

Ball Corporation announces SBTi-approved carbon reduction targets

B

all Corporation has announced that the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi) has approved its targets to reduce absolute carbon emissions. The company targets to reduce emission within its operations by 55% and within its value chain by 16% by 2030 against a 2017 baseline. Ball becomes the first in the can making industry to receive approval for science based target.

This milestone affirms Ball’s industry-leading efforts to help accelerate the transition to a low carbon economy and limit global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius, supporting the goals of the Paris Agreement, Ball Corporation said.

“The private sector has a vital role to play in accelerating a low carbon economy and, as the world’s leading supplier of sustainable aluminum beverage packaging, we are dedicated to doing our part for our customers and the planet,” said Kathleen Pitre, chief commercial and sustainability officer. “These approved science-based targets demonstrate our commitment to help our customers reach their sustainability goals and deliver lower carbon packaging that enables a circular economy.”

Organized by CDP, the United Nations Global Compact, the World Resources Institute and the World Wide Fund for Nature, the Science

Based Targets initiative is a collaboration of more than 800 global companies that have set clearly-defined corporate emission reduction goals aligned with the latest climate science.

The approved science-based targets are the next step in Ball’s progressing climate strategy.

Over the last year, Ball has signed renewable energy agreements to address 100% of its North American energy use, achieved a global first for can manufacturers by earning the aluminum Stewardship Initiative Certification for all 23 of its EMEA plants, and earned its place on the Dow Jones Sustainability Indices for the seventh consecutive year. z

THE PACKMAN | MAY-JUN 2020

www.thepack man.in 9890-0414_OhioGT_PSA_AugSept.indd 1

7/14/2016 11:00:18 AM

45

Glass Packaging

z AGI GLASPAC

Impact of COVID on the container glass manufacturing sector

A

s a green industry, the Indian glass industry comprises container glass, float glass, solar glass, ophthalmic glass, bangles, mouth-blown glass, lightning components, beads, laboratory glassware, tableware and speciality glass, etc. Manufacturing locations are spread across the nation. There are over 500 manufacturers in the MSME segment employing (direct and indirect) more than 10 lakh persons. With the outbreak of COVID-19, the nation-wide lock-down and the closure of non-essential businesses due to COVID-19 precautions, the glass industry has faced many challenges.

“All container glass manufacturers are continuing to take appropriate action for their employees’ safety, closely following guidance and latest developments to ensure worker safety, as per the guidelines. As an industry, our primary concern is the health of our employees. We have therefore taken additional measures to both protect our workforce and keep production intact to maintain a sustainable supply to the food, beverage and medical sectors. Container glass manufacturing plants are submitted to rigid scrutiny from a food hygiene perspective,” said Rajesh Khosla, president and CEO of AGI Glaspac.

Container glass manufacturing facilities use high-temperature furnaces that must run continuously, 24 hours a day. The furnace, which cannot be turned off or easily idled, takes months to restart after it is shut down, highlighting the need for the supply chain to be fully functional and operational. The furnace, which is the main heart of the process, typically operates for about 7-10 years before it is rebuilt. The rebuilding of the plant involves large capital investment and takes about 3-4 months. If operations are stopped during the campaign period, it can result in severe damage to the furnace. The furnace runs on a continuous supply of natural gas flow and a furnace, of say, 650 tonnes capacity per day, contains about 2000 tonnes of molten glass at any given point of time.

Although all glass manufacturing units work under continuous production through the operating furnace, 24x7, only some units are termed under essential services support. Hence, the glass industry needs the government to undertake the following measures:

This process is critical, which requires an uninterrupted supply of gas and utility support.

Further, the integrity of furnace depends on its temperature profile, and any loss of firing/wrong temperature control can irreversibly damage the furnace beyond use and can potentially cause the closure of the business. Moreover, the safety of employees in this situation would also be severely compromised.

46

THE PACKMAN | MAY-JUN 2020

www.thepack man.in

1. Enable the units specifically producing vials/glass bottles of different sizes required by pharma, food and beverage industries to operate.

2. Ensure the requisite logistics clearances for the availability of raw materials and fuels to the industry and the downstream supply of essential products to the customers.

3. Issue of clear orders to enable key personnel to be able to come to work.

In India, the impact of container glass manufacturers is much higher when compared to other countries. The Glass Packaging Institute, United States, deemed glass manufacturing units as an ‘essential’ industry for pharma, food & beverage(F&B) glass-making. Which means that, production plants can continue to manufacture glass even if the country goes into

Rajesh Khosla, president and CEO of AGI Glaspac.

lock-down as a result of COVID-19.

Similarly, FEVE (Federation of European manufacturers of glass containers and machine-made glass) has called on the relevant authorities to recognize the critical role of container glass manufacturing. In a position paper, FEVE has called for manufacturing continuity across all plants to supply people with food, beverages and pharmaceutical goods at this critical period.

“Amidst COVID-19 outbreak, consumer purchases of a variety of core grocery items have increased from 10 to 70%. The demand will only increase in the coming weeks or months to come. A disruption to the glass container industry and supply chain will negatively impair India’s ability to purchase pharma, food and beverage products in stores, at a time when those outlets remain critical to the food supply of our nation,” Khosla concluded. z – Manash Das

Sustainability

z WASTE COLLECTION AND DISPOSAL

Ecolean sets up first package recycling point in Moscow

E

colean has signed a new agreement with EcoLine, the leading waste operator in Moscow, and Ecolean’s lightweight packages have been accepted at the Zelenaya Tochka waste collection point at the Flacon design factory in Moscow since March 2020. The collected Ecolean packages are sent to the Tver Secondary Polymer Plant for recycling where they are used to manufacture new products – such as stationery, plastic furniture, polymeric sand pavers, and housewares.

“EcoLine Group’s strategy is aimed reducing waste by collecting and recycling as many packages as possible. So we are glad to see a growing number of packaging producers participating in collecting and recycling activities of their packages, because without their participation this process is impossible. The collection point at Flacon has become a test site for collaboration with a number of sustainability-minded packaging producers,” explains Elena Vishnyakova, deputy CEO of EcoLine.

Ecolean said its commitment is to provide lightweight packaging solutions for liquid food products combines food safety and consumer convenience with less environmental impact.

“Our packages weigh about 50-60% less than conventional packaging concepts. This reduces environmental impacts during the entire lifecycle of the packages, including transportation, storage, use and disposal. To join forces with EcoLine and to offer yet another recycling opportunity is absolutely fantastic, and we are committed to continue to develop new ways of reducing waste and to increase recycling,” says Sergey Sirotin, managing director of Ecolean Russia & CIS.

The collected Ecolean packages are sent to the Tver Secondary Polymer Plant for recycling

and disposal operator in the Northern and Central districts of Moscow since 2014. The company provides a full range of waste management measures – from collecting, sorting and transporting to recycling plants. EcoLine

Group serves more than 2 million people and 7,500 businesses in Moscow and annually collects and transports more than 700,000 tonnes of refuse. The entire waste stream is sorted at the company’s plants. z

EcoLine has been the leading waste collection THE PACKMAN | MAY-JUN 2020

www.thepack man.in

47

Sustainability

z RECYCLABLE MONO-MATERIAL DISHWASHER TABLET PACKAGING

Mondi and Reckitt Benckiser collaborate

L

eading global packaging and paper group Mondi has joined forces with Reckitt Benckiser Group to launch a fully recyclable, mono-material flexible plastic packaging portfolio for the premium line of its Finish dishwasher tablets Quantum Ultimate.

This product line had previously used a multilayer, PET/PE laminate pouch construction that was not recyclable. With RB’s commitment that 100% of its plastic packaging must be reusable or recyclable by 2025 that had to change. RB has a ‘4 R’ approach to using plastics – reduce, reuse, replace, recycle. “Following Mondi’s customer-centric EcoSolutions approach, we worked closely with RB to find the best solu-

tion and make this product fully recyclable without sacrificing the high-end look, feel and performance – we asked questions about the entire process and tailored various aspects to meet the customer’s precise needs,” says Olivier Seux, global key account manager, Mondi Consumer Flexibles.

“Given that this is a premium product line for Finish, it was vital that the resulting stand-up pouch was rigid enough with a smooth appearance, while offering exact color matching and a quality feel. There could be no compromise in the barrier properties of the package, and it also needed to incorporate a recyclable zipper for ease of use in opening and closing the pouch.”

Krzysztof Krajewski, RB’s director packaging sustainability – hygiene, said, “We appreciate the work and effort Mondi put into this project.

It was quite a journey with dozens of trials.

Mondi had a great, hands-on approach and was very agile. We’re pleased that Mondi is an RB innovation partner and part of our company’s ‘PtI-Partners-to-innovate’ signature program established by our R&D. From the ideation to launch, we’re with our partners every step of the way.”

RB says it plans to roll out its new Finish packaging in Italy as of May, followed by Germany and the UK, with a global launch thereafter. z

z COMMITMENT TO SUSTAINABILITY AND THE CIRCULAR ECONOMY

Bobst joins CEFLEX

B

48

obst has become a member of A Circular Economy for Flexible Packaging (CEFLEX), the collaborative initiative of a European consortium of companies and associations representing the entire value chain of flexible packaging. The CEFLEX mission is shared by Bobst: to further enhance the performance of flexible packaging in the circular economy by designing and advancing better system solutions identified through the collaboration of companies representing the entire value chain.

efit of the packaging industry and the environment,” said Eric Pavone, business development director, BU Web-fed at Bobst. “Flexible packaging presents specific challenges with recycling, and finding solutions for these challenges is a major focus for us at the moment. With over 130 members from across the whole value chain all focused on the same goal, CEFLEX represents a very powerful means of achieving the goal of a truly circular economy for flexible packaging.

We look forward to combining our experience and expertise with our fellow members.”

“We share the vision and aims of CEFLEX, and believe that our partnership will help us to achieve our joint goals more quickly, to the ben-

Flexible packaging – that is to say stand-up pouches, sachets, films, bags, liners, wraps and so on – are challenging to recycle because of

THE PACKMAN | MAY-JUN 2020

www.thepack man.in

the wide range of different materials used to create them, which generally result in several layers of different types of plastics. A major current focus for Bobst and its partners is to create high barrier mono-material laminate solutions designed for easy recyclability. As well as alternative high barrier paper and biofilm structures. At a recent tradeshow for the plastics and rubber industry (K 2019), Bobst along with several partner companies presented the first industrial results – several new high barrier mono-material laminate solutions, designed to guarantee that all industry requirements were met in terms of processability, barrier, safety and optical quality. z

Budget 2020

THE PACKMAN | MAR-APR 2020

www.thepack man.in

49

Pharma Packaging

z FROM PHARMA PRODUCT TO ESTABLISHED COATING TECHNOLOGY FOR PET

The FreshSafe PET success story W

ith its Plasmax coating technology and the FreshSafe PET packaging system, which has evolved from it, KHS offers the food and beverage industries a sustainable, environmentally-friendly system with the best possible product protection. Today’s coating system for PET bottles dates back to the 1990s when it was used in the pharmaceutical industry. How has this extraordinary story of success come about?

When Bernd-Thomas Kempa, who has been in charge of sales and service since 2012 and is now head of plasmax barrier technology global account management, and Joachim Konrad, who has been responsible for engineering as director of Plasmax Barrier Technology since 2014 and is now head of the large machine product division at KHS, talk about the history of FreshSafe PET. Together with their team, the two are the trailblazers behind the transformation of KHS Plasmax barrier coating technology from a niche product to a market-proven, tried-and-tested packaging system for the food and beverage industries.

The story of FreshSafe PET, also known as Plasmax, began in the 2000s. This was when Schott AG and SIG Corpoplast launched a jointventure for the plasma coating of PET bottles to cater to changing packaging preferences in the industry. They pooled the expertise of an international manufacturer of glass and glassceramics with that of a packaging producer and engineering company for the processing of plastics. Schott AG’s portfolio also included a glass coating that was applied to the insides of glass containers as a supplemental layer.

“This protected highly sensitive pharmaceutical products from substance migration,” explains Kempa.

50

THE PACKMAN | MAY-JUN 2020

www.thepack man.in

With FreshSafe PET, no unwanted substances enter the product from the outside, for instance – and valuable ingredients such as vitamins cannot escape

CHALLENGES FOR CUSTOMERS AND KHS During the joint venture, a prototype of the first generation of Plasmax machines was developed and in 2002, the first Plasmax machine was tested in Switzerland with an output of 10,000 bottles every hour. Plasmax was also granted regulatory approval for use in the food industry in Europe, the USA, and Japan. Two Plasmax 12D machines were then shipped to Japan for the protective packaging of sensitive, top-quality products. In 2006 Eckes-Granini was the first European fruit juice company to go to market using this technology. “The constant aim of the development was and still is to integrate just

one machine which satisfies bottling plant conditions and meets customer expectations,” says Kempa. System availability in particular had to be at an established level typical of the industry from the very start.

“Looking at our success now and at the growing demand for this machine, we can say that it was worth it. We still nurture a certain start-up mentality in the team, though,” adds Konrad.

“With the dissolution of the joint venture and the takeover of Plasmax technology by KHS in 2008 we were given plenty of backing. However, as part of a global enterprise our small team was also required to prove that this technology could be just as sustainable in the beverage industry

Pharma Packaging environment,” Kempa states. “Without the support of KHS and our parent company Salzgitter AG it wouldn’t have been possible to successfully transform this technology and break even.

Success would have been equally lacking had we not had the special way of working together we still foster, with plenty of team spirit and great willingness shown by all members of the team,” he adds.

This support and sense of trust also increased among the company’s customers – alongside other machine sales in 2010, the prototype of the larger second generation of Plasmax coating machines went to Eckes with a capacity of up to 27,500 1.0-liter bottles an hour.

In 2014 the company procured the world’s first FreshSafe block for its plant in Fallingbostel, a system blocked with a KHS stretch blow molder which produces a maximum of 32,000 0.75-liter bottles every 60 minutes. “KHS enjoys a trusting partnership with Eckes-Granini, which goes back several decades where systems can be implemented to the benefit of both parties.

This enabled Eckes to recognize the potential offered by a more sophisticated style of PET packaging very early on, for example, giving them optimum protection for their sensitive beverages,” says Kempa.

PLASMAX PORTFOLIO CONTINUOUSLY EXPANDED “Eckes-Granini saw the opportunities rather than the possible snags and was open to new developments and processes. We mustn’t forget that to start with, this was new territory for all involved,” Konrad explains. Both parties profited from what was learned during the intensive partnership, helping to optimize innovative processes about practical use and come up with totally new solutions.

In this way, Plasmax has steadily expanded its range of products over the years. The machine manufacturer now supplies not just its standard coating machine and the InnoPET FreshSafe block but also a Plasmax 2Q/4Q for the lowperformance range and an InnoPET FreshSafe TriBlock with a stretch blow molder and filler/ capper combination which can produce up to 48,000 bottles an hour. “FreshSafe PET com-

bines perfect product protection with sustainable recyclability. At the same time, costs can be cut by saving on PET material. This gives us unbeatable arguments for this style of food and beverage packaging,” smiles Kempa.

The company’s success corroborates this – the interest shown by the beverage industry in FreshSafe PET and other KHS PET technologies is on the increase because they are sustainable, believes Konrad. To perfectly meet the growing demand from the market, in 2016, production capacities at the Hamburg production site were increased. One major global soft drinks producer, among other clients, is now relying on FreshSafe PET for its bottling operations at its plants in Asia and North America.

“Together with this beverage bottler, we’ve managed to apply all of the advantages of our Plasmax system. We’ve been able to achieve this positive result because all of the main issues – from preform and bottle design to the customer’s production options – were integrated into our search for the optimum solution. This was the breakthrough for us in the beverage sector,” Konrad exclaims.

KEY FACTOR FOR ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION Several factors play a role when a customer makes his or her decision to buy. With FreshSafe PET, no unwanted substances enter the product from the outside, for instance – and valuable ingredients such as vitamins cannot escape.

Thanks to Plasmax barrier technology, sensitive and carbonated beverages also keep up to ten times longer than in the conventional PET bottle. This is a key factor, especially for bottlers whose products have to travel long distances.

Furthermore, the wafer-thin layer of glass reliably protects sensitive products against loss of freshness and quality, thus making a considerable contribution to the protection of the environment.

Kempa and Konrad believe that the key factor for environmental protection is not just weight reduction but also the full recyclability of FreshSafe PET. By avoiding the use of different material components, this coating technology enables the PET material to be collected by type and thus containers to be fully recycled. This has been confirmed by several independent international experts and trade associations such as the APR and EBPB, among others. In the face of the growing demand across the globe for clean recycling systems, this is a crucial aspect, claims Kempa.

“Customers and the public are increasingly calling for environmentally-friendly packaging systems; a product is only successful when it solves a relevant problem. With FreshSafe PET, we’ve created an environmentally-friendly and costefficient system which combines sustainability with the best possible product protection.”

LESS USE OF MATERIALS CUTS COSTS In addition to environmental aspects and the protection of the product, the economy is also essential. By using KHS technology, bottles weigh less than those which contain additives, in turn cutting down on the amount of material required and thus saving on costs. Moreover, bottlers can also switch to using less expensive standard PET preforms, again reducing the cost per bottle.

“All of these factors have helped FreshSafe PET evolve from a mere vision to a popular and sustainable form of packaging,” enthuses Kempa.

“And we’re convinced that the success of this product is set to continue for some time yet.

We expect that in the future, environmentallyfriendly packaging will be inextricably linked to our responsibility to reduce our carbon footprint further. KHS is contributing by having less food go to waste as it’s packaged in an optimized type of container.” z

“The more reliable the product protection, the lower the amount of food wasted,” says Konrad.

This barrier technology is also suitable for coating PET bottles made of recyclate (rPET) and for biodegradable containers.

THE PACKMAN | MAY-JUN 2020

www.thepack man.in

51

Pharma Packaging

z OXYGEN-SCAVENGING ADDITIVE Clariant’s new shelf life-extending masterbatch

C

lariant has added a new oxygen-scavenging additive masterbatch to its MEVOPUR line of medical-grade materials and services for pharmaceutical packaging and medical devices. MEVOPUR ProTect is reportedly effective at limiting oxygen degradation of drugs and nutraceuticals stored in PET bottles, even in a transparent monolayer construction.

Originally developed to overcome what Clariant describes as the “deficiencies of existing oxygen barrier systems used in food and beverage packaging,” the active molecules apparently showed very high performance in scavenging oxygen permeating through container walls, thereby reportedly maintaining extremely low levels of O2 over extended periods even in a mono-layer and refrigerated storage.

“Just as in food and beverage packaging, PET is becoming more widely used but while food and beverages require a relatively short shelf life, pharmaceuticals often need to maintain their potency even when stored for a year or more.

Although HDPE has been the material of choice, PET offers several advantages, including transparency, and the MEVOPUR ProTect additives help to combine transparency with long-term

Clariant reports that this makes it possible to meet the ‘>2 years’ shelf-life required in pharmaceutical packaging, even with low concentrations of the active ingredient compared to alternative products. In addition, the company says that tests have shown that PET pre-forms do not need special storage conditions, still maintaining activity after 3 months. z

shelf-life. And, while recycling is not yet a major topic in pharma, PET is considered a highly recyclable material, and any oxygen barrier that does not require multiple layers is going to be an advantage,” notes Steve Duckworth, global head of marketing & business development for Clariant Healthcare Polymer Solutions.

z SHAPED PAPER PODS Syntegon and BillerudKorsnäs launch joint system

W

ith the TPU paper form, fill and seal machine from Syntegon Technology, formerly Bosch Packaging Technology, and the BillerudKorsnäs 3D formable FibreForm paper, a new solution is born.

Shaped paper pods is a packaging system for uniquely shaped and right-sized packaging, with a tactile feeling reflecting the brand and product content. The new sustainable solution is ideal for product samples, inserts, refills, portion packs and disposable packaging, long awaited by brand owners with high environmental ambitions.

52

THE PACKMAN | MAY-JUN 2020

www.thepack man.in

The new TPU paper form, fill and seal machine forms environmentally friendly shaped paper pods with a filling volume of just a few and up to 100 milliliters. The FibreForm paper is shaped by air pressure and embossed by press force. Using heat-sealing technology, the shaped paper pod can be sealed with any heat-sealable lidding materials; barriers will be completely customized to customer needs. “We achieved a perfect match of technology and material for scalable packaging solutions, which creates a unique sensory experience for brand and customer interactions,” says Matthias Klauser,

sustainability expert at Syntegon Technology, Germany. The new packaging system is ideal for individual portion packs and products that would usually be packed in blisters. In addition to cosmetics or samples, shaped paper pods can be used to package dry, chunky or viscous food thanks to a thin barrier layer. Be it spreads, margarine, biscuits or Advent calendars in paper trays – the new TPU paper forming machine offers manufacturers a range of filling and sealing systems for sustainable packaging at an output of up to 15,000 shaped paper pods per hour. z

Industry News

Konica Minolta India appoints Tai Nizawa as its new managing director

K

onica Minolta India has strengthened its leadership ranks by appointing Tai Nizawa as its managing director. An industry veteran with over 30 years of rich experience in the printing industry, Nizawa has been associated with Konica Minolta since 1987.

Having moved to this role after working as the managing director at Konica Minolta Vietnam, Nizawa has also worked with the brand in Osaka, Germany, New Zealand, Tokyo, Netherlands, UAE, and the US. Nizawa said, “On the back of its robust and technologically superior value proposition, Konica Minolta has emerged as a frontrunner in the global printing industry. It is an honor to

be working with this forward-looking company for the past three decades. I am now looking forward to bringing the expertise and knowledge garnered over the years to further strengthen the fast-growing business in India.”

Tai Nizawa

Throughout his prolific career, Nizawa has held several pivotal positions and has been instrumental in devising strategies that have led to the decided growth of Konica Minolta.

In his current role as the managing director at Konica Minolta Business Solutions, Nizawa will be responsible for creating a strategic roadmap and leading day-to-day operations for the Indian business. z

Xerox drops its takeover plan for HP

X

erox has announced that it will be dropping its bid for a hostile takeover of IT giant Hewlett Packard (HP) owing to the global coronavirus pandemic.

“The current global health crisis and resulting macroeconomic and market turmoil caused by COVID-19 have created an environment that is not conducive to Xerox continuing to pursue an acquisition of HP Inc. Accordingly, we are withdrawing our tender offer to acquire HP and will no longer seek to nominate our slate of highly qualified candidates to HP’s Board of Directors,” Xerox said in an official statement.

The company had launched an initial offer to acquire HP back in November 2019 offering $22 per share. The offer was rejected by the tech major who had said that the deal was not in the best interest of the stakeholders.

Xerox, backed by strong support from HP’s

54

THE PACKMAN | MAY-JUN 2020

www.thepack man.in

In a bid to further sweeten its acquisition deal the company in February had further upped its offer by US$ 2 per share. It had raised its offer to US$ 24 per share, the final deal amounting US$ 34 billion. It had then launched a tender offer with the new price in March, a bid which has now been dropped in light of the pandemic.

Carl Icahn owns a 10.85% controlling stake in Xerox and 4.24% stake in HP

fifth-largest stakeholder and investor Carl Icahn had been bullish on merging the two companies.

Icahn owns a 10.85% controlling stake in Xerox and 4.24% stake in HP. Xerox had then secured a US$ 24-billion funding to proceed with its acquisition deal by directly approaching the stakeholders with its renewed proposal.

“While it is disappointing to take this step, we are prioritizing the health, safety and well-being of our employees, customers, partners and other stakeholders, and our broader response to the pandemic, over and above all other considerations,” Xerox said. z

Industry News

DOMO Chemicals to invest €12 million in new nylon plant in China

D

OMO Chemicals, a leading producer of high-quality engineering materials for a diverse range of markets, has announced plans for a new state-of-the-art plant in Zhejiang, China. The new plant will be capable of producing 50,000 tonnes of sustainable and innovative engineered nylon compounds each year. The company signed a new factory project through ‘cloud contract’ with PingHu DuShan port Economic Development District on 20 February 2020. Production is expected to commence in the fourth quarter of this year.

DOMO Chemicals will invest €12 million in the new plant, which will have more than 11,500m2 floor space. The company plans to install multiple production lines at the first stage of development, which would offer an estimated capacity of 25,000 tons/year. There

will be enough additional space available to cope with future demand requirements. The move is in line with the company’s global growth strategy with a strong focus on the Asia Pacific (APAC) region.

Speaking during a video ceremony of the signing, Vice President Global Engineering Plastics, Mr. Ludovic Tonnerre stated: “DOMO Chemicals has only been operating in China since 2015, but we are growing rapidly. Despite the current coronavirus challenges, we are confident that China will lead the world in embracing a future generation of sustainability and e-mobility solutions. We are very grateful to the government and relevant departments for their patience and assistance and are confident in our long term cooperation, relationships and mutual opportunities.”

The new plant will be located in the convenient transportation port area of DuShan Pinghu city, Zhejiang province, which is in close proximity to Shanghai and facing the East China Sea. The modern factory will integrate R&D, production, and sales. It will mainly develop and produce modified engineering plastics such as nylon 6, nylon 6.6* and high temperature nylon (HTN).

These products meet the rising market demand for modified materials for the automotive, electronics and consumer industries.

DOMO will implement measures that exceed the requirements for environmental protection for the equipment, processes and technologies used at the new plant. The company will be investing in new air and water treatment technologies, and in the reduction of water and energy consumption.” z

HUPM Raflatac’s adhesive for low-temperature food labeling in Southeast Asia

U

PM Raflatac has expanded its range of adhesives for low-temperature food labeling (as low as -15°C) with the launch of its RP48 acrylic adhesive for the Southeast Asia market. With good adhesion as well as good clarity and smooth convertibility, RP48 is also an attractive option for labeling food packages stored in cold and frozen conditions (as low as -40°C).

Low-temperature food packaging that will be labeled and stored in frozen or moist conditions, usually at 0°C or colder, often presents challenges for brand owners and packers. Hotmelt adhesives are typically used to label foods stored in these conditions but can suffer from limited clarity and convertibility.

RP48 performs well at low temperature, and excels at frozen conditions, in particular, ensuring labels on food packaging remain firmly in

RP48 is also an attractive option for labeling food packages stored in cold and frozen conditions

place and retain their shelf appeal. Furthermore, it offers good clarity when used with clear film faces and improves the stability and efficiency of the converting and dispensing processes.

RP48 can be paired with UPM Raflatac PP Matt White TC 80 or UPM Raflatac PP Clear TC 50 film face materials. z

THE PACKMAN | MAY-JUN 2020

www.thepack man.in

55

Industry News

Bobst and Cito-System announce strategic investment

B

obst has confirmed a strategic investment in Cito-System, Schwaig, Germany that leverages the strengths of both companies to drive innovation in tooling and in packaging production worldwide.

On 8 April 2020, Bobst acquired a majority participation of 51% in Cito-System, while the management of Cito-System retains 49% in the Company. Cito-System will continue to be run under the same management with its existing globally-recognized branding and agent network. The company is well known for providing a multiple of components for the converting and die-making industries with

“The partnership with Cito-System is a new and crucial piece of the puzzle. While we have significant expertise in tooling, we want our partners to faster develop and promote die-making components in the market,” said Raphaël Indermühle, head of sales and marketing of Bobst’s business unit services. “Cito-System is one of the leading suppliers in this field. Now, with Bobst, our Certification Program, Boxplan, and Cito-System, we are fully equipped to drive innovation and standardization further.” z

Aptar launches InvisiShield active packaging solution

Kraton launches CirKular+ product

A

K

ptar Food + Beverage, part of AptarGroup, and a leader in a broad range of premium active packaging systems and processing equipment for fresh-cut fruits, vegetables and seafood, has launched InvisiShield platform technology.

The new product is a “first of its kind” antipathogenic packaging solution which can be integrated into sealed packages to protect fresh-cut produce from harmful pathogens like bacteria, fungi, and viruses. With the ability to be incorporated into existing or new produce packaging lines, the technology reportedly mitigates pathogen growth without negatively impacting the product.

The InvisiShield solution is activated within sealed packages to release a specially formulated amount of an anti-pathogenic agent into the fresh-cut produce’s packaging environment that is apparently undetectable to the consumer and dissipates from the package within 24-48 hours of activation. Aptar reports that this mechanism significantly reduces pathogens that may have

56

expertise in paper, cardboard, and corrugated board. The company’s consumables and services are marketed under the brand Cito-System.

THE PACKMAN | MAY-JUN 2020

www.thepack man.in

been introduced in the supply chain without coming into contact with the product itself.

The result is a final intervention step that also reportedly reduces cross-contamination within the sealed package.

A pilot program is currently underway with Royal Fresh Cuts, which plans to launch its first commercial use of the technology in the second quarter of 2020. z

raton Corporation, a leading global sustainable producer of specialty polymers and high-value biobased products derived from pine wood pulping coproducts, has announced the launch of its new CirKular+ product line, which enables a holistic approach to the plastic product life cycle and the circular economy. CirKular+ products enable a holistic approach to the plastic product life cycle and the circular economy.

CirKular+ products offer versatile multi-resin compatibilization and performance enhancement in a wide range of applications. They include PCR and industrial plastic recycling streams, bioplastics and flexible product design using a combination of virgin and recycled plastic materials.

InvisiShield technology by Aptar for food protection

“As a reliable supplier to the plastics industry, Kraton is committed to delivering sustainable innovations that address market needs,” said Bob Hall, senior director, global marketing, Kraton. z

Industry News

THE PACKMAN | MAY-JUN 2020

www.thepack man.in

57

Services

Events Calendar DATES

EVENT NAME

PLACE

26 to 28 November 2019

CPhI India (P’Mec)

Greater Noida, India

3 to 6 December 2019

Paperex

Delhi, India

6 to 8 December 2019

Print & Packtech

Bangalore, India

12 to 14 December 2019

Pacprocess Food Pex

Delhi, India

6 to 9 January 2020

Pamex 2020

Mumbai, India

16 to 20 January 2020

Plastivision 2020

Mumbai, India

28 Feb to 1 March 2020

PacProTech

Kathmandu

19 to 21 March 2020

Asia Packaging & Printing Industry Expo

Shenzhen, China

PLEASE VISIT OUR WEBSITE FOR THE UPDATED EVENTS CALENDAR

58

20 to 22 March 2020

PackPlus South 2020

Hyderabad, India

21 to 23 April 2020

Label & Flexible Packaging & Film Expo 2020

Shanghai, China

24 to 26 April 2020

Food Pack India Expo

Chennai, India

5 to 9 May 2020

Metpack 2020

Messe Essen, German

7 to 13 May 2020

interpack 2020

Dusseldorf, Germany

3 to 4 June 2020

Innopack Pharma Confex

Mumbai, India

16 to 26 June 2020

drupa 2020

Dusseldorf, Germany

19 to 22 June 2020

Plastasia 2020

Bangalore, India

6 to 9 August 2020

PackPlus Delhi

Delhi, India

17 to 19 September 2020

Pharma Pro&Pack 2020

Hyderabad, India

30 September to 2 October 2020

IndiaCorr Expo

Mumbai, India

8 to 10 October 2020

ProPak India

Delhi, India

25 to 27 November 2020

CPhI & P-MEC India

Greater Noida, India

29 October to 1 November 2020

Labelexpo India 2020

Greater Noida, India

29 October to 1 November 2020

Brand Print India 2020

Greater Noida, India

9 to 11 December 2020

pacprocess India

Mumbai, India

3 to 8 February 2021

Printpack India 2021

Greater Noida, India

4 to 8 February 2021

PlastIndia 2021

Delhi, India

THE PACKMAN | MAY-JUN 2020

www.thepack man.in

RNI UPENG/2018/76741 Editor Mahan Jyoti Hazarika editor@thepackman.in Cell: +91 9910189285 Senior Desk Editor Sunil Jain Senior Associate Editor Dev Kumar Dutta Associate Editor Pranay Mathur Manash Das Guest Editor Anwesh Koley Design and Production Biswajeet Chaliha Sales and Marketing Mahan Jyoti Hazarika Subscription Address E448, Gaur City 1, First Avenue, Greater Noida West, Gautam Buddha Nagar 201301, Uttar Pradesh, India Issue Published on 8 May 2020 Printed at JK Offset Graphics Pvt. Ltd. Printed, Published and Owned by Mahan Jyoti Hazarika, and Printed at JK offset Graphics Pvt. Ltd., B278 Okhla Phase I, New Delhi 110 020, India and Published From E448, Gaur City 1, First Avenue, Greater Noida West, Gautam Buddha Nagar 201301, Uttar Pradesh, India Editor: Mahan Jyoti Hazarika

Industry News

THE PACKMAN | MAY-JUN 2020

www.thepack man.in

59

Partnership

RNI UPENG/2018/76741

Industry News

adds true value to our business

We have been working with Nilpeter for years now, their commitment and attention to detail is unparalleled.

Bill Cheringal & Jeff Levine Control Group

visit nilpeter.com

60

THE PACKMAN | MAY-JUN 2020

www.thepack man.in