Packaging World August 2021

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Colgate Toothpaste Glides Right Through PET Tube 20

PepsiCo Sustainability Czar Talks Recycling, EPR 32

Robotics Offer Reliability in Uncertain Times 50

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Dry Ice Feeding for COVID-19 Vaccine Distribution

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The sleek PET toothpaste tube is a significant departure from, and a more eco-friendly alternative to, traditional toothpaste tubes typically made from a multilayer construction of plastic and aluminum that renders them non-recyclable.

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FEATURES 32 SPECIAL REPORT Robotics in Packaging Advances Spurred on by a turbulent 18 months, robotics suppliers introduce advancements in robotics technology that include innovations in payload and reach, end-of-arm tooling, software, and applications.

50 Goslings Adopts Paperboard Wraparound Carton This gusseted multipack format is less expensive than fully enclosed packs, while providing brandendorsed billboard space, retailer-approved can retention, and consumer-favored sustainability bona fides. Automation makes application fast and easy for co-packer Polar.

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58 AUTOMATION Dry Ice Feeding for COVID-19 Vaccine Distribution Equipment for dispensing dry ice into insulated containers holding COVID-19 vaccines had to be designed and produced by this OEM in just eight weeks.

60 COVER STORY Colgate Toothpaste in PET Ushers in a ‘Frictionless Future’ A recyclable, clear PET toothpaste bottle is enabled through the use of a slippery coating on the inside of the container that allows the viscous product to be dispensed easily and completely.

62 Digital Printing Upgrade and a Second Digital Laser Cutter This Wisconsin producer of both in-mold and pressure-sensitive labels upped its game in 2020 with systems that have enabled the firm to get into the flexible films market.

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

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Packaging World® (ISSN # 1073-7367) is a registered trademark of PMMI, The Association for Packaging and Processing Technologies. Packaging World® is published monthly by PMMI with its publishing office, PMMI Media Group, located at 401 N. Michigan Avenue, Suite 300, Chicago, IL 60611; 312.222.1010; Fax: 312.222.1310. Periodicals postage paid at Chicago, IL, and additional mailing offices. Copyright 2021 by PMMI. All rights reserved. Materials in this publication must not be reproduced in any form without written permission of the publisher. Applications for a free subscription may be made online at www.packworld.com/subscribe. Paid subscription rates per year are $200 in the U.S., $285 Canada and Mexico by surface mail; $475 Europe, $715 Far East and Australia by air mail. Single copy price in U.S. is $20. To subscribe or manage your subscription to Packaging World, visit Packworld.com/subscribe. Free digital edition available to qualified individuals outside the United States. POSTMASTER; Send address changes to Packaging World®, 401 N. Michigan Avenue, Suite 300, Chicago, IL 60611. PRINTED IN USA by Quad. The opinions expressed in articles are those of the authors and not necessarily those of PMMI. Comments, questions and letters to the editor are welcome and can be sent to: editors@packworld.com. Mailing List: We make a portion of our mailing list available to reputable firms. If you would prefer that we don’t include your name, please write us at the Chicago, IL address.

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LEAD OFF

Need Operators?

EPR Gains Major Momentum Seeking to support waste recovery and recycling infrastructure by imposing fees on the Consumer Packaged Goods companies that initially produce what will eventually become waste, Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) isn’t a new concept. It already exists for products like batteries and lightbulbs. Now, after being held at arm’s length for more than a decade, resistance to EPR as it applies to packaging waste and recycling appears to be eroding, and momentum behind it is growing. For CPGs that project a commitment to sustainability and serve consumers with an eye for sustainability but also have a bottom line to consider (which describes just about everyone these days), this can be a tough tightrope to walk. At least that’s what I’m hearing. I’ll try to share here a few CPG opinions on the topic that I’ve run across lately.

Of course, it’s important to first note that brands and CPGs are by no means universally against EPR. In a real game changer, more than 100 major CPGs were signatories of a June Ellen MacArthur Foundation statement endorsing EPR in packaging (details on page 11). Check Out PepsiCo’s “it’s part of the mix” approach to EPR on page 24, for instance. There’s a spectrum of attitudes on the topic, with some brands being all for it—with the perfectly reasonable caveat that they’d like to have a seat at the table to discuss the bills they might be footing.

Despite the disparate feelings toward EPR, the brands I spoke to on the topic agree on one thing: we’re well past the adoption inflection point. EPR has recently shifted from one of many hypothetical tools in the packaging sustainability toolkit to what seems to be an eventuality. State-level legislation has been percolating of late in at least seven states, with Maine’s LD 1541 (read the full bill at pwgo.to/7131) being the first over the finish line last month, and a bill in Oregon is likely coming soon.

With the dominos falling, brands and stakeholders (read a comprehensive recent PW column on the topic from AMERIPEN at pwgo.to/7132) are thus setting their sights on defining these three main tenets of EPR: 1. Where are the fees going? Realizing these fees are inevitable, brands tend to be on board with EPR, but only when the flow of money is transparent. CPGs want to see any funds raised from fees to be earmarked for either recycling infrastructure and operations or for consumer education. They also seek to influence what types of organizations are on the receiving end so they can maximize impact and get the most bang for the buck.

2. Who is setting the fees? There is a lot of conversation around who should set the EPR fees.

Generally, the packaging industry recommends having an independent consortium of stakeholders who would work together with the government to set the fees and distribute funds. This could be in the form of a Producer Responsibility Org. (PRO). Maine’s law has some PRO and some others who will set fees, but its not exactly clear. Which brings us to perhaps the biggest point: 3. Why not one standardized national approach? We should have learned our lesson from our earlier (and current) recycling infrastructure situation, which suffers from being a fragmented patchwork of regulations and processes that vary by municipality. Piecemeal doesn’t work for recycling infrastructure and inconsistent fee structures would unnecessarily complicate the funding that supports that recycling infrastructure. Brands, especially national ones, say that EPR fees leveraged by each individual state is a challenge. They say a federal program would be much more useful. The current Consumer Brands Association’s Recycling Leadership Council (RLC), of which PMMI is a member, demonstrates standardization efforts on the recycling infrastructure front (pwgo.to/7234). Shouldn’t the EPR funding and fees follow suit?

And here’s a common-sense, “just my two cents” idea floated by a brand I spoke to on the topic: Why not allow a brand to pay less in EPR fees if that brand is actively practicing circular packaging solutions?

Post-consumer materials and resins are scarcer and more expensive than their virgin counterparts. Often that price gap is the barrier keeping brands from choosing PCRs instead of cheaper virgin. If brands can have their fees offset because they are using PCR, it will defray some of the cost impact of using recycled content, promoting a pull market for post-consumer materials.

With the EPR horse apparently out of the barn, we’re keeping a close eye on how NGOs, retailers, brands, and their suppliers are vying to wrangle that pony in a way that benefits the entire stakeholder universe. And at the center of that universe is our planet. PW mreynolds@pmmimediagroup.com

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NEWS

Paper Tube Whiskey Pack Leaps Off the Shelf Named for a pioneering species of Irish toad, the folks at Natterjack Irish Whiskey and Gortinore Distillers & Co. tend to do things differently.

Blending American and Irish traditions and techniques, the whiskey has a bright creamy palate with hints of cinnamon and vanilla.

While it’s true that the final product should be what keeps consumers returning, it’s the packaging that is likely to hook people in the first instance. Using a composite paper tube to house the bottle seemed to Natterjack brass to be a good way to grab attention.

Why was Natterjack set on paper tube packaging in the first place? As a new brand, it needed to position itself as a luxurious product and premium drinks packaging is one way to do so. “Premium-ization” has been gaining favor in the drinks industry for the last decade, and what better way for Natterjack to stand out than with packaging that visually disrupts?

Displaying a product in gift packaging boosts brand awareness, and when placed alongside other premium-drinks packaging, the curves of a paper tube hint at indulgence and class, a little different than the standard fare.

Aidan Mehigan, one of the co-founders of Gortinore Distillers & Co., and Stephanie Dooley, Design Manager at design agency Slater Design, met with Smurfit Kappa Composites to explore packaging options. In line with the founder’s and designer’s vision—a memorable product in premium drinks packaging—Smurfit Kappa Composites suggested a tasteful, silk-like white paper as the substrate for the composite tube in which the whiskey bottle is packed.

Allowing its namesake natterjack toad to stand out in contrasting black against the simple white background of the tube was striking. But Smurfit Kappa Composites wanted to push further. Premium drinks packaging is a competitive market, and seemingly small details can make a brand stand out.

During the first meeting with Smurfit Kappa Composites, Mehigan had been particularly interested in the supplier’s ability to emboss or deboss

Mehigan chose to emboss the lid and include copper foiling reminiscent of the copper pot stills classically used in whiskey-making.

a design onto the lids. Over the course of the consultations, this idea evolved pressing into the lid the unpretentious, striking phrase, “OF IRELAND.” This addition allowed Gortinore Distillers & Co. to easily promote its heritage at a glance. A little copper foiling, referencing the traditional copper pot stills used in distilling, added the finishing touches and an eye-catching elegance, according to the company.

The range of Natterjack’s market across the UK and Canada meant that the tubes had to be durable enough to survive long shipping routes and protect the whiskey inside. Smurfit Kappa Composites’ tubes reduce potential breakage and damage to bottles. Also, they’re fully Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) accredited, important since consumers are prioritizing sustainability and the environment in their purchases. Paper tubes mean a reduction in plastic packaging, appeal to those keen to do their part, and showcase the brand’s environmental awareness. —Matt Reynolds

Aseptic Capacity Added at Bon Agroindustrial BON Agroindustrial, a leading producer of fresh milk, juice, and jams in the Dominican Republic, recently installed two new aseptic packaging lines for milk and fruit juice.

The firm has been running an IPL aseptic line for milk since the early 2000s, and management chose IPL again in 2020. One NSA aseptic carton filling line handles 200-mL Slim bricks and the other is for 1000-mL packages with Twist caps.

The new equipment helped meet the ever-increasing consumer demand for long-life products and opened up some new opportunities for BON Agroindustrial. For example, the firm forged a partnership with BRAVO, one of the largest supermarket chains in the Dominican Republic, for contract packaging and distributing the BRAVO brand.

Another interesting opportunity surfaced partly due to

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COVID-19. BON Agroindustrial has been delivering fresh milk and fruit juices to children through initiatives such as the Student Food Program. When the pandemic struck, numerous educational centers participating in this program switched to home learning. Home delivery of fresh products to students was not logistically feasible due to high temperatures and long delivery times. Shelf stable product in 1000mL aseptic cartons was just the ticket under these circumstances.

“IPL has provided an efficient and flexible service, proving to be a valid and reliable partner for us,” says BON Agricultural CEO Estefany Marte-Backman. “The solutions we have chosen have proven to be successful while responding to our needs as well as the needs of retailers and consumers.”

—Pat Reynolds

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NEWS

Sugarcane Tubes Sweeten Sustainability Profile Raw Elements USA® launched a sugarcane-based tube for its natural and reef-friendly sunscreen, moisturizer, and hand sanitizer product lines. The brand is a member of 1% for The Planet, a global network of businesses, individuals, and nonprofit organizations tackling the globe’s most pressing environmental issues. With that in mind, the company is always seeking more sustainable packaging solutions, and even looks to improve upon existing packaging that’s already sustainability minded.

The polyethylene tubes, which range from 2 to 4 oz., are produced by Berry Global Group at its vertically integrated manufacturing facility in Evansville, Ind. The tubes are produced with 83% sugarcane by weight, the maximum percentage that is possible in order to include the EVOH barrier needed to protect the ingredients, plus colorant.

The tubes feature a matching cap, also produced by Berry, which is made with 25% post-consumer resin (PCR). Raw Elements’ new line of products became available in stores and

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online starting in June. This is the first sugarcane-based tube to be launched by Berry in North America.

“The bio-based, sugarcane tubes with PCR closures are a follow-through on our commitment to sustainability while always providing safe and effective personal care products,” says Brian Gaudagno, Founder, Raw Elements USA. The Face + Body natural sunscreen tube in sugarcane bio-resin replaces Raw Elements’ previous plastic tube, which was made with PCR. The new tubes are made from sugarcane waste that is converted into HDPE and LDPE to create a material with the same chemical makeup of fossil fuel-based polyethylene. It offers a range of environmental benefits including reduction of greenhouse gas emissions, water use, and fossil fuel consumption. According to Berry, the bio-resin material maintains excellent clarity, squeezability, and feel, and can be decorated just like virgin material. —Matt Reynolds

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Global Call Issued for EPR for Packaging On June 15, for the first time, more than 100 businesses in the packaging value chain, together with more than 50 other organizations, publicly recognized that without Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR), packaging collection and recycling is unlikely to be meaningfully scaled, and tens of millions of tons of packaging will continue to end up in the environment every year.

The statement (see pwgo.to/7091), published by the Ellen MacArthur Foundation, has been signed by leading brands and retailers, including Beiersdorf, Danone, Diageo, Ferrero, FrieslandCampina, H&M, Henkel, Inditex, L’Oréal, Mars, Mondi, Nestlé, PepsiCo, Pick n Pay, Reckitt, Schwarz Group, The Coca-Cola Company, Unilever, and Walmart; manufacturers and recyclers, including Borealis, Berry Global, DS Smith, Mondi, Tetra Pak, Indorama Ventures, and Veolia; investors such as European Investment Bank and Closed Loop Partners; and NGOs, including WWF, The Recycling Partnership, The Pew Charitable Trusts, and As You Sow.

Says the foundation, while they might not have all the answers on how best to implement EPR for packaging in different geographies around the world, the endorsers of this statement are sending a strong signal that not making EPR work is not an option, and they are willing to step up and be part of the solution. —Anne Marie Mohan

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Nalbach Engineering’s NECOFLO-G6 high speed powder filler runs faster, cleaner, provides superior product settling and fill accuracy.

Notes the Ellen MacArthur Foundation, “For a circular economy, packaging that can’t be eliminated or reused must be collected, sorted, and recycled or composted after use. But currently the economics do not stack up: collection, sorting, and recycling or processing packaging costs more than the revenues made from selling the recycled materials.

“We need dedicated, ongoing, and sufficient funding to make the economics of recycling work. This statement and the supporting position paper set out why mandatory, fee-based EPR is the only proven and likely way to provide this funding.”

By signing the statement, endorser organizations recognize this need and make three firm commitments: 1. Ensure their entire organization is aligned on, and their actions are in line with, this statement; 2. Be constructive in their engagement with governments and other stakeholders: advocating for the establishment of well-designed EPR policies and being supportive in working out how to implement and continuously improve EPR schemes in the local context; 3. Engage with their peers and the relevant associations and collaborations in which they are involved to work towards aligning their positions and actions accordingly.

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Patent Pending

The NECOFLO-G6 has been designed from the ground up and provides the following features: • Controlled valve actuation • Single piece, FDA approved, long life, elastic polymer container seal • Bi-flow, self cleaning vent system • Recipe driven, multiple zone, product settling system • Stainless steel measuring flasks • “Lift Table” for each container • Variable height fill head • Closed loop MAP gassing system • “no-container no container no-fill” no fill system For more information and specifications call Nalbach at: +1-708-579-9100, go to www.nalbach.com, or scan the QR Code to the right.

Video: Scan the QR Code to the right to learn more about the Nalbach NECOFLO-G6. www.nalbach.com

©2021 Nalbach Engineering Company, Inc.

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NEWS

Digital Feature Debuts at PACK EXPO Las Vegas and Healthcare Packaging EXPO For the first time in its history, show-producer PMMI, The Association for Packaging and Processing Technologies, is offering a virtual component to PACK EXPO Las Vegas and Healthcare Packaging EXPO (Sept. 27-29, Las Vegas Convention Center).

PACK EXPO Xpress will allow those unable to travel to access products and innovations in digital showrooms and connect with solutions suppliers during the event while also serving as a supplement to the on-site experience for the person attending or their co-workers back at the office. Registration provides access to a My Show Planner account, PACK EXPO Las Vegas and Healthcare Packaging EXPO’s personalized resource planning tool and directory.

“The goal of PACK EXPO Xpress is two-fold, offering access to the show experience to larger portions of the packaging and processing community, some who can better serve their customers remaining back on the plant floor,” says Laura Thompson, vice president, trade shows, PMMI. “At the same time, it allows in-person attendees not to have to choose, for example, one education session over another, helping alleviate the stress of trying to see everything PACK EXPO Las Vegas and Healthcare Packaging EXPO has to offer.”

In today’s manufacturing environment, processing and packaging often come together as an integrated system, making it more critical than ever

to bring both packaging and processing suppliers and end-users together.

To meet this growing need, The Processing Zone returns with frontof-the-line solutions such as homogenizing, heat treating, forming/sizing, and coating to help increase efficiency, achieve total system integration, and ensure food safety. New in 2021 is the Processing Innovation stage, focusing on the latest processing breakthroughs.

Additional pavilions include the PACKage Printing Pavilion, showcasing the latest in cost-effective digital printing solutions; The Containers and Materials Pavilion, displaying the latest in new recyclables and biobased materials, printable films, flexible, resealable, and plant-based packaging; The Reusable Packaging Pavilion: sponsored by the Reusable Packaging Association (RPA), highlighting sustainable packaging solutions; and the Confectionery Pavilion, home of the Candy Bar Lounge, sponsored by Syntegon Packaging Technology and hosted by the National Confectioners Association (NCA).

The brand-new PACK to the Future exhibit takes attendees on a journey through the evolution of packaging and processing, how the industrial and scientific revolutions led to rapid innovations and mass production, and how the digital revolution is shaping the future. This curated exhibit includes nearly 30 historic packaging and processing machines

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dating from the late 1890s to the late 1970s with imagery supplied by museums and instantly recognizable consumer packaged goods brands including Coca-Cola, General Mills, Kellogg, Hormel, Anheuser-Busch, and Merck. The PACK to the Future Stage will highlight future technology, including innovative sustainability initiatives, e-commerce solutions, smart packaging, and artificial intelligence.

The Technology Excellence Awards allow attendees to recognize and vote on innovative exhibitor technology new to PACK EXPO Las Vegas and Healthcare Packaging EXPO. Winners will be announced at the show on Tuesday, Sept. 28. Additional packaging award winners from the past year-plus will reside at The Showcase of Packaging Innovations®, sponsored by WestRock, and located within The Containers and Materials Pavilion.

Education is a hallmark of any PACK EXPO event, with PACK EXPO Las Vegas and Healthcare Packaging EXPO once again featuring free 30-minute exhibitor-hosted seminars on breakthroughs and best practices at The Innovation Stages. The Forum offers free, 45-minute learning sessions on the latest industry trends, including hands-on activities, small group discussions, and Q&As with leading organizations like the OpX Leadership Network, CPA, the Association for Contract Packagers and Manufacturers, The Organization for Automation and Control (OMAC) and PMMI Business Intelligence. Attendees can also learn the latest trends and benefits of reusable packaging in the Reusable Packaging Learning Center.

Visit packexpolasvegas.com to register. Registration for PACK EXPO Las Vegas and Healthcare Packaging EXPO is $30 through Sept. 3, after which the price increases by $100. Registration for PACK EXPO Xpress remains $30. Visit the show website for more information on the PACK Ready health and safety plan. —Sean Riley

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NEWS

Emerging Brand Debuts First 100% Recyclable Ice Cream Carton Sacred Serve, a four-year-old company producing handcrafted, plant-based gelato, is on a mission to prove that “all food can, and should, be more healing than harmful to both our bodies as well as the planet.” As part of its credo to protect Mother Nature, the LA102-Half-Page-Island-Spread-2.pdf 2 7/21/20 10:26 AM company is extremely conscious of the environmental impact of the

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packaging it uses as well. In February, Sacred Serve became the first to offer a 100%-recyclable, plastic-free ice cream carton that is also biodegradable and compostable.

The new packaging is a more sustainable version of the unique carton style the Chicago-based company has used since launching its vegan gelato line. Sacred Serve founder and CEO Kailey Donewald describes the paper-based package as a “cross between a noodle-box top and a traditional ice cream tub bottom, with an integrated one-piece closure style.” The unusual style was chosen, she explains, to mirror the distinctiveness of the company’s product versus other plant-based frozen treats on the market.

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Among its novel features, Sacred Serve gelato uses functional ingredients, such as superfoods, adaptogenic herbs, and medicinal mushrooms, it is sweetened with unrefined, low-glycemic coconut sugar, and it gets its rich and creamy texture from the fiber of young coconut meat, rather than from high fat-to-sugar ratios or gums and stabilizers.

Donewald says the one-piece carton was also chosen because the design reduces the amount of packaging versus a traditional pint container, as it eliminates the need for a separate lid. As is standard for paper-based packaging for frozen products, the carton for Sacred Serve’s ice cream originally used a polyethylene coating to protect it from moisture and withstand freezer temperatures, making the packaging non-recyclable.

“I first learned there were no plastic-free, sustainable options when I was sourcing our very first packaging,” Donewald explains. “I worked tirelessly to find an alternative. I wound up finding various solutions that were plant-based or contained

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less plastic, but nothing truly plastic-free. I also struggled at the time as our old packaging supplier was unwilling to work with the upgraded paperboard I was wanting, due to our limited quantities as an emerging brand.”

She adds that while she looked at other options besides a paperbased package, she didn’t feel comfortable using an all-plastic container, regardless of its recyclability.

“It’s no secret what plastic waste has done to our environment and the health of all those who inhabit it, including humans,” she says. “Microplastics are becoming a huge environmental and health concern as well, and I believe it’s extremely important to remove this from the supply chain entirely. The bulk of plastic found in the environment is from CPG packaging waste.”

Her search for a plastic-free alternative led her to Delipac, a U.K.-based packaging producer that spent eight years researching and developing plastic-free, paperboard packaging for food and beverages. A variation on the Delipac Cup, Sacred Serve’s new 10-oz carton is made from a 100% virgin-fiber, food-grade paperboard, with a foodsafe, water-based barrier coating. The material is certified as being 100% recyclable in any waste stream, 100% compostable in both home and industrial environments, and is 100% biodegradable in marine and soil. It is also certified as being free of any harmful or toxic substances, including PFAS (polyfluoroalkyl substances), and the paper is PEFC(the Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification) certified and carbon-balanced.

Sacred Serve worked with Midland Paper Co. to source the Delipac container in the U.S. Shares Donewald, the carton is multicolor offset-printed by a “Swedish-owned international paperboard specialist based in the U.K.” Having made the switch to the 100% recyclable ice cream carton, Sacred Serve is committed to educating consumers on the sustainability of its carton and the non-recyclability of traditional icecream containers. On-pack communications advise consumers to recycle or home-compost the package, and Sacred Serve shares these messages on social media and on its website, as well.

Donewald says consumers are extremely excited about the new packaging, and retail buyers have been quick to embrace the company due to this innovation. Sacred Serve gelato, in Matcha Mint Chip, Chaga Chocolate, Coconut Salted Caramel, and Saffron Chai Spice varieties, is sold across the Midwest and Southeast and in California, in Whole Foods Market, Erewhon Market, Plum Market, Earth Fare, Sunset Foods, and independent grocers.

Nationwide shipping is also available from the Sacred Serve website, www.sacredserve.com.

—Anne Marie Mohan

Watch video of Sacred Serve and other plant-based companies as they weigh in on sustainability at pwgo.to/7092 3138NV-half-page.pdf

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NEWS

8 Packaging Trends Shaping the E-comm Landscape In its seventh-annual e-commerce consumer study, order fulfillment provider Dotcom Distribution found the biggest takeaway was the tremendous impact sustainable packaging has on consumer purchase decisions and brand affinity.

Following are five consumer preference trends in sustainability that the report says are shaping the e-commerce landscape, and three consumer trends related to gift-like and inner packaging for e-commerce: 1. Sustainability emerges as a major driver of purchase decisions and brand affinity: Among packaging factors (e.g., free samples, gift-like packaging, personal messages), sustainable packaging, at 42%, is the factor most likely to compel online shoppers to be a return customer. Likewise, among environmental factors (e.g., ethical sourcing, fuel-efficient transportation, product ingredients), sustainable packaging was reported as the most attractive feature, at 45%.

2. Paper beats plastic: Given the choice between receiving an online order in a box or a film bag, 82% of all respondents prefer boxes. Twenty-eight percent of that group credited their preferences to boxes providing better protection in transit; 27% said boxes are more eco-friendly; and 24% said they reuse the boxes.

3. Luxury shoppers place more emphasis on environmental factors when making purchase decisions: Forty-nine percent of luxury shoppers reported making purchases from or subscribing to companies that support a circular economy, compared to 31% of nonluxury shoppers.

4. More men reported prioritizing sustainable packaging than women: Discounting product quality, 44% of males said sustainability is the packaging factor most likely to make them want to shop with a brand again compared to 39% of females.

5. Older consumers are most influenced by sustainable packaging: More than any other age group, at 49%, consumers over 60 credited sustainability as the packaging factor most likely to make them want to shop with a brand again. In comparison, 46% of shoppers ages 18 to 29 said that they are most influenced by sustainable packaging, 41% of those ages 30 to 44, and 35% of those 45 to 60 years old.

6. Pragmatic packaging preferences: More than any other inner packaging components, consumers want packing slips and pre-paid return labels included in their online order packages (63% each), followed by surprise giveaways (45%), and coupons (39%).

7. The younger the shopper, the more responsive they are to branded and giftlike packaging: Forty-nine percent of online shoppers ages 18 to 29 said branded or gift-like packaging gets them excited about receiving/opening a package, compared to 37% of shoppers 30 to 44, 29% of shoppers 45 to 60, and just 15% of shoppers over 60.

8. Sporting goods consumers are most susceptible to gift-like packaging: At 39%, sporting goods consumers were more likely than shoppers who purchase anything else online to say the use of gift-like packaging makes them more likely to purchase from a brand again (30%).

Download a free copy of the study, 2021 Dotcom Distribution eCommerce Consumer Study, at pwgo.to/7126. —Anne Marie Mohan

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Beverage Trends Driving Change in 2021 In the coming years, beverage manufacturers will be striving to meet consumer demands for more sustainable packaging, functional and convenient beverage formats, and healthier product offerings. As beverage consumers have become more discerning in their purchases, manufacturers have had to make adjustments—from the basic formulation of their products to offering more sustainable or protective packaging.

A new report by PMMI Business Intelligence (which covers soft drinks, juice, water, sport/energy drinks, functional/nutritional drinks, coffee/ tea, and water, but does not include alcoholic beverages and dairy products) states that consumers are looking for beverage products that provide added functionality to their lives, enhance their overall health, and are available in convenient formats.

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They are also increasingly concerned about the sustainability of beverage packaging, and 89% of the companies interviewed say they want to incorporate more recycled plastic materials in their packaging to reduce global plastic pollution.

These trends have led to a significant expansion of SKUs in the beverage industry, as manufacturers roll out new products, new formats, and new packaging to adapt to consumer desires. The beverage market in the U.S. is expected to grow 5.21% by 2025, with 6% growth globally in the same timeframe. According to Euromonitor, in 2020 there were 1.23 billion total units sold, most in Asia Pacific (39.5%), North America (20.7%), and Western Europe (15.9%).

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QUOTABLES

BY THE NUMBERS

5L

The amount of water contained in a new thin-walled PET “bubble” designed to fit on a plastic base as part of a new water-dispensing system from Evian—resulting in 60% less plastic per liter versus a 1.5-L plastic bottle (view video at pwgo.to/7127).

1541

The number of the Legislative Decree (LD) signed by Maine Gov. Janet Mills in mid-July, making Maine the first U.S. state to pass an extended producer responsibility (EPR) law for packaging

$6.34 Billion

The global value of the collagen market by 2027—an 8% CAGR between 2021 and 2027— driven by rising awareness about the health benefits of collagen and increasing adoption in healthcare and cosmetics applications

130% The increase in GHGs that would result from replacing common plastic packages and products with alternatives, representing 55 million tons/yr of additional packaging generated, according to Trucost

QuotablesBTN_0821.indd 18

“It takes 75% less energy to make a plastic bottle from recycled plastic, and with plastic waste significantly contributing to fossil emissions when incinerated, it’s never been more important to specify recycled content and keep packaging in a circular system.”

–Helen Bird, Strategic Technical Manager of WRAP, in an article from FoodBev Media, “Coca-Cola GB ends use of virgin plastic in on-the-go bottles”

“Over two million people in the UK live with sight loss and are unable to simply read the information on our cereal boxes. As a company focused on equity, diversity and inclusion we believe that everyone should be able to access important and useful information about the food that we sell. That’s why, starting next year, we are adding new technology to all of our cereal boxes. I am proud that Kellogg will be the first company in the world to use NaviLens on packaging.

We know it’s important that all packaging is accessible for the blind community to enable them to make shopping easier, so we will share our experience with other brands who want to learn more.”

–Chris Silcock, Head of Kellogg UK, in an article, “Kellogg making ground-breaking change to cereal boxes in the UK,” from Food Business News

“Manufacturers need work with retailers and supply-chain operators to, among other things, anticipate and prepare for demand surges, have flexibility on their production lines to accommodate trial flavors and new packaging as well as have the required documentation available for regulators as evidence of how the facility handles ingredients.”

–Michael Larner, Industrial and Manufacturing Principal Analyst at ABI Research, in a release from the company, “Manufacturers of Consumer-Packaged Goods to spend US$23.8 billion on Digital Transformation”

“Not only does this [cyberattacks] lead to supply chain disruptions, but it can ultimately affect the choices of end consumers, as brand trust is pivotal in consumers’ purchasing decisions. Over half (57%) of consumers globally claim that their product choices are always or often influenced by how trustworthy it is, and data breaches, delays to shipments or halted production can compel consumers to look at alternative brands—particularly during sensitive times such as a pandemic. Therefore, businesses need to focus on cybersecurity investment in their future since the frequency of cyberattacks is increasing exponentially.”

–Ramsey Baghdadi, Consumer Analyst at GlobalData, in a release from the company, “JBS ransomware demonstrates the larger issue of effective cybersecurity in retail and foodservice, says GlobalData”

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PepsiCo’s Ongoing Sustainable Transformation Keeps Pace with Changing Landscape In 2018, Packaging World spoke to Tom Mooradian, Sr. Manager, Environmental Sustainability at PepsiCo, about its recycling initiatives (read the interview at pwgo.to/7090). Now, a little more than three years later, we catch up with him to see if the overall recycling landscape has changed, what role PepsiCo Recycling’s initiatives have played, and what’s in store for the coming few years.

Packaging World:

What’s your role at PepsiCo, and how has it changed as the sustainability landscape has evolved since we last spoke?

Tom Mooradian: It’s great to be back with you! As Senior Manager for Environmental Sustainability for PepsiCo Beverages North America (PBNA), I’m getting to work in my dream role–driving sustainability for an influential company that really values it. A lot has changed since we last spoke in 2018. Between China’s ‘national sword’ (policy in which they stopped purchasing bales from American recyclers), skyrocketing consumer awareness and concerns about plastic and the functionality of recycling systems, and of course the pandemic, things have been lively. At PepsiCo, we’re still working to educate and boost awareness of recycling among consumers who have access and bringing access to those who don’t. We’re also working much more extensively on increasing the overall health of the recycling system and trying to build a more effective circular economy.

Back in 2018, PepsiCo had already committed that by 2025, it would design 100% of its packaging to be recyclable, compostable, or biodegradable, increase recycled materials in plastic packaging, and reduce packaging’s carbon impact. Is that still the goal, and are you still on pace to meet your target?

We’re continuing to drive progress toward our vision of a world where packaging never becomes waste. As of the end of 2020, 87% of our packaging across the globe was designed to be recyclable, compostable, or biodegradable against our goal of 100% by 2025. We are currently in the process of upgrading some of our shrink labels to materials that are compatible with the recycling stream so we expect to improve by the next time we update the numbers and we feel that we are moving in the right direction.

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We are also working aggressively to incorporate more recycled content into our bottles. Some of our brands, such as TAZO chilled varieties and LifeWTR have joined our Naked Juice brand in using 100% recycled PET (rPET) bottles and we expect to continue moving in that direction as we work with the industry to improve the quantity and quality of rPET available.

Reducing carbon, or greenhouse gas emissions, is still a critical part of our sustainability agenda and reducing the impact of our packaging plays a major role in helping to achieve our goal to reduce absolute scope 3 greenhouse gas emissions by 40% by 2030. There are multiple ways we can reduce the carbon impact of our packaging and we are pursuing all of them. We can do it by sourcing materials differently (how and where they are produced and delivered), incorporating more recycled content, using alternative materials, and simply reducing or eliminating the amount of packaging materials.

That leads me to another key goal of ours that you didn’t mention, which is to reduce the amount of virgin plastic across our beverage portfolio by 35% by the year 2025. We have brands like Bubly that utilize aluminum as the primary package so alternative options for package formats can be a pathway to this goal but so can building that circular economy and incorporating more recycled content.

There’s absolutely more work to be done, but as a global leader in food and beverages, we have an important role to play in making sustainable packaging a reality and we have never been more committed to it.

Consumer education about recycling via programs like the Recycle Rally were high on your list a few years ago. Is that still the case, and what kind of progress have you made with them? Are there any new consumer education programs that complement Recycle Rally?

Education remains a key priority for us, but we know we need to go a step further and make it easier and more accessible for people to

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recycle as well. So we’re continuing to expand strong educational programs while also focusing on some new initiatives.

Our flagship education program is still Recycle Rally, as it continues to be very well received at what’s now up to 7,000 participating schools across the country. It’s a free program for K-12 schools and it not only offers rewards and fun progress tracking tools, but I’m also very proud of the hundreds of useful resources

FIRST PERSON

and activities we’ve built into our online Resource Library to encourage and teach students about the importance of recycling and sustainability. During the pandemic, we expanded the program’s Resource Library with hundreds of free, fun, educational activities to help kids and families get more involved in recycling at home while many students were learning remotely. We’ve seen hundreds of thousands of views and downloads so far this year and expect to keep adding new videos, articles, printables and interactive resources on a regular basis.

We also have several new programs that go beyond education and focus on providing access to recycling in places where it’s historically been limited or non-existent. One of these programs is PepsiCo BottleLoop, which offers easy and accessible recycling to PepsiCo customers. PepsiCo BottleLoop is a streamlined collection system designed to both increase access for people to recycle and improve quality of the collected material. It leverages technology to make it efficient and cost-effective and provides on-demand collection of recyclable materials from participating locations such as colleges and universities, convenience stores, retailers, and restaurants. We’ve also partnered with a company called Replenysh to enable routine recycling drives in communities without curbside recycling. We’ve seen great success with this in Bristow, Oklahoma thus far. The key to these programs is that we are not only engaging on the front end (collecting the material), but also interested in closing the loop and driving improved quality and likelihood of the material going back into bottles.

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Have there been any instances of PepsiCo Recycling or other sustainability measures/ initiatives on which you’ve decided to change or reverse course over the past few years? If so, why?

I’m really excited about how much we are now embracing reuse models, like SodaStream and our SodaStream Professional platform that allows users to customize their experience and refill their own bottles over and over at customer locations like offices.

SodaStream now offers products in 45 countries around the world and in a three-month beta phase test in North America, SodaStream Professional saved more than 160,000 plastic bottles across 30 units.

Each unit saves an average of 22,000 bottles per year. We will continue to emphasize growth in this platform to minimize packaging.

We want to move away from ‘single-use’

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and collection rates worldwide. As PepsiCo evaluates partnerships, we look to engage in a variety of programs and initiatives that bring stakeholders together to create broad solutions to shift the whole system in a more sustainable direction.

PepsiCo partners with NGOs, local communities and collaborating with others within our industry. One other key NGO partner is The Recycling Partnership. It is a grassroots organization that works to lift

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packaging models as we envision a world where our packaging need never become waste and recycling still fits into the picture in a prominent way. Recycling isn’t exciting or new. It’s been around for a long time and has its fair share of challenges, but we have determined that recycling still makes a lot of sense if we can just do it effectively and consistently. If consumers continue to choose plastic packaging due to its light weight, durability, cost effectiveness and relatively low carbon impact, then the best option is to improve our recycling system to better support our vision of a truly effective circular economy. So that’s why we’re focusing on designing for recyclability, increasing equitable access to recycling, increasing demand for recycled content, improving the quality and efficiencies of material through the system and generally trying to boost the overall health of recycling systems.

We also know we can’t do it alone so we’re Flying partnering with others and becoming more engaged on policy measures as we are now more openminded than ever to concepts that will drive the agenda forward.

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How has your partnership with the Closed Loop Fund evolved over the years, how much progress have you made and where do you see the partnership going?

Since we became a founding partner of the Closed Loop Fund, our relationship has continued to grow.

The investment group is now known as Closed Loop Partners (CLP) since it includes several different funds, each of which is focused on an important aspect of strengthening the circular economy. The partnership has also been productive, as Closed Loop Partners has catalyzed $270 million in co-investments to support circular economy supply chains, including improved curbside recycling infrastructure and materials processing. Closed Loop Partners looks at all components of the recycling picture and invests in areas most effective for closing the loop. Due to the success in the first five years, PepsiCo renewed our commitment to The Closed Loop Infrastructure Fund. PepsiCo has also invested in the CLP’s beverage fund through our industry organization, American Beverage. The American Beverage Fund is focused on boosting rPET availability in the U.S. Are there any other NGOs that you’re working with?

How do you evaluate a partnership with NGOs? Partnerships are critical to the continued development of a robust circular economy. Together with our partners and peers, we can collectively advance our efforts to find innovative recycling solutions. Since 2018, PepsiCo and The PepsiCo Foundation have committed to investing more than $65 million in partnerships to increase recycling

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recycling by engaging the full recycling supply chain from the corporations that manufacture products and packaging to local governments charged with recycling to industry end markets, haulers, material recovery facilities, and converters.

We also collaborate with our competitors through the Every Bottle Back campaign. Together, we work with other members of American Beverage in this sustained effort to reduce the industry’s use of new plastic and reclaim our plastic bottles so they can be remade into news bottles and not end up as waste in oceans, rivers, or landfills.

What’s PepsiCo Recycling and PepsiCo in general’s view of Extended Producer Responsibility, which has been gaining momentum recently?

PepsiCo recognizes policy can play a massive role in helping to drive solutions.

We have recently been more proactive in supporting different policies used to promote a more sustainable, circular economy for packaging, including Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) programs.

EPRs, if properly designed and funded, can provide meaningful sup-

port for recycling systems on a grand scale. They can help our recycling systems to not only recover from the financial challenges that have faced them recently, but also to become stronger by setting recycling targets and providing adequate funding to make continual progress toward achieving them. PepsiCo has extensive experience participating in EPR programs in different parts of the world, and we use our experience and insights to deliver constructive recommendations when such programs are being pursued or developed.

We have collaborated with other major companies on policy through The Recycling Partnership’s Circular Economy Accelerator and were also involved with the Consumer Goods Forum on development and endorsement of a document that outlines how a strong EPR system can be structured.

We believe it is critical for PepsiCo and other industry members to engage proactively and constructively in policy discussions on big ideas like EPR and deposit return schemes (DRS), especially those that are broad based, deliver strong environmental outcomes, provide incentives for sustainability, and allow us to contribute to the design and implementation of the programs.

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developed a beautiful new type of reverse vending machine that has As far as your core beverage business goes, have there been big potential to scale. It will provide consumers with a convenient any changes in your material mix between aluminum, PET, other way to recycle when they are out and about and its state-of-the-art traditional materials, and perhaps the emergence of new materials technology will make it simple, fun, and rewarding to engage with. like bioplastics, paper bottles, or compostables? If so, why? Any So we’ve got a great team working on packaging sustainability interesting material irons in the fire? from all angles and very excited to make big improvements we move We consider alternative packaging materials to plastic when it closer to achieving those 2025 goals. —Matt Reynolds is environmentally efficient, able to meet consumer needs, and practical as a business to do so. We consider the full environmental impact of our packaging, including how it is sourced, resource intensity, carbon impact, and what is likely to happen at the end of its life.

Beyond the reusable concepts that I mentioned earlier, we currently offer a mix of plastic, aluminum, glass, and paper packaging across our many different brands for packaged beverages. We know each COMPLETE SNACK PACKAGING SOLUTIONS consumer defines sustainable packaging differently in their own mind and there is no single right answer.

• Accumulation One intriguing innovation that I’m particularly • Horizontal motion conveying excited about is Pulpex. PepsiCo joined the Pulpex • Incline, belt and bucket conveyors consortium to create and scale the world’s first • Filling and multihead weighing recyclable paper bottle. This has potential to be • Bagmaking and casepacking compatible with existing recycling systems or to be • Checkweighing and seal checking biodegradable. We’ve learned how difficult it is to • Foreign object and defect inspection • Controls and information systems build a nationwide infrastructure network to handle materials at the end of their life so it’s particularly exciting that this could deliver on many sustainability We are successful when you are successful. targets while also not requiring a full reinvention of That’s why we apply creativity, engineering the waste handling systems in the U.S. excellence, and determined perseverance to every project to help our customers get the In addition, our SodaStream business continues to Helping you bring performance their business demands—whether grow and globally we estimate that it will help avoid your best products measured by flavor, efficiencies, sustainability, 78 billion plastic bottles through 2025.

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to market.

Any new endeavors or projects that are just getting started or might be on the horizon? And if you can’t be specific, what bigger picture aims do you have for the next five years, or closing in on your 2025 goals?

We are also very interested in enhanced recycling, which involves breaking plastics down to their core molecules and therefore starting over with cleaner, purer (essentially virgin) feedstock which will mean less degradation throughout the lifecycle. We praise aluminum for its ‘endless lifecycle’ and advancements in this technology could help plastics to achieve similar feats.

One such effort we are excited about is the Carbios Consortium. Together with other members of the consortium, we recently announced the successful production of the world’s first food-grade PET plastic bottles produced entirely from enzymatically recycled plastic. PepsiCo became a part of the Carbios Consortium in 2019 to help make the circular economy for plastics an industrial reality by supporting the development and scale-up of enzyme recycling.

Another endeavor we’re proud of is our involvement with Olyns. Olyns shares our interest in increasing access to recycling and they have

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THE LEGAL SIDE

By Eric F. Greenberg, Attorney-at-law

Pandemic’s Effects on Food Manufacturing, for Better or Worse, Could Linger It’s the A, B, Cs of food manufacturing and packaging. Building-in controls that assure food safety and quality are the very essence of any good food operation. The law requires it, the regulations require it, private standards certifications require it, and just good common sense requires it. That’s why food making and packaging operations incorporate preventive controls, Good Manufacturing Practices, and QA and QC steps, and regularly reevaluate what they’re doing and make adjustments. And it’s all a lot of work.

And yet, the COVID pandemic presented a different kind of challenge, because it implicated worker safety as much as, or more than, food safety. Recall the early headlines about workers in the meat and poultry realm being pounded by the pandemic. But really, every food packager has been confronted with the new and different pandemic-related challenges, including policies for personal protective equipment, distancing, and other practices for their workers.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration, which regulates most foods sold in the U.S., also responded to the new challenges to food making and distribution. Early in 2020, FDA made clear that it doesn’t appear that COVID-19 transmission from packaging surfaces was a high-risk worry, and also said, “Foodborne exposure to this virus is not known to be a route of transmission.” Still, it moved quickly, not waiting for prior public input, and instead immediately issued some new guidance documents. For example, it told food makers it wouldn’t object to some packaged food that was labeled for use in restaurants (and that lacks Nutrition Facts information) being distributed generally, issued temporary new guidance for the packaging and labeling of shell eggs, and backed off on some requirements relating to the Foreign Supplier Verification Program.

In all, FDA issued 11 different guidance documents relating to different aspects of food and beverage manufacturing operations.

But those changes in policy will apply only during the pandemic emergency timeframe. (It also issued many more announcements relating to drug and medical device regulation.)

What about COVID’s effects on operations within the food manufacturing facility itself? Well, it seems that the pandemic inspired a renewed focus on food safety because of the kinds of enhanced practices it caused food packagers to implement. Beth Anne Baker of consulting firm Compliance Insight, Inc. observes that “COVID brought new light to food manufacturing facilities in 2020. It forced establishments to scrutinize programs such as visitor/contractor policies, employee infection control plans, attendance policies (those that penalize

employees for staying home when sick), and sanitation programs.”

Gary Ritchie, also from Compliance Insight Inc., notes “The COVID19 pandemic is a reminder to all employers and employees that the number one threat to the processing of foods and related packaging is insanitary conditions. The pandemic provides an opportunity for quality management to review the key factors contributing to a dirty workplace and unhealthy workers where poor cleaning of equipment and facility housekeeping practices are not performed regularly.”

Another consultant, Dr. Kathy Knutson of Kathy Knutson Food Safety Consulting, LLC, sees a silver lining in the pandemic’s effects on food production. She says that more workers may finally be getting the message about pathogen control and the importance of seemingly simple steps like hand washing. It’s always been so, she says, that “Managers emphasize not taking short cuts” in all aspects of a manufacturing operation, notably regarding hand washing, and many companies, she says, have changed or re-emphasized a range of safety practices, including hand washing and policies about monitoring worker illnesses. She says, “I hope that stays.”

Knutson also thinks the pandemic inspired new attitudes toward supply chain issues, forcing companies to think ahead and consider stockpiling personal protective equipment or food ingredients, in contrast to the more modern just-in-time concepts.

FDA is thinking ahead, too, trying to assure its COVID response is effective but also to be ready for the next crisis. In January 2021, FDA issued a report on its COVID-19 Pandemic Recovery and Preparedness Plan (PREPP) initiative, which the agency and a private sponsor created in 2020. “The purpose of PREPP has been to identify opportunities that strengthen our on-going COVID-19 response and build the Agency’s resilience to respond to future public health emergencies” that require swift action involving medical products and put pressure on the food supply chain. The report lists 12 “actions to consider” that would, for example, help FDA act more quickly and effectively regarding clearance of new medical products, strengthen supply chain surveillance for regulated products, and better use available communications technologies.

Of course, packagers shouldn’t leave all the planning to the regulators. Knutson thinks packagers ought to continue to be focused on tight procedures, including those imposed during the pandemic.

One big reason is that the common expectation among consultants and other observers is that FDA facility inspections, slowed during the pandemic, will come back soon, “with a vengeance.” PW

Eric Greenberg can be reached at greenberg@efg-law.com. Or visit his firm’s Web site at www.ericfgreenbergpc.com.

INFORMATIONAL ONLY, NOT LEGAL ADVICE.

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THE BIG PICTURE

By Sterling Anthony, CPP, Contributing Editor

Avoid Misguided Redesigns A company undertaking a package redesign project is making two statements: it regards packaging as a competitive tool, and it seeks greater leveraging of that tool. Acceptance of the first statement mandates subscription to the second. Package redesign projects are conducted under a variety of scenarios, of varying validity, with some being misguided.

Solution for disappointing sales. A package redesign can spur sales only if the current design is the problem. Sales, however, are influenced by a variety of factors. Among them are product, promotion, pricing, and distribution—each having multiple variables.

Identifying a solution out of a welter of possibilities is painstaking work. The ever-present temptation is to conveniently incriminate the package, a readily identifiable physical entity. The temptation can be worsened by the rationale, “The package, as our point-of-purchase lure, apparently is underperforming.”

The opposite of the above-described shortcut in decision-making is the elimination of all reasonably foreseeable other possibilities. It makes sense to start with the product. A packaged product is a whole comprised of two interdependent components: the product and the package. Package design can be a tiebreaker, favorably differentiating among offerings that are otherwise comparable/substitutable.

Something that package design cannot do is compensate for product deficiencies. Package design with high shelf-impact will, at best, contribute to trial purchases, but won’t generate repeat purchases if the product is flawed.

The degree to which sales have been disappointing and the timeline across which it has occurred can be instructive. A deep, sudden drop in sales, for example, might bespeak an online cause. Given the power of social media, in particular, a negative post, tweet, video, etc., gone viral, can be disruptive. A company without a strategy for monitoring its internet presence might be a victim of such disruption, all while pursuing unassociated solutions, such as package redesign.

Brand manager branding. Tasked with growing the brand, or, at least, preventing its dilution, brand managers are susceptible to the siren call of package redesign. A package redesign can be achieved within the typically short tenure of a brand manager. Package redesign affords the brand manager the opportunity to demonstrate initiative, with the likelihood of having moved to another position by the time the results can be assessed.

No ill-motives are being ascribed to brand managers in this assessment. Nonetheless, good-faith intentions still can be misguided.

One such intention is to achieve something positive with minimum risk, even in the absence of an identified problem. The thinking goes, “Nothing radical, mind you, so what harm can a tweak do?” For starters, plenty, because an inconsequential change wastes time and resources. Advice to brand managers regarding package redesign: just because you can, doesn’t mean that you should.

Updating. Keeping up with the times is the justification for this

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type of package redesign. That description, however, does not answer the question: When should a package redesign be undertaken? The answer should not depend on the mere passage of time. It shouldn’t, for example, be a function of “X-number of years have passed, so a redesign is due.”

Updating connotes timeliness, but is not necessarily synonymous with modern, cool, hip, avant-garde, 21st century, or the like—any of which might be inconsistent with the brand. It’s possible for a given situation to call for updating that acknowledges tradition and nostalgia. The point is that timeliness is a consequence of product-era associations held by the target consumer.

Too much, too soon. Package redesign can be pricey, a fact that can lead a company into cramming too many changes into a single project. The more a redesign constitutes an overhaul, the more the risk of not retaining the design elements most valued by target consumers. It’s better to implement changes over time, as the need presents itself. By the way, such an approach does not preclude a company from being proactive.

Another risk of drastic changes is the potential for reduced ability to protect the redesign from infringement. The law recognizes the concept of secondary meaning, achieved when the public associates a package design (trademark or other element of trade-dress) with a particular marketer. Such associations occur over time and can be lost from drastic changes.

Evaluating a work-of-art. With the exception of high-end cosmetics, a package redesign should not be judged on the basis of beauty. The most likely offenders are decision makers whose high regard for the product compromises objectivity. The redesign has to hold its own on a retail shelf, an online site, or some other stage, but not an art museum. While it might always be true that beauty is in the eye of the beholder, what matters with package redesign is the eye of the target consumer.

Evaluating the redesign by its components. Typically, a company supplies the design firm with a design brief, particularizing what’s being sought. Misguidance can happen when a redesign is evaluated by matching individual requirements of the brief with individual components of the redesign. The choice of colors, fonts, depictions, shapes, etc. are individually defended out of the belief that each provokes a desired reaction in the targeted consumer.

A redesign should satisfy all requirements of the design brief, but evaluation should be based on the overall effect. An effective redesign is an example of synergy, the whole being more than the sum of its parts. A redesign, believed to embody all the requirements of the brief, nonetheless might not properly prioritize between brand name, product type, product variety, etc.

When to redesign. There are a lot of bad reasons to redesign packaging, but there are also a host of good reasons to do so. Watch this column space over the next two months to learn when a redesign really is in order, and how to tell the difference. PW

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SUSTAINABLE PACKAGING

By Dan Felton, Executive Director for AMERIPEN

Packaging’s Impact on the U.S. Economy It’s now quantifiable: The U.S. packaging industry is a major economic contributor, accounting for approximately $538 billion in total economic output— approximately 2.5% of gross domestic product—and nearly one out of every 100 existing jobs in the country.

Those numbers are part of a first-of-its-kind report commissioned

by AMERIPEN to better understand the size and scope of the entire U.S. packaging industry and its contributions to the economy at national and state levels. The COVID-19 pandemic reaffirmed that packaging is essential to human health and product safety. Now, it’s imperative for policymakers and stakeholders to understand fully the opportunities packaging can provide as the country pivots to postpandemic economic recovery.

AMERIPEN retained John Dunham & Associates to analyze the financial and societal impact made by the U.S. packaging industry, which is the largest producer of packaging in the world. The numbers confirm what we all know: Our industry has tremendous reach, touching businesses in all 544 sectors of the U.S. economy. Packaging businesses support more than 1.68 million direct and ancillary jobs nationwide, as of January 2021, and pay workers more than $117.73 billion in wages. In addition, industry companies and their employees contribute $43.46 billion to their communities via direct federal, state, and local taxes paid.

National numbers Breaking down that data, we get a clearer sense of packaging’s true value, which will be particularly useful as we look at increased legislative interest in packaging (see pwgo.to/7065).

The industry is directly responsible for $242.66 billion in economic activity and employs roughly 489,000 Americans, with 301,000 working in packaging manufacturing and 188,000 in fulfillment positions.

By comparison, our industry directly creates more jobs than the oil and gas extraction industry and nearly as many jobs as the data processing and hosting industry or the motion picture industry.

These are well-paying jobs, too. On average, packaging businesses pay wages and benefits of more than $77,000 a year per employee—23% more than the median U.S. household income, according to the most recent five-year estimates from the Census Bureau.

Cumulatively, direct industry employees earn more than $37.97 billion annually.

Positions at industry suppliers, such as those involved with raw materials, transportation, warehousing, business and personnel services, government enterprises regulating the industry, and more, account for another 540,554 jobs and $41.83 billion in wages nationwide. In addition, such suppliers contribute $175.66 billion in goods

and services. The industry also indirectly supports a wide variety of additional positions. For example, more than 31,000 people are employed in the agriculture industry as a result of the packaging industry. The same is true for the more than 215,000 Americans working in retail and the travel and entertainment sectors, both of which were severely affected by the pandemic.

The economic and societal benefits of packaging extend even further when we factor in the ripple effect of how industry and supplier employees spend their earnings. Businesses that profit from such patronage, in turn, pay their workers and taxes. Our analysts conservatively estimate that “induced” flow of money at $119.59 billion and the number of jobs it creates at nearly 660,000.

State-level indicators While every state and the District of Columbia enjoy the benefits generated by the packaging industry, some states and geographic areas are realizing considerable economic value. Consider that 19 states in the country owe at least $5 billion of their economic output directly to the industry. Eleven of those states—including all of the Great Lakes region (Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Ohio, and Wisconsin)— realize more than $129.85 billion combined, or 54% of the total output directly generated by packaging across the country.

Examining state-level data provides deeper insights on where the industry-specific jobs are located. California, for example, is home to the most manufacturing and fulfillment jobs (47,677), followed by Illinois, Texas, Pennsylvania, and Ohio, respectively. Population seems to be a leading indicator of employment concentration; however, we also know that because packaging is closely tied to other products, the industry tends to locate facilities next to or near key resources or customers. This likely explains why we see a large industry presence in the Midwest. Proximity to packaging schools and research also may influence employment and plant locations, which is why we see strong numbers ($26.47 billion in direct activity and 52,379 jobs) in the Carolinas and Michigan.

Why data matters The positive influence of the packaging industry extends far beyond the products we produce, as the numbers in our report indicate. By quantifying our economic impact, we now have solid evidence demonstrating how our businesses and their employees play a vibrant role in the nation’s prosperity and support their state and local communities. As we look forward to 2022, sharing this data with regulators and policymakers will be crucial to helping states and the industry design strategies for post-pandemic recovery as they also consider packaging-related legislation and policies. PW

AMERIPEN represents the U.S. packaging value chain by providing policymakers with fact-based, material-neutral, scientific information.

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SPECIAL REPORT

Robotics in Packaging Advances Spurred on by a turbulent 18 months, robotics suppliers introduce advancements in robotics technology that include innovations in payload and reach, end-of-arm tooling, software, and applications.

WHAT YOU’LL LEARN

Packaging robot types

End-of-arm tooling

By Anne Marie Mohan, Senior Editor The last year-and-a-half has brought dramatic changes in consumer buying behavior that will have a lasting impact on how Consumer Packaged Goods companies equip their production operations. In the area of robotics, 2020 was the first time yearly orders of robots coming from the non-automotive sector surpassed orders for automotive applications in North America.

That’s according to the Association for Advancing Automation (A3), which reports that sales of robotic units in North America increased 3.5% in 2020 from 2019. Even more impressive, Q4-2020 was the second-best quarter ever for North American robot sales, with a 63.6% increase over Q4-2019.

In food and beverage, year-over-year orders of robots grew by 56%.

Among the drivers resulting from the pandemic were the increase in consumers shopping via e-commerce, a drop in labor availability, the need for social distancing within packaging plants, and a massive growth in core SKUs and increased capacity resulting from pantry stocking.

To meet CPGs’ greater desire for automation, robotics suppliers have been busy innovating. Over the past year, they have introduced robots that are more flexible and can handle a greater variety of applications; more-complex vision systems; robot software and programming that’s easier for newcomers to the technology; and end-of-arm tooling that handles a greater variety of products and offers faster changeover.

Following is an overview of these developments, including innovations in articulated-arm, delta, and SCARA robots, cobots, end-of-arm tooling, and technology engineered specifically for e-commerce.

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Six-axis robots continue to thrive One of the most popular robot types in the industrial space is the six-axis articulated-arm robot. Six axes allow a robot to move in the x, y, and z planes, as well as position itself using roll, pitch, and yaw movements. This functionality is suitable for 1 complex movements that simulate a human arm. Other advantages of six-axis robots include mobility (easy to move and/ or mount) and a wide horizontal and vertical reach.

In primary and secondary packaging operations, six-axis robots are most commonly used for case and tray packing, cartoning, depalletizing and palletizing, and even truck loading.

New from Kawasaki Robotics is the latest model in its R series of six-axis robots, the RS013N (1). Says the company, “By offering a 13-kilogram payload capacity, a wide working range, a small footprint, and IP67-classified design, the new RS013N sets the industry benchmark for small-tomedium payload robots.”

The robot’s design includes a new arm structure and drive unit and a lighter main to unit to enable high speeds (speed data not available through equipment spec sheet). According to Kawasaki, the RS013N’s 1,460mm reach is the largest in its class. In addition to the expanded work area, the robot offers wiring and installation options that contribute to its overall flexibility. The robot’s internal Ethernet wiring is said to enable easy connection to a vision system or other peripheral devices, and its floor, ceiling, and wall-mount options provide installation flexibility for almost any layout.

Another new six-axis robot technology, introduced by Stäubli in January, comprises three new robots for the medium-payload range: the TX2-140 (2), the TX2-160, and the TX2-160L. The TX2-140 has a reach of 1,510 mm, the TX2-160 of 1,710 mm. Both have a load capacity of 40 kg. The TX2-160L, a long-arm version of the TX2-160, has a reach of 2,010 mm and a load capacity of 25 kg. The new models extend the company’s existing TX2 generation, bringing the total to nine models.

Stäubli specifies the repeatability of all three machines at ±0.05 mm, which it says, “puts the robots on par with the most accurate in the world market.”

Streamlined for cleanroom compatibility, the machines have a compact design and feature a large and efficient work envelope. “There are no ungainly external cables or hoses to disrupt the contours; all media and supply lines run internally inside housing that is completely sealed to protection-class IP65 standards (optionally with IP67 overpressure unit),” says the company. In addition to cleanroom applications, the robots can also be used for standard applications and in sensitive production environments.

2 Stäubli adds that by replacing its predecessor model, the RX160, with the TX2-140/160, it has made it possible for all of its six-axis robots to now operate on the same smart CS9 control technology, making it easier to implement multi-robot solutions in digitally networked production environments.

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3 One six-axis robotic solution recently introduced specifically for palletizing is the R-Palletize (3) from Applied Manufacturing Technologies (AMT). The palletizing station has been designed to allow lowvolume, high-mix manufacturers to use a single robotic cell for palletizing a variety of product patterns. The system is available in four hardware configurations that include a Fanuc America M-710iC/50H medium-payload, six-axis robot that handles cases up to 40 lb, a Rockwell Automation control system, and an optional end-of-arm-tooling unit. According to the company,

4

the R-Palletize offers changeover times of five minutes from the user interface.

Also employing the Fanuc M-710iC series robot is a new palletizing system from Quest, a ProMach brand, called the Boxed Bot (4), which is available as a modular or skid-based solution. Says Quest, the longreach Fanuc robot—the M-710iC series includes models that range in reach from 1,359 mm to 3,123 mm—provides higher stack patterns, which better maximize tractor-trailer loading for more efficient shipping.

The Boxed Bot is said to perform particularly well where line speeds average up to 40 units/min on jobs involving repeated changeovers. The robot uses a Venturi-style vacuum gripper to lift regular slotted cartons (RSCs), half-slotted containers (HSCs), bags, blocks, or pails and dunnage up to 60 lb. Programming is through the company’s user-friendly QBox software: one touch to pull a recipe menu; one touch to pick the recipe; and one keystroke to activate with drop-and-drag technology to create a new pack pattern or manipulate a pallet pattern. Several standard pallet patterns are also preloaded.

Cobots expand in reach and payload Over the last several years, much of the interest in robot technology has focused on the relatively new category of collaborative robots, or cobots. Unlike traditional industrial robots, they are designed to oper-

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ate alongside their human counterparts without guarding, are mobile, allowing them to be moved from one area of a plant to another, are extremely easy to program, are more affordable than their fixed counterparts, and can be deployed to handle 5 a range of repetitive, low-speed applications.

In February, ABB expanded its cobot portfolio with the introduction of the six-axis GoFa™ CRB (Collaborative RoBot) 15000 (5), which can handle payloads up to 5 kg—4.5-kg heavier than the company’s flagship cobot, Yumi, introduced in 2015. “Pronounced ‘go-fa,’ GoFa is designed to help businesses ‘go farther and do more,’ with a robotic helping hand,” ABB says.

ABB notes that the cobot can unlock opportunities for both new and established users by enabling easy automation without the need for in-depth programming skills or prior training—an attractive selling point of most cobots on the market today. Ease of use is facilitated by Wizard Easy Programming, lead-through programming, and an Arm-Side Interface (ASI) on axis six.

Among the cobot’s other features, it has a reach of 950 mm, which ABB says outperforms other 5-kg robots by around 12%, and it operates at speeds to 2.2 m/sec. The cobot is 27 kg and has a compact footprint of 165 mm2, allowing it to be easily moved between locations. Recommended applications include material handling, machine tending, component assembly, packaging, and laboratory automation. The GoFa CRB 15000 can also handle inspection tasks when a separate vision system is integrated.

RoboticsSpecRpt_0821.indd 35

Every GoFa cobot installation includes a start-up package that provides ABB’s Ability™ conditioning monitoring and diagnostics and access to a free support hotline for the first six months.

From Mitsubishi Electric Corp. is the MELFA ASSISTA cobot (6), also a six-axis, 5-kg-payload machine. The cobot comes with the company’s RT VisualBox engineering software, which enables operating sequences to be created intuitively by linking block diagrams in a chain of events, including connection with other devices, such as robot hands and cameras.

“Robot movements can be taught and recorded quickly via a dedicated control panel on the robot arm, doing away with the separate teaching boxes required for conventional industrial robots,” says Mitsubishi. “The control panel features a simple design with a minimum number of buttons for simplicity, enabling even inexperienced users with6 out expert knowledge of robots to set the system up with ease.”

Certified peripheral devices, such as electric grippers and cameras, can be connected using RT VisualBox, and Mitsubishi says it plans to expand the lineup of certified companies, known as MELFA Robot Partners, and connectable devices to enhance the applicability of the MELFA ASSISTA series.

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Upping the ante on payload, Universal Robots has launched an enhanced version of its UR10e cobot (7) with 25% more payload, resulting in a capacity of 12.5 kg, which allows for new deployment opportunities. According to company President Kim Povlsen, Universal Robots made the change in response to consumer needs. “Our customers have already deployed UR cobots on a wide variety of palletizing applications,” he explains. “Over time, they have identified opportunities to utilize our UR10e cobot in handling tasks with heavier items.”

The enhanced UR10e retains the same footprint of 190 mm as the previous-generation model, offers a 1,300-mm reach, and weighs 33.5 kg.

7 According to the company, the UR10e can now be used in palletizing operations with cartons weighing up to 10 kg with a 2.5kg gripper and for other material handling tasks, such as loading and unloading heavier workpieces in machine tending deployments and packaging of heavy items.

The updated UR10e also provides plug-and-play compatibility with

products from Universal Robot’s UR+ ecosystem of hardware and software peripherals, ensuring users can quickly and easily get started with cobot applications.

Says Universal Robots, feedback from its partners has been extremely positive; MBO Postpress Solutions in Germany has integrated the new UR10e as part of its CoBo stacking cobot.

Making its debut as a unique cross between a delta pick-and-place robot and a cobot is the Wyzo (8) pick-and-place “sidebot,” from Demaurex SA. Says the company, while traditional pick-and-place robots are large and work on fully automated lines separated from operators

8

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Modular Line Packs Danish at 160/min J. Skinner Baking Co. of Omaha, Neb., is one of the largest family-owned bakeries in the U.S. The company produces more than 300 million pastries a year, including the popular Danish strip cakes, known as Danish in the U.S. The company’s bakery products are distributed at retail and foodservice outlets as well as through co-packing services throughout North America. One of J. Skinner’s specialties is laminated dough, which is used to make its Danish cakes.

Laminating refers to the art of creating a perfect dough by repeated rolling and folding instead of kneading.

“Although most of our products are made by hand, we are naturally aware of the enormous importance of new automation technologies in the baked goods sector,” says David Skinner, Managing Director at J. Skinner Baking. “These play a major role in the continuous improvement of our high product quality. An important step has therefore been investment in automation technology for our packaging process.”

Watch a video of the Schubert packaging line at J. Skinner Baking at pwgo.to/7121 To automate and thus simplify the packaging of its handmade Danish, J. Skinner worked with packaging equipment supplier Gerhard Schubert GmbH, which developed a customized solution that could be integrated into the available space without restricting the existing production processes, while ensuring time- and cost-efficient handling of unplanned machine downtimes by adding a bypass function.

Schubert’s all-in-one, modular packaging solution consists of four integrated packaging machines, equipped with a number of robots. The packaging process begins when baking sheets, each of which hold four coffee cakes, are conveyed directly from the oven to the packaging line. The baking sheets are taken into the Schubert system by an F2 two-axis, articulated-arm robot and placed on a stepping chain, which transports the trays to the transfer area. There, the Danish are lifted out of the sheets from below by an NC (numerical control) unit and then placed onto the outfeed conveyor by another F2 robot. A third F2 robot transports the emptied sheets to an existing sheet-metal washing unit.

by protective doors, Wyzo’s advanced safety system—like that of all cobots—allows it to collaborate with humans in close proximity.

Using a high-tech robotic arm and built-in or external vision systems, the sidebot finds and picks products at 80 cycle/min, with a payload of 0.5 kg. Through its advanced sensor technology, Wyzo constantly monitors its surroundings for the presence of human activity, allowing it to maximize performance when on its own and to slow to a safe operating speed when a human is in close proximity.

To meet a variety of production needs, Wyzo is designed to fit anywhere on the production floor. At less than 0.5 m2 and just 1.80 m high,

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The clamshells containing the Danish are packed in two identical Schubert case packers ready for dispatching.

After removal from the baking sheets, the cakes are decorated and fed to the Schubert picker line via a spiral cooler. There, a spreading unit separates the cakes for individual quality control before F4 four-axis, pick-and-place robots place the Danish individually into clamshells. “This step is not about perfect positioning. In fact, it gives the system a high degree of flexibility and adaptability for future product changes,” explains Julian Conway, Sales Account Manager at Schubert North America.

The clamshells containing the Danish are then sealed, labeled, and inspected by existing equipment before being packed by two Schubert case packers into cases of various formats ready for dispatching.

A unique add-on of the packaging system is an integrated bypass function that removes the Danish from the baking sheets in the event of an unforeseen machine stop. “We hadn’t even thought of such a bypass function when we first presented our ideas and wishes to Schubert,” says Skinner. “But once Schubert made us aware of the benefits of an integrated bypass system, we immediately recognized the added value.”

To avoid a traffic jam of sheets in the future, the system allows the sheets to continue to be conveyed smoothly through the system at a higher level in the machine in the event of a fault.

Since installing the new packaging system, J. Skinner is achieving line speeds to 160 cakes/min, 97% efficiency on the picker line, and 98% efficiency on both case packers. PW

the sidebot fits through standard doors and elevators and can easily be moved from one workstation to another. For manufacturers switching between products, Wyzo is compatible with all regular grippers on the market with changeover speeds of less than nine seconds. It also offers integrated pneumatic, electric, and vacuum controls.

Also like its articulated-arm cobot counterparts, Wyzo has been engineered to be easy to program and use by operators having little to no experience in automation solutions. According to the company, the system’s mobile terminal is as easy to operate as a smartphone, and neither script nor programming are required to get Wyzo up and running.

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More flexible systems allow for more case-packing options One of the most popular applications for robots in the CPG packaging environment is case packing. Today, with retail and other customers demanding a constantly growing range of case sizes, styles, and counts, including new formats such as retail-ready and reusable packaging, robots offer the speed, flexibility, and accuracy required.

One such system, the Spider 200i (9), from BluePrint Automation (BPA), has been designed to allow end users to vertically case pack, close, and seal packages into standard RSC or reusable cases on the same machine. Engineered specifically for the snack industry, the Spider 200i uses a multi-axis robot to pick snack bags on-the-fly and vertically case pack them into a cassette that forms a vertical pack pattern.

Says BPA, “With a four-point changeover in under five minutes, the Spider 200i will pro9 vide snack manufacturers more versatility by allowing various product sizes and case types to be run on the same packaging line, including RSCs, reusables, and 1x display cases.”

Among the benefits of the machine are that it allows users to service different supply channels, including Direct Store Delivery (DSD) and Centralized Distribution (CD) from the same line; it optimizes the plant layout, with a compact system that includes a case packer, erector, and closer; and it includes a fault detection feature that initiates the machine’s relax mode, which opens up the case sealer section automatically, making obstructions easily accessible and minimizing downtime.

A new robotic case-packing system from Pearson Packaging Systems, the RTL-HV (10), 10 can load product both horizontally and vertically and is designed for lightweight products with flexible packaging formats, such as bags, pouches, or flow-wrapped products. The RTL-HV uses a delta-style Fanuc DR-3iB/87 robot to either pickand-pack products flat into a case or to form patterns in preparation for vertical loading, which is completed by a Fanuc M-710iC/50 articulatedarm robot. Explains Pearson, “Resembling a catcher’s mitt, this robot collects a full product pattern before the end-of-arm-tool clamps down to secure the load as it is being placed into the case.”

Customers can purchase the delta-robot module, the RTL-HZ, by itself if they pack products exclusively in a horizontal fashion. If they load products upright for shelf-ready applications or require the flexibility to pack both horizontally and vertically, the two Fanuc robots are linked together. The base model can load 65 products/min horizontally and 10/min vertically; adding further deltas and/or catchers can increase the speed to 165/min horizontally and 18/min vertically.

Says Pearson COO Andrea Zaman, “Standardization promotes shorter lead times and reduced costs—highly attractive benefits that manufacturers across the country are desperately looking for. However, from an engineering perspective, standardization leads to narrowing of applications to guarantee the reliability of the solution. We had to strike a good balance.”

Within the Fanuc delta unit, vision and line tracking facilitate continuous motion, which Pearson says maximizes performance, reduces mechanical wear, and enables products to be presented in random orientation, which eliminates the need for extensive product conditioning stations.

Another robotic case-packing system, this one from Proco Machinery Inc., can be integrated with either a Yaskawa Motoman HC10 or an HC20 six-axis cobot and is designed for use in blow moldedbottle manufacturing lines. The next-generation Pakman case packer (11) is the latest iteration of

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the system from the company, which is a manufacturer of automation systems for the blow-molding industry.

The Pakman features a collating indexing accumulation system to accumulate complete layers of bottles inside the packaging cell so they can be picked up by Proco’s end-of-arm tool (EOAT) and placed inside the box. Says Proco, traditional robotic movement by row would slow the cycle time of the packaging system; the accumulation indexing con-

veyor helps increase the line speed of the cell, as there is just one movement of the robot per layer.

In addition, says Proco, due to the high static of heated PET containers, they tend to repel each other when they are close together. The company’s layer-pack EOAT technology ensures containers are placed inside the box as a complete layer, preventing any change of bottle position. Another innovative feature of the Pakman, the company relates, is its Integrated Rotary Inverting Technology, which helps rotate a layer of bottles to neck-down orientation in layer formation.

For one customer, Proco was able to provide a case-packing solution that handled both re-shipper containers and regular full boxes with one cell, with a quick-release tooling system that helped them perform changeovers for new pack patterns in 30 min.

To reduce repacking activities—another effect of changing consumer preferences and the need for customization of value-added packs and new selling or shipping units—Sidel has introduced the Cermex EvoPack (12), a flexible Industry 4.0 robotic pick-and-place casepacking platform for shaped containers in wrapround blanks, trays, and shelf-ready packaging (SRP).

12 Listen to an on-demand webinar on the Sidel Cermex EvoPack at pwgo.to/7116 Says Didier Saussereau, Packing Product Manager at Sidel, “Certain food, home, and personal care subcategories or players sometimes have customization needs for up to 40% of their production volumes. Until now, the most common way for producers to approach these requests was to use manual repacking services.”

Drawbacks of manual repacking include extra packaging material costs, additional labor, environmental waste, and the potential for scratching or scuffing of products during handling.

Adds Saussereau, to reduce and simplify repacking, there is an increasing need for small case counts to help producers reduce the number of products per shipping unit down to the in-demand batches of two, three, or four products. “These offer the opportunity

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to manage, store, and ship products more easily and flexibly for downstream tasks at distribution centers or within e-commerce order preparations,” he says. “In parallel, demand for complex setups will remain and will still require manual repacking manipulations. So, with upstream technical capabilities to supply larger case counts, producers could ship the same number of products with less secondary packaging used and wasted.

“Now being able to produce both small and large case counts will help them better anticipate trends and accommodate new channels, as long as the traditional high production volumes of the standard formats are still handled on the same production line and packaging solution.

The Cermex EvoPack offers what Sidel says is an “unprecedented” secondary packaging size range to manage reduced case counts containing only two, three, or four products, as well as very large transit cases with 24-plus containers intended for repacking, while at the same time also being able to handle standard high-volume case formats.

The robotic case packer operates at speeds to 60 cases/min in a footprint that is less than 30 m. Changeover times range from just five minutes for a case-format change to 15 min when changing both the bottle and case formats.

One final innovation that belongs with a discussion of robotic auto-

mation for case-packing operations is one that inspects for proper tape application (13) following case sealing. The patent-pending system, from Motion Controls Robotics, Inc. (MCRI) features a Fanuc LR Mate 200iD/4S six-axis, 4-kg mini robot along with vision programming to detect proper application of tape on a variety of case sizes that run through the conveyor station.

Among the features of the system, it has the flexibility to fit any setup and rate, offers a small footprint, can easily be added to any stretch of existing conveyor, handles a range of case sizes, and can inspect cases in random position on the conveyor.

Explains James Skelding, Director of Sales and Marketing at MCRI, the tape detection system can save companies thousands of dollars in shipping costs and customer issues by detecting improperly sealed cases.

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Pick-and-place beyond the case Syntegon’s latest contribution in robotic technology is a new Robotic Pick & Place platform, the Syntegon RPP (14), for product handling, feeding, and loading applications. The system is designed to be modular, which allows for individual configuration of the robotic cells.

“Each customer project is different. Thanks to the modular RPP platform, we can handle a wide variety of projects,” explains Andreas Schildknecht, Product Manager Robotics at Syntegon. “The delta robots can

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be flexibly connected and, together with transport modules, seamlessly integrated into an overall system.”

In one example, an RPP system configured for sandwich cookies has one module picking and placing the tops of the cookies onto the frosted 14 cookie base, after which another module uses delta robots to pick-and-place finished cookies into trays.

Open-control software and a single control platform ensure seamless integration of the robots into the line. The RPP has a stainlesssteel cell that meets the IP65 protection class, minimizing the risk of contamination for hygiene requirements in the food industry. As for product and packaging flexibility, reduced downtime is accomplished with tool-free changeover.

Peregrine small and compact and eliminates the need for additional conveyors.

Once cartons are loaded, the JLS TRAK moves down the line where a vision-guided robot simultaneously closes the carton, picks it up, and places it on a discharge conveyor where it is sent downstream. Says JLS, “Unlike other cartoning systems, the Peregrine streamlines the process and eliminates the need for carton plows, tucker wheels, and several additional conveyors.”

To address the issue of secondary packaging of products with trans-

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Watch a video of a Syntegon RPP system designed for a sandwich cookie line at pwgo.to/7117 At PACK EXPO Las Vegas in September 2021 (see www.packexpo lasvegas.com), JLS Automation will be demonstrating its Peregrine® robotic cartoning solution (15), which forms, loads, and closes top-load cartons. As JLS explains, through a combination of proprietary technologies, the Peregrine enables full carton control—from forming all the way through closing—without turns or conveyors, at high speeds.

It adds that the JLS TRAK™ carton management system combined with the Peregrine’s positive carton transport (PCT™) system keeps the

Preform Manufacturer Places Bin Lids at 45/min Headquartered in Sugar Land, Tex., Western Container Corp. has been a manufacturer of blow-molded PET bottles and injection-molded PET preforms for the Coca-Cola bottling system since 1979. The company operates four manufacturing plants throughout the U.S.—in Tolleson, Ariz., Hattiesburg, Miss., Fife, Wash., and Houston—producing 6 billion units per year.

Western Container Director of Engineering and Manufacturing Systems Darrel Smith, who handles capital procurement and machine design and installation for the company, is a strong advocate for automating processes within the plants. Shares Smith, every one of Western Container’s plants utilizes Laser Guided Vehicles (LGVs) as well as other robotic systems.

While some of the desire to automate is a response to the always-tight labor market, it’s not the main reason, says Smith.

“It’s the total cost of business that’s the driving force in putting in automation,” he explains. “It’s a more efficient, productive way to run the business.”

In early 2019, Western Container embarked on a project to add LGVs to its Hattiesburg plant. However, this meant one of its manual operations had to be automated to remove the operator from the path of the LGVs. The task involved placing lids on top of reusable plastic bins, from Orbis, that hold

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finished preforms, at speeds to 1,000 totes/day.

While Smith had worked with other robotics integrators in the past, he reached out to a more local operation, DePeuter Packaging Solutions (DPPS) in Houston, to provide guidance on automating the lid-placing process. Smith had several requirements for the system. One was that it needed to be able to meet speeds of 45 bins/hr. Next, it had to be able to handle the plastic lids, which weigh 12 lb and measure 40 x 48 in., as well as square them before placing them on top of the tote, without having to use complex vision systems. “The lids might be out of alignment on the stack—for example, a half an inch— so you’ve got to bring the lid to a zero point before you can put it on a bin,” Smith explains. “Otherwise, you’ll put it a half-inch out of skew on the load.”

The final requirement was reliability. “Once we put in the system, there would no longer be a person standing in that area,” Smith says. “So it had to be able to run.”

To address these requirements, DePeuter engineered a cell equipped with a Yaskawa GP35L six-axis general-purpose robot that features a 35-kg payload, a 2,538-mm horizontal reach, and a 4,449-mm vertical reach. It also supplied the cell’s conveyors, guarding, and PLCs. The lids are delivered to the cell by an LGV, after which the

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parent packaging and product variabilities, Propack Processing & Packaging Systems has designed and developed a new vision pickand-place system (16) with robotics partner ABB. The system allows for the detection of lucid pouches and bags for orientation to ensure consistent placement for the secondary packaging requirement.

The system has been designed with a full stainless-steel frame to meet sanitary food requirements and can be integrated to load a cartoner or flow wrapper, or for in-line inspection.

New SCARA robots offer ease of integration, programming Another popular style of robots for pick-and-place applications are four-axis SCARA, or Selective Compliance Assembly Robot Arm (SCARA), robots. These robots are solidly mounted in a fixed position, with the

arm set in the z-axis, and are popular for use in pick-and-place due to their high speed and accuracy. Other applications for SCARA robots include sortation, dispensing, inspection, assembly, and insertion tasks.

In May, Fanuc expanded its line of SCARA robots to offer more reach and payload options to those companies wanting to automate assembly, packaging, pick-and-place, and inspection processes. New models include the SR-3iA, the SR-6iA, the SR-12iA (17), and the SR-20iA, which offer 3-, 6-, 12-, and 20-kg payload capacities, respectively. As for reach, the models range from 400 to 1,000 mm.

As Fanuc explains, the SR-3iA and SR-6iA SCARAs have a compact footprint and space-saving design for maximum efficiency. Two threeaxis variants of these models—the SR-3iA/H and SR-6iA/H—provide strong performance and an affordable alternative to small linear slide products. The higher-payload SR-12iA and SR-20iA 17 are said to offer flexibility with a large vertical stroke and an environmental option for harsh conditions.

All models are equipped with Fanuc’s R030iB Compact Plus controller, which includes integrated iRVision® and the iRPickTool conveyor tracking function, among other software pro-

the need for a lid. “Another good thing DePeuter-designed system takes control of that DePeuter has done is they made them, indexing the stack into the cell. When the HMI screen very user-friendly,” says a lid is ready to be placed on a tote, if it’s Smith. “And so we can make changes out of center, it’s set in a gravity jig, where it to the process very easily. We built all falls to a zero point, after which it’s repicked that on the front end, and it worked out by the robot. When the bin comes into place, perfectly.” the EOAT wipes down the pile of preforms in Each bin is labeled with a barcode that the bin to make it level, and places the lid on contains information on what’s inside the top of the bin. Once the lid is placed, the bin container. When the bin enters the cell, is carried out of the cell by conveyor. a Keyence camera takes a picture of the To perform the tasks of picking up the barcode, after which it interrogates the heavy plastic lids and wiping down the contents of the bins, the robot is equipped The robot places lids on the containers of barcode data, which is used to determine the program that should be run for that with end-of-arm tooling custom-designed by preforms at a speed of 45/hr. bin. “Does it not put a lid on it? Does it DePeuter. As Smith explains, the robot picks not wipe it? Does it put a lid on and no wipe? It’s just a series of and places the lid using a series of vacuum pads, while a plastic programs it can run based on the barcode,” says Smith. plate attached to the EOAT is responsible for wiping down the Since the system was installed in the Hattiesburg plant in pile. “The robot runs a series of movements and actually levels October 2019, Smith says it has exceeded his expectations in the pile of preforms, moving in different directions,” he says. both performance and reliability, placing more than 120,000 lids/ However, not all bins have contents that require leveling. yr. In fact Smith is so satisfied, he ordered a second robotic lidIt depends on the size/quantity of the preforms within and placing system from the integrator, which was installed at Western whether the bins even get a lid, as some preforms are packed Container’s Tolleson plant in July 2021. PW in bags inside the bins, per the customer’s request, eliminating

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grams. With the company’s latest SCARA iRProgrammer user interface, operators can set up and program the robot on a tablet or PC; a Teach Pendant is optional.

Late last year, Epson Robots introduced a single development environment for its IntelliFlex™ line of SCARA parts-feeding robots (18) to include updates to its RC+® 7.0 development software, two new robotic feeders—the IntelliFlex 80 and the 380—and Add On Instructions for users of Allen-Bradley® PLC platforms to program and control Epson robots.

According to Epson, RC+ version 7.5.0 “helps push forward the standard in simplified automated robot so18 lutions,” by offering a design that helps users quickly and easily implement robotic solutions. “Epson RC+7.5.0 addresses two distinct automation trends— high-mix, low-volume parts feeding with IntelliFlex 80 and 380, and growth in PLC adoption with Add On instructions,” says Epson Robots Director of Product Management Rick Brookshire.

Equipped with Epson’s IntelliFlex software and Vision Guide point-and-click vision guidance interface, the company’s line of four IntelliFlex feeding systems can accommodate a variety of parts, ranging from 3 mm to 150 mm. The two new models offers parts support from 3 to 15 mm (IntelliFlex 80) and 15 to 60 mm (IntelliFlex 380).

Epson Add On Instructions allow Allen-Bradley PLC users to seamlessly integrate Epson robots for applications ranging from simple pick-and-place tasks to even more complex tasks using the PLC programming environment they are already familiar with. The Add On instructions are compatible with Epson’s full line of SCARA and six-axis robots.

‘Big Leaps’ in end-of-arm tooling In a recent PMMI UnPACKed podcast, “Getting Along (and Ahead) with Robots,” David Greenfield, Director of Content for Packaging World sister publication Automation World, shared that one of the big robotic automation trends in the Consumer Packaged Goods market is advances in end-of-arm tooling.

“Vendors have made big leaps in increasing the agility and intelligence at the end of the robot arm over the past several years,” Greenfield advised. “And this is particularly crucial in applications such as food and beverage, where things like tomatoes or baked goods can’t be grabbed with force. And the human hand has been the preferred method for handling these kinds of items because we can adjust our grip based on feedback between the hand and the brain to tell [us] what’s happening when we grip an object. And based on that feedback, we readjust or hold the item differently as we handle it and move it from one location to the next.

“And now that can be done using sensors in the end effector and feeding that information back into the robot controller, so it can readjust its grip before and while making a motion based on input from the sensors in the end-of-arm tooling.”

Among the EOATs designed to handle delicate food applications is the mGrip modular gripping system (19) from Soft Robotics, which has been updated with new capabilities to pick smaller products as well as flat products. The system is now also IP69K-rated for high-pressure washdown environments, specifically protein and dairy food applications. Says the company, these applications have 19 lagged behind other food segments due to the inherent variability and stringent hygienic requirements that often require food-contact surfaces to be cleaned-inplace with high-pressure solutions.

According to Soft Robotics, the newly released mGrip adapters and accessory interface give integrators greater flexibility, allowing them to rapidly prototype and build

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custom, production-grade tooling by combining Soft Robotics’ patented technology with other technologies, such as part presence sensors or suction cups.

New to the mGrip are its compact finger modules, which enable tighter grip spacing—down to 20 mm—to improve picking performance for smaller items. These smaller, lighter finger modules result in lower-mass tools, which Soft Robotics says leave more robot payload for product handling, permit faster rates, and cause less system wear over time.

Also, as mentioned, the new system is designed to pick flat items—specifically meat and poultry patties—using new angle-tipped fingers that safely lift and grasp thin products from flat surfaces without damage.

Says Daniel Woodbridge, Mechanical Design Engineer at industrial technology partner JMP Solutions, “With one of their IP69K grippers, we are able to easily and reliably handle products of varying shapes and sizes while vastly reducing the number of parts and surfaces that would be required by a traditional mechanical gripper design. From raw meat to fresh buns, these tools have proven themselves to be the answer on many food handling projects.”

Also for food applications is piab’s new piSOFTGRIP® 50-2 material handling system (20), which has two gripping fingers and a sealed vacuum cavity, all in one piece, making it immune to dust and allowing the gripping force to be easily adjusted and controlled by the applied

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vacuum level. The new, soft gripper, made from direct food-contact silicone material, can grip objects with a width of up to 50 mm.

According to the company, the food-detectable gripper enables the food/chocolate industry to extend automated food handling to include a wider range of products. “Delicate food/chocolate items can be handled without risk of being spoiled due to crushing,” says piab. “Wash-down fitting options as well as a sealed vacuum cavity make it easy to clean and keep functioning, even in challenging environments.”

The gripping tool is said to be as easy to control and install as a suction cup and can be used for multi-mode applications by putting several piSOFTGRIP 50-2 EOATs in rows or other grid structures to support the desired picks.

EOAT tooling changeover made simple Another EOAT trend highlighted by Greenfield is the innovation that has been done around ease of changeover for tooling. “This used to be a really time-consuming, labor-intensive process where workers would unbolt one tool and then bolt on another to process a different batch of goods. And that could involve switching of the robot programming for the robot to be able to recognize and operate properly with a new tool,” says Greenfield. “But now, these end-of-arm tooling changes are much easier.”

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For example, ATI Industrial Automation has introduced a robotic tool changing and storage solution, the QC-7 (21). According to the company, the system is designed for flexibility, enabling multiple robot endeffectors to be used in one operation and allowing for quick exchange of tooling for maintenance and repair. With the QC-7, grippers, 3D scanners, and other packaging tools can be deployed in the same cycle, streamlining automated packaging tasks.

The QC-7 robotic tool changer features a low stack height and mounts directly to ISO 9409-1-31.5-4-M5 robot wrists. It is pneumatically actuated and features no-touch locking technology and a patented fail-safe locking mechanism for a secure connection between the master and tool. According to ATI, the design integrates lock/unlock sensors without the need for an additional interface plate. The tool changer handles payloads to 16 kg and is compatible with a variety of industrial

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and collaborative robot models. It is also compatible with ATI’s modular tool stands and has an optional tool storage hook to make robot programming easy.

In another EOAT innovation—this one to make gripper integration easier for robotics users—Zimmer Group has introduced a Robot Starter Box, the startZ (22), which includes all the necessary components for setup in a small, “smartly designed” package. Included in the starter box are the gripper, communication module, operating software, any required tools, and all of the connecting elements.

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Says Zimmer, once the box is unpacked, it only takes a few minutes to connect the gripper to the robot using the interface plate provided. The ready-toconnect smart communication module is placed in the robot controller and connected using the robot-specific plug-and-play connectors. The connecting cable is then either internally or externally routed around the robot to the gripper, after which the gripper is ready to run. The gripping profile is set up to suit the task at hand using a standard PC. Once the hardware has been assembled, the operator connects the PC to the smart communication module and then uses the in-

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tuitive guideZ user wizard software to set the gripper parameters.

Looking one step further upstream in EOAT technology, manufacturing automation platform (MAP) Vention has partnered 23 with OnRobot, a producer of tools for cobot applications, to combine Vention’s online-first manufacturing automation platform with OnRobot’s library of plug-and-play EOATs (23).

Says Vention, its MAP provides manufacturers with the engineering software and modular hardware they need to design, automate, order, and deploy factory equipment in a single digital environment. “With the addition of OnRobot’s plug-and-play tools for collaborative and light industrial robots, manufacturing professionals can focus on scaling production with greater flexibility and efficiency,” Vention explains.

Offerings include solutions for grippers (including parallel, flexible, magnetic, and vacuum), vision cameras, sanding tools, screwdriving tools, and more.

E-commerce poses new challenges Providing greater flexibility specifically for the growing e-commerce market are two new technologies—a multi-pick EOAT (24) from Material Handling Systems, Inc. (MHS), and an AI- (Artificial Intelligence) powered picking solution (25) from Plus One Robotics and Fanuc America.

According to MHS, today’s e-commerce landscape pushes supply chains to meet 24 faster service levels and overcome labor challenges in the face of intense cost pressures. “The robotic multi-pick uses technology to help companies reduce dependency on a shaky labor pool, control costs, and boost output,” it explains.

Unlike robotic picking systems that handle a single item to fill one order at a time, the multi-pick robotic end effector can pick up and hold up to 36 items simultaneously and pack four orders at a time into four shipping boxes. This enables the end effector to act as an on-demand buffer per Lean Manufacturing best practices, a task typically reserved for accumulation conveyors or other automated components in an order fulfillment process.

Working as part of a goods-to-robot fulfillment system, the robot offers a throughput rate of 90,000 pieces picked and 42,000 orders fulfilled per day.

From Plus One and Fanuc is a flexible fulfillment system that incorporates a Fanuc robot and Plus One’s PickOne perception system, which identifies, singulates, and sorts a range of conveyable items, without the need for traditional vision training. Powered by AI, the system can adapt to variations in product material, size, and shape, as well as intermixed, random delivery. If any exceptions occur, Plus One’s Yonder human-in-the-loop function notifies a “Crew Chief” who can remotely manage the exception, minimizing the interruption and providing seamless sustained automatic operation.

Says Fanuc, combined with one of its high-performance industrial robots, the fulfillment system can outperform a compa25 rable manual operation. “Users benefit from shorter pick times and better order accuracy, inventory security, higher productivity, reduced operating expenses, and improved ergonomics,” the company explains. PW

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Goslings Adopts Paperboard Wraparound Carton This gusseted multipack format is less expensive than fully enclosed packs, while providing brand-endorsed billboard space, retailer-approved can retention, and consumer-favored sustainability bona fides. Automation makes application fast and easy for co-packer Polar.

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Push toward paperboard

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By Matt Reynolds, Editor Polar Beverages Inc. can trace its history to an 1882-founded spring water company that was soon after purchased by a distiller named Dennis Crowley to enhance his existing whiskey business. Prohibition in the 1920s pushed the company to expand its beverage range to focus on soft drinks, setting it on the beverage path it still travels today. Since its inception, the company has been under continuous ownership and operation by four generations of the Crowley family in the heart of New England. Based in Worcester, Mass., Polar Beverages now also produces, packages, and distributes from Albany, N.Y., and Fitzgerald, Ga. As consumer tastes have evolved—especially lately, with the recent ascendency of seltzer-based alcoholic beverages and RTD spirits in cans—so has Polar Beverages’ ability to innovate and meet the growing demand for sparkling refreshment. The company’s own-brand SKUs range from heritage recipes, such as Polar Orange Dry and Birch Beer, to the more recent introduction of modern seasonal Polar Seltzers, as well as Adirondack, Clear & Sparkling, O Water, and Frannie’s. A 2020 franchise agreement with Keurig Dr Pepper has been a shot in the arm for the Polar brand of seltzers, as it now enjoys national distribution.

But Polar Beverages didn’t grow to be the largest independent bottling company in the U.S. solely on the back of its own family of brands.

It has a strong contract packaging/contract manufacturing (CP/CM) business that accounts for more than half of its revenue, with brand partnerships for bottling, private-label manufacturing, and distribution for regional, national, and store brands. As a co-packer, Polar has to offer Watch a quick Packaging World Take Five report on the paperboard multipack trend in craft brew, specialty beverage, and now, even major beverage and canned food brands like Coca-Cola and Kraft Heinz. Visit pwgo.to/7081 for the five-minute video.

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A

Six packs of Goslings Ginger Beer use a wraparound carton with integral folded gussets on every open corner (A). The cartons are die-cut and scored (B) for easy opening by the end consumer. a lot of different packaging formats. Still, primary packaging for most seltzers and soft drinks comprises traditional 12-oz, 202-lidded, printed cans, filled on traditional filling and seaming equipment. Following recent trends, there has been some movement into 12-oz sleek cans or smaller-profile 8-oz cans, but the volume remains in the stalwart printed 12-oz, 202 can.

When it comes to secondary packaging and multipacks, though, the gusseted wraparound paperboard carton multipack format has been growing fast, and Polar has had to invest in equipment to automate this style of pack. The Fitzgerald location became the first facility in the U.S. to commission and run a Graphic Packaging International

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A rotary star wheel calibrates the speed and pressure of the can flow.

(GPI) Marksman™ 750HS wraparound cartoner two years ago, and at the time of this writing, Polar is in the process of installing a second machine in Worcester.

Why the paperboard push?

The traditional polyethylene “six-pack ring” can-handle format, a holdover from the 1960s, suffered a black eye in consumer perception in recent years as a result of sad images of sea creatures tangled in improperly disposed-of plastic can handles. One new multipack direction favorited by craft brew has been toward high-end high-density polyethylene (HDPE) can-handle carriers. These clasp cans by the seam or neck so there is no mechanism by which they could ensnare wildlife.

Still, these are comparatively expensive and remain subject to negative consumer perceptions around ocean plastics, no matter how recyclable PE or HDPE may be.

The other direction that many beverages and other CPGs are turning toward is paperboard cartons, a material that consumers more universally perceive as recycle-ready. In some cases, the paperboard itself may already contain or be made entirely from post-consumer material, a more difficult claim for plastics to make in a time when feedstock for post-consumer resins (PCR) can be hard to come by.

But sustainability isn’t the only factor. The format offers more billboard space than do HDPE can handles and provides the ability to print high-quality graphics around a four- or six-pack of cans, desirable traits on the crowded beverage cooler shelf.

“With an open, wraparound carton-style multipack, you can do a lot with graphics,” says Matthew Cox, Polar’s Asst. Director of Operations at its Worcester headquarters. “You don’t necessarily have the expense of a fully enclosed carton, and with wraparound, consumers can still see the cans. But we still can do a lot with graphics on each pack, so a brand can tell its story. It’s more pleasing to the eye for the consumer versus just looking at the plastic ring-based [can-handle] package.”

Beyond these consumer-level drivers, there also appears to be retail preference at play in the move to paperboard. Without naming names, Cox told Packaging World that large, familiar retailers grapple with the

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fact that it’s just too easy for a shopper to accidentally pry loose a single can from a six pack in a retail setting, when it’s packed in a traditional can handle. The consumer who had hoped to grab a six-can multipack is left with a single can in his or her hand, a partially opened five-pack still on the shelf, and an awkward experience all around. Recently, this dynamic has been made worse by the retailers themselves as they restrict and minimize headspace above product on shelves in a push to

pack more variety and more product into the aisle. Where consumers in years past may have been able to clasp multiple cans of a six pack from above the multipack, today the single-can grab from the side might be the only option. To the retailer, a broken or separated multipack constitutes repacking, forces in-store loose can sales, or in the worst case, causes scrap. Retailers don’t seem to encounter those problems with semi-enclosed or wraparound paperboard, according to Cox. With these factors in mind, Polar’s Fitzgerald facility was the first in the U.S. to use GPI’s Marksman 750HS and to automate wraparound multipack cartons for its beverage brand customers. The current Worcester installation is one of the first handful in the U.S. One Polar customer taking advantage of this ca-

I NNOVAT ION DRIVEN BY

S A F E T Y / F L E X I BI L I T Y / P E R FO R M A N C E Columbia’s innovative and flexible palletizing solutions are engineered to meet the unique needs of any application. We manufacture high level, floor level and robotic palletizers, load transfer stations and provide complete system integration.

IQ Tablet Simplifies Changeovers, Maintenance The Marksman 750HS is equipped with a documentation system that GPI calls its IQ tablet. The tablet that includes the technical manual, 3D print viewer, and dynamic changeover checklist with video guidance to provide personnel with the technical tools to efficiently and reliably changeover the machine and address machine needs, the company says.

“We have not yet started up the Marksman in Worcester however we have the same tablet on our GPI QF2100 and the operators find it very useful for changeovers and the maintenance mechanics like it as well,” says Matthew Cox, Asst. Director of Operations at Polar. “It contains drawings of the entire machine where they can zoom in to see exploded views and get part numbers.

We’ve found it to be very useful.” PW

LEARN MORE

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pability is Goslings Ginger Beer, a Bermudabased brand that has emerged atop the soaring ginger beer category. Ginger beer has been flung back into prominence of late by the popular emergence of cocktails like the Moscow Mule and the re-emergence of nostalgic classics like the Dark and Stormy.

“Being from the island of Bermuda, we are cognizant of the dangers the plastic rings [can handles] can pose to marine life if they are carelessly discarded,” says E. Malcolm Gosling, President & CEO, Goslings International Ltd. “As Goslings Stormy Ginger Beer grew to be the largest selling ginger beer in the U.S., so did our use of plastic rings. We were grateful for Polar’s willingness to install the machinery to enable us to move to a paperboard wrap. We know how ecologically minded our loyal consumers are, and we wanted them to know it is important to us also. The consumer reaction has been extremely positive.

“In addition to being a more sustainable package, it is also an opportunity to create impactful graphics and have a greater presence on the shelf,” Gosling adds.

A carton magazine feeds the Marksman (above). An overhead view (right) and a side view (below) illustrate how printed paperboard cartons are indexed out to cover, then enclose the two parallel lanes at a depth of three cans, creating the 2x3 six-pack format. No glue is required in the operation.

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We offer a full range of applicator models capable of packing from 70 cans per minute (cpm) all the way up to 1,000 cpm. Our full range of bottle and can handle applicators provides our customers effective and budget-friendly solutions that will support the ongoing growth of their operations.

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Automating paperboard multipacks

An integrated turner/divider turns the six packs to a wider profile with three cans leading and three cans trailing, then bifurcates them into two lanes. This slows the line speed for tray-forming and palletizing operations without changing throughput.

It bears repeating that, as a co-packer, Polar still does a lot with more traditional can handles, so the new Marksman 750HS installations don’t fully replace or obviate can-handle applicators. The new cartoners are integrated to sit side-by-side with the traditional can-handle applicators—in the Fitzgerald facility, options also include tray packers with shrink multipacks or GPI’s fully enclosed cartoners—on existing packaging lines. It’s a new capability and a new offering, not an elimination of existing capabilities. When changing over from a soft drink that uses a traditional can handle to, say, Goslings Ginger Beer, it’s simply a matter of diverting the filled can flow toward the wraparound cartoner instead of a can-handle applicator, then back to the shared, existing secondary packaging automation downstream on the line. Line speeds for the two formats are roughly the same, with the GPI machine going a touch faster. The Marksman 750HS is able to run at speeds to 300 packs/min, but a fast run at Polar is more like 250 packs/min, and a more typical cruising speed is 200 packs/min.

Filled and seamed cans are fed into the Marksman system in two parallel lanes, soon to be unitized into two parallel groups of three for a 2x3 six-pack format. These are first met with a rotary star wheel that calibrates the speed and pressure of the can flow. The machine could run other formats, like a 2x2 four-pack, if Polar were to keep a few requisite changeparts and cartons on hand. It has no current need for such parts, but it would be easy enough to do if a customer requested the format.

Each of the two parallel infeed lines enter the secondary packaging

pack / bundle / unitize / warehouse / transport

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Ready-to-Drink Functional Beverages the Latest Growth Market While convenient packaging formats and premiumization have been driving changes in the beverage market, functional offerings are the latest consumer demand driving some of the biggest change, as consumers look for beverages that can improve their daily health in convenient formats, while catering to their active routines.

Thirty-five percent of consumers are turning to beverages as a way to incorporate functional ingredients into their diets, according to PMMI Business Intelligence’s new report 2021 Beverage Trends Driving Change.

Change And beverages that regulate mood, improve mental fitness, and promote physical performance are becoming increasingly popular with consumers.

In addition, consumers want to consume these offerings in convenient formats such as single-serve and ready-to-drink (RTD) packaging. These categories are experiencing robust growth, with RTD beverages slated to grow at a CAGR of 6.1% over the next five years, and functional beverages expected to expand at a CAGR of 8.6% in the next five years. “We continue to seek new flavors, healthier ingredients, and new packaging for greater consumer appeal to meet increasing competition,” said one Packaging Engineer.

Smaller sizes and easily consumable formats provide added convenience to consumers, but they often create new challenges for beverage manufacturers. To keep up with demand for these products,

beverage producers often must run at higher rates of efficiency—higher speeds, maximized uptime, continuous production, or a combination of all these factors.

Visit pwgo.to/7123 to download the entire report for free.

—Kim Overstreet

cell by way of a star wheel.

“The star wheel itself doesn’t create space between cans, but it helps the feedscrew immediately downstream pull a gap between cans without too much force, without shoving the cans through the feedscrew,” says Jesse Fletcher, Assistant Plant Manager at Polar’s Fitzgerald, Ga., location, the site of the first Marksman installation.

Meanwhile, overhead, a magazine of un-erected, flat paperboard cartons feeds individual carton blanks over the top of the two parallel can lines using overhead chains with lugs to properly index each carton at a speed to match the cans. Married to its designated 2x3 can format beneath it, each carton is then met with

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a stationary plow that folds down the flat, 2D cartons and wraps them around the cans into a 3D caddy. Another chain-based plow wraps and connects the carton underneath the six pack to fully enclose the cans.

During this carton-wrapping step on the Polar installation, gussets are folded into the front four and back four open corners of the pack (see Goslings image, marked as ‘A’ on page 50) via a parallel mechanical chain. On the leading side of the six pack, integral gussets built into the paperboard are folded backward into the two leading cans contained within. And on the trailing side of the pack, gussets are folded forward into the back side of two trailing cans, mechanically locking the six cans within without any glue. This gusseting feature is an option that may not be necessary in other formats that these machines offer, say a 1x3-, 16-oz can format with top or bottom can-locking mechanisms.

“The glue-less locking mechanism was pretty cool for us. First, you don’t have that glue that you’re adding to it, and you don’t have to clean up glue buildup, or replace glue nozzles,” Cox says.

Adds Fletcher, “I don’t see a downtime difference since we don’t have much trouble with our glue in general. But the locking is nice because you don’t have to purchase glue, and you don’t have to deal with it at all, so there’s savings there.”

Trays are formed around four six-pack cartons.

Notably, the carton blanks are scored and slitted in such a way as to provide end consumers an easy-tear top to release the cans once they’re safely in the home (see Goslings image, marked ‘B’ on page 50). Blanks arrive at Polar die-cut and printed, so the slits are added by converter GPI. The coding and marking step is accomplished by a Videojet inkjet coder on each six-pack within the Marksman machine.

Fully locked and marked multipacks exit the cartoner on an integrated turner/divider, which, as the name implies, turns the six packs to a wider profile with three cans leading and three cans trailing in each multipack. Despite the throughput remaining unchanged, turning to lead with three cans—a wider, shallower format—has a slowing effect on the product progression as it moves toward the end of the line. The divider then creates two lanes from one, further halving the line speed without changing the throughput.

Following cartoning, the six-pack multipacks travel in two parallel lanes to a KHS Kisters tray erector, tray packer, and shrink wrapper, where they are again coded/marked and bundled into four multipacks, or 24 cans in each tray. Instead of (or in addition to) coding and marking on the corrugated trays, the Polar line is also able to automatically slap a print-and-apply label onto each shrink-wrapped 24-pack bundle for improved readability in logistics and warehousing. A conventional mechanical palletizer from Production Automation Inc. (PAI) caps off the line.

eaglepi.com/visibly-focused

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Proof in the pudding The success of the Marksman 750HS installation in Fitzgerald made the decision to buy another machine for Worcester an easy one for the folks at Polar. This increased wraparound corrugated capacity in the Northeast, Cox says, is soon to be filled by both new and existing customers looking to make that shift from traditional can handles to wraparound paperboard cartons.

As a bonus, Polar’s new Northeastern carton capacity also will benefit existing customers that already are using wraparound cases. Consider Goslings, a wrapround carton automation pioneer. Since Fitzgerald housed the only Marksman 750HS in the U.S., all the Goslings supplied to the U.S. in that pack format had to be funneled through one location in the Southeast corner of the country. Having a second packaging location in the Northeast opens new freight lanes and adds a lot of potential logistics efficiency.

“If we didn’t think it was a good product, we wouldn’t have bought another one,” Fletcher says of the machine.

It certainly doesn’t hurt that Polar’s customers’ customers—the retailers—are happy with the new pack format. Cox says the feedback that he’s received from retailers has been a big driver in doubling down on this equipment. And the results, at least as reported by Gosling, are that sales have improved due to the new packaging format. That makes for an unbroken chain of success, from OEM and converter GPI, to copacker Polar, to the brand Goslings, to the retailers, and finally to consumers, who are consuming more Goslings.

End-of-line packaging consists of a conventional palletizer.

“The wrap also offers the cans added protection, and we do not see the ‘breakage’ factor we experienced with the rings,” founder Gosling concludes. “The paperboard wraps are more expensive than the plastic rings [can handles], but the ecological, marketing, and consumer benefits are worth the added investment.” PW

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AUTOMATION

OEM APPLICATION NOTE

Dry Ice Feeding for COVID-19 Vaccine Distribution Equipment for dispensing dry ice into insulated containers holding COVID-19 vaccines had to be designed and produced by this OEM in just eight weeks.

WHAT YOU’LL LEARN

Vibration isolation

On-screen diagnostic reports

The Eriez feeder was required to handle the sub-zero of dry ice to Material Transfer & Storage is a leader in the custom design and manprotect the new vaccine, and precise feed control was critical. Just as ufacture of bulk bag filling, conditioning, and discharging systems for vital, this feeder model handled the specific capacity and proprietary dry powders and bulk solids. When they were called upon to design and requirements of this special application. build customized equipment that would dispense dry ice into insulated “The customization includes an overcontainers carrying COVID-19 vaccines, tray electromagnetic drive configuration the MTS team worked faster than ever befor maximum clearance below the feeder fore to meet the tight deadlines and comtray and closed-loop control to maintain pliance requirements of this vital project. precise tray vibration under temperature Leveraging the talents of its experienced, conditions that are cold but not exactly committed staff and trusted vendors, MTS constant,” says Rob Yandrick, Eriez Prodproduced the dry ice discharging systems uct Manager-Vibratory/Screening, “The in just eight weeks.

Eriez feeder design also provides excellent “Designing and building customized vibration isolation, that is, its vibration equipment this rapidly involves a level of does not transfer to the other important knowledge and experience we are fortucomponents of the overall MTS system.” nate to have on our talented team,” says Considering that there are other things goMTS President Scott Nyhof. “It’s also good to ing on—like load cells measuring weighhave suppliers like Eriez that we can trust.” ments—it’s good to keep the vibrations When it came to vaccine distribution, of the Eriez unit isolated from these other MTS needed to maintain ice pellet size concritical activities taking place in the overall sistency, meter ice evenly to protect each system. vaccine, and monitor ice discharged during Eriez feeders and solid state controls packaging—and the process had to be auintegrate readily with MTS’s master contomated. The integrated process MTS came troller, which is supplied by Rockwell. Acup with includes a crusher, a scale system, cording to Yandrick, electromagnetic feedand customized feeder and controls reers as opposed to those more mechanical quired to report diagnostics to the vaccine in nature that are driven by motors are manufacturer operating the system. ideal for packaging applications because An essential part of the success of the they can be rapidly cycled on/off and feed MTS dry ice unloading/feeding system is material quickly, evenly, and consistently. the integration of a vibratory feeder, the Pellets of ice move down the central “pant leg” and MTS custom-built a system that also inEriez 65B Electromagnetic Feeder. The arrive on left and right electromagnetic vibratory cludes a customized touch-screen control rush to move the vaccine to distribution feeders for discharge into insulated containers. panel to monitor system performance and centers around the globe demanded that send diagnostic reports back to the vaccine manufacturer.

Eriez respond swiftly and effectively.

“We have always held ourselves to a higher standard, believing that Eriez created engineered drawings and CAD models for MTS within doing things right and serving others well are the most important things days. They delivered a custom-engineered solution to meet the dethat we do,” says Nyhof. “We are humbled to play a role in delivering the manding timeline for the project. It helped tremendously that MTS and COVID-19 vaccine to millions of Americans.” —Pat Reynolds Eriez have a long history of success together.

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Visit the link below each item for more info.

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AUTOMATION TECHNOLOGY

Miniature Photoelectric Sensor

Modular Machine Control Automation Platform

SICK’s W4F miniature photoelectric sensor can detect jet black, highly reflective, flat, or transparent objects in tight installation spaces for proximity applications.

Bosch Rexroth’s new ctrlX Automation platform addresses multiple functions, such as IoT, control, motion, safety, I/O, and HMI through the use of apps to add system functionality.

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Industrial PC Severe-duty AC Motor Siemens launches the SIMOTICS SD200 severe-duty motor in frame size 440 with a 75-800 hp output.

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The C6027 ultracompact Industrial PC (IPC) from Beckhoff provides high-performance, fanless computing power with scalable interface expansions and 1-second UPS.

King Hy-Pact® is the smart choice for many high abuse applications.

Gears, machine parts, sprockets, star wheels, wear strips and more.

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Colgate Toothpaste in PET Ushers in a ‘Frictionless Future’ A recyclable, clear PET toothpaste bottle is enabled through the use of a slippery coating on the inside of the container that allows the viscous product to be dispensed easily and completely.

WHAT YOU’LL LEARN

Reduced product waste

Recyclable toothpaste packaging

By Anne Marie Mohan, Senior Editor Colgate-Palmolive is inviting European consumers to make toothbrushing part of their beauty ritual, with its new Elixir line of three toothpaste formulas in a striking PET package that breaks from category norms in every way. Says Colgate-Palmolive Co. Worldwide Director of Oral Care Packaging Liz Mellone, “Colgate Elixir is toothpaste reimagined—breathtaking design with beautyinspired ingredients in a unique packaging technology that is recyclable and designed to let people enjoy the toothpaste to the last drop.”

According to Mellone, the three innovative toothpaste formulas—White Restore, Cool Detox, and Gum Booster—were co-developed in tandem with the package, a clear, inverted, 80-mL (2.7-oz) PET bottle with a clear overcap. The sleek and stylish container is a significant departure from, and a more eco-friendly alternative to, traditional toothpaste tubes, which are made from a multilayer construction of plastic and aluminum that renders them non-recyclable.

What makes the use of PET possible in the Elixir application is a breakthrough coating technology from LiquiGlide that eliminates the friction between the inside of the package and the product, allowing the toothpaste to flow freely from the container, evacuating the toothpaste completely. Explains LiquiGlide CEO Dave Smith, “The reason toothpaste isn’t in PET packages, other than Elixir, is because it sticks and won’t come out easily. The LiquiGlide coating enables PET squeeze bottles to work for standard toothpaste.”

An MIT innovation The frictionless coating technology was co-invented by Smith and Professor Kripa Varanasi at the Varanasi Lab at MIT. In 2012, the two co-founded LiquiGlide with what they say was “a vision to eliminate the no-slip boundary condition to minimize

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material, water, and energy waste and enable new and better products, processes, and technologies across industries.”

Explains Smith, “We’re not inventing new materials, we’re combining them in a way to create this stable, slippery effect, and the right choice of materials depends on the product properties. The platform is flexible enough that we’re able to make coatings from safe, common materials that won’t alter or compromise the product.”

For example, for food applications, LiquiGlide develops coatings from FDA-approved food ingredients; for skincare products, like lotions and creams, coatings are formulated from common, dermatologically safe skincare product ingredients. The thickness of the coating varies depending on the needs of the application and can range anywhere from a micron to tens of microns.

In 2012, LiquiGlide released a video of ketchup being dispensed from a bottle coated with its super-slippery lubricant. Despite an overwhelmingly positive reaction to the technology, it has taken a while for it to become commercialized. “Breakthrough innovation can be challenging for CPG and health and beauty, which are traditionally conservative and slower-moving industries,” says Smith. “However, brands like Colgate and others recognize the importance of creating value, differentiating from the competition, and taking serious steps to achieve their sustainability goals. These are the types of brands that are ready for a frictionless future.”

Fa

Vers

Our cylin

PET plus LiquiGlide a natural choice According to Mellone, LiquiGlide came to the attention of Colgate-Palmolive when its Strategic Innovation Group was searching for next-generation technology and dispensing. “Together with the MIT Industrial Liaison Program, we conducted a summit, which ultimately led to the connection with LiquiGlide and this partnership,” she shares.

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“Previously PET was not suited for viscous products such as toothpaste. The PET bottle married with the LiquiGlide technology is unique and enabled us to use PET with more viscous toothpastes. The clarity and recyclability of PET as well as its great barrier properties for toothpaste made it the natural choice.”

The bottle design, led by Colgate-Palmolive’s Global Packaging & Design Team, was developed from a human-centric perspective, Mellone explains. “Functionally, it’s quite important for the bottle to intuitively work as a toothpaste package in terms of form, squeezability, and nozzle design,” she says. “Aesthetically, clarity was critical to both showcase how the product dispenses and to highlight the toothpaste aesthetics. Moving into a rigid format enabled us to achieve a ‘counter-worthy’ appearance throughout the entire usage cycle of the product.”

The cap was designed with an opening that allows the viscous product to dispense onto a toothbrush while also allowing air into the bottle for a smooth outflow of the toothpaste. The cap is made from a thickwalled PETE, which ensures the entire package is recyclable.

While Colgate-Palmolive does produce its own packaging in many instances, for the Elixir project, the company partnered with an unnamed external supplier for the bottle and cap. The bottle is produced through a

Watch a video of LiquiGlide technology, from its debut at PACK EXPO Las Vegas 2015: pwgo.to/7061 single-state ISBM (injection/stretch blow-molding) process and is assembled with an injection-molded polypropylene shoulder shroud.

The coating, which is added to the inside of the bottle before filling, is applied by Colgate-Palmolive using new equipment from Sprimag. According to Smith, the coating formula developed by LiquiGlide and licensed by Colgate-Palmolive comprises a natural, plant-based oil and common toothpaste ingredients.

Adding to the container’s premium appearance, it uses a combination pressure-sensitive label printed in four colors, with dual matte and gloss varnishes as well as two cold-foil applications, with a reverse-printed back label.

The Colgate-Elixir line was launched in April 2021 in several European countries, including the U.K. and Germany, and will be rolled out in other European countries throughout the year in various retail environments, with a focus on e-commerce.

Says Mellone, “We are quite excited about this technology and what it enables from a user experience standpoint, and we are looking at other ways to apply it.” PW

Fabco-Made NFPA

Versatile, rugged cylinders—when you need them

FABCO-AIR A member of Festo Group

Our NFPA interchangeable pneumatic cylinders take the guesswork out of cylinder selection.

We design and manufacture our NFPA cylinders in Gainesville, Florida—so expect fast delivery, supply chain resilience and local support no matter your application.

Built tough, our NFPA actuators feature anodized aluminum heads and barrels and stainless steel hardware for corrosion resistance.

They also incorporate high-strength composite rod bears and PTFE piston wear bands for superior load handling and long service life. Choose from 19 standard mounting options and hundreds of standard configurable options to meet the requirements of almost any application.

Standard catalog not enough? Tell us about your application and let us design a custom solution optimized for your environment.

• Standard bore sizes: 1.5–6 inches • Standard strokes to 99 inches • Pressure rating: 250 PSI

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• Temperature range: -10° to +165°F • Conforms to NFPA dimensional specifications • Lead time for standard configurations: 7–10 days

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Digital Printing Upgrade and a Second Digital Laser Cutter This Wisconsin producer of both in-mold and pressure-sensitive labels upped its game in 2020 with systems that have enabled the firm to get into the flexible films market.

WHAT YOU’LL LEARN

Short-run, quick-turn production

Advanced laminating methods

By Pat Reynolds, VP Editor Emeritus

B

A

The stainless steel belt of the LasX digital laser system (A) delivers cut parts to the Dorner vacuum conveyor belt (B), which in turn deposits them on the Dorner discharge conveyor belt (C). Immediately upstream is the LasX system (right).

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C

Founded as a digital-press-only producer of pressure-sensitive as well as in-mold labels, InkWorks Printing opened its doors 12 years ago with the installation of a narrow-web HP Indigo 4500 digital press. Later the firm graduated to an HP 6900 digital press, which has a 13-in. web width, and later still a second 6900 was added.

As capacity requirements continued to grow, some thought was given to a third 6900. But instead the Plymouth, Wis., converter opted to go wide web with an HP Indigo 25K digital press, which offers a 30-in. web width. Based on the well-established HP Indigo 20000 system for digital printing of roll-fed flexibles, the new 25K is designed to deliver a 25% increase in short-run productivity and less waste through improvements in color automation, sustainability, and workflow automation.

The new press has been running at InkWorks since December of 2020.

To complement the new press, InkWorks also installed a Combi Pack Ready Laminator from Karlville, which offers both thermal and solventless lamination. “We had been running solventless lamination on a narrow-web machine,” says President Bob Travis. “But it was not very sophisticated, and in fact it was kind of a home-grown solution. Plus it was for 13-in. wide web, and with the 30-in. 25 K we needed a 30-in. wide laminator. (See sidebar on page 64 for more on the Karlville laminator.)

“Among other things,” Travis continues, “these new capabilities allowed us to get into the flexible packaging market. Not to mention letting us offload some of the larger labels that previously we could only run one across on the 6900s. Now we can run those in multiples across the web. So it really came down to a decision to eliminate some of the bottlenecks we had in our operations.”

Travis says that when laminating thin films, a thermal process involving heat can too easily make the material curl. “The thermal laminating we do tends to be for pouch materials,” he points out. “In-mold labels are done via solventless technology, usually at speeds in the range of 600 feet per minute. Thermal lamination is more like 150 ft/min.”

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Digital finishing, too Bold as it was, the leap to a new press and laminating system was just the beginning. It coincided with the installation of a second LasX digital laser cutting system. Travis says his experience with InkWorks’ first LasX machine was an eye-opener. “Once we no longer had to rely on conventional die-cutting tooling and could set up jobs digitally, we had the ability to cut any size or shape and go from one to another in rapid succession. When you put that capability in front of designers and brand owners who suddenly realize they no longer have to stick to the same size or shape of a label or package, it just opens up a lot of really interesting possibilities.”

InkWorks can use either of its 15-in.-wide LasX systems for either roll-to-roll or roll-to-sheet operations.

The roll-to-sheet capability comes in mighty handy with two types of labels produced by InkWorks. One is where the customer’s volume requirements are relatively low. “Some of the smaller food manufacturers, or maybe a craft brewer, find it easier to pull pressuresensitive labels from a sheet and manually apply them to containers than to bother with a roll of labels,” says

Travis. “We make labels for pouches, for example, where the customer needs 1,000 of one label, 10,000 of another and 5,000 of a third. Customers find the sheet format easier to handle.”

When these sheets of pressure-sensitive labels are in production, the laser kiss-cuts the labels on the release liner and then it cuts a deeper cut to separate individual sheets from the roll. Number of labels per sheet

All Your Package Printing Answers in One Place The PACKage Printing Pavilion returns as a highlighted feature in the North Hall at PACK EXPO Las Vegas 2021, to be held Sept. 27-29. This pavilion will shine a spotlight on digital’s advantages for shortrun, on-demand, cost-effective, variable data, and personalized packaging as well as labeling, coding and marking solutions.

If you’re dealing with any of the following, this is a spot for you to visit: • SKU proliferation • Micro marketing efforts • Sustainability • Traceability As consumers look for smarter packaging options, advancements in digital printing are more critical than ever, making this pavilion a must-see for all show attendees. Visit www.packexpolasvegas.com to learn more and register to attend. PW

Servo Filling Systems

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First Combi Pack Ready Laminator installed The Combi Pack Ready Laminator at InkWorks represents the first commercial installation of this newly available combo laminating system, which offers either thermal or solventless adhesive lamination. When Karlville debuted the original Pack Ready concept at drupa 2016, it was strictly for thermal lamination. The technology was notable then and remains notable now because it lets converters go from laminating directly into slitting and pouch-making with no time required for curing of adhesives. Here’s how it works.

InkWorks surface prints a roll of biaxially oriented polypropylene (BOPP) supplied by a firm like Nobelus. Also supplied by Nobelus is a roll of clear polyester that InkWorks laminates to the surface-printed BOPP as a way of protecting the inks. Both the polyester and the BOPP arrive from Nobelus with an extrusion coating of EVA. So all InkWorks need do is introduce heat to bond the two together—thus the term “thermal laminating.” Because no adhesive is applied, there’s no time required for curing before the material goes to InkWorks’ slitting operation. “This capability has opened up new markets and allowed us to partner with makers of standup pouches, side-gusseted pouches, and bags,” says Travis.

While InkWorks relies on thermal laminating for the pressure-sensitive label side of its business, it switches to solventless adhesive lamination for its in-mold labels. This is not only because the substrates being married are very thin and thus subject to curling when subjected to heat. It’s also because in-mold labels are usually laminations of clear BOPP to surface-printed BOPP. Thermal lamination involves EVA, which would interfere with the monolayer quality you’re after when injection molding PP containers, thus complicating ease of recycling.

The Combi Pack Ready Laminator offers both solventless adhesive or thermal lamination.

Solventless laminating involves the application of an adhesive. You feed in two rolls of BOPP and one of them goes through a trough of adhesive. Then comes a doctoring roll, then a transfer roll, and then a nip roll to bond the two layers together. PW

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depends entirely on the customer’s requirements.

The other application where roll-to-sheet is in demand is where in-mold labels are concerned because it makes it possible to cut and stack individual labels that customers can conveniently load into the magazine feed of their injection-molding machines. Such labels are typically a two-layer lamination of 0.5-mil and 2.6-mil polypropylene (PP). The digitally printed 2.6-mil substrate fuses with the bottle sidewall in the mold, and the clear .5-mil layer traps the inks so they can’t be scratched off.

Both LasX systems operate in fundamentally the same way. When a 2D bar code printed along the edge of the roll gets scanned, it sends that identifying information to the LasX software, which then pulls the digital file needed to cause the laser to cut the appropriate shape. “It’s non-stop,” says Travis. “A circle, a square, a rectangle, a triangle, or whatever shape we need to cut. And every time a new shape is called for, the digital system immediately picks that up and changes its cutting mode with no need whatsoever to change cutting tools of any kind.”

One significant capability in the second LasX system operating at InkWorks revolves around how the laser-cut units are handled in roll-to-part production.

It involves the integration of LasX’s patented stainless steel vacuum processing belt with two Dorner conveyors. The stainless steel belt makes it possible for the laser to accurately register the digitally printed web on the fly and through-cut the web, thus creating each part. The fully cut parts are then delivered from the laser area to the first downstream Dorner unit, which is an inverted vacuum conveyor. The vacuum conveyor carries the parts from the stainless steel conveyor onto the secondary Dorner belt conveyor. The servo driven rewind shaft collects the webbed scrap matrix. The speed of the second Dorner conveyor is variable and can shingle or space the parts. Counting of the parts is done automatically so the secondary conveyor accelerates to create a space to indicate to the operator the stack count has been reached. All that remains is for an operator to bag the parts into cartons for shipment to the customer.

“It’s much more fluid than how we’re doing it on the first LasX system,” says Travis. “On that system the machine extracts parts from the web by redirecting the web path after cutting and allowing the cut-through labels or sheets to be captured by a nip that feeds the parts onto a conveyor. If the labels are very small or extremely thin, they wrap up on the nip rollers or they get jammed up. The new vacuum conveyor system completely eliminates these issues. We learned a lot with that first machine. Then, by working closely with LasX, they were able to design just what we needed this time around. It’s just an amazing machine.” PW

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The latest addition to the world of multipacking is Standard-Knapp’s new TriWraptor™ TSUP (Tray/Shrink/Unsupported/Pad) Packer.

Within the TriWraptor TSUP’s footprint lies the ability to package PET, glass, HDPE, steel, aluminum and fiberboard into tray, film, U-board, pad and unsupported configurations. Added to this flexibility are the high reliability, robust construction and simple operation that make Standard-Knapp a leader in packaging machinery.

Trade Shows have returned! See us in September: September 9-12, 2021 Colorado Convention Center Denver, CO Booth #5156

September 27-29, 2021 Las Vegas Convention Center Las Vegas, NV Booth #C-3800

Standard-Knapp, Inc. 63 Pickering Street, Portland, CT info@standard-knapp.com www.standard-knapp.com

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By Anne Marie Mohan, Senior Editor

Minimalist Design Reflects Cannabis Brand’s Earth-Centered Focus With its name inspired by the ebb and flow of the ocean, new cannabis brand ebb pays homage to its earth-focused ethos with sustainabilityminded packaging that is decorated with simple artwork that lets the product speak for itself. ebb was developed by Denver-based company Platinum Brands and is a fast-acting (15-min onset time), water-soluble THC powder that uses nano-encapsulating technology.

“I have always been intrigued by the prospect of a THC dissolvable,” says ebb founder and Head of Product Brooks Allman. “With ebb’s proprietary formulations, we offer fast-acting products that are perfect for both entry-level cannabis consumers who might be intimidated by the idea of dosing edibles, as well as more experienced consumers who are looking for an interactive or innovative way to consume cannabis.

ebb can be added to just about anything— smoothies, guac—and it’s perfect for post-workout recovery.”

The four varieties of ebb—Electrolyte-Enhanced Wildberry, Immunity Support Orange Mango, Pink Lemonade, and Pure, a flavorless option—each contain 10 mg of THC per serving and feature functional ingredients such as electrolytes and vitamin C to holistically support consumers’ wellness.

Primary packaging for the product is a foil sachet holding 3 g of the dissolvable powder, with the exception of the Pure variety, which holds 1.5 g. Sachets are packaged in a unique-for-its-category child-resistant, two-piece paperboard tube, chosen for its lack of plastic. Says Allman, “For every joint smoked, flower purchased, or edible consumed, 99% of the time, single-use plastic packaging is used. The cannabis industry is notorious for this, and we wanted to change it. At ebb, we aspire to

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be a company known for creating solutions to environmental issues, and one way we do so is through our packaging.

“As a Florida native, you learn that everything eventually ends up in the oceans, and plastic, in general, is a massive problem for marine life. We’re passionate about the fight to help the environment, so when it came time to launch ebb, we leaned into our history to start a brand with sustainability top of mind.”

Other packaging formats considered included tin and hemp. However, explains Allman, hemp doesn’t have a strong foothold in the packaging space, and while tin is a great option, as it’s recyclable for life, consumers aren’t as familiar with proper disposal methods for this material. “Finally we settled on cardboard because it’s durable, it’s easily recyclable, and it decomposes,” he says.

Another reason paperboard, and this format in particular, were chosen, Allman adds, is because it can be upcycled by consumers. “For example,” he shares, “our team has reused ebb packaging to grow succulents and different types of small plants, and we take pride in watching the decomposition of the packaging in real time, knowing it won’t sit in a landfill.”

The custom container comprises a base with a child-resistant pushbutton and an overcap that slides over and has a hole that fits tightly over the button. The button, made from 1 g of recyclable PET, is the only part of the container that uses plastic. The package measures 2.25 in. in dia and is 4.5 in. tall. It uses 4-mm cardstock that provides strength and durability against external elements.

The graphics for the four varieties were done by Allman and a graphic designer and use a simple concept that Allman says was chosen to let the products speak for themselves. “The color theme is pastel and uncluttered, tying back to the eco-focused and sustainability ethos of the brand,” he explains. “We opted for bright colors so that ebb may stand out—while each stick provides discretion if needed.

Our brand doesn’t look to fade into the background, but rather, proudly announce each consumer’s love for cannabis.”

Each tube features two colors, for example, orange and yellow for Orange Mango, that fade into each other, with the logo and product name in white. On the body of container are icons with suggestions for use. ebb launched in April 2021 and is available at licensed cannabis dispensaries in Colorado. PW

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Each of the following market-leading companies* participating in Packaging World’s 2021 Leaders in Packaging Program are named sponsors of PW’s Future Leaders in Packaging scholarship. This year’s recipient is Purdue Northwest (PNW), College of Technology. We appreciate the support of all participants on behalf of packaging education.

M *These logos represent some of the recent Leaders in Packaging Participants. Sponsor recognition will alternate every other month. ©2021 PMMI Media Group

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INDUSTRY WATCH

Companies E-PAK Machinery is celebrating its 20th anniversary.

C-P Flexible Packaging expanded its premade PE bag manufacturing operations with the purchase of three new state-of-the-art converting lines.

K2 Kinetics acquired Robotic Packaging Machinery, LLC. Packaging manufacturer Detpak has partnered with U.S.-based Eco-Products to provide sustainable packaging solutions in Australia and New Zealand.

Markem-Image acquired Blue Bite LLC, a manufacturer of innovative workflow software solutions for brand owners and product marketers.

TricorBraun acquired Quebec-based RODA Packaging, expanding its presence in Eastern Canada.

Spee-Dee Packaging Machinery is celebrating its 40th anniversary.

Multivac, Inc. opened a $11.2 million state-of-the-art logistics center in Kansas City, Mo., the U.S. headquarters of Multivac Group.

People Michael Cirocco was promoted to President of Apis Wise.

Steve Sundstrom was appointed President of SATO America.

David Newcorn was named Executive Vice President of PMMI Media Group.

Troy Snader was promoted to Senior Vice President of Business Development for ProMach’s Secondary Packaging Group.

Fred Serrano joined Formost Fuji as Southwest Regional Sales Manager.

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Danielle Diehlmann was named Vice President, Communications for the Flexible Packaging Association.

Eric Joiner was named Vice President and General Manager of Diagraph Marking & Coding, a division of Illinois Tool Works Inc.

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Bruce Hanson was named Chief Executive Officer of AWT Labels & Packaging.

IQpack hired Ken Rohleder as President. He will lead the North American Packaging-as-a-Service Group and the development of the PackChain Software-as-a-Service Group.

Mike Sparger was named North-Central Regional Sales Manager for Morrison Container Handling Solutions’ Illinois clients.

Andrew Olsen was appointed Chief Financial Officer (CFO) and Treasurer for Eriez.

Ton Knipscheer joined watttron as International Sales Director.

Tony Maniscalco was appointed Business Unit Leader for SideDrive Conveyor.

Ken Brown was appointed Global Category Specialist, Labels and Packaging for Fujifilm North America Corp., Graphic Systems Div.

PACK EXPO Xpress: a Limited, Digital-Only Option For those who are unable to attend in-person we now offer virtual aspects of our live-event via PACK EXPO Xpress so you can search for products and innovations in digital showrooms and connect with solutions suppliers during the event no matter where you are. Visit pwgo.to/7062

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Compostable Coffee Pod Lidding Film C-P Flexible Packaging launches BPI-certified compostable coffee pod lidding film designed for capsules used in the latest single-serve coffee makers.

EndFlex adds a robotic loading option to its Boxxer Kartnr automatic vertical cartoning machine that allows dual pick-and-place of tall and odd-shaped products into cartons.

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AD INDEX Search Packworld.com for additional information on any of the advertisers listed or visit their website directly ADVERTISER WEBSITE PAGE

ABB Motors & Mechanical www.baldor.com

OBC

Allied Technology LLC www.allied-technology.com

7

Beckhoff Automation www.beckhoffautomation.co Bell-Mark Sales Company www.bell-mark.com BEUMER Corporation www.beumergroup.com

ADVERTISER WEBSITE PAGE

Label-Aire, Inc. www.label-aire.com

14, 15

Mamata Enterprises, Inc. www.mamatausa.com

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23

Michelman, Inc. www.michelman.com

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mk North America www.mknorthamerica.com

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Modular Conveyor Express www.modularconveyor.com

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Bevcorp www.bevcorp.com

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Morrison Container Handling Solutions www.morrison-chs.com

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Blueprint Automation, Inc. www.blueprintautomation.com

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nVenia www.nvenia.com

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Brenton www.brentonengineering.co

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Nalbach Engineering Company, Inc. www.nalbach.com

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CAMA North America www.camagroup.com

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Nercon www.nerconconveyors.com

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Columbia Machine, Inc. www.palletizing.com

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Norwix www.norwix.com

Columbia/Okura LLC. www.columbiaokura.com

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Nuspark Inc. www.nuspark.com

Eagle Product Inspection www.eaglepi.com

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Packaging World www.packworld.com

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EDL Packaging Engineers, Inc. www.edlpackaging.com

43

PDI Packaging Distributors, Inc. www.pdimachinery.com

34

Eriez Magnetics www.eriez.com

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PMMI, The Association for Packaging and Processing Technologies www.pmmi.org

Fabco-Air www.fabco-air.com

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FANUC America Corporation www.fanucamerica.com

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Festo Corp. www.festo.us

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FlexLink Systems www.flexlink.com

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Fortress Technology Inc. www.fortresstechnology.com

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Glenroy, Inc. www.glenroy.com

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Heat and Control, Inc. www.heatandcontrol.com

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High Tek USA hightekusa.com

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Honeywell Intelligrated www.intelligrated.com/en

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ID Technology www.idtechnology.com

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Intralox, Inc. www.intralox.com

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Kaufman Engineered Systems Inc. www.kes-usa.com

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King Plastic Corporation www.kingplastic.com

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Klöckner Pentaplast Food & Consumer www.kpfilms.com

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ProSys Innovative Packaging Equip www.prosysfill.com

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Regal Beloit Corporation www.regalbeloit.com

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Roberts PolyPro Inc. www.robertspolypro.com

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Schneider Packaging www.schneiderpackaging.com

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Serpa Packaging Solutions www.serpapackaging.com

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Signode www.signode.com

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Specialty Equipment www.specialtyequipment.com

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Standard-Knapp, Inc. www.standard-knapp.com

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Triangle Package Machinery Company www.trianglepackage.com Universal Labeling Systems, Inc. www.universal1.com Van der Graaf www.vandergraaf.com WestRock www.westrock.com

3 13 9 OFC

Weightpack www.weightpack.com

49

Wexxar Bel www.wexxar.com

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THE INSIDER

By Ben Miyares, Packaging Sherpa

Collaborations Expand Paper Packaging’s Potentials the confectionery industry taking place in the name of sustainability.

“Imagine that all plastic packaging in Van Melle claims it is the first global confectioner to pack gum in your store one day has disappeared, and what it calls a paperboard “bottle.” The 90% paperboard canister was eventually all glass bottles and metal cans; that all packages are made developed in conjunction with AR Packaging Systems AB. of renewable materials that can be recycled or returned to nature Confectionery giants Mars Wrigley and Nestlé and have without harm.” already started moving from plastic to paper wraps. Other candy That is the bold, aspirational vision of the Paper Bottle Company collaborations, such as one between Ritter Sport and Syntegon, are (Paboco). But is it realistic? Are packages made of “materials that can opting for paper wraps over plastic ones as well. be recycled or returned to nature without harm” part of what manageEven though paper’s unsupported barrier properties are the ment consultant McKinsey & Co. calls the “next normal”? If there’s an lowest of packaging material options, packagers choose it because “after next normal” we’ll probably have to wait till then, in our view. it is a favorite of many of their customers in Western markets. From Paboco is a joint venture started in 2019 by Swedish paper a sustainability standpoint, paper is made from a renewable source, packaging material developer BillerudKorsnäs and Austrian plastic easily recycled, and can be barrier enhanced with all other packaging bottle blow molder, Alpla Group. The JV is expanding beverage material choices—plastic, metal, and glass. bottling reality by offering 330mL and 500mL molded fiber bottles Unsurprisingly, an April 2021 McKinsey with recycled PET (rPET), polyethylene & Co. study of approximately 10,000 furanoate (PEF) or polyethylene Paper is approaching the in 10 countries found that naphthalate (PEN) barrier film coatings. brink of making some market- consumers American and European consumers rank Carlsberg, the Danish brewer, and Cocatransforming changes in paper “quite high” for sustainability.

Cola have expressed enough interest in the The attitudes behind the rankings are development to test Paboco’s concept. the packaging landscape. prompting packagers in the U.S. and Europe Riding a crest of popularity, the Collaborative efforts are fueling to seek paper alternatives for plastic straws, sustainability of paper—already the most bags, fruit trays, and shrink wraps for drink widely used packaging materials— has it many of the changes. bottles and cans. On the other hand, notes inching its way from boxes and cartons into McKinsey, the high sustainability scores for paper and glass are not prototypical non-angular bottles, a format dominated to date by glass universal. Brazil, China, and Indonesia rank the sustainability of both and plastic. paper and glass packaging below “plastic films made from renewable, Propelled by growing e-commerce sales, marketplace regulations, compostable raw materials.” McKinsey’s researchers found flexible technological advances in materials and machinery, consumer packaging combining plastic, paper, and aluminum foil “ranks lowest preferences, and environmental concerns—particularly those from a consumer perspective across all surveyed countries.” That’s a targeting plastics—paper is approaching the brink of making common consumer misperception that aseptic cartons—paper/foil/ some market-transforming changes in the packaging landscape. polymer structures—have been fighting for years.

Collaborative efforts are fueling many of the changes.

Paboco hopes to “spark a movement and change this industry Some examples: Unilever is developing what it’s calling “the first for good” by providing materials and technology at scale for ever paper-based laundry detergent bottle,” a sustainably sourced sustainable and beautiful paper bottle packaging.” And we applaud and recyclable molded paper pulp container for a liquid laundry their ambitions. But, its vision of a marketplace in which all plastic detergent set to launch in Brazil early next year and subsequently rollpackaging—and eventually all glass bottles and metal cans—have out in Europe. Also in the Unilever labs: molded fiber haircare bottles. disappeared is not only bold and aspirational but—to our way of The technology behind Unilever’s molded fiber bottles is the result thinking—not commercially realizable in the near-term future. PW of a partnership between Unilever and the Pulpex consortium, itself a collaboration among alcoholic beverage producer Diageo, PepsiCo, technology development consultancy Pilot Lite, renewable paper Read about paper packaging projects from Mars packaging developer Stora Enso, and chemical company BASF. Wrigley’s Balisto candy at pwgo.to/7128, and Kentucky confectioner Perfetti Van Melle will begin marketing its Nestlé’s Smarties candy at pwgo.to/7129.

Mentos gum in paperboard canisters rather than plastic ones later this year. This is one of several plastic-to-paper packaging conversions in Ben Miyares, Packaging Sherpa, is a packaging market and technology analyst and is president of The Packaging Management Institute, Inc. He can be reached at bmiyares@packmgmt.org.

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