Pick of the packs

17 April 2009



Kathleen Armstrong previews the Swiss packaging fair to be held later this month


The easyFairs' Verpackung Schweiz show will take place in Zürich's Messezentrum on 22 and 23 April 2009. A record 170 exhibitors will participate in the event, presenting cost-effective and innovative solutions for the packaging industry – especially important in these difficult economic times.

New to this year’s show will be the presentation of an award for environmentally friendly packaging. Companies are invited to submit their environmental solutions for packaging, which will be judged on three criteria: environmental responsibility, resource usage and the usefulness of the product. Head of the judging panel, Dr Ingo Büren from IPI in Neuhausen, said: “With this award, we want to raise the sensitivity of manufacturers and customers alike to respect for the environment and long-lasting packaging.”

Small footprint

Multivac Switzerland will present three products at the Swiss show. The R105 is Multivac’s smallest thermoformer, a fully automatic packaging system suitable for those with minimal space requirements. With a footprint of ten feet in length, the R105 is simple to operate and has been streamlined so that it is easy to clean and maintain, says the company. The machine comes with 24 die formats and a range of optional extras including an integrated vacuum pump, inert gas flushing, an evacuation unit for liquid pumps, automatic chain lubrication, labelling and print units and photoelectric registration for register printed upper webs.

Multivac’s MR335 SQ conveyor belt labeller, designed for the food industry, comes with a belt that is split cross-wise to allow label application from both the top and the bottom. The labeller can be equipped with a thermal transfer, hot foil, inkjet or rotary printer, depending on the requirements of the application.

The third product on show at the Multivac stand will be the MR811 x-ray inspection system for the detection of defects and foreign objects in food products. Multivac says the system’s high sensitivity enables it to detect non-metallic materials such as bones, glass and stones, and foreign objects, even through tin foil and cans.

Intelligent systems

Among the products featured on the SICK stand will be the Flexi Soft safety controller. With a modular hardware platform, the system can be expanded by plugging in I/O modules and gateways. Flexi Soft CPU has been designed for the connection of 12 Flexi Soft modules, allowing up to 96 inputs and 48 outputs.

SICK will also be showing the IVC 3D industrial vision camera which it claims is “the world’s first 3-D smart camera”. With its laser optics integrated directly into the housing, the 3-D camera can detect geometrical features without being affected by fluctuations in contrast. The IVC 3D can be used for a wide range of inspection tasks in the food and packaging industry, production processes and in robotic and handling systems.

Fill and seal

Visitors to Verpackung Schweiz in search of a solution for the confectionery industry should make their way to the Rovema stand where the VPL 180 form, fill and seal machine will be on display. Its drive technology is said to have eliminated the need for motor oil filled transmission, “making it more environmentally friendly and easier to maintain”. Rovema says the VPL 180 can achieve over 180 cycles per minute and the machine’s integrated product detection/sealing capability has been designed to prevent malfunctions when sealing.

Innovative materials

Pago’s exhibits will include decorative self-adhesive labels with special effects such as holograms and scents, body sleeves for specially shaped products, and point-of-sale promotion.

Stora Enso will present the boards and polymer coatings for packaging across a range of industries, including pharmaceuticals, cosmetics, food and liquid and beverage packaging. At the show, its focus will be on the provision of environmentally friendly solutions.


SICK's IVD 3D 'smart' camera, is only one of the innovations that will be on show at Verpackung Schweiz The VPL 180 FFS machine's drive technology eliminates the need for motor oil filled transmission

The VPL 180 FFS machine's drive technology eliminates the need for motor oil filled transmission The VPL 180 FFS machine's drive technology eliminates the need for motor oil filled transmission
SICK's IVD 3D 'smart' camera, is only one of the innovations that will be on show at Verpackung Schweiz SICK's IVD 3D 'smart' camera, is only one of the innovations that will be on show at Verpackung Schweiz


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