Still making an impression

15 April 2013



The diversity and functionality of modern rigid plastics make it an indispensible packaging component. Packaging Today takes a look at some of the latest machines, technologies and applications


With the blister pack having just celebrated its 50th birthday, most modern packaging professionals could be forgiven for taking the thermoformed plastics package, in this and other forms, for granted.

Likewise, blow moulded containers are just as ubiquitous. But this would ignore the great strides made in plastics and machinery technology and pack formats which make these products so familiar and, in a sustainable world vision, fit for purpose.

The thermoformed plastics packaging industry has experienced strong historic growth by capitalising on the many advantages that the thermoforming process can offer manufacturers, including the ability to produce a thin, cost-efficient package; considerable flexibility in product design and tooling; and the capability to manufacture a variety of packaging products using a wide range of thermoplastics materials, including co-extruded plastics.

There have been considerable benefits for thermoplastics from the explosion in growth of ready meals and single serve or single dose products, both food and medical, which require microwaveable packs or lightweight and easily carried containers, or those offering sterile or aseptic packs for easy use and disposal.

To enable this, the latest generation of packaging and converting machines are much more energy and material efficient; and, with production processes and pack designs allowing significant material savings, there is little likelihood that growth in this area will stall.

Energy efficient
One example is the Multivac R 095 e-concept automatic thermoforming machines for food products. The latest mass production model for entry-level customers will be demonstrated at the major meat processing industry show IFFA 2013 (4-9 May). The R 095 e-concept is claimed to consume at least 20% less energy than comparable models and is particularly suited to small and medium-sized food producing companies, according to the manufacturer. The compact machine not only saves energy resources, its location can be flexible, since all that it requires is a power supply.

"We have replaced all pneumatically driven modules with electrical drive units, which have a very high degree of efficiency," explains Valeska Haux, marketing manager at Multivac. "One effect of this is the comparatively low operating costs for the customer. Costs of putting the machine into service are significantly lower than with comparable models, where companies have to invest in additional compressed air and water connections."

For the medical industry, the company offers its R 145 thermoforming machine, which is said to be the smallest model in this machine category, specially developed for the pharmaceutical and medical industries. Due to the wide selection of the available dies and its modular construction, the R 145 can be extended very easily and flexibly, which means that it can be adapted to the requirements of different products, according to the company.

Blow-fill-seal
Blow-fill-seal (BFS) manufacturers such as Rommelag and Automatic Liquid Packaging Solutions (ALPS) have seen increasing demand for their machines for respiratory and ophthalmic drug packaging, as well as growing applications such as oral products, in vitro test diluents, vaccines, liquid antibiotics and IV solutions.

These machines usually operate in the 0.1-500ml range. Advantages include very high speed production - for smaller volume packs, up to 30,000 units per hour can be produced. In addition, complete control over container stocks, flexible or customised container design with no capping equipment usually required, in a totally sterile environment, can be achieved.

Rommelag has recently launched a new generation of (BFS) Bottelpack machines and enhanced its BFS 4010M aseptic machine for producing ampoules made from PP with calibrated Luer connection. All the movements are electrically controlled via servomotors. No hydraulic system is installed, but one could be fitted on request.

The machine features a separate punch unit and can be prepared to produce bottles or ampoules of various shapes and sizes. These can be made from LDPE, HDPE or PP material and with different types of closures such as twist-off, KME, Eurohead and others.

Bottelpack machines are constructed in a modular design. They are equipped with an integrated class A (US Class 100) space at the point of fill. The machines can be constructed as a dark/white side design, separating the fill area from the mechanical side. They are equipped with fully integrated CIP/SIP. Rommelag is certified to the new German standard DIN EN ISO 9001:2000.

US exponent of blow-fill-seal ALPS sees a growing demand in the sector for nutraceuticals and biologics in plastics containers. The company also believes multiple product configurations in one machine, such as its 5/10/15ml multi-dose model with metered dispensing, are going to become the standard requirement. The machine can also produce and fill 0.2ml vials for unit dose eye-drops.

Single-serve security
Combi Predis technology from Sidel combines bottle blow moulding, filling and capping in a single system. The technology ensures high standards of hygiene, as dry decontamination guarantees 100% sterilisation without hygienic rinsing, as required by traditional filling methods. This procedure is said to offer increased cost-effectiveness together with high product quality and environmental benefits due to water savings and minimised amounts of chemicals used, the company says.

In 2012, Sidel introduced a high speed version of its Combi Predis FMa, dedicated to single-serve bottles. The equipment is capable of handling up to 48,000 bottles/hour for small containers of up to 700ml, used mainly for on-the-go consumption products such as teas, juices, nectars and isotonics. It is ideal for markets that require high output and for countries where water resources are scarce, according to the manufacturer.

The technology replaces bottle rinsing by dry preforms decontamination using hydrogen peroxide. Because Predis dry solution does not require any water and creates no effluent, savings of 250m³ of water and 200 litres of chemicals can be achieved, compared with traditional machines - as well as cutting annual operating costs by a claimed 30%. Since bottles are blown from decontaminated preforms, the empty container does not undergo any thermal stress and can be given any shape and design.

Speedy blister packing
The early blister machines, the first invented by Hassia, were quite slow, but quickly were able to produce more than 400 blisters/min. Modern machine requirements must match speed and flexibility, with fully integrated systems combining the blister and a cartoner module in a line less than 10m in length. Double-lane operation simplifies fast format changeovers while constant processing times during forming and sealing ensure consistently high blister quality.

The increasing pack diversity and numerous pack sizes required by the pharmaceutical sector demand machines that can be adjusted to different formats quickly and easily. It is also necessary to meet the increasingly tough requirements of regulatory authorities, yet keep within tight budget limits.

Uhlmann's response is the Blister Express Center 500. Introduced in 2012, the system is an integrated line for the packaging of solid dose products with an output of up to 500 blisters and 250 or 500 cartons/min.

This machine combines a blister and a cartoner module, processes all standard solid dose products and types of forming material, and allows fast format changeovers in just 30min, says the company. Servodrives are separate and can be controlled individually for each station.

As a result, constant process times are achieved during forming and sealing, irrespective of the number of cycles. This ensures consistently high blister quality.

Customers can choose between rotary and platen sealing. Rotary sealing handles all types of forming materials and is ideal for standard blisters, while platen sealing is particularly suitable for the processing of special lid materials as well as peel or peel-push blisters.

Container variety
While blister packs vary in size and configuration, the shape is essentially uniform. This is certainly not the case in food and beverage packs, where improvements in machine performance and materials, as well as consumer fashion, have led to an explosion in the variety of products available.

Particular favourites with 'on-the-go' consumers are lidded containers, better described by the US as Clamshells, often used for salads, confectionery and pasta meals. To meet the demands for these and the trays used for ready meals, Kobusch UK, part of Sun Capital Partners, is purchasing five FC 780 IM2 Speedmaster Plus thermoforming machines from Switzerland-based WM Wrapping for delivery in the first half of 2013.

The machines are able to form and cut in-mould and are the latest evolution of electric thermoforming machines, says the company, having maximum tool dimensions of 780x570mm and a maximum forming height positive/negative of 130mm.

Kobusch UK sales director Tony Mitchell, comments: "The versatility these and previous purchases from WM give has helped us move into new areas of thermoforming and given us extra growth".

The machines will be supplied with the latest software to provide automatic setting of the parameters by inputting material type and thickness, mould length and width, product height, and the number of cavities. The machine is then able to generate an optimised automatic cycle.

RPC, which supplies both blow moulded and thermoformed containers, believes that pack design and performance go hand in hand, and new plastics formulations enable the containers to offer enhanced product impact, as well as protection and extended shelf life for some products.

The company's Gent facility recently developed a new lubricant bottle for Wolf Oil Corporation. A lot of effort was spent to obtain the sharp edges which give the bottle a 'trendy' look, and the use of metallic bronze, silver and purple which echo the label design.

By adding a grip handle on the side of the bottle, the range becomes user-friendly, allowing extra support during the emptying of the bottle, says the company. The new range contains Wolf II in 1, 4 and 5-litre sizes in black/blue, and Champion II in 1, 4 and 5-litre, available in silver-grey, bronze and purple. Extra mica (30%) was added to ensure a shiny effect.

In another development RPC Containers, Corby has developed a custom-designed squeezable 300ml bottle for a range of accompaniments from General Mills' market-leading Old El Paso brand.

The multi-layer PP bottle is delivering an ambient shelf life of 18 months for Old El Paso Chunky Salsa, Chunky Guacamole and Soured Cream Topping. It offers a wide decoration area for self-adhesive labels, with colourful graphics and the Old El Paso logo on a yellow background, which complements the colours of the caps to maximise on-shelf presence.

The multi-layer PP structure incorporates a layer of EVOH to provide an effective barrier against oxygen ingress and deliver the required extended shelf life for the products. In addition, the bottles are light-weight and shatterproof, offering particular benefits for foodservice environments.

Integrated and sustainable future
As the need to reduce energy, water and material use are likely only to increase, and factory owners squeeze space usage to the limit, the development of integrated machines is set to increase for some styles of pack, particularly in the medical arena.

In addition, with new forms of material, particularly bioplastics or compostable formats, proving more machine-friendly, the rigid plastics container of every shape and size is staying ahead of the curve for sustainable and well designed products, to meet the demand for modern, eco-friendly packs.

The tray of the future? A biodegradable barrier tray made from cornstarch, which has been developed by KCC Packaging, will enable retailers to move away from carbon-hungry CPET and aluminium throughout ready meal retail, according to its developer, Kevin Clarke. It was displayed at the recent Pro2Pac exhibition in London.

The sustainable solution is ovenable, microwaveable and compostable, and according to Clarke, does the same job on the same equipment as the trays that are currently in use. It has been tested for durability, wet strength and effectiveness in cooking.

A key driver for the first supermarket to change to the new method will be from the finance department rather than the packaging department, according to KCC. This pack has the ability to reduce the number of carbon credits an organisation needs to purchase; and ready meal packaging is currently a large negative on the green balance sheet.

www.k-c-c.co.uk www.alp-solutions.com
www.multivac.com
www.oystar-group.com
www.rommelag.com
www.rpc-group.com
www.sidel.com
www.uhlmann.de
www.wm-thermoforming.com








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