packaging mea - may 2014

‘In graphics and supply chain management... globalisation can be less straightforward’ Wayne Peachey (page 34)

Comexi is focusing on Saudi Arabia, followed by Iran, after tying up with ACIS to ensure support in the Kingdom, where it sees a chance for flexo to take on gravure. 10

Workz is set to expand from its telecoms niche through the cutting-edge technology of its Gulf facility, where it tracks 5 billion variable data records each year. 24

Dubai Exports is hosting a dedicated pavilion at Interpack and holding ‘matchmaking’ events to open up the UAE’s potential in the packaging sector. 60

Lipton is aiming to make its packaging increasingly sustainable, reveals Muzaffer Tanyer of Unilever, who also sees a growing role for flexible polymers in his segment. 40

Gulf plastics primed for growth‘The future of the GCC’s plastic industry lies in the hands of plastic converters’Dr Abdulwahab Al Sadoun, secretary-general of the Gulf Petrochemicals & Chemicals Association (GPCA) (page 50)

w w w . p a c k a g i n g m e a . c o m vol 3, issue 2. april-may 2014

news | technology | business | reports | events | more...

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SUPERIOR IN WORKMANSHIP, TECHNOLOGY AND PERFORMANCE

www.bobst.com

CL 850D

Rotomec4003MP

BOBST’s comprehensive range of gravure printing presses, laminating machines and extrusion coating & laminating production lines are focused on providing the converter with distinctive competitive advantage through equipment best performance. Innovative, proven technologies that are effective in reducing downtime,waste, and the environmental impact to unprecedented levels, whilst enablingconverters to produce superior quality printed and laminated flexible materials.

Rotomec

Interpack | 8 – 14 May 2014 | Düsseldorf | Germany | Hall 8A - Stand C15

Editorial comment

Once again, I am looking forward to meeting many of you at Dusseldorf. It is always a tremendous pleasure to mix with the region’s dynamic professionals and entrepreneurs at events like Interpack.

And this year, the tradeshow is set to host a particularly strong contingent from the Gulf, given the energetic involvement of Dubai Exports (see page 60).

But this is just one of several organisations spotlighted in this issue as working to fulfil the potential of the Middle East and Africa’s packaging sector. On the cover, for instance, we feature Dr Abdulwahab Al Sadoun, secretary-general of the Gulf Petrochemicals & Chemicals Association (GPCA), also set on spurring the development of converters.

Meanwhile, VDMA, an association for German machinery makers, has its sights firmly set on Africa’s burgeoning packaging sector, which they aim to help develop through machinery exports (see page 14).

Individual companies are taking bold moves into new markets too. Comexi, for instance, is eyeing not only Saudi Arabia but Iran as its key targets for this year (see page 10).

It all goes to show, perhaps, how swiftly the industry will change over the next few years. As the global economy picks up, the battleground will shift from keeping costs and margins in line to fending off competitors.

At the same time, technologies will be tussling fiercely over markets – with flexo looking to wrest market share from gravure, offset eyeing flexo’s niche, and digital snapping at everyone’s heels.

This issue, you will find news items have been grouped and labelled according to both materials and technologies. I am confident this will help you find the stories and features that interest you most.

But in this fast-evolving world of packaging, please don’t overlook the sections that might currently look irrelevant. For who knows what the future might hold?

Benjamin DanielChief Editor

Piers Grimley EvansEditor

In pursuit of new markets

© copyright 2014 PMEAAll rights reserved. While the publishers have made every effort to ensure the accuracy of all information in this magazine, they will not be held responsible for any errors therein.

Published by JJ Media Fz LLC

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Chief Editor Benjamin Daniel

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EditorPiers Grimley Evans

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Technology EditorDeb Debabrata

Contributing EditorsDr George Simonian

Nick Coombes

Wayne Peachey

Marketing ManagerJill Smith

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printed by Emirates Printing Press, Dubai, UAE

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3april-may 2014

Nick CoombesContributing Editor

Wayne PeacheyContributing Editor

Usha BenjaminPublisher

Jill SmithMarketing Manager

Usha BenjaminPublisher

Benjamin DanielChief Editor

Piers Grimley EvansEditor

Deb DebabatraTechnology Editor

Dr George SimonianTechnology Editor

SUPERIOR IN WORKMANSHIP, TECHNOLOGY AND PERFORMANCE

www.bobst.com

CL 850D

Rotomec4003MP

BOBST’s comprehensive range of gravure printing presses, laminating machines and extrusion coating & laminating production lines are focused on providing the converter with distinctive competitive advantage through equipment best performance. Innovative, proven technologies that are effective in reducing downtime,waste, and the environmental impact to unprecedented levels, whilst enablingconverters to produce superior quality printed and laminated flexible materials.

Interpack | 8 – 14 May 2014 | Düsseldorf | Germany | Hall 8A - Stand C15

Contents

1013

16

45

48

40

33

60

4 april-may 2014

Speedmaster. Unbeatable.

While others talk, we print. Use your smartphone or tablet

to download the free app at SpeedmasterUnbeatable.com

and scan the gray area on the left. Find out more from

Heidelberg:

www.SpeedmasterUnbeatable.com

Heidelberg Middle East FZCOP.O.Box 34133 • Dubai • UAE • Phone +971 4 347 77 20 • www.heidelberg.com

Speedmaster.Unbeatable.

NewsFlexible packaging 6-15

Ajanta Packaging, Bobst, Comexi, DuPont, Equate,

Nampak Flexible, Positive Packaging, Taghleef Industries,

Technovaa Industries, Uniplast, Uteco, VDMA

Labelling 16-23

Ajanta Packaging, FIG, Fujifilm, Future Card, Gidue, Goss,

Omet, Raqam International, UPM Raflatac, Vinsak

Premedia & prepress 26-27

Color-Logic, Esko, Kodak, NDigitec

Digital labelling 28-31

Durst, Fujifilm, Heidelberg, Konica Minolta, Mark Andy,

Ricoh, Xaar, Xeikon

Design 32-33

Coca-Cola, Frigoglass, Kraft, Plastique, NDigitec, X60

Cartons 36-39

Afra, Al Alef, Mohr, Sappi, Sun Pharma, Tetra Pak

Plastics 42-49

Borouge, Dow Chemicals, Dubai Exports, Goplasticpallets, GPCA,

Muntajat, Octal, Piovan, Shöttli-Husky, Sidel, SIPA, SMI, Sojitz

Environment 52-53

Afra, Al Alef, Manjushree, Mondi, Sidel

Corrugated 54-55

Europac, Fefco, Mondi, Smurfit Kappa

Metal 56-57

Crown Food, KBA, Metpack, Unilever

Events 58-62

Arabia Mold, Heidelberg, Interpack, KBA, KSA, Middle East Pack,

PlastiCon, Plastivision Arabia, Print Pack Arabia, WTME

BusinessUnilever 40

Lipton packaging boss shares his priorities for the region.

GPCA 50

Gulf petrochemicals manufacturers plan for growth.

Cosmetics 64

Technologies that take care of luxury and the environment.

Technology Workz 24

A unique high-tech setup wins over the telecoms sector.

Graphics workflows 34

Globalised production calls for new software tools.

AppointmentsManagement updates 66

Arburg, FFEI, Flint, Kodak, QuadTech, RotoMetrics

Speedmaster. Unbeatable.

While others talk, we print. Use your smartphone or tablet

to download the free app at SpeedmasterUnbeatable.com

and scan the gray area on the left. Find out more from

Heidelberg:

www.SpeedmasterUnbeatable.com

Heidelberg Middle East FZCOP.O.Box 34133 • Dubai • UAE • Phone +971 4 347 77 20 • www.heidelberg.com

Speedmaster.Unbeatable.

News flexible

6 april-may 2014

UAE Bobst gravure printing and laminating equipment have been chosen by Positive Packaging for its greenfield production site in Ras Al Khaimah (RAK).

In the UAE, the company already operates at sites in Dubai and Sharjah.

Positive Packaging is part of the Enpee Group, an international conglomerate that provides a one-stop source for printed and laminated barrier-grade flexible packaging materials, with facilities in India, Nigeria and the UAE. The company took delivery early this year of a Rotomec 4003MP gravure printing press, as well as a CL 850D multi-technology laminator and a SL 1000 solventless laminator.

For gravure printing operations, Positive Packaging opted for a 10-colour Rotomec 4003MP. The Rotomec 4003MP press has a number of technical solutions to enable it to operate cost-effectively. Superior print quality with minimum levels of waste are guaranteed by the register controls of the HDI system that integrates the press electronic shaft.

Positive Packaging has also equipped its new press with the TAPS system as well as Bobst fully automatic pre-register setting system.

The investment included two Bobst duplex laminators. A CL 850D multi-technology laminator is the second such machine acquired by Positive Packaging for its UAE operations. The laminator has been supplied with dedicated trolleys to handle solvent-based, solventless and water-based adhesives. It also features the Bobst Registron system for in-register cold seal coating and other in-register applications, providing additional capabilities to run specialised products in the most cost-efficient way.

The waste during the process is minimised as the system verifies immediately that the coating application has been done properly.

The SL 1000 is a laminator dedicated to solventless applications. The Bobst

solventless system is designed to ensure great homogeneity of coating thickness, as well as accurate adhesive coating deposition during acceleration and deceleration.

“As packaging structures become increasingly sophisticated, we aim to produce innovative solutions in a cost-efficient manner by fully utilising the capabilities of Bobst,” said Pranesh Kankanwadi, group managing director, Positive Packaging.

The RAK factory currently houses the Rotomec 4003MP and the CL 850 and SL laminators. A second Rotomec 4003MP gravure press has been ordered. The facility has been built to house additional printing and converting equipment to meet an expected growth in demand.

Positive Packaging picks Bobst at RAK

Positive Packaging has already ordered a second 4003MP press

Rotomec 4003MP gravure press to run at greenfield site

Taghleef Industries has agreed to acquire Derprosa Film from 3i Group, Baring and other minority shareholders. The transaction, approved by the Board of Directors of Taghleef Industries and Derprosa Film, is expected to close by the end of April, 2014. The business has been strengthened with a new management team during ownership by 3i Group, Baring Private Equity and other shareholders. This team has restructured the business and focused on international expansion and developing high-margin products. Today, Derprosa Film is one of the worldwide leading suppliers of specialty films for graphic arts applications for luxury packaging and a leading supplier of films for flexible packaging converters in Spain. “Once [it is] part of the Ti Group, Derprosa Film will have access to resources deployed on all continents and will be able to accelerate the penetration of a set of very innovative technologies,” said Detlef Schuhmann, CEO of Ti Group. Maite Ballester, managing director at 3i Spain, said: “We have worked with the management team to accelerate the business by focusing on product development and entering new markets. In the last four years alone, the company has developed and launched more than 14 products and it also has a strong pipeline of products to launch.”

Commitment to the innovation

Polígon industrial de Girona - Avinguda Mas Pins, 13517457 Riudellots de la Selva. GIRONA (Spain) Tel. +34 972 477 744 Fax +34 972 477 384 [email protected]

Our mission is to offer global solutions for a world with greater needs regarding flexibility and efficiency, as well as make a huge effort in providing the best services for accessibility and easy maintenance of our products.

Our commitment to innovation, based on research and technological develop-ment, allows us to offer cutting-edge, reliable and high-level performance products.

Our commitment is also to knowledge. The Manel Xifra Boada Technological Centre has the objective of being the benchmark in the flexible packaging industry as a key driver of knowledge. Opened in 2013 as an independent body, it is focused on training and academic activities, consultancy and innovation develop-ment.

www.comexigroup.com






www.comexigroup.com

6 april-may 2014

Positive Packaging picks Bobst at RAK






www.comexigroup.com






www.comexigroup.com

News flexible

8 april-may 2014

KSA Polyethylene (PE)-film manufacturer Uniplast has adopted a lean manufacturing approach by implementing a new automation system at its Jeddah-based plant.

Staying up-to-date with technological advances in machinery, Uniplast has fully automated production on PE stretch film cast lines.

The fully automated system increases production speed, reduces waste, and ensures high-quality stretch films, according to Uniplast. The system also secures employee safety and improves efficiency by transferring workers to other sections in the plant.

Uniplast operations manager Wissam Akiki said: “As technology advances in this world, we can no longer afford but to keep up with the growing trends.

“It is wisely said, the first rule of any technology used in a business is that automation applied to an efficient operation will magnify the efficiency. The second is that automation applied to an inefficient operation will magnify the inefficiency.

“As such, and since automation demands efficiency, Uniplast has worked on setting and upgrading production standards along with the necessary team of professionals to pave the way for the integration of a fully automated production line.

“This achievement will drive Uniplast towards a leaner operation to tackle the growing challenge of workforce in Saudi Arabia whilst focusing on the importance of having a highly qualified calibre.”

Under the automation system, the central feeding system cuts raw material bags and feeds raw material automatically into machines. Once PE stretch film rolls pass through the manufacturing

process, the machines directly transfer them to the automatic palletiser, which lines them on pallets, with the help of the robotic arm, and wraps the pallet with PE stretch film.

Napco Area General Manager Jihad Frem said: “Lean manufacturing is about reducing non-value added activities or as the Japanese call it ‘muda’ or waste. These two automated processes have helped Uniplast eliminate manual activities of opening raw material bags and wrapping goods, thus allowing reduction in manual labour and more focus on the manufacturing process and its quality”.

Established in 2008, Napco Packaging Systems (Uniplast) manufactures high-quality co-extruded PE packaging and films, such as refuse sacks, manual stretch film, machine stretch film, food storage bags and disposable table covers for the consumer retail market, institutional away-from-home and industrial sectors in Europe, Middle East and Africa.

Uniplast employs 320 people and operate a manufacturing plant in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, that occupies an area of 30,500m2 with a production capacity of 44,000 tonnes of PE films and compound filler additives per year.

Uniplast automates PE film production Stretch film cast lines overhauled in plant at Jeddah

Uniplast is tackling the ‘growing challenge’ of securing personnel

Ajanta Packaging has opened a label factory in Thailand. The Indian label printer already has plants operating in India and the UAE but the company sees Thailand as offering opportunity for further growth. The facility in Amata City started production in February 2014, and features a Nilpeter FB-3300 flexo combination press bought at Labelexpo Europe. The Nilpeter press is a highly customised 10-colour press with features such as gravure, hot foil, cold foil, and screen printing. The plant will allow for Ajanta Packaging to grow, although managing director Chandan Khanna has not ruled out the possibility of buying more land in the area. Growing at 15-20% yearly, Ajanta Packaging is looking at various areas within India and other countries for further expansion in 2015.

Equate Petrochemical Company, based in Kuwait, announced a net profit of $1.245bn for the fiscal year ending 31 December 2013, up 14% on $1.09bn in 2012. Last year also brought the launch of a polyethylene (PE) plant debottlenecking project, expected to complete during 2015 to raise capacity to 825,000 tonnes annually while increasing production for products of ethylene, polyethylene and ethylene glycol.

8 april-may 2014

News flexible

10 april-may 2014

UAE In the Middle East, Comexi has set its sights this year on Saudi Arabia and Iran, says regional sales manager Carlos Rodrigues.

But he sees the firm’s Middle East market as growing “in terms of quality” rather than volume, he told Packaging MEA.

“The Middle East market is getting mature and printers and converters for packaging are looking for high-quality CI presses and we are glad that we are market leaders in CI flexo technology,” he said.

In Saudi Arabia and the Gulf the firm has seen “serious enquiries” that could soon result in sales, he added. “We have made specific focus to Saudi Arabia to target the customers much more than before,” he said. “Also we are going to have our own local service there wherein we have trained ACIS engineers in Saudi Arabia to give 365-day tech support to our customers.”

Besides Saudi, Comexi’s “main focus for the Middle East” would be Iran, he added. “The government in Iran is opening up for the global market,” he said. “Iran was a huge market in the past. However, due to economic sanctions, the company’s market share reduced year after year.

“But we have started seeing improvements in Iran since last year as things have got better on the economic front and we think

that the Iranian market will grow further. Very soon we are finalising a new agent for Iran.”

In 2013, Comexi installed a top-of-the range Comexi slitter at Saaf Films in Iran, he said. “It’s a Comexi Proslit S1-DT slitter-rewinder with a double turret running at 800m/min, which makes this machine a high-efficiency production slitter for short and medium runs,” said Rodrigues.

In Pakistan, Comexi sold seven presses last year, following three insallations in 2012, when it arrived in the market. “This shows that Pakistan is a fast-growing market,” he said.

For Rodrigues, the company can establish its niche as “the mother of quality in flexo printing”.

“In my opinion there are three levels of CI press manufacturers – for the top of the range we

have three manufacturers in this category and we happen to be one of them,” he said.

He also sees an opportunity for flexo to take market share from gravure in Saudi Arabia and other Gulf countries through improved quality, largely related to prepress

“Apart from Pakistan, where the technology is almost 100% gravure, for the rest of the Middle East flexo is clearly growing fast and in Saudi I am sure that flexo is more common than gravure in terms of new machinery by far,” he said.

“With respect to this we have developed the Comexi technology centre two years back... Here we work very closely with all our suppliers for anilox, plates, inks.... to help our customers to improve quality by working in the flexo packaging prepress as a whole not just the working of the machine.”

Comexi ties with ACIS in Saudi expansion

Rodrigues: Middle East packagers looking for ‘high-quality CI’

Local service staff to enable sales push into the Kingdom

Technovaa Industries has started manufacturing stretch films. Having established itself as a supplier of speciality technical films in the blown and cast process, the company has installed stretch film production machinery at its plant in DIP (Dubai Investment Park). Technovaa claims its output/hour now makes it one of the region’s largest producers of stretch film. Technovaastretch is an international registered brand with present production capacity in excess of 30,000 tonnes annually. Technovaa sees its focus as giving its customer the right quality, service and above all a competitive price. Varying from industry to industry, Technovaastretch provides tailormade solutions for each industry to give “maximum output” with minimum wastage and better quality. Utilising a unique, specialised “cast” production technology and only virgin raw materials, Technovaastretch films guarantee lower consumption of material and obtain higher mechanical resistance, according to the company. With Technovaastretch films companies can save more than 15% to 20% per unit thereby reducing packing cost and raising output per application, said the firm. A test certificate with each delivery for quality and raw materials is a guarantee of Technovaastretch being the optimal stretch film product.

DÜSSELDORF, GERMANY

08 TO 14 MAY 2014

10 april-may 2014

Saudi plastic fears easeMinistry rejects media health scare over plastic packaging for food

KSA The Ministry of Municipal and Rural Affairs will not ban plastic packages for food materials and plastic carry-home bags as there is no evidence that they are harmful, according to a statement from the ministry.

“Research agencies have not come up with any evidence of the hazards of using plastic packaging for food materials,” read the statement. The ministry sought the advice of research agencies such as the Saudi Standards Specifications and Quality Organization, the General Authority for Food and Drugs, College of Food and Agricultural Sciences at the King Saud University and the King Abdulaziz City for Science and Technology (KACST).

The College of Food and Agricultural Sciences and the KACST said that it was difficult to determine the harm in the use of plastic packages for bottling and preservation of food materials as it required knowledge of the precise amount of time it takes for any harmful element to pass from the plastic substance to the food material, according to media reports.

The Food and Drugs Authority told the ministry it was taking steps to update 1863/2008 Gulf Statutes on plastic packaging so it can be supplied to the ministry.

Plastic companies and food manufacturers had feared a ban on plastic food packages and bags following reports of their harmful effects on human health. A source at the Kingdom’s plastic manufacturing sector was reported as saying that manufacturers had prepared plans to face any ban on their products.

Health concerns have also arisen recently with plastic packaging over the effects of bisphenol A (BPA). Some research has linked BPA with an increased possibility of contracting cancer.

Canada, the US and the EU have already banned the use of BPA in baby bottles. The European Food Safety Authority has also called for the reduction of BPA use by a factor of 10. In the Gulf, Dubai Municipality has reportedly considered addressing fears over BPA by imposing restrictions on its use.

EXTRUSION | PRINTING | CONVERTING

Bagging resin pellets: Want to leave the competition in the dust?

Authorities found no ‘evidence of hazards for food materials’

News flexible

12 april-may 2014

Bobst’s Africa roadshow starts at Lagos Swiss converting giant hosts 100 Nigerian packagers

Nigeria The inaugural conference of the Africa Packaging Roadshow 2014 initiated by Bobst, Switzerland, together with world-leading industry partners was held at the Sheraton Hotel in Lagos, Nigeria, on 11-12 February 2014.

More than a hundred delegates from the Nigerian packaging industry attended the two-day conference, which focused on the latest innovations in flexible and carton packaging solutions along the packaging supply chain, from raw materials to finished products.

Eric Pavone, business director for web-fed, said Bobst has important customers in Nigeria with “a number of Bobst gravure printing, laminating and metallising machine installations for converting flexible materials”.

“Nigeria is a very dynamic market with flexible packaging demand growth consistently averaging 12% over the past few years, so we are obviously very pleased with the response

from the local industry to our initiative and the level of participation,” he said.

Speakers at the conference included Bobst product line managers and partners from world-leading equipment and consumables manufacturing companies such as Coim, Daetwyler Graphics and Daetwyler SwissTec, Euroink and Inci-Flex, Gascogne Laminates, Heinzel-Sales, KBA, Kodak, Lemo Maschinenbau, Rossini and Atlas Converting.

The conference guest speaker from Nestlé CWA completed the industry overview from the brand owners’ perspective with a presentation on packaging needs and trends in West Africa.

In addition to the more technically oriented focus on solutions to drive innovation through the supply chain, the conference also aimed to provide a valuable networking opportunity. Local printing, converting and packaging company executives met with representatives of financial

institutions and members of the press.

The event was also attended by the general secretary of the Nigeria Institute of Packaging, an organisation providing access to a vast network of technical information.

Samir Khoudja, managing director of Bobst Africa & Middle East, introduced Bobst solutions for folding carton and corrugated board. “People are looking for innovative solutions in order to be able to enter new markets early and keep a step ahead of the competition,” he said.

South Africa, Kenya and Algeria are the next venues of the Bobst & Partners Africa Roadshow 2014 agenda, said Pavone. “I think that together with the industry partners that joined us in the conference, we succeeded in presenting the way forward for the optimisation of the packaging chain in the region and also in strengthening the local contact network,” he said.

�e inaugural roadshow combined technical presentations with networking opportunities

South Africa Nampak Flexible, a leading flexible packaging company in Africa, worked with US breakfast cereal giant Kellogg’s in an initiative to introduce cereal in flexible quad seal bags (QSBs) in South Africa.

Kellogg’s brands have since gained sales and remained market share leaders, said the manufacturing firm.

Nampak Flexible offered Kellogg’s an integrated solution, supplying laminated reel-fed material to the customers’ automatic form-fill-seal machines where fillers form a reel into the bag, fill the formed bag with product and seal it closed.

This material can be printed in full-colour flexographic or roto gravure to provide maximum on-shelf appeal.

Kellogg’s has taken Corn Flakes and Bran Flakes into QSBs and is looking to launch other brands in the same packaging. QSBs are designed to offer better functionality and dynamic, eye-catching packaging for products in-store. The format gives a square box type appearance and allows products to stand up on shelves for point-of-sale appeal.

By standing rigid, QSBs prevent the product from being crushed. Four surface areas also offer a larger communication surface, with the square shape of the bag providing excellent space utilisation for retailers. The pack has enhanced high colour, metallised laminate on-pack branding, which due to the stand-up feature and flat ‘fold over bottom’ provides superior in-store merchandising and branding.

The stand-up bag eliminates the need for the box and uses less material than the bag-in-box style, cutting waste and ensuring consumers have access to key nutrition information.

12 april-may 2014

Uteco to sell Thallo web offset short-run presses Partnership deal with DG MachineS

Italy Uteco Group and DG press MachineS, a sister company from DG press ServiceS, have agreed to both sell and market the new Thallo web offset printing press for flexible and paper packaging.

Thallo has been developed to “address the challenges and limitations that hold back mainstream use of web offset by package printers”, said Uteco.

The Thallo comes in web widths of 20.5in, 33.5in and 41.5in (520mm, 850mm and 1,050mm) with repeat lengths from 16in to 30in (406mm to 762mm), and can handle papers and films of 10-200µ. The Thallo is modular and can be configured according to customer’ needs.

The Thallo will be demonstrated in the DG press MachineS factory in Hall, the Netherlands, during an open house at the end of 2014. The Thallo will be officially launched at Drupa 2016. A Thallo printing deck was shown at Labelexpo Europe 2013.

Uteco Group, which reported 30% growth in 2013, is investing in plants in Italy and abroad, in human resources and in many research and development programmes in all sectors of the printing and converting industries. In these development plans, further implementation of web offset technology is a priority.

Under the terms of the new agreement, the two companies will share their expertise, resources and technologies to provide printers of flexible packaging worldwide with an option for high-quality, short-run flexible packaging.

DG press ServiceS Director Peter Kloppers said: “We formed this partnership with Uteco to increase our ability to offer the press worldwide.

“Uteco, a worldwide leader in all printing technologies such as flexo, hybrid flexo with inkjet, gravure and web offset, has strong market knowledge and a strong foot in the market which we want to pursue.

“Besides this, Uteco will complement the Thallo web offset printing press with dedicated flexo and rotogravure units.”

�allo: tackles limitations that ‘hold back’ web offset in packaging

TOPAS SL• Fills up to 2,600 bags/h• Exceptional access to interior• Lowest maintenance requirements• Revolutionary user panel concept

Come see the TOPAS SL live at interpack!Hall 15, Stand C41.

EXTRUSION | PRINTING | CONVERTING

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You can. With the fastest FFS machine on the market:

News flexible

14 april-may 2014 15april-may 2014

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ThermoFlexX 80Unique combination of Cost

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“Where Innovation meets Customer intimacy”

Nigeria German engineering firms are being spurred to seek out opportunities in markets such as Nigeria and South Africa by the VDMA trade group.

VDMA President Reinhold Festge told Reuters in April that demand for food and packaging machines is driving German firms’ sales in Africa.

Sales of German-made equipment to Africa rose by 11% to total €4.4bn ($6.1bn) over last year.

But he cautioned that many German manufacturers remain wary of doing business in the continent. “Eighty percent of all VDMA member companies have fewer than 200 employees. We cannot expect that they will go to Africa at their own expense and risk,” he said.

VDMA, which represents more than 3,000 mainly small and medium-sized companies, is working with the German government to find ways to help firms invest in Africa.

A McKinsey report forecasts that consumer spending in Africa is poised to top $1.4trn in 2015, up from just $860m in 2008.

For German engineering firms, South Africa remains the biggest market but Festge sees potential for growth in countries such as Algeria, Kenya and Nigeria.

Last year VDMA conducted a fact-finding tour to Nigeria, where the association found that the important value chains are the cultivation, processing and marketing of rice, potatoes and oilseeds, and food processing in general.

However, the country also offers opportunities through

areas such as food fortification – the enrichment of foods with vitamins and minerals – said the association.

VDMA’s delegation visited nine medium-sized and large Nigerian companies from the sectors of processing and packaging of dairy products, drinks, water and juices, cooking oil, cocoa and cocoa products, flour and pasta, meat products, and pharmaceutical products.

Working mostly with the latest technology, these companies had also mainly introduced hygiene and quality management systems, according to the VDMA’s report.

The group also found that government programmes to provide the general public with vitamin- or mineral-fortified staple foods appear to be unnecessary in Nigeria.

Almost all of the visited companies automatically produce low-cost fortified products to make their own contribution in the fight against malnutrition, said the VDMA.

“All company representatives shared a very positive view on the expectations set in the growing strength of Nigeria’s food markets,” said the VDMA in an online account of the visit last year.

“The number of supermarkets is increasing, and the demand of a growing middle class is rising noticeably. The companies all share the aim to expand their production capacity and also to introduce new products, e.g. in the snack and convenience food sector. As a result, the demand for the machinery and equipment needed for this development is expected to be high.”

German kit makers eye Africa market

German association is seeking help from its government in bringing firms to do business in Africa

VDMA trade group highlights 11% rise in machine sales

VDMA is to hold a free symposium on 2 June at Lagos

The Food Processing and Packaging Machinery Association of VDMA, the German Engineering Federation, is organising a free event at the Eko Hotel in Lagos on 2 June.

A one-day conference with presentations from association representatives and German firms will run alongside an exhibition featuring German engineering companies. While attendance is free, participants are requested to complete and return a registration form by 16 May.

The event’s local organisers are the Delegation of German Industry and Commerce in Nigeria (AHK Nigeria) and the Nigerian German Business Association (NGBA).

Richard Clemens, managing director of VDMA Food Processing and Packaging Machinery Association, will speak at the seminar along with Martina Claus, consultant, VDMA Food Processing and Packaging Machinery Association; Reiner Brambach, director sales and design, EnviroChemie; Arnd Busch, marketing manager/business development and marketing, GEA Westfalia Separator Group; Ulrich Kreimeyer, director marketing and sales support, Loesch Verpackungstechnik; Gerhard Lapp, VP sales and marketing, Poly-clip System; Olaf Wehrstedt, director sales, Robert Bosch Packaging Technology; Mark Wild, sales manager, FAWEMA.

For more information, contact Mrs Debra Egemba at [email protected] or on +234 1 2700747.

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“Where Innovation meets Customer intimacy”

Nigeria DuPont recently held a food packaging seminar in Lagos to help West African companies access the most up-to-date techniques in packaging.

More than 100 professionals attended the one-day event at Protea Hotel, Ikeja, according to DuPont. Aimed at developing the manufacturing sector, the seminar provided an opportunity for experts to evaluate the latest innovations, technologies and trends in food packaging under the theme ‘Building the future of Packaging Together in Nigeria’.

Seydou Kane, country manager for DuPont Nigeria, stressed that food, energy and the protection of people and the environment are priority areas for DuPont.

While the global population is set to grow from 7 billion today to 9 billion in 2050,a third of all global food production is currently wasted, he said. “The improvement of packaging quality in particular may play a significant role in preventing this considerably high quantity of food waste.”

Lukas Bartek, DuPont regional manager for packaging and industrial polymers, ECEMEA, told the seminar that 1.3 million tons of food is wasted each year from field to fork. He highlighted savings through DuPont’s packaging solutions and spoke on DuPont’s “multi-dimensional approach in sustainability”.

DuPont Packaging Market Development Manager, EMEA,

Juergen Becker, spoke on “packaging industry innovation” and said Nigeria could take up a leadership role, setting and informing trends in its sub-region.

Reifenhauser-Kiefel’s area sales director, A Menhart, spoke on developments in packaging film production technology.

Eugene Atte, Central and West

Africa regional packaging manager for Nestlé underscored the growth of Nigeria’s packaging industry. “The event provided us a vastly fruitful platform to evaluate the developments in the sector,” he said. “We wish to see increasing numbers of similar events that contribute to the progress of the packaging industry.”

DuPont executives see Nigeria as able to lead sub-region trends

DuPont hosts Lagos techniques in packaging seminarFirm stresses its ‘multi-dimensional’ sustainability in food packaging

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16 april-may 2014

UAE Sharjah-based Future Card has installed what it describes as the Gulf’s first Kodak Approval half-tone digital proofing system.

Future Card CEO Ayhan Yalcintas told Packaging MEA that “the concern of matching intricate colours is a thing of the past”.

“The Kodak approval is up-and-running with production,” he said. “We have already supplied more than 20 client proofs and all of them are very happy with the consistency, reliability and faithfulness of the colours simulated in the approval system when compared to the final print on the press.”

The Approval is especially useful in packaging applications because it is possible to transfer the images to so many of the different substrates used in the packaging industry, he added. “The white donor is a critical tool in replicating packaging printing that will be applied to clear packaging,” he said. “The adjustable laydown order allows exact representation of the prepress shop’s most difficult print jobs such as package labels and lottery cards where white or silver is required on the top and bottom.

“Often customers want three-dimensional mock-ups of the actual package. This could be cardboard, metal – such as aluminium pop can – glass, plastic, shrink wrap, etc. Approval proofs are highly effective for these applications.”

Kodak Approval enables Future

Card to supply digital colour proofs faster than the high-end digital inkjet proofing systems previously used. “This has helped us in utilising our printing machines more efficiently,” said Yalcintas. “This is because most of our clients are demanding customers with high-quality print finish and packaging and therefore we had previously no option but to use our flexo printing presses as proofing presses in order to match the proof with the final print.”

Pratik Sardesai, marketing manager of Kodak Near East, said: “It’s a win-win for both Kodak and Future card as Kodak we produce technology that meets the needs of our clients”

This was the first packaging deal by Grapholine Trading, Kodak’s newly appointed local distributor for the packaging sector. Its sales manager, Irfan Siddique, said

he is confident that many more installations of the proofer would follow alongside Kodak’s flagship Kodak Flexcel NX system.

Kodak Approval allows control over screen angles, screen ruling, density control per colour, dot gain adjustment and dot shapes. The wide range of colour donors makes it possible to simulate accurately process, corporate, brand, spot and special colours.

Process donors include cyan, magenta, yellow and black. Additional donors orange, green and blue extend the colour gamut. There are two opaque donors: white and metallic. The metallic donor combined with the other colour donors allows for the creation of a wide range of metallic colors such as gold, copper and bronze. This produces special effects not possible with inkjet but now common in packaging.

Future Card gets Kodak Approval proofer Half-tone digital proofing system ‘first in the Gulf region’

Left to right: Irfan Siddique, Ayhan Yalcintas and Prati Sardesai

Omet shared a double stand with South African company Presstec at Label Summit Africa at Cape Town on 10-11 March.

Presstec has already clinched two local orders for XFlex presses, which the firms described as “just the beginning”.

Omet and Presstec are targeting South African converters with the XFlex X4 entry-level press and the newly launched XFlex X6, which features combination flexo/offset with sleeves. Omet’s XFlex X2 mechanical press with servo-assisted infeed, short web path and boosted machine efficiency offers overall savings to lower-budget companies looking for flexibility of processes and simple operation.

Presstec’s owners Antron and Grant Hendricks were trained in Italy and offer expert knowledge of Omet technology. In South Africa, Label Link of Cape Town runs an XFlex X2 and Klint Scales of Durban operates an XFlex X4. Both presses are suited to film packaging printing through chilled drums, reliable cross printing registration and quality accuracy.

Sergio Villa, Omet sales area manager, sees South Africa as a promising market market. “We, in Omet, have the most comprehensive range of presses and the deepest know-how matured in over 50 years of presence in this market,” he said.

DÜSSELDORF, GERMANY

08 TO 14 MAY 2014

16 april-may 2014

News labelling


Ajanta orders Weigang ZM Die-cutting machine for Sharjah plant

UAE After successfully installing a Weigang ZM-320 semi-rotary/rotary die-cutter at its Baddi factory after Labelexpo India 2012, Ajanta Packaging has ordered a similar but feature-rich converting machine from Weigang, which will be commissioned at Ajanta’s Sharjah factory in May.

Weigang ZM series converting machines are driven by Bosch-Rexroth servo systems with repass function, designed for performing UV flexo printing, cold foil stamping, UV varnish, intermittent die-cutting and sheeting in re-register, while lamination and slitting also can be done in-line.

The die-cutting unit works in semi-rotary mode, but for large runs requiring higher speeds it can also be operated in the full rotary mode as well. The waste rewinding system is designed to provide excellent tension to minimise waste matrix breakage.

Available in web width of 320mm and 450mm, the Weigang is an ideal converting and finishing line for serving the multifaceted applications of label converters as well as giving the right converting and finishing solution for users of digital presses.

Ajanta Packaging Managing Director Chandan Khanna said: “We’ve been using Weigang machines across our different locations. We want our machine suppliers to be our partners and Weigang has just been doing that as they provided us the right solution for our current needs.”

Naalin Sharma, director of Global Graphics Machineries, which will be installing the machine, said: “Weigang’s ZM Series machines are one of the most versatile converting machines available in the market, since they can be custom built in 14 different combinations as per customer requirements. Ajanta now has over a dozen Weigang machines and we believe this equipment will be a good value addition to their fleet.”

Mumbai-based Ajanta Packaging started its operations in Daman in 2000. The company now also runs plants in Baddi and Sharjah and is starting label production in Thailand.

Ajanta already operates a similar machine at its plant in Baddi, India

FIG plans office in Dubai Company to split into two to serve India and MEA with separate firms

UAE Flexo Image Graphics (FIG) has announced plans to divide into two companies: Flexo Image Graphics, MEA, to distribute Mark Andy and Rotoflex in the Middle East and Africa; and Flexo Image Graphics, ISC, to represent Mark Andy, Rotoflex, Kluge, Stanford, Multipess, Xeikon and T&P in India and across the Indian sub-continent.

Thomas S Andersen, FIG CEO, said “FIG has proactively managed its portfolio during the last 13 years through one company with its main base in New Delhi. Our decision to restructure into two independent companies is a natural progression of our strategy to cover a larger area for our partners.

“We believe that creating two companies will enable the management of each company to have a greater focus on the success factors in the different territorial areas.”

Flexo Image Graphics, MEA will be run by I M Shelvam, who will be managing director with responsibility for handling sales and customer support in FIG MEA. Plans are under way to open an FIG office in Dubai.

Shelvam has been with FIG for many years, serving in various roles, and this gives him an unsurpassed understanding of all aspects of the converter-supplier relationship, said the company. With this experience, he is in a unique position to add more milestones and more growth in the region.

“In this new role, I will be responsible for all FIG business in the Arab Gulf, as well as in East and West Africa, including sales and aftersales of Mark Andy presses and Rotoflex finishing solutions, both in a direct sales role as well as through the company’s strong distributor network,” said Shelvam.

“I know the challenges are huge but we have strengths and proven capabilities on which we will draw.”

M Shelvam will take on all business in the Gulf plus East and West Africa

Changing colour is as easy as thisDesigned and engineered for maximum productivity with minimum downtime

Manufactured in the UK

www.edale.com

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KSA Raqam International, a Riyadh-based label printer and converter specialised in computer-cut vinyl stickers, signage, retail product labels, barcodes and laser and computer labels, has invested $3.5m to develop its converting lines to serve new markets.

“A-class markets” for labelling – primarily in the food, beverage and pharma labelling sectors – are now a target for the company, said Khalid Aziz Shah, general manager of Raqam Labels and Ribbon Factory.

“Looking at the market growth and demand for high-quality labelling we have invested $3.5m in new equipment and software to enhance our quality and production,” he told Packaging MEA.

“The new buy includes a Nilpeter FA4 press and an AB Graphics slitter/inspection system from Nilpeter Middle East. We have also invested in a Prati Saturn and Prati Jupiter slitting and inspection system from its regional distributor Printech Middle East.”

The new equipment marks a shift in the firm’s strategy in line with its development, he added.

“As we started our company we were targeting low- and medium-level jobs only,” he said. “However, as we have grown in size as well as capacity, we now are also keen to tap high-end labelling jobs.”

Aziz Shah added that the Saudi labelling market would have further potential for growth if restrictions on foreign investment were eased.

“Although we appreciate the Saudi government for providing more relaxed policies for foreign investors like us, the market can grow much bigger and wider – and trade investors from other parts of the globe would be interested to invest in Saudi – if the policies are more favourable,” he said.

Raqam invests $3.5m and targets ‘A-class markets’ Riyadh-based printer/converter eyes food, beverage and pharma labelling

Raqam’s new kit includes a Nilpeter FA4 and an AB Graphics slitter

Changing colour is as easy as thisDesigned and engineered for maximum productivity with minimum downtime

Manufactured in the UK

www.edale.com

News labelling


Gidue instals MX in AlgeriaPress for Concept Emballage follows M5 installation at Imprimerie Harani

Algeria Algiers-based Concept Emballage has invested in a Gidue MX press in a fixed configuration of 370mm width with eight flexographic print units, eight UV lamps, a die-cutting station, cold foil and a full set of printing tools.

Led by general manager Faycal Akouche, Concept Emballage has been working in the labels and packaging industry for many years and has become specialised in producing self-adhesive labels.

“The Gidue MX press has been the best solution for a company like ours,” said Akouche. “We were looking for a press able to print high-quality labels with short set-up times and waste and Gidue provided us exactly what we were looking for.”

Saverio Monopoli, a distributor for Gidue, described the Gidue MX press as “a top entry-level press, that provides high quality results and that no needs great investment in terms of price”. “It is a press dedicated to the production of labels and, thanks to its

short web-path, it minimises the set-up waste while high precision drive-belts guarantee a perfect printing register over time,” he said. “The press requires no maintenance, no operator intervention and no specific greasing.”

In Algeria, Gidue has already installed an M5 servo press at Imprimerie Harani.

Gidue’s MX line is an evolution of the S-Combat, one of the firm’s best selling presses. MX presses combine the latest electronic and SW advances of the ‘upper class’ M1 and M3 models, applying experience from hundreds of installations. The press is designed to print high-quality labels with limited waste and the best Flower printing quality.

Cristina Toffolo, Gidue’s vice-president for marketing, said: “We hope to build a long-terms relationship [with Concept Emballage] based on customer satisfaction and mutual growth in the packaging industry.”

Gidue’s MX line is an evolution of its top-selling S-Combat press

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John likes business growth.He’s kept his flexo print operation at the leading edge by making wise investments in technologies that are guaranteed to improve both his top and bottom line, right out of the gate.

Now John is doing it again.

He saw that Kodak Flexcel NX Plates enable him to do more with less. With a step change in print performance that he can rely on every single day, John can exceed the quality expectations of more clients, with fewer plates, fewer spot color inks, and less press downtime.

John made the shift to Flexcel NX Plates and can rest assured that his business is going to stay at the leading edge, now and in the future.

Learn more at kodak.com/go/flexcelnx

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News labelling


USA Fujifilm has launched Forge Guard, a security label for manufacturers in the garment, machinery and automobile parts industries featuring hidden full-colour images and text.

The range of colours and complex resolutions used in these hidden features makes them “nearly impossible” for counterfeiters to copy, according to Fujifilm Electronic Materials USA.

Superior chemical, heat and water resistance also suits the labels to the auto, garment and industrial machinery sectors, said the manufacturer. “With the rise of global manufacturing, marketing and sales, counterfeiting has become a huge problem, especially for manufacturers throughout the auto parts supply chain and in the garment and machinery industries,” said David Diepholz, senior director, IPD Sales, Fujifilm Electronic Materials USA Inc.

“Often, customers don’t even realise they are buying fakes or gray market items, which means lost sales for genuine products and potential brand damage when the counterfeit doesn’t perform as expected. With full-colour images that are virtually impossible to copy

Full-colour against fakesForge Guard’s hidden image ‘nearly impossible’ to copy, claims Fujifilm

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and remain resilient even when exposed to ultra-high temperatures, washing and outdoor humidity, Forge Guard labels provide a security solution that’s vastly superior to standard hologram technology.”

While the graphic and text is invisible to the naked eye, the product’s authenticity reveals itself instantly when the handheld, proprietary viewer is passed directly over the label. Anyone can verify product authenticity quickly at any time, including mechanics and managers at repair shops, garages or customer service centres, shopkeepers and retail salespeople, distributors, customs officials, warehouse managers and consumers, according to Fujifilm.

Manufacturing Forge Guard requires no expensive initial tooling so customers can order as few as 100,000 labels to start, said Fujifilm. The labels come in configurations for many industries and can be printed as square or round seal labels on a sheet or substrate-roll and bulk rolls, or as rectangular paper labels on rolls.

John likes business growth.He’s kept his flexo print operation at the leading edge by making wise investments in technologies that are guaranteed to improve both his top and bottom line, right out of the gate.

Now John is doing it again.

He saw that Kodak Flexcel NX Plates enable him to do more with less. With a step change in print performance that he can rely on every single day, John can exceed the quality expectations of more clients, with fewer plates, fewer spot color inks, and less press downtime.

John made the shift to Flexcel NX Plates and can rest assured that his business is going to stay at the leading edge, now and in the future.

Learn more at kodak.com/go/flexcelnx

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News labelling

22 april-may 2014

+971 507 276 780

+971 655 78358

[email protected]

www.securityprinting.ae

vinsakme

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Secure Print Equipment Suppliers FZE

High Precision FlatbedDie Cutter

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LSR330

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India At its new facility in Navi Mumbai Vinsak has started manufacturing its own label finishing equipment.

Ranesh Bajaj, director of Creed Engineers, told Packaging MEA that, following two decades of distributing European machines, the firm has now started shipping European-designed machines from its new Navi Mumbai plant.

“We are manufacturing equipments such as slitter rewinders that have a larger domestic market and will soon expand the portfolio with the launch of up to five new products this year under the same agreement,” he said. “The products which are too expensive to manufacture in the UK will be manufactured in India.”

Vinsak has already delivered five LSR300 slitter rewinders made in Mumbai according to an established European design with more than 2,000 installations globally, to clients in Africa, said Bajaj.

“We have got repeated orders for this and are hoping to sell more machines in this current fiscal year,” he said.

“A few months ago, the plant was started in Navi Mumbai and the team has faced various

bottlenecks and challenges but came together to achieve the milestone within a short span of time.”

The LSR300’s design includes a quick makeready rotary scissor slitting unit with knife separation and lateral adjustment.

“We have succeeded in reducing the cost by getting competitive labour at a reasonable cost and volume production,” he said.

A colour touchscreen HMI operator interface enables quick job setups, control of various counting facilities, automatic web advance, taper tension control and end-of-roll features, he said.

“We have also delivered two LVPI 250 and are shipping a couple more in next few months. The equipment is dedicated to presses for printing personalised security labels with variable data printing inspection systems and slitting.

“The components of this press are also imported but final assembling and testing are done in India. We are confident of generating good sales across Europe and other developed markets with it.”

The solution is mostly used for security printing

applications and enables the addition of special features such as embedding hidden images within the design without spoiling the aesthetic of the labels, he said.

“We have also made some investments in a semi-rotary and fully rotary intermittent offset shaftless press, LIO 350,” he said.

“It is an inline combination machine with an integrated control system. This offers to the printer the maximum precision as well as best stamping quality.

“It is designed in Europe and various parts are imported from the country and manufactured by the contractor in China. The First LIO has been recently sold in the Middle-East.”

Vinsak starts making finishing machines

Bajaj: assembly and testing in India

5 LSR330s sold in Africa and 5 more products to launch

UPM Raflatac is planning to increase its production capacity in Asia Pacific by investing ¤14m in China and Malaysia. These initiatives will support UPM’s growth target of adding ¤200m of EBITDA in the coming three years. The plan is to build a new coating line in the company’s self-adhesive labelstock factory in Changshu, China. UPM Raflatac also aims to upgrade machinery both at Changshu and the Johor Bahru factory in Malaysia. Machinery investments are expected to add more than 50% to the company’s coating capacity in the region. “We are now investing to expand our excellent manufacturing platforms in Changshu, China, and Johor Bahru, Malaysia,” said Tapio Kolunsarka, executive vice-president, UPM Raflatac. “Our business has seen a rapid growth in Asia over the past years and these investments will give us the needed capacity for continued growth, and take our capabilities and quality to the next level. These developments will clearly improve our competitiveness towards meeting customer demand in the future.” UPM Raflatac is one of the world’s leading producers of self-adhesive label materials, supplying high-quality paper and film labelstock for consumer product and industrial labelling through a global network of factories, distribution terminals and sales offices. The company employs about 2,900 people and made sales of ¤1.2bn

Reporting live from

DÜSSELDORF, GERMANYw w w . p a c k a g i n g m e a . c o m

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Vpak configured for packaging stars at demo centreGoss Packaging Technology Center puts web offset press centre stageUSA A Goss Vpak web offset press configured for packaging printing demonstrations and testing is the centrepiece of the company’s new Packaging Technology Center.

Goss will also use the 650m2 (7,000 sq ft) centre at its headquarters in Durham, New Hampshire, USA, to bring converters, brand owners and suppliers together to jointly explore market requirements and new print production ideas.

Investment in the new Packaging Technology Center is a further indication of Goss’s commitment to the packaging sector, said Peter Walczak, director of product management for Goss.

Converters and brand owners are looking for lower costs, higher print quality, easier repeatability, faster turnaround times and shorter run lengths, he added. “We have created a facility to demonstrate our Vpak web offset technology and also to generate and test new concepts for improved packaging printing,” said Walczak.

The initial Vpak press system in operation at the Goss Packaging

Technology Center has seven web offset units as well as EB and UV curing and flexo coating capabilities.

The system prints on film substrates from 9 to 75µ thick and board substrates as thick as 100gsm. Web widths of up to 850mm (33.5 inches) can be accommodated, and the repeat range is from 406–812mm (16–32 inches).

With the opening of the Packaging Technology Center, Goss has expanded its schedule of Vpak press demonstration, testing and training sessions for customers and prospects in the Americas, Europe and Asia. Educational programmes for converters and brand owners will begin later this spring. The centre is also available as a controlled site for suppliers who are interested in testing out inks, chemicals and auxiliary technologies for web offset production.

Precision Press (USA) installed the first Vpak 500 press system for label and flexible packaging applications last year. Goss will ship a wider Vpak 3000 press for a board printing application in May.

Goss sees the centre as evidence of its commitment to packaging

+971 507 276 780

+971 655 78358

[email protected]

www.securityprinting.ae

vinsakme

vinsakme

vinsakme

Redefine Label Production

Stay Ahead

Secure Print Equipment Suppliers FZE

High Precision FlatbedDie Cutter

LFD350

Machine to print on a very large gama of

materials, from adhesive paper to extensible

materials for Packaging Industry

SynchrolineLIO350

Intermittent Offset Shaftless Press

Unique Format Semi-Rotary and Full Rotary Offset Press

High PerformanceSlitter Rewinder

LSR330

LSR 330


Technology: telecom packaging

finished board products and a capacity of more than 50 million retail packs. Just as significantly, Workz each year processes and tracks 5 billion variable data records.

“We specialise in the secure management of variable data,” said Wiley. “As such, we continue to invest in developing our systems from our OCR [optical character recognition] readers and camera verification systems, barcode scanning capabilities to in-house IT software solutions.”

As “the region’s largest telecoms fulfilment centre”, Workz has used its combination of printing expertise and mastery of data to set up new working methods and to deliver a series of innovative products.

The most critical role of Workz’ OCR readers and camera verification systems is to track serialised products, explained Wiley. This “100% QC [quality control]

verification” across “the entire production process” is a major selling point.

“This is highly valued by the type of clients we have, who require products as 100% full shipments and organised in the correct serial sequence to allow batch activation,” she added.

Technical innovation in the firm’s actual products is now being driven by a new “smart services team”, aimed at giving telecom operators new value-added applications to offer their end-users.

“On this note, last year Workz was the first telecoms manufacturer to print QR codes on its products,” said Wiley.

“This resulted in an enhanced end-user experience and also reduced traditional customer complaints that the operator receives caused by heavy scratching. We believe this ‘smart’ area is extremely exciting and has huge potential for the

Workz in progress

Richelle Wiley and Malcolm Keightley of variable data specialist Workz tell Benjamin Daniel about the continuous innovation that has won the firm 75 clients and annual orders of 20 million metres of finished board products.

At its bespoke new 5,600m2 facilities Dubai-based Workz has a setup unlike any other regional printshop. While the custom-built Edale press could certainly stand out, it’s the other aspects that could surprise most, such as more than 40 cameras.

In the words of head of operations, Richelle Wiley, these total “more than in the Big Brother house”. Yet this kind of technology is essential when your business revolves around the “the secure management of variable data”.

The success of Workz in catering for this niche – producing scratch cards, telecom cards and high-value electronic goods packaging – can be read in half a dozen figures. Since its foundation in 1997, Workz has built up a workforce of 350, from 15 nationalities, who supply 75 clients across Europe, the Middle East, Africa and Asia.

Yearly output totals 20 million metres of


Workz in progress

operator in terms of added-value services and new revenue streams.”

Paper to product in two minutesWorkz runs its bespoke packaging and fulfilment facility on a 24/6 basis to pack 5 million units each month. As well as catering for high volumes, the setup also enables the firm to benefit from “a greater diversity [of products] from high-volume, low-cost packs to low-volume, high-end business and VIP packs”, said factory operations manager, Malcolm Keightley.

With its custom-built printing press, Workz can get from blank paper to finished cards in just two and a half minutes, he added.

“This has two significant advantages,” he said. “First is large volumes, with us targeting a billion printed products per year and, secondly, security and sequencing. Our clients require a very high level of security and products in perfect order.”

In his view, a sheet-fed, multiple-step process would be unlikely to deliver such volumes as quickly, as securely or as well sequenced. “Our unwind system offers us savings in terms of time and waste whilst our two station converter units using the latest flexi tooling are highly accurate and again provide significant time savings,” he said. “Our inline camera verification systems ensure accuracy.”

To achieve optimal operation with its inline flexo printing and converting line – which features kit from Edale and Martin Automation – the firm continues to invest in technology and to seek ways to streamline processes.

Alongside investments in quality control and testing, Workz is introducing high-tech equipment to help measure product performance. “We recently introduced a new high-tech security panel construction that greatly improves both the usage and security

of the product,” said Keightley.A series of recent initiatives are focused on

raising running speeds and cutting product lead times.

“We are constantly looking at better sourcing of suppliers, making use of technological advances such as HD printing and continually reviewing efficiencies in terms of bringing the best practices from around the world to Dubai,” said Keightley.

Specialist productsWorkz also prides itself on a “bespoke” approach to its production, which has brought a series of innovations such as the introduction of QR panels to phone cards.

“We do not just sell products off the shelf or from a set menu,” said Wiley.

“We spend a significant amount of time collaborating with clients to develop bespoke solutions that work for their specific requirements.”

As well as the first recharge card with a QR code, the “market-first” outcomes of this approach include “the first-ever Arabic SIM toolkit” and “the region’s first” 3FF SIM card.

Alternatives to QR codes for addressing the accidental destruction of PIN numbers by over-enthusiastic scratching are packaging a special scratch tool with the product and “a very strong scratch panel which is still easy to scratch”.

In any case, all products share the extensive intrinsic challenges of Workz’ chosen market. Customers require 100% delivery of product – with no short shipments – and all the company’s products must be packaged, wrapped and packed in perfect order.

“In other words, the right product in the right pack, in the right place, in the right box with the right label,” said Wiley.

“This is critical as it ensures clients can then activate the right product at the right time. Our advanced data verification systems are there to make sure this happens and the customer doesn’t have any problems.”

Security is also “a massive responsibility”, added Wiley. In addition to its 40 cameras, the company operates a highly advanced, “triple” QC verification system, a security team, biometric access points and “a very strict framework in terms of how we manage each client’s artwork and data”.

From Dubai to the worldHowever, these efforts are amply rewarded in an increasingly international order book – which, almost uniquely for the region’s print industry, reflects technological leadership as much as hard work or business smarts.

“Dubai is a global hub for air and sea logistics and this positions us well as our clients are spread across four continents: Europe, the Middle East, Africa and Asia,” said Wiley.

“Our new expanded Dubai regional printing, packaging and fulfilment facility serves many global telecoms providers and electronic manufacturers. Our current clients include the likes of Vodafone, Zain, Ooredoo, and Toshiba.”

Moving forward, though, she identifies room for expansion outside Workz’ established markets.

“We are establishing relationships with potential customers in complement-ary markets that require the secure printing of variable data such as pharmaceutical companies and lottery markets,” added Wiley.

“The aim is to take the essence of what we think do well and try to identify those places where we believe there is a need.”

News premedia & prepress


UAE Dubai-based premedia, CGI, digital printing and prepress services company NDigitec has launched its web-to-print platform, DubaiPrint.com

The web portal www.dubaiprint.com went live in April to service customer printing requirements at the click of a button across the Middle East.

NDigitec CEO Vatche Kavlakian told Packaging MEA that DubaiPrint.com is the “first integrated virtual retail store for professional customers who are looking for hassle-free printing solutions”.

Customers can login and use the website’s easy interface to enter the specifications of their job including material, width, and height and receive instant

quotations, said the company.Other details such as type

of eyelets, sleeves, cutting methods and disposition of eyelets can be selected from the drop-down menus.

The website – developed in the US and Netherlands – derives from NDigitec’s experience since the early nineties, when the firm started as a pioneer in IT-integrated prepress services in the Middle East, said Kavlakian.

DubaiPrint.com guarantees round-the-clock service to its customers across the entire Middle East region including delivery, he added.

“The company will focus on migrating existing as well as inviting new and potential customers onto the web portal,”

said Kavlakian.The services offered on the

web-to-print platform include large format, small format, digital labels, D-Board ready products and displays, printing on textiles, carpets, photo canvas and – its latest addition – 3D printing.

“We also have a custom-made section in the website which offers the customers customised

print solutions to suit their exact requirements,” added Kavlakian.

Dubaiprint.com will look to target professional and personal users across the Middle East to give them an unprecedented web-to-print experience. With a robust system and top quality products, Dubaiprint.com is bound to grow and expand every day, said Kavlakian.

DubaiPrint.com goes liveWeb-to-print portal by NDigitec

Kavlakian: migrating customers and inviting new ones to portal

UAE US-based Color-Logic is now focusing on bringing its Process Metallic Color System to the Gulf region, says Mark Geeves, director of sales and marketing for Color-Logic.

“Our tools to create decorative effects can cater for brands at a fraction of the time and cost associated with traditional methods,” he told Packaging MEA.

Developed for brand managers, product managers, corporations and advertising agencies, the Process Metallic Color System enables its adopters to differentiate themselves and their clients from the competition by

simplifying the design and print production process and implementing eye-catching decorative effect into their branded products and associated collateral, according to Color-Logic.

The company claims brand managers can develop effective, consistent cross-media programmes including packaging, labels, banners, and other materials – all with striking and dramatic metallic effects.

Color-Logic’s benefits are marketed as: a ‘wow’ factor for brands through metallic print that has dimension and sparkles; being economical

to implement, without major capital expenditure; faster time to market as the company’s software tools do in seconds what currently takes hours or days; compatibility with all major printing processes such as offset, flexo, digital press or wide-format, screen and gravure.

Color-Logic also offers

education and training programmes for designing and working with metallic.

The Color-Logic print process is applicable not only to packaging, but to printed collateral, signage, shelf material, and other items supporting the brand, according to the company.

Color-Logic targets GulfTools developed to deliver faster and cheaper metallic effects

Color-Logic claims its metallic effects work across most print forms

News premedia & prepress


Korozo becomes Kodak’s first certified MEA partnerFlexcel NX plates to global standardTurkey Korozo, the leading flexible packaging and carrier bag producer in Turkey, has become the first Kodak Certified Partner in Turkey, Middle East and Africa through meeting the requirements of a certification programme for Kodak Flexcel NX plates.

Certified Partner status demonstrates that Flexcel NX plates produced by certified providers are made to a standard Kodak global specification.

Korozo Ambalaj Sanayii ve Ticaret A.S, based in Istanbul, is Turkey’s largest converter. The company invested in the Kodak Flexcel NX System in 2013 and has used the plate technology to achieve gravure-quality print across substrates including flexible packaging, foil, film, paper, plastic bags, labels and envelopes, said Kodak.

In doing so, the company has seen immediate results, enhancing its Ultra HD flexo printing operations and enabling it to further strengthen its global credentials and international relationships.

Aslan Kilic, prepress manager at Korozo, said: “We are delighted to be the first Turkish company to receive this accolade from Kodak... through the certification we are proud to be at the forefront trailblazing the Kodak technology for our customers.”

Komal Sharma, cluster director for emerging geographies, EAMER, at Kodak, said: “By working with companies that have achieved Certified Partner status, all partners in the production chain can be assured that they are receiving a product that is manufactured to a global specification... Korozo’s success in the short time since investing in the system is testament to the positive influence the technology can have on a business.

Consisting of a Flexcel NX imager that uses Kodak Squarespot imaging technology, the system applies a highly dense flat structure to the plate while it is completely isolated from oxygen.

Leading Turkish converter has used Flexcel NX system since 2013

Esko plans demos with its partners at Interpack HP, Sun and Videojet collaborationsBelgium At Interpack in Dusseldorf on 8-14 May Esko will be exhibiting both at its own stand (B28 in hall 7A) and showing integrated solutions with its partners.

HP Indigo and HP Scitex (Hall 13, stands C77 and E94) will display digital and wide-format printing solutions, powered by Esko software solutions, for the digital print production of folding carton, flexible packaging, labels and corrugated production.

Sun Chemical (Hall 7A, stands C6 and C10), a key ink partner to the PantoneLIVE ecosystem, will showcase the colour management capabilities of PantoneLIVE on its stand.

Videojet (Hall 6, Stand A1) will show a joint project where coding and marking of complete content blocks such as nutrition panels and regulatory content is applied to preprinted material. This is done through a workflow setup that combines the production data of flexible packaging with end of line added data, opening opportunities to add variable, regulatory data end of line on the finished and packaged product.

Esko experts at Interpack will detail how to enhance content management, shorten approval cycles and ensure regulatory compliance with WebCenter, a fully featured online packaging management solution.

They will inform brands how to manage brand colour accuracy across the global supply chain – from proof to package to display – in a smart and comprehensive manner with dedicated colour solutions such as PantoneLIVE and leverage the benefits of multi-colour printing with Esko Equinox.

Brand owners and retailers will experience the highest possible realism during the packaging development process using Esko’s 3D technologies, including Studio and Store Visualizer, to present hyper-realistic 3D images of packages from design through positioning on store shelves.

Visitors to the stand can also learn how to save costs with sustainable packaging, by using Esko Cape solutions.

Esko experts will share insights in colour management


News digital labeling

Germany Xaar has launched the 1002 GS6 for UV applications, which it describes as a next-generation printhead that redefines the standard in single-pass printing, delivering exceptional print quality and productivity to manufacturers.

The Xaar 1002 GS6 has been developed and optimised for a wide range of UV applications. These include labels, laminates, direct-to-shape, packaging and other types of product decoration, where product quality and industrial levels of reliability are paramount.

Multiple new technology features give improved drop volume uniformity and drop placement accuracy for an even higher quality printed image, said Xaar.

Featuring 1000 Optimised Geometry nozzles, the Xaar 1002 GS6 can jet and place drops with the highest precision on the market, according to the company. As a result this new printhead produces high resolution text and images with smooth tones demanded by manufacturers globally.

A key feature of the new

Xaar 1002 is its ability to print heavily pigmented high- opacity white inks and high viscosity varnishes extremely reliably, enabled by FT Technology, Xaar’s patented ink recirculation technology. Therefore it is the ideal printhead for a wide range of UV applications including labels and printing onto clear packaging for bottles, where

opaque backup whites and high build spot varnishes are essential.

Unrivalled reliability is delivered by Xaar’s TF Technology combined with the Hybrid Side Shooter architecture: the only true ink recirculation system which ensures maximum production uptime, according to Xaar.

Customer ‘ease of use’ has also been enhanced by an improvement to the customer electronic interface and by enabling a reduction in the setup time required, added Xaar.

Xaar launches 1002 GS6 for UV applicationsPrinthead offers ‘highest precision’

1002 G26: for labels and clear bottle packaging

Live debut for ‘production-level speed’ Digital Series Mark Andy demonstrates its new hybrid inkjet platform at an Open HouseUSA Mark Andy gave a live demo of “the first truly integrated hybrid inkjet printing platform” when it hosted more than 200 visitors at its 2014 Open House on 1 April at its global headquarters in St Louis, Missouri.

“Designed with Business Responsive Technology, Digital Series is the first true production level digital solution – combining highly configurable in-line converting and processing with high-quality digital printing at production-level speeds,” according to Mark Andy.

“The result is a system architecture that delivers the best total cost of operation of any digital solution available on the market today.”

During the three-day event, converter-focused educational forums included an interactive panel discussion on ‘Flexo and

Digital – What’s the right mix?’. Kevin Wilken, Mark Andy’s

president and CEO, described the event as “a tremendous success”. “It was exciting to

welcome so many interested visitors and to showcase the ‘new’ Mark Andy as a total solutions partner,” he said.

“We had good, informative

sessions to help converters grow their business and understand technology. And the live demos allowed visitors to understand the various product lines and services.”

Digital Series: ‘high configurable’ with ‘production-level speeds

News digital labeling


Xeikon and Aura host Café on self-adhesive labellingEvent to highlight digital technologyBelgium Xeikon and its Aura Partners are hosting a Xeikon Café on Packaging Innovations to demonstrate to label printers as well as print buyers how digital production could drive and improve their business.

On 20-22 May in Belgium, the event will highlight game-changing innovations in digital production and showcase the complete range of Xeikon’s label and packaging application suites. One of the suites Xeikon will highlight is the Self-Adhesive Label Suite.

“From the myriad of product decoration techniques available, self-adhesive labels are the most commonly used as they offer the highest flexibility to meet market needs,” said Filip Weymans, Xeikon’s director of segment marketing labels and packaging.

“Digital printing is capable of meeting these market requirements while maintaining profitability. By nature it offers unlimited variability. Not only is it uniquely suited to the production of multi-version labels, the absence of setup costs makes it also ideal for cost-effective short to medium runs.

“And because nowadays digital printing can meet the highest quality standards, it is a great complement to flexo, letter press and offset printing, while opening up a wealth of new business opportunities.”

In close collaboration with its Aura Partners, Xeikon developed the Self-Adhesive Label Suite, an integrated solution to print and convert self-adhesive labels.

The Xeikon 3000 Series presses, developed for label and packaging applications, are perfectly suited for self-adhesive label printing, said the firm. The Self-Adhesive Label Suite is centred on a Xeikon 3000 Series press, complemented with four supporting components: software, print media, consumables and pre-and post-printing equipment. There will also be demonstrations of software in the Self-Adhesive Label Suite: Vectorizor, VariLane and Xeikon ColorControl.

Xeikon: digital ‘uniquely suited’ to multi-version labels

Durst Tau 330 adds Color-Logic metallic technologyProcess ‘fully compatible’ with device

USA Color-Logic – developer of the Process Metallic Color System – has announced a technology partnership with Durst Phototechnik, manufacturer of the new Durst Tau 330 press.

Color-Logic Director of Operations and eCommerce Dave Bowden said: “We have certified the Color-Logic process on the Durst Tau 330 label press. Buyers of the Durst Tau 330 label press can be assured that the Color-Logic process is fully compatible with the device and that they can confidently offer metallic labels featuring the process to their clients.”

Helmuth Munter, segment manager for Durst Labels & Package Printing, said: “Our partnership with Color-Logic ensures that Durst customers using the Tau 330 label press can successfully implement the latest in metallic label technology.

“Durst has tested the Color-Logic system in our laboratories and are convinced that the process produces the highest quality printing on metallic substrate. Graphic designers and brand managers can confidently specify the Color-Logic process for production on the Durst Tau 330.”

Durst claims to be the leading supplier of digital inkjet printer systems for industrial applications. High productivity, printing quality, reliability and flexibility are unique features of its inkjet technology across all industries, said Durst. An innovative drive is instrumental in the digitalisation of production processes in many segments, guaranteeing long-term competitive advantage and profitability for operators, according to the company.

The Durst 330 has the expertise to print a range of applications ranging from small and medium runs of industrial- and security-type labels, durable electronics and automotive labels, labels for paint, beverages, body care and household articles, as well as labels for chemicals, DIY and many others, said the manufacturer.

Durst has tested the Color-Logic system in its laboratories

30 april-may 2014

News digital labelling

Konica Minolta displays a digital label press at Ipex KM-1 signals a push into packagingUK Konica Minolta gave a live demonstrations of its KM-1, a B2+ UV inkjet colour sheetfed press, at Ipex in London on 24-29 March, confirming at the show that beta testing will start this year at customer sites in Japan, North America and Europe with full production to get under way in 2015.

The company sees the press as ideal for printers targeting high-quality print jobs for brand owners looking to develop highly personalised short-run packaging. The KM-1 is designed for short print runs, extremely tight deadlines and variable data processing, according to Konica Minolta. The demonstrations were of particular interest to commercial and packaging printers, as well as folding carton printers, said the company.

At Ipex, Konica Minolta also demonstrated roll-to-roll label printing at up to 18m/min with its Konica Minolta bizhub PRESS C70RLC. Konica Minolta’s growing portfolio covers commercial production, packaging, wide format, document printing, corporate, on-demand publishing, direct mail, labels and photo-printing markets, as well as workflow automation areas and other partner pre-press and post-press solutions, plus cross-media applications.

Olaf Lorenz, general manager of the international marketing division, Konica Minolta Business Solutions Europe, said Ipex had met all the company’s objectives. “We have been getting 600 qualified leads per day and already have collected more than 40 letters of intent, as well as have closed some sales,” he said.

“Based on our experience of these types of shows, we are confident that Ipex will net us over €3.5m [$5.6m] worth of new business. From all the discussions our teams of experts have been having with hundreds of visitors every day, it is clear that there is a world of opportunity for print providers to optimise their revenues through enabling new, profitable business by creating value through the many new applications in an increasingly digital world. And we are proud to be at the forefront of the new media age revolution where print is still recognised as a central driver and crucial part of the communication mix.”

KM-1: ‘ideal’ for printing high-quality short runs

Heidelberg looks to digital Print giant melds digital with offset and works with Ricoh and FujifilmGermany Heidelberg has announced a growing focus on digital, including an opportunity for its customers to run offset and digital technologies in parallel, using a “user-friendly and integrated” process, as it puts almost a third of its research and development funding into digital.

Further expansion is also under way for the company’s digital portfolio, which already encompasses printing presses, consumables, software and services for a whole range of market segments, said the company. As part of this growth, Heidelberg is collaborating with partners such as Ricoh and Fujifilm.

“Our ability to offer integrated offset and digital solutions for a range of market segments is unique in the industry,” said CEO Gerold Linzbach. “As part of our expansion in the digital sector, we are investing in technologies such as digital inkjet printing. We are also exploring printing on three-dimensional objects and thus breaking into market segments that are entirely new to Heidelberg. Overall, we estimate that the digital sector offers us sales potential of more than ¤200m ($280m) per year in the medium term.”

With Gallus, Heidelberg aims in autumn to showcase digital label printing presses leveraging Fujifilm technology to print short runs and customised labels. In parallel with this development, Heidelberg and Fujifilm have initiated a joint project to develop a new highly productive industrialised inkjet-based digital printing system for use in commercial and packaging printing.

Meanwhile, with more than 400 Linoprint C digital printing systems already sold worldwide, Heidelberg has highlighted its expertise as the “only” manufacturer in the industry to successfully market integrated digital and offset applications. The company is working closely with Ricoh to broaden its offerings for this sector in the near future. Heidelberg already generates sales of Linoprint products in the low eight-figure euro range, and these figures are set to grow.

Dr Gerold Linzbach, Heidelberg’s CEO

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News design


X60 offers full control over product visualisationNDigitec’s CGI division makes photorealistic imagery without using cameras

A CGI image designed by NDigitec’s X60 division for Almarai

Frigoglass scores with World Cup bottleIconic Coca-Cola Contour variant developed for Gulf fans

Soccer bottle

UAE A collectible version of Coca-Cola’s famous Contour bottle inspired by the shape of a soccer ball has been created to mark the 2014 Fifa World Cup, taking place this summer in Brazil.

The ‘soccer bottle’ and its new decoration were designed through close collaboration between Frigoglass and Coca-Cola’s regional office in Dubai and implemented in what the companies call “record time”. The bottle will be distributed by Coca-Cola in the UAE, Kuwait, Iraq and Jordan.

Darren Bennett-Voci, commercial director for Frigoglass Glass Operations, said: “We were excited to be involved in this project and are very pleased to bring something innovative to consumers with a soccer-twist on the iconic shape of the Coca-Cola Contour bottle.”

Nicola Ayyash, packaging and sales and marketing equipment manager for Coca-Cola, said: “As a Fifa partner, Coca-Cola, the world’s happiest and most inclusive brand has always been a fan of football, both internationally and in the GCC. This

new packaging will invite consumers to participate and celebrate with the fans worldwide as they experience the World Cup in Brazil this summer.”

Frigoglass is the largest glass container manufacturer in West Africa and one of the key players in the Middle East. The company has invested more than $15m in technology upgrades at its Dubai glass plant to cater to growing demand for lighter glass bottles and provides total packaging solutions (glass bottles, plastic crates and metal crowns) in West Africa. Frigoglass also describes itself as the leading player in the global ice cold merchandisers (beverage coolers) market.

Coca-Cola has also commemorated the World Cup by introducing 18 mini-bottles in Brazil with designs representing World Cup host countries from the past, such as Argentina and Japan, and the future, including Brazil, Russia and Qatar. The bottles contain no drink but are interactive. Through Facebook or iPhone and Android apps, fans can create special messages and avatars that can be delivered to other bottle owners.

UAE X60, a computer generated imagery (CGI) division set up by NDigitec, is heralding a new era in product imagery, says its founder Dutch photographer Rob Marinissen.

Marinissen forecasts that CGI will replace much commercial photography in the next 5 to 10 years a lot of commercial photography will be replaced by CGI. Computer Generated Imagery allows X60 to make photorealistic imagery without the help of a camera.

For Almarai created an image (see right) entirely bycomputer as a pitch visual. Even the strawberries have been computer generated. One of the advantages of a 3D modelled product such as this is that it is available indefinitely. Visuals can be generated using the same model but with different lighting and angles.

Creating a range of products based on the same design can be done in very short time, updating a design or bringing a product range to life in film, said X60. CGI gives X60 full control over the visualisation of products from dairy products to electronics to jewellery, it added.

News design


UAE Kraft Cheddar Cheese from Mondelez International– formerly Kraft Foods – has won ‘Product of the Year 2014’ for its new Easy to Use Can at the Product of the Year Gulf 2014 awards held in Dubai on 2 March.

The can was chosen through an initial jury review followed by a Gulf-wide consumer survey.

The Easy to Use Can innovation was introduced in 2013 after consumers said the can then in use was inconvenient and cumbersome to open. Mondelez’s new packaging features a ring pull mechanism on the tin cover, which the firm describes as a first-of-its-kind innovation in the

cheese category.Secondly, the new Kraft Can

took on a unique conical shape with a smoother inside surface to allow easier release of the cheese in one swift move as a single block. Vishal Tikku, VP & area director, Mondelez International, said the firm is committed to delighting its consumers with product innovations that enhance value.

“Winning this award is a testament of our commitment and continuous delivery towards our consumers in the region,” he said. “We thank all our consumers, as their feedback is primordial to our improvement and development.”

Kraft Cheddar seals Gulf product of year triumph Easy to Use Can wins at Dubai event

Kraft has introduced a ring pull and smooth interior for easy opening

Plastique custom designs moulded pulp packagingPaperForm brings a ‘tactile quality’

UK Plastique, a technology leader in thermoformed packaging products, has started to manufacture custom-designed moulded pulp packaging PaperForm at its Poland plant.

PaperForm trays are an innovative new thermoformed paper based packaging concept composed with FSC-certified sustainable paper (FibreForm from BillerudKorsnäs) and a thermoplastic such as rPET or PE or biodegradable option such as Bio=X or MATER-Bi. These material combinations can be formed to create soft sculptural shallow packs that will bring an innovative, naturally tactile quality to products or brands.

A PaperForm tray can be pre-printed, film lidded, heat sealed to itself as a clampack or to conventional rigid thermoplastic packaging to create a limitless variety of unique packaging presentations at POS. Plastique describes its PaperForm trays as:• suitable for packaging solutions in both the MAP barrier food

and non-food sectors;• made with naturally tactile FSC-certified paper (FibreForm)

combined with conventional food grade thermoplastics;• printable with full colour and text options, with flexo up to 10

colours (double sided);• suitable for modified atmosphere packaging (MAP)

applications;• heat sealable to themselves or to a full range of compatible

lidding films; ranging from tamper proof to easy peel for customer convenience.

PaperForm solutions include:• thermoformed shallow trays,• vac-formed blister packs,• thermoformed clamshell hinged packs,• formed window packs.

Plastique’s custom-designed moulded pulp packaging designs


Technology: graphics workflows

How to manage global graphics?As brands enter new

markets, creating effective

graphics poses challenges

that require specialised

technological solutions,

argues Wayne Peachey

The supply chains of the world’s top 100 brands now reach almost every country. As shipping costs are minimal, new markets are easy to open, spreading great products around the world.

Then, as brands become more established, brands set up local factories to meet local needs. In graphics and supply chain management, though, globalisation can be less straightforward. Typically, a new design will be developed in the ‘head office’ country and then rolled out to other parts of the world.

However, the market where the head office is based is unlikely to resemble overseas markets. Consumers will prefer different flavours and colours. Different packaging regulations will apply. Success therefore involves customising products and graphics.

Global companies now use marketers, engineers, graphics managers, translators and legal teams, reaching across from head office through to local markets. When products are developed and rolled out, it is crucial that these teams can collaborate effectively.

Globalised graphics challengesWhich is not without its challenges. Time differences can make it hard to pick up the phone to discuss a question. Local marketing will have its ideas on how to modify designs to improve sales, but if these stray too far from the ‘corporate brand image’ the brand is diluted.

TKM Consulants Director Anil Noorani, who has been working in solutions

technology for the past 15 years, has seen a succession of sectors take on these globalisation challenges.

“When it comes to packaging artwork technology, the ‘early adopters’ were FMCG [fast moving consumer goods] companies,” she said. “Products such as personal care products, washing powder, coffee, tobacco easily translated from one country to the next, and so FMCG companies were first to develop systems that brought people together.

“Next were pharmaceutical companies. Again their products translated well across continents, but the regulations around pharma meant that control was key, control of content, legal, graphics. Next were the high-tech companies, whose brands have exploded globally thanks to the digital revolution. This has all placed demands on brand and content management.

“The ‘laggards’ have been the companies whose focus has been more local. Supermarkets for instance have had a mostly local focus on fresh goods, and so their reach has been less extended. However, we see large supermarket chains now across many countries and this is putting demands upon their ability to manage graphics. Luxury goods and drinks/beverage companies are now facing similar challenges, and struggling to create strong links between headquarters and local offices.”

Technological solutionsShe makes a good point. I am working on a request for proposal (RfP) that focuses much more on the technology solution than the other cornerstones of graphics management, such as quality, great graphics, service, cost, or colour management.

The customer is much more interested in how SGS will help them to bring their people and resources together with a web-based collaborative tool, one that will help them to attain speed to market and properly manage their brands.

For this customer, its graphics managers are no longer working with just one or two internal clients, requiring approval of artwork from just one or two colleagues. Back then it was easy to do everything via email.

Now, though, the graphic manager may need information from six people, and often this information conflicts. Translations will be needed. Local marketers will be needed to confirm those translations. As many as 10 people will have to comment on artwork. Then all those comments must go into one briefing for the graphics supplier so they can change the art – and start the whole process over again!

Lots of companies do this via email. But it is time-consuming. Information is lost. Mistakes are made. It is impossible to get to market quickly, and it is impossible to look back over

Without a graphics management system: a busy, chaotic inbox


previous work to repurpose assets.Brands that find themselves with global

management issues typically find their business has grown quicker than their business systems. The issues they experience are:•Processes differ from country to country;•Local compliance requirements are not accommodated by the global approach;•Executives in different countries have differing agendas and the artwork design process is used as a ‘football’;•A ‘one language pack’ needs to be designed into four language variants, or more;•Graphics differ from country to country.•Stored data and assets ‘are a mess’ and the latest information is hard to obtain.

However, graphics management systems can now provide web-based environments tailored to companies’ needs that link people on a project-by-project basis.

Designing a workflowFor instance, the typical ‘SGS WebCenter’ workflow is as follows:• Every user will have a Home Page with a list

of Approvals Required, or Tasks, depending on their role.

• The Client uploads information into ‘The System’ via an upload tool and that starts a new ‘item’ or ‘project’. This is done automatically so that information within the customers’ system automatically flows into the briefing, and so no ‘double entry’ of data is required.

• The graphics supplier sees the briefing and creates artwork. Often data can be automatically flowed into a master template. Depending on the ‘legal code’ provided, text can be automatically taken from a database and flowed into the artwork, minimising the risk of error.

• The artwork is reviewed, adjusted if required, and sent through a quality control (QC) process.

• If QC approves the art, the client is automatically notified and the Approval Request appears on their Home Page.

• The client reviews the art via a web-based tool. Comments can be made and the art rejected, which will immediately go back to art for changes.

• If the art is approved, then other approvers

can be brought into the process, such as Regional Marketing, Legal, Global Marketing, Packaging Engineer. In each instance the person will be informed that their review is required.

• Once approvals are received, the artwork can be automatically released to the printer, and other assets created (such as 3D pack shots).

• The project is closed, and the artwork PDF made available within an Asset Management System.David Crow, technology solutions project

lead at SGS International, said: “We find that every customers’ requirements are different. There are advantages to purchasing an ‘off the shelf’ product, but we find that it may only account for 30% of the final solution, with other modules needed created by our team of 15 IT specialists.

“We also find that customers need help in aligning their internal processes. We can use experience from similar situations, look at technology options, and help the customer to work in a way that solves their internal issues whilst making the most of the technology available and delivering FDA compliance where required.

“This is not only now about delivering graphics. It is about providing a method for marketing through to production to collaborate on projects, to bring together the extremities of an organisation. The results are reduced costs, greater speed, and better brand control.”

Hundreds of solutions are available to help businesses control their brand graphics. Some focus more on project management. Others are stronger in managing assets and the approval process. Finding the right system is key.

First, the needs have to be clearly defined in a User Requirements Specifications document. This is a map and description of processes, agreed by key stakeholders. This can be a challenging but rewarding process as the teams agree upon a common approach. Once this is completed, various systems can be included or excluded and investigated further.

The most successful approaches are where the processes and technology work hand in hand to provide a straightforward user experience. Basically, the more complicated a system is to use, the more the key stakeholders will hate using the system.

Graphics Management Systems have evolved. They are now providing collaborative tools that allow teams to function well. Teams no longer sit together in one part of the office. They are strung out across continents, they are in airports, they are driving to clients, they are visiting suppliers and clients, they are using laptops, smart phones and tablets.

Graphics Management Technology is now Solutions Management Technology, providing solutions to the communication problems globalisation creates, so that team can work together, and opportunities can be seized with vigour.

With a graphics management system: structured, collaborative, organised

News cartons

36 april-may 2014

UAE Ajman-based Al Alef Stationery and Printing Press has invested more than AED20m ($5.4m) to cater for the firm’s markets in high-quality commercial print and luxury packaging.

In its new 45,000 sq ft (4,200m2) premises at Al Jurf, Al Alef has added a brand new Komori GL540 and L420 to its printing line.

Director Siju Madhavan told Packaging MEA that the company’s investments to develop within packaging are set to continue with a Komori H-UV machine, which uses a single lamp mounted in the delivery, as well as online pasting and box-making machines in the finishing section.

Madhavan described the Komori GL540-5 plus coater plus water-based offset press as “an excellent machine which gives us high-quality printing results with minimum turnaround time”.

“We linked the fully

automated GL540 with our prepress with CIP3 technology, which helps us to get the precise results and ink settings within minutes,” he said.

“We are also able to run the machine with a speed of 16,500 sheets per hour for less complicated jobs.”

Printing 70x100cm fully automated, the five-colour machine includes a unit for online water-based varnish coating able to print paper from 50gsm to 500gsm.

Al Alef was established in 1989 in a modest way by K S Vikraman, a well known businessman in India and the UAE. The company grew and from 2012 expanded into its new premises at Al Jurf.

Following its recent substantial investment, Al Alef claims to operate modern technology from prepress through to finishing, where its capabilities include UV, foiling, die-cutting, perfect binding, PUR binding, online saddle

stitching and hard case binding.“So we are able to do all sort of

works in-house, which assures the best quality standards with faster turnaround time,” said Madhavan.

“We never compromise on quality and always provide the best service in terms of timely delivery as well as with a reasonable pricing.”

With a focus on offset, Al Alef’s presses range from simple letterpress to the latest high-speed sheet-fed press such Komori GL540 5 plus coater, which the company describes as the “first and only in the Middle East”.

Al Alef also runs a Komori 50x35cm five-colour machine and Heidelberg 50x35cm two-colour and single colour machines.

The company describes all its presses as brand new and fully computer controlled, allowing Al Alef to use a remote console to set colour management and achieve precise registration, even at high speeds.

Al Alef buys new Komori GL540 and L420

Madhavan: Komori GL540-5 offers ‘high-quality printing results with minimum turnaround time’

Investment in premises and machines totals AED20m

Sun Pharma has announced an agreement to acquire 100% of Ranbaxy in an all-stock transaction.

Combining the two firms creates the world’s fifth-largest specialty generics firm and India’s largest pharmaceutical company. The combined entity will have operations in 65 countries, 47 manufacturing facilities across five continents, and a significant platform of specialty and generic products marketed globally, including 629 abbreviated new drug application (ANDAs).

Dilip Shanghvi, Sun Pharma’s managing director, said Ranbaxy has “a significant presence in the Indian pharma market and in the US”.

“In high-growth emerging markets, it provides a strong platform which is highly complementary to Sun Pharma’s strengths,” he said.

“We see tremendous growth opportunities and are excited with the prospects to create lasting value for both our shareholders through a successful combination of our franchises.”

The combination will create a large specialty pharmaceutical company with strong capabilities in developing complex products and exploiting first to file opportunities.

A combined Sun Pharma and Ranbaxy will have a complementary portfolio of specialty and generic products targeting chronic and acute treatments. The combined business will have a strong portfolio of specialty and generic products marketed globally. Additionally, the combination will create one of the leading dermatology platforms in the United States.

36 april-may 2014 37jan-feb 2014

Al Alef buys new Komori GL540 and L420

UAE Dubai-based Afra Asianray Printing Equipment Trading LLC is now the regional distributor for Mohr paper guillotines.

Made by Adolf Mohr Maschinenfabrik, which for decades has been producing high-speed guillotines sold worldwide under the brand name Polar-Mohr, the guillotines are primarily designed for the digital print environment.

The Mohr range of cutters come in 560mm, 660mm and 800mm sizes. The Mohr Net all-hydraulic guillotines are equipped with a barcode scanner and the latest Compucut Operation System, designed

and developed by Adolf Mohr Machinenfabrik – Germany.

This makes the cutting systems easy to use and automated, according to the manufacturer.Compatible with JDF and CIP4 job file formats, the Mohr NET series guillotines can now be fully synchronised with the digital print engine, making paper cutting as simple and easy as operating a smartphone.

Mohr’s exclusive dealership agreement with Afra establishes a strategic alliance for the sale and marketing of Mohr Eco and Net series programmable paper guillotines across the UAE, Qatar, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia and Oman.

Afra already represent other digital print finishing brands

such as Morgana (from the UK), Komfi (Czech Republic), Uchida (Japan) and Rhinotuff (USA) and claims to now offer a comprehensive portfolio.

Afra Asianray Printing Equipment Trading LLC describes itself as a leading marketing, exporting and automated print finishing and

packaging equipment supplier.The Asianray Afra Group

(AAG) is a fast growing multinational group with sales network in more than 40 countries in the world. AAG has manufacturing facilities in China and owns the Champion print finishing and packaging equipment brand.

�e agreement covers UAE, Qatar, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia and Oman

Afra to sell Mohr cuttersGuillotines join agent’s digital portfolio

up to 5 mmthickness

P.O. Box. 120270 SAIF Zone, Sharjah - United Arab EmiratesTel: +971-6-557 9924 Fax: +971-6-557 9925 Website: www.age-graphics.ae email: [email protected]

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News cartons

Switzerland Tetra Pak has won a 2014 International Forum Packaging Design Award (the iF award) for Tetra Evero Aseptic, which Tetra Pak describes as the world’s first aseptic carton bottle for ambient white milk.

The package was recognised by the jury of some 50 internationally renowned experts for its innovative concept, attractive appearance, ease of handling and outstanding environmental performance.

“Tetra Evero Aseptic is based on an imaginative design that combines the easy handling of a bottle with the food protection and environmental advantages of an aseptic carton,” said Lars Bengtsson, product group director at Tetra Pak.

“The ergonomic cylindrical shape with flat side panels makes it easy for big and small hands to hold, whilst the printing space across the whole surface of the package offers maximum branding impact to capture consumer attention.

“All of these are made possible by a number of technology breakthroughs, including the first injection moulding for aseptic packaging. Winning an iF Packaging Design Award is testament to

�e International Forum picked out the carton’s ‘imaginative design’

all the hard work of our R&D team.”Since 1953, as an independent organization, iF Industrie Forum

Design e.V. has been an important mediator between design and business. The iF awards are among the most important design awards in the world, recognising outstanding work from professionals in product development, communication and packaging.

This year, the iF Packaging Design Award attracted 264 entries. Having won the award, Tetra Pak will be able to use the iF logo on all Tetra Evero Aseptic packages for customers. The company will receive the award later today at the BMW Welt in Munich, and the package will be on display at the iF design exhibition in Hamburg.

Tetra Pak carton wins iF Tetra Evero Aseptic for milk selected by jury for ‘easy handling’ like a botte

News cartons

DIE LAB TOOLS

Lip cutter

Notcher

Bender

Channel Cutter

FOIL STAMPING SPECIFICATIONS

(1)max.machine speed:7500s/h

(2)max.hot stamping speed:6000s/h

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(5)thickness of the gilt paper:80g/m2~1500g/m2

(6)max.paper size:1050mmx750mm

Sappi bright white cartons to showcase at InterpackAlgro Design to feature at trade show

Sappi will also display a dress made of 280 packages and 320 teabags

Germany At Interpack on 8-14 May in Dusseldorf, Sappi Fine Paper Europe will be demonstrating its award-winning bright white carton board Algro Design, its premium white topliner Fusion for lamination to carton and corrugated cardboard, and Algro Nature, a certified home compostable flexible packaging substrate based on renewable raw materials, as are all Sappi papers.

Kerstin Dietze, marketing manager for speciality papers at Sappi Fine Paper Europe said: “We are excited to be showing packaging converters, brand owners, designers and print finishers how Sappi’s speciality papers have been enhanced even further to better meet the demands of today’s packaging value chain.”

At the tradeshow Sappi will be presenting unique fashion made from speciality papers and board in the form of a magnificent paper gown. Weighing 15kg, it was created by Belgian agency Equation and artist Isabelle de Borchgrave using 280 packages and 320 teabags.

The grades used include Algro Design 330 and 380g/m², and Algro Design Duo 270g/m² and 300 g/m² for the boxes, Fusion 180g/m² for the sleeves and to fill out the dress, Leine Kraft120 g/m² as part of the bustier, Algro Baress 110 g/m² for the shoes and cuffs and Algro

Teepack 80g/m² to construct the teabags used to finish the bustier.“The paper dress was the star of the show at Fachpack 2013,

and we are delighted to bring it to interpack for the viewing pleasure of our stand visitors,” said Marie-Ange Gérard, marketing communications specialist, Sappi Fine Paper Europe.

“We are specialists in addressing challenging packaging and conversion requirements,” added Dietze, “and our newly expanded portfolio reflects this expertise. Our substrates print well, can withstand complex finishing processes and assure product protection, are regulatory compliance and are offering increased shelf appeal.”

News cartons


Interview unilever

Lipton plans a ‘greener’ tea

PMEA: Are MEA packagers up to speed with global trends?MT: Globally, plenty of new packaging technologies are already

there which are not yet explored in this region and many more are queuing up to come in the near future.

We need to create an environment within MEA convertors to get awareness on these new technologies in their related segment and explore the possibilities of their application within MEA packaging with the aim to bring packaging superiority and value addition for customers and consumers on top of maintaining agenda on sustainability awareness and implementation.

PMEA: What are your latest design and product initiatives in the region?

MT: Unilever’s Lipton brand portfolio is mainly classified under product and packaging segments such as: loose tea, teabag, double chambered teabag, pyramid, green tea, range of black tea with essence, and chai latte three-in-one.

The packaging used here is mainly filter paper, cotton thread, aluminium wire, flexible packaging, paper and paper board. Our design for the ranges under the Lipton brand are bag-in-box and lined carton for loose tea, carton with caddy design for teabag, freshness pack and tuck-in-lid design for teabag, non-freshness pack, sachet/pouch for loose tea, teabag and chai latte three-in-one.

Our new design initiatives include the recent launch of teabags in flexible packs and tetrahedral-shape (pyramid-shape) pouches and cartons for the first time in the region. We are also working on projects to come in the near future with different innovations.

PMEA: What innovations are you looking for in the carton and corrugated sectors?

MT: Rigid folding carton and corrugated fibreboard box are really key products for tea packaging in this region. Our efforts are in the direction of engaging our converters as partners to win initiative with the suppliers of these materials to ensure 100% sustainable sourcing, create designs to optimise/minimise tonnage use of these materials, bringing design efficiency while still providing better value addition to end consumers.

Muzaffer Tanyer, Unilever’s beverages packaging development manager for MENA, tells Benjamin Daniel about the company’s goals in technology and the environment

Muzaffer Tanyer, Unilever’s beverages packaging development manager for MENA


PMEA: How green are your products already?MT: For paper and board products, such as folding cartons and

corrugated boxes, around 70% of our packaging is coming from recycled and recovered materials.

Yet we are in the process of certifying our converters to assure that all virgin wood fibres used in our packaging are traced back through the whole supply chain to a well managed and sustainable forest. Our global target is to source 100% of the paper and board used in our packaging from certified sustainably managed forests or recycled material by 2020.

In the Middle East, we are well aligned with these targets, and we have internally committed to achieving a 100% paper and board packaging sourced from sustainably managed forests through an end-to-end unbroken chain of custody or recycled material by 2015.

PMEA: Is packaging moving towards rigid or flexible substrates?

MT: For tea packaging, consumption-wise, rigid packaging has got significantly more major share than flexible packaging and this dominance will continue in the near future.

However, the trend is shifting towards flexible packaging – although at low pace in this region – because of thousands of polymer options available that can give tailormade barrier properties solutions, are lightweight and better yield and, most importantly, able to be produced on machines at a relatively much faster speed.

PMEA: What tonnage of packaging is used for your production in the Middle East?

MT: Around 20k ton for rigid paper and board.

PMEA: How can packaging printers and converters in the region develop and extend their operations?

MT: In general, technology-wise, some of the printers and convertors are well equipped with the latest technology in the region while the others are not so well equipped.

For those in the first case, the key challenge lies in developing their team skills to get the best output from these technologies to bring packaging superiority.

In the second case, they really need to invest in new technologies according to the demands of a changing world to keep pace with the competition.

Interview unilever

News plastics

42 april-may 2014

UK The global PET packaging market is worth $48.1bn in 2014, or almost 16 million tonnes, according to a new market report from Smithers Pira.

But PET packaging demand is set to increase by an average of 4.6% annually over the next five years to 19.9 million tonnes worth $60bn by 2019.

‘The Future of PET Packaging to 2019’ finds that demand for PET packaging has been on the rise since 2010. PET bottles are easier to handle, do not break, can be resealed and are light for on-the-go consumption. In addition to carbonated soft drinks, bottled water, ready-to drink tea and functional drinks, PET packaging has also been making inroads into markets for juice, packaged food,

household cleaning products and pharmaceuticals, replacing other packaging materials in these end-use sectors.

Some packaging producers and brand owners also see opportunities for further lightweighting of PET bottles over the five years to 2019.

Within overall PET packaging consumption of 15.4 million tonnes in 2013, PET bottles for beverages accounted for over 80% of overall sales. In 2013, bottled water became the largest category for PET packaging, with sales up 7.3% to 5.45 million tonnes. Sales of PET bottles for carbonated soft drinks rose by only 1.8% to 5.17 million tonnes, reflecting high penetration rates in major markets and a growing consumer preference for

healthier drink options.Non-food PET packaging sales

reached 804,328 tonnes (up 4.4% on 2012), with thermoforming packaging consumption up 4.7% to 1.04 million tonnes.

In 2014-19, the fastest rising end-use sector will be bottled water bottles, up 6% in volume, followed by pharmaceutical and medical packaging and PET bottles for

other drinks, both up 5%.Key market drivers include

rising incomes in the Asia Pacific, South and Central America, and Central and Eastern Europe.

The Asia Pacific in 2009-13 became the largest regional market. In 2014, Asia Pacific commands 31% of the market, followed by North America (23%) and Western Europe (19%).

PET market tops $48bnStudy sees 4.6% yearly rise to 2019

Bottled water is the leading PET category and will also grow fastest

Germany The Dow Chemical Company reported sales up 1% year-on-year to $14.5bn in the first quarter of 2014.

Performance Plastics delivered adjusted sales gains of 6%, while Coatings and Infrastructure Solutions sales registered a rise of 5% on increased volume.

Andrew N Liveris, Dow’s chairman and CEO, said: “Dow’s performance this quarter represents our team’s cumulative and intense focus on the execution of our strategic value drivers – including targeted innovation, high-return investments and multiple

productivity actions. We achieved margin expansion in all of our key business operating segments – despite a series of weather- and transport-related issues in North America.

“These self-help programmes are fully in gear, and they mitigated against a persistent slow-growth world economy and overcame more than $300m of increased hydrocarbon costs during the quarter.”

Performance Plastics sales expanded on higher prices. Higher volumes in Coatings and Infrastructure Solutions outpaced the market.

Dow Performance Packaging

is one of the world’s largest flexible and rigid plastic packaging franchises for the food and beverage market, as well as industrial and consumer packaging sectors.

The Dow portfolio for flexible packaging includes nearly 300 resins (commercialised and experimental grades), and new

resins are being developed through continuous research.

Dow flexible packaging professionals have developed new packaging concepts. Most recent examples include Dow’s involvement with retort packaging, case-ready packaging, and fresh-cut produce packaging.

Performance Plastics unit keeps Dow in the blackQ1 sales edge up by 1% year on year

Dow Chemicals units grew despite increased hydrocarbon costs

To succeed in a changing world, beverage producers require sustainable packaging solutions that better match their needs both today and tomorrow. Solutions that protect beverage brands while ensuring high quality, safety, reliability, flexibility and lower costs. At Sidel, our purpose is to give you exactly that, with our world-class equipment, services and people. This includes our latest Sidel Matrix™ and Sidel Services™ innovations. We are Sidel. We give you A Better Match.

MATCHING YOUR NEEDSFOR ALL PRODUCTS

PET LIQUID PACKAGING

sidel.com

Sidel-general-Advert-216X280.indd 1 24/04/2014 16:09

42 april-may 2014

To succeed in a changing world, beverage producers require sustainable packaging solutions that better match their needs both today and tomorrow. Solutions that protect beverage brands while ensuring high quality, safety, reliability, flexibility and lower costs. At Sidel, our purpose is to give you exactly that, with our world-class equipment, services and people. This includes our latest Sidel Matrix™ and Sidel Services™ innovations. We are Sidel. We give you A Better Match.

MATCHING YOUR NEEDSFOR ALL PRODUCTS

PET LIQUID PACKAGING

sidel.com

Sidel-general-Advert-216X280.indd 1 24/04/2014 16:09

News plastics


Oman Octal, one of the world’s largest PET producers has cracked $3bn in sales, a record figure in the company’s six-year history.

The company also recorded its highest quarterly production volume of PET in Q1 2014 with March 2014 being its second best month so far in PET production volume.

A capacity expansion at the firm’s PET complex in Salalah has increased production of bottle grade PET resin by 40% with a monthly run-rate of $100m. Octal accounts for about 15% of Oman’s non-oil exports, and about 1.5% of national GDP.

Enhancing Octal’s facilities has added 600,000 tons per

year of PET bottle grade resin to the company’s production capacity, to reach a total of 1 million tons per year, one of the highest figures for a single site worldwide.

Joe Barenberg, executive vice-president and COO, said capacity has grown through the company’s continued success in securing high-value accounts with big international brands and meeting their requirements for general food and consumer products packaging.

With innovation and technology at the heart of its operations, Octal is converting diverse packaging lines to its high-performing PET resins and pioneering exclusive DPET sheet with exciting new high-

volume packaging substrates expected to be announced on 8-14 May at Interpack in Dusseldorf, Germany.

The company’s reduction in environmental impact has also been seen as creating a new paradigm for the packaging industry and setting global industry benchmarks in energy and natural resource efficiency.

Today, the company exports to more than 70 countries around the world and provides clear rigid packaging solutions to some of the global leaders in food and consumer products industries.

Customers for Octal’s products include firms such as Coca-Cola, Nestlé, P&G, Walmart and Almarai.

Octal tops $3bn in sales PET production also hits record in Q1

Octal is poised to unveil new high-volume substrates at Interpack

Qatar Qatar Chemical and Petrochemical Marketing and Distribution Company (Muntajat) QJSC represented Qatar’s downstream industry at PlastiCon 2014, the international conference for plastic conversion, and Plastivision 2014, the international plastics, printing and packaging exhibition and conference, both in Sharjah, UAE, from 7 April.

Muntajat returned to the annual GPCA PlastiCon 2014 conference with a larger delegation to represent Qatar at the forum focused on highlighting the key role of plastic and packaging innovations

in market and product development.

Exhibiting at Plastivision, Muntajat showcased Qatar’s polymer products to customers and industry stakeholders from around the world.

CEO Abdulrahman Ali Al-Abdulla said: “This is our second participation in PlastiCon and our first time exhibiting at Plastivision and we are delighted with the positive feedback and relations we have established.

“Our participation at both events reinforced Qatar’s position in the plastics industry and introduced the value proposition of Qatar’s chemical, polymer and

fertiliser products to customers and peers in the region.”

Qatar’s Qapco produces low density polyethylene (LDPE) under the trademark Lotrène. With a worldwide consumption of about 20 million tons, LDPE is one of today’s major thermoplastics.

LDPE is mainly used for the manufacture of films and sheets, but is also used for extrusion-

coating, injection-molding, blow-molding, insulation foam wire and cables.

Qapco’s LDPE range covers industrial and consumer films, as well as one for coating and two injection-moulding grades. Applications include heavy duty bags, pallet shrink films, collations shrink films, poaches, freezer bags, shopping bags and laundry bags.

Muntajat at UAE events Qatar firm represents its national downstream sector at PlastiCon

Muntajat returned to PlastiCon this year with a larger delegation

News plastics


Borouge boss calls for shift to ‘Made in GCC’ Innovation ‘key’ to diversificationUAE Abdulaziz Alhajri, CEO of Abu Dhabi Polymers Company (Borouge) and chairman of the GPCA Plastics Committee, has stressed the role of innovation in the development of the Gulf’s plastics industry.

In a welcoming speech at the Gulf Petrochemicals and Chemicals Association’s (GPCA’s) Fifth International Conference for Plastic Conversion (PlastiCon) held in conjunction with the Plastivision Arabia 2014 Conference and Exhibition at Expo Centre Sharjah from 7 April, he underscored opportunities in areas such as plastics conversion through adopting new technologies and approaches.

“Innovation holds the key to the success and sustainability of the region’s plastics industry, not only in the solutions we provide, but also in the way we operate our facilities,” he said.

Gulf resin manufacturers produce 24 million tonnes each year, yet only 4.5 million tonnes are converted into finished and semi-finished industrial and consumer plastic products in this region, according to a GPCA report. Resin production is expected to reach 30 million tonnes by 2015, while differentiated and speciality products from the region are set to double to around 23 products by 2017.

“Together the plastics producers and convertors should explore the practical benefits that can be gained from their proximity, leveraging

Alhajri: commitment to innovation will make Gulf a plastics hub

GPCA spotlights SMEs’ role Converters a fifth of plastics sector

the growing polymer competence in the region and partnering to develop world-class end-use applications and making ‘Made in the GCC’ a mark of quality,” said Alhajri. “Creating value through innovation is an essential ingredient for our mutual success on the global stage.” He added that Borouge’s efforts to innovate throughout the value chain enhances technology and operational excellence and “significantly adds value to a variety of industry sectors including healthcare, infrastructure and packaging”.

“This commitment to innovation will establish the Gulf as a hub for plastics production and plastics conversion, thereby ensuring that we provide useful products that contribute to addressing global challenges such as climate change, ensuring food protection, access to clean drinking water and reliable energy, and reducing waste and encouraging recycling,” he said.

UAE At the PlastiCon 2014 conference in Sharjah from 7 April, the Gulf Petrochemicals & Chemicals Association (GPCA) highlighted the opportunities in the sector for dynamic and innovative small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs).

“Manufacturers who transform basic plastic products into finished goods represent nearly 20% of the region’s plastic industry,”

said Dr Abdulwahab Al-Sadoun, the GPCA’s secretary-general. “These plastics converters introduce a number of additives to manufacture finished goods that suit the requirements of a diverse range of industries.”

The plastics conversion market consists of moret than 1,000 companies that can be classified as SMEs, including family-owned businesses and startups, according

to GPCA research.“SMEs are today at the the

forefront of business innovation in the Middle East,” said Dr Sadoun. “SMEs involved in plastics conversion are particularly innovative as they extend the plastics supply chain by creating value-added products for the construction, infrastructure and food and beverage sectors, while creating thousands of new jobs.”

Saudi Arabia is currently spearheading this niche, representing 62% of the GCC’s plastic conversion market. The

Kingdom also leads the plastics market, producing an estimated 18.4 million tons, or 74% of the region’s total polymer production capacity.

The UAE is the GCC’s second-largest plastic converter, with 19% of regional output. The country also ranks second in total plastics manufacturing capacity, with 10.2% of the region’s polymer capacity.

GPCA has predicted that by the end of the decade the region’s plastics conversion will grow to reach 7.5 million tons in capacity, an increase of nearly 40% of its current output.

“This growth represents a huge opportunity for the emergence of new enterprises,” said Dr Sadoun. “Along with increased competition for the region’s major players, the rise of SMEs will be transformative as it not only represents the forefront of commercial innovation, but also the creation of thousands of jobs.”

News plastics


Schöttli systems on showHusky exhibits mould kit at ShanghaiChina Husky Injection Molding Systems demonstrated the latest Schöttli mould technology for select medical and specialty closure applications at Chinaplas on 23-26 April in Shanghai.

Husky acquired Schöttli in December 2013 with the goal of gaining deeper mould-making knowledge in focused medical applications, as well as expertise to build the strongest melt delivery system in the medical market.

In addition, Schöttli complements Husky’s existing closures business and will extend the company’s presence in established and emerging markets, said Husky.

By gaining a detailed understanding of customers’ needs at the tooling level, Schöttli has been able to focus on specific applications and develop mould technology that enables customers to bring the highest quality medical products to market, according to Husky.

The Schöttli exhibit at Chinaplas showcased the company’s latest mould-making technology for select medical applications, including syringes, infusion/transfusion products, diagnostic systems and feminine care items. Also featured, will be Husky’s unique EASYcube mould technology, which is designed to provide the best platform for molding multi-material closures.

“Chinaplas has always been an important show for Schöttli and we are very excited to be exhibiting this year together with Husky,” said Thomas Anderegg, president of the Schöttli Group.

“Asia Pacific is a growing market, particularly for medical moulds, and we are looking forward to the opportunity to connect with our customers in this region and demonstrate the combined capabilities of Schöttli and Husky.”

Husky Injection Molding Systems has more than 40 service and sales offices, supporting customers in over 100 countries. Husky’s manufacturing facilities are located in Canada, the United States, Luxembourg, Austria and China.

Husky featured Schöttli’s medical mould making at Shanghai show

Piovan celebrates its 50th anniversary in plastics Firms also boasts 50,000 customers

Italy Founded in 1934 as a metalworking shop in Padua, Piovan is now celebrating its golden anniversary as a key player in auxiliary machinery for the plastics industry.

In another landmark, the multinational claims to have achieved a global customer base of 50,000.

The company’s founder, Costante Piovan, decided to move beyond producing moulds, focusing on customer orientation to deliver better quality, increased ideas and solutions, and this principle still remains at the heart of the company’s operations, said the firm.

Piovan is today a multinational with five production facilities – in Italy, Germany, Brazil, China and the United States – and 21 subsidiaries and agents in more than 70 countries and 900 employees, of which 140 are customer assistance engineers.

In the plastics industry Piovan supplies a range of products and services, including feeding, blending, drying and recycling systems. The firm also produces industrial chillers and temperature controllers and integrates its array of equipment with proprietary production monitoring and control software.

The company claims vast knowledge in the main polymer processing techniques, which it shares with customers, not only through supplying auxiliary equipment, but also as a partner working alongside customers.

In the packaging sector, Piovan offers solutions for food and beverage, filling company, packaging supplier, preform and bottle, personal care, pharmaceuticals, cosmetics and food container sectors.

With its widespread sales and technical assistance network, Piovan also offers its contribution as engineering partner, by designing and creating turnkey centralised systems and innovative solutions in step with market demands and technological evolutions.

Piovan started as a metalworking shop in Padua in Italy in 1934

News plastics


Qatar Goplasticpallets.com, a leading UK independent supplier of plastic pallets, has secured a major contract with Qatar’s largest warehouse equipment company, Rumaillah Warehouse Equipment, to supply durable, long-life plastic pallets for the storage of duty free goods.

HS Marketing Ltd, of Bourne, Lincolnshire, Rumaillah’s primary sourcing agent, obtained a number of pallet samples from different suppliers, but only Goplasticpallets.com was able to match the client’s exact specification with its APB 1210 pool pallet on three runners, which it adapted with the addition of four anti-slip strips.

The first order of 10,000

plastic pallets was shipped in 29 hi-cube containers to Rumaillah in Doha in February, which is currently being stored in more than 9,000m2 of warehouse, fully fitted with high racking bays.

Over the next few months, the pallets will be used to offload duty free items from shipping containers arriving from all over the world and to store the goods in the warehouse’s 11,575-bay racking systems, ready to be transferred to the shop floor.

Rumaillah Warehouse Equipment’s general manager, Anu Sondhi, said: “This project is a key step towards helping Qatar’s continued building expansion. It’s been a long time in the planning but, now we’re nearing completion,

we’re glad to have a strong network of reliable suppliers in place, like our pallet partner Goplasticpallets.”

Recent years have brought enormous improvements in plastic pallet design, said Goplasticpallets. With better choice than ever, plastic pallets offer a cleaner, safer and tougher alternative to other pallet types.

The benefits of plastic pallets include: 100% size and strength consistency, endurance than is 10 times longer than that of wooden pallets, recyclability, exemption from ISPM15 regulations, safer handling, without nails and splinters, no mould or dust contamination issues, suitability for hygienic areas, easy cleaning, imperviousness to moisture, weak

acids and alkalis.As an independent seller

of plastic pallets, goplastics.com offers a full range of plastic pallets, from many manufacturers, offering clients greater choice.

�e contract-winning APB 1210

UK pallet supplier secures Doha duty free contractGoplasticpallets.com clinches deal with Rumaillah Warehouse Equipment

GCC Peter Plonner, senior technical manager for Sojitz Europe, has said that plastic barrier packaging is a relatively new concept for the UAE and GCC with “enormous potential” for development.

Barrier packaging products, supplied in multilayer films, sheet, bottles and tubes have high oxygen barrier properties to safeguard food from deterioration. This increases the shelf life of products like fresh meat up to six months and keeps overall food quality stable over time. It can also avoid the usage of artificial food additives, which are used for protecting food stuff from oxidation. Barrier packaging can also cut food waste, a key issue for the world’s long-term future food supply.

Barrier-packed products are already widely available across UAE and GCC hypermarkets, he told Packaging MEA. But most barrier packaging production is in Europe, USA, Asia and Japan, with products exported worldwide.

“Barrier packaging industry has got enormous potential in GCC and African countries as it is in the developing stage,” Plonner told Packaging MEA.

“The ongoing strong trend for investments in plastic conversion in the GCC is making us thinking very much positively in growing those applications locally. We Sojitz are one of leaders in Europe for the supply of polymers used in plastic (high) barrier packaging”.

Sojitz Middle East FZE also

confirmed that considering the huge potential of barrier packaging in GCC and Africa, they have planned for massive expansion in the coming months. Though the company sell huge quantities of raw material in Europe, here they would like to target small quantities initially and then expand gradually.

The Plastics Business of Sojitz Europe consists of two core sections: packaging and engineering plastics. The packaging section provides speciality polymers and also films.

Soarnol EVOH from Nippon Gohsei Europe is a copolymer with high gas barrier properties. Plexar tie resins from Lyondell-Basell/US are extrudable

adhesives. Tuftec-SEBS + SBBS are copolymers used for modifying films and specifically as adhesive layers in masking films.

Sojitz offers a wide range of raw materials and semi-final products for the (food) packaging and pipe industry. The company is also constantly widening its product portfolio to offer a one-stop shop, said Plonner.

Sojitz eyes barrier packs in MEA Packaging approach ‘relatively new’ in region

Plonner: ‘huge potential’ in MEA

News plastics


Sidel’s first Matrix in Africa starts up Setup with 20 blowing stations for 2-l Coca-Cola bottles

South Africa Africa’s first installation of a Sidel Matrix system is now running at a Coca-Cola Sabco plant at Polokwane in South Africa’s Limpopo province, it was announced on 30 April.

The new system achieved 95% line efficiency in customer acceptance validation trials for 2-litre bottles at filling plant output level, according to a press release from Sidel.

Coca-Cola Sabco’s new production line features a Sidel Matrix Combi, equipped with 20 blowing stations and 165 filling valves, as well as a Starblend mixer, a Sidel Rollquattro roll-fed labeller and a palletiser.

The new Polokwane line is used to produce several of the company’s larger formats, including its 2-litre version, and can produce 32,500 bottles per hour.

Coca-Cola Sabco invested in the new modular PET production line to meet growing domestic demand for cola carbonates. South Africa’s annual consumption has now risen to 1,800 million litres.

But the company aimed to expand capacity and also achieve high efficiency, said Rob Webster, Southern Division Supply Chain manager at Coca-Cola Sabco.

“The criteria we followed to make the decision to buy the Sidel Matrix Combi included capital cost, lead-times, maintenance and running costs, the technical capability of the equipment, training and after-sales support,” he said.

The Matrix system offers a higher level of performance, very fast changeover times, greater oven

efficiency and improved uptime, said Sidel.The setup is designed to minimise consumption

of energy, water and chemicals while offering the possibility of producing ultra-lightweighted bottles. The Matrix system can be installed in any configuration required by customers, thereby revolutionising how Sidel’s solutions can contribute to overall line performance, said the company.

“The line will help us to meet our objectives in the market and achieve operational excellence,” added Webster.

Established in 1940 in Port Elizabeth in South Africa, the South African Bottling Company (Sabco) has gone on to become a major player in the CSD bottling industry.

With 21 production sites across nine countries, the company currently supplies some 240 million consumers. Its vision is to become the “best Coca-Cola bottler in the world”. In South Africa, the company has five manufacturing sites, in Port Elizabeth, Bloemfontein, Polokwane, Nelspruit and Port Shepstone. Sabco already has several Sidel lines in operation at its plants in both Port Elizabeth and Bloemfontein.

Sidel’s Matrix solution, launched in 2013, is gaining a foothold in many countries throughout the world, said the manufacturer. But the Polokwane plant is the first in the African continent to feature the new modular generation of the company’s PET bottling equipment.

Modular system at Polokwane plant can produce 32,500 bottles per hour

GPCA recognised leading contributors to the Gulf’s plastics industry at PlastiCon, the International Conference for Plastic Conversion, held in Sharjah on 7-9 March. Initiated by the Gulf Petrochemicals & Chemicals Association (GPCA), the GPCA Plastics Excellence Awards 2014 are sponsored by Sabic and aim to stimulate and reward excellence, creativity and environmental sustainability practices in the GCC’s plastics conversion industry.

Winners, honoured at a gala dinner during PlastiCon 2014, included Safetix Mid East FZE, which won the award for Excellence in Plastics Products. Milliken Chemical took the prize for the best master batch additive and supporting company. Sabic and AGM/Toyota won an award for the joint development of a product or process from a resin producer together with plastics converter.

Sabic and Riyadh Furniture Industries, and Borouge and Taghleef were the first and second runners-up in this category and were acknowledged by the jury for their outstanding efforts, also receiving a trophy.

The Gulf Petrochemicals and Chemicals Association (GPCA) was established as a non-profit organisation in March 2006, and is the first trade association in the Gulf and the largest and most respected industry body for the Middle East downstream sector.

Today, the association has 232 members from more than 30 countries, including the largest companies in the Arab world and multinational firms. GPCA organises six events each year, publishes an annual report and regular newsletters.

News plastics


Germany As companies that handle large bottling and packaging systems pay closer attention to power consumption, SMI is showcasing at Interpack line-end machines equipped with brushless motors without using geared motors.

High-efficiency brushless motors, with running speeds adjustable to the needs of each application, improve the overall performance of the production system, said SMI.

Smiflexi shrinkwrappers no longer mount any geared motors and the same solution has

recently also been applied to the automatic palletising systems of Smipal’s APS series.

The end-of-line system displayed at Interpack 2014 for secondary packaging, obtained by joining a Smiflexi packer with a Smipal palletiser, is driven solely by high-efficiency brushless motors (yield up to 98%), which ensure a marked reduction in power consumption, maintenance costs and noise levels. Furthermore, the conveyor belts used in the system are equipped with drives that regulate motor speed based on the machine’s actual operational

needs, ensuring savings of up to 35% on power consumption.

The end-of-line system on display at Interpack uses Smipal’s new APS PLUS series, which integrates into the machine’s fixed central column all the mechanical components in charge of palletising layers, feeding empty pallets and inserting interlayers.

The following three components move on the palletisation column:

the layer- loading head-holding cross beam, which performs vertical movements; the loading head, which performs quick and accurate horizontal movements along the cross beam; an articulated arm based on SCARA technology that performs both vertical and horizontal movements for feeding the empty pallets and inserting the interlayers

SMI presents end-of-line solutions to save energyBrushless motor setup at Interpack

Gearless motors deliver savings of up to 35% on power consumed

SIPA to exhibit Flexotronic modular bottle filler range Versatile system designed for packaging firms with a broad mix of productsGermany SIPA will demonstrate at Interpack its new Flextronic range of modular fillers, which the company describes as designed to ensure extremely high performance and reliability.

Speed, strength, cleanability and flexibility are Flextronic’s key points, said SIPA. The fillers are ideal for packaging companies with a broad mix of products that they may need to run for relatively short periods, on a limited number of lines or producers moving into new and fast-developing areas where equipment adaptability is a priority, said the firm.

Flexibility is also achieved through SIPA’s design of HotLight 28, a 28mm short neck finish at just 3.8g. The HotLight 28 allows the production of hot fill and CSD containers on

the same machine without any personalisation change.

SIPA also claims its single SFR EVO3 rotary stretch-blow moulding system, for example, can produce bottles for a wide range of drinks. Without changing

the mould shells, it can be quickly converted from producing bottles for water or carbonated soft drinks to bottles for hot-fill applications.

SIPA’s Active Layer and Fastlayer palletising systems are a

further expression of flexibility in secondary packaging. No manual intervention is required in the Fastlayer area when there is a change in format of the product to be palletised, which is important when formats change frequently.

SIPA sees its Flexotronic range as part of a gamut of products to give packagers enhanced flexibility


Interview GPCA

Gulf plastics producers eye packaging opportunities

PMEA: How important is the packaging sector for the development of the petrochemicals industry in the Gulf?Dr Abdulwahab Al Sadoun: Plastic packaging is the leading end-user segment for plastics in the GCC region. It is classified into two major categories: consumer and industrial packaging.

Recent GPCA research shows that consumer packaging is the largest end-user segment, accounting for about 43% of plastics resins consumption in 2013. Industrial packaging accounted for 13%. Together they account for 56% of the total GCC plastic conversion production capacity, which was 4.0 million tons in 2013.

The two packaging industry segments have shown the highest growth over the past five years, with the consumer packaging growing at a CAGR of 8.5% and the industrial packaging growing at 12.7% per annum. This remarkable growth is attributed to the population growth as well as the higher standard of living within the GCC States.

PMEA: What do you see as the key recent public- or private-sector initiatives to realise the potential for plastics-based packaging in the region?Dr A S: One key trend emerging in the region’s plastics sector is the advent of what we call ‘plastics application centres’ and ‘plastic parks’.

The former are innovation centres engaged in research and development. They are multipurpose hubs, housing scientists involved in finding new applications for plastics, students receiving valuable vocational training and so on.

Sabic, for instance, launched a SAR470m [$125m] Plastic Innovation Centre in Riyadh in December 2013, with Borouge expected to unveil a similar research centre by the end of this year.

Dr Abdulwahab Al Sadoun, secretary-general of the Gulf Petrochemicals & Chemicals Association (GPCA), tells Benjamin Daniel why the association is nurturing plastics converters

Dr Abdulwahab Al Sadoun: packaging leads growth in Gulf plastic conversion


“The future of the GCC’splastic industry lies in thehands of plastic convertersas they will lead to thediversification of this industry”

Concurrently, several GCC States are developing ‘plastic parks’, which will host advanced plastic manufacturing units. This include PlasChem, developed by Royal Commission for Jubail and Kizad in Abu Dhabi.

PMEA: How does government policy in this area differ across the region? Which countries could be seen as pioneers or leaders?Dr A S: Government policy and the availability of raw materials have gone hand in hand in the development of the plastics industry as production is more reliant on oil than gas.

So the countries that have this hydrocarbon in abundance, such as Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, have emerged as market leaders.

Saudi Arabia leads the region’s plastics industry, producing an estimated 18.4 million tons, over 74% of the region’s polymer production capacity. The United Arab Emirates is the second largest plastic producing country in the GCC, accounting for 10.2% of the region’s polymer capacity.

Of course, the leadership in both countries has played a crucial role in the emergence of a dynamic and vibrant plastic sector as they have invested billions of dollars in the last two decades to develop this sector.

In fact, the most prominent petrochemical projects in the last few years produce plastic – Sadara Chemical Company in Saudi Arabia and Borouge in the UAE – and both are multibillion-dollar joint ventures with government entities and a multinational company.

The message from the leadership is clear: the development of the downstream industry, and the plastic sector, is high on their list of priorities.

PMEA: What are the key areas where the industry is looking to the authorities for further action?Dr A S: As I mentioned, the GCC is heavily focused on producing commodity plastics.

The plastics conversion industry involves manufacturers adding additional material to commodity plastics to make finished goods. Today, plastic converters make up 20% of the region’s plastic industry, involved in making a variety of products including packaging film and plastic bags.

We think that the future of the GCC’s plastic industry lies in the hands of plastic converters as these manufacturers will lead to the diversification of this industry by introducing more products into the region’s portfolio, while creating value added products.

Regional authorities could play key role in addressing the skill gap. There is a need for specialised vocational institutes throughout the region to provide GCC plastic convertors with skilled workforce.

PMEA: What level of growth do you expect in this sector over the coming years?Dr A S: The GCC plastics conversion industry has taken a consistent growth pattern since the early 1980s. Over the past five years, the

conversion capacity has grown from 2.8 million tons per year in 2008 to over 4.0 million in 2013, which represent a CAGR of 7.8%.

With the massive expansion of the infrastructure as well as the population growth within the GCC region, we expect the plastic conversion industry to retain this level of healthy growth on the short to mid-term basis.

With the population of the local and export markets expected to rise, there will be huge demand for consumer plastics.

PMEA: What potential is there for petrochemicals-derived products to replace other forms of packaging in the Middle East region?Dr A S: This has been trend throughout the world. Plastics are superior in certain application to the conventional products.

In particular, plastics are ideal for the packaging compared with glass and aluminium, for instance. Packaging with alternative materials requires a 50% increase in energy and will result in volume of waste going up by 60%.

Without plastic packaging, a retailer’s vehicle fleet would make 50% more journeys, consuming more fuel and emitting more carbon dioxide. Hence, plastic is the best option from economic and environmental perspectives.

PMEA: How can packaging companies seek out new opportunities through petrochemicals-based packaging?Dr A S: Petrochemicals-based packaging offers huge benefits. Plastic-based packaging is light and space efficient, leading to logistical savings in storage and transport.

Plastic convertors should invest in creating an innovation environment within their facilities and this will enable them not only to retain their market share in the region but also to penetrate export markets.

In connection with this, GPCA has launched its Innovation Awards to recognise regional plastic convertors for their innovation in products, process and sustainability.

PMEA: What are the key organisations packaging firms should contact and what events should they attend to explore the sector’s opportunities?Dr A S: GPCA organises annually its PlastiCon, the premier regional event for knowledge sharing between plastic convertors and the plastics resins producers.

52 april-may 2014

News environment

Al Alef makes a switch to Afra biodegradable bagsUAE’s ‘first large-scale production’ of Champion polypropylene bags

UAE Ajman-based Al Alef Stationery & Printing Press LLC has switched to eco-friendly non-woven bags as part of its shift towards a greener technology.

Siju Madhavan, Al Alef’s director, told Packaging MEA that the firm is pioneering the use of Champion biodegradable bags in the UAE with machinery purchased through local distributer Afra Printing Equipment Trading.

“Our non-woven bags are made of polypropylene, which is the best suitable replacement for plastic bags,” he said. “It is biodegradable within months and widely accepted among the European markets.” We are the first in the UAE to produce the non-woven bags on large scale with fully automated online machines from Champion.”

An inline setup has also enable Al Alef to produce the new bags at low cost, he added.

“We offer a variety of bag sizes, with a grammage from 30 to 100µ, in several colours,” he said.

“The flexo printing machine enables printing on one or both sides of the bag of up to four colours, giving better results than commonly applied screen print. Heat sealing machine provides decorative borders while sealing the fabric. The bags come with long or die-cut handles as per choice.”

The main customers for the bags include government departments, hotels, branded outlets and schools, he added. “We provide a variety of non-woven bags including shopping bags, laundry bags and newspaper bags for hotels,” he said.

“We have sourced this equipment and the allied support machinery from Dubai-based supplier of Champion machinery, Afra Printing Equipment Trading.”

Champion biodegradable non-woven bags manufacturing kit

Mondi debuts uncoated wood-free YBBS boardISEGA-certified for food contactAustria Mondi has launched YBBS premium board, an innovative uncoated board with a 100% pure virgin-fibre wood-free premium quality for a variety of packaging applications.

Produced in Austria, YBBS meets the highest environmental and food safety standards, with board grades ranging from high white to ivory, or coloured boards to cupstock, said Mondi. All grades are ISEGA certified to comply with the BfR XXXVI regulation on direct food contact safety. YBBS board also features a unified colour and print reproduction with two-sided printing.

The new portfolio comprises premium white board, premium ivory board, premium coloured board and premium cupstock board. YBBS premium white board is an uncoated virgin fibre wood-free board with a CIE whiteness of up to 170, unique haptics, and a strong environmental profile. Its uncoated natural ‘touch and feel’ makes it suitable for high value folding boxes and shopping bags, for example.

Free from optical brightening agents (OBA) and totally chlorine free (TCF), the YBBS premium ivory board has a natural look and feel, and a strong environmental profile suited for packaging both foodstuffs and non-food products, such as cosmetics or luxury goods.

YBBS premium coloured board is available in 39 standard colours and additional customised colours upon request. The coloured board enables personalised packaging solutions. It features solid colour saturation due to pulp colouring, even colour distribution and no white edges and is certified for toy suitability according to EN71-3 and food contact safety according to BfR XXXVI.

The range’s premium cupstock board is an uncoated 100% wood-free premium quality for hot and cold drinks as well as ice-cream cups and is available as a natural uncoated or polycoated board. According to the edge wick parameter it has high proven resistance against liquid penetration in direct food contact and therefore suits high-performance runability and converting speed.

YBBS: 100% virgin-fibre wood-free board for various applications

53april-may 2014

News environment

Sidel StarLite a winner at bottled water awardsVoted best sustainability initiativeUSA Sidel’s StarLite has won the title of ‘Best Environmental Sustainability Initiative’ at the 2013 Global Bottled Water Awards, presented in Nashville on 12-14 November.

StarLite is Sidel’s proprietary design for the base of PET bottles for still drinks. The base design makes it possible to reduce the total package weight by up to 1g of material in a 0.5-litre bottle or 2g in a 1.5-litre format, helping to create PET bottles with even less material, which cuts the energy consumed in production.

The StarLite design was developed by Sidel as a shape to optimise the resistance and stability of the bottle base, which can also help improve overall bottle rigidity. The base design is especially suited to bottles containing water and juices and, under certain conditions, can be used for other still beverages.

To achieve the final design, Sidel’s experts analysed many different possibilities, carried out numerous computer simulations and then followed those up with actual physical tests. The resulting StarLite design showed an increase of up to 30% in top-load dent resistance when the bottles were loaded on a pallet. The chosen design also exhibited up to a 55% rise in side-load resistance, a particular advantage when the bottle is on a conveyor or in a vending machine. Overall pallet integrity also increased by up to 50% during transportation.

The design helps to cut the amount of material used and therefore lowers energy consumption during production. The end result is a PET bottle that will cost less to produce, yet offer greater bottle integrity and improved pallet stability throughout the whole supply chain. Importantly, it does so without compromising the hygiene, safety and integrity of the beverage inside.

Now in their 10th year, the Global Bottled Water Awards are an initiative to recognise a range of categories. Established by Zenith International – a consultancy that advises on business and technical issues – the awards cover product innovation, packaging and marketing, as well as sustainability.

StarLite PET bottle design cuts weight by 1g for a 0.5-litre bottle

Manjushree sets up centre to study plastics recyclingFacility at PET bottle plant at Bidadi India Manjushree Technopack, South Asia’s largest manufacturer of PET bottles, is setting up a Plastics Recycling Innovation Centre (PRIC) at the company’s PET Preform unit in Bidadi, a LEEDs certified green plant.

Given the expected doubling of per capita consumption of plastics in India, and an increasing number of industries opting for plastics as the most preferred packaging material, it is imperative to step up the momentum on plastic recycling and reuse, said the company.

The Plastics Recycling Innovation Centre is intended to pave the way for new exploration and research in reusing PET plastic waste. Several industry bodies including PACE (PET Packaging Association for Clean Environment) and All India Plastic Manufacturer’s Association (AIPMA) have lent their support for this initiative.

Slated to be operational by March 2015, PRIC will look at new ways of reusing plastics and creating everyday, low-cost utility items, given the convenience and versatility of the material. Leading FMCG players and other users of plastic packaging material will partner with Manjushree towards development of these products.

As well as a research and development centre, PRIC will house an auditorium, a museum, a library and a demo centre, which will be accessible to public. Manjushree expects exhibits of products made with recycled plastics, including boats in an artificial lake, to enliven the experience for visitors.

Speaking at the ground-breaking ceremony for PRIC, Vimal Kedia, managing director, Manjushree Technopack, said: “On an average, about 60% of total plastic waste collected per day in India is recycled. However, 6,137 tonnes remain uncollected and littered.

“Through various initiatives and activities organised at the Centre, we will not only be encouraging people to reuse and recycle PET plastic waste, but also educate them on how plastic, if developed and used wisely, doesn’t pose a threat to the environment.”

Manjushree aims to spur the reuse and recycling of plastics

News corrugated


Ireland Smurfit Kappa has launched Catcher Board MB12, a patented product to ensure a blocking mechanism across the whole surface area of packaging – including at the “cut edges” of the board, unlike other ‘barrier’ solutions – to keep mineral oil hydrocarbons away from food.

The company claims the product responds fully to prospective legislation that Germany plans to introduce, which would prohibit measurable migration of mineral oil hydrocarbons into food.

Catcher Board MB12 is made using natural ingredients and meets Smurfit Kappa’s sustainability standards. It will be introduced as white lined chipboard and solid board.

A Smurfit Kappa spokesperson said: “In addition to blocking mineral oil migration across the whole surface area of the packaging, this new product looks, feels and reacts just like normal board during the manufacturing process.

“This means that our customers won’t have to change any of their packaging processes. We believe that by introducing the Catcher Board MB12 we are pre-empting our customers’ needs.”

If Europe legislates on materials in contact with food, Smurfit Kappa claims its product will enable its customers to meet the new regulatory requirements.

Smurfit Kappa protects food from mineral oils Catcher Board MB12 meets new laws

Smurfit Kappa aims to help its customers meet prospective laws

Europac launches cardboard plant project in Tangier Factory due to operate from Q1 2015

Europac Group is expected to run seven converting lines at the plant

Spain The Europac Group has acquired land in the Moroccan city of Tangier for the construction of a new integrated corrugated cardboard plant which is planned to become operational in the first half of 2015.

The first phase of this project got under way in the first quarter of 2013, with the opening of a centre dedicated to the assembly of heavy-duty enclosures for the automotive sector. At this early stage of the project converting lines were also installed for processing cardboard boxes.

Investment in the project is estimated at ¤30m ($42m) to be spent in three stages. The final phase involves installing two new converting lines to bring the new plant’s total up to seven. It is estimated that the project will enable the creation of a significant number of direct jobs.

In 2013, the group registered a net profit of ¤27.43m, up 92% on 2012. In addition, turnover rose for the fourth consecutive year, topping ¤1bn for the first time at ¤1075.90bn, up 10 % from ¤980.18m in the previous year.

Consolidated EBITDA over the year registered an increase of 16% after reaching ¤104.10m compared to ¤90.06m a year earlier. Meanwhile, EBIT was ¤54.89m last year, 34% more than in the same period of 2012.

News corrugated


Germany At Interpack, Mondi Release Liner is showcasing ColdSealPack, a cold-seal packaging solution capable of wrapping or sealing products without tape or an extra adhesive.

Produced by the company’s functional coating department, ColdSealPack is an unbleached kraft paper coated with a cold seal adhesive that sticks to itself by forming a strong bond at room temperature when pressed together.

This packaging solution is aimed at industrial applications, such as packing single components and spare parts in the furniture or automobile industry. Apart from the packaging function, ColdSealPack also offers optimal surface protection, said Mondi.

Books, magazines, CDs/DVDs and toys can be wrapped and mailed with superior protection while reducing material consumption and dispensing with void filling. Alongside its use as wrapping paper, ColdSealPack can also be converted into corrugated material and used for quick packaging, typically in e-commerce. Neither scissors nor a knife is needed to unpack an item wrapped in ColdSealPack.

The cold seal adhesive, whose strength can be adapted upon customer request, consists of natural latex that deposits no sticky residues on other materials.

Mondi to unveil self-seal kraft paper at Interpack Solution bonds at room temperature

Mondi sees ColdSealPack applications in industry and e-commerce

Corrugated packaging: a solution to food waste? European federation makes claimBelgium While the United Nations (UN) estimates that more than 1 billion tons of food is wasted globally every year, that figure could be slashed with the right packaging, according to the European Federation of Corrugated Board Manufacturers (Fefco).

In the industrialised world 40% of food at retail and consumer level is thrown away, and a similar figure is wasted in developing countries during post-harvest handling and processing, according to the UN. Fefco is convinced appropriate food packaging can help tackle the problem.

Fefco rejects the perception of packaging as contributing to waste. Far more resources are used in creating the product than the packaging, so product and packaging should be viewed together and appropriate levels of packaging should be used to protect food. Secretary-general Angelika Christ said: “Downsizing packaging makes no sense if product loss occurs as a consequence. Packaging should be optimised according to the requirements of each and every product. Sometimes increasing packaging significantly reduces impact on the environment.”

Vitacress, a leading grower of watercress, asked for a corrugated packaging solution to increase shelf life and reduce product loss in distribution. The result included a drain tray of crushed ice that sits on the top rim of the pack and trickles melting water over the watercress to keep it fresh for up to 48 hours.

Corrugated packaging can also be tailored to each product to hold it during transport. It can be designed to ensure easy opening and handling without product damage. The flexibility exists to introduce bespoke solutions quickly, and cost-effectively. Corrugated packaging protects 75% of European goods in transit and ensures that more food reaches the consumer’s table as safely and efficiently as possible.

In Germany ethylene absorbing corrugated board is being developed for fresh produce to slow down unwanted ripening, which is triggered by ethylene in some fruits and vegetables.

Downsizing packaging can make ‘no sense’, said Fefco’s head


News metal

Germany Metpack 2014 at Messe Essen will be the largest edition of the show so far, according to the event’s organisers.

The eighth edition of the world fair for metal packaging on 6-10 May will host more than 230 exhibitors for the first time.

In terms of area the tradefair has also expanded, with more than 10,000m2 already booked in the run-up to the show. These good figures are in line with growth in the international metal packaging industry, said the show team.

In 2014 the global fair will once again illustrate the state of the art and the latest level of knowledge in the sector.

New technology at Metpack will include innovative seal technologies for easy-to-open peel-off lids, modern coatings for corrosion protection

as well as a new generation of sealing compounds.Reflecting demand for efficient and cost-saving

solutions in manufacturing, for example, Metpack is set to feature new shaping possibilities for food and aerosol cans.

In addition, the show is due to feature cutting-edge processes for the production of lighter food cans and metal packaging for the food industry and gastronomy.

This year’s event will also continue continue the Metpack Innovation Award, introduced in 2011, with gold, silver and bronze prizes.

Companies will be recognised through the competition for their development of particularly trend-setting and future-oriented innovations. The official award ceremony will be held during Metpack on 7 May 2014.

Metpack continues its growth in 2014 Show to feature 230 exhibitors on 6-10 May this year

Unilever UK & Ireland has taken another step in its journey to halving its environmental impact with its revolutionary compressed deodorant aerosol can as it extends the technology across all of its four male deodorant brands: Sure Men, Dove Men + Care, Lynx and Vaseline Men.

Just one year after the successful launch of the multi award-winning compressed technology, Unilever has sold about 12 million cans of compressed deodorant, resulting in an aluminum saving of 77 tons – equivalent to 38,000 bicycles. Building on the success in their sister brands, the compressed technology is now being rolled out to include all of Unilever’s male deodorant brands and the remaining variants in its female deodorant, meaning that more than 40% of Unilever UK & Ireland’s entire aerosol deodorant portfolio will be compressed by the end of the year.

The new cans require up to 50% less propellant but last just as long as conventional cans and use up to 25% less aluminum, enabling the reduction of the carbon footprint of Unilever’s male deodorant category.

Switching to the new compressed can reduces the overall carbon footprint of the product by up to 25%. This takes Unilever closer to its challenging Sustainable Living Plan targets of halving the greenhouse gas impact of products across the lifecycle and the waste associated with the disposal of products by 2020. Compressed aerosols are very much a British innovation. Unilever has invested more than £20m ($34m) into a new production line in its Leeds factory, the largest deodorants factory in Europe.

KBA to show Mailänder 280 at Metpack Upper part of MetalStar printing tower in new pressGermany KBA-MetalPrint is claiming a milestone in metal decorating with the new Mailänder 280.

The press combines the high-tech automation of the MetalStar with the universal applicability of the proven Mailänder series to deliver ultimate performance and outstanding print quality with all kind of qualities and thicknesses of metal sheet, said the manufacturer.

The machine’s greatest innovation is the incorporation of the upper part of the printing tower from the MetalStar, said KBA-MetalPrint.

With this modern inking and dampening unit, the Mailänder 280 possesses a fast-reacting and stable printing unit capable of the highest print quality, according to the company.

Another innovation is the new centralised operating concept of the Mailänder 280. The control console has been redesigned from the ground up and implements the latest ergonomic principles. The user-friendly interface is built around new Windows-based control software.

All press functions can be handled from a central operating point, and the integrated remote maintenance module provides access to all the important sections of the complete production line at any time.

On the Mailänder 280, the whole line can be synchronised in seconds at the press of a button. There are thus no more long and annoying waits until the press is ready to go into production. As a user, you effectively regain valuable production time with every start, said KBA.

Metpack expects this year’s show to spotlight innovative processes and new types of container

Sheet transport and printing decks fully redesigned


News metal

Germany The International Organisation of Aluminium Aerosol Container Manufacturers (Aerobal) has reported a record result for 2013 with output up by about 2% to more than 7 billion cans.

The milestone of 7 billion was passed despite economic turbulence worldwide and a slowdown in growth in several of the largest emerging markets in Asia and South America, said the association.

Aluminium cans now account for nearly half of the total worldwide output of aerosol cans, according to Aerobal. Secretary general Gregor Spengler said further prospects for this modern packaging material are quite positive even though the global economic environment has become more difficult.

“Of course, in the current economic situation, it is not easy to give a forecast,” he said. “However, whereas the European market seems comparatively saturated, we continue to see substantial potential for growth in the emerging markets of Asia and South America.

“Disposable per capita income is on the rise. This rise combined with the compelling functionality of this packaging and the resulting growth in its popularity specifically in these regions make us optimistic overall about a promising trend for aluminium aerosol cans in the global packaging market.”

About 80% of total production continues to go to cosmetics. However, significant growth in the pharmaceutical and food industries gives hope for very promising market opportunities, said Aerobal.

The unique barrier and hygiene characteristics of aluminium as a material play a crucial role in the selection of packaging particularly in these rising markets. And for all industries and products, aluminium cans also provide a high degree of product safety due to their seamless monobloc (one-piece) technology.

Aerobal represents 18 international aluminium aerosol can producers running 28 production plants in Europe, North America, South America, Asia and Africa. The association claims to covers the main aluminium aerosol can markets worldwide and about 75% of overall aluminium aerosol can production.

An upward trend for aluminium cans has withstood the downturn

Crown spots opportunity for metal food packagingPackager stresses health benefitsUSA Crown Food Packaging North America, a business unit of Crown Holdings is marketing its range of food packaging techologies as suited to contemporary concerns over trust in brands and nutrition.

“Consumers have a high level of familiarity and trust with food cans, and the format has an unprecedented safety record,” said Hella Gourven, marketing manager, Crown Food Packaging North America. “Cans are also the most effective option when it comes to preserving the quality of the foods they contain. Foods typically degrade through extended exposure to air or sunlight, and metal is the only container material that completely prevents light and oxygen from infiltrating the package. These characteristics enhance food safety and quality, and, in turn, lend credibility to brands.”

Research shows that consumers are increasingly seeking nutritious meal options and packaging that fits into their busy lifestyles, she added. Canned foods are nutritionally on par with fresh and frozen products, and in many cases, they are actually more nutritious. A study by Michigan State University, for example, found the retort process employed during canning tomatoes actually improves their B vitamins, vitamin E and carotenoid content. Canning facilities are strategically located near farms so that fruit and vegetables are canned within hours of being picked, when they are at their freshest.

“Once picked, food is cooked in the can to destroy bacteria,” explains Gourven. “The end result is a low oxygen environment that maintains the same amount of vitamins and nutrients from the day the food was packed, without the need for any preservatives like salt, for the can’s entire shelf life.”

Since the vast majority of canned goods can be eaten immediately after opening or after simple reheating and require little to no additional preparation, the format makes it easy for busy consumers to take in the recommended daily amount of fruit and vegetables.

Metal packaging fits with consumers’ priorities, according to Crown

Production of aluminium aerosol cans hits 7 billionIndustry up by 2% in 2013: Aerobal


Interpack 2014: preview

at the Düsseldorf Stadthalle in Congress Centre South (CCD Süd).

About 75 companies are expected to participate, including manufacturers of machine parts, components, accessories and peripherals as well as those who manufacture components and auxiliaries for packaging means.

A daily lecture forum will accompany the event. Visitors can find the programme at www.packaging-components.de.

Components is taking place during the first three days of Interpack, on 8-10 May in the direct vicinity of the main fair in the Stadthalle at the Congress Center South and Interpack visitors and exhibitors will have direct access to the parallel event.

On 7 May, the Save Food Congress gets under way on the eve of the main exhibition. The two-day event is directed at both non-profit organisations and industry. It

highlights the topics of global food loss and food waste and explores the aspects involved, addressing a broad public audience.

Building on the foundation established at its launch in 2011, Interpack aims to again provide a unique international platform for exchanges between all those concerned with this critical issue. The Save Food initiative is a co-operation between the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations (FAO) and Messe Düsseldorf.

After debuting as a congress staged parallel to Interpack, it is now being supported by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP). The 2014 event will present the results of new FAO studies conducted in developing and emerging countries to investigate local food losses. In addition, companies from the entire food value chain will be presenting best practices.

The congress supports the fundamental

Interpack cements its status with new component exhibition

Once again, Interpack has bolstered its claim to be the world’s leading packaging trade fair by selling out all available space at 19 halls in the Düsseldorf exhibition centre.

On 8-14 May about 2,700 exhibitors are expected from industries ranging from food and beverages, confectionary and baked goods to pharmaceuticals and cosmetics, non-food consumer goods, industrial goods and related services. Companies are set to come from about 60 countries and to occupy about 174,000m2.

This year will also debut a parallel event: Components for Processing and Packaging. The additional exhibition for suppliers to the packaging industry will feature companies engaged in drive, control and sensor technology, products for industrial image processing, handling technology, industrial software and communication, and complete automation systems for packaging machinery

An extensive supporting programme to this year’s event includes a new components exhibition, the Save Food Congress, InnovationParc, and the Packaging & Metal Packaging Plaza


aims of the initiative, which seeks to network key actors in business, politics and research to instigate a constructive dialogue between all parties. The ultimate goal is to develop solutions that will reduce food loss and waste along the food value chain.

“All the industries involved in the food, packaging and logistics sectors have an especially important role to play in the Save Food initiative,” said Interpack Director Bernd Jablonowski. “Ultimately, it is the products developed by these companies which offer concrete approaches to solving the problems we all face. We want Save Food to act as a catalyst for establishing contact with other enterprises and organisations to carry these approaches further.”

Now a regular feature at Interpack, the special show InnovationParc Packaging (IPP) 2014 will also be staged under the ‘save food’ watchword. The more than 20 participating Save Food members, companies and associations from all stages along the value chain are showcasing their solutions for avoiding food loss and food waste.

The special show presents practical approaches from areas such as food processing, packaging design, packaging materials and machine construction to fight the problem in concrete ways. An additional exhibition highlights the dimensions of international food losses along the food value chain. Since early 2012, the Save Food initiative has been open to corporate members and private individuals who wish to support its aims both through

financial sponsorship and by providing new ideas. Alongside individual companies in the packaging industry, almost all the leading trade associations in the sector have joined this initiative.

IPP will be staged in a prestige marquee on an area of around 2,500m2 on the outdoor space between Halls 2 and 3. Throughout the fair, a programme of lectures will be held on an integrated stage. Foods in the catering zone have been selected in co-operation with Tristam Stuart, the initiator of ‘Feeding the 5,000’, a project that has organised free meals for several thousand people using food that would otherwise be disposed of. Visitors can find the Innovationsparc lecture programme and a stand plan at www.interpack.de. Metal Packaging Plaza at Hall 11 provides a meeting point for the international metal packaging community and its supplier industry. The proven concept of this special exhibition will be continued at Interpack 2014 by the organisers VMV (the German Metal Packaging Association) and Empac (the European Metal Packaging association).

For the first time, exhibitors here will include packaging steel manufacturers such as ThyssenKrupp Rasselstein and ArcelorMittal under the umbrella of Apeal, the Association of European Producers of Steel for Packaging. In addition to the displays of about 40 exhibitors, the Metal Packaging Plaza provides an information platform with a forum, bar-lounge and meeting points.

The interpack website, www.interpack.com, has been completely reorganised and given a facelift. At this site, visitors can find useful tools to help them plan their trade fair agenda efficiently. Examples include the exhibitor database where they can generate a personalised hall floorplan, a matchmaking function for establishing contact with exhibitors, and information on all new developments being presented by the participating companies.

Interpack services can also be accessed by mobile via http://mobile.interpack.com. Visitors will appreciate the downloadable iPhone and Android apps. These offer daily updated exhibitor and event databases, graphically optimised halls maps and exhibitor data, including contact details, product information, forms for arranging meetings and a possibility to compose notes on individual exhibitors.

Visitors can also use the app to synchronise their trade fair planning between a desktop computer and their handheld device. All individual editing, such as a personalised display of favourites in the hall floorplan or notes made about companies, will then be available on both platforms no matter where it was originally made.

The Interpack home page additionally offers the possibility of arranging hotel bookings and also provides tips on cultural attractions in Düsseldorf for visitors planning their stay in the city.

Interpack 2014 preview


News events

UAE Dubai Exports is looking to develop the UAE’s potential as a packaging hub through a series of initiatives at Interpack, says Mohammed Ali Al Kamali, director of export markets developments in the organisation’s Export Market Division.

In addition to having a dedicated pavilion at the tradeshow in Dusseldorf on 8-14 May, Dubai Exports will hold ‘matchmaking events’ to introduce companies to potential buyers and is helping to bring 500 visitors to the trade fair.

“At Dubai Exports our role is to promote several sectors and industries from the UAE and Dubai in particular,” he told Packaging MEA.

“When we started to form a focus on sectors, packaging was one of the main and important sectors for us. This is because Dubai has a huge capacity to produce packaging and it was

very important for us to explore manufacturers and traders in this field by actually working with them closely at a preparation level and taking them to an international level where we participate in international exhibitions.”

For Interpack, Dubai Exports has collaborated with IFP Emirates to engage with more companies from the sector.

“Our main aim is to promote UAE companies and position Dubai as one of the most important producer for this particular sector,” said Al Kamali.

In particular, he pointed to the expansion of the UAE’s food industry. International exhibitions such as Interpack have also been highlighted as an opportunity for UAE companies specialised in halal food, which has a global market valued at about $500bn and rapidly growing demand in Europe.

The pavilion at Interpack will feature small, medium and large

companies, he added. “Besides representing in this pavilion we are also having an initiative of introducing these companies to potential buyers and doing some sort of a matchmaking event and to work with our partners with other business activities such as benchmarking with international markets,” he said.

By engaging companies with international markets, Dubai Exports aims to learn “new and sophisticated business practices that could be implemented back here in terms of packaging development”, said Al Kamali.

Bassel Amaneddine of IFP Emirates, which represents Interpack in the UAE, said his company had helped gather “about 500 visitors from the region”.

“For the first time, Dubai Exports is leading a UAE participation, and we thank them for their support,” he said.

Al Kamali added that the Dubai 2020 expo would deliver a boost to the packaging sector in the emirate.

“Once the announcement was made there has been a very good increase in almost all the sectors across the UAE,” he said.

“Dubai 2020 has brought Dubai back on track in terms of development. We have seen a lot of projects come up after this. The beauty about Dubai is the government is in line with the private sector. We have seen a lot of initiates by the government.”

Dubai Exports brings UAE to InterpackDedicated pavilion and ‘matchmaking’ events for firms

Dubai Exports’ Al Kamali with Bassel Amaneddine & �omas Dohse

At a glance2,700 exhibitors

19 halls

2 million sq ft

Main product groups¡ Processes and machinery for the packaging of: food and beverages, pharmaceuticals and cosmetics, consumer goods (non food), industrial goods.

¡ Packaging materials, packaging means and packaging production.

¡ Processes and machinery for confectionery and bakery.

¡ Services for the packaging industry and confectionery and bakery industries.

¡ Packaging concepts for the future in the Innovationparc Packaging.

Target groups¡ Food¡ Beverages¡ Confectionery & bakery ¡ Pharmaceuticals¡ Cosmetics¡ Consumer goods (non-food)¡ Industrial goods¡ Services

Reporting live from DÜSSELDORF, GERMANY

www.packagingmea.comw w w . p a c k a g i n g m e a . c o m

News events


KSA Heidelberg Saudi Arabia (Juffali Printing systems) hosted a seminar on ‘Press versatility from commercial to packaging’ at Riyadh Intercontinental Hotel on 16 February.

Grace Sarouphim, regional marketing manager for Heidelberg Gulf, told Packaging MEA that the event was “extremely successful in all aspects”.

“Many positive remarks were received from almost all attendees,” she said. “The contents, discussions and question answer sessions were well received.”

Felix Müller, senior vice-president sheetfed product management, spoke at the seminar with Ralph Schoenfeld, regional business management -

dealer network area sales manager postpress for Heidelberg.

The seminar covered the following topics:1. Prinect workflow/Pressroom Manager2. Quality controls/Easy Control/Axis Control/Image Control/Inpress Control3. The press: CD, CX and SX offerings and versatility4. Commercial finishing5. Packaging finishing

In packaging, the seminar focused largely on postpress. In particular, the event covered new features/options on the Dymatrix 106 CSB and special features – such as a braille module and inspection control module – on the Diana X models.

Juffali, a pioneer in bringing

technology to the Kingdom, has established alliances with global industry leaders to provide cutting-edge solutions in related print and packaging.

Heidelberg Middle East FZCO is a joint venture between Heidelberg Druckmaschinen AG (Heidelberg), and Juffali.

Covering the entire printing process, from prepress to

postpress, the company offers an extensive product portfolio including plate imaging devices and finishing equipment, software components designed to integrate all processes in a printshop and full support to the printing industry, with sales support, aftersales services, extensive training and marketing, throughout the region.

Heidelberg Saudi Arabia gives technical seminar

�e seminar covered Prinect workflow and CD, CX and SX presses

Germany KBA Group has announced a series of open houses at its Radebeul sheet-fed press manufacturing, training school and showroom facility to showcase its new generation of power-performance ‘game-changer’ Rapida presses.

As well as demonstrating the productivity of its latest patented technology across formats from B2 to VLF, KBA aims to examine new options and solutions for sector-focused market developments.

On 14 May, KBA is hosting a ‘Print for Packaging’ open house, which will be followed on 13 June with an event focused on ‘Print for Labels’.

Presses being demonstrated will include the latest models from the B2, B1, and large and very large format ranges with variations including UV and conventional ink systems and multicoat, H-UV and hybrid digital solutions.

KBA expects the open houses’ main attraction to be large-format packaging printing at 17,000sph, alongside fast job changeovers – one of the unique features of the Rapida 145 with inline coater.

The new-generation 145 large-format press will be demonstrated in operation at speeds of up to 17,000sph with 250 and 600g/m2 substrates. The highlights will include a fast job changeover with

simultaneous plate changing using DriveTronic SPC, and different coating effects based on the latest UV technology from KBA.

Switching from a dispersion coating to matt-gloss special effects can be accomplished in next to no time, despite also requiring conversion from conventional to UV coating in the coater tower, said KBA.

Another feature relevant

to packaging is non-stop pile changing at the feeder and delivery, in combination with fully automatic substrate logistics, said KBA.

Another key product the company is set to showcase is “an ultimate technology in product refinement” on a six-colour Rapida 106 in a double-coating configuration with an inline cold foiler unit, according to KBA.

KBA to showcase Rapida Open house programme at Radebeul to present sector-focused solutions

KBA aims to spotlight production at 17,000sph with the Rapida 145


UAE Plastivision Arabia, Arabia Mold, Print Pack Arabia, and the International Conference for Plastics Conversion inaugurated on 7 April at Sharjah Expo Centre, highlighting the plastic industry’s potential in the Gulf.

Jayesh K Rambhia, chairman of Plastivision Arabia 2014 and representative of the All-India Plastics Manufacturers’ Association, said the Indian plastics industry in the UAE is seeing “robust” growth.

He stressed that plastics are not intrinsically hostile to the environment. “Plastics reduce the weight of packaging and save fuel,” he said.

The slogan “Say no to plastics” has emerged in the United States, which consumes 100kg of plastics per head per year. But India is using only 8kg, while the Gulf average is put at 25kg, said Rambhia. “Instead of saying no to plastics, know plastic, use it well, dispose of it responsibly and grow economically,” he said. “In Germany, there is zero wastage thanks to stringent rules.”

Print Pack Arabia featured more than 70 exhibitors, as well as two special pavilions from India and China and a knowledge-sharing platform through its technical seminars.

The Gulf Petrochemicals and Chemicals Association’s PlastiCon 2014 focused on the growth of plastics conversion both globally and in GCC countries, offering a great opportunity for trade representatives to gain insights into challenges and developments facing conversion today.

The GCC plastics industry celebrated the winners of the GPCA Plastics Excellence Awards 2014, an initiative of the Gulf Petrochemicals & Chemicals Association (GPCA). The awards, sponsored by Sabic, aim to stimulate and reward excellence, creativity and environmental sustainability practices in the GCC’s plastics conversion industry.

The winners were honoured at a gala dinner held as part of the 5th International Conference for Plastic Conversion (PlastiCon 2014), taking place at Expo Centre Sharjah.

“With plastics being an ideal packaging material for all sorts of commercial and industrial users, the introduction of Print Pack Arabia will give a new dimension to Plastivision Arabia & Arabia Mold,” said Expo CEO Saif Mohammed Al Midfa.

Arabia Mold received a record number of pre-registered visitors, excellent exhibitor response and good visitor turnout, according to its organisers.

The success can be attributed to the robust demand from core sectors such as medical and pharmaceutical, plastic packaging, building materials, pipeline and the manufacturing and industrial segments.

Arabia Mold 2014 set out to build on the success of its launch edition and cater to the rising demands from regional economies, while cementing its position as a dedicated platform for the regional industry.

Sharjah shows put the case for plasticsConcurrent events emphasise sector’s potential in GCC

Sheikh Mohammad Bin Saud Bin Sultan Al Qassimi opens the shows at Sharjah this April

WTME (World Tobacco Middle East) 2014 was held on 1-2 April at the Dubai World Trade Centre. The event featured an exhibition along with exhibitor business presentations.

Quartz Business Media, who organised the event, reported 50% growth in the size of the exhibition from 2012 and thousands of visitors attending to network with the international companies represented.

The show returns at the same venue on 13-14 April 2016.

The tradeshow is designed to provide an ideal platform and a forum to build relationships and network with industry personnel from all over the world, to view the latest innovations and to update knowledge on the issues facing the industry.

The organisers see the exhibition as useful for manufacturers and converters to network and find solutions primarily in packaging. The exhibition covered key processes in packaging including adhesives, cigarette tipping and plug-wrap, inspection, test and laboratory equipment, monopoly manufacture, packaging materials and supplies, printing and print supplies, processing and packaging machinery and tobacco machinery. Key exhibitors were satisfied with the visitor turnout and the deals they signed at the show, said the show staff.

Leading packaging exhibitors at the event included TCPL Packaging, Emirates Printing, H.B. Fuller, Technotrans and Innovia Films.

UAE is a top destination for Indian tobacco products. Its emirates are ranked No1 in exports of cigarettes, cut tobacco, chewing tobacco and bidis, according to data from the Tobacco Board of India.

MIDDILEAST AFRICA PACKAGING AD SIZE: 215 X 280 MM MAY 2014

P.O. Box 5106, Al Quoz, Dubai, United Arab Emirates, Tel: (+971 4) 3475550, Fax: (+971 4) 3475959, E-mail: [email protected], www.eppdubai.com

Business cosmetic packaging


The world is becoming more affluent, and people want to wallow in luxury. More expensive cosmetics are being sold today than ever before. Perfumes, lipsticks and creams come in lavish and upmarket packages. Even the outward impression has to promise quality and extravagance and offer as much extra utility as possible.

But the beauty sector is also following an entirely contrary trend, as many consumers adopt the credo of ‘back to nature’. Attaching importance to naturalness and sustainability, they go for natural cosmetics for which lavish luxury packages would be counterproductive. A study by auditors and accountants KPMG and commercial researchers IFH Köln into the German market for natural cosmetics forecast 7% annual growth until 2020 – more than any other cosmetics segment. Cosmetics suppliers therefore face a difficult task. Not only must they cater for two contrasting trends. They must also deal with increasingly picky consumers.

“It is now becoming obvious that the illustrative effect of an idealised design has reached its promotional peak,” says Peter Wippermann, professor for communication design in Essen. “From now on, it will be a question of showcasing the product itself. In the aesthetics of package design, the trend towards purity and authenticity is juxtaposed with a conflicting trend towards complexity and exoticism.”

With cosmetics set on the opposing paths of luxury and sustainability, packaging manufacturers and machine suppliers must stay creative and flexible to meet the demands of a complex market

Beauty finds new forms

Less sheen, more greenThe issue of appropriate package design is further complicated by the soaring cost of energy and raw materials, which present an obstacle to elaborate packages. Although there is a demand for perfumes in glass flacons with real gold print, they are unlikely to become mainstream.

Wippermann, in fact, believes companies will increasingly espouse sustainability and attempt to curb costs by abandoning certain materials in favour of new combinations. The trend researcher cites the example of Gillette, which is using mouldable cellulose from renewable bamboo and reed fibres for secondary packaging. Other companies are also following this trend. Packaging specialist Carl Edelmann, for example, has developed a folding box for natural cosmetics that, it claims, embodies an all-out ecological strategy coupled with high quality.

The box is made of 80% recycled materials and is printed with oil-free inks produced exclusively with renewable resources and green electricity. This way, says Edelmann, the carbon footprint in production is 76% smaller than for conventional packages. Cosmetics suppliers can thus clearly reduce their emissions via the package as well. Consumers can feel good about “going green” in their purchasing behaviour. Another way to conserve resources is with packages whose special material properties enable them to be emptied more efficiently. Tubes and shower gel packages are very popular with consumers for practical and aesthetic reasons, although it is often difficult to get the last drops of the product out of them. When disposed of, these packages often still contain sizable product residues.

Researchers at the Technische Universität München are therefore developing packaging with the lotus effect, for example. The cosmetic contents adhere poorly to the water-repellent surface structure of the material, and it is therefore easier to completely empty the package. Another solution is readily deformable tubes susceptible to creasing whose contents can be squeezed out more easily.


Increasingly efficient packaging technologyHowever, a brand’s image and tradition can rule out new, ecological packaging. For the relaunch of the Nivea brand, in which packaging specialists Weener was involved, the emphasis was on a return to the brand’s roots and user-friendliness.

Manufacturer Beiersdorf is continuing to package the Nivea body care series in classical PET bottles. But the image has undergone a change in design, and the new overall package is seen as memorable and minimalistic with clear, tidy labelling, a slender, rounded, pleasant-to-touch bottle, and gently sloping shoulders which almost seamlessly merge into the straight, upward-pointing closure. To conserve resources and cut costs in package production and filling, groups like Beiersdorf have high expectations of the filling and packaging technologies.

“There is a trend towards ever-faster and more reliable packaging machines,” said Oliver Bernd, production expert at Deutsches Verpackungsintitut in Berlin. “By using them, companies can shrink their ecological footprint and also cut costs.”

Beiersdorf, for instance, claims to sell its Nivea body care line in 200 markets worldwide. Because different regions demand different product quantities, the bottle sizes have to vary. Weener, which produces the closures and supplies the injection moulds for them, therefore has to ensure that the package can be handled without a hitch on all production lines at all filling plants worldwide. Efficiency and production security are all-important for Beiersdorf. Reject packages and frequent stoppages, on the other hand, squander resources and push up costs.

Higher throughput, lower costs High availability of its production lines is also top priority for the French L’Oréal cosmetics group. But the company sells strong brands that cannot readily be marketed in a downscaled, ecological get-up.

To cushion rising raw materials prices, L’Oréal is putting its suppliers to the test. To optimise the filling processes on its make-up line, it has invested in the latest production technology from the German packaging and process specialist Bosch Packaging – among other things in the piston-filling machine of the FLK 8000 CIP Plus Series. Piston-filling machines are used above all for filling thin-bodied, thick-bodied and pasty products. The FLK from Bosch raises

efficiency and output, the company claims, and thus reduces production costs despite rising prices. “We were looking for a flexible and extensible machine that can also be cleaned during operation,” said Pascal Sigonneau, who is responsible at L’Oréal for machine procurement in make-up production. “We finally plumped for Bosch as it is the only manufacturer capable of offering highly efficient cleaning, particularly when machine components are in contact with the product.”

What is more, the FLK Clean-In-Place process is reproducible, i.e. it can be endlessly repeated without any loss of effectiveness. Make-up machines are considered particularly difficult to clean because most of the products are water-resistant and contain oily substances designed to stay in contact with the skin for as long as possible. L’Oréal used to have the machines cleaned manually,

which meant dismantling certain machine parts. Production stoppages lasting several hours were the consequence.

The new line from Bosch operates with three tanks that can be cleaned independently of each other, meaning that two tanks are constantly in operation. “This way we’ve eliminated downtime and upped throughput,” says Sigonneau. Sweden’s Norden Machinery, a subsidiary of the Italian Coesia Group and a specialist in tube-filling machines, is also constantly working on ways to enhance the flexibility and versatility of its systems. Norden’s most recent developments include an inspection system that detects leaky plastic and laminate tubes in-line with a 100% success rate and automatically sorts them out without interruption.

Process speed therefore stays high and output is not marred by rejects, which cuts costs. “There are plenty of testing systems, but none like ours that achieves 100% results,” says Hans Söderström, in charge of technology at Norden.

In this Swedish process, the tubes are filled with the product plus a marking gas – harmless hydrogen – and sealed. Then they are squeezed gently on the sides. Any escaping gas, however minute the quantity, immediately triggers a hydrogen sensor, the key element of the inspection system – and the faulty tube is ejected from production. Innovations like this ensure that high-quality packages are not thwarted by the spiralling prices of energy and raw materials.

This is an edited version of a feature from the marketing team at Interpack, which runs this year on 8-14 May at Dusseldorf

66 april-may 2014

New appoinments

Harrison Chien has joined RotoMetrics as vice-president, for global marketing and business development.

“Harrison brings over 20 years of experience in the printing and label converting industries, with his most recent experience as vice-president of Sales & Marketing for Sev-Rend Corporation,” said RotoMetrics CEO Robert Spiller.

Harrison previously served at US Tape and Label, Diagraph

Corporation, Sony Chemicals and Avery Dennison. Harrison will be based in the company’s Eureka Missouri headquarters and report directly to the CEO.

“I am confident that Harrison’s broad experience in product development, branding communications, and general business management will continue to strengthen our marketing functions supporting our global growth initiatives,” said Spiller.

“In his new role, Harrison will succeed Karen Moreland who is relocating to Arizona. We are also fortunate that Karen will continue to support our leadership team with her deep company knowledge and industry expertise as a consultant focusing on marketing and strategic business initiatives.”

The Board of Directors of Eastman Kodak Company has elected Jeffrey J Clarke as CEO.

“His past leadership positions have included businesses selling hardware, software and services, and printing – with B2B customers as well as consumers,” said James V Continenza, chairman of the board. “I thank Antonio Perez for his excellent leadership of Kodak through its complex and successful restructuring, and

for solidifying our relationships with our valued customers since that time.”

Clarke, 52, said: “This enterprise has some extraordinary opportunities, especially those presented by the company’s proprietary technology in commercial printing, packaging and functional printing... I look forward to continuing the work underway in transforming Kodak into a global B2B technology leader.”

Prior to joining Kodak, Clarke was a managing partner of Augusta Columbia Capital (ACC), chairman of Travelport, where he served as CEO in 2006-11, COO of CA, Inc., an enterprise software company, and an executive vice-president at Hewlett-Packard Company in 2002-03.

Heinz Gaub, MD, Arburg, technology and engineering

Andrew McKerlie, FFEI Graphium channel mgr, EMEA

Aryan Moelker, president, Flint, flexographic products

Andrew McKerlie is FFEI’s new Graphium channel manager for EMEA, while Bhupinder Bharat becomes Graphium product specialist. McKerlie has more than 15 years experience in the printing industry and will be responsible for sales of FFEI’s Graphium inkjet printers and software-related products in designated territories of Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA). He spent 10 years at HP selling Indigo presses and worked recently at Label Traxx.

Aryan Moelker is now president, flexographic products, at Flint, where he also joins the executive management team (EMT) reporting directly to Antoine Fady, CEO. Aryan is a Dutch national who has lived and worked in Germany for nine years in his current role as CEO of AB Enzymes. He joins Flint Group with over 20 years experience working in the high-technology biotech industry with Genencor, DSM and ABF.

Stephan Doppelhammer is QuadTech’s new global market manager for packaging. “Packaging converters have traditionally trusted the stability of their presses and inspected manually, but rules for packaging print quality are changing,” he said. “Using our expertise in colour control for commercial print, we are ideally placed to provide the same market leading expertise and equipment to converters.” He joined QuadTech in 2009 and has a strong packaging background.

Harrison Chien, VP, RotoMetrics

Stephan Doppelhammer, manager, packaging, QuadTech

Heinz Gaub has started as managing director, technology and engineering, at Arburg. He succeeds Herbert Kraibühler, who has retired after 50 years. The handover was planned long in advance, enabling Gaub to have nine months of intensive preparation for his new responsibilities. Heinz has 15 years of experience in executive roles at medium-sized industrial companies and four years in management at the German Standardisation Institute (DIN).

Jeff Clarke, CEO, Kodak

Dubai, United Arab Emirates: Tel : + 971 4 340 0303 | Fax : + 971 4 347 8200 / 400 [email protected] | www.alialhashemi.aeUAE: Dubai (HO), Abu Dhabi & SharjahOverseas Branches: Oman - Bahrain - Qatar - Kuwait - KSA (Riyadh)

packaging mea - may 2014

Documents

africas packaging sector

gulf plastics

gulf facility

machinery exports

matchmaking events

saudi arabia

gccs plastic industry

laminating machines