Technological watch
What’s new in packaging at K 2019
- Makers of injection machinery, blowmolders and other machinery for packaging as well as plastic packaging suppliers will present their leading-edge solutions that address sustainability and other benefits during K 2019 in Düsseldorf, Germany, this month. Here’s a preview of selected products.
- Sustainable IML applications and more from ILLIG (Heilbronn, Germany)
Among several new developments ILLIG is highlighting in Hall 3/A52 is the designed-for-recycling plastic-cardboard in-mold labeling (IML) combination pack IML-T Cardboard that can be decorated on both sides and has a plastic inlay that easily separates from the outer cardboard layer (shown). Another first-to-market IML-T innovation on display will be the demo of rPET cups made with easily separable paper labels. - New generation of Speedformer: the KMD 78.2 Speed from Kiefel (Freilassing, Germany)
The Speedformer KMD 78.2 Speed will be performing in booth Hall 3/E90 as the new generation of Kiefel steel-rule machines that offer greater thermoforming productivity and energy efficiency.
For example, the heating system is ready for use within a very short time and excels with a 20% higher heating capacity despite reduced energy consumption and in combination with the servo drives' energy recovery system leads to considerable energy savings.
It also saves on film too, using a newly developed film-feed table in addition to an optimized forming air vacuum system enables customers to produce superior molded parts.
Note: The image is of a Speedformer 78.1 recently installed at Dordan Manufacturing (see pp 2-3 of Field report: Dordan unveils cleanroom thermoforming for medical packaging, published September 2019) - Food and beverage packaging sustainability a focus of KHS (Hamburg, Germany)
At the center of the company’s K 2019 booth in Hall 13, Booth A75 will be a new longer shelf life, 100% recyclable PET bottle presented for the first time that demonstrates reduction, recycling and reuse. It was developed in partnership with an environmental service provider and is aligned with a circular economy and will be shown in a juice bottle example. - High-speed closure slitting/band folding from MMC Packaging Equipment (Wayne, PA)
The new high-speed (up to 2,400 parts per minute) turnkey solution is ideal for plastic beverage closure manufacturers that perform a post-molding process of slitting and folding tamper-evident bands for closures ranging in size from 24 to 38mm. The system also features a six-camera vision inspection to help meet quality objectives. - Biodegradable IML label robot demo by Campetella (Montecassiano, Italy)
Visitors to Hall 12/C20 can view the X-Series Mini-MODULA robot from Campetella demonstrating the application of biodegradable labels for in-mold labeling (IML) for coffee capsules. The material, called BioPBS, consists primarily of mainly consists of sunflower seed hulls. The system is a 4-cavity application with a total cycle time of 8.0 seconds, a robot cycle time of 4.2 seconds and an IML interlock time of 0.9 seconds. Three Campetella robots work hand in hand to operate an injection molding machine.
The company’s robots can also be found in other K Show booths. - New sustainable packaging solutions and applications from ExxonMobil (Brussels, Belgium)
New full polyethylene laminated packaging containing Exceed XP, Exceed and Enable performance PE polymers overcome recycling issues typically associated with conventional laminated structures. These new full PE laminated solutions can easily be recycled where programs and facilities to collect and recycle plastic films exists, while delivering the performance properties needed for high-quality packaging.
Additionally, many of ExxonMobil’s polymer and application advancements will be demonstrated through collaborations with leading machine manufacturers or presented in a series of TechTalks at the pavilion. - Kautex Maschinenbau (Bonn, Germany) to demo PCR bottle production
An all-electric KBB60 blow molding machine will demonstrate the production of a low carbon footprint sustainable three-layer bottle containing post-consumer recycle (PCR) content in live production in Hall 14 A16/18 using materials supplied by Braskem. To reduce the amount of raw material, a mixture of polyethylene and PCR is also foamed in the middle layer. To complete the production cycle, the company Erema will recycle the bottles produced during the trade show.
There will be a demonstration of a new approach for creating a barrier layer on the inner surface of hollow containers by plasma coating to eliminate the need for a coextrusion. - Energy efficient rPET food packaging extrusion from MEAF (Yerseke, The Netherlands)
Customers can order extruders with a Kreyenborg IR-CLEAN system for the drying and decontamination of post-consumer PET flakes for the production of food packaging in compliance with food safety regulations. The extrusion part of the combination, a MEAF 90mm APET extruder with an inline IV measurement device, will be presented at the MEAF stand in Hall 17/A22. - Powerful in-blowmolder vision system will be shown by Agr Intl. (Butler, PA)
The modular Pilot Vision+ system is uniquely positioned for the quality management of bottles with high percentages of rPET. Designed to work in conjunction with today’s high-speed reheat stretch blowmolding equipment. It allows simultaneous management of up to 6 cameras in multiple locations. Some of the features of this system include color preform cameras for managing color variations, simple configuration and operation, large-screen user interface and defect categorization by mold/spindle and defect type. It will be a featured in Hall 11/B40. - Bobst (Lausanne, Switzerland) to present new recyclable, high-barrier flexible packaging
Sustainability and the move to replace non-recyclable high barrier multi-material packaging structures with recyclable mono-material alternatives is a driving force in the plastics industry.
Bobst (Hall 4/A39) is joining forces with Dow, Brückner Maschinenbau, Hosokawa Alpine and Elba to present a new generation of polymers to achieve mono-material packaging designed for recyclability. All the solutions involving different types of mono-material stand-up pouches (MDO PE, BOPE, BOPP and CPP) which have been thoroughly tested to guarantee all industry requirements were met in terms of processability, barrier, safety and optical quality. - First-of-a-kind multilayer blowmolding from Rikutec Group (Altenkirchen, Germany)
A highlight in Hall 14/B13 will be industrial packaging industry’s first all-plastic blowmolded “tank in a tank” Twin Drum. The drum meets stringent regulations specified by the ADR European agency for safe storage and transport of highly aggressive chemicals and meets UN-sanctioned approvals in Europe and the U.S. The company’s patented multilayer coextrusion blowmolding technology manufactures products from 100 to 10,000-L in one shot.
Rikutec will also discuss the development of highly sustainable materials in using up to 100% HDPE recyclate depending on the application. - EPS meat container thermoformers from Commodore Technology (Wayne, PA)
Commodore manufacturers five different narrow-web thermoformers designed for changeovers of less than 2.5 hours, ease-of-access and flexibility ranging from 16-inch to 44-inch platen size to accommodate a wide range of expanded polystyrene meat container and trays. The company’s tooling (mold sets) are interchangeable across the entire line of thermoformers that feature electrically-operated servo motors. The company will be in Hall 13/B91-04. - New plastic drum production from ST BlowMoulding (Stabio, Italy)
In Hall 14/B04 the company will showcase ECT 880 CoEx3 blow molding machines, which can produce 3-layer plastic “L-ring” barrels of up to 220 Liters. Also to be highlighted is the new suction blow ASPI 200 machine for three-dimensional and two-dimensional shaping of polyolefin and techno polymers. It combines a clear reduction in the proportion of mold parting and thus a mass reduction of the plastic along with energy savings during processing. - Milliken & Co. (Spartanburg, SC) resin brings clarity and circular economy to injection molding
Companies that injection mold their packaging from NX UltraClear PP resin produced with Milliken’s Millad NX 8000 clarifier can display a UL Environmental Claim Validation (ECV) label such as this on their products, reinforcing their commitment to a circular economy.
For more information, see Color, care, clarity keywords at K 2019 for Milliken, published September 2019. - High-speed closure specialist corvaglia (Eschlikon, Switzerland) demos sustainable designs
Visitors to Hall 12/A51-10 can see a demonstration of the company’s innovative designs for closures that are attached to bottles. Known as tethered caps, they conform to the requirements of EU Directive 2019/904, which aims to reduce the impact of certain plastic products on the environment. Solutions have been developed for carbonated and non-carbonated drinks.
For more information, see High-speed closure specialist corvaglia demos sustainable designs, published August, 2019. - Entry-level injection blow molding machine for bottles from Jomar (Egg Harbor Township, NJ)
The Model 25 IBM machine for the pharmaceutical, healthcare and household products industries has the same compact footprint as the Model 20 it replaces, but offers greater clamp tonnage and casting area that allows handling of both larger bottles as well as providing increased cavitation. The machine can mold bottles up to 6-inch in height and almost 4-inch in diameter; previously, bottles of this size had to run on larger machines, which greatly increased the capital requirements. It will be found in Hall 14/A32.
For more information, see Jomar to debut ‘entry-level’ injection blow molding machine at K 2019, published September.
This project has been co-funded with the support of the LIFE financial instrument of the European Union [LIFE17 ENV/ES/000438] Life programme
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