Interpack 2017, in conjunction with the German Engineering Federation (VDMA), will this year place particular focus on Industry 4.0 or the Internet of Things (IoT) – the latest trend in advanced manufacturing, which combines automation and data exchange.
A technology lounge on VDMA’s stand at the show will feature examples of systems in process engineering and packaging machinery, which demonstrate new advances in security, traceability, counterfeit protection and customised packaging.
Waste reduction will also be a central theme at the show, with an ‘innovationparc’ dedicated to new ideas in packaging and approaches to production that are designed to reduce food and packaging waste.
It will include the winners of the international ‘Save Food’ Packaging Awards, organised by the World Packaging Organisation, which will compete for the WorldStar Awards, which take place at the show. The innovationparc will include a presentation forum for companies to showcase their novel ideas.
The first day of the trade fair will also feature the third international Save Food convention, held in partnership with the UN Food and Agriculture Organisation and the United Nations Environment Programme.
Over the next two pages, we highlight some of the main exhibits at the show. But, for more information, visit Interpack’s website.
Processing equipment (Back to top)
If confectionery manufacture is your area of activity, then the Bosch Packaging Technology stand, which will showcase its latest hygienically designed systems for jelly manufacture, is certainly worth a visit.
Equipment on show will include Bosch’s upgraded Rapidsolver BLK 2500 BR for dissolving and depositing product, the HLM 35 Roto Step equipment for starch moulding, followed by drying and vertical form, fill and sealing for high-speed packing of jelly products.
The equipment has been specifically designed for hygienic operation, reduced energy consumption and waste, together with high output within a compact footprint.
Meanwhile, sustainability, food safety, nutrition, and the opportunities provided by the IoT, will all be featured on Bühler’s stand in a series of networking days.
Bühler will present its complete range of processing equipment for the manufacture of chocolate products, sweets, biscuits and cookies, crackers, cereal and energy bars, breakfast cereals and snacks.
Elsewhere, Micvac will demonstrate its technology for continuous in-pack cooking and pasteurisation, which is claimed to allow users to save time, energy, waste and cost.
The extended shelf-life provided by this technology is said to enable users to plan more effectively, while offering a wider product range. The origin of Micvac’s method was production in a microwave tunnel.
However, in 2016, it launched a new business segment involving in-pack cooking and pasteurisation in a combi-oven instead targeted at the foodservice market.
Weighing (Back to top)
The weighing, packing and inspection equipment on show from Ishida will underline its ability to design complete packing line systems.
Four areas of its stand will be dedicated to the latest developments in weighing systems, inspection technology, snacks packing and fresh food automation systems.
Each area will also showcase the latest advances in Sentinel remote line monitoring, data capture and efficiency management and enhanced training software.
Highlights will include the company’s newly-launched X-ray inspection and leak detection models and multihead weighers.
Interfood Technology will be supporting the various manufacturers at the show for which it is the exclusive distributor in the UK and Ireland.
It is the sole distributor of Sparc Systems’ checkweighers, label inspection and bespoke weighing systems.
Sparc will showcase its new range of vision inspection and label verification systems. Elsewhere, Buhmann will be exhibiting its latest range of semi and fully-automatic converging and boxing systems.
And on the Weber stand, the manufacturer of slicing systems will be showcasing the latest additions to its slicer range along with the innovative Weber ‘WSS’ product transport system, also available in the UK from Interfood.
Packaging equipment (Back to top)
From German packaging equipment manufacturer Behn + Bates comes a hygienic machine for polyethylene film form, fill and sealing of powder products.
The Roto-Packer Adams Care-Line equipment is designed to minimise entrapment of debris, while allowing cleaning to be optimised by using European Hygienic Engineering and Design Group concepts.
GEA will be exhibiting systems for the packaging a variety of food and drink. New introductions will include DeltaPak, an entry-level version of its Powerpak range of thermoformers and an ultra-hygienic vertical bagger system, as well as a coating and wrapping line targeted at the lollipop market.
A highlight at the show will be a non-destructive quality control system for modified-atmosphere packaging.
GEA’s PowerPak equipment will also be featured in the form of an integrated slicing/packaging line for larger-scale operations.
The line includes an OptiScan, a pre-scanning system to minimise give-away and increase the yield of sliced portions, a DualSlicer 1200 with Interleaver and Check 4000 weigher designed to slice raw ham, and a ShingleLoader to load portions automatically into the PowerPak packaging unit.
The centrepiece of Krone’s exhibits will be its Varioline packaging system for multipacks of bottles and cans.
Using this technology, a single machine is said to be capable of replacing up to six conventional machines. With the Varioline, up to three-stage packaging processes can be implemented with just a single machine. The machine handles up to 52,000 containers an hour.
Multivac will exhibit a wide range of packaging equipment aimed at food processors, including: infeed equipment, pack filling, labelling and marking, quality inspection and end-of-line packing.
The company will display entry-level portion packing equipment. The R 145 thermoforming packaging machine features an innovative cutting system, which is said to contribute to greater versatility and reduced packaging material consumption.
Meanwhile, the H 052 handling module converges packs and feeds them to downstream process equipment.
Ready meals (Back to top)
For the packing of ready meals, fresh fruit, vegetables and bakery products of all types, Multivac will be showing for the first time the new G 700 traysealer, which will be shown working in a fully automated line. Multivac will also show various concepts for producing vacuum skin packs.
Tray-sealing and thermoforming technology supplier Sealpac will exhibit its latest packaging equipment, with a focus skin packaging. Equipment on show will include its PerfoLid system, a breathable and reclosable packaging system designed for fresh fruit and vegetables.
Meanwhile, greater freshness, improved quality and prolonged shelf-life are claimed benefits for products packaged under vacuum with Sealpac’s TraySkin system.
In this process, the food products are packed directly inside their tray with a transparent barrier skin film. A recent development involves the use of two-compartment skin trays, where each compartment, for example containing single portions of meat, is sealed individually.
Volpak, a Coesia Company, will show its latest pouching technology, with three machines at the show, each including innovative features.
The machines are suitable for applications ranging from low to high volume production up to high-speed continuous production of foodstuffs.
The company’s horizontal form-fill-seal pouching machines will include the SI-440, a flexible piece of kit suitable for projects requiring the large production of small and medium-sized formats to batches requiring large-sized pouches.
Loma Systems will show a wide range of what it calls ‘Designed to Survive’ contaminant inspection equipment for the food sector.
This includes its latest IQ4 metal detection technology, which has been specially designed to meet common inspection challenges and provide customer benefits around robustness, performance, usability, quality and flexibility.
The company will also highlight its X-ray contaminant inspection systems, which are said to offer low lifetime cost of ownership.
The compact X5C X-ray inspection system is aimed at first-time users while the X5 combination (Combo) X-ray and checkweighing unit ensures compliance with retailers’ codes of practice and average weight legislation.
Product inspection systems for general foods, dry and wet foods will be on display on Mettler-Toledo’s stand.
Highlights will include: new developments in metal detection, checkweighing, vision inspection and inspection management software.
The focus will be on improvements for brand protection and compliance, enhanced productivity and increased operator efficiency and overall equipment effectiveness.
A broad array of X-ray, metal detector and checkweigher systems for food product quality and safety will also be featured by Thermo Fisher Scientific.
Making its debut at the show is the Thermo Scientific NextGuard Pro – the latest model in the company’s X-ray inspection range, which can handle products weighing up to 50kg.
RPC Group will highlight the latest packaging developments on its stand at Interpack. These will include WaveGrip, which is claimed to be the first genuine alternative to current beverage multi-packing systems, together with the awarding-winning Twist Cup with screw lid.
The company will showcase its ability to create packaging systems for food and drink applications – from its expertise in polythene film products through to its capabilities in mould design and manufacture for both standard and bespoke containers and closures.
Domino Printing Sciences will present its recently-launched Ax-Series range of continuous inkjet printers at the show. It will also exhibit a host of coding and marking technologies, ranging from fibre laser and thermal transfer overprinting systems to digitally printed label samples.
For end of line applications, KHS will show its innovative packaging and palletising systems, including the newly developed InnoDry Block.
This permits accumulation-free, gentle pack conveying without the side guides otherwise required and does away with the need for adjustment during changeovers. The company will also be highlighting its new secondary packaging systems.
Meanwhile, watch out for our reports from the show on FoodManufacture.co.uk and in Food Manufacture magazine.