Interpack is really busy, so running is almost impossible as every aisle seems blocked by groups of people standing and staring at the vast array of packaging equipment on display.
The other words that sum up Interpack are ‘less’, ‘better’ and ‘smarter’.
I started the day with a visit to the VC999 stand with my colleague Adam Baker, and Manfred Achenbach, vice president sales and marketing, showed the SL600 slicing machine, designed to mesh seamlessly with existing production lines while delivering more control, less waste, faster production and quick changeovers.
On the Corbion Purac stand, François de Bie explained the advantages of its high-heat PLA (Poly Lactic Acid) bioplastic. The technology offers the unique possibility to increase the heat-resistance of PLA to 120°C and can now be used to make coffee cups and coffee pods. Made from 100% biobased resources, high-heat PLA has multiple end-of-life options being 100% recyclable and biodegradable.
There are not that many large international packaging companies that are still owned and run on a daily basis by the founder. One such business is Sipa, part of Zoppas Industries, and I was lucky to have the chance to interview 71-year-old Gianfranco Zoppas, the company’s chairman. He talked about the changes he had witnessed over several decades in packaging and the increasing importance of environmental sustainability issues in every aspect of the business and its products. He also stressed how Sipa is ‘a truly global business’.
It’s only a few days since we reported a new strategic partnership between Mettler-Toledo Product Inspection and GE Intelligent Platforms, so it was great to catch up with Jeff Bartoletti from GE Intelligent Platforms and Mettler-Toledo’s Antonio di Maria. It was interesting to hear why and how they began to work together, and there’s more than a hint of more cooperation in the future. We’re seeing more and more businesses sharing project development, accelerating innovation, reducing cost and enhancing the experience for the customer.
On the MWV stand, I met Peter Durette, who talked about the company’s approach to innovation through its ‘From insight to in-market’ strategy. To illustrate how this worked, he introduced three new innovations, including the Hero multipack, premiered at last year’s Drinktec and a new packaging concept for ready meals – SmartFare – which offers premiumisation in a market dominated by boring, black packaging.
The highlight of the day for me was having a cocktail ultrasonically mixed on the Hermann Ultrasonics stand, after Astrid Hermann had explained the many benefits of ultrasonic welding in food and beverage from form-fill-and-seal to the application of the sealable closure on the Xolution XO energy drink can, which we first saw at Drinktec last year.
So much to see and so little time! At seven days, Interpack is one of the longest shows I’ve come across. I am beginning to work out why.
© FoodBev Media Ltd 2024