Nürnberg Packaging Triplets Back Again

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30 years old – FachPack has grown up! Exactly the right mixture of three decades of market experience seasoned with smart young ideas is served by the successful Nürnberg packaging trio from 29 September to 1 October 2009: FachPack (packaging solutions) is giving a birthday party and together with PrintPack (package printing/packaging supplies production) and LogIntern. (in-plant logistics) a good 1,300 exhibitors and 34,000 visitors are expected as guests. They come mainly from Germany, Austria, Switzerland, the Benelux countries, Italy, France and the growth markets of Central Eastern Europe. The special show at FachPack offers varied solutions for improving efficiency and saving resources. So excellent conditions for the exhibition trio to live up to its outstanding reputation as a compact Euroregional industry get-together for qualified decision-makers again in 2009!

The mainly SME manufacturers of packaging materials, packaging supplies and packaging ancillaries – well over one-third of the exhibitors – feel really at home in Nürnberg and together with the packaging machinery suppliers are the focus of attention. Half the FachPack visitors are specifically interested in packaging materials and supplies, and another 27 % in packaging ancillaries (multiple answers).

German packaging supplies market: More organic products in glass
18.5 million t of packaging supplies (+5 %) were manufactured in Germany in 2007, according to the Gemeinschaftsausschuss Deutscher Verpackungshersteller

(GADV – packaging manufacturers association) in the Industrievereinigung Kunststoffverpackungen (IK). The shares of materials in the packaging market are broken down as follows in value terms: plastics 43 %, paper and cardboard 32 %, metals (aluminium, tinplate) 19 % and glass 6 %, of which plastic has the highest growth rates. 4 billion t of plastics were used in the packaging market in 2007 (+5 %). The major growth areas were PET drink bottles, bottles for milk drinks and cups.

The market for container glass was dominated by the drink bottle with 67 % of the total of 4.08 million t, followed by food packages (25 %) and glass for pharmaceuticals and cosmetics (8 %). Another 4 % growth was achieved in 2007, according to the Aktionsforum Glasverpackung (Glass Action Forum) in the Fachvereinigung Behälterglasindustrie. The market weakened appreciably at the end of 2008. Drink bottles and especially beer bottles showed a trend to individual containers, which meant smaller batch sizes and more frequent mould changes for the glass foundries. This development also continued for bottled products in the food sector and the organic industry in particular is using more glass packages.

Renaissance of the can
The production output of metal cans reached 1.7 million t in 2007, which represents 4.7 % growth (Verband Metallverpackungen, VMV). The market for blackplate metal cans steadied again after some difficult years and showed positive trends in individual segments. The production output rose to 540, 000 t (+2.9 %). Drink cans had a distinct share of increased production for the first time since the introduction of the deposit regulations. 430, 000 t of aluminium (+4.8 %) were processed into packages. Aluminium's market share of drink can sales in Germany rose to some

50 % according to the association (Gesamtverband der Aluminiumindustrie, GDA). Before the introduction of the compulsory deposit, 90 % of all drink cans in Germany were of tinplate. Around one billion drink cans a year are manufactured today and growth rates are high at 10 %.

Paper and cardboard for packages still registered 3.5 % growth in 2007 and reached some 9.6 million t. For 2008, the Verband Deutscher Papierfabriken (vdp – paper manufacturers association) reports a 2.3 % drop to 9.3 million t. 2007 was a record sales year for the folding box industry with an increase of 11.3 % to 881, 000 t, according to the association (Fachverband Faltschachtel-Industrie, FFI). The Verband der Wellpappen-Industrie (vdw – corrugated cardboard association) was also pleased to report a rise of 4.5 % to 8.6 billion m2 in 2007, but estimates for 2008 indicate that sales dropped by 1.8 % to 8.4 billion m2. A decline is also expected this year, due mainly to the weakening car industry.

Innovations in packaging supplies market: RFID (almost) all-rounder
At times of economic difficulty, the development departments of the packaging supplies manufacturers work on more functionality (smart packaging) on the one hand and on sustainability in production and during the remaining package life cycle on the other hand. Both require brand manufacturers and the trade to save costs and position products more competitively. So FachPack visitors can eagerly look forward to a number of innovations again in 2009.

Research is focused on long life, especially for food, product and counterfeiting protection, and traceability of sensitive goods like medicines. Application example: so-called lifestyle medicines that are supposed to improve well-being. Counterfeit products, which are particularly distributed over the Internet, are ineffective at best, but may also cause serious health risks. Here, for example, the development of low-cost RFID tags is right at the top of the priority list. They are expected to provide more functionality than the bar code can offer.

One new approach is the smart pack project initiated by a leading aluminium foil manufacturer, in which many companies are involved. RFID chips can save data for anti-counterfeiting and traceability purposes and with passively readable sensors can monitor such parameters as temperature fluctuations in the cooling chain. To cut costs, RFID technology is integrated into the package production process. Packaging material containing aluminium, which is often already available as a foil on tablet blisters or as a coating, can be used here for the "chip antenna". One challenge for the developers, however, is the high speed of approx. 200 m/min used in packaging supplies production. The processes must be perfectly matched to ensure that the accurately positioned chip and its reliable connection to the antenna can withstand mechanical loads like pressure or bending when the material is wound into rolls.

Nanoparticles in the package indicate freshness
Another field of research with a large influence on packaging supplies development is nanotechnology. This collective term for a wide range of technologies is best known through the lotus effect, an anti-stick coating. Nanostructures occur in nature, but can be specifically created by nanotechnology. The most interesting nanoparticles in the packaging sector are, for example, those used as a coating for packaging materials or as a layer in multilayer films. Here nanoparticle “sensors” matched to the product and placed in the film indicate the degree of freshness by changing colour. An anti-fogging effect can be used for the top films of deep-drawn packages and for the glass doors of refrigerated display cabinets to eliminate the need for heaters.

Ethylene absorbers slow down the ripening process of fruit and vegetables in nets or bags. In the non-food sector, smoothing the surface with vacuum metallized nanoparticles helps to empty containers of household cleaning agents or chemicals more effectively. Nanotechnology is particularly used in the production of plastic films. Nano-composites as fillers enable material to be saved by optimizing mechanical properties like tearing resistance with lower weight. Suitable fillers can improve the barrier effect of the films at the same time. Especially low-cost materials like HDPE and LDPE (high and low density polyethylene) with their low oxygen and steam barriers profit from nanotechnology. Another key field of research involves nanofillers for bioplastics of renewable raw materials. These fillers must not interfere with the biological degradability of the material. At the moment, however, the assessment of the risk of contaminated nanoparticles in the package contaminating the product is still a challenge.

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