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| FachPack 2012: Unpacking made easy With about 1,400 exhibitors, FachPack 2012 in the Exhibition Centre Nuremberg is more attractive than ever. The exhibition from 25–27 September invites a good 35, 000 packaging professionals from across Europe to take a trip into the world of packaging. On the menu are innovations and advanced developments in packaging, technology, processing and logistics. A substantial meal of brilliant ideas – crispy fresh and easily digestible food for thought – tempts visitors to listen in at PackBox, and unusual special shows make them want to linger for a while. PackBox entices with inspiration – innovation – information PackBox – what is it? In hall 4, six partners from the industry supply the latest information attractively packaged in brief presentations or panel discussions covering the whole spectrum of themes at FachPack. Concrete examples of what is dealt with in PackBox are trends and developments in packaging technology, package printing as creativity motor, packaging design for specific target groups, embedded packaging, outstanding packaging solutions, the question of whether German packaging machinery engineers need to be present in China, or the development of packaging under the spotlight of green logistics. The integrated café and lounge area invites visitors to linger, network or take the opportunity for dialogue with the speakers. The Corrugated Cardboard Forum on the second day of the exhibition is devoted wholly to ecological packaging. At the heart of exhibition activity, visitors can watch a special short film about the packaging material polystyrene. A regular at this event is the German Packaging Award – with the prize-giving and the presentation of the winners. How social developments are changing packaging is illustrated by the special show arranged by the German Packaging Museum, with exhibits from everyday life, cultural history and art history. The theme park Packaging in Medical Technology celebrates its FachPack premiere in 2012. Packaging in the medical-pharmaceutical field does much more than protect products. It helps to ensure the correct dose and application of active ingredients, is intended to prevent product piracy, and has to be child-resistant and at the same time senior-friendly. Manufacturers show how they meet these challenges on 600 m² of exhibition space in hall 9. Whether carton, bottle, can, bag or blister – many types of package can't be opened without a tool. This is why "Unpacking made easy" is the slogan for an area of some 1, 000 m² in hall 4. A wealth of good examples show that the balance between protecting the product and being user-friendly has been accomplished to perfection for industry and end consumers: cartons made of corrugated board with an integrated opening device or predetermined breaking points, screw closures that can be easily unscrewed thanks to a new device, plastic fish containers with a sealed lid that don't spray the contents around when opened, a machine for industrial packaging that cuts open cartons in no time at all, and lots more. Getting at the contents – without a tool or outside help Experts in the Department of Human Factors and Ergonomics at the Technical University of Chemnitz examined a wide variety of packages to see how easy they were to handle. The volunteers, all between 57 and 77, were given the task of opening each one. They all succeeded in opening only every third pack. For a third of the volunteers, seven packs proved to be an insoluble problem. On average, it took them over 30 seconds to open packages and, in a number of cases, they needed as long as 90 seconds. The carton used for milk is a classic. In the case of seals with a pull tab, you nearly always spill some milk because, as you hold the carton with one hand, you automatically squeeze it. However, for a long time fluid cartons have been available with twist caps that manage without an additional sealing strip. All the bottlers have to do is decide which is the more convenient system for them. As well as food packs that are so securely welded that even the unsealed corner is no help when trying to open them, electronic components like memory cards in indestructible blisters and shrink-wrapped CDs are the most frequent causes of annoyance when trying to open the packaging. Although the plastic film wrapping for CDs usually has pull strips, you often can't see them or they come off as soon as you try to use them. But the researchers in Chemnitz also found products sold by discounters – like cans with a pull-ring – that were much easier to open than similarly packaged but considerably more expensive brand products. So price alone is not the decisive factor. Manufacturers and bottlers need to be more sensitive to consumer-friendly handling, which then helps to market products, because what is easy to open sells better. This old principle applies to most packaging: opening devices that the elderly can handle with ease are readily accepted by younger target groups too. Older consumers punish design faults immediately by refusing to buy a particular product ever again. The needs of the growing number of older consumers are the focus of research carried out by the Meyer-Hentschel Institute in Saarbrücken, Germany. Jointly with Feierabend Online Dienste für Senioren AG (online services for senior citizens) in Frankfurt, Germany, the Institute organized the packaging competition "SilverPack" for the third time in 2011. Prizes are awarded for packaging designed with the special wishes and needs of the growing number of older customers in mind – starting with opening devices, easy extraction of the product, ability to be re-sealed, package size, handling and transporting aids, and package design. One prize went to an easily opened screw closure that was also awarded the German Packaging Award in November 2011 at Brau Beviale in Nuremberg, the exhibition for the beverageindustry. At first sight, the screw closure looks like a normal twist-off cap. However, it consists of two parts – an inner round disc that seals the bottle, and an outer metal ring screwed onto the neck of the bottle. Using very little force, this outer ring can be twisted, and gently loosens the seal in the process. The bottle can be re-sealed without difficulty. Child-resistant but senior-friendly as well With pharmaceuticals and household chemicals, child-resistant and senior-friendly are often at cross purposes. Consumers have now learned that they first have to press down and then turn the cap on many medicines or cleaners. The international norm for re-sealable, child-resistant packaging ISO 8317 describes two procedures for testing packaging. A group of up to 200 infants aged between 42 and 51 months must not be able to open the packaging, which is filled with harmless substitute contents. At the same time, the test group of 50 to 70-year-olds must be able to openthe same packaging without difficulty. An example is the packaging developed for a cleaning material in powder form or tabs that meet these criteria. The corrugated cardboard packaging has a seal that can only be opened by applying pressure simultaneously to four pressure points in the lid. The pressure releases the four safety strips in the lid. The hands of children under five are too small to carry out this procedure. After taking out the product, it is very easy for consumers to re-seal the pack. When you replace the lid and press down you can hear the attached safety strips automatically clicking into place again. Older people have no problem with this opening mechanism – pressing down on the four points in the lid requires hardly any strength at all. This square pack can replace drums with a plastic safety lid. Since the corrugated cardboard boxes are supplied flat, the cost of manufacturing and logistics is significantly reduced. Trade and industry would also like easy-to-open packaging Particularly the manufacturers of corrugated cardboard packaging are geared to meet the demand. The Europäische Handelsinstitut (EHI – European Trade Institute) and GS1 Germany (Global Standards One), both in Cologne, Germany, have issued guidelines for shelf-ready packaging. The shelf- ready units must have special handling and design characteristics so that they are practically ready to be sold. This means having protective outer packaging that can be easily opened and a tray that can be effectively displayed on the shelf. Best of all are trays that that can be placed on the shelf with minimal effort. This avoids gaps on shelves and increases sales. An alternative to the tray-lid variant is an opening system for corrugated cardboard cartons that take over the function of a tray on the shelf. In this case, a perforation must not reduce the rigidity of cartons for stacking and it must be achieved in such a way that people can’t injure themselves on the edges. The zip perforation is the best known variant that is widely used in dispatch packaging for books and media. write your comments about the article :: © 2012 Construction News :: home page |