Weekly Roundup: Liquibox and WestRock combine on e-commerce liquid pack, Syntegon launches AI-enabled syringe inspection line

16 Jul 2021 --- In packaging news this week, Liquibox and WestRock teamed up to deliver an optimal e-commerce liquid format for beverage, liquid food and home care brands. Meanwhile, Syntegon Technology added a fully integrated, AI-enabled syringe inspection line to its AIM 5 inspection range. Also, ProAmpac opened its Collaboration & Innovation Center in the US.

In brief: Liquid packaging
Liquibox and WestRock teamed up to deliver “the ultimate e-commerce solution for liquids.” The combination of Liquibox’s recycle-ready Liquipure flexible packaging, with its wide portfolio of dispensing taps and fitments, and WestRock’s Meta box designs, means the most optimal e-commerce liquid format is now within reach for beverage, liquid food and home care brands wanting to grow in online retail, the partners say. The new packaging passed Amazon testing and does not require additional protective boxes.Liquibox and WestRock’s e-commerce liquid pack.

Scholle IPN showcased its Versi small fitment that can be attached to the end of any line tubing system. “The Versi is universal to all relevant beverage connection systems,” noted Kevin Bergenthun, regional commercial director at Scholle IPN. “It’s backward compatible with whatever relevant connection system or connector that’s on the end of line at a restaurant. You don’t have to go into the restaurant when you introduce Versi and change all the connectors on the ends of the line tubing.” The supplier indicates its Versi fitment removes any potential barriers to hooking up any bag-in-box to an existing tubing system.

In brief: AI syringe inspection line
Syntegon Technology added a fully integrated syringe inspection line to its AIM 5 inspection range. The new inspection line not only features a “de-nester” and a “re-nester,” but also provides an Artificial Intelligence function by default. “When drugs are administered intravenously, any contamination or particle in the product is unacceptable,” said Dr. José Zanardi, responsible for vision inspection development and applications at Syntegon. “Our innovative and fully integrated inspection line handles syringes with utmost care and uses AI to further increase inspection accuracy.”Berry’s WaveGrip plastic-free beverage carrier.

In brief: ProAmpac Collaboration & Innovation Center
ProAmpac opened its new, state-of-the-art Collaboration & Innovation Center. “This is ProAmpac’s new home for product development, rapid sample prototyping and evaluation of new packaging, as well as a training hub for customers and employees,” said Greg Tucker, founder and CEO of the Cincinnati-based global flexible packaging leader. Tucker said the new 35,000-square-foot CIC offers three unique capabilities to help customers address their packaging challenges:

• The Design and Sample Lab: a customer collaboration, teaming resource that has been ideating and designing new packaging concepts and printed prototype samples since 2014. The new lab was relocated from its former home in Ohio.
• The Packaging Lab: enabling product developers to evaluate and combine advanced materials for performance and sustainability. The lab is equipped for filling trials and testing, shelf life studies, packaging testing, and sizing for stability testing and pouching studies. 
• The Analytical and Physical Packaging Lab: a centralized corporate physical and analytical testing resource. Previously, this work has been done at multiple ProAmpac production facilities and is now centralized, with new testing capabilities, in Rochester. The lab holds environmental chambers for hard-to-hold testing and new upgraded analytical testing capabilities, including SEM, FTIR, and DCS for film analysis.

In brief: Fiber-based beverage packs
Berry Global secured a new customer for its WaveGrip multipack beverage cardboard carrier in Oslo-based Amundsen Brewery. The ring carrier solution weighs only 7.95 g for a standard six-pack and is recyclable in most paper and board waste collection streams. Despite its light weight, it is strong and easy to use while delivering excellent pack retention, the supplier says. The WaveGrip carrier features a unique, patent-pending design that means it does not require folding or manipulation during application.

SIG partnered with contract packing solutions specialist Framptons to deliver carton bottle combidomes to plant-based milk brand Lilk. The partners installed a new generation combidome filling machine, the first of its kind in the UK. “Being the first in the UK to offer our plant-based customers, such as Lilk, the chance to use combidome presents an exciting innovation opportunity,” commented Will Martin, business development director and joint owner at Framptons. “Both the aesthetics and practical function provide a step-change in carton packaging and combidome also has an excellent environmental footprint. The two new Lilk beverages immediately stand out in combidome to offer consumers the best features of both a carton and bottle.”Scholle IPN’s Versi small fitment.

In brief: Acquisition
Specialized Packaging Group (SPG), a leading vertically-integrated provider of protective packaging products, acquired Bay Area-based Specialized Packaging Solutions (SPS) in the US. The acquisition will enhance SPG’s existing capability set in its Engineered Packaging division, expanding the company’s reach while adding approximately 100 employees to its 1,100-person workforce. SPS and its full workforce will continue to operate in Newark, California, while founder and CEO Terry Besso will be retiring.

In brief: Point-of-sale
DS Smith supported Intersnack Poland with a point-of-sale solution supporting sales in large-format stores. Intersnack Poland is part of the Intersnack Group, a leading producer of salty snacks, nuts and peanut butter. DS Smith created a large stand that can be easily and quickly disassembled from a small and handy box. The display communicates the product’s most important features and supports sales in 500 large-area stores.

By Joshua Poole