Page 32 - Packaging News Magazine Sep-Oct 2018

TRENDS & TECHNOLOGY
CAN DO FOR CRAFT
Artisan brewing has given rise to much innovation on the machinery front, both in the US and locally. The shift to cans marks a growing trend among craft brewers, enabled by technology advances that have increased flexibility on the packaging line, provided entry level, small footprint machinery, and reduced the cost of printing short runs of cans.
Barry Wehmiller company PneumaticScaleAngelus has developed a compact footprint can filler and seamer, the CB50, that operates at relatively high speeds (50 cans per minute) and designed with quick change adjustments for easy changeovers for various can heights and
body diameters.
At Melbourne’s Hawker’s
Brewery, Splatt Engineering has installed the Canpro filler that incorporates a highly engineered, rotary, high-speed, precision can seaming system that produces perfectly seamed cans while minimising oxygen pick-up and product loss. The seaming machine is integrated into the can filling system with a common- base design and a high-speed tangential can discharge ensuring optimal high speed can control and superior product integrity.
The requirement for craft brewers to fill both cans and bottles on one machine has led to the development of innovative filling technology like the Vipoll Vistitron (pictured below), locally supplied by Foodmach, and recently installed at Lion’s Malt Shovel craft brewery. Lion was looking for a flexible solution to give customers a choice for its small batch brews in both bottles and cans.
032 SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER 2018 WWW.PACKAGINGNEWS.COM.AU
New directions in beverage packaging
Trends in the US packaging market provide pointers for new directions in beverage packaging with some parallels to be drawn with the Australian market.
While plastic packaging will maintain its stronghold of the beverage category, and glass volumes are expected to increase in the ready-to-drink category, when it comes to innovation in beverage packaging aluminium cans and bottles will take the lead. This is according to a recent report from APPMA’s allied association in the US, PMMI, following a survey of US beverage companies, machinery providers, materials providers, retailers and SMEs.
The PMMI Beverage Trends in Packaging and Processing report predicts aluminium container innovation will be realised in design – where a broader set of shapes and sizes will be developed; in container enhancements – where innovation such as nitrogen charges are now available; and in can graphics – where ink improvements, print quality and tactile effects will impact on design.
The report cites convenience and portability as leading trends driving container development, including the widespread uptake of different formats. These will include strong growth in tall slim cans which can fit easily in a handbag, a growth in multi-serve bottles with thin necks which are easier to carry and pour, and increased use of aluminium cans with resealable closures, providing more portability and safety over glass.
Smaller sizes will become more prevalent, with 8oz
set to prove popular in CSD drinks to control portions, some 50 per cent of respondents surveyed for the report say the 8oz (236ml) size will soon dominate the US market.
Slim tall cans are also emerging in the US wine market, as they are in Australia (see page 44), and single serve PET wine and cocktail glasses with aluminium peel-off closures are set to become mainstream. The PMMI report also predicts that there will be increasing size of beverage containers for use at larger venues, for instance for 19-24oz single serve beers, and spirits bottles in 1.75- to 2-litre sizes, in order to offer more value to consumers.
In the Australian market, an indicator of the scope of opportunity in aluminium slim cans is major packaging player Orora’s recent announcement of its $7 million investment in small can format capacity in FY18. CEO Nigel Garrard says the company is responding to customer demand for a slim line can to deliver a differentiated market offering.
Orora’s digital printing capability on metal cans, he says, is enabling the beverage segment of the business to cater to the smaller runs and creative campaigns associated with the emerging and fast growing craft beer and artisan drinks sectors.