Page 48 - Packaging News Magazine Nov-Dec 2018

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PACKAGING INNOVATION
TOKYO PACK www.packagingnews.com.au
November-December 2018
developmentm says DNP pack- aging operations executive Masahiro Haruki. There are plans for the company to join Ceflex, a European collabora- tion of companies developing a circular economy for flexibles. A highlight was DNP’s Complex 3D moulded bottle, made by a process in which the film is blown with the bottle at the same time and allows the two parts to eas- ily separate for disposal. Launched by a sake brand, it was first seen outside Ja- pan at the Salon du Saké in
Paris 2018 in October.
NEW VISION FOR X-RAY DETECTION
Ishida (represented in Australia by Heat and Control) demonstrated the use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in a hybrid X-ray machine for identify- ing an organic contaminant in a packaged food. The use of AI deep learning to distinguish between food and a bug is a work in progress for Ishida X-ray detection with an outcome expected in a few years.
“So far no-one has been able to do this. Unpackaged, a bug can be picked up on camera, but once pack- aged it can’t be done,” says Takayasu Yamada, Ishida general manager, America-Oceania & EMEA.
Ishida is also an early integrator of Digimarc unique barcode technology in production at critical control points for traceability purposes. Down the line it reaches the Digimarc Checker sensor, which if it detects a contaminated product has been re- turned to the line, will send an alert by smartphone app to an operator.
The company is working on the safety and security of autonomous packing lines. The setup in opera- tion linked machine to machine, and collated and overlapped the units before adding them to a case. Robots with sensors recognise ori- entation and need no further adjust-
ment. A seal checker applied pres- sure to detect defects that could create inconsistencies in the height of bags and disrupt the process.
COACHING FOR ROBOTS
Fanuc explained how coaching by a human can increase a robot’s value in the workplace. By using the direct teaching method for new learnings it dispenses with writing new soft- ware that takes time and money. Direct teaching is quick to create memory and simply requires a device that can be retrofitted.
YES, CAN DO
Toyo Seikan Industries brought in- novations in the cans, plastics and paper based product sectors.
An “easy open” ring pull can fea- tures two dimples with a guide func- tion that leads the finger to the best position from which to pull, expect- ed on the market mid 2019.
Can makers aim to ensure that products on the shelf won’t endanger consumers or damage the environ- ment, says Kensaku Tahara, manag- er, Toyo Seikan Group Holding re- search group. As a litter deterrent, “Our cans are thoroughly tested for keeping the ring pull intact,” and al- coholic drinks carry Braille label- ling, to deter over indulgence or mis- takenly being consumed by a minor.
Arguably a “world-first” for Toyo Seikan is a concept that involves decorating the neck of a can with let-
LEFT: WPO president Pierre Pienaar, of Australia (right) and Steve Pacitti, IPPO president, discover the secret of Japanese beer making at Kirin.
ABOVE: Fanuc demonstrated the virtues of direct teaching for robots.
ABOVE FAR LEFT: DNP’s complex 3D moulded bottle.
BELOW LEFT: Ishida hybrid X-ray detection technology applies AI deep learning to distinguish between food and a bug, explains Takayasu Yamada, Ishida GM, America-Oceania & EMEA.
BELOW RIGHT: Toyo Seikan’s world- first can neck decoration technique.
ters and patterns by embossing and panel processing. It could be a brand name or a message or logo. A novel concept seeking a creative customer was a shrink label that does not stick to the can but is easily made to ro- tate, revealing the printed images beneath. The samples were pro- duced by hand but Toyo Seikan is working on an automated process.
Late to bring out a bottle can, Toyo Seikan gives theirs a twist with safe- ty-enhancing technology. A unique serial matrix code is laser marked at the cupping press, showing the time of production. Japan’s canned coffee drinkers especially enjoy it with added milk and sugar. In largely autonomous case-filling lines a late- stage check ensures contents leave the factory gate in good condition and a non-destructive tap test sig- nals no CO2 is present.
The next Tokyo Pack breaks out of its normal two-yearly cycle to make way for the 2020 Tokyo Games and will run between 24-26 February 2021. ■
ABOUT THE WRITER:
Joanne Hunter is a free- lance packaging journalist and a member of the Inter- national Packaging Press Organisation (IPPO).