Page 58 - Food&Drink Business magazine September 2022

KHS expands digital customer interaction
MACHINERY MATTERS SEPTEMBER – OCTOBER 2022 ■ 6
To promote and strengthen interaction with customers, KHS has established its digital format Technical Talks, and
is expanding its Reliable Services activities to better inform customers of its current developments and latest machine technology.
KHS’s Technical Talks is already a fixed feature in communications between the company and its customers – and, says KHS, come as close to a real live discussion as possible.
The idea has gradually developed from the initial events that informed customers about topics such as the discontinuation of control
components, and new service products for KHS Kisters packaging machines.
On the platform, new webinars are staged on a regular basis as live events. In these sessions, lasting 60 minutes each,
KHS experts present various products and conversions, focusing on the respective highlights and benefits.
In several feedback sessions, an intensive exchange of information with customers is then sought in order to clarify specific requirements and directly answer any questions in talks – or digital chats.
“Our virtual events have long ceased to be an emergency
measure limited to the pandemic. Rather, they form an independent platform that’s constantly evolving and keeps its options open when it comes to presenting our customers with attractive issues that go above and beyond KHS’ extensive range of services,” said Armin Wille, head of service sales at KHS.
One pertinent topic is sustainable packaging, which concerns ways of cutting carbon emissions, or the conversions needed to implement the EU’s Single-Use Plastics Directive, among other things.
Issues that are of crucial importance to the customers themselves are integrated
into the event to ensure that a genuine dialog can develop. This includes part discontinuation across the entire KHS portfolio, for instance, the technical solutions to which are discussed directly where possible.
The concept has been designed for global use right from the start, whereby
the individual events take place regionally owing to the time difference.
Since the launch about two years ago, over 40 Technical Talks have taken place.
Herma focuses on clean design and modularity
To achieve the best possible marriage between form and function, Herma, locally represented
by Result Group, has adopted a new clean design for its latest range of labelling machines.
The new concept offers a whole series of benefits – from greater modular flexibility and ease of cleaning to enhanced sustainability.
At the same time, an online configurator together with digital order processing has accelerated secure ordering and reduced production lead times.
Clean design marks a significant departure from the machine concept that is now being phased out, both visually and from a functional perspective. Thanks to the sealed drill holes, a minimum of gaps and slots, as well
as cladding with rounded corners, the hygiene- driven design of the updated machines offers a high degree of protection against contamination, and facilitates cleaning and maintenance.
The machine frame
uses members from large- scale production that are shortened to the required lengths, which conserve resources. Machining is therefore minimised, which contributes to sustainable manufacturing, and functional modules, such as the conveyor, labelling station and signal column, are attached exclusively
to frame members.
Jet launches new sustainable film Encore
Specialist supplier for the food packaging, industrial manufacturing, and print & finishing industries – Jet Technologies – has released Encore, a new sustainable film for the print and packaging industries.
Encore is a new plastic film solution that is made up of 30 per cent recycled material, and is itself fully recyclable. The company says it is suitable for a wide range of applications, including packaging, labels, and books.
“With organisations like APCO setting 2025 targets of having 70 per cent of plastic packaging being recycled or composted, and 50 per cent of average recycled content included in packaging, Australian product manufacturers are having
to quickly focus on and takes steps towards increased sustainability,” explained Jack Malki, director at Jet Technologies.
“Encore is a strong first step in the right direction for using plastics within the circular economy,” Malki said.
make the shift away from using plastics and from either PLA (corn starch) or wood-based alternatives in their printing and packaging.
The Encore films are currently BOPP based, with PET options also in development. According to Jet they look and feel like regular films, and run on various machines in a “normal” way, ensuring that businesses do not have to make any adjustments from existing films.
Encore is aimed at businesses looking to
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