Page 25 - Packaging New magazine Jan-Feb 2023

Left: Smart labels solutions for sustainability
Below: AIPIA managing director Eef De Ferrante: We are building the smart packaging industry together.
TEMPERATURE TRACKING
THERMO-SENSITIVE LABEL COMBINES RFID/NFC WITH VISUAL INDICATOR
One of the new products on show at the AIPIA World congress was Cleantech’s Digital Temperature Indicator (DTI), an irreversible temperature label with visual and digital indication, integrated with a passive RFID or NFC transponder.
Cleantech and Beyond Ltd, a startup based in Thailand, is a deep-tech university spin-off specialising in advanced materials. It has developed the DTI to enable temperature-tracking at item-level and presents the status in both visual and wireless digital formats without any need of a battery. When an item is exposed to temperatures above a threshold point during the transportation or storage, the status of the indicator irreversibly changes (both visually and digitally).
The sensor element continuously functions even during the ‘off’ state of the RFID/NFC IC (for example, when no readers are present). This means it does not require a battery, power supply, or RF energy from an interrogator. With the irreversible status change, the DTI performs as a 1-bit temperature data logger by itself.
The core technology of the DTI is based on a patent-pending thermo- responsive material technology. The newly formulated material undergoes an irreversible change when the temperature exceeds a threshold. The formulations can be customised for different threshold points as well as to match the specifications of different RFID/NFC chips.
Of course, connected supply chains were a recurring topic throughout the Congress. Another panel, including representatives of Kezzler, GS1 and Accenture, explored how to build sus- tainable value chains, which requires end-to-end visibility across the supply chain. They asked how this transpar- ency can be achieved and shared. They explained that traceability technology underpins this visibility and insight – enabling the circular economy, meeting consumer demands and achieving regu- latory compliance.
PAPER-BASED
A stalwart of the Congress, Securikett introduced the ‘IT’s PAPER’ based secu- rity labels and tapes series. These can be recycled together with the paper or card- board packaging to optimise the paper recycling process, says the company. These paper-based security labels can be customised in colour, size, shape and design and Securikett says it can create both opaque as well as translucent ver- sions. Combined with an unique QR-code, products can easily be digitalised.
Meanwhile Systech showed its latest dig- ital supply chain technologies which are helping several Fortune 500 companies to give their products individual identi- ties. These connected products enable a connected, more agile supply chain. Tessa Eastman, connected products strategist for the company, offered specific use cases which have helped companies to create transparency across their supply chains, reducing risk, offering consumer protec- tion and meet regulatory demands.
SUPPLY CHAINS
Supply chains were a key feature of many other presentations. Thaddeus Segura, VP of data products & algorithms for
Wiliot, claimed that smart packag- ing plus Ambient IoT is a ‘giant fix’ for supply chains. Fully-scaled, Massive IoT will mean that everything can be internet-connected, making smart packaging truly smart. He claims that the fundamental breakthrough – Wiliot’s stamp-sized IoT Pixels, actual program- mable computers – will transform global supply chains, creating never-before- possible efficiencies that will reach deeply into industries, ranging from food to pharma to apparel.
DIGITAL CODES
Gary Parish, managing director of USA based HD Barcode LLC explained that the advances in digital printing and smartphone camera technology means a seemingly simple 2D code can be pro- vided as a HD MultiCode with up to four individual codes together, to provide both manufacturers and consumers, public and secure, private information. This enables the codes to provide brand protection to prevent anti-counterfeit- ing with or without the internet; track & trace information which prevents diversion; as well as identifying other unique anti-counterfeit features; and
Right: Besides tracking temperature- sensitive products, the DTI can also be applied in process control and maintenance applications.
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