THE manufacturing of sustainable flexible packaging was effectively demonstrated by BOBST in cooperation with industry partners and brand owners during a recent Open House in Bielefeld, Germany.

Flexible packaging producers are faced with accelerating demands for innovative solutions that meet the needs of brand owners for maximum sustainability and comply with new legislation governing the components of packaging materials. In response, the industry is transitioning towards mono-material solutions that are 100% recyclable and increasingly towards paper- and fibre-based applications that remove plastics from the equation.

The environmental impact of the production process itself is also under ever closer scrutiny, with converters required to reduce material waste, minimise operator intervention and lower energy consumption to become more sustainable.

BOBST continues to work in close partnership with other industry suppliers to offer more sustainable products and materials that meet and anticipate changing customer and regulatory demands. Opening the doors to its Training Centre and Competence Centre in Bielefeld on 26 October, the company hosted key industry suppliers and brand owners, who joined a programme of innovation in CI flexo printing, advanced materials, water-based inks and fully connected workflows.

Collaborative approach

‘BOBST’s sustainability goals in flexible packaging cannot be achieved in isolation. Close collaborations with companies that specialise in specific areas of the process such as inks and coatings, substrate composition and tapes are essential for driving innovation in our industry,’ commented Marco Carrara, technology sales director of CI Flexo. ‘Our Competence Centre at Bielefeld remains the perfect venue to present the latest results of collaborations on sustainability, including the oneBARRIER FiberCycle solution, and to showcase the future of packaging production with the BOBST One complete solution and BOBST Connect.’

Partners in this endeavour included manufacturer of flexo plates and platemaking equipment Miraclon, advanced tapes and cushioning foam provider tesa and water-based ink expert manufacturer Follmann.

Multinational brand owners Reckitt and Unilever joined the partners in sharing their expertise, know-how and vision with the attendees. Gianluca Balzamo, R&D senior research scientist in Hygiene Packaging Sustainability Polymer Science at Reckitt, spoke about the company’s sustainable roadmap for flexibles. Gianluca explained how Reckitt works to amplify available technical resources and engages in circular economy activities. This includes innovation with partners and vendors leading to technological breakthroughs that help lower the environmental footprint of flexible packaging.

During the final part of the day, several printing jobs were demonstrated live on press in the Competence Centre’s production hall, bringing to life the theory of sustainable flexible packaging.

Innovation hub and one complete solution

The Bielefeld Training and Competence Centre houses a team of experts in machine technology and equipment, offering a versatile environment for a range of activities, including on-site deep dive sessions, flexible R&D capabilities for customer-specific jobs and the ability to show complete workflows under BOBST Connect, such as the BOBST One complete solution for flexible packaging.

Within BOBST’s end-to-end integrated workflows, every element in the production chain, from application management and pre-press set-up to printing, laminating and quality control, is seamlessly linked through the BOBST Connect digital platform. Rainer Rosenbusch, product manager of VISION CI, noted that capturing data insights for better business planning, BOBST Connect streamlines and improves the whole production process with in-depth performance analysis and reporting, continuous progress tracking during production runs, 24/7 remote assistance and even optimised shift management.

Designed for the future of packaging production, BOBST One complete solution was presented by Rainer. He explained how sustainable paper-based applications can be efficiently produced in this modular combination of technologies, auxiliaries and connectivity in a complete workflow linked via BOBST Connect. At the heart of this agile solution stands the BOBST VISION CI flexo press, which offers rapid set-up and changeovers while minimising waste, resulting in exceptional price-performance value.

High-barrier mono-materials ready for recycling

With demands for recyclability on the rise, attention is very much focused on printing substrates and their functionality. Innovation in mono-materials offers a clear path to improving the environmental impact of flexible packaging and meeting customers’ requirements for better solutions. In this respect, BOBST has introduced the oneBARRIER family of integrated solutions for recycle-ready, high-barrier packaging. Xavier Bonamour, application manager for Flexible Packaging, presented oneBARRIER FibreCycle, which has been developed together with Michelman and UPM Raflatac. He was joined by Mika Uusikartano, senior Product Portfolio manager at UPM Specialty Papers, and Thierry van Migem, business director of Printing and Packaging, Coatings and Industrial Manufacturing at Michelman.

They explained that as a full paper, recycle-ready solution, oneBARRIER FiberCycle enables brand owners to move from plastic films to paper-based flexible packaging. Compatible with paper recycling streams, it is a high-barrier mono-material produced by utilising the capabilities of the oneBARRIER MASTER Coater and EXPERT K5 dry vacuum coater to achieve a high-performance solution. The suitability of this sustainable material was shown in action when it was being printed on the BOBST VISION CI flexo press fitted with oneECG (extended colour gamut) technology and water-based inks from Follmann.

Machine upgrades and retrofits

The availability of machine upgrades and enhancements, is crucial for converters in allowing them to maximise efficiencies, stay competitive and meet new market demands. BOBST offers a comprehensive programme of retrofits and upgrades, and is working toward an even higher retrofit and upgrade performance level, Marco reported.

Ed’s note: BOBST is represented in southern Africa Africa by Beswick Machinery.