New equipment for tamper evident packaging has emerged to ensure product safety and deliver technology that is fast, efficient and cutting edge. The tamper evident sleeve or band is necessary to protect the contents inside and maintain brand integrity.

“When it comes to trends in the food and beverage sector, none is more important than food safety. A tamper-evident band on the outside of the cap or container provides a physical and visible confirmation to the consumer that the product inside has not been altered since leaving the production facility,” says Bob Williams, VP sales & marketing, Axon Corp.

The shrink effect

Axon (AxonCorp.com), powered by Pro Mach, has launched a stainless steel option for the Lanzara, the company’s next-generation shrink sleeve applicator. The Lanzara is a servo-controlled, mandrel-style machine that delivers speeds up to 400 units per minute. There are two options for the Lanzara’s stainless steel frame – the 304 grade for wet-filling rooms and the 316 grade for increased corrosion resistance. These new frames are ideal for beverage, pharmaceutical, nutraceutical and dairy packagers.

At the heart of the Lanzara is the PacDrive™ 3 automation platform from Schneider Electric™, which integrates discrete, motion and IT functionality, which together produce excellent motion control and overall flexibility. For example, with the new Axon Smart Speed Control feature, Lanzara can automatically increase or decrease the sleeving rate, matching upstream and downstream line speed without operator involvement.

The new 10-inch HMI color touch-screen display provides an intuitive, highly visual interface for operators and service technicians. The HMI is the window into the Lanzara’s smart diagnostics program that monitors machine performance, makes calculations based on that performance and history of preventative maintenance, and alerts operators to the exact date a maintenance procedure should be carried out.

Looking for a shrinksealer for small, difficult to handle bottles? The 90-Series shrinksealers from PDC International Corp. (pdc-corp.com) perform at high speeds with efficiency and high productivity for just this task. The 90-Series was engineered for continuous, higher speed production lines of 200 to over 400 cpm, depending on sleeve height and diameter. The new 90-E TSCB model features special product handling; a timing screw transfers small bottles into a cleated belt. This provides stability during neck band application and pre-shrinking in position, for consistent band placement and functionality.

PDC boasts a “zero downtime” automatic reel changeover feature that allows an operator to load a second reel of material without stopping or slowing production. The 90-Series Shrinksealers use PDC’s patented blade assemblies. Manufactured from severe-service tool steels with superior hardness and edge profile, they operate dust-free to prevent the “hairs” that are often problematic for users of spinning knife devices. Also, unlike spinning knives, PDC blades can be re-sharpened, and most are double-edged.

The Tampertec product line from Karlville Development (karlville.com) offers dedicated technology for tamper-evident sleeve applications for cap sealing needs. The company’s shrink sleeve tamper application systems can apply from 50 to 1,200 bpm with only one machine.

The Tampertec line has been redesigned this past year to gain on efficiency and performance, and improve the ease of operation. Completely servo motorized, the machine functions are easy to set up (recipe, format changes, etc.) and easy to troubleshoot in case of incident. The Tampertec line also boasts high reliability with a 99.5% efficiency rate, continuous sleeve motion and fast changeover speeds of less than five minutes.
 

The benefits of shrink-sleeve labeling, an interview with Bob Williams, VP sales & marketing, Axon Corp.

Food and Beverage Packaging: Why do some companies choose shrink labeling over other labeling options?

Williams: There are a number of advantages to using a full-body sleeve to differentiate a product and grab a consumer’s attention. Shrink sleeve labels cover the entire package and provide the brand manager with a 360-degree canvas on which to communicate a brand’s image, nutritional information or a product’s unique characteristics. Technology advances in resins are creating new films with brighter graphics and bolder colors than ever before, and with different finishes, i.e. shiny, or matte.

Shrink sleeves offer significant sustainability advantages over other forms of labeling. Shrink sleeves do not “stick” to the bottle or container, and can therefore be removed more easily during the recycling process. As a result of recent advances in film manufacturing technology, sleeves are getting thinner, and using less material. The amount of material in some sleeve labels today has been reduced by 30-50%.

FBP: Is there any market that is using shrink sleeve labeling in a unique way?

Williams: Several growing markets are utilizing sleeve labeling technology today. The craft beer industry is exploding and many breweries are utilizing cans and sleeves to take their products to market. The bright colors and graphics available with sleeve labels help today’s craft beers stand-out on the shelf with eye-catching graphics. The breweries also like the flexibility of being able to stock different sleeve labels for small runs, promotions and new product introductions.

Another growing market here in the US is the distilled spirits industry. This bourbon industry is exploding and we are getting a lot of requests from big and small producers in this segment. Many established brands are looking for automatic sleeving lines as volumes have increased, along with the need for a good looking tamper-evident band. We are also seeing full-body sleeves being added to bottles for seasonal promotions such as The Kentucky Derby. Finally, as competition increases, new and old brands alike are experimenting with different flavors and bottle styles – anything to stand out on the shelf.

To read this interview in its entirety, go to: FoodandBeveragePackaging.com/AxonFullInterview