Grant Gerke

Plasma Surface

Can Plasma Surface Treatment Deliver Sustainability and Reduce Cost?

The printing and converting industry is moving quickly to develop more recyclable material to help consumer packaged goods (CPG) companies’ meet fast-approaching sustainability goals. And new plasma treatment research is showing opportunities for converters and extruders to reduce solvents and increase recyclable film material.

Grant Gerke

March 22, 2021

Incrementalism may be gone in the flexible packaging industry, as film suppliers and consumer packaged good (CPG) companies race to find sustainable solutions in both upstream and downstream areas.

Remote Service

How Remote Service Offerings for Converters is Being Deployed

While ‘smart manufacturing’ slogans can border on marketing hype, OEMs have been expanding remote service technology options for the last six years — and the flexible packaging industry is no different

Grant Gerke

March 17, 2021

Manufacturing and designing hardware is a tough business, and selling equipment in the 21st century is getting even harder. That’s why original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) have been offering more remote servicing options to converters, film extruders and flexible packaging companies over the last 10 years.

Linerless Back Label

Linerless Back Label Application Nets a Big Fish

The South African Breweries’ Flying Fish beer brand implements a linerless back label and reduces material waste by 51% with an innovative solution from Arconvert-Ritrama

Grant Gerke

March 16, 2021

As the severe challenges of 2020 move from view, consumer packaged goods (CPG) companies are sharpening their focus to meet internal sustainability goals and increase their coordination with material recycling facilities to reduce waste.

Wash-Off Label Technology Meets the Challenge

With increased pressure to meet numerous sustainability mandates by companies and governments, wash-off label technology offers a way to optimize bottle recycling, deliver more rPET material for the supply chain and produce a clean-label look

Grant Gerke

March 16, 2021

In a recent Flexible Packaging article about new polymer film material and equipment requirements, Simon Hermans, director of U.S. sales and marketing for Südpack, stated that millennials will drive demand for new sustainable packaging formats.

Case Study: Pouch Making

New Pouching Machine Thrives at Associated Labels and Packaging

Associated Labels and Packaging, a Canadian flexible packaging and printing company, recently purchased a servo-driven stand-up pouch machine to meet growing demand for smaller runs.

Grant Gerke

January 20, 2021

Most consumers and industry professionals want to see a post-COVID 19 world emerge as soon as possible, and there’s hope on the horizon with recent vaccine breakthroughs. However, a big question going forward will be what flexible packaging trends stick in a post-COVID world?

Quality Control

How Machine Vision Technology Increases Productivity for Film Lamination Applications

Grant Gerke

January 19, 2021

Plant utilization is essential for most industries, and in most cases this means some kind of capital investment to increase productivity. Many converters and contract packagers are identifying machine vision opportunities for challenging film lamination applications.

Finding the Right Sustainable Film Material and Equipment

Many film suppliers are adding more post-consumer recycled material to packaging film, so how do these sustainable efforts affect machinery?

Grant Gerke

December 7, 2020

The market for sustainable film materials is growing each year, and converters, original equipment manufacturers (OEM) and consumer packaging goods (CPG) companies want to know what’s working, as well as what sustainable film material and equipment work well together.

Film Suppliers and Food Companies Sharpen Plans for Sustainability Goals

Sustainable mandates are arriving in the next five years, and consumer packaged goods (CPG) companies and suppliers are collaborating to find answers to meet this difficult challenge.

Grant Gerke

December 7, 2020

Technology: Coating

Slot Die Coating Technology Targets Flexible Packaging

Slot die coating is being used in many industries, and more converters are examining how slot die technology can offer unique packaging solutions for customers.

Grant Gerke

November 10, 2020

Flexible Packaging caught up with Mark Miller, co-founder of Coating Tech Slot Dies, to discuss the state of slot die coating technology, resolution of coating defects and equipment-based design on fluid rheology for specific applications.

Industry Trends: Automation

What’s Driving Automation Investments for Converters and the Flexible Packaging market?

Grant Gerke

September 23, 2020

Driving automation investments for converters and flexible packaging market are tight tolerances and rapid changeovers due to more eCommerce product introductions. Find out what type of automation and data management technology is being recommended and why.