INDUSTRY INSIGHT


make the purchase decision process a mundane and diffi cult task, ultimately leading to what psychologists call ‘decision paralysis’.


Once the virtues of structural packaging have been understood, how can brand owners make sure that they develop it in reality?


undefi ned mass of images and colours. The sheer lack of structural defi nition and the busy, and easily copied, artwork


One might argue that producing relevant and innovative structural packaging is a complex and time consuming task and that there are far too many parameters to consider. However, the process can be simplifi ed by having the right framework to work with and structured research approaches in place. First, brand owners will need to embrace what we at MMR call ‘packaging architecture’. Packaging architecture is a practical model that generates actionable insights and guidelines for effective and effi cient packaging development. The model is applied to the specifi c packaging in question and investigates:


Contextual information - Understanding of the packaging’s operational environment - in other words, where it’s used and how.


Individual needs - Appreciating consumers’ individual needs within the environment in which they’re interacting with the packaging (e.g. openability, resealability, storability, reassurance, safety, pride etc.).


Commercial and technical constraints and capabilities - This stage involves all stakeholders becoming involved to understand how a pack will work in a way which is affordable to produce and effi cient to use. In recent years, incredible structural innovations have emerged in the healthcare and personal care and laundry and home care. This innovation has so far been unmatched by the food and drink industry, demonstrating a genuine opportunity to reach out to consumers in a way which hasn’t been achieved so far


through packaging design. Packaging development is a multidisciplinary and cross- functional affair, requiring a collaborative spirit and a co- creative environment. There is no doubt that if brand owners and manufacturers encourage key stakeholders to work closely together with consumers and to pull external expertise in, they will defi ne new frontiers and identify the rules of success for the present and for the future.


Stergios Bititsios is associate director of packaging and design at MMR Research Worldwide.


Systems at Dairy Crest, Davidstow


AutoCoding Systems and Dairy Crest, Davidstow are no strangers when it comes to developing applications to meet specifi c requirements. They have recently worked together to design a vision system which analyses and identifi es vacuum failures on sealed packs of 20kg blocks of cheese.


Dairy Crest, Davidstow produces over 48,000 tonnes of cheddar cheese per year in 20kg blocks, 80% of this being the well-known Cathedral City brand. The 20kg blocks are vacuum sealed to prevent air leaking into the cheese prior to the 12-18 month maturation cycle.


The AutoCoding vision system identifi es vacuum failures on the sealed 20kg blocks. The system comprises a camera driven software application that analyses the refl ected light from the surface of the vacuum sealed cheese block and rejects the block if it doesn’t meet the defi ned criteria. Reports are generated which give the total number of blocks through the system, the number of seal failures and an analysis of the effi ciency of the sealing process. This enables Dairy Crest to monitor and identify potential problems with the sealing and packing process.


Initially, AutoCoding faced challenges such as variations in size, colour and surface texture of the cheese blocks making it diffi cult to adjust the camera and image processing to capture all defects, whilst not resulting in a false alarm for good seals. Achieving the correct balance between success and failure was critical.


Neil Flood, Automation Engineer at Dairy Crest said, “We are already reaping the benefi ts of the system in terms of cost savings. Having worked on previous successful projects with AutoCoding Systems, we have built up a strong business relationship and we were, therefore, confi dent that they could deliver the quality and reliability we required with this new system.”


For further information, please contact: Janet Harrison – AutoCoding Systems Ltd


E: janetharrison@autocodingsystems.com • T: 01928 790444 www.autocodingsystems.com


January-March 2013 Great Vision from AutoCoding Fresh codes for dairy


The latest addition to Markem-Imaje’s 9000 Series – the 9042 inkjet printer – is set to prove extremely popular within the dairy industry, thanks to its ability to help manufacturers improve effi ciency using a new consumable management system.


The new 9042 – a design inspired by the 9040 printer – operates with sealed percussion cartridges, which makes handling consumables cleaner and safer than ever before.


The new consumable management system also makes cartridge changes extremely quick – less than 30 seconds on average – and allows changes to be made without interrupting production. Particularly well suited to the demanding environments in the dairy product industry, the cabinet is made of stainless steel with IP54 humidity protection, or IP65 as an option, for perfect waterproofi ng. Cleaning is also easy and effi cient thanks to the total absence of retention zones. For applications requiring numerous to- and-fro printhead cycles, such as coding on to yoghurts and milk desserts, the umbilical cable linking the cabinet to the printhead has


been reinforced to cope with the additional strain of these types of applications. The 9042 can also be fi tted with two printheads, doubling the possible production


rate. The output of the 9042 can therefore go beyond 700 pots per minute. To make integration of the 9042 into production lines easy, two additional lengths of 5m and 8m umbilical cables are supplied with the 9042 if required. A new ink is also offered by Markem-Imaje to help reduce the frequency of printhead cleaning.


Markem-Imaje UK Ltd


Astor Road, Eccles New Road, Salford M50 1DA Tel: 0161 333 8555 uk@markem-imaje.co.uk www.markem-imaje.co.uk


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