CAPS AND CLOSURES | INNOVATION
Looking for closure in the circular economy
Productivity, sustainability and the EU’s tethering regulation are all issues currently driving
developments in caps and closures. By Mark Holmes
Injection moulders of caps and closures are having to meet several new challenges. The influence of the circular economy means brand owners and end users are looking for greater use of sustainable materials – both recycled and bio-based. In addition, further pressures on lightweighting continue to drive the need for new solutions, while meeting increased productivity and quality targets. The advent of the tethered cap is also on the horizon and means are needed to ensure that the transition is seamless. However, machinery manu- facturers and mould makers continue to develop new solutions for the industry, while material suppliers strive to help meet sustainability goals. The main trends for plastics caps and closures
are all related to the circular economy, according to Christina Haerter, Head of Application Technology and Stefan Kleinfeld, Product Manager Cap Systems of Netstal, part of KraussMaffei High Per- formance. Due to the EU directive, tethered caps are a major trend, they say. However, the growth of biodegradable or bio-based materials may well also become a major driver in a few years. In addition, Netstal sees the use of enhanced multi- modal materials in the future in order to be able to realise further weight savings in closures. Depend- ing on the materials used, there might also be future changes in plastification.
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On the machinery front, like other areas of the plastics industry, Netstal adds that it sees continued connectivity and communication between different system components, for example machine and camera quality inspection system. With this communication it is possible to increase the intelligence of the complete production system. There are also significant improvements in digital connection and software. Increased system intelligence will remove many control duties from operators. As in other areas of the injection moulding industry, the aim in the production of caps is to increase the intelligence of the machine. In this way, human error can be further reduced, and the current shortage of skilled workers counteracted.
Netstal adds that in the production of caps and
closures, there is always the need to increase productivity and decrease part costs. Mechanically, only small reductions in cycle time can be achieved, so a smarter, holistic systems approach has been developed by Netstal, particularly where closures are concerned. The company says that it is working to optimally match equipment to provide the lowest manufacturing costs with the highest availability and quality. For maximum availability, digital solutions such as remote support and e-service are becoming increasingly important, as
April 2021 | INJECTION WORLD 39
Main image: A Sumitomo (SHI) Demag El-Exis SP 300-tonne machine producing and quality
inspecting 72 caps (26/22mm) every 2s
IMAGE: SUMITOMO (SHI) DEMAG
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