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INDUSTRY FOCUS


PRINTING & PACKAGING Components for a more sustainable paCkaging industry


Marcus Schneck, CEO at norelem, examines how, through boosting the productivity and


efficiency of standard components, we can strive for a more sustainable packaging industry


F


rom small toiletries to big parcels, almost everything today comes in some form of packaging. However, the increase in


consumption and the ever-expanding number of products means that the amount of packaging materials required is also increasing and, on a planet with an ever-changing ecosystem, the rate at which packaging materials becomes waste materials cannot be maintained. Just as important as the materials that


make up the packaging is the machinery and manufacturing equipment used to produce them, their operational efficiency, and the energy sources that they operate upon. With the British Government’s commitment to


reaching net zero emissions by 2050 and their Smart Sustainable Plastic Packaging Challenge seeking to dramatically reduce plastic waste by 2025, there is now intense pressure on packaging manufacturers to innovate and develop new materials and innovative construction methods that reduce their environmental impact. In fact, much has already been achieved to make packaging and the packaging industry more sustainable, with many product and manufacturing innovations acting as great strides towards a greener future. The packaging industry is constantly trying to


optimise the way products are packaged – from sourcing more environmentally friendly materials to recycling more and also minimising packaging as much as possible.


a sustainable industry


One way to make the industry more sustainable is by looking at increasing the efficiency and productivity of machinery and production processes to reduce waste, speed up packaging, and ensure that the machinery


5 DESIGN SOLUTIONS MAY 2022 2


is as environmentally friendly as possible. So, where is the link between standard components and an increase in sustainability in the industry? In order to create a more sustainable


packaging industry, norelem focuses on three main areas of improvement through the use of standard components. These all relate to increasing the lifetime of components – how wear resistant and durable they are, how easy they are to maintain, and the cost of cleaning them. These factors ultimately make them more sustainable because products that have a long lifetime do not require additional energy to be used in the manufacture of replacement parts. Similarly, longer lasting standard components require less maintenance and lead to sturdier machinery and smoother processes. norelem offers standard components that


can be used in two different fields of packaging. The first are components that go into general packaging manufacturing – such as ball transfer units, net sleeves, plastic protective net caps, net maps, and plastic separators for euro containers. The second aide in packaging manufacturing


in hygienic areas – these are operating parts and machine elements that fulfil stringent hygiene requirements and are part of norelem’s range of Hygienic DESIGN. These ranges include radii, transitions, bevels, and surfaces that are designed to impair wetting and can either be easily cleaned or not require cleaning.


engineering


norelem champions the use of stainless steel with high-quality alloying elements and high-quality plastics with high chemical resistances. These materials not only ensure that the product has a long lifetime, but that when the product can no longer be used it can be recycled.


The Hygienic DESIGN range, for example, is


characterised by flowing radii and transitions. These components are free of grooves, burrs or uneven head seating, as well as having very small inner radii and a mean surface finish of less than 0.8 micrometres, which ensures easy cleaning. To facilitate frequent cleaning, the product is resistant against a lot of cleaning medias. The company also ensures that required


practices are met in the manufacturing, designing, and engineering of its standard components that are likely to be used in Hygienic DESIGN – specifically, the EU10/2011 and FDA CFR21 directives, which pertain to the manufacture and marketing of plastic materials that either will, or could, come into contact with food.


logistiCs and sustainability


Logistics is a key area for improving sustainability. When products are delivered to customers, the net sleeves, plastic protective net caps, net mats and plastic separators protect the products from unwanted damage. This means that energy need not be wasted in providing replacements for any damaged parts. In addition, the ball transfer units make the


handling of the goods easier and help employees when they are packaging heavy and big products – the aided efficiency provided means that there is less downtime and less energy wasted. Finally, boosted sustainability as a result


of high-quality materials is especially true of the Hygienic DESIGN range. The high-quality stainless steel means they can be used in difficult areas for longer than products with no such high-quality standard, meaning energy need not be wasted in the manufacture and installation of replacement parts. norelem has pushed for the provision and


implementation of services that will help engineers select the right components, ensuring that energy components are not wasted themselves and that excess energy is not used in fulfilling returns or excessive maintenance.


norelem www.norelem.co.uk


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