NEWS
Industry Briefs
Valois Pharma (Marly-le-Roi, France) has won the 2007 prize for Innovation in Aerosol Package Design, given by the International Congress and Exhibition–Aerosols 2007 in Manchester, UK, on September 19. Its Landmark counter component of metered-dose inhalers won for its system that displays the number of doses left in an inhaler. Landmark can be fitted to any design of pMDI and was designed and manufactured in only 18 months. Landmark uses a digit-and-color system to indicate the number of doses of medication remaining in the inhaler.
Amcor Flexibles (Mundelein, IL) has chosen Apriso Corp.’s (Long Beach, CA) FlexNet to complement its existing SAP enterprise resource planning system. More than 20 locations will see improved operations performance providing global visibility to Amcor’s production environment and supply-chain network.
Beyond a manufacturing execution system (MES), Apriso FlexNet will enable widespread unification of all operations execution systems, creating an adaptive operations platform spanning multiple, distributed locations. Amcor will be expanding its Apriso FlexNet deployment into its Flexibles division, with a 20-plus site deployment across production and the supply chain.
BST Pro Mark (Elmhurst, IL) has donated a new video web inspection system to Ditrolio Flexographic Institute (DFI). The Powerscope 3000 has been installed on DFI’s 13-in. six-color Profiteer press in Broadview, where it serves as both a teaching device and a print and quality inspection system. The Powerscope 3000 features a camera with a 4 × 3-in. image size and 40× magnification. DFI configured the system with dual monitors, allowing operators to see images of their printed product at both ends of the press. BST hopes to benefit from DFI’s improved training facility, said BST general manager John Thome in a news release.
Alcoa Flexible Packaging (Richmond, VA) announced plans to sell its packaging and consumer businesses to New Zealand’s Rank Group Ltd. (Auckland), for $2.7 billion in cash. The companies expect to complete the transaction by the end of the first quarter 2008. Businesses exchanged in the transaction include Closure Systems International, Consumer Products, Flexible Packaging, and Reynolds Food Packaging. These businesses employ about 10,000 people in 22 countries. Alcoa also announced its Bellwood Printing Plant passed the ISO 9001:2000 audit by BSI Inc. The certification was the first ISO certification for Alcoa Flexible Packaging’s manufacturing facilities. Alcoa’s 10.8-acre Bellwood Printing Plant is the largest rotogravure flexible-packaging converting facility in the United States.
Acpo Ltd. (Oak Harbor, OH) has announced plans for a 20,000-sq-ft expansion of its self-wound pressure-sensitive roll label films plant in Oak Harbor. Acpo expects the plant expansion to be completed in the first quarter of 2008. The updated facility will feature an enlarged production area incorporating new converting equipment as well as an expanded shipping department.
Pharmaceutical packaging and labeling manufacturer Cortegra (Fairfield, NJ) announced its purchase of Capital Printing & Graphics, a generic pharmaceutical and neutraceutical packaging manufacturer operating for more than 20 years. The firm’s assets will be relocated to Cortegra’s Fairfield facility. The purchase is the third acquisition that Cortegra, a subsidiary of the Menasha Corp., has made in three years. It also opened a new manufacturing facility in Raleigh, NC, in 2006.
Nordson Corp. (Duluth, GA) was awarded a 2007 Oscar de l’Emballage Production Equipment Award for its PatternJet labeling system. The awards ceremony, held in November at the Chamber of Commerce and Industry in Paris, was attended by more than 250 industry members. Fourteen winners were selected from 100 nominations based on technical innovation, design, and trade performance in four packaging categories: consumables, distribution, production, and environment. Nordson’s wraparound labeling systems with PatternJet guns label containers in various shapes and sizes at high speeds. Its closed, noncirculating labeling system controls temperature and prevents adhesive degradation and contamination, while its gear-to-line pump applies adhesive at any line speed to reduce adhesive waste and eliminate angel hair.
Label, insert, outsert, and carton manufacturer Keller Crescent Co. (Indianapolis) has been acquired by Clondalkin Group (Evansville, IN). The acquisition expands Clondalkin’s pharmaceutical packaging supply business in North America and unites Keller Crescent with complementary pharmaceutical supply companies. The acquisition gives Clondalkin 10 dedicated pharmaceutical packaging production locations in the United States, Ireland, Poland, and Puerto Rico.
Brian Konarski has been appointed quality manager of Barger Packaging (Elkhart, IN). Konarski has worked for Siemens VDO’s advanced quality management department for 17 years. He is a certified ASQC engineer with additional training in supplier quality and process improvement. “Brian’s high compliance experiences will be a great asset to our existing quality program, and he will be championing our move toward ISO 13485 certification in 2008,” says Scott Duehmig, Barger’s general manager.
