The nature of business is changing rapidly for Fast Moving Consumer Goods (FMCG) companies, with the need for digitalisation, interconnectivity and automation greater than ever before. Companies preparing to embrace the Internet of Things and Industry 4.0 face an unprecedented challenge in terms of implementation, and the options open to them in terms of suppliers are vast. The core objective of these greater levels of interconnectivity is to simplify the packaging value stream, but this can be complicated if companies must then engage an integrator to connect the dots. Danaher has created its Product Identification Platform to eliminate this challenge, giving FMCG brand leaders and their suppliers the flexibility they need to provide far greater responsiveness through their packaging - bringing products to market faster with unprecedented efficiency and quality.
Launching a record number of new innovations, the Danaher Product Identification companies, X-Rite Pantone, Esko, Videojet and Laetus came together at interpack 2017 in Dusseldorf, Germany, to demonstrate how, together, they have the ability to extend the limits of what is possible when bringing consumer goods to market. As a platform, simplifying processes through innovation and integration is the focus. These companies are able to look at a business together as a greater value stream – taking a broader view and drilling down into processes to create solutions customers may not have the technical expertise to imagine. With 2017 marking its most significant year for product launches to date, the Product Identification Platform continues to grow its wide ranging capabilities - with each innovation offering significant benefits to both the manufacturer and end consumer.
Joakim Weidemanis, Vice President & Group Executive for Danaher’s Product Identification Platform, commented: “Consumer demand for variety is driving greater product proliferation each year, and when FMCG companies focus on the consumer experience they have to think about packaging. We tend to think about digital transformation initiatives as only transforming digital things and aligning digital applications, but we need to be digitizing, connecting and automating the physical part of manufacturers’ businesses too - which is the packaging value stream. Often the more difficult things to digitize are left out of digital transformation, but therein lies the greatest opportunity for improving speed to market.
“Packaging is always the last part of commercialization and so to digitize, connect and automate that process will simplify the workflow from concept to consumer. This year, the platform is bringing its largest number of innovations to market since its inception to deliver on that vision, and visitors to stand A01 in Hall 6 will have exclusive access in order to see how advanced technology can make life simpler for its operators while bringing the highest quality products to market.”
Four members of the Product Identification Platform exhibited together at interpack 2017 at stand A01 in Hall 6:
X-Rite Pantone: a simplified way to specify, communicate and control colour
X-Rite provides colour measurement and management solutions tuned to the needs of a broad array of industries.
X-Rite Pantone presented a number of products at interpack 2017 across two separate workstations. The first will focus on brand, design and pre-media, and how achieving print color consistency allows customers to get products to market faster. PantoneLIVE products and services will be on display – from the company’s Visualizer, mapping and rationalization solutions, to color libraries. The second workstation will focus on packaging, production and quality control, and will demonstrate how customers can improve deliverables to brands at the same time as driving new business. eXact Scan, Xp and standard spectrophotometers will be present, alongside ink formulation and NetProfiler quality assurance software.
Esko: a simplified way to design, manage and produce packaging
The Esko product portfolio supports and manages the packaging and print processes for brand owners, retailers, designers, premedia and trade shops, packaging manufacturers and converters.
Esko showcased unique, smart software that incorporates its wealth of expertise in the packaging arena, informing brands on how to manage brand color accuracy across the global supply chain. In addition, Esko's 3D technologies, including Studio and Store Visualizer, will be available to view, and present hyper-realistic 3D images of packages from design through positioning on store shelves. Finally, Cape solutions to optimize packaging logistics will also be on display, alongside leading solutions for producing high quality, consistent print results with flexo printing - the most cost-effective print technology for the packaging industry.
Videojet: a simplified way to mark and code
Videojet Technologies is a world-leader in the product identification market, providing in-line printing, coding and marking products, application specific fluids, and product life cycle services.
Videojet presented a total of four new products at interpack 2017. These include a revolutionary new continuous inkjet printer, designed to incorporate powerful on board intelligence and intuitive interaction to drive enhanced productivity, a high throughput CO2 laser, engineered to process complex codes at highest speeds, and two additions to its advanced family of thermal transfer overprinters (TTO).
Laetus: a simplified way to track and trace
Laetus is the industry leader in inline quality control. Founded in 1974, the company is synonymous with successful vision inspection
For Cross-industry serialization and traceability the versatile MV-70 F 130 TL was present, alongside the CS-60 – a mobile packing station ideal for location-independent manual rework and quality checking of individual folding boxes and small production volumes. Security for the pharmaceutical production and supply chain will also be covered via the MV-70 F 180 CW + TL – a reliable Mark & Verify technology, the MV-50, for serialization in confined spaces, and the CS-115 – the most versatile semi-automated aggregation station for single and/or multi-level aggregation processes. For optical inspection, POLYPHEM Conveyor solutions will also be on display.
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