PKN's Pack Expo International highlights and insights

Pack Expo International 2024, staged this week in Chicago, has been a resounding success. The largest packaging and processing event in the world this year, it spanned an impressive 1.3 million square feet to house the 2700 exhibitors providing solutions for attendees from more than 40 vertical markets. PKN was walking the aisles and spotting innovation to bring you this  snapshot (in fact, a lot of snapshots...) 

The first observation was the crowds were epic; we are back to events in a bigger way than ever, the Covid hiatus a faded memory. 

In the face of global economic pressures, the packaging machinery industry has shown resilience and adaptability. According to the newly released State of the Industry: US Packaging Machinery report, produced by show organiser, PMMI, The Association for Packaging and Processing Technologies, the US packaging machinery market is projected to reach $11.1 billion in 2024, driven by automation and sustainability. Industry growth is expected to peak in 2027, with a continued focus on innovative solutions to meet evolving consumer and regulatory demands.

“Pack Expo International is the epicentre of packaging and processing innovation. Despite economic challenges, the industry’s commitment to automation, sustainability, and efficiency is stronger than ever,” says Jim Pittas, president and CEO, PMMI. “This year’s show is a testament to how the industry is shaping the future.

An early stop was at Heta and Control, which had numerous launches, but the one I was most taken by was for the snack processing sector. The company demonstrated something never befoir seen at a trade show, the dust-free application of seasoning, and those in the know will know why this was so impressive. To have no flavouring particles leaving the system and entering the air around the machine is innovation of the highest order, according to Heat and Control.

As I continued, what I was delighted to see was the prominent placement of recycling bins in aisles...

Fanuc cobots were making ‘burgers’, this was just one example because cobots are of course now commonplace in the machinery halls, with strong showings from Kuka and Universal Robots.

Tattoos for bottles were an eye-catching display: Stanpac's screen printed glass bottles are fired so the ink becomes ceramic-like and lasts up to sixty washes in a re-use system for fresh milk and other beverage bottles.

Winner of the Technology Award in the Sustainability category was Plastipak Packaging’s world-first PET resin made from waste carbon, leveraging CarbonSmart MEG from LanzaTech’s CCT process. It has the technical properties of virgin PET with a lower carbon footprint.

I'm always interested to see the impact unusual exhibits have when it comes to grabbing attention. Asia Pulp & Paper's giant Foopak takeaway cup to demo its ‘plastic free’ food service packaging was stopping traffic in the aisles.

It would be un-Australian not to stop in your tracks when you see a surfboard. This one was on the Orora Packaging Solutions booth. The company was showing protective packaging for objects of all sizes made from paper-based Flexi-Hex Air. The surfboard pictured here is mounted on a fibre-based Kraft-Pal pallet.

The Amcor stand was impressive, but I chose something small to focus on: Amcor’s notchless opening feature for flexible sachets is a proprietary tear initiation technology for various pharma packaging formats providing child resistance and easy-open access. The packaging tears at the printed indicator only, not evident to a child.

Over on the Reusable Packaging Pavilion, the charismatic Chad Pregacke, founder of Green Current Solutions, told me about his Palletgonia project, making injection moulded, heavy duty, reusable plastic pallets from rHDPE, including ocean-bound plastic collected at Living Lands and Waters’ river cleanups. His enthusiasm was inspiring to say the least.

From Cheer Pack North America, we saw the CheerCircle Smart Refill & Reuse Spouted Pouch, offering easy liquid refills for laundry detergent and hand soap, with a patented in-store system.

At the JBT booth, I saw the Proseal GT 1e tray sealer in action, and was impressed by the accessibility of the easy peel back lidding film.

Next stop was at Bubble Paper, which has developed a paper alternative to plastic bubble wrap (no, it doesn’t pop), that is kerbside recyclable.

Fresh-Lock has a paper compatible zipper developed for Sonoco EnviroFlex Paper-based pouches, and also showed a prototype Child-Guard Edge zipper on a small recycle-ready reclosable pouch for pharma/nutra products developed in collaboration with Amcor. Pictured here is Todd Meussling who was endlessly patient with all my probing questions.

Graphic Packaging International had its Boardio range on display, a fibre-based canister in a variety of shapes, kerbside recyclable, with a range of barrier options to suit various applications. Two coffee packs on show had been commercialised. They have an inner freshness seal complete with a valve.

Also displayed by GPI was McDonald’s McFlurry cup that is now produced as an all-in-one carton with no plastic lid.

PakTech was showing its 100 per cent rHDPE beverage carry handles (the ones for cans are already being made in Australia).

Of notable interest was PakTech's development of a Carbon NIF PCR plastic to replace the notorious Carbon Black.

Smurfitt Kappa (exhibiting for the first time as the merged entity and now the world’s biggest paper and board packaging company) was promoting its #WetTech 300 board that offers a recyclable wax replacement moisture barrier ~ not brand new but with new applications; and it has a new FibreSeal heat sealable extensible paper for e-commerce mailer packaging.

The third day started with an impressive (both in scale and content)) Packaging & Processing Women’s Leadership Network breakfast. Along with my Aussie colleagues Denni Egan and Abigail Ford, and my IPPO colleague Lisa Pierce, editor of Packaging Digest, we learned about the power of confidence and leading with gravitas from Lisa Sun, founder and CEO of Gravitas. 

 

I was reminded why trade shows are so rewarding, when I bumped into a long-time connection who I first interviewed at Pack Expo in 2018, Dr Michael Okoroafor, chief sustainability officer at McCormick, who would be well known to many in our industry too.

A stop at Harpak-Ulma introduced me to the company's KIRIGAMI packaging concept, developed with Graphic Packaging International and G Mondini -- it’s a 2-piece paperboard construction (which gives it strength and rigidity) with a barrier coating. Applications include ready meals, fruit salad, on-the-go snacks.

 

 

At FlexoPack I saw Dimitris Mantzoros, who gave me an update on new innovation for recycle-ready monomaterial thermoforming films and Flexo-MOPE (machine oriented polyethylene films), the latter which can be applied to all flexible packaging concepts, which can be laminated and is printable by flexography, rotogravure and digital printing.

 

 

On the Lihua stand I learned about VaporPress for low carbon moulded fibre, a patented low carbon manufacturing process that gives huge savings over wet press moulded fibre process with great results (Google thinks so too - they buy this packaging). I saw samples that incorporated seaweed and bamboo/bagasse blends.

 

At PackSize I got an update on the growing market for right-size packaging, and heard that the PackSize venture into Australia in partnership with Visy is going well. Pictured below: Brian Reinhart (left) and Adam Fray.

I also learned that print-on-demand is in high demand, with high quality graphics possible and digital printing enabling the quick turnaround and customisation required by the e-commerce sector. Here's an example of a giant retailer who needs to stay unnamed.

And on the CAMA stand, Billy Goodman and Paola Fraschini, took me through the paces of the new MTL monoblock, an extension of the CAMA IF series with three modules: forming, loading and closing for cases, and boxes.

And finally, I need to recognise the efforts of team APPMA, who were on the Partners Pavilion promoting our own trade show APPEX 2027, and provided a resting place and a sugar hit when I needed it most. Thanks to Denni Egan and Michael Moran.

And that's a wrap... more to follow in the PKN January/February print edition.