Aligned with the company’s new theme “Today. Tomorrow. Electric.”, Sumitomo (SHI) Demag demonstrates on its main stage (Hall 15, Booth D22) its newest 420t PAC-E machine. The exhibit features a 72-cavity tool from Z-Moulds, and clean, digital inline cap printing developed by Swiss supplier CAPrint.
In addition to more than halving energy consumption, the PAC-E machine’s fast cycle time and all-electric machine reliability is supporting packaging manufacturers to address high production demands and future-proof production, affirms Arnaud Nomblot, Director Business Development Packaging.
Reliably moulding and personalising 2,100 26/22 beverage caps every minute (the equivalent of 9 million caps during the eight-day show), this production cell “symbolises the future of advanced manufacturing efficiency,” states Nomblot. “The on-going innovations happening in injection moulding are indicative of just how much sustainable value is aligned to current and future packaging trends and the interlinked dependencies on system efficiencies,” he continues.
The latest 420t PAC-E machine pushes the limits in packaging production with the fastest dry cycle time and an injection speed up to 550 mm/s. Also cleaner, its closed-loop lubrication system enables packaging processors to support applications with high hygiene requirements, such as food packaging and medical parts. This specific feature will be showcased on the company’s medical PAC-E exhibit.
Presenting caps and closures competence
In branding terms, caps and closures offer the ultimate user interaction. This year’s PAC-E demonstration puts into context the importance of collaborating with experts to create such an integrated production cell. Particularly with regard to creating tactile and visual experiences on closure surfaces for branding differentiation.
The efficiency benefits of digitally printing caps within a production cell are multiple, notes Nomblot. “This is the first time Sumitomo (SHI) Demag will present such a complete state-of-the-art packaging cell of this scale,” points out the packaging specialist.
Rather than mechanical pad, dry printing or hot foil stamping, digital printing on closures manufactured on a machine like PAC-E supports quicker production times. In addition to creating eye-catching designs “on the fly”, digital printing allows processors to switch seamlessly between variable data like serial codes, logos and company names.
