Kenya Forming - Greener Copr - Kenray Forming, Forming Sets, Forming Shoulders, VFFS, Packaging
Posted on by Claire Taylor

Kenray and Greener exhibit at Gulfood in Dubai – part of the expansion into the region

The Kenray sales team have recently returned from the Gulfood Manufacturing Exhibition in Dubai as the company continues to expand its services into the region. The exhibition is one of the largest global events for the food manufacturing industry and visitors attend to keep pace with the latest innovations, equipment and ingredients.

Kenray were delighted to be involved and welcomed existing and potential clients to their stand demonstrating the quality and consistency of Kenray formers and Greener jaws. Kenray expertise in full forming sets extends to a variety of components for many different packaging types, independent of brand or make. Visitors to the stand learned about the solutions and many unique features which make the Kenray formers durable, light, easy to implement and cost effective.

As Mark Evans, Sales Director commented, “it was great to meet customers from around the world and share with them how Kenray formers and Greener jaws help with the productivity and efficiency on their production lines. We look forward to continuing discussions with many new contacts we met at the show from the Middle East, Europ and India”.

Anyone who wants to know more about the service and support for formers and jaws from Kenray should contact [email protected] or phone the international head office in the UK on +44 (0) 1530 400 100

Kenray Forming, Forming Sets, VFFS, Packaging
Posted on by Claire Taylor

The Hidden Costs of Average Forming Sets

An important consideration for food manufacturers is the cost of their packaging machinery and forming sets. To cut costs, many packagers will purchase an average forming set, which meets the minimum requirements for safety and hygiene and produces bags suitable for sale. However, the average forming set that was meant to save money up front will often result in additional, hidden costs over time.

There are some common ways in which average forming sets negatively impact the profits of food producers:

 

Small Stops and Reduced Output Speed

Small stops are almost always caused by product blockages, which are caused by a wide range of circumstances. Product with low mass, high surface roughness or wide-ranging variation in unit size commonly can block the former, and integral chutes are required to reduce the possibility of blockages.

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The design of a straight tube in an average forming set vs a bespoke set’s tube with gradual transition.

However, average forming sets use inlet chutes that do not feature a gradual transition from the chute into the tube, which results in food getting stuck in the machine. When small stops occur, the machine must be turned off and the issue must be corrected by an engineer. Every minute that the machine is off reduces the overall output of your company.

 

Misaligned Tubes

Average forming sets that are fabricated poorly will feature belt flats on the tube that are not an equal distance away from the centreline of the belts. One belt will apply less pressure, which results in uneven tension and it will wear out faster than usual. As such, the belts will have to be replaced more often than they would be with a custom forming set – another hidden cost which will add up over time.

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An example of tube misalignment.

 

Problems With Back Seals

Misaligned tubes and shoulders can compromise the quality of the back-seal on the bag, which leads to waste of material. The film may wander off to one side, which will cause the material to ripple while it is being passed through the machine. This can cause the back-seal to expose graphics that are meant to be hidden or hide graphics that are meant to be shown. In some cases, the back seal will come apart. Both food products and packaging material are wasted, which presents a significant dent in the bottom line of food producers.

At KENRAY, we have seen many customers buy average forming sets to save hundreds of pounds in the short term. Unfortunately, over time the equipment presents shortcomings that cost thousands to correct. Our bespoke forming sets prevent these issues from occurring, helping you to increase your production and output.

For more information, view our Forming Set Solutions page or give us a call at +44 (0)1530 400 100. You can also read our full white paper on the Hidden Costs of Average Forming Sets.

Kenray Forming, Forming Sets, VFFS, Packaging
Posted on by Claire Taylor

Defra to Fund Study on Flexible Packaging

The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) has announced its plans to fund a study that will endeavour to improve the recycling and remanufacturing of flexible packaging. The findings could potentially have a significant impact on the packaging of snack products with bespoke forming sets.

The study will take a close look at flexible packaging that contains aluminium, such as pet food containers, toothpaste tubes and snack pouches. Defra estimates that the UK marketplace uses 160 000 metric tons of flexible laminate packaging every year. As such, it is important for food manufacturers and OEMs to become aware of the recycling opportunities for this this type of material.

Several large UK food manufacturers will take part in the study. Nestle UK & Ireland, Coca-Cola Enterprises and Tesco UK will research, develop and test new methods of recovering and treating the materials used in flexible packaging. They will also endeavour to increase the recycling and collection of flexible packaging across England.

Should the trials prove successful, there is the possibility that new viable collection and recycling schemes will be implemented. This could lead to a significant reduction in carbon emissions, ultimately benefitting the environment in more ways than one.

Due to the nature of new materials used in flexible packaging, film control and former accuracy is paramount. Flexible packaging has the potential to pose a challenge to food manufacturers, and it is important to work with packaging experts that can develop custom forming sets to address these issues.

KENRAY has 30 years of experience in helping food manufacturers package their products using a wide range of materials. For more information, visit our Snack Food Formers page or call us at: (0)1530 400 100.

Kenray Global Show Exhibitions Logos Europe
Posted on by Claire Taylor

KENRAY Exhibiting At Packaging Expos Across Europe

Over the next few months KENRAY will be exhibiting at a number of packaging conferences and exhibitions across Europe. With roots in the UK, KENRAY is a leading global company that manufactures bespoke forming sets for vertical packaging machines to address the specific needs of food producers, snack packers and OEMs.

This autumn industry professionals from around the world can learn more about our complete forming solutions at three of the world’s largest packaging expos. From 30 September to 2 October we will be exhibiting at the PPMA Show, ‘the complete production line event’. The PPMA Show is the UK’s largest processing and packaging machinery exhibition with over 300 exhibitors showcasing the latest technology in the industry. Visit us on stand F64 at the NEC Birmingham.

That same week KENRAY will also be exhibiting at TaroPak in Poland at the Poznan International Fair Grounds. With over 600 exhibitors from 30 countries, TaroPak is considered the most important packaging event in Central and Eastern Europe. From 29 September to 2 October visit our stand 50 in Hall 3 to learn more about our bespoke forming sets.

Then, from 17 – 20 November, we will be at the Emballage Expo located in Paris Nord Villepinte. As ‘the capital place for innovation’, the event is a meeting place for over 100 000 packaging industry professionals. Our Stand C 098 will be located in Hall 5A. Manning our stands will be multilingual representatives from our Polish and French offices. So delegates at TaroPak and Emballage will be able to speak in their native languages about our industry-leading technology.

As a global brand, KENRAY maintains an international presence in the packaging industry. It is important for us to network with food manufacturers and OEMs from around the world to listen to their packaging needs and offer custom forming solutions that will improve production and reduce downtime.

Kenray Forming, Forming Sets, VFFS, Packaging
Posted on by Claire Taylor

Packaging: 20 Years of Change

Packaging began simply as a way to protect food, keeping it fresh and clean until it was eaten. But it was not long before it acquired a range of other purposes such as branding, sales, and usability.

With all these areas invested in packaging, it is no surprise that companies are constantly growing and developing the ways they package their food. As a result, there have been huge changes in the industry over the past 20 years.

 

Going Green

Related to wastage, environmental concerns have also had a huge impact on the packaging industry. As well as being a factor driving the reduction of material wastage, environmental issues have affected the type of material used. Far greater quantities of food now use packaging which is recyclable or has already been recycled. These factors have also left their mark in the field of design and labelling. Most food packaging now includes advice on how the materials can be disposed of in the most environmentally-friendly way and whether the packaging is recycled. Brands that wish to show their environmental responsibility to their customers may also mention the fact their packaging is recycled clearly and visibly on the label.

 

Calorie Counting

Perhaps one of the most significant and noticeable changes in packaging over the last 20 years has been the inclusion of nutritional information. Concerns over public health and new legislation have led the inclusion of this data to be near-universally applied to food packaging. It has also become part of the selling process. Healthier foods, or brands that wish to convey a helpful and health-conscious image, put essential facts about a product’s nutrition in prominent places on the front of the pack.

 

Standing Out From The Crowd

Companies are keen to make their packaging stand out on the shelf, as well as ensuring it looks modern and impresses the customer. As a result, the field of packaging design has seen huge advancements.

New technologies have allowed labels to become more colourful and complex. A range of new shapes have also been developed, either for practical reasons or to look modern and unique. A range of forming shoulders are now widely available to help produce shapes that were unheard of 20 or even 10 years ago.

 

Reducing Material Wastage

Through the later part of the twentieth century, a number of studies in different countries were coming up with disturbing wastage figures. Not only were packaging materials being wasted in the manufacturing process, but inadequate packaging was leading to the wastage of large percentages of products. In Russia, for example, more than half of fresh fruit and up to 70% of potatoes were wasted for this reason. More reliable manufacturing processes, through the use of modern formers and more advanced equipment, have slashed these figures.

Kenray Forming, Forming Sets, VFFS, Packaging
Posted on by Claire Taylor

Two Decades of Change in the Packaging Industry

Since its humble beginnings as a simple means to protect food and keep it fresh, packaging has developed and changed to play a much more important role in many ways. For example, it now offers a whole host of other purposes including branding and usability instructions, and exciting designs to increase sales.

Companies tirelessly review and renew their packaging, investing large amounts of capital into the process and developing the way that products are packaged. This has seen large scale change in the packaging industry over the last couple of decades.

 

Packaging Design

Perhaps one of the most important considerations of modern day packaging is the design. It is imperative for companies to be able to provide a product that is packaged in a well designed way that is impressive to the customer. This necessity has facilitated the advancement of packaging technologies.

In addition to allowing more colourful and complex designs to become more easily viable, packaging technological advances have also allowed for unique and modern shapes to be easily made. Forming shoulders are able to assist with creating intriguingly shaped packaging that was simply unavailable from 10 to 20 years ago.

 

Wastage

Towards the end of the 20th century, studies and surveys across the globe found troubling and concerning wastage figures that saw packaging materials being wasted during the manufacturing stage, and also that poor quality packaging was leading to product wastage. This was of particular concern in Russia, where 70% of potatoes and over half of all fresh fruit was being wasted because of this reason. Modern manufacturing processes including the use of advanced equipment such as formers and forming tubes has resulted in even less wastage.

 

Environmental Considerations

Closely linked to wastage, the packaging industry has also been affected by environmental concerns. Not only does this fuel the desire to keep wastage at a minimum, it also has led to further considerations such as materials used. As a result, many foods now come in recyclable packaging, or packaging which is made from already recycled materials. This in turn has had an effect on packaging design, as most products now come with clear instructions on how the materials can be disposed of or recycled in the most ethical and environmentally friendly manner.

For some brands, their dedication to the environment is a key part of their sales pitch, and so the fact that they use recycled and recyclable materials in their packaging may become an integral part of its design.

 

Health and Nutrition Information

Another key change to packaging over the past 20 years has been the nutritional information that is present on food products. Public health concerns and new legal requirements have led to the inclusion of such information on packaging. As a result, not only does this conform to legislation, it again also becomes part of a brand’s market placement; many companies focus their strategy on promoting their message of selling healthy products, and so may include this information in a prominent place on the packaging. Health conscious buyers and customers are also attracted to this, so many companies highlight their health and nutrition information to attract more sales.

Phil Dennis Retirment - Kenray Forming, Forming Sets, Forming Shoulders, VFFS, Packaging
Posted on by Claire Taylor

Phil Dennis Retires From 20 Year Career with Kenray, the specialist former manufacturer

Kenray, the global leader in the design and manufacturer of forming sets and specialist parts for food processing and pharmaceutical packaging industries recently said goodbye to one of their longest serving members of staff. Phil Dennis has been with Kenray over 20 years during which time Kenray has gone from being a local machine engineering company to a specialist manufacturer of custom forming sets supplying customers all over the world including Pepsico, Kellogg and Intersnack.

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KENRAY team thanking Phil Dennis for his decades of service

Phil has played a valuable role in the growth of Kenray over the years including building customers relationships, managing projects and conducting employee training. His retirement was honoured with a special event. All the staff presented Phil with gifts of gratitude in recognition of the important work that he has contributed to KENRAY’s development and success over the years. The Directors and Managers also personally expressed their appreciation for the valuable work that Phil has performed during his time at the company.

Joining KENRAY in the mid-1990s, Phil spent his early days as General Manager. He worked on the fabrication side of the operation as well as with customers. One of his first major projects saw him forge a relationship, which is still strong today with Ishida Europe, a leading supplier of Food Packaging Machines & Equipment. As the company grew Phil became responsible for the engineering side of the business setting and ensuring for the high standards of quality Kenray has become known for.

Over the years, Phil’s industry knowledge has been essential in training and mentoring numerous KENRAY engineers and he has passed much of his knowledge onto other members of the KENRAY team. Andrew Dennis, Technical Director commented, “Phil taught me so much during my early days at Kenray as a young apprentice. Over the years, I have been able to develop through the business and today am a co-owner and director. We now have a role reversal and technically I am Phil’s boss, however, I will always appreciate his advice and feedback and am grateful for everything he taught me on the engineering side.”

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Phil with some of the team who wish him well on his retirement from Kenray – the global forming solutions company

While he will no longer assume the full-time role as the Machine Shop Manager, Phil will be joining Kenray as a part-time Technical Advisor. As such, customers will continue to benefit from his packaging expertise, as he offers his advice on various projects.

“The KENRAY team will certainly miss Phil in his role as Machine Shop Manager, as he has helped us build our business over the years”, says Commercial Director Mark Evans. “We are grateful for his hard work and dedication, and we are pleased that he will continue to join us in a consultancy role”.

Kenray Forming, Forming Sets, VFFS, Packaging
Posted on by Claire Taylor

Colegate Calls for Recyclable Packaging

Colegate-Palmolive has recently announced new commitments to recyclable packaging. In particular, the company has spoken out against the increasing adoption of non-recyclable flexible packaging.

More and more products are now being sold in flexible, non-recyclable plastic packets. Raisins were once commonly packaged in little cardboard boxes, but now they use flexible packaging. Likewise, drinks traditionally come in bottles, which are usually made of glass or PET, or else in aluminium cans. All of these can be economically recycled. But now, some products such as Capri Sun, which is immensely popular with children around the world, come in flexible packaging that is difficult or impossible to recycle. All in all, 2012 saw sales of products in such flexible packaging reach levels of over US$26 billion in the US alone.

So what has made companies invest in the formers, forming tubes and other packaging machine accessories necessary to completely change their packaging to a non-recyclable option?

Cost, of course, could be one factor. Flexible packaging is often cheaper to produce, offsetting that initial investment in new forming sets and packaging machine accessories. Nonetheless, it is surprising in these days of environmental awareness and increasing corporate responsibility to see such a large shift away from recyclable materials.

However, some companies may have made the change with genuinely good eco-intentions. In the short term, manufacturing this packaging generates lower levels of emissions and uses less material. However, while this makes sense in the short-term, the fact that these products cannot be easily recycled offsets the initial advantages. There are few disposal options available except for incineration or landfill, and then the manufacturing process for new packaging begins again from scratch.

Indeed, misguided views on the eco credentials of flexible packaging are making their way to the very heart of the packaging industry. In a recent interview, green design advisor and sustainability architect William McDonough said “I see packaging awards being given to these pouches as more efficient containers of, say, a cereal.” He then pointed out that this product, traditionally placed in an easily-recycled cardboard box, is now “wrapped in seven plastics with undefined inks and metallized polymers. It doesn’t have a recycling symbol on it because you could never recycle it… And yet it’s being put forward as a more efficient package.”

Now Colegate have taken their stance against this non-recyclable packaging, they seem to mean business. For three out of four product categories in the company’s portfolio, they have committed to making all packaging recyclable by 2020. For their remaining product category, oral care, they are working on development of a recyclable toothpaste tube, or a new kind of recyclable packaging to serve the same purpose, so that the remaining products can follow suit.

Kenray Forming, Forming Sets, VFFS, Packaging
Posted on by Claire Taylor

The Debate over Recyclable Packaging

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More and more companies are making the shift towards packaging their products with recyclable materials. While it is certainly a more environmentally-responsible approach, many companies continue to use non-recyclable packaging. So, why haven’t all companies made the switch yet?

Even though we are seeing plenty of companies using forming sets to package products in recyclable materials, there has also been an increase in the number of products that are being packaged in flexible, non-recyclable materials. A prime example of this is Capri Sun, the popular kids’ drink packaged in materials that are virtually impossible to recycle.

Cost is the major factor behind the use of flexible packaging, since it is often cheaper to produce due to the materials required. There are also some short-term ecological benefits, as this type of packaging generates fewer emissions and uses less material overall.

However, on a long-term scale, recyclable packaging is more beneficial. Flexible, non-recyclable packaging may be cheaper for manufacturers to produce and more convenient for consumers to use, but it is a major drawback that the material cannot be recycled. This type of packaging can only be disposed of in an incinerator or landfill.

One company that has taken up the cause is Colgate, as the company has taken a stand against non-recyclable packaging. For three of four of their product categories, the company will make all of its packaging recyclable by the year 2020. Oral care is the remaining category, and Colgate aims to develop a new recyclable toothpaste tube in coming years.

When making the switch to recyclable materials, brands may require different forming sets to ensure the efficiency of the packaging process. At Kenray, we work with our customers to understand the different issues relevant to your food processing needs, such as recyclable packaging, product flow, bag quality and sealing issues – as well as temperature, material and volume requirements. As such, we can advise you on the ideal type of forming set or even build bespoke formers to suit your packaging needs.

KENRAY can help you find the ideal forming set for your recyclable packaging. For more information, visit our Forming Sets page or call us at: +44 (0)1530 400 100.

Kenray Forming, Forming Sets, VFFS, Packaging
Posted on by Claire Taylor

Packaging trends 2014: Predictions

With 2014 still in its infancy, now is the right time to consider what the year ahead holds for the packaging industry. Expert predictions have indicated some interesting potential developments, so it’s important to take note of these ideas and plan accordingly, in order to ensure that you are a leader in your industry. Taking advantage of advanced predictions in terms of machinery, health and safety, and the environment are just some of the considerations when studying the upcoming trends over the next 12 months.

 

Environmental considerations

More and more people are tuning in to the importance of environmentally friendly manufacturing processes and the need for materials to be recyclable and sustainable. For a growing number of people, sustainability is cited as an integral factor when they choose which products to buy or use. This rise in awareness and interest in sustainability is reflected across all business sectors, and it is therefore becoming increasingly important for packaging manufacturers to focus on environmental issues. In terms of packaging, one way to become more environmentally friendly is to reduce packaging sizes to as small as possible. As a result, formers and machinery like forming collars and similar pieces of packaging machinery need to be able to manage and cope with reductions on package sizes. Forming tubes and shoulders can, when used correctly, also reduce wastage and aid sustainability.

 

Health and safety

Concerns over the safety of products continues to loom large within society, and it is therefore important for packaging manufacturers to consider this. In particular, food packaging must be able to provide safe and healthy consumption. As awareness rises regarding diet, people are taking more and more interest in nutritional information. The packaging industry has recognised this by incorporating key nutritional details on packaging. Meanwhile, demand grows for smaller portion sizes, and many packaging companies are now looking to include such products, for example 100 calorie snack packs. Reducing pack sizes again calls for the correct packaging machine accessories, machinery and equipment such as forming tubes and forming collars.

 

Globalisation

As brands grow, they not only look for localised growth, but in maintaining a global presence with a recognisable character. As a result, design is as important as ever in terms of packaging. While slight changes to packaging design may continue to occur to match localised tastes and trends, consistency is becoming more and more key to keep up with the demand for instantly recognisable brands. Creating packaging that includes colour, shape, and logos (along with layout) can be important to establishing and developing a recognisable brand.

 

Retail relationships

The demand for packaging from the retail sector continues to grow. Many retailers are now looking to provide own brand alternatives to established brands, and as a result require professional and engaging packaging. Manufacturers therefore have an onus upon them to justify the premium prices that they command. In order to cope with the demand of high quality packaging from retail groups, packaging machine accessories and machinery must be correct. Forming tubes and forming collars are a vital step in offering structural improvements to retailers through packaging.