< PreviousLinerless labelling conference confirms growth of simplerlabelsRavenwood Packaging hashosted a conference for thirtyexperts from around the worldpromoting the use of linerlessadhesive backed labelling sys-tems. The findings confirmedthe new culture in minimalisticlabelling is gradually becomingthe norm. Where backing-free labelling started as niche idea the concept is now being adopted forwidespread use around the globe as it eliminates the waste paper product that is left behind withstandard pressure sensitive labels.Ravenwood Packaging is involved in the production of labels and sleeves predominantly for thechilled food sector. Labels and sleeves are continuing to win ground over other more elaborate pack-aging formats and linerless labels are surging forward as a result of their green credentials.Ravenwood’s team of labelling specialists has now sold in excess of eight hundred machines to over a hundred customers, who are selecting the high qual-ity sleevers, applicators and labels to enhance the image of their finished products.New WEIGHLOG α10 weighing system foragriculturalloadersRDS Technology’s newWEIGHLOG α10 has beenspecifically designed foragricultural loaders and in-corporates the latest colourtouch screen technologyproviding a user friendlyon-board weighing systemthat can be used for trailerand hopper loading, batchblending or check weighing.WEIGHLOG α10 uses a 4.3” colour, hi brightness resistive touchscreendisplay and additional physical keys providing a modern and ergonomic op-erator interface. Suitable for use with up to ten different attachments, thesystem can be retrofitted onto compact wheeled loaders, telescopic handlers,forklifts, skidsteer type loaders and tractor loaders. The system measures hy-draulic pressure using up to four sensors at a certain position on the liftingcycle compensating for pressure changes in the system. Enhanced stores capability comprising thirty products, thirty customersand up to five different recipes designed around animal feed mixing, dis-pensing and grain handling enable accurate record keeping and traceability.10www.fdiforum.netBreathing fire into ‘The HungryDragon’Mintons Good Foods has been supplying finefoods, whole foods and health foods since the early1970’s.They have recently engaged the services of film spe-cialists National Flexible and NXL Design to developpackaging for their ‘Hungry Dragon’ range of snacks.NXL’s Design Manager – Phil Parkinson said ofthe project, “We created the artwork for the range ina way that meant there were minimal set-up costs forprinting. Not only did we help them reduce the initiallaunch cost, but also made changes so the rangewould be relatively inexpensive.” Bright colours and strong visuals were used to en-sure packs stood out on the shelf. The range is sellingwell and Mintons are delighted with the results.This is the latest in a line of collaborations betweenNXL and National Flexible where they have providedan end-to-end service in concept, development andsupply of printed packaging film.newsReduce production costings with SQCweighing systemsThe legal constraints faced by foodmanufactures on issues such as averageweight legislation mean that producersoften overfill bottles, jars and containersto ensure their final product does notfall below the required specification.METTLER TOLEDO’s WhitePaper ‘Package Quality Control - NetContent Control’ offers an insightfulsolution to manufactures in reducingcosts while delivering enhanced com-pliance simply by adopting an SQCmethod to process control. SQCweighing systems apply statisticalmethods to process control, accu-rately calculating mean and standard deviationvalues to determine legally defined tolerance levels. Managing data in thisway means manufacturers can assess their processes in real time, correctingvariations which occur during the production process. The White Paper, available from www.mt.com/uk-package-quality-control, provides guidance on realising a return on investment with SQCsystems after the first 12 months of implementation, and addresses importantdesign considerations which offer flexible and intuitive interfaces.Oliver Douglas delivers for new Tesco distribution centreA dedicated crate washing installation fromOliver Douglas is now operational at the newTesco.com site in Middlesex. It features anOliver Douglas Trayline continuous wash andrinse system, which provides key features help-ing to ensure delivery trays and crates arecleaned to the highest level. The installation iscontributing to both site efficiency and themaintenance of excellent cleanliness standards.Because the Trayline unit has been posi-tioned as a standalone facility, it can be oper-ated when needed, allowing crates to be storedfor cleaning and then periodically run inbatches through the washing process. Thishelps control operating costs while optimising the ongoing supply of clean crates. Paul Careless, Sales Manager at Oliver Douglas, says, “The Trayline unit is now producing highquality cleanliness results for this growing part of the Tesco organisation and we are delighted tohave been involved with such a successful and major company in the field.”10:Layout 1 18/5/12 09:13 Page 1Long shelf life in RPC Bebo Plastik food potsA range of traditional French recipe mi-crowave meals by William Saurin is offering ashelf life of up to eighteen months in NextGen food trays from RPC Bebo Plastik.The customer wanted the packaging to re-semble a cooking pot, with a handle on thetop. Further side handles were needed to allowthe meal to be heated in the microwave thenhandled. To make the bowls stackable on-shelf, RPC designers also included a recess inthe base of the pot to accommodate the packbelow.RPC Bebo Plastik is producing the bowl inPP/EVOH/PP, while RPC Bramlage is producing the lid, injection moulded in PP. The project involvedclose cooperation between RPC’s sites at Bramlage and Bremervörde. The lid is applied after the retorting process and an eye-catching carton wrap coversthe product. The pack is resealable, allowing the contents to be kept in the refrigerator after opening.British and NZ apples kiss to create new varietySmitten, a new variety of apple bornand bred in New Zealand, has launchedexclusively in Morrisons. This new vari-ety is a unique combination of NewZealand favourites Royal Gala and Brae-burn, mixed with two popular English va-rieties Fiesta and Falstaff.Smitten is the result of a long searchfor the best in class eating apple. It beganin New Zealand in 2001 with a breedingprogramme established by leading plantvariety researchers at New Zealand’sPlant & Food Research in conjunction with Prevar.Brendon Osborn, General Manager, Heartland Fruit NZ says, “The programme resulted inan apple with a bite sensation we had been looking for, combined with full flavour, juiciness,and a sweetness rating of Brix >15. We also discovered the great texture is maintained over time,and its firmness makes the apple more resistant to bruising providing longevity and making itthe better choice for consumers and growers.”on the shelfNew Chi coconut water enters UK health drinkmarketChi Coconut Water is nowavailable for retailers to stock inthe UK in preparation for a fullconsumer launch later this year.The drink, which is 100% nat-ural and produced from thesweeter young coconuts sourcedfrom Thailand, is the brainchildof Jonathan Newman. The UKcoconut water market is forecastto grow to a value of £100 mil-lion in the next five years andChi Coconut Water is planningto capitalise on this emergingmarket in 2012.The product uses ‘Dreamcap’ style packaging, which features a specially de-signed resealable lid and high-necked cap, offering improved control of liquid flow,targeting on-the-go users. The product has already secured listings at Planet Or-ganic supermarkets, Tree of Life and independent health food stores, as well as avariety of top boutique hotels. Chi is also exporting to Australia, Hong Kong, Sin-gapore and parts of Europe.www.fdiforum.net11Five Valleys Cordials securesnational listingFive Valleys Cordials has won a listing with fine foodnational wholesaler Cotswold Fayre. The drinks com-pany will see its range of five refreshing cordials avail-able in local delis, farmshops and garden centres acrossthe country.The five flavours are Apricot & Ginger, Lemon &Mint, Pomegranate & Rose, Coconut & Kaffir Lime andSloe & Raspberry. Three cordials from the range are alsostocked in Waitrose and Ocado.Five Valleys Cordials was launched in May 2009 byChris Verinder-Baker and his wife Becky, who startedcreating their own cordials from the kitchen table of theirhouse near Stroud in the Cotswolds. Chris says, “We’redelighted that Cotswold Fayre has listed our cordials andthat more people will get the chance to try somethingdifferent. We have created some very different flavourswhich we are sure people will enjoy.”Best of British fromViscose ClosuresViscose Closures of Crawley are pleasedto be supplying Westons Cider with threemillion promotional crown caps to be usedin Westons’ Celebrating Great British Iconspromotional campaign that is running overthe summer months. The plain gold crowns are being used on500ml bottles across a range of Westonsciders. Each crown is printed with a uniquepromotional code beneath the liner and thepurchaser can check on a bespoke websitewhether they have won any of the £1 millionworth of prizes, which range from wellies toa Lotus Elise sports car.Abi Evans, Weston’s Marketing Manager,says, “We have worked together with Vis-cose Closures on similar promotions in thepast, and we were confident that they wouldsupply us promptly with quality crowns tosupport this summer promotion.”11:Layout 1 18/5/12 10:55 Page 112www.fdiforum.netSkin tight solution from ProsealProseal has further extended its range ofvacuum tray sealers with the launch of amodel specifically designed for skin packs.The Proseal GT1VS features a servo-driveninfeed conveyor and high accuracy tray posi-tioning system and accepts randomly spacedtrays in all types of materials at sealingspeeds of up to 24 packs per minute.Skin packs feature a special film that sealsto all surfaces of a tray – rim, sidewalls andbase – to tightly cover the entire contents.Wrapping the seal around the contentsmeans products can be vacuumed packed forextended shelf life without the need for gas flushing. At the same time, because there is no gas head-space required, tray heights can be reduced, thus saving on packaging materials.The GT1VS incorporates a special auto connect tool docking facility, with lead-less and hose-less connection of both gas and electrical supply, to enabletool changes to be carried out in minutes.PFM announces first range of verticalsachet machinesPFM Packaging Machinery has in-troduced its first range of four-side-sealvertical sachet machines to handle awide range of liquids, powders andsmall items.Offering medium speeds, up to 400sachets a minute, and capacities of 5-250ml, the BG Pack MP240 andMP340 machines each employ fourservo motor drives to eliminate chainsand gears and are built in an open, can-tilever style. Control is via a SiemensPLC as standard, with a touchscreenoperator panel for all functions, while atubular stainless steel frame combineshigh rigidity with low weight.UK sales and operations director Chris Bolton says, “PFM has drawn onits considerable experience of flow-wrappers and bagging machines to ma-chines incorporating the very latest technology.”They can be equipped with a variety of optional equipment including tearnotch cutters for easy opening, a thermal transfer printer and gas flushing. Dos-ing systems include weighers, augers, volumetric fillers, pumps and counters.New tray sealer delivers increased flexibilityIshida Europe has launched a newQX-775-Flex tray sealer, combining a com-pact design with high speeds for ModifiedAtmosphere Packaging trays of up to 15 cy-cles per minute, along with maximum hy-giene and high quality pack/productpresentation.This model is suitable for any producttype including ready meals, meat, poultry,fish and salads. The system is also compat-ible with a variety of packaging applicationsincluding standard MAP, skinpack andshrink film applications.The machine has been designed for quick and easy changeovers. Operators can simply changefilms and tools using automatic and quick release features. This is useful and efficient for ready mealapplications where product range and production volumes fluctuate.The sealer’s intelligent control system includes auto-set features for integrated film coding, gasmixing and analysing, allowing one button product changeovers. Its servo-driven motion tray of-fers handling at high speeds in order to maximise product throughput.on lineRieke pump delivers impeccable tasteThe RS10 pump dispenser from RiekeDispensing has been selected by PrimoWater Corporation to provide accurateflavourings for sparkling drinks as part of itsPrimo Flavorstation home carbonated bever-age system.The Primo Flavorstation transforms thecompany’s own-brand Primo Water or otherfiltered water into crisp, refreshing sparklingwater. Accurate dosing is essential for thesystem. The RS10, which is suitable for awide range of liquids, delivers the requiredamount of product with each dispense to en-sure taste consistency for the end consumer.The two piece head design offers convenientand user-friendly vertical dispensing. Equallyimportant, the precise dosing of the RS10creates a mess-free method for consumers toadd the flavourings to the sparkling water.Bill Heimach, Director of Sales for Rieke’sDispensing Group, says, “Consumers willrecognise the advantage of using Rieke’s ac-curate dosing pumps versus standard pouring methods to create drinks withgreat flavour time and time again.”New dual bulk bag fillingsystem with pallet dispenserfrom flexiconA new Dual Bulk Bag Filling System from Flexi-con integrates two Swing-Down Bulk Bag Fillers witha Flexicon Pallet Dispenser and Powered Roller Con-veyors, allowing safe, high capacity filling of bulk bagsof all popular sizes. Programmable controls allow thefillers to operate separately or simultaneously, fillingbags of the same size or two different sizes.When a filling cycle is initiated by push button orcontact closure, pallet dispenser forks lower the stackof pallets onto the roller conveyor, withdraw fromthe bottom pallet and raise the remaining pallets.This allows the roller conveyor equipped with pho-toelectric sensors to move the dispensed pallet intoposition below the filling station.The new Dual Bulk Bag Filling system is availablewith a Flexicon mechanical or pneumatic material de-livery system ready for integration with the user’s up-stream process equipment or other material source. 12-13:Layout 1 18/5/12 09:15 Page 1Beatson Clark supplies uniquebottle for aleGeneration Ale is a premium beer created by Kent breweryShepherd Neame in recognition of five generations of theNeame family. The beer comes in an elegant 750ml cus-tomised bottle with embossed finish moulds. Beatson Clark supplies the packaging solution by designingcustomised finish moulds for an existing amber glass bottle,thereby creating a unique container with half the lead timeand cost of a full set of moulds. The embossing takes pride ofplace as there is no label applied to the front of the bottle, en-hancing the purity and quality of the glass.“Beatson Clark have supplied us with many different bot-tles in the past and we were confident that they would do anexcelled job providing a superb bottle for our Generation Ale,”Says Tom Falcon, Production and Distribution Director atShepherd Neame. “Beatson Clark were very helpful and receptive to our ideas, they worked in avery innovative way and their flexibility really made a difference.”SmartDate sets new standardsFast and efficient, the Smart-Date series of thermal transfercoders and printers from Markem-Imaje has been proven reliable inproduction lines worldwide, thenew X60 combines the reliabilityof the established SmartDate se-ries with the performance andquality required by demandingproduction lines.The SmartDate X60 has beendesigned to print crisp, cleancodes on a variety of substratesused in retail and food service,meeting the needs of manufactur-ers with production lines that runat high speeds – even those run-ning around the clock.Featuring a long life, high speedprinthead, the SmartDate X60 can print at pack speeds of up to 1,000mm persecond at full 300dpi. It is also capable of full resin printing at up to 600mmper second, which means codes will not rub off.Markem-Image is the only manufacturer to offer 18 months warranty asstandard along with the option to extend it to 60 months.Fast touch screen setup and operation with latestEnercon cap sealerEnercon Industries, the world’s leading developerand manufacturer of advanced induction cap seal-ing systems, has introduced its first touch screen op-erated model, the Super Seal™ Touch. Designed foruse in a wide range of packaging applications, it canbe used as a stand-alone line-side unit or be fully in-tegrated into a continuous filling and capping line,giving complete flexibility of operation. The Super Seal™ Touch shares the same advancedinduction head technology as the current family of Enercon cap sealing machines, providing an ex-tremely wide and flexible window of operation to compensate for variations in line conditions. The latest Super Seal™ Touch can be used to seal all common closures and containers, includ-ing standard screw CRC, sports caps and dispensing closures between 20 and 120mm in diameter.The system incorporates a robust sealing head with stainless steel IP65 enclosure, is virtually main-tenance-free and is backed by Enercon’s comprehensive European network of sales and technicalsupport centres. on linewww.fdiforum.net13Compact packing line allows fast responseA fast but highly compact packingline based around an Ishida CCW-RS multihead weigher is enablingSwiss convenience food manufac-turer Fredag AG to respond to urgentorders for products in thermoformpacks such as chicken nuggets.Fredag was seeking a solution tomeet increasing requests from retailcustomers to package large quantitiesat short notice. A dedicated handlingfacility was needed, but floor spacewas at a premium and careful prod-uct handling was required.The Ishida CCW-RS multiheadweigher installation, devised byIshida and its Swiss agent Itech AG,was designed to save space. The con-veyors which feed the CCW-RS aresteeply angled at 65º, yet no productis spilled. With no room for a support structure, the gantry and the weigherare attached directly to the plant’s ceiling.With 1kg trays, the packing line has an hourly capacity of two thousandtrays, which increases to 2650 per hour for 200g and 500g trays.LINPAC Packaging launchesinnovative solution to deliverfood packaging safetyLINPAC Packaging has developed a range of smartpackaging solutions to combat food bacteria and helpconsumers and retailers reduce food waste.The company has been working in partnershipwith several supplier companies to develop a range ofantimicrobial tray and film solutions, which reducespoilage and increase the shelf life of food by in-hibiting the growth of bacteria, moulds and yeast.The antimicrobial technology reduces the risk ofcontamination from pathogens such as E.Coli, sal-monella, listeria and campylobacter.Alan Davey, Director of Innovation at LINPACPackaging, said: “While the correct handling andpreparation of food prevents contamination frombacteria, the antimicrobial technology is anothersafeguard to control and significantly reduce the riskof bacterial contamination.“We have developed a technically advanced rangeof packaging solutions which incorporate antimicro-bial agents to slow down the growth of bacteriawhich leads to food spoilage and waste.”12-13:Layout 1 18/5/12 09:15 Page 214www.fdiforum.netIMPORT AND EXPORTIndia, Pakistan, China and Russia haveall seen a rise in their middle classes inthe last few years, and with this comes adesire to replicate the lifestyle of theirwestern peers. This has undoubtedly ledto huge interest in luxury products,including fine wines, whiskies and otheralcoholic beverages considered refinedand opulent. The markets that have emerged haveperhaps not taken off as predicted, butthe growth of new tastes being acceptedas part of daily life has been inspiring.Inevitably this has led to the import ofdrink from around the globe, inparticular from Ireland and Scotland.The developing markets have also beenproducing their own takes on the classics,with which they are enjoying their ownexport success. Take, for instance,Japanese Whisky which is provingpopular in many countries. Firstintroduced to Japan in around 1920 byRita Taketsuru, interest is now higherthan ever before. The marketing of theproducts as highly desirable has helpedsales rise among the middle classesworldwide. This sudden awakening of interest inthe qualities of Japanese whisky began in2003 when Suntory’s Yamazaki 12 yearold won a gold medal at the InternationalSpirits Challenge in London. Similarly,last year, Hibiki 21 year old was namedthe World’s Best Blended Whisky, forthe second year in succession. In fact, theHibiki brand, in both the 30 year old and21 year old varieties, has held this much-envied title for the last four years. Inaddition, Yamazaki 25 year old wasnamed the World’s Best Single Malt atthe same event.An Indian company is also about tolaunch a single malt Scotch whisky.Tilaknagar Industries have worked withBen Riach Distilleries to create SevenIslands Vintage, which will retail for animpressive £100. Rolling out to the UKmarket shortly, it will also see Italian,French and Indian releases within theyear.Amit Dahanukar of TilaknagarIndustries, says, “Consumer preferencesfor quality single malts are on the riseand TI is set to make its presence felt inthis segment. The first phase will beginwith the placement of five thousandbottles for retail and in the first year weexpect to cross sales of 15,000 bottles.” Ireland, one of the originators ofalcoholic innovation, has recently enjoyedrecognition as the eleventh top exporterof alcohol in the world. Current exportsstand at an impressive one billion.Although these sales are mainly toEurope and North America, the DublinCity University Business School says thatthere is potential for massive growth inChinese and Indian markets, as well asother emerging markets. Anthony Foley of DCUBS, whocomplied these figures, says, “Irelandcontinues to over-perform in terms ofbeverage exports. In terms ofinternational position, Ireland is rankedeleventh in order of size of alcoholexports compared to 33rd for overallmerchandise exports. The Irish share ofworld alcohol exports is 2.4% comparedwith 0.8% for overall merchandiseexports.“The value of these exports increasedeach year from 2000 to 2003 when itreached €1 billion in value for the firsttime. This peaked in 2007 when over€1.3billion worth of products wereexported, and while there have beenA tot ofsuccessOne product that can always be counted on as a popular import and export product is alcohol. And this is especially true since theWesternisation of non-drinking countries.Beer is one commoditythat seems to alwaysperform well worldwide14-15:Layout 1 18/5/12 10:58 Page 1IMPORT AND EXPORTwww.fdiforum.net15declines in recent years due to theinternational recession, the futureremains positive given the wider successof Irish food and drink products in keyglobal markets.”States plumps for craft beersAs the economy continues to improvein America, alcohol sales are also on therise – though not all categories are seeingthe benefit. According to the BeverageInformation Group’s Handbook Advance2012, wines and spirits persisted in takingshare away from the beer category in2011, the only category to post a loss forthe second year in a row.Overall beer consumption fell by 1.5%last year and totalled 2.78 billion 2.25-gallon cases. However, all is not bleak forthe beer category. Craft and the higher-priced import segments grew asconsumers traded up, but the rise in thisarea could not offset the losses thatoccurred in the other beer segments.Distilled spirits registered positivegains with over half of the segmentsshowing improvements. Spirits reached197.1 million cases, growing 2.6%. This isa result of increased sales in the premiumand ultra-premium price segments.Vodka increased by 6% and nowrepresents one-third of all spiritsconsumed in the USA. Rum, the secondlargest category, rose 1.3% to 25.88million 9-litre cases.Wine also saw a trend toward higher-end consumption. The wine categorygrew 2.5% in 2011 to 310.7 million 9-litrecases, marking its eighteenth year ofvolume increases. Table wine continuedpositive sales, with domestic brandsoutperforming imports. The vermouthand dessert and fortified wine segmentsboth posted declines, mainly because theyare sold most heavily on-trade, which hasbeen soft in recent years.Adam Rogers, Senior Research Analystfor the Beverage Information Group,says, “Following years of negative trends,on-premise consumption progressed at aslower decline in 2011. The improvingeconomy, as well as product innovation,is responsible for this.”Above: The craft beer ‘revolution’ hasmeant people now equate certainbrands with luxuryRight: Indian Whiskies are becomingmore popular. Seven Islands Vintageis an Indian blend, launching in theUK nowBelow: Japanese distilleries havebeen operating since the 1870s, butonly really took off in the 1920s.Now their reputation is improvingacross the globePHOTO: TILAKNAGAR INDUSTRIES LTDPHOTO: YAMAZAKI14-15:Layout 1 18/5/12 10:58 Page 216www.fdiforum.netIMPORT AND EXPORTThe port, owned by the PD PortsGroup which includesPD Logistics, promotes itself asthe logical gateway for companies servingcustomers in the North of the UK. As Geoff Lippitt, BusinessDevelopment Director, says, “It makessense to import products close to theirfinal destination in order to cut time tomarket, logistics costs and CO2emissions. We work closely withpotential clients who are seeking todevelop distribution centres at the port –either using our facilities or buildingbespoke warehouses themselves.”The PD Ports Group recently wonASDA’s top logistics award, Carrier ofthe Year, the third consecutive year it hasbeen recognised as an outstandingsupplier in the retailer’s supply chain.Alex Linton, Senior Supply ChainManager, Global Logistics, ASDA, says,“The award recognises the effort that thewhole team puts in to supporting ourbusiness. They really demonstrate apartnership approach, deliveringsolutions when we need them.”PD Ports launched a coastal shippingservice, Logical Link, between Felixstoweand Teesport to support ASDA’sbusiness and it also offers re-working,devanning and other services throughPD Logistics at a range of sitesthroughout the country. Geoff Lippittsays, “We understand the needs of theretail market and continue to adapt ourservices or develop completely new onesin order to help our customers gain acompetitive advantage. We know this isespecially important in difficult economictimes.”Retailers cut costs and time tomarket with the PD Ports Group Major retailers including ASDA and Tesco, as well as suppliers such as Taylors of Harrogate,have recognised the advantages of Teesport as a base for major import centres16:Layout 1 18/5/12 10:59 Page 1EFFICIENCY & OPTIMISATIONwww.fdiforum.net17Smoother,smarterrunningEfficiency and optimisation during theproduction process is paramount and greatstrides are being taken to create a fastermoving, more effective supply chain.The UK government are leading the way with news that £15 million is tobe invested in new research and development projects and studies toincrease the efficiency, sustainability and competitiveness of the foodprocessing and manufacturing sector, with a particular focus on increasingefficiency and reducing supply chain waste. This month, businesses will beable to bid for funding for their own concepts.Launching the scheme, Iain Gray, Chief Executive of the TechnologyStrategy Board, says, “There are tremendous opportunities for businessesto develop technologies and innovative systems that can improve thecompetitive position of the food and drink manufacturing sector. We willbe seeking proposals for projects and feasibility studies that will deliverinnovation and technological advances throughout the supply chain,creating opportunities for the export of goods and services to the widerglobal agri-food industry.”The Food Processing and Manufacturing Efficiency competition forcollaborative research and development funding is managed by theTechnology Strategy Board and the primary focus is downstream of the“farm gate” so proposals for projects will need to secure industrialleadership from the food processing, manufacturing, distribution, retail orfood service sectors. The competition opens on 11th June and expressionsof interest should be submitted over the next month. This is a follow-upto the Innovation for Growth in Agriculture, Food and Drinkcompetition offering grants of up to £25,000 for SMEs, which was runearlier this spring.Schemes such as this illustrate the new ideas that are abounding in thesector, but it certainly doesn’t require major investment to create a moreefficient work environment. A revamp of existing premises can oftenbring about massive benefits, such as revamping the layout of a warehouseto allow more effective use of space and ensure staff don’t have to travelexcessive distances. Helping in this regard is the likes of Aisle-Master’sVNA articulated forklift, which works in narrow aisles to enable adramatic reduction of working aisle widths in the warehouse, increasingthe amount of storage space available by up to 50%. As the truck can dothe work of both reach and counterbalance forklifts for quicker operations,this reduces the number of trucks needed and cuts costs.Companies such asAisle Master producehardware that can helpoptimise a warehousefor more efficientoperationX2 Computing has launched a new range ofnesting trolleys which will significantly enhancethe productivity of picking staff by enablingthem to fulfil multiple orders simultaneously18 17-19:Layout 1 18/5/12 09:16 Page 1you first need to have a clear idea about theobjectives you want to achieve from yourwarehousing. Does your business need to movehigh quantities of low value items, or lowquantities of high value items? Do you havespecialised goods that require equally specialisedstorage?“Increasing your warehouse efficiency alsomeans thoroughly understanding the parameterswithin which you are working. Warehouse layout,materials flow, handling equipment, pickingmethods, and safety systems are all issues that willinfluence the choice of storage or racking system.“In these warehousing situations, wide aisleadjustable pallet racking is a popular option as itprovides instant stock selectivity. However, thedisadvantage is that standard forklifts need wideraisles, meaning less space for storing goods. Doubledeep racking can partly overcome this as it allowspallets to be stored two deep, but requires specialistextendable forks to access the pallet. While spacesavings can be made with this approach, the trade-off is the need to invest in specialised handling equipment.Similar issues arise with narrow aisle racking.”One of the most effective ways of optimising a warehouse is byusing a logistics optimisation software system such as C-WIS, an18www.fdiforum.netEFFICIENCY & OPTIMISATIONWhen considering warehouse optimisation, however, it canoften be a question of trade-offs, where there’s no single ‘right’answer. As Mark Cummings of warehousing specialists Dexionpoints out, “If you are looking for effective storage optimisation,Thorworld Industries has supplied John Lewiswith new Inflatable Dock Pad Seals, to caterfor the increased use of double-deck vehicletrailers at their Liverpool depot17-19:Layout 1 18/5/12 09:16 Page 2EFFICIENCY & OPTIMISATIONwww.fdiforum.net19Efficiency inside:equipment by HaasDemands on output and guaranteed productivity have increasedsignificantly during the last few years – this is also true for theconfectionery and bakery industry. Equipment manufacturers inthis field have had to react rapidly to meet these demands. AtHaas, efficiency has always been a key component in theproduction process, which allows the company to providesolutions which meet customers´ needs. Energy savings in all areasHaas has succeeded in developing solutions for energyoptimisation in a huge part of its machinery – from burners tocooling equipment. For example, induction and gas heatingsystems by Haas ensure savings of up to 30% compared with thecurrent market standard. Sophisticated insulation of ovensensures the temperature is kept where it is needed. By tailoringcooling equipment and conditioning systems exactly to thecustomer’s environment, an optimal level of efficiency isachieved. Economical processing as requestedRaw materials are the greatest cost factor in food production.Therefore, Haas places high importance on machines operatingprecisely and on waste being significantly reduced. Outputstability is gained by state-of-the-art measuring and controltechnology. In this way, deviation from customer-specificrequirements is prevented and production profitability is ensured.The Haas GroupFranz Haas Strasse, 2100 Leobendorf, AustriaEmail: office@haas.com Tel: +43 2262 600http://www.haas.comThe thermo-wafer baking oven SWAKT-HC with its sophisticated two-chamber systemfeaturing an insulated inner bakingchamber is an excellent example ofenergy optimisation by Haas.analysis tool that enables optimisation of operations within thewarehouse. Using data from a company’s ERP or WMS system,C-WIS analyses the working methods, goods’ flow, locations,capital binding and manning required, making recommendationsto improve efficiency. As Mark Cummings says, “There are always a number oftrade-offs to be made when trying to increase warehouseefficiency, and the ‘best’ solution for your company will greatlydepend on the type of business or goods that you are handling.Working with an experienced storage solutions company thatgives you access to knowledgeable consultants, engineers andproject is one of the best investments you can make to ensureyou arrive at an optimal solution.”Of course, many businesses are looking towards creating amore efficient business by reviewing their energy usage andmaking use of renewable sources. Companies such as Clearfleauare designing on-site AD plants for businesses that are revenuegenerative and can a return on investment within above fiveyears, thanks to reduced energy and disposal costs, in addition togovernment incentives for generating energy on site. The rise ofrenewable energy has seen it become almost commonplace innew developments.A more efficient supply chain can ensure businesses can servetheir customers in a far more effective way – and any moneyspent in the introduction of new methods can certainly pay foritself in the long run.17-19:Layout 1 18/5/12 09:16 Page 3Next >