Flexible packaging converting machine specialist, Windmöller & Hölscher (W&H) coined the term Packaging 4.0 as its interpretation of the Industry 4.0 trend, and brought it to K 2016.
Dr Jürgen Vutz, managing partner and chairman at W&H says: “Industry 4.0 is a vision: machines and systems independently monitor all of the important process and system states, share information with each other and optimise the production processes throughout the entire process chain.
“However, the road to completely implementing this vision is a long-term evolution rather than a rapid revolution. That is why it is important to for us to specifically define Industry 4.0 for our market. This, in turn, is why we have coined the term Packaging 4.0."
For W&H, Packaging 4.0 means intelligent machines with integrated processes and intuitive operation.
Fellow managing partner and director of sales at W&H, Peter Steinbeck, adds: “The Packaging 4.0 vision gives us a common direction for developments in all product areas, from extrusion to printing to processing.
"This is especially important given the fact that our customers' value chains are becoming increasingly dynamic.
“Production processes are increasingly conceived as networks spanning multiple stages,
locations and even companies. This development will continue because it offers extensive potential for optimisation."
A highlight on W&H's stand was the Varex II exhibit, which served to deliver a tangible and impressive visual demonstration of Packaging 4.0 – ie, how increasing intelligence of the machine through integrated automation and intelligent operation increases the level of control over the machine.
Dr Vutz explains: “For years now, Windmöller & Hölscher has offered an Information System Production (ISP) which records, analyses and processes all of the production and process parameters to provide real-time monitoring of the productivity and final product quality.
“When combined with our intuitive ProControl TS operating concept, this provides permanent transparency: at the machine, in the office and even from mobile locations."
At the K show W&H presented the next intelligent machine generation: the Varex II with Turboclean, which performs an automated product change-over in only 12 minutes. In contrast, manual change-over by the operator takes up to 40 minutes.
This represents 28 minutes of productivity gains per product changeover and this does not even include the material and energy savings.
On the stand, the changeover was demonstrated by the film changing colour with a smooth tranistion from red to blue.
“Beneficial innovations like this are the way to successfully implement the vision of intelligent production,” Dr Vutz said.
Also presented at K was the Filmex II cast film extrusion line, which enables a data network spanning all of the process steps. This makes the entire production process transparent and also serves to safeguard consistent quality.
For customers, this means 100% control over their production process. The result, says W&H, is high productivity and outstandingly consistent quality for optimum film performance during further processing.
