Brand protection highlights at Interpack

Phil Taylor, 09-May-2014

As the Interpack exhibition gets into full swing, a number of companies are showcasing new products and technologies for supply chain security and brand protection.

At Interpack, Laetus and partner Sartorius will be demonstrating for the first time their new MV-60 unit, which combines Sartorius Intec's dynamic checkweigher technology with Laetus' secure track-and-trace (S-TTS) system and - with space requirements of less than 1m in the line - is said to be the narrowest combination in the market and so ideal where space is limited. Built-in Mark&Verify technology is responsible for marking and controlling of serialisation, while the checkweigher handles quality assurance and ensures that the contents of the packages is complete.

Optel Vision will officially launch at the show its Flying CartonTracker - a stand-alone unit allowing printing and inspection on cartons, ensuring accurate serialisation along with the ability to reject any single carton on the fly. It can be adapted to any table or conveyor and handles speeds up to 400 units per minute, printing and inspecting both the side and bottom of the carton. The new product "addresses all product authentication and traceability requirements in the pharmaceutical industry," according to the company.

Schreiner ProSecure has developed a smartphone app that can be used to authenticate products that carry its BitSecure labelling system, a high-resolution marking technology that can be printed alongside 2D datamatrix codes. The app allows the user to read the digital copy protection pattern on the mobile device and to find out within a matter of seconds whether the identified product is an original or a fake. The copy protection patterns can either be integrated into identification labels or applied directly on products or product packaging by printing or laser engraving.

Bormioli Rocco presented its anti-counterfeit packaging, which makes use of security taggant that can be checked using a specific laser pen, and shows a green light when it is present and the packaging is authentic. Aimed at pharmaceuticals, the technology can be incorporated into different types of packaging including closures and bottles, offers different levels of customisation of the taggant and "ensures full control of the drugs along the whole supply chain, customer safety and brand integrity… at competitive costs compared to existing solutions," according to the company.

With increasingly stringent requirements on pharmaceutical labelling coming into place around the world, including an increased emphasis on serialisation, it has become more important than ever to maximise the integrity of labelling processes. With that in mind, Newman Labelling Systems has introduced its Faulty Label Removal (FLR) system, which allows companies to remove faulty labels prior to application to a container, including those with 2D datamatrix codes. The system does away with the traditional but wasteful method of tracking faulty labels, applying them to a container then rejecting the container.

Scanware Electronic showcased a new, wheeled device enabling placement of tamper-evident labels. The LYNX-CAPA TE offers both print and print verification alongside adhesion of tamper-evidence labels. Boxes are lead on both sides for precise positioning of prints and labels. The unit is adjustable three ways to fit any box and line without fault, according to the company.

Comexi Group launched its Nexus Futura range at Interpack, a Cingular Holography platform that allows holographic effects to be applied to a wide variety of substrates, with no need for lamination to metallised substrate, "providing distinctive packages with a high visual impact and incorporating anti-counterfeiting features," according to the company. The technology does not require the use of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) - making it more environmentally-friendly than other holographic technologies - and is low cost.

AutoCoding Systems Ltd introduced its entry-level, web-based AutoCoding solution for setting up and controlling coding equipment and barcode scanners on multiple packaging lines. The company claims that the new product "allows factories to acquire a cost effective solution to reduce downtime across all packaging lines, as well as eliminate the risk of coding and packaging errors."

Japan's Taketomo, a specialist in pharmaceutical packaging materials, has developed an anti-counterfeit blister pack with a visual steric effect that can be used to distinguish authentic from fake products and is hard to copy. The technology remains at the development stage, according to the company.