It will be presenting its latest machine and packaging systems from 12-16 September 2022 in hall B4
Experience the future of the beverage industry close up with KHS – at drinktec from 12-16 September the engineering company will be presenting its latest machine and packaging systems. The focus will be on the filler/seamer block SmartCan by KHS/Ferrum that provides clear benefits regarding hygiene, flexibility, and simple operation. With its new Loop Lite PET bottle concept, KHS is further helping to optimize the eco-balance of beverage packaging and promoting closed recycling loops. Furthermore, at its stand in Hall B4 the turnkey supplier will also be exhibiting a modular automation concept for PET lines plus its full range of services that include both on-site assignments and remote digital solutions.
After five long years, the wait is finally over – the beverage and liquid food industry can now again look forward to drinktec finally reopening its doors this September. Dr. Johannes T Grobe, CSO of the KHS Group, is also eagerly anticipating the start of the trade show. “Messe München with drinktec is a close and indispensable partner for us. As the key innovative driver, this leading trade show enjoys a high standing in our branch of industry. True to this year’s KHS motto of ‘Our path into your future,’ it’s the perfect platform on which to present our future-oriented systems and services to a large international audience.”
Dr. Grobe is especially delighted that drinktec can actually take place to live in 2022. “In the past couple of years, countless events have been canceled or staged in a purely virtual format. This was a difficult time for us all. Despite digital solutions, personal contact is essential. As one of the main exhibitors in Munich, we’re very pleased to be able to again welcome our customers and partners in person.”
The beverage and liquid food industry currently find itself facing immense challenges and radical change. “The various global political tensions, our increasingly digital world, and the effort to better protect our climate and environment are what dominate our work,” says Grobe. Flexibility and adaptability are the skills we need both now and in the future – for the latter even more so.” KHS supports its customers on this demanding journey forwards with reliable, future-proof systems and solutions. To this end, the company has specified four main areas of focus – line efficiency, circular packaging, smart operations, and reliable services.
The new filler/seamer block SmartCan by KHS/Ferrum gives operators greater line efficiency and maximum process reliability. Customers profit from a space-saving, flexible system that is convincing thanks to its simple operation and sets new standards with its optimized hygiene concept. At the same time the joint development scores on simple and fast format changeovers when filling different products.
Moreover, for KHS the issue of environmental protection is also a major focus at the trade show. “Consumers and beverage producers are actively calling for sustainable packaging that’s as climate-friendly and low on resources as possible,” stresses Grobe. “KHS is well aware of its responsibility here and helps customers by providing specific advice and developing and implementing recyclable systems.” With its new KHS Loop LITE packaging concept the systems provider is consistently continuing to pursue this policy and now presents a very light 0.5-liter PET bottle made entirely of recyclate. The specially-developed design of this eco-friendly packaging for highly carbonated beverages allows up to 25% less material to be used compared to standard market CSD bottles and can be fed into the closed recycling loop with no trouble whatsoever. Its thin interior coating of glass also ensures long-term product protection, with the tried-and-tested Nature MultiPack system from KHS providing optimum carrying convenience.
Besides environmentally-friendly packaging, more and more consumers want to be able to choose from a wide range of products. Bottlers thus frequently need to expand their portfolios, with the number of stock-keeping units or SKUs constantly on the rise as a result. In order to keep line availability and efficiency at a high level, they require fast product changeovers. KHS caters to this demand with its new, modular automation concept for PET lines. With fast, reliable, and reproducible changeovers it significantly boosts the overall equipment effectiveness. In ideal conditions format changeovers from one to another SKU can be performed in 30 minutes – including running the system empty and restarting it. Up to 80% of all manual activities are rendered superfluous by the new KHS setup.
The corona pandemic has clearly demonstrated just how important digital services are for maintaining production systems. “Contact and travel restrictions meant that it was much more difficult than before to provide consultancy in person,” Dr. Grobe states. “Our intelligent ReDiS and augmented reality remote diagnostics and remote maintenance services and our web-based Basic Line Monitoring system have proved to be of inestimable value in this respect.” The significance of these solutions will continue to grow in the future. KHS will thus be presenting its further developments in this field at drinktec.
The Dortmund systems supplier is also a reliable partner to its customers’ thanks to its expertise in 3D line design. At the offer stage, for example, KHS can illustrate how a client’s potential new line or single machine can be integrated into the prevalent conditions on-site – taking all dimensions and technical limitations in the production shop into account.
The Covid-19 pandemic led to the country-wide lockdown on 25 March 2020. It will be two years tomorrow as I write this. What have we learned in this time? Maybe the meaning of resilience since small companies like us have had to rely on our resources and the forbearance of our employees as we have struggled to produce our trade platforms.
The print and packaging industries have been fortunate, although the commercial printing industry is still to recover. We have learned more about the digital transformation that affects commercial printing and packaging. Ultimately digital will help print grow in a country where we are still far behind in our paper and print consumption and where digital is a leapfrog technology that will only increase the demand for print in the foreseeable future.
Web analytics show that we now have readership in North America and Europe amongst the 90 countries where our five platforms reach. Our traffic which more than doubled in 2020, has at times gone up by another 50% in 2021. And advertising which had fallen to pieces in 2020 and 2021, has started its return since January 2022.
As the economy approaches real growth with unevenness and shortages a given, we are looking forward to the PrintPack India exhibition in Greater Noida. We are again appointed to produce the Show Daily on all five days of the show from 26 to 30 May 2022.
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