Bosch Packaging Technology made its first appearance at interpack 2017 as an independent entity. As of 2 May 2017, the Crallsheim, Viersen and Waiblingen locations were included in the new company with Ampack in Konigsbrun, Huttlin in Schopfheim, Pharmatec in Dresden and Packaging Systems in Remshalden to be formally integrated in the new entity by 2020. The goal according to the chairman of the managing board Dr Stefan Konig is to improve clarity and transparency and simplify essential business processes for the global packaging business, which was hitherto a part of the much larger automative engineering company. However, it was indicated that Bosch Packaging’s very successful new plant in Goa in Western India was likely to remain a part of the publicly listed Bosch India entity.
The Bosch stand at interpack 2017Speaking of the 2016 results for the company, Dr Konig revealed that European sales rose to 40% of the company’s EUR 1.3 billion, while North and South America accounted for 31% with Asia and Africa making up the remaining 29%. Latin America saw double-digit growth in the past year with Brazil doing especially well. North America was stable while Asia fell below the previous year’s figures partly due to intensive price pressure in China and reluctance to invest while India showed strong development in 2016, and partly because of Bosch Packaging’s investment in the joint venture with Klenzaids.
Bosch showcased its expertise and equipment for the pharmaceutical industry in particular for the filling and sealing of liquid pharmaceuticals on production scale. It highlighted the third version of its totally hygienic and sterile system ALF 5000 for filling and sealing vials with 100% inline process control. Particularly interesting for the pharma vial filling and sealing production workflow were the demonstrations of leak detection called Container Closure Integrity Testing.
The QR code printed onto the lid of the yoghurt cup helps end consumers verify whether they havebought an original product
Apart from high-voltage leak detection and laser-based headspace analysis, Bosch’s new KLV series now offers vacuum leak detection. This impressive machine creates negative pressure in hermetically sealed chambers in which the pressure rises if the container has a defect that allows the liquid to seep out. The machine can detect leaks up to 5 micrometers in diameter.
Still in line with its pharmaceutical line offerings, Bosch highlighted its collaboration with Klenzaids in India by showing a sterile clean-room enclosure. The company reiterated that it is fully ready to help its customers meet the most stringent standards and compliances that are the everyday business of the pharmaceutical industry.
Bosch is equally strong in the food packaging segment and it showed its versatile and flexible biscuit packaging machinery as well as an exceptional example of sustainability in its vertical form, fill and seal machine for the packing of dry goods, such as sugar, grain, flour or lentils using dust-tight mono-material paper. Jointly developed with the Swedish BillerudKorsnas, this is the world’s first sealed paper packaging solution and Bosch sees plenty of untapped potential for it.
Bosch also highlighted at interpack its work in energy monitoring, Industry 4.0 and digital solutions, Human Interface 4.0 and preventive maintenance. A comprehensive packaging solution provider and always a leader in new technology paradigms, the company only manufactures but also but uses digital solutions and Industry 4.0 across its numerous plants around the world. “Many of the 4.0 technologies we sell have already been tested in our Bosch plants,” says Uwe Harbauer, member of the board of Bosch Packaging Technology.
