A sustainable leap in recyclable spout pouch production
An innovative solution
The collaboration between SN Maschinenbau and SÜDPACK marks a significant stride in the packaging industry’s journey toward sustainability. Their developmental partnership introduces an economical and sustainable overall concept for the in-house production of recyclable spout pouches.
SN Maschinenbau and SÜDPACK have entered a developmental partnership to create an innovative overall concept for the in-house production of stand-up pouches with spouts designed for packaging pasty and liquid products. The concept is intended for food producers and fillers who have up to now been using pre-made spout pouches.
With their innovative solution for the in-house production of stand-up pouches with spouts, the two cooperation partners are breaking new ground and providing the producers and fillers of thick and thin fluid products, such as fruit purées, baby food and other liquids, with a sustainable and economical alternative to pre-made pouches.
The overall concept relies on powerful packaging technology and high-performance, recyclable packaging components made of polypropylene that are perfectly coordinated and offer users not only simple handling, but also maximum process and packaging reliability. The concept is also pioneering in terms of quality, economic profitability and flexibility, and offers sustainability as an extra benefit thanks to the use of recyclable monomaterials.
ATTRACTIVE ALTERNATIVE TO PREMADE POUCHES
“With the overall concept, we are offering our customers an attractive alternative to high cost pre-made pouches, the processing and filling of which often entails a great deal of logistical effort. Our solution makes it possible for the producers and fillers of pasty and liquid food products to manufacture spout pouches in-house that can be filled and sealed as usual on their existing filling machines. Our concept is based on a user- friendly pouch making machine combined with films and spouts that are perfectly coordinated, which means they can be reliably processed, “explained Lutz Neugebauer, product manager at SÜDPACK.
“The film can be processed from the reel, which provides many advantages in terms of efficiency and economic profitability without having to make compromises when it comes to quality,” elaborated Neugebauer. This makes the concept an economically attractive overall solution for all production qualities.
FOCUS ON RECYCLABILITY AND SUSTAINABILITY
The PP-based Pure-Line films used in this packaging concept are classified as recyclable due to their monostructure. In combination with the PP spouts that are currently on the market, the result is a recyclable spout pouch. And thanks to its heat resistance, the pouch can also be used for hotfilling and pasteurisation. Moreover, the films can be equipped with different barrier functions to suit the products that are to be packaged. The film material was developed based on SÜDPACK’s many years of expertise, particularly in producing innovative sealing layers.
MAXIMUM PACKAGING EFFICIENCY AND RELIABILITY
On the SPM 50 horizontal pouch making machine from SN Maschinenbau, the spout pouches are manufactured horizontally from the film reel and the spouts are sealed in. They are then automatically inserted into the commercially available rail systems and are stored on a transport cart. Every rail can then be easily and ergonomically inserted into the existing pouch-filling machines to allow filling of the empty spout pouches. Compared to pre-made pouches, this significantly simplifies handling and allows staff to process an increased number of pouches more efficiently, for example because the time-consuming process of separating the rails is eliminated.
The low-maintenance machine is highly efficient and can be used in tight production spaces thanks to its compact design. This allows flexible placement, either right next to the filling machine or on its own in a separate room. Pouch production can be insourced easily because the machine is extremely user-friendly and can usually be operated by the existing staff. One of the many advantages is that the reel change requires minimal set-up time and must be performed at most once every shift. The SPM 50 from SN Maschinenbau makes up to 4,200 pouches per hour and can achieve continuous production of over 30,000 spout pouches per eight-hour shift with just one film reel.
This results in an annual production volume of seven million spout pouches in one shift operation and up to 21 million in three-shift operation. “The factors mentioned above make investing in this pouch concept highly viable in economic terms. In combination with substantially improved ergonomics for spout and rail handling and a high level of flexibility regarding different pouch and spout designs, the SPM 50 is an excellent investment that can also enhance your own value creation”, explains Thomas Fuest, director global sales at SN Mashinenbau.
SAVINGS IN LOGISTICS AND HANDLING
Producing pouches on site eliminates the complex handling and logistics needed for finished pouches, which would usually be delivered on rails in cardboard boxes. The space that is necessary for reels is roughly one third of what is needed for pre-made spout pouches. In addition to reduced transport costs, this also simplifies warehousing. Furthermore, the cardboard packaging from pre-made pouches is no longer required.
When it comes to flexibility, the concept for in-house spout pouch production also provides substantial benefits. The machine can be flexibly adapted to produce pouches of various shapes and sizes, as well as for the processing of different materials. This allows producers to quickly adapt to changes in demand and shortens their lead times and time to market. Last but not least, the concept can offer added value by providing more resilience in case of disruption in the supply chain.
USS Pactech
www.usspactech.co.za
SN Maschinenbau
www.sn-packaging.com
SÜDPACK
www.suedpack.com
This article first appeared in SA Food Review, March 2024
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