Menu

Brabender produces films, from which packaging is made, from algae. / Editorial Staff

VDMA presents new developments in sustainable packaging, digitalisation, cleaning and product safety


In the VDMA's technology lounge, new developments in sustainable packaging, digitalisation, cleaning, product safety and the topic of "Save Food" against food waste will be presented. To touch, try out - and taste.

Brabender will show how seaweed is processed with an extruder into a polymer material in the form of a biodegradable packaging film and thus becomes an alternative to certain plastics. For the next step, the TU Dresden has developed a method to process the algae film into packaging: Using a pneumatically and electromechanically driven press, the algae film is brought into a 3D shape.

The founders of Enactus took the term "liquid bread" for beer as inspiration and brew their barley juice with leftover bread that would otherwise have ended up in the rubbish. / Editorial Staff

The Leipzig degree programme "Packaging Technology and Sustainability" at HTWK Leipzig presents sustainable packaging ideas from a student competition. Here, companies can get to know their skilled workers of tomorrow.

The Fraunhofer IVV Dresden will show fibre-based packaging solutions and technologies for the safe processing of paper and alternative materials on high-speed machines.

The Fraunhofer IVV will also present intelligent cleaning technologies to ensure product safety. The Clean-Assist cleaning lance equipped with tracking sensors analyses and documents the cleaning performance and spray shadow. With an AR device, a digital twin is transferred to the real cleaning environment and the cleaning progress is displayed in real time in the operator's field of vision. In addition to quality assurance and documentation, this also enables guided optimisation of cleaning runs and helps to avoid product quality-reducing errors caused by incorrect processes. With the Mobile Cleaning Device, the Fraunhofer IVV is showing a more modular cleaning robot, which is available in two versions: as an autonomously travelling device for the automated cleaning of entire production environments and as an inline version for the automated cleaning of process plants and lines. The inline MCD is additionally equipped with various cleaning nozzles and brushes and travels through the process plants for the cleaning process on the product path via conveyor belts or rail systems.

At Fraunhofer, the focus is on digital solutions. / Editorial Staff

For the training and further education of operating and technical personnel, the Fraunhofer IVV is developing digital training systems based on virtual reality. Since the training courses run on a digital twin, the learners can make mistakes and gain experience without impairing machine availability or even risking damage. In the VDMA Technology Lounge, the training system can be tested for use on a thermoformed packaging production line itself.

Digitalisation enables solutions for current challenges such as ensuring resilient processes, implementing the circular economy or the shortage of skilled workers. The Fraunhofer IVV supports companies in their transformation process, i.e. in the concrete implementation of concepts such as networked production, data exchange along the entire value chain or the IIOT. To this end, the institute develops company-specific technology and assistance solutions, individual software for system integration and for the use of AI in production.

The Saxon State Library - Dresden State and University Library (SLUB) will present the "Material Hub" - an open, central material research platform that enables access to material data from a wide range of data sources in a compact search mask. The material search helps developers and designers find materials that are suitable for their purposes.
Imago Technologies' Vision Cam AI.go is a flexible, fully embedded, deep-learning based image processing system for reliable inspection of quality features in various industrial application areas.

The Fraunhofer Institute for Secure Information Technology SIT, in a consortium with several Fraunhofer Institutes, is showing Smart ID - a labelling system that can be used to check the authenticity of products or packaging across the entire supply chain via smartphone. Also by the end consumer. Product identification works offline and can be easily and quickly integrated into packaging production.