The correct sizing of compressed air preparation equipment should generally be carried out on the basis of the following criteria: Quality, Quantity and Pressure.

Also consider these fundamentals:

- Air quality should only be as good as necessary.

- Lubricate the air only when absolutely needed (that is, air motors or very fast cycling and/or long stroke cylinders) and then as close as possible to the load device.

- When possible, use module joiners to match units of different sizes in air prep component families to save space and cost of these and to increase productivity

- The pressure dew point of the compressed air must be at least 3-deg C lower than the ambient air to prevent the formation of ice in the expanding air.

Quality:
Consult the ISO 8573-1:2010 standard to determine what quality levels you need for the accurate selection of filtration and/or drying components. It is especially important to define air quality classes in cases involving requirements for finely filtered or/and low dew points.

Quantity:
To define an adequate flow rate of the air prep components, consider the type and number of load devices and their necessary working pressure requirements. After summing up the total required flow and allowing for possible leakage and a certain safety factor, you can now select the required components based on the flow values provided by the equipment manufacturer.

Note:
- When using air dryers, pay particular attention that flow rates also depend on the dew point to be achieved.
- Consider the use of flow sensors; blocked filters are costly and are often remain unnoticed for some time.

Pressure:
Over/under pressurization is expensive and can quickly damage a system and it’s components. Pressure regulators must be set only to the level required, regardless of flow variations, for the proper functioning of the load devices. In order to ensure the correct pressure is present at the load devices, allowance must be made for pressure drops in long airlines, their routing and the dimensioning of the fittings and tubing in addition to the various air preparation devices used, especially filters.

Consider using dual pressures for larger air actuators to save on air consumption and pressure boosters close to a specific load device instead of oversizing an entire system to accomodate only one or two operations.

Metal is an economically valuable commodity for Material Recovery Facilities (MRFs). Because food and beverage cans enjoy the highest recycling rates of all consumer packages in the United States, recycling acceptance of metal does not seem to be a problem. In fact, of all the steel and aluminum ever produced, 75 percent of aluminum and between 80 and 90 percent of steel is still in use today.

Of course, we are fully invested in the collection and return of all steel and aluminum, and can-makers fund many recycling education programs to share accurate information about metal recycling. It is my hope that these efforts and the true story about the endless recyclability of metal will correct any misperceptions and help all recycling stakeholders optimize collection and recycling rates.

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Additionally, fieldbus implementation can enhance the modularity and flexibility of a machine by allowing for a design that can be expanded without having to add much to the machine for additional infrastructure. The key point being that the I/O can be offset from a central location, and placed remotely, especially with an IP65 fieldbus product.

For example, if we look at a machine that is designed to sort eight lanes of product, it may have one valve manifold with eight valves and 16 digital inputs all connected to a PLC. If we need to upgrade the machine to handle 32 lanes, depending on the valve manifold design with a fieldbus system, this could be a simple matter of expanding the current manifold to include the new number of required valves and I/O points. In this case, the fieldbus itself would remain unchanged. In the worst case, three additional valve manifolds with the appropriate I/O would need to be added to the machine. Each valve manifold would have an additional power connection along with a fieldbus connection, still keeping the changes to the machine architecture at a minimum.

If we were to take a conventional machine with discrete control via a PLC, the changes would be of a much greater impact. For instance, by adding 24 valves, we would have to consider the conduit system that we are routing the wires in. Can we accommodate the additional wires or do we need an additional cable tray? Do we need to expand the PLC chassis as a result of additional I/O cards? If we expand the PLC chassis, do we still have room in the existing control cabinet of do we need a new cabinet? All of this leads to extra size and installation costs.

In this example, we can see how — with a fieldbus concept — it is much easier to design a modular concept machine and add functionality later on and avoid major design and production costs down the road.

Packaging producers — from glass to plastics to steel — are hard at work to make their own products less intrusive on the environment. Can manufacturers have a great story to tell here because we’ve been working this issue for decades. We recognize that not only is it the responsible thing to do for the environment, it simply makes great business sense. Recycled materials reduce landfill waste, energy consumption and production costs; truly recyclable materials also decrease the need for virgin material because their properties do not degrade in the recycling process.

If you look at real facts, the can has advantages in a number of areas when you are talking about sustainability. One of the most important is that cans are endlessly recyclable. Metal is a permanent material that, if kept out of landfills, can be recycled again and again without loss of strength or quality.

Two, food and beverage cans currently enjoy the highest recycled rates of all consumer packages in the United States. This means that not only are steel and aluminum cans recyclable in theory, but they are the most recycled package in actual practice. In the U.S., steel food cans are recycled at a rate of 67 percent, aluminum beverage cans at 58 percent. This is not an insignificant point. If you have the most efficiently produced material in the world, but no one is recycling it, the sustainability benefits are lost.

In addition, cans have a higher content of recycled material that any other food or beverage package. Aluminum cans, for instance, contain 68 percent of recycled materials. Steel food cans contain 35 percent — once again the highest of our competitors.

Because we’ve been at this for a long time, 80 to 90 percent of all the steel ever produced is still in use. At 75 percent, aluminum is not far behind. On top of that, the can industry has worked hard to implement new manufacturing innovations, such as “lightweighting” technology, which has reduced the amount of metal used in each can. Steel cans have reduced the amount of metal in each can by 31 percent since 1990, while the aluminum can has reduced its metal content by 15 percent since 1993.

As the most recycled package in the United States — and a recycling rate about double that of any other food or beverage package — the can stacks up well.

Or, you can use a QR code (the funky looking shaped code). The consumer can scan the QR code with his smart phone and download a coupon as well that can be redeemed at the register.

Some companies have used hang tags that hang over the neck of the bottle.

Finally, many CPCs use multi-packs for “Buy One Get One Free” or to cross sell another product. Generally, these are done with shrink sleeves where the two items are shrunk together. This makes one package where the consumer buys one product.

All of these options can be employed without affecting your original label.

Once it gets going, steam is also cheaper to run in terms of getting the machine up to temperature and maintaining a constant temperature. You can either use shop steam, or you can purchase a self-contained steam tunnel. All you have to do is hook up a garden hose to it for the water source.

We have also noticed that our customers that use steam get more consistent and faster throughput than those using radiant heat. The labels shrink on better and more predictably with steam. As you feed more bottles into a heat tunnel, the heat fluctuates. This fluctuation creates an inconsistent shrink and less throughput. Many of our customers that use heat find themselves wasting as much as 20 percent of their sleeves because they have to tear them off and put them back through the tunnel.

If it is determined that a shrink-sleeve label is a viable option, your converter must provide grid film on the appropriate substrate to help determine where the graphics will shrink most. The grid film will determine graphically challenging areas on the bottle. Additionally, the grid film should be provided to whoever is doing the packaging, including a copacker. The packager should take the roll and apply the labels to the bottle to verify the cut length and lay flat. He may require a different size than what the converter suggested because of machine and tooling limitations. Either way, it is important for the label printer and packager to work together.

Once the size is determined, the converter provides a template noting the size of the label, seam area, fold area and quiet zone. Then the graphic designer designs around the template. Once the art is approved, the normal printing process takes place.

A shrink-sleeve provides more real estate to convey your message than a pressure-sensitive label. However, because the shrink-sleeve is generally much larger than a ps label, it is more expensive. Additionally, not all packagers can apply a shrink sleeve, and vice-versa. Once again, it is necessary to know everyone’s capabilities and limitations before starting the process. It is always best to use a steam tunnel in the sleeve application process. Heat is too volatile and relatively slow compared to steam.

A 25,000-30,000 piece order is a nice starting point. It gives the customer some economies of scale in both the printing and filling, but does not necessarily cost a fortune to get started. Additionally, if revisions need to be made after the initial run, the customer has not invested in hundreds of thousands of sleeves only to have to make ingredient changes or supplement fact or graphic revisions.

You should consider 5 things (not necessarily in the order provided):
1. The light source your product will be seen under
2. Your competitor’s product
3. Your own product and the message you are trying to convey
4. Cost
5. Your co-packer

1. Most retailers use a different light source than what is in your office. So you may design something that looks beautiful on screen and then find it looks completely different on the retail shelf. Wal-Mart may use different lighting than Kohl’s or GNC. Find out what the light source is at a specific retailer and mimic that light source during your design phase. Your printer should have a light box viewing station that you can use to help you establish color under several light sources. The substrate used will also affect the how your colors interact with different lighting. A silver foil and holographics change drastically when exposed to different lighting.

2. Using holographic foil effects on labels (especially in the sports nutrition industry) is a huge trend right now. However, it’s gotten to the point where no one stands out. You have to make a decision to be a copycat or original. Since shelf space is at a premium and difficult to attain and maintain, you have to stand out from the competition. More is certainly not better. I’ve seen two color labels with excellent design outperform labels that have employed all the bells and whistles. Get to the store, see what everyone else is doing . Look at the retailer. If you walk into your local health food store (mom and pop operation) versus GNC or Whole Foods, the mood is quite different. Which one do you design towards? Talk to your label manufacturer and see what he is capable of and what effects he can offer.

3. Do you have a high end product, or a value product? Demographics? Health food or sports nutrition? Your packaging can convey many messages without having any text. More colors and fancier substrates will tell the customer that this is a high end product. One or two line colors on a white semi- gloss connotes that this is a value product. Holographics and foils let the young crowd know this is for them. Simple yet elegant graphics are generally targeting a different market segment. Products that are health oriented use more earth tones and softer colors.

4. There are many choices of substrates for labels with a wide range of prices. Semi-gloss and high gloss are the cheapest label substrates in the pressure sensitive arena. However, they may not perform as well as one might like. Although excellent graphics is attainable on either substrate, if you product is going to be in the shower, you would be better off with a polypropylene with a lamination (more costly). If you want to add foil as a decoration, be prepared to pay more money. Shrink sleeves are an excellent option. However, the cost of a sleeve is often misunderstood. Although shrink sleeve material is often less expensive than p/s material, you are using a larger label. This label can be as much as 2-3 times larger because it covers most of the bottle; thereby negating the cost savings. Secondly, many shrink sleeve manufacturers have outrageous minimum quantities. If you’re on a budget to introduce a project, this may not be a viable option. Once again, talk to your converter and see what options are available. Finally, you have to ask yourself, if I add a special effect, or add more cost to my packaging via design or substrate; will it help me sell more product? If the answer is yes, go for it!

5. Always consider your copacker when designing a product. If he can’t fill it or label it, what do you do? If you want to use shrink sleeves. Make sure your copacker can apply them. Many copackers are not willing to expend the capital to offer shrink sleeves as a decoration. Make sure your manufacturer can apply clear labels if you choose to go that route. Some copackers require a black line on the back of a clear label for indexing through their label application equipment. This will increase the cost of your label because it requires an extra color printed on the liner. The copacker can solve this problem by purchasing a density reading sensor as opposed to an opacity reading sensor.