Innovative events and awards add to Sydney’s AUSPACK 2017 biggest show ever.

AUSPACK 2017 was a record-breaking Sydney show. With the largest space occupied and the biggest display of exhibitors and brands – including the largest contingent of international exhibitors – it also drew the highest visitor numbers to the Sydney Showground, at well over 6000.

Marketing manager with Exhibition and Trade Fairs (ETF), the organisers of AUSPACK2017, Anne-Marie Mina said, “There were so many elements that went into making this show a resounding success. “From augmented reality, virtual reality and the customer-service robot AMY all creating interactive and engaging visitor experiences, to the product launches that happened right across the show floor, 2017 was one very memorable show.”

Chairman of the APPMA which owns AUSPACK, Mark Dingley said, “The new awards and processing day, held as part of the growing Packaging & Processing Week, were excellent inclusions and added a lot of value for visitors to what was already Australasia’s most innovative event for the packaging and processing industry.

“The inaugural Packaging & Processing Innovation and Design Awards, or PIDAs, recognised companies and individuals who are making a significant difference in their field, and the winners were very warmly received at the gala night and afterwards.

“The highly successful Processing Day – which was a free half-day event – gave attendees the opportunity to hear the latest advanced technologies and developments in the meat-processing industry. Feedback showed attendees found the information valuable, as they also did with the existing and very popular National Technical Forums.”

Among the leading technologies was a world-first from Digital Ink Technologies, which showed its solution that helps growers, wholesalers and supermarkets identify fruit-pick dates and hence fruit freshness. Using UV invisible ink and Digital Ink’s POLYtij printer, growers apply a code or logo, which the wholesaler or retailer can use to identify when the fruit was picked. CEO and managing director Michael Mahoney said the solution gave growers a means to prove freshness, removing the potential need to replace fruit, and lose profit, when freshness could not be proven.

Recopak showcased its latest development, a fully automatic case-over-product packer. Typically suitable for the beverage industry and some food products in trays and packets, CEO Bill Dopper said the biggest advantage was the simple changeover. The fully automatic machine erects a carton, packs the product and glues up the carton. Changeover is extremely simple and takes just five to 10 minutes because all the change parts are plug-in. The machine can handle 20 cartons per minute, suiting it to a lot of industries and applications.

Also gathering a lot of interest was FP Propak’s new filler that extends shelf life. Business development and project manager Bruce Morgan said the ESL filler has several features over and above normal fillers, including multi-stage rinsing options, non-contact filling heads, fully computer-controlled washing phases and a UV tube on the capping chute to sterilise caps. The whole machine is enclosed, giving a clean-room environment that helps manufacturers extend shelf life on products, such as in juice from 30 to 90 days. This can also open up new markets that are greater distances away, including export.

“AUSPACK 2017 was also the biggest in terms of the amount and type of technology. This included livestreaming videos on AUSPACK’s Facebook page,” Anne-Marie said.

AUSPACK 2019 will be held at the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre.