Groundbreaking ceremony for long-term corporate development: the KHS Group, a manufacturer of filling and packaging systems, began building a new production shop at its site in Hamburg, Germany, at the end of September 2015. With it Group companies KHS Corpoplast GmbH and KHS Plasmax GmbH will gain an extra 2,500 sqm.

KHS GmbH can look back on a very successful business year: in 2014 the manufacturer of filling and packaging systems for the beverage, food and non-food industries increased its sales by 5.8% to EUR 1.08 billion. This was chiefly thanks to the expansion of its service business which the company is continuing to build up this year. With many innovations KHS also cemented its position as one of the market and technology leaders in the last year.

The US market is currently growing due to the trend towards regional “craft breweries” and the increasing use of KEGs for soft drinks and wine. Fast delivery times are therefore becoming more and more important. To accommodate this, Schäfer has set up its own subsidiary in the USA, Schäfer Container Systems North America, Inc. (SCS NA) in March 2015.

Krones AG, Neutraubling, Germany, one of the world’s leading manufacturers of beverage filling and packaging technology, has purchased a 100 % stake in the Gernep Group, Barbing, Germany. As an international vendor of labellers in the low and medium output ranges, Gernep offers customised solutions. Besides the beverage industry, the company’s principal markets are food, cosmetics and pharmaceuticals. Krones is thus strengthening its activities in these market segments.

With its new spare parts service, Sidel, one of the leading global providers of PET solutions for liquid packaging, is aiming to encourage a more proactive approach to inventory management of its high-quality original parts among its customers.

The Circular Economy is regularly making the headlines. Designing zero-waste products with future life-cycles in mind provides a logical way to mitigate rising demand in a world of limited resources. The Carlsberg Circular Community is bringing partners together to develop innovative solutions that, it hopes, will benefit business, society, and the environment in equal measure.

Containers are becoming lighter, more customized and often more delicate. At the same time, the performance of filling systems is improving, while demands to reduce costs are on the rise. The key questions within this context are as follows: How can one both monitor and optimize pressure on containers in the bottling line in order to reduce scuffing and broken bottles? How can the necessary optimization be carried out using simple and efficient methods and how can their efficacy be evaluated? This article shows to which extent this challenge can be met with the Quantifeel System© developed by Smart Skin Technologies Inc. in Canada.

In the context of its participation in a panel on Wasteless Supply at the World Economic Forum in Davos in January 2015, Carlsberg announced a ground-breaking agreement to develop the world’s first fully biodegradable wood-fiber bottle for beverages.

Krones, the leading manufacturer of beverage filling and packaging technology, has acquired a 51% stake in Till GmbH, Hofheim, a German company located in the state of Hesse. Established in 2011 the technology company develops systems for direct digital decoration of containers. The remaining 49% of the shares are held by the company’s founders, who will continue to play an active role in the company. Till GmbH machines are modular in design and suited for high-speed applications in the beverage industry and other sectors.

As part of its ongoing commitment to offering global experience backed by local sales and service support to customers, Sidel has relocated its UK office to better serve customers in the UK and Ireland. In its continued efforts to strengthen long-term business partnerships, the Europe & Central Asia team has moved to larger, refurbished offices in Welwyn Garden City in Hertfordshire, UK, which include Sidel’s sales and customer service departments, previously located at the former site in Hatfield. The new offices cover approximately 400 square metres.