mm-karton.com: Aktuelle News

Cartonboard - the sustainable way (World Pharma, April 2012)

Tue, 24 Apr 2012 16:21:00 +0200

Digital innovations have shaped the world in every way over the last 20 years. For packaging, it provides convenience, because it is no longer a big issue to produce personalised packaging and differentiated products. With faster tumarounds and shorter lead times, logistics and delivery times are much more efficient, particularly for print-on-demand production. But, most importantly, the quality has been significantly improved: colour has caught up with conventional printing, even for the most demanding brands. Digicarton MM Karton has positioned itself in the digital market with two quality products: MM Digicarton™ and MM Digicarton EcoMM Digicarton Eco™, the first is for the folding box board, (FBB) sector and the second for white-lined chipboard (WLC). Both have been tested and awarded with three stars for digital printing machines, both roil-fed and sheet-fed, by HP Indigo, which are technically the most advanced, roll-fed digital print machines. The HP Indigo stars honour the cartonboard's colour-fast quality and their smooth performance.
The challenges are constantly growing: individualisation and aging societies require more adjusted products for end customers. Patients or patient groups can receive medication in packaging with individualised or regional editions. With MM Digicarton and MM Digicarton Eco, converters and brand owners can be assured that they have a cartonboard with a low CO2 footprtnt that can achieve high-quality print results for a wide range of applications. 2D matrix codes As well as usability and sustainability, safety aspects, particularly for pharmaceutical products, are becoming increasingly important, and demand the highest quality and performance standards, such as high stiffness and thickness, as well as great printability and varnishability from cartonboard producers. These criteria have made pharmaceuticals one of the most challenging applications for packaging manufacturers.
MM Karton contrtbutes in its own way: the FBB-quality Excellent Top 2D™, the WLC-quality MCM 2D™ and the Supra 2D™ have an optimised coating for 2D matrix codes.
These codes can provide additional information printed on the cartonboard, guaranteeing counterfeit safety, and track and trace transport or storage time. The problern when it comes to matrix codes is that they must be dry within half a second and be wipe-proof in order to be readable according to ISO 15415. The special coating makes these important features possible. Silvawhite - GC1 A demanding segment is the market for cosmetics, perfume, chocolate and confectionery. These require high-end packaging, and a creative and appealing presentation. Purchase decisions are made mainly at the point of sale, so, the packaging matertal needs to be ready for further processing techniques such as die-cutting, ernbossing, hot and cold foil preparation or UV-coating. This requires perfect smoothness, brilliant gloss and excellent cartonboard quality. MM Karton's latest FBB, Silvawhite™, fulfils these demands.

Its sensory properties are ideal for high-quality packaging solutions - far below Robinson value 1, indicating the cartonboard's ability to maintain the product quality without a trace of taint or odour from the packaging. Cartonboard Cartonboard is the perfect packaging material for pharmaceutical products: low weight and light-protected, it stores its contents safely and is by far the best in environmental terms. MM Karton's FBB and WLC ranges stand for high-quality packaging. MM Karton is a trusted supplier for leading producers of pharmaceutical products. Thanks to its imminent 'MultiMill concept' - where various mills produce the same ranges, such as Excellent Top™ to the same quality - customers can be assured of a stable supply chain. Due to the company's locations in Central Europe, its lead, delivery and service times are short.

Rebuilding Kolicevo

Tue, 07 Feb 2012 17:53:00 +0100

Successful upgrade of board machine 3 at Mayr-Melnhof Karton Kolicevo – Gains in product quality, supply security, and flexibility

In December 2011 the rebuilt of the board machine 3 at Mayr-Melnhof Karton Kolicevo, Slovenia, into a state-of-the-art 3 layer Fourdrinier aggregate has been successfully completed. BM3, modernized in cooperation with Andritz, runs again since the end of December. Additional investments were related to an advanced stock preparation, new water circulations, two new simplex cross cutters, and the most modern packaging line in the cartonboard industry. The result is convincingly demonstrated by a consistent uniform cartonboard surface, improved smoothness, and outstanding gloss. An important step by which both the mill as well as the customers gain significant added value. Overall more than EUR 40 million were invested.

The option to operate the machine in a swing modus allows fast responsiveness to changes in market dynamics either in the chromo cartonboard or WLC segment.

In addition to the successfully and very well established WLC and FBB qualities that are currently produced, the new production unit will manufacture a further virgin fibre cartonboard quality, similar to the high-quality GC2 cartonboard Excellent Top™ from Baiersbronn. Thus customers and distribution partners can rely even more on the high supply security realized through MM Karton´s “multi-mill concept”, which allows the production of well-known and established cartonboard qualities from several production sites. The very much appreciated GC2 cartonboard Kromopak™ will be produced as usual between 215 and 450 gsm.

Hence MM Karton complements its leading position in WLC qualities with a significantly growing share in the FBB business.

Successful installation of a curtain coater in Gernsbach

Wed, 11 Jan 2012 17:23:00 +0100

Successful installation of a curtain coater in cartonboard production at Mayr-Melnhof Karton Gernsbach

After the world's first installation of a curtain coater in cartonboard production at MM Karton Frohnleiten, this technology is now also employed at the production at the German MMK Gernsbach mill. Product quality and energy balance benefit.

The installation of a curtain coater at MMK Gernsbach by the company VOITH was successfully completed in the middle of December 2011 in addition to a general overhaul of the board machine 2. An important step by which both the mill as well as the customers gain significant added value:

Better and more homogenous coating surface coverage in comparison to conventional coating methods guarantees optimized visual opacity. Additionally a higher product quality is achieved by a consistent smooth cartonboard surface, ensuring best print and varnishing results, which has been impressively confirmed by first printing tests.

Energy saving potentials are particularly realized through the renewal of the coating drying system. This leads to an optimized CO2-footprint and thus further improvements of the already high environmental compatibility.

MM Karton’s strategy as technology and cost leader centers on continuously exploring new ways to increase customer benefits and efficiency as well as on establishing successful application-oriented innovations in all areas across the group. With the installation of a curtain coater in Gernsbach MM Karton emphasizes this principle and strengthens the basis for sustainable success of MM Karton and its business partners.

Mineral Oils in Packaging Papers (German)

Wed, 11 Jan 2012 16:23:00 +0100

Description about the issue of migrating mineral oil and other substances and a brief summary of actions taken by the industy, and the invention of Foodboard by MM Karton for unique protection of foodstuff.

PackNews (Norway): New Carton Barrier

Wed, 02 Nov 2011 16:16:00 +0100

Consumer safety and ecological products have a high priority in the European paper –and board industry. One of the major challenges has been to avoid migration of mineral oil substances from printing inks. In this important field, the Austrian based MM Karton, has developed „Foodboard“ – a new type of barrier on the inside of the cartonboard, which prohibit migration. First tests show promising results. This is confirmed by the renowned FABES institute: More than 99 % of the mineral oils are stopped from migration using this new barrier board.

World Pharmaceutical Frontiers: Board issues

Wed, 19 Oct 2011 15:39:00 +0200

MM Karton board qualities have got a great reputation for a long time and are used for numerous applications and products. Now, one asset became particularly important in the pharmaceutical industry, a business field that is known for its high and complex demands. Hot foil stamping, spot varnishing, die-cutting, creasing and embossing -and perhaps adding Braille for blind and partially sighted consumers- are typical requirements for cartonboards used for pharmaceutical products. The legal framework against counterfeiting has been tightened and calls for new packaging features. Apart from a good rigidity and thickness, great printability which is essential to fulfil these high expectations: MM Karton is ready for it. Printing 2D matrix codes The codes printed by inkjet on the packing lines must be dried and smear-resistant within less than half a second. This makes it ideal to fulfil the new legal regulations regarding 2D matrix codes and offers pharmaceutical companies the possibility to add additional information via smartphones/ scanners and websites. Matrix codes also support better traceability. The MMK qualities Excellent Top 2D, MCM 2D and Supra 2D with optimised coating have been tested according to the ISO procedure 15415 and have shown top performance and passed this examination with ease. With the implementation of a Europe-wide standard planned for 2012, this characteristic becomes mandatory. Excellent Top is available in the grammages between 230 and 450 g/m², MCM 280 and 450 g/m² and Supra between 250 and 500 g/m². The established properties of MM Karton - quality, reliability, competence and packaging safety- and the internal multi-mill concept that allows the production of qualities at the same standards at different locations, ensuring a permanent and stable supply-chain of these first class standard products. New quality ready for sustainable future To second a further development in the digital world, MM Karton offers a new board grade: MM Digicarton Customer friendly, sustainable and ahead of competition, it is the worldwide first FBB quality that has been homologated for digital print. In the way that 2D matrix codes integrate the offline world closer to online media, MM Digicarton connects online closer with the print world: This quality creates a new base for personalised and differentiated products at high cost efficiency, without minimum order quantities or long preparation time. When it comes to the pharmaceutical industry, it enables the convenient implementation of multiple languages or simplifies the application of relevant consumer information for clinical trials. Together with the matrix code, this could serve as an additional security tool against product piracy. MM Digicarton is available in the grammage range of 230g/m², 250g/m² and 275g/m². Print-on-demand (POD) and just in-time (JIT) have become symbols of extremely efficient solutions. Short print-on-demand bring -in addition to cost, time and stock savings- the advantage of high sustainability by reducing waste during the production process to almost nothing. With digital print, the preparation process can be minimized down to three steps. Files can be modified, saved, and transferred directly to the printer. MM Digicarton has received a 100% top rating for its compatibility with the Hewlett Packard HP Indigo WS6000 printing unit. Cartonboard packaging saves resources Cartonboard is the only packaging solution which is recyclable and compostable, and it is made from renewable or even recycled sources with absolutely low carbon dioxide emission values. MM Digicarton is FSC and PEFC-certified, just like all other MMK qualities. The high annual growth rate for digital printed products confirms the trend that more and more costumers become convinced by the compelling benefits of using digital print. According to Pira International, the digital print market for the pharmaceutical segment is expected to grow worldwide to USD 1.34 billion by 2015.

Newspaper in the breakfast (4C magazine, German)

Thu, 22 Sep 2011 13:52:00 +0200

Printing inks might infiltrate hazardous components from recycled cartonboard to foodstuff: This...

New carton barrier against mineral oils (from: "Emballage Digest", France)

Fri, 16 Sep 2011 12:56:00 +0200

How detected mineral oils can initiate new trendsetting technologies

Fri, 12 Aug 2011 09:31:00 +0200

(German, aid infodienst, aid-PresseInfo Nr. 32 vom 10.08.2011)

Foodboard from MM Karton

Mon, 25 Jul 2011 14:32:00 +0200

[Translate to en:] It has been proven that innovative barrier coatings can shield foodstuffs against mineral oils. Mayr-Melnhof Karton explains that folding cartons and top stubstrates for litho laminated packaging, made from recycled and virgin fibre board, are safe for foodstuffs. This means that the ecological advantages of a recycled paper based packaging industry are further guaranteed. Consumer health and safety is the top priority for the European paper and board industry as well as respecting sustainability and the ecological goal of a recycling economy. The most recent challenges for many paper mills is concentrated on preventing newly detected migration of mineral oils from newspaper and packaging printing inks into cartonboard packed foodstuff. The industry, along with its partners in the supply chain, has made all efforts to find solutions to this issue. Mayr-Melnhof Karton has developed a new board range, called Foodboard - an innovative barrier is applied on the reverse side of the board, stopping migration of mineral oils into foodstuff. The positive results have been successfully implemented in the first industrial runs. The effectiveness of the Foodboard barrier is proven and confirmed by the internationally respected migration research centre, FABES (Forschungs-GmbH for Analytic and Evaluation of Diffusion Processes, Munich) headed by Dr Otto Piringer, who states, "By applying the barrier board, less than 1 per cent of the potential migrating substances into Tenax were measured compared with the extracted initial quantity." As a result, migration is blocked by more than 99 per cent and is always below the often mentioned safety limit of 0,6 mg per kg for mineral oils, provided the Foodboard applications is according to its intended use. The new innovative barrier provides not only comprehensive protection against migration of mineral oils from the printed box, but also from the outer and transport packaging (cross-contamination). Demand from the food industry and retailers will determine capacity requirements and corresponding investment. The board innovation and the carefully selected barrier substance, guarantee both food safety as well as a sustainable, environmentally responsible recycled paper based packaging industry. For further supporting information and a forum for discussion, please visit www.responsiblepackagingforum.com Published in: International Paper Board Industry, June 2011