At Fachpack 2024, taking place from 24-26 September in Nuremberg, Germany, Baumer hhs will showcase its comprehensive sustainability program at Hall 2, Stand 330. The company is a global manufacturer of industrial gluing systems and quality assurance equipment and, as part of this “Rethink. Renew. Recycle.” program, it critically examines the use of adhesives in all areas of packaging production, analyzing each and every application to determine if adhesive consumption can be minimized or processes and products designed for greater eco-efficiency. Along the way, Baumer hhs has developed a number of innovative solutions, which combine significant improvements in sustainability with economic benefits.
One of the company’s objectives is to reduce the amount of adhesive applied. This is feasible for many packaging products, and without compromising the quality or functionality of glued joints. Baumer hhs’s high-performance electric application heads and sensor systems, together with its intelligent controllers, reach an entirely new level of precision in metering adhesive and applying it on glue flaps. By interrupting gluing at defined intervals, and applying precisely defined dots of glue instead of continuous beads, glue consumption can be reduced by 50% or more in many applications – which also lowers CO2 emissions.
In other applications, such as securing pallet loads, gluing equipment from Baumer hhs makes it possible to reduce the use of plastic film. Transport and shipping boxes on pallets can be securely anchored in place by spraying them with small quantities of anti-slip adhesive, minimizing or even eliminating the use of plastic stretch, shrink or tube wrap. In current projects, even adhesive tape is successfully being replaced with glue to close shipping boxes.
Technology from Baumer hhs helps to conserve resources and achieve sustainable packaging production, as these two advantages illustrate: Unlike pneumatic glue dispensers, the company’s electric application heads do not need a supply of compressed air. They are energy-efficient, low-maintenance, can easily be repaired if necessary and generally boast a long service life. Baumer hhs’s new DF hot melt hoses with metal core cut energy consumption by some 20%. They also prevent charring of the hot melt inside the hoses, eliminating the risk of application heads failing for this reason. This reduces machine downtime and maximizes availability.
As a member of the 4evergreen alliance and a SUGRA development partner, Baumer hhs is working on solutions for the future, including sustainable adhesives. The company will be at its own stand in Hall 2 at Fachpack 2024 and, as a SUGRA partner, it will also be joining forces with the FNR (Fachagentur Nachwachsende Rohstoffe e.V.), a national agency for renewable resources, at its stand in Hall 4A, Stand 115.