Innovation straight from the tube: How an SME is optimising its production processes
An innovation project supported by Innosuisse is making the manufacture of laminate tubes at Hoffmann Neopac more stable, efficient and sustainable. By rolling out the new technology across all production lines, the company sees significant potential for savings in material consumption and CO₂ emissions.
What do toothpaste, wound ointment and skin cream have in common? They are often packaged in tubes – including multi-layer laminate tubes, known as polyfoil tubes. These tubes are developed by the Swiss SME Hoffmann Neopac AG in Oberdiessbach. The laminate consists of several layers of material that protect the contents from light, air and moisture, for example.
The challenge: on a single production line, different types of tubes made from different materials are processed, which extends set-up times and increases material costs. That is why the SME, with the support of Innosuisse, developed a technology designed to make this manufacturing process for laminated tubes more stable, efficient and sustainable.
Putting the pedal to the metal with research expertise
Together with the Institute of Automation at the FHNW, the company developed a technology for the automated set-up and control of laminated tube production. “The idea and the contact with the FHNW were already in place. Thanks to Innosuisse, we had the assurance that we could start the project straight away,” explains Mario Schüpbach, Head of Process Development at Hoffmann Neopac.
The funding accelerated the project’s launch and reduced the financial risk. This planning certainty is important for SMEs: they have to commit staff and funds to innovation projects before it is clear whether a new technology actually works and can be used commercially.
From paint tubes to high-tech packaging
Hoffmann Neopac is an innovative company and a leader in the field of packaging material manufacturing. However, the tube was actually invented by someone else: the painter John Rand was frustrated that his paints were drying out. So he developed a squeezable tube made of lead and had it patented in the USA in 1841.
Today, tubes are produced in large quantities. In the case of polyfoil tubes, a multi-layer laminate is formed into a round tube body and sealed lengthways. The continuous tube body is then cut to the desired tube length. Together with the tube head and cap, this creates the empty tube. Hoffmann Neopac does not fill the tubes itself: the product is later filled through the still-open end of the tube, which is then sealed.
The critical step: the laminate under tension
But what is innovative about the new technology? How was it possible to save so much material and CO₂ saved in such a complex process? At the heart of it all is a particularly demanding process step: the moment when the laminate is unwound from a roll, guided over numerous rollers, formed into a round continuous tube and welded lengthways. It is crucial here that, prior to welding, the laminate passes through the machine at as constant a tension and speed as possible.
“Scrap is mainly generated during set-up, when the machine operator adjusts the machine,” explains project manager Basil Ruch. As the same machine processes different laminates, it has to be readjusted every time it is changed over – that is, every time the material is changed. The tube bodies produced whilst the machine is being adjusted to the correct settings are unusable and are therefore scrap. The new technology is designed to automate this process. “The machine operator feeds the laminate into the machine, presses ‘Start’ and lets the machine run fully automatically. This shortens the set-up time, and we use significantly less laminate,” explains Basil Ruch.
The model calculates, the control system reacts
The technology is based on a detailed physical simulation model. This model replicates the dynamic behaviour of the rolls and the laminate sections between them. This enables suitable machine settings to be calculated even before production begins.
During production, self-learning algorithms and model-predictive control are employed. This enables the system to react continuously to changes. For example, as the laminate roll is unwound, it becomes progressively smaller and lighter, which alters the machine’s behaviour. The control system adjusts the settings in real time and keeps the tension and speed of the laminate as constant as possible.
Significant potential for innovation even at the trial stage
This innovation project demonstrates how the practical experience of an industrial company can be combined with the research expertise of a university of applied sciences. According to Hoffmann Neopac, trial operations have resulted in a three per cent reduction in scrap and a halving of changeover times. If rolled out across all production lines, the company anticipates significant savings in materials and a substantial reduction in CO₂ emissions.
The technology is currently still in trial operation. “If the results seen so far are confirmed, we will implement the technology across all production lines,” says Mario Schüpbach. This could mean that the successful innovation project could become a solution for Hoffmann Neopac’s entire tube production.
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About the company
The Neopac Group is a privately owned company headquartered in Switzerland. It specializes in the development and production of Polyfoil®, laminate and plastic tubes. With four production sites in Europe, North America and Asia, the company supplies manufacturers in the pharmaceutical, cosmetics and consumer goods industries worldwide. With an annual production capacity of 1.3 billion tubes, the Neopac Group stands for innovation, quality and sustainability. This includes the use of renewable energy and the development of recyclable packaging solutions.
The project in short: