Forecasting the quality of corrugated board packaging
Up to 82% of fibers contained in packaging made of corrugated cardboard are today recycled. The possibilities of using recycled paper are constantly increasing, but this entails a high variation in the quality of fibers in the raw materials used. The volatility of raw material properties resulting from the increased percentage of recycled fibers creates a number of technical problems for manufacturers. Therefore, small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) producing corrugated board packaging need support in assessing the degree of use of recycled fibers and in assessing the quality of the packaging being produced.
The limitations in predicting the ownership of paper produced using heterogeneous raw materials mean that currently producers trying to produce the right quality packaging tend to produce excessively durable packaging. This trend leads to severe economic losses in the activity of SMEs. The main objective of the ModelPACK project, managed by a consortium of international and local organizations with a significant reputation in the European corrugated industry, is to provide solutions to this problem by creating a tool for forecasting the quality of the product being manufactured.
Establishment of a comprehensive raw material database, classification of paper types and ownership tests of particular types of paper will contribute to the development of software tools that will predict the structural properties of corrugated board and the main properties of the final product.
The ultimate goal of the ModelPACK project is to support the competitiveness of European SMEs. This is indicated by the wide participation of SMEs in the project consortium.
ModelPACK
HIGH-PERFORMANCE FORECASTING FOR THE KNOWLEDGE OF DESIGNING AND MANUFACTURING PACKAGES IN EUROPEAN SMALL AND MEDIUM-SIZED ENTERPRISES (SMEs)
Details of the project
ModelPACk is the largest European project being developed for the corrugated cardboard sector and it is part of the 6th Framework Program of the European Commission (research activity with the participation of SMEs - Joint Research).
The project started in December 2006 and lasts 36 months consists of 9 interrelated tasks. The total budget of the project is around € 2.5 million.
The formed ModelPACK consortium consists of partners representing seven countries:
Belgium: FEFCO
Greece: AUTH-LFU, Hartel, HEPI
Spain: AIDIMA, Santorroman, ENICO, Vento, Ondupack, UCM
Ireland: InnovaWood
Germany: Paka
Poland: COBRO
Sweden: STFI-Packforsk
Expected results:
1. Systems for forecasting quality and decision support in innovative software tools for cost reduction and quality improvement in packaging design and production processes.
2. Information database on raw materials (types of paper and corrugated board) available to packaging companies from all over Europe.
3. Identification of the lower limits of ownership tolerance of individual types of paper guaranteeing high properties of selected semi-finished products (packaging papers, corrugated boards) and final products (boxes) according to their specific purpose
4. Database of ownership of paper affecting the properties of corrugated boards and boxes
5. Training program for staff from participating SMEs and organizations.
The results of forecasting the quality of packaging produced from alternative raw materials will be disseminated between the majority of SMEs and between the European organizations concerned, with particular emphasis on feasibility, threats, implementation costs, expected profits and the required energy contribution.
The most recent state and results of the project are presented at:
Innovative software for SMEs from the packaging industry
ModelPACK will be a user-friendly software tool aimed at helping you design packaging for a variety of applications. It will be helpful in forecasting the ownership of the packaging based on the data on the raw materials used.
Software specification - statistical modeling based on the following parameters:
- Measurements and characteristics of papers
- analysis of the main types of paper including kraftliners, testliners and recycled papers
- categorization of the main raw materials, semi-chemical papers and completely recycled paper to undulate layers
- definition of critical anatomical, physicochemical and mechanical properties
Measurements and characteristics of corrugated boards
- definition of critical anatomical, physicochemical and mechanical properties
Characteristics of functional properties of packaging
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determination of the lower limit of tolerance of relevant factors ensuring high properties of final products in accordance with their intended use
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modeling mechanical properties of packaging in connection with their dimensions
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derivation of mathematical formulas for calculations and forecasting of different properties of the final product as functions of ownership of paper and cardboard
The ModelPACK project is a Joint Research Project partially financed by the 6th Framework Program of the European Commission: Research Activities with the participation of SMEs
http://ec.europa.eu/research/sme-techweb
For detailed information, please contact:
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