Nichrome Association with MPA, Italy Help to Spread Their Market in India

Nichrome is India’s leading provider of integrated packaging solutions. For four decades, it has led the way with pathbreaking innovations that transform efficiency and economy in a wide gamut of industries.

In its continuous pursuit of excellence and innovation, Nichrome now partners with MPA Technical Devices S.r.l. from Italy to introduce specialty sterile and precession dosing pumps to core pharmaceutical Industry in the injectable segment.

MPA is an Italian company engaged in designing and manufacturing of precession components for Ampoules / Vials filling machines, Format Parts / Change Parts for Sterile / Aseptic Filling machines, Blister Packaging. MPA manufactures these components from premium 316 L grade of stainless steel, hard chrome plating with specialty coating of DLC (Diamond Like Carbon) + PVD (Physical Vapor Deposition) method. This technology differentiates MPA from other manufacturers. This coating gives advantage of extreme hardness to the surface and overcomes the fragility issues of ceramic pumps.

With this cutting edge technology, MPA is able to provide advance certifications and documentation of version 3.1. All these advantages, MPA has evolved as one of the most preferred OEM suppliers and also the aftermarket service provider for major pharma companies in Europe, USA and Asia.

The MPA range of products and components includes:

• Filling Needles
• Metering Pumps
• Stopper Guide Tubes
• Filling Nozzles
• Manifolds
• Dispensers and Blowers
• Screw Conveyors
• Protections
• Aluminium Machine Parts
• Plastic Format Parts
• Steel Machine Parts
• Tools and Accessories

MPA Pumps: the stronger, superior choice for pharma & food packaging machinery

MPA Metering Pumps are supplied to the leading machine manufacturers of the world. The pumps have a hard chrome + DLC (Diamond Like Carbon) PVD (Physical Vapour Deposition) coating that delivers outstanding hardness and fluency that minimises wear & tear, increases durability.

This special feature enables machine manufacturers to work with tight tolerances up to 3-4 microns in comparison to the tolerances of 5-6 microns in case of Chrome. It offers hardness and coefficient of friction that is 10 times better than chrome-plated surfaces.

What’s more, zero black particles and contamination of Chrome help to eliminate the dripping and piston jamming normally faced in other pumps. All these advantages make MPA pumps the preferred choice for packaging machine OEMs across the world.

Conclusion:

Being a technosavvy company, Nichrome thrives to bring such trendsetting yet cost effective technology to India. This also helps customers to make their business sustainable in a highly competitive world. For pharmaceutical machine manufacturers who want to build such reliable and proven technology into their machines, or for end customers in the pharma industry who want to enhance the performance of their packaging systems, MPA components deliver unmatched efficiency, strength and durability.

Nichrome and MPA together with this advanced technology, will help Indian machine manufacturers to upgrade their machines to the next level and help the end customer make their business sustainable in this competitive world.

Nichrome with its experience over four decades in packaging, is proud to take the lead in the process and offer a unique value proposition for India’s pharma industry.

Nichrome Brings Easysnap to India

Nichrome, India’s leading player in integrated packaging solutions, is a company committed to providing cutting edge packaging technology for Indian industry. Pursuing this passion, Nichrome has joined hands with Easysnap Technology of Italy to bring their worldwide patented packaging to India.

EasysnapR is the new worldwide standard for single dose units of liquid products, offering convenience, easy one hand opening, complete dispensing of contents and on-the-go mobility.

It is a single-dose packet that opens itself when you fold it in half. No need to tear, to peel or to unscrew caps EasysnapR opens and dispenses product with only one hand; just fold and squeeze. It is ideal for packing all liquid and semi-liquid products.

Packing in single-dose EasysnapR packages is safe for consumers (always correct doses and easy to take), sustainable for the environment (reducing waste of excess product), useful for manufacturers (easy to deliver and distribute).

Six reasons why EasysnapR is the smarter packaging solution

1. It is easy

EasysnapR opens with one hand only, without efforts. It is suitable for children, elderly and disabled people and all conditions, it is universal.

2. It is resistant

EasysnapR can be transported individually in your pocket or handbag or in greater quantities in packs without the risk of leakage or of being compressed. It has a semi-rigid bottom which is unbreakable unless folded over 90 percent.

3. It is cheap and ecologic

EasysnapR has lower production costs compared to bottles, jars or thermoformed unit dose packaging, does not disperse any residue and is more easily recyclable.

4. It is smart

EasysnapR has an ergonomic design, versatile and stylish, which you can customize at your will in form and graphics.

5. It is hygienic and clean

EasysnapR dispenses the content in a clear and accurate way, there is no risk of spills or contamination of the product. There is no product contamination while opening and dispensing.

6. It has longer shelf life

EasysnapR allows no air inside and offers 100% barrier properties to maintain product integrity.

Easysnap Technology can replace the production of any conventional portion pack container, including small cups, small bottles and tubes, with content from 1 to 30 ml, with many advantages in term of flexibility and production cost for units.

Easysnap Technology machineries are designed and certified for food, cosmetic, pharmaceutical and medical devices industries. The list of applications is endless – and includes ketchup, mayonnaise, salad dressing, jam, melted cheese, mustard, spirits, syrups, honey, liquid medications, baby-care products, ointments, toothpaste, shampoo, hair conditioner, liquid hand-sanitizer, body lotions, creams, bath foam, moisturizers, sun creams, liquid detergents, promotional dispenser, and many others!

This game changer is brought to India by Nichrome. For more information, contact Nichrome today. www.nichrome.com

Factors to Consider When Selecting Instant Food Packaging Machines

According to Wikipedia, 'instant food' can be defined as foods that provide convenience to consumers and assists in reducing "the time of preparation/cooking and drudgery", whereby no more than five minutes of time is required from the time of food preparation to the food being consumed.

Food Packaging Machines

In the contemporary world, the range and variety of instant food is huge. From instant baby food, instant soups, cup noodles, sauce mixes to beverages like powdered milk, fruit-flavoured drink mixes, instant tea & coffee to canned food and RTE/RTC packs - the number of instant foods available on retail shelves is mind-boggling.

Packaging of Ready-to-eat (RTE) & Ready-to-cook (RTC) Food

For the purpose of this blog, let's narrow our discussion on instant food packaging to packaging of RTE/RTC food. Due to growing urbanisation, and changes in society such as changing food habits, more women pursuing professional careers, unavailability of domestic help, increase in nuclear families, people prefer the convenience and variety of ready-to-eat and ready-to-cook food over cooking at home.

Ready-to-Eat (RTE) and Ready-To-Serve (RTS) food broadly comprise items such as meat products like pre-cooked sausages, ham, chicken products, curries, chapattis, rice dishes, aloo chole, navratan kurma, channa masala, palak-paneer, etc.

Ready-to-Cook food includes instant mixes like cake mixes, gulab-jamun mix, falooda mix, icecream mix, jelly mix, pudding mix, soup powders, etc.; ready snacks & breakfast meals such as upma, masala oats, poha, etc.; and pasta products like noodles, macaroni, vermicelli, etc.

The purpose of proper instant food packaging

Proper packaging must essentially contain and protect the food from external contamination. This function involves retardation of deterioration, extension of shelf life, and maintenance of quality and safety of packaged food. Packaging should protect food from environmental influences such as heat, light, the presence or absence of moisture, oxygen, pressure, enzymes, spurious odors, microorganisms, insects, dirt and dust particles, gaseous emissions, and so on.

The packaging should be an effective marketing tool, and should provide convenience of use to the consumer. And before it reaches the consumer, the package should remain undamaged throughout the shipping, storage and handling process.

Points to consider when choosing the right packaging machine

There are 3 main points to consider when choosing the right equipment for instant food packaging.

1. Speed: Ideally, you need to understand your targets. How many packs and how fast you want to package them every day, should be defined. If you are a startup or investing in packaging machinery for the first time, you could start with a smaller, slower machine.

2. Pouch format: Diversity of products and goals can help you choose the machine that's best for your operations. If you hope to widen your product range and SKUs, you need a machine that's versatile enough to grow with you.

3. Operating cost and maintenance: An automated packaging machine is a big investment but it doesn’t stop there. Some may be costlier but deliver smoother, hassle-free performance. Focus on all the elements of operating costs and overheads such as electricity and labor to operate the line. Also, being used for food products, the machine should be easy to clean with fast, hassle-free changeovers.

 4. Training: The machine you select will affect the amount of training and employee hours required to operate the machine. The advantage of an automated form-fill-seal machine is that once the operator has been trained and the machine commissioned & configured, the operator can concentrate on other tasks.

Ideally, your packaging machine manufacturer should provide the training and support you need to ensure efficient operations with minimal downtime.

Select the right packaging machine manufacturer

For RTE & RTC Food packaging, Nichrome is a reliable and experienced integrated packaging solutions provider. Nichrome has four decades of experience in the flexible packaging industry, and 7000+ installations across India and the world. For enterprises big and small, in India and abroad, Nichrome partners to add value through the entire lifecycle. Nichrome studies the customer’s requirements, goals and application challenges to deliver innovative food packaging solutions that will protect the purity of the product, improve time-to-market, and enhance the retail value of the brand.

Nichrome’s RTE food packaging machine

Nichrome’s highly advanced variant of the Pick-Fill-Seal Machine is a Ready-to-eat food packaging machine with specially designed RTE fillers which can be used to conveniently and quickly pack a wide variety of ready-to-eat and ready-to-cook foods.

This rotary filling and sealing machine enables 2 different fillers to dispense different types of ingredients in the same pouch, allowing for easy mixing of ingredients, through gentle handling and without damaging the ingredients.

This automatic packaging machine allows manufacturers of RTE foods to conveniently pack their perishable products, safely, in a wide variety of stand-up pouch formats, which can then be subjected to retort packaging for longer shelf life.

The PFS Machine also provides a cost-effective integrated packaging solution because it is available with multiple filler options, which can be used for the packaging of items other than RTE foods.

Nichrome’s RTC Food packaging solutions

For RTC products, Nichrome offers a wide range of VFFS and HFFS machines. In the VFFS category, there are many options in the Maxima, Excel and Sprint series of automatic packaging machines. These machines efficiently pack powders, pre-mixes, instant mixes and granular products in a variety of pouch formats: CSPP, CSPP chain of pouches, 4 line seal, gusset, pentaseal and pentaseal with D-cut.

All these machines have a compact design, with a small footprint so they occupy less floor space in factories. They are equipped with PLC-based control system and touch screen HMI. With servo motor driven sealing system, Nichrome's VFFS machines effectively fill and seal a wide variety of snacks and RTC powders with speed and accuracy. 

Nichrome’s HFFS range brings the superior performance of linear technology from Totpack, Spain. The Totpack Series is versatile, and can be used for packing a wide range of powders, grains, snacks, liquids and viscous products using different fillers. The Series also offers a range of pouch formats with superior pouch aesthetics.

The HFFS machines are PLC based machines with touch screen interface. They offer both single and perforated chain of pouches with quick and easy changeover. Well designed duplex modules are available for higher outputs.

To select the right instant food packaging machine for your business, consult Nichrome.

Packaged Atta: a fast-growing, ever-evolving market in India

Wheat has been a staple food with the high level of consumption largely unaffected by changes in its price. India is the 3rd largest producer of wheat, after Europe and China, and wheat remains a staple food, especially in North India.

Traditionally, across India, consumers by loose wheat and get it ground in local stone mills known as ‘chakkis’. But today, especially in urban areas, these flour mills are facing tough competition from branded atta manufacturers. With growing health awareness and disposable incomes, packaged atta is growing in popularity. Convenience, hygiene and easy availability through retail outlets are some of the plus points that are attracting more and more consumers every day.

As per an industry survey, the packaged atta market is growing at 25% per annum, opening up a world of potential for manufacturers and retailers. The growing number of atta brands, and the introduction of new variants such as multigrain atta, low carb atta, sugar control atta and fortified atta bears testimony to this market's evolution. There is also growing availability of other flours which were usually ground at home, and are regional and season-specific in nature. Today, retail shelves are packed with a wide range of such flours including maize atta, pearl millet atta, amaranth atta, moong dal atta, urad dal atta, buckwheat atta, water-chestnut atta, multigrain dosa atta, multigrain bhatura atta, oats atta, rice atta, etc.

For packaging grains and atta, manufacturers trust Nichrome’s expertise. Nichrome has 4 decades of experience in flexible packaging machinery, and indepth application-specific expertise to custom-design integrated packaging solutions for customers. Pillsbury and Patanjali are two well-known brands who use Nichrome automated packaging machines for their atta packaging.

Nichrome Atta Packaging machines

Nichrome's VFFS packaging machine, Sprint 250 Plus Servo Auger is a popular choice for many atta manufacturers. For pouch quantities up to 2 Kgs, Nichrome’s Sprint 250 Plus series offers speed, accuracy and efficiency for flexible packaging of a wide variety of grains, flours, and other powders such as milk powder, spice powder, coffee powder, nutraceutical powder, etc.

Sprint 250 Plus is an automated machine with CE marked PLC and touch screen HMI. Its servo motor driven sealing system can effectively seal with pressure levels maintained. It is programmed to pull the exact length of film required for packaging, and offers a perforation system to deliver a chain of small pouches.

Another flour packaging machine is the Excel 400 Plus Servo Auger. The Excel Plus series comes with a plus advantage of automation equipped with CE marked PLC Controller and touch screen HMI. Key features include print mark scanners, static charge eliminator, servo motor driven bag length control system, and adjustable stroke of cross sealing jaws for optimum performance. It is designed as per stringent quality standards, and can be easily integrated to upstream or downstream machines/systems.

A range of fillers makes the Excel Plus series a truly versatile packaging solution for atta, powders, granules, grains, snacks, etc. It also offers a variety of pouch formats including 4 line seal, pentaseal, CSPP, gusset pouch and pentaseal with D-cut.

The Excel Plus packs quantities up to 10 Kgs at a bagger speed of 80 pouches per minute.

Conclusion

Nichrome’s expertise in packaging extends beyond primary packaging machines for practically any application. Secondary packaging systems and complete integrated packaging solutions are also a part of the company’s portfolio. Bulk packaging machines, stacking & wrapping, HDPE bad filling systems, horizontal cartoning machine - these are just some of the packaging solutions on offer. Nichrome believes in partnering with customers to understand their needs and challenges before customising the optimal solution.

To know how Nichrome can transform performance and cost-efficiency in flour packaging, contact the company today.

Why stand-up pouches make sound business sense

Stand-up pouches are catching on. And how! Top brands like Kraft Heinz, McCormick, and Mars are ditching traditional cartons, cans, bottles, bags and boxes, and switching to flexible stand-up pouches for their product packaging needs. But before we analyze why stand-up pouches are getting so popular, let’s take a little time to understand what stand-up pouches are.

Flexible Pouch Packaging

Stand-up pouches are a form of flexible packaging that evolved from regular pouches. They are lightweight, portable and unbreakable. They are made of durable, puncture-resistant layers of plastic, aluminium & other film with a gusset at the bottom to give them a base that opens up the pouch and helps it stand on the shelf.

Stand-up pouches include features that make them easy to seal, open and re-close. Easy-open tear notches, heavy-duty zip lock closure, spouts for easy pouring of liquids — all these make stand-up pouches the preferred choice for producers of solid, granular and viscous food products, beverages, personal care products, pet food, detergents, vitamins and more.

Some reasons to love stand-up pouches

Protection first and foremost

Stand-up pouches fulfill the first, most important need of any packaging: protection. The innovative, multi-layer structure of stand-up pouches provides unmatched barriers against outside moisture, oxygen, odor, UV light, and bacteria — right from the warehouse all the way to retail stores and finally to customers’ homes. It also provides durability and a longer shelf life — both in retail stores and at home, after opening.

What’s more, stand-up pouches are 100% secure, being leak-proof, break-proof and puncture-proof.

Stand-up pouches are customizable

You spend time and effort perfecting the recipe and composition of your products. You need to package it well, not just to protect the contents but to stand out on the retail shelf and deliver convenience to your consumer.

Stand-up Pack

This format of packaging can be tailored to complement your creativity and fit your needs. From the size, shape, materials to innovative openings and seals, you can get the packaging to suit your product, brand, and other business needs.

Stand-up pouches also allow you to “tweak” individual barrier levels through inclusion or exclusion of specific materials — driving down material usage and thereby, material cost.

You get a choice of seals

Stand-up pouches are heat sealable so you can create tamper-evident seals. You can also go for tear notches which the consumer can simply tear off to open. Or you could opt for reusable zippers and spouts which will help consumers to re-seal and store the pack after using part of the contents. That way, consumers won’t be forced to finish all the chocolates, nuts or namkeen at one go; and the uneaten product can be stored for later without compromising on freshness. This feature adds to the versatility of stand-up pouches, and the convenience they deliver to the consumer.

The upright advantage

For both consumer and retailer, the ability to stand upright has its advantages. For manufacturers, stand-up pouches offer better shelf utilization as they occupy less space on the retail shelf and can stand without secondary packaging or retail props. For end-consumers, the stand-up pouch allows for no spills as well as less waste because, unlike a bottle, the pouch can be emptied completely.

You save, save, save

The materials used for stand-up pouches cost less than that for traditional packaging such as jars and cans. Stand-up pouches also help you save on shipping/transportation costs and optimize warehouse space. Being so much lighter and less bulky than bottles, jars and cans, stand-up pouches take up little room when stacked. They occupy less space in warehouses and on trucks, and can reduce your company’s carbon footprint during transportation.

Less material is used for making stand-up pouches so manufacturers save on that too. In a comparative case study for raisin packaging, the Flexible Packaging Association found that a flexible pouch utilized at least 70% less packaging material relative to the contents than either of the two rigid alternatives: the Round Paperboard Cannister with Plastic Lid and the Folding Carton with Inner Poly Bag.

Better for branding

With so many products competing for the consumer’s attention, manufacturers need packaging that stands out — and says a lot. Stand-up pouches have a flat front, so it is ideal for creative branding and eye-catching, high-quality custom design to increase product visibility in a retail setting.

In the retail store, stand-up pouches offer greater possibilities for creative merchandising and display. They can be hung on pegs to create eye-catching promotional stands to attract attention and improve sales.

Environmentally responsible solution

Stand-up pouches are made with less material, so they ultimately generate less waste and most are recyclable. It does not take many resources to produce these pouches — it requires about 50 percent less energy to produce. Less CO2 emissions are generated during production, and they produce less landfill waste.

Conclusion

So if you’re contemplating packaging for your new product or considering a change from old packaging, you’ll find stand-up pouches are the solution for most packaging needs and challenges. Nichrome India offers a wide range of automated packaging machines operating in stand-up pouch format for diverse applications. Detergents, grains, ready-to-eat foods, snacks, nuts, liquids — Nichrome can deliver a customized packaging solutions for almost every need. With Nichrome and stand-up pouches, the possibilities are infinite.

How/Checklist to Pick the Right VFFS Packaging Machine

Vertical Form Fill and Seal (VFFS) machines are a boon to modern manufacturing. They combine high production output, consistent reliability and product quality with low manpower requirements and low maintenance costs.

VFFS Machines/Excel Plus Series/Excel Plus/Servo Auger

If you’re thinking of getting a VFFS machine for your production process, here’s a check list to help you pick the right one:

1. Space and ergonomics

How will the new VFFS machine fit in your factory? Where will you position it? What is your ceiling height? Can it be easily accessed? Is there space to bring materials in? How & from where will workers engage with the machine? It’s important to study ergonomic constraints and do some work floor planning before acquiring the VFFS machine that suits your set-up the best.

2. Simplicity

Modern VFFS machines are automated, programmable and with ‘date-over-internet’ accessibility. This assures accurate and reliable packaging, and increases ease of operations. But it’s important to look for machines that are simple to integrate, and easy to operate, with minimal maintenance requirements.

3. Price

Machine acquisition is an expensive proposition, involving base price and running costs. That’s why you should take some time before making a decision. Speak to as many vendors as possible, compare each one’s rates, clarify doubts about technology, running costs, training costs, maintenance, etc. — and then choose. Remember, cheapest is not always best, and the highest price does not guarantee satisfaction. Thorough study and evaluation is essential.

4. Versatility

VFFS machines are inherently versatile. Just change the filler, and the same machine can efficiently pack a wide variety of products. But your first priority should be to find the best VFFS machine for your leading product. Evaluate the cost and performance efficiency of a machine ideally suited for your flagship product so you achieve optimal return on investment.

VFFS Machines/Excel Plus Series/Excel 400

5. Features

VFFS machines come in different models and each of them offers different features. While their main purpose remains the same, their efficiency, output, footprint, etc. varies. Also, there are different levels of automation so depending on your performance targets and your manpower; you can purchase a machine as per your company’s requirement.

6. Assurance & support

A VFFS machine is a big investment, so it makes sense to find a vendor who is reputed and experienced, with sound domain knowledge. Find a vendor who will partner with you, study your product, understand your needs & challenges, discuss total cost-of-ownership, etc. Choose a vendor who can also assure prompt service and support to minimize downtimes, enable up gradations and maximize productivity.

Conclusion

Frankly, selecting the right VFFS machine for your operations can be a confusing task. There are so many aspects to consider, so many pros and cons to weigh. Make the process simpler by talking to a reputed packaging machine manufacturer who will make the time and effort to partner with you and provide comprehensive consultancy and service — both pre-sales and post-sales.

VFFS Machines/Excel Plus Series/Excel Plus/Multi-Head Weigher

Nichrome is one such reputed packaging solution provider who customizes and integrates packaging solutions to deliver enhanced performance and productivity. To know more, www.nichrome.com