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• MGC (mgc-a.com) has developed a technology that potentially doubles shelf-life for organic and natural foods. Embedded as a film layer in either LLDPE or PP retort packaging, it removes oxygen from within sealed bags and pouches. The development is based on MGC's oxygen-scavenging Ageless OMAC technology, which is made by compounding an iron powder as the active ingredient, then sandwiching it between a barrier layer and a sealant layer. The technology is now available as a compounded resin to North American film producers and converters. The embedded O2-scavenging film layer has been shown to extend and protect food's natural characteristics without sachets, added spices, or sodium. It is said to be suited for soups, sauces, processed fruit, dips, protein bars, prepared meals, and wet pet foods, which are particularly vulnerable to spoilage. Mitsubishi will provide resin samples to film proces- sors and converters to test run the technology. Nova Chemicals, Moon Township, Pa., and Mitsubishi Gas Chemi- cal America (MGC), N.Y.C., have developed new shelf-extending technologies for flexible packaging. Both companies will show- case these technologies at Pack Expo Las Vegas, Sept. 25-27. • Nova Chemicals (novachem.com) has developed two easily recyclable packaging film structures: one that is based on a moisture-barrier formulation for dry foods and mixes, frozen fruit, and confectionary products; and another with both a moisture- and oxygen-barrier formula- tion for nut mixes, granola bars, meats, cheeses, and snack foods that have traditionally required rigid or non-recyclable mixed-material packaging. These resin formulations, including LLDPE and HDPE, are based on Nova's dual-reactor Advanced Sclairtech Technology, which produces a broad range of octene copolymers. Both base recipes are certified to carry the "In store drop-off " package label from How2Re- cycle, a rapidly growing program to help consumers understand end-of-life recycling options. Also, the designs are compatible with the #2 HDPE recycling stream. The new structure designs can be used in a wide variety of package formats, including the popular and fast-growing stand-up pouch, pillow pouch, and flow wrapper. Processors and converters can work with Nova's experts at its Centre for Performance Applica- tions to collaborate on film structures for the specific applica- tions. The Centre recently completed installation of its new Effytec horizontal fill-seal (HFFS) pouch maker, which will allow creation of prototype packages that can be tested on-site. New Packaging-Film Technologies Extend Shelf-life Cloeren Completes EMO Purchase Extrusion die and feedblock manu- facturer Cloeren Incorporated, Orange, Texas, has completed its acquisition of Austrian die maker EMO from Haidlmair GmbH. Cloeren bought a 33% stake in EMO last year. Effective immediately EMO will operate as Cloeren GmbH. "The acquisition of EMO provides Cloeren with a manufac- turing, service, and repair facility in Europe, and expands Cloeren's offerings through the integration of EMO's product lines into its portfolio," says Cloeren CEO Peter Cloeren. "EMO has a highly accom- plished pool of talented craftsman that will contribute greatly to Cloeren quality products." Cloeren is the world's largest manufac- turer of extrusion dies for sheet, cast film, and coatings. 409-951-7635 • cloeren.com Sepro America Expands to Assemble Big Robots Sepro America, a branch of the France's largest robot maker, celebrated its 10th anniversary last week and showed off newly acquired space that will more than double its manu- facturing area in Warrendale, Pa. The current facility occupies 16,500 ft2, 9000 ft2 of that for assembly of sprue pickers and custom cell automation. A contiguous space, recently vacated by another tenant, will give Sepro America another 11,000 ft2, to be used for its first U.S. assembly of large robots—those intended for presses of more than 700 tons clamp force. Sepro intends to begin this new activity by January 2018. Jean-Michel Renaudeau, managing director of Sepro Group in France (at right in the photo), said his target is to assemble 30 large robots next year and 100 in 2019, or about half of the large units expected to be sold in the U.S. that year. In attendance at the 10 th anniversary celebration last week was David Alan Bourne, principal scientist-robotics and director of the Rapid Manufacturing Lab at Carnegie Mellon University's Robot- ics Institute in nearby Pittsburgh. For the last two years, Bourne (at left in the photo) has been working with Sepro on software development. After consulting with Sepro customers, it was decided that new technology to minimize machine downtime was a priority. Thus Bourne and his team have explored "smart" predictive maintenance using machine learning. The goal is to sense factors such as vibra- tion and power draw to detect problems developing with servo motors or beam distortion and alert the user before an actual failure occurs. (More details at short.ptonline.com/Sepro.) 412-459-0450 • sepro-america.com 8 SEPTEMBER 2017 Plastics Technology PTonline.com T E C H N O L O G Y A N D I N D U S T R Y N E W S St ar t ing Up