Details of Grant 

EPSRC Reference:	GR/R03167/01
Title:	IMI: Improvements In the Design of Packaging Machinery Through An Understanding of Packaging and Machine Interaction (IMPACT)
Principal Investigator:	Medland, Professor AJ
Other Investigators:	Mullineux, Professor G
Researcher Co-Investigators:
Project Partners:	Bradman Lake Ltd British Printing Industries Federation Crest Flexible Packaging Ltd Marden Edwards Ltd MRW TECHNOLOGIES LIMITED Packaging & Industrial Films Association Processing & Packaging Machinery Associa Sandiacre Packaging Machinery Ltd Smithers Pira Welton Packaging
Department:	Mechanical Engineering
Organisation:	University of Bath
Scheme:	LINK
Starts:	01 January 2001	Ends:	30 September 2001	Value (£):	380,960
EPSRC Research Topic Classifications:	Manufacturing Machine & Plant
EPSRC Industrial Sector Classifications:	Chemicals
Related Grants:
Panel History:
Summary on Grant Application Form
Very few goods are now bought that are not in some presentation or protective packaging. This ranges from automobile parts through to horticultural products. The largest and most visible is that of food products. Market price demands and legislative demands through the European Packaging Waste Directive are forcing fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG) manufacturers to use thinner, lighter weight and recycled packaging materials to convey their products to the consumer.Such materials perform less well on present designs of packaging machinery and result in lower operating efficiencies which are unacceptable to the machine users and their customers. In the current packaging machine market high levels of machine efficiency are required, with improved product quality, lead times, and product and package variance. The aim of this research is to develop the use of constraint modelling to describe the behaviour of real packaging materials and, for the first time, model the interaction between material and machine. This will provide industry with the understanding and tools with which it can meet the legislation in terms of low volume, low cost, and maximum recycled content. It will enable working links to be developed between the material and machinery supply chains.
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Organisation Website:	http://www.bath.ac.uk