For 20 years, Ravenwood Packaging has been in the packaging and labeling sector, delivering sustainable solutions and end-of-line quality control to retailers and supermarkets. During this time, Ravenwood has made advancements in its linerless label technology, integrating x-ray and vision capabilities in more recent years. This ongoing progression in technological fuels enhancements across both established and emerging technologies.

Alongside the company’s growing range of products, substantial growth has occurred in its network of machinery distributors and printer partners. Presently, the approved network consists of 35 machinery distributors and 24 printer partners operating globally.

“Over the past two decades, the pace of change has been rapid, requiring Ravenwood to continuously evolve and adapt to effectively meet retailer demand aligned with shifting buyer behaviour,” says Paul Beamish, managing director of Ravenwood.

The ongoing requirement for development and adaption has propelled the business beyond producing just one linerless applicator (the Nobac 500). Ravenwood’s fleet of Nobacs has evolved into the ‘5000’ range which now includes 12 models, each customised for specific applications. One such application is the Nobac 5000L, known as the ‘fruit machine,’ which has gained popularity for providing a sustainable alternative to single-use plastic in the fresh produce sector. The 5000L applies linerless food grade “fruit lids” to carton board trays containing fruits and vegetables, and are 100% kerbside recyclable.

Calls for greener labeling methods across the globe continues to dominate the marketplace. Consequently, linerless continues to be developed in numerous formats across various food sectors. This demand has subsequently increased Ravenwood’s globally approved linerless printer network. At the time of releasing this news article, there have been 41 Com 500 coater installs around the world. The Com 500 is Ravenwood’s linerless converting equipment and serves as the machine responsible for manufacturing linerless labels.

Beamish adds, “With the growth of our machinery and printer network, this has amplified the outreach of our technologies. Consequently, our products are now distributed across 24 countries, spanning 6 continents.

In 2015, the VXR x-ray and vision systems were launched. These technologies undergo regular review and monitoring, with recent enhancements incorporating deep learning and seal detection.

The very latest advancements in linerless include the Nobac 40 and Nobac 1500. The Nobac 40 stands as the world’s first linerless promo flash labeller, while the Nobac 1500 presents a compact system equipped with an integral conveyor, offering a replacement for conventional self-adhesive top and/or base labelers.

Beamish comments, “Part of our growth plan was to set up a satellite office in Australia so in 2020, we welcomed Sam Aloschi as the new Divisional Managing Director for Asia Pacific. Sam is based in Sydney and is spearheading the implementation of our growth strategies in this region.

“As a company, we’ve grown considerably over the years, and we’ve been fortunate to experience minimal turnover among our staff. A significant number of individuals who joined Ravenwood at its inception remain integral members of our team to this day. Among them are Brian, our Coater Manager; Davey, leading Scotland and Ireland sales efforts; Darren Wardman, serving as our field service engineer for the USA; and Glyn, who now oversees training initiatives.”

Established in 2004, Ravenwood has a workforce of 42 people, split across its head office sites in Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk in the UK, with satellite offices located in the US and more recently, Australia. The company upholds robust sustainability principles. Ravenwood’s technologies play an active role in reducing the packaging and labelling industry’s carbon footprint, geared towards waste reduction. Linerless labels eliminate waste liner to landfill entirely, while the VXR Vision Inspection System significantly decreases food waste and product recalls. Additionally, the company is a member of Forest Carbon, contributing to the mitigation of a substantial portion of its daily business carbon footprint.