Man of metal forges the next generation

Packaging News July 2006

Impress’s research and development director Philippe Gimenez talks to Nick Mansleyabout his enthusiasm for ‘electrochemistry’ and his confidence in the future of metal packaging.

Philippe Gimenez is director of research and development (R&D) for Netherlands-based metal packaging manufacturer Impress.

As such, he is charged with the neverending task of developing new metallic packaging systems and products, improving pack performance and production processes, providing technical support for Impress’s plants, ensuring the firm’s tools and competencies are up-to-date as well as providing some support for customers.

Gimenez has been involved with the development of packaging since completing his PhD in electrochemistry and, as his obvious enthusiasm reveals, it is a subject that still inspires him. Working in a market sector that has been put under considerable pressure over the last few years, he is still a passionate advocate for the work he does, determined to bring a new generation of technicians into the business.

The company’s R&D operation is based at Crosmières, near Le Mans in France, and is supported by smaller satellite facilities at production sites. Although his department is tiny in comparison with the company as a whole, Gimenez knows that his work is central to the company’s success: “We’re not working in an ivory tower, We have targets to hit in terms of technical improvements, material selection and achieving best practice. We’re really at the heart of the company.”

Achieving differentiation Gimenez also stresses that the R&D facility plays a central role in helping brand owners achieve product differentiation through new packs and processes. “Impress is producing new products all the time. Our customers are always after new shapes for their products and want packaging that is really different so they can stay ahead of their competitors,” he says.

In the design of packs, Gimenez explains that a close connection with customers and their needs is the only way to work: “We love to work with brand owners. We don’t want to waste time developing a beautiful packaging product to find that there is not a market.”

This also applies to getting new products on store shelves quickly. “The key issue driving R&D at Impress is the reduction in lead times. In the last 10 years, I would say that lead times have been cut by at least 50 per cent.”

Gimenez must co-ordinate the various aspects of pack development to find the best possible solution: “At Crosmières we have three types of specialism – mechanical, materials and chemical – and one of my functions is to match resources with projects. Any project is a matrix of competencies and different processes and materials which must be balanced.”

As an example of the sort of work his job involves, Gimenez explains the process for developing an improved easy-open can end for Heinz. This project produced a pack which both weighed less and cost less. “When we began, the can end was made from 0.22mm-gauge tinplate. In 2004 we had reduced this to 0.20mm. It was not possible to reduce the thickness further using the existing production method, so we completely rethought the processes to make it compatible with the lighter gauge and have now managed to get the metal down to 0.18mm. We are always attempting to reduce the cost and packaging weight of our customers’ products.”

More often than not, this work is about trials and tests: “Our situation is unusual in that, 95 per cent of the time, our machines are not running. We only have a few machine operators and they are producing short runs of trial pack designs. Most of our time is spent calibrating and fine-tuning the machinery to get the best results.”

One difficult area for Gimenez is recruitment. “I have to ensure that we have the skills to be able to continue to develop products and processes. In this industry we have a lot of people who are approaching retirement age and I need to be able to renew the competencies that we lose. Experience is key. These engineers represent the technological treasure of our operation.”

To counter this problem, Gimenez will team an inexperienced engineer with a senior staff member. “With a new engineer, the challenge is to communicate 30 years of experience in three years. I tell young people to drink in as much as possible as quickly as possible!”

Gimenez is confident about the future of the metal packaging sector: “There were rumours circulating that metal packaging was about to die, but this is just not true. Flexible pouches took some market share but that trend seems to have stabilised. Tetra Pak-style cartons have also taken some of the metal packaging business but they will never replace it. Indeed, we are now working on a frenzy of projects; we are on the point of launching 10 new products.”

CV
2000-Present R&D director for Impress Group
1996-2000 Director of Impress Group’s R&D centre, Crosmières, France
1993-1996 Joined Crosmières R&D centre as technical director, overseeing
metal and plastic packaging
1983-1993 Worked for Pechiney Group’s research centre at Voreppe, France
1982 PhD in Electrochemistry
1980 Graduated from Institut National Polytechnique, Grenoble - ENSEEG

For further Information, please contact:

Impress:
T: +33 (0)243 485 100

Discover Impress on: www.impressgroup.com