Smart Packaging in China's Development and Future Trends

Intelligent identification technology has not yet entered the daily consumer market, and the development and application of many types of smart functional packaging in China has only just begun.

Smart packaging refers to the use of new technologies such as mechanical, electrical, electronic and chemical properties in packaging to make it both general-purpose basic packaging functions and special properties. These special properties precisely meet the special environmental conditions and requirements of the product. Smart packaging is used in a wide range of applications, such as mechanical self-mixed packaging; battery test tags that are thrown away when used in electrical categories; conductive ink games on electronic food packaging such as McDonald's; chemical chemicals are released When the reaction occurs.

In general, only the temperature/time history identification (TTI), packaged foods microbial growth indication (MGI), photochromic indication, physical impact identification, leakage, microbial contamination identification, radio frequency tag (RFID) are used abroad. , DNA (DNA) tags are defined as smart packaging; and modified atmosphere packaging, antimicrobial packaging, ethylene adsorption packaging, oxygen packaging, self-heating/self-cooling packaging, odor absorbent packaging, aromatic flavor release packaging, moisture absorption Packaging is defined as functional packaging.

In smart packaging, RFID (Radio Frequency Identification) tags are well-known areas in the country. The smart identification technology will be applied in some areas (such as medicines, high-grade foods). For example, when people buy small-packaged foods in supermarkets, producers can intelligently store the main raw materials' production information, food processing information, food use precautions, and friendship reminders on the packaging or on the Internet. On and read it via smartphone.

At the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games, the government’s efforts to strengthen supervision of drugs and foods have promoted the use of RFID electronic tags in China, and have been used in logistics, packaging, retail, and manufacturing industries. However, intelligent identification technology has not yet entered the daily consumer market, and the development and application of many types of intelligent function packaging in China has only just begun.

As for the current problems in the development of the smart packaging industry in China, Dr. Li Dongli of Beijing Institute of Printing believes that there are four aspects:

First, technically, the research base of smart packaging raw materials is weak. Polyethylene, polypropylene, PET, polyethylene terephthalate, nylon and other raw materials have fewer brands, and their use is poor. Some of them need to be imported. Developing a special resin with excellent print composite properties is a major task.

Second, the technical content of existing functional packaging is low. The lack of R&D personnel in China's flexible packaging, weak foundation, and long research and development cycle require simultaneous introduction of imported technology and independent research and development. At the same time, domestic companies have low R&D capabilities. Only a few large packaging companies have R&D capabilities and rely on universities or research institutes.

Third, the market for smart packaging in China is small, and people’s ability to accept it is poor. He said that in the process of “market-problem-design-soft packaging R&D-soft packaging production-market” R&D, the market segment is the key. Without demand, R&D will lose its momentum, which will reduce the R&D enthusiasm of researchers and slow progress in R&D.

Fourth, ordinary soft packaging manufacturers have low profits and disorderly market competition, and fake and shoddy products are prevalent. The chaos in the packaging machinery market hinders the healthy development of the industry. Low production efficiency, high energy consumption, poor stability and reliability, backward product appearance, rough appearance, and low life expectancy of basic parts and accessories are the prevailing status of most packaging machinery in China.

To solve these problems, the country should actively promote the use of smart packaging, and even mandatory use, in order to better contain fake and shoddy products. At the same time, the country should also increase its investment in scientific research in food packaging, encourage independent research and development and apply for national research projects, and introduce necessary flexible packaging testing equipment. Research institutions must strengthen personnel training, speed up the pace of research and development, and actively cooperate with flexible packaging manufacturers to convert technology into productivity as quickly as possible.

In addition, high costs have always been one of the factors that hinder the development of smart packaging. The popularity and application of technologies such as chips and printed antennas, circuits, etc. that can be used for packaging are not as simple as traditional printing, how to install and manage related infrastructures, how to place e-readers, and retrieve, use and store labels. The technology of information is complicated and expensive. Therefore, product transformation is not something that all domestic packaging and printing companies can do. At present, there is still a certain gap between their investment in smart packaging technology, the introduction of talents, and the renewal of equipment and materials.

In recent years, the state has also stepped up its supervision of the packaging industry, and has also made new demands on packaging technology. Some packaging equipment manufacturers have also stepped up investment in packaging machinery and technological innovation. Although the application of smart packaging still lags behind developed countries, China's market has a vast profit margin waiting to be tapped. Companies continue to learn new technologies, use new technologies or integrate other advanced technologies into traditional machinery manufacturing technologies to produce packaging equipment with high speed, high degree of automation, reliability, flexibility, and high technology content. Create a new type of packaging machinery, lead the packaging machinery to the direction of integration, high efficiency, intelligence, and flexibility.