Düsseldorf, Germany — 1 April 2026 – At interpack 2026, TNA Solutions will showcase how confectionery manufacturers can simplify increasingly complex production environments while improving throughput, consistency and efficiency, under the theme ‘innovation simplified’.

As a complete confectionery line solutions partner, TNA is enabling producers to do more with less — reducing waste, minimising manual intervention with its inherent risks and maximising equipment availability across the entire line.

With manufacturers facing growing SKU complexity, labour shortages and rising operational costs, TNA’s upcoming mogul enhancements are designed to boost productivity, enable faster changeovers and improve process control. Delivering reliable outputs of over 3,000 kg per hour, these innovations maximise throughput and product quality while reducing waste and improving overall equipment effectiveness (OEE). They are particularly suited to jelly, gummy, marshmallows and liquorice applications, where precision and flexibility are critical. Preview these innovations at interpack 2026 (7–13 May, Messe Düsseldorf), Hall 14, Stands C56 & D56.

Driving efficiency through smarter starch handling

TNA is redefining starch tray filling — traditionally one of the most critical operations for ensuring high-quality mould printing and uniform starch dispersion. A new spring-loaded seal mechanism, integrated within a patented starch filling containment system, creates a controlled environment during filling, levelling and transport, preventing overflow at tray edges and eliminating the need for further compressed air cleaning.

This results in cleaner trays, more consistent stacking, reduced airborne starch dust, lower material loss and reduced energy consumption.

Real-time weight control to lower waste

To address the challenge of weight accuracy in increasingly complex confectionery formats — from layered and centre-filled products to premium textures — TNA has developed an in-line tray weighing system that measures product weight before and after depositing. The system allows the mogul to self-adjust the pump stroke dynamically during production, ensuring consistent weight control across every batch.

This continuous monitoring approach reduces product giveaway, minimises waste and enables early rejection of out-of-spec trays, protecting yield and product quality.

Faster changeovers to maximise uptime

TNA’s clean-in-place (CIP) hoppers and remote-controlled hopper compartment valves significantly reduce changeover time, minimise machine and factory contamination and improve operator safety.

In addition, TNA’s latest piston valve design simplifies the changeover process, reducing it by approximately five minutes per change. For operations performing multiple changeovers per day, this translates into a meaningful increase in available production time and overall line productivity.

Advanced pump design for greater control and reliability

TNA’s new top-driven pump architecture improves both performance and usability.  Uniform piston stroke across the pump array ensures consistent weight control, while optional servo-driven valve bar technology enhances depositing precision across a wide range of formulations.

Additional features, including hopper overflow drainage, reduce cleaning requirements and unplanned downtime, improving overall reliability.

Commenting on the innovations, Luca Menassi, General Manager – Asia, TNA Solutions, said: “Confectionery manufacturers today are under pressure to deliver greater flexibility, higher efficiency and consistent product quality — often with fewer resources. Our focus is on simplifying operations through intelligent design, automation and integration. By reducing manual intervention, enabling faster changeovers and providing real-time control over critical processes such as weight accuracy, we help producers improve performance across the entire line while maintaining the highest quality standards.”

To see these and other confectionery innovations live, visit TNA Solutions at interpack 2026, Hall 14, Stands C56 & D56, from 7–13 May in Düsseldorf, Germany.

To arrange a meeting or request a complimentary registration code, visit:

To learn more, please visit: .

Thanakorn Vegetable Oil Products (TVOP) is partnering with Sidel to equip its new factory with state-of-the-art complete edible oil lines for now and for the future. As the first company worldwide to apply the breakthrough EvoBLOW Laser technology to edible oil, TVOP is at the forefront of sustainable, efficient and next-generation edible oil production. The Laser-based technology will join other innovative technologies from Sidel as part of this partnership, including CoboREEL, EvoFilm Stretch, and Sidel’s newest digital solutions including the full Evo-ON suite.

This new step demonstrates TVOP’s commitment to continually equip its business with the most advanced technologies available, by preparing for the future and investing in its people and the environment.

“Our EvoBLOW Laser investment aligns with the Thanakorn Vegetable Oil Products Company mission to promote sustainable production and consumption, with high‑quality, low‑carbon‑footprint products”, said Adul Premprasert, CEO.

Pioneering innovation in edible oil production

TVOP is reaffirming its role as an innovation pioneer in the edible oils sector, becoming the first edible oil producer in the world to shift to a laser‑powered blowing solution, and leading the introduction of EvoBLOW Laser technology in the Asian market.

“Being the first with EvoBLOW Laser for edible oil is a very positive feeling, it means you are willing to lead and not afraid of change. Innovation is essential to prepare for the future because investing in new technology means thinking ahead and staying competitive in the long term”, explained Premprasert.

This strategic move is part of TVOP’s vision to drive sustainability and performance by fully equipping its brand‑new factory with the most advanced technologies available. Among these future-ready solutions provided by Sidel are the EvoBLOW Laser, EvoFilm Stretch, CoboREEL, Evo-ON^®, and a new digital monitoring solution interfacing with the company’s advanced enterprise & logistics systems.

New technologies enable TVOP to meet market needs

For TVOP, the unmatched precision provided by laser technology will make it possible to offer the market a new 1L edible oil bottle, designed in collaboration with Sidel’s packaging experts, featuring a 2‑gram lightweighting compared to the alternative. Despite an optimised weight, this new design maintains the required strength, shelf appeal and durability throughout distribution. This enables the bottle to offer a premium experience while having a light weight. The laser’s cold-start capability and environmental stability will also bring operational efficiency.

“This laser technology will help us improve performance, energy efficiency, production stability and material savings which are all critical for edible oil manufacturers”, commented Premprasert. “It will allow us to respond faster to market demand while maintaining product quality and operational efficiency”.

In the medium term, the laser technology will strengthen TVOP’s lightweighting programme going forward and secure its readiness for future rPET adoption.

Solutions like the CoboREEL for automated label reel loading will also elevate performance by leveraging cobotics with three times the reel capacity of any other solution on the market and low energy consumption (<0.5 kWh). Likewise, the EvoFilm Stretch will help contribute TVOP’s lower-carbon-footprint targets with its 90% reduction in energy consumption compared to traditional shrink wrap solutions. Furthermore, the Evo-ON unique cloud suite with built-in intelligence will continually support full line performance by turning raw equipment data into powerful levers for proactively achieving peak performance.

A trusted complete‑line partnership

TVOP’s journey with Sidel started in 1978 with PVC containers and has since evolved into a long‑standing strategic partnership, rooted in a shared commitment to quality, innovation and long‑term value. As highlighted by Premprasert: “Sidel has been more than just a supplier. We work as long‑term partners, hand in hand, lifting good things for the company, for our society and ultimately for our planet. Long‑term partnership gives us confidence that we can move forward together.”

Today, TVOP benefits from Sidel not only as an equipment supplier but as a complete line provider, integrating blowing, filling, automation and end‑of‑line equipment into one harmonised ecosystem. As a one-stop shop partner for edible oil complete lines, Sidel will support TVOP’s new facility in working toward optimum productivity, while maximising sustainability with lower costs and material consumption.  

To find out more about TVOP and Sidel’s partnership, and how you can access this kind of support for your business, visit the .

continues to expand the possibilities of fiber-based packaging, now introducing a new generation of caps currently under development. The caps will be presented publicly for the first time at interpack 2026, demonstrating how fiber can move into one of the most widely used and technically demanding components in packaging.

Caps and closures represent a significant opportunity within packaging, used across a wide range of applications and industries. Building on years of experience in Dry Molded Fiber, PulPac is now advancing fiber-based alternatives in this category, targeting one of the most widely used plastic components in everyday packaging and a key segment in the transition toward more material-aligned packaging systems. The new caps are designed to meet the functional and consumer expectations typically associated with plastic alternatives, while moving toward a fiber-based solution.

Early tests indicate promising performance across several key parameters, including thread engagement, opening and closing functionality, sealing architectures, and overall tactile experience. The caps also enable a high level of design flexibility, including the ability to differentiate the inside and outside of the cap, opening new possibilities for both function and brand expression.

The development is carried out together with and in close dialogue with industry stakeholders including PulPac’s designated machine partner for this segment, . It also builds on ongoing work within the initiative, where complete fiber-based bottle systems, including closures, are being explored and evaluated as integrated solutions, with participation from several global brand owners and packaging players.

Early versions of the caps have already been produced and tested in real-life environments as part of ongoing bottle and packaging evaluations. These activities reflect a growing interest from across the value chain to explore fiber-based alternatives for closures, as part of wider transitions toward packaging systems with improved material alignment and circularity.

“At PulPac, we focus on creating value both in what can be realized today and what comes next in packaging. Advancing fiber-based caps is a natural step in that journey,” says Charlotte Walldal, Chief Technology Officer at PulPac. “When we show the cap to customers, the reaction says a lot. The first response is often disbelief that they’re made from fiber. The look, the sound when you tap it against a tabletop, and especially the tactile feel challenge expectations of what fiber can be. It’s unexpected and something you need to experience firsthand to fully understand.”

Visitors to interpack will be able to explore both Dry Molded Fiber solutions available today and developments that will shape the packaging systems of tomorrow. The caps will be showcased in both PulPac’s and Optima’s booths.

Cologne, March 2026: Atlas Copco developed the dry screw vacuum pump DHS 3000 VSD+ specifically for massive flow industrial applications. As dry technology, it is well suited for paper processing, conveying technologies, pick-and-place applications in the food industry, and as a central vacuum system. Powered by a highly efficient IE4 motor with a patented asymmetrical rotor design, users benefit from energy savings of up to 50 percent compared to competitive products. The low-maintenance, compact vacuum pump has a pleasantly low noise level and also runs vibration-free.

Lower energy consumption and component wear

An integrated, intelligent control system with frequency converter automatically adjusts the speed of the DHS 3000 VSD+ to the requirements, ensuring that the exact vacuum level required is delivered in each process section. This results in significantly lower energy consumption and reduced wear on all moving components. Overall, this also extends the maintenance intervals and service life of the vacuum pump. Companies that value stable performance and high process reliability and also need to reduce their energy costs will find the dry-running pump a robust, clean solution.

No oil emissions or other contamination

A wear-free gearbox ensures optimum power transmission from the motor to the screw. “We have achieved a long service life for the gear wheels by using a cooled oil flow,” explains Carol Pignatelli, Product Manager from Atlas Copco. Because the DHS 3000 VSD+ does not use oil in any other way, there is no risk of oil emissions though carry over. “We have also equipped the DHS VSD+ with an air intake filter to protect operational process from dust and particles,” Carol Pignatelli continues. The oil-free technology and simple, robust design also contribute to low maintenance costs.

Quiet, vibration-free operation

A range of ergonomic advantages and straightforward handling make the DHS 3000 VSD+ extremely user-friendly: under a noise-reducing hood, it runs pleasantly quietly and vibration-free. The easy-to-use Elektronikon® control system gives users a constant overview of the latest status updates on operating and downtimes, error and alarms. “Atlas Copco supplies the DHS VSD+ as a complete plug-and-play unit that can be seamlessly and quickly integrated into any system,” concludes Carol Pignatelli.

Key advantages of the DHS 3000 VSD+ screw vacuum pump at a glance:

- Extremely efficient operation

- Intelligent process management

- Adaptation of flow to real demand – variable speed operation

- Compact footprint ensures quick and easy installation

- Paper filters protect against dust and particles

- Supplied as a complete plug-and-play unit

- Full service with preventive maintenance plan

- Robust construction minimizes maintenance and system downtime.