Written on: October 24, 2016 by SprayTM
The winning entries in the 2016 BAMA Awards were announced on Oct. 19. The results of these ‘Oscars’ of the aerosol industry were revealed at the annual British Aerosol Manufacturers’ Association Awards dinner held at The Belfry Hotel in Sutton Coldfield.
The 2016 winners of the BAMA Awards were selected by a panel drawn from the worlds of retailing, politics and environmental sustainability. The judges were: Paul Broadhead, Technical Manager of Morrison’s; Stephen McPartland MP for Stevenage; and Zoe Le Grand, Principal Sustainability Advisor for Forum for the Future.
The winners and finalists are:
New Aerosol of the Year
Winner: Permalock by CRC Industries UK LTD
A new aerosol closure that has been developed to specifically eliminate the risk of foreign body product contamination whilst servicing or maintaining food and beverage production. Permalock was also awarded runner-up in the Aerosol Packaging Award category.
Sustainability Award
Winner: Arrow Chemicals, a trading brand of Reabrook Limited
A range of industrial compressed air aerosols effective in cleaning electrical and mechanical components used by the rail industry.
Aerosol Packaging Award
Winner: Ball Corporation
Fa Men Attraction Force Aerosol Deodorant in ReAl® light-weight can.
Other Awards
The Judges also awarded Alloway UK Ltd as Highly Commended in the Process Safety and Training category and selected runners-up in the Aerosol of the Year, Sustainability and Aerosol Packaging category.
MORE ABOUT THE WINNERS
New Aerosol of the Year
Winner: Permalock by CRC Industries UK LTD
The New Aerosol of the Year aerosol closure, Permalock® was described by the judges as:
“A small change in technology that has provided a great benefit and helps prevent accidental loss of caps or valves which might otherwise lead to costly recalls”
Permalock® offers a step-change in food safety risk reduction within the food industry. It incorporates new technology, developed to meet concerns regarding food safety from detachable components on maintenance aerosols, used in and around food processing machinery.
Risk reduction is paramount in the food and beverage industry. CRC Industries’ Permalock® is a non-detachable spray system with dual position spray. The aerosol has no detachable pieces that can fall off which could lead to contamination of goods and exposing food manufacturers and processors to product recalls.
Traditional maintenance aerosols have detachable buttons, caps, and straws that have the potential to fall into food production lines. Whilst there are solutions to this, they are characterised by the ability to detect the contamination, however, the production must be halted, the source of contamination identified, and the contaminated batch disposed of.
Permalock, from CRC Industries, was conceived from an understanding of the needs of the food and beverage market, what is involved in an audit, and how a small change to established aerosol dispensing technology can be converted to a benefit.
The Judges agreed: “This new technology demonstrates a commitment to continuous improvement; it’s linked to an identified need of use and offers greater product safety for industrial engineers”.
CRC industries UK Ltd, a British Manufacturer, has adopted the pan-global Permalock development that was initiated by CRC Industries Inc., based in Pennsylvania, USA who worked with their component suppliers to develop and bring to market the Perma-Lock system.
Sustainability Award
Winner: Arrow Chemicals, a trading brand of Reabrook Limited
This range was deemed by the Judges to be:
“A good innovation and great to see an industrial range of compressed air aerosols targeted at industry”.
Arrow Solutions are the only company in the world to develop compressed air aerosols for the rail industry; effective in cleaning electrical and mechanical components. The new range is not only eco-friendly, but more cost-efficient than their traditional, gas propelled counterparts.
The Judges said: “A first for industrial use – would be great if other manufacturers can adopt targeting compressed air aerosols for industry”.
Aerosol Packaging Award
Winner: Ball Corporation
Fa Men Attraction Force Aerosol Deodorant in ReAl® lightweight can.
The Judges’ commented:
“Good innovation – 10% lighter than a standard can, utilizes recycled aluminium,
– exciting for industry providing a stronger can for smaller overall carbon footprint”.
The ReAl® lightweight can is 10% lighter than a standard can, which lends itself to a smaller overall carbon footprint. The Attraction Force can is also the first with a flat shoulder design in Ball’s ReAl® packaging.
ReAl® is a lighter extruded aluminium can manufactured with new metal technology. It utilises recycled aluminium to create a metal alloy that exhibits increased strength and allows light-weighting of the container without affecting package integrity. This breakthrough technology allows Ball to lighten the weight of its extruded aluminium aerosol packaging by around 15%.
Through advertising the creation of the new infinitely recyclable metal packaging like ReAl®, Ball can continue to educate consumers and customers on the importance of purchasing packaging that reduces the smaller carbon footprint.
New Aerosol of the Year and Sustainability Award Category Runner-Up:
Scitra and Eco-Burner refill aerosol can
A collaboration between Scitra and Eco-Burner to produce a replacement fuel burner for the hotel, catering and restaurant industries.
Judges’ said: “We like the holistic approach of refill cooking – the thought process not just the product”.
This entry aimed to illustrate how traditional aerosol technology can find new use in support of modern day challenges, to not only find greener environment friendly solutions but also support improved safety.
The collaboration between Scitra’s many years’ experience in high quality and safe aerosol filling technology was contracted by Eco-Burner to supply a critical part of the Eco-Burner concept, i.e. a zero fuel waste, fully recyclable, 795 ml butane/propane filled aerosol can that ensure the Eco-burner Chafo’s range can be refilled in a safe, convenient and environmentally safe manner.
The Eco-burner concept together with the aerosol can refill, has been independently tested and verified that there is a greater than 75% reduction in the carbon emission when you switch from traditional fuels to the Eco burner Chafo. It also will reduce the amount of fuel waste to zero while providing more heat at a lower cost. Eco-Burner has an over-temperature shut-off valve, and an overturn shut-off mechanism to ensure the highest levels of safety and its body remains cool to touch, both during and after service
The Judges’ added:
“A good model, addressing efficiency, cost effectiveness and reduction in waste due to zero fuel wastage. It achieves 75% reduction in carbon emissions when switching from traditional fuels and the product is re-fillable and recyclable”
Process Safety and Training Award
Highly Commended: Alloway UK Ltd
For design and manufacture of a Microleak Verification System.
Judges’ comments:
“takes out human error – straightforward way of verifying leak detection systems”
The main benefit of this unit is that it offers a process improvement tool and closes a quality check loophole. The Microleak Verification Unit offers a 100% quality test for microleak sensors and rejection systems.
The Microleak Verification System improves an industry standard process which has its limitations. The old system relies on operators using a manual valve placed on top of a can to try to generate an equivalent leak rate to that stated in the test standard (1 x 2mm bubble per second).
This system is challenging for operators to carry out: is not repeatable, leak rates vary, there is no exact measure of leaking gas generated, it is a quality check that is performed using the operator’s own judgement and the recording of this test was not verified as part of the process.
The Microleak Verification System is an innovative process improvement. Alloway has removed the pass or fail criteria from the judgment of the operator. The Company has designed a system that is fully repeatable, injects the correct dosage of gas into the microleak system as set in the standards, the encoder input means that the microleak and the rejection system is removing the exact leaking container from the production line and is recordable. The automatic nature of this test increases line efficiency.
The Judges added: “An automated system for product safety is good for the sector overall”.
Patrick Heskins, Chief Executive of BAMA, said: “The entries this year certainly caused much debate amongst our judging panel. The entries serve to illustrate just how innovative this industry is. It is always pleasing to see new and exciting technological advances being introduced that meet specific needs. I congratulate all winners and runners-up and thank all those Member companies who submitted an entry. I also thank our panel of judges for their input, time and constructive review of all our entries”.
SPECIAL RECOGNITION AWARD
In addition, BAMA has awarded its Special Recognition Award, for outstanding contribution to the Aerosol Industry 2016. to Adrian McCretton of Swallowfield plc
“Having been in the industry for a few years myself I have known Adrian for quite some time. I’ve always admired his controlled and logical approach to anything that is thrown at him having worked on some very “challenging” development projects together. Rarely phased or flustered he brings an air of calm to any projects he works on and has a depth of knowledge of aerosol technology and filling few can match.
“I always looked forward to working with him during my time as a supplier and when I was a customer of Swallowfield. He brings the same qualities to BAMA meetings as he did when I worked with him in the laboratory and at the business end of an aerosol filling line.
“To be recognised by your peers is always special and I would like to offer my own personal congratulations to Adrian and look forward to working together with him for many more years.”
Special recognition award – Adrian McCretto, Swallowfield plc
