technology

GS1 Digital Link: Revolutionizing Consumer and Business Experiences through Web-Enabled Barcodes

In an exciting development for the retail and consumer goods sectors, GS1 has introduced the Digital Link, a groundbreaking solution that “web-enables” barcodes, transforming them into dynamic digital touchpoints. By providing a simple, standards-based structure for encoded data, the GS1 Digital Link allows brands to offer more context-based, interactive experiences for consumers.

Giesecke+Devrient (G+D) has launched the G+D Smart Label, its innovative tracking solution that transforms any package into an IoT device. Ultra-thin and only slightly larger than a credit card, the new Smart Label proposition has been jointly developed by G+D in conjunction with its hardware partner, Sensos to enable cost-effective, accurate location tracking for a range of applications. These include parcel delivery and shipping, fleet management and monitoring the movement of luxury goods.

“Valmet IQ is a leading brand in the industry, and this launch demonstrates our ongoing commitment to developing automation technology to meet customer needs in a wide range of industrial processes. The new products bring laboratory accuracy to online measurements. For example, our spectrometer measurements provide new opportunities in measuring functional coatings such as bio barriers, adhesives, and polymers,” says Mikko Viitamäki, Business Manager, Quality Management Solutions, Automation Systems business line at Valmet.

Signode, a leading global manufacturer of a broad range of automated transit packaging equipment, tools, consumables, automation and support solutions, is proud to introduce the BXT4 Battery Hand Tool for Plastic Strapping with EasyTrigger Technology. This next-generation tool builds upon the innovations of the previous BXT generations with advanced features that enhance usability, performance, and durability. 

The project aligns with the National Framework for Recycled Content Traceability (NFRCT) and aims to offer trust and transparency of Australian recycled content for end users while automating data capture and reporting.

The NFRCT, released in December 2023, is a voluntary national framework for recycled content traceability. This guideline aims to enhance trust in recycled materials by helping businesses collect and share information, ensuring clear and consistent traceability rules for all recycled content products in Australia.

BASF, Endress+Hauser, TechnoCompound, and the German Universities of Bayreuth and Jena have partnered to study ways to improve the mechanical recycling of plastics. The project, called SpecRek, is being partially funded by the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) with the goal of reliably and precisely identifying the composition of plastic waste during the recycling process to improve the quality of recycled plastics.