To what extent are you directly involved with lubricants?

Let me take a little step back. Over the past few years, the demands placed on our industry have become tougher and tougher. Today, even the smallest amounts of particles can be detected, and thus regulated with corresponding threshold values. Today, we no longer work with ppm, i.e. parts per million, but with ppb – parts per billion. Here, we are talking about amounts of particles on par with the famous experiment which detected a single sugar cube dissolved in Lake Constance. This means that, today, our customers not only scrutinise those input materials which we use in high numbers, such as cardboard, but also materials such as paints or varnishes.

As well as means of production, such as lubricants?

I’m getting to that. With regard to your first question: I primarily deal with the materials which we use when we are faced with new requirements – whether these are legal requirements, sector requirements, etc. Key words here are low-migration inks or HACCP – in these cases, we have to make decisions as a company: do we want this? Can we do this? What does this mean? And, of course: what are the opportunities associated with this? These are also strategic and corporate decisions. Bromberger Packungen has a tradition of always being at the forefront. We have faced these requirements in a proactive manner. For example, we are certified according to HACCP, FSC and PEFC.

And now you are also required to use H1 lubricants.

The requirement to use H1 lubricants certainly has a new quality due to the fact that we don’t actually use lubricants as a means of production – we “only” use them as an auxiliary material. This means that our products, specifically packaging, do not contain any lubricants.

Why are you required to use H1 lubricants?

Simple: because of HACCP. That’s how we see things, anyway. We produce a large amount of our packaging on behalf of food producers and the pharmaceutical industry. In order to further increase the safety of food and consumers, our customers requested that we use corresponding lubricants.

Bromberger Packungen switched its entire production over to using H1?

Yes. This began two years ago with the regular inspection of a printing machine. We used this point in time as an opportunity to make the switch to H1 lubricants with ELKALUB. We then also fitted out the other printing machines with these lubricants, too. Last year, our further processing division was also fitted out with H1 lubricants – the final stage in the switchover process.

Would only making the switch in the area where you produce packaging for the food industry not have sufficed?

Bromberger Packungen doesn’t do things by halves. What’s more, it wasn’t feasible. Imagine you suddenly receive an order which, due to time constraints, has to be produced on all lines at short notice. In this situation, the customer would not be very understanding if I were to tell them: “Can’t do it, I’m afraid, the machine doesn’t have the right oil.”