Stainless steel servo motors from SEW-EURODRIVE keep things moving wherever machines and systems are subject to particularly intensive cleaning. With an IP69 protection rating, their hygienic properties, long operating life, and maintenance friendliness make them optimally suited in permanently wet environments like food and beverage and pharmaceutical industries.
OEM
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BUSINESS INTELLIGENCE
8 Risk Assessment Standards
Building machine safety in from the start.
EMERGING LEADERS
10 How to Engage Employees
Tips to empower and motivate the team.
INDUSTRY NEWS
12 SkillsUSA National Leadership PMMI connects with future packaging pros.
MARKETING INSIGHTS
18 Customer Testimonials
Help on how to acquire end user endorsements.
SALES FOCUS
20 Post Show Strategies
Five ways to connect with customers a er PACK EXPO.
ASSOCIATION NEWS
38 PMMI Foundation
Nearly $200,000 given as educational scholarships.
SUSTAINABILITY
34 Service Level Agreements
Why energy management will make a di erence..
VOICE OF THE CUSTOMER
44 CPG Recommendations to OEMs
Focus on KPIs vs. characteristics.
WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT
46 Summer Manufacturing Camp
Students get hands-on packaging application experience.
WOMEN’S LEADERSHIP NETWORK
48 The Art of Networking
Create a community to catapult your career.
NEW PRODUCTS
52 OEM Machine Technology
The official publication of PMMI OEMMAGAZINE.ORG
CONTENT
Stephanie Neil Editor-in-Chief sneil@OEMmagazine.org / 781 378 1652
Sean Riley Senior News Director sriley@pmmi.org / 571 266 4419
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OEM EDITORIAL ADVISORY BOARD
Lisa Hunt CEO, Plexpack
Greg Berguig VP, Sales and Marketing, PAC Machinery
Rick Fox III Director, Engineering Services, Fox IV Technology
Brian Ormanic Senior Applications Engineer, Pearson Packaging Systems
Colin Warnes Director Sales Engineering & Project Management, ADCO Manufacturing
Tom Ivy, CEO, FoodFlow Automation Solutions
Stacy Johnson, VP Business Development, Hoosier Feeder Company
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It’s no secret that the packaging and processing industry is facing a worker shortage. Between retiring Baby Boomers, repercussions from the pandemic, and a general indifference to manufacturing as a career choice from younger generations, OEMs are struggling to fill the skills gap.
In this issue of OEM magazine, we dedicate a lot of space to the efforts underway that are attempting to solve the problem. It starts with our cover story—Rethinking Recruiting—on page 28. Patty Andersen, co-owner and vice president of human resources and aftermarket services at Delkor Systems, as well as the current chairperson of the PMMI Board of Directors, shares some of her HR secrets. Bottom line: OEMs must take a good look in the mirror and adjust hiring practices if they want to attract and retain new talent.
We also address the need to introduce budding engineers to the packaging industry in our workforce development story on a manufacturing camp that
took place this past summer. PMMI Media Group digital editor Casey Flanagan and PMMI senior director of workforce development Stephan Girard team up to report on how PMMI member Delta ModTech provided 5th to 8th grade students with the experience of working on packaging machinery applications. Find out how it went on page 46
And, since we are at PACK EXPO Las Vegas in September trying to sell some equipment, we are introducing you to a cool new 3D sales tool in our technology story on page 30. And on page 20, sales expert Matt Neuberger offers five ways to boost the unique sales experience after the show.
All this and so much more in the following pages. As always, we welcome your feedback!
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Risk assessment can be lengthy for OEMs, but machine safety and reputation benefits outweigh the costs.
Great innovations can require risk, but there’s no better area to stay risk-averse than end-user safety.
That’s why risk assessment is required in the design of all packaging and processing machinery, says PMMI Business Intelligence’s 2023 report, “The Impact of Global and Local Standards on OEMs and Suppliers.”
Compliance with risk assessment requirements is imperative because the process identifies potential risks, enables mitigation, and results in a safer machine.
End users often ask about risk assessment in purchase orders for equipment. This stipulation strengthens relationships between end users and suppliers, serves as a foundation for in-house safety procedures, and ensures the same standards are being followed across lines, plants, and countries, as explained by Bruce Main and Fred Hayes in the 2022 virtual presentation “Risk Assessment: Implications for the Leadership Team.”
The risk assessment process needs to be in place at the beginning of the design phase because the ability to change the design declines as the design progresses, and the cost of changes increases, Main and Hayes said.
When completed early in the
design, the risk assessment process yields many benefits. Main and Hayes say it can decrease uncertainty about the machine, yield more granular data, capture knowledge about machine performance and operator interaction, and identify more hazards to enable mitigation. It can also demonstrate to end users that risks have been reduced to an acceptable level, document foreseeability, provide a more productive, safer work environment, give the OEM a competitive advantage, and make the design more defendable.
In the E.U., risk assessment, as outlined in the Machinery Directive, is a prerequisite to achieving the CE Mark needed for European equipment sales.
CE mark standards and prac -
tices have also been widely recognized by other organizations such as the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) and the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), as well as by end users, according to PMMI’s 2007 Guide to the Key European Directives for Packaging Machinery – Fourth Edition.
Risk assessment is also required for robotics via ANSI R15.06/ISO 10218 and to comply with requirements for various end-use applications such as the pharmaceutical industry.
A formal risk assessment provides data that shows the equipment can be used safely and confirms due diligence and uniformity in machine design. The risk assessment process reduces loss, time, costs, and product liability and helps meet CE Marking requirements. It also helps machinery and
Risk can be measured with a matrix of likeliness and severity of harm.
Credit: PMMI Business Intelligence: 2023 The Impact of Global and Local Standards on OEMs & Suppliers
component suppliers decide where to focus money from the machine design budget, resulting in a better machine design.
Risk is estimated by considering a hazard’s severity and probability and can be organized in many ways. A common approach is to use a risk
matrix that classifies the probability of harm in a range from ‘Very Likely’ to ‘Remote’ on one axis and the level of severity from ‘Catastrophic’ to ‘Minor’ on the other axis.
Although risk is primarily associated with safety, it may also impact productivity, equipment, the environment, and the OEM or supplier’s reputation, Main and Hayes said.
It is a multi-step process, which includes identifying hazards, assessing initial risk, reducing risk, assessing residual risk, achieving acceptable risk, validating risk reduction measures, and documenting the process, as outlined in ANSI/PMMI B155.1 – Safety Requirements for Packaging and Processing Machinery.
Changing a machine’s design to mitigate risk becomes harder as development progresses. Credit: PMMI Business Intelligence: 2023 The Impact of Global and Local Standards on OEMs & Suppliers
Listen to an unPACKed with PMMI podcast where Bruce Main delves deeper into PMMI’s ANSI/PMMI B155.1 standard: oemgo.to/managingriskpodcast
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Manufacturing leaders need to understand their workers’ motivations and act accordingly to foster and maintain an engaged team.
Casey Flanagan, Digital Editor, PMMI Media GroupLeading an engaged team in manufacturing is no easy task, and it takes a conscious effort backed by strong leadership values to empower and motivate teams in the long run.
Leaders can follow a few key guidelines to keep themselves and their employees on the right track for continued engagement, courtesy of human resources leader and executive coach Chris Giangrasso.
Giangrasso brought 35 years of manufacturing HR and communications experience to the table as he shared the key principles to leading an engaged team at the 2023 PMMI Young Professionals Conference.
An engaged worker is “somebody who’s enthused and involved, not just about their work, but about their workplace as well,” Giangrasso said. It includes a willingness from that worker to give discretionary effort – to go above and beyond for the company without needing a request to do so.
Cultivating this level of commitment starts with an understanding of what makes a talented employee.
Talent starts with skills and competencies, Giangrasso said. “Maybe you’re really good at influencing people; that’s a skill. Maybe you’re really good at something technical; that’s a skill too.”
Skills are coupled and fortified with the accumulation of experience that leads a worker to where they are. That can be a degree, one’s upbringing, or any past formative experience, Giangrasso explained.
Just as important as skills and competencies are personality and motivators. “You can’t go somewhere, whether it’s for work or socially, without bringing all of you with you,” Giangrasso said.
Personality consists of how one processes information, thinks through problems, and overcomes challenges. Motivators, on the other hand, are what gets workers excited in contrast to things that demotivate.
Leaders need a comprehensive understanding of these four columns of talent to understand what areas they can impact or alter.
It doesn’t just apply to employees; leaders need to assess their own talents to understand where they stack up. That’s not as easy as it sounds, said Giangrasso. “You can read all the books, but you won’t get as far as you can possibly get unless you can read yourself.”
Leaders can also benefit from following the saying “hire slow, fire fast,” Giangrasso said. He acknowledged the harsh edge that saying might have but explained that it doesn’t necessarily mean leaving workers in the dust.
“It does mean if they’re a misfit, and they’re the person who’s not fitting in the organization, you may have to find another spot for them,” he explained. “The faster you do that, the better off your team will be.”
Once a leader has both a strong team around them and an inventory of everyone’s talent, they can follow a few key principles to drum up and maintain engagement.
That starts with knowing one’s limitations or knowing what areas impact potential and what areas are impossible to change.
Giangrasso suggested that skills, experiences, and competencies are easiest to alter. Changing a worker’s motivations, background, or disposition is difficult, but leaders can offer new experiences and add skills to a worker’s tool belt.
Leaders should also maintain focus on what matters most, setting clear boundaries between the important and the urgent. “You confuse those two, you’re going to give yourself a headache, you’re going to be winded, and it will have an impact on your team,” said Giangrasso.
This prioritization includes protecting oneself from others’ problems. One-on-one meetings can quickly
become an opportunity for employees to delegate problems to leadership. “When you’re having these one-onones with your team, your goal here is ‘how can I help you?’ Not ‘how can I solve?’”
Prioritization is made easier through simplification. An overwhelming list of 15 tasks can be whittled down to five manageable tasks by asking four questions:
“What is the goal? What three things need to be done to achieve that goal? What are the three top challenges to achieving those key things? And what does success look like?” Giangrasso said.
A team leader is a role model. “Don’t forget you’re being judged,” said Giangrasso. “What you value will show.”
Even inaction on certain topics can send employees a message. One value that is especially important to employees is fairness. In some cases, “being fair is more important than being right,” he said, emphasizing the value people place on an equal outcome for equal work.
Disengagement is contagious. An uninterested team member or one’s own disengagement as a role model will be obvious to workers, and it will transfer to the rest of the team. Monitoring when one or others might be falling behind is important to keep a team on the right track.
Clarity also goes a long way in keeping a team’s full support. Giangrasso used diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging (DEIB) as an example.
If a leader truly believes that diversity will strengthen the workplace and wants to build an environment that maximizes its benefits, be persistent. “You have to say it consistently, and your actions have to back that up.”
This commitment to consistency and predictability helps employees know how to handle both tough problems and regular workplace interactions.
Listening is a skill and one with which most people are unfortunately underequipped. The good news is that listening is relatively easy to develop, so it’s important for leaders to become great listeners for the team’s sake.
One of the easiest ways to fall out of listening is to
attempt to listen while multitasking, said Giangrasso.
“You’re not listening enough [when multitasking] because what you’re listening for maybe is content, but you’re not listening for tone, you’re not listening to all those things that are really most important about somebody’s message,” he said.
Leaders should listen more than they pronounce and strive to spend at least three-quarters of one-on-one meeting time listening rather than speaking.
When it is time to give input, employees benefit most from directional guidance, asking questions like “’ That sounds like it’s hard, are you okay with that? Can you handle it? And how can I help?’” Giangrasso said.
Context also makes a big difference in motivating employees, and leaders should be generous with sharing contextual insight.
“If decisions come down that were made over your head, whether it’s for right-sizing, abandoning a market, or going into a new market, whatever it is, if you have information, don’t be passive-aggressive and withhold that information,” Giangrasso said. “It will go a long way for them understanding why they impact certain decisions that you have to make.”
Another great motivator to engage a team is a high bar for success, set by the leader for themself and their team. The high bar alone isn’t the motivator, though; the ensuing reward is what drives people.
Leaders need to identify what reward best fits each worker. Increased pay may work for many workers, but the leader needs to know when another form of reward is more valuable for an individual.
“If you don’t know what does [motivate a certain team member], then you have somebody on your team that you don’t really know,” Giangrasso said.
Humility is also a key virtue for leaders to gain respect from employees. The team needs to feel valued, so credit should be shared liberally.
Lastly, Giangrasso advised that leaders maintain perspective. Mistakes will happen. With a bit of introspection, those mistakes become learning opportunities.
“If you want to be a good leader, then learning about yourself is key,” he said. “Take care of yourself. Know what triggers you, know what things set you off, and don’t become a victim of yourself.”
By applying these principles consistently, leaders can create an environment that fosters enthusiasm and commitment among their workforce, driving success for the entire organization.
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Sustainability to take center stage with support from Dow, the show’s o cial Sustainability Partner.
Sean Riley, Senior News DirectorThe most comprehensive packaging and processing event in North America this year, PACK EXPO Las Vegas 2023 (Sept. 11–13, 2023; Las Vegas Convention Center), is taking the lead in highlighting the importance of sustainability in the industry.
Debuting at PACK EXPO Las Vegas this year, Sustainability Central will take a comprehensive look into packaging sustainability and what it means to brands, including expert speakers, interactive content, and a look at actionable, sustainable solutions in manufacturing, materials, recovery, logistics, analytics, and design. At the Sustainability Stage, attendees will hear from industry experts on various packaging sustainability topics and learn how to make their brands more sustainable.
PACK EXPO Las Vegas will showcase over 2,000 suppliers offering cutting-edge packaging and processing solutions and innovations for over 40 vertical markets. Exhibitors showcasing sustainable solutions via new materials, technology, or strategies such as sustainable processes and machines, renewable and biodegradable packaging, source reduction and lightweighting, recyclable and recycled-content materials, or innovations that reduce carbon footprint are easily identified with a PACK EXPO Green icon. The PACK EXPO Green icon also highlights educational sessions focused on sustainability.
Dow, the show’s official Sustainability Partner, will contribute its expertise in promoting sustainable practices by speaking on the Sustainability Stage, participating in Sustainability Central, and sponsoring all the recycling on the show floor. Increasing the number of recycling bins on the show floor provides an opportunity to not only divert as much waste as possible from landfills but also educate attendees and exhibitors on the importance of recycling.
“Thanks to our partnership with Dow, PMMI is putting
sustainability front and center in our industry,” says Jim Pittas, president and CEO of PMMI. “Our attendees will have a chance to interact like never before with leading companies and thought leaders on a topic that affects us all and enables us to protect our environment through increased recycling efforts. Anyone committed to learning more about sustainable solutions in our industry will want to be at PACK EXPO Las Vegas.”
Partnering with industry leaders like Dow elevates the resources available to all PACK EXPO attendees.
“As Dow continues to collaborate on innovative solutions and investment opportunities to achieve our goal of Transforming the Waste, we’re proud to be the firstever official Sustainability Partner for PACK EXPO,” says Victor Zapata, commercial vice president, Packaging and Specialty Plastics North America, Dow. “Sustainability is no longer a ‘nice-to-have,’ but a necessary part of any company’s business strategy and growth. Yet, no one company can do it alone. Enabling a circular economy requires all of us working together to advance collective solutions.”
Additional PACK EXPO Las Vegas highlights demonstrating the show’s commitment to sustainability include:
• The Reusable Packaging Association will again sponsor the Reusable Packaging Pavilion featuring exhibitors offering reusable transport packaging to help attendees move their products efficiently, effectively, and sustainably.
• The Reusable Packaging Learning Center will feature presentations and panel discussions on various topics related to sustainability and reuse. Attendees will learn what to consider when investing in reusable packaging and best practices for incorporating reusables into the supply chain.
• PMMI Media Group has created the PACK EXPO Sustainability Solutions Finder, a targeted cu-
Together, let's inspire, educate, and shape the future of manufacturing!
Help shape the future of manufacturing and empower the next generation of industry leaders. Partner with the PMMI Foundation to get involved and make a meaningful difference!
Why Participate?
Inspire the Future Workforce: Ignite the spark of curiosity and passion for manufacturing in young minds. Inspire the next generation to pursue exciting careers in our industry.
Hands-On Engagement: Share your expertise, engage campers in interactive activities, and showcase the cutting-edge technologies and processes that drive our industry.
Build Industry Connections: Forge relationships that can lead to future collaborations and business partnerships.
Make a Lasting Impact: Empower students to become the skilled workforce of tomorrow, driving innovation and excellence in our industry.
How to Get Involved:
Camp Sponsorship: Consider providing nancial support, resources, and materials. Your sponsorship demonstrates your commitment to their development.
Mentorship and Guest Speaking: Volunteer as a mentor or guest speaker to share your expertise, insights, and career journey. Inspire campers with real-world examples.
Provide Plant Tours: Help campers explore manufacturing processes, technologies, and skills. Provide a unique learning experience that leaves a lasting impression.
Industry Showcase: Exhibit your products, demonstrate innovative technologies, and interact with campers and educators.
Together, we can nurture the next generation of manufacturing leaders and create a brighter future for our industry.
Learn more about how you can get involved, visit pmmifoundation.org/summer-camps
rated list of sustainable solutions exhibitors will display at the show. Visit sustainability.packexpo.com to learn more.
• Exhibitors can also participate in a post-show donation program, benefiting local Las Vegas organizations by donating any unwanted food, electronics, or booth materials. PMMI also will donate or recycle any remaining carpet after the show.
• For more information on all the show’s sustainability features, visit packexpolasvegas.com/ green
In addition to sustainability, PACK EXPO Las Vegas provides an educational opportunity for all exhibitors to understand what their competitors are implementing and what is out there to improve operations. Interactive sessions in The Forum at PACK EXPO Las Vegas provide an opportunity to discuss new ideas and collaborate on solutions to widespread issues and trends such as risk assessment, digitalization, cyber security, sustainability, automation, and integration of cobots into manufacturing. Each 45-minute session begins with a presentation before participants are invited to discuss the issue further in small roundtables.
Leading organizations holding interactive sessions at The Forum include:
• OpX Leadership Network
• CPA, The Association for Contract Packagers & Manufacturers
• The Organization for Machine Automation and Control (OMAC)
• PMMI Business Intelligence
Beyond the Forum, Innovation Stages, including the Processing Innovation Stage, feature 30-minute seminars on breakthrough technologies and best practices, presented daily by suppliers and subject matter experts. No registration is required; stop by and discover the latest innovations.
Other new and returning resources to aid industry professionals include:
• The Logistics Pavilion: Logistics is a crucial part of the product journey from manufacturer to consumer, particularly during the e-commerce boom. The Logistics Pavilion will be the place to find targeted solutions related to the supply chain, including warehousing, fulfillment, distribution logistics services, and transportation providers.
• The Processing Zone: In today’s manufacturing environment, processing and packaging are coming together as an integrated system, making it more critical than ever for each stakeholder to understand each other’s business. The Pro-
cessing Zone, which is nearly 50% larger than in 2021, supports the integration of processing and packaging, an essential function in the manufacturing environment. Within The Processing Zone, suppliers will discover cross-pollinated solutions to help increase in-house efficiency, achieve total system integration, and ensure employee safety.
• Industry Speaks Stage: Experts from the PACK EXPO Partner Program, covering multiple industry verticals, will address the latest hot topics and industry trends, such as sustainability, remote access, supply chain solutions, augmented reality, and operational efficiency.
• Technology Excellence Awards: This program recognizes exhibitors’ brand-new innovations never displayed at a PACK EXPO trade show. All can vote for favorites among the finalists selected in specific market segments, including Food/ Beverage, General Packaging & Processing, Personal Care/Pharma, and Sustainability.
• PACK gives BACK: The PMMI Education Foundation PACK gives BACK takes on an all-new format this year. Exhibitors can jumpstart the PACK EXPO Las Vegas 2023 show experience with an aquatic and acrobatic extravaganza supporting the future workforce. Gather with colleagues and customers and enjoy a private performance of “O” by Cirque du Soleil®. Tickets include general admission seating and drinks/snacks at the theater. This special event is Sunday, September 10, at the Bellagio Hotel & Casino. Tickets are available for single purchase or in blocks of 10. Doors open at 5:45 p.m., and the performance starts at 6:30 p.m.
PACK EXPO Las Vegas also offers programs and activities to excite students about careers in packaging and processing, including the Future Innovators Robotics Showcase with robotics teams from Las Vegas area high schools. The Amazing Packaging Race returns and provides firsthand experiences with several career possibilities in the packaging and processing industry. Teams from colleges, trade schools, and universities across the U.S. race around the PACK EXPO Las Vegas show floor to complete tasks or solve problems at participating exhibitors’ booths.
Finally, the 2022 PACK Challenge champions from Waterford Union High School will be in attendance showing off their winning filler machine. Information on the 2024 competition and the upcoming Chicago-area qualifying event where finalists will be selected will be available for those looking to get involved.
For complete information on all PACK EXPO Las Vegas has to offer and to register for the show, visit packexpolasvegas.com
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PMMI had a strong presence at the SkillsUSA National Leadership & Skills Conference, June 20–23, at the Georgia World Congress Center in Atlanta. This prestigious event brought together nearly 14,500 attendees, including students, parents, and educators, all gathered to recognize excellence in career and technical education and celebrate the achievements of those preparing for a career in trade, technical, and skilled service occupations.
During the conference, PMMI hosted a packaging pavilion featuring six of its member companies. Linmot USA; Wipotec; B&R Automation; Benchmark Automation, a ProMach product brand; Printpack; and Felins came together to showcase their advanced technologies, featuring an impressive array of cutting-edge machines and a variety of different types of packaging. This collaborative effort aimed to engage and inspire the future workforce, provided a glimpse into the vast opportunities and exciting possibilities within the packaging industry.
One of the highlights of the SkillsUSA National Leadership & Skills Conference is the SkillsUSA TECHSPO Trade Show which serves as a platform for over 200 exhibitors to showcase the latest technology and its application by our future workforce, teachers, and experts. These exhibits are strategically placed alongside national career competitions and leadership sessions that are shaping and celebrating the nation’s career-ready students. With interactive experiences spread across three exhibition floors, industry connections are forged to enhance classrooms and develop the country’s
talent pipeline.
Kate Fioranti, director of workforce development at PMMI, expressed her enthusiasm, stating, “We were thrilled to have the opportunity to promote PMMI and the packaging industry at the SkillsUSA National Leadership & Skills Conference. It was truly inspiring to engage with such exceptionally talented and professional students during the event.”
Peter Zafiro, general manager of Linmot USA, echoed this sentiment, “The SkillsUSA National Leadership & Skills Conference was a fantastic opportunity to engage with a new generation of professionals, including educators and students learning about the many benefits of packaging automation. We were able to discuss our future engineering internships with over a dozen qualified candidates. The event exceeded our expectations, and we are looking forward to attending again.”
The event provided an invaluable opportunity for PMMI and its member companies to connect with students, parents, and educators from across the country to foster a dialogue about potential career paths and internships in the packaging and processing industry.
The SkillsUSA National Leadership & Skills Conference underscores the importance of technical education and vocational skills in today’s rapidly evolving work-
force. PMMI’s presence at the conference exemplified the association’s commitment to empowering the next generation of packaging professionals and bridging the gap between industry and education.
For more information about the SkillsUSA National Leadership & Skills Conference, visit nlsc.skillsusa.org. To learn more about PMMI’s commitment to inspiring, engaging, and developing the existing workforce and talent pipeline within the packaging and processing industry, please visit pmmi.org/workforce.
Here are 10 ways to optimize what end users say to benefit sales.
Sharon Taylor, Director of Marketing, PMMI Media GroupCustomer testimonials not only enhance marketing efforts but also aid potential customers in making informed purchase decisions. They provide a clear product or service use case, highlight unique selling points, and assure customers of their investment safety—crucial for large capital expenditures.
However, acquiring testimonials can be a hassle, with obstacles ranging from legal apprehensions to competitor intelligence concerns and time constraints.
This article offers practical tips to help marketers optimize a testimonial strategy, improving their interaction with customers and internal teams and ultimately assisting in closing more deals. Here are the top 10 things to do:
1. Simplify the customer’s decision: Eliminate lengthy back-and-forth by providing customers with a succinct, comprehensive testimonial request, including what information will be collected and how it will be distributed. Sharing examples of previous testimonials provides further clarification on expectations. And an offer to draft content for the customer to modify lessens their burden by providing a jumping-off point, making the process pain-free.
2. Be flexible: Not every customer is in a position to provide a detailed testimonial. In these instances, it’s crucial to be flexible and modify your request to match their capacity. Possible options could include an anonymous case study, a concise yet attributed quote, or an anonymous quotation.
3. Offer reciprocal benefits: If your testimonial strategy involves professionally-produced highquality content, such as a video, make sure to underscore the dual advantages to customers. Reiterate that they could use the final product in their own promotion, thus saving both time and financial resources they would otherwise have to invest.
4. Provide customer incentives: Think of additional incentives that could prompt customers to agree to provide a testimonial. These incentives could range from a discount on installation or
service fees to the chance to share their testimonial along with your team at an industry event. These incentives not only encourage participation but also make customers feel valued.
5. Motivate sales staff: Incentivize your sales team to encourage testimonial acquisition. Implement a Sales Performance Incentive Fund (SPIF) system that rewards sales staff for each testimonial they secure or for reaching set targets. Incentivebased plans can significantly boost staff enthusiasm and effort toward testimonial acquisition.
6. Integrate testimonials into sales goals: Align testimonial acquisition to the wider sales goals. Although attention should primarily be on revenue-generating activities, integrating a small testimonial goal into overall sales targets can drive focus and commitment. However, this should apply only in scenarios where acquiring testimonials is not overly daunting or time-consuming.
7. Target high-value customers: Direct your sales teams towards customers that offer maximum value for your business. Identify the products, industries, or geographies that would most benefit from marketing support and ensure your team knows these are priorities.
8. Equip sales with resources: Aside from giving clear direction, arm your sales teams with tangi-
ble resources like scripts and templates to aid testimonial requests. Regularly review the usage of these resources, and provide ongoing training sessions. This keeps the sales team up-to-date and encourages the effective use of available resources.
9. Maintain clear communication: When a customer agrees to participate in a testimonial, it’s important to ensure smooth communication throughout the process. Establish clear expectations on roles and responsibilities between sales and marketing and let the key account relationship owner lead the introduction of new supplier contacts. This ensures an internal process that is efficient, easy for the team to understand and execute, and, most importantly, hassle-free for the customer.
10. Assess testimonial returns: Avoid generating testimonials merely to meet a numerical goal; each testimonial should be a valuable tool for nudging leads further down the sales funnel, particularly during the crucial stages from consideration to purchase. Evaluate how leads interact with testimonial content in marketing campaigns and seek direct feedback from your sales team on their practical use and effectiveness of these testimonials. Use these insights to sharpen the focus of your future testimonial creation efforts.
In a competitive marketplace, it is essential for businesses to maximize the use of every asset at their disposal, and customer testimonials certainly rank high on that list. By implementing the 10 strategies outlined in this article, you should be able to optimize your testimonial strategy effectively. Remember, testimonials are not just about reaching a certain count; rather, each one should have a tangible impact on guiding potential customers down the sales funnel. From simplifying the customer’s decision and offering reciprocal benefits to integrating testimonials into sales goals and assessing their return on investment, it’s about making every testimonial matter!
Keep these strategies in mind to enrich your sales process, improve customer engagement, and, ultimately, close more deals.
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Five ways to enhance your unique sales experience post PACK EXPO.
Ma hew Neuberger, founder, Neuberger & Company
In a previous article, I discussed the importance of crafting a unique sales experience (USX) for trade shows.
In simple terms, USX is a blend of thought leadership, value proposition, sales technique, and unique and distinct technology integration that can set you apart from the competition. With PACK EXPO Las Vegas right around the corner, let’s focus on leveraging your USX to create a memorable post-conference experience and secure meetings with your ideal clients.
Statistically, most salespeople find trade shows to be a home run for lead generation, with many attendees having influence or buying authority. However, our recent consumer packaged goods (CPG) buyer data reveals a preference for working with salespeople who provide thought leadership through a unique and personalized experience. This underscores the importance of extending your USX beyond the show floor.
Here are five ways to enhance your USX in the postconference phase:
Stand Out from the Crowd: Frequency and familiarity are key to standing out. Prompt follow-up after the trade show reinforces your brand and ensures you are recognized over the competition. Remember, your USX should shine through in every interaction. Shortcuts like immediately BCCing all your leads with a generic thank you note pollutes your USX and resets the gains you made at the trade show. For example, potential clients you engaged with at the trade show should receive personalized communication expressing your gratitude for their time and highlighting information they shared at the trade show and a call to action like a short demo video and an opportunity to book a discovery call. This prompt follow-up ensures that your brand remains at the forefront of their minds and emphasizes your USX of providing a seamless and intuitive experience. You establish a strong presence by consistently demonstrating your commitment and expertise, increasing the likelihood of converting these leads into valuable clients.
Harness the Power of LinkedIn: LinkedIn is a potent
tool for professional networking. Connect with individuals you met at the conference, engage with their posts, and share content to maintain a presence in their professional network as thought leaders.
Leverage Video Technology: Personalized video messages are more engaging than traditional emails and help in memory retention. Vidyard, an online platform for creating customized videos, and similar technologies, allows you to create personalized messages that make post-conference communications memorable.
Use Blinq for Contact Management: Blinq Technologies provides a digital business card that captures the contact information and a picture of every person you meet, ensuring no potential lead falls through the cracks. This technology aids in personalizing your follow-up communications, ensures your prospects remember you, and reinforces your USX.
Simplified Call to Action: Provide a clear and simplified call to action when contacting prospects. Make the next step easy for them to increase the likelihood of a positive response. The technology mentioned above makes that next step easier to create and more engaging. For example, a personalized video delivered via email or LinkedIn can be created rapidly and connected directly to a calendar app like Calendly to give leads instant access to pursuing your product or service solutions.
Crafting a USX sounds as simple as an outline, but it is challenging to execute as you work through day-to-day tasks and setbacks. The technology mentioned above improves effectiveness, but only if you avoid the temptation of using it for shortcuts. That’s why building the process based on your customer, company, industry, and personal style is essential so that it’s a natural process that can form good habits.
If you are struggling to form a USX that provides consistent results, the PMMI sales certification helps apply these sales systems in a custom format so that you build a practical end-to-end process. Remember, a thoughtful and engaging follow-up strategy sets you apart from the competition and ultimately leads to successful business relationships.
Learn more about PMMI’s Certified Technical Sales Professional (CTSP) certification here: oemgo.to/ctsp2023
When established: Nalbach Engineering was established in 1945, Container Handling Systems Corp. in 1995, Ability Metal in 1950, Chicago Metal Fabricators in 1908
Range of products: Custom automation solutions and machinery
Leadership:
Owner/CEO of The Nalbach
Group – Ma Nalbach
President of Nalbach
Engineering & Container Handling Systems Corp – Pat Vincent
Headquarters / manufacturing location(s): Nalbach Engineering & CHSC facility located in Countryside, IL
Number of employees: 200+
Facility size: over 300,000 sq. .
Geographic sales and support areas: U.S. based with global sales and support coverage
Annual revenues: over $50 million
With packaging machinery as just one of its specialties, this diversified manufacturing organization is built on a long history of innovation, quality, and performance.
Stephanie Neil, Editor-in-ChiefThe Nalbach Group is a diversified organization consisting of four companies: Nalbach Engineering, Container Handling Systems Corp (CHSC), Chicago Metal Fabricators, and Ability Metal.
Each business brings unique offerings—from custom built turnkey packaging machinery and conveying systems to metal fabrication and contract manufacturing for a vast array of industries, including construction, aerospace, rail, defense, food & beverage, nutraceuticals, pet care, and medical industries. According to company executives, this mixed bag of specialized products and services provide a one-stopshop for custom automation machinery and fabricated components.
OEM magazine recently interviewed Nalbach Group CEO Matt Nalbach, the grandson of company founder John R. Nalbach. The conversation focused specifically on the two OEM businesses that currently share a 250,000 sq-ft facility in Countryside, IL: Nalbach Engineering, which offers filler machines and bottle unscramblers, as well as system integration for turnkey packaging lines; and conveying system and depalletizing provider CHSC.
But before unpackaging all that the two OEM divisions offer, it’s helpful to understand the history of the organization—which earned its reputation for quality and performance in the design and manufacturing of filling
machines over 75 years ago.
“My grandfather kicked the whole thing off in the 1930s as a consulting engineer, and then in the 1940s he and a couple of partners incorporated into the John R. Nalbach Engineering Company,” explains Nalbach.
The year was 1945 when John Nalbach was commissioned to design and build a high-speed machine for filling Cameo Cleanser scouring powder. That machine design was later picked up by other familiar CPGs, including Procter & Gamble, Colgate-Palmolive, and Unilever, to name a few. By 1954 the burgeoning business needed its own manufacturing facility. So John R. Nalbach Engineering moved out of the city and opened its own factory in Cicero, Illinois.
“In the early 1960s we branched into food packaging when we got a contract with Nestle to fill their instant coffee, which at that time was a new product. We made a very simple machine for them and they standardized on our equipment with installations all over the world,” Nalbach says, noting that within the Nestle organization, the executives and workforce would never refer to the systems as simply “filling machines,” rather, they were always identified specifically as “Nalbachs.” This was testament to the power of the brand.
The deal with Nestle was the tipping point for the company’s shift
from a general engineering firm to the packaging business. And the rest, as they say, is history.
In the early 1970s, Matt’s father, John C. “Jack” Nalbach, joined his father’s company. An engineer and innovator with a number of patents to his name, Jack grew the organization through the strategic acquisitions of several local contract manufacturing companies over a 20-to-30-year time period.
During that time, Jack was renowned as an important inventor, not only at the company, but in the industry as a whole. “His original patents go back to the early 1970s when plastic bottles were really starting to take off in the industry,” Nalbach says of his father. “He had an early start in that, and we were successful in using our patents to keep a lot of the competition out of the United States for a number of years.”
Jack graduated from Purdue University (BSME) and from Columbia University (MBA). After serving with the Navy in Vietnam, the young engineer soon began working for his father’s company. After nearly 25 years in research and development, Jack was promoted to president of Nalbach Engineering in 1994, where he continued to grow the company which ultimately expanded to become the Nalbach Group.
One shining example of innovation within Nalbach Engineering extends beyond the well-known fillers to the high-speed bottle unscrambling equipment. The company currently offers four different types of bottle unscramblers and Jack was the inventor of three of those machines, including the NECOSORT-III, which is a product he developed with Matt in 2005. “It is the world’s fastest bottle unscrambler that can go up to speeds of 1,400 bpm, which is blazingly fast,” Nalbach states.
They worked with a Nestle division, Nestle Waters,
on this machine during a huge growth period of the bottled water segment. Nestle had partnered with an Italian company at the time for unscrambling bottles, but they weren’t satisfied. Jack and Matt convinced the CPG to give them a chance. Nalbach Engineering did not disappoint.
“They were a patron of sorts to allow us to develop this for them, and it was really successful,” Nalbach says. “And then we were able to sell it to other companies as well, because it wasn’t an exclusive arrangement. But it is always that first one that’s hard to get.”
The father and son team continued to work side-byside in business with Matt moving from vice president of engineer to president of Nalbach Engineering in 2011, where he held that role until being appointed CEO of Nalbach Group in 2022—the same year he lost his father.
Jack Nalbach passed away in January 2022, leaving a legacy of machine innovations that have helped to shape the packaging industry.
After graduating with a mechanical engineering degree from the University of Iowa in 1992, Matt did not join the family business right away. His first engineering role was with a company in Kansas City that made construction equipment. “It was a big departure from packaging equipment, but it was great to get out on my own and do something a little different,” Nalbach says.
In 1996, he came back to Chicago and joined the family business as a project engineer for about six months before he was promoted to chief engineer reporting to his father who was president of the company. His father retired in 2010, which is when Matt took over as president of Nalbach Engineering—while Jack remained on in a consultant role.
Then, a few years ago, they brought in Pat Vincent, with over 30 years of experience in the industry, to lead Nalbach Engineering and CHSC as president of both divisions, which are both based in a facility in Countryside, Ill. This allowed Matt to step back to oversee the whole Nalbach Group—which he is currently in the midst of repositioning. With all of the acquisitions over the years, Nalbach Group has consolidated several different companies into four. And it is currently rebranding to reflect the new streamlined approach.
To that end, over the past few years, Nalbach Group has been integrating Nalbach Engineering and CHSC a bit more in order to provide turnkey services. “We can build the entire front end of a line up to whatever is after the filling machine, and we can build it all in our factory, put it all together, and take responsibility for the whole thing,” Nalbach says, noting that the “single point of blame” is something that most of its competition can’t do.
Innovation, Nalbach says, comes from customer cues
and relying on the OEM’s sales team to pay attention to what they need. Once they understand the customer needs, Nalbach can build it. One of the company’s strengths is the fact that it does not stock machines, everything is custom built, so they rely on the personal connection with customers.
In addition, because the sister companies are comprised of a machine shop and metal fabrication company, it allows the OEM to have access to state of the art, highly automated machine tools, laser cutters, and all the newest technology. “So we as an OEM can focus on where our value-add is, which is in the people and the engineering and the connection to our customers, rather than the technology we use to create our parts.”
The Nalbach Group is in a good place because it’s a diversified organization that can benefit from what’s going on in different industry segments outside of packaging. In addition, the group is currently experiencing the biggest backlog of jobs in the history of the organization.
So the company is leveraging that stability to take the time and look inward, focusing on what inefficiencies and redundancies exist in the office or in the manu-
The new Versia 2-axis scan head from Novanta delivers faster laser marking and coding. A highspeed tune with optimized mirror design reduces lag time and increases character capacity (CPS) for higher throughput speeds. The robust mechanical design with fully tested digital and analog electronics plus IP54 rated enclosure maximizes uptime in demanding conditions.
facturing facility. “What I’m doing now is encouraging everybody to look at the processes that they are involved in and decide how key they are to continue,” Nalbach explains.
This “leaning out” effort will position the company to succeed no matter what happens in the future.
“If anything is going to keep me up at night, it is the uncertainty of what is going to happen next with the economy. With all of the potential wild cards out there and people talking about recessions coming—or maybe not—nobody really knows what’s coming. We are positioning ourselves to face whatever does come next.”
This effort will also benefit its outward-facing business model. Ideally, Nalbach Group continues to develop products and services that allow them to choose the jobs that they pursue to ensure success vs. taking risks. This focused approach also fosters a collaborative culture with customers.
“So much of what we do is as much about the personal relationships and connections and trust as it is the technology itself,” Nalbach says. “We are engineers, we can build a machine to your specifications, but you have to trust that we know how to do that. And we have to trust [the customer] that we’re going to get everything that we need from them.” ■
Headquarters: Waukesha, Wisconsin
When established: 2008
Leadership: Derek Deubel – VP and GM of TechniBlend and ProBrew, Tom Lex – Director of Engineering, Peter Schultz – VP of Sales and Business Development
Annual revenues: over $50 million
Product range: A complete range of beverage processing equipment for every step of the process, including blending, batching, carbonating, pasteurizing, deaerating, CIP (clean in place), and can filling.
Production/shipping volume per year: ~100 machines/year
Number of employees: 70+
Number of field service personnel: 15+
Facility square footage: 93,000
Geographic sales and support areas: North America
Company website: www.techniblend.com
TechniBlend o ers full beverage and liquid processing solutions for large multinationals as well as cra beverage makers.
Sean Riley, Senior News DirectorTechniBlend was founded in 2008 in Waukesha, Wisconsin, with the stated goal of providing new technology and solutions for the beverage industry.
Amid rapid growth, TechniBlend expanded to provide complete turnkey beverage plant processing systems and solutions to some of the world’s largest beverage producers and brands. In 2022, TechniBlend was acquired by ProMach, becoming an integral part of ProMach’s endto-end process to package solutions. OEM sat down with Derek Deubel, vice president and general manager of TechniBlend, and the company’s marketing manager Evan Rusch, to discuss what makes one of the newest members of PMMI so successful.
What sets your company apart in the industry?
Our beverage and liquid processing systems utilize the latest cutting edge technology and innovation with proven components and optimal design features to improve our customers’ productivity, efficiency, and product quality while delivering a high rate of return on their investment. Our engineering and professional services also focus on helping our customers operate more efficiently, productively, and successfully.
We believe in the creation of optimal customer satisfaction through world-class engineering, dedicated research and development, and superior innovation and technolo -
gies. To this end, the performance of our equipment and the value of our professional services will meet or exceed customer expectations, and we will provide prompt and competent service and support.
What went into the decision to join PMMI?
PMMI is a great partner to work with to expand our networking and connections in the industry. Plus, our new parent company ProMach is a major partner who participates in the full range of PMMI offerings. We are long-time exhibitors at PACK EXPO and look forward to the connections and business we expect from what we are sure will be a successful PACK EXPO Las Vegas 2023.
What’s your approach to new product development? How do you come up with ideas for new machines and market-test them?
Research and development is the key to TechniBlend’s success. Our customer-focused research and development efforts and consistent innovation techniques keep TechniBlend and our products at the forefront of the industries and customers we serve. Our new state-of-the-art research and laboratory capabilities are available for product testing and development, analytical experimentation, and process capability testing. We have four key focuses when conducting in-house R&D:
1.Product testing and development utilizing TechniBlend’s innovative technologies.
2.Pilot testing capabilities with laboratory and analytical instrumentation.
3.In-house, full-scale production capabilities.
4.Investment in new product and process development.
How has your product line broadened over the years?
TechniBlend initially started as a blending and batching-focused company, whereas now we have grown to provide solutions at every part of the line. We now offer every piece of technology that a beverage producer needs to create their beverage at scale. In fact, after performing at such a high rate for some of the largest beverage companies in the world, like Sam Adams, MillerCoors, AB InBev, Coca-Cola, and Pepsi, we decided to custom-make our solutions to apply to the growing craft beer and specialty beverage industry. Every beverage manufacturer doesn’t need the same scale of equipment, particularly with start-ups or craft brews. With that, we launched our subsidiary, ProBrew, which offers the same great technologies and expertise that we use for large beverage companies and custom-fit the equipment for any size brewery or specialty beverage.
What sort of background or specific talents/skills do you look for in new employees?
Most of our employees come to us with a background in the beverage and brewing industries, whether in engineering or service. We look for experienced individuals who have a focus on the client and what we can do for them.
Why do employees love working for your company?
Our employees love working for TechniBlend because we focus on the individual’s growth. We are a fast-paced and rapidly growing company that offers employees many ways to develop their own skill sets. In addition, now that TechniBlend is a part of the ProMach family of brands, employees can seek career paths in just about any industry and job function they want while still remaining part of our team. We also focus on team building and comradery, with employees enjoying monthly company cookouts and team-building activities.
How do you balance standardized machine configurations with those requiring customization?
TechniBlend has very few standard machine configurations, around less than 5% of our business. Our sales, engineering, and operations teams are all built around selling, designing, and assembling custom configurations for each customer’s needs since it includes flow rates, pressures, dearation requirements, blend ratios, footprints, and plant utility constraints.
Are you incorporating lean manufacturing? If so, please give some examples.
We incorporate lean manufacturing by not prebuilding parts or assemblies before receiving customer orders. We also purchase raw materials and job-specific
components as required after engineering release and, as a result, do not carry an excess inventory of materials that we may never use. All our machines are built in place in one assembly station. This reduces wasted non-value-added touch time.
What’s your process for handling a customer’s initial inquiry and needs assessment?
For website inquiries, a market-specific salesman will reach out to engage in the initial scoping of the customer’s needs. The second step is to send that information to our technical applications group to develop a solution, create a cost, price the equipment, and prepare a proposal.
After a customer issues a purchase order, the salesman will reach out directly, acknowledging and thanking them for the order/business. After the order is entered, a dedicated project manager will reach out to introduce themselves and coordinate a formal kickoff call to review the proposal and technical specs, as well as review milestones and a project schedule.
What influences a new machine’s turnaround/delivery time, and what happens during this process?
The customer’s review and turnaround of a technical signoff of equipment capabilities drive delivery times. From that point, long lead components that set the lead time are placed on order, and the build time is dependent on how much labor is needed after those components arrive. FATs, however, are not typical for our products. They are typically held on less than 5% of equipment. When they occur and are required by the customer, we develop a plan based on what they want to see, how long they plan to visit, and our internal capabilities. They typically involve 30% of the time in a conference room reviewing the design, prints, and capabilities and then going to our test floor to demonstrate the equipment’s performance.
How do you handle field service and training?
We have a team of service technicians, process engineers, and controls engineers that go into the field to start up the customer’s equipment. We do not have dedicated training personnel; the engineering team prepares manuals, PowerPoints, and videos to train on-site. This typically involves multiple classroom sessions for the plant’s three shifts and handson training during production to teach them how to use the equipment and give them confidence that they will be set to run equipment after we leave. ■
From now until 2030, about 10,000 Baby Boomers will hit retirement age each day, which is part of the reason the U.S. is experiencing so many job openings. But there are plenty of people to fill wellpaying manufacturing jobs. So, where are they?
During a recent episode of Packaging World LIVE, Patty Andersen, who is the co-owner and vice president of human resources and aftermarket services at Delkor Systems, as well as the current chairperson of the PMMI Board of Directors, explored some of the issues that have created a paradigm shift in employment trends. In the webinar, Andersen addressed how companies can adjust hiring practices to attract and retain new talent.
In addition, she uncovered some of the obstacles OEMs are specifically dealing with, and provided advice for human resources professionals on how to influence culture change and hiring best practices. Here, we provide some highlights from Andersen’s presentation:
Before applying new recruiting techniques, it’s important for human resource professionals to understand the megatrends behind the skills shortage.
There was a history of worker shortages prior to the pandemic, but COVID really disrupted the packaging and processing industries. In addition to people being laid off, the pandemic served as a precursor to “the great resignation,” with over 50 million people quitting their jobs in 2022. Presumably, workers were taking better-paying jobs with greater flexibility, but the end result was still a shortage of candidates for many entry-level or highly sought after positions.
“We’re still seeing that for numerous positions, anyone who wants to be gainfully employed is already working. So recruiting is primarily focused on passive candidates,” Andersen said, noting that those positions include machinists, electrical and controls engineers, IT software engineers, and field service technicians with advanced training in robotics, PLCs, and HMIs.
The hurdle here is convincing the younger generations to consider a career in these roles. Too much emphasis has been on four-year college degrees
as the only option. But that is a flawed assumption, as a two-year degree or technical certificate is enough to have in order to move into a rewarding, safe, stable, and secure role in manufacturing.
“As an industry, we need to actively work towards improving the perception of manufacturing jobs,” Andersen advised. “I would say the challenge for all employers is to re-brand manufacturing to generate interest from high school students who will soon be graduating and exploring career options, and also those who are early in their careers.”
Human resources is no longer just about benefits and administration; rather, it is an extension of a business strategy—which is a paradigm shift for many HR professionals.
Today, HR recruiting should include an analysis of what vehicles are being used to brand and showcase your company and work culture in an effort to attract talent. It should also include a review of current practices to determine if they are effective. “Really, the goal of human resources is to develop a well thought out recruiting strategy using social media tools to focus on people they want to recruit. And that plan should be accompanied by a fairly robust monthly recruiting budget. Many of us do not have that currently,” said Andersen.
Andersen also recommends working with the digital team to build on search engine optimization (SEO). This is so important that, if you don’t have a digital team at your company, you need to hire a consultant, she said.
In addition, HR professionals should educate themselves to fully understand the local job market nuances and the influencing factors. There are many annual reports on wages and what’s happening in the job market geographically. Also showcase the work culture and explain why candidates should see your company as an exciting opportunity.
During recruitment, be sure to streamline the application process and automate the screening process. “Our initial interviews at Delkor are mostly completed over [Microsoft] Teams, and we do that to conserve time if it’s obvious that the candidate is not a good match for Delkor’s opportunity.”
A very important social media move is to be
sure to clean up inconsistent messaging between accounts. This is a first step to effective recruiting. It also leads to the art of interviewing. Once a candidate is interested and the initial interview takes place, the HR representative can’t just ask a fixed set of interview questions and expect to find the best person for the job. The more relaxed and conversational the interview is, the more likely the candidate will be honest. To that end, be attentive and adaptive during interviews, formulating follow-up questions based on the interviewee’s response.
Employers often hire for aptitude rather than work experience. The goal is to upskill employees as quickly as possible. First, start with a training needs assessment, then identify priority areas for employee training based on what problems you are trying to solve. For example, the risk could be the loss of tribal knowledge, a safety hazard risk, an inconsistency in workflow procedure, etc.
“It’s really important to understand what key performance indicators you plan to track,” Andersen said. “And after that is done you have to determine who is going to be called upon to be the subject matter expert, and whether or not that person will also be the trainer.” As part of that, figure out the training delivery method: Webinar, instructor-led classroom session, one-on-one mentoring/shadowing, or a blended training experience.
To help employees gain hands-on knowledge, companies should create a personalized training plan for each individual and track training progress. It’s also important to outline sequential steps for completing standard operating procedures and processes, and providing access to these instructions via a centralized, self-service resource.
The creation of a transparent career path is critical, Andersen said, and it should be shared with workers. “I refer to it as ‘pay for knowledge
and talent as a compensation system’ that rewards employees with additional pay in exchange for formal certifications.” This also lends itself to career path mapping, which is a great tool for motivating and inspiring workers who are early in their profession to hone their skills with on-the-job training.
Employees need to know there is a pathway forward in terms of skill set and pay. Manufacturers should have internal development programs to create those pathways that are rewarded with positive experiences, be it a mentor or money.
“Money is absolutely a motivator, but so is job satisfaction,” said Andersen. “The goal should be for your workforce to be stretched but not overwhelmed.”
A recent trend called “quiet quitting” is a direct result of employees being overwhelmed. As a result, they do just enough to get by in their jobs—but no more. According to Andersen, it is the result of employers forgetting how much they’ve overloaded the workforce. As a result, employees don’t leave the company, but they start to burn out. They don’t want to take on new responsibilities, and don’t see the financial increase. Therefore they are not engaged.
“When you see quiet quitting with the individuals that you really want to retain, you need to be authentic and timely in your recommendation of what they are doing,” Andersen said. “I encourage our managers to carve out time to check in with their team members on a regular basis. I want them to do periodic oneon-ones…You have to stay with the pulse of what the experience is for the employee. You can’t just take them for granted. And the reward isn’t always a financial reward. It’s a recognition reward so they know they are valued for what they bring to the table.”
Ultimately, it’s an employee-driven environment that manufacturers are currently working in. Therefore, employers need to really rethink the way they recruit and retain employees.
There’s more to this story. To hear the entire interview with Patty Andersen, scan the QR code to register for this free webinar: oemgo.to/rethink_recruiting2023
Sales teams generate 3D blueprints of equipment and full line solutions in a quarter of the time of conventional 3D so ware.
Melissa Gri en, Editor-in-Chief, Contract Manufacturing and PackagingIn discussions around equipment sales, blueprints and 2D representations of machinery can be hard to comprehend.
Important details such as space between machines, access panels, and walkways may not be properly represented or difficult to visualize. Some companies turn to the 3D environment, but conventional 3D software generates slowly.
Machinex, a Quebecois producer of sorting equipment for recycling facilities, faced these issues each time its salesforce attempted to design systems and iterations to reflect conversations with clients. The pace was an inconvenience to both parties. The OEM also found conventional 3D software restrictive and too structured, limiting what designs and design changes the sales team could make. Since 2013, Machinex has been on the hunt for a solution to this issue.
In early 2021, a LinkedIn post followed by a direct message from a general manager at Premier Tech, a global provider of packaging and palletization systems, caught the attention of Ghislain Thivierge, sales coordinator and project director at Machinex, and Jonathan Menard, vice president of sales strategic development at Machinex.
Premier Tech brought in designers from the video
game world to create the Liveline Digital tool as a quick and easy-to-use, drag-and-drop 3D software for the manufacturing industry with less structure to provide more freedom to sales reps in building solutions for clients.
Premier Tech System & Automation (PTSA), the automation division of Premier Tech, was an internal client and the original reason behind Liveline’s creation. PTSA needed a tool to better convey ideas and concepts on packaging and palletizing systems to clients more quickly. Premier Tech Digital, the digital division of Premier Tech, released a beta version of Liveline within a year. Development and roll-out to team members worldwide was completed within another year. The company now has more than 200 “Liveliners”–sales reps actively using the tool–and 2,800 projects in the database, according to Joe Natale, sales manager at PTSA.
During those two years of implementation, PTSA provided feedback to work kinks out of the system. Thivierge says Liveline Digital put together a Micro-
soft Teams platform where Machinex could reach out with concerns and questions and receive timely responses. Machinex also uses the platform internally to communicate best practices.
“We started on release number nine, and like every software, there’s always some key features that are missing at first. But Premier Tech took the time to listen to our needs. They prioritized them for future improvement, and they helped us find temporary workaround solutions to still work and have the benefits of Liveline while they were adding those missing features,” says Thivierge.
Both Machinex and PTSA described the tool as intuitive and user-friendly. Premier Tech developed a 30-minute training called Liveline Academy to onboard new users, after which they can be effectively up and running on the software.
Premier Tech completed implementation of the Liveline tool at Machinex within a month and a half,
the first two weeks of which were spent laying down the needs and equipment necessary for the Machinex salesforce.
The first benefit commented on by both Machinex and PTSA is the speed of the software in generating designs in a quarter of the time conventional 3D software uses and providing iterations on the spot with clients. This allows the sales rep to move on to discussing the small details that make or break a project (such as proper maintenance access, easy access for disabled employees, for forklifts, etc., and even easy access to break rooms).
“And then, in the second meeting, we can finalize the layout and start working on a budget for the project. It speeds up the whole process for us and for them,” Thivierge explains.
Liveline can be used on computers and smart devices, both with and without touchscreen abilities. The tool includes a library of equipment which external customers can import 3D objects from any engineering software–whether it be their equipment or someone else’s. All objects can be dragged and dropped to any location inside the tool. Conveyors can connect machinery to create full lines. And every piece of equipment inside Liveline can be stretched to accurately fill the space.
Items can be locked in place and 2D designs can serve as starting points for Liveline designs and a basis to incorporate the constraints and limitations of the client’s facility. 3D workers can be placed alongside the equipment and walk the potential facility setup to give an accurate perspective of size, space, and accessibility.
Liveline users can generate videos of their designs to send to clients for internal promotion to stakeholders, accountants, CEOs, and other decision-makers who may not understand 2D plans as easily. These visuals are generated by placing customizable cameras around a layout. They can then send requests to the server, which creates a high-resolution video within five to 10 minutes. A shareable link is then sent to the appropriate person’s email.
Other abilities within the Liveline platform include:
• Virtual reality launches
• Exporting bill of materials documents
• Sharing projects among users
• Re-exporting in 3D for a CAD-compatible format
• Exporting 2D and 3D plans within hours
• As a cloud-based system, updates to models are automatically updated in all projects that include those models.
The software supports offline use; however, the internet is required to synchronize equipment, save projects and generate videos. To keep Liveline user-friendly to non-technical users, the software does not generate simulations, which means designs cannot be validated within Liveline. Though, machinery can include optional standalone animation to show how the equipment works. Another user-friendly feature is the ability to add external links to technical documents associated with each machine, such as production rate information or equipment competitive compatibility, etc.
PTSA uses the software not only to show clients what the system will look like or how it will fit in their facility, but also to generate marketing content for social media posts, which are typically the most successful posts, says Natale. PTSA is also considering potential use as a training tool on equipment, as well as health and safety training for operators, and as a tool in production planning.
Machinex uses Liveline to build out huge recycling machinery installations and then showcase them to clients and at trade shows. Thivierge says the Liveline tool is eye-catching and brings in many booth visitors, who can then be shown around the virtual layouts. Machinex highlights the ease of accessibility for maintenance and other features to its visitors and uses QR codes that they can scan for more information on the equipment.
This is also beneficial as visitors from around the globe can see the virtual renditions of the equipment rather than waste time and money on traveling to the actual facility.
A Machinex customer, Récupération Frontenac, a recycling center also located in Quebec, says Liveline has helped reassure them that the suggested equipment is the solution they are looking for and confirm the accuracy of Machinex’s written proposal. The time saved by using Liveline was also a gamechanger for the recycling facility and a tool they want to use for future purchases through Machinex.
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A look at a proper SLA and the burgeoning opportunity for energy management.
Elisabeth Cuneo, Contributing WriterIn today’s world, where productivity, product yield, and energy use can be precisely measured in manufacturing plants, it becomes imperative to have the right tools in place for companies to do just that.
Maintaining equipment and getting the most out of each piece ensures maximum efficiency. A servicelevel agreement (SLA) is often used to build some insurance in this department. An SLA specifies the degree of service a manufacturer can expect from
a supplier—such as a machine builder. Specifically, an SLA details the service expected, the metrics the deliverables will be measured by, and any penalties implemented should the agreement not be met by either party.
As a mechanism to mitigate risk, SLAs can have major benefits for both end users and OEMs.
For the manufacturing end user, an SLA holds the supplier accountable for equipment performance and ensures they meet their obligations. For the
OEM, SLAs can help attract and retain customers by ensuring equipment is working as expected, enhancing communication for quick resolution of issues that arise, as well as offering a way to proactively address any problems that could affect all of the deployed equipment.
SLAs also can help increase revenue and create a competitive advantage in the marketplace, says Mike Cromheecke, founder and CEO of Steamchain. io, a provider of an automated business process engine that leverages the Internet of Things (IoT) and blockchain to access data from industrial machines and uses it to execute financial transactions. These financial transactions enable OEMs to expand aftermarket service revenue via the Machine-as-aService (MaaS) model, whereby equipment is available on a pay-per-use basis. “SLAs are a great way to secure recurring revenue from your installed base, Cromheecke says. “They also ensure your customers have the best experience and achieve maximum performance from your equipment.”
In the MaaS space, providers rely heavily on SLAs to track and administrate each piece of equipment. But for traditional manufacturing equipment, SLAs are not as common, though they are a great option for all equipment suppliers. According to Misa Ilkhechi, who is the co-founder and vice president of product & partnerships at Formic Technologies, a provider of turnkey robotic solutions, including Robotics-as-aService (RaaS), SLAs offer a slew of advantages to both OEMs and their customers.
First off, SLAs can minimize downtime and ensure timely repair or replacement of malfunctioning equipment. This, in turn, helps users maintain their production schedules. To that end, having a contract in place that offers uptime assurance means SLAs can act as a catalyst to improve customer satisfaction and retention.
“A well-crafted SLA provides a clear understanding of the level of service that the OEM will provide. This can help improve customer satisfaction by setting expectations upfront and ensuring that the OEM delivers on its promises,” says Ilkhechi.
SLAs can also help OEMs reduce costs and discover equipment problems they might not even know exist.
“By having an SLA in place, OEMs can proactively identify and address issues before they become major problems. This can help reduce costs associated with repairs and maintenance, as well as minimize the need for emergency service calls,” Ilkhechi says.
Machine-as-a-Service must be explored further as this space can best leverage SLAs in manufacturing today. MaaS is a unique business model that provides
equipment to customers on a pay-per-use basis. In a MaaS model, customers can rent or lease manufacturing equipment with low or no capital expenditure. This equipment is then monitored by the OEM (as well as the end user), and the OEM handles any service, upgrades, or maintenance.
Instead of merely purchasing the equipment, the end user is purchasing a result: a tracked performance that the OEM maintains and delivers over the lifecycle of the equipment. The OEM can then leverage this model to unlock new revenue streams, deepen customer relationships, gather valuable data, and differentiate themselves in the market. Plus, specifically, a Robotics-as-a-Service business model makes automation more affordable and accessible for small to mid-sized companies that may not be able to afford a major automation purchase. With Roboticsas-a-Service, customers “rent” robots for use in their facilities and pay regularly for their use, eliminating a large upfront purchase. These robots are expected to reach certain production goals and are monitored by the robot provider.
Then there’s the idea of data collection, like case counts, as well as uptime and downtime periods. Regularly collecting this data can help display monthover-month trends, proactively catching potential issues before unexpected downtime occurs, or highlighting the need for additional operator training. In other words, keeping the machinery running as intended.
Steamchain’s Cromheecke offers consulting in this space for OEMs looking into how this technology works and how leveraging MaaS can be beneficial to them.
“Machine-as-a-Service starts with a collection of data from the machine and ends with the processing of financial transactions,” says Cromheecke. “We built
an automated business process driven by software that manages the [SLA] contract by monitoring the machine. It then automatically completes the financial transaction.”
It’s the shift to focusing on the performance and outcome expectations over merely making an equipment purchase that requires the service-level agreement. So, how do SLAs work, and what are the general terms?
For MaaS, SLA contracts can be customized to fit the particular operating and financial needs of an OEM and its customers. Common terms include “downtime monitoring” and “throughput performance.”
“This can mean different things for different types of equipment, but the contract is generally tied to the performance metrics that drive the financial viability of the project from the customer’s perspective,” says Cromheecke.
The performance metrics being tracked look at both productivity and maintenance and sometimes these even go hand in hand. While not as common within SLAs, there is the opportunity for energy use and inefficiencies to be tracked so that the machine can be adjusted to use less energy.
“Measuring the usage and operating conditions of the equipment allows the OEM to perform the right maintenance at the right intervals, leading to increased uptime and productivity,” Cromheecke says.
Tracking the machine’s performance, as well as reviewing and reporting, are key to ensuring long-
term equipment success. Regular review cycles help assess the performance against the SLA and provide the opportunity for making adjustments or improvements.
When talking about MaaS, a machine’s productivity is tracked by an industrial IoT solution that feeds the raw data into a virtual contract and automatically computes the costs based on the agreement between the two parties.
While today equipment energy use is not a traditional sticking point when creating or implementing an SLA, tracking energy use and associated costs can be done with MaaS technology and presents a big opportunity in the space yet to be fully explored.
“Energy management may be the most important variable cost of packaging equipment,” Cromheecke says. “The challenge today is that it is not often considered during the capital equipment purchase, and therefore there is little motivation for OEMs to invest in adding the technology necessary to manage and reduce energy consumption.MaaS is a great way for the customer to jointly manage energy costs with their OEM and share in the benefits from deploying energy efficient solutions.”
But the problem with energy management in an SLA today lies not in the technology or the cost but in the purchase process.
“Those that are motivated and empowered to drive sustainability are significantly removed from the purchase decisions made in the operations organization. Until organizations adopt a data-driven approach to the total cost of ownership of their capital assets [that includes tracking energy], we would expect it to be difficult to access the benefits of doing it,” says Cromheecke.
Another factor that impacts the lack of energy tracking in SLAs is the uncertainty that goes along with it. In Cromheecke’s experience, a lot of questions surrounding the topic remain unanswered.
“We can measure energy usage of an asset and adjust payments based on a pre-arranged contract. As an example, we evaluated a piece of equipment that would save substantial energy over many years. The problem is uncertainty. What if energy prices drop? What if the equipment costs more than expected to maintain? What if the savings aren’t realized? Most end users are unwilling to deploy their limited capital on something that isn’t a sure bet,” says Cromheecke.
However, as the topic of energy use and carbon emissions continues to enter into how manufacturing facilities and equipment are run, chances are energy use will soon be factored into an effective service-level agreement, right up there with performance metrics like uptime and throughput.
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If you’re exploring SLAs for the first time or ge ing ready to implement one on your next equipment purchase or as a service, Formic Technologies’ Ilkhechi says there are a few terms to consider. Here are eight key terms or conditions of a Machine-as-a-Service SLA:
Description of services: The SLA should include a thorough description of the services to be provided, including scope, features, and functionality.
Service level objectives: It may be helpful to set service level objectives or concrete goals, for each performance metric. These objectives define the acceptable level of service performance that the service provider commits to meeting.
Uptime guarantee: The SLA should include an uptime guarantee that specifies the percentage of time that the equipment is expected to be operational during a given period. This could be measured over a day, a week, a month, or a year.
Maintenance and repair: The SLA should outline the specific maintenance and repair services that are included in the agreement. This could include regular maintenance, emergency repairs, and replacement of faulty parts.
Customer support: The SLA should specify the level of customer support that the provider will o er, including the availability of technical support, training, and assistance with equipment operation. Plus, it should specify the maximum amount of time that the provider will take to respond to a service call or request for maintenance.
Performance metrics: The SLA should include performance metrics that the provider will use to measure the e ectiveness of the equipment, such as throughput, e ciency, and error rates.
Payment terms: The SLA should specify the payment terms for the MaaS, including the price, payment schedule, and any penalties or fees for early termination or failure to meet the terms of the agreement.
Penalties/ termination: The SLA should include clear penalties and remedies, or consequences, for failing to meet the agreed-upon service levels. This can include financial penalties, service credits, or other forms of compensation for the customer.
Then, of course, your SLA should include the terms and conditions for terminating the agreement.
The PMMI Foundation, the charitable foundation of PMMI, The Association for Packaging and Processing Technologies, awarded nearly $200,000 in educational scholarships to students pursuing careers in the packaging and processing industry.
“The PMMI Foundation scholarships embody our commitment to fostering the future of our industry, and we take immense pride in paving the way for aspiring industry leaders to excel,” says Kate Fiorianti, PMMI director of workforce development. “These scholarships not only recognize the dedication and passion of the recipients but also showcase the unwavering commitment from PMMI to foster excellence in our industry.”
Each year, the PMMI Foundation provides academic scholarships to students studying packaging, food processing, engineering, and mechatronics. These scholarships underscore PMMI’s commitment to the future of the packaging and processing industry.
Among the scholarships awarded are: PMMI Member Family Scholarship: $75,000 awarded. This scholarship supports immediate family members of PMMI member company employees who are interested in packaging and processing as a career choice. Fifteen outstanding applicants were selected to receive $5,000 scholarships annually. The recipients of the Member Family Scholarships for this year are:
•Michael Beske-Somers, University of Vermont, Mechanical Engineering
•Gavin Franz, Michigan State University, Electrical Engineering
•Ian Hohn, Colorado State University, Computer Engineering
•Trenton Hohn, University of Iowa, Chemical Engineering
•Riley Hoskins, University of South CarolinaDarla Moore School of Business, Business
•Aryeh Levy, Tulane University, A.B Freeman School of Business
•Norah Malloy, Saint Catherine University
•Sam Manak, University of Wisconsin Whitewater, Business
•Chad Rexon, Rowan University - College of Business, Marketing
•Ben Robson, University of Wisconsin Parkside, Business
•Christian Short, Florida Polytechnic University, Mechanical Engineering
•Jocelyn Sioui, The Pennsylvania State University, Finance
•Robert Wall, Purdue University, Mechanical Engineering
•Alexandria Wall, Purdue University, Mechanical Engineering
•Ryan Wolfe, Shippensburg University, Accounting/Finance
PMMI Scholarship in Memorial of Claude S. Breeden, Glenn Davis, and Art Schaefer: $32,000 awarded. Established to honor these industry leaders, this scholarship provides financial assistance to students attending two-year North American colleges. Each recipient received a $4,000 scholarship. Recipients of PMMI Memorial Scholarships are:
•Ricardo Carranza, Gateway Technical College, CNC Programming
•Jeffrey Gandy, Hennepin Technical College, Robotics Engineering
•Austin Holderness, Hennepin Technical College, Mechatronics A.A.S
•Steven Jones, Metropolitan State University, Computer Science
•Karan Karadennavar, Rochester Institute of Technology, Print and Graphic Media
•Alexander Kong, Hennepin Technical College, Automation Robotics Engineering Technology
•Benjamin Pedersen, Hennepin Technical College, Automation Robotics and Engineering Technology
•Thomas Wells, Dunwoody College of Technology, Automation and Controls Engineering Technology
PACK EXPO Scholarship: $30,000 awarded. This scholarship is the beneficiary of PMMI’s PACK gives BACK™ events at PACK EXPO International and PACK EXPO Las Vegas. Each year, six $5,000 scholarships are awarded to students attending a North American college or university. The recipients of the PACK EXPO Scholarships this year are:
•Haleigh Gartner, Clemson University, Packaging Science
•Julianne Hom, California Polytechnic State University, Packaging Value Chain
•Marissa Rupert, Pennsylvania College of Technology, Automation and Engineering: Mechatronics
•Caden Sand, Alexandria Technical and Community College, Mechatronics
•Jeffrey Santos, Hennepin Technical College, Automation and Robotics Engineering Technology
•Sierra Seton, Toronto Metropolitan University, Graphic Communications Management
Electrical Engineering Scholarship: $5,000 awarded. This scholarship, awarded to one student attending a North American four-year college or university with a focus on electrical engineering, goes to Gavin Boomsma from Michigan State University.
Packaging & Processing Women’s Leadership Network (PPWLN) Scholarship: $5,000 awarded. The PPWLN scholarship aims to support women’s careers in the packaging and processing industry. This year’s recipient is Molly Coonfield from Montana State University, studying Mechanical Engineering.
Mechanical Engineer Scholarship: $5,000 awarded. Nathan Gessler from Colorado Mesa University, pursuing Mechanical Engineering.
Processing Scholarship: $5,000 awarded: Supriya Korade, a student at the Illinois Institute of Technology studying Food Process Engineering.
Chuck Yuska Scholarship: $5,000 awarded. The Chuck Yuska Scholarship, named in honor of PMMI’s former President & CEO of 28 years, is awarded to a student representing innovation in the packaging industry. This year’s recipient is Lexi McFarlane from California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo, who is studying Packaging Value Chain.
The PMMI Foundation extends its warmest congratulations to all the scholarship recipients and wishes them continued success in their academic and professional endeavors. These scholarships serve as a testament to the association’s commitment to nurturing the next generation of leaders and fostering excellence in the packaging and processing field. For
more information about the PMMI Foundation and its scholarship programs, visit pmmifoundation.org/ scholarships ■
As part of maintaining a strong, useful technical standard, a consensus committee representing both suppliers and customers met and reviewed the ANSI B155.1, Safety Requirements for Packaging and Processing Machinery. We are very pleased to report that following a public comment period, the updated ANSI B155.1- 2023 is just now released for use in the industry. Updated sections include:
•Clarified text related to responsibilities of machinery suppliers, users, modifiers, purchasers of used machinery, and others
•Introduced concepts of co-packer / co-manufacturer and associated responsibilities
•Updated and clarified responsibilities for existing (legacy) machinery
•Included requirements for when whole body access applies
•Improved the information about validation
•Improved information related to remote / teleoperations of machinery
•Expanded requirements for radiation hazards and associated risk reduction measures
•New requirements for heated systems and related equipment for processing of materials
•Updated requirements for information use and manuals
•Updated/improved annexes
•New annexes to assist readers in applying the contents of the standard ■
Safety in the design and operation of packaging and processing machinery is a top priority for suppliers and users of the equipment. Risk assessment tools are an effective approach to addressing risk. PMMI provides PackSafe®, a software program that provides designers with a consistent, industry-specific method to evaluate hazards and risks through design. PackSafe is regularly updated to encompass the new safety tools. The latest version (V9) includes improved guidance to conduct risk assessments, a new tab to better integrate functional safety, and the means to develop
alternative methods in lieu of locking out to control hazardous energy. PackSafe can be licensed for one or multiple seats for your engineering team. Check it out at www.pmmi.org/packsafe-software
To aid in the implementation of the risk assessment process and PackSafe at your company, PMMI offers a comprehensive training program. Bruce Main, President of design safety engineering inc., and his team recently led a two-day course at Delkor Systems that brought together engineers, engineering managers, and project managers who interface with customers. This hands-on workshop is tailored to each company’s needs and interests, and includes insights on the latest regulations and requirements.
Go to https://www.pmmi.org/risk-assessmentworkshops to learn more.
Earlier this year PMMI’s Business Intelligence team released the white paper, 2023 The Impact of Global and Local Standards on OEMs & Suppliers. The peer reviewed guide serves as an excellent resource for PMMI members who are seeking to learn the importance of standards for good business; core standards relevant to packaging and processing and identification of standard(s) to follow. Find the report here: oemgo.to/ standardswhitepaper2023
ership Conference. Hear from speakers like Daniel Burrus, best-selling author, business strategist, and technology futurist; Richard Bahr, Former PMMI Chairman and current CEO Coach; and Jason Dorsey, President at The Center for Generational Kinetics. Listen here: https://www.pmmi.org/unpacked-pmmielc-2023 ■
This year’s Annual Meeting will feature more opportunities than ever to connect with your peers. In addition to our networking breaks and receptions, this year’s meeting will feature key sessions designed to help you get to know your fellow members better–and make the right connections to move your business forward.
• What’s My Line? Members Meeting Members. The advantage of being part of an association of over 1,000 companies is the unique opportunity to access a wealth of knowledge from peers! Share expertise, learn best practices, and gain new perspectives with some new PMMI member company executives.
Course Standards impact the ability to compete in the marketplace. PMMI offers a free Introduction to Standards Development course created to benefit your business by focusing on the standards development process and participation. Understanding standards is critical to staying in accordance with regulations related to design, operation, and maintenance of machinery. By knowing the fundamentals that are important to any industry, your business will gain awareness and knowledge of U.S. and international standards to support your company’s export business. Learn more here: pmmi-standardstraining. com ■
Keep the momentum going by tuning into these special episodes recorded at PMMI’s Executive Lead-
• Quickie Survey Insights and Ideas. Discover the valuable insights and ideas captured from recent Quickie Surveys conducted by and about PMMI members.
• Peer-to-Peer Roundtables. These unique sessions, broken out by company revenue size, will discuss your challenges, issues, and opportunities. In
addition to these enhanced networking opportunities, you will hear from true experts on some of the most important topics to advance your business:
•AI in Manufacturing Ops – How is your Company Using AI?
•PMMI Reports: Labor, Manufacturing Skills, and Compensation
•Workforce Retention – What Works Today?
And, as an added bonus, learn more about the Certified Technical Sales Professional module!
Take a tour of the brand-new Kliklok, LLC, a Syntegon Company, facility and don’t miss the return of our flexible meeting format, the Dynamic Disco. Back by popular demand, these breakout sessions use headphones to give you access to one or more concurrent sessions taking place in the general meeting room. This engaging format puts you in the driver’s seat – allowing you to move in and out of each session, without changing your seat!
Choose to attend one, two, or all three sessions, all in the same room:
•MaX Membership Forum – Manufacturing Excellence Updates
•OpX Leadership Network – Best Practices to Empower Your Customers
•Members Speak – Quickie Survey Insights and Ideas
But wait, there’s more! Register before Sept. 22 and take advantage of our early registration discount of just $195. To register and view the full agenda, visit pmmi.org/annualmeeting. ■
Are you ready to maximize your competitive advantage and showcase your solutions to the right customers? Then it’s time to update your PMMI ProSource profile using search filters!
Did you know that 75% of site visits include a search by filter? That’s why it’s crucial to ensure your company is showing up in relevant search results. By updating your PMMI ProSource profile using the search filters checkboxes that apply—such as automatic, semi-automatic, inline, rotary, and many others—you’ll make it easier for potential customers to find you.
Visit pmmi.org/prosource to learn more and get started.
We invite you to join the MaX Marketing Share Group, an engaging community designed for PMMI member marketers seeking opportunities to network, share knowledge, and learn from their peers.
Open to all PMMI members, the MaX Marketing Share Group is a unique opportunity to connect with like-minded professionals, share insights, explore ideas, and collectively develop new work product solutions that drive success in your marketing endeavors.
Start networking and engaging with your peers today by registering for the Microsoft Teams community at pmmi.media/maxmkt
Sept. 9–10 (PACK EXPO Las Vegas)
Risk assessment is a process that manufacturers use to evaluate their equipment before an accident or incident occurs. This workshop provides valuable insights and strategies for maximizing safety and minimizing liability in machinery-related accidents.
Fundamentals of Field Service
Sept. 11–12 (PACK EXPO Las Vegas)
Oct. 3–4 (Septimatech, Waterloo, Ontario)
Field service technicians are the face of your organization. They spend more time with your customers than anyone from your operation. This two-day workshop explores the non-technical knowledge and skills needed to be a great technician.
Certified Trainer program
Sept. 11–12 (PACK EXPO Las Vegas)
Oct. 5–6 (Septimatech, Waterloo, Ontario)
This workshop gives your company the strategies and tactics to become an effective and successful trainer across all employee skill levels.
Packaging and Processing Equipment Sales in Today’s Market (New)
October 19 - 20 — Following Annual Meeting — Stone Mountain, Georgia
This two-day in-person program, customized for the packaging and processing industry and exclusive to PMMI members, will help capital equipment sales professionals learn systematic consultative selling techniques to make them trusted advisors to customers purchasing packaging, processing, and automation equipment.
Did you know that these workshops are eligible for the PMMI U Skills Fund if you send three or more participants or tuition reimbursement if you sign up one
or two people. Learn more and apply today–it’s easy! http://oemgo.to/skillsfund ■
The Packaging and Processing Women’s Leadership Network Learning Circles are designed to provide a dynamic and interactive platform for professionals like you to connect, share experiences, and gain valuable insights. Join our engaging sessions, where industry experts and thought leaders come together to discuss key aspects of career development, personal growth, and professional success. Whether you’re looking to enhance your skills, expand your network, or gain inspiration, PPWLN’s Learning Circles offer a supportive and empowering environment to learn and grow.
View Learning Circle Replays: oemgo.to/learningcircles2023
Join the Packaging & Processing Women’s Leadership Network for an inspiring conversation with entrepreneur Manjit Minhas. Learn how she defied the odds and thrived in a male-dominated industry. At just 19, Minhas co-founded Minhas Breweries, Distilleries, and Wineries, becoming the world’s youngest brewery owner. Today, her empire ranks as the 10th largest brewery in North America. Discover her story of breaking into the competitive beer and spirits industry and gain valuable insights on overcoming obstacles to achieve your dreams. Don’t miss this empowering breakfast event!
Save Your Spot: oemgo.to/ppwlnevent2023 ■
Exhibitor applications are now being accepted for the newest show in the PACK EXPO portfolio, PACK EXPO Southeast. All submissions received by February 1, 2024, will be eligible to participate in booth selection.
PACK EXPO Southeast will debut in spring 2025 in Atlanta (March 10-12; Georgia World Congress Center) is a new regional opportunity for the packaging and processing industry, bringing packaging and processing machinery, materials, and technology all under one roof to a growing manufacturing corridor.
Produced by PMMI, it will offer solutions for over 40 vertical markets to address the packaging and processing needs of southeast manufacturers. For exhibitors, it provides exposure to new customers with a laser focus on the southeast market, providing ample time to engage with decision-makers, develop solid leads, and reach an entirely new audience.
“This show represents a big opportunity to bring the industry together in a region of the country that is not currently served by a trade show focused on packaging and processing,” said Jim Pittas, president and CEO, PMMI. “PACK EXPO Southeast in Atlanta is the perfect location to focus on targeted opportunities in this robust market, which is home to some of the top manufacturing industries in the region.”
Located within driving distance of key manufacturing cities and a mere two-hour flight from 80 percent of the U.S. population, PACK EXPO Southeast will harness all the power of the PACK EXPO portfolio of trade shows, directed at the robust southeast market. More than 25 passenger carriers offer more than 2,200 flights daily to Atlanta, and its targeted location is under 300 miles from Asheville, Birmingham, Charlotte, Charleston, Tallahassee, and Nashville.
“PACK EXPO Southeast 2025 will provide a prime opportunity for exhibitors to reach a new, untapped customer base in this region,” said Laura Thompson, vice president, PMMI. “And attendees will have the chance to experience new kinds of machinery, materials, and other innovations live and in-person while forging critical relationships with their peers and suppliers.”
As PACK EXPO East does for the northeast market, PACK EXPO Southeast will laser focus and target the southeast market and offer a depth and breadth of exhibits not provided by any other events in the region.
Request information and learn more at packexposoutheast.com , or contact Patrick Bradley at 571.266.4413 or sales@pmmi.org ■
Packaging machinery end users recommend machine builders focus on lowering operational costs and fast-track delivery times for machine parts.
Packaging machinery end-users have spoken, revealing a set of recommendations for machinery manufacturers to enhance their products and better fit their needs.
PMMI Business Intelligence researchers surveyed 129 packaging and processing machinery users and conducted interviews with a sample of these companies for its 2023 report, “Purchasing Plans and Priorities.”
The researchers asked these companies to indicate a single area or issue with the greatest opportunity for improvement or to advise packaging machinery companies on how they can improve their product, services, or delivery.
Operational costs are a top priority of packaging and processing companies, as determined through the survey conducted for this report.
Respondents indicated they would like machinery manufacturers to offer solutions for improving operations cost-performance KPIs rather than focusing on product characteristics, desired speed, and throughput.
“Packaging machinery suppliers tend to focus on desired speed and performance instead of addressing key issues like product protection, cost performance, personnel capabilities, and operational improvements,” one respondent said. “All too often, we are forced to adapt to the machinery that is available when ideally machinery manufacturers should adapt their offering to solve our operational problems.”
Spare parts availability ranks at the top of the supplier evaluation criteria.
Companies generally stock common wear or standard servicing replacement parts, but when they require parts that are not of common wear, they are typically not available or have delayed shipping times.
End-users want machinery manufacturers to under-
stand that replacement part response times are critical due to the costly nature of line closings.
These end-users consider a 24-hour response ideal, while two to three days is acceptable. They consider response times over a week undesirable.
The ability to run current and new packaging materials is high on the list of machinery purchasing decision factors among respondents. Knowledge of packaging
materials and machinery is the third most important factor in supplier selection as well.
Most packaging machinery manufacturers are wellversed and knowledgeable of common packaging materials. However, with new environmental regulations on the horizon, end users are interested in information and recommendations related to new recyclable or compostable packaging materials that will meet environmental, social, and corporate governance (ESG) regulations.
Engineering expertise and problem-solving ranked second in importance among supplier selection criteria. Several companies made recommendations for improvement in these areas.
Companies report receiving inconsistent responses from service technicians when problems arise. They recommend that machinery manufacturers have clear and intuitive troubleshooting databases.
Packaging machinery companies tend to prioritize sending an onsite technician and miss the opportunity to effectively troubleshoot issues over the phone first, respondents said.
Respondents also recommend that packaging machinery technicians follow a checklist for maintenance or problem-solving when visiting companies. Technicians tend to want to complete maintenance or solve problems quickly. Occasionally in their haste, they fail to complete required tasks, or they provide an incomplete solution.
Better training and more committed technicians are needed.
End-users want manufacturers to develop more intuitive human-machine interfaces (HMIs), using icons, images, and colors to simplify the operator interface.
“Nobody receives training to use a smartphone. It is intuitive and easy to understand,” one respondent noted. “We spend too much time and money training staff how to operate machinery with complex menus and screens full of data when the interface could be much simpler and more intuitive.”
SOURCE: PMMI Business Intelligence, “2023 Purchasing Plans and Priorities”
Increased system availability with intelligent diagnostics and simplified condition monitoring via early detection of critical machine states.
Budding engineers enjoyed first-hand access to packaging robotics fundamentals and applications at the Legacy Christian Academy Summer Manufacturing Camp.
Pint-sized engineers left no case unturned as they explored packaging robotics at the Legacy Christian Academy PMMI Foundation Summer Manufacturing Camp in Andover, Minnesota.
The camp, which took place in early June, taught 5th to 8th grade students the fundamentals of robotics and offered hands-on experience with packaging machinery applications, courtesy of PMMI member equipment manufacturer and event sponsor Delta ModTech
That industry connection can spark an interest in these kids in ways that a classroom cannot replicate, according to Todd Kruse, Delta ModTech electrical engineer and laser specialist, and Legacy Christian Academy
Robotics Camp director.
“I think too many times we just show videos and there’s none of the application side of it,” Kruse says, noting that hands-on participation changes the students’ outlook on machinery. “[When they] build something and then see it in a manufacturing plant, it’s a whole different story.”
At the camp, teams of students built small robotics projects, learned electrical and mechanical principles, and competed in building challenges where tasks mirrored those seen in modern packaging and processing operations. All this practical learning culminated with a visit to the Delta ModTech manufacturing plant to solidify the real-world connection.
Kruse says the direct industry correlations at this camp and at programs for older students like the FIRST Robotics Competition can be a pipeline to the industry, with robotics skills already baked into these young professionals.
“We’ve seen that students come out of the robotics program and come in as internships or direct hires after graduation from college,” Kruse says. “They’re so far ahead of other students that haven’t been exposed to it.”
Wiring techniques, modeling, and assembly skills can be tough to master in a classroom, and “a lot of students don’t get that,” Kruse says. “They get the theory a lot of times in college, but they never get the hands-on application side of things.”
These recruitment benefits come in no small numbers as students enter the workforce, explains Wendy Stromberg, Delta ModTech chief operating officer. “We are currently hosting 21 interns for the summer, and over half of those came out of robotics programs that we’ve supported in the past,” Stromberg says. “This has been a huge boost for our engineering department.”
Robotics education may be great for companies down the line, but for the younger kids in this camp, there’s a healthy dose of fun to grow curiosity and keep them
interested.
Between building catapults, taking robots for a test drive, and completing candy packaging challenges, “you can never do too much for them, and just really get them excited so that maybe they want to go into these careers in the future,” says Lynda Domino, Legacy Christian Academy admissions and family relations director.
The catapults were a fan favorite among the kids, as 13-year-old attendee Tyler explains, “It was really interesting to test different ideas and how popsicle sticks, if they break, you improvise and do it with another material.”
All that fun led to some glowing recommendations. “It’s all a good experience, anyways, even if you don’t end up doing [manufacturing] when you’re older, it’s still fun to do, and you can just learn so much,” says 13-year-old attendee Timothy.
This was Delta ModTech’s first foray into sponsoring a camp for younger kids, but it’s far from the company’s first-time supporting robotics education.
The company has supported local robotics teams in programs like FIRST for several years and has offered internship and mentorship opportunities for students gearing up to enter the industry.
Kruse had pitched a camp for younger kids a few years back, but it took form more recently after “one of the robotics teams that we sponsor had an initiative to push succession of the program down into lower and lower grades,” explains Stromberg.
Delta ModTech partnered with the PMMI Foundation and Nuts, Bolts & Thingamajigs, the foundation of the Fabricators and Manufacturers Association, Intl., to organize the program’s curriculum and concepts. It also worked with the PMMI U Skills Fund to match contributions for this camp and other robotics programs, which Stromberg says has been “invaluable.”
With all this support behind the camp, Kruse says it is a great chance to kickstart a lifelong passion that these kids may not have found otherwise.
Kruse suggests parents ask questions and never ignore opportunities to grow their students. “You never know who is going to be the next engineer to invent something, or the entrepreneur that creates another company out there.”
Stephan Girard, PMMI senior director, workforce development, contributed to this article.
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For more on the PMMI U Skills Fund, visit: oemgo.to/pmmiskillsfund
Creating a community to share information is an important way to catapult your career.
Stephanie Neil, Editor-in-Chief
This year, PMMI’s Packaging and Processing Women’s Leadership Network (PPWLN) launched a series of educational webinars called Learning Circles which highlight some of the skills that can help advance an individual’s career, regardless of role. How to network within your own organization was the topic of the second Learning Circle, which took place in June. Moderated by OEM magazine’s Stephanie Neil, the panel included Nancy Wilson, CEO of Morrison Container Handling Solutions, and personal branding consultant and self-marketing expert Melanie Denny. An excerpt of the discussion highlighting some strategies for effective networking follows:
Neil: Networking. It seems so simple, right? Not so much. Nancy, you’ve referred to networking as building a community. Can you explain what you mean by that?
Wilson: I talk about networking as a community because, really, it’s what you do, and it’s who you are, and the people that you have [in your circle]. And I have many communities that I work with here at Morrison as well as through PMMI…but also in my local community and other manufacturing associations. So with those communities, you have a lot of opportunity to connect with others and connect other people to other people to help everyone get ahead. And what I would say about networking—it is work. It’s not just getting together and enjoying a glass of wine when you’re doing your networking, it’s work. But it doesn’t have to be hard work. Networking can be very fun. It’s how you choose to represent it and how you choose to go about figuring out what is right for you.
Neil: What do you mean when you say networking is work? Do you have to have a strategic plan in place?
Wilson: You do, you really have to decide what’s important to you and have your own assessment of what you need, where you are going, and what your goals are. And once you have your goals, then it’s figuring out what you need, how you get there, and who can help you. And it’s not just about you, but who can you help along the way, as well.
One of the most important things I learned in my [25] years at Ford [Motor Co.], was figuring out within an organization, especially a large organization, where the power is. Who’s making the
decisions, who has the ability to give knowledge to you, and who can you go learn from. And so it’s about learning, it’s about being open, but it’s about also positioning yourself to be with the [right] people so that they can help bring you along. But you can also learn from them. In some big organizations just being known is kind of important. So it’s about being thoughtful in this process of figuring out. You can’t just sit at a desk and wait for somebody to tap you on your shoulder and say, “Here, I have this big opportunity for you.” You have to go make those opportunities.
Neil: Melanie, how do you build your personal brand and create a presence within your organization?
Denny: I think it boils down to visibility. Like Nancy said, who knows you? You know how they always used to say, “it’s about who you know?” It’s really about who knows you, right? Because there may be people [going to] bat for you because they’ve heard of some things you’ve done, or someone else brought you to their attention. And you may not know them, but if they know you, and they’re in a good position of decision, they could potentially tap you on the shoulder. So it boils back down
to how visible you are in the workplace. It’s not about sitting at the desk getting your work done. That’s wonderful. But it’s not enough. When it comes to taking control of your career, you really have to be strategic, intentional, and really pinpoint whom you want to align yourself with.
And so it’s about going to lunch with your colleagues from across departments and seeing how you can add value or help out. Or asking people straight out, “Hey, will you be my mentor?” And being proactive about talking to people, not just about work, but just getting to know folks because, at the end of the day, we’re all just people. I always used to say find people, not jobs.
Neil: How do you approach people in a leadership role that could help you and you want to get to know?
Wilson: When you’re trying to sit at the lunch table with the higherranking person, most people are more than willing to share and talk about their life experiences. Be curious, and then listen to what they have to say. And then ask them, what if you had this situation, what would you do? Or, can you tell me about how you got into this business? And there’s always a power lunch bunch. Figure out how to be invited. Sometimes you might even be as bold as to ask if you can go along. And it isn’t comfortable necessarily at first, it really isn’t. But one of the mantras that I’ve said for many years, and I had to learn it over time is: “Feel your fear, but do it anyway.” Acknowledge that it’s there, and it’s going to be really uncomfortable, but this is what I’m going to do.
Neil: Nancy, you’ve been in two male-dominated industries, the automotive and the packaging businesses. How did you navigate that and move into a leadership role?
Wilson: You know, I have had a lot of good advice, a lot of mentors, and I just have learned over time to speak up. Many women know
that when you’re in meetings, for example, you’ll say something and nobody pays attention. And then the guy says it and then it’s a great idea.
You have to actually speak up and say, “That’s what I just said.” Or, “How is that different?”
One of the other tips I would say is, when you walk into a room, you have to know your product. In a meeting, if you can, try to be one of the first people that speaks. And if you can speak knowledgeably about that subject, speak up and be heard. You want to be memorable. I’ve often said, obviously I’ve grown up in a male-dominated world, especially my years at Ford. There’s good and bad about that. And one of the very good things was I did stick out. I was memorable. I knew I could use that to my advantage and I think women can still do that.
Neil: Melanie, how do you make yourself memorable within an organization or within an industry?
Denny: Yeah, I think there’s a bit of self-reflection that needs to happen. When your internal thoughts are telling you they’re never going to respond, they’re never going to accept me, or all these negative things that we are allowing to dictate our actions, we’ve got to really sit with some of those sometimes and get to the root of it. And determine, is this what I’m prioritizing over my career goals? And then really, as Nancy said, I
have that same mantra; feel the fear and do it anyway. Because it’s bigger than your fear, right? This is about you progressing and adding value to the organization,
Neil: We’re all working remotely now. So how do you network when you’re not in the same office with your colleagues?
Wilson: I do think remote work has brought in a new set of challenges. But we also are all much more accustomed to having conversations like this over Teams. And you can reach out and use those groups to create an after-hours cocktail thing or go to a luncheon with colleagues.
And know that mentors and people giving advice can be at all levels, they do not have to be somebody that’s higher. [Anyone] can give you information, and information is so important.
Neil: There are a lot of online tools that we’re all using now to communicate and collaborate. Melanie, you’re a LinkedIn expert. Are there things that we can use to connect us to peers in our industry?
Denny: Absolutely. LinkedIn for sure. If you go to an event and you do participate and mingle, afterward you contact the people you spoke with and say, hey, had a great time at that event, would love to chat with you more. Here’s my link, or here’s some availability, I’d love to do a virtual coffee chat or something like
that. The sky’s the limit, really, it’s just a matter of being imaginative and creative, and just creating opportunities for yourself. LinkedIn is one of my favorite tools. And a lot of people are on LinkedIn. Messaging folks on LinkedIn may not necessarily yield a lot of results. But it definitely is a point of contact that you can use to move some of these relationships [forward].
Neil: Are there things you should never do when networking? For example, we’ve talked about trying to get invited to that lunch, but we also shouldn’t cross boundaries, right?
Denny: Yes, you have to be emotionally intelligent and read the room. But I think that you can definitely still do it without being pushy or disrespectful, or just annoying. You know, if someone blows you off three or four times, maybe you’re barking up the wrong tree. And then [consider] who else you can connect with.
Wilson: I guess I would say you always have to be genuine. You always have to be yourself and be true to who you are and what your beliefs are. And I would say never cross that line. If it just feels yucky in your gut, don’t do it. I think Melanie is right, read the room and figure out how you can be there. You know, if the guys want to go out and play golf, learn to play golf. You can do things like that…go take golf lessons, go learn how to be a part of that. But the single biggest thing before you do any of those other tricks is know your business, know your product, be a professional, be valuable at your workplace, and they’ll seek to have you be a part of it. And that’s kind of the secret—always look to be helpful.
Denny: It’s really about adding value. And I would say something to never do is to take take take and never give. The other thing I want to add very quickly is, don’t expect to go to lunch tomorrow and then have a full blown promotion. This is the long game. This is about building and nurturing genuine relationships over time. So you know, when you think about networking, people are impatient, but it takes time to build those relationships. And for people to figure out, oh, you could fit great in this type of role or whatnot, or advocate for you and trust you enough to recommend you, and things like that.
Wilson: And it doesn’t have to be hard. Make it fun.
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Watch the full Networking Learning Circle:: https://www.pmmi.org/ womens-leadership-network/ videos
PATLITE, Patlite.com
PATLITE U.S.A. Corporation recently released its new IO-Link-compatible stack light, the LB6 Series, with 20 multi-color signaling segments. Designed to meet the growing demand for IO-Link equipment at manufacturing facilities, this stack light o ers enhanced visibility, flexibility in the workplace, and smart control capabilities.
The LB6 is IP65-Rated and o ers 20 multi-color segments, 21 colors, 10 lighting pa erns, eight buzzer pa erns, and three modes to support various applications.
In addition, the LB6 Series ensures e ortless communication with existing IO-Link masters and is designed for quick and hassle-free installation. The LB6 Series seamlessly integrates into existing setups without requiring complex wiring.
Regal RexNord, regalrexnord.com
Autogard torque limiters act as a mechanical circuit breaker to protect a drivetrain, disengaging the driving and driven sides if a jam or overload creates a torque spike that exceeds its preset torque value. The next generation Autogard F400 Series from Regal Rexnord features the best bore size range available, making it compatible with larger drive sha s and allowing customers to select a smaller coupling size based on torque se ing. Superior dirt ingress protection is now available as standard, o ering minimal, “fit-and-forget” maintenance. In addition, the new design has excellent temperature resistance, enabling customers to use one model for all applications with temperatures ranging from -22°F to 176°F (-30°C to 80°C).
Belden, belden.com
Belden’s data acquisition and transmission products include 4-Channel SMPTE cable and VFD cable glands designed to provide enhanced security, be er performance, and seamless integration. The 4-Channel SMPTE Cable is a multi-channel hybrid cable that allows four cameras to be connected to a single installed cable, is available in riser and plenum versions, features a black outer jacket, and is backed by Belden’s standard 10year warranty. The VFD Cable Glands allow explosion-proof or general-purpose ingress of VFD cables into enclosures and devices. Featuring a pass-through design for shield/ ground isolation, VFD Cable Glands are ideal for all types of unarmored tray cables, flexible cables, and cords—even in the most demanding industrial environments.
Novanta Photonics, novantaphotonics.com
Engineered with performance and adaptability for a broad range of applications with system integration in mind, the Versia scan head features Novanta’s galvanometers and the latest innovation in digital servo board technology to enable complex laser processing jobs. Key features include: Support for multiple applications enabled by multi-tune capability. Bi-directional communication for position feedback and other parameters. Multiple communication protocols with up to 20-bit command resolution. Water and air cooling features to ensure high accuracy for most demanding scan jobs. Compact industrial design to reduce system footprint and easy system integration.
Siemens, Siemens.com
With its Sinamics S210 converter designed specifically for use with the newly developed Simotics S-1FK2 motors, Siemens is o ering a new and innovative servo drive system in an initial o ering from 50–750 wa s. The converters come with integrated safety functions and enable rapid engineering via motion technology objects in Simatic S7-1500 controllers. They are connected to higher-level controllers via Profinet and are quickly and easily programmed by automatic motor parameterization and one-bu on tuning. Typical uses for this new drive system include packaging machines, handling applications such as pick-and-place, wood and plastics processing, as well as life sciences and digital printing.
“The Sinamics S210 focuses on highly-dynamic motor axis control, while the connected controller, for example, the Simatic S7-1500 or S7-1500T with its extended motion control functionality, takes complete charge of positioning functions for the connected drive axes,” says Craig Nelson, product manager for Sinamics S-series drives.
The Sinamics S210 is commissioned using an integrated web server. One-bu on tuning functionality allows automatic optimization of control parameters, taking into consideration the behavior of the connected mechanics by di erent dynamic levels.
Integrated safety functions include STO (Safe Torque O ) and SS1 (Safe Stop 1). Both can be actuated using Profisafe, STO additionally, using a terminal. Additional functions are currently in the preparation stage. In conjunction with the rapid sampling and smart control algorithms of the Sinamics S210, a high-grade encoder system on the Simotics 1FK2 motor and the combination of low rotor inertia and high overload capability allow the servomotors to achieve outstanding dynamic performance and precision.
Simotics 1FK2 motors are connected to the converters using a “One Cable Connection” (OCC), which includes the power conductors, encoder signal, and brake—all grouped together in an exceptionally thin cable measuring just 9 millimeters in diameter. Its minimal cross-section makes the OCC cable thinner, lighter, and more flexible than previous power cables, considerably simplifying the cabling process. This results in a single motor plug connector, and connection at the converter is just as simple with user-friendly plugs with push-in terminals on the front.
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Continuing our anniversary celebration, the PACK EXPO Las Vegas issue of OEM is the ideal place to showcase one of the most consequential decisions PMMI made in its 90 years.
Twenty-eight years ago, PACK EXPO Las Vegas was not the behemoth it is today, and launching a second PACK EXPO show was not a given to succeed. Initially dubbed PACK EXPO West, PMMI was very pleased when the regional event welcomed 9,334 attendees and 532 exhibitors to just over 200,000 square feet of the Sands Convention Center in Las Vegas. From those humble beginnings, PACK EXPO Las Vegas grew seemingly overnight from a regional event to not only provide a secure revenue source in the years opposite the biennial PACK EXPO International, but also gave us another primary touchpoint within first the packaging and now the packaging and processing industries. The event’s launch helped create funding for our countless scholarships and matching funds programs like the PMMI U Skills Fund. In an effort to take advantage of the Las Vegas locale, we launched a PMMI Foundation golf tournament that generates $100,000 to fund our foundation scholarships.
Within 10 years, the show doubled in size across the board, with 1,149 exhibitors hosting nearly 22,000 attendees across over 483,000 net square feet of the Las Vegas Convention Center at PACK EXPO Las Vegas 2005. This industry visibility is one of the major reasons we have grown our membership from less than 500 companies in the 1990s to the over 1,000 that line our rolls today. The next decade saw the show continue to grow, providing PMMI resources to expand our industry research offerings and develop richer content for both our Annual Meeting and Executive Leader Conference.
By 2015 PACK EXPO Las Vegas now exceeded 2,000 exhibitors across 840,000 net square feet, with nearly 29,000 attendees. It was now annually one of the largest trade shows in North America, and the revenues generated helped spark the creation and funding of newer initiatives like the Packaging and Processing Women’s Leadership Network and the Young Professionals Network.
In 2019, PACK EXPO Las Vegas broke through the
30,000 attendee barrier in a big way, with over 31,000 attendees finding real, actionable business solutions from over 2,000 exhibitors.
I would be remiss if I didn’t highlight the success of our 2021 show which pushed beyond the barriers of packaging and processing to serve the trade show industry as a whole. PACK EXPO Las Vegas 2021 was the largest trade show of the year in North America as PMMI helped guide packaging and processing out of the darkest days of the COVID-19 pandemic and served as a true coming together for our industry. Attendees and exhibitors alike were eager to get back to business. PMMI and PACK EXPO Las Vegas provided that outlet that perhaps served as our most important PACK EXPO Las Vegas in its history. After day one of the show, I recall members telling me they had already exceeded goals from previous shows, with multiple examples of attendees eager to purchase equipment directly off the show floor. Certainly not unheard of at trade shows, but PACK EXPO Las Vegas 2021 was a particularly big year for this, with actual bidding wars breaking out on the show floor.
This year, the show will feature over 980,000 net square feet of exhibit space, making the 15th edition of the show the largest in our history and ripe for opportunities for both attendees and exhibitors.
Like our association, PACK EXPO Las Vegas has grown from its humble roots to an essential leader in the packaging and processing industry. I can’t wait to see you all there.
Reconnect at PACK EXPO Las Vegas to experience the latest innovations that can move your business forward. With so much changing over the last year, you need to see and experience it all!
OEM Insider helps you engage with the industry, see the latest innovations, and find solutions direct from experts at the largest and most comprehensive edition of PACK EXPO Las Vegas to date! *This guide features a selection of participating exhibitors with relevant products as of press time. View the full exhibitor line-up and complete product listings online at www.packexpolasvegas.com
Machine control and automation
Beckhoff is back at PACK EXPO Las Vegas 2023! Visit us in Lower South Hall booth 6335 where you will experience what’s next in adaptive automation for packaging and food & beverage processing machines.
The new Beckhoff Vision platform and advanced mechatronics such as XTS NCT and XPlanar
Dorner’s conveyors are designed to move product to the exact location, at the exact time and in the exact position it needs to be for the next phase of the production line. With benefits such as industry best product transfers and seamless integration, Dorner is leading the market in precision conveyance.
Industrial
EPC specializes in precision motion feedback for packaging functions like bottling, labeling, printing and marking, product inspection, and more. Our encoders are designed to provide reliable motion feedback while withstanding washdown, heat, and vibration. For versatility in packaging, our products offer features such as easy installation, field-programmability, and absolute feedback including CANopen, EtherNet/IP, EtherCAT, PROFINET, and BiSS-C protocols.
Tru-Trac® linear measurement solutions · Thru-bore encoders for motor and conveyor feedback · Field-programmable encoders
Whether your operation requires a heavy-duty feeder for bulk material handling, or a sanitary rapid-cycling feeder to package snack foods, Eriez offers specific vibratory equipment to meet your needs. Select from low-profile mechanical feeders to high-speed electromagnetic units to match your application.
Vibratory
Fuji Electric delivers high-performance AC Drives that offer automatically controlled motor operations and operating speeds for a wide variety of drive applications in Manufacturing, Food & Beverage, HVAC, and much more. This precision control allows our drives to operate at an optimal speed, reducing overall power and energy consumption to minimize operating costs.
The HERMA 500 Label Applicator is an IOT-enabled machine utilizing real-time metrics to optimize production efficiency and consistency, even in a multi-factory setting. Capable of achieving labeling speeds up to 650 ft/min, the HERMA 500 can handle label widths between 3-12 inches and roll diameters from 11–23 inches. The HERMA 500 now features text as well as graphics on the HMI. The text is available in many languages including Spanish and French. Visit www.herma.us to learn more.
Leister Technologies is a manufacturer of innovative heat sources and systems that are tailored to meet the unique requirements of the packaging industry. By combining precision, reliability, and sustainability, Leister has become a trusted partner for businesses across various sectors, enabling them to achieve enhanced productivity, improved quality, and cost-efficiency. Driving innovation and shaping the future of process heat applications.
Lenze is a global manufacturer of electrical and mechanical drives, motion control and automation technology. We are a leading provider of automation solutions to the following industries: consumer packaged goods, material handling and logistics, industrial equipment, robotics, and commercial pumps/fans.
Our engineers make sure your systems “talk”
Our designers factor in productivity, functionality, ease of use, reduced overall footprint, sanitation, safety, maintenance, longevity and future growth. Engineers integrate operator-to-controls, HMI interface & servos to match your product sizes for quick changeovers or flexibility and increased throughput.
Accumulate, rotate, grip, flip, incline, combine, decline, alpine, invert, divert, merge, curve, transfer, stack, reject, hand pack & more.
P ea ce of Mind with Visible Machine Status
Get instant updates onyour machinery’s performance with error-free status indication lights that ensure maximum productivity. Choose from IO-Link or network compatible signal towers, or go with IP69K rated lights to meet sanitation standards.
IP69K Rated Signal Towers and Beacons, IO-Link/USB/LAN/PoE Connected Stack Lights
Air Delivery Devices and Systems
With its unmatched engineering expertise, Paxton Products designs and manufactures high performance air delivery devices and systems that are custom-engineered to optimize the drying and blow-off of your products.
Interested in the latest packaging and processing trends? Don’t miss PACK EXPO Las Vegas 2023, where a multitude of cutting-edge packaging and processing innovations will be on full display. For more information, visit packexpolasvegas.com.
Pro-face
HMI and IPC Specialists
Pro-face sets the HMI standard with state-of-the-art technology, efficient manufacturing, unparalleled testing, and global distribution and support. Our core product offer includes Pro-face brand HMI software and hardware, and both panel and box style Industrial PCs.
Slideways
Custom and Standard Parts for Conveyors and Machinery
Slideways manufactures standard and custom plastic parts and components for the conveying, packaging, and processing industries. We utilize a range of advanced mechanical plastics that provide wear and friction reduction as well as corrosion and temperature resistance. Our responsive and experienced engineering team works with you to find a solution for your demanding applications and deadlines.
Plastic Parts for Conveyors/Machinery: Guide Rails, Conveyor Components, Belt and Chain Guides, Plastic Chain Tracks, Extruded Profiles
Soft Robotics Inc.
AI-Enabled Food Automation Solutions
Soft Robotics is an industry-leading technology company that designs and builds high-speed food automation solutions using proprietary soft robotic grippers, 3D machine vision, and artificial intelligence software. The company’s transformational technology enables System Integrators, OEM machine builders, and Food Processors to automate complex production processes in the meat/poultry, produce, and baked goods industries.
mGripAI high-speed, bulk-picking automation solution combining 3D vision, artificial intelligence, and soft grasping.
Exceptional designs deserve superior components
The developer of the original world-class linear motion systems, THK continues to redefine industry standards and to meet an ever-growing range of needs. THK linear motion products play a vital role in the advancement of technology and capability in packaging qpplications.
Linear motion guides, ball screws, linear actuators and cross roller rings
Efficient, Reliable & Low-Profile Conveyor Belt Drives
VDG is the leading manufacturer of premium efficiency, maintenance-free, conveyor belt drives. The onecomponent VDG Drum Motor has all drive components enclosed inside the drive roller, increasing mechanical and electrical efficiency, optimizing space, and promoting operator safety.
OEM Magazine (ISSN# 2377-293X) is a trademark application of PMMI, The Association for Packaging and Processing Technologies. OEM Magazine is published four times annually by PMMI with its publishing office, PMMI Media Group, located at 401 N. Michigan Ave., Suite 1700, Chicago, IL 60611; 312.222.1010; Fax: 312.222.1310. Periodicals postage paid at Chicago, IL, and additional mailing offices. Copyright 2023 by PMMI. All rights reserved. Materials in this publication must not be reproduced in any form without written permission of the publisher. Applications for a free subscription may be made online at www.oemmagazine.org/subscribe. Paid subscription rates per year are $80 in the U.S., $125 Canada and Mexico by surface mail; $200 Europe, $400 Far East and Australia by air mail. Single copy price in U.S. is $20. To subscribe or manage your subscription to OEM Magazine, visit www.oemmagazine.org/subscribe. Free digital edition available to qualified individuals outside the United States. POSTMASTER; Send address changes to OEM Magazine, 401 N. Michigan Ave., Suite 1700, Chicago, IL 60611-3789. PRINTED IN USA by Quad Graphics. The opinions expressed in articles are those of the authors and not necessarily those of PMMI. Comments, questions and letters to the editor are welcome and can be sent to: support@oemmagazine.org. Mailing List: We make a portion of our mailing list available to reputable firms. If you would prefer that we don’t include your name, please write us at the Chicago, IL address. Volume 6 • Number 3
?
The better question is: What can’t you do with it?
Elevate your automation game with XPlanar. Developed in-house by Beckhoff, this mechatronic system makes your production literally fly with magnetically levitating movers and base tiles that you can arrange to fit your unique applications – assembly and packaging, pharma and food, entertainment and beyond.
So, what will you do with XPlanar?
Processing with up to 6 degrees of freedom
Transport and processing in one system
Wear-free, hygienic and easy to clean
Multi-mover control enables parallel and individual product handling
Fully integrated into the powerful and standardized PC-based Beckhoff control system (TwinCAT, PLC IEC 61131, Motion, Measurement, Machine Learning, Vision, Communication, HMI)
