More than 80% of the products that Pentel sells are sustainable in the sense that they’re re llable and reusable. The company took the next step, reimagining its packaging with the same green approach it had already been taking with its products, to make the leap from plastic to paper blister packs. Existing equipment that was easily retro ttable to the new format simpli ed matters.
This leading maker of writing utensils has worked steadily for the past three years to develop a plastic-free alternative to the blister pack format that is ubiquitous in the category.
Integrators used software to identify the optimal positioning of robots on the line based on their footprint, reach, and payload. This software also serves to validate the requisite system performance in relation to the existing components of the packaging line.
A common theme among the exible packaging applications that earned recognition as 2023 Flexible Packaging Association (FPA) Award winners is their ability to strike a balance between eye-catching aesthetics and performance in product protection.
Thirty years into a business started by two school friends, the introduction of the smaller Magic Morsel found the brownie maker searching for a happy ending to an end-of-line challenge.
Labeling is critical in logistics, distribution, warehousing, and e-commerce, and this is where Panther excels. Whether printing and applying shipping labels to varying size packages, handling label plus pack-slip applications, or printing and applying license plate barcode labels, there is a well-proven Panther solution backed up with excellent support.
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In recent months, collaborations are evolving from time-limited, twoparty partnerships into perpetual, multi-stakeholder coalitions that look like microcosms of entire supply chains. These are also morphing from what once were linear, downstream efforts into circular, pullthrough endeavors that recover packaging material at the end of the cycle, reinject it into the supply chain, and use it in new packaging. “Had we tried to do it alone, we couldn’t have done it at all,” is a common-thread sentiment heard in most of these collaborations.
Some models feature a third party at the center, holding together these circular supply flows. A regional entry into this category is the MBOLD film-recycling coalition. You’ll find on page 22 that it’s moving from multi- to many-stakeholder. We’re also hearing more about Producer Responsibility Organizations (PROs), which also have a third-party management organization at their centers to help stakeholders better control their own destinies and potentially, keep less favorable forms of EPR (Extended Producer Responsibility) at bay. Here are a few other new collaborations in packaging.
Dow, WM, and Natura PCR. At the Plastics Packaging Conference (which featured a stellar four-channel waste collection and dual mechanical/chemical recycling system from PureCycle and ExxonMobil) last month, I heard about a pilot program for residential/curbside recycling of hardto-recycle plastic films. It’s led by industry goliaths Dow and WM (Waste Management), plus film converter Natura PCR in which WM has a controlling stake. The project focuses on recoverable monomaterial PE films that are common in households but difficult for MRFs to handle. Their recovery would unlock untapped PCR feedstock.
“Recycled plastic is only about 5% of the material that we collect every day in our customers’ bins. But it represents about 40% of the value,” said Brent Bell, president, WM, at the conference. “And it also represents nearly 100% of the conversations we have.”
Charter Next Generation and Revolution Sustainable Solutions. Continuing the plastic film recycling theme, another one I heard about at the Plastics Recycling Conference was between CNG and Revolution. The former will offer the latter’s Encore food-grade PCR LLDPE resin for application in its film products, like stand-up pouches, pre-made bags, and rollstock for both horizontal and vertical applications. Revolution introduced Encore to the market in 2022 after receiving a Letter of No Objection (LNO) in December 2021 from the FDA. The LNO allowed for Revolution’s proprietary recycling method to produce PCR-LLDPE for flexible films in food contact at content levels up to 100% for all food packaging types under most conditions of use as defined by the FDA.
KraftHeinz, Tesco, SABIC, and Berry Global. Heinz Beanz Snap Pots in the UK use product packaging with high-content chemically recycled PCR from SABIC, sourced from flexible films that had been dropped off by consumers at retailer Tesco’s in-store collection points. Spokespeople say this represents true circularity and continued adoption of new recycling technology—pyrolysis in this case. The 39% recycled plastic that the new Snap Pots contain was validated using an approach endorsed by ISCC. This makes it possible to track the amount and sustainability characteristics of materials used in the manufacturing process. The recycled material meets the requirements of foodcontact safety regulations and provides a replacement for virgin polypropylene in the thin-wall pack with no compromise on processability or mechanical performance.
PepsiCo, Bryce Corp, Kaneka, CNG, Taghleef, Sun Chemical, and Printpack. At last month’s SNAXPO, we heard about a compostable Frito Lays chip bag that’s another example of collaboration. It uses polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHA), naturally produced by bio-fermentation, to create a cast copolymer called BHPH, or poly (3-hydroxybutyrate-co-3-hydroxyhexanoate), plus a layer of cellophane film. Every chef brings an ingredient to the soup, helping to add value along the supply chain with scale, machinability, barrier layer, thermal stability, printing and inks, adhesive and lamination, orientation, and more. With all of the elements in place to make a BPI industrial composability claim now or soon, the goal in commercialization for 2023 is to achieve an extra step: a home compostable claim.
“We talk a lot about collaboration, not competition, because these are the right things to do,” said Rob Cotton, R&D director, food packaging sustainability, PepsiCo said at the show. PW
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Plastic-based packaging will maintain over 50% share of packaging materials across global consumer packaged goods categories by 2024.
Plastic packaging to maintain share requiring innovation in production, use, and EOL
That’s according to PMMI Business Intelligence’s 2022 report “Future of Packaging and Sustainability.” These metrics include all rigid plastic pack types, stand-up pouches, exible plastic, exible aluminum and plastic combinations, and blister and strip packs.
Plastic packaging has the greatest hold on the home care category, with a projected 82% share in 2024 and a 1% increase compared to 2020. This shift is the result of sustainability efforts.
“In home and personal care, shifting to pouches results in signi cant reduction [of material per package],” a director of process at a packaging equipment supplier explains in the report. “Food is already in exible plastic. Big strides have been made.”
The food category shares a similar story with home care, with a projected 72% of food packaging using plastic in 2024—another 1% increase from 2020.
Beauty and personal care hold the next most signi cant share of plastic packaging, with a projected 1% increase from 2020 to 2024 up to 65% plastic used.
Global Share of Plastic-Based Packaging* by Industry in 2020 Projected Global Share of Plastic-Based Packaging by Industry in 2024
Less dominated by plastic but still using the material most often are the dog and cat food and beverage categories. Dog and cat food is projected to use 58% plastic by 2024, while beverages will reach 53%. Both estimates are a 2% increase compared to 2020.
“Progress has been made with PET bottles,” a vice president of packaging and R&I at a CPG says. “We want to move our plastic packaging in that direction and work with governments, other CPGs, and consortiums to push that way and have a loop [supply] for plastic.”
Overall, the report notes a 2% growth in plastic packaging year over year from 2020 to 2021 alone and a 2.6%+ CAGR in plastic packaging projected from 2020 to 2024, which it says is bolstered by renewable plastics. —Casey Flanagan
Plastic packaging to maintain share requiring innovation in production, use, and EOL
Projected Global Share of Plastic-Based Packaging* by Industry in 2024
Global Share of Plastic-Based Packaging* by Industry in 2020
Source: PMMI Business Intelligence, 2022 Future of Packaging and Sustainability
Sustainability Report, Free Download
+80bn +2% plastic packaging YoY growth 2020-2021 Note: * Plastic Packaging includes all rigid plastic pack types, stand up pouches, flexible plastic, flexible aluminium/plastic, blister and strip packs
Note:
+2%
plastic
+2.6% CAGR plastic packaging 2020-2024, bolstered by renewable plastics
+2% plastic packaging YoY growth 2020-2021 Note: * Plastic Packaging includes all rigid plastic pack types, stand up pouches, flexible plastic, flexible aluminium/plastic, blister and strip packs
plastic packaging 2020-2024, bolstered by renewable plastics
CAGR
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Registration for PACK EXPO Las Vegas 2023 (Sept. 11–13, 2023; Las Vegas Convention Center) is now open. Produced by PMMI, The Association for Packaging and Processing Technologies, PACK EXPO Las Vegas 2023 will be the largest, most comprehensive edition of this trade show yet and the premier destination for cutting-edge packaging and processing solutions with more than 2,000 exhibitors serving over 40 vertical markets.
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—Sean Riley
Beauty brand LUMENE is launching its new Nordic Hydra Birch Dew Jelly skincare line in a recyclable bottle containing chemically recycled content from Eastman. For this product’s bottle, LUMENE chose to use 50% certi ed-recycled content that is speci cally designed for extrusion blow molding (EBM). Recycled content is allocated via the ISCC-certi ed mass
balance approach. The chemically recycled resin, Cristal One E, is Eastman’s latest addition to its Cristal One portfolio.
“LUMENE’s ambition is to have 80% of its packaging made of recycled or recyclable materials by the end of 2025. When developing this twoin-one hydrating skin care product, we were looking for a sustainable packaging option that would not compromise on the product presentation. Cristal One E allows visibility of the beautiful formula and elevates the overall consumer experience,” says Julia Vlasova, global senior brand manager at LUMENE.
“All of the recycled content in Cristal One E is from Eastman’s molecular [chemical] recycling process,” adds Rainey Garland, market development manager - Cosmetics and Personal Care at Eastman. “It is part of our polyester renewal technology that unzips the polymer and uses the monomers to create new materials.”
Eastman says the resin provides brands the brilliance and luster of glass with rigid, thick-walled construction for EBM that is not typically achievable with conventional recycled resins. So, what makes this particular resin so great for EBM processes? It’s formulated to a higher intrinsic viscosity (IV) than typical resins used for injection molding or injection stretch blow molding. This enables the parison to be supported while the mold closes around the resin during the EBM process.
LUMENE worked with bottle molder and EBM specialist Rebhan to bring the package to market. The two selected Cristal One E Renew to maximize the sustainability pro le of the Nordic Hydra Birch Dew Jelly’s cleverly designed bottles, which feature a vibrant bluegradient decoration. It was important that the packaging enhance the unique formulation of the serum-inmoisturizer, which is based on a potent combination of organic Nordic birch sap, triple-hyaluronic acid, and new, innovative moisture spheres to quench and deeply hydrate skin, the brand says.
Both Cristal One E and Cristal One E Renew are compatible with the PET recycling stream and are endorsed by the Association of Plastic Recyclers (APR) and the European PET Bottle Platform as Resin Identi cation Code 1 (RIC1).
The bottle is labelled with a PET label, which is twocolor digitally printed. —Matt Reynolds
Resembling an oversized purple Trivial Pursuit pie with all the pie pieces completed, the new Nerds Twist & Mix container is said to be a “ rst-of-its-kind design for the candy industry.” That’s according to Judy Lee, senior manager, Industrial Design for Nerds brand owner Ferrara USA. Lee was part of the team responsible for the new twist on a classic package: a multicompartment plastic pack that lets consumers mix and match up to ve Original Nerds avors.
“Ferrara’s research indicated that Nerds candy fans, while loving the duality aspect of the classic Nerds box, would like the option to enjoy even more avors at once without having to either purchase numerous avor packs or separate their favorite avors,” says Joey Rath, senior brand manager, Nerds.
“The circular design is inspired by the consumer need for customization while on-the-go, so it was important to design a package that could t into your pocket and easily pour and share with others.”
The colorful new container holds 2.1 oz of strawberry-, orange-, watermelon-, cherry-, and lemonade- avored Original Nerds candies, or one mini box (12 g) of each. A rotating lid with a resealable ap offers access to each avor—or two at once.
The original packaging design was done in-house by Ferrara’s
Industrial Design team and included a number of functional and aesthetic features. Among them, the container has a sleek and clean design; it has a slim pro le—31∕2 in. W x 7∕8 in. H—that allows it to easily t in a pocket; the bottom of the container has a soft pro le that nests comfortably in the consumer’s palm; and the top of the lid has a at surface in the center that accommodates a branding sticker.
In October 2019, the in-house design team provided packaging supplier TricorBraun with a 3D CAD model of the design and a list of additional functional requirements. Ferrara requested that the supplier design a notch detail between the lid and bottom compartment to provide tactile feedback for a premium feel, as well as a groove detail on the outer edge of the lid to add an additional grip surface. It also wanted a lid that was easy to open as well as clear, so consumers would be able to see the colorful Nerds inside.
According to Terri Sheppard, CPPL, packaging consultant at TricorBraun, the main challenge with the package design was the lid. “There was a very ne line we had to overcome with making the lid easy to rotate, but tight enough to stay on the base, as well as having the ap easy to open but also stay closed during shipping and lling,” she explains. “We went through several iterations of the unit cavity and production tool modi cations to ultimately achieve the perfect t to meet all of the requirements necessary for transport and shipping to Ferrara for lling.”
Given the project began on the cusp of COVID-19, prototyping was a challenge as well. As Lee shares, during the early days of the pandemic, the Ferrara team couldn’t access the company’s 3D printer, so the TricorBraun team provided 3D-printed models from their in-house prototype lab using FDMs (fused deposition
modeling), then shipped the models to each of Ferrara’s core team members to evaluate the design and functional details. “We had many rounds of video calls to ne-tune the details, and the teams were super collaborative and positive throughout the process,” she adds.
The nal pieces—the base and lid—are made of polypropylene and are injection molded. The base is purple, with TricorBraun having offered processing recommendations for easier gripping of the container. The lid uses clari ed PP, which allows for transparency and a view of the candy inside the package. Due to its PP base and lid, the package is said by Ferrara to be widely recyclable in the U.S.
To ll the new container at its Chicago-area facility, Ferrara installed new packaging equipment, including a ller from Spee-Dee Nerds Twist & Mix was rst introduced in August 2021 to select customers, followed by a national launch in fall 2021. According to Ferrara USA Senior Associate Brand Manager for Nerds Innovation Jenny Chen, the new product has surpassed the company’s sales expectations and is quickly rising in the ranks of its portfolio. In fact, with the increased forecast and success of the program, TricorBraun has built a second set of tooling and is now running the components on two manufacturing lines. —Anne Marie Mohan
As part of its commitment to support women climate tech entrepreneurs, Amazon’s Climate Pledge Fund is investing in Genecis, a bioplastics company founded by scientist Luna Yu. Genecis uses organic waste to create a biodegradable bioplastic, PHA (polyhydroxyalkanoate), that can be used as an alternative to conventional plastic packaging.
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The Climate Pledge Fund, which invests in climate tech companies developing innovations that help address global warming, recently announced its Female Founder Initiative to invest $50 million in womenfounded and women-led climate tech companies. The program also invests money in incubators and accelerators that support women entrepreneurs and is designed to help address the genderequity funding gap that currently exists for women in climate tech. Says Amazon, women founders and their companies often receive a fraction of the venture capital funding—less than 3%, according to Pitchbook.
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Yu, who founded Genecis at the age of 21 while studying to be an environmental scientist, is the rst woman CEO to receive investment support through the Female Founder Initiative. Genecis is also the fund’s rst investment in a company directly addressing the use of fossil fuel-derived plastics and the global warming factors they contribute to.
The PHA developed by Genecis has the potential to replace traditional, petroleum-based plastic products in a range of industries, including packaging, clothing and textiles, and medical tools and products. According to the company, it has engineered its bioplastics to rival the performance of traditional plastics and adds that its process is lower in cost and emissions than competing bioplastics producers because it uses organic waste as a feedstock. Genecis is currently working with several corporate partners to design products for their use and bring more bioplastics to market.
For its part, Amazon is currently evaluating ways to use Genecis’ technology. In the future, Genecis bioplastics could potentially offer Amazon customers the opportunity to receive grocery and pharmacy items in bioplastic packaging that is both biodegradable and easily recyclable.
“Reducing plastic waste is a challenging environmental issue. Investing in solutions like Genecis’ bioplastics is part of Amazon’s broader strategy to reduce singleuse plastic,” says Alan Jacobsen, principal materials scientist at Amazon. “The work of Luna Yu and her team at Genecis has the potential to make plastic alternatives more affordable and change the impact plastic packaging has on the environment.” —Anne
Marie Mohan
Spring Creek Egg Farm’s new bio-PET quail egg packaging performs a balancing act of sustainability.
Supplier Good Natured Products says the cartons are 100% recyclable and replace as much as 30% of the non-renewable fossil-based PET with renewably sourced plant-based PET,
while retaining the transparency and durability of traditional PET cartons.
“We believe a business shouldn’t have to compromise great design, product enhancement, and durability in the search of environmentally friendly packaging,” says Aaron Oosterhoff, Spring Creek owner and CEO.
The new packs help to limit food waste that results from egg breakage, whether through the bio-PET’s crush resistance in transport, or by allowing consumers to peek at the product without opening it at stores. That’s all while meeting Spring Creek’s requirements for recyclability across North America, and reducing its reliance on fossil fuels.
“It’s in our DNA to match our packaging choices with our zero-waste, vertically integrated business practices, and we’re grateful Good Natured could meet all our requirements,” Oosterhoff says.
The design process allowed Good Natured to dig into Spring Creek’s unique needs, “un-
derstand their industry and then ne tune a design and precise material choice that would check all the boxes,” adds Paul Antoniadis, Good Natured CEO.
“I’m proud of our team who worked diligently on iterations until the perfect form and function was achieved for Spring Creek and we look forward to continuing to make fresh quail eggs readily available throughout North America,” he says.
The newly packaged Spring Creek quail eggs are available at U.S. and Canadian grocers including Kroger, Costco, Loblaws, and Sobeys. —Casey Flannagan
Simple, elegant, and inspired by nature, a new molded-pulp bottle wrap for France’s historic and distinctive Maison Perrier-Jouët champagne house seamlessly marries beauty with the house’s environmental commitment in the luxury market. The thermoform,
which gracefully hugs the shape of the champagne bottle, replaces Perrier-Jouët’s existing paperboard carton gift box and features an added nod to the house’s sustainability practices with the inclusion of upcycled vine shoots.
The “Belle Epoque Cocoon” bottle wrap was designed in partnership with packaging supplier James Cropper, using the company’s Colourform molded-pulp packaging process. According to Colourform Brand Manager Richard Dancy, James Cropper uses a thermoforming process commissioned speci cally for its facility to create molded-pulp packaging. The process, he explains, allows brands to create custom shapes, colors, and textures, including embellishments such as print, foiling, inclusions, and ber choices, for their packaging.
When Perrier-Jouët approached James Cropper, the champagne maker wanted a new package design that would challenge the norms of luxury and be a leading example of circularity and recyclability. It also wanted a design that would fully enclose the bottle and enhance its shape, while stopping it from rotating inside the wrap. Another requirement was a clasp on the wrap that would securely lock, lie at, and close with an audible click, along with a hinge mechanism that would allow the wrap to open and close.
The resulting thermoform, made primarily from virgin paper pulp sourced from FSC-approved, sustainably managed forests, exhibits an organic
shape that gently enfolds the bottle. At the top, the golden cap of the bottle is revealed, surrounded by a petal-like molded-pulp collar. A long, sleek hinge is integrated into the wrap on one side and offers the features speci ed by Pierre-Jouët.
Especially unique to the wrap is its use of upcycled vine shoots, which are mixed in with the paper pulp and create a colored, speckled aesthetic. The material was included to evoke the Champagne region terroir and to connect with Pierre-Jouët’s passion for nature and art, passed down through the generations since the house formed in 1811. The vine shoots are recovered after pruning at the end of the harvest in France and are the rst cellulosebased winemaking byproduct to be used by James Cropper in its packaging.
According to Dancy, there were no problems related to combining the paper pulp and vine shoots, “but a certain intricacy and speci cations had to be met.” He adds, “In this case, the vine shoots supplied had to be nely chopped so that the visible particle ecks within the nished pack were no more than one millimeter in size. We also needed to ensure that during the process, we complied with all the necessary health and safety and legal requirements when working with any new materials.”
At Perrier-Jouët’s request, the bottle wrap is debossed with the brand’s trademark Art Nouveauinspired Japanese anemone graphic, eliminating the need for print on the bottle. A paper label nishes off the decoration.
Devoid of any varnish or glue, the paper and agricultural waste-based molded-pulp package is 100% curbside recyclable. Another sustainability bene t of the wrap is that, at only 49 g, it is 93% lighter than Perrier-Jouët’s previous gift box. According to Dancy, the reason the weight has been reduced so dramatically is that the wrap design closely aligns with the bottle shape, allowing for a signi cant reduction in both the size and thickness of the packaging required.
For its part, Perrier-Jouët is jubilant over the outcome of its partnership with James Cropper. “Maison Perrier-Jouët has always been guided by a love of nature. The new sustainable wrap re ects the evolution of this passion, with the house taking sincere, ethical, and lasting action to reduce its impact on nature and sustain the environment,” says Audrey Guerin, packaging development manager at Perrier-Jouët.
“The ultra-light creation represents a huge moment for the brand, since it marks the goal we set out to achieve of having our entire gift offer ecodesigned by 2023,” Guerin adds. “We’re delighted to mark the achievement with such a beautiful design that seamlessly showcases how beauty and
sustainability can work together in the luxury market.”
The Belle Epoque Cocoon will be used for the house’s vintage cuvees, Perrier-Jouët Belle Epoque and Perrier-Jouët Belle Epoque Rosé, in the U.S., France, and Italy. —Anne Marie Mohan
Brand owners Hormel Foods, The Kraft Heinz Company, Post Consumer Brands, and Land O’Lakes, Inc. are four of 18 new companies and organizations to join MBOLD to help build a circular economy for exible lm in the Upper Midwest. An initiative of GREATER MSP, MBOLD’s initiative is rooted in a collaboration among members General Mills, Schwan’s Company, Target, Ecolab, Cargill, and the University of Minnesota with the aim of cutting plastic waste, reducing greenhouse gas emissions, and driving circularity.
“We’re innovating across every part of our business to nd new ways to nourish our communities and planet—including innovating our packaging. Continuing to nd ways to divert manufacturing waste, including packaging materials like lms, out of the land ll to be recycled, or better yet, incorporated back into packaging, is critical to moving toward a circular economy,” says Janelle Orozco, Chief Procurement Of cer, North America Zone, Kraft Heinz. “We’re excited to join MBOLD and the initiative of partners to explore ways to further propel us toward unlocking new solutions to this industry-wide challenge.”
Other key partners include lm recycler Myplas USA and lm manufacturer Charter Next Generation. With earlier investment from MBOLD members, Charter Next and other stakeholders, Myplas will open a stateof-the-art recycling plant in Rogers, Minn. in mid-2023. The plant will recycle and pelletize nearly 90 million pounds of low- and high-density polyethylene packaging and lm annually at full capacity. Charter Next will purchase recycled resin from Myplas for inclusion in a wide range of lm products for the food, healthcare, construction, industrial, boat wrap and other markets.
and material recovery facility (MRF) GreenForest Recycling Resources.
Organizations joining the MBOLD circular economy initiative are asked to explore opportunities to have their exible lms (such as pallet wrap and shrink wrap) recycled close to home, evaluate strategies for increasing use of recycled resin in new lm products, and/or provide strategic support to the circular economy effort.
Among the other new members of MBOLD are packaging supplier Bedford Industries, retail organization Minnesota Grocers Association,
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“It takes a village to bring a circular economy to scale,” says JoAnne Berkenkamp, Managing Director of MBOLD. “We are so glad these new project partners are joining us on this journey to tackle a major sustainability challenge through innovation and collaboration.”
The U.S. uses 12 to 15 billion pounds of exible packaging and lms annually. Only 5% of the exible lm used in the U.S. is recycled. The rest is land lled, incinerated, or released into the environment.
—Matt Reynolds
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The percentage of customers who said they preferred Entenmann’s iconic “window packaging,” prompting the baked goods company to return to the classic design after eliminating the window to reduce its use of plastic
2.7M
The amount of lm and exible packaging diverted from land ll through a pilot curbside recycling program, TotalRecycle, in Pennsylvania, conducted between 2020 and 2022 as part of The Materials Recovery For the Future (MRFF) project
50
The number of scientists working at Nestlé’s Institute of Packaging Sciences in Lausanne, Switzerland; Nestlé also has 200 R&D packaging specialists outside of the institute
32-34%
The repeat rates of sales—buyers purchasing products from a brand three or more times annually—for brands that garner more than half their sales from products making ESG-related claims, according to a McKinsey survey
“These grasp-type end-effector performance standards will be useful to producers of these technologies as methods to characterize their performance, ultimately helping both endusers and integrators to match capabilities to application needs. Additionally, researchers and developers will bene t from a common set of benchmarks for improving end-effector designs.”
–Joe Falco, ASTM International member, as quoted in an article from Collaborative Robotics Trends, “Developing standards for robot end-effectors”
“In my role at PLASTICS, I have the privilege of meeting with women in the plastics industry every day—I continue to be impressed by the accomplishments and vital contributions women make in our industry. The expertise, innovation, skills and leadership of women are integral to the success of our industry and the future of plastics.”
–Ashley Hood-Morley, vice president of Industry Engagement for PLASTICS (Plastics Industry Association), in a press release, “PLASTICS Celebrates International Womens Day”
“The Snapple fAIct Generator is an interesting and highly innovative example of how to use packaging in combination with QR codes and the latest ChatGPT AI technology to provide a concrete, interactive link between the analogue world of the customer and the digital world of social media and the Metaverse.”
–Dominic Cakebread, analyst for GlobalData, in an article from Packaging Gateway, “Beverage brand Snapple expands traditional packaging with AI Tool,” which details how the company is using AI to generate a database of newly created facts, some of which will appear under its caps in 2024
“The last thing we need is government investment. What we need is stable markets, stable material supply, and long-term contracts. How the system works now, one month a buyer wants to buy a bale of recycled PP. The MRF or recycler needs to sort out the PP to supply it, and the buyer expects them to have that line and process in place. So the MRF makes that investment in equipment to sort it and supply it for a certain cost. But the next month, the price of virgin plummets, and the buyer switches back to virgin. This whole industry is built on spot markets.”
–Steve Alexander, president and chief executive of cer of the Association of Plastic Recyclers, at the Plastics Recycling Conference, when asked where he’d like to see the U.S. put investment dollars to make the most systemic impact
Years ago, when I rst read about the concept of “sustainability,” I teased that it was too vague and had too many meanings to too many people to be useful. Today, I am not sure things have improved much.
Of all the various terminology packagers can use when making environment-related claims in labeling or advertising, perhaps the most slippery is “sustainable.” It’s used more and more by marketers, and I don’t think too many marketers are using the term falsely or misleadingly. The problem is that the term’s meaning is still not clearly or consistently understood by consumers.
This does not mean any company that claims its package or product is somehow “sustainable” is making a false or misleading statement. It just means the claim probably requires some explanation so consumers know exactly what the company means.
Way back in 2012, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) specifically refrained from issuing guidance for how to use the term “sustainable” in claims. Back then it was mulling how to update its Green Guides (formally, Guides for the Use of Environmental Marketing Claims), which are its standards for substantiating claims of environmental benefits on package labels and elsewhere. It thought, based on evidence of consumer perceptions, that “the claim has no single meaning to a significant number of consumers,” and to some it conveys nonenvironmental characteristics, like the product is durable.
Now, the FTC’s Green Guides are getting another look, and the agency is asking for input again on what to do about “sustainable.” The Green Guides refresh is overdue: The last update to the Guides was that one in 2012.
The Green Guides were first established in 1992, and are the FTC’s attempt to help companies avoid misleading consumers when touting the environmental attributes of their packages or products. The Guides cover claims of general environmental benefit of a package or product, or that it’s recyclable, contains recycled content, or is refillable, degradable, compostable, free-of something, sourcereduced, non-toxic and ozone-friendly or safe, or was made with renewable energy or materials, or was balanced by carbon offsets, or when claiming compliance with certifications or seals of approval.
Companies need to have sufficient substantiation, that is, proof, for whatever environmental claims they choose to make. FTC says that “For each claim covered, the Guides: (1) explain how reasonable consumers likely interpret it; (2) describe the basic elements necessary to substantiate it; and (3) present options for qualifications to avoid deception.” By “qualifications” they mean caveats or explanatory text that you would add to your claim to make it clearer.
So, on December 20 of last year, FTC published an invitation for new public comments, and listed 19 general topics and 12 specific
ones on which they’d like to hear from you. The general topics include: The need for the Guides; their benefits to business, especially small ones; modifications needed; impact the Guides have had on the information conveyed and costs; evidence of consumer perception of and interest in environmental claims, and of the levels of industry compliance; whether there are claims covered by the Guides for which guidance isn’t needed anymore; and what claims that aren’t covered should be. They also want to hear about perceptions that the Guides overlap or conflict with other laws, regulations, or standards.
Back in 2010-12 when it last updated its Guides, FTC heard from many different folks with many different suggested approaches to the term “sustainable.” FTC thought it was clear from the comments that the term was used in association with a proliferating number of packages and products, and that it was used in a large number of different contexts, and means different things in those different contexts.
And yet, despite all that varied input, FTC said no commenters submitted evidence of consumer perceptions of what “sustainable” means, so the agency decided in 2012 that it lacked a legal basis for providing guidance about the term. That’s because its legal authority is to provide guidance based on “information about how consumers perceive terms.” Without a clear sense of how consumers perceive “sustainable,” they couldn’t provide general guidance about what kinds of substantiation for the claim would suffice.
FTC nevertheless offered some very general guidance, reminding marketers that they need to have substantiation for “consumers’ reasonable understanding of this claim” in whatever specific context it’s used, but left it up to companies to determine how much substantiation was sufficient.
Maybe the new round of public comments will offer some shape to consumers’ perceptions that can allow FTC to develop guidance. For now, though, it seems marketers still use the term to refer to many different product characteristics or manufacturing practices that they think are in some way not wasteful, are good to the Earth over time, and that make consumers feel warmly about the product or package.
Even the current Wikipedia entry on the term says “Specific definitions of sustainability are difficult to agree on….,” though it says it’s “commonly described as having three dimensions…. environmental, economic, and social.” With three possible dimensions to “sustainable” in play, it’s predictable that setting standards for its meaning would be tough.
FTC’s current request for comments is your opportunity to provide input, and FTC has already extended its deadline for receiving comments to April 24, 2023. If you have ideas about how FTC is approaching “sustainable” or any other green claim, let them know. Details are in the Federal Register [Dec. 20, 2022, Vol. 87, No. 243]. PW
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End-of-line (EoL) or tertiary packaging comprises the last operations performed in readying products for shipment. This packaging category varies based on the upstream packaging operations that precede it since each of the levels of packaging—primary, secondary, and EoL/tertiary—are sequential and interrelated.
Modern commerce is the result of mass marketing, mass production, and mass distribution. The last-mentioned part of that trio is made possible by EoL packaging. The outbound portion of supply chains connects product makers and their customers. Various intermediaries are involved (e.g., wholesalers, distribution centers, and retailers). Various functions are involved (e.g., transportation, material handling, and warehousing/storage). The productivity and efficiency of intermediaries and functions alike are impacted by EoL packaging.
EoL packaging assembles individual items into a unitized load that must remain intact until disassembled by a supply chain intermediary. Any unplanned disassembly—for example, caused by physical forces encountered within the supply chain—can result in product loss and damage. If such compromise renders the product unsellable, the consequences go beyond the forfeit of a sale; all imputed resources will have been squandered. A different consequence, potentially with lingering effects, is harm to the goodwill among supply chain members.
All packaging levels perform the functions of protection, communication, and convenience/utility. When we’re talking about protection, we mean both protection of the contents (as described above), and protection of the people in proximity. By virtue of its size and weight, a compromised unitized load poses a physical danger. An example of the communication function as it relates to EoL packaging is an RFID tag that identifies it. Likewise, an example of the convenience function is as fundamental as the use of quality pallets.
Speaking of pallets, they represent a convenient segue into a discussion of some of the types of EoL packaging operations. The list is too long to exhaust in this article, so a small number are offered as representative.
Palletizing has been discussed variously, over the years, in this space. What’s worth additional mention is the avoidance of overhang and underhang. When the load overhangs the edges of the pallet (say, by more than an inch), the load is less given to stable handling and stacking. Underhang (the empty area between the edge of the load and the edge of the pallet) has ill effects not only on handling and stacking, but also on anchoring methods, such as stretch wrapping and strapping.
Stretch wrapping is the most-used method for containing a load (keeping the load intact). The requisite holding strength of the stretch wrap film is a function of such variables as type (cast or blown),
gauge, degree of overlap, and tightness of wrap, among others.
The use of corrugated cases translates into such EoL operations as case set up and case packing. Case sealing can be achieved via tape, glue, or staple.
Bundling/wrapping operations are popular for certain applications, for example beverages in plastic bottles where the film is heat-shrunk. What’s achieved is an enrobed unit, having an opening (bullseye) at each end, that serves as handles.
Coding, labeling, and the means to print facilitate traceability and transparency throughout the supply chain. The information carried on EoL packaging is just as important as the information carried on a primary package.
Conveyor systems carry items between the EoL packaging stations, balancing their disparate output rates. This is achieved with the use of accumulation tables, as well as with speeds ranging from intermittent to constant.
Given the preceding rollcall, it should be apparent that some EoL packaging operations can be performed manually. Can be, however, does not mean, should be. So, what is the appropriate level of automation for EoL packaging? The short answer is: a level that does not impede the productivity and efficiency of upstream operations.
It’s no anomaly when upstream operations are more automated than EoL packaging operations. That’s because mass production mandates standardization to the extent that the items be indistinguishable from one another. That degree of sameness only can be had with automation. Even when upstream operations are devoted to a single product, volume can increase over time, putting pressures on EoL packaging that are best addressed through automation.
EoL packaging also is affected by marketing strategies. New product launches, product line extensions, and brand extensions are examples. As a result, a facility’s combined output can increase along with the diversity of the primary packaging. That favors EoL operations that can keep up with the speed and volume of upstream operations, while being flexible to upstream changeovers.
Never to be discounted are retail trends and requirements. The business models for big-box retailers like Costco, Sam’s Club, and BJ’s are reliant on stable palletized loads. On a different note, retailers of all sizes demand the benefits of retail-ready/shelf-ready packaging. Such packaging might deviate from an RSC corrugated case, and consequently, the EoL packaging for the former might differ from that of the latter.
Sustainably affects EoL packaging, too. A challenge is how to meet all the requirements imposed throughout the supply chain while practicing source reduction.
Next month’s article will be about EoL packaging machinery, and the challenges associated with their integration. PW
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By Anne Marie Mohan, Senior Editor
Founded in 2017, U.K.-based A Plastic Planet (APP) has a single goal: to ignite and inspire the world to turn off the plastic tap. Its stated target is to eradicate 1 trillion pieces of plastic waste by 2025. To this end, the pro-business, pro-solutions organization has added to its initiatives a rst-of-its-kind online materials and systems solutions platform, developed to empower and educate designers about alternatives to plastics for products/packaging, textiles, and the built environment.
“PlasticFree is a new design tool for the 160 million global creatives, visually rich, packed with case studies, proof points, and editorial from creative peers and scientists,” says Siân Sutherland, co-founder and chief of PlasticFree and A Plastic Planet. “We have a simple aim—to make the creative the smartest person in the room, to empower them to push back against the inevitable brief that says, ‘Just use a recycled or bioplastic so we get a green tick.’
“PlasticFree also champions the systemic change that must be achieved. Taking 1.7 planets worth of resources every single year is of course unsustainable in every way. If the designer can influence not just the material, but also the system, more impact will be created. Reusables, prefill systems, 3D printing, waterless formulas, etc., are all featured to inspire even further.”
According to Sutherland, the impetus for the platform came from APP’s experiences over the past six years working with governments, the UN, industry, and materials makers. During that time, she says, the organization became acutely aware of the knowledge gap between the wider creative community and plastic-free materials and systems solutions.
APP began developing the platform in 2021, guided by conversations with and input from leading industry insiders and the support of the creative council, whose members, Sutherland relates, include renowned British figures such as designer Thomas Heatherwick, architect Sir David Chipperfield, and lighting, accessories, and furniture designer Tom Dixon, whom she says “have ensured it is a platform fit for purpose.” Also included among the 40 participants were business leaders, scientists, and materials innovators, among others.
As of January 2023, when the site launched, it included 125 case studies from five continents, giving examples of how alternative materials have been used to improve existing products and systems
along with editorial from designers. As of press time, the number of case studies is now in the hundreds and is growing daily. According to Sutherland, by 2026, PlasticFree is expected to contain 1,000-plus scalable solutions.
Also included on the platform is a list of materials searchable by properties such as waterproof, flexible, heatproof, etc. “The platform is entirely intuitive to how designers need to create new solutions,” says Sutherland. “There are over 100 materials listed, and this will grow as more truly plastic-free materials are developed.”
At press time, the landing page for the site showed a sampling of the case studies and material listings within; users must subscribe to the site at a cost of £250 per year, or approximately US$300. Among the “Latest Inspiration” case studies in plastic-free packaging were a glass jar for JOI Plant Milk concentrates, a refillable aluminum case for Sans London natural deodorant, and a myceliumbased package for MRBAILEY + ADIDAS footwear. Among the eight “Trending Materials” were algae, bamboo, aluminum, and The Fibre Bottle from Cullen.
The reception from designers to the site has been extremely enthusiastic. Says Jos Harrison, global head of Brand Experience & Design at Reckitt Benckiser Group, “There are few things more exciting to a designer than finding the combination of likeminded passion and depth of expertise. PlasticFree combines these attributes in a platform that will empower teams of designers inside and outside our organization—and across the industry; this can only be a good thing—supercharging the unique capacity of designers to imagine and improve the future.”
To spread the word on PlasticFree, APP attended the World Economic Forum at Davos, hosted an event, Incredible Future NOW, at New York’s Parsons School of Design, and is partnering with design publication Dezeen. It also plans to attend some of the most prominent design events in the world over the coming year.
“Our events will remind those in attendance that creatives have always had an unparalleled power and impact on the world. But the urgent need for this superpower to be ignited, inspired, and rechanneled into designing entire new systems has never been more needed,” says Sutherland. “Any future events will focus on catapulting the industry into this new world of infinite possibility, reinvigorating the industry to use visionary skills to rethink everything.” PW
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This leading maker of writing utensils has worked steadily for the past three years to develop a plastic-free alternative to the blister pack format that is ubiquitous in the category.
Privately held and founded in 1946, Tokyo-based Pentel Co., Ltd., has its U.S. headquarters in Torrance, Calif. Pens, pencils, markers, and erasers are what the rm is all about, and like others who operate in the same space, blister packs have long been the packaging format of choice for a lot of Pentel’s output. But early this year the rm introduced ballpoint pens in plastic-free all-paper Paperblister™, and by the end of this year the plan is to have a great many more SKUs in a similarly plastic-free format.
As we’ve seen in so many other breakthroughs where sustainable packaging is concerned, Pentel had an indispensable partner in its journey, and that partner was—and is—Sonoco Alloyd. Also part of the picture was a brand manager tasked with making the plastic-to-paper transition happen, who in this case was Jason Cole, a ten-year veteran of Pentel. He says the process, which began in earnest around the end of 2019, had promising underpinnings right from the start because Pentel was already rmly established as a leader in the sale of re ll cartridges for its pens.
“With 85% of the products we sell being re llable, we felt we were already a legitimate thought leader, a sustainability change maker in the category,” says Cole. “At some level it was a matter of ‘reimagining’ our packaging with the same green approach we’d already been taking with re lls. And we wanted our packaging to sort of shout it out, you know, to make someone stop and notice that there’s something different here. So that consumers encountering our product in the store would say, ‘Hey, I can buy this one pen and use it for years and years without having it go to the land ll. And not only is the product itself re llable and reusable, it comes in a sustainable package. Now that’s a company that’s really putting its money where its mouth is.’ And that’s why we started down this path with Sonoco.’’
The card backing, which acts as the consumer-facing front of the pack on a retail peg, is a 20-pt. C2S SBS that’s offset printed in a four-color process. The paper blister portion is a 14-pt. SBS C1S that is offset printed in black only.
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Cole and colleagues considered a number of suppliers as they started their journey. Sustainable packaging materials other than paper were also evaluated. But it quickly became evident that materials other than paper would likely involve all new packaging machinery plus an extended period of time in which to get that machinery up to speed. As for which supplier to partner with, Sonoco Alloyd had two key things working in its favor. First, Pentel already had three Sonoco Alloyd packaging machines in its Ontario, Calif., plant and another six in Tijuana, Mexico. “They know our equipment and said they could retro t an existing machine to do a paper blister on it,” says Cole. Needless to say, that was mighty appealing from a capital expenditure perspective—because Pentel had existing Alloyd sealing equipment that could easily be retro tted, the decision to move toward this structure was an easy one.
“The beauty of that,” says Cole, “is it meant we wouldn’t need to spend time seeking out a third party for consumer research or design. And believe me, we did have some concerns about how this new look
would be accepted. Not only by the consumer but by our own internal sales force. Having the R&D expertise of Sonoco insights Alloyd manufacturing behind us reassured us that we were on solid ground. They know how to do both the qualitative and quantitative consumer re-
A single Columbia palletizer can handle all of these products and more with ease.A at paperboard blank is picked from a magazine and formed into a blister on the equipment.
search needed to convince our internal stakeholders that this was not only the right thing to do from an environmental and social standpoint but also the right move from a consumer standpoint. And that was one of the things we learned in our research work, that there actually is consumer appetite for a more sustainable package.”
That wasn’t the only lesson learned during the R&D phase, says Cole. “At the outset of the project we were leaning toward an unbleached natural brown kraft, the kind of look you might expect if the paper was made from recycled content. But what we discovered in the focus groups that were part of R&D is that this look said ‘cheap’ to the consumer. And in the writing category, Pentel is the better/ best option in the good/better/best choices on most planograms. We needed that higher perceived value to come across in our packaging. So we shifted to a strategy of retaining more of our existing graphic elements, including our very recognizable Pentel red on the front. This was well received by our sales force, some of whom were worried we might be drifting too far from our familiar brand elements.”
Forming occurs mechanically after the blank is dropped into the nesting tray. Alloyd has engineered the tooling to perform this action prior to product load. Depth of draw is less than 1-in.
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But even with that part of the puzzle resolved, the team still had to wrestle with whether or not product visibility could in fact be jettisoned. “What we came to realize is that all that billboard space we now have is where we can communicate some really important messaging, like the fact that what we are offering is re llable, reusable, and recyclable,” says Cole. So product visibility was not a feature of the package rst launched.
By early this year Pentel’s Ontario plant had its rst retro tted Sonoco Alloyd machine ready to roll. “Actually, it went surprisingly well,”
says Cole. “The tooling arrived in the morning and I think they were up and running samples by noon. We ran about 500 samples, mostly to make sure everything worked with inner and master cartons. We sent out some samples to sales so they’d have an idea of what’s coming, and we asked Sonoco Alloyd to make some minor tweaks. At that point, we started receiving production cards and blisters, and we ran the rst Purchase Order in January 2023.”
The rst SKU to appear in plastic-free packaging on a store shelf was Pentel’s most-popular ballpoint pen, RSVP, in both two-count and ve-count formats. Among the things Pentel management wanted to establish once the retro tted machinery was in operation was if they could run as fast, and if they needed the same number of operators. The answers? “We think we can reduce the number of operators by one and we’ll be able to get higher throughput with the plastic-free packaging,” says Cole. “So now we’re looking at transitioning other SKUs, and we think we can do it considerably faster than we’d originally anticipated. Having said that, it will be important in this next phase to pay close attention to training staff on the retro t machines as we go from traditional blister packs to this plastic-free package. We’ll also need to retro t a machine in our Tijuana facility. We’re very excited about all of this, but we have a very cautious leadership team that’s going to want to see the numbers before leaping forward.” Speaking of the leadership team, Cole emphasizes how important it was that top executives from the president on down were deeply engaged in all stages of consumer research, design, and development.
The groundbreaking TSUP handles tray, shrink, unsupported and pad packaging styles with a wide variety of product shapes & sizes.Pentel had existing Alloyd sealing equipment that could easily be retro tted, simplifying the decision to move toward this structure.
Cole also indicates that while the package launched rst did not include a die cut window providing product visibility, that won’t necessarily be the case as additional SKUs make the transition. As far as paperboard speci cation goes, the card backing, which acts as the front of the pack on a peg in retail, is a 20-pt C2S SBS that’s offset printed in a four-color process. The paper blister portion is a 14-pt SBS C1S that is offset printed in black only.
When asked if the retro tted packaging machine can now produce either traditional or plastic-free packaging, Cole says the answer is yes. “It doesn’t take much more than 30 minutes to make the switch. This gives us some welcome exibility in the Ontario facility. All the same, our goal is to keep it retro tted and make that a dedicated plastic-free machine. We just need to identify enough SKUs to transition to plasticfree to keep it busy for two shifts.”
Speci c details on how the retro tted machine operates are considered proprietary by Sonoco Alloyd. But one thing that must be quite different is dictated by the fact that the machine no longer picks a preformed plastic blister and places it in a nesting tray on the circular turntable. Instead, a at paperboard blank is picked from a magazine and formed by the machine. Forming occurs mechanically after the blank is dropped into the nesting tray. Alloyd has engineered the tooling to perform this action prior to product load. Depth of draw is less than 1-in.
Cole emphasizes that while the transition to plastic-free packaging is in its early stages in terms of the number of SKUs that have been converted, momentum is building internally. One tweak to the currently available ve-pack that’s in the works now is the addition of the Sustainable Packaging Coalition’s How2Recycle logo, the standardized indicator aimed at clearly communicating recycling instructions to the public.
Equally important as Pentel continues along this journey is that retailers are also enthusiastic. “Walmart says keep going,” says Cole. “Remember, they have an internal initiative called Project Gigaton that aims to inspire suppliers to reduce upstream and downstream greenhouse gas emissions from the global value chain. Because our initiative is so in line with Project Gigaton, that makes the buyers at Walmart very enthusiastic. Which is why we are moving ahead with Phase 2 and Phase 3 and hope to have the full Walmart planogram complete by
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the end of 2023. We’re also capitalizing on our plastic-free packaging initiative as an opportunity to streamline pack variety, both primary packs and master packs. As we continue this inventory house-cleaning process, as it were, the idea will be to use the same backing card and paperboard blister for multiple SKUs.”
Looking back over the last two or three years of ideation, research, development, consumer feedback, and now at last commercialization, Cole adds this.
“If you’re a brand looking for a way to build af nity with your consumers and to live your values as a brand, you have to look inward to your processes. And packaging is a huge one. We estimate we’re putting 27 million plastic blisters out into the world each year. If sustainability and building better communities are among the pillars of Pentel, we need to live those values. So it was easy enough to commit to transitioning away from plastic in our packaging in terms of living our values.
It was only as we got deeper into the execution phase and looked at how to deliver similar form factors across multiple categories that we realized how challenging such a project is. Fortunately, we discovered along the way that this project offers us opportunities to increase throughput and reduce the number of packaging varieties we keep in inventory, so it turns out there is also an internal economic bene t to the transition. Originally we just hoped to stay cost neutral. But we think in the long run we’ll be able to run faster and the inventory kept in our warehouse will be reduced. So while we started with the goal of living our values, we also think we’ll see a nancial windfall as well.” PW
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Generally regarded as the world’s rst fast-food hamburger chain, White Castle, founded in 1921, has over 350 locations in 15 states, mostly in the Midwest and metro-New York City. On the surface, that leaves a good portion of the U.S. without access to the indulgent palate pleasure of iconic square sliders, loaded with grilled onions and perhaps a slice of cheese.
That was the case until 1987, when White Castle opened a retail division, which supplies merchants large and small across the U.S. with frozen, packaged sliders made at three U.S. factories. The factories mimic the way the sliders are made in restaurants but leave the nal microwave preparation to the consumer.
The retail sales model has been quite a success. At the end of 2021 White Castle sold its six-billionth retail slider, with over 20% of that total having come in the previous three years. Demand has been so high that White Castle’s Louisville, Ky. factory—one of the rst White Castle frozen
White Castle’s Louisville, Ky. factory operates three shifts, six days a week. It serves about half of the U.S. retail volume, processing tens of thousands of pounds of meat in making 800,000 sliders per day.
White Castle became an early adopter of delta-style robots, installing one IRB 340 FlexPicker on each of its packaging lines way back in 1998. Two are still in operation today.
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The Frigoscandia ash freezer has self-stacking belts with exits at the top. After an hour in the freezer the slider twopacks are gravity fed through a small chute onto a conveyor that leads to the three separate packaging lines; two parallel lines for 12-count cartons sold at general retail locations, and one separate line for 16-count cartons sold at wholesale clubs. Cartoning is done on Bradman Lake right-angle carton closers.
The latest automation installation at the plant is a twoABB IRB 1200 robot station that case packs the retail cartons into 12-ct shipper cases.
food plants opened in 1997—now operates three shifts, six days a week. It also serves approximately half of the U.S. retail volume, processing tens of thousands of pounds of meat in making 800,000 sliders per day.
Pre-cooked hamburger meat comes into the facility in log form and is sliced into individual patties. The patties are manually placed on bun bottoms, and then topped with grilled onions, (plus cheese during the shifts cheeseburgers are made), and the upper bun. The burgers are then ow wrapped two-to-a-package on equipment from Campbell Wrapper Corp., and transferred into a blast freezer operating at 35°F below zero.
It’s notable that White Castle was an early adopter of robotics, so the company is perfectly comfortable with robotic integration. Plant Manager Tony McGraw, now a 35-plus year veteran at White Castle, had nudged his company into ABB delta-picking technology as early as 1998 (see sidebar on page 48 for more about packaging robots’ early days). But a side effect of being an early adopter is that newer equipment is bound to arrive, and it’s wise to turn to the experts to know what’s coming down the pike.
That’s why as McGraw and his team began to explore replacement options and design con gurations for the carton packing and palletizing area, they called in CIM Systems Inc., an authorized ABB robotic systems integrator located in Noblesville, Ind. The initial task was to address the new palletizing system, which presented some design challenges.
The rst was a tight palletizing area, which required some out-ofthe-box thinking to t two full lines. The result was to position the end of the conveyor from each line perpendicular to the front of the robot, one just beyond the other, with a pallet station along the right side of the robot.
To further expedite production, White Castle also wanted the robot to pick empty 45-lb pallets off a stack and place them in the build station once a previous pallet had been built and moved to the stretch wrap station. This required a more complex EOAT design and intricate robot motion.
White Castle’s retail division supplies merchants across the U.S. with frozen, packaged sliders made at three U.S. factories. The factories mimic the way the sliders are made in restaurants but leave the nal microwave preparation to the consumer.
CIM used RobotStudio, ABB’s of ine programming software, to ex periment with highly realistic simulations of the palletizing cell while designing the EOAT and determining the optimal robot position and motion. As a system simulation is developed, RobotStudio can identify any potential bottlenecks as well as calculate accurate space require ments and cycle time metrics that the system concept would deliver if installed on the plant oor.
“With the two pallets being built next to each other we had to care fully coordinate the robot motion and pallet pattern, making sure the load would clear the rst pallet, no matter its height, to safely reach the second pallet,” says Dave Fox, CIM President. “We also had to factor in the programming nuances required to adeptly pick and place the fresh pallets, and the clearances needed for the EOAT, which was big ger than most because of the need to pick up both cases and pallets. RobotStudio played a major role in designing and proving the perfor mance of the system while accommodating all those variables.”
The palletizing robot used in this system is an ABB, four-axis IRB 660 palletizing robot with a 3.15-m reach and a 180-kg payload. This con guration provides enough length and strength to reach and clear all points in the palletizing cell from a stationary position, both hori zontally and vertically.
During the first several years of operation at White Castle’s retail facility, most of the packaging processes were handled manually. As the frozen sliders gained popularity and production volumes increased, Plant Manager Tony McGraw and his staff noticed certain areas of the packaging line that were causing backups. One in particular was the packing of
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slider two-packs into the retail cartons, a highly repetitive task that involved the handling of frozen product.
In an effort to speed up this process and move employees into less physically stressful jobs, McGraw began to investigate a range of potential automation enhancements to the line. If a viable solution did exist, it had to be fast and accurate, and work in the existing space, which was very tight. The option that showed the most promise was a delta-style robot, a new technology that had been in development since the mid-1980s but had only recently been commercially available.
The key design feature of a delta robot is three arms, connected to universal joints at the base, which move in a constant parallelogram motion that maintains the orientation of the end-of-arm tool that handles the product.
• Conveying and product handling
• Snack bagmaking and case packing
• Metal detection and x-ray
• Check weighing and seal checking
• Controls and information systems
• On-machine and process area seasoning application
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Delta robots can execute precise and fast motions because, unlike articulated-arm robots that have motors in each arm, delta robot motors are located in the main body above the work area. All movement comes from the extremely light robot arms, allowing for low inertia and fast acceleration for incredibly fast pick-and-place motion of lighter items.
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In 1998, not long before McGraw began looking for carton packing automation, ABB introduced the IRB 340 FlexPicker, one of the first commercially available delta robots. This robot was capable of 10G acceleration, and exponentially faster than human operators in handling smaller items.
White Castle became an early adopter, installing one IRB 340 FlexPicker on each of the lines. Equipped with vacuum grippers and sophisticated motion control, each IRB 340 robot on the 12-count carton lines picks six two-slider-packs at a time, while a newer IRB 360 FlexPicker on the 16-count line picks eight two-packs at a time. In every cycle the robots pack a layer of two cartons simultaneously, with two pick-and-place iterations completing two cartons at a time.
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While ABB’s delta robot portfolio has since been significantly upgraded and expanded with greater capabilities, longer reaches and higher payloads, each of the original IRB 340 models are still in operation today at the White Castle Louisville plant, some twenty-plus years later.
“The ABB delta robots are the best investment we ever made,” says McGraw. “Their speed and accuracy keep the lines moving and they are highly reliable. We have taken great care to maintain them, and we will continue to do so. I think they will last a good while longer.” PW
Ryson Spiral Conveyors need less floor space than conventional conveyors and are faster and more reliable than any elevator or lift.
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Narrow Trak Spirals are super compact and designed to handle your smaller loads. Our 6” and 9” wide nesting slats can end-transfer small cartons and packages or side-transfer small bottles and containers in a single file or in mass at speeds in excess of 200 FPM.
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Ryson Bucket Elevators are designed for gentle handling and well-suited to transport a broad range of bulk products. Our signature feature is that they are completely enclosed with overlapping pivoting buckets, that prevent spillage and helps mitigate foreign debris.
Their modular design enables us to customize with ease. They can be configured with multiple inlets or outlets that can be controlled individually. The design makes them easy to install and modify. Available in three standard bucket sizes, yielding capacities up to 300, 700 or 1,800 cubic feet per hour. They can also be delivered in powder-coated carbon-steel, stainless-steel or wet environment versions.
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The EOAT CIM designed and fabricated features vacuum cups that pick three 8-lb cases at a time for the palletizing operation, along with four pneumatically operated hooks positioned on each corner to securely handle each empty pallet. This combination enables the robot to execute both functions without requiring a tool change.
The latest automation installation at the plant is a two-ABB IRB 1200 robot station that case packs the retail cartons into 12-count shipper cases, a function that occurs along the packaging line after the upstream delta-style FlexPickers (sidebar on page 48) and before the palletizing robots. Mounted on a common pedestal between the two packaging lines, the two lower-payload robots utilize vacuum EOATs to pick two retail cartons at a time and place them into the cases.
The new 5-kg case packing ABB robots, one dedicated to each line, replace a single, larger robot that served both lines with dwindling efciency as production volumes increased. Manual operators, who were
previously required to assist the process, have been moved to more rewarding jobs in the facility.
CIM again used RobotStudio to identify the optimal positioning of the robots based on their footprint, reach and payload, and to validate the requisite system performance in relation to the existing components of the packaging line. Today, with the latest in robotic assistance, the line speed on each of the two 12-count lines is 15,600 burgers/hour per line. The 16-count line runs at 18,500 burgers/hour.
“The tremendous experience we have had with the ABB FlexPickers over the years caused us to look closely at ABB when it was time the replace our other robots. We were introduced to CIM Systems and we couldn’t be happier. The palletizing robot and the case packing robots have really increased the ef ciency of our operation. They are truly plug and play systems that require minimal manual support,” shares McGraw. “One of our core values is something we call ‘Continuous Crave,’ which means we never stop working to get a little bit better each day. This investment is a perfect illustration of doing just that.” PW
The PMMI Robots and Cobots Report presents emerging technologies and compiles predicted growth in the years ahead. It examines the predictions made four years ago in the 2019 Robotics Report—which predictions have been fulfilled, and which have yet to materialize? It also explores the key trends underpinning the robotics industry and how those trends are likely to impact deployments and manufacturing strategies into the future. Visit pwgo.to/7657 to download an executive summary of the report for free.
growth in the years in
A common theme among the exible packaging applications that earned recognition as 2023 Flexible Packaging Association (FPA) Award winners is their ability to strike a balance between eye-catching aesthetics and performance in product protection.
Highest Achievement Award
Gold Awards—Packaging Excellence, Technical Innovation
RESCUE! Outdoor Disposable Fly Traps
Glenroy, Inc.
The RESCUE! Disposable Fly Trap is an innovative, hassle-free exible packaging solution for keeping ies (and other pests) away from outdoor areas that everyone wants to enjoy. It’s easy to use: simply cut along the dotted line at the top to expose the trap entrance, add water, and hang. The pouch construction protects the consumer from the powerful attractant inside. Once the trap is full (collecting up to 20,000 ies), the consumer simply discards it.
Scotts Miracle-Gro Rescue Outdoor Plant Potion
ProAmpac
Scotts Miracle-Gro Rescue Outdoor Plant Potion is speci cally designed for the rigors of e-commerce and consumer convenience. Three portioned sachets with easy-tear tops are packaged inside a larger stand-up pouch to ensure the plant treatments remain together.
Vualá Sorpresa Bold, 65 g Printpack
Vualá Sorpresa has many different avors and packages, but this extra-special limited edition features a secret surprise. In addition to outstanding high-de nition printing, the package hides a gold-tinted interior. This offers the consumer a delightfully unique experience when opening the product—a golden glow comes from the inside of the package.
Pulmuone Beef Japchae Korean Noodles
PPC Flexible Packaging
With a lifelike image that looks good enough to eat, the Pulmuone Beef Japchae Korean Noodles packaging is made to stand out on the shelves. Using Project Blue, a patented anilox and screening technology that delivers ultra-high de nition quality comparable to 300 line screen, PPC Flexible Packaging created an image on the package that looks as realistic as possible. The package’s combined matte and glossy print creates a captivating contrast, making it sure to catch consumers’ eyes and get their mouths watering.
Cadbury Caramello Miniatures Stand-up Pouch, 8 oz. Printpack
Cadbury Caramello’s trademarked yellow and purple package gets a makeover. To improve the shelf appearance of this product, Cadbury went from a gloss nish to a luxurious new matte nish design. The high-quality graphics are printed rotogravure with nine colors. The unique matte/metallic appearance of this pouch is achieved by contrasting transparent and opaque inks. In a eld of glossy packages, this package differentiates itself from other candy on the shelf by virtue of its elegant, understated matte nish.
Kirkland Signature Ultra Clean HE Laundry Detergent Pacs Accredo Packaging Inc. and Presto Products Co. Fresh-Lock Closure BU
Costco Wholesale Corporation engaged Radienz Living in early 2021 to transition the Kirkland Signature Ultra Clean Laundry Detergent Pacs product from a rigid tub to a fully recyclable, childresistant pouch. They desired a better consumer experience in the areas of packaging sustainability, transportation, and safety while being more cost-effective, maintaining the existing selling units per pallet, and fully commercialized in 2021. Accredo Packaging, Inc. and Fresh-Lock closures jumped into collaboration with Radienz Living for an allhands-on-deck approach.
Entour Produce Package/Entour Bold and Shield Lamination Berry Global
Berry Global launched a recyclable polyethylene lm solution for fresh-cut produce applications. These applications often require strong seals in a cold packaging environment and customized oxygen transmission rates. As a part of the Entour product line, this solution features lms that are designed for frontof-store recycling. The package features an Entour Shield sealant web that has been engineered to offer high breathability and an Entour Bold MDO-PE reverse print web that has been engineered with excellent clarity, gloss, and stiffness. When combined, they can achieve commercial OTR ranges that can replace mixed material BOPP laminations. Both lms are How2Recycle prequali ed.
White Eclipse UV-Blocking Packaging PAXXUS, Inc.
The White Eclipse high-barrier, UV-blocking exible packaging is designed to protect sensitive micro uidic reagents inside diagnostic devices until the point of use without the use of aluminum foil. To ensure the ef cacy of the device, PAXXUS’ ultra-high barrier ClearFoil Z is paired with a proprietary UV-blocking sealant technology to create a exible pouch that eliminates exposure to outside light while also providing the highest level of oxygen and moisture barrier. White Eclipse provides comparable high-barrier performance to traditional aluminum foil packaging with the added bene ts of a smooth, premium appearance and RFID compatibility.
MegaFood Women’s Ensemble Preconception Daily Multipack Nosco
Supplement brand MegaFood needed a child-resistant, seniorfriendly exible pouch for its Women’s Ensemble Preconception Daily Multipack product line. Due to the product’s high iron content, the brand previously packaged its product in child-resistant cartons, but recently switched to exible pouches to save on costs. Through digital printing on the HP Indigo 20000 digital press, Nosco was able to save the brand more than half the cost of its previous packaging type.
Electronic, bus-compatible position indicators with target / actual value comparison and intuitive operation
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Nichols Farms Jalapeño Lime Pistachios
PPC Flexible Packaging
Nichols Farms, Jalapeño Lime Pistachios use a unique package blazing a new trail with a brand-new paper-like texture. Together, PPC Flexible Packaging and INX developed specially made plates and ink to create a rough paper feel. Now the bags’ tactile feel can make an impact to complement the attractive designs printed on them, the company says.
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Golden West Food Group Meat District Gobbler Frozen Patties
American Packaging Corp.
From the Golden West Food Group, a new line of butcher-crafted premium meats brings steakhouse quality right into your home, the company says. The exible package extension for the frozen patties needed to match the fresh meat package using carton sleeve offset printed sleeves, with a speci c focus on the neon effect brand mark and ghosted background copy effect.
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Scotts Miracle-Gro Rescue Outdoor Plant Potion
ProAmpac
Lahli Morning Protein Bites in an
AmPrima PE Plus Recycle Ready Pouch
Amcor Flexibles
Okam Rice Recyclable Flat Bottom 3D Pouch, 5 kg
Integrated Plastics Packaging
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PPC Flexible Packaging
Sustainability
McDonalds 2022 Pokémon Card Overwrap
American Packaging Corp.
Purition Single-Serve Smoothie Meal Replacement Powder
ProAmpac
Walex Commando Black Holding Tank Cleaner
Store Drop-off Recyclable Pouch
Glenroy, Inc.
Printing
Apex Protein Snacks Meat Sticks
Nosco
Frito-Lay Compostable Snack Packaging at Coachella Music Festival
Bryce Corp.
Whole Foods Baking Mix Flat Bottom Pouches
TC Transcontinental Packaging
Z Natural Foods Whole Milk Powder
Inland Packaging
Technical Innovation
F-UHB-M Ultra High Barrier and High Metal Bond
Metallized Polyester Film for Aluminum Foil Replacement
Flex Films (USA) Inc.
Metropolitan Tea Compostable Tea Envelopes and Overwraps
ProAmpac
Profol’s SBB Synthetic Bacon Board
Profol
Purition Single-Serve Smoothie Meal Replacement Powder
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Shelf Impact
Nestlé San Pellegrino Sparkling Water Integritite
33% PCR Bundling Collation Shrink Film
TC Transcontinental Packaging
Paper Boat Coconut Water Shaped Stand-up Pouch, 250 ml
Paharpur 3P
Pet Medical Product Pouch
Advanced Web Technologies—Illinois, Inc.
Ykibble Baked Dog Food 5 Panel PTC Zipper Pouch, 9.5 kg
Paharpur 3P
Expanding the Use of Flexible Packaging
RESCUE! Outdoor Disposable Fly Traps
Glenroy, Inc.
EcoVue Single Dose Ultrasound Gel Packet
Glenroy, Inc.
HP HDX Lubricant Oil Stand-up Spouted Pouch, 1 L
Paharpur 3P
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years into a business started by two school friends, the introduction of the smaller Magic Morsel found the brownie maker searching for a happy ending to an end-of-line challenge.
Automate manual tasks Conveyance in a con ned spaceCount to 100. I’ll wait. Any distractions while you counted? Are you sure you didn’t miss any numbers? Now do it again. All day long.
Fairytale Brownies was founded by two childhood friends, David Kravetz and Eileen Spitalny, who met in kindergarten. After graduating from college and spending a few years in the corporate world, they took their friendship, entrepreneurial spirits, and Kravetz family brownie recipe, and went out on their own to launch a company in their home-
town of Phoenix. Thirty years later, and their company employs more than 130 people, selling multiple avors of brownies, blondies, and cookies through online delivery to customers all over the world.
When Kravetz and Spitalny rst launched their business from a single bakery storefront, they started with full-size 3-in.-square brownies. Later, they started making half-size brownies they called Sprites. A few years after that, they added quarter-size brownies called Magic Morsels. In recent years, demand for those bite-sized morsels has exploded. “That’s the size and the line that has just taken off,” Kravetz says. “I think about 70% of our volume right now is in that size brownie.”
And here’s where the problem comes in with counting to 100. Fairytale Brownies’ workers were counting brownies by hand and placing them into reusable totes, which were then taken to the freezer to be ready for assembling into gifts. The full-size brownies and Sprites were one thing, stacking nicely in the totes and making it easier to keep track of the count. But employees struggled to count and keep track of the 500 bite-size brownies that t into each tote.
“They’re too small to stack and organize. The team would have to count 100 pieces, put down a piece of parchment paper, then keep going,” Kravetz explains. “The only reason they’d do a layer of parchment was if they lost count, instead of starting over, they would only go back to the previous layer.”
It’s not dif cult to see that this sort of task is better suited to automation than it is to human labor. As burgeoning demand for the Magic Morsels began to cause problems for the end-of-line conveyor system, the team at Fairytale Brownies realized they needed some help.
Fairytale operations were using a relatively slow ow wrapper—about 150 pieces a minute—along with a single accumulation table. From there, workers placed products into totes, counting and stacking as able. To keep up with
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growing demand, especially during the peak gifting season, Fairytale needed a faster ow wrapper. But there was no way that workers were going to be able to keep up with a faster ow of product with the current system in place.
John Glenn & Associates, a material handling and engineering consultant based in Scottsdale, Ariz., equipped Fairytale with a new Syntegon horizontal ow wrapper to individually wrap brownies and
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other products. To recon gure the rest of the system, the consultant turned to Dorner for its conveyor expertise.
The goal was to design a system that would not only add ef ciencies to Fairytale’s end-of-line packaging operations but would also reduce the amount of employee interaction needed for the process. Dorner’s Engineered Solutions Group, which specializes in designing conveyor systems for applications with a higher degree of complexity, worked with Fairytale’s con ned oor space to come up with a solution.
First, Dorner recommended switching from one to two rotary tables to double packing capacity while operating within the existing space. To convey product through metal detection, Dorner designed a special 2200 Series metal-free conveyor with a plastic bedplate. After packaged product successfully passes through metal detection, a mechanical diverter shifts the products between tables, depending on the size and packaging recipe running.
The 2200 Series is a low pro le, high-performance conveyor used for small to medium part handling. It is designed to improve ef ciency, reduce downtime, and increase accuracy during the metal detection process.
Now, the small Magic Morsels ow directly from the accumulation tables down chutes and into totes, with each tote automatically receiving 500 pieces, according to a count by the photo eye. When the count reaches 500, a mechanical diverter arm shifts the product onto the other table, where the same process takes place. The bite-sized treats are accurately counted and packed in totes with no employee interaction.
To easily transition the system from running the small pieces to the larger, Dorner incorporated a removable arm and discharge chute into each rotary table.
Dorner made some discoveries as it tested with the samples at its facility, making adjustments along the way. One adjustment came in relation to the larger pieces. Because the larger brownies could be stacked, they were easier to count, but doing so manually was still a drag on ef ciency. But since the larger pieces needed to be sorted more precisely into the totes— to avoid damage and to provide a better t, Kravetz notes—packing still needed to be done by hand.
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Occasionally, products would begin to back up, and the cookies in particular would shingle on top of each other, and fall off the table. To address this issue, Dorner improved the design with the installation of a 6-in. xed diverter on each table to gently guide products toward the middle. This minimized contact with other newly deposited products and enabled them to keep rotating toward the center of the tables without over-accumulating. Dorner’s improved design allowed plenty of time for employees to grab and sort pieces.
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Another issue came when the system was running at full speed and the morsels got backed up. “The
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morsels were supposed to go down the chute, but sometimes they accumulated in a corner and started backing up and they’d clog the chute,” Kravetz says. Dorner modi ed the diverter arm to keep that from happening, adds Victor Moran, quality assurance supervisor for Fairytale Brownies.
“They were really good after it was installed to tweak these kinds of realworld production problems that crept up,” Kravetz notes. “The team did a
Most of Fairytale Brownies’ sales come as customizable gift packages of brownies, blondies, and cookies.
mum speed of the Syntegon once we get there.”
Moran adds, “Right now, the max for Morsels is 300 packages per minute. But they can add a third head and they can go up to 450 packages per minute.”
Dorner designed an automated system for loading the baked goods into the Syntegon, Kravetz
NOP (No-Plastic Program) means we promote eco-friendly plastic substitutes for the packages manufactured on IMA machines. rough the research and testing of alternative processes and materials together with our partners we foster plastic-free and sustainable, compostable, biodegradable or recyclable packaging solutions.
According to these objectives, IMA established OPENLab: the Group’s network of technological laboratories and testing area, dedicated to the research on sustainable materials, technologies and production optimization processes.
May 4th-10th Hall 17
By Anne Marie Mohan, Senior Editor
In the realm of packaging design, several common strategies span various categories. Yet, within individual markets, distinct tactics are utilized, in uenced by an array of factors like the product, consumer expectations for the category, and the competitive environment. The packaging of alcoholic beverages, particularly spirits, is especially dependent on package design to convey quality.
In several articles on his company’s website, Kevin Smith, founding partner of CPG brand development agency SmashBrand, points to how the competitiveness of the premium liquor market has impacted packaging design in the category. “A premium spirits packaging design once assumed premium authority with custom glass bottles and unique corks,” he writes. “Now, custom packaging requires the smallest, most intricate details, along with the right label design to catch the consumer’s eye.”
In addressing current trends in spirits packaging design, Smith notes that storytelling continues to be a driving factor. “There’s an element of history poured from custom glass packaging into the glass of the customer,” he says.
In creating the package design for its limited-edition Woodcutter’s Daughter Rye Whiskey, Silent Pool Distillers employed both elegant design details and storytelling to produce a sophisticated and evocative bottle design. Silent Pool worked with brand design and innovation agency Seymourpowell, directing them to “purposely ‘go against the grain’ and challenge the visual language of the category,” according to the design firm.
The legend behind the product’s name is born from the original Silent Pool tale of a young maiden, the woodcutter’s daughter, who met her untimely death upon drowning. Shares Seymourpowell, the design was inspired in equal part by the essence of the idyllic English Surrey Hills landscape and the metropolitan dynamism of New York, reflecting the
product’s uncommon blend of British and American whiskey.
“The design is a modern and bold reinterpretation of traditional whiskey cues, to attract a new audience looking for an accessible route into whiskey,” Seymourpowell explains. “The base label nods to these old traditions in its familiar embellishments and typographic language, while contemporizing through a modern choice for the variant color palette. The gestural and dynamic WD word mark conveys the confident attitude of the brand.”
The Woodcutter’s Daughter character is immortalized through the crafting detail within the typographic treatment of the WD brand mark. Her profile is celebrated within a distinctive “S” character shape. This iconic detail reappears on top of the closure and features as a focal point on the neck label.
Weaving around the silhouette on the neck label are stylized illustrations of the native flora and fauna that surround the Silent Pool. These are depicted in warm copper tones, embellished with hot foil stamping. This ethereal location also inspired the batch name for the first whiskey, Speckled Wood.
In another example of the use of storytelling in spirits packaging design, Scotland’s best known vodka brand, Glen’s, worked with creative agency Thirst on a redesign of its packaging that leans into the brand’s roots while giving it new relevance. The first major brand refresh in nearly 20 years, the redesign of The Loch Lomond Group brand was done to help pave the way for the growth of Glen’s
The design is a modern and bold reinterpretation of traditional whiskey cues, to attract a new audience looking for an accessible route into whiskey.
into new markets by targeting a more serious end of the market, celebrating its Scottish provenance.
According to Thirst Creative Director Matt Burns, the agency’s primary challenge was to overcome the brand’s “drifting sense of identity.” He says, “For over 20 years Glen’s has been part of the fabric of Scottish culture, synonymous with so much of what the nation is famous for—its sense of wit and fun. Yet with ongoing fragmentation
and a drifting sense of identity affecting quality perception and impeding growth, it was time to reassess the brand direction.
“We wanted to move it away from emulating inauthentic provenance and instead take pride and confidence in its own roots, at the same time retaining its distinct demeanor and straightforward quality that appeal to smart, value-seeking consumers and bring a refreshing lift to the category.”
Thirst’s rich visual contemporary reimagining of Glen’s Vodka is based in its heritage. A red, white, and gold palette remain, as do lions on the brandmark, but they have been recrafted to amplify the brand’s reliable taste experience, along with a simplified monogram and the addition of a quality panel, which together add authenticity and origin to the product story.
Refreshed and modern typography against the core palette of red and white underpin provenance, process, and experience as the basis for Glen’s off-pack brand and product messaging—“Proudly Original,” “Extra Smooth,” “Triple Distilled,” and “Produced and Bottled in Scotland.”
Concludes Burns, “With a fresh new story to tell and visual equities to convey it, this fresher, more modern Glen’s stakes its claim to everyday quality, and paves the way for the brand’s braver growth ambitions.” PW
A CONFECTIONERY JUNGLE PACKAGED AUTOMATICALLY. BROUGHT TO LIFE WITH SCHUBERT.
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Serac Group acquired NFM and its subsidiary, Doselec
Massman Companies acquired Chicago-based Ultra Packaging, Inc.
Bastian Solutions unveiled plans for a 162-acre corporate campus in Nobelsville, Ind. The site will serve as its corporate headquarters and advanced manufacturing facilities that will produce supply chain automation technologies.
Evertis received the Ecosense Foundation’s Retray certification.
Sidel expanded its labeling technologies with the acquisition of Makro Labelling.
Alterra announced its license arrangement with a subsidiary of Freepoint Eco-Systems Holdings LLC for a proposed 192,000 tons per annum advanced plastics recycling facility to be located in the Gulf Coast region.
A&E Conveyor Systems announced a strategic merger with Bieffeco Inc.
The Reusable Packaging Association announced a call for entries for the 12th Annual Excellence in Reusable Packaging Awards. Submissions are due by May 1, 2023.
Pregis’ Anderson, S.C. facility received the International Sustainability and Carbon Certification (ISCC) PLUS distinction.
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Optima celebrated its 100th anniversary in 2022 and released a book, “100 Years of Future,” chronicling the company’s history as well as a review of its anniversary year.
Ryson and Royal Apollo Group opened an office in Mexico that will represent all of Latin America and provide sales, service, and support.
ABB has begun construction to expand its existing North American robotics headquarters and manufacturing facility in Auburn Hills, Mich., which is expected to be completed in November 2023.
Pactiv Evergreen and AmSty launch circular polystyrene food packaging products. Pactiv will offer its customers foam polystyrene packaging products made with AmSty’s post-consumer recycled content derived from advanced recycling technologies.
Rennco, a ProMach product brand, promoted Jeanne George to aftermarket director and hired Jessica Timberman as inside sales/marketing specialist at its Homer, Mich., facility.
Specright named former Colgate-Palmolive CIO Mike Crowe to its board of directors.
Kathleen Stark was named controller for Mid America Paper Recycling.
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Mukul Shukla was named vice president for tna North America.
Steve Sherman was named chief executive officer for Ska Fabricating.
Triangle Package Machinery welcomed two new regional sales managers, Mark Freitas–West Coast and Justin Pike–Northeast.
Markus Schmidt was named chief executive officer of Beumer Corp.
James Kotek retired as Menasha Packaging’s president, chief executive officer. Christopher Drees was appointed his successor.
Dennis Young, longtime member and former Fundamentals of Packaging Technology instructor for IoPP, passed away on January 20, 2023.
Elevate Packaging’s compostable cellophane sheets are available in packs of 250 and are preprinted with a compostable banner, making them easily identi able to the end user and the composters to reduce contamination.
Elevate Packaging pwgo.to/7917
Volpak launches the En ex PHS Series designed for the pharmaceutical and healthcare markets. The PHS-30 is available with up to four lanes and speeds to 300 packs/min, and the PHS-100 is available with up to 24 lanes and speeds to 1,800 packs/min.
Volpak pwgo.to/7915
ULTRA LEG™ from Clysar is a lightweight, recyclable polyole n shrink lm designed for hard-to-package, heat-sensitive confectionery products.
pwgo.to/7916
AlliedFlex offers the Velteko Standup 360 vf/f/s machine designed to produce stand-up/ zipper-style packaging from preprinted rollstock at speeds to 80 packs/min.
AlliedFlex Technologies pwgo.to/7912
The Key-in-Pocket maintenance safeguarding system from Pilz protects against restart and tampering.
Pilz pwgo.to/7913
Totani’s CT-40DL58SC narrow web machine is designed for the exo or digital narrow web market. Totani Corp. pwgo.to/7757
Shemesh’s TKS-C60 packaging line is designed to handle the feeding, lling, capping, labeling, case packing, and palletizing of cosmetics products in a range of shapes and sizes at 60 bottles/min.
Shemesh Automation pwgo.to/7914
DELTA OF-360 X. So flexible that it is ready for tomorrow’s challenges. Raw material costs and their availability, national and international regulations - everything changes so fast, making the future increasingly unpredictable.
DELTA OF-360 X is the first future-proof packaging machine, thanks to its variable geometry that can be set with just a touch on the HMI. Limitless flexibility to quickly switch from one material to another, even those which are still to be developed, is the best way to protect your investment. With DELTA OF-360 X, the future is in your hands.
Search Packworld.com for additional information on any of the advertisers listed or visit their website directly
By Ben Miyares, Packaging Sherpa
Advancing machinery and materials technologies are pushing paper beyond the boundaries of traditional boxes, bags, and low-barrier paper packs into the expansive and expanding realm of barrier packaging.
Driven by regulatory pushes for more sustainable protection of packaged products and the environment, paper packages are gaining—or regaining—market share for a variety of oxygen- and moisture-sensitive products in packaging formats beyond those typically associated with paper. Molded fiber bottles for liquids and collapsible paper tubes for cosmetics are good examples.
U.S. production of packaging paper and paperboard rose from 52 billion tons in 2016 to 56 billion tons in 2020. Globally, the paper packaging market was valued at $233 billion last year. And it is projected to grow at a compound annual rate of 5.2% over the next 10 years, surprisingly higher than plastic, glass, or metal packaging in the same timeframe.
The following sampling of recent paper and board packaging developments shows some ways paper is reshaping what a paper package looks like and how it performs.
• Pods and other 10- to 100-mL volume form-fillseal (f/f/s) packs are the inventive outcome of a threepartner technology collaboration among Swedish paper and board maker Billerud, Germany-based Syntegon Group, and Netherlands-based Huhtamaki In this venture, Syntegon developed and produces the TPU1000 f/f/s equipment for the pods and paper blister packs. Bellarud converted the 3D-moldable FibreForm paper and Huhtamaki supplied the specialty coating holding the pods’ flat and formed pack webs together.
• A pair of cellulose nanocrystal (CNC) barrier coatings are being promoted by Israel-based Melodea, Ltd. for paper packaging barrier enhancement. One of the coatings, MelOx, is engineered to provide paper-packaged product protection from oxygen, oil, and grease transmission. The other, VB Coat, is meant to reduce water vapor permeation, oil, and grease penetration and “water absorption values of the substrate,” according to the company.
• Conductive ink transforms specially encoded paper boxes into digital product engagement portals. Ohmega inks from International Paper Co. powered by Touchcode codes combine to become what IP calls a “connected packaging solution,” transmitting secure data via smart phone or other digital devices to product marketers regarding
where, when, and how consumers frst interact with products upon opening the boxes for the first time.
• A 2025 launch of dry molded fiber bottles to replace singleuse plastic containers is what the Bottle Collective is aiming for. The collective is a collaboration of Swedish packaging manufacturer PulPac AB and global Consultancy, PA Consulting, based in Pennsylvania.
“Fiber bottles could work with water, dairy, non-carbonated soft drinks, adult beverages, detergent, skin care, hair care, etc.” says Tony Perrotta, PA Consulting partner.
• Squeeze tubes made with paper are trending for cosmetics. The European Tube Manufacturers Association awards Tube of the Year (2021) honors to a Permapack AG tube with 71% paper-content body, EVOH barrier layer, and PE or PP shoulders/cap. All-paper “Eco Tube” squeeze tubes for lip balm have also debuted from Eco Vision Packaging. These tubes are topped with friction-fit paper lids.
While several of these paper-packaging advances are aimed at replacing single-use plastics, they offer ample attractions in terms of appearance and performance to break into the packaging market on their own. PW
Engineered for reliability and longevity, the VDG Drum Motor has all drive components enclosed inside the drum and is designed for 80,000 hours of continuous operation before maintenance, reducing operational and maintenance costs and increasing throughput.
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Need more automation capability in a fraction of the space? We can help.
By engineering your EXACT SOLUTION, we make every square inch count for Case Packing, Cartoning, Palletizing, Variety Case Packing, Retail Ready, Robotics, Sleeving, and Combination machines. Our custom approach is a mix of inventive problem-solving and a willingness to take on challenges.
Aagard is a leading engineering innovator of secondary packaging automation. Check out a few of our innovative solutions:
• apid aunch- New product set-ups in minutes, no programming, no change parts, no retrofits
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Since 1997 we have specialized in engineering and building customized integrated combination packaging systems that fit our customers’ specific needs and spaces. Our unique packaging machines can combine many solutions into a single turn-key system with one integrated control package using our proven innovative technologies.
Whether the need is for a design solution with a small footprint or an agile system that can produce 1000s of product combinations, we will deliver
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American Film & Machinery is a leading manufacturer and supplier of heavy-duty shrink sleeve labeling equipment, shrink tunnels, and shrink sleeve consumables. AFM’s shrink sleeve labeling equipment includes a complete line of shrink sleeve labelers, tamper evident banding equipment, steam tunnels, electric tunnels and infrared tunnels. AFM’s labelers range in performance from 50 to 500 products per minute, offering a product and price point no matter what the application demands.
American Film & Machinery also offers a complete line of shrink sleeve consumables, including shrink labels and tamper evident bands. AFM is supported by two of the largest film converting plants – one with 7 rotogravure presses and up to 9-color stations and compatible converting equipment, and another plant with an 8-color 32” central impression flexo press.
With over 40 years of experience in the shrink labeling industry, rely on American Film & Machinery to provide the right solution to your product labeling needs. AFM products are sold through a network of authorized dealers, fully trained and capable to install, train and service our equipment. Contact us today for the name of your local reseller and find out how we can benefit your operation.
AFM, Eastey, and Squid Ink and are all divisions of Engage Technologies Corporation. American Film & Machinery (afmsleeves.com) supplies shrink labelers and tunnels, shrink sleeves, and tamper bands. Eastey (eastey. com) is a leading manufacturer of heavy-duty shrink packaging equipment and automated case sealing systems for packaging applications. Squid Ink (squidink.com) is a manufacturer of coding and marking systems for product identification and traceability, providing superior quality inks and low maintenance printing equipment.
919-772-8383
Axon, a ProMach product brand, is an industry leader in shrink sleeve, stretch sleeve, and tamper band labeling systems, offering dependable performance in key sleeving and tamper band applications including full and partial body sleeves, tamper evident bands, multipacks, and full body over-the-cap sleeves. Over 5,000 Axon systems are in operation worldwide, supported by an experienced team of engineers and service personnel.
The flexibility to run shrink sleeve labels, tamper evident bands, and multipack sleeves on a single machine makes Axon applicators and systems the ideal solution for low-to-high speed and high-performance applications in a wide range of industries including craft beer, wine and spirits, RTD beverages, food, condiments and sauces, ice cream and dairy, pharma and nutraceuticals, and more.
Axon’s systems and standalone applicators are known to deliver dependable performance and unmatched flexibility that translates into higher productivity, more savings and dollars on the bottom line.
Our success starts with listening to your needs, asking the right questions and conducting a thorough technical evaluation to deliver the rightfit solution for your business. Making use of over 50 years of shared experience in the labeling industry, our team of sales and application engineers offer guidance to ensure operational results are met, from the initial conversation through installation and day-to-day operations. Your internal teams can count on US based manufacturing of equipment and parts and local technical support provided by leading service experts that average 14 years of Axon experience.
770/772-0400
B&R Industrial Automation, a member of the ABB Group, is bringing a new level of performance and flexibility to packaging machinery in response to the needs of consumer goods manufacturers.
The B&R ecosystem offers a uniquely comprehensive portfolio of today’s most advanced automation technology – including machine vision, robotics, digital twin simulation, and mechatronic product transportation systems. Our team has the knowledge and experience to combine these technologies in a way that enables manufacturers to adapt to all types of unexpected changes without sacrificing productivity. This is the crucial ability – known as adaptive manufacturing – that CPG manufacturers can leverage to more efficiently handle the demands of direct-to-consumer and omnichannel business opportunities.
Codian Robotics became a member of the ABB Group in 2020. The integration of Codian Robotics’ delta robots into the B&R portfolio has made it much easier for customers to implement high-speed pick-andplace applications.
The mechatronic solutions have proven to be a game changer, enabling mass customization down to batch size one, changeovers on the fly, and make-to-order instead of make-to-stock. This is the essence of adaptive manufacturing, machines that adapt to the products being made and packaged, rather than forcing products to conform to a rigidly sequential process.
Adaptive manufacturing enables digital business strategies with the ability to deliver cost-effective, automated, make-to-order mass customization for the first time ever. Manufacturers can now offer personalized, even batchsize-one order fulfillment directly from the production line to the consumer.
For over 60 years, BELL-MARK has been developing innovative solutions for package and carton printing applications in the medical device, pharmaceutical, prepared foods, meat, bakery, dairy, and poultry packaging industries. BELL-MARK offers many in-line printing technologies, including piezo inkjet, thermal inkjet, thermal transfer, flexographic, and ink coder, all of which satisfy requirements to print directly onto package and carton substrates.
The accuracy of coding on your product package is crucial. Expiration dates must be clearly identifiable and easily human-readable. Bar codes must be verifiable and scannable. There are no exceptions. BELL-MARK addresses these needs with systems that provide the highest quality print available on medical paper, Tyvek, poly, and foil substrates.
BELL-MARK has successfully satisfied UDI GS1 requirements for many of our customers. We understand the UD1 rules and regulations and have experience in a wide range of applications. From retrofitting band sealers to Form, Fill, Seal packaging machines, we have the expertise to ensure your codes are verifiable and scannable and meet the necessary regulations.
Eliminate costly labeling by printing directly onto your package or replace your CIJ printer with a maintenance-free alternative. BELL-MARK offers a full line of washdown tolerant printers, including both thermal transfer and thermal inkjet technologies. Print graphics, nutritional facts, bar codes, lot/expiration dates and safe handling instructions on almost any surface. Rest easy knowing your printer is IP67 rated and can be washed down and sanitized without complicated protective procedures.
BELL-MARK’s in-line printing and coding equipment delivers industryleading reliability and durability, time and time again. High-resolution print quality that consistently affords you the peace of mind in knowing that your codes will not fail. While other companies may claim it, BELL-MARK leads the way in the lowest cost of ownership and highest return on investment.
Inc.
www.bellatrx.com
BellatRx is a leading manufacturer of packaging lines, equipment, and integration solutions and your number one source for inventive, advanced, and automated packaging and filling solutions. Our expertise lies in the engineering and manufacturing of innovative equipment designed to your specifications for a turnkey operation.
We are a global leader in the design, manufacture, distribution, and service of Complete Packaging Lines, Filling, Capping, Labeling, Inspection, and Recovery systems focusing on Rigid Containers. We serve a broad range of industries including food, beverage, pharmaceutical, diagnostics, biotech, nutraceutical, chemical, cosmetics, and personal care for solid products, liquids, and powders.
Our packaging lines are designed to meet your packaging requirements ranging from small batch runs to large high-speed operations. We design our lines with speed, efficiency, flexibility, and ease of changeover in mind. Your packaging line will be modular with expansion capabilities built to keep pace with your company’s growing demands. Our expert technical team supports customers throughout the process from kick-off to final commissioning and beyond.
At BellatRx, we live by an encompassing mindset to create a “Beyond Expectation” experience for our customers. This experience is derived from our capabilities in application analysis, innovative engineering designs, product development, project management, on-time delivery, installation, start-up support, training, and ongoing aftermarket support.
BellatRx continues to implement the latest automation technologies to manufacture packaging machines which have become the benchmark in the industry due to their intuitive operation and easy setup. We are dedicated to expanding our product lines through ongoing investments in our people, R&D, and facilities to provide our customers with the best support, lead time, and value.
QC
817/349-8555
BestCode designs and manufactures Industrial Coding and Marking Printing Systems. Systems print real-time “Best By”, “Lot Code”, “Sell By”, “Expiration Codes” and other identifying marks and codes on industrial and consumer goods to ensure product traceability.
Products are designed and manufactured in the USA; FORT WORTH, TEXAS. For more than 25 years, the BestCode group continues to produce industry-changing, forward-thinking innovative industrial printing designs. Product designs are focused on ease of use, trouble-free operation, longterm reliability, and affordable cost of ownership with an emphasis on global market requirements.
Systems print small and large character text, graphics and barcodes at high speed, non-contact, instantly dry on a wide range of substrates, including plastic, glass, paper and more - meeting the requirements for food, consumer good and industrial coding and marking applications.
BestCode offers a complete range of marking and coding solutions (50+ model configurations) - entry level affordable options through mid-range capabilities and high end, specialized engineered solutions focusing on the highest speed, most sophisticated applications.
BestCode systems minimize user interaction, limiting the hands-on time for typical coding system operations, extending the operation time between human interactions.
Systems are the most efficient CIJ printers available, lowering overall coding costs. Systems are State-of-the-Art, Current Technology, Industrial, Built-to-Last and designed for the World Market, featuring more than 20 operating/printing languages.
Bevcorp offers solutions for your filling, blending, container handling, and seamer packaging equipment, parts, and service needs. Our goal is to provide unparalleled service highlighted by our dedicated commitment to serving the food and beverage industries. We provide high speed rotary filling equipment including new and Bevcorp Certified can and bottle fillers. We manufacture both electronic volumetric and mechanical rotary filling equipment. Our Microblend Division manufactures the Micro2 Advantage Series Blender, in-line carbonator, CSD, hot fill and non-carbonated blenders, replacement parts, and provides 24-hour service and support. Our FCI Handling Division provides quick-change handling, conversions for all brands of equipment, parts carts & storage solutions, vent tubes/ ball cages, base control and neck handling solutions. Our newest division, East Coast Seamers, provides rebuilds and overhaul services for Angelus, Continental and Canco can seamers, 24-hour emergency service, parts, oil and lubrication analysis, installations and training.
BluePrint Automation (BPA) is a world leader in end of line packaging automation. With a diverse and innovative team of experts in consumer goods packaging, BPA designs, develops and manufactures packaging solutions for flexible and other tough-to-handle packages. You make it, They’ll pack it!
• rimary ackaging ision guided robots picking individual packaged and unpackaged items for loading into your containers, wrappers or hffs machines; including Carton, Case and Tray Packing, Stacking and Loading, ariety acks into Sack or Case, inner Tray oading and it Assembly
• Secondary ackaging ori ontal and vertical pack solutions for fle ible and other packages; including wrap around case packing and end-load cartoning acking shelf ready Their Easy- case is a retail-ready case that allows for easy top loading and ensures a good-looking product appearance on the shelf.
• Turnkey ackaging Systems Taking total control of your packaging line from the end of processing through palleti ing
id you know ongerius anco, a leading supplier of multipack bag-in-bag systems is now powered by BluePrint Automation? With their wide range of bag-in-bag and sealchecking solutions, ongerius anco is the perfect complement to BPA’s end of line packaging solutions.
Backed by thousands of successful installations in over 60 countries, BPA has three full-service manufacturing facilities in the USA and Europe, an additional facility in ang hou China and ten additional subsidiaries throughout the world for sales and service. BPA has clearly emerged as a global leader in the design and manufacturing of fully integrated turnkey packaging systems. The systems are constructed for around the clock operation and known worldwide for their quick change over, flexibility, speed and simple design.
Brenton is a global leader in designing and manufacturing integrated end of line case packaging systems and machines, specializing in case packing and palletizing using both robotics and other automation. With expertise in conventional, hard automation as well as robotics, Brenton has the solution to fit the customer’s specific application requirements.
Brenton’s case packers are reliable, efficient and easy to operate. With over 850 traditional case packers and robotic case packing installations, Brenton continues to be a leader in the case packing industry. These systems are designed for maximum flexibility, to accommodate diverse product requirements. Brenton’s Case packing solutions offer a wide range of options to easily accommodate our customer’s applications.
The Brenton full line of palletizing and depalletizing solutions uses rugged designs which help maximize the reliability and value of your machinery. Brenton’s systems range from single pick palletizers to bulk robotic palletizers and depalletizers as well as conventional machinery. By offering both conventional and robotic palletizing and depalletizing products, the Brenton line meets virtually every automation challenge. As a FANUC ASI and FANUC Certified Servicing Integrator and Strategic Market Specialist, Brenton’s extensive knowledge in robotics continues to grow and drive additional robotic automation solutions to their portfolio.
Brenton Integrated System Solutions offer customers a single source for all end-of-line packaging needs, from standalone applications to complex packaging systems. Brenton solutions integrate not only Brenton machines but also the entire ProMach family of brands as well as other customer specified equipment. Integrating systems streamlines the production process, allowing for maximum efficiency and increased productivity.
Brenton’s partnership does not end after installation. With one of the longest running aftermarket programs in the industry, Brenton has a team of in-house aftermarket parts, service and machine retrofit experts providing 24/7 support, keeping customers up and running at peak capacity. Retrofit upgrades also available on the competition’s solutions.
757-463-7800
www.buschusa.com
Busch Vacuum Solutions combines the precision of German engineering with American-made know-how to offer an extensive range of vacuum pumps, blowers, and compressors tailored for your unique application.
Busch is proud to offer high quality, reliable solutions crafted in the US. Our key products for packaging are proudly constructed with a combination of US-made components and international materials - giving customers both reliability and value.
At Busch, quality and innovation come first. Our expert engineering team is committed to creating vacuum systems that meet the unique requirements of our customers. With such dedication to excellence, it’s no wonder we are a leader in system building!
Keeping your production running smoothly is our top priority. Our nationwide network of service centers or on-site Field Service Specialists provides expert maintenance and repair solutions, including 24/7 support for unexpected breakdowns. Invest in peace of mind knowing that with Busch you can maximize uptime, optimize safety, and improve efficiency.
OUR PRODUCTS:
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OUR SERVICES
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Founded in 1976, Buskro is an industry leader in the design and manufacture of print and personalization equipment to meet a broad range of customer applications in the commercial print and packaging markets. Buskro’s approach of incorporating the latest personalization technologies and providing an upgrade path for existing equipment allows our products to meet your current needs and gives you the ability to evolve with your future needs.
Buskro equipment features heavy duty construction with the option for 3rd party integration, a design that promotes years of trouble-free operation, and powerful Compose IQ software that has all the tools to deploy simple to complex personalization systems. Buskro offers a full suite of transport modules, inkjet printers, labelers, inspection devices and personalization elements that allow you to tailor a system that’s just right to meet the specific requirements of your jobs. Choose a printer or array of printers best suited to satisfy your print resolution, coverage, and ink needs and then define the image with Compose IQ & Workflow software, control the output, track progress, and inspect the result to confirm full job compliance.
Buskro’s Package Personalization System (PPS) has been designed to apply inkjet print, brand labels, and other personalization features such as RFID variably onto a wide variety of packaging products for jobs of any size. Employing Buskro’s configurable Modular Transport System as its foundation, personalization elements are added and placed where you need them to meet your specific package personalization requirements. Layered with Workflow Software that assists with rapid product setup and job preparation plus a camera inspection device that monitors and ensures completion and right amount of each and everyone of your products, the PPS provides all the tools to reduce waste and production costs.
Buskro research and development is constantly searching for new products, processes and systems. This commitment to innovation has produced industry leading operating systems, print technologies & transports.
BW Integrated Systems is an industry leader in the design and manufacture of end-of-line packaging equipment and robotic automation solutions, as well as the execution of integrated packaging systems. Our company attributes its decades of success to three simple principles: “People, Products, Performance.”
PEOPLE:
Striking the appropriate balance between a people-centric culture where everybody matters and industry-leading performance is core to our business. As a member of the Barry-Wehmiller family, we strive to be a company that enables its associates to return home daily with a true sense of fulfillment. Our mission is to be a company that people enjoy working for, doing business with, investing in, and having as part of their communities.
PRODUCTS:
Our diverse portfolio comprises trusted legacy products (Ambec, Fleetwood, Goldco, Nigrelli, SWF, Tisma), innovative solutions like our Maximus Case Palletizer and Fortis Bulk Depalletizer, and integrated packaging systems. In addition, our service network provides global technical support and offers peace of mind for a diverse client base that operates in a variety of market segments, including Automotive, Beer, Beverage & Craft Beverage, Wine & Spirits, Container Manufacturing, Food, Household, Personal Care, Dairy, Paper, Pharmaceutical, and Industrial.
PERFORMANCE:
BW Integrated Systems has decades of application experience in packaging line design and integration, robotic automation, and the design and manufacture of innovative packaging equipment. We have packaging equipment and systems integration installations in over 50 countries worldwide. With six manufacturing facilities and over 650 team members worldwide, BW Integrated Systems is a trusted global partner for our clients, ranging from mid-size to multi-national corporations.
Contact us to learn more.
BW Packaging is Barry-Wehmiller’s global team of packaging professionals who genuinely care about people. We show our customers that they matter by learning about their challenges and embracing them as our own. Through these partnerships, we develop purposeful packaging solutions to optimize our customers’ processes and back them with a lifetime of customer support.
Comprised of five divisions - Accraply, BW Flexible Systems, BW Integrated Systems, Pneumatic Scale Angelus and Synerlink - BW Packaging offers comprehensive packaging machinery and solutions including complete packaging lines, filling and closing, flexible packaging, labeling, end-of-line solutions, and systems integration.
Whether you need a single piece of equipment or a fully integrated line, BW Packaging provides reliable packaging solutions for food, beverage, personal care, household products and pharmaceuticals.
With 11,000+ installations around the world, BW Packaging brings a global perspective to solving the industry’s greatest challenges. Through innovation, application of our broad packaging expertise, and collaboration with our customers, we optimize packaging solutions for:
• Sustainability Infusing sustainable thinking into our business culture and practices.
• Integration Building robust connections through e pertise and IIoT solutions.
• Automation rioriti ing people and safety while streamlining production
• erformance Improving OEE with reliable solutions and lifetime customer support.
Looking to improve production and efficiency? Cama has 40 years’ experience designing and building innovative, automated secondary packaging solutions that are easy to operate, improve production and OEE, and run multiple products with quick and easy changeovers. A subsidiary of Cama Group, Cama North America is vertically integrated, providing complete sales, manufacturing and aftermarket support to North American customers, including engineering, parts and technical service.
Cama’s expertise spans a wide range of applications, including various food markets, as well as Pet Food, Personal, Health, and Home Care. Our product line includes:
• Case packers and case packing systems for SC, wrap-around, and retail-ready /display ready cases C , as well as forming, closing and lidding machines for bo es, trays and SC cases
• Intermittent and continuous motion cartoners and carton sleevers
• Integrated decoupled and monoblock robotic loading units
Check out our new BreakThrough Generation of case packers, cartoners, and sleevers BT models feature high sanitation levels quick and easy, tool-less changeovers fle ible configurations and ease of maintenance and accessibility. They offer a monoblock design, no hollow body structure, and C-less, cabinet-free technology with non-proprietary electronics In addition, they are T M-compliant and ready for the future with Industry features such as our Augmented eality A Machine Assistant.
Offering flexibility and quick changeover in a compact footprint, our integrated, turnkey systems can accept flexible or rigid products in an oriented or random configuration, orient packages as needed, end load or top load products into a carton, and case pack into a display ready and/or conventional SC or wraparound case In addition, the Cama ackaging epartment offers more than years of e perience in the design and testing of packaging cardboard, and can often help design more sustainable solutions that help our customers save material costs and reduce their impact on the environment.
Partner with Clysar for packaging with a positive impact.
Clysar is a leading U.S. shrink film manufacturer with sustainable solutions for virtually every packaging application: offering today’s most extensive portfolio of recyclable, recycled-content and right-gauged polyolefin films. Gain industry-leading expertise, 24/7 technical service and the developmental support of a knowledgeable sustainability team. Recyclable Films – Find a high-performance recycled film for every product, prequalified for Store Drop-Off by How2Recycle®. Solutions include Clysar® EVO™ all-purpose film, EVOX™ high-speed film, EVO-C™ Confidential e-commerce/privacy film, EVO™ ShrinkBox® high-abuse film and ULTRA LEG™ low-energy film.
Certified Recycled Content – Meet your goals with shrink packaging made with pre- or post-consumer recycled content. EVO-C™ Confidential film, an opaque shipping film, features Post-Consumer Recycled (PCR) content. Other clear films incorporate Clysar® ReClaim™ pre-consumer resin certified by SCS Global Services.
PVC Replacement – Improve material health and eliminate toxins with advanced polyolefin films that replace PVC shrink film (polyvinyl chloride), including our gentle new recyclable ULTRA LEG™ low-energy film.
Right-Gauging/Source Reduction – Explore options to reduce packaging, eliminate components and deliver improved performance at lower gauges. Solutions range from printed shrink film to thin films to corrugate replacement films that save up to 80% in package volume.
Reduced Energy Use/Cost – Lower impacts with films that run reliably at lower temperatures in sealers and tunnels, achieve improved speed/ throughput and eliminate rewraps.
Responsible U.S. Manufacturing – With 60+ years of shrink packaging expertise, Clysar is a responsible resource that meets rigorous qualifications for environmental, social and ethical performance. We are committed to environmental collaboration, education and improved packaging performance.
Make your next package more sustainable and successful. Visit clysar.com or talk with us to explore the advantages of full-circle shrink packaging.
Flexible Product Handling
Columbia’s conventional palletizers are the most flexible palletizing solutions available and handle virtually every package type, including shrink bundles with and without a pad, plastic totes, high CG, unwrapped trays, and more.
Industry Leading Standard Safety Features
Columbia’s standard safety package contains Category 3 electrical safety components, including dual circuit safety interlocks & full height light curtains. This safety package provides a fully guarded, Performance Level D palletizer to keep your employees safe while enhancing OEE and production demands.
Complete System Integration
Columbia Machine manufactures conventional high-speed, high-level, floor-level & robotic palletizers, load transfer stations and provides complete system design and integration. With the most flexible and modern palletizing solutions available, Columbia is the leading palletizer solutions provider in North America.
High Performance AND Sustainability
Columbia has a palletizing solution for virtually any application, each equipped with standard features designed to safely maximize OEE, throughput and uptime.
1.877.204.7444
Columbia/Okura LLC is a leading robotic palletizing integrator. Our team applies expert knowledge, gained through 26 years of business, with the right tools to solve customers’ “End of Line” production challenges for a diverse range of businesses, products, and applications. The historical success of our company can be attributed to an exclusive focus on end-ofline palletizing systems and applications.
We provide design, integration, and commission of end-of-line robotic palletizing systems including industrial robots, cobots, automated bagging machines, and integrated equipment. Through our partnerships, we procure and integrate top-of-the-line valve packers, pallet and sheet dispensers, conveyors, and any additional end-of-line equipment your line might need. By providing custom-engineered solutions, we develop robotic palletizing systems to meet demanding customer requirements.
Our team is well versed in providing solutions for most major manufacturing industries including:
• Animal Nutrition
• Beans, entils, ulses
• Building Materials
• Chemical roducts
• ood Beverage
• Milled roducts
• Medical / harmaceutical
After a system is shipped and installed, ourdedicated service team continues to support our customers with 24/7 remote support, troubleshooting, and maintenance services. We maintain a team of experienced field service technicians and engineers that are available to travel to our customer sites, offering services customized to a client’s specific needs Additionally, our team is trainedtrainers, conducting onsight training for system operators, ensuring they know how to operate the system safely.
CTM Labeling Systems
330/332-1800
www.ctmlabelingsystems.com
From design and engineering through final system set-up and quality control, exceptional expertise and craftsmanship is built in at every level to create the finest labeling machines available on the market. Setting high standards is difficult, maintaining those standards is even tougher. The highest standard, that we consider our benchmark, is unsurpassed support “after the sale.”
At CTM, supporting our customers before, during and after the sale is paramount. Our management team and dedicated support staffs are driven by some of the most experienced and well-respected professionals in the industry. From semi-automatic applications to the most demanding highspeed, high-accuracy labeling solutions, we understand your needs. More importantly, we understand how to convert your needs into successful production.
To maintain unparalleled quality standards, every phase of our company is housed under one roof. When raw material leaves the rack, it travels through the most automated manufacturing facility in the industry. Stateof-the-art equipment incorporating precise tolerances, coupled with true craftsmen at the controls, results in an impeccable product. Our promise to you — “You won’t find better quality, better service or better delivery anywhere else in the industry.”
We welcome you to tour our facility and experience the “CTM Commitment to Excellence” firsthand.
Products:
• Tabletop Wrap Systems
• Custom abeling Systems
• a abel Applicators
• a rinter Applicator
• ST Servo Tamp rinter Applicator
• T-Base, -Base Stands
Dekka is one of the only companies where the primary focus is on tape heads. Because of our dedication and focus, our team is not only more experienced and knowledgeable, but we care about every tape head that goes out the door. Our pride and passion lies in providing a consistent and reliable solution for every application for seamless integration and easy operation. We support every product because we put our customer’s reputation first.
A key to Dekka’s success was our ability to grow and develop a wide distribution network across North America. With our own experienced technicians as well as knowledgeable distributors and packaging suppliers, Dekka and our partners compose of the strongest tape head support network in the industry that will listen, understand and solve your tape head issues.
Dekka offers over 400 unique tape heads which fit on almost every case sealer, case erector and case former in the market. This versatility extends to the types of packaging tape and cases that our tape heads are able to handle as well including hot melt, acrylic, rubber, and other types of tapes for cases, boxes, recycled cartons and more. The wide range of products has been driven by the overwhelming demand for Dekka tape heads. Dekka customers understand the importance of the quality, reliability and service that comes with each Dekka tape head. Along with these tape heads, we also offer options and accessories on our tape heads such as the Tape Monitor Alert System and other retrofit packages.
Dekka also offers a line of entry level machinery, bringing the same level of quality and reliability from tape heads to case sealing and erecting machinery. These machines have been designed and built to synergize with Dekka tape heads to bring the highest level of performance and reliability to our customers. Contact us if you are having trouble with your current tape head or if you are looking for some new equipment- we are happy to help.
We are a leading manufacturer of advanced case packing and cartoning machinery. Our talented 350 employees have proven to be one of the most inventive teams in the packaging industry. Delkor has changed the landscape of retail ready packaging and is now widely recognized for creating a new generation of cutting-edge machinery and fresh package concepts.
Our team can help you comply with the latest retail-ready packaging (RRP) guidelines for major retailers including Walmart, Aldi, Kroger and others. All of Delkor’s case packers stand-alone by offering both retail ready case styles as well as the full range of club store display trays with only 8 minute full line change-over. Delkor’s popular patented Cabrio Case design is provided free of charge with the purchase of a case packer, which enables customers to source the Cabrio Case from any corrugated manufacturer. Currently over 1 billion Cabrio Cases are in use across many product categories in 2023! To see your product in a Cabrio Case, our in-house package lab can provide you with a physical sample with graphics within 48 hours.
Delkor’s robotic case packers and cartoning machines were designed for today’s diverse packaging environment.
From package design to finished pallet, we’ll help you with everything you need. We’ll handle the hassle of upstream and downstream add-ons, purchases, and recommendations for your project.
Diagraph provides identification solutions that make it easy for manufacturers to make the perfect mark – print after print after print. Diagraph focuses on partnering with customers in every aspect of their coding and labeling operations, including warehouse automation and eCommerce – providing a holistic approach that maximizes efficiencies for customers and drives tangible value throughout a long-term partnership.
Diagraph is the longest established business in the product identification industry and has been a trusted leading manufacturer and distributor of product identification solutions for 130 years.
Our solutions include:
• in small character continuous inkjet printers lead the industry in durability and reliability with the longest intervals between printhead cleanings (up to 3 months). The simple user interface allows for quick message setup and intuitive daily operation. The sealed industrial printhead provides maximum print quality protection over longer periods of time.
• The new esMark is the ne t generation standard for case coding
Utilizing its extensive industry knowledge, Diagraph engineered this intelligent system to deliver simplicity, reliability, flexibility and a lower cost of ownership over the life of the system. This high-resolution industrial inkjet printer system offers the industry s largest print area and greatest throw distance and sets the standard for durability and the lowest cost per mark. Innovative and patented rapid replace printheads can be brought online quicker, reducing production line disturbances and repairs while minimizing downtime.
• iagraph s all-electric labeling print apply systems and label applicators are simply the smartest, most efficient and reliable automated labeling systems in the industry. Industry-leading smart technology uses sensors to reduce label application complications and ensure a one-to-one label to product match for secondary packaging and pallet labeling.
469-885-5722
www.doosanrobotics.com
Founded in 1896, Doosan Group has achieved an incredible reputation as one of the most advanced industrial machinery innovators in the world. Doosan Robotics Americas continues this tradition of technological excellence with a complete lineup of cutting-edge industrial optimization and automation tools, perfect for applications of packaging, palletizing, pick-and-place, and beyond.
Doosan cobots easily integrate and interface with a wide range of equipment and systems. Having partnered with industry-leading manufacturers of tools, grippers, sensors, and software, Doosan cobots install quickly for immediate operation – they also arrive within four weeks of ordering. With intuitive one-touch programming and automatic axis alignment, these products are incredibly easy to use for dynamic processes and precision movements.
Doosan’s cobot lineup consists of three tiers and ten models with payload capacities ranging from 5kg to 25kg and reach capabilities ranging from 900mm to 1,700mm. Whether you’re looking to tackle precision palletizing tasks or heavy-duty package conveyance, Doosan Robotics has the perfect products to get the job done.
Duravant is a global engineered equipment company with manufacturing, sales and service facilities throughout North America, Europe and Asia. Through their portfolio of operating companies, Duravant delivers trusted end-to-end process solutions for customers and partners through engineering and integration expertise, project management and operational excellence. Duravant’s market-leading brands are synonymous with innovation, durability and reliability. The Duravant family of operating companies serve the food processing, packaging and material handling segments.
Duravant’s packaging families include:
Fischbein International, a global leader in sewing and sealing systems, designs and manufactures bag packaging equipment and complete systems.
Mespack is an international manufacturer of flexible packaging solutions that engineers and builds high speed machinery for the world’s leading consumer packaged goods companies.
nVenia designs, builds and integrates primary, secondary and end-of-line packaging solutions for producers of consumer packaged goods and industrial products with longstanding brands Arpac, Fischbein, Hamer, and Ohlson.
Wulftec is the world’s leading manufacturer of highly complex, fully customizable load containment solutions for end-of-line packaging applications.
Duravant’s food processing companies consist of Foodmate, Key Technology, Marelec, Marlen, Multiscan and WECO.
FMH Conveyors and QC Conveyors make up Duravant’s material handling segment.
763/428-4846
Eastey is a leading manufacturer and supplier of heavy-duty shrink packaging equipment, case erectors, case tapers, and other packaging equipment. Eastey’s shrink packaging products include a complete line of L-sealers, sleeve wrappers, shrink tunnels, and bundling equipment.
Eastey also supplies a complete line of case erectors and case tapers, from entry-level bottom and side-belt tapers to fully automatic and random-size case tapers. Eastey has been in business for over 30 years and has an installed base of over 15,000 packaging systems.
Eastey products are sold through a global network of authorized dealers, fully trained and capable of installing, training, and servicing our equipment. At our manufacturing facility in Big Lake, Minnesota, we take pride in manufacturing equipment that is First in Quality – Built to Last. We maintain an extensive inventory of replacement parts and offer prompt technical support when needed.
Today, Eastey continues to focus on its core purpose to “help companies deliver products to the world.” An expanding line of integrated products and services reflects Eastey’s commitment to meeting new needs and new challenges and ensuring that customers have reliable solutions for their packaging application.
Eastey, Squid Ink, and American Film & Machinery (AFM) are all divisions of Engage Technologies Corporation. Eastey (eastey.com) is a leading manufacturer of heavy-duty shrink packaging equipment and automated case sealing systems for packaging applications. Squid Ink (squidink.com) is a manufacturer of coding and marking systems for product identification and traceability, providing superior quality inks and low-maintenance printing equipment. American Film & Machinery (afmsleeves.com) supplies shrink labelers and tunnels, shrink sleeves, and tamper bands.
Engage Technologies Corporation is headquartered in Brooklyn Park, MN with facilities in Big Lake, MN, Spring Lake Park, MN, The Hague, Netherlands, and Shanghai, China.
(360) 673-0018
Make Crating Your Easiest Task
Revolutionary and patented Ecorrcrate® is a standalone, all-corrugated shipping crate solution. Presented in a convenient, easy-to-use format, Ecorrcrate is designed to better protect your product at a lower cost.
Do you struggle with:
• igh freight costs due to shipping heavy wood crates
• roduct damage in transit
• igh cost of packaging labor
• E port quarantine delays
The Bottom Line
We know determining ROI for your company’s bottom line is top priority. Take this opportunity to evaluate both your front end and back end costs, including product replacement rates as well as the associated cost of poor customer e periences before finali ing a decision on your shipping solution.
• Starting cost is lower than common wood crates
• ight weight Ecorrcrates will lower your freight in most situations
• Setup is easy and safe, saving you time and money on labor
• euse and repeat due to our durable and straightforward design
Wait…It’s sustainable and durable?
Finding a reliable, highly durable shipping solution that is also sustainable is often quite challenging Wood is a renewable resource but typical disposal is in the dumpster headed for the landfill.
This is where Ecorrcrate stands alone in the crated goods industry. Ecorrcrate is built from paper-based corrugate lumber. Our proprietary cross-laminated material gives the Ecorrcrate superior multi-directional strength and durability to better protect your products.
Strong, highly Water esistant, Shatterproof, Easy to assemble, enewable, Easily recycled, and IS M compliant, we are confident that Ecorrcrate will improve your processes and lower your Carbon footprint.
At Encoder Products Company, we strive to serve you with expert service, quality products, and fast delivery. EPC specializes in encoders for motion feedback in industrial automation applications such as packaging, printing, labeling, vision systems, food and beverage, motor feedback, and more.
We understand that each industrial automation application is different, and you need encoders that fit the requirements of your applications. That’s why our encoders are highly configurable, offering a wide array of shaft or bore sizes, output types, connector types, mounting options, and resolutions up to 65,536 CPR. You’ll also get an industry-leading warranty, and fast delivery from Idaho, USA.
EPC offers:
• Tru-Trac linear measurement solutions – an integrated encoder, measuring wheel, and pivot arm in one compact unit
• raw wire units with wire lengths up to 2 meters
• Accu-Coder ro programmable encoders
• Magnetic multi-turn absolute encoders that operate in the absence of power without gear trains or batteries
• obust mechanical housings for harsh operating environments, with stainless steel and corrosion-resistant options
• Magnetic encoder modules with sealing to I
• Temperature ranges from - C to 2 C
• Competitor cross referencing and drop-in ready irect eplacement encoders
• Engineering services for your custom motion feedback needs
E C is ISO 2 certified, and we design, manufacture, and assemble most of our encoders and accessories at our corporate headquarters in Idaho, USA. When you call EPC, you’ll talk to engineers and encoder experts who can help you find the right motion feedback for your application. Contact us today.
Enercon’s induction cap sealing technology reliably creates hermetic seals to prevent leaks, provide tamper evidence, extend shelf life, deter pilferage and preserve product freshness.
With industry leading application expertise, equipment design, and support, Enercon makes implementing induction sealing simple. Our application engineers will recommend the best power supply and sealing head for your specific product, cap and container to ensure you will always Achieve a Perfect Seal.
Our highly efficient power supplies & innovative sealing heads optimize induction fields for reliable sealing. Whether you package pharmaceuticals, chemicals, food, beverage, cosmetics or personal care products, Enercon has a system solution for you. Seal containers one at a time with the industry workhorse the Super Seal™ Jr. For continuous production line sealing, choose the Super Seal™ Touch & Super Seal™ Max with intuitive touchscreen control with remarkable features such as recipe control, operator lockout and integrated troubleshooting information.
For moderate & low line speeds, our NEW Super Seal™ brilliantly seals containers while offering advanced features. Integrated stalled container detection, container rejection control, fault information, and a menu-driven interface provides operators with all the tools they need for successful sealing.
Whether you are new to induction sealing or a packaging industry veteran, you will appreciate the application expertise provided to Enercon customers around the world. We offer quick start guides, application infographics, free webinars, training, and of course 24/7 service.
Eriez’ equipment for the packaging industry includes metal detectors and magnetic separators for metal contaminant removal, as well as a full line of vibratory feeders, conveyors and screeners.
Eriez’ compact Vibratory Feeders handle high-speed packaging, difficult products like flour, leafy and gummy products, and high material flow applications. These electromagnetic drives are energy efficient, low maintenance with no moving parts, and can be mated with a range of sanitary and non-sanitary trays.
Eriez Xtreme Metal Detectors offer best-in-class performance to safeguard against both ferrous and nonferrous metal contaminants. This equipment is very effective for identifying and removing stainless steel fragments in conveyed, gravity flow and liquid line sanitary processing applications. Detectors are positioned at different locations throughout the process from bulk and raw material through final package inspection. There is no better solution to ensure your product is metal-free than using Eriez magnets for steel removal and using Eriez Xtreme® metal detectors to reject nonferrous metals like aluminum, brass, stainless steel and more.
Visit Eriez.com for FREE downloadable guides packed with information to help you choose the equipment you need to fit your unique application. Eriez.com features more than 250 packaging solutions, from our best-inclass vibratory feeders, conveyors, screeners, and metal detectors, to our wide selection of magnetic plates, grates and traps. Many of Eriez’ most popular magnetic separators, vibratory feeders and controls are available for next day shipment.
FANUC America is the leading supplier of CNCs, robotics and ROBOMACHINEs with over 40 million products installed globally. We have the largest variety of easy-to-use robot and cobot models available to pick, pack, fulfill or palletize any product.
FANUC’s robots and cobots are reliable, flexible and can handle virtually any size product - from 0.5 kg. to 2,300 kg., including:
- Our CRX collaborative robots are reliable, flexible, and easy-to-use solutions for kitting, palletizing, packing and much more.
- The new DR-3iB/6 STAINLESS is FANUC’s stainless-steel food-grade delta robot for picking and packing primary food products. Rated IP69K, the robot meets USDA and FDA food safety standards.
- Expanded SCARA robot family has six models including environmental options rated IP65 to withstand dust and liquids.
- The popular LR Mate series of tabletop robots has ten models including ISO Class 4 cleanroom and food-grade variants.
- The M-20iB/25C robot with an enclosed design and IP67 rating to withstand harsh environments.
- Established M-410iC series of high-speed palletizing robots.
FANUC offers application software for packaging and palletizing, integrated iRVision® and tracking features, ROBOGUIDE simulation, Dual Check Safety (DCS), and Zero Down Time (ZDT) to help customers monitor and manage their automation.
When you’re ready to automate, FANUC and our team of Authorized System Integrators are here to provide an efficient and cost-effective solution for your plant or fulfillment center. Let’s discuss how we can help you overcome production, supply chain and labor challenges by improving your OEE, flexibility, sanitation and safety. Also, we are committed to “Service First,” providing our customers parts and support for the life of their FANUC products.
Read more about FANUC America’s innovations in Packaging World.
Factory automation solutions from FlexLink, a Coesia company, increase the overall efficiency of production by minimizing throughput time. Our standardized solutions have a strong impact on factory performance and capability to meet the labor challenges of today. Our solutions are reconfigurable, reusable and requires minimal maintenance with low power consumption.
FlexLink’s team of experienced experts can propose customized solutions according to your needs. We deliver all sizes of projects – from simple part deliveries to large and complex turn-key solutions. Our approach is based on streamlining the material and information flows in a production process to maximize the value of the process and minimize all potential losses.
Automated palletizing with FlexLink palletizers (RC10, RC12 and RI20) helps reduce the workload of your employees. Using robotic palletizing solutions enables you to achieve effective and sustainable benefits by fully automating physically demanding and time-consuming tasks.
FlexLink serves a wide customer base, from local producers to global corporations, and from end-users to machine manufacturers. Our customers are lead players within the food, beverage, personal care, pharmaceuticals, automotive, and electronics industries.
Global support is provided by our operating units in 30 countries and a network of Strategic Partners. Our partner network is an important strategic element for FlexLink’s business model since our start in 1980, enabling us to enhance efficiency at factories in more than 60 countries.
FlexLink is part of Coesia, a group of innovation-based industrial and packaging solutions companies operating globally, headquartered in Bologna, Italy. www.coesia.com
FOCKE & CO is an international leading engineering company for packaging machines within the tobacco, food, savoury snacks, and hygiene industry. With more than 60+ years in business, we are proud to offer high-level machinery with top technology. FOCKE & CO is well recognized for providing turnkey engineering solutions for primary packaging, end–of–line packaging, and palletizing.
Due to the delicate nature of snack products, FOCKE & CO’s case packers offer careful handling alongside the flexibility to accommodate tray, traywith-lid, and case (RSC) packaging. In fact, our machines - such as the HFP Base (Highly Flexible Packer) - provide multiple pack configurations that normally cannot be achieved with a typical case packer. With a clean machine concept and a compact footprint, our HFP Base is designed to fit perfectly into typical snack food production lines.
The modular machinery design of the FOCKE stacker and bagger equipment offers economic solutions for various applications for the hygiene industry. Increased efficiency and an open design enable easy operations and maintenance. Neither various bag styles nor sustainable materials affect the operation planning with this packaging line. The stacker module itself stands for high flexibility to combine multiple modules such as one or more bagger and / or cartoner, flow wrapper, case packer as well as further packaging solutions.
With sales and service centers worldwide, FOCKE & CO has the capabilities to deliver local technical support, training, and spare parts. FOCKE & CO has repeatedly set new benchmarks in terms of output and product quality. Our ground-breaking technologies in the field of motion control combined with components featuring extreme dimensional accuracy are highly acclaimed in the industry. This is why we are the leader in Packaging Solutions.
We are here to help you design a packaging solution that is EFFICIENT, RELIABLE, and SUSTAINABLE.
Equipment EFFICIENCY is the result of many different options. The features of a Formost Fuji standard wrapper include a vision system that controls registration and makes for a faster film change and an operation panel with a tablet-like, intuitive user interface that helps reduce labor hours. The ALPHA 8 flow wrapper center seals are designed with induction heat technology that provides fast and consistent sealing, which in turn increases output and saves energy. These are just a few standard features to improve your packaging line’s efficiency.
RELIABILITY has been proven time and time again with our bagging and wrapping machines. Formost Fuji equipment is designed and built for years of dependable operation. In-house dedication to the design and manufacturing of our equipment has positioned Formost Fuji as a leader in quality horizontal flow wrapping and bagging machines as well as automation systems that remain the most reliable in the industry.
Formost Fuji is a leader in providing SUSTAINABLE packaging lines for our customers. With eco-friendly and recyclable materials continually improving and becoming more readily available, we provide free testing in our lab with your product and new films. This allows you to determine if the materials you are considering will align with your product, package integrity, and marketing efforts. Other innovative solutions, such as eliminating foam trays within flow wrap packaging, help meet consumer demand for better sustainability.
You can count on your partnership with Formost Fuji to provide you with excellent customer service from the beginning of the sales cycle, through the build and delivery, and continuing with support, training, and onsite service for years to come.
From sealers and cartoners to cappers, labelers to wrappers, Frain has a wide range of packaging equipment ready to ship to your facility within 2 weeks! Each Frain machine that ships out from our facility arrives to yours completely dialed into your product so when it arrives to your facility, you’re ready to begin production. It’s the closest thing to plug and play you’ll get in the packaging industry. Read on to learn more about how Frain adds value to every equipment purchase or rental.
Equipment Rentals:
Invest only in what you need when you need it with packaging equipment rentals from Frain. Ideal for seasonal items, special edition products and new product development, Frain’s program allows firms to conserve capital and maximize profit. All rentals come dialed into your product, allowing your firm to begin production faster. Best of all, there’s no long-term commitment necessary.
Why pay in full for something before you even use it? With Frain’s Pay As You Go flexible capital program, you’ll only pay for packaging equipment as you use it. There’s no leasing and no large capital investment. Instead, you’ll have the financial flexibility to invest in more projects, take more chances and get products to market faster – and on your schedule.
Consulting and Technical Support: Setup. Inspection. Repair. Training. It’s all part of the Frain difference. All Frain rentals and purchases come with up to 8 hours of technical support from Frain engineers to get you started – and we’re standing by to help with other maintenance and service too.
Contact Frain Today:
For more information on Frain and to inquire about the next piece of equipment for your packaging line, contact us today at 630-629-9900 or visit www.frain.com.
1-800-257-8581
Founded in 1926 in Hammonton, New Jersey, Garvey is recognized as a leader in designing and manufacturing low-impact, multi-functional, pressure-less loop accumulation systems, and conveyor systems. Highly regarded for its engineering expertise in developing equipment that can handle a large variety of product shapes and sizes, Garvey’s solutions convey, accumulate, orient, single file, combine, and lane products rapidly without back pressure or operator interference. It is a leader in bottling operations ranging from small vaccine vials to wine bottles. Garvey offers a broad product offering across both modular standard and highly engineered accumulation solutions. Garvey has approximately 100 employees, including a highly technical sales and engineering organization with a proven track record of innovation within the accumulation market.
Garvey’s flagship product is the Infinity Accumulator, designed to provide efficient and rapid accumulation of products without back pressure or operator interference.
The Infinity is a modular, standard accumulation solution, highly regarded for its ability to handle an extensive range of product shapes and sizes. It can handle it all, from small vaccine vials to wine bottles. Its unique design allows for products to be conveyed, accumulated, oriented, single-filed, combined, and laned rapidly and efficiently, ensuring maximum production output.
One of the critical features of the Infinity Accumulator is its pressureless loop accumulation system. This system eliminates the need for back pressure and reduces the risk of product damage, making it a reliable and safe solution for handling products. The accumulator is also equipped with the latest in engineering expertise, ensuring that it is highly functional and efficient.
Garvey’s Infinity is a perfect solution for companies looking to improve their operational efficiency. Its modular design makes it easy to install and integrate into existing systems, and its efficient accumulation technology maximizes production output.
Looking for the lowest total cost of ownership and highest quality packaging automation solutions available for food, medical devices, and other non-food products? We can help you navigate today’s complex, rapidly changing packaging landscape. We help balance costs and functionality with innovative and emerging processes, materials, and advanced technologies; enhance your profitability and improve the performance of your primary and secondary packaging operations. Our full-service solutions address installation, training, spare parts, service and customer support.
Our capabilities span robotics and automation, thermoforming, tray sealing, filling, flow-wrapping, stretch, blister, skin pack, and vacuum. Every smart, connected G. Mondini and ULMA packaging platform utilizes Rockwell Automation’s Integrated Architecture to reduce solution complexity and maintenance costs, while realizing better quality, capacity, and throughput. We also partner with PTC to incorporate Augmented Reality tools. It all lets us leverage data to enhance your operation and realize greater productivity and efficiency.
We are focused on the environment, aiming to help you meet demand while meeting your sustainability initiatives. Our sustainable packaging options include less plastic use, thinner gauge films, optimized package sizes, reduced film scrap, and alternative packaging materials. Our customers rely on us to help them optimize their overall packaging investment, from start to finish. We offer package design and prototyping services, and can help solve production concerns with comprehensive flexible and efficient systems. We help strategize how to tackle today’s most complex packaging challenges, such as sustainability, eCommerce, robotics and digital transformation.
We focus on lowering your TCO and offering the most reliable systems available. With consistent, professional and timely customer and technical service, our partnership extends well beyond your purchase.
Heat and Control®, a world-leading equipment manufacturer, offers the latest technology and the highest quality equipment for processing, coating and seasoning, conveying, weighing, packaging, inspection, and controls and information systems, and develops innovative solutions for production challenges.
Established in 1950, Heat and Control is a privately-owned company and has 12 manufacturing, warehouse, and associated facilities, 10 testing centers, and more than 30 offices globally. Heat and Control has partnered with other global manufacturing leaders, including Ishida (weighing packaging and inspection) and CEIA® (metal detection), and their brands include FastBack® (horizontal motion conveyors and on machine seasoning), Mastermatic (fryers), and Spray Dynamics® (coating and seasoning application systems). Heat and Control can offer a single machine or can integrate several components into a complete system and assume single-source responsibility.
Heat and Control is also able to assist manufacturers with equipment for all types of food, pharmaceutical, and non-food products, as well as provide pre- and post-sale technical support, including applications assistance, engineering, installation, parts, service, and training to maintain peak efficiency.
Heat and Control has built an extensive knowledge bank and developed a wealth of experience and expertise with access to production and technical support from a network of engineers, food technicians, field service technicians, skilled tradespeople, and support teams to provide food and non-food manufacturers with the ability to achieve their production goals.
Contact us to visit one of our demonstration centers to test products on the latest equipment.
High Tek USA, Inc.
www.hightekusa.com
High Tek USA has been a major player in the food weighing and packaging industry for almost 20 years. Founder and CEO, Jason Sigman started High Tek when he noticed that companies weren’t getting a quick turnaround on either the purchase or the repair of their machines. “When a weighing packaging machine goes down, the customer doesn’t have the ability to fulfill orders, which could mean loss of revenue, loss of the food product, and sometimes the loss of their business,” says Sigman. “We make sure that doesn’t happen.”
High Tek’s machines are durable, dependable, and long-lasting, with the star being their Premium Combination Weigher. High Tek’s machines have been created with the customer’s actual needs in mind. Customers want a machine that performs the essential speed and accuracy requirements but is also easy to operate, clean, and repair. This one has so many standard features and options for customers, it delivers everything for those who need it.
High Tek’s 24-hour technical and emergency services just can’t be beaten in this industry. “We have structured our business like firefighters, meaning we have the tools and experience to quickly identify an issue and provide solutions,” says Sigman. “We can schedule emergency services and get a technician on a plane with parts usually within 24 hours.”
Rancho Cordova
847-956-6600
www.hitachi-iesa.com/industrial-marking-and-coding
Hitachi Industrial Equipment & Solutions America, LLC is a pioneering developer of marking and coding solutions. We offer a wide range of Continuous Inkjet Printers and other solutions that are aimed at increasing efficiency and reducing maintenance costs associated with package printing. Since 1975, Hitachi has provided solutions to food & beverage, consumer goods, pharmaceuticals, automotive, and industrial packaging.
The new Hitachi UX2 printer combines innovation with the reliability customers have come to expect from Hitachi. This UX2 continuous inkjet printer has several new features to enhance the coding process:
• Enhanced code quality at higher speeds – The improved dot control algorithms create more legible codes. Even at increased speeds, code quality does not degrade.
• Added convenience and safety – With a sealed Safe-Clean Station, multiple cleaning modes, and self-guided troubleshooting videos available, the UX2 puts control in the hands of the operator.
• Quick line changeovers – Move inkjet printers from production line to line with ease using preconfigured I/O connectors, eliminating timeconsuming mistakes.
• Newly designed print head – Because of the print head modification to catch inkjet build-up, the UX2 printer can run for three times longer by reducing print quality issues and electronic faults.
A vision system is developed specifically able to isolate each character in the dot matrix inkjet printing while most vision systems on the market today are limited in their ability to read dot matrix printing found on primary packaging. This provides some key benefits to manufacturing companies:
• Specifically developed to accurately read inkjet codes regardless of the printer brand being used
• Isolation of each character to detect code degradation
Intertape Polymer Group Inc. (IPG) is a recognized leader in the packaging industry. Leveraging its advanced manufacturing technologies, extensive research and development capabilities and a comprehensive strategic acquisition program, IPG has assembled the broadest and deepest range of products in the industry.
IPG’s product offering includes carton sealing and industrial tapes (masking, filament, duct/cloth, double coated, flatback, foil and electrical), stretch and shrink film, protective packaging products and complementary packaging systems for industrial and retail use. IPG also specializes in high performance tape products engineered for demanding aerospace, marine, automotive and industrial applications. The comprehensive product offering and market specialization uniquely positions IPG as the supplier of choice for leading packaging and industrial distributors and large end users across a diverse cross section of industries.
IPG employs approximately 4,200 employees with operations in 35 locations, including 21 manufacturing facilities in North America, five in Asia and three in Europe.
888-419-2358
Intralox is the leading conveyance solutions provider helping move the world’s most critical products. Our extensive portfolio of technologies and services enhances food safety, powers e-commerce, and solves challenges for industries ranging from food processing to industrial manufacturing to logistics and material handling. Our business model relies on direct collaborative partnerships rather than distributors. Serving and supplying directly provides you with distinct advantages, including:
• E traordinary customer service
• Industry-specific e pertise
• aster innovation and implementation cycles
We partner with leading companies across the packaging industry to deliver innovative technology, reliable operations, and optimized line layouts. Whether you’re an equipment manufacturer or end user, you can benefit from our innovative products, comprehensive services, and unparalleled expertise.
Intralox’s belt and equipment solutions for the packaging industry help you:
• Optimi eline layouts for throughput and fle ibility
• uture-proof lines for fle ibility and sustainability
• Standardi e belts, equipment, and components
• educe product loss, operating costs, and downtime
Our acker to alleti er consists of three core facets E pertise,Service, and Technology. Our approach helps you fully integrate these areas in order to realize the best possible results, both now and in the future. By working with Intralox early in your project, you can achieve this and more with the right components and the right services before, during, and after installation— delivered on time, every time.
(864) 297-1200
ITW Hartness, a division of Illinois Tool Works (ITW), is the first choice in secondary packaging solutions. Our product portfolio includes highquality accumulation, packing and palletizing equipment that deliver unprecedented OEE, and lead the industry in using IIoT technology to maximize customer value.
ACCUMULATION—Recognized as the global leader in first-in, first-out, pressure-free accumulation, our proprietary DYNAC portfolio includes single-file, mass flow and floor level models to fit any application. With a small footprint flexible enough to handle a wide variety of packaging types, our products are relied on by leading consumer goods companies to prevent micro stops and increase uptime – saving you money.
PACKING—No matter how complex the package, our innovative packing solutions deliver speed, flexibility, and cost savings. Top load drop packing, shrink, tray, wraparound, and robotic case packing solutions make up our diverse portfolio. We work with customers to provide the solution best equipped to meet the unique needs of your product mix and operation.
PALLETIZING/DEPALLETIZING—With more than 500 robots installed and long-tenured experience on our team, ITW Hartness leads the industry with our proven palletizing and depalletizing equipment. Built to handle a wide range of products and packaging formats with no expensive change parts and fully automated changeover, customers see ROI in as little as 18 months or less.
AFTERMARKET—Downtime is expensive. That’s why our experienced customer support team is available 24/7. From onsite service and machine rebuilds to training and equipment updates, customers rely on ITW Hartness to provide unmatched expertise and support.
SYSTEMS INTEGRATION—Using a DYNAC-centric line design philosophy and best-in-class approach to machine center selection, our expert integration team helps select customers maximize end-of-line efficiency. Projects are validated using simulation software to assess performance, allowing customers to understand their investment and ROI even before the install. With proven experience helping customers increase throughout and lower cost of ownership, our equipment portfolio adds reliability and flexibility to any line.
908/362-9266
Located in northern New Jersey, James Alexander Corporation (JAC) is a leading contract manufacturer and custom filler of single-use crushable glass and plastic ampoules. Its manufacturing facility features unique, company-designed equipment and produces its patented plastic ampoules, among other product offerings.
James Alexander Corp. has expanded its operations floorspace, adding 18,000 square feet to its warehousing capacity and 2,000 feet apiece to manufacturing and office space. The expansion provides additional capacity for servicing key markets including pharmaceutical (OTC & Rx), medical devices, health & beauty products, first aid and diagnostics.
JAC’s patented single-use plastic ampoules, which have undergone various enhancements since their initial market introduction, are available in a variety of colors and with an array of applicators, offering singlehanded activation in a customizable format. Meanwhile, the company’s glass ampoules can be filled and assembled in single-use swab or dropper packages. JAC also recently introduced a winged device, THE ACTIVATOR™, which provides easier activation for these glass formats. Other services include autoclave sterilization for glass ampoules, blister packaging and formula compounding.
James Alexander Corp.’s revolutionary plastic ampoule combines style and ease of use through single-handed activation. With just a gentle squeeze, the inner membrane ruptures, allowing the contents to be dispensed by the user. The plastic ampoule is available in sizes up to 5ml, as well as a range of colors and applicators.
James Alexander Corp.’s unit-dose swabs offer the stability of glass in one- or two-part systems allowing for convenient application of pharmaceuticals and health aids. JAC also produces single-use glass ampoules for inhalation and dropper tip assemblies for the dispensing of liquids.
JLS Automation supplies hygienic robotic packaging solutions for the food industry that solve complex packaging challenges. Designed for even the strictest sanitary environments, our custom vision-guided primary & secondary robotic packaging systems are user-friendly, fast to start-up, & ensure both worker & food safety.
Several patents have been awarded for our proprietary robotic tooling & high-speed leak detection systems. Our hygienic, vision-guided robotic packaging systems are made to get wet, simple to integrate into your packaging line & never get tired!
Talon® Primary Loading Systems – Hygienic pick-and-place systems for loading thermoformers, flow-wrappers, vacuum skin packs, trays & more.
Osprey® Case Packers - Accurate & gentle loading of thermoformed packs, bags, SUPs, trays, chubs & other primary packs into standard RSC or retail-ready cases in horizontal or vertical orientation.
Peregrine® Vision-Guided Cartoning Solution - Load tri-seal & other cartons easily & efficiently. Elimination of conveyor transfers. Robotic loading & closing. All within a small footprint.
Harrier Bacon Draft Loading System - Automatically load bacon drafts into thermoformers, save floor space, solve labor gaps & increase productivity.
Sandwich Assembly System - Automatically build various sandwiches, accurately stacking each component from the bun/bread to meat, cheese & other ingredients. Lines can include up-and downstream equipment.
Integrated Systems - We take system responsibility for your entire line from concept to design, integration, FAT & installation.
JLS View - Reduce downtime spent on service & maintenance. Virtual service calls utilizing Microsoft HoloLens 2 technology provide easy access to technicians. Save time & get your line back running quickly.
941/493-5502
King Plastic Corporation is the leading manufacturer of quality polymer sheets, slabs, and massive shapes. With over 20 product brands to choose from and applications for every industry you can imagine. The Polymer sheets are made in the U.S.A.
King Hy-Pact®, the super tough polymer sheet is the smart choice for many high abuse applications in the food service, food processing and packaging markets.
The industrial polymer sheet is environmentally stabilized with excellent physical properties. It is the product of a proprietary process called K-Stran™, the most advanced manufacturing process of quality sheets with tight tolerances and custom widths up to 60”. King Hy-Pact® has a clean white color with a smooth, non-skived finish on both sides of sheet for better material flow. It is also available in black. Tests have shown for outdoor applications after 2,000 hours of UV exposure, King Hy-Pact® outperforms both HDPE and UHMW with superior toughness in wear resistance, flexibility and high-impact strength. King Hy-Pact® is the smart choice for many high abuse applications requiring superior properties, outstanding flatness and a smooth surface while providing significant cost savings compared to UHMW. Applications include, but are not limited to, food processing chutes, star wheels, fabricated parts, snowplow blades and dock fenders. The material is easy to machine and fabricate. King Hy-Pact® polymer sheet is NSF listed to meet requirements of commercial food processing operations for direct and indirect food contact.
Applications
Bin and Mixer Linings
Chain and Belt Guides
Conveyor and Guide Rails
Food Processing Components
Machine Parts
Material Handling
Sprockets
Star Wheels
In the kp Food Packaging division, the sustainable protection of everyday needs is very important to us. Our aim is to ensure you get the most sustainable total food packaging solutions that not only protect your food products while extending shelf-life and reducing food waste, but that can also be recycled. We operate across a vast range of fresh food categories, supplying thermoformed trays, rigid films for form, fill and seal applications as well as flexible barrier and stretch films to protect your products.
With 20 manufacturing and distribution facilities across 14 countries worldwide, we maximise the value we deliver to our customers while understanding and meeting local needs.
Supplying solutions for the food packaging starts by understanding market and consumer trends and anticipating their needs. kp works with top brands and retailers to understand and develop unique solutions to make them innovators in their markets.
Our inhouse PET flake cleaning process allows us to use up to 100% postconsumer recycled PET to further support your sustainability goals and optimize the carbon footprint throughout the entire value chain.
With over half a century of experience supporting the food market, kp is uniquely positioned to offer market knowledge, in-house design capabilities and a complete solution to support our customers’ growth opportunities.
Focused on delivering its vision: The Sustainable Protection of Everyday Needs, kp is a global leader in rigid and flexible packaging, and specialty film solutions, serving the pharmaceutical, medical device, label film, consumer packaging, cards/graphics, and home building and construction markets. With a broad and innovative portfolio of packaging and product films and services, kp plays an integral role in the customer value chain by safeguarding product integrity, protecting brand reputation and improving sustainability. kp’s “Investing in Better” sustainability strategy solidifies its commitment to achieving ten clear targets for long-term improvement by increasing recycling and recyclability of products, cutting carbon emissions and continuous improvement in employee engagement, safety, and diversity, equity and inclusion. kp has earned a gold rating from EcoVadis, the leading platform for environmental, social, and ethical performance ratings, putting kp in the top 3% of companies rated in the manufacturing of plastics products sector. Founded in 1965 kp has 31 plants in 18 countries and employs over 5,900 people committed to serving customers worldwide in over 60 locations.
Collaboration is integral with each opportunity. With a cooperative approach, kp’s expert technicians visit you on-site to consult, troubleshoot, train, and provide all the necessary solutions to help optimize film performance.
You can also work together with a designated team at the kp i.center, designed specifically, to serve the pharmaceutical, nutritional supplement and thermoforming industries. Equipped with state-of-the-art machinery and expert staff, kp is dedicated to help you improve current packaging and create new sustainable solutions.
Every day, millions of bottles, cans, and PET containers run through a Krones line. As a supplier for complete systems, Krones provides beverage bottlers, food producers, breweries and CPG companies all over the world with both individual machines and complete turnkey production lines. Our technology offerings are comprehensive and ever-expanding, with solutions from process technology, filling, and packaging…all the way through material flow, IT, automation, and container recycling.
With our comprehensive Lifecycle Service (LCS) aftermarket support program, Krones also provides full engineering and manufacturing support for implemented production solutions – up to 24 hours, 7 days-a-week. The robust online platform at Krones.shop offers a user-friendly experience to not only order spare parts, but also manage substitution lists, maintain customized stockkeeping, track upgrades, plan overhauls, and more. You can even access Krones Academy training courses for your on-site teams, allowing you to fully maximize your equipment investment.
Multiple Krones subsidiaries throughout North and Central America provide enhanced expertise and horsepower to meet your total packaging, production and processing needs. Serving the beverage, food, dairy, HPC and pharmaceutical industries, Krones Process Group North America provides sanitary process system expertise backed by the global depth and experience of KRONES. Leveraging over 165 years of combined experience, Krones North American subsidiaries Javlyn Process Systems, W.M. Sprinkman Corp. and Trans-Market have aligned, combining resources and knowledge to afford customers the highest level of quality.
Krones Inc. is headquartered in Franklin, Wis. and is the North and Central American subsidiary of Krones AG based in Neutraubling, Germany.
Label-Aire is the worldwide leading manufacturer of pressure-sensitive labeling machinery.
Over 50 years ago, Label-Aire introduced a revolutionary new method for applying pressure-sensitive labels. The patented “air-blow” concept provided the packaging industry with labeling machines. This new preferred method of label application eliminated the need for additional product handling. Our pioneering technique has gained complete acceptance. The widespread growth of pressure-sensitive labels in existing and new markets worldwide resulted.
When our customers asked for a labeling machine that was easy-to-use and production-tough, we took plenty of notes. Our advanced Primary Applicator line of labeling equipment delivers top-notch performance on even the most difficult applications. Our labeling systems and labeling equipment are loaded with features: Making operating labeling systems simple and virtually maintenance-free, automatic setup, user-friendly control panel & display, stepper motor technology, and Zero Downtime labeling capabilities. And it’s all backed by the industry’s most experienced and responsive labeling systems distributor network.
Since our inception, Label-Aire’s focus has always been on providing customers with the most inventive, intelligent, and reliable pressuresensitive labeling machines. The result? Over 50 years of satisfied customers with lower operating costs and higher productivity than our competitors.
At Mamata, we understand your needs and provide solutions to increase your productivity and reduce changeover times and footprint.
Our machines are based on conventional servo technology. They are designed to offer the best OEE in the simplex pouch packaging segment.
The key features address the crucial areas in terms of efficiency, hygiene, product quality and flexibility.
HFFS Rollstock machines: Our Simplex HFFS machines allows brands to produce and package pouches at upto 120 ppm and are to a Duplex machine. It’s ideal for lay-flat pouches, stand-up pouches with and without zippers, and single-serve sample packs in the range of 80 to 300 mm. Its ability to produce pouches from recyclable mono-material films makes it unique in the industry.
Premade Pouch filling systems: These machines are designed for highspeed premade pouch-filling applications, allowing you to trade old semi-automatic or manual operations for a highly efficient packaging machine. At 65 ppm, it delivers comparable speeds to a Duplex premade pouch system or a Simplex roll stock HFFS. An ideal machine to package trail mixes and nuts, fresh and frozen produce, snack foods, powders, Pet foods, etc. It’s designed to package both PE/PE recyclable mono-material pouches & laminated pouches.
VFFS baggers: Our Vertical Form Fill Sealing (VFFS) system achieves exceptional seal integrity and optimal precision across a large range of films at up to 220 ppm, making it the fastest system in the industry for single lane pouch filling.
All above and many more that will ease your packaging process and rise above getting competition.
For your pre-sales and after-sales support, our Florida location is equipped with spare-parts, local technical support, and sales consulting.
To help you define which technology offers the best price and performance ratio for your application, Markem-Imaje offers a full range of end-of-line solutions:
High-resolution Large Character Inkjet (LCIJ piezo)
Print and Apply Labeling
Thermal Inkjet (TIJ)
Low-resolution Large Character Valve Jet
The 5000 Series LCIJ piezo coders with Intelli’Wax printheads rapidly fill and jet Touch Dry® hot melt inks which are solvent-free, safe to handle and environmentally friendly. Codes never bleed or fade, dry on contact and are 100% scannable. The Intelli’Wax printheads combined with our exclusive Intelli’Dark Touch Dry ink produce the industry’s darkest, consistently scannable, direct print codes.
The 2200 Series print and apply solutions build on a proven concept that provides reliability, efficiency and ease of use. It gives you a wide range of interchangeable applicators, optimized operational intervention and an unparalleled application rate.
The innovative eTouch-S® applicator is built with artificial intelligence (AI) to ensure that labels are applied to your exacting standards on every pack, at the highest production speeds and in the safest manner possible. Thanks to its unique SoftTouch technology, the eTouch-S® applicator offers full movement control and application monitoring. An optional Advanced Trigger Sensor can fully automate labeling operations on variable-speed production lines with no operator intervention required.
End-of-line case coding is most effective when it gets the right product to its proper destination with high uptime in your factory. Regardless of which option you choose from us, you can take advantage of the data management capabilities of our CoLOS® platform and services to get the most out of your investment.
813/889-9500
METTLER TOLEDO is the world’s largest manufacturer of metal detectors, checkweighers, X-ray and vision inspection equipment, delivering a wide range of solutions for foreign body protection, regulatory compliance, and improved profits. Systems range from economical to state-of-the-art with customized material handling solutions.
Safeline metal detectors automatically reject all types of metal contaminants, including the most difficult to detect stainless steel. Systems are offered for dry, bulk, packaged, liquid or frozen products for gravity feed, conveyorized, pumped and throat applications.
Safeline x-ray inspection systems use high-performance image processing to detect and reject all types of dense physical contaminants, as well as measure mass, check for missing or broken product, and confirm fill levels to guarantee product and package integrity.
CI-Vision machine vision systems verify label content and integrity to prevent recalls. The use of these systems in your food safety program can help you prove due diligence, pass regulatory audits, and protect your brand.
Hi-Speed checkweighers deliver productivity and profits. A wide range of sizes and configurations are available to handle nearly any container type or package design even at high production rates to ensure accurate product delivery, reduced giveaway, and optimized production processes. Patented weighing technology and over 50 years of package handling expertise ensures repeatable performance from the first to the last package weighed maintaining tight production tolerances.
As a member of OMAC, METTLER TOLEDO is committed to connectivity and data storage and retrieval to help meet regulatory requirements. Inspection systems can be connected using a variety of methods, including our own ProdX data collection and management software.
mk North America is a full-service conveyor company, offering mechanical solutions for all of your packaging and automation needs.
Since 1988, mk has been manufacturing a wide variety of conveyor systems including: belt conveyors, flat top chain conveyors, plastic modular belt conveyors, timing belt conveyors, roller conveyors, and more.
All of our conveyor models are available with our standard t-slot aluminum frames, and many models are also available in stainless steel.
mk’s conveyor line is backed by the mk line of t-slot aluminum extrusionsideal for guards, workstations, carts, and so much more. This ensures that any accessories you buy from mk will be compatible, resulting in seamless integration on the factory floor; all while saving time and money.
mk North America believes in offering not only a better product, but also a better solution. Our dedicated team of conveyor and automation experts will work with you to understand your unique application and related challenges. This partnership results in mk being able to deliver a topquality conveyor solution when you need it.
All of our conveyors are built and tested in our Bloomfield, CT facility and shipped directly to you as completely assembled as possible. So, you can rest assured your conveyor system will be ready to go when it arrives.
Whether you are looking for a single, one-off, conveyor or a complete conveyor system - remember the mk promise to provide a better product AND a better solution.
We look forward to hearing from you and proving our excellence in conveyor system solutions on your next project.
Modular Conveyor Express (MCE) is the dedicated distributor network of Nercon. Selling exclusively through MCE Distributor Partners, MCE complete conveyor systems are designed by Nercon engineers and backed by Nercon quality standards. This network includes distributors located across the United States who are fully supported by an MCE team of conveyor experts able to understand and respond to the specific operational needs of the MCE distributor network on an individual basis.
Built to maximize productivity, MCE complete conveyor systems provide a significant competitive advantage to MCE distributors. Developed and designed by highly skilled Nercon engineers over countless hours of analysis and testing, MCE conveyors skip the costly start-up of a custom process and begin with a core of proven equipment making your projects more cost-effective and MCE’s turnaround time an advantage — 4 weeks!
MCE’s conveyor systems are manufactured at Nercon’s production facility in Oconto, Wis., where Lean Manufacturing practices are employed to increase quality, identify any wasteful operations, and reduce unnecessary costs. As an industry leader in manufacturing conveyor systems and equipment, we are proud of the advanced technology and unparalleled quality our distributors can count on.
Contact us at (844) 293-2816 to learn more about becoming a distributor of MCE.
www.modularconveyor.com
518-561-1812
Plastic jars, containers, CRC, continuous thread and dispensing closures manufactured in the USA.
Build your brand and deliver packaging premiumization with MRP Solutions. More than ever, consumers expect quality products packaged to deliver an unmatched user experience and connection to the brand and product. MRP Solutions combines extensive packaging expertise with a consultative approach to reliably uncover customer needs. By understanding business goals, we can tailor smarter, safer and more flexible packaging solutions that reduce cost and increase speed to market, helping businesses capitalize on opportunities. With one of the most robust, recyclable plastic closure offerings in the market, whether you need a standard continuous thread closure, disc top, push pull caps, twist open, child resistant caps or a specialized cap like our Ultra Light® or MegaFlap®, we have an option to fit your project. From fast-order shipping of a wide range of stock components to developing custom product solutions with our in-house innovation team, MRP is your trusted supplier.
MRP Solutions leads the way in sustainable manufacturing. MRP now offers PCR resin pricing in addition to virgin resin pricing on ALL quotes, where applicable. MRP makes it easier than ever to choose sustainable, choose recycled and choose circular.
MRP Solutions is an environmentally responsible manufacturer of packaging. We take pride in our on-going initiative to delight our customers by offering more sustainable solutions which reduce the amount of plastics used, provide recyclable options and promote re-use where ever possible. We have continuously invested in our manufacturing facilities to identify technology which conserves energy, uses renewable energy, and minimizes environmental impacts to our community and neighbors while we find a way to incorporate and re-use all material and recycle all scrap. Our sustainability initiatives start with our products and penetrate everything we touch from the community to our employees and the environment. Our product design and production processes consider
Increase your Productivity with MULTIVAC, your partner for single-source full-line packaging & processing solutions. Our One Line – One Control capability allows all MULTIVAC components, such as product loading, processing, packaging, conveying, printing, labeling, & inspection, to be controlled from a single HMI. With easy setup and changeover through a single interface, we provide the perfect machine for every pack.
As one of the world’s leading suppliers of packaging & processing solutions for a wide variety of foods, life science and healthcare products, and consumer and industrial goods, long-term productivity is at the heart of every machine and solution we develop. Thanks to holistically designed systems, our comprehensive line solutions help you reach your PEAQ Performance with increased Productivity, Efficiency, Availability, and Quality. MULTIVAC Smart Services enable data collection in realtime, optimizing processes and maximizing efficiency throughout your equipment lifecycle.
Our portfolio covers all packaging design, performance, and resource efficiency requirements. In addition, it encompasses an extensive range of packaging technologies, automation solutions, and labeling and quality control systems. Finally, our offering is rounded off by solutions upstream of the packaging process: in portioning and processing and baked goods technology.
Ultimately, we see ourselves as partners making a decisive contribution to your business’s success. As a worldwide group with 85 subsidiaries, we are closely linked with our customers and their markets, allowing us to identify trends and developments early. When you decide on MULTIVAC as a partner, you opt for the highest level of quality and efficiency, comprehensive customer care, and highly qualified sales and service teams.
844-293-2814
Nercon is a conveyor systems manufacturer, providing solutions to the snack, cheese, pet food and treats, beverage, health and pharmaceutical packaging industries since 1976. An essential part of any production line, Nercon’s conveyor systems are operating in nationwide consumer packaged goods manufacturing facilities, where uptime is critical in the efficiency of operations.
Designed with a Purpose®
Our ProCore® brand serves a unique purpose in the Nercon conveyor product line. Developed by highly skilled engineers over countless hours of analysis and testing, ProCore® conveyors skip the costly start-up of a custom process and begin with a core of proven equipment making your projects more cost-effective and our turnaround time faster. The ProCore® conveyor family maximizes performance and minimizes downtime. Conveyor designs range from MatTop, belt and TableTop, moving a variety of packaging.
Built to maximize productivity, HydroCore® is our sanitary and washdown conveyor systems designed to withstand rigorous sanitation practices and daily hygienic procedures. HydroCore’s® hygienic designs disassemble, washdown, sanitize, and reassemble easily. Our uniquely innovative sanitary design is known for its versatility and durability, adding value across all product operations.
Nercon’s conveyor systems are manufactured in Oconto, Wis., where Lean Manufacturing practices are employed to increase quality, identify any wasteful operations, and reduce unnecessary costs. As an industry leader in manufacturing conveyor systems and equipment, we are proud of the advanced technology and unparalleled quality our customers can count on.
Contact us at (844) 293-2814 to partner on your next project. www.nerconconveyors.com
Welcome to NITA Sentient Labeling Systems, the original 100% Servo Labeler that dramatically REDUCES OPERATOR TOUCH-TIME and increases productivity - all while integrating the latest next-gen technology, the most intuitive user experience, best-in-class responsive support, and truthfully, pure labeling joy.
We love UPTIME. We’re so driven by it we’ve designed all the features on every NITA to create it. How? By meticulously analyzing your labeling pain points – then solving them – with innovation, technology, and certifiably flawless execution.
And how do we keep you running? By building these incredible UPTIME features into every NITA:
- Parts ordering directly from the machine via built-in 3D drawings that scale down to your specific required item
- A self-diagnosing system that identifies possible issues and suggests fixes or when parts need changing or servicing before they become a problem
- Daily Preventative Maintenance schedules and video tutorials with tieredlevel tasks
- Ultra-fast & precise color-coded changeovers with in-screen 3D location maps or even our incredible Servo-driven FULLY AUTOMATIC product changeover system at the push of a button.
- NitaCare lifetime no-charge live remote tech support built right into your screen
Nita Labeling PROMISES to do anything and everything required to make your labeling life as easy and productive as it can be. It is why we exist. Experience for yourself what the best labeling company and labeler will bring to your productivity numbers. 100% money-back-guaranteed happiness.
We cannot wait to meet you. For the love of labeling! Your NITA Team
Nordson is recognized as the world leader in hot melt adhesive dispensing systems for the packaging industry, with comprehensive product lines that include tankless dispensing systems, adhesive melters, applicators, nozzles, hoses, and pattern controls as well as tracking and verification systems.
Nordson is a global solution, with direct offices in over 30 countries. Our substantial reach in global manufacturing allows for deep customer relationships, pursuing innovative solutions for customer problems and providing long-term, hands-on customer training, service, and support.
Nordson helps automate your packaging operations with products and solutions with a low total cost of ownership. Our adhesive systems help customers achieve a lower cost per package and reduce adhesive usage. Our solutions maximize package integrity and provide flexibility to meet changing market demands. Because one solution does not fit all applications, we offer a variety of systems to fit a wide range of needs.
Our ProBlue® Flex melter is advanced technology that is modular and scalable. It brings together machine integration, and precise and accurate adhesive dispensing. The ProBlue Flex melter is complemented by Nordson’s new BBconn Controls, which allows for remote operation, more visibility, real-time oversight, and the data and analytics needed for continuous improvement.
The MiniBlue II Slim with EcoBead Inspect ensures package integrity while reducing adhesive consumption. The MiniBlue® II applicator packs high performance, high speeds, and long-term reliability in a compact size. When paired with the EcoBead™ Inspect, users can verify adhesive placement to ensure the integrity of every package and can gather data for continuous improvement.
FILLING, CAPPING & CLOSING
www.novembal.com
For over 60 years, Novembal has been a leader in plastic cap design and injection. Our extensive knowledge of the markets, our experience and our commitment to continuous quality improvement, place us among the industry leaders. By offering our customers innovative solutions, we help them maintain and build their competitive position in the market. We support our customers in each step of the process, from the conceptualization of the closure designs through industrialization and beyond:
Our experts help customers turn their ideas into reality by providing innovative designs that make their products stand out on the shelves. Once the concept is validated through pilot tooling, an industrial solution will be provided.
We emphasize unique solutions that offer quality, convenience and innovation to meet any need that your business may have. If a completely new or different design is required, we can tailor a closure to the needs of our customer.
We also offer tolling options. By combining an existing customers’ mold and our resources, we can produce, finish, inspect and package your product.
The after-sales team provides reactive and proactive technical support to troubleshoot issues, minimize downtime and optimize your production equipment. Our goal is to help you achieve your goals in production and line efficiency.
AZ Peoria
nVenia leverages the strengths of the ARPAC, HAMER, FISCHBEIN, and OHLSON product brands as a leading equipment designer, manufacturer, and integrator for primary, secondary, and end-of-line packaging solutions.
ARPAC Brand equipment is renowned for integrated fit-for-purpose production lines and includes shrink wrappers, tunnels and bundlers, tray and case formers, case packers, robotic and conventional palletizers, and pallet stretch wrapper systems.
FISCHBEIN Brand equipment is the trusted name in open-mouth bag sewing and sealing systems. Sew systems encompass plain and tape sew models, with sealers for all shapes and sizes of flexible packaging.
HAMER Brand equipment leads the market in large format bagging and automation equipment in some of the harshest production environments. The new HAMER Brand VLR-B machine delivers highly accurate dosing of free-flowing powdered products. The horizontal form, fill & seal systems are ideally suited for large scale bag filling automation, open mouth bagging machines are the industry standard for filling premade bags, and robotic palletizing systems are also ideally suited for stacking large bags.
OHLSON Brand equipment is an economic solution for automating weighing and counting operations. The OHLSON Brand includes multihead weighers, linear weighers, vertical form, fill & seal (VFFS) machines, and premade pouch filling machines.
Combined, these trusted brands deliver next-level performance through the consultative design of integrated production lines to meet the needs of a variety of industries. Our expertise as an integrated packaging systems manufacturer is born from decades of building packaging equipment and answering to the diverse requirements of our clients to package products within a single production line.
Backed by more than 300 years of experience across our brands, together we have one focus: our customers and what they need to solve.
920
www.optima-packaging.com/en-us
Filling, closing, and packaging with state-of-the-art technology. Cuttingedge machine solutions for the entire packaging world – that is our commitment.
Incorporated in 1985, with one employee in Green Bay, Wisconsin, Optima Machinery Corporation was the first international subsidiary of Optima. Over the last 38 years, the business has grown to over 100 employees in the United States and the addition of a service hub located near Raleigh, North Carolina.
Originally established as the North American sales and service point for all Optima divisions, we provide OEM spare parts, service, support, calibration services, CG membrane repairs, multi-pack bagging machine solutions, and direct machine sales for all Optima machines delivered to the U.S. and Canada. We also represent Rianta Packaging Systems with sales and support for machines in the bakery industry.
Optima supports companies worldwide with flexible and customerspecific filling and packaging machines for pharmaceuticals, consumer goods, paper hygiene, and medical devices markets. As a provider of solutions and systems, Optima guides these companies from the product idea through successful production and throughout the entire machine life cycle. More than 3,000 experts around the globe and 19 international locations contribute to Optima’s success and ensure the worldwide availability of services.
833-472-9466
We’ve manufactured and installed vertical baggers, premade pouch fillers and flow wrappers for companies around the world for more than 30 years. We’re not a typical packaging machine company. We’re a single-source provider, so you get ONE point of contact for design, manufacturing, service and integration.
Operating from eight global facilities with a passionate and focused staff, we have a strong service presence, the ability to provide systems integration and an installed base of over 7,000 machines.
Manufactured through our WeighPack, EndFlex and ValTara brands and supported by Paxiom Service, our primary, secondary, and end-of-line packaging machines will increase your production rate and save you valuable time, labor and resources. Here are a few of our popular solutions:
VF
Engineered for high-speed applications, this vertical form, fill and seal machine can handle multiple package formats and produces a wide range of package sizes providing flexibility for both retail and club-size packaging, up to 150 bags per minute.
The Swifty 3600 features an easily accessible bag magazine, automatic zipper opener, bag shaker and integrated exit conveyor. Producing up to 2,700 bags per hour, this bagger will fill pouches from DOY pack, SUP and SURP to pillow, gusseted, quad and carry handle.
PKR-MS
The perfect addition to your flow wrapping line, this top load case/tray packer with delta robot will gently pick your wrapped product by either vacuum or mechanical means and place it into your case or tray at up to 80 packages per minute to be packed for shipping in your preferred pattern.
Visit us online to explore our packaging solutions and watch real-life videos. Whether you need a vertical form, fill and seal bagger for frozen food, a pick and place robot for wrapped baked goods, a premade pouch filling machine for snacks, or one of our other machines, we’re confident we have the automation solution for your business.
In 1993, Branko and Lilly Tisma founded PMI Cartoning, Inc. in Elk Grove Village, Ill. For 25 years, PMI worked to ensure its customers were satisfied with the quality of every single machine that left PMI’s doors. PMI expanded its operations as the company grew. In addition to its headquarters that houses all engineering, parts, service and support staff, PMI opened a 100,000-square-foot manufacturing, engineering and testing facility next to its offices, and a rebuild facility down the street in Arlington Heights, Illinois.
In December 2017, Kyoto Seisakusho Co., Ltd, a leading global packaging solutions provider, acquired PMI. Today, the former PMI Cartoning continues to operate from the Elk Grove location as PMI KYOTO Packaging Systems and offers the same service and high-quality vertical and horizontal cartoners, case packers, and integrated packaging systems customers have relied on for the past 25 years. In addition, new offerings will be available from the Kyoto product line, including over-wrappers and palletizers, which Kyoto has been providing for more than 70 years to the packaging industry.
Our industry and application experience includes food, beverage, cosmetic, confectionery and pharmaceutical, among others. Application and product handling experience allows us to excel with unique applications involving high speeds and difficult-to-handle products. Built to last, it’s not uncommon to find a PMI machine still running 20 years after installation.
After the successful debut of PMI KYOTO’s compact machine line at PACK EXPO 2022, the company is proud to say that three new compact machines have entered their fleet -- the KC-100F compact horizontal cartoner, the KTB-100 compact vertical case packer, and the SPC-3000 horizontal case packer are available for those who wish to maintain space in their factory without compromising on ability or quality.
Pneumatic Scale Angelus is an industry leader in the design and manufacture of packaging solutions for wet and dry filling, capping, can seaming, and labeling applications, as well as versatile container handling systems from Zepf Solutions. We design innovative equipment, using the most advanced technologies, to the unique specifications of our customers. Since 1895, our solutions have set the standard in the Food, Beverage, Craft Beverage, Pharmaceutical, Household and Personal Care industries, and are supported by a global Service and Aftermarket network with the most robust offering of change parts and pre-owned/rebuilt solutions in the industry.
As one of five Barry-Wehmiller businesses of BW Packaging and through our diverse but complementary capabilities, PSA and our sister companies provide everything from standalone machines to fully-integrated packaging lines. We serve as trusted advisors to our customers, offering products with leading-edge technology, backed by expert service technicians capable of supporting every machine manufactured since our inception.
PSA has earned its reputation as a leader in the design and manufacture of packaging machinery by leveraging the strengths of the most trusted and innovative brands: Angelus, Burt, Consolidated, Continental / Closetech, Mateer, Multi-Tech Systems, OnTrack, and Zepf Solutions.
As a member of the Barry-Wehmiller family, PSA strives to send our associates home each day with a sense of fulfillment. We strive to be a company people enjoy working for, doing business with, investing in, and having as part of their communities. As our Chairman Bob Chapman says, “We measure success by the way we touch the lives of people.”
Propack Processing & Packaging Systems Inc. is an industry leader in robotics and innovation, manufacturing and supplying high-performance processing and packaging machinery for the global market. At Propack, we pride ourselves on working collaboratively with clients to build strong relationships and ensure the best solutions are developed to meet their unique needs.
For over 25 years, Propack has been designing custom pick and place packaging systems for a variety of markets and applications. With the highest quality machinery, built in North America, Propack has earned a reputation for outstanding food-industry automation, specializing in handling snack bar, bakery/snack cake, prepared foods and frozen products, along with many more wrapped and unwrapped products.
We provide world-class sanitary design machinery including slab formers, slitters, spreaders, and ultrasonic guillotines. We understand our customers’ challenges and pride ourselves on being able to respond with flexible processing solutions.
With extensive integrated systems knowledge and experience providing turnkey solutions, our experienced team will design and deliver complete packaging line solutions and seamless integration for primary and secondary packaging operations.
Propack’s knowledgeable support team is customer focused and our engineers possess world-class technical skills. We recognize that our service and support is key to our customers’ success and our long-term partnerships.
R.A JONES offers an extensive portfolio of solutions for both primary and secondary packaging machinery for FOOD/BEVERAGE, HEALTH CARE, HOME CARE, PERSONAL CARE and other CONSUMER GOODS manufacturers that includes:
AEROSOL: Our KP-Aerofill series of machines includes low to high speed equipment for those needing aerosol and rotary liquid fill systems, rotary base crimpers, gasser/shakers, propellant and liquid fillers, bag-on-valve (BOV), air powered through-the-valve (TTV) technology, and more.
BEVERAGE/MULTIPACKING: Our Wraptor, Meridian, and Maxim series of machines provide a wide range of solutions for any mid to high speed can and/or bottle (glass or plastic) production line needs. Whether single tier or double tier, 4 pack to 48 pack, our machines can handle multiple package configurations and types including E-Flute & B-Flute cartons.
CARTONING: Our comprehensive portfolio of machinery includes end load and top load cartoners. These can range from hand load vertical end load cartoner to fully automated systems. Familiar branded cartoning technology includes: CMV, Legend, Legacy, and Criterion.
CHUB PACKAGING: Our KartridgPak chub packaging equipment established the chub package category decades ago. Features/benefits include: close-clip option, continuous motion, rollstock clips and film, PLC controls, simplified clipping head, stainless steel construction, heat, radio frequency and extruder sealing options, and more.
CUP FILLING/SEALING: Autoprod and Holmatic cup filling systems are the flagship series of cup fillers manufactured and services by R.A JONES. Fill, seal and overcap preformed cups, tubs and trays.
POUCHING: Pouch King is our high-speed pouch-filling series of horizontal form fill seal machinery with patented printed circuit heating technology for 3-sided, 4-sided, gusseted and stand-up gusseted pouch styles.
Robatech designs and manufactures sustainable solutions for industrial gluing processes that are reliable, safe, economical, straightforward, and green. Robatech’s experienced sales and service teams get gluing projects up and running and ensure smooth operation of adhesive systems all around the globe.
INNOVATIVE PRODUCTS FOR A NEW DIMENSION IN GLUING
Robatech’s innovations save resources and thus downsize your operating costs. The smart Vision melter (pictured on the bottom right) not only melts the adhesive gently and with great reliability, but it does so with the industry’s best energy efficiency. And the performance of the Performa heated hose is an excellent match. It reduces energy consumption up to 45% compared to conventional hoses. And to make the system complete, there’s the SpeedStar Compact application head that is not only fast, durable and intelligent, but it saves you up to 40% of adhesive when used for stitching.
PRECISE AND FAST GLUING OF PRIMARY PACKAGING
Primary packaging of food and medicines puts high demands on the gluing process. Robatech offers you reliable system components that allow you to glue small packages precisely and safely even at high speeds. You can expect a consistently high-precision adhesive application with a clean cutoff, safely and cleanly bonded products, high process reliability, high production speeds, and low energy consumption.
ECONOMICAL AND RELIABLE GLUING OF SECONDARY PACKAGING
Do you want to glue secondary packaging efficiently and yet sustainably?
Whether you put primarily packaged products into secondary packaging through standard top-loading or horizontal cartoning, or whether you use on-demand packaging machines, the adhesive process is essentially the same. Robatech’s adhesive application systems apply hot melt adhesives economically and still glue secondary packaging reliably. Maximum system availability increases your production by reducing downtime, while industry leading energy efficiency saves resources and reduces operating costs.
Ryson Spiral Conveyors need less floor space than conventional conveyors and are faster and more reliable than any elevator or lift.
Unit Load Spirals convey cases, totes and packaged goods smoothly on our slat style belts and come in 9 standard slat widths ranging from 6” to 30”. Available in powder coated carbon steel, stainless steel, wet environment and freezer versions.
Mass Flow Spirals handle full and empty bottles, cans and jars in mass up to 2000 units per minute. Available in 4 different slat widths ranging from 6” to 20”.
Narrow Trak Spirals are super compact and designed to handle your smaller loads. Our 6” and 9” wide nesting slats can end-transfer small cartons and packages or side-transfer small bottles and containers in a single file or in mass at speeds in excess of 200 FPM.
Ryson’s Bucket Elevators combine vertical and horizontal transportation of bulk materials in one integral unit.
Ryson Bucket Elevators are designed for gentle handling and well-suited to transport a broad range of bulk products. Our signature feature is that they are completely enclosed with overlapping pivoting buckets, that prevent spillage and helps mitigate foreign debris.
Their modular design enables us to customize with ease. They can be configured with multiple inlets or outlets that can be controlled individually. The design makes them easy to install and modify. Available in three standard bucket sizes, yielding capacities up to 300, 700 or 1,800 cubic feet per hour. They can also be delivered in powder-coated carbon-steel, stainless-steel or wet environment versions.
All Ryson equipment is modular and built to order. No matter the application, the Ryson team is up to the challenge of finding solutions for your conveying needs.
Schubert is a global leader in top-loading packaging machines (TLM). The family-owned company based in Crailsheim (Baden-Wuerttemberg, Germany) builds on an interplay of simple mechanics, intelligent control technology and high modularity. With this philosophy and a highly developed culture of innovation the company has been pursuing an entirely independent technological path for more than 50 years. The second generation of the company now employs 1,300 people. Innovations include the vision control system, the transport robot Transmodul or the flowwrapping machine Flowmodul. Schubert provides future-proof solutions that are easy to operate, flexible in terms of format conversion, high in performance and stable in function. The machines package products of all types in trays, cartons, boxes or flow-wrap bags.
With the new Schubert lightline machine series, customers can master standardized packaging tasks with great efficiency and high quality - at attractive purchase costs and short delivery times. It consists of three machine types: The lightline Cartonpacker, the lightline Pickerline and the lightline Flowpacker.
Space-saving design, unbeatable efficiency and excellent quality control are the hallmarks of the Schubert Flowpacker. It can be equipped with four different sealing technologies. The new patented technology makes it possible to program sealing to the millisecond and ensures constant sealing times. For each flow-pack, the cross-sealing unit immediately adapts to the variable speed of our upstream pick & place robots. Like all of Schubert’s sealing technologies, the flying cross-sealing unit can be integrated into every Flowmodul and combined with other sealing technologies.
With its North American headquarters in Charlotte, North Carolina, and with sites in Dallas, Texas and Toronto, Ontario, Schubert is expanding its customer support across the continent. This support encompasses high-level accessibility, preventive service as well as extensive training for customers. Schubert has installed two training machines at its training center in Charlotte.
www.serpapackaging.com
Serpa designs and manufactures a complete range of cartoning systems for the pharmaceutical, medical device, nutraceutical, food, beverage, cosmetics, industrial and personal care markets. For more than 37 years, companies across the globe have looked to us to handle their most demanding secondary packaging challenges.
We provide horizontal, vertical, and top load cartoners that can accommodate both hand load and automatic load applications, designing systems capable of nearly any speed for the desired application. We also provide a broad range of end of line packaging solutions, including case and tray packers, robotic palletizers, literature feeders, paperboard sleeve wrappers, tamper evident labelers, and robotic product handling systems. Additionally, Serpa provides line integration and validation services, designing turnkey integrated end of line packaging systems from start to finish with single source responsibility.
Serpa machines are designed to meet the needs of demanding production environments, featuring ease of maintenance, user-friendly operation, and rapid, repeatable changeover technology. Our high-performance systems can be designed to meet sanitary and FDA validation requirements and are backed by our strong customer support program to quickly resolve issues that may arise.
98% Uptime, Guaranteed
Established in North Carolina as Shurtape Technologies, LLC, we’re a privately owned, global company proudly serving a variety of markets, including packaging, building and construction, HVAC and industrial/ MRO. Our success is built on our passion: for our products, for complete customer satisfaction, and for the markets we serve. And we seek to continually remain engaged with our markets and the customers and craftsmen who use our tape so we can deliver what they need – to the absolute highest standards.
At Shurtape, we craft our packaging solutions to one simple standard. Yours. We know every sealing situation is unique. And we understand that keeping your lines running at peak production is a priority. This is what guides and inspires our team to develop purpose-built packaging solutions that address commons case sealing issues – downtime, material waste, personal injuries, product damage – and deliver the consistent, reliable seals you demand, every time.
In our Packaging Solutions portfolio, we offer a variety of hot melt and acrylic packaging tapes for manual and automated case sealing applications, including HP Series packaging tapes, which have the highest holding power to fiberboard in the industry and perform reliably down to the core, resulting in less unnecessary downtime due to changeover frequency and more efficient tape consumption. To enhance your packaging lines, we also offer a variety of manual and automated case sealing solutions, including ShurSEAL®, which combines our HP Series packaging tape with innovative tape application technology to produce secure, tamper-evident case seals, while maximizing packaging line performance.
For the efficient way you do business, we deliver Secure Seals, Every Time™
People all over the world consume products packaged by Sidel Group solutions every day.
Each of those packaging solutions is developed according to our goal to deliver the highest quality standards to consumers. We are a leading provider of equipment, services and complete solutions for packaging liquids, foods, home and personal care products in PET, can, glass, brick, carton, pouch and other materials.
There are close to 40,000 Sidel Group machines in operation in over 190 countries today. Every one of them is the result of over 170 years of proven experience and innovation.
We continually focus on providing our partners with proven expertise in blowing, filling, labelling, material-handling, end-of-line and lineengineering solutions, including an innovative focus on the factory of tomorrow.
Delivering this level of performance requires that we stay flexible. We continuously ensure we understand our customers’ changing challenges and commit to meeting their unique performance and sustainability goals. We do this through dialogue and by understanding the needs of their markets, production and value chains. In turn, we apply our solid technical knowledge and smart data analytics to ensure lifetime productivity reaches its full potential.
We call it Performance through Understanding.
1-800-323-2464
www.signode.com
With over $2B+ in revenue, 80+ manufacturing facilities across 6 continents and over 9,000 employees worldwide, Signode is a leading manufacturer of a broad spectrum of transit packaging consumables, tools, software, and equipment that optimize end-of line packaging operations and protect products in transit. Signode brings this extensive product portfolio together under 40 of trusted brands to offer complete transit packaging solutions to its customers.
We produce strap, stretch, stapling and protective packaging. We also manufacture packaging tools and equipment used to apply the bulk packaging materials. These commercial packaging products are used to pack, bundle, unitize, protect and secure goods during warehousing and transit. Our company is a pioneer in the industrial packaging sector with a long history of customer-focused innovations in materials, processes and automation technology that have revolutionized the sector.
Signode offers tailored automation solutions that allow manufacturers of all industries, scales, and needs to maximize productivity and efficiency. Among the wide spectrum of automation capabilities are StorFast® automated storage and retrieval system (ASRS), automated palletizers, a complete range of conveyors, Automatic Guided Vehicles (AGVs), Automatic Unitizing Solutions, and more.
All of these automation solutions are made possible through Signode’s intelligent logistics management systems. These systems have the power and customizable ability to provide everything from a basic Warehouse Control System for managing pallet movement all the way up to a complete Warehouse Management System that is integrated with each customer’s Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) and order management software.
From standalone solutions to integrated systems. Signode provides the tools, consumables, and software to optimize end-of-line packaging operations and protect products in transit. We are excited to go to market as Signode and to share the portfolio of products, services and capabilities that make us the world’s premier end-of-line packaging company.
734/426-3476
For over 50 years SIKO has been developing and producing rotating and linear measuring systems, actuators and individually programmable displays for the entire field of machine construction. With its precision and innovative power, the company sets global standards in terms of quality and reliability. SIKO has been characterized by innovative ideas and quality without compromise for our customers. Our motivated and experienced staff is the cornerstone of our success. Many years of experience in distance and angle measuring technology as well as input from our customers have created a basis for solutions for both the present and the future.
SIKO is there for your Quick Size Changeover needs.
Three solutions, one supplier for effective size changeovers
1. Compact fieldbus actuators for precise fully automated positioning to shorten size changeover times. Offered with IO-Link, Ethernet/IP, Profinet, EtherCAT, PowerLINK, RS485 and CANopen interfaces.
2. Electronic indicators that monitor changeovers for verification, accuracy, safety and speed. Also, offered with the above mentioned interfaces.
3. Mechanical indicators for low cost, reliable axis positioning.
501-492-3893
The RFL Series range of roll fed labelers was born from the same need as our shrink sleeve labelers - a need for faster, more efficient, more robustly built machines with Allen Bradley controls. In a market where efficiencies and cost of ownership are everything, Sleeve Seal has a proven history of fast, precise label application with minimal maintenance costs. Our engineers have an unparalleled depth of knowledge that has been applied to a new style of label application for today’s market. Sleeve Seal is proud to present our new range of RFL Series of roll fed labelers.
Sleeve Seal is focused on a new era of repeatable labeling performance. Built-to-last American manufacturing expertise and modern engineering are combined to produce speeds from 25 to 1600 CPM on robust machines equipped with intelligent Allen Bradley controls. Heavy weight construction and the fastest, most durable drive train in the industry provide high efficiency runs for countless hours. Sleeve Seal machines are engineered to provide quality labeling performance with simple, tool-less changeovers between container formats. Other patented innovations, such as a multi blade cutter assembly with quick-change blades have been developed for ease of maintenance.
The line of Sleeve Seal shrink tunnels features a new style of tunable controls that make shrinking labels on containers both precise and repeatable. Our shrink tunnels are available in a broad range of sizes that compliment all our labelers for shrinking labels at high speeds. In addition to newly designed controls, Sleeve Seal tunnels feature 316 stainless steel interior lining and components for maximum corrosion resistance. Every shrink tunnel model features external controls that allow the adjustment of individual arrays without exposing the operator to heat.
Since 1969, Specialty Equipment Corporation has been a leading manufacturer of American-made packaging systems. Headquartered in Houston, Texas, we have built our reputation on manufacturing high-end packaging machinery and material handling systems including:
» Liquid fillers for Pails, Drums, Bottles, and Totes
» Drum and Pallet Conveyors
» Palletizers
» Solids Fillers for Pails, Drums, and Super Sacks
» IIoT software
Specialty Equipment is well known for building the most rugged drum, tote, pail and bottle filling machines for the agriculture, chemical, cleaning, coating, food, lube, and sealant industries.
Benefits of using Specialty Equipment Liquid Fillers:
» Improves Efficiencies & Accuracy
» Increase Production & Maximize Uptime
» Add Savings to Your Bottom Line
Over our 50 years in business, we have developed a full product line of automatic and semi-automatic liquid filling machines and conveyors for industries like; agriculture, chemical, cleaners, coatings, flavors, food, food additives, lubricants, and sealant manufacturers. The products we fill and convey include; drums, pails, bins, bottles, jugs, totes, pallets, and rubber bales, a customized product.
We continue to provide high-quality packaging systems to fortune 500 companies and have developed an intuitive software to improve the filling operations for companies of all sizes.
763/795-8856
Squid Ink is a manufacturer of coding and marking systems for product identification and traceability, providing superior-quality inks and lowmaintenance printing equipment.
Squid Ink began in 1991, supplying high-quality replacement inkjet fluids. Since then, the company has grown and expanded to include a complete line of hi-res piezo printing systems, CIJ (continuous ink jet) printing systems, TIJ (thermal inkjet) printing systems, DOD (drop-on-demand) printing systems, laser coders, and a full library of inks and inkjet fluids. Our printers and ink are designed to print the highest quality bar codes, batch numbers, date codes, logos, and large or small character text, directly onto corrugated cases, plastics, metals, glass, wood, and other substrates.
And Squid Ink continues to design new products that are reliable, easy to use, and cost-effective. One of our latest examples is the CoPilot Gemini, a new feature-rich printing system that offers 360 dpi print resolution, 5.6” print height, full-color touchscreen, and the option to run from a wireless tablet. The CoPilot Gemini offers users clean and reliable printing of bar codes, logos, and razor-sharp small-character text.
Today, Squid Ink continues to focus on its core purpose to “help companies deliver products to the world.” An expanding line of integrated products and services reflects Squid Ink’s commitment to meeting new needs and new challenges and ensuring that customers have reliable systems for their packaging application.
Squid Ink, Eastey, and American Film & Machinery (AFM) are all divisions of Engage Technologies Corporation. Squid Ink (squidink.com) is a manufacturer of coding and marking systems for product identification and traceability, providing superior quality inks and low-maintenance printing equipment. Eastey (eastey.com) is a leading manufacturer of heavy-duty shrink packaging equipment and automated case sealing systems for packaging applications. American Film & Machinery (afmsleeves.com) supplies shrink labelers and tunnels, shrink sleeves, and tamper bands.
Standard-Knapp, a leader in packaging equipment since 1894, specializes in the manufacture of custom, state-of-the-art case, tray and shrink packaging machinery. Standard-Knapp belongs to international group EOL Packaging Experts, GmbH, and acts as the North American distributor and servicer of equipment from sister companies A+F, BMS and NEO.
The newest addition to Standard-Knapp’s line of case packers is the Unipack 2.0, a robotic pick-and-place dynamo that can pack, unpack and repack. Designed for small to medium food and beverage plants, this packer covers a small footprint, and is easily transported with an optional mobility kit. The Unipack 2.0 shines in the 5-15 case/minute range, and features the same color-coded change part system that makes product changeover a snap on all Standard-Knapp machinery.
Standard-Knapp’s flagship machine is the 939S Versatron™ case packer. Its patented Soft Catch technology allow for the packing of lightweight glass into partitionless cases without breakage, via a servo-actuated lift table. This allows the Versatron to actually “catch” the product while it descends into the case. Even gentler packing is achieved by the robotic Pic-N-Place model. The Versatron™ Pic-N-Place uses robust, robotic arms and adjustable, heavy-duty grippers to pick up and gently place packs of product safely into the bottom of every case.
Standard-Knapp’s full line of case & drop packers includes a variety of useful options, modules and upgrades, as well as uncasers, case sealers and product laners.
Standard-Knapp also specializes in tray/shrink technology, including the exciting new TriWraptor™ line of multipackers, shrink wrappers and TSUP (Tray/Shrink/Unsupported/Pad) packer. The TriWraptor line’s flexible highspeed Robo-Wand™ wrapping module provides consistent, tight wrapping across a wide range of product shapes and sizes.
All Standard-Knapp machinery is engineered and built to provide decades of reliable service, 24/7/365.
Syntegon is a leading single-source supplier of processing, packaging, and automation technology to the food and pharma industries. Our product portfolio ranges from standalone, entry-level machines to fully integrated systems. Our mission is to support customers in creating sustainable solutions with market-leading technologies.
Syntegon’s technology is built by some of the most iconic names in packaging. Doboy, Elematic, Kliklok, Osgood, Sigpack, and Woodman are just several in the group. Their legacies of quality, reliability, service, and dedication to the customer embody Syntegon’s core philosophies. United as one team, we are all working toward the same vision — Packaging and Processing for a Better Life.
From mixing raw ingredients to end-of-line case packers, our portfolio for the food industry includes: confectionery and bar processing equipment; product distribution, collation, and loading systems; horizontal flowwrappers; vertical bagmakers; topload, endload and wraparound cartoners; case packers; filling and sealing systems for cups and bottles; thermoforming, filling, and sealing systems; bag sealers; checkweighing systems; and sustainable packaging solutions.
Fields of application in the pharmaceutical industry are the production, processing, filling, inspection and packaging of liquid and solid pharmaceuticals (e.g. syringes and capsules).
Based in Waiblingen, Germany, and employing some 6000 associates, at 30 locations in more than 15 countries worldwide, a highly-qualified workforce develops and produces complete solutions for the food, pharma, and consumer goods industries. These solutions are complemented by a comprehensive after-sales service portfolio. A global service and sales network provides customers with local points of contact, including several locations in North America.
Texwrap, a ProMach brand is centrally located in Washington, Missouri, and is the leader in the design and manufacture of fully automatic shrink wrapping, shrink bundling, and E-commerce systems.
Known as the industry innovator, we hold patents on some of the most significant breakthrough technologies in the shrink-wrapping business. Our full line of standard wrappers includes L-bar sealers, intermittent motion side sealers, continuous motion side sealers and vertical wrappers, as well as shrink tunnels, that are all made in the U.S.A.
The Tekkra & Kayat SRX lines of shrink bundlers helps round out our shrink packaging solutions with intermittent motion, continuous motion and custom bundling systems.
To complete our product offering, Texwrap’s EPS Series of machine’s provides solutions to help E-commerce operations improve profitability by increasing throughput, preventing errors with our proprietary product tracking feature, and creating right-sized packaging that reduces film waste and DIM weight shipping costs.
Texwrap partners with a nationwide network of highly trained packaging distributors in order to better serve our customers. This partnership provides a support structure to ensure the best machinery/application fit, a smooth startup, reliable local service, and long-term return on the machinery investment.
Our mission is to provide our customers with the latest technological advances while maintaining our commitment to a user-friendly machine that is efficient and easy to maintain. The quality construction, flexibility, easy changeover and low maintenance features of our systems give our machinery the Lowest Total Cost of Ownership available in the market today.
773/889-0200
For three generations, our family-owned & operated business has provided innovative sanitary packaging solutions that are built to last & supported in the USA. Triangle packaging machines offer versatility while providing solutions that maximize production. Whether you need to weigh or bag seafood, soup, mashed potatoes, protein, baking mix, put a bag of cereal in a box or a variety of other products, there’s a Triangle solution engineered to meet your application.
Our vertical form-fill-seal baggers are designed with sanitation & ease-ofuse in mind while meeting USDA/3A & FSMA standards. All models come with an open, accessible design, sanitary forming tubes, tool-less change parts & sloped surfaces for easy run-off during washdown.
Simple, automated solution for filling & sealing pre-made pouches. Run Doy bags, 3-sided seal, flat & stand-up pouches (SUP) with ease. Simple integration with multihead weighers, augers or cup fillers.
Flexibility in a small footprint. Quick, auto-changeover from single to dual or quad packs in seconds. Pairs perfectly with a Triangle bagger & weigher combination. A unique belt infeed system protects your product.
From cereal to wet proteins, & everything in between. Unmatched accuracy & speed. Even product distribution for optimal production. Mount directly on top of Triangle VFFS baggers. No mezzanines required.
Field service is available out of our Chicago headquarters & regionally throughout the US. Our 22 service technicians offer an average tenure of 18 years. Spare parts are manufactured in-house & are typically shipped the same business day.
1-866-369-4181
Unified Flex Packaging Technologies is a global manufacturer of flexible packaging systems tailor made to customer specific application requirements. Our manufacturing facility is located in the Canadian manufacturing hub of Woodstock, Ontario with service centers in the US to ensure quick and direct customer service. We have been designing and manufacturing superior quality flexible packaging systems for more than 15 years. Our engineering team alone have a combined 50 years of packaging and automation experience over a wide variety of applications. Our expertise can be measured by the depth of the product lines we offer. We have successfully manufactured systems for liquid, nutraceutical, snack food, produce, protein, industrial product, bakery, and confectionery applications for companies. Our flexible packaging systems are simple to use, reliable and robust made from premium quality non-proprietary parts.
Unified Flex has 7 unique series (Premium VFFS, Economic VFFS, Continuous motion VFFS, Stick Pack machines, Multilane Sachet, Spouted Pouch Fill and Cap, and Pre-Made Bag Packaging Machines) with a total of 17 machine models to provide customers with unique packaging systems for a wide range of products and packaging requirements. Not only will these machines significantly improve your productivity, they will greatly streamline your efficiencies. Speeds can range from 7 to 180 bags per minute and numerous bag types and sizes are achievable, bringing you more packaging options for your products. You can count on Unified Flex Packaging Technologies to deliver intelligent machines, economical solutions, and dependable systems for all your packaging needs.
Call us at 1-866-369-4181 or email sales@unifiedflex.com
727/327-2123
Welcome to Universal Labeling Systems! We are labeling machinery. Since 1984, no one has designed and built more custom, made-to-order labeling systems than Universal. Labeling is all we do and we do a lot of it. All machines are designed and built in the USA at our St. Petersburg, Florida manufacturing facility.
Everything we are goes into everything we do. Your Universal Labeling machine is sold and supported through a worldwide network of authorized distributors. And these knowledgeable distribution partners are backed by the expertise of our technical staff. Universal’s product manuals include specifications, bill of materials, set-up and operational details, and machine maintenance.
Universal Labeling Systems offers the most complete line of pressure sensitive labeling machines. From low volume table top models to high volume zero down time systems, our machines are designed, manufactured, and tested with one purpose in mind…you and your labeling needs.
And at Universal, we do more than talk as our Performance Guarantee states:
“All equipment manufactured by Universal Labeling Systems carries a 30day performance guarantee. If your labeling machinery does not perform as stated, we will take your machine back and reimburse you in full.” Since 1984, we continue to honor this pledge.
847/459-9500
U.S. Tsubaki Power Transmission, LLC is a leading manufacturer and supplier of state-of-the-art power transmission and motion control products and is a global leader in roller and conveyor chain production.
U.S. Tsubaki is the largest global subsidiary of Japan’s Tsubakimoto Chain Company which was founded in 1917. Today, U.S. Tsubaki products are marketed in over 70 countries. Its corporate headquarter and main distribution warehouse are just outside of Chicago in Wheeling, IL and it has full manufacturing facilities in Holyoke, MA, Sandusky, OH and Milwaukee, WI. In addition to this it has service centers strategically located in Los Angeles, CA; Houston, TX; Atlanta, GA; Philadelphia, PA and Anoka, MN.
The TSUBAKI name is synonymous with excellence in quality, dependability and customer service. An intense focus on research and development, along with constant modernization of its production facilities are among the key components in Tsubaki’s ability to successfully meet the ever-changing needs of the marketplace.
Tsubaki has a wide variety of standard roller chains and attachment chains that cater to the Packaging Industry applications. It also offers a multitude of specialty chains such as corrosion resistant Neptune® chain, lube-free Lambda® chain, vacuum wrapper chain, thermoforming chain, Gripper® chain and Titan® series chain for high-speed operations. Tsubaki’s Made-to-Order capabilities allow for custom engineering of chains and attachments specific to your operation to ensure optimal performance.
888/326/1476
VDG is the leader in the design and manufacturing of drum motors for belt conveyors, with a strong focus on safety, reliability, and longevity. Manufacturing in-house in USA and Canada for 37 years, using cuttingedge production technology and automation, and with continuous improvements through R&D, VDG ensures product quality, fast delivery, and after sales support.
All drive components of the VDG Drum Motor including the electric motor, gear reducer, and bearings are enclosed inside the drum, increasing energy efficiency, operator safety and optimizing space. VDG Drum Motors are designed for 80,000 hours of continuous operation before maintenance, minimizing downtime and reducing maintenance, and operational costs.
The VDG patented IronGrip™ lagging, offered for VDG Drum Motors, enhances the durability and lifespan of the conveyor belt and the lagging. It consists of steel bars welded symmetrically on the drum with hot-bond vulcanized lagging inserts between the bars. IronGrip™ lagging eliminates uneven belt wear, improves belt tracking, increases belt traction by 40%, and has a 4-5 times longer service life compared to standard lagging.
VDG’s stainless steel SSV Series Drum Motor features an IP69K rated sealing system, withstands up to 3,000 psi washdown pressure, and drives modular, wire mesh, and monolithic conveyor belts without using sprockets. The SSV Drum Motor eliminates crevices that trap food byproducts and bacterial harborage, reducing washdown time and water usage by 50% and providing the most efficient and hygienic drive solution for food processing and handling belt conveyors.
The IntelliDrive™ Drum Motor features new synchronous permanent magnet motor technology, delivering 40% increased electrical efficiency, a wider range of belt speeds without loss of torque and an increase in electric motor lifespan compared to a traditional conveyor drive. It enables onsite diagnostics, full motor indexing speed control, and communications with other automated plant equipment.
920-564-5051
Running a business can be complicated. Your packaging automation project shouldn’t be. At Viking Masek, our packaging systems help our customers do business better. Simplified, efficient, and automated. With over 20 years of packaging experience, Viking Masek Packaging Technologies has quickly grown to become an industry leader in durable, innovative packaging machinery.
We manufacture easy-to-use premade pouch packing machines, economical VFFS baggers, high-speed continuous motion vertical baggers, carton packaging, palletizing, robotics, and multilane stick packaging machines. Through Viking Masek Robotics & Automation, we offer our clients state-of-the-art robotic packaging systems. These packing solutions significantly enhance end-of-line processes, directly improving overall equipment effectiveness, customer satisfaction, and company profit.
Our stainless-steel equipment is durable and efficient. By applying the latest engineering advances to machine software, we maximize the efficiency from each machine, giving you faster production and more profitability. We also partner with top packaging film and pouch suppliers to ensure your packaging materials meet your needs for sustainability.
We offer technical service, training, and preventive maintenance plans with the purchase of every packaging machine. Not only does our team of Sales Consultants and Project Managers ensure that our clients’ needs are met from first contact to installation, but our Service Department also works tirelessly to ensure minimal downtime if training or maintenance are required.
From cheese and coffee to raw poultry and fresh vegetables, to pharmaceuticals and dietary supplements, plus much more, Viking Masek has the right packaging solution for you.
Are you ready to take your packaging to the next level? Visit us at www.VikingMasek.com
WestRock is a global leader in sustainable paper and packaging solutions. We are materials scientists, packaging designers, mechanical engineers and manufacturing experts with a shared purpose: Innovate Boldly. Package Sustainably. Guided by our values of integrity, respect, accountability and excellence, we use leading science and technology to move fiber-based packaging forward.
WestRock’s best-in-class innovation engine leverages the largest set of fiber-based substrates, a vast network of converting and distribution capabilities and an unmatched packaging machinery platform to power the next generation of renewable, recyclable packaging. Our broad portfolio is operated in four segments – Corrugated Packaging, Consumer Packaging, Global Paper and Mill Operations. A uniquely integrated Commercial, Innovation and Marketing function offers unrivaled end-to-end solutions and support to solve our customers’ greatest challenges.
Our global operations include:
– More than 50,000 employees in the Americas, Europe and Asia-Pacific
– More than 30 containerboard and paperboard mills
– More than 320 operating and business locations
– Products in a wide range of markets, including beauty and personal care, beverage, e-commerce, healthcare, home and garden, media and electronics, packaged food, pizza and retail
Sustainability and innovation are fundamental to WestRock’s vision to become the world’s best paper and packaging company. By innovating for our customers and their customers, bettering the planet and supporting people and communities, we’re imagining and delivering on the promise of a sustainable future.
Wexxar Bel is a leading manufacturer of fully and semi-automatic case and tray forming and sealing solutions. From small start-ups to Fortune 500 companies, we provide a wide array of reliable machinery focusing on advanced technologies, easy to operate equipment and a top tier service network.
Wexxar Bel’s dedication to quality means you can take pride in the quality of your purchase and peace of mind in the reliability and performance of our machines. Many Wexxar Bel customers are excited to show-off their new purchase to visitors and stakeholders while other more long-term customers still feel that pride when they show off their nearly 40 year old still running Wexxar Bel machines. You will always feel supported by the industry’s best performing and best-serviced case/tray formers and sealers in every step that your company takes
With a wide distribution and service network across North America, customers are always fully serviced and supported quickly and reliably. Whether you decide to work with our certified partners or our own experienced technicians, Wexxar Bel and our partners will listen, understand and solve your packaging problems and issues.
Wexxar Bel is also a technological leader in the field by pushing the boundaries of innovation. The company was built on the reliable patented “Pin & Dome” system and continues to incorporate new technologies in our products to create innovative and ultra-reliable packaging machinery. This obsession with reliability has also transitioned to our IPAK product line with the utilization of servo-drives to ensure complete tray blank control at all times for precision accurate forming.
Our dedication to pushing boundaries have also put a focus on providing sustainably made and efficient machines. Our manufacturing facility in Vancouver is powered 100% by renewable energy and we also implemented sustainable practices in our manufacturing facility. Furthermore, we constantly push our machines to be more energy and maintenance efficient, reducing overall energy consumption, redundant parts and increasing overall product life.
Do you have an in-motion product weighing challenge? Then Wipotec is your answer. Our checkweighers deliver precision, accuracy, and repeatability in robust product and package weighing applications. Our X-Ray scanners and vision systems ensure that foods are free of foreign body contamination while maximizing package integrity, and product labeling accuracy. Wipotec’s TQS modular serialization and aggregation machines guard against counterfeit products entering the global supply chain. Wipotec manufacturing takes place in Kaiserslautern, Germany. The Atlanta metro area is home to the company’s North American operations. The metro Atlanta facility includes training rooms, a product showroom, application engineering labs, and an expansive spare parts warehouse.
Checkweighers prevent under filling and overfilling of product, resulting in brand protection and cost reduction due to less product giveaway. Wipotec checkweighers use EMFR weigh cells to deliver the fastest and most accurate product weights possible at throughputs up to 650 ppm. The modular design of these machines enables support for a wide variety of machine options including metal detectors.
Our X-Ray scanners and vision systems prevent expensive product recalls. These machines maximize product safety and packaging integrity. X-Ray scanners are ideal for foreign body contaminant detection, package completeness, and fill-level checks. Vision systems do a great job verifying product label contents and correct placement on your packages.
These modular machines got their start in the pharmaceutical industry ensuring end-to-end tracking of medications in order to keep counterfeit products out of the supply chain. Driven by global compliance regulations, these machines employ open interfaces and software that delivers the flexibility needed to meet each country’s track and trace requirements. These machines are now finding use in various industries such as cosmetics, medical devices, cannabis, and personal care products.
Yamato is always the best way to weigh.
Yamato Corporation is the leading provider of automatic, commercial, and industrial weighing solutions in North, Central, and South America. Our industry strengths include cheese, poultry, snack foods, confectionery, prepared meals, fresh produce, and more. Whether your product is dry and free-flowing, wet and sticky, or frozen and a little difficult to run, a Yamato scale can weigh it for packaging.
Yamato scales offer supreme accuracy and support a wide variety of markets. Our combination weighers, checkweighers, and depositors can address virtually any packaging application. Our commercial scales offer convenient weighing for a range of retail markets, and our industrial solutions are ideal for very high target weights.
We promise you the Yamato Difference. As Yamato – not a distributor or agent – we’re easily accessible and available to offer you direct advice and support. We understand that you need non-stop performance. We promise you’ll get that from our scales, and from us. That’s the Yamato Difference.
Yamato Corporation is a subsidiary of Yamato Scale Co., Ltd., headquartered in Akashi, Japan. Founded in 1920, Yamato Scale Co. is celebrating over 100 years of providing innovative, high-quality weighing equipment and systems to customers around the world.
Learn more and find your scale at YamatoAmericas.com
