Packaging World July 2023

The paper bottle format used by Florida’s Distillery 98 comprises two components: a paper bottle that begins as a die-cut and creased paperboard blank, and a food-grade metallized PET pouch that resides inside. Coming to Tesco stores in the UK: Absolut vodka in a single-mold paper bottle.

EDITORIAL ADVISORY BOARD

Aladin Alkhawam Supply Chain Security Director, Endo International plc

Jan Brücklmeier Technical Application Group Packaging Technology Expert, Nestlé

M. Shawn French Director – Innovation & Packaging Engineering (Beverage), Danone North America

Patrick Keenan R&D Packaging Engineer, General Mills/Annie’s Organic Snacks

Mike Marcinkowski Global R&D Of cer, GPA Global & Hub Folding Box Co.

David Smith, PhD Principal, David S. Smith & Associates

Brian Stepowany Packaging R&D, Senior Manager, B&G Foods, Inc.

Jasmine Sutherland President, Texas Food Solutions; Vice President, Perfect Fit Meals

Free digital edition available to quali ed individuals outside the United States. POSTMASTER; Send address changes to Packaging World®, 401 N. Michigan Avenue, Suite 1700, Chicago, IL 60611. PRINTED IN USA by Quad. The opinions expressed in articles are those of the authors and not necessarily those of PMMI. Comments, questions and letters to the editor are welcome and can be sent to: editors@packworld.com. Mailing List: We make a portion of our mailing list available to reputable rms. If you would prefer that we don’t

ACOPOStrak

Fast. Flexible. Productive.

ACOPOStrak is a revolution in adaptive manufacturing. This highly flexible transport system extends the economy of mass production down to batches of one. Parts and products are transported quickly and flexibly from processing station to processing station on independently controlled shuttles.

•Increase overall equipment effectiveness (OEE)

•Boost the return on investment in your machines (ROI)

•Shorten your time to market (TTM)

CONTENT

Matt Reynolds Chief Editor

Anne Marie Mohan Senior Editor

Iris Zavala Managing Editor

Sean Riley Senior News Director

Pat Reynolds, Sterling Anthony,

Eric F. Greenberg, Ben Miyares Contributing Editors

David Bacho Creative Director

PMMI MEDIA GROUP

David Newcorn President

Elizabeth Kachoris Vice President, Digital

Kelly Greeby Senior Director, Client Success & Media Operations

Jen Krepelka Director, Digital Media

Mike Prokopeak Senior Director, Content & Brand Growth

Trey Smith Senior Director, Events

Sharon Taylor Director, Marketing

Joseph Angel Founding Partner and Executive Vice President, Industry Outreach, PMMI

Lloyd Ferguson Founding Partner

Staff at PMMI Media Group can be contacted at info@pmmimediagroup.com

ADVERTISING

Lara Krieger Production Manager lkrieger@pmmimediagroup.com

Janet Fabiano Financial Services Manager jfabiano@pmmimediagroup.com

Questions about your subscription or wish to renew? Contact circulation@pmmimediagroup.com.

Packaging World • PMMI Media Group 401 N. Michigan Ave., Suite 1700, Chicago, IL 60611 Phone: 312/222-1010 • Fax: 312/222-1310

E-Mail: info@packworld.com • Web: www.packworld.com

PMMI The Association for Packaging and Processing Technologies 12930 Worldgate Dr., Suite 200, Herndon VA, 20170 Phone: 571/612-3200 • Fax: 703/243-8556 • Web: www.pmmi.org

HolyGrail 2.0 Proving Viable at Scale?

In Europe, where extended producer responsibility (EPR) is widely established, and the EU’s Proposal Packaging and Packaging Waste (PPWR) and UN regulations (INC-2) are on the horizon, circularity in plastic packaging is more than a purpose-led mission. It’s becoming a business imperative since economic penalties are expected to be levied on brands who don’t use the amounts of PCR prescribed by the EU (30% by 2030).

“Now there’s acute pressure from all angles—legislative, economic, consumer demand, and selfimposed sustainability targets—for brands and producers to reduce the impact they’re making on the planet with regard to plastic packaging,” says Sam Favager, senior product manager, Digimarc. “Digital watermarking is a proven technology to address this problem, with consistent, excellent performance across all common plastic types, form factors, print and manufacturing processes, and is ready to be implemented at scale.”

Brands can implement digital watermarking by embedding a specialized code, often imperceptible to the human eye, across as much surface area of a package or label artwork as possible. Linked to this code, in the cloud, is data including the provenance, composition, and material information about the package that it carries throughout the lifecycle, including after disposal. This code can be detected by high-definition cameras and Digimarc detection software in the sortation process at recycling facilities. Upon detection, the system can read the information embedded in the code, ensuring accurate, granular sortation for any criteria specified by the facility operator. The result is greater volumes of cleaner, higher quality PCR that help the market work toward price parity with virgin plastic and create new PCR end markets that didn’t previously exist.

Driven by AIM (European Brands Association) and backed by the Alliance to End Plastic Waste, over 160 companies and organizations from the complete packaging value chain have joined the Digital Watermarks Initiative HolyGrail 2.0. Among them is Digimarc, and Favager who kindly spoke with me after hours in London about promising news related to the project. HolyGrail aims to assess whether digital watermarking can, at scale, enable better sorting, higher-quality recycling rates, and better, more competitive end markets for PCR.

Two big pieces of news on HolyGrail 2.0 indicate that the project is well on its way, past Phase One (prototype development) and Phase Two (semi-industrial testing) and now firmly in the third and final phase, validation at industrial scale. Building on successful semi-industrial trials, stakeholders across the packaging value chain selected France as the European pilot market for Digimarc Recycle. France has a unique combination of factors in its favor, not least among them a strong and supportive PRO (producer responsibility organization) that manages funding and collection schemes for EPR. France has been practicing some form of EPR since 1975, so the political will is there. Large CPG brands play heavily in the French market, and several call France home. And finally, France is a big country—by itself it represents an order of magnitude jump in scale. All facility operators in France have been invited to participate, an expansion in activities that had been limited to HolyGrail 2.0 members.

Hot on the heels of the France news were the eye-opening results of a validation study, completed in early 2023, that confirms previous findings that the digital watermarking plan could be viable at scale. In the study, 5.6 tons of watermarked non-food PET bottles were produced, and then mixed with post-consumer waste at a material recovery facility (MRF) in Epinal, France, to mimic typical waste workflows. Multiple fractions of mixed waste containing around 200,000 watermarked bottles were created, baled, and shipped to the Wellman/Indorama recycling facility for sorting tests.

The trials were carried out on a fully operational line with a digital watermark detection module working in standard operating conditions. Detection efficiency was 92.1%, while sorting efficiency was 88.3%, on average. For two-pass sorting, which is standard anyhow, the detection and sorting efficiencies were 95.9% and 95.1% respectively. These results again validate the efficacy of digital watermarks in separating with high granularity, in this case food vs. non-food separation. The high efficiencies indicate that use of digital watermarks can reduce impurities in food-grade PET output streams in recycling plants.

Many of us here in the states will be watching these next steps with great interest. Vive la France. PW

mreynolds@pmmimediagroup.com

Ska Brewing’s Paperboard Can Handles Use Automated Applicator

Ska Brewing is the rst craft brewery in North America to implement this automation solution, which will enable the company’s transition from plastic rings to a ber-based solution for its multipack product wraps.

“The installation of the CanCollar Corsair is one of Ska’s ongoing, never- nished efforts to build a more sustainable future,” says Ska co-founder and CEO Dave Thibodeau. “We saw the opportunity to implement this ber-based CanCollar and we’re jumping on it. We hope it will become the industry standard moving forward.”

Ska has never been keen on plastic packaging, but identi ed WestRock’s Can Collar as an alternative that supports its sustainability goals. The company’s CanCollar Corsair machine automatically applies various CanCollar paperboard-based multipack formats to 24-pack trays of product, which gives Ska the ability to package all of its canned brand offerings—including four-packs and six-packs—using a solution that reduces plastics consumption by up to 95% when compared to alternative plastic multipack options.

“The CanCollar, which promotes circularity, will immediately reduce the amount of plastic Ska contributes to the environment by approximately four tons per year,” says Ska Brewing COO Steve Breezley. “This contributes to a reduction in overall waste and the carbon footprint associated with the shipping and storage of our products. The innovation, ethos and ethics behind this solution are what we’re all about.”

Beer lovers can look for all of Ska’s canned brand offerings to sport recyclable ber collars applied by the CanCollar Corsair on shelves today.

—Matt Reynolds

• 0DGHDW¿[HGDQJOHVRI DQGGHJUHHV

• 5HGXFHGIRRWSULQW

• (OLPLQDWHFKDQJHRYHU DGMXVWPHQWV

• /RZPDLQWHQDQFH

• $FFHVVLELOLW\OD\RXWIRU RSHUDWRUDQGIRUNWUXFN

WUDI¿F

Distillery 98 Brings Paper Bottle Stateside for Vodka

The pace of wine and spirits packaged in paper bottles is picking up, in particular those using the Frugal Bottle from U.K-based Frugalpac Packaging World rst reported on the new bag-in-boxstyle format in mid-2020, when Italian vineyard Cantina Goccia became the rst brand to use the bottle in a commercial application (see pwgo.to/7597). Since then, the package has been used for both wine and spirits in countries that include France, the U.K., and Canada. And now, with Florida Panhandle-based vodka brand Distillery 98 adopting the format in March 2023, the Frugal Bottle has made its way to the U.S. as well.

Distillery 98, in Santa Rosa Beach, is a micro-distillery founded with the mission of making craft spirits in a way that re ects and helps protect the country’s ecology. Its agship, grain-to-glass product Half Shell Vodka is made by hand in small batches from locally sourced, wild ingredients and family-farmed crops. According to co-founder and CEO Harrison Holditch, Distillery 98 has always used local Florida corn in its spirits. For Half Shell Vodka, it is also using water from local aquifers, coconuts from Florida farmers, and oysters sourced regionally.

Distillery 98’s mission to support and protect the local environment includes not only its choice of ingredients, but also its selection of packaging. For its Half Shell Vodka, the brand considered several alternatives to the glass bottle it was using for its other spirits, including those more commonly used in the wine industry— bag-in-box and aluminum bottles, among them. However, “the lower carbon footprint of the Frugal Bottle just made sense,” says Holditch. “When we found the Frugalpac bottle, we knew this was the future for Distillery 98, and hopefully for our industry as a whole.”

The Frugal Bottle comprises two components: a paper bottle that begins as a die-cut and creased paperboard blank and a food-grade metallized PET pouch that resides inside. To create the bottle, the paperboard blank is molded around a hollow, mandrel shaped-mold into which the pouch has already been inserted, and is then glued at the edges with a water-based adhesive. Frugalpac produces the bottle for Distillery 98 on its custom-engineered equipment at its facility in the U.K. Bottle production and lling are also available from Canadian packaging company KinsBrae.

Free Whitepaper Explores the Impact of Global and Local Standards

As the packaging and processing industry expands across borders, compliance with regulations and standards has become a critical factor. That’s why PMMI released “The Impact of Global and Local Standards on OEMs & Suppliers,” a whitepaper providing an analysis of the opportunities that original equipment manufacturers (OEMs), suppliers and all industry stakeholders face in the evolving landscape of global and local standards. Visit pwgo.to/7971 to download the whitepaper for free.

PMMI’s whitepaper sheds light on the complexities encountered when navigating these standards and outlines strategies to overcome the associated hurdles. “This whitepaper helps frame the importance of industry standards, clarifying the difference between standards and regulations, providing guidance on key standards, and fostering collaboration between OEMs and end users to improve the safety, ef ciency, and reliability of packaging and processing operations,” says Jorge Izquierdo, vice president, market development, PMMI.

The whitepaper references ANSI/PMMI B155.1 – Safety Requirements for Packaging and Processing Machinery, a key standard for the industry that is currently under revision. The

Watch a video on the Frugal Bottle at pwgo.to/7970

“Being that most glass is made in India and China, the paperboard bottles come with a smaller carbon footprint than standard spirits bottles,” explains Holditch, “Even if the glass bottles are made in America, it’s my understanding that manufacturing and shipping the paperboard bottles from the U.K. still creates less carbon footprint.”

In researching the data, Holditch found that shipping one industry-standard glass bottle from a factory in India creates about 570 g CO2 and other carbon compounds, while shipping one Frugal Bottle from the U.K. creates approximately 105 g CO

Distillery 98 began the project with Frugalpac in fall 2022 and launched Half Shell Vodka in the Frugal Bottle in spring 2023. While the Bordeaux shape of the bottle is stock, graphics for the package are customized and include instructions for consumers on separating the components for recycling. Distillery 98 lls the bottles at its micro-distillery in Florida.

Since Half Shell Vodka’s release, consumers have expressed “great reactions,” especially in Santa Rosa Beach, Holditch shares, adding that Distillery 98 is equally pleased with its choice of packag ing for the product. “Being in our beach town it was really important to us to nd something that aligned with what we were trying to give back to our home on the Florida panhandle. This packag ing allows us to do our part in minimizing our impacts in the surrounding environment and keeping our carbon footprint small with our manufacturing and distribution.”

revised standard is scheduled to be released by standards developer PMMI later this summer.

Key ndings from the whitepaper:

1. Global Standardization: The whitepaper emphasizes the importance of global standardization efforts in streamlining operations. By adhering to uni ed standards, businesses can reduce costs, enhance ef ciency, and improve market access.

2. Regional Variations: Despite the bene ts of global standards, the whitepaper recognizes the existence of regional variations, while maintaining alignment with international standards.

3. Compliance Challenges: The study reveals the challenges faced in achieving compliance with multiple standards. These challenges include supply chain complexity, regulatory uncertainty, and the need for continuous adaptation to evolving requirements.

4. Collaboration and Knowledge Sharing: PMMI’s whitepaper underscores the importance of collaboration among industry stakeholders and the sharing of best practices. By fostering strong partnerships, OEMs and suppliers can address compliance challenges, pool resources, and drive innovation.

5. Technology as an Enabler: The report highlights the role of technology as an enabler for managing standards. Automation, data analytics, and digital solutions can enhance compliance, enable real-time monitoring, and facilitate information exchange.

Check out PMMI’s Business Intelligence Library at pwgo.to/7972 to access this whitepaper and many additional industry resources. And standards are sure to be a discussion point at PACK EXPO Las Vegas, to be held Sept. 11 to 13. Visit packexpo.com to register for the largest packaging event in North America this year. –Sean Riley

Scope Concentrate in Palm-Sized Bottle Enables Customization

Following in the footsteps of mouthwash brands that include Listerine (see pwgo.to/7905) and smaller, specialty oral care companies, Scope has rolled out a concentrated version of its mouthwash, new Scope Squeez, in a dainty, 50-mL bottle.

For most brands, the decision to introduce a concentrated version of their product is often driven by the resulting sustainability bene ts. Concentrates typically need signi cantly less packaging, which also means lower transportation costs and emissions. Scope is certainly seeing these bene ts, with a 70% reduction in packaging versus its regular 1-L bottle. But the bene t Scope is touting with the smaller size is the customization that’s possible with a concentrated formula.

According to Scope, Scope Squeez represents the biggest innovation for the brand in a decade and was designed to address what it says is a core barrier to daily mouthwash use: “Nearly half of consumers looking to enjoy fresh breath often nd the strength and freshness of mouthwash to be too much or not quite enough,” it reports. “Scope’s new mouthwash concentrate provides a customizable experience all in a convenient, palm-sized squeeze bottle with up to 50 uses, that keeps users fresh when and where they need.”

Shares Luis Restrepo, senior director North America Oral Care at Procter &

POSITIONING SYSTEMS FOR PACKAGING MACHINES

Gamble, “As a leading mouthwash brand, Scope knows what consumers want out of their mouthwash, and while it’s clear that fresh breath tops the list, they often slip up in making it part of their daily routine. Today’s shoppers—Gen Z and young Millennials in particular—are calling for personalized products tailored to them, and Scope is answering that call by delivering a breakthrough product: a convenient mouthwash concentrate that allows you to control the strength, and ts in the palm of your hand. With Scope Squeez, we’re inviting users to nd their ‘Scope Zone,’ and unleash a minty-fresh sense of self-expression and con dence to face the world fearlessly.”

Roughly the same size as the 44-oz Scope travel bottle but with a rectangular rather than a teardrop shape, packaging for Scope Squeez includes a clear PET bottle, a white, child-resistant polypropylene twist cap, and a clear plastic dosing cup marked with a 20-mL ll line near the top. The bottle and cup are held together with a colorfully printed full-body shrink label. A perforation in the label at the top of the bottle allows the consumer to remove the top section to reveal the dosing cup.

Directions for use are simple, says Scope: “just add water and squeez.” A less quippy version of the instructions advises consumers to add water to the dosing cup and squeeze the concentrate into the water two or three times to control the intensity of the mouthwash, using up to four squeezes per day.

Scope Squeez in the 50 mL bottle is available in two varieties, Original Mint and Cool Peppermint, in-store and online at retailers nationwide for $7.99.

—Anne Marie Mohan

Electronic, bus-compatible position indicators with target /actual value comparison and intuitive operation Automated fieldbus-/Ethernet compact actuators: easy commissioning, fast amortization

Mechanically compatible: SIKO positioning systems are mechanically interchangeable

IO-Link in the most compact position indicator

Watch a video on Scope Squeez at pwgo.to/7969

In-Depth Insights into Your Equipment

At Dodge ®, innovation is in our DNA. That’s why we make the best solutions possible. Our new OPTIFY™ Performance Sensor includes enhanced features to unlock your operation’s potential and maximize uptime, even in the most extreme conditions.

New!

Enhanced features

Tri-axis accelerometer captures data with improved accuracy

Magnetometer captures advanced measurements in motors

Extended battery life provides hassle-free, lasting performance

Widest temperature range for wireless sensors on the market

Extreme conditions call for extreme performance. Learn more about how the intrinsically safe, OPTIFY-compatible sensor can save you time and money at info.dodgeindustrial.com/optify-performance-sensor or by scanning the QR code.

74%

The percentage of consumers in a National Retail Federation survey who said they would be interested in buying products in re llable packaging; 66% believe retailers aren’t doing enough to provide affordable re llable or packaging-free options to customers

100M+

The number of U.S. smartphone users expected to scan quick response (QR) codes in 2025, rising from 88.9 million in 2022, according to Statista

11.20%

The expected CAGR of arti cial intelligence (AI) in the packaging industry from 2023 to 2033, reaching $6,015.6 million, according to Future Market Insights

$97,500

The amount granted to the city of Villa Park, Ill., by American Beverage’s Every Bottle Back initiative to improve recycling rates in the city; the investment is expected to yield 8.6 million pounds of new recyclables over the next decade

“With the growth of e-commerce and online food delivery services, the convenience of packaged food and beverages has become essential. Governments and organizations all around the globe are passing laws and doing other actions to reduce plastic waste, realizing the advantages of sugarcane packaging, which has the important feature of being biodegradable, compostable, and recyclable. In addition, a lot of businesses are entering the sugarcane packaging industry since it is more cost-effective, enhances company branding, and has a less carbon imprint.”

–A Future Market Insight analyst, as quoted in an article from Farmers Review Africa, “Biodegradable and Sustainable Packaging Alternatives to Drive the Sugarcane Packaging Market to US$889.0 Million by 2033”

“Trade policies must put the American worker and domestic manufacturing rst. Imposing duties on tin mill steel products will result in increased costs for domestic manufacturers and consumers, threatening thousands of jobs across the nation, increase grocery prices, and harm America’s farm families by importing food products from foreign countries. The ITC [International Trade Centre] and Department of Commerce must consider the severe impact these proposed duties would have on our nation’s food supply and manufacturing industry.”

–U.S. Rep. David Rouzer (R-N.C.), in a press release from the Consumer Brands Association, “Consumer Brands applauds congressional effort to protect domestic food and can manufacturing”

“I have noticed a disturbing number of social media posts of Instagram pro les, promoting the availability of psilocybin [the active ingredient in psychedelic mushrooms] chocolates/candies for sale. Similar to cannabis edibles, if psilocybin products look like candy and/or are labeled like candy, and have no protective packaging, it is inevitable that these products will get into the wrong hands.”

–Dr. Daniel Sudakin, a board-certi ed medical toxicologist working in Oregon, who was quoted in an article from The Guardian, “Cartoon packaging and an ‘inconsolable’ high: when magic mushroom chocolate gets into the wrong hands”

XTS: Agile transport for pitchless, asynchronous packaging

Mechanical flexibility

NE XTSTEP

The XTS advantage

infinitely flexible dramatically reduces machine size faster time to market

embed XTS directly into machines configure for any track geometry install flat, vertical or at angles repeat or stack XTS tracks 30–50% reduction in machine footprint

Manufacturers around the world need to offer increasingly customized products – with machines that deliver reduced footprint and improved productivity. 7 he eXtended Transport System (XTS) from Beckhoff answers these machine design challenges and more. In combination with PC- and EtherCATbased control technology, the XTS features a high level of design freedom for machine builders to develop game-changing concepts for product transport, handling and assembly. A stainless steel hygienic XTS version is ideal for use in the pharmaceutical and food industries. Take your next step in machine design with XTS: total freedom of installation position compact design integrates directly into machinery freely selectable track geometries few mechanical parts and system components

See XTS live in booth SL-6335!

By Sterling Anthony, CPP, Contributing Editor

Stretch Wrappers Tie Together End-of-line Packaging

End-of-line packaging is the nal stretch in the race to get loads out the door. Stretch wrappers apply a nal stretch to the nal stretch. Then there’s the longer race of getting loads to their nal destination; call that the nish line. Winning is when loads cross the nish line intact and undamaged. That won’t happen if the stretch wrappers don’t apply the right lm in the right manner.

Load integrity is the main justification for investing in stretch wrappers. An absence of that integrity results in missed sells and foregone profits. Additionally, goodwill throughout supply chains suffers because compromised loads pose risks to personnel and impose costs for clean-up and/or disposal.

Another justification is cost-savings in labor. But benefits don’t accrue only to the employer; additionally, there is a win-win aspect. Workers are spared repetitive exertion and its potential long-term physical and mental effects. Those same workers can be reassigned more productively.

A justification that might not be as self-evident are savings stemming from the stretch film. With mechanization, film cost-per-load goes down for a variety of reasons. Film, for example, is applied with programmed consistency, an economy in itself. Film can be purchased in larger rolls and wider webs, resulting in quantity purchase discounts. Machines require less frequent stoppages to change larger rolls of film, adding to productivity.

Regarding the acquisition of stretch wrappers—whether firsttime, additional, or replacement wrappers—the decision-making process is multi-faceted and complex. That’s because stretch wrappers are capital expenditures carrying long-term consequences. While conceding that approaches can vary, it’s nonetheless axiomatic that they start with a determination of load characteristics. They include package types and materials, plus their unitized sizes, weights, and configurations. For example, those characteristics applied to a production facility can be different than those applied to a distribution center. The former’s loads are likely to be uniform and the latter’s loads are likely to be mixed.

Stretch wrappers are classifiable as manual, semi-automatic, and fully automatic. The differences reflect the amount of human involvement in the fundamental steps required to get a load wrapped. The steps are as follows: the load arrives at the machine, the film is attached to the load, the machine starts the wrapping cycle, the machine ends the wrapping cycle, the film is cut from the roll, the cut edge of the film is pressed against the load, and the wrapped load leaves the machine. Generally, operators are involved

with every step on a manual machine and with some of the steps on a semi-aitomatic machine. With fully automatic equipment, operator involvement is at a minimum.

Turntable stretch wrappers are the most utilized style due to their diverse applicability. The turntable is a circular platform on which the load sits. A roll of film is mounted vertically alongside, on a mast. After the film is attached to the bottom of the load, wrapping is performed as the turntable rotates and the roll of film travels up the mast and then back down.

With turntable operations, loads are in motion, so during that time they need to remain stable and intact. Loads that can be challenging include those that are (comparatively) lightweight, or tall, or noninterlocking. Rotation speed needs to be adjusted accordingly. Another option is to select turntable stretch wrappers that are equipped with a metal plate that presses against the top of the load for stability as they turn.

Straddle stretch wrappers employ a mechanical arm or other means that apply film while rotating around a stationary load. The aforementioned challenges presented by loads in motion are thus avoided. Theoretically, straddles can operate at speeds greater than what’s practical with turntables, however they require a larger footprint.

Ring (or orbital) stretch wrappers have a track shaped in a vertical ring that houses the roll of film. The load, typically suspended on the forks of a forklift, is inserted within the middle of the ring. The roll rotates around the track, applying film over, around, and under the pallet. Orbitals are not used for tiered, patterned loads. Rather, they are popular for items that are palletized singularly or in small quantities, such as large engine motors and carpet rolls, respectively.

Ring straddle stretch wrappers embody features of the last two discussed types. The ring track, to which the film roll is attached, is positioned like a halo above the load at the start of the cycle. The ring then descends around a stationary load. The load is wrapped, bottomto-top, as the roll rotates around the ring, while the ring ascends back to its starting position. It’s a high-speed operation, but for limited applications. A major one is paper products, such as towels and tissue.

Regardless of classification and type, the performance of stretch wrappers never can be divorced from the performance of the applied stretch film. Stretch film is not a commodity. To the contrary, it is an engineered material that should be purchased against well-devised specifications. Particulars include gauge, puncture-resistance, prestretch, cling, and optical qualities—just to name a few. In the final analysis, machine and film are a tandem. Together, they must produce the satisfactory degree of load containment. PW

Load integrity is the main justi cation for investing in stretch wrappers. An absence of that integrity results in missed sells and foregone pro ts.

AUTOMATION ADOPTION? RESISTANCE IS FUTILE

Introduction

$XWRPDWLRQLVYHU\PXFKLQWKHQHZVWKHVHGD\V±DQGWKDW¶VUHDOO\QRWVXUSULVLQJ7KH³JUHDWSDQGHPLF¶V´LPSDFWRQ DYDLODELOLW\DFFHQWXDWHGWKHLQKHUHQWULVNVRIUHOLDQFHRQKXPDQEHLQJVLQSUHWW\PXFKHYHU\SURGXFWLRQVXSSO\FKDLQ7KH G\QDPLFVDWZRUNLQRXUHFRQRP\DUHFRQVSLULQJWRUDLVHERWKWKHSUR¿OH±DQGWKHEUHDGWK±RIRSSRUWXQLWLHVIRUDXWRPDWLRQ

HQYLURQPHQWV7KHWUHQGVGRQRWSRLQWWRDQLPSURYHPHQWLQ WKLVDUHD±LQIDFWMXVWWKHRSSRVLWHGHPRJUDSKLFVVXJJHVW

Turnover is costly (PSOR\HHFKXUQLVH[SHQVLYH,QVRPHPDQXIDFWXULQJ VHJPHQWVVWDI¿QJWXUQRYHUUDWHVDUHH[WUHPHO\KLJK±

QHZHPSOR\HHVLVFRVWO\$VDXWRPDWLRQVROXWLRQVLQWURGXFH PRUHVRSKLVWLFDWHGDQGÀH[LEOHFDSDELOLWLHV3URGXFHUVDUH FORVHO\VFUXWLQL]LQJPDQ\RIWKHSURGXFWLRQDFWLYLWLHVWKDW PRUHWKDQÀQDQFLDO²QRUHDOO\ FRVWUHFRYHU\LQFOXGLQJUHGXFWLRQVLQORQJWHUPFRVW VWUXFWXUHVDQGDYRLGLQJWKHYDULDELOLW\DVVRFLDWHGZLWK PDQXDOODERU±VRPHRIWKHVHMREVDUHVLPSO\WRXJKWRNHHS VWDIIHG0D\EHWKHUH¶VDUHDVRQVRPHMREVDUHKDUGWR¿OO" $XWRPDWLRQDOORZV\RXWRUHGHSOR\KDUGWR¿QGVWDIIIURP GDQJHURXVGLUW\RUGXOOMREVWRPRUHVDWLVI\LQJMREVZKLFK

:KHQLWFRPHVWRWKHDGRSWLRQFXUYHDXWRPDWLRQ¶VUHOHQWOHVVSURJUHVVUHPLQGVXVRIWKHSRSFXOWXUHSKUDVH FRLQHGDVSDUWRI6WDU7UHN¶VXQVWRSSDEOHYLOODLQ7KH%RUJ³5HVLVWDQFHLV)XWLOH´,W¶VDJLYHQWKDWDXWRPDWLRQ ZLOOFRQWLQXHWRJURZLQWHUPVRILWVFDSDELOLWLHVDQGEUHDGWKRIDSSOLFDWLRQV7KHTXHVWLRQLVZKHQDQG ZKHUHGRHVDXWRPDWLRQPDNHVHQVHLQ\RXURSHUDWLRQ"7KLVSULPHULVGHVLJQHGWRKHOS\RXXQGHUVWDQGWKH IXQGDPHQWDOSUHFHSWVRIDXWRPDWLRQIURPW\SHVVWDJHVDQGFRPSRQHQWVWRUXQQLQJDQDXWRPDWLRQSURMHFW $XWRPDWLRQVWDQGVWRSOD\DQLQFUHDVLQJO\PDMRUUROHGULYLQJPDQXIDFWXULQJSURGXFWLYLW\±PRUHOLNHO\VRRQHU WKDQODWHU±VRZHKRSH\RXWDNHWKLVRSSRUWXQLW\WRJDLQDELWRILQVLJKWLQWRWKLVLQFUHDVLQJO\NH\DVSHFWRI

When it comes to the adoption curve, automation’s relentless progress reminds us of the pop culture phrase coined as part of Star Trek’s unstoppable villain, The Borg: “Resistance is Futile.” It’s a given that automation will continue to grow in terms of its capabilities and breadth of applications. The question is, when and where does automation make sense in your operation? This primer is designed to help you understand the fundamental precepts of automation, from types, stages, and components to running an automation project. Automation stands to play an increasingly major role driving manufacturing productivity – more likely sooner than later – so we hope you take this opportunity to gain a bit of insight into this increasingly key aspect of packaging operations!

The Art & Science of Packaging Automation

By Anne Marie Mohan, Senior Editor

Walmart Reduces E-comm Packaging

Walmart’s U.S. e-commerce sales are booming. In Q1-23, the retailer experienced 27% growth year-over-year, which translates to more than $1 billion a month in store-ful lled delivery sales. As can be expected, the increase in e-comm sales has also resulted in an increase in plastic and corrugated packaging. But Walmart has a solution, several in fact, to reduce the amount of packaging waste associated with its online orders while at the same time supporting its environmental goals.

Among the packaging reduction measures announced by the retailer June 1 are a move from plastic to recyclable paper mailers, an option for consumers to skip the plastic bag for online pickup orders, the use of box-making equipment that delivers right-sized shipping cases, and the consolidation of online orders into fewer boxes.

“Sustainability has always been a key pillar of our business,” says Karisa Sprague, senior vice president, Fulfillment Network Operations for Walmart U.S. “Most of our environmental impact comes from our supply chain, with fulfillment and delivery comprising an important component. This move to recyclable paper mailers for nearly all e-commerce orders and expanding the choice for customers to opt out of bags for pickup orders delivers against our virgin plastic reduction goal as well as our commitment as a company to shift our practices in pursuit of becoming a more regenerative business. Less waste is good for everyone, including our customers, business, and the environment.”

According to Walmart, it ships hundreds of millions of packages to consumers each year. Moving forward, nearly all orders previously shipped in plastic mailers from fulfillment centers and stores as well as marketplace orders shipped with Walmart Fulfillment Services will be sent in 100% curbside-recyclable paper bag mailers. While Sprague declined to share details on the construction of the mailers, she did say that the paper packaging option was fully tested and piloted before being rolled out to Walmart’s fulfillment network.

This transition to paper is expected to eliminate 65 million plastic bag mailers, or more than 2,000 tons of plastic, from circulation in the U.S. by the end of the current fiscal year. Likewise, a new option for consumers to ditch the single-use plastic bag for online pickup orders and bring their own reusable bag is also expected to potentially eliminate millions more plastic bags each year. Says Walmart, early tests of the online option, which is scheduled for nationwide availability by year’s end, indicate promising adoption rates.

Another measure expected to have a significant impact on packaging waste is Walmart’s use of the PackSize Ultra5 right-sized, on-demand box machine—a strategy the retailer first announced in March 2023. The Ultra5, built exclusively for Walmart, is now being

used in approximately half its fulfillment centers, with plans to expand use of the machines to its next-generation fulfillment centers in the future. The fully automated, 600-box/hour machine not only eliminates packaging waste by as much as 26%, but it also negates the need for void fill such as plastic air pillows by 60%.

Explains Sprague, “Prior to right-sized boxing, associates assembled boxes by hand, a tedious and repetitive job. With right-sized boxing, associates are able to manage and troubleshoot the technology versus spend time assembling boxes. This includes ensuring the technology runs consistently, feeding boxes into the system, refilling adhesive, triaging cardboard jams, and more. This job shift from manual box assembly to tech-powered roles has been received well by our associates.”

Another benefit of the Ultra5 is that it enables the retailer to fit up to 33% more boxes on freight and delivery carriers, reducing shipping emissions and bringing more orders to customers daily. It also improves the end consumer’s overall unboxing experience, Walmart adds.

Not new but also an effective packaging-reduction strategy for online orders is Walmart’s use of AI to identify when an item purchased online can be fulfilled from stores instead of fulfillment centers. This reduces both the number of miles driven and the number of boxes used for shipping. According to Walmart, to ensure that items can more sustainably travel from stores to customers’ homes, it combines multiple orders and single delivery routes and delivers them using electric vans.

Says Jennifer McKeehan, senior vice president of End-to-End Delivery at Walmart U.S., “With a Walmart store located within 10 miles of 90% of the U.S. population, we can make a meaningful difference for our customers by strategically using our stores and lastmile delivery network to reduce waste and emissions.” PW

Popular Pies Get Robotic Packaging Upgrade

Faced with growing demand for its delicious hand-held snack pies, JTM Foods, LLC brought in a new line where robotic secondary packaging is fast and versatile yet occupies a very small footprint.

By Pat Reynolds, Contributing Editor

JTM Foods, LLC of Erie, Pa., has been making snack pies and crispy treats for the past 30 years. Its snack pies are growing especially popular, not only under its own JJ’s Bakery brand but also under a number of powerhouse brands and retailers for whom JTM co-manufactures. So it’s little wonder that, faced with growing demand, new and improved packaging capabilities have been added lately.

The most notable such addition is Line F, with the manufacturing capabilities to produce single-serve snack pies in folding cartons. As senior vice president of operations Joe Amboyer and his team began evaluating systems that would populate Line F, ve things were at the top of the list: safety, consistently high quality, speed, versatility, and ease of changeover. All ve are fully displayed in the secondary packaging equipment selected: a tri-functional robotic packaging cell from Sacmi. The top-loading system produces four distinctly different corrugated tray formats from single-wall corrugated blanks made of 32 ECT C- ute corrugated:

• 8-ct open tray

• 12-ct open tray

• 12-ct tray incorporating what JTM calls a “comb-over” lid

• 48-ct tray with a separate corrugated lid that is glue-applied over the top

Running at what JTM calls “high speeds,” the Sacmi system is referred to as “tri-functional” because it 1) erects corrugated trays from blanks in one station, 2) loads cartons into trays in a second station, and 3) closes the trays in a third station for two of the formats. When asked

Shown here (above) is the robot’s end-of-arm tooling that closes and compresses a corrugated lid onto the 48-ct corrugated tray of cartoned pies. On the left is the same robot tted with different tooling that executes the folding and closing for the comb-over format.

why so many secondary packaging formats are necessary, Amboyer says it has a lot to do with the number of customers whom JTM is servicing. “There’s different requirements for different brands and stores that are trying to serve consumers and shoppers in the best way they can,” says Amboyer. “We try to accommodate our customers with the solution that best ts their needs. The exibility and quick-changeover capabilities of the Sacmi system make all the difference in the world. The format changeover tools are stored nearby, and we can change over from one format to another in about 30 minutes. Equally important, the machine has a very compact footprint.”

That footprint, according to Sacmi’s Sebastian Clemens, is 4.2 x 3.6 m (13.77 x 11.81 ft). “Considering the variety of formats, the speeds at which the machine runs, and the time required to change over, that’s a very small footprint,” notes Clemens. “And the machine is very user friendly. Much of it is recipe driven, and the parts that are mechanically changed out are typically one piece as opposed to a complicated and time-consuming assembly.”

Both Amboyer and Clemens point out that this is far from the rst Sacmi secondary packaging system in the Erie plant, and some of the earlier machines were also tri-functional. But this newest iteration is the rst capable of doing the “comb-over format.” It also has the latest in robotics and controls technology. “The two-axis robots, for example, are frame-mounted overhead as opposed to being oor-mounted,” says Clemens. “This means less reach, less motion, less space consumed, and less energy required.” As for the controls and servo motors involved,

Upstream of secondary packaging, the single-serve pies are loaded into cartons on this system.

they’re the latest and greatest from Rockwell, including the ControlLogix PLC that is the main brains behind the machine.

Operating now since June of 2021, Line F was installed and commissioned in the thick of COVID-19 conditions. “Yes, that made it extra challenging,” notes Amboyer. “But with good planning and the help of some very good service support technicians, we were able to get it done.”

Cartoning and conveying

Other key pieces of packaging equipment on the new line include a high-speed side-load cartoning machine from Bartelt, a ProMach product brand, plus a signi cant amount of conveying and accumulation capabilities from Garvey Conveyors. But it all begins with the spiral cooling conveyor supplied by I.J. White, which discharges freshly fried and cooled pies onto a Garvey tabletop chain conveyor. The Garvey system builds in a lot of exibility at the discharge from the spiral cooler. This is important because JTM also produces 2-oz pies that come out of the same I.J. White spiral cooler but need to be diverted not to the Bartelt cartoner but rather to a separate line where ow wrapping is done. Notes Amboyer, “Garvey came up with a really good solution in terms of a product delivery system.”

Getting back to the 4-oz pies, they move in a single le down the Garvey tabletop chain conveyor on their way to the Bartelt cartoner. But should the cartoner go down for any reason, sensors detect this and a signal is sent to a gate upstream that automatically diverts the pies into a Garvey In nity Series 3-D Accumulation Table. This high-capacity loop provides plenty of time for the pies to circulate with no back pressure or damage until the cartoner is again ready to receive pies, at which time the pies are again gated into the single-lane conveyor leading to the

Cobot Comes in Handy

In addition to the tri-functional robotic cell from Sacmi, a second bit of robotic packaging added recently to JTM’s Erie plant is a cobot from Universal Robots. It’s used to palletize the 48-ct corrugated tray with separate lid. JTM worked with Memco Solutions to integrate this palletizing system near the discharge of the Sacmi robotic cell. PW

cartoner. Having this accumulation time available means the upstream fryer and spiral cooling systems can keep running smoothly without interruptions.

As the single- led pies reach the Bartelt CMC cartoner, its smartbelt infeed system uses SICK sensors to read the spacing between pies and send that data to the machine’s Rockwell controller. The controller then tells the servo motors driving the three infeed belts to modify their speed so that optimal spacing between pies is achieved. If for any reason pies are not appropriately spaced, another SICK sensor detects that and, with an assist from the controller, those pies are blown off. Once properly spaced, the pies are delivered onto chain-mounted carrier trays that constantly recirculate. Each tray is mechanically turned 90 deg so that pies proceed forward wide edge leading. In this orientation, each pie is smoothly pushed by a servo-driven barrel cam product inserter into a carton that has been picked from a magazine by a rotary feeder and erected. Horizontal servo-driven rotary tuckers close minor aps, and major aps are closed by a xed rail. Adhesive is applied by a system supplied by Nordson.

All four of these corrugated formats are handled on the trifunctional robotic cell: 8-ct open tray (A), 12-ct open tray (B), 12-ct comb-over (C), and 48-ct tray with lid (D).

Due to the machine’s open-frame clean design, product is clearly visible, and this design also simpli es sanitation. Plus the cartoner is ergonomically designed to provide ease of operation and production oor safety. As for the cartons themselves, they’re 12-pt SBS with poly coating printed offset in multiple colors.

Mounted a short distance downstream from the cartoner is a Videojet laser coder that puts either the best-by or Julien date on each carton. Next is a Mettler-Toledo combination checkweigher/metal detector, after which the cartoned pies move toward secondary packaging.

On to tray packing

This is where the Sacmi system comes into play. With each of the four corrugated tray formats the sequence of actions is slightly different, but for the 8-ct open tray it goes like this. The machine has an integrated magazine-fed corrugated tray former. Extraction of at blanks from the magazine is driven by servo motors, which deliver precise control over acceleration and deceleration. A two-axis robotic arm uses vacuum cups to pick a corrugated tray blank and put it in a female tool so that a male forming tool from the top can punch it into the female tool. A Nordson hot melt unit applies adhesive. A shuttle conveyor system carries the formed trays from the forming to the loading station. The shuttles are equipped with vacuum holders to guarantee the correct reference position of the corrugated trays.

Four corrugated trays are loaded at a time and each tray holds two layers of four cartons. Just upstream from the loading station, cartons

are single- led into a pocket collator running at a right angle to the single- le infeed conveyor. Carton infeed includes an optical check by SICK sensors to measure length and gap between products, thus optimizing the speed of the timing belt carrying cartons into the collator.

Using vacuum pickup, a robot picks product from the pocket collator 16 cartons at a time and carries them into the loading station, where

59

PROCESSING AND PACKAGING SOLUTIONS

Helping you bring your best products to market.

Delivering Results.

With Heat and Control, you have a partner with the scale to support your success, the innovation to advance your operations, and a commitment to quality that will help you offer better products for consumers.

• Food processing systems

• On-machine and process area seasoning application

• Conveying and product handling

• Multihead/combination scale [IMKLMRKERHƼPPMRK

33 32 99 36 26

• Snack bagmaking and case packing

• Metal detection and x-ray

42 0842

• Check weighing and seal checking

• Controls and information systems

107 12

41

We are successful when you are successful. That’s why we apply creativity, engineering excellence, and determined perseverance to every project to help our customers get the performance their business demands—whether

QIEWYVIHF]ƽEZSVIƾGMIRGMIWWYWXEMREFMPMX] improvement, or innovation.

51 61 103 104 86 20

Sep. 11-13, 2023

Booth C-1623, Central Hall Las Vegas Convention Center Las Vegas, NV USA

info@heatandcontrol.com | heatandcontrol.com

~2~ ~2 27 56 26 16 52 14 28

The product delivery system that takes pies from the spiral cooler to packaging ensures minimal product damage.

four corrugated trays freshly formed from at blanks await. Here four cartons are loaded into each corrugated tray. After repeating the same cycle a second time, each tray has eight cartons so all four trays are indexed forward and out of the machine. Just before exiting they pass two Videojet inkjet units on opposite sides that imprint lot and date code information. Then it’s on to manual palletizing.

Production of the 12-ct open tray is similar in that the lled trays simply pass through the third robot on the tri-functional system. This third robot swings into action, however, for both the 12-ct comb-over and the 48-ct tray-plus-lid format. On the comb-over format, where the lid is attached to the corrugated tray, tray forming and loading stations are essentially the same as we saw for the open-top trays. But when the loaded comb-over tray reaches the third robotic station, a Nordson unit applies hot melt to the three aps and the end effector tooling simply presses the aps closed and applies the compression needed to nish the task.

Before moving on to the nal corrugated tray format, a word on the term “comb-over,” which, by the way, you will not nd in the Wiley Encyclopedia of Packaging Technology. It comes from the description of a hairstyle worn by balding men in which the hair is grown long and combed over the bald area to minimize the appearance of baldness. Says Amboyer, “The machine literally does a comb-over with that top ap.”

Now for the 48-ct tray that receives a separate corrugated lid. Two trays are loaded at a time by the same robotic system used for the other formats but with end-of-arm tooling unique to the 48-ct format. Each

tray gets four layers of 12 cartons each. When a lled carton reaches the third robotic station, it encounters not the end-of-arm tooling used for the comb-over format but rather the tooling designed for the separate lid. Also executed by this tooling is the extraction from a magazine feed of a at corrugated blank that becomes the lid. It’s picked from an integrated magazine feed, a process that is once again driven by servo motors. As the tooling carries the blank toward a lled tray, it passes over Nordson glue nozzles that apply adhesive to all four aps. The tooling then descends onto the lled tray and all four aps are pressed against the tray for a long enough time to rmly bond corrugated lid to corrugated tray. Finished units exit the lid application station and proceed to a station where they are manually palletized.

Worth noting is that right about the time when Line F was getting into commercial production in the 80,000 sq-ft Erie plant, JTM Foods was nalizing expansion plans for a brand new 190,000 sq-ft facility in Wichita, Kan. When it comes time to populate the new plant with packaging systems, many of the packaging machinery suppliers mentioned above will be called on once again. PW

CARTONERS CASE PACKERS

PALLETIZERS

Veuve Clicquot Switches to Virgin Tree-Free Paper

Luxury champagne producer engineers a gift box made from hemp and recycled wood fiber that reduces its eco-footprint while supporting NGO Canopy Planet’s initiative to protect ancient and endangered forests.

By Anne Marie Mohan, Senior Editor

For many brands today, transitioning from plastic to paper packaging has helped them move closer to achieving corporate sustainability goals that center on decreasing their use of plastic and reducing the carbon footprint of their packaging. But what if your packaging is already made from paper? How can you make this renewable and recyclable material even more eco-friendly? For France-based luxury champagne brand Veuve Clicquot, the answer lay in switching to a virgin forest-free gift box, with half of the materials sourced from the local Champagne region.

Veuve Clicquot is no stranger to packaging innovation. In 2011, the brand introduced a gift box made of potato starch, and in 2014, it launched one made from its own post-harvest grape waste (see

pwgo.to/7966). Says Carole Bildé, chief marketing and communications of cer of Maison Veuve Clicquot, innovation is embedded in the brand’s DNA and has become an even more important part of its packaging strategy in recent years.

“In 2019, we launched our EcoYellow internal program, leveraging our leadership in innovative packaging to identify and scale-up nextgeneration solutions,” Bildé says.

Following two years of R&D, in summer 2022, Veuve Clicquot replaced its existing 100% virgin ber paper and paperboard gift box with one made from 50% recycled paper and 50% hemp—a virgin tree-free solution that is also 12% lighter than the previous packaging.

6ROYLQJWKH1DWLRQZLGH/DERU6KRUWDJHZLWK5RERWLFV :RUNIRUFH$XWRPDWLRQ

3DFNDJLQJ5RERWLFV/LYH /RFDOLVDQHZUHJLRQDOHYHQWVHULHVODXQFKLQJWKLVIDOOWRKHOS PDQXIDFWXUHUVRIFRQVXPHUSDFNDJHGJRRGVVROYHWKHLUODERUVKRUWDJHSUREOHP3UHVHQWHGE\

3DFNDJLQJ:RUOGWKHFLW\UHJLRQDOHYHQWVHULHVZLOOIHDWXUHLQGXVWU\H[SHUWVVKDULQJEHVWSUDFWLFHV DQGUHDOZRUOGVXFFHVVVWRULHVRIKRZURERWLFDXWRPDWLRQWHFKQRORJLHVFDQTXLFNO\LQFUHDVH RSHUDWLRQDOHIILFLHQF\DQGUHGXFH\RXUFRVWV

:HLQYLWH\RXWRMRLQXVDWDFLW\QHDU\RXWRJHWDIURQWURZVHDWWRWKHODWHVWURERWLFWHFKQRORJLHV VKRZFDVHGE\WRSVXSSOLHUVZKRVSHFLDOL]HLQDXWRPDWHGVROXWLRQVIRUSDFNDJLQJRSHUDWLRQV

)DOO6FKHGXOH

6HSWHPEHU -:0DUULRWW$QDKHLP

2FWREHU 7KH5LW]&DUOWRQ3KLODGHOSKLD 3KLODGHOSKLD3$

2FWREHU /RHZV&KLFDJR2łKDUH

1RYHPEHU -:0DUULRWW+RXVWRQ'RZQWRZQ +RXVWRQ7;

Canopy Pack4Good Partners Set Ambitious Goals

For more than 20 years, NGO Canopy Planet has worked collaboratively with more than 900 brand partners and innovators, primarily in the fashion, printing, and packaging industries, to transform unsustainable supply chains, catalyze innovation, and keep vital forests standing all over the world. According to the organization, “scientists have urged greater conservation and restoration of forests as vital components in addressing the climate and biodiversity crisis.”

In 2019, Canopy launched its Pack4Good initiative to transform the paper packaging industry to reduce and eliminate its impact on the world’s high-carbon, high-biodiversity forests. The program has grown significantly since 2019, now boasting 389 members. These Pack4Good partners have committed to ensuring that all of their packaging is free of ancient and endangered forests, designed to reduce material use, maximizes recycled and alternative Next Gen fibers, and uses FSC (Forest Stewardship Council)-certified wood when virgin forest fiber continues to be used.

According to Canopy Campaigns Director Tamara Stark, the

NGO works collaboratively with each of its brand partners to switch to preferred supplies and overcome hurdles to ensure they can meet the ambitious targets they set. Among the tools and resources Canopy provides its partners are the following:

• A matrix to assess where their current fiber supply is coming from

• Letter templates that can be adapted and shared with their suppliers to help them understand Pack4Good

• A supplier questionnaire that makes it easy for the brand’s suppliers to review their own supply chain and fiber content

• Access to the EcoPaper Database, said by the NGO to be the world’s largest database of lower-impact paper products

New FS2 MKII shrink labeler: Small footprint, Big performance

Image courtesy of Canopy Planet

that contain high volumes of recycled content or Next Gen materials

• Briefing documents, such as an assessment of various certification systems, to help guide purchasing decisions

• LCAs and other existing tools that help guide brands in their fiber choices

A solution for saving forests

Watch this video to learn more about Pack4Good: pwgo.to/7968

The new Veuve Clicquot EcoYellow champagne gift box is said by the company to not only be a step forward in the brand’s work to spur packaging innovation, but is also the latest advance in parent company LVMH Moët Hennessey Louis Vuitton SE’s work with Canopy Planet. Vancouver, B.C.-based Canopy is a non-pro t organization that partners with global brands and innovators to address the massive and growing forest footprint of paper packaging (see sidebar).

• Invitations to webinars and workshops on topics such as how to use Canopy tools, conservation initiatives that brands can support and success stories that brands have contributed to, and new developments in innovative technologies and products that are relevant to their supply chains, among others

• Opportunities to work collaboratively in a pre-competitive space to scale-up innovative Next Generation solutions

With the help of supporters and conservation allies along with initiatives that include Pack4Good, Canopy reports that it has played pivotal roles in securing large-scale conservation gains in 39 million acres of ancient and endangered Forests in Indonesia, Canada’s Boreal Forest, and North America’s Temperate Rainforests. PW

According to Canopy, 3 billion trees, many of which are from the world’s oldest, most carbon- and biodiversity-rich forests, are cut down every year to meet the global demand for paper packaging. “If those three billion trees were stacked end to end in a line, they would wrap around the Earth roughly 891 times,” says the NGO. “Forests that once made up vibrant and rich ecosystems, brimming with life, become mountains of takeout containers and shipping boxes.”

In 2019, Canopy invited industry leaders to “think outside the box,” launching the Pack4Good initiative. The solutions-driven program was developed to help the world’s largest fashion, food and beverage, and beauty and personal care brands eliminate ancient and endangered forests from their packaging supply chains on the way to building a stable supply of low-carbon and circular alternatives. Pack4Good now has 389 members representing more than $199 billion in annual revenue.

Upon joining Pack4Good, LVMH issued a policy statement reading, “LVMH and its Maisons will support and encourage the development of ber sources that reduce environmental and social impacts, with

You make it. We pack it. BPA loads your packaged and naked products into cases and various secondary containers including your hffs machines, wrapper chain in-feeds and indexing thermoform machines.

a focus on recycled and Next Generation bers, including agricultural residues for both paper, paper packaging, and fabrics. With solutions already available, we will preference products made from recycled textiles, agricultural residues, and microbial cellulose.”

As Canopy de nes them, “Next Gen” solutions are low-impact, lowcarbon alternatives to forest-based paper packaging that often use waste materials that would have been land lled or burned. The NGO notes that robust LCAs (Life Cycle Analyses) that include independent third-party reviews and biogenic carbon accounting nd that, relative to virgin tree bers, Next Gen bers create 95% to 130% less GHG emissions, 88% to 100% less land-use impacts, and a ve-times lower impact on biodiversity.

EcoYellow box: in-house design, local supply

The development of the EcoYellow gift box was done in-house by Veuve Clicquot with help from its packaging partners, many of which were local. “The gift box was a collective effort,” says Bildé. “Our internal product development team was greatly involved in all R&D phases. However, we decided to aim for an optimization of our supply chain by keeping the stakeholders as local as possible. For example, our key hemp supplier, La Chanvrière, is situated 120 kilometers [approximately 75 miles] away from our Reims production site.”

Hemp was chosen for the project due to its signi cant environmental bene ts. Shared Iris Bret, global marketing manager of Packaging Development for Veuve Clicquot, in a video interview with Canopy, “For

us, it was really important to have a circular approach aligned with our commitment of being circular, so recycled content was key for that, and hemp actually has even more positive environmental bene ts because rst of all, it’s being sourced close to the Champagne area … so that reduces CO2 emissions. The second one is that it is a CO2 xer. Hemp absorbs four times more CO2 than a hectare of forests. It’s really, for us, the plant of the future in that space.

“On top of that, it also has a lot of additional properties. It regenerates soil, thanks to its very rigid structure, but it’s also a biodiversity reservoir, and it grows very, very fast. It’s a resource that is being renewed very easily and constantly, and that does not need any water except from the rain, or any pesticides. It does not have any negative impact on the Earth.”

Despite these positives, using hemp for gift box packaging “was not an easy innovation to get right,” says Bildé. One of the challenges the Veuve Clicquot team faced when working with hemp was achieving the Clicquot sunburst-yellow tint on the material. Hemp also makes the paper more sensitive to temperature and humidity variations, and the sheets tend to vary in size. This also makes varnishing and embossing more challenging.

“The fact that we had never worked with such a material meant there was no precedent benchmark, giving us a true ‘learning by doing,’” says Bildé. “Our gift box innovation is the result of a long journey of R&D and trials that strived to stay true to our motto of providing the nest quality and execution across all our products.”

UP TO REDUCED WEIGHT VS. CONVENTIONAL ALTERNATIVES

35%

MetsäBoard Pro FBB Bright is up to 35% lighter than conventional paperboards, while retaining the same quality and rigidity. metsagroup.com/metsaboard

•Robotic Palletizers

•Integrated Bagging Lines

•Collaborative Robots

Let’s talk about your project today!

WE BELIEVE IN THE TRANSFORMATIVE POWER OF AUTOMATION

As noted, La Chanvrière, a cooperative located in Saint Lye, France, supplies the hemp. Other suppliers include Italian company Favini, which converts the hemp to paper, Germany-based Gmund, which supplies hemp paper for Veuve Clicquot’s prestige cuvées, and DS Smith, which converts the hemp paper and recycled ber into the champagne gift boxes from its plant in Angoulême, France.

Taking the sustainability approach that less is more, Veuve Clicquot no longer is printing the inside of the gift box, reducing the amount of ink used by half and has eliminated hot stamping on the outside. This reduces the CO2 emissions of the box and ensures its recyclability.

As for Canopy’s involvement in the project, Tamara Stark, campaigns director for Canopy Planet, says the NGO provided recommendations on materials, is helping Veuve Clicquot to quantify the environmental bene t of their next-generation ber choices, and suggested messaging to support the team in communicating about their innovation.

On the back of the gift box, Veuve Clicquot has printed information on the composition of the packaging—50% hemp, 50% recycled paper—and its recyclability. The brand is also in the process of conducting a study to determine its compostability.

Sustainability bene ts adds up

The use of New Gen materials for the gift box has resulted in a number of sustainability bene ts beyond the preservation of ancient and endangered forests. The EcoYellow box is 12% lighter than the previous paperboard packaging, resulting in 60 g fewer CO2 emissions per box.

Greenhouse gas emissions resulting from transportation of the hemp and nished packaging are also lowered, given the local sourcing of the material. The box is also 100% recyclable.

The environmental bene ts of the EcoYellow box contribute to several of the brand’s sustainability goals. One is to use 100% circular or Next Gen materials across all its offerings by the end of 2025; another is to cut its CO2 emissions by 50% by 2030; and another to reduce its packaging by 40% by 2023 versus 2019.

Says Bildé, while Veuve Clicquot is pushing the distribution of bottles without secondary packaging to accomplish the last of the three goals listed, two out of three champagne purchases are made for gifting. To ensure the gift packaging is as sustainable as possible, from 2023 onward, all of its institutional gift boxes will be produced from hemp and recycled paper.

The EcoYellow gift box was launched in August 2022 and was featured in November at the Luxe Pack Monoco conference along with Canopy. PW

Discover Countless Solutions for Packaged Foods

Whether it’s groundbreaking end-of-line automation, flexible front-of-the-line processing equipment, innovative materials or sustainable supply chain solutions, you’ll encounter the latest advances in food packaging and processing up close at PACK EXPO Las Vegas. Get ideas from other industries and discover surprising solutions for your food products.

2,000 exhibitors

vertical markets

free show floor sessions

Endless networking opportunities Featuring Newly Expanded

Absolut Debuts First-ever Commercial Single-mold Paper Bottles at Tesco

Absolut Vodka says it’s the first global spirits brand to sell single-mold paper-based bottles commercially in the UK, part of its journey to create a fully bio-based bottle.

By Matt Reynolds, Chief Editor

Absolut Vodka is launching a three-month pilot of a single-mold paper bottle in British supermarket chain Tesco. According to the brand, this is the rst time these single-mold paper-based bottles will be sold commercially in-store by a global spirits com pany. The pilot follows Absolut’s previous limited-release paper bottle tests with lower alcohol-by-volume, ready-to-drink cocktails at festivals in the UK and Sweden.

“This is a step closer towards our vision of a fully bio-based bottle. We are exploring packaging that has a completely different value proposition. Paper is tactile; it’s beautiful; it’s authentic; it’s light. That was our starting point. But this is not just an idea on paper,” says Elin Furelid, director of Future Packaging at Absolut. “We want consumers and partners to join our journey towards a more sustainable future. Together we can develop packaging solutions that people want and the world needs. That’s why bold partnerships with like-minded organisations to test the waters are going to be evermore crucial on our net zero journey.”

The paper bottle initiative is part of a wider collaboration with Paboco (the Paper Bottle Company) and its community of global brands, The Coca-Cola Company, Carlsberg, P&G, and L’Oréal, to work collectively to help the drinks and packaging industries push the boundaries of sustainable packaging. Asbsolut says this represents a signi cant milestone on its journey to create a 100% bio-based bottle and reduce its CO2 emissions.

Single-mold paper bottle design

There are several paper bottle formats on the market that feature two mechanically interlocked shell halves designed to surround an internal liner lled with liquid product. Distillery 98 tequila, for instance, uses the Frugal Bottle concept from Frugalpac in the UK (more on page 8). And several years ago, Seed Phytonutrients was among brands pilot-

The rst-generation bottle uses a polyethylene naphthalate (PEN) liner barrier, which is a monomaterial with strong barrier properties that can be recycled along with closely related polyethylene terephthalate (PET) in small proportions.

ing the eco.bottle format by Ecologic Brands for shampoos and conditioners in the states. Advantages of this design include being able to nest the two halves during transportation, saving space and avoiding “shipping air” prior to joining the two halves upon packaging. But from early iterations to this rst-generation commercial launch, the Pabaco and Absolut project has instead relied upon a single-mold design.

“It has always single one-piece molding, that’s why our product is so strong, durable, and works for liquids,” says Tim Silbermann, CTO, Paboco. “There is no seam that could burst open, for example.”

“Using a single-mold technology gives us the best properties for our paper bottle. We need to protect the goods within, and this is achieved by manufacturing the bottle as a single item—no glue, no hinges, no aps to hold multiple pieces together,” adds Eric Näf, director, Packaging Development at The Absolut Company. “Additionally, the process is more ef cient this way. We don’t need any additional steps down the line to assemble two shells and, by forming the bottle in one piece, we can be more energy and process ef cient.”

The pulp used in these bottles is fully Forest Stewardship Council (FSC)-certi ed material. No recycled material has been used for these bottles to avoid running into food safety and material traceability concerns.

“Using fresh virgin bers gives us the best performance across important factors, like strength, and is the baseline for our vision of a fully bio-based bottle,” Silbermann says. “Only if the paper itself brings the

Complete Automation Solutions

build your best conveyor business

necessary properties with it, can we develop new generations of the paper bottle and barriers.”

These rst-generation single-mold bottles are made from 57% paper with an integrated barrier of recyclable plastic, more on that below.

Liner barrier material advances earn ‘ rst-generation’ moniker

The ‘ rst-generation’ moniker being applied to this launch “is referring to the amount of barrier material and how that material is applied,” Silbermann says. “Here, we use a thin preform that is blown into the bottle to form the barrier layer, which also brings a controlled neck nish with it.”

To nish the bottle, the plastic barrier is blown inside the paper shell and is separate from the molded material. It’s noteworthy that the barrier liner is more rigid than exible—it’s especially rigid in the neck area, where such rigidity is required to close and seal the bottle properly.

“The nish, including threads, is part of the inner barrier in this rst-generation bottle,” Näf says.

DISTRIBUTORS

Read more about Absolut parent company Pernod Ricard’s wider sustainability efforts, including earlier stages of this paper bottle project, at pwgo.to/7973. Also, you can learn about Absolut’s testing of Blue Ocean Closures’ paperbased caps at pwgo.to/7974.

Despite its rigidity, the inside liner is thin and offers no structural support. Instead, all the structural support comes from the paper material.

“The paper is the foundation and will remain as we work towards our vision of a fully bio-based bottle,” Silbermann says. “But by applying the plastic barrier in a second step into the bottle, we can separate strength properties carried by the paper bottle, from the liner’s barrier properties. Since we are only using mechanical interlocking in this rst generation for the barrier application, the materials can be easily separated. However, it is not like a loose bladder, but a fully shaped barrier, to avoid being space inef cient.”

The rst-generation bottle uses a polyethylene naphthalate (PEN) barrier, which is a monomaterial with strong barrier properties that can be recycled along with closely related polyethylene terephthalate (PET) in small proportions. The PEN material was chosen for its properties and resistance/ability to perform with Absolut Vodka Original. Post-consumer recycled (PCR) material could be chosen for the general application, but was not possible to be used for high alcohol-byvolume (ABV) vodka. Lower ABV ready-to-drink (RTD) option Mixt brand Absolut drink was used in the earlier, festival-based tests of the format.

•Product Flexibility: Quickly introduce new products into inventory

•Process Flexibility: Modular conveyor systems with standard designs

•Cost Flexibility: <3;'93£<ধ329>-;,36ধ329(38'='8@683/'$;blueprint

“The advancement of this version of the paper bottle is for Absolut Vodka, which is 40% ABV and the challenges in holding higher alcohol rather than Mixt which was 5%,” says Näf. “The 40% ABV is challenging for many materials and therefore thorough testing is required. The barrier in the rst generation of the paper bottle is suitable for Absolut Original Vodka. The next generation bottle will undergo the same testing and approval processes before being released. The next version of the paper bottle will not be able to keep carbonated products, which made Absolut Original Vodka a logical choice for this test.”

Decoration and capping

Decoration entails applying digitally printed labels to lled, capped bottles. Consumers are not required to remove the labels before recycling, as they’re also printed on recyclable material.

“The technology does not yet support scalable printing of paper bottles. But the application of a label is not a problem at all since it’s done on lled bottles,” Näf says.

Also, previous iterations of Absolut’s paper bottle have experimented with a paper-based cap from Blue Ocean Closures. But since the Blue Ocean Fibre Cap is still in development and is not yet a commercially available option, the rst-generation paper bottles use a standard Absolut bottle cap, made from an inner plastic liner and an aluminum outer shell.

Fitting into the big picture

While standard glass bottles are also recyclable, paper bottles are eight times lighter, and according to the brand, easier to carry. Still, the end goal is for them to complement Absolut’s iconic glass bottle, not replace it. Absolut believes consumers will use the paper bottles in out-of-home occasions, such as festivals, parks, or beaches. This trial in particular aims to gain

Conveyors

insights from consumers, retailers, and supply chain partners to inform the next steps on Absolut’s innovation journey towards a commercially viable, fully bio-based bottle. Absolut will test how the paper-based bottle transports and how consumers perceive it.

Absolut also says this represents an important milestone in becoming a carbon neutral product by 2030, a prerequisite for being able to meet this goal is in reducing the carbon footprint of its packaging. Absolut Vodka says it’s on track to be a carbonneutral product by 2030, with its distillery emitting 98% fewer emissions than the average distillery, according to Beverage Industries Environmental Roundtable (BIER) benchmarking study based on data from 2020. In November last year, it announced this initiative with Ardagh Glass Packaging to start using a partly hydrogen energy- red glass furnace for large-scale bottle production.

“Absolut Vodka has a rich heritage of collaborations and partnerships, and the brand is working towards developing packaging solutions that consumers want and our planet needs,” concludes Charl Bassil, global VP, Absolut. “Absolut remains committed to a sustainable future in which it continues to mix things up, with recyclable lighter paperbased bottles to complement Absolut’s iconic glass bottles. This groundbreaking test takes Absolut a step closer to that becoming a reality.”

Predecessors of the rst generation of commercially available paper bottles, tested at festivals in the UK and Sweden, contained lower alcohol-by-volume (ABV) Absolut Mixt ready-to-drink cocktails. A more challenging liquid, fully 40% ABV vodka, is contained in the new commercially available release.

So if this is the rst generation of paper bottle, what will the next generation look like? The ambition of achieving a fully biobased bottle has Paboco and Absolut looking at different materials and how they are sourced. Bio-based plastics is one of the streams they are investigating.

“Most important is always the functionality of the packaging, to safely carry the lling good during its lifecycle. We closely monitor all activities in the market on barrier development, and are even leading some of them with our partners, to always improve and better our solution. The next generation enables us to drastically reduce barrier content with a switch to a paper-formed neck, for example,” says Silbermann.

Adds Näf: “Beside striving for bio-based materials, our ambition is to utilize materials that can be recycled in existing waste streams.”

The 500mL single-mold paper bottles will be sold in 22 Tesco stores (RRP £16, or $18) across greater Manchester throughout the summer. PW

Can Refill Reloads in 10 Seconds

Cleaning products brand Puracy evolves its refill packaging to an aluminum-can format that eliminates the time, mess, and hassle of existing refill products.

By Anne Marie Mohan, Senior Editor

One quote often applied when developing sustainable packaging is that “perfection is the enemy of good.” In other words, it’s better to make incremental changes to your packaging that advance its sustainability than wait until every challenge can be addressed. This is the approach plant-based cleaning and personal care products company Puracy has taken with its packaging.

Since the launch of its rst household cleaning products a decade ago, the Austin, Texas-based company has evolved from single-use plastic packaging, to a re ll in a bottle, then to a pouch, and nally to its current, most convenient, consumer-friendly package yet: the Clean Can re llable, reusable packaging system. Components of the Clean Can System include a reusable PETG base with screw-on top and pump or trigger spray and a standard aluminum beverage can that holds the re ll and quickly and easily snaps into the reusable bottle.

According to Puracy co-founder and CEO Sean Busch, the Clean Can ticks all the sustainability boxes. It swaps out single-use packaging with a reusable solution; it uses a plastic-free, recyclable re ll; it is aesthetically pleasing; and it allows consumers to “Crack, Snap, and Clean” in as little as 10 seconds, eliminating the hassle and mess of existing re ll systems, which in turn, lowers the barrier to entry for consumers.

A safer, more ef cacious cleaning option

Puracy was founded in 2013 by Busch and best friend Paul Tracy to make effective, plant-based cleaning and personal care products that were gentle enough to use around their newborn daughters. Looking out over the cleaning products category, they observed that those brands that worked well contained caustic chemicals, and those that were safer for people and the environment lacked ef cacy. To bring its products to market, Puracy worked with chemists to create plant-based formulas that were both hardworking and environmentally friendly.

From its initial product line of surface cleaners, laundry detergents, hand soap, and dish soap, Puracy has grown its portfolio to include personal care, baby care, and pet products. According to the company, every Puracy formula is at least 98.5% natural, with many of its products containing an even higher percentage of natural ingredients. Puracy products are sold on its website—either as a one-time purchase or on a subscrip-

tion basis—on Amazon, and since 2018, in 500 Target stores nationwide. According to Busch, one of the factors that differentiates Puracy from other plant-based home-care brands is the fact that it is a digital native brand, with most of its revenue still coming from online sales. This has allowed the company to engage in one-on-one communications with its customers. “We have a really close relationship with our customer base and have really followed the evolution of what their tastes look like over the years, and what makes them tick,” says Busch. “And that’s how we got to the Clean Can.”

Aha! moment changes re ll strategy

Puracy’s rst foray into re llable/reusable packaging came early in its history. In 2014, it introduced a hand-soap re ll, packaged in a plastic bottle. Says Busch, “The response was almost instantaneous of, ‘Hey, this is great, but it’s just more plastic.’”

More successful was the next iteration, a handsoap re ll in a exible pouch launched in 2015. “It was a huge hit,” says Busch. “Within a year, it took over sales in terms of hand soap, with more people purchasing the re ll than the bottles. We realized we were really onto something, so we started to offer the exible re ll pouch for other products.”

But in 2018, consumer adoption of re lls capped out at around 60% to 65%, despite the fact that they were, on average, 20% cheaper on a per-ounce basis and reduced waste by 90% versus the product in the bottle. “We really tried to incentivize people with their wallets, but we found they just weren’t adopting,” says Busch. The reason, Puracy learned, was the time-consuming and messy process for consumers of having to re ll their empty bottle with pouched product—sometimes in the midst of cleaning. “There’s this huge friction point that it creates in everybody’s life, and these young, fast-paced, busy families, they just don’t have that time,” says Busch.

In 2019, Puracy began work with product and brand design rm Prime Studio on a re ll system featuring a reusable glass bottle and concentrate, but COVID interrupted their plans. In the interim, Busch had an Aha! moment when using a YETI can cooler. “I was grabbing a cold sparkling water, and I dropped it into a YETI cooler, where you basically unscrew the top and pop the can in and screw the top back on, and I said wow, perhaps we’ve been thinking about this in the wrong way,” he says. “We tried to gure out concentrates and tablets and things

like that, but there was all this resistance to that extra step. So I thought, ‘What if we can get these products to people in cans?’”

Reengaging with Prime Studios in 2021, Puracy presented the concept of the canned re ll. Design goals included creating a system that could be used for a range of product types, a re ll package that was recyclable, and a solution that would eliminate the need to pour, measure, or mix, for a mess-free and hassle-free experience. Product development rm EVO also helped engineer the resulting Clean Can System, which met Puracy’s design goals, while also being aesthetically pleasing and durable.

The base of the package, which has been designed to last up to 10 years, is a clear, shatter-proof PETG that provides scuff-resistance and durability. Because the bottle base is clear, consumers can easily differentiate the products inside through the labels on the cans. The top, made from high-density polyethylene, is dome-shaped with ridges that make it easy to grip. The only branding on the bottle is the Puracy logo, unobtrusively embossed on the lid.

The cans are supplied by Ball and offer the opportunity for Puracy to create special-edition labels, such as a holiday hand soap. The trigger spray is a Silgan Mixor, a component Busch says he always wanted to use on Puracy’s products due to its high performance, but couldn’t justify the cost of until this project.

To prepare the re ll, the consumer removes the “Do not drink” warning sticker from the lid of the 14.4-oz aluminum re ll can, cracks the can tab to open the container, snaps the dome-shaped lid of the reusable package onto the top of the can, screws the trigger spray or

pump dispenser onto the top of the lid with the dip tube inserted into the product, places the can into the clear PETG base of the re ll system, and screws the cap onto the base.

One of the biggest engineering challenges of the project was the internal geometry of the lid. Prime Studios designed the component to include a number of tabs on the inside that snap around the outside of the can lid when the top is screwed on, ensuring no product leaks from the can during use. “The underside is really the bread and butter of the product,” says Busch. “That actually took a lot of work in terms of how many tabs, how wide are they, how thick are they, what is the resin, the seals underneath, to make sure that when the top is tightened down, you can drop the package or shake it, and there will be no leakage.”

Busch’s goal is to convert all of the company’s packaging to the Clean Can System. The rst product to be launched in the packaging was its Everyday Surface cleaner in April 2023, followed by its stain remover, dish soap, and laundry detergent. With the rst launch, Busch says the company is betting big on the Clean Can. “We’re removing all of our plastic bottle surface cleaners from the market for this launch in perpetuity, because we’re betting on this,” he says. “Surface cleaner is actually the rst product we ever sold, and it’s been one of our most popular products since day one. And now, we are effectively forcing people to adapt to the new system.”

Puracy Everyday Surface Cleaner in the Clean Can System is available as a Starter Set, with the bottle and one re ll, for $9.99; a one-can re ll is $3.99. PW

By Anne Marie Mohan, Senior Editor

Lagunitas’ New Pack Design Showcases Playful Terrier Mascot

The Lagunitas Brewing Company has a history of creating hop-forward and innovative craft brews, with a quirky, inclusive style. As the company’s brewmaster says, “Lagunitas is made up of all kinds and creeds; punk rockers, mis ts, ivy leaguers, weirdos, Waldos, Sparkle Ponies, musicians, and everything in between … Just a pack of stray dogs that found—despite our vast and wild differences—that the love and respect for the freedom to be different is what brought us together and made it all work.”

Unfortunately, until recently, Lagunitas’ packaging artwork was variable as its followers. Originally designed 30 years ago by the brewery’s founder in a strip-mall Kinko’s, the packaging had evolved through the years without a consistent strategy. In mid-2020, the brewery set out to create a masterbrand system that would allow for

company, “It gives consumers a better opportunity to explore the delicious, flavorful world of Lagunitas brews across different IPA styles, non-alcoholic portfolio, and newly launched Disorderly TeaHouse [spiked and sparkling tea].”

Central to the design is the Lagunitas dog, a spunky American Staffordshire Terrier of Little Rascals fame, that has been a fixture of the brand since its start and helps bring the playfulness that Lagunitas is known for. While it has always been a part of the brewery’s packaging, in the new design, it takes center stage.

Guzman explains the story behind the brewery’s beloved canine mascot: “The dog is very much a physical embodiment of Lagunitas—a trusty companion you can always count on and one you connect with on a whole other level. Dogs are part of the Lagunitas culture. From inside the brewery offices to hanging outside the

a cohesive look and feel across the portfolio. At the same time, from consumer research, it recognized that the existing packaging didn’t reflect Lagunitas’ personality or tell them much about the brews inside.

“Our packaging is arguably the most important branding and communications tool we have, so we wanted to make changes that reflect who we are and gives shoppers a sense for what they would experience if they picked up a Lagunitas brew,” says Paige Guzman, chief marketing officer for Lagunitas.

The new package design was done in-house and was backed by consumer input every step of the way, comprising focus groups, interviews, and quantitative research. According to Guzman, the final design is reflective of the brewery’s original—and a bit off-kilter— personality. It also works hard to help shoppers find the product, captures attention at shelf, and improves purchase intent. Says the

TapRoom, you’ll always find dogs of all sizes and breeds. Even our brewhouse tanks are named after past pooches. Plus, we support a variety of dog and animal rescue non-profits, including our recent national partnership with Best Friends Animal Society.”

Other aspects of the redesign were driven by distributor insight. For example, it calls out the ABV more clearly on all sides of the package. Due to these adjustments, Guzman explains, Lagunitas’ retail partners can better give the brand more space on shelf to create a billboard effect on its six- and 12- packs for cans and bottles, its nonalcoholic portfolio, and Disorderly TeaHouse.

The redesign spanned 100 pieces of packaging and includes the graphics for its cans, bottles, and cartons. The new design was introduced in 2022, receiving an “overwhelmingly positive” response from existing Lagunitas customers and craft brew enthusiasts. PW

Risk Assessment Workshop

Identify

Certified Trainer Workshop

Learn

SEPTEMBER 11-12, 2023

SEPTEMBER 9-10, 2023

PACK EXPO Las Vegas; Las Vegas, NV

OCTOBER 5-6, 2023

Septimatech; Waterloo, ON, Canada

Fundamentals of Field Service

SEPTEMBER 11-12, 2023

PACK EXPO Las Vegas; Las Vegas, NV

OCTOBER 3-4, 2023

Septimatech; Toronto, Canada

Companies

Sealed Air announced its new corporate brand, SEE

Morrison Container Handling Solutions expanded its Latin American salesforce in response to the growing demand for its automation solutions in the region and appointed Jay Del Rio to Latin American market segment leader to lead the expansion.

Amcor will support early-stage start-ups from Michigan State and its wider network to win up to $250,000 in seed funding via Amcor Lift-Off sessions. Also, alongside MSU’s Burgess Institute for Entrepreneurship and Innovation, MSU student teams will compete for a grant of up to $10,000.

ABB invested $100 million in its New Berlin, Wis., facility that will serve as its U.S. headquarters, manufacturing facility, and distribution center for the Drives and Motion Services businesses.

PureCycle’s Ironton, Ohio, advanced recycling facility reached mechanical completion and is expected to start producing recycled PP pellets over the summer of 2023.

Dow’s RecycleReady Technology is the first compatibilizer to obtain a Recyclability Approval and is fully compatible with the European flexible PE recycling stream.

Global packaging design agency Equator opened a location in Toronto, Canada that will strengthen its global presence and enhance the services it provides to clients worldwide.

ProSys announced an exclusive partnership between ProSys Fill LLC. and Pendergraph Machines The collaboration brings together two companies that share similar markets but offer different filling solutions and complementary products.

BW Flexible Systems opened a new manufacturing facility in Brooklyn Park, Minn.

People

Susan Calabrese was appointed regional sales manager for the Northeastern region for NJM.

Evanesce added Kevin McEuen as global vice president of sales and Peter Davies as global vice president of research and development.

Spee-Dee Packaging Machinery announced that Regional Sales Manager Rick Chrzan retired. In place of Chrzan, the company promoted Danny Harmann to regional sales manager and welcomed Todd Kasik to the role of regional sales manager.

FPA announced the newly elected members of its board of directors: William Jackson, PhD, Amcor Flexibles, Chair of the Board; Kathy Bolhous, Charter Next Generation, Immediate Past Chair of the Board; and Guenther Hering, Henkel Corp., Treasurer.

Luis Torres was appointed director of operations for Triangle Package Machinery Co.

Andy Bolton was appointed president and CEO of Nordic Cold Chain Solutions.

Hai Robotics announced changes to its U.S. leadership. Richie Chen, founder and owner of Hai Robotics, assumed the role of U.S. general manager; Brian Reinhart, formerly the vice president of sales, Solutions & Marketing, assumed the role of chief revenue officer; and Brian Zheng, formerly the U.S. general manager, advanced into the role of vice president of operations.

Quinn Martin was appointed OEM and International Sales & Marketing manager for Septimatech.

ESS Global Business Development Director Walter Langosch retired from ESS Technologies.

Dale Newton was appointed vice president and general manager for Fogg Filler.

Nick Szczechowski was appointed regional sales manager for Brenton.

Asynchronous Motors

Nord’s asynchronous motors are designed for endof-line packaging applications such as palletizing, stabilizing, and handling and are available in power ranges from 0.16 to 75.0 hp.

Nord Drivesystems pwgo.to/7961

Automatic Film Splicing Solution

tna’s auto-splice 3 splices packaging lm automatically, with no downtime or interruption to the packaging process. The rotary-reel swapping feature makes it easier to access and replace the lm roll without having to stop the packaging system.

tna pwgo.to/7778

Bio-Based Thermal Protective Packaging

Storopack’s recyclable RENATURE

Thermo protective packaging, made from plant-based starch, is designed for use in shipping food, pharmaceuticals, and other temperature-controlled consignments.

Storopack pwgo.to/7894

Data Orchestration and Management Solutions

Belden launches Belden PROVIZE Explorer, Belden PROVIZE Planner, and Hirschmann EAGLE40-4F rewall designed to provide enhanced security, better performance, and seamless integration.

Belden Inc. pwgo.to/7960

Sustainable PE Bags

Designed for automatic bagging machines, PAC Machinery Bags and Materials’ Recylene line of Rollbags is made from 100% recycled resin.

PAC Machinery Bags and Materials pwgo.to/7962

Oxygen- and Moisture-Free Packaging System

Mitsubishi Gas Chemical America introduces the RP System, designed to protect critical components from moisture and oxygen damage that can occur during shipping and long-term storage.

Mitsubishi Gas Chemical America pwgo.to/7762

Continue

Visit prosource.org

E-commerce Packaging System

Texwrap’s EPS-2011 Series e-commerce packaging system, designed for highvolume environments, can wrap up to 40 packages/min.

Texwrap pwgo.to/7889

Windowed Paper Packaging

JBM Packaging launches EcoView, a plastic-free, windowed paper package line featuring Fiber lm, a clear biodegradable lm made from wood and cotton-seed bers. JBM Packaging pwgo.to/7892

Print-and-Apply Labeling System

FOX IV Technologies’ C9100 system enables users to eliminate preprinted label inventory, automate manual labeling operations, and enhance their product image. It prints labels up to 4.25 in. wide with a print resolution up to 1200 x 1200 dpi, which suits most labeling applications.

FOX IV Technologies pwgo.to/7885

Dispensing Liners

TekniPlex offers Peel n Pour dispensing liners designed for containers requiring ow control of liquids, powders, and other solid products.

TekniPlex Consumer Products pwgo.to/7895

Sustainable Ink for Plastic Substrates

Videojet launches patent-pending V4264 and V464 continuous inkjet (CIJ) inks for printing codes and other information on plastics as well as metal and glass substrates. They are designed for use in Videojet CIJ printers. Sustainability improvements include non-CMR formulation without MEK, acetone, or methanol and less make-up consumption than comparable MEK-based inks.

Videojet Technologies pwgo.to/7896

Industrial Collaborative Robot

ABB launches the SWIFTI CRB 1300 collaborative robot featuring an expanded load handling capability of up to 11 kg. It can be used in a variety of production and product handling applications—such as palletizing and pick-and-place.

ABB pwgo.to/7886

&RQQHFWDQG&ROODERUDWH

$FURVV(YHU\6HJPHQWRIWKH &LUFXODU6XSSO\&KDLQ

7KHLQDXJXUDO3DFNDJLQJ5HF\FOLQJ6XPPLWZLOOWDNHSODFHWKLVIDOODWWKH*UDQG+\DWW $WODQWDLQ%XFNKHDGIURP1RYHPEHU3UHVHQWHGE\3DFNDJLQJ:RUOGWKLVVXPPLW

ZLOOEHWKHILUVWRILWVNLQGWREULQJWRJHWKHUEUDQGVSDFNDJLQJPDWHULDOVDQGHTXLSPHQW VXSSOLHUVUHSURFHVVRUVDQGPDWHULDOVUHFRYHU\IDFLOLWLHV05)VXQGHURQHURRI

7KHVXPPLWDLPVWRVKHGOLJKWRQDOOWKHOLQNVRIWKHFLUFXODUVXSSO\FKDLQUHYHDOLQJZKDW PDWHULDOVFDQDQGZLOOEHUHF\FOHG

7KH3DFNDJLQJ5HF\FOLQJ6XPPLWSURJUDPKDVEHHQFXUDWHGE\WKHHGLWRUVRI3DFNDJLQJ :RUOGWKHOHDGLQJPHGLDEUDQGVHUYLQJWKHSDFNDJLQJFRPPXQLW\IRUQHDUO\\HDUV:LWK

DQDJHQGDJXLGHGE\WKHH[SHUWLVHDQGNQRZOHGJHRISDFNDJLQJHGLWRUVDQGDUREXVW DGYLVRU\ERDUGWKLVPXOWLGD\HYHQWRIIHUVDIRFXVHGHGXFDWLRQQHWZRUNLQJRSSRUWXQLWLHV DQGH[FOXVLYHDFFHVVWRVROXWLRQSURYLGHUV

7KHSURJUDPZLOOFRYHUWRSLFVVXFKDV

7KH(FRQRPLFVRI5HF\FOLQJ

3ROLF\DQG5HJXODWLRQ

0DWHULDOVDQG'HVLJQ,QQRYDWLRQ

6RUWDWLRQDQG5HF\FODELOLW\

63(&,$/%2186$OODWWHQGHHVZLOOUHFHLYHDFRS\RIDQHZRULJLQDOUHVHDUFKUHSRUWIURP300,RQ WKH(FRQRPLFVRI5HF\OLQJ

5HJLVWHUE\6HSWDQG6DYH

3DFNDJLQJ5HF\FOLQJ6XPPLWFRP

By Jim George, Director of Education at IoPP

Future Strategizing Around Sustainability

I hear many conversations among packaging professionals, both IoPP members and elsewhere in the packaging industry. Yes, sometimes people still ask whether sustainability is a fad that will subside. Unquestionably, it is a central driver of packaging’s future role within companies, with a direct bearing on the bottom line and our planet. Packaging consultancy PTIS’s recent survey of packaging thought leaders makes this impact clear: Focus on sustainability and circularity is now the number one impact force for packaging. E-commerce, the leading impact force just three years ago, has slipped to fourth.

Just as likely, sustainability will evolve as developments continue in packaging materials, technology, and regulations.

Sustainable packaging has made significant, if sometimes bumpy progress over the past few years. Here are just a few examples: In beverages, emerging initiatives have increased recyclable/ biodegradable content and paper-based bottles—and yes, the merits around using paper or plastic continue to be debated. Players across the medical device industry are working to reduce packaging, make it recyclable or reusable where possible, and put sensitive instruments in surgeons’ hands faster while keeping them sterile until use.

Many companies have created departments or teams specializing in packaging and sustainability. Vice presidents and directors with packaging-facing titles continue to gain a voice in the C-suite.

What’s next?

Yet, much remains to be done. A key point repeated during several recent IoPP webinars is to observe and anticipate where things are heading, rather than trying to merely keep up. Here are four thoughts our speakers emphasized to help packagers strategize forward around sustainability.

1. Plan further into the long-term. Companies often claim to be forward-looking and “ready for the future.” Often, that means less than three years out, with emphasis on short-term costs. Todd Bukowski, a principal at PTIS, says this approach fails to look far enough into the future, and opportunities often are missed for improving packaging’s impact. It’s far more effective to plan five to 10 years ahead. But that is successful, Bukowski says, only with senior management buy-in on matters beyond cost considerations.

2. Take a fresh look at reusability. The idea of reusable packaging, of course, is not new, but very much worth a renewed

look. As packagers explore how to reduce their carbon emissions, reusable packaging has been seeing resurgent interest with the emergence of effective global platforms. One is TerraCycle’s Loop Global, which enables product manufacturers and retailers to shift from a disposable supply chain to a durable one. One barrier to reusability has been scalability, particularly around the reverse logistics, but that’s changing, says Clem Schmid, General Manager at Loop. Aside from volume, the key to the model’s future success, she says, is durable package design to drive profitability. Manufacturers, she adds, have opportunities for cost improvements by leveraging design through better nesting, improved compatibility with current packaging lines and repeatability across multiple products.

3. Monitor developments in the EU. Anticipate additional government legislation and regulation that could position the EU as a leader in areas such as Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR), recycling targets, and reuse. U.S. packagers should be watchful and track not only these developments but their impact on packaging. Understand the impact on your company so you’re better prepared for evolutions in areas such as EPR, material bans, and Post-Consumer Recycled (PCR) materials.

4. Get involved. You can’t do your best job of shaping your team or company’s sustainability effort by remaining siloed in your own practices. You need to understand what policy leaders are working on and what other companies are doing in their sustainability efforts. Engagement opportunities abound. Consider getting involved with organizations that are playing a more active role with policy leaders. Depending on their purpose, some can lobby and help influence policy while others are positioned to educate. They can lay out, for example, the pros and cons that can change your initial thinking for the better. Just a few options are the Ellen MacArthur Foundation, Sustainable Packaging Coalition, the Recycling Partnership, the Consortium for Waste Circularity, and IoPP’s Sustainable Packaging Technical Committee, which is re-energizing around the goal of becoming a key go-to education resource on sustainability and packaging; the committee welcomes new members. Your involvement with organizations such as these is a great way to have packagingspecific input on sustainability and circularity practices.

While there is no silver bullet for solutions around sustainability and packaging, this is an exciting time for possibilities and innovation. Be watchful for new developments, get engaged and allow your thinking to evolve. As consumers ask of our industry, “do something.” PW

The author, Jim George, is the director of education at IoPP.

Sometimes people still ask whether sustainability is a fad that will subside. Unquestionably, it is a central driver of packaging’s future role within companies, with a direct bearing on the bottom line and our planet.

CARTONING, MULTIPACKING & CASE PACKING

(320)763-6043

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

•Walk-Through Caser acker set up for lights-out manufacturing

• ully Automated ariety Case acking, Including etail eady ackaging

•One Case acker for Cartons and Bags, With Auto Changeover

•Telescoping Conveyor, Accessibility Without Steps Or raw Bridges

•E panded Capability with Integrated Options

TOTAL PROJECT SUCCESS happens with partnership and an iterative design process. We work together to understand the complete picture, creating the optimal solution that mitigates space, speed, and flexibility challenges to drive results.

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 T E AA A EX E IENCE

HELPING OUR CUSTOMERS WIN

CODING, LABELING & PRINTING EQUIPMENT

American Film & Machinery - AFM

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.

CODING, LABELING & 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 Team

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.

CONTROLS, SOFTWARE & COMPONENTS

B&R Industrial Automation

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.

GA Roswell

CODING, LABELING & PRINTING EQUIPMENT

973-882-0202

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.

BellatRx

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.

CODING, LABELING & PRINTING EQUIPMENT

BestCode

817/349-8555

CODING AND MARKING SOLUTIONS

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.

FILLING, CAPPING & CLOSING

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.

CARTONING, MULTIPACKING & CASE PACKING

BluePrint Automation (BPA)

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.

CARTONING, MULTIPACKING & CASE PACKING

Brenton, a ProMach Product Brand

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.

TRAY, CLAMSHELL & BLIS TER PACKAGING EQUIPMENT

Busch Vacuum Solutions

757-463-7800

www.buschusa.com

VACUUM SOLUTIONS FOR THE PACKAGING INDUSTRY:

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:

• acuum umps

• Blowers Compressors

• acuum Systems

• Spare arts Accessories

• Measurement Equipment

OUR SERVICES

• Nationwide ield Service

• Nationwide Service Centers

• acuum ump E change

• Overhaul

• epairs

• Maintenance

CODING, LABELING & PRINTING EQUIPMENT

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.

PALLETIZING & L OAD STABILIZATION

BW Integrated Systems

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.

FILLING, CAPPING & CLOSING

BW Packaging

People Who Care. Solutions That Perform.

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.

CARTONING, MULTIPACKING & CASE PACKING

Cama North America

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.

FLEXIBLE PACKAGING

LLC

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.

PALLETIZING & L OAD STABILIZATION

360/694-1501

www.palletizing.com

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

PALLETIZING & L OAD STABILIZATION

Columbia/Okura LLC

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.

CODING, LABELING & PRINTING EQUIPMENT

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

• Belt and Mattop Material andling Conveyors

CARTONING, MULTIPACKING & CASE PACKING

DEKKA

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.

CARTONING, MULTIPACKING & CASE PACKING

ADVANCED ROBOTIC CASE PACKERS AND CARTONERS

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.

RETAIL READY EXPERTISE

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.

MAXIMIZE YOUR PACKING VERSATILITY

Delkor’s robotic case packers and cartoning machines were designed for today’s diverse packaging environment.

SYSTEM INTEGRATION

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.

CODING, LABELING & PRINTING EQUIPMENT

Diagraph Marking & Coding, an ITW Company

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.

PALLETIZING & L OAD STABILIZATION

Doosan Robotics

469-885-5722

www.doosanrobotics.com

MEET THE DOOSAN COLLABORATIVE ROBOT

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.

VERSATILE DESIGN, PRECISION PERFORMANCE

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.

SOLUTIONS FOR ANY SIZE JOB

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.

PALLETIZING & L OAD STABILIZATION

Duravant

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.

CARTONING, MULTIPACKING & CASE PACKING

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.

MATERIALS, CONTAINERS & CONSUMABLES

(360) 673-0018

www.Ecorrcrate.com

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.

WA Kalama

CONTROLS, SOFTWARE & COMPONENTS

Encoder Products Company

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.

FILLING, CAPPING & CLOSING

Industries

Induction Cap Sealers for Freshness, Leak Prevention & Tamper Evidence

+ Why Packagers Use Induction Cap Sealing

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.

+ Cap Sealer Designs for Efficiency & Reliability

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.

+ New Super Seal™

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.

+ Achieve a Perfect Seal with Enercon

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.

INSPECTION & TESTING EQUIPMENT

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.

ROBOTICS

FANUC America

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.

CONVEYING, FEEDING & HANDLING

FlexLink Systems, Inc.

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

CARTONING, MULTIPACKING & CASE PACKING

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.

Snack Packing Solutions

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.

Turnkey packaging solutions for hygiene products

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.

Sales and Service Worldwide

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.

BAGGING, POUCHING & WRAPPING

Formost Fuji Corporation

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.

CARTONING, MULTIPACKING & CASE PACKING

Frain Industries

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.

Pay As You Go:

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.

CONVEYING, FEEDING & HANDLING

Garvey

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.

TRAY, CLAMSHELL & BLIS TER PACKAGING EQUIPMENT

Harpak-ULMA Packaging, LLC

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.

FILLING, CAPPING & CLOSING

Heat and Control, Inc.

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.

FILLING, CAPPING & CLOSING

High Tek USA, Inc.

800.504.7120

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.”

INNOVATIVE

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.

24/7 SERVICE

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.”

ECONOMICAL

CODING, LABELING & PRINTING EQUIPMENT

Hitachi Industrial Equipment & Solutions

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

CARTONING, MULTIPACKING & CASE PACKING

IPG (Intertape Polymer Group)

800/474-8273

www.itape.com

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.

CONVEYING, FEEDING & HANDLING

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.

CARTONING, MULTIPACKING & CASE PACKING

(864)

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.

CONTAINERS & CLOSURES

James Alexander Corp.

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.

Plastic Unit-Dose Dispensing Systems

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.

Unit-Dose Glass Swabs

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.

CARTONING, MULTIPACKING & CASE PACKING

JLS Automation

717/505-3800

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.

CONVEYING, FEEDING & HANDLING

King Plastic Corporation

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

MATERIALS, CONTAINERS & CONSUMABLES

Klöckner Pentaplast Food Packaging

www.kpfilms.com

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.

Market Knowledge

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.

Global Leader in Recycled Content

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.

Product Management and Design

Klöckner Pentaplast - PHD

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.

FILLING, CAPPING & CLOSING

(414)

www.kronesusa.com

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.

CODING, LABELING & PRINTING EQUIPMENT

Label-Aire, Inc.

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.

Labeling Made Easy

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.

Focus On Innovation and Saving Customers Money

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.

BAGGING, POUCHING & WRAPPING

Mamata Enterprises, Inc.

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.

CODING, LABELING & PRINTING EQUIPMENT

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.

INSPECTION & TESTING EQUIPMENT

METTLER

Product Inspection

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.

CONVEYING, FEEDING & HANDLING

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.

CONVEYING, FEEDING & HANDLING

Modular Conveyor Express - MCE

www.modularconveyor.com

Build Your Best Conveyor Business

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.

Conveyor Designed by Nercon

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.

CONTAINERS & CLOSURES

MRP Solutions

518-561-1812

www.mrpsolutions.com

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.

FLEXIBLE PACKAGING

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.

CONVEYING, FEEDING & HANDLING

Nercon Conveyor Systems

844-293-2814

www.nerconconveyors.com

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.

Keep It Clean

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

CODING, LABELING & PRINTING EQUIPMENT

NITA Sentient Labeling Systems

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

CARTONING, MULTIPACKING & CASE PACKING

Nordson Corporation

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

623-334-7928

Turnkey solutions for your business

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:

Design Services

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.

Production Services

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.

After Sales Support

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.

Explore more at novembal.com

BAGGING, POUCHING & WRAPPING

nVenia, a Duravant Company

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.

IL Wood Dale

FILLING, CAPPING & CLOSING

OPTIMA Machinery Corporation

920 339-2222

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.

BAGGING, POUCHING & WRAPPING

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

1200 HIGH-SPEED CONTINUOUS MOTION BAGGER

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.

SWIFTY BAGGER 3600 PREMADE POUCH FILLING MACHINE

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

MODULAR ROBOTIC PICK & PLACE CELL

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.

CARTONING, MULTIPACKING & CASE PACKING

PMI KYOTO Packaging Systems

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.

FILLING, CAPPING & CLOSING

Pneumatic Scale Angelus

800/992-0491

www.psangelus.com

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.

INNOVATION & EXPERTISE

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.

FLAGSHIP BRANDS

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.

CULTURE OF LEADERSHIP

CARTONING, MULTIPACKING & CASE PACKING

Propack Processing & Packaging Systems Inc.

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.

Packaging

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.

Processing

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.

Integrated 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.

Parts, Service and Support

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.

CARTONING, MULTIPACKING & CASE PACKING

R.A JONES, a Coesia company

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.

CARTONING, MULTIPACKING & CASE PACKING

www.robatechusa.com

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.

GA Alpharetta

CONVEYING, FEEDING & HANDLING

Ryson International, Inc.

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.

CARTONING, MULTIPACKING & CASE PACKING

Schubert North America LLC

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.

CARTONING, MULTIPACKING & CASE PACKING

559/651-2339

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

MATERIALS, CONTAINERS & CONSUMABLES

Shurtape Technologies, LLC

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™

FILLING, CAPPING & CLOSING

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.

PALLETIZING & L OAD STABILIZATION

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.

CONTROLS, SOFTWARE & COMPONENTS

734/426-3476

www.siko-global.com

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.

CODING, LABELING & PRINTING EQUIPMENT

RFL Series Roll-Fed Labelers

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.

SSL Series Shrink Sleeve 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.

SST Series Shrink Tunnels

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.

FILLING, CAPPING & CLOSING

Specialty Equipment

467-3432

www.specialtyequipment.com

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.

CODING, LABELING & PRINTING EQUIPMENT

Squid Ink

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.

MULTIPACKING & CASE PACKING

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.

CARTONING, MULTIPACKING & CASE PACKING

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.

BAGGING, POUCHING & WRAPPING

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.

BAGGING, POUCHING & WRAPPING

Triangle Package Machinery Company

773/889-0200

100 YEARS OF KEEPING FOOD SAFE

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.

VFFS BAG MACHINES

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.

PRE-MADE POUCH FILLERS

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.

BAG-IN-BOX CARTONERS

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.

MULTIHEAD WEIGHERS

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.

SUPERIOR SERVICE & SUPPORT

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.

BAGGING, POUCHING & WRAPPING

Unified Flex Packaging Technologies

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

LABEL S

727/327-2123

www.universal1.com

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:

CONVEYING, FEEDING & HANDLING

U.S. Tsubaki Power Transmission, LLC.

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.

CONVEYING, FEEDING & HANDLING

VDG (Van der Graaf)

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.

MI Shelby Township

920-564-5051 Viking Masek

vikingmasek.com

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.

MULTIPACKING & CASE PACKING

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.

CARTONING, MULTIPACKING & CASE PACKING

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.

INSPECTION & TESTING EQUIPMENT

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

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.

X-Ray Scanners and Vision Systems

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.

TQS Serialization and Aggregation Machines

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.

FILLING, CAPPING & CLOSING

Yamato Corporation

262/236-0000

YamatoAmericas.com

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.