Innovative New Machinery at PACK EXPO: Conveyors and Material Handling

Conveyors and Material Handling weren't the only areas of interest at PACK EXPO. Click the links that follow to read more about innovations in:  Cartoning  |  Case and Tray Packing  |  Coding and Marking  |  Inspection and Detection  |  Labeling  |  Form/Fill/Seal  |  Food Processing & Packaging  |  Sustainable Packaging  |  Robotics  |  Pharma  |  Controls

Conveyor system prevents bottlenecks

Debuted at PACK EXPO Las Vegas at the Columbus McKinnon booth, Dorner’s AquaGard GT conveyor system was designed to prevent bottlenecks in packaging, bottling, and dry food processing.

All components save for the motors are either stainless steel or FDA-approved plastics, making the system ideal for operating in environments that require wipe-down or occasional washdown cleanings of the conveyor.

The AquaGard GT integrates features and benefits such as powered transfer units, flush side tails, and pre-engineered transfer modules, among others that in-house machine builders cannot match. The conveyor is competitively priced and comes with a short 10-day lead time.

At the show, the AquaGard GT operated in a fully functional loop with Infinity and Bi-Flow accumulation tables from Garvey.

A versatile accumulation system, the Infinity uses Garvey’s patented technology to accumulate and sort unstable products at high speeds into a single or multi-lane configuration. The Bi-Flow uses opposing conveyor movement to create a buffer for product accumulation in a small footprint. The demo loop also included Dorner’s FlexMove Helix and Wedge conveyors that allow vertical product movement to maximize a smaller footprint. The demonstration was meant to illustrate the seamless integration between Dorner and Garvey can bring to maximize production in accumulation-type applications.

Click here to watch a video of the new AquaGard GT in action.

Span TechSmooth product transfer between conveyors and machines was also an emphasis at Span Tech, which has unveiled the Mini MicroSpan Transfer. This system holds promise for easing product manipulation and space constraints for various industries, with a focus on pharmaceuticals, bottling, brewing, and canning, says application engineer Jake Halvorson.

The Mini MicroSpan Transfer offers a compact yet effective solution. Span Tech has found success with its existing MicroSpan Transfer system, and with the introduction of the Mini MicroSpan Transfer, manufacturers with limited space can automate transfers and boost efficiency.

Watch a video of the machine in action at the Span Tech booth.

Research and development engineer Carlos Sierra adds that there is a variable angle capability to the Mini MicroSpan Transfer for both “infeed” and “outfeed” applications and that the Mini MicroSpan Transfer uses the same easy lift-out design as its bigger cousin (MicroSpan Transfer). The nose bar is made from the same aircraft-grade aluminum as the MicroSpan Transfer. Since it is sprocket powered, it requires no tracking mechanism. 

In pharmaceutical production, precision and careful handling are paramount, making the seamless transfer of bottles between conveyors and machines a critical requirement. The Mini MicroSpan Transfer safely handles delicate pharmaceutical products, ensuring they move effortlessly from one stage of production to the next. 

Beyond pharmaceuticals, this new transfer system offers value to a range of industries, including bottling, brewing, and canning. In these sectors, products often vary in size and shape, making reliable conveyor-to-conveyor transfers challenging. The Mini MicroSpan Transfer provides a dependable and space-saving solution, allowing for smoother production processes and improved efficiency. 

Vac-U-MaxVac-U-Max showcased its entire line of vacuum conveying bulk material handling equipment for processing and packaging applications at PACK EXPO Las Vegas. David Kennedy, business development manager at Vac-U-Max, details some of the company’s key uses in the marketplace.

“Some of the most common applications that we fulfill in packaging is loading rotary fillers, bottle fillers, and high-speed stick pack machines,” he says. “We also do pharmaceutical-grade equipment so we’re loading tablet press machines, and soft gel conveyors for inspection equipment, but made to pharmaceutical standards.”

Kennedy adds that vf/f/s filling is another specialty of Vac-U-Max, as well as auger filling for dry ingredients like coffee. “Our vacuum conveyor is mounted above the auger filler, and our machine brings all the powder up to the top and keeps your auger filler operating to give it constant head pressure,” he explains. “One of the benefits of our equipment is that you don’t have to climb ladders to load packaging equipment. All the ingredients can stay at ground level and they’re all easily cleanable. So [our machines] have ergonomic benefits, safety benefits, cleanliness benefits, and it makes the packaging machine operate to its maximum efficiency.”

Watch a video of Vac-U-Max’s vacuum conveyor moving coffee into an auger filler at PACK EXPO Las Vegas.

Morrison Container Handling SolutionsNew from Morrison Container Handling Solutions, the new Twist Block container inverting solution uses backpressure rather than automation to invert cans and containers on a packaging line. The primary appeal of the new block lies in its simplicity. Traditional automated systems include a number of components, including motors and other mechanical parts, which drive up the cost of the system, often into the tens of thousands of dollars. Not only does this make these systems more expensive, but it also allows for additional points of failure and requires regular maintenance.

“For years we’ve seen great success with our power twist timing screw machines, but many of our customers need to simply invert mechanically on a line with backlog present,” says Morrison President Chris Wilson. “The Morrison Twist Block is a simple way to invert these containers.”

Further adding to the simplicity of the system, the design of the Twist Block comprises just two pieces, compared with traditional twist blocks, which use the standard sandwich production method, whereby dozens of pieces of plastic are used to create the twist. The simplicity of the Morrison design not only reduces opportunities for product contamination, but it also makes it easy for operators to wash down the unit.

“You can use it for as high of a washdown environment as you want,” explained Dustin Lee, vice president of sales for Morrison at the company’s booth at PACK EXPO Las Vegas. “You don’t have to take apart 20 to 30 different pieces of plastic to clean it, there are only two. You separate the two halves, and it gets cleaned relatively simply. From an overall efficiency, cost, and ease of cleaning standpoint, it’s one of those things that as long as you’re okay with the backpressure pushing the package through the block and inverting it, it’s a good solution.”