These were among the observations shared recently in a phone conversation with managing director Ed Stefaniak of K2 Engineering Group. This five-year-old firm specializes in re-building and re-engineering labelers and, occasionally, certain other pieces of packaging equipment. Other observations from Stefaniak included these:
* When it comes to building packaging machinery, the urge to "cut and paste," so to speak, is certainly understandable. It keeps costs in line. But an OEM can only cut and paste for so long. New technology has to be embraced at some point.
* Packaging machinery OEMs who fail to keep current in the latest servo technology developments do so at their own risk. Servos bring flexibility to the end user, and that seems to be the one machinery characteristic that they are after. Uptime, reliability, and good ergonomics are also being sought, but flexibility seems to be at the top of everyone's list, says Stefaniak.
* The best place to learn about new packaging technologies is the upcoming Pack Expo International, which runs October 29 through November 2 at Chicago's McCormick Place. "Even if we only apply 2% of what we see at an exhibition like this, it keeps the wheels turning in the engineers' heads," says Stefaniak.
* It may not be too long before a rotary labeling machine with flexible pitch is developed. On such a machine, the individual bottle plates would not be fixed but rather would be moved by selecting the desired pitch at a touchscreen panel. Once again, needless to say, servo motors would play a key role.
