Cobot Provides a Solution for Replacing Labor

Mitsubishi Electric debuted its ASSISTA cobot during PACK EXPO Las Vegas. The cobot also includes an H1 food grade grease option for implementation in food processing facilities.

Natalie CraigSenior Managing Editor

Sep 29th, 2021

The pack ML-enabled machine utilizes layer forming technology and features a small footprint with an interactive operator interface that allows for better collection of information.

BW Integrated Systems Highlights User-friendly, Vertical, Flexible, High-level Palletizer

At PACK EXPO Las Vegas, user-friendly machine meets customer and market demands with quick, vertical start-up.

Pictured are Billy Hogan, CEO, Liverpool Football Club (left), and Fisk Johnson, CEO, SC Johnson

Football Stadium PET Bottles Transformed into Mr Muscle Packaging

SC Johnson partners with the Liverpool Football Club to transform half a million PET bottles into new packaging for its Mr Muscle household cleaning products in the U.K.

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All-Purpose Intelligent Robot Control System

MujinController manages any robotic application guiding the movement of robot arms via machine intelligence, a new category of artificial intelligence that automatically manages potential downtime scenarios through autonomous motion planning.

Water soluble and biodegradable mailer bag.

E-Commerce Innovations: Biodegradable Mailing Bag and Reusable Food Delivery Containers

See two examples of innovative sustainable e-commerce packaging from ThePackHub’s October Packaging Innovation Briefing Report.

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Unique Blow-Fill-Seal Solution for In-House Blown PET Cups

Serac presented at PACK EXPO Las Vegas a Blow-Fill-Seal solution for yoghurts and desserts in PET/rPET jars. This solution, which combines an SBL linear blow-molding machine and a linear dosing machine, has been named CupBox.

Mars has removed the black PE film liner from its Maltesers candy box, replacing it with a dispersion-coated barrier board from Metsä Board.

Mars’s Switch to Barrier Coating Cuts 18 T-Rexes worth of PE

Mars removes the black polyethylene film from the inside of its iconic Maltesers candy box, replacing it with a recyclable, dispersion-coated barrier board that will reduce its use of plastic by 82 metric tons.

Freshly wrapped paperboard trays of fresh sausages emerge from the cling film application system.

Breakthrough in Compostable Film

Management at this family-owned third-generation producer of classic British sausages is hoping its efforts on the sustainable packaging front will be copied globally.

Signode Sgp4332

Strapping Machines Handle Washdown Environments

The SGP’s TüV certified stainless steel versions with IP 56 rating accommodate cleaning and disinfecting, while operating at speeds up to 65 plastic straps/min.

The Trine Modular Labeling Station, as an easy-to-install system to reduce downtime, can both be retrofitted to an existing Trine labeling system or be used with a new Trine system.

Accraply Highlights Upgrades on Trine Modular Labeling Station

Machine has improved throughput, changeovers, and maintenance to enable significant process improvements with minimal line disruption for Trine labelers.

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Flexibility Key to Modular P-S Labeleing Application System

Based on the M2 label applicator and an innovative motion control system, MFlex is modular and flexible with configurations for applications such as top labeling, bottom labeling, top/bottom labeling, front & back labeling, wrap labeling, and more.

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Direct-Drive Pick-and-Place Sidebot

Wyzo is the result of 30 years of Delta robot experience, coupled with a vision to deliver a safe and highly efficient sidebot that can add considerable value to operations of all sizes.

Avomix Mcc Verstraete Iml Labels 2 Db

Inks and IML Handle HPP for Guacamole Pack

Spanish producer of fruit- and vegetable-based juices and sauces Avomix selected shelf-life improving high-pressure processing (HPP) technology for its Fresh Mix product range, specifically its guacamole.

The Fanuc robot has end-of-arm tooling that uses Piab vacuum technology to pick either heavy cases or tier sheets.

Vacuum Technology Solves Palletizing Challenge

While palletizing corrugated cases is a regular automation application, doing so in a cold room that is regularly hosed with water to stay clean is especially challenging.

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Reimagining Sustainable Packaging through Collaboration

Incorporating more sustainable options into CPG packaging is both a necessity and a challenge. Read about current initiatives to innovate new materials, improve recycling systems, and get closer to a circular economy.

Spirits producer Amass has moved into cannabis with a THC- and CBD-infused non-alcoholic beverage.

Top Five Trends in Spirits and Wine in 2021/2022

GlobalData predicts new consumer trends and consumption habits in spirits and wine resulting from supply chain disruptions, climate change issues, and a shift in consumer attitudes.

Individual units are fed into the AP-25 bander by the infeed conveyor on the left while banded breakpacks exit on the discharge conveyor on the right.

Bringing Flexibility to Breakpack Production

Advanced controls let this maker of banding equipment bring a whole new level of quick-change flexibility to manufacturers delivering ‘breakpacks’ to their retailer customers.

More Editor’s Picks from PACK EXPO Las Vegas, Day Two

Watch Packaging World’s Emeritus Editor Pat Reynolds and Content Director Jim Chrzan as they rattle off a handful of interesting, innovative, or trending findings from the floor of PACK EXPO Las Vegas last month.

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Cobot Bin Picking and Palletizing

At PACK EXPO Las Vegas 2021, Omron demonstrated its vision-enabled TM cobot bin-picking system and its cobotic palletizing system.

Carlos Ludlow Palafox, inventor of microwave-induced pyrolysis for recycling flexible packaging

Alternative for hard-to-recycle packaging waste

Carlos Ludlow Palafox, CEO of Enval Ltd. and the creator of a unique technology based on microwave-induced pyrolysis for flexible packaging including plastic laminates, shares his vision.

(left to right) Jon McClure, president, Pregis South Carolina operations; David Timm, division president, Pregis Performance Flexibles; South Carolina Governor Henry McMaster; Kevin Baudhuin, CEO, Pregis; and Dan Zamlong, managing director, Warburg Pincus.

Pregis Opens New Packaging Film Extrusion Facility

Sustainability figures prominently in both the new Andersen, S.C., building and the materials produced within it as part of Pregis’ 2021 $140 million capex investment in new production capabilities.

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Electromechanical Welding and Control Architecture for Packaging

At PACK EXPO Las Vegas 2021, Emerson highlighted its GSX Welder with electromechanical actuation and DCX Generator architecture to control and monitor packaging machine processes.

Pringle's Holiday Cans

Getting Noticed: Holiday Pringles, Wine Pouches, and Tony's Chocolate

The importance of creating impactful and noticeable packaging continues to create a point of difference. See a few examples from ThePackHub’s October Packaging Innovation Briefing Report.

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High-Performance Packaging Machine Control

At PACK EXPO Las Vegas 2021, Emerson showcased its high-performance packaging machine architecture to control multiple axes of motion and scale motion on the same PLC platform.

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Beckhoff Showcases XPlanar Updates

At PACK EXPO Las Vegas 2021, Beckhoff highlighted is XPlanar materials handling system that uses levitating movers to transport materials for packaging, assembly or transfer.

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Beckhoff’s XTS with Track Management

At PACK EXPO Las Vegas 2021, Beckhoff showcased the new track management capabilities of its eXtended Transport System (XTS) and the new stainless steel hygienic version.

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Fast-Changeover RRP Case Packer

A live, timed changeover demo illustrates the speed at which Delkor's LSP Series case packers can changeover between individually sized pouches in corrugated RRP cabrio cases, and larger club-store pouches in club-store corrugated trays.

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Leak Detection System

At PACK EXPO Las Vegas 2021, Emerson demonstrated its CT4215 leak detection system which uses quantum cascade lasers to detect leaks in real time.

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Insights Into the Current Trends in Snacking

Kim Overstreet interviews SNAC International's David Walsh as he discusses current trends in snacking.

Vision & sensor cap inspection system

Clever Syrup Capper & Reject System Eliminates a Sticky Situation

Quebecois syrup producer Nokomis Maple Products had a big fill inconsistency and reject problem that often made a sticky mess. An easy-to-use new capper with advanced inspection features made a big difference in reducing rejects and keeping things moving.

A Smattering of Day-One Findings from PACK EXPO Las Vegas

On today's Take Five, PACK EXPO veterans Jim Chrzan and Pat Reynolds curate first day discoveries in this tip-of-the-iceberg reflection of the packaging industry’s triumphant return to trade shows.

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Pick-and-Place ‘Sidebot’

Demonstrated at the Wyzo booth was the world’s first pick-and-place ‘sidebot,’ so named because it can work safely side-by-side with humans with zero protective barriers or performance compromise. It features unique Live Drive Direct Drive technology from

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Controlled Growth and Innovation are Current Trends in Co-Pack/Co-Man Space

Jim Chrzan interviews CPA's Ron Puvak at the PACK EXPO Innovation Stage about new developments in contract packaging.