Controls & Machine Components

Envisioning agile packaging

Unilever envisions new packaging machinery that treats change as business as usual by focusing on a ‘holonic’ approach.

November 30, 2002

Industries: Page 643

Coding, Printing & Labeling

Flexible packaging and labeling winners unwrapped

During Pack Expo, ExxonMobil Chemical (Macedon, NY) recognized excellence and innovation in flexible packaging and labeling at its 16th annual Golden Mummy and Pyramid Awards ceremony, held November 5 in Chicago. There was a total of seven winners.

November 30, 2002

Beverage

See Janes run

New folding-carton erecting and sealing equipment improves efficiency and lowers labor and material costs for two Janes Family Foods plants in Canada.See in-plant video

November 30, 2002

Secondary Packaging

Ergonomics guides give packaging a lift

New voluntary guidelines from OSHA should give packaging departments added leverage with upper management.

November 30, 2002

Labeling

Labeler and tray packer meet for the first time

Janssen Pharmaceutical, Beerse, Belgium, has installed a high-speed labeler that automatically feeds product into a tray packer without any need for manual handling between the two packaging operations. According to the company, this integration is the first of its kind in Europe.

November 30, 2002

Closures

Super-sized cookie can

Buffalo, New York-based KK Baking decided to stack its super-sized Keith’s Kookies-brand cookies in a new composite can that emulates a cookie jar topped with a polyethylene overcap to lock in freshness after opening.

November 30, 2002

Confection/Candy

Gray & Company: Robots hit savings sweet spot for cherry cordial packaging

Gray & Co., Hart, MI, operates 24 robotic arms on two ‘counterflow’ production lines. Each of the arms picks and places Queen Anne brand chocolate-covered cordials at an amazing rate of 1.5 cordials/sec into six-count plastic trays. Robotic system includes infrared scanners, PLCs, and proprietary software.

October 31, 2002

Additives, coatings & inks

Small-character ink-jet coder

The Linx 6800 Series prints up to four lines of text/graphics, offers powerful printer control software, optimized printheads and robust stainless steel cabinets, and delivers outstanding print performance on a variety of substrates, according to the company.

October 31, 2002

Beverage

Nestlé Russia signs on Crown

NEWS FROM PACK EXPO: Beginning in mid-2003, Nestlé Russia will partner with Crown Cork & Seal (Philadelphia, PA) for the supply of cans for its Nescafé coffee.

October 31, 2002

Flexibles

Colgate-Palmolive launches first in India

NEWS FROM PACK EXPO: A heat-sealable, 100% transparent soap wrapper was used to package Colgate-Palmolive’s Naturals soap line in early 2002 in Mumbai, India.

October 31, 2002

Coding, Printing & Labeling

Shrink sleeve labeler/splicer combo

NEWS FROM PACK EXPO: PDC Intl. (Norwalk, CT) displayed its Model R300 shrink labeler inline with a KTI (South Beloit, IL) Series JS butt splicer at Pack Expo.

October 31, 2002

Bag/pouch fill/seal (pre-made bags)

Coffee flex-pack takes a stand

NEWS FROM PACK EXPO: After PackExpo, Fres-co’s (Telford, PA) Model GL-14 vf/f/s machine will be shipped to the Seattle, WA plant of Tully’s Coffee Corp.

October 31, 2002

Closures

Peelable lid for Maxwell House

NEWS FROM PACK EXPO: Kraft Foods has substituted a peelable membrane closure for the conventional steel end on the top of some of its Maxwell House-brand ground coffees.

October 31, 2002