Conveying & accumulation

Robotic palletization protects Sandvik

Automated lifting and stacking of heavy boxes onto pallets helps this maker of mining products avoid worker injuries and $120ꯠ of additional labor costs.

January 31, 1998

Industries: Page 812

Controls & Machine Components

A window into the packaging line

Amway's graphical human-machine interface for an entire packaging line reduces troubleshooting time by 75%.

January 31, 1998

Flexibles

Paper pulp molders share successes, shortcomings

New molded pulp producers group meets to assess status and learn new technologies. Packagers report on applications, identify areas that need help.

January 31, 1998

Flexible packaging

DOJ kills Reynolds/Alcoa deal; will it chill Reynolds/Ball talks?

In late December the U.S. Department of Justice moved to prevent Reynolds Metals Co. (Richmond, VA) from selling its Muscle Shoals, AL, aluminum can stock rolling mill to Alcoa (Pittsburgh, PA).

January 31, 1998

Converting equipment

Label livens line of indoor tanning products

Redesigned packaging played a key role in taking the Black Gold line of indoor tanning products from limited distribution in the Midwest to national and even international distribution.

January 31, 1998

Meat/Poultry/Seafood

Seafood HACCP active

FDA's HACCP (Hazard Analysis Critical Control Points) regulations for the seafood industry became effective December 18. Seafood processors are responsible for identifying points in the processing system, including those relating to packaging, where contamination is likely to occur, and then designing procedures to reduce or eliminate such contamination.

January 31, 1998

Sustainable Packaging

Should paperboard buyers turn white with fright?

EPA "cluster" rule forces bleached pulp mills to spend millions to clean up air and water emissions. Quality, cost, even availability may become a question mark.

January 31, 1998

Conveying & accumulation

Packaging machines speak up

Amway squeezes more efficiency out of a personal care packaging line by allowing packaging machines to communicate with one another over a PLC network. Benefits include tighter line integration, faster troubleshooting and reduced wiring costs.

January 31, 1998

Cosmetics/Personal care

Measuring guide

A free glue line measuring guide is available from National Starch and Chemical (Edison, NJ). The pocket-size guide enables corrugated box makers to ensure that their glue lines are precise from 0.040" to 0.110", in 0.010" increments.

January 31, 1998

Flexible packaging

Breadings stand up

For 25 years, Dutch-American Foods of Dolton, IL, has sold its breading mixes to foodservice and institutional accounts. But last year the firm decided to market at retail, and management felt an unusual package would be a key to success.

January 31, 1998

Coding, Printing & Labeling

Smirnoff 1.75 L relaunched in proprietary PET

Hoping to boost sales, United Distillers and Vintners, Hartford, CT, has relaunched its Smirnoff premium vodka in a proprietary 1.75-L polyethylene terephthalate package whose rollout was to be completed this month.

January 31, 1998

Consumer packaged goods

Supplier news: Domestic acquisitions, agreements

HPG Intl., Inc. (Somerset, NJ) has acquired Kalex Chemical Products, Inc. (Brooklyn, NY).

January 31, 1998

Consumer packaged goods

Supplier news: Relocations, expansions

Equistar Chemicals, LP (Houston, TX) is expanding its Matagorda, TX, HDPE facility by 480 million lb.

January 31, 1998