See Robots in Action at PACK EXPO East

Future innovators of the packaging industry showcase their creations at PACK EXPO East

Feb 20th, 2020

Students from the surrounding Philadelphia-area robotics teams will display their design, engineering and troubleshooting skills

Students from the surrounding Philadelphia-area robotics teams will display their design, engineering and troubleshooting skills

The Future Innovators Robotics Showcase is back at PACK EXPO East (March 3-5, 2020; Pennsylvania Convention Center, Philadelphia), where students from the surrounding Philadelphia-area robotics teams will display their design, engineering and troubleshooting skills. Participating teams include:

Germantown Academy VEX Robotics Team

Team 203, Camden Co Tech School-Gloucester

Team 321, Central High School

Team 2458, Gill St. Bernard's School

Team 2607, Archbishop Wood High School

Team 4575, Girl Scouts of Eastern PA

Team 6327, The Eastern PA Robotics Alliance

“This showcase provides students with the opportunity to discover how robotics technology applies to the packaging industry while displaying their robots to exhibitors and attendees,” says Kate Fiorianti, senior manager, workforce development, PMMI. “Continuing to support youth engagement at events like this is important for PMMI as these are the future innovators of our industry.”

Attendees can see sponsored teams’ creations in action every day of the show in Booth 330. Demonstrations begin at 10:00 a.m.

Also featured at PACK EXPO East is the Workforce Development Pavilion, where PMMI Education Partner schools will promote their programs and expose their students to the packaging and processing industry. Participating partner schools include:

Bucks County Community College

Community College of Philadelphia

Lehigh Carbon Community College

Rutgers University

University of Nebraska at Lincoln

PMMI U offers many opportunities for packaging professionals and students to connect at the show, including a networking and interviewing event, CareerLink LIVE. To learn more, visitpackexpoeast.com/education/student-opportunities.

Cartons are stacked in a branded, standalone corrugated POS display positioned near the cooler.

Reusable Egg Carton in Pilot

Humane egg brand Pete and Gerry’s Organics offers durable PP egg cartons that consumers can fill with loose eggs in a pilot for a reusable packaging scheme.

Tom Szaky, founder and CEO of TerraCycle, Inc., and founder of Loop

How Safe is Reusable Packaging During COVID-19?

Last year, Loop launched its revolutionary shopping platform anchored by reusable packaging. Here, Tom Szaky, founder and CEO of TerraCycle and the driving force behind Loop, provides an update on the platform and how it’s faring in light of COVID-19.

EXPO PACK México Canceled Amid COVID-19 Concerns

EXPO PACK México Canceled Amid COVID-19 Concerns

The CVP Impack, formerly the CVP-500, can create custom-fit boxes for single or multiple-item orders at a rate of one box per every seven seconds.

E-Tailer Reduces Packaging with Fit-to-Size Auto-Boxer

Outdoor lifestyle brand IFG enhances order packing efficiency with two new automatic box-making machines that reduce corrugated by 39,000 cu ft/year and increase packing speeds 15-fold.

UnPACKED with PMMI podcast: CPGs need to face fears over remote monitoring.

OEM COVID-19 #6: Overcoming Hesitations Around Remote Access

UnPACKED with PMMI podcast shines a light on the safe use of remote monitoring

COVID-19: TC Transcontinental Packaging's Response

During the COVID-19 global pandemic, TC Transcontinental Packaging is supporting the vital food industry, a sector considered critical by governments, and contribute to the maintenance of essential services in communities.

Fabri Kal Face Shields

Fabri-Kal Partners with Local Companies to Produce Medical Face Shields

Fabri-Kal is producing medical face shields for local healthcare workers. In less than one week, the Fabri-Kal team quickly came together to develop a plan to meet this critical need.

Market Snapshot: Frozen Food

Growth of frozen food market declined overall, but trends towards plant-based ice cream and healthy options for pizza and frozen entrees are leading growth areas, while flexible packaging gains ground as a packaging format.

Supermarket retail shelves could barely remain in stock in the first days of the crisis. Meanwhile, bulk product for foodservice, bars, and restaurants has suffered.

COVID-19 Survey: Foodservice/Retail Imbalance Roils CPG Industry

Some CPG and food/bev manufacturer respondents to PW's survey on COVID-19 can barely keep up with demand. Others lost huge customers overnight. Meanwhile, everyone shares workforce safety and labor concerns.

Paxiom Automation Launches New Website

Paxiom Automation, a packaging system integration and service company, announced the launch of its new website PaxiomAutomation.com making it easier for clients to access all ranges of services in one portal.

The 'humanization' of our pets (seeking the fresh and natural ingredients you want for yourself) is a trend driving new product and packaging formats.

Pet Food Manufacturers Look to OEMs and Contract Packagers to Stay Competitive

A new report from PMMI Business Intelligence tracks drivers in pet food market. Dog and cat food manufacturers require more versatile machinery and scalability to meet future demand, as well as co-packers and manufacturers to control capital expenditures.

Mark O'Malley, President, CPA -- The Association for Contract Packagers and Manufacturers

CPA in 2020: ‘Dynamic and Active’

CPA President Mark O’Malley shares news on the association’s recent Annual Meeting as well as on upcoming initiatives and opportunities for members.

Pw 190520 Somic Logoclaim Cmyk 0

Somic Operations Proceed in Germany and North America with COVID-19 Measures in Place

Somic is informing customers about the necessary steps it has taken to allow its facilities for end-of-line retail packaging machinery to remain open in Germany and North America during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Delkor Cabrio Case&circledR;, used here for Trolli candy, provides reliable product protection in transit and converts to a shelf-ready display without ragged edges.

5 Drivers of the Retail-Ready Packaging Market

Among them, advantages of RRP for retail, suitability for use in c-stores and discount stores, and brand interactivity.

Chad Crouch Appointed to U.S. Department of Commerce North Texas District Export Council

Authentix, a manufacturer of authentication solutions, announced that Chad Crouch, Vice President of Revenue Operations, was appointed by the Department of Commerce to the North Texas District Export Council.

Recreational and medical cannabis deemed essential to cope with 'stay-at-home' orders.

Cannabis and the Coronavirus

Medical and recreational cannabis growers and retailers deemed essential services to help Americans cope with “stay-at-home” orders.

Excellence In Reusable Packaging Award

Call for Applications: 2020 Excellence in Reusable Packaging Award

The Reusable Packaging Association (RPA) announced the opening of the application period for the 9th annual Excellence in Reusable Packaging Award.

Placon Scales Up for Production of PPE Face Shields

Placon has scaled up production in two of its manufacturing facilities to help get plastic PPE to healthcare workers during this pandemic.

John Sinks Named CEO of Magnum Systems

John Sinks was appointed CEO of Magnum Systems, Inc., a manufacture of bulk solids pneumatic conveying and packaging automation systems. He assumed responsibilities on Monday, March 23, 2020.

Getty Images 1126880991

Without Wholesale Venues, Brands Reaching Out to Consumer

Social media, e-commerce and donations to those in need are various ways brands are trying to directly reach consumers in light of COVID-19 cancellations and closures.

More in Issues

Screen Shot 2020 03 30 At 2 59 06 Pm

COVID-19 Survey: Early Results Reflect CPGs' Current Resolve, Future Uncertainty

Responses indicate that companies producing packaged goods tend to be “So far, so good, all things considered” as one phrased it, and supply chains remain intact. But when asked to forecast into the future, there's far less consensus.

Concerns over the long-term impact of the coronavirus outbreak on key European recycling markets sharply escalated last week following the adoption of further containment measures across the continent.

European Recycling Markets Reel from Coronavirus

Changes in consumer behavior, the reduced cost of virgin materials, logistics disruptions and other trends driven by COVID-19 may have a lasting effect on the European recycling industry.

Anne Marie Mohan, Editor, Contract Packaging magazine

CBD: Cooperation to Outdo Competition

At the CPA 2020 Annual Meeting, Bruce Bernstein, President of UBIX Processing, talks about the opportunities for CPGs and contract packagers in the growing CBD market.

An Appeal to Support Our Essential Services and Critical Infrastructure Workers

The COVID-19 pandemic is proving to be a tremendous global challenge that we must work together to defeat. Now, our essential and critical workers are being relied upon to provide the services we expect every day and we must do everything to support them.

PACK EXPO Rewind: Risk Assessment

Hear PMMI’s Bruce Main, Safety Expert and Technical Advisor, and Sean Riley, Senior Director of Media & Industry Communications discussion of risk assessment at PACK EXPO East earlier this month.

According to PMMI Business Intelligence, a move to smaller dogs is driving a change to smaller packaging formats.

Pet Food Market Shows Solid Growth through 2025

The U.S. leads the world in pet food sales, says a new study from PMMI Business Intelligence, as pet owners around the world seek fresher, healthier and ethically produced ingredients—the same as they expect for themselves.

Skye Clarke (front) and Sam Epperson (back) of Cardinal Spirits fill bottles of hand sanitizer that are headed to a senior living community.

Distilleries Refit to Fill Hand-Sanitizer Gap

During World War II, Ford made tanks instead of cars and Maytag made plane parts instead of washing machines. With hand sanitizer being the small-arms munitions of today’s pandemic crisis, cosmetics and distilleries are joining the war effort.

Master motivator Dan Clark provided the keynote for the 2020 CPA Annual Meeting.

CPA’s 2020 Annual Meeting a Huge Success

CPA – The Association for Contract Packagers and Manufacturers shares news on its recent Annual Meeting, the PACK EXPO East Sourcing Center, and upcoming events.

COVID-19’s Impact on the Canadian Market

OEM COVID-19 #5: BellatRx & Mpac Langen

UnPACKED with PMMI podcast with Canadian OEMs highlights communication early and often.

Getty Images Empty Store Shelves (1)

The Potential of ERP Amid a Pandemic

Automation on the plant floor can keep production flowing to refill store shelves. But the biggest problem manufacturers face right now is a disruption to the supply chain.

Ossid Hires Western Regional Sales Manager

Ossid, a ProMach brand, appointed Ty Threedy as its Western Regional Sales Manager.

Getty Images 82633841

Why Women are Under-Represented in the C-Suite

If companies with more women in leadership roles have greater innovation, increased productivity, higher employee satisfaction, and higher employee retention, why are there so few in the C suite?