Conveying & accumulation

A new record for distributed control

Music distributor Valley Media cuts downtime by more than 50% on its newest labeling/sortation/collating line. A network of micro PLCs controls the line as well as gathers performance data to speed troubleshooting.

September 30, 1998

Controls & machine components: Page 353

Controls & Machine Components

The color of branding (sidebar)

What colors mean

September 30, 1998

Controls & Machine Components

Smart systems improve line efficiency

The more packagers know about their equipment, the better they can fine-tune it. Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition software has already proven a benefit to some packagers. Part one of a two-part analysis.

September 30, 1998

Controls & Machine Components

Smart systems improve line efficiency (sidebar)

What is SCADA?

September 30, 1998

Controls & Machine Components

Supplier news: Domestic acquisitions, agreements

Ormec (Rochester, NY) has purchased Westamp (Chatsworth, CA), a maker of servo drives, which will operate as Ormec's new UltraDrive Div.

September 30, 1998

Controls & Machine Components

Laminations: Paperboard edge protector

VBoard® Plus is a laminated paperboard edge protector with a soft, inner liner designed to prevent damage to shipments of wood or metal furniture, as well as plastic, steel and glass products with delicate surfaces.

August 31, 1998

Controls & Machine Components

Macro Engineering: Macro Engineering: High-capacity extruders

World Standard sheet extrusion systems from Welex (Blue Bell, PA) now incorporate either 5" (2겨 lb/hr) or 6" (3겨 lb/hr) vented Mark III extruders, take-offs with integral winders, hydraulic screen changer and a gear pump and static mixer.

August 31, 1998

Controls & Machine Components

PLC Direct: HMI software

Lookout® Direct is an operator interface software package from PLC Direct (Cumming, GA). Priced at $1귏 for the development/run-time package and $995 for the run-time only package, Lookout Direct is a 32-bit application powered by Windows(TM) 95/98 or Windows NT.

August 31, 1998

Controls & Machine Components

LIR-USA Mfg. Co.: Airtight compact

Polaris I from LIR-USA (Yaphank, NY) is said to be the first hermetically sealed compact. Made of injection-molded SAN, the stock compact is composed of a shell cover, a shell base, annular platform/airtight lid, mirror and push button.

August 31, 1998

Controls & Machine Components

Color control software

Datacolor (Detlikon, Germany) will release color control software that defines color quality standards. ColorTools QC provides macro-functions that make it possible to activate frequent commands or settings.

August 31, 1998

Controls & Machine Components

GRAFCO PET Packaging Technologies: Gripped square container

Grafco PET Packaging Technologies (Hanover, MD) introduces a new 128-oz PET gripped square container suitable for packaging pet products and dry foods.

August 31, 1998

Controls & Machine Components

Dip Seal Plastics, Inc: Protective coatings

Custom-colored thermal plastic coatings said to provide protection to packages during shipment are offered by Dip Seal Plastics (Rockford, IL). The company says that besides offering protection, the coatings provide a way to set products apart from the competition at retail.

August 31, 1998

Controls & Machine Components

Siemens Industry Inc: Financing programs

Siemens Energy & Automation, Inc. (Alpharetta, GA), together with Siemens Credit Corp., have introduced the "Siemens Solution," a partnership that provides customized financing programs for OEMs and manufacturing operations.

August 31, 1998