Machinery: Page 703

Controls & Machine Components

TURCK, Inc: Motor starter modules

New BL20 xStart motor starter modules from Turck allow 3-phase motor control to be connected to the same rack as standard I/O.

November 5, 2006

Controls & Machine Components

Oriental Motor USA: High-res step motors/drives

Oriental Motor has introduced the RoHS compliant CRK-M family of 5-phase step motors and drives, which includes 3 step motor and driver models that offer a basic step angle of 0.36º.

November 5, 2006

Controls & Machine Components

Ultra-compact PLC

Panasonic Electric Works has introduced an addition to its FPSigma ultra-compact PLC series with more advanced features to support more complex controls.

November 5, 2006

Blisters/clamshells/skin packaging

UF squeezes out more R&D projects

From RFID to barrier containers to shelf life prediction, there's more to packaging research at the University of Florida than even staff expected.

November 5, 2006

Flexible packaging

Nothing nutty about this bagging system

The need to pre-mix spices and sugar in small batches is an inconvenience that has been overcome since this purveyor of nuts implemented a dosing/bagging upgrade.

November 5, 2006

Feeding/inserting/unscrambling

Want innovation that drives sales? Slow down

Inventive package structures require at least 18 months, but economic pressure too often speeds up the design. Approach innovation as a cross-functional process, two gurus say.

November 5, 2006

Coding, Printing & Labeling

California dreamin'

Drug ‘pedigree' compromise in Golden State has RFID vendors expecting wider drug industry adoption.

November 5, 2006

Coding, Printing & Labeling

Web Plus

New or Enhanced websites

November 5, 2006

Labels

Tamper-evident RFID

It's another sign of the times we live in that authentication technologies, including RFID tags, may themselves need to be made tamper-evident to indicate when they've been messed with.

November 5, 2006

Converting equipment

Missing: one extruder

Maybe you were as surprised as I was to hear about the major recall from Ross Products for its 32-oz plastic bottles of Similac.

November 5, 2006

Sustainability

Water, water is everywhere, perhaps not what you think

When it comes to bottled water, there is more to it than you may think, and less to it than you may think.

November 5, 2006

Conveying & accumulation

Dow upgrades straw application operations

Midland, MI-based Dow Chemical Company is using an EZ-Seal® 300 SL heat shrink-sleeve applicator from Axon (www.axoncorp.com) to improve tamper-evidence and straw application for its line of Great Stuff insulating foam sealant products.

November 5, 2006