Secondary Packaging

UF project meshes bar code and RFID technology

Research at the University of Florida on a productivity-tracking system for manual case packing is receiving an RFID-enabled boost using a multifunctional device.

December 31, 2004

Machinery: Page 791

Coding, Printing & Labeling

MIT's economical RFID field probe

The Auto-ID Labs have developed an inexpensive field probe that emulates an RFID tag, but yields much more robust information than simple trial-and-error, pass or fail testing.

December 31, 2004

Coding, Printing & Labeling

The Packaging Pushback Club

Who knows what excuses slow RFID acceptance and implementation? RFID authority John Greaves of Deloitte Consulting does, and identifies these maligned scapegoats.

December 31, 2004

Coding, Printing & Labeling

RFID one-on-one with Kevin Ashton Part 1

RFID Antenna exclusive: RFID authority Kevin Ashton, co-founder of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s Auto-ID Center and now vice president of marketing with RFID reader vendor ThingMagic, provides insights and observations in this exclusive interview conducted in December. Part 2 concludes next month.

December 31, 2004

Coding, Printing & Labeling

EPCglobal ratifies Generation 2 standard

Standards organization EPCglobal announced the ratification of the royalty-free EPCglobal UHF Generation 2 candidate specification in mid-December.

December 31, 2004

Coding, Printing & Labeling

Full-color label/tag printer

The LX800 color label printer from Primera Technology prints high-quality bar codes as well as full-color text, graphics, and photos.

December 31, 2004

Secondary Packaging

Semi-automatic stretchwrapping

Wulftec offers its new Smart Series of low- and high-profile stretchwrap turntables. Company says that customers benefit from all the advantages of a custom-built semi-automatic stretchwrapper, but without the high costs and long waiting times.

December 31, 2004

Coding, Printing & Labeling

SATO America, Inc. Unveils New Class of Powerful and Intelligent Barcode Printers

Fast, intelligent Web-enabled GTe Series sets the standard for industrial barcode printers

December 31, 2004

Controls & Machine Components

Packagers to benefit from ISA--OMAC merger

ELAU, with ties to ISA and OMAC, already sees a convergence in the Make2Pack initiative, integrating best of breed automation solutions across the supply chain.

December 31, 2004

Closures

FDA's subtle supplement message

Agency pushes ‘gently’ to achieve more accurate information on dietary supplement product labels.

December 31, 2004

Controls & machine components

How to build more saleable machinery

A January 10 visit to Westpack, sponsored by Canon Communications, included a stop at the booth of Omron, a provider of manufacturing automation and control solutions. In a conversation about packaging machinery OEMs and the machine characteristics that add value in today’s manufacturing environment, the Omron brain trust offered these suggestions:

December 31, 2004

Controls & Machine Components

OMAC and ISA to merge

On January 17, the OMAC Board of Directors announced that it has started detailed planning activities which will lead to a merger with ISA (The Instrumentation, Systems, and Automation Society).

December 31, 2004

Labels

Cut heat shrink label costs by up to 80%

New high speed, high quality shrink labeling machinery uses roll-fed material in place of sleeves that cost 3-5X more.

December 31, 2004