Controls & Machine Components

Amacoil, Inc: Design options for linear drive speed control

Uhing “rolling ring” drives from Amacoil, Uhing’s exclusive North American distributor, now feature 2 design options for adjustment of linear speed, neither of which requires electronic controls or programming.

October 31, 2004

Machinery: Page 799

Controls & Machine Components

National Instruments: Motion control software

National Instruments’ LabVIEW graphical development software creates customized motion controllers for any platform with the company’s SoftMotion technology.

October 31, 2004

Controls & Machine Components

Transducer indicator/conditioner

Model SC500 transducer indicator/conditioner from Honeywell offers small size (1/8 DIN), 3 transducer input options (strain gauge, high-level, and LVDT), and 5 output options (including RS-232 and RS-485).

October 31, 2004

Flexible packaging

Clemson opens center for flexible packaging

In October, Clemson University’s Department of Packaging Science officially opened CEFPACK, a new center for research, development, evaluation, and application of advanced materials and packages.

October 31, 2004

Coding, Printing & Labeling

The China Syndrome

In going forward with radio-frequency identification, there are three initials that are fundamental because they encompass all aspects of the challenge.

October 31, 2004

Coding, Printing & Labeling

Companies

Sun Chemical Corp.

October 31, 2004

Coding, Printing & Labeling

Sites

New or enhanced Web sites

October 31, 2004

Coding, Printing & Labeling

Newly-designed labeling Web site goes live

A new “Live Help” feature gives registered visitors to this Web site instant access to a live person who can answer questions pertaining to their labelers.

October 31, 2004

Coding, Printing & Labeling

FDA ruling

Over-the-counter sunscreen products will not have to implement the new drug facts rule establishing standardized format and content requirements for labeling OTC drugs until the Food and Drug Administration finishes additional rule making for sunscreens.

October 31, 2004

Coding, Printing & Labeling

Labeling and obesity

In testimony before the House Subcommittee on Human Rights and Wellness, September 15, 2004, NFPA said the nutrition information on food packaging can play an important role in addressing obesity.

October 31, 2004

Coding, Printing & Labeling

Soy or not

The Japanese are pressing the UN Codex Alimentarius Commission to set an international standard for the manufacture and labeling of soy sauce. Japan, for both commercial and cultural reasons, wants the standard to be based on the traditional “natural brewing” process that blends wheat, soybeans, and a mold and lets it ferment for several months before being refined.

October 31, 2004

Coding, Printing & Labeling

Cost of materials causing shifts

Survey shows that manufacturers are indeed feeling the effects of cost increases in packaging materials. Changing specs and suppliers are two remedies.

October 31, 2004

Coding, Printing & Labeling

RFID investments (sidebar)

The survey also asked participants whether their companies had invested time or money into investigating radio-frequency identification (RFID) tags for their packaging operations during the last year.

October 31, 2004