Protective/transport packaging

The wrap-up: What kind of a packer are you?

Are you a precision, attacker, slacker, or wacky packer? You can take the UPS Store quiz to find out about your packaging style as you prepare to ship products for the holidays.

November 30, 2005

Leaders (UNIVERSAL TAXONOMY PW): Page 1428

Blisters/clamshells/skin packaging

Package turns, turns, turns

A new spin on the "wow" factor in packaging is intended to make heads turn at the point of purchase.

November 30, 2005

Bag/pouch fill/seal (pre-made bags)

Better access to machinery documentation

Machinery builders are making manuals, training, and troubleshooting easier for users by putting the documentation where it's needed most.

November 30, 2005

Sustainability

Club stores consider sustainable packaging

Environmentally friendly developments gain momentum at Sam's Club and other club stores.

November 30, 2005

Coding, Printing & Labeling

GPS track-and-trace demo

UCLA researchers demonstrate a wireless GPS-sensor tracking system that targets the cold chain and other applications.

November 30, 2005

Controls & Machine Components

FastPic Systems: Touchscreen interface

The new Touch Screen Graphic User Interface (GUI) from FastPic Systems provides inventory control in packaging inventory management, storage, and retrieval applications.

October 31, 2005

Controls & Machine Components

Igus Inc: Linear guide systems

Igus® offers DryLin® W linear guide systems, available in multiple rail configurations and styles to provide a range of design options. The low-cost, compact, easy-to-install systems are lightweight, self-lubricating, maintenance-free, and contaminant-resistant.

October 31, 2005

Feeding/inserting/unscrambling

Robotic software library

Elau has released its IEC-conforming robotic software object library for its PacDrive automation system. This approach allows the controller running the rest of the packaging process to control multiple robot arms as modules in the control software program.

October 31, 2005

Containers

Design for shoppers

Leverage the design process to build leadership brands in store.

October 31, 2005

Sustainable Packaging

How to achieve product differentiation? Don't stop there!

Most consumers’ shopping patterns are hardly rational. Engage them with package designs that use a consumer-focused mind-set rather than a product-oriented one.

October 31, 2005

Cartoning

Are you ready for lean design?

Opening presenter at PMMI’s annual meeting, ELAU NA president Christopher Zei described how packaging machine OEMs can reduce Total Cost to Develop along with packagers’ TCO.

October 31, 2005

Controls & Machine Components

PackML and PackTags in use at SABMiller

SABMiller in its Newlands Brewery near Cape Town, South Africa, is among the early adapters of PackML, an OMAC standard that defines machine states.

October 31, 2005

Flexibles

Nestlé's Traitler on equipment requirements

“We need increased flexibility from packaging equipment, yet if we sacrifice speed in achieving flexibility, we can’t achieve true cost optimization.”

October 31, 2005