Controls & Machine Components

Gen3's genesis

Have you noticed packaging automation suppliers making the claim that they are ‘third generation?’ What’s it mean? And if it is good, how can you tell that a machine really is ‘Gen3?’

January 31, 2003

Leaders (UNIVERSAL TAXONOMY PW): Page 1563

Conveying & accumulation

ProMat 2003 attracts 37,900 visitors

Attendance at ProMat 2003, held in Chicago the week of February 10th, seems to signal an improving business environment, according to show sponsor The Material Handling Industry of America.

January 31, 2003

Flexibles

Rexam Healthcare gets new pouch machines

Rexam Healthcare Flexibles (Mundelein, IL) has installed two new pouch machines in a newly constructed “white” room dedicated to pouchmaking within the Mundelein, IL-based facility.

January 31, 2003

Sustainability

Stonyfield Farm blows its cover

Stonyfield Farm, the Londonderry, NH-based organic yogurt manufacturer, replaced the plastic lid and plastic inner seal on its 6- and 8-oz cups with a durable foil seal at the end of December 2002.

January 31, 2003

Sustainable Packaging

Bio-based polymer for produce

Bologna, Italy-based Ilip announces it is designing and manufacturing packaging for fresh produce using NatureWorks PLA from Cargill Dow LLC (Minnetonka, MN).

January 31, 2003

Coding, Printing & Labeling

Vision labeling system

Now available with SelfSet technology, the Hawk labeler from CVC Technologies (Rancho Cucamonga, CA) includes memory capacity for saving and automatically setting up as many as 50 jobs.

January 31, 2003

Controls & Machine Components

Most-requested machine features

Quick changeover capabilities, flexibility, and fast speeds are the top three machine attributes most often requested by companies purchasing new packaging machinery, according to a recent survey of Packaging Machinery Manufacturers Institute (Arlington, VA) member companies.

January 31, 2003

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

Tri-Tronics Company: Tri-Tronics Company: Mark sensor

Tri-Tronics Co. (Tampa, FL) introduces a pulse-modulated photoelectric registration mark sensor that will detect color marks on most transparent and translucent packaging materials on a continuous web.

January 31, 2003

Secondary Packaging

Bosch Rexroth Corp., Electric Drives and Controls: Bosch Rexroth Corp., Electric Drives and Controls: Bosch Rexroth Corp., Electric Drives and Controls: Bosch Rexroth Corp., Electric Drives and Controls: Automation brochure

The new “Automation Solutions for Food and Packaging” brochure from Bosch Rexroth (Hoffman Estates, IL) highlights its integrated packaging systems for cookers, portioning, case packers, palletizers, bottling, egg packing, cartoning, and other applications.

January 31, 2003

Controls & Machine Components

Advanced Micro Controls Inc: Stepper controller module for ControlLogix

The Advanced Micro Controls (Terryville, CT) multiaxis stepper controller for the Allen-Bradley ControlLogix PLC is available as a 2-axis module with encoder feedback and can control velocity and position of 2 stepper motors simultaneously.

January 31, 2003

Closures

Capri Sun launches 'bottle can'

In February, Tarrytown, NY-based Kraft Foods Beverages Division introduced Capri Sun Island Refreshers in a 16.5-oz aluminum “bottle can.”

January 31, 2003

Additives, coatings & inks

PLASTIC TO DOMINATE CONTAINER DEMAND

Plastic Containers, a new 265-page study from Cleveland-based industrial research firm The Freedonia Group, forecasts United States plastic container production to rise more than 4% annually to 13.7 billion lb by 2006.

January 31, 2003

Blisters/clamshells/skin packaging

HCPC presses to review CR test protocols

In an effort to fill what it feels is a loophole in provisions, the Healthcare Compliance Packaging Council has “invited” the new chairman of the U.S.

January 31, 2003