Controls & Machine Components

How electronic controls impact equipment costs

In mid-December, the top engineering management at Hershey Foods, Hershey, PA, asked Rick Lidington of R.A. Jones to give a presentation that touched on some current packaging equipment trends. Packaging World was invited to listen in.

January 31, 2002

Leaders (UNIVERSAL TAXONOMY PW): Page 1613

Secondary Packaging

Making your packaging company a cult brand

What do Jack Daniels Whiskey and packaging have in common? Both are price-sensitive commodities with distinctive characteristics operating in highly competitive markets. But, how many packaging companies command such customer devotion that price is not a major consideration?

January 31, 2002

Controls & Machine Components

Laser measurement

Siko’s (Dexter, MI) laser measurement system gathers measuring values with millimeter resolution. Output signals can be directly displayed or interfaced to any standard PLC or NC controller.

January 31, 2002

Blisters/clamshells/thermoforming materials

Speedy packing service 'Xpress'es itself

When Zebra Pen needs to fill orders for its major retail customers in a hurry, the Edison, NJ-based company often turns to CardPak (Solon, OH) and its XpressCombo service to print the blister cards for its packs of pens, markers, and pencils.

January 31, 2002

Flexibles

Conference for closures

A two-day conference on closures for flexible packaging, Flexcor 2002, will be held March 6-7, at the Sofitel Chicago O’Hare Hotel in Rosemont, IL.

January 31, 2002

Closures

'Tall blonde' bottle proves versatile

Southerners have a new beer option from Carolina Beer & Beverage, LLC, a regional craft brewer in Mooresville, NC: Tall blonde, a 16-oz longneck PET barrier bottle containing a light pilsner-style brew.

January 31, 2002

Flexibles

Shapely canisters treat cookies, dog food

Distinctive tapered canisters with rounded corners are creating differentiation for products in two separate categories, and in two different countries. In the United States, Dayton, OH-based Iams Company in November began to use the Linearpak® container for its new Eukanuba Healthy Extras Biscuits.

January 31, 2002

Contract Packaging

Q&A: Promotional multipacks

Steve Ruble, senior packaging engineer at Lexington, KY-based Ashland, Inc., owner of the well-known Valvoline brand motor oil.

January 31, 2002

Labels

Redesigned syrup container

Jefferson, TX-based Blackburn Syrup challenged TricorBraun’s (St. Louis, MO) design group to redesign its 24-oz clarified polypropylene syrup bottle. The extrusion-blown bottle is created from a six-cavity mold designed by TricorBraun.

January 31, 2002

Flexibles

Design: Baking kits display holiday spirit

Betty Crocker cooked up a timely product for the recent season: Holiday baking kits in four varieties. The kits from Minneapolis, MN-based General Mills are packaged in creative and colorful boxes with precision die cuts.

January 31, 2002

Conveying & accumulation

Web Plus: Online auction gathers equipment buyers

More than 70 online bidders spent last Halloween bidding for “treats” that included used and new automated bagging equipment, printers, and conveyors.

January 31, 2002

Converting equipment

Web Plus: Sites

New or enhanced Web sites

January 31, 2002

Converting equipment

Industry watch: Companies

Marconi Data Systems Inc. (Wood Dale, IL) has signed a definitive agreement with Danaher Corp. (Washington, D.C.) where Danaher will purchase Marconi Data Systems for $400 million USD.

January 31, 2002