Leaders (UNIVERSAL TAXONOMY PW): Page 1625

Controls & Machine Components

Protective details

The Xbox console includes a variety of sensitive internal components including a hard drive, DVD drive, and a CPU. To protect the console during transportation and handling, Microsoft selected expanded polystyrene foam end caps.

November 30, 2001

Controls & Machine Components

Xbox box has 'game'

The graphics design for the much anticipated mid-November debut of Microsoft's Xbox game console strikes a balance for hard-core gamers and mainstream consumers. After soliciting concepts from several firms, Redmond, WA-based Microsoft awarded the design work to SBI and Company (Salt Lake City, UT).

November 30, 2001

Flexibles

Baking kits display holiday spirit

Betty Crocker has cooked up a timely product for the 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. Although introduced last year—and seasonally for Halloween—this winter's kits offer new features.

November 30, 2001

Coding, Printing & Labeling

Egg labeling kicks in

As of September 4, 2001, cartons of nonpasteurized eggs must bear a safe handling statement.

November 30, 2001

Closures

FDA eyeing changes in drug packaging regulations

FDA is finalizing its rule on reporting requirements for changes to drug packaging made after approval of a new drug application. Currently, the drug manufacturer need only note the changes in its annual report to FDA.

November 30, 2001

Controls & Machine Components

SERCOS N.A.: SERCOS conformance test

A new conformance test for SERCOS interface controls, servo drives, and I/O stations is now available from SERCOS N.A. (Bloomingdale, IL). Test software ensures that SERCOS interface products from various manufacturers are compatible and interoperable at the SERCOS Conformance Class A level.

November 30, 2001

Controls & Machine Components

ROY-G-BIV Corp.: Programming software

Extensions for Motion Control (XMC®) motion control communications software products from ROY-G-BIV (Bingen, WA) can help reduce the cost of programming motion controllers and decrease the time it takes to integrate motion systems with different machine control architectures.

November 30, 2001

Controls & Machine Components

Pacific Scientific: SERCOS-based drives

New PC840 servo drives series from Pacific Scientific (Rockford, IL) use SERCOS interface for closed-loop, real-time distributed control. The SERCOS chip ensures each drive receives update commands, such as positioning, velocity, or torque, from the controller as fast as every 500 microseconds.

November 30, 2001

Controls & Machine Components

Tri-Tronics Company: Tri-Tronics Company: Computer-controlled sensor

Tri-Tronics (Tampa, FL) has introduced the first photoelectric sensors that can be configured, adjusted and monitored directly from a computer, according to the company.

November 30, 2001

Controls & Machine Components

Efector, Inc: Efector, Inc: AS-I controller

ifm efector (Exton, PA) has released a SmartLogic™ unit that operates as an AS-i module with 4 inputs and 4 outputs. Module uses a programmable microprocessor with an 8-kb program memory that adds fast, local control functions to AS-i installations.

November 30, 2001

Controls & Machine Components

FEMC: FEMC: Piston fillers sport HMI

FEMC (Bedford Heights, OH) piston fillers are now equipped with Allen-Bradley programmable logic controllers and interfaces from Rockwell Automation (Milwaukee, WI) that control nearly every aspect of the filler’s operation.

November 30, 2001

Secondary Packaging

: Overwrapping machinery

Package Machinery Co. (West Springfield, MA) offers the FA-ST series of overwrapping machinery. Machines have been updated with servo-technology from Allen Bradley.

November 30, 2001