Controls & Machine Components

Wake up and smell the standards!

Attention packaging machine buyers. Take this quick quiz: Are you fed up with trying to maintain increasingly computerized packaging equipment, networks, and plants?

November 30, 2001

Leaders (UNIVERSAL TAXONOMY PW): Page 1628

Conveying & accumulation

Scale system shines at Diamond

A twin-head, triple-pan scale system at Diamond of California’s Robertsdale, AL, plant reduces giveaway, lessens labor costs, and saves on forklift rental costs.

November 30, 2001

Flexibles

Web of confusion

EPA’s proposed clean air standard is likely to cost packagers, one way or another, in add-on costs by manufacturers or converters.

November 30, 2001

Blisters/clamshells/skin packaging

Label print station cuts fulfillment costs

American Tack & Hardware upgrades label printers for speed and quality images and gets healthy savings in the bargain.

November 30, 2001

Controls & Machine Components

Rockwell Automation: AC motors brochure

Rockwell Automation (Greenville, SC) has published a brochure describing Reliance® variable speed AC motors. Brochure features 1/3 to 2귔 hp inverter-duty motors.

October 31, 2001

Flexible packaging

Listerine packs strips in 'vials'

Pfizer Consumer Healthcare, Morris Plains, NJ, debuts Cool Mint Listerine PocketPaks™, tiny hinged "vials" within a carded blister pack. The vials, which measure 1 3/4’’ x 1’’ x 1/4’’, contain paper-thin, postage stamp-sized oral care strips. The strips dissolve instantly on the tongue where they kill germs on contact.

October 31, 2001

Coding, Printing & Labeling

Choline claims approved

FDA will allow a nutrient content claim for choline submitted by Central Soya Co., Inc. Labels of food or dietary supplements may characterize the level of choline as "Good source of choline," "Contains choline," "Provides choline," "Excellent source of choline," "Rich in choline," and "High in choline."

October 31, 2001

Coding, Printing & Labeling

And for oxycontin

Concerned about growing numbers of reports of diversion and abuse of the drug oxycontin, FDA strengthened the warnings and precautions sections in the labeling of the prescription drug used to treat moderate to severe pain.

October 31, 2001

Closures

Achievements

Owens-Brockway Closure (Toledo, OH) was named the 2001 Manufacturer of the year by the National Assn. of Container Distributors. —ISO 9001 Certification: Liberty Carton (Golden Valley, MN).

October 31, 2001

Coding, Printing & Labeling

Holding it together

USDA has issued a final rule requiring labeling of natural sausage casings if they are derived from a different type of meat or poultry than the sausage.

October 31, 2001

Coding, Printing & Labeling

Non-GE labels misleading, says CSPI

The Center for Science in the Public Interest has called on FDA to take action against seven food manufacturers for making false and misleading label claims related to the absence of genetically engineered ingredients.

October 31, 2001

Flexible packaging

NECCO mints in a snap

New high-intensity Ultra mints from NECCO (New England Confectionery Co.) reached national retail stores in June packed in a 4 1/2-oz, 1.4-mil polypropylene bag with a laminated cast PP snap closure.

October 31, 2001

Converting equipment

Paperboard substrate

Forte™, a new packaging substrate from Westvaco (Stamford, CT) is a 36-pt solid fiber board that provides compression strength equal to or greater than F, G, or N mini-flute board.

October 31, 2001