Flexible packaging

Four-side-sealer homers for Clean Team

Clean Team, a San Diego maker of cleaning card products, speeds changeovers and lowers labor costs with an automated sealer. Pitched area allows for easy filling of liquid cleaning solution into the package.

September 30, 2001

Leaders (UNIVERSAL TAXONOMY PW): Page 1648

Conveying & accumulation

Quick changeover sets off production overhaul

Mug manufacturer Aladdin revamps its production facility with a family of seven hand-loaded semi-automatic shrink wrappers.

September 30, 2001

Conveying & accumulation

Big containers, big output done Nature's Way

Nature’s Way Purewater fills 180 1-gal containers/min and packs them into 3-count cases at a rate of 60 cases/min. New $4 million, 2000’-long line includes a case packer that accepts 2.5-gal containers, too. See in-plant video

September 30, 2001

Conveying & accumulation

Big containers, big output done Nature's Way (sidebar)

Bigger containers, shorter line

September 30, 2001

Conveying & accumulation

Three legs are better than one

Glass bottles of Rolling Rock beer run through paired fillers at 1길/min and then fan out to any one of three packaging legs. Eight operators ‘patrol’ the entire line. See in-plant video

September 30, 2001

Conveying & accumulation

Machinery brings the future to Latrobe

The front end of this glass line for 12-oz Rolling Rock beer is practically an operator-free zone. Laser-guided vehicles replenish packaging materials on demand. See in-plant video

September 30, 2001

Containers

PET developments refresh beverage and dairy applications

AriZona Beverages moves into a hot-filled PET longneck bottle, PET helps launch a carbonated dairy drink, PET/nylon/PET resists carbonation loss for Perrier’s new bottle, and an additive extends shelf life for the first PET-bottled milk in the U.K.

September 30, 2001

Blisters/clamshells/thermoforming materials

Integration issues squeeze machinery builders (sidebar)

Methodology

September 30, 2001

Flexible packaging

Integration issues squeeze machinery builders (sidebar)

Respondents: Packagers don’t appreciate engineering costs

September 30, 2001

Conveying & accumulation

Co-packer kicks production up a notch

A canister-style desiccant helps a pharmaceutical contract packer protect delicate product from moisture. Newly installed desiccant feeders boost production, enabling the company to package millions of units/month.

September 30, 2001

Flexibles

Pouch with pocket wins for Wyler's

New barrier materials and machine modifications permit unique ‘pouch within a pouch’ as Wyler’s switches from canister to flexible packaging.

September 30, 2001

Controls & Machine Components

TEC Engineering Corp.: Automation technology

TEC Engineering (Oxford, MA) has released a brochure describing the Zip-Tec high-speed overhead monorail system designed for unattended product handling.

August 31, 2001

Controls & Machine Components

GE Fanuc Automation: Machine software

GE Fanuc (Charlottesville, VA) announces the Cimplicity® Safe Gold and Platinum programs. The gold program provides customers with live technical support during business hours, free version upgrades, access to a knowledge-based Web site, and service-pack enhancements.

August 31, 2001