Controls & Machine Components

Electro Cam Corporation: PLS simplifies PLC setup

Electro Cam (Roscoe, IL) has introduced a PL-1746-C02/C03-R1-S Plug-in Module for Allen-Bradley PLCs that has the ability to turn on outputs based on a product-present input signal from sensors such as photocells or proximity switches.

February 28, 2002

Leaders (UNIVERSAL TAXONOMY PW): Page 1648

Controls & Machine Components

SICK, Inc: Safety light curtain

C4000 is a safety light curtain with a self-contained, noncontact control that combines high resolution with a small size. From Sick (Minneapolis, MN), it features a small-profile cross section with protective heights ranging from 300 mm to 1꼀 mm (1’ to 6’).

February 28, 2002

Controls & Machine Components

Pepperl + Fuchs: Ergonomic buttons

Pepperl+Fuchs (Twinsburg, OH) palm buttons are an ergonomic alternative to mechanical push buttons. A slight touch activates the button, helping to reduce repetitive motion injuries.

February 28, 2002

Controls & Machine Components

Phoenix Contact Inc: Safety relays

A line of devices that helps provide safety in packaging machinery is available from Phoenix Contact (Harrisburg, PA). The PSR safety relays are used in emergency stop circuits, safety door applications, and two-handed control systems.

February 28, 2002

Controls & Machine Components

Rockwell Automation: Portable, wireless HMIs

The Allen-Bradley MobileView portable, wireless human-machine interface (HMI) devices from Rockwell Automation (Milwaukee, WI) can be used while moving around a machine, down a production line, or throughout an entire plant for greater worker and plant productivity.

February 28, 2002

Controls & Machine Components

Sunx Sensors: Safety light curtain

The SF2-EH safety light curtain from Sunx Sensors, a div. of Ramco Innovations, (West Des Moines, IA) conforms to IEC 61496-1/2 international standards and is compatible with equipment conforming to OSHA, ANSI, and ANSI/RIA 15.06 regulations.

February 28, 2002

Secondary Packaging

Custom Building Products: Custom case packing for multiple bottle sizes

On a packaging line for bottles of building materials, case packing operations done for 16-oz oval bottles start with the servo driven laner followed by collation, case erection and cross-loading.

February 28, 2002

Blisters/clamshells/skin packaging

Understanding packaging security risks

More than 140 attendees at a recent PMMI conference heard from FDA and other officials about minimizing company security risks.

February 28, 2002

Labels

Shrink label decorates single-serve soymilk

In fall 2001, White Wave, Boulder, CO, launched its 11-oz single-serve soymilk Silk® with a 2-mil PVC shrink label from Seal-It (Farmingdale, NY). The graphics, including a splash of soymilk, are gravure-printed in 10 colors.

February 28, 2002

Flexibles

Sargento wins FPA Member's Choice Award

Sargento Cheese, Plymouth, WI, was honored with The FPA Member’s Choice Award for its reclosure feature used for its Chef Style shredded mozzarella cheese pouch.

February 28, 2002

Flow wrapping

OMAC readies pilot tests

A flurry of activity was announced this February at the OMAC Packaging Workgroup meeting in Orlando, FL, including at least two pilot tests on real packaging equipment.

February 28, 2002

Secondary Packaging

Palletizers

More compact, less expensive palletizers from Top Tier (Portland, OR) are said to operate faster than previous designs to more than 40 cases/min. New features include touch-screen controls, enhanced operator safety, more centered layers, and simplified maintenance.

February 28, 2002

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

Recloseable feature 'snaps' onto pretzel pack

At Snaxpo 2002, held February 16 - 19 in Chicago, Packaging World spotted printed prototype flexible film bags for Herr's 22-oz Sourdough Bite Size Hard Pretzels that included the Easy Snap™ closure system.

February 28, 2002