Blisters/clamshells/thermoforming materials

Wish I had known earlier: vacuum packaging’s versatility

As packaging professionals, we all have things we know now that we wish we had known much earlier in our career. My “wish I had known earlier” relates to vacuum packaging.

March 1, 2015

Leaders (UNIVERSAL TAXONOMY PW): Page 767

Cartons and boxes

Tissue box designs encourage self-expression

To excite consumers’ creative side, fashion designer Betsey Johnson creates bright and bold graphics in four themes for Kleenex brand facial tissue.

March 1, 2015

Secondary Packaging

Semi-automatic case erector/pack station, sealer

The Bel 5150 from Wexxar/BEL, a Pro Mach company, is a semi-automatic case erector, pack station, and sealer all in one unit that features Dekka tape heads.

February 27, 2015

Secondary Packaging

Banding machine

The ATS Automatic banding machine from Wexler has a double infeed system for higher throughput, and because it uses a narrow band rather than shrink wrap, it scores serious sustainability points.

February 27, 2015

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

Quad-seal bag maker

Viking Masek Model MS 300 can be configured as continuous or intermittent motion. Makes quad seal bags on the fly and can adjust rapidly for different bag sizes.

February 27, 2015

Secondary Packaging

Quick-change tray former

Tray former from Nuspark operates at speeds to 60 cartons/min, is made of stainless steel, and offers lots of flexibility in terms of carton size and changeover.

February 27, 2015

Feeding/inserting/unscrambling

Bottle unscramble

Compact bottle unscrambler from New England Machinery, designed for the pharmaceutical industry, tightly integrates both hopper elevator and unscrambler to deliver high performance in a small footprint.

February 27, 2015

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

Ultrasonic sealing for vf/f/s

MS Plastic Welders makes ultrasonic sealing systems for packages made on vertical form/fill/seal systems. Benefits include material savings, speed, and seal security.

February 27, 2015

Coding, Printing & Labeling

High-def printer for pharma and more

Bell-Mark high-definition ink-jet printer does up to 600 dpi at up to 100 meters/minute. Originally designed for unique drug identification requirements in pharma, it can be integrated on a number of packaging machines where coding is required.

February 27, 2015

Secondary Packaging

Case erector has auto size change

Case erector and bottom taper from AFA Nordale uses sensors and sophisticated servo drives to switch automatically from one corrugated case size to another.

February 27, 2015

Secondary Packaging

Case erecting to case sealing

Case packing system introduced by Eagle Packaging Machinery for standup pouches goes from product to pallet. First is case erecting, then lane diverting, then case loading and sealing.

February 27, 2015

Sustainability

Craft beer selects can with 90% PCR content

Georgia’s oldest brewery selects a high-recycled content aluminum can for its products to align with its sustainability goals, without sacrificing the quality of its beer.

February 27, 2015

Controls & Machine Components

AutomationDirect: PLC programming software

AutomationDirect’s DirectSOFT6 PLC programming software, the 32-bit Windows certified programming software for the entire DirectLOGIC line of PLCs, provides faster status updates and contains many new and upgraded features to make ladder logic programming faster and easier.

February 27, 2015