Conveying & accumulation

Controls push speed limit

U.S. Sugar fills two 5-lb bags/sec with better than ±0.1% accuracy thanks to a state-of-the-art sugar-filling line powered by the latest in servo drive, PLC and networking technology.

February 29, 2000

Containers & Closures: Page 220

Converting equipment

Chemical maker's new IBC closes the loop

A durable container’s recycling program prompts a chemical manufacturer to invest in new IBCs to transport its chemicals across the country.

February 29, 2000

Flexibles

Chemicals take to water-soluble film

Water-soluble film played a key role in a recent packaging innovation at Chemenergy of Albany, NY.

February 29, 2000

Sustainability

Food packs sparkle in DuPont Awards

From an Ocean Spray package that won the Diamond Award to a vacuum-insulated container for foods and other temperature-sensitive products, this year’s DuPont Award winners are an eclectic and innovative bunch.

January 31, 2000

Controls & Machine Components

CCL Container: Decorative tubes

Cosmetics, toiletries and other personal-care products packaged in a tube can now use the Optical Effects™ tubes from CCL Container (Swedesboro, NJ).

January 31, 2000

Containers

Postal service spends $66 million for tray handling

Last fall, the U.S. Postal Service awarded a $66 million contract for 100 robotic container loading systems to ABB Flexible Automation (New Berlin, WI).

January 31, 2000

Coding, Printing & Labeling

Drumming up e-business (sidebar)

Capsule reviews

January 31, 2000

Containers

Drumming up e-business

Making it easier for packagers to re-order packaging materials is an obvious way for suppliers and buyers to take advantage of the Internet. One supplier that’s doing just that is Myers Container (www.myerscontainer.com), a steel drum manufacturer.

January 31, 2000

Conveying & accumulation

Palletizers lift Marcal's efficiency

Robotic and in-line palletizers automate what had been primarily a manual process at Marcal Paper Mills’ Elmwood Park, NJ, plant. A two-year system payback is anticipated.

January 31, 2000

Coding, Printing & Labeling

Supplier news: International agreements

IWKA AG (Karlsruhe, Germany) has taken over the packaging technology div. of Jagenberg AG (Düsseldorf, Germany). Concurrently, IWKA has sold its defense technology div.

December 31, 1999

Feeding/inserting/unscrambling

Vac-U-Max: Powder conveying system

Vac-U-Max (Belleville, NJ) introduces the Model PB pneumatic conveying system for dry powders. Through a 48”-L wand and vacuum hoses, product is vacuumed from drums into feeders equipped with a discharge spout positioned above either a primary package or a tank on a filling machine.

December 31, 1999

Filling/capping, dry

Filler for thick materials

The FA Model filler from Optima Maschinenfabrik (Schwäbisch Hall, Germany) can be used for filling powdered and lumpy bulk material into rigid containers.

December 31, 1999

Blisters/clamshells/skin packaging

Blister pack holds medical dosing device

Safe-T-Dose is an unusual dispensing product that becomes part of the package it’s inserted into to make it easy to dispense exact doses of liquid medicines without spills.

December 31, 1999