Conveying & accumulation

Online calculator conveys throughput gains

Web site uses mathematical algorithms to determine the most efficient place to install buffering conveyors.

May 31, 2002

Secondary Packaging: Page 238

Cartoning

Double vision for pizza improves

On three frozen pizza lines, Frozen Specialties upgrades to six Ethernet-linked machine-vision systems to check for damaged pizzas and unsealed carton flaps. See in-plant video

May 31, 2002

Secondary Packaging

Diamond of California: Automated case erector for bagged nuts

A key improvement to downstream packaging functions at Diamond of California is this automatic case erector. Erected cases are packed manually before tape is applied to top flaps (right) to seal them shut. An ink-jet system then prints best-before date, Julian date code, and line and shift codes.

April 30, 2002

Secondary Packaging

PVC tray protects Stilton cheeses

In England, the Tuxford and Tebbutt brand of the country’s potent white and blue Stilton cheeses has moved from overwraps to a new wedge-shaped thermoform from Anson Packaging (Cambridgeshire, England).

April 30, 2002

Secondary Packaging

European group acquires Canada's Wulftec

M.J. Maillis Group announced April 22 the acquisition of stretch wrapping equipment manufacturer Wulftec International Inc. (Ayer’s Cliff, Québec, Canada).

March 31, 2002

Cartoning

Johanna Foods touts new look for yogurt and juice

A full-body shrink-sleeve label replaces a paper label on tapered cups of Johanna Foods' reformulated La Yogurt. Meanwhile, 'extended long-life' equipment provides 70-day refrigerated shelf life for juices in 'on-the-go' cartons.

March 31, 2002

Cartoning

Web Plus: Sites

New or enhanced Web sites

March 31, 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

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

Secondary Packaging

Giddings & Lewis Controls Measurement and Sensing: High-speed servo motors

Two new lines of Centurion™ servo motors from Giddings & Lewis (Fond du Lac, WI) feature high speed and fast acceleration. The low- and medium-rotor inertia XSM servo motors are ideal for demanding indexing applications, including wrapping and cartoning.

February 28, 2002

Secondary Packaging

Hershey speaks out

Hershey Foods engineers speak candidly about standardization, globalization, obsolescence, modularity, and harmonizing end user and machine builder standards.

February 28, 2002

Secondary Packaging

Making your packaging company a cult brand

What do Jack Daniels Whiskey and packaging have in common? Both are price-sensitive commodities with distinctive characteristics operating in highly competitive markets. But, how many packaging companies command such customer devotion that price is not a major consideration?

January 31, 2002

Flexible packaging

Suppliers focus more on contract packagers

Many packaging suppliers have realized a shift in sales toward contract packagers. Some say CP business has helped ‘sustain’ their companies.

January 31, 2002