Don't read this section!

1. Focus on integration. Now that packaging machinery has become increasingly sophisticated, we must all learn how to connect all these components and machines in a way that squeezes the last ounce out of line efficiency. True, controls engineers will be the ones actually wiring this gear together. But they take their direction from you. You must be able to articulate a coherent packaging line strategy, which can then be programmed into the DNA of your packaging lines. But unless you understand what’s theoretically possible, you’ll be cheating yourself out of some of the very best that technology has to offer.

2. Focus on management. For our readers in larger companies that already have networked lines, management is demanding more sophisticated data acquisition and analysis capabilities. We’ll go into the most modern plants to find out how leading manufacturers are responding to this challenge.

3. Focus on education. Let’s face it. Some of this stuff is hard to understand. Our popular Controls & Integration poster, published annually in the fall, is a huge step forward in showing how these technologies are actually applied in packaging. If you’re stuck on servos or fuzzy on fieldbuses, the poster will bring you up to speed on the basics. Look for a completely updated version of the poster in the September issue.

4. Focus on machine builders. If you’re a controls design engineer at a packaging machinery builder, you’ll also want to read this section. Learn how other machine builders are using the latest controls to completely redesign from the ground up using state-of-the-art automation technologies.

Give us a read. We’re keeping the articles short and focused on business benefits, not bits and bytes. We think you’ll like this approach, as well as the new look, courtesy of our art director, Dave Bacho. If you have some thoughts to share on what we write about and how we write it, e-mail me at [email protected].