Controls & Machine Components

Washdown Requirements Drive HF/F/S OEM to Magnetic Transport

Bartelt Packaging built its MAG Series of pouching machines around Beckhoff’s XTS magnetic transport and PC-based controls to handle washdown environments and frequent pouch format changes.

October 6, 2026

Digital Transformation

Digital Transformation

Why Obsolete Software Doesn't Retire the Way a Part Does

Physical components can be backstocked but software can't. For obsolete digital systems, the real risk is a firmware support window that quietly closes and takes cybersecurity protection with it.

September 18, 2026

Sustainability

Sustainability Audits Move From Optional to Expected for OEMs

A growing share of CPG customers want visibility into supplier sustainability practices, and OEMs that build audit-ready data now will avoid scrambling later.

August 14, 2026

Digital Transformation

Inside interpack 2026: A Virtual Tour of Machinery, Materials, and Market Trends

Couldn't make the trip to interpack? Our editors are bringing the show to you with curated coverage of the top innovations and expert insights from the event.

August 10, 2026

Package Printing

Zavida Coffee Roasters Bets On Digitally Printed Corrugated

For Canadian roaster, a risky move into a new format becomes a best-in-class shipper for pods.

July 30, 2026

Logistics/Supply Chain

Walmart: FSMA 204 Compliance as the Floor, Not the Ceiling

At GS1 Connect last month, Walmart’s Ed Bonin argued that the same item-level data that brand owners and CPGs collect to satisfy FSMA 204 can become a freshness intelligence layer. It can score every lot, reroute fresh product before it spoils, and finally show growers what happens after the loading dock.

July 29, 2026

Logistics/Supply Chain

Pilot from Walmart, Hanes/Gildan Teaches Cartons to Talk via RFID, 2D

A GS1 US initiative nicknamed Operation Brilliance gave 30,000 apparel cartons a web address of their own. The eight-week pilot gave Walmart and Hanesbrands (now Gildan) their first true end-to-end view of what actually moves through the supply chain.

July 23, 2026

Stretch wrapping/load stabilization

Coca-Cola Bottler Cuts Stretch Film Costs 20% with IoT Monitoring

By putting sensors on every automatic stretch wrapper in its network, the bottler tracks more than 6 million loads a year, has cut film costs 20%. Today, AI is being applied to the system to push the bottler's savings even further.

July 20, 2026

Digital Transformation

Robotics Industry ‘Poised for an Explosion of Growth’

Automation leaders say the next wave of robotics growth will depend on systems that are simpler to use, easier to maintain, and able to improve after deployment, with humanoid robots adding new questions around task, form, and safety.

July 9, 2026

Logistics/Supply Chain

'Hard and Messy': What Sysco Learned by Getting Out in Front of EPR Reporting

Packaged food distributor Sysco started building its EPR data infrastructure two years ago, before most brand owners knew they would need one. Now, fees are live. Here's what a sustainability director at Sysco learned when she looked around and realized she was ahead of the curve.

July 7, 2026

Digital Transformation

Boxed Water Brand Hands Heavy Case Stacking to Robotics

The brand turned to a full-service robotic automation model to take physical strain off workers at the end of the line while maintaining uptime and adapting to a growing case mix.

July 2, 2026

Digital Transformation

Ask the Right Questions of AI in Packaging

AI is accelerating packaging innovation—but long-term success depends on defining the right problems before seeking the right answers.

June 29, 2026

Robotics

Next Gen AMRs Adapt to Labor Constraints

The next generation of OMRON Robotics' flagship LD Series adds payload, speed, and 360-degree safety in a smaller footprint.

June 24, 2026