Originally Published PMPN October 2003
SHOW COVERAGE
Viva Pack Expo Las Vegas
With 1100 exhibitors and nearly 500,000 sq ft of exhibit space, this year's Pack Expo Las Vegas is sure to be a jackpot for attendees.
The show, which takes place October 13–15, 2003, at the Las Vegas Convention Center, will bring together 25,000 packaging professionals for three days of product evaluations, education, and networking opportunities. In addition to focusing on the latest developments in packaging and processing technology, the event will showcase advances in packaging machinery, converting machinery, packages, containers, and components.
For the first time, Pack Expo will dedicate more than 50,000 sq ft of exhibit space to the most innovative containers and materials. Attendees can find leading materials, containers, and components companies exhibiting their latest innovations in paperboard, glass, metal, plastic, flexible packaging, and package-producing equipment. The Containers & Materials Pavilion will also house the Showcase of Packaging Innovations, which features hundreds of the year's most innovative, award-winning package designs, including winners of the ClearChoice Awards, Ameristar Awards, and the National Paperboard Packaging Competition.
SECURITY PACKAGING
Packaging designed to counter threats to brands and consumers will be prominently featured at this year's show. Protective measures often combine overt and covert devices.
Security seals—such as shrink film applied as a wrap, band, or full-body sleeve—can discourage tampering and counterfeiting. Exhibiting companies that provide this type of security packaging include SleeveCo Inc., Seal-It Inc., and Traco Manufacturing.
Another type of tamper-evident sealing, particularly for cartons and corrugated shippers, is tape. 3M provides custom-printed polypropylene box-sealing tape. A new design from SHEP Co. uses temperature-sensitive ink, which changes color or reveals a hidden graphic when the material is exposed to a particular temperature. Other forms of tamper-evident packaging on display include induction sealing offered by Enercon Industries and holographic materials from companies such as Toray Plastics and DuPont Authentication Systems.
The conferences at Pack Expo will feature four concurrent sessions with tracks devoted to operations, materials, security/safety, machine controls, closures, coding, and pharmaceutical process validation. Within these tracks, packagers can choose from a variety of presentation topics, including quick changeover, robotic technology for palletizing and depalletizing, induction sealing technology, ink-jet printing, and x-ray inspection.
Pack Expo is produced by the Packaging Machinery Manufacturers Institute. For more information about the show, visit www.packexpo.com.
EXHIBITOR PRODUCTS
Contoured Packaging
A manufacturer of form-fill-seal rollstock, tray sealer, and vacuum-chamber packaging systems offers solutions that maintain package integrity for food, medical, and consumer products as well as industrial applications. According to the company, the benefits of these packages include streamlined supply- chain processes, reduced inventory costs, and increased brand appeal. Attendees will be able to see demonstrations of the C500 double vacuum chamber system and the T200 tray sealer. Multivac Inc., Kansas City, MO; 800/800-8552; www.multivac.com.
Bagging System
A bagging system has been engineered with next-generation electronics that provide improved control, faster operating speeds, enhanced reliability, built-in diagnostics, and minimized downtime, according to the company that produces it. The Autobag AB 180 is capable of bagging at speeds up to 80 bags per minute. Package-size changeovers can be achieved in less than two minutes. The entire system has been designed with ergonomic enhancements that improve ease of use, operator comfort, and machine efficiency. The control screen provides easy touch-screen access to job setup, diagnostic functions, and real-time production monitoring. Automated Packaging Systems, Streetsboro, OH; 330/342-2000; www.autobag.com.
Band Sealer
A heavy-duty vertical sealing system has a lower-carry variable-speed conveyor for light- to heavy-duty applications. The continuous-band sealer will seal and trim Tyvek, polymylar, nylon, poly-coated paper, foil, coextrusions, and polylaminated materials. The machine will also seal polyethylene and polypropylene and other unsupported films. A digital heavy-duty temperature controller maintains temperature up to 500°F ± 2°, ensuring quality seals at all times. The machine can achieve a 1/8-, 1/4-, or 3/8-in.-wide quality hermetic seal with a trim feature. No compressed air is re-quired. The complete sealing assembly is adjustable for variable-height products with crankable handle adjustment and will travel over a 5-ft x 6-in.-wide variable-speed conveyor with wipe-down belt. All Packaging Machinery Corp., Ronkonkoma, NY; 800/637-8808; www.allpackaging machinery.com.
Controllers
A company is broadening its price and performance range to include the entire spectrum of packaging and web- handling applications by introducing three new controllers. These controllers are fully backward-compatible with the company's current automation systems. They provide economical solutions for Gen3 machinery with just a few or no servos. They are also economical for modular Gen3 packaging lines synchronizing 100 or more servos and integrating processes such as forming, filling, sealing, wrapping, cartoning, and case packing. Elau Inc., Chicago, IL; 773/342-8400; www.elau.com.
Fillers
High- and low-end tablet/capsule counters and fillers, as well as liquid fillers, will be on display at the show. The company's TruCount flexible scanning technology has been developed for high-speed, 100% accurate counting of tablets and capsules on slat counters. Available on the 300-bottles-per-minute DT Merrill 72-39HY filler, TruCount FST is configured to work with standard Lakso/Merrill slat spacings so that customers can use existing slats. The system can be programmed to verify the counts of 100 different products for a wide variety of bottling configurations with different counts for each configuration. For lower-speed applications, a Quantum electronic counter offers ease of use and accuracy. This 12-track machine has no change parts. For cleaning purposes, all contact parts can be quickly removed without using tools. For liquid filling up to 180 bpm, the DT Kalish Filltronic has been upgraded with flexible PLC and touch screen interface. DT Packaging Systems, Leominster, MA; 978/537-8534; dtpssales@dtindustries.com.
Labeler
A wraparound labeler features a compact footprint and user-friendly controls. The MiniColt labeler is easy to install and operate and handles up to 120 containers per minute. Containers are from 1 to 8 in. high with diameters from ½ to 4 in. The labeler accepts a 14-in.-diam. label spool. The brushless-disc, dynamic-brake- web-drive technology of the manufacturer reduces maintenance and downtime to help maximize production efficiency. The labeler requires 6 ft on the production line and 45 in. in depth. It can be changed over in less than five minutes. A variable-speed spacing wheel contributes to reliably repeatable labeling performance. A drum wraparound holds bottles by the shoulder during the label application stage, improving the accuracy of the label placement compared to traditional belt systems. NJM/CLI Packaging Systems International, Pointe Claire, QC, Canada; 800/432-2990; www.njmcli.com.
Shrink-Sleeve Applicator
A high-speed shrink-sleeve label applicator is capable of applying labels at speeds in excess of 300 containers per minute. The EZ-Sleever provides high production rates at minimal costs for most full-body sleeve applications. Running film as thin as 35 µm, the applicator will handle thinner-gauge films to reduce bottle costs. Its small footprint allows it to fit easily into any production line. The system, which includes the applicator and heat tunnel, will integrate with existing conveyors. It features an all-mechanical design with minimal moving parts. The patented cutting assembly provides high productivity and long blade life. A touch screen operator interface offers ease of operation and system control. Axon Corp., Raleigh, NC; 919/772-8383; www. axoncorp.com.
Case Packers
A company specializes in end-of-line packing and palletizing needs. Its basic case packers can accommodate cartons up to 30 x 21 x 24 in. and are available in horizontal or vertical models. The vertical knock-down-flap (KDF) magazine has speeds of four cases per minute, and the horizontal KDF magazine packs up to seven cases per minute. Both models come fully equipped with an integrated infeed conveyor ready to install into any pre-existing production line with minimal integration work. The machines use Allen-Bradley PLCs. Schneider Packaging Equipment Company, Inc., Brewerton, NY; 315/676-3035; www.schneiderequip. com.
Deblistering Machine
A pharmaceutical deblistering machine is available for semiautomatic recovery of child-resistant and peel-able blister packs. The machine has a footprint of 660 x 440 mm and provides dual flexibility. The Mini Press-Out handles any type of blister pack design, covering materials from PVC, PVdC, Aclar, Alu/Alu, card-backed, or peelable, to child-resistant blister packs made from heavy-gauge cold-form blisters. Circular, diagonal, or irregular layouts, perforated blisters, or blisters that have curled after sealing pose no problem to this machine. The company guarantees 100% recovery rate by the Press-Out Universal rating of machines. Sepha, Newtownards, Northern Ireland, U.K.; +44 28 9182 4252; www.sepha.com.
Ink-Jet Printers
A large-character ink-jet printer combines a company's patented integrated valve technology with smart features such as touch screen graphical user interface, high-speed Ethernet connectivity, and 24/7 monitoring and diagnostics functions. The IJ/3000 Impulse Jet offers these smart features, plus high-resolution printing for high-quality bar codes and graphics, and an automatic print-head-cleaning system. The Linx 6800 is a small-character ink- jet printing system featuring a simple, low-maintenance print head with no moving parts, one-button start-up and shutdown, automatic print-head cleaning, and a user-friendly QWERTY keyboard. Diagraph, An ITW Company, St Louis, MO; 800/722-1125; info@diagraph.com.
Pouch Machine
A new vertical form-fill-seal machine is designed for applications typically associated with horizontal machines. The vertical intermittent pouch machine (VVI-200) has fixed sealing jaws, rotated 90°, to produce three-sided, four-sided, and Doy-style stand-up pouch products. The automatic format adjustment allows production of different pouch sizes with a single push of a button, saving changeover time. Within this flexible changeover, 80- to 250-mm pouch height and 50- to 200-mm pouch width can occur without forming set changes, producing up to 100 pouches per minute. The standard design with vacuum-assisted belts ensures secure product transport for film structures as thin as 20 µm. Rovema Packaging Machines, Atlanta, GA; 770/513-9604; www.rovema.com.
Visitors will find the solutions they need to solve their toughest challenges.
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