What’s new at PACK EXPO International 2016

Dura-Fibre's Dura-Wrap at Pack Expo 2016

Pack West's Cap Detection and Rejection system

In just over two weeks, PACK EXPO International 2016 (McCormick Place, Chicago; Nov. 6–9), North America’s largest processing and packaging event, will serve as a hub innovation across a wide range of industries. Owned and produced by PMMI, The Association for Packaging and Processing Technologies, PACK EXPO International – and the co-located Pharma EXPO – will feature more than 2,500 suppliers exhibiting the latest equipment and materials for an expected 50,000 attendees.

Here is a sneak peek of just some of the innovations you can expect to see at the show:

Automated Tablet Conveyor Leaves No Tablet Damaged

Piab (Booth #N-6136) will showcase piFLOW®t, the industry’s first dedicated tablet conveyor. This machine is designed to revolutionize the automated handling of tablets and other fragile products with its controlled low speed, guided entry into the conveyor, and elimination of all sharp edges. piFLOW®t will safely transfer tablets between the various processing units, such as tablet presses, coating drums and blister packaging lines, which will avoid any potential risks to the tablets. With ground-breaking technology suitable for transporting up to four million tablets per hour, this automated conveyor can save pharmaceutical companies from using back-breaking manual procedures. With a gentle tablet flow achieved by regulating feed pressure of the pump, this conveyor ensures than no tablet is chipped or damaged in the process. Easy, safe and customizable crates

Easy, safe and customizable crates

Dura-Fibre (Booth #E-10617) will be showcasing its new customizable Dura-Wrap Crates for heavy or fragile products. Multi-panel protective packaging units are constructed of laminated paperboard, a lower cost alternative to wood crating. Dura-Wrap Crates are easy and safe to set-up, load and unload and help save space and reduce costs by shipping and storing flat. Compared to wooden crates, Dura-crates takes only a fraction of the time to assemble.

Game-Changing Cap Detection and Reject System Compatible with Most Container Shapes and Sizes

Pack West Machinery, a division of Pacific Packaging Machinery (Booth #S-3942) will showcase its Cap Detection and Reject System at this year’s PACK EXPO International. Featuring stainless steel construction with wash down rating, the system features all industry standard controls and offers compatibility with most container shapes and sizes. This “all-in-one” system is able to detect missing plastic and metal caps that are loose or cocked. It can work with most continuous thread caps, snap caps and press-in-place caps. It is also available as a cap-reject system only or with optional conveyor and rotary accumulation table. Additionally, control kits come as stand-alone or integrated into current Pack West Packing Machine PLC and HMI. The Cap Detection and Reject System runs at speeds up to 80 CPM, and offers easy integration with minimal space requirements. With these product benefits, companies will be able to ensure product integrity with improved operation, reduced labor and cost-savings along with a return on investment at three or four months.

ON DEMAND: With the assistance of the Frito-Lay R&D team, Bryce produced a fully industrial compostable, BPI certified flexible packaging structure for five different Frito-Lay products for the Coachella Music Festival in 2023.

ON DEMAND: Three words on everyone’s lips across the packaging industry these days are “Extended Producer Responsibility,” known as EPR. This panel will feature various perspectives from suppliers, converters and industry and offer individual snapshots of the challenges and potential solutions.