PMMI will present a landmark edition of PACK EXPO Las Vegas (Sept. 28-30, Las Vegas Convention Center) this fall. In addition to marking its 20th anniversary and introducing the co-located Pharma EXPO (produced in partnership with the International Society of Pharmaceutical Engineering) to Las Vegas, show owner PMMI looks forward to its largest Las Vegas event to date. PACK EXPO Las Vegas and Pharma EXPO 2015 will provide 30,000 attendees access to 2,000 processing and packaging solutions suppliers representing more than 40 vertical industries.

Among the wide range of trends and issues addressed within the 800,000 net square feet of exhibit space, attendees can count on finding solutions for various issues.

Achieving compliance with FSMA

Preventative controls and testing for faulty products or packages are top priorities for food manufacturers as the FDA inches past its deadline to publish final rules on Aug. 30. Companies will have one to three years to comply, based on size. Operators must consider their options for technologies that enable compliance and current good manufacturing practices (CGMP) as outlined by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and hazard analysis.

To help manufacturers explore these options, PACK EXPO Las Vegas will offer the Food Safety Summit Resource Center (Booth S-7632), where attendees can meet with subject matter experts and discuss their compliance challenges one on one. Additionally, several Innovation Stage (Booths C-1041, C-1045 and C-1049) sessions will explore the integration of compliance efforts within all aspects of the supply chain, ways suppliers and food companies can work together to reduce potential food safety risks  and the evolution of digital sorting technologies in food processing and foreign object detection.

Advancing sustainability

Government initiatives to curb carbon emissions are driving demand for environmental and biodegradable packaging across many vertical markets. Brand owners and operators in flexible packaging – an industry expected to reach $99.1 billion by 2019 – are especially on the lookout for up and coming technologies and environmentally sound packaging.

The Reusable Packaging Pavilion (Lower South Hall), sponsored by the Reusable Packaging Association (RPA), will showcase sustainable manufacturing and packaging technologies such as pallets or hand-held and bulk containers. The pavilion will also host an educational series on reducing environmental impact and overall costs while also streamlining the supply chain.

Automating for Greater Efficiency

According to PMMI’s recent “Trends in Robotics Market Assessment” report, the need for regulatory compliance is driving the rise of robotics as manufacturers strive to reduce opportunities for contamination resulting from human error. Robots can also carry out multiple functions independently, all while keeping labor costs down and minimizing the potential for recalls or regulatory fines. These include applications for hazard testing, contamination detection or verification of dates, serialization numbers, accuracy and blister packaging consistency. The Center for Trends and Technology (CTT) (Booth #C-4829), sponsored by Rockwell Automation and its PartnerNetwork™, is hosting a series of daily educational seminars on optimizing manufacturing productivity.

To register for PACK EXPO Las Vegas 2015, visit packexpolasvegas.com. A discounted registration rate of $30 applies until September 14, when it increases to $100.

PMMI, The Association for Packaging and Processing Technologies, is a trade association representing more than 700 companies that provide a full range of processing and packaging machinery, materials, components and containers. PMMI actively brings buyers and sellers together through initiatives such as packexpo.com, educational programs and world-class events, connecting participants in the processing and packaging supply chain with their customers around the world. PMMI produces the PACK EXPO portfolio of trade shows that include PACK EXPO Las Vegas 2015 (Sept. 28–30, Las Vegas Convention Center); Pharma EXPO, co-located with PACK EXPO Las Vegas 2015; PACK EXPO East, Feb. 13–15, 2017 (Pennsylvania Convention Center, Philadelphia); EXPO PACK México 2016, May 17–20, 2016 (Mexico City, Expo Bancomer Santa Fe); EXPO PACK Guadalajara 2017, June 13–15, 2017 (Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico). PMMI owns the PMMI Media Group, a market-leading B2B media company that produces information for processing and packaging professionals, bringing together solution providers and end-users and facilitating connectivity throughout the supply chain. Learn more at PMMI.org and Packexpo.com and pmmimediagroup.com.