JLS Automation has named Markus Franke as Director of Parts and Service, and Steele Burchell as Project and Application Engineering Manager.

Purple Robotics, a new company founded by three former Universal Robots engineers, has launched the PR10, an innovative vacuum gripper designed for collaborative applications with a double-grip function.

BPA has named Andre Boom the new COO for BluePrint Automation (BPA) Americas. Boom spent the last 25+ years with leading snack food manufacturers such as Snyder’s-Lance, Pinnacle Foods and Quaker Oats. 

Greg Jones, formerly Director of Sales & Marketing for SUN Automation, has been promoted to Vice President of Global Sales and Aftermarket at Sun Automation Group. In the role, he will oversee SUN’s international sales teams as well as operations of its Guangzhou, China, and Bristol, U.K. locations.

When do you know it’s time to automate your packaging processes? Sometimes it isn’t clear until it’s too late and you are missing your deadlines for delivery due to a sudden increase in demand that you hadn’t planned for. The overhead cost for an in-house employee to manually package your products may outweigh the cost of automated packaging machinery, it just isn’t obvious that a capital investment like this will have the quick ROI you need.

Dorner’s 2200 Series Precision Move Pallet Systems now come with features including heavy load corners, tight turn corners, low-profile lift and locates, elevators and more. The new design allows the conveyor to carry pallet loads up to 70 pounds around 90- or 180-degree corners, providing loop capacity for larger, heavier pallets. 

ABCO Automation Inc. announces Stingray, a low-profile modular belt conveyor that employs micropitch plastic belts. Stingray is powerful yet gentle, providing reliable product transfer, smooth transitions and product accumulation, making it ideal for delicate, small footprint or unstable products that may be damaged by a conventional conveyor.

When the pace of sales overwhelms the pace of production, the immediate response is often to increase packaging line speed, usually by buying the latest machinery. But before investing in high-speed tablet counters, desiccant inserters, cappers and neck banders, consider how a faster machine may affect the other steps in the packaging line. Here are some tips before deciding to invest in the latest automated machinery. 

Duravant LLC, a global engineered equipment and automation solutions provider, has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire Key Technology Inc., a leading designer and manufacturer of digital sorting, inspection, conveying and processing equipment. The transaction significantly extends Duravant’s reach across food processing with new complementary products and applications.

Piab introduces piPUMP23, a powerful vacuum pump aimed at automated industrial procedures for packaging, sheet metal and wood products. The new pump offers the same premium vacuum ejection performance and energy-efficiency as piCOMPACT23, the company’s popular all-in-one vacuum generator.