2011 Pack Expo Las Vegas Sets New Records

Mettler Toledo was in two locations at Pack Expo Las Vegas. The core company showed its Safeline metal detection units (www.mt.com/pi), Hi-Speed checkweighing equipment (www.mt.com/hi-speed) and CI-Vision machine vision inspection systems www.mt.com/ci-vision). Also ProdX, a product inspection software that monitor and manage the data from all the Mettler Toledo-branded products. Nearby, Eagle Product Inspection (www.eaglepi.com) made its first appearance at Pack Expo … more or less. The unit formerly was part of Smiths Detection, specializing in X-ray inspection systems (under the Eagle brand name) for the food and packaging industries. But the unit was acquired by Mettler-Toledo in March of this year. Eagle was featuring Material Discrimination X-ray (MDX) and SimulTask image analysis technologies, which can boost product inspection capabilities on food manufacturing lines through enhanced contaminant detection and ease of use. The Eagle Tall Pro XS X-ray system uses SimulTask, while the Eagle Pack 430 Pro X-ray inspection systems uses both MDX and SimulTask.

Evergreen Packaging (www.everpack.com) showed two innovative and new packages at the show. The Fresh-Look paperboard beverage has a film window running down the front of the carton. It allows consumers to see the carton's contents and to know when they're running low. Evergreen officials said it enhances branding while maintaining the freshness and environmental benefits from traditional paperboard cartons. Twist-It is an 8-oz. school milk-size paperboard carton with a spout. With or without a straw, it helps prevent spills – which is very uncool in the school cafeteria – is easy to open and resulted in more consumption of milk, according to Evergreen's research.

The Can Manufacturers Institute (www.cancentral.com) launched an education and marketing campaign at Pack Expo, "Pass It On," which highlights the benefits (and high consumer use) of recycling steel and aluminum cans. The campaign showcases the can industry's commitment to sustainability as well as the breadth and scope of recycling efforts. The launch of the initiative comes as the U.S. recycling rate for aluminum beverage cans hit 58 percent last year — the highest rate in more than a decade and double that of any other beverage container. Steel food cans had a recycling rate of 66.8 percent, an all-time record.

A-B-C Packaging (www.abcpackaging.com) debuted the Model 450 high-speed case erector running a soy-based cool adhesive, offering a low-energy and sustainable alternative to traditional petroleum-based hot melt. The machine is designed for speeds to 50 cases per minute and offers reliable mechanical operation and a servo-operated sealing ram. The new Liquamelt adhesive system is the result of a partnership with H.B. Fuller (www.hbfuller.com). Liquamelt is liquid at ambient temperatures, eliminating the need for heated premelt tanks and heated hoses, which can reduce packagers' energy costs by more than 50 percent, according to the two companies. The adhesive is pumped at room temperature from the reservoir to a TurboActivator positioned just prior to application that heats the adhesive to the required sealing temperature. Liquamelt is applied as foam, which can result in a reduction of adhesive consumption by more than 50 percent.

Mobil Industrial Lubricants (www.mobilindustrial.com) talked about its SHC Cibus line of H1 food-grade lubricants. This comprehensive line of multipurpose, colorless oils is formulated for food quality assurance, advanced lubrication and lower maintenance costs within your lubrication quality-management systems.