2011 Pack Expo Las Vegas Sets New Records

Rittal Corp. (www.rittal-corp.com) drove its Mobile Design Center, a converted bus, right onto the show floor. The 36-ft.-long self-contained mobile showroom tours the country demonstrating the company's wallmount enclosures, modular enclosures and products for power distribution, climate control and human-machine interface. The Comfort Panel was new, a slim, aluminum-encased HMI that matches Rittal's support arm systems. It can be configured to meet any size operator panel yet provide IP65/NEMA 12 protection ratings.Hinds-Bock Corp. (www.hinds-bock.com) showed its new 3P-32 piston filling machine for horizontal vacuum formers; it's suitable deal for filling a wide range of products, from thin sauces or marinades to viscous mash potatoes or deli salads. Positive shut-off spouts are used to maintain a clean seal zone. The unit fills from fractions of an ounce to up to 32 fl. oz. per piston. PLC controls make this machine capable to run over a one-up to a six-up package configuration. Moving or diving spouts are used for spreading of product or to prevent mounding. For elevated temperature applications, a self-contained heat system maintains product temperature.

Bunting Magnetics Co. (www.buntingmagnetics.com) introduced the Meatline 05 0 metal detector. It is designed for integration in vacuum fillers to examine liquid and pasty types of food products. It detects and separates any type of metal, encapsulated or free, and features a reject mechanism that can be taken apart in a few easy steps without the need for tools. All components are linked together with a chain so they cannot get lost. After cleaning, everything easily fits together again. Yaskawa America (www.yaskawa.com) gave a sneak peek at an early-2012 product introduction. The MP3000iec will be a new addition to the MotionWorks IEC PAC (programmable automation controller) line. The motion engine is integrated with IEC61131-3 and PLCopen programming standards and provides full scalability from single to multi-axis applications within a single programming platform.Multivac (www.multivac.com) featured its R145 thermoformer, a compact and flexible packaging system incorporating all of Multivac's sanitary design principles and intuitive machine controls. Also on display was the T200 compact semi-automatic tray sealer, a system suitable for lower production volumes and product package testing in pre-made trays. Vacuum skin packaging (VSP) also was demonstrated on this unit.The month before the show, Heat and Control Inc. (www.heatandcontrol.com) had purchased Spray Dynamics Ltd. (www.spraydynamics.com), which makes equipment for the controlled application of liquid and dry ingredients. Heat and Control manufactures and supplies machinery systems and controls for seasoning, conveying, inspection and packaging. "Heat and Control's goal is to provide the best single-source support to our customers," Tony Caridis, president of Heat and Control, said in a statement after the show. "The Spray Dynamics line will enhance the versatility of our seasoning applicators, while giving our customers a greater choice of coating systems to meet individual product requirements." The two companies have partnered on projects in the past. 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.