More than 27,000 packaging and processing professionals attended Pack Expo 2013 in Las Vegas from September 23–25. In addition to launching new products, creating brand awareness, achieving sustainability goals and generating new business contacts, Pack Expo was an opportunity to engage the next generation of workers in packaging, robotics and processing applications.

In most cases, industrial power transmission calls for flexible rather than rigid couplings in order to forgive minor shaft misalignment. For that reason, this article will focus solely on the selection of flexible couplings.

Seal design engineers and end users are continually seeking improved sealing systems and materials. This paper describes the potential of a new thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) material to deliver improvements in pressure, speed and temperature capability, which are presented as comparisons to proven industry standard materials. Performance is demonstrated by virtue of test bench results of seals made from MDI-, PPDI- and NDI-based materials.

Maximizing packaging machine productivity and performance is imperative to success and is driving OEMs to adopt and invest in the latest technologies that can meet their customers’ challenges. At the forefront of these performance-driven technologies is an integrated control system—or programmable automation controller (PAC)—and latest-generation motion solutions.

While safety functions have been integrated into drives packages for some years now, the current trends are very exciting, from many angles. Today, a full complement of safety functions can be implemented at the front-end of a system design on all types of production machines, including printing, packaging, converting, materials handling and other equipment used throughout American industry.

A look back at a turbine-powered fire engine that was years ahead of its time.

Few industries are experiencing change quite as fast as the packaging arena. Lighter-weight containers are being introduced to reduce costs and energy use, packaging is being redesigned to attract consumer attention and manufacturers are using fewer materials in an effort to address environmental concerns.