PACK EXPO Las Vegas 2019 (Sept. 23–25; Las Vegas Convention Center) co-located with Healthcare Packaging EXPO 2019, will unite machinery suppliers together with end users across vertical industries for the largest, most comprehensive packaging event of the year. Produced by PMMI, The Association for Packaging and Processing Technologies, the show will address trending issues such as sustainability, efficiency and product safety, bringing together solutions from 2,000-plus exhibiting companies on the almost sold- out 900,000 net square foot exhibit floor.

The show is expected to host 30,000 attendees, including 5,000 international visitors from more than 125 countries, with a wide range of job functions, including engineers, purchasers, production supervisors, package designers, brand managers and marketers, logistics and supply chain management, as well as corporate, general, plant and project managers among others.

Explore just a few of the innovations that attendees will discover on the show floor:

Innovative drilling technology improves flow, advances efficiency and reduces cost in pipes and tubes 

T-DRILL Industries Inc. (Booth # LS-6493) will present its line of advanced drilling technologies that reduce pipeline complications related to collaring and branching. The T-DRILL method produces outlets to branch connections directly from run pipe material, saving time and reducing overall cost. T-DRILL’s branches are cut to length and form more accurate tube ends than drills created by other methods, resulting in improved flow characteristics, minimized inspection cost and greater flexibility.   

A reliable, robust and cost-effective unmanaged Ethernet switch for harsh environments 

Mencom Corporation (Booth #LS-5983) presents its entry-level DIN-rail-mount unmanaged Ethernet service, built to withstand the most severe factory conditions. Typically, internet protocol (IP)30-rated Ethernet switches are vulnerable to solid objects smaller than 2.5mm and liquids, leading to difficulty operating on harsh manufacturing floors. To prevent its Ethernet switches from being exposed to dust and liquids, Mencom mounts its unmanaged switch on their low-profile Panel Interface Connector (PIC) housing, raising the IP rating to IP65. The solution can be directly installed onto electrical panels and can communicate with devices inside cabinets without requiring the cabinet door to be open, preventing potential safety hazards. The closed-cabinet design eliminates the need for expensive personal protection equipment (PPE) and licensed electrical technicians to access inside cabinets. 

Centrifuge saves up to 20 percent more energy during production with unique design  

Sormac B.V. (Booth #US-8075) will highlight its SC-940/NextGen, a centrifuge for drying leafy vegetables with an open design that provides optimal accessibility for cleaning and maintenance. SC-940/NextGen’s motors can accelerate and decelerate faster and run at a higher speed than previous models, resulting in a shorter and more efficient cycle with dryer product, thus increasing the production capacity. The energy released while the drum decelerates is fed back into the grid, resulting in energy savings of up to 20 percent. The SC-940/NextGen also has a patented unbalance control system that detects unbalance in good time and corrects it, resulting in uniform drying and solving a common issue with centrifuges. 

Ultra-compact robotic systems for greater flexibility and speed 

ESS Technologies (Booth #N-121) will unveil its line of TaskMate Robotics Systems®, which, when combined with FANUC America’s new line of SCARA robots, result in an ultra-compact robotic cell that integrates easily with several pharmaceutical packaging formats. The FANUC SR Series of SCARA robots offer speed and flexibility in collating products prior to cartoning or case packing, loading machine infeeds and unloading machine discharges. The FANUC robot can be placed within a machine frame, reducing system footprint, cost and minimizing the amount of guarding required to protect the machine from larger robots. Moreover, ESS Technologies designs custom end-of-arm tooling (EOAT) for each application, enabling TaskMate Robotic Systems® to handle a variety of shapes. This flexibility allows the robotic cell to be used in a wide range of applications for kit packing, collation, loading, unloading, material handling and assembly. 

Enabling brands to immediately identify counterfeits 

Systech Illinois (Booth #C-1500) will showcase a non-additive technology solution to turn existing barcodes into unique digital identifiers, enabling brands to immediately identify counterfeiting within the supply chain—without changing the existing package. The innovative technology provides real-time access to item details such as purchase order, intended destination, recipient and more. Systech’s Brand Protection Suite can authenticate and track products at the individual item level and leverage aggregation to move a case or an entire pallet of items using smartphone technology with one scan. This enables brands to secure the supply chain, mitigate product diversion risk and protect revenue. Additionally, brand owners can hyper-accelerate the tracking process with complete, real-time visibility into supply chain activity. Field inspectors can check products right from retailers (physical and/or online) and see immediately where, when and to whom manufacturers originally shipped those units. 

Reusable parcel shippers maintain temperature for up to 168 hours 

Sofigram (Booth #N-519) will display its Elite Cubic parcel shippers that can maintain the same temperature for up to 168 hours, providing greater safety for pharmaceutical products during shipping. The shippers’ materials include two high-performance insulators: polyurethane and VIP (Vacuum Insulated Panels). The shippers provide stable temperature maintenance, even in extreme transport conditions up to three to five times more than traditional insulated packaging solutions. The Elite Cubic’s seal immediately detects any opening of the packaging during transport. Additionally, parcel shippers are reusable and designed to maximize the number of products being shipped while minimizing weight, lowering cost per use.  

Registration, which includes access to both PACK EXPO Las Vegas and Healthcare Packaging EXPO, is $30 through August 30 after which the price increases to $100. For more information and to register online, visit packexpolasvegas.com or hcpelasvegas.com.