In an ever-changing, consumer driven industry, manufacturers seek to ensure that their products are meeting the latest demands. Sustainability, efficiency and product safety are all hot button issues that will be addressed with the latest packaging technology at this fall’s PACK EXPO Las Vegas (Las Vegas Convention Center; Sept. 25-27, 2017), produced by PMMI, The Association for Packaging and Processing Technologies.
The event is expected to host 30,000 attendees, including 5,000 international visitors from more than 125 countries, combined with 2,000-plus exhibiting companies and will span nearly 900,000 net square feet of an almost sold-out exhibit floor. In addition, PMMI is excited about the inclusion of the inaugural Healthcare Packaging EXPO, which will be co-located with PACK EXPO.
Related: An Inside Look at September’s PACK EXPO Las Vegas Show Floor (Part 1)
Check out the must-see features at this year’s show:
The Containers and Materials Pavilion: This year, the Containers and Materials Pavilion will address the latest innovations, including updates on paperboard, glass, metal and plastic. Flexible and resalable packaging options will also be on display as well as innovation in options for containers and materials.
The Showcase of Packaging Innovations®: Sponsored by Dow®, award-nominated packaging solutions will be on display at the Showcase of Packaging Innovations located within The Containers and Materials Pavilion. Attendees will be able to see inspiring technology that addresses the evolving needs of demanding consumers.
The Reusable Packaging Pavilion: As demand rises for sustainable packaging solutions, the Reusable Packaging Pavilion, sponsored by the Reusable Packaging Association (RPA), is a hotspot to help you reduce waste, cut costs and gain chain efficiency. If you’re considering how reusable packaging can help your bottom line, start here.
The Confectionery Pavilion: Candy and snack connoisseurs can find the newest trends and technologies relating to aeration, batch refining, shaping, cluster production and much more at the Confectionery Pavilion, Sponsored by Dorner Manufacturing Corp. and hosted by NCA (National Confectioners Association).
Industry-specific Lounges: Attendees of PACK EXPO Las Vegas can network with peers, gain specialized insights and just rest and recharge at three different industry-specific lounges. Hosted by the International Society of Beverage Technologists (ISBT), the Beverage Cooler Lounge (Booth #7632) will offer educational presentations, including Ask-the-Expert sessions. The Baking and Snack Break Lounge (Booth #S-7832), sponsored and hosted by the American Bakers Association, offers professionals within those industries a similar hub as does the Candy Bar Lounge (Booth# S-7202) sponsored by Dorner Manufacturing Corp. and hosted by NCA, located in The Confectionery Pavilion.
The PMMI Education & Workforce Development Pavilion: Attendees can start maximizing their time in Las Vegas before the show doors even open. Two of PMMI’s most popular training workshops will be offered in the Upper South Hall: The Risk Assessment Workshop (Sept. 23-24), prepares manufacturing professionals to conduct successful risk assessments to improve safety while the Certified Trainer Workshop (Sept. 25-26), is a cross-industry seminar on the best tactics to train well across all employee skill levels. Learn more here.
PACK gives BACK™: Sponsored by Rockwell Automation, PMMI’s regular benefit returns to PACK EXPO Las Vegas with a networking event in support of PACK EXPO Scholarships, a scholarship program for U.S. and Canadian students majoring in packaging and processing. Guests can enjoy beer, wine, light appetizers and a performance by the GRAMMY® award-winning American band, The Doobie Brothers. Tickets to the fundraiser are $75.
Packaging & Processing Women’s Leadership Network (PPWLN): Launched in 2016, PPWLN serves to recruit, retain and advance women in processing and packaging. The PPWLN meeting will be held on Tuesday, Sept. 26.
In addition to the packaging and processing technologies that will be on display on the show floor, PACK EXPO Las Vegas will be giving attendees access to free educational programming at The Innovation Stage. During the show, 30-minute seminars presenting breakthrough technologies and techniques will be scheduled and will focus on a wide range of industry specific solutions.
Take a look at some of the other innovations you can expect to see at the show floor:
Sleeving machine presents savings and recyclability
Sleever International (Booth #S-5922) will launch Sleever® Combisteam LDPET, a sleeve label applicator that offers significant space and energy savings along with ecological credentials. The machine works at a processing speed of 600-1,200 units per minute and saves 40 percent in floor space and 50-60 percent in energy consumption compared to traditional sleeving machines. As an added advantage, recycling centers can quickly separate the special sleeves from PET bottles, which can then be 100 percent recycled.
Applications: Food, beverage, pharmaceutical, nutraceutical
Software for real-time quality management
Parsec Automation Corp. (Booth #S-6155) will launch its TrakSYS software system at PACK EXPO Las Vegas 2017. This full manufacturing execution system gives manufacturers the power to solve a variety of challenges including data gathering, quality control, KPI and event evaluation, control point analyzation and audit and downtime prevention. TrakSYS offers out-of-the-box functionality and is pre-programmed so that users do not need to write custom code.
Applications: General
Belt drives extend service life and flexibility
Interroll Corp. (Booth #S-7356) is introducing a new collection of belt drives. The drum motor platform, used with manufacturing conveyer belts, distribution centers and for food applications, starts with a diameter of 80 mm and can be configured to meet specific application requirements while optimizing costs. The belt brings longer service life, greater speed ranges and a simple power supply, reducing downtime for maintenance and repairs.
Applications: Food, general
Drawer magnet reduces contamination risk
MPI (Booth #S-5805) will debut its Hi-G Inline Gravity Flow Drawer Magnet, which places all magnetic tubes through single stripper blocks and eliminates the cracks and crevices that can cause unsanitary conditions in product flow. Classic drawer magnet design requires fasteners, creating potential for contamination where fasteners are located in product contact areas. MPI’s Hi-G design also allows for easy removal of stripper blocks for simplified maintenance, cleaning and replacement.
Applications: General
Registration for PACK EXPO Las Vegas 2017 is now open and can be found at packexpolasvegas.com.
