Packaging Monthly
January 31, 2008

In this issue of the Packaging Newsletter from Machine Design there are articles on what's new in sustainable packaging and new make-up packaging.

The highlighted products are industrial vision for cylindrical-container inspection and a linear rail system.

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Julie Kalista
Articles

What's new in sustainable packaging
Manufacturers rethink material handling in innovative ways to use less shrink and stretch wrap. The biggest force in packaging today is sustainability. The word has become a shorthand way of saying, "Do more with less." In other words, the push is on to package goods with less material and do it while consuming less energy. An example of how designers are attacking the problem comes from package-equipment maker Lantech in Louisville, Ky. The company devised both a shrink wrapper and a stretch wrapper that manage to use less material while making operations more efficient to boot.
Full Article

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Can you grow your profitability?

Nothing is more important than driving greater profits to your bottom line. You need to either increase revenue or reduce costs.

However, most machine builders spend very little time considering how the Electrical Control system on the machine can significantly impact both of these key factors, enabling greater profitability. Learn more about how it is possible in this white paper from Eaton Corporation.


Puttin' on the glitz
RPC beaut in France pulled out all the stops when it designed packaging for Color Fever Gloss - a lip gloss from Lancme. To make the vials, collars, and caps, RPC uses coinjection, overmolding, ultrasonic welding, and a recently developed technique of partial electroplating to create a translucentmetallic finish. The vial, which is injected in copolyester, has a strong geometric shape despite large variations in wall thickness. The surface is hot-stamped with the Lancme logo before it’s overprinted with a clear tampo print to boost scuff resistance.
Full Article

New Products

Industrial vision for cylindrical-container inspection
OmniView technology is a high-speed, industrial-vision system for inspection of randomly oriented cylindrical containers, such as pill bottles or cams. It uses four cameras for a 360° view of all surface features. It reads bar codes, verifies text, inspects graphics, and measures features at 1,200 ppm. Images from multiple cameras create one seamless and undistorted "unwrapped" image (without stopping or rotating the object) to which optical character recognition (OCR), bar-code reading, and other machine-vision software tools can be applied. Typical tasks include deflection of damaged products, date-code presence; confirms package and product match; prevents packaging mix ups, detects wrong or mislabeled products, reads 1D bar codes and 2D matrix codes, verifies required allergen statements, assesses print quality, checks for torn or missing labels, and inspects package graphics.
More Information:
Cognex Corp.

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RFID DEMO Configuration Software

TURCK introduces BL ident, the world’s first modular RFID system with built-in I/O capability. With BL ident, users may add additional I/O modules to the RFID system: up to 8 channels of RFID, plus up to 32 additional I/O modules within a single node on the network. BL ident is IP67-rated and can be integrated into existing platforms. Learn more today!


Linear rail system
A precision leadscrew assembly provides the company's latest linear rail system with controlled positioning along the axis of a robust linear slide. The unit consists of a stationary base with a load-bearing carriage that travels along a customextruded wear-resistant aluminum rail. The system uses either a Size 17 hybrid external linear actuator or a Size 17 hybrid double-stack external linear actuator integrated into the slide for a complete single-axis positioning system. The system can come with various leads and shaft-end configurations to accommodate any source of rotary power. The system offers control of slide bearing play with a self-adjusting linear bearing. Full-length slots are accommodated using integrated T-slots. Four or six screws attach loads to the compact moving carriage. For applications requiring extreme control, the unit can be used with high-precision antibacklash nuts.
More Information:
Haydon Switch & Instrument Inc.

News from MD

Introducing Engineering TV, an innovative online video program by engineers for engineers. Twice a week, each 5-8 minute episode shows cutting-edge technology in action and looks behind the scenes as today's engineers shape tomorrow's breakthroughs. Brought to you by the Penton Media Design and Electronics Engineering groups.
View Videos

Rev up your interdisciplinary design skills

What happens when a microcontroller turns on a power FET, sending a current pulse to a motor coil that develops a magnetic field which turns the rotor shaft, advancing a timing belt that drives a pair of nip rolls suspended on bearings in a web-processing operation on a form, fill, and seal machine installed on a potato chip line at a Frito Lay plant in central California? And how can you be sure that the encoders, prox sensors, and other feedback devices you plan to use will accurately see and report every relevant motion, machine state, and process condition? And will the signals get through the networks fast enough, without being corrupted, giving the controllers time to execute their algorithms as intended? It's a lot to think about, and it only scratches the surface of what many engineers grapple with today. If you happen to be one of them, then the place for you — where you can find answers and meet others with similar concerns — is www.Mechatronic-Design.com.

Backed by some of engineering's top information sources including Machine Design, Electronic Design, Motion System Design, and Power Electronics, Mechatronic-Design.com is the interdisciplinary engineer's desktop, toolbox, library, and lifeline in one easily accessible place.

Find. Learn. Apply.

Mechatronic-Design.com
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With more than 200 on-demand webcasts, videos, interactive tutorials and demos available for users of any experience level, it is easier than ever to learn about the newest products and features available from National Instruments.
Begin your search here with a collection of webcasts specifically chosen for design and automation engineers.

CAD Library offers advanced CAD Resources
The Machine Design CAD Library, includes millions of configurable 2D and 3D CAD models of components and assemblies downloadable for easy use in new and existing designs. Our models are in native CAD formats. No translation required!

It's salary survey time!
Find out how you stack up against your peers when it comes to income and workload by taking a few minutes to fill out the 2008 MACHINE DESIGN salary survey.
Your response, and the replies of other readers, will show where you fit in among other design professionals, as well as help MACHINE DESIGN magazine better serve you as an information source. The results will be highlighted in our salary survey article in the April 24 issue.
Responding to the survey automatically enters you into a drawing for a prize. To qualify for the drawing, please fill out the survey by Friday, Feb 15.

Sponsored by:


UPCOMING IN-PERSON EVENTS
Design-2-Part Shows are America's longest running and most trusted events for sourcing custom parts and services. Ten shows covering the country offer OEMs, engineers and purchasing personnel the opportunity to meet job shops and contract manufacturers face-to-face.

Linear Analysis Training Class
February 11-15, 2008
Students will be shown demonstrations of how to set up, analyze, and investigate typical structures. Workshops let students put this new knowledge into practice. The important features of the FEMAP GUI are introduced and, at the same time the essentials of Nastran are explored. Emphasis during the class is on the construction of proper analysis models, and the effective use of the various solution types. Additional troubleshooting techniques are discussed, as well as the various types of common error messages generated by NEiNastran. The objective of this class is to give a solid grounding in FEA basics and good practice to enable the student to carry out real world linear static analysis.

UPCOMING WEBCASTS

Power Transmission Technologies:
The Advantages and Applications of Belt Drive Solutions

Sponsored by Gates Corporation
DATE: February 19th, 2008
TIME: 2:00pm ET

Today's designers choose from a variety of technologies for transmitting power in mechanical systems. With increasing demands to optimize systems for efficiency, noise, package size and low maintenance, choosing the right power transmission technology for the job is a challenge. Brent Oman with Gates Corporation will share his knowledge about selecting power transmission solutions. The presentation will review the pros and cons of different technologies and demonstrate the various capabilities of belt drive systems in particular.

Click here to register!


ARCHIVED WEBCASTS AVAILABLE FOR FREE VIEWING


Click Here for a list of archived Machine Design webcasts.
Featured Links

ZERO-MAX
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Contact Information
Editorial questions:   Julie Kalista 216-931-9458
Advertising/sponsorship opportunities:   Virginia Goulding 216-931-9893

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