ST. LOUIS — Oct. 4, 2022 — BW Packaging Systems, Barry-Wehmiller’s global team of packaging professionals, will showcase several customer-focused solutions from Accraply, BW Flexible Systems, BW Integrated Systems, Pneumatic Scale Angelus and Synerlink in booth S-2100 at PACK EXPO, held October 23 to 26 in Chicago. This year’s booth theme, “Conversations to Innovations,” highlights the shared progress BW Packaging Systems and its customers have made solving prominent industry challenges through ongoing dialogue about labor shortages, sustainability commitments, food safety standards and more. 

“We understand there is a tremendous amount of value that can be created by listening to customers and embracing their challenges as our own,” said Carol O’Neill, Barry-Wehmiller Group President, Packaging. “It’s through these conversations that we’re able to understand our customers’ needs and develop purposeful solutions to optimize their packaging processes.”

BW Integrated Systems’ Maximus mid-speed case palletizer, which meets increased customer demand for a flexible high-level palletizer, will make its first appearance in the booth. This solution was designed for simple maintenance and includes a unique split-for-ship feature for a quicker vertical startup. 

Also appearing at the front of the booth is BW Flexible Systems’ Hayssen ISB VFFS bagger, which returns to PACK EXPO after its impressive debut at PACK EXPO Las Vegas in 2021. Leveraging the latest technology in intelligent, sanitary bagging for food, this solution includes several improved features that have been added after a year of productive conversations with end users.

Building on the capabilities of the innovative CB50C counter-pressure canning line, also introduced last year, Pneumatic Scale Angelus will exhibit the new CB100C counter-pressure canning line. This solution allows craft brewers to increase their throughput to more than 100 cans per minute, leveraging a 12-head rotary filling turret design, coupled with a dual-station seamer. 

Synerlink team members will guide booth visitors through an immersive 3D view of Versatech, the company’s latest filling solution for the food and dairy industry. Versatech’s modular design enables customers to continually realign this machine with their evolving business strategy, solving the market need for a filling solution that can outlast the standard 20-to-30-year lifecycle.

Accraply’s new MK6 pressure-sensitive/TE band labeling solution will also be on display. With Accraply’s SmartLink HMI as a standard feature, the MK6 brings together labeling and tamper-evident sleeving on a single solution. It is specifically designed to meet the modern demands of fast-moving, highly flexible production lines. 

“As is the case with all of our solutions, we’ll offer lifetime customer support for these innovations,” said O’Neill. “This is something that we’ve always done because, at its core, BW Packaging is a team of people who genuinely care about the success and wellbeing of our customers.”

Visitors to booth S-2100 can also explore multiple sustainable packaging solutions with BW Packaging Systems’ Global Sustainable Packaging Leader Michelle Bryson via a touchscreen display located in the center of the booth. On the opposing wall, guests can learn how BW Packaging Systems leverages the latest controls and digital technology—including the new FactoryTalk Optix by Rockwell Automation—to innovate more efficient, user-friendly solutions.

In addition to showcasing BW Packaging Systems’ innovations in the booth, Hudson-Sharp, part of the newly aligned BW Converting Solutions platform, will exhibit the Ares 400-SUP stand-up pouch machine. BW Converting Solutions brings together five Barry-Wehmiller converting companies under a single solutions-driven platform for customers in the tissue, nonwovens, hygiene, bag-converting, mailing and printing industries.

Rochester Hills, Mi – (Oct. 3, 2022) – FANUC America, the global leader in CNCs, robotics, and ROBOMACHINEs will highlight its latest robot and cobot solutions for picking, packing and palletizing at Pack Expo Chicago, Oct. 23-26 in booth #N6116.

New: FANUC DR-3iB/6 Stainless Delta Robot Handling Protein

At Pack Expo, the DR-3iB/6 STAINLESS robot will use 3DV iRVision®and iRPickTool line tracking software to pick randomly oriented pieces of chicken from a continuous infeed conveyor.  Equipped with a Soft Robotics gripper, the robot picks chicken breasts and reorients them onto an outfeed conveyor.   The cell features high-speed picking with product re-orientation. 

“The DR-3iB/6 Stainlessis FANUC’s stainless steel food-grade delta robot for picking and packing primary foods,” said Jessica Juhasz, staff engineer, FANUC America. “With an IP69K rating, the robot meets USDA and FDA food safety standards, which will help companies increase their production efficiencies without compromising food safety.”

The DR-3iB/6 STAINLESS features a fully enclosed stainless steel body that is resistant to the chemicals and high pressure/temperatures required in strict wash down environments. Ithas a 1200mm reach (450mm height) and a powerful four-axis design allowing it to handle 6kg payloads at high speeds.  The robot’s mirror-like surface finish ensures that any microbial contaminants can be washed away cleanly. With additional features such as NSF H1 food grade lubricant, secondary oil catch basins (with viewing windows to monitor potential leaks), self-draining surfaces and many other small details driven by USDA/FDA standards, the DR-3iB/6 STAINLESS is ideally suited for primary food handling applications. 

The new robotoperates with FANUC’s latest R-30iB Plus controller with integrated intelligent functions such as iRVision, Force Sensing, Robot Link, Collision Guard and Zero Down Time (ZDT).  

“We’re showcasing the many features of the DR-3iB/6 STAINLESS that makes it stand out in terms of payload, speed, reach and sanitation,” added Juhasz.

CRX Cobot Demonstrations

Earlier this year, FANUC expanded its popular series of CRX collaborative robotswith the new CRX-5iA, CRX-20iA/L and CRX-25iA. The CRX cobots are extremely robust and able to run for eight years without maintenance. Easy-to-use interactive programming enables users to teach points using hand guidance or a tablet interface with drag and drop icons.  The new CRX cobots complement FANUC’s existing line of CR and CRX cobots that now total 11 model variations able to handle products from 4 to 35kg.

Palletizing - A new CRX-25iA robot, offering a 25kg payload and 1,889mm reach will demonstrate case palletizing. Guided by a 3DV/200 vision sensor mounted to the arm, the CRX-25iA will palletize boxes to nearly 7’ high. In addition, the CRX-25iA will be mounted to a mobile cart to showcase its flexibility.

The robot can be easily repositioned by hand and uses vision to automatically adjust to its new location and continue working accurately.

Loading Storage Carts – The new CRX-20iA/L cobot equipped with a 3DV/200 vision sensor will pick consumer items of varying sizes and shapes that weigh up to 20kg and load them onto a storage cart. The demonstration highlights the cobot’s wide motion range and ability to handle large and heavy packages, relieving workers from physically demanding jobs.

Packing - A CRX-10iA will demonstrate packing health and beauty products. Attendees are invited to try the cobot’s intuitive hand guidance and easy-to-use tablet programming.  

New M-10iD/12 Food-Grade Variant Robot: Rice Bag Packaging

FANUC will demonstrate its new Food-Grade M-10iD/12 robot picking bags of rice off dual conveyors and packing them into a box. The demonstration highlights the robot’s speed and flexibility to handle various payloads.

With the release of two new Food-Grade variants, the M-10iD/12 and larger M-20iD/25, FANUC has further expanded its offerings for customers in the food industry that need high-speed and high-payload robots. Both units feature food-grade oil on all axes, stainless steel wrist flanges, motor covers, corrosion-resistant fasteners, white epoxy paint and the Severe Dust & Liquid Protection package.

In addition to the new M-10iD/12 and M-20iD/25 Food-Grade variants, the M-10iD and M-20iD robot series include six additional compact material handling robots - the M-10iD/12, M-10iD/10L, M-10iD/8L, M-10iD/16S, M-20iD/35, and M-20iD/12L.  Rated best-in-class for speed and repeatability, the M-10iD and M-20iD robots offer a sleek and lightweight design and feature hollow wrists/J3 axes. A curved J2 robot arm minimizes interference with work pieces and fixtures.  The robots’ payload capabilities range from 8-35kg, allowing them to handle a wide variety of products.  Also, a long reach (1103mm to 2272mm) and stroke – even in the backflip region – makes it easier for customers to apply the robots while maximizing their available workspace – including larger parts or tooling. 

Extra environmental protections such as FoundryPRO are available on select robots, and the M-10iD/12 can also be configured with a Dustproof Wrist Cover.

LR Mate 200iD/7LC and SR-6iA/C Robots: Breakfast Sandwich Assembly

The new SR-3iA/C has a 3kg payload and 400mm reach. It features a white epoxy coating and is rated IP54, meaning it is protected against contamination from limited amounts of dust and other particles as well as water spray. The SR-3iA/C is rated ISO Class 5 for cleanroom operation and uses NSF-H1 food-grade grease and anti-rust bolts for food handling applications.

An LR Mate 200iD/7LC and SR-6iA/C – both cleanroom robots - will assemble four breakfast sandwiches.  First, the LR Mate 200iD/7LC uses iRVision 3D to pick and place a bun on a plate.  At the same time, the SR-6iA/C SCARA robot will pick and place a sausage patty on top of the bun.  This continues until patties are placed on all four buns.  The robots will alternate placing the remaining elements on each sandwich including an egg, a slice of cheese and a top bun.  Once all four sandwiches are completed, the robots remove items in reverse order and the cycle repeats. 

The popular LR Mate 200iD series of tabletop industrial robots offer a “best in class” work envelope for both upright and invert mount installations. Ten models include clean room and wash proof versions, each with various wrist speeds and reaches to accommodate even the most limited workspace.  The LR Mate series was introduced 30 years ago, and since that time has become one of FANUC’s most popular robot models with over 70,000 units installed globally. 

The new SR-6iA/C has a 6kg payload and 650 mm reach.  It features a white epoxy coating and is rated IP54, meaning it is protected against contamination from limited amounts of dust and other particles as well as water spray.  The SR-6iA/C is rated ISO Class 5 for cleanroom operation and uses NSF-H1 food-grade grease and anti-rust bolts for food handling applications. 

NEW FANUC LR-10iA/10 Robot: Vision-Guided Each Picking

AnewFANUC LR-10iA/10robot guided by several 3DV/400 vision sensors mounted over the workcell will pick various combinations of products from four separate totes to demonstrate order fulfillment. When the order tote is completed, it moves to the opposite side of the cell, where an LR Mate 200iD robot picks and places each item back onto the conveyor, sorting them by color to refill the pick totes.  

FANUC’s LR-10iA/10 robot is designed for machine tending and many picking applications found in the warehousing and logistics markets. Weighing just 46 kg, the LR-10iA/10 robot mounts to the floor, upside down, or on an angle. It’s also very easy to mount the robot to an AGV or other mobile platform.

SR-12iA SCARA Robot: Packing and Unpacking

The SR-12iA SCARA Environmental Option robot will pack and unpack four-packs of two-liter pop bottles. The demonstration shows the SR-12iA’s ability to handle heavy products in a wide operating area at high speeds.

FANUC recently expanded its line of four-axis SCARA robots to include the SR-3iA/U ceiling mount featuring a full 360-degree work envelope with no dead zones, and the SR-3iA/C and SR-6iA/C cleanroom variants.  In addition to the three new models, FANUC’s series of 4-axis SCARA robots includes the SR-3iA, SR-6iA, SR-12iA, and SR-20iA with 3kg, 6kg, 12kg and 20kg payload capacities, and a 400-1,100mm reach, respectively. The higher-payload SR-12iA and SR-20iA SCARAs each offer a large vertical stroke and an IP65 environmental option for harsh conditions.

FANUC M-410iC/110 Palletizing/Depalletizing with Tablet TP Unit Load Creation

The M-410iC/110 robot will alternate between picking cases from two conveyors and palletizing a mixed layer unit load to depalletizing the product from the pallet back to the two conveyors.  While the system is running, visitors can create their own custom unit loads from FANUC’s Tablet TP.  The demonstration shows how easy it is to create and modify unit loads directly from the Tablet TP with FANUC’s PalletTool Turbo software using the newly updated user interface. This will give operators the ability to quickly modify their system without needing a computer with PalletPRO simulation software.  

The M-410iC/110 robot is designed for high-volume case, bag and bottle palletizing operations.  It features a 110 kg payload, four-axis articulation, a compact footprint, and a slim arm with through-arm cable routing to simplify dress-out and minimize interference with tooling and other peripheral devices.   The ability to perform 2200 standard palletizing cycles an hour with a 60kg payload makes the M-410iC/110 the fastest palletizing robot in its class.  It also features a compact footprint and a 646 mm interference radius, ideal for tight workspaces.

HAWTHORNE, N.Y. and MARKHAM, Ontario, Sept. 29, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Alpha Controls & Instrumentation, a leading distributor for instrumentation and calibration solutions in Canada, has been chosen by PTI to distribute its line of inspection technology solutions in Canada.

Marc Brand, Director of Sales and Service, of Alpha Controls, states “We are very pleased to be expanding our portfolio to include PTI products and to be offering another market leading brand to better serve our customers. PTI has pioneered non-destructive technologies for inspecting pharmaceutical, medical device and food/nutritional packaging for four decades. Their deterministic, non-destructive technologies are a global brand standard, very well known in the pharmaceutical, medical device and related industries for integrity testing and validating packaging processes.”

PTI offers a number of advantages since their technologies and test methods are recognized by organizations such as the FDA, ASTM and USP. Their VeriPac, MicroCurrent HVLD and Seal-Scan™ technologies have been proven as robust, reliable inspection solutions for package integrity testing, backed by data driven results, replacing unreliable probabilistic test methods such as dye ingress.

Noba Ebaid, regional manager for PTI covering the Canadian region, states, “In choosing Alpha Controls as our Canadian distributor, we have ensured our customers will receive the highest quality experience, service and support within the industry. The Alpha team has a strong presence as a solutions provider in Canada, and we are eager to work together in promoting our inspection technologies.”

Sustainable, fiber-focused start-up BCD Bioscience wins first prize in Puratos competition

Puratos has underlined its commitment to food innovation for good, by taking another step in its search for the food industry’s next big gut health-boosting thing.

The bakery expert crowned sustainable, fiber-focused start-up BCD Bioscience the winner of its Innovation Challenge: Technology Enabled Solutions to Enhance Gut Health at last week’s Future Food-Tech Summit in London. Puratos joined forces with Future Food-Tech, a prestigious industry event aimed at building healthier and more sustainable food systems, to find dynamic innovators developing solutions to modulate the gut microbiome and unlock benefits for physical and mental well-being.

Alongside fellow finalists Kaffe Bueno and FitBiomics, BCD Bioscience pitched its innovative grain-based fiber solution to Puratos judges and a summit audience of global food brands, corporates, start-ups and investors at the two-day event. BCD Bioscience, which is dedicated to the discovery and development of new bioactive functional fibers from a variety of food sources and byproducts, presented its barley beta-glucan product and outlined its power to revolutionize the bakery sector. The upcycled ingredient has been specially formulated to help close the global fiber gap, without compromising taste, and consequently improve public health outcomes. After impressing the judging panel, the USA-based start-up was revealed as winner by Puratos live on stage on Thursday.

Paul Baisier, Group Chief R&D Officer at Puratos, who led the challenge, said: “At Puratos, we have a strong belief in connecting the art of baking with the science of gut health and are dedicated to investing in the discovery of solutions that improve human health and nutrition, in a sustainable way. BCD Bioscience has huge potential and fits perfectly with Puratos’s core objective of food innovation for good, fully embracing and encompassing our key pillars of ‘Better Health’ and ‘Better Planet’. Its new fiber technology platform has led to the discovery of novel functional fibers with a dual benefit; helping to improve gut health modulation and produce gut health promoting compounds. We look forward to helping them to optimize the nutritional aspect of baked goods, without compromising on taste and texture, through functional and technology-driven solutions.”

As part of the winner’s prize, BCD Bioscience will now be invited to pitch to Sparkalis, Puratos’s Food-Tech Venture Arm. The launch of the fund was sparked by a desire to invest in partnerships and innovative technologies that create a healthier and better ‘food print’ for today and tomorrow’s generations around the world. BCD Bioscience will also benefit from senior leadership coaching during a minimum two-day internship at Puratos, and access to Puratos’s R&D capabilities and resources, including sessions at Puratos’s Innovation Centre at its headquarters in Belgium.

Commenting on the win, Matt Amicucci, co-founder VP of R&D at California-based BCD Bioscience, added: “This is a huge accolade for the BCD team and important validation of our vision and ambition, as well as our technology. From the moment we saw the call for applications, we could see the synergies between our business and Puratos’s – and our common determination to close the fiber gap. We both know that creating highly nutritious ingredients that taste great is the key to significant improvements in fiber consumption – and therefore benefitting public health on a huge scale. Now we’re excited about tapping into Puratos’s formulation expertise and getting our products into enticing ingredients that customers can leverage right away to offer powerful health benefits in foods that are already hugely popular all over the world.”

For more information on Puratos and its innovative solutions, visit puratos.com. Alternatively, for further info on Puratos’s FoodTech Venture Arm Sparkalis, visit sparkalis.com.