Pack Expo Wrap-up V2: The Future of Packaging Automation

McCormick Place in Chicago was busy last week, filled with almost 50,000 industry experts, end users, and engineers exploring the vast array of technologies that can be used to improve manufacturing processes.

 

Many of the exhibitors were familiar names, the designers of individual products found inside countless custom machine designs. The remaining exhibitors were engineering and integrator companies that design and assemble the huge machinery that processes, measures, cuts, wraps, handles, and palletizes products from fastening hardware to delicious candy.

 

Check out a few of the excellent exhibits.

 

Beckhoff

 

As a leader in all aspects of automation, Beckhoff demonstrated elements of control, motion, and visualization through various booth exhibits. One of my personal favorites is the cabinet-less automation design of the MX-System, which uses a modular chassis to interface all of the normal cabinet components (disconnect, controller, relays, I/O, and motor drives). No terminal blocks with bundles of wires, and plenty of diagnostic information.

 

 

On the motion side, a booth highlight consisted of the heavy-lifting XTS, transporting over 30 pounds with rapid starts and stops.

 

OnLogic

 

Computers are the backbone of the entire control system. For decades, ‘industrial computer’ has been synonymous with ‘PLC,’ but these days, it’s not quite as clear. Industrial PCs, or IPCs, heighten the capabilities of the controller, while also still providing floor-level control of I/O devices.

 

 

OnLogic provides a lineup of high-quality IPCs that can function not only as process controllers but also as devices like network gateways, including at least one device out in ‘the wild,’ like this picture captured at another exhibitor booth at Pack Expo

 

IMI

 

Navigating a branding redesign can be a tricky path to navigate, but when you have a history of reliable products and services, it’s easier. The bright purple logo of IMI unifies the companies of Norgren, Bimba, and Bahr, all well-known names in fluid power and motion for automation.

 

 

IMI provides a product portfolio for linear motion, spanning across air preparation, control valves, and both pneumatic and electric actuators. Additionally, electrical network components help advance any system into the IIoT-enabled future!

 

FANUC

 

Bright yellow is the signature color for FANUC, and Pack Expo proved to be a combination of both the yellow industrial robot models, but equally represented were the white profiles of the food & bev and collaborative models.

 

 

These days, we don’t need to define the cobot to audiences any longer. Instead, we are beginning to see a shifting of the boundaries between traditional and collaborative situations; can a robot toggle between both modes? Should cobots be designed for specific applications, or remain generic for numerous applications? No matter who you ask, there is a lot of variety on the horizon.

 

Binder

 

In a world powered by automation, we often see the big picture first: the fast robots, the massive processing machines, the fancy controllers… But behind the scenes, critical hardware allows all of the big-picture equipment to work reliably. A great case in point is connector hardware from Binder.

 

 

Connectors are an important part of all designs, and many choices must be made. Threaded or push-connect? Straight or right-angle? PCB mount or panel mount? Binder provides a wide array of options, including the ever-popular M8 and M12 varieties, along with new innovations like the recent PBC15 for both power and signal transmission.

 

SMC

 

In the world of packaging automation, many applications involve contact with food, drinks, and even medical supplies. Each of these applications must adhere to much stricter contamination control guidelines than most general handling processes. SMC has an extensive catalog of air control systems, and the Pack Expo display contained many updates in products for these hygienic systems.

 

 

In addition to advanced filtration and air preparation, one of the devices that stood out to me was the Bernoulli gripper. Venturi-powered vacuum grippers have been used for decades, with the baffled suction cups that can grip most flat or semi-flat objects. The only problem is that they must contact the surface. For food & bev applications, the Bernoulli gripper uses moving air to create a low-pressure zone, lifting an object while suspending it just in front of the gripper. It also forces air out of the gripper, not sucking in air and contaminants like the common Venturi vacuum generators.

 

All the Best at Pack Expo

Pack Expo was an exciting (and massive) show. Even with only a week behind us now, I’m already looking forward to walking the floor at future packaging automation shows and exploring the latest technology updates!