50 percent at the National Association of Convenience Stores (NACS) Show. Its Miracool ICMs are Energy Star certified and are highly compatible with recycling process requirements in the United States, the company says. In addition, Frigoglass is the first company in North America that uses cyclopentane, which is an environmentally friendly blowing agent, in the production process of ICMs, which are produced at its Spartanburg, S.C., plant. The company’s ICMs also feature optimized and efficient design, best-in-class components like LED lighting, efficient compressors, fan motors and glass panes that work toward providing high-efficiency levels, it says.

• Frigoglass SAIC, 15 A. Metaxa St., 145 64 Kifissia, Athens, Greece; +30 210 6165700; www.frigoglass.com.

 

Mixed-case palletizing

Fanuc Robotics America demonstrated intelligent mixed case palletizing with its latest M-410iB/140H palletizing robot during Pack Expo. Ideally suited for high-volume production in bag and box palletizing operations, the M-410iB/140H is the latest member of the M-410iB family of palletizing robots, the company says. It features a 140-kg. payload and a slim arm and wrist design with integrated cable routing to minimize interference with tooling and other peripheral devices. Its compact size allows it to work in small spaces with low ceiling heights. The robot uses iRVision Bar Code Reading to adjust the patent-pending end-of-arm tool to match the size of each case. The robot picks a case from one rack and transfers it to an open space in an adjacent rack. The process continues until all of the cases are moved from one rack to the other. The robot also features a large work envelope that, when combined with its high-speed operation, allows a single M-410iB/140H to service multiple lines in high-volume environments. Additional M-410iB/140H robot benefits include the following: palletizing speeds up to 1,900 cycles an hour (bags or boxes); compact wrist minimizes interference with peripheral devices; ability to operate in environments ranging from harsh to traditional factory floor; can be mounted on the floor or a platform/riser; and operates with the company’s latest controller with integrated intelligent functions such as iRVision, Collision Guard, Roboguide/PalletPro and PalletTool software.

• Fanuc Robotics America, 1800 Lakewood Blvd., Hoffman Estates, Ill. 60192; 847/898-6000; fanucrobotics.com.

 

Energy focused

SG Beverage Solutions Inc. introduced its MC-12 Energy Cooler and MC-18 Energy Shot Cooler at the NACS Show. The MC-12 accommodates 16- or 12-ounce cans and occupies less than 1.4 square feet of countertop space. The MC-18 holds up to 18 energy shots and occupies less than 1 square foot of countertop space. Standard features for both include an exterior LCD temperature display, sound alert once the lid is lifted, two thermo-electric units and an LED illuminated interior. The MC-12 also can cool 16-ounce cans to 34 degrees Fahrenheit.

• SG Beverage Solutions Inc., 2801 NW 55th Court, Fort Lauderdale, Fla. 33309; 800/882-6693; sgbeveragesolutions.com.

 

Cooler options

Imbera highlighted its beverage cooler options at the NACS Show. The company showcased its VR-04, a smaller-sized cooler that is interactive, illuminates products and displays video. The VR-08M Supercold is designed to reduce product temperature to 39 degrees Fahrenheit without freezing. Its door configuration makes it easy to promote various product types, the company says. The G3-42M emphasizes the multi-category concept and the design allows consumers to easily identify various products.

• Imbera, 303 Perimeter Center North, Suite 300, Atlanta, Ga. 30346; 678/690-8454; alpunto.mx/en/imbera/portada-imbera.

 

Shelf management

RTC showcased its EcoTrac Shelf Management system at the NACS Show. The system consists of a reprocessed plastic tray with a replaceable front retainer. The ability to upgrade a gravity glide to a spring-driven glide or to replace a broken front enhances the tray life, lowering the total cost of glide ownership, the company says.

• RTC, 2800 Golf Road, Rolling Meadows, Ill. 60008; 847/640-2400; rtc.com.

 

Flavorful options

Lancer Corp. showcased its FS60 Flavor Select Advanced Ice-Beverage Dispenser at the NACS Show. The FS60 offers more than 120 flavor combinations, the company says. It features interactive “Life-Touch” buttons as well as state-of-the-art cold carbonation technology, it adds. FS60 also is self-contained with multiple ice fill options. The Air Mix nozzles blend syrup and water in midair for consistent drink delivery, the company says.

• Lancer Corp., 6655 Lancer Blvd., San Antonio, Texas 78219; 210/310-7000; lancercorp.com.

 

One-step process

Lantech introduced its new EZ Weigh Integrated Scale option at Pack Expo. The innovation uses load cell technology to combine pallet load weight and stretch wrapping into a one-step process. The EZ Weigh design separates the weigh system from the stretch wrappers’ frame to ensure only objects placed on the wrapper’s turntable are weighed, the company says. Designed for the company’s Q-250, Q-300, Q-300XT, Q-400 and Q-400 XT stretch wrappers, the new option is compatible with both

65- and 72-inch-diameter turntables. Stretch wrappers equipped with the EZ Weigh option maintain the Q Series’ classic low profile and are shipped from the factory calibrated and ready for immediate use, the company says.

• Lantech, 11000 Bluegrass Parkway, Louisville, Ky. 40299; 800/866-0322; lantech.com.

 

Newest model

OCS introduced its newest checkweigher model, HC-Medium, at Pack Expo. The HC-Medium is designed for mid-range applications for speeds up to 250 pieces a minute. It is operated by an industrial PC and is characterized by its 10.4-inch touch display, the company says. It features the same control concept as the high-end checkweigher HC-A, removing the need for crosstraining between various controllers, it adds. HC-Medium is equipped with Wipotec’s EMPR weigh cell.

• OCS Checkweighers Inc., 2350 Hewatt Road, Snellville, Ga. 30039; 678/344-8300; ocs-cw.com.

 

Counter top coolers

ATC Group featured its new CTA Series Counter Top Coolers at the NACS Show. The full-front glass door provides open visibility and is suited for use in retail displays. Other features include top mounted forced air refrigeration, bright LED interior lighting, an adjustable thermostat, a low-e tempered glass door, an aluminum door frame with lock and two adjustable wire shelves.

• ATC Group, 3235 Industry Drive, Suite C, North Charleston, S.C. 29418; 800/905-4768; atcgroup.net.

 

Inspection system

Teledyne TapTone unveiled a new vision inspection system, TotalVu, at Pack Expo. The new system follows the tradition of TapTone equipment for reliability, ease of use and a small footprint, the company says. It is designed to be configured with up to four smart cameras to perform a variety of inspections, including labeling inspection, closure inspection and fill level inspection. Equipped with either color or monochromatic cameras, the unit is both flexible and cost effective, the company says. Additional features include CCD high-resolution technology, support of 240 to 1280 dpi resolution, inspection speeds up to 2,000 fps, variable height and cantilevered design, up to four smart cameras for single and multiple point product inspection, as well as logs that track date and time history of rejects.

• Teledyne TapTone, 49 Edgerton Drive, North Falmouth, Ma. 02556; 508/563-1000; taptone.com.

 

Market introduction

Ferrum Ltd. showcased the can seamer F410 and the Easy Rider seaming roll, which was presented for the first time to the American market at Pack Expo. Easy Rider is easy to handle, has a long service life and does not lose any oil, the company says. Less friction surfaces in the center of the seaming roll means that the roll runs with less torque , it says. The new tapered roller bearing with a pretension optimized to the applied forces makes the seaming roll free of play, according to Ferrum.

• Ferrum AG, 5503 Schafisheim, Switzerland; +41 62 889 11 11; ferrum.ch.

 

Compact keg line

With its Innokeg Till CombiKeg, KHS has launched a compact keg washing and racking machine that houses not only the systems for washing the kegs inside and out and filling them, but also the media tanks, controls and conveyors. Shipped fully assembled in a standard-sized container, the Innokeg Till CombiKeg can be commissioned in a short time period, according to the Plug & Produce principle, the company says. With capabilities of between 60 and 100 kegs an hour, the Innokeg Till CombiKeg works on the principle of rotary processing. The target group for the Innokeg Till CombiKeg is primarily small- to medium-sized businesses in the brewing, carbonated soft drinks, mineral water, fruit juice and wine sectors, the company says. The system processes kegs from 10 to 58 liters. Innokeg Till CombiKeg also is designed to fill disposable kegs such as Petainer kegs. The standard R 3/1 model of the Innokeg Till CombiKeg has three washing heads, one racking head and a volumetric filling system with return gas control. Depending on the product and output required, a R 5/1 version of the Innokeg Till Combikeg also is available, equipped with five washing heads and one racking head. In place of the classic return gas control system, KHS’s Direct FlowControl filling technology also is available as an option.

• KHS USA Inc., 880 Bahcall Court, Waukesha, Wis. 53186; 262/797-7200; khs.com.

 

Versatile equipment

Delkor Systems Inc. addressed the growing demand for shelf-ready and retail-ready packaging for beverages at Pack Expo. Delkor’s new Shelf Ready Case & Tray Packer for beverage containers is engineered to address the mass merchandisers’ needs for product in a traditional corrugated case, product shipped in a shelf-ready display tray and a retail-ready format where some products have both two-pack and three-pack plastic handles applied. All of these changeovers are accomplished without tools and in less than 10 minutes.

• Delkor Systems Inc., 8700 Rendova St. NE, Minneapolis, Minn. 55014; 763/783-0855; delkorsystems.com.

 

New generation

At Pack Expo, Chep USA introduced Intercon, its new generation of foldable intermediate bulk containers, which can be used for both dry and liquid applications. Made from food-grade polypropylene, the lightweight unit is easy to clean and handle, and is more environmentally sustainable than non-reusable alternatives, the company says. The unit’s design allows forklift access from all four sides, providing greater handling efficiencies, it says. In addition to its strengthened latching system, the unit can be secured with tamper-evident seals. The drop door feature enables easy access to the internal base for manual filling and placement of liner bags.

• Chep USA, 8517 South Park Circle, Orlando, Fla. 32819; 407/370-2437; chep.com.

 

Sustainable-aimed innovation

Standard-Knapp featured its 939S Versatron Soft Catch Servo Case Packer at Pack Expo. The 939S Versatron Soft Catch Servo Case Packer technology enables packers to handle the thinner, lightweight and more fragile glass containers being used in the move toward greener, more sustainable packaging, the company says. The 939S Versatron minimizes the amount of material needed for container partitions, and major national retail chains have achieved savings as high as 10 percent in the cost of a case, it adds. Standard Knapp’s 939S Versatron Soft Catch Servo Case Packer is designed with a two-axis servo system that allows the machine to catch the product while it descends into the case. The company also developed the 990 model that builds on the Versatron’s features, which was on display at Pack Expo along with the 939S Versatron model. The 990 machine uses a set of grippers or vacuum cups to grab 12- to 24-count bottles and physically lower them into the case. This solution would virtually eliminate impact and is suited for higher-end products and extremely thin-walled glass materials, the company says.

• Standard-Knapp Inc., 63 Pickering St., Portland, Ct. 06480; 860/342-1100; standard-knapp.com.

 

Mass production

Nissei ASB Machine Co. Ltd. shared information about its ASB-70DPH and ASB-70DPW one-step injection stretch blow molding machines at Pack Expo. Utilizing its variable cavitation design, the ASB-70DPH is highly versatile and capable of producing an extensive range of containers from small bottles to large wide-mouth jars ranging from 5 ml. to 10 liters, the company says. Utilizing a two-row cavity layout, the ASB-70DPW can produce small mineral water containers up to 700-ml. capacity with high outputs, it adds.

• Nissei ASB Machine Co. Ltd., 4586-3 Koo, Kormoro-Shi, Nagano-Ken 384-8585, Japan; + 81 267 23 1565; nisseiasb.co.jp/en.

 

Glass supplier continues customer and consumer-focused tradition

Owens-Illinois Inc. (O-I) is the world’s largest glass container manufacturer and preferred partner for many of the world’s leading food and beverage brands. The company is headquartered in Perrysburg, Ohio, and employs more than 24,000 people at 81 plants in 21 countries. O-I delivers safe, effective and sustainable glass packaging solutions to a growing global marketplace. O-I has been manufacturing iconic glass containers for leading consumer brands like The Coca-Cola Co., PepsiCo, Heinz, Anheuser-Busch InBev, Nestlé, Pernod Ricard and SABMiller since 1903. Today, O-I provides the highest quality glass packaging materials to companies in more than 80 countries, the company says. The company’s glass container lines span a range of shapes and sizes for food, beer, wine, spirits and other non-alcohol beverages. O-I is focused on leveraging capabilities to bring innovative package solutions to current and potential customers. O-I is committed to being a performance-driven, customer- and consumer-focused organization that provides the best packaging solutions to enhance brand recognition. O-I is dedicated to providing sustainable, value-added packaging solutions to its customers, it says. • Owens-Illinois, One Michael Owens Way, Perrysburg, Ohio 43551, 567/336-5000, glass@o-i.com, glassislife.com.