In the past 13 years, the aluminum can market has come a long way within the craft beer segment. Back in 2002, only one craft brewer packaged its beer in aluminum cans, according to the Aluminum Association.

From Nov. 2 through Nov. 5, Pack Expo International 2014 and the co-located Pharma Expo drew more 48,000 attendees to Chicago’s McCormick Place.

Oftentimes, a trend can be linked to one particular outlet. For instance, AOL’s AIM platform was a contributor to the instant messaging trend in the ‘90s.

Although the term “flexibility” often is used to describe expectations for beverage industry equipment, in terms of labeling equipment, there still is a place for more rigid machines dedicated to specific operations, notes Raul Matos, vice president of sales and marketing at Miami-based Karlville Development LLC.

This fall, PMMI, the Reston, Va.-based Association for Packaging and Processing Technologies, will host Pack Expo International 2014 from Nov. 2 through 5 at McCormick Place in Chicago.

The right labels and packaging can attract new customers and position the product for wider success. However, manufacturers often find it difficult to meet emerging demands because of the time and expense involved in designing a new label and having label runs produced by a printing house. Printing technology can change that model.

In The Walt Disney Co.’s 2003 feature film “Pirates of the Caribbean: Curse of the Black Pearl,” lawless groups of sailors often remind each other to “keep to the code,” referring to the set of societal guidelines handed down by their pirate forefathers.

The product name has been trademarked; the formulation has been perfected and patented; the packaging is unique and shelfworthy; yet, this product might never make it to retail because the owner forgot about one vital step: inspection.

Modex 2014 showed the strength of the manufacturing and supply chain industries as it attracted approximately 23,000 attendees to Atlanta’s World Congress Center, March 17-20.

In boxing, a TKO indicates a technical knockout that officially ends the fight. For beverage manufacturers competing “in the ring,” it’s the TCO that drives much of the battle in regard to filling equipment.