Packaging’s Past, Present and Future

PACK EXPO Las Vegas 2021 —
I came, I saw, I missed my flight home.

Here is where I overstayed my assigned time and messed up my schedule.

Pack to the Future

I kicked off the show with a tour of the Pack to the Future exhibit. Curators Jack Aguero and Bret Meyer got more than 60 OEMs, CPGs, museums and trade associations to provide close to 25 historic machines and hundreds of historic photos. Aguero and Meyer organized it all into a timeline spanning 1750 to 2000. It was impressive, inspiring and put everything at the show into context.

Wyzo Sidebot

Most technology displayed at the show are upgrades and improvements of existing machinery. Wyzo stood out because it is world’s first direct-drive pick-and-place sidebot. Making its U.S. debut at PACK EXPO, Wyzo did not disappoint. I got to experience first-hand how Wyzo can work safely side-by-side with humans with zero protective barriers. I was also able to stop it simply by putting my hand in its way. It’s ideal for lightweight applications with a payload up to 1.1lbs and  is suitable for the food & beverage, consumer goods, pharmaceutical and cosmetics. Maybe Wyzo is one solution to the worker shortage. With labor availability an ongoing challenge, ease-of-use has also become ever more important. Wyzo’s Human Machine Interface (HMI) has been designed for intuitive use by operators with no prior training in automated solutions.

tna robag3e

My last stop one the last day was at tna solutions to check out the new tna robag 3e, the vertical form fill and seal (VFFS) packaging system. The simplicity of the new machine is how it’s easy to operate, service and maintain.

The new system is capable of producing a wide variety of products at speeds of up to 250 bpm. The updated version shares common core components with tna roflo distribution conveyors and the tna intelli-flav seasoning system reducing the need for additional spare parts stocking, and features integrated LED lighting in the packaging jaw area to make maintenance safer and easier to perform.