Imagine you are in the process of shopping for a new car.  Knowing where to go and starting the process is the most difficult.  You will probably start your search on the web narrowing down the details of the style, color, and features you want.  Once you have selected a car of interest, then you will visit the several local dealerships to test drive and get pricing.   Out of these dealerships a number of them probably will have the exactcar your looking for, but what will make you sign on that dotted line and take that car home with you? The Outstanding Service.

Car buying is a stressful and sometimes an annoying experience.  If you find a dealership that makes the experience less stressful that is the one who most likely you will do business with. Like buying your car from a dealership you enjoy, buying your hot melt glue through a trusted distributor is all about the personalized experience.

When you buy directly from a large manufacturer, you often lose the sense of partnership with your vendor.  These large-scale manufacturers focus heavily on manufacturing while other important areas of business fall to the waste side. These manufacturers excel in R&D and engineering, where distributors thrive when it comes to sales and customer service.  Distributors are in position to resolve issues quickly and find solutions effectively.

AstroAdhesives brings a belief in excellence, long-term commitment to service, and over 40 years of experience to the hot melt adhesive industry.

So why should you choose to purchase you’re hot melt supplies from Astro Packaging?

Same Day Shipping: We understand that your equipment is an integral part of your production. To ensure less down time we can ship your order the same day we receive it. Local delivery & installation available in select locations: Astro Packaging’s factory trained technicians will install your systems and train your mechanics for proper maintenance and minimal loss in production time. 24/7 technical support & advice: Our factory-trained technicians are available 24 hours a day, to handle any of your production emergencies. No automated voice answering system: When you call Astro Packaging during our regular business hours you will always be greeted by an actual person. We handle small accounts like a big account: Satisfying each and every customer is important to us. Whether you need a nozzle or a complete hot melt system we will do our best to assist you in making the right purchase. For more information on hot melt or liquid glue adhesives other applications, please visit us at www.astropackaging.com

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When you are moving from one glue vendor to another, cost becomes your top concern.  Although the cost of hot melt glue can change depending on the application, Astro Packaging will help explain some hot melt cost drivers.

You the customer are shopping for hot melt glue that not only works properly with your application, but also doesn’t significantly drive up your costs.  At first, this sounds very straightforward but many project specific details are reviewed in order to recommend the right hot melt glue for your packaging application. Each detail may adjust the glue formula and drive cost (up or down).

The Details

An important factor going into choosing the correct hot melt glue is your application.  The substrates you are working with, whether the glue needs to be freezer grade, or whether it needs to be FDA approved for direct or indirect food contact all effects the cost. These details influence each recommendation for your specific application.

Our experienced team reviews and assists with each inquiry to recommend the best glue for your application.  This may require having our team test your substrates on site to better assist you with choosing the correct glue.

Applying the glue

Another important detail to consider is whether you are using the correct equipment to dispense the glue.  Some applications are applied glue from a gun.  Others use larger automated equipment to apply glue for precision and effectiveness.  There are quite a few different machines used in the packaging industry.  For this reason the hot melts we recommend for one machine may very much differ from another.  Each glue is formulated for the specific application and equipment the glue will be applied one.

Ordering your glue

The final cost driver ultimately affecting your cost is order volume.  Astro Packaging is able to offer competitive pricing for larger orders compared to the market.  Our goal is to retain new customers by offering this competitive pricing.

How much does packaging this glue cost?

After reviewing these cost drivers and their effect on cost, you can see that this question is not very easy to answer. Astro Packaging hopes that after reading a little more you can understand the different factors that influence cost.

For more information on hot melt packaging glue, please visit wwwastropackaging.com.

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Why is Packaging Important?

Despite calls by extremists to eliminate packaging, primary and secondary packaging perform many critical functions — from allowing for easier goods movement and efficient processing between manufacturers and distributors to providing brand recognition and serving as an information source for consumers.

Increasing resource costs and environmental concerns are spurring efforts to create packaging that effectively achieves shipping and commercial objectives while also being “green.”

But what is green? According to the Sustainable Packaging Coalition, a green product or process must achieve one or more of the following:

• Be beneficial, safe, and healthy for individuals and communities throughout its lifecycle.
• Meet the market’s performance and cost criteria.
• Be sourced, manufactured, transported and recycled using renewable energy.
• Maximize the use of renewable or recycled source materials.
• Be manufactured using clean production technologies and best practices.
• Be made from materials healthy in all probable end-of-life scenarios.
• Be physically designed to optimize materials and energy.
• Be effectively recovered and used in biological and/or industrial cradle-to-cradle cycles.

Adhesives, Oil and Water

The mathematics of adhesive production and consumption are relatively simple and demonstrate the dramatic conservation — or “greening” — that adhesive reduction can deliver.

Adhesive production and processing requires two very limited resources: oil and water. It takes 1 lb. of oil to make 1 lb. of adhesive. So, for every 315 lbs of adhesive saved, 1 barrel of oil and 7,560 gal of water are conserved.

Manufacturers who minimize adhesive usage will not only conserve vital resources, they will also find that their processes are more efficient, more cost-effective, and, ultimately, more profitable.

Adhesive Evolution – Sticking to Sustainability Goals

Bead Volume

Adhesive manufacturers are doing their part by providing improvements and alternatives to existing hot-melt materials. Smaller adhesive forms, metallocene-based adhesives and low-temperature adhesives all offer sustainable benefits.

Smaller Adhesive Forms
Advanced adhesive extrusion technology has given rise to more efficient and smaller adhesive forms. New techniques, such as underwater extrusion, allow adhesives to be cut into shapes, which are easier for packagers to process. These improved manufacturing techniques also use less energy, making shapes (such as pellets) less costly to manufacture. Smaller adhesive forms are also easier to melt and are more efficiently transported by automatic filling systems, whose sustainability and costs savings benefits will be discussed later in this article.

Metallocene-Based Adhesives
Because of their availability, low cost and excellent bonding characteristics, ethylene vinyl acetate (EVA) adhesives have been the material of choice for packagers for the past 40 years. Metallocene adhesives, introduced in the early 1990s, offer improved performance, less density and reduced adhesive use — but at a higher cost.

Lower-Temperature Adhesives
New lower-temperature adhesives also promise energy savings. Applied at 200-250°F, low-temperature adhesives can reduce energy costs to operate a single adhesive melter at an average of $0.03/hr.

While their sharp viscosity curve makes precise temperature control of lower-temperature adhesives necessary and makes them more susceptible to substrate and ambient temperature effects, these adhesives can lessen char formation and reduce operator exposure to higher-temperature materials, surfaces, and components.

Advancing Green, Reducing Costs and Staying in the Black

Bead vs. stitch pattern.

Environmental responsibility, sustainability and the movement to greener packaging are all important; however, these goals must be balanced with business objectives.

The bottom line is that there must be a cost benefit to packagers if sustainability and “going green” are to gain momentum and advance. Equipment manufacturers must provide innovation and technology solutions that enable packagers to achieve sustainability, improve efficiency, and maintain or reduce costs.

Following are some examples.

Automatic Filling Systems
When the tank on an adhesive melter runs low, a number of problems can occur. Adding a large amount of adhesive to a melter all at once causes the adhesive temperature to dramatically decrease and requires time for the melter to melt the influx of new adhesive and return to its set operating temperature. This scenario, commonly called “thermal shock,” cuts into productivity while the line waits for the melter to return to its correct temperature; it also causes a spike in energy use. In addition, if adhesive is applied at less than optimal temperature during this cycle, it will not bond properly, creating product rejects and wasted adhesive.

Automatic fill systems maintain optimal tank levels and adhesive temperatures at all times, relieving operators of the filling and monitoring task, and improving both efficiency and bonding quality. These systems save adhesive by eliminating waste associated with manual overfilling and spillage, preventing thermal shock, and reducing the volume of char-producing contaminants entering the tank. As a result, packagers also benefit from fewer missed adhesive beads, bad bonds and reject packages.

Closed Label-Application Systems
Traditional wheel-pot labeling systems are open to the air and have poor insulation, requiring more energy to keep the adhesive temperature at optimal application levels. In addition, the open design allows debris to enter the molten adhesive container or pot. To maintain adequate application temperature, constant reheating of the adhesive is required. This increases adhesive charring and negatively impacts adhesive viscosity, eventually rendering the material in the wheel pot unusable. Contaminants that collect in the open wheel pot also increase charring and can end up applied to the product, causing poor bonding or unsightly product rejects. As a result, open systems require constant cleaning and maintenance, during which unusable adhesive must be removed and disposed of, costing labelers time and money.

Open wheel-pot systems also have numerous moving parts that wear with age and contribute to label application issues, such as wrinkling and folded-back labels. The parts require additional maintenance and upkeep costs.

New closed systems prevent heat from dissipating into the ambient air, reducing energy use and operational costs. Precise application of adhesive, using fiberized spray or slot gun technology, eliminates the imprecise deposition and adhesive slinging associated with open systems. Precision dispensing provides a stable, consistent bond while minimizing the amount of adhesive needed on each label.

Consistent, accurate adhesive application makes label removal easier during the recycling process. The Association of Postconsumer Plastic Recyclers recommends that adhesive usage and surface area covered be minimized to the greatest extent possible to maximize polyethylene terephthalate (PET) yield.

In a typical¹ labeling operation, a closed system will produce an average savings of 0.24 g/bottle of adhesive, 12,936 kWh and $1,035 per year.

Bead Placement

Increasing Precision in Traditional Application
In a typical² packaging application, reducing nozzle orifice size just 1/64” can save 25% in adhesive volume, which can reduce adhesive usage by up to 2,400 lbs/year. Conversely, a too-large nozzle or inconsistent adhesive flow is costly. A bead doubled from 1/16” to 1/8” (1.58 to 3.175mm) consumes four times more adhesive.

Today, manufacturers are using smaller package sizes to better meet sustainability and source reduction targets and consumer demand for smaller or individual servings. These smaller packages require improved process control and adhesive dispensing accuracy.

Quality nozzles manufactured to strict tolerances produce quick return on investment through adhesive savings and reduced scrap. Strict quality control also minimizes the occurrence of burrs or other imperfections than contribute to nozzle clogging and increased downtime. Using precision-manufactured nozzles that deliver consistent, shot-to-shot accuracy can reduce adhesive use and waste in a typical³ packaging application by 3,172 lbs/year.

Better Energy Efficiency
It’s a relatively common practice to leave adhesive-application equipment turned on around the clock so that the temperature remains optimal. However, most new adhesive melters have a seven-day clock function that allows manufacturers to program their adhesive application equipment to turn on and off, ensuring that it will be heated and ready when needed. Without the seven-day clock, a typical³ single melter can waste $270 of electricity each year.

Innovative Application Techniques for Cost Savings

Applying short, intermittent beads (“stitching”) in place of long, continuous beads can reduce adhesive consumption by up to 50%.

A number of new application methods, including the use of both hot and cold adhesives for dual gluing, as well as adhesive foaming and the intermittent stitching of adhesive, offer manufacturers creative means of reducing adhesive costs with minimal equipment investment.

Dual Gluing
Dual gluing uses both cold-glue and hot-melt adhesives. Cold glue provides a cost-effective, secure seal with excellent fiber tear properties. However, it has longer open and cure times, which can slow production processes. Applying a small amount of hot-melt adhesive keeps the package closed until the cold glue penetrates the board stock and dries, or “sets.” Although dual gluing requires additional equipment, it enables significant savings, reducing hot melt use by more than 50%.

Foaming
Hot-melt adhesive foaming is accomplished by injecting and mixing inert gas into the adhesive, which expands to produce a closed-cell foam with reduced density.

First introduced in the 1980s, foaming systems used to require a complete stand-alone melting system and significant capital expense to realize a reduction in adhesive use. Now, new compact systems can be retrofitted to existing adhesive melters already in operation. In case-sealing applications, foaming can deliver a 30-40% decrease in density, adhesive use and cost. In addition to its bonding and sealing properties, foaming also provides excellent gap filling, making it ideal for warped board surfaces.

Adhesive Stitching
Most packaging applications use pattern controls, which tell the system when to open and close valves in the dispensing guns to deliver specified lengths of adhesive beads to meet individual package requirements. Most pattern controls that have been commercially available for the past 10+ years are capable of being programmed to apply short, small beads of adhesive instead of long, continuous beads. Because the strength of the individual adhesive bond is strongest at the beginning and the end points of the adhesive bead, using shorter, intermittent beads delivers the same tight sealing, bond strength, and fiber tear as longer, continuous beads of adhesive. This simple yet effective concept can, with proper management, reduce adhesive consumption in many applications

by up to 50%.

The Ripple Effect

Reducing adhesive use and waste within the packaging operation impacts processes that occur both before and after packaging.

Think of adhesive application on the package, container or label as the stone that makes a splash in the water. Reducing adhesive use and costs during the packaging process are only one aspect of achieving packaging sustainability. As the ripples expand, we can see how the entire process is affected, both before and after the adhesive is applied.

Pre-Adhesive Application
Reducing adhesive use reduces the demand for oil, water and energy used in its production. In addition, shipping of raw materials, packaging, handling and transportation of adhesives is also reduced.

Post-Adhesive Application
Reduced adhesive use improves the recyclability of PET and paperboard stocks while reducing how much adhesive and non-recyclable material ends up in landfills.

Packaging machinery and equipment manufacturers can act as catalysts in the packaging industry’s mandate for sustainability. Even small changes can result in substantial savings; multiple changes produce compounded savings and can revolutionize entire operations.

Once just an industry buzzword, sustainability has come of age as packagers learn that wise investment — in new technology and processes — and simple upgrades to existing processes can produce a positive economic and environmental return on investment.

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Improved Stability: The reduction in application temperature provides a substantial decrease in the thermal degradation of the adhesive. This will provide greater consistency from the adhesive, both in application characteristics and adhesive performance.

Reduced Downtime: Hot Melts tend to char over time at elevated temperatures resulting in plugged nozzles. Productivity is lost when production lines have to be shut down to replace or repair these nozzles. The low temp adhesive, due to its lower application temperature and improved stability, will reduce the amount of char generated in an adhesive application system and improve efficiencies.

Reduced Maintenance Cost: Hot melt application equipment can be expensive to maintain. A temperature reduction of approximately 100°F will reduce

the wear on pumps and hoses in the adhesive application system and will result in fewer nozzles being replaced due to damage caused by cleaning and handling.

Safety: Although the adhesive is still hot enough to cause burns, the potential for severe burns is reduced with low application temperature hot melts. Not only is the adhesive applied cooler than traditional hot melts but the associated nozzles, fittings and hoses are cooler as well.

Low Odor: The VOC (Volatile Organic Compounds) associated with hot melts are reduced by the lower application temperature. Although these VOC’s are not considered to be hazardous, they do contribute to the odor associated with hot melt adhesives.

Efficiency: The fast set speeds of the low temp adhesive has allowed customers to improve line speeds by as much as 30%. This increase in productivity has even been documented in applications where the incumbent adhesive touted a 1 second set time.

Reduced Energy Consumption: Since the adhesive is applied at 250°F to 270°F, the amount of energy required to heat and maintain this adhesive at application temperature is reduced, as compared with traditional 350°F Hot Melts.

The post Benefits of Using Low Temperature Hot Melt: Case and Carton appeared first on Astro Packaging.

There are many factors that are important when buying hot melt besides what’s in the formulas. Astro Packaging understands how hard it can be to determine the cost and coverage of hot melt. We want to guide you and make your life just a little easier by showing you some simple equations for finding your hot melt coverage and cost.

Dot Reference

You can estimate total dot size by dispensing in dots. For exact dot dispensing, see the cutting-edge Astro Packaging hot melt units line. These machines help produce the same drop every time for complete accuracy.

• 1/4″ dot size will give your approximately 9,500 dots per pound or approximately .10 pounds per 1,000 dots.
• 1/2″ dot size will give you approximately 2,300 dots per pound or approximately .42 pounds per 1,000 dots.

Linear Reference

Each line size is not created equal. You need to know your correct line size to accurately estimate how much hot melt is needed for your application. Bead size will also vary due to different size nozzles.

• 1/16 ” linear bead will give you approximately 1,600 feet per pound or approximately .6 pounds per 1,000 linear feet.
• 1/8″ dot size will give you approximately 425 dots per pound or approximately 2.3 pounds per 1,000 linear feet.
• 1/4″ dot size will give you approximately 180 dots per pound or approximately 5.4 pounds per 1,000 linear feet.

Overview

Dots: (Dots per piece x pieces per hour) = dots per hour / dots per pound = glue pounds per hour Linear: (Feet per applications x applications per hour) = total feet per hour / feet per lb. = glue pounds per hour needed.

For questions please contact our Astro Packaging sales team today at (800)-462-7876 or Visit our website www.astropackaging.com

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Astro Packaging has a hot melt to meet your needs:

• Case and Carton Sealing Hot Melt Adhesives
• Container Labeling Hot Melt Adhesives
• Pressure Sensitive Hot Melt Adhesives
• Wood Bonding Hot Melt Adhesives

Advantages of Hot Melt Adhesives:

• Speed of bond formation allows for high line speeds
• Variety of application methods allows for flexibility of part design
• Bond together impervious surfaces, allowing bonding of two non-porous surfaces
• Gap filling allows greater tolerances in part design
• Moisture sensitivity of final bond – application for high humidity environments
• Easy storage – long shelf life without special environment controls
• 100% solids – environmentally responsible

Our hot melt products are available in a variety of package types such as tack-free pellets or pressure sensitive sheets. All of our hot melts are easy to apply using the appropriate application equipment, from hand rollers to robotic spray guns.Green Solutions in Hot Melt Adhesives

As a manufacturer recognize the health benefits of environmentally friendly products, Astro Packaging can help with a line of solvent-free hot melt adhesives that offer dependable performance with no harmful VOCs. View our Hot Melt Products

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The first difference is cost; hot melt systems are more expensive than tape machines to purchase and operate, but after the initial investment, hot melt adhesives typically cost 60-80% less than packaging tape. This can save businesses thousands of dollars each year and even each month. Hot melt also offers structural strength to a box and is important for heavy packages or long term bonds that will be strained during shipping. Tape does not offer structural benefits to the box and is used for the packaging of low weight products.

Consumers can also benefit from packaging applications that use hot melt adhesives instead of tape. Hot melt adhesive applies glue to the major flaps of the box and are torn away when opening. Tape has to be removed by the consumer usually with a knife or scissors. The aesthetics of packaging also favor adhesives as cases that use hot melt have a better appearance than taped packages.

Another advantage of hot melts over tape is how both operate in production. Hot melt adhesives are used extensively for high-speed case and carton sealing and can run continuously without having to stop product to re-load material. Tape on the other hand is used for slower intermittent case erecting and sealing and must stop the line for roll changes.

When making your decision it is important to choose what will perform best with your application process.

Contact Astro Packaging for a full review of your application and we’ll provide insight to our best recommendations on equipment and adhesives. We are a leading manufacturer of hot melt equipment with decades of experience with start up and design to install and implementation. Astro Packaging has fully configured hot melt systems and stock a full warehouse of varying adhesive products.

• 800-642-7876
• www.astropackaging.com
• info@astropackaging.com

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things that can cause leaking and stringing. Here are the common causes.

If the hot melt glue gun module is leaking it can easily be identified. With the hot melt system in the ready-to-run mode and while the packaging machinery is idle, simply observe the nozzle tips to see if adhesive is oozing out and/or dripping while air pressure is on the pump. If oozing is observed, there is a problem with the gun module. Either the ball and seat or needle and seat are worn out or there is an obstruction in the seat area preventing the needle from closing completely. Either clean out the seat area or replace the gun module to remedy the leaking issue.

If the gun module is not leaking and you have stringing or angel hair issues, there are several potential causes. Some remedies are simple adjustments to the hot melt equipment. Most common are incorrect temperature settings. Temperature affects the viscosity or thickness of the adhesive and the cooler the temperatures the thicker the adhesive, which increases stringing. Standard application temperature hot melt adhesives are designed to be applied at 350° F. It is important that ALL temperature zones are set to the same temperature. This includes the tank, hoses and guns. Follow the application temperature recommended by the adhesive manufacturer, but generally speaking the hotter the adhesive the less stringing.

Another contributing factor to stringing is the distance from the nozzle tip to the carton flap. It’s important to position the nozzle tip as close as possible to the substrate to minimize stringing and angel hair.

If you still have stringing after making these adjustments, contact an expert on adhesives and adhesive equipment because there may be other system configuration issues contributing to the stringing, including the distance from the air solenoid to the glue gun and nozzle orifice diameter or engagement length. There are also newer glue gun technologies that utilize air-open and air-close designs as opposed to the older air-open, spring-close technologies. Air-open / air-close guns shut off faster thereby minimizing stringing. Some companies offer zero-cavity module designs that eliminate stringing. Lastly, it could be that your adhesive technology is outdated. There are newer metallocene-based hot melt adhesives that do not string, char or smoke and they could be a good option for your packaging operations.

We are both adhesive and adhesive equipment experts and can help you to optimize your adhesive application by using our no-charge / no-obligation production line audit. Contact one of our adhesive/hot-melt-equipment specialists for your audit today. 1-800-642-7876

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Hot melt nozzles are the last piece of equipment adhesive contacts when dispensing to production lines. Because of this, hot melt nozzles can have a big impact on the performance of your glue patterns. Astro Packaging manufacturing standards provide the highest tolerances to guarantee consistent bead placement and performance for customer applications. Inferior nozzles can cause many production issues such as higher adhesive usage, plugged nozzles, and incorrect bead placement.

Higher adhesive usage is a double negative for hot melt applications. The obvious and most costly issue is the increase in glue consumption, which can be hundreds of thousand dollars each year. With inconsistent nozzle standards, operators increase system pressure and over-apply glue on the substrate. Over-applying glue increases glue usage and also can cause issues with longer set times and bond degradation. Astro Packaging nozzles provide consistent glue beads to conserve glue usage and improve bond strength.

Bond strength is another problem for applications using inferior nozzles that is caused by inconsistent orifice sizes. The orifice of a nozzle provides the path for glue to pass through from the applicator to the substrate. Due to adhesive degradation from sitting at high temperatures, char and other debris form in the tank and are passed through the system to the nozzle. If the char cannot pass through the nozzle, it will plug the nozzle or cause distorted glue patterns because of partial plugging. These plugged nozzles and distorted glue patterns are detrimental to bond strength and often leads to downtime and maintenance issues.

Incorrect bead placement is a headache for maintenance operators because this has the biggest impact on bond strength and performance. Consistent glue placement is crucial to providing bond strength at critical parts of a package, and any irregularities can lead to pop-opens or damaged goods. The strength of a box relies on glue to bond to provide necessary strength to seal.

Astro Packaging also has system maintenance kits to help minimize char, nozzle plugging and more. See our cleaning kits, hot melt purge, or nozzle cleaning kits below:

• Equipment Cleaning Kit: https://www.astropackaging.com/search-pages/misc-parts/tank-cleaning-service-kit
• Nozzle Cleaning Kit: https://www.astropackaging.com/search-pages/misc-parts/nozzle-cleaning-kit-10-pack
• Hot Melt Purge: Available in 1 gal, 2.5 gal, and 5 gal options.

Contact Astro Packaging for the best nozzles for all your hot melt applications. We provide superior performance and minimize nozzle plugging and adhesive degradation for Nordson® hot melt equipment, Slautterback®, Graco®, ITW Dynatec®, Robatech® and more. Astro Packaging and Adhesives. 800-642-7876 info@astropackaging.com

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Reliable Packaging Systems’ adhesive & equipment team had recently made the not-so-perilous trek out to the deserts of Nevada for 2019’s inimitable Pack Expo. And what a wonderful experience it was, not only because this year’s series of events had been so much closer to us than Chicago’s biennial take on the same exhibition, but because Pack Expo—Vegas is the oh-so rare(r) chance for us to catch up with some of our all-time favorite faces, friends, frenemies, foils, etc.

Some of the standout experiences on the expo floor were courtesy of Graco® Inc., Packsize®,

Nordson®, Glue Dots®, Yaskawa® America Inc., etc. The InvisiPac equipment remained an ever-reliable contender this year, putting Graco® well on the path to an, admittedly, well-deserved, multi-year reliability streak. Tank-free delivery system designs are all about functionality and seamless integration onto any point in an assembly line. Prevent char/residue build-up, reduce burn hazards, boast faster start-up times, maintain more consistent/robust temperatures, heighten performance, expedite your production, cut costs, save time, etc. This product line cannot be beat!

Nordson®, on the other hand, demoing the new ProBlue Flex, possessed a near-monastic focus on coaxing a seamless (and entirely brilliant) wireless performance out of their new interface. A touch of modernity in the equipment’s interface always goes a long way! Only time will tell if Nordson® has a winner, but the booth was buzzing with inquisitive minds. With regards to “seamless”, Glue Dots®, who are always a pleasure to see in the field, touted more fully automated adhesive applications this year, with a renewed dedication to upping feed rates, increasing accuracy in dot placement, and cutting maintenance costs, whether we’d all be choosing between intermittent, or continuous, applications, or not.

Yaskawa® Electric Corp. demoed several impressive robotic applications, whether it’d been arms, belts, drivers, or other jaw-dropping automations. You could literally ask one these “new-fangled” automatons for a beer, and the programming would oblige, serving up a cold one with calculated precision. Pre-programmed mechanizations continued to be a trend, as we then made our way over to checkout ADCO® Packaging Solutions’ veritable cornucopia of cartoners, ultimately discovering that they were selling their makes, right on the floor, then and there, on the first day. Talk about reliable: you can always count on “impressive” when you’re dealing with ADCO®.

A last honorable mention should really go out to Switchback® Group, if we’re going to be discussing the term, “impressive”. With their vast state-of-the-art equipment array, and a expansive vast of their expansive customer base, this is one OEM that does it all. Cartoners, carton closers, tray formers, case packers, sleevers, top-loaders, etc. Their arsenal is vast and they have got the knowhow to keep their operation up and running for years to come. They’re in it for the long haul, and longevity/staying power will never an issue for them. There was even talk of their daring dalliance(s) with several choice breweries, IPA houses, and Kombucha distributors. Cheers, as we drink to that!

A round of “thank you(s)” are in order, not only for a lovely showcase this year, but also for another successful summer season in the packaging industry. To all those amicable folks who’d shaken some hands, swapped a few business cards, stayed for meet n’ greets, etc. And to all those who may have followed us on our daring pilgrimage for the nearest reputable steakhouse (or three), or to any of you who’d gotten jazzed with us, quite literally, at a certain piano bar until well passed the wee hours of the morning… you know who you are. We hope to see and hear from all of you again!

Warmest Regards,

Astro Packaging Admin. Team

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