The 4 I’s of Pack Expo + Inspection

Insights, Interaction, Inspiration, and Innovation: those are the themes of Pack Expo this year. It’s expected that 30,000 people will be walking the show floor at this processing and packaging expo taking place in Las Vegas. The show website boasts that the industry’s most recognized experts will be sharing their knowledge of breakthrough technologies and the latest regulations. They also recommend networking with others to “gain the outside perspective you need to solve tough problems, identify best practices, exceed demands, and guide your organization into the future and develop a competitive edge.”

This year, in addition to being one of the 1,800 vetted, top-tier suppliers of processing and packaging solutions who will be exhibiting, two of our subject matter experts will be presenting sessions at the Innovation Stage.

My colleague Michelle Schultz, an Application Specialist in X-Ray Inspection and Metal Detection, will be presenting How Bulk Flow X-ray Can Improve Food Safety and Brand Quality. Removing foreign objects from bulk products close to the agricultural processes has always been a challenge. The contaminants can vary greatly in type, appearance, size and shape, so automation solutions must be very flexible and intelligent. Typically, this means several complementary techniques such as magnets, sieves, gravity separators, metal detectors, optical sorters and human inspectors must be used. With the advent of cost effective and highly sensitive X-ray systems, this technology is being increasingly added to the bulk processing area to find food safety risks other approaches can miss.

Her presentation will explain the basic technology used in all X-ray systems, what the key elements of a bulk X-ray machine are and some typical contaminants that can be removed in a variety of products from nuts to berries to vegetables. The performance of bulk X-ray will be described in detail along with some of its limitations. You should attend this presentation if you want to learn about new technology to improve the safety of bulk food products prior to further processing or packaging for consumers, thus improving their HACCP compliance.

Another colleague, Rick Cash, who is our Checkweigher Product Manager & Product Technology Manager, will be presenting How an Engineered Checkweigher Solution Can Meet Evolving Production Requirements. Checkweighers have evolved over the last 65 years in response to changes in food, pharma, and personal care production needs. Today, checkweighing solutions engineered to meet specific production application requirements are even more critical. As plants seek to maximize efficiency of manufacturing floor space, dual-and multi-lane checkweighing is becoming not only cost-effective, but a necessity in some cases.

Drawing from real-life examples, Rick will explain the basic technology used in multi-lane checkweighers, what the key application drivers are, what solutions were provided, and the resulting benefits. The constraints of each application, along with the innovations in design required to supply the correct solution, will be described in detail. If you want to learn about the critical success factors for multi-lane applications prior to their preparation of suitable RFPs, then make sure you attend Rick’s session.

If you can’t make it to the sessions, stop by our booth #C-2200 to see the latest innovations to help ensure the safety and quality of your packaged and unpackaged products. You can speak to our applications experts to get the answers you need or discuss custom solutions. Be our guest and register today for your complimentary badge. Use comp code 94K84.

Can’t make it to the show? Visit us at http://www.thermoscientific.com/packexpo2015 to learn more about packaged product inspection for the food industry. You can also follow the show twitter posts @packexposhow using #PACKEXPO or visit their Facebook page.

Show Details:

Pack Expo 2015
Booth #C-2200
September 28, 2015 – September 30, 2015
Las Vegas Convention Center, Las Vegas, Nevada
Register today for your complimentary badge. Use comp code 94K84.

Presentations:

Monday, Sept. 28 – 10:00 a.m.
Innovation Stage C-1049
How An Engineered Checkweigher Solution Can Meet Evolving Production Requirements

Monday, Sept. 28 – 12:00 noon
Innovation Stage C-1049
How Bulk Flow X-ray Can Improve Food Safety and Brand Quality