WestPack crowds soaked up live product demos

Crowds at WestPack

Exhibitors from across the country displayed machinery ranging from robotics to filling and cartoning equipment to marking and coding systems. Several explained the importance of the show as one of their best means to reach the important packaging segment in Southern California and the entire region.

Pro Mach said WestPack is its second-largest show in the U.S. this year, and they were well-represented with eight of its brands exhibiting at the show. Marking and coding suppliers, such as Leibinger, Sato, Videojet, ID Technology and Markem-Imaje demonstrated some of their newest equipment, developed based on customer demands for clean printing, increased uptime and reductions in consumable costs. Label printers and shrink sleeves were also popular exhibitors.

One supplier from the Midwest explained the importance of being able to display his company's bagging equipment at the show. Having the machine on hand so that attendees from the area could view it in action resulted in increased interest, better sales leads and two purchases, he says. Others reported that equipment sales are looking up so far in 2012, and that they were collecting a number of promising leads while at the show.

Co-located shows-which included such events as the Automation Technology Expo West and Medical Design & Manufacturing-allowed cross-over attendees to view both machinery and materials in multiple applications.

Robotics also was prominent at the show, with a number of manufacturers highlighting speed and flexibility in packaging applications. Staubli, for instance, had introduced a new, high-speed pick-and-place robot in a format similar to a SCARA type (see more below).

The organizers also had seminars on sustainability in packaging and automation, which drew enthusiastic attendees.

Packaging Digest plant operations editor Jack Mans reports on these interesting developments he saw at the show:

•Wexxar introduced its Model WF30 auto-adjust case former, which is servo-driven and automatically adjusts to form any selected case. No mechanical adjustments by operator. He just selects the case from a list on the control panel and the servos move the forming grids.

•Staubli introduced its TP80 Fast Picker, a four-axis robot-not a Delta-that reaches 200 picks/min in pick-and-place applications.

• PackLine West was showing some interesting tray form/fill/seal machines. One produced airless fills without a vacuum suction system and the other ran a unique tray for particulates.

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