Stephanie Neil

I’ve lived in my home for 20 years now, and a lot accumulated and cluttered the living space over that time. So much so that it periodically requires a full purge of possessions. When that happens, the industrial-strength dumpster rolls onto the driveway, and I start cleaning house. Once done, it’s like a weight has…

The international merger of two packaging powerhouses — Dublin-based Smurfit Kappa and Atlanta-based WestRock — creates a global supplier of sustainable paper and packaging solutions, operating in 40 countries with over 500 packaging converting operations and 63 paper mills. An official announcement of the acquisition was made September 2023. The completed deal was sealed with…

At the 2024 Digital Transformation Forum in Boston, Design World sat down with Deloitte’s Asi Klein, managing director of industrial products and construction, and Matthew Fox, senior manager, to discuss trends in workforce development. Here’s a video of the discussion and a Q&A article below. What are the major workforce trends you’re seeing in manufacturing?…

Expanding its service offerings, Duravant, an Illinois-based OEM of packaging, food processing, and material handling equipment, recently announced the launch of Duravant Lifecycle Services. Designed to support its installed base of machines and integrated lines, Duravant Lifecycle Services is a global network of aftermarket organizations structured to enhance local delivery of all services, from purchase…

Emerson has introduced the DeltaV Flex System, a subscription service that combines the DeltaV PK Flex Controller, term-based software licensing, and product support in a turnkey solution. The result, according to the company, is more flexibility for OEMs and process manufacturers that create small standalone systems, such as research and development labs, pilot programs, or…

Orion Packaging Systems has announced the promotion of Kelly Watterworth to East Coast Regional Sales Manager. Orion, part of the ProMach End of Line business, is a stretch wrapping and pallet unitizing machinery manufacturer of automatic and semi-automatic stretch wrapping equipment, including rotary turntables, rotary towers, and horizontal wrapping systems. In his new role, Watterworth will…

Industrial engineers spend a lot of time writing code for programs that will run machines in the plant, on the packaging line, or in a warehouse. The problem is, however, there’s no standard best practices for version control or disaster recovery. Copia Automation, a four-year-old start-up, is changing that by applying IT-based DevOps to the…

To understand the future of flexible food packaging, you first must understand the history. No one knows that better than Tom Dunn, a 40-year veteran of the packaging industry who has developed flexible packaging products, processes, and platforms. Now, the managing director of Flexpacknology, he consults with manufacturers, material suppliers, and machine builders on how…

Middleby Corporation is the parent company to several OEM divisions offering equipment for commercial foodservice and industrial food processing, including bakery and packaging applications. TurboChef, which manufactures ventless, rapid-cook ovens, is part of the Middleby business portfolio. To gain more control over inventory management and improve on-time delivery, TurboChef is now working with LeanDNA, a…

NFI Industries, founded in 1932, is one of the oldest and largest privately held and family-owned 3PLs in North America. The company serves a variety of segments, including food and beverage, retail and e-commerce, manufacturing, and consumer packaged goods, offering everything from transportation, distribution, brokerage, port drayage, intermodal, global logistics, and real estate. To accommodate…

The flexibility of autonomous mobile robots (AMRs), which use a wireless navigation system to guide them around a facility, is the reason these self-sufficient machines are so popular in warehouse environments. However, 50 AMRs on the floor will overload the traditional WiFi network. That leads to network latency and interrupts communication between AMRs and the…

When it comes to designing parts, it’s best not to reinvent the wheel. Imagine, as an engineer, spending hours, days, or even months designing a part, only to find out later that it already exists. Unfortunately, it’s all too common, especially in machine building and manufacturing facilities that have been operating for decades. The problem…

Over the past year, I’ve spent a lot of time speaking with manufacturers about their digital transformation projects. They all have very different stories to tell because their application needs are distinct. But whether it’s a food manufacturer, a beverage producer, an automaker or a machine builder, they all have one thing in common: The…

Manufacturers are under pressure to take on a digital transformation that will add flexibility on the plant floor while increasing productivity. Key drivers of this technology step change include the need to reduce operating expenses and improve efficiency, all while facing a skills shortage and a lack of visibility across the supply chain. Recognizing this…

Belden announced new products around data orchestration and management and data acquisition and transmission that enable better connectivity, faster speeds, and more power to help mission-critical environments perform at their peak. The data orchestration and management products include: Belden Horizon Console includes enhancements that allow organizations to take greater control of data collection and transfer.…

Dorner will unveil its latest innovations in material handling technology at Pack Expo East 2024 in Philadelphia alongside its partner company Garvey. With a focus on enhancing efficiency and reliability in production environments, Dorner and Garvey will demonstrate conveyors designed to meet the diverse needs of a variety of industries. Dorner’s ERT150, an industry-ready solution…