Sturtevant, Wis. — James P. Navin, President of Spee-Dee^® Packaging Machinery, Inc., announced that Timm Johnson, the company’s Vice President, Sales/Marketing, has been named to the Board of Directors for the Packaging Machinery Manufacturers Institute (PMMI).  “This honor is a reflection of the respect Timm has earned within our industry through his many years of extensive involvement with the PMMI organization.  The entire Spee-Dee team is proud of his achievement,” he stated.  

            According to Johnson, the Board is composed of 16 members reflecting diversity in both the size and geographic location of the companies represented.  Johnson’s four year appointment was ratified by the group’s membership at PMMI’s recent annual meeting.

“Spee-Dee has been a long-standing member of PMMI and we have continued to reap significant benefits from the technology, networking and marketing resources the organization provides – all designed to assist members remain competitive in a growing global marketplace.  My new position on the Board of Directors will result in increased exposure for Spee-Dee within the industry, providing us with greater visibility and enhanced opportunities to assist end-users and collaborate with other packaging equipment manufacturers,” he concluded. Johnson currently serves as a member of the Education & Workforce Development Committee.  During his decade of service to PMMI, Johnson has also held positions on the Business Intelligence and Global Marketing committees.

About PMMI

Packaging Machinery Manufacturers Institute (PMMI) is a trade association with more than 500 member companies that manufacture packaging and packaging-related converting machinery, commercially-available packaging machinery components, containers and materials in the United States and Canada.  PMMI’s vision is to be the leading global resource for packaging, and its mission is to improve and promote members’ abilities to succeed in a global marketplace.  The group is responsible for managing PACK EXPO trade show events, as well as conferences, directories and other industry resources.

Packaging World magazine launched an industry-based program, The Leadership in Packaging Award, back in January of 2010 to recognize excellent business leaders in the packaging machinery and material and service suppliers industry. Among the thousands of votes that were tallied in the online competition this year, participants, which included both end users and industry peers, had the opportunity to vote for their favorite manufacturer in many different categories. Of all the votes that were casted, we are proud to announce Spee-Dee as the 2011 category leader for Filling for Dry Products, Capping and Induction Sealing. Spee-Dee won this award last year as well, proving that Spee-Dee is a consistent leader in the packaging industry.

Make sure to look for us in the December 2011 issue of Packaging World!

Thank you to everyone who helped make this year’s Pack Expo Las Vegas show a success.  We especially want to thank all of the visitors who came by our booth and all of our packaging partners who recommended Spee-Dee to their visitors.

For those reading this that weren’t able to make it to the show, or didn’t get a chance to stop by our booth (we know, it’s a HUGE show!) here’s what you missed:

The Fillers
Spee-Dee had several machines on display. The main attractions this year were our model 3600 Auger Filler equipped with our innovative split hopper, and our Quad(4-lane) auger filler. Spee-Dee also had on hand a model 3600 Auger Filler equipped with a horizontal infeed screw, a CB6S volumetric cup filler capable of speeds of 130 fills per minute, the economical CHE cup filler, and an example of our servo conversion kit. For more information about the machines we had at the show check out our Pack Expo preview blogs!

The Lecture
Spee-Dee had the honor of joining hundreds of other packaging professionals in hearing a lecture by Retired General Colin Powell. General Powell spoke about leadership, buiding up the people you work with, improving your team, and even took some time out at the end for a question and answer session (he will NOT be running for president).

The Rest of the Show
With over 1,500 exhibitors, Pack Expo Las Vegas is one of the largest packaging industry trade shows in the world. Spee-Dee was privilliged to have our fillers displayed in several other exhibitors’ booths. Cup fillers were interfaced with equipment in the Bosch, Matrix, and Sealstrip booths, and our model 3600 auger filler was displayed in the TNA booth.

3600 Auger Filler with Horizontal Infeed Screw

Features:

Allen Bradley PLC with Maple Systems full color touch screen

Servo drive technology with belted configuration

Quick disconnect hopper clamps

Vegavib hopper level control

Horizontal infeed screw

Tool-free tooling changeover with sliding key

Talking Points:

Infeed screw guarantees consistent head pressure, which improves accuracy

Infeed screw versatility :
-Can be connected to any bulk product source
-Works with any product filled on an auger

Belted drive design allows for filler to fit in lower headroom areas

Sight glass allows for visual monitoring of product flow, and easier access to tooling for changeover

Available Options:

Allen Bradley HMI
Adjustable height stand
Extended cable lengths
 Split hopper(not compatible with sight glass)
NEMA 4X stainless steel electrical enclosure
And many more!

CHE Volumetric Cup Filler

Features:

Maple Systems full color touch screen

Custom height stand

Foot switch for semi-automatic filling

Volume range: 75 cu in – 700 cu in

Extra cups for multiple fill sizes

Talking Points:

Customized drop tube designed for customer’s application

Cost effective alternative to Servo drive model

Ideal for filling large quantities of particulate products such as rice and beans

Available Options:

Operator pendant
“Popcorn” style straight walled hopper
3.5 cu ft hopper
Adjustable height stand
Extended cable lengths
NEMA 4X stainless steel electrical enclosure
And many more!

3600 Servo Auger Conversion Kit

Features:

Allen Bradley PLC with Maple Systems full color touch screen

Servo drive technology

Uses existing auger drive head, hopper, mounting and tooling

Talking Points:

Reusing filler mechanicals allows for cost effective upgrade to existing machinery

Direct drive servo technology improves accuracy, repeatability of fills

Fewer wear parts reduces maintenance costs and filler downtime

Conversions available for All-Fill, AMS, Image, Mateer, Bartelt, and more!

Available Options:

Allen Bradley HMI
Belted drive configuration
Vegavib hopper level control
Extended cable lengths
NEMA 4X stainless steel electrical enclosure
And many more!

2850 Quad Auger Filler

Features:

Allen Bradley PLC with PanelView touch screen

Custom slide-out stand

Servo drive technology

Gear driven multi-axis agitator system

Vegavib hopper level control

Quick disconnect hopper clamps

Tool-free tooling changeover with sliding key

Talking Points:

Designed to fill multiple cups with the same product at once

Slide-out mounting allows for accessible cleaning and tooling changeover, while keeping the filler mounted to the cup handling system

Custom stand can be designed to mount to most multi-lane cup handling conveyors

Brand new gear-driven agitator system in place of the common chain-driven systems

Available Options
Roll-Away stand configurations
Hopper sight glass
Extended cable lengths
NEMA 4X stainless steel electrical enclosure
And many more!

CBS Servo Volumetric Cup Filler

Features:

Allen Bradley PLC with Maple Systems full color touch screen

Servo drive technology

Custom height stand on casters

Foot switch for semi-automatic filling

Nitrile rubber hopper leveling

Hopper cover

Volume range:  0.5 cu in – 130 cu in

Extra cups and inserts for multiple fill sizes

 
Talking Points:

Customized drop tube designed for customer’s application

Ideal products:
-Popcorn
-Rice
-Beans
-Cereals
-Candies

  Available Options
 Allen Bradley HMI
 Adjustable height stand
 Extended cable lengths
 NEMA 4X stainless steel electrical enclosure
 And many more!

3600 Auger Filler with Split Hopper

Features:

Allen Bradley PLC with Maple Systems full color touch screen

Servo drive technology

Stainless steel split hopper with safety interlock

Adjustable height base on casters

Vegavib hopper level control with tri-clamp mounting

Tool-free tooling changeover with sliding key

 
Talking Points:

Ideal for VFFS applications that frequently change products and/or fill sizes

Interlocked hopper helps ensure operator safety during cleaning and changeover

Demonstrate the difference between changeovers with standard hopper vs. split hopper

Adjustable height base allows auger to be used with various container sizes

Available Options:

Belted Drive
Quick disconnect hopper clamps
Horizontal infeed screw
Allen Bradley HMI
Extended cable lengths
NEMA 4X stainless steel electrical enclosure
And many more!

We here at Spee-Dee want to say a special “Thank you!” to everyone who helped make this year’s Pack Expo show one of our best shows ever.  We especially want to thank all of the visitors who came by our booth and all of our packaging partners who mentioned Spee-Dee to their visitors. Your recommendation means the world to us.

For those reading this blog that weren’t able to make it to the show, or didn’t get the opportunity to stop by our booth, here’s what you missed:

The Fillers
Spee-Dee had several machines on display. The main attractions this year were our model 3600 Auger Filler equipped with our innovative split hopper and horizontal infeed screw (pictured to the right), and our Advanced Volumetric System with in-line checkweigher (below).

The Tech Talks
Spee-Dee and our CAMA partners (Dorner Conveyor, Morisson   Container Handling, and FoxIV) sponsored “Tech Talks”, an informative series of mini seminars led by industry experts, covering various aspects of the packaging industry. The sessions were held right in the CAMA booth (you can see the presentation area in the photo to the left). The tech talks consisted of an approximately 10 minute presentation by the speaker followed by a Q&A session.

Spee-Dee’s very own Mark Navin discussed dry filling success and used his extensive knowledge of auger filling  to give audience members advice on increasing accuracy.

Spee-Dee also invited Dennis Glick from the USDA to discuss sanitary design requirements for auger fillers. Dennis Glick is a Facility and Equipment Review Specialist for the USDA.

The Hospitality
The CAMA group also sponsored a hospitality area in the center of the CAMA booth and enjoyed refreshments at the end of each day at the show. It was a great time to relax and talk with our visitors and packaging partners at the end of a long show day.

The Rest of the Show
With over 2,000 exhibitors, Pack Expo is the largest packaging trade show in the world. Spee-Dee was honored to have our Volumetric Cup Fillers displayed in four other exhibitors’ booths. The model CBS cup filler was interfaced with equipment in the HayssenSandiacre, Packaging Technologies & Inspection, Seal Strip, and Zip-Pak booths.