Keeping production running starts long before a machine reaches the plant floor. Timing screws, engineering software, and human-machine interfaces (HMIs) all play a role in supporting uptime across the packaging line.
In this edition of On the Line, we look at technologies helping OEMs reduce downtime and keep production moving.
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Engineering every turn: How Morrison supports OEMs, containers, and changeovers
Every container presents a different challenge, and Morrison Container Handling Solutions builds equipment around each one.
The second-generation family-owned business engineers timing screws, change parts, and integrated machinery that help OEMs improve changeovers, reduce downtime, and keep packaging lines moving.
“OEMs are really important to us,” said Nancy Wilson, CEO of Morrison. “They’re a key component of our business, and the more we can work with them up front, the easier it becomes for us if they get involved in a difficult container or problem, before they design themselves into a box.”
Over the past 12 years, the company has expanded its engineering and sales teams while growing its flagship products and large machinery capabilities.
→ Read the OEM profile
Festo simplifies machine design with free engineering software
Festo recently launched its System Configurator, a free, web-based engineering tool designed to help OEMs and system integrators design and commission automation systems.
The platform supports pneumatic and electric motion, remote I/O, and IO-Link devices, including third-party hardware. It combines sizing, configuration, and documentation in one environment and is aimed at packaging, material handling, custom machinery builds, and assembly applications.
Packaging OEM joined Tom Worsnopp, product marketing manager at Festo, for a video demonstration of the software. He said the tool helps OEMs reduce configuration errors, streamline machine startup, and share access across teams in different locations.
“Basically, it’s a whole ecosystem,” said Worsnopp. “From design, all the way through to commissioning.”
→ Learn more
How Weintek’s HMIs act as a “universal remote” for packaging OEMs
Packaging lines often include equipment from multiple suppliers.
We spoke with Nikki Gonzales, director of business development at Weintek, about how the company’s HMIs can act as a “universal remote” on packaging lines, communicating with a wide range of programmable logic controllers (PLCs) to simplify machine integration.
Gonzales also explained how that interoperability helps support production uptime.
“That’s really what Weintek has done with their newer lineup of HMIs,” she said. “It’s a gateway. It’s a protocol converter. It’s a media hub. It is so many things other than what you would think of as the replacement of pushing buttons and seeing indicators on a machine.”
→ Listen to the episode
Final takeaway
The technologies featured this week all have different jobs, but they share the same goal: helping keep packaging lines running. We’ll continue covering the engineering solutions that help OEMs support uptime and keep production flowing.
