NEW WORLD HEADQUARTERS REFLECTS
BOLD THINKING, THOUGHTFUL PLANNING
May 5, 2008. “The expansion of the PDC headquarters facility," says PDC President
Neal Konstantin, “was our chance to take a fresh, ‘all-options-open’ look at our facility
and our future - clearly a once-in-a lifetime opportunity.”
The new headquarters complex will open just prior to the big northeast region PMMI
meeting that PDC will host June 18.
Among the highlights of the new facility:
- Engineering and administrative space have been doubled.
- The manufacturing floor has been re-engineered using advanced “lean” and
value stream mapping techniques.
- Fabrication and machining operations have been brought in-house for better
material flow, and tighter cost control.
- Cellular manufacturing has been introduced as a primary strategy for
optimizing precision in tooling and subassemblies, improving workflow,
and reducing delivery times.
- Customer service, always a hallmark of PDC, has been made central to
every operation within the company.
- Aftermarket service and parts departments have been integrated with
engineering and process planning for best-possible customer responsiveness.
- New offices for sales and finance were designed to make them customer-friendly,
and an integral part of our Total Engineered Solutions approach.
- New equipment, including a large state-of-the-art steam boiler similar to those
customers use, will support steam tunnel R&D, enhance our contract sleeving
capabilities, and provide extended testing capacity.
- Every decision, from architecture and materials to HVAC and lighting has
been made with the goal of minimizing our carbon footprint.
“Our investment in this facility,” says Konstantin, “reflects our faith in PDC’s technologies,
in our company as an entity, and in the strength of our customer base. We believe it is what
we’ll need to compete successfully on our increasingly global stage, well into this century.”
For more information, contact sales@pdc-corp.com.
f'REAL FOODS CHOSE THE PDC R-300 CUP LABELER
FOR PRECISION LABELING OF TAPERED CUP PRODUCTS
May 2, 2008. R Series Shrinklabelers have the unique capability to run thin gauge
banding materials – 1.5 to 2 mils (40 to 50 micron) and are ideal for foods and beverages.
Designed to apply PVC and PETG sleeves, the R-300 provides precise label application
and extremely reliable performance for extended periods.
F’REAL Foods (Orinda, CA) switched from preprinted cups to shrink sleeves for its
10-oz cups of frozen dairy products - milkshakes, cappuccinos and smoothies – as a way
to differentiate their products using high-resolution graphics, gravure printed in nine colors.
What earned PDC the project, according to f'REAL Director of Operations Jens Voges,
was the distinctive ability of the R Series to accommodate freezer-grade PVC film.
(The tapered cups must withstand the -20oF environment of an ice cream freezer.)
F’REAL also preferred a domestic equipment supplier with which they could work closely
to accommodate the container and achieve the desired throughput rate. Cups are sleeved
upside down at about 250 cpm.
The format has not only been successful, but “groundbreaking,” according to Voges.
F’REAL is the only full-body, printed shrink sleeve on a frozen product. Its silver metal
cup look has strong consumer appeal. And, according to Voges, the sleeves make the
cups more rigid, and therefore easier to handle during production.
In addition to the Model R300 sleeve labeler, PDC also supplied two KST 80”
steam tunnels for the project.
F’REAL products are sold in more than 3,000 retail locations.
For more information, contact sales@pdc-corp.com.
SMALL STEAM TUNNEL OFFERS LEAN,
EFFICIENT STAND-ALONE PERFORMANCE . . .
ALSO IDEAL AS A "3rd ZONE" FOR A DUAL-ZONE SYSTEM
Who benefits? Contract packers, food and beverage companies; firms that need a very
economical steam tunnel to run heat shrinkable sleeve labels and tamper evident bands.
Also, testing laboratories and packaging development companies who want a
flexible tunnel that allows manual control over all process parameters.
April 14, 2008. PDC International Corporation has expanded its product family with the
addition of a single-zone, manually-operated shrink tunnel.
Most notable: The new single-zone tunnel is a high quality steam tunnel that incorporates
many of the engineering features (such as proprietary nozzle positioning technology and
dual-wall stainless steel construction) which have distinguished PDC’s larger capacity
tunnels and labeling systems.
The a single zone system precisely focuses the application of heat. This minimizes
energy use, optimizes container appearance, and minimizes the risk of container distortion.
There are five rows of steam distribution tubes on each side and each is externally
adjustable for steam volume.
With its optional Electronic Regulator, tunnel temperatures are self-monitoring, and adjust
continuously to compensate for the “thermal loads” of incoming product. This is particularly
important with full and cold containers.
The single-zone shrink tunnel is a moderate speed system, operating up to 100 cpm.
It can be used without an electronic regulator for highest-flexibility, manual control.
Containers can be filled or empty, and virtually any geometry, including round, oval
and square packages. PVC, PETG, OPS and PLA films, in gauges a thin as 40 micron,
are compatible.
Optional equipment includes cantilevered tunnel stand for easy raising and lowering,
a powered steam venting manifold with dampers, and condensate diverter package.
Steam filtering down to .5 micron provides culinary grade steam while removing impurities.
The single-zone steam tunnel is an excellent alternative for end-user packagers and
contract packers who want a highly reliable, and very economical shrink tunnel. It is
ideal as a stand-alone system, or as a supplemental “third zone” for a dual-zone tunnel.
It is also a highly efficient as a pre or post-shrink module. Opening dimensions for the
are 4-12” in height and 5 to 7” in width, depending upon the application.
Like all steam tunnels, and shrink labeling systems provided by PDC, the single-zone
tunnel is manufactured using many readily-available, off-the-shelf components. This
assures that the system will be easy and inexpensive to maintain throughout its
long service life.
For more information, contact sales@pdc-corp.com.
SHRINKSEALER DELIVERS TRUE "24/7" OPERATION, AND HIGH SPEEDS
Downtime is something that can never be recovered.
And increasingly, operators of food, beverage, pharmaceutical and “health niche”
product lines want packaging systems that perform free of shut-down.
Now, PDC has introduced a high-speed Shrinksealer with true “24/7” capability to
meet this demand. Named the Series 90, it was engineered for highest OEE* rankings
in all 3 categories: uptime, performance, and quality of product produced.
March 18, 2008. PDC International Corporation has introduced the 90 Series Shrinksealer,
an advanced new in-line applicator that combines high speeds (up to 500 containers per minute)
with true “zero shutdown” performance. Systems will run as slowly as 200 cpm to synchronize
with slow-downs on processing systems.
90 Series Shrinksealers apply bands .375 inches to 3.0 inches (10 to 75 mm) diameter and
.625 inches to 8 inches high, making them suitable for a broad range of products. Monolayer
and multilayer PVC, PETG, PLA, and OPS films, in gauges as thin as 40 micron, (1.5 mil)
are compatible, depending on throughput rate and cap configuration.
PDC ‘s Reel Changeover feature makes this critical function automatic, eliminating downtime
for operator action, and allowing a second reel of material to be loaded while operation
progresses at normal speed. A detection feature senses when the initial reel is spent
and automatically engages the new reel.
Standard features of the 90 Series include stainless steel frame and covers,
NEMA 4 enclosures, Allen-Bradley PLC with touch-screen interface, and static eliminator.
Systems are supplied with complete tooling.
There are sensors for low material and film feed irregularity, and available sensors for
imprint and bar code verification. As with all PDC shrink sealing systems, conveyors
and heat tunnels can be provided as part of the package.
The 90 Series interfaces easily with PDC’s Smooth Diversion Inspection / Ejection
System, which confirms the location of bands and gently diverts any imperfect packages
without disrupting operation.
PDC 90 Series Shrinksealers are UL and CE approved. As with all PDC systems,
the use of readily available components minimizes operation costs and difficulties
throughout the system’s long service life.
* OEE (Overall Equipment Effectiveness) is a common manufacturing metric for measuring
the overall production efficiency of a machine (or of a production line or cell.)
For more information, contact sales@pdc-corp.com.
NEW SLEEVE LABELER IS "FIRST" TO PROVIDE HIGH-RES GRAPHICS
ON DAIRY, DELI, BEVERAGE CUPS
January 22, 2007. PDC International Corporation has introduced the R-Series Cup
and Tub Shrink Labeling System for the application of shrink sleeve labels to tapered
and conical containers such as those used for dairy, deli or beverage products.
Shrinksleeve labeling provides super high quality and gloss graphics which have not been
possible with traditional offset printing. Speeds are up to 300 cups per minute.
The R-Series Cup and Tub Labeler handles round, oval and square tubs, while maintaining
side-to-side graphic orientation. Cups are fed upside down into the sleeve applicator,
a unique handling configuration which eliminates product backlog and shingling.
PDC’s R-Series can also label bottles and other packages in addition to cups and tubs,
which gives the system unprecedented versatility – and users a fast return on
their investment.
Systems can be customized with container static reduction systems,
hold-down belts and blow-off dryers.
For more information, contact sales@pdc-corp.com.
NEW SHRINK LABELING SYSTEMS PROVIDE MAXIMUM FLEXIBILITY
IN SPEED, CONTAINER, LABEL MATERIAL
Who Benefits? Contract packers, food / beverage and vitamin / supplement companies;
any company that needs a versatile sleeving machine to run both tamper evident neckbands
and shrink sleeve labels.
October 29, 2006. PDC International has introduced a heavy-duty, and highly flexible, shrink
sleeving machine that runs both TE (tamper evident) neckbands and shrink sleeve labels.
Marketed as the R-200 Evolution Series, these robust labeling systems are engineered for
continuous operation at speeds between 50 and 200 cpm. They provide precise graphic
orientation, and accommodate sleeve diameters from 38 mm to 175 mm
(sleeve height: 67-250 mm.)
Containers can be filled or empty, and the R-200 Evolution’s product handling system
accommodates virtually any product size and shape, including round, oval and square
packages. PVC, PETG, and OPS labels, in gauges a thin as 40 micron, are all compatible.
R-200 Evolution labeling systems area major “evolution” in operator flexibility: tool-less
changeover requires less than 20 minutes, and ready access to reel location makes the
system ergonomic and easy to operate. No dedicated operator is required.
Evolution Series labeling systems are an excellent alternative for end-user packagers
and contract packers who want a “workhorse” shrink labeler that also makes a great
appearance – and at an affordable price.
R-200 Evolution labeling systems have a space-saving footprint – just 40” X 40”.
The use of off-the-shelf components assures that operations costs remain low
throughout the system’s long service life. Systems use field-proven controls
technology and are both UL and CE approved.
The R-200 Evolution Shrink Labeler was developed by an international R&D team
from PDC’s American and French facilities.
For more information, contact sales@pdc-corp.com.
>> DOWNLOAD R-200 LABELING SYSTEMS BROCHURE
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