Friday, October 24, 2014

Meet Mark-10 at the MD&M Minneapolis Expo

This year we will be returning to the MD&M Minneapolis expo for the first time in a few years and we’re excited for the opportunity to meet with some of our customers face-to-face. The expo runs from October 29-30, 2014 at the Minneapolis Convention Center and we’ll be located at booth 1153. We’ll be showcasing some of our products that are ideal for the medical and pharmaceutical industries, including our force and torque measurement devices that are ideal for testing package seal strength, tensile testing, cap torque testing and more. Our product lines include handheld gauges to complete systems that include can include a test stand, force gauge, as well as grips and fixtures.

In addition to exhibitor booths, the expo will also host an array of conference sessions that explore topics such as 3D printing, innovations in cardiology, designing medical devices, and more. The expo also boasts free innovation tours that will explore the latest technology on the show floor, the Tech Theater which will present technology and product briefs from suppliers, and Center Stage which will offer attendees the chance to meet with real-life medical masterminds, watch live product teardowns, and get tips.

To learn more about the products we’ll be showcasing at the expo, visit our website. You can also follow us on Twitter as well as the MD&M expo with the hashtag #MDMMinneapolis.

Wednesday, October 8, 2014

New Innovations in Plastic Packaging

This summer Avantium closed a $50 million deal to create a polyethylene furanoate (PEF) bottle. PEF is a material made from plant-based 2nd generation feedstock. This new bio-based resin could bring changes to the plastics packaging market as Coca-Cola, Danone, Alpla, and others have invested in Avantium’s commercial scale plant.

Some of the benefits of PEF include its sustainability factor as well as some performance advantages. According to packaging expert Gordon Bockner, PEF has a superior gas barrier when compared to PET packaging and also has better tensile strength which allows for improved light-weighting and superior thermal stability without heat-setting. However, Bockner also notes that PET packaging still remains strong in the US and that although a 100% bio-PET molecule does not yet exist, it may in the future.

At Mark-10, we have extensive experience working with the packaging industry, satisfying numerous applications including t-peel, 90-degree peel, tensile, top load, cap torque, and may others. To learn more about Mark-10 solutions for the packaging and other industries, visit our website. We can also be found on Twitter and LinkedIn where we post more industry news and company updates.