PMMI, The Association for Packaging and Processing Technologies, has announced the finalists in the Technology Excellence Awards, a brand-new awards initiative that recognizes exhibitors’ innovative new technologies never previously shown at a PACK EXPO show. PMMI is the show organizer for PACK EXPO.

Twenty-one Technology Excellence Awards finalists in seven categories will be highlighted during PACK EXPO International and Healthcare Packaging EXPO 2018 (Oct. 14–17; McCormick Place, Chicago) with show attendees serving as the ultimate final judge.

“PMMI believes these awards are another way to drive the industry to keep innovating and meet the ever-growing needs of consumer packaged goods companies,” says Laura Thompson, senior director of expositions, PMMI.  “We are amazed at the response and quality of submissions that we received for this exciting new program.”

The finalists for the inaugural Technology Excellence Awards are:

BAKING & SNACK
Automatic Changeover Wizard – Triangle Package Machinery Co. – Booth S-2014
Chamber Pouches – Sun Centre USA Inc. – Booth S-10650
Leather Print Packaging for Slim Jim Premium Smoked Sticks – Bemis Co., Inc. – Booth S-3705

BEVERAGE & DAIRY
LEWA Triplex Homogenizer – LEWA-Nikkiso America, Inc. – Booth E-9217
Sealed Rotary Drive Mechanism – R.A JONES –  Booth S-2501b
STANDCAP Pouch – Volpak – Booth S-2501

GENERAL PACKAGING
ACOPOStrak Adaptive Track Technology – B&R Industrial Automation Corp. – Booth N-5625
Evolabel QuickTamp – Fast and Friendly Logistics Labeling System – Evolabel – Booth E-10507
OUTDOOR ZONE no-bite Mosquito Repellent Pouches – PPi Technologies Group – Booth S-3819

MEAT/POULTRY/SEAFOOD
Active Packaging for Vacuum Packed Poultry Meat – Bemis Company Inc. – Booth S-3705
Contura S400 Leak Detector – INFICON – Booth E-8563
Mammoth Rollstock Packaging Machine – UltraSource LLC – Booth S-2875

PERSONAL CARE/COSMETICS
Biopelle Trusts in 10 mm Polyfoil® Single Dose Tube – Neopac The Tube – Booth W-875
StandOut Premade Inverted Pouch – Cheer Pack North America – Booth N-5885
Vetraco Modular Digital Printing Machines – VPack Technologies Corp. – Booth W-743

PHARMACEUTICALS/MEDICAL DEVICES
CO2 Snow Jet Cleaning Process – Bausch+Stroebel Machine Company, Inc. – Booth W-651b
LYO-CHECK – Antares Vision – Booth S-3760
SP Thermoformer – SP Thermoforming – Booth W-994

PREPARED FOODS
FTNON CoreTakr – FTNON – Booth E-10540
Robotic Horizontal & Vertical Pack System – Pearson Packaging Systems – Booth S-3506
Specright Cloud-Based Software Platform – Specright – Booth E-10814

Finalists were selected by the following Technology Excellence Awards Panelists:
Stephanie Neil, Editor-In-Chief, OEM Magazine
Ronald Puvak, Managing Director, Contract Packaging Association
Matt Reynolds, Editor, Packaging World
Dr. Bruce Welt, Professor (Packaging Engineering) – Department of Agricultural and Biological Engineering, University of Florida
Carlos Diaz, Associate Professor (Packaging Science) – College of Applied Science & Technology, Rochester Institute of Technology
Jane Chase, Executive Director, Institute of Packaging Professionals
Pat Reynolds, VP Editor Emeritus, Packaging World
“With such a great response from exhibitors it was no small task for our panel of top industry professionals to narrow them down to just three finalists in each category. We encourage show attendees to stop by these exhibitors to see these innovations first-hand and cast their vote,” Thompson says.

Voting opens at 9 a.m. Sunday, Oct. 14 through noon on Tuesday, Oct. 16 to all PACK EXPO International and Healthcare Packaging EXPO 2018 attendees. Voters will pick their favorites online, on-site at the My Show Planner kiosks and via the show app, with the winner announcement taking place immediately after polls close.

This year’s PACK EXPO International and the co-located Healthcare Packaging EXPO will bring together 2,500 exhibitors showcasing their packaging innovations with 50,000 attendees in over 1.2 million net square feet of exhibit space. To register or for more information, visit packexpointernational.com or hcpechicago.com.