New technologies better enable packaging's usefulness

摘要

Google Glass, augmented reality and other multimedia technologies headlined at the recent Pack Expo International 2014 (Nov. 2-5; McCormick Place, Chicago) as more areas of packaging go interactive to help make your work life easier. This simplicity comes with greater functionality and sophistication, though. On packaging machines, we saw human/machine interfaces (HMIs) touting more functionality and smart sensors designed to help you maximize uptime by keeping a close eye on quality and productivity-and communicating to you via smartphones. It's "information anywhere," says one component manufacturer, who adds that "a smartphone can be a mini HMI." At the packaging design level, virtual reality lets brands test package concepts before a single prototype is made.