Machine knives are some of the unsung heroes of the manufacturing process.

They are silent, dedicated workers that help cut and shape our products from raw material to packaged product.

Without them, all the engineering skill, all the experienced labor, and all the automation in the world would yield a whole mangled heap of unfinished everything.

I’m not sure why the tools and parts that make our processes work don’t get more attention. Maybe they’re not as fun to watch as high-tech robotic automation. Maybe they’re less easy to relate to than a line of skilled workers laboring at a factory.  Maybe both are true, but that doesn’t make knives any less important.

To illustrate my point, here are just five simple things we use every day that without machine knives would be, at the very least, much less convenient.  At the very worst, they’d be impossible to use. (more…)

It goes without saying that innovations in packaging materials and the evolution of packaging as we know it are great things.

We’re evolving with the expectations of a new breed of consumer.  We’re reducing waste, saving cost and resources as we invent, test, and improve new materials; making us leaner, meaner, and greener than before.

But did you ever consider how changes-for-the-better in package materials  can spell changes-for-the-worse when it comes time to cut that material down to size?

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Would you believe we’re almost halfway to 2011 already?

Honestly, it seems like just last week I was telling you about the overall success of  PACK EXPO 2009 in Vegas  – and now here I am announcing our 2010 PACK EXPO appearance.

For the uninitiated, PACK EXPO is an annual trade show devoted to the packaging industry and serving suppliers and buyers of packaging machinery, materials, components and servicesAdd to that a colocation with Converting and Package Printing Expo (CPP) for the premier trade show for all things packaging.


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“Deciding whether or not to implement a PM program for your slitter or splicer is really simple: Do you want quality or not?” …packageprinting.com

There is a great article over on Package Printing on the importance of keeping your slitters & splicers optimized and safe. Actually, slitters and splicers are the subject of example – the writeup is an excellent overview of preventative maintenance programs anyone running machines should consider.

On top of talking about the why and how of implementing an effective program (including the “where” of hiring professional help) – The article makes good mention about machine knives, and how their wear time varies between applications.  On that note, I don’t think I could have said it better myself. (more…)

The following is a reprinted article from our March 2010 E-Newsletter.
To get your free copy, click here.

Tell us your thoughts on flexible packaging

Back in January we wrote about the main packaging trends to watch for 2010.  Included in that list was a prediction for the growth of flexible packaging across various industries.

Here at YSK we’ve seen a steady increase in demand for cutoff knives to fit Form Fill Seal machines used in flexible packaging. And, with almost a quarter of the year behind us, we’ve also noticed growing attention to this market in other media: be it in press releases, industry studies, blog posts, and other “expert opinions.”

So We Want to Know: How’s the outlook from where you stand?

Please take our easy 5-question survey about flexible packaging to weigh in your thoughts on one of the most-talked about industry trends. We’ll post the results in a follow-up next month.

Over the past month, we’ve seen various organizations publish their views and predictions for packaging and the packaging industry coming up in 2010. While everyone seems to have their own take on the subject, we discovered a number of common threads running throughout the various articles, posts, and press releases we’ve reviewed.  The following are the 5 strongest points we’ve discovered, and the effects these trends could have on the industry and consumers as a whole: (more…)

Does your company have converting, packaging or printing needs?

Want to discover your best options at one exceptional event?

Save $60 Each With Free Passes to Pack Expo 09!

The 2009 Pack Expo will be held at the Las Vegas Convention Center in  Las Vegas, NV from October 5 -7.  Devoted to the packaging industry, this event serves  suppliers and buyers of packaging machinery, materials, components and services.  As in previous years, Pack will also be co-located with both Process Expo, with a focus on the food processing industry, and CPP Expo, dedicated to converting & package printing interests. (more…)

Pack Expo 2009 - Las Vegas, NV

Has it been a year already?

It seems like just last week we were sharing our excitement over our enormous success at the 2008  Pack Expo, and now we’re gearing up for what hopes to be even bigger event than before.

Devoted to the packaging industry and serving suppliers and buyers of packaging machinery, materials, components and services, the 2009 Pack Expo will be held at the Las Vegas Convention Center in  Las Vegas, NV.

We’ll be following with more details as the event date nears, and we sure hope you join us at Booth S4924 if you’re at the Expo – it’s a great opportunity to visit with customers and vendors, both old and new!

Tough material or film affecting your production and wrecking your bottom line? Or just giving you a headache you don’t need?

The YSK shark tooth cut-off knife will be the topic of an upcoming post.

Stay tuned…

Apple has the iPod nano. An Indian car maker (Tata Motors) launched its Nano this week.

Related, there’s buzz building re: nanotechnology in some of the industries York Saw & Knife serves. But, it’s only buzz, and it’s only building.  Packaging World notes a January report on nanotechnology in packaging by the Swiss Center for Technology Advancement TA-SWISS.

From PW, the Swiss group noted nanotechnology:

“…is already incorporated into some food packaging, for example in films, nano-silver layers or layers in PET bottles to improve barrier properties. They even cite greenhouse gas reductions associated with ‘nano-PET bottles.’ The study recognizes that th

ere is a huge market potential for nano-materials in packaging.”

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