This concept of unattended manufacturing has expanded from microelectronics to other industries. At CODI, we apply it to specific bottlenecks in our production where overnight automation of high-value parts improves our capacity

packaging teams that stand out are made up of individuals that look at the end product, the cans they are stacking on pallets as the most important thing they can do for the brewery team.

CODI Manufacturing partnered with EPIC to give high school students real-world experience in engineering, marketing and manufacturing. After a semester of hands-on work, one intern joined CODI as an employee.

If you're looking for a career in manufacturing, engineering, or operations, we'd love to hear from you.

The Philly CBC was upbeat and positive, particularly considering the uncertainty of a few years ago. If I had to sum up the sentiment I heard from brewers and brewery owners in one word, it would be "equilibrium."

The more important conversation is about matching the belt to the application -- transport, accumulation, inclines, corners -- each one has different requirements.

Some people use angular roller belts and divert cases with a bump turner. I'm not a big fan of bump turning -- it lends itself to package damage, weakening a corner, and then you've got a case coming apart in an area that's typically less accessible to operators. What I prefer is the dual belt or single belt touchless case turner.

The retrofit takes advantage of the existing frames to become your primary structure and mounting points for the drop-in brackets that CODI manufactures.

Cans exit the warmer roughly 20°F warmer than when they entered, above the dew point, and that is all it takes to keep the packaging dry.

When considering used equipment, three things matter: whether the machine is built to last, whether the company that made it is still around and engaged, and whether you can get real service when something comes up.