The Solidex 2004 meeting - to be held in Hinckley in Leicestershire, UK - will examine the role of flexible packaging in the transport of materials as a substitute for, or complement to, bulk transportation and storage, providing fast availability of the right product at any given time - with minimum stock holding.

The key to successful industrial bag filling and handling lies in effective system integration. Optimising speed without compromising accuracy and reliability is a multi-functional task, relying on critical sectors of the overall line to work in harmony.

Incompatibility in equipment will inevitably lead to product spillage, costly unexpected material and packaging losses, premature breakdowns, bottlenecks and expected savings not being achieved-all resulting in frustration and loss of production.

Although modern electronics and computer technology are playing an increasingly important role in today's bagging systems, sound mechanical engineering innovation is fundamental to ensuring precision, speed and above all reliability.

A presentation at Solidex by Mark Beales of flexible packaging specialist Chronos Richardson will examine the critical design/operational requirements for the different modules within a modern bagging line to ensure optimum integration.

It will include an overview of the different bagging technologies (when and where to use them) and review the role of peripherals including feeders, weighers, bag placers, bag sealers, possing devices and palletisers.