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StanTech at PACK EXPO International 2026: The Heart of Case Packing

From October 18 to 21, 2026, StanTech Packaging Machines exhibited at PACK EXPO International in Chicago, one of the largest packaging and processing events in the world. For four days, McCormick Place brought together manufacturers from the meat, dairy, bakery, confectionery and many other food industries. At our booth in the North Hall (N-5860), we showed how end-of-line packaging can keep up with changing production demands.

End-of-Line Solutions Built Around Your Production Line

Visitors to our booth explored the StanTech portfolio of secondary packaging and palletizing equipment: case packers, tray packers, cartoners, sleeve wrappers and robotic palletizing cells.

One idea connected every conversation: each StanTech system is engineered for a specific project, based on the customer’s product, line layout and production goals. We don’t adapt your production to the machine. We design the machine around your production.

Case Packing with Robotic Integration in Focus

This year we focused on case packing with integrated robotics, a solution built for sealed cups, thermoformed trays and other primary packs that need to be handled precisely and placed consistently.

Instead of relying on fixed mechanical transfers, the robot picks products directly from the infeed and places them into the case in the required pattern and orientation. The case is then closed and sent downstream, ready for palletizing. The result is a well-packed, stable case that protects the product and stacks reliably on the pallet.

With 20 cases per minute, servo drives and a compact footprint, the system integrates easily into existing production lines. Many visitors immediately saw this as an advantage for their own plants.

Integration: The Question Every Visitor Asked

If we had to describe our presence at PACK EXPO International 2026 in one word, it would be integration.

Food manufacturers today work with growing numbers of SKUs, shorter production runs, frequent promotions and stricter retailer requirements. Labor shortages make it harder to staff end-of-line operations. A packaging line made of separate machines that don’t work together quickly becomes a bottleneck.

That is the challenge robotic case packing solves:

• Many products, one platform. Cups, trays, cartons and other primary packs can be handled on the same system by changing robot programs and grippers.
• Flexible pack patterns. The robot adapts to different case configurations and pack counts as your product range changes and grows.
• Fast changeovers. Switching formats takes minutes instead of hours, through recipe selection and quick-change tooling.
• One supplier from case packing to pallet. Case packers and robotic palletizer are designed, built and commissioned as one system, with a single point of responsibility.

For many of the manufacturers we spoke with, this was the key message: with the right robotic case packing solution, high throughput and flexibility no longer have to be competing goals.

Looking Ahead

PACK EXPO International 2026 confirmed what we hear from food manufacturers in every market: end-of-line packaging must keep pace with growing SKU counts, shorter runs, labor challenges and changing retail demands.

By presenting case packing with robotic integration, StanTech showed how a single engineered system can deliver the productivity, flexibility and reliability modern production lines need, backed by more than 160 installations across the USA and 20+ European countries.

Want to see how robotic case packing could work on your production line?
Contact our team. We’ll be glad to help you find the right solution.
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