Led by Service Engineer AJ Marchev, these demos gave manufacturers an inside look at how controlled product handling and precision printing work together to eliminate manual intervention, improve accuracy, and increase throughput across demanding production environments.

If you missed us at the show, here’s exactly what each demo delivered — and why it matters to your operation:

VFS-1000 Vertical Feeding System | Printing on Zippered Pouches

See the VFS-1000 Vertical Feeding System in action — printing on zippered pouches standing on edge without operator intervention at speeds up to 60 pouches per minute.

Zippered pouches were presented vertically and consistently spaced, allowing for accurate, repeatable printing while maintaining product stability. Integrated barcode scanning and vision inspection verified print integrity throughout the run.

This live demo featured a fully integrated system including:

• VFS-1000 Vertical Feeding System
• MiniTouch Premium Controller
• BSC-550 Barcode Scanner Controller
• KEYENCE Vision Camera

Why You Need This System

Flexible packaging is notoriously unstable. If pouches shift, tip, or misalign, your print accuracy suffers and operators get pulled into manual correction.

The VFS-1000 provides controlled feeding, precision presentation, and seamless integration with coding and inspection systems — eliminating manual handling and reducing operator involvement.

Industries served:
Food & Beverage, Nutraceuticals, Cannabis, Pet Products, Contract Packaging, Consumer Packaged Goods

VCT-3000 Case Transport System Live Demo | Integrated Coding & Labeling

This live demo highlighted how the VCT-3000 Vertical Case Transport System serves as the foundation of a fully integrated case marking and labeling solution — engineered for stability, controlled spacing, and seamless downstream integration.

The VCT-3000 is more than a conveyor — it’s a controlled case handling system built to support high-resolution coding, variable data printing, and high-speed label application with confidence.

This live demo featured a fully integrated system including:

• VCT-3000 Vertical Case Transport System
• JetStream
• CoPilot® Max Turbo
• HSAJET® MCX Compact
• ALritma

Why You Need This System

Together, these technologies demonstrated how thoughtful transport design improves print consistency, label accuracy, and overall line performance.

If case coding and labeling are happening on unstable or poorly spaced conveyors, accuracy suffers.

The VCT-3000 delivers:

• Controlled case spacing
• Stable print zones
• Seamless integration with inkjet and labeling systems
• Improved line performance

Industries served:
Distribution & Fulfillment, Food & Beverage, Pharmaceutical, Industrial Packaging, Contract Manufacturing.

HFS-2000 Horizontal Feeding System + FlexPack PRO TTO | Live Demo

Watch the HFS-2000 Horizontal Feeding System in action at PACK EXPO, integrated with the FlexPack PRO TTO Series 420 for high-precision thermal transfer overprinting on flexible packaging.

The integrated system is designed for reliable product handling, accurate print placement, and seamless production line performance.

This live demo featured a fully integrated system including:

• HFS-2000 Horizontal Feeding System
• FlexPack PRO TTO Series 420

This demo showcased smooth horizontal product feeding combined with crisp, high-resolution variable data printing — ideal for:

• Lot codes
• Expiration dates
• Barcodes
• Traceability information
• Film, pouches, and flat packaging materials

Why You Need This System

When film or flat materials shift during feeding, TTO print placement becomes inconsistent.

The HFS-2000 paired with FlexPack PRO ensures synchronized feeding and precise thermal transfer printing.

Industries served:
Flexible Packaging, Snack & Frozen Foods, Pharmaceutical Sachets, Nutraceutical Packaging, Cannabis Packaging, Contract Packagers.

JET2 NEO Continuous Inkjet Printer (CIJ) at PACK EXPO

The JET2 NEO Continuous Inkjet Printer (CIJ) was demonstrated live at PACK EXPO as a high-performance industrial coding solution.

In this booth demo, AJ showcased the JET2 NEO from Leibinger — built for reliable, high-speed industrial coding and marking.

Designed for:

• Date & lot coding
• Batch marking
• High-speed production lines
• Demanding industrial environments

Unlike the integrated systems above, this is a standalone printer — but one that integrates seamlessly into full automation builds.

Why You Need This Printer

If you’re running high-speed production lines and need consistent variable data printing across cartons, film, plastic, glass, or metal, a modern CIJ system is critical.

The JET2 NEO delivers:

• Reliable startup and shutdown
• Minimal maintenance design
• Consistent high-speed printing
• Industrial durability

Industries served:
Beverage Bottling, Food Processing, Pharmaceutical, Industrial Manufacturing, Consumer Goods.

Integrated Automation That Drives Production

These PACK EXPO demos weren’t isolated machines — they were coordinated automation systems designed to:

• Reduce downtime
• Improve print and label accuracy
• Eliminate manual intervention
• Increase throughput
• Maintain consistent product presentation

From vertical pouch feeding to case transport, thermal transfer overprinting, barcode verification, vision inspection, and continuous inkjet coding — Dartronics and HSAUSA engineer production-ready automation solutions built around your operation.

If you missed us in Philadelphia, the systems are still here — and ready to be integrated into your line. Let’s discuss your application. 732-324-0886

OUR COMPANIES

Visit our company sites that highlight specialized machinery.

The post PACK EXPO Automation Demos That Drive Production appeared first on Dartronics.

The VFS-1000 vertical feeding system is our prized Dartronics, Inc. custom invention! It is the Ultimate Pouch Feeding System to allow printing and labeling downstream, and was engineered just four years ago from the imagination of our President, Ken Darrow. In the short years since its inception, the System has taken the industrial packaging industry by storm! And though the ‘V” in VFS-1000 stands for “vertical,” it could easily stand for “versatility;” because the System’s versatility is unmatched!

Designed to Feed:

• Zippered bags/ Pouches
• Standup Pouches
• Foil Pouches
• Auto bottom
• Cartons
• Coffee Bags,
• Paper Bags,
• Gusseted Bags
• Mylar
• And more!

Click here to see the VFS-100 in action!

We compiled a list of some of our biggest named customers who have purchased our VFS-1000 system over the years, showcasing the different system components and innovative ways they integrated our custom product into their impressive facilities and various industries.

#1 Harris Seeds was our first-ever VFS-1000 sale back in 2018! Harris Seeds has provided the finest quality vegetable seeds, flower seeds, plants, and supplies to growers and gardeners throughout the United States. Since 1879, it has been a trusted seed supplier for commercial and home gardeners who rely on Harris Seeds for high-quality seeds and growing supplies. In 2018, Dartronics, Inc. provided Harris Seeds a Vertical Pick & Place Bag Feeder with a Print & Apply Wipe-On Labeler – Integrated System.

We replaced their existing Print and Apply Labeling System, which was over ten years old, where operators hand-place zippered bags one at a time at the print and apply labeler conveyor. And the existing machinery’s speed was about 30 zippered bags per minute. Fortunately, our Dartronics Vertical Pick and Place System automated their process, and they instantly were able to feed zippered bags at speeds of about 53 bags per minute, almost doubling their productivity and reducing errors.

System Components:

• • • Dartronics, Inc. VFS-1000
    • Altech ALcode Print & Apply Labeler
    • SATO S84-ex
    • Shingling Conveyor for Printed Bags Accumulation

#2 Walton’s Inc. Walton Jerky & Snack Sticks is a family-owned and operated business serving the needs of the independent meat processor for over 30 years. They offer a wide variety of products and services, including on-site expertise and high-quality products.

Dartronics, Inc. provided Walton’s with a VFS-1000, TTO Printer & Shingling Conveyor system. Specifically, we offered a feeding & printing system for their vacuum pouches to help with their daily production volumes, which were about 10k to 20k pouches daily. With the VFS-1000 able to feed up to 60 pouches a minute, our system was the perfect solution to keep and speed up Walton’s production rates!

System Components:

• • • Dartronics, Inc. VFS-1000
    • FlexPackPro 420C: Continuous Thermal Transfer Overprinter
    • FPP Powered Printing Conveyor
    • Powered Shingling Conveyor

#3 Jonathan Green has been a leading supplier of grass seed, soil enhancers, fertilizer, and organic lawn and garden products since  1881—a family business with a turfgrass research farm where we study and grow top-performing grass seed varieties. In addition to grass seed, they offer everything from soil foods that correct pH and relieve compaction to weed controls, fertilizers, and organics.

Back in 2019, Jonathan Green purchased a Dartronics Inc. VFS-1000 system. Our talented team of engineers assembled a VFS-1000 & TTO printer & Shingling Conveyor System to feed and print on their large premade bags with a gusseted bottom and top open. Large or small, our VFS-1000’s adjustable in-feed conveyor can feed any sized bag!

System Components:

• • • Dartronics, Inc. VFS-1000
    • FlexPackPro 420C: Continuous Thermal Transfer Overprinter
    • Powered Printing Conveyor for TTO Printer
    • Powered Shingling Conveyor

#4 QIAGEN’s journey began in the mid-1980s, in the early days of biotechnology–as a spin-off of university research. Today, the company has grown to 6,000 employees, based in more than 25 countries, providing expertise and service to customers nearly everywhere and serving more than 500,000 customers around the globe, all seeking answers from the building blocks of life – DNA, RNA, and proteins.

QIAGEN purchased a Dartronics Inc. VFS-1000 system with an Apply Only Labeling System. Our team provided an integrated system to feed and apply a pre-printed label for various sizes of premade zippered bags. The speeds required were about 24 bags/minute or faster, which was no problem for our VFS-1000, which can feed up to 60 zippered bags per minute.

System Components:mfs-4000, M

• • • Dartronics, Inc. VFS-1000
    • Altech – ALritma S Label Head – Apply Only Labeling System

#5 Good Day Farm is a leading cannabis company in the South. Founded in 2020, Good Day Farm is the largest licensed medical cannabis producer in the South, supplying the region with an abundant selection of cannabis products in a diverse range of formats, including premium flower, edibles, vapes, concentrates, tinctures, and topical creams; with state-of-the-art grow operations and cutting-edge R&D facilities across Louisiana, Arkansas, Missouri, and Mississippi. It is best known as “the #1 medical dispensary in the south!” and has a 130,000-square-foot facility.

Good Day Farm purchased our Dartronics Inc. VFS-1000 system with a Print and Apply Labeling System. We orchestrated a system for them to print and apply labels onto one side of an assortment of pouches and cartons. We also upgraded Good Day Farm’s process of printing labels only using a desktop label printer and label design software by adding the highly integrative automation capabilities of the VFS-1000 to speed up their process for printing larger batches of labels while also helping to avoid human errors and stay compliant with the label format of the printed government labels. 

System Components:

• • • Dartronics, Inc. VFS-1000
    • MFS-4000 Manual Feeding System
    • Altech – ALritma S Label Head – Apply Only Batch Labeling System
    • Powered Shingling Conveyor

So, who’s buying our VFS-1000?

The answer is, who isn’t buying it? Our vertical feeding system has already become a staple in some of the largest companies in the Agricultural industry, Biotechnology industry, the Cannabis industry, the Electronics industry, the Food & Beverage industry, the Manufacturing industry, the Product Packaging industry, and more! So you can contact us today for more info on our VFS-1000 system, and our talented Dartronics team can show you how our custom system can speed up productivity, eliminate errors, and improve your ROI. 

Take A Free Evaluation!. Email us at Sales@dartronics.com or Call Dartronics at +1 (800) 298-8936  for more info.

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