IMI Showcases Integrated Fluid Power and Electric Motion at PACK EXPO
At the recent PACK EXPO in Las Vegas, IMI demonstrated how the convergence of fluid control systems and precision electric motion is redefining the operational limits of packaging machinery. By synthesizing the specialized capabilities of IMI Norgren, IMI Bimba, and IMI Bahr, the company presented a unified front designed to solve the two biggest headaches for packaging engineers: maintaining machine uptime in harsh, high-washdown environments and integrating legacy pneumatic infrastructure into modern, IIoT-enabled digital networks.
Let’s be honest, most trade show demonstrations are glorified sales pitches involving clean, quiet environments that have nothing to do with the reality of a production floor. That is why IMI’s booth caught my attention. They were running actuators under constant water ingress and moving axes through chambers filled with swirling cardboard dust—essentially stress-testing their gear in conditions that would make most standard-grade sensors and cylinders cry for mercy. From an engineering standpoint, this is the kind of empirical evidence that matters. It isn't just about having an IP-rated casing; it’s about the underlying mechanical integrity required for high-speed, 24/7 packaging applications that demand absolute repeatability.
The real narrative here, however, is the shift toward hybrid control. While pneumatics remain the industry workhorse for their exceptional power-to-weight ratio and cost-effectiveness, the modern packaging landscape is increasingly hungry for the granular positional feedback provided by electrical motion. IMI’s display of servo axes integrated alongside their traditional valve banks and air preparation hardware suggests a strategic push toward modular, high-performance automation. By offering fieldbus-ready components, they are providing a bridge for manufacturers looking to retrofit older lines with predictive maintenance and advanced telemetry capabilities without having to perform a total system rip-and-replace.
The ability to control pressure and flow with the same level of sophistication as a servo-driven axis is critical for tasks like precise robotic gripping, vacuum generation, and proportional flow processes. Whether it’s standardizing on fieldbus protocols to simplify distributed I/O or utilizing their extensive electric actuator catalog to replace aging mechanical linkages, IMI is positioning itself to be a one-stop-shop for the next generation of smart packaging centers. For the automation professional, this represents a significant reduction in design complexity, as it simplifies the path toward optimizing system parameters via a unified, network-connected architecture.
Written by: Marcus Thorne. With over 18 years in industrial systems integration, Marcus has spent his career navigating the transition from legacy pneumatic controls to the high-speed, data-driven world of modern automated packaging and assembly.