Previewing Pack Expo International 2026 with Samantha Jo of Regal Rexnord
PACK EXPO International 2026 allows attendees to see the latest packaging and processing equipment and technologies up close and in person. But the show also provides an opportunity to take a broader look at the challenges and trends impacting the industry.
With that in mind, Processing asked PACK EXPO International 2026 exhibitors about the products and technologies they will have on display at the event, along with the biggest processing or operational challenges their customers are facing today. We’ve been publishing their responses in the weeks leading up to the show, which takes place October 18-21 at McCormick Place in Chicago. In this installment, we hear from Samantha Jo, senior business development manager — Automation Solutions Division at Regal Rexnord.
Q: What products, technologies, or live demonstrations will visitors be able to see at your booth during PACK EXPO International 2026, and which applications or manufacturing challenges do they address?
A: Attendees will be able to discover how Regal Rexnord brings together industry-leading conveying, motion control, automation, sensing, and power transmission technologies to help optimize material flow from start to finish and create a more connected, high-performing operation. Booth visitors will get the opportunity to experience live demonstrations of our latest conveyor and palletizing technologies, highlighting how manufacturers can achieve greater throughput, accelerate changeovers, and improve operational sustainability without compromising reliability or flexibility.
Alongside these demos, the A&B Engineering division of Regal Rexnord will be on hand to discuss our end-to-end plant relocation and process equipment moves, from teardown and rigging to reinstallation and startup for manufacturers looking to relocate or consolidate production lines rather than replace them outright.
Q: What are the biggest processing or operational challenges your customers are facing today, and how are your latest solutions helping manufacturers improve efficiency, product quality, flexibility, safety, or sustainability?
A: Today, manufacturers are navigating a combination of labor shortages, increasing production costs, evolving package formats, and the need for greater operational flexibility. Many facilities are also challenged with maximizing throughput while maintaining product quality, worker safety, and sustainability goals.
We're also seeing a growing number of customers relocating entire production lines and process equipment, compressors, dryers, chillers, batch tanks, etc., between facilities to consolidate capacity or move closer to markets. These projects add complexity around utility load analysis, equipment documentation, and coordinating rigging and logistics without disrupting production schedules, which is exactly the kind of multi-site line relocation work our team supports end-to-end, from disconnect through recommissioning.
3. What technology or industry trends are having the greatest impact on processing equipment design and investment decisions today?
A: Manufacturers are increasingly investing in automation to address persistent workforce challenges, reduce operator intervention, streamline changeovers to create more resilient operations. Connecting conveying systems with robotics, motion technologies, controls, and predictive insights aides in simplifying and achieving automation initiatives. Predictive maintenance solutions such as Regal Rexnord's Perceptiv track remote vibration and temperature condition to prolong the life of your mission-critical components so you can deliver your packages on time.
To keep up with demand and product variation schedules, producers are running their conveying lines at higher speeds, making product stability a critical factor. A low backline pressure chain, like the Rexnord Series MatTop Chain, that is engineered to handle the growing complexity of modern packaging is the solution that is being adopted for modern conveyor lines.
Another major trend is the need for greater flexibility and faster line changeovers, which Regal Rexnord addresses with the newly launched Variable Pattern Rite. Beyond new equipment investment, we're seeing plant consolidation and relocation become a bigger part of manufacturers' capital planning, moving and requalifying existing lines and process equipment at a new facility rather than purchasing new, which requires the same rigor around equipment handling, utility reconnection, and commissioning support as a new install.
Q: If a process engineer, operations manager, or plant executive visits your booth, what are one or two key insights, best practices, or innovations you hope they take away from the conversation?
A: That Regal Rexnord is innovating with new technologies based on our customers' feedback. We want to help them solve their operational challenges by delivering products like the patent-pending Variable Pattern Rite, allowing for faster changeovers and greater flexibility. Automation is no longer just about increased speed but also flexibility and operational resilience.
We also want them to take away that we support our customers far beyond providing products, with our service offering. For example, relocating a live production line, process equipment included, doesn't have to mean lost performance or extended downtime. With the right partner managing planning, rigging, reinstallation, and restart, relocated systems can come back online running as well as or better than before.
