PAC Strapping Products will use IWF Atlanta 2026 to demonstrate advanced strapping automation developed for cabinet, furniture and high-throughput wood packaging operations. The Exton, Pennsylvania-based supplier plans to present automatic machinery, pallet-protection technology and mobile tools at Booth A10030 during the International Woodworking Fair, scheduled for 25–28 August at the Georgia World Congress Center.
The display reflects growing pressure on wood-products manufacturers to improve end-of-line efficiency. Cabinet parts, millwork, furniture components and finished units can be difficult to secure because they vary considerably in size, weight and surface sensitivity. Poorly controlled strap tension or inconsistent corner protection can damage edges and finishes before products reach distributors, installers or customers.
Side-Seal System Targets Dusty Wood Plants
A principal exhibit will be the SM60, a high-speed side-seal strapping machine intended for demanding production environments. Woodworking facilities generate sawdust and fine particles that can enter packaging machinery, obstruct strap paths and increase maintenance requirements.
Locating the sealing head at the side helps keep it away from debris that settles beneath a conveyor or package. PAC states that its SM60 platform can reach up to 60 straps per minute and can operate with a roller table or as part of an automated conveyor line.
The company also lists jam-management features, accessible strap channels and electronically controlled sealing among the machine’s operating characteristics.
For cabinet and millwork plants, the design could be particularly relevant where packaging equipment operates close to cutting, sanding or machining cells. Optional controls, including photo eyes, programmable logic controller connections and status lights, allow manufacturers to adapt the unit to their line speeds and production-monitoring requirements.
Automatic Bottom Sealing Supports Repeatable Output
PAC will also feature the SM65 FA, a fully automatic bottom-seal unit developed for conveyorised packaging lines. Its purpose is to provide consistent strap positioning and tension while reducing the need for operators to handle each package manually.
The underlying SM65 range uses brushless direct-drive motors and a strapping head designed with fewer moving parts than many conventional systems. PAC says this approach can reduce adjustments, power demand and routine maintenance. The machine is available in different arch and strap configurations for varied package dimensions.
This form of woodworking packaging automation can help manufacturers remove bottlenecks after assembly or finishing. Faster machining centres provide limited productivity improvements when completed cabinets or furniture remain waiting at a labour-intensive packing station.
Automating the strapping process could also improve consistency between production shifts. Operators may apply different tension levels when using manual equipment, creating variations that affect package stability and surface protection.
Corner Protection Enters the Automated Cell
Another important part of the IWF display will be automated corner-board application. Corner boards reinforce exposed edges, spread strap pressure and help stabilise palletised loads during warehousing and transportation.
The technology is relevant to flat-pack furniture, assembled cabinets, doors, panels and architectural woodwork. These products often carry vulnerable corners and finished surfaces. Applying protection consistently can reduce crushing, denting, splintering and compression marks.
When a corner-board applicator works alongside an automatic strapper, the packaging cell can create a more uniform shipping unit with less manual intervention. That consistency may also help plants standardise packaging specifications across shifts, factories and product families.
The system could be especially valuable for manufacturers shipping mixed loads or high-value finished products. Damage discovered at the destination can create replacement costs, installation delays, rejected deliveries and reputational problems.
Flexible Tools Extend Packaging Coverage
PAC’s booth will include an IC3A semi-automatic strapping table, battery-powered hand tools, carts and accessories. These products address operations where a permanent automated line is unnecessary or impractical.
Mobile equipment can support rework areas, short production runs, oversized pieces and packaging points distributed across a factory. It also provides a lower-entry route for smaller woodworking businesses seeking more repeatable strapping without installing a complete conveyor system.
PAC describes itself as a supplier of plastic and steel strapping, machinery, hand tools, systems and related accessories. Its equipment portfolio covers semi-automatic and automatic applications across several industrial markets.
IWF Offers a Focused Industry Platform
IWF Atlanta 2026 will run from Tuesday, 25 August, to Friday, 28 August, at the Georgia World Congress Center. The event brings machinery, materials, software and production technologies together for the woodworking and wood-products sectors.
For visitors, PAC’s display will offer a practical look at how packaging equipment can fit into wider factory-modernisation programmes. End-of-line systems rarely receive the same attention as CNC routers, panel saws or finishing lines. However, they directly influence labour use, dispatch speed, freight damage and customer satisfaction.
Packaging Becomes Part of Factory Automation
PAC Strapping Products’ advanced strapping automation for cabinet and furniture plants at IWF Atlanta 2026 carries significance beyond a machinery demonstration.
Its combined focus on side-seal reliability, automatic bottom sealing, corner protection and flexible hand tools shows how wood packaging can become a more integrated, measurable and scalable production function.
For cabinet, furniture and millwork manufacturers, the technologies could reduce manual handling, support faster dispatch and improve load protection. PAC Strapping Products is therefore positioning packaging automation as an essential final stage in the modern woodworking factory rather than a separate process completed after manufacturing ends.
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