Thank You, PACK EXPO 2026: What We Saw, What We Heard, and What’s Next

Four days, thousands of conversations and more than a few great packaging challenges. That was PACK EXPO 2026 in Chicago.

To everyone who stopped by booth W-43038, thank you. Whether you came with a specific challenge or just wanted to see what the “My Total Package Tool” could do, we appreciated every conversation. Many of you entered your product parameters into the tool and watched it suggest a configuration in real time. That’s exactly how we like to work: start with your product, then build the solution around it.

Thanks for playing!

A big thank-you to everyone who took our packaging quiz at the booth. Your answers showed just how much know-how is walking the show floor and a few of you gave our team a run for their money. Congratulations to all the winners, who took home a total of $1000 in gift cards. Didn’t get a chance to play? There’s always next time, just be sure to follow our socials and stop by the booth!

What we heard on the floor

The questions that came up will sound familiar to anyone in food manufacturing:

• How do we extend shelf life without overcomplicating the line?
• Can one film really seal to several different tray materials?
• What’s the right equipment for a pilot run and what happens when we need to scale?
• How do we hit sustainability goals without giving up performance?

That last question came up often, which brings us to one of the biggest trends at the show.

Fiber packaging is moving fast

Fiber-based packaging was everywhere this year. Molded fiber trays, paper-based containers, and fiber-forward formats are getting serious attention as brands are looking for alternatives that fit their sustainability goals and their customers’ expectations for durability and shelf life.

It’s an exciting space, but it comes with real technical questions:

• How does fiber hold up to moisture, grease, and temperature changes?
• What barrier is needed to protect shelf life?
• Can it be sealed reliably on existing equipment, or does the line need to change?

Those are the kinds of problems we love. A new material is only a solution if it works with your product, your process and your production line. As fiber packaging matures, we’re watching closely and asking the same questions our customers are asking. Expect more from us on this topic soon.

Coming up next: Are Teinnovations machines medical grade?

One question surprised a few people at the booth: can our sealing equipment be used for medical and sterile applications?

It’s a fair question. Food and medical packaging share a lot of the same demands, including seal integrity, contamination control, and consistent, repeatable performance. But “medical grade” means something specific, and the answer depends on more than the machine itself.

In our next post, we’ll break down what “medical grade” actually means for packaging equipment, where our machines fit, and what to ask before you bring any sealer into a medical or sterile environment. Stay tuned.

Let’s keep the conversation going

If we met at PACK EXPO, we’d love to pick up where we left off. And if we missed you, there’s no need to wait for the next show.

Bring us the problem. We’ll bring the solution.