Pack Expo 2026 live: Waites sensors tackle downtime and maintenance shortages

Waites Sensor Technologies, a global predictive maintenance company, has launched a condition monitoring system featuring sensors, software, and analyst services for conveyor systems at Pack Expo International 2026 in Chicago, US (Oct 18–21). 

Waites Conveyance aims to help fulfillment centers, retail distribution networks, 3PL providers, parcel, and sortation facilities, as well as other conveyor-intensive operations, like those in the packaging industry, with distribution, fulfillment, and logistics operations to reduce unplanned downtime. 

On the show floor, Packaging Insights speaks to Rob Ratterman, co-founder and CEO of Waites, about the importance of conveyor monitoring systems for reduced downtime, as well as US expert maintenance shortages and global expansion. 

Ratterman tells us that conveyors have many intricate parts that need close assessment to keep the system moving. “It has take-up rollers, snub rollers, end rollers, and drive rollers, all of which have bearings in them.” 

The Waites Conveyance system includes the 0.53-inch SV5 tethered sensor that collects vibration and temperature data in tight or enclosed locations, such as on bearings. 

“We put our sensor on those bearings and monitor it constantly. By doing that, we can detect those small issues that might be arising — that might cause that conveyor to stop working.” 

The Waites Conveyance system also includes an SM7 wireless sensor that provides triaxial vibration and temperature monitoring, with ImpactVUE ultrasonic-range detection to help identify developing conveyor problems. 

 “By passing [the sensor data] through just a massive AI database, we can then predict those failures and communicate with the on-site maintenance teams in real time to resolve the issues before that conveyor goes down and before those packages stop moving,” Ratterman shares. 

Reducing downtime and costs 

Waites outlines how, in conveyor systems, a failing roller, bearing, or gearbox can disrupt production capacity “far beyond the cost of the component,” adding unplanned pressure to packaging and e-commerce distributors. 

Ratterman underscores that, when adding a sensor into a conveyor system, “the first thing you get is reduced downtime,” which leads to increased facility capacity. He adds that this has been especially important alongside the “explosion” of e-commerce in the last 10-15 years. 

He also explains that conveyor sensors can also facilitate extended asset life, adding that, with a sensor, “the machine is going to last longer because it is maintained properly.” 

Another benefit of conveyor monitoring technology is that it can reduce spare parts and maintenance costs, says Ratterman. He notes that Waites’ systems help its customers reduce spare part costs by 50%. 

He adds that the US is experiencing a shortage in qualified maintenance personnel, which the presence of a sensor can help mitigate by “directing [its customers] existing maintenance teams to find the issues and work on them.” 

“All these things increase throughput, capacity, uptime, and reduce spare parts and labor costs. All those things are possible just by putting on this little sensor.” 

Conveyor monitoring misconceptions 

Ratterman has identified a “general misunderstanding” of the cost of downtime and maintenance among consumers and customers at Pack Expo 2026. 

“A lot of people think they have the people, so they can go out and fix it,” he tells us. 

“But there are many more things that you get from an improved maintenance operation than just the improved downtime. We call it the harmony benefit, which is that just everything runs smoothly.” 

“There are no more bumps in the night, no more people calling in on the weekend to come in from their daughter's soccer game, or something like that.” 

“Instead, we can tell them about it weeks in advance, and that’s an enormous night-and-day kind of difference in how facilities run and operate.” 

The company says that its condition monitoring systems aim to help customers understand the problem and take action, “not simply collecting more data or generating more alarms.” 

Expanding across continents 

Waites offers conveyor monitoring systems across the packaging industry, spanning more than 400 material handling facilities, including 25,000 sensors at a single third-party logistics site. 

“We’re a global company,” underscores Ratterman. “We're on six continents right now, and I'm excited to announce that we're going to be installing on our seventh continent in the South Pole this year.” 

Waites says that one of its customers deployed nearly 10,000 sensors across seven facilities, reportedly avoiding US$1.8 million in unplanned downtime, protecting more than 350 hours of operations. 

Ratterman concludes: “For the packaging industry in particular, our ability to ensure that, not only things continue to run, but that we can increase throughput for our customers, because they’ve got so much more uptime associated with their operations.” 

With live reporting from Milana Nikolova at Pack Expo 2026.