In this June 2014 issue of Food Engineering, read why the right tools enable long-term success. Also read about how emerging technologies help manufacturer reduce food waste and energy costs while establishing "green" bona fides with consumers.
Food and beverage companies are facing an increasingly competitive environment that demands familiarity with leading-edge automation and processing and packaging solutions.
HACCP can’t do it all. A food safety management system uses several tools to promote food safety and prevent recalls. After a recall, it may be too late to save your business.
From the latest large-format digital printing to integrated packaging lines, the exhibition featured time-saving, energy-saving and environmentally friendly innovations.
The Obama Administration is winning praise from organizations that say Washington’s ongoing Trans-Pacific Partnership negotiations may pave the way for increased exports
The Coalition for Safe Affordable Food, a trade group supporting genetically modified (GM) food, is voicing support for proposed legislation to set a federal standard for labels on GM food.
May we suggest some additional points to your Editorial in the April issue of Food Engineering Magazine regarding FDA’s proposal to update the Nutrition Facts Panel (NFP) as well as the serving size revision proposal?
Microscopic tags made of silicon dioxide (silica) can be mixed with many foods and liquids not only to trace the origin of contaminated meat, but also track and find potential fraudsters.
Providing 12,000 lumens of high light, the Larson EPL-PT-150LED-RT 150W LED explosion-proof, pole-top, slip fit-mounted fixture features an adjustable swivel bracket constructed of 3/8-in. aluminum that allows over 180° of adjustment; it is attached to a slip fit yoke built to customer specifications.
Wildeck vertical reciprocating conveyors incorporate an optional SafeLock free-fall braking system to prevent the accidental descent of the raised carriage.
Developed for all sizes of breweries, the Hamilton Beverly portable dissolved oxygen meter has a DO sensor that eliminates the need for polarization prior to use.
Metcar Grade M-133 self-lubricating carbon-graphite material is approved to the National Sanitation Foundation Standard NSF 51-2012 for materials used in the construction of commercial food equipment.
Featuring a 5-blade profile and airfoil shape, the Kelley WAVE HVLS fan produces a cylindrical column of air that flows down to the floor and outward in all directions, creating a horizontal floor jet that circulates air in large spaces before pulling it back vertically toward the blades.
The Dispense Works RP Series robotic bench top bottle/vial filler system requires no PC for operation; it provides all preprogrammed software functions for filling, capping, assembly, positioning, etc. Hundreds of files may be stored on the machine.
Pepperl+Fuchs Series IO ultrasonic sensors feature pushbutton programming for onsite sensor parameterization without any software; the parameters can be viewed and modified via an IO Link controller or PC.
Engineered for food and beverage facilities, Stonhard flooring systems are used in bottling rooms, filling lines, coolers, food preparation areas and mixing areas, as well as packaging and processing areas.
The Multi-Conveyor 2:1 mild steel-constructed bag conveyor system merges over 100 products/min. from 2 lines into a single line to feed an automated case packing machine.
Used for fresh and processed meat, poultry, cheese and perishable foods, Krehalon barrier shrink packaging materials offer puncture and abrasion resistance, as well as oxygen, moisture and UV barrier properties, for standard, high-abuse and cook-in shrink bags.
The Browning Tenso-set Series 600 horizontal sliding motor base for V-belt drives automatically maintains belt tension for extended periods; a coil spring inside the screw housing pushes against the carriage to maintain tension as the belt wears or seats itself further into the sheave groove.
Automatically checking for the presence of an ink jet-printed code on every product, the Videojet code detection system is used for flat packaging with a white or light marking window.
The OCTAL DPET direct-to-sheet polyester sheet is intended for high-volume food and consumer packaged products; it eliminates 5 stages of the conventional production process (pelletizer, SSP, compactor, dryer and extruder) to eliminate defects and resin contamination.
Designed with a carbon brush mounted internally to divert shaft currents away from motor bearings, Baldor Super-E electric motors with a shaft grounding brush come in ratings of 1 through 50hp in totally enclosed fan-cooled or open drip-proof foot-mounted designs; 1/2 through 5hp C-face, foot-mounted designs also are available.
Measuring 18 x 18 x 8 1/2 in., the Hollymatic MAX 42-S table top vacuum packaging machine has an all-stainless steel design and individual components that are clearly visible and accessible.
The Crown SX 3000-40 walkie straddle stacker has a 4,000-lb. maximum load capacity and a 192-in. maximum lift height. It features a cast aluminum design, maintenance-free battery pack and 30A, 120V onboard charger.
Compatible with glass, plastic and metal containers in all shapes and sizes, the Gebo Cermex OptiDry drying system features independently adjustable nozzle positioning to target airflows at a container’s neck, body or both.
Able to work in conjunction with all NuTEC hydraulic patty forming machines, the NuTEC all-hydraulic PF-700 flattener gives patties a more homemade or smashed appearance.
Meeting the IEEE 519 standard for preventing interference between electrical components, REO-USA liquid-cooled resistors and reactors dissipate and remove heat from variable frequency drives used in food processing and HVAC applications; they have “water pockets” and are encapsulated on a metal plate with integrated cooling channels.
Transferring measurement data wirelessly from test tools to smartphones and the cloud, the Fluke Connect system allows universal team access from the field.
Engineered to handle uniform or random-shaped and sized carton sealing, Hyde case sealer bladesare used on semi- and fully automatic case sealing equipment and automatic taping machines.
Developed for dosing machines, pick and place and welding robots, and packaging, bottling and labeling machines, the Faulhaber intelligent motor for speed and position control includes EtherCAT communication.
Built for a variety of food products including chips, tacos and chimichangas, the FOODesign batch frying system has fuel-efficient combustion systems that ensure heat transfer without degradation of the cooking medium.
Used for pumping liquids with very high viscosity, including those containing suspended solids, Clark CU15 Series miniature air-operated diaphragm pumps are suitable for applications with high humidity or potentially explosive atmospheres.
Intended for horizontal vacuum formers, the Hinds-Bock 3P-32 piston filling machine handles a range of products, from thin sauces or marinades to viscous mash potatoes or deli salads.
Omega M12 cables with compensated connectors for thermocouples feature a straight and right-angled, field-mountable connector sensor end, compensated thermocouple cable, sockets and pins; 2 cable insulation options are available in IEC and ANSI color codes.
Providing inline processing and cleaning, the Greerco sanitary pipeline mixer features a skewed turbine/stator unit that operates at tight tolerances for continuous high-speed, high-shear processing to achieve product uniformity in applications involving homogenization, mixing, dispersion and emulsion.
The PPM star wheel pellet fryer is available in 3 sizes, with outputs from 220 to 1,200 lbs./hr.; the smallest model contains 23 gal. for a capacity up to 330 lbs./hr.
A fixed position, dough interface/core temperature measuring device, the Reading Pan+Dough probe is always at a fixed penetration depth to yield measurements at the same reference point, from 1 batch to the next.
The Siemens Sinamics S120M ready-to-connect decentralized motor with integrated drive offers the option of moving the motor inverter outside the control cabinet and directly onto the motor.
The JBT reduced-emission Stein TFF-V THERMoFIN fryer has a hygienic, open-frame structure; an integrated exhaust scrubber reduces oil mist and particulate matter in the fryer exhaust.
Designed for vacuum operation up to 29.5 in. Hg, the Ross 1-cu.-ft. vertical blender has a screw agitator and orbital arm driven by 2 separate 100 and 2.5 rpm variable speed motors.
Engineered to integrate into secondary packaging systems, the Cloud Packaging Solutions Hydroforma SP water-soluble pouch packaging machine runs powder applications at up to 1,200 pouches/min. and liquid applications at a rate up to 700 pouches/min.
Combining traditional induction and permanent magnet motors in a single solution, the Mitsubishi A800 Series all-in-one variable frequency drive can be used in induction motors and next-generation interior permanent motors.
Used for frying coated and uncoated poultry, meat, seafood, vegetables and other prepared foods and snack products, the Heat and Control MasterTherm thermal fluid-heated fryer has a U-tube heat exchanger that heats cooking oil throughout the unit.
The Material Transfer bulk bag discharging, weighing and feeding system features stainless steel construction, an integral vibratory feeder/screener and loss-in-weight load cells for material batching.
The Coperion K-Tron sanitary filter receiver automatically separates product material from conveyed air for vacuum and pressure conveying sanitary applications in batch and continuous processes.
The Bühler Aeroglide Ceres hygienic dryer for coated RTE cereal products features pitched floors and roofs, an integrated CIP system, continuous belt washing system and comprehensive water management system.
The Multi-Conveyer 2:1 asynchronous deposited bag conveyor system merges over 100 products per minute from 2 lines into a single line to feed an automated case packing machine.
The Sodimate multiple screw feeder unloader features a vertical spindle fitted with flexible blades for the mechanical discharge of powders from silos, bins and hoppers.
The Aplus Finetek Sensor vibrating probe level switch provides level measurement for most materials in powder or bulk through the use of 2 piezoelectric elements built in on the vibration tube.
Flexicon FLEXI-DISC tubular cable conveyors for fragile materials are integrated with upstream and/or downstream equipment that sources material from single or multiple locations and deliver it selectively to storage vessels, filling machines or other processing equipment.
The Blendhub Portable Powder Blending Factory incorporates automatic liquid injection into the food powders blending process by developing a parallel module installed into the plant through connectors.