Utilities - Articles | Food Engineering

5 Things Food Manufacturers Should Know Before They Grow

Often, the factors that derail future expansions are the ones nobody’s talking about. These five overlooked details can make a facility more flexible — or more fragile than expected.

Mallory Wright

August 28, 2026

Dennis Group engineers and project managers discuss the lesser-known factors that can make or break a food manufacturing plant’s long-term expandability.

Mission Produce’s avocado ripening and processing facility

Construction Survey

FOOD ENGINEERING’s 46th Annual Plant Construction Survey

Pandemic issues on the wane, but labor, inflation and equipment availability slow projects.

Wayne Labs

July 14, 2023

If you’ve ever played “Whac-A-Mole” on the boardwalk or at an arcade, you can get a sense of the frustration that both food and beverage processors and architecture/engineering/construction (AEC) firms are feeling in today’s economy—fix one problem, another pops up.

Steam: Minimize the Losses, Save Energy

Steam is too valuable a commodity to lose

Wayne Labs

March 27, 2023

Steam, like compressed air, is expensive to generate and easy to waste through leaks and any number of other issues.

Technology Sourcebook

Cortec ElectriCorr VpCI-150 foam tape

February 7, 2017

Cortec non-toxic ElectriCorr VpCI-150 electro-static dissipative, impregnated foam tape provides multi-metal protection during operation and shutdown.

Tech Update

Electrical systems and components: The lifeblood of your facility

Electrical systems and components run in the background, keeping your plant energized, but without maintenance and attention, things can go wrong.

Wayne Labs

June 5, 2015

From 2006 to 2010, 8,600 structure fires were reported at US industrial or manufacturing facilities, resulting in 11 fatalities, 230 injuries and $753 million in direct property damage, according to NFPA research.

Technology Sourcebook

Manifold power strip

January 13, 2015

Eliminating individual valve wiring and molded cable sets for manifold valve stacks, the Mead Fluid Dynamics Manifold PowerStrip consolidates wiring to a single home-run cable.

Field Reports

Dairy cuts downtime caused by power interruptions

Four power events per year cost the dairy $200,000, but power protection equipment has eliminated the interruptions.

January 7, 2015

Power interruptions and brownouts (sags) are costly, even if it’s just one per year.

Technology Sourcebook

Electrical power source

December 5, 2014

Providing 3 independent phases of voltage and current, the Fluke 6003A electrical power source includes measurement capabilities for DC voltage, DC resistance and frequency.

Technology Sourcebook

NEMA 12 cabinet coolers

August 7, 2014

Resisting heat and dirty environments, EXAIR NEMA 12 cabinet cooler systems keep electrical enclosures cool with 20°F air.

TECH FLASH

Methods to curb energy rate increases

Many processors have already switched out inefficient lighting and invested in high-efficiency motors, and some have tried demand control while others have instituted real-time purchasing of energy.

Wayne Labs

June 26, 2013

FE interviewed Brian Flynn, chief technology officer of ZF Energy Development, to discuss the options processors have in cutting energy costs.