Innovation

A M King installed insulated metal panels

Plant Renovations

Preparation is paramount

Regulations and competition are getting tougher, and companies are building to secure their futures.

February 24, 2016

Food and beverage processors have different reasons to renovate, such as meeting company specs or FSMA or GFSI requirements.

Engineering R&D

Making LIMS relevant to food processing today

LIMS (laboratory information management systems) software is often a generalized, "one-size-fits-all" approach, not fine-tuned for the food and beverage industry.

Wayne Labs

February 19, 2016

Your company makes food and beverage products. So, why would you use information systems designed for metals, plastics or chemical products?

Engineering R&D

Helping machines see more clearly

Machine vision systems work amazingly well, but high-speed cameras, along with intelligent lighting and enhanced software algorithms, make their sight even better.

Wayne Labs

January 25, 2016

When you pick up a plastic-wrapped package in a grocery store and can’t read everything on the label because of a reflection or crease, you probably turn or tilt the package until the lighting is just right. If only it were that easy for machine vision systems.

Smart Manufacturing

The Internet of Things: Power at your fingertips

The technology connecting people, machines, suppliers and processors is rapidly changing the manufacturing industry.

Debra Schug

January 20, 2016

The concepts and technologies encompassed by the term “Internet of Things” are rapidly changing the world.

Conveyors & Belting

Advantageous connections

Economic conditions, technological innovations and food safety mandates are changing the designs of conveyors and conveyor belting.

Jaan Koel

November 5, 2015

Conveyors and the belts that run on them, whether they are polymer, metal, hybrid or fiber, connect raw material reception, processing, packaging, palletizing, accumulation, final delivery and a myriad of other things.

Engineering R&D

Engineering R&D: Trimming the fat

Controlling the fat content of meat means getting top dollar for each grade and keeping customers pleased that they’re getting what they expect for their money.

Wayne Labs

October 26, 2015

FPL Food (Augusta, GA) is one of the largest privately owned processors of fresh beef products and value-added meat selections in the US. It provides several brands of high-quality beef to retail and foodservice customers.

TECH FLASH

Online groceries and food packaging

Brands might have to rethink formats if buying food online gains steam.

Debra Schug

October 14, 2015

In a recent study, half of global consumers polled said they were willing to buy groceries online.

S88 Builder shows all available information on the equipment

Ergonomics

Ergonomics: Creating a Culture of Safety

Machine guarding and other types of safeguards won’t protect plant workers if they circumvent them or place themselves in harm’s way.

Jeremy Gerrard

October 6, 2015

It shouldn’t be news that bad work designs can spell major problems for employers in terms of lost production time, workers’ compensation claims and injuries. All of these take deep cuts out of the bottom line. But poor design can hurt you where you least expect it such as in turnover rates, damage to your brand and bad rankings in best place to work surveys.

Tyco expands global center of excellence network

September 30, 2015

Tyco, Princeton, N.J., announced plans to expand its Global Center of Excellence Network to enable multi-national companies to streamline and standardize their fire and security systems around the world.

Following the success of its Global Center of Excellence (GCoE) in Birmingham, Ala., Tyco is opening and expanding facilities in key areas across the globe designed to emulate this model.

Engineering R&D

Lubrication keeps wheels turning in flash freezing applications

For the meat packing industry, lubrication for conveyors must maintain adequate lubricity in freezing cold areas, provide corrosion resistance and be safe to use.

Wayne Labs

September 28, 2015

Pork processing, like any live protein processing, is not a nice environment for humans or machines.