Wayne Labs

In the last five years, augmented and virtual reality technologies have been making steady inroads to the manufacturing world, especially in finding useful applications in maintenance. Today, IIoT and Industry 4.0 technologies play an ever expanding role in maintenance.

Heineken Vietnam is a major beer producer in the Vietnamese domestic market, but it needed to increase its production significantly at its Tien Giang site in the south of Vietnam. The challenge: The brewer needed a quick, turnkey installation of a new canning line without upsetting existing operations.

Beckhoff Automation LLC appointed Kevin Barker as its new president to manage Beckhoff business operations in the U.S. He assumes the role previously held by Aurelio Banda for four years. Banda led Beckhoff Automation revenue growth and business developments to new heights, finishing fiscal year 2018 with nearly $80 million in U.S. sales, new field offices and more employees.

Stefan Ranstrand, TOMRA Food’s president and chief executive officer, spoke at Fruit Logistica Berlin, describing his company’s vision for the future, its values and aspirations. He said that TOMRA can contribute to global sustainability while helping to reduce food waste and enhancing the technical and economic performance of food producers.

Cold storage construction company Tippmann Innovation has completed a new meat processing and cold storage facility for Wolverine Packing Co. The 180,000-sq.-ft. warehouse provides Wolverine with its fifth processing plant and a second freezer with capacity to store 20,000 pallets.

Apeel Sciences—World Economic Forum Technology Pioneer and featured in Food Engineering’s Engineering R&D—and Nature’s Pride, a major European supplier of avocados, will work together to integrate Apeel’s plant-derived food waste prevention technology across Nature’s Pride expansive European avocado value chain, pending EU regulatory approval

The Reusable Packaging Association has announced changes to its executive team and board of directors. After serving a two-year term as chairman of the board, Norm Kukuk, executive vice president and general manager, ORBIS Corporation has relinquished his post to 2018 Vice Chairman Rick Sasse, director of custom transport packaging, TriEnda Holdings LLC. New Chairman of the Board Sasse began his term at the Annual Board meeting held earlier this year.