Wayne Labs

Wayne Labs has more than 30 years of editorial experience in industrial automation. He served as senior technical editor for I&CS/Control Solutions magazine for 18 years where he covered software, control system hardware and sensors/transmitters. Labs ran his own consulting business and contributed feature articles to Electronic Design, Control, Control Design, Industrial Networking and Food Engineering magazines. Before joining Food Engineering, he served as a senior technical editor for Omega Engineering Inc. Labs also worked in wireless systems and served as a field engineer for GE’s Mobile Communications Division and as a systems engineer for Bucks County Emergency Services. In addition to writing technical feature articles, Wayne covers FE’s Engineering R&D section.

Food Safety

Automated cleaning and sanitation saves time, produces better results

CIP and COP systems benefit from automated washing systems that make use of spraying equipment matched to the right chemical media.

Wayne Labs

February 7, 2014

With FSMA in place and many processors seeking GFSI certifications, effective cleaning and sanitation are more important than ever.

Manufacturing Intelligence

Manufacturing Intelligence: Using the right tools to make the right decisions

You may have an ERP system and industrial controls in place, but are you getting the key performance indicators needed to stay ahead of the competition?

Wayne Labs

January 10, 2014

Enterprise Manufacturing Intelligence software is a crucial tool.

Field Reports

Faster doors for safer food

Roll-up doors prevent contamination and control air pressure

Wayne Labs

January 10, 2014

“Don’t hold that door open” isn’t a command heard in this food ingredient operation with automatic, high-speed, roll-up doors.

Field Reports

Putting the lid on emissions

While the aroma of a cooked steak may be an enticing lure to dinner, residents around a cooked-meat facility are not as likely to appreciate the odors.

Wayne Labs

January 10, 2014

Polarized Meat Company of Dunmore, PA produces high-quality meat products designed to reduce preparation time at restaurants. Certain products are pre-formed and pre-cooked, often with grill marks added to enhance the products’ visual appeal and flavor. Both the incoming meat and the final products are quality controlled throughout the process.

Field Reports

Updated line alleviates processor’s growing pains

A new weigh-blending system and multi-spectrum metal detector increase meal kit productivity and reduce giveaways.

Wayne Labs

January 10, 2014

The humble shrimp has been the mainstay of the Choice Canning Company for more than 50 years. Already a leading supplier of shrimp in North America, the processor expanded into the ready-to-cook meal market in 2006. It now produces 12 IQF skillet meals under the Tastee Choice brand and distributes them to retail grocery stores throughout the Eastern, Midwestern and Southwestern states and Canada.

Field Reports

From clipboards to CMMS, maintenance is now a snap

Fish producer uses computerized maintenance management to handle production equipment, farm equipment and operator certifications.

Wayne Labs

January 10, 2014

Snow Island is a Nova Scotia-based salmon producer distinguished by its commitment to the environment and sustainable farming practices for raising salmon from egg to plate. The company gives its salmon extra room to grow, maintaining a 98.5 percent volume of water to 1.5 percent of fish in its pens and nets. And while many other operations house one million-plus fish per farm, Snow Island farms contain only 500,000.

Field Reports

Dock doors get some needed attention

Updated shipping and receiving doors prevent ongoing impact damage from forklifts and pallets.

Wayne Labs

January 10, 2014

Shipping and receiving doors at this ice cream maker needed specialized treatment to prevent ongoing impact damage from forklifts and pallets.

Field Reports

Loud sonic horn shatters boiler ash buildup at brewery

Not a high-fidelity horn, this air-operated device packs a 150 dB wallop of acoustic energy at an Alaskan brewery.

Wayne Labs

January 10, 2014

Alaskan Brewing Company is the first brewery opened in Juneau since Prohibition, and from its beginning in 1986, sought to make high-quality, craft-brewed beer that was cost efficient and environmentally responsible.

Field Reports

Steam boilers save time and money for ingredient processor

The equipment provides the exact pressure and temperature to run processing equipment while meeting NOx emission standards.

Wayne Labs

January 10, 2014

RFI Ingredients, a provider of custom extracts and nutritional supplements, touts its slogan “From Field to Formula.” RFI’s commitment to its slogan is seen in its sourcing of raw materials from its own sustainable farms and a global network of growers and other providers.

Food Safety

FSMA Update: Staying ahead of the curve

Comments are in for proposed Produce Safety Rule and Preventive Controls, but final rules have not been issued, leaving processors time to explore audit and certification alternatives.

Wayne Labs

January 10, 2014

FSMA is still a work in progress, and the final comment period could affect your operation.

On Demand Driven by climate goals, business risk, client interest, and resilience considerations, food and beverage companies are increasingly turning their attention to decarbonizing their production processes.

Driven by climate goals, business risk, client interest, and resilience considerations, food and beverage companies are increasingly turning their attention to decarbonizing their production processes.