Catch a preview of the Powder and Bulk Show in this April 2014 edition of Food Engineering. Also, be sure to check out a coffee stick making a real stir and a major advancement in the the pet food industry.
Built from a foundation of emerging collaboration tools and a unique, cross-functional, interdisciplinary approach, Blue Diamond Growers achieves its manufacturing goals with its new “dream” plant.
Depending on the application and the country, design rules and standards can vary, causing headaches for machine builders as they try to make designs more universal.
I’m an avid reader of food labels. On a typical trip to the supermarket, I get some of my most useful reading accomplished. When buying a new food or beverage product, I always check the total number of calories per serving and per container, as well as the trans fat, fiber and sugar levels.
A pet peeve for some dog owners is not being able to feed their pets a warm meal. But that problem is being addressed with a heated, moist supplement for dry food in a package familiar to the world of single-serve soups, pastas and snacks.
USDA has finalized changes to the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children, better known as WIC. Among the changes is a new emphasis on fruits and vegetables, whole grains and low-fat dairy. It’s the first major revision to the program since 1980.
US Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack says a cut to USDA’s Food Safety Inspection Service contained in the Obama administration’s 2015 budget proposal will not hamper the agency’s meat, poultry and egg inspection responsibilities.
Lab-based, inline pasteurization system and hygienic filling/closing bench allow exotic beverage processor to experiment with small beverage quantities.
Last year, some members of the dairy industry thought it hip to be in square packaging. But Dean Foods, Inc. is taking a more circuitous route. Its Land O’Lakes brand sour cream and cottage cheese products are appearing on retailer shelves throughout the upper Midwest in curved packaging.
Make a perfect cup of coffee—or tea—in about 30 seconds. Might sound too good to be true, but Australian inventor Dave Hopper may have enabled you to do just that with the development of Quikstix.
First Lady Michelle Obama introduced major proposed changes to the nutrition facts label on behalf of FDA at an event held at the White House on February 27, 2014. The updates are designed to reflect the latest scientific information on the link between diet and chronic diseases like obesity and heart disease. The announcement focused on changes in label requirements that highlight new information such as calories and serving sizes.
The Material Transfer portable Material Master bulk bag discharging system features a forklift-loaded bulk bag lifting frame and an adjustable-height upper frame.
The Camfil APC dust collector controller is equipped with a touch screen interface and built-in differential pressure sensor to monitor primary filter pressure drop.
Used for wet dust collection and capture, the AAF International Type LVN RotoClone hydrostatic precipitator cleans the air with the combined action of centrifugal force and the intermixing of water and dust-laden air.
Spee-Dee multi-lane filling systems feature a cantilever design to open the machines for tool changing and cleaning; group tooling allows the removal of multiple funnels to accommodate changing applications.
Delivering ANSI Level 4 cut and abrasion resistance and Level 5 puncture resistance, Magid TRX540 impact gloves have a 13-gauge shell comprised of HPPE, polyester, glass and nylon fiber.
An integrated system for carton serialization, the MG America ACE-CT400 coding and verification unit handles cartons ranging in size from 20 x 20 x 80mm to 120 x 80 x200mm at a maximum speed of 400/min.
Available in a fork-over design for use with open-bottom pallets or an adjustable version with solid steel straddle legs for use with closed-bottom pallets, Presto Lifts PowerStak fully powered stackers have a turtle speed setting that reduces drive speed by 50%.
Essentra Re:Close resealable tape withstands repeated use, allowing consumers to keep product in the original pack; a large finger lift area runs along its entire length.
Designed to customer specifications for mixing viscosities from 1 to 50,000 cps, Sharpe portable sanitary mixers are USDA approved and ASME-BPE compliant.
Designed for confectionery, snack foods and bakery products, the WeighPack Sleek 65 horizontal flow wrapper incorporates 3 servo motors and servo drives; no chains, gears or lubrication is needed.
Created for the meat, dairy, bakery and snack industries, PPI FDA-approved papers are used to separate hamburger patties, cheese, steaks, cookies, poultry, pork and deli foods.
The NK Technologies APN Series digital power monitor measures 3 phases of current and voltage and computes 14 values to track power usage in the RS485 Modbus RTU format.
Designed for conveying fragile food products or those requiring a high degree of sanitation, the Schenck Quick Clamp No-Ledge coupling delivers a machined tolerance joint for proper alignment and a ledge-free interior environment on connection points.
The Linx TJ725 thermal inkjet case coder includes internal dynamic barcode generation, an anti-ink-bleed feature, 600dpi printing, rotated text fields and Arabic language support.
The Domino M220 pallet labeler can be configured to suit different applications to meet the tertiary labeling requirements within a range of packaging lines
RoHS compliant, Winco WN 648 inch-size rod end bearings are suitable for high-load, low-speed applications with hanging angles that require linear, rotational or oscillatory motions.
Manufactured from 316 stainless steel material, Omega HMG-10 Series laboratory homogenizers have a 144W, high-torque motor with a variable speed adjustment and separate on/off switch.
Used with diced and small fruits and vegetables, the TOMRA Iris II optical sorting system uses top and bottom sensor banks to view each object “in flight” with a combination of LED illumination in the visible and near infra-red spectral zones.
Handling up to 120 cpm, the NJM Model 126 Trotter W pressure-sensitive labeler provides wraparound labeling of foods and nutraceuticals packed in cylindrical containers from 1- to 8-in.
The Clark Model DNEM energy flow monitor measures energy transfer in heating/cooling systems, heat recovery applications, efficiency measurement/verification systems and other applications.
With multi-echo tracking algorithms and functions to suppress interference echoes, the Endress+Hauser Micropilot FMR5X free-space radar level transmitter measures the level or volume of liquids and bulk solids products in metal or plastic tanks, stilling wells or other vessels up to 131-ft. high with accuracy up to +/-0.078 in.
Eliminating the need for cardboard trays under shrinkwrapped packs, the Emerson System Plast low-back pressure accumulation belt conveyor provides support for a variety of containers.
Intended for modified atmosphere packaging-equipped thermoforming and tray-sealing machines, the Dansensor MAP Check 3 Vacuum online gas analyzer can be used with meat, poultry, fish and baked goods.
Operating in both controlled stress and controlled rate modes, Brookfield RST touch screen rheometers test for viscoelastic modulus, yield stress, viscosity vs. shear rate, thixotropy calculation, creep behavior, recovery after flow and temperature sensitivity.
Designed for automatic ingredient additions and mixing, the Ross Solids/Liquid Injection Manifold automated powder feeding and high-speed mixing skid system is piped to a 400-gallon jacketed tank and mounted on a compact skid.
Kollmorgen MMG ultra compact linear motor stages have an integral anti-creep linear guideway that eliminates the homing moves to reset standard crossed roller bearing retainer cages.
The BCS AFC2 advanced fluidized co-digestion and co-generation biomass to biogas system provides up to 90% conversion of organic feedstock solids with no residual sludge.
Featuring ATEX and CSA approvals, Banner EZ-LIGHT K30L and K50L hazardous area indicator lights are available in intrinsically safe, encapsulated and non-sparking models.
The Phoenix Contact RIFLINE Complete modular ice cube-style relay system is available as either a completely assembled module or individual components.
Intended for applications where temperature separation or control with some fire resistance is desired or required, the Rite-Hite Zoneworks TZF insulated curtain wall offers enhanced flame resistance.
Engineered for sweetener transfer applications in the ice cream industry, Maag EnviroGear seal-less internal gear pumps handle viscous liquids such as corn syrup and less-viscous media including fructose, sucrose and sorbitol.
The METTLER TOLEDO CI-Vision full-bottle inspection system for the beverage industry inspects filled bottles at high production line speeds for proper fill level, cap position (missing, incorrect, skewed and under- or over-torqued cap) and tamper-band integrity.
Designed for dairy and baby food producers, the Bosch TFC 5532 thermoform, fill and seal machine is intended for liquid and viscous food such as yogurts, desserts and fresh products that require extended shelf life.
Available with operating temperatures from -20°F to 0°F and with nominal capacities up to 12 tons in both air- and water-cooled condensing, Mokon Iceman LT low-temperature chillers are suitable for jacketed vessels, reactors, laboratory, sanitary and other industrial applications.
Combining a micrometer control mechanism for gases and liquids with a sealing mechanism, the HAM-LET MBV metering ball valve incorporates metering and shutoff functions in a single unit.
Advantech FWA-3230 network appliance scales from entry-level performance using Intel Celeron and Pentium processors to the mid-range segment using Intel Xeon E3 series processors.
Used in a broad range of applications from augers, mixers, pumps and fans to conveyors, the ABB ACS250 micro drive has a voltage range from 1 to 115V in/3 to 230V out to 600V in/out.
Used to produce PET containers, the Siapi SDxx 2-stage linear blower comes with 6 to 20 cavities, arranged on 2 parallel presses that operate in synchrony.
Hertzler version 8.3 GainSeeker Suite statistical process control software includes OEE charts that help manufacturers learn how assets are being used, determine if more can be produced during scheduled production times and spot problem areas and times.
Equipped with a 1GHz ARM Cortex A8 CPU with access to 1GB internal DDR3 RAM memory, the Beckhoff CP26xx multi-touch panel PC has TwinCAT automation software that makes the unit an all-in-one HMI, PLC and motion control system.
B&R Smart Display Link 3 digital display data transmission technology allows a maximum distance of 100m between the PC and panel to operate HMI devices.
Enabling the control of robots entirely through Rockwell Automation ControlLogix and CompactLogix programmable automation controllers, the Motoman MLX200 Robot Gateway PLC control platform provides a full-featured robot teaching and maintenance HMI for Allen Bradley PanelView.
Engineered for processors of sausage and other meat and poultry products, the Weiler VersaGrind 11 pump grinding system includes variable speed control on 3 separate drives and a positive displacement pump that eliminates roll back and the overworking of raw materials.
The Alchemy Systems SISTEM Coach mobile app helps conduct safety and productivity observations on the plant floor and validates safety training and compliance with standard operating procedures.
Offered in a variety of configurations and sizes, Stafford rigid couplings come in 1-, 2- and 3-piece designs, with or without keyways, to connect the supported shafts in mixers.
The Spiroflow inline twin-screw, continuous proportional blender has an adjustable blend ratio to facilitate the addition of flavorings, seasonings and other food ingredients for mixing applications.
Ampco dry blending and powder mixing equipment is used for applications from the simple reconstitution of milk powder to the addition of starches or stabilizers.
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.
Designed for the filtration of process water, mineral water, beer, wine, soft drinks, juice and other liquids, Donaldson P-FG series 304 stainless steel liquid filtration housings are used for applications with flow rates up to 1,000 gpm.
Used for mixing and dispersing in food and beverage processing sanitary applications ranging from pasteurization to low-pressure homogenization, SPX APV Cavitator modular process technology takes a fluid into the machine housing, where shockwaves are produced from the collapse of “controlled cavitation” bubbles.
