April 2018 | Food Engineering

Plant of the Year

Inside the 2018 Food Plant of the Year: Kraft Heinz

Advanced automation simplifies deli meat production at winning Kraft Heinz food plant

April 9, 2018

Food Engineering recognizes Kraft Heinz as its 2018 Food Plant of the Year. The first completed greenfield project for one of the largest food companies in the world results in a truly state-of-the art deli meat processing facility.

Green Series

How food processors can successfully manage water and utilities

Production demands are king, but processors can still find efficiencies

Casey Laughman

April 9, 2018

Processors have options when it comes to managing water and utilities, and understanding how those options can be taken advantage of is critical to achieving savings in energy, water and the money required by both of those things.

Food Safety

The importance of preventive controls

Preventive controls are a must for processors to meet safety goals

Wayne Labs

April 22, 2018

The idea of preventive controls is not process-centric, but risk based. And its principles are not new concepts.

conveying sugar from discharger to hopper

Dry Processing

Improved sugar rebagging helps company find sweet success

Bulk bag weigh batch system helps Welcome Food Ingredients improve operating efficiency

Casey Laughman

April 22, 2018

Welcome Food Ingredients, Ltd. required a more efficient system to re-bag granular sugar used to manufacture its sauces, pastes, dressings and dips for food industry customers.

Editor's Note

Not all food plants strive for automation

While Kraft Heinz plant is automated, Home Chef focuses on adaptability

Debra Schug

April 11, 2018

It’s April, and that means it’s time to announce FE’s Plant of the Year. This year, we are proud to name Kraft Heinz as the recipient for its deli meat facility, built by Gray Construction, located in Davenport, Iowa.

Manufacturing News

New EU privacy regulations could affect US businesses

Updated privacy requirements take effect in May

April 13, 2018

In May, the European Union’s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) becomes law and applies to companies inside or outside the EU offering goods or services to, or monitoring the behavior of, citizens residing in the EU.

Regulatory Watch

APHIS announces supplemental requirements for citrus fruit from Colombia

Requirements are designed to allow the resumption of citrus imports from Colombia while protecting from plant pests

Casey Laughman

April 16, 2018

The Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) has announced supplemental requirements governing the importation of citrus fruit from Colombia.

Regulatory Watch

California Federal Milk Marketing Order delayed

Supreme Court ruling could have effect on rule-making procedures

Casey Laughman

April 16, 2018

The USDA’s Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) has announced that the California Federal Milk Marketing Order rulemaking proceeding will be delayed pending the outcome of a related case before the United States Supreme Court.

Food Packaging

How retail changes are affecting packaging

Mike Kresbach, Bemis North America, says food and beverage companies need to create packaging that works for C-stores, dollar stores and club.

Crystal Lindell

February 11, 2018

Mike Kresbach, Bemis North America, recently spoke about the changes happening at brick and mortar stores during The Packaging Conference in Orlando, Fla., and he offered insight into how food and beverage companies can respond with better packaging options.

Food Packaging

Clemson researchers working on packaging that detects food spoilage

Intelligent packaging uses sensors to detect when food begins to go bad

Crystal Lindell

April 20, 2018

The next innovation in food and beverage packaging could tell you when that cheese in the back of the fridge is getting too old to eat.

Food Packaging

7 key insights into on-the-go packaging

Study estimates that the global demand for on-the-go food packaging will soar

Crystal Lindell

April 20, 2018

Fact.MR’s latest forecast study, “On-the-go Food Packaging Market Forecast, Trend Analysis & Competition Tracking - Global Review 2017 to 2026,” estimates that the global demand for on-the-go food packaging will soar from 2017-2026.

Field Reports

Dancing Goat distillery chooses Miura boilers to meet its steam needs

Wisconsin-based distiller needed high quality, reliable steam for distilling

Casey Laughman

April 9, 2018

Dancing Goat distillery, a Wisconsin-based maker of craft spirits, needed high-quality, reliable steam on demand. The company turned to Miura boilers to meet its steam needs.

Field Reports

How a pasta maker has maximized packaging efficiency

Schubert’s TLM technology uses reflected light color scanner to ensure accuracy

Casey Laughman

April 22, 2018

Surgital has been packaging its ravioli products with a Schubert system since 2005. The company is steadily growing and needed a new packaging machine to extend its capacity.

Engineering R&D

Optoelectronic nose can offer new options for checking quality

Based on a handheld reader for colorimetric sensor arrays, the optoelectronic nose can monitor meat freshness or detect fraudulent whiskeys

Wayne Labs

April 16, 2018

Two University of Illinois professors have devised and published methods to monitor the freshness of meat and to identify liquors

People & Industry News

People and Industry News: April 2018

April 13, 2018

Announcements about new hires, staff promotions, association news, awards, mergers and acquisitions.

Plant Openings

Plant Openings: April 2018

April 13, 2018

Announcements about new food and beverage plant construction projects, plant renovations and plant expansions.

Dry Processing Technology

METTLER TOLEDO Safeline metal detectors

April 10, 2018

METTLER TOLEDO Safeline gravity flow metal detectors have been updated with 4 new features to improve productivity and process quality.

Dry Processing Technology

Ross tumble blenders

April 10, 2018

Ross tumble blenders have been updated to offer protective light curtains providing automatic safety shutoff when an operator crosses a defined security boundary.

Dry Processing Technology

Sterling Controls weighing and batching systems

April 10, 2018

Sterling Controls fully integrated, automated weighing and batching systems can produce batches in 15 min. or less.

Dry Processing Technology

Eriez DSC grate in housing magnet

April 10, 2018

The Eriez DSC (Dust-tight, Sanitary, Convertible) grate in housing magnet has a sanitary interior and is designed for ease of cleaning.

Dry Processing Technology

Macrowave pasteurization system

April 6, 2018

The Macrowave pasteurization system uses a high-frequency electric field to control pathogens.

Dry Processing Technology

Schenck Process hygienic bag dump station

April 6, 2018

The Schenck Process hygienic bag dump station allows for the manual emptying of bulk solids in sanitary processing environments.

Dry Processing Technology

Pharmafill sanitary conveyors

April 6, 2018

Pharmafill sanitary conveyors have food-grade, plastic belting within stainless steel construction for sanitation and ease of cleaning.

Dry Processing Technology

T35/S60 Quick change feeder

April 6, 2018

The T35/S60 Quick change feeder is available in volumetric or loss-in-weight configurations.

Dry Processing Technology

Acrison Model 820 bulk bag unloader

April 6, 2018

The Acrison Model 820 bulk bag unloader is designed to discharge the contents of bulk bags with controlled vibration.

Dry Processing Technology

BBU2 twin bulk bag unloader

April 6, 2018

The BBU2 twin bulk bag unloader uses a Volkmann unloading station to offer dust-free material flow from the bag to the vacuum conveyor.

Dry Processing Technology

EXAIR Threaded Line Vac air-operated conveyors

April 4, 2018

EXAIR aluminum 2 1/2 NPT and 3 NPT Threaded Line Vac air-operated conveyors convert pipes into a conveying system for scrap, trim and other bulk materials.

Dry Processing Technology

Fortress metal detectors

April 4, 2018

Fortress multi-aperture, multi-lane metal detectors can be installed in multiple lane configurations to allow 1 unit to span multiple lanes instead of requiring individual metal detectors.

Dry Processing Technology

Baumer O300 laser sensors

April 4, 2018

Baumer O300 miniature laser sensors use IO-Link integration for the reliable detection of very small objects and gaps.

Dry Processing Technology

Axomix undervacuum homogenizer mixers

April 4, 2018

Axomix undervacuum homogenizer mixers have capacities ranging up to 6,000 liters.

Dry Processing Technology

BIOMILK 300 lactose analyzer

April 4, 2018

The BIOMILK 300 analyzer quantifies residual lactose levels in lactose-free and lactose-reduced dairy products.

New Plant Products

Hayssen VERUS vertical form/fill/seal machine

April 11, 2018

Constructed in stainless steel and aluminum, the Hayssen VERUS intermittent vertical form/fill/seal machine is suitable for harsh/wet environments.

New Plant Products

Rentokil Steritech pest control system

April 12, 2018

Utilizing infrared sensors on rodent traps, the Rentokil Steritech PestConnect system monitors and logs in real time mouse activity in food processing facilities 24/7.

New Plant Products

Lee Industries double-motion agitator

April 12, 2018

Able to blend and fold foods with various viscosities, the Lee Industries 30° inclined, double-motion agitator is used in conjunction with a hemispherical bottom kettle.

New Plant Products

Delkor robotic palletizing system

April 12, 2018

Designed and engineered for seamless downstream integration with existing Delkor packaging equipment lines, the Delkor robotic palletizing system can be engineered with an array of options.

New Plant Products

Hinds-Bock 4P-16 multi-piston depositor

April 12, 2018

The Hinds-Bock 4P-16 multi-piston depositor can be integrated with horizontal vacuum formers, tray sealing lines and with automatic conveyors.

New Plant Products

WAGO thermal transfer printer

April 12, 2018

A terminal block labeling system, the WAGO thermal transfer smartPRINTER prints and cuts a range of marking materials for terminal blocks, cables or conductors and devices.

New Plant Products

IDEC MicroSmart FC6A Plus PLC

April 12, 2018

Capable of controlling large machines or entire small-scale manufacturing facilities, the IDEC MicroSmart FC6A Plus PLC has a 2,060 local I/O capacity.

New Plant Products

Endress+Hauser Picomag electromagnetic flowmeter

April 11, 2018

An inline transmitter for monitoring conductive liquids in pipe sizes from 1/2 to 2 in., the Endress+Hauser Picomag electromagnetic flowmeter measures flow up to 198 gal./min. with +/-0.5% full scale accuracy and +/-0.2% repeatability, and temperatures from 14°F to 158°F with +/-4.5°F accuracy.

New Plant Products

GEA TiroLabel labeling system

April 11, 2018

Operated via a separate 10-in. touch panel with an integrated printer controller, the GEA TiroLabel labeling system uses a motor-driven positioning unit with spring-loaded pins.

New Plant Products

Yaskawa Motoman HC10 collaborative robot

April 11, 2018

Engineered to stop in the event of contact with an operator, the Yaskawa Motoman 6-axis HC10 collaborative robot works safely with, or in close proximity to, humans.

New Plant Products

Innoket Roland 40 compact labeling machine

April 11, 2018

Tailored to the requirements of the food and beverage industry, the Innoket Roland 40 compact labeler has a capacity of 2,500 to 25,000 containers per hr.

New Plant Products

Allen-Bradley PanelView 5310 graphic terminals

April 9, 2018

Allen-Bradley PanelView 5310 graphic terminals facilitate the integration between the HMI and controller in smaller applications.

New Plant Products

Ross SysCon touchscreen purged panels

April 9, 2018

Certified as meeting the standards of Underwriters Laboratories’ UL-698A Code and the National Fire Protection Association’s NFPA-496 Code, Ross SysCon touchscreen purged panels can be used in most hazardous locations.

New Plant Products

UniCarriers Americas PD Series pneumatic diesel forklifts

April 9, 2018

UniCarriers Americas PD Series 4,000- to 7,000-lb. capacity, pneumatic internal combustion diesel forklifts feature full-suspension seats with adjustable lumbar, a multi-function LCD/LED display, fuel-saver mode, ground speed control, operator presence system and memory tilt steering.

New Plant Products

Inpro/Seal VB45-S bearing isolator

April 9, 2018

The Inpro/Seal VB45-S IP66-rated bearing isolator features an interface coupled with a contamination chamber to protect against contamination ingress.

New Plant Products

ABB ACS580 general purpose AC drive

April 9, 2018

The ABB ACS580 general purpose AC drive controls pumps, fans, conveyors, mixers and other variable and basic constant-torque applications.

New Plant Products

Nexen CRD 250B compact ring drive

April 5, 2018

Suitable for applications such as cutting systems, automated welding, robotics and semiconductors, the Nexen CRD 250B compact ring drive includes a built-in zero backlash locking/brake design.

New Plant Products

Batching control systems from Sterling Systems & Controls

April 5, 2018

Sterling Systems & Controls customized manual hand-add and automatic batching control systems include tracking and traceability based on customer requirements.

New Plant Products

Liftomatic FTA drum handling units

April 5, 2018

Liftomatic FTA drum handling units load, unload, palletize and store steel drums in a range of configurations and sizes, including 30 gal., 55 gal. and 85 gal.

New Plant Products

Stäubli non-spill couplings

April 5, 2018

Stäubli non-spill, quick-release couplings are suitable for use in thermal management circuits.

New Plant Products

P5-A automatic sealing machine

April 5, 2018

The Point Five Packaging P5-A automatic seal system is configurable for manual as well as automatic operation.

New Plant Products

Piab CBG 3-D printing software

April 3, 2018

The Piab CBG software program allows robot/system integrators or end users to design/configure lightweight vacuum grippers for their bag/pouch handling robots.

New Plant Products

SIMBA production and inventory system

April 3, 2018

The Dynamic Systems SIMBA production and inventory system resides on the production floor, automating data collection as products are processed and packed.

New Plant Products

Sinamics V20 Smart Access web server module

April 3, 2018

Designed to be mounted directly onto a V20 drive, the Siemens Sinamics V20 Smart Access web server module transforms a mobile device or laptop into a virtual operator panel for drive control.

New Plant Products

Ossid FP-360 thermoforming machine

April 3, 2018

The Ossid FP-360 inline, horizontal thermoforming machine packages beef, chicken, pork and seafood in a variety of formats.

On Demand Kelley Rodriguez, Editor in Chief of Refrigerated & Frozen Foods, will be joined in this 60-minute webinar by industry experts to help unpack the latest research.

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.