FLEXIBLE DEPALLETIZER
A-B-C Packaging’s M108 depalletizer delivers maximum flexibility for dairy processors’ changing requirements due to shifting market demands and new product innovations. It runs many sizes and styles of plastic and glass containers — as well as cans — without the need to change parts. Changeover is completed via touchscreen panel at the operator console. Containers may be discharged to low-, medium- or high-level conveyor, with easy reprogramming if line configurations change. The depalletizer ensures container stability with a layer-squaring device plus four-side layer containment and squaring during sweep-off. The secondary layer is also secured to prevent slipsheet movement and maintain container stability, A-B-C Packaging said.
727-937-5144; www.abcpackaging.com
MIXER AND EMULSIFIER
In addition to a full lineup of high-shear in-tank and inline mixers, Admix Inc. unveiled its new DynaShear model DS-215, which is a lab scale inline sanitary mixer and emulsifier. The DS-215 is ideal for small-scale inline processing, product development, simulation and scale-up and offers predictable, repeatable results from the lab to full production. The inline lab mixer is affixed to a mobile cart and is equipped with variable-frequency drive controls for more accurate scalability. The DS-215 will blend, dissolve, deagglomerate, disperse and emulsify a wide range of fluids and semi-fluids and is particularly effective for wetting out powders into a liquid, Admix said.
800-466-2369; www.admix.com
USER-FRIENDLY EXECUTION SYSTEM
Aptean’s Factory MES (manufacturing execution system) solution uses real-time shop-floor data to give operators, supervisors and executives in the dairy industry actionable intelligence and complete visibility into production and quality. By combining real-time metrics and easy-to-use technology, Factory MES offers the ability to immediately identify manufacturing losses, monitor product costing, measure overall equipment effectiveness and optimize plan attainment. Available on premise and in the cloud, this solution replaces non-value-added paper systems with user-friendly technology to drive continuous improvement and collaboration across dairy organizations, Aptean said.
855-411-2783; www.aptean.com/solutions/manufacturing-execution/aptean-factory-mes/
JET-SHEAR MIXER
The Jet-shear in-tank mixer from Ampco Applied Products, a division of Ampco Pumps, offers interchangeable stainless-steel work heads that are designed for clean-in-place applications and meet 3-A Sanitary Standards. According to the company, the mixer can be used in open and closed tanks, drums or totes processing up to 1,000 gallons/3,785 liters. The maximum working shaft is 96 inches/2,440 centimeters and can be mounted in several configurations. This durable mixer is designed with a stainless-steel bearing housing and can be equipped with up to a 30-horsepower motor. Typical applications in the food and beverage industries include agitation, deagglomeration, dispersion, dissolution, emulsification, homogenization, process acceleration and particle reduction.
414-643-1852; www.ampcopumps.com
WASTEWATER SOLUTIONS
Baswood showed its efficient wastewater solutions for dairy processors at Pack Expo. The company said it provided an inside look at the benefits of the Baswood BioViper, including how it can help dairy processors reduce wastewater surcharges and meet discharge limits. The BioViper is a robust automated biological system designed to treat high-strength dairy processing wastewater. Modular BioViper systems grow with production needs while remaining compact. They operate on less energy, reducing costs while delivering a smaller carbon footprint. The BioViper’s tolerance of fats, oils and grease helps dairy processors achieve their wastewater treatment goals and mitigate risk.
888-560-5517; www.baswood.com
AUTOMATED CASE-PACKER
Blue Print Automation’s Spider 300v is a two-robot case-loading system with vision, allowing processors to pack both vertical and horizontal on the same line at the same time. Built for high-speed packing and quick changeover between recipes, the Spider 300v is capable of handling standard regular slotted cases, three-sided displays and a wide range of other secondary containers. According to Blue Print Automation, the Spider 300v is built with a new standard modular frame designed to reduce cost by minimizing wiring and significantly minimizing the footprint of the line by eliminating bulky external electrical cabinets.
804-520 5400; www.blueprintautomation.com
X-RAY SYSTEMS
Eagle Product Inspection said its new Eagle Pack 240 HC shown at Pack Expo is a high-performance compact X-ray machine designed for easy washdowns in harsh environments for food applications where daily sanitization of equipment is mandatory. The machine provides superior X-ray performance and can detect foreign bodies in several package types. Eagle also displayed the EPX100, an inspection tool for small and mid-sized operators that want to standardize their detection solutions across a variety of products. The EPX100, which inspects products in cartons, plastic containers, pouches and other formats, is suitable for a broad range of packaged foods and features adjustable power settings in a low-energy environment.
877-379-1670; www.eaglepi.com
DUAL-PROFILING SYSTEM
The new Silgan Equipment Co. 2D-X2 inspection system employs dual lasers to scan the surface of the cap on a packaged dairy, nondairy beverage or food product such as yogurt to determine proper cap sealing. Side-by-side laser beams scan the top surface of each cap to detect cap tilt and overall cap height. Uneven cap height means the cap is cocked; a nonstandard package height means the cap is either not present or is not completely seated, exposing the contents. The 2D-X2 system installs over an existing conveyor line, saving valuable floor space.
630-515-8383; www.silgancls.com
HYGIENIC ROTARY VALVE
Coperion’s ZRD hygienic (heavy-duty premium) rotary valve is designed especially for sanitary dairy powder applications where contamination is a constant concern and frequent disassembly and cleaning are required. The unit is designed to avoid contamination with product contact surfaces constructed from DIN 1.4404 (AISI 316L) stainless steel. When coupled with Coperion’s added Rotorcheck feature, the valve can detect metal or foreign material contact between the blades. Valve housing ensures safe operation and processing of dairy powders, the company said.
785-825-3830; www.coperion.com
HYGIENIC VALVE
Emerson Aventics said it showcased its range of technologies that enables the safe and efficient production of dairy goods with greater insight into machine and component performance at Pack Expo. A key technology shown were valve systems, including the CL03. Through its hygienic design and the use of NSFH1 lubricants, the CL03 is suitable for use in applications with direct food contact. The system features an especially high protection class of IP69K and the special resistance of the high-tech polymer to aggressive chemicals and cleaning material, reducing the overall need of dedicated enclosures and making it ideal for the dairy industry.
203-896-0571; www.emerson.com
PRINTING SYSTEM
Squid Ink, part of Engage Technologies, said its JetStream continuous inkjet printing system is designed to print superior-quality small characters on a variety of products, including milk bottles, yogurt containers, packaged cheese products, sour cream and more. Printing up to five lines of text, the JetStream offers a reliable yet cost-effective solution for virtually any small-character, primary-product coding application. Jet Stream’s simple-to-use rugged design and intelligent software help users make their mark while streamlining their coding operation.
800-877-5658; www.squidink.com
CIP MEASUREMENT DEVICES
Clean-in-place (CIP) processes can be a source of wasted product, time and energy. To reduce waste, Emerson’s Rosemount brand offers a full portfolio of measurement devices that gives more insight into operations and allows for processors to optimize their CIP process. In addition to full visibility into the cleaning process, the devices offer an alert function if undesirable variations are seen, allowing processors to take immediate action. A fully automated CIP process with Rosemount devices may help minimize waste, reduce cost of utilities, reduce water usage and ensure optimal product quality and safety, Emerson said.
800-999-9307; www.Emerson.com/RosemountFoodAndBeverage
METAL DETECTOR PLATFORM
Eriez said its enhanced patform for the Xtreme metal detector is enabling dairy processors to boost productivity and meet rigid food safety guidelines set forth by the USDA and the FDA. The platform drastically improves metal sensitivity — by up to 300% — while reducing false trips, even in traditionally challenging dairy products such as 40-pound blocks of cheese and large containers of cultured products and specialty milks. The offering features a completely redesigned user-friendly interface. It is also certified for the harshest of washdown environments with an IP69K designation.
814-835-6000; www.eriez.com
DUAL-TROUGH FILLER
Fogg showcased a filling line featuring the latest in rinsing, filling and capping technology. The featured F12 machine is the largest that Fogg makes, with a 12-foot filling bowl and speed capabilities reaching up to 1,200 bottles per minute. This machine has a dual-trough system for clean-in-place and multiple sanitation features. All Fogg dairy machines can be built 3-A Sanitary Standards Certified to meet company’s specifications. Additionally, Fogg said it is now able to help processors improve performance of all fillers — whether manufactured by Fogg or not — through replacement parts or full machine rebuilds.
616-786-3644; www.foggfiller.com/
PALLETIZING ROBOT
At Pack Expo 2019, FlexLink showcased its collaborative palletizing robot and its new stainless-steel 70-millimeter platform. FlexLink said the standardized palletizing cell is designed to gently palletize products with consistent quality and precision while working safely and reliably alongside operators. FlexLink is relaunching its stainless-steel platform with the new 70-millimeter conveyor series. This conveyor platform is perfect for all types of products in primary and secondary packaging. FlexLink’s solutions for the food and dairy industries are safe and modular with a shorter (one-week) ramp-up than the competition and reduce cleaning time by over 25%.
610-973-8200; www.flexlink.com
TWIN-SCREW PUMPS
Fristam’s FDS twin-screw pumps are designed to be the most reliable, the longest-lasting and the easiest twin-screw pumps to operate and maintain. From thin to thick and sensitive to chunky products, they are gentle and dependable, Fristam said. FDS pumps are ideal for the transfer of mozzarella cheese, processed cheese, cottage cheese and cream cheese, as well as cheese inclusions such as fruit and vegetable chunks or nuts into cream cheese. They also handle entrained-air applications such as whipped cream cheese without becoming air-bound. FDS pumps handle both production and clean-in-place procedures, are fully hygienic and can be steamed in place.
800-841-5001; www.fristam.com/fds
EFFICIENT PACKAGING SYSTEM
GEA North America introduced its newest thermoforming packaging system at Pack Expo. The GEA PowerPak Plus features full visibility at the sealing station during production, automatic top-and-bottom film alignment for perfect sealing and changeover, and set-up times that take just minutes. PowerPak Plus is designed around efficiency, promoting excellent package quality, reduced film consumption, fast and simple handling, more uptime and low total cost of ownership. The machine can be used for air, vacuum, modified atmosphere, steam, skin, topforming and shrink packaging with various easy opening and recloseability features. It is particularly well suited for packaging sliced cheeses and other convenience foods, GEA said.
844-432-2329; www.gea.com
INTUITIVE PRINTER
Hitachi has manufactured highly reliable continuous inkjet printers since 1975. The company said its UX Series continuous inkjet printers represent the pinnacle of innovation in marking and coding technology, all while showcasing Hitachi’s reputation for reliability, efficiency and ease of use. The software define controller adds a new, intuitive way for customers to communicate with Hitachi’s printer, providing a direct bridge between the information-technology layer and the factory-floor operation.
866-583-0048; www.hitachi-america.us/ice/marking-and-coding
USDA-APPROVED DETECTOR
Industries such as dairy can take advantage of the benefits that a USDA-approved metal detector offers. The design improvements made in the construction of Heat and Control’s CEIA THS/MS21 metal detectors now meet the strict hygiene requirements of dairy environments and will contribute to a food processor’s overall compliance. Construction enhancements include watertight seals and seams and a new foot design to address washdown and buildup concerns. CEIA MS21 multi-spectrum metal detectors use multiple frequencies simultaneously. They offer high sensitivity to all magnetic and nonmagnetic metals, including stainless steel.
510-259-0500; www.heatandcontrol.com
LEAK DETECTION EQUIPMENT
Inficon debuted its Contura S600 nondestructive leak detection equipment, which features an oversized test chamber, at Pack Expo. Inficon said the equipment is designed to reliably and cost-effectively test products sold for bulk retail and foodservice applications, as well as large-format modified atmosphere packaging and flexible packages; it helps manufacturers extend shelf life, prevent costly recalls and returns, and reduce waste. The S600 model relies on a proprietary differential-pressure method to detect both gross and fine leaks and offers a faster, easier and quantifiable alternative to methodologies such as water baths and gas-based testing.
315-434-1100; www.inficon.com
SCOURING PADS
ITW Pro Brands said it is minimizing the risk of foreign object contamination in food processing operations with the introduction of LPS Brand Detex metal detectable scouring pads. The pads have a similar price point to scrubbing pads currently used in the industry, but offer a level of unsurpassed protection. The metal detectable Detex pads provide value by reducing the risk associated with lost pads, which lead to condemned product, facility downtime, impacted customer deliveries, costly recalls and even diminished brand reputation. The offerings are manufactured with a patent-pending blend of abrasives and resins that enable the pad to be both metal detectable and as durable as scrub pads currently used in food processing plants.
913-397-9889 x 1264; www.lpslabs.com
VIBRATORY CONVEYORS
Key Technology’s Iso-Flo vibratory conveyors were on exhibit at Pack Expo. Ideal for cheese processors looking to maximize sanitation, Iso-Flo conveyors feature very few moving parts and present a bed surface that is easy to clean. Key said it can design Iso-Flo for conveying, distributing, spreading, aligning and feeding frozen shredded cheeses, as well as for scalping off large clumps and screening for fines removal so uniform product is packaged. The vibratory shakers also are ideal for feeding small blocks of fresh cheese to cutters and aligning fresh or frozen cheese sticks before and after packaging.
509-529-2161; www.key.net
COMBINATION INSPECTION SYSTEM
The X5C X-ray/ CW3 combo inspection system from Loma Systems is designed for detecting contaminants (metal, glass, stone and bone) and reducing product giveaway, all in one system. With a shorter line length than separate systems, the combo can be easily integrated where production space is limited. Produced from stainless steel, Loma’s combo unit offers a durable low-pressure washdown design and is suitable for many production environments. Capable of running at speeds up to 150 packs per minute, it features separate reject bins for out-of-weight and contaminated products, Loma said.
800-872-5662; www.loma.com
INTUITIVE X-RAY SYSTEM
Mettler Toledo’s X34 X-ray inspection system uses low-power energy to inspect a wide range of dairy products and eliminate dense physical contaminants. With its automatic setup feature, new products need to be passed through the system only once for the power to be optimized. The fully intuitive software requires minimal passes to automatically set the contamination inspection tools. This reduces operator training, increases production uptime and ensures product safety, Mettler Toledo said. The company’s advanced ContamPlus inspection software further enhances detection capabilities, helping food manufacturers achieve a zero false-reject rate — a crucial means of reducing product waste and ensuring product safety.
813-889-9500; www.mt.com/pi
UPGRADED LEAK TEST SYSTEM
PTI said its VeriCon leak test systems operate 24/7 without loss of sensitivity and require minimal maintenance. The new VeriCon Plus series offers several new-to-market upgrades and enhancements. It includes real-time inspection data with reject statistics and test result trends, allowing for on-demand analysis of container quality, with enhanced data collection and data transfer capability. The VeriCon Plus series also offers increased leak test sensitivity.
914-337-2005; www.ptiusa.com
SINGLE-ROLL WRAPPING SYSTEM
EDL Packaging, a Massman Automation company, said its new EDL Model 22-45 single-roll wrapping system was introduced to the market at the 2019 Pack Expo. This system wraps trayed products at rates of up to 45 packages per minute. Packages may include trayed dairy products such as bottled milk and nondairy beverages, as well as containers of products such as yogurt and sour cream. This robust system operates at medium production line speeds. It delivers reliable, repeatable wrapping performance and utilizes a single roll of film, which is especially important when controlling print registration is critical.
320-424-1025; www.edlpackaging.com
POSITIVE-DISPLACEMENT PUMPS
Unibloc helps processors fight downtime. Its precision-engineered positive-displacement pumps can handle the toughest sanitary jobs and are easy to clean, keeping operations running. Unibloc said it is a problem solver that listens to customers’ unique needs. Unibloc provides exceptional craftsmanship with precision-engineered sanitary pumps, hygienic strainers and valves.
770-218-8900; www.uniblocpump.com
SECURE THERMOFORMER
The compact Variovac Optimus from Reiser is a rugged entry-level thermoformer that produces vacuum, modified-atmosphere and vacuum skin packages from flexible and semi-rigid films. It is ideal for all types of cheese packaging, the company said. Secure package seals, high production rates and a sanitary design make the Optimus a superior solution for smaller processors looking to get into form/fill/seal packaging. The Optimus uses the Rapidairsystem for high-quality, high-speed forming. This system maximizes the distribution of film into critical areas such as corners, producing a more stable package and allowing the use of thinner, less expensive forming films. The intuitive operator touch screen makes the machine very easy to operate.
781-821-1290; www.reiser.com
HYGIENIC MIX-PROOF VALVE
Rieger Flow Products LLC said the success of its PMO mix-proof valve N2 influenced the development of the hygienic mix-proof changeover valve N32. The N32 is based on the same unique sealing principle of the N2 — with a metallic stop as an additional safety feature — and includes an additional changeover function. Rieger’s valves are tested by the Technical University in Munich Weihenstephan for tightness, cleanability and maintenance. The valves are easy to clean in place, and assembly/disassembly can be done without special tools. Various body configurations are possible as Rieger adapts its valves to companies’ processes.
262-657-5566; www.rr-rieger.com
PACKAGING SOLUTIONS
TC Transcontinental Packaging said it has been a trusted flexible packaging partner to the dairy industry for almost 50 years. It blends art, science and technology together to create packaging solutions that maintain product freshness, provide consumer convenience and accentuate brands on the store shelf. Technologies include barrier laminations, forming films, shrink bags, peel/reseal and LaserTear scoring for shreds, slices and snacking solutions. Its HD flexographic printing produces high-quality packaging to maximize customer’s shelf impact and brand image. The company develops unique packaging with a wide range of barriers, formats, closures and sustainable options.
866-439-6050; www.tc.tc/packaging
SEAL TESTER
At Pack Expo, Teledyne TapTone showcased its new seal integrity tester (SIT) system, a patented technology to provide 100% seal integrity inspection for in-line filling of plastic cups with foil or film lids. The TapTone SIT system consists of multiple sensors mounted inside the cup-filling system that inspect each cup by compressing the sensor head to the lid of the cup at full production speeds to detect micro leakers. The SIT system offers 100% seal integrity of yogurt or similar dairy products before the cups leave the filler, Teledyne said.
508-563-1000 x615; www.taptone.com
