Read Food Processing's show review of the Pack Expo Intl./Process Expo.
Laser adds to sorter
The Optyx 6000 Series sorter with Raptor laser technology detects the smallest defects and foreign material to optimize product quality and maximize food safety. With a double-wide platform, it also doubles the throughput. It can sort fresh, frozen and dried fruits and vegetables, including frozen potato products, tree nuts, raisins and other food products at production rates of up to 40,000 lbs. (approximately 18 metric tons) per hour.
Key Technology; Walla Walla, Wash.
509-529-2161; www.key.net
Calculate your lubricant
The former Keystone Lubricants wore its new corporate name, Total Lubricants USA, and handed out a slide chart that enables users to match the correct Nevastane H1 food grade lubricant to the specific application. On the reverse is another slide chart that shows viscosity specification comparisons, including ISO grade, Kinematic viscosity, Saybolt viscosity at various temperatures and SAE grade, along with AGMA lubricant numbers for EP lubricants, synthetic oils and gear lubricant specs.
Total Lubricants USA; Linden, N.J.
800-344-2241; www.keystonelubricants.com
Novel metal belt design
The design of Duralite belts makes them suitable for all spiral cage applications. The heavy-duty, wear-resistant stainless steel belts have the highest strength-to-belt ratio on the market, the vendor claims. Benefits include greater load carrying capacity, smoother and enhanced operating performance and dramatically fewer breaks or mishaps. This reduces plant downtime and service costs, and the strong yet light construction saves on energy costs.
Cambridge Intl.; Cambridge, Md.
800-677-2358; www.cambridge-intl.com/duralite.html
Wrapper uses eco-friendly film
The new Stratus horizontal wrapper with SK-100 shrink tunnel uses bio-degradable Earth First PLA film. It ensures high flexibility in the handling of a wide variety of food products on the packaging line. The machine also provides consistent film feeding during high speed applications without sacrificing performance or quality. Sensitive, eco-friendly film is handled without the need for any modifications while still utilizing a high torque motor.
Bosch Doboy Inc.; New Richmond, Wis.
715-246-6511; www.doboy.com
New food-grade lubricant
Kluberfood NH1 K 32 Spray, a food-grade, anti-corrosion lubricant, is now available in the U.S. and Canada. This NSF H1-registered lubricant is highly penetrative, repels moisture and forms a transparent protective film when applied. It is designed for the lubrication of areas where contact with food products may occur. Neutral towards most plastic materials, it is moisture repellant when applied on metal components due to its homogonous penetrative film.
Kluber Lubrication; Londonderry, N.H.
800-447-2238; www.kluber.com
Wash your scale parts
The HD-12-SPW scale parts washer quickly and efficiently washes, rinses and sanitizes detachable scale parts from multi-head weighers while eliminating or minimizing the need for mezzanine modifications. Parts are loaded on sliding racks at the weigh station and carried to the washer via a transport dolly.
Douglas Machines; Clearwater, Fla.
800-331-6870; www.dougmac.com
Affordable vacuum pouch sealing
The B400 belted chamber system is for meat and cheese processors and others requiring automated vacuum pouch sealing -- at an affordable price. The unit features hygienic design with vacuum ports built into the lid and retractable side skirts for easy cleaning. The height-adjustable seal bars are water cooled and bi-active, making the system ideal for shrink bag applications.
Multivac Inc.; Kansas City, Mo.
816-891-3974; www.multivac.com
Drive for packaging
The Sinamics S120 AC Drive is for high-performance, single-axis applications and features a modular concept that separates power and intelligence. Freely selectable combinations of power sections and controllers increase flexibility and scalability of the drive system. Multiple choices allow users to select the right controller for current needs but protect their drive investments if the application ever changes. This flexibility opens up new possibilities for innovative modular machine designs.
Siemens Energy & Automation; Alpharetta, Ga.
770-751-4959 ; www.sinamics.com
Next generation of PET
ParaStar polyethylene terephthalate resins offer enhanced bottle clarity, product purity and production and supply chain efficiencies to beverage brand owners and converters, as well as significant environmental benefits. The resin results from a patent-protected manufacturing process. Because the solid-stating step has been eliminated, the process uses less energy. Resulting bottles have greater clarity, improved bottle-to-bottle consistency and acetaldehyde levels lowered by 25 percent or more. Less acetaldehyde in the resin makes this new resin particularly attractive for bottled water use. ParaStar is a drop-in replacement for standard PET on bottle manufacturing equipment. It is 100 percent recyclable with traditional PET resins.
Eastman Chemical Co.; Kingsport, Tenn.
800-327-8626; www.eastman.com
Compact, high-performance motors
Designed to be the most cost-effective motor in the smallest package size, the MUS Series of brushless motors are fitted with high flux density neodymium iron boron magnets, thus reducing rotor inertia. The result is higher performance – higher peak torques for acceleration and deceleration. The motors range from 380 w to 3.5 kW. The small package size allows use where space constraints are a concern. The design and location of the thermal sensor virtually eliminates the need risk for overheating and demagnetizing.
AC Tech; Uxbridge, Mass.
508-278-9100; www.actech.com
Built-in, resealable slider
A new pouch format, featuring Slider technology (in the "fin-seal" of the package), enables opening and resealing down the center of overwrap packages for a wider opening and easier access to contents. The package features an easy-open strip above the Slider profile for initial bag opening in one step without the need for scissors or knives. Enhancing consumer convenience, the patented peel-seal feature acts as a hermetic barrier to extend product shelf life and provides consumers with the security of a temper-evident seal.
Zip-Pak; Manteno, Ill.
800-815-468-6500; www.zippak.com
Faster laser marking
With a marking speed up to 1,200 characters per second and line speeds up to 10 meters per second, the Model 3120 is the fastest laser marker in its class. It marks complex, multi-line alphanumeric messages, foreign language fonts, graphics, symbols and machine-readable codes.
Videojet Technologies Inc.; Wood Dale, Ill.
800-843-3610; www.videojet.com
Keeping packaged food fresh
FreshPax, FreshMax and FreshCard oxygen absorbers keep packaged food fresh longer, improving brand integrity and enabling greater product distribution flexibility. Especially critical for natural and organic foods, they remove the need for food additives or preservatives such as BHA, BHT, sulfur dioxide, sorbates, benzoates and other products. These sorbents prevent the growth of aerobic pathogens, including molds, and extend shelf life for sliced deli meats, nuts, baked goods, snack foods and dairy products.
Multisorb Technologies; Buffalo, N.Y.
716-824-8900; www.multisorb.com
Back - way back - to basics
For the 10,000 years before paper and plastic were invented, humans used ceramics to make containers. Now a Spanish supplier offers ceramic containers that are sturdy and convenient, but even better, they insulate and preserve the qualities of a food. They also increase a product's quality perception. These containers, manufactured with raw material from a private mountain quarry in northeastern Spain, use the most up-to-date technology in production. With a firm commitment to the environment, all natural surplus materials from production are recycled. The resultant terracotta containers are infused with a combination of new and natural qualities to make them price-competitive and oven-, microwave- and dishwasher-safe. All containers are FDA-approved, and comply with food industry regulations and standards and are free of toxic minerals such as cadmium or lead.
Arbresa SA; Breda, Spain
011-34-972-870136; www.arbresa.es
Tape system with elastic memory
During transit around the plant and across the country, the Stretchable Tape Load Containment System helps prevent loads from tipping, vibrating and shifting. It provides ventilation, so loads chill faster and corrugated degradation from condensation is prevented. The two-part systems features Scotch Stretchable Tape and the 3M Stretchable Tape Wrapper ST1000, a semi-automatic pallet wrapping device that ensures consistent, tape stretch ratio and pattern. Tape is automatically stretched and wrapped in a selected pattern, even around the bottom of the pallet when necessary. The molecular structure of the tape changes. In fact, when it is stretched, the strength is increased, reaching 40 pounds per inch tensile strength at 650 stretch. Having elastic memory, the tape contracts to tighten the load, but does not crush the carton, and it loses adhesion after stretching to protect graphics and printing on labels. When the load arrives, removal starts with a simple, quick cut.
3M; St. Paul, Minn.
800-567-1639; www.3M.com/packaging
