FDPP - Issue 67 2026

FOOD & DRINK PROCESSING & PACKAGING Issue 67 Nov/Dec 2026

Price £4.95

SAFETY SYSTEMS & SOLUTIONS FOR THE PACKAGING INDUSTRY For your packaging operations, you need technologies that do more than protect people and machinery. Our industry-focused safety products help boost productivity, maximise machine availability, and keep production moving. From hygienic design requirements to dust explosion protection during the filling and packaging of bulk goods, our specialist systems are designed to support compliance, operational efficiency, and long-term reliability. Speak to our experts today to find out how we can help safeguard your packaging line while improving performance and reducing operational risk. Scan the QR code to download our latest packaging brochure.

Industries

Product Ranges

Services

• Packaging

• Command & signalling devices

• Machine safety services

• Food & Beverage

• Position detection

• Engineering & Integration

• Pharmaceutical

• Guard door monitoring

• Hygienic design solutions

• Hygiene

• Optoelectronic safety devices

• ATEX & dust protection

• Chemicals

• Safe signal processing

• Service & maintenance

SCHMERSAL | Sparrowhawk Close Malvern, Worcestershire, WR14 1GL

www.schmersal.co.uk uksupport@schmersal.com

Contents

Features The Team Editor Amanda Buckingham editor@fdpp.co.uk

Digital Sales Manager Jessica Bennett T: 01227 936971

Business Manager Josh Holmes josh@mhmagazine.co.uk

Sales Manager Jamie Bullock jamie@mhmagazine.co.uk Tel: 01227 936971

Publishing Director Martin Holmes martin@fdpp.co.uk

Studio Designer Leila Schmitz leila@mhmagazine.co.uk

M H Media Global Ltd.

18/20 Newington Road, Ramsgate Kent, CT12 6EE

Tel 01304 806039

www.fdpp.co.uk

All web addresses are interactive, simply click the web address of your choice to view the company website. There is also a useful tool bar where you can search for a specific product. Please mention FDPP when responding to items in this issue.

Every effort is made to ensure the accuracy and reliability of material published in Food & Drink Process & Packaging however, the publishers accept no responsibility for the claims or opinions made by the contributors, manufacturers or advertisers. No part of the publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, mechanical, electronic (including printing), recording or stored in any information retrieval system without the prior written consent of the publisher.

< 12 AUTOMATION The key to flexible, fast-paced food manufacturing.

< 16 HUB PACKAGING: THINKING BEYOND THE BOX FOR FOOD AND DRINK MANUFACTURERS Rising costs, labour pressures, and the demands of supplying retail, online, and private-label customers are putting greater focus on how every part of the operation performs.

< 36 THE COST OF COMPRESSED AIR Why pneumatic efficiency matters more than ever.

< 46 AUTOMATING BREWERY PROCESSES WITH SOPHISTICATED MODULAR SYSTEMS What happens when modern process automation technology meets stone-built production premises dating from the Middle Ages?

< 54 DOUGHLAB TARGETS UK WITH SOURDOUGH PIZZA Hungarian pizza producer The DoughLAB is seeking UK distributors, foodservice wholesalers and retail partners for its Madre range of hand-stretched sourdough pizzas.

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Why vacuum selection matters in food factories Walk into any food factory and you will find dust. Flour around mixers, sugar near packing lines, crumbs under conveyors. Most is removed with an industrial vacuum cleaner, often chosen because it was available not because it was right. That matters. Food dust can be harmful to breathe in and many common products including sugar, cereals and flour are combustible. A poor choice of cleaning equipment does little to control that risk and can even make it worse. The starting point is simple: understand what you are picking up and where you are working. From there the specification of the vacuum system, the filtration and the tools can be matched to the actual hazard instead of guessed at. Engineering a machine for the job BVC – British Vacuum Cleaners – is built by Quirepace in Fareham and supplied as industrial vacuums to order. Rather than pushing a fixed

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catalogue, the company sizes and configures each machine for the job it will be doing.

and stop with the process. The aim is a vacuum that is part of the process design, not just another piece of mobile equipment.

M-Class and H-Class machines are used where dust is hazardous to health. Where there is a risk of an explosive atmosphere an ATEX rated unit is required. In many food plants both issues apply so a single machine may need certification for hazardous dust and explosive dust together. Primary filters can be supplied in a range of media including anti-static options. Hazardous dust machines use additional stages so that collected product stays in the bin and the discharge air is clean.

Tools, hoses and the people using them Performance at the nozzle can be as important as performance at the machine. Hoses that are too large for heavy material will not maintain enough conveying velocity. Hoses that are too small for bulky waste will block. BVC offers a range of hose sizes so the system can be set up for what is really being collected, whether that is dense product, light packaging waste or fine dust around machinery.

BVC Quirepace also designs application specific variants. Some units provide both vacuum and low pressure blown air to help dislodge stubborn deposits. Others are supplied with high level cleaning equipment for steelwork and services or are linked into production controls so they start

Floor tools are available in robust metal constructions with adjustable height. Inserts can be changed so the same body can be used with either brush strips or rubber lips. For bulk product, aeration tools help keep material moving in the airstream instead of bridging. Getting these details right makes daily cleaning quicker and less frustrating so operators are more likely to use a system that actually clears debris and hygiene standards benefit. When to look at Central Vacuum Cleaning Portable machines will always have a place because they are flexible and simple to move. On larger sites though, the number of machines and cable routes can grow to the point where they get in the way of production.

In that situation Central Vacuum Cleaning is worth serious consideration. A central plant, usually located in a service area, is connected to the factory by fixed pipework with connection points around the building so that operators can plug in a hose where dust and spillages occur. There is no machine to wheel across the factory and no trailing power leads. For the engineering team, maintenance and filter changes happen in one place instead of many. Performance is consistent at each outlet and the system can be designed into the wider dust control strategy.

Treat vacuum cleaning as part of the factory safety and hygiene system, not as an afterthought and the choice of equipment becomes clearer. Working with a specialist manufacturer makes it easier to match the solution to the real risks on site and to keep pace as production changes.

Looking beyond purchase price Industrial vacuum systems fill up with abrasive product, run in hot and cold environments and are often used every shift. If they fail, production, hygiene and audit readiness are all affected. For that reason whole life value usually matters more than lowest purchase price. BVC industrial vacuum cleaners are manufactured in the UK and supported by BVC Quirepace’s sales and engineering team, local service and spares and a five year parts warranty.

BVC Quirepace offers free on site demonstrations of BVC equipment at food factories in the UK. For more information or to discuss your site, contact Quirepace: T: 023 9260 3700 E: bvcsales@quirepace.co.uk W: www.quirepace.co.uk | www.bvc.co.uk Mention Food & Drink Processing & Packaging when you contact us and we will apply a 5% discount to your first order for BVC industrial vacuum equipment.

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Turning Energy Data into Better Factory Decisions Electricity • Gas • Water • Heat • Temperature • Environmental Data For food and drink manufacturers, reducing utility consumption is not simply about cutting energy bills. Better visibility of electricity, gas and water can reveal waste, highlight process inefficiencies and provide valuable information about how a factory is actually operating.

manufacturers need to understand consumption at a more granular level - by production line, process, department, building or individual piece of equipment.

The challenge is getting the right data, from the right places, in a format that people and other systems can use.

• Electricity - from incoming supplies to individual production lines and equipment

See Where Your Energy is Really Going A factory’s main electricity, gas or water meters only tell part of the story. To identify opportunities for improvement,

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monitoring thermal energy and operating conditions • Environmental measurements including temperature, humidity and other sensors

Elcomponent designs and installs metering and monitoring systems that provide this visibility across:

• Gas - monitoring consumption across processes and plant • Water - identifying usage, abnormal consumption and potential leakage • Heat and temperature -

Existing meters can often be incorporated, with additional metering installed only where required. Wireless, Wired - or Both Food manufacturing sites can be challenging environments for data collection. Production areas, plant rooms, chilled stores and large buildings do not always lend themselves to conventional cabling.

Elcomponent therefore uses a combination of LoRaWAN wireless technology and wired communications including Modbus, M-Bus and Ethernet, selecting the most appropriate technology for each application. The result is a practical system designed around the factory rather than forcing the factory to fit the monitoring system. From Data to Action Collecting data is only useful if it helps somebody make a better decision. Real-time and historical monitoring can help manufacturers: • Identify unnecessary out-of-hours consumption • Compare energy or water use between production lines • Detect leaks and abnormal consumption • Establish meaningful energy and water performance indicators • Verify whether efficiency projects have actually delivered savings • Improve carbon and sustainability reporting • Identify changes in consumption that may indicate operational or equipment issues

Combining utility consumption with production information makes the data even more valuable. Energy per tonne, water per batch or gas per unit produced can provide far greater insight than utility consumption viewed in isolation.

The Key Objective is:

Your Energy Data Doesn’t Have to Stay in an Energy System

Technology alone does not

Modern factories already generate large amounts of information through production, SCADA, ERP, maintenance and business intelligence systems. No one tool does everything, so it’s best to use the right system for the task but ensure data can be accessed, shared and utilized.

meter specification, installation,

Elcomponent can make metering and energy data available to these wider factory systems, allowing utility information to become part of the organisation’s overall operational data strategy.

commissioning, software,

Data can be shared through secure APIs and automated exports, enabling integration with third-party energy management platforms, ESG systems, billing applications, Microsoft Power BI or other factory and corporate systems.

Collect reliable data once, then make it available wherever the business can gain value from it. Metering Expertise from Survey to Ongoing Support

guarantee good data. Correct commissioning and ongoing system health are equally important. Elcomponent provides an endto-end service covering site surveys, system design, metering, installation, communications, integration and ongoing support. For food and drink manufacturers looking to reduce utility costs and improve operational efficiency, the starting point is straightforward: Contact Elcomponent today to discuss your monitoring requirements. Tel: 01279 503173 Web: www.elcomponent.co.uk

Equally, data from existing metering systems and other sources can be brought together into a central monitoring environment.

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Rethinking Food Waste Transfer in UK Processing Plants

For food and drink processors, handling difficult by-products is not simply a disposal issue. The transfer method can affect hygiene, employee working conditions, water use, maintenance and the options available for recovery. At a mustard-processing site, vapours released while handling mustard husks created an irritating working environment and could cause discomfort for employees. Enclosing the transfer process helped contain the vapours and improve conditions around the equipment, while reducing reliance on extraction and the associated maintenance burden. The example reflects a wider challenge across UK food and drink plants. Residues such as coffee grounds, tea leaves and mustard husks can be semi-solid, viscous and difficult to move. Open conveyors or manual handling may introduce odour, contamination and safety concerns, while conventional conveyor routes can become complex when material must travel around equipment or between production levels.

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SEEPEX Smart Air Injection (SAI) combines progressive cavity pumping with controlled pneumatic conveying in a closed pipeline. Dewatered residues are transferred through flexible pipe routing, including around bends and changes in elevation. This can be particularly useful in established factories where available space, hygiene zones and existing equipment limit the options for new conveyor structures. The enclosed arrangement supports cleaner working areas and can help contain odours and vapours at source. Transferring material after dewatering can also reduce the volume of water moved through the process. Where oil-free compressed air and appropriate controls are used, suitable byproducts may remain available for recovery routes such as animal feed, subject to the relevant feedsafety requirements. Whole-life performance also depends on maintenance access. Rotor Joint Access uses a sliding casing to expose the rotor-side joint without removing connected discharge components. Drive

Joint Access allows access to the coupling rod and mechanical seal without removing the hopper. By reducing the amount of dismantling required, these features are designed to simplify servicing and support a quicker return to operation. The case for enclosed transfer should therefore be assessed across the complete process, rather than through equipment price alone. For UK processors reviewing food-waste handling, the key questions are practical: Will the system handle the real material consistently? Can it support hygiene and employee protection? Is it accessible for maintenance? And does it preserve the intended recovery route for the by-product? Addressing these points early can create a cleaner, more manageable waste-transfer process aligned with wider resource-efficiency goals. Learn more: www.seepex.com

FROM SCRAPS TO SUSTAINABILITY SMART AIR INJECTION

Your complete, customized system to pump food waste over long distances.

During food waste transport, Smart Air Injection (SAI) is the innovative solution for efficiently handling semi-solid and highly viscous waste with lower energy consumption, minimal maintenance and a focus on sustainability. YOUR BENEFITS WITH SAI y Saves energy and reduces operating costs y Easy maintenance features minimize downtime y Enclosed pipework prevents contamination and eliminates unpleasant odors y Easily transports food waste across long distances and elevation changes y Low-pressure level enables a longer service life

SEEPEX UK Ltd. sales.uk@seepex.com www.seepex.com

Automation: the key to flexible, fast-paced food-to-go manufacturing By Dan Fisher, Head of Sales at FANUC UK.

FANUC’s SI network includes experienced food-industry integrators that can help manufacturers identify where automation will have the greatest impact Walk into a UK food factory and you might expect to see automation at every stage of production. Yet despite the steady rise of automation across the food and beverage sector, many familiar food products are still being packed by hand. This is particularly true in the fastpaced and highly flexible food-to-go market. Convenience items such as sandwiches, wraps, bakery products, snacks, salads and protein pots are increasingly everyday purchases,

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yet many manufacturers still rely on manual packing and palletising before they make their way from producer to retailer. For food manufacturers producing goods with short shelf lives, tight margins and demanding delivery schedules, this presents an obvious opportunity. Packing and palletising are areas where automation can deliver immediate efficiency gains without requiring a complete overhaul of the production line.

A growing market with demanding requirements Food-to-go products are typically single portions designed to be eaten on the move rather than served as a conventional meal. They are usually fully prepared or require minimal preparation, and are widely sold in supermarkets, convenience stores, coffee shops, bakeries and fast-food outlets. It is a growing market. Food-to-go now accounts for nearly 24% of all

eating and drinking-out occasions in the UK, with Lumina Intelligence forecasting growth of around 3.4% in 2026. The sector is expected to reach £24.9 billion in 2026, outpacing the wider eating-out market. Average spend per visit has also risen to £12.98, driven in part by premium add-ons and bundled meal deals. For producers, however, this growth brings additional pressure. Food-togo is characterised by high volumes, product variety, short shelf lives and the need for rapid movement from production through to retail – not easy things to achieve if you’re still relying on manual labour rather than automation. Flexibility is becoming essential One of the biggest challenges

facing food-to-go manufacturers is that retailers increasingly want exactly what they need, when they need it. Rather than producing huge quantities for storage and distribution through traditional networks, manufacturers may need to supply smaller quantities more frequently, often delivering directly to individual stores. With retailers under pressure to minimise waste and inventory, there is little appetite for products sitting in warehouses. Manufacturers therefore need to be able to respond quickly to changing orders, produce a wide range of products and get those products packed and dispatched with minimal delay. But at the same time, they face continual pressure on margins. This is where automation can help.

Start with the quick wins There is a temptation for food manufacturers to think about automation as an all-or-nothing investment. A business may believe it needs a fully automated production and packaging line, only to receive a multi-million-pound quotation that makes the project difficult to justify. The result, of course, is that nothing changes. A more practical approach is to identify the areas where automation can deliver an immediate, measurable benefit. For many foodto-go manufacturers, palletising is an obvious example. With pallets often being made up of random products spanning a wide variety of shapes, sizes and dimensions, today’s smart automated solutions can

Packing and palletising are areas where automation can deliver immediate efficiency gains without requiring a complete overhaul of the production line.

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Packing and palletising are areas where automation can deliver immediate efficiency gains without requiring a complete overhaul of the production line. utilise vision systems and machine learning to determine the most efficient pallet patterns, and then use robots to pack accordingly. This will not only improve efficiency and cut waste, but also reduce manual handling and allow employees to be redeployed to tasks where human

Automation can provide the repeatability and speed required for high-throughput operations while still accommodating changes in production. And the right system can help manufacturers increase efficiency without compromising their ability to respond to customer requirements.

input adds greater value. Automation doesn’t have to mean sacrificing flexibility

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The key, however, is choosing a solution that suits the manufacturer’s actual operation,

rather than trying to force the operation around a particular piece of technology. This is where the expertise of the wider automation supply chain becomes important. Robot OEMs have detailed knowledge of their own technologies, but they may not always have the specialist understanding required to determine how those technologies should be applied within a particular food manufacturing environment.

This is where specialist integrators (SIs) can play an important role. Here at FANUC UK, our SI network includes experienced foodindustry integrators that can help manufacturers identify where automation will have the greatest impact, and design a solution around the specific requirements of their production and packing operation – not the other way around.

Building a more responsive food-togo operation What is clear is that while the UK’s food-to-go market is growing, growth alone does not guarantee profitability. Manufacturers are being asked to deliver greater variety, shorter lead times and smaller, more frequent orders while operating under continuing pressure to control costs.

The financial case for automation There is also a compelling financial argument for taking a targeted approach to automation. A welldesigned automation project can potentially deliver a return on investment in around two years, depending on the application and the costs being replaced or avoided. However, financing can make the proposition even more accessible. For example, if an automated solution were financed at £14,000 per month against an existing staffing cost of, say, £16,000 per month, the direct monthly cost comparison could result in a payback period of only around 29 days. The precise economics will, of course, vary from one application to another. Labour costs, operating hours, throughput, equipment costs, financing arrangements and staff availability all need to be considered when calculating the actual return. But the broader point remains: automation does not necessarily require a huge capital investment or a lengthy payback period. There is another consideration that is sometimes overlooked when food manufacturers assess automation projects. Namely, the future value of the equipment. Standard palletising robots and other established automation technologies can be easier to repurpose or resell than highly bespoke automation systems. In the fast-moving food sector, markets change, product ranges evolve and retailer requirements can shift quickly. An investment in flexible, standardised automation can therefore offer greater longterm value beyond the immediate productivity improvement.

By identifying the operational bottlenecks where automation can make an immediate difference, foodto-go producers can take a measured approach to investment. Palletising and packing offer particularly accessible starting points, providing improvements in throughput, consistency and labour utilisation without requiring a complete production-line transformation. Ultimately, the manufacturers best positioned to compete in the fast-moving food-to-go market will be those that can combine speed, flexibility and efficiency. Strategic automation can provide an important part of that equation, helping producers respond to retailers’ changing demands while protecting margins and keeping products moving from factory to store as quickly as possible.

For food-to-go manufacturers, the question may therefore be less about whether to automate and more about where automation can deliver the quickest and most valuable return. About Us The FANUC Corporation is a global leader in industrial automation, supplying CNC control systems, robots, cobots, and production machinery (ROBODRILL, ROBOCUT and ROBOSHOT) to factories around the world. Since 1955, FANUC has made a significant contribution to the efficiency and productivity of manufacturing companies worldwide. Operating in more than 270 locations globally and serving more than 100 countries with over 9,000 employees, FANUC offers a dense network in sales, technical support, research & development, logistics and customer service. For more information, please contact: FANUC UK Ltd, Sapphire Way, Ansty Park, COVENTRY, CV7 9DR Phone: +44 (0) 24 7605 3130 www.fanuc.eu/uk

Dan Fisher, Head of Sales at FANUC UK

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Processing at the Edge: Building Digital Infrastructure for Smarter Food Production

Food and beverage production is becoming increasingly data-driven. From automated processing lines and machine vision to condition monitoring, quality control and connected packaging, factories are generating more information and expecting faster decisions.

A typical installation might contain just two or three cabinets housing compute, storage and networking equipment. Despite its small footprint, it must still deliver enterprise-grade availability, performance and security.

also evolve. Processing more data locally requires additional computing hardware, generating more heat. Poor airflow within compact enclosures can create hot spots, recirculation and elevated equipment temperatures.

Reliable power is fundamental. Unlike major data centres with extensive redundant electrical infrastructure, processing facilities can have varied power arrangements. Edge equipment needs an appropriate architecture to protect sensitive IT systems and maintain continuity when the incoming supply is disrupted.

Cabinet design, airflow routing and separation of hot and cold air must therefore be considered alongside computing capacity. This becomes particularly important as artificial intelligence moves into edge environments. AI workloads can demand greater processing power, increased bandwidth and higher rack densities, driving up cooling and UPS requirements.

Panduit believes this is placing greater emphasis on edge infrastructure.

Uninterruptible power supplies (UPS) provide runtime to bridge brief disturbances or enable controlled shutdowns. Panduit identifies typical edge UPS capacities of approximately 6 to 15 kVA, although requirements depend on the individual workload.

Rather than sending every piece of production data to a remote cloud or central data centre, edge computing places compute, storage and networking closer to the equipment generating the information. For food processors, this means analysing data directly on the factory floor or within the production facility.

Intelligent power distribution is equally important. Monitoring consumption at rack or outlet level provides visibility of loads, available capacity and potential anomalies. In distributed environments, this allows technical teams to identify developing problems remotely before equipment fails.

The objective is to process critical information where it is needed, reduce latency and avoid transferring unnecessary data across wide-area networks.

Networks connecting production equipment, sensors, controllers and edge resources must support current requirements and future expansion. Copper and fibre connectivity can accommodate device-level connections and higher-bandwidth links between IT systems and the wider enterprise network.

In continuous or high-volume processing environments, even a short IT interruption can affect production. Systems supporting automation, inspection and monitoring therefore require infrastructure capable of operating reliably around the clock. Edge IT presents a different challenge from the conventional data centre. Installations are often located in spaces never designed for computing equipment, where room, electrical capacity and on-site IT expertise may be limited.

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Manageability is another key consideration. Food processors may eventually operate edge systems across numerous production areas and manufacturing facilities. Sending an IT specialist to investigate every power, temperature or connectivity issue is neither efficient nor scalable. Remote monitoring of power, environmental conditions and infrastructure status enables central teams to maintain visibility across distributed installations and respond proactively to emerging issues. Physical security is equally important, with controlled cabinet access and environmental monitoring providing visibility of temperature, humidity and access events.

For manufacturers operating multiple plants, standardising cabinet layouts, connectivity, power systems and cable management reduces variation between facilities. Engineers can work with a familiar architecture at each site, making maintenance simpler and expansion more predictable.

In food and beverage processing, edge computing is becoming part of the operational infrastructure supporting increasingly connected production environments. Power, connectivity, cooling, security and remote management must be engineered as one system. Get that foundation right, and processors can support today’s digital production systems while creating an edge architecture ready to scale for the data-intensive applications of tomorrow.

Thermal management must

www.panduit.com

Faster Installs. Smarter Power. Zero Complexity. Managing and installing a rack power distribution unit (PDU) has never been easier than with the EL2P PDU. Designed to simplify deployment and take the stress out of power distribution, this intelligent PDU helps reclaim valuable hours.

f Seamless Integration, No Extra Hardware: Built-in data collectors eliminate clutter and the need for secondary devices f Advanced Connectivity, Maximum Control: Dual 1GB Ethernet ports, Wi-Fi and Bluetooth allow for real-time power management anywhere f Plug and Play Integration: Seamless integration with third-party DCIM applications

For more information, visit panduit.com/el2p

™

Hub Packaging: Thinking beyond the box for food and drink manufacturers that have simply become accepted as the way things are done. For high-volume food and drink operations, this can be particularly valuable. Small improvements repeated across thousands of products or pallets can quickly become significant, making packaging an area worth reviewing alongside other production and operational processes. The key is to consider packaging as a connected system. The material, the way it is applied, and the equipment used to apply it all contribute to the overall result. Looking

For food and drink manufacturers, keeping production moving efficiently has never been more important. Rising costs, labour pressures, and the demands of supplying retail, online, and privatelabel customers are putting greater focus on how every part of the operation performs. Packaging is an important part of that equation, yet it is often treated simply as a procurement requirement. Boxes, film, strapping, and other materials need to be available, specified correctly and purchased at the right price. But the real impact of packaging extends much further than the cost of the material itself. How a product is packed can influence what happens further down the line. A packaging process that relies heavily on manual intervention can affect throughput, while an inconsistent application can compromise product protection or create variation between finished pallets. Equally, materials that are not correctly matched to the application can result in unnecessary usage without delivering any additional benefit. These considerations also apply when products are packed for different sales channels. Online

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orders may need additional protection for individual deliveries, while private label ranges can bring different packing and labelling specifications. Choosing suitable materials and maintaining a consistent packing process helps businesses meet these requirements without adding unnecessary complexity or waste. The opportunity, therefore, is not necessarily about finding a cheaper packaging material. It is about understanding whether the packaging operation itself is working as effectively as it could. That starts with looking at how packaging fits into the production process. A change in material specification may improve performance without increasing cost. A different packing method could remove a recurring constraint. In some applications, introducing machinery or automation can improve repeatability while allowing operators to focus their time elsewhere. These improvements do not always require major investment. Sometimes the biggest opportunities come from reviewing established processes

at these elements together can reveal opportunities that may not be apparent when packaging is considered product by product. This is where a packaging review can add real value. At Hub Packaging, we work with food and drink businesses across Ireland to understand how their packaging operates within the wider production and distribution process. We look at the application, the materials being used and the processes behind them to identify practical opportunities for improvement, including where machinery or automation could deliver a better result. For almost 50 years, our role has been about more than supplying packaging products. It is about understanding the operation behind them and helping customers find solutions that work harder for their business. If you haven’t reviewed your packaging operation recently, now is a good time to start. Talk to Hub Packaging about your current materials, processes and equipment and discover where there may be opportunities to improve packaging performance. Contact sales@hub-packaging.com to start the conversation.

your partner in packaging

Packaging Performance, From Production to Dispatch Packaging plays a critical role in keeping food and drink products moving efficiently from the production line to retail shelves and online customers. For almost 50 years, Hub Packaging has helped businesses improve their packaging operations through consumables, machinery, automation and technical expertise. From optimising material usage and packing speeds to supporting reliable labelling and protecting products during delivery, we help identify practical ways to make your packaging operation more efficient, consistent and cost-effective. Let’s improve your packaging performance.

Speak to a Packaging Consultant: NI Office: Dublin Office: T: 028 4175 4977 T: 01 866 0136

@ sales@hub-packaging.com  hub-packaging.com

Premium or Entry-Level? Making the Right Forklift Investment for Food and Drink Manufacturing

In food and drink manufacturing, forklift trucks play a critical role in keeping operations moving efficiently. Whether supplying production lines, handling raw materials, managing warehouse stock or loading finished goods, the demands placed on equipment can vary significantly across a site. When reviewing fleet requirements, many businesses face a common question: should they invest in premium equipment or choose a more cost-effective entry-level solution? The answer depends less on the truck itself and more on the demands of the application.

• Loading and unloading occasional deliveries

• How many hours per day will the truck operate?

• Applications with modest travel distances and lift heights

• Is the truck supporting a production-critical process?

In these environments, investing in additional features that may rarely be utilised does not always make commercial sense.

• Would downtime impact productivity or customer deliveries?

When Premium Equipment Delivers Greater Value For more demanding applications, a premium specification can often generate a return that extends well beyond the initial purchase price. Food manufacturers operating multi-shift facilities, highthroughput warehouses or production-critical operations often place greater demands on their equipment. In these environments, productivity, operator comfort, energy efficiency and equipment uptime become increasingly important. Premium trucks may be particularly beneficial where:

When Entry-Level Equipment Makes Sense

• Equipment operates for extended hours each day

Not every operation requires the highest specification forklift. Many food manufacturers have applications where reliability, simplicity and value are the primary requirements.

• Downtime could disrupt production schedules

Entry-level trucks are designed for everyday jobs that simply require a dependable lift truck, delivering everything needed to get the job done in a simple, straightforward package. They share the core qualities operators expect from a trusted forklift brand, including robust construction, proven performance and dependable operation. They can be an ideal solution for: • Single-shift operations • Lower-intensity warehouse activities

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• Throughput and operational efficiency are key priorities • Operators spend long periods on the truck • The application involves intensive indoor and outdoor use

• Is the application single-shift or multi-shift? • Will operators spend extended periods on the truck? • Are efficiency and long-term operating costs a priority? The more “yes” answers you have, the stronger the case for a premium specification. Fewer demands on the application may indicate that an entry-level truck will provide the best return on investment. Focus on Value, Not Just Price The most successful forklift fleets are not built around the cheapest option or the highest specification. They are built around selecting the right equipment for the job. For many food and drink manufacturers, that means combining dependable, valuefocused trucks for everyday tasks with higher-specification equipment for the most demanding applications. The result is a fleet that balances performance, reliability and costeffectiveness across the entire operation.

A Practical Decision Check

If you’re reviewing your forklift fleet and would like independent advice on the most suitable solution for your application, the team at Aprolis Handling can help. From entry-level to premium performance-focused trucks, we can assess your operation and recommend the right equipment to maximise productivity while delivering the best long-term value for your business

Before selecting equipment, ask:

www.aprolishandling.co.uk

• Higher utilisation levels place greater demands on the equipment When a truck is working hard throughout the day, enhancements in performance, ergonomics and efficiency can contribute to lower operating costs over the lifetime of the equipment.

EVERY APPLICATION. EVERY BUDGET. ONE TRUSTED CHOICE.

THE RIGHT TRUCK FOR EVERY JOB. Choose from our premium Cat® lift truck models for demanding intensive applications or the straightforward, dependable EQ Line for everyday materials handling, with the reassurance of expert nationwide support.

Find the right lift truck for your business today.

®

0800 169 9789 sales@impact-handling.com | www.impact-handling.com

© 2026 Logisnext Europe B.V. All rights reserved. CAT, CATERPILLAR, LET’S DO THE WORK, and their respective logos “Caterpillar Corporate Yellow”, the “Power Edge” and Cat “Modern Hex” trade dress as well as corporate and product identity used herein are trademarks of Caterpillar used under license and may not be used without permission from Caterpillar. Specifications are indicative and may vary depending on operating conditions. Failure to assess all factors may result in performance deviations. All relevant sales support materials and technical expertise of the official distributor must be considered when identifying the best product/solution. Options and technical details may change without notice. Full legal notice and up-to-date product information: www.catlifttruck.com.

Reduce Risk, & Maximize Cask Emptying, with An ATEX Whisky Transfer Pump A Scottish distillery contacted us looking for a pump to transfer Whisky efficiently and safely from a series of casks to a tank. They required low flow rates for their process but also necessitated easy adjustment to flow for different size casks, and for avoiding spillages and product wastage. After exploring possible solutions with our customer, we discovered our customer had an air compressor located within a neighbouring warehouse enabling us to offer our ½” ATEX Food Grade Air Operated Diaphragm Pump. The food boxer range of pumps have been perfectly designed for this application - with hygienic parts for the handling of food, conductive and chemically resistant gaskets for the handling of flammable liquids. An intrinsically safe air operated motor ensures running temperatures remain cool, with a source of ignition removed as an electric motor is not present; while its ability to self-prime from a dry start makes it particularly well suited to the challenges of Whisky cask emptying. The pump’s gentle, low-shear operation also minimises agitation and foaming, helping to preserve the Whisky’s A cask of Whisky can take years, even decades, to mature, emptying it, is a matter of minutes. With Whisky commanding anywhere from £15 to over £300 per litre, every dram lost is money poured away. Years of craftsmanship deserve a final step that is just as precise. The demands of this application are almost unimaginable. With a flammable liquid and strict hygiene requirements to consider, extracting Whisky from horizontally stacked casks presents several challenges. A lightweight, portable pump is essential for

20 FDPP - www.fdpp.co.uk

ease of access, but it must also be

quality and characteristics after

robust enough to deliver reliable,

years of maturation.

consistent performance.

Combining a Foodboxer with an

The pump should be self-priming,

air regulator enabled operators

yet not damaged by slugs of air.

to vary flow between 12-50L/

There can also be small pieces of wood present which can easily cause some seals to fail. Every aspect of the pump must be carefully specified, with one final

min, and transfer the fluid long distances without loss of flowrate. With the addition of a pulsation dampener, it ensures flow is linear and accurately meterable.

consideration: when transferring

If you have an application

Whisky for maturation or bottling,

requiring the transfer of hygienic,

gentle handling is paramount.

flammable and problematic fluids,

Maintaining product quality is

speak to us on 01773 302 660 or

far more important than simply

visit www.northridgepumps.com

maximising transfer speed.

to see how we can help.

We’re pump specialists, so you don’t need to be

Sanitary Pumps Engineered for Your Process Optimise performance with specialist support

Whether you’re dealing with clogging, separation, downtime, or other issue it’s costly. Time wasted troubleshooting and lower production mean missed targets and less profit. A sanitary pump is the solution but choosing the right one feels like stepping into a minefield. You know what you need it to do but with so many options, it’s difficult to know which is best for your process and parameters. + Accelerated stator wear + Clogging + Changes to fluid consistency + Clean-in-place and sterilise-in-place hygiene issues + Crushing of sensitive products + Inconsistency in finished product + Inaccurate transfer of flavourings or ingredients + Liquid separation + Seal wear or failure

+ Abrasive mixtures + Creams, milk & ice cream + Edible oils & fats + Fish & meat + Fruits eg. cooked apples, plums, berries, grapes

We’ve been engineering sanitary pumps for sectors such as distilling, brewing, food manufacturing/processing, and more, for 20+ years. We understand industry-specific processes and know what it takes to optimise performance through better-suited pump design - giving you complete peace of mind.

+ Grains & seeds

EXPERT GUIDANCE:

+ Sheer sensitive liquids

Our expert engineers understand your process and guide you through the options, so you can confidently select the most suitable sanitary pump.

Want to optimise performance sooner? Speak to one of our specialists.

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EXAMPLE PRODUCTS:

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+ Pastes & purees + Syrups, juices & alcohols + Vegetables & peelings + Waste eg. trimmings, packaging & offcuts + Solid laden or viscous mixtures

PPWR and PFAS Compliance: Bottlenecks and Creative Solutions

Following this August’s enforcement deadline for PPWR, food and drink brand owners are still adapting to the new packaging landscape. Here Peter Tindale, International Sales Director at Selig Group, a global leader in container sealing and venting technology, discusses the issues around ensuring PPWR and PFAS-free compliance, PPWR bottlenecks, PFAS hot spots and liner innovations that are helping support the change.

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The PPWR and PFAS in food contact packaging The Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR, Regulation (EU) 2025/40) became law in Feb 2025 and needed to be applied to food contact packaging by 12 Aug 2026. Alongside a wide range of requirements to build recycling into packaging design, the use of ‘forever’ PFAS (perand polyfluoroalkyl substances) chemicals in food contact

packaging used in Europe from this date has been limited. The specified limits are 25 ppb (parts per billion) for any single PFAS measured via targeted analysis, 250 ppb for the sum of PFAS measured and 50 ppm when including polymeric PFAS in broader measurements. PPWR bottle necks Not surprisingly, since the mandatory application of the PPWR regulations there has been

a series of bottlenecks. Under Article 39, manufacturers and brand owners have to draw up formal EU Declarations of Conformity (DoC) and maintain an extensive file for every single packaging SKU. This has led to a significant change in the way that many companies manage their data and also opened the door to an administrative nightmare in aggregating component-level bills of materials, multi-tier upstream suppliersEtc. Another complication is the question of who is classified as the ‘producer’ under the PPWR. This has led to major retail chains pushing back against the ruling that the entity whose trademark is on the packaging is the legal producer. As a result, supplementary service contracts are proliferating to keep the retailer’s name on the DoC, but to shift 100% of the compliance work onto the food brand supplier. PFAS testing challenges One of the most immediate impacts for food and drink producers, however, is the requirement for packaging to demonstrate they are within the new PFAS limits. A bottleneck has been created here due to brand owners having to ensure they have comprehensive lab reports and certified chemical analyses from their suppliers. Combine this with the fact that another consumer product restriction – the Regulation (EU) 2024/2462 (PFHxA ban) - came into force on 10 Oct 2026, and the strain on chemical analytics departments across the EU has been compounded.

An added complication is that total fluorine (TF) tests tell the producer how much fluorine is in the packaging but not which PFAS, whether its polymeric (highly stable) or mobile or whether it can migrate into food. So, a tiny amount of inert fluoropolymer may cause a packaging failure, while a more toxic, mobile PFAS could pass if below detection. Also, the regulatory threshold of 25 ppb per PFAS is at the threshold of quantifiable limits in complex matrices, meaning that two labs could test the same packaging and get different conclusions. For the time being, TF testing is the measurement of choice for PPWR food contact packaging compliance. So how can producers offer customers ‘PFAS-free’ food contact packaging with confidence? Well, many are embracing a twotier testing strategy of total fluorine screening and targeted PFAS analysis if the TF is elevated, to test for extractable/ionic PFAS and assess migration relevance. Switching away from PFAS use isn’t a luxury now but a necessity in food contact packaging aimed at the EU market. However, it requires a strong materials supply chain working together to support the brand owners and packaging designers with all important PFASfree solutions.

directly must comply with the PPWR’s strict total fluorine thresholds. And that means paying attention to the material chosen to seal the container. Even before the mandatory ban came into force, Selig’s R&D team was working closely with material suppliers to transition to PFAS-NIA (notintentionally added) liners. As a result, Selig was the first liner manufacturer to offer a PFAS not-intentionally added (PFASNIA) solution for the majority of our product portfolios. Now, all of Selig’s induction liner products are PFAS-NIA. In addition, the technical team works closely with customers to ensure that switching to these products is a smooth process within the factory, allowing brand owners to purchase the liners with confidence. So, with the PPWR keeping food and drink packaging producers and testing labs busy across Europe and beyond, how are you approaching the new regulations and PFAS-Free compliance? For more information on how to make sure your container sealing supports compliance why not give the technical team at Selig a call. Change is coming, so are you ready? www.seliggroup.com

Liner innovations supporting PPWR and PFAS-NIA When it comes to food-contact packaging, every part of the container that touches the product

FDPP - www.fdpp.co.uk 23

Titan Enterprises Unveils Next-Generation Hygienic Oval Gear Flowmeters

Titan Enterprises has announced the release of a newly engineered design for its OG3 and OG4 oval gear flowmeter models. While delivering enhanced performance for hygienic processing applications, these models still maintain the original dimensions of the previous oval gear products to allow interchangeability within customers’ existing systems. Designed for use in industries where cleanliness, accuracy and reliability are critical, the new OG3 and OG4 flowmeters feature an electropolished stainless-steel finish that provides a smooth, easy-to-clean surface suitable for food and beverage, pharmaceutical, biotechnology, cosmetics and personal care manufacturing environments. A key advancement in the redesign is the transition from a cast body construction to a fully machined, engineered design. The precision-

24 FDPP - www.fdpp.co.uk

machined construction not only enhances mechanical strength but also supports the high levels of measurement accuracy and repeatability for which Titan’s oval gear flowmeters are recognised. “The redesigned OG3 and OG4 flowmeters reflect our commitment to continuous product advancement and responding to the evolving needs of hygienic processing industries,” said Jeremy Thorne, Operations Manager at Titan Enterprises. “By moving to a fully machined design, we have achieved an advanced product that meets the cleanliness requirements of modern manufacturing environments.” The new OG flowmeter design with Hall effect detection, also benefits from an upgraded circuit board with added protection from miswiring or electrical surges, as well as offering both NPN and PNP

outputs as standard (up to 100°C max). The OG3 and OG4 flowmeters provide precise volumetric measurement of liquids across a wide viscosity range. Their robust construction and compact footprint make them suitable for both OEM integration and end-user installations where dependable flow measurement is essential. The new models strengthen Titan Enterprises’ portfolio of highperformance flow measurement solutions and provide customers with a combination of hygienic design, enhanced durability and proven oval gear technology. The redesigned OG3 and OG4 hygienic flowmeters are available now. More information can be found at www.flowmeters.co.uk

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• High chemical resistance • NSF-Approved mini turbine flowmeters • ATEX-compliant and high pressure Oval Gear models • OEM bespoke design capability Titan’s liquid flowmeters are designed and manufactured to ISO 9001 with traceable calibrations.

Instrumentation +44 (0)1935 812790 sales@flowmeters.co.uk www.flowmeters.co.uk

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Breakthrough Flowmeter Technology

Precision weighing and inspection supports Huel’s rapid growth At its manufacturing facility in Milton Keynes, UK, Huel has invested in Ishida multihead weighing, X-ray inspection and checkweighing technology to support flexible production, ensure product quality and deliver consistent performance across a growing range of nutritionally complete food products.

Ishida’s CCW-RVE 24-head multihead weigher, weighing Huel’s dried noodles and pasta

quality and deliver consistent performance across a growing range of nutritionally complete food products.

At its manufacturing facility in Milton Keynes, UK, Huel has invested in Ishida multihead weighing, X-ray inspection and checkweighing technology to support flexible production, ensure product

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Founded in 2005, Huel is a global food and nutrition company operating in the plant-based, complete nutrition and functional food sectors. With a mission to make nutritionally complete, convenient and affordable food with a lower environmental impact, the company manufactures a wide range of powdered meals, ready-to-drink shakes, protein products and ‘greens’ supplements. The Milton Keynes site produces pre-blended ingredients for further manufacturing, a range of powdered products, and instant meals.

As production volumes and product diversity increased, Huel required weighing and inspection solutions that could provide the flexibility, accuracy and reliability needed to support future growth. The result was the installation of Ishida multihead weighing, X-ray inspection and checkweighing systems across several production lines. Fact and figures •O ne Ishida CCW-RVE 24-head multihead weigher installed on the single-serve sachets production line. • I shida X-ray inspection and DACS checkweighing systems are installed across all production lines.

formats, ranging from single-serve hot meal sachets and protein powders to larger, multi-serving nutrition products weighing up to 2.25kg.

• The X-ray inspection systems detect foreign bodies as small as 0.5mm in diameter. • Equipment operates across multishift patterns • Product changeovers on the X-rays and checkweighers take typically just five minutes. Challenge With Huel looking to establish its first dedicated manufacturing facility back in 2019, the company needed robust weighing and inspection technology that could accommodate a broad product portfolio while supporting future innovation. The site’s production lines handle a wide variety of products and pack

As Huel frequently develops new products and enters new markets, operational flexibility was a key requirement. The company required weighing equipment capable of accurately dosing larger product inclusions without damaging ingredients, while inspection systems needed to deliver high-speed contamination detection and consistent weight verification across multiple production lines. In addition, Huel wanted a singlesolution provider that could be deployed across different applications, simplifying operation, training and maintenance. Solution Huel selected Ishida due to its strong reputation within the food industry, extensive market presence and the flexibility offered by its equipment. The multihead weigher provided a competitively priced solution, while the ability

for post-installation modifications meant Ishida could support Huel’s changing manufacturing requirements. The installation includes: •A n Ishida CCW-RVE 24-head multihead weigher. • I shida IX-EN-4093-S X-ray inspection systems. • I shida DACS-GN series checkweighers. • I ntegrated product feed systems for the multihead weigher. • I ntegrated rejection and quality control processes across all lines. On the sachet production line, the Ishida multihead weigher accurately doses large product inclusions used within Huel’s hot meal products, eliminating the need for processes that could potentially damage ingredients. The supplied feed systems further enhance weighing efficiency and consistency. The installed X-ray inspection systems provide a range of advanced quality control

Shot of Ishida’s CCW-RVE 24-head multihead weigher HMI

FDPP - www.fdpp.co.uk 27

capabilities. In addition to the ability to detect a broad range of foreign bodies, the systems can be taught to recognise and ignore approved and critical product components, such as measuring scoop and sauce sachets, thereby reducing false rejects and providing an additional layer of quality assurance. At the end of each line is an Ishida DACS-GN series checkweigher, which provides precise weight verification together with production data reporting, trend analysis and feedback control to the upstream dosing equipment.

operational needs, ensuring the investment continues to deliver value as the business grows. Matthew Iredale, Automation Project Engineer at Huel UK, said: “The flexibility of the Ishida equipment has been particularly valuable for our business. As we continue to develop new products and enter new markets, the systems have been able to adjust alongside our needs. The equipment is highly reliable, so unexpected downtime very rarely occurs. I’d even go as far as saying the multihead weigher is our most reliable machine in the

factory. They’re also easy to operate and train, and deliver the accuracy and inspection performance we need to maintain high-quality standards across all our production lines. “What also really stands out to me is Ishida’s service. Service engineers are always on hand to help, the design and software team are also so knowledgeable and their collective support is what has helped us to grow, hit our OEE targets and enable us to expand our offering.” For more about Ishida Europe, visit www.ishidaeurope.com

Results Since installation, the Ishida systems have provided Huel with the accuracy, flexibility and reliability required to support fast-moving production environments and ongoing product innovation. The X-ray and checkweigher systems can be changed over between products in as little as five minutes, including completion of all critical control point checks. This allows production teams to respond quickly to changing schedules, SKUs and product requirements. The Ishida multihead weigher incorporates intelligent features that automatically adjust feeder settings following cleaning procedures or production restarts, helping to maintain consistent performance while minimising operator intervention. The ability to fully open hoppers enables efficient cleaning.

HMI of Ishida’s DACS-GN checkweigher, which provides traceability and automatically rejects underweight packs

Across all lines, the inspection equipment operates reliably in a multi-shift pattern. Optimum production speeds are achieved while maintaining stringent quality standards and contamination detection capabilities. The equipment’s ability to be customised and altered after being installed has also enabled Huel to adapt to evolving production requirements. After Huel decided to switch from larger packs containing 13 servings to single-serve sachets to suit market demand, Ishida worked closely with Huel to modify the original multihead weigher configuration to support changing

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Just as every system is bespoke, so is the approach to delivery, installation and testing

STAINLESS STEEL

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For use in cleanroom applications, food production & medical industries For more product information contact

sales@superlift.net | +1 519.635.8909

30 FDPP - www.fdpp.co.uk

FDPP - www.fdpp.co.uk 31

Clearer, Safer Monitoring with the New ARCA IEC Transparent Door

The Fibox ARCA IEC transparent door enables visual inspection of displays and status indicators without opening the enclosure.

Fibox has expanded its proven

a glance, supporting quicker

its accessories, the new door

ARCA IEC range with a new

maintenance, safer working and

combines flexibility with the

transparent door, giving engineers

faster responses to potential issues.

corrosion resistance, durability and

clear visibility of critical equipment while maintaining the protection required in demanding environments. As industrial systems become

Rather than adding a separate viewing window, Fibox has engineered the transparent door as a seamless, single-moulded polycarbonate component. This robust construction

increasingly intelligent, electrical

improves impact resistance

cabinets now house more displays,

and watertightness while

human-machine interfaces, LED

offering a clean, professional

indicators and other components

appearance. Its smoked, UV-

that require regular monitoring.

stabilised polycarbonate helps

Traditionally, checking their status

protect against prolonged

outdoor performance for which ARCA cabinets are known. It is well suited to applications including renewable energy, water and wastewater, factory and building automation, and traffic control. By enabling routine visual checks without opening the cabinet, the ARCA IEC transparent door helps reduce unnecessary downtime and simplify maintenance without

sunlight exposure, preventing

compromising protection—

yellowing and preserving visibility

providing greater visibility,

throughout the enclosure’s s ervice life.

improved safety and smarter

door allows operators to inspect

Fully compatible with the wider

More information can be found at

displays and warning lights at

ARCA IEC range and

www.fibox.com

has meant opening the enclosure, potentially exposing equipment to dust, moisture and accidental contact. The ARCA transparent

32 FDPP - www.fdpp.co.uk

operation.

FASTER INSPECTIONS. SAFER OPERATIONS.

Transparent-door enclosures for food and beverage operations.

ARCA T MONITOR SYSTEMS WITHOUT OPENING CABINETS.

Allowing you to visually confirm system status immediatley.

01 SEE STATUS AT A GLANCE

02 CORROSION RESISTANT

Keep the door closed while checking displays, LEDs and system indicators.

Polycarbonate will not rust — a practical alternative to metal enclosures.

03 IP66 PROTECTION

04 SIMPLER ROUTINE CHECKS

Protect electrical controls against dust and powerful water jets.

Make visual inspections easier across processing and packaging operations.

LET’S DISCUSS YOUR PROJECT. Speak to Fibox about protecting your electrical controls.

fibox.com

When Production Can’t Wait: The Value Of A Responsive Supplier In food and drink manufacturing, delays can be costly. When production schedules are tight, customer demands change or equipment needs replacing unexpectedly, having a supplier that responds quickly and understands your business can make all the difference. Reliable equipment is essential to keeping production running smoothly, but even the best-planned operations can face unexpected challenges. A damaged piece of equipment, a sudden increase in orders or the introduction of a new product can all create demands that require a practical and timely response. In these situations, the relationship with your equipment supplier becomes particularly important. It’s not simply about how quickly an order can be delivered, but how efficiently enquiries are handled, how well requirements are

understood and whether suitable solutions can be identified without unnecessary delay.

For owner Janice Park, the attentive support received was as important as the equipment itself.

For North Yorkshire-based Invicta, responsiveness has long been an important part of its service. Manufacturing bakeware and equipment for the food industry since 1912, the company combines extensive product knowledge with in-house manufacturing capabilities, enabling its team to advise on standard products, modifications and bespoke solutions.

“When you’ve experienced something as devastating as losing your business, dealing with suppliers who genuinely care makes a real difference. The staff at Invicta were incredibly helpful and friendly throughout.”

One example is The Sticky Toffee Pudding Co in Strathaven, Lanarkshire. Following a devastating fire that destroyed its production facility, the business faced the enormous task of rebuilding from scratch. Having relied on Invicta’s bakeware for 14 years, the company turned to the manufacturer again, ordering more than 80 deep, nonstick coated baking trays for its new premises.

This commitment to customer service is reflected in Invicta’s latest customer survey, in which 98% of respondents rated the speed of response to enquiries as Excellent or Good. For food manufacturers, choosing the right supplier is about more than price. A knowledgeable, dependable and responsive partner can help businesses overcome unexpected challenges and keep production moving. When production can’t wait, the right supplier can be just as important as the right equipment.

For more information and free no-obligation quotations, visit www.invictabakeware.co.uk call: 01751 473483 or email: Production underway at The Sticky Toffee Pudding Co, using one of the deep baking trays supplied by Invicta to help the business get back on its feet following a devastating fire.

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sales@invictabakeware.co.uk

Electrical, Instrumentation, Control and Cyber Security in Industrial Engineering • 'By Industry, For Industry’, practical guidance for everyday and irregular situations and tasks • Readily accessible for all in the industry – wherever they are, whatever time they have • E-learning for continuing professional development • Webinars and seminars for knowledge sharing and professional networking Selection of specialist publications and more resources including FREE task and procedure checklists

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Guide to the application of IEC 61511 to safety instrumented systems in the process industries Publication 222 Edition 2 N

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Also... Cyber Security e-learning – with CPD / PDH – on-demand To make EEMUA’s guidance, training, events and other practical resources work best for you and your team please ask@eemua.org or visit www.eemua.org

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FDPP - www.fdpp.co.uk 35

The Cost of Compressed Air: Why Pneumatic Efficiency Matters More Than Ever With operating costs continuing to rise, UK manufacturers are under increasing pressure to improve efficiency. Higher energy, material and labour costs are putting margins under strain, prompting businesses to look more closely at where waste can be reduced. For facilities using pneumatic equipment, compressed air should be an important part of that conversation. Compressed air is clean, versatile and ideally suited to countless automation tasks. However, generating it requires electricity, and inefficient pneumatic systems can consume considerably more energy than is actually required to perform the task. The challenge is to retain the benefits of pneumatics while reducing unnecessary energy consumption. Start by understanding where the air goes One of the biggest challenges with compressed air is that waste can often go unnoticed.

A small leak may appear insignificant, but multiplied across hundreds of fittings, tubes, valves and actuators operating over thousands of production hours, the financial impact can become significant.

visibility of consumption. Flow sensors and intelligent pneumatic technologies make it possible to identify unexpected changes in air usage and use that information to support maintenance and efficiency improvements.

Leak detection should therefore form part of routine preventative maintenance. But leaks are only one part of the issue.

The principle is simple: before a business can reduce compressed air consumption effectively, it needs to understand where that air is being used and where it is being wasted.

Is the system operating at a higher pressure than necessary? Are cylinders oversized for the application? Is compressed air being used unnecessarily for blowing or cleaning? Does equipment remain pressurised during periods when production has stopped? Each presents an opportunity to reduce consumption. Correctly sized actuators, efficient air preparation, high-integrity fittings and suitable control technology can all help reduce the amount of compressed air needed to achieve the same productive output. Monitoring technology can also provide engineers with greater

Could we reuse air instead of wasting it? During normal cylinder operation, compressed air is used to create movement before being exhausted to atmosphere. By that point, energy has already been used to generate and compress the air, so releasing it means that energy is effectively lost. Camozzi Automation UK is introducing the Pneu-Saver, a new pneumatic energy-saving solution designed to recover and reuse air that would otherwise be exhausted. Developed for double-acting pneumatic cylinders, it can reduce compressed air consumption by approximately 45% in suitable applications. This figure has been verified in real-world applications using before-and-after air consumption readings taken with an electronic air consumption meter. Rather than simply discharging compressed air after each movement, Pneu-Saver recirculates it within the pneumatic circuit, reducing the amount of fresh compressed air required from the main supply. Turning Air Savings into Cost Savings

36 FDPP - www.fdpp.co.uk

The potential impact becomes clearer when this is applied to a typical production scenario. As an example, consider a machine operating five pneumatic cylinders with 100 mm bores and strokes ranging from 100 mm to 1,000 mm. Operating at 6 bar, between two and ten cycles per minute, across two eight-hour shifts per day, five days a week and 51 weeks of the year, the demand for compressed air quickly adds up. Based on an electricity cost of £0.27 per kWh, Camozzi’s calculator estimates that introducing a Pneu-Saver to this example could save approximately 170,756 m³ of compressed air per year, equivalent to an estimated £5,356 in annual energy costs. The calculation represents an air saving of approximately 141.7 litres per cycle. While every application will differ according to cylinder sizes, operating pressure, cycle frequency and production hours, the example demonstrates how relatively small savings on each individual movement can accumulate into substantial reductions over the course of a year.

An engineer who understands the

The concept has also been developed with retrofit applications in mind. Rather than requiring manufacturers to redesign complete machines or replace existing pneumatic systems, one Pneu-Saver can be incorporated into suitable machinery with relatively little disruption.

during machine development can

For applications with sufficient compressed air consumption and operating hours, these savings mean the investment could potentially achieve payback within 12 months.

Its dedicated Safety & Energy Saving

Technology is only part of the solution Improving pneumatic efficiency cannot depend on components alone. Some of the most effective savings can come from giving the people responsible for specifying, operating and maintaining equipment a better understanding of how compressed air behaves.

relationship between pressure, flow,

Small efficiencies become significant savings

cylinder sizing and air consumption is better equipped to recognise an inefficient system. Maintenance teams that understand common sources of air loss can identify problems earlier, while designers who consider energy consumption avoid inefficiency being built into equipment in the first place. That is why energy efficiency has become an important part of Camozzi Automation UK’s pneumatic training programme.

in Pneumatics course combines pneumatic safety with practical

There is unlikely to be one universal answer to the challenge of industrial energy costs. Instead, manufacturers should examine where consumption can be measured, challenged and improved. For pneumatic systems, that means finding leaks, using the correct pressure, correctly sizing components, improving maintenance, monitoring consumption and questioning established practices, including whether compressed air that has already been generated really needs to be thrown away.

methods for reducing compressed air consumption. Delivered by Steve Partington at Camozzi’s UK headquarters in Nuneaton, the one-day programme covers areas including optimising compressed air systems, reducing consumption and identifying opportunities to apply energy-saving technology such as Pneu-Saver. The aim is not simply to teach delegates about individual products, but to encourage them to look at pneumatic systems differently.

Every cubic metre of compressed air that does not need to be generated represents energy that does not need to be purchased. And in an environment where manufacturers are being asked to achieve more with increasingly expensive resources, wasting less may prove to be one of the most valuable improvements available. www.camozzi.co.uk/news/how-tospecify-iso-profile-cylinders-forwashdown

FDPP - www.fdpp.co.uk 37

Process Liquids?

STOP LOSING VALUABLE PRODUCT EVERY BATCH INDUSTRY-LEADING LIQUID PRODUCT RECOVERY (PIGGING) TECHNOLOGY UP TO HPS pigging systems recover valuable food and beverage products from process pipelines, cutting waste, improving yields and increasing production efficiency. up to 99.5%  Recover of residual product



Speed up changeover times

product waste Use less water, energy  Reduce and cleaning losses  and cleaning media

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prevent products Increase production  Help from solidifying in the  capacity pipeline

HPS PRODUCT RECOVERY SOLUTIONS

SEE HOW TO RECOVER MORE FROM EVERY BATCH

info@hps-pigging.com

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PPMA SHOW 2026 | POST-SHOW

THREE DAYS. ONE BIG QUESTION: WHAT’S LEFT IN YOUR PIPELINE? At the PPMA Show 2026, HPS spoke with manufacturers about recovering more product, reducing waste and making every batch go further.

THE PRODUCT LEFT BEHIND Every product transfer can leave valuable liquid in the pipeline. When it is flushed away during cleaning or a changeover, saleable product is lost], along with extra water and cleaning chemicals. That could mean chocolate, sauces, honey or dairy, as well as personal care products, paints and chemicals. Pigging recovers that product. A specially designed pig travels through the pipeline after a transfer, pushing the remaining product to its destination so it can be used instead of washed away. By recovering more product before cleaning, manufacturers can reduce waste, improve yields and lower cleaning costs.

Pump the Pig: a fun introduction to pigging.

Pump the Pig gave visitors a fun, hands-on way to see the basic principle behind pigging. At Stand A51, visitors shared the production challenges they wanted to tackle, from recovering more product to improving cleaning and line efficiency. HPS discussed where pigging could fit.

COULD IT WORK ON YOUR LINE? Pigging can help recover more product, reduce waste and cut cleaning costs. Talk to HPS to see whether it could work on your line. An HPS pig recovering residual product from a pipeline.

COULD PIGGING HELP YOU RECOVER MORE PRODUCT FROM YOUR PROCESS? info@hps-pigging.com www.hps-pigging.com

Autoweigh brings a new dimension to Autopack Group the result of us listening to a key customer and responding with a highly innovative solution.” The machine was well received at PPMA and generated significant interest across a range of potential applications. The expertise behind it reflects Autopack’s wider focus on precision engineering, project delivery and solutions developed around the customer’s product and production environment. Turnkey packaging line solutions

The PPMA Show 2026 saw the launch of Autoweigh, Autopack Group’s new handling, weighing and inspection division, strengthening its support for food manufacturers and other processing industries. The business provides UK-made equipment that can operate as a standalone solution or be integrated with Autopack’s flexible and rigid packaging machinery. The smallest ever multihead weigher? Taking centre stage at the show was the bespoke, low-level 12-head multihead weigher developed for ready meal applications. Potentially the smallest machine of its type available, it is suitable for accurately applying ingredients such as herbs, breadcrumbs and other toppings. The system uses belts to feed product into six top boxes before transferring it into 12 weigh pans.

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It then identifies the quickest combination needed to achieve the required product weight and deposit it onto the meal. Its scalable, mobile and compact design incorporates a drive and control system that operates six belts individually, providing precision control while occupying minimal production space. Several elements of the design are patent pending. Meeting customer needs The new machine was created in response to a specific customer requirement, demonstrating how Autoweigh’s engineering expertise can be applied to practical food production challenges. “This is a brilliant demonstration of British engineering at its best,” said Autopack Group Managing Director Wayne Kedward. “We don’t know of any smaller machine of this type on the market, and it’s

Visitors to the PPMA Show also saw a demonstration ofa full turnkey rigid packaging line for liquid products, which featured an unscrambler for plastic bottles, as well as air rinsing, filling and capping equipment. For flexible packaging users, Autopack demonstrated its versatility in premade doypacks and pouches with the MH25 set up for sports nutrition powders. In addition, the MHSP-2 Spouted Pouch machine was configured for shampoo refills – a market and packaging format that’s set to grow. “The PPMA Show 2026 highlighted just how exciting the future is for the Autopack Group,” added Wayne Kedward. “We have proved again to the market that we are the leading independent supplier of packaging machinery, and that we have the technology to pack almost anything. We’re also not stopping there – Autopack is set to grow in the coming year with more announcements on the way.” For Autopack enquiries please contact: Jonathon Stewart, UK Sales Director T: 01432 677000 E: jonathon.stewart@auto-pack.co.uk www.auto-pack.co.uk

Plan your career development...

Mechanical Integrity Training

• Satisfy industry requirements at each competency level – Awareness, Basic application, Practitioner, Leader. • Covering: * Legislative environment * Industry good practice * WSE * Equipment design * ALARP

* Asset condition * Test techniques * Operational considerations * Inspection roles, process & reports * User responsibilities & competencies * Feedback * Postponement * Responses to findings * Audit * Record keeping * Operating Limits * Decision Making * More. • Certificated up to 5 years – CPD / PDH approved. • Flexible delivery to suit Learners and companies – Blended, Live online, Classroom, E-learning. • Courses throughout each year available to all – free or discounted to EEMUA Members and Associates. EEMUA 231 Mechanical Integrity Basics – blended, online learning – Basic application competency level – flexible 4 hours of learning per week for 3 weeks 12 hours of CPD – certificated via exam – next course starts 1 February 2027. EEMUA 231 Mechanical Integrity e-learning – Awareness level – with 1 hour of CPD – On-demand. EEMUA Hydrogen Damage Mechanisms Basics – blended, live online – for those with at least 1 year of experience – flexible learning 4 hours per week – CPD 21 hours – next course starts 5 April 2027.

Mechanical Integrity Practitioner Certificate (MIPC®) – part-time, blended, live online learning – on-site or on-call – 1:1s and Mentor Support –workbook builds from day-1 for immediate on-site application of EEMUA 177, 231 and 232 guidance, and the PSSR ACOP – certificated for 5 years via exam and portfolio assessment – in-depth learning for 27 weeks, flexible 4 hours per week – 110 hours of CPD. Course adapts to engineering needs of each Learner, company and site/s via a 2-hour induction (to fit work schedules) – next course starts 18 October 2027.

EEMUA Storage Tanks Workshop – London, UK – 25 November 2026 training@eemua.org

+44 (0)20 7488 0801

www.eemua.org

FDPP - www.fdpp.co.uk 41

Powerful and robust electrical components for modern industrial applications Power supplies for DIN rail or wall, UPS, EMC filters, etc. DUST, HUMIDITY, EXTREME TEMPERATURES, VIBRATIONS

PROTECTION CLASS GREATER IP68 Versions with permanently

FEAS GmbH specializes in electrical

molded connection cables make

components for demanding

it possible to increase the already

industrial use. Fully encapsulated in high-quality aluminum or polycarbonate housings, power supplies, UPS and other electrical modules are tropicalized and ideally protected for use even

high degree of protection from IP68 to IP69K in a few steps.

LARGE PRODUCT RANGE - MADE IN GERMANY FEAS GmbH, located near Hamburg, develops and manufactures its more than 800 different products entirely in Germany. Carefully tested, they meet all required international standards according to VDE, EN, UL and CSA. e.g. FEAS UPS family

under the most adverse conditions.

LDR80, LDR40, LDR30,

Neither high humidity, nor extreme

LDR20 buffer times up

dust or strong vibrations can affect

to 270min

the power electronics. The use of high-quality electronic components further increases operational reliability.

42 FDPP - www.fdpp.co.uk

“

Fully encapsulated in high-quality aluminum or polycarbonate housings, power supplies, UPS and other electrical modules are tropicalized and ideally protected for use even under the most adverse conditions.

POWER SUPPLIES • up to IP69K • with boost function or fuse mode • top hat rail or wall mounting • ASi power supplies • 19 inch rack • high temperature battery DC UPS • maintenance-free or with battery for long buffer times • with RS232/ RS485 interface • Mini UPS OTHER ELECTRICAL COMPONENTS • EMC filter • DC/DC converter • couplers • redundancy modules • motor motion controller • softstarter • rated value distributor FEAS GmbH An der Strusbek 56 22926 Ahrensburg, Germany +49 (0) 4102 - 420 82 www.feas.com

Top right, as an example of the wide range of FEAS power supplies: The switching mode power supply series SNT130-K, 12VDC, 24VDC or 48VDC up to IP69K, boost 150%, fuse mode, large setting range. Right, e.g. FEAS DC filters of the SFK38 and SFK70 series for the suppression of conducted interference.

FDPP - www.fdpp.co.uk 43

Hit the target of the Cook CCP with custom designed PhoenixTM Thermocouples As part of any Food processors HACCP program validation of cook and chill processes is a critical and significant task taking time, effort, and resources. PhoenixTM have developed a thruprocess temperature monitoring technology specifically for this task designed to meet the challenges of the food processing market. Ideal for the validation process for any new cook regime, new product, or annual process certification. Monitoring core temperatures of food products can be a challenge and getting it right or wrong can have a significant influence on the data collected and therefore any decisions or conclusions made. For this reason, PhoenixTM offer a range of different thermocouple options to suit different cook and product variations. Positioning the thermocouple sensor in the correct place repeatably in a protein-based product such as chicken generally requires the use of a needle thermocouple. The sensing point on a thermocouple often referred to as the ‘hot junction’ is located in the tip of the needle point.

Type K thermocouple cables are provided with special limits or error ±1.1 °C / ±2.0 °F or 0.4% of reading. Type T are IEC EN 60584-2 class 1 therefore ±0.5 °C / ±0.9. °F (-40 to 125 °C / 257 °F). For added confidence in data PhoenixTM can offer calibrated type K or T thermocouples. Utilising

Selecting the correct tool for the job applies perfectly for thermocouple selection. Matching the needle length and size (OD) to the product being measured is important. Needle thermocouples are supplied in most cases with PFA/PTFE cables which allow flexible routing of the cable through the process. Such cable is operational up to 265 °C / 509 °F, meeting the needs of most cook programs. Above 265 °C/509 °F the only food grade cable material option is a Stainless-Steel mineral insulated thermocouple. The theoretical accuracy of the thermocouple is governed by the type and classification.

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the PhoenixTM Thermal View Food software both thermocouple and data logger correction factors can then be applied to the profile data to maximize measurement accuracy. PhoenixTM offer a range of needle lengths to match product size. In this way heat conduction errors down the needle can be avoided. The needle thermocouples are offered with a locking collar designed to keep the senor location fixed during testing even with

Contact PhoenixTM to help Find, Fix and Forget your Food Cook Problems!

product movement and changes in the product physical characterises

Further Information

during cook.

www.phoenixtm.com

Efficient HACCP Cook & Chill CCP Validation

! s t n u o c e c n ie r e p Where ex

Product Safety Process Efficiency Improved Product Yields Rapid Fault Finding Full HACCP Certification

ü

Thru-process temperature monitoring solutions for all your cook applications

PhoenixTM Technology • Accurate IP67 data logger (Type K or T) • 10 Measurement Points for full oven mapping • Thermal barrier options to suit cook regime • Comprehensive thermocouple range • Standard miniature thermocouple plugs • Calibrated thermocouple options • Food trays and thermocouple jig options • Full lethality (Fo/Pu) and reporting • Real Time RF Telemetry options • Local efficient calibration and service support

Phoenix Temperature Measurement 25 Earith Business Park, Meadow Drove, Earith, Cambridgeshire PE28 3QF, UK

T: 01353 223100 E: sales@phoenixtm.com

www.phoenixtm.com

Automating Brewery Processes with Sophisticated Modular Systems What happens when modern process automation technology meets stonebuilt production premises dating from the Middle Ages?

The answer is a product, craft beer, of exceptional quality and unique character, made by a brewery which is set for a sustainable future and growing revenues. But achieving this outcome required a sensitive and carefully calibrated approach to implementing automation technology – an approach to which the modular products and collaborative culture of WAGO were well suited.

century farm buildings on the Ormside Hall Estate in rural Cumbria, in northern England on the fringes of the scenic Lake District. Its location is rich in history, but presents difficulties for operators of modern manufacturing equipment and processes. A five-barrel (5BBL) craft brewery founded in 2025, Orm’s Brewhouse has embraced the challenge of preserving the buildings’ traditional character.

21st Century Equipment in a 14th Century Building

But the difficulty of operating in premises from another age militates against the brewery’s ambition to create the perfect pint. Director Ian Purves insists that the brewery

The brewery in question, Orm’s Brewhouse, operates out of 14th

46 FDPP - www.fdpp.co.uk

has to respect the ‘soul’ of the place where the beer is made. After all, the age and history of the premises underpin the Viking story that the Orm’s Brewhouse brand tells its customers. But as Ian says, ‘We were working against the building, not with it.’ When Orm’s Brewhouse was founded, the ancient building was equipped with refurbished vessels, pumps and extraction pumps. Mechanically, the system was sound. From a control and automation perspective, however, it was extremely limited. The control panel offered little more than basic start/

stop functionality: it provided for no recipe management, no automated dosing, no alarms and no meaningful process feedback. Critical brewing stages relied heavily on manual intervention. Volumes were estimated, temperatures adjusted by experience rather than data, and additions timed manually. This created the risk of inconsistent beer quality, wasted water and ingredients, unnecessary energy use and limited scope to scale production with confidence. Just as important was the effect on the people at the centre of the operation – the brewing team. As brewer Chris Stanley says, everything was a manual process, from monitoring thermometers to guessing volumes of mash. ‘You were so busy fighting the equipment that you lost sight of the craft,’ he says.

Combining Modern Process Control With Legacy Equipment Purves and Stanley knew that automation could solve the problems which the ancient building put in their way. Done the right way, automation would: • Improve accuracy and repeatability without removing brewer control • Reduce risk and stress on brew day, while providing visibility into what the process is actually doing • Keep the system flexible, open and future proof The automation system which would provide these benefits needed to be open and modular, so that the brewery could retain existing systems. This was a sensible approach for a small craft brewery to take, since it avoided the high

up-front capital cost entailed in discarding equipment before the end of its useful life and replacing it with an all-new solution. This decision to, as Ian Purves describes it, ‘build on what we started with’ was in tune with the ethos of WAGO’s engineers, who are experienced in implementing modular systems which combine best-of-breed equipment from multiple vendors. Ian Purves, who noticed the difference between WAGO and large automation system integrators, says ‘The WAGO engineers did not come to us with a product catalogue, they came for a conversation.’ WAGO’s application engineering team began with a site visit, working closely with the brewers to understand the process, the constraints of the historic estate and the brewery’s long-term ambitions.

FDPP - www.fdpp.co.uk 47

Together with Orm’s Brewhouse, they decided that the brewery had three main requirements of the automation system:

technologies provides a foundation for future expansions of the system, as well as improving connectivity and monitoring capability.

• Automated temperature control

To bring real insight into the brewing process, IO-Link smart temperature and other sensors from Endress+Hauser were integrated via a WAGO IO-Link Master module (750-1657). Together, the PLC and IO-Link Master provide a complete data chain from the temperature and flow sensors all the way to the cloud. This connectivity benefits from VPN firewalls and integrated cybersecurity protection to ensure that process-level components can safely be linked to higher-level systems and to the internet to enable remote access.

• Visualisation of the processes • Harnessing process data to enable continuous improvement and quality control The WAGO solution combined new hardware with a software system which both controls the process and provides graphs, numeric readouts and other visualisations which can be viewed both on-site and remotely. A New Open, Scalable Brewery Automation System At the heart of the upgrade was the replacement of the legacy controller with a WAGO PFC100 programmable logic controller (PLC 750-8112), which handles OPC UA, MQTT, Modbus, Ethernet IP and many other protocols. This broad support for standard industrial control

48 FDPP - www.fdpp.co.uk

Now for the first time, accurate measurements of flow, temperature and viscosity were available in the brewhouse or remotely via the cloud, alongside reliable volume measurements available throughout the process. This meant that the most important parts of the brewing process were

automated: •A utomated Hot Liquor Tank (HLT) temperature control, compensating for ambient conditions •P recise water dosing using flow sensors •S afety cut-offs and alarms to protect equipment and prevent unplanned downtime The control software was engineered from the ground up around Orm’s actual brewing process, rather than forcing it to fit a generic template. Alongside the automation equipment, a new Web Panel 400 10.1” display provides clear visibility of each brewing stage, giving brewers confidence in what the system is doing at all times. Chris Stanley was immediately struck by the way automation was going to transform his craft. He says: ‘The first time that I saw the flow meter hit the target and the pump just automatically stop, I realised just how precise we could make the whole brewing process.’

Data-driven Brewing Replaces Guesswork The upgraded system supports recipe entry and storage, visualisation of water dosing during mashing, and automated prompts for key additions during the boil. Critical process parameters are logged, creating a growing dataset which supports consistency and continuous improvement. Temperature control during fermentation, often spanning several days, is now fully automated, including a controlled step-down chilling process at the end of fermentation to protect yeast health. When it comes time to rack, brewers know exactly how much beer is available, allowing the correct number of casks to be cleaned and prepared in advance. Remote connectivity configured by the Orm’s Brewhouse team allows WAGO engineers to provide support and troubleshooting without the need for site visits. This is a major advantage for a rural brewery. Chris Stanley concludes: ‘Efficiency isn’t just about saving time or ingredients — it’s what allows a small brewery like ours to grow. With WAGO’s automation in place, we finally have the visibility and control we need to trust the process from start to finish. It gives us more concentration time to get the recipe right, to stop processes at the right moment, so that when we get the brew in the fermenter, it’s the best that it can be.’

Crucially, the modern control platform provides a foundation for future optimisation. The brewery already operates a large on-site solar installation, and has written code to enable surplus solar generation to be diverted into heating the HLT. Electricity worth around £0.08 per kWh when exported from solar sources can instead offset heat that would otherwise cost around £0.24 per kWh to buy from the brewery’s energy supplier. This capability is only possible because the open control system has been designed from the outset to enable extension over time. A Long-term Partner in Automation The solution for Orm’s Brewhouse worked so well in part because of the modularity of the equipment available from WAGO and others. But it was just as much to do with the nature of the collaboration between customer and supplier. WAGO’s open approach allowed the WAGO PLC and control architecture to be engineered around the brewery’s real process, ensuring accuracy, repeatability and long-term flexibility. As a vendoragnostic automation provider, WAGO seamlessly integrated IO-Link sensors from third-party suppliers alongside existing equipment, protecting the brewery’s prior

investment while enabling modern, data-driven brewery automation. The modular, scalable architecture devised by WAGO ensures that the system can evolve as production volumes grow, recipes change, and the brewery implements new methods for optimising energy generation and consumption. Underpinning all this technology, however, is a relationship: WAGO’s application engineering team worked directly with the brewers, combining their deep automation expertise with Purves’ and Stanley’s hands-on understanding of the brewing process, to produce a robust, future-ready system that the brewing team can trust. As John Mackey, Head of Automation Sales at WAGO UK & Ireland, says, ‘For WAGO, what makes this a moment of success is seeing the focussed application of automation to help the company deliver on its goal of creating a really high-quality beer. Together we have married the craft and artisan element of the brewing process with modern automation for data harvesting and quality control, which is ultimately what is going to enable Orm’s Brewhouse to develop as a business.’ www.wago.com

The Result: Energy Efficiency, Sustainability and a Future-Ready Platform Since the upgrade, Orm’s Brewhouse has gained a far higher level of confidence in its brewing process. Improved temperature control has significantly increased consistency, automation has reduced waste and manual intervention, and brew days are shorter and less stressful. Energy efficiency has also improved. Automated pump shutdowns, timed HLT heating and better process visibility have reduced unnecessary runtime, lowering both energy consumption and operating costs.

FDPP - www.fdpp.co.uk 49

More hygienic, longer-lasting, more intuitive: The new butter packaging “FoldWrap” For generations, the “stick of butter” has always looked the same on store shelves. That’s about to change. IMA Benhil GmbH has the right solution for it.

Admittedly, there’s something familiar about the folded butter packaging. Established over decades, every consumer knows exactly how to handle it. Everything as usual—and in a way, that’s a good thing. However, almost unnoticed, much has changed—just like with many other packaged products—when it comes to product protection, handling, and recycling. Benhil asked itself: Can the classic character of butter packaging be preserved while significantly improving these features? The answer: Yes, it can! Let’s learn from pouch packaging— the right way! For many years now, aromasensitive products have been successfully packaged using recyclable mono-material films in hermetically sealed, easy-toopen pouch formats. To bring the same protection to fresh products like butter while maintaining the familiar cuboid shape, Benhil developed FoldWrap, a globally patented process for products such as butter, margarine and cooking fats. Visually similar to traditional butter packaging, FoldWrap offers five key advantages:

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1. Sustainable: FoldWrap is compatible with sustainable materials, from mono-material films with over 90% recyclability to compostable plastics and paper-based packaging.

various options, including butter embossing. Combined with its mirrored sister unit, it forms a high-performance line designed for single operator use and full redundancy.

2. Hermetically sealed and hygienic packaging: The sealing prevents contact with the atmosphere. The product stays fresh for longer, and the shelf life is extended.

Trusted partnerships drive innovation and market success.

3. Aroma protection: Preserves the aroma and sensory quality of the packaged product. 4. Tamper-evident seal: Gives consumers confidence in the integrity of the product. 5. Easy opening: Simply grab the marked tab > pull > done! All common consumer habits are supported—and in every case, your fingers stay clean. Less material, no energy input! Since the process places minimal demands on the packaging material, basis weight can be reduced by up to 50%, with further material savings depending on the format. The wrapper is separated directly from the flat web, eliminating punching waste. Coldlacquer sealing requires no heat, protecting sensitive products while reducing energy consumption. In addition, the new packaging provides a larger printable surface area. Compact machine, universally expandable. The FoldWrap 1800 is based on a proven machine concept, offering up to 140 packs per minute in a compact footprint. Available in trough or direct-feed versions, it can be equipped with

On the packaging material side, our collaboration with Huhtamaki Flexibles in Ronsdorf has proven highly effective. Their expertise in highly recyclable monomaterial films has been a valuable contribution. Introducing new ideas—or even new packaging—in the highly conservative butter market requires courage and conviction. Benhil GmbH Blindeisenweg 17 41468 Neuss Tel.: +49 2131 99 5512 Mail: info.benhil@ima.it www.imagroup.com/food/dairyplant-based-products/ www.imagroup.com

MAKE THE MOST OF EVERY DAIRY PRODUCT

PACKAGING SOLUTIONS FOR DAIRY AND PLANT-BASED PRODUCTS IMA serves the international dairy and dairy alternative industries with the best platforms and machines, consistently providing tailored technologies for the packaging of cheese, butter, margarine, yoghurt, desserts, UHT milk and more. From stand-alone machines to fully-integrated solutions, our advanced technologies and expert consultancy ensure tailored support for every need, from primary to end of line packaging solutions. Make the most, with us.

info.dairy@ima.it imagroup.com/food/dairy-plant-based-products

How the right components make for faster, easier maintenance

PLAVI ES9542R – Premium Labels, Produced In-House with WHITE Toner

From Rexnord™ KleanTop™ conveyor belts to Sealmaster™ bearings and Bauer™ HiflexDrive geared motors, Regal Rexnord™ offers an impressive array of components that help food

For food and drink producers, labels need to stand out on the shelf and withstand everyday handling. The OKI PLAVI ES9542R brings

manufacturers keep their lines

professional, on-demand

clean and productive.

label production in-house,

In their latest free white paper, The True Cost of Clean, the Regal Rexnord team explores how careful equipment

giving businesses greater control over short runs, product launches and changing requirements.

choices can reduce everyday cleaning and maintenance

Combining digital LED and dry toner technology with five-

work. This ranges from belt designs that simplify access and

colour CMYK+WHITE printing, it creates vibrant designs

repairs, bearing options that reduce routine maintenance,

on clear and coloured materials. Waterproof, grease-proof

and smooth stainless steel geared motors designed for demanding cleaning regimes. Through seven practical steps, the paper shows where equipment design can save time and effort. It also shows

and alcohol-resistant labels make it ideal for bottles, chilled products and demanding food and drink environments. Compatible with paper and synthetic films, the press handles roll media up to 330mm wide.

how to weigh cleaning, maintenance and energy costs

Supplied as an OKI printer and DPR unwinder/rewinder

alongside the purchase price.

bundle, it supports efficient roll-to-roll production for wineries, distilleries and food manufacturers.

Whether you’re replacing a troublesome component or planning a new food production line, explore the options available. Download your free copy of The

With no printing plates required, businesses can produce labels as needed, helping to reduce waste and turnaround times. Optional finishing equipment is also available.

True Cost of Clean by scanning the

Speak to our print specialist to discuss

QR Code.

your application: +44 (0) 7480486306

High Power in a Compact Design: The New SNT9524 from FEAS With the new SNT9524 switch-mode power supply, FEAS introduces a remarkably compact yet highly powerful unit for demanding industrial environments. Measuring only 110 x 132 x 138 mm, the SNT9524 delivers an impressive 540 W / 700 VA with an output current of 15 A. It can be easily mounted on a DIN rail or wall and operates reliably within a temperature range of –40 °C to +80 °C. Its robust aluminum housing with full encapsulation provides complete protection against dust, moisture, and vibration. LED and relay indicators show mains, overload, and temperature status. A 130% current boost, automatic overtemperature shutdown with restart, and full overload, no-load, short-circuit, and Fuse Mode protection ensure maximum operational safety. The SNT9524 meets all relevant VDE, EN, UL, CSA, CE, and UKCA standards, offering PELV/SELV safety voltage and parallel connection capability. With its combination of performance, reliability, and compact design, FEAS once again sets the benchmark for rugged

Industrial Quality Interface & Protocol Converters KDE485 C Programmable Converter An oven-ready solution for your new IoT, protocol conversion, data acquisition or telemetry project

◘ Free and license-free C development kit (STM Cube IDE) ◘ Ethernet TCP/IP with TLS HTTPS security & USB ◘ Four Serial Ports 232/4xx ◘ Analog I/O 16/22 bit & 4-20mA ◘ PT100/1k & TC input ◘ Lots of example code ◘ GPS Time Server for high security LANs ◘ Expandable I/O ◘ ARINC429 ◘ Remote FW updates ◘ Made in UK ◘ From £129

industrial power supplies Made in Germany. FEAS GmbH www.feas.com

52 FDPP - www.fdpp.co.uk

KK Systems Ltd 01273 857185

kksystems.com/kde485

From chiller cabinets to promotional bottle neckers, the OKI C651dn printer enables food and drink producers to print full-colour tags and labels on demand, cut to shape and personalised label by label. Short-run labels and tags are where a lot of food and drink businesses lose time and money. Order too many and you’re stuck with stock that doesn’t match your next recipe change or promotion. Order too few and you’re back at the printer next week, waiting on turnaround. For processors, packers and independent producers working with small batches or seasonal lines, that cycle adds cost and slows everything down.

bottle neckers, hang tags and other die-cut shapes to be produced without a separate cutting machine or an outside supplier. Load a pack of pre-cut sheets, print, and peel off ready-to-use labels or tags, no minimum order, no waiting on a courier. Variable data adds a second layer of flexibility. Batch codes, best-before dates, pricing and promotional

messaging can all be personalised label by label within a single print run, useful for date-coded chilled goods and limited-run promotional stickers alike. Underneath that flexibility sits a printer built for the conditions food and drink packaging has to withstand. The C651dn prints up to 35 pages a minute in full colour at 1200 x 1200 dpi, for sharp text, clean

The OKI C651dn offers a practical way out: an A4 sheet-fed colour printer that brings tag and label production back in-house, on demand and in full colour. It prints directly onto A4 pre-cut label and tag sheets, allowing round stickers,

FDPP - www.fdpp.co.uk 53

DoughLAB targets UK with sourdough pizza designed to reduce kitchen preparation Madre producer seeks distributors, foodservice wholesalers and retail partners.

Hungarian pizza producer The DoughLAB is seeking UK distributors, foodservice wholesalers and retail partners for its Madre range of hand-stretched sourdough pizzas. Madre uses an active liquid sourdough originating from Altamura in southern Italy, fed daily rather than supplied as an inactive powder. The dough is fermented for 48 hours and has a hydration level of approximately 80%. The company is targeting hotels, restaurants, pubs and caterers looking to reduce the staff time needed for kitchen preparation. Labour costs remain a concern for

54 FDPP - www.fdpp.co.uk

the sector, with 85% of hospitality respondents citing them as a

complete the final cooking stage after thawing.

pressure in the British Chambers of Commerce’s first-quarter 2026 survey . [1]

The range is designed to let operators serve Neapolitan-style pizza without needing a specialist pizza chef on each shift, at a time when chef recruitment activity is increasing. CV-Library recorded 40,395 chef job adverts between April and June 2026, up 83.4% year on year, according to the Craft Guild of Chefs[2]. DoughLAB completes fermentation, stretching, topping and the first bake at its factory near Budapest, leaving kitchen staff to

Josep Zara, co-founder and chief executive of The DoughLAB, said: “We wanted to take the most difficult and unpredictable part of the process out of the restaurant and move it into a controlled environment. If the fermentation, stretching, ingredients and first bake can be controlled centrally, the restaurant team can concentrate on service instead of reproducing an entire specialist production process during every shift.” The pizzas can be finished in approximately 2–2.5 minutes after thawing, in an oven preheated to

250–350°C. Potential uses include late-night hotel food service, allowing staff to prepare a hot meal after the main kitchen team has finished work. Each pizza is stretched and topped by hand, using ingredients including DOP San Marzano tomatoes, before being par-baked on volcanic stone at around 450°C. The dough and tomato sauce contain no additives or preservatives. The pizzas then pass through a liquid-nitrogen freezing tunnel at DoughLAB’s 2,000 sq m factory in Szigetszentmiklós. The cryogenic process freezes them rapidly, producing smaller ice crystals than slower freezing methods to help preserve the dough’s open structure and the texture of the toppings.

The facility represents an investment of approximately 1.5 billion Hungarian forints and was designed for an initial capacity of around 27,000 pizzas a day, with scope to increase this to 100,000. Hand-stretching remains part of the production process at both volumes. Josep added: “The easiest way to increase output would be to automate everything. But if you press this type of dough mechanically, you can destroy the structure that gives a Neapolitan pizza its characteristic rim. Working with living dough at this scale is difficult, but that is exactly why we decided to keep hand-stretching as part of the process.”

wholesalers, alongside direct supply agreements with retail chains. The DoughLAB produces Neapolitan-style sourdough pizza for hospitality and retail under the Madre brand. Its production facility is in Szigetszentmiklós, near Budapest. www.thedoughlab.eu British Chambers of Commerce, Quarterly Recruitment Outlook, 8 April 2026.

[1]

Craft Guild of Chefs, reporting CV-Library recruitment data, 13 July 2026. These figures refer to job advertisements, rather than a count of unfilled positions.

[2]

Madre is already available in Hungary. DoughLAB plans to supply UK hospitality businesses through distributors and foodservice

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Globally recognised as one of the market leaders in top-loading packaging machines Schubert has made modularity and flexibility its model for success.

Since 1966, Gerhard Schubert GmbH has been breaking new ground in packaging technology from its home in Crailsheim, Germany. The idea behind it is simple. Combine straightforward mechanics with intelligent controls, and build every line from nine standardised components: specialist robots, the Vision System, the Transmodul transport robot, the Flowmodul flow-wrapper, the VMS control system and more. The result is a machine that can package virtually any product and grows as your business does. In the UK and Ireland, that technology is backed by Schubert UK Limited, which has operated from Birmingham Business Park since 2002. The team sits minutes from the airport, the rail network and the main motorways, so customers are never far away. The numbers speak for themselves. Schubert UK has delivered more than 600 TLM frames and 2,500 robots to manufacturers including Premier Foods, Warburtons, Müller, Charlie Bighams, Patak’s, Tunnock’s,

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KP Snacks, Danone, John West, Fox’s Burtons and Haribo. Bakery, confectionery, snacks, dairy, beverage, pet food and healthcare producers all rely on Schubert lines to deliver flexibility, performance, efficiency and scalability. Because the system is modular, a line can be extended as demand grows rather than replaced.

and administration. Long service is

It isn’t only the big brands. Small and mid-sized manufacturers are now Schubert UK’s fastest-growing market. Many once thought Schubert was out of reach, but the picture changes once they look at total operating costs and the value of a future-proofed line. For standardised tasks, the Lightline series of Cartonpacker, Pickerline and Flowpacker offers Schubert quality at a lower entry price and significantly reduced lead-times.

portal. Dedicated Service Account

At the helm is Managing Director Mark Stepney, an engineer who joined in 2009 as Head of Operations and took over as Managing Director in 2012. He leads a loyal, tight-knit team across sales, service, technical support

team and support close at hand:

the norm, a reflection of Schubert’s family-oriented culture. When it comes to support, Schubert UK is local and on hand. Engineers and technicians assist customers anywhere in the UK and Ireland, on site or remotely via the 4YOUCONNECT customer Managers cover troubleshooting, spare parts, maintenance agreements and line modifications. Every engineer completes an intensive 4–8 week training programme at Schubert’s German headquarters, and customers can book certified, tailor-made on-site training for their own engineers and operators. Proven technology, a dedicated that’s what Schubert UK brings to British and Irish manufacturing. +44 1676 525825 contact@schubert-uk.co.uk www.schubert.group

TLM | engineered for performance

LIGHTLINE | standardized for simplicity

TOG | built for versatility

Discover the three Schubert product lines for packaging tasks of any size and complexity.

APM Steam Helps Food Manufacturing Facilities Cut Steam Losses and Downtime Through Expert Steam Trap Surveys Increases energy efficiency, operational integrity, and safety in a facility’s steam distribution system.

American Plant Maintenance (APM Steam), a leading provider of steam system maintenance services, highlights its steam trap surveys that create a complete inventory of steam traps, identify failing units, and uncover trap station issues that reduce thermal energy delivery and hinder proper condensate removal in food manufacturing facilities. Many buildings use steam for heating and for other processes. In many cases, steam systems waste up to 20% of their energy through leaks. The biggest source of leaks is malfunctioning steam traps. Even well-maintained facilities experience 15-20% failure rates per year according to the US Department of Energy. Traps that haven’t been

maintained for a few years can have failure rates as high as 50%. For food manufacturers, steam trap failures directly impact critical operational priorities. Failed steam traps compromise temperature control in thermal processes, which is a direct food safety concern under FSMA regulations. Malfunctioning traps also cause unplanned line stops that disrupt production schedules and reduce operational efficiency. With rising energy costs and increasing pressure to reduce carbon emissions, addressing steam system inefficiencies has become essential for food and beverage facilities managing energy-intensive thermal processes like cooking, pasteurization, and sterilization.

APM Steam experts conduct steam trap surveys to test and document operational status using ultrasound and temperature differentials. Survey data provides a complete trap inventory and extensive system information in a detailed report outlining findings and recommendations, a synopsis of results, and a return-on-investment calculation that compares replacement costs with losses associated with failed traps. Throughout the survey, field technicians evaluate the steam trap and surrounding elements including isolation valves, inlet strainers, check valves, bypasses, and test valves. The survey identifies any issues that could prevent safe repairs or require facility shutdown. Each trap receives a numbered stainless-steel tag for easy identification. Surveys document trap location, application, steam pressure, manufacturer, model, pipe size, temperatures, and installation details. This information highlights access issues, confined space requirements, and potential repair challenges. The detailed ROI calculation includes survey costs, replacement traps, and labor, compared against losses from failed traps. Facility managers can review the payback period, and many facilities find repair projects pay for themselves in less than a year. For more information visit www.apmsteam.com/pages/services

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UK Manufacturer of PET/ rPET Bottles and Wide Neck Jar Solutions

Moulded Packaging Solutions Ltd is a family-owned manufacturer of plastics packaging, based in Blyth, Northumberland. Established in 2006 by industry experts Alan Charlton and Iain McLeod, the company began production in 2007 from a modest 6,000 sq ft facility in South Northumberland. With over 60 years of combined experience in polymer manufacturing, plastics moulding, and packaging, our founders created a lean and responsive operation tailored to meet customer needs. Specializing in

waste management support our commitment to reducing our carbon footprint. Under the joint leadership of Charlton (Managing Director) and McLeod (Manufacturing Director), MPS positions itself as a responsive, independent UK manufacturer— merging community roots with international reach. Our mission is to provide customers with adaptable, premium-grade packaging solutions while promoting regional employment and sustainable practices.

PET/rPET containers, MPS provides both a range of standard items and fully customized designs. Our focus covers various sectors, from food service to industrial applications, with a strong emphasis on reusable, recyclable, and sustainable products. Quality assurance is fundamental to MPS. We are ISO 9001:2015 certified, and in 2018, we achieved an AA grade under the BRCGS Packaging Global Standard on our first attempt—a distinction we consistently uphold. Additionally, our investments in ecoefficient machinery, green energy sourcing, and environmental

MPS is here to assist, creating packaging solutions tailored to our customers’ needs, guiding them through the development process from the initial concept to the finished product. Our highly skilled design and mould manufacturing team has access to a variety of global resources. Our customers can trust that our mould quality and manufacturing lead times are among the best in the industry, as we maintain highly competitive mould prices and aim to transition from the finalization of approved designs to production-scale manufacturing in as little as 8 weeks.

Some other key information: • Manufacturing our own preforms as part of two-stage injection blow moulding • Bottles and Jars stock ranging from 100ml-6000ml • Various shapes including round, square, rectangular, and square round • Recent investment includes 38mm neck, to go alongside our popular 63mm, 70mm and 110mm • Capacity to expand and undertake new projects At MPS, we’re proud to be one of the few remaining independent UK based manufacturers where our flexibility offers key benefits to our customers. www.mps-europe.com

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Affordable Vision Solutions: Healthy vision shouldn’t cost the earth

We’ve always been ahead of the curve when it comes to innovation and design.

Here at daysoft® we’re focused on what matters: providing simple, affordable vision solutions that are kinder to the planet without compromising on quality. We believe healthy eyesight should be affordable for everyone So we cut out the middleman and pass the savings to you. daysoft® lenses are made to rigorously high standards in our UK lab and then sold online, straight to you. As the only company in the world that design, make and sell contact lenses directly to customers, we’re able to replace other brands for a fraction of the price without compromising quality. We’re trailblazers in innovation and expertise We’ve always been ahead of the curve when it comes to innovation and design. Our chairman, Ron Hamilton, invented daily disposables and built the world’s first laboratory dedicated to making them. We continue to innovate and improve, using patented daysoft® technology and our unique Soft-Edge™ design to offer you the safest way to wear

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lenses at an amazingly affordable price. We’re the environmentally conscious choice We’re conscious that single-use daily disposables have an impact on our planet. That’s why we’re working towards innovative solutions to reduce our carbon footprint. Our unique INPAC technology enables us to reduce excess plastic waste by up to 50%. Our vision Safe, accessible, healthy eye care for everyone is at the heart of our vision at daysoft®.

Management System, compliant with ISO 13485:2016. • Approved under the European Medical Device Regulation (EU 2017/745) and under The Medical Device Regulations (Canada), licence #61427 • We’re also subject to regular audits by SGS Belgium Ltd, to ensure we continue to meet regulatory requirements, including stringent checks on the effectiveness of our sterilisation process. How we make daysoft® contact lenses

ALL OF OUR CONTACT LENSES ARE:

daysoft’s® manufacturing process has been designed around the high specification details of the contact lens itself. Our state-of-the-art facility in Blantyre, Scotland only makes daily-disposable lenses and our processes, along with a highly skilled workforce allow us to supply you with the highest quality lenses at the most affordable price.

• Manufactured under the control of a certified Quality

For further information, please visit www.daysoft.com

Our contact lenses are medical devices, and as such are required to meet strict standards, measured through a rigorous regulatory framework.

Daily Disposable Contact Lenses

From only 27p per lens

Loved Around The World

To order our amazingly affordable daily disposable contact lenses - loved around the world - visit daysoft.com Over 1.25 billion daysoft® lenses sold. Visit daysoft.com/map. daysoft® is a Registered Trade Mark of DAYSOFT Limited

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Sugar packaging transformed with ROVEMA SBS Brick Pack Technology

ROVEMA UK has successfully delivered an advanced sugar packaging solution for British Sugar. Helping to modernise their production with a flexible, highperformance, brick pack system capable of handling a multitude of product formats, all while overcoming installation challenges along the way. Every new packaging project presents its own unique requirements, and for British Sugar, the objective was very clear: Introduce a highly flexible packaging solution that can produce a variety of retail sugar formats, whilst also maintaining exceptional pack quality, efficiency and long-term reliability. Working closely with the team at British Sugar, ROVEMA UK supplied and installed both its SBS Single Tube and SBS Twin Tube brick pack systems, creating a versatile production solution capable of packing sugar products ranging from 500g through to 2kg into fully recyclable, shelf-ready brick packs.

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Engineering Beyond the Machine

design, demonstrating ROVEMA’s commitment to delivering

This project clearly demonstrated that successful installations rely on much more than supplying world-class machinery. One of the biggest challenges came before the production had even begun. With the packaging equipment destined for a second-floor production area, the standard and conventional installation methods were not feasible due to restricted access. Rather than allowing the building constraints to dictate the project, ROVEMA engineers redesigned the machines so they could be transported into the location in two sections, carefully hoisted into position before being reassembled and commissioned on-site. ROVEMA firmly believes that customers should never have to adapt their vision to suit the equipment. This customer-focused approach enabled the installation to proceed without compromising the machine’s performance or

innovative engineering solutions while fully meeting British Sugar’s installation requirements. Flexible Packaging for Multiple Formats Located within British Sugar’s packing facility, the SBS Single and SBS Twin Tube systems provide the flexibility needed to package a broad range of sugar products on the same production line. The ROVEMA SBS system combines Vertical Form Fill and Seal (VFFS) technology with specialist downstream modules to create compact, stackable brick packs in one continuous process. While widely recognised for powder applications, the SBS platform has a record proven of versatility across the food and non-food sectors, with more than 350 installations operating today worldwide.

Its modular design optimises every stage of the packaging process, from bag forming and accurate filling through to sealing and final pack shaping, ensuring consistent quality regardless of the product format.

even product flow, while the gentle filling minimises any dust generation, helping maintain clean seals, consistent weights, and reliable packaging performance all throughout production.

The SBS Twin Tube system itself is delivering impressive outputs of up to 100 bags per minute on the British Sugar application, with the wider SBS platform currently operating at speeds of up to 160 bags per minute depending on the product and pack formats.

Building Long-Term Partnerships

Working alongside the twin-tube system, the SBS Single Tube machine provides additional production flexibility while maintaining identical levels of precision, pack quality and reliability before transferring finished packs directly to the downstream palletising system. Precision Filling for Consistent Performance Positioned above each packaging machine is a ROVEMA SDH Servo Auger Doser, designed to deliver accurate filling performance while maintaining high production speeds. Using servo-controlled auger technology, the system precisely controls exactly how much product enters every pack. Continuous product mixing within the hopper ensures an

Since commissioning the systems, British Sugar has achieved production outputs that have exceeded expectations on selected pack formats, demonstrating the benefits of combining advanced packaging technology with collaborative project management. For ROVEMA, this project reflects the company’s philosophy that every installation is different and should be tailored to the customer’s operational requirements.

an important part of every project we undertake. This installation demonstrates that our job is so much more than simply supplying a packaging machine. We need to understand each application, overcome any engineering challenges, and deliver a tailored solution that continues to perform for many years. We’re delighted to have supported British Sugar with this project and look forward to continuing our strong partnership.” For manufacturers looking to improve packaging efficiency, increase flexibility or modernise existing production lines, ROVEMA UK provides complete packaging solutions, from product trials and system design through to installation, commissioning and

Whether overcoming complex installation constraints, integrating specialist dosing technology, or delivering flexible packaging solutions capable of supporting future production demands, the focus remains the same: helping customers achieve reliable, efficient and long-term packaging performance. Alex Spain, Marketing Manager at ROVEMA UK, commented:

ongoing lifecycle support. About ROVEMA ROVEMA is a globally recognised manufacturer of packaging machines and turnkey systems for dry goods, powders, and liquids. With a focus on sustainability, innovation, and performance, ROVEMA helps customers achieve efficient, resource-saving packaging solutions that meet both market

“Every customer has different production requirements, and that’s why collaboration is such

demands and environmental goals. www.rovema.com

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Review how the drive is assembled SIT also offers keyless shaft locking

Drive Choice Matters

SIT DRIVE SOLUTIONS devices for connecting hubs to shafts. Reviewing the connection offers belts, pulleys, alongside the belt, pulley or Selecting drives forshaft food processing and packaging couplings and coupling helps define a complete machinery. specification. Installation method, locking devices. shaft and hub tolerances, access for Start with the duty, maintenance and the engineering decision, with a clear rigidity for precise motion. Check When the same drive issue keeps manufacturer’sreason assembly to proceed. peak loads and permissible returning, the component price tells the environment misalignment when selecting a only part of the story. What does instructions all belong in that To arrange a 20 minute drive coupling. the interruption cost, and why does and the outcome discussion. review, send your speed, torque, it keep happening? shaft sizes and operating Check the environment you need to achieve. conditions to PALS SALES. We will Start with the recurring problem Food processing requires attention agree whether there is a useful Make the next step to cleaning, temperature and Repeated belt tensioning, coupling next step. material exposure.measurable SIT’s ELAClean® wear or inconsistent positioning are For further information, please reasons to investigate the complete monolithic belts are designed for Look beyond nominal torque www.pals-sales.com/contact A useful reviewvisit starts with one drive. When does the problem food contact applications. Confirm occur? Has the operating speed, suitability for the food being machine and a sales@pals-sales.com clear outcome. TRASCO® ES combines load or cleaning routine changed? zero handled, cleaning chemicals and 0333 090 7822 pattern, Record the present failure What happens to output when the backlash operation with anoperating conditions. machine stops? Establishing the time spent on maintenance and any elastomeric element that absorbs Review how the drive is assembled symptoms and their consequences lost output. Then agree what a gives a drive review a very practical shock and vibration. SERVOPLUS® SIT also offers keyless shaft purpose. proposed change would need to bellows couplings offer torsional locking devices for connecting demonstrate and how it would be to shafts. Reviewing the Match the transmission to the duty rigidity for precise motion. hubs Check connection alongside the belt, assessed. If the existing drive is peak and permissible SIT Driveloads Solutions offers timing pulley or coupling helps define a suitable, that is a useful conclusion belts and pulleys, polyurethane complete specification. Installation misalignment when selecting a belt drives, couplings and shaft method, shaft andtoo. hub tolerances, The aim is a justified coupling. locking devices. The starting point is access for maintenance and engineering decision, with a clear the machine requirement: torque, the manufacturer’s assembly speed, acceleration, duty cycle and instructions all belong in that reason to proceed. available space. Timing accuracy, discussion. Check the environment shock loads and maintenance Make the next step measurable access also influence the choice. Food processing requires attention To arrange a 20 minute drive A replacement selected only by its to cleaning, temperature and A useful review starts with one dimensions may leave the original review, send your speed, torque, machine and a clear outcome. problem unresolved. material exposure. SIT’s ELAClean® shaft and operating conditions Record the present failuresizes pattern, monolithic belts are designed timefor spent on maintenance Look beyond nominal torque to PALSand SALES. We will agree any lost output. Then agree what food ®contact applications. Confirm a proposed changewhether would needthere is a useful next step. TRASCO ES combines zero suitability forwith theanfood being to demonstrate and how it would backlash operation be and assessed. If the existing drive is elastomeric element that absorbs handled, cleaning chemicals sales@pals-sales.com suitable, that is a useful conclusion shock and vibration. SERVOPLUS® operating conditions. 0333 090 7822 too. The aim is a justified bellows couplings offer torsional

64 FDPP - www.fdpp.co.uk rther information, please visit www.pals-sales.com/contact

SIT DRIVE SOLUTIONS offers belts, pulleys, couplings and shaft locking devices. Start with the duty, the environment and the outcome

WHAT IS RECURRING DOWNTIME REALLY COSTING YOUR LINE? Belts, pulleys, couplings and shaft locking devices for food processing and packaging machinery. Could one drive deserve a closer look?

TIMING BELTS / POLYURETHANE BELTS / COUPLINGS / LOCKING DEVICES

TIMING BELTS & PULLEYS

POLYURETHANE BELTS

ELAClean®

Components for synchronous drives

ELATECH® drive and conveying belts

Monolithic food contact belts

TRASCO® ES

SERVOPLUS®

SIT-LOCK®

Zero backlash and vibration damping

Bellows couplings for precise motion

Keyless shaft locking devices

REVIEW THE COMPLETE DRIVE APPLICATION Match the selection to the load, motion, environment and maintenance needs.

NOT CERTAIN WHICH DRIVE SOLUTION SUITS YOUR APPLICATION? Send us your speed, torque, shaft sizes and operating conditions. Start with one recurring issue or a new machine requirement.

PALS-SALES | UK APPLICATION SUPPORT sales@pals-sales.com | 0333 090 7822 | pals-sales.com

REQUEST A 20 MINUTE DRIVE REVIEW pals-sales.com/contact

GEA expands batch milking portfolio with semi-subway installation concept Automated group milking with the DairyRobot R9600 at fixed milking times and with reduced construction requirements. GEA is expanding its automated group milking portfolio with the DairyRobot R9600 as a semisubway installation concept for batch milking. The solution combines fixed milking times and automated processes with a high degree of planning flexibility – both for new-build projects and for integration into existing farm and building structures. As an addition to the DairyRobot R9650 fullsubway solution, GEA now offers another option for farms looking to implement batch milking for the first time or modernize existing systems. Automated group milking for predictable processes Batch milking refers to the automated milking of cows in groups at fixed times. Unlike voluntary milking, where cows visit the milking robot individually throughout the day, batch milking takes place within clearly defined time windows. This creates predictable routines and combines familiar herd management practices with automated milking technology. The DairyRobot R9600 is designed for farms with medium to large herds that require predictable milking routines and clear daily structures. Fixed milking times bring structure to daily farm operations, making it easier to coordinate employees, cow groups and herd routines. Performance groups – such as high-yielding cows or animals with special needs – can also be planned in a targeted way. Clearly defined processes further simplify onboarding for new staff and support consistent training on the farm. Semi-subway installation concept reduces construction requirements

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The semi-subway installation concept reduces construction requirements compared with a fullsubway solution. It uses a simplified underground structure of about one meter in depth, or an existing pit where suitable, to accommodate the milk lines. A complete basement underneath the milking boxes is not required. For farms with existing parlors or milking pits, this can make conversion easier, provided the on-site structural conditions are suitable.

The semi-subway installation concept reduces construction requirements compared with a full-subway solution. It uses a simplified underground structure of about one meter in depth, or an existing pit where suitable, to accommodate the milk lines and house the central receiver unit. Source: GEA

Central receiver unit supports efficient operations From a technical perspective, the DairyRobot R9600 and DairyRobot R9650 differ primarily in their structural integration and the placement of key components. Both concepts use the centralized receiver unit of the batch milking system for up to 12 milking boxes per receiver unit. With the DairyRobot R9650, the central technical units, including hygiene and disinfectant supply components, can be consolidated in the basement area beneath the robots. The DairyRobot R9600 also uses centralized receiver technology; however, the milk lines are accommodated in a simplified underground structure, while additional peripheral equipment is housed in a separate utility room depending on system planning. The centralized receiver unit helps consolidate technical components, makes operation and maintenance more efficient, and can reduce the consumption of water, energy and cleaning agents. Two batch milking options for different farm concepts With the DairyRobot R9600 and

DairyRobot R9650, GEA offers two batch milking systems for different structural requirements and farm strategies. The DairyRobot R9650 is aimed at farms that want to implement a full-subway solution with excellent accessibility and centralized technology. The DairyRobot R9600 is designed as a semi-subway installation concept for farms that want to combine automated group milking with reduced construction requirements. The system is available for both new-build and existing facilities and makes it easier for conventionally milking farms to transition to automated milking. Which solution is most suitable depends on herd size, barn layout, structural options and farm strategy. Further information on GEA’s batch milking portfolio will be available at this year’s EuroTier from November 10 to 13, 2026, in Hanover, Germany, in Hall 13, booth C25.

EMX _CLEANER FUEL _GREENER PERFORMANCE _EFFICIENT, COMPACT, MODULAR, AND FULLY ELECTRIC SUSTAINABLE STEAM FOR EVERY APPLICATION.

Avenue Road Birmingham, B7 4NU