Food & Drink Processing & Packaging - Issue 34 2021

FOOD & DRINK PROCESSING & PACKAGING Issue 34 2021

FPC Series Suction Cup: Portrait of a Specialist GEA launches new KDB 3 dairy centrifuge skid for fresh cheese production

Invaluable insights from data drive improved performance for the food and beverage sector

Contents

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

Digital Sales Manager Jessica Bennett T: 01227 392571

Business Manager Josh Holmes josh@mhmagazine.co.uk

Digital Manager Jamie Bullock jamie@fdpp.co.uk Tel: 01227 392571

Publishing Director Martin Holmes martin@fdpp.co.uk

Studio Designer Richard Bland richard@mhmagazine.co.uk

M H Media Global Ltd.

Office 15, Second Floor, Innovation House, Discovery Park, Ramsgate Road, Sandwich, Kent, CT13 9FD

Tel 01304 806039

www.fdpp.co.uk

Features

< 04 COVAL < 12 AXIUM PROCESS < 14 NORD < 22 IDS IMAGING < 26 LEUZE < 36 GEA < 38 HULL BOXES & PACKAGING < 46 ENGILICO < 50 COGNEX < 56 ASTAREAL < 61

PROSEAL

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.

FDPP - www.fdpp.co.uk 3

Proseal supports Chefgood’s recipe for success Advanced tray sealing technology from Proseal is supporting the continuing expansion of Chefgood, one of Australia’s leading producers of highquality, nutritious, home-delivery ready meals.

Established in 2014, Chefgood was born out of the desire to make affordable higher quality and healthier ready meals than those typically available on the Australian market. The company uses local ingredients, portion control and great taste to help customers sustain healthier, more balanced diets.

Two Proseal GT0e tray sealing machines

As well as the speed and efficiency of

comments Jared Simeti, General

the two GT0e models, Chefgood cites

Manager Operations of Chefgood.

the machines’ excellent reliability as a

“The installation went flawlessly,

key factor in their selection. In addition,

and the machines have continued to

the company says the tray sealing

perform without any issues. Just as

machines extensive reporting features

important, we know the Proseal service

are a valuable benefit in the setting and

technicians are always there to help

assessing of KPI measurements.

if we do experience any problems. In

throughput, handling around 35,000

“We have had fantastic support from

remained in close contact with us

trays every week.

Proseal throughout the project,”

during the Covid-19 pandemic when

have now been installed at the Chefgood factory in Moorabbin, Victoria, replacing the company’s original tray sealer from another supplier. The greater efficiency and higher speeds of the Proseal machines – some three times faster than the previous unit – have enabled Chefgood to achieve a much greater

4 FDPP - www.fdpp.co.uk

particular, our Proseal account manager

we had to adapt our working practices,

and sealing capabilities can be easily

“We have had a great response from

looking for ways to help us during this

retrofitted when they are developed.

businesses which have confirmed our

difficult time.”

supply,” says Jared. “Our products already Proseal tray sealing machines deliver

have the highest consumer rating on the

The Proseal GT0e has the flexibility

consistent and accurate throughput

market, and we are continuing to build

to perform any type of heat seal to a

thanks to unique features such as

our brand. The future looks very positive

pre-formed tray, including atmospheric,

Promotion™, which regulates the

and indeed, we are in the process of

Modified Atmosphere Packaging (MAP),

feeding of trays into the machine, and

looking for a new site, having outgrown

Vacuum MAP, Skin, Skin Plus and Skin

its ProPosition™ tray positioning system.

our current one.

Deep, and can handle all the latest

Seal strength and integrity are ensured by

tray formats and materials. Proseal

the company’s pioneering Eseal® high-

Australia’s local manufacturing of

force electric heat seal system.

tooling means the company is able to respond quickly to requests for new sets

The GT0e’s compact, rugged and hygienic

to meet changes in market demands.

food industry approved construction provides full washdown protection. A

Another significant benefit of the

user-friendly menu driven control panel

Proseal GT0e and all of the company’s

with step-by-step prompts, error and

tray sealing machines is that features can be added or removed as required.

This offers users valuable future

status displays, and batch pack counter, ensures ease of set-up.

proofing with the ability to adapt to new

Chefgood’s continuing success and

packaging trends. Equally essential,

growth has now led the company to

machines are designed so that new

develop a range of retail products, which

features which further increase speed

will be launched in May.

“With such growth plans, we are sure Proseal will continue to play a major role in regard to our packing room equipment.”

Founded in 1998, Proseal designs and manufactures high quality tray sealing machines, conveyor systems and sealing tools for food industry markets worldwide. Proseal is part of the JBT family, and together they remain committed to continually supporting customers’ needs. www.proseal.com www.jbtc.com

FDPP - www.fdpp.co.uk 5

Premier supplier of fixings and fasteners In these crucial times, it is important

• Stockist of metric and imperial fasteners

to work with a fastener company that

• Riveting

knows your industry. As a leading

• Drills & Taps

supplier of stainless fasteners to blue chip

• Cutting Fluids and Pastes

companies within the food processing

• Lubricants & Sprays

industry, Alfast Fixings & Fasteners

• Cutting & Abrasives

ensures our customers are supplied with

• Key Steel & Silver Steel

quality fasteners to maintain continued

• Studding

production line performance and productivity.

With over 40 years’ experience, Alfast specialises in the distribution of fasteners to the end user, and supplies fasteners to

To further enhance this, Alfast is ISO

SERVICES

registered to BS EN ISO9001:2015

• Nationwide 24/48 hour delivery

certification, enabling us to provide that

• Kanban/stock management systems

added quality assurance to our products.

• Kits and packing service

all types of industries including medical,

Alfast’s dedication to bringing satisfaction

manufacturing, engineering, automotive,

to its customers in providing products and

construction, and electronics.

services at competitive prices, together

Alfast takes pride in supplying high quality products to our customers.

with an unrivalled comprehensive level of customer service, are the key factors why our customers choose Alfast as their premier supplier for their fixings and fasteners. Alfast is the fastener company

• Trade counter

E-COMMERCE WEBSITE • Instant purchasing of products • Next day delivery • Click and Collect Service • New products added daily

you can trust.

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Unit 1 Avant Business Centre Buckinghamshire, MK1 1DL Tel: 01908 639181 Email: sales@alfast.co.uk www.alfast.co.uk

A BOLLFILTER in your Bottle Washing Line will help you reach 100% cleaning efficiency Whether you wash bottles or containers, BOLLFILTER Industrial Filtration Systems improve the lifetime of your Caustic Solution and ensure optimum performance over long periods, thanks to our proven global experience. Ask us for our Case Studies and see what we can do for you and your systems.

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Invaluable insights from data drive improved performance for the food and beverage sector The global pandemic has shone the

sector’s top-level needs, not much has

spotlight firmly on the food and beverage

changed over recent years. The prime

sector, with the fluctuating customer

driver is still all about driving better overall

demands stretching the food supply chain

equipment efficiency (OEE). This is a very

to its limit. Paul Haimes, vice president

traditional performance metric, but it

of field engineering at PTC, explains how

can be a single company metric, and it is

digital transformation can help the food

often measured in different ways. What

and beverage sector thrive operating in

is changing dramatically is how we are

this unpredictable market.

being asked to solve their issues. It is now all about Industry 4.0 and our industrial

The crisis has forced many in the food

IoT and augmented reality platforms,

and beverage sector to rethink the

ThingWorx and Vuforia.

established processes and accelerated the transformation that was already taking

An excellent example of the approach

place. Aside from the changing consumer

came from our recent work with Carlsberg,

patterns, there are also regulatory

who have deployed ThingWorx Industrial

standards to meet, allergens to minimise,

Internet of Things (IoT) Solutions Platform,

waste to manage, margins to increase

through Microsoft Azure, across 28 of its

ability to compare one factory with the

and the need to be prepared for any

breweries in Europe, and Asia. The solution

next and become more agile in responding

unforeseeable circumstances.

enables them to ensure transparency

to market demands.

across its worldwide operations and track Given this volatile landscape, it is no

and document the transformation of raw

Moving down to the factory floor, one of

surprise that the food and beverage

materials into finished goods.

the standard ways we are being asked to improve performances for process

industry is under immense pressure.

Managing the changing requirements

Production managers, both in the 28

manufacturers is for line changeovers.

while attempting to reduce costs, increase

breweries and those at headquarters, will

One of the most compelling capabilities

innovation, and improve quality is difficult

now be able to analyse our operations in

of Vuforia is the ability to capture some

for any business. However, the best

real time, on site, and remotely. The plan

of that tacit knowledge through Vuforia

way to overcome these challenges is to

is to build an end-to-end digital value

Expert Capture Augmented Reality. We can

transform your business by digitising. It

chain that will impact everything from

capture the line changeover best practice

is a trend that has been around for some

forecasting to procurement to brewing,

to embed that knowledge and make

time, but the ability it provides for greater

packaging, and logistics.

that consumable to others, particularly within the younger generation of factory

transparency into the process operations together with the business insights that

We call that strategy enterprise plant

operative who want to be consuming

can be gained from a consistent data

benchmarking. It has that singular

information at the point of use.

strategy are more compelling than ever.

roll-up of factory metrics that allows a company to carry out a factory-by-factory

Another growing area of importance is

DIFFERENT OPERATING LANDSCAPE BUT THE SAME CHALLENGES

comparison. At its heart is the desire to

overlaying geometry to help guide the

standardise the data that is pushed up

individual, which is a slightly different

When it comes to the food and beverage

into the enterprise view, giving them the

approach to the same challenge.

8 FDPP - www.fdpp.co.uk

Within this stack, each layer, from the machine sensors to the business systems, all communicate one layer up or one layer down. You cannot easily skip layers or see data from multiple layers simultaneously. That is where the Kepware server comes in with the world’s most extensive library of adapters into different PLCs and controllers from all manufacturers. You can quickly plug that in and then start pulling the data tags you require. You collect data from a highly proprietary environment and make that available into the Thingworx software to build dashboards to provide the insights that are required.

It is the same challenge whether you are a global manufacturer such as Carlsberg or one of the new breed of artisan producers going from strength to strength. What you are looking at is the yield and quality of your product.

Whatever the company’s size, you are looking to use data about your factory’s performance to make informed decisions and drive repeatability to keep your factory running longer.

PICKING WINNING INITIATIVES As the digital transformation gathers We use CAD geometry in a traditional

manufacturers, all with their own

pace, food and beverage manufacturers

augmented reality overlay to instruct them

languages and protocols, this can be

can face a confusing array of possible

on either a line changeover or equipment

problematic.

options. Making the right choice of

maintenance.

solution and partner can be fundamental Standardising plant floor communications

to an initiative’s success.

IT IS GOOD TO TALK

through a connectivity platform such as

The first step is accessing the data.

Kepware enables modern manufacturing

It all comes down to understanding what

Looking again at the Carlsberg

plants to implement new equipment

that customer is trying to achieve from

installation, it was all about collecting

and systems quickly. It simplifies the

a strategic perspective and what they

data, standardising this data, and sending

communications architecture, providing

are trying to accomplish within their

relevant insights up to the enterprise layer.

connectivity to an ever-growing list of

factory. Then it is about defining the

To do this required the ability to connect

devices and support for legacy, current,

expected value of the transformation

shopfloor devices to communicate data,

and future controllers’ firmware and

project – how big is the impact? How

which can be achieved with our Kepware

operating systems.

much can we reduce the time taken for

product. Real-time production control and analysis requires frequent information

Most food and beverage manufacturers

from all machines and equipment on

operate with an ISA-95 stack within

the plant floor. If you can analyse the

the Factory. The objectives of ISA-95

production data, you can optimise your

is to provide consistent terminology

line and ensure that the manufacturing

that is the foundation for manufacturer

systems operate efficiently. With most

communications, providing compatible

food and beverage shopfloors featuring

information models, and consistent

a myriad of devices from different

operating models.

a line changeover – or how much more uptime can we expect? And will it scale throughout the factory – and across multiple factories in the future? Within the Industrial IoT Solutions Platforms, there are answers for these and many other questions. www.ptc.com/en

FDPP - www.fdpp.co.uk 9

New level switches for maximum efficiency Ask any operator in a food processing

diverse ingredients. Even with the

LASTS 4 TIMES LONGER

plant - some of the smallest parts of

strongest build up, you can depend on

“With this device, we are specifically

the process, like the sensors doing the

its effectiveness at detecting the point

targeting the food, beverage and also

‘simplest’ detection and switching, can

level, it indicates the process status with

the pharmaceutical sectors. Here,

cause problems, overspills, feed supply

a super-bright 360° LED ring, that is

mixing, conveying and filling are all

easily visible from afar.

about efficiency and safety, even with

run-outs or long hold-ups – especially when they can’t keep up with the

demanding liquids and bulk solids like

demands of modern production and

VEGAPOINT 24

recipe variants.

Features a superbright 360 LED Users can select colours and flashing status to suit their process

molasses or homogenised creams,” explains Volker Allgaier, Product Manager at VEGA. The front-flush design of VEGAPOINT 24 especially ensures its universal application possibilities. “It means that it can even be installed and operate alongside pigging cleaning systems that can pass safely past its flat measuring tip,” Allgaier emphasises, “we made sure the measuring sensor face is more

VEGAPOINT 24 Flush hygienic point level

durable too, we tested this and it even

switch suitable for all media out of the box

copes with abrasive sandblasting.” This is because the ‘wetted’ measuring part in the process is mainly metal in its

NEW VEGAPOINT 24 LEVEL SWITCHES MASTER THE STICKY AND VISCOUS Many food products are developed with a distinctive texture in mind, whether they are “melt-in-your-

construction. “Compared to all-plastic measuring tips”, he concludes, “our

OUT OF THE BOX THINKING Thanks to this robustness, VEGAPOINT

extensive tests have shown the service life can be extended by a factor of 4.”

24 is really quick to deploy, as a

FITS LIKE A GLOVE

plug-&-play sensor it can be installed

Another decisive factor is flexibility of

very easily in just a few simple steps.

use through its versatile process fittings

Flexible production systems with

and adaptors. This is a level switch

frequent and fast product changes

designed to fit in your existing process

really benefit from the fact that it can

systems like a glove. This means users

detect all media utilising the ‘out of the

can achieve optimum visibility of their

box’ setting, without any adjustment.

processes with the new VEGAPOINT

Users can also take advantage of its

24 - the relationship between durability,

extra functions and capabilities with a

low life-cycle costs, partnered with

LIGHT UP YOUR LIFE

simple to use, smart phone App-based

ease of use and ‘easy to see’ indication,

VEGA has developed the new front-

Bluetooth wireless connectivity, to

makes it truly ground-breaking for

flush point level and interface switch

access and configure settings like liquid/

reliable point-level switching.

VEGAPOINT 24, designed especially

liquid interface detection or ignoring/

for use with challenging switching

detecting foam (VEGA TOOLS App free

duties required on very sticky, viscous

on iOS or Android). This is also where

or abrasive products. Its focus is to

you can customise LED colours and/or

provide the greatest possible robustness

flashing combinations for process status

More information available at

and reliability in the face of all these

notifications.

www.vega.com.

mouth” like some chocolates, grainy like hummus, tough and chewy, supersticky, satisfyingly crunchy or intensely super-soft and creamy. As a result of producing all these various textures and tastes, it in-turn increases the demands on the level measurement technology necessary for the consistent production of our favourite flavours and foods.

10 FDPP - www.fdpp.co.uk

If you would like to test or try a device for yourself, or just get more information e-mail demo.uk@vega.com

We bring colour into view!

Compact capacitive level switches with 360° custom-colour status display

256 colours Individually selectable: Measurement in progress Sensor switching Process malfunction

15 cm

Compact design

Hygienic adapter system

Adjustment via smartphone

£133 VEGAPOINT 21 G½"

www.vega.com/vegapoint

FPC Series Suction Cup Portrait of a Specialist The universal suction cup for all types

challenge, since it implies a high risk of

any crushing and also strengthen the

of Flow Pack packaging. FPC stands

leakage and potentially poor product

hold on the product being handled.

for FlowPack Cup: COVAL’s suction

gripping or the need to compensate

cup is fully dedicated to handling

with high power. COVAL has taken

FlowPack packaging. A real technological

up this challenge with the FPC series

breakthrough for a constantly evolving

suction cup. It is specifically designed

packaging method.

ultra-flexible packaging and will “stick

FLOWPACK NOW HAS ITS VERY OWN SUCTION CUP FlowPack packaging provides many advantages: • Direct food contact • Large visible area to show the products • Great number of applications in various industries: fresh fruits and vegetables, food processing industry, cosmetics, laboratories, and more • High production rates and low cost However, when it comes to vacuum handling, flexibility is an absolute

12 FDPP - www.fdpp.co.uk

to the product” regardless of shape or material. As a result, it is able to handle very high production rates. To achieve this, COVAL has worked with packaging machine manufacturers, taking into consideration their constraints and submitting its designs to real-life tests.

The FPC Series is based on three major innovations: 1. Thin and wavy flower-shaped lips

3. Fittings featuring a lateral vacuum distributor that prevent any loss in efficiency when the product is held.

4. Materials: Food-grade silicone and plastic insert meets FDA and CE standards.

WHAT MAKES THE DIFFERENCE? A Comprehensive Range • Available in two sizes: Round, Ø60 mm – Elliptical, 120 x 100 mm • Materials: Blue silicone suction cups, plastic fittings FPC suction cups are compatible with FDA food standards

that perfectly mold to the packaging,

(FDA 21 CFR 177.2600.) and meet the

whatever the shape.

European regulation (EC) 1935/2004.

2. Internal cleats that allow for optimized vacuum while preventing

• Two levels of flexibility: 35 and 50 Shore

WITHSTANDS HIGH PRODUCTION RATES • Its gripping ability allows for high production rates • No interruption in the packaging line due to faulty gripping

SAFETY • The FPC Series suction cup is made of silicone, a material that is recommended for its temperature resistance and food safety. The plastic fittings also conform to food standards.

• The blue color of the suction cup facilitates its detection by visual detection systems on production and packaging lines.

ENERGY SAVINGS The airtightness of FPC Series suction cups avoids the need for an oversized vacuum generator, allowing for considerable energy savings. www.coval-international.com

FDPP - www.fdpp.co.uk 13

Demand grows for improved water treatment systems Stringent discharge rules for trade

to manufacturing processes. Failure

effluent and recover high quality water.

effluents are fuelling enquiries into

to do so can result in hefty fines, snap

It allows highly customised solutions to

the benefits of the latest wastewater

inspections, and reputational damage.

be developed that can meet ambitious

processing technology, says Axium

sustainability goals. As it is a physical

Process.

“Even similar industries have very

The filtration specialist has seen a rise

so the ideal solution is a purpose-

in demand for customised membrane

designed treatment process for each

systems as environmental responsibility,

application. To identify and optimise

operational costs, and discharge

the best solution, our engineers first

limitations put increasing pressure on

conduct investigative pilot trials on the

companies to find improved solutions for

feed material either at our test facility

Water recycling systems from Axium

trade effluents.

in Swansea or the manufacturer’s

Process can be used in almost any

premises. The trial results will clearly

industry, including pharmaceutical, food,

identify the main requirements for the

drink, textiles, chemical and automotive.

project and associated benefits.”

They can also be used to complement

Derek Davies, Business Development Director at Axium Process, said “A growing number of industrial companies

different filtration requirements,

need to balance their discharge

Advances in effluent processing

consent against increased levels of

techniques mean that crossflow

production and spikes in output linked

membrane filtration can filter raw

14 FDPP - www.fdpp.co.uk

process no chemicals are required to separate suspended or dissolved materials. The technology has the potential to significantly reduce effluent disposal costs while recovering up to 95 per cent clean reusable water.

other waste treatment processes such as anaerobic digestion. www.axiumprocess.com

DSEAR 3 DAY COURSE Risk Assessment Training (Book On-line) Our “Three Day” DSEAR training course is aimed at those who may be responsible for conducting risk assessments, but are not necessarily fully confident to do so with such a technical subject.

The Course Content : • Legal foundations of DSEAR and COSHH • How Fires and explosions occur, • The fundamentals of understanding the explosive potential Deflagrations • Understanding the Chemical Properties of a substance • Risks resulting from improper storage or handling of substances • The danger triangle and dust pentagon.

• Dust explosion potentials An overview of the regulations is included along with, explanations and understanding of solvents and their physical properties, explosive dusts, ATEX classifications and coding, gas groups, temperature ratings and BS 60079-10 Ex Zone determination, all giving a greater understanding of how ATEX fits into the DSEAR equation when establishing hazardous zones.

Reference is also drawn to the theoretical understanding of flammable vapours with examples of how the Lower Explosive Limit can be converted into a meaningful quantity or volume of chemical per cubic metre of space.

The course includes: A detailed 140-page, training manual for all delegates Working group activities A “multiple choice” exam Buffet Lunch Tea Coffee and refreshments.

Venue and Dates 2021: Cannock Staffordshire 15-17th June 12-15th October www.dsc-ltd.co.uk | sales@dsc-ltd.co.uk 01952 947682 | 07989 597569

The new bar code reader.

Perfect performance on the conveyor line.

Our new BCL 200i bar code reader is specialized for guided container and tray identification. Its especially compact design is optimally tailored for stationary use in confined spaces. Integrated industrial interfaces and simple configuration offer you perfect performance at the best price.

www.leuze.com/bcl200i

210312_LEU20025_Anzeige_BCL 200i_148x210x3_EN.indd 1

FDPP - www.fdpp.co.uk 15 15.03.21 15:55

Embracing digital food transparency with urgency supply chain, however the latter cannot

One such is the US company Golden

happen if the data does not exist in an

State Foods (GSF), which has a

accessible form.

manufacturing facility producing over

So, this is where they should start, data collection. Even the smallest farmer can participate, by accurately weighing each batch of potatoes on industrial scales before a lorry takes them away. Keeping that data (the weight and logistics

160 million pounds of beef products per year. The company has partnered with IBM to create a digital supply chain system based on blockchain technology, Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) and the Internet of Things (IoT).

information) in a database puts the

The project is the subject of a YouTube

farmer in a position to contribute to the

video, during which Guilda Javaheri,

digital transformation of the food supply

GSF’s Chief Technology Officer, explains:

chain. It potentially also allows the end

“It’s not just about digitising your supply

customer to see the origin and, if the

chain; it’s about reducing the hours

data is captured, the field from which

of reconciliations that companies go

Mettler-Toledo ProdX

they were harvested.

through. It also optimises the inventory

Incoming regulations and standards

EARLY ADOPTERS

By Ian Scott-Mance, Technology Manager,

are making the case plain: food manufacturers need to prepare for a digital food supply chain. Why not start now?

There are benefits to be had for all through a realisation of this transformation, yet right now most food manufacturers are hesitant. In their hearts, they know that a move from manual track and trace to digital is coming. In their heads is a growing realisation that it could be good for their business. In fact, with legislators and retailers starting to insist on digital transparency in the food supply chain, it is not an exaggeration to say it will be critical to the continued existence of every food manufacturer.

Many have nagging worries about cost and complexity, some are assessing the technological trends, biding their time for the right wave to surf on. In fact, there is no need to be either complex or expensive. The technology already exists.

The first step is data collection, then this data must be shared throughout the

16 FDPP - www.fdpp.co.uk

This concept of information sharing is critical to digital track and trace, enabling the identification of the whereabouts of specific batches of food at any given time in the past or present, in a matter of seconds. However, digital food chain transparency has already been shown by early adopters to benefit food manufacturers.

throughout the supply chain. You are going to be able ultimately to have the right product at the right time and the right place. Can you imagine how much wastage today can be prevented with that kind of information? That’s what makes this pilot unique – because manufacturers, distributors and customers are really sharing the data, and that’s really the common goal that everyone is striving towards”.

BLOCKCHAIN EXPLAINED Blockchain is a chain of linked blocks of data records, each bearing a cryptographic hash of the previous block.

Once data is recorded in a block, this then becomes part of the cryptographic hash in the next block, so data cannot be altered retroactively without changing all subsequent blocks that show that data. It essentially creates a digital ledger of transactions that is duplicated and distributed across a network of participating computer systems. The technology is therefore considered secure and incorruptible.

Systems, devices and sensors that are capable of automated machine-tomachine communication can all be part

2. Look strategically at how this data is collected and stored. Analogue technology must be replaced with digital; if possible, manual processes need to be automated; data held on local servers should be migrated to a data hub on the premises or to the Cloud;

to lose sight of what this technological transformation is all about. It is about providing a system in which batches of food can be quickly tracked and traced, and in which critical actions taken by companies dealing with that food in the

stake and what can be achieved. IBM is

supply chain can be proven and trusted.

currently the front runner here, but there

Ultimately, it is about demonstrating

are other potential providers. System

that the necessary due diligence has

suppliers such as those in product

been shown along the supply chain –

inspection can also help;

from farm to fork – to deliver safe food

4. Consider how to oversee the cultural

to the consumer.

changes that implementing this digital

It is unavoidable that there will

transformation will require within their

be disruption and cost to food

organisation.

manufacturers as the industry

food safety machines such as product

perhaps to their surprise – that they are

inspection devices.

already in a good position to embark upon a

approach the need to start developing a

connectivity, of digital and data, it is easy

providers, to get a feel for the issues at

Many food manufacturers will find –

How should food manufacturers

Amidst the talk of blockchains and

3. Start talking to blockchain technology

of a blockchain system, and this includes

STARTING STEPS

GETTING IN GOOD SHAPE

process of transformation. The technology may seem complex, but its implementation is relatively straightforward. The change of culture, however, will need to be carefully

transitions to a digital supply chain. However, it also needs to be recognised that early entrants will gain commercially. A digital future is not just in the future, as the time to start counting and compiling, assessing, and progressing, is already here.

digital food supply chain?

managed. Staff will need to understand

For more information:

and accept that, within the blockchain,

www.mt.com/prodx-pr

1. Start auditing the nature of the

other organisations will have visibility of

food transformation data gathered in

their company’s data. The transparency will

Register for a free digital

their plant plus investigate if they are

be real and immutable. Leadership will be

transformation webinar on 27th May

collecting the necessary data for digital

required to drive change and demonstrate

2021:

track and trace at batch level;

commitment.

www.mt.com/pi-foodsafety-pr

FDPP - www.fdpp.co.uk 17

Paxton’s Materials Handling Products Paxton Materials Handling, a division

inter-stacking tub on to the lid or rim

the production environments. Available

of Leafield Environmental are

that is rigid and durable. A tapered

in nine different sizes.

proud to manufacture and design

nested tub is also available with or

specialist material handling products

without handles.

including ingredients tubs, ingredients

The wide range of pallets on offer are available as a smooth deck pallet design

dispensers, trucks, dollies, tank bins

The ingredients dispensers ensure

(P1P), hygienic pallet with intermittent

and pallets using the latest rotational

rotation of ingredients to avoid

outer retaining rim/lip for extra load

moulded technology.

spillage and prevent contamination.

stability (P2P) and hygienic eurosize

The range features an adjustable flow

pallet design (P3P). All featuring 9 leg,

Paxton’s material handling products are

rate for different feed grades along

4-way entry for lift trucks, smooth easy-

well-known within the food and drink

with a secure lid to keep moisture out.

to-clean surfaces that will not absorb

processing industry for its value-for-

Available in three different sizes ranging

moisture or harbour bacteria. There is

money and durability. The products

from 21-90-litre capacities.

a bespoke pallet (HRT) that has been

have been designed with hygiene

designed for the secure storage and

in mind as all the products feature

Other ranges include trucks, tank

handling of HR Stacking Tubs.

smooth and easy-to-clean surfaces and

bins and dollies. The MT Mobile Truck

The large double skin pallet boxes are

a natural colour is recommended for

range features a tapered and nested

extremely durable that can hold up to

food use. All Paxton materials handling

design to save space when not in use.

600-litres of granules, powder and liquid

products are manufactured from

Available in four different sizes ranging

food ingredients.

non-coloured polyethylene to meet

from 100-332-litre capacities. The

the most stringent requirements and

largest highest capacity truck can hold

All of Paxton’s material handling

comes with a Declaration of Compliance

400-litres of material. The nestable

products will be on show at the FoodEx

(DoC), supported by in-depth migration

tank bins for wet and dry ingredients,

Show on stand DD54 on 5-7th July 2021.

testing.

materials or components are easy-toclean containers that are light-weight

For more information on Paxton’s

The ingredients tub range offers

yet durable. Available in two different

Material Handling products

modular containers suitable for

styles with capacities of 100-400-litres.

call 01225 816545, email

wet or dry ingredients ranging from

The dollies have been designed for

paxtonMH@leafieldenv.com or visit

18-68-litre capacities. Available as an

moving trays, bins, boxes and tubs in

www.paxtonmaterialshandling.com

18 FDPP - www.fdpp.co.uk

GET EVERY LAST DROP FROM YOUR EXISTING EQUIPMENT. Inefficient processes and wasteful operations can put a drain on the bottom line; but transforming your operation into a Smart Factory doesn’t always mean costly capital investment.

FlexEdge™ Edge Automation Platform All-In-One: •

Protocol Converter : > 300 protocols for more than 1000 combinations

•

Digitalisation of legacy equipment to current standards

•

Easy Edge programming with automation software Crimson®

•

Modular network connection - cloud or on-premises, 5G ready

CALL +44 - 20 - 3868-0909 OR EMAIL FLEXEDGE@REDLION.NET TO REQUEST A DEMONSTRATION www.flexedge.net

Harnessing hardware and software to meet ever more stringent regulations in the food & beverage sector Jim ten Broeke, Business Development Manager iFactory Europe, Advantech Few markets are as highly regulated as food & beverage production, Issues like facility and equipment hygiene, ingredient storage and handling, and operative hygiene must be carefully managed to achieve and demonstrate safe, legal production. Any company falling short and allowing sub-standard products to leave its facility, whether unsafe or not, risks potentially disastrous commercial and reputational ramifications.

While many standards such as FDA and EU regulations are recognised

In particular, the production of ‘hard

Furthermore, any changes to either

copy’ records, weeks after manufacture,

hardware or software invariably mean the

is rarely acceptable these days. Instead,

entire system must be recertified meaning

companies must generally be able to

that product selection in this area needs

produce, almost in real time, detailed

to be ‘right first time’.

information on each production batch, country of origin of ingredients, and so on.

When it comes to hardware, the key universal standard is EN 1672-2:2005,

The detailed and stringent nature of these

which “specifies common hygiene

regulations means the use of ‘standard’

begin and end there. Many global regions

requirements for machinery used in

industrial hardware and software is

have their own regulations, and many

preparing and processing food for

rarely appropriate – or even possible.

human and, where relevant, animal

countries, and indeed individual sectors,

Compliance must be physically built into

consumption to eliminate or minimise

place additional legal requirements on

these technologies, especially in software

producers to implement and prove the

which invariably must be purpose-

safety of their practices.

designed for this sector.

internationally, compliance does not

20 FDPP - www.fdpp.co.uk

the risk of contagion, infection, illness or injury arising from this food”. It identifies hazards relevant to the use of such food

Optimal functionality, complete accountability, long-term robustness and resilience, long term support

allows local encryption of data, with a full hardware check of the configuration; any hardware manipulation will automatically create a notification. This strategy should apply to all hardware installed in the field, whether an HMI or a gateway. For this reason, Advantech provides extensive TPM functionality within its portfolio.

It is rare in this sector for any supplier to be expert in both sector-specific hardware and software, even within larger automation companies with extensive global resources. And given the stringency of regulation, ill-informed choices cannot be countenanced due to processing machinery and describes

materials and design requirements apply.

design methods and information for

In short, any hardware intended for use

eliminating or reducing these risks.

in the sector must be industry-specific

This means that while the interior technology is largely the same, computer hardware products must be made from

in design and cannot be modified from something designed for more general applications. This means working with a

the cost of process rectification – while a modest financial saving will be more than outweighed by any issues resulting from under-specification.

As well as optimal compliance, decisions should focus on achieving flexibility –

specialist supplier is absolutely essential.

not being tied into a supplier in case

industry’s cleaning regimes. Additionally,

For software, products must adhere to FDA

special films are needed to cover the

21 CFR part 11 which governs the keeping

selecting a supply source who can provide

screen to prevent glass or plastic shards

of electronic records and, in particular,

entering the production area if the screen

the scope and application of electronic

suffers physical damage. Products must

signatures.

stainless steel which can withstand the

have smooth angles rather than sharp edges, for easier cleaning and liquid run-off. Screws must also be stainless steel and adhere to a design negating the possibility for dirt to collect around and underneath them.

In essence, every single operation must be traced and recorded to provide clear information on who did what and when in case of an issue after products leave the facility. All software used must therefore be compliant with this. In addition,

requirements change. In these cases, the best of both worlds makes perfect sense. The ideal solution combines specialist industrial hardware compatible with sector-specific software, where the compatibility of hardware and software has been extensively tested to ensure optimal functionality. This approach will deliver complete accountability for performance alongside long-term robustness and resilience, and access to long-term support. Having hardware

A key growth area in food production

cybersecurity is a growing trend and it

hardware is stand-alone human-machine

is important to work with a hardware

interfaces (HMIs) rapidly adjustable for

supplier providing all the necessary

height and orientation to provide the

components; food & beverage is very much

optimal ergonomic set-up. As key items of

a field for players with domains expertise.

For further information visit:

production equipment, EN 1672-2:2005

When it comes to cybersecurity, TPM 2.0

www.advantech.eu or email: IIoT.

applies equally to these, so the same

should be at the heart of your strategy; it

AdvantechEurope@advantech.eu.

ready for market requirements facilitates collaboration with specialist software vendors to provide complete solutions.

FDPP - www.fdpp.co.uk 21

The IE5+ synchronous motors in two sizes with a smooth motor design are ideally suited for wash-down applications in food and pharmaceutical industries Image: NORD DRIVESYSTEMS

New: Energy-efficient synchronous motors setting new standards Energy-efficient, cost-conscious The new IE5+ synchronous motor is now also available for intralogistics applications in a ventilated version up to a power of 4.0 kW

and environmentally friendly: With its IE5+ synchronous motor, NORD DRIVESYSTEMS is setting new standards.

The new motor is now also available in ventilated or smooth versions up to a power of 4.0 kW. If required, the motors are provided with a very smooth surface or the nsd tupH surface treatment.

Image: NORD DRIVESYSTEMS

Considerably lower losses than the IE4 series: The energy-efficient IE5+ permanent magnet synchronous motors from NORD DRIVESYSTEMS are particularly characterised by high efficiency and a wide torque range.

This makes them optimally suitable for economic operation in the partial load range. The new IE5+ motors are equally interesting for both intralogistics and hygiene-sensitive areas in food and pharmaceutical industries. Last year, the compact IE5+ motor of size 71 was presented, and now size 90 is also available for power ranges from 1.1 to 4.0 kW with a continuous torque of 6.8

22 FDPP - www.fdpp.co.uk

to 18.2 Nm. The motor ensures the

manufacturing, logistics, storage and

usual NORD flexibility: Direct motor

service processes can be streamlined.

attachment as well as NEMA and

The investment pays for itself within

IEC motor attachment are available.

a short time. The IE5+ synchronous

Rotary encoder and mechanical brake

motors can be combined with all gear

integration is available on request.

units and drive electronics from NORD DRIVESYSTEMS in a modular system.

Due to the constant torque providing

This results in a system solution from a

a targeted reduction of variants over a

single source in which all components

wide speed range, administrative

are seamlessly matched.

expenses can be minimised, and

www.nord.com

Professional Waste & Recycling Solutions for the Food & Drink, Process & Packaging Sector The Pearce Group, established in 1869 with a pedigree history in the Waste & Recycling Industry, have been consulting with Customers to provide customised environmental and sustainable solutions, to enable productivity improvements, greener credentials and financial benefits.

Pearce are able to achieve this by being a professional, accredited and licenced Waste & Recycling service provider, with a UK manufacturing arm. Pearce Compaction, manufactures waste & recycling equipment to specifically meet clients needs. It designs simple and effective facility solutions for internal movement of waste, to designing and building the external compaction systems.

Packaging Company actual solution:

Concept

Design

Build

Simple, clear and concise internal solution - mapped to a productive and cost effective external one.

Pearce Solutions look to:

Pearce Compaction credentials:

 Maximise productivity

 4,000 units installed

 Provide clear & simple solutions for operatives

 Nationwide coverage

 Meet HSE criteria's- unmanned mechanical operations

 Excellent installation, maintenance & service

 Minimise transport collections - reduce carbon

 Establish ethical and environmental outlets, recycling or waste to energy - zero landfill

 High quality UK manufacture  New & refurbished units  Supply or rental options

 Improve corporate social responsibility

 Pre sale site survey + consultancy

 Make financial savings

 Training & certification of operatives

Want to find out more? We can assist you with a free site survey, consultation & advice or a chat over the phone to review your needs, please contact us:

Email: info@pearce-recycling.co.uk

Call: 0800 083 3333

Reg HQ: Pearce Group, Acrewood Way, St Albans, AL4 0LY - Pearce Compaction Systems Ltd: (Verwood) Company Reg: 02792954

A sticky situation results in business benefits Caramel can be a challenging material to extract, particularly when delivered in one tonne totes. One of the ways the Burtons Biscuits came up with, was to put totes into a warm room to enable the caramel to flow easier from the tote via a pump then into a hopper. However, they found that one of the main drawbacks on this process of totes was that the caramel would stick to the inside walls of the tote as the pump sucked out the caramel. At times this would mean that between 10% to 30% of the caramel would be left in the tote, unable to be extracted. The method was to connect a pump to the bottom outlet of the tote and transfer the caramel to a hopper, which worked well until the level of caramel in the tote fell to between 10% and 30%. From this point the pump cavitated and could not draw the caramel in, resulting in between 10% and 30% of the contents of the tote being returned to the supplier, costing anything between £50,000 and £140,000 per annum in unused caramel.

One idea that came from the Continuous Improvement team while looking at available options to reduce this waste or increase the yield was to revert to 200L drums of caramel rather than the tote.

Kecol were asked to make proposals for transferring the caramel from the 200L drums to the line hopper and offered a Kecol H800SN Maxiprime unit c/w 10:1 ratio piston pump.

Kecol supplied a trial unit to Burtons for a two-week trial period to enable evaluation of the proposed system. Whilst the system transferred the caramel at

Burtons purchased 2 x H800SN

the required rate and reduced the waste,

Maxiprime systems and have reduced

the drum loader used by Burtons could

the waste caramel to less than 1%,

not place the drum into the Maxiprime

significantly reducing expenditure and

in the correct position. To resolve this,

increasing yield.

Kecol worked with Burtons Engineers and modified the standard Maxiprime to suit

A video of the systems in operation can be

the existing drum loader.

seen here.

24 FDPP - www.fdpp.co.uk

Web: www.kecol.co.uk E-mail: sales@kecol.co.uk Tel: 01746 764311

7 + ( + 2 0 ( 2 ) 9 ,6 & 28 6 3 8 0 3 , 1 * 6 2 /8 7, 2 1 6

Kecol have over 25 years of experience in handling all types of viscous products in the food, pharmaceutical and cosmetics markets, as well as general industrial applications.

A sample of products we already pump… ᅚHoney ᅚPetroleum Jelly ᅚMascara ᅚSauces ᅚLanolin ᅚLip Gloss ᅚEssences ᅚEye Ointment ᅚMeat Paste ᅚParaffin Wax

T: +44 (0)1746 764311 E: sales@kecol.co.uk W: www.kecol.co.uk

ᅚFace Scrub ᅚTeething Gel ᅚTomato Puree ᅚMedical Adhesives ᅚVeterinary Creams ᅚFruit Paste ᅚToothpaste ᅚMalt ᅚJam ᅚWax

Camera-based cap control with artificial intelligence Strong price pressure combined with high

industrial site in Contrexéville. Among

specifications were developed in

quality requirements - the beverage and

them, a top-class screw cap suitable

advance in cooperation with the

bottle industry faces the classic dilemma

for any glass or PET bottle. Thanks to a

customer. This also included several

of many industries. This is also the case

clampable lamella ring arranged around

inspection stages, one of which, for

in the quality control department of a

the bottle collar, it enables simple,

example, was the reject control to avoid

French manufacturer of plastic caps.

fast, absolutely tight and secure seal.

false reports. The introduction took

Reliably detecting cracks and micro-

However, the slats must be reliably and

place in two phases:

cracks on plastic caps in 40 different

extremely carefully checked for cracks,

colours and shades running at high speed

tears and twists during production. This

on a production line is a real challenge.

is the only way to guarantee absolute

APREX Solutions from Nancy, France has

tightness.

intelligent APREX Track AI solution.

help of image processing technology and

The APREX inspection system checks

detector, classifier and standard

artificial intelligence. The basic images

plastic caps for defects running at high

methods that operate at different levels.

are provided by a USB 3 industrial camera

speed on a production line

Networked accordingly, they ultimately

successfully achieved this goal with the

from IDS Imaging Development Systems

First, the specific “SOLOCAP application” was trained with the help of the The software includes various object

deliver the desired result tailored to

GmbH.

The previous inspection system could

SOLOCAP is a subsidiary of La Maison

APREX Solutions realised the new

Mélan Moutet, “flavour conditioner since

solution with artificial intelligence

1880” and manufactures all types of

individually on the basis of in-house

In the second step, this application

plastic caps for the food sector at its

software algorithms. The necessary

was implemented in the production

26 FDPP - www.fdpp.co.uk

not meet these high requirements.

the customer. Four control levels with several test points guarantee a reliability rate of over 99.99%.

line right after the first assembly run with APREX Track C&M. The latter was specially developed for the diverse image processing requirements in the industrial sector. This includes, among other things, the control and safeguarding of a production line up to the measurement, identification and

The software suite delivers the desired results quickly and efficiently, without timeconsuming development processes.

the desired results quickly and efficiently, without time-consuming development processes. After a short training of the AI methods, the complete system is ready for use at the customer. In the case of SOLOCAP, it combines an IDS UI-3280CPC-HQ industrial camera, powerful ring illumination and a programmable logic controller (PLC) to provide comprehensive control over all inspection processes. At the same time, it records all workflows in real time and ensures complete traceability. Only one camera is needed for this. However, APREX TRACK C&M

CMOSIS, e2v and ON Semiconductor with a wide range of resolutions. Its innovative, patented housing design with dimensions of only 29 x 29 x 29 millimetres makes it suitable for tasks in the fields of automation, automotive, medical technology and life sciences, agriculture, logistics as well

classification of defects in the production environment. The software suite delivers

from manufacturers such as Sony,

image from the camera provides the basis for the evaluations. It captures every single cap directly in the production line at high speed and makes the smallest details visible to the software.

ONE CRUCIAL COMPONENT: THE CAMERA The UI-3280CP-C-HQ industrial camera integrated into the system with the 5 MP IMX264 CMOS sensor from Sony sets new standards in terms of light sensitivity, dynamic range and colour reproduction. The USB 3 industrial

could handle up to 5 cameras.

camera provides excellent image

“The difficulty of this project consisted

performance - at frame rates up to 36

mainly in the very subtle expression

fps. CP stands for “Compact Power”.

of the defects we were looking for and

This is because the tiny powerhouse

in the multitude of colours. With our

for industrial applications of all kinds

software suite, it was possible to quickly

is fast, reliable and enables a high data

set up an image processing application.

rate of 420 MByte/s with low CPU

Despite the complexity,” explains Romain

load. Users can choose from a large

Baude - founder APREX Solutions. The

number of modern CMOS sensors

quality with extraordinarily low-noise

as traffic and transport, among others.

Screwable cables ensure a reliable electrical connection. Thanks to the IDScharacteristic plug & play principle, the cameras are automatically recognised by the system and are immediately ready for use, as Romain Baude confirms: “The excellent colour reproduction of the UI-3280CP-C-HQ and its high resolution of 5 MP were decisive factors for us in choosing the camera. At the same time, the model enabled a quick, uncomplicated integration into our system.”

OUTLOOK Anthony Vastel - Head of Technology and Industry at SOLOCAP - sees a lot of potential in the new inspection system: “APREX’s AI-based approach has opened new doors for our 100% vision-based quality control. Our requirements for product safety, but also for reject control, especially in the case of false reports, were quickly met. We are convinced that we can go one step further by continuing to increase the efficiency of the system at SOLOCAP and transferring it to other production lines.” AI offers quality assurance, but also all other industries in which image processing technology is used, new, undreamed-of fields of application. It makes it possible to solve tasks in which classic, rulebased image processing reaches its limits. Thus, high-quality results can be achieved with comparatively little effort - quickly, creatively and efficiently.

APREX Solutions and IDS have recognised this and offer solutions with intelligent products that make it easier for customers to enter this new world. Image processing and AI - a real dream team on course for growth.. www.ids-imaging.com

FDPP - www.fdpp.co.uk 27

Maximising steam Efficiency The use of venturi orifice steam traps

steam traps were installed on one of the

for Crespel & Deiters has increased the

drum dryers.

production availability of their critically Today, Hense smiles at his initial

important drum dryers

uncertainty: “I am glad that Mr. Egginton On a production site of ​​67000 square

convinced me to test the technology “. The

meters Crespel & Deiters processes 920

use of the ECOFLOW venturi orifice steam

tons of grain into wheat starch and wheat

traps showed significant advantages

proteins every day. To manufacture their

compared to the mechanical traps

range of products the company uses

used previously. “Since wheat starch is

natural gas and produces around 84000

dried in different product compositions,

tons of steam annually. Saving energy is

the performance ranges and pressure

therefore a primary goal.

differences in the drying processes differ accordingly. The new ECOFLOW

Historically, mechanical steam traps had

venturi orifice steam traps master these

caused problems, particularly with the

requirements without any problems, as

critically important drum dryers. Having

they cover large performance ranges

a negative impact on steam and energy consumption. Reported Jan-Oliver Hense, site Energy Manager.

a particularly big impact on the drum dryers. If there were problems with one

and, thanks to having no sealing faces, can control the start-up and production processes much better. Saturated running

of the dryers this also affected all the

of the drum dryer is now a thing of the

According to Mr Hense, there was

others. The end result was a decrease in

past due to the improved discharge of

repeated water hammer during start-up

system availability and increased energy

condensate.”

and shutdown conditions. The drum dryer

consumption.”

After the successfully completed test

was often saturated, with condensate collecting in the drum. The water hammer

“In 2019, Nigel Egginton from EBE

phase, more steam traps were ordered.

put a strain on the mechanical steam

Engineering contacted us and told me

Thanks to the efficiency of the ECOFLOW

traps, which consequently had to be

about the ECOFLOW venturi orifice steam

venturi orifice steam traps, a payback for

replaced every two years.

traps. To begin with I was sceptical and

Crespel & Deiters was achieved in less

wanted first to test the technology”

than 1.5 years.

Mr Hense; “The problems associated

reported Mr Hense. For this reason,

with the mechanical steam traps had

initially only two ECOFLOW venturi orifice

28 FDPP - www.fdpp.co.uk

www.ebe-eng.com

Introducing Washdown – a high quality product assortment for cleaning purposes Whether working within the food and beverage industry, the marine, or the agriculture segment, to name a few, clean and sanitized environments and machines are a high priority.

To maintain a high cleaning standard, equipment specially designed for the wash-down procedure is required. CEJN is now launching Spray-guns and stainless-steel hose reels suited for wash-down applications.

The CEJN stainless hose reel AISI304 is an efficient and easy going washdown product to facilitate cleaning purposes within various environments, indoors as well as outdoors.

• Ready to use • Easy to clean • Durable design

We know that not everything fits everyone. Therefore, we have different models of spray guns to choose from, with or without swivel, in stainless steel or brass material

A clean and sanitized environment in the food and beverage segment is a top priority - of course. The stages of the washdown procedure need to be done with the utmost care but can go smoothly if using well-designed cleaning equipment, like hose reels and spray guns.

CEJN’s Hose Reels and Washdown accessories are now available from authorised distributors.

Find out more: www.cejn.com

GREEN MEANS GO. Find it. Get it. Go.

THE BIG GREEN BOOK

Whether you’re looking to replace a specific part, or gather the essential items to solve a design engineering challenge, it’s now even easier to get the critical components you need for the job.

THE BIG GREEN BOOK is so comprehensive, it now contains a whopping 60,000 standard engineering components.

Request the bumper, two-volume print version, or the USB edition, to suit your tastes.

THE BIG GREEN BOOK: it’s all you need to move forward with confidence. Request your free copy today.

More information at www.norelem.co.uk or Email info@norelem.co.uk

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FDPP - www.fdpp.co.uk 29

Effective microbiological sampling of critical surfaces and manufacturing areas Ensuring comprehensive surface and environmental monitoring and consequently cleanliness across food production lines and surface areas to deliver food products that meet the highest standards of food quality and safety, requires the ability to capture and detect the presence of microbes or microorganisms safely and accurately.

Medical Wire & Equipment (MWE) produce swabs, surface wipes, sponges and kits that are designed to collect and transport bacterial samples, working across all surfaces, with a variety of sampling applicators. MWE swabs help ensure sample capture and enable reliable,

1ml. Neutralising Rinse Solution, Buffered

a pre-printed label for recording required

regulatory risk.

Peptone water, Butterfield Buffer, Letheen

details.

NRS Transwab® is MWE’s name for its

Tryptic Soy Broth.

The company also has dedicated swabs

Sampling of larger food contact surfaces

microbial contamination and sampling

and carcasses effectively, requires

of critical surfaces including nozzles and

different devices. Sponge swabs are

equipment in sterile production facilities.

accurate and precise results, minimizing

range of swab based environmental sampling devices for the food, pharmaceutical, biotechnology and cosmetic industries. All of these devices feature a leak proof labelled self-standing screw cap tube made from shatterproof polypropylene, with a high visibility blue shaft attached to the cap. The swab features a rayon or dacron bud that can remain immersed in liquid, yet retains a high standard for absorption, survival and release of microorganisms. The tubes are pre filled with a range of buffers and media appropriate for particular applications. NRS Transwab® can contain a variety of solutions filled at 10ml, 5ml or

Broth, Maximum Recovery Dilutant and

especially recommended for the sampling of larger areas for the detection of

Steriswab™ has a rayon bud and blue

controlled pathogens such as Listeria,

plastic shaft with a 45mm breakpoint.

Salmonella, and Coliforms.

It comes premoistened with a sterile

MWE’s Polywipe™ is sterile pre-moistened blue sponge swab, ready to use and highly effective for the sampling and microbiological assessment of a wide variety of surfaces. Manufactured from

phosphate buffer. The SteriKit™ also contains a tube with a semi-solid enriched growth medium. Upon incubation bacteria will grow and cause the medium to change colour from purple to yellow in 48 hours.

a bright blue special sponge material

For active surveillance, MWE also has

that prevents shedding and contains no

Isolation Transwab® which is a self-

inhibitory substances, it is convenient for

contained environmental sampling swab

flat or irregular surfaces, such as conveyor

with easy read colour change medium that

belts and machines parts, as well as floors,

can generate results within 24 hours and

walls, drains and ceilings. The wipes are

is available as dedicated Listeria Isolation

premoistened with a phosphate buffer

Transwab®, Coliform Isolation Transwab®,

and individually sealed in an easy to open tamper proof pouch, they can be stored at room temperature and are terminally sterilised by gamma radiation. It can be supplied with gloves, resealable bags and

30 FDPP - www.fdpp.co.uk

and kits designed for the detection of

Salmonella Isolation Transwab® and Hygiene swab™ for gross microbial contamination. www.mwe.co.uk

PRECISION ENGINEERING 3D ADDITIVE MANUFACTURING REVERSE ENGINEERING TOOLMAKING

Conformal cooling in mould tools is reducing both quality errors and cooling time Conventional mould tool making has limitations, meaning the moulds are being designed larger and larger so they can take more impressions to increase numbers of components and keep up with demand. As a result, the moulding machines are being supplied as large operational units taking up significant factory space and requiring high energy for operation.

Laser sintering has been demonstrated to be a more effective manufacturing process for mould tool making. However, there remain barriers to its application for mould tooling in the plastic caps and closures industry due to concerns around the mould cooling technology and the need to provide enduring wear resistance. The current cooling channels are straight drilled and cause lengthy and uneven cooling, which often results in the formation of hot spots and high scrap rates.

Conformal cooling works by creating a suitable cooling channel at a well-defined distance from the cavity—which is impossible using a conventional drilled cooling mechanism—thereby reaching areas where it is difficult to do so using conventional methods. The temperature sensors embedded on each cavity will enable effective control of the cooling.

Agemaspark seeks to overcome these barriers by developing a highly efficient advanced manufacturing process for the production of laser sintered mould tools with a novel ceramic coating. The mould tools will make use of the breakthrough

Agemaspark Ltd Units 1 & 2, Croft Court, Sandall Carr Road Kirk Sandall Industrial Estate, Doncaster South Yorkshire, DN3 1QL United Kingdom Tel: +44 (0)1302 882666 Email: admin@agemaspark.com

AGEMASPARK.COM

process utilising conformal cooling channels embedded with temperature control sensors enabling localised temperature control.

This will overcome inherent deficiencies in the current plastic caps and closures mould tooling technology (pictured below left).

In December 2020, we purchased an EOS 290 which is already demonstrating examples of how we can produce conformal cool in Maraging Steel with a hardness of 54 Rc, and if required, apply a ceramic coat to give increased tool life and a friction free release (pictured below right).

Results show that it is possible to reduce cycle times by up to 20% and at the same time increase the continued quality of the moulding.

The environmental advantage from using this method is to increase the impression on the same envelope or reduce the size of the tools and therefore the size of the mould press, reducing energy consumption.

The cooling water requirements reduced from tens of thousands of litres used in any 24 hours to just 10-20 litres because the heat transfer is just local to the moulding and is contained in a closed loop system (pictured below centre).

Agemaspark has also used this approach on existing tooling by removing the tops and re-sintering with conformal cooling channels replacing the moulding area.

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Avancer uk announces new products from autonics corporation read LCD display which comes in a range of models and is ONLY £65 List Price The TX Series temperature controllers feature easy-to-read LCD display with large, 15.3 mm white PV characters.

The 11-segment displays used for PV and SV are useful for displaying alphanumeric characters.

Features • Control options: ON/OFF control, cycle control, phase control • 50 ms high-speed sampling and ±0.3% display accuracy • Large LCD display with easy-to-read Avancer UK are pleased to announce a range of new products from the World Leading Automation Products

white PV characters • Switch between current output and SSR drive output

Manufacturer Autonics of South Korea.

• SSR drive output (SSRP function)

Used throughout the world in leading

• Communication output model

automation systems integrators and manufacturers.

UK Sales director Mike O’Keeffe. (pictured) said “we are so very pleased with the Autonics Range of products and the opportunities they give us, their quality and prices offer us a price performance ratio many can only dream of”

available: RS485 (Modbus RTU) • Parameter setting through PC (RS485 communication) • Comprehensive device management software (DAQ Master) provided • Compact, space-saving design with 45 mm depth SEE FULL DETAILS

Diffuse reflective, BGS

ONLY 3.7MM DEEP

reflective(W13×H24×L3.7mm)

3.7mm deep Miniature BTF Series Photo Electric Sensors ONLY £35 List Price BTF Autonics self-developed sensing spot by using red LED visible light source. Not only minimizing

• Adopts BGS method superior than convergent reflective to minimize error by background colour or material of sensing object for stable sensing • Visible light source to check the position of sensing spot and superior

the influence of background with

to small sensing target with narrow

BGS sensing, the series can detect

sensing width

microscopic non-glossy objects up to Ø0.2mm NEW LCD 48X48MM PID CONTROLLER

Main features

The New ranges include a Beautifully

• Realization of ultra-slim size by

32 FDPP - www.fdpp.co.uk

beam(W13×H19×L3.7mm),

NEW MINIATURE PHOTO SENSOR

Also in the range are the Beautifully

Compact PID Controller, with an easy to

• Size: Through-

adopting one-chip photo IC

• Built-in reverse polarity, output short, overcurrent protection circuit • Protection structure IP67(IEC standard) SEE FULL DETAILS

The encoders have a resolution of 36 P/R and maximum allowed revolution of 3000 rpm Features NEW SWITCH MODE DIN RAIL POWER

• 36 PULSER PER REV

SUPPLY

• Ultra-compact rotary encoders with Ø15 mm diameter

Another new range from Autonics are

• Easy installation in limited spaces

the SPB Switch Mode Power Supplies.

High quality and robust and ONLY £39 for a 24V 60W model. The SPB Series switching mode power supplies feature high power conversion efficiency with low noise and ripple and minimal heat generation. The switching mode power supplies can be easily clipped onto DIN rails or mounted using screws. The series also includes safety features including terminal protection cover, overcurrent protection, output short-circuit protection and overheating prevention.

Common Features • Stable power supply with minimal noise and ripple • DIN rail mount and screw mount methods • Slim and compact size • Low output voltage indicator (red LED), output indicator (green LED) • Built-in protection for inrush current, output overcurrent, output overvoltage, and overheating

compact, space-saving design (W 21.5 mm x H 28 mm) and simple 14-pin plugin sockets. The ATM series is available in 11 different timing ranges (0.1 sec to

quick reset time of 100ms, and repeat accuracy of ±5% for highly accurate timing control.

Features • Ultra-compact / miniature size (W 21.5 mm x H 28 mm x D 58 mm) • 4PDT contact (250VAC, 3A) • Highly accurate timing control • Simple time setting with analog dial • Various timing ranges: 0.1 sec to 3 hr (11 available options, by model) • Power supply: ATM4-2: 24 VDC • ATM4-5: 220 VAC 50/60 Hz • ATM4-6 110 VAC 50/6 Hz SEE FULL DETAILS

PTE series tower Lights combine the latest LED technology with UL safety technology. With a new concept and

Main features • Stylish design • LED modular components

• High power conversion efficiency up

• Bright & even light distribution

to 92% with LLC circuit (SPB-240)

through prism-cut lenses

• Built-in power factor correction circuit NEW MINIATURE INCREMENTAL ROTARY ENCODERS ONLY £49 The E15S Series incremental rotary

TIMERS

BLUE

and many applications.

SPB-060/120/240 Features

NEW MINIATURE ANALOGUE PLUG IN

LIGHTS ONLY £75 FOR RED/GREEN/

towers are ideal for factory automation

type terminal

SEE FULL DETAILS

NEW MODULAR SIGNAL LED TOWER

innovative design, PTE series light

• Easy connection with rising clamp

safety

SEE FULL DETAILS

The timers feature 4PDT contact,

SPB-015/030 Features

• Terminal protection cover for user

• Power supply: 5VDC ±5%

3 hr) and various power supply options.

(SPB-120/240)

• Low moment of inertia

encoders are ultra-compact in size

• Fast & easy assembly with interlocking construction • Five different mounting styles • Optional 85dB Buzzer (fixed or adjustable volume)

(Ø15 mm) and ultra lightweight (14 g).

• IP65 rated

The small size and light weight adds

• RoHS compliant

flexibility for application in tight or

Staying with the Miniature theme what

limited spaces. The small moment of

about these Timers? ONLY £12 list The

inertia of the shaft minimizes the effect

new analogue timers ATM series with

on the rotation of applied equipment.

SEE FULL DETAILS http://avanceruk.com/

FDPP - www.fdpp.co.uk 33

Providing complete solutions, tested to the highest standard Established in 1989 to specifically

Tempa Pano has strived to innovate to

manufacture and design enclosures and

suit the market requirements. Aiming

cabinets for low voltage applications,

to provide customers with integrated

Tempa Pano has since proved its market

solutions Tempa Pano correspondingly

presence through affordable high quality

offers a comprehensive range of

products. With offices based in the UK,

accessories to compliment the enclosures

France, Romania and Bulgaria , as well

which include low voltage busbar systems,

as distributors in the Middle East and

climate control products and facilities to

Asia – Tempa Pano constantly strives

help the client with installation. With all

• Climate Control Products.

to be within close reach of the markets’

these options Tempa Pano can provide it’s

demand. Tempa Pano’s UK operations have

Coupled with a highly experienced

customer with complete solutions, tested

been present since 2000 serving it’s UK

and qualified engineering team whose

to the highest standards.

expertise is readily available Tempa Pano

customer base with bespoke engineering solutions and customer-oriented support.

Further the company is expanding it’s presence in the UK market by moving to it’s

Below is a breakdown of the Tempa Pano Enclosure and Busbar ranges:

• IP66/69K Stainless Steel Hygienic Enclosures.

• ATEX Approved (Ex e & Ex ie) Enclosures • Electronic System Cabinets • Console Systems • Power Distribution Busbars

UK is confident in finding the best technical solutions with effective designs and take pride in being customers first choice

• IP66 Wall Mount Enclosures

solution partner.

year with a view to increase capacity and

• IP55 & IP65 Junction Boxes

www.tempapano.com

introduce new production capabilities.

• IP 55 & IP65,66 Floor Standing

newly acquired premises within the next

With an extensive range of products, from small junction boxes to wall mounted enclosures up to large modular systems,

34 FDPP - www.fdpp.co.uk

Enclosures • 304 & 316L Grade Stainless Steel Enclosures.

HYGIENIC

Series Range

Stainless Steel Material: Enclosure and door: Stainless steel 1.4301 (AISI 304) Mounting plate: Sheet steel Lock insert HD: Stainless steel 304 Seal: Silicone Protection Category:

IP 66 / 69K

Tempa Pano’s hygienic enclosure solution for use in the pharmaceutical, chemical, food and beverage industries

your reliable solution partner

+44 0192 581 12 90

/

sales@tempapano.co.uk

/

www.tempapano.com

Conveyor Sensor System ready to go Leuze is launching an innovative mounting bracket for their 25C sensors that saves conveyor system manufacturers both time and money New special mounting brackets for the sensors of the 25C series for pallet detection.

Designed for reliable pallet detection, the sensor and bracket are supplied as a pre-assembled set to enable the conveyor system manufacturer to pre-mount to the conveyor in the factory, which is traditionally done on-site during the installation and commissioning phase of the system.

A PERFECT FIT INSIDE THE CONVEYOR The innovative new mounting brackets are designed specifically to fit the 25C series sensors. This means that the conveyor system manufacturer can install the sensor and bracket set inside the conveyor thus protecting it from potential damage. The integrated sloping front screen of the bracket deflects any dirt or debris that may fall onto it ensuring that the all-in-one solution requires less cleaning and maintenance than systems that rely on

standard retro-reflective photoelectric

The innovative new mounting brackets are designed specifically to fit the 25C series sensors.

sensors.

Innovative, factory integration of the special mounting bracket with sensor for pallet detection in the inner area of the conveyor.

In addition, the special ambient light configuration of the 25C sensors ensures that they are insensitive to high-frequency LED illumination used that is often found in production and logistics buildings and can cause unreliable operation of other types of diffuse sensors. Pallets are notoriously difficult to detect with diffuse optical sensors due to the differences in colour and surface.

However, thanks to the detection performance and outstanding function reserve of the 25C sensors from Leuze these issues are easily overcome and reliable detection of different pallet types is ensured. www.leuze.com

36 FDPP - www.fdpp.co.uk

Leading Filling Machinery Supplier Worldwide

Food Filling Equipment - What YOU Need To Know Dean Willis, product expert and Sales Director of Adelphi Manufacturing addresses the biggest challenges faced by Food & Beverage manufacturers, and solves the most frequent questions being asked...

Q

Dean, you’ve been in the industry for over 33 years what advice would you give to manufacturers looking to invest in filling machinery?

A

For businesses of all sizes - artisan to multi-national compliance is key! Increased regional and international legislation concerning food and beverage products has come hand-in-hand with tighter interrogation of hygiene practices. It’s never too early to cover yourself, and your machinery supplier is a good place to start.

Q

Many companies find the ‘C’ word - Compliance quite daunting! What specifics should manufacturers be looking out for?

A

Reputable suppliers will always be happy to confirm their compliance credentials, so don’t be afraid to ask!

ISO certification guarantees that companies adhere to strictly audited processes and procedures, and machines which meets GMP (Good Manufacturing Practice) guidelines are also a great indicator of quality.

Q

You mentioned that hygiene is an area coming under particular scrutiny. How does this relate to the filling process, and what advice would you give to manufacturers?

A

It’s essential to invest in filling machinery constructed from hygienic, durable material such as stainless steel. Some suppliers use cheaper construction, and although the initial price difference can trick you into thinking you’re getting a bargain, in the long run this will prove to be false economy.

The machine parts which come into contact with your product (known as ‘wetted’ parts) should be made of 316L pharmaceutical grade stainless steel, PTFE and Viton, to guarantee no contamination occurs.

Also, make sure to factor-in time for thorough machine cleaning as often as required - filling machines which are quick and easy to strip-down will give you an advantage, as the longer the cleaning process takes, the more money is being lost in production downtime.

Adelphi Manufacturing & Pharma Hygiene Products Ltd (part of the Adelphi Group of Companies) are ISO 9001:2015 certified, award-winning, leading Food and Beverage manufacturing machinery and equipment suppliers worldwide.

www.adelphi.uk.com

+44(0)1444 472300

info@adelphi.uk. com

Small and powerful: GEA launches new KDB 3 dairy centrifuge skid for fresh cheese production For the production of spreadable and spoonable cheeses such as cream cheese, quark, greek yoghurt and skyr, GEA has added the KDB 3 separator as a new member to its GEA PureCon series, which includes self-cleaning separators, clarifying decanters and a range of nozzle separators of KDB and KDE types. With a capacity of up to 200 kg/h fresh cheese, the KDB 3 is the smallest centrifuge within this range and provides the same

The synchronized setup of centrifuge, sensors and control devices ensures easy operation and a consistently high performance. and reliable performance throughout the entire production cycle.

production like for specialties or for farm-based dairies, for pilot-scale and product development activities or for research and educational purposes.

MORE THAN JUST A CENTRIFUGE: CONCENTRATED PROCESS KNOWHOW ON A SKID The synchronized setup of centrifuge, sensors and control devices ensures easy operation and a consistently high

high performance as the well-established

Being the only small-scale nozzle

nozzle centrifuges with larger capacity.

centrifuge for fresh cheese

The result is an additive-free and high-

concentration on the market, the new

quality range of consumer products

KDB 3 provides a capacity of up to 800

which offer the traditionally known taste

kg/h milk for an output of fresh cheese

clarification, concentration and cleaning.

and creamy product texture even on

of 15.5 to max 18 % DS and cream

The bowl contains a 3D printed segment

small scale. Supplied on a fully piped and

cheese “light” of 18 to max 26 % DS –

insert, which eliminates dead spaces

cabled skid, the KDB 3 allows for easy

depending on the milk type. The skid

and allows for a continuous and guided

integration and operation from the start

therefore perfectly fits to small-scale

product flow to the nozzles.

38 FDPP - www.fdpp.co.uk

performance. The KDB 3 has a nozzle bowl with a geometrically optimized profile that ensures best-in-class

The 3D insert thus also enables

in three preconfigured feature packages

for the fresh cheese hopper and an

automatic and more efficient cleaning,

“pro”, “plus“ and “prime”, is available

optionally available fresh cheese pump,

which not only saves cleaning media,

for the new KDB 3 skid, providing an

which in combination provide a smooth

but also eliminates manual, time-

advanced, smart process flow control.

and continuous product transfer for

consuming cleaning.

Thus, for example the automatic

further processing.

A redesigned solids catcher facilitates a uniform and guided product flow to the cheese hopper. To extend the operating time while maintaining a constant product quality and to prevent negative thermal impact on the product caused by hot surfaces, the solids catcher as well as the separators’ hood are cooled during production. This also prevents product adherence to surfaces by means of the resulting condensate film.

During the whole process, sterile air is superimposed on the product room via a treatment system, preventing accumulation under the bowl. This prevents contamination with yeasts and moulds in all product-carrying spaces, including the solids catcher and cheese hopper, thus increasing product

whey discharge control to adjust the back pressure during separation and to activate overflow during cleaning.

Another option is the automatic feed control, which ensures both the correct flow rate and thus a homogeneous feed to the machine as well as a constant dry substance of the discharged cheese. This prevents clogging due to too much feed flow or imbalances due to too less feed flow.

For monitoring the whey quality, a turbidity sensor can be integrated, which indicates when cleaning is required due to a decreasing separation efficiency. Another optional feature is a flow meter that monitors the whey flow in relation to the feed flow allowing a constant nozzle discharge

safety.

supervision, blocked nozzles can thus

A range of additional options, clustered

comes standard with a level sensor

be easily recognized. The KDB 3 skid

To ensure continuous production by preventing nozzle blockages, either manual filters or automatic filters are used in the product feed, which – depending on the equipment variant – are switched over manually or automatically in the event of a blockage.

In order to facilitate the selection of the right variant, GEA offers the possibility to run appropriate tests in advance of an investment. This can be done either in the Process Test Center at the GEA site in Oelde, Germany, or with a test plant at the customer’s site.

Various financing options as well as leasing contracts for the plant including shipping and commissioning round off the range of services for the new KDB 3 Skid. www.gea.com

FDPP - www.fdpp.co.uk 39

A flexible TLM packaging line from Schubert for Bahlsen Bahlsen’s new “Keks’n Cream” creation delivers a lot of taste in the layers of its filled double biscuits. To enable the pastry manufacturer to pack the sensitive products safely, quickly and attractively, a total of 24 pick & place robots had to be accommodated in a machine area of less than ten metres. Moreover, a building support post had to be integrated into the system. A customised TLM machine from Gerhard Schubert masters these challenges while offering flexible packaging options and high output within a minimum of space.

INDIVIDUALLY PLANNED AND COMPACTLY BUILT The requirements with which the

able to run other tray sizes in the future as

TLM frames. Arranged in pairs, they pick

manufacturer approached Gerhard

well. Furthermore, low maintenance and

up the biscuits and place them into the

Schubert GmbH, the market leader in

low spare parts costs had to be ensured,”

trays passing by in the opposite direction.

top-loading packaging machines, initially

adds Michael Voelskow. The experts at Schubert developed a line that is ideally

After filling, the trays are rotated by 90

sounded like a standard inquiry. But the hall intended for packaging the new

adapted to the specific conditions, yet still

product range represented an additional

impresses with its extremely compact

challenge: A freestanding building support

dimensions.

post stood in the way of the packaging line, requiring a specially adapted yet

24 ROBOTS IN THE SMALLEST OF SPACES

compact, high-performance system.

At the head of the packaging line, the

“Since the post could not be removed, we

plastic trays are taken from the magazines

simply integrated it into the somewhat

and fed into the machine on both sides, so

extended system,” reports Sales Account

that the product placement into the trays

Manager Michael Voelskow. “It was

can also run on both sides of the line. A

especially important for Bahlsen to be

total of 24 pick & place robots work in four

degrees so that they can be discharged lengthwise from the picker line to the subsequent flow-wrapping machine. On one side of the new TLM system, there is also a single storage belt. At the push of a button, individual placement of the biscuits on this grouping belt for flowwrap bag packing without plastic trays can be activated. This works without having to stop the system. The individual discharging and the placing into trays then run in parallel, i.e. simultaneously on both the left and righthand side of the machine.

3D SCANNER FOR QUALITY CONTROL In the picker line, four 3D scanners ensure that only intact biscuits are detected and enter the packaging. Products containing no filling or less than the specified amount of filling, as well as those not clearly bearing the Leibniz lettering, are rejected.

This ensures that only flawless products get into the packages. www.schubert.group/en

40 FDPP - www.fdpp.co.uk

The LHS 210 / 410 Air Heater Series Leister’s new series of compact and powerful LHS 210 / 410 air heaters are suitable for installation in industrial plants where space is limited or tubular air systems such as furnaces for heat curing processes, due to their compact design and ease of integration.

NEW AIR HEATER SERIES

LHS 210 / 410 COMPACT & POWERFUL

With a choice of eight air heaters with single (SF) or dual flanges (DF), the innovative design allows for easy electrical connection, with connection housing separated from the airstream, which allows unhindered air flows through the air heater with minimal loss in pressure. The connection housing is also protected against overheating, making it possible to work with an air inlet temperature up to 350 degrees Celsius.

The SF-R and DF-R air heaters are equipped with an extension on the housing connection. The ceramic inside this extension ensures that the electrical connection on the tubular air heaters is sealed off and protected from high temperatures or backflowing hot air.

Tel: 0800 856 0057 E: info@welwyntoolgroup.com Web: www.welwyntoolgroup.com

EASY CONNECTION

COMPATIBLE NOZZLES

HOT AIR RECYCLING

HIGH AIR VOLUME

$ ECONOMICAL

OVERHEATING PROTECTION Tel: +44 (0)1707 331111 info@welwyntoolgroup.co.uk | www.welwyntoolgroup.com

Automation security enhanced with PROFINET’s additional protection measures Security is a topic that must be continuously adapted, particularly with respect to ever increasing networking of production plants. The use of components with added value, e.g., web or OPC communication increases direct communication with higher-level systems outside of the security zone. It is also becoming increasingly difficult to separate networks.

Networks are becoming larger, meaning that more and more components are connected together and interact with one another. A successful attack on a single (PC) system within such a cell therefore bypasses upfront security measures. Widely distributed plants also hinder the physical protection of networks and access points, meaning unauthorized persons could possibly gain access to the network. Concepts which rely primarily on isolating the production plants must be supplemented with new concepts that enable protection within the cell.

FORWARD THINKING …

with further safeguarding within the plant enabled by dividing into zones through the use of firewalls.

Furthermore, a security component test ensures the ability of PROFINET components to withstand overloading, a concept supported by organizational measures in the production plant within the framework of a security management system.

From the very beginning PROFINET featured an extensive security concept to protect plant networks and automation components. More importantly the protective mechanisms and concepts did not interfere with the running of production operations, were easy to implement and remained affordable. They were also able to be adapted to suit ever changing developments.

PROFINET also includes a credential management system, e.g., for authentication of the devices and optional end-to-end security expansion for communication. As not every application has the same security requirements three security classes are now defined for PROFINET.

PROFINET’s IT security concept employs a defence-in-depth approach.

With this method, the production plant is protected against attacks – particularly from the outside – by means of a multi-layer perimeter

More Information https://www.profibus.com/technology/industrie-40/.

Click here to view PROFINET Security video

ADDITIONAL MEASURES FOR END-TO-END SECURITY

FDPP - www.fdpp.co.uk 41

Maximum user-friendliness on minimum space​: Minebea Intec launches automatic weigh-price labelling system Minebea Intec, leading manufacturer

be removed for cleaning if necessary. Its

of weighing and inspection solutions, is

interoperability rounds off the system:

launching the WPL-A, their first automatic

open interfaces allow quick and easy

weigh-price labelling system. The labelling

integration into production and seamless

solution offers the ideal and complete

communication with other devices.

package for customers in the food industry: weighing, pricing, labelling and product traceability in one package.

The WPL-A automatic weigh-price labelling system is the most reliable, adaptable and easy-to-use solution for high-speed labelling applications with a very compact footprint and intuitive software. Designed in accordance with hygienic design guidelines, it is predestined for use in all sectors of the food industry and scores with wellthought-out design details and smart features.

LABELLING SOLUTION WITH OPTIMUM EASE OF USE AND MANY CUSTOMISATION OPTIONS The WPL-A also scores with intuitive user guidance. The 19-inch touchscreen enables easy operation through comprehensible icon language: important production data, statistics, and the current label in production is displayed visually on the screen. Label printing is done via up to four configurable printer options: the printers can apply labels to the product from above or below

Instruments Directive). In addition, there is an E-Mark software module that guarantees the printing of statistical data. To ensure traceability, each label is identified by a unique pack number, batch, user and machine ID, which can be transmitted to ERP systems via open protocols.

and support the labelling of common

The WPL-A offers high-speed printing

SAVES TIME AND SPACE:

packaging variants such as C-wrap or

of up to 125 labels per minute,

HOW THE WPL-A OPTIMISES

full-wrap. The product sensors in the unit

made possible using advanced print

THE LABELLING PROCESS

are also able to handle light-coloured or

compression technologies.

The WPL-A price labelling system boasts

transparent products and packaging.

THE BEST OF BOTH WORLDS:

its modular design: this allows easy

In terms of printing technology, the

adaptation to the customer’s needs, who

customer can choose between direct

only pays for what he actually needs. The

thermal printing or thermal transfer

construction materials are perfectly suited

ribbon, if the products are heat-sensitive.

our range; in addition to high-precision

HIGH-SPEED PRINTING THANKS TO

manual labelling system, we now offer

to the food industry’s requirements: stainless steel in construction, it follows hygienic design guidelines enabling quick and easy cleaning, translating into a savings potential for cleaning costs.

The material is particularly resistant and additional parts such as the belt run can

STATE-OF-THE-ART TECHNOLOGY Labels can be customised via Nexus Label Design software with numerous options to ensure compliance with global guidelines: nutritional information, BIS, fonts, symbols or even 2D barcodes or GS1 symbols are available for label printing.

The price labelling system also complies with all current legal regulations that are important for operation in the

42 FDPP - www.fdpp.co.uk

OUR PROMISE TO THE FOOD INDUSTRY “With the WPL-A, we are expanding inspection solutions and the WPL-S a solution that drives the automation process in the food industry.” Says Sara Vivanco, Product Manager at Minebea Intec. “Often, customers only have the choice between a manual labelling solution that costs time or an automated solution with cumbersome operation. With our new product, we combine the best of both worlds: a high-speed solution that also offers user convenience at all levels.”

food industry: The WPL-A is approved

Further information can be found on the

according to NWCM NTEP (National Type

manufacturer’s website:

Evaluation Program) and MID (Measuring

www.minebea-intec.com.

Automatic in name, automatic in nature...

Now Available

Automatic Weigh Price Labeller WPL-A

Increase your product quality, food safety and efficiency!

The Minebea Intec weigh price labelling family is growing. We brought you the WPL-S and now we’re excited to bring you the WPL-A, increasing product quality, food safety and efficiency, automatically!

Minebea Intec UK Limited 2760 Kings Court, Birmingham Business Park Birmingham B37 7YE Phone +44 . 121.779.3131 | Email cs.uk@minebea-intec.com

www.minebea-intec.com

Foodgrade lubricants with unique formulation - the solution to avoid pathogen’s growth

By Dr. Martin Wünsch, Head of Research & Development, LUBCON Lubricants UK Ltd

The production of food and beverages requires a very high degree of cleanliness and industrial hygiene measures to prevent any hazards to consumer’s health.

As a consequence, H1 approved lubricants are mandatory for all lubricating points where incidental product contamination is technically unavoidable or possible, but unlikely. Even if product contact is utterly impossible, H1 lubricants are

batches, resulting in serious health risks

recommended, due to the probability of a

for the consumers and the need for a

mix-up with standard lubricants if these

product recall campaign causing severe

are used in the same area.

THREATS CAUSED BY MICROBIAL CONTAMINATION The European Machinery Directive 2006/42/EC regulates (Annex I, Section

damage to the company’s image.

Obvious evidence in a petri dish: The growth of pathogens (here: Legionella pneumophilia) in a grease can evidently be reduced by the unique formulation of LUBCON Clean Series.

2.1.2.) that “instructions must indicate

negative pathogens, e.g., Escherichia coli,

recommended products and methods

Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Staphylococcus

for cleaning, disinfecting and rinsing”.

aureus, Legionella pneumophilia and

However, in case of lubricated bearings

Bacillus atrophaeus

or other sealed components it is nearly

(see diagram). Incidental food contact

impossible to clean and disinfect the inside

with such germ-ridden grease can cause

space properly once microbial organisms

contamination of complete production

have penetrated and started growing within the grease.

Microbial contamination in the environment of food and

EFFECTIVE SOLUTION: LUBCON CLEAN SERIES WITH UNIQUE FORMULATION In order to avoid these complicated situations, the application of H1 lubricants from LUBCON Clean Series based on an innovative formulation is highly recommended.

The effectiveness of preventing pathogens from growth in these newly developed lubricants could be demonstrated in incubation tests by an independent microbiological laboratory.

beverages production, however,

Potential applications for LUBCON

is in particular of concern for

Clean Series lubricants are in

gram-positive and gram-

particular all processes where special measures for germ control

Diagram: Based on the example of the pathogen Bacillus atrophaeus, the diagram shows the germ formation within conventional grease in comparison to a product from the newly developed LUBCON Clean Series.

44 FDPP - www.fdpp.co.uk

like heat, radiation, sterilization, addition of preservatives etc. are excluded, e.g., for the aseptic cold filling of fruit juice. www.lubcon.com

Increasing Maintenance Efficiency with High-Performance Food Grade Lubricants LUBCON‘s H1-certified oils and greases allow incidental food contact and thus help to avoid product recalls due to contamination. By prolonging maintenance intervals and reducing machine downtimes, LUBCON lubricants increase machine availability and efficiency of food production facilities.

We are the experts for streamlining your lubricant portfolio in order to improve production processes.

Don‘t hesitate to use our long time experience in tribology for optimal machine performance.

www.lubcon.com

LUBCON LUBRICANTS UK LTD. Email: uk@lubcon.com | Phone: +44 1323 561030

Packaging specialist enjoys record year of growth after securing Finance For Enterprise & NPIF CBILS backed loans

Humber-based packaging specialist, which has been helping retailers take advantage of the boom in online sales during the COVID-19 pandemic, has secured a £110,000 loan, jointly funded by alternative lending provider Finance For Enterprise and the Northern Powerhouse Investment Fund (NPIF) and backed by CBILS. Hull Boxes & Packaging, which specialises in supplying bespoke corrugated cardboard and plastic containers, saw demand for its packaging products boom during lockdown as many of its customers switched operations to online deliveries and click and collect services.

Operating from a 30,000 sq ft production facility, the company recognised it

by Finance For Enterprise, with the

to recruit a number of new apprentices

remaining £55,000 of funding provided

to its workforce.

by NPIF - BEF & FFE Microfinance, part of the Northern Powerhouse

Richard Britton, Managing Director, Hull

Investment Fund.

Boxes & Packaging said:

With funding in place, Hull Boxes was

announced, like many companies, we

able to purchase a new die cutter and

had to change our operations overnight.

gluing and stitching machines, helping

Many of the businesses we supplied

the company to increase capacity and

switched from supplying retailers to

meet rising demand for its packaging

delivering directly to customers. Our

overcome supply chain problems.

services. As a direct result of the

business was working at full capacity

investment secured, the company is

and we recognised that in order to

Working with experienced Senior

on target to see turnover rise by nearly

continue to meet demand, it was vital to

Investment Manager Tim Daniels, half

£500,000. It has also successfully

upgrade some of the machinery we were

of the investment is provided directly

created three new jobs and is planning

reliant upon.

needed to invest in the machinery used to produce its product range, and after approaching finance broker Choice Business Loans, Finance For Enterprise stepped in to provide the vital funds needed to invest in its new machinery as well as providing working capital to

46 FDPP - www.fdpp.co.uk

“When the first national lockdown was

Our business was working at full capacity and we recognised that in order to continue to meet demand, it was vital to upgrade some of the machinery we were reliant upon. during a particularly challenging time for many companies.”

Melanie Ellyard, Senior Manager, British Business Bank said: “This investment into Hull Boxes & Packaging exemplifies the work that NPIF is doing across the North of England. By supporting businesses with the funds to recruit new staff and move premises, we are creating a more prosperous regional economy for the future, and in turn helping to reduce the regional disparities between the North and the South.”

Hull Boxes & Packaging was founded

by Richard Britton in 2013 after “We’ve worked with Choice Business

why not to lend to a business; Tim’s

Loans previously and they were able to

approach was incredibly refreshing. He

help us secure funding with Finance For

provided constructive feedback on the

Enterprise. The process was simple and

application, kept us updated throughout

straightforward and as a direct result of

the process and within a matter of weeks,

the funds we’ve received, we’ve been able

Richard was able to draw down the vital

to expand our workforce and we’re also

funds his business needed.”

hoping to invest in the next generation by creating new apprenticeships in the summer.”

Tim Daniels, Senior Investment Manager, Finance For Enterprise said: “As more and more businesses invested

spending more than 20 years working in the packaging industry. The company specialises in delivering bespoke packaging to businesses across the UK and specialises in the conversion of corrugated board and plastics used within the food and drink industry.

Finance For Enterprise provides a range of tailored loans up to £250,000, aimed at supporting SMEs throughout Yorkshire and the North Midlands. The company

Sharon Cook, Loan Adviser, Choice

in online sales, demand for packaging

Business Loans said:

boomed during lockdown, but for

“Like many businesses, Hull Boxes &

businesses like Hull Boxes & Packaging,

Packaging had been initially rejected

this brought about additional pressures.

from accessing support through the

The CBILS loan scheme was created

CBILS lending scheme; however, after

to help businesses to successfully

researching different CBILS providers I

navigate their way through the COVID-19

approached Finance For Enterprise. My

pandemic. For Hull Boxes & Packaging

The Northern Powerhouse Investment

this meant responding to the challenges

Fund project is supported financially by

posed by a full order book and managing

the European Union using funding from

supply chain pressures.

the European Regional Development

Investment Manager Tim Daniels listened and after discussing the business’s plans and the impact the investment in machinery would have, not only in terms of productivity but job creation, Tim was

“The support has helped Richard’s

able to put the finance in place to help

business to enjoy a record year of growth,

Richard overcome the challenges posed

and the funding provided by NPIF and

by COVID-19. In my experience, many

Finance For Enterprise has helped the

lenders often tend to look for reasons

business to adapt and successfully evolve

is a delivery partner for the British Business Bank-backed Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan Scheme and acts as fund manager for the Northern Powerhouse Investment Fund and Start Up Loans UK.

Fund (ERDF) as part of the European Structural and Investment Funds Growth Programme 2014-2020 and the European Investment Bank. www.hullboxandpack.co.uk

FDPP - www.fdpp.co.uk 47

­TheFood Food& &Beverage Beverage The IndustriesAre Are Fighting Fighting Surface Surface Industries Contamination the theWrong WrongWay Way Contamination Globally, Globally, itit is is estimated estimated that that over over 600 600 million million people people become become ill ill from from eating eating contaminated contaminated food food every everyyear. year.As Asaaresult, result, result, aa lot lot of of attention attention has has always always been been paid paid to to human human behaviors behaviors that that can can significantly significantly slow slow the the spread spread of of contagious contagious diseases diseases especiallyin foodprocessing processingand and – ––especially especially ininfood food processing and packaging packaging facilities. facilities. But But over over the the last last year year we’ve we’ve all learned learned a lot about how viruses and and bacteria bacteria are are spread spread and and shared. shared. There There is is aa new new focus focus on on ensuring ensuring all all critical critical surfaces surfaces remain remain protected protected protectedthrough through throughaaawide wide wide variety varietyof of use use cases. cases.

Throughout all of the food services industries industries –– from from production production productionto toplate plate thereare areso somany manysurfaces surfacesthat thatare – ––there there are so many surfaces that are are subject to contamination such subject subject to to contamination contamination such such as as as processing processing equipment, equipment, environmental environmental waste, waste, packaging packaging rooms, rooms,lavatories, lavatories, lavatories, etc. etc. and and the the World World Health Health Organization Organization and and other other government government scientific scientific bodies bodies strongly strongly recommend recommend disinfecting disinfecting these these surfaces surfaces frequently. frequently.

“Theproblem problemwith withtraditional traditionaldisinfection disinfection “The “The problem with traditional disinfection liquids liquids and and sprays sprays – – no no matter matter how how efficacious efficacious –– is is that that they they only only kill kill the the bacteria bacteria or or virus virus that that was was there there before before disinfection, ” explains disinfection,” disinfection,” explains explainsKevin Kevin KevinParrish, Parrish, Parrish, Novalent, CEO CEO of of Novālent, Novālent, aa research research and and development development company company innovating innovating in in the the field field of of environmentally-friendly, environmentally-friendly,longlongbonding bonding antimicrobial antimicrobial solutions. solutions. “The “The “The next next person person to to touch touch the the cleaned cleaned surface surface can can contaminate contaminate that that surface surface all all over over again. again. And And there’s there’s no no way way to to wipe wipe down down aa frequently frequently used used doorknob doorknob or or elevator elevator button button each each time time someone someone walks walksin in the the

manufacturingoperations operationsand and apparel manufacturing apparel apparel manufacturing operations and other facilities with impressive results. other other facilities facilities with with impressive impressive results. results.

Millionsof ofdollars dollarsare areflowing flowinginto into Millions Millions of dollars are flowing into research aimed aimedat atnew newproducts productsand and research research aimed at new products and processesthat thatseek seekto tocontinuously continuouslykill kill processes that seek to continuously kill bacteria and virusesafter afterapplication. application. bacteria and viruses viruses after application.

Whilethese thesedevelopments developmentsoffer offervarying varying While While these developments offer varying degrees of promise, there is a solution degrees degrees of of promise, promise, there there is is aa solution solution

alreadymarket-tested market-testedhaving havingalready already already already market-tested having already assistedPepsiCo PepsiCoin ininhibiting inhibitingbacteria bacteria assisted assisted PepsiCo in inhibiting bacteria

and fungi fungigrowth growthat atits itsbottling bottlingplants. plants. and and fungi growth at its bottling plants.

Novalenthas hasleveraged leveragedmore morethan than Novālent Novālent has leveraged more than

20years yearsof ofresearch researchto todevelop developaaa 20 20 years of research to develop portfolio of thoroughly tested regulatory portfolio portfolio of of thoroughly thoroughly tested tested regulatory regulatory approvedand andcommercially commerciallyavailable available approved and commercially available thatensure ensurethe thepractical practical products products that that ensure the practical

door. ” door.” door.”

sterilityof offrequently frequentlytouched touchedsurfaces. surfaces. sterility of frequently touched surfaces.

New New methods methods and and innovative innovative materials materials

additionto toPepsiCo, PepsiCo,Novālent Novalenthas has In In addition addition to PepsiCo, Novālent has

are are either either in in development development or or quickly quickly

withPanera PaneraBread, Bread,Starbucks, Starbucks, worked worked with with Panera Bread, Starbucks,

becoming commercially commercially available. available. These These becoming

Pilgrim’sPride, Pride,Ziegenfelder ZiegenfelderTwin TwinPops, Pops, Pilgrim’s Pilgrim’s Pride, Ziegenfelder Twin Pops,

solutions solutions are are already already being being used used in in large large

DippingCo., Co.,Tyson TysonFoods, Foods,Hanes Hanes Sabra Sabra Dipping Dipping Co., Tyson Foods, Hanes

food and and beverage beverage plants, plants,poultry poultry poultryfarms, farms, farms, food

Brands, Brands, and and has also just agreed to andhas hasalso alsojust justagreed agreedto to

48 FDPP - www.fdpp.co.uk

Equity Residential Residentialproperties properties protect protect Equity Residential properties across the United States with itslonglongacross across the the United United States States with with its its longbonding biostaticsurface surfacetreatment treatment bonding bonding biostatic biostatic surface treatment technology. technology. technology.

The Novālent Novalentsolution solutionis basedon onaaa The The Novālent solution isisbased based on biostatic, positively charged shield of biostatic, biostatic, postively postively charged charged shield shield of of carbon atoms which bonds to surface carbon carbon atoms atoms which which bonds bonds to to surface surface and creates a layer of invisible spikes and and creates creates aa layer layer of of invisible invisible spikes spikes that resist and kill bacteria and viruses that that resist resist and and kill kill bacteria bacteria and and viruses viruses on contact. It is not a disinfectant. on on contact. contact. ItIt is is not not aa disinfectant. disinfectant.

Imagine a microscopic bed-of-nails – Imagine Imagine aa microscopic microscopic bed-of-nails bed-of-nails – – imperceptible to the human touch – laid imperceptible imperceptible to to the the human human touch touch – – laid laid down over a disinfected surface. Bacteria down down over over aa disinfected disinfected surface. surface. Bacteria Bacteria and virus cells are literally punctured and and virus virus cells cells are are literally literally punctured upon contact, killing thempunctured before they

upon uponinfect contact, contact, killing killing them them before before they they can or replicate on the surface can can infect infect or or replicate replicate on on the the surface surface itself. itself. itself.

The The company has recently raised more The company companyhas hasrecently recentlyraised raisedmore more than than $15 $15 million to support operational than $15million millionto tosupport supportoperational operational changes changes needed needed to meet the new neededto tomeet meetthe thenew new demand for its its technology. technology. demand for technology. www.novalent.com www.novalent.com www.novalent.com

Ensure consumer confidence in your food service operation with proven antimicrobial protection technology that inhibits the regrowth of pathogens.

Only Novālent bonding antimicrobial is EPAapproved for use on food contact surfaces and

Hyperspectral seal inspection system easily detects contamination in rigid plastic packaging, even through printed film Production line inspection of rigid plastic packaging enables food producers to achieve better seal quality, higher productivity, end-of-line automation and reduced manual inspection Belgian seal inspection specialist Engilico (www.engilico.com) has introduced a new system for inline verification of the integrity of hermetically sealed plastic rigid packaging containing food.

In addition to the established SealScope™ automated system for seal quality control of flexible plastic packaging, the company has introduced a new system, HyperScope™, for checking the seals on rigid trays, pots and other thermoformed packages sealed with plastic film, even when printed. Product in seal often causes issues for standard vision systems, as there might not be enough contrast between the plastic film and the contamination. In case of packaging with a printed top film, often used for more luxury products, the contamination can even not be seen.

50 FDPP - www.fdpp.co.uk

Engilico has solved the problem by harnessing the power of hyperspectral imaging, which analyses a wider light spectrum than just the visible range to include near-infrared frequencies.

Infrared waves are able to penetrate plastic film and as different materials react uniquely to infrared light, they can be reliably detected based on their specific properties of transmission, reflection and absorption of these wavelengths. The spectrum of each pixel in the acquired image is analysed to provide information about chemical composition. Any undesired materials in the plastic seal area such as meat, fat

or oil can be detected in high contrast,

Failure to detect contamination in a seal

even through an opaque top film, and

is a serious issue, as if the package finds

is shown on the control screen in a

its way onto a supermarket shelf, air

different colour.

ingress and leakage would render the

It is noteworthy that hyperspectral imaging is perfect for this quality control process. Shorter electromagnetic wavelengths from the other side of the visible spectrum, such

irrelevant. Even worse, it could result in health issues for the consumer. In either case, an expensive product recall and potential brand damage are likely.

as X-rays, are good for seeing metal

Engilico’s hyperspectral system is

parts, for example, but have too much

installed over an existing or its own

penetrating power to resolve materials

conveyor belt and inspects every

whose density difference is small, such

individual package at a rate of up to

as plastic and food.

160 per minute. HyperScope instantly

Typical applications are 100% inspection of trays containing meat, cheese, fruits, ready meals and snacks. Investment in an automated quality control system directly integrated at the end of a

Engilico’s hyperspectral system is installed over an existing or its own conveyor belt and inspects every individual package at a rate of up to 160 per minute.

consumption date advice on the label

food production line pays for itself quickly, as it minimises the production of faulty product and automatically rejects any packages that have passed through with an unsatisfactory seal.

Additionally, the costs associated with line stoppage, manual re-packaging, food wastage and machine cleaning are avoided.

recognises package orientation, processes the image and analyses the seal quality, the information being displayed on an operator-friendly touch screen. All production-related data such as product type, number of good/bad packages, date and time is saved for subsequent production quality analysis.

In general, in-line seal inspection enables customers to realise better packaging quality, higher packaging productivity, end-of-line automation and a reduction in manual inspection. www.engilico.com

FDPP - www.fdpp.co.uk 51

The innovative partner for consultation on and distribution of laser products RAMAN LASERS FOR FRUIT QUALITY CONTROL Raman spectroscopy is a new method to control the quality of fruits. It allows a non-destructive investigation of the freshness of fruits and to sort out those fruits that are no longer attractive to consumers. Another application is the non-destructive, rapid and accurate detection of pesticide residues on the surface of fruits. FLC offers a great variety of Raman Lasers for Raman spectroscopy in the visible and near infrared wavelength range.

LINE LASER MODULES FOR ALIGNMENT OF FRUITS Sorting and quality inspection of fruits is still a time-consuming task because of the low level of automation. Natural products exhibit a greater variance compared to manufactured products regarding quality and dimensions, which complicates their automated processing.

By means of a red line laser like a laser from the ML2040-Series or the HAML-F in combination with a color CMOS camera and a specially trained Convolutional Neural Network it is possible to determine the orientation of fruits. The accuracy of the orientation prediction is approximately 5 degrees, which presents very promising results for the automation of fruit packing systems. www.frlaserco.com

52 FDPP - www.fdpp.co.uk

Milk foam optimization for the creamiest cup of cappuccino Mhmm… what was a delicious cup of

food scientists want to learn more about

cappuccino without lots of smooth and

the stabilizing effect of the caseins, they

creamy milk foam?! – Of course, the good

must also study the viscoelasticity of the

feel in the mouth and long-lasting foam

protein layer.

stability are not left to chance. When designing a new cappuccino powder, food scientists elaborately puzzle out the best formulations. They have to choose the right ingredients and mix them in optimal proportions and with the most suitable techniques. Emulsifiers and foam stabilizers play a very important role here.

They are needed to lower the surface tension, which, in the first place, allows the formation of the milk foam. Moreover, they tune the ‘viscoelastic properties’ of liquid surfaces which are especially important with regard to the foam’s stability.

STUDY OF SURFACE TENSION AND VISCOELASTICTY The surface tension of a liquid can easily be measured in a pendant drop experiment. The OCA system from DataPhysics Instruments returns the result within seconds. One finds, for example, that caseins, which possess good foaming and emulsifying properties, distinctly lower the water surface tension.

This happens because these food proteins are surface-active, meaning they adsorb to the water surface and form there a self-assembled layer. However, as the

Quite conveniently, the indicated surface rheological experiment can be carried out directly with the OCA measuring system at hand. The required oscillating drop method is just a few clicks away – and there is not even the necessity to change any part of the instrumentation. In order to determine the elastic and the viscous proportions of a sample’s surface (or interfacial) layer, DataPhysics Instruments’ electronic syringe module periodically increases and decreases the pending drop’s volume and, hence, its surface area.

At the same time, it is monitored how the surface tension reacts to these changes.

OSCILLATING DROP EXPERIMENTS In these experiments one observes that the measured surface tension follows the change of the surface area – either directly, or with a certain delay: That depends on the disability, or ability, of the surface-active molecules in the surface layer to quickly adsorb to and leave the surface. If there is a high exchange of molecules between the bulk solution and the surface (because the molecules try to compensate surface depletion or over-population caused by the drop enlarge- and diminishment, respectively) the measured surface tension follows the surface area changes with a distinct delay, or ‘phase shift’. Such a finding attests rather viscous surface properties; as is reflected by obtaining a comparably high surface dilatation viscosity

any changes of the surface area: As soon as it increases the surface tension also increases, because less molecules are available per unit surface area, and vice versa. One says such a surface layer behaves ‘elastic’, and measures a high surface dilatation elasticity modulus, E’.

High surface elasticity has been correlated with low coalescence rates and is, besides a low surface tension, hence desirable with the objective to generate stable foams. The calculation of the surface dilatation moduli, just as the execution of the whole experimental procedure, is of course automatically performed

by DataPhysics Instruments’ software.

So, there is time to lean back and enjoy another cup of creamy cappuccino.

If you want to know more about the oscillating drop method and all the other capabilities of DataPhysics Instruments’ OCA systems visit www.dataphysics-instruments.com, or just give us a call (+49 711 77 05 56 0) or drop us a line (info@dataphysicsinstruments.com).

modulus, E’’. On the other hand, if the molecules are adsorbed irreversibly at the surface, the surface tension reacts directly to

54 FDPP - www.fdpp.co.uk

Understanding Interfaces

www.dataphysics-instruments.com

Smart solutions for the study of surface and interfacial parameters Viscoelastic behaviour of surfaces and interfaces

Stability of emulsions, suspensions & foams

Cognex Introduces Edge Intelligence Platform Cognex Corporation introduces Cognex Edge Intelligence (EI). The platform provides barcode reading performance monitoring and device management to help customers prevent downtime and boost productivity of manufacturing and logistics operations.

“Cognex’s machine vision tools and barcode reading systems produce insight-rich data across manufacturing and logistics facilities,” said Carl Gerst, Executive Vice President, Products and Platforms. “With EI’s powerful

With EI’s powerful visualization and diagnostics tools, our customers can now use that data to identify performance issues and take corrective action faster. begins securely collecting critical device data and displaying the results in visual dashboards. Customers can use this

well as deploying configurations and firmware updates simultaneously to a large number of connected devices. It also includes audit trail capabilities that track and report any changes to device settings and connectivity features for easy integration with other Industry 4.0 solutions.

Cognex EI is designed to help improve overall equipment effectiveness (OEE) and increase throughput across a range of industries including logistics, food and beverage, consumer products,

visualization and diagnostics tools, our

data to analyze performance trends,

customers can now use that data to

monitor configuration changes, and

identify performance issues and take

capture no-read and failed validation

corrective action faster.”

images for further analysis.

For more information, visit

Within just a few minutes of

The platform can monitor multiple

EdgeIntelligence or call

installation, Cognex’s EI software

devices and lines within a single site as

+44 121 296 5163

56 FDPP - www.fdpp.co.uk

packaging, automotive, medical devices, and electronics.

www.cognex.com/en-gb/

Enter the virtual world of Hitachi Coding & Marking Solutions As a leading supplier of industrial coding

The digital stand is open 24h/7 days. The

and marking solutions, Hitachi did not

fact that a digital presence is independent

want to wait until real trade fairs could

of time and location means that all

take place again on a normal scale and is making all coding and marking solutions available to the industry online in the newly created digital booth. Hitachi’s Virtual World offers an easy overview of the entire portfolio of industrial marking, vision system and special software solutions in 3D format.

A virtual tour of the Hitachi exhibition

information can be conveniently accessed from home, from the home office or from an office desk anywhere in the world, and you can contact Hitachi Coding & Marking at any time regardless of regional office hours. After visiting the exhibition stand, visitors can use an integrated world map to navigate directly to the website for their own region in order to find out more about country-specific models.

stand is now available. The digital space

Access is available without registration via

includes the following product showcases:

www.hitachicoding.online.

• Industrial inkjet printers

The digital exhibition stand is regularly

• Laser markers

enriched by Hitachi with new content and

• Vision Inspection Systems

is therefore always a good place for visitors

• Software solutions

to quickly find out about the latest news.

Visitors have access to a wide range of additional information such as videos, brochures, video demonstrations and presentations allowing them to delve

Hitachi Laser Coder LM-C301 Series

Enter now and enjoy the virtual world of Hitachi Coding & Marking Solutions. www.hitachicoding.online

deeper into the world of Hitachi Coding & Marking products. All product brochures can be downloaded directly.

Hitachi Industrial Inkjet Printer Series UX

FDPP - www.fdpp.co.uk 57

Tailor made solutions for the dairy and food industries From hygienic product protection to

Only with the new, patented punching

communication with the customer -

tools from INTECMA can multipacks

packaging must fulfil a wide range of

made of these materials be broken

functions. This includes the packaging

into individual cups just as easily as

design, product protection, ease

multipacks made from PS. The knives

of use, optimal logistics, customer

do not even have to be changed for

information and brand ambassador, but

this. Further equipment in the ZERO

also to guarantee the shelf life of the

Technology range include special

product, however the packaging must

pre-heating plates, which can be

also be sustainable. Functionality and

easily dismantled and enable simple

sustainability are on the same level in

maintenance. Further material savings

packaging development. This has to be

can also be realised by using the special

taken into consideration when developing

thermoforming moulds, which enable the

alternative packaging concepts with

use of thinner materials.

sustainable materials such as monomaterials as well as materials from

ZERO Technology offers an innovative

renewable resources.

Cutting tool

With the patented ZERO Technology tools

costs, increases the performance of the

we offer the perfect solution for the use of mono-materials such as PET, PP and PLA. The tools from the ZERO Technoloy range are the result of years of research and development. They can be applied to all cutting applications contained in an FFS machine. Their use reduces maintenance

58 FDPP - www.fdpp.co.uk

machine and have a longer punching time.

By using the tools from ZERO Technology, a quick switch from PS (polysterene) to more recyclable materials such as PET, PP and PLA can be realised and customers have now the opportunity to use these materials for their thermoformed cups.

solution on the way implementing more sustainable packaging material in existing form, fill and seal machines from our brands Erca, Hassia and Intecma (and even in machines from other suppliers) or in new machines and enables improved recyclability of cups and reduces the ecological impact. www.imadairyfood.com

ZERO Technology

SUSTAINABLE PACKAGING SOLUTIONS Consumers’ expectations and regulations change, and manufacturers are confronted with a growing demand for more environmentally friendly and more sustainable packaging.

With the patented tools of the ZERO Technology range we offer the perfect solution for the use of mono-materials such as PET, PP and PLA which are perfectly adaptable to the FFS machines of our brands Erca, Hassia, and Intecma.

Several tools have been developed for equipping new FFS lines and adapting existing ones. ZERO Technology is the technical solution for high-quality cutting and precutting of PET, PP and PLA and thus enabling easy breakable multipacks made of these materials. Using transparent PET allows consumers to see the product, which makes it more attractive on the shelf. The cup can get a PET lid and label, making the packaging completely recyclable.

More information: www.imadairyfood.com/zerotechnology/

Steamlining operations and increasing productivity with WinMan ERP The need for technology is evident, but within the food and drinks industry, businesses should have a system in place to provide full traceability and quality control to ensure food safety and compliance.

WinMan ERP Solutions can help the food and drinks sector streamline operations and increase productivity while maintaining compliance and traceability.

Jonathan Davies, Director from WinMan explains, ‘It is essential for businesses to have a single source of truth, where food and drinks businesses can track everything

We need that sort of visibility to see if our

from the minute it enters the warehouse

suppliers can produce in time.”

to when it leaves. Using one system to manage all operational processes, will also

SUPPORTING CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

help improve efficiency and productivity throughout.’

CASE STUDY: HOW WINMAN ERP HELPED CONDIMENTUM WITH THEIR FOOD MANUFACTURING PROCESSES WinMan ERP helps companies within the food sector streamline operations and increase productivity while maintaining compliance and traceability.

Operating from a purpose-built facility near Norwich, Condimentum is a new business processing mustard and mint to make quality ingredients for the food industry. With WinMan ERP central to

“Our whole focus over the next two years is continuous improvement. How can we do things better and quicker? How do we reduce inefficiencies and administration? do product traceability and to simulate a

We choose to run with a relatively small

scenario that if we had a recall, we could

team so without WinMan and the flexibility

identify very quickly which manufacturing

with mobile phone apps we’d really

batches, which products would be

struggle to drive efficiency down onto the

affected and the components used in

shop floor.”

those. WinMan has front to back and back challenge from a supplier to say they’ve

SUPPORTING BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT

issued components to us that aren’t up

“The biggest benefit of WinMan has

to standard or there’s an issue at the

been its simplicity and its flexibility. It

customer end, we can very quickly find out

does everything we need it for as a food

what else is affected.”

manufacturer. WinMan doesn’t need

to front traceability meaning if given a

their business model, they became FSSC accredited within a few months of opening.

a massive team of people to run it. It

SUPPORTING RESOURCE & MATERIALS PLANNING

supported us through COVID, through ramp up as we started production and it will

Condimentum’s Financial Director Stuart

“We don’t have a complex set of materials

continue to support us through the next

Riches gave us his thoughts on the

but we have quick turnarounds. We

stage of development”

benefits of WinMan.

deliberately built a facility with very

SUPPORTING FOOD SAFETY COMPLIANCE

little storage so we can’t hold excess stocks. WinMan allows us to load in the demand from our customers and we can

“We‘re FSSC22000 accredited and also

immediately see what we’ve got in stock,

looking into the future to go onto BRC.

what we need to order. WinMan has the

The key with both of those is the ability to

ability to update the forecasts very quickly.

60 FDPP - www.fdpp.co.uk

For more information on our ERP solutions, call our consultants on 0121 749 8050 or email sales@winman.com

AstaReal achieves food safety standard FSSC 22000 certification AstaReal, the global pioneer in natural astaxanthin cultivation and related research, has been certified according to FSSC 22000, Version 5. The certification confirms that the company meets all the safety requirements relevant to the manufacturing of food throughout the supply chain.

AstaReal cultivates and produces astaxanthin, which is derived from the microalga Haematococcus pluvialis. To confirm the safety and consistent quality of its products for consumer consumption, AstaReal has been accredited with the FSSC 22000, V5 certificate.

For AstaReal’s customers, this guarantees a well-developed food safety management system, including solid hazard analysis and risk management system that identify, evaluate and control any food safety hazards that my occur, thus guaranteeing consumer safety. The accreditation is testament to the Swedish company’s continuous efforts to not only maintain, but also improve on, its high safety and quality standards.

Certification according to the FSSC 22000 standard is recognised worldwide as proof of a safe manufacturing process and a comprehensive food safety management system, and fulfils the requirements of the Global Food Safety Initiative (GFSI).

For AstaReal, this is one more step towards reassuring both manufacturers and consumers about the safety of its products.

with the highest standards throughout the whole supply chain. We at AstaReal attach great importance to providing only high quality and safe ingredients, supported by a well-functioning food safety management system. We do not compromise in this area, and always put safety and food quality first. Therefore, we are delighted to have received the FSSC 22000 certification as an official confirmation of our commitment.”

Dr. Kurt Haglund, Quality Manager at AstaReal: “Our customers look for scientifically backed, natural ingredients that are produced

For further information, please visit: www.astareal.se

Food Box Specialists S Lester Packing Materials are the UK’s leading big box manufacturers.

Our supply chain solutions, from Octabins to Meat Shippers, are ideal for storing and transporting all kinds of produce, from potatoes and grain through to pumpkins and meat. Like all of our boxes, they’re 100% recyclable and made from a renewable source, available in a wide range of grades from C flute to Triple Wall, and can be printed to provide an eye-catching finish.

Ideal For: ■ Abattoirs

■ Farmers

■ Growers

■ Bulk Ingredient Suppliers

To find out more about how our state-of-the-art design and production facilities can help you to maximise your packaging

visit www.slesterpacking.co.uk call 01543 68 37 74

S Lester Packaging_Food & Drink Processing_180x132mm_final.indd 1

14/12/2020 15:52 FDPP - www.fdpp.co.uk 61

Evaporative cooling - the ventilation based alternative to air conditioning Are you looking for a cost-effective cooling system that complies to new government ventilation recommendations? Evaporative cooling provides a simple, safe and efficient solution.

Increasing summer temperatures across the UK are threatening the conditions of workers and products, while the COVID pandemic provides an ongoing risk of shutdowns if transmission rates are not reduced. With British manufacturing and engineering heading for one of its busiest summers, evaporative cooling can prevent warm weather and inadequate ventilation disrupting the productivity of your facility.

EcoCooling’s ventilation-based evaporative cooling systems reduce the risk of COVID transmission while keeping people and processes cool.

Not only is evaporative cooling a green alterative to air conditioning, it can be used to cool large spaces effectively and efficiently while leaving doors and windows open. This simple cooling process guarantees temperatures never exceed 23C at point of entry. EcoCooler’s are modular; one cooler can typically provide 35kW of cooling for a 250m2 area for less than 15p per hour, a 90% saving on the cost of a refrigeration-based system.

changes per hour, reducing the risk of

companies who are not only looking for an

COVID transmission. A range of simple

efficient ventilation and cooling system but

filtration options are available to prevent

are also wanting to offer their employees a

external contaminants being brought into

healthier and safer environment to work in.

the building. In addition to this, in many

At 90% less than the running cost and

cases having a facility that has a cool,

less than 50% of the installation cost of a

steady temperature can also help improve

refrigeration-based system, EcoCooling

product stability.

provides a simple, safe and low-cost method of keeping your factory cool,

This proven solution is ideal for people,

productive and COVID safe.

process or product cooling and is already being used in over 500 facilities throughout

Cooled air is directed into the building

the UK including Greggs, Cummins Diesel,

using the EcoCooler’s inbuilt fan providing

Siemens and MERCK.

up to 3m3/s of air flow. EcoCooler’s

For further information please contact us

are installed as part of a balanced

With a large stock of products and spares

on 01284 810586 or email

mechanical ventilation system, exceeding

held in our Suffolk warehouse, UK based

sales@ecocooling.co.uk or visit our web

all government recommendations on air

EcoCooling are in an ideal position to help

site: www.ecocooling.co.uk

62 FDPP - www.fdpp.co.uk

Worthington launches lower energy compressors In support of the packaging sector’s

as a packaging production process,

been redesigned, to allow for easier

drive to improve efficiency and cut

Worthington’s Rollair belt-driven, screw

maintenance and removable service

carbon emissions, in line with the

compressors can be configured as either

panels enable quick access.

government’s ‘Net Zero’ sustainability

floor mounted, tank mounted or tank

agenda, industrial compressor brand

mounted with refrigerant air dryer. The

Worthington Creyssensac has launched

latter version delivers a 55% reduction

an upgraded range of oil-injected

in Global Warming Potential (GWP) over

air compressors, which deliver a

previous generation screw and dryer

significantly lower environmental

packages, which is a result of the change

footprint.

from R134a HFC refrigerant gas to

Featuring a completely redesigned air end element, Worthington’s innovative Rollair 300-850 small screw compressor models facilitate a market-leading increase of 15% in Free Air Delivery (FAD) output, as well as a reduction in energy consumption of up to 12%.

In addition, the combination of an anti-condensation oil heater, tropical thermostat and a larger 500-litre air receiver enables the units to operate on very low duty cycles, where the demand for air is intermittent, without the issue of condensation forming within the oil.

Where there is a need for large volumes of air on continuous demand, such

Commenting on the launch of its upgraded compressors, Mark Keen, Business Line Manager at MultiAir UK & Ireland, which supplies the Worthington Creyssensac brand to a network of distributors, said:

R513a HFO gas within the refrigerant

“Within the production and service

dryer. Compressor power ranges from

industries, compressed air is often

3 to 10 horsepower in either 8 or 10

referred to as the fourth utility, so

bar versions and distributors also have

Worthington remains committed to

the option of a pressure conversion

improving efficiency and performance, as

kit for flexibility in stock holding and

well as pursuing ways of reducing energy

to ultimately ensure the end user gets

consumption. Our latest Rollair range of

exactly the right pressure unit for their

small screw compressors are the perfect

application.

starter compressor with ‘plug and play’

Offering a fully-integrated configuration with combined air receiver, tank, filtration and refrigerant dryer, provides customers with a compact, virtually silent unit, so it can be located closer to the point of use, requiring less pipework. Internal componentry has

single person installation. Improving the work environment for operators by minimising noise has also been a key factor, so these upgraded machines are virtually silent and provide a compelling overall business solution with low cost of ownership in a challenging economic climate.” www.airwco.com

64 FDPP - www.fdpp.co.uk

WORTHINGTON CREYSSENSAC RLR 300-850

BECAUSE IMPROVEMENT NEVER STOPS

ROTARY SCREW AIR COMPRESSOR PACKAGES

THE NEW ROLLAIR 300 - 850 CHECKS ALL THE BOXES ✓ Powerful and energy efficient: next-generation air end generates 15% more air and consumes 12% less energy ✓ Clean, dry air as standard: avoids downstream product spoilage and extends air tool life ✓ Continuous operation: screw air end allows for continuous use without cool-down periods ✓ Low operating costs: IE3 premium efficiency motor significantly lowers your total cost of ownership ✓ Low noise levels: as low as 61dB(A) the compressor can be located alongside your application, minimising pressure drops and avoiding expensive pipework runs

www.airwco.com 01925 817 803

AESSEAL® wins another Queen’s Award for Enterprise for Innovation AESSEAL®, a mechanical seal manufacturer with its Head Office in Rotherham, has received the Queen’s Award for Enterprise in the Innovation category for a specialised mixer seal of the type required in vaccine manufacture and other complex industrial operations.

This is the 12th Queen’s Award received

by AESSEAL plc and the 14th for the AES Engineering Ltd. Group. The Short Canister Mixer Seal which is the subject of the latest award is the world’s first Zone 0, 1 and 2 range certified mixer seal, based on a modular platform and is capable of sealing the most difficult applications in the world by design.

Award for Enterprise flag continuously since 1989 and now we will have the

AESSEAL® is the last remaining UK

right and privilege to be able to do so for

manufacturer of a full line of mechanical

the next 5 years.

seals after their largest competitor moved its UK manufacturing base to the

“Although this is a time of celebration

Czech Republic a decade ago.

it is also a time of mourning and reflection. The late departed His Royal

While mechanical seals are a

Highness, The Duke of Edinburgh,

relatively hidden component of global

chaired a committee in 1965 which led

manufacturing processes they are

to the creation of the Queen’s Award

also vital. The best sealing technology

for Industry as it was initially called. The

makes a major contribution to the reliability, profitability and environmental

very positive and motivational impact

performance of industrial applications.

intended to add an internal and external

Without mechanical seals there would

gas lift version to its Short Canister Mixer

be no power generated, no refining, no

Seal and, continuing the company’s

fine chemical industry and a very limited

relentless pursuit of excellence, it will

pharmaceutical industry.

be introducing a full range of Zone 1 and

AESSEAL® does not claim to be the unique UK supplier of mechanical seals, but it still proudly manufactures a full

Zone 2 certified gas lift seals, suitable for use in the production of vaccines, on the 1st June 2021.

this initiative has on myself and my colleagues, particularly at this difficult time for both the Royal Family and the world, is incalculable.

The morale and motivation of people is a huge ingredient in the success of any enterprise and the injection of both that our organisation gets from the receipt of this award will help drive the

product range from its Yorkshire base

Managing Director and Founder, Chris

while continuing to operate globally in a

Rea, said: “Without a shadow of doubt

strategically important area of precision

a Queen’s Award is the greatest single

engineering.

honour that can be bestowed on a

The Lord-Lieutenant, Mr. Andrew

business and the value to the morale and

Coombe, will raise the Queen’s Award

motivation of myself and my colleagues

for Enterprise flag at a socially distanced

is incalculable.

ceremony at 2.30 pm on Thursday

As pharmaceutical products in particular cannot tolerate any contamination into the Mixer or Reactor seal vessel, an inert gas is often the preferred choice of

“Part of our drive for excellence has been

barrier fluid. By design AESSEAL® always

the motivation to be able to fly a Queen’s

66 FDPP - www.fdpp.co.uk

business to be the best that it can be in the future.”

29th April 2021. www.aesseal.com/en

MICRONEL MINIATURE FANS AND BLOWERS

BLOWERS FOR PRESSURIZED AIR AND SUCTION APPLICATIONS

ons reduce ti lu o s r e w lo b d e z Decentrali e energy! v a s d n a ts s o c g n operati PRESSURIZED AIR IS EXPENSIVE!

ADVANTAGES OF MICRONEL BLOWERS

Compressing air in a compressed air system requires a

• Compact design and flexible positioning at point of use

lot of power and results in continuous pressure losses

• Extremely small sizes – Typically 50 mm diameter

during transport from the point of generation to the point

up to 100 mm x 100 mm square

of consumption - This makes compressed air one of the

• Lower operating costs with higher efficiency

most expensive forms of energy of its kind. For this reason,

• Work independently of existing compressed air systems

Micronel‘s powerful compact blowers are becoming

• Robust aluminum housing for harsh industry conditions

increasingly utilized in the market for pressure and vacuum

• Maintenance free and long lifetime

applications.

• Quiet operation with optional silencer and accessories

Micronel UK Ltd. Unit 53, The Arches Industrial Estate Alma Road, Windsor, Berkshire SL4 3HY United Kingdom

Phone +44 1753 641 412 info@micronel.co.uk www.micronel.com