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SHAPE up to 48,000 portions per hour and still achieve that perfect homestyle bite. a video of the combo system at pfwgo.to/7815 .

MOVE your ingredients with hygienically designed conveyors, dumpers, loaders, hopper chunkers and other engineered solutions.

What’s more, for the fi rst time, it lets food processors connect multiple front-end inspection machines to back-end reporting software in real time. It’s live, it’s streamlined, and it’s centralized. So rather than reacting to various production scenarios, customers can export dashboards and reports in the format that is most closely aligned with their common reporting standards. This enhances traceability and gives operational sta the info needed to address time-critical events. And for those already operating Fortress machines, you’ll be happy to know that Contact 4.0 can be installed on all Fortress digital Stealth, Interceptor, and Interceptor DF metal detectors, as well as on the Raptor Checkweigher, Raptor XL Caseweigher, and the Raptor combination checkweigher/metal detector.

Speaking of Raptor checkweighing, it made its o cial debut for Fortress at PACK EXPO, as previously the firm did not have a checkweigher in its product portfolio. On display at the Fortress booth was a combination metal detector and checkweigher ( 11). Individual reject mechanisms, one for packs that are detected to have metal and one for packs that are detected to be the incorrect weight, are part of the combo system. The operator can control the entire combo system from a single human-machine interface (HMI).

Featured at the PACK EXPO booth of Schenck Process, the Global Hygienic Airlock (GHA), a USDA Dairy accepted dismountable airlock, is suited to applications where dry raw or finished products are being handled in the process and where inspection or system clean-out is required ( 12). At PACK EXPO International, Schenck Process was displaying not only the GHA itself, but new features it has since made available on the airlock.

The Rotor Assist Device (RAD), for example, was recently made available to help disassemble the valve housing for cleaning. “These 12-, 14-, 16-, 18-inch valves can get quite heavy,” comments Jon Goecker, industry manager for Schenck Process, who demonstrated the unit at the company’s booth in Lakeside Center.

With the RAD, the valve rotor slides out easily on rails, enabling the rotor to be cleaned without workers having to lift the heavy equipment. Then it slides into the housing again easily.

Goecker also showed o the Valve Interference Detection (VID), which keeps the airlock from being damaged and protects product from contamination caused by friction between the valve rotor and the housing. “Without this, there could be metal shavings in the process,” Goecker explains. “That’s why we have metal detectors and sifters in the process,” but of course better to keep the shavings out in the first place.

The VID system electrically isolates the moving rotor from the valve housing and drive system so that a closed circuit would indicate resistance between the rotor and housing. Any interference that’s detected would show up on the HMI.

Advanced pick and place for cookies and such

Following the ongoing trend toward automated material handling solutions, Syntegon Packaging Technology debuted at PACK EXPO International its new, Intelligent Direct Handling (IDH) pick-and-place system (13) designed for the flat (pile) or on-edge (slug) handling of cookies, crackers, biscuits, and similar products. The advanced pick-and-place concept uses linear motor technology—Beckho ’s XTS system, to be more specific—and the smooth movements of the linear motors ensure gentle handling of the fragile products.

“Product is fed into the IDH system from an oven or cooling towers, either random or in rows, with a tray denester positioned in parallel with the infeed,” says Daniel Bossel, product manager at Syntegon. “But the heart of the IDH is in the pick-and-place movers.” www.scottmixers.com

Manufacturing food and beverages require robust, reliable, and durable equipment solutions. In addition, ingredients must be handled gently, added precisely, and mixed e ciently. We have extensive knowledge of food and beverage production, and our application experts can develop and deliver a solution to handle your most demanding applications.