Food & Beverage Industry News Aug 2022

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AUGUST 2022

How three mates turned a passion into a thriving business PLUS: Calibration | Sustainability | Events

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Why expos are more important than ever I t has been a whirlwind couple of months with the returns of AUSPACK and FoodTech after years of delays thanks to the COVID-19 pandemic.

AUSPACK was my first experience on an expo floor in my role as editor of Food & Beverage Industry News and it was a very educational one. I then headed to FoodTech on the Gold Coast feeling like I had my sea legs under me, and the two-day event did not disappoint.

As with AUSPACK, FoodTech provided me with ample opportunity to meet industry stakeholders and insiders face to face, an experience which we all missed during the pandemic.

It can’t be overstated how important it is for our industry, and just about all industries, to have that face-to-face interaction. But this is so truer than with innovation and technology. Being able to see the newest innovations in action, and first-hand, is the best way to make an informed investment.

The vibe at the expo was to be expected, everyone was in high spirits, and it was obvious some major changes were underway, and have been underway, in the last handful of years.

As has been the case for some time now, the focus is on sustainability and efficiency of production as key areas to future proof the industry.

Supply chain disruptions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic also put into stark focus the need for better cold chain options and ways to increase shelf life.

Packaging and production innovations are addressing these very issues.

Manufacturers and producers were also recognised for their efforts in packaging by the Australian Institute of Packaging, demonstrating the importance the industry is placing on this sector.

4 Food&Beverage Industry News | August 2022 | www.foodmag.com.au

One of the big areas of focus I noticed at both expos this year was a move towards more automation which is having a positive impact on everything from traceability to food safety.

As an industry, food and beverage is well placed because the products created are not just luxury items for the consumer, they are necessities. What makes this advantageous is that the industry is in an enviable position to trial and error all types of technologies to better produce, and in turn it has a positive impact on wider society.

For example, the millions of tonnes of food waste that ends up in landfill, along with any plastics, is being reduced every day and with every innovation.

Being an industry that is a basic foundation of society, along with things like electricity and medicine, provides an opportunity to better the world while also becoming more profitable and sustainable, a rare combination.

It’s excting to be on an expo floor for many reasons, but the ones I’ve laid out above stood out most.

As we near the target dates for the Modern Manufacturing Initiative and the Modern Manufacturing Strategy, these elements will become more and more obvious.

The anticipation is that the guidelines of the MMS and MMI could become more than just guidelines for a more sustainable future, whatever the outcomes, it is already clear the food and beverage industry is helping lead the way on creating modern models for the future of the industry.

Until next time, have a great month.

CONTENTS INSIDE

07 NEWS

26

22 MEET THE MANUFACTURER Three friends started Mr Consistent at the outset of the pandemic and still managed to grow 26 FLOW MEASUREMENT AMS provides top quality calibrations and instrumentation solutions from Bronkhorst and Beamex 28 COMPRESSORS CAPS details the advantages of a full range of oil-free air delivery options for the food and beverage industry.

30

30 INDUSTRIAL HOSES Continental’s purchase of Merlett has diversified the company’s portfolio of industrial hoses for the food and beverage industry.

32 HYGIENE Vendart’s new mobile flow cytometer works to ensure your facility follows food-grade hygiene practices.

34 SUSTAINABILITY Heat and Control continues to help the industry overcome sustainability challenges to safeguard the future.

34

38

36 EVENTS The 2022 Australian Bulk Handling Expo is taking place in Melbourne from August 24 to 26.

38 BEARINGS Motion Australia has introduced the globally recognised Timken range of food-grade bearing products

42

40 AUTOMATION APS’ newest range of automation applications, including signalling columns, provide the industry with greater flexibility 42 PACKAGING Sealed Air continues to innovate new ways to use packaging in a more sustainable way in the food and beverage industry.

44 AIP 46 NEW PRODUCTS

www.foodmag.com.au | August 2022 | Food&Beverage Industry News 5

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NEWS

Industry unites in a $36.6 billion food waste challenge A

new Australian-first plan to tackle food waste across the food cold chain sector has been released by leading national food waste agency Stop Food Waste Australia (SFWA).

The Food Cold Chain Sector Action Plan (SAP) has been co-designed and developed with Australia’s peak cold chain body, the Australian Food Cold Chain Council.

The plan aims to reduce food waste from “gate to plate,” helping Australia in its stated goal of halving its food waste by 2030. Food Cold Chain is Stop Food Waste Australia’s first Sector Action Plan, with others including Food Rescue underway.

“Australia is a big country and there’s an incredible amount of work that goes into keeping food at the required temperatures as it travels across often vast

distances,” said SFWA chief operating officer Mark Barthel. “We know that more than 23 million tonnes of produce pass along Australia’s food cold chain each year, worth $42 billion at farm gate value.

“The Food Cold Chain Sector Action Plan is a partnership between Stop Food Waste Australia and industry – it will allow us to collaborate and identify food waste ‘hotspots’ in the cold chain, while taking action to reduce their impacts, improve cold chain integrity and help industry to reduce costs.”

Stop Food Waste Australia chief executive officer Dr Steven Lapidge says food waste is a challenge too large for any one organisation to tackle alone.

“Food waste costs the Australian economy nearly $37 billion a year,” he said.

“The Food Cold Chain SAP is an

excellent example of how Stop Food Waste Australia works with industry to find solutions to food waste problems which have flow-on benefits for not only industry, but for the environment and consumers as well.”

The Food Cold Chain Sector Action Plan focuses on raising awareness, developing skills and supporting innovation across the breadth of cold chain actors.

Programs such as the Cold Food Code and Small and Medium-sized Enterprise Benchmarking initiatives provide a structured approach to improving the performance of the cold chain and reducing food waste.

“More than 50 per cent of food categories can be extended by the cold chain,” Mark Mitchell, chair of Australian Food Cold Chain Council says. F

The Food Cold Chain Sector Action Plan will help identify food waste “hotspots.”

VB partners with Dan Murphy’s for its Solar Exchange program V

ictoria Bitter has partnered with Dan Murphy’s to bring its first-of-a-kind Solar Exchange program to more Australian households, allowing beer lovers to collect their hardearned solar slabs in-store.

The Solar Exchange program, launched in 2021, enables consumers to exchange the credit on their power bill from generating excess solar for VB via Diamond Energy.

Every $30 worth of credit can now be exchanged for a carton of 24 VB cans or bottles – or a 30-pack carton of VB cans – at participating Dan Murphy’s stores.

VB and Dan Murphy’s will continue to grow the number of participants in the Solar Exchange program, with over one million beers expected to be exchanged over the next 18 months.

“This Australia-first program was launched as a way to thank those who have made an effort to go solar with some hard-earned VB, and we’re excited to partner with Dan Murphy’s

and bring the program to even more Aussie households. It’s a great deal for beer lovers and a great deal for the environment,” said Victoria Bitter head of Classic Brands Hayden Turner.

The partnership will see all existing Solar Exchange accounts also able to collect their slabs from their local Dan Murphy store.

“We are passionate about sustainability at Dan Murphy’s, which is why we are so excited to partner with VB on their solar exchange program,” said Dan Murphy’s national renewal operations manager Tyson Holbery.

“With energy prices at an all-time high, there’s never been a better time for Aussies to switch to solar – and thanks to this program, customers can get rewarded with great brews.”

The VB Solar Exchange program was launched as part of Asahi Beverages’ ambitious sustainability plan, including a commitment to source 100 per cent renewable electricity by 2025. In 2018

The VB Solar Exchange program was launched as part of Asahi Beverages’ ambitious sustainability plan CUB, which is now part of the Asahi Beverages family, adopted renewable energy as the way forward with the signing of a 12-year Power Purchase Agreement for 74,000 MWh per year of renewable energy from the giant solar

farm outside Mildura.

With 258 stores in its fleet, almost 20 per cent of Dan Murphy’s stores now have solar panels, a significant milestone that has been achieved in just three years. F

www.foodmag.com.au | August 2022 | Food&Beverage Industry News 7

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NEWS

Ferrero celebrates sustainability for World Chocolate Day F or World Chocolate Day on 7 July, Ferrero celebrated several critical achievements in sustainability, including significant reforestation efforts across West Africa where much of the cocoa that Australians enjoy in Ferrero products is grown.

In partnership with the Côte d’Ivoire and Ghana governments and leading cocoa organisations, Ferrero has published its third annual report showcasing the progress of the Cocoa & Forests Initiative (CFI). This is a comprehensive programme of projects to help end deforestation and preserve valuable forests.

While the global COVID-19 pandemic presented enormous challenges for cocoa farmers and suppliers, many important goals were achieved. Ferrero has now distributed three million trees since commencing its CFI action plan in 2018, with two million trees in 20202021 alone, and has doubled its initial target for land covered by deforestation risk assessments in 2022. Over 500,000 trees were distributed for off-farm planting, helping to restore forests.

“Australians are seeking greater

sustainability in the products they enjoy, so World Chocolate Day is a great opportunity to highlight Ferrero’s ongoing efforts to improve the lives of people in cocoa-growing communities and support reforestation initiatives,” said Ferrero Australia and New Zealand managing director Massimo D’Ambrosio.

“Our cocoa supply chain is 96 per cent traceable to farm level, which enables us to drive positive change with cooperatives and farmers, and 100 per cent of our cocoa is certified as sustainable through international standards such as Rainforest Alliance and Fairtrade.”

Ferrero also recently published its second annual full list of suppliers and farmer groups as part of the company’s commitment to be transparent on cocoa sourcing. In 2020-21, Ferrero sourced about 90 per cent of its cocoa volume from farmer groups with whom the company has a long-term relationship.

About 75 per cent of cocoa is sourced as cocoa beans, which are physically traceable from farm to Ferrero’s factories.

The Cocoa and Forests Initiative

Ferrero has celebrated critical sustainability, as part of its Cocoa & Forests Initiative. and annual disclosure of Ferrero’s supply chain, alongside its long-time membership of the World Cocoa Foundation and the International Cocoa Initiative, are part of Ferrero’s

wider commitment to deliver on its sustainability strategy. The strategy aims to improve farmers’ livelihoods, protect human rights, and safeguard the environment. F

Global demand for Australian sheepmeat rises F avourable seasonal conditions have supported above average lambing percentages and a larger

breeding ewe flock, which continue to drive the national sheep flock’s growth, according to the latest Sheep Industry

Sheep meat has had strong growth in international markets.

Projections update from Meat & Livestock Australia (MLA).

A strong start to Western Australia’s season coupled with above average rainfall patterns for most sheep regions of New South Wales and Victoria will see the national flock rise by 7.2 per cent or 5.1m in 2022, to 76m head.

On the back of this growth, lamb production is forecast to reach record levels at 549,000 tonnes in 2022, with higher carcase weights driving the increase.

International demand for Australian sheep meat continues to rise, with export markets outperforming yearto-date levels. The large 2021 lamb

cohort, heavier carcase weights and firm slaughter rates in mutton, are delivering favourable supply to several key markets.

Strong export growth in emerging markets such as Malaysia, Japan and South Korea demonstrate the diverse range of countries Australian lamb and mutton can go, according to Ripley Atkinson, senior market information analyst at MLA. The US imported 35,053 tonnes of sheep meat from January to May, which was 3 per cent higher than at the same point in 2021. Nearly 87 per cent of exports to the US were lamb, which was an increase of 13 per cent. F

www.foodmag.com.au | August 2022 | Food&Beverage Industry News 9

NEWS

New agreement supports NZ consumer goods for Australian market

Under a new agreement, the Monash Food Innovation will support NZ businesses in a 10-week program.

N

ew Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern recently announced a new agreement to help five New Zealand companies develop new consumer goods for launch into Australian and international markets.

Under the agreement, the Monash Food Innovation (MFI) initiative and its New Frontiers Innovation Program (NFIP), will partner with New Zealand Trade and Enterprise (NZTE) in semester two to support the New Zealand businesses via an intensive 10-week program.

The MFI was established at Monash University in 2016 in partnership with industry and the Victorian government as part of a larger strategy to support consumer goods innovation, including sustainability and food security, to address current challenges.

The facility based at Monash University’s Clayton campus can influence the full process of product development including the design, consumer endorsement and strategic commercialisation of consumer goods innovation.

The NFIP pairs students with industry partners and guides them through MFI’s “bringing products to

life” framework to develop solutions to real industry challenges and create consumer-tested products.

The five New Zealand industry partners include: • Tom & Luke – Healthy and natural snack balls. Real food. Real taste. Real simple. Certified net carbon zero; • The Pure Food Co – Food service offering texture modified meals to aged care and learning resources, training and recipes; • Midlands Nutrition – Premium plantbased nutritional oils and superfood manufacturers. Developing, producing, and supplying the finest specialty oils and food ingredients to the global food, skincare and health product sectors; • Blunt – Combining superior engineering with beautiful design.

Currently selling umbrellas and looking to design and release new products to expand their brand; and • Ecostore – Plant based, eco-friendly cleaning products across Home, Baby, Oral Care and more. Carbon zero manufacturing and packaging made from sugar plastic.

They will have access to support including a suite of innovative

10 Food&Beverage Industry News | August 2022 | www.foodmag.com.au

commercial ideas and solutions that are customer and consumer tested to increase future market share, proven tools and methodologies that can be used for future innovation projects, and rapid testing and prototyping tools.

At the end of the 10-week process, they will have a fully developed concept for their defined challenge, suitable for launching in Australia or internationally.

Ardern said New Zealand businesses offer the world a fresh approach and are not afraid to challenge the status quo that leads to innovation, something she referred to as “Pōtikitanga” – a te reo Māori word that describes New Zealand’s curious, ingenious and adventurous spirit.

Monash University deputy vicechancellor (Research) and senior vice president, Professor Rebekah Brown, said Monash was pleased to support New Zealand industry.

“This program is all about energising business with ideas from the next generation of students at Monash University. It’s one of the ways Monash is driving innovation and sustainability and supporting thriving communities,” she said.

“We’re all really excited to see what comes out of the program, and how the relationship between Monash University and New Zealand will continue to grow as part of our commitment to the region.”

Glen Murphy, NZTE regional director for Australia-Pacific, said the program is a true testament to innovation and collaboration between New Zealand and Australia.

“The NFIP provides a unique opportunity and environment in which companies can create, innovate and collaborate to accelerate their ideas to market and I am looking forward to seeing the solutions our companies and students generate in the 10-week period,” he said.

The Pure Food Co. co-founder and director, Sam Bridgewater, said that the New Frontiers Program provides them with an incredible opportunity to build its pipeline and a ready-to-go concept for the Australian market.

“We are excited to be part of the first group of New Zealand companies in this tailored program offered through NZTE that will strengthen commercially focused innovation in our business,” Bridgewater said. F

NEWS

Dragos, Emerson secure industrial infrastructure for food and beverage D

ragos is expanding its global agreement with Emerson, one of the world’s largest manufacturers of industrial controls, to protect process industries such as food and beverage.

With this agreement expansion, Emerson has validated the Dragos Platform within its DeltaV distributed control system (DCS), providing organisations with greatly enhanced ICS/OT cybersecurity.

This extended agreement builds on the initial global agreement between Dragos and Emerson to protect industrial control systems and operational technologies for power producers and water utilities to now include organisations in dozens of industries including oil and gas, chemical, petrochemical, food and beverage, pharmaceutical, pulp and paper, metals and mining, and others.

The Dragos OT Security Platform is focused on reducing cyber risk to

industrial environments. It provides visibility into assets and vulnerabilities, detects cyber threats to industrial systems, and enables efficient response through forensic investigation and OT-specific playbooks.

In addition, Dragos is incorporating DeltaV DCS platform-specific capabilities into the Dragos platform, including protocol dissectors, asset characterisations, threat behaviour analytics, and investigation playbooks to expand Emerson’s cybersecurity assessment capabilities and enhance threat detection and response for process industries.

“We recognise the increasing risk from the growing number of both targeted and untargeted cyber threats against industrial operations and are committed to continuously strengthening our OT cybersecurity capabilities with best-in-class technology that allow us to proactively address the evolving threat environment head-on,”

threat detection technology from the Dragos Platform into Emerson’s Ovation automation platform and Power and Water Cybersecurity Suite. F

said Emerson cybersecurity business director Alexandre Peixoto.

Emerson and Dragos previously signed a global agreement to integrate

Emerson and Dragos signed a global agreement to integrate threat detection technology from the Dragos Platform.

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www.foodmag.com.au | August 2022 | Food&Beverage Industry News 11

NEWS

Endeavour Group seeks to close the skills shortage in the tech sector

endeavourX director Claire Smith.

E

ndeavour Group is looking to hire 300 new team members to boost its tech, data and digital capabilities, with many roles not requiring any previous experience.

Most of the new recruits will sit within the leading drinks and hospitality company’s digital arm endeavourX, which has exceeded more than $1 billion in online sales for F22.

“Technology continues to rapidly change the nature of retail and hospitality, and as a business we are committed to meeting and exceeding the needs of our customers. That’s why we are continuing to invest in innovation,” said endeavourX director Claire Smith.

The company is also investing in transforming its technology, transitioning and simplifying its technology landscape as a foundation for growth and innovation.

The roles include data scientists, data analytics, data engineering, software engineers, product managers, platform managers, solution managers, designers and business analysts across endeavourX, data and technology teams.

The available roles are at a mixture of levels. The entry level positions require no previous tech experience – instead,

the company will provide training with a commitment to supporting new and existing team members to grow their career within the wider Endeavour Group.

“There is a skill shortage in Australia due to rapid growth in the tech sector, so we are looking at how we can attract, train, retrain and support people across the board,” said Smith.

The roles offer full flexibility and team members can work from anywhere in Australia, and perks include discounts on products, hotel meals and groceries.

“We are genuinely committed to continue to offer flexible working arrangements for our people. We trust our teams and have team members who have temporarily worked from locations like Bali, India and the US,” said Smith.

“We are looking for innovative collaborative people who think outside the box, who want to help us create experiences and services that will thrill customers today, tomorrow and beyond.

We are committed to agile ways of working, and embrace self-selection to further empower our teams and help them learn and grow as we continue to expand.”

Vida Asrina is the head of

12 Food&Beverage Industry News | August 2022 | www.foodmag.com.au

Experience Design at endeavourX, and was named UX Leader of the Year at the 2021 Women in Digital Awards.

“I’ve been with the business for almost four years, and it’s an amazing place to work; the company really puts their people first and everyone is so lovely,” she said.

“The best part for me though is that it has a start-up feel because of the innovation mindset that people have, but it has the stability that comes with being an ASX top 50 company.”

Asrina added that the company offers several career pathways for its team members.

“It’s an amazing place to learn, and there are so many opportunities in different parts of the business,” she said.

“You will not only learn about design, digital and technology, but also the wider ecosystem from retail, hospitality, operations to supply chain – there are so many pieces to the puzzle, so if you’re like me who gets excited with complex problems to solve and learn from, it’s a perfect place.”

Abhi Pant started his Endeavour Group career as a store team member at BWS Chullora while studying IT five years ago. After finishing his studies, he secured a secondment with the

technology team, and he is now the technology delivery lead for endeavourX. “My journey with Endeavour Group has been amazing as I’ve been given immense opportunities, and thanks to some great guidance and mentorship, I’ve been able to take my career to new heights,” Pant said.

Endeavour Group is committed to using innovation and technology to enhance customers’ omni-channel journeys – including, websites, apps as well as physical stores and venues – across its portfolio of brands. endeavourX successfully launched a Dan Murphy’s drive-thru with number-plate recognition technology in September 2020, which was the first time a retailer in Australia applied this technology to enhance customer experience. The cutting-edge service has now been introduced to more stores in the fleet.

Endeavour Group is also rolling out Electronic Shelf Labels (ESL) across its BWS and Dan Murphy’s stores, making the company one of the first major retailers to use the technology in Australia.

To apply for a role in Endeavour Group, visit www.wowcareers.com.au/ endeavour. F

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NEWS

First look at progress toward PepsiCo’s ESG goals P epsiCo has published its first Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) Summary since the launch of PepsiCo Positive (pep+), a strategic end-to-end business transformation with sustainability and human capital at the centre of how the company will create growth and value.

The 2021 ESG Summary – an evolution from PepsiCo’s prior Sustainability Reports – highlights how the company is leveraging its brands, people and scale to chart a new course to drive positive action for the planet and people. It also highlights progress made on industry-leading commitments. pep+ is embedded in every part of PepsiCo’s business and the 2021 ESG Summary details initial progress and real-world examples across three pillars – Positive Agriculture, Positive Value Chain and Positive Choices.

Positive Agriculture

2021, Scope 3 emissions – which account for 93 per cent of the company’s emissions – increased by 5 per cent from a 2015 baseline, due largely to unprecedented business growth • Improved operational water-use efficiency by 18 percent in high water-risk areas from a 2015 baseline, against a target of 25 per cent by 2025 and replenished 34 per cent of water used in operations to local watersheds in 2021– more than 6.1 billion litres of water. In addition, PepsiCo continued to advance safe water access globally to more than 68 million people since 2006, putting the company more than halfway to its 2030 goal of 100 million people • In the US, increased Black managerial representation to 8.3 per cent and Hispanic managerial representation to 9.5 per cent of our 10 per cent by 2025 goals for each

and achieved 43 per cent of women in managerial roles against our goal of 50 per cent by 2025 globally.

Positive Choices

• Four years ahead of schedule in 2021, PepsiCo attained its saturated fat reduction goal of 75 per cent of its convenient foods portfolio not exceeding 1.1 grams of saturated fat per 100 Calories. In addition, 53 per cent of PepsiCo’s beverage portfolio volume now has less than 100 Calories from added sugars per 12oz. serving and 66 per cent of its convenient foods portfolio volume does not exceed 1.3 milligrams of sodium per Calorie.

“PepsiCo’s commitment and action to create a more sustainable and resilient food system is unwavering and we are proud of the progress that we have made in 2021 toward our new and updated pep+ goals,” PepsiCo chief sustainability

• Helped to spread the adoption of regenerative agriculture practices across more than 345,000 acres – progress toward its goal of seven million acres, the approximate equivalent of PepsiCo’s agricultural footprint, by 2030 • Supported the livelihoods of female farmers and rural communities via initiatives such as the $20 million USAID partnership to develop women-led enterprises and the $2 million Next Generation Agriculture Fund with the InterAmerican Development Bank (IADB), to demonstrate the impact of gender-smart solutions along our agricultural supply chains in Dominican Republic, Ecuador and Guatemala. These programs mark initial action towards a new pep+ goal to improve the livelihoods of more than 250,000 people in PepsiCo’s agricultural supply chain and communities, including by economically empowering women.

Positive Value Chain • Reduced Scope 1 and 2 emissions by 25 per cent from a 2015 baseline, with more than 70 per cent of global electricity needs in direct operations now met by renewable sources. In

PepsiCo’s recent ESG report has shown how the brand is progressing since pep+ was launched.

14 Food&Beverage Industry News | August 2022 | www.foodmag.com.au

officer Jim Andrew said.

“Our aim is to decouple so our business can grow sustainably, while decreasing environmental impacts.

There is still much more work to be done and we cannot do it alone, so we – in partnership with our value chain partners, communities, NGOs and government leaders – will continue investing in action, innovation and partnerships that enable us all to realise a more sustainable future.”

The digital 2021 ESG Summary was designed to link seamlessly with PepsiCo’s ESG Topics A-Z, an evergreen deep-dive on PepsiCo’s approach and progress for roughly 50 sustainability-related topics.

In addition to ongoing transparency in reporting, PepsiCo will continue to publish its ESG Summary annually.

This year’s Summary and all associated downloadable assets are available at www.pepsico.com/our-impact/ sustainability/2021-esg-summary. F

NEWS

APCO launches roadmap to achieve ANZPAC 2025 targets T

he Australian Packaging Covenant Organisation (APCO) has published the ANZPAC Roadmap to 2025 under the Australia New Zealand Pacific Island Plastics Pact (ANZPAC).

This critical new document outlines the approach required by key players across the entire plastics value chain to achieve the ANZPAC Regional Plastic Targets by 2025 and, more broadly, to develop a circular economy for plastics.

The ANZPAC Roadmap is the culmination of extensive discussions between more than 100 organisations, both large and small, coming together across Australia, New Zealand and the Pacific Islands over the past year to outline the necessary outcomes and activities required to achieve the ANZPAC Targets.

The Roadmap provides a pathway to substantially change our relationship with plastic packaging by recognising the unique position of the organisations

involved and identifying the common barriers to achieving a circular economy in the region, including access to data, geographical challenges, market size, technology, and cultural challenges.

“This incredible collaboration across countries highlights the critical importance of coming together as a region to learn from each other, align and accelerate the work to overhaul our relationship with plastic packaging and develop long-term sustainable solutions,” said APCO CEO Brooke Donnelly.

“If our work is to be successful, it’s vital that businesses across the packaging value chain throughout Oceania familiarise themselves with the actions outlined in this Roadmap and incorporate these into their business planning.”

According to Nestlé Oceania director Corporate Affairs and Sustainability, Margaret Stuart, the company is working to reduce its use of

The Roadmap identifies organisations from across the supply chain with leading, supporting or consulting roles. virgin plastics and make its packaging recyclable or reusable. But it is aware it needs to do more and can’t do it alone.

The Roadmap identifies organisations

from across the supply chain with leading, supporting or consulting roles for each of the core activities aligned to each of the Targets. F

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www.foodmag.com.au | August 2022 | Food&Beverage Industry News 15

NEWS

Coles boosts milk prices to reflect recent cost increases F

ollowing recent increases in sourcing, transportation and packaging costs, including a substantial rise in farmgate prices paid to dairy farmers, Coles is raising the retail price of Coles Brand fresh and UHT white milk products.

Prices listed below will be rolled out across Coles supermarkets and Coles Online nationally: • Coles Brand fresh white milk 1L was $1.35 now $1.60 • Coles Brand fresh white milk 2L was $2.60 now $3.10 • Coles Brand fresh white milk 3L was $3.90 now $4.50 • Coles Brand UHT white milk 1L was $1.35 now $1.60 In June, Coles signed updated contracts with 100 Australian dairy farms to supply milk directly for Coles Brand. In recognition of the higher costs being faced by dairy farmers, this included an increase to the farmgate

price paid by Coles this financial year even for farmers with multi-year contracts already in place. Coles has been paying these higher prices since 1 July.

In recent months Coles has also agreed significant increases to wholesale prices in markets where Coles Brand milk is sourced from processors, as the farmgate price they pay to dairy farmers has also risen substantially.

Michael Hampson, CEO of dairy co-operative Norco which supplies Coles Brand milk in Northern NSW and Southern Queensland, said the increased farmgate price was making a huge difference to dairy farmers.

“Through our long-term partnership with Coles, we have been able to support our 300 farmer members with a record farm gate milk price increase across the total 200 million litres that our members supply to our 100 per cent farmer owned co-operative,” he said.

“This is especially important as

farmers face pressures from rising costs of production, with many still recovering from the devastating impacts of recent unprecedented weather events.”

Dairy farmers John and Anne Boyd, whose farm at Pirron Yallock in Western Victoria has been supplying Coles directly since 2019 and has a contract in place to June 2025, said shoppers buying Coles Brand milk directly benefited family farms like theirs.

“We appreciate the stability a threeyear direct supply agreement gives us, to enable constant investment to produce the best quality milk we can. As we see it, it’s a win-win for all. Coles support us and we support them, then by buying Coles Milk consumers can support the farmer to produce high quality milk they can enjoy,” said John.

“It is also Coles’ responsiveness and dependability that has impressed us.

This year they significantly increased prices paid to respond to our current

cost pressures when they didn’t have to, as we already had an agreement in place.

It reaffirmed Coles is the right milk supply partner for us. They really value a sustainable partnership.”

According to Coles chief commercial officer, Leah Weckert, Coles is committed to continuing to deliver great value to its customers despite the increased cost of living.

“Raising prices is never something we do lightly, however the increased supply chain costs we are seeing, including higher payments to dairy farmers and processors, have necessitated these increases on Coles Brand milk products,” said Weckert.

“The feedback we’ve received from farmers and processors following the recent increases in farmgate and wholesale prices has been very positive, and we hope customers will help us continue to support them by purchasing their great quality Australian milk.” F

Coles has raised the retail price of Coles Brand fresh and UHT white milk products.

16 Food&Beverage Industry News | August 2022 | www.foodmag.com.au

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NEWS

Endeavour Group responds to demand for more Asian drinks B WS and Dan Murphy’s have doubled their range of Asian beverages in stores following an increase in customer demand, and now offer more than 100 drinks to choose from.

“Customers are increasingly looking for more discovery, more new and interesting drinks to try. Drinks made in Asia are particularly popular among premium customers, especially Zoomers and Millennials,” said Endeavour Group Asian Beverages sourcing manager Samuel Lam. Korean drinks are leading the trend, with Soju having enjoyed one of its strongest year-on-year growth performances, according to sales data from Endeavour Group, the parent company of BWS and Dan Murphy’s.

Soju dates back to the 13th century

and accounts for 97 per cent of the South Korean liquor market. It has attracted global attention after being featured in Squid Game, and ‘Glass of Soju’ from movie Parasite was nominated for Best Original Song at the 92nd Academy Awards 2020.

Makgeolli is one of Korea’s oldest alcoholic drinks, and is a lightly sparkling drink that is made from rice, water and a starter known as nuruk. In Korea, you can order Makgeolli on tap in small ceramic bowls.

Japan’s national alcoholic beverages Sake and Shochu are popular in Australia, with sales of Shochu having almost doubled in BWS and Dan Murphy’s in the last 12 months.

Shochu is an ancient Japanese spirit that can be made from a range of vegetables and grains, which means there

BWS and Dan Murphy’s have doubled their range of Asian beverages. is a wide variety of flavours to be explored.

Koji, a type of fungus, is used in the fermentation process that can give Shochu a unique umami flavour, often described simply as ‘savoury’.

Sake also remains popular in Australia,

and Endeavour Group is adding another 12 sakes to its retail stores in July, which will almost double the sake range. Six of these new sakes are Junmai Daiginjo sake – the most premium expression of sake (between $40 to $150). F

Amcor brings compostable packaging to ANZ T

he global packaging leader, Amcor, has partnered with a compostable packaging producer, TIPA, to bring compostable packaging to Australia and New Zealand.

Under the new partnership, Amcor will collaborate with TIPA to locally manufacture, supply and distribute their trademarked and certified compostable solutions in the region. The packaging produced by this partnership will be compostable either at home or via municipal collection.

“We are constantly looking at new ways to bring innovative sustainable solutions to ANZ, ensuring all our packaging is recyclable, reusable or compostable by 2025,” Amcor Flexibles Australia & New Zealand vice president and general manager Simon Roy said.

“Whilst compostable packaging will never be the whole answer, we are working with TIPA to understand and evaluate its use in particular packaging segments.”

The new high-performance compostable films and laminate offerings complement Amcor’s existing compostable range, Nature+, enabling new solutions for bakery, meat and fresh produce customers.

Performing like conventional plastic, the compostable films and laminates can be disposed of using existing composting infrastructure and are all certified either “home compostable” or “industrially compostable,” according to industrywide standards.

“We are very excited to be working with Amcor to take this major step forward together, enabling our compostable solutions to be made available in Australia and New Zealand,” TIPA VP of Strategic Operations & Business Development Michael Hanratty said.

To learn more about Amcor’s collaborations to increase recycling rates, visit its sustainability partnerships page. F

Amcor will collaborate with TIPA to locally manufacture, supply and distribute

www.foodmag.com.au | August 2022 | Food&Beverage Industry News 19

NEWS

Horticulture producers net rewards from expanded program M

ore horticulture producers across Queensland will benefit from an expanded trial of the Australian government’s Horticultural Netting Program, which offsets the cost of installing netting.

The Horticultural Netting Program – Trial has expanded from the initial trial of apple and pear production to include all horticultural industries except wine grapes.

Federal Agriculture minister, Murray Watt said investing in netting would have long term benefits.

“Hail is a serious and costly threat to growers and installing netting will mean Queensland produce is more protected which is good for growers and good for consumers,” said Watt.

Queensland minister for Agricultural Industry Development and Fisheries, Mark Furner said the expanded trial would help Queensland growers to protect their enterprises and farm gate returns.

“With hail and animal predation such an issue, this program will help producers to build greater climate resilience into their operations,” said Furner.

“It will also strengthen our supply chain to ensure our beautiful Queensland produce is readily available on supermarket shelves.

The trial has expanded to include all horticultural industries except wine grapes.

“Through the Queensland Rural and Industry Development Authority (QRIDA), producers can apply for a federal grant of 50 per cent up to a maximum of $300,000 to offset the cost of purchasing and installing horticultural netting on existing

commercial horticulture crops.”

According to Furner, this includes the associated infrastructure like poles or costs associated with contractors installing or preparing for installation activities.

“The Queensland government

Woolworths unveils first Queensland CFC W

oolworths is aiming to better serve the growing demand for online grocery shopping in Brisbane with Queensland’s first online Customer Fulfilment Centre (CFC) at Goodman’s Rochedale Motorway Estate.

The facility is approximately 10,000sqm and is the only CFC in the Woolworths network to offer Direct to Boot. It will support up to 30,000 home deliveries and Direct to boot Pick up

windows a week, while creating up to 800 jobs.

Located approximately 18km from the CBD and servicing an area that spans from Beenleigh to Mt Ommaney, the purpose-built facility has wider aisles and more shelf space than a standard supermarket, allowing personal shoppers to handpick orders from a range of more than 25,000 products quickly, accurately and efficiently.

According to the federal member for

20 Food&Beverage Industry News | August 2022 | www.foodmag.com.au

Bonner, Ross Vasta, the new CFC will help strengthen local food supply chains in and around Brisbane.

Designed with sustainability front and centre, the facility features such as rainwater harvesting, and smart metering to help monitor and reduce energy consumption. The facility also features over 850 solar panels that will provide approximately 20 per cent of the site’s total annual electricity consumption.

will administer the Horticultural Netting Program – Trial Expansion in this state on behalf of the Australian government,” he said.

QRIDA will assess applications in order of receipt, and subject to the available federal funding. F

The Rochedale CFC is the next step in Woolworths’ QLD eCommerce network development, which includes the existing Woolworths Maroochydore (Big Top) Store, and supermarket store network.

Woolworths Group employs 35,000 team members in Queensland and has invested tens of millions in new shopping centres, stores, renewals and online infrastructure across the region over the past 12 months. F

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Mr Consistent brings an authentic cocktail taste right to the consumer.

Riding the cocktail trend to success Three Gold Coast friends, and now business partners, launched Mr Consistent cocktail mixers at the beginning of the pandemic, but found success anyway. Adam McCleery writes.

22 Food&Beverage Industry News | August 2022 | www.foodmag.com.au

MEET THE MANUFACTURER

Co-founders Jarred Bell, Mikey Sebire, and Jeremy Davidson wanted to make it easier to make cocktails.

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hen Jeremy Davidson, Jarred Bell, and Mikey Sebire first envisioned their idea for a new cocktail base mixer they never anticipated the rapid success the brand would experience.

Davidson, co-founder and managing director of Mr Consistent, said the original idea for the product was to create an easier way for hospitality staff to make cocktails for large crowds, and quickly.

We all worked together at a restaurant I owned in Palm Beach and it was a big 500 seat venue. Mikey was working the bar and we wanted to figure out a quicker way to make cocktails for huge events,” said Davidson.

“At the time Mikey had all these pre-batching cocktails and was doing them in the most efficient way so we could offer a top-quality product that we knew would be great but also being able to serve 2,000 cocktails in two hours.

“That is where the idea stemmed from and then from there we came up with some creative brainstorming sessions drinking cocktails and coming up with new recipes.

“It developed organically for six months or so and then when COVID hit it was good timing because we had actually just sold the restaurant, so it was

good timing to move onto something else and we all sunk our teeth into this endeavour.”

The lucky timing around securing a sale of the restaurant only months, possibly weeks, before the global pandemic would continue with the growth of the company.

“We started at various forms and sold our first few through the restaurant

The cocktail mixers continue to experience strong growth. events and parties to get the brand out there.

“It kept growing form there and in April of 2020 was when we pressed the go button, found a kitchen and manufacturing space.”

The initial business plan was to create a product for the hospitality venues because that was where the three co-founders had their major expertise.

“Previously we were 80 per cent online E-commerce and 20 per cent in the wholesale realm, and that has since reversed.” in picnic packs, our first thing was in Burleigh Hill, which is an iconic sport, that is where our first concept of what we were trying to sell was going towards,” said Davidson.

The first product was a ‘picnic pack’ catering to the iconic picnic spots around Burleigh Heads, on the Gold Coast where the team are located.

“The picnic pack included everything from the cocktail mix to the alcohol, the mixer, and the strainer,” said Davidson.

“It was all very rustic at that point, and we sold a few at events and when people were responding to it, we knew the business had legs, so we kept doing

“The product was originally created to help with efficiency at venues but as the COVId-19 pandemic came on and the venues closed was when we pivoted and made the choice to go down this route and it set up the brand in a great way, especially in terms of accessibility,” said Davidson.

“That’s where Jarrad and the marketing team were able to create a brand identity and get access to people at home. It allowed us to create what we have today which has become a good thing.”

And since the easing of COVId19 restrictions Mr Consistent has

continued to grow in popularity and brand awareness.

Bell, the company’s brand director, along with his marketing team, did such a great job creating brand awareness online that the team started to realise “We have seen a big change in the business now that covid is not as prevalent anymore, the shift for us is focused to accessibility during grocery shopping,” said Davidson.

“Previously we were 80 per cent online E-commerce and 20 per cent in the wholesale realm, and that has since reversed.”

The renewed popularity in cocktails prior to the creation of Mr consistent was another critical factor in the company not just surviving but thriving through the pandemic.

“For example, the margarita had a real comeback right before covid, flavoured margaritas, we saw it through the venues,” said Bell.

“The timing was right, people couldn’t go out to bars, clubs, or pubs and order their favourite drink. It all just hit at the right time, we had a product we could ship to their door, and it is easy to facilitate because there is no alcohol in the mixer, so we didn’t have to license it. that opened us up quickly to sell online.

www.foodmag.com.au | August 2022 | Food&Beverage Industry News 23

MEET THE MANUFACTURER

The three co-founders started the company after years in the hospitality space.

A background in hospitality gives the co-founders added insight.

24 Food&Beverage Industry News | August 2022 | www.foodmag.com.au

The popularity of Mr Consistent led to rapid growth right away.

“Cocktails were definitely trending because it gave people something to feel good about, shaking up their own cocktails at home. It became more accessible because cocktails can be intimidating unless you come from hospitality.

“It was a really nice time for us to launch.”

After finding success with their online model, creating accessibility for the market, and then the growth of the brand awareness, the next critical step for Mr Consistent was to obtain retail shelf space.

“We are at a high price point in comparison to the market, it is a good price point for the offering though,” said Sebire.

“We have had some struggles with getting traditional retailers for the category we are in to understand why it is so expensive. Why it’s selling, what it is, and how to use it. It took a while for craft beer and seltzers and ow cocktails, which are trending.”

Sebire said educating retailers on emerging trends was an important step in obtaining retail space for their product.

“Traditional retailers can be a few months behind early adopters and online markets, we have finally got distribution with Dan Murphy’s, Jimmy Brings, ALM, we have worked hard to get those partners onboard and to educate them. I would say the last six months it has really blown up,” he said.

Once again luck was on the team’s side when it came to acquiring shelf

space at Dan Murphy’s.

“Dan Murphy’s has hundreds of thousands of products, but we were very lucky over Christmas time that a competitor exported from overseas ran out of stock, so we were put into that position and that gave them success,” said Bell.

“There wasn’t another margarita mix on the shelf.

“They’ve also placed us in and around spirits and because we are a complimentary product, if you buy a bottle of our mix then you are more than likely going to sell some spirits off your shelf too.”

Bell said the growth of the cocktail base mix market had seen significant growth over the past two years and their placement in major retailers came at the perfect time.

The use of premium ingredients was another area the team at Mr Consistent knew they could differentiate themselves to the market.

“The biggest challenge to our growth is no one else had done a premium cocktail mixer,” said Davidson.

“What is in most people’s brains is a syrup cordial type product full of sugar, we’ve had to break that preconception of what people thing a cocktail mixer is. We’ve gone to farms and made sure we are getting the best fruit we can and keeping it as close to its true form as possible.

“And now I think the category is trending in major retailers, far more than it was only two years ago.”

But before getting the product on the

MEET THE MANUFACTURER

The company sources its ingredients from local farmers.

shelves, the team at Mr Consistent had to create a product that would last long enough in a retail setting.

“Basically, for us to achieve shelf stability of the product we pasteurise it, heating it up to 98 degrees and bottling hot,” said Sebire.

“This started off in a saucepan before we graduated to larger tanks, then form there we had 270 litre tanks that were basically brew kettles and now we have graduated again to a proper production facility with 2,000 litre mix tanks, a pasteuriser, and a proper production line.”

It was a learning process for the team to come up with the best possible production process which would ultimately result in a product they were all happy with.

“The difference in the flavour profile once you’ve cooked the liquid is huge,” said Sebire.

“We have also continued to work at trying to get a better balance of replacing the water that gets lost and stopping the fruit from losing its intensity.

“This is so that the end product is you have freshly squeezed fruit, trying to promote that freshness in the end product has been the hardest bit we’ve had to deal with.”

Creating the flavour profile is the most important part for the brand, so the Mr Consistent team started to come up with ways to reinforce that.

“What we were doing at the start, all of our cocktails are one type of alcohol and our mix, for example in a margarita you would have tequila and

Since hitting the retail space Mr consistent has been a hit.

Cointreau so we set out to replicate the taste of Cointreau, so Mikey went away and learnt how that flavour is created

flavour ranges.

“Having a well-trodden path of popular cocktail mixers helps, people

“This started off in a saucepan before we graduated to larger tanks, then form there we had 270 litre tanks that were basically brew kettles and now we have graduated again to a proper production facility with 2,000 litre mix tanks, a pasteuriser, and a proper production line.” through oranges,” said Davidson.

Creating a strong product base was also an important step for Mr consistent to gain market foothold, before introducing more unique and diverse

know the margarita and will gravitate towards that,” said Sebire.

“We have also done some other signature cocktails, which is a more creative endeavour because you aren’t

recreating a drink that already works.

It’s a bit of a double edge sword though, when you make something from scratch you won’t please everyone all the time.

“Whereas if it’s a margarita and it tastes like a margarita then those who like that drink will buy it.”

The team at Mr Consistent anticipate further growth in the future, especially as hospitality venues continue to reopen and gain traction again.

However, the two years of pandemic lockdowns allowed the company to reinforce large retail sector growth which in turn will help it to conquer the hospitality space too. F

The company credits local produce for its authentic flavours. www.foodmag.com.au | August 2022 | Food&Beverage Industry News 25

FLOW MEASUREMENT The ES-FLOW meter and controller with pump.

Solutions for increased flexibility Experts in instrumentation and calibration, AMS, provide a host of solutions to the food and beverage industry from top rated producers such as Bronkhorst and Beamex.

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The Beamex MC6 Advanced Field Calibrator and Communicator.

26 Food&Beverage Industry News | August 2022 | www.foodmag.com.au

nstrumentation and calibration experts, AMS, continue to provide the Australian food and beverage industry with high rated solutions as the exclusive provider of technology from Bronkhorst and Beamex.

AMS national sales manager, Thomas Kuiper, detailed to Food & Beverage Industry News how the company’s partnerships with the likes of Beamex and Bronkhorst are critical to success.

“Bronkhorst have several solutions available in food and beverage industry and a lot of them lead to increased flexibility in terms of the production cycle and reduced downtime,” said Kuiper.

“Part of the advantage with Bronkhorst technology is their employment of coriolis and ultrasonics widely in the food and beverage industry.

“These technologies are fluid

independent, so the different properties of one additive or another don’t impact the flow measurements. Also, you don’t need to pull your meter apart to clean it, because they are clean in place capable.

“So, setting up between one process and the next is quick and downtime is greatly reduced.”

“They have just brought out new variations so they’re building capability in terms of the flow ranges you can measure with this product,” said Kuiper.

“Another feature with the digital comms creates easier operability for your plant and control systems. The sanitary design is inherent in terms of Bronkhorst’s development of the product. The ultrasonic ES- FLOW has a non-intrusive, straight through flow tube and is sealed as one piece of pipe.

The ES-FLOW is also 3-A authorised to be used on foodstuff applications.

“They are IP66 and IP67 rated, so

FLOW MEASUREMENT

"In the case of packaging meat, you might want to blanket the oxygen or air content in the packaging and replace it with CO2. This helps it retain its colour and look better on the shelf for longer. Any sealed packaging with nitrogen to remove oxygen and air also mitigates the risk of contaminants growing in the package."

The Bronkhorst range from AMS.

they work in washdown areas which is important in the food and beverage industry,” said Kuiper.

Another area of focus for Bronkhorst calibration and instrumentation revolves around fluid control.

“They are quick to change setups and adapt to diferent fluids,” said Kuiper.

“And they have a wide variety of digital outputs to help log the results which creates added traceability in the batching process.

“You can go access your electronic database months, weeks, years down the track and see if there are issues or if quality was down or up.”

This is considered a great minimiser of cost because the accuracy of the flow device, Kuiper added, batching is much more accurate which in turn improves the quality and reproducibility of your product.

Bronkhorst also have a range of solutions which limits the risks of contamination during the production process.

“In low volume measurements, the advantage of thermal over alternative technologies is they can work with gas or liquid to get measurements and do so with very good accuracy and repeatability, at relatively low cost,” Kuiper added.

“When it comes to packaging, we can use nitrogen or CO2 and carbon monoxide for atmospheric packaging,” he said.

“In the case of packaging meat, you might want to blanket the oxygen or air content in the packaging and replace it with CO2.

“This helps it retain its colour and look better on the shelf for longer.

Any sealed packaging with nitrogen to remove oxygen and air also mitigates the risk of contaminants growing in the package.”

There is also the created advantage of reducing waste, which in turn helps profitability grow and the quality of the product also sees an increase at the point of sale.

“Anything you can do to improve the customer experience with your product is a good thing in the long run,” said Kuiper.

A big decision around upscaling or purchasing new equipment is always around the return on investment and how quickly a company can expect to see the machinery, or other solution, begin to strengthen the bottom line after a heavy investment.

“If you talk payback times with some of these technologies, some are quick, the initial layout cost might seem expensive, but you must consider the gains to be made afterwards in the manufacturing process,” said Kuiper.

“This is through less downtime and increased flexibility, which can be a lot quicker than the initial impression might indicate.

“Any time you sell something to any industry you need to justify the expense is worth it in the long run and the benefit is there for the customer.”

Kuiper said AMS can, on most occasions, provide calculations and other data to demonstrate this payback.

AMS is also an exclusive distributor for Beamex calibration system technology.

“If you are going to monitor and maintain quality and efficiency of your plant, then you need to calibrate your instrumentation to ensure that it is up to specifications and is telling you what is happening in the process,” he said.

“That way users can document calibrations and in the event the plant is audited down the track they can supply evidence that they’ve been diligent in calibration.”

Some food applications include adding oil to pizza dough, aeration, and packaging.

“You can do aeration for control of yeast growth in the brewing process and carbonation in soft drinks. Aeration into whipped cream and ice cream helps with the texture, taste, and mouth feel,” said Kuiper.

“Essentially there are solutions right from the mixing to packaging on offer, it really depends on what the customer is looking for in any given situation that informs what we would offer.”

Creating added flexibility is also very important in terms of keeping up with changing consumer trends and tastes.

“An example of that is going from artificial additives to natural additives,” said Kuiper.

“When you are in the confectionary industry it looks good that you are using natural additives but often these natural components are more expensive, so you want to tighter control over the usage.

“Bronkhorst helps with that accuracy to. Making sure you get that trade-off between quality and expense in terms of delivering for your business.”

The growth of ready meals is another sector which highlights the importance of the technologies provided by AMS, Bronkhorst, and Beamex, because consistency and strong packaging techniques are critical factors to the product’s success.

“The ability to reproduce consistently has helped ready meals, they do seem to be a growing trend and you see products in the supermarket more and more,” said Kuiper.

“There is the convenience factor which I think consumers look for in an increasingly busy world.”

This is just a sampling of what AMS provides the food and beverage industry in terms of calibration and instrumentation solutions, all of which can help future proof producers and manufacturers. F

The ES-FLOW with triclover clamps. www.foodmag.com.au | August 2022 | Food&Beverage Industry News 27

COMPRESSORS

CAPS Australia, your complete solution for the food and beverage industry William Chan, from CAPS Australia, speaks with Food and Beverage Industry News about the benefits of having a full range of oil-free air delivery options to suit customer’s specific requirements.

CAPS is helping the industry address contamination issues.

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APS Australia Product Manager for Gas and Special Projects, William Chan explains how CAPS is your complete solution provider for all types of oil-free air equipment depending on your budget.

There are many ways you can achieve oil-free air, which is critical to comply with relevant standards but food and beverage manufacturers can reduce the risk of contaminating their product through lubricated compressed air by simply going oil-free at the point of compressing the air rather than treating the air through a number of processes downstream.

“The reason why so many manufacturers are using lubricated compressors is mainly the cost factor; it costs less in terms of capital investment,” said Chan.

“Second to that is the higher efficiency of the compressor, also in terms of cooling. However, the main

issue is the lubricated compressors run the risk of leaking lubricant into the compressed air stream which in turn contaminates the process downstream.”

Chan said contamination was something industries, especially food and beverage, can’t afford to endure because of the potential ramifications on a product designed to be consumed.

However, there are several ways for a company to employ oil-free compressed air.

“One of the ways is using a trueoil-free compressor, which despite its additional capital cost, the long-term benefits associated with less ancillary equipment and servicing combined with the significant reduction of risk, could be a smart investment.

“The market is definitely changing towards oil-free compressors, there is no doubt about it, and we are encouraging companies to follow where the market is going.”

28 Food&Beverage Industry News | August 2022 | www.foodmag.com.au

When a lubricated compressor is used in the manufacturing process a range of requirements must be met to make sure the lubricant doesn’t contaminate the food and to meet these standards, several machine pieces are needed.

“A compressor is only one part of the whole jigsaw puzzle so after the compressor you need to include filtration and drying of compressed air to achieve the quality that the end user requires,” said Chan.

“For example, if the compressed air will be in direct contact of the food product, then you must have very dry and clean compressed air. That means the moisture level in the compressed air must be minus 40 degrees dew point.

“In terms of the contaminant of particles, we are talking about 0.01 microns, very fine particles and moisture levels.”

Chan said the customer wants clean, dry, compressed air, which CAPS

Australia can help make a reality.

“They don’t just require a compressor, they need a whole train of equipment to produce that oil free air and every piece of equipment will contribute to efficiency,” he said.

Another selling point from CAPS Australia is the ability to develop a tailored approach for each client’s individual needs.

“We want to offer the industry options to exceed the industry standards and requirements, so they are better prepared for growth,” said Chan, “That is why we customise, through in house engineering, all the installations for our clients to make sure we provide the equipment to not only meet their needs but exceed them.”

With a push towards mitigating contamination risks CAPS Australia is well positioned to help any food and beverage manufacturer to achieve that goal. F

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INDUSTRIAL HOSES

Continental’s purchase of Merlett diversifies its product range In 2019 Continental, experts in industrial hosing for the food and beverage industry, purchased Italian hose manufacturer Merlett to strengthen its industry offerings. Adam McCleery writes.

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n 2019 the merger between Continental and Merlett, an Italian based industrial hose manufacturer, was announced.

The acquisition has gone a long way to strengthen Continental’s materials expertise beyond rubber and deepen its specialist knowledge about the design, processing, and handling of thermoplastics for industrial hose solutions.

This is especially important in offering an even more diversified product portfolio to our customers.

“Thermoplastic know-how is essential in our transformation from a pure product supplier to a holistic supplier of systems and solutions in the field of industrial hoses,” said Andreas Gerstenberger, head of Continental’s Industrial Fluid Solution business area, after the announcement.

“The acquisition of Merlett is a major step forward for Continental because more diversification in products, markets and industries opens up new market opportunities.”

In its combined product portfolio of rubber and thermoplastic hoses, Continental is now able to offer a unique range of flexible hoses for agriculture, the construction, transportation and food industries and other growth sectors in the future.

ContiTech Industrial Fluid’s area sales manager, Eastern Region, Clayton Brown said the diversity provided from the merger, particularly around thermoplastics, was important for the future growth of the company in the food and beverage space.

Merlett specialises in thermoplastic and PVC.

“We are supporting our growth industries and one of them is food and beverage and Merlett has the full product range for both liquid and dry material transfer to be able to support our offerings,” he said.

“Merlett is market leader in this space, so we acquired them and the expertise around the thermoplastic side of the industry. With this acquisition we’ve got a new product portfolio to suit lots of industries and a key one of those is food and beverage.

“Right now, it’s about educating the market about who Merlett is, the products they offer and what we can offer locally to support the food and beverage industry.”

In a nutshell, thermoplastic technology is a mix of either PVC hose products or polyurethane hose products.

As experts in mostly rubber hoses, Continental wanted to step into the other space.

“It’s not purely just rubber used in the food and beverage industry but also thermoplastic hose. The type of hose put into service is determined by application, but also the needs and wants of the customer,” said Brown.

“We needed to have both of those ranges available within our portfolio of product to give more holistic support to our customer base and the Merlett range offers that.

“We have gone from a pure product supplier to a more holistic supplier of systems and solutions which focuses on delivering value to the end user.”

Brown said experience had taught the company that some producers and manufacturers were always going to favour thermoplastics over rubber hoses, whether based on cost or the application.

“We were very eager to start covering that space within our own product portfolio,” he added.

“When comparing from a cost perspective, thermoplastic hose is a more economical alternative to rubber hose.

This provides a ‘best-cost’ solution for the food and beverage industry when

30 Food&Beverage Industry News | August 2022 | www.foodmag.com.au

Continental has added to its portfolio of products with the purchase of Merlett.

“I think one key element with thermoplastic hoses is you can make it clear and the benefit to the end user is seeing the flow of product through the hose and gives confirmation of no blockages and if there are any potential contaminants, so it is case by case in terms of liquid transfer.” thermoplastic hose is the preferred solution.”

Continental has also tapped in Merlett’s existing, and expansive, network across the European market.

“They have a big distribution network around Europe and their product portfolio hasn’t changed, we’ve just combined the branding to have Continental and Merlett,” said Brown.

“We are also adding new products into the mix where there is significant demand.”

Both companies also have a proven

track record of heavy investment into research and development, leading to key innovations, a critical factor in the successful acquisition of Merlett.

“Merlett have been massive on raw material developments and getting certifications particularly for food and hygiene standards and that continuously allows us to add value to the product,” said Brown.

Brown said while rubber was a more robust material some applications within the food and beverage industry are just as well suited to other types of

INDUSTRIAL HOSES

Measure bacteria in just 30 seconds

Introducing CytoQuant® The addition of Merlett hoses gives Continental more offerings for food and beverage manufacturing. industrial hoses.

“From industry, time in application of thermoplastic hose is generally shorter than its rubber counterpart,,” said Brown.

“However, in certain application like dry food application transfer where a customer needs a polyurethane ducting that needs to be anti-static, light weight, flexible, rubber just can’t do that.

“On the dry material space absolutely, the thermoplastic hoses outperform rubber all the time. And in terms of liquid transfer, that varies depending on each customer’s needs.”

For example, some wineries lean towards rubber for its longevity and robustness while others may choose a thermoplastic option which generally comes as transparent hosing. These decisions are based on cost, practicality and use-case.

“I think one key element with thermoplastic hoses is you can make it clear and the benefit to the end user is seeing the flow of product through the hose and gives confirmation of no blockages and if there are any potential contaminants, so it is case by case in terms of liquid transfer,” said Brown.

Some of the range of industrial hoses provided to the market by Continental includes Ragno Antigelo CR FDA soft PVC hose. This piece is designed to deliver cooling liquids, chemical solutions, food, and compressed air.

Meanwhile, the Vacupress Cristal is a two-layer soft PVC hose with an embedded galvanised steel spiral with polyester yarn reinforcement. These are best for suction and ducting food liquids and is popular within the wine industry.

A third product now in range for Continental is the Armorvin HNA soft PVC hose. This product is best suited to suction and delivery of food liquids,

it also has a galvanised steel spiral embedded within it and is used across a diverse range of beverage applications.

“There’s lots of that type of hose on the market and Merlett has continually evolved its development of new materials and production technologies to ensure high quality products are guaranteed,” said Brown.

“Sourcing from Continental, you can be confident that the traceability back to source is what ensures the quality of the product.”

Brown said being able to track the quality of the materials used in industrial hosing was of particular importance in the food and beverage industry.

“It gives the end market peace of mind to know they don’t have to question the quality of a product and whether it’s going to play into tainting their product or brand,” he said.

“All elements from the rubber side are as pertinent on the thermoplastic side and Continental’s priority is to give total customer satisfaction across the entire range.”

After the initial announcement of the company acquisition, Gerstenberger also praised the positive impact the merger will, and has had, on Continental.

“Merlett fits perfectly to further expand Continental’s resources in order to become the partner of choice for our customers from a very wide range of industries,” he said.

“We are delighted to welcome Merlett’s employees to the Continental family.”

For more information about the Merlett acquisition and the extent of Continental’s growing capabilities, please visit www.continental.com/en. F

The world's first hand-held mobile flow cytometer

vendart.com.au Call: 02 9139 2850 | sales@vendart.com.au

www.foodmag.com.au | August 2022 | Food&Beverage Industry News 31

HYGIENE

CytoQuant: How hygienic is your food facility?

Vendart Diagnostics tells Food & Beverage Industry News how its mobile flow cytometer works to ensure your facility follows food-grade hygiene practices.

T

he presence of bacteria in food and beverage manufacturing facilities can affect product shelf life and quality, while pathogens can lead to foodborne illness. Cleaning and disinfection is therefore paramount to securing food safety and protecting both your reputation and your business. But cracking down on something we can’t see isn’t always easy and straightforward.

While visual inspection is a good first step, it isn‘t enough. Traditional microbiological methods often don’t allow for preventive control and preoperational actions as lab results take days. ATP tests, while simple and fast, quantify biological residues, which are not a meaningful proxy for disinfection efficacy. Each one of these methods comes with considerable limitations.

Yet you are expected to make informed decisions, fast.

CytoQuant is a mobile flow cytometer that enables the immediate, onsite verification of cleaning and disinfection procedures in food production facilities or other areas where hygiene is crucial by directly quantifying bacteria and particles on surfaces.

Some of the features and benefits of CytoQuant include: • Direct quantification of bacteria and residue particles enable proper verification of cleaning and disinfection procedures; • Results in 30 seconds;

• Measurements are not influenced by disinfectants or temperature, reducing result variability; • Simple test procedure does not require a lab or special training; and • Simple connectivity allows you to save, export and document test results with ease.

are flowing at low and high frequencies. An object passing between the electrodes will introduce a change to the current.

It is this flow change that the technology is calibrated to detect.

Particles can be either conductive or non-conductive.

Bacteria have unique

The CytoQuant mobile flow cytometer verifies cleaning and disinfection procedures.

How does CytoQuant work?

After swabbing a surface, the device draws the sample from the swab kit into the flow system, channelling it into a small microfluidic flow cell (CountCell) which is the heart of the technology. The CountCell consists of a flow channel and an array of electrodes that perform the measurements. During a measurement, the sample containing the bacteria and particles flows through the flow channel.

Imagine a flow channel with an electrode positioned both at the top and the bottom of the channel. Between the two electrodes, electrical currents

CytoQuant can distinguish between bacteria and other particles by detecting different electrical frequencies.

32 Food&Beverage Industry News | August 2022 | www.foodmag.com.au

electrical properties due to their intact membrane and cytoplasm.

They have a non-conductive shell and core. The isolating quality of the cell membrane prevents the electrical field from penetrating it at low frequencies (similar to non-conductive particles).

At higher frequencies cells are similar to conductive particles. This specific behaviour acts as a fingerprint allowing CytoQuant to distinguish between bacteria and other particles. The results – accurate, precise counts of bacteria and particles that you can use to verify your cleaning procedure.

What are we really measuring?

How do intact cells and particles relate to common, known parameters?

CytoQuant provides precise counts of intact cells and particles. Intact cells are defined as cells with an intact cell wall, irrespective of their state (such as stressed, or viable but not culturable) or required growth conditions (aerobic or anaerobic, pH, nutrition, salt concentration, temperature, lag-time, incubation time, etc.). Because no solid or liquid media can cover this full range, and because only about 1 per cent of existing bacteria are culturable, intact

HYGIENE

Figure 1: Method comparison - average bacteria counts

counts from a fluorescence microscope, a fluorescence flow cytometer and those from aerobic plates (TSA: tryptic soy agar).

Not only were counts from CytoQuant closest to those of the reference microscope method (Figure 1), CytoQuant also had the lowest relative average standard deviations of all methods. As expected, TSA plates returned the lowest bacteria counts as not all colonies emerge from a single cell and not all cells eventually multiply and form colonies. The fluorescence flow cytometer had significantly lower bacteria counts than CytoQuant and the reference microscope method.

Why should QC managers make the switch to CytoQuant?

The use of flow cytometry to detect bacteria has not been an option for most food processing facilities until now due to the extremely high cost of flow cytometers and the requirement for a laboratory and training.

Thanks to the development of CytoQuant by Romer Labs, users can now hold the technology in their hand and carry out a simple test at an affordable price.

CytoQuant is currently the only solution on the market able to provide a clear picture about the microbial condition of production surfaces in real time. F

cell counts and plate counts are two very different parameters.

CytoQuant additionally classifies any objects that are not bacteria and pass through the microfluidic flow cell as residue particles. Particle counts are a direct indication of cleanliness.

How reliable are CytoQuant intact cell count results?

The accuracy of CytoQuant measurements has been the subject of a large number of studies. In the latest, described below, Romer Labs partnered with the Karl Landsteiner University of Health Sciences in Austria and compared the intact cell counts of the CytoQuant mobile flow cytometer with

CytoQuant provides real time data about the microbial condition of production surfaces.

www.foodmag.com.au | August 2022 | Food&Beverage Industry News 33

SUSTAINABILITY

Improving sustainability is widely regarded as a key to safeguarding the industry’s future.

Future proof your factory for sustainability A Sustainability is a key challenge for the food industry and processers globally are recognising their part in safeguarding the future. Food & Beverage Industry News reports.

s the world’s population continues to grow, so does the demand for food products. In 2020, the global production of potatoes exceeded 359 million tons and global demand for frozen potato is rising rapidly.

Greater volume of production is leading to increased pollution and waste levels, and many processors are now actively engaged in sustainability reporting. Global Reporting Standards

34 Food&Beverage Industry News | August 2022 | www.foodmag.com.au

(GRS) are helping processors assess (and define) their sustainability strategies, to better manage and understand their impact.

Sustainable Potato Processing is Possible To achieve their sustainability goals, processors are investing significantly in equipment which helps — reduce fuel costs, energy waste, air pollution and

water consumption — and meets the rigorous pollution control regulations of the world-wide agencies.

While modern processing equipment must address all the themes of sustainability — it must also improve efficiency and profitability — if it is to be adopted widely, in the future.

As interest in sustainable technologies grows, turnkey suppliers are helping processors plan their

SUSTAINABILITY

factories of the future and are assisting them to adopt or upgrade their existing equipment, to process more responsibly.

Multiple technologies are already available which can reduce fuel costs, energy waste, air pollution, and water consumption. Working with a turnkey supplier is a great way for a processer to access expertise — and understand the new and emerging technologies — for sustainable potato processing.

Create Positive Change with the Right Equipment Heat and Control’s KleenHeat Heat Exchanger is a great example of a pollution control solution, which has been developed to combine the incineration of fryer exhaust pollutants with high-efficiency oil heating; to help processors meet emission control regulations.

This innovatively designed heat exchanger is a versatile oil heating, energy saving and pollution control solution which is described as ‘Best Available Control Technology’ (BACT) by regulatory agencies worldwide.

KleenHeat exceeds the thermal efficiency of ordinary heat exchangers, which don’t offer pollution control, and low oil volume promotes fast oil turn-over which inhibits formation of free fatty acids.

KleenHeat offers processors high energy efficiency oil heating; with built in pollution control to remove oil, odours, and particulates from the fryer exhaust. The rapid and uniform heat transfer facilitated by this equipment allows the fryer to respond quicker to changes in product load. This protects the quality of the oil by maintaining a low, oil film temperature.

With KIeenHeat, there is no need to invest in additional fryer pollution control systems, and a variety of sizes are available which can be provided: ready-to-run, pre-piped and wired, and fully compliant with US, EC, and Australian regulations.

This oil management solution is used by processors of French fries, potato wedges and potato co-products; to strip their fried products free of surface oil, prior to freezing and packing.

Stripped oil is recovered through a bank of cyclones and returned to the fryer oil recovery system. Solid fines are separated, and reusable oil is

efficiency) can help them realise their sustainability goals. The Oil Sweep system can be retrofitted into existing lines and has low maintenance requirements.

In a recent installation, Heat and Control delivered a complete French fry system which included the Oil Sweep De-oiling system, and a flexible

"In potato production, it’s no secret that oil management can be expensive. Custom designed, oil management solutions have been developed to maximise oil quality — reduce oil pollution — and maximise energy savings, for sustainable and environmentally-safe operations.” transferred back into the frying system.

The typical oil pick-up on French fries is around six to eight per cent.

While much of this oil is contained within the fries themselves, this system has been designed to recover most of the free surface oil, which results in increased yields and healthier finished products. In addition, less product surface-oil improves the performance of the defrosting and cleaning cycles of the pre-cooler and freezer and helps reduce oil particles clogging cooling coils in the pre-cooler.

Processors benefit from lower operational costs thanks to decreased downtime for maintenance, and energy savings (from greater cooling

batter coating system which featured a two-stage, multi-zone cooking feature with customisable cooking conditions, for coated and uncoated French fries.

The Oil Sweep system is now helping the processor achieve production capacities of 18,000 kg/hr (37,400 lbs/ hr). This installation demonstrates how working with a single source equipment supplier can help adopt or upgrade equipment to process more responsibly.

Water Conservation When water is used for product or equipment cleaning purposes; increasing the use of recycled water can offer many benefits. High levels of water usage are costly for processors.

The Water Cleanup System from Heat and Control (used with the slice washing system) can reduce fresh water usage by up to 50%, over conventional slice washing systems. This system is designed to clean and reuse wash water, to concentrate starch and fines for more efficient removal, and this reduces sewer loading and burden on the starch recovery system in the line.

Also developed by Heat and Control is the Oil Mist Eliminator, which removes oil mist from the fryer exhaust — without water or highhorsepower fans — and a heat recovery system which recovers typically lost heat from the fryer exhaust stack. It condenses otherwise wasted steam to make hot water for blanching, sanitising, or building heat, and it is the adoption of innovative equipment such as this, that will future-proof factories for sustainability.

Integration of new and emerging sustainable technologies — will help potato processers achieve greater production efficiency — and reduce their environmental footprint. When sourcing equipment, processors should look for solutions that incorporate innovative manufacturing designs; to reduce pollution and waste levels. Working with a turnkey supplier is the easiest and simplest way to do this and will help the processor achieve significant return on their investment. F

Processors should look for solutions that incorporate innovative designs.

Multiple Solutions to Process More Responsibly In potato production, it’s no secret that oil management can be expensive.

Custom designed, oil management solutions have been developed to maximise oil quality — reduce oil pollution — and maximise energy savings, for sustainable and environmentally-safe operations.

One such system is the Heat and Control Oil Sweep De-oiling system. www.foodmag.com.au | August 2022 | Food&Beverage Industry News 35

EVENTS

Bringing the bulk handling industry together The 2022 Australian Bulk Handling Expo promises to bring the industry together with its debut this month.

Food & Beverage Industry News reports.

T

he 2022 Australian Bulk Handing Expo (BULK2022) is back on the calendar and set to debut in August after unexpected delays.

Food and beverage will be among the industries highlighted during the expo’s first run with a host of exhibitors from within the space.

Tickets are now available for BULK2022, which will kick off at the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre on Wednesday 24 August and run for three days.

It will feature suppliers showcasing the latest innovative bulk handling technology, equipment, and services best suited to the needs of bulk commodity manufacturers and producers, including those in food and beverage.

Almost 100 exhibitors are set to display their latest and greatest offerings, while the BULK2022 conference, held in partnership with the Australian Society for Bulk Solids Handling (ASBSH), which starts on Thursday 25 August and will also run for two days.

Day one of the conference will look at the future of the industry with a focus on the future workforce, industry sustainability, and emissions reduction.

Conference sponsor, LEAP Australia, will also delve into a case study with client Onyx, focusing on the use of its Rocky DEM software.

Vega Australia and ifm Australia, two companies involved in the food and beverage industry, will discuss the importance of embracing Industry 4.0 and how utilising technology will bring tangible benefits to bulk solids handling operations.

And CSIRO research director Dr Ewan Sellers will look at how the industry can work towards reducing overall emissions.

Day one will also feature technical presentations on a variety of topics, including advanced automation for centralised stockyard operations, using mobile devices to manage compliance and maintenance in the bulk solids handling industry and pneumatic

Bulk Handling Expo will feature some of the newest innovations around large logistics. conveying operating conditions.

Day two has been set aside to address incident mitigation and response, with technical presentations continuing into the afternoon.

Security Consulting Group senior security risk consultant Spencer Wakelam will examine how to prepare for, and respond to, security-related disruptions of bulk handling systems.

Kinder Australia, Premier Tech and Aspec Engineering will also form a panel to look at onsite safety for employees in a range of industry settings.

Meanwhile, technical sessions will look at optimising a wet screening operation using computational modelling tools, using dynamic simulations to predict the phenomenon of silo quaking, and recent advances in industrial applications of DEM in bulk materials handling.

The Thursday evening will also feature the Australian Bulk Handling and Mercury Awards Gala Dinner.

The Australian Bulk Handling Awards are sponsored by Sew Eurodrive, VEGA, Bonfiglioli and the ASBSH. With Covid-19 forcing the delay of the awards in 2020 and 2021, this year’s combined program will celebrate the best of the industry at BULK2022.

All 2020 and 2021 finalists have been carried across and the winners will be determined from the combined finalists’ list.

AWARD CATEGORIES: • Innovative Technology Award – recognises a technology designed to enhance bulk solids handling and processing.

• Dust Control Technology, Application or Practice Award – recognises a project that helps to keep dust creation in the bulk solids handling process to a minimum.

• Excellence in the Application of Gears, Motors or Drives Award – recognises a component or piece of

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•

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equipment that provides a benefit to bulk solids handling operations.

Excellence in Transport and/or Conveying Award – recognises a piece of equipment or technology that moves bulk solids materials from one location to another.

Best Practice in Safety Award – recognises a project or program that emphasises and upholds industry safety standards.

Supplier of the Year Award – recognises a supplier that is excelling in the bulk solids handling sector.

Bulk Handling Facility of the Year Award – recognises an outstanding facility that is for the processing of bulk solids materials, or manufacture of materials using bulk solids goods.

BULK2022 is backed by platinum sponsor VEGA Australia, supporting sponsors Premier Tech and PROK, and conference sponsor LEAP Australia. It is also supported by the ASBSH. F

36 Food&Beverage Industry News | August 2022 | www.foodmag.com.au

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BEARINGS

Exclusive access to Timken’s new Poly-round housing units Last year, Motion Australia introduced the globally recognised Timken range of food-grade bearing products.

Food & Beverage Industry News reports.

T

hese hygienic, widely applicable components have been met with customer satisfaction in many of Australia’s food handling sectors, including abattoirs, breweries and confectionary plants.

Ensuring the use of food safe parts on conveyor, filling and packing systems is crucial in manufacturing, as firm HACCP and ISO codes are considered baseline across the industry.

Timken’s exciting new expansion of this product range – the Poly-round Plain Bearing Housed Units – are now entering the Australian OEM market, with supply exclusively available through Motion Australia.

These bearing solutions can withstand the rigorous hygiene procures of the food production industry and are made from corrosion-resistant materials. The high pressure and chemical washdowns that are necessary in maintaining clean worksites can often damage generic bearings in a matter of weeks, whereas Timken’s products have proven durable over much longer periods of time.

The bearings can withstand rigorous hygiene procedures.

FEATURES & BENEFITS

• Optically detectable blue thermoset • Increased mounting strength • Lubrication and maintenance free • 100% corrosion proof

Leon Stefanec, national business development manager Food & Beverage at Motion Australia, has been working alongside manufacturers to supply bearing solutions in the Australian market for a long time.

This has given him a thorough insight on how bearing design can impact the overall performance of a production line, and he elaborates on the diversity of the Poly-round equipment that allows for tailored use across many different types of equipment.

“These bearing units undeniably elevate food safety, improve production up-time and extend bearing life. They are available in six different polymers, depending on the application needs extreme temperature ranges, chemical resistance, or high-speed capabilities.

They have been continuously outperforming conventional bearings in an assorted range of environments.”

The primary benefit of this range is the no-maintenance and lubrication free capabilities. Rather than incorporating a ball or roller design, the units are constructed of high-performance polymer material.

This feature alone significantly decreases downtime otherwise spent on re-greasing, especially when utilised repeatedly around a site location.

By investing at the outset of bearing integration, businesses can make significant cost savings on years of lubricant consumption.

“Unlike generic brands, these bearings can withstand aggressive caustic or wash down solutions,” said Leon.

“So far in Australia, they are being used in the poultry industry and have demonstrated high performance over a 12-month period.

The QuiKlean casing eliminates dead volume between the machinery and base of the housing frame, allowing thorough and efficient washdown from all angles. Additionally, the smooth outer surfaces and precise laser marking makes removing reside far more

38 Food&Beverage Industry News | August 2022 | www.foodmag.com.au

accessible. Being able to effectively clean the bearing without extended pause online movement means more time spent in production.

The risk of bearing damage is lower with these exceptionally well-made units, but responsible manufacturing involves preparing for the worst. The blue thermoset or stainless-steel housings are optically detectable if dislodged, leading to faster identification and contamination removal. This is a highly beneficial design aspect, as undetected stray components usually lead to costly product recall and reputational damage for food manufacturers.

The Poly-Round housing units are designed specifically with the food industry in mind. The stringent consumables safety requirements of mechanical parts necessitate only the highest quality and long wearing guarantee. Timken delivers on both of these fronts, as the bearing units comply with international and Australian regulations such as USDA and NSF/ ANSI/3-A SSI-14159-1-2014, HACCP and HARCP. They are easy to install and change out, with tailored mounting styles for unique placement and rotation needs.

Further adaptability comes with their dimensionally interchangeable options, rendering them compatible with most industry standard bearings. This makes upgrading entire work sites to the Timken product easier, more cost effective and with as little downtime as possible.

Food production often involves extreme temperature ranges, and linear systems must have guaranteed strength capacity regardless. The Poly-round parts are designed to operate at full capacity between -40°C and 93°C, without compromised clasp or weight bearing capabilities. They are also moisture resistant, with a protective coating against the corrosion that can often occur due to condensation and other harsh environmental factors.

The AISI 316 shaft-locking sleeve is held in place by Timken KleanCap screws – these do away with deep socket crevices that could potentially harbour bacteria in a food handling environment. The sleeve itself protects the shaft from day-to-day wear to significantly extend the bearing life and lengthen time between necessary maintenance.

Applicable to an extensive range of manufacturing equipment such as modular conveyor belts, dumper pivots, horizontal mixers, freezers and bottling machinery, the Poly-Round series displays exceptional performance in a relatively new area of specialised bearing requirements. According to Leon, Australian customers can rely on Timken to address small but significant details that make the lives of production teams easier.

“The overall unit is made up of three components – a blue housing, a black bearing polymer insert, and a stainlesssteel locking sleeve. Timken keeps stock of all these components and can dispatch very quickly to fulfil orders through Motion Australia. With other brands, you are sometimes contending with an 8-to-10-week lead time, plus shipping, but because of our close supply partnership we can get our hands on these parts much faster.”

OEM customers can arrange to consult with a Motion Australia sales engineer on the appropriate variation in specific plant settings. With multiple polymer styles to choose from, this range is being introduced as a project driven solution. Leon is confident in their potential impact as a time and cost saving factor for an increasing number of businesses.

“Being maintenance free means that this range delivers extremely high return on investment. If you think about all that time saved from pausing production, carrying out lubrication procedures and waiting around, the plant is using that time to carry on with production instead.” F

Food & Beverage Industry News is distributed nationally to more than 5000 subscribers, while the website has more than 40,000 unique views every month. It is the food and beverage industry’s one-stop-shop when it comes to the latest products, services and technologies in this space.

Visit our website and subscribe to get your print and digital editions in additon to our free daily newsletters today!

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AUGUST 2022

How three mates turned a passion into a thriving business PLUS: Calibration | Sustainability | Events

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INDUSTRIAL CONTROL

Driving productivity, efficiency, and sustainability through greater signalling and detection Across every aspect of food and beverage operations, Siemens solutions are designed and manufactured to add value. Food & Beverage Industry News reports.

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rom factory automation and drives through to industrial control and communication, Siemens, in partnership with local distribution partner APS Industrial, is at the forefront of technological innovations that enable manufacturers to maximise productivity, consistency and ROI in a competitive and highly demanding environment.

Food & Beverage News recently sat down with APS Industrial’s, Rob Geppert, to focus in on the latest innovations within the industrial

control portfolio, SIRIUS. The Siemens SIRIUS control, command and monitoring range of products from APS promise to give users a more flexible and robust solution for monitoring and streamlining the production process.

Robert Geppert, APS’ product manager, motor control, said the newest addition to the company’s portfolio was an exciting one, bringing a number of new innovations to traditionally limited signalling columns.

According to Geppert the new

8WD46 high-performance signal columns can be used universally in industrial applications and buildings, such as assembly lines, conveyor systems and shipping stations – making them an ideal complement to local food and beverage systems and solutions.

“What’s exciting about this new range is that it becomes part of our full signalling and command range.

We already have high-performance push buttons and indicator lights, electronically configurable signalling columns are now part of that,” he said.

“Our SIRIUS control range enables plants to indicate the status of a food and beverage conveyor line or a packaging machine. By adding these new columns to the overall solution, users eliminate the requirement for multiple components to assemble your custom signalling columns.

“The range is very

flexible which means instead of a customer having to buy multiple components and hold multiple spares, this is just one device that can be plugged in and programmed to provide the functionality that’s required.”

Whether there is a need for colours, flashes, or acoustics, the 8WD46 signalling columns can be programmed to provide maximum flexibility which empowers the user to program what they need for their application.

• Multicolour LEDs allow to set more than 1M colours • Different lighting effects: continuous, blinking, flashing and rotating • Signalling modes: autoscale, filling level, signal column and individual • Acoustic element: 10 adjustable tones, volume settable to 105dB Like the complete range of SIRIUS push buttons, the signalling columns also have an IP66 and IP69K rating, which means they can be hosed down

The SIRIUS ACT range of push buttons are central to effective control and indication.

40 Food&Beverage Industry News | August 2022 | www.foodmag.com.au

INDUSTRIAL CONTROL

The new 8WD46 high-performance signal columns are perfect for industrial applications. by high pressure, making them ideal for food and beverage applications.

“These features will see these signalling columns become part of your complete safety solution - where you can have alarms and red flashing lights signalling the machine is down or someone has entered into an area they shouldn’t be in,” said Geppert.

“It really fits in with the whole signalling and safety portfolio.”

The wider flexibility of the signalling columns has a positive flow on effect on the rest of the production process, essentially helping with uptime.

“It certainly will help increase the plant uptime so that you can be warned before getting into shut down situations so that you can take proactive steps,” said Geppert.

“With signalling columns in the past, you would effectively be limited to indicating whether a machine was on or off.

“With this new column, you can do so much more - take tank levels for example. In this instance you might have 15 elements split up over your signalling column and each element will indicate whether your tank is empty, quarter full, half full etc. – ultimately giving you much better visibility of your process.”

Geppert also said that no matter what type of food or beverage product was being produced, all manufacturers

and producers stood to experience material advantages by upgrading to this new style of signalling column.

“It doesn’t matter if the process is, bread or brewing, they are all able to experience these benefits,” he said.

“Typically, in those processes the user will buy packaged machines, like a conveyor or wrapping line. You can easily apply these signalling columns to each of those lines and have common indication right across your plant no matter which part of the line it is.”

Geppert said in addition to the SIRIUS industrial control portfolio, APS as the national distribution partner for Siemens also give local customers access to the full suite of SIMATIC factory automation solutions – a feat that gives customers access to everything under one roof to ultimately speed up process and production.

“Time to market is a significant advantage of the Siemens portfolio from APS Industrial. Because we can offer a full solution, we can get production up and running quicker than trying to integrate various suppliers into a solution,” he said.

“Whether it be a push button or a signalling column, to a safety relay or limit switch, they can all be networked together to form part of the automation solution,” said Geppert.

“Our clients will typically use

integrators for the software and board builders for the switchboards and so on.

At APS we provide the products that go into the solution and pre-sale support in terms of application guidance to assist the integrators, board builders and end users to get the best result.”

“In addition to discrete connections, we also offer IO Link for integrating tightly into your automation system. In old school days you would hardwire a lot of signals to turn on whichever lights you wanted to whereas now it is just part of the automation and very easily, via the IO Link, the automation system can signal whatever is required.”

“When you are talking about food and beverage in general, you are talking about batch control and so it’s important to have an automation system that can handle that batch production and it requires all sorts of sensors to control that production.

Having a fully integrated automation system, all from one provider, allows for faster engineering and enhanced functionality.

“It is all designed to work together, and quality is a key driver in the food and beverage industry.”

As productivity and efficiency gains become more and more prevalent in the food and beverage industry, new innovations, like those from Siemens and APS, will continue to change the face of production. F

The Siemens SIRIUS range provides a flexible and robust solution for monitoring and streamlining production. www.foodmag.com.au | August 2022 | Food&Beverage Industry News 41

PACKAGING

Sealed Air developed prismiq to streamline and link all product information in one place.

Why prismiq is the next generation in smart packaging Smart packaging has now become a reality. Barcodes and QR codes were an important part in the evolution of smart packaging, and still play a role. Now, food packaging specialist Sealed Air, is taking the concept one step further with prismiq.

P

rismiq, comprises a portfolio of solutions for design services, digital printing and connected packaging designed to unlock new value for our food supply chains. prismiq enables brand owners to create a digital twin of their products in a product cloud. It will allow food brand owners not only to tell the story of their product from paddock to plate, through data driven insights, it can enable personalised 1:1 communication so the brand messages can resonate all while gathering value data points to use to drive decisions throughout the product lifecycle. It also enables

and easier exchange of information relating to other aspects of the value chain such as inventory management and traceability. prismiq also includes a range of digital printers that will be able to provide digital printing across a number of flexible materials used in food packaging. One capability that is unique to Sealed Air will be the ability to provide fresh protein processors with pre-printed serialised shrink bags as well as some 4 colour process branding including UV light activated inks which are only visible with UV light. With these combined capabilities, Sealed Air believes that it will open up many new

42 Food&Beverage Industry News | August 2022 | www.foodmag.com.au

applications for its customers, including the ability to unlock value across the supply chain. prismiq will let brand owners simplify the complexity of on-pack messaging, branding and data collection, making it easier for them to get onboard with the technology.

Sealed Air developed prismiq to be a one-stop shop for brand owners who want to be able to not only have a data set readily available for their customers, but also allow them to streamline and link all the information relating to the product in one place, as well as design the packaging.

There are three main reasons for the development of the platform: • to unleash the power of great creative design that allows brand owners to explore a range of ideas to promote their product through its proprietary digital printing platform ; • to allow Sealed Air to help with designing a prototype of a product; and • to allow the aforementioned smart packaging to bring a new dimension to consumer engagement and supply chain transparency, which will include helping with operational efficiency.

PACKAGING

Anna Di Bello is Sealed Air’s director APAC marketing, digital, graphics and smart packaging. She sees an endless use for the platform and sees it as a platform that can expand and grow with companies as they start to utilise all of its features.

“This is more than just a different way of communicating on pack, which is where most brand owners go first,” said Di Bello. “It’s like when the first smartphones arrived on the scene and the developers said there was much more to it than just being able to make phone calls. It’s the same with this technology. You will find that once you start using it, it opens up a way for different actors within the supply chain to share the information and collaborate.

“Our platform is using DigiMarc EVRTHNG, and that gives us to two pieces of technology. The first is that it gives us the product cloud platform to digitise products. It also gives us another way to code and mark the packaging where a watermark code is embedded into the graphics of the product.”

Two of the key attributes of the system are making it easy to use and implement.

“We’ve reduced a lot of the adoption hurdles. You don’t need to go out and

build and host consumer or customer experiences,” said Di Bello. “We’ve designed a couple of experiences that brand owners can skin. The second thing is, how do you put meaning into that code? Once we’ve put this digital serialised code on the pack, how do you activate that code and gather all that information? We’ve got our team of engineers that can help in the design and installation of that of the technology. They recommend the best way to activate the code based on our customer’s production line.”

Di Bello also says the other highlight of using prismiq is that during the design process, Sealed Air can take a brief and use its creative department to help design what the holistic experience would look like both online and in its physical state.

“We’ve put the investment in to build a solution that can be leveraged at scale so that it’s no longer just for the big end of town – it doesn’t matter how big your company is, you can use this technology,” she said. “Let’s say

you have a small farm that produces boutique products. They don’t have to build their own platform. We’ve done all the heavy lifting behind the scenes, all they’re doing is skinning the solution, signing up to the product cloud and hosting experience. And we’re helping them create and deliver those experiences very quickly.”

Di Bello also points out that brand owners are looking for data interoperability. The code has been written to GS1’s Digital Link Standard which uses the EPCIS 2.0 protocols.

This standard that will help unlock the silos of information along the supply chain that will enable full traceability.

It also can help users with real time insights into a product – its traceability, how it is being moved, which extends supply chain visibility. These types of insights means new, improved ways of doing things can happen much quicker.

Designed primarily for CRYOVAC brand shrink bags, used for the fresh protein sector, Di Bello said it can have other uses.

"We’ve put the investment in to build a solution that can be leveraged at scale so that it’s no longer just for the big end of town – it doesn’t matter how big your company is, you can use this technology.”

prismiq enables brand owners to create a digital twin of their products in a product cloud.

“We can utilise it with some of our roll stock where we can drop in the code,” she said. “Or if a customer already has a printer installed on the line, we can certainly utilise that so there’s different aspects. You don’t have to buy the whole package. You can buy bits and pieces.”

Di Bello also points out one of the differences between what people think smart packaging is today – which is a QR code that takes the user to a website – is the digitisation of products. It’s making everything that was produced in a single moment in time unique by creating its digital identity.

“It is not like a SKU, it has its own website, and that it can dynamically serve up information, depending on basically three factors; who’s accessing the information, what time and where are they accessing that information,” she said. “When you start to branch out from those three things, you can be selective in terms of what information about that product you can share in that moment.

“Let’s say I’m scanning the product in a warehouse, and I’m a supply chain partner, then I might get presented with completely different information. This new system is what gives you a dynamic experience, as opposed to just having a static QR code that redirects you somewhere.”

The system has many attributes, but its overall mission is to deliver as much value as it can to brand owners wanting to take the next step in getting their product to market and having a system in place that can utilise their best chance of making it a success.

Sealed Air is taking a holistic approach to the system due to what packaging is going to do in the future.

“A lot of our customers are highly manual in labour intensive applications,” said Di Bello. “If you want to automate that, having a mechanism to identify product and track it is going to be key.

You can have very expensive vision systems that can identify the product as you go through. Or, you can have the vision system that identifies the product and then applies the code to the to the product, and then have a computer read the code. That’s more cost efficient when you have that interpretation; when you’re trying to replace those repetitive tasks “That’s why we’re thinking broadly about what prismiq could do, which is more than just smart codes and the consumer experience. It’s linking those three pillars together in the context of sustainability and automation as well.”

www.foodmag.com.au | August 2022 | Food&Beverage Industry News 43

Refillable and reusable milk bottles shift the way we see beverage packaging

The Synlait Swappa Bottle.

During the recent 2022 Australasian Packaging & Innovation Design (PIDA) Awards the Beverage Packaging Design of the Year category had two winning designs that stood out above the rest.

Author Nerida Kelton MAIP, Executive Director – AIP, Vice President – Sustainability & Save Food

T

hese innovative and intuitive packs were Synlait Swappa Bottle and Coles Urban Coffee Culture organic home compostable coffee capsule, which received gold and silver respectively.

Whilst the packaging could not be more different, there was one guiding packaging design principle that was heavily embedded in both; sustainability.

Coming from a Refillable and Reusable perspective Synlait Swappa Bottle has been designed to change the way that milk packaging is used and ultimately reused, repeatedly. They also wanted to design a unique pack that their customers could embrace for its

sustainability credentials.

Synlait Milk Limited believes that

Synlait brand logo and ergonomic finger holds allowing optimal hand placement.

To encourage consumer engagement Swappa Bottle developed an interactive website that allows consumers to join the sustainability journey of the product they have purchased. This includes a dynamic map element where visitors can find participating supermarkets near them. there is an opportunity for reusable products to play a much bigger role in New Zealanders milk-drinking future.

From the outset they imagined a bottle designed with clean lines and retro style with broad shoulders, a large easy pour mouth featuring an embossed

44 Food&Beverage Industry News | August 2022 | www.foodmag.com.au

The Synlait Swappa Bottle has been designed to be sealed with a recyclable closure and the material of choice is food grade stainless steel, selected for its durability, cleanability and by its very nature provides light protection ensuring the milk remains

fresh, offering an extended shelflife. Physical dimensions purposely designed to fit refrigerator doors with the finger holds positioned for ease of reach. The footprint suits industry standardised milk crates, supply chain and manufacturing assets.

To encourage consumer engagement Swappa Bottle developed an interactive website that allows consumers to join the sustainability journey of the product they have purchased. This includes a dynamic map element where visitors can find participating supermarkets near them.

In addition, each bottle has a unique bottle identifier using a laser etched QR code protected within a recessed

A bio-based, compostable, oxygen barrier and non-tearable filter top lid is present on the capsules to ensure perfect extraction and best result in the cup.

These capsules are designed to be compatible with machines designed for Nespresso™ style coffee capsules.

On front of pack, customers can also easily identify that the coffee within this product is ACO Certified Organic and Rainforest Alliance Certified due to the clearly positioned logos on the front of pack. The Australian Bioplastics Association (ABA) Home Compostable logo is also present on the front of pack. A black ‘Nespresso machine compatibility’ strip contrasts clearly against the green band.

What is evident from the Synlait Swappa Bottle and the Coles Urban Coffee Culture Organic Home Compostable Coffee Capsules is that re-thinking packaging to offer lower environmental impacts, eliminate problematic materials and single use packaging is front of mind for

packaging designers and technologists.

Designing out the waste at the start and considering the recoverability and recyclability of the materials is now paramount to all new packs being placed on the market.

Added to that is the improved manner that both packs are effectively communicating to consumers on and off-pack. On-pack through the Australasian Recycling logo, ABA compostable certifications and logos, intuitive explanations on how to use and open and then off-pack through interactive and dynamic QR codes and websites.

Both designs are innovative and intuitive and take the customer on the sustainable journey with the brand. F

The Coles Urban Coffee Culture organic home compostable coffee capsules. base. Integrated QR code functionality allows consumers to scan the code on the base of each bottle to be directed to the ‘swappabottle’ website. It tracks the bottle’s journey and displays live information on the specific bottle – where it was filled, the Best Before Date and shows how many times the bottle has been reused. Most importantly consumers can also find out how many single-use plastic bottles each Swappa Bottle it has offset.

The Swappa Bottle is branded with a recyclable cardboard sleeve providing shelf presence in chilled supermarket aisles. The sleeve contains important information about the product including the nutritional panel, barcode and QR code information. Inks used are all vegetable based.

Coles on the other hand were looking to eliminate difficult to recycle materials from their coffee capsules and make end of life easier for consumers at home.

Coles Home Compostable Coffee Capsules were developed just as the pandemic sparked a major shift in coffee-drinking habits, with more people opting for convenience while working from home. Coles has seen an increase in coffee capsule sales over the last two years and wanted to help their customers find a more sustainable way to dispose of coffee capsules at home.

The new compostable coffee capsules can be home composted in ambient temperatures and are compliant with

Australian Standard AS5810, French NF T51 800 (2015), as well as ISO 16929. The capsules are designed to have a biobased carbon content of 100%, in compliance with the ASTM D6866 standard (Standard Test Methods for Determining the Biobased Content of Solid, Liquid, and Gaseous Samples Using Radiocarbon Analysis).

A bio-based, compostable, oxygen barrier and non-tearable filter top lid is present on the capsules to ensure perfect extraction and best result in the cup. These capsules are designed to be compatible with machines designed for Nespresso™ style coffee capsules.

The Coles Urban Coffee Culture Organic Home Compostable Capsule cardboard box is made of recyclable paperboard and houses ten of the compostable coffee capsules and is designed to be resealed easily. There is clear instruction on pack ‘OPEN HERE’ and perforations are provided for the reseal tab. This design feature also provides tamper evidence in the packaging.

The pack has been designed to ensure that customers can easily identify that the product contains home compostable capsules, as it is highlighted prominently in a black band on the front of pack. The ease of home composting these capsules is showcased on the back of pack, which explains that the capsules break down at the same time as an orange peel in their home compost bin.

Swappa Bottle’s interactive website allows consumers to follow the product’s sustainability journey. www.foodmag.com.au | August 2022 | Food&Beverage Industry News 45

NEW PRODUCTS

Bronkhorst introduces the ES-FLOW ES-1x2C This flow meter will cover the flow range just below the existing ES-1x3I or ES-1x3C. The market for low liquid flow range of ≤1000 kg/h or l/h measurement and control is an important section Bronkhorst, due to its size and the expected future growth of this segment.

The ES-FLOW product series offers a good performance of ≤ 0.8% Rd at an economic price level. Mini CORI-FLOW offers an even higher performance, but this high-performance level at ≤ 0.2 per cent Rd is not always required. Both flow meter series always include the same unique Bronkhorst features such as on-board PID-controller, totaliser and alarm functions and many communication buses, followed up by the dedicated Bronkhorst sales and service network. So, by bringing the ES-1x2C and ES-1x3C models to the market, we are able to offer the low liquid flow market economically priced flow measurement products.

The ultrasonic flow meters ES-1x2C and ES-1x3C are compact, versatile, provided with a straight sensor tube, e.g. low internal volume, easy to clean, low-pressure drop in relation to sensor diameter and equipped with advanced signal processing (e.g. dosing functionality).

AMS Instrumentation and Automation (03) 9017 8225 www.ams-ic.com.au

ICP Electronics Australia presents ICP DAS’s G-4510 power saving PAC with solar charger and optional communication module ICP Australia is proud to introduce ICP DAS’s G-4510 Power Saving PAC with Solar Charger and Optional Communication Module.

The G-4510 series are M2M (Machine to Machine) Power Saving PAC with a solar charger. It can be used in hydrologic monitoring or mudslide monitoring system. G-4510 can be used for wireless data transmission and other functions through its optional 4G / NB communication module.

With an optional GPS model, the G-4510 can also be a GPS tracking system for vehicle management or maritime system. The features of the G-4510 series: Solar charger, Ethernet interface, optional GPS module, optional 4G/NB communication module, 3 digital inputs, 3 digital outputs, 8 analog inputs, 1 relay output.

Lastly, in terms of installation, the G-4510 allows DIN-Rail and Wall Mount as options. Also, the G-4510 can survive tough environmental conditions as it has a wide operating temperature range of -20 ~ +70 °C and a metal casing to protect the device when deployed.

KEY FEATURES: • • • • • • • • • • • • • •

Embedded MiniOS7, Anti-Virus Solar Charger for Lead Acid Battery 4G Modem: EC21-AU (option), EC25-E (option) NB Modem: BG96 (option) 10/100 Base-TX Compatible Ethernet Controller COM Port: COM1 (5-wire RS232), COM2 (RS-485) I/O: 3 DI, 3 DO, 8 AI, 1 Relay DO Support SD Card Built-in RTC, NVRAM, EEPROM 128*64 Dots LCM display (option) GPS: 32 Channels with All-In-View tracking (option) Support TCP, UDP Client Connection Over 4G LTE High Reliability in Harsh Environments DIN-Rail Mountable

46 Food&Beverage Industry News | August 2022 | www.foodmag.com.au

ICP Electronics Australia (02) 9457 6011 www.icp-australia.com.au

NEW PRODUCTS

VariBlast Precision Safety Air Gun VariBlast® Precision Safety Air Gun is a uniquely powerful gun which produces variable force with the simple adjustment of the trigger valve.

You decide how much force is needed for the application by squeezing the trigger a little or all the way for maximum force.

This high impact, acetal air gun can be equipped with many of our 1/8 NPT engineered air nozzles. The VariBlast Precision Safety Air Gun is small, comfortable and powerful while remaining light and ergonomic. Longer Type 316 stainless steel Extension Pipes for hard to reach areas are also available.

EXAIR Safety Air Guns comply with OSHA’s Safety Requirements, the EU General Product Safety Directive (2001/95/EC) and meet the noise limitation requirements of the EU Machinery Directive (2006/42/EC).All sound level measurements are taken at 3 feet away.

Compressed Air Australia Ph: 1300 787 688 Web: www.caasafety.com.au

COVID-19 Vaccine Production Lines Rely on FCI FLT93C Sanitary Thermal Flow Switch Fluid Components International and AMS Instrumentation & Calibration introduce FCI FLT93C Sanitary Thermal Flow Switch The highly reliable, precision FLT93C Sanitary Thermal Flow Switch is helping a major pharmaceutical company assure the necessary high quality of its rinse water for injection (WFI) is maintained on its batch lines during the production of COVID-19 vaccine.

“We are extremely proud of the role our sanitary flow switch products are now playing in fighting corona virus disease,” said Dan McQueen, president of FCI. “Our dedicated, innovative employees have been exceptional in assuring that we can continue to produce and deliver our flow instruments to customers in the pharmaceutical, food/beverage, energy and other essential industries around the globe.”

The FLT93C Sanitary Thermal Mass Flow Switches are utilised to confirm the minimum flow rate of the measured WFI within the specified temperature range during production. A minimum flow at the correct temperature and time are required to rinse the COVID-19 vaccine production lines to assure that these lines are clean and free from bacteria or left over ingredients from the previous batch.

In the pharmaceutical industry, WFI is high quality water used to produce a wide variety of injectable medicines, including the COVID-19 vaccine. On the COVID-19 vaccine production lines, WFI is used for rinsing after batch production, and it must be maintained at a temperature of 20 to 85°C. After a batch of vaccine is complete, the cleaning process begins and the FLT93C Switch then issues a liquid low flow alarm to indicate the line can be released to start the next batch of vaccine production. The sanitary flanges designed for the FLT93C Switch support a clean and safe installation of the instrument in the production process, which is critical to produce safe, effective COVID-19 vaccine.

With its stainless steel wetted materials and standard 20Ra finish, the FLT93C Switch is available in either mechanical polish or electro-polish finishing. Operating over a wide liquid flow range of 0.003 to 0.9 Nm/s, the FLT93C Flow Switch offers excellent repeatability of ±0.5% reading or ± 0.012 Nm/s.

Designed with unique temperature compensation technology, the FLT93C Flow Switch is the industry’s only thermal switch that ensures set point accuracy for process temperatures that can vary up to 177°C. The FLT93C is easily field-configured or factory preset, providing unparalleled flexibility, accuracy and stability for all multiple process sensing and switching requirements.

The FLT93C Flow Switch is suitable for 19.05 to 101.6 mm sanitary tubing process lines, and it connects with a secure tri-clamp fitting for easy removal for inspection and servicing.

The 316L stainless steel wetted materials are available in both mechanical polish (SF0 to SF3) and electro-polish (SF5 and SF6) surface finishes with 20 Ra maximum (µin) finish; 10 Ra maximum (µin) electropolish finish (SF 4) is available upon request.

AMS (03) 9017 8225 www.ams-ic.com.au

www.foodmag.com.au | August 2022 | Food&Beverage Industry News 47

WE SOLVE YOUR WATER CHALLENGES PROCESS AND PRODUCT WATER DISINFECTION SOLUTIONS WITH

XYLEM UV & OZONE Xylem WEDECO disinfection products brings German reliability and expertise to your manufacturing process. Offering a range of efficient UV disinfection systems validated to European and US Standards ensuring bacteria free process water and modular Ozone systems for instantaneous disinfection of tanks, bottling lines and other process steps.

These disinfection products complete our extensive portfolio of pumps, mixers and instrumentation for your food and beverage needs.

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13 19 14 | xylem.com/au | solve@xylem.com

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Paddock Plate JULY 2022

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EDITION 14

Ahead of the curve with ongoing flood recovery projects Turn to page 04

CBC bears the weight for local OEM

Help us help you

A decade on, and still going strong

Premium parts for harvesting equipment

Working with your local branch to improve stock forecasting

Jetty conveyor benefits from long-wearing couplings

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22

27

contents 13

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Anything you can do, iCan® do better

29

More uptime on the menu with OPTIME

Fresh produce business gets a whole new bearing on production

July 2022 04 Ahead of the curve with ongoing flood recovery projects

20 Tractors and trucks run smooth with Shell lube

08 Diamond is a farmer’s best friend

21 Raising a glass to high-quality conveying solutions

10 Worth the wheat: Upgrade solution for grain processing OEM 12

Leaky pipes no more

14 The TOP DOG of diesel engine oils

25 Leveraging Australian food production with hydraulic hose solutions

15 Replacing roller chain with poly chain in F&B applications

26 High steaks, smart solutions

16 NTN bearings rise to the challenge at bakery operation 18 Unique bearing treatment benefits QLD sugar mills

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24 Motion Australia supports food and beverage industry with hydraulic hose workshops

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28 Which came first – the chicken or the chain?

30 Product showcase

EXPERT PROFILE

Meet the Team

David Brown, Hub Manager – Power Transmission Over 35 Years at Motion Australia

David is passionate about improving processes and operations for his key customers including farmers, food growers, producers, processors and packers.

David Brown is the Hub Manager for the Nambour region at Motion Australia. His focus is improving sales growth and managing the respective collaborative partners within the Brisbane North Region.

With 35 years of experience in the bearing and power transmission industry, David adds a wealth of knowledge to his team. He has also held various roles within Motion Australia starting as a Sales Representative and progressing to Hub Manager.

David manages and directs a large food and beverage portfolio highlighting various new installations and application solution improvements within the following locations: Brisbane North, Bundaberg and Western Burnett region. David is passionate about improving processes and operations for his key customers including farmers, food growers, producers, processors and packers.

His knowledge and expertise within the industry has allowed David to build strong working relationships within Motion Australia and provide the best bearing and power transmission solutions to his valued customers.

QUICK FIRE QUESTIONS 1 What’s your favourite word?

Awesome 2 I f you could win an Olympic medal for any sport, real or fake, what would it be?

Surfing 3 I f you could change your name, what would it be?

Bob the Builder 4 W hat was your favourite subject in school?

Manual Arts

5 What’s your hidden talent?

Building

PADDOCK TO PLATE | EDITION 14

3

COVER

Ahead of the curve

with ongoing flood recovery projects

I

n the aftermath of crisis, businesses and their communities lean on each other to navigate the long road to recovery. Even in areas where extreme weather events are an expected annual occurrence, things can turn quickly, leaving entire towns stranded or without access to crucial infrastructure.

In the first half of 2022, Australia has seen record rainfall and an unprecedented flood season for Queensland and New South Wales.

According to the Bureau of Meteorology, this can be largely attributed to the La Niña low-pressure system that dragged moisture from the Coral Sea over the eastern coastline. The floods left many regional towns isolated or in a state of devastation, with extensive damage to industrial machinery required for the clean-up.

In many of these regions, it has been

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Motion Australia’s priority to engage with those affected and orchestrate timely supply of key parts and servicing where they are needed most. According to Grant Gray, National Manager for Sales, their biggest focus is ensuring accessible stock not only for dewatering, but also getting equipment for agriculture and other sectors back online.

“We are very connected to our communities through the extensive branch network around the country,” he says. “It’s been shown that when moments like this happen, we come together to support customers with a speedy recovery. We want to help them get back to full production as quickly as they can. We have a company-wide commitment to the land, and the people living on it as well.”

Due to Motion Australia’s diverse capability and nation-wide distribution

footprint, they are offering a broad range of services and supply options for businesses in storm-affected areas. Industry experts are available for inspection, refurbishment and replacement of mechanical gearboxes, drives, and pumps, as well as underground hydraulic equipment.

In addition to water transfer hose and connectors, local branches can source bearings, speciality lubricant, de-watering fluid, and sanitation chemical products for the cleaning and rehabilitation of machinery.

“We are able to pull together all of the resources from our different businesses, whether that be hosing and pumps, waterproof lubricants, gearbox or motor parts,” explains Grant. “All it generally takes is one phone call, which is fortunate because so many of these situations are extremely urgent.”

Grant explains that in many instances, the stakes are personal, as some Motion Australia team members are contending with the natural disaster first-hand.

Because of this, the company’s dedication to the recovery effort goes beyond just a supply and demand necessity.

“Every one of our businesses understand that the critical objective is getting our customers back to a level of normality as quickly as possible, while also understanding the hardship they’ve suffered,” he reflects. “We had everyone from state managers down to sales reps out there helping, because we are a part of these communities and have been for 20, 30, 40 years or longer.”

Some of the group’s key branch locations in both states suffered damage, or were wiped out entirely when the flood waters arrived. In response to this, the company was able to utilise a flexible stock rotation system to re-direct supply and meet the increase in demand.

“When one light in our network goes out, another shines even brighter,” Grant says. “In Lismore, where our branch was completely wiped out, we leveraged the support of our nearby store in Grafton to continue supplying customers with everything they needed. We knew we had to mobilise whatever resources we had to provide active support.”

“We haven’t left those regional communities behind. Everyone knows the challenges right now with regards to food production and farming, and it’s important that these industries get back on their feet to full capacity.”

While the waters have receded and the focus is now placed on rehabilitation, the Bureau of Meteorology is predicting a resurgence of La Niña in Spring 2022, bringing with it more heavy rainfall and potential threat to farmland. This knowledge is at the forefront of Motion Australia’s forecasting efforts, as they evaluate key factors like stock holding

and lead times for an increasingly unpredictable industrial market.

“Australia is an extremely resilient country, and we do our best to reflect that,” Grant says. “Being able to move quickly, understand the challenges and engineer an outcome is almost second nature, because at the end of the day you have to keep moving.”

“It’s a long road to recovery from this year’s flood season, and many people are still being affected,” he concludes. “We will walk that road with our customers and do our best to get them back on their feet.”

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BEARINGS

CBC Toowoomba bears

D

the weight for local OEM

espite ongoing irregularity in climate conditions for growing and harvesting crops in Australia – including a surge of rainfall and flooding off the back of an extended drought – the Australian grain industry has experienced some of the most favourable seasons on record in recent years, according to the Department of Agriculture, Water, and the Environment.1 Centre stage to this uptick in production is the South Queensland city of Toowoomba – an inland metropolis positioned on the slopes of the Great Dividing Range - rich in fertile farming land, which accounts for the majority of its land use. Toowoomba ranks as one of the largest agricultural producers in Australia, driving the economy nationwide. In 2019-2020, Toowoomba’s agricultural industry contributed $490 million gross revenue, approximately $3.9 million of which was generated from grain crops– supplied both domestically and exported around the globe.2 During peak grain harvesting season, CBC Toowoomba is always bustling with requests from local equipment manufacturers in the surrounding regions as they prepare harvesting equipment for farmers to cultivate crops, says Warren Beale – OEM Manager for CBC Toowoomba and the South East Queensland district.

Warren has been working in the agricultural sector for more than 40 years, bringing a wealth of knowledge and experience to the table. His finetuned expertise is what led local grain handling equipment manufacturers Finch Engineering to seek his consult on bearing application solutions for their machines.

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From humble beginnings, Des Finch started the family-owned and operated welding and fabrication business in 1983.

The business has since become known as ‘the grain handling experts’ in Australia due to their innovative grain handling equipment designs, which have only continued to evolve over the years.

Des handed the reins over to his son Leroy as Operations Manager in 2007, at the same time as Finch Engineering implemented a minted design for their range of Chaser Bins and Field bins sporting sleek curvature and stronger construction materials.

Leroy began investing more into the research and development of new designs effectively taking the business to the next level over the following decade.

The company then proceeded to expand their range of product offerings to include auger, feeders, and in-field grain conveyors.

When Leroy approached Warren at CBC Toowoomba, he was looking for a new engineered bearing solution that could stand up to the harsh conditions of grain harvesting and handling in the field.

“When it comes to grain harvesting, bearings must work under arduous

conditions for long hours, sometimes 24 hours a day. When “heading” is under way, the air is full of fine dust from the heads and stalks, clumps of dirt or mud from the field, as well as high-heat conditions,” says Warren. “The biggest problem for bearings during this time, is preventing the ingress of these contaminants through the bearing’s seals. Once the contaminants enter, they combine with the bearing grease and

virtually turn it into a grinding paste which can cause overheating and raceway damage leading to a premature failure of the bearing.”

During harvest, any downtime in the field means loss of product and profits.

Farmers must have their crops harvested as quickly as possible as there can sometimes be a limited window of opportunity to complete the job.

Weather plays a huge part of the growing season, especially during harvest time, where rain or abnormal weather conditions can be the enemy. Prolonged rain or storms can prevent the equipment getting out into the fields and delaying the harvest, and the crop can be ruined by prolonged moisture or hail damage.

Therefore, bearings have to be reliable and withstand the harsh environment and workload to ensure a speedy and successful harvest, according to Warren.

“As a result, these guys are running their harvesters around the clock 24/7 to get these crops off their farms, so the last thing they want is a bearing failure, particularly if they’re working at midnight” he expounds.

“It is costly having the machine sitting idle whilst it is repaired in the field, if you happen to have the spare. Even worse, having to sit idle for hours waiting for a bearing to arrive next morning from town if you don’t.”

With the understanding that Finch Engineering take the utmost pride in the grain harvesting equipment they manufacture, Warren recommended

the NTN Triple Lip sealed bearings as an upgrade to their existing bearing designs.

Enter Takao (Jerry) Maki, Director of NTNCBC’s joint business venture, responsible for supporting the sales and marketing, business development, and engineering support for NTN products in Australia.

“The triple lip sealed bearings are a range of high-performance specialty bearings that we carry through our NTNCBC branch network that cater to the agricultural sector,” says Jerry.

“The construction of the bearing allows it to withstand high heat and dry conditions found in some areas of Australia. In addition to this, the triple lip seal design stops dust and water from entering the bearing housings which prevents unnecessary downtime, maintenance, and costs for farmers.”

When it comes to bearings for harvesting equipment, Jerry says performance is paramount.

“The goal for our customer – in this case Finch Engineering – is to offer high performance grain harvesting equipment that has an extended life for the demands of peak harvest season.”

“And our goal as a larger organisation through Motion Australia is to maintain the high standard of quality that customers have come to expect from the NTN-CBC joint venture over the years.”

Since Warren and his team at CBC Toowoomba had stock of the NTN triple lip sealed bearings shipped to the Finch Engineering site, Leroy has been pleased

with the results. Their performance has been exceptional and dramatically reduced bearing failures, therefore reducing costly call-outs for Finch Engineering.

Warren maintains a longstanding relationship with the Finch family and continues to visit their site at every opportunity. Prior to the start of each season, Warren and Leroy sit together to take stock and plan the continuity of supply for another full-on season.

“I’ve been in this line of work for a long time and people always ask me about how I have had the same customers for 20 or 30 years,” concludes Warren.

“The answer I give them is simple: I treat my customers the way I would want to be treated myself. I want a reliable service provider that will come to where I am, take the onus of a problem off me, provide me a complete solution and let me walk away the same day with peace of mind. That is the service we provide at CBC Toowoomba.”

References: 1. A ustralian Government Department of Agriculture, Water, and the Environment Agricultural forecasts and outlook March quarter 2021 https://www.awu.net. au/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/00_ AgCommodities202103_v1.0.0.pdf 2. Australian Bureau of Statistics, Value of Agricultural Commodities Produced, Australia https://www.abs.gov.au/statistics/ industry/agriculture/value-agriculturalcommodities-produced-australia/latestrelease PADDOCK TO PLATE | EDITION 14

7

CHAIN

Diamond is a

farmer’s best friend

T

8

here are few working environments quite as rugged as rural Australian farmland. While the nation is well known for its cattle rearing and dairy production, the soil and climate diversity also lends itself to the growing of valuable crops such as grapes, almonds, and olives. Agricultural activities account for over half of the country’s land use, with the production and export of fruit and vegetables on a steady rise.

in the reliability of their designs, which means sourcing the best in power transmission genuine parts.

Because of the extremely time-sensitive nature of the annual harvesting cycle, many of these agricultural operations simply cannot afford equipment breakdown in the field. Every second that an olive or almond lies neglected on the ground, it decreases in value and quickly becomes unsellable. OEMs of harvesting equipment need to have confidence

In 2019, Diamond® Chain was acquired by Timken – a global leader in engineered bearings and power transmission. As a Strategic Supply Partner (SSP) with Motion Australia, Timken is an established provider of critical machinery parts, such as the Diamond® Series Agriculture Roller Chain.

PADDOCK TO PLATE | EDITION 14

Founded in 1890 as the Indianapolis Chain and Stamping Company, Diamond® Chain has been involved in many revolutionary feats of industrial design, including the Wright Brothers’ first motor-operated aircraft flight, and Henry Ford’s conception of automotive drive units.

“Timken are well-known for their outstanding catalogue of bearing products,” says Troy Markland, National Product Manager for Power Transmission at Motion Australia. “The Diamond® acquisition expands their power transmission offering, allowing them to carry a more full-spectrum solution package to agricultural equipment manufacturers.”

Roller chain is utilised to transmit torque between two sprockets of equal or dissimilar sizes. For agricultural applications, where environmental factors such as water and dust need to be factored in, Diamond® offers stainless steel, nickel or zinc plated and anticorrosion designs.

“This chain is incredibly popular, because the Diamond ® brand has a strong

Diamond® Agriculture Roller Chain stand out. The Diamond Difference begins with raw materials that meet exacting standards for metal grade, mechanical properties, carbon and alloy content to ensure minimisation of impurities that impact tensile and fatigue strength.

“This chain is a highly valued component for harvesting equipment such as bailers and headers,” says Troy. “The improved wear life of 30 to 40 per cent means that when they put these chains into application, they are going to last the full season.”

Featuring precision-ground pins, seamless rollers, and extruded solid bushings, this chain also undergoes a shot peening treatment to add a layer of compressive stress. Shot peening aids in mitigating fatigue failure when the part is exposed to repeated high loads.

reputation within the national market,” explains Troy. “We work hard to keep up with the demand, and have had to increase our ordering quantities for the agriculture sector every year.”

“I have been with Motion Australia for 40 years, and over that time I’ve built a very strong rapport with the team at Timken,” he furthers. “We work collaboratively on customer projects every week, and I’m on the phone to them almost every day to discuss supply logistics. What we bring to the table from a sales and customer knowledge perspective, they deliver on quality and reliable product without fail.”

Timken’s catalogue is founded on superior wear performance, but it’s the uniquely bevelled link plates and proprietary lubrication that make the

With the understanding that adequate lubrication can significantly extend a chain’s life, Diamond® have introduced a ‘hot dip’ process for enhanced corrosion protection. This initial lubricant technique incorporates protective additives to allow complete internal penetration and uniform exterior coverage.

Additionally, all chains are preloaded to 50 per cent of their ultimate tensile strength, to firmly seat the pins and bushings. This process reduces initial run-in, and extends the service life of the chain. According to Sean Young, Regional General Manager at Timken, these unique design elements are the result of field-based research and design adjustments over many years.

“Even before coming under Timken, the Diamond brand has been around for a long time, doing a lot of work on specialised applications for OEMs,” he

says. “That history within Australia’s market is invaluable, and it gives our engineering teams a strong foundation from which to approach complex scenarios.”

For well over 50 years, Timken has worked closely with Motion Australia to provide end-to-end solutions for a range of industrial sectors. According to Sean, a shared commitment to resultdriven servicing helps both parties to understand customer processes and deliver excellent results.

“Our experienced field crew work closely with Motion Australia’s product experts to implement fit for purpose power transmission componentry. We spend a lot of time liaising as a team to support customers, which we know significantly benefits the end user long-term.”

“Rather than just selling a box off a shelf, Motion Australia works with us to inform these customers on our product value, which gives them the confidence to rely on us in the future.”

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9

BEARINGS

Worth the wheat:

F

Upgrade solution for grain processing OEM

rom wheat and barley to various pulses and oats, Australian grain farming spans across northern and southern cropping regions, utilising the country’s optimal rain patterns for diverse plantation year-round. Roughly 22 million hectares of domestic commercial grain crops are planted annually, and national exports account for 10 to 15 per cent of the world’s global wheat trade .

Established in Wagga Wagga in 1979, Grainline is a family owned and operated business, supplying the rural agricultural industry with mobile augers, rota doors and other grain harvesting equipment.

Their in-house fabrication lends itself to the ongoing development of safety and flexibility features, as well as comprehensive quality control.

Grainline’s flagship 15” Bunker auger offers an efficient method of transferring grain into storage bunkers up to 35m wide with an unloading capacity of 340t per hour. Hydraulic remotes on a tractor are used to control the wheels and hopper ramps, which are designed in line with standard Australian grain storage facilities.

Russell Randal, National Account Manager for Agriculture at Motion Australia, recently collaborated with the Grainline team to upgrade the standard bearings on these augers to great success.

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“Grainline approached us for a more reliable solution. “The parts were situated in hard-to-reach places, up high and often fully submerged in grain, so they weren’t able to be lubricated frequently enough.”

“To combat this, we suggested a changeout to the NSK Molded-Oil™ bearings.

These are a fully sealed unit, and are selflubricating, so nobody has to manually pump grease into them at any time.

Conversely, there are no complications due to over greasing, which can cause the seals to pop out or become damaged.”

The Molded-Oil™ bearings from NSK feature a solid lubrication element constructed from polyolefin resin.

The slow release of oil from this part of the bearing mitiGates® the need for manual attention, ensuring longer service life and less scheduled downtime for maintenance. According to Bryce Langfield, Purchasing Manager at Grainline, the full-mold design of the NSK product was a necessary upgrade from the previous spot-molding application.

“Grain is probably one of the most abrasive materials in agricultural processing, and these machines are having to contend with water ingress as well,” he says. “This can take a huge toll on moving parts and wear things down a lot quicker. Russell told us how

harvest season,” Bryce furthers. “We have dedicated service teams who travel out to South Australia & up to Queensland to attend to any breakdowns, but we are hoping to significantly decrease these occurrences by opting for higher quality parts.”

these bearings had been performing exceptionally well for the sugarcane industry up in Queensland, so we were eager to make the switch.”

“Another reason we opted for the Molded-Oil™ was the safety aspect. We needed to eliminate the need for workers to get up high and in precarious positions just to lubricate components, while also making sure they were serviced appropriately.”

The Molded-Oil™ series is available in spherical roller, deep groove ball, and tapered roller bearings. Optimal composition allows for high-speed operation and premium strength capacity for a broad range of industrial equipment.

“Downtime has to be avoided at all costs when you’re racing against the

An additional benefit of these bearings is their reduction of oil leakage and negative environmental impact. Not only do they require less consumable product over time, the seal ensures that high-pressure washdown cannot flush the lubricant into waterways or soil. Furthermore, the external surface treatment allows for the sooth, low-torque rotation of rolling elements, and strenuous field testing guarantees long-term durability.

“I’ve had the pleasure of visiting the Grainline site, and seeing this project come together,” Russell reflects. “We delivered a large portion of the bearings order upfront, and the rest are being air freighted to arrive as soon as possible.

These machines are used to transfer grain all year round, so they are already being used in the field with no issues.”

“So long as they are successful through the harvest period, the NSK bearing will likely become standard specs for these machines. Every time a manufacturer like Grainline sells equipment, it sits out in the field with their name on it – we need to make sure that we supply parts in line with their standards of reliability, and the Molded-Oil™ solution delivers on that promise,” he concludes.

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11

ADVERTORIAL - PIPE SEALING

Leaky pipes

How to apply the LOCTITE® 55 Thread Sealing Cord Directions for use 1. C lean parts with a wire brush prior to application of product.

no more

WHY FRED THE FARMER RECOMMENDS LOCTITE® THREAD SEALANTS •C an replace putty, tape, and paste sealants

P

erforming repairs and maintenance work on fluid transfer systems has historically been a problematic process in the agriculture and food processing industries. Using traditional sealing methods, technicians often need to break off the seal to make maintenance adjustments incurring downtime on operations.

Even the smallest leaky pipe can bring food processing operations to a total standstill and there are immense costs associated with this unplanned downtime including loss of product and labour hours, according to Michael Rowe– Motion Australia’s Product Manager for Adhesives and Sealants.

Thankfully, the advent of LOCTITE® 55 Thread Sealing Cord has made leaky pipes a thing of the past.

“On a typical thread locking assembly, there is only about 15% metal to metal contact allowed,” says Michael. “That leaves about 85% of the area that needs to be sealed where fluid products can leak through.”

In contrast to traditional sealing approaches, the LOCTITE 55 Thread Sealing Cord has re-adjusting capacity up to 45° without the risk of joint leaks or tape shreds contaminating the internal pipe. This means that turning the joint to ensure complete alignment is safe, giving the user peace of mind to recommence operation.

“The LOCTITE 55 Thread Sealing Cord creates a staggered seal system for the

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•S upplied in containers which both stores and aids dispensing •R ecommended for both metal and plastic threaded assemblies •A GA approve to work at -55°C to 150°C •S uitable for potable water and gas applications •C an be used on threaded assemblies up to 4” join, so that any ingress of fluid will be captured before making it’s escape,” he explains.

The LOCTITE55 Thread Sealing Cord can be utilised in the efficient, lowcost assembly of farming machinery such as tractors, sprayers, combines, and skid steers, in addition to cabin, engine, transmission, axle and gearbox assemblies. Due to its no-cure time and instant sealing performance, it is also suitable for emergency repair to avoid downtime in the field.

Additionally, LOCTITE 55 is designed for both high and low pressure systems, and has a safe operating temperature of -55°C to 150°C. The immediate seal will match the pressure of the pipe, getting machinery back up and running at peak performance.

This sealing cord is approved for both gas and potable water applications and is certified to NSF/ANSI Standard 61. It is also compliant with the WATERMARK WMTS014:2016 Jointing Materials Certificate no. WMK26725.

2. Hold the end of the Pipe Sealing Cord against the male nipple with one finger approximately two threads away from the end.

3. Wind the fibre onto the pipe threads in the same direction of the thread helix starting from the end of the pipe. For optimum performance, the grooves of the threads should be filled without completely masking the pitches of the thread. NOTE: It is not necessary to follow the valley of the thread.

4. CAUTION: Do not over-apply the Pipe Sealing Cord. Excessive material tends to be pushed off as fittings are assembled, and it may become mechanically more difficult to complete the engagement.

5. C ut the required length off with the integrated cutting tool and smooth the loose end onto the pitches of the pipe thread.

6. L OCTITE® 55 Pipe Cord™ can be adjusted up to 45° after tightening The convenient dispenser packaging mitiGates® product waste onsite and is a portable solution for machinery on the go.

As a leading brand of adhesives, sealants, and surface treatments from the Henkel company, LOCTITE understands the challenges associated with maintaining durable, safe farming machinery.

Through comprehensive research and development, and a wealth of expertise from many years servicing the industry, they have developed an impressive portfolio of industrial-grade thread sealing products.

For expert advice on the use of LOCTITE®’s sealing products, visit your local Motion Australia Branch.

ADVERTORIAL - LUBRICATION

Anything you can do,

A

iCan® do better

ccording to Alemlube, contamination is the leading cause of machinery failure on an industrial site. Lubrication is the last line of defence against friction, wear and corrosion for many parts on critical machinery, so when oil becomes compromised, so does the entire piece of equipment. In many cases, the cost of excluding a single gram of dirt from lubrication product is about 10 per cent of the projected cost in consequential downtime and repairs.

As a 100 per cent Australian-owned company offering a dynamic range of lubrication solutions to various sectors, Alemlube aims to keep ahead of market expectations with innovative product design. Their team of industry experts work alongside Motion Australia to provide best-fit products for servicing applications, employing an intimate understanding of the dayto-day challenges often faced on-site.

Their off-the-shelf lubrication equipment is ideal for servicing machinery on the field, where lightweight and customisable solutions are required. Prioritising safe handling and zero compromise to the lubricant, Alemlube’s portfolio delivers cost-effective tools that help operators deliver on best practice for storage, identification and dispensing processes.

The iCan® range of lubricant storage and delivery equipment from Alemlube reduces the chance of crosscontamination during maintenance tasks. The user-friendly design of these

containers and series of attachments is resistant to rust, warping and distortion in rugged environments such as agriculture or food processing plants.

Each container has a clear, plastic pouch on the side, for comprehensive labelling with the iPouch double-sided identification cards. This ensures the safe handling of lubricant types on a single site, and mitiGates® the risk of cross-contamination where multiple varieties of oil or grease are being implemented. This is a necessity for sites looking to maintain a professional and organised workshop, and ensures fewer breakdowns caused by inadequately serviced componentry.

CONTAINERS WITH POUR LID KITS Available in 2L, 5L, and 10L sizes, the fully sealed dispensing containers are designed for easy identification and delegation of lubricant products and are available in 6mm, 12mm or 25mm pour lid nozzle sizes. The large, flat side is ideal for quick and easy application of the colour-coded iPouch labelling system. These containers are constructed out of recyclable highdensity polyethylene (HDPE), including UV and static resistant additives.

Importantly, they also feature an on/ off breather switch to reduce the risk of repetitive strain injury (RSI) during long-term use.

The 5L container kit includes a dual scale gauge to ensure accuracy when dispensing, and a quick fill port for safe, contaminant-free refills. The larger, 10L container is designed with a square base for increased stability when stacking. In addition, it has a threaded port for the optional use of a desiccant filter to increase protection against dust and other aggregators.

CONTAINER STORAGE LID KITS The iCan® Container Storage Lid Kits come in 5L and 10L capacities, and feature colour-coded storage lids constructed from HDPE. Similarly to the Pour Lid Containers, these kits store fluid safely, preventing cross contamination due to their quick and safe fill ports and iPouch labelling system. They are suitable for use with a variety of lubricants and fluids, and include a desiccant port for added optimal protection.

CONTAINER PUMP KITS The 5L and 10L Container Pump Kits from the iCan® collection include many of the same features as the Pour Lid Kits and Storage Lid Kits, such as durable HDPE construction, a colourcoded labelling system, and safe desiccant fill ports. In addition, they are topped with a sturdy T-hand pump and tube dispenser to allow ease of access to smaller ports or tight spaces.

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13

ADVERTORIAL- ENGINE OIL

The TOP DOG of diesel engine oils

A

s the name suggests, Gulf Western Oil’s TOP DOG range is a dominant player in the diesel engine oil market. Renowned for high performance in heavy-duty farming machinery, this range of Australian-made oils have been a popular choice in the agricultural sector.

Synonymous with toughness, the TOP DOG HDZ-50 20W-50 boasts a high viscosity formulation that translates to less oil consumption and better wear protection for engines working in severe applications such as those seen in agriculture.

The premium mineral diesel engine oil is an ideal mixed fleet oil as it can

Summary of benefits •H igh viscosity formulation offers higher levels of wear protection and reduced oil consumption • Improved oil pressure at idle and under load • Formulated for turbo charged engines and those fitted with Exhaust Gas Recirculation (EGR) systems.

• Superior sludge and soot control for a cleaner engine • Additional seal conditioner to rejuvenate seals and gaskets to slow or stop oil leaks • Suitable for heavy towing and/ or operation in high ambient temperatures • Suitable for high mileage trucks, 4WD and utes • Not suitable for vehicles with Diesel Particulate Filters (DPFs

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PADDOCK TO PLATE | EDITION 14

be used in heavy-duty diesel engines, stationary engines, commodity transport applications, 4WD’s as well as petrol engine applications requiring API (Automotive Performance Institute) SL or earlier performance levels.

Importantly, the Gulf Western Oil TOP DOG HDZ-50 20W-50 uses API and OEM approved additive technology that suits American, European and Japanese diesel engines.

Other significant benefits include superior sludge and soot control, which makes for cleaner engines and performance, improved oil pressure – both at idle and under load – and an additional seal conditioner that helps rejuvenate seals and gaskets to slow or prevent oil leaks. The TOP DOG HDZ50 20W-50 is also formulated for turbo charged engines and those fitted with exhaust gas recirculation (EGR) systems.

In line with Gulf Western Oil’s reputation and other product offerings, the TOP DOG uses premium quality base oil and best-in-class additive technology to ensure dependability in the field. The product has been made to withstand harsh Australian agricultural conditions and the rigours of heavy-duty diesel engines in these applications, providing agricultural businesses with what they need most – uptime.

This was the mission of Peter Vicary in 1988 when he founded Gulf Western Oil – to design oils specific to Australian conditions and suitable to a wide range of applications. Which is exactly what the TOP DOG HDZ-50 20W-50 is – a versatile, reliable diesel oil for mixed fleets that helps industrial businesses keep their lubricant inventory to a minimum.

Beginning as a small company, today Gulf Western Oil is Australia’s largest

family-owned lubricants manufacturer.

Operating out of the Southern Hemisphere’s most advanced ISOcertified facility, Gulf Western Oil uses the latest in blending technology to achieve precise specifications and consistency.

It is one of the key reasons the products have proved so reliable to Australian customers.

As a key strategic supply partner of Motion Australia, customers can access the Gulf Western Oil TOP DOG range from their local Motion Australian branch. As Australia’s largest distributor of industrial lubricant products, Motion Australia experts can advise as to which engines this range or other oils in the Gulf Western Oil portfolio are suited to specific agricultural machinery.

Specifications The additive technology used in TOP DOG HDZ-50 20W-50 meets and exceeds the following performance specifications: • SAE Viscosity 20W-50 • API CI-4/SL • ACEA E7 • Allison C4 • Caterpillar ECF-2, TO-2 • Cummins 20078 • Global DHD-1 • JASO DH-1 • Mack EO-N Premium Plus • MAN 271, 3275 • Mercedes-Benz sheet 228.3, 229.1 • MTU Type 1, Type 2 • Volvo VDS-3

ADVERTORIAL - BELTS

Replacing roller chain

with poly chain in F&B applications

A

ccording to Gates®, roller chains are a thing of the past.

As a leading manufacturer of drive belt solutions – and the inventor of the original V-belt – Gates® has a history of innovation, and the Poly Chain® GT™ Carbon™ synchronous belt is an example of innovation at its finest, improving the safety, efficiency and longevity of power transmission in food and beverage applications.

The Poly Chain® GT™ Carbon™ is a polyurethane synchronous belt that uses carbon fibre tensile cords to provide an increased power carrying capacity and extended flex fatigue life, helping it withstand shocks, surge loading and heavy abrasion. It is suitable for high moisture environments or where oils and chemicals are used in applications such as those common to food and beverage wash downs.

Importantly, the Poly Chain® GT™ Carbon™ is a much safer option than traditional roller chains – first and foremost because it requires zero maintenance. Poly Chain® GT™ Carbon™ belts do not need any stretching, retensioning or lubrication. This means they take people out of dangerous situations where they can get pinched or crushed by performing maintenance on a heavy chain.

Poly Chain® GT™ Carbon™ belts are also lightweight – in fact, 97% lighter than roller chains, so they are easy to lift, move and carry. This means installation and replacement are much easier and there is less body stress on employees.

Since no lubrication – such as oil baths – is required, there is less risk of fire or tripping injuries from slippery floors. Also, the belts are far quieter than chains, making the operating environment a much more pleasant place to work without the noise pollution of heavy chains.

From the perspective of a food and beverage operation, Poly Chain® GT™ Carbon™ belts are a perfect fit

as they are designed to work in wet environments and are inert to most acids and chemicals. As food handling and processing requires constant washdowns, roller chains require regular lubrication when the oil gets washed off and are also prone to rust. Conversely, Poly Chain® GT™ Carbon™ belts do not rust, and are completely safe for food processing facilities. As they do not need any lubrication, the risk of an oil leak causing food, or ground or water contamination is also eliminated.

In terms of performance and efficiency, the Poly Chain GT™ Carbon belt offers three times the service life of a roller chain and 10 times that of sprocket life, providing an overall improvement of efficiency of 99% when it comes to the life of the drive.

Once the Poly Chain® GT™ Carbon™ is installed, it doesn’t require any maintenance, so it reduces downtime in an operation, particularly when compared with changing out a roller chain and its complementing sprockets.

As Poly Chain® GT™ Carbon™ does not create any metal-on-metal wear, the replacement of sprockets is drastically reduced.

Summary of Poly Chain® GT™ Carbon™ benefits: •4 00% greater capacity than HTD belts • 99% efficiency for life of the drive • Outlasts roller chain up to 4 to 1 • Outlasts roller chain sprockets 10 to 1 • Cuts maintenance and downtime • No stretch • No lubrication • No re-tensioning • Inert to most acids, chemicals and water • Width-for-width roller chain conversions • Reduce weight and overhung loads • Over 120,000 possible drive combinations • Inside and backside idlers can be used

With extended lengths of up to 20,000mm – longer than any other manufacturer provides – the Poly Chain® GT™ Carbon™ can handle longer centre distances. The Poly Chain® GT™ Carbon™ extended length (19 metres) is suited to replacing larger roller chains and gears.

As a key partner of Motion Australia, Gates® distributes its power transmission products – including the Poly Chain® GT™ Carbon™ synchronous belts – through Motion Australia’s branches nation-wide. The two companies work closely to support the Australian food and beverage sector with their technical expertise and solutions-driven know-how.

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15

BEARINGS

NTN bearings rise

to the challenge at bakery operation

A

s all bakers know, there are many variables that can lead to the success or failure of bread rising, which is why the recipe needs to be followed accurately. Likewise, in an automated, state-of-the-art bakery facility, all the machinery needs to run seamlessly, because if a part of the process breaks down, it will have consequences on the overall production.

Just as every individual ingredient is necessary to the whole loaf, so are the bearing components to the success of an entire bakery plant.

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This was the experience of a large-scale commercial bakery operating out of Victoria, who, with the help of Motion Australia have managed to improve the performance of their critical machinery and prevent unnecessary downtime.

Prior to working with Motion Australia, the site had experienced a number of breakdowns, particularly on their conveying applications. This was due to low quality bearing components that kept failing.

“We won this business through our in-house know-how, around the

clock customer service, and by recommending high quality bearing products that resolved their primary issue of equipment failure,” explains Leon Stefanec, National Business Development Manager for Food and Beverage, Motion Australia. “When we first engaged with this customer, we offered to do a site audit, which immediately struck a chord with their maintenance manager. Through that, we were able to identify all the part numbers, quantities and brands of components such as bearings they were using on the equipment.”

conveying system that takes hot product out of the oven and on to the product cooler infeed conveyor where product gets snap frozen,” he elaborates. “Basically, the bearings need to be able to handle the extreme temperatures and humidity of the dough proofing chamber, as well as the cold temperatures of the cooling conveyor.”

Four key benefits

The NTN 6000 series deep groove ball bearings and mounted ball bearing units were recommended and installed on these applications. The result has been positive with the customer noticing a significant increase in bearing operational life.

Since standardising the plant to using NTN brand bearings, the bakery operation has realised the following benefits: • Less frequent bearing change-outs

“The NTN product stood up well, and the customer agreed with our proposal to then replace all bearings out at the site with NTN bearings,” says Leon.

“When the plant

• Fewer unexpected break downs

performed maintenance recently during a planned shutdown and reviewed all of their equipment, the maintenance manager was impressed with how the NTN bearing range had performed as they had seen a significant reduction in breakdowns since we started supplying them. This was positive feedback and testament to the good job our team has done.”

Importantly, Motion Australia also had some standard NTN bearings custommodified to meet the extremely cold temperatures as described on the product cooler conveying application.

The site audit enabled Motion Australia to consolidate the customer’s bearing range. This weeded out inefficiencies (such as double ups of stock and the use of multiple brands for spare parts in the same application) but more importantly allowed them to address one of the key problems – equipment failure from low quality bearings that couldn’t withstand the rigours of the applications.

“This is where we are able to add even more value, because our Motion Australia company, CBC, has a unique relationship with NTN – it’s called the NTN-CBC Joint Venture – where we have a direct line to the manufacturer and their engineering design division,” explains Leon. “We were able to have them modify the standard bearing by flushing the grease out and putting in a special low temperature grease which allowed the bearing to work in temperatures at minus 20 degrees Celsius.”

“There are two standout applications where bearings were failing – in their dough proofer chamber and

Overall, the customer has been pleased with the outcome of switching their bearings over to NTN.

• Longer equipment up time

• Improved stock availability Despite the bearings costing more than those the site was originally using, Leon said the price was the least of the customer’s concerns.

“While the upfront cost of the bearings is perhaps more than other brands, the customer cost savings in the long run were proven when it was clear the bearings were directly correlated to greater productivity, less maintenance, and less downtime,” says Leon. “These NTN bearings are a great example of how we’ve provided value, but it’s just one part of what we’re supplying to this customer.”

Leon says the relationship has been built on trust that Motion Australia will deliver a full end-to-end solution, and will be available to the customer in times of crisis.

“It’s our ability to offer a 24/7 service, meaning we can supply out of hours when maintenance is done,” he says.

“It’s also our combined technical expertise and in-house knowledge. Our capability to supply not just bearings and power transmission solutions, but fluid transfer, sealing, plastics and engineering services. We can be a onestop supplier that they can completely rely on. Our relationship with this customer is just beginning, and I’m excited about how we can continue to help them improve the efficiency of their operation.”

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17

BEARINGS

Unique bearing

treatment benefits QLD sugar mills

W

hen sugar cane first arrived in Australia in 1788, farmers in Port Macquarie struggled to keep it alive long enough to harvest.

Almost 75 years later, it was discovered that the crop needed a more tropical climate to thrive, and the first viable plantation was established further north, near Brisbane.

With an annual revenue of nearly $2 billion, sugar is now Australia’s second largest crop export after wheat. The majority of sugar cane is grown in Queensland, on family owned and operated farms. Setts are cultivated for 10 to 18 months, after which they are harvested and sent to a milling facility for the initial stages of processing.

Dion Tomasich, Branch Manager at BSC Cairns, has been working for many years to supply several large sugar milling sites around Queensland with critical parts and servicing. Among other componentry, he says that the NSK Hi-TF Spherical Roller Bearings are extremely popular, especially for axle box units on cane train locomotives.

These particular bearings are made for heavy load conditions and operating environment related contamination, offering seven times the service life of generic counterpart products.

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Catering to the harsh conditions of industrial plants, these Hi-TF products is an upgrade to NSK’s previous TF bearing design. Combining the benefits of expertly refined materials and a new heat treatment process, they can withstand long periods of lubricant contamination and provide a 20 per cent improvement on seizure resistance.

“Because a lot of these sugar mills have been around a long time, they will often still have old, generic bearings on a lot of their established machinery,” he explains.

“These tend to be more prone to failure, and cost more in the long run due to constant downtime and change-outs.”

Offering less than half the rate of wear then generic bearing options, the Hi-TF has been designed following comprehensive research and development. According to Dion, NSK’s knowledge on the impact of surface dents renders their expertise highly valuable in an industrial parts market.

“We suggest the NSK Hi-TF to many of these sites due to the excellent material properties of the steel, Dion elaborates. “When combined with the heat treatment, they boast superior wear resistance and can ensure a much longer service life for the equipment.

Some sugar mills that we work with have now been using them for years, offering very positive feedback in terms of their performance.”

“Where bearings are under stress in rugged environments, the lubricating oil or grease can easily become contaminated,” he explains. “Particles like metal, sand, dust or grit can make small dents in the bearing surface, which will inevitably lead to cracking or flaking. The Hi-TF is engineered with a higher level of retained austenite, which undergoes the patented TF heat treatment for optimised strength.”

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While austenite itself is a fairly soft material, NSK have developed a unique technique which involves incorporating SAC1 steel to promote the uniform distribution of carbonitride particles.

Essentially, the formation of the carbide and carbonitride particles ensures a harder exterior on the bearing, while also retaining the austenite quantity for a uniquely smooth shallow shaped dent that resists edge cracking and flaking.

“These bearings stand up extremely well to peeling, wear, seizure and heat,” says Dion. “Not only have NSK done in-depth testing and research to back their performance, but we’ve seen how they are lasting in the field without any issues.”

“We work closely with NSK and the site engineer teams to ensure the best fit for each application,” he concludes.

“I myself speak to many of these customers nearly every day over the phone, and we will often do joint calls or site visits collaboratively to ensure the best outcomes.”

CONDITION MONITORING

The user simply opens the OPTIME app on their smart device to review the equipment being monitored. Ben says having access to this type of information affords plant managers one primary advantage – the time to predict and preempt any issues, rather than react.

More uptime

on the menu with OPTIME

O

ne of the primary causes of waste in the food and beverage industry is equipment failure.

Yet it is also preventable with a proactive approach to maintenance that involves the condition monitoring of machinery says Ryan Kendrigan, General Manager of Engineering & Services at Motion Australia.

recent advances in technology, this wireless, online real-time condition monitoring is now more affordable and available to a broader market, including small to medium enterprises in the food and beverage sector,” says Ryan. “Getting insights from machinery while it is in motion, provides the type of business intelligence that drives efficiencies.”

“It’s largely about minimising downtime and comes back to being able to effectively schedule maintenance and repair work,” he explains. “In any food production plant, there will be a substantial amount of degradation of equipment over time, it’s just the nature of environment. Being able to effectively plan around your production schedules gives you the best chance at minimising wastage.”

According to Ben Kang, Lifetime Solutions Manager for Schaeffler Australia, the Schaeffler OPTIME remote monitoring solution is a ready-to-go package that includes sensors, a gateway and digital services. Importantly, the solution uses in-build algorithms to provide automated analysis, meaning the plant or maintenance manager doesn’t need to do any analysis of the data themselves.

Ryan provides the example of a commercial bakery. If there is an unplanned stoppage on a conveyor going through an oven, then large batches of product will be lost.

“Those types of losses can be substantial for a small to medium enterprise,” he says. “Often the plant equipment is linked in terms of cycles, so if one part of the plant is out, that potentially prevents you from operating a larger suite of equipment which sets back production for an extended period of time.”

“You can cover thousands of points with an algorithm that will essentially go through the data and give you advance warning if you have any sort of developing issues with your rotating equipment,” Ben explains. “We call this actionable intelligence. The biggest advantage is that any changes in the machine status will be relayed by push notifications.”

“Condition monitoring is about the whole machine – you can identify anomalies in bearing performance through vibration analysis, or detect issues such as imbalance, misalignment, low oil or an electrical fault on a machine,” he says.

“Having these diagnostics while the machine is running means you can action them before they become a bigger problem, particularly when they are connected to other equipment. It also enables you to do forward planning and organise critical spares inventory.”

Importantly, the OPTIME condition monitoring can reduce downtime caused by bearing failure by up to 80%, which reduces energy costs across the entire production process. There is also a tool in the portfolio that optimises lubrication – the OPTIME C1 smart lubricator – which can cut lubricant waste by 30%.

Ben also points out that from a scalability perspective, OPTIME gives businesses flexibility as they take their first steps down the predictive maintenance path.

“This is a rapidly developing field, and our OPTIME solutions allows businesses to keep their options open-ended, it doesn’t limit them in terms of scope or capability.

What it does provide is the ability to deploy a large number of sensors, administer and manage them without having any experience in this area. Costwise, it is also very reasonable – for each measurement point it costs the equivalent of two-hours labour in Australia to set up – and then you have 24/7 monitoring for the life of that machine.”

Enter the Schaeffler Lifetime Solutions – a suite of condition monitoring and smart maintenance tools. As a key partner to Motion Australia, customers in the food and beverage sector now have access to this solutions range.

“We have a long history of working with Schaeffler on condition monitoring products in the mining sector, but with PADDOCK TO PLATE | EDITION 14

19

ADVERTORIAL - LUBRICATION

How Shell Lubricants can add value to farm machinery •E NHANCED EFFICIENCY: Heightened fuel costs are a big concern for the agricultural sector.

Shell Lubricants can provide a reduction in fuel consumption with one fleet operator reporting a 2% reduction after switching to premium Shell Rimula engine oils and Shell Spirax gear and axle oils.

Tractors and trucks run smooth with Shell lube

W

ith demand at record highs, it’s more important than ever to keep critical agricultural machinery running at its optimum.

Lubrication is key to the health and protection of hardworking agricultural equipment and can make all the difference to the outcome of a season.

Shell has a range of lubricants that have been specifically designed for agricultural applications, and are trusted by the agricultural industry to improve equipment performance, efficiency and longevity.

Using good quality, fit-for-purpose lubricants can drastically reduce costs by cutting unplanned downtime, lowering maintenance costs and increasing equipment life and availability. All of which will have a positive impact on a business’s bottom line.

Shell’s comprehensive product portfolio is united in quality and shares what Shell refer to as ‘Dynamic Protection Plus Technology’ – a combination of the Shell PurePlus Technology and Adaptive Additive Technology. These top-tier engine oils include transmission, gear and axle oils, diesel engine oils, coolants, hydraulic oils and greases.

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The Shell Spirax products for transmission, gears and axles can bring immense value to both trucks and tractors in agricultural applications, providing long-term protection of components and promoting longer life of heavy-duty equipment.

The Rimula range of Shell diesel engine oils are demonstrated performers in agriculture. These oils offer extended fuel economy performance, extreme wear protection, and longer engine and oil life. The complementing HD Premium N Antifreeze Coolant 50/50 and Concentrate are premium products designed to operate in on and off road applications typical to farming. They are specially formulated to protect cylinder liners from pitting for up to one million kilometres.

Shell’s hydraulic oils include the renowned Shell Tellus high performance fluids which use Group II based oils and are resistant to breaking down in heat or under mechanical stress. Additionally, the Hydraulic S1 M fluids provide cost effective, reliable protection in farming machinery. They have anti-wear, antifoam and are oxidation resistant.

The reputable Shell Gadus range of multipurpose greases also give agricultural businesses peace of mind

•E XTENDED OIL LIFE: Maintenance downtime is a major issue for agricultural businesses. Shell Lubricants can keep equipment running efficiently for longer, minimising maintenance downtime.

Importantly, Shell Lubricants work with over 3,000 OEMs to ensure the products are matching equipment specifications and providing savings and efficiency gains.

Readers interested to learn more about the Shell Lubricants offering and which products may suit their operation best, can contact their local Motion Australia branch. You can also match your vehicles to the right lubrication product online! Visit: shell.com.au/lubematch

that their vehicles are protected with shock-load resistance and anti-wear properties to protect critical bearing components.

To help farming businesses reduce maintenance costs, control emissions, prevent long oil-drain intervals and reduce waste oil, Motion Australia has partnered with Viva Energy Australia to advise on the best lubricant range for their equipment.

CHAIN

Raising a glass to

high-quality conveying solutions

A

ccording to Leon Stefanec, National Business Development Manager for Food and Beverage at Motion Australia, the average processing plant will likely replace 500 to 1,000 feet of conveyor chain every maintenance cycle. With this in mind, designing chain product with low-friction, stress resistant properties is imperative for industrial part manufacturers servicing the Australian market.

Unit handling for beverage packaging is generally a high-speed operation, relying on the ability to keep things moving without the risk of equipment failure or unplanned repair time. Whether it be cases of glass bottles, cartons or cans, Motion Australia recommends the TableTop® chain from Rexnord as a costeffective long-term solution.

“There are a number of major beverage manufacturers in Australia that source this Rexnord chain product through Motion Australia’s supply network,” Leon says. “Everything from beer to soft drink and juice, whether it’s bottle or in a can – TableTop® chain is a versatile product and is extremely popular with our customers in that sector.”

Matt Crehan, National Product Manager at Rexnord, explains that the TableTop® chain is held together with a stainlesssteel pin on a central hinge. It can run horizontally on sprockets of various sizes, up to speeds of 100 metres per minute.

“The TableTop® chain comes in set widths for multiple strand and variable speed conveyors, which is one of the key features that sets it apart,” he elaborates.

“There are other chain varieties under the FlatTop® portfolio, but TableTop® is best suited to high-strength and highspeed applications such as bottling.”

The heavy washdown procedures of the food-safe environments calls for a high level of resistance to frequent, pressurised moisture. To combat this, Rexnord has utilised acetal and specialty plastic materials in addition to the stainless steel and carbon offering, as they are generally easier to maintain for this setting. They also run at a much lower volume.

“The standard polyacetal material can withstand temperatures of up to 65°C in hot water,” Matt says. “It is also available in a range of other materials, including polypropene, which can withstand up to 105°C. The range is quite diverse to address a myriad of heat and chemical resistance requirements for different applications.”

Further, the pin retention elements holding the chain in place can be easily removed with a screwdriver for routine sterilising. The chain is available in both straight and side-flexing styles, and the open hinge design offers ease for swapping out or adding parts as needed.

FRED THE FARMER SAYS, ‘FORGET TO CLEAN AND YOU’LL HAVE A FAULTY MACHINE!’ In addition to grease and debris, any spillage of beer, juice or soft drink can cause endless problems for a conveying system, such as: • Contamination or damage to the product • Increased horsepower requirements • Chain pulsation • Excessive wear on joints and hinges • Rapid wear on wear strips • Accelerated sprocket tooth wear To avoid costly downtime due to maintenance and repair, consult your product manual for the correct cleaning frequency and solution type.

In Leon’s experience, while the basic function of most conveyor chain is the same, investing in the best quality product will save manufacturers immensely in the long run. Since 1938, Rexnord have been delivering on durability and leading-edge solutions, backed by extensive research and stringent testing procedures.

“We have an established relationship with Rexnord and successfully work with them to deliver on high-profile customer requirements,” he says. “We have seen phenomenal growth with their business over the last year, and a large part of that is because we approach hands-on field work as a unified team.”

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21

SUPPLY CHAIN

Help us help you:

how communication can drive more accurate stock forecasting

A

s companies around the world contend with supply chain complications and lengthening lead times, Motion Australia is working closely with Strategic Supply Partners to offset challenges and maintain reliable stock holdings. While these impacts cannot be avoided entirely, informed forecasting based on customer advice can significantly minimise instances of stock-outs and help improve security of supply.

According to Mark Watson, Group Forecasting and Planning Manager for Motion Australia, supporting the agricultural sector’s demand for product leans on an open channel of communication that factors business growth, equipment use, and capacity for warehousing in the wake of recent import delays.

“In order to plan for seasonal crops, we’re having to place our purchase orders much earlier than usual,” he says. “The stock required for the 2023 broad acre harvest will have to be placed in November 2022 – five months earlier than in previous years.

When we’re already working with the

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unpredictability of seasonal peaks and troughs, a lot rests on future expectations of the buyer, so that needs to be communicated with us clearly, ahead of time.”

“Whether buyers are thinking that we will be entering a better or worse than usual cycle, upgrading their machinery, or preparing to spend differently, that information is extremely valuable to our forecasting efforts,” he elaborates.

“Even without explicit commitments, the more we have an idea, the more we are able to prepare our stock supply for the coming season.”

Employing that information, Motion Australia often works with customers to develop logistics and procurement plans, leveraging the trust established with supply partners to ease uncertainty from both sides.

“Similar to the stock market, supply chain planning is all about using historical patterns to juggle and traverse different levels of uncertainty,” says Mark. “The more data points we can get in the form of customer commentary, the more clarity we have on the overall picture. We know that

it’s never going to be 100 per cent accurate, and that things change unexpectedly, but we all do better when it is collaborative.”

John Tawadros, Head of Distribution Sales at Schaeffler Australia, says that this ability to manage product allocation based on historical data positions Motion Australia well to continue meeting market demands, despite the increasing level of uncertainty.

“I have been liaising with Motion Australia as a distribution partner for about twenty years, and we very much see them as part of Schaeffler’s supply chain network. With ongoing dialogue with their planning teams, we are able to reduce the impact of supply chain challenges on the end customers.”

“We do this in a number of ways. We are not short-term planners, both of us look well into the future, utilising Motion Australia’s buying power and understanding of the market. The joint forecasting discussions that we do give us more accuracy, and the confidence to meet demand by organising stock appropriately.”

Motion Australia’s wide-reaching network of branches and distribution centres allows them to maintain a solid buffer of inventory on-shore, mitigating pain points when lead times blow out unexpectedly.

“Because Motion Australia imports directly from other countries, like those in Asia, North America and Europe, we have direct access to what’s happening around the world,” Mark explains. “We ourselves are managing a lot of those supply lines, so we have visibility on the movement of freight. This puts us in an informed position to liaise with our supply partners on managing delays or shortages.”

“In reality, Australia is a very small portion of world demand,” he continues.

“How we react to a degrading lead time, for example, is extremely important. Working closely with our supply partners, finding the best way to navigate it together, is absolutely key.

The longevity of those relationships means that we have leverage that can be used to benefit our customers.”

The group is currently focused on being able to balance the immediacy of day-to-day sales with forward-planning for larger accounts. With an active catalogue of close to half a million unique stock keeping units (SKUs), branch locations are keeping a close eye on region-specific demand for OEM and end-user products.

with suppliers and accurate forecasting

Mark Dixon, Executive General Manager of Supply Chain Logistics, posits that the network’s ability to supplement between locations with extreme efficiency has also assisted in avoiding catastrophic flow-on from both local and global disruptions.

over a certain period of time.”

“We have been able to use our global buying power to navigate complications such as lockdowns in various countries, increased volume demand, congested ports and shipping routes et cetera. It certainly makes it easier if our customers have confidence in their ordering, so we can consolidate shipments and minimise the logistical obstacles.”

with regards to purchasing intentions,

“It helps having a strong relationship

and manufacturing industries.

so we can sit down with a supplier, draw up a six or twelve month plan, and then action it so they can plan and allocate stock with confidence that it will sell.

That way we can avoid the stockpiling that clogs up warehouses, but have a firm grasp on how that stock will move

Motion Australia invites all customers to engage closely with their local branch to improve visibility on future ordering requirements. Maintaining an open channel of communication view of the market trends, and plans to change or upgrade equipment can help to mitigate uncertainty on both sides of the relationship. The network’s sales representatives are well equipped to harness that feedback and work alongside the logistics team to ensure a successful season for the agriculture

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23

HYDRAULIC HOSE

Motion Australia supports food and beverage industry with hydraulic hose workshops

T

o keep production lines moving, hydraulic hose applications play an important role in the food and beverage processing industry where equipment is subject to extreme temperatures, cleaning chemicals and corrosive environments, according to Motion Australia’s Aaron Bryer.

“Australian food and beverage regulators require producers to adhere to stringent sanitation and aseptic standards for products that are made for human consumption. As a result, hydraulic hose is a practical solution for high powered washdown applications used in sterilising machine components to mitigate the risk of contamination,’ says Aaron.

“Like most fluid transfer systems, hydraulic hose assemblies come in a variety of material constructions, shapes, and sizes and require complex engineering expertise to fit and install properly,” he explains.

“Improper assembly can lead to corrosive build-up, cracking, leaking and bacterial growth in the hose.

Which is why procurement managers should ensure that their hose assembly components are designed, tested, and validated to meet the specific requirements of their equipment and in line with industry standards.”

As Category Manager for Hydraulic Hose and Fittings at Motion Australia, Aaron has more than 15 years of experience with leading Flow Technology projects, a background in mechanical engineering, and a rich understanding of the manufacturing and operations requirements in high-growth markets such as the food and beverage sectors.

In recent years, Aaron has been working with Gates® – one of Motion Australia’s strategic supply partners and a notable OEM supplier– to introduce their range of hydraulic hose fittings to Motion Australia’s customer network.

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Gates® Hydraulic Hose Solutions • High pressure hydraulic tubing • Hydraulic tubing • Hydraulic hose assemblies • Hose-tube combinations • Adaptors and flanges • Hydraulic tube manifolds • Assembly kits and bundles

Along with a new standard range of hydraulic hose products including the Gates® MegaSys™ MXT™ and MegaSys™ MXG™ 4K and 5K Hydraulic Hose products, Motion Australia has started offering Gates® Hydraulic Hose Assembly Kits as a total package solution for fluid power applications.

“Motion Australia carries a wide range of hydraulic hose assembly kits to suit all applications, but we are currently hosting Hose Assembly Workshops that utilise the Gates® MXT™ range Hydraulic Hose Assembly Kits in 1 and 2 wire braided applications,” says Aaron.

“The Gates® Hydraulic hose MXT™ range is the perfect accompanying product to suit our customer workshops as it reduces weight and routing difficulties.

The MXT™ range is 30 percent lighter than traditional hydraulic hose.”

Brand new to the Australian market, the Gates® Hydraulic Hose Assembly Kits combine quality, design, and innovative hose technology to achieve a lightweight and more flexible hydraulic hose for the most demanding industrial environments.

The assemblies are designed to work as a complete system and meet or exceed Australian food safety standards.

Additionally, the Gates® MXT™ range of hydraulic hose products are challenging traditional products for similar applications with an innovative new hose construction that consists of a reinforced wire pack that is highly flexible and lighter – in some cases amounting to double the service life.

For food and beverage producers, any downtime on equipment comes at the cost of production. But according to Aaron, Gates® Hydraulic Hose solutions are a minimal investment that has huge savings benefits.

“Our Hose Assembly Workshops have seen a reduction in customer downtime and maintenance by ensuring customers have the ability to maximise these cost savings benefits,” he explains. “One way we are doing this is by training staff on site in hydraulic hose assembly procedures.

“Additionally, Motion Australia has been working with customers to catalogue their equipment assets and effectively ‘kit up’ on specific Gates® Hydraulic hose components, fittings, and accessories.

This ensures that our customers have the correct replacement hoses readily available for a scheduled maintenance or urgent replacements” For plant operators, providing staff with hydraulic hose training will save them major complications with production scheduling, spoiled products, and maintenance costs. Concludes Aaron: “If we can help alleviate downtime for customers in the food and beverage industry then our job is done.”

HYDRAULIC HOSE

Leveraging Australian food

F

production with hydraulic hose solutions

rom farming and forestry to fisheries, abattoirs, and processing plants, the Australian agriculture sector is an integral part of the global food industry. Agriculture accounts for approximately 55% of the country’s land use and Australian farming and forestry grossed around $75 billion in value in 2021, according to the Department of Agriculture, Water, and the Environment.1 However, the value of agriculture products largely depends on the quality of the conditions it is cultivated in which includes local water supply, aggressive seasonal and climate demands, and the overall reliability of farming equipment.

Enter Aaron Bryer – Category Manager for Hydraulic Hose and Fittings at Motion Australia.

Aaron specialises in facilitating fluid transfer solutions and managing flow technology projects across the industrial sector in Australia, in particular supporting customers with a range of hydraulic hose tubing, fittings, and accessories.

“One of the most important pieces of equipment in an agriculture setting is the hydraulic hose because it powers the hydraulic systems that transfer water for planting, growing, and irrigation,” says Aaron.

“Just as food is the lifeblood of human society, water is the lifeblood of food production.”

One of Motion Australia’s flagship businesses Hardy Spicer is one of Australia’s market leading suppliers of hydraulic hose and fittings, driveshafts and universal joints, catering specifically to agricultural customers who require OEM approved parts and components for their hose assemblies.

Among their portfolio of OEM approved hydraulic hose products is the Sabre Flex hydraulic hose and accessories and the Sabre AG hose attachments which provide the perfect

synergy to support customers in the agriculture sector, according to Aaron.

“Sabre AG is a range of attachments designed to suit OEM machinery and equipment such as harvesters and grain handling equipment that we supply to agricultural and food production customers,” explains Aaron.

“Often when a customer sources a Sabre AG attachment there is a corresponding hydraulic fluid transfer requirement which can be achieved using hydraulic hose and connectors. This is where our range of Sabre Flex hydraulic hose, clamps and quick release couplings can offer customers a closed loop solution.”

With the characteristic engineering ingenue the market has come to expect, Hardy Spicer and Motion Australia’s group of businesses are an exclusive supplier of the OEM designed and Italian made Sabre Flex and Sabre AG hydraulic hose and fittings to the Australian market.

“The risks with hose assemblies are associated with rigid or inflexible components that are subject to wear abrasion and corrosive build

Sabre Flex Hydraulic Hose Feature and Benefits: • Compact 2 wire (R16) Hose •H ardy Spicer matched and validated fittings •V alidated to SAE international Standard •D esigned and tested to EN specifications.

•F ully tested to 200,000 impulse cycles. esigned for OEM applications.

•D •M SHA Approved anti-abrasive cover.

•S uitable for mineral and biological oils.

•O perating temperature -40 to 100 degree.

up. Additionally, the weight of a hose assembly can create problems with mobility and maintenance,” says Aaron.

“Conversely, a good hose assembly should be robust to damage while at the same time being lightweight and flexible– This is the engineering challenge that hose manufacturers face when developing hydraulic system designs.”

The Sabre range, he notes, is an interchangeable system that aligns with OEM standard, and it is well suited to the Australian agriculture market because the quality of construction can withstand the harsh conditions of our country’s climate conditions which can be punishing on equipment that is exposed to high-heat, dusty and corrosive environments.

“The Sabre Flex R16 hose is a two-wire braided, compact hose that offers the extra flexibility and ease that the agricultural market requires. For example, it can support an attachment connection to a tractor and extra abrasive protection can be added in high-risk areas with a Sabre abrasive and anti-conductive sleeve. The assembly can then be finished by connecting Sabre ISO A or B quick release couplings.”

Aaron’s engineering expertise is well represented across Motion Australia’s businesses offering customers complete hydraulic hose system consultation, design, and fitting on-site.

For more information on the Sabre Flex hydraulic hose range and accessories, the Sabre AG attachments, and other Motion Australia’s other hydraulic hose solutions, visit a local branch and speak to one of our technical representatives today.

References: 1. A ustralian Government. Department of Agriculture, Water, and the Environment.

Snapshot of Australian Agriculture 2022 https://www.awe.gov.au/abares/products/ insights/snapshot-of-australian-agriculture2022#agricultural-production-is-growing PADDOCK TO PLATE | EDITION 14

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PARTS WASHING

High steaks,

smart solutions

A

nyone who has tried scrubbing thick grease off metal knows just how stubborn it can be.

Soap and hot water will only go so far, often leaving a residual sheen that just won’t budge. For parts cleaning in meat production, this has typically been combated using extremely harsh chemical solvents in order to keep processing machinery up to stringent health and safety standards.

These cleaning products are often harmful to human skin, requiring heavy duty personal protection equipment (PPE) to use certified toxic waste removal.

To combat this, CRC has developed a turnkey parts washing system that utilises a process of bioremediation to break down oil, grease and carbon-based contaminants using live microbes.

“The SmartWasher® is ideal for use in an abattoir setting, due to its food safety certifications and exceptional cleaning performance for fats and greases,” explains Melanie Mangos, Head of Industrial Sales at CRC. “What’s more, a lot of the heavy-duty parts washing systems on the market use harsh solvents, which can be harmful for the environment and the user.”

Bioremediation technology was first used in large scale oil spill applications (e.g., Exon Valdez & Deep Water Horizon), to clean up vast amounts of oil and contaminants organically. With the innovative SmartWasher® parts washing system, CRC has scaled this technology to suit industrial and food manufacturing sites through its market leading parts washing system.

“We have had huge success in the paddock to plate market, working with Motion Australia representatives to do joint calls or site visits to customers,” says Melanie. “We have done amazing work together in some of the largest food manufacturing plants around the country – from bakeries and wineries

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OzzyJuice® Cleaning Fluid Designed specifically for the SmartWasher® system, OzzyJuice® offers a high-performance waterbased degreasing solution that is safer for the user. It is a nonhazardous, non-flammable, pH Neutral, , NSF certified, water-based degreasing solution that doesn’t harm the user or the environment.

OzzyJuice® is suitable for use on fats, sugars, grease, burned on carbon, oil, , fifth wheel grease, automotive grease, resin products, bearing grease, solder and flux, motor oil and many more contaminants and applications. right through to abattoirs and chicken processing. Each one has come back with positive feedback, and the conversion rate on product trial is incredibly high.”

So how does it work, exactly?

Within the mobile system, the filter, microbes and fluid work in tandem to ‘eat’ away at oil and grease, leaving parts sparkling. The OzzyJuice® Cleaning Fluid lifts fats, greases, oils and other organic matter from the parts, emulsifying them and passing through the OzzyMat® Filter. In the fluid tank, fresh microbes eat the contaminants, expelling them as water and carbon dioxide through the process of bioremediation.

“Not only are you saving on water usage,” Melanie enthuses, “the key benefit is that it reduces the need for hazardous waste haulage and promotes a sustainable workplace. The fact that users no longer need to organise and pay to haul away chemical waste - that is a massive cost saving, especially for larger or multi-site operations.”

“We are also really passionate about the potential scalability of this system,” she continues. “It’s an end-to-end solution that could be fit for a small manufacturing plant, through to a multi-site operation. There are different sizes to suit the individual needs of the application, and we liaise with the Motion Australia sales team to determine the best starter kit for new customers.”

COUPLINGS

Choosing the right Quick-flex® insert •S elect the Standard Red Insert for reversing applications or quick starting and stopping of high inertial loads.

•O pt for the High Torque Blue Insert for moderate to high torque applications such as gear, grid or chain style couplings.

•C hoose the High Temperature White Insert for operating conditions up to 177°C. •U se the Highest Torque Black Insert for applications with very high torque.

A decade on,

T

and still going strong

he ambient environment surrounding a jetty conveyor is abundant in harsh aggregators that can place long-term strain on industrial components. Not only must they content with airborne pollutants such as dust and other course particle matter, but the ocean salt promotes rust and the build-up of grime at an accelerated rate.

In 2005, a key customer in the grain industry approached BSC to replace an old, generic pin/rubber coupling on their conveyor apparatus, which had failed during a ship loading. The timing of the breakdown resulted in extensive downtime cost and product loss, which motivated the customer to seek a new solution with greater reliability in the challenging conditions.

“When dealing with product such as grain, you can’t afford to delay shipment, or put a pause on operation for that long,” says Russell Randal, National Account Manager for Agriculture at Motion Australia. “At that time, the customer came to us with a sense of urgency. They wanted an immediate solution, but one that would serve them best in the long run.”

According to Russell, the original

specification was to install a new coupling unit that could be quickly and easily changed out to avoid downtime in the future. BSC recommended the Timken QF1000 and QF500 Quickflex® Couplings, which were installed between the motor, gearbox and conveyor drum situated on the incline and decline jetty conveyors.

Fast forward ten years to 2015, when the BSC team conducted a routine site visit, only to realise that these couplings had never been changed, yet were still successfully running at full capacity.

“It was just astounding,” Russell says.

“The original urethane inserts were still in perfect condition. There was minor rust on the coupling body exterior, but that is to be expected after such long-term exposure to salt air.”

“A decade of use without any costs of replacement or servicing demonstrates just how premium the Timken product is,” he furthers. “We say that they’re durable enough to face the harshest operating conditions, and this result is a testament to that promise.”

Available in standard, single-ended spacer, double-ended spacer, or spined hub designs, the Timken Quickflex® is

capable of withstanding high speeds and torque rating for motor, gearbox, pump or shaft applications. The no metal-to-metal contact design requires no lubrication, saving drastically on consumables spending over time.

FRED THE FARMER RECOMMENDS THE TIMKEN QUICKFLEX® COUPLING FOR: Efficiency This product’s design versatility means they can replace most coupling configurations. The only required spare part is the elastomeric insert, which can be swapped out easily without removing the hubs.

Durability No metal-to-metal contact and urethane means less repair cost for the hubs and other joining parts.

Stainless steel varieties are available for harsh washdowns, or where chemical cleaning is required.

Streamlined inventory Because of their adaptability, these couplings can be standardised across a site, mitigating the need for excess stock.

Innovative design Able to withstand up to two degrees of misalignment, the Timken Quickflex® dampens vibration and withstands repeated high shock load to the equipment

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CHAIN

Which came first –

T

the chicken or the chain?

he poultry processing industry in Australia is heavily regulated with a closed group of six Australian companies primarily responsible for the production of approximately 90% of the chicken meat products.

Unlike the more complex supply chain structures of other agricultural segments, the poultry industry is typically vertically integrated– meaning that each individual company will commonly oversee every aspect of the chicken production, from the breeding farms and hatcheries to the feed mills and processing plants, according to Leon Stefanec, National Business Development Manager for Food & Beverage at Motion Australia.

“Poultry producers take much care to examine all of their production operations to identify potential hazards and implement control measures in accordance with food safety standards and requirements of their state and territory,” says Leon.

“Poultry processing operations need to adhere to the food safety requirements for production and processing of poultry meat that will be sold in grocery stores and fit for human consumption,” he explains. “Additionally, their equipment must be kept up to date to avoid any unnecessary downtime that could increase the risk of contamination and pathogens like salmonella.”

As a result, poultry processing facilities are generally located within 200km of where the chickens are reared and based out of some of the more lush and temperate farming areas in South Queensland, New South Wales, Victoria, and South Australia where the climate conditions are ideal, and water and power supplies are ample.

“In large scale poultry processing plants, there is a great degree of automation in place which includes conveyor systems for transporting the chicken from transport docks to different areas in the processing plant,” explains Leon.

“The birds arrive in small plastic cages

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that are contained within larger fixed steel framed housing, they are transferred from the truck to an infeed conveyor where they are carried to their next destination for unloading.”

The industry standard for this conveyor chain has traditionally been a white acetal case carrying chain known as CC600 chain, according to Leon.

“Case conveyor chains have long been a reliable and robust method of transporting heavy crates anywhere where simple cases and crates need to be transported effectively with minimal down time and maintenance,” he says.

“However, the steel framed housings can cause the conveyor chain to wear as it experiences friction during the transfer and many poultry producers were finding that they needed to replace the CC600 chain every three months,” highlights Leon.

“When you consider that every plant needed to replace between 500 to 1000 feet of conveyor chain each time, the costs were becoming significant for producers.”

As this continued to be an ongoing problem for plant operators within the poultry processing industry, customers began reaching out to Motion Australia for chain solutions that could last longer and had greater wear resistance.

At this stage, Motion Australia’s Strategic Supply Partner (SSP), Regal Rexnord introduced their Low-Friction 600 and 600TAB range as an alternative to the traditional CC600 cased chain.

Manufactured in the Netherlands, the products gained popularity overseas before being made available in Australia at Motion Australia’s network of branch locations.

Matt Crehan, National Product Manager for Regal Rexnord explains how the LF600 and LF600TAB chains are constructed from the patented Rexnord LF Low Friction acetal which equates to reduced wear between the chain

and wear strips and longer chain life– ensuring low friction conveying.

“The Rexnord LF600 and LF600TAB series are made from Polyacetal with an inherent strength that easily surpasses other chain materials such as polypropylene (PP) or polyester (PBT),” he says.

“The LF600 chain also has a very tight radius due to the unique pin design which allows it to travel around bends without difficulty with a positive hold down force in each radius that prevents the chain from lifting. This makes the LF600 and LF600TAB superior in terms of strength carrying higher loads on higher speed applications.”

“The improved pin fastening system makes handling heavy loads over a small footprint easily achievable, while at the same time it makes replacing sections of the chain and dismantling it for washdowns incredibly simple for maintenance workers,” he furthers.

The result on poultry processing conveyors is lower resistance between the chain and the products and less tension at the head shaft for easier chain pull due to a tighter radial clearance.

“The reduced friction between the chain and the wear strip also assists with chain pull so the tension at the headshaft is alleviated,” explains Matt. “The lower coefficient of friction in a conveyor run also means there is less chance of chain jam ups or issues with obstructions.”

Motion Australia maintains high levels of stock of the Regal Rexnord LF600 and LF600TAB chains around the country to accommodate plant operations with the poultry processing segment– as well as dairy, beverage, and other food processing facilities.

For more information on the Regal Rexnord LF600 and LF600TAB conveyor chain, visit your local Motion Australia branch and speak to a technical representative today.

BEARINGS

Fresh produce business

F

gets a whole new bearing on production

requent equipment washdowns in food production are essential to achieving high standards of sterility. However, it is widely known that greased bearings and high-pressure washdowns have a problematic relationship – the constant cleaning washes away bearing lubrication and chemicals can be tough on the bearings themselves, causing early wear.

This was the case with an Australian fresh food producer who was experiencing premature bearing failure with conventional bearings. When a Motion Australia branch suggested they trial NSK Molded-Oil™ bearings to counteract the washout of lubricant, the problem was swiftly resolved – within a year they had already saved thousands of dollars.

“The stainless-steel UC bearings that they were using on one of their critical pieces of equipment – the Trim Line 2 Slicer outfeed belt – had a service life of three to four months,” explains Daniel Iselin, Technical Representative for Motion Australia, Wacol branch. “This was due to the bearings operating in a wet and abrasive environment.”

The Motion Australia team recommended NSK Molded-Oil™ UC206 bearings.

These were installed and successfully lasted over a year without requiring replacement.

“In fact, the only reason the bearings were changed was due to an upgrade of a new conveyor belt which gave the maintenance team the opportunity to

replace the bearings and inspect them for signs of wear,” says Daniel. “There were no signs of wear in the bearings, but they were changed regardless as the opportunity presented itself.”

explains Daniel. “The cleaning process is very thorough and includes several washdowns during the day as well as a three-stage chemical wash down routine each night.”

Daniel contends the NSK Molded-Oil™ bearings would ordinarily last at least two years. Nonetheless, calculations at the site showed a cost savings of $3,100 from the 12-month period.

Why did the Motion Australia team recommend the NSK Molded-Oil™ bearings for a trial?

“A signed off cost saving was produced

by Motion Australia and the customer acknowledged the vast increase in uptime, reduction in maintenance days and reduced cost of replacement bearings,” he adds. “Such was the success that the news spread fast and now NSK Molded-Oil™ bearings are used by this customer’s four production facilities around Australia in many different applications.”

According to Daniel, the customer is a family-owned produce company that expanded from being a grower to that of a national supplier of packaged vegetables and salads. They have four large processing plants located in Brisbane, Sydney, Perth and country Victoria and source fresh products from their own farm and growers in surrounding areas.

“As each of their sites are food production facilities, each site is subject to constant temperatures of three degrees and a rigorous daily cleaning regime,”

“The NSK Molded-Oil™ bearings have a demonstrated history of performance in environments subject to a lot of water,” says Daniel. “These bearings are impregnated with oil and are designed with seals that prevent water from getting inside. We knew that the trial would prove them effective in this particular application.”

The NSK Molded-Oil™ comprises lubricating oil and polyolefin resin that has an affinity for oil. The environmentally friendly oil slowly releases from the material, providing ample lubrication to the bearing for extended periods. This eliminates the significant issues that washdowns can create, leading to longer production times between maintenance procedures and fewer bearing failures.

As a national supplier of industrial solutions with a long history in providing quality bearings, Motion Australia has shared a strong partnership with NSK that goes back over 50 years. The two companies often collaborate to deliver optimal solutions with customers, that can include site audits and training.

Leon Stefanec, National Business Development Manager for Food & Beverage, says this partnership translates to customer benefits.

“The Motion Australia sales and technical representatives all have very good fundamental and practical knowledge of bearings and power transmission systems for food and beverage applications. Combining this expertise with the support we get from a global brand like NSK helps us respond to our customers’ needs efficiently,” he concludes.

PADDOCK TO PLATE | EDITION 14

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PRODUCT SHOWCASE

Keeping industry in Motion Industry leading products from our Strategic Suppliers GATES® POLY CHAIN® GT® CARBON™ BELT

SCHAEFFLER OPTIME Schaeffler OPTIME is an easily scalable Condition Monitoring solution, developed for various purposes in industry, recommended for a range of rotating machines with a speed of 120 rpm*-5000 rpm.

The unique design consists of a tough polyurethane exterior, a tailored curvilinear tooth profile, and reinforced in the middle with carbon fibre tensile cords for more carrying capacity and resistance to fatigue. In addition to the belt’s robust design and ease of maintenance, the Poly Chain® GT® Carbon™ can also conveniently be coupled with some stainless-steel sprocket and bushings for a genuinely all-in-one high performance drive solution.

TIMKEN DIAMOND® CHAIN SERIES

ALEMLUBE iCAN 5L CONTAINER STORAGE LID KIT

The Timken Diamond® Chain Series is global leader in power transmission, carrying a fullspectrum solution package to agricultural equipment manufacturers. Diamond® Chain Series is offered in a variety of metal plate and anti-corrosion designs, perfect for agricultural applications during harsh harvesting environments.

The iCan® Container Storage Lid Kits come in 5L and 10L capacities, and feature colourcoded storage lids constructed from HDPE. These kits store fluid safely, preventing cross contamination due to their quick and safe fill ports and iPouch labelling system.

They are suitable for use with a variety of lubricants and fluids, and include a desiccant port for added optimal protection.

NSK MOLDED-OIL™ BEARINGS The NSK Molded-Oil™ bearings are available in standard bearing grade steel and stainlesssteel options. They offer high performance in water- and dust-contaminated environments, with unique features including being lubricated with NSK’s own oil-impregnated material, Molded-Oil™.

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PADDOCK TO PLATE | EDITION 14

CRC SMARTWASHER® The CRC SmartWasher® systems employ a natural process called bioremediation to degrade and remove contaminants from the cleaning fluid, allowing re-use of the cleaning fluid. The CRC SmartWasher® is part of the CRC Greenlight program, which offers a diverse range of environmental cleaning products that are smart, safe, and effective.

LOCTITE® 55 THREAD SEALING CORD

ROCOL® FOODLUBE HITORQUE

LOCTITE® 55 is designed for sealing of metal and plastic pipes and fittings. It needs no cure time and results in an immediate, full pressure seal. The ideal choice for a quick, easy and reliable seal. The product has approval for gas and potable water and is certified to NSF/ ANSI, Standard 61.

Thread Sealing Cord immediate full pressure sealing. Allows reliable re-adjustments.

ROCOL®’s Foodlube Hi-Toque is a range of high-end lubricants of high performing synthetic gear oils and aerosol sprays that not only check every box for certifications but in some cases improve performance in production.

NSK HI-TOUGH (HTF) SRB BEARINGS

FANMASTER HOODED ROOF FAN

This extremely popular bearings are made to content with hot, high-speed and heavy load conditions, offering seven times the service life of generic counterpart products. They can also withstand long periods of lubricant contamination and provide a 20 per cent improvement on seizure resistance. Offering less than half the rate of wear then generic bearing options, the Hi-TF has been designed following comprehensive research and development.

The Fanmaster IHR6-11-6-3 Hooded roof fan extract heat, smoke, dust or fumes from all types of buildings including factories & warehouses. Used in conjunction with coolers the hooded roof fan helps in the lowering of temperatures during the hotter months also.

The base and body is constructed from high quality steel and the cap from aluminium offering a weatherproof design.

REXNORD LF600 CHAIN

TECO TE3 LOW VOLTAGE 3

SHELL RIMULA R4 L

The Rexnord Low Friction LF600 chains use Rexnord’s proven LF® Low Friction acetal, ensuring low friction running combined with the extra strength of acetal. The LF600 has a very tight radius due to the unique pin design which allows it to travel around bends without difficulty with a positive hold down force in each radius that prevents the chain from lifting.

The TECO Te3 Low Voltage 3 Phase Induction Motor offers high quality, Totally Enclosed Fan Cooled (TEFC), Squirrel Cage Induction motors, designed, manufactured and tested to the latest International and Australian Standards.

Designed for operation at an altitude up to 1000 metres above sea level (please refer to TECO sales offices for higher altitudes).

The Shell Rimula R4 L heavy duty engine oil uses the most advanced 15W-40 oil technology to create exceptional resistance to corrosion, wear and oxidation while producing lower vehicle emissions.

The Shell Rimula R4 X is designed to provide triple protection for tractor engines, covering three key areas: acid and corrosion control, wear control and deposit control.

GULF WESTERN OIL TOP DOG HDZ-50 20W-50 PREMIUM MINERAL DIESEL ENGINE OIL

3M SCOTCH-BRITE™ DURABLE FLEX HAND PAD

MACKAY TWO-PIECE VIBRATION ISOLATORS

Scotch-Brite™ Durable Flex Hand Pads are the go-to solution for cleaning, scuffing, deburring and finishing in their shops. Through the decades, Scotch-Brite™ has continually improved the performance and durability of its industry-leading hand pad products, earning their place in metalworking shops around the world. For fast, consistent surface conditioning, keep Scotch-Brite™ Hand Pads within reach.

These isolators find usage in a wide range of applications including pumps, compressors, generators, engines, radiators and electronic equipment. The design of the centre fixing two-piece vibration isolators gives the perfect elastomer element resistant to oils as well as the ability to reduce noise in all directions by absorbing vibrations.

NTN STAINLESS STEEL 6000 SERIES DEEP GROOVE BALL BEARINGS Depp groove ball bearings are one of the most widely used bearings in all general industries. A deep groove is formed on the inner and outer ring of the bearing enabling the bearing to sustain radial and axial loads in either direction as well as the complex loads which result from the combination of these forces. Deep groove ball bearings are sustainable for high-speed applications perfect for food manufacturing machinery with extreme temperature changes.

TOP DOG HDZ-50 20W-50 is a premium mineral diesel engine oil using high performing API and OEM approved additive technology suitable for American, European and Japanese diesel engines. High viscosity formulation offers higher levels of wear protection and reduced oil consumption.

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