Machinery Innovations Demonstrations at PPMA show

A new Machinery Innovations Demonstrations timetable will be a key highlight of the PPMA Show 2009, the UK's annual showcase for processing and packaging machinery, which takes place from 29 September to 1 October 2009.

Are the politicians simply shedding crocodile tears...

Last night I watched a programme on TV which promised to take me inside the crocodile. I rather foolishly assumed this meant inside the life of the crocodile, with new insights into its habits and lifecycle. In the event, the programme literally went inside the crocodile, courtesy of a rather gory dissection, which I have to say didn't sit too well with my ratatouille.

KUKA Automation + Robotics has appointed Jeff Nowill to head up its sales operation in the UK.

UniOP HMIs at heart of pioneering inland fish farm

Aquaculture specialist International Aqua Tech turned to long-time electrical engineering supplier Scattergood & Johnson when it was called in to construct an £11million fish farm in Wales. The facility, part-funded by the European Commission and Welsh government agencies, provides an on-growing facility for sea bass, an increasingly popular species in UK restaurants but currently imported from the Mediterranean.

The drive for sweet success at Fox's

Britain's demand for one of its favourite biscuits seemingly knows no bounds to the extent that the production line for Rocky bars has recently been upgraded at Fox's Biscuits' Kirkham plant in Lancashire. And, at the heart of the project, once again, are Fox's own favourites, precision variable speed drives from Control Techniques.

Size is not an issue

Air Control Industries (ACI) can offer bottle and can drying systems to suit all sizes of filling operations and to meet specific requirements. That includes specially engineered solutions for large international companies down to low-cost ones appropriate for the purpose and budget of micro-breweries.

Parker Hannifin acquires Aqua Pro

Parker Hannifin is acquiring Aqua Pro, the manufacturer of reverse osmosis (RO) filtration systems for marine applications. The acquisition will enhance Parker's already diverse range of products and services for the marine sector, while allowing customers of Aqua Pro to benefit from Parker's engineering expertise and global support network.

Siemens is exhibiting its range of products for producers and mechanical equipment manufacturers in the food and beverage industry at the Anuga FoodTec in Cologne, Germany, 10-13 March 2009. The focus is on products for high system productivity and energy efficiency.

According to recent statistics from IMS Research, the worldwide market for low-voltage AC and DC motor drives experienced unprecedented revenue growth in 2007, increasing by 19.7 per cent over 2006 levels. Data reported by drives suppliers indicate that all regions and industry segments exhibited strong growth during the year.