Food Manufacturing

A single, endless ribbon of steel will solve problems by itself

Any belt or chain drive can transmit motion or power, but it takes a solid metal belt to serve as a conveyor of material, sorter of parts and synchronizer while operating efficiently in harsh environments, temperature extremes and in environments both caustic or corrosive.

25th March 2011

Plastic ball bearings suitable for extreme environments

Xiros plastic ball bearings from igus are designed for applications where the use of grease or lubricants is prohibited. The food and drinks industry, in particular, bans the use of such substances altogether. The design of igus xiros ball bearings is the same as conventional steel bearings, consisting of an inner and outer race, a cage and a number of balls; the only difference being that the races and cage are made from igus tribological polymer materials. These plastic materials are self-lubricating and thus negate the need for lubricants.

3rd March 2011

Plastic contaminants easily detected with standard tools

Igus has added detectable plastic variants to its Igubal bearings range to meet the needs of the food and drinks industry, where modern production lines can be quite complex and are increasingly automated. At each stage of the line sophisticated metal detectors and X-ray machines are installed to identify and reject all conductive metallic particle contaminants originating in the production environment or transport system.

1st March 2011

Reduced energy consumption on bottling line

While retrofitting a transportation system, Vienna-based Coca-Cola Hellenic Austria used the MOVIGEAR mechatronic drive system from SEW-EURODRIVE, reducing energy consumption by 75%, equivalent to an annual reduction of 41 tons of CO2, with payback is less than one year.

1st March 2011

VisiSight photoelectric sensors are compact and versatile

Rockwell Automation's compact Allen-Bradley VisiSight photoelectric sensors is designed for material handling, packaging and assembly applications. In addition, this new range also addresses the needs of the life sciences, pharmaceutical, food and beverage, and home, health and beauty industries. VisiSight sensors also offer a wide range of sensing modes and innovative features that make it useful for general-purpose applications.

5th February 2011

High-performance desiccant air dryers are energy-efficient

Atlas Copco is launching three new ranges of energy-efficient desiccant air dryer that are designed to ensure a reliable source of high-quality, dry compressed air to meet the needs of demanding applications. The new dryer ranges are particularly suitable for industries such as electronics, food and beverage, pharmaceuticals, and oil and gas processing, where using the highest quality compressed air is vital. The three ranges use desiccants to adsorb moisture from the compressed air, thereby protecting production process equipment and helping to maintain the end product quality.

29th January 2011

DualVee Swaged Integral Studded Wheels for hostile environments

HepcoMotion is introducing DualVee Swaged Integral Studded Wheels in concentric and eccentric designs. These are the latest additions to the company's DualVee Motion Technology (DMT), which is typically used in anti-friction guidance systems - such as pick-and-place units and packaging machinery - not requiring the ultra-high precision offered by the HepcoMotion GV3 System.

28th January 2011

LNG tanks rely on ABB instrumentation

Temperature and pressure sensors from ABB's UK Measurement Products business are helping to maintain safety at the world's largest above ground liquid natural gas (LNG) tanks at National Grid's Isle of Grain terminal. The four tanks, each holding 200,000m3 of LNG, are 50 metres high, larger than the Albert Hall. They form Phase 2 and 3 of an expansion plan that will eventually see the site capable of supplying 20% of the UK's gas demand.

28th January 2011

Enamel coated pH sensors offer advantages over glass technology

Improved pH monitoring holds the key to increased quality, reduced cost and higher yield in high-end hygienic processing.

28th January 2011

Country park powered by Archimedes screw

Inverters from Control Techniques are behind the first UK hydrodynamic screw generator, sited in Dartmoor National Park.

28th January 2011