Food Engineering articles from June 2006

Food Engineering archives from June 2006

Relying on innovation to meet production challenges.(economic standards of food and beverage manufacturing industry)(ProcessTechnologyXchange)(Editorial)
June 1, 2006... NOW is the time of year when Food Engineering begins to evaluate what our readers will want to read in the next 8 to 16 months. In fact, our publishing company was founded on this principle: helping people succeed in business with superior...

Calendar.(Calendar)
June 1, 2006... JUNE 2006 24-28 IFT Annual Meeting & Food Expo, Orlando, FL; Institute of Food Technologists; 312-782-8424; www.ift.org. 27-30 EXPO PACK Mexico, Mexico City, Mexico; www.expopack.com. JULY 2006 9-12 ASAE Annual International...

Bush Brothers & Co.(investments of Bush Brothers & Co)(Brief article)
June 1, 2006... Bush Brothers & Co. is investing $38 million to expand its Chestnut Hill, TN, operation. The processing capacity of the current 200,000-sq.-ft. facility will be doubled and include a building addition of 40,000 sq. ft. for a new sterilizing...

Nestle Prepared Foods.(investments of Nestle Prepared Foods )(Brief article)
June 1, 2006... Nestle Prepared Foods plans to invest $19.7 million in new production equipment at its Jonesboro, AR, manufacturing facility. When completed at the end of this year, the company will manufacture Hot Pockets, Stouffer's and Lean Cuisine lines in...

Amy's Kitchen.(Amy's Kitchen Inc building a new plant )(Brief article)
June 1, 2006... Organic food processor Amy's Kitchen is building a new plant between Medford and White City, OR. The company is spending over $40 million to build a 165,000-sq.-ft. facility that will employ 250 when it opens in September 2006. The plant will...

Aseptic bags tap into foodservice.(polypropylene bags )
June 1, 2006... Restaurateur-turned-processor Charles Dale believes shelf-stable foodservice products are poised to replace frozen and refrigerated ingredients, and his new Stock-in-a-Box soup stocks will ride that wave into the nation's restaurants. Dale...

Food label war continues.(strict food product labeling requirements )(Brief article)
June 1, 2006... California and several other states that have mandated strict food product labeling requirements are taking their fight against federal uniform standards to the US Senate. The House of Representatives approved legislation in March to set one...

Heinz.(vice president for Heinz Asia)(Brief article)
June 1, 2006... Christopher Warmoth, senior vice president for Heinz Asia, and Michael Milone, senior vice president Pacific and Rest of World, will both assume the position of executive vice president, president and CEO for Heinz's operations in Asia Pacific...

Hormel Foods Corp. acquired Valley Fresh Inc. of Turlock, CA, for $78 million.(INDUSTRY & PEOPLE)
June 1, 2006... Hormel Foods Corp. acquired Valley Fresh Inc. of Turlock, CA, for $78 million. A producer of canned, ready-to-eat chicken, Valley Fresh's annual sales are approximately $68 million.

Ruiz Foods.(INDUSTRY & PEOPLE)
June 1, 2006... Ruiz Foods appointed F. Bryce Ruiz to president and chief operating officer.

ConAgra Foods completed the sale of its Cook's Ham division to Smithfield Foods.(sale of its seafood business)(Brief article)
June 1, 2006... ConAgra Foods completed the sale of its Cook's Ham division to Smithfield Foods. This sale follows ConAgra's announcement that it recently finalized the sale of its seafood business. The company says it received more than $440 million in cash...

PepsiCo.(named to the board of directors)(Brief article)
June 1, 2006... Michael D. White was promoted to vice chairman of the corporation and named to the board of directors at PepsiCo. White, who has been chairman and CEO of the PepsiCo International division since 2003. will lead all operations outside of North...

Are minerals the new plastic? Calcium carbonate with a polyolefin binder yields an eco-friendly flexible pouch that is gaining acceptance from Asia to Europe.(controlled atmosphere packaging system)(Brief article)
June 1, 2006... A controlled atmosphere packaging system (CAPS) ostensibly was the what's-new element in the Ecolean Group booth at Cologne, Germany's Anuga FoodTec show in April, though for many West European liquid food and beverage processors, the company's...

Redesigned cup expands filling options.(FOOD PACKAGING)(Brief article)
June 1, 2006... A shiny shrink sleeve delivers shelf appeal for a new polypropylene soup cup from Huhtamaki Oyj, but the engineering underneath the sleeve is what appeals to European food manufacturers. Huhtamaki's Portadown, UK, division developed the...

Powered roller conveyor.(bag advances to the check scale)(Brief article)
June 1, 2006... Material Transfer's Material Master Powerfill bulk bag filler with check scale and powered roller conveyor is a hazardous location system. The bag-support carriage and fill head lower to a programmed operator height, then rotate for reach-free...

Belt cutters.(TECHNOLOGY SOURCEBOOK: Focus on Conveyors & Belting and Pumps & Valves)
June 1, 2006... FLEXCO's belt cutters provide square cuts for belts with thicknesses up to 1 in. Both the 840 Series belt cutter and the Clipper 845LD belt cutter offer safety design features that protect users and prevent accidents during and after cutting....

Heavy-duty belting.(TECHNOLOGY SOURCEBOOK: Focus on Conveyors & Belting and Pumps & Valves)
June 1, 2006... Featuring a design that boosts belt strength and service life, the Omni-Pro 120 heavy duty conveyor belt offers protective links combined with stainless steel rods to create a spiral and turn-curve belt that can convey up to 400 lbs. The...

Plastic belt supports.(TECHNOLOGY SOURCEBOOK: Focus on Conveyors & Belting and Pumps & Valves)
June 1, 2006... Slideways' support structures and guides for plastic belts, which can be configured into new and existing FDA/USDA-compliant conveyors systems and process equipment, are made from UHMW or HT-UHMW to create a low-friction and high-wear,...

Chain conveyor.(TECHNOLOGY SOURCEBOOK: Focus on Conveyors & Belting and Pumps & Valves)
June 1, 2006... LEWCO's independent drive accumulation chain conveyor is 25 ft. long. Each drive zone is 43 in. long and can contain a parts bin that holds up to 2,000 lbs. of parts. The Multi-Strand chain conveyor is designed in two pieces, one three-zone,...

Continuous-motion conveyor.(TECHNOLOGY SOURCEBOOK: Focus on Conveyors & Belting and Pumps & Valves)
June 1, 2006... Automated Packaging Systems' Maximizer continuous motion conveyor system is designed to optimize speed and productivity of packaging operations. The unit can be integrated with Autobag bagging equipment. Operators can control the speed of the...

Hygienic belting.(TECHNOLOGY SOURCEBOOK: Focus on Conveyors & Belting and Pumps & Valves)
June 1, 2006... ThermoDrive TD26 sprocket-driven, hygienic belting from Mol is designed to run on 2-in. diameter sprockets, enabling tight product transfers. The belting provides a hingeless solution to expensive washdown methods, product waste and product...

Vacuum conveying system.(TECHNOLOGY SOURCEBOOK: Focus on Conveyors & Belting and Pumps & Valves)
June 1, 2006... Vac U-Max's Batch Weigh vacuum conveying system is designed to deliver powders and granules to process vessels with a high level of accuracy. The system allows for greater control of product quality and inventory control of materials, says the...

Valve control module.(TECHNOLOGY SOURCEBOOK: Focus on Conveyors & Belting and Pumps & Valves)
June 1, 2006... Waukesha Cherry-Burrell's two-piece, valve-control module will be included with all the W-Series single- and double seat valves. The two-piece module has an easy screw-on acrylic top, stainless steel base and upgraded features, including a...

Enclosed belt drive.(TECHNOLOGY SOURCEBOOK: Focus on Conveyors & Belting and Pumps & Valves)
June 1, 2006... Interroll says its series of belt drives, ranging from 80 mm to 216 mm, improves efficiency and safety. Designed for material handling applications, the drives are completely enclosed and sealed inside a steel shell, preventing water, dust,...

Conveyor flange adapter.(limit vibration and noise)(Brief article)
June 1, 2006... Boston Gear's 700 Series conveyor flange adapter is designed for increased control and lower maintenance costs on material handling conveyors. The CFA700 is a direct-mount, work-gear speed reducer that replaces the heavy chain drive usually...

Stainless steel conveyor.(TECHNOLOGY SOURCEBOOK: Focus on Conveyors & Belting and Pumps & Valves)
June 1, 2006... The stainless steel conveyor from FKI Logistex is rated for product washdown and wet cleaning. With side frames built in 304 polished stainless steel and all fabricated parts available in stainless steel, the corrosion-resistant construction...

Position sensor.(material handling applications)(Brief article)
June 1, 2006... A line of small, square and rectangular inductive proximity and position sensors for tight-spaced robotics, conveyor and material handling applications range in size from 4 mm square to 20-mm rectangular. They are available in heights from 1/4-...

Belt storage systems.(TECHNOLOGY SOURCEBOOK: Focus on Conveyors & Belting and Pumps & Valves)
June 1, 2006... Belt storage systems from Meyer are intended to provide a complete, controllable process for the supply of product points downstream. The systems can be customized to meet special requirements, including capacities ranging from 500 to 70,000...

Shuttle conveyor.(TECHNOLOGY SOURCEBOOK: Focus on Conveyors & Belting and Pumps & Valves)
June 1, 2006... The Flat-Flex shuttle conveyor from Wire Belt is designed to gap the product and turn its direction of travel through 90 degrees. The unit is suitable for transferring product from a narrow-size belt to a much wider belt and vice versa,...

Industrial vacuum conveyors.(TECHNOLOGY SOURCEBOOK: Focus on Conveyors & Belting and Pumps & Valves)
June 1, 2006... PIAB's C-Series of vacuum conveyors are powered by pneumatically driven vacuum pumps, allowing the units to safely and quietly transport up to 15 tons per hour of powders and granules. They are made of stainless steel AISI 316L. The filter...

Cartridge pump seal.(TECHNOLOGY SOURCEBOOK: Focus on Conveyors & Belting and Pumps & Valves)
June 1, 2006... Flowserve's GCX single-cartridge pump seal is designed to reduce lifecycle costs and provide high reliability for ANSI and DIN pumps. Built with durable metals to withstand corrosion the GCX features an alloy C-276 bellows, 316 stainless steel...

Two-way valve.(TECHNOLOGY SOURCEBOOK: Focus on Conveyors & Belting and Pumps & Valves)
June 1, 2006... Burkert's Type 2000 2/2-way Y-Pattern valve (O.D. tube end/US Tri-Clamp) has achieved 3-A Sanitary Standards certification. The valve serves as an alternative to ball valves and is field proven to at least 5 million cycles, says the company....

Side-flexing chains.(TECHNOLOGY SOURCEBOOK: Focus on Conveyors & Belting and Pumps & Valves)
June 1, 2006... Rexnord says its LPC 1050 and LPC TableTop side-flexing chains stay flat and level in curves. The chains combine short pitch and thick top plates, which the company says resist chipping and breaking, with LPC corner retention technology. The...

Sanitary conveyor frame.
June 1, 2006... The AquaPruf 7400 series sanitary conveyor platform from Dorner can be completely disassembled without tools in three minutes. The design eliminates fasteners from the conveyor and uses smooth Tig welding in the assembly so there are fewer...

Liquid line traps.(TECHNOLOGY SOURCEBOOK: Focus on Conveyors & Belting and Pumps & Valves)
June 1, 2006... Machined from 314 stainless steel, Cesco Magnetics' series of aseptic, magnetic liquid line traps is for 1 1/2-in. to 4-in. aseptic processing lines operating at up to 200 psi and temperatures of 150[degrees]C. The AS Series of MagTraps exceeds...

Size reduction.(TECHNOLOGY SOURCEBOOK: Focus on Conveyors & Belting and Pumps & Valves)
June 1, 2006... Modern Process Equipment's Model 900 frozen food Gran-U-Lizer has rolls that are 8-in. by 50-in. long and food grade washdown construction. Gran-U-Lizers are specially designed for products that are friable (breakable), and frozen foods such as...

Air handling system.(TECHNOLOGY SOURCEBOOK: Focus on Conveyors & Belting and Pumps & Valves)
June 1, 2006... The Criterion Air Series from Concepts and Designs was designed for critical food process air handling environments. Standard double-wall thicknesses are available from 1-1/2 in. to 4 in. Completely sealed interior metal liners prevent exposed...

High-viscosity disperser.(TECHNOLOGY SOURCEBOOK: Focus on Conveyors & Belting and Pumps & Valves)
June 1, 2006... This disperser from Charles Ross and Son is designed to mix and blend high-viscosity, non-flowing materials that are typically too viscous for high-speed dispersers. These models are available with a conventional "bow-tie" as well as a...

Flexible screw conveyors.(TECHNOLOGY SOURCEBOOK: Focus on Conveyors & Belting and Pumps & Valves)
June 1, 2006... Rhinoveyor flexible screw conveyors for abrasive materials are simply designed without bearings, says Spiroflow, the manufacturer. The conveying tube is effectively one long support while the conveyed product acts as the lubricant centralizing...

Priming valves.(TECHNOLOGY SOURCEBOOK: Focus on Conveyors & Belting and Pumps & Valves)
June 1, 2006... Wanner Engineering's C80 Series air-bleed priming valves automatically open to allow F/G-20 through D/G-12 Series Hydra Cell pumps to self-prime by quickly relieving the system of trapped vapors or air rather than compressing the gas and...

Stainless steel valves.(TECHNOLOGY SOURCEBOOK: Focus on Conveyors & Belting and Pumps & Valves)
June 1, 2006... Cipriani Harrison Valve offers seven fully traceable, 3-A-approved hygienic stainless steel products machined from solid stainless forgings. The company says the items provide smooth, non-porous surfaces and long-term performance. Available...

Tank cleaning machine.(TECHNOLOGY SOURCEBOOK: Focus on Conveyors & Belting and Pumps & Valves)
June 1, 2006... Designed for use in ultra-hygienic industries that follow European Engineering and Design Group Guidelines (EHEDG), such as dairy, food and brewery processes, Alfa Laval's tank cleaning machine is suitable for use in fermentation, mixing,...

Fresh-cut application conveyors.(TECHNOLOGY SOURCEBOOK: Focus on Conveyors & Belting and Pumps & Valves)
June 1, 2006... With more than 3,000 different combinations of belt styles, components and materials, Intralox has products that meet the needs of the fruit and vegetable industry. The Flush Grid belt styles improve drainage and the EZ Clean family of...

Cavity pump.(TECHNOLOGY SOURCEBOOK: Focus on Conveyors & Belting and Pumps & Valves)
June 1, 2006... A positive displacement, general utility pump, the Moyno 600 Series progressing cavity pump, handles a range of applications from clean, clear liquids to viscous, abrasive fluids. Characteristics include an elastomeric tube stator that delivers...

Liquid mixing machine.(TECHNOLOGY SOURCEBOOK: Focus on Conveyors & Belting and Pumps & Valves)
June 1, 2006... Model D-6000 Dispershear from ARDE Barinco was redesigned to improve the cleanability and reduce long-term maintenance costs. It meters a con trolled feed of solid powders into a measured flow rate of liquid to produce a completely mixed...

Segment valves.(product introduction)(Brief article)
June 1, 2006... Jaygo's Lunar ball segment valves are able to handle liquid to dry products and handle fine powder to course abrasives. The valves are designed so materials can't easily build-up, accumulate or be captured within the body. Due to the machined...

Weighing terminal.(TECHNOLOGY SOURCEBOOK: Focus on Conveyors & Belting and Pumps & Valves)
June 1, 2006... Mettler Toledo says its IND429 weighing terminal offers versatility, connectivity and compliance for use in almost any industry and application. The terminal carries multiple safety ratings, including IP69K, GMP, NSF and EHEDG. The unit was...

Sanitary ball valves.(TECHNOLOGY SOURCEBOOK: Focus on Conveyors & Belting and Pumps & Valves)
June 1, 2006... Flush-bottom Fluid Flow sanitary ball valves eliminate dead space by being welded flush with the bottom of a vessel, says Fluid Transfer, the manufacturer. These valves come in sizes of 1-1/2 in. to 4 in. The ball revolves within the totally...

Servo-controlled cartoner.(TECHNOLOGY SOURCEBOOK: Focus on Conveyors & Belting and Pumps & Valves)
June 1, 2006... Featuring intermittent processing with the precision of servo-controlled carton pick-up and erecting, the C2155 cartoner from Uhlmann, offers visual instructions via a touchscreen monitor. With an output from 25 to 150 cartons per minute, the...

Sanitary vacuum conveyors.(TECHNOLOGY SOURCEBOOK: Focus on Conveyors & Belting and Pumps & Valves)
June 1, 2006... The K Tron PCS P-Series vacuum conveyors were re certified for 2006 by the 3A Symbol Council to meet requirements of the 3-A Sanitary Standard for Pneumatic Conveyors for Dry Milk and Milk Products. Because they meet the standard, no additional...

Portable infrared thermometer.(TECHNOLOGY SOURCEBOOK: Focus on Conveyors & Belting and Pumps & Valves)
June 1, 2006... E Instruments' Irtec P2000 portable infrared thermometer for temperature-related applications provides laser pinpointing to identify the center of a measuring area from a distance. The unit helps detect and prevent any temperature-based...

Low-profile conveyors.(TECHNOLOGY SOURCEBOOK: Focus on Conveyors & Belting and Pumps & Valves)
June 1, 2006... The 125 Series conveyors from QC Industries feature a low, 1.89-in. profile, so they can be used in tight spaces. Belt widths of 2 in. to 24 in. are available in lengths from 4 ft. to 12 ft., with load carrying capacities of up to 450 lbs. A...

29th annual plant construction survey: measuring up to a higher standard: basic plant operating standards are now coupled with mandates to reduce costs and increase innovation, raising the stakes for all manufacturers.(Cover story)(Company overview)
June 1, 2006... If plant construction trends in the food and beverage industry could be filtered down into just three words, those words would have to be clean, safe and economical. Today's processors are focusing on fundamentals, but with a twist. The...

Set your sites on incentives: revitalized market access, quality labor, lucrative enticements, weather--site selection isn't what it used to be.(site selection a major role in industry set up)
June 1, 2006... Location, location, location. The old real estate mantra rings hollow in food and beverage plant site selection. Choosing a plant location involves much more--access to markets, transportation infrastructure, water and sewer, and available...

Masters of innovation: process and product innovation--and engineering's role in mitigating its risk--formed the subtext of this year's meeting of industry professionals.(Food Automation & Manufacturing 2006 Conference and Expo)
June 1, 2006... Creativity and brainstorming are synonymous with innovation in many people's minds. Engineers and manufacturing professionals have a different view: innovation is linked with risk, and minimizing the effects of risk is the key to successful...

Where technology meets technique: human problem-solving abilities are central to changeover improvement, but don't shortchange technology's role in slashing downtime.(TECH UPDATE)
June 1, 2006... The connection between food companies and NASCAR usually only goes as deep as a decal on a car. A notable exception a few years ago was General Mills Inc.'s work with a Winston Cup pit crew to help improve line changeovers. The...

The power of reciprocal motion: many ways to create agitation and reduce retort times have been tried, with moderate success. An English inventor proposes rapid horizontal reciprocation as game-changing technology.(Interview with Richard Walden of Zinetec Ltd on his agitation technique)(Interview)
June 1, 2006... Koelnmesse's triennial Anuga FoodTec show in Cologne, Germany, spotlights Europe's latest equipment innovations. Among the technologies taking a bow in March was Shaka, the trade name for a reciprocating retort process that significantly...