Food Engineering articles from June 2008

Food Engineering archives from June 2008

One instance where heavy can be healthy.(EDITOR'S NOTE)
June 1, 2008... Are we truly in a recession? While CNNMoney.com declared the recession official back in February, other financial experts have not. In mid-May, JP Morgan's CEO said he thinks we are just in the beginning. And the annual World...

Calendar.(Calendar)
June 1, 2008... JUNE 2008 24-25 Advanced Techniques in Labeling FDA Regulated Foods, Manhattan, KS; AIB; 800-633-5137; www.aibonline.org. 24-27 Expo Pack Mexico, Mexico City, Mexico; PMMI; 703-243-8555. 26-30 IFT Annual Meeting & Food Expo, New...

New regs on tap for combustible dust explosions.(MANUFACTURING NEWS)
June 1, 2008... Thirteen workers were killed and more than 60 seriously injured in a catastrophic dust explosion at Imperial Sugar in Port Wentworth, GA on February 7, 2008. While the dangers of combustible dust explosions have been known for many years, the...

Tasty Baking Company.(PLANT OPENINGS & EXPANSIONS)(Brief article)
June 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Tasty Baking Company has started construction of a 345,000-sq.-ft. building on 25 acres at the Philadelphia Navy Yard Commerce Center. Both the company's manufacturing and corporate headquarters will move to the new...

Interstate Warehousing.(PLANT OPENINGS & EXPANSIONS)(Brief article)
June 1, 2008... Interstate Warehousing will add a 135,000-sq.-ft. expansion to the IWI facility in Franklinville, IN, just outside of Indianapolis. The expansion will accommodate 40,000 pallet positions and provide both cooler and freezer temperatures....

United States Cold Storage.(PLANT OPENINGS & EXPANSIONS)(United States Cold Storage Inc.)(Brief article)
June 1, 2008... Stellar has completed the United States Cold Storage facility in Lake City, FL. The 191,000-sq.-ft. facility features an environmentally sound CO2-based refrigeration system, which will cool 5.2 million cu.ft. The facility contains 18,000...

Louisiana Sugar Refining, LLC.(PLANT OPENINGS & EXPANSIONS)(Brief article)
June 1, 2008... Louisiana Sugar Refining, LLC. (LSR) broke ground for its new million-ton-per-year sugar refinery located adjacent to Cargill's 200-acre river front complex in Reserve, LA. LSR is a joint venture between Cargill and Sugar Growers and Refiners,...

US-South Korea trade agreement.(REGULATORY WATCH)(Brief article)
June 1, 2008... With the US and South Korea now exploring a possible free trade agreement, Cal Dooley, president and CEO of the Food Products Association, says a deal between the two countries could be beneficial to the food industry. [ILLUSTRATION...

Food inspection system under study.(REGULATORY WATCH)(Brief article)
June 1, 2008... A report by a health advocacy group makes the case for overhauling the government's food inspection system, pointing to what it calls obsolete laws, misallocation of resources and inconsistencies among major food safety agencies. "Our goal...

Bakers criticize ethanol policy.(REGULATORY WATCH)(Brief article)
June 1, 2008... With food prices escalating at both the wholesale and retail levels, America's bakers are speaking out against federal ethanol mandates. "Why are we putting food in our gas tanks instead of our stomachs?" asked Rich Reinwald, owner of...

Mars, Inc. announced a merger agreement with Chicago-based Wm. Wrigley Jr. Company.(INDUSTRY & PEOPLE)
June 1, 2008... Mars, Inc. announced a merger agreement with Chicago-based Wm. Wrigley Jr. Company in a transaction valued at approximately $23 billion. Under the terms of the agreement, Wrigley will become a separate and standalone subsidiary of Mars. The...

Katherine M.J. Swanson, PhD, vice president of food safety, Ecolab, received the 2008 NCFST Food Safety Award.(INDUSTRY & PEOPLE)(Brief article)
June 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Katherine M.J. Swanson, PhD, vice president of food safety, Ecolab, received the 2008 NCFST Food Safety Award, presented by the National Center for Food Safety and Technology (NCFST), Illinois Institute of...

High Plains Bioenergy, a subsidiary company of Seaboard Farms Foods, opened its new biodiesel production plant.(INDUSTRY & PEOPLE)(Brief article)
June 1, 2008... High Plains Bioenergy, a subsidiary company of Seaboard Farms Foods, opened its new biodiesel production plant, which will use pork fat from Seaboard's Guymon, OK processing facility to produce up to 30 million gallons of fuel annually.

Dreyer's Grand Ice Cream Holdings, Inc.(INDUSTRY & PEOPLE)(Tony Sarsam and Rhonda Ramlo)(Brief article)
June 1, 2008... Dreyer's Grand Ice Cream Holdings, Inc. announced two senior executive changes. Tony Sarsam was named executive vice president of sales and operations, and Rhonda Ramlo was named executive vice president of marketing, replacing Tyler Johnston...

The Dow Chemical Company.(INDUSTRY & PEOPLE)(Glenn Wright appointed as vice president)(Brief article)
June 1, 2008... The Dow Chemical Company named Glenn Wright commercial vice president, North American Basic Plastics. Wright will be primarily responsible for leading all commercial functions across the Basic Plastics and leveraged Performance Plastics...

La Tortilla Factory.(INDUSTRY & PEOPLE)
June 1, 2008... La Tortilla Factory appointed Sam Tamayo as vice president and chief operations officer, which includes oversight of all research and development.

PPM (Newberg, OR), a supplier to the global food processing industry, merged with Wright Machinery, headquartered in Middlesex, England.(INDUSTRY & PEOPLE)(Brief article)
June 1, 2008... PPM (Newberg, OR), a supplier to the global food processing industry, merged with Wright Machinery, headquartered in Middlesex, England. Wright Machinery is a global systems integrator providing advanced seasoning and coating systems,...

Facility Group.(INDUSTRY & PEOPLE)(appointment of Ennis Parker)(Brief article)
June 1, 2008... Ennis Parker was named chief executive officer of Facility Group, an integrated program management, design and construction firm. Parker most recently served as executive vice president and chief operating officer of Facility Design Group, the...

Ban bad bags.(FOOD PACKAGING)
June 1, 2008... Irregular product shapes can torpedo marketing's dreams of a slick-looking package, whether in a shrink film or a vacuum pack. Mercifully, machines are pushing the aesthetic envelope to banish duck-foot webbing and dog-eared wrappers. ...

Winning packs have enviro-cred.(FOOD PACKAGING)
June 1, 2008... If not for Kraft Foods, US manufacturers of packaged goods would have been skunked in the 20th edition of the DuPont Awards. This year's citations also were something of a family affair, with two of the winners being the employers of two of the...

Fancy-food judges cite single-serve hummus.(FOOD PACKAGING)(Wild Garden Hummus )(Brief article)
June 1, 2008... Healthy snacking in a single-serve format was saluted in the National Association for the Specialty Food Trades 36th annual soft Awards, which honor packaging innovation and product quality. The judges made Wild Garden Hummus to Go one of the...

Is it possible to control chemical hazards in food?(FOOD SAFETY)
June 1, 2008... With the attention on chemical contaminants in imported foods in the past year, many consumers think control of these materials is impossible. Chinese products have been found to contain melamine (wheat gluten, rice protein concentrate),...

Polyurethane flooring.(TECHNOLOGY SOURCEBOOK: Focus on Floors and Filling Equipment)
June 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] A heavy-duty polyurethane flooring system designed for food and beverage processing plants, Sani-Crete resists impact, abrasion, chemical attack and thermal shock. The sanitary, non-slip, odor-free flooring system...

Floor toppings.(TECHNOLOGY SOURCEBOOK: Focus on Floors and Filling Equipment)
June 1, 2008... Made of polyurethane-modified concrete, Tnemec's Ultra-Tread floor topping is resistant to hot water washdowns, hot steam cleaning and hot fry oils and liquids. It comes in 3 types: Ultra-Tread M (mortar), Ultra-Tread S (slurry) and Ultra Tread...

Seamless flooring.(TECHNOLOGY SOURCEBOOK: Focus on Floors and Filling Equipment)
June 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Dex-O-Tex's Tek-Crete seamless flooring resists impact and corrosion in aggressive chemical environments, and stands up to daily cleaning with industrial cleaners. Dex-O-Tex; 800-833-9683; www.dexotex.com

Seamless flooring.
June 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Formulated for tough food and beverage environments, Stonhard's Stonclad GR seamless flooring contains recycled glass aggregate and environmentally friendly liquids. Capable of long-lasting high performance, the...

Urethane mortars.(TECHNOLOGY SOURCEBOOK: Focus on Floors and Filling Equipment)
June 1, 2008... Garon's Mortarthane HF trowel-applied urethane mortar withstands aggressive chemical and thermal attack, and provides abrasion resistance for sure footing in wet environments. A high-build urethane coating used to topcoat Mortarthane HF mortar,...

Polyurethane flooring.(TECHNOLOGY SOURCEBOOK: Focus on Floors and Filling Equipment)
June 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Designed for applications where wet processing or high-temperature cleaning takes place, Dur-A-Flex's Poly-Crete polyurethane resinous floor systems are zero VOC-rated and credited in the LEED program for rapid...

EtherCAT sensor.(TECHNOLOGY SOURCEBOOK: Focus on Floors and Filling Equipment)
June 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Intended for data transmissions and communication in industrial settings where high speeds are necessary for complete factory automation, MTS's Temposonics R-Series EtherCAT sensor is a high-speed networking solution...

Laboratory circulator.(TECHNOLOGY SOURCEBOOK: Focus on Floors and Filling Equipment)
June 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Suitable for heating and cooling applications from -10[degrees]C to 80[degrees]C, Thermo Fisher Scientific's stainless steel HAAKE EZ Cool 80 unit is intended for external applications such as analytical...

Coated casings.(TECHNOLOGY SOURCEBOOK: Focus on Floors and Filling Equipment)
June 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Vector's Enhance impermeable coated casings reduce the risk of contamination, purge, breaks, nicks or flaking while providing flavor and aroma. The line includes: SmokeKote 2 with the darkest surface color and subtle...

Temporary panel covers.(TECHNOLOGY SOURCEBOOK: Focus on Floors and Filling Equipment)
June 1, 2008... Grace Engineered Products' TempCovers temporary panel covers meet OSHA standards and provide safe access to an electrical panel being serviced by a qualified worker. With the covers, electricians do not need to remove and reattach panel doors;...

Plug-in weigh scale modules.(TECHNOLOGY SOURCEBOOK: Focus on Floors and Filling Equipment)
June 1, 2008... Allen-Bradley-compatible, Hardy's single- and dual-scale weigh modules read weight data from load cells and communicate the data and status information over the I/O backplane to the Allen-Bradley processor. Mounted directly into the I/O...

Portable sanitary mixers.(TECHNOLOGY SOURCEBOOK: Focus on Floors and Filling Equipment)
June 1, 2008... USDA-approved for meat and poultry products, Sharpe's paint-free MS portable mixers create high flow with low shear for mixing liquids from 50 to 5,000 gals. Featuring all stainless steel construction, they can be equipped with fractional...

Roller drive.(TECHNOLOGY SOURCEBOOK: Focus on Floors and Filling Equipment)
June 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Providing an energy-efficient solution for a range of material handling applications, Interroll's high-torque EC110 24 VDC roller drive features a high-performance motor and gear box, combined with elastic decoupling...

Pouch packing system.(TECHNOLOGY SOURCEBOOK: Focus on Floors and Filling Equipment)
June 1, 2008... KHS's Innopack CMP pouch packing systems process at outputs from 60 to 250 pouches/min. with pouch sizes from 90mm wide and 100mm high to 200mm wide and 250mm high. Processing of other packaging sizes is possible. If pouches enter the machine...

Battery charger.(TECHNOLOGY SOURCEBOOK: Focus on Floors and Filling Equipment)
June 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Designed for use with GRIP2 and GRIP3 model barcode reader handles, Pepperl+Fuchs's ODZ-MAH-CHARGER can be mounted to a wall or countertop. Providing LED indication of battery charge status and available with an...

VOC-compliant topcoats.(TECHNOLOGY SOURCEBOOK: Focus on Floors and Filling Equipment)
June 1, 2008... Tennant's reformulated WearGuard CRU 250 chemical-resistant urethane topcoats meet the volatile organic compound requirements of the Ozone Transport Commission and the Chemicals Control Branch of Environment Canada. The coatings' emissions...

High-speed adhesive gun.(TECHNOLOGY SOURCEBOOK: Focus on Floors and Filling Equipment)
June 1, 2008... Nordson's e.dot+ high-speed hot melt adhesive electric gun for precision adhesive applications is designed for use in high-end gluing applications requiring small dots or beads of adhesive. The compact gun applies adhesive patterns with...

Weave netting.(TECHNOLOGY SOURCEBOOK: Focus on Floors and Filling Equipment)
June 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Designed for use with boneless and bone-in, cooked or smoked meats and poultry products, CMS's Flavorseal tight weave netting holds and shapes meat firmly during cooking, reducing surface tears. The netting does not...

Impact doors.(TECHNOLOGY SOURCEBOOK: Focus on Floors and Filling Equipment)
June 1, 2008... A semi-flexible, full-thickness door, Aleco's FD-175 ImpacDor has a rudder sub-frame aria full height reinforced spine. Fully insulated and gasketed, the door is suited for temperature control and is available in a variety of colors. The...

Large tube housing.(TECHNOLOGY SOURCEBOOK: Focus on Floors and Filling Equipment)
June 1, 2008... Suitable for use with spices, powders, flour, starches or pet food where sticking, galling and product bridging are prevalent, Industrial Magnetics' new LTH (large tube housing), incorporates a strong 3-in. diameter magnetic circuit for...

High-shear mixer.(TECHNOLOGY SOURCEBOOK: Focus on Floors and Filling Equipment)
June 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Ross's benchtop high-shear LCI-V rotor/stator mixer has a 1 hp variable speed drive for operation up to 10,000 rpm, and comes with four stator heads--slotted, square hole, fine screen and round hole. Designed for...

Vehicle/inventory tracking.(TECHNOLOGY SOURCEBOOK: Focus on Floors and Filling Equipment)
June 1, 2008... Sky-Trax's Total-Trax vehicle and inventory tracking system automatically captures exact pallet location and identification, as well as vehicle location. The system provides location and full path tracking of all warehouse assets, tracking...

Safety mat system.(TECHNOLOGY SOURCEBOOK: Focus on Floors and Filling Equipment)
June 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Omron's UMQ series safety mats have an IP67 quick-disconnect cable connector that allows last-minute cable length changes in the field; the cable is not attached until the end of the installation process, reducing...

Industrial PC.(TECHNOLOGY SOURCEBOOK: Focus on Floors and Filling Equipment)
June 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] B&R's APC620 industrial PC uses a Windows XP-embedded system platform with a real-time extension. Designed for applications with a minimal operating system size, the PC has an integrated smart display link that can...

Filling weigh systems.(TECHNOLOGY SOURCEBOOK: Focus on Floors and Filling Equipment)
June 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Now NTEP-certified legal for trade, NBE's hang weigh, base weigh and check weigh design filling weigh systems provide accurate, repeatable results. The equipment features advanced ergonomic operator interface and...

Polyurethane-coated bearings.(TECHNOLOGY SOURCEBOOK: Focus on Floors and Filling Equipment)
June 1, 2008... Carter's polyurethane-coated non-marking bearings reduce noise, improve traction and decrease wear on cam tracks. The standard bearing polyurethane is Shore 80A; other colors and durometers are available. Food-grade urethane on stainless steel...

Acrylic flow meters.(TECHNOLOGY SOURCEBOOK: Focus on Floors and Filling Equipment)
June 1, 2008... Dakota Instrument's ACR clear acrylic flow meters have direct reading dual scales. Mounted by locating holes between the rear of the acrylic block and the yellow-colored backing plate, the flow meters offer quick conversion from factory-set...

Gable-top filling machine.(TECHNOLOGY SOURCEBOOK: Focus on Floors and Filling Equipment)
June 1, 2008... Intended for use with half-gal. milk and juice products, Evergreen Packaging's EH extended long-life gable-top filling machine fills up to 140 cartons/min. It features a HEPA, double-class 100 environment; auto-sanitizing; carton treatment with...

AC motor brakes.(TECHNOLOGY SOURCEBOOK: Focus on floors and Filling Equipment)
June 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Featuring a simple design with fewer moving parts for stop/hold applications, Warner's Unibrakes AC spring-applied motor brakes have an external manual release lever that allows a driven load to be moved without...

Snack bagmaker.(TECHNOLOGY SOURCEBOOK: Focus on floors and Filling Equipment)
June 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Designed for snack foods, Ishida's Atlas-202 flexible bagmaker produces pillow, hem-seal, gusseted and fiat-bottom bags. A single button call-up of multiple, preset bag formats and sizes reduces changeover times. The...

Multiple-deep systems.(TECHNOLOGY SOURCEBOOK: Focus on floors and Filling Equipment)
June 1, 2008... Westfalia's multiple-deep automated storage and retrieval systems have a smaller building footprint to maximize storage space. They can store 1 to 12 pallets deep in a rack, efficiently utilizing warehouse space. Multiple-deep mini-load and...

In-line mixers.(TECHNOLOGY SOURCEBOOK: Focus on floors and Filling Equipment)
June 1, 2008... Meeting clean-in-place and sterilize-in-place requirements, Silverson's Ultra Sanitary in-line mixers also como y with FDA ano cGMP standards, and are 3A (TPV)- and -HEDG-certified. The mixers include a self-draining tangential outlet,...

Pressure transducers.(TECHNOLOGY SOURCEBOOK: Focus on floors and Filling Equipment)
June 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] CE-compliant millivolt output units for industrial applications, Omegadyne's PX35 series industrial pressure transducers have an FM-intrinsically safe rating standard. Ten feet of 4 conductor-shielded cable comes...

Recycled PET content resins.(TECHNOLOGY SOURCEBOOK: Focus on floors and Filling Equipment)
June 1, 2008... Containing up to 20% post-consumer recycled PET, Invista's Polyclear Conserve PET polyester polymer features above average color and clarity. Made of bottle-grade recycled PET flake reduced back to its pre-polymer feedstock, it is processed to...

Vibratory conveyor.(TECHNOLOGY SOURCEBOOK: Focus on floors and Filling Equipment)
June 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] A vibrated base frame conveyor, Meyer's VIBRA-FLEX II delivers consistent sympathetic vibration to the pan through the springs. It features all stainless steel construction, providing an overall sanitary conveying...

Power distribution cabinet.(TECHNOLOGY SOURCEBOOK: Focus on floors and Filling Equipment)
June 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Customizable to fit a variety of applications, Staco's FirstLine OC power distribution cabinet reduces installation time by providing maintenance bypass, branch circuit distribution and voltage transformation in a...

Filling machines.(TECHNOLOGY SOURCEBOOK: Focus on floors and Filling Equipment)
June 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Intended for use over vertical form, fill and seal machines, Hinds-Book's SP-64 and SP-160 PIC filling machines feature a long-reach positive shut-off spout with an adjustable blow-off feature to maintain a clean...

Bacon spiral oven.(TECHNOLOGY SOURCEBOOK: Focus on floors and Filling Equipment)
June 1, 2008... Designed for use with fully and partially cooked bacon products, Stein's GCO GyroCompact spiral oven has a small footprint but provides high-production volume. The oven uses steam condensation, followed by convection of a superheated steam-air...

Sorter controls.(TECHNOLOGY SOURCEBOOK: Focus on floors and Filling Equipment)
June 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] FKI's UniSort sliding shoe and linear belt sorter controls provide automated calibration, monitoring and diagnostic testing, including tracking alignment, divert precision, shoe assignment and switch mechanism...

Diaphragm metering pump.(TECHNOLOGY SOURCEBOOK: Focus on floors and Filling Equipment)
June 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Capable of pumping up to 42 gallons/hour, Omega's PHP-800 series diaphragm metering pump can handle output pressures up to 175 psi. The pump has PVDF double ball valves. A backlit LCD display shows the output...

Agitation systems retrofitting.(TECHNOLOGY SOURCEBOOK: Focus on floors and Filling Equipment)
June 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Lee Industries retrofits existing equipment with a new agitation system. Custom-manufactured agitation systems can be designed specifically for current equipment. Applications and design engineering personnel assist...

Large line flow meter.(TECHNOLOGY SOURCEBOOK: Focus on floors and Filling Equipment)
June 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] McCrometer's Multi-Mag L series flow meter has electromagnetic, multi-point sensing technology for large line sizes, a smart programmable signal converter and noise-immune cable. Incorporating a microprocessor-based...

Load locking system.(TECHNOLOGY SOURCEBOOK: Focus on floors and Filling Equipment)
June 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Lantech's Pallet-Grip load locking system for its straddle stretch wrapping systems captures any style of pallet in heights from 4 to 6 in. high, and completely wraps to the top of the load. The system rolls bottom...

Hot fill lines.(TECHNOLOGY SOURCEBOOK: Focus on floors and Filling Equipment)
June 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Designed for a variety of food and bakery products such as soups, sauces, stew, cheese and peanut butter, Hinds-Bock's hot fill lines feature heated filling machines with insulated hoppers, jacketed and insulated...

Asset management suite.(TECHNOLOGY SOURCEBOOK: Focus on floors and Filling Equipment)
June 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Designed to maintain, document and manage pH and dissolved oxygen sensors, Mettler-Toledo Ingold's iSense asset management suite maximizes ISM technology and allows the application of plant-wide maintenance concepts...

Flexible screw conveyors.(TECHNOLOGY SOURCEBOOK: Focus on floors and Filling Equipment)
June 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Designed to convey a range of dry solids, including products requiring sanitary handling, Cyclonaire's FlexFlite flexible screw conveyors use steel augers and flexible tubes up to 100 ft. long to move materials at...

Oxygen measurement.(TECHNOLOGY SOURCEBOOK: Focus on floors and Filling Equipment)
June 1, 2008... OxySense's MAP 1000 system provides non-invasive, real-time oxygen monitoring for modified atmosphere processing in batch process and form, fill and seal MAP machines. Requiring no sample atmosphere extraction, it can take and log measurements...

Replacement vacuum cups.(TECHNOLOGY SOURCEBOOK: Focus on Floors and Filling Equipment)
June 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Vi-Cas's replacement vacuum cups handle round, oval and other hard-to-grip shapes with either smooth or textured surfaces, and fit a range of vacuum equipment, including lifters, manipulators, pick-and-place systems,...

Bread volume measurement.(TECHNOLOGY SOURCEBOOK: Focus on Floors and Filling Equipment)
June 1, 2008... Stable Micro Systems' Volscan laser-based profiler automatically measures the volume of bread. It works by mounting the loaf at each end; software records parameters including flour weight, bread type and shape. Bread is automatically weighed,...

Horizontal bagging.(TECHNOLOGY SOURCEBOOK: Focus on Floors and Filling Equipment)
June 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Using a rotary sealing head to ensure straight, even seals, WeighPack's Zippy Bagger automatic horizontal bagging machine is designed for use with pre-made laminate or polyethylene wicket bags. Compliant with USDA...

Barcode scanner.(TECHNOLOGY SOURCEBOOK: Focus on Floors and Filling Equipment)
June 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Accu-Sort's AV6010 camera-based barcode scanner combines a camera, illumination, decoder and power supplies in a single unit integrated by an internal Ethernet network. It features an embedded real-time Linux...

Automatic case sealer.(TECHNOLOGY SOURCEBOOK: Focus on Floors and Filling Equipment)
June 1, 2008... Utilizing pressure-sensitive tape and rugged side belts to move boxes through for a high-quality seal, EZ-Tek's SB-2/FC fully automatic case sealer features an infeed indexing gate, adjustable leg extensions and easy box size change. The sealer...

Wireless monitoring.(TECHNOLOGY SOURCEBOOK: Focus on Floors and Filling Equipment)
June 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] testo's Saveris wireless temperature and humidity monitoring system consists of three main components: wireless and/or Ethernet probes, a base and system software. The probe-to-base transmission path is approximately...

Temperature-monitoring labels.(TECHNOLOGY SOURCEBOOK: Focus on Floors and Filling Equipment)
June 1, 2008... Designed for use on shipped perishable items, PakSense's Ultra standard configuration temperature-monitoring labels are pre-programmed with standard temperature range specifications for various applications. Users order the appropriate labels,...

Inductive measuring sensors.(TECHNOLOGY SOURCEBOOK: Focus on Floors and Filling Equipment)
June 1, 2008... Designed to detect metallic objects at ranges up to 16mm, Baumer's linearized AlphaProx non-contact inductive analog proximity sensors can detect changes in position, distance, thickness, weight or pressure in a range of industrial measuring...

Grate magnets.(TECHNOLOGY SOURCEBOOK: Focus on Floors and Filling Equipment)
June 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Eriez's ProGrade series grate magnets remove ferrous contamination from dry, free-flowing granular or powdery products such as sugar, feeds and grains. The Ceramic series removes medium to large ferrous contamination...

Conductivity switches.(TECHNOLOGY SOURCEBOOK: Focus on Floors and Filling Equipment)
June 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Suitable for most applications that involve checking a conductive liquid in a tank, Hawk's Gladiator conductivity switches include high-or low-level alarms, constant level control, pump control and empty tank...

31st Annual Plant Construction Survey: processors set sights on green projects: LEED provides the tools to measure sustainability in new and existing projects.(Cover story)
June 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] While most agree the economy has slowed, that point of view would be difficult to prove based on the results of Food Engineering's 31st Annual Plant Construction Survey. In fact, FE's editorial team discovered a 21%...

Plant construction survey.(Statistical table)(Survey)
June 1, 2008... Plant Construction Survey Company City State 1812 North, Inc. Sockets Harbor NY 1 Soy Inc. Hermann MO 2...

Recipes for improvement: best practices in food safety, asset utilization and sustainability were front and center at this year's industry idea-exchange.(FOOD AUTOMATION & MANUFACTURING 2008 CONFERENCE AND EXPO)(Industry overview)
June 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Optimizing assets, be they mechanical or human, is one of the great challenges facing American manufacturers. No simple road map to accomplish that goal exists, but a wealth of reasoned suggestions and...

Post-production solutions: the integrated-plant works great, up until the finished product is filled. Machines may do the repetitive tasks, but coordinated activity remains elusive.(TECH UPDATE)
June 1, 2008... Whoever came up with the term "islands of automation" must have had the packaging area in food and beverage plants in mind. Great strides in removing people from the post-filling operation are being made, but the solutions tend to work...

Keeping sugar's cool.(FIELD REPORTS)
June 1, 2008... In the horizontal storage silo of RT Group's sugar plant in Brugelette, Belgium, the ideal sugar storage temperature for the local ambient conditions is approximately 86[degrees]F (30[degrees]C). Before start up of the plant in 2005, Brugelette...