Food Engineering articles from September 2002

Food Engineering archives from September 2002

Need to feed at full-speed? Indeed. (Editor's Note).
September 1, 2002... THIS PAST JUNE I HAD THE HONOR OF BEING invited to judge the annual DuPont Awards for packaging. The award winners, as well as the many others entered, embodied the true spirit of technological innovation in our industry in both the use of...

Calendar.
September 1, 2002... September 2002 18-20 Maintenance Planning and Scheduling, Houston, TX, The Hayo Consultants, (505) 237-0313, E-mail: HAYOCON@aol.com, www.hayoconsultants.com. 17-18 Driving Operational Excellence in Manufacturing & Supply Chain Forum 2002,...

Kraft Foods. (Plant Openings & Expansions).
September 1, 2002... Kraft Foods has begun construction of a new $23 million, 860,000 square-foot distribution facility in Aurora, IL While the warehouse will be mainly used for dry storage, 50,000 square feet will be used as a humidity-controlled area for some...

Wells' Dairy Incorporated. (Plant Openings & Expansions).
September 1, 2002... Wells' Dairy Incorporated is building a $40 million ice cream plant in Saint George, LIT. The 158,000 square-foot plant will include a cold storage and distribution center. Blue Bunny round and square half-gallon packaged ice cream will be...

Morningstar Foods, Inc. (Plant Openings & Expansions).
September 1, 2002... Morningstar Foods, Inc. is constructing a 60,000 square-foot cooler, a 23,000 square-foot palletizing dry storage and forklift charging area, a 2,700 square-foot office space, and upgrades to the refrigeration system at its Fraser, NY plant....

Mississippi Beef Processors. (Plant Openings & Expansions).
September 1, 2002... Mississippi Beef Processors, a privately held start-up company in Franklin, TN, announced ground-breaking of its $32 million slaughtering and beef processing plant in Oakland, MS.

Schubert Packaging Systems. (Plant Openings & Expansions).
September 1, 2002... Schubert Packaging Systems opened a 12,000 square foot facility in Addison, TX, near Dallas. This new facility is the company's North American headquarters and includes a showroom for robotic pick-and-place, cartoning and case packing...

Product variation? Think outside the process cell. (Manufacturing News).
September 1, 2002... FOOD PROCESSORS WHO USE A PROJECT MANAGEMENT APPROACH TO improve operations may sometimes find themselves a step behind, according to a Bridgewater, New Jersey based process management company. "Improvement projects only deliver value if...

Handheld meat inspection devices in the offing. (Manufacturing News).
September 1, 2002... Early next year, Cargill expects to begin using new handhold meat inspection devices from eMerge Interactive at its Excel Corporation subsidiary, Seventeen VerifEYE devices are oil order from the beef processor. The device is about the size and...

J.J. Keller & Associates. (Industry & People).
September 1, 2002... A new video from J.J. Keller & Associates, "A Recipe for Food Safety Success," offers new and old employees an understanding of their role in food safety. This 25-minute video provides an overview of such food safety topics as the U.S. food...

Fortitech, Inc. and BASF announced a joint venture for the manufacture, marketing and sales of human nutrition premix products. (Industry & People).
September 1, 2002... Fortitech, Inc. and BASF announced a joint venture for the manufacture, marketing and sales of human nutrition premix products. Under the agreement, BASF, which produces nutritional ingredients, will transfer its premix customers in Europe,...

Minnesota Corn Processors and Archer-Daniels-Midland have signed a merger agreement. (Industry & People).
September 1, 2002... Minnesota Corn Processors and Archer-Daniels-Midland have signed a merger agreement. Structured as a cash-for-stock deal, the agreement calls for ADM to pay a price of $2.90 for each Class A unit to MCP shareholders after the merger.

The Perrier Group of America, Inc. will change its name to Nestle Waters, North America, Inc. (Industry & People).
September 1, 2002... The Perrier Group of America, Inc. will change its name to Nestle Waters, North America, Inc. The Perrier Group has been part of Nestle SA since 1992 and reported directly to Perrier Vittel SA, the water division in Paris, France. The division...

Paul J. Lustig has been appointed president and CEO of KeeNer Snacks Division and Senior Vice President of Kellog Company. (Industry & People).
September 1, 2002... Paul J. Lustig has been appointed president and CEO of Keebler Snacks Division and Senior Vice President of Kellog Company. Prior to joining Kellog, Lustig held several general management and corporate strategy development positions at Sara Lee...

Tasty Baking Company. (Industry & People).
September 1, 2002... At Tasty Baking Company Joseph H. Bauer, Ph.D. has been named to the position of vice president manufacturing. Bauer will assume the responsibilities for all aspects of Tasty Baking's manufacturing processes. Presently, he oversees the...

Tyson Foods, Inc. (Industry & People).
September 1, 2002... Tyson Foods, Inc. has appointed Jeri R. Dunn as senior vice president, chief information officer, reporting to CEO John Tyson. Her responsibilities include leading a team of 500-plus information technology professionals, prioritizing system...

ConAgra. (Industry & People).
September 1, 2002... ConAgra named Chris Kircher as Vice President, Communications, based in Omaha, NB. He will be responsible for the company's communications functions including media relations and communications with the company's key constituencies,

Omron Electronics LLC. (Industry & People).
September 1, 2002... The new Corporate Division Manager for Omron Electronics LLC is Jim Mooney. In addition, he is also the Corporate Division Manager for Omron IDM Controls Inc., a business unit of Omron Electronics LLC and Division Manager for the Omron...

Common sense food labeling call. (Manufacturing News).
September 1, 2002... "PLAIN TALK" LABELS WILL HELP SAVE lives, according to health advocacy groups calling for legislation requiring food manufacturers to label ingredients using simple, common sense wording that consumers can understand. The consumer groups...

Recall: learn why the caged bird sings. (Manufacturing News).
September 1, 2002... THE RECENT RECALL OF CONTAMINATED MEAT WILL likely bring public outcry for additional measures to ensure foodsafety. These incidents usually result in a call for more and better inspection. Seems logical, doesn't it? Not quite, says...

Recycled paperboard's surprising strength: Mayfield Dairy takes packaging into freezer application. (Food Packaging).
September 1, 2002... QUAKER OATS OATMEAL HAS BEEN PACKAGED in recycled paperboard for more than 120 years, and most cereal and snack-food manufacturers today use similar material for their folding cartons. But until recently, paper mills couldn't produce recycled...

Yoplait rolls out meal-in-a-bottle yogurt smoothie. (Food Packaging).
September 1, 2002... The mainstreaming of fortified foods is underway, with General Mills the latest major food company to offer consumers an enriched product. The Minneapolis conglomerate began shipping Yoplait Nouriche, a nonfat yogurt smoothie with 20...

Say, `polybag, please!' (Food Packaging).
September 1, 2002... EXOTIC PET TREATS DEMAND EXOTIC packaging, and Pretty Bird International Inc. of Stacy, Minn., recently decided its paper bags and canisters that couldn't support a gas flush just weren't good enough for its Jungle Munchies and Premium lines....

Validating safety in your plant: workers must look closely at how proposed changes will affect operations, especially where food safety is concerned. (Food Safety).
September 1, 2002... MANY YEARS AGO IN THE MOVIE "Annie Hall," Woody Allen described a relationship as "being like a shark." Like the shark, a relationship must keep moving forward in order to survive. If a shark does not swim, it sinks to the bottom and dies. The...

Bill calls for more food allergen labeling rules. (Regulatory Watch).
September 1, 2002... Sen. Ted Kennedy's (D-MA) bill imposing new requirements for allergen food labeling did not get a mid-summer review as expected. Kennedy has said he will continue to push for passage of the measure this year, despite strong opposition from the...

Cabinet level status for EPA? (Regulatory Watch).
September 1, 2002... The U.S. Chamber of Commerce is likely to oppose a plan to elevate the EPA to cabinet level status. The business group says Congress should consider any such plan carefully before acting. "Much of EPA's science has been inconsistent and...

Food a top concern for homeland security. (Regulatory Watch).
September 1, 2002... Agriculture Secretary Ann Veneman says protection of the nation's food supply is a large part of President Bush's plan to regroup much of the national security apparatus under the Department of Homeland Security, involving USDA in more security...

Senate aims to breathe new life into ergonomic regs. (Regulatory Watch).
September 1, 2002... A bipartisan effort is underway in the Senate to revive federally mandated ergonomics regulations, placing new responsibilities on employers. Sen. John Breaux (D-LA) and Sen. Arlen Specter (R-PA) are co-sponsoring a bill to require OSHA to...

Wish for fish yields booming business: fishmonger software integrates all a seafood company's central business processes into one system. (Field Reports).
September 1, 2002... IN THE 1970s WHEN TOM CASSIDY RETURNED to his hometown of Memphis, Tennesse from his worldwide scuba diving adventures, he missed fresh fish. He took that problem as an opportunity and founded American Seafood, one of eight companies that now...

Ingredient supplier `kicks the bucket' in favor of bag-in-box: bags are slashed open and dumped more quickly than with previous pail procedure. (Field Reports).
September 1, 2002... CONVERTING FROM THE #10 ONE-gallon steel can never was an issue for Rancho Cucamonga, Calif.-based Haliburton International Corp. because the 113-year old supplier of specialty culinary ingredients always has used plastic packaging. But not all...

Stuck in neutral: Food Engineering's annual State of Food Manufacturing survey finds an industry cautious about the economy as it maintains slow and steady growth. (State of Food Manufacturing)(Cover Story).
September 1, 2002... The cold, hard numbers paint a reasonably warm picture of America's food and beverage industry. The U.S. job market may languish, the investment community is in disarray, general manufacturing remains a basket case, but food sales continue...

Fast-track expansion: Lundy's pork plant is ideally located to serve the Atlantic seaboard. A major expansion gives it the tools to deliver on that potential.
September 1, 2002... Skilled workers and state-of-the-art equipment are an unbeatable combination in any type of food manufacture. The former Lundy Packing Co. in Clinton, N.C., had the former. Thanks to the deep pockets of new owner Premium Standard Farms Inc., it...

Pigs squeal, change happens: whether it's color-coded changeover parts or automatic pigging systems, food processors are tapping a wide array of tools to improve plant flexibility. (Cover Story).
September 1, 2002... Time is money, and the meter is running faster in food and beverage plants. Optimizing up time while coping with a broader range of products has put a premium on quick changeover strategies. Fortunately for production managers, the tools...

Primo power transmission: motors and drives are put to the test every day in food plants. New features such as energy efficiency and stainless formats are second to none. (Technology Update).
September 1, 2002... The food industry puts heavy demands on motors and drives. The equipment has to survive in continual high humidity and washdown with chemicals, and it must not drop paint flakes or lubricant into the product. Today, food manufacturers also...

Get innovative in dealing with IT: point IT to places in operations where there are technology-based opportunities. (Managing Software).
September 1, 2002... FROM AN OPERATIONS PERSPECTIVE, centralized corporate IT organizations can take on all the characteristics of a fortress under siege. In the food industry, most of the larger companies and many others have implemented large Enterprise Resource...

Ask the expert.
September 1, 2002... Q What should I look for in a supplier of cryogenic freezing systems? A Consider three criteria: equipment, cryogen supply and services. For equipment, work with a supplier who understands and has experience with your type of process. The...

High-speed batching controller. (Focus on Weighing Systems).
September 1, 2002... The AD-4402 from A&D Weighing is a high-speed controller for use as a stand alone batching unit or as part of a large multi-function system. Its networking, communications and software programming combined with its large database storage...

Weigh legs. (Focus on Weighing Systems).
September 1, 2002... Weigh-Tronix, Inc's new bolt-on Weigh Legs add in line weighing capabilities to ordinary sections of a conveyor. Weigh Legs can weigh static and in-motion conveyor loads and are suitable for applications such as check weighing of boxed goods...

Weight interface. (Focus on Weighing Systems).
September 1, 2002... The new ORB 2.0 communications integration system from Kistler-Morse interfaces weight and level instruments to internet/intranet networks. Based on the new Intel Celeron processor, the ORB 2.0 transformer combines high-density, high capacity...

Check weigher system. (Focus on Weighing Systems).
September 1, 2002... Gainco, Inc.'s new GS-2400 Check Weigher Systems can be used for high-speed in-motion weighing of poultry products against a variety of preset accept or reject parameters. Hardware and software packages can be customized to meet specific...

In motion-scales. (Focus on Weighing Systems).
September 1, 2002... Thermo Ramsey's AutoCheck 4000 Warehouse Scale provides accurate in-motion weighing of packages up to 150 pounds at velocities up to 550 fpm. Its tough and sturdy construction makes it suitable for demanding warehouse environments. Adjustable...

Mobile operator station. (Focus on Weighing Systems).
September 1, 2002... STRONGARM Designs has a new Mobile Operator Station for batch pre-weighing and quality control. According to STRONGARM Designs, pre-weighing is faster and more accurate when the scale is brought to the ingredients. The station is completely...

Weight controller. (Focus on Weighing Systems).
September 1, 2002... The HI 3030 general purpose Weight Controller from Hardy Instruments can be used in tank farm, level weighing, batching, filling, dispensing and check-weighing applications. The unit can control up to 4 independent scales at one time, and acts...

Weighing kit. (Focus on Weighing Systems).
September 1, 2002... Muse Measurements Corporation introduced its universal high-purity weighing system (HPWS), the M1015HPWS. This weighing system can be installed on existing mixers, containers or tables to provide intrinsically safe, low maintenance scales for...

Weigh belt feeder. (Focus on Weighing Systems).
September 1, 2002... K-Tron America's new Smart Weigh Belt Feeder comes in both 300 and 600 mm belt widths and in open and closed frame versions. It features automatic and continuous online taring of the belt which reduces maintenance, line shutdowns and manual...

Bench scales. (Focus on Weighing Systems).
September 1, 2002... The Eclipse 5000 Series is the latest offering from Fairbanks Scales for general-purpose weighing, checkweighing, manual hatching or batch control. According to Fairbanks, the open flow design of these scales means less product build-up under...

Pit scale. (Focus on Weighing Systems).
September 1, 2002... Emery Winslow Scale Company introduced the Model 709 Pit Scale which uses hydrostatic load cells with a lifetime guarantee against water and electrical damage. The scale can be installed to match a sloped floor and the load ceils can be flooded...

Floor scale pit. (Focus on Weighing Systems).
September 1, 2002... Mettler-Toledo Inc. has a new stainless steel floor scale pit. Its formed inner pan eliminates corners and crevices that are breeding grounds for bacteria and other contaminants, the manufacturer says. It is available in both 304 and 316L...

Bagging system. (Focus on Weighing Systems).
September 1, 2002... Parsons Scale Systems LLC has a new high-speed bagging system capable of producing packages up to 75 bags per minute. The system is designed for pre-made, flat bottom, side gusset, bags and consists of a Worldstar combination net weigher...

Bulk containers. (Focus on Weighing Systems).
September 1, 2002... Mulox, Inc. has a new line of hygienic flexible intermediate bulk containers (FIBC) for handling storage and transport of dry food products. The Mulox Cleanmaster comes with rolled seams and enclosed edges and is designed specifically to...

Vessel cleaning. (Focus on Weighing Systems).
September 1, 2002... Delavan Spray Technologies introduced clean-in-place spray heads and nozzles for cleaning process/storage tanks/ washing reactants from process vessels for further processing. The nozzles are available in a range of angles and spray patterns so...

Programmable lab mixer. (Focus on Weighing Systems).
September 1, 2002... Admix, Inc.'s OPLB-300 is a bench-top high shear lab mixer designed for product development, simulation and scale up. With scale up parameters and indicators built into the PLC controls, it provides an accurate and repeatable method of scaling...

Beverage can end. (Focus on Weighing Systems).
September 1, 2002... Crown Cork & Seal Company, Inc. introduced the SuperEnd, an enhanced beverage can end designed to reduce weight and aluminum use by 10 percent. It has been engineered for greater seam strength and buckle resistance and to maintain integrity...

Servo drive. (Focus on Weighing Systems).
September 1, 2002... Bosch Rexroth's Electric Drives and Controls Division has added new ECODRIVE Cs Series and DKC 16 SERCOS servo drives in the 100- to 750-watt power range. These new drives use single-phase and three-phase supply systems with input voltages up...

Epoxy lining systems. (Focus on Weighing Systems).
September 1, 2002... Sauereisen introduced FibreCretes, fiber-reinforced, chemically-resistant, 100% solids, epoxy lining systems especially formulated to protect vulnerable concrete and steel from destructive processing chemicals in these environments. ...

Crystallization tanks. (Focus on Weighing Systems).
September 1, 2002... Terlet offers its newly designed crystallization tanks for producing lactose. The unit's bottom-driven agitator design with a special inner cylinder results in a 20 percent improvement in cooling power which ensures a higher lactose yield in...

Shockswitch RFID. (Focus on Weighing Systems).
September 1, 2002... Shockwatch has a new full color spec sheet describing the benefits of its Shockswitch RFID wireless forklift impact monitor and management system. The description covers the unit's key features that include controlling access to operators with...

Software portal. (Focus on Weighing Systems).
September 1, 2002... SuiteVoyager 2.0 is a new software portal for the manufacturing automation industry from Wonderware. The portal's Web accessible, low cost architecture provides the infrastructure to deliver information to a variety of users. It enables anyone...

Micro label application option. (Focus on Weighing Systems).
September 1, 2002... Fox IV Technologies, Inc. announces its new Micro Label Application Option for its line of industrial Printer-Applicators. The Micro Label Application Option enables the printer-applicators to print and automatically apply very small labels....

Infeed conveyor. (Focus on Weighing Systems).
September 1, 2002... Roberts PolyPro Inc. has a new automatic loading system that can be connected directly into the production line to improve finishing efficiency. The Bull Nose Infeed Conveyor provides a continuous flow of carton stacks from an upstream...

Compact controller. (Focus on Weighing Systems).
September 1, 2002... Bosch Rexroth's Electric Drives and Controls division's new Ecodrive DKC 16 controller extends the series to the lower power range. The smaller, more compact design brings the benefits of a larger high power controller at a lower cost. ...

Cataloging tool. (Focus on Weighing Systems).
September 1, 2002... SEW-Eurodrive introduces PT Pilot, an interactive cataloging tool that helps select the power and features needed for specific applications for any machinery or machine system needing a drive. The PT Pilot includes the following resources:...

Dissolved oxygen sensors. (Focus on Weighing Systems).
September 1, 2002... Mettler-Toledo Ingold introduced a dissolved sensor series designed specifically for reliable, in-line measurement in processes under hygienic conditions. The InPro 6800 sensors satisfy requirements for most standard measurement requirements....

Gear unit. (Focus on Weighing Systems).
September 1, 2002... SEW-Eurodrive introduced the F27 Parallel Shaft Helical Gear Unit--the smallest and first all-aluminum unit in the series. Features of the F27 include lightweight, compact design, high torque rating of 1150 lbs-inch, motor power up to 2.0 HP...

Motion controller. (Focus on Weighing Systems).
September 1, 2002... Galil Motion Control has developed new Econo Series DMC-21x2 motion controllers that come in 1-8 axis formats, each with a 10Base-T Ethernet port and a 19.2 KBRS232 port. These DMC-21x2 controllers provide the same performance features as...

High capacity mill. (Focus on Weighing Systems).
September 1, 2002... Quadro, Inc. introduced the Quadro Comil, a high capacity, low dust, low noise, and low energy mill with no metal-to-metal contact. Suitable for use in hazardous environments, the Quadro Comil provides a tight particle size distribution. ...

Size reduction. (Focus on Weighing Systems).
September 1, 2002... Urschel Laboratories, Inc.'s Comitrol Processor Model 1700 can handle granulating, milling, flaking, shredding, slicing, pureeing and liquefying of most free-flowing dry, semi-dry or liquid products. Suitable for processing textured...

Automation platform. (Focus on Weighing Systems).
September 1, 2002... The Foxboro Company's 12-page brochure describes its I/A Series System as a complete sealable automation platform that is updated continuously and easily. The brochure highlights how the I/A Series supports measurable performance improvement...

Wormgears and gear motors. (Focus on Weighing Systems).
September 1, 2002... BNA Bonfiglioli North America, Inc. offers new (EP) Enhanced Protection W Series and VF Series Wormgears and Gearmotors that can be installed in areas requiring high levels of hygiene and corrosion resistance. The unit's USDA and Agriculture...

Electronic rodent controller. (Focus on Weighing Systems).
September 1, 2002... The PestChaser Commercial Electronic Rodent Repeller from Sonic Technology Products, Inc. is specifically designed for food preparation and processing facilities. The Commercial PestChaser emits an ultrasound that is much stronger than...

Heat exchangers. (Focus on Weighing Systems).
September 1, 2002... ITT Standard has heat exchangers ranging from small shell and tube heat exchangers to more sophisticated, precision engineered units of any size or type. Brazepak heat exchangers are suitable for applications requiring high performance in...

Filtration pumps. (Focus on Weighing Systems).
September 1, 2002... Watson-Marlow Bredel has a variety of pumps for filtration purposes in food processing and brewing applications. These pumps can handle delicate, shear, sensitive materials as well as high solid contents and abrasive slurries. While...

Software. (Focus on Weighing Systems).
September 1, 2002... FKI Logistex released its Outbound Productivity Suite (OPS) Version 2.2 order filling software. The OPS Version 2.2 plans, schedules, and manages the coordinated execution of order processing across multiple picking zones while integrating the...

Bulk bag dischargers. (Focus on Weighing Systems).
September 1, 2002... Spiroflow Systems, Inc.'s new bulk bag unloading station incorporates cone valve technology. The two technologies have been combined to offer customers the sanitary advantages of cone valves with the cost benefits of bulk bags. By eliminating...

Particle sizer. (Focus on Weighing Systems).
September 1, 2002... Malvern Instruments Limited introduced its High Performance Particle Sizer (HPPS) to accurately measure a range of high concentration samples such as suspensions and emulsion without the need for dilution. The HPPS features back scatter optics...

Cooker/cooler options. (Focus on Weighing Systems).
September 1, 2002... Lyco Manufacturing, Inc. introduced the Hydro-Flow system which provides for increased water agitation within the cooker/cooler enhancing heat transfer in both the cooking and cooling sections of the machine. This increase in thermal transfer...

Filtering system. (Focus on Weighing Systems).
September 1, 2002... Heinkel Filtering Systems offers clean-in-place (CIP) systems with HF-Inverting Filter Centrifuge. According to the manufacturer, these CIP systems have been tested to determine the proper cleaning, nozzle placement and the overall...

Fieldbus modules. (Focus on Weighing Systems).
September 1, 2002... Foxboro's new I/A Series Fieldbus Modules help users access a wide array of HART field device diagnostics and other asset management information from their I/A Series workstation or a personal computer. Features of the HART Fieldbus Modules...

System cleaning liquid. (Focus on Weighing Systems).
September 1, 2002... Paratherm Corporation introduced Paratherm SC System Cleaning Liquid, a multi-component synergistic fluid compatible with any mineral oil-based thermal fluid and many synthetic fluids. Specially formulated to break up the sludge and carbon...

Industrial OCR software. (Focus on Weighing Systems).
September 1, 2002... Concepts in Computing, Inc. (CIC) recently enhanced its EconoCR industrial optical character recognition (OCR) software for food and beverage manufacturing applications. Compatible with several new environments and processors, the EconoCR...

Flowmaster. (Focus on Weighing Systems).
September 1, 2002... Micropump has a new Ismatec Flowmaster FMT300 tubing pump. It is designed for processes with large flow rates in dusty, humid or corrosive environments and clean room areas. The FMT300 carries an IP65 protection rating and is suitable for...

A C[O.sub.2] solution for juice: fresh, nonthermally treated juice has enormous sales-potential. A new process is emerging from the research lab to accomplish that. (Engineering R&D).
September 1, 2002... JUICE HAS BEEN THE FOCUS OF COUNTLESS R&D hours as engineers and food scientists attempt to create affordable processes that retain the flavor and nutritional benefits of fresh squeezed juice while minimizing the spoilage organisms and...