< Previous20 Food & Drink Internationalwww.fdiforum.netLOADING BAYS AND DOORSNewCold brings advancedcold dispatch bays to UKFast growing frozen warehousing and distribution company, NewColdAdvanced Cold Logistics is now able to provide full pan-European frozen foodsupply chain services for its customers after setting up cold stores in the UK,France, Germany and Poland. NewCold dispatch bays are kept at -20C to maintain cold chain integrityand maximise product quality, while most conventional stores prepare palletsfor despatch in chilled or ambient bays. Automation rules at the site, withautomation used to retrieve and prepare orders minimising human error andas a result of this, stock control and stock accuracy are industry leading. The fully automated storage plant ensures cold chain integrity where minimal handling helps reduce temperature fluctuations. For example,when the doors of a truck open they do so into the frozen environment so that there is no risk of the product being exposed to ambient air.Speed is also impressive at the site. A bespoke-designed conveyor system with shuttle cars and buffer lanes will handle 600 pallets moving inand out every hour. Electronic key cards, iris recognition andkeyless entry devices all offersafeguards but come with the addedbenefit of doing away with theantiquated and easily exploited notionof lock and keys. 3D modelling software is becomingmore commonplace across the supplychain, from the design of a new productto augmenting existing loading anddistribution systems. This softwareallows the exact specifications of aloading bay to be mapped out digitallyand in incredible detail, meaning thespecific variables of any given load canbe addressed ahead of time. Businessesare now able to troubleshoot any issuesthat could arise in a digital context, andexplore new ideas. For workers thismeans having a greater understandingof the spaces in which they are requiredto work in, which could mean lessworkplace casualties and a moreefficient workforce. A business couldalso use this mapping software to sendto drivers ahead of their arrival, so theyhave a forensic understanding of thefacility, product and the specificationsof the loading bay and act accordingly. Modular loading docks and mobileplatforms are likewise being used withincreasing frequency, given the flexibleand practical gains they offer over fixedraised loading docks. This proliferationof modular technology also offers amuch wider variety of uses than that oftheir traditional stationary counterparts,meaning that docks of this kind are noweven more beneficial to businesses. Andthese latest solutions combine thefunctionality and flexibility of modularsolutions with smart design such asbeing made from durable steel andincorporating anti-skid floor coatingsand bumper supports to provide extradurability. It also strengthens existingsafety levels, ensuring that workers staysafe and that the company is betterprotected from litigious action from adisgruntled or injured worker. For anyone who’s ever travelled bytrain, the “mind the gap” signage will befamiliar, and as much as they preservethe safety of passengers, it also throwsup an important issue for loading goodsonto vehicles. For this reason, docklevellers are becoming a more familiarsight. They’re basically a cylinderpowered platform which can be used tobridge the gap between loading baysand distribution vehicles irrespective ofheight or distance. This relatively simpletechnology offers significant gains bypreventing costly spillages and workercasualties. As with the wheel, reinventing thedoor itself isn’t necessary, but that’s notto say that the materials and processesused in its manufacture are sacrosanct.And so it is with the ubiquitous baydoor, as while they may outwardly lookthe same, the technology and materialsthat have gone into their design andassembly are cutting edge. More oftenthan not, it’s what remains unseen thatis having the greatest effect. Loadingbays that preserve temperatures andmodelling software are helping tosafeguard product integrity, minimisedowntime and make for a moreefficiency supply chain.18-20_Layout 1 01/02/2017 09:39 Page 3Food & Drink International 21www.fdiforum.netGEARS, DRIVES AND VALVESWith the onset of the National LivingWage, the Brexit expected to squeezethe wealth of the country and ahundred other factors, what hasbecome clear to food and drinkmanufacturers is that they need toimprove efficiency to stay competitive.The industry is one with low margins asit is, and many fear it will be unable tokeep up or compete with Europeanrivals, not to mention those evenfurther away. Automation is set to be the solutionto this, and is something the UK hasalready fallen drastically behind on. Nota crippling blow just yet, manymanufacturers have begun to see thewriting on the wall and are investing.Automation as a whole is set to benefit,but there is also an integral industryattached to this, which is sure to shine.These are the gears, drives and valvesindustries – who, without theseimportant additions, automationequipment would not function.Despite innovations in technology,automation is not without its potentialpitfalls, most obviously when it comesto the reliability and the quality of thegears and drives used to power themachinery. In the food and drink sectorthere’s an additional challenge in termsof safety and hygiene, where thepotential for food to get caught up insmall parts can be very great. It’stherefore vitally important that effectivegears and drives are selected andmaintained.It’s likely that many manufacturersDrivingthe process22 ÁWith the need forautomation becomingclearer than ever, it’snot just machinerymanufacturers whoare set to benefit. Thegears, drives andvalves industries willbe at the forefront ofthe revolution.21-23_Layout 1 01/02/2017 09:41 Page 122 Food & Drink Internationalwww.fdiforum.netGEARS, DRIVES AND VALVESMadi Ventura’s factory benefits fromnew weigher/bagmaker comboAn Ishida iTPS (Integrated Total Packaging System) is delivering a fast payback oninvestment at Italian dried fruit and nut supplier Madi Ventura.The new Ishida multihead weigher and bagmaker combination at Madi Ventura’sfactory in Chieve, which was supplied by Ishida’s Italian agent Itech Italia, has replacedtwo packing lines for the company’s ranges of pine kernels, shelled and blanchedalmonds, hazel nuts and walnuts, delivering speeds of up to 140 packs per minute forpillow bags in 50g, 75g and 100g sizes.The Ishida iTPS comprises Ishida’s latest 14-head RV multihead weigher, integratedwith the company’s advanced Atlas-204 snack food bagmaker. The Atlas incorporatesan innovative double rotary jaw motion and superior control technology, whichminimises raw material waste, film loss and downtime for film changes.Key benefits of the Ishida system, according to Madi Ventura, are its accuracy, consistency and ease of operation.Dried fruit and nut products are expensive so accuracy is particularly vital. “Giveaway has been reduced to less than 1%,” said Madi Ventura’soperations director Giuseppe Calvini.will have reviewed their gears anddrives on a regular basis now thatelectric motors have been required tomeet the IE2 standard of energyefficiency. These efficiency ratings arebased on a European standard with IE2requiring high efficiency, similar to theold Eff1 voluntary standard which hasnow been discontinued. The latestmotors available for the food and drinkindustry all reach these standards, aswell as meeting other standards, suchas those that allow them to be used inexplosive atmospheres.High quality gears and drives canhelp to not only reduce inefficiency, butalso reduce the need for maintenanceand repair. In an industry where eventhe smallest amount of unexpecteddowntime can influence the ability tomeet orders, this is not only a preferredoutcome – but an absolute necessity. As always, the allure of low-costalternatives or sub-standard gears anddrives is one of the factors holdingback many in the food and drinkindustry, particularly given the UK’sculture of being frugal with investment.In this regard we might look to ourEuropean neighbours, who preferquality and long-term benefit overinitial expenditure, and have much morecompetitive food and drink brands as aresult. When it comes to thecomponents which run and operate themachinery that keeps our factoriesrunning, the old maxim `buy cheap, buytwice` should certainly be considered.When it comes to the valves industry,the demand for the elimination ofpreservatives from food and beveragesis set to drive demand higher than ever.Transparency Market Research hasshown that many large players in thevalves industry have taken to investingin developing regions and emergingmarkets in order to cater to the hugepotential there. The research report alsoclaims that the global hygienic andaseptic valves market is set to increasefrom $6 billion in 2015, to $9 billion in2025 – an increase of 50% in just asingle decade. Of the various types of valvesavailable, hygienic single seat valves areexpected to do the best, outperformingall other segments and acquiring afigure close to 26% of the globalmarket. This is due to the ability ofthese valves to meet the strict andvaried requirements pertaining toaseptic and hygienic process in the21-23_Layout 1 01/02/2017 09:41 Page 2Food & Drink International 23www.fdiforum.netGEARS, DRIVES AND VALVESWrigley Polandboostefficiency withvacuumconveyer Wrigley Poland has moved towardsprocess automation by simplifying itsconveying process to reduce downtime.With the Piab system in place, thereis less downtime during themanufacturing of pressed mints andpellet form gum, as the vacuumconveyor and filters are very easy toclean. Since installing the conveyors,Wrigley Poland has reduced cleaningtime by about 70%, while maintenancehas been reduced to periodicalreplacement of filters only.Wrigley also reports that the previoussystem cost the company twice asmuch as the Piab solution at the samecapacity, and was much less reliable.The new conveyors are also moreefficient, as their design improves thevacuum-assisted flow by 25% withoutaffecting energy consumption.Vacuum conveying also offers quick,efficient and convenient solutions forreclaim applications aimed atminimising waste and maximisingproductivity.piFLOW® vacuum conveyors meetthe demands of the global foodindustry. Offering low noise andcontained conveying, ATEX certification,compliance with FDA and EU1935/2004 regulations.food and drink industry. Much of this comes in comparisonto the rest of the food and drinkindustry, who often show somereluctance to face new laws andregulations on the issue of hygiene.This is perhaps understandable giventhe upsetting nature new regulationhas on a well-run process, but thevalves industry flourishes in suchdifficult times due to its focus andability on controlling and improvinghygiene. What goes hand in hand withthese industries is the maintenanceand monitoring of machinery,especially in identifying when thesecomponents might need to bereplaced. Electrical, X-ray and goodold regular inspections are alwaystouted as the most reliable forms ofmonitoring, with the least desirablebeing to wait until something goeswrong. A new player into the market,however, is vibration monitoring. Theprocess is relatively simple, althoughmore advanced technology andinvestment will allow for closermonitoring. Essentially, it operateson the principle of identifying howmuch vibration a machine, belt orprocess normally experiences whenrunning at peak efficiency, and thenmonitors this to alert line managerswhen the vibrations enter whatmight be considered an unusualterritory.Some vibration from the operationof gears and drives is expected, ofcourse, but by looking fordiscrepancies or sudden leaps, it’spossible to isolate components thathave begun to wear down, longbefore they start to cause problems.In machines that work withoutvibration, this method is even moreapplicable, as any vibration at allmight indicate the need formaintenance or replacement. Getting on top of these problemsearly helps to ensure the processcontinues to run smoothly – and ingetting the best results from thesecomponents, a little vetting onsuppliers is always advised. The firstoffer one receives might not alwaysbe the best, even if the price seemsright. Like many esteemed and well-known manufacturers, it’s notunusual to find companies who havespecialised in gears, drives andvalves for many decades, showingtheir extreme prowess andexperience in the industry. 21-23_Layout 1 01/02/2017 09:41 Page 324 Food & Drink Internationalwww.fdiforum.netPACKAGING SPOTLIGHTProduct innovation hasdramatically changed howwe think about foodpackaging, and thesynergy between productand package reflectcurrent and future trends. Food packaging comes in almost asmany variations as the products theyhouse, existing at the intersection ofaesthetic appeal, functionality andproduct integrity. A package must atonce convey nutritional informationwith appealing graphics, and protectthe product inside from contaminatesand impairment. Suffice it to say,balancing these facets is far from easy. Packaging doesn’t exist in a vacuumand is vulnerable to the whims ofconsumer taste and regulatory control.Changes in taste likely facilitated theparadigm shift in modern packaging.Where once packages were acornucopia of colour and brashgraphics, designers and manufacturershave moved with the times to reflectthe growing preference for cleaner,more wholesome food. Softer naturalcolours are more prevalent, betterrepresenting (or appearing torepresent) the natural quality of theproduct inside. Consumers can likewisebe attributed with the rising trend forquick, easy, yet nutritious food. For thesnacking and food-to-go markets,offering products with the minimum ofmess and fuss posed a significantchallenge. Now, it seems, the market isawash with such solutions permeatingthe home food market. Packaging isinseparable from such innovations, andin many cases enables them, as in thecase of ovenable high temperaturepackaging. This on-trend innovation has realisedand legitimised a new category, whereraw protein such as chicken or fish canbe taken directly from the fridge andput into the oven without the consumerever needing to touch the product.Without the need to interact with rawprotein, consumers can significantly cutthe risk of food poisoning.Campylobacter has been attributed to280,000 cases in the UK alone, leadingto some 100 deaths every year. Suchstark statistics ensure that ovenablepackaging for meat products is moredesirable than ever. The proof is in thefigures, and 30 per cent of chickenproducts are now sold using roastingbag technology. If there’s one trend that will mostdefinitely see a greater marketproliferation in the coming years, thenit’s combination packaging. Packagingof this kind is at the cutting edge oftaste profiles and consumer habits,fulfilling existing needs but also servingto set future trends. In a collaborativeagreement with Tri-Star Packaging,Colpac – one of the UK’s leadingdesigners and manufacturers of foodpackaging solutions – has created aninnovative microwaveable foodpackaging concept. The move follows arequest from a leading UK restaurantPerfectpackaging 24-33_Layout 1 01/02/2017 09:43 Page 1Food & Drink International 25www.fdiforum.netPACKAGING SPOTLIGHTchain to Tri-Star for a home deliverypackaging solution, in keeping with itspremium food and image. Gourmet 24.7 is a unique pack thatoffers a multi-functional solution,enabling restaurants to pack both wetand dry dishes into a single packcombination. Fully recyclable, the packis also visually enticing and can becustomised to offer a creativepackaging solution for food outletswanting to maintain the quality andfreshness of their in-house dishes intheir take out proposition.Stackable and quick to assemble, thepack encompass four interchangeablepieces – two primary base cartons(large and small) a thermoformed tray,and a lid. These pieces create sevenpossible combinations providing chefswith the ability to pack several dishes,both wet and dry, into one packcombination. The large primary base(1000ml) is constructed from aspecialist board, which can be printedto feature any customised design, whilethe tray provides a ‘cork’ effect to theprimary base ensuring no product isemitted, whilst acting as a secondarybase for additional food items. The lidcan also double up as a plate to pickand share with others. Though they may not realise it,consumers interact with thermoformedfood packaging almost on a daily basis.It makes up a significant portion of theindustry, containing salad, snacks, readymeals etc. The shifts towards healthier,yet perpetually busier, lifestyles coupledwith the need for more attractivepresentation is ensuring the marketkeeps growing. It’s difficult to conceiveof a food-to-go market without theprevalence of thermoformed packages.RPC Bebo is Europe’s leadingmanufacturer of innovativethermoformed packaging, providingeffective solutions for a wide range ofmarkets including spreads, frozen andambient shelf stable foods, coffeecapsules and dairy products, amongothers. As well as its standard range, italso works in tandem with customers inthe creation of tailor-made packs,developed specifically to meet theirneeds. Transparency in the supply chainoffers consumers and suppliers peaceof mind, creating a two wayrelationship, one which is becomingever more important in the digitalenvironment we all move in. The rise intransparent packaging is no27 ÁPHOTO: COLPACPHOTO: LEYBOLD24-33_Layout 1 01/02/2017 09:43 Page 2T. Freemantle Ltd is the UK Market Leading manufacturer of Cartoning and Sleeving equipment. The equipment is simple, robust and reliable and proven to be easy to operate, simple to maintain with a fast unskilled size change. From simple manually operated machinery through to fully automac high speed systems, we have a machine to suit almost every cartoning and sleeving applicaon. We have the full range of equipment on show at our UK demonstraon facility and invite you to try the machines out for yourself. The UK Market LeaderSpecialists in Sleeving Experts in Cartoning Call us on 01724 276908 Email the sales team at sales@tfreemantle.com 24-33_Layout 1 01/02/2017 09:43 Page 3Food & Drink International 27www.fdiforum.netPACKAGING SPOTLIGHTIntelligent packaging of CONVENIENCE FOOD.ATS-Tanner Banding Systems (UK) Ltd | Elstree, Herts, WD6 3SY | Phone +44 20 8736 4085 | ats-tanner.ukFOODGRAPHICSLOGISTICSMERCHANDISINGPHARMMANUFACTURINGcoincidence, as food producers want toshow off the aesthetic appeal of theirproducts or convey its nutritional valueor freshness. In each case, the windowpack ticks all boxes. It’s not just amatter of visual stimuli either, withmore of the product itself on display,the labelling no longer has to fulfil thatfunction. Why bother designing andprinting an image of the food producton the label only to have it alongside aclear window into the product?Labelling can subsequently be smaller,letting the product speak for itself.Graphics and nutritional information arestill necessary, both regulatory and foron shelf appeal, but modern packagingis marked out with a reliance on theproduct to augment its labelling ratherthan the other way around. The global packaging film marketmakes up a significant portion of theentire packaging market, and is tippedfor greater growth in the years to come.The main drivers stem from thedemand from the food and beverageindustry itself, as while the applicationsof films in diversified markets are29 Á24-33_Layout 1 01/02/2017 09:43 Page 428 Food & Drink Internationalwww.fdiforum.netwyuoyLeybold UK Ltd. Unit 9 Silverglade Business Park Leatherhead Road Chessington Surrey · KT9 2QLT +44(0)1372 737 300 F +44(0)1372 737 301 sales.ln@leybold.comwww.leybold.comDRYVAC - Keeps your Food Packaging and Processing lines running at all times!rvyRugged, reliable and durable dry pumps for food packaging and standard processing applications• Pumping speed from 450 to 1,200 m3/h• Ultimate pressure ≤ 5 x 10-3 mbar• Flexible inlet arrangement and extremely compact design allowing localisation in the packaging machine and reduction of cycle time• Wash down compatible (with remote frequency converter)• Highest energy efficiency with available stand-by capability• Oxygen version available for MAP packaging of red meat@rpc_groupwww.rpc-group.com©2017 RPC Group Plc. All rights reserved.RPC – THE ESSENTIAL INGREDIENT24-33_Layout 1 01/02/2017 09:43 Page 5Food & Drink International 29www.fdiforum.netPACKAGING SPOTLIGHTVisit our website for more information about our creative combination packaging solutions and our wide range of sustainable food packaging:BRITISH FOOD PACKAGING DESIGNER & MANUFACTURERwww.colpacpackaging.com enquiries@colpac.co.uk | +44 (0) 1525 712 261Visit us atSTAND D10numerous, it is predominately for foodand beverage products that films areused. Packaging films are used toincrease the shelf life of variousproducts such as meat, snacks andbiscuits, and even fruits and vegetables.These films help to maintain the overalltexture and quality of the productinside, as well as conveyingmanufacturing and nutritionalinformation and offering an appealingpackage besides. Packaging can be utilised in the fightagainst food waste, from prolonging theshelf life of the product inside, to usingless resources in its own manufacture.Yet one of the greatest vulnerabilities tofood and beverage products is whatgoes unseen – namely air. Air in aproduct can contribute towards itsrapid decomposition, rendering it unfitfor consumption. Removing oxygenfrom food containers is critical inextending its shelf life, something thathas become even more important asconsumers and retailers come face toface with the stark reality of foodwaste. As vacuum technology pioneerLeybold explains, the intent is totypically remove oxygen from thecontainer to extend shelf life of foodsand, with flexible package forms, toreduce the volume of the contents andpackage. By reducing the oxygenresidual contents, the growth of aerobicbacterial is limited and the shelf life canbe usually be extended by a factor of 5to 10. Leybold adds that vacuumpackaging also prevents evaporation ofvolatile components, protecting theflavour and texture, and reducing freezeburn by protecting the food from thedry cold air. Corrugated packaging is topmostamong paperboard packaging,recognised as much for its efficient andhygienic profile as its environmentalattributes. It offers an advantageous forretailers, offering an ideal means ofdistribution as well as boasting shelfappeal, ready to display products in anefficient way in what is a fast pacedretail environment. This kind ofpackaging also has an excellentenvironmental profile, typically31 Á24-33_Layout 1 01/02/2017 09:43 Page 6Next >