< Previous20 Food & Drink Internationalwww.fdiforum.netCLEAN AIR SOLUTIONSPHOTO: SHUTTERSTOCK.COM/NOLTE LOURENSWe all know the dangers of dust controlwithin factories. With bulk ingredientsbeing loaded and unloaded to producespecific, accurate recipes, granular ormicroscopic elements of food can end upaccumulating if not controlled. This meansthat even the slightest spark can causeexplosions or even fire within areas withhigh concentrations of both people andexpensive machinery. Keeping products contained is oneoption, but air conditioning, venting and airtreatment can come in useful in avoidingaccumulations in the first place. Onesolution many factories and preparationareas look to is thorough cleaning, usingboth the smaller handheld and the larger,centralised vacuum systems, meaning dust iseffectively kept away from danger areas andis not allowed to build up. Solutions thatuse a central vacuum for multiple areas of aproduction line now often come withenvironmental concerns addressed. Variablespeeds and economic cycles of use can meanenergy consumption is monitored, ensuringboth your safety and production costs areaddressed.It’s not just the accumulation elementyou need to be aware of, but the safety andcomfort of staff too. Working in anenvironment that not only requiresconcentration and repetitive work, manyworkers cannot work to their full potentialif they are further stifled by intense heat,dust in the air and particulates getting intheir hair and skin. Because there is aninherent duty of care to companies’operatives, respiratory illnesses or heatexhaustion need to be avoided andindustrial air conditioning can make thiseasier. Factories do not need to be kept in achilled condition, rather the flow of airthrough a working area needs to bemaintained, alleviating discomfort andimproving productivity. Occupationalasthma and respiratory irritation fromexposure to flour dust, for example, cancause you and your workforce seriousproblems. Exposure limits for flour dust inparticular have been set since 2002, with acertain concentration of dust allowed pershift a worker is on duty. Combatting thiswith specific extraction systems can workwonders and is really worth looking into.Heat also being an issue can be solved bycompanies like Arden Environmental. Withkitchen emissions particularly prevalent inthe Foodservice industry, extraction of hotor overbearing heat can be useful. Thosepreparing food will be less uncomfortableand food will not be affected by humidity,dampness or condensation which can lead toloss in quality or taste for consumers. Use ofcarbon filtration can also mean less odoursemanating from such food preparation areasand affecting custom of restaurants orcatering areas wanting to maintain a cleanand professional environment.Ridding production areas of unpleasantodours and smells is also an issue food anddrink manufacturers are constantly comingup against. Recent developments mean thatA breath ofFRESH AIR?The food and drink industry is rife with environmental standards and legislationand maintaining a clean, pleasant and safe atmosphere is important. Here, welook into what measures you might need to take inside and out.Above: Breweries often produce fumes that arestrong-smelling and pungent, especially whenorganic materials like hops are used.Left: Strong smells can affect your reputationlocally, so investing in some measures tocombat them being overpowering whenescaping production facilities is wise.Top right: Foodservice kitchens can becomedangerously hot as well as producing odours,so clean air solutions are equally in demand inthis area.20-21:Layout 1 22/3/13 12:05 Page 1Food & Drink International 21www.fdiforum.netCLEAN AIR SOLUTIONSPHOTO: SHUTTERSTOCK.COM/PANDAPAWPHOTO: SHUTTERSTOCK.COM/VR PHOTOSfor the brewery industry in particular,unpleasant odours produced from thebrewing process are contained or at leastfiltered before being expelled via vents,rather than surrounding the area with asmell that is offensive to many. One issuefor many companies that work withparticularly strong or overpowering smells isthat the local area will associate theproduction facility with that smell and thiscould manifest itself as negative PR. In asimilar way to water treatment, contributingunpleasant or environmentally-damagingelements into the surrounding area meansyour reputation is tarnished and businessrelationships with local supply chains maywell suffer. Filters and air cleaning options arereadily available and can be fitted almostseamlessly to production lines. This can beas simple as fitting bag housing to deliverychannels on a line or through effectivelyclosing the amount of space available forparticles of products to escape into theatmosphere. If product needs to beexpelled through vents, chimneys or otherwaste pipes, filters can mean as much ofthe odorous element is taken out aspossible. This can be the more oilyelements of fumes which can taint the airin the local area or the drier, moremicroscopic particles which can accumulateand annoy the local population. One real problem manufacturers cancome up against is tainting of productswith particular odours that stick aroundlong after the product has left the line.Heavy spices or flavourings can linger andfood prepared in the same area can end upentering other foods you don’t intend totaste the same. Removing these odoursthrough extraction or air conditioning iscertainly advisable. Porous food such asfruit, vegetables, bread or bakery items willeasily absorb odours, be it through lack ofadequate cleaning of production equipmentor other food being prepared close by.Isolating particularly flavoursome productsis not always possible so having rapidextraction equipment available is alwaysadvisable. Some creative thinking may be needed,but air treatment and maintaining a clear,clean operation is essential. Leaving any ofthese elements to chance is a risk as it canquickly become a problem. Improving theenvironment your staff work in as well asthose in the immediate area will no doubthave untold advantages too, be it staffloyalty, local prestige or an increase inproductivity and therefore a rise in profitsand cuts in costs.ArdenEnvironmentalLimitedTel: 01789 488555 Fax: 01789 488122fd.enquiries@ardenair.comwww.ardenair.comElectrostatic Air Cleaning – Dust and Fume Control – Ventilation – Planned Service and Maintenance20-21:Layout 1 22/3/13 12:05 Page 222 Food & Drink Internationalwww.fdiforum.netMACHINERY & EQUIPMENT SPOTLIGHTThe food and drink industry has alwaysbeen at the forefront of advancedmanufacturing – and that’s a sector whichis likely to prove highly valuable in theyears to come to create a faster-moving,more efficient industry.A number of bonuses are now availablefor companies who want to invest in newequipment. In the UK government’sAutumn Statement, for example, theChancellor pledged to increase theAnnual Investment Allowance for plantand machinery ten-fold from £25,000 to£250,000. This provides the opportunityfor companies to claim 100% capitalallowances against their earnings on up toa quarter of a million pounds ofequipment a year, for the two years fromJanuary.Food and Drink Federation DirectorGeneral Melanie Leech welcomes thechange, saying, “As the UK’s largestmanufacturing sector and with a visionshared with government to grow thesector by 20% by 2020, this is great news,particularly for an industry whichencompasses businesses of all sizes – fromglobal companies choosing to invest in theUK through to SMEs looking to growtheir operations in response to growingoverseas demand for food and drinkproducts.”Famously UK companies have been lessenthusiastic than others across the worldin introduction automation and otherequipment, so this could proveparticularly valuable. Mike Wilson,Chairman of the British Automation andRobot Association, points out, “It is a realconcern many sectors still do notunderstand the potential implications ofnot automating. Countries such as China,Germany and most of the major Europeanmanufacturing nations are investingheavily in automation to sustaincompetitive advantage. Part of theproblem in the UK is a short termapproach and the perception that thepayback period is longer than it often is.”This could certainly kick-startinvestment in new projects, though it’snot perhaps an invitation for companiesto buy machinery simply for the sake of it.Businesses intending to invest need tocarefully consider their machineryrequirements over the next decade or so,taking into account the inevitableadvances in precision technology andcontinued pressure to expand operations,together with fluctuations in exchangerates. The potential to be left withobsolete or ineffective machineryGo withthe flowCompanies are enjoying increased profits and faster movingsupply chains by investing in machinery22-33:Layout 1 22/3/13 12:23 Page 1Food & Drink International 23www.fdiforum.netotherwise is very great.As Kliklok International points out,selecting the right packaging equipment isa crucial decision for the success of anyproduct, particularly in the food industry.Food manufacturers shouldn’t just look attheir current productionrequirements when sourcing newpackaging equipment, but theyshould look to see if potential newmachinery has the flexibility toadapt to future growth. As Michelle Newman of Kliklokasks, “Does the new packagingmachine have the ability to integrate anautomatic product-loading unit in thefuture which would save further labour?Does the new packaging machine have aquick and simple size change procedurefrom one product to the next? Does ithave easy, operator-friendly controls usingan icon based touch screen? All thesefactors come into play to ensure maximumefficiency and minimal productiondowntime.“In addition, any potential newmachinery should be able to comply witha customer’s factory’s hygiene and safetyrequirements. If necessary, the machinerysupplier should be able to be customisethe equipment to suit any company’sparticular mechanical or electricalspecification preferences. If increasedefficiency and production down-time is tobe avoided, food manufacturers shouldlook for a long-established machinerysupplier with a proven history ofdependable after-sales spares and serviceback-up. These are all essentialrequirements when deciding on newpackaging equipment, to ensure efficientand reliable production for the foodmanufacturer.”The introduction of machinery in theproduction process does inevitably lead todiscussions over its quality and safety.The Machinery Directive now requiresthat all machinery and production systemsfor use within the EU havedocumentation in place of the productdesign processes to ensure adherence witha single set of safety standards that span24 The most recent lubricantdevelopments contribute toeconomical and successful plantand machine operation, asKluber Lubrication illustrateKliklok’s SFR150with Smart Beltinfeed is provinghighly valuablefor their clients22-33:Layout 1 22/3/13 12:23 Page 224 Food & Drink Internationalwww.fdiforum.netVessel & Tank WeighingPlatform ScalesWeight Indicators & Control SystemsMACHINERY & EQUIPMENT SPOTLIGHTthe whole of Europe. This meansmanufacturers of machinery must haveplanning, risk assessment and documentmanagement processes in place todemonstrate their compliance with thesestandards.Manufacturers are now obliged to meetwith EN ISO 13849-1:2008, whichemphasises the reliability of machines.This doesn’t mean they will nevermalfunction, as wear and tear affects allmachinery, but the standard means themachines must have a safety controlaspect and, when this finally deterioratesover the extended operation of themachine, clear warnings are then apparentto all those who use it, such as preventingthe machine from starting up. Protocolssuch as openSAFETY are also valuable inallowing companies to identify faults moreefficiently than ever before.Umbrella organisations such as theEuropean Hygienic Engineering andDesign Group allow companies to benefitfrom best practice and the newest ideas inresearch and development. Conveyorspecialists Wire Belt have elevated theirindividual membership of EHEDG to fullcompany membership which emphasisestheir commitment to best practice. An example of EHEDG’s value to theindustry comes with the recent launch ofits new group devoted entirely to bakeryequipment. Chaired by Dr GerhardHauser in Germany, the experts who haveset up this group are aiming to create acommonly accepted technical guideline forthe bakery industry with a specific focuson the cleanability of equipment used inNew talent is helping the industry innovate. Here,students visit behind the scenes at UnitedBiscuits’ McVitie’s factory in Manchester as partof the See Inside Manufacturing scheme. PHOTO: BEN PAGE PHOTOGRAPHY/FOOD AND DRINK FEDERATION22-33:Layout 1 22/3/13 12:23 Page 3Food & Drink International 25www.fdiforum.netMACHINERY & EQUIPMENT SPOTLIGHTExperts in automac packaging systems for the food industry - Cartoning Sleeving Product handlingwww.kliklok-int.comall manufacturing stages, in relation tohygienic production processes as well asadequate storage and cleaning methods.The end result of the discussions andmeetings will, hopefully, be a documentthat will provide practical guidance in thehygiene requirements in equipment andplants used in the bakery industry. Settingup a group like this illustrates thenumerous challenges that areunique to specific parts of thefood and drink industry – thebakery sector, for example, mustdeal with high product diversity, mix-upof dry and wet cleaning sections, re-contamination risks, raw material deliveryand packaging areas and it requires theintroduction of machinery to deal withthis. The bakery group is welcomingcontributions from those within the sectoracross Europe to provide further direction.So far the bakery group’s members areall German companies, but they areparticularly interested in hearing frompotential members from other nations.Germany has long been renowned withinEurope as the market leader when itcomes to machinery and they are alsomaking great strides in energy efficiency.The German Engineering FederationVDMA runs the sustainability initiativeBlue Competence, which highlights thesectors strengths, including processes thatreduce energy consumption, save rawmaterials and reduce emissions to aminimum.It’s reported by VDMA that the energy26 Umbrella organisationssuch as the European HygienicEngineering and Design Group allowcompanies to benefit from best practiceand the newest ideas in researchand development.22-33:Layout 1 22/3/13 12:23 Page 426 Food & Drink Internationalwww.fdiforum.netMACHINERY & EQUIPMENT SPOTLIGHTsavings across the engineering sector compared to 2000, thanks tomoves towards energy efficiency, have now been enough to meetthe energy demands of every home in Germany, Austria andSwitzerland, and it’s expected that these will double within thenext decade.Small changes to the machinery used in food production havemade a major contribution to these figures. For example, modernpump systems allow the food and drink industry to achievenumerous energy-saving effects – highly efficient motors, frequencyconverters with a variable rotational speed, hydraulic equalisationof the hot water network and temperature-dependent regulationhelp to deliver a 50% lower level of consumption. When it comesto ventilation, meanwhile, more advanced designs such as radialfans will in future make it possible to achieve efficiency levels ofup to 80%. The current efficient fans already ensure some 43million kWh is being saved across Europe each year.Taking part in schemes and initiatives such as these don’t justhave an effect on a company’s bottom line – they also helpillustrate that the business is serious about their environmentalresponsibility and allows them to meet the increasingly stringentdemands many of the leading retailers make on their suppliers. Asautomation becomes commonplace across all sectors, and supplychains become increasingly fast-moving, companies that make themost effective use of machinery are well-placed to outscore theirrivals.Control SystemsX-RayProduct & OCMLabellingPrintersThermal TransferTop or SideBox LabellingWeigh-Price-Labellersincluding C-Wrap applicaonscan using your smart phone or go to www.bizerba.comCheckweighersCWE for moist areas, CWE-Dry for packed dry products and CWP Neptune for wet areas01442 240751 info@bizerba.co.uk www.bizerba.comBizerba UK Limited, 2-4 Erica Road, Stacey Bushes, Milton Keynes, MK12 6HSOrganisations such as the PPMA,whose show is incorporated in thisJune’s Total Processing andPackaging Exhibition, emphasisethe value of a more efficientapproachWhen it comesto ventilation, meanwhile, moreadvanced designs such as radialfans will in future make it possible toachieve efficiency levelsof up to 80%.22-33:Layout 1 22/3/13 12:23 Page 5MACHINERY & EQUIPMENT SPOTLIGHTPallet load stabilityaddressed byAetna GroupWastage causedby insufficient orincorrectpackaging,especially in thedrinks industry, iscosting companiesdearly, accordingto a recent report.Most of thedamage is incurredbetween factoryand retailer, and correct pallet wrapping would result in both costsavings through reduced product damage whilst in transit and lowerpackaging costs.The problem has been addressed by Aetna Group. It has made asizeable investment in a new facility in Italy where customers canhave their pallets tested and monitored on a special acceleration sledto ensure that they are as secure as possible in transit.Roger Cope, Technical Manager at Aetna Group UK, says, “Thepallet needs to be made as safe as possible using the least amount offilm. Correct wrapping, not just more wrapping, is the key toavoiding damage.”On the back of this, the company has developed its revolutionary‘Cube’ technology, which establishes the optimum wrap for the palletto achieve a stable load. It is able to put more film, or a thicker film,where there is greatest stress, notably at the bottom or in the middleof the load.Roger Cope says, “The main difference between this system andprevious ones is that it is a proactivesystem that already knows exactlywhere, how much, and what filmshould be used. Because Cubetechnology does not create anyunnecessary force, it allows forcheaper, or even damaged, film tobe used and stretched up to400%. It is taking film to thelimit. Importantly for theindustry, this technologycan be appliedretrospectively toexisting Aetnaequipment.”.For more information, call+44 (0)1234 825050 or visit www.aetnagroup.co.uk.Food & Drink International 27www.fdiforum.net22-33:Layout 1 22/3/13 12:23 Page 622-33:Layout 1 22/3/13 12:23 Page 7Food & Drink International 29www.fdiforum.netMACHINERY & EQUIPMENT SPOTLIGHTSolo Italia, one of the leading producers of delicious desserts in Italy, haseight production lines to supply domestic and international customers withmore than 14,000 tons of sweets every year. For the production of itsfamous Tiramisu tartlets Solo Italia relies on highly precise weighingtechnology provided by OCS Checkweighers. To meet the rising demand for its chilled Tiramisu desserts, Solo Italiadecided to increase throughput rates, selecting OCS Checkweighers thanksto their reputation and technological knowledge.Ivan Filippazzi, the CTO of Solo Italia says: “We have been promisedthroughput rates of up to 450 items per minute in the past, but this rate hasnever been implemented successfully”. To find alternatives, Filippazzi started to scan the international market.“We contacted a range of established companies in the sector of dynamicweighing technology and decided to proceed with OCS in October 2011”.Carlo Secondi is the director of the Italian subsidiary of Wipotec, theparent company of OCS Checkweighers. Following contact with Solo Italia,he and product manager Stefano Girardi came together to discuss the idealsolution for the company. The result is a combination checkweigher typeHC-A with integrated metal detector. Scales of this series meet the highestprecision and throughput requirements expected from today’s dynamicweighing systems. Depending on the field of application the checkweigher series HC-A isable to reach a throughput rate of up to 600 verified weighing processes perminute. Speed however is not the only criterion for quality.OCS also focus on precision, resting on an advanced, extremely rigid andsturdy stainless steel base frames, the sophisticated Weigh Cell rendersextremely precise weighing results even at ultra-high throughput rates. When the Tiramisu tartlets reach the weighing conveyor of thecheckweigher they are completely sealed with a plastic foil. Within afraction of a second the weighing system determines the weight of eachindividual plastic cup precisely. When an imperfect product is detected anair nozzle blows the affected dessert portion into a lockable rejection bin.Items whose weight is correct remain on the conveyor and are guided to ametal detector that thoroughly scans them for foreign objects. If necessary, acup is immediately ejected into a second rejection bin. If the dessert passesboth tests, it is taken to a cartoner which adds outer packaging and ensuresproducts are ready to be shipped to retailers. The official verification seal that is attached to the checkweigher provesthat the system is certified to carry out up to 480 weighing processes perminute legal to trade. This results in an impressive inspection speed of 1.4metres per second.According to Filippazzi the system, which requires hardly anymaintenance, convinces both by its ease of operation and by its reliability. OCS Checkweighers, Ltd (Witney)Tel: 01993 701970Info.uk@ocs-cw.comPRODUCT INSPECTION OCS weigh aheadwith more speedThe demand for higher throughput rates in the production of desserts has given OCS Checkweighersa considerable advantage over their competitors.Highly precise weighing of theTiramisu tartletsA metal detector checks thedesserts reliably for foreign objectsDynamic weighing technologyprovided by OCS Checkweighers22-33:Layout 1 22/3/13 12:23 Page 8Next >