INTERNATIONALFood&DrinkFood&Drinkwww.fdiforum.netMAY 2015£3.50 STERLINGA freshapproachMICROBIOLOGYA freshapproachPACKAGING SPOTLIGHTMATERIALS HANDLING01_Layout 1 24/04/2015 12:08 Page 1SICK SMART SENSORS: REDUCE THE STRAIN ON YOUR PLCSICK Smart Sensors incorporate High-Speed Counter, Timer, Speed & Acceleration Monitoring, Time-Stamp and De-bounce; functions often carried out by a PLC with additional IO cards and SURJUDPPLQJ6,&.6PDUW6HQVRUVVSHHGXSSURFHVVHVLQFUHDVHHIÀFLHQF\DQGSURGXFWLYLW\We think that’s intelligent. www.sick.co.uk02_Layout 1 24/04/2015 11:17 Page 1ContentsMay 2015This magazine is now fully recyclable. By recyclingmagazines, you can help reduce waste and add to the5.5 million tonnes of paper already recycled by the UKpaper industry each year. Before you recycle yourmagazine, please ensure you remove all plasticwrapping, free gifts and samples. FoodandDrinkInternational@fdiforumwww.fdiforum.netcompany/fdiforumNews 4• General news • On line - production news• On the shelf - new products and initiatives • AppointmentsImport and export 12With consumer tastes expanding, there has neverbeen a better time for British exporters of foodand drinkMaterials handling15 Efficiency and speed are the keywords ofmaterials handling, and each needs to be kept inmind when monitoring your distribution centrePackaging spotlight 20Innovation is driving success throughout thepackaging sector• HBM• Qualvis Print & Packaging• A.M.P-Rose• Yorkshire Packaging Systems• Advanced DynamicsEnergy and the environment 30Companies making use of effective energyefficiency and waste management principles arereaping the rewardsMicrobiology33It’s essential manufacturers and consumers alikecan have confidence in what’s in their productsLaboratory and testingshowcase37Sandwiches and snacks38Sandwiches and snack foods have moved awayfrom being a mere convenience, and are noweven touted as a luxuryEditor:Steve Fisher (s.fisher@blmgroup.co.uk)Editor’s PA:Angela Sharman(a.sharman@blmgroup.co.uk)Journalists:Steve Williams (s.williams@blmgroup.co.uk)Michael Fisher (m.fisher@blmgroup.co.uk)Sales Director:Teri Cooper (t.cooper@blmgroup.co.uk)Assistant Sales Manager:Sam Trott (s.trott@blmgroup.co.uk)Sales:Nikki Logan (n.logan@blmgroup.co.ukTel: +44 (0) 1472 310302Accounts & Subscriptions:Dawn Cook, John DownesDesign & Production:Gary Jorgensen, Mark Casson, Rachel Green(studio@blmgroup.co.uk)Editorial:Tel: +44 (0) 1472 310305, Email:fdi@blmgroup.co.ukPart of the Business Link Magazine Group:Armstrong House, Armstrong Street,Grimsby, N E Lincs DN31 2QE EnglandAll rights reserved. No part of this publication may bereproduced, transmitted, photocopied, recorded orotherwise without express permission of the copyrightholder, for which application should be addressed firstto the publisher. While every reasonable care is taken,neither the publisher nor its participating agents acceptliability for loss or damage to prints, colourtransparencies, negatives or other material of whatevernature submitted to this publication. The viewsexpressed in this publication are not necessarily theviews of those held by the publisher.COVER PHOTOGRAPHSCOURTESY OFMain:shutterstock.com/Natalia KlenovaTop: Hyster Middle: shutterstock.com/Alex011973Bottom: CPI Corrugated SectorSNACKEX41Organised by the European Snacks Association,SNACKEX is the only 100% focused savourysnacks and snack nut event in Europe whichunites the savoury snack industry The London Wine Fair42The London Wine Fair is a trading place, ameeting place and a place for discovery, learningand celebrating all manner of things wine traderelatedSafety & Health Expo43Safety & Health Expo aims to help health andsafety professionals find the most intuitive, safeand cost-effective technologies, to cut budgetswhile retaining low risksHot topic44Over seven hundred participants, of whom 50%are international, are to address innovation infood, nutrition and health at this year’s NutrEventEvents46Your chance to keep abreast of forthcomingexhibitions and food fairs from around the worldClassified 49Food & Drink Diary 5003_Layout 1 24/04/2015 11:18 Page 1The new ThermaQ alarm thermometer from ETI Designed for accuracy and performance, the newThermaQ hand-held digital alarm thermometer fromETI provides a range of enhanced features to meet thedemands of food production users.The ThermaQ provides precise, stable, highaccuracy readings even in the harshest ofenvironments, is simple to operate, reliable and built tolast. The thermometer allows the user tosimultaneously use two type K thermocouple probeswhile displaying both current temperatures and themaximum and minimum recorded temperatures. Thisallows the user to monitor, for example, both an item offood and the oven temperature at the same time ormonitor the rise and fall of temperatures acrossrefrigeration units.A complimentary range of handheld interchangeable type K thermocouple probes ensures the ThermaQ is an ideal choice for a wide variety of differenttemperature monitoring applications.The ThermaQ alarm thermometer is competitively priced at £75 exclusive of VAT and available direct from Electronic Temperature Instruments.Super growth award for Atwell LabellersAtwell Labellers has won a SussexSuper Growth Award, gaining a topthirty spot as one of the fastest growingcompanies in the first part of thisdecade. They were highlighted fromover 200,000 businesses based in thecounty.Owners David and HelenCharlesworth attended an awardsbreakfast at The American ExpressCommunity Stadium in Brighton toreceive the certificate.Having sold their house and cars tofund the purchase of Atwell ten yearsago, the couple are now reaping the rewards of taking that brave plunge. The company exports itslabellers to over thirty countries around the world and has recently invested in a dedicated plant toexpand its contract labelling offer.David is pictured, right, receiving the award from Greg Burgess of ASB Law.Linx builds for the futurewith new HQ openingGlobal coding and marking specialist Linx PrintingTechnologies has unveiled its new purpose-built UKheadquarters. The 41,000 sq ft development, at Compass PointBusiness Park in St. Ives, Cambridgeshire, bringstogether Linx employees in a single facility to replaceseparate buildings in Burrel Road, where Linx hasbeen based since 1989. In keeping with its approach to productdevelopment and manufacture, Linx has putsustainability at the forefront of the new building’sdesign. Energy use is minimised by the highly-insulated composite panels used primarily in thebuilding’s construction, heat recovery technologywithin air handling units and the use of low-energyLED lighting in most areas.Linx Managing Director Nigel Hood says, “Thisnew facility will enable Linx to build even further onour success with state-of-the art productdevelopment, manufacturing, training and servicefacilities that will allow us to compete at the highestlevel in global markets.”4 Food & Drink Internationalwww.fdiforum.netSEEPEX provideswaste removalsolution for NaturesWay FoodsSEEPEX have supplied three differentdesigns of progressive cavity pump systemsto Natures Way Foods, manufacturer ofready-to-eat fruit products.The original waste handling equipmentcould not handle the volume or variablenature of the fruit peel products. SEEPEXengineering knowledge, combined with theirexperience of similar successfulapplications, solved all the problems.In the simplest application, open hopperpumps with integral knives and level controls, installed in line withautomated peelers, chop the waste before pumping it in enclosed pipeworkto a dewatering unit outside the factory.For more challenging products, a more sophisticated system wasdeveloped incorporating an auger feed screw to a vertical grinder andpump combination. Finally, a large pump with bridge breaker and integralknives provides additional capacity for hand-peeled fruit waste.The factory now has a fully automated series of SEEPEX pump systemsto remove all types of fruit waste in enclosed pipework. King of The CastleAdande, in partnership withNational Facilities Management,has supplied refrigerated drawersystems to The Castle in London.The Castle is now one of fifteenYoung’s pubs at which Adanderefrigerated drawers have beeninstalled and the company plans aroll out across additional sites. Adande supplied a two drawerunit, mounted beneath acombination oven. The top draweris typically used for the chilledstorage of raw or pre-cookedfood, during service, while thebottom drawer is configured as ablast chiller. Joints of meat areslow cooked overnight foroptimum flavour and maximumyield, before being transferred to the blast chiller the following morning. Themeat is pulled down to a food safe temperature of below 8°C within ninetyminutes.Adande also supplied a single drawer Chef Base unit, located beneath thekitchen’s in-line cooking equipment. Usually operated at chilled temperature,it is used for the storage of raw steaks, burgers, chicken and fresh fish.04-05_Layout 1 24/04/2015 11:20 Page 1From pack to palletMarel will stage its Packing, Labellingand Dispatch Event for the second time on18th June.The event established itself in 2014 as aunique opportunity for food processorsacross the fish, meat and poultry industriesto find out how Marel can help themoptimise and control their packing,labelling and dispatch processes.The event is being held at Marel’sProgress Point demonstration and trainingcentre in Copenhagen and features live demonstrations in the facility’s demonstration area, as wellas knowhow sessions about how those responsible for production, logistics, IT, or finance canimprove their end-of-line process. Two new products will be launched at the event, and equipment being demonstrated includesMarel’s Thermoform Line with label detection, its Robot Packing Line, Integrated Packing Line,Innova Software Solutions and standalone equipment from packing to dispatch. Further details of the event can be found at marel.com/packtopallet.Food & Drink International 5www.fdiforum.netGreencore slashes gas bill by £30,000 withSpirax SarcoUpgrading its domestic hot water system from two shell-and-tube calorifiers to a compact SpiraxEasiHeat solution has enabled Greencore Food to Go to reduce its annual gas bill by £30,000.The EasiHeat steam-to-hot-water system provides crucial hot water for staff at the company’sproduction facility at Manton Wood. The site employs up to two thousand people, who produce 3.5million packs of handmade sandwiches, baguettes and wraps each week. Staff must adhere to arigorous daily hand-washing regime, before they start work, after every break and every time theychange from using one type of filling to another due to the risk cross-contamination poses toallergy sufferers. EasiHeat is based around a compact plate heat exchanger and provides instantaneous hot waterat constant temperatures. Because it does not store water like a traditional shell-and-tube storagecalorifier, which must store water at 60°C or higher to aid the prevention of Legionella growth, lessenergy is needed to heat the water. This enabled the Manton Wood site to reduce its annual gasbill by £30,000.Further savings will be achieved by reduced maintenance costs. The EasiHeat system does notneed dismantling for insurance inspections, saving substantial time and maintenance costs.Greencore Food to Go has included the EasiHeat in its 24-7 priority response Service Contractwith Spirax Sarco. This guarantees the company access to Spirax Sarco’s experienced engineers24 hours a day, 365 days a year via a dedicated helpline. In the event a problem cannot beresolved over the telephone, a Spirax Sarco engineer will visit the site within 24 hours. Chris Bassett, Services Engineering Manager at Greencore Food to Go, says, “Hand washing iscrucial in a food factory and we have to ensure that hot water is available 24 hours a day, sevendays a week.”No need to pierce new Aldi chicken rangeAldi’s new range of flavoured/added valueroast in the bag chickens is the first to featureFFP’s Estercook SV laminate, a new self-venting version of FFP’s Estercook range. WithEstercook SV, the pack opens automatically torelease steam during cooking so there is noneed to pierce the pack, providing a betterbarrier between the consumer and the rawbird.Chicken cooked in the Estercook SV packretains moisture, texture and succulence,releases easily from the film and delivers asuperb final result. Aldi’s new range isproduced by 2 Sisters Food Group, with whomFFP have a well-established relationship. The packs are printed flexographically by FFP, the inksand adhesives used being fully tested to make sure the packs are food safe.Estercook SV film releases steam gently during cooking, so the consumer is completelyinsulated from the raw protein, reducing the risk of contamination from pathogens such ascampylobacter.High performancesoftware for cakeproductionOne of Germany’s leading manufacturers offrozen cakes and flans is using bespoke softwarefrom CSB-System to help provide full traceability.Pfalzgraf Konditorei produces 30,000 flans andcakes every day, and the IT solution from CSB-System has enabled the company to control theentire value-added chain.The CSB-System is used as part of productionscheduling with raw material requirementscalculated from the recipe and the number ofproducts to be manufactured, and then sent directlyto suppliers. In goods receiving, this information isalso made available along with other critical detailssuch as shelf life or temperature storagerequirements.Following production, each finished cake andflan can be broken down into its individual rawmaterials and primary packaging through the EAN-code and batch number provided. This enablesPfalzgraf to guarantee full traceability of its products– from receipt of goods, through production and topacking and dispatch – both internally and for itscustomers.04-05_Layout 1 24/04/2015 11:20 Page 2Veolia’s Reco Solutions improvessustainability for HEINEKENVeolia Water Technologies hassupplied a bespoke water recoverysystem to HEINEKEN’s Hereford CiderMill. Looking to reduce waterconsumption, HEINEKEN identified a potential saving from the water loss in the concentrate streamfrom their borehole water treatment reverse osmosis system. Approximately 30m3/h of water was not being utilised and, using Veolia’s RecoBLUE onlinecalculator, they found they could recover approximately 50% of the reverse osmosis losses, at aquality of better than 120µS/cm conductivity, which would be suitable for use as boiler make-up.Veolia provided a specially configured Sirion Mega Recovery RO Unit, which uniquely requires noadditional chemical dosing for conditioning prior to recovery. With low pressure, high rejectionmembranes, the Sirion Mega Recovery system has low energy consumption. The new system reduces the Mill’s water footprint by more than 130,000m3 per year. Theresulting annual saving of more than £100,000 will repay the system’s capital cost in under four years.Parkside win gold and silver at EFIA AwardsParkside Flexibles has won twoawards at the EFIA Awards. Parksidescooped a Gold Award in theSustainable Product Innovationcategory for its work developing twoproducts including a compostableflexible packaging technology andLIDD, its revolutionary duplex laminatelidding film, designed for the readymeal market.Parkside achieved recognition forbeing the first flexible packagingmanufacturer to produce barrierlaminates that can be disposed of in a home composting environment.LIDD enables retailers to reduce ready meal pack weights by up to 45% through a peelableprinted top web that delaminates from the tray lidding film, eradicating the need for carton boardsleeves and excessive labelling.Parkside also received silver for technical innovation for a new-to-market flexo printed andlaminated vacuum skin pack. The EFIA judges complimented Parkside for delivering new marketstandards for flexo printed pack designs and its responsible approach to manufacturing productswith the environment in mind.Measom Freer in perfectharmonyMeasom Freer has added the stunning new YinYang bottle to its portfolio of standard products. Thisbottle is uniquely shaped for high impact shelf appealwith two bottles fitting perfectly together just like yinand yang, making it ideal for duo products.Manufactured in the UK in natural HDPE withcolours available to order, it is currently stocked in250ml with more sizes to follow. It has a 28mm R4neck size which will fit any of Measom Freer’s fineribbed caps, flip caps, disc caps and lotion pumps.Its easy to grip shape makes it suitable for a widerange of product sectors and screen printing in one orseveral colours is available in house to complete theproduct.6 Food & Drink Internationalwww.fdiforum.netwenwenglor’s High-PerformanceDistance SensorsWith theintroduction of itsnew PNBC range,wenglor sensoricGmbH presenteight new High-PerformanceDistance Sensors,setting newstandards inaccuracy with their maximum resolution of 0.06 µm with only 0.05% linearityerror. This impressive precision is additionally supported by excellentreproducibility and thermal stability – even at output rates of up to 30 kHz.wenglor’s new range of PNBC sensors work with a high resolutionCMOS line array and determine distance to the object by means of angularmeasurement. Top quality optics make measured values possible whichcan be read out with 16-bit resolution and can go all the way down to0.06 µm. With measuring frequencies of up to 30,000Hz, PNBC sensors arewell above average relative to other, comparable distance sensors.The new sensors are equipped with up to four switching outputs whichcan also be used, for example, as incremental encoder inputs or forswitching emitted light on and off.High tech for the future marketIn Europe and theUS the market forfruit purée andsmoothies is growingrapidly. Pouchpackaging is gettingmore important forcreative andsuccessfulpresentation of theproducts.With an outputcapacity of 120, 240and 500 pouches per minute, SN presents three further new machinegenerations for hot-filling of fruit purée and other liquids. Hot-filling makesthe costly pasteurising downstream redundant.A camera system can be integrated to monitor the exact positioning ofcentre spouts with a precision of 0.1mm. This system makes furtherinspections down the line unnecessary. The two machine types with outputcapacities of 120 and 240 pouches per minute are available in both right-hand and left-hand execution. This reduces the costs for personnel by 50%.All SN machines can be linked to known data management systems andthe recipes and production parameters are saved in the program, whichallows for a very quick product changeover.06_Layout 1 24/04/2015 11:19 Page 1Double awardfor GordonCastle GinGordon Castle is toastingsuccess after scooping twoprestigious accolades for itsGordon Castle Gin.A highly sought-after goldmedal was awarded at the SanFrancisco World SpiritsCompetition, the largest andmost influential internationalspirits competition in theworld. Beating off toughcompetition from thousands ofentries, Gordon Castle Ginimpressed the judges with itsnotes of lavender and mintfrom the Walled Garden and its crisp taste.The second medal, a silver, has been awarded by the World Gin Awards,part of the prestigious World Drinks Awards programme. The esteemedjudges commended Gordon Castle Gin for its juniper and citrus nose, depthof flavour and its smooth and well-rounded finish.Angus Gordon Lennox, owner of Gordon Castle, says, “We are thrilledthat Gordon Castle Gin sits shoulder to shoulder with the world’s bestspirits.”Food & Drink International 7www.fdiforum.netBarriers with brainpowerGlobal leaders A-SAFE’sbrainy barriers are robust,inherently strong, flexible,wipe-clean, non-corrosive,non-scratch – and the newiFlex range is fully sealedwith no ingress points,creating a massive boostfor the food and drinkindustry. They are used bysophisticated facilitymanagers at Nestlé, Coca-Cola, Heineken and more.A-SAFE say, “Back inthe ice age of facilitiesmanagement your averagemanager took more of acaveman approach toprocurement and layout. Itwas a bish-bosh strategywhich saw a lot of foodand drink facilities over-stacked and under-performing.“The most brainless objects in this work-cave were the barriers. Theproducts that should have been streamlining, protecting and organisingthe facility were, in fact, the dumbest things in there.“Let’s say our caveman is aware of his mechanical animals (forklifts)impacting walls in an area where pedestrians are moving. ‘Barrier!’ heshouts. And here comes his fellow caveman from the work-cave downthe road with a new bish-boshed steel barrier. A few blows of the clublater and the barrier is in place. Problem solved. Except it isn’t. It’sworse.“How can any caveman know if the barrier he has just installed is fit-for-purpose? How can he know if the potential forces of the mechanicalanimals operating within the work-cave are able to be absorbed by thebarrier?“Steel barriers are rigid, which means when they are impacted byforklifts the majority of force is transferred to the fixtures. This will rip upthe barrier, leaving a costly repair bill and a back-to-square-one need fora replacement barrier. Problem solved? Hardly.“Evolution is a slow process, but thanks to the brilliance of barriersthat flex, absorb and reform, the warehouse caveman – and his dumb,unfit barriers – are officially endangered species.”To advertise your services onthe news pages contact us on01472 31030207_Layout 1 24/04/2015 11:23 Page 1Safety first with forklift trucksWith pressures on manufacturers to meettight deadlines, certain safety practices canbe compromised, but as Allison Tucker,counterbalance product manager at LindeMaterials Handling points out, “Investment inongoing staff training should not be seen asa cost burden. In fact, better practicereduces costs. “We were recently awarded theprestigious FLTA Safety Award for ourinnovative Safety Pilot – a device that isdesigned to help ensure that operators arenot putting themselves in danger through lifting heavy loads at height. The device works bypreventing the load lifted on the fork arm from exceeding the approved load capacity. “The system lets off a visual and acoustic warning if the load is in the verge of exceeding itslimits and will actively intervene and regulate the truck functions to correct operating errors.“The Linde Safety Pilot will ensure operators can operate their trucks in a safe and productivemanner, minimising the risk of accidents.”Food contact compliance for BOPP label filmsInnovia Films has produced its first top-coatedBOPP label films that are proven to be foodcontact compliant under European Union andFood and Drug Administration regulations –UltraFoil CFA (clear) and WFA (white).Alasdair McEwen, Product Manager Labels forInnovia Films, says, “The pressure sensitivelabel value chain is now very much under thespotlight, with retailers, brand-owners andconsumers expecting labels to meet the sameregulations as traditional food packaging. Untilrecently, top-coated filmic label-stock materialsdid not have to meet global regulations’ for foodcontact compliance. Innovia Films is proud tosay that its UltraFoil CFA and WFA top-coatedlabel films are now food contact compliant.”UltraFoil films maximise the aesthetics of foiled areas of the label giving brand owners’ shelfimpact for their products and additional options regarding imagery and branding, withoutadversely affecting the overall cost of the final printed label.Benefits of membranefiltration technology forwastewater treatmentAxium Process specialises in the design and buildof wastewater and effluent treatment systems utilisingmembrane technology which can, in some instances,produce recovery levels of up to 95% and returncrystal clear, commercially sterile, warm water forfurther use.Membrane filtration is a valuable technology for theeffective treatment and purification of effluent withproven success across a wide spectrum of industriesas the process delivers stable operation deliveringconsistent performance without the use of chemicalsto effect separation.The technology, which provides a physicalcontrollable process for the recovery of bothparticulate and soluble elements, also ensures thefiltrate quality to be normally consistent and protectedfrom day to day variations in feed constitution, a bigplus for many manufacturers.With a correctly designed system, manufacturersusing Axium’s waste water and effluent treatmenttechnology may also benefit from further cost savingsin terms of chemical purchase, storage, handling anddisposal.8 Food & Drink Internationalwww.fdiforum.netAR Metallizing produces eco-friendlier paper than competitors Both Belgium and Italy have granted anew patent to AR Metallizing to protect theirproduction technique for multi-layeredlaminated and metallised paperboard. Thisinvention had already been recognised bythe Netherlands Patent Office. The laminated paperboard of ARMetallizing is an environment friendly,inexpensive alternative to the current glossypackaging materials for consumer goods. Itderives its strength from a combination ofdifferent thin layers of cardboard or paperwith a razor-thin metal top layer. Thanks tothis laminate lay-up, the paperboard islighter and fewer raw materials are used.The new invention is fully degradable andrecyclable, and unlike conventionalmaterials, no plastic or foil is processed.The patent has been granted after a three-year procedure where ARMetallizing’s paperboard and production technique were tested forinventiveness and industrial applicability. The laminated paperboard is usedfor many different applications such as luxury packaging for champagneand Kleenex tissues.Could your beverage packaging beadding more value to your brand?Beverage manufacturers can learnmore about the value of visioninspection solutions with METTLERTOLEDO’s White Paper, How to Ensureyour Beverage Package Quality.Inspecting for defects such asimproper fill levels, labelling errors,broken seals or chipped bottles, visioninspection solutions providemanufacturers with a 100% detectionmethod for damaged beveragepackaging. By placing the inspectionequipment at critical points throughoutthe manufacturing process, thisadvanced technology performs highspeed inline inspections with theminimum of maintenance and operator training. The White Paper also discusses the advantages offered to manufacturerspackaging a variety of products as it performs automated product linechangeovers. This delivers a full range of options to meet the demands ofany manufacturing scenario. To request a copy of this White Paper, visit www.mt.com/uk-beverage-whitepaper.08_Layout 1 24/04/2015 11:24 Page 1Quatá Alimentos usesmore SIG Combiblocfilling machines In its drive to expand its production capacity,Brazilian dairy group Quatá Alimentos has again optedfor filling machine technology from SIG Combibloc.Six more filling machines from SIG Combiblochave been put into operation at Quatá. Nine fillingmachines are now in operation at three Quatáproduction sites. UHT full cream milk, skimmed and semi-skimmed milk, chocolate milk, cream andsweetened condensed milk are now filled in combiblocStandard and combiblocSmall carton packs. José Henrique Coutinho, managing director of Quatá, says, “For the modernisation of ourfactory in Campo Belo, we chose filling technology from SIG Combibloc, as this flexible technologymet all our requirements. The filling machines perform very well and have low waste rates – usingthem, we’ve significantly improved our productivity.”This means Quatá is optimally prepared for the demands of the sizeable Brazilian market –currently South America’s biggest market for aseptic carton packs.Food & Drink International 9www.fdiforum.netIshida helps shellfish increase capacityFrench shellfish supplier Scotto SARLhas replaced a volumetric method ofpacking mussels into trays with an Ishidamultihead weigher and weigher-to-packdistribution system, giving the companythe opportunity to greatly increase its salesvolume.For packing, the mussels are deliveredfrom above to the top of the weigher, via adescending conveyor. The new weigher isa 10-head model of the Ishida RS-series.The downward conveyor and its junctionwith the weigher are designed to preventany of the hard, smooth shellfish from escaping. Flexible baffles at the entrance to each radialfeeder help to control the mussels so that they reach the hoppers in an even manner.Even though the overall system is constrained by the current rate of tray sealing the companycan process much more rapidly than before. Working at about twenty trays per minute, it nowrates its potential mussel production at up to five thousand tonnes per year.ICE shakes up inkjetmarket with ScorpionlaunchInteractive Coding Equipment has launched aninnovative thermal inkjet coder that is able to printconsistent high resolution codes on hard to printsurfaces.The new ICE Scorpion offers the ease of use andcartridge changeovers of traditional thermal inkjettechnology but also incorporates a unique CartridgeReadiness System. This special high-speed shuttersystem prevents ink from drying in the nozzle,meaning that the coder can still deliver clean,repeatable quality codes even after a long stoppage.This enables the Scorpion to cope with any delays orinterruptions in production with no loss of codequality.The high performance MEK ink is able to printhigh resolution text, barcodes and graphics atspeeds of up to 102 metres per minute onto a widerange of non-porous substrates including films, foils,plastics and coated stocks. Codes can be up to13.5mm tall per printhead at resolutions four timesgreater than continuous inkjet technology. Loma Systems launches TRACSreporting softwareLoma Systems is helping foodmanufacturers reducemanufacturing costs and improveproduction efficiencies with thelaunch of a new graphical EthernetPC-based software tool designed tomonitor the performance of its CW3Checkweighers and IQ3 MetalDetectors.TRACS (Trending-Reporting-Analysis-Capture-Software) providesreal time feedback across all lines ina central format, allowing operatorsto analyse different trends between shifts or products and quickly identify andaddress inefficiencies rather than waiting for historical information.Developed in conjunction with AutoCoding Systems, Loma’s TRACSsoftware enables information relating to contaminant detection rates, weightand overfill records to be compiled quickly to demonstrate compliance withcurrent legislation. Tony Bryant, Loma’s UK Sales Manager, says, “TRACS uses simple visualsand offers accessible information, clarity of reporting and real-time availability.It can help increase staff engagement in continuous improvement and allowstrend analysis of key measurements, such as giveaway and productionthroughput, between shifts or products.”Versatility and variety from IshidaAt Ipack-Ima, weighing andquality control solutions thatencompass everything fromsmall target weights todifficult-to-handle productsacross a wide range of endmarkets and applications willprovide a comprehensivedemonstration of IshidaEurope’s wide-rangingcapabilities.Ishida’s snacks packingsolution, the Ishida iTPS,comprises an Ishida CCW-RV-214 multihead weigher, Atlas-114 bagmaker and DACS-G-015checkweigher, and is capable of speeds in excess of 180bpm.Among the multihead weighers on display, the Ishida ‘Lilliput’ CCW-M-214W-005-SS delivers excellent accuracy and efficiency levels close to100% at a top speed of 120wpm. A small footprint of just 650 x 650mm,and maximum height of only 970mm, means the weigher can fit into anyfactory, saving valuable floor space. Another compact, low target weight solution on show is the IshidaCCW-R-112-P, a linear multihead version. It offers gentle handling and acontrolled flow of product combined with excellent accuracy and highspeeds of up 180 packs per minute.09_Layout 1 24/04/2015 11:24 Page 1Next >