< PreviousNew Wrinklewall trays further extend NichollSolutionsNicholl Food Packaging has introduced anumber of new wrinklewall foil trays suitable forgrilling, oven cooking and barbequeapplications.The expanded range features nine newdesigns including round and rectangularversions, some with rolled edges andcompartments, and a new mini pie tray. Inaddition to the standard designs in theWrinklewall range, customised bespokeshapes can be developed to meet particular customer requirements.The trays are suitable for a wide range of products including meat, fish, poultry and bakery.Special food approved internal tray coatings are available for recipes with very acidic sauces orwith very high salt content and an optional board lid can be specified for certain tray designs to allow products to be sealed. The trays combine a robust,heavy duty construction for effective product protection with easy handling properties that ensure maximum consumer convenience.10www.fdiforum.netIshida weigher resolves the classic ‘smallpiece-weight’ challengeOne of South Africa’s leading seed companies hasinstalled an Ishida ‘Lilliput’ multihead weigher to increasecapacity and provide control over pack fill accuracy.Starke Ayres produces a variety of pack sizes, within therange 0.33g to 100g. Packing seeds by hand is labour-intensive. In manually weighing 1000 hybrid tomato seeds,overweight at the level of over 5% is unavoidable in order tobe sure the packs measure up to the declared content.Knowing multihead weighing could transform thissituation, Starke Ayres chose an Ishida CCW-M-214W-S/005-SS. Known as the ‘Lilliput’ because of its small size,it is designed to handle small target weights with accuracyand speed.The Ishida Lilliput at Starke Ayres has brought giveawaydown to just 2%, a reduction of 60%. This means that forevery 35 packs or so, a given batch of seed will yield oneextra pack. Produce World pioneers internaldefect detection in onionsProduce WorldRustler will be the firstcompany in the UK toinstall Near Infra-Redtechnology for detectinginternal defects inonions. Working inconjunction with MAF,the company whichprovided its grader,Produce World Rustlerwill be trialling theground-breaking detection system as part of its ongoing continuousimprovement campaign.Andrew Holding, Business Unit Director for Produce World Rustler, says,“We have been monitoring the progress of this technology for some time,and it was always our intention to retrofit such a system to our MAF grader.However, we want to be sure that it would perform under day-to-dayoperating conditions and make commercial sense.“By definition internal defects are impossible to detect. As a result ofusing the very best growers, such defects only occur on a small percentageof the crop. However, a reduction in this figure will enable us to furtherimprove quality and customer satisfaction.”New E-seal technology widensProseal rangeHeat sealing specialistProseal is furtherextending its range ofhigh performance traysealers with thelaunch of a high forceelectric heat sealmodel particularlyappropriate for the meatindustry.The Proseal GT2X-Twin E-seal is a twin lane highspeed, tray sealer, capable of 120 trays per minute, that combines Proseal’snew E-seal electric sealing technology with the many proven functional andreliability benefits of Proseal equipment.E-seal technology provides an energy efficient sealing system thatdelivers a high-precision seal with an extremely strong sealing force,ensuring every seal offers the tightness and reliability to meet the stringentquality requirements of the fresh food retail sector. At the same time,retaining pneumatic functions means the machine can also offer additionalbenefits such as date coding of pre-printed film.E-seal technology will also be available across the entire Proseal range oftray sealers.New Linx 7900 unveiledas printing solutionLinx Printing Technologies has unveiled its latestcontinuous ink jet printer. The Linx 7900 offers a wealthof features including Linx Insight® software. Thisremote web interface allows users to monitor andcontrol their Linx 7900 printers through a web browser,either via a PC or a web enabled smartphone.New ink system technology enables the Linx 7900printer to run for up to 9,000 hours or 18 monthsbetween services. As the Linx 7900 is one of the most reliable CIJprinters on the market, it also comes with a warranty ofup to 18 months.The software means an operator can start, pause orstop the Linx 7900, change messages from pre-storedselections and download messages from the PC to theprinter remotely. Users can also lock the printerkeyboard to prevent changes being made on the line,reducing coding errors.10-11:Layout 1 17/8/12 10:47 Page 1www.fdiforum.net11APPE’s Polish factory anticipates a billionunits in five yearsAPPE, the packaging division of LSB, saysbuilding work at its new Polish factory,based in Tychy, near Katowice, is onschedule with commercial production due tocommence in December and the plant fullyoperational by January 2013.Three Husky injection moulding machinesare being installed initially to satisfy the threemajor contracts that APPE Polska currentlyhas in place, meaning its original plannedcapacity is already sold out. A DeepGripblow moulding machine will be installed in 2013 and the plant will offer the full range of APPEtechnologies including injection moulding, blow moulding and single stage.Business development discussions are in an advanced stage with a number of other leadingbrand owners and APPE Polska expects to double capacity in the near future. The companyhas put in place an ambitious five year growth plan which is forecasting a billion unit productionfacility.Weber’s super compact thermalinkjet coderWeber have launched thesmall and compact MarkoprintX1JET controller/printer. Thisinnovative system codessmooth absorbent and semi-absorbent surfaces quickly,accurately and reliably.Printing with the MarkoprintX1JET is simple, based on the3-logic intuitive operation withLED status lights. Datatransmission can beperformed with a USB stick or other interface and users can directlyselect and print nine layouts/label configurations.Markoprint X1JET uses True Type fonts for printing. All conventional1 and 2 dimensional codes can be printed. The controller is fullyintegrated into the print module, providing a highly compact designthat offers simple integration into packaging systems and conveyorsand allowing printing from the side or top at a height of up to 12.5mm.A sensor built into the unit means that no separate or additionalsensors are required to trigger the printing process. The system canhowever operate from external input signals if preferred.Healthy Farm doubles productioncapacity withMeyn-IshidaHealthy Farm, one of the leading foodproducers in Russia, has invested in thefirst Meyn-Ishida poultry processingsolution in the Ural region.With a total capacity of two 6000 birdsper hour processing lines, Healthy Farmdoubles current production capacity to152,000 birds per day. This increasedcapacity in combination with a state-of-the-art multihead weighing and batchingline will allow Healthy Farm to furtherstrengthen their market positionMeyn will install a complete new processing line and will also extend theexisting line installed by Meyn in 2009. The new universal multihead weighingand batching line from Ishida will provide a sophisticated solution for all stepsin the packaging process. The renewed high-tech plant will be running by theend of 2012.Meyn-Ishida combines the highly sophisticated expertise of Meyn in poultryprocessing, with experience in weighing, grading and end-of-line equipmentfrom Ishida to offer a full range of wall-to-wall solutions.Sewtec launches flexiblepalletiserSewtec has launched a servo robotic palletiser tocomplete its portfolio of end of line equipment thatprovides tailored automated solutions. The new Sewtec Palletiser has been designed tooffer maximum flexibility, with a small overall footprint,dual loading system and special pallet configurationsoftware. Combined with Sewtec’s ability to designbespoke tooling heads, the machine can be adapted tomeet precise customer and product specifications. Inaddition to Sewtec’s renowned build quality andreliability, the Palletiser features a hygienic constructionwith all moving parts enclosed to provide protectionagainst dust.The compact design of the Palletiser means it can fitinto the smallest of factory spaces. Its dual loadingsystem enables two pallets to be loaded in quicksuccession or allows two pallets to be fed separatelyand loaded simultaneously.Sewtec Managing Director Bernard Meehan says,“This further increases our ability to devise custom-designed bespoke solutions that meet a wide range ofend-of-line packing requirements.”New investment underlines Payne’scommitment to growthPayne has demonstrated its commitment todeveloping its packaging solutions product rangewith a major investment in a new Nilpeter FA-4 labelpress at its Cardiff manufacturing facility. The FA-4 is a fourth generation printing press withthe latest technical specifications for narrow web UV-flexo combination printing. It is equipped with directservo drives and is ideal for handling an extremelybroad range of multi-substrate packaging materials. The FA-4 also features a print managementcentre that helps control all print jobs, allowing the setting of process and productionparameters, which ensures exceptional quality. This cutting edge technology also drives lowwastage and set up times are reduced, ensuring optimum performance with minimalenvironmental impact. Tony Edwards, divisional managing director, says, “The new FA-4 at Cardiff builds on thecapability we already have as a business and ensures we are able to provide our customerswith the very best in service quality.”10-11:Layout 1 17/8/12 10:47 Page 2Award-winning Flahavan’s launches newpackagingFlahavan’s, Ireland’s leadingoat producer, has launched anew range of packagingexclusive to the UK. The overhaulcomes following the completionof a major rebranding exercisewith Flahavan’s launching therange to all supermarkets nationwide during the last three months.Flahavan’s wanted to achieve consistent branding across their extensive range of products.The new packaging creates a distinctive livery for the Flahavan’s brand, highlighting thepremium quality of their Irish oats and strengthening shelf visibility.This comes as the oat producer celebrates a recent triumph at the All Ireland MarketingAwards, winning the International Marketing Award. The awards acknowledged Flahavan’s fortheir international success, particularly in the UK and USA.John Noonan, Sales and Marketing Director, says, “We are continuing our efforts through thelaunch our new livery in the UK which has already had a great consumer response leading toincreased distribution and a number of new products coming to the market.”12www.fdiforum.netRH Amar signs exclusivedeal with PalirriaFine food distributor RH Amar & Co Ltd hassigned a deal to become exclusive UK distributorfor Greek mezze, antipasti and ready meal specialistPalirria.The deal, which covers distribution to both thegrocery retail and foodservice sectors, furtherstrengthens RH Amar’s stronghold in the growingGreek foods market, adding to its Greek portfoliothat also includes olives, olive oil and tapenades.The Palirria brand is already available in Tesco, aswell as enjoying a considerable worldwidepresence. Products include Greek recipes such as Dolmas (vine leaves stuffed with rice),Gigantes (baked giant beans), Imam (aubergines in tomato sauce), Young Okras in TomatoSauce, Meatballs in Tomato Sauce and Aubergine Pulp.Philip Marx, RH Amar Product Marketing Manager, says, “Our agreement to act as Palirria’sexclusive distributor in the UK further reinforces our expertise in the Greek foods market. Thepopularity of Greek foods is rising and we expect this to continue.”Beatson Clark gets saucy withCrabbie’sCrabbie’s has chosen a glass bottle fromBeatson Clark to launch a new ginger sauceproduct. Crabbie’s Ginger Sauce, newlylaunched in Asda, comes in Beatson Clark’sstandard 220ml square sauce bottle in whiteflint with a 31.5mm ROPP neck finish.The sauce comes in two flavours - GingerSpiced Sweet Chilli Sauce and Sweet GingerSplash – and is being introduced two yearsafter Halewood International chose aBeatson Clark bottle for the successfullaunch of its now famous Crabbie’s GingerBeer.Lynn Sidebottom, Sales & MarketingDirector at Beatson Clark, says, “This is aperfect example of how we can work withlarger companies as a new productdevelopment partner, enabling them to testand launch new products with minimum capital outlay. Our extensive generalsale range includes more than sixty products for the food sector, so we areable to supply a suitable container for most products from stock.”Isle of Man Creamerycheddars in AsdaIsle of Man Creamery has launched their award-winning range of cheddars into Asda stores. Mature Cheddar, Cracked Peppercorn MatureCheddar and Oak Smoked Mature Cheddar haverecently been launched into Asda priced at £1 for a100g pre pack. This presents Asda shoppers with aunique opportunity to buy smaller portions andexperiment with new flavours at a great value price.Isle of Man Mature Cheddar, priced at £3.58 for 400g,and Vintage Cheddar, priced at £3.68 for 400g, arealso available regionally in Asda stores.Rob Evans, Sales Director at Isle of Man Creamery,says, “We are delighted at this development in ourbusiness relationship with Asda. The 100g productsperform a key task for the Asda shopper and add aninteresting and affordable cheese to their options.”Isle of Man Creamery’s cheddar range is availablein 100g, 200g and 400g pre-packs and 1.1kg halfmoon packs for deli counters.Another success for Euro SqueezeTraditional ketchup andsauce manufacturer Nowkais now offering its range ofketchups in theincreasingly-popular EuroSqueeze bottle range fromRPC Containers.To coincide with a brandredesign, Nowka hasselected the 500ml EuroSqueeze, manufactured inPP at RPC Kutenholz andoffering barrier protectionagainst oxygen transfer andwater vapour. The newhead-standing containerreplaces the previousupright bottle used byNowka, which is based inUelzen.The bottles are now being used for Nowka’s ‘Start-Up Assortment’, whichincludes a spicy curry ketchup, a tomato ketchup and a spicy hot ketchup.Target markets are the food retail and catering sectors.12:Layout 1 16/8/12 14:59 Page 1New appointment strengthens Ishida Europe’sexpansion strategyIshida Europe has strengthened its European expansionstrategy with the appointment of Andreas Hollman asGeneral Manager of the company’s German subsidiary,Ishida GmbH.Andreas brings wide experience of the German weighingand packaging industry and has held top managementpositions in the sector for several years, with activeinvolvement in the packaging industry since 2003. Hisappointment also underlines Ishida Europe’s commitmentto the German food and packaging market. Andreas says, “Ishida stands for tradition, a strongproduct portfolio and a strong brand. We will continue toexpand our market position in the areas of multiheadweighing, checkweighing and X-ray inspection as well asoffering our customers bespoke solutions under one roof.” Ishida GmbH is a subsidiary of Ishida Europe, with responsibility for Germany and Austria. Ishida Europe, basedin Birmingham, is the company’s headquarters for the EMEA region.www.fdiforum.net13Two new appointmentshelp Surya boost worldfood salesSurya Foods has appointed two senior positionswithin its company.Sandesh Vivekanand has been appointed seniornational account manager. Previously working atMorrisons as a world food buyer, Sandesh joinsSurya with specific responsibility for overseeingnational account relationships across the multiples.The company has also welcomed Florina Brooks,pictured, as technical manager. Florina joins Suryafrom Arla Foods and is responsible for qualitycontrol across the business.Harry Dulai, Surya Foods director, says, “Interestin world food has moved on in leaps and bounds inthe last few years and we are incredibly proud to beat the forefront of this industry and to welcomeSandesh and Florina to Surya. Their combinedexpertise will help drive forward our market shareand enable us to develop similar relationships aswe enjoy with Tesco and Asda with other majormultiples across the country.”Steve joins design team atBeatson ClarkThe design team at glass manufacturer Beatson Clark haswelcomed another new recruit. Steve Nussey brings 28 years ofexperience in the glass industry to the department, having beenappointed to replace designer Dave Ashworth, who has retiredafter 48 years with Beatson Clark.Steve joined glass mould manufacturer Esdale straight fromschool and completed a full engineering apprenticeship beforeworking his way up to Design Manager. He subsequently joinedRoss Mould International, where he worked as a UK-basedsales service manager – but after three years he says he’spleased to be back in a design environment.Steve says, “I am very pleased to be working with BeatsonClark. I’ve dealt with them before on the sales side and it’s niceto be involved now in the day-to-day business of the company. I’m looking forward to helpingBeatson Clark to maintain its position as a leading niche supplier in the glass market.”New senior appointments by DawnFarm FoodsThere are new toplevel appointments atDawn Farm Foods andits subsidiary TMIFoods.David Abbott,Managing Director ofTMI Foods, is leavingthe company aftertwenty years to take upa new position in thefood industry. David ledthe company successfully from start-up, through a management buyout andthe subsequent sale to Dawn Farms in 2006.He will be succeeded by Declan Kennedy, pictured, who joins TMI Foodsas General Manager. Declan is a veteran of the food processing industryand has held a number of operational management positions throughout hiscareer at businesses including Green Isle Foods and Irish County Meats.At the same time, Dawn Farms has united and expanded both its ownand the TMI Foods sales operations in the UK under Sales Director IanRitchie. As a result, Martin Horsnail has been appointed as BusinessDevelopment Director (Retail) for both Dawn Farms and TMI Foods.Changes announced at ToyotaMaterial HandlingUKFollowing the recent move of SamColes to a new role in Toyota MaterialHandling Europe, Toyota MaterialHandling UK has taken the opportunityto restructure their senior team.After ten years at Toyota, five asOperations Director for the UK, TonyWallis has been appointed as ToyotaMaterial Handling UK Sales andMarketing Director. Tony says, “Byaligning our sales and marketingfunctions it will enable us to build onour solid foundations and continue todrive forward our aspirations of helping our customers to drive down costsin their business by ensuring we offer world class products and support.”In addition, Kevin Davies will join the UK senior management team asOperations Director, responsible for business centres, supply and transport,fleet refurbishment and the Toyota Training Academy. Having worked for theToyota for over 25 years, Kevin brings extensive experience of process andproject management to the role.13:Layout 1 17/8/12 10:49 Page 114www.fdiforum.netIMPORT / EXPORTIndia and Asia have a strong culinaryheritage – and are also welcoming ahost of Western products An area that was previously noted for its strong traditional ethosis beginning to welcome a growing number of products and ideasfrom further afield. The aim of those innovating is not to increasehomogenisation, but to cater for Asia’s increasingly aspirational andinternational culture.Indonesia is certainly a place to watch after research shows thatprocessed food consumption increased by 41% in the country overthe past five years – and with that has attracted the attention ofprocessed food manufacturers from around the world who are nowtargeting the area as a major business opportunity and introducing ahost of imported processed food products into the market. In 2010,Indonesia imported an estimated £5 billion in food, a growth of 25%from 2009. However, with this increased westernisation has come aconcurrent increase in the obesity rate, hence the increased interestin healthier products.Of particular value is the fact that, last November, Indonesiaformally announced completion to enable the ASEAN – Australia –New Zealand Free Trade Agreement. The agreement is now in placeand allows duty free access to over 90% of goods and servicesproduced by these countries by 2015 – opening it up as a particularlyvaluable market.This explains why Fonterra Co-operative Group, the NewZealand-based dairy co-operative, has announced plans to invest in ablending and packing plant in Indonesia. Currently the companyeither packs and blends its brands in New Zealand or throughindependent packers in Asia but the market has matured to theextent that a greater presence is required. Theo Spierings, FonterraCEO, says, “The New Zealand dairy industry has a forty year plusrelationship supplying high quality dairy products to Indonesia anddairy demand in Indonesia is forecast to grow by around 50% overthe next eight years.”Among the other major manufacturers expanding their productionfacilities in Indonesia are Unilever, who are improving their icecream factory as part of a major three-year investment programme inthe country, and Coca-Cola Amatil are in the middle of a plan toinvest eight figure sums into its local drinks operations over the nextthree years.Also investing are Nestle who have started construction on a new£127 million factory in Karawang, West Java. The new factory,Where east meets westCOURTESY PETER’SIndian foodhas alwaysbeenpopular inthe UK. 14-15:Layout 1 16/8/12 15:00 Page 1IMPORT / EXPORTwww.fdiforum.net15Nestle’s fourth in Indonesia, is expected tocreate jobs for over six hundred people andcomes after the recent launch of Nestle’sCocoa Plan in Indonesia, which seeks tocreate a sustainable supply chain for thecocoa industry, and at the same time,helping farmers and their communities.Around 32,000 dairy farmers now supplymilk to the company’s Kejayan factory inEast Java.India, meanwhile, also offers potentialsuccess for importers and exporters. Themarket has become clearer in recentmonths as the newly implemented FoodStandards and Safety Act has come intoforce. This brings with it the obligation forIndia’s Food Standards Authority todevelop specific regulation on such itemsas organic foods, functional foods andnutraceuticals and, as IADSA RegulatoryAffairs Manager Cashmer Dirampatenpointed out at the recent Nutra IndiaSummit in Bangalore, “This will certainlycontribute to the positive image of India toboth local and foreign investors, and is apositive move towards encouraging healthsupplement companies to explore thecountry’s market potential.”As in Indonesia, a number of blue chipcompanies are expanding their operationsin the country. Bosch PackagingTechnology India, for example, have thismonth opened their new manufacturingfacility at Verna, Goa. Built with aninvestment of around €5 million, the newplant intends to meet the increasingdemand of India’s fast growing packagingmarket as well as international markets.The new plant will aim at increasedlocalisation of new packaging machineproduction and make the Germantechnology affordable and available to theIndian market.Bosch’s Managing Director VKViswanathan said, “Bosch sees India andthe South Asia region as a high potentialmarket for packaging technology,particularly in the food industry. The newfacility will generate good growth andemployment opportunities for the peopleof Goa.”Again, sustainability and legacy are thekey words for companies that are investingin India. Hence, Nestle has set up its firstcoffee demonstration farm in the countryto help farmers improve quality,productivity and sustainability, and saysthat it aims to provide farmers with high-yielding, disease resistant plantletsdeveloped by R&D teams. Through theinitiative, it seeks to source coffeesustainably by working closely with Indiancoffee farmers and ensuring competitiveprices, transparency and traceability.Ferrero have also recently opened a plantin India which will make use of locallysourced ingredients.Exports from India have always beenpopular in many markets, such as the UKwhere there is a long tradition, but inrecent years they have begun to makeinroads in new areas, including the USAwhere there are obviously major potentialprofits to be had. Mintel research showsthat sales of Asian and Indian foods havegrown by 11% and 35% respectively sincetheir last survey.This has led to such innovations as ArlaFoods’ recently launched range of Indiandairy products, available in mainstreamBritish retailers, which includes paneer, asoft white Indian vegetarian cheese, dahi, aproduct similar to yoghurt and commonlyused in Indian curries, the sweet yoghurt-based drink lassi and traditional raita.With consumers looking for quality andauthenticity in their products, ranges suchas this are proving increasingly popular.Though Indian and Asian food has inthe past emphasised its traditional nature,those who attend Fi Asia and Fi India thismonth will get a closer look at the changesto the sector that have taken place,creating an increasingly modern andvibrant market.Traditional Indian products, such as those produced by Anila’s Authentic Sauces, arebecoming more popular internationally14-15:Layout 1 16/8/12 15:00 Page 216www.fdiforum.netThe complete truck at your serviceFor further information please call 01844 215501 or email sales@atlet.co.ukwww.atlet.co.ukA forklift for every occasionAchieving maximum efficiency in thesupply chain is the goal of most, if not all,supply chain managers, and thereforedrives decisions and equipmentacquisitions. With efficiency dictating thatevery inch of space be used if possible,forklift trucks and pallet loaders areessential tools in any kind of warehouse.Businesses have always been gravitatingtowards the best kind of forklifts available,and designs have varied massively - but arethe changes beginning to slow down?As forklifts continue to evolve based onresearch and innovation, many of thecommon initial problems with the designsand faults of the systems have been ironedout completely. This was no doubt aninevitable situation for the industry to finditself in. It’s easy to improve whensomething is new and imperfect, but themore time spent on improving a product,the less further options there will be.While this is fantastic for manufacturersand supply chain managers, it does makechoosing a particular brand of forklift a bitof a challenge. This also makes lifedifficult for forklift manufacturersthemselves, who need a way todifferentiate their product from thecompetition.With many of the obvious problemsfixed, companies are now looking to newand innovative ways of improving the userexperience and viability of their machines.This has ranged from laser guided andfully automated forklift machines, all theway down to machines which can run onsolar charged batteries, cutting out fuelcosts. Such innovations are good forcutting the costs of a company, but theydo not actually increase the productivity orefficiency of the work being done itself.Obviously, increasing the productivitymust lay on the operators themselves, andhow they interact with the forklift truck inquestion. The initial time needed to train anoperator in the use of a machine is onesuch example. Designers are constantlyworking to make forklift trucks moreintuitive to the new users, in an effort toreduce downtime as a result of training.Though the savings that can be made heremight only truly have an impact whenintroducing a new employee to the system,incorporating them with other innovationscan help to save a company time andIMAGE PROVIDED BY ATLETHas the evolution of the forklift reached a plateau? What new innovations are companies usingto improve their operationA forklift for every occasionFORKLIFTS AND PALLET TRUCKS16-17:Layout 1 30/8/12 15:24 Page 116www.fdiforum.netThe complete truck at your serviceFor further information please call 01884 215501 or email sales@atlet.co.ukwww.atlet.co.ukA forklift for every occasionAchieving maximum efficiency in thesupply chain is the goal of most, if not all,supply chain managers, and thereforedrives decisions and equipmentacquisitions. With efficiency dictating thatevery inch of space be used if possible,forklift trucks and pallet loaders areessential tools in any kind of warehouse.Businesses have always been gravitatingtowards the best kind of forklifts available,and designs have varied massively - but arethe changes beginning to slow down?As forklifts continue to evolve based onresearch and innovation, many of thecommon initial problems with the designsand faults of the systems have been ironedout completely. This was no doubt aninevitable situation for the industry to finditself in. It’s easy to improve whensomething is new and imperfect, but themore time spent on improving a product,the less further options there will be.While this is fantastic for manufacturersand supply chain managers, it does makechoosing a particular brand of forklift a bitof a challenge. This also makes lifedifficult for forklift manufacturersthemselves, who need a way todifferentiate their product from thecompetition.With many of the obvious problemsfixed, companies are now looking to newand innovative ways of improving the userexperience and viability of their machines.This has ranged from laser guided andfully automated forklift machines, all theway down to machines which can run onsolar charged batteries, cutting out fuelcosts. Such innovations are good forcutting the costs of a company, but theydo not actually increase the productivity orefficiency of the work being done itself.Obviously, increasing the productivitymust lay on the operators themselves, andhow they interact with the forklift truck inquestion. The initial time needed to train anoperator in the use of a machine is onesuch example. Designers are constantlyworking to make forklift trucks moreintuitive to the new users, in an effort toreduce downtime as a result of training.Though the savings that can be made heremight only truly have an impact whenintroducing a new employee to the system,incorporating them with other innovationscan help to save a company time andIMAGE PROVIDED BY ATLETHas the evolution of the forklift reached a plateau? What new innovations are companies usingto improve their operationA forklift for every occasionFORKLIFTS AND PALLET TRUCKS16-17:Layout 1 16/8/12 15:02 Page 1FORKLIFTS AND PALLET TRUCKSwww.fdiforum.net17The complete truck and service rangeat your servicewww.atlet.co.ukFor more information please call 01844 215501 or e-mail sales@atlet.co.ukmoney. One company involved in the design offorklifts are Atlet, who have specificallylooked at the ways they can improve theefficiency of a forklift, by focusing entirelyon the operator. They look deeply into userergonomics, which might seem like anobvious concern for any companyproducing a product. However, where mostcompanies take ergonomics into accountonly for aspects such as hand operationsand pedal positioning, Atlet look at everydifferent aspect of the human interactionwith the machine. For instance researchcarried out by the company showed that onan average working day, a truck user couldmove their head over ten thousand timed,and make over twenty thousand differentarm movements. As any physiotherapistwould tell you, this can lead to acutemuscle problems and stiffness that will notonly affect yoursportingperformance, butalso how you goabout your regulartasks, and your job.Taking steps tominimise the effortput in by theoperator can go along way to reducingthis risk of not only loss of efficiency, butinjury of an employee. Though there areunlikely to be any risks of a court casecoming out of such injury, it willdemoralise staff and leave them looking fora less painful job in future. In a professionwhere experience can literally save hoursoff tasks, losing skilled employees is reallynot an option. The emphasis now seems to be onpersonalising forklift trucks to the needs ofthe employees, with a view to giving thema comfortable and stress free environmentfrom which to work in. It will beinteresting to see how this advances overthe coming years with this same focus.Perhaps in ten years’ time, the industrycan look forward to forklift trucks fullycustomised for each individual on a team,like a suit tailored to the body. 16-17:Layout 1 16/8/12 15:02 Page 218www.fdiforum.netFUNCTIONAL INGREDIENTSProving their worthDespite shrinking household budgets,recent surveys have suggested thatconsumers’ demands seem to be gettingmore intense for healthy, yet tasty food anddrink products. This has always been adifficult element for food producers tomeet, but thanks to functional ingredientsit is now becoming more possible. Theparadox of health and pleasure is somethingthat is being addressed -consumers wanting somethingindulgent but also offeringhealth benefits are seeingnew products appearingthat address this.Indulgent foodsthat mighthavebeen termed ‘treats’ before are nowbecoming less impactful on health, thanksmainly to functional ingredients imitatingor performing the same job as less healthyelements. For example, the bakery sector is enjoyingseveral leaps and bounds with regards tofunctional ingredients, with sweet, calorificfoods becoming less so through innovativeingredient replacementmethods. The issue of unhealthy shortcrustpastry, for example, has been addressed withseveral ingredients that maintain the sametaste and quality of pastry, but with muchless fat. Traditional shortcrust pastry isproduced when fat coats the flourpreventing the development of gluten, theresult is the crisp, melt-in-the-mouthtexture that consumers expect. Reducing thefat content in shortcrust pastry usuallyresults in gluten developing and creating anunpalatable product. The film coatingproperties of a new ingredient N-Dulge FRtapioca dextrin and starch solution andSustagrain wholegrain barley help reduce fatcontent, while maintaining a crumbly,indulgent taste and texture.The functional ingredients relax thedough, preventing shrinkage, meaning anon-sticky dough is produced which iseasily handled. This means a product thatlooks and tastes the same, but has a muchmore healthy profile, ideal for makingclaims on packaging or launching forbespoke tastes of consumers clamouring formore choice.Equally, functional ingredients areincreasingly serving a purpose to replaceThe use of functionalingredients hasbecome big businessin recent years. Withfood and drinkcompanies investingever more resourcesinto theirdevelopment, it isperhaps one of themost exciting sectorsof the industry.Functional ingredientsare being used totransform the bakeryindustryRosemary extract is beingused to replace anti-oxidantsin a whole host of productsand has recently beenofficially recognised18-19:Layout 1 16/8/12 15:04 Page 1Next >