< Previoustask Up to the 20 Food & Drink International www.fdiforum.net MACHINERY AND EQUIPMENT SPOTLIGHT From hygiene and reducing wastage, to the ever pressing need to boost efficiency, Food and Drink International shines a light on the complexities of the machinery and equipment that comprise the production line. If ever there was a time to streamline operations, reduce overheads, and minimise errors, it’s now. 20-23.qxp_Layout 1 31/08/2022 09:43 Page 1Food & Drink International 21 www.fdiforum.net MACHINERY AND EQUIPMENT SPOTLIGHT M achinery makes many different jobs in the food processing industry much easier and less open to human error, ensuring the quality of the end product is at its best. Apart from the need to maintain and clean the machines themselves, using them keeps the key performance parameters for food more stable and uniform across multiple batches. Hygiene is always important for keeping harmful micro-organisms in food to a minimum, and machines can do a more thorough job in less time than if left to humans. Peeling machines reduce waste through reliable precision, while slicers and dicers can produce greater amounts and neater results in less time. This reduction of labour in comparison to the amount of product processed is greatly reduced through a machine-populated production line. Staying with hygiene as example, there is much time lost between cleaning stops if one or two well-chosen cleaning machines are working in harmony. Many machines have been developed to complete as many washing steps as possible in one, such as crate washers which can contain one or more washing sections and a rinsing section. Nozzles mounted on the spraying racks provide the mechanical action needed, while temperature- controlled water delivers the appropriate cleaner evenly over all produce. To reduce water waste, each washing section has its own reservoir which feeds back into the spraying racks, and time is effectively managed through the quick speed of the transport chain or belt which carries the crates. Another solution for fresh produce in particular is a multifunctional washer, which consists of wash tank, transport conveyer, spray nozzles and finally a pump tank. These washers are designed to clean the entire surface of the product by keeping it completely submerged and in constant motion, removing any soil particles or other debris through that aforementioned mechanical action. The water also reduces impact and minimises bruising of the produce by keeping items separate from each other and the machine interior. Cleaning action can be made even more effective in some machines by air injection for added turbulence, while cooling coils maintain a constant water temperature, and energy and water are saved by electric valves to stop the water flow as soon as the pump stops. Continuing in the hot topic of waste reduction at every stage, peeling machines have been developed to remove unwanted outer skins with alternatives to blades, leading to more of the peeled product remaining after the process. Abrasive peelers for vegetables with softer skins, such as potatoes, give high quality peeling and polishing results through removal with either water jets, steam or abrasive rollers for more hardy peels. This way, carrots, beetroot, kohlrabi, celeriac, parsnips and other root veg retain their natural shape, making them a more © stock.adobe.com/ DedMityay © stock.adobe.com/ Lena Volkova 22 Á 20-23.qxp_Layout 1 31/08/2022 09:43 Page 222 Food & Drink International www.fdiforum.net MACHINERY AND EQUIPMENT SPOTLIGHT Tennant RUBBER Tennant Rubber Ltd is a family run business with over 50 years of experience in the Rubber Industry. T 0115 985 2300 E sales@tennantrubber.co.uk W www.tennantrubber.co.uk attractive purchase. After peeling, slicers and dicers can process a variety of fruit and vegetables to make these products even more convenient for cooks and caterers to use. These machines can also come in when preparing raw or processed meats for packaging in convenient portions, as well as preparing pickles and jams. They ensure a uniform cut with minimal effort or management needed, many machines offering the added benefit of customisable disks and grids for different preparation needs. The precision provided by slicing and dicing machines reduces deterioration in all food products, and generates less liquid, compared to preparation by hand. Filling machines have an essential role in the food processing chain, allowing produce to be transferred into the appropriate container for secondary packaging, transport and distribution. There are a wide variety of machines in this area, and similarities in type and function can cause confusion. Vacuum packing and filling machines, while they sound the same, complete different processes. Vacuum packers use a pump to remove air from the bag or pouch containing a product, getting it ready for heat sealing. Vacuum fillers instead use pumps to draw products up from a tank or hopper, before depositing them into a container. Liquid filling machines are useful for an equally broad range of consumer products - these include milk, carbonated drinks, alcoholic beverages, right through to plain water. Such machines are categorised according to the type of liquid, whether it’s thick or thin in consistency for instance, as well as the packaging the product is destined for. There are three kinds of liquid filling machine alone: level fillers, which vacuum fillers fall under; weight fillers for containers with a set weight, and volumetric fillers for measuring volume using a flow meter. All this variety makes it important to be sure which machinery is required for any given product. When it comes to the front and end of the production line, and the storage or transportation of produce, palletising and de-palletising machines make moving goods around a speedy and accurate process with minimal manual labour. The palletising category can assemble or dismantle pallet loads, groups of packaged items or rigid containers, and even secure produce to the pallet for safe delivery. De-palletisers complete the process, unloading containers onto vehicles for a smooth and secure start to transportation. This sector in food processing machinery has now begun to use smaller supermarket-ready solutions, such as mini-pallets and dollies, to minimise transit packaging and aid in reducing store staff labour when preparing products for sale. Development in ease, safety and brand image continues into pallet securing systems too, enabling high value products such as spirits to be wrapped in a single all-enveloping film sheet to prevent theft, while less valuable and more durable products need just a horizontal strap. You can discover first hand the very latest in food machinery and equipment at the PPMA Show in Birmingham this September. If you’re attending, be sure to drop by the Food and Drink International stand (B123). 20-23.qxp_Layout 1 31/08/2022 09:43 Page 3Food & Drink International 23 www.fdiforum.net MACHINERY AND EQUIPMENT SPOTLIGHT Our experienced team supplies rubber and many other polymer products into a range of markets in the UK including food, pharmaceuticals, locomotive, quarries and mines, bulk processing, engineering, utilities, construction, chemical and many more. © stock.adobe.com/ Retan 20-23.qxp_Layout 1 31/08/2022 09:43 Page 424 Food & Drink International www.fdiforum.net MACHINERY AND EQUIPMENT SPOTLIGHT - DAIFUKU J apanese factory automation specialist Daifuku has been instrumental in creating Europe’s most advanced production plant dedicated to the manufacture of high- quality ‘own label’ pet food. Serving more than 2,500 customers globally, Lancashire-based GA Pet Food Partners produces over 80,000 tonnes of complete dog and cat food to strict human-grade standards. Its innovative use of intelligent automation underpins the business’s operational efficiencies, while enabling it to manufacture 930 different products for its global customer base of pet food brands. Complexity made simple Being able to manage such complexity, while maintaining the highest food standards, is largely down to the company’s adoption of best-in- class technology, which includes four fully automated fork lift trucks (called ‘Henrys’), high bay storage and retrieval systems, sorting transfer vehicles (STVs), conveyors and three huge automated guided vehicles (camels) called Snap, Crackle and Pop. Daifuku has been specifically responsible for the design and installation of the storage and retrieval systems in the Pantry and Larder Store within the Ingredients Kitchen area of the GA Pet Foods’ facility. This solution comprises 12 automated cranes (six in each chamber), with associated racking, which creates 21,000 unique storage locations. These are used to store raw ingredients and finished products in the Pantry / Larder Store respectively, prior to transportation (via the automated camels) to the extrusion facility, where the finished, dry pet food is formed. All of the warehouse systems are controlled by Daifuku’s WCS partner Invar. Collaboration is the key Five years in the planning and four years in development, the GA Pet Food Partners’ operation at Chorley, Lancashire represents the very best in automation and genuine partnership. Chairman of GA Pet Food Partners, Roger Bracewell, was determined to find the best automation providers to work Pet Automation Project Daifuku helps GA Pet Food Partners create a ‘world-class’ manufacturing facility with collaborative automation. Russell Hutchinson, business development manager at Daifuku The Ingredients Kitchen at GA Petfood Partners in Chorley, Lancs. 24-25.qxp_Layout 1 31/08/2022 09:48 Page 1Food & Drink International 25 www.fdiforum.net MACHINERY AND EQUIPMENT SPOTLIGHT - DAIFUKU on the project, as long as they were able to work together as a single team. He said: “From the outset of our automation journey, we made it clear to potential technology partners that we wanted to create a collaborative team, where genuine dialogue could take place among all of our automation partners. “Right from the start, we made this intention clear, paying each technology provider for their time during the pre- engineering phase - so that they could provide us with the best, most detailed designs and proposals. We didn’t just ask firms for their ‘best price’. We wanted this to be a quality-driven process and not one that focused solely on the lowest cost. “Having now opened our fully- automated Ingredients Kitchen, the results speak for themselves. This operation, we believe, sets new global standards for not just pet food production, but also human food processing – especially in the areas of traceability and operational efficiency.” Extruder efficiency Interestingly, GA Pet Food Partners’ automation investment strategy has been underpinned by the business’s adoption of sales and operational planning (S&OP) principles. Russell Hutchinson, business development manager at Daifuku, explains: “While so many businesses nowadays adopt a lean manufacturing strategy, the team at GA have taken time to really understand their operation and realised that ‘lean’ is not the right approach for them. For the plant here in Lancashire, it’s all about keeping the main extruder working to maximum capacity. “As they say here, ‘If it ain’t turning, it aint earning’. That was a real lightbulb moment for Roger and his team who have subsequently invested in the upstream element of their supply chain, with the ultimate objective of improving the extruder’s efficiency.” For GA Pet Food Partners, automation has not been about labour saving or cost cutting. Moreover, technology has enabled the business to increase output by 30%, improve overall plant efficiency (achieving an improvement of 15% in extrusion up time) and maintain world- class quality standards. The use of leading-edge automation has also enabled the company to remain flexible – one of its key areas of competitive advantage within the global pet food production sector. This has all been done without any increase in headcount at the facility. Having opened the fully automated production facility this summer, the next project on GA’s agenda is its finished packaging line, which will further improve its service levels to global customers. The Ingredients Kitchen comprises an impressive 21,000 unique storage locations, all serviced by 12 automated cranes from Daifuku. This is where finished pet foods are stored, ready for packaging and despatch. The Pantry stores quality checked raw ingredients, prior to processing. Crackle, one of three huge ‘camel’ automated vehicles are the first of their kind in Europe. Named after a popular breakfast cereal these unique AGVs transport the ingredients to the pre-extrusion plant. To find out more about Daifuku visit www.daifuku.com or visit us at IMHX 2022, NEC (6-8 September) Stand 5F68. 24-25.qxp_Layout 1 31/08/2022 09:48 Page 226 Food & Drink International www.fdiforum.net MACHINERY AND EQUIPMENT An energy efficient future for the food and beverage sector By Brith Isaksson, Global Food and Beverage Segment Manager, ABB Today, the food and beverage sector is responsible for approximately 30% of global energy use and 20% of all greenhouse gas emissions. Just like in every other industry, consumers and governments are calling on the food and beverage sector to reduce its environmental impact. This drive for efficiency is in line with the sector’s interests. ABB’s 2022 Energy Efficiency Survey of over 2,000 businesses found that 90% fear that energy costs are a threat to profitability. To earn the business of modern consumers and meet tightening regulation, food and beverage businesses must operate as efficiently as possible. Electric motors are at the heart of almost all machinery, especially in the food and beverage sector – from conveyor belts to extruders, mixers, pumps, and more. Wherever a motor is used, there is an opportunity to improve energy efficiency. Motors powering the future One way to improve efficiency is to replace the motors with more efficient models. In Europe, China and many other countries, an electric motor’s efficiency is described by its International Efficiency (IE) class. Each increase in class, such as from IE1 to IE2, represents a 20% decrease in losses. Today, new industrial motors in Europe must be IE3 or higher, and IE4 will become the minimum standard for new installations in July 2023. The highest energy class on the market is IE5 “ultra-premium,” motors which uses synchronous reluctance motor (SynRM) technology. Replacing IE3 motors with SynRM IE5 models, which are designed to operate with variable speed drives (VSDs), reduces energy losses by 40%, resulting in lower total energy consumption and CO2 emissions. In addition to efficiency, SynRM technology also offers a range of benefits, including being quieter, more reliable, and generating lower temperatures than other motors. Their precise speed control, meanwhile, is ideal for creating consistent food and beverage products. Motors and drives: a perfect pairing Operators can further improve energy efficiency by pairing high efficiency motors with VSDs. Without a drive, a motor runs constantly at full speed. To adjust the downstream flow, operators often use throttling mechanisms like valves. However, this is like using the brakes and accelerator in a vehicle at the same time – it’s a waste of energy. In comparison, VSDs adjust the speed ABB’s SynRM motor and drive package ensures world class energy efficiency 26-27.qxp_Layout 1 31/08/2022 09:48 Page 1Food & Drink International 27 www.fdiforum.net MACHINERY AND EQUIPMENT of the motor, enabling the operator to slow it down or speed it up depending on the demand. The motor uses less power whenever it is not running at full speed, and even a slight adjustment in speed can significantly reduce electricity use. Slowing the motor by just 20% can cut electricity use by as much as half. Being able to vary the speed and torque also reduces wear and tear on the motor and the machinery it powers. This extends the system’s lifetime and reduces the total expenditure of the facility. Drives also provide significant safety benefits. For example, ABB drives’ safe torque off (STO) feature brings a machine safely into a no-torque state and prevents it from starting accidentally. This function enables the safe cleaning and mechanical maintenance of machinery. Why upgrade? A VSD delivers average energy savings of approximately 25%. When combined with a SynRM motor, further savings of up to 10% are possible over a conventional motor and drive. This means that the upgrade often pays for itself in electrical cost savings in under a year. Additionally, both motors and drives are frequently drop-in replacements for existing solutions. VSD units come in various compact, easy-to-install form factors, ideal for both wall-mounted and cabinet-built drives and drive modules. Efficiency is sweet When Egyptian beet sugar producer Canal Sugar decided to construct a new processing facility near the city of Minya, energy efficiency was a priority. The design called for an ABB ACS880 multidrive and 15 IE4 permanent magnet motors as well as a transformer and cabling. The result is that the batch centrifuges operate efficiently across a range of speeds while maintaining a high-power factor of 0.97. The technology has enabled Canal to cut the power required to produce a tonne of sugar by 25% compared with existing facilities. Embracing efficiency is good for everyone The food and beverage sector stands to benefit immensely from improving the energy efficiency of its machines. There are direct savings in terms of lower electrical costs, additional benefits in terms of increased precision and safety, and reputational benefits to reducing CO2 emissions. Overall, investing in energy efficiency is a clear win for businesses in the food and beverage sector. You can read ABB’s whitepaper online at: www.energyefficiencymovement.com/en/ 3-ways-to-improve-energy-efficiency-in- food-and-beverage-production Accurate torque and speed control for reliable extruder operation © stock.adobe.com 26-27.qxp_Layout 1 31/08/2022 09:48 Page 228 Food & Drink International www.fdiforum.net PACKAGING MATERIALS AND DESIGN BAG SEALING MACHINES RM Sealers remain a leading British manufacturer and supplier of high quality Bag Sealing Machines, also known as Rotary Band Sealers and Impulse Sealers. Call 01442 843387 to speak to a member of our team SEALERS © www.rmsealers.co.uk design From delivery to © stock.adobe.com/ Soho A studio 28-33.qxp_Layout 1 31/08/2022 09:52 Page 1Food & Drink International 29 www.fdiforum.net PACKAGING MATERIALS AND DESIGN BENCHTOP BAG SEALING MACHINE IMPULSE BAG SEALING MACHINE HORIZONTAL BAG SEALING MACHINE VERTICAL BAG SEALING MACHINE A Grab ‘n’ Go Plastic Free Vision With a vision of a plastic free flexible pack, Delicious Ideas and National Flexible teamed up to produce the best sustainable solution for their new “Grab ‘n’ Go” range. Delicious Ideas are a family run snack & soft drinks wholesaler & BRC AA accredited contract packer in Peterborough, Cambridgeshire. They pride themselves on bringing a delicious world of snacks to the UK, whilst having sustainability & corporate social responsibility at the forefront of their decision making. When discussions began, the team at Delicious Ideas were clear this range had to launch with a point of difference. All while offering a meaningful packaging solution and extending their reach into new markets. Employing National Flexible’s consumer understanding, industry knowledge and machine and material expertise, there were no problems in working together to achieve this goal. Bex Goldsmith, Head of the Packing & Fulfilment Division says: “We estimate the move to plastic-free packaging for the Grab ‘n’ Go range will remove 570 kilograms of plastic from our supply chain in its first 12 months and this figure will grow year- on-year.” Jonathan Potter CEO says: “Working with National Flexible to remodel one of our best-selling snack ranges was a smooth process and we are delighted with the final product and the benefit it will have to our overall sustainability & CSR strategy.” From design to store shelves, there’s a lot to consider when it comes to packaging, especially where health, hygiene, and the environment are concerned. C hoosing the many facets that will comprise your product’s packaging is a surprisingly complex issue, taking into account not only food safety, but also environmental and aesthetic impact. Before you reach the design stage, there is a great deal of crucial decision-making involved in choosing a safe and suitable vessel for your product. It’s more than worth getting wise on packaging products suitably and with safety in mind. Harmful chemicals could migrate from the packaging itself, creep in from environmental pollution, or grow in the product itself simply from using packaging that’s unsuitable or unfit for purpose. In a worst-case scenario this could cause serious health risks, but at best carelessness can change the taste, smell or appearance of the product. None of these outcomes are desirable when you’re encouraging a consumer to trust in your product. Luckily, there is plenty of guidance available when looking at the suitability and safety of each type of packaging; the Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP) system has detailed criteria on what makes packaging safe for consumers. GMP guidelines provide the ideal basis for deciding on packaging that’s been tested for food safety. Packaging materials Glass is one of the most reliable materials for safety and a long shelf life, due to the ability to heat treat the product after filling. Though breakable, it is moisture resistant and transparent for an attractive product. It can also be relied on not to react with food and is both sustainable and easily recycled. It is also customisable for the product it contains, such as beer bottles made of brown glass to stop ultraviolet (UV) light affecting 30 Á 28-33.qxp_Layout 1 31/08/2022 09:52 Page 2Next >