< PreviousGEARS & DRIVES30 Food & Drink Internationalwww.fdiforum.netgeneral, without having to worryabout hygienic elements. Withaccuracy being mixing processors’main concern, hygiene has to be therefrom the start. Expansion within theindustry has meant a new generationof machinery which has resulted in afocus on health and safety in themanufacture of the machine itself toprotect ingredients fromcontamination and infection.As well as this, high speeds andnew methods such as vacuumcreation within this process hasmeant the demand for higher qualitygears and drives that can meet therequired levels of efficiency. Controlvia automation rather than byoperatives has improved efficiency onall levels of this process too. A recent example was an existingcone blender within a tea company inWest Yorkshire where the existingmachine had to be kept running themajority of the working week. Thiswas proving to be a less than efficientuse of energy and a replacementdrum blender with computer controlbeing installed proved a canny move.With improved gears and drivesproviding a more energy efficient andless maintenance-intensive model,production was increased by quite amargin.Picking the bestRobotics is a massive growth areawithin food and drink manufacturingand advanced controls, gears anddrives are making it a viable optionfor many, especially in light of theiraffordability. FANUC’s new four axis M-2iApick and place delta style robot forexample is one of the only systems onthe market able to withstand highHygiene is an ever-importantelement of machinerymaintenance, aluminium andsteel are now routinely used foreffective wash-downs.With heavy investment inautomation, innovation hasmade sure efficiency andhygiene are fitted as standardPHOTO: PROSEALWith improved gears and drives providing a moreenergy efficient and less maintenance-intensive model,production was increased by quite a margin29-31:Layout 1 15/11/13 10:57 Page 2GEARS & DRIVESFood & Drink International 31www.fdiforum.netpressure and temperature wash-down procedures. This parallel-linkrobot is as compact and dexterous asa human hand and has beendeveloped in response to anincreasing trend driven by foodmanufacturers looking to improvethe hygiene of handling raw andunpackaged foods. Chris Sumner, FANUC UKManaging Director, says, “Robotuptake in the food industry hasgrown considerably within the lastfive years, with producers looking toenhance their competitive edgeusing high speed, accurate and agilesystems – the key benefits of a pickand place robot. Yet most recentdemands from producers relate tofood safety and the use of robots toimprove hygiene, by removing thehuman element, during themanufacturing process.“Although robots have beencommonplace for many years, thevery nature of a robot arm, with itsmany crevices and less durableconstruction materials, has in thepast prevented it from working inharsh environments. Our currentfocus is on hardening our robots forsanitation, making them able towithstand the harshest ofenvironments and high pressurewater hose cleaning, which is oftenused during food manufacture.” It seems like all areas of the foodand drink industry are taking theidea of control of their automationprocesses seriously. An evernarrowing gap between processingand efficiency is proving to be thedriving force behind companies’investment plans. We can onlyimagine what further improvementsare to be made in the near future.PHOTO: DRINKTECFor machinery that runs almostconstantly, reliable and efficientdrivers and gears are essentialPHOTO: ISHIDAWith improved gears and drives providing a moreenergy efficient and less maintenance-intensivemodel, efficiency was increased by quite a margin29-31:Layout 1 15/11/13 10:57 Page 332 Food & Drink Internationalwww.fdiforum.netCONTROL & AUTOMATION SHOWCASEBox clever with DavallDavall Stock Gears introduce smooth, full stainless steel housing gearboxes, designed for the harshest of environmentalapplications. The gearboxes are ideally suited for food or drink preparation sites.The ranges are constructed with stainless steel housings (316 bevelT unit, 304 for the helical and worm units)These gearboxes are available in three gear geometries, spiral bevel, in-line helical reduction (co-axial) or worm andwormwheel reduction (right angle).The gearboxes are designed to ensure a minimum maintenance regime. The worm unit has two bearings onthe worm line and two bearings on the wheel (output) line, to ensure maximum power transmission capacity.The three styles of gearboxes have a choice of reduction ratios available, worm gearing from 7:1 up to 100:1,bevel 1:1 or 2:1 and helical gearing from 3:1 up to 60:1, and power ratings from 0.18Kw, up to 4Kw.The high efficient in-line coaxial helical unit is fitted with a stainless steel output shaft, the bevelT has 316 shaftsand the worm unit is available with a stainless steel output female sleeve, with an option of a plug-in male shaft.Tel: 01707 28 31 31 Fax: 01707 28 31 32 Email: dsg@davall.co.uk www.davall.co.ukFortress reinforce compatibility with standardsFortress Technology is reinforcing the message that its Vector metal detector/conveyor system, along with solutions for in-process inspection such as pipeline and gravity, complies with all retailer standards, including BRC.From initial presentation through to the accurate rejection of a contaminated product, including all the necessaryfailsafes to ensure system integrity, the Vector system ticks all the boxes.Flexibility in setup and configuration ensures full compliance to the latest guidelines, including the updated Codeof Practice for metal detectors set by leading retailer Marks and Spencer.The integrated Stealth model metal detector also provides the capability to capture, via USB, performance informationsuch as rejects and faults, in addition to test records and results – all vital for audit compliance. These accurate recordsof detector performance, changes in setup along with QA test results provides the user with peace of mind when it comesto traceability and conformity checks.Uniquely packaged customer support products and services provide the user with all the documentation and certificationnecessary to satisfy stringent food safety audit requirements. Validation documents, certified test samples and preventative maintenance programmes gohand in hand with bespoke training programmes for all levels and tiers of training including SME.Tel: 01295 256266 Email: sales-uk@fortresstechnology.co.uk www.fortresstechnology.co.ukNewfield Automation LtdNewfield Automation Limited was established in 1989 and offers a single source for theClient’s Control System engineering requirements. This can include Consultancy and ProjectManagement duties, the production of User Requirement and Functional Design Specifications,complete Turnkey Solutions involving Hardware Design (panels and site cabling), SoftwareDesign (PLC, SCADA and PC), Control Panel and MCC manufacture, Testing, Installation andCommissioning Activities.Our approach to supplying quality Integrated Control Systems is one of a partnership, withthe Client providing their knowledge of the operational requirements and Newfield Automationsupplying its engineering expertise for the selection and application of the most suitableproprietary equipment.Newfield Automation Ltd - Your Partner for Industrial AutomationTel: +44 (0) 1260 282200 Email: sales@newfieldautomation.com www.newfieldautomation.comThe utmost careOperating highly automated, state-of-the-art cold store warehouses in the UK, the Netherlands and Belgium,Partner Logistics understands the importance of monitoring and maintaining temperature in the supply chain. In order to control the quality of the products from end-to-end, a rigorous set of systems and procedures areimplemented to ensure core warehouse temperatures are kept within strict tolerances at all times.Partner Logistics also works with all hauliers so that temperature data during transportation is made availableto check that product quality has been maintained as well as providing this information to its customers.Following transportation, inside the warehouses, all loading and unloading areas are fully enclosed in order to maintain a consistent temperature andensure that the product is always kept in optimum condition. This environment is maintained throughout the expanse of the warehouse as the productmakes its way through a fully automated system until it reaches its final storage location.With constant online access to temperature information and automatic alarms direct to engineers and management should there be any anomalies,through our fully integrated and monitored system, products are guaranteed to always leave our warehouses in perfect condition.For more information, email Jon Miles, Head of UK operations on jon.miles@partnerlogistics.eu or call +31 (0) 164 271 123 32-33:Layout 1 15/11/13 10:58 Page 1IT Space ManagementEnsure availability of critical data via intelligent equipment, while improving energy efficiency with smart cooling.Security ManagementEnhance the safety and security of your people, plant, and process with integrated technologies.Building ManagementCreate a building environment that improves user comfort and productivity, and reduces the kWh/m2 consumed.©2013 Schneider Electric. All Rights Reserved. Schneider Electric and EcoStruxure are trademarks owned by Schneider Electric Industries SAS or its affiliated companies. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners. www.schneider-electric.com s 998-1163147_UK-GB_C_iPadminiIntegrate your key business domains in EcoStruxure architecture and cut energy waste by up to 30%Hungry for Ready for the challenges ahead?Fluctuating market situation, evolving consumer preferences, strict food safety regulations, and growing production targets… Every day brings a challenge to the profitability and sustainability of your Food and Beverage operations.Get on the path to permanent enterprise efficiencyIntegrated EcoStruxure™ architecture connects your vital business domains, creating an intelligent energy management system. This allows you to see and manage energy use across the entire enterprise. It’s the most direct path to a competitive, sustainable plant that produces more with less.Integrated architecture optimises CapEx and OpExEcoStruxure architecture adapts multiple, siloed systems into one platform of compatible solutions, streamlining system management and resources, and enabling energy savings of up to 30%. Your energy becomes safe, reliable, efficient, productive, and green, making your efficiency goals of the future achievable today.Single-seat integrated domain managementEcoStruxure architecture delivers consolidated monitoring, reporting, and efficiency across five critical domains:Power ManagementImprove availability, reduce energy bills and CO2 emissions, and switch to renewable energy.Process & Machine ManagementIncrease the efficiency of process and machine performance, and optimize maintenance and energy costs.green efficiency?Watch our video “How Schneider Electric help to solve Process issues” for FREE and stand a chance to WIN an iPad mini! Visit www.SEreply.com Key Code 39913p32-33:Layout 1 15/11/13 10:58 Page 234 Food & Drink Internationalwww.fdiforum.netTEMPERATURE MONITORING & CONTROLTechnology involved in monitoring hasgenerally remained the same in recentyears, with probes, ambient temperaturemonitors and a reliance on operatives tolog and monitor temperatures workingwell. However, more automated solutionsseem to be more common and the abilityto constantly monitor the temperatureremotely has indeed been a coup. Beingable to accurately tell on a 24-hour basiswhat temperature goods are being storedat means there are no gaps in knowledgeand inevitably means significant costsavings. Monitoring goods in fridges, coldrooms, storage facilities, vehicles andwarehouses is now often handled by suchsystems and it’s not only the actualtemperature that can be scrutinized andacted upon. In a bid to increase theefficiency of operations, a food logisticsspecialist recently trialled an electricitymonitoring system at its manufacturingsite. The system, supplied by energydemand and response business REstore,identifies opportunities to reduce powerusage during peak periods in thecompany’s cold store, cutting costs andimproving efficiency.This allows energy suppliers andtransmission grid operators to look toenergy users to relieve the energy marketand the grid of excess demand at criticaltimes. Equipment is installed in order tomonitor electricity usage in cold stores,limiting unnecessary power usage at peaktimes.This kind of system can be combinedwith further contributions to energyreduction plans, including LED lightingand solar power. It’s worth consideringthat if foodstuffs do not need to beconstantly blasted with cold and can beroutinely ‘topped up’ with effective cooldown periods, then energy not used ismoney saved.The level of control such systems offeris obviously entirely bespoke to acompany’s needs. Automatic logging atdifferent time periods, customisable by aclient, is transmitted to computers whereit can be viewed and assessed. Often useof data reviewing can provide a moreeffective schedule, which would no doubtimprove a company’s costs over time. If acold store lays empty for any period oftime and is still being cooled, thesemonitoring results will quite possibly showfluctuations in temperature that can causeconcern and be acted upon quickly.With the range of wireless monitoringtechnology available too, manufacturers,distributors, retailers and caterers canremove one of the biggest pressures facingthe industry. Packaging, transport andcatering staff can concentrate on otherparts of the business without the worry ofneglecting a serious food safety issue.With wireless systems being incrediblyeasy to install, often a case of affixingmonitors to cold store walls and installinga simple router, the investments made areminimal but the cost savings could makeall the difference. Radio signals used arerobust enough to be transmitted throughthe cold atmosphere and through thickpartitions, so the alerts will reach keyoperatives no matter what the problemmight be.Runninghot and coldLosing valuable stock through inadequate monitoring and control oftemperature still happens now and again, but what technology is outthere to prevent this?34-36:Layout 1 15/11/13 11:20 Page 1Food & Drink International 35www.fdiforum.netCooking up a foodservice treatFoodservice is one of the fastest movingareas of the industry day to day. Withhundreds if not thousands of customers insome cases being served a range of foodand drink daily, it’s integral temperatureis monitored to make sure harmfulbacteria are killed in cooked food inparticular.Probe monitors have been used foryears, but a leap in technology has meantthat accuracy has taken on a moreimpressive level of quality, with faster,more precise measurements beingdelivered. Thanks to the location offoodservice events being variable, onefeature we are seeing more and more isautomatic backlighting on handheld36 Handheld temperatureprobes are becoming evermore accuratePHOTO: SAF-T LOGTrials in energy use in cold stores shouldlead to less costs for large operationsPHOTO: AMERICAN FOODS GROUP34-36:Layout 1 15/11/13 11:20 Page 236 Food & Drink Internationalwww.fdiforum.netTEMPERATURE MONITORING & CONTROLdevices too. Often, low-light detectors built in will mean thetemperature can be read in conditions where light is either ofpoor quality or indeed when conditions are dark. Particularlyhelpful for outdoor events, the rise of street kitchens andunusual popup restaurants seems like a perfect market forthis.The ability to then upload records of temperatures viacomputers is also a bonus. With intuitive software, even themost time-pressed can now keep meticulous records andprove safety standards, giving specific times.Smart labelsThere has also been a rise recently of being able tomonitor food temperatures once it has left the warehouse.Thanks to 2D bar codes and chemical labels, technology isable to tell those handling perishable or temperature-sensitive food in transit if temperatures are dipping below orover what they need to be. Indicators on the labels allow avisual cue to ensure that food does not spoil before it arrives.The bar code also gives a real-time condition of the productthanks to the indicator changing the make-up of the labeltoo. Logging such a bar code will bring up a message onreaders or on operator screens, meaning operatives will knowof any discrepancies immediately. These jumps forward in technology mean that lessspoilages will occur and quality doesnot suffer. This in turn resultsin less waste and smootherrunning of operations, allgreat news frommanufacturers at alllevels of the industry. Backlit temperaturemonitors arebecoming popularfor use infoodservice PHOTO: UNITHERMPHOTO: SHUTTERSTOCK.COM/ROBERT KNESCHKEThanks to2D bar codes andchemical labels,technology is able to tellthose handling perishableor temperature-sensitivefood in transit iftemperatures are dippingbelow or over whatthey need to beTemperature monitoring in pre-packaged foods is as importantas in freshly cooked food34-36:Layout 1 15/11/13 11:20 Page 3Two-wire temperature transmitter for food production. Bright 4-digit LED display. Fast response T05/09 = ѿ sec. Preset measuring range can be adjusted over IO-Link. Range of probe lengths and process connections available. Stainless steel. IP69K.First loop-powered temperature transmitter with LED displayFirst loop-powered temperature transmitter with LED displayifm Telephone 020 8213 2222ifm Telephone 020 8213 2222www.ifm.com/uk/tdwww.ifm.com/uk/td37:Layout 1 15/11/13 10:44 Page 138 Food & Drink Internationalwww.fdiforum.netVISION, INSPECTION AND DETECTIONWith consumers as well as retailersdemanding the best from their products atan even higher level than in previousyears, vision, inspection and detectionsystems are becoming an essentialaddition to any automated line.Standards have improved drastically ofcourse, but the occasional story emergesof contamination and dips in quality.Thankfully there are leaps and boundsoccurring all the time within themachinery side of things and even moreelements of food can nowbe assessed as they arepassing, sometimes athigh speed, throughprocessing and packing machinery stages.The advent of digital imaging overbarcode recognition is something we’ve allbecome accustomed to and as cameratechnology becomes more advanced, sotoo do vision systems incorporating smartcameras. Equipment that can detectcolour, printing quality and shape alreadyexist, but it’s only been in the last fewyears that you have been able to rely onthese systems at any kind of speed.There’s even been specialised colourdetection improvements in recent years,with differences in distances and lightvariations having no effect on reliability.The ability to ‘teach’ machinery colours tolook for and monitor is even possible andthanks to intuitive software provided withmost models you will often find theprocess is easy to set up and requiresminimal upkeep.Allowing for deviation in light, manyare astonished how accurate someequipment can prove to be. With anemphasis on lack of moving parts, easyinstallation and nearly zero hoursmaintenance it’s no wonder they areproving popular.Keep it cleanHygiene is obviously something thatvision and detection systems need toadhere to. Often the systems are notinvasive or even contact the product itself,but anything that enters a foodproduction area still needs to besafe and designs these days seemto be allowing for rapid cleaningand hygiene procedures. Forexample, a new x-ray machineFat analysis is now possible via x-ray visionsystems, adding to the cavalcade of functionsavailable in-linePHOTO: EAGLEVisionariesin their fieldKnowing that products are uniform, of a specific quality and thatdefects are not making it through is becoming easier to controlthanks to improved technology.38-41:Layout 1 15/11/13 11:00 Page 1Food & Drink International 39www.fdiforum.netVISION, INSPECTION AND DETECTIONwe’ve seen recently comeswith a design that allows it tobe washed down, even by pressurewashers with no loss in use. Theelectronics are protected and arewaterproof under impermeable seals, so arapid clean is possible before productioncan start up again. It also features no flatsurfaces, allowing for water to drip off andnot to accumulate and causecontamination.Onerous maintenance regimes can eatinto production time – and into thebottom line too. Some systems we’ve seenrecently have solved the problem oflengthy conveyor belt changes too byintroducing a quick release mechanism,mounted for operator safety. This allowsthe conveyor belt to be changed within afew minutes, a job that can tie upmaintenance staff for over half an hour onother systems. Trimming the fatAdvances in x-ray technology mean thatthese days there are other elementsavailable at the same time as x-raydetection. Recent products released ontothe market include fat detectiontechnology, known as absorbiometry,which measures the way that x-rays thatare absorbed by which areas of meat inparticular. With a majority of consumersand retailers demanding meat with a leanprofile, this kind of technology allows forquality control on an unprecedented scale.It also strikes a clearer balance betweenlean meat giveaway and costly fat levelcosts depending on the cut of meat youare analysing. If a low-grade meat has toomuch lean and good quality meat in, itcosts the manufacturer, so it’s easy to seewhy this technology offers more in theway of return than traditional fat analysismethods.Indication is also an element of thistechnology that helps boning staff tochange their behaviour depending onwhat initial quality meat they are workingon. If the x-ray absorption technologyindicates too generous a cut for the meatbeing prepared than trimming and cuttingmethods can be modified to meet thatprofile. Getting down to the fine details ofa traditionally variable foodstuff must bePHOTO: OMRONReal speed is nowpossible as digitalcamera technologyhas come so farThe advent of digital imaging over barcoderecognition is something we’ve all becomeaccustomed to and as camera technology becomesmore advanced, so too do vision systemsincorporating smart cameras40 38-41:Layout 1 15/11/13 11:00 Page 2Next >