Product category:
Exhibitions on processing and instrumentation
News Release from: SPECIAL REPORT by the Editor | Subject: TOTAL
Edited by the Processingtalk Editorial
Team on 28 May 2007
Total Processing and Packaging report
This report on the UK Total Processing and Packaging Exhibition at the NEC in May concentrates on the food industry and processing applications, more than enough to cover on one visit!
The main industry emphasis at the UK Total Processing and Packaging Exhibition last week was on food industry applications In visiting Total I was more interested in the processing equipment presented, than the packaging and handling machinery, and the review below concentrates on this aspect of the Exhibition, with particular reference to the products described in the stories recently submitted to Processingtalk
This article was originally published on Processingtalk on 3 Aug 2004 at 8.00am (UK)
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You will have to read right to the bottom to find the stars of the show, but the stands are divided into subject areas of ELECTROSTATICS, SOLIDS HANDLING, PUMPS AND MIXERS, INSTRUMENTS AND VALVES, PACKAGING AND LABELLING, METAL DETECTION AND X-RAY SYSTEMS, and GREASE.
* ELECTROSTATICS.
Several suppliers of systems for monitoring, controlling and eliminating electrostatic hazards were present at Total, mainly concentrating on web and film problems.
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Meech International have introduced a static elimination system driven by a proximity sensor, to power the ionising bars only when the workpiece to be treated is in front of the unit, http://www.processingtalk.com/news/mch/mch133.html.
At Total, Meech were keen to point out the availability of ATEX approval on their electrostatic elimination systems.
This was quoted as particularly relevant in printing industry applications, where inks or adhesives can be spirit based, and require equipment with Ex approvals.
Fraser passive static dischargers, basically consisting of earthed ionizing bars, also have had to obtain ATEX certification for use in such areas, even though they are passive devices: see http://www.processingtalk.com/news/fat/fat100.html Draabe from Hamburg had an un-resistable stand, with a fine mist of cooling humid air coming from their spray nozzles: systems to increase the humidity do help reduce static problems, but also help apparently in handling packaging materials.
As a by-product, since the water used to produce the spray is purified using RO techniques, to assure hygiene and sterility, it is a good source of the water used to dilute printing inks too.
* SOLIDS HANDLING, PUMPS AND MIXERS.
Newson Gale have introduced a check system for Type C Flexible Intermediate Bulk Containers to monitor that their built-in conductivity, to dissipate static, is still adequate, and providing a good, safe earth: http://www.processingtalk.com/news/new/new119.html.
Hycontrol showed a new microwave based level control for bulk storage silos at Total, using a beam break detection principle, the main feature is that the sensors can be behind flush windows into the tank sides, so are not subject to any damage from falling solids: http://www.processingtalk.com/news/hyc/hyc000.html.
Flextraction, the Melton Mowbray-based specialist solution provider that captures at source all forms of airborne contamination - dust, fume and oil mist demonstrating several industrial high vacuum cleaning and dust extraction systems, as well as a range of modular, stainless steel, Downflow Booths operating on a re-circulating airflow principle, for weighing sieving and mixing stations in bakeries and food production plants, plus dye and paint manufacturing, pharmaceutical and chemical industries: http://www.processingtalk.com/news/fla/fla000.html.
SPX had a lot of equipment to show, with lots of different brand names on their stand at Total, http://www.processingtalk.com/news/spx/spx124.html.
This was the first outing for a prototype pump controller, currently under development at the Bran + Luebbe Brixworth plant, and they were trying to seek visitors and other customers opinions on this new development.
http://www.processingtalk.com/news/spx/spx126.html.
A major feature on their stand was the new range of Johnson Pumps, particularly aimed at food and pharmaceutical applications, breweries and dairies, with all stainless steel low shear lobe pumps, carrying EHEDG and other approvals.
The JP Pumps are listed separately from SPX on Processingtalk, see http://www.processingtalk.com/news/jpp/jpp000.html.
The Murzan European office in France took a stand to demonstrate some of their diaphragm pumps working on what looked like really viscous looking yogurt: in the UK their pumps and spares are one of the ranges of diaphragm pumps supplied by Roxspur Measurement and Control.
Lafert Electric Motors had a stand presenting their (AEG) products under their new Lafert name, but mostly pushed the Marlin branded stainless steel hygienic motors.
One of these was on show on top of a Ytron Quadro directed jet mixer, who do offer the Marlin hygienic motors as a standard option, typically used by food and pharmaceutical customers.
The Ytron stand also showed a range of sampling systems from POWcontrol for pneumatic transfer systems, solid chutes etc, which provide an interesting variation to normal gas sampling and isokinetic sampling probes.
Ytron have not yet sent any stories in to Processingtalk, but all the Lafert stories can be found at http://www.processingtalk.com/news/aeg/aeg000.html.
Marlin Stainless, usually sold for hygiene rather than low cost, presented an interesting story this week, from a bakery producing meat pies and pasties, who have found use of the Marlin motors is a lower cost option than using conventional motors: http://www.processingtalk.com/news/maj/maj113.html.
* INSTRUMENTS AND VALVES.
Fullbrook have found a particular niche for their viscosity monitoring systems in the printing industry, monitoring the consistency of the printing ink being applied, to ensure that it is not thicker than it needs to be, and therefore wasting ink.
Control systems using their viscosity monitoring equipment can reduce the volume of ink used and therefore improve profitability! http://www.processingtalk.com/news/fll/fll119.html.
Burkert were showing their new Robolux valves, designed by the Swedish company they recently acquired http://www.processingtalk.com/news/bur/bur126.html.
Robolux is the leading manufacturer of multi-way, multiple-connection diaphragm valves with minimum internal volumes for special applications, for example in the pharmaceuticals, chemicals and photographic industries, or for special procedures like chromatography.
The low volumes in the valves mean less waste when cleaning, less dead volume.
Burkert also showed the results of their continuing collaboration with Siemens, AirLINE Ex Type 8650, http://www.processingtalk.com/news/bur/bur127.html, which is the first modular electro-pneumatic automation system that automates complex process and production sequences in places where there is an explosion hazard (Zone 1/21).
AirLINE Ex can be seamlessly integrated into the Simatic ET200iSP, which gives a single node Profibus enabled hazardous area interface for both pneumatic (ie solenoid valve) operations, and electronic control systems.
Festo described their new, flexible linear electrical actuator, http://www.processingtalk.com/news/fes/fes163.html, and at Total they also featured their training services for factory and process automation http://www.processingtalk.com/news/fes/fes161.html.
Systech oxygen analysers have been used for the testing of the (lack of) oxygen permeability of a new packaging film, called Xylophane, and just developed in Sweden.
This film has the advantage of being biodegradable, unlike the currently used aluminium foil and plastic film from non-renewable sources: http://www.processingtalk.com/news/sys/sys113.html.
* PACKAGING AND LABELLING.
Well there was some there at Total, so I had to look at a few stands!.
Chronos Richardson supply equipment for the bagging and weighing of granular solids or powders, whether for food, chemicals or minerals.
Under their new ownership they are concentrating on this established market, where over 8000 of their E55 weigh-bagging systems have been supplied worldwide for bags from 5-50Kg.
Their new SpeedAC NXT micro based controller provides a user friendly touch screen for easy menu changes, and provides improved bagging accuracy, so is allowing upgrades to many of the existing installations.
http://www.processingtalk.com/news/cno/cno126.html.
Freeze dryers were on display from Biopharma Process Systems, http://www.processingtalk.com/news/sgp/sgp119.html, who had a complete Cuddon large-scale, general-purpose freeze dryers are ideal for food and nutraceutical processing unit on the stand, completing their range of equipment for all freeze drying applications.
Automated Packaging Systems launched their Sprint Bagger, specifically for packaging IQF (Individually Quick Frozen) food items, where fast function change-over and the stainless steel construction, to withstand frequent wash-downs, is important: http://www.processingtalk.com/news/auo/auo108.html.
Mettler Toledo showed their completely hygienic stainless steel X-Series checkweigher, http://www.processingtalk.com/news/mtt/mtt222.html, with a large 15 inch display.
Mettler also showed various metal and X-Ray detection systems, plus a weigh price labeler, the PAS3008, that did everything called up on the easy to use display, measured the weight, priced and labeled the package in less than a second: faster than I could see what it was doing.
Sigpack Systems have supplied state of the art packaging machinery to meet rising production demands at a specialty pharmaceutical company making healthcare and dermatological products: Warner-Chilcott needed the HBL machine (the highest-speed hermetic wrapping system on the market) to ensure hermetic sealing of the blister packaging: http://www.processingtalk.com/news/sgp/sgp119.html.
Witt Gas Techniques showed their electronic gas flow control system for Modified Atmosphere Packaging on automatic packing machines used in the food and pharmaceutical industry: it can also be used for controlling the atmosphere in fruit and vegetable storage facilities, which saves on gas consumption by regulating the gas flow when the required oxygen level is reached: http://www.processingtalk.com/news/wit/wit156.html.
* METAL DETECTION AND X-RAY SYSTEMS.
Thermo Fisher Scientific from Rugby showed their Goring Kerr X-ray based food inspection systems.
These sixth generation systems are sensitive enough to detect any chips or slivers of glass within a glass phial inside the product packaging, used at the end of packaging lines in the pharmaceutical industry.
At the opposite end of the range the low cost EZx X-ray systems are the equivalent of a metal detector http://www.processingtalk.com/news/ter/ter163.html, not inspecting product but just rejecting a package where foreign solid matter is detected.
Stars of the show for me, because the basic product is so simple, and is unique, were E-Components and Chains (ECC) of Pocklington, a relatively sleepy East Yorkshire town.
Their Detectamet plastic materials are made from metal detectable plastics, so any accidental contamination by lost pens, glasses, ear plugs, pieces of vinyl glove et al, into the food containers, can be identified and rejected in the metal detector.
The latest metal detectable products show further branching out: naturally blue coloured, the Detectamet cable ties are not only blue and metal detectable, but also float, so are far more likely to be picked out on dairy and drink bottling applications.
But the specially developed polyurethylene plastic, which is so metal detectable that a magnet will even stick to it, is just announced.
Called Detectathene, it is available in sheets up to 160mm thick, and can be used for bearings, slides, wheels, guides, introducing better best practice in food processing machinery construction.
See http://www.processingtalk.com/news/eom/eom137.html For their press release on this material: it certainly attracted user interest at Total.
*GREASE.
How do you exhibit the features of a lubricant on an exhibition stand? Well Kluber set this as a challenge, and started a lively debate.
But having the balloon suspended in an air jet for passing visitors to play with, produced reasonable results.
Their latest product development is the Kluberfood NH1 87-703 Hygienic, a grease designed for use in aseptic cold filling plants, where sensitive beverages or food products, such as baby food, fruit juice, yoghurt or beer, are filled into sterile containers under aseptic conditions: http://www.processingtalk.com/news/klb/klb160.html.
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