The latest equipment introductions offer a bevy of stronger, easier and faster features.




Ashworth has been granted U.S. patent 7,735,637 for manufacturingOmni-Proconveyor belts featuring Zero-Tension, 360˚ Buttonless Welds, which are stronger and easier to clean than conventional bridge-welded belts. The Zero-Tension, 360˚ Buttonless Welds are produced with an automated process that precisely positions each rod and then completely melts and fuses the rod and link together, creating consistently strong and smooth welds. By eliminating traditional bridge welding, allOmni-Probelts are capable of withstanding the highest loads in their class. Unlike a traditional bridge weld, the Zero-Tension 360˚ Buttonless Weld is free from surface imperfections and crevices, eliminating bacteria entrapments and improving cleaning characteristics.
Ashworth Bros., Inc.
Winchester, Va.
800-682-4594
www.ashworth.com

Charles Ross & Son introduced the laboratory dual-shaft mixer, designed to mix a wide variety of products for operation up to 15-pound-force per square inch gauge of internal pressure for a combination of low- and high-speed agitation for medium-high viscosity products. All components are shrouded for safety and to enhance the overall look of the unit. The mixer also comes with reverse vertical lifts to increase mixing positions, and has self-contained control panels and single point hook-ups, variable speed controls and inverter duty motors.
Charles Ross & Son Co.
Hauppauge, N.Y.
800-243-7677
www.mixers.com

Hinds-Bock introduces high-speed target depositing for burritos, tacos, taquitos, sandwiches and pocket pizzas. These machines feature automatic cycling controls, simple operation and easy sanitation and maintenance. Versatile and gentle on products, these depositors provide immediate cost-saving results. They have large port openings that permit filling of chunky ingredients without crushing. Plus, they are USDA- and AG Canada-approved.
Hinds-Bock Corp.
Bothell, Wash.
877-292-5715
www.hinds-bock.com

AMF Bakery Systems presents an articulating arm robotic basket/case loading system for the baking industry. Loading robots offer flexibility, speed and precision, but are not all created equal. AMF’s robotic arm comes with high-resolution programmable and U-board insertion end-of-arm tools, a cable and hose management system, back-pressure managed indexing pick conveyor and auto-adjusting product guides.
AMF Bakery Systems
Richmond, Va.
800-BAKERS-1
www.amfbakery.com

Mettler-Toledo Safeline developed the Super Throat metal detector, designed specifically for the inspection of free falling products such as snacks and confectionery products in vertical packaging applications. At the heart of Super Throat is the company’s revolutionary PowerPhasePRO electronics platform, which is available in fixed or multi-frequency configurations. The detector comes with an advanced detection coil system and new detector head geometry that delivers incredible levels of sensitivity with improvements greater than 30% in typical food production environments. The Super Throat also incorporates a new software algorithm that identifies the signals given off by metal contamination and discriminates between these signals and those generated from the actual product itself.
Mettler-Toledo Safeline
Tampa, Fla.
800-447-4439
www.mt.com/safelineus

Wire Belt offers Flat-Flex XT belting, providing extra strength and support for longer belt life. XT’s unique spacing is designed to outperform competitive style belts especially in bread crumb and flour applications, where typical belts are greatly stressed and damaged during this process. Flat-Flex XT’s additional strength enables conveyor circuits to run at higher speeds, thus increasing production.
Wire Belt Co. of America
Londonderry, N.H.
603-644-2500
www.wirebelt.com

Cimcorp launches a MultiPick Robotic Gantry system designed to meet the need for fast order fulfillment with reduced costs, greater capacity, 100% accuracy and improved traceability and logistics in perishable food applications. Fresh inventory is stored in stackable baskets, with each stack comprising a single stock-keeping unit. One or more MultiPick robots can pick any number of baskets from a stack at a time in the correct order for the dispatch schedule. Orders are loaded into delivery vehicles in an optimal drop sequence that saves time, energy and increases customer satisfaction. At the end of a shift, MultiPick can automatically empty the entire picking area for faster cleaning.
Cimcorp Oy Satakunnantie
Ulvila, Finland
+358 2 6775 111
www.cimcorp.com

Perten Instruments debuts a flour milling calibration package for the DA 7200 NIR analysis system. It enables flour millers to analyze wheat, flour, ingredients and by-products in one instrument with unparalleled accuracy, speed and flexibility. It also tests incoming grain and additives against specifications, monitors and optimizes the milling process and tests finished flour and by-product quality.
Perten Instruments
Springfield, Ill.
217-585-9440
www.perten.com

Tharo Systems presents EASYLABEL 5 Terminal Server for product identification, bar code and radio-frequency identification labeling. The server features the Platinum version but with the added ability to run on the Windows terminal server platform.  Extremely cost effective, a single version of terminal server allows for an unlimited number of users.
Tharo Systems, Inc.
Brunswick, Ohio
800-878-6833
www.tharo.com

The PF2TT Table-top Powder Filling Machine from Cozzoli Machine has a filling range of 50 to 75 mg, with an accuracy of up to +\- 1% of fill volume. Designed for accuracy and repeatability in clean rooms, the enclosed powder pathway prevents potential external contamination. It also features automatic filter cleaning, a simple fill adjustment and liquid media validation and multiple dosing capabilities.
Cozzoli Machine Co.
Somerset, N.J.
732-564-0400
www.cozzoli.com

Wenger Manufacturing introduces a lineup of innovative equipment. Its high-intensity preconditioner offers adjustable mixing intensities and enhances food safety. Part of the design is a new hygienic beater that eliminates all threaded shafts, along with a slide gate that reduces discharge of under-processed material and manages water flow during the sanitation cycle. The thermal twin screw extruders are created for manufacturers who want to shift their process to more favorable energy sources. They provide exceptional performance with a broad range of raw materials and offer a thermal-to-mechanical energy ratio of 14:1 with capacities to 12 tons per hour. Likewise, the revolutionary enhanced sanitary dryer substantially reduces the risk of contamination and eliminates cracks and crevices in which fines and material could collect. The design calls for a minimum 30-degree slope on all internal ledges.
Wenger Manufacturing, Inc.
Sabetha, Kan.
785-284-2133
www.wenger.com

WP Bakery Group presents the Quadro Filius, a dough-dividing machine and seeding unit designed to produce a wide variety of rolls in a short amount of time. The Quadro Filius’ ergonomical design ensures that dough flows in one direction, preventing the backflow of soft dough, and can process dough with an 80% absorption rate. And, it can produce anywhere from 1,400 to 4,000 rolls per hour. It can be integrated into any production environment due to its small size and low-energy requirements, and features a sprinkling system with a rotary plate that allows bakers to stamp and customize each individual roll.
WP Bakery Group USA (dba: Kemper Bakery Systems)
Shelton, Conn.
203-929-6530
www.wpbakerygroupusa.com

Meriam’s M200 Smart Manometer line now offers a new line of compound pressure ranges. The M200 comes equipped with National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST)-traceable accuracy to ±0.025% FS, including all affects of linearity, repeatability, hysteresis and temperature over the operating range of -4ºF to +122ºF. Recent improvements include a 0- to 10-in. H2O range, four gauge pressure ranges and two absolute pressure ranges. Meriam also added eight compound pressure ranges to accurately measure ±15 PSIG through -15 to +3000 PSIG, which increases the number of sensor types/ranges from 9 to 24.
Meriam Process Technologies, a Scott Fetzer company
Cleveland, Ohio
216-281-1100
www.meriam.com

Torrey Pines Scientific launches the EchoTherm Model IC20XR chilling/heating dry bath, an incubator/chiller/freezer for hybridizations, sample prep for polymerase cold reaction, ligations, enzyme reactions and more. It can freeze, chill or heat samples from -10°C to 110°C in assay plates, tubes and vials. It also comes with a digital display that can control temperatures up to 1°C. It also features a countdown timer, a data logger and an RS232 interface to control the unit by computer or to record data.
Torrey Pines Scientific, Inc.
Carlsbad, Calif.
866-573-9104
www.torreypinesscientific.com

Graphite Metallizing Corp. offers FDA-acceptedGRAPHALLOY, a graphite/metal alloy that is formed from molten metal, graphite and carbon. It is a uniform, solid, self-lubricating bushing and bearing material that’s widely used in bakery ovens, dryers, roasters, mixers, conveyors, freezers, sterilizers, grills, pumps, bottling plants and packaging equipment. Self-lubricatingGRAPHALLOY bearings and bushings perform in -450°F to +750°F, require minimal maintenance and can reduce downtime, resulting in uninterrupted production of food contact equipment.
Graphite Metallizing Corp.
Yonkers, N.Y.
914-968-8400
www.graphalloy.com

*This printed in the October 2010 issue.

** Image courtesy of Ashworth Bros.