Food Manufacturing

TIJ coding systems drive down costs

Cost savings are welcome at any time, but the exceptional pressure being put on British manufacturers by today's rapidly rising raw material prices is forcing many to re-examine their operations for fresh ways to save money and protect their margins. With that in mind, we can expect a surge in popularity for coding systems based on convenient, cost-effective thermal inkjet (TIJ) technology, argues Steve Ryan, UK sales manager for Rotech Machines.

3rd April 2017

The immediate future for automation in the food industry

Chris Evans, Marketing and Operations Group Manager at Mitsubishi Electric - Automation Systems Division UK comments on what to look out for now and what is just round the corner in terms of automation for the food and beverage industry.

22nd March 2017

The cost of functional safety for food processing

In 2014 in the UK, a large food manufacturer had to pay a £800,000 fine after a serious industrial accident. An engineer was trapped by the machinery while examining a conveyor belt and suffered major injury and ongoing nerve damage. An investigation revealed that this dangerous accident could have been prevented if a guard was in place on the machine. Here, Jorgen Saxeryd, safety products and functional safety advisor to ABB's food and beverage programme explains how safety procedures must be developed in food processing plants.

10th March 2017

Single-source supply can reduce costs for machine builders

The automotive industry and other global manufacturing businesses have long espoused the mantra of a reduced supplier base in order to find assembly efficiencies and reduce costs. The real benefits are in a drastically reduced expenditure on development and a faster time-to-market for new products. The same benefits can be realised by machine builders of any size, confirms Mitsubishi Electric.

1st March 2017

Rolling bearing selection - look at the bigger picture

When selecting rolling bearings for industrial plant, machines and equipment, it is important to analyse the Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) not just the purchase price of the bearings, says Dr Steve Lacey, Technology Centre Manager at Schaeffler UK.

28th February 2017

How to reduce metal contaminants and mitigate food safety risks

Consumer perceptions and a high-profile product recall can make or break a food brand. The damage, if left unchecked, can come back and haunt a company for years to come. Phil Brown, European Sales Director at Fortress Technology outlines why paying attention to metal contaminant risks continues to be the mainstay of a robust brand protection programme and why it doesn't pay to take a maverick approach to product inspections.

23rd February 2017

Improving flow control in pneumatic conveying systems

For many industries, pneumatic conveying brings a number of advantages, not least the lack of moving parts and system flexibility. However, it is essential that such systems are properly controlled in order to maintain efficiency and the quality of the product in transit. Delivering effective process control systems requires an understanding of both the technology and the industry itself. Tony Brennan, Field Segment Manager, Gas and Micro for Bürkert, looks at the advantages of pneumatic conveying and how it can be maximised.

22nd February 2017

Understanding how colour measurement sensors work

Colour measurement sensors have been used for several years in R&D and production environments. However, in recent years significant improvements in measurement speed and accuracy have created many more uses for these sensors. Therefore, in order to successfully utilise the benefits that modern colour sensors can offer, it is important to understand how sensors measure colour, says Stephen Smith, Product Sales Engineer at Micro-Epsilon UK.

15th February 2017

The future of inverter drives in the water industry

The challenges facing the water industry include climate change, rising energy costs, tightening legislation, population growth and increasing usage per head. The use of automated systems in order to make pumps and processes work more efficiently is helping keep pace with these demands; however, what does the future hold for one of the most pivotal products in the automation mix, the inverter drive? Matt Handley, Product Manager for Drive Systems, Mitsubishi Electric UK explains how inverter drive technology is evolving to help in an industry where equipment may be expected to run for 25 years and judging by current evidence, could be in operation for a century or more.

7th February 2017

Delivering on the requirement for ATEX control panels

Designing and building process control panels requires considerable experience and expertise, especially when they are destined for hazardous areas. These potentially explosive atmospheres, or zoned areas, are more common than you'd think, with applications spread across a number of industries from obvious ones like oil & gas to less well recognised areas such as food & drink or rail.

3rd February 2017

Technical Articles