Food Manufacturing

Technical Articles

Expanding on ESOS regulations for compressed air energy savings

The clock has begun ticking towards December 2015. That is the date by which all UK companies with 250 or more employees, or annual turnover in excess of £42m, must have completed a comprehensive audit of their energy use. The countdown has already been heeded by some firms but others remain unaware of the requirement, which has been introduced by the government under the Energy Savings Opportunities Scheme (ESOS) in response to the EU's efficiency directive.

20th September 2014

Calibrating crimp tools, torque wrenches and weighing scales

All instruments and measurement tools drift over time and will need calibration. Standards and traceability are closely related. The latter refers to procedures and records demonstrating that calibrations accurately represent the measurements explain Ibrahim Ibrahim and Eddy Jones of calibrate.co.uk.

3rd September 2014

Sensors 101: understanding sensors within a fluid control system

In the world of fluid control systems today, very little can be achieved without the raw data supplied by sensors, which need to be carefully specified to ensure that they are suited to their application. These sensors can help facilitate a variety of tasks from displaying process information and performing control functions to operating alarms, but each one has to communicate information to a process controller. Kieran Bennett, of process control specialist Bürkert, looks at the range of sensors available, the different technologies used in their design and how the application affects the specification.

18th August 2014

Automation and data transparency in the bakery

Pressure on prices is rising in the bakery market. Of particular concern is the increasing pressure from the discounters who are competing with cheap products baked freshly in store. At the same time, productivity and profit margins are low in the food processing industry in comparison with other producing industries. Above all, small and medium-sized operations are facing the challenge of competing in price terms with the discounter and supermarket offers manufactured largely on automated monolines. To stay competitive in the long term, operations are increasingly looking for opportunities to increase efficiency in production while at the same time reducing energy consumption. Reliable characteristics and the collection and accurate analysis of process and production-related data provide the necessary transparency.

14th August 2014

Grease: How to avoid economic meltdown

A tub of grease costs next to nothing. A seized motor can bring a production line to a standstill, resulting in enormous accumulating losses. Magda Bartosova, Technical Advisor of Wellingborough-based motor specialist Rotor UK, says that remembering to lubricate electric motors will probably get the company accountant whining about trickle-spending, but...

18th July 2014

Design and components for pneumatic control automation systems

The use of pneumatic process control systems has been adopted by a wide variety of industries and as the complexity of these control systems grows, so it becomes even more important to ensure high levels of reliability and integrity. However, not every system requires a huge valve island or bus communication to achieve the required level of automation. Neil Saunders, General Manager at Bürkert Fluid Control Systems looks at the common components and processes involved; from the most basic design to a complete production line.

10th June 2014

Efficient integration of the drivetrain in any industry

Depending on the industry, environment and requirements of any given application, there are many different methods of transferring power from mains supply to machine. But no matter what the layout of the drivetrain, there will always be some approaches that offer smoother integration and better efficiency than others. Bauer supplies electro-mechanical application systems that guarantee every component is hand-picked for the application, and integrated as efficiently as possible.

12th May 2014

Advances in plastic quick connects benefit industrial equipment

Ken Davis of Value Plastics, a Nordson Company, explains why plastic quick connect tube fittings are replacing traditional metal quick connects in mission-critical industrial and laboratory applications, bringing benefits such as enhanced ergonomics, lighter weight and reduced costs.

31st March 2014

Trouble shooter's guide to motor maintenance and repair

A failed or underperforming motor can bring a busy production line to a complete halt, compromise a critical airflow, devastate a water supply or lead to any number of other issues. Here, Andrew McIntyre of TSJ Industrial in Cleckheaton, West Yorkshire uses his wealth of field experience to suggest some simple solutions to potential problems.

6th February 2014

Mitsubishi Electric leads trend in motion and servo technology

User expectations for motion control and servo technologies are changing, with more emphasis being placed on ease of installation, energy efficiency, safety and productivity. Barry Weller of Mitsubishi Electric looks at the current trends and the future of these vital technologies.

15th January 2014