Floor cleaning innovations
Tennant Co. introduced the S10 Battery-Powered Industrial Walk-Behind Sweeper. The S10 model is a small, maneuverable sweeper with a 34-inch cleaning path and direct throw technology to remove heavy dust, sand and light debris. The durable machine has a large hopper capacity of 2.8 cubic feet. In addition to superior dust filtration, the S10 also has an ergonomic adjustable handle to improve operator comfort, the company says. Tennant also unveiled its ech2o, “echo,” cleaning technology that electrically activates plain tap water to work as a detergent without any added chemicals. The product is said to reduce costs, improve ease of use, heighten operator safety and present an environmentally friendly alternative. The technology, which received an Innovation Award at the 2007 ISSA/Interclean USA trade show and conference in Orlando will be made available on Tennant and Nobles branded floor scurbbers.
— Tennant Co., 701 North Lilac Drive, Minneapolis, Minn. 55440; 763/540-1200; www.tennantco.com
Vocational truck
International Truck and Engine Corp. launched the PayStar 5900i Set-Back Axle (SBA). The PayStar 5900i SBA is a class 8 vocational on/off-road vehicle with custom factory options. The model has a new axle configuration that meets the demanding needs of vocational applications and offers improved front load-distribution and maneuverability, the company says. The new truck is powered by Caterpillar and Cummins diesel engines with up to 625 horsepower. It also features a lightweight aluminum cab with sloped hood, aerodynamic grille and exterior air cleaners. The company also announced it is now producing the International DuraStar Hybrid, a diesel hybrid electric medium-duty truck. The hybrid model can provide 30 to 40 percent fuel savings on a standard in-city pickup and delivery application, the company says.
— International Truck and Engine Corp., Navistar International Corp., 4201 Winfield Road, Warrenville, Ill. 60555; 630/753-2143; www.internationaltrucks.com
Warehouse management software
HighJump Software released a Warehouse Management System designed for small- and mid-size companies. The HighJump Warehouse Advantage-45 is designed to be fully implemented within 45 business days. It allows companies to support growth by adding more complex warehouse management capabilities as business demands warrant, the company says. The latest WMS allows for tracking and visibility of inbound orders, accurate receiving, directed put-away, rapid picking, shipping and replenishment. Companies are able to purchase only the functionality they need and are able to add more complex features and modules as needed over time.
— HighJump Software, 6455 City West Parkway, Eden Prairie, Minn. 55344; 800/328-3271; www.highjumpsoftware.com
Compact label printer
Intermec announced its PF8 series of compact printers designed for space-restricted applications requiring easy printer set-up and loading. The new line of printers is available in thermal transfer, PF8t, or direct thermal, PF8d, versions with throughput of up to four inches per second for self-adhesive labels, non-adhesive tags or continuous paper strip applications. The PF8 printer series features Connect to Print, which is an all-inclusive package of software, drivers and cables for printer set-up. In addition, PF8 printers come complete with LabelShop Start, Intermec’s label design software, and InterDriver Windows Driver that allow for easy printing of bar code labels from Windows applications. Both models feature a 32-bit RISC processor that allows the printer to quickly handle graphic-intensive label formats, the company says.
— Intermec Inc., 6001 36th Ave. West, Everett, Wash. 98203; 800/347-2636; www.intermec.com
Shrink-sleeve steam tunnel
PDC International Corp. introduced a steam tunnel for precise shrinking of shrink-sleeve labels at slow to moderate speeds. The KST 55-710 is heavy-duty, highly flexible and offer a broad range of speeds, according to the company. The design is based on PDC’s higher speed, dual zone steam tunnels and offers adjustments for steam volume, flow and nozzle position in a new compact design, which allows for precise application of steam for aesthetic purposes and minimal risk of bottle distortion. The KST 55-710 can accommodate containers that are filled or empty in many shapes and material types. PDC says the model is ideal for full-body shrink labels and multipacking.
— PDC International Corp., 8 Sheehan Ave., Norwalk, Conn. 06854; 203/853-1516;www.pdc-corp.com
Powder pack reagents
Waco has made available a new line of DPD Powder Pack Reagents for chlorine water analysis. The packets offer powder reagents in pre-measured doses specifically formulated for use in Hach colorimeters, spectrophotometers and test kits. It offers a low cost per test, is U.S. Environmental Protection Agency approved and is available for either free or total chlorine, the company says. The reagents are available in 100- or 1,000-count packages and in 5-ml., 10-ml. and 25-ml. sample sizes.
— Wilkens-Anderson Co., 4525 W. Division St., Chicago, Ill. 60651; 773/384-4433; www.wacolab.com
Efficient truck line
Ryder System Inc. launched its RydeGreen line of tractors and trailers designed to reduce fuel consumption and greenhouse gas emissions. The RydeGreen line offers customers the latest technology and design to help reduce idling and help improve fuel efficiency, the company says. Ryder partnered with Freightliner for two sleeper tractors, the Columbia and the Century. Both are built to meet the demands of long-haul trucking and come equipped with special features that have earned them the U.S. EPA.’s new eco-friendly SmartWay designation. Also available are specially configured trailer packages from Great Dane and Utility, which have aerodynamic features and weight-saving options. In addition, Ryder provides online driver training programs to customers through the Ryder Pro-Tread course.
— Ryder System Inc., 11690 NW 105th St., Miami, Fla. 33178; 305/500-3726; www.greentruck.ryder.com
Predictive brewing equipment
Sidel featured its Prince beer packaging system at the Brau Bevaile trade show in Germany. The system, which stands for “Prediction In Control Equations,” uses prediction to improve quality and shelf life of pasteurized products, including beer, while cutting the pasteurizer’s consumption of water and steam. Prince software provides accurate control of pasteurization units under working conditions, the company says. The system is designed to predict the necessary temperature for product pasteurization instead of lowering temperature after a given zone exceeds the set pasteurization threshold. It also allows for better use of heating and cooling processes in the pasteurizer’s controlled zones. In addition, Sidel has installed a packaging line and integrated logistics project for Spanish brewer Damm at its facility near Barcelona.
Sidel Inc., 5600 Sun Court, Norcross, Ga. 30092; 678/221-3000; www.sidel.com
Robotic picking system
R.A. Jones & Co. Inc. introduced the new Flexi Pro Robotic Vision Picking Cell, which is a flexible product handling and collating unit featuring the world’s fastest Adept robot. The high-speed machine sorts, collates, orients and places products in a precise manner at speeds up to 180 picks per minute. When the Flexi Pro’s vision system senses the orientation of randomly placed products moving rapidly down the 8-foot conveyor, the robot picks up the product, properly reorients it and deposits it into a bucket conveyor, cartoning operation or other downstream machine. The picking cell can handle a wide array of products as well as create variety packs with minimal or no changeover, the company says.
— R.A. Jones & Co. Inc., 2701 Crescent Springs Road, Covington, Ky. 41017; 859/578-4497; www.rajones.com
PET laser coder
Imaje extended its third generation CO2 laser coders product line to include the Imaje 7031S coder for marking PET. The model is a vector laser coder designed with specific wavelength properties to guarantee legible contrast print on PET bottles. The 7031S offers codes with enhanced contrast and bolder fonts that are easy to read, regardless of bottle content. Similar to the remainder of the 7000 Series, the coder features a third generation print head operating at temperatures of up to 35 degrees Celsius, a modular design for easy integration onto production lines and intuitive user interface for easy menu navigation.
— Imaje USA, 1650 Airport Road, Suite 101, Kennesaw, Ga. 30144; 770/421-7700; www.imaje.com
Universal control unit
Emerson Process Management introduced the Rosemount 3490 Series of Universal Control Units to provide control functionality when used with any 4 to 20mA or Hart compatible transmitter. The series configures transmitters and provides display, calculations, logging and control outputs. The 3490 Series is capable of performing a variety of calculations on the signal received from the transmitter, for example translating level into volume or flow. The Universal Control Units feature multi-function back-lit display, integrated six button keypad and are suitable for wall or panel mounting in a non-hazardous area. The company also released the 375 Field Communicator 2.0, which features upgraded capabilities for configuring and troubleshooting Hart and Foundation fieldbus devices.
— Emerson Process Management, 8000 West Florissant Ave., St. Louis, Mo. 63136; 314/553-2000; www.emerson.com
Promotional materials
LexJet added the Promo-Point Media line featuring a variety of films, papers, clings and card stock. The materials can be used on the OKI printer line available from LexJet as well as other color laser printers. The line can be used to make promotional table tents, static cling decals, stickers, cooler decals, and post cards as well as advertising and promotional collateral. Promo-Print Media is available in a variety of sizes and configurations, including shelf talkers, decals, shelf wobblers, table tents, table inserts, window cling and window film.
— LexJet, 1680 Fruitville Road, 3rd Floor, Sarasota, Fla. 34236; 800/453-9538; www.lexjet.com
Counterbalanced lift trucks
The Hyster Co. offers the Fortis line of sit-down, counterbalanced lift trucks. The features of the Fortis line include customizable applications and ergonomics. Hyster counterbalanced lift trucks are built with power train design, industrial-strength electronics, cooling and hydraulics. The Fortis line includes cushion tire, S80-120FT, and pneumatic tire, H80-120FT, models that are able to decrease downtime by 30 percent, the company says. The lift trucks are available in three preconfigured power train bundles to meet the demands of specific working environments. The Fortis line is powered by a GM 4.3 liter V6 engine, has on-board Pacesetter VSM computer, patented DuraMatch transmission systems and auto-deceleration systems.
— Hyster Co., P.O. Box 7006, Greenville, N.C. 27835; 800/497-8371; www.hyster-americas.com
Tire-saving device
Keytroller announces its Tire-Saver “N” Series device now enabled with quick fit for new Toyota, Cat, Mitsubishi, Nissan, Doosan and Komatsu lift trucks. The Tire-Saver is designed to prevent transmission abuse and improve tire life on forklifts and other industrial vehicles by not allowing directional change if the vehicle speed or engine RPM is above the setpoint. It will allow direction change when the operator reduces the speed or RPM below the setpoint. The new N series device kit includes a controller module to set speed and engine RPM threshold, controller module to “fool” vehicle management system computer, connection wire harness to connect engine alternator and connection wire harness to connect to directional solenoids.
— Keytroller LLC, 3907 W Martin Luther King Blvd., Tampa, Fla. 33614; 813/877-4500; www.keytroller.com
Automated checkweigher
Cornerstone Automation Systems Inc. announced the SolidCube 4010, which provides automation in putaway or shipping operations where high speed and accuracy are required. The system operates as a standalone or can be integrated into existing conveyor systems. SolidCube 4010 systems are designed for systems requiring 0.2-inches dimensional accuracy. The model is an easy add-on to CASI checkweigher and offers real-time cubing for freight and inbound shipments.
— Cornerstone Automation Systems Inc., 1827 Wesley Dr., Prosper, Texas 75078; 800/401-0304; www.cornerstoneautosys.com