Hot savings

Nordson Corp. announced the global release of its new ProBlue Liberty, an integrated tankless melter and multi-hose fill system that allows packagers to reduce waste, char, downtime and energy consumption on their production lines, the company says. The new system incorporates Nordson’s latest tankless technology, originally introduced in Nordon’s Freedom system, into the ProBlue series of melters, which service more than 100,000 hot-melt packaging applications worldwide, it says. ProBlue Liberty also incorporates a proprietary sensor that monitors molten adhesive levels in a small hopper and alerts the fill system to add the appropriate amount of hot melt. By melting only what is needed when it is needed, the ProBlue Liberty melter virtually eliminates char buildup, it notes. The new multi-hose adhesive fill system is flexible, based on the application, and can feed from one to four melters, helping packagers reduce adhesive waste caused by manual filling, it says. The ProBlue Liberty tankless system is compatible with all Nordson Blue Series hoses and applicators, will process any free-flowing hot melt, and can be interchanged with existing Nordson melters.

Nordson Corp., 28601 Clemens Road, Cleveland, Ohio 44145; 440/892-1580; nordson.com.

Here is my spout

At Interpack 2014 in Germany, Karlville Development LLC debuted its SpoutPro line of fillers for beverages in pouches. The new line includes four machines — SpoutPro-FC1, SpoutPro FC2, SpoutPro FC4 and SpoutPro IFC4 — that can fill pouches as large as 5 liters at speeds of up to 80 pouches a minute. The machines are designed to fill the packages through the spouts for no-spill filling, it says. In addition, the filling system does not require air evacuation or additional sealing and is able to fill to a higher level because of the through-spout filling method, it says. SpoutPro FC4 also includes a multi-rail magazine system option that adds a pouch transfer section in between the loading of magazines and the filling chamber so that pouches can be loaded from different rail magazines.

n Karlville Development LLC, 175 S.W. 7th St., Suite 2105, Miami, Fla. 33130; 305/533-1051; karlville.com.

Staying dry

The presence of condensation on the outer surface of bottles and other containers can have detrimental effects on the quality of a packaging line: labels may be poorly applied, coding can be illegible or incomplete, and vision inspection efficiency may be impaired, according to Gebo Cermex. To prevent these issues, the company offers its new OptiDry drying solution. Compatible with other Gebo Cermex handling line systems, OptiDry can handle glass, plastic and metal containers in all shapes and sizes, with plans to extend the range to encompass high-speed can and glass packaging lines. It also incorporates independently adjustable nozzles that create efficient drying by targeting air flows to necessary areas, like the container’s neck, body or both. The drying system is designed for quick changeover between container formats, using graduated indicators to reproduce precise plenum positionings for efficient transitions between batches. In addition, nozzles can be adjusted manually or automatically through a motorized system to accommodate the different packaging sizes and formats.

Gebo Cermex, 5-7 Rue du Commerce, 67116 Reichstett, France; 011/33-338-183-850; gebocermex.com.

Controlling the mix

Charles Ross & Son Co. announced that its Ross Mixers now are offered with human-machine interface (HMI) and supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA) packages for data entry and recipe selection from a color-coded touchscreen. The programmable logic controller (PLC) control panel, which allows the operator to control mixing, heating and vacuum level, also helps improve batch-to-batch consistency and reduce operator errors while accelerating product changeovers, the company says. It also enables automatic data logging into a CSV or Excel file format with time and date stamps. For example, on its 200-gallon Double Planetary Mixers (pictured), recipe controls enhance their processing capabilities by automating the mixing, discharge and cleaning cycles for high repeatability, it says. The standard module allows users to write up to 10 recipes, each with 10 process sequences based on agitator speed, time, temperature, and vacuum- and pressure-level set points. Operators also can use the PLC control panel program to pause during any step in order to load raw materials, take samples or perform other activities.

Charles Ross & Son Co., 710 Old Willets Path, Hauppauge, N.Y. 11788; 800/243-7677; mixers.com.

Bottle meets can

Invento Americas combined the advantages of PET bottles and aluminum cans in its new PET beverage can packaging. Originally developed in Europe, the transparent containers allow consumers to see the liquid inside the package. In addition, the hybrid containers with aluminum-can-style tops can be filled on existing aluminum can filling lines without a need for major adjustments, the company says.  Ideal for packaging soft drinks, carbonated waters, energy drinks and brightly colored beverages, the PET containers are available in 250-, 325-, 330-, 375- and 500-ml as well as 12- and 16-ounce sizes and also can be decorated with customized shapes and colors, embossing and debossing, and pressure-sensitive labels for additional branding.

Invento Americas LLC, 7 E. Bijou St., Suite 216, Colorado Springs, Colo. 80903; 714/271-8727; inventoamericas.com.

Check your tires

Omnitracs LLC added new high heat and fast leak alerts to its Tire Pressure Monitoring application. Tire Pressure Monitoring equips fleets with the tools to proactively monitor and maintain proper tire inflation, extending the life of tires while reducing operational expenses and factors that contribute to blowouts and accidents caused by improper tire maintenance. The high heat alert notifies drivers when a truck’s tires have surpassed safe tire temperatures and have reached an excessive heat range. The fast leak alert informs drivers if tire pressure drops, indicating a detected leak. An in-cab mobile device delivers these alerts to the driver in near real time and sends a notification to the back office. In this way, these alerts ensure that fleets can take prompt and necessary action before a safety issue arises. Available on MCP200 and MCP110 platforms in conjunction with supported tire pressure monitoring systems, the new alerts will be available in the summer of 2014 at no additional charge to customers subscribing to Omnitracs’ Tire Pressure Monitoring application.

Omnitracs LLC, 10290 Campus Point Drive, San Diego, Calif. 92121; 800/647-3325; omnitracs.com.

A new kind of sidecar

As a new serving accessory option for the foodservice and on-premise channels, RP & Associates offers The Hitch. This marketing concept enables liquor companies to spread brand awareness by affixing miniature branded bottles to various types of drinkware, including Margarita glasses, straight glasses, pilsner glasses and glass bottles. The miniature version of a full-size alcohol bottle shows the consumer and others in the bar or restaurant what brand of alcohol is in the cocktail. In addition, the 1.5-ounce miniature container can serve a functional role in holding an additional shot of liquor for the consumer to add to the drink.  The Hitch also is reusable for the consumer to take home as a souvenir or for the bar or restaurant to clean and use again.

RP & Associates, 2205 Pacific Coast Highway, Hermosa Beach, Calif. 90254; 310/372-9709; rpandassociates.com.

All taped up

ShieldMark Inc. designed its patented Mighty Line floor tapes and other floor marking products to help managers make their facilities safer, more organized and more productive. These floor tapes are available in nine standard colors as well as custom colors to enable color coding for various facility areas including inspection, production, storage and shipping as well as in four standard widths — 2 inches, 3 inches, 4 inches and 6 inches. The company also offers floor markings in various shapes to help denote hazardous areas, pedestrian walkways, traffic flow and more. Other taping solutions in the portfolio include black-and-yellow, caution-tape-style tapes; glow-in-the-dark tapes for blackout situations; cold-application floor tapes; and rodent/sanitation tapes. All of the tapes offer quick application, long life and easy removal without floor damage, the company says.

Shieldmark Inc., 20228 Detroit Road, P.O. Box 16618, Rocky River, Ohio 44116; 440/895-9980; mightyline.net.

Sealed for protection

PDC International Corp. introduced the 90C-ER Shrinksealer for the fast, continuous application of tamper-evident seals and shrink-sleeve neck labels. The 90C-ER seals as many as 400 containers a minute but as slowly as 50 containers a minute to synchronize with production requirements. It can apply single or multi-layer polyvinyl chloride (PVC), polyethylene terephthalate glycol-modified (PETG), polylactic acid (PLA) and oriented polystyrene sheet (OPS) sleeves in gauges as thin as 40 micron. The compatible sleeve diameter range is 10 to 75 mm, and the height range is approximately 0.5 to 4 inches. The machine also features PDC‘s Splice-on-the-Fly changeover feature, which allows a second film reel to be staged and spliced while operation continues at normal speed, thus eliminating downtime for roll splicing, the company says. When the current reel is empty, an end-of-reel sensor automatically clamps the material end and begins consuming from the accumulation festoon.  Once the splice is complete, the festoon refills by returning to its original position and awaiting the next roll change. Standard features of the 90C-ER include a stainless steel frame, National Electrical Manufacturers Association 4 enclosures, an Allen-Bradley touchscreen and programmable logic controller, and a static eliminator. It also features sensors for low material and film feed and can include sensors for imprint and barcode verification.  Like all PDC systems, the 90C-ER has a robust blade assembly, which allows the blades to be re-sharpened at least three times and reversed. In this way, one set of blades provides long service life and cost savings as well as less downtime for changeovers.

PDC International Corp., 8 Sheehan Ave., South Norwalk, Conn. 06854; 203/853-1516; pdc-corp.com.

Easy openings

Enabling easy beverage opening for consumers, Closure Systems International’s (CSI) Aqua-Lok mini 26-mm tall cap (TC) provides 57 percent more grip surface than other 26-mm short-height profiles and was designed to provide an ideal combination of bottler savings and enhanced consumer satisfaction, the company says. The taller cap is fully compatible with the popular ultra-short-height 1914 PET bottle finish and is suitable for bottled water, ready-to-drink teas and other still beverages, it says. CSI’s new Aqua-Lok mini 26-mm TC closure also offers tamper evidence through an extended plug seal that provides band break prior to seal loss, it notes. The cap is made of high-density polyethylene (HDPE) for optimum taste and odor performance, and it can be colored to enhance brand marketability, it adds.

Closure Systems International, 7702 Woodland Drive, Indianapolis, Ind. 46278; 800/311-2740; csiclosures.com.

Heavy-duty wrapping

For stretch-wrapping heavy-duty loads, Arpac offers its Pro Series LP Wrap-N-Weigh. This heavy-duty pallet stretch wrapper combines wrapping and weighing in one operation through its precision scale and digital controls. The machine is equipped to handle and wrap loads as heavy as 4,000 pounds and is available in a high-profile version for forklift loading as well as a low-profile version for pallet-jack loading. It also can be customized with extended towers for taller loads and split frames for odd-sized larger loads.

Arpac LLC, 9511 W. River St., Schiller Park, Ill. 60176; 847/678-9034; arpac.com.

Automatic measurement

CMC-Kuhnke released its new Mars-EMS-1050 fully automatic shell measurement gauge at Metpack 2014, which took place May 6-10 in Essen, Germany. This gauge is designed to measure countersink depth; panel depth; and curl diameter, height and opening to assist with beverage end-making. It also is capable of pulling as many as 60 beverage shells from a feeder and automatically measuring their characteristics. The machine’s pneumatically and electronically controlled sensors automatically measure up to eight locations per end. After measurement, the shells fall into a collection hopper, and measured values are shown on the color display, which flags out-of-specification limits in red. This interface also allows the user to navigate through the gauge functions and transfer the information to data acquisition software. The fully automatic shell measurement gauge can be integrated directly with the production line to receive and measure shells without any operator intervention, or it can be used as a stand-alone gauge, the company says.

CMC-Kuhnke Inc., 1060 Broadway, Albany, N.Y. 12204; 800/689-0661; cmc-kuhnke.com.

Preventing the freeze

Spirax Sarco launched a new, compact, easy-to-install bydrain freeze protection liquid expansion trap for preventing pipe freezing, which can cause loss of production and possible safety hazards as well as create repair costs, the company says. The bydrain can be installed directly on the equipment or downstream from the equipment that needs to be drained, ensuring that it is accessible for inspection and maintenance, it says. In either location, the bydrain should be placed at the end of pipes, at low points, or any area where liquid could be stationary and therefore susceptible to freezing, it explains. This trap is made of stainless steel and functions as a fixed-temperature discharge trap that continuously monitors the temperature in the pipes, it says. The trap is firmly closed at 45 degrees Fahrenheit, but as the temperature of the liquid cools to 36 degrees Fahrenheit, the trap opens to discharge any liquid in the pipe, it says. It can be used for freeze protection for float and thermostatic steam traps, coils, tanks, water lines on docks, eyewash stations, safety showers, tracing condensate manifolds, condensate return lines, pressure-powered pumps, electric pumps and flash tanks, it adds.

Spirax Sarco USA, 1150 Northpoint Blvd., Blythewood, S.C. 29016; 800/575-0394; spiraxsarco.com.