Business-class trucks

Highlighting its Freightliner Trucks Business Class M2, Daimler Trucks North America LLC’s Freightliner trucks offer the M2 106 and M2 112, which both feature best-in-class visibility with a 2,500-square-inch windshield and have numerous manual, automated and automatic transmission choices, the company says. With a wheel cut of up to 55 degrees, the trucks can navigate narrow city streets or tight loading zones, it adds. The M2 106 and M2 112 also have been designed for easier maintenance and service, keeping downtime to a minimum. Adding to the value of ownership,

Freightliner’s customer support offers a network of more than 300 dealers across North America and a

24-hour assistance hotline that will keep customers operating at peak efficiency every day, it says. These features help drivers deliver more products to more customers, the company says.

Daimler Trucks North America LLC, 4435 N. Channel Ave., Portland, Ore. 97217; 503/745-8000; freightlinertrucks.com.

Big-screen control

FoxJet, an ITW company, launched its new Marksman Matrix controller for inkjet printing systems at Pack Expo International 2014. The Marksman Matrix features a 10-inch touchscreen controller screen, as opposed to the industry-standard 5- and 7-inch touchscreens, which allows users to quickly view complete spatial relationships in 3-D renderings of their package. To save even more space on the screen, the program only displays the keyboard when necessary. The controller also allows for quick, on-floor administrator editing of printed codes and control of as many as four printheads on two production lines. Managers in the front office also can edit the printed codes from the front office through Windows Remote Desktop.

FoxJet, an ITW company, 1 Missouri Research Park Drive, St. Charles, Mo. 63304; 800/369-5384; foxjet.com.

Wireless watching

Spirax Sarco released Staps Wireless, its new wireless steam trap designed to deliver accurate wireless monitoring and reporting of steam trap performance around the plant. Steam trap users should monitor the performance of their systems because leaking or blocked traps waste energy and water, whereas a healthy steam trap population allows condensate to be removed from the steam system effectively, which means it can be re-used, the company says. Staps Wireless enables users to receive continuous, accurate monitoring of their systems. For placement flexibility, its wireless, clamp-on design allows Staps Wireless to be fitted in areas unreachable by power cables. The head unit uses 2.4 GHz wireless technology to communicate performance details automatically back to the central receiver, where the data can then be analyzed with Staps software. In addition, the device uses very little power, so it can run on a battery for a long time as it checks steam traps a few times a day, the company says.

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

Energy-efficient forklifts

Mitsubishi Caterpillar Forklift America Inc. introduced the new 7,000-pound model capacity to its Jungheinrich large electric pneumatic tire lift truck series. The Jungheinrich EFG 535k-S50 series features the newest generation of three-phase AC technology, which results in increased productivity and the ability to run up to two shifts on a single battery charge in most applications, the company says. Additionally, these forklifts feature a maintenance-free braking system that uses regeneration, which turns momentum into energy and feeds it back into the battery. The forklifts also are equipped with Jungheinrich Curve Control, which enhances operator control by automatically reducing the driving speed when the operator is turning corners. For improved operator comfort, the Jungheinrich EFG 535k-S50 series also features a spacious operator compartment and a SoloPilot hydraulic lever control for easier operation. In addition, its overhead guard design allows for optimized operator visibility, helping to reduce the risk of damage during operation.

Mitsubishi Caterpillar Forklift America Inc., 2121 W. Sam Houston Parkway North, Houston, Texas 77043; 713/365-1000; mcfa.com.

Flashy marketing

Flashright, a division of Media Imaging Inc., offers its FlashRight Suggestive Sell Displays to help foodservice operators highlight special promotions. FlashRight Suggestive Sell Displays are designed specifically for outdoor use in the drive-thru at the point of purchase for mounting on the speaker post or order-confirmation display.  Each display slowly flashes on and off to get the consumer’s attention and influence him or her to take advantage of the offer. Tests have shown an average increase of 40 percent on purchases of products featured on the FlashRight Suggestive Sell Displays, the company says. The patent-pending design also allows for easy exchange of the promotions, and the displays can be integrated with other point-of-purchase signage or used inside near the menu board area, it says.

Media Imaging Inc., 3260 Keith Bridge Road, Suite 260, Cumming, Ga. 30041; 678/455-7176; flashrightdisplays.com.

Safely moving industrial coils

Designed to make maneuvering coiled or spooled material more simple and efficient, Beacon Industries offers its BCCF and BCCM series of forklift coil lifters for a variety of industrial applications. With weight capacities ranging between 3,000 and 5,500 pounds, these lifters feature rugged steel construction for a long life of heavy-duty service, the company says. Units are available in two different styles: inverted, fork mounted or Class II carriage mounted. Carriage-mounted models are secured to the fork truck carriage through the use of a spring-loaded lock pin. Fork lengths can be 24, 36, 48, or 60 inches long with poles either 4.5-inches or 5 9-16 inches in diameter. With fork pockets usable up to 7.5 inches wide by 2.5 inches tall and fork centers at 24 inches, these coil lifters are versatile fits for a number of fork truck sizes. Much like other forklift accessories, coil lifters and rams help operators get  the most use out of a facility’s existing equipment when lifting, manipulating and repositioning large, heavy coils, it adds.

Beacon Industries Inc., 12300 Old Tesson Road, St. Louis, Mo. 63128; 314/487-7600; beacontechnology.com.

Textured cans

To alleviate the problem of slippery can surfaces caused by condensation, XanCan created a same-named aluminum can with textured sidewalls for improved gripping and handling. The fully recyclable container was designed to maximize consumer comfort when gripping the can as well as drive marketability of the package. The XanCan is available in a variety of sizes and texture pattern options for various packaging needs.

XanCan, P.O. Box 2655, Smyrna, Ga. 30081; 678/502-0702; xancan.com.

Square bags

Mondi in North America developed a new, patented flexible packaging solution for the North American wine industry. The Square Bag incorporates packaging films with a variety of spouts, closures and handles to store, protect and handle liquids up to 1.5 gallons. This flexible package adapts to common filling lines and does not require special filling technology, the company says. It can be filled through a spout or extended lips on the bag’s top or bottom. The Square Bag also is lighter and less bulky than conventional packaging materials and takes up less space on pallets and trucks, potentially reducing material, transportation and storage costs, it adds. In addition to its unique shape, brand marketers can utilize the bag’s six panels to convey graphics and product information to help the product stand out on the shelf.

Mondi in North America, 1230 Peachtree St. Northeast, 19th Floor, Atlanta, Ga. 30309; 573/331-7209; mondigroup.com.