Mixing it up

Charles Ross & Son Co. offers Multi-Shaft Mixers with interchangeable mixing vessels and an optional cover equipped with propeller blades to ensure product uniformity during storage and discharge. Its 15-gallon Multi-Shaft Mixers feature a three-wing anchor agitator, high speed disperser and rotor/stator emulsifier. Mounted on the mixer cover is a high-precision in-line viscometer with a built-in temperature sensor for measuring non-Newtonian shear-thinning materials as much as 100,000 centipoise. The mixer includes a rotary vane vacuum pump supplied with a 5-micron particle filter and trap. After each mixing cycle, the vessel containing the finished product is simply pulled from under the mixer and fitted with a custom cover while another vessel is rolled into the mixing position. This semi-continuous operation maximizes both machine and labor utilization, the company says. The cover for the holding tank is secured via quick acting clamps and is suitable for up to two pounds per square-inch (psi) inert gas purges. A ½ horse-power (HP) impeller agitator is mounted to a tri-clamp port on the cover and pre-wired to a variable frequency drive for convenient operation, the company says.

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

Video seam monitor

Wilkens-Anderson offers its VSM II video seam monitor: a high-resolution camera and monitor to inspect can double-seam cross sections. The camera includes a solid-state light source that produces a bright image of the can seam for evaluation and measurement, a toggle switch that selects crosshairs on either the X or Y axis, and an adjustable illumination and built-in calibration procedure, the company says.

Wilkens-Anderson Co., 4525 W. Division St., Chicago, Ill. 60651; 773/384-4433; wacolab.com.

Corrosion protection

NORD Gear Corp.’s Sealed Surface Conversion system (NSDtupH) protects aluminum alloy housings with an ultra-hard, scratch and corrosion resistant surface that is an alternative to stainless steel. NSDtupH-treated units are resistant to blistering per ASTM D714, corrosion per ASTM D610-08 and scratches per ASTM D1654-08, according to ISO 2409. Additionally, an ASTM D3170 Gravelometer test showed no loss of adhesion or chipping and the ASTM B117-09 salt spray tests produced no corrosion even after 2,000 hours, the company says. NSDtupH treatment is approved for food applications according to FDA Title 21 CFR 175.300. Treated gearboxes are protected against cleaning agents in the pH2 to Ph12 range and are suitable for use in many harsh environments such as chemical wash down, coastal, food and beverage, car wash, pharmaceutical and others. The corrosion and chip resistant surface protects the gearboxes from scratches and blemishes ultimately protecting products from contamination. The comprehensive NORD gearbox program allows for custom gearbox configurations tailored specifically to meet particular demands.

NORD Gear Corp. USA, 800 Nord Drive, Waunakee, Wis. 53587; 888/314-6673; nord.com.

Vehicle diagnostic update 

Noregon Systems released updates to its JPRO Commercial Vehicle Diagnostics 2015 v2. The updates include support for the PACCAR 2010 and newer CAN body controllers, ability to clear faults for PACCAR MX engines, support for proprietary sensor data on Detroit engines and a new power diagram in the data monitor section to aid diagnosis of electrical problems. Additionally, Noregon released the JPRO Command Module – Detroit Diesel as an add-on annual subscription to the JPRO Heavy-Duty Module. The new module covers model years 2000-2014 and includes bi-directional controls for Detroit Diesel Engines (EPA, ‘00, ‘04, ‘07, ’10 and ‘13) and Detroit Diesel 50-60 series, DD13, DD15, DD16. New features include Cylinder Cut-Off for 2000-2014 Detroit Diesel engines and DPF Service Regen for 2007-2014 Detroit Diesel engines.

Noregon Systems Inc., 7009 Albert Pick Road, Greensboro, N.C. 27409; 336/615-8555; noregon.com.

Motor monitoring

Siemens Industry Services provides its monitoring service using Veros Systems technology, designed for the industrial market. Working with Veros, Siemens extends its condition monitoring services using high-frequency measurements of currents and voltages to continually assess the operating performance and machine health of motors, along with their mechanical and electrical components. As part of the data-driven service, customers see real-time information of their motor’s output efficiency, torque, loading, power factor, speed and power quality, the company says. Additionally, customers receive predictive warnings of impending asset health issues such as bearing failures, rotor bar cracks, soft footing, bolt looseness, coupling issues, impeller cracks and seal leaks. Plant Data Services provides a framework for using customer’s production and machine data to identify opportunities for productivity and reliability improvement as well as increasing transparency of their industrial processes, it adds.

Siemens Digital Factory Division, 3333 Old Milton Parkway, Alpharetta, Ga. 30005; 800/333-7421; usa.siemens.com/digital-factory.

Brewing support

W.R. Grace & Co. offers the Daraclar 9000HP silica to provide operational and environmental benefits in the brewing process. The key to the silica’s performance is its fast-filtering properties, which reduce the amount of filter aid needed while minimizing  the solid waste produced and the water needed during clean-in-place (CIP) filtration cycles in the brewing process, the company says. Brewery test case results demonstrated that the newly engineered silica improved capacity while reducing filtration and stabilization costs by 25 percent, the company reports. These improvements were achieved as a drop-in to the existing line without the need for new equipment, downtime for process modification or capital expense, it adds. Daraclar 9000HP helps brewers improve margins in a competitive marketplace without compromising on taste, the company says.

W. R. Grace & Co., 7500 Grace Drive, Columbia, Md. 21044; 410/531-4000; grace.com.

Staying in harmony

Schaffner EMC Inc. offers a complete line of integrated active harmonic filter systems, which provide harmonic compensation in real-time up to the 50th order. Systems are available with capacities of 100, 150, 200, 250, 300, 350 and 400A, operating at 480VAC (plus or minus 10 percent). These standard systems provide reactive compensation and current load balancing. The company says they are ideal for manufacturing environments with nonlinear loads, such as variable frequency-motor drives, Uninterruptible Power Supplies (UPS), HVAC equipment, data centers and banking/heavy computing. The equipment incorporates individually fused ECOsine automatic harmonic filters, a high-speed fully digital microcontroller, a disconnect switch, a door interlock, an operator selector switch, indicating lights, an alpha-numeric keypad and graphic display, and TCP/IP or RS-485 Modbus interfaces for communication. The ECOsine cancels and injects current to correct the sine wave before the harmonics can cause any damage to the electrical system or equipment, the company says. 

Schaffner EMC Inc., 52 Mayfield Ave., Edison, N.J. 08837; 800/367-5566, Ext. 276; schaffnerusa.com.

Specialty lubricants

Klüber Lubrication NA LP now offers more than 70 perfluorinated polyether (PFPE) oils and greases, which are known for their stable, nonflammable and non-reactive properties. These specialty lubricants provide excellent high-temperature performance for many industries, including automotive, aerospace, electronics, chemicals, textiles, plastics, and food and beverage, the company says. The thermal stability of these lubricants can withstand operating temperatures as high as 572 degrees Fahrenheit. Greases based on PFPE based oils are paired with an PTFE thickener. They are inert and generally regarded as neutral toward most elastomers and plastics. Many PFPE products from Klüber Lubrication also are NSF H1 registered for use in food processing and packaging equipment.

Klüber Lubrication NA LP, 32 Industrial Drive, Londonderry, N.H. 03053; 603/647-4104; klubersolutions.com.

Collecting it all

AirTrim Inc. offers pneumatic conveying systems, which collect labeling, matrix and other packaging waste components as well as trim waste and dust removal systems for various printing, converting and packaging line applications. Continuous stream or chopped systems can be developed to suit any application. Additionally, complete systems can be sized for future expansion.

AirTrim Inc., 1940 S. Yellow Springs Road, Springfield, Ohio 45506; 888/247-8746; airtrim.com.

High-speed capper

NJM Packaging offers the redesigned Beltorque high-speed capper that is equipped with the new servo-driven cap elevator-feeder, which has adjustable cleats and indexes to increased the speed of this continuous-motion capper by 50 percent, the company says. Now rivaling the high speeds of complex rotary cappers, the in-line machine caps as many as 300 bottles a minute with simple mechanics, fast changeovers and low maintenance, the company says. The two-station capper-torquer uses two belts to gently rotate and tighten caps. It also maximizes product quality by eliminating damage to the cap knurling and cap finish. Additionally, it minimizes slippage to achieve more consistent torque values, which prevents leakers and reduces rework associated with out-of-tolerance rejects. The Beltorque Capper handles round, oval, square and rectangular bottles made of plastic or glass from 2 to 12 inches in height and from 0.5 to 7 inches in diameter with caps made of plastic or metal that are as high as 4.75 inches in diameter.

NJM Packaging, 56 Etna Road, Lebanon, N.H. 03766; 603/448-0300; njmpackaging.com.

New and improved

Jungheinrich lift trucks announced additional options recently introduced by Mitsubishi Caterpillar Forklift America Inc. Updates were made to the ETV C moving mast reach trucks, EKS 110 order pickers, EJC 220 pedestrian stacker and EZS 570/580/590 tow tractors. These updates include improvements in energy efficiency, increased productivity and capacity, and operator security and comfort, the company says.

Jungheinrich Lift Trucks, 2121 W. Sam Houston Pkwy. N., Houston, Texas 77043; 713/365-1000; jungheinrich-lift.com.

End to end perfection

CMC-Kuhnke Inc.’s  can measurement and rating station, the MARS-EMS Fully-Automatic Multiple-Diameter End Measurement Station, provides automatic measurements for every characteristic of the can-end, increasing time savings versus manual gauges, the company says. Featuring automatic end rotation, the industry leading End Measurement Station eliminates operator error thus maximizing accuracy, it adds. The end measurement system is entirely customizable for the user. Through the use of hoppers for multiple can-end diameters and an automated end handling system, the MARS-EMS Fully-Automatic Multiple Diameter End Measurement System measures an unlimited range of different sized lids. The can-ends automatically are rotated with all parameters being measured in up to 50 positions around the circumference of the end, the company says.

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

Clear measurements

Sensorex’s Smart Aqua Meter (SAM-1) now is globally compatible with Android devices. Already compatible with Apple iPhone and iPad applications for laboratory and field monitoring, the SAM-1 measures and records pH, ORP, conductivity and temperature values. With the release of the Android app, Android smartphone and tablet users can now use this portable water quality meter for accurate analytical measurements. The device plugs into the headphone jack, and the free SAM-1 app instantly recognizes the smart sensor and provides an easy-to-use interface for taking measurements and managing data. Stored data can be transmitted through email and opens in Excel for analysis and reporting, eliminating data transcription errors.

Sensorex, 11751 Markon Drive, Garden Grove, Calif. 92841; 714/895-4344; Sensorex.com.