Vacuum Barrier celebrates 50 years

Vacuum Barrier Corp., Woburn, Mass., is celebrating its 50th year in business. The company was founded by Thornton Sterns and Louis Thompson designing, engineering and manufacturing cryogenic handling equipment for private industry and military. Vacuum Barrier’s business philosophy was to provide cryogenic handling products designed and manufactured in its own facility with on-site service – a philosophy still in practice today.

Vacuum Barrier began to expand its cryogenic product line with the launch of Semiflex Stainless Steel piping to the Food Freezing and Electronic market, and continued market expansion by adding Semiconductor and Automotive. The later expansion brought the launch of Triax piping, which allowed manufacturing facilities to have custom delivery of liquid nitrogen at a variety of pressures.

Vacuum Barrier continued to collaborate with clients, which included its injection system to inject liquid nitrogen into thin-wall hot or cool fill cans. In turn, this was instrumental in increasing the demand for two-piece, lightweight aluminum cans from heavy weight, three-piece cans.

In the early 1990s, an explosion of lightweight packages and growth of PET plastic for non-carbonated beverages further prompted Vacuum Barrier to refine its liquid nitrogen injection systems to allow for extreme dosing precision. A full line of Nitrodose liquid nitrogen injection systems was launched. The full line has systems to address any delicate packaging application at various line speeds.

As Vacuum Barrier celebrates its 50th anniversary, the company says it has not strayed from the philosophy its founders established – provide cryogenic handling products designed and manufactured in its own facility with knowledgeable and dependable on-site service.
— Vacuum Barrier Corp., 4 Barton Lane, Woburn, Mass. 01801; 781/933-3570; vacuumbarrier.com

Flexible hose

NewAge Industries developed a flexible hose for beverage industry applications, including potable water, milk and dairy products, oily or animal fat-based foods, juices and non-alcohol beverages. The hose is manufactured from a food-grade nitrile rubber blend that meets FDA standards and all requirements for a 3-A rating. The product is reinforced with polyester fabric and steel wire, and can handle both pressure and full vacuum applications. It is crush-resistant and bends without kinking to allow unrestricted flow. Sizes range from 1 inch to 4 inches interior dimension. The hose is available in bulk or as complete hose assemblies with stainless steel fittings in Tri-Clamp, cam and groove, I-line, tubeweld and custom welded styles.
— NewAge Industries Inc., 145 James Way, Southampton, Pa. 18966; 800/506-3924; foodandbeveragehose.com.

Unscramble the cartons

FKI Logistex released the Mini-Unscrambler conveyer, which puts cases into a single-file line at speeds up to 100 cartons per minute. The system reduces the number of jams, mis-sorts and carton recirculation. The unscramber is a length of 15 feet, and works in manual or automated depalletizing cells and in manual repack areas.
— FKI Logistex, 9301 Olive Blvd., St. Louis, Mo. 63132; 877/935-4564; fkilogistex.com.

Vertical order picker

Jungheinrich Life Truck Corp. introduced the EKS 110 Vertical Order Picker. This truck facilitates fast and versatile order picking. The picker has four lift height options, which allows operators to pick stocked items from the first, second or third level of racking and place them in a box or on a pallet. EKS 110 has a 2200 pound lifting capacity and can pick up pallets or crates both longitudinally and crosswise. Ergonomic features include an angled steering wheel and cushioned platform. The AC traction motor has no carbon brushes, brush springs or armature commutator to replace.
— Jungheinrich Lift Truck Corp., 5601 Eastport Blvd., Richmond, Va. 23231; 804/737-7400; jungheinrich-us.com.

Online database

Shrinkable sleeves

Ameri-Seal created two heat shrinkable sleeves for “Ready Fiber,” a clear liquid source of soluble dietary fiber. The sleeves have a clear tear-drop shape design in the middle of the label. The product comes in two bottle sizes: 8 and 15 ounces. The shrink labels wrap around the entire bottle, and the sleeves are printed with six colors on rotogravure presses.
— Ameri-Seal Inc., 21330 Superior St., Chatsworth, Calif. 91311; 800/220-7981; ameri-seal.com.

Status light displays

Thermo King announced the launch of three new remote status light displays for reefer-equipped trailers. The displays make it easy for drivers to check the status, temperature and fuel level of their unit, the company says. The displays are available in three configurations: status, status/fuel level and status/fuel level/temperature readout. Each uses high-visibility LED lights, has an auto dimming feature and is compatible with all Thermo King SB trailer units with SR-2 controllers.
— Thermo King Corp., 314 W. 90th St., Minneapolis, Minn. 55420; 952/887-2200; thermoking.com.

CO2 tester

Steinfurth Inc. introduced a CO2 tester that measures the CO2 content in beer, non-alcohol soft drinks or mineral water. The manometric shaking method for measuring CO2 content in filled containers is valid for palate taste and sensation, the company says. The bottle or can is shaken until equilibrium is established. The CO2 content is calculated by measuring pressure and temperature, then comparing with a reference liquid in a reference container at the shown pressure and temperature. Four automatic CO2 shakers are offered, differing in the degree of automation.
— Steinfurth Inc., 305 Etowah Trace, Ste. 102, Fayetteville, Ga. 30214; 678/674-1096; steinfurth.com.

Case and tray packer

Douglas Machine Inc. introduced the Douglas Continuous Motion Axiom DL case/tray packer that uses direct product loading. It loads products onto a case or tray blank at speeds to 55 cases/trays per minute. It has walk-in frame construction so changeovers and maintenance are easy to perform, the company says. Some of the features include the patented Smartrak Steady Stream Infeed, which eliminates product bridging and removes the gaps that compromise pack pattern accuracy and continuous product flow.
— Douglas Machine Inc., 3404 Iowa St., Alexandria, Minn. 56308; 230/763-6587; douglas-machine.com.

Logistics companies

Scott Distribution Service Inc. offers three complementary third-party logistics companies. Scott Logistics is a non-asset based transportation company offering vans, flatbeds, temperature-controlled, long-haul and short-haul vehicles. Scott Logistics has more than 20,000 carrier agreements. Scott Carriers is a national truck line. Both Scott Logistics and Scott Carriers are Women’s Business Enterprise certified. Scott Distribution Service Inc. is a food-grade warehouse offering order assembly, pick and pack, inventory control and overflow storage.
— Scott Distribution Service, 650 Great SW Pkwy., Atlanta, Ga. 30336; 770/449-0629; scottdistribution.com.

Portable printer

Extech Data Systems announced its portable S4000T 4-inch receipt printer. The printer is suited for direct story delivery applications, and is equipped with an optimal rechargeable lithium ion battery, which can be charged through the vehicle system. The S4000T weighs 24 ounces and has a clamshell-style loading system and push-button release for the paper door. The system has a built-in Flash and SRAM memory. Print drivers are available for Windows 95, 98, 2000 and XP, and print utilities are offered for all CE and palm-based operating systems. The printer also comes with a 12-month warranty on all parts, including the print head.
— Extech Data Systems, 285 Bear Hill Road, Waltham, Mass. 02451; 781/890-7440; extech.com.

AC electric vehicles

Wesley International will introduce its AC electric vehicle at NA2008, the material handling trade show in Cleveland, Ohio. Customers will have a choice of AC or DC power on all electric utility vehicles, the company says. The electric motors do not have brushes or carbon dust.
— Wesley International, 3680 Chestnut St., Scottsdale, Ga. 30079; 404/292-7441; wesleyinternational.com.

Spray monitor

Nordson Corp. introduced the iTrax Spray Monitor and Control System at MetPack 2008 in April. This system combines spray monitoring, timing control and spray pressure. iTrax automatically monitors and controls the inside spray process for metal cans from one single operator interface location. It enables the use of lower spray pressures for significant savings in maintenance and clean-up, and also reduces coating consumption, the company says. There are three operating modules within the iTrax System: iTrax Spray Monitor, iTrax Spray Controller and iTrax Pressure Control.
— Nordson Corp., 11475 Lakefield Dr., Duluth, Ga. 30097; 770/497-3400; nordson.com.

Recognizing a $5 bill

Crane Payment Solutions announced the release of recognition software for the $5 bill. The software for vending systems will be available on its Blue Chip SIM card. The card programs and verifies in less than 10 seconds. The Blue Chip does not need batteries or cables, and has no buttons to press. The SIM card is waterproof.
— Crane, 12955 Enterprise Way, Bridgeton, Mo. 63044; 800/325-8811; cranems.com.

Privacy window films

LexJet Décor & Privacy Window Films offers LexJet Glacier, LexJet Rice Paper, and LexJet Velvet window films. The films can be used in a range of environments from residential to high-end commercial, retail and corporate décor. The film allows light to pass through, but the texture provides privacy. The film is available in 24 inch by 10 foot and 48 inch by 40 foot rolls.
— LexJet, 1680 Fruitville Road, Third Floor, Sarasota, Fla. 34236; 800/453-9538; lexjet.com.