Alert service
Dematic introduced its Alert Monitoring Service, a support service that provides a constant view of automated material handling systems for users. The service monitors system trends to detect problems with controls, computer hardware and equipment before they become critical and lead to potential downtime. Using text messages, the system sends an alert of impending problems and recommended actions to the user. Smart filters and trend monitoring enable the system to determine if a problem requires action and what the appropriate response should be, the company says.
-Dematic Corp., 3025 Highland Parkway, Downers Grove, Ill. 60515; 630/852-9200; dematic.com.

Brewing solution
Krones AG introduced Boreas, a solution for brewing processes designed to ensure controlled evaporation of unwanted aromatics from the hot wort. The system requires little space and can be retrofitted, the company says. It also does not require a vacuum or additional thermal energy for its operation, the company says. Boreas can reduce DMS rates up to 70 percent, depending on the starting level, Krones says.
-Krones AG, Böhmerwaldstraße 5, 93073 Neutraubling, Germany; 49 9401 70-0; krones.com.

Lift truck built for cold environment
Crown Equipment released its SR 5000 series moving-mast reach truck, which is designed to operate in extreme cold environments with lift heights up to 450 inches. The lift truck includes a fully integrated cold store cabin made from tubular steel that can withstand temperatures as low as 20 degrees Fahrenheit. Large scratch-resistant windows give the operator easy visibility through a clear-visibility mast, the company says, and quick defrosting is achieved through heated windows. To keep the cabin interior warm, the lift truck features twin heaters, fans and five adjustable air vents. Crown has treated internal components with anti-corrosion compounds and sealants to better handle cold conditions and help prevent rust from forming.
-Crown Equipment Corp., 44 South Washington St., New Bremen, Ohio 45869; 419/629-2311; crown.com.

Video seam monitor
Wilkens-Anderson released 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 to select crosshairs on either the X or Y axis, and 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.

Portable seam saw
CMC-Kuhnke added its PCS-1307 model of Seam Saw for beverage cans to its line of portable inspection equipment. The saws are rugged, portable and designed for customer service engineers needing to cross section double seams on the road, the company says. A light-weight design makes the saw ideal for working on the go and requires virtually no maintenance, the company says. Two parallel blades cut along the diameter of the can and make the cross-section without chattering, distorting or changing hook lengths, providing an accurate radial slot for use in double seam imaging and measurement.
CMC-Kuhnke Inc., 1060 Broadway, Albany, N.Y. 12204; 800/689-0661; cmc-kuhnke.com.

On-site generator
MIOX Corp. released its Rio on-site generator, a clean in place (CIP) technology for cleaning the interior surfaces of beverage production equipment without disassembly. The single-component solution replaces four- and five-step CIP processes with a three-step process that includes rinse, treatment and final rinse. Using a 9 pH chlor-oxygen based disinfectant, the technology eliminates energy required for thermal processes. Rio also sanitizes and disinfects beverage plant source water and intake water treatment, surface water, groundwater, process water treatment, wastewater treatment, cooling towers on the facility, and bottle washing and rinsing, the company says.
-MIOX Corp., 5601 Balloon Fiesta Parkway NE, Albuquerque, N.M. 87113; 888/646-9426; miox.com.

Refrigeration unit
Carrier Transicold released its Vector 5100 all-electric refrigeration unit, which the company says offers an environmentally responsible and energy-efficient solution for grocery, supermarket and other operations that use refrigerated trailers for on-site cold storage. The Vector 5100 eliminates noise and can reduce operating costs by up to 70 percent, the company says. The unit requires a 460-volt power supply to run and uses maintenance-free electric motors to drive its evaporator and condenser fans. Electric-resistance elements, rather than hot gas, provide heating and defrosting when needed. Advance microprocessor control with TRU-Digital Energy Management Device operating logic record data on-board the system.
-Carrier Corp., 1 Carrier Place, Farmington, Conn. 06032; 860/674-3000; carrier.com.

Engine options
Yale Materials Handling Corp. now includes engine options designed for greater fuel efficiency, minimal noise and reduced maintenance and operating costs on its Veracitor VX truck series. The Veracitor VX series can lift 3,000 to 19,000 pounds and can be equipped with either cushion or pneumatic tire
classes. Computer-controlled engine and transmission, robust clutch packs and stronger gears and shafts make up the truck’s powertrain. All transmissions feature electronic inching to eliminate periodic adjustments and reduce maintenance costs, the company says.
-Yale Materials Handling Corp., 1400 Sullivan Drive, Greenville, N.C. 27834; 252/931-5100; yale.com.

Bubble packaging
Polypack Inc. released its bubble packaging, which the company says provides superior protection, reduced packaging costs and a billboard opportunity. To protect and stabilize its contents, the bubble packaging features a bubble film covered with a secondary shrink film. The packaging materials are recyclable, and offer savings versus corrugate cases, Polypack says. Its outer shrink wrap provides the possibility for branding and marketing the package’s contents, the company says.
-Polypack Inc., 3301 Gateway Centre Blvd., Pinellas Park, Fla. 33782; 727/578-5000; polypack.com.

Field computer
EMS Technologies’ LXE division introduced its Marathon field computer, which includes a larger screen and multiple data-capture and connectivity options. Smaller than a laptop computer, the field computer weighs less than 1 kilogram. The computer runs Windows 7 or Windows XP operating systems with an Intel Atom processor and includes a 7-inch outdoor-visible touchscreen, QWERTY keyboard, integrated fingerprint reader that doubles as a mouse and a high-resolution camera. LXE also offers desk and vehicle SmartDock cradles and bolt-on accessories, including a magnetic strip reader, two-dimensional imager and extended life batteries. Both Global System for Mobile Communications- and Code Division Multiple Access-based mobile carriers can connect the computer through its radio technology.
-LXE Inc., 125 Technology Parkway, Norcross, Ga. 30092; 770/447-4224; lxe.com.

Historical trace capabilities
Railinc rolled out historical trace capabilities for multi-year analysis on its RailSight Car Location Message engine for real-time track and trace of freight rail equipment and rail shipments. The service is fee-based and expands visibility up to four-and-a-half years into past rail-event data, the company says. Customers also now can use the Internet for immediate access to rail fleet and rail event data in RailSight without special configurations, the company says. Bi-directional integration allows customers to talk directly to the car location message engine to request car location and other event data from in-house applications.
-Railinc Corp., 7001 Weston Parkway, Suite 200; Cary, N.C. 27513; 919/651-5000; railinc.com.

Label applicator
ID Technology released its Model ST1000 full-featured label applicator with a tamp application module. The module requires no tools to change from label sizes ranging from 1.5 inches by 1.5 inches up to 4 inches by 5 inches. Using a reverse fan box, the tamp module creates a vacuum to hold the label in place for application. Constructed from anodized aluminum for protection from corrosive environments, the ST1000 is ideal for top, bottom and side applications and can be used for recessed areas, indexing lines and variable speed lines, the company says.
-ID Technology LLC, 2051 Franklin Drive, Fort Worth, Texas 76106; 888/438-3242; idtechnology.com.

Load transfer system
Columbia Machine Inc. added fully automatic load transfer stations (LTS) that can transfer up to two full loads per minute to its line of LTS. The system uses an LTS configuration that combines a pallet stacker, pallet dispenser, and input and output conveyors. The unit receives loads from a conveyor before transferring the load from one load base to another. It then stacks the cargo on a pallet and automatically discharges the pallet onto a conveyor. Loads can be stored in a high-rise system or picked downstream by a lift truck, the company says.
-Columbia Machine Inc., 107 Grand Blvd., Vancouver, Wash. 98661; 800/628-4065; palletizing.com.

Top case sealer
A-B-C released a compact adhesive top case sealer that features a heavy gauge stainless steel frame, continuous motion side belt case drive and contoured flap folders. The Model 136HM sealer comes standard with easy-access sliding guards that enclose the sealer. With independently adjustable footpads for easy leveling on all floor surfaces, the sealer is built for drop-in installation on standard 15-inch line elevations, the company says. Changeover takes about 30 seconds and requires no tools to adjust to different case sizes. A-B-C also offers a tape sealing model.
-A-B-C Packaging Machine Corp., 811 Live Oak St., Tarpon Springs, Fla. 34689; 800/237-5975; abcpackaging.com.

Marketing materials tracking software
OnTrak Software released a Web-based tool for beer, wine and spirits distributors to order, track and manage at-retail marketing materials. With the software, distributors can manage printed and permanent signs as well as menus and samples, the company says. Using the company’s SignTrak software, distributors can order, track and manage custom, printed and point-of-sale signage. OnTrak also offers PermaTrak software to track inventory status, installation, maintenance and removal of permanent and semi-permanent point-of-sale materials, such as neon, plastic and metal signs. MenuTrak provides an automated system to order wine menus, and SampleTrak allows a distributor to manage and control wine sampling inventory.
-OnTrak Software, 2943 Riverside Drive, Cincinnati, Ohio 45226; 800/513-9194; ontraksoftware.com.

Slitting inspection
Karlville Development introduced its KSI Prolabel slitting inspection machine, which is suited for mid and narrow web applications and can handle self-adhesive label stock and paper, the company says. The machine comes in 250 mm. and 450 mm. widths. KSI Prolabel can be configured with both the LC1 and LC2 Smart Label Counter Management Systems. The slitting inspection machine can achieve speeds up to 300 meters per minute and features a Cantilever Air unwind shaft, Powder Brake unwind tension control and E+L Germany Ultrasonic unwind edge guide, the company says.
-Karlville Development, 1111 Brickell Bay Drive, Miami, Fla. 33131; 305/533-1051; karlville.com.

Automatic guided vehicle
RMT Robotics Ltd. released its Autonomous Delivery and Manipulation (ADAM) system of automatic guided vehicles to handle lean manufacturing operations. The ADAM system features a laser range finding system to detect vehicle location and obstacles, on-vehicle keypad interface and wireless call buttons, and a PC-based interface. Traditional support lifelines, such as guide wires, reflectors and transponders, are not necessary for ADAM, which can adjust to a changing environment. The system can transport work-in-process and finished goods between locations in complex, random origin and random destination production environments, the company says.
-RMT Robotics Ltd., 635 S. Service Road, Ontario, Canada, L3M 4E8; 905/643-9700; rmtrobotics.com.

Stainless steel conveyor
Liberty Technologies added stainless steel mat top conveyors for the beverage and food industry to its line of automated and semi-automated materials handling equipment and systems. In the company’s first offering of stainless steel conveyor products, it will include straight and curved conveyor sections and combiners. The company also will provide implementation services to integrate its conveyors with existing systems. The first product will be available in the fourth quarter of 2010, the company says.
-Liberty Technologies, 3708 International Blvd., Vienna, Ohio 44473; 800/860-4744; libertytechnologies.com.

Water-based can sealant

Grace Davison, a subsidiary of W.R. Grace & Co., introduced a new water-based can sealant that the company says offers improved application performance to protect beverage flavor and quality. DAREX WBC 4721 is best suited for steel and bi-metallic cans, where iron pick-up can affect the taste of the beverage, the company says. The sealant includes intrinsic microbial resistance based on a polymer platform to prevent growth of microbes and good mechanical stability to minimize downtime associated with nozzle and filter blockage, the company says.
-Grace Davison, 7500 Grace Drive, Columbia, Md. 21044; 410/531-4000; grace.com.

Metal detectors
Lock Inspection Systems offers its Insight range of metal detectors, which are available with advanced plug and play architecture with various communications options, such as USB, wireless and standard Ethernet. The line’s standard membrane keypad now uses direct digital signal viewer, a feature of the company’s OPTIX performance-enhancing metal detector management software. Stable and sensitive product set-ups are achieved through the company’s digital search head and OPTIX detector management software. Manufacturers can choose single frequency or variable frequency detectors.
-Lock Inspection Systems Inc., 207 Authority Drive, Fitchburg, Mass. 01420; 978/343-3718; lockinspection.com.

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