Wheel bearing

Colson Caster Corp. announced the availability of a new wheel bearing for use in quiet and clean environments. The new Hand Truck Bearing is designed to integrate easily with Colson’s own Performa Hand Truck wheel selection. Because they are completely sealed to keep grease in and debris out there is no maintenance or lubrication required, the company says. Replacing Colson’s original styled Radial Ball Bearing for Hand Trucks, the new bearing is sized at 5/8-inch ID by 1 and 3/8-inch OD and an additional version of the bearing at ¾-inch ID by 1 and 3/8 inch OD.

Colson Caster Corp., 3700 Airport Road, Jonesboro, Ark. 72401; 800/643-5515; colsoncaster.com

Ethernet transmitter

Sartorius Group released its PR 5220: Space-Saving Ethernet Transmitter for Load Cells. For process automation applications, the PR 5220 offers a variety of interface options including DeviceNet, Ethernet IP and ProfiBus to provide easy integration into existing PC networks, the company says. Installation is simple with the on-board web server that allows both remote and local installation via TCP/IP Internet. The small footprint and convenient DIN rail mounting make it usable for control cabinets where space is critical, it says. Additionally, all configurations can be saved to a PC and uploaded into different systems making for easy duplication of set-up parameters on multiple vessels.

Sartorius Group North America, 5 Orville Drive, Bohemia, N.Y. 11716; 631/254-4249; sartorius.com

Ventilation pipes

Spirax Sarco released a new range of VHT vent heads that are suitable for vertical open-ended steam vent pipes. The vent heads are designed to safely discharge dry steam to the atmosphere at low velocity, protecting personnel from injury, buildings from damage and minimize the nuisance of water spray on the

surroundings, the company says. The VHT vent heads are manufactured from austenitic stainless steel.

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

Stretch wrapper advancements

Lantech released its Q-300XT. Designed to eliminate fork truck driver dismounts, the patented XT film cut-and-clamp system features space-age composite parts and allows a 10-inch offset for most loads, while providing automatic attachment of the film to the load and cutting of the film upon completion of the wrap cycle. The fully guarded cut and clamp system flips up for easy cleaning. The new design cut and clamp module is standard on all XT-equipped Lantech machines, and a retrofit kit for existing machines with the XT cut and clamp module will be available for select models. The Q-300XT stretch wrapper allows the fork truck operator to drive up, position the pallet on the turntable, start the machine with a lanyard switch or a wireless Click-n-Go remote, and drive away without ever getting off the fork truck, the company says. Simple Automation of the Q-300XT reduces wear and tear on fork truck operators and equipment, it adds. The Q-300XT wraps loads up to 80-inches tall and weighing up to 4,000 pounds. The Q-300XT stretch wrapping machine is designed to improve operator friendliness with a larger load-placement window for its automatic film cut-and-clamp system, the company says.

Lantech, 11000 Bluegrass Pkwy., Louisville, Ky. 40299; 800/866-0322; lantech.com

Water treatment

Chlorinators Inc. & Regal Systems International Inc. offers its Regal gas chlorinators. The Regal gas chlorinator is used in the disinfection of industrial water and wastewater, ground

water, surface water, process water and cooling towers. Chlorination ahead of the cooling water intake screens can help control Zebra mussels, mollusks, barnacles, sponges, etc., the company says. The all-vacuum system virtually eliminates the possibility of gas leaks, it says, and Regal is directly mounted with a strong yoke. It has a tough and resilient diaphragm and is made with corrosion-resistant materials. With only 68 parts, Regal is easy to maintain and clean, the company says.

Chlorinators Inc. & Regal Systems

International Inc., P.O. Box 1518, Stuart, Fla. 34995; 800/327-9761; regalchlorinators.com

Case layer solution

RMT Robotics, a Cimcorp Oy company, introduced its newest robotic gantry-based case, layer and crate picking solutions for beverage distribution. The new case and layer picking gantry systems are designed specifically to meet high-volume, high-SKU distribution demands.

Answering the call for smaller individual order volumes, the systems offer greater product variety for each order and significantly higher frequency in distribution, the company says. The RMT Robotics picking systems offer scalable and profitable alternatives to manual and semi-automated case picking for beverage distribution operations, it says. The RMT Robotics automated fulfillment system orchestrates the activity of an automated storage and retrieval system, conveyor and multiple robotic gantries to systematically pick products individually or in groups and send them to the dock face in an optimized trailer load or palletizing sequence.

RMT Robotics Ltd., 635 S. Service Road, Ontario, Canada, L3M 4E8; 905/643-9700; rmtrobotics.com.

Filling machine

Filamatic offers its DAB-5 Semi-Automatic Benchtop filling machine. The Filamatic DAB-5 machine is fully customizable and has the ability to be transformed into an automatic packaging line from its current semi-automatic status, the company says. The DAB

Series accommodates free flowing, semi-viscous, viscous, molten products and product with particulates, it says. The DAB-5 fill size ranges from 1 ml. to 130 ml. and have the ability to fill a wide range of containers including plastic and glass bottles, the company says.

Filamatic, 4119 Fordleigh Road, Baltimore, Md. 21215; 866/258-1914; filamatic.com.

Updated equipment

Anver Corp. updated its VT Series

ergonomic vacuum lifter. It now features a stronger and more secure handlebar and a proprietary lifting tube and tube attachment system. The Anver VT Series Tube Lifter is equipped with a new stainless steel handlebar that secures at six points for optimum rigidity, has custom formed plastic grips, and is fully adjustable to let operators tailor it to their own comfort requirements. This ergonomic vacuum tube lifter also received a new lifting tube that is 15 percent lighter than previous versions, is more compressible, and has new easy screw-on connectors, the company says. Available with capacities up to 650 pounds, Anver VT Series Tube Lifters can be equipped with a selection of interchangeable standard and custom pick-up heads, it says. Standard features include a heavy-duty vacuum pump that provides a 100 percent duty cycle, a 360-degree swivel top for unlimited rotation, and a vacuum gauge. It is offered in electric or air-powered models.

Anver Corp., 36 Parmeter Road, Hudson, Mass. 01749; 800/654-3500; anver.com.

Cross platform

Lightning Pick Technologies released the new LP Mobile application providing Lightning Pick users with real-time productivity views, operations management controls and system diagnostics through mobile technology and smartphones. LP Mobile is a web application, compatible across all major smartphone platforms. The mobile app offers real-time dashboard style updates on Lightning Pick-controlled operations including pick rates, area overview, order progress and other facility statistics through the phone, the company says. Besides Key Performance Indicator data views, LP Mobile also allows managers to execute operational changes through their phones for continued optimization. Users can create work plans, log employees in or out of the system and examine order details or box contents with the appropriate order number or barcode label.

Lightning Pick Technologies, N114 W18770 Clinton Drive, Germantown, Wis. 53022; 262/250-2100; lightningpick.com.

Line launch

Palmer Wahl Instrumentation Group

introduced its new line of RTD & Thermocouple (TC) Sensor Assemblies. The RTD & TC Sensor Assemblies are available in a variety of configurations to meet an assortment of application requirements. Sensor heads are available in aluminum, stainless steel, cast iron, polypropylene and explosion proof models. The models offer thermocouple elements for operating at higher temperatures or when fast response is needed. There also are grounded or ungrounded elements in types J, K or T. Models also feature thin film or wire wound type RTDs in Class A or B when higher accuracy and better stability are necessary, the company says. Two, three and four wire RTD models also are available. The company also released its redesigned thermowell catalog to complement the new product line. Thermowells are used for protection of the instrument, and to enable the ease of inserting and removing instruments from the process with reduced downtime, it says.

Palmer Wahl Instrumentation Group, 234 Old Weaverville Road, Asheville, N.C. 28804; 800/421-2853; palmerwahl.com.

Enhanced lift trucks

The Raymond Corp., in collaboration with Seegrid, developed automated lift trucks that integrate vision guided technology, known as Guided by Seegrid. Raymond automated lift trucks use open architecture with a standardized interface to integrate the Guided by Seegrid technology. The result is a standard Raymond lift truck with both man-on and man-off automated functionality, the company says. When an operator drives a Raymond lift truck that has a vision guided system through a facility, the truck learns the individual steps of the operation it will be performing, such as transporting a pallet of goods from one location to another within a warehouse. A lift truck equipped with the vision guided system that does not require lasers, tape, wires or additional infrastructure, and can learn up to 15 miles of routes in unlimited configurations. The automated lift truck is able to replace manned vehicles in automating repetitive tasks in various warehouse, distribution, manufacturing and process industries.

The Raymond Corp., P.O. Box 130, Greene, N.Y. 13778; 607/656-2311; raymondcorp.com.

Transportation assistance

Schneider Packaging Equipment Co. Inc. introduced an automatic String Tie Load Containment Option to stabilize loads for safe internal transport. This can be used for empty blow-molded bottles in cases and other lightweight products that

require additional handling and transport to other locations for filling or further processing, the company says. The string tie provides an environmentally friendly, fast, cost-effective alternative to temporary stretch wrapping for lightweight, unstable loads that require additional handling before shipping, it says. The string tie arm can be programmed to automatically tie all layers or selected layers of cases as the cases are being loaded onto the pallet. Once the unit load reaches the next processing or handling station, the string tie can be easily and quickly removed or remain intact for secondary stabilizing and containment.

Schneider Packaging Equipment Co. Inc., 5370 Guy Young Road, Brewerton, N.Y. 13029; 315/676-3035; schneiderequip.com.

Sealing gauge

Sensor Products Inc. released Fujifilm Prescale, a tactile pressure indicating sensor film that is used to assess and correct sealing die pressure at the interface between sealing jaws and rollers and reveal potential weak spots, channels and wrinkles at the actual heat sealing surface. Sensor Products’ films measure pressure distribution and magnitude from 2 to 43,000 PSI between heat sealing platens and rollers. When placed between contacting surfaces, Prescale instantaneously and permanently changes color proportional to the actual pressure applied, the company says. When removed, precise pressure magnitude is determined by comparing the resultant color intensity on the film to a color correlation chart. No instrumentation is required but imaging is available for even greater detail. Fuji Prescale is available as sheets, similar in size and appearance to paper, or bound in a roll. It is flexible, conforms to straight and curved surfaces, and can be hand or laser cut to any size and shape.

Sensor Products Inc., 300 Madison Ave., Madison, N.J. 07940; 973/884-1755; sensorprod.com.

Palletizing options

ABB Robotics unveiled a range of high performance palletizing products. The new products, which include two palletizing robots, programming software and three new palletizing grippers, will complement the existing products, the company says. Leading the expanded product line is the compact IRB 460. Capable of up to 2,190 cycles an hour, this 4-axis robot is designed for high-speed end-of-line palletizing and bag palletizing of products that weigh up to 50 kilograms. With a reach of 2.4 meters and a maximum payload of 110 kilograms the IRB 460 occupies 20 percent less floor space and runs 15 percent faster than its nearest rivals, the company says. The second new robot is the IRB 760 designed for high-output, full-layer palletizing. With a payload capacity of 450 kilograms and a reach of 3.2 meters, this 4-axis robot features a high inertia wrist that enables it to rotate heavier and larger products, it says. Three FlexGripper end-of-arm tools also are among the new hardware product offerings, including a heavy-duty claw for high-speed bag palletizing, a vacuum gripper for light and medium weight cases, and clamp gripper for handling heavy cases. The company also released the RobotStudio Palletizing PowerPac software. The release merged 13 years of palletizing software knowledge, including FlexPalletizer and PickMaster5, with the virtual programming environment of RobotStudio. This new PowerPac allows users to configure, simulate and program ABB robots and grippers for palletizing solutions in one step with little or no robot programming experience required. It also will allow potential users to validate the performance of their palletizing system before risking any equipment investments, it says.

n ABB Robotics North America, 1250 Brown Road, Auburn Hills, Mich. 48326;

248/393-4600; abb.com.

New improvements

Charles Ross & Son Co. announced new and improved features to the Ross VersaMix Multi-Shaft Mixer. A 100-gallon VersaMix is equipped with a three-wing anchor agitator, high-speed disperser, rotor and stator mixer designed for sub-surface powder induction, feed ports with pneumatically actuated ball valves, jacketed mix vessel, level sensor, vacuum and pressure transmitter, clean-in-place rotary spray nozzles and a transfer pump assembly that can measure viscosity and density to verify that the batch is complete and within spec, the company says. The system is complete with PLC controls. It is easily customizable to adapt to sanitary or sensitive applications, the company says, and is offered in many sizes from

1 through 4,000 gallon capacity.

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