Blasting away contaminants

Paxton Products’ new Ionized Air System can be used to remove particulates, dust and contaminants from surfaces by using its powerful ionization capabilities coupled with Paxton’s centrifugal blowers and air delivery systems. Ionized airflow neutralizes static charges in order to release contaminants from container walls or product surfaces. This also prevents particles and dust from adhering to the inside or outside container walls; eliminates a need for water rinsing, which in turn saves on filtration, drying and water disposal costs; reduces the risk of microbiological growth caused by moisture in water rinses as well as the potential of water and oil contamination caused by compressed air; and creates a surface free of dirt, dust and particles to improve surface finish, the company says. The Ionized Air System includes 304 stainless steel delivery devices and mounting hardware designed to withstand washdown environments;  inlet and outlet filtration; nozzle manifolds to reach inside containers and irregularly shaped surfaces; and more active emitter points contained within the manifold or knife to increase ionization performance while promoting durability, safety and a consistently clean ionizing bar, the company says. The patent-pending design also increases performance while reducing maintenance, effectively reducing energy usage by as much as 80 percent if used instead of ionized compressed air systems, it says.

• Paxton Products, 10125 Carver Road, Cincinnati, Ohio 45242; 800/441-7475; paxtonproducts.com.

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 options, 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.

Integrated production

Krones strives to help its customers increase their plastic bottle output and line efficiency through its Contiform 3 SC (pictured) and ErgoBloc L machines. By using the small-cavity Contiform 3 SC blow molder, packagers can produce as many as 81,000 PET bottles an hour on the high-speed stretch-blow molder designed for bottles 0.75 liters or smaller. The Contiform 3 SC blow molder operates without lubricant, reducing the time needed for manual lubrication by 70 percent compared with the machine’s predecessor and increasing the machine’s overall availability level, the company says. This blow molder can be coupled with other packaging machines through Krones’ ErgoBloc L system. This chain of machines includes the Contiform 3 SC, Krones’ Contiroll labelling technology featuring a multi-reel automatic reel magazine, and Krones’ new Modulfill filling machine series and synchronizes them to create a synergized overall concept. ErgoBloc L operates with better cost-efficiency than previous line concepts and offers 10 percent lower total operating cost and a 30 percent smaller footprint than conventional bottling lines, the company says.

• Krones AG, Böhmerwaldstrasse 5, 93073 Neutraubling, Germany; 011/49-940-170-0; krones.com.

Electric actuators

Spirax Sarco released its new and improved AEL 5 series electric actuator range for 0.5- to 4-inch control valves. The AEL 5 series electric actuators are reversible and have linear output. Its internal components, such as the printed circuit board (PCB), positioner card and limited switches, are affixed to a more durable and sturdy aluminum support for holding and fitting accessories. This range also has been developed with an easy commission limit switch adjuster, which allows the user to loosen the cam with one screw and adjust its position with a second screw. In addition, the AEL 5 series’ valve adaptor helps to simplify the installation process by eliminating the need to assemble the disc springs as well as minimizing the chance of thread damage and errors, the company says.

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

Pressure pumps

Palmer Wahl Instrumentation Group launched its new line of hydraulic and pneumatic hand-calibration pressure pumps. The Palmer PV10K Hydraulic Calibration Pressure Pump is a dual-stage pump that includes a selector valve, which increases the priming speed and reduces the effort required to generate high pressures in the range of 0 to 10,000 pounds per square inch (psi). The large-volume Pyrex reservoir can be filled with distilled water or mineral oil, with an optional brake fluid model available.  For pneumatic applications, the Palmer PV600 Combination Pneumatic Pressure & Vacuum Calibration Pump can reach 100 psi with only four pumps. Its full-time rotation of gauge and process connections maximizes viewing angle during operation, the company adds. 

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

Proof-of-delivery app

Roadnet Technologies launched its MobileCast Proof-of-Delivery app-lication in Apple’s iTunes App Store. The new application is designed to help Apple product users integrate delivery services into a single mobile platform, the company says. MobileCast Proof-of-Delivery offers GPS tracking, a text messaging component to streamline communications, in-field geocoding to ensure accurate delivery locations, Apple Maps and Apple Voice Navigation integration for driving directions, Order Summary field listing products being delivered, dynamic dispatch of stops to the driver’s mobile device and more. On Track, Roadnet’s sales and merchandiser tracking application that records mileage and time spent with a customer, also is available within the MobileCast app. For the distribution manager in the office, proof-of-delivery systems like MobileCast help companies track their vehicles in real time, receive notifications when problems arise en route, and collect data to evaluate trends and determine alternative solutions for route execution.

• Roadnet Technologies, 849 Fairmount Ave., Suite 500, Towson, Md. 21286; 410/847-1900; roadnet.com.

Rotor detection system

GEA Nu-Con released its Generation 3 Rotor Detection System (RDS) for its rotary valves. The RDS was developed to check for potential contact conditions between the rotor and the body. In the event of a contact being detected, an alarm halts the process so that the valve can be inspected. Warning alarms also sound if the system is not connected correctly to ensure that contact monitoring is always active. The RDS system also includes a diagnostics package, which can help operators locate the fault. In addition, the RDS can be connected to ProMonitor software to record resistance readings. The Generation 3 RDS also features a maintenance management system and a seal monitoring system. The maintenance management system monitors equipment speed and running duration, logs how long a bearing may run between failures to anticipate maintenance, and monitors motion to warn the plant operator of system failures. The system’s seal monitoring feature ensures that the correct amount of pressure is applied to the rotor shaft seals to ensure long life. An early warning system will alert the operator of the anticipated time of failure of any seal that falls outside of set parameters. The monitoring system also can detect pressure differential across the valve and use this to adjust seal air pressure to ensure that the seal is constantly under positive pressure to prevent dust ingress.

• GEA Nu-Con Ltd., 8 Fisher Crescent, Mount Wellington 1642 Auckland, New Zealand; 011/64-9-276-2388; nucon.com.

Recipe control

Ross SysCon, a subsidiary of Charles Ross & Son Co., updated its Recipe Controls to allow operators to monitor and control the human machine interface (HMI) screen on any Ross mixing, blending, drying or dispersion equipment from a smartphone or tablet. The new system gives users remote access to the start, stop and speed controls; speed and load displays; temperature display; cycle timer; vacuum pump on and off controls; and emergency stop from multiple mobile devices. The system also can be configured to automatically send text or email messages regarding operating status, production concerns or alarm notifications.

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

Electric scissor lifts

For ergonomic lifting and product transportation, Presto Lifts Inc. offers its XBP Series portable electric scissor lifts. Operators can use the lifts to raise loads to a convenient height by using battery-powered tables that lift and lower loads at the touch of a button. For easy transportation, the lifts roll smoothly on any surface and can be stabilized safely with a foot-operated floor lock. The sturdy steel construction of XBP Series lifts provides lift capacities of 1,000, 1,500 or 2,000 pounds, depending on the model.  Maximum raised heights for the various models range from 33 to 53.5 inches, and the distance between a unit’s lowered and raised height can be 24 or 36 inches. Each model comes with a choice of two platform sizes, which range from 24 by 36 inches to 48 by 60 inches, as well as lifetime lubricated bearings, a 12-volt battery, and a built-in battery charger.

• Presto Lifts Inc., 50 Commerce Way, Norton, Mass. 02766; 800/343-9322; prestolifts.com.

Virus sampler

Argonide Corp. expanded its Virus Sampler cartridge line to include a new 10-inch model to meet customer expectations for higher capacity sampling. The new 10-inch model, known as VS2.5-10, is individually sealed in a heavy-duty polybag as a sterile cartridge. Similar to the company’s 5-inch Virus Sampler model, the VS2.5-10 also is completely autoclavable as is sometimes required by laboratory protocols.

 • Argonide Corp., 291 Power Court, Sanford, Fla. 32771; 407/322-2500; argonide.com.