Measuring can seams

Wilkens-Anderson Co. offers its SEAM360 as part of its line of quality-control equipment for cans. The SEAM360 is designed to improve speed and accuracy while eliminating human error and misinterpretation, the company says. Conventional seam inspection occurs at two or three points around a can, but the SEAM360 scans the entire circumference of the can in approximately eight seconds while simultaneously measuring seam thickness and seam height at 360 points to a 0.0002-inch resolution, it adds. The non-destructive SEAM360 quickly and expertly detects any can defects such as false seams, seam bumps, broken chucks, droops, vees and knocked down flanges, the company says.

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

Hopped up

At Germany’s BrauBeviale 2016, GEA Group showcased a range of its products and solutions that aid in beverage production at breweries and wineries. The company highlighted its HopStar Dry for treating hops in the cold processing area of breweries. HopStar Dry is available as a skid-mounted standardized plug-and-play unit for dosing rates from 200 to 600 grams. The equipment also offers batch processing using reverse-osmosis/membrane filtration with a capacity of 2.5 to 10 hectoliters an hour to produce high-quality, non-alcoholic beer along with evaporation technology, according to the company. The technology uses filtration temperatures below 10 degrees Celsius and reduces alcohol volume levels from
5 to 0.5 volume percent, it says.

GEA Group, Peter-Müller-Str. 12 40468 Düsseldorf, Germany; +011/49-211-9136-1503; gea.com.

Shrink-wrapping speed

Gebo Cermex offers its VersaFilm Access shrink-wrappers that are equipped for a broad range of configurations and options. Designed for low- to medium-speed demands, the robust and easy-to-use VersaFilm Access offers maximum value on packaging lines operating at speeds as fast as 60 cycles a minute, the company says. An adjustable pin gating system also facilitates easy changeovers, while an extractible injection table allows for precise control of the film infeed, it adds. Other features include an improved shrink tunnel with optimized air circulation and improved insulation as well as better accessibility to the electrical cabinet, which is located adjacent to the shrink tunnel. Depending on the required speed, the shrink tunnel can be customizable with two or three different heating modules along with a choice of 680- and 880-millimeter widths. Designed for three different packaging formats — film, film and pad, or film and tray — the system also offers two in-feed options: in line or conical.

Gebo Cermex;  5-7 Rue du Commerce 67116 Reichstett, France; +011/33-0-388-183-850; gebocermex.com.

Protecting beer quality

With a goal of giving its craft brewing partners 33 percent more time to brew beer, Sealed Air offers DiverCraft, a customized total-cleaning and sanitation solution. DriverCraft is specifically designed to protect beer quality and safety while improving operational efficiency and sustainability metrics that deliver value to the craft brewer, the company says. The custom brewing solution eliminates the need for scrubbing or rinsing twice, saving breweries time, water, money and labor, it says. Additionally, the solution can reduce cleaning time to one hour, reduce effluent flow from chemicals by 5 to 15 percent a cleaning sequence and can reduce water consumption by 20 percent, it adds.

Sealed Air, 8215 Forest Point Blvd., Charlotte, N.C. 28273; 800/668-7171; sealedair.com.

Recyclable kegs

At BrauBeviale, Petainer showcased its petainerKeg, a low-cost alternative to steel kegs. Available in 20- and 30-liter sizes, the keg fits onto existing lines without any additional investment, enabling breweries to take advantage of the savings due to the reduced weight and supply chain benefits, it adds. The keg also provides enhanced product protection and ensures the beer is as good as the day it was brewed for up to a year, it says. Additionally, Petainer launched a new online shop, petainershop.com, to make purchasing smaller quantities of its petainerKeg quick and easy. A new app also provides step-by-step instructions on the correct usage of the pertainerKeg, it adds.

Petainer UK Holdings Ltd., P.O. Box 36, Tavistock House (North), Tavistock Square, London WC1H 9HR; +011/44-0-207-387-4294; petainer.com.

Nitrogen-infused coffee

In partnership with Beverage Innovations Inc., Manitowoc Foodservice unveiled its Multiplex N2Fusion Beverage System, which offers nitrogenized cold-brew coffee at the point of dispensing and incorporates a thick, creamy foam head to enhance the taste profile, it says. The beverage is stored in a refrigerated base and dispensed by the operator as a nitrogenized or non-nitrogenized on-demand drink. The system brings out the chocolate notes in the coffee, giving it a sweeter flavor than traditional cold brew or coffees infused with carbon dioxide, it adds.

Manitowoc Foodservice, 2227 Welbilt Blvd., New Port Richey, Fla. 34655; 877/375-9300; manitowocfoodservices.com.

Gently used

Lindor offers a range of pre-owned, gentle-touch mixers for companies with a limited budget, it says. Even after more than 25 years of service, the mixers still are operating satisfactorily, but need to be replaced due to increasingly stringent food safety requirements, it adds. In these cases, the customer can exchange the old mixer for a new one, and the old mixer is reconditioned and available for fast delivery for use in a variety of applications, it adds. Additionally, apart from a rotating drum, the mixers have very few moving parts and service is provided for the small number of wear parts.

Lindor B.V., Zernikestraat 25, 3316 BZ Dordrecht, The Netherlands; +011/31-0-78-6550655; lindor.nl/enndor.

Fulfilling orders

A manufacturer of gravity flow solutions, Mallard Manufacturing Corp. announced that it has expanded its line of pallet separators. The pallet separators provide safety by holding rear pallets back from the front “pick-face” pallet, relieving pallet forces, or back pressure, so that the front pallet easily can be extracted, it says. Once the front pallet is removed, the pallet separator is released, allowing a controlled forward advance of the rear pallets, it adds. Depending on the type of release mechanism, such as foot-release, automatic or pneumatic, Mallard offers several product options. These include case-pick separators, which hold rear pallets back 4 to 6 feet from the pick face; flex separators, which provide added safety for deeper lane, floor level case-pick operations; forklift, layer pick, ergo-cell pneumatic and dual-pallet separators; and an empty pallet return, which provides an effective, ergonomic way to manage empty pallets and increase productivity, it adds.

Mallard Manufacturing Corp., 101 Mallard Road, Sterling, Ill. 61081; 815/625-9491; mallardmfg.com.

Rugged dependability

UniCarriers Americas Corp. released the ZD30 Tier 4 Advanced Turbo Diesel (ATD) engine series in its GO4 and FK Series model lift trucks. The EPA/CARB-certified, advanced ZD30 engine delivers high power and increased efficiency with emission levels that fall below Tier 4 requirements, it says. The ATD engine includes common rail fuel injection, a variable-geometry turbo charger, cooled exhaust gas recirculation and a diesel oxidation catalyst, it adds. The engine also provides low emissions without using a diesel particulate filter, resulting in enhanced productivity and lower fuel consumption, it adds. Other features include its ability to maintain low noise levels during idle and at maximum travel speeds, plus an electronically controlled Quick Glow system for dependable cold weather starting, it says.

UniCarriers Americas Corp., 240 N. Prospect St., Marengo, Ill. 60152; 815/568.2563; unicarriersamericas.com.

Filling it right

A supplier of liquid rotary filling systems, Fogg Co. introduced its carbonated filler machine that features double pre-evacuation with intermediate carbon dioxide purging (flushing) before filling. The combination of an analogue probe, for monitoring the filling tank level, and a modulating valve ensures gentle handling of the product and better control of undesired foaming, the company says. The machine is equipped to fill 355-ml (12-ounce) glass bottles at rates of 25 to 40 bottles a minute. It also caps the bottles with a metal crown cap that has been sorted by the attached automatic vibrating hopper, it adds. The machine can be adjusted to various specifications and fills anything from still or carbonated water to beer and wine.

Fogg Co., 3455 John F. Donnelly Drive, Holland, Mich. 49424; 616/786-3644; foggfiller.com.

Holding out for a hero

SIG Combibloc offers a secondary packaging solution for tall, slim beverage cartons that are not the same height as the carton-packs, the company says. The new HERO tray ensures carton-packs are evenly stacked and safely protected during transport. The tray also can be used to present the product on retail store shelves. The cost-effective solution provides shallow trays at the front to ensure the front communication panel is visible, while the back of the tray, which is the same height as the carton-packs, ensures that the carton packs are not crushed during transport, according to the company. The tray formation of two-by-four carton-packs (stacked in five layers) enables 800 1-liter carton-packs to fit on a Euro pallet without overhang, a unique solution in the market, it adds. The HERO trays are being used in German convenience stores, with further market launches planned.

SIG Combibloc Inc., 2501 Seaport Drive,Chester, Pa., 19013; 610/546-4200; sig.biz.

Lighting it up wirelessly

Legrand North America offers a new two-button, programmable keypad that provides wireless, full-scene lighting control. The Vantage RadioLink EasyTouch II keypad provides seamless scalability, is designed for quick installation without the need to run new wires and is ideal for retrofit projects, replacing standard three- or four-way switches, the company says. The keypad also fits the needs of any new construction projects and features a robust communication protocol, incremental system expansion and fully synchronized on/off and ramp up/down of lighting loads, it adds. Other features include an expanded wireless distance for keypad-to-controller communications; multi-event programming; control of discreet loads or scenes with a single button; hidden, ambient light and IR sensors; and custom color options.

Legrand North America, 600 Woodlawn St., West Hartford, Conn. 06110; 877/295-3472; legrand.us.com.