High frequency inspection

FT System announced the release of its CL700-HF, high-frequency fill level system inspection system for glass and plastic containers. The system is designed to easily mount over an existing production conveyor. The ergonomic design provides easy access to the control panel and supports fast tool-less changeovers, the company says. The high-frequency fill level system can be used on still products including water, juice, tea, wine and spirits as well as for inspection of carbonated beverages. The technology measures the liquid level inside a container and also the height and density of the foam in the head space. The system will calculate the liquid equivalent of the foam and determine an aggregate fill level. Additional features include the following: over-fill and under-fill inspection on a single sensor; consecutive and sequential reject alarms; self diagnostics with alarm output; multilingual user interface; Ethernet communication; ability to support multiple production lines from a single controller; filler valve monitoring to isolate fill level defects by individual filler valve; and filler valve sampling to periodically sample containers by filler valve.

• FT System North America, 450 Satellite Blvd. N.E., Suite D, Suwanee, Ga. 30024; 678/745-3709; ftsystem.com.

Quality control

Zahm & Nagel Co. announced the availability of its Series 10,000 Carbon Dioxide (CO2) Gas Purity Tester. Providing the quality control to accurately and consistently determine CO2 purity from 50 to 100 percent, this tester is simple, quick, easy to use, and eliminates confusing cocks, hose connections, awkward manipulation and dangerous caustic spills, the company says. Available with a wide range of calibration options to meet even the most stringent test requirements, the Series 10,000 is built to be chemical-resistant for use in hostile environments; is easy to clean, use and maintain; and is protected by the all-metal case when not in use, it adds.

• Zahm & Nagel Co. Inc., 210 Vermont St. Holland, N.Y. 14080; 716/537.2110; zahmnagel.com.

Retail-ready packaging

M-real Corp. launched two new double-coated grades for packaging applications: Kemiart Graph+ and Kemiart Lite+. The double coating provides a smoother and glossier surface, enhancing printability with improved ink laydown, brighter colors and more accurate detail, the company says. The new grades are ideal for retail-ready packaging, point-of-sale and promotional displays, and other high-end packaging. Kemiart Graph+ was developed for flexo pre-print, as well as offset, screen and water-based inkjet printing; Kemiart Lite+ was designed for flexo post-print. Made from fresh forest fibers, M-real Kemiart Kraftliner products have good consistency, enabling smooth running for printing and corrugating lines, it says.

• M-real Corp., Revontulentie 6, 02100 Espoo, Finland; +358 1046 11; www.m-real.com.

Non-binding labeler

P.E. Labellers presents its Modular Plus equipment, which helps users decide which labeling station to install, when to install it and whether to install labeling units as fixed or modular fittings, the company says. Modular Plus is a non-binding labeler and is available in two versions: a mid-low speed version designed for small to mid-sized wineries; and a larger version that allows its users to achieve high speeds of application. This labeler is equipped with servomotors with integrated drive for plate rotation that operates through an electronic cam system that can be programmed by a touch-screen “visual cam” panel. If necessary, Modular Plus can be integrated with optical spotting systems and cameras in order to give its users the possibility of labeling different types of containers. After the labeler’s purchase, it is possible to replace existing labeling units with other fittings that offer different technologies, such as on-trolley or fixed stations. On-trolley and fixed stations are available for any kind of technology: cold glue, hot-melt, self-adhesive, non-stop and roll-fed equipment, the company says.

• P.E. USA, 11560 Rockfield Court, Cincinnati, Ohio 45241; 513/771-7374; pe-us.com.

Quality measurement

Milktronics introduced the hygienic Vo turbidity unit. The optical analyzer measures light diffusion and scattering in liquid to indicate fluid solid content, particle concentration or turbidity. Typical applications for optical quality measurements are for product quality analysis and control; for example, batch process mixing supervision and food industry applications, the company says. The Vo is installed in-line and is capable of maintaining high measurement repeatability over a long period of time and no maintenance is required. Sophisticated chip technology allows for a compact analyzer design with extensive memory space to hold measured values, error messages and calibration and configuration parameters for several months, the company says. The Vo has built-in Hart protocol data communication. The sensor has a 3-A and European Hygienic Engineering & Design Group certification.

• Milktronics, 806 Dora Ave., Tavares, Fla. 32778; 352/272-5454; milktronics.com.

Multi-purpose sensor

Keyence’s new IV Vision Sensor combines functional elements of machine vision and traditional sensors into a single system, the company says. Keyence engineers have designed a low-cost, highly versatile multi-purpose sensor to handle a wide range of difficult presence detection applications. With approximately 1 minute of setup using “Easy Navigation,” the IV can tackle difficult detection applications that previously required multiple conventional or proximity sensors to accomplish, the company says. The IV’s standard equipment features high-intensity illumination, high-performance lenses and a selection of eight sensor heads for sharp, clear and stable images. The IV Camera option includes close, medium and long range models to suit application requirements. The IV complies with the IP67 enclosure rating, which is based on IEC/JIS standards, and can be used in dusty or wet environments. Its range of built-in features includes automatic focus, automatic one-touch brightness adjustment, high-performance quad lens and Hi-R illumination, the company notes.

• Keyence Corp., 50 Tice Blvd., Woodcliff Lake, N.J. 07677; 888/539-3623; keyence.com.

Load weighing

Lantech offers its EZ Weigh Integrated Scale to weigh each load on its stretch wrappers. The model includes load cells located directly under the turntable. Research indicates that over-charges on freight bills are common with an industry average of 5 to 7 percent, the company says. EZ Weigh offers an accurate method to weigh shipments with a design that ensures customers weigh only what is wanted to be weighed compared to other designs that are built into the entire base of the stretch wrapper and could be less accurate, the company says. 

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

Business advantage

Daimler Trucks North America LLC’s Freightliner Trucks Business Class M2 includes models M2 106 and M2 112, which feature best-in-class visibility with a 2,500-square-inch windshield, it says. The M2 106 and M2 112 classes are equipped with up to a 55-degree wheel cut for improved turning radius. The two also were designed for easier maintenance and service, keeping downtime to a minimum, the company says. Freightliner’s customer support also offers a network of more than 300 dealers across North America and a 24-hour assistance hotline to help keep customers operating at peak efficiency, it adds.

• Daimler Trucks North America LLC, 4435 N. Channel Ave., Portland, Ore. 97217; 503/745-8000; freightlinertrucks.com.

Flowmeter release

Spirax Sarco announced the release of the VLM10 in-line vortex flowmeter in 1-inch to 12-inch sizes for mass, volumetric and energy flow measurement on steam, liquid and gas applications. The VLM10 combines an in-line vortex meter, a built-in flow computer and an integral temperature sensor to provide users with an all-in-one solution for their metering needs. The VLM10 is precise and reliable with a steam or gas mass flow accuracy of plus or minus 1.5 percent of range over a 20-to-1 flow range, the company says. The fully welded no-gasket design ensures safe measurement of steam and allows the sensors and resistance temperature detectors to be removed without having to shut down the line first, it adds. The built-in Web server allows customers to monitor flow and meter health through the Internet and the VLM10’s digital communications deliver information on demand using Modbus RTU, BACnet MS/TP and Modbus TCP/IP technology with standard analog and pulse outputs. The company also announced it will expand its Blythewood, S.C., headquarters to accommodate growth in its steam system solutions business. The new facility has more than 35,800 square feet of office and production space, the company says.

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

Product showcases

GEA Group’s GEA Process Engineering recently launched Ray 2, a large laboratory-sized freeze dryer. Developed at the request of customers who wanted a laboratory for freeze drying with a higher capacity, the Ray 2 provides increased volume capability for the development and small-scale production of food products and delicate products such as probiotics and instant coffee. The Ray concept ensures a short downtime between batches based on short evacuation time, effective water de-icing and quick tray loading, the company says. The functionality of probiotics can depend on the product temperature during drying, and with the improved vacuum system used on the Ray 2, it is now possible to achieve very low drying pressures and, therefore, lower temperatures than were achievable in the past, the company says. For coffee production, the improved vacuum ensures that the Ray 2 is able to handle the large amount of gas created by foamed coffee during freeze drying and, therefore, higher capacities of dried product, it adds. The new machine can handle sample sizes of up to 25 kilograms. Tests performed on the Ray 2 can be scaled up to full production levels as it uses industrial trays of the same size as full production models.

• GEA Process Engineering A/S; Gladsaxevej 305, P.O. Box 45 2860 Soeborg, Denmark; +45 3954 5454; procomac.com.

Filter cartridges

Genesis Water Technologies Inc. introduced its GWT DLP series filter cartridges. Based on advanced nanofiber technology, the series offers high particulate efficiency and flow rates with low pressure drop, the company says. Based on exclusive nanofiber technology, these filters remove colloidal particulate, viruses, bacteria, endotoxins and specific heavy metals with high sediment load capacity. The DLP series filter cartridges also are available with infused activated carbon media interconnected within the filter matrix to provide additional filtration removal of pesticides, chlorine and volatile organic compounds. These nano-filtration cartridges are used across a wide range of categories including bottled water, beer, liquor and dairy. The DLP Series filters are used in applications such as cooling water filtration, reverse osmosis pre-filtration, seawater reverse osmosis pre-filtration, ultrafiltration for pre- or post-treatment, microfiltration, as well as post-treatment for ultraviolet, chlorine or ozone disinfection. The GWT DLP series nano cartridges are available in 10-inch and 20-inch lengths with 2.5-inch and 4.5-inch internal diameters to fit standard filter cartridge housings.

• Genesis Water Technologies Inc., 555 Winderely Place, Suite 300, Maitland, Fla. 32751; 877/267-3699; genesiswatertech.com.

Robot development

Epson Robots introduced version 5.4 of Epson RC+ 5.0 that now features the Epson RC+ Simulator. The addition of Epson RC+ Simulator to Epson RC+ 5.0 allows users to create complete Epson RC+ projects at their desks as well as add obstructions so developers can identify potential collision points. Users also can save simulations of their applications as AVI movie files, which can be useful for showing robot motions to others, the company says. Epson RC+ 5.0 works with standard PCs running Windows XP, Vista or Windows 7. The high-performance Micro PowerDrive RC180 Controller comes standard with Epson RC+ 5.0, the company says.

• Epson Robots, 18300 Central Ave., Carson, Calif. 90746; 562/290-5910; epsonrobots.com.

New PET resin

Artenius, the PET resins division of LSB, developed a new PET packaging material that combines virgin PET resin and post-consumer recycled PET as feedstock in the resin production process. Artenius Elite is a pure and energy-efficient packaging resin made with a chemical process that replaces conventional non-renewable petrochemical raw materials with recycled material, saving natural resources and reducing carbon footprint, the company says. It combines post-consumer recycled materials into a food-safe packaging product with nine different references of resins available to meet various packing and molding process needs. The Artenius Elite formulation was developed for beverage packaging, such as soft drinks and both still and carbonated waters. Depending on the base resin used, the product is suitable for processing in stretch blow molding in one- and two-stage processes, the company says. All Artenius Elite resins offer mechanical strength, color and transparency characteristics that fulfill essential beverage package manufacturing demands, it says. Artenius Elite is produced under a proprietary chemical recycling process that has been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) through a non-objection letter. The FDA determined that the proposed process is suitable for accepting a feedstock of clean post-consumer PET at levels up to 50 percent for containers for contact with all food types.

• LSB, Avenida Remolar, 2, 08820 El Prat de Llobregat, Barcelona, Spain; +34 93 401 75 00; laseda.es.

Shrink film offering

Bemis Clysar introduced single-source printed polyolefin shrink film for multi-packs and bundled items. Strong enough to replace wrapped paperboard trays or paperboard sleeves, Clysar printed shrink film delivers a more production-friendly, sustainable solution than traditional multi-pack formats, the company says. Colorful Clysar-printed shrink film can be used for a wide range of multi-packs and bundled goods, including juice minis. Multi-pack operations using printed shrink film can be fully automated, according to the company. Replacing traditional multi-component trays, film and label packaging with printed shrink film saves up to 69 percent in material and offers sustainability improvements throughout the package’s life, the company says. Flexo-printed in up to eight colors, printed shrink film can mirror existing trade dress; highlight offers; target offers to specific demographics; provide account-specific programs; or incorporate seasonal designs. The 360-degree wrap provides added space for marketing messages and eliminates the open bullet ends of the package typical with polyethylene shrink films, it says.

• Bemis Clysar, 2451 Badger Ave., Oshkosh, Wis. 54903; 920/303-7800; bemis.com.