Conveyor add-on

KHS developed the new, horizontally arranged Feedflow feed module for conveying very light preforms to its InnoPET Blomax stretch blow molder. The preforms are fed into a preform silo with an optional silo lid to protect the preforms from foreign objects. A fully enclosed version also is available for products with a higher hygiene requirement. From the silo, the preforms travel along an inclined conveyor to an interim conveyor, which discharges into the preform sorter. At the end of the sorter, the preforms are fed in one lane to a discharge rail or, depending on the application, onto the active, horizontal Feedflow conveying segment. The Feedflow’s maximum output is 84,000 preforms an hour, the company says.

• KHS USA, 880 Bahcall Court, Waukesha, Wis. 53186; 262/797-7200; khs.com.

Easy reading

Cognex Corp. released its DataMan 8050 Series of industrial handheld readers. The readers use Cognex’s 1DMax+ with Hotbars patented barcode-reading algorithms to provide high-speed reading performance even with damaged, low-contrast or direct-inkjet barcodes, the company says. They also utilize Cognex’s 2-D algorithms to quickly decode a variety of 2-D symbologies, including DataMatrix, quick-response, PDF417 and Aztec codes, it says. The handheld readers are encased in ruggedized casing to handle factory floor conditions, it adds. Available with both corded and wireless communication modules, the DataMan 8050 Series also supports industry-standard communications including USB, USB keyboard, RS-232 and Bluetooth wireless communication to a base station.

• Cognex Corp., 1 Vision Drive, Natick, Mass. 01760; 855/426-4639; cognex.com. 

Do-it-yourself freight audits

Softeon introduced its new Fright Audit and Payment (FAP) system to help companies reduce total freight spend and perform freight audits. FAP supports parcel, less-than-truckload and full-truckload shipments and can rate and audit freight bills across several different attributes. In this way, it can perform a three-way match between a company’s own shipment information, proof of delivery information, and the carrier’s freight bill. Through such analyses, users can identify carrier errors and overcharges, the company says. Studies have found that such errors and overcharges can represent 2-3 percent of a shipper’s total freight spend, and the FAP system can help companies recover that loss, it says. In addition, the FAP system can perform revenue and cost allocation to the SKU level to calculate cost of goods sold, track shipments, measure carrier billing and delivery performance, and manage revenue margin. As with all Softeon supply chain solutions, FAP can be delivered via the cloud or through more traditional deployment.

• Softeon Inc., 11700 Plaza America Drive, No. 910, Reston, Va. 20190; 703/793-0005; softeon.com.

Powder-injection enhancements

Charles Ross & Son Co. offers the Ross PreMax, a batch-style rotor/stator mixer designed for ultra-high shear conditions and vigorous flow. Its patented Delta mixing head runs as fast as 5,000 feet a minute and produces a double vortex that pulls product from the top and bottom of the rotor while simultaneously expelling material at high velocity through the stator openings and into the surrounding mix, the company says. For enhanced powder handling, the PreMax now can be ordered with solid/liquid injection manifold (SLIM) technology, which allows operators to draw powders straight from the bag and inject them into the subsurface where the intense mixing takes place, it says. This speeds up complete wet-out and dispersion and eliminates airborne and floating powders, which, in turn, contributes to faster mixing, reduced waste, safer working conditions and easier clean-up, it says. The improved PreMax also is equipped with a modified Delta rotor/stator, which generates its own negative pressure and does not rely on an external eductor or pump to induct powders, it adds.

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

Hybrid palletizers

Intelligrated added two machines to its hybrid palletizer family: the Alvey 950F and Alvey 750 series. Both palletizers integrate robotic arms to perform flexible and accurate product handling and layer forming, the company says. Designed for applications with reduced primary or secondary packaging, the 950F and 750 series gently handle products to create stable single-SKU or mixed-SKU pallet loads that can satisfy retail-ready requirements, including labels-out configurations for end-of-aisle displays, it says. The 950F operates similarly to the standard 950 model but includes a floor-level infeed. This enables the 950F to connect with higher-speed production lines, enabling packaging line personnel to supervise palletizing operations and eliminating the need for long overhead conveyor runs, the company says. The Alvey 750 series is Intelligrated’s first mid-speed hybrid palletizer. It is designed to handle small products, including consumer packaged goods, at speeds as fast as 50 cases a minute. The Alvey 750 also features an optional in-hoist stretch bander or wrapper, which enhances load stability, improves cost savings, and reduces floor space requirements, it adds.

• Intelligrated, 7901 Innovation Way, Mason, Ohio 45040; 866/963-7300; intelligrated.com.

Quick quality

LT Industries introduced its new IsoChem Complete Beer Analyzer, which is designed to provide improved product analysis and quality control for breweries. The IsoChem Complete Beer Analyzer uses an optimal measurement technique to measure key beer properties such as alcohol, original gravity, calories, sugars, apparent and real extract, and more in a single scan in seconds. Results are then displayed on a customized user interface and can be logged or printed as necessary. The IsoChem system also provides an option to upgrade to online beer measurements. Online monitoring can help breweries reduce waste during product switchovers and continuously monitor quality, the company says.

• LT Industries Inc., 811 Russell Ave., Gaithersburg, Md. 20879; 301/990-4050; ltindustries.com.

A powered boost

Crown Equipment Corp. introduced the Crown PTH 50S Model scissor-lift hand-pallet truck designed for applications using skids and open-bottom containers. The new model functions as a hand-pallet truck and mobile work positioner, and operators can use it to elevate loads as heavy as 2,200 pounds up to 31.5 inches high by using the handle to actuate the hydraulic lift, the company says. The hydraulic pump is life-tested to more than 1 million pump cycles to ensure trouble-free operation and long life, it says. In addition, the ergonomic handle design allows the operator to raise, lower or maintain the position of the scissor-lift with one finger, thus minimizing operator fatigue and increasing productivity, Crown explains. The Crown PTH 50S Model also features heavy-gauge steel forks and scissor legs as well as steer and load wheels that are engineered with high-quality compounds and bearings that lower rolling resistance and provide smooth, quiet operation, it says. Its 200-degree steering angle also makes maneuvering in tight areas easier, making the hand-pallet truck suitable for both retail and manufacturing environments, it adds.

• Crown Equipment Corp., 44 S. Washington St., New Bremen, Ohio 45869; 419/629-2311; crown.com.

Compact labeling

Primera Technology Inc. announced its new AP360 and AP362 label applicators. The two applicators are compact, semi-automatic labeling devices that make it fast and easy to apply pressure-sensitive labels to bottles, cans, jars, tubes and many other cylindrical and tapered containers, the company says. Labels are applied straight, without wrinkles or folds, with spot accuracy at rates as fast as 1,200 containers an hour, it says. To operate the applicators, users first set the guides, place the container in the mechanism, press the footswitch, and then watch as the label is applied. This gives finished products a professional look and increases the number of containers that can be labeled in an hour compared with manually applying labels, it adds. AP360 is the base model and applies labels to the front of containers. AP362 is an advanced model that includes front and back labeling with variable spacing, memory for as many as nine jobs, and a counter with a built-in LED display.

• Primera Technology Inc., 2 Carlson Parkway North, Plymouth, Minn. 55447; 800/797-2772; primeralabel.com.

Buffer room

Paylode Cargo Pro-tection Systems offers a portfolio of reusable plastic cargo protection products that can help companies reduce their environmental waste, operating expenses and product damage, the company says. Its bulkhead spacers and separator pads are designed as an alternative to plywood and cardboard dividers for separating pallets during shipping. In addition to eliminating the possibility of splinters, the separators feature an ergonomic hand hole for loading and unloading and a cushioning hollow cavity to protect loads, the company says. The 100 percent recycled dunnage can last hundreds of trips while reducing damaged loads by more than half, it says.

• Paylode Cargo Protection Systems, 200 S. Friendship Drive, P.O. Box 90, New Concord, Ohio  43762; 877/421-2914; paylode.com.

Batch control

Georg Fischer Piping Systems introduced its second-generation Signet 9900 Transmitter featuring a new batch controller option. The new Signet 9900 Transmitter, Generation II, supports multiple parameters including flow, pH, oxidation-reduction potential, conductivity, resistivity, salinity, temperature and pressure, among others. Customers also can convert their second-generation 9900 Transmitter to a batch controller system by plugging in the new batch and relay modules. Other new capabilities on this model include the ability to store up to 10 batch sizes for batching or blending a variety of liquid volumes, customizable batch names for distinction between batches, entry of different K-factors for each batch, a confirmation feature for preventing accidental batch starts, a manual batch feature for “topping off,” an override batch size function, and a batch count indicator. It also features a 3.9-square-inch auto-sensing backlit display with large characters to prevent misreading. The display also shows separate lines for units, main and secondary measurements as well as a dial-type digital bar graph. The new 9900 batch control system is well suited for batch processes, filter backwash initiation, chemical addition, and canning and bottling. Other applications fulfilled by the 9900’s multi-parameter capabilities make it suitable for water and wastewater treatment, reverse osmosis, deionization, chemical dosing and delivery, metal and plastic finishing, fume scrubbers, cooling towers, and all types of filtration, the company says.

• Georg Fischer LLC, 2882 Dow Ave., Tustin, Calif. 92780; 714/731-8800; gfpiping.com.

A secure seal

Smurfit Kappa Bag-In-Box added a new type of seal to its wine application bags. In addition to the usual seals, eight new supplementary radial seals (two in each of the four corners) make up the “Safe Curve” protection system that protects the wine inside, the company says. This design offers the bag additional protection during the bag drop part of packaging and also reduces the risk of abrasion if the filling conditions are not optimized, it says. Also, the risk of ears gluing and folding on box flaps or on the box closer is minimized by the new design, it notes. If this does happen, the risky corner is protected by a double seal, so the bag is less likely to break or tear, it explains. In addition, bags sealed with the “Safe Curve” method are more resistant because the flow of the liquid is not on a sharp angle, and the package’s strength is maintained by the round shape, it adds.

• Smurfit Kappa Group, Beech Hill, Clonskeagh, Dublin 4, Ireland; 011/353-1-202-7000.

Pour another glass

Vinotemp expanded its offering of commercial wine dispensing options with the new 4-Tap Wine Keg Dispenser. Utilizing state-of-the-art technology, each tap on the dispenser features both manual and customized by-the-ounce pours for dispensing wine at temperatures between 50 and 65 degrees Fahrenheit. The system is available on casters for added portability and can store up to four wine kegs with room on either side of the dispensing tower for additional storage space. In addition, the 4-Tap Wine Keg Dispenser includes a commercial-grade compressor; an easy-to-read digital display; blue LED lighting; a drip tray; removable access panels; and a stainless steel coupler, tubing, fittings and gas cylinder.  Vinotemp’s 4-Tap Wine Keg Dispenser currently is available for purchase at vinotemp.com for $2,699.

• Vinotemp, 16782 Von Karman Ave., Suite 15, Irvine, Calif. 92606; 800/777-8466; vinotemp.com.

BPA-free resin

Equipolymers unveiled its new Bisneinex PET resin, a BPA-free solution that is designed for large bottling applications, including the home and office delivery bottled water market. Bisneinex offers converters a new, cost-effective solution with no impact on raw material costs and potential improved processing cost conditions because of lower energy usage for large container sizes, the company says. Compared with standard PET, Bisneinex offers excellent bottle thermal stability and low shrinkage, exceptional color in the final application, improved drop test and top-load performance, and a large processing window because of reduced recrystallization behavior, the company says. The resin is optimized for injection-molding and stretch-blow-molding processes as well as for injection-stretch-blow-molding production of large-volume containers, which require thick-walled preforms and a reduced crystallization rate.

• Equipolymers, Building 5W, B-Wing, Dubai Airport Free Zone, P.O. Box 293615, Dubai, United Arab Emirates; 011/971-429-2392-6; equipolymers.com.