Flow control

Aptar Food + Beverage, a part of the AptarGroup family of companies, released two new dispensing closures designed to meet the needs of the growing liquid concentrates market. Aptar’s one-piece, polypropylene, flip-top Micro cap features a standard 18-mm neck finish, a 180-degree hinge opening, and a tamper-evident full-body sleeve, while the Mini Sense option features a 14-mm snap-on neck finish. Both flow-control dispensing closures feature clean-cutoff dispensing and incorporate the company’s SimpliSqueeze valve technology to provide consumers with a spill-proof and clean product dispense, the company says. Both models are available in stock and custom options.

AptarGroup Inc., 475 W. Terra Cotta, Suite E, Crystal Lake, Ill. 60014; 815/477-0424; aptar.com.

Pack and go

Gebo Cermex presented its latest robotic packing solution at Interpack in May. The ER50 collating and packing solution is designed to handle products that cannot or should not be accumulated, the company says. It also includes new robotic flow management software for added versatility and 3-D printing of tooling, which results in lighter tools that are quicker to fit, the company says. Easy conveyor infeed and the option to equip the machine with a vision system adapted to products arriving in a random manner also aid in accurate collating and packing, it says.

Gebo Cermex, 5-7 Rue du Commerce, 67116 Reichstett, France; 011/33-388-183-880; gebocermex.com.

Vacuum rated

Ross Vacuum-rated High Speed Dispersers are a family of tank-mounted mixers that can be raised and feature a laser-cut saw-tooth blade that runs as fast as 5,000 feet a minute. Primarily used to incorporate dry powders into liquid and disperse loosely bound agglomerates, the mixers are able to impart high levels of shear while producing vigorous flow and rapid turnover of low- to medium-viscosity dispersions as high as 50,000 centipoise, the company says. In most applications, the extent of deagglomeration is further optimized under vacuum conditions, which reveal tighter and more uniform particle size distributions in shorter cycle times, it says. The pictured 600-gallon mixer is one of these High Speed Dispersers. Designed for full vacuum, it also is equipped with a 20-inch diameter disperse blade that is raised and lowered by an air/oil hydraulic lift. The mix vessel also is built with a 50-psig stainless-steel jacket for heating and cooling, a dished bottom, a flush discharge ball valve, large handles and heavy-duty casters.

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

Keep it simple

Videojet Technologies simplified its label printer and applicator design by removing mechanisms that frequently cause everyday operation problems, such as label jams and routine maintenance, the company says. The new Videojet 9550 labeling machine for print-and-apply labeling includes Intelligent Motion technology, which precisely and electronically controls the system, reducing the need for manual adjustments, which is one of the main causes of operational problems, it says. In this way, the direct drive system can feed and place labels accurately, even at high speeds, without the use of manual adjustments, clutches or nip rollers, it notes. In addition, the machine’s Direct Apply technology places the label onto a package without the need for a tamp or air blast applicator, achieving throughput of as many as 150 packs a minute for typical 4-inch by 6-inch GS1 barcode labels. 

Videojet Technologies Inc., 1500 Mittel Blvd., Wood Dale, Ill. 60191; 800/843-3610; videojet.com.

Industry-standard dock levelers

To bridge the height difference between a truck bed and a facility’s loading dock, Beacon Industries offers its BEH5 series of hydraulic dock levelers. This adjustable, pit-mounted dock leveler is constructed of 55,000-pound minimum-yield steel tread plate with operating weight capacities ranging between 20,000 and 60,000 pounds. Operators initiate the hydraulic cylinders through a push-button control. As the deck is raised, the 16-inch hinged flip lip automatically extends onto the truck bed. Then, forklifts, pallet jacks and dock workers can travel over uneven gaps safely, the company says.  Afterward, an automatic recycle feature returns the unit to loading dock position after the truck departs. Safety features like full-operating-range toe guards and an in-line safety stop for sudden falls also help support a safe working environment, it says.

Beacon Industries Inc., 12300 Old Tesson Road, St. Louis, Mo. 63128; 314/487-7600; beacontechnology.com.

Style on tap

As part of Perlick’s continued expansion of its Century System dispensing tower line, the company added 12 new glycol-ready decorative beer and wine tower options. These additions include the Brigitte, Illuminated Brigitte, Sexy and Illuminated Sexy towers, which were designed to meet operators’ requests for more stylish options that can help draw attention to craft beer and wine on tap, the company says. The chrome-plated Brigitte series features three-, five- and seven-faucet options, while Illuminated Brigitte expands this set with plug-and-play illuminated medallions to light up the tower. The standard Sexy Towers line includes a two-faucet tower available in chrome or gold-plated brass options, while the enhanced Illuminated Sexy Towers line includes three- and four-faucet options with plug-and-play light-up medallions. The three-faucet Illuminated Sexy Towers option also can be flooded with ice, if desired.  

Perlick Corp., 8300 W. Good Hope Road, Milwaukee, Wis. 53223; 800/558-5592; perlick.com.

Light sleeper

Operating a lightweight vehicle is a “must-have” for many over-the-road operators in the trucking industry, according to Kenworth Truck Co. To address this need, the company added a lightweight configuration for its Kenworth T680 52-inch mid-roof sleeper. Key weight-reducing components for the sleeper include a 12.9-liter Paccar MX-13 engine, an Eaton Fuller Advantage series transmission, a Kenworth AG380 suspension, an MX optimized hood, a six-by-two drive axle, rear wide-base single tires, aluminum rear wheels, air disc brakes and an aluminum fifth wheel. These features offer truck buyers an opportunity to spec light and increase payload while also offering driver comfort in the 2.1-meter-wide cab and sleeper, it says.

Kenworth Truck Co., 10630 NE 38th Place, Kirkland, Wash. 98033; 425/828-5000; kenworth.com.