Articles Tagged with ''automation''

The maintenance function in beverage facilities is, and always will be, a major contributor to success and profitability. The operational activities within the entire beverage supply chain, from processing raw materials to finished product delivery, usually require the maintenance function to perform effectively, efficiently and economically at the highest possible levels.

Whether planning an expansion or a new facility, the ever-evolving beverage industry necessitates that those involved evolve with it. With trends like SKU proliferation and sustainability impacting the overall beverage industry, a slew of decisions need to be made when planning construction.

Time is taken for granted in most industries. However, recognition must be given to the age-old cliché that time is money, and money can hardly be taken for granted, especially in beverage operations. From an operations viewpoint, time is inescapable and plays a prominent role in the beverage industry.

With the memorable theme song opening of “shlemiel, SCHLEMAZEL!, Hasenpfeffer Incorporated,” TV’s “Laverne and Shirley,” closes with the two friends “doing it their way” on the bottling line of Milwaukee’s fictitious Shotz Brewery. Although manufacturing facilities’ beer-capping lines have changed, speed, ease-of-use and flexibility are paramount for today’s processing automation equipment.

Charles Ross & Son Co. introduced large-scale, elliptical-head pressure vessels for use as carbon filter tanks. The 5,000-gallon stainless steel vessels are fabricated, designed and stamped for 100 psig at 230 degrees Fahrenheit in accordance with the ASME Code Section VIII, Division 1, the company says.

Chicago-based Mintel’s Global New Products Database shows that between January 2015 and January 2016, 5,226 new beverages were launched in North America.

VT Hackney Inc. introduced Sidekick, a low-profile, four-bay side-load body mounted on a Ford Transit cab and chassis. It offers many of the same features as Hackney’s larger beverage units, including all-aluminum construction, adjustable bay shelving, a bottom rail power step and rear-mounted hand truck, the company says.