On the occasion of the one of the most important global technological trade fairs, interpack 2014, organized last month in Germany, producers of equipment and solutions for the food industry exhibited some of their latest ranges meant to streamline operations and make food production more efficient.
One such example is the Blizzard free-fall sorter for the individually quick frozen vegetable and fruit processing market, launched by Tomra Sorting Solutions, a company which creates sensor-based technologies for sorting, peeling and process analytics and unites four strong brands under one roof: Titech for recycling, Tomra Sorting Mining for mining, Odenberg for food and Best for food and specialty products. This powerful alliance makes the company one of the most advanced providers of sensor-based sorting solutions worldwide.
This particular market is a challenging one, according to company representatives, on account of the weather, on the one hand, but also because of the increasing demands coming from customers, who require safety and the highest possible standards, in a very fast paced business environment.
”Firstly, our customers pack in small batches. Therefore our sorting solutions need to be stable and user friendly. That’s why one central setting for sorting foreign material is a plus, for example”, explained exclusively to Frozen Food Europe, Steve Raskin, sales director EMEA, Tomra Sorting Solutions.
“Secondly, our customers’ requirements are not limited anymore to sorting foreign material only, but they also require sorting on color and shape defects. That’s why we equip our sorting solutions (the Blizzard) with double sided color and shape detection.
Thirdly, our customers pack mixed products (with 15 different ingredients) and more. At that point, color sorting is not sufficient anymore. That’s why we, TOMRA Sorting Solutions, launched the Blizzard. The Blizzard uses three different infrared wave lengths to create a difference in structure and moisture level.
The equipment free-fall pulsed LED camera sorter is the most useful and cost effective optical sorting solution for IQF vegetable processors on the market. It provides continuous food inspection to ensure food safety and customer satisfaction at all times by removing unwanted discolorations, foreign material and misshapen product, with maximum yield,” he added.
Line expertise for the food industry
Around the world, Hastamat Verpackungstechnik GmbH is known for developing and producing high-quality packaging machines and systems made to suit individual customer needs. The specialized machine builder from Lahnau supported this claim at interpack 2014, where it showcased, among other equipment, the CP Weighers with a Hygienic Design. The CP-HD hygienic model is the ideal machine for dosing cheese, meat, fresh and frozen products. Its frameless, easily accessible construction is specially designed for optimal cleaning in wet areas. The control cabinet separate from the weigher can be positioned anywhere. Specially-adapted transfer systems allow flexible combination with thermoform or tray sealing machines. “Format changes on these servo-controlled transfer systems can therefore be carried out quickly and without tools”, Marco Hinter, sales director at Hastamat Verpackungstechnik.
Another piece of machinery exhibited by the company was the Form, fill and seal machine R-600, which premiered at interpack. This robust machine is designed for use in the chemical and heavy industry. However, due to its stainless steel construction, it can also be used for large packaging volumes in the food industry. It is easy to clean and requires little maintenance. „The R-600 will be presented with the CP-10-HD combination weigher as an ideal solution for packaging fresh and frozen foods“, said Hinter.
Maximum flexibility
Multivac’s impressive stand during interpack 2014 featured a wide range of packaging equipment, among which the new Chamber Belt Machine B210, launched in premiere at the trade fair. According to company representatives, the primary objective in the development of the machine was its flexibility in use, which is why the B 210 is available in a wide variety of versions and configurations. In this way, the chamber belt machine is individually adaptable to the respective needs of the customer and suitable for packaging a wide range of products. Due to its modular design, the B 210 can be designed individually to the various needs of customers. The B 210 is equipped with two chamber sizes (W 1150 x D 500 mm or W 800 x D 670 mm) and available with two different chamber lid heights and with different sealing bar arrangements.
“With the new chamber belt machine B 210, we want to offer our customers an affordable entry into automated packaging in film pouches”, says Andreas Hackl, Product Manager for chamber machines at Multivac. “The machine is equipped with an electric chamber lid mechanism and an automatic transport conveyor in the chamber for conveying the products out. This provides the customer with a compact and attractively priced solution for automatic packaging in film pouches which only requires a small footprint. Through the attachment of the sealing bars in L-form (on the front and on the right and left side), the B 210 guarantees high product output. Since the B 210 can also be equipped with a product infeed conveyor, it can also be used like a standard chamber belt machine”, he added.
tna’s high throw conveyor
Following the recent acquisition of US companyFoodDesign, specialized in design, installation and service for food processing plants, tna has increased their range of processing equipment and turnkey solutions, part of which they exhibited at interpack this year. One such machinery is the new tna roflo VM 3 high throw vibratory conveyor. The unique high throw design achieves the gentle transfer of difficult products, through increased vertical motion, to improve product throughput and line efficiency. The tna roflo VM 3 high throw conveyor is a full stainless steel wash down construction and, like all other tna vibratory conveyors, operates at natural frequency, greatly reducing power consumption. The pan material can be supplied in either dimpled or a standard flat finish, depending on the application requirements. Offering reduced surface contact with the product, the dimpled design works in synergy with the greater stroke length at a lower frequency to deliver the ideal conveyor for sticky and hard-to-transfer products.
“interpack is a great opportunity to meet with both existing and potential customers from around the globe, and demonstrate the wide range of innovations that we offer. There’s no other show that allows us to meet with as many customers from as many countries in one place. We participate in around 32 shows each year globally, yet the quality and the quantity of the leads we gain at interpack is unsurpassed,” said Shayne de la Force, Group Marketing Manager, tna.