Hiperbaric and Petainer HPP keg

Hiperbaric and Petainer partnered to create the first keg for High-Pressure Processing (HPP) of beverages. This innovation offers beverage manufacturers a safe, sustainable and cost-efficient packaging solution, the companies say. The cylindrical shape of the keg fits the vessel of Hiperbaric HPP in-pack units, optimizing the filling ratio and the productivity of the system. In addition, the Petainer kegs and fittings are made of 100% recyclable materials and reduce the carbon dioxide footprint, enabling a sustainable solution. Although not all plastic kegs are compatible with HPP, this new lightweight, easy to handle keg underwent numerous tests at Hiperbaric’s HPP Incubator Center, followed by design changes. The keg’s versatility opens up new market opportunities for retailers and foodservice companies, especially juice bars, looking for alternatives to dispense juice because the Petainer keg enables HPP juices to be dispensed directly from a tap, it says. Although the first application has been HPP cold-pressed juices, the Petainer kegs also can be used for packaging a wide variety of beverages such as carbonated drinks, cold-brew teas and coffee, the companies say.

Better Juice, GEA Group commercialize sugar-reduction technology

FoodTech start-up Better Juice Ltd. sealed its first commercial deal to bring reduced-sugar juices one step closer to supermarket beverage aisles. It was granted a patent for its sugar-reduction enzymatic process in Europe. In its first commercial venture, the start-up is working with long-term collaborator GEA Group, AG, Germany, a leader in process engineering for the beverage sector. The two companies joined forces in a strategic move to scale up and promote the sugar-reduction technology throughout the global beverage market. Better Juice’s patented enzymatic technology uses all-natural ingredients to convert fructose, glucose and sucrose sugars into prebiotic and other non-digestible fibers. It boasts capabilities to reduce sugar loads in freshly squeezed, pasteurized or concentrated juice by up to 80%, while preserving the full complement of vitamins and other nutrients inherent in the fruit. Under the new venture, GEA will design, manufacture and install the bioreactor that reduces sugars, and offer follow-up technical support, while Better Juice will produce the microorganisms for the enzymatic process. The first commercial order from a fruit drinks manufacturer is scheduled to arrive in supermarkets this spring.

Esko SpectraLab XF for print inspection

Esko released its latest AVT innovation for print inspection: the SpectraLab XF. The SpectraLab XF delivers accurate, fast inline color measurement and quality reporting while helping packaging converters deliver measurements a “hundred times faster,” the company says. Unveiled at the recent Esko Innovation Summit, AVT SpectraLab XF is a unique inline color measurement solution based on a new, super-fast X-Rite sensor. With XRGA-compliance, AVT SpectraLab XF delivers the ability to measure during make-ready and production, ensuring color and quality consistency across the entire print cycle. It also provides color consistency and high-quality printing for packages and labels, helping to further brand recognition, trust and loyalty among consumers, it adds. The printer also enables converters to print to the numbers and monitor color accuracy at high speeds and volumes, something handheld manual measurement falls short of. Delivering accurate and automated color measurement for the full array of packaging applications, the AVT SpectraLab XF incorporates a new X-Rite spectral sensor and can measure a complete vertical color bar in a single repeat. Smaller, 4-5mm patches can be supported depending on press speed and a new LED lamp with M0, M1, and M2 correlates to offline inspection standards, it says.

ABB OmniCore robot controllers

For an even wider range of manufacturing applications, ABB has expanded its OmniCore robot controller family with two new controllers: E10 and V250XT. The new controllers offer faster, scalable and more energy-efficient manufacturing along with enhanced flexibility, improved productivity and the ability to respond to changing market demands, the company says. Available for a range of robots across ABB’s portfolio, the E10 and V250XT controllers offer best-in-class motion control, as well as 20% energy savings and future-proofing through built-in digital connectivity. They also are equipped with more than 1,000 additional hardware and software functions encompassing such areas as programming, offline commissioning and simulation, maintenance, vision and safety. They also feature built-in connectivity to ABB Ability Connected Services cloud-based service suite for robots, offering new opportunities for improving performance through enhanced predictive maintenance and lifecycle management. Featuring a slimline 19-inch rack-mount design, the E10 is ideal for confined space and high-density production lines where space saving is a key requirement. It is designed to power ABB’s SCARA robots and articulated robots with payloads as much as 11 kg such as the IRB 920T and IRB 1300. Designed to power articulated robots with a payload as much as 300 kg such as IRB 6700, the OmniCore V250XT controller offers a versatile and powerful solution for use in general industrial applications.

Aptar 2-inch Ultra XLV Closure

Aptar Food + Beverage announced the launch of its 2-inch Ultra Large Valve (XLV), the newest expansion to its inverted closure product line with SimpliSqueeze technology. Designed with a valve large enough to dispense very thick or high viscosity products, including those with particulates, the 2-inch Ultra XLV can be used with a rigid bottle or paired with an inverted flexible pouch to ensure a clean, controlled, convenient dispense with every squeeze, the company says. It notes that there’s a rising trend to dispense products such as guacamole, salsa, cream cheese and peanut butter with squeezable packaging versus traditional tub formats. The new closure makes it possible for these thicker, higher viscosity products to move into squeeze packaging and be stored in an inverted position. Inverted packs ensure these thicker products are always at-the-ready to dispense and aid in full product evacuation from the package. When combined with SimpliSqueeze, no utensils are required for the end consumer, while preventing drips, spills or leaks, the company adds.

St. Louis-based packaging leader TricorBraun announced the acquisition of beverage packaging leaders Zuckerman Honickman (ZH) and Vessel Packaging. ZH, King of Prussia, Pa., and Vessel will operate as separate, stand-alone businesses, which took effect Jan. 6. Further, all ZH and Vessel team members, including ZH President Michael Zuckerman, Senior Vice President of Strategy and Development Lorne Paskin, and Vice President of Operations Jon Zuckerman, and Vessel Packaging’s CEO Matt Leslie and Chief Operating Officer Mitchell Evanecz, will remain with TricorBraun and continue to work out of their existing locations.

Schubert North America announced expansion plans for its headquarters in Charlotte, N.C. In addition to new offices, an assembly hall will be built that will serve as the hub for final assembly and commissioning for TLM packaging machines as opposed to customers having to fly to the company’s global headquarters in Crailsheim, Germany, the company says. An upgrade of local service expertise and capacity expansion for new machines are planned for the new location. Schubert’s CEO Hartmut Siegel says: “The first customers have already been informed on our project and they are enthusiastic. Our employees are also excited about our plans.”

Middleton, Wis.-based Fristam Pumps USA named Edgar García as its regional sales manager for Mexico. A trilingual professional who speaks English, Spanish and German, García will manage distribution and the original equipment manufacturers (OEM) network within Mexico. With more than 25 years of experience in the packaging and processing industries, he previously worked for international companies JSC Hermis and Krones (in Mexico and Germany).

Motion Industries Inc., Birmingham, Ala., completed the purchase of Kaman Distribution Group (KDG), Bloomington, Conn., for approximately $1.3 billion in cash. The strategic addition of KDG to Motion will boost the latter’s concentration in core industrial products and services as well as in the growing technical/automation arenas, it says. The acquisition will boost Motion’s annual sales of more than $6 billion and its ability to distribute more than 10 million items such as bearings, process pumps, seals and accessories, the company says.

Fairfield, Ohio-based Force Control Industries announced the retirement of longtime sales and marketing manager Stan Porter after 35 years with the company. Mike Fox will take over Porter’s Midwestern sales territory and Tony Stoner will assume his marketing responsibilities.  

James Hirmas is serving as vice president of research and development at Syracuse, N.Y.-based BeerBoard, which provides technology and automated business intelligence for the on-premise retail industry. Hirmas brings more than 20 years of service in the IT field, including a three-year career in the U.S. Army as an electronic warfare signal intelligence analyst.