FactoryEye Industry 4.0 Solution

FactoryEye North America, a division of Magic Software Enterprises Ltd., unveiled its industry 4.0 solution cloud-based software solution for North American beverage and packaging manufacturers. FactoryEye’s plug and play IIoT (Industrial Internet of Things) platform enables mid-sized manufacturers to achieve digital transformation with real-time intelligence from existing machinery and operational systems, the company says. The data is then transformed into actionable intelligence for immediate results with the idea to foster continuous improvement in the manufacturing process. FactoryEye leverages Magic Software’s four decades of industry knowledge, integration technologies and deployment of mission-critical systems to thousands of companies in Europe, Asia and beyond. With pre-established integration partnerships with leading ERP, CRM and PLM vendors and advanced analytics, FactoryEye ensures real-time key performance indicators are continuously monitored and reported with cross-company data visibility. In addition to bringing the digital world of Industry 4.0 to manufacturers in an easy, affordable and flexible solution, the end-to-end solution works with current warehouse systems, connecting all the disparate parts under one platform to increase production efficiency, streamline workflows and increase profitability, the company says.

MS Series of Air Filtration Products

Festo Corp. unveiled a new compressed air filtration series specifically designed to keep compressed air clean when used around food, beverage and packaging zones. Available in three models in the series — MS4, MS6 and MS9 — the air filtration products conform to FDA and Food Safety Modernization Act guidelines for clean air, as well as meet or exceed the top national and international benchmarks, the company says. The MS series are designed for food and packaging-in-food-zone applications in the dairy, craft beer and beverage industries where clean compressed air enhances the longevity and efficient operation of pneumatic cylinders and processes. The MS series filtration systems are rated for airflow ranging from the MS4 at 360 l/min to MS9 at 7,800 l/min. In addition to the three stage filters, MS air preparation units come standard with a lockout/tagout feature for operational safety. An exhaust valve, another standard feature, safely evacuates air from the system when filters are changed. As an example of easy ordering, the MS6 filtration system, the most commonly used unit for 2,500 l/min 0.01µm filtration application, has only two ordering numbers, one for left-to-right air flow and the other for right-to-left. Other variations of the MS6 for odor and moisture removal in sensitive applications are equally easy to purchase. MS units are assembled, in stock, easy to install, and feature competitive pricing and fast shipping, making it easy and practical for original equipment manufacturers to maintain clean air around beverages.

Drinktainer by O-I Glass

Due to COVID-19 and the dwindling on-premise consumption of beer, bars, restaurants and craft breweries were trying to figure out how to manage tapped and untapped kegs of draft beer. As a solution, O-I Glass Inc. offers Drinktainer, the flagship of the new O-I Catalyst Collection that offers the to-go draft experience while maintaining flexibility and portability, the company says. Drinktainer features a wide mouth opening that combines the convenience of a glass bottle with the sensory consumption experience of a drinking glass. Canning lines and shipping are no longer required; just beer straight from the draft, in a sealable container. For the brewer, the glass packaging introduces a new size for to-go beer in an easily fillable and sealable container that offers single-serve variety and flexibility that cannot be matched by growlers, it says. For the consumer, the Drinktainer introduces options for selecting multiple drafts in single-serve, ready-to-drink containers. Simply pull the rip-cap and the wide-mouth Drinktainer gives a full-sensory, aromatic beverage experience, it says. The product also has experienced success piloting options for flights-to-go as well as other cocktail options.

Explosion-Proof Inline High Shear Mixers

Charles Ross & Son offers a lineup of completely portable explosion-proof Inline High Shear Mixers. These versatile mixers meet a wide range of dispersion, emulsification and homogenization requirements. Additionally, the portable explosion proof model can be supplied with a NEMA 7/9 operator station pre-wired and mounted to the mobile mixer cart. Controls can then be customized to include a viewing window for process variables and intrinsically safe thermocouple, which is attached to the motor’s internal thermal switch, the company says. Kalrez elastomers make the rotor/stator mixer suitable for use in extreme-duty processes with chemically aggressive fluids. All stainless steel construction, sanitary tri-clamp connections, 3A stamp, double mechanical seal, washdown motor and other mixing options also are available.

Digital Enamel Rater III

Wilkens-Anderson Co. offers its new Digital Enamel Rater III for fast, accurate quality inspection measurements of the enamel coating on the inside of food and beverage cans. The device displays an index of the metal exposure due to incomplete enamel coverage on a digital LED display. Among the features are a new LCD screen for easy menu selection, adjustment and settings; a 5-digit digital LED display for milliamp readings; and a 2-digit LED timer display, the company says. Voltage is set at 6.3 VDC, which is adjustable from 4-9 VDC. Operating range is 0-500 ma with an improved accuracy resolution of 0.01 ma. Preset to an industry standard four-second mode, the rater also can be put into continuous or programmable modes. In programmable mode, the operator can select customized time settings. Both RS232 and USB ports allow for easy transfer of data to computers, printers or data collection systems, the company says.

To meet the need for online order fulfillment brought on by the pandemic, Dematic, Grand Rapids, Mich., is helping Walmart Inc., Bentonville, Ark., turn dozens of stores into fulfillment centers to keep costs low. In doing so, the grocery chain is expanding its use of automated systems to pick-and-pack online grocery orders. The supercenter reported a 74% increase in U.S. online sales for the quarter that ended April 30, and a 10% increase in same store sales for the same period as the effects of the coronavirus helped to boost sales. In 2019, Walmart began testing the Alphabot system, and saw immediate results, allowing the retailer to pick orders within minutes and have them ready for a customer within an hour of placing the order, it says.

Clean Energy Fuels Corp., Newport Beach, Calif., has signed an agreement with Amazon, Seattle, to provide low and negative carbon renewable natural gas (RNG). The fuel will be provided at 27 existing Clean Energy fueling stations and another 19 non-exclusive new or upgraded Clean Energy-owned stations that Clean Energy expects to be built by the end of the year. The new and existing stations will provide RNG in 15 different states. In a statement, Andrew J. Littlefair, CEO and president of Clean Energy, said, “If the world is really going to tackle the issue of climate change, all of us need to find solutions that work both environmentally and economically, and that is exactly what this agreement supports.”

Neutraubling, Germany-based KROHNE is celebrating its 100th anniversary. Michael Rademacher-Dubbick, chairman of the Advisory Board and speaker of the owner family, and Attila Michael Bilgic, CEO of the KROHNE Group, presented “100 years of KROHNE” at a global press conference April 28. In addition to reviewing the company's 100-year history, they provided an outlook on KROHNE’s contribution to future topics such as the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) and digitalization in the process industry.

NatureWorks, Bologna, Italy, and IMA Coffee, Minnetonka, Minn., announced they have entered into a new strategic partnership for the compostable coffee pods market. Compostable capsules create the opportunity to not only address consumer concerns and divert the packaging away from landfills, but perhaps more importantly, to recover the used coffee grounds, enabling their processing at a compost facility where they deliver valuable nutrients to the final compost. The partnership will accelerate the availability of a turnkey solution for K-Cup compatible compostable coffee pods in North America with unmatched performance in converting, assembly, filling, brewing and taste, the companies say.

Southampton, Pa.-based NewAge Industries, the manufacturer of AdvantaPure, BrewSavor and Verigenics products, welcomes three new team members: Maurice LeCompte, Sonia Schwantes and Rick Zijadic to director positions. LeCompte has been appointed director of manufacturing development, while Schwantes has been named director of product management, both newly created positions. Zijadic replaces a retiree in the role of director of manufacturing.

Descon Integrated Conveyor Solutions, Toronto, Canada, accepted the 2020 Coke Canada Supplier of the Year Award for Innovation Excellence, which took place virtually April 28. The Innovation Excellence category acknowledges supplier partnerships based on demonstrated execution with new Coke Canada innovations and product offerings, the companies say. Partnering closely with Coke Canada on special projects, Descon has provided breakthrough performance and speed to market despite demanding timelines and changing requirements. According to Dave Farquhar, chairman and co-founder of Descon, the company’s internal success principles are “learn, innovate and deliver.”