Page 91 - Food&Drink magazine November-December 2022

5 ■ NOVEMBER-DECEMBER 2022 MACHINERY MATTERS
KHS develops PET bottle with glued-in handle
KHS says it is moving closer towards a circular economy, with the introduction of its 2.3-litre KHS PET bottle, which is stretch blow moulded and contains a glued-in bottle handle, with both bottle body and handle fully recyclable and made of rPET.
According to the company, the KHS PET bottle is more stable than the extrusion-blow- moulded polyolefin alternatives currently available on the market. Glued-in handles also require a simpler contour than the clip-in variety, which it says saves on material and at the same time increases efficiency in the stretch blow moulding process.
KHS says its adhesive technology enables it to cut down on the amount of energy and material used in production and to manufacture a container that’s both more stable and visually more appealing than the standard products currently available on the market.
Breakthrough in fresh produce coding
Result Group has brought ‘natural branding’ to the Australian fresh produce market, with the introduction of the new EcoMark Natural Branding machine, a non-contact and safe laser marking system that creates an image on fruit and vegetable peel. (Read more in PKN’s Food Packaging feature, November-December 2022 issue, and in Food & Drink Business, News, November-December 2022).
Since the new EcoMark Natural Branding system has no labeller, there is zero label cost and no lock-in contracts for consumables, according to Result Group. It uses a laser to remove colour from the fruit or vegetable’s outer layer of skin, creating an image on the surface.
The new laser technology can be used on any food with a robust skin. Using a laser for the marking, the system ensures branding, SKU level identification, traceability and authenticity, and according to the company, the barely detectable heat used on fruits and vegetables does not produce long-term damage.
The advantage of the system is that it simply depigments the uppermost cell layer of the fruit’s skin and removes the outermost layer of skin, preserving the fruit’s integrity, Result Group says. Due to the system’s adaptability and ease
of production line integration, it is becoming “increasingly popular”, enabling conventional goods to benefit from natural branding without losing traceability.
The EcoMark Natural Branding system has four base components – a product handling system designed around the product or products being marked; a 3D camera for vision and mapping locating the exact place to mark the product; the laser coder or coders themselves; as well as software control that drives the entire system and, according to the company, is “infinitely upgradable”.
The EcoMark machine is available in two model series in terms of technical specifications, Light and Professional, both of which are very simple to operate, Result Group says. The laser systems are built on a modular basis.
Even the entry-level machine has a conveyor belt, allowing objects to be marked “on the fly”, without stopping. The products can be placed individually, in finished packs or boxes, or even put onto the conveyor belt randomly.
The integrated 3D camera detects the position and orientation of the objects to be laser marked-cut automatically. There is no need for operator intervention.
Upgraded SMC ionizers deliver greater control and enhanced insights
SMC Corporation has upgraded its range of bar – and nozzle-type ionizers with IO-Link technology, which now provide customers with greater control and enhanced insights into their manufacturing process and equipment status, in addition to delivering rapid static neutralisation within 0.1 second.
These compact, standalone ionizers also feature a separate controller, to optimise space and enable flexible ionizer installations.
“The IO-Link upgrade delivers a step forward for communication in manufacturing,” explained Ming Liu, senior product manager for SMC ANZ.
In applications where a high level of automation is required, IO-Link provides for greater control, enabling real-time collection of data on equipment status for improved accuracy and delivery times.
Equipped with detection and maintenance functions, as well as LED display, the ionizer makes manufacturing monitoring easier.
“This is a cost-effective solution, with reduced hardware and programming costs. It facilitates remote monitoring and control,” elaborated Liu.
These IZT series of ionizers (available in four models – the 40/41/42/43) work together with the IZTC41
controller from SMC, meaning that it is easily added to an existing installation, without the
need for additional
programming.
Up to four different
ionizers (bar or nozzle type)
can be added to a single controller, enabling centralisation of information and a single source of control.
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