Page 46 - Food&Drink Business magazine June 2022

PRODUCT NEWS
THE GRATE
MAGNET EXPANSION
ERIEZ has expanded its grate magnet product line with the easy-to-clean Round Spout Magnetic Separators. These separators feature a lower profile streamlined design that is half the height of standard units, eliminating the need for square-to-round adapters on the inlet and outlet ports, allowing easier inline installation and more efficient flow of material.
BUILDING ON 80+ YEARS OF MASTERY
GEA’S latest
CutMaster
incorporates
customer-driven
technology
upgrades including an integrated AC drive. The CutMaster Generation 3 can prepare different kinds of sausage, a wide range of poultry, fish, plant-based, vegan, and vegetarian products, as well as processed cheese.
GEA director of sales management and sales support, Thorsten Balzer, said the latest CutMaster was built on the company’s 80 years of experience.
“Even though our previous machines already deliver excellent performance and reliability, listening closely to our customers encouraged us to create new options and unlock potential for improvement on a high technical level in a market-oriented way,” Balzer said.
Because the AC technology is integrated, there is no external cabinet or connecting cables, which reduces the machine’s overall footprint. A reinforced machine frame and knife shaft bearing arm reduce vibration, and the optimised hydraulic unit ensures more convenient adjustment and easier maintenance.
On the hygiene front, improvements include a reduction in hidden voids, new door, and cover seals as well as an additional access flap – all of which help create a cleaner environment and easier washdown.
There is an optional vacuum feature, which can help create a finer product with better taste and colour as well as fewer air bubbles and jelly deposits, contributing to a longer shelf life. Both the standard and vacuum options come in four sizes – 200, 325, 500 and 750 litres – and different performance levels.
MEASURING THE STATIC
EXAIR’S Model 7905 Digital Static Meter provides an easy-to-use, handheld tool for measuring and identifying sources of static in your processes.
Static electricity can wreak havoc in
manufacturing processes affecting product quality. It can cause jamming or tearing, as well as producing hazardous shocks to employees.
The Digital Static Meter helps pinpoint the highest voltage problem areas. Static is typically created by two non-conductive surfaces rubbing together, or quickly pulling apart and creating an imbalance of ions.
The sensitive and responsive meter indicates surface voltage and polarity on objects up to ±20 kV from 25mm away. After zeroing the meter, move it to within 25mm of the problem surface(s) for a LED illuminated reading of the static voltage.
It includes a National Institute of Standards and Technology certification for accuracy and will help discern the most troublesome static areas in any process. The Exair Digital Static Meter is CE compliant and is available from Compressed Air Australia.
A CABLE’S LOAD
CABLE and connection technology specialist LAPP says even though choosing the best cable for an industrial application is one of the most critical design decisions of any complex automated system, it is often an afterthought.
“As the lifeblood of the system, cables and wires are vital to transmitting power and sending control signals and data across wide expanses in a timely and reliable manner.
“Especially in highly dynamic applications, several factors should be considered when choosing the right cable – durability, reduced weight, a small minimum bending radius and the ability to fit within tight spaces,” LAPP said.
Many of today’s automated production environments must meet rigorous productivity benchmarks. The type of load also needs to be considered.
Polyvinyl chloride (PVC) dominates the cable insulation market, although other materials are also used, such as thermoplastic elastomers (TPE), polyurethane (PUR) and polypropylene (PP).
Each material has unique features that makes it suitable for different types of cables.
PVC offers relatively high mechanical firmness, good insulation resistance and flexibility at a reasonable price. In comparison, ether-based PUR guarantees microbe resistance and features high abrasion resistance, tensile strength, stability against certain oils and good flexibility.
Many factors must be considered to guarantee that individual components are perfectly matched in a complete cable assembly, not only materials, construction, and cable production methods, but also interaction with other system components, especially the cable chain. For food and beverage manufacturers, LAPP has the range and expertise.
The separators are available with manual or automatic easy-to-clean functionality. The manual design provides a push/pull operation to strip accumulated tramp metal from the grates without physically handling the magnet. The automatic version uses a set of pneumatic cylinders to clean the magnetic grates at the touch of a pushbutton or timer control.
Eriez Separation product manager Chris Ramsdell said, “Keeping a magnet clean ensures peak performance. The design allows operators can quickly remove accumulated tramp iron. The automatic system also means it can be installed in hard-to-reach places while cleaning the magnet at the push of a button.”
Round Spout Separators use permanent magnetic grate magnets to remove ferrous contamination in hoppers, chutes, floor openings and other applications for dry and free flowing bulk materials. These powerful magnets are made to fit round chutes and the low-profile design enables installation in areas where vertical space is at a premium.
Customers can select from ceramic or rare earth magnets, giving them the ability to choose the ideal level of magnetic protection for the specific application. Swing bolt construction offers easy access to magnets. Sanitary construction is also an option.
46 | Food&Drink business | June 2022 | www.foodanddrinkbusiness.com.au