equipment briefs

A newly released vacuum-based soft gripper from Piab will grip sensitive and lightweight objects of odd geometries and/or an unusual surface. piSOFTGRIP has three gripping fingers and a sealed vacuum cavity, all made in one piece, resulting in a simple and robust product. The product is not sensitive to dust and the gripping force is easily adjusted and controlled by the applied vacuum level. Food approved: piSOFTGRIP is made in detectable silicone approved for direct contact with food (in accordance with FDA 21 CFR and EU 1935/2004 regulations). The food compliant silicone gripper enables the food/chocolate industry to extend their automated food handling to include a wider range of products. Delicate food items and chocolate pralines can be handled without risk of being spoiled due to crushing. Wash-down fitting options as well as a sealed vacuum cavity make it easy to clean and keep functioning in challenging environments. 800-321 7422

Mettler-Toledo Product Inspection has launched a next-generation series of metal detection systems that deliver a fresh dimension to the food inspection market: digital inspection designed specifically for small and medium-size manufacturers and/or co-packers. The modular design of the fully integrated system can be adapted over time in line with evolving compliance and productivity needs. This positions the M30 R-Series GC as an ideal entry-level metal detection solution for manufacturers who value high performance with future-proof flexibility built in. 800-447-4439

A new sanitary mobile Tilt-Down Flexible Screw Conveyor with Integral Bag Dump Station and Compactor from Flexicon allows the transfer of material manually dumped from handheld bags into elevated process equipment, and the disposal of empty bags, dust-free. Mounted on a mobile frame with locking casters and a fold-down step, the Bag Dump Station is secured to the floor hopper with quick-release clamps, and features a gasketed bag disposal chute through the side wall of the hopper hood, allowing the operator to pass empty bags directly into the bag compactor. 610-814-2400

Process equipment manufacturer Gericke USA has introduced the Turbo Compact Mixing (TCM) module. Integrating feeding with continuous mixing on a compact footprint, the Gericke TCM features the company’s gravimetric loss-in-weight (LIW) inline feeder to automatically meter precise amounts of dry material into the companion continuous mixer for fast, gentle, homogeneous mixing. The self-contained mixing system is ideal for food, nutrition, and pharmaceutical recipes with multiple major, minor, and micro ingredients, such as flavors, colorants, and other additives where hygiene is paramount and cross-contamination cannot be permitted. 855-888-0088

Harpak-ULMA has announced its new Artic Side Seal packaging system featuring new multi-side-seal capabilities for medical, bakery, meat, and dairy applications. The company also introduced the availability of Rockwell Automation controls for its Vertical VTC 800 series hygienic design vertical packaging machines. Both announcements represent an expansion of Harpak-ULMA’s North American flow wrap and vertical solutions portfolio as driven by customer requests. 508-884-2500

With the two side shooters Dymond DSV and Dymond D Monoblock, Minebea Intec presents two new products for its premium portfolio in the field of horizontal X-ray inspection. Both the Dymond DSV and the new Monoblock option of the renowned Dymond D are destined to become critical control points for quality assurance in the food and beverage industries. Having full control of all packaged products provides a valuable opportunity to reliably detect foreign objects such as glass, stones, metal foil, or plastic parts to avoid contaminated product reaching the customer. With the new models, Minebea Intec offers its customers a tailored solution for a wide range of applications.