Big Potatoes… Simple Solution – FANUC to the Rescue

GreenVale, one of the UK’s leading potato suppliers with three packing sites and one processing site – recently added FANUC robots to its manufacturing floor to upgrade its packaging facilities. Each FANUC robot is responsible for picking their 5 and 10 pound bags of potatoes and placing them into merchandisable units. Originally the robots were designed to move 30 bags per minute – but through a series of upgrades, the flexibility of the robots has accommodated the growing demand for potatoes by moving up to 60 bags per minute – twice the original purpose!  The operations manager of GreenVale also reported that the robots have been running at a 99.8% uptime in the time since their installation.

Moving potatoes may be what keeps the doors open at GreenVale, but it begs the question – where else can FANUC robots be used to offer speed, reliability and a leaner manufacturing environment? IPM is an authorized dealer and installer of FANUC robotics. Our industry knowledge combined with decades of quality engineered packaging solutions makes us the right choice when considering FANUC for your next plant upgrade.

Coca-Cola Cans Going From Red to White – What do Packaging Changes Mean for You?

Coca-Cola announced that on November 1, 2011 (for the first time ever) the trademark red cans with the signature silver scrawl of “Coca-Cola” will be changing to a white background with red lettering. As part of their initiative to help save the endangered polar bears of the arctic, the new cans will also show a mother bear and her cub traveling the cold plains. The average consumer will enjoy the festive look that will last until February 2012, but any food manufacturer would see behind the curtain and understand the enormity of process this type of packaging changeover would require.

What do packaging changes mean for you?  An updated label, a new design or a fancier style package all make for good marketing – but to be honest, can make for some bad days on the manufacturing floor.  Quality control would be a monumental process not to mention the labor required to switch out machinery, reorganize the line structure and a myriad of other potential changes. 

One of the ways IPM has become so successful in helping major food manufacturers is their dedication to the most cost effective solutions for the manufacturing lines in their processing facilities. Custom line and plant layouts, robotic case packers and palletizers, vision inspection systems and turnkey installations answer the client’s needs effectively and efficiently.

Pick and place – or Drop packaging …that is the question?

You work hard to perfect your products…the right balance of flavors, graphics to draw in customers, packaging that is practical but unique….every decision is made with purpose and accuracy.  But then you drop your product into a case and hope it lands in the right spot?  Don’t stop short of the finish line…this mindset is what has made your company great and it should be carried out in every decision until your products finally make it to the end consumer.  Pick and Place technology allows you to continue this purposeful approach to manufacturing by positively locating your products with each cycle and mechanically placing them in the same place time and time again.  You don’t have to rely on chance and gravity and you can control the packing of your product with the same accuracy that you control the rest of your processes.  It’s not much of a question…

Visit our website at www.callipm.com to learn more about “Pick and Place” packing and it’s many advantages.

Pack Expo 2011

Attended by Kendal Malstrom, Brad Lamb, John Melton and Paul Stout, PACK EXPO 2011 was a top-notch trade show with an extensive who's who in the packaging industry. Over 1600 suppliers and 25,000 attendees came for the 3 day conference in Las Vegas, Nevada to take in the latest innovations, discover cutting edge solutions and innovations in pick and place packing, conveyors, robotics and to browse a variety of offered solutions to common manufacturing issues.  IPM attendees were also able to learn from the industry experts in areas such as safety & security, sustainability, operational reliability and techniques in increasing efficiency.

PACK EXPO is a yearly event put on by PMMI - a trade association with more than 500 member companies that manufacture packaging and packaging-related converting machinery, commercially-available packaging machinery components, containers and materials in the United States and Canada.  Our presence at the show is just another way that IPM is actively seeking to stay current with industry trends and findings, and in turn pass on our knowledge to our clients in a way that produces a more efficient end-product resulting in cost savings.

PACK EXPO will be held in Chicago, Illinois in 2012 and of course executives from IPM will be there!

Conveyors & Conveyor Systems - Then and Now

Primitive conveyor belts were used since the 19th century. In 1892, Thomas Robins began a series of inventions which led to the development of a conveyor belt used for carrying coal, ores and other products.   In 1901, Sandvik invented and started the production of steel conveyor belts. In 1905 Richard Sutcliffe invented the first conveyor belts for use in coal mines which revolutionized the mining industry. In 1913, Henry Ford introduced conveyor-belt assembly lines at Ford Motor Company's Highland Park, Michigan factory.

We’ve come a long way since the first conveyors of the 19th century, but the core value and goal remains constant.  Products must be moved efficiently and accurately with minimal to no human interaction.  While the goal has stayed constant the products and technologies have done anything but.  These days you can buy a specific conveyor for virtually any product being produced with key features and benefits for each.  You are an expert at your industry and it is important to work with a comparable expert in the conveyance industry when looking to move your products to ensure you are getting the best technology and products for your unique needs.

At Integrated Packaging Machinery we partner with you on each project to create a custom solution that will integrate seamlessly with your production equipment and enhance your overall processing operation.  We can demystify the world of conveyance and break it down to what is important for your business and the products you produce.  We stay on top of the latest products and trends so you don’t have to, and then pass this expertise and industry knowledge on to you.  You are the expert at developing and producing your product, we are the experts at moving it.

We manufacture open-top, open-sided conveyors for ease of sanitation and cleaning. The key to every good conveyor system is the controls engineering and handling of containers between transfers and accumulation.

Label Verification Saves Money & Food Manufacturers Reputations

Problem: With the growing awareness of food allergies in both children and adults alike, and the increasing importance of correct nutritional information for people with special dietary needs, proper labeling has become one of the most important facets of food production and distribution. According to a study by walletpop.com, “About one out of every four labels tested is inaccurate, WalletPop.com found, based on the findings of lab tests, interviews with food testing experts and government reports.” That means, 25% of what can be found in our cabinets and refrigerator is labeled incorrectly – a staggering figure!

When a retail grocer receives a two-truck shipment of milk from a dairy processing facility, every pallet is checked for the correct product labels. If even one pallet is labeled incorrectly, the entire shipment is returned to the distribution center and the product is deemed unsellable, resulting in tens of thousands of dollars in loss for the processor. Grocery stores are not alone in their policy, as other major and minor retailers have begun to adapt this no-tolerance approach. Additionally, local and state governments have entered the discussion and have begun passing new legislation to protect the consumers. Recently the Utah Department of Agriculture and Food released new regulations in their Food Label Review Program, saying “Label
reviews help new producers avoid costly reprinting of incorrect labels and lessens the possibility that regulatory agencies in other jurisdictions will take mislabeled product ‘off sale’ for labeling violations or omissions”. This leaves dairy manufacturers and distributors in a quandary as to how to effectively enforce quality control while also keeping costs down.

Solution: Integrated Packaging Machinery developed a vision inspection system that is not only cost effective for the dairy processing facility and user friendly for their workers, with virtually no human interaction during use. The system identifies even the smallest inaccuracies and quickly segregates the suspect product from the finished goods. If 5 consecutive defects are flagged, the entire line can be stopped to limit costly waste and rework. Whether a label is missing, jammed, crooked or simply inaccurate for the product being run, our Label Verification System catches it. The worry of sending even one pallet of incorrectly labeled milk is completely negated – let alone a truckload. The IPM Label Verification Systems have a small
footprint and can be adapted to any manufacturing line, and are used for a wide range of applications including: labeling, cap detection, date code verification and much more.

Result: IPM Label Verification Systems were adapted by Dean Foods and Kroger for their dairy lines in 2010, resulting in long-term cost savings and enhanced relationships with their retail partners. Product that is incorrectly labeled in any way – never makes it off the line.