Tag Archives: beverage

Preventing Container Damage and Contamination in High Production Environments

By Emily Newton
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At high speed and in hygienic conditions, empty aluminum cans, PET bottles and glass containers have to be carried from pallet storage to areas for rinsing, filling and packaging. This must be done without deformation, tumbling or contamination. An automatic depalletizing machine may be the answer.

Due to higher throughput requirements, the first step of the packaging line often determines if the container arrives at the filling equipment intact. Depalletizing systems remove containers from pallet loads and move them via conveyor systems to a system that rinses and fills them. If integrated properly with the rest of the line, they stabilize container movement and reduce the risk of contamination before production.

Best Manufacturing Practices

Cans await the next stage of production

Current good manufacturing practices covered by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration include sanitary operations, plant equipment and production controls to prevent contamination during food processing. Machinery design and operations provide two key elements of contamination control practices in beverage manufacturing environments.

Why Container Damage Often Starts at the Pallet

Many problems start before the container reaches the filler. When palletized loads are moved, any damaged or displaced pallets can lead to unstable layers. Differences in the lift levels can cause denting or tipping. According to the Packaging Machinery Manufacturers Institute, container damage can be caused by:

  • Pallet misalignment or shifted container layers.
  • Debris from slip sheets or pallet materials.
  • Uneven transfer from pallets to conveyors.
  • Pressure differences between aluminum, PET and glass containers.

As depalletizing is typically the first mechanical transfer in a packaging line, careful equipment design can reduce these issues.

Layer Handling Improves Container Stability

The best way to prevent damage at high speeds is to handle the containers layer-wise rather than individually. That way, the pressure distribution stabilizes and reduces the friction between them.

According to Ska Fabricating, a depalletizer is used in beverage and consumer packaged goods manufacturing to remove products or containers from pallets and place them on conveyors or production lines. This eases rinsing and filling, while maintaining consistent container orientation.

Layer transfer systems are commonly used in beverage plants, often in conjunction with conveyor and rinser systems when depalletizing aluminum cans, PET bottles and glass bottles. This machinery must manage high throughput rates with minimal stress on the containers early in the packaging process.

Stable Container Transfer Prevents Downstream Disruptions

Containers are aligned and oriented as they are moved from layers of pallets into conveyors feeding rinsers and fillers.

To solve misalignment problems, A-B-C Packaging Machine Corp. recommends equipment designed to maintain a controlled flow of containers. It states that the Model 108 depalletizer provides an uninterrupted flow of containers to the processing line, maintaining a steady flow during high-speed packaging operations.

Keeping containers moving in consistent flows reduces dented cans, tipped bottles and production loss.

Sanitation and Equipment Design Work Together

Preventing contamination is about more than cleaning. Equipment design can directly affect the ability to clean and sanitize.

The FDA stresses that cleaning and sanitizing food-contact surfaces is critical in controlling contamination. A dirty or poorly maintained surface promotes impurities. Proper equipment layouts and the ability to remove built-up debris determine sanitation effectiveness.

Depalletizers, when combined with a slip-sheet removal and pallet centering system, may help reduce debris from entering production. The Ferrum Group designs its beverage depalletizing machines for high-speed production systems, supporting container handling and separating palletized materials from receptacles before they are fed into the fill line.

These systems also help keep production areas clean and protect containers during transportation.

Automation Tools Offer High Throughput While Retaining Control

Modern beverage facilities require an optimal trade-off between protecting containers from mechanical damage and production speed, which is greatly helped by automation.

According to BW Integrated Systems, conventional depalletizers remove containers one layer at a time and carefully push them onto conveyor belts, leading to the next step in the packaging process. They also hold containers in place during high-speed operations.

Automated depalletizing lines may include conveyors, inspection systems, rinsers and other ancillary equipment to maintain container flow while protecting the packaging.

Depalletizing Considerations for Beverage Co-Packers

Beverage co-packers often will co-pack for more than one container type within the same plant, such as beer in aluminum cans, tea and juice in PET bottles, and specialty drinks in glass.

Because there are so many kinds, flexible depalletizing systems are common now. One type of depalletizer may only work with one type of container. Others can work with glass, plastic and metal containers, switching between formats without sacrificing throughput.

Since co-packers may produce multiple brands, this allows for streamlined production schedules and minimizes container damage during changeovers.

Features of Modern High-Speed Depalletizers

Manufacturers considering an automatic depalletizer machine consider various operational factors:

  • Layer handling capability: Allow container transfer with little mechanical impact
  • Material suitability: Suitable for aluminum, polyethylene terephthalate and glass
  • Order of operations: Prevents pallet pieces from contaminating product after removal of the slip-sheet
  • Changeover flexibility: Enables faster conversion to a different container format
  • System integration: Eases the flow of containers from filler to packer

These and other features allow beverage facilities to package products at high speeds while also protecting containers.

Frequently Asked Questions

Here are some common questions manufacturers have about using depalletizers to help prevent damage and contamination.

What is the function of a beverage depalletizer in production?

A depalletizer removes containers from the product layer on the pallet, placing them on a conveyor for rinsing, filling and packaging.

Why is container protection important before filling?

Dented or misaligned containers can cause problems downstream in the filling and sealing processes. Damage prevention during depalletizing can eliminate these problems and improve packaging efficiency.

How do depalletizers help?

Some depalletizing systems also remove slip sheets and other pallet debris before the containers are rinsed, preventing foreign material from entering the production line.

When should beverage facilities update their depalletizing equipment?

Facilities will typically update depalletizers when production speeds increase or when new container styles or sanitation regulations are introduced.

Protecting Containers in High-Speed Beverage Production

Preventive measures to prevent damage and contamination are taken at the beginning of the packaging process. Depalletizing systems stabilize container handling by consistently removing debris-free pallets for downstream processing.

Modern, high-volume beverage manufacturers can employ depalletizer equipment with conveyors and sanitation systems, which can achieve high throughput and maintain container integrity in harsh environments.

Susanne Kuehne, Decernis
Food Fraud Quick Bites

Arrest These Truffatori Di Bevande!

By Susanne Kuehne
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Susanne Kuehne, Decernis
Wine fraud
Find records of fraud such as those discussed in this column and more in the Food Fraud Database, owned and operated by Decernis, a Food Safety Tech advertiser. Image credit: Susanne Kuehne

Italian law enforcement keeps cracking down on fraudulent and illegal activities, like in this latest case of fake alcoholic beverage distribution and sales. About 5,500 bottles were seized and samples were investigated in the lab, revealing substances unfit for human consumption, and endangering human health. The fraudulent products displayed labels of well-known alcoholic beverage brands.

Resource

  1. Redazione. (June 25, 2021). “Bevande alcoliche con sostanze pericolose: sequestrate 5500 bottiglie a Cerignola, a rischio l’incolumità delle persone” Foggia Today.

 

Megan Nichols
FST Soapbox

Four Influential Technologies Changing Food Manufacturing

By Megan Ray Nichols
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Megan Nichols

Some impressive technologies are not only impacting the food industry right now but will also have a huge impact in the future. As their use grows to be more prevalent, the industry will change to be smarter and more efficient, with continued improvements across the board.

1. AI and Advanced Robotics

While artificial intelligence and advanced robotics are two distinct technologies, they are frequently paired together. AI, and the data it digests, is used to command robots, allowing them to be more precise, more intelligent and more aware.

Most robots on their own are capable of completing only repetitive and clearly defined tasks. Throw something unique into the mix and they’ll either fumble or fail. However, when governed by data-based intelligence solutions like AI or machine learning, those robots become something incredibly advanced.

In the food industry, machinery and robots are leveraged to improve operations, further maintaining quality and efficiency, at affordable costs. They often work alongside human laborers to augment or enhance processes. They come with several unexpected benefits as well, such as much-improved safety for workers, faster and higher product output and consistent, reliable quality.

For example, JBS, one of the world’s largest meatpacking firms, deployed robotic butchers within its plants. The robots were used to slice more challenging meats, which reduced workplace injuries.

2. Automation

Automation stands alongside AI and advanced robotics, even incorporating those technologies to create a streamlined system. As of 2017, 73% of surveyed companies in the food and beverage manufacturing industry either had or were in the process of establishing automation within their facilities.

Many systems are designed to replace or enhance repetitive tasks, boosting their speed and accuracy, to significantly improve output, without incurring a loss in quality. It’s not just about hardware, like swapping a human laborer for a robot. It’s also achieved through software. Think supply chain management solutions that help plan for various events and experiences without human input.

When many of these technologies are used side-by-side, it strengthens their application and usability. As is true of advanced robotics, for example, AI can also be used to create more intelligent automation platforms. Instead of carrying out rote or simple tasks, they can be programmed to react and engage through any number of parameters. The system might slow production, for instance, based on a decrease in product demand. Or, it might swap to an alternate component or ingredient because of a shortage somewhere.

With the right controls and support, automation technologies are game-changing. With the global population growing and demands increasing more with each year, food manufacturers will look to streamline their operations and boost output in any way possible, and automation will be a go-to.

3. Digital Twins

Digital twins in food manufacturing are essentially simulated copies or a virtual representation of a physical system. That definition might seem confusing, but think of it as a clone that can be manipulated for testing and analytics.In other words, it is a twin of the actual system and information, in every sense of the word, albeit one that is more versatile and less vulnerable. It allows manufacturers and distributors to run simulations by feeding specific information into the system to identify patterns, recognize outcomes and much more.

As the systems and controls supporting the field become smarter and more digitized, digital twins in food manufacturing will find their way into product development, testing, post-production, distribution and nearly every other facet of the industry. It will become an integral component to not only understand what’s happening in the market but also for keeping up with the ebb and flow of supply and demand.

4. Blockchain

Even well before the pandemic, people had become much more conscious about the foods they consume. They want to know the origin of their goods and whether they’ve been sourced using safe, healthy and environmentally friendly methods. The problem with such demands is that, until recently, there haven’t been many solutions for increased visibility within the food supply chain.

Growing concerns for health are now a priority, and visibility is an absolute must. Blockchain technology is the answer, providing precisely the kind of visibility, efficiency, controls and collaboration that consumers want.

With this food manufacturing technology in place, someone could trace a head of lettuce back to its initial seeding. They can see who grew the plants and where, and which methods they used to mature the crop. Then, they can follow its journey to the store shelf.

How is such a thing possible? It all has to do with the technology. In its simplest form, Blockchain is a digital ledger or complete and digitized record of a particular data set. The data that goes in is added to something called a block, and as more is added, it is tacked on to the end of that block to create a long, linked record. Every bit of information is visible across the entire chain, hence the name blockchain.

Walmart is using the technology to track potential food contamination outbreaks. It empowers them to not just find the source but also find the many branches involved — like where goods might have been shipped and who may have purchased them.

Food Manufacturing Technology for the Future

While each food manufacturing technology discussed here is incredibly influential and will have a direct impact on the future of the industry, they are not the only solutions making waves. Some additional examples include:

  • Drones and automated delivery vehicles
  • 3-D printing for edible goods
  • Smart or precision agriculture
  • High-tech packaging
  • Smarter waste disposal and recycling

The takeaway is that technology is vastly improving the operational efficiency of the food supply chain, from farmers and manufacturers to the retail stores featuring goods on their shelves. There’s no right or wrong buy-in, as any one of these technologies can be used to streamline separate processes. The biggest challenge will be deciding what to upgrade first, especially when it comes to delivering high-quality, fresh goods in a prompt manner.