Executive roundtable: Keeping the food industry moving

The line technology solutions being employed by food processors and packagers are increasingly becoming a source of competitive advantage. Food Solutions spoke to four experts to find out how their companies are meeting the food processing industry’s line technology needs.

Steve Higginson joined CCH Engineering in 2001 after 20 years in the packaging industry, having held a number of senior plant management posts around the globe. Based on a quality and operational process background, Steve’s experience adds a new dimension to the services CCH is now able to offer its customers.

Joe Lackner is Vice President of Marketing and Sales for Ashworth’s global operations. He has more than 15 years’ experience within the industrial refrigeration and food processing industries, specializing in new product development, strategic planning and international expansion. Prior to joining Ashworth, Lackner headed up York Refrigeration Group’s international business and GEA/Grasso’s US operations.

Rudi Roeslein is President and General Manager of Roeslein & Associates, Inc. For the past 16 years he has been responsible for engineering, project management and business development at Roeslein & Associates. Prior to founding Roeslein and Associates, he held senior management positions at Guaranteed Industrial Systems of Missouri (GISMO) and Alcoa Packaging.

John Bohn is a founder and Director of Engineering for AGC Engineering. AGC is the premier sanitary plate heat exchanger (PHE) supplier in North America, providing upgrade plate packs for installed units as well as new units. Having worked with PHE’s for over 21 years he has extensive real world experience with viscous and non-viscous PHE applications.

How have pressures, challenges or aims within the industry changed the needs of companies when it comes to their processing and packaging lines?

SH. Ever increasing government legislation has had a marked effect on the way the industry operates today. Health and safety considerations have gone a long way towards determining how the industry operates today, where automation is seen as the key.

There have been significant changes in consumer requirements regarding traceability, etc. There have also been major changes in standards of hygiene and the consequences of failure with regard to that. For instance, one major beverage company invoked challenging targets for suppliers following a major CO2 incident. The knock-on effect was for traceability of product to be available within one hour for media release in the event of problems.

The British Retail Consortium forced further changes, even down to changing rooms and the use of food from home in the filling operations by staff. All these considerations have to be dealt with now in any investment planning. Our staff have undergone HACCP training to help us to comply with the ever-changing standards.

JL. Now, more than ever, there is increased pressure on maximising corporate profits. This means that food processors must maximise processing efficiencies, which translates into minimising downtime. Coupled with this is the need to conserve company resources, particularly labour and energy. And, at the same time, there is increased pressure from the general public and governmental agencies to guarantee increasingly higher standards of food safety. Most producers find it difficult to maximise output without jeopardising these other important considerations; they are not creating profits when the facility is shutdown for cleaning and sanitising. So the challenge is finding ways to ensure maximum production while minimising downtime and increasing food safety.

JB. Nowadays, customers are forced to run longer and longer to meet current consumer demands with shorter daily clean-in-place (CIP) cycles. We’ve found companies have consolidated operations or they simply have grown to the point they need their existing plate heat exchanger (PHE) equipment to do more than it was originally designed. They also want their plates to be more durable. Existing PHEs are often expanded to the limits of their original design capabilities, and many companies try to utilize older PHE technology but delay upgrading the line because of high capital expenditure or because the scope of the project seems too complex.

RR. Over the past 10 years, production line speeds and annual outputs of each can line have increased considerably, while capital spending and manning requirements have had pressures to remain constant or actually be reduced. Since equipment costs have risen considerably over this same period, the challenge has become how to do more with less.

Less capital and equipment, fewer people, less energy, less scrap and higher efficiencies: getting the optimum production out of each and every capital dollar spent as well as each employee is the challenge. Achieving line efficiencies in excess of 90 percent and scrap below two percent is achievable and should be the norm not the exception. Providing can line designs that have maximum asset utilisation as the primary objective, with expandability and flexibility included as a necessary attribute, should be the goal.

In what way have you responded to these trends in your offerings?

JB. We offer a Pro5Plus Proflow plate designed especially for sanitary applications with an optimised gap. In new installations, the gap is ideal for a wide range of products and can operate for extended periods. If the plate is used to upgrade an existing old style R5, the slightly reduced plate-to-plate dimension or pitch allows more plates to be put into the same frame space. The difference is approximately 31 percent. For example, if a customer has 200 old style plates they can fit 292 Pro5Plus upgrade plates into the same space. The company can now operate at either a higher capacity or with improved efficiency and no costly piping changes.

We offer a complete range of flexible upgrade options for existing APV model R5, SR3, SR2 and HX frames. We have designed all the plates with many modern features drawing upon years of advancements since the original R5 design in the 1950s.

SH. Our staff are HACCP trained and we would also incorporate that requirement into our design features for the operation. Again, government legislation in the area of CE marking has formalised our operation from doing the right thing (ensuring the equipment we manufacture is safe to operate) to being able to prove that our claims are sustainable.

RR. Roeslein is designing production lines that are the designed and sized for the short term, (one to two year) requirements of the market to be served, but have the capability to be upsized substantially with minimal new capital investment. Providing a modest pre-investment for future expansion can pay large dividends later when it becomes necessary to increase the output of the plant.

Designing a building around these criteria instead of just stretching or modifying a line into a available building or space is critical to the thought process. The short-term savings of the existing space or building are often lost very quickly by compromising the line efficiency or future expansion plans. The building and services should be designed to support and fit the needs of the process and not the other way around.

JL. Ashworth recently introduced two new innovative spiral and turn-curve conveyor belts. Our Advantage belt features a unique and extremely hygienic design that is quick and easy to clean. Most importantly, it is independently tested as the world’s first and only plastic spiral belt to be NSF certified and USDA accepted.

More recently, Ashworth introduced our Omni-Pro stainless steel spiral belt. This is the strongest belt on the market today, tested and proven to continuously withstand tensions greater than 400 pounds (180kg) for more than 100,000 cycles. Tension ratings are a direct function of the number cycles that the spiral is run and, naturally, less test cycles result in higher tension ratings. Unfortunately, we find that the market is often intentionally misled by being provided with tension ratings alone. Food processors should insist on knowing the number of cycles at which the belt is rated. Ashworth is the only company in the world that tests and rates all of its belts at 100,000 cycles.

Even more important to the Omni-Pro’s strength are the five separate patents it has been awarded. Perhaps the most outstanding among these patents is Omni-Pro’s protrusion leg design, which prevents the welds from contacting the drum, resulting in a smoother running spiral while expanding the life of the cage bar caps. A smoother running belt reduces the required horsepower and amperage to drive the drum; again resulting in substantial energy savings for the food processor.

Both the Advantage and the Omni-Pro are engineered as high strength, high throughput belts designed to meet the challenging needs of performance-oriented food processors that are also concerned about improving food safety.

Improving profitability is an ongoing aim for businesses in general, and especially so in this competitive market. How can the right production line help companies to achieve that?

RR. The sharp increase in aluminium prices last year again illustrated the need to be a low cost producer and why all elements of cost should be examined very critically. This includes not only the obvious material and labour costs, but also energy and other related conversion costs such as inks, coatings and soluble oil, etc. Energy costs also continue to increase, impacting operational expenses, and so having a production process that is sized to obtain the maximum output out of each line is essential. High-speed lines running at 70 percent efficiencies is just not a sustainable option in today’s competitive market.

Accurate data collection systems that offer the plants timely and usable information is essential in understanding and controlling costs. Roeslein’s data collection systems are state-of-the-art information systems that can be accessed by management over the internet or their own intranet to provide timely information on the entire line or plant operations. This is key to benchmarking and evaluation of production costs.

JB. The right production lines incorporate the most recent technologies and efficient practices to improve profitability. For instance, high efficiency plates such as the AGC Pro5Plus allow increased regeneration efficiencies (as high as 94 percent), significantly reducing energy consumption and increasing plant profitability. In certain cases, the Pro5Plus can be retrofitted into existing frames, representing a small capital expenditure for a high return of savings and profit. The use of modern hydraulic (automatic) twin spindle frames reduces plant downtime, allowing higher production volumes to be achieved and hence increasing profitability. More and more major processors are shifting towards hydraulic twin spindle PHE’s as they have recognised the economic advantage of this style of frame.

JL. Ashworth offers the broadest range of spiral and turn-curve belts of any global competitor. We are the only supplier that manufacturers both plastic and stainless steel belts simply because every customer is different and every application is different. Certain applications are better suited for plastic belts, while other applications are better suited for metal belts. It is our goal to offer each of our customers the belt that is best suited to their individual requirements.

Ashworth’s Advantage belt is unique from its competitors. While our modules (i.e. the food product’s contact area with the belt) are industry-accepted Acetal plastic, we are the only manufacturer to offer stainless steel cross rods. We use stainless steel to provide incomparable strength across the full width of the belt, also known as beam strength. All-plastic belts typically sag somewhere in the middle of the belt, and the wider the belt, the greater the deflection. To support the belt and its product load, support rails are installed under the belt. All belts ride on support rails, so with wide all-plastic belts, extra support rails are required to prevent excess sagging. But support rails add friction; and the more support rails, the greater the friction. The greater the friction, the larger the motor is required to drive the freezer. In the end, it is the food processor that pays for this in higher electricity bills, and when support rails wear out, the material and labour to replace even one extra rail can cost the food processor thousands of dollars. So in the final analysis, Advantage belts are designed ‘right’ to help food processors maximise production and profitability.

SH. Packaging lines generally have to operate at higher than normal efficiencies to be cost-effective. In our experience of operations and manufacturing facilities around the world, we see a huge difference in actual efficiencies achieved. Whilst the right production line by design will always have an impact, it is a much bigger package in terms of people, training, maintenance, quality and standards, all of which are part of the equation. Our service to the customer provides the full package, not just the line.

How important is it to tailor your offerings according to the individual needs of the customer? Can you give any examples of occasions this has been necessary?

SH. This is crucial for each customer’s needs, otherwise all the plants with the same equipment would be operating the same efficiencies. We have carried out projects in developing countries and have trained for several months prior to the commencement of operations. This bridging of the technology gap proved to be of tremendous value. The operation in question had the highest efficiency and lowest spoilage in the region, achieved with all new recruits; localisation of management commenced three months after operations.

This is also very beneficial to the independent manufacturer who does not have the support of the big technical groups. With our operational experience we can design into the project from a user’s point of view.

The products we produce are bespoke units. Customers offered the opinion that the ‘one size fits all’ approach, whilst being relatively low cost through economies of scale, has considerable drawbacks in operation. For instance, a conveyor unit pre-drilled at manufacture to accept numerous motor applications leaves a significant number of unused fixing points, which are a source of constant concern to an engineering team ever mindful of contamination through nuts and bolts falling into the product or, more significantly, homes for unwanted microbes.

JL. Every Ashworth belt is custom designed and manufactured to exceed our customers’ particular needs. This is of utmost importance to us, because in the past 60 years we have learned that no two applications are alike. That is why we ask each of our customers to describe their processing requirements in detail. Because an Ashworth engineer reviews every application, each is optimized to exceed the customer’s expectations and requirements.

For example, a manufacturer of frozen dinner entrées came to us with vibration problems in their spiral freezer, resulting in their product sliding off a competitor’s belt. We reviewed their process and recommended an Ashworth Advantage belt with Guard Edges and a slightly smaller turn radius. Today, their freezer is running smoothly and efficiently. Ashworth encounters similar situations on a daily basis, and more importantly, invites such challenges.

Oftentimes, we see multiple customers encountering the same problem. Recently, several of our metal belt customers came to us with the need to reduce the amount of maintenance required in replacing cage bar caps. The solution was the development of the Omni-Pro belt and its patented protrusion leg, which was specifically designed to keep the weld from contacting the cage bars caps. So now our Omni-Pro belt customers don’t have to replace cage bar caps nearly as often as before.

RR. We have established unitizing and pre-assembly as the preferred system integration approach throughout the industry. The extent to which we use this approach and where we actually provide and manufacture our services are totally dependent upon the final location and available infrastructure in areas of the production facility. During the past two years, Roeslein has designed and built new high speed lines for Ball, Can Pack, Crown, Envases Universales, Fabricas Monterey, Latapack-Ball, Rexam and Rostar among others. The locations ranged from Europe to Brazil, the Middle East, Central America and Southeast Asia.

The constant was that all of the lines employed our unitizing and some pre-assembly as the design premise. Where we actually manufactured our unitized system depended upon the abilities of the local infrastructure, their import duties, freight costs and many other factors that could effect the schedules or final quality of the finished line. In each case, we make informed and cooperative decisions with our customers. In many instances, we found our own manufacturing facility (IMT in Red Bud, Illinois) to be the best solution for our clients. For one of our Southeast Asian clients, our system was manufactured by a qualified supplier in China and shipped to the final location in Thailand.

JB. Plate heat exchanger customers pasteurising high volumes of milk or juice products can’t afford to spend costly downtime opening and closing a tie-bolt closure frame for scheduled or unscheduled maintenance. Therefore, they opt for an automatic opening/closing feature. We have found the most common and reliable method is the self-contained hydraulic twin spindle closure frame. It takes one operator a matter of minutes to open and close a twin spindle frame that would typically take multiple hours to open and close. We’ve found the hydraulic principle the most reliable and proven design available. Since modern plates operate on the principle of metal-to-metal contact, the forces required to obtain closure are easily regulated by a common hydraulic relief valve. The operator simply holds the lever in the close position until the unit ‘stalls’. If plates are removed the hydraulic principle will automatically adjust to compensate for the new compressed dimension. No stripped tie-bolts and only two spindles for a clean installation.

In what ways have new technologies (in IT or automation, for example) been incorporated into the operation and management of processing and packaging lines, and what advantages has that brought?

JL. There have been many innovations brought to market by original equipment manufacturers that have improved the efficiency of processing and packaging lines. These innovations range from computer controlled equipment that better regulate the temperature and speed of the lines so product waste is reduced to very efficient packaging equipment that has increased throughput and decreased the need for direct labour.

Just as food processors are looking to improve efficiency in their operations, Ashworth is constantly looking to improve our manufacturing operations through automation. For example, our new Omni-Pro belt is manufactured on highly automated, robotic welding equipment, which produces our patented ‘zero-tension’ 360-degree welds. This manufacturing operation is not only extremely efficient and repeatable; it allows us to produce a better product, as the welds are stronger and extremely smooth, thus more hygienic. This translates into a superior product for our customers, enabling them to be more efficient, through easier and faster cleaning, less system maintenance and reduced downtime due to weld failure. The benefits of advanced technology can produce a domino effect, and as an equipment manufacturer, Ashworth recognizes its obligation to improve our internal processes so that our customers can improve theirs.

JB. The most important advancement in sanitary plate heat exchanger design is the expanded inlet. This design is unique to the sanitary PHE marketplace and it has allowed customers like Nestle, Breyer’s ice cream, Heinz and Danone to process heavy viscous ice cream mixes and heavy yogurt products with over 26 percent less pressure drop and, more importantly, without the damaging effects of high shear. In North America these customers will only install the AGC Engineering Pro5 plate. Some customers have said they can only process their product on our Pro5 plate because the older style plate designs won’t run at full speed or the pressures are too high. Additionally, the inlet area is strengthened to provide a more durable and longer lasting plate. The old R5 design is prone to pinholes in the inlet area and we have designed a much stronger structure to reduce or eliminate premature failure.

RR. Roeslein has been providing information and data collection systems to many of our customers, that are accessible over the internet. They are obviously also accessible by the corporate management teams wherever they are located anywhere in the world for real-time evaluation. A plant in Dubai for example, can be assisted by our team in Saint Louis or reviewed by the customer in their own headquarters over high-speed internet connection. Roeslein service and technical support can be facilitated by this important tool including Web-Ex meetings to review layout designs, schedule and process equipment operation. These tools provide aid in reducing travel time, response times and travel expenses, not to mention wear and tear on employees in today’s stressful international travel atmosphere.

We also utilise computer modelling to analyse our line layout design or proposed line modifications. This tool allows us to analyze our designs and their capability to achieve expected line efficiencies, in several days of computer time vs. months of real trials on the actual production lines. Computer modelling has also been extremely helpful in our efforts to provide continuous process improvement services to our clients.

SH. Management information systems have given new tools to managers to carry out analysis of data, which help in troubleshooting and also provide up-to-the-minute information. Systems such as SCADA have enhanced functions to assist as above. However, tight operating and process controls are invaluable, because as with any data system the information is historical (i.e. if it is there it has already happened in the plant).

Reducing downtime, sanitation and hygienic standards – while improving line efficiency – have caused many companies to upgrade their processing lines. What measures has your company taken to meet these ever changing demands?

RR. As a systems integrator designing and installing some of the highest efficiencies (exceeding 90 percent) and fastest production lines (exceeding 2800 cans per minute) in the world, we are often asked to provide performance guarantees by our clients. The performance of a line is based upon many factors that we refer to as the ‘M’ factors: men, machinery, material, maintenance, motivation, money and markets. As a professional integration and engineering firm, it is our responsibility to provide all of the enablers to allow our customers to bring the line to its full potential and maximum utilisation.

This begins with a line layout that incorporates a clean, accessible and clear line of sight design that allows operators safe and easy access to every piece of equipment for operations and maintenance. To design the building and support services to fully support the line, its maintenance and on going operation. The conveyor system is like the arterial system of a great marathon runner. It must be able to efficiently and effectively get cans in and out of machines as well as transport cans to the next piece of equipment while having enough storage capability to allow for some short duration stoppages of individual piece of equipment without stopping the entire line. The line control system is analogous to our central nervous system in that it has sensors to detect the condition of the line and send signals to the central processing unit, the brains and make critical decision on how to help the line running at maximum efficiencies.

These are all critical enablers that the integrator must provide, but ultimately the can-makers must provide the best machinery, well trained men and women to run their line, and adequately fund their line with money to support a training and maintenance program to get the most out of their assets, both human and machinery. While every can plant’s dream is to run one label and one can size, the market place often dictates many different label changes and also many different can sizes. Planning and managing these market factors often represent major influence on the ability to run high efficiencies and scrap. Having accurate data helps improve the ability to understand the costs and manage the results. Our approach to designing lines takes all of these complex issues into consideration and is the reason most of the major global can makers as well as many of the smaller regional can makers chose Roeslein & Associates, Inc. as their preferred systems integrator.

SH. At CCH Engineering Ltd we have kept up to date with the operating regulations and it is our intention to continue to do so. We incorporate into our designs, wherever practicable, the standards to meet all existing requirements and to provide high efficiency and minimal spoilage. We achieve this through talking to the customers, seeking the advice from the people responsible for the cleaning and developing the system to meet their needs – not their perceived needs. In addition, due to the fact that we operate across a diverse sector range, we are able to introduce cutting edge systems ideas that are common practice in other sectors.

JB. AGC Engineering has always focused on providing the best solutions for the changing demands of processors and the market place. The expanded inlet feature of the Proflow Series of plates was developed to allow customers to run with low pressure drops during manufacturing and increased CIP flows during cleaning, particularly for high-viscous dairy products. The Pro5Plus addressed the need for energy efficient solutions, allowing reduced energy consumption and optimisation of processing conditions. The hydraulic AR51-H frame was developed in response to a demand for reduced downtime and increased run times – it allows equipment to be inspected more frequently, ensuring that the highest hygienic standards are maintained.

JL. During the past year, we have been testing and validating a revolutionary new CIP belt cleaning system with some of our most esteemed clients, including Kraft, Cargill and Sara Lee. The applications have ranged from meat and poultry to bakeries, intentionally selecting the most demanding applications. In one instance, a poultry processor had been required to remove a competitor’s straight-running belt for cleaning; now that they are using the CIP system, their USDA inspector no longer requires removal and bacteria counts are significantly reduced. Both downtime and labour have been reduced significantly, while at the same time, greatly improving hygienic standards. Both our customers and USDA inspectors are so pleased with the results that they are urging us to bring this product to market as quickly as possible. We are now confident in this technology and will be introducing it early this year.