On October 10 Expocentre opened the 16th International Exhibition for Machinery, Equipment and Ingredients for the Food Processing Industry – Agroprodmash-2011. This event included a press conference with participation of representatives of the branch ministries, associations, unions and leading industry professionals.

This year, the main exhibition of the Russian agriculture industry – Agroprodmash-2011 – has brought together to Expocentre over 700 leading companies from 35 countries. As before, the show is run with the official support from the Ministry of Industry and Trade of the Russian Federation, Ministry of Agriculture of the Russian Federation and under the auspices of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of the Russian Federation and the Moscow City Government.

The Agroprodmash-2011 business-related program speaks for the professional community’s interest in the exhibition, as Deputy Director General of Expocentre Mikhail P. Tolkachev noted. On the first day of the exhibition the 6th International Technologic Forum devoted to innovative technologies and equipment in the dairy industry was open. The business-related program will go on with the representative Meat Congress, seminars, presentations, contests and other events.

With the Smart Sealing concept MULTIVAC presents a new traysealer concept for simple sealing applications without modified atmosphere. Typical applications are fruit and vegetable packs as well as the packaging of ready meals. Thanks to optimised machine sequences and new die technology, it has been possible to improve still further the process speed and the utilisation per cycle, and thereby to significantly increase the machine output. The costs of running the machine and the use of resources are reduced considerably by the new machine concept.

The whole machine concept has been tailored to the Smart Sealing technology. This involves on the one hand the process sequences: since the modified atmosphere process sequence is not required, this did not limit the reduction in cycle times which could be achieved. In addition to this, the utilisation of the die length was optimised and the number of trays per cycle increased. Both of these contribute to an increase in the machine output.

On top of this, MULTIVAC has developed an innovative die technology with a simple construction, which is more cost-effective and resource-saving. Sealing of the trays is assisted by the energy-efficient electric die lifting unit. Compressed air is no longer required for the sealing process. Similarly there is no cooling water required any longer for the cooling of the sealing die, since the heat is discharged in a controlled manner. The trays are fed in with the help of a chain infeed.

Bosch Packaging Technology launches at Müllereitagung 2011 in Detmold the new mandrel wheel package maker PME 4061.

It is the first machine of its kind to allow for the high format flexibility needed for point-of-sale differentiation through pack style versatility. The PME 4061 is ideal for sugar and flour applications and can facilitate high output of up to 100 packages of sugar and 80 packages of flour per minute. The machine’s innovative open design ensures quick changeovers and therefore lower downtime. At the same time, the machine’s patented Clean 90 hygienic design ensures a clean production environment.

In June and July, Optima Group launched an initiative titled “Training and studying – a future with good perspectives”. And who could give better answers to the questions of a young interested audience than OPTIMA’s own junior staff in Schwaebisch Hall, Germany? That’s right! The company’s students from the dual university program and apprentices gladly accepted the challenge. ...

The kick-off event - an informative afternoon - introduced the dual university program. Dual university programs foster permeability between vocational training and university education because they combine in-company vocational training with university studies. 53 eleventh and twelfth graders from schools in the region around Schwaebisch Hall had followed the invitation to the company’s head office on June 8 and 9. Optima’s dual program students offered company presentations and guided interested visitors through the manufacturing, assembly, development and training departments, answering (nearly) all of the guests’ questions. Their instructors were also on board, giving details about the specific study courses, i.e. machine engineering and electrical engineering, including requirements and earning potential.

The Weber Group welcomes 13 new apprentices and four dual students at the company's locations in Breidenbach and Neubrandenburg. Actually 63 apprentices and students are employed at the High Tech Company. These split up in the three German production locations Breidenbach, Neubrandenburg and Groß Nemerow.

Four colleagues have already begun their integrated degree program or ‘StudiumPlus’ in economics, industrial engineering and engineering at Weber Breidenbach at July 1. StudiumPlus is an integrated degree program of the TH Mittelhessen (University of Applied Sciences). This is possible due to the cooperation between mainly Hessian companies, the local chambers of commerce and industry and the TH Mittelhessen. Weber also has co-operations for integrated degree programs with the University Siegen.

MULTIVAC Sepp Haggenmüller GmbH & Co. KG, the worldwide leader in horizontal thermoform packaging technology, today officially announces the availability of its R 595 system for efficient, precision packaging of bacon.

The R 595 is engineered with MULTIVAC’s industry-leading sanitary design in a compact footprint to meet the space requirements of most bacon processing facilities. The machine will be available in two different versions. The first machine version, with a footprint of approximately 16 feet (4.7 meters) will be equipped with a one-track tooling. The second machine version, which will be equipped with a two-track tooling, will have a footprint of approximately 23 feet (6.7 meters). This machine generates an output of 120 packs/minute. With the R 595, the forming station is placed within the machine, thereby offering ample loading area for manual loading despite the limited footprint of the machines.