Covington, LA - Allpax Products, powered by ProMach, introduces a new automated high-speed retort product delivery system for small footprint retort rooms that utilize four-, six-, and eight-basket horizontal retorts for the preparation of shelf-stable food. This new system is suitable for both new installations and as a retrofit solution.
The new Allpax system reduces labor cost and frees up workers for more value adding activities. Furthermore, with workers freed from the physical demands in the retort room of loading and unloading heavy baskets, employers can expect to see fewer repetitive motion injuries, worker compensation claims, and lost work days due to injuries. Employers should also see less damage to baskets and retorts for those operations using forklifts for loading and unloading. Return on investment can be two years or less, depending on the number of retorts served and personnel assigned to loading and unloading operations.
Understanding the new system
The typical automated retort product delivery system requires enough space for four-, six-, and eight- basket long automated shuttles to run between the basket loading area and the bank of retorts. Each shuttle has a loading arm sized to the length of the horizontal retorts it serves. Typically shuttles move at about 50 feet per minute. The end result is a long, automated, and fairly slow moving train of baskets in large open areas.
In contrast, the shorter two-basket shuttle travels nearly five times as fast - 240 feet per minute. An innovative basket coupling system removes the need for long-loading arms, which contributes to the compact size of the two-basket shuttle. With increased speed and the basket automated couple/decouple mechanism, the high-speed two-basket system performs the loading/unloading process in a space 50 to 75 percent smaller in size than that required by the longer shuttles.
"From the perspective of automation hardware, control software, and the new agitation processes such as Shaka(R) and Gentle Motion that improve productivity and quality, there has never been a more advantageous time in the last decade in terms of technology improvements for the shelf-stable food industry," said Greg Jacob, vice president and general manager, Allpax.
For information on the new Allpax high-speed two-basket loading system for small footprint retort rooms call 1-888-893-9277 and visit www.Allpax.com.
About ProMach
ProMach is a family of best-in-class packaging and processing solution brands serving manufacturers of all sizes and geographies in the food, beverage, pharmaceutical, personal care, and household and industrial goods industries. ProMach brands operate across the entire production line: processing, filling, bottling and capping, decorative labeling, flexibles and trays, pharma, handling and sterilizing, labeling and coding, and robotics and end of line. ProMach also provides systems and integration including turnkey solutions, design/build, engineering services, and productivity software to optimize production line design and deliver maximum uptime.
ProMach designs, manufactures, integrates, and supports the most sophisticated and advanced packaging and processing solutions in the global marketplace. Its diverse customer base, from Fortune 500 companies to smaller, privately-held businesses worldwide, depends on reliable, flexible, technologically advanced equipment and integrated solutions. ProMach is headquartered near Cincinnati, Ohio, with manufacturing facilities and offices throughout North America, Europe, South America, and Asia. For more information about ProMach, visit www.ProMachBuilt.com and for more information on ProMach Careers, visit www.ProMachCareers.com.