Aaron Hand

Editor at Large, PMMI Media Group

Pfw Title Melissa

Facilities Optimize Cost-Saving Sustainability With MnTAP | Digital Innovation Production Amid the COVID-19 Pandemic

On this 'Take Five' episode, editor Aaron Hand tackles how COVID-19 accelerated food and beverage producers digital transformation journeys. Melissa Griffen covers how an intern program's sustainable solutions drove cost saving for Minnesota companies.

Digital twins can be used to help optimize production lines, including motor and drive configurations.

Motors and Drives Come Together for Motion Efficiency, Performance, Reliability

Beyond the advances made to both motors and drives in terms of energy efficiency, safety, cleanability, and more, suppliers emphasize the importance of how they work together in a complete motion system.

Though apple juices and other products are the company’s mainstay most of the year, Tree Top makes seasonal products from a range of other fruits as well.

Decanter Helps Optimize Fruit Juice Concentrate Process

Moving to a new style of decanter largely because of maintenance issues with older machines, a fruit processor found several ways the new system improved production, including sanitation and flexibility.

ParityFactory software gives GoldRiver Orchards real-time insights on its walnut inventory, providing a much better idea of what is available to sell.

Automated Control Gives Walnut Processor Real-Time Insight Into Inventory

Switching over from manual recordkeeping to digital tracking has provided the producer with a more accurate view of walnut quantities, qualities, and a host of other attributes that were previously difficult to monitor.

More from Aaron Hand

Flowserve Screens

IoT Service Platform Puts Eyes on Critical Assets

The launch of Flowserve’s RedRaven platform provides remote monitoring and optimization of flow-related equipment and devices, enabling predictive maintenance for a number of industries.

Upgrading all of its production lines with a new incline layout, Vepo Cheese added a Fortress Interceptor metal detector with each line.

Metal Detector Upgrade Helps Cheesemaker Satisfy Growing Demand

Improved sensitivity, an automated reject system, and data transparency all contribute to better inspection efficiencies for Dutch cheese producer.

With demands caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, West Liberty Foods had to shift more of its production from bulk food service packages to smaller retail packages for consumers.

COVID-19 Provides a Push for Digital Innovation

As food and beverage manufacturers scramble to keep workers safe and shelves stocked, many have moved forward with automation and digital transformation initiatives that might have only been on the radar before the pandemic.

Rhino Foods’ frozen chocolate-chip cookie dough pellets—shown tumbling from a Messer Wave Freezer, ready for packing—add texture and flavor to ice creams.

Wave Freezer Boosts Cookie Dough Production

For production of the frozen cookie dough bits that appear in ice creams, Rhino Foods has found a cryogenic freezer that provides good vibrations for their sweet sensations.

COVID-19 has put new demands on sanitation procedures.

Challenges Amid a Pandemic

COVID-19 is changing the way food and beverage manufacturers manage their cleaning processes and products, accounting for social distancing and increased sanitation requirements.

Ecolab is using augmented reality from Microsoft to help service its customers remotely, particularly in light of pandemic restrictions on access.

Remote Access Technologies Help Keep Food Sanitation Workers Safe

Cloud services, augmented and virtual reality, and videoconferencing applications are among the latest tools that suppliers are using to keep food and beverage workers safer during the COVID-19 pandemic.

CRC uses DroneDeploy to fly and map thermal imagery and conduct thermal inspections.

Drones Map and Inspect Energy Operations

California Resources Corp. is growing its drone program with the use of DroneDeploy software to save hundreds of thousands of dollars a year mapping and inspecting operations and enabling proactive asset management.

Sunny Dell Foods is a private label and custom recipe provider of high-quality marinated and refrigerated mushrooms, pasta and other sauces, soups, dressings, marinades, peppers and capers.

A Quick Metal Detector Turnaround Gets Mushroom Maker Back Online

When a legacy metal detection system went down and brought production with it, Sunny Dell Foods was able to get back in operation with a brand new system in just 36 hours.

After evaluating the club store format of its Keurig McCafe carton (left), KDP redesigned the packaging for e-commerce (right), working specifically with Amazon SIOC specifications.

Keurig Dr Pepper Helps Guide CPGs Through Amazon Packaging Compliance

Having braved its own journey into Amazon’s Ships in Own Container (SIOC) certification demands, KDP packaging engineers explain what’s required to ready products for e-commerce delivery.