Processing equipment

Balanced thinking

Balanced thinking

By Bob Brooks

Life has just got more complicated for weighing equipment users, with new rules on the use of kit and pressure to integrate systems. Bob Brooks reports

Smooth movers

Smooth movers

Moving through every part of the factory, from raw material intake to final product packaging, today's conveyors have to meet the same standards of hygiene as other parts of the process. Mike Spear describes what's new

The worm has turned

The worm has turned

With the heat rising on demand for summer barbecue products, equipment supplier UFM has launched the first industrial grinder capable of processing...

Control your dough

Control your dough

By Michelle Knott

Whether you're handling pastry or bread dough, consistency is the name of the game. Michelle Knott examines how automation can help achieve this

The big squeeze

The big squeeze

Winter may be over, but things are still looking bleak in the cold storage sector. Rebecca Green looks at what is being done to offset spiralling energy costs and accommodate other commercial pressures

Driving down costs

Driving down costs

Dairy processors face the dilemma of needing to invest to improve their productivity while cutting their costs, says Mike Spear

Dust-up over explosion risks

Dust-up over explosion risks

With new rules on explosion hazards in dusty environments coming into force in July, John Dunn asks what manufacturers need to do to comply

Flexible futures

Flexible futures

It's been a tough year for ready meal producers, faced with continually squeezed margins. Rebecca Green finds out how they have responded

Building BLTs like BMWs

Building BLTs like BMWs

By John Dunn

Improving efficiency and making a profit while keeping customers happy is a tall order, but one that can be met with the right equipment, as John Dunn discovers

From art to science

From art to science

By Bob Brooks

Bob Brooks describes the latest research and development designed to monitor what is happening in ovens and improve upon the baking process

Model behaviour

Model behaviour

By Michelle Knott

Everything from simple physical models to computational fluid dynamics (CFD) are being used to better understand the mixing process, as Michelle Knott discovers

Muscle matters

Muscle matters

By Rick Pendrous

Britain's meat processors are consolidating in the face of a tough business environment. Rick Pendrous reports on an industry adapting to greater international competition and some difficult regulatory issues

No weak links in the chain

No weak links in the chain

By Susan Birks

Whether cutting labour or improving process speeds, conveyors play a crucial role in reducing bottom line costs. Susan Birks looks at developments that will move goods round the factory more efficiently