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Welcome... Bienvenue... Willkommen... Benvenuto... Recepción |
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Following the recent enlargement of its European headquarters, Loma has enhanced its service offering even further by increasing the number of qualified engineers in its sales and servicing functions. With 4 additional sales engineers and seven new service engineers covering the UK, Germany and the USA, these latest appointments confirm Loma's ongoing commitment to worldwide sales and after sales support.
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The inaugural system launched by Loma's new division specialising in temperature measurement and monitoring systems, is proving a valuable asset in the frozen and chilled food market as it provides energy saving benefits to a range of sectors. Loma Scientific's Celsius temperature-sensing device uses non-contact microwave thermometry to monitor food packs to within ±0.2°C. Used to monitor the product-chill process, Celsius enables food processors to manage the chilling process more efficiently thereby helping them meet new energy efficiency stipulations. (see below)
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Climate change is one of the most significant environmental challenges facing us today. Increasing concentrations of greenhouse gases, for instance, have prompted remedial action in the form of the Climate Change Levy - a tax on the use of energy in industry. Designed to promote energy efficiency and stimulate investment in new technologies, the levy is acting as a stimulus for companies to reduce energy consumption.
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 Energy-saving Celsius |
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With electricity levy rates among the highest imposed by the legislation, the frozen food sector has been among the first to embrace the Levy's principles through technologies designed to reduce energy usage. One such innovation is Loma Scientific's Celsius temperature-sensing device, which employs microwave thermometry to detect temperate variations to ±0.2°C. This level of accuracy helps chilled and frozen food processors avoid over-freezing products and thereby reduce energy wastage.
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In accordance with the new Measuring Instruments Directive ratified by the European Parliament in April, Loma has added to its range of checkweighers that have attained the R51 European standard for weighing instruments. The tough, accurate and versatile AS5000 checkweigher successfully completed a rigorous approval process that will secure its compliance with the directive when it comes into force shortly. The R51 standard reflects the incredible precision of the high-speed AS5000 checkweigher and its future-proofed status.
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 Loma Systems has added to its impressive list of checkweighers featuring European accreditation by successfully gaining approval for its tough and accurate AS5000 unit |
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Peacock Engineering relies on being able to package the correct quantity of food, health and beauty products every time. By tackling accuracy issues head on with Loma's AS 1200C checkweighers, the food contract packager not only achieved consistent performance, it also kept costs down by owning rather than renting accurate end-of-line inspection equipment.
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 Peacock Engineering reaches accuracy goals via checkweighers from Loma Systems |
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Loma's global exhibition trail heads to the Netherlands, the US and France. Click on the links below for more details on each event:
15 - 18 August Bakery Show, Las Vegas, USA - Bakery Industry |
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A familiar air of anticipation and sense of excitement can only mean one thing - it's your chance to win a fabulous bottle of champagne by predicting the total number of medals won by the host country Greece's team at the Olympic games, held this year in its spiritual home in Athens. Simply send in your guess along with two suggestions about how Loma News can be improved, and you could be celebrating a fantastic summer of sport in style. Send your entries to medals@loma.com
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The articles in full |
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Loma Systems has added to its impressive list of checkweighers featuring European accreditation by successfully gaining approval for its tough and accurate AS5000 unit. The endorsement means Loma can offer its checkweighing solution throughout the EU and confirms the company's commitment to future-proofing its products in accordance with the upcoming Measuring Instruments Directive (MID).
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The system was awarded the R51 approval by the National Weights and Measures Laboratory (NWML), an executive agency of the Dti, following a series of rigorous tests designed to assess accuracy, reliability and functionality. Regarded as the definitive European standard for automatic catchweighing instruments, the R51's testing procedures confirmed the AS5000's ability to provide high levels of weighing accuracies across a range of applications up to 5Kg.
In particular, the AS5000 is ideally suited for dairy, meat, ready meals, cereal and confectionery applications due to its wide operating range and durable, easy-to-clean, bead-blast stainless steel finish. With a Powered Weigh Table (PWT) design, the newly approved system also achieves accurate weighing at speeds of up to 70m/min, as Alan Johnson, product manager for checkweighers at Loma Systems, pointed out. |
 Loma Systems has added to its impressive list of checkweighers featuring European accreditation by successfully gaining approval for its tough and accurate AS5000 unit |
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"The AS5000 has a number of features specifically designed to achieve precise measurements in often difficult operating conditions. The high-accuracy R51 approval means we can promote these features to companies throughout Europe, and market the AS5000 with the full knowledge that it meets industry regulations now and in the future."
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As well as being recognised as a certificate of conformity across Europe, the OIML R51 standard also acts as a benchmark against which competitor systems can be assessed. By attaining R51 accreditation for yet another of its checkweighing solutions, Loma has confirmed its pre-eminence in the UK market, and its growing presence in Europe.
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Accuracy is something that is expected by food companies who rely on contract packagers to help them bring their products to market. "We are expected to produce the correct quantity every time. It's mandatory," says Tom McCaffer, vice president of operations, Peacock Engineering.
The challenge is meeting those customer expectations while still keeping a lid on escalating costs. In a business where slim margins are the norm, out of line labour costs and expensive capital expenditures can make or break an operation. Peacock Engineering has been in existence since 1942, but didn't get into the food contract packaging game until the 1980s. Today it contract packages for many heavyweight companies including Kraft, Quaker Oats and Land 'O Lakes. To help evolve the company into the premier contract packager it is today, Peacock knew it had to tackle accuracy issues head on. The process began several years ago when Peacock started renting checkweighers from a used equipment dealer. Although the rental equipment enabled the company to achieve a measure of accuracy, there were several hurdles to overcome. "We were spending several thousand dollars per year on the rental leases for used equipment. The machines were not as flexible or reliable as we would have liked, but purchasing all new units at the time would have been cost prohibitive," McCaffer explains. The company worked around the rental equipment's limitations until it found a better solution. "We went to Pack Expo a few years back and stopped by the Loma Systems stand. We already had a couple of the company's metal detectors in our plant, but we were interested in finding out what checkweighing options they could offer us," McCaffer explains. That's how Peacock first learned about Loma's AS 1200C checkweighers, which have been designed to cost-effectively address weight-control applications. The AS 1200C is an end-of-the-line "policeman" and is ideally suited for companies who couldn't previously economically justify the addition of a checkweigher. "Initially, we brought in one machine just to test it in our plant. Everybody liked it. Unlike our leased checkweighers, the AS 1200C was easy to use and program. Quality loved it because they could lock the parameters in from job to job. And they were local, so parts and service were easy to get," says McCaffer. |
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The unit offers production line speeds of up to 260 feet per minute. The AS 1200C target weight range is from 12-1200 grams with accuracy up to 0.5 grams. The unit's memory holds up to 100 product specifications. RS output to a host computer facilitates data management and provides a communication link for printers and other devices. The AS 1200C also offers a compact footprint-specific dimensions are dependent on application specific reject devices. The control panel has a vacuum fluorescent display, easy-to-use selection keys and multiple notification functions.
Its low, entry-level price, combined with the features of systems twice as expensive, makes the AS 1200C ideal for applications which currently spot-check their filled product using bench scales. The end result is a reduction of labour coupled with the ability to check every package unit for accuracy. "The other thing that made it attractive for us was that Loma was able to finance the units," he notes. |
 Peacock Engineering reaches accuracy goals via checkweighers from Loma Systems |
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Peacock currently has 12 Loma checkweighers distributed among three separate plants. In addition to the AS 1200C units, Peacock also has standard weight and lightweight versions of Loma's AS checkweighing line to handle products with fill weight parameters that fall outside the AS 1200C's range.
The emphasis on accuracy is further heightened by the movement towards club store counts. No longer is it acceptable to just have a checkweigher on your line, McCaffer says. It has to be a good one. "One that will insure you have all 40 baked goods in a package instead of just 39," he says. "With 30 to 35 lines flying per shift at 100 to 150 a minute, you are going to miss something if all you are doing is a visual check. So you have to put checkweighers on every line. Sometimes two on a line-one upstream and one downstream." And what feedback has Peacock Engineering received since installing the Loma checkweighers? "Our complaint level for missing items has gone way down. The companies for whom we contract package track complaint levels very carefully and they will let you know if you aren't hitting your numbers," McCaffer says. Increased accuracy means less rework. "If the product accuracy is off, you have to hand pull the package apart. That adds to our internal rework costs," he says. "By meeting the food companies' parameters on a consistent basis, we have the opportunity to gain additional business," McCaffer says. The AS 1200C can handle a broad variety of end-of-the-line food and non-food applications where fill accuracy is desired. The AS 1200C offers quick payback, modular design for quick one or two week delivery and durable stainless steel construction. Peacock Engineering has plants in Itasca and Geneva, IL and specializes in contract packaging and manufacturing of food, household, health and beauty products. |
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Feedback and enquiries If you no longer wish to receive Loma News, please email us on lomanews@loma.com For further information on Loma's range of products and services, visit www.loma.com |
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