In food processing, bulk bag discharge systems are used to transfer food ingredients such as flour, sugar and spices from bulk bags to mixing and blending equipment. However, when not designed or installed properly, bulk discharge systems can become a production bottleneck. Complicating the issue, bulk bag dischargers are often integrated with other equipment such as conveyors that move ingredients downstream for further processing. In some cases, workers may still manually transfer material using totes or carts. The weakest – or in this case the slowest – link in this chain can slow productio ..read more

Amid ongoing innovation and disruption in tech, customer preferences in manufacturing are not as straightforward as they once were. Advanced technology has unlocked new avenues for production and distribution, but it can also make integration more intricate and laborious. Today’s manufacturing buyers will likely expect both advanced technology and thorough guidance on how to wield it. The channel, which has long been central to manufacturing sales, plays a major role in overall customer experience (CX). Tech-induced disruptions present challenges and opportunities for manufacturers and channel ..read more

As the industrial sector has risen in popularity amongst the hacking community, new vulnerabilities are being discovered throughout the enterprise. From industrial control systems to network endpoints and API calls, the expanding OT environment offers a vast collection of potential security soft spots. And within the last 18 months, these current and potential vulnerabilities are being exploited not just on large manufacturers and infrastructure enterprises, but the key suppliers, logistics providers and distributors that are vital in bringing product to market. I recently sat down with D ..read more

The rich flavor that enthusiasts expect from an instant café macchiato depends on the seamless flow of its production. Much like many contemporary coffee offerings in the Food & Beverage Industry, instant coffee is produced through a series of manufacturing processes. They include the grinding of beans and the extraction of pure coffee for a robust espresso shot, along with the fusion of coffee with different ingredients to create blended beverages. The journey to the perfect cup of instant coffee begins with roasting, where the beans are processed to unlock their optimal flavor. Following ..read more

Tait Farm Foods is a specialty food manufacturer located in Centre Hall, Pennsylvania. The company began in 1987, when founder David Tait started producing shrub, a colonial-era vinegar-based drink mixer. After years of steady growth, their 20 person team manufactures and sells more than 65 all-natural food products to restaurants, retailers, museum shops, online shoppers, and to walk-in customers in their own store. Production Manager Was ‘Running Blind’ Managing this growth has been a huge task for both Sales and Marketing Manager Karen Addenbrook and Production Manager Nikki Mattern-Klinger ..read more

ExtraHop, a leading provider of cloud-native network detection and response (NDR) solutions, recently unveiled their third annual Global Cyber Confidence Index. Generally speaking, the report found that most organizations are struggling to manage and mitigate cyber risks, even as they face a growing number of ransomware attacks and incident-related downtime. Some key findings from the research includes: 88 percent of IT and cybersecurity decision makers said they are confident in their organizations’ ability to manage cyber risk. 22 percent of respondents deemed ransomware the bigge ..read more

Ever since the passing of the 2021 Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, the pipeline industry has added thousands of miles of natural gas, crude oil and carbon dioxide pipelines to the national network. And while the law provided $1 billion in grants for new natural gas distribution lines, it did not add money to the PHMSA’s pipeline safety program. This would seem contrary to the industry's needs, given the escalation of spills, environmental concerns and criminal activities surrounding these projects. To get further insight on the issues and challenges surrounding pipeline expansion and safety, I ..read more

Processors in a wide range of industries rely on tubular drag cable conveyors to move sensitive materials and powders; therefore, it is important to properly design, install and proactively maintain these systems to minimize production downtime and maximize longevity.  In today’s fast-paced processing environment, it is a standard practice to run conveyors until something breaks or needs to be repaired, which can lead to significant unnecessary downtime.  “Processors traditionally have relied on third parties such as local millwrights to install and maintain conveyors. These third pa ..read more

A global manufacturer of recyclable beverage cans has named Fluid Components International (FCI; San Marcos, CA) as a preferred supplier and standardized on the FCI Models ST75AV and ST51A Thermal Mass Flow Meters and Vortab Model VIP Flow Conditioners for the measurement of natural gas in its processes. This is because of their long service life, measurement accuracy and calibration in natural gas under real-world plant floor flow, temperature and pressure conditions. An engineer at this manufacturer’s plant found that the other flow meters that were installed some years ago to measure natura ..read more

Various industries including wastewater treatment, power generation, food processing and chemical manufacturing depend on industrial strainers to separate unwanted suspended solids from liquids and slurries. However, conventional strainer methods can prove to be unreliable and lead to extensive maintenance, particularly in cases where the debris or solids are of substantial size and there is a significant amount of suspended solids present. Fortunately, the utilization of a novel blend of industrial wastewater technologies now allows for the efficient removal of solids without the need for ext ..read more