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Due to the Coronavirus outbreak (COVID-19), Interpack will take place from 25 February to 03 March 2021.
Making plans for Interpack 2021 in Germany in February? If you’re scoping out the event for innovative technologies that span next-generation machine design, construction and intelligent software, you can see firsthand how advanced x-ray systems ensure the safety and quality of a broad variety of products across several segments of food manufacturing. According to Eagle’s marketing manager, Christy Draus, Eagle Product Inspection will highlight its capabilities at Interpack through demonstrations of three different systems spanning five categories.
In the new era of automation, traceability and remote support, industry professionals should set their sights on the Eagle exhibit in Hall 11, Stand G73 at the upcoming Interpack trade show. During the event at the Düsseldorf Exhibition Centre from 25 February to 3 March 2021, attendees can see 15 different applications of Eagle’s x-ray inspection systems across five segments of food manufacturing. Eagle shares a preview of next year’s exhibit and the technologies behind the applications.
What distinguishes Eagle’s capabilities from other inspection systems and how will that be evident at the Interpack exhibit?
Ultimately, the performance of x-ray systems is based on a combination of intuitive design, rugged construction, advanced detector technologies and intelligent software. It’s this integration that enables Eagle’s systems to improve product safety with cost-effective solutions.
If the software is an important part of that synergistic design, what makes Eagle’s software different and superior, in helping companies protect their products and brands?
Eagle’s proprietary SimulTask™ PRO software offers the highest greyscale on the market, with 65,536 greyscale values – and the latest processing software algorithms that allow for superior contaminant detection. Importantly for today’s manufacturers who are increasingly doing more with less, the software enables parallel analysis processing and can be used in multilane settings. Versatility is also built-in, as the SimulTask™ PRO software can be customized for each specific application and product to perform other tasks that may be needed to produce the highest quality products. And in a market in which greater information and traceability is sought, the software allows for full image storage, retrieval and review. At the end of the day, manufacturers can inspect more – and expect more – out of the software-driven systems in place.
What will the series of applications show at this year’s Interpack exhibit and why did you choose those segments?
Today’s manufacturers not only want to see results in action but are looking for greater versatility in their tools and technologies that improve the safety and quality of their products. For Interpack, we are showing the inspection of products in the Poultry, Meat, Dairy, Bakery/Snack and Fruit/Vegetable categories, demonstrating the flexibility and accuracy of x-ray inspection across a range of items. These systems include the Eagle EPX100, Eagle Tall PRO XS and Eagle Pack 400 HC with PXT™, the newly launched next-generation in detector technology.
What are some examples of the specific demonstrations that replicate real line applications?
- For the poultry segment, for example, the Eagle Pack 400 HC will be used to inspect fresh chicken breasts for bone fragments down to 1mm, using Eagle’s PXT™ the new next-generation detector technology. Nuggets will be inspected, too, for contaminants and the presence and thickness of coating.
- In red meat, the Pack 400 HC will detect contaminants in burgers while also determining the desired roundness of patties and the proper burger count on trays. For ground meat chubs, the EPX100 will inspect for contaminants, determine the presence and correct location of clips and verify the right chub shape.
- Those in the dairy industry can see how the EPX100 works, as the system inspects 24 compartments of yogurt at the same time for contaminants and fill level, and also will check packages of sliced cheese for foreign materials and the desired weight. Also, the Pack 400 HC with new detector technologies will inspect blocks of Swiss cheese for contaminants and voids.
- The EPX100 is also commonly used in the bakery and snacks segment. At Interpack, this machine will be used on pies to determine count, fill level and the presence of any contaminants. The Pack 400 HC will do double duty, inspecting doughnuts for contaminants and quality attributes such as roundness and jelly fill level, and also inspect loaves of bread for contaminants and voids.
- Finally, as “plant-based” is a big buzzword this year in the food and beverage industry, applications will be shown for various fruits and vegetables. The Pack 400 HC will inspect salad kits for physical contaminants and the presence and location of all components, like parmesan cheese bags, dressing, and utensils. Attendees can also see the Pack 400 HC’s ability to inspect potatoes for contaminants like nails or golf ball pieces and quality aspects like hollow hearts. The Tall PRO XS will scan glass jars of jam for foreign material and determine if the product is overfilled or underfilled and has the right lid.
These are just some of the examples that will be shown at Interpack, which draws tens of thousands of industry professionals from around the world.
For those who can’t attend Interpack, you can now visit our Virtual Poultry Hub that contains virtual demonstration of the flexibility and reliability of the latest inspection systems and PXT™ technology and, as always, an Eagle expert is available to discuss how your products’ safety and quality can be improved with advanced inspection technologies.
