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It’s been a turbulent past couple of years and the effects of the ongoing pandemic, labor shortages and supply chain disruptions have combined to spur greater demand for food safety and quality systems that help manufacturers address many challenges at once. Looking ahead to solutions for 2022 and beyond, Camilo Sanchez, Eagle Product Inspection’s newly-named head of sales for the North American and Australasia regions, shares a preview on what visitors can expect to see at Eagle’s exhibit (#C-10867) during the upcoming International Production and Processing Expo (IPPE), January 25-27 at the Georgia World Congress Center in Atlanta.
Question: What do you see as the biggest demand drivers for equipment and technology in the protein industry, based on Eagle experts’ conversations with manufacturers and processors?
A: Processors continue to look for ways to assure quality and food safety while also enabling them to boost efficiencies that ease their labor challenges. High on processors’ wish lists are automation, traceability, versatility and a lower cost of ownership. As they continue to contend with ongoing supply chain and worker shortages and seek to stay compliant with the latest food safety regulations, they want to know that their product inspection systems are in place on the line and at the proper critical control points.
Question: What are some new technologies that you will be highlighting at IPPE 2022?
A: People are eager to learn about new solutions. At the IPPE 2022 show in January, Eagle will share the latest inspection systems equipped with our breakthrough PXT™ detector. This technology captures more detailed data about products being inspected than has previously been possible, identifying some of the smallest contaminants before they become recall risks and hazards that can slow down a line or cause brand damage. When paired with Eagle’s SimulTask™ PRO image analysis software, the technology improves detection accuracy and reduces false reject rates.
Question: What specific machines will be on display at Eagle’s IPPE booth?
A: We’re spotlighting inspection systems that can be used at critical points in poultry and meat production. For example, processors that make fresh, frozen, raw, and unpackaged products can see a machine specifically built for this often-harsh industry, the RMI 540 with PXT™. Designed to NAMI standards, this large-capacity x-ray inspection machine provides superior contaminant detection with the highest resolution images in the industry. With a wide belt ideal for multilane applications or high-throughput bulk trim operations, the system helps processors meet their production volume needs. An inclined conveyor design and contoured surfaces minimize potential material harborage areas, and the machine can be disassembled and reassembled quickly during sanitation. It is also easy to use, thanks to the Eagle SimulTask™ PRO operating system featuring a simple touch-screen operation.
For products flowing into a pipe, the Eagle Pipeline with PXT™ is now available and will be exhibited at IPPE at our partner FPEC’s booth #C-11907. The system meets demanding food safety and retailer specifications by incorporating breakthrough PXT™ detector technology that enables meat and poultry processors to obtain much higher resolution images of the product inspected. This results in improved detection of smaller bones and contaminants with fewer false rejects, which increases productivity and reduces costly rework and scrap. This new machine will be shown at IPPE at the FPEC Corp. exhibit Booth #C-11907.
IPPE attendees can also see one of our newest x-ray machines used to inspect packaged poultry and meat products. The Eagle Pack 400 HC with PXT™ can find bone fragments down to 1 mm that that would otherwise not be seen by the human eye. The system helps processors improve productivity and maximize labor by simultaneously performing key inline product integrity checks such as mass measurement, package integrity and component count. Eagle’s retracting nose reject is a robust and reliable means to remove unwanted product while minimizing excessive reject amounts. The open hinge design with quick belt releases allow fast and effective cleaning and maintenance routines to minimize system downtime.
Question: What else is on the horizon for 2022 for Eagle?
A: As pioneers in the inspection of meat and poultry products, we continue to innovate with new machines and invest in next-generation technologies that deliver on processors’ demands for automation, traceability and versatility. For today’s and tomorrow’s processors, it isn’t just about robotics that replace human tasks: advanced x-ray systems are a key part of a plant’s automated systems as they conduct automatic quality and safety checks and collect important data that can be stored and shared.
While we are focusing on advanced technologies and improving inspection capabilities in our core markets in North and South America, Australia and New Zealand, we will continue to work with established partners to provide exceptional support and spare parts service for installed units in the European, Asia and rest-of-world markets. We’re also excited to share technologies and connect with seafood processors in early 2022 at the Seafood Expo North America in Boston, Mass. from March 13-15.
