Controls & Machine Components: Page 286

Controls & Machine Components

FDA on vitamin health claims

FDA settled a lawsuit by reaching an agreement on a health claim for B vitamins and vascular disease. The agency will allow the following health claim on labels of dietary supplements containing folic acid, vitamin B6, and vitamin B12: “As part of a well-balanced diet that is low in saturated fat and cholesterol, folic acid, vitamin B6, and vitamin B12 may reduce the risk of vascular disease.*” But the claim must be immediately followed by the following sentence in the same size, type face, and contrast as the first sentence: “*FDA evaluated the above claim and found that, while it is known that diets low in saturated fat and cholesterol reduce the risk of heart disease and other vascular diseases, the evidence in support of the above claim is inconclusive.” FDA disallowed health claims relating antioxidant vitamins (vitamin C and vitamin E, alone or in combination) to reduced risk of certain kinds of cancer or of individual cancers (cancer of the bladder, breast, cervix, colon, rectum, oral cavity/pharynx, esophagus, lung, prostate, pancreas, skin, and stomach), finding that the scientific evidence against the relationship was greater than that for the relationship.

July 31, 2001

Controls & Machine Components

PSI: PSI: Vacuum pumps

Designed for high-flow applications that need only moderate vacuum, pneumatic vacuum pumps in the Low Pressure M Series from Piab (Rockland, MA) deliver up to 27” Hg of vacuum at 50-psi inlet pressure.

June 30, 2001

Controls & Machine Components

Rockwell Automation: Rockwell Automation: Ball bearings literature

Rockwell Automation (Greenville, SC) has published a new brochure highlighting its Dodge E-Z- Kleen ball bearings line for the food processing industry.

June 30, 2001

Secondary Packaging

Bottom taper coddles fruit

This automated case taper has special gear that helps protect delicate fruit during distribution. It runs at a steady 54 boxes/min and can be forklifted from place to place.

June 30, 2001

Controls & Machine Components

McKernan Packaging Clearing House: Product catalog

McKernan Packaging® (Reno, NV) has published a catalog describing packaging products and components available. For example, the detergent/soap packaging selection now features 43-mm, 20-oz HDPE containers.

June 30, 2001

Controls & Machine Components

Weigh-Tronix, Inc: Inventory control software

Weigh-Tronix (Fairmont, MN) has developed Piece Weight Look-Up (PWLU) software that is said to provide accurate, updated inventory counts by linking a part number/piece weight database to as many as 32 networked Weigh-Tronix digital counting scales.

June 30, 2001

Closures

Achievements

Yaskawa Electric Corp. (Waukegan, IL) has been awarded First Tier II Green status, the highest status level from Ford Motor Co., under the guidelines of Ford’s new Reliability and Maintainability program.

June 30, 2001

Cartoning

Sanford counts on oriented bulk filling

Automatic system that replaces manual methods conveys and counts markers for oriented loading into bulk bins. As part of the same integrated system, markers can be cartoned and cased.

June 30, 2001

Conveying & accumulation

Two-line strategy copes with growth

Two new lines at U.K. contract packager Axxis Intl. both rely on puck systems to handle personal care products. One line is tailored for long runs, the other for quick-change versatility. See in-plant video

June 30, 2001

Controls & Machine Components

Microscan Systems: Bar code scanner literature

Microscan (Renton, WA) has published a brochure on its line of fixed mount, hands-free bar code readers. The MS-880 is an adaptable, multipurpose scanner designed for industrial automation.

May 31, 2001

Controls & Machine Components

Pentalift Equipment: Bin tilter

Pentalift Equipment (Buffalo, NY) offers the Bin Tilter, a machine that can provide a 120?

May 31, 2001

Controls & Machine Components

Baldor Electric Company: Digital motor controls

Digital Soft Start controls from Baldor Electric Co. (Fort Smith, AR) feature “auto setup” function for many applications and have the capability to adjust the output voltage to the motor to allow it to run more efficiently and save energy.

May 31, 2001