Without the versatility and ingenuity of manufacturing equipment, food processing facilities would lose out on productivity and profitability greatly. Have a look at the different types of food processing equipment that enable food processing facilities to thrive.
Preparation Equipment
The purpose of food processing preparation equipment is to separate inadequate products from quality materials. Preparation procedures maximize the quality of the final product and optimize productivity.
Preparation equipment nixes any undesired material from the start so that staff doesn’t have to waste time processing food that’s poor quality or sifting through foreign matter. While preparation boosts productivity, it also contributes to food processing facilities’ overall quality control. In addition to these preparation tools, incorporating a high-quality footwear cleaner in the facility can further enhance hygiene standards, ensuring that contaminants are not brought in from outside areas. Below are a few examples of preparation equipment.
- Soak/floatation tanks
- Washing systems
- Ultrasonic cleaners
- Screening separators
- Image processors
- Pressure vessels
- Disc separators
- Machine vision sorting systems
Material Handling Equipment
Material handling machinery helps transport goods throughout each operational process. Without these devices, food processing would rely strictly on manual labor to transfer food from one stage to the next. This would put a great strain on staff and finances and result in highly insufficient results.
Vendors apply the advantages of conveyors in the food processing industry to their facilities to promote safer and more efficient working environments. Other material handling equipment includes pumps, piping, pallet trucks, and grain and bucket elevators.
Preservation Equipment
Not all food has an ideal shelf life. As you might infer, preservation equipment preserves the quality of food products so that they remain in high-quality condition throughout each processing step. Food handling facilities employ the following devices to upkeep products’ conditions.
- Isotopes and electron accelerators
- Cryogenic systems
- Mechanical refrigerators and freezers
- Convective dryers
- Evaporators
- Condensers
Each of these devices combats different external elements that could spoil food, such as moisture and temperature.
Product Distribution Equipment
Product distribution equipment takes care of the food processing stage that involves prepping and packaging products before they head to their final destinations. Manufacturers typically group smaller food products together to optimize cargo space. They usually package large products individually. Different types of food processing equipment companies use for successful product distribution include:
- Cartoners
- Stretch and shrink wrappers
- Palletizers
With the right assortment of equipment, your food processing facility can operate flawlessly. Whatever equipment you stow in your building, practice good maintenance to uphold its condition.