Innovative Basket Clamping System for Agitating Retorts Wins Patent for Allpax Products
September 9, 2009
Covington, LA - Allpax Products, a division of Pro Mach and the market leader in retort technology and retort room automation, has a new patented system for improving automated basket clamping during retort agitation. The patented system reduces wear on retort equipment, decreases maintenance time and cost, and improves overall throughput.
In most automated clamping systems, an air actuated plate pushes baskets down against transfer rollers. The pressure causes wear to basket tops, rollers, and rotors and can also lead to compound cut through and breakage of glass containers. Top-down pressure is not always sufficient to stop side-to-side movement during agitation. Side-to-side shifting causes damage to packaging, especially glass, and additional wear on retort components.
Allpax's patented clamping system utilizes inflatable energy tubes at the sides and underneath baskets to solve these problems. When inflated, the bottom energy tubes raise the basket against a fixed top plate, holding baskets securely top to bottom. Additional energy tubes are inflated on the sides of the baskets to eliminate side-to-side shifting.
This system protects the product, packaging, rollers, and rotors. Force across the top of the basket is evenly distributed. This enables very low clamping pressure and, in turn, eliminates compound cut through and glass breakage. As pressure in the retort changes, pressure in the energy tubes adjusts automatically for precise clamping control during the agitation process.
For more information on the patented automated basket clamping system and other Allpax retort technology and retort room automation, call 985-893-9277 or visit www.allpax.com. A recently completed white paper on retort room automation is available for download from the company's website.
About Allpax Products
Allpax Products, the market leader in retort technology and retort room automation, designs, manufactures, and delivers turnkey sterilization solutions for the food, beverage, pet food, and pharmaceutical industries. The company is recognized for helping customers become more successful by decreasing time to market with laboratory retort equipment, lowering overall labor costs through automation, and increasing the overall throughput of the sterilization process. The company is headquartered in Covington, LA, and is the sole U.S. licensee of the Shaka retort process.
Allpax is a division of Pro Mach, a Cincinnati, Ohio based provider of integrated packaging products and solutions for food, beverage, household goods, pharmaceutical, and other diverse consumer and industrial companies. Through three business units and related divisions, Pro Mach provides equipment, training, installation, and parts in primary packaging, end-of-line packaging, and identification and tracking.
For more information about Pro Mach visit www.ProMachInc.com.
Media Contact:
Brent Meyer
513.831.8778, ex. 437
bmeyer@ProMachInc.com