newwebsite - Premier Tech Chronos

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We service
For questions, article submission or advertising opportunities,
contact us at: [email protected]
COME SURF OUR
NEWWEBSITE
PTCHRONOS.COM
1, Avenue Premier, Premier Tech Campus, Rivière-du-Loup, QC G5R 6C1 CANADA
1 418 868-8324 | [email protected]
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Vital Lévesque
International Application
Centre Director
Premier Tech Chronos
‘‘Premier Tech constantly strives
to be the world leader. ‘‘
- Page 4 -
PREMIER TECH CHRONOS
1
André Noreau
President
Premier Tech
Industrial Equipment Group
It is all about
brand
perception
Client Services philosophy - Page 12
Bagging solutions
for grain and
feed - Page 16
Being more competitive with a robotic open-mouth bagger - Page 14
03
Edito
President’s view of
Premier Tech Chronos’
future
04
12
14
16
Retrofits
Optimizing your
packaging line
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20
Recognition
External Rep Awards
22
Expert Sales Team
Totally dedicated to
business relationships
In 2013, our clients want and deserve fast and reliable answers, or simply a
partner that cares about their operations. We have just internally launched
the DRIVER code of conduct (see p.12) and WE CARE philosophy, which
define our guidelines on how to serve our clients. It simply makes everyone
realize that without you, our clients, we would not exist. It is only the
beginning of our reflection, and our teams are working hard to bring new
innovations in communications, data collection, collaboration, predictive
maintenance, on-line spare parts ordering and tracking, etc.
What would your answer be if I asked you what comes to mind when you
see our logo on an invoice, brochure, ad or e-mail? You can be sure that
our 1,000 team members around the world focus daily on bringing more
value to you, and we are continuously striving to improve brand perception
from the clients’ angle.
Please stay tuned, there is much more to come.
Case Study
Bagging solutions
for grain and feed
An innovative step forward
10
White Paper
Being more competitive
with a robotic open-mouth
bagger
The Power of a Group – IAC
STRETCH HOODER
21
Our Philosophy
An information and
knowledge sharing unit
08
Client Services
To build a sustainable company, you need to focus on a few fundamentals.
The two major ones that I ask my international teams to focus on are
INNOVATION and CUSTOMER SATISFACTION. I strongly believe that
innovation is a considerable factor differentiating us from the competition
and that we have the responsibility to push the limits of all available
technologies. In the last year, Premier Tech Chronos (PTC) has sold more
robot units inside bagging lines than robotic palletizing systems. As far as
we know, PTC is the only one offering technologies equipped with a vision
system to ensure straight bag positioning on bagging spout. Innovation is
part of Premier Tech’s DNA from its inception and has continued to be at
the heart of our activities since. We have been able to position ourselves
as the world leader in Industrial Flexible Packaging (IFP) by growing into
our different market segments through many different innovations brought
to market.
Best regards,
Innovation
From conventional to
robotic bottom-up fillers
PREMIER
PREMIERTECH
TECHCHRONOS
CHRONOS | 3
In September 2012, Premier Tech’s International Head Office, located in Rivière-du-Loup, put in place an
information and knowledge sharing unit to support the company’s Oriental and European sites: the International
Application Center (IAC).
Here is an interview with Vital Lévesque, the person in charge of this promising project for Premier Tech’s future.
The Power of a Group |
IAC
What is the team’s role?
Vital Lévesque
International Application
Centre Director
Premier Tech Chronos
In September 2012, Premier Tech’s International Head Office, located
in Rivière-du-Loup, put in place an information and knowledge
sharing unit to support the company’s Oriental and European sites:
the International Application Center (IAC). Here is an interview with Vital
Lévesque, the team member in charge of this promising project for Premier
Tech’s future.
Why was the IAC created?
The trend towards the automation of emerging markets is growing.
Our satellite offices do not always have the knowledge and expertise to
meet the new needs of companies. Sometimes, those needs are met
through equipment that is available via another manufacturing site, or
through the adaptation and transfer of a technology already existing
within the group, and which will be manufactured locally.
In both cases, it is important for our sales networks to have access to
the equipment available anywhere in the world. The technical expertise
must also be transferred to local engineering and customer care
service teams to provide our customers with the best possible support.
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The IAC’s fundamental role is first to give all our customers access to the
solutions which best suit their industry and specific needs, wherever they
are. Its functions have been divided into two main activities:
Applicative support: it allows overseas sites to offer equipment and
systems that are not available locally. When a piece of equipment is sold,
we take the necessary measures to ensure each service point can support
installation and aftermarket support.
Product development: it allows to adapt an Occidental technology to local
manufacturing while considering the needs of customers, and this, mainly
for the Asian market. We then create a multidisciplinary team made up of people
from both the IAC and local sites, and based at Premier Tech’s International
Head Office. This way, we achieve a double objective: we develop a new
product and the expertise of our Oriental sites’ team members. Involving
different cultures in the product development process is enriching for all of
us and extremely beneficial for Premier Tech’s growth.
How many people are involved
in this project?
The IAC, based in Rivière-du-Loup, is made up of 4 team members: 2
application engineer, 1 product coordinator, and me, as the person in
charge of the supervision and exchanges between the various sites. We
succeeded in developing an excellent collaboration atmosphere with the
applications teams from Salt Lake City, Holland
and Italy. This, combined with the engineering
support given by the parent company and the
market knowledge of our Asian sites, contributed
to making the project successful. The synergy
created between each country is impressive.
What challenges have you
met with regard to the
creation of the unit?
We have met several. First, the quantity of
products Premier Tech offers on a worldwide
scale is remarkable. For the team members,
knowing those products and their strengths is
a continuous concern if we want to propose the
best solutions to our customers. Also, working
‘‘The IAC’s fundamental
role is first to give all
our customers access
to the solutions{...}
wherever they are. ‘‘
within different time zones with time-shifts of
up to 12 hours is part of our daily reality. We
all must be very adaptable to quickly meet
requests, and be available, often outside regular
work hours.
Bankok, Thailand
Regarding product development, we succeeded
in creating a team made up of people from China
(1), India (2) and Thailand (2), who spent from 4
to 6 months here, in Rivière-du-Loup. In addition
to having different work methods and a different
level of expertise, all of the members have had
to adapt to culture and language differences.
Let’s say the exchanges have been enriching!
(laughs) The team members who come here for
an extended period of time live in apartments
and must deal with Canada’s environment,
including winter weather! In addition to giving
them technical training in terms of equipment
design and knowledge, it allowed those team
members to perfect their English skills, since
in such a context, communication is very
important. Our Thai friend mentioned the three
things he improved the most during his stay are
his knowledge of the equipment, his English
and... his cooking skills! (laughs)
Are you satisfied with
the results thus far?
We are very satisfied! We started modestly to
minimize costs while bearing in mind it was
possible to increase resources if necessary. With
a better access to the Occidental technologies,
our platforms in India, China and Thailand have
doubled the initial sales objective set. We also
succeeded in finding strategic customers that
have a huge potential for new orders, which
is more than we expected. Regarding product
development, 3 baggers are currently being
manufactured: 1 in India and 2 in Thailand.
Those two in Thailand have already been
reserved and will be installed next November.
And it is only just beginning!
Could this project generate
other units dedicated to
other business segments?
This principle could possibly be applied in other
spheres; it is worth analyzing. I think that in
the short term, a product development team
could be put in place on a continuous basis.
Premier Tech is no exception to the trend and
is always looking for qualified labour. Instead of
hiring external subcontractors, it would allow
us to maximize our internal resources and to
specialize team members from other sites.
Moreover, those who have the opportunity
to spend a few months in Rivière-du-Loup
PREMIER TECH CHRONOS
5
A word from one of
our partners
‘‘ The Premier Tech Group is one of FANUC America’s largest packaging integrators. Their strategic vision
for their business, supported by their talented organization, has led to a variety of innovative, high value
robotic solutions for their customers.
The close working relationship between our companies is mutually beneficial. Premier Tech and their
customers have access to the industry’s best robotic technology, while Premier Tech’s creative system
solutions help drive innovation in FANUC’s product offerings.
FANUC America is proud of our association with the Premier Tech organization and looks forward to our
SWFC - Shanghai World Financial Center
’’
continued mutual success in robotic packaging.
significantly develop their sense of belonging, along with their knowledge,
and become a reference in their locality.
Dick Motley, FANUC America Corporation ,
Sr. Account Manager , Authorized Integrator Network
‘‘Premier Tech constantly strives
to be the world leader. ‘‘
Premier Tech constantly strives to be the world leader. With this initiative,
we provide our international sites with the tools they need to achieve their
full potential. This reinforces our ability to meet the growing automation
demand of developing markets and greatly benefits our customers, who
now have access to the most recent technologies in the field of flexible
packaging.
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Serge Daudier, Application Engineer, Canada
Guy Bérubé, Application Engineer, Canada
Rukpong (Aan) Rukpongthai, Mechanical Engineer, Thailand
Gérardo José de la Iglesia, Product Coordinator, Canada
Vital Lévesque, International Application Centre Director, Canada
Bratindra Nath Sen, Electrical Engineer, India
Aman Kumar, Mechanical Engineer, India
PREMIER TECH CHRONOS
7
Scan this QR code
to watch the video
Robert Oster
Engineering Director
Eersel - Netherlands
Premier Tech Chronos
An innovative
step
forward
Following consolidation of our American, European and Asian business units
under the Premier Tech Chronos brand, we have re-committed ourselves to
adapting our technologies to serve our worldwide clientele. Therefore, Premier
Tech Chronos is proud to present its most recent innovation in the American
stretch wrapping industry: the Stretch-ALL.
Inspired by the European Rainbow platform, the Stretch-ALL offers
significant advantages with regard to performance, maintenance and
cost. Its most distinctive feature, compared with similar equipment, is
undoubtedly its new mobile film loading
system, which resembles the cars of a roller
coaster. This innovation allows film rolls to be
replaced at ground level, thus greatly reducing
accident risk and facilitating maintenance.
Since the loading platform above the equipment
has been removed, its design is much more
compact, its overall height being reduced by
more than 6 feet (2 meters). With this new
structure, the equipment’s total weight has
been decreased by roughly 20% and assembly
has been made easier.
agricultural, chemical and mineral industries, and with pallet loads made
up of bags, boxes, bottles, cans, trays, bales and even mixed loads.
Stretch-ALL
This innovative system can be used in all
industrial segments, including the food, feed,
This hooder is a completely automated system that uses a stretch wrapping
technology to produce waterproof palletized loads for outdoor storage. The
system ensures optimal bag and container protection against humidity,
UV rays, weather conditions and the risks related to cargo shift during
transportation.
Waterproof palletized loads for outdoor storage
With Rice Lake Weighing Systems you’ve already won.
Putting your money on Rice Lake opens the gate to every
industrial weighing tool imaginable and a staff of experts
to take your ideas from concept to creation. It’s a winning
experience you’ll go back to—again and again.
Find us online at www.ricelake.com
or call 800-472-6703.
It’s time to play.
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AD_US_Jackpot_PremierTech.indd 1
7/17/2013 10:59:00 AM
PREMIER TECH CHRONOS
9
We retrofit,
you benefit!
David Lemaire
Sales Manager
Client Services
Premier Tech Chronos
The era when acquiring a new piece of equipment was the only option to improve your packaging
line is over. We know it can be difficult to get support from your suppliers when it comes to improving
existing equipment.
At Premier Tech, things are different. We see those challenges as a GOLDEN opportunity to get closer
to you and to work together to help you find a solution. For us, retrofitting means innovating so you
can reach YOUR objectives. We want to give you more reliability by reducing your downtime, thus
allowing you to increase your productivity. In other words: how to turn something old into something
new? We have the answer!
The first step is very simple: listening to you to understand your situation. Then, whether by installing
new modules developed through our IR&D programs, by developing modules adapted to your
situation, or simply by listening to a great idea from your operators, we will analyze every possible
avenue to find the solution that suits you best.
Benefit from the skills and expertise of a team
that works in partnership with you to optimize
your existing packaging lines.
Automatic bag exit unit.
Retrofit on K-1000 flour bagger.
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Flexible fingers retrofit
for Robot Gripper.
PREMIER TECH CHRONOS
11
driver
our client services philosophy
David Lévesque
General Manager
Client Services
Premier Tech Chronos
Last May 16, in the presence of all the
team members of Premier Tech’s Industrial
Equipment Group, the new Client Services
WE CARE philosophy was launched. This
philosophy reflects what we want to be and
what we want to offer to our customers.
our daily decisions. As simple as it may seem,
we believe you are the reason we exist and
that is why we wish to show you HOW MUCH
WE CARE.
This new philosophy aims to standardize our
expectations regarding both our know-how
and attitude toward our customers. With the
word “DRIVER” as their sum, the following 6
principles represent our entire team’s customer
culture as well as our commitment to you.
Here is ... HOW MUCH WE CARE!
The new “DRIVER” from the Client Services
was presented to all of our team members,
last May 16.
This external code of conduct requires that we
position our valuable customers at the heart of
D
R
I
ON YOUR PROMISES
and never leave a
customer in limbo
by delighting our
customers
DELIVER
As PT team members, we
carry the image of our
company. While building
a positive reputation is
difficult, destroying one
is easy. Each of us is
responsible for delivering
on promises.
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RESPOND
There is nothing worse
than not knowing. Our
responsiveness speaks
volumes about our
motivation to serve our
clientele and our ability
to establish and maintain
business relationships.
V
E
R
customers and partners
customer experience
be courteous and smile
IMPRESS
VALUE
Customer satisfaction is
out, CUSTOMER DELIGHT
is in. The whole team
must stand behind the fact
that we need to create
a WOW effect. It is our
responsibility to change our
customers’ experience from
ordinary to extraordinary.
Customers and partners will
make us better. Serving them
is an opportunity, an honor
and a responsibility. They are
not outsiders to our business,
they are part of it. We are not
doing them a favor, they are
doing us a favor by providing
us with the opportunity to
serve them.
EASE
We must be totally
dedicated to making
it easy to do business
with us. Taking the
time to listen, integrate
and understand how
customers want to
interact with us is
essential.
RESPECT
Respecting customers is
non-negotiable. Showing
respect and being courteous
are an integral part of our
culture. We believe that
customers never interrupt our
work—they are the reason
we exist.
PREMIER TECH CHRONOS
13
Being more competitive with a
robotic open-mouth bagger
Étienne Giasson
Product Coordinator
Premier Tech Chronos
Demand for the robotization of industrial
production lines has been on the rise for a
few years. Robotization has proven itself and
is now well established, notably as regards
palletization and handling. However, the field
of flexible packaging has not followed the
trend, depriving companies from the numerous
benefits this technology has to offer. Robotic
open-mouth baggers are now available on the
market, allowing companies to benefit from
their agility, versatility, reliability, profitability
and compactness. These new baggers are a
great alternative to manual bagging equipment,
but small- and medium-sized businesses
remain uncertain about their ROI. To help you
determine when to add this valuable asset to
your production line, we prepared a reference
document which sheds some light on the main
benefits you should consider to make the best
possible decision.
Plant managers often think, mistakenly, that
their production rate must be very high to justify
such an investment and thus benefit from the
advantages of robotization. Whether for the
food, feed, mineral, chemical or seeds and crops
industry, automated open-mouth baggers offer,
in most cases, an ROI within two years. The
benefits of this technology compared to manual
equipment are numerous. Since the robots
are programmed to execute precise, repetitive
movements, the bags are filled and closed with
uniformity, therefore improving both quality and
efficacy. When compared at equivalent bagging
speed, automated systems undeniably offer
greater consistency in production, and since
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PTR Series Robotic Open-Mouth Bagger
BFW Series Robotic Bottom-up Filler
downtimes are reduced to a minimum, we can
say their production rate is generally higher than
with manual equipment. Having the possibility to
run a bagging line 24/7 is also a highly valuable
asset.
Sooner or later, all production chains, whether
in micro-businesses or multinational companies,
experience a labor shortage, and since we all
seek to increase revenues and limit expenses,
reducing workforce is a considerable advantage
over competitors. The prevention of accidents
caused by repetitive movements is severely
controlled by OSHA and is one of the costliest
insurances. In addition to eliminating the risks
and costs related to manual bagging, robotization
makes it possible to have an auto-shut-off system
that is activated when the fences of the security
perimeter are crossed by an employee. This way,
the highest safety standards can be met.
Inspired from the flexibility of a manual line,
the robots are programmed to adapt to different
materials and bag sizes, and to different types of
closing systems as well. This is achieved without
compromising speed and with minimal downtimes.
PTH Series Robotic Open-Mouth Bagger
With fewer mobile parts than a conventional
mechanical system, robotic systems require very
little maintenance: no significant intervention
is necessary during the first three years,
which reduces downtimes and thus increases
profitability.
There are several advantages to switching from
a manual bagging line to a robotic one, and the
investment proves profitable in the short term,
with savings on labor, an increase in productivity
and lower insurance costs. Also, producing
consistent bags and using a state-of-the-art
technology make you more competitive and
increase your credibility on the market.
mouth baggers. The PTH Series was the first
to be designed for all types of free-flowing
products. The PTR Series, for its part, is an
innovation in the industry with its two robots,
which ensure both greater speed and flexibility,
while the BFW Series was created for powdery
materials that require high hygienic standards,
such as food or pharmaceutical products.
While demand is already well established in the
field of rigid container packaging and handling,
the offer of robotic equipment adapted to
flexible packaging is more limited, but on the
rise. Premier Tech constantly innovates to find
solutions that meet the needs of its customers
and offers, to date, 3 different robotic open-
Regardless of the reasons that make you
consider acquiring robotic open-mouth baggers,
reviewing your operating mode and evaluating
your commercial development plan are key to
making an informed decision.
PREMIER TECH CHRONOS
15
Bagging solutions for
grain & feed
Grain and animal feed are important to economic and biologic health
worldwide. Loss of these products, whether due to material loss during
bagging or to contamination by fungus that can grow in unwisely chosen
bags, can have serious repercussions. It is vital, therefore, to choose
bagging equipment that is best suited to the challenges inherent in
handling grain and animal feed.
Toxic challenge
One such challenge is presented by fungus-produced toxins, collectively
referred to as mycotoxins. Development of these toxins is promoted by
moist, warm conditions in the field and/or during processing and storage.
The Food and Agricultural Organization arm of the United Nations estimates
that mycotoxins contaminate 25 percent of the global food crop; other
estimates range as high as 50 percent.
Affected crops include such global staples as barley, cocoa, coffee, maize,
millet, peanuts, rice, sorghum, soybeans, wheat, and wheat-related plants
such as rye. Also at risk of contamination are food products derived from
animals fed mycotoxin-contaminated feed, including eggs, milk, cheese,
and meat. The reason that these toxins are of concern is that both their
short- and long-term effects can reduce the productivity of humans and
of agriculturally important animals. Affected humans and livestock can
become ill quickly after consuming mycotoxin, with short-term effects
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that can include liver damage and can lead to death; cattle and certain
other livestock may spontaneously abort. Long-term exposure of humans
and animals to mycotoxin from consumption of tainted feed is associated
with the development of liver cancer, immunosuppression, and nutritional
deficiency.
Rising risk
Mycotoxin contamination of grain and feed was once viewed as a problem
associated primarily with grain imported from tropical countries. However,
as Paterson and Lima predict in Food Research International (2010), the
generally acknowledged rise in global temperature means that mycotoxins
increasingly will be “found in developed countries [that currently have]
temperate climates (e.g. parts of Europe, United States of America, etc.) …”
Supporting their prediction is the fact that the number of reported cases
of a mycotoxin called aflatoxin B1 in European-grown maize has increased
more than tenfold in recent history. There were 10 cases reported between
autumn 2012 and February 2013, compared with nine cases reported
between 2001 and 2011, according to The Food and Agricultural
Organization. These incidents were traced to maize primarily from
southeastern Europe (Bulgaria, Greece, Italy, Romania, and Serbia). The
average level of mycotoxin in those cases was 10 times the maximum level
allowed in feed.
Controlling moisture
Moisture not only promotes the growth of mycotoxin-producing fungus
but can decrease the output of processing operations by slowing flow
rates of grains and feeds. This happens because moisture makes this
material stickier. Even grains that typically flow freely can have their flow
compromised if contaminated by too much moisture. Such grains include
the global staples flaxseed, low-moisture maize, mustard seed, rapeseed,
sorghum, soybeans, and wheat. For grains and feeds that already have
less-than-ideal flow properties, such as barley and oats (fairly free-flowing)
and wild oats (non-easy free-flowing), failure to limit moisture inside bags
of those grains can create even greater problems for the end user who
may be confronted by hard-to-handle bagged grain destined for further
processing.
capable of bagging in both paper and plastic affords the ability to handle
the widest range of materials and thus service the widest range of end
users. Versatility is additionally enhanced by equipment that can handle
feed and grain as well as seeds.
Types of scales
The two main types of scales for these applications are gross weight
scales and net weigh scales. A gross weight scale weighs a container as
the container is being filled, while a net weigh scale pre-weighs material
before discharging it into a container.
One way to limit moisture in bagged grain and feed is to use paper bags
instead of plastic ones. Paper bags do not sweat—i.e., form condensate–
as plastic ones do. Another advantage to paper, notes Sales Manager
Mr. Greg Vander Vorste of Premier Tech Chronos, is that plastic bags
are susceptible to static electricity. This can hinder precise removal of
the topmost bag from a bag magazine, potentially slowing the bagging
operation. And, he points out, since plastic is softer than paper, the
opening of a plastic bag requires more control during filling and sealing,
compared with paper. This translates into more employee time required to
place and manage plastic bags than paper ones during manual bagging
operations.
Net weigh scales are often used for free-flowing, granular, or pelleted
materials such as grain, seed, and animal feed where speed and accuracy
are a priority. These scales are combined with a PTH open-mouth bagger if
frequent changeover is required or with a PTK open-mouth bagger if high
production rates exceeding 20 bpm are called for. Gross weight scales can
handle the identical applications but are better suited for settings in which
higher production speeds are not as critical or where height is limited. They
are particularly well-suited to constrained spaces because they are more
compact than net weigh scales. One such gross weight scale is the GE55,
a manual bagger manufactured by Premier Tech Chronos.
Consider versatility
Gross weight scale | GE55
While paper bags afford advantages that include decreased exposure of
contents to moisture and ease of handling, plastic bags offer their own
advantages. They are generally less expensive to construct and have the
ability to provide a view of their contents. Clearly, an equipment line that is
Feeding material directly into a variety of bags that include paper or plastic,
the GE55 electronic gross weight scale functions as a manual bagging
station in combination with pneumatic bag clamps, a closing system, and
a conveyor. This model’s output ranges up to 5 bpm for a wide range
PREMIER TECH CHRONOS
17
of materials that include grain, feed ingredients, fish and pet food, sweet
feed, and the seeds of maize, grass, sorghum, soybeans, and sunflowers.
The GE55 can be combined with different feeding devices: high-speed or
standard gravity feeder, high-speed or standard belt feeder, screw feeder,
and gravity-vibratory feeder (The same bagger/feeder combinations handle
chemicals and certain building materials as well.) A gravity feeder is typically
used for continuous feeding of free-flowing materials such as grain and
rice. The quantity of material fed during full-feed and dribble-feed modes
depends on material flow characteristics and the opening position of the
catch gate. A belt feeder is used for poorly-flowing or non- free-flowing
materials that require careful handling to maintain their structure, such as
animal feed and pellets. The quantity of material fed with this type of feeder
depends on conveyor speed and cross-section opening. A screw feeder is
typically used for powders, such as flour. A gravity-vibratory feeder is used
for bulk and dribble feeding of free-flowing dense material such as maize,
delivering optimum speed while ensuring accuracy.
wood pellets, sugar, and other materials) and does not need mechanical
adjustment for material changeover.
E55 with gravity-vibratory feeder produces up to 17 bpm of maize seeds,
soybeans, bird seed, pet food, and other materials, and does not need
mechanical adjustment for material changeover. (As a duplex scale—i.e.,
two E55 scales within a single framework—this model’s output reaches up
to 25 bpm of seed.) E55 with vibratory feeder can produce up to 12 bpm
of grain, rice, cattle/fish/sweet feed, and a variety of materials that include
the seeds of maize, sorghum, soybean, sunflower, alfalfa, and grass. E955
blending scale produces up to 24 bpm as a duplex scale, weighing and
blending two different free-flowing or semi- free-flowing materials into the
same bag. It achieves a material split of 90 percent/10 percent, with the
two materials blended in the primary hopper. The primary hopper is fed by
a gravity-vibratory feeder, while the secondary hopper is fed by a vibratory
feeder. As with all E55 models, the E955 produces bags of highly accurate
weight that are within ± 15 gm (.5 ounces) at 2Σ for free-flowing material.
Net weigh scale
This type of scale also can be used with belt, screw, gravity, or vibratory
feeders. For example, the E55 series of net weigh scales from Premier
Tech Chronos can reach a production rate of 40 bpm, with the rate
varying according to the specific feeder and material characteristics. E55
with gravity feeder produces up to 28 bpm of rice (as well as plastic or
‘‘A gravity feeder is typically
used for continuous feeding of
free-flowing materials.‘‘
would require low maintenance and, also, good customer service and
training help.” The equipment line selected by MFA included a Premier
Tech Chronos E55 duplex belt feeder and model PTK 1700 open-mouth
bagging system that was integrated with an existing sewing system to close
the line’s paper bags. Premier Tech Chronos also integrated a 90-degree
kicker with MFA’s existing incline conveyor in order to send closed bags to
a bag accumulation area. Customized gusset retention on the PTK 1700
was designed and installed to optimize the filling process while maintaining
control and the integrity of the bag. This unique design for the feed industry
enhances bag-filling capacity for harder-to-flow materials such as sweet
feed.
Results
“Previous output was 6 –10 bpm,” says Mr. Ewald, but increased to “16
–18 bpm with the Premier Tech system.” The initial seven–10 days after
installation was used for start- up and operator training. Two weeks later,
Premier Tech provided a three-day follow-up visit to fine-tune equip¬ment
operation and provide additional training. Since the bagging line’s five-day
ins-tallation in December 2009, Mr. Ewald reports, it has operated with
“dependability, accuracy, and ease of operation.”
Open-mouth baggers
The PTK single spout high-speed open-mouth bagger selected by MFA is
well suited to this application because it achieves the 16 –18 bpm speed
demanded by the company. (A dual-spout version is available for higher
outputs.) In addition, this bagger’s ability to control the fugitive dust that
can be easily generated when bagging granular or powdery materials such
as grain and feed can be enhanced by an optional double-walled dusttight spout that reduces the risk of dust-caused explosion.The smaller,
PTH series open-mouth bagger handles free-flowing material and can be
integrated with robotic bag transfer to achieve a rate of up to 20 bpm. Here,
too, dust is controlled, via bag-on-spout detection that simultaneously
avoids material loss to spillage.
Keep end users satisfied
There are multiple decisions to be made in selecting equipment bestsuited to a given grain or feed-bagging application. Keeping end users
satisfied, avoiding material loss during bagging, and avoiding mycotoxin
contamination mandates informed selection of bagging equipment.
E55 with screw feeder produces up to 12 bpm of non-free-flowing material
that is mealy or powdery, including bran (as well as flour, milk powder, and
minerals). This model can be combined with a vibrator to clean the weigh
hopper of any powdery residue. E55 with belt feeder produces up to 23
bpm of non-free-flowing material that requires careful handling to maintain
its structure, such as pellets and minerals.
Case study
An E55 duplex scale with belt feeder was the solution for a United States
processor that needed to package feed additives and feed products. MFA
Incorporated, a regional U.S. cooperative that operates feed mills in the
center of the country, found its efforts to bag pellets, minerals, meals, and
cubes were falling short of reaching the company’s production needs,
recalls Mr. Dave Ewald, Director of Marketing and Customer Service for
Bratney Companies, an agricultural equipment supplier headquartered
in Des Moines, Iowa, USA. “The customer had problems and needed to
get them resolved …” explains Mr. Ewald. “They were plagued by slow
rates and inconsistent bag weights, as well as some day-to-day lack of
reliability in their equipment. We introduced MFA to Premier Tech Chronos
and guaranteed we would meet or exceed their needs.”
The company needed equipment that would “maintain an output of 16–18
bpm,” Mr. Ewald continues. Furthermore, MFA specified that equipment
“must be reliable, with accurate weights, rates, and maintain production
of all of their products. In addition, they were looking for equipment that
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19
External Representatives
From conventional to
awards
robotic bottom-up fillers
2002 - CHRONO-FILL PBS 500
2009 - BTH automatic bottom-up filler
2013 - Robotic bottom-up filler
From left to right: Éric Viel, Premier
Tech Chronos; Tipp Major, Stone Major
Packaging; André Noreau, Premier Tech
Industrial Equipment Group
Yan Gagné
Engineering Supervisor
Premier Tech Chronos
Back in 2002, following the acquisition of Chronos
Richardson, we started to develop our own
bottom-up fillers line in North America to bag all
kinds of bulk powdery materials. This was Premier
Tech’s first step in designing bottom-up filling
systems. We invested a lot of time and money
in R&D to design our first bottom-up filler, the
CHRONO-FILL PBS 500. Still in use today, it was
designed to reduce dust emissions to a minimum
for all types of hard-to-handle powders.
In 2009, Premier Tech acquired Bag Treatment
Holland (BTH), a company specializing in food
bagging systems. This added a great deal of
expertise to Premier Tech’s engineering department
and helped with the continuous improvement of
the bottom-up filler platform. Subsequently,
Premier Tech’s North American and European
teams joined forces to design a system that
would meet both USDA and 3A sanitary guidelines
for North America. This is how the first 3A-approved
semi-automatic bottom-up filler was designed.
First installed in July 2011, this new semiautomatic line has been extensively tested
and to date has produced more than one million
bags. This project provided a solid base for
further development of our bottom-up fillers
line. Consequently, the engineering team had
an ambitious idea to involve robotics in the next
generation of bottom-up fillers. The objective was
to create a fully automatic system that would
be very hygienic and flexible, while using fewer
modules. We also wanted it to achieve high-speed
production rates and highly accurate bag filling.
Within one year, the engineering team had
developed a fully robotic bottom-up filler,
completely changing the standard method of
bagging powdery materials: The robotic BFW
Series was born. This series of bottom-up
fillers is perfectly adapted to milk, whey protein,
bakery mixes and pharmaceutical powders.
Its new, hygienic design is a piece of art, with
its two FANUC robots, clear tempered glass,
external guards, stainless sanitary legs, tipping
conveyors and compact design.
Since 2012, many partners, customers and
prospective clients have shown keen interest
in this technology, which is currently patentpending. This state-of-the-art system was
built based on 15 years of expertise by an
international team that had only one goal:
meeting the highest sanitary standards in the
bottom-up fillers industry.
Scan this QR code
to watch the video
From left to right: André Noreau, Premier Tech Industrial
Equipment Group; Patrick Couturier, Bratney; Curt Davis,
Bratney; Éric Viel, Premier Tech Chronos
Éric Viel
General Manager
Premier Tech Chronos
The external representatives of Premier Tech’s Industrial Equipment Group
once again excelled in terms of sales at our annual Gala, held last May 14 in
Rivière-du-Loup.
This year, the Sales of the year and Sales partner of the year titles were both
awarded to Bratney Company, a collaborator of Premier Tech since 2007,
specializing in seed processing and packaging. The Sales of the year title
rewards a representative who succeeded in securing an important order. This
can be a particularly big order, an order which is highly significant in terms of
its reference value, or an order from a new customer or customer segment.
As for the Sales partner of the year title, it is awarded to a representative who
succeeded in generating remarkable results in terms of sales development
and collaboration with Premier Tech.
For its part, Tipp Major won the Honorable Howard prize, given in recognition of
the sustained and unique efforts deployed with regard to the sales of Premier
Tech products and services.
We would like to once again congratulate the winners, who help make Premier
Tech the leader in packaging solutions.
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Premier Tech
chronos’
expert
sales team
Premier Tech Chronos’ dedicated sales team for the Americas is handling
specific markets on a national basis. By focusing on meeting the needs of
specific industries, these managers are increasingly more knowledgeable
and credible, and as a result, are better equipped to suggest and optimize
systems for our customers.
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INPACK 2013
Michael Avila
Chemicals
USA
Greg Vander Vorste
Flour, Bakery,
Dairy, Rice,
Pet food
USA
Douglas Howell
Feed, Food, Seed,
Pet food
USA
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
David Betty
Feed & Seed
The Bratney Companies
Vogel Engineering
USA
Francois Kirouac
Organics, Insulation,
Wood Shavings/Pellets
AMERICAS
Luis Flores
All Markets
MEXICO & SOUTH AMERICA
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
Gary Ritter
Minerals
USA
Joe Natale
All Markets
CANADA
Christopher Wadium
Client Services
Retrofits & Upgrades
USA
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
David Lemaire
Client Services
Retrofits & Upgrades
USA, CANADA
Anthony Siblall
Sales Director
USA, CANADA
Alain Turcotte
Sales Director
USA
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
PREMIER TECH CHRONOS
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