MD2000 automated reefer door solution

ASSA ABLOY Entrance Systems showcased its new automatic door for refrigerated trucks and trailers: the MD2000 automated reefer door at NTEA Work Truck Week 2022. Not only does the door open and close autonomously, it electronically senses the presence of workers and cargo passing through and quickly closes once the passage is clear, the company says. The new technology promotes Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) best practices and optimizes temperature control, it adds. The automated door also will help streamline the food and beverage delivery process and ensure a constant temperature and humidity barrier for reefer interiors. Specifically designed for refrigerator and freezer applications, the 42-inch to 50.5-inch-wide door has been tested and validated to operate at 0 degrees Fahrenheit. Studies have shown that by adding a high-performance door to the temperature-controlled food and beverage delivery process, fleets can attain fuel savings as much as 40% as well as lower maintenance costs, because the doors reduce the number of defrost cycles. The door also helps protect the integrity and safety of cargo delivered to customers and will prevent expensive product damage, spoilage and redelivery costs resulting from high temperatures.

CCL aluminum wine bottle

A manufacturer of recyclable aluminum packaging, CCL Container unveiled a new aluminum wine bottle shaped like a classic burgundy wine bottle. The new container meets ever-increasing demand for sustainability and freshness while honoring the classic shape of a conventional wine bottle, the company says. Designed with the company’s BodyShapes shaping technology, the 750-ml aluminum bottle is resealable with a threaded cap that can keep wine fresh for longer than a traditional glass bottle. With higher thermal conductivity and chill retention than glass and plastic, the aluminum bottles cool quickly and stay cooler for a longer period of time, according to the company. Because the threading in the cap does not contain plastic, the entire container, made from virgin aluminum, is 100% recyclable. Despite a wide diameter, aluminum bottles weigh less than glass bottles and are less expensive to ship. Additionally, the material’s durability makes aluminum wine bottles virtually unbreakable. Noting that wine brands tend to blend in on-shelf, CCL’s burgundy-shaped aluminum bottle enables wineries to take advantage of expanded design options. Additionally, the bottles have unlimited decorating opportunities, including multi-color lithography of as many as nine colors, embossing and debossing of graphics and logos, and a variety of finishes.

Bio-Blast Penetrant high-performance lubricant

Renewable Lubricants offers a new Bio-Blast Penetrant, a high-performance, fast-acting biodegradable penetrant that eradicates rust and dirt to quickly free corroded nuts, bolts and other frozen components quickly. A patented blend of additives and bio-solvents provides a fast-penetrating catalyst that is non-staining to ferrous and non-ferrous metals. It also is a non-flammable, non-combustible formulation that is safer for the workplace and the environment, the company says. Unlike petroleum solvents, there is no direct loss of the penetrant into the water, soil, or work environment, so the lubricant is inherently safer for the environment, it adds. The renewable, non-toxic, and OSHA and ISO-1400 compliant Bio-Blast contains no hazardous volatile organic compounds (VOCs), making it ideal for use on nuts/bolts, air tools, rusty chains, jacks, locks dies, linkage cables, wire ropes, hinges and more, according to the company. The product is available in 11-ounce aerosol cans, 12-ounce spray bottles, one-gallon jugs, five-gallon pails, 55-gallon drums and case lots.

Great Lakes’ labeling systems

Great Lakes Label (GLL) offers several labeling systems that provide speed, versatility and dependability depending on needed applications that range from box closures to clamshells. Among the systems GLL manufactures, distributes and installs are CTM Labeling Systems, Universal Labeling Systems and AlTech Labeling Technologies. In providing cradle-to-grave labeling solutions, the company first begins by assessing what the customers’ needs are and where they want to go as far as manufacturing their own labels, adding automation or both, the company says. GLL works directly with beverage teams to find the best applicator and works diligently to assemble the machine, while keeping in contact and sending run-off videos, Zoom calls or fostering in-person visits. After the labeling system is installed, the company ensures that personnel efficiently can run the new labeling system, with installation and training ranging from one to five days. Great Lakes provides value-added, guaranteed support and service on all of their labeling equipment and can upgrade the system or add new pieces at any time, it says.

ROEQ autonomous mobile robot

ROEQ unveiled a new weight class for its cart solution that doubles the payload of the MiR250 robot from 250kg/551 pounds to 500kg/1,102 pounds at MODEX. “More with less” is what users of the MiR250 mobile robot will realize with the new ROEQ TMS-C500 Ext and S-Cart500Ext. As the product names indicate, the new top module/cart combo enables the robot to carry twice the payload of Mobile Industrial Robots’ best-selling autonomous mobile robot (AMR) with skillful maneuverability and extra safety design for long loads, the company says. The design of the TMS-C500 Ext top module also allows transportation of larger cargo as long as 1.2 meters (47.2 inches) without compromising safety as the emergency stop button is easily accessible. Increased tilt stability is provided by the longer wheelbase of the S-Cart500 Ext. The smaller AMR with boosted payload is ideal for businesses looking to autonomously transport heavier goods in narrow and space constrained areas, the company notes. The ROEQ cart solution picks up and drops off the ROEQ S-Cart in free space. This means no affixed floor space or docking stations are needed for pickups. Like all ROEQ top modules, the TMS-C500 Ext comes with ROEQ Assist software that loads pre-coded missions into the MiR robot, which can then be modified in the MiR interface.

O-I Glass Inc. and ENGIE’s business entity “Global Energy Management & Sales” reached a long-term agreement for ENGIE to initially provide an aggregate 4.3 TWh of renewable electricity to O-I sites in Europe. Over a 10-year period, ENGIE will supply O-I facilities in Europe with electricity generated from solar, wind and hydro sources. This transaction will continue to drive green electricity transformation in Europe since ENGIE already supplies O-I with natural gas and electricity in several European countries, as well as energy efficiency services for O-I factories in France. In Mexico and Peru, O-I also sources electricity from ENGIE, while 25% of O-I’s electricity consumption in the United States is supplied by ENGIE with renewable electricity. In a statement, Randy Burn, O-I’s chief sustainability officer, said: “At O-I, our vision is to be the most innovative, sustainable, and chosen supplier of brand-building packaging solutions. While we believe glass packaging is already the most sustainable packaging solution, sustainability at O-I is about more than what we make. … We are striving to increase our global renewable electricity consumption to between 30% and 35% this year.”

Las Vegas-based Drivewyze partnered with San Francisco-based Samsara to streamline the fleet driver’s onboarding experience through its Connected Operations Cloud. As a result, Samsara customers will be able to bypass weigh stations at more than 800 locations in 49 states and provinces, the companies say. Activation is easy and requires no transponders. Drivewyze, now available on Samara’s App Marketplace, enables users to connect their important third-party applications to the platform and unlock a more holistic view of the data in real-time. In addition, subscribers to Drivewyze PreClear weigh station bypass also can activate Drivewyze Safety Notifications, a free service that provides safety notifications for high rollover areas, mountain corridors and low bridges.

Lindsey Trent was named president of the Next Generation in Trucking Association after co-founding the nonprofit in 2021 and serving as the organization’s executive director. Trent assumes the role with more than a decade of experience in the trucking industry, most recently serving as business and customer development manager at Ryder System Inc. Throughout her career, Trent has focused on promoting trucking as a positive career field, introducing young people to the industry and the vast array of opportunities available. “Many students don’t realize they can have a fulfilling, rewarding career in trucking without going into debt,” Trent said in a statement.  “The sky really is the limit for those looking to get involved, and I’m thrilled to be in a position to get that message out to young people across the nation.”

The Association of Plastic Recyclers (APR) launched the APR Global Design Catalog, a comprehensive global design guidance platform on the most current plastic packaging recyclability guidelines for countries and regions around the world. Different countries and regions operate a variety of recycling collection and processing systems and many of them oversee complex extended producer responsibility (EPR) programs that hold manufacturers and suppliers accountable for the end-of-life fate of packaging materials, the association notes. The go-to catalog reference includes guidance from Denmark, EU, France, Germany, Netherlands, South Africa, South Korea, Sweden and UK. It covers recyclability evaluations for rigid PET, rigid HDPE, rigid PP and flexible PE film packaging. Because of the differences in operational recycling systems and EPR requirements among countries, harmonizing design for recyclability across the globe will encourage companies to design more sustainable packaging, the association says.

Toyo Printing Inks Inc., a member of the Tokyo-based Toyo Ink Group, announced that its LP-9000 TOYO Life Premium Food Lo/Lm series of sheetfed offset inks have passed the International Association of the Deinking Industry’s (INGEDE) deinkability criteria according to the European Recovered Paper Council’s scorecard. In addition to being deinkable, LP-9000 ink systems are comprised of plant-based, renewable raw materials and are manufactured in accordance with the European Printing Ink Association guidelines and Good Manufacturing Practices’ (GMP) standards. Available in CMYK, pantone and 12 special spot colors, the low odor LP-9000 series inks are suitable for printing on the non-food contact surface of paper and board used in the packaging of food and other sensitive applications. A maximum score of 100/100 for deinkability means that the inks facilitate enhanced paper recycling while meeting GMP standards, the company says.