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Schmalz News
Packed intact
48 percent of food in Germany ends up in the bin instead of in the shopping bag. They are damaged or contaminated during processing, for example. Gentle and hygienic handling solutions can reduce these losses. Important here: the right design and material.
Around twelve million tonnes of food are disposed of in Germany every year . This is the result of the study "Food Waste in Germany - Baseline 2015", which was conducted by the Johann Heinrich von Thünen Institute (TI) together with the University of Stuttgart in 2019. The client was the Federal Ministry of Food and Agriculture (BMEL).
Private households in Germany account for a good half of the food disposed of. Second place goes to the food processing industry: 2.2 million tonnes per year end up in the garbage because products are damaged or contaminated during production, transfer or packaging. Yet more than half of this food would still have been edible. J. Schmalz GmbH is also making a contribution to more sustainability in the area of food production and packaging. The supplier of vacuum and handling technology aims to develop solutions that make processes more efficient, but also more sustainable.
"Vacuum technology has become an indispensable part of today's food industry. Our grippers are FDA-compliant and prevent damage and contamination when sorting, separating or transferring products," says Dr. Maik Fiedler, head of the Vacuum Automation and Vacuum Handling business units at J. Schmalz GmbH. One example is the OFG, which was launched at the end of 2020. It consists of four slim silicone fingers that open with pressure and close with vacuum. The orientation of the fingers is variable, so that centric or parallel gripping is possible both inwards and outwards. Due to their narrow design, even small products can be placed tightly. From apples and donuts to chicken thighs and sushi - the OFG finger gripper is so universal that it is ideal for use in automated systems that process different products.
For crumb monsters and chocolate lovers
If the task is clearly defined from the outset, Schmalz supplies the right suction pad directly: The SFG handles dry baked goods such as cookies or wafers with the appropriate suction pad without any problems, despite their highly structured surfaces. It generates a high suction power and only a low vacuum - after all, the cookie should end up whole in the packaging. Its soft and flexible lip seals when gripping and cushions well when depositing. The bell-shaped SPG praline gripper picks up confectionery products in particular gently and precisely - regardless of whether they are round, square or oval. Its extremely thin sealing lip also optimally grips pralines decorated with almond slivers, hazelnut brittle or a coffee bean. At the same time, its large nominal flow rate compensates for any leakage in the case of strongly structured chocolates.
Another speciality from Glatten is the round bellows suction pad FG-X. Its steep, conical sealing lip reliably fixes eggs of different sizes. The equally steep bellows ensures maximum stroke immediately after contact with the food and then compresses completely. This increases the transverse stability when transporting the eggs from the belt into the carton. "Even though the egg gripper is an exotic item in our range, it is actually frequently requested and used," Dr. Fiedler tells us. "This speaks for our concepts, which ensure safe and damage-free transport of even sensitive goods in the processing process. So with our special grippers and universal solutions, we contribute to economical and at the same time sustainable production."
Contamination undesirable
Schmalz pursues three goals when developing its suction pads for foodstuffs. They must not damage the goods when they are picked up, moved or placed down. The handling processes must be highly dynamic and efficient, and the grippers must meet the current hygiene regulations in terms of design and material. These are specified by the FDA (Federal Drug Administration) and the EU: Materials that have direct contact with food must not release any ingredients into it, or only in concentrations that are harmless to humans. Schmalz complies with the stricter FDA specifications and relies exclusively on silicone, which does not contaminate food thanks to its temperature and chemical resistance.
Depending on the application, additives expand the function. The SI-MD version, for example, features detectable silicone: a small amount of metal oxide causes metal detectors to strike if the suction cup gets into the tray, for example. Its blue coloration is also striking, making it more visible to cameras and humans. "This is a possible way to prevent food contamination," says Dr. Fiedler. Behind the SI-HD abbreviation is a particularly wear-resistant and temperature-resistant silicone. The white food-compliant SI-HD suction cups handle highly abrasive goods and have twice the service life of normal silicone suction cups.
A question of topography
In addition to the material, the design also plays an important role. "Our grippers handle sensitive workpieces in many different industries - from the electrical industry to solar cell production. Unlike printed circuit boards or wafers, food can leave residues on the suction cups. It must therefore be possible to remove these as quickly and easily as possible," explains Dr. Fiedler. Hygienic design includes all design measures that make components and systems suitable for cleaning. In practice, this looks like this: The base body of the OFG finger gripper is made of the thermoplastic PET-P (polyethylene terephthalate), fingers and sealing rings are made of silicone and the screws are made of stainless steel. The pneumatic connection is also hygienically designed - all connection points such as screw connections, where metal meets metal, are sealed smoothly with sealing elements on the outside. This prevents microorganisms from settling. "In the hygienic design lies another key to preventing food losses in production. If the grippers are easy to clean, we minimize the risk of contaminating the products with bacteria or particles," clarifies Dr. Fiedler.
The Hygienic Design also has other economic and ecological advantages: The faster and easier the cleaning, the shorter the downtimes and the less cleaning agents and water are used. "Sustainability is part of our company philosophy. With our grippers and gripping systems, we support our customers in resource-saving management and contribute to the reduction of avoidable food waste," Dr. Fiedler sums up.
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