Packaging operation

H&P Insights: Actuators for Food and Beverage; Supplying the Recovery; Play Ball!

April 5, 2021
A review of the day’s top trending stories from Hydraulics & Pneumatics editors.

Right Electric Actuator for Hygienic Applications

The equipment standards that need to be met by food and beverage manufacturers are understandably stringent, which puts component manufacturers in this sector in the position to developed solutions that meet both performance and hygiene standards.

As a Hydraulic & Pneumatics story notes this week, machine designers can meet manufacturer expectations and comply with food safety standards by applying three best practices for specifying electric actuators for F&B processing equipment. These principles create open, clean-in-place designs that reduce the risk of bacterial contamination and improve overall machine cleanliness. Along with following these best practices, it is always a good idea to consult with EHEDG, USDA or appropriate governing agencies to ensure a design complies with current regulations.

Supplying the Recovery

In January 2009, the Institute for Supply Management’s monthly PMI index plummeted to 34.5%. That is more than 30% below the index’s growth level of 50% for manufacturing and reflected the impact the Great Recession had on the sector.

Manufacturing steadily grew out of that chasm, and for the next decade the index and the economy continued on a growth pattern. The impact of the pandemic in the summer of 2020 ended that streak when the PMI fell to 41.7% in June 2020.

Again, manufacturing has rebounded. The monthly PMI Index for March was at 64.7%, the highest level in nearly 30 years. Economists and industry leaders who make up the PMI panel said that the only thing holding manufacturing from record growth is employment and supplies. Both were dramatically impacted by the pandemic, and both are constraining even further growth. Some of the improvement in the supply chain and the employment picture can be driven by federal economic policy, but it also should be an individual initiative to change your operation to find ways to address these constraints.

Baseball is Back!

The start of baseball is the surest harbinger of spring, and a return to warmth, sunshine and summer’s fun. After a truncated season a year ago, the anticipation for a full season with some fans to start is makes this particular season one of the most anticipated in many years.

One way the game has changed in the last 20 years is the rapid growth of advanced analytics that has fundamentally changed the way we see baseball.

As Hydraulics & Pneumatics noted this week, baseball’s data analytics boom closely parallels what is happening in manufacturing—right down to changing strategies based on data and adapting your operations to maximize performance and improve maintenance.

About the Author

Bob Vavra | Senior Content Director, Power & Motion and Machine Design

Bob Vavra is the Senior Content Director of Power & Motion and its sister publication Machine Design. Vavra has had a long career in publishing, media and events. He has covered all aspects of manufacturing for the past 20 years and is a regular attendee at events such as IMTS and Hannover Messe. Vavra is also a sought-after webcast moderator and event emcee, and has presided over events in the U.S., Germany and China. 

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