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Introducing Mepaco’s Food Processing Facility, The Validation Lab

Mepaco, part of Apache Stainless, is excited to announce the opening of its cutting-edge research and test facility, designed to support the food processing industry. The Validation Lab is equipped with the latest technology and staffed by a dual engineering and processing team dedicated to advancing food science and innovation. Key Features and Capabilities Advanced … Introducing Mepaco’s Food Processing Facility, the Validation Lab

Guide To Screw Conveyor Customization

Mepaco leverages food processing system experience to provide solutions that best meet the demands of the application for optimal performance. Versatile screw conveyors solve many bulk food handling objectives from reduced sanitation costs to enabling 24/7 continuous operation. Articulating / Pivoting Screw ConveyorsScrew Conveyors can be designed with pivoting capabilities with casters or track systems … Guide to Screw Conveyor Customization

Guide To Mepaco Application Engineered Systems

Mepaco provides an application approach to system solutions. Our team listens to your team to understand existing challenges and production goals for a new solution. We also appreciate that operations, engineering, and maintenance personnel have their own set of goals for a new system. We work to exceed your expectations in production, quality, workmanship, design, … Guide to Mepaco Application Engineered Systems

4 Tips To Address Emergency Downtime

Mepaco’s Service Team is often called out on critical downtime situations. The goal for any food processor is to prevent these situations and if they are unavoidable, mitigate the time and cost associated with the breakdown. To start with, here are the top four calls that Mepaco Services receive for emergency support: Broken Shafts Agitators are failing when … 4 Tips to Address Emergency Downtime

When To Leverage Dual Zones In Thermal Jackets For Food Processing

There are various methods to heat and cool food product in cooking equipment. The application will dictate the best combination of methods and configurations ranging from stay-bolt or dimple jacket designs, to injected steam and thermal screw heating options. On equipment solutions that use a heating jacket, a dual zone design may add versatility to … When to Leverage Dual Zones in Thermal Jackets for Food Processing

Infographic – Why Processors Like Mepaco’s Dumping Equipment

Mepaco’s Food Processing customers opt for custom and modifiable dumping equipment features that provide the highest level of personnel and food safety, including: PERSONNEL SAFETY Personnel guarding designed for the entire dump-zone footprint and safety relays that control the e-stop position; and optional pocket door designs that allow for safe fork truck access for loading and unloading. Guards … Infographic – Why Processors like Mepaco’s Dumping Equipment

Column Dumpers – Featuring 60 Degree Dump Angle

Processors should be able to focus on critical operations and not have to worry about auxiliary equipment. That’s what Mepaco’s CD1000 Column Dumper delivers; a Column Dumper that is heavily built, engineered for easy maintenance, built to strict sanitary design standards, and like our processing equipment solutions, modifiable to meet specific production requirements. The animation … Column Dumpers – Featuring 60 degree dump angle

Sanitation And Safety Checklist: Time For A Review?

An equipment safety and sanitation audit can provide direction for implementing improvement procedures and specifying equipment updates that mitigate risk and solve for safety and production goals. Here’s an excerpt from our audit checklist: Are all parts of the equipment readily accessible for inspection, maintenance, sanitation? Is there any evidence of premature wear on parts? Does the … Sanitation and Safety Checklist: Time for a Review?

Quick Upgrades That Increase Production Right Now

1. Pull more out of your grinder Ask your grinder experts about an upgrade kit to address a different plate configuration to increase throughput. If you do not have a level sensor, contact your controls partner to add controls to turn off the grinder before it runs dry. A continuous flow of meat product will … Quick Upgrades that Increase Production Right Now

Ask The Experts – At Process Expo – DP3000 Dumper

Mepaco is exhibiting this week at Process Expo at McCormick Place in Chicago – booth S2024! To promote our event, we are hosting a daily series on Ask the Experts and highlighting the equipment in our booth. Our first video is in the DP3000 Dumper with a tour given by Cory Buchholz.

Proper Operational Procedures Improves Dumper Performance

Depending on the complexity of the equipment and controls, there are a few options for production personnel to learn how to operate the equipment. The manual explains the operation of the equipment and its components. The customer can visit Apache for training and testing or contract with Mepaco Field Services for on-site training. In one example, the production … Proper Operational Procedures Improves Dumper Performance

Polymer Bearings: Mepaco’s Customers Showing Promising Results

With the sophisticated demands in food processing and production, safety and quality, every component within food equipment is critical. Any machinery with moving parts has friction and ‘wear’ issues, and to accommodate most equipment uses a standard bearing. But in applications where the standard bearings compromise food contact areas, Mepaco offers the polymer bearing. Standard … Polymer Bearings: Mepaco’s Customers Showing Promising Results

Ergonomic Stainless Lifts Are Easy To Use

Mepaco offers two models of lifts that meet most manual pallet lift or product lift operations. In the video, Mepaco’s Greg Gruber demonstrates the EZL2500 lift in our manufacturing facility. The EZ4000 Product / Pallet Lift handles up to 4000 lb. loads and raises to any level up to 36 “ for ergonomic comfort. This … Ergonomic Stainless Lifts are Easy to Use

Magnetic Grate: Another Safeguard Against Contaminants

Magnetic grates help to remove ferrous metal contaminants from flowing gravity-fed product streams in processing equipment. In the video demonstration, a pen adheres to the magnetic grate, which is part of a screw elevator system. The grate is also easily cleanable for sanitation with the magnet constructed inside the stainless tube. The magnetic grate in … Magnetic Grate: Another Safeguard Against Contaminants

Automated Samples Saves Down Time

The integration of a Vacuum Sampling System in a Mixer / Blender is an efficient way to take product samples. There is no need for equipment and production stops because the vacuum sampler is automatic and can be delivered at different intervals to provide a true test of product consistency. Compared to manual sampling, the … Automated Samples Saves Down Time

Batch Cooking And Chilling That Tastes Like It Came From Mom’s Kitchen

In the process of manufacturing fruit pie filling, the ThermaBlend™ first cooks the product to 185°F; then cools it to the proper filling temperature of 75°F. The cook step and the chill step take approximately 30 – 40 minutes each, which is critical to maintaining product integrity and reaching the production goals of this application. … Batch Cooking and Chilling that Tastes Like It Came from Mom’s Kitchen

Mepaco’s 170 Mixer-Blender Is An Effective Part Of Any Emulsifying Line

A recent shop floor walk through shows a Mepaco Mixer-Blender discharging into a Pappas Emulsifier. The large chute directs product discharging out of the Mixer-Blender into the cutting head of the emulsifier. Once the product is emulsified to the desired consistency, it can then be transferred to a linker, former or surge vessel. In this … Mepaco’s 170 Mixer-Blender is an Effective Part of any Emulsifying Line

EZL-2500 Wide Wing Lift Provides Flexible Access

The EZL-2500ww (wide-wing) is a low profile lift that can be loaded from the floor level with a pallet jack or fork truck. The wide wing model is designed with the cylinders located under the platform to allow manual operator access from all sides for loading and unloading. This unit is accommodates 42” x 48” … EZL-2500 Wide Wing Lift Provides Flexible Access

Clean-Sweep Surge Loader System Modified For Food Product Flexibility

This surge loader was engineered to accept up to 4000 lbs. of bulk food product with metered delivery to downstream operations. In this design, the hopper is offset from the discharge screw, which allows a “clean sweep” of the agitator against the hopper preventing product bridging. During the FAT (Factory Acceptance Test), 99% of the … Clean-Sweep Surge Loader System Modified for Food Product Flexibility

Food Product Bulk Dumper Equipment Customized For Extreme Sanitation Protocols

Designed and manufactured by Mepaco, this pivot dumper has a high load infeed because of the dump elevation and limited ceiling height available at the customer’s food processing facility. This dumper features a pneumatic combo hold down, with options for additional sanitary surfaces to meet the demands of the caustic and aggressive cleaning procedures. Due … Food Product Bulk Dumper Equipment Customized for Extreme Sanitation Protocols

Screw Conveyor Solves For Fast Cooling While Inclining Bulk Product

Mepaco engineers a solution for metering cooked product to an elevated position while continuously reducing product temperature. This screw conveyor system is equipped with CO2 snow horns and exhaust and can regulate the flow to maintain optimum displacement and temperature control. Having the ability to remove energy during product transfer helps to increase production efficiencies. … Screw Conveyor Solves for Fast Cooling While Inclining Bulk Product

Steam Options On ThermablendTM Cookers Designed To Suit Different Applications

The above illustration shows the direct and indirect steam capabilities that exist with both the single and double agitated ThermaBlend™ batch cookers. In the process of indirect steam heating, steam is injected into the ASME thermal outer jacket and heats the product through conduction. Since there is no added moisture to the product, the potential … Steam Options on ThermablendTM Cookers Designed to Suit Different Applications

Auger Cart Provides Production Efficiencies For Pet Food Manufacturer

Mepaco’s augers and pumping systems eliminate the need for batching by automating product transfers between production processes. The cart highlighted in the photo was customized for a specific bone-in chicken processing application. Due to a stringent plant floor layout, the cart was modified to cover the gear boxes during the product dumping cycle from an … Auger Cart Provides Production Efficiencies for Pet Food Manufacturer

Stainless Meat Vats And Bins Built For Rigorous Use

Mepaco’s stainless steel vats, buggies and troughs are engineered to endure the rigors of continuous use and abuse that exists in meat and food processing production environments. Each unit is designed to meet or exceed the USDA, BISSC, and AMI standards for sanitary design. Mepaco offers custom stainless steel vats built to the customer’s requirements. Our vats … Stainless Meat Vats and Bins Built for Rigorous Use

Dumper Equipment Video And Brochure Updates

Mepaco has recently updated Dumper Equipment information on our website at www.mepaco.net! We have added new videos, photos and brochures on the Dumper web pages. The video link above is a general overview of the types of dumpers that Mepaco manufactures including the HD3000 High Dumper, the LD3000 Lift and Dump, the DP3000 Pivot Dumper … Dumper Equipment Video and Brochure Updates

Side Lift Dumper Provides Alternative Access In Challenging Plant Floor Layout

The Side Load Dumper is typically specified in applications where access is limited due to challenging floor layouts or overhead structures. The DP (pivot) and HD (high) dumper series have the option of loading both “in-line” or from the side. The Side Load Dumper, which can be designed in a left or right-side configuration, delivers … Side Lift Dumper Provides Alternative Access in Challenging Plant Floor Layout

Mepaco’s 11-09 Grinder Reduces Cycle Times And Delivers Low Deviations In Product Quality

Mepaco’s 11-09 Grinder was recently on-display at the Process Expo this past November. As a follow-up to inquiries, here are some highlights of this equipment: 3,000 lb. hopper capacity, based on 50 lbs. per cubic foot 6” schedule 80 shaft piping with 3/4” thick paddle agitation Agitator motor: 7 1/2 HP flange mounted wash down duty … Mepaco’s 11-09 Grinder Reduces Cycle Times and Delivers Low Deviations in Product
Quality

Food Processing Equipment Tests Prove-Out The Most Efficient Production Efficiencies

Mepaco, the food processing group of Apache Stainless Equipment Corporation, has three cookers available for testing as a courtesy to customers. A 50 gal single agitated ThermaBlend Cooker A 75 gal double agitated ThermaBlend Cooker A small continuous cooker The ThermaBlend “batch” Cooker offers a superior thermal processing solution with excellent cooking, cooling and blending … Food Processing Equipment Tests Prove-Out the Most Efficient Production Efficiencies