Consumer demand for artisanal baked goods and better-for-you snacks are making new laminators and sheeters must-have equipment for many manufacturers.

Processing Technologies International will invest $10 million in its Illinois headquarters in response to growing demand for its sheet extrusion equipment.

While all of the content that we put forth generates interest, the most-read articles from 2015 point to top industry interests and trends.

Growing consumer demand for better-for-you, gluten-free and innovative baked goods and snacks continues to drive bakers and snack manufacturers to explore new ingredients and formulations. It’s also prompting them to re-examine their equipment needs, as they discover that their existing machinery may not be able to efficiently handle today’s in-demand products. For some manufacturers, a new extruder may be just the ticket.

Handtmann has announced the appointment of Christian Strohm and Sean Gorman to bakery sales specialist positions in Canada and the U.S.

The puffed and extruded snack segment combines the best elements of tradition and forward-thinking better-for-you innovation.

The collective puffed, popped, pellet and extruded snack segment continues to see positive sales activity and a strong level of product innovation.

The Honey Fruit Bar uses a combination of raisin paste, honey, rolled oats and cookie flour to deliver a great tasting meal replacer with a health halo.

Snack manufacturers are looking to build in healthfulness through the use of raw materials, including vegetables and fruit, as well as cleaner ingredient profiles with more protein and fiber.

A new generation of extrusion equipment for the food industry has been launched by Baker Perkins.

SNAXPO18, taking place March 12-14 in Atlanta at the Georgia World Congress Center, is a must-attend event for anyone working in today’s snack food industry.

Hygienic design, quicker changeovers, reduction of maintenance time, improved cooling ability and the modularity and flexibility to run more-diverse products-sometimes with exotic raw materials that need gentler processing-are the top-of-mind issues for customers of extrusion equipment.

Egan Food Technologies, a confectionery and baking process equipment manufacturer and service provider, will unveil at Pack Expo a new four-roll co-extruder featuring a design that significantly reduces product changeover and cleaning times.

The new high-performance co-extruder from GEA is designed to simultaneously deposit two different types of dough, plus a third, fluid filling.

The soft-dough and cookies sector of the biscuit market comprises a wide-ranging family of products.

Customers of machines that handle puffing and extruding of snack and bakery products are focused on accommodating protein- and plant-based inclusions, hygienic design and rapid cleaning, speed and quick changeovers, better integrated controls, easy data extraction, and smaller machines that can produce specialized batches.

Flexibility, greater sanitation, gentle handling of ingredients, quicker changeovers, more precise weight control, and the ability to make products with healthier ingredients are top of mind features and benefits for snack and bakery customers of extrusion equipment and technology.

Baker Perkins has exploited innovative technology to improve process control, performance and hygiene on all the units in its Co-Ex Master co-extrusion systems, which create high-value products by adding a center filling into a cereal outer.

Snack and bakery companies looking at new or improve extrusion equipment to create puffed and popped snacks, bakery items like nutrition bars, and other types of SKUs have features and benefits like cleanability, flexibility, and remote support high on their list of considerations, according to companies that make extrusion equipment.

Snack and bakery producers are demanding more features than ever from extrusion equipment.

The new and improved AGELESS provides a timely packaging solution for customers navigating the PFAS regulatory landscape.

Motion Controls Robotics' Collaborative, End of Line Palletizer can be used with multiple lines without extended downtime or setup costs.

Thanks to manufacturing improvements to its standard plated paddle agitator, Marion can speed up lead times on its popular 30-inch diameter and smaller-sized horizontal mixers.

Georgia-based HRS Heat Exchangers has been awarded the American 3-A Sanitary Standards approval for two of its key heat exchanger models for food and beverage use.

Delkor will introduce its new Corrugated Case Former/Erector at Gulfood Manufacturing in the Dubai World Trade Center, November 7–9 in Hall 4, stand E4-15.

The TheiaVu E-Series is a standalone vision inspection system that collects measurements of features of many types of baked goods, such as buns, rolls, English muffins, doughnuts, cookies, and more.

The space-saving design of the  high-output horizontal wrapper makes it ideal for facilities with limited floor space or those seeking to expand packaging throughput in existing production environments. 

RemoteMD enables Key service technicians to securely connect to a customer’s sorter for real-time remote monitoring, as well as technical support.

Paxiom has announced the installation of its turn-key bulk nut packaging system, designed to streamline the packaging process for peanuts and ensure freshness and efficiency at every step.

The Coperion line of ZSK Mv PLUS high efficiency extruders have been upgraded to include options for easier clean design to meet the highest standards of hygiene, ideal for the processing of food products.

CleanTech Evo is an automated handwashing station clinically proven to remove more than 99.9% of pathogens with each hand wash.

The solution is reportedly set to redefine standards in food safety and production efficiency within the food processing industry.

The new bulk weigh filling machine is the first to integrate an in-line metal detector between the filling process and weigh bucket. 

SPRE drums are now optimized to meet the stringent requirements of food processing, ensuring the purity and safety of food products.

The case packer is enhanced by the brand's patented corrugated warp correction technology. 

Key debuts new conveyor solutions to help processors streamline operations and reduce labor.

The SiftAI Smart Table from Smart Vision Works, a KPM Analytics brand, promises better contaminant detection and product grading.  

All Bradman Lake machinery has been specifically designed to meet today’s packaging challenges, improving flexibility and efficiency to increase profitability. 

Producers can maximize floor space and cost savings by combining the capabilities of Fortress metal detectors and checkweighers into a robust integrated system.

The new laminator is said to offer a smaller footprint, flexibility, and easier sanitation and maintenance.

On exhibit at PACK EXPO will be the company's Thiele UltraStar G2 Bagger, Hayssen R300 Flow Wrapper, and OpView HMI.

The unit reportedly allows any existing vertical form fill seal (VFFS) bagger to be converted from traditional pillow-style bags to reclosable zipper bags. 

The X52 is designed to meet the demands of challenging applications in packaged products.

The company’s integrated lines provide solutions from system design and simulation to machine selection, all the way through FAT testing and installation.

Wraparound case packers are used for their ability to provide a high level of protection and stability for packaged products, says the brand.

The item is suitable for snack and bakery manufacturing, as well as other production environments.

The high-capacity system identifies and removes undesirable product defects and foreign material (FM) such as shells, shell fragments, rocks, and wood sticks.

Econocorp will be unveiling the newest addition to its line of secondary packaging machinery, the Spartan M-Pro cartoning machine, at PACK EXPO this year.

In partnership with System Square, Prospection Solutions is set to unveil its dual-energy x-ray inspection system at PACK EXPO from November 3–6, in Chicago.

The ADVANCE generation of Fagor Industrial ovens has one of the widest ranges of ovens on the market in terms of sizes and features, including the choice of gas or electric for all sizes and options.