JBS USA to acquire facility in Minnesota

Will initially lease site from J&B Group

Dec 3rd, 2019

JBS USA is set to lease J&B Group, Inc.’s value-added meat processing facility in Pipestone, MN. JBS is planning to buy the facility, which was scheduled for closure this month, for an undisclosed amount. The purchase will save more than 130 jobs.

JBS USA

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Reports Say Tyson, Other Processors to Replace Meat Cutters with Robots

The ongoing food and beverage manufacturing industry labor crisis combined with the pandemic is behind the need for more automation, including robotics.

ACC Announces Smart Start Program

Automated Control Concepts (ACC) announces a new initiative—Smart Start—designed to help manufacturers begin the journey to digital transformation and information-based decision-making.

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Packaging Robotics Playbook

This new playbook from Packaging World showcases the trends, case studies, and how-to tips to help you make the best possible robot purchasing and application decisions for your operation.

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OMAC To Develop Remote Interface Guidelines

OMAC, The Organization for Machine Automation and Control, has formed a Workgroup to be comprised of end users and service providers to create a comprehensive best-practices handbook for remote monitoring services.

City Brewery upgraded two existing canning lines and installed a third canning line at its Latrobe, Penn., plant, boosting its production capacity to 48 million cases annually.

City Brewery Triples Production Capacity

The co-manufacturer upgraded its canning lines in six months with controllers, AC drives, and HMI software to quickly and nimbly accommodate changing consumer tastes as well as optimize operational efficiency.

Emerson Adds Augmented Reality for Asset Management

This summer’s update to Plantweb Optics will include augmented reality capabilities to help users locate troublesome assets and correct issues with the aid of experts via real-time collaboration.

Bosch’s new ‘Manufacture #LikeABosch’ campaign playfully shows how digitalization is improving production and logistics.

Bosch Updates Industry 4.0 Software to Digitalize Manufacturing

Along with its launch of the second release of the Nexeed Industrial Application System, Bosch has rolled out a ‘Manufacture #LikeABosch’ campaign to raise awareness for industrial digitalization.

Dynatrol G Series Level Switches

Level Switches Require No Adjustments and Have No Moving Parts

Are easy to install and virtually wear free

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Noosa Yoghurt Cuts Downtime, Product Loss With Valve Upgrade

The TrueClean CIP’able air blow check valve from Central States Industrial enabled the yogurt maker to save hours of downtime and many pounds of product every week, with an expected savings of $350,000 a year.

Balluff Media Contacting Temperature Sensors

Temperature Sensors Help Maintain Correct Fluid Viscosity

Improve process quality and machine performance

Beckhoff Ep7402 Ether Cat Box Compact Controller

Motor Controller Reduces Cabling Requirements and Equipment Footprint

Does not require a protective enclosure

Why Conveyance Technologies Remain an Industry Lynchpin

Conveyor technology is no longer just about moving goods and components back and forth. Automation advances are transforming it into a core aspect of production strategy.

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Inspecting Liquids and Solids with Vision Systems

Understanding the different components that comprise a vision system and how they can be used for different inspection applications is critical to justifying an investment in vision technology.

Technology Matters: Remote Access, Virtual Workforce Training, and Functional Machine Safety

A review of automation technology developments recently covered by Automation World to help you stay on top of what’s happening in the world of industrial automation.

Skf Pulse Android

Bluetooth Sensor and Mobile App Simplifies Machine Monitoring

Allows prediction of machinery issues before operations are impacted

FDT IIoT Server (FITS) Architecture

FDT Group Releases Data Exchange Standard for Next-Gen Automation

The new FDT 3.0 standard and developer toolkits are secure, scalable and platform-independent, enabling remote access to device and network data across the enterprise without PLC/DCS host intervention.

A sophisticated system allows Smucker to add pack sizes without major impacts to the line.

Fast-Track Fulfillment of a Frozen Food Favorite

Now better positioned to keep up with yearly double-digit growth of its popular Uncrustables line, The J. M. Smucker Company creates a highly automated facility that boasts the largest single baking line in the world.

Bosch Rexroth’s ctrlX Automation platform features open software architecture, a wide choice of programming language options, and app-based functionality.

Bosch Rexroth Reinvents Automation

The automation supplier went back to the drawing board to create ctrlX Automation, a software-driven open automation platform that provides flexibility and scalability through app-based functionality.

Swift 1011 Universal Bridge

Power Over Ethernet Bridge Withstands Washdowns and Wet Manufacturing Processes

Eliminates the need for additional hardwiring

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World's First Outer Loop Control IC Released For Brushless DC and DC Brush Motors

Juno Outer Loop Control IC integrates a novel outer loop control function with velocity control and current control functions for 3-phase Brushless DC and DC Brush motors.

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Near-Term Technology Expansion in the Food and Beverage Industries

Remote access and robotics are two areas in the Food and Beverage industries that are poised to see some growth moving into 2021, though the industries as a whole are expected to contract.

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Weighing Module

The Siwarex WP351 module is Siemens’ newest solution for intelligent weighing automation for a wide range of applications in pharmaceutical, food and beverage, chemical, and steel industries.

Allpax Automated Basket Shuttle

Shuttle Offers Faster, Safer Loading and Unloading

Telescoping loader/unloader eliminates the need for a powered conveyor inside a retort.

Image-based scanners are displacing standard laser scanners, providing the capability to read 2D barcodes, which can be much smaller than traditional barcodes. Photo courtesy of Cognex.

New Technologies Feed the Hunger for Information

Trying to keep up with productivity, quality, safety, sustainability, and other industry demands, food and beverage plants are turning increasingly to the innovations found in today’s sensor instrumentation.

IO-Link Connects the Food and Beverage Industry

The proliferation of digital protocols has made it easier for producers to get the information they need from their instrumentation. Sensor suppliers explain why IO-Link is gaining particular traction.

A3 Webinar Covid Robotics Panel2

COVID-19 Brings Increased Visibility to the Role of Robotics

Presidents and CEOs of Fanuc, Universal Robots, Fetch, and Schunk discuss how robotics and automation are helping manufacturers through the pandemic and what the lasting effects might be.

According to a McKinsey report: The broken rung results in more women getting stuck at the entry level and fewer women becoming managers.

Women in the Workforce - Fixing the Broken Rung

A five-year McKinsey study reveals a focus on culture, diversity, and even automation as ways to help advance women’s careers across all industries, including manufacturing.

Emerson Announces May 1 Deadline for 2020 ASCO Engineering Scholarships

Emerson is reminding U.S. engineering students of the May 1 deadline to apply for its 2020 ASCO Engineering Scholarship Program.

A Data-Driven Industrial Marketplace Pushes Plant Optimization

Zira has taken a different approach to data analytics, showing food and beverage producers how to better recognize opportunities and prioritize actions.

Ensuring Mobile Device Safety and Security for Industrial Use

In this episode of the 'Automation World Gets Your Questions Answered' podcast series, we connect with David Hoysan of Phoenix Contact to understand how manufacturing and processing companies should address the safety and security of mobile devices.

IoT Adoption: Before and After COVID-19

New survey data from the Eclipse Foundation on Internet of Things technology adoption provides an interesting pre-pandemic outlook on the digital transformation of industry—an outlook that could change significantly over the next year.

Microsoft's Power Platform is designed to democratize advanced analytics, bringing the technology to companies of all sizes.

Understanding Analytics Software for Industry

From knowing the difference between basic and advanced analytics to applying the technology to address operations ranging from production to human resources, understanding analytics is fast becoming critical to the manufacturing and processing industries.