Tech Exchange

The incorporation of probiotic bacteria into liquid food or food with high water activity is still a challenge for the functional food industry. The metabolic activity of the lyophilized bacteria, however, is extremely sensitive to the presence of water and oxygen, and a solution must protect...

A silicate-based, lightweight construction system features building blocks that are already covered by insulating material. After the concreting process, the formed, reinforced concrete tissue grid becomes load-bearing. There is no need for applying any subsequent heat or sound insulation.

To achieve exacting performance requirements, “Smittie” technology produces predictable bi-axial or mono-axial orientation in polymer materials. The system eliminates expensive equipment, curbs energy use, reduces the need for highly skilled labor, and shortens setup times.

Macrospray® nozzles produce highly uniform spray patterns and droplet sizes (in the size range of 10-30μm Sauter Mean Diameter/SMD). The nozzles are created from digital tools with the flow features chemically etched into bonded substrates, resulting in a monolithic structure....

A new material offers a lighter weight and at least 30% higher usability strength compared to traditional steel. The equipment necessary for the production of the new technology is identical to equipment used for the manufacturing of conventional steel. It does not require other machinery, and...

A new food-grade heat-seal adhesive is needed for roll-coated film lids. New chemistries must be formulated into a waterbased matrix to seal transparent film onto plastic trays containing food or medical materials. The organization deals primarily with polyester films (APET/CPET) and trays, and containers made from polystyrene...

An organization wants to use less corrugate in its shipping operations. Unique designs or processes must reduce the amount of corrugate material required, while maintaining the same level of protection for the products being shipped. Replacing corrugate with another material may be considered, but the replacement material will...

The Fresh Stripe multi-layer indicator for meats is manufactured or incorporated into packaging using conventional roll-to-roll processes. The polymer layer biodegrades at a predictable rate in the presence of the same hydrolytic bacterial enzymes that degrade meat. As the indicator degrades, it changes...

A new security technology provides a hologram invisible to the naked eye. The tool requires viewing with a prism to discover the holographic image. The product also supplies a primary and complementary hologram for applications where visibility is required or desired. Both approaches offer robust...

An organization seeks one or more bonding agents that can be dispersed into water. When the bonding agents are coated onto a PET film and dried, the coated film should adhere to and seal items made from rigid PE (polyethylene), PP (polypropylene), PS (polystyrene), PVC (polyvinylchloride), and PET (polyester)....

A large manufacturer of consumer products needs an innovative process to make fast-cooking pasta. Cooking time should be reduced by at least 70%, and thickness/texture of the dry product must be the same as that of the reference shape. Ingredients should be suitable for human consumption. The reduction of cooking time and...

Low-cost, flexible diagnostic indicators must be incorporated onto consumer product packaging. The main focus of the technology should be the diagnosis of bad breath; a printable diagnostic strip on a tube of toothpaste, for example, may be a possible solution for quickly identifying halitosis. The client...

To save costs and reduce weight, a company is exploring graphene as a filler for thermoplastic resins. Work to date has shown that graphene dispersion is generally poor in thermoplastics, leading to less than optimal reinforcement properties and darker color. The manufacturer is specifically...

A gauge, which is used in examining the accuracy of a coordinate measuring machine (CMM), enables total calibration of errors and numbers of revisions of the measured values. The accurate calibration is possible for a CMM of any size. Various machines can also be calibrated by...