APEC Blog

Welcome to the APEC Blog! Your resource for finding insights and equipment solutions for process automation, ingredient handling, weighing and batching, and more. Whether you’re an animal or pet food manufacturer, working in the food production industry, or another manufacturing industry, we cover a wide range of topics to help improve efficiencies, maintain quality, and solve your production challenges.

With a variety of different blog types, we have the resources to support manufacturers looking to streamline operations, reduce downtime, and stay ahead of industry trends. Check out our latest articles below.

7 Tips to Maintain GMP for Food Safety in Manufacturing

October 1, 2019 Uncategorized
Good manufacturing practices (GMP) help to reduce risk and prevent illness and injury throughout the supply chain. CFR Title 21 Part 110 lays out GMP for food safety in manufacturing, covering a range of activities from packaging to processing to storage and more. In some…
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7 Most Common Foodborne Illness Risks in Your Food Processing Plant

September 10, 2019 Food Processing
A variety of bacteria and viruses, including Norovirus, Salmonella, Clostridium perfringens, E. coli, and Campylobacter, among others, can infect food, causing thousands of illnesses and deaths every year. These pathogens can hide in many different materials, usually originating from infected water or soil. The sheer…
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8 FSMA Food Safety Risks Processors and Manufacturers Must Know

August 15, 2019 Food Processing
The Food Safety and Modernization Act (FSMA) created stricter food safety rules for farmers, growers, and food processors of all kinds. Compliance means preventing or dramatically reducing the chance of contamination, while non-compliance can result in FDA fines, consumer illnesses, and legal battles. Process design,…
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Hermetically Sealed Load Cells Explained

June 25, 2019 Engineer's Guide
Though they’re often used in highly durable scales and heavy equipment, load cells themselves are somewhat delicate, and can easily be damaged by surrounding elements. This is what makes hermetic sealing so important. Hermetically sealed load cells are air- and water-tight, protecting the delicate measurement…
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8 Advantages of Capacitive Digital Load Cells

May 22, 2019 Engineer's Guide
In our previous post, we discussed problems engineers and scale dealers often face when working with traditional strain gauge scales and load cells, and solutions that can improve accuracy and durability. In many cases, utilizing capacitive digital load cells can help to avoid problems posed…
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5 Strain Gauge Scale Problems and Solutions

May 12, 2019 Engineer's Guide
Load cells are essential devices used in many processing systems, though we seldom think about them. Only when the load cell malfunctions and the strain gauge scale is inaccurate do we think about the workings behind the measurement.   When it comes to measuring ingredients–from…
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Improving Accuracy in Automated Processing Systems: Improving Process Design

April 23, 2019 Engineer's Guide
For automated processing to work in any industry, from food processing to chemical processing to pharmaceuticals and more, ingredients must be weighed accurately. In our previous post, we explained how to choose a load cell and scale instrument that works best for your mix. In…
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Improving Accuracy in Automated Processing Systems: Finding the Right Load Cell

April 9, 2019 Engineer's Guide
Automated systems have made food, pharmaceutical and chemical processing systems faster and more efficient. An important part of this process is the accurate weighing of ingredients. As ingredients have become more concentrated, the importance for highly accurate scales has increased. The challenge for many engineers…
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5 Ways to Improve Feedlot Efficiency Through Automation

March 5, 2019 Animal Feed
There are many factors affecting feedlot efficiency that operators cannot control. This makes the factors that operators can control even more important. Automation technology is one way that feedlot operators are finding ways to improve efficiency. With the right strategy and the right equipment, you…
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11 Super Sack Handling Precautions to Prevent Injuries

January 22, 2019 Engineer's Guide
The increased use of super sacks in feed and pet food processing has saved operators hours in time, reduce costs, and helped to dramatically improve efficiency. A one-ton bulk bag (AKA super sack, flexible intermediate bulk container or FIBC) can take the place of forty…
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