Issue link: https://read.dmtmag.com/i/491350
54 STiR tea & coffee industry international depending on model," he said. Dimen- sions of the low output machine are only 6'x6'x10'(H) including operators guard. "The machine really doesn't occupy much space at coffee roasting plant. The FS200 is controlled with an Allen-Bradley Programmable Logic Controller (PLC); is very easy to operate and maintain and allows for easy and quick changeovers," he said. Punching and sealing is done in a single step with Rychiger's one-stroke inside-cut technology. "The FS200 is the perfect solution for a roasting plant that roasts approxi- mately 1 million pounds of coffee beans per year," he said. "Environmental friendliness is a sub- ject of growing importance," observes Optima's Erb. There are several ap- proaches, he explains. One is to reduce the number of materials used. Replac- ing aluminum barrier layers with plastic materials with the same properties is one example. This allows better recyclability. "Another approach is to manufacture products that can be separated into two components by the consumer. One com- ponent could be recycled and the other goes to waste. This saves some of the ma- terial and reduces waste," he said. "Convenience is not limited to the product itself – offering more convenient packaging is a growing factor in market success. The standard for coffee pads is a pouch. These can be damaged when opening and are not re-closable," he said. "Optima's SoftCan is rigid packaging made of film. It is re-closable and easily collapsed after use to save space," he said. There are also marketing advantages, he said, "a nice looking SoftCan is often placed beside the brewer in the kitchen instead of inside the cupboard." Small footprint easy-to-operate coffee filling machines like this Rychiger FS200 are idea for smaller roasters. This small capacity filling and sealing machine from Rychiger AG (FS200) process- es 5,400 cups per hour and makes quick work of change-overs.