PERFORMANCE, PACKAGED

Allpax to unveil new Shaka R&D retort at Process Expo this month

Oct 24, 2006

Covington, LA; Chicago, IL - Allpax Products, a division of ProMach, will unveil its new Shaka™ R&D retort this month at the Process Expo tradeshow in Chicago (Booth #6521).

The Shaka™ process is the new in-container sterilization process that has the shelf-stable industry buzzing. Patented and developed by Zinetec Ltd, based in the U.K., the Shaka™ process distinguishes itself from the standard processes of today by reducing sterilization times by up to 95% compared with conventional static retorts. This can improve freshness, color and texture of food significantly. These benefits are achieved by imparting high levels of agitation to containers as they are sterilized, thus generating rapid mixing and heat distribution in the food.

Allpax, a licensed Shaka™ manufacturer, has developed its newest retort system specifically for this breakthrough sterilization process.

"The design challenge of a Shaka retort took months of brainstorming to solve," said Allpax lead design engineer Trae Miller. "Our objective was to produce a retort design which not only delivers the Shaka process on R&D sized machines but one that could also scale up to a production-sized machine and withstand the elevated rigors. The intense G-forces required by Shaka must be handled properly to prevent wear over time. This led us to our vibration-dampening kspring design, which we have been granted patent pending status and will be showcasing at Process Expo."

When asked to comment on the Allpax spring design, Zinetec's Director and father of the Shaka™ process, Richard Walden, commented, "US food companies are urgently seeking out R&D machines, so I am delighted that Allpax is launching this innovative retort. Allpax is well-known for their high quality standards so I was not surprised when they designed their R&D retort with both durability and scalability as primary objectives. I really look forward to seeing their first production machines in 2007."

The Allpax 2402SK Shaka R&D retort will be on display at the Process Expo in Chicago at booth #6521, October 29 through November 2. For more information about Allpax Products retort solutions, contact them at 985-893-9277, info@allpax.com or visit their website at www.allpax.com.

Allpax, a division of ProMach, manufactures a complete range of sterilization and material handling machinery for food, beverage, and pharmaceutical companies. Through three business units and related divisions, ProMach provides equipment, training, installation, and parts in primary packaging, end-of-line packaging, and identification and tracking.

About ProMach

ProMach is a family of best-in-class packaging and processing solution brands serving manufacturers of all sizes and geographies in the food, beverage, pharmaceutical, personal care, and household and industrial goods industries. ProMach brands operate across the entire production line: processing, filling, bottling and capping, decorative labeling, flexibles and trays, pharma, handling and sterilizing, labeling and coding, and robotics and end of line. ProMach also provides systems and integration including turnkey solutions, design/build, engineering services, and productivity software to optimize production line design and deliver maximum uptime.

ProMach designs, manufactures, integrates, and supports the most sophisticated and advanced packaging and processing solutions in the global marketplace. Its diverse customer base, from Fortune 500 companies to smaller, privately-held businesses worldwide, depends on reliable, flexible, technologically advanced equipment and integrated solutions. ProMach is headquartered near Cincinnati, Ohio, with manufacturing facilities and offices throughout North America, Europe, South America, and Asia. For more information about ProMach, visit www.ProMachBuilt.com and for more information on ProMach Careers, visit www.ProMachCareers.com.