Meat+Poultry - April 2017 - 86

PA C K A G I N G S O L U T I O N S

WITT's Leak Master
series leak detection
machines offer both
water submersion
and CO2 detection.

Linde began working with
the technology that would
become the MAPAX LD
five to 10 years ago.

"Both technologies
offer a quick ROI as leaks
can either shut down a
production line causing
loss of thousands of
dollars," Bell says. "Or
worse, a recall of the
product."
The return on
investment from Linde's
new system comes in three
different areas, and it can
come in less than a year,
according to DiMaggio.
"It's a redeployment of labor, it's the cost of
reworking/repackaging product and then the
cost of just wasted product."
He goes on to explain, "First, you're
finding that there is an adulteration in a
lot, and then taking that lot, removing the
packaging and reworking it. The second
is the cost of returns. If it's gotten into the
marketplace and you're getting returned
product, you're not going to rework that
product, that's a total loss."
The third area of cost pertains to the
quality control personnel devoting time and
labor to overseeing and maintaining the
integrity of packaging and whether or not it
has leaks.
"This is a technology that creates significant
value if you just take the $250,000 worth of net
annualized savings per line," DiMaggio says.
That is a conservative estimate according to
Linde's research and market intelligence, based
on wasted product from less efficient leak
detection methods.

EVOLUTION

86

MEAT+ POULTRY | 04.17 | www.meatpoultry.com

Photos: (top left) Witt Gas Controls LP; (bottom left) Linde LLC

The MAPAX LD leak detection system is
Linde's first foray into the
smaller hydrogen molecule
for MAP leak detection.
DiMaggio believes it's
just the beginning for this
technology and it will
continue to improve over
time. With packaging's
importance for the shelf
life and food safety aspects
that continue to gain
ground with consumers,
MAP and those in the

industry who develop and offer it will continue
to evolve.
"We elected, because what we thought
would be a greater performance as it relates
to accuracy, to utilize hydrogen and base all
of our innovation and statutory intellectual
property around hydrogen," DiMaggio says.
"I see this as really the foray into continued
online, real-time, 100 percent analysis and I
think it's going to save the industry millions of
dollars and hopefully translate to consumers
as well."
With no definitive plan for specific projects
to improve upon the first version of the
technology, DiMaggio says evolution of these
products just happens over time in natural and
organic ways. Enhancing existing products
means just as much to Linde as bringing new
products to market. "This is a brand-new
product, and I fully expect it to evolve,"
DiMaggio says.
Linde is making the new product available
to food processors across the industry.
Interested parties don't need to be Linde
MAPAX gas customers to install the system.
The company believes the value of the leak
detection system should be available to
anyone in the industry and wants it to benefit
consumers as well.
"We believe that with a technology such
as this, the value creation is not solely for
the processor, but it's for the consumer, too,"
DiMaggio says. "We are a Responsible Care
company, and if we can help create safer food
for the consumer, we should be doing that. The
industry as a whole has been very collaborative
since the mid-90s on food safety, and we take
part in this effort as well."
Bell acknowledges the growth of and
evolution of the trace gas testing method and
notes the advantages and disadvantages of new
technology. "Both helium and hydrogen have
been explored as other trace gases due to their
low density," he says. "Smaller leaks would be
detected quicker, but addition and detection of
these gases is much more expensive.
"Alternative technologies to water vacuum
testing and trace gas detection may perhaps be
the method in the future as many processors
are looking at 100 percent testing. Due to the
methods used today, 100 percent testing is not
possible due to either the techniques used or
the speed of tests."
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Meat+Poultry - April 2017

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