Most of us would likely not buy or lease a new car without giving it a quick test-drive to see how we feel in it.  In Industrial automation however, this level of confidence in a purchasing decision is frequently unavailable.  Equipment is often customized and there is rarely an opportunity to run it in a customer’s facility prior to a purchasing decision.  This has changed with ARBO’s in-plant testing option for the ARBO/S.A.S line of electrostatic coating equipment.

The coating of foods in an enrobing drum is a process that we have effectively improved with a combination of ARBO feeders, vibratory trays, and the S.A.S line of electrostatic coating systems for powder coating of foods.  This combined system can be retrofitted quickly and easily onto an existing enrober within a couple of hours. In addition, production tests are run within the customers operating environment.  This allows for purchasing decisions to be made with the confidence derived from a long and satisfactory “test drive”.

ARBO has completed dozens of these “test drives” at facilities which manufacture a range of products from potato chips, extruded snacks, frozen vegetables, cheeses, peanuts, almonds, naan chips and many others.  The results of the tests are analyzed carefully with the customers production and Quality Assurance staff and have created an environment where purchasing decisions are made with the confidence of having had tested the benefits of our equipment in the very production environment into which they are installed.

Testing is not free, as equipment and ARBO personnel have to travel to the customer’s facility.  However, the costs of the tests are reasonable and a portion of the test fees are credited against a purchase price.  This method of evaluating equipment in production environments has been extremely beneficial to both parties as it helps sell our equipment and helps our customers make a solid purchasing decision with an onsite proof-of-concept opportunity.