Fresher Under Pressure News
Avure Technologies Awarded 2005 Frost & Sullivan Award for Technology Leadership
6-27-2005 - Kent, WA - Avure Technologies Inc., a U.S.-based subsidiary of Flow International Corporation (NASDAQ: FLOW), has been awarded Frost & Sullivan's 2005 Technology Leadership Award in the field of emerging food-processing technologies, the company announced today.
Avure received the award in recognition of the company's development of novel ultrahigh-pressure processing technologies, which are helping ensure product safety and enabling longer shelf life. Avure's HPP system has been found to be effective in destroying almost all major food-borne pathogens, including Listeria monocytogenes (Lm).
High Pressure Processing (HPP) has been found to be extremely effective in destroying food-borne pathogens and spoilage organisms. HPP is utilized by leading food producers such as Hormel Foods, Perdue Farms, Avomex, Clearwater Seafoods, Winsom's, Calavo, Motivatit Seafood, Lovitt Farms, Joey Oyster, Jumex, Leahy Orchards and others. HPP gives foods not only a longer shelf life but also preserves foods' nutritional value and organoleptic characteristics such as fresh taste, color and texture.
Avure is a leader in the field of HPP technologies and has commercialized a number of innovative products over the years. Avure's latest innovation is the 215L ULTRA HPP system, which is based on the 'Fresher Under Pressure®' HPP technology. At the core of this system is an innovative pumping system from Flow International. This pumping system integrates highly efficient hydraulics and powerful pressure intensifiers, which help accelerate process steps (pressurization, de-pressurization, as well as system opening and closing). Since less time is lost in and between these steps, cycle times are reduced and processing throughput is increased.
As part of the system, Avure has developed a HPP critical process control Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) system. This system enables efficient control, monitoring and record keeping for multiple units from a central location. Notably, SCADA is compatible with Avure-- or customer--provided automated handling systems.
To meet the challenges of higher cycling rates and ultrahigh pressures, Avure is employing its proprietary Quintus wire-wound presses that are best suited for processes that involve pressures from 400 MPa (58,000 psi) to over 700 MPa (100,000 PSI). The Quintus is a pre-stressing technology that employs the steel wire-winding technique. This technique offers dual benefits: high strength along with a light and compact structure. In some cases 50% weight reduction over other pressure vessel technologies is achievable. In the system, the frames and pressure vessels are wound with pre-stressed steel wire in such a way that even when subjected to maximum pressure, the inner core will still experience only compressive stresses. This helps achieve high fatigue resistance, and fatigue critical crack propagation is virtually eliminated.
Avure is also aggressively working towards developing other kinds of HPP techniques, for instance, high pressure sterilization. In high-pressure sterilization, temperature is used in conjunction with high pressure to destroy spores. In a major research project, funded by the U.S. Department of Defense under the Army Natick Soldier Systems Command's Dual Use Science Technology (DUST) program and a consortium of food companies including Avure, is developing an innovative high pressure sterilization process.
About Avure Technologies Incorporated
Avure Technologies Incorporated is a wholly owned subsidiary of Flow International Corporation. Avure's Fresher Under Pressure HPP technology destroys food-borne pathogens, including Salmonella, E. coli and Listeria, without compromising taste, color, texture or nutritional value. HPP also destroys other organisms that can cause spoilage in fresh foods. For more information, visit www.avure.com.
About Flow International Corporation
Flow International Corporation is the world's leading developer and manufacturer of ultrahigh-pressure waterjet technology for cutting, cleaning, and food safety applications, as well as isostatic and flexform presses. FLOW provides total system solutions for various industries, including automotive, aerospace, paper, job shop, surface preparation, and food production. For more information, visit www.flowcorp.com.
This press release contains forward-looking statements relating
to future events or future financial performance that involve risks and uncertainties.
The words "anticipate," "believe," "plan," "expect,"
"intend," variations of such words and similar expressions identify
forward-looking statements but their absence does not mean that the statement
is not forward-looking.
These statements are only predictions and actual results could differ materially
from those anticipated in these statements based on a number of risk factors,
including those set forth in the April 30, 2002, Flow International Corporation
From 10-K Report filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission.
Forward-looking statements in this press release include, without limitation,
statements regarding Hairington's expectation of the December 2003 installation
of a second system; that commercial users prefer the HPP product; that HPP
will extend the shelf life of onions for months; that retail products are
expected to be introduced over the next six months; and the statement that
HPP technology enables companies to formulate new products with this unique,
premium profile.
Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking
statements that speak only as of the date of this announcement.