Thermo Fisher Scientific focuses on weighing and inspection systems for the food, beverage and pharmaceutical industries.

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Thomas Kibwage, global operations director for the weighing and inspection business of Thermo Fisher Scientific, says its customers in the food processing industry depend on quality equipment for maximum uptime and throughput. “For example, some of our customers keep their lines running 24 hours a day,” he says. “If the production line stops, the downtime could cost thousands in lost productivity or product rework, so our equipment must be high-quality, durable and reliable.”   

Thermo Fisher Scientific is the world leader in serving science.  With annual sales of $10 billion, it employs 30,000 people and serves more than 350,000 customers within many markets, including pharmaceutical and biotech companies, as well as environmental and industrial process control settings.

Kibwage’s business unit focuses on weighing and inspection systems for the food, beverage and pharmaceutical industries, as well as products used for bulk weighing and monitoring of commodity products for the mining and power markets. “We work hard to design and produce the highest quality products for each of the many markets we are in,” he adds.

“Each Thermo Fisher Scientific product goes through an in-depth design and process validation prior to release, and we establish key partnerships with suppliers based on quality and consistency,” he says. “We also have an extensive service and support network trained to install, maintain and repair our equipment according to the requirements of our customer accounts.
“Our customers have very stringent requirements in terms of service, quality and delivery,” he adds. “Obviously we don’t want customers to experience downtime, and we work very hard to produce top-quality products, which provide the best value and lowest cost of ownership for our customers – that’s how we differentiate ourselves.”

Global Manufacturing
The company has manufacturing facilities throughout the world. All facilities are committed to producing quality products through the application of continuous improvement and employee involvement, Kibwage says.    

“Logistically, finding the most direct path from factory to customers is required to [continue] the high level of service our customers count on,” he says. “Global manufacturing allows us to produce products to meet regional demands in the most cost-effective manner, which enables us to be competitive. The key benefits of global manufacturing include the ability to reduce lead times and manufacturing costs, and to develop regional market intimacy.

“The challenges of global manufacturing include managing information and documentation and supply chain requirements. Our highly talented and committed employees are critical to our success in addressing these challenges.”

New Products
The company strives to work closely with customers to tailor products to their needs. “We are very engaged with customers,” Kibwage says. “New ideas and information are used by R&D to enhance our existing product lines and in the development of new products.

“A lot of work goes into enhancing existing products, such as ensuring their continued reliability and performance,” he says. “Many of the markets we serve are mature, so it is critical that we continuously improve current products and accelerate our new product development.”

Thermo Fisher Scientific recently introduced several new products, including:

• Thermo Scientific VersaWeigh 300 – A high speed, in-line weighing system for packaged products such as bread, cereal and snacks.
• Thermo Scientific APEX – A metal detector for the food processing industry. This system allows customers to detect metal contaminants – e.g., metal fragments from processing equipment, foil or any other metallic contaminants in packaged food to ensure food safety and quality.
• Thermo Scientific EZx – This X-ray machine, used primarily in the food production industry, detects dense foreign objects, such as glass, stone or calcified bone in packaged products.

Company History
The weighing and inspection business unit began as Ramsey Engineering when it was founded in 1953. It was acquired by Thermo Electron in 1994. “After Thermo Electron acquired the company, it opened up the doors for new customer bases, portfolios and complementary products,” Kibwage explains.

In November 2006, Thermo Electron merged with Fisher Scientific to form Thermo Fisher Scientific. Kibwage predicts food safety will continue to be an important part of the company. “With the increased amount of processed food, and the globalization of our food supply, there are many opportunities for product inspection systems to ensure food safety and high quality products for the consumer,” he says. “We are committed to continue to bring our customers new products that enable them to make the world healthier, cleaner and safer.”