More and more stores request that their coffee orders be shipped with four different roasts on one pallet. In order to meet this demand Löfbergs Lila (the second largest roasting house in Sweden, with an annual production of more than 15,000 metric tons) have installed a robot in its packaging department. The robot has made it possible to rapidly palletize different types of coffee according to customer orders. Additional benefits have been an improved working environment and a reduction in the amount of investment tied up in storage.

As the characteristics of electronic equipment continue to evolve towardhigher current requirements, design engineers are facing power handling issues similar to those in the electrical industry.Anderson Power Products, a U. S. company which has been manufacturing electrical connectors for over 100 years, is responding to this need with an expanding line of products for use in electronic equipment. The newest offering is a 60-amp genderless power connector for normal and hot-plug use.

RFSU Rehab is launching Beauty, a range of body-care products developed specially for functionally impaired people and others who have difficulty reaching. The aids are simple to use and attractively designed.

For Swedish Match, taking part in the Whitbread Round the World Race is more than a just a yacht race.  At the turn of the year the group's five companies came together under the Swedish Match name. At the same time as the name change a new organization was introduced. Taking part in the Whitbread race means using this global sporting event to familiarise all employees world-wide with the new organization and to increase awareness of the new company.

Contracts worth more than US $4m have been won by Channelmatic/LIMT for its digital television automation products. The orders reflect the growing demand by broadcasters for the ability to provide local advertising within national and regional programming schedules. 

Aspiring young professionals from South East Asian commerce and industry can boost their career prospects by applying for the 1998 Junior Executive Scholarship Programme.  Established in 1995 by Finland’s President, Martti Ahtisaari, the Programme enables scholarship holders from Thailand, Indonesia and Malaysia to spend up to six months in a Finnish host company learning about new technology through study and work experience. With next year’s programme due to begin in April 1998, all applications should be received no later than 17 October 1997.

Robotics systems can offer a flexible and cost-effective solution to the complex palletising demands within the consumer goods industry.  ABB Flexible Automation has launched a palletising package that allows tailored solutions which keep pace with the ever changing demands of this sector.

The most powerful in the range of Compact hydraulic motors has been introduced by Haegglunds Drives AB in Sweden. The CA 210 builds upon the high performance of existing models of the range to give greater choice in application and torque output.

At the pharmaceutical company Astra, tough demands are placed on documentation dealing with R & D. This information represents an enormous amount of money, and the various authorities require that documentation be accessible for decades. After having evaluated a number of systems, Astra Draco has selected the specially designed processor known as Ralip Scan-IT for image analysis and storage on CD-ROM disks.