Above: The distinct rotary brush system of the EdgeBreaker 6000 enables a consistent rounded edge—both on inner and outer contours
October, 2025- A scroll through today’s online meal delivery websites reveals a menagerie of prepared foods intended to save time in the kitchen while bringing a quality meal to the dinner table. Loose-leaf salads, yogurt combos and three-course dinners are possible because of the packaging that keeps the food fresh and shelf-stable. Enter Orics Industries Inc.—a manufacturer of food and pharmaceutical packaging machinery.
To meet growing demand for its packaging machines, Orics set out to source a more efficient way to grind, debur and polish the stainless steel housings and components that are crucial to its product line.
“We needed a time-saving solution that would boost part quality and achieve uniform finished parts after laser cutting,” recalls Omri Cohen, vice president of Orics Industries. Like the ready-made food industry, Orics was intent on saving time and enhancing quality. The solution: the Arku EdgeBreaker 6000.
SAVING TIME
Cohen started his search for an automated finishing machine where many people now start their search for dinner: online. “We saw YouTube videos of various finishing machines from around the world, but there were so many it was hard to narrow down the search,” says Cohen. His next stop was Fabtech, where he could experience a large selection of finishing equipment in person.
“We met the Arku team, liked the people and learned they offered the solution we were looking for and in the dimensions we needed,” Cohen states.
Prior to Orics’ installation of the EdgeBreaker 6000, there was one operator who worked in the company’s Farmingdale, New York, grinding room, where he manually deburred, edge rounded and polished parts. “We needed a machine that would do this in a faster, more efficient manner,” notes Cohen.
The Orics manual process to cut, grind and polish a sheet of stainless steel would take about three days of production before the welding, bending and assembly stages. “Now, with the EdgeBreaker 6000, we are getting finished parts the same day. No more waiting on the downstream processes. Things are more streamlined, faster and without any bottlenecks,” reports Cohen.
And what about the operator who had been doing all that manual work? “He’s much happier. His expertise is grinding and polishing. We call him our jeweler. He is so good at the finishing details—a real artisan. Now, he’s focused on the welded assemblies, adding the finishing touches before the machine ships out,” notes Cohen.
(before) of a part that has been laser cut, note the rough edges.
(after) of the same part that has been processed on the EdgeBreaker 6000.
THREE-IN-ONE
The Arku EdgeBreaker 6000 is a three-stage machine, with automated deburring, edge rounding and surface finishing capabilities for punched and laser cut parts. Each of the three units can be used in combination or independently, giving Orics and other users flexibility on the shop floor.
“Most of the time, the EdgeBreaker 6000 runs in combination with all three stations. But it is nice to have the flexibility to just put a grain on a part or only round the edges on a piece that already has a desirable mill finish,” says Cohen.
The EdgeBreaker 6000 offers a maximum passageway width of 51 inches, to accommodate material up to 1 in. thick. Parts as small as 2 in. by 2 in. can be processed in the EdgeBreaker 6000. Whether punched or laser cut, the EdgeBreaker 6000 can achieve an unmatched edge rounding of up to 2.0 mm.
This edge rounding is possible through the distinct rotary brush system. The EdgeBreaker 6000 brushes, which Cohen describes as thin strips of 100 grit sandpaper, make contact with the cut parts from various directions, resulting in consistent inner and outer contours.
“When we were doing the finishing work manually, it was tricky to get a consistent rounded edge in the inner and outer features of our parts. The Arku machine gives us a nice finish in all sorts of curvatures and radiuses,” reports Cohen.
HYGIENIC
Whether it’s a packaging machine destined for the food or pharmaceuticals industry, meeting hygienic standards is a must. That’s why smooth edges are so critical to the Orics product line. “Bacteria can seep into surface scratches, sharp edges and uneven surfaces. Consistent, rounded edges help minimize the growth of bacteria and are much be er for wash-down applications; they enhance hygiene,” explains Cohen.
To support hygienic surfaces for its customers, Orics starts with grades 303, 304 or 316 stainless steel sheet, bar and plate for its machines. There’s no paint line. “The grain polish that the EdgeBreaker leaves is what our machines look like when shipped,” explains Cohen.
He contrasts the previous manual process at Orics to the capabilities of the new finishing equipment. “With the manual grind and polish work, we’d put the sheet through a stroke sander, that applied long straight lines. These could easily scratch. The Arku hides everything. All our parts and surfaces now look the same. The finished parts look good and feel good,” says Cohen.
He notes that the Arku machine has significantly boosted parts volume as well. “The current parts and our previous manual results are worlds apart. We now process up to 100,000 pounds of sheet metal per year, achieving consistent quality for deburred, edge rounded and grained parts,” Cohen adds.
EASY TO USE
In addition to elevating food safety, the EdgeBreaker 6000 is enhancing plant operations at Orics. The machine is equipped with an intuitive human machine interface (HMI) touch screen.
“Our employees like operating the EdgeBreaker 6000. It’s easy to use. We have pre-set programs, like recipes, on the machine. The employee only needs to change the thickness or gauge of the stainless steel when changing from one product run to another. No other set up is required,” explains Cohen.
The EdgeBreaker is so easy to use that Orics was able to tap a member of the janitorial staff, who had no previous experience, to run the unit. “He was trained and running the EdgeBreaker in a single day, it’s that easy to use,” says Cohen.
Orics manufactures equipment like this rotary filling & sealing machine that can de-nest, fill, seal and optionally cap food or pharmaceuticals in a single cycle.
The ease of use and automated design of the EdgeBreaker 6000 is boosting Orics productivity. “The new finishing machine has greatly increased the flow for operations on the fabrication side of our business,” states Cohen.
This advantage has given Orics the confidence to pursue subscription meal customers like Hello Fresh and Blue Apron. Orics is now designing and manufacturing integrated packaging machines that will de-nest, fill, seal and box meal trays. “Our future machines will even place the prepared trays into the freezer. The EdgeBreaker will help us with these new product lines,” says Cohen. Now that’s an opportunity that will make anyone feel good.
Arku Inc., 513/985-0500, arku.com
Orics Industries Inc., 718/461-8613, orics.com
