The Northwest Ohio Cooperative Kitchen, or NOCK (a CIFT Small Business Program), is widely known for supporting early stage food and beverage brands. But it’s also a valuable resource for established manufacturers looking to pilot new processes, test automation, or scale operations with less risk.
Through CIFT, companies of all sizes can tap into NOCK’s advanced processing technologies and adaptable space to explore feasibility, validate equipment, and troubleshoot production challenges before making major capital investments.
Here’s a snapshot of what you can test-drive at NOCK:
Fully Integrated Fluid Food Processing System
Over 300 gallons of jacketed kettle capacity with automated transfer, filling, sealing, and coding; ideal for fluid product pilots or first-time liquid food producers.
Unifiller High-Pressure Standalone Piston Filler
Designed for high-viscosity and particulate-rich products. Great for proving automation viability for SKUs traditionally filled by hand, such as shredded meats, chunky soups, stews, or dense creams and jellies.
Dynamic USA High-Shear Mixer
Evaluate whether high shear mixing can improve product quality or reduce blend times. Also ideal for testing standalone mixing as an upgrade to traditional kettle-based systems.
FANUC CRX-10iA Collaborative Robot
this mobile, user friendly Cobot can simulate pick-and-place automation in both food contact and non-food contact roles. CIFT’s engineers can help program it to mirror your specific application.
EVO CleanTech® Automated Handwashing System (by Meritech)
In food safety, consistency is everything. This system ensures uniform, effective handwashing every time which reduces human error, improving compliance, and strengthening your sanitation protocols where it matters most.
Ready to try before you buy?
Access to NOCK is one of many benefits of working with CIFT. Whether you’re piloting a new product line, evaluating automation options, or looking to troubleshoot a tricky process, NOCK is a practical, flexible environment to test with confidence.
Contact us! Reach out to schedule a session or learn more about the NOCK.