Drake
The Art and Science of Food Loading

When Fred Drake decided to improve how hot dogs were loaded into packages, he wasn’t working in a high-tech lab. It began in his garage with an innovative idea to optimize the only known autoloading solution. Forty-five years later, that same spirit of hands-on innovation and customer focus remains the heartbeat of Drake, a company known worldwide for delivering reliable, high-speed food loading solutions tailored to the unique needs of clients and world-class service and support.

“In everything we do, from our legacy hot dog collators to the newest robotic integrations, we ask ourselves one thing, ‘What will help our customers the most?’” says Robyn Dean, president.

Drake’s Legacy and Path to Growth

Continuing this legacy of innovation, Drake evolved through family leadership and strategic mergers. In 2011, it became part of Middleby Corporation, further expanding its reach and capabilities. Consistently, the company’s core commitment has stayed the same—delivering tailor-engineered food loading solutions as a trusted original equipment manufacturer in the food processing industry.

Today, Drake’s food processors can be found worldwide, catering to a diverse international market. The core product lineup includes the original high-speed collator-style loader, designed for large customers requiring extremely high throughput and the capability to handle a variety of products. The company also offers a launcher-style loader, which is gentler and well-suited for softer products, alongside a new range of robotic solutions that can be paired with either a centrifugal bowl feeder or the traditional mechanical solutions.

While the bowl feeder robotic system requires a large footprint, the collator-robot combination provides a powerful balance of speed and flexibility, capable of maintaining high output in a more compact space. The traditional collator and launcher loaders use a mechanical loading head, while the robotic systems use programmable robotic arms, offering greater flexibility in handling different product orientations and packaging styles.

Custom-Engineered Solutions for Diverse Needs

Drake’s client onboarding process is equally thorough. The company’s team conducts on-site assessments to understand the customer’s product characteristics, packaging dimensions, floor space, labor needs and throughput goals. This detailed data is used to develop a tailored solution with input from engineers and, if needed, the innovation group specializing in robotics and mechanical systems. In some cases, preliminary development can even begin prior to a formal order to ensure the solution fits the customer’s needs precisely.

A recent example of overcoming a complex challenge involved a local customer with tight space constraints who needed to reduce labor by rotating their product 90 degrees before packaging. Drake provided a complete solution, combining a robotic arm with a collator system to achieve the required rotation, maintain throughput, reduce labor and fit the equipment into the limited space, demonstrating its commitment to problem-solving and customization.

Along with ongoing product development, Drake is enhancing its legacy mechanical loaders by incorporating improved sanitation features while making significant investments to expand its robotic solutions. From being primarily focused on hot dogs, sausages, and string cheese, Drake is expanding by developing robotic systems for a broader range of applications.

A new mechanical singulation system is being developed for the poultry industry to separate pieces of protein, which will improve the accuracy of X-ray inspections, reduce false rejects, and decrease labor requirements. This project, currently in collaboration with a local poultry processor, is set to bring significant operational improvements to protein processing.

A Commitment to Workforce Development

Drake’s dedication extends beyond equipment to workforce development. Based in Virginia, the company employs a highly skilled workforce, including many certified journeymen machinists and welders. Its apprenticeship and internship programs have earned recognition as one of the best for interns in the state of Virginia, reflecting a strong commitment to cultivating skilled talent.

Looking ahead, Drake is focused on evolving with the food industry’s changing needs by blending proven engineering with new technologies. Its commitment to adaptable solutions and craftsmanship means it offers customers more than equipment, delivering reliable partnership and confidence.