If it needs Weighing, you’ll want From high precision Laboratory Balances to robust automated Weighing, Packaging & Labelling Systems, \ In-Line Checkweighers that will seemlessly integrate into your production line \ Recipe Control & Paperless Verifiable Traceability System \ Auto-Weighers & Bag Fillers \ Automated Carton Weigh Labelling Systems \ In-Line Automatic Weigh Labellers \ Multihead Weighers \ Bench Scale, Platform Scales, Crane Scales \ Laboratory Balances \ IANZ Certification, Calibrations & Accuracy Certification \ Installations, Repairs & Maintenance Nationwide Contact us today on 0800 800 379 or enquiries@wedderburn.co.nz and enjoy the convenience of working with someone local. www.wedderburn.co.nz 20 SEPTEMBER 2016 Wedderburn have the solution. FT149 Global technology NHP Electrical Engineering Products NZ LTD 0800 NHP NHP | nhp-nz.com | local people • Automation • Power Distribution • Industrial Control • Services FT144 102 x 67 format.indd 2 6/07/2016 3:39 PM Peter Kölln had a problem. The German manufacturer of muesli and extruded cereals needed a packing solution that was able to process a wide range of pack formats as well as be a high-performance quality control system. Enter Ishida Europe, whose solution comprised two CCW-RS multihead weighers, an IX-GA-4075 X-ray inspection system and a DACS-G checkweigher. The company was sure the new regime would handle a variety of different types of muesli in different pack formats, with fill weights ranging from 325g to 1kg. The line was capable of speeds of up to 140 packs per minute (70 weighments per minute per machine), with accuracy to within 0.5 per cent of the target weight. The pre-mixed muesli was fed via a bucket elevator onto the two weighers. The cereal passed through inlet chutes onto the dispersion tables, where the highly sensitive Ishida loadcell with feedback to the infeed ensured there was an even and consistent product flow to the radial feeders. All hoppers were equipped with anti-leak hopper doors to prevent fine product from leaking during the weighing process. In a fraction of a second a microprocessor calculated the optimum combination of hoppers that came closest to the target weight. These precisely-dosed portions were then released directly into the packaging machine via a timing hopper. Aluminium-coated film was used for some products, while muesli products were packed into clear plastic bags and later into cardboard boxes. “As a manufacturer of product with a high brand value, we are very aware of quality and always aim to achieve the maximum we possibly can,” Peter Kölln’s technical project planner Denise Stoldt says. “The Ishida X-ray inspection system works a lot more accurately than a competitor model that we also use in our production department.” One particular challenge created by the fully automatic weighing of the cereal products was the amount of dust generated. While the design of the CCW-RS weighers ensured gentle product flow, all contact parts were also electrostatically polished so that dust traps were minimised, preventing product residues suddenly coming loose and landing in a different pack as unwanted cereal clumps. In addition, to prevent dust pollution in the factory, the weighers were housed in a special dust enclosure with air extraction. After weighing and filling, the packing line, which until then had been split, converged and the products underwent a thorough inspection process. The X-ray inspection system detected stone, glass and metal – foreign bodies that can occur in products containing raisins and nuts – with a high degree of reliability. Bags containing product clumps, which were also regarded as a quality defect, were eliminated using an integrated airblast nozzle. Products underwent a further quality check before end-of-line packing, with a checkweigher rejecting packs that did not meet the correct specifications. The checkweigher was also equipped with a metal detector, which was used when processing muesli, and subjected the sensitive products to a further foreign body check. Peter Kölln was already benefitting significantly from its new high-performance packing line. Stoldt says the system was running smoothly in three-shift mode and had reached a stable output. “The crucial factor is the enormous flexibility offered by the new line, which allows us to process a very wide range of products on one system at high speed,” she says. The technical upgrade has also enabled the company to add a new oat flake product to its range. C A S E S T U D Y WEIGHING A CEREAL ISSUE
FT-Sep16
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