Test & measurement
HOW SMART DESIGN OVERCOMES CHECKWEIGHING CHALLENGES IN PLASTIC CUP APPLICATIONS
By Jörn Migge, head of Product & Market Management, Mettler-Toledo Product Inspection
T
he integrity of dairy products, especially those packaged in plastic cups such as yoghurt, cream cheese and ice cream, relies heavily on precise and hygienic weighing processes. Facilitating accurate weights while
maintaining stringent hygiene standards presents unique challenges for manufacturers. Understanding these and other challenges, and the innovative checkweighing solutions to tackle them head-on, can help make a great dairy production line as we explore in this article.
CHALLENGES OF WEIGHING PLASTIC CUPS IN THE DAIRY INDUSTRY Weighing plastic cups filled with dairy products presents unique challenges, primarily due to the diverse filling processes employed. There are two main types of filling processes: linear fillers and rotary fillers. Linear fillers process cups in groups, often in multi-lane applications, where
cups exit the system in groups of four or six. To minimise packaging waste, some manufacturers use checkweighers before sealing the cups and then again afterward to comply with pre-packaged goods legislation, which mandates strict adherence to weight and labelling standards. Proper sealing is critical to prevent contamination, as improperly sealed cups or those that break during production and transportation can compromise product safety and quality. If cups break, they can create a mess that contaminates other products on the line, necessitating frequent pauses in production to clean and maintain a sterile environment. Additionally, the fragile nature of plastic necessitates regular cleaning to prevent contamination both inside and outside the product. Balancing the need to reduce packaging waste while adhering to product safety and compliance with regulations remains a critical challenge in the dairy industry.
HOW SMART DESIGN PLAYS AN IMPORTANT PART IN THE PROCESS Smart design is crucial to facing these challenges head-on, and to the efficiency and hygiene of the checkweighing process. A key aspect for any dairy manufacturing line is the washdown design of a checkweighing system. Manufacturers should look for solutions that offer temperature-resistant load cells, which allow for quick re-zeroing after cleaning, significantly reducing downtime. Easy-to-remove belts can also help to facilitate fast cleaning, meaning that equipment can be swiftly sanitised to prevent biological contamination. Another key element of any good checkweighing solution is its “Poka Yoke” design – dairy manufacturers should look for one that offers foolproof reassembly, making it easy for even less experienced personnel to reassemble the equipment correctly. Advanced load cell technology, such as the FlashCell Electro- Magnetic Force Restoration (EMFR) load cell, can offer high accuracy and can handle throughputs of up to 250 packs per minute. This is essential for maintaining product integrity and compliance, as well as maximizing production throughput. The placement of the checkweigher on the production line is also a critical design consideration. Early detection of weight deviations allows for immediate feedback to the
34 October 2024 Instrumentation Monthly
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