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MIXING, WEIGHING & CONVEYING


A SWEET SPOT IN EFFICIENCY I


Minebea Intec describes the technologies available for increasing efficiency and productivity in the confectionery industry


n order to stay competitive, manufacturers in the confectionery industry depend on fast, flexible, economical and safe


production facilities. These include modern weighing and inspection technologies, which help to reduce the number of rejects or increase process speeds. The industry is undergoing constant


change. Whether they are boiled or soft sweets, chocolate or gummy sweets – almost every manufacturer brings seasonal products on to the market alongside their standard range. In addition, there are always new nutritional trends and increasing consumer demands with regards to packaging. Such frequent change requires not only a high level of flexibility, but also maximum production control. At the same time, high competitive pressure means all production steps need to be continuously optimised. The increasing use of automation and digitalisation opens up considerable potential for savings by increasing production efficiency. When it comes to reducing the


consumption of raw materials and ingredients used, the first thing many manufacturers think of is the filling systems in their production process. When chocolate, gummy sweets and candy are poured into moulds, there is considerable potential for savings in determining the exact filling quantity. There is also additional potential for optimisation in the filling equipment of the packaging line. If sweets are filled loosely into tubular bags, for example, over filling is often accepted to avoid under filling. The checkweighers Synus or Flexus from Minebea Intec have the option of Trend Control, which controls the upstream filling, portioning or cutting machine so that the defined target weight is achieved as accurately as possible and kept constant. This prevents unnecessary over filling or under filling and permanently reduces rejects and thus material waste. To determine the exact quantity of material


used, precise measurement results are also required on silos for storage and process vessels. Digital and analogue load cells and weighing electronics accurately determine


filling levels. Weighing mixing systems, in particular, are a challenge due to the interfering lateral forces. In this case, the hygienic weighing modules of the Novego range from Minebea Intec offer maximum precision – even with lateral forces of up to 20% of the load. For the monitoring of all processes, statistical process control software provides an overview of all processes and thus offers possibilities for process control: SPC@Enterprise from Minebea Intec records data from static and dynamic scales, metal detectors and other systems. The data can be stored for documentation purposes for audits, for instance, but can also be prepared for process evaluation, laying the foundations for process optimisation. Precise metal detectors and X-ray


inspection systems also make a valuable contribution to process optimisation. When every metre on the production line counts, the checkweighers from Minebea Intec can be combined with a metal detector to save space. The checkweigher Flexus can checkweigh up to six lines simultaneously if required. Defective products are then rejected, for example, via customised telescopic ejection systems. High speeds can lead to loss of precision, while product weight and packaging present additional challenges. This is why Minebea Intec offers customised solutions for special requirements, products and packaging and allows for maximum


throughput of 2,400 items a minute. Quality is felt most clearly where it’s missing.


Even an incorrectly applied label can leave consumers with a feeling of poor product quality. It’s even worse when foreign objects are present. They can clog up nozzles, damage grinders and are not just a daily threat to the production process: if they get into the product unnoticed, they can endanger the health of consumers and thus potentially the producer’s reputation. Metal detectors detect metal parts made of iron, steel and stainless steel but also non-ferrous metals such as aluminium. Their sensor technology can detect both magnetic and non-magnetic metals. From the size of the outlet opening to the product effect, a number of factors can influence the attainable detection result. Expert advice is definitely helpful in this regard. An X-ray inspection system can identify a much larger number of physical foreign objects such as metals, glass, rubber, stones and even certain types of plastics. Minebea Intec systems not only detect foreign objects, but can also check weight, the number of product components, fill levels or the seal integrity of packaging. Modern X-ray inspection systems thus help to reduce production costs. The continuous recording of all relevant


parameters in the production process not only ensures conformity with legal regulations, it is also a crucial basis for manufacturers to identify weak points. The software for statistical process control SPC@Enterprise records and controls samples to optimise the process and enable attributive tests so that important quality criteria can be monitored. The recipe management system ProRecipe XT simplifies the monitoring and control of manual and automatic weighing and dosing processes. This ensures constant product quality, as well as safe and efficient production processes. In the food industry, we encounter a large


number of legal regulations, with very few of them being global in scope. As a reliable partner, Minebea Intec supports quality management and efforts to enable safe production processes. Continuous testing and certification procedures ensure compliance with numerous national and international standards, concepts and regulations such as FDA, HACCP, and EHEDG.


Minebea Intec www.minebea-intec.com


20 FEBRUARY 2021 | PROCESS & CONTROL


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