Industry Insight
How to harness the power of smart checkweighing technology
Sparc Systems European sales manager Charlie Graham explains why the data generated by advanced checkweighers is better than having your own crystal ball
he global market outlook for automatic checkweighers is strong, with industry reports predicting a rapid growth of approximately 4.6% CAGR each year between 2019 and 2027. The projected expansion of this sector is likely to be propelled by a number of factors, from awareness among FMCG manufacturers about the deployment benefits of checkweighing technology to strict regulatory mandates regarding the packaging of food products.
T
And yet, there is still plenty of untapped potential for the utilisation of automation and data collection at this critical point in the food production process. More modern machines have refined the process beyond achieving high speeds, providing significant feedback data needed for quality control and interfacing with other machinery to make adjustments autonomously. When used in the right way, the upfront cost of a checkweighing machine will soon provide a return on investment.
DRIVING DOWN COSTS WITH COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY Greater efficiency can be achieved through the use of current network techniques, with high-speed communication technologies such as a secure Ethernet capable of integrating checkweighers into groups. These results can be pooled across multiple lines of identical product groups and pack sizes to calculate an average batch weight. In this instance, consider the units as a finely-tuned orchestra containing separate musicians who work in harmony as one. A group of checkweighers with Ethernet connection processing identical products and packages can be regarded as one line for the purposes of weight control. This means one line can augment the results of another. For example, if one system has an average weight below the declared quantity of a product, taken alone the checkweigher would have to reject packs to bring that average up. However, virtual checkweighing allows
this machine to be complemented with another unit that is running with a high average weight. Upon inspecting each pack, the checkweigher broadcasts the average weight so far in the batch. Concurrently, it listens to the broadcasts via an Ethernet local area network from the other units of the same group. The checkweigher then calculates the average weight of the group and automatically decides whether or not to reject each pack based on overall performance. The result? A reduction of unnecessary rejects and subsequent wasted product. These benefits are highly valuable to any manufacturing plant, particularly as those in the food sector face increasing pressure from all directions. False rejects remain a significant issue within the industry. Not only do they have implications for accurate pack weight control, but also for profitability. Lower factory yield, due to repeated false rejects frequently undermine the cost- effectiveness of an entire operation, while
32
March 2021
convertermag.com
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44
