FEATURE SMART FACTORY
HARNESSING THE POWER OF SMART CHECKWEIGHING TECHNOLOGY
Charlie Graham, European Sales Manager at Sparc Systems, explains why data generated by advanced checkweighers is better for food producers
T
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. 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 Greater efficiency can be achieved by using 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. A group of checkweighers with
Ethernet connection processing identical products and packages can be regarded as one line for the purposes of weight control. Say, 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
8 APRIL 2021 | IRISH MANUFACTURING
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 is a reduction of unnecessary rejects and subsequent wasted product. These benefits are highly valuable to any manufacturing plant, particularly in the food sector where false rejects remain a significant issue. Lower factory yield due to repeated false rejects frequently undermine the cost-effectiveness of an entire operation, while repeated stoppages and trouble-shooting incur costs, which the market puts at over £11,000 per line.
INTEGRATED TECHNOLOGY With integrated data collection software, everything from trends, pack rates and live OEE data is instantly reported. Production and QA personnel can then utilise the information to monitor and fine-tune production line performance, even prior to the weight- check process.
For example, if a meat manufacturer finds inconsistencies in the size of meatballs, this indicates that the processing machinery is not running accurately. Beyond highlighting this fault, precision systems, such as Sparc’s Sentinel checkweigher, provide a controlled feedback signal to upstream automation equipment used to portion food products. This signal specifies
Above left: Advanced systems, like the new Raptor Combi Fortress metal detector and Sparc checkweigher bring food factories one step closer to the vision of a smart factory
when to increase or decrease the fill quantity accordingly, removing human intervention. These benefits are made all the more prevalent when integrated with existing or combined inspection technologies such as metal detection and x-ray. The inspection machines market is projected to rise at a CAGR of 5.5% between now and 2024, with combination systems estimated to grow the most during the forecast period.
THE FACTORY OF THE FUTURE Flexibility is also important to consider when specifying checkweighing technology - and is one where smart, automated features can help. As well as retailer COP parameters, an HMI touchscreen panel used to calibrate numerous inspection machines within the same food factory addresses the increased need for visual packaging control due to smaller batch sizes and the avoidance of mistakes during product switchovers. Integrated technology that provides access to machine functions with the click of a button reduces the changeover time of different products, pack sizes and formats while ensuring consistent compliance with international weight and measurement standards. In some cases, up to 50% less time is required for set-up as all features are accessible from one screen. In the case of checkweighing inspection systems, incorporating greater interoperability, enhanced information transparency and decentralised decisions paves the path to the factory of the future.
Sparc Systems
www.sparc-systems.com
/ IRISHMANUFACTURING
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
