AUTOMATION AND PROCESS CONTROL
Data-driven benefits
Data-driven digital technologies offer real opportunities for confectionery manufacturers to optimise and improve their operations today, according to Malte Schlüter, Global Director for Food & Beverage and Consumer Packaged Goods (CPG) - Factory Automation at Mitsubishi Electric Europe. Offering an example, he says: “It is possible to streamline and improve the results of product and packaging inspections using vision systems that identify anomalies and remove defective or off-spec materials. These combine high-resolution, high-speed cameras, AI image analysis platforms and automated machines, such as industrial robots. An additional benefit of these setups is the ability to continuously improve detection performance over time.”
Mitsubishi highlighted some of these potential gains on its booth at the last Interpack exhibition, where visitors were able to explore an open, modular and fully integrated quality inspection line producing chocolate bars and packaging them. The solution on display featured a conveyor belt that passed three different stations. Firstly, the products went through an X-ray system that was able
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to spot foreign objects and impurities, subsequently they were taken to a deep learning-based solution that evaluated packaging seal quality. Finally, an articulated six-axis robot picked, lifted and turned the product around so that it could be weighed and then inspected by a vision system, which was used to perform a final check of the chocolate bars. This demonstration showed how it is possible to place a fully automated, modular product and packaging quality inspection solution, can be placed at many process steps on a chocolate bar production line.
End of the line
Catching the consumers eye is an important marketing element of many confectionery products, such as gummies and jellies, toffees and caramels, which is why colourful primary packaging is often employed and it is also why there is a need for equally attention-grabbing secondary packaging – to ensure a product stands out from the crowd in the retailers aisle. Confectionery comes in an almost unlimited variety of sizes and shapes – which can make packaging quite a challenge. For many manufacturers the solution lies in automating their lines to
incorporate a higher pack style flexibility. “When switching from one product or format to another, efficient changeovers are key,” says Bernd Bruckert, Technical Sales Director at Syntegon. “For this reason Syntegon’s Elematic 3001 WAH case packer now comes with Syntegon Operator Assistance – a feature that allows for fast and error-free changeovers with varying degrees of automation.”
Syntegon Operator Assistance supports operators with guided changeovers, verified size changeovers and semi-automatic size changeovers, increasing in level of automation from one to another. “With the first level, human machine interface (HMI) and message-in-place-screens indicate which individual format parts need to be changed and which settings need to be adjusted. Operators receive step-by-step instructions on the message-in-place- screens located at the respective format points. To increase the visibility of due tasks, LEDs integrated in the screens indicate the location of each task,” explains Bernd. With verified size changeovers, it is possible to include automatic verification of each setting and format part via RFID technology for traceability and error- free changeovers – avoiding production
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