A high-performance Ishida packing line comprising of fully automatic multihead weighers and inspection system is providing full flexibility and enhanced quality control at a leading oat flakes and granola producer. In order to cope with high demand for its products, the company required a packing solution that was able to process a wide range of pack formats and be equally suitable for granola and extruded cereals. They also required a high-performance quality control system.
The Ishida solution – comprising two CCW-RS multihead weighers, an IX-GA-4075 X-ray inspection system and a DACS-G checkweigher – can handle a variety of different types of granola and cereal in different pack formats, with fill weights ranging from 11 oz to 2lbs (325g to 1kg). The line is capable of speeds of up to 140 packs per minute (70 weighments per minute per machine), with accuracy to within 0.5% of the target weight. The only factor that prevents the weighers from achieving an even higher output is the low fall speed of the light products.
The line is capable of speeds of up to 140 packs per minute (70 weighments per minute per machine), with accuracy to within 0.5% of the target weight.
The Ishida IX-GA-4075 X-ray inspection system detects stone, glass and metal, with a high degree of reliability.
An Ishida DACS-G checkweigher rejects packs that do not meet the correct specifications.
The pre-mixed granola and cereals are fed via a bucket elevator onto the two weighers. The cereals pass through inlet chutes onto the dispersion tables, where the highly sensitive Ishida loadcell with feedback to the infeed ensures there is an even and consistent product flow to the radial feeders. All hoppers are equipped with anti-leak hopper doors to prevent fine product from leaking during the weighing process.
In a fraction of a second a microprocessor calculates the optimum combination of hoppers that comes closest to the target weight. These precisely-dosed portions are then released directly into the packaging machine via a timing hopper. Aluminum-coated film is used for the cereal, while granola products are packed into clear plastic bags and later into cardboard boxes.
The patented technology behind Ishida’s X-ray inspection system is based on software featuring an intelligent genetic algorithm. By analyzing image data over several generations, the machine achieves an extremely high level of inspection accuracy. The company quickly benefited from its high-performance packing line.
The feedback from the project planning team says that the system is running “really smoothly” in three-shift mode and has reached a stable output. “The crucial factor is the enormous flexibility offered by the new line, which allows us to process a very wide range of products on one system at high speed.” The technical upgrade has also enabled the company to add a new oat flake product to its range.
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