Ishida checkweighers key to 20% throughput increase

As part of a target to increase production throughput by 20%, one of the UK’s largest frozen vegetable processors and packers has installed five Ishida multihead weighers.

Pinguin Foods UK, part of the Belgium-based PinguinLutosa group, installed an advanced 24-head CCW-R multihead weigher with three 1 L hoppers for mixed vegetables and four 5 L hopper 14-head models for single varieties, which include carrots, peas, sweet corn, beans, broccoli and cauliflower.

A combination of the Ishida weighers and new colour sorters, which check for and reject substandard vegetables, overall weighing accuracies are now running at under 0.7% deviation from the target weight, compared with 1.8% prior to the weighers being installed.

At the company’s Kings Lynn facility, the weighers are handling pack sizes of between 125 g and 2.5 kg, including mixed vegetables of two, three and four varieties on the 24-head mix weigher. The weighers are also used for special pack requirements; for example, one weigher in ‘double dump’ format can pack 10 kg boxes. Pinguin says this has effectively doubled speed and greatly improved accuracy over the previous method.

While Pinguin initially selected the Ishida weighers for their speed, their accuracy, reliability and flexibility have been equally beneficial to production. “We have had no problems with the weighers since their installation,” said Packing Hall Manager Steve Walton.

“Another major advantage is their flexibility; we can easily switch product from line to line depending on requirements - something that was not possible with our previous volumetric and older multihead models.”

The weighers’ ease of changeover is key to their flexibility. Product specifications including target weight are pre-programmed into the easy-to-use remote control unit for changeover at the touch of a button. The waterproof construction and easily removed change parts also mean clean down can be carried out quickly and efficiently.

The weighers are in operation 24 hours a day, five days a week, with additional shifts during busy seasons such as pre-Christmas. Typical speeds are around 75 packs/min for a 1 kg pack - well within the weighers’ capability of 90 packs/min.

“We are continuing to work on further developing the performance of the lines,” said Paul Spurrell, Pinguin’s Chief Engineer. “Our focus is not just on speed but on delivering consistency and ensuring that the weighers are fully integrated so that they work as efficiently as possible with the existing equipment.”

The weighers are working so efficiently, in fact, that Pinguin has needed to install new checkweighers, also from Ishida. “Our old checkweighers simply couldn’t cope with the higher line speeds,” Walton said.

Installation of the Ishida equipment “went like clockwork”, Spurrell said. “It was literally a question of plug in and play. The weighers are very easy to operate.

“In the few months that they have been installed we have already achieved a 15% improvement in throughput so we are well on the way to reaching our 20% target.”

While Pinguin has now installed a range of Ishida equipment, the company began by installing just one Ishida model. Impressed by its effectiveness, Pinguin then installed the weighers over four more lines. Now the company is planning to convert its final line to include Ishida equipment.

“We are a forward-looking company and constantly challenging ourselves to deliver the highest standards to our customers,” said Pinguin Foods UK Managing Director Nigel Terry.

“This means we are committed to continual investment in the best equipment that will help us deliver on these promises. Ishida weighers are a key part of this.”