Getting smart with salad processing

A SMART processing line from KRONEN has been installed at the facility of a major salad processing company in Northern Germany. With its central control unit, the line facilitates the continuous, gentle processing of delicate salad leaves with good results.

The new line is designed to provide continuous salad processing that minimises the number of operating personnel required, as it is controlled by a central unit.

The settings for the processing of different products, for example different salad mixes, can be saved and accessed at any time to improve consistency. Parameters such as the belt and knife speed of the GS 10-2 belt cutting machine and the settings of the spray nozzles and valves of the HEWA washing machines are saved as recipes to ensure that the processing can be optimally adapted to the products being processed.

The central control of the line via these saved settings means that the operating personnel are only required to select the product-specific recipe. All settings, including the water flow rate in the backwater, feeding and circulation pipework, can be adjusted via the central control unit with integrated recipe and user management.

The central control unit additionally transmits machine and setting data to superordinate systems for evaluations and traceability. Quality-relevant data such as the water temperature or water consumption data are recorded and can be analysed. The special cleaning menu makes cleaning the machines easier, and the confirmation required upon completion of the cleaning process is designed for traceability and making it easier for users to comply with hygiene standards.

The KRONEN line is specially designed for processing sensitive products such as baby leaf lettuce and mixed leaf salads. Once the products have passed through the trimming table for four people and a GS 10-2 belt cutting machine, the integrated HEWA washing machines with hygienic design are used to facilitate food safety, and faster and more thorough machine cleaning. The HELICAL washing system is used for distribution and rinsing of the product in the wash tank.

An automatic basket carousel makes the product easier to handle and transfer to the drying and packaging stages once it has been washed. After passing through the drying system, the salad mixes are moved onto a twin-head weigher, weighed into portions and subsequently packed with a packaging machine from KRONEN partner GKS Packaging B.V.