Versatile Checkweighers: A Case Study
An interesting case study of how Ishida’s advanced checkweigher technology – including the use of its unique IDCS Ishida Data Capture System (IDCS) – is enabling international food company Hügli to carry out detailed control and monitoring of its entire packing operation at its factory in Zàsmuky in the Czech Republic.
Versatile Checkweighers: A Case Study
Ishida’s advanced checkweigher technology – including the use of its unique IDCS Ishida Data Capture System (IDCS) – is enabling international food company Hügli to carry out detailed control and monitoring of its entire packing operation at its factory in Zàsmuky in the Czech Republic.
Hügli currently has 16 checkweighers which are providing weight checks across all the company’s retail packs of dehydrated products such as soups, seasonings and rice dishes from 10g to 250g, operating at up to speeds of 100 packs per minute.
Among the models in use at Hügli are three specially-designed ‘twin’ checkweighers, with two separate lanes, which enable high speeds to be maintained on the company’s fastest packing lines.
Hügli was the first company in the Czech Republic to install Ishida’s pioneering IDCS. This records and analyses data from every pack that goes across an Ishida checkweigher to provide fully customisable real-time information with a particular emphasis on OEE (Overall Equipment Efficiency), comprising the three efficiency factors of availability, performance and quality.
For Hügli, this delivers valuable production data directly to the main computer enabling the company to easily monitor the efficiency of each line and to identify any problems so that immediate action can be taken. The data also provides detailed information for any company or customer audits.
Specifications for each pack are held in the checkweighers’ easy-to-use Remote Control Unit for fast call up at the touch of a button. This is a particular advantage for the Zàsmuky factory which handles around 1,000 different products.
“Our checkweighers are very accurate and reliable and therefore provide a guarantee to our customers that our packs are all being produced to the correct weight, while Ishida’s ability to devise a twin lane model has enabled us to maintain fast packing speeds,” comments production director Pavel Coufal. “The addition of IDCS has provided a highly valuable reporting tool that helps to ensure we are operating to maximum efficiencies.”
The checkweighers are part of a wide variety of Ishida equipment installed at the Zàsmuky factory, which also includes six multihead weighers and two x-ray systems in a relationship that dates back to 2004.
“Ishida technology has the performance and reliability we require and this has made the company an ideal partner to support the continuing growth and expansion of our factory,” continues Pavel Coufal. Another advantage is the localised support provided by Ishida’s dedicated office in the Czech Republic. We know we can rely on a very fast response in the event of a problem as well as speedy delivery of any spare parts,” says Mr Coufal.
