Weighers target demand for increased speed and hygiene
manufacturers are attempting to meet processors' demands for
increased speed and hygiene on the line.
Bilwinco of Denmark has released a new series of hygienic multi-head weighers, including the new BW128W, which is capable of weighing up to 260 portions per minute.
The weigher has 28 heads, each with a bucket volume of 0.5 litres. It is suitable for weighing both fresh and frozen foods in portions ranging from 50g to 500g.
The weigher was revealed at Anuga FoodTec last month, where the company also demonstrated the BW114W multi-head weigher, a version of the BW128W. The BW114W is equipped with 14 heads and can weigh portions of up to 1,000g at a speed of 130 portions per minute.
Both weighers have been designed and developed for use in the wet-food industry, which often requires intricate and flexible integration of the weigher in horizontal packaging lines such as thermo-forming machines and tray sealers, the company stated in a press release.
The weighers use the direct weighing principle, which means that the load cells and activation mechanisms are located outside the body of the weigher. The system also ensures extreme accuracy, since the weighing buckets are mounted directly on the load cells.
The components are completely waterproof and able to withstand hire-pressure hosing. Bilwinco's decision to locate components outside the main body means that the weigher contains no gaskets. The design keeps water-sensitive electronics and the vibratory coil protected against moisture inside the main body.
The magnetic force between the coil and the armature acts through the stainless steel wall of the housing. To clean the weigher, the vibratory chutes and springs are dismantled as a single unit, thereby leaving the housing bare for cleaning.
The BW128W is also available mounted on a mobile support frame adjustable for height.
"In this version, it is ideal for alternate use with a variety of different packaging lines and machinery," Bilwinco stated. "Moreover, the weigher can also be completely removed from the process line for separate cleaning."
Meanwhile German company Bizerba has released its CWM 6000-xPro, a control scale for the weight range from 50g to 6000g. The scale is designed for wet applications in the food industry.
In addition to weight control, Bizerba Checkweighers are also secure process instruments when combined with controls for upstream filling systems. The xPro can be used for weight control for unpackaged foods that come into direct contact with the transport belt.
As part of the package Bizerba also released a shock-resistant 15" screen to permit secure scale handling with touch operation. The screens have a ventilator-free cooled surface without cooling fins, thus reducing the hygiene risk caused by systems in production.
Bizerba automatic labellers in the GLM-I series are part of the company's line. The company's GLM-I-100 V is equipped with V-belts, which permit the conveyance, weighing, and labelling of non-standardized packages that are round, angular or have unequal sides.
The angle of the belts can be adjusted manually across the entire transport path so that they can be adjusted to each type of packaging geometry. The automatic labelling of packaging of varying heights can be handled with the logistic labeller GLM-I-L 1T.
The labeller is designed to allow adjustment to the motor in relation to the height and transverse position of the labeller. Separate parameters can be assigned for each item.
The position change is then made automatically with the item change. Depending on the requirements, the labelling application can be used with blowing, stamping or rotating dispenser systems.
The company's software, statistics.BRAIN, is designed for fill quantity and statistical process control. The software records random samples on a scale directly on the production line so that feedback quickly reaches machine staff.
"This prevents unnecessary overfilling and makes control personnel superfluous," the company stated.
The main data management and statistical evaluations are carried out centrally on the computer. The data collection permits retraceability, item and machine analyses and comparisons.
