Fast payback for dog biscuits and chews producer Eric Schweizer
09/06/2015
Two multihead weighers from Ishida Europe are providing different but equally effective solutions for the packing challenges of fragile dog biscuits and tough, awkwardly-shaped chews at leading Swiss pet food manufacturer Eric Schweizer. These have led to a 6% reduction in giveaway across all products packed on the Ishidas, with the weighers expected to pay back the investment in less than two years.
The new packing line for dog chews takes full advantage of the acknowledged industry-leading accuracy of Ishida multihead weighers.
Previously, these products were packed using linear weighers. Lack of accuracy led to a high degree of overfill, averaging 150g on every 750g pack. This meant that for every five packs produced, one was given away free.
With the new Ishida line, giveaway has been dramatically reduced and now on 750g packs, target weight is exceeded by an average of just 1.6g. As Adrian Dietz, Head of Eric Schweizer’s Pet Division, points out, “This represents a massive cost saving.”
The 10-head weigher from Ishida’s entry-level RS-Series has large 5 litre hoppers to accommodate the chews, which can be up to 18.5cm in length. Because the chews vary greatly in shape and in their tendency to become entangled with each other, the weigher operates in a variety of modes.
Weighments of simpler shapes can be simply run into the bagmaker (automatic mode). A second mode leaves a gap of around 20 seconds between each weighment, allowing close supervision by the operator. In a third mode, weighment release is entirely under operator control, using a foot pedal. The discharge chute has an opening through which the operator can reach in and sort out tangles or orient the chews more uniformly.
The new line is run by just two operators, compared with the three previously required.
With over 40 different types of dog biscuits, some in as many as four different pack sizes, the new biscuits line packs many of these variants into doypacks in short production runs, with frequent changeovers.
The 10-head Ishida SE weigher delivers very high accuracy at the modest speeds required, although these speeds are easily double compared with those previously attained and are limited only by the bagmaker.
Fast changeover is made possible by the easy-to-master interface, with its many presets. The layout of the SE multihead, with its relatively shallow angles and short drop distances, avoids excessive abrasion of the biscuits, and keeps product dust to manageable levels, which helps maintain a pristine view of the product through the clear panels of the new packs.
On top of this, it takes just 10 minutes to clean the machine using a vacuum cleaner. “I am really amazed how easy it is to clean the multihead weighers. It makes a big difference for us,” says Production Manager Walter Frey.
The new lines are part of Eric Schweizer’s updating of its packaging for improved brand recognition and ease of choice. It has also built-in greater convenience and economy (resealable packs), with a nitrogen atmosphere to further enhance quality.
“Itech AG (Ishida’s Agent in Switzerland and Italy) and Ishida have been extremely competent partners throughout the whole project,” comments Adrian Dietz.