Case Study: McKey
The accuracy, reliability and hygienic design of Ishida multihead weighers have helped to transform the packing operation of leading French burger manufacturer McKey.
McKey now achieves an approximate deviation from target weight of just 1g in each carton.
McKey produces millions of burgers every working day – some 42,000 tonnes annually – for one of the world’s largest restaurant chains.
The burgers are produced in about 20 different weight variants, predominantly 110g.
Part of the major Brazilian company Marfrig, McKey produces millions of burgers every working day – some 42,000 tonnes annually – for one of the world’s largest restaurant chains. The burgers are produced in about 20 different weight variants, predominantly 110g. They are placed in pockets which are then inserted into cartons, usually of 13.5 kg. The best performance the previous weighing equipment (installed in 1992) could achieve was to get within ± 5 burgers (~550g) of the target weight.
Ishida’s attention to detail in designing out bacterial traps and making cleaning simple and effective, covering not just food contact surfaces but also structural elements such as legs and struts, led to the company also being made responsible for the conveying and infeed equipment from the exit of the IQF tunnels to the multihead weighers. Ishida installed on the weigher platform a “wash wall” where contact parts can be cleaned and allowed to drain.
The Ishida weighers are a key component of five new packing lines, which also comprise bagmakers and casepackers, installed as part of a €25.5 million modernisation plan at McKey’s factory in Fleury-les-Aubrais in Northern France. The objectives were to reduce manufacturing costs and increase the value added per worker, while continuing to meet the high output demands.
Given the importance of uninterrupted supply to the restaurants, the modernisation process was carefully planned to take place within a twoweek window. This was accomplished as planned, something of a record for such a major project.
The choice of Ishida weighers seems to have been fully justified. As CEO Grégory Blin puts it, “We are very pleased. Since the introduction of the Ishida multihead weighers, we have had zero maintenance costs.”
