Case Study: Henson
When Hensen GmbH needed to fulfil an Easter egg packing order that involved mixing different colours, it chose an Ishida R-Series weigher that could handle an impressive range of products.
The R-Series Weigher is equipped with Ishida’s ultra-fast combination calculation system, offering world-leading speed and accuracy.
Product giveaway was reduced by 2%.
Compared with Hensen’s calculation based on their existing equipment, this represents an increase in output of 10%.
Faced in the autumn with a very large Easter egg order, many contract packers might rush into purchasing or hiring machinery as cheaply as possible to carry out that one task. Hensen, one of Germany’s leading contract packers and manufacturers, instead calmly took the time to consider all its existing and potential projects involving weighing, to ensure that the new equipment could best help consolidate and expand the considerable services they already offer their customers.
The R-Series Weigher is equipped with Ishida’s ultra-fast combination calculation system, offering world-leading speed and accuracy. Installed in December 2011, operating in three shifts, the new line took less than six weeks to deliver the entire massive order with a staff of just three people per shift. Compared with Hensen’s calculation based on their existing equipment, this represents an increase in output of 10%.
Using the same basis of comparison, giveaway was reduced by 2%. As Kurt Weber, joint Managing Director expresses it “Our customer stipulated a deviation of between 1.0 and 1.5% from the stated net weight. The new weigher easily kept us within that margin.”
Branded goods manufacturers turn to contract packers when extra capacity is needed, for example for new product launches or market tests, or at any point where their regular production facilities are experiencing bottlenecks. The scale of production needed can be huge or tiny; the timescale can range from leisurely to “We want it tomorrow!” So Hensen demands great flexibility of its equipment. Their new Ishida weigher can be readily adapted to mix products in a range of ratios. When used as a weigher of single component or pre-mixed products, which involves simple changes in the infeed arrangements, it also provides excellent results.
*Please note the above video is used for demonstration purposes and not the actual product within this case study.
Here, the full set of 20 weigh-heads contributes to even more impressive speeds and higher accuracy. Additionally, it is equipped with count software, making it highly suitable for products that promise a set number of pieces per pack.
Products already passing, or scheduled to pass across Hensen’s new weigher include wrapped mini chocolate bars, festive chocolate decorations, various types of dragée and many other confectionery products.
The R-Series machine is equally at home handling short bursts of intense activity (where speed and rapid changeovers are important) or operating with relentless reliability over many days of very large product runs.
