Accurate efficiency

Feature: Snacks
www.machineryupdate.co.uk JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2015 MACHINERY UPDATE 25
Machinery Update
asks Ishida to
talk snack trends
Although we are a nation
of nibblers, snacks
have not been totally
immune from the
economic downturn
with some consumers turning to
cheaper frozen potato products
and potato snacks, explains
Simon Ruffley, Ishida Europe’s
business manager EMEA – snacks
packaging systems. The greater
focus on healthy eating has also
had an effect, with some consumers
switching to alternatives such as
fruit and cereal products.
Nevertheless, new product
development for snacks is still
buoyant. The days when the
market was just crisps and roasted
peanuts are a distant memory with
everything from salt and bread
sticks to novelty extruded snacks
now available.
All of which adds up to an
extremely competitive market place
– and for equipment suppliers, this
means the focus is more than ever
on high speed packing to maximise
throughput.
The minimisation in giveaway
that the multihead weigher brings
tends to be taken for granted these
days but the focus on higher and
higher speeds means weigher
manufacturers have had to ensure
that accuracy is not sacrificed
in the quest for speed. Certainly
this was one of the key drivers
behind Ishida’s development of its
latest RV technology, which has
managed to maintain accuracy
while achieving a 15% increase in
speeds over previous models.
As well as this focus on speed,
there has been the introduction
of specialist models to handle
particular product types, such as
the new generation of salt stick
weighers which can reliably weigh
and pack product at speeds of up
to 120 a minute while maintaining
accuracy and product quality.
Faster weighing has also put
pressure on other parts of the
packing line, most notably the
bagmaker. Our CTC (Charge
NPD is still
riding high
This new
generation of
salt stick weigher
from Ishida
is joined by
other opinions,
installations
and products
designed for the
snacks market
in the next ten
feature pages
Transfer Control) technology
has therefore been developed
to provide greater control of the
product charge, the process where
product is transferred from the
weigher through the bagmaker.
The resulting reduction in product
charge length means speeds can
be closely controlled to deliver the
increased throughput.
Higher speed snacks packaging
has also led to a requirement for
improved checkweighing accuracy
which is being supported using
We have developed iTPS
software to support integrated
operation of all our equipment
force-balance weighing technology.
And with the continuing
introduction of new flavours,
particularly in the crisps sector,
the introduction of on-machine
seasoning systems has become
another significant development.
In competitive markets, product
quality is also of vital importance
to help maintain customer
loyalty. An effective seasoning
system helps to ensure product
consistency, while equipment
such as metal detectors, x-rays and
seal testers monitor pack quality,
checking that they are free from
contaminants or leaks. The success
of any snacks packing depends
on all constituent parts of a line
working effectively together.
T 0121 607 7700
W www.ishidaeurope.com