MU_2018_JanuaryFebruary-HR

Installation News
www.machineryupdate.co.uk JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2018 MACHINERY UPDATE 27
Cutting cell has reduced
waste for desserts maker
A special wooden spoon was
given to Muntaser AlWazzan
Batch crisp line
makes its way to
new Kuwait factory
Fabcon Food Systems has
bolstered its presence in the
Middle East by supplying bespoke
equipment for one of the region’s
first purpose-built batch fried
crisp factories.
The company has provided
the systems for a £1.5 million
production line in a new Kuwait
factory, built and owned by the
AlWazzan Foodstuff Industries
Group. These systems include
frying, seasoning, distribution and
supply line supporting structures.
“We were approached by
AlWazzan’s owner Muntaser
AlWazzan after he learned about
our expertise in building batch
crisp lines,” explains Fabcon’s md
Trevor Howard. “The purpose
built factory is an exciting new
venture in a new market for
Muntaser and his company.”
T 01603 482338
W www.fabcon.co.uk
Ceetak MU J-F 2018 V2.qxp_MU 07/12/2017 10:35 Page 1
Recent cutting
developments by
Western Mechanical
Handling (WMH) engineers
have led to significant cost
savings and increased quality
for a large desserts bakery.
Over recent months, WMH’s
trial robotic cutting cell has
been on long term loan to a
large desserts bakery where
modifications to the unit have
enabled the factory to reduce
labour costs, improve product
quality and reduce wastage
and giveaway.
The cutting cell incorporates
WMH conveyor and control
technology with a Mitsubishi
6-axis robot and Telsonic
ultrasonic cutting blades to
provide a robust, hygienic
unit with the flexibility to
cope with a range of product
cutting and portioning
requirements.
Offering both radial and
parallel cutting, the unit has
been used for dividing round
cakes and rectangular tray
bakes into individual portions
upstream of packing. It has
also been used for slicing
cheese and
cutting large
blocks into
retail pack
sizes.
The
unit takes
individual
products,
cuts them to
the desired
pattern, then
waits for the
next cake to
be loaded.
A jig is used
to register the cakes in the
correct position for cutting.
The original intention was
for products, which are baked
in a disposable carrier to
be removed from this carrier
then placed in the jig and
cut. However, while this
worked reasonably well in
cake cutting, there were
several areas that needed to
be addressed to improve the
process further.
Since this time, significant
improvements were made
which has resulted in the
cakes being cut in the outer
Improvements to the cutting process are now delivered
carriers. By protecting the
cake in its carrier, the product
could be held more firmly
in the jig without incurring
damage to the outer edges
and the delicate point was
also supported when being
handled, reducing waste
caused by damaged pieces.
In addition, the carrier
was much easier to remove
from the pieces once it had
been cut.
T 01707 288780
W www.mitsubishielectric.co.uk
T 01579 383788
W www.wmh-uk-ltd.com
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