Ishida launches high-speed mix weigher for confectionery sector

12-Jul-2011 - Last updated on 15-Jul-2011 at 08:58 GMT

The new weigher can handle a mix of up to eight different products.

Related tags Weight

Precise, ultra-high speed weighing of confectionery products, plus nuts and convenience meals, without the need for overfilling are the benefits claimed for a new 36-head, multi-head weigher from Ishida Europe.

The CCW-R-236 weigher is said to handle and mix up to eight different products with a top speed of up to 360 weighments per minute for a single product.

Torsten Giese, the company’s marketing manager told ConfectioneryNews.com: “All our top range multiheads are equipped with unique and adapted technology that helps to weigh confectionery at top speed, accuracy and efficiency.”

The company’s auto feed control (AFD) system stabilises product delivery via vibrating radial feeders. Both the amplitude and timing of vibration are auto-adjusted by the software to optimise the product delivery to each weigh hopper.

Its Anti-Floor Vibration (AFV) is said to cancel out much of the vibration from the weigher’s surroundings.

A high-speed, five-stage digital filter processes output from the loadcells and is claimed to smooth out fluctuations and external vibrations to consistency produce stable weights.

Saves costs

Precise filling avoids product giveaway, which saves costs, and produces consistent packs with the same weight or with minimum weight variation. “A tighter pack weight variation means the consumer gets what he or she expects. It also means the pack appearance is consistent as both under- and overfilled bags simply do not look good,” said Giese.

The weigher features the company’s R Series technology, including Pulse Width Modulation (PWM). “This ensures a controlled and more predictable flow of product through the machine, and unique combination calculation software, 5-stage digital filter, anti-floor vibration and Ishida-made load cells that enable the weigher to maintain excellent accuracy at these high speeds,” according to a company statement.

Ishida also offers 28- head, 24-head and 18-head models to suit customers’ budget, required mix applications and target speed.

All models have small (500cc – 1,500cc) hoppers which are said to allow the precise weighing of small products and applications with small target weights which are well suited to the confectionery sector.

Product damage

The configuration of the weigh hopper allows product to drop gently through the weigher with minimal drop distances. This is claimed to minimise product damage and to increase product quality without significantly compromising weighing speed.

Models can be configured to typical confectionery applications such as mix weighing of multiple components before releasing them in one single discharge.

Alternatively they can configured for multiple outlets which allows the simultaneous discharge of a number of identical target weights. For example: The weighing of sugar pastilles into small tins or cartons .

Available worldwide, the price of the 36 head weigher depends on specification.

“The 36 head is brand new and still in its final stage of commercialisation. Models with fewer heads - 28, 24, 18 - have been sold for various confectionery and snack food applications,” said Giese.