Packaging
Ishida leads the way for salad packing in Denmark
Thursday 21. May 2009 - Leading fresh produce supplier Lykkegården Aps, based in Auning, Denmark, has become the first Danish company to install multihead weighers for salads with the purchase of two of the latest Ishida weighers through Ishidas Danish agent TH Consult.
A 16 head model, the CCW-R-216W-D/30-WP, is being used to pack 100g retail packs of organic mixed salads in six varieties, while a second machine, a CCW-RS-214W-S/50-WP with five litre hoppers, has been selected for further development of the range with the introduction of large foodservice packs.
Fresh, pre-packed salad is a relatively new market in Denmark and Lykkegården is leading the growth of the sector with its new Crisp Salat brand. Whereas other salad products have been packed into trays, the six Crisp Salat varieties – Bionda, Mix, Rossa, Hjerte, Roma and Spice – feature block bottom, corner sealed and reclosable bags to present a top-quality, premium image on the shelf.
The Ishida CCW-R-216 forms part of a specially created new packing line with a bagmaker from Multivac and ancillary equipment supplied by TH Consult. Traditionally salad weighing has been carried out by linear weighers but these systems require a high level of operator intervention to function efficiently and TH Consult was able to convince Lykkegården that the Ishida multiheads would provide a completely automated solution. In addition, the Ishida weighers are more compact and take up less space than the linear weighers.
As part of the buying decision, TH Consult invited Lykkegården to Holland to see a number of successful automated multihead lines for salads in operation.
At Lykkegården products are grown locally in the companys own fields and brought directly to the packing operation after picking. Product is loaded onto a shaking conveyor, which removes dirt, sand and small leaves, before being transferred via a bucket elevator to the top of the Ishida weigher.
The CCW-R-216 operates in twin mode with eight heads dedicated to each side of the twin bagmaker below. Each 8-head section can operate at up to 40 weighments per minute, offering a maximum throughput of 80 bags. A steep sloping dispersion feeder table and contact surfaces made with C4 anti-stick stainless steel keep the leaves moving throughout the weighing process. The use of Ishidas special PWM (Pulse Width Modulation) feature provides the extra power needed to transfer even the most stubborn salad leavers with ease into the pool and weigh hoppers.
The waterproof construction allows easy cleaning and product changeovers can be carried out quickly via pre-set memory on the machines remote control unit.
“We are delighted with the Ishida weigher,” comments Helge Højland of Lykkegården. “It has proved to be fast, accurate and reliable and our operators all report that it is very easy to use.
“The installation process was also very smooth and we have been very pleased with the level of support provided by TH Consult and Ishida.”