Streamlining Fruit Packaging Factory Operations for Enhanced Quality and Efficiency

Competition for the sale of fresh produce is intense. Growers, packers and processors need to review their operations to reduce costs and look for ways to maximise throughput to maintain a healthy profit line. With a continuing shortage of skilled labour and widespread obsolescence of equipment in the food and drink industry, automation has a role to play in supporting productivity and efficiency improvements. This also comes at a time when demand is increasing due to the growing trend for healthy snacks.

The packaging hall is a clear example of where such efficiency and productivity improvements can be achieved. Complete line solutions in particular offer an attractive proposition, based on streamlined processes and efficiency gains.

End-To-End Packaging with a Focus on Throughput and Quality Packaging

The JBT Proseal and AutoCoding packaging line is a turnkey, end-to-end packaging automation solution that focuses on maintaining packaging throughput and packaging quality consistency. The hardware and software offered by each JBT company is designed to provide a flexible offering that supports adaptation to commercial requirements.

On a JBT Proseal and AutoCoding packaging line, you'd expect to be able to implement the correct weight measurements in the primary packaging before the package is sealed, to apply the correct date code, and to scan and inspect with an automatic vision solution. And if you're looking for a complete solution, JBT's Proseal and AutoCoding packaging line also includes secondary case packaging, labelling and final pallet labelling.?

Here's what the line solution looks like and how it works to deliver benefits for you.

KEEPING THE PROFIT LINE HEALTHY

Minimise Labour

The GT2 tray sealer, which can work with atmospheric seal, gas flush and hermetic shrink packs, works by automatically sealing in-line, reducing the number of operators required for manual sealing.

Primary Packaging – Visual Inspections

With a software solution running throughout the packaging line, there is an opportunity to reduce manual human inspection for print quality and packaging errors throughout the packaging line.? JBT Proseal and AutoCoding packaging solution includes an AutoCoding system, which is well known in the food and drink industry for its ability to control, monitor and take over recipe deployment. The whole premise of an AutoCoding system is to eliminate date coding and packaging errors by flagging the packages that contain errors. It provides an automated order set-up, connecting to multiple devices of different brands and age on the packaging line, against a defined recipe. It ensures that the right pack, with the right product and the right film, is processed 100% of the time before it is dispatched to the retailer or wholesaler. This eliminates the need for human inspection, greatly reducing human error.

Primary Packaging – Case Packing

JBT Proseal’s CP3 is an automatic case packing system that can handle both trays and pots. The CP3 automatically packs the cases in-line, reducing the level of labourers required to pack cases manually.

IT Support to Keep Your Lines Running

Your packaging lines are expected to operate 365 days a year, 24 hours a day, within tight production schedules. Whilst the control and monitoring aspect of the AutoCoding system continues to run in parallel with your production run, there are times where you may need help to minimise the level of downtime at the factory floor. ?JBT AutoCoding system operate a 24/7-hour helpdesk, which supports any changes or investigations impacting on the packaging verification and date code control of your packaging lines.

OPTIMISING FACTORY PERFORMANCE

High Speed Tray Sealing

A critical aspect of factory performance is where the first automated point in packaging begins, setting the platform for efficient production lines. ?The GT2 is a high-capacity, high-speed, automatic in-line tray sealing system capable of running 120 packs per minute with a 6-impression tool and an integrated two-minute tool changeover. It ensures that the production run starts with high throughput. ?

Improving Job Changeover Efficiency

The JBT Proseal and AutoCoding packaging solution is designed for faster changeover scenarios, with built-in quick-tool capability and centralised software control, making selection and deployment as smooth and simple as possible. It ensures that, at the touch of an HMI screen selection, the relevant systems and equipment automatically work together and against the appropriate settings agreed in the packing plan.??

Improving Equipment Efficiency

There are ways to understand how packaging lines are performing through data collection from equipment and devices on the packaging lines. This data can be analysed for visualisation and reporting purposes. The JBT Proseal and JBT AutoCoding digital tools can be used together or in isolation to understand different aspects of packaging effectiveness or alternatively overall factory effectiveness. By capturing batch pack counts, combined with the powerful contextualised data from the AutoCoding system, further information such as production run, product, line information, product configuration and planned quantity can be obtained. Using this type of data helps to build an understanding of performance and Overall Equipment Effectiveness (OEE) on the factory floor, as well as the reasons for downtime. E.g. Printer issues. ?

Combined with customised dashboards and reporting tools, you'll be able to understand what's happening on your factory floor right now, so you can take immediate action to reduce equipment inefficiencies and bottlenecks. All production staff on the factory floor can see the data and status information, resulting in increased awareness and focus on uptime and minimisation of downtime.

If you would like to find out more about JBT Proseal and AutoCoding packaging solutions, please contact the relevant teams.

For hardware enquiries

Contact us: Proseal | Contact | Enquiry. Add 'Automate UK' to your subject heading

Watch our Mansfield and Proseal CP4 video ??

For software enquiries

Contact us: Contact us - AutoCoding Systems Ltd. Add 'Automate UK' to your subject heading

Watch our AutoCoding fruit packaging animation