Inspection technology from OCS Checkweighers as a guarantee of quality

For more than 45 years, the name Schwarzwaldhof from Blumberg has stood for top quality in the production of regional ham and sausage specialities. The company, which belongs to Edeka Südwest, relies on the inspection technology from OCS Checkweighers, Kaiserslautern, which has been tried and tested for decades, to implement the highest quality standards.

The unrestricted safety of the entire product range has been the most important thing for the long-established company from the southern Black Forest since it was founded in 1970. „Especially against the background of the very strict hygiene guidelines we do not make any compromises in the entire production area,“ says the Schwarzwaldhof managing directors Andreas Göhring and Andreas Pöschel. And they emphasise: „As a matter of principle, we only work with experienced professionals. OCS Checkweighers is one of them.“

High-precision controls

At the plant in Baden-Württemberg, a total of eleven packaging lines are currently used to portion and package a net annual production of over 10,000 tonnes of ham and sausage products for the end customer. Before a product leaves the factory premises, it is packaged with the Inspection technology from OCS Checkweighers meticulously checked for weight and any foreign bodies. „Manufacturers and customers alike benefit from the high-precision weight control of each individual pack,“ says Managing Director Andreas Göhring.

„The customer has a right to receive the quantity of product that is labelled on the packaging. On the other hand, we have to make sure that we don't give away any product due to overfilling.“, Andreas Göhring, Business Unit Manager Schwarzwaldhof

Display

Simple and comprehensive wet cleaning

Schwarzwaldhof has equipped its packaging lines with OCS HC-M-VA checkweighers. This high-tech machine impresses with its sophisticated design in Full stainless steel, which predestines them for use in light and medium damp environments. The load cell, motors and belt assembly are made of Stainless steel and ensure simple and comprehensive wet cleaning in accordance with Protection class IP 65. Additional stainless steel options make the HC-M-VA an outstanding overall package with maximum reliability in terms of hygiene. The checkweighers of this type, which are used at Schwarzwaldhof as single or multi-lane versions, conscientiously and very accurately check the weight of each individual package and reliably eject out-of-spec units immediately.

Like the models used in Blumberg, all checkweighers from OCS Checkweighers work with load cells from the high-tech specialist and OCS parent company Wipotec. These load cells work according to the principle of electrodynamic force compensation (EDK). This basic principle is comparable to a simple beam scale. The weight is on one side of the weighing beam. As a result, the coil attached to the other side of the weighing beam wants to move out of the magnetic field. An optical position detection system recognises any minimal deflection and reports this to a high-precision position controller, which regulates the coil current so that the weighing beam remains in equilibrium. This is measured via a measuring resistor and displayed in a Microprocessor system for direct output as a digital weight value.

Short settling time

The decisive advantage of an EDK load cell is its very short settling time. It delivers very precise weight values extremely quickly and is also easy, space- and cost-saving to install in existing weighing systems. Existing systems to integrate. All EDK load cells in the weighing and inspection technology from OCS Checkweighers can be equipped with AVC technology (Active Vibration Compensation). AVC forms the basis for precise and lightning-fast weighing results, even in locations that are not free of vibrations. external vibration sources (vibration caused by machines or local conditions).

Effective inspection

In addition to the weight check, the packs are also checked for possible Metallic foreign bodies subjected. The products pass through the OCS metal detector, which immediately recognises production-related contamination and reliably discharges the affected packaging into a lockable container.

Manuel Kaupp knows how reliably the inspection technology from OCS Checkweighers works in daily use. Kaupp speaks of „practically fault-free systems“, where only classic wear parts need to be replaced. „The service at OCS is exceptionally good,“ says Manuel Kaupp. „Where other manufacturers cut corners, OCS Checkweighers is exemplary,“ praises the packaging expert. If necessary, all it takes is a phone call and the company is on hand to help quickly and efficiently thanks to competent contacts and many years of experience with comprehensive expertise.

„The technology is simple and intuitive to use and impresses with its transparent presentation of all inspection results on the display.“, Manuel Kaupp, Shift manager packaging Schwarzwaldhof

Very low false ejection rate

In daily use, the metal detectors impressed with their „amazingly high detection accuracy“ with a very low false reject rate. When it comes to checkweighers, Kaupp speaks of very high quality devices. „Above all, the percentage of rejects due to metallic contamination is of particular importance.“ According to Kaupp, OCS also demonstrates its full professionalism here.