Voie Verte, based in the Lyon region, is a producer and wholesaler specialising in fresh fruit and vegetables. Its range also includes fresh-cut products. In order to meet the increasing demand, the company has automated its filling process. Several fresh produce scales from Ishida are now proving their worth in processing the sticky and delicate products.
The fresh fruit is cut into pieces and packed in trays ready for consumption. For efficient weighing, three CCW-R2 fresh product scales from Ishida for use. The linear scales were developed especially for use with Highly adhesive and pressure-sensitive foods which represent a challenge for automation. The savings compared to manual processing mean that amortisation can usually be achieved after just a few months.
Voie Verte uses a twelve-person CCW-R2, which also includes two Different types of fruit at the same time for blends can process. Two six-headed models are also used. The operating principle is the same in each case. An operator distributes the sliced fruit evenly into the feed chutes, which act as buffers, to the weighing trays. Special scrapers on the plastic trays and the ribbed inner walls prevent the fruit from sticking. Due to the outstanding accuracy, the Product loss due to overfilling less than one per cent of the target contents. Due to their compact dimensions, the multihead weighers require a small footprint and have a low overall height. They are therefore ideal for production environments with space restrictions.
The fresh product scales at Voie Verte operate at a speed of 20 trays per minute. In fact, significantly higher cycle rates of up to 70 trays for the twelve-head model and up to 35 trays for the six-head models would be possible if the machines were not currently „slowed down“ by slower other line components.
The French company benefits from the scales in many ways. In particular, the machines have contributed to greater efficiency, as they are used for a Fast and extremely precise weighing of each individual fruit portion. At the same time, the sliced fruit remains intact and therefore of high quality thanks to the gentle processing. And, of course, the company saves on expensive manual labour when packing the sliced fruit.
The scales are also ideal for smaller batches. The Product changeover takes just a few minutes The machine can also be customised by calling up presets, and the trays can be easily removed for cleaning. This flexibility makes it possible to fulfil customer orders quickly, even at short notice.
„Voie Verte is successful because we always adapt to the expectations of the market and consumers. Ishida's technology supports our growth because it has proven to be powerful and reliable right from the start.“
José Carrion, Production Manager
