IDM ¦ Technology/IT
Since 2017, Heinrichsthaler Milchwerke has been using
optical inspection processes for the packaging of grated
cheese, which make it possible to detect foreign plastic
bodies even before the product enters the packaging. The
process, for which SWAT Automation has meanwhile filed a patent
application, has been continuously developed over four years.
On the mechanical engineering side, Groba was the partner of
choice, because the Dutch specialist has been a regular supplier
to Heinrichsthaler Milchwerke for 20 years. The "ShredScan" in
the fourth cheese-making line installed a few months ago at the
Radeberg plant offers maximum safety against foreign bodies in
cheese products. IDM was on site.
"Before we introduced optical inspection, we were constantly
in danger of having foil residues and other contaminants in the
product that could not be detected with the metal detector. In
the worst case, this could have led to product recalls, which would
not only have been expensive, but would also have jeopardised
our reputation as a manufacturer of high-quality products," explains
Uwe Lammeck, Managing Director of Heinrichsthaler Milchwerke.
The cheese dairy spent some time looking for a mechanical
solution, which became more and more important the more
the final packaging was automated. This is because it eliminated
the last inspection step, namely that an employee picks up the
product again during cartoning and can discover a package with
impurities.
ShredScan from Groba
Due to a lack of offers on the market, the solution to the problem
had to be developed by the company itself. For this, Heinrichsthaler
Milchwerke worked together with SWAT Automation, a company
that takes on automation tasks for the cheese dairy as a permanent
partner. After some experimentation, SWAT Automation,
under Managing Director Michael Jurisch and Maxim Gorte, the
Technical Manager of the project, developed a concept that works
with high-speed cameras. Here, the lens is aimed at a free-falling
stream of grated cheese, and a picture is taken every 20 milliseconds.
To get more contrast, the optical inspection is done in front
of an illuminated contrast plate. If a film shred is detected (particles
of 2 mm² or more can be detected), the conveyor belt to the
28 · January/February 2022 ¦ international-dairy.com
Have developed the ShredScan (from left):
Clemens Richter, Technical Manager Heinrichsthaler
Milchwerke, Robin de Groot, Groba, Michael Jurisch,
SWAT Automation, Maxim Gorte, technical project
manager SWAT Automation (Photo: IDM)
Playing it safe
Grated cheese is automatically checked
for foreign bodies made of plastic
The cheese stream lands on a
conveyor belt after passing the
drop section (Photo: IDM)
/international-dairy.com
