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Best practices for pork, beef, and poultry processing plants demand operations that accommodate weighing and labeling 25-35 cases per minute, per line.
Not there? We can help.
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Overview
Prior to palletization, if you’re not weighing and labeling at a rate of 25-35 cases per minute, per line, here’s what better plant automation can do for your operations:
Reduce expenses and increase production by pivoting from manual to automated processes
Reduce the operational impact from employee turnover, onboarding, and training
Reduce human-related errors and improving accuracy for weighing and labeling
Maximize the most effective use of plant floor space
Best Practices
To achieve this level of plant automation, best practices demand these operational processes:
Identify and weigh incoming mixed or batched products
Label the products for both identification and outbound shipment
Automatically scan the two labels to verify the information is properly associated with each other prior to the items being palletized
Achieve throughput of 25-35 cases per minute, per line
And, most importantly, all of this is accomplished within your existing/limited plant footprint.
If your beef, pork, or poultry processing plant is not achieving this level of throughput or efficiency in your weighing and labeling processes, you’re losing money.
Manual Processes Cost You Money
Negative Impact to your Plant’s Output Capacity
Increase Risk of Mislabeling, and/or Incorrectly Shipped to the Wrong Location
Potential Fines from Customers
Product Recalls
Automation Saves You Money
Increased Production and Throughput
Reduced Operational Impact from Employee Turnover
Reduced Human-Related Errors and Improved Accuracy for Labeling
Effective Use of Plant Floor Space
Key Components for Automated
Case Weighing and Labeling
Comprised of both software and hardware systems, our powerful, purpose-driven automation solutions are integrated into your existing operations and plant footprint to drive greater efficiencies and throughput.
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Carlisle Technology’s iCap M5 Software
Proprietary software supporting operator-free weighing and labeling processes.
Additional features include: inbound product identification used to identify mixed product prior to weighing, outbound label verification, reject management, and product sortation.
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Carlisle Technology’s Conveyor Scales
Top-of-the-line scales available for high-speed, in-motion conveyor-type applications.
Sealed to repel water.
Heavy stainless steel construction for durability and easy cleaning.
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Panther Labeling Automation Systems
Print-and-apply labeling automations systems available in all-electric or pneumatic options.
Applicator options include straight tamp, swing arm, or blow on applicator.
Aircraft-grade aluminum main plate and non-corrosive fasteners for your plant’s harsh environment.
Case Study
Prestage Foods of Iowa
Prestage Foods of Iowa recently built a brand new $325 million facility. While new, it still lacked adequate space for the case labelling lines.
Their mezzanine has three case labelling lines, with each having approximately 20’ available for weighing, labeling, and sorting incoming cases of product.
Challenge #1
Goal of labelling up to 32 cases per minute on each line
Challenge #2
Limited space between lines, preventing a spare print and apply system to be used if their main applicator went down for low labels or maintenance.
Challenge #3
No surge conveyor to handle incoming product if a print and apply system goes offline.
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Approach
Each line integrated two permanent Panther print and apply systems.
Eliminated issues moving the spare print and apply system in and out of the conveyor lines and removed the need for a surge conveyor.
Quick transition between the two applicators allowed overall product throughput from being negatively affected.
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Solution
Carlisle Technology’s iCap M5 Automated Weighing and Labeling software was modified to control which Panther print and apply system is active and which one is passive.
This can be done manually with an operator or automatically through
the low label output signal from the print and apply system.
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Questions
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