The purchase of two new R-Series multihead weighers from Ishida Europe has doubled the packing speed at leading fresh and frozen shrimp supplier Goldfish B.V.
Goldfish is located in Volendam, the Netherlands, and supplies its shrimps and shrimp related products throughout Europe. The company is part of the Heiploeg Group, and its products are found in supermarkets as well as being relied on by the food service and catering industries.
Goldfish had been using linear multiheads for its fresh shrimp packing activities, with speeds at or below 80 packs per minute. With the purchase of two 16-head, twin outlet Ishida weighers from the new R-Series, together with a bespoke, Ishida-engineered distribution system to take the product into trays on a Multivac thermoforming machine, Goldfish has now doubled its previous speeds.
On each of the new fresh shrimp packing lines, 10-15kg crates of fresh produce are manually tipped onto a long vibratory conveyor, which directly feeds the Ishida weigher. The weigher is programmed to control the infeed by stopping or starting this conveyor.
Pack sizes are 100, 200 and 500g. At 200g, the tray former is operating at 10 cycles per minute, with an effective weighing speed that can run up to 160 packs per minute, although the weigher is capable of even higher speeds. Because of the double outlet configuration of the Ishida multihead weigher and the distribution system, each line is delivering a high level of output while running very smoothly and consistently. From the weigher outlets, a servo-driven swing chute distribution system delivers the product into the Multivac thermoformer with a 4×4 tray format.
Other benefits of the new system include increased accuracy, with the average giveaway reduction in the region of 0.5%. In addition, the advanced vibratory system of the new R-Series, combined with C4 anti-stick contact parts, help to prevent the fresh and sometimes greasy shrimps from sticking and causing product build up.
Previously Goldfish had experienced reliability issues with a rival company’s multihead weigher, and therefore turned to Ishida for a solution that came in the shape of the then current M-Series. This machine was efficient and problem-free, so it came as no surprise that Goldfish looked towards Ishida to supply the new multiheads.
Our experience of the reliability of this weigher played an important part in our decision to go for Ishida equipment again”, confirms Michael Veerman, plant manager, Goldfish B.V., “and I have to say that the new Ishidas have certainly fulfilled their promise”.
