At the IFFA 2010 in Frankfurt (hall 9.1, stand C 47) S+S Separation and Sorting Technology will present sophisticated metal and contaminant separators especially for the meat-processing industry. In addition to the well-known and practice-proven Liquiscan VF+ metal separator for filler applications, the Unicon and Varicon metal detection systems with conveyor belt, and the Raycon product inspection system, S+S will also be presenting the results of the WS Food VDMA working group.
Because of product liability and IFS (International Food Standard) certification, the inspection of food products for contaminants is an absolute necessity. S+S provides special systems for the respective processing stages and critical control points (CCPs) in the meat-processing industry, such as the inspection of raw meat, sausage meat, or packed products. Contaminant and metal separators guarantee compliance with IFS standards. The mechanical design of S+S systems meets the stringent hygienic demands of the food industry (‘hygienic design’).
The results of the WS Food VDMA working group, where S+S is a project partner, will also be presented at the S+S trade fair stand. Under the lead of the VDMA association, details of data acquisition and evaluation for a uniform IT concept were prepared with meat processing companies, machinery suppliers, system/consulting firms, and the Food Processing Initiative (FPI). This allows economically priced and efficient data acquisition for the meat-processing industry.
The WS Food standard defines the physical interface, for example, the network and the protocol for linking machines and monitoring equipment with a data acquisition system, and the data that are provided by the machines. Parameterisation by means of a device description file allows communication according to the ‘plug and play’ principle. Evaluation functions for efficiency analysis (e.g. OEE) and a traceability concept also are demonstrated.
Inspection of raw meat, sausage meat and end products
The UNICON metal detection system inspects fresh meat or frozen meat blocks that are transported in E1/E2 containers for unwanted metal contaminations such as meat hooks, butcher tools, and particles from broken blades. A contaminated container that passes the metal detector is sorted out. Downstream machines (cutters, mincers) are reliably protected. The problem of large metal parts being chopped into many small metal particles which then reach the downstream production process also is reliably avoided. The Varicon metal detection system primarily is used for the final metal check in the outgoing goods sector after packing, during weighing, or during labelling.
The Liquiscan VF+ metal separator is specifically designed for the inspection of sausage meat or similar pasty materials. With its compact design it can be easily installed directly at the outlet of a vacuum filler. When the metal separator detects a metal contamination, the conveying process is stopped, or a pneumatic valve automatically separates the contaminated sausage meat from the filling process into a collecting container. Various connections allow easy mounting to all filler and clipper systems conventionally used in the meat-processing industry and to various attachment devices.
All S+S metal detectors and separators come with the Genius+ control unit, which processes and evaluates the data of the detection coil by way of digital signal processing in a multi-stage evaluation process. The Genius+ control unit features a high basic sensitivity that decisively influences the detection accuracy. Data logging and archiving is in compliance with IFS and HACCP requirements. One special feature of Genius+ is its intuitive and easy operation by way of the optional color-touch-panel.
The Raycon product inspection system primarily is used for the final inspection of packed products, and aluminium-coated packing materials or metallised foils are no hindrance at all. For the user it is possible to simultaneously inspect different products and packages without having to change system settings. Products positioned crosswise or misplaced products will not lead to an error message. It is even possible to simultaneously inspect parallel product lines. Pushers or blast nozzles with lockable collecting container can be used as separating units for faulty products. The RAYCON product inspection system guarantees optimal image processing at a high throughput rate of up to 600 product units per minute. It operates with a minimum X-ray power of 50kv or 80kv and is certified as an inspection system for food and food ingredients according to EC directive 1999/2/EC.
