A 20-head weigher from Ishida Europe has helped in the automation of the packing operation for a variety of potato products from Slovakian producer Liptovskà Potravinàřskà.
A family business established in 2000 as a supplier of raw potatoes, Liptovskà Potravinàřskà first started to produce peeled potatoes in 2007.
The Liptovskà factory features a steam peeling system and also has the ability to handle unpeeled potatoes. Once the potatoes have been prepared, weighed and packed, they are transferred to an autoclave for sterilisation.
The company introduced its autoclave system in 2019 and its success led to the establishment of the Ishida packing operation in order to maximise throughput and meet demand. Liptovskà has now also launched a retail line under its Pan Zemiak (Mr Potato) brand.
The firm decided to invest in a weighing and packing line that could fulfil demand from both retail and foodservice customers. After speaking with Ishida’s CEE team, the decision was made to buy a 20-head multihead weigher as the key component of the new line.
Ishida said the flexibility of the CCW-RV-220WB-1D-30-WP enables it to handle both 450g retail pack sizes and larger 3kg and 5kg packs for the foodservice sector, with a top speed of 120 packs per minute for the 450g, and 40 and 20 packs per minute for the 3kg and 5kg sizes.
The three litre hoppers are capable of weighing whole, sliced or diced potatoes. In order to deliver the required speeds for the larger pack sizes, the weigher is divided into four sections, with each section acting as a separate weigher at a lower target weight. These individual weights are then combined and placed into a distribution system, comprising a twin swing chute with dipping funnel that transfers the potatoes into thermoformed trays.
For a 5kg pack, the weigher produces four individual weights of 1,250g which are placed into the tray one after the other. For the 3kg size, it is two weights of 1.500g, and for the 450g retail packs, the potatoes are despatched in a single weighment.
The Ishida multihead is from the company’s RV series. This features the manufacturer’s triple combination calculation software that can calculate optimal weight combinations, double check them and then select the one nearest to the target weight, all in a single cycle. This is designed to ensure accuracy is maintained when the weigher operates in the split mode for the larger size packs.
The weigher is in operation 12 hours each day, and as well as the cooked potato varieties is also handling raw potatoes. Anti-floor vibration removes background vibration from the load cell output signal, improving signal stability and machine accuracy. The Ishida installation also included an elevator to transfer potatoes to the top of the multihead weigher. An Ishida DACS-G-S060 checkweigher provides a final weight check.
“We have been very pleased with the performance of the Ishida multihead weigher,” said Liptovskà Potravinàřskà’s executive director Michal Hajden. “It is both accurate and reliable, as well as being easy to set up and operate – and Ishida provided us with initial training to ensure we were familiar with all the features of the machine.”
The company is now investigating export opportunities for its new retail range.
“We see great potential for our Pan Zemiak range alongside our existing foodservice business,” Michal Hajden added. “Thanks to the capabilities of our Ishida multihead weigher, we are well placed to maximise our opportunities.”
