Decoupling, conveying, accumulating - but in an intelligent way

Cup filling for Food & Co.

The initial situation in food processing is typical: on the one hand, a filling line puts products into PP cups in portions and seals them; on the other hand, there are autoclaves which preserve the ready-for-sale packages before delivery. To do this, the cups have to be placed from the conveyor down into the stainless steel racks of rack trolleys, which production workers then move by hand into the autoclave. If we now leave the ideal line, the autoclaves are almost never placed directly at the end of a production line. In addition, the sealable pressure vessels for pasteurization are not only used by one product line, but are available end-of-line to the entire production of a manufacturer.

At this point, the question arises as to how the continuously running filling operation can be combined with the fixed time windows of the autoclaves. In addition, the spatial gap must also be closed in the process. This again raises new questions about material flow if other plant components are in the way. Differences in height must then also be overcome in a process-safe manner. Gronemeyer relies here on a technology that intelligently solves the decoupling and spatial connection between filling and tray loading. We therefore use the conveyor technology between production and autoclave simultaneously for transport and accumulating. In this way, we manage to create a buffer between filling and pasteurization. This buffer is capable of bridging up to five minutes. This means that if there is a stoppage at the end of the line, for example because a trolley is changed, the filling line can continue producing for five minutes and the cups can accumulate on the conveyor belt. Conversely, the autoclaves can continue to be operated if the product changeover is already being carried out during filling - and this until the buffered product on the conveyor belt is completely pasteurized.

As briefly mentioned, the conveying and accumulation technology designed by Gronemeyer rarely runs horizontally. In most cases, it is necessary to overcome existing plant sections in an upward direction. For the upward and downward travel, we use two-lane spiral conveyors with anti-slip chains. This means that even conical plastic cups always stay on track. The entire conveyor system is integrated into an intelligent accumulation management system. With a view to production safety, all Gronemeyer modules are fitted with stainless steel trays at the bottom. They prevent possible contamination of underlying system parts - a valuable and effective contribution to hygiene and safety in food production.

Decoupling, conveying, accumulating: This triad is a very good way to operate efficient product control. What can we do for you? » Contact «