Leading company specialized an the construction of filling and closing lines and processing plants for the food and beverage industry
Food industry specialist, Zacmi, recently designed, developed and installed an entire filling line at a customer’s ready-meal plant. In addition to addressing normal operational performance metrics, Zacmi was also challenged to improve the product quality; improve the operational environment; and deliver greater flexibility for product development.
The fully automated, multi-stage line comprises a can-rinser, a piston filler, a checkweigher, a vacuum filler with external valves, a seamer, an unwrapper & lid feeder and multiple ancillaries, including level control, can washer, dryer and code marker alongside the integration of an existing X ray inspector and conveyors connecting all the machines.
Contemporary automation delivers all control and Industry 4.0 capabilities. In operation, after rinsing the cans are split into three streams.
Two streams go to existing equipment that has been integrated into the new line and the other goes to the new Zacmi piston filler. The product is pumped from the IPC to the piston filler, which is able to adapt to multiple product types, thanks to automatic settings stored in the HMI. After the piston filler, a checkweigher triggers a feedback loop which the filler uses to automatically adjust the fill level based on the target weight.
The vacuum filler with external valves has been designed with particular attention to cleanability and flexibility. Not only can the bowl be hermetically sealed during the washing phase, but the filler can also handle liquid or thick products containing particles without changing the head.
The seamer also exhibits a clean design and new safety guards. In addition, a desmodromic cam eliminates the use of the springs, reducing vibration and wear of mechanical parts. The seamer is also equipped with an automatic conveyor and unwrapper for the lids.
Designed and built to GMP standards using materials suitable for food production, all critical components are uniquely tagged using numbers that can be traced back to the PID diagram and other relevant documentation.
Full traceability is available for lubrication; ingredient and recipes and automated CIP cleaning (internal and external) is also available. All the equipment is compatible with MES and can provide data relevant to the performance of the line for operational and maintenance purposes.
