DIBAL launches a Productivity Control Solution in the workplace for the food industry

When manual packaging is part of a company´s production process, it is vitally important to ensure that each individual pack contains the set amount of product within the specified validity limits.

This is a challenge that many companies in the fruit and vegetable and canning sectors deal with on a daily basis, and which, until now, no company in our field has been able to resolve completely.

At DIBAL we decided to respond to this need by creating a Productivity Control Solution in the workplace for the food industry. Thanks to this solution, among other things, our customers can ensure that the manual packaging process of their products is as rigorous as possible, checking that the packaging does not contain under- or over-packaging and avoiding losses.

The strengths of the Productivity Control Solution

The ultimate goal of our solution is that companies, thanks to the collected data, can define and implement actions to optimise their processes and improve their results.

Some of the strong points of the Productivity Control Solution are:

1. It allows the monitoring of packaging and manual filling lines to control overall production, by line and by operator, being able to measure unit and overall productivity and efficiency.

2. The line manager can analyse the data in real time or historical data and make decisions without physically going to the line (management of productivity, waste and overfilling, and employee presence).

3. The operator does not need to memorise data about the product or validity limits, as these are set in his indicator from the management software.

4. It offers the possibility of collecting data either on the company server or in the cloud. This second option has the advantage that the data will be accessible from any device with internet access.

How it arises

The Productivity Control Solution was born from direct contact with our customers, something that is essential for DIBAL. We believe that it is essential to listen to them and understand their reality, their processes and their needs in order to be able to offer them useful answers.

This is how this innovative solution came about: within the food industry, we work mainly with the fruit and vegetable and canning sectors, where we identified the need, so far unmet, to control the productivity of their lines in real time and in a simple way.

After two years of work, the first installations have already been carried out and the feedback from customers is very positive.

Installation and operation

To install the Productivity Control Solution, it is necessary to know it in depth. Therefore, its installation must be carried out either by DIBAL´s technical service or by a distributor who is familiar with the customer´s casuistry and who will have been previously trained.

However, one of the aspects that we have taken most care over has been related to its handling: the solution is intuitive and easy to use because when we are talking about solutions such as productivity control, it is essential that the customer understands its functionalities in order to get the most out of the tool.

The operator at the filling station barely has to operate the display and the information displayed is simple and easy to understand. On the other hand, line managers or managers have access to a lot of information relevant to them but it is presented in a simple way.

The complete system

The DIBAL Productivity Control Solution in the workplace for the food industry is a complete hardware and software solution.

Its technical specifications are shown below:

HARDWARE

VT-600 DIBAL indicator for each operator station of the filling line.

It displays the product information and weight limits set, and collects all the data. Among the functions of the indicator, the following stand out:

• Identification of the operator (thanks to the built-in RFID reader) and registration of his activity (registrations/cancellations).
• Batch/lot identification.
• Identification of the article.
• Weighing of the container and sending the weight when it is removed.
• Specific operation for filling and control of products with variable weight (visual, intuitive and secure).

DIBAL platform connected to the VT-600 indicator at each operator station.

• Different ranges and weighing steps.
• Different finishes depending on the work environment.

Industrial PC or VT-1200 indicator for the control station.

It allows the data of the whole line to be displayed in real time. Among its functions, the following stand out:

• Data monitoring.
• Assignment of work variables to VT-600 viewers (batch/item, articles).
• Shrinkage control (scrap).

VT-600 indicator

Indicator with high performance PC architecture. Characteristics:

• Processor: Intel Atom X5.
• RAM memory: 2 GB.
• Hard disk: 32 GB.
• Weighing:
• Connection to 1 weighing platform with up to 16 cells.
• Up to 6,000 divisions. Single-range, multi-range and multi-interval.
• Construction:
• Structure: ABS plastic housing.
• Display: 10.1" touch screen, projected capacitive.
• Includes support bases.
• Internal connections via cable glands:
• 1 USB (3.0) + 1 USB (2.0).
• 1 RS-232 (internal).
• 1 Ethernet.
• Power supply: 230/110 V direct.
• Power consumption: 29.6-90 W (depending on conditions of use).

VT-1200 indicator

Indicator with high performance PC architecture. Features:

• Processor: Intel Celeron or Intel i3.
• Memory: 4 GB, DDR3.
• Hard disk: 128 GB mSATA SSD.
• Optional: Wi-Fi.
• Weighing:
• Connection to 1 weighing platform with up to 16 cells.
• Optional: connection to 2nd weighing platform via DMI and up to 16 load cells (does not support Metrological Verification).
• Up to 6,000 divisions. Single-range, multi-range and multi-interval.
• Construction:
• Structure: AISI 304 stainless steel housing.
• Display: 15" resistive TFT touch screen.
• Includes adjustable tilt support for table or wall.
• IP65 protection.
• Panel connections: 1 USB.
• Internal connections: Depending on model.
• Power supply: 230/110 V direct.
• Power consumption: 40 W (max.).
• Possibility of integration with other equipment and peripherals.

SOFTWARE

The Atlantis application collects the information from each VT-600 indicator in real time. It can be integrated with the company´s ERP and stores this data in the medium selected by the company (own server or the cloud).

Among the data it collects and displays are:

• Employee control.
• Productivity control.
• Effective control of filling by product.
• Analysis of data in real time.
• Analysis of data vs. historical data.
• Shrinkage register (destruction).

If you would like to know more about this solution in detail, please contact the Dibal sales manager in your area. We will be pleased to help you.