The installation of four Ishida RVE multihead weighers at a leading French olive and spreads manufacturer has enabled the company to increase productivity by 10 percent, reduce average giveaway from 7g to 2g, and cut the volume of non-compliant finished packs by 70 percent.
Located in the heart of Provence, Tropico Apéro balances tradition with novelty in the production of a wide range of products, supplied to large retail stores in both bulk and packaged format. However, with high customer demand, the company was suffering from the unreliability of its previous equipment across its four production lines. The weighers were constantly breaking down, and this equated to the equivalent of 10 days’ lost production per line per year. Maintenance and spare part costs were also excessive.
To ensure consistently high output rates and eliminate machine breakdowns, Tropico Apéro invested in the 14-head 3 litre Ishida RVE multihead weighers. And thanks to the excellent results achieved from the first installed machine, the company quickly decided to buy a further three weighers to standardise equipment across its packing lines, as part of a €1.5 million investment programme over five years.
“Everyone we spoke to in the agri-food industry raved about the quality of Ishida weighers,” explained Ludovic Champion, Tropic Apéro’s Director of Operations. “The tests we conducted on the initial Ishida weighing solution were so conclusive that we purchased three more to standardise our machinery. We have now significantly increased the efficiency of our production lines and drastically reduced our spare parts budget while reducing product loss.”
The accuracy and consistency of the Ishida weighers have enabled Tropico Apéro to focus on minimising giveaway across the different types of packaging used for its products. The reduction in non-compliant packs has also greatly eased the workload for operators on each line.
The Ishida CCW-RVE multihead weigher has been designed for the rapid weighing of free-flowing or semi-sticky dry, chilled, fresh and frozen products. It features a high grade stainless-steel finish with an embossed surface and enhanced design to prevent the ingress of water, for long term reliable operation.
The embossing of all contact parts reduces the contact surface area to prevent product sticking and to maximise throughput. For line personnel the weigher’s ease of use, set up and cleaning (all contact parts are easily removable without tools) simplify daily operations, minimise machine downtime and maximise productivity.
At Tropico Apéro, the weighers are in operation during the off season for one 8-hour shift, 5 days per week, and for two or three shifts, around five to six days a week, in peak season. Each machine is handling 40 packs per minute, enabling the company to produce around 700,000 250g packs per week.
