The Theia can inspect up to 200 packs to minute
Feeding new changes in the
combination food inspection market
Precision weighing and quality control
inspection technology is an important
element in any processing operation.
Reducing giveaway and ensuring
food safety both remain significant
contributors to profitability. With
the Theia combi machine from Sparc
Systems, automated x-ray inspection,
checkweighing and label verification can
be delivered by one space-saving unit.
Combination systems are becoming
increasingly popular on food production
lines, with the automated checkweighing
market expected to escalate between
now and 2024i. Despite a turnover
of £140bn (accounting for 19% of all
UK manufacturing income), UK food
manufacturers face increasing pressures
20 FDPP - www.fdpp.co.uk
on profit margins.ii. Input costs continue
to rise which weigh heavily on the
entire food supply chain. And despite
the potential benefits of line efficiency,
few FMCG manufacturers opt for full
integrated inspection machinery on their
lines.
Rather than operation separate units,
Sparc is one of the few global food
inspection specialists to have designed
a truly integrated, single point control
combination x-ray inspection and
checkweigher. Sparc’s European Sales
Manager Charlie Graham explains: “There
are varying degrees of integration on
the market. Ranging from complete
mechanical and electronic integration -
as Sparc does - to connected machines
from two different suppliers which
typically still operate independently with
no cohesive reporting.”
Created for food manufacturers seeking
to comply with regulatory codes of
practice while improving line efficiency,
the Theia ensures fast and accurate
rejection of up to 200 out-of-tolerance or
contaminated packs per minute.
Keeping quality control front of mind, the
Theia utilises Sparc’s tried and tested
precision X-ray technology to inspect
packaged food products and identify
a variety of foreign materials such as
metal, glass or bone. If a contaminant
is detected, the product is sent to a
dedicated lockable reject station.