Compact inspection systems
become the ‘new normal’
When it comes to buying criteria
for inspection equipment, whilst
commercial viability will always make
or break decisions, the COVID-19 crisis
is pushing space-optimised design and
remote diagnostics to the fore.
Footprint has long been a consideration
when choosing packaging and
processing equipment – factory space
is at a premium and the ever-increasing
cost of real estate means each cubic
metre has to be maximised.
In production and packaging facilities
where every inch counts, establishing
new practices that will enable factory
personnel to work safely during
the COVID-19 pandemic is a huge
challenge. Preventing the spread of the
virus within the workplace is all about
creating distance and physical barriers
between workers, but space is in short
supply in most facilities.
MOVING PEOPLE, NOT
MACHINERY
Redesigning factory layouts is not easy,
requiring considerable investment.
However, producers have a duty of care
to operators to ensure they are working
in a safe environment. Rather than
reconfiguring production line layouts,
companies are looking at how they can
redeploy and organise operators in a
safer way, for example, by altering shift
patterns. In other words, the focus is on
moving people rather than machinery.
As factories adapt to these new ways
of working, Phil Brown, Managing
Director of Fortress Technology, expects
equipment compactness to become
even more important.
“From a factory floor perspective,
adapting to COVID-19 is all about
creating space. Smaller footprint
equipment creates more space for
people to move around without being
restricted to certain pathways,” he says.
COMBI SYSTEMS COME INTO
THEIR OWN
One of the ways in which companies
can save line space is to opt for a
combined checkweighing and metal
detection system – mounting these
systems on the same conveyor results
in a far smaller footprint than standalone
units would occupy.
Combi metal detector/checkweighers
are not a new concept, but last month
[May], saw Fortress unveil its first ever
offering in the space under the Raptor
marque. Developed in collaboration with
Sparc Systems, the integrated system
delivers hygienic and user-friendly
operation on a compact footprint.
The machine’s footprint has been
minimised via several design features.
Clever configuration of the reject
mechanisms, for example, means that
they occupy 50% less space than a
conventional design.
“You can’t get away from the fact you
need separate rejects for weighing
and metal as the rework required for
rejected products is very different.
However, we have designed the system
with opposing rather than end to end
rejects, reducing the length of the reject
system from one metre to 500mm,”
explains Brown.
26 FDPP - www.fdpp.co.uk