Pictured above: Hunziker is happy with its Ishida IX-EA
system and sees X-ray inspection rather than metal detection as the
way forward
Leading Swiss confectionery firm F. Hunziker & Co. AG has
installed Ishida's advanced IX-EA-2161 X-ray inspection system,
along with a DACS-W-012 checkweigher, to provide maximum quality
control in the packing of pastilles and powdered drinks into bags
at its factory in Dietikon, near Zurich.
Typical production anomalies and contaminants that the Ishida
X-ray system has to monitor include an over-large sugar crystal or
a simple product lump in the powdered drinks, and the occasional
small fragment of paper or plastic which could enter the pastilles
or drinks via the sugar supply. Nevertheless, the ability of the
IX-EA to pick up tiny amounts of metal, glass, stone and rubber
adds an extra level of product safety.
With the line running at up to 90 bags per minute, older
measures such as sieving of the powder and visual inspection of
both products could not be relied on, leading Hunziker to choose
X-ray inspection technology. The main challenge in inspecting the
pastilles, which consist mainly of gum Arabic and sugar or sugar
substitutes, is their density and the fact that pieces often
aggregate in the pack.
The Ishida X-ray system was selected by Hunziker following
extensive trials in which the machine was 100% successful in
identifying a number of deliberately contaminated packs, and this
success rate has continued during operation in the factory. "All
the challenges are easily met by the Ishida X-ray system," comments
Factory Manager Reto Reinli. "It detects contaminants or
agglomerated product very reliably. The size of the smallest
contaminant detected to date was just 0.5mm, this is despite the
use of aluminised bags on this line!"
Operation of the IX-EA is very quick and simple. Inspection
settings are automatically optimised by simply passing product
through the machine. Up to 100 product presets are available, and
the operator can change from one to another without interrupting
the existing production run.
The system uses the familiar Microsoft Windows platform, via a
touchscreen monitor. As Hunziker's Production Manager Manuel
Jüttner observes: "User-friendliness and interface are first
class. The use of a graphic outline makes it easy to see why a pack
is being rejected."
The intuitive interface also makes operation easy to learn. Reto
Reinli explains: "Our operators on the lines have limited technical
understanding, but they had nevertheless been able to operate the
machine after a short training."
"We were able to get on with production right from the start,"
adds Manuel Jüttner.
Triple lead-filled plastic curtains ensure that no measurable
amount of radiation can escape from the machine. If the access door
is opened or a hand is inserted into the interior, the system shuts
down automatically.
The Ishida machines were supplied by ITECH AG, Ishida's
distributor in Switzerland. The IX-EA-2161 underwent on-site
technical approval by the authorities, and two Hunziker employees
who received training in local environment monitoring (compulsory
under Swiss law) carry out regular checks. "Most of the 'red tape'
was taken care of on our behalf by Ishida and ITECH," comments
Manuel Jüttner.
Reto Reinli concludes: "The high safety standard has had a
positive influence on certification audits and has resulted in very
high marks for contaminant detection. In the future, even on lines
without metallised packaging, we will invest exclusively in X-ray
detection technology."