The supreme versatility of an Ishida multihead weigher is aptly demonstrated by the installation of a CCW-RS-214/30-SS model at Danish organic product specialist Urtekram International, where the machine is handling a wide variety of products from sugar, raisins and dates to nuts, pulses and muesli.

Thanks to its consistently accurate and reliable performance, the weigher is now able to handle on one packing line what had previously been divided over two. This has reduced the number of packing shifts each day from three to two and enabled two thirds of the operators who used to run the line to be deployed on other duties. Typical packing speeds have increased by as much as two hundred percent.  Overall Urtekram estimates that payback on the machine will be achieved within two years.

In order to handle the wide variety of products, the weigher has been supplied with two complete sets of contact parts - anti-spillage for small items such as nuts, pulses and seeds, and ribbed to ensure a smooth flow of sticky products such as raisins. Urtekram packs around 70 different products in packs sizes from 15g to 1kg, with every combination programmed into the Ishida's remote control unit for extremely fast changeovers. Typical of the pinpoint accuracy of the weigher is its ability to ensure the inclusion of exactly six figs in a particular product combination in each 100g bag, while overall efficiency rates across all product types have increased by 45% compared to the previous weigher.

The CCW-RS-214 is part of a packing line introduced to handle a new bag format for the products that features a corner seal. Most bags incorporate the seal in the middle of the back of the bag; by sealing at the edge, the entire back is left completely clear for Urtekram to include company and brand information in a variety of languages.

Ishida was chosen for the project thanks to Urtekram's previous experience with the company. "In 2009, when one our weighers broke down, TH Consult, Ishida's Danish agent, found and installed a used Ishida weigher to get us up and running again as quickly as possible," explains Production Manager Morten Jensen. "This machine performed so well that we decided then and there that whatever the next project would be, the weigher had to be an Ishida.  Everything else would be up for discussion but the weigher was non-negotiable."

The appropriateness of this decision has been underlined by the corner seal bag project. "Undoubtedly this new line has had its challenges due to the innovative nature of the bag format," says Hr Jensen. "However, the only thing we have had no problems with from the outset has been the Ishida."

Established in 1972, Urtekram has built its reputation on creating and distributing high quality organic products. "Product image is vital and the packaging plays a key role in this," confirms Hr Jensen. "The Ishida weigher has been pivotal in the success of the new bag format and we are grateful to the company and to TH Consult for their contribution to this important project."