Category: News
A recent development by WMH is helping a large bakery reduce costs by enabling a single operator to service a packing operation handling over 14,000 products per hour.
The system devised by Western Mechanical Handling UK Ltd was integrated into an inline freezer loading and unloading system, also supplied by WMH and takes a random flow of bread rolls or buns, sorts them into three roughly equal lanes then counts a set number if pieces into a waiting carton.
Each lane of product can be diverted to one of two packing positions to maintain continuous operation and allow for full boxes to be removed and fresh empty boxes put in place. An innovative system of coloured lights at each box loading position enables a single operator to service six packing positions with ease. Commenting on the line Project Manager Nigel Hill said, “The colour coded lights at each packing station provide a very intuitive and excellent prompt for the operators’ interactions with the line.”
“The roll packing line worked near perfectly from the time it was set up, and despite being an automated system in a predominantly manual packing environment has been well accepted. It easily handles the throughputs and variety of products it is presented with accuracy and operates very efficiently from a crewing perspective.
I am very pleased with this equipment as I have been with a number of other applications WMH have provided on other projects, at a variety of businesses’ over the years.” Continued Nigel.