Videojet Technologies has introduced the CLARiTY Laser Controller to enhance the entire range of its carbon dioxide and fiber laser marking systems, helping manufacturers to achieve sustainable improvements in overall equipment effectiveness.
It offers a line set-up wizard to aid maintenance and production staff during both initial line set-up and during product changeovers.
The interface provides a visual representation of the laser on the packaging line, eliminating trial and error by configuring the print job to match the required production set-up.
Food News International asks Sascha Benke, global laser business unit manager, Videojet Technologies about how food and beverage (F&B) manufacturers can use laser controllers to enjoy high overall equipment effectiveness and good practices concerning product safety and packaging.
FNI: What does overall equipment effectiveness (OEE) mean to food and beverage (F&B) manufacturers?
Benke: OEE is a basic measurement of how efficiently an individual system, such as a coding, marking and labeling system on a production line, or the production line as a whole, is working to manufacture goods.
A line with low OEE is one that is very inefficient, while one with high OEE is operating close to its designed capacity.
For F&B manufacturers, high OEE means that their production lines are operating close to maximum productivity, producing the maximum number of products at high speeds and all correctly labeled or coded, with minimal downtime, and little wasted product, packaging, or energy.
This efficiency is a key goal for manufacturers who are keen to protect their profit margins, while battling against the rising cost of raw ingredients and energy, consumer quality demands and complying with labeling regulations.
Some of the key labeling regulations include the Food Labelling Regulations 1996 in the UK, labeling requirements regulated by the China Food and Drug Administration, the US Food Drug Administration under the Federal Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act and other legislation for food safety packaging, including the British Retail Consortium V6 and International Featured Standard V6.
FNI: What product qualities should F&B manufacturers look out for concerning overall equipment effectiveness?
Benke: To achieve maximum OEE, F&B manufacturers need to look for production line technologies, and label printing systems in particular, with a number of product qualities.
They must select machines capable of high precision at high throughput speeds and choose those that offer enhanced multifunctionality, flexibility and usability.
Technologies that offer simplified product set up routines and intuitive touch screen controls can significantly reduce downtime during product changeovers.
These features can also boost flexibility, allowing multiple product ranges to be manufactured on the same production line, enabling manufacturers to respond quickly and easily to changes in consumer demand.
All of this can help optimize OEE.
In addition, systems with on-board diagnostics tools and similar features can address the issue of unplanned downtime by identifying the source of any operating problems instantly, allowing machine operatives to locate and repair any faults with minimal time wasted.
Data monitoring tools can allow the system to identify the most frequent cause of issues, enabling operatives to take preventative action to further cut downtime.
FNI: How are coding errors typically prevented in F&B factories?
Benke: More than half of coding errors are caused by operator error, with common mistakes including incorrect data entry and job selection.
However, these can be easily prevented by investing in printing technologies that are easy-to-use.
Systems that can be set up with predefined coding rules, for example, can limit the operator’s choices when selecting product codes to an allowable range, minimizing the risk of coding errors.
In addition, printing systems that offer a common user interface across all of their main primary and secondary packaging printers can help manufacturers simplify operative training.
This is because common operations, such as job selection, data entry and checking printer status can all be carried out using a single user interface design, making it easier for operatives to do their job and, in doing so, further reducing the risk of coding errors.
FNI: What do F&B manufacturers typically demand of laser controllers?
Benke: F&B manufacturers rely on high precision labeling and coding technologies to help them ensure compliance with labeling legislation.
However, as they face an increasingly competitive environment, manufacturers are keen to find printing solutions that maximize production uptime and, in so doing, boost OEE.
To support them in achieving this, manufacturers are looking for laser controllers that not only enable them to set up multiple printing systems from a single user interface, but also offer them additional tools, such as preset product menus and on-board diagnostics.
The former feature can play a key role in simplifying the product changeover process to minimize downtime, while at the same time minimizing the risk of coding errors.
The latter can help them identify adverse performance trends in the printing systems on the production line, enabling manufacturers to undertake pre-emptive corrective action before a problem occurs.
This can further reduce downtime and help optimize OEE, enabling manufacturers to concentrate on product quality while protecting their bottom line.
FNI: How can laser controllers enhance food safety in factories?
Benke:Â Laser controllers are designed to act as a single user interface for the printing systems on the production line.
As such, they play a key role in ensuring the accuracy and legibility of label information on food and beverage packaging, such as barcodes, expiry dates, and ingredients, particularly those known to be common allergens, which must be displayed on packaging to comply with labeling regulations, such as Directive 2000/13/EC in effect in the European Union.
By displaying such information, manufacturers can help optimize food safety by ensuring that their customers are protected from ingesting food past its expiry date and products that contain ingredients to which they might be allergic to.
FNI: What can food factories do to be lean, green and flexible? Why?
Benke: Boosting OEE by investing in flexible and high-precision technologies, including label printing systems is a key means of enhancing the sustainability of F&B manufacturers’ production processes.
Ensuring the production line features machines that are operating as closely as possible to their designed capabilities can help improve efficiency, while at the same time increasing productivity.
Reducing product waste by minimizing the risk of coding errors and other issues that lead to substandard packs can also help manufacturers optimize production line sustainability.
High-precision systems can help cut the number of coding mistakes, enabling manufacturers to reduce product waste for enhanced sustainability.
