Oiling drum demonstrates strengths of centerlining to compensate for low operator numbers - or skills

Syntegon Technology company Makat put its most automated oiling drum yet through its paces at the ProSweets show in Cologne, earlier this year, highlighting the vigour of the gummy segment, not only in confectionery but increasingly in healthcare and nutrition, and demonstrating the benefits of centerlining when it comes to recipe optimisation and control. 

As Makat product manager Sandra Link explains, the finish or polish put on a gummy or jelly may not be the core process, but quality at this final stage is equally important in terms of product appeal. 

“Many confectionery producers are facing the challenge of varying product quality and line performance in different production shifts, as well as a lack of skilled personnel,” she explains. “Centerlining features and automation can help to overcome this issue, not only for the kitchen or depositing line, but also for the finishing equipment. This was our motivation to develop our new Makat BC96.” 

The fully automated oiling drum incorporates several centerlining features with recipe management as a way of reducing process variability. Operators can use the human-machine interface (HMI) to set target values for a range of production parameters, saving them in a product recipe to be pulled up as required. The more reliable process which results will lead not only to improved and more consistent quality, but also to higher overall equipment effectiveness (OEE), reduced waste and swifter product changeovers. 

The sophistication of the BC96 also extends to the use of sensors for process monitoring and preventive error detection, with integrated software detecting deviations from set recipe parameters in real time and reporting them to the operator. 

According to Link, this allows for the continuous supervising of processes and the avoidance of unplanned downtime – or for early intervention and troubleshooting. 

Additional support for the operator comes from the guiding system, which provides step-by-step instructions, facilitating key procedures such as production start-up or predefined cleaning sequences. 

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