The installation of an Ishida AirScan leak detection system at Sinnack Snacks, Germany’s only large-scale bakery to focus on tortillas, has enabled the company to automate its end-of-line packing process.
The Ishida solution can inspect as many as 2,500 packs per hour, detecting leaks as small as 0.5mm to ensure the integrity of the protective atmosphere packaging.
Sinnack Snacks produces wheat, multigrain and protein tortillas in diameters of 20, 25 and 30cm, which are sold in packs of 6, 8 and 12 and the thermoformed packaging must be airtight.
Bits of the tortillas can sometimes get into the seals during the packing process and cause leaks.
Other potential sources of defects include wrinkles in the seal.
The stage of the process that comes after the films are changed on the thermoforming machinery is also critical. If the films overlap at this point, the packaging may not be sealed correctly.
“We were looking for an in-line system that was capable of checking every single pack at high speed and picking out any rejects,” explained managing partner Jana Sinnack.
The Ishida solution is the company’s fully automated AirScan, which uses a laser module to detect the specific vibrations caused by leaking carbon dioxide molecules.
“We scrutinise any rejected products in minute detail, because identifying the causes of problems ultimately makes our processes more efficient,” added Sinnack.
The success of the first machine has led Sinnack Snacks to install Ishida AirScan systems on two further lines as part of its ongoing automation process.
“Using end-of-line packing robots saves us one employee for every line. However, faster processing requires quality control that is just as fast and needs to absolutely reliable. The AirScan systems have allowed us to grow whilst enhancing quality at the same time,” he concluded.
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