(2010-08-17) Request Foods – Watching Their Weight

Request Foods, a leading co-packer of specialty foods, is consistently ranked among t

Request Foods, a leading co-packer of custom entrees, side dishes and specialty items, is consistently ranked among the top frozen food companies in the U.S. Their success is built on their dedication to finding new ways to keep costs down by increasing production efficiency while maintaining the highest quality and responsiveness. To help achieve these goals, Request Foods recently turned to METTLER TOLEDO HI-SPEED and installed the new stainless steel A300 checkweigher; a compact two-belt system designed for mild to moderate washdown environments.
“Growing demand for single serve, ready-to-cook meals led us to reconfigure one of our packaging lines to handle both bulk and single serve products. When we run single serve products on this line, the A300 slides in to weigh them. When we run bulk products, we pull the A300 off the line and slide a larger checkweigher into place. The A300 is a freestanding unit that can be easily lifted into the line by two people.

When we were shopping for a checkweigher for this latest project, we considered technology from several different manufacturers,” says Huizenga. “Footprint was an important factor – the smaller the better. Obviously, we were looking for good accuracy and we wanted to maintain our line speeds. We went back and forth between the two frontrunners. The A300 is a good checkweigher at a good price. And we’ve had good experiences with Hi-Speed in the past.”

Request Foods was the first in the world with Hi-Speed’s new A300 checkweigher, which it installed in February 2008. A hermetically sealed loadcell with overload protection ensures long-term accuracy and weighing performance, while the stainless-steel construction and open design eases sanitation and maintenance. Servo drives with speed memory deliver excellent speed control and ensure high durability and responsiveness.

“The A300 is very user friendly,” notes Huizenga. “The user interface is easy to learn and easy to use. We like the fact that the system is password protected for various levels of access. This prevents people from making adjustments that they may not be authorized to make. This checkweigher, with its open design, is also very easy to clean and to maintain.”

“Although we have access to both the front and back of the system in our plant, it’s still helpful to be able to access the electronics from the front. That way, our maintenance crew can get to the electronics while keeping the control panel in view, which is sometimes helpful,” explains Huizenga.

Hi-Speed provides an optional installation and commissioning service called IPac. This service includes machine installation, setup, testing and training. “The A300 has certainly met our expectations,” say Huizenga. “We’re happy with its weighing accuracy, its uptime and its throughput. Having this checkweigher on this line allows our customers to be confident that we are meeting their expectations.”

About Us: METTLER TOLEDO specializes in the area of precision instruments for professional use. METTLER TOLEDO laboratory instruments are used in research, scientific, drug discovery, and quality control labs, amongst many others in the pharmaceutical, chemical, food and cosmetics industries. METTLER TOLEDO comprehensive industrial solutions cover the various steps in a host of manufacturing processes at many of the same customers that laboratory serves. Solutions range from receiving raw materials through various manufacturing processes, in-line process control and end-of-line packaging control, to logistics and shipping. Increasingly, these solutions are fully integrated into the customer's IT environment, helping automate their workflows. In food retail, our offering for fresh food management ranges from receiving and pre-packaging, to in-store solutions for self-service departments, deli counters, and checkout terminals.

Contact Info: Mettler-Toledo International Inc.
Im Langacher
Zip Code 8606,
Greifensee, Switzerland
Phone: +41-44-944 33 85

Additional:

Company: Mettler-Toledo International Inc.

Country: Switzerland

Contact: Marie-Louise Hupert

Website: http://www.mt.com

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Phone: +41-44-944 33 85