Case Study: Achieving Sweet Product Consistency with VCSP's Bespoke-Designed Double Deck Grading System
Client Background
As food processing equipment experts, VCSP recognises consistency’s pivotal role in the food manufacturing industry. A valued client in the sweet confectionery sector approached us with a challenge: the inconsistent sizing of their sweet products reaching the packaging stage. Seeking our expertise, they aimed to refine their quality control processes and ensure uniformity in their end products.
Challenge
The client’s production line faced an ongoing dilemma – the inconsistent sizing of sweet products at the final packaging stage. This variation led to packets containing sweets of differing sizes, undermining the client’s reputation for delivering consistent quality and impacting customer satisfaction.
Solution
Harnessing our expertise in bespoke food processing equipment, we devised a solution that addressed the challenge and elevated the client’s quality control processes. We introduced a customised designed double-deck grading system, specifically tailored to ensure that only products adhering to the desired size criteria proceed to the packaging phase.
Implementation
- Precision Through In-House Trials: Our team conducted rigorous in-house trials to pinpoint the ideal screen sizes for the double-deck grading system. These trials enabled us to identify screens that would accurately segregate products outside the prescribed size range.
- Seamless Custom Design: The double-deck grading system integrated seamlessly into the existing production line. It featured two distinct decks equipped with the removable screens selected during our in-house trials.
- Reliable Precision Separation: As sweet products advanced along the conveyor, the bespoke-designed double-deck grading system utilised precisely sized screens to identify products deviating from the desired size range. This precision ensured that only consistently sized products advanced to the subsequent stage.
- Accurate Refinement: Rigorous testing and meticulous refinement followed implementation to ensure the highest accuracy in product separation. Our approach minimised false positives or negatives, ensuring the integrity of the end product.
Results
Our partnership yielded remarkable improvements for the client:
- Operator Reduction and Swift ROI: Implementing the double deck grading system led to eliminating operators who previously inspected and manually removed over and under-sized sweets. This resulted in a swift Return on Investment (ROI) by substantially reducing labour costs.
- Consistency Achieved: Through the seamless integration of the grading system, the client achieved the coveted consistency in their sweet products entering the packaging stage. Uniformity met customer expectations, reinforcing the client’s reputation for quality.
- Operational Efficiency: The removal of manual inspection streamlined operations, reduced rework, and increased overall productivity.
Conclusion
VCSP’s experience in handling and grading various products enabled the delivery of a tailor-made solution to address our client’s challenge with surgical precision. Our hands-on approach, featuring bespoke designed solutions and in-house trials, underscores our commitment to innovation and tangible outcomes. The bespoke-designed double deck grading system optimised efficiency and contributed to our client’s success in producing uniform, high-quality sweet products for the market.