Manual portioning cannot always be automated. This makes it critical to capture manual process efficiencies. Consider the following 5 tips to optimize your manual portioning process and increase your daily throughput.
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Food production operators are under constant time pressure to complete their daily portioning work and ensure all products are within a predefined weight range. Efficient processes, fast operators and ergonomically designed equipment are required to meet production goals.
The following 5 steps provide guidance on how to efficiently increase throughput in manual portioning.
1 Select the optimal work procedure and required speed
Portioning can be done in two ways:
- Either from a bulk container beside the scale and weighed into trays, or
- Portioning from a bulk container on the scale into trays
Typically the second method is faster, but requires a scale with take-away mode functionality.
2 Offer ergonomically optimized workplaces
Good posture is the basis of good work procedures. The goal should always be to have the terminal directly in front of and facing the operator. Use terminals that clearly indicate when a target weight is reached.
3 Speed up data transfer
Specific weighing data is normally entered directly at the terminal. But efficient data handling can be done in different ways.
- Select a scale that provides a database. This allows an operator to select the right weighing tolerance range for his task and requires no manual data-entry.
- Consider managing your data for all scales using a connected PC.
- Use WLAN technology to change data during production from a PC. New parameters are updated quickly and are immediately visible for the operator.
When changing recipes or working procedures frequently, mobile solutions with batteries and WLAN technology offer time-saving and process optimization potential.
5 Select the right scales
With the help of an ergonomic workstation adapted to the environment, an operator can work more efficiently and avoid stress. The METTLER TOLEDOS ICS scale family can be tailored to your process needs and individually adapted to your manual portioning and checkweighing requirements.