FDBusiness.com

16 Marel OCM9500 Box Labellers deliver consistent weighing accuracy at higher speeds than manual labelling and reduce manning levels on the line.

Adams Foods, founded in 1922, is the UK’s leading supplier of retail pre-packed cheese and butter famously branded as Kerrygold, Pilgrims Choice, Horlicks Farms and MU. Their two highly efficient processing plants stock the shelves of every major UK food retailer and keep the wholesale, convenience and food service sector supplied with first class product.

The company also produces custom made and ready for market products in branded and private label sectors and exports its British speciality cheeses to more than 50 countries.

In 2008 Adams Foods invested £30 million in state-of-the-art processing plant at their Leek, Staffordshire, cheese packing facility. In 2010 Kerrygold and N. Downs Dairy merged to form Adams Foods who, as a subsidiary of the Irish Dairy Board, employ more than 730 people.

 David Shepherd, Engineering Projects Manager of some 21 years at Adams, has seen many changes in production, the most notable being increases in line speeds combined with ever higher efficiencies and the switch from random to fixed weight packaging.

Obviously, automation plays a vital role in achieving and maintaining all that – all the way to the end of the line – where product has to be accurately and reliably boxed, weighed and labelled ready for despatch.

Consistent weighing accuracy – higher speeds

David was well aware of Delford’s sound reputation in end of line labelling and, as a result of extensive research Adams decided to invest in Marel’s OCM9500 fully automatic box/crate labeller. The OCM9500 delivers consistent weighing accuracy at higher speeds than manual labelling and reduces manning levels on the line.

In 2011 and early 2012 Adams Foods installed no fewer than 16 Marel OCM9500s, all of which run on multiple shifts and, according to David, operate reliably while achieving the paybacks he expected.

The OCM9500s are linked to Marel’s Innova production software which produces a variety of operational reports such as throughputs and giveaway. Another major benefit is that labels are configured remotely in the offices and then downloaded to the OCM9500s on the factory floor.

Thanks to an ergonomically designed touch screen and drag and drop facility, the operators find the OCM9500 a very easy machine to work with.

OCM9500 Box/Crate Labeller

Marel’s OCM9500 automatic box/crate labeller will handle 600mm x 400mm eurocrates and boxes at speeds up to 35 pieces per minute.

It is also capable of weighing and labelling heavy and irregularly shaped retail products.

OIML approval for up to 40kg for accuracy classes X III (1) and Y (a) means that OCM9500 can be used as a weigh price labeller and/or as a checkweigher.

 About Marel

Marel is the leading global provider of advanced equipment, systems and services to the fish, meat and poultry industries. With offices and subsidiaries in more than 30 countries and a global network of more than 100 agents and distributors, we work side-by-side with our customers to extend the boundaries of food processing performance.

Advance with Marel for all your processing needs.