Rack weighing & label printing

 

Scanning a rack into production

Direct Table

Site background

The site is a meat processing factory taking in joints of bacon and loading them up on to racks. The racks are then weighed and stored in a freezer before taking the joints in to productions where they are sliced and packed.
 
Objectives
The company required some automation in tracking the product through the process from goods in to the freezer and from the freezer in to production. The main outputs required were the freezer stock at and the production output by production line. Additional outputs included goods in batch reports with financial calculations and analysis by product and batch.
 
Method of operation
When each rack is weighed the operator is prompted for a batch number, a record is created in the central database and given a unique ID number for tracking. A barcode label is generated with the ID number and fixed to the rack as it is entered in to the freezer stock.
Each batch must have been previously entered in to the database by the goods in controller identifying the product, supplier and declared weight. If the operator at the weighing terminal enters a batch number that is not in the database an error message is generated and the transaction is rejected.

When the rack is taken out of the freezer, the barcode is scanned and the operator is prompted for the production line that the meat will be sliced on. The record for the rack in the database is updated with this information.

If the joints on a rack are not completed then the rack can be returned to the freezer. The rack is weighed and the operator is prompted for the ID number on the barcode and the number of joints left. This data is added to the record and a new record and corresponding barcode label is created.

Technical setup

Terminals
Metroweigh GSE indicators are used for the weighing terminals and for the scanning of racks in to production and as an operator interface to provide prompting and connection to a scanner and alphanumeric keyboard. The scanner is a cordless industrial scanner allowing the racks to be scanned some distance from the terminal.
 
Communications
The indicators are connected to a dedicated PC located in the production office on an RS485 network. The RS485 network allows all devices to be connected together on a single pair of wires simplifying the wiring.
 
Host computer
The database is located on a server on the company network to provide access across the business and to ensure that the data is under the control of the IT department for security and backup. Interface applications are then installed where required, including the dedicated PC located in the production office adjacent to the shopfloor connected directly to the GSE terminals. Additional applications are then installed for all managers requiring access to the data for example to add incoming batch details and to monitor production performance. This provides direct access to constantly up to date information.