Case Study

Cheese Manufacturer Installs Checkweigher And Metal Detector For Quality Assurance

EuroCheese
The XS3 CC H CombiChecker is designed to meet the strict conditions in the food industry and is easy to clean.

Euro Cheese Vertriebs-GmbH is a 100% subsidiary of the new company Deutsches Milchkontor (DMK) which recently emerged from a merger of two large dairy companies. At its site in Altentreptow, the tasty cheese found on the cooling shelves of almost every discount market is produced.

Whether it‘s mild or mature Gouda, Edam, full-fat cheese or Tilsit, the high quality standards apply to all cheese types. Checkweighers from Mettler-Toledo Garvens aid quality management in compliance with legal regulations.

The cheese specialist‘s entire manufacturing and packaging process takes place in Altentreptow. "Our sophisticated quality management system and considerate approach to nature and its products are the foundations of our success", says Holger Lewerenz, Production Manager for sliced products. "Our quality policy begins with our member farms and extends up to the marketing of finished products", continues Lewerenz.

The cheese specialist‘s manufacturing process is characterised by a high level of automation and the use of German machine and plant construction.

In the final packaging stage, a checkweigher from Mettler-Toledo Garvens, type XS3 CC H, checks the product weight of each pack of cheese.

Checkweighers check more than just the product weight
The XS3 CC H is a checkweigher coupled with a Safeline metal detector, which makes it the perfect tool for ensuring compliance with the HACCP regulations applicable to food production. This CombiChecker checks the product weight and detects any metallic foreign body in a single procedure.

XS3 CC H – testing for correct weight and metal particles in a single procedure

Thanks to its compact design, it requires little space and ensures a high level of hygiene for cleaning staff. In addition, its rounded and sloping surfaces allow nowhere for dirt to accumulate. The XS3 CC H is also equipped with an intuitive 15" touchscreen display and user-friendly navigation aids. Both devices are operated via a single interface. Different user profiles ensure secure and easy access to the checkweigher and metal detector parameters. The metal detector has two working frequencies, and is therefore ideal for detecting traces of metal.

The checkweigher determines weights quickly and accurately, and any products with an incorrect weight are rejected

The metal detector in the combination system is a critical control point (CCP)

The XS3 CC H checks the product weight of all packs of cheese with a target weight of 400 g shortly after the cutting and packaging process. The checkweigher has a weighing accuracy of up to 500 mg. On this line, packs are checked at a rate of up to 160 pieces a minute. Underweight and overweight packs of cheese are safely removed from the packaging process with the aid of an air jet. The metal detector detects blade fragments, screws, metal shavings, staples, nails, filings or wire cuttings.

Packs containing metal particles are also ejected into a separate, lockable catch bin using an air jet. The metal detector in the combination system is a critical control point (CCP) for Deutsches Milchkontor GmbH, DMK for short, and therefore an important element of their quality management.

Written documentation of the production processes is particularly important for quality management
That's why the XS3 CC H features a comprehensive reporting function, which can either be controlled and activated via the intuitive terminal or via an Ethernet network connection on the PC.

"100% checking of our products is extremely important to us", explains Holger Lewerenz. "A checkweigher not only reduces the use of raw ingredients, but also enables us to optimise our production processes." concludes Holger Lewerenz.

The XS3 is a weighing solution for products weighing up to 6000g
Back to cheese production. A checkweigher from Mettler-Toledo Garvens also performs checks in the line carrying 250 g packs at Euro Cheese. The Garvens XS3 is a compact weighing solution for products weighing up to 6000 g. This checkweigher is also characterised by easy user operation via a touchscreen display. Thanks to its steplessly adjustable belt speed, it can be easily integrated into existing production lines. Variable transport height adjustment is also included in the standard in addition to direction of travel changeover and stepless speed control.

This checkweigher covers up to 7 weight classes. This is of particular interest to a company such as Euro Cheese with a wide range of products. This checkweigher enables fast product changeovers and thereby reduces set-up times.

The compact design enables the simple integration of the system into existing or new production lines.

The Signature metal detector from Mettler-Toledo Safeline ensures that products are free from foreign bodies. The Signature technology guarantees maximum detection sensitivity in inline detection. Even the smallest metallic foreign bodies made of non-magnetic stainless steel and thin pieces of wire are reliably detected. Defective products are ejected from this line with the help of two tandem blower nozzles, which sort underweight or contaminated products into two separate catch bins with a strong blast of air pressure.

At this point too, the Safeline Signature is a CCP – critical control point – and also an element of the quality concept at DMK.

Top level documentation of production Production that complies with the stringent European quality standards is a prerequisite for the international success of Euro Cheese.

The Altentreptow site is certified according to ISO 9001:2000, the International Food Standard (IFS) and the BRC directive.

METTLER TOLEDO offers a full range of inline checking solutions, i.e. checkweighers, metal detectors, X-ray inspection technology and optical inspection equipment. In addition to high‑quality product inspection solutions, METTLER TOLEDO excels thanks to its extensive, worldwide service network. This makes METTLER TOLEDO the perfect partner for quality‑conscious companies with high quality demands such as DMK Deutsche Milchkontor GmbH (DMK).

The Garvens XS3 CC H CombiChecker

  • The checkweigher of the checkweigher and metal detector combination determines weights quickly and accurately, and any products with an incorrect weight are rejected.
  • The metal detector detects products contaminated with metal such as screws, metal shavings, staples, nails, filings or wire cuttings, which are then also ejected.
  • Just one user interface for both systems, which makes everything quicker and easier: user training, data entry, product changeover i.e. switching to a different product setup, and documenting the production quality.
  • A variety of designs and data interfaces. All statistical data and production results can be made available in real-time for the local network.
  • The compact design enables the simple integration of the system into an existing or new production line.
  • The feedback control feature saves money by preventing overfilling, increases profit and at the same time ensures that consumers are not disappointed as a result of underfilling.
  • Thanks to SQC/SPC software compatibility, line efficiency is increased and waste minimised.
  • The weighcell's principle of electromagnetic force compensation, also known as "EMFR", ensures consistent accuracy throughout long periods and minimises the effects of ambient temperature and humidity on the weighing results.
  • Hygienic design, optional protection against water up to IP69K.
  • Robust, vibration-resistant design for maximum reliability.
  • Continuously adjustable belt speed.

DMK Deutsches Milchkontor GmbH (DMK):

  • Humana Milchindustrie GmbH and NORDMILCH GmbH have joined forces to become the German dairy industry’s number one player: DMK Deutsches Milchkontor GmbH, or DMK for short. DMK means 6.8 billion kilos of milk delivered by more than 11,000 milk producers and processed at 23 factories by around 5,500 employees – their site in Altentreptow is where Euro Cheese, a 100% subsidiary of DMK, produces cheese.
  • The company's strength in the field of cheese is its customer-oriented full product range, high volume availability and individually tailored packaging concepts.
  • The company sells cheese products under the brands MILRAM, OLDENBURGER, Golden Cheese and Casarelli. Private brands also make up a significant proportion of sales.
  • In addition to the classic range for retail trade, the company DMK also offers a comprehensive range of industrial products, designed specifically for industrial partners and their requirements from the various sectors of the food processing and producing industry.
  • At the heart of the range produced by the DMK subsidiary Euro Cheese in Altentreptow are 15 kg foil-matured blocks of cheese which are packaged according to customer requirements, usage and production conditions, both in terms of the packaging material and the logistical equipment used.