Designed for inspecting product formats such as bread loaves and meat joints weighing up to 6 kilograms, the Theia from Sparc Systems may look like a beast of a system, but capable of inspecting over 250 packs per minute it can certainly shift. Under its robust framework, the Theia remains one of the most sensitive, precise and dynamic x-ray and checkweighing combination systems on the market today.
Created for bakery, dairy, produce, protein and non-food manufacturers seeking to comply with regulatory codes of practice while improving line efficiency, the Theia delivers dynamic weight monitoring to reduce product giveaway. Simultaneously, the electric drive x-ray accurately looks for and rejects products with contaminated foreign bodies, including metal, glass and bone. Enhancing quality control and providing QA managers with cohesive real-time reporting.
The high resolution of the metal ceramic x-ray tubes enables the Theia to detect foreign materials with sensitivity levels that outperform any current x-ray technology. Driving increased product quality and security, while reducing the risk of costly product recalls.
Inspecting up to 250 product packs per minute (sometimes more if needed), if a contaminant is detected, the product is sent to a dedicated lockable reject station. An in-line, servo driven reject system removes the need for compressed air, offering potential savings of up to £4,000 a year on running costs.
Aside from energy savings, one of the key advantages of the electric drive is being able to locate the two reject units beneath the Theia conveyor. Reducing the width of the system.
After checking for contaminants, each product passes seamlessly onto the dynamic high-spec checkweigher conveyor. By digitising the checkweighing process to achieve ± 0.25 gram weight accuracy, manufacturers can rapidly achieve productivity gains and save thousands of pounds a week in product giveaway. “In some cases, our customers have reported a 55% reduction in product giveaway,” highlights Sparc’s European Sales Manager Charlie Graham. Resulting in a very fast machine payback.
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- The touch-screen control panel offers constant feedback on operational elements including volume, weight and speed.
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- Contaminant and weight rejects are isolated in separate lockable reject bins
Rugged and durable, the Theia uses stable digital processing and dynamic load cell software to adjust to and filter out mechanical vibrations commonplace in food production environments. Optimising the load cell and micro-resistors, the weight sensors reset rapidly, allowing for rapid and precise weight checks on individual packs. Trend feedback is instantly fed upstream to filling, portioning and packing automation equipment. Signalling when to increase or decrease fill quantity.
Rather than burying statistical and operational data deep in complex HMI menus, a single, clear, touch-screen control panel offers constant feedback on operational elements including volume, weight and speed. Utilising the principles of Industry 4.0, integrated data collection software provides instant live OEE data, reporting directly to production and Quality Assurance (QA) personnel.
Charlie concludes: “With many combi systems there are varying degrees of integration on the market. Ranging from complete mechanical and electronic integration – as Sparc does – to connected machines from two different suppliers which typically still operate independently with no cohesive reporting.”
The Theia can be supplied with up to 500 pro-programmed weight and product categories as well as an unlimited number of retailer Code of Practice test parameters.
