Multipond Case Study: Fully Automated Weighing of High-Quality Mussels

Multipond Wägetechnik GmbH (Spain) – The great success of the company and the associated continuous growth now required the expansion of production. . Production was recently expanded to include another MULTIPOND multihead weigher. The test results already spoke clearly for MULTIPOND.

Requirements:

Before the optimization, the mussels were packed into the cans by hand. Twelve employees were able to achieve an output of up to 40 cans per minute, though at the cost of a give-away of +/- 10 grams per can.

CERMAR approached MULTIPOND to help improve the entire packaging process to the benefit of the customer. The mussel packaging system, consisting of product feed, multihead weigher and transfer to a continuously running can conveyor and two filling stations, had to be equipped with efficient, high-performance equipment. Frequent product changes coupled with intermediate cleaning, high humidity and the usual ambient conditions of the seafood industry presented further challenges.

Solutions:

A MULTIPOND type MP-16-1000-400-J multihead weigher and a special traveling product transfer system, which includes a tamping unit, is being used for the application at CERMAR. After being weighed, the mussels are carefully pressed into the small oval tins by a plunger and compressed so that there is no product around the seals.

This means the new multihead weigher is able to fill up to 100 cans with mussels per minute, with a giveaway of just +/- one gram. The use of this multihead weigher also brought staffing costs and working hours down to a third. If we look at these factors alone, the company’s enthusiasm for MULTIPOND’s equipment is clear to see.

About CERMAR:

The Spanish family business Conservas CERMAR specializes in the production and marketing of canned fish and mussels. In its traditional recipes, the company focuses on local, natural ingredients and high quality. Every year, the 50 employees of the mussel specialist produce 16 million cans, which are then distributed through Spanish supermarkets.