Invensys APV has introduced a new automatic Butter Bulk Packer that helps companies such as Campina, a major diary in Holland to increase production and comply with regulations. The flexible butter making equipment is being used with success worldwide at installations in Holland, America, Australia and South Korea.
The recently re-designed and the fully automatic APV Butter Bulk Packer, type FMG, focuses on the market need for flexible operation, with its ability to fill simultaneously into different size cartons at various rates. Additionally, the FMG Butter Bulk Packer boasts an extremely accurate weighing capability, so that the filling operation is consistently maintained close to the set-points to eliminate unnecessary over-filling. These new advantages, together with ease of operation, are contributing to the success of this equipment, which has already been installed in Holland, America, Australia and South Korea with a number of other projects in the pipeline.A new APV Butter Bulk Packer was recently acquired by Campina, one of two major dairies in Holland. Campina produces 65,000 tons of butter a year at their plant in s'Hertogenbosch, Holland, in a variety of packages ranging from the 10 g catering pack, standard 250 g retail size and 25 kg boxes. Following a visit to an APV reference site in the United States, Campina decided that the new APV Butter Bulk Packer provided the flexibility and overall performance they required to replace one of their three existing APV machines.
Although the old machines had performed well for many years, it was becoming difficult to maintain them in accordance with HACCP regulations. Additionally, the machines had a capacity of 4.5 tons/hr, and Campina needed to increase this to 7 tons/hr to meet market needs.
According to Bert van Gelderen, head of the Technical Department at Campina's butter production plant, "We are very pleased with the new APV FMG butter machine, which is performing efficiently. It is very easy to clean and maintain, which is critical to Campina, where absolute hygiene is our top priority."
"Also," he continued, "we were well supported during the installation and commissioning phases by the fast response from the technologists coming from APV Unit Systems. They were quick to react to any problems to ensure that the machine was working according to specification. The equipment has been working efficiently since its installation over a year ago."
The APV Bulk Butter Packer type FMG is designed with many unique features that include:
• One common stainless steel frame, allowing the two filling stations to provide highly flexible operations.
Filling heads equipped with an internal valve, which closes when the course filling is completed, avoiding after-run of butter into the carton and waste of valuable end product.
• A modified plastic or parchment pull-over system and cutting device.
• A control panel with an industrial PC with industry leading Invensys Wonderware InTouch software and a 15" touch screen that provides a user friendly operator interface.
• A newly designed stainless steel carton former with minimal moving parts that reduces wear and the need for replacement parts.
• Remote I/O that reduces the need for cabling.
• A modem that enables remote servicing of the control system to minimize unscheduled plant interruptions.
• A user-friendly, simple system for re-loading new rolls of parchment or plastic sheets.
• Increased flexibility to easily change from 25, 20 or 31kg carton options, which allows for capacity variations from 40 - 290 cartons/hr.
• Extremely good weight accuracy to reduce unnecessary over-filling.
• One filling head version, type FMG-1, that offers a capacity of 145 cartons/hr.
The APV Butter Bulk Packer type FMG belongs to APV's extensive range of Unit Systems, which are widely used in the dairy, food, beverage and brewery industries. They offer customers the cost benefits of a standard design coupled with built in adaptability to match individual requirements. Pre-tested and skid-mounted for ease of installation, these systems are designed to accelerate the launch of new products into the market place. Once refined to produce the ideal recipe, they can be used anywhere in the world to consistently produce the same, high quality brands.
APV, a leading provider of processing solutions and products for the food, beverage, pharmaceutical and healthcare industry, is part of Invensys plc, the international production technology and energy management group that specializes in helping companies to improve efficiency, performance and profitability.