Let’s start with basic terms. There are two ways of packing food products.
The minimum weight system means that the fruits and vegetables packed into a box must weigh at least the nominal weight given on the label. It can weigh more but not less than nominal weight. The minimum weight system works well for low-volume production, however, it takes individual checks for compliance and results in more overweights and product giveaways. Consequently, the minimum weight system generates more losses for a packing company.
The average weight system is more beneficial for packing larger batches. How does it work? In this way of packing, the whole batch of product (instead of a single punnet) needs to comply with the nominal weight. If the same batch on average meets the nominal weight, it is accepted that some boxes are underweight. Thus, it allows the packing company to reduce giveaway fruits and earn more money. The average weight system works in EU member countries and the UK.
The average weight system complies with European legislation, precisely with the COUNCIL DIRECTIVE of 20 January 1976. The document relates to the making-up by weight or by volume of certain prepackaged products.
To confirm that the goods were packed according to EU standards, the packer may place an ℮-mark on the label. The ℮-mark is not obligatory, but it enables a seller to trade goods (food, drinks, cosmetics or cleaning products) in all EU countries without cross-checking if the packer complied with individual national laws.
From the customer’s perspective, the ℮-mark certifies that a product adheres to EU rules regarding the volume or weight and the measuring methods.
For packers, using the ℮-mark takes some effort to meet the stated below requirements:
To sell goods labelled with the ℮-mark, a packer must ensure that the packing process fulfils the requirements. In particular, the packing company has to: use an officially recognised measuring device and follow the procedures, as well as save the records for double-checking control.
To provide you with more detailed insight into the advantages of e-weights, let’s use the example of blueberry. Companies dealing with this specific fruit type face the major challenge of overweights. To avoid the risk of underweighted boxes, even the most accurate weight & fill machines add 2-3 extra grams (a single fruit) to a punnet. Less accurate machines show even worse results (e.g. 4-5 extra grams per punnet). This makes your business less efficient, as you give away fruits without payment. We have already analysed this topic a blog post on Milbor PMC website, and encourage you to download the overweight calculator presenting how much money you lose due to adding extra fruits for free.
So, how the e-weights system can help you deal with overweight issues? This solution requires an extra checkweigher that communicates with a weight & fill machine. Thanks to that, the checkweigher can control the target weight on the weight & fill.
Here’s an example. A packing company, that works according to the average weigh system, packs 125 g punnets using the e-weights system. This means that each part of the production must have an average of 125 g – some punnets might be overweight while some others underweight, as in the average weight system we focus on average weight instead of a single punnet weight.
The operator sets 125 g as the target weight on a check scale and the same target on the weight & fill machine. Production starts and after a few cycles, the average weight of the punnet is 127 g (2 grams more than needed). The control scale sends a command to the weight & fill equipment to reduce the target by 1 gram. Now, the check scale target remains 125 grams, whilst the target on weigh & fill is 124 grams. Thanks to these amendments, an average punnet weight dropped to 126 g after another set of cycles, which is more beneficial for the packer. Further changes in the set weight will lead to an optimal average weight of all punnets in the same batch – 125 grams.
E-weights can significantly reduce your losses caused by overweight and allows a packing company to make more money. For example, in case of blueberry or cherries, it is relatively easy to achieve only 0,2-0,5 grams of overweight per batch, compared to 2-3 g without e-weights. However, to do that, it is necessary to connect all pieces required by the e-weights system:
According to our clients’ testimonials, the investment in the e-weights system will return in barely a few months and will allow you to earn more money shortly. Because of that, this tool is already in use for some big market players, such as Berryworld, Winterwood, and J.O. Sims. By implementing the e-weights system, we helped these companies to achieve impressive savings. In particular, one of our clients using the e-weights system packs blueberries with 0,2 grams overweight and cherries with 0,5 grams overweight.
So, how could it be translated into money? The top linear weigh & fill machines (without e-weights) work with an accuracy of 2 grams overweight per punnet, on average. For the sake of easier calculation, let’s assume that it’s 2,2 grams per box. It means the packing company lose 2,2 grams of fruit with each punnet, because the buyer pays only for the nominal weight of fruits. If the company processes 500 tones of blueberries per year, and it packs fruits into 125-gram punnets and sells each punnet for 0,75 EUR, it results in the following conclusions:
Having 10+ years of experience in the fresh fruit sector and blueberry grower roots, at Milbor PMC we gained the trust of big-volume growers and packing companies around Europe and Morocco. Relying on skilled, tech-savvy experts, a vast range of completed projects and a true passion for automation, we design and optimise production lines to meet better OEE (Overall Equipment Effectiveness). Our core business is machine integration, and the e-weights system belongs to our portfolio for years. We already have integrated systems with diverse control weights, including Minebea, Loma, Bizerba or Yamato.
If you want to join the club of e-weights users, fill out the form below and arrange a free consultation. During the meeting, the Milbor PMC’s expert will try to find out more about your specific needs, provide you with extra facts describing the e-weights system and its benefits, as well as answer your questions regarding our offer.
Karolina will contact you within 24 hours,
to get to know your needs better
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