More revenues for DHL with accurate measuring · PDF file · 2007-06-08More revenues for DHL with accurate measuring System phase-out ... the quality and handling routines of DHL

More revenues for DHLwith accurate measuring

System phase-out without production loss at CIMEX

Optimum filling solution at Rohm & Haas forwater soluble acrylic polymers

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"The Magazine” appears twice a year for METTLER TOLEDO industrial customers.Publisher: Mettler-Toledo GmbH, CH-8606 Greifensee, SwitzerlandPublished languages/country versions: English: UK, S.E.A., Sales International, French: France/Belgium, Switzerland; Dutch: Netherlands; German: Region Central Europe; Italian: Italy; Spanish: Spain, Latin America Editorial team: Sabine Ullmann (Coordinator), Montserrat Santalices, Christelle Bergero, Ladina Infanger, Annalaura Paiola, Ina Hundhausen, Jannicke Aasheim, Niki Ward, Walter BuechiRegional editors: Maria Ekermann, Connie Lim, Frits Veldhuis, Alberto Villegas, André Visser Layout/Production: MT MarCom Greifensee

We reserve the right to change the specification of listed products and of product ranges that may differ from region to region.

04 Increased revenues with accurate measuring Worldwide partnership between DHL and METTLER TOLEDO

18 Increased invoice values through correct backcharging DFDS, UK

06 Validated system phase-out without production lossCIMEX AG, Liesberg, Switzerland

08 Weighing with laboratory precision in pharmaceutical production Groninger & Co. GmbH, Crailsheim, Germany

10 Recipe for success - formula weighing, validated and SAP integratedSchering-Plough K.K., Shiga, Japan

13 Finding the optimum solution for a filling stationRohm & Haas, Villers Saint Paul, France

14 Reduced product giveaway for car care productionComma Oil, UK

16 Chocolate production with efficient filling process controlMaestrani, Flawil, Switzerland

17 100% reliability for food production process thanks to weighingRieber Foods, Wloclwek, Poland

11 Calibration - the most basic of concepts and yet the least flexible

19 Save time and costs with predictive/preventative maintenance

20 Good service ensures seamless processes in the food industry

22 Safe and sound - thanks to the weighing of aircraftSR Technics, Zurich-Kloten, Switzerland

24 Paperless quality data recording in the production of meals –SAP integrated

26 New PUA57 low-profile scales meet customer needs with maximum flexibility

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4 METTLER TOLEDO IndMagazine 1/2006

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Increased revenues with accurate measuringWorldwide partnership between DHL and METTLER TOLEDO

Some 500,000 employees' in more than220 countries worldwide, work to achieveDeutsche Post World Net's objective ofbeing the global number one in logistics.Over the years Deutsche Post World Nethas expanded through several acquisi-tions such as Airborne, Exel, Danzas,Global Mail, Postbank and more. In 2002leading global air express service provider,DHL was incorporated into the group,which now consists of three corporate divi-sions and brands; mail by Deutsche PostWorld Net, express/logistics by DHL andfinancial services by Postbank. The rev-enues generated by the group in 2005 are52 Billion Euros. With such an objective inmind, DHL is a company with high stan-dards of performance which also sets highcriteria for their suppliers.

Early users of dimensioningDHL considered dimensioning equipmentin their operations from the late 80's. Atthat time DHL was mainly an internation-al express company handling importantdocuments and packages. Planes were themajor means of transportation and costs

were mainly on size, rather than weight ofthe packages. DHL was already chargingtheir customers on dimensions, but theyneeded a good method to control thecharges and do more exact accounting.

METTLER TOLEDO Cargoscan was one ofthe first companies offering commercialdimensioning equipment and had been indiscussion with DHL for many years when,in the early 90's, they began developingthe CS5120 static dimensioning andweighing system together. The Cargoscan-ner allowed DHL to roll out and installCS5120's across the globe with minimalmodifications to DHL's operations.

When DHL became part of the DeutschePost World Net, the quality and handlingroutines of DHL were spread throughoutthe network. However, when the number ofitems handled increased, dynamic systemswere required. DHL selected METTLERTOLEDO's CS9000 dynamic weighing,dimensioning and identification system tohandle the extra volumes.

Favourable pay back timeThe implementation of revenue recoverywith Cargoscanners showed to be an effec-tive tool to secure the revenues and a justprice structure for customers. “The sys-tems DHL has purchased over the yearshave had a pay back within two years. Anexample of a very favourable pay back iswith a site in the UK that paid for its sys-tem within six weeks” says Andy Myatt,Director of Engineering and Infrastructurefor Europe.

The company has also seen other benefitsof the equipment. The quality of the data-base is near 100% as the system requiresthat all data on a shipment is registered.In addition, the standardisation on theCS5120 solution has led to a similar lay-out of almost all of DHL depots worldwideand a standard of goods handling quality.Finally, the system easily helps DHL quan-tify its productivity, by counting the itemshandled. This in turn has led to improve-ment in operations to get the most out ofthe equipment supplied.

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Andy MyattDirector of Engineering

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DHL and METTLER TOLEDO have worked closely together around the globe to give theoptimal revenue recovery system that meets the local DHL requirements. Implementingdata capture solutions at DHL hubs worldwide for accurate dimensions, weight andidentification of all goods handled, have allowed DHL to increase their revenues.

5METTLER TOLEDO IndMagazine 1/2006

Meeting local and global DHLrequirementsTo ensure maximum uptime for theequipment, hundreds of units of sophisti-cated data capture solutions have been in-stalled, maintained and serviced in cen-tral western countries, making sure thatunits in desolate tracts are always run-ning. This has required a continuous dia-logue between DHL and METTLER TOLE-DO at all levels of the organisation fromthe headquarters in Brussels and Bonn toevery country depots and terminals.

METTLER TOLEDO provides a wide rangeof Cargoscanners for DHL, some used on aglobal basis, some only in specific regions.The operational processes define the typeof systems preferred for cases when theoperator is to sort, enter object informa-tion or create a label, static data capturesolutions with a scale, dimensioning unit,handheld barcode reader and data con-centrator are chosen.

When it comes to processes without man-ual intervention, DHL generally preferssystems that are able to manage higherthroughput and operate in fully automat-ic mode. These types of systems capture

the necessary information while theparcels are moving through the system. Ifthe systems are integrated into fully auto-matic sorters, only one operation mode isrequired. For small sorters, which needhigh flexibility METTLER TOLEDO pro-vides additional features and operationmodes, including simple sorting function-ality.

Due to Cargoscanners beeing approved ac-cording to legal for trade requirements,DHL and their customers can trust theresults. Regarding future investments, it isimportant for DHL to have a partner whois fully committed to provide appropriatesolutions on a long-term basis. Andy Myattemphasises that METTLER TOLEDO is aglobal company with global support andgood products at a competitive price.“DHL Express looks forward to continuingour partnership in the future” he affirms.

4www.dhl.com


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renowned and successful generics manu-facturer CIMEX AG, this is nothing new.“For us, it's important to be able toensure traceability in accordance with 21CFR Part 11,” says Mohamed Ibrahim,Manufacturing Head of the non-peni-cillin unit. “With the new system fromMETTLER TOLEDO, this is now 100%guaranteed. That's why we chose theFormWeigh.Net application software.Another key requirement was the abilityto integrate our existing equipment intothe new system. For us, it was also impor-tant not to suffer production losses forthe sake of a system change. METTLERTOLEDO flawlessly organised that aspectof the project, as well.”

Standard software that comes withcountless useful functionsThe project began with a process analysisto evaluate CIMEX's requirements indetail. Close cooperation and several on-site discussions resulted in a comprehen-sive specifications document that con-tained all needs and requirements, thiswould serve as the basis for realisation ofthe project. The task of the interdiscipli-

nary team from METTLER TOLEDO wasto fulfill all the requirements of theanalysis with a test system. The primarygoal was to create a system that was asclose as possible to the system they hadbeen using, to introduce new functionsand to make the changeover as seamlessas possible for the operators. After a shortintroductory training session, MohamedIbrahim could confirm that “WithFormWeigh.Net, the components can beeasily weighed on the clearly designedoperator interface." It often takes time toget used to new equipment, operatorsknow this better than anyone. “The feed-back from our weighers is altogetherquite positive,” said Mohamed Ibrahimafter the changeover. The training andFactory Acceptance Test (FAT) were alsodone on the test system.

Reduction in the cost of validationRegulations regarding the use of comput-er systems in the pharmaceutical indus-try required the FormWeight.Net formu-lation system to be validated according toGMP (Good Manufacturing Practice).Despite its own experience with valida-

Validated system phase-out without production loss

Two validated weighing stations, integrated with the new formulation softwareFormWeigh.Net from METTLER TOLEDO, helps pharmaceutical manufacturer CIMEX AG,Liesberg, achieve 100% traceability and high precision.

CIMEX AG has long-standing expertise inthe manufacture and packaging ofgenerics. In addition to offering tollmanufacturing services, it is also a pro-ducer specialised in selected manufactur-ing technologies for medicines with con-trolled release of active ingredients, andin dividable sustained release tablets. Itsown products are mainly used to helpfight high blood pressure, prostatitis andParkinson's disease. CIMEX AG's cus-tomers are generic drug distributors,some of whom are themselves producers.Dr. Thomas Uhlmann, Head of Produc-tion and Technology explains: “Becauseof our global buyers, it is important thatour suppliers offer not just a good solu-tion but good service, honesty, reliabilityand competitive prices to be a competentpartner for us.” METTLER TOLEDO metall of these requirements.

Integration of existing equipmentDay after day, all the chemical compo-nents of a given formulation are weighedat the two central weighing stations,which are protected by special cabinets.In the Swiss production facilities of the

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tion processes, CIMEX AG decided toenlist the help of METTLER TOLEDO'svalidation services. “The standardFormWeigh.Net validation manuals havegiven us enormous help in minimisingour validation expenses. Experience withpast validations was brought into theproject in the form of validation proto-cols," says Norbert Waldy, QualificationManager. METTLER TOLEDO's years ofexperience in the field of instrumentqualification and computerised systemvalidation was also highly valued.

Changeover without production lossThe changeover and validation were car-ried out completely in two steps to ensurethat production would not be interrupted.A second server was procured and operat-ing the new and old databases on the twoseparate servers at the same time alloweda cabinet to be installed on the new sys-tem while the other weighing stationworked productively with the existingsystem. According to Norbert Waldy, "Thestep-by-step conversion paid off by pre-venting us from having a productionloss."

Additional advantages of theFormWeigh.Net systemAn optical filling guide simplifies themanual dosing of the material for theoperators at the balances. If necessary,hazard warning symbols or advisories forhandling the materials can be displayed.Processing can continue only if the rightquantity of the right material is weighed.The system immediately reports any de-viations! After a component is weighedcorrectly, FormWeigh.Net sends a printjob to the label printer, which prints aweighing label. When the job is com-pletely finished, the system automaticallyprints the weighing report, thereby sup-plying precise process documentation.The header of this documentation con-tains order information, and all compo-nents are listed below, with the actualweight and ID of the operator that com-pleted the action. Tiered access protectionaligned to competencies ensures thatonly authorised personnel see andmodify the sensitive data. The new“FormWeigh.Net” software completelysupports the use of the touchscreen func-tions of the ID30.

As its next step, CIMEX AG is planning toupgrade the FormWeigh.Net system in thepenicillin unit with a new weighing sta-tion based on the IP67-protected ID30industrial PC.

4www.cimex.ch

Weighing stations • Terminal ID30• Bar code reader• Label printer• Connected up to three

weighing platforms

Master station• Maintaining master file• Order installation

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high weighing speeds. The pharmaceuti-cal industry handles extremely smallamounts of highly active preparations.Resolutions of one-tenth milligram,which were once reserved for laboratorybalances in a controlled environment,are becoming standard in automatedproduction. In addition to high operatingspeeds, the weighing sensor must over-come the complex disturbances caused byoscillations in the engine drives, laminarflow and pressure differences. To achievelaboratory precision under these kinds ofconditions, the weighing sensor needsspecial filter, damping and handlingalgorithms.

Because precision in the operation of aweighing sensor is only traceable in indi-vidual use, the specialists from METTLERTOLEDO are on-site at Groninger to opti-mise and collect application data when anew type of system is being tested.

A weighing sensor for pharma automa-tion must be rugged in a number of ways,from installation, through transport,drive oscillation, contamination withaggressive substances, and overload, tocleaning and disinfection. What systemsuppliers like Groninger require is imple-mented by the technical professionals insensor development into effective con-structions that allow excellent weighingquality and handling. Options from theModulo WM weighing modules includean industrial-strength stainless-steelhousing (1.4404), mechanical overloadprotection, washdown option up to pro-tection class IP66, overpressure and Ex-versions, as well as individual weighingpans and adaptations.

Pharma automation:Weighing with laboratory precisionOver the last few years there has been constant development in the tech-nology for automation of pharmaceutical production processes. The essen-tial criteria for pharmaceutical producers are factors of speed, availability,safety and compatibility with the overall system.

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For a weighing sensor in pharma auto-mation, “fast” means that up to 4,000bottles, ampoules or syringes are taredand weighed per hour for control or fordispensing. The weighing or taring timeof less than a half second requires veryfast and highly optimised processing ofthe measuring data, as well as a sensormechanically designed for fast weighing.In addition to the measuring data, it isalso vital that the records contain errordetection and information on measuringquality. Knowledge from customer appli-cations and tests, as well as special cus-tomer are fed back to development andare used to optimise hardware andfirmware design. In the end, it's not themanufacturer of the sensor but the com-patibility with the application that deter-mines the specifications and, therefore,market success.

Precision on a laboratory level"Precise" means producing exact andreproducible weighing results despite

Weighing technology plays an increa-singly important role in application areassuch as pharmaceutical production. Themain reason is that quantifying amountsof substances in microliters or mil-ligrams, at a justifiable expense and withhigh safety standards, is possible onlywith gravimetrics. Weighing technologyoffers the advantage of a uniform meas-uring technology that is easily controlledthrough standards such as test weights,and also meets high standards of certifi-cation.

The Groninger company in Crailsheim, aleading system supplier of filling andpackaging machines for the pharmaceu-tical industry, relies on weighing sensorsfrom METTLER TOLEDO that aredesigned for automation. Working inpartnership with globally operating sup-pliers and using fast, precise and ruggedweighing sensors with flexible connec-tion options, is crucial.


Unlimited connectivityThe option of direct connection of actorsand sensors to SPS controls via standard-ised interfaces is of fundamental impor-tance in pharma automation. Modulosensors have parallel RS232 and RS422interfaces, which are of enormous valuein commissioning and optimisation.METTLER TOLEDO factors the trendtoward field buses and Ethernet withoptional profibus, DeviceNet and Ether-net modules. The ability to connect Mod-ulo sensors directly to SIWAREX FTAweighing technology allows Modulo tobe merged with the SPS. Only with thishigh connectivity flexibility system sup-pliers able to fill individual orders world-wide with controls stipulated by differentmanufacturers like Siemens and Rock-well.

Think globally…If a pharmaceutical production system issold to a globally operating end customer,the primary focus of that end customer isoften standardising the production tech-nology to a host of different sites. Site-dependent manufacturers are acceptedreluctantly when it comes to quality-related components. The preferred ven-dors for sensors and actors are companiesthat can offer certified products for differ-ent locations according to local require-ments, together with the necessary adviceand on-site service. This is why ModuloWM and WMH weighing sensors are certi-fied to a wide variety of national specifi-cations. METTLER TOLEDO service andsupport is at your disposal worldwide.

4www.groninger.de

Modulo WM Modulo WMII-Ex120g/0.1mg up to 6kg/0.01g 15kg/0.1g up to 3000kg/50g

• Three product lines – one philosophy• Measuring principle: Electromagnetic force compensation• Stabilization time < 0.5 sec• 38 updates per second• Overload protection• Robust stainless steel housing • IP protection up to IP66(WM), IP66/67(WMH)• Max. resolution up to 1.2 Mio. points


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Recipe for success: Reliable formulaweighing system validated and SAP integrated

When manufacturing medication,data integrity and accuracy are criti-cal for quality. With a combinationof SAP and METTLER TOLEDO'sFormWeigh, Schering-Plough K.K.has succeeded in continuously satis-fying its Japanese customers.

Schering-Plough is a global science-based health care company with leadingprescription, consumer and animalhealth products. Schering-Plough re-cently completed a project to expand itsproduction plant in Shiga, Japan, whichsupplies Schering-Plough products inJapan. The company has also completedrenovation of existing manufacturingbuildings.

The pharmaceutical manufacturerSchering-Plough K.K. was committed toexpanding their production capacity andat the same time to implementing SAP4.6C. “We were looking for a new weigh-ing system with a SAP interface to fulfillthe GMP and 21 CFR Part 11 require-ments,” said Mr William Gill, IT Direc-tor, Schering-Plough. The purpose of thesystem is to dispense raw materials for aspecific production order or a secure andfully traceable manner. After releasing aproduction order in SAP the formulawould be submitted electronically to thefive central weighing stations.

Secure production process with nocompromise on efficiency Schering-Plough requested an easy andfailsafe software which would guide theoperator through the dispensing process,beginning with the verification of thecorrect raw material via barcode scan-ning both the material and the lot num-ber attached to the container. Further-more, the quality status and expiry date

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of the dispensed material would be veri-fied by the system in order to secure thecorrect product quality.

Accelerating the work processTransferring the amount of the materialweighed to SAP in order to adjust thestock level after each weighing allowedthe operators to save time since therewas no need for them to execute manu-al transactions in order to adjust thestock level. The system executes thisfunction automatically in the back-ground.

In 2003, the project team at Schering-Plough selected METTLER TOLEDO'ssolution offering since it was alreadysuccessfully running in their plant inSpain. Furthermore, METTLER TOLEDOoffered a certified interface to integratethe formulation software FormWeigh tothe PP-PI module of SAP. As a weighingterminal METTLER TOLEDO offered anIP67 dust and waterproof industrial PC,the ID30, which connects up to threescales for seamless weighing from0.0001mg to 500kg.

Essential functions for the pharma-ceutical industryOne of the more important functions ofFormWeigh for pharmaceutical produc-

tion processes, is the ability to adjust thetarget weighing quantity according tothe potency of the ingredient. The poten-cy value is submitted from the SAP ware-house management functionality toFormWeigh.Net for an automated, errorfree calculation, another task that theoperators are relieved from by the system.

Flexibility through rapid customising"Even with the new system, we wanted toimplement the same weighing procedurethat we had before", says Mr. Morino,Sterile Manufacturing Production Man-ager of SPKK. "Thanks to the flexibilityof FormWeigh, our special procedure wassuccessfully implemented as a cus-tomised function." A process analysis wasperformed at the beginning of the proj-ect; this was used as the base for thefunctional requirement specifications.“Solid specifications are the key for asuccessful project implementation andan important factor for minimising thebusiness risks for both parties,” said aproject member.

Passing the FAT (Factory AcceptanceTest), as a pilot installation for testingthe SAP interface in an office environ-ment, was an important project task andwas confirmed by the SAT (Site Accep-tance Test) as the project milestone.


Intensive user testing over a one monthperiod guaranteed smooth, efficient sys-tem validation and ”going live” withoutdeviations or surprises. This period wasassigned to user training, SOP draftingand finalising, as well as approving thevalidation documentation without dis-turbing ongoing production.

Seamless System ValidationAccording to a Schering-Plough projectteam member, one of METTLERTOLEDO's biggest strengths was that thevalidation process was fast, efficient andnon-disruptive. It is an absolute require-ment that all systems marketed to thepharmaceutical industry undergo a strictvalidation process. Under normal cir-cumstances, the validation process istime-consuming and requires close su-pervision by experts. Because METTLERTOLEDO supplied the protocols for theequipment and software acquired bySchering-Plough, the time required wassignificantly reduced compared to beeingdeveloped from scratch. Also, METTLERTOLEDO has comprehensive validationmanuals for its products that furtheraccelerate the validation process. Valida-tion Manual 1 provided supplier auditinformation of METTLER TOLEDO forDQ, while Validation Manual 2 providedthe validation protocol for IQ and OQ.These validation protocols were madeaccording to the GAMP4 guidelines, andtranslated into Japanese for further easeof use.

Schering-Plough project members werealso impressed by the efficiency and abil-ity of the METTLER TOLEDO AppliedSoftware and Consulting (MTASC)group, who helped guide the team safetythrough all the validation process whilstproviding consulting support. Overall,Schering-Plough project members weresatisfied with the products and servicesrendered, agreeing unanimously that theentire validation process was seamless,efficient and timesaving.

4www.schering-plough.co.jp

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Accurate weighing has been a fundamental basis for trading, bartering and paymentfor goods or services. Consistent weighing also forms the basis for assuring the cor-rect formulation of compounds used in the food we eat, inks and dyes used to printcookbooks we read, and making wines and spirits we drink, to the pharmaceuticalsused to treat the upset stomachs or headaches we suffer from the next morning.Proper, precise, and consistent calibration of a scale forms the basis of all accurateweighing. The use of known masses (test weights) in the calibration process has beenused to establish performance of a scale since the first balances were checked or reg-ulated by government officials. Regular checking of scales helps to assure that con-sistent performance is maintained over long periods of time.

Sometimes, the installation dynamics or mechanical integrity of the scale design isnot as robust as desired. As weight is added to a vessel or container, the supportingstructure may bend or flex, resulting in the non-linear performance of the scale. Inorder to offset these mechanical characteristics, intermediate points (between zeroand the capacity of the scale) can be used to linearise the performance. This processis known as linearity adjustment. These two techniques and calibration processes arecommonly available with electronic weighing terminals, but have also often been theonly ways to calibrate a scale.

Calibration: The most basic of concepts, and yet the least flexible… until now


to produce an identical output for agiven input. The combination of thesetwo processes allows an installer to com-pute the theoretical calibration of agiven scale. This technique is not asaccurate as using test weights, since itdoes not take into account the actualmechanical characteristics of the in-stalled scale. However, many system inte-grators and installation technicians onlyneed an approximation of calibration toprove the operational integrity of theoverall system. In addition, factory cali-brated analogue sections also allow youto replace boards and be assured that thecalibration of the replacement is identi-cal to that of the board being replaced.

Cal Test and Calibration Maintenanceare two patent pending techniques thathelp you assure the calibration of yourscale is within tolerance over long peri-ods of time. Cal Test is a sequence of upto 25 steps where an operator is directedto place test weights in specific locations.The weight produced at each step iscompared against the test mass used andfound to be within or outside of a giventolerance. Calibration Maintenance is

used to initiate the Cal Test at specificintervals, either based on time or thenumber of weighments. If the Cal Testfails, a message can be generated andlogged, the scale can be turned off or noaction taken. Using these two processescan help you ensure compliance withvalidation requirements dictated by yourquality system.

Step Calibration and CalFree are twonew, innovative techniques that help youalign the appropriate calibration tech-nique with your real requirements, bal-ancing accuracy with time, cost andpracticality. Cal Test and CalibrationMaintenance can perform a vital role inassuring your weighing accuracy ismaintained and that compliance withyour internal quality requirements isachieved.

4www.mt.com

METTLER TOLEDO’s IND560 intro-duces a variety of new ways to calibrateand check the scale's performance,allowing you to align the most appropri-ate technique (or process) with your realrequirements.

Step Calibration automates a fieldtechnique used when the capacity of ascale is much larger than the availabletest mass. The substitution method ofcalibration uses a known test mass tocalibrate a small portion of the scale'sweighing capacity. After calibration ofthis portion is established, the test load isremoved, and a substitute material isplaced inside the vessel or hopper to apoint near the calibrated load. The testmass is then added to this value, and anew calibration point is established. Theprocess is repeated until the last calibra-tion point is near the scale's capacity.This process required that the scale tech-nicians to manually calculate each suc-cessive calibration value and enter theappropriate figures into the terminal,making it prone to entry or computa-tional error. The Step Calibration processautomates the procedure, guiding thetechnician through each step and elimi-nating the need to do the math or entervalues.

CalFree™ is a combination of a fieldcalibration technique and factory con-trolled quality assurance process. Duringthe production of a load cell, the actualgain of the cell is measured and record-ed. In addition, each terminal's ana-logue measurement section is calibrated


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pipes. “We were particularly satisfied withthe overall level of service provided byM E T T L E RTOLEDO”, explained Mr Bourbonneux,Production Manager. “The equipmentwas delivered right on time” added MrBellenger, Maintenance Manager. In fact,the lead time was the primary supplierselection criteria. The new filling stationhad to be operational within just eightweeks! METTLER TOLEDO's technicaldepartment were able to set the equip-ment up in just a few days. In fact, it tookless than a week from the time the equip-ment was delivered to its first use byRohm and Haas operatives.

After several weeks in operation, theMETTLER TOLEDO filling system hasprovided 100% satisfaction. The productsfor packing arrive at the feeder tankwhere they are pumped directly into thefilling system. The operator places thefive prepared barrels onto the pallet onthe weighing platform, fills them, thenrepositions the pallet. No individual han-dling of barrels is required, thus makingthe station particularly ergonomic.

Ever focused on their customer's needs,the METTLER TOLEDO “filling” expertsare now reflecting on how they canoptimise the fill speed in order to min-imise foaming. More fruitful exchangesbetween Rohm and Haas and their sup-plier are expected in the near future…

4www.rohmhaas.com

Rohm and Haas is one of the world'sleading producers of specialty mate-rials. In France, four of the company'sproduction sites are based, as wellas its European industrial applica-tions and R&D laboratories and itsEuropean regional headquarters. Thegroup employs 1,200 people andrecorded sales of 520 million eurosin 2004.

The production facility at Villers SaintPaul, set up in 1990 as a joint venturebetween Rohm and Haas and ElfAtochem, employs around fifty people.The company specialises in the produc-tion of water-soluble acrylic polymers forthe detergents, textiles, water treatmentmarkets, oil and ceramics industries, aswell as for material dispersion.

The development of their packagingactivity for two of the group's productranges destined for the cosmetics market- liquids designed to adjust viscosity, andbleaching agents for shampoos andcreams - led the factory to invest in anew filling station. Use of the existingMETTLER TOLEDO racking station wasruled out, as it was already used at fullcapacity, and the risk of contaminationbetween packed products was too high.

So Rohm and Haas's technical team drewup a specification to find the optimumsolution for their new filling station. Theprimary operating constraints includedthe capability to pack highly foaming liq-uid products in IBCs or thirty gallon bar-rels, the occasional handling of five gal-lon jerry cans, productivity levels of thir-ty metric tonnes per hour and to achieveall this using easily-operable equipment.Thanks to its specialist “filling” technicalsales team, METTLER TOLEDO knewexactly how to meet Rohm and Haas'srequirements. Their solution was a fivebarrel filling system on a USP 1000-91Ppallet, controlled by an ID7 weighing ter-minal. To avoid any contaminationbetween the two product ranges at thefilling station, and to facilitate cleaning,the equipment was supplied with two feed

Finding the optimum solutionfor a filling station


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try Improved performance for car care manufacturer

For almost 40 years Comma Oil and Chemicals Ltd has been manufacturing qualityautomotive lubricants and car care products. From its humble family-run beginnings,it has developed in to a major player in the motor oil and car care industry. Designedwith the automotive enthusiast in mind, its products have proven themselves at thehighest level of British Motorsport.

SQC16 standalone systems. Employeeshad to manually remove the automotiveoil bottles from the production line andweigh them on a static weigh station.This proved time consuming and inaccu-racies could not be detected quickly -potentially allowing overweight productsto be distributed.

Comma Oil chose METTLER TOLEDO fora number of reasons as David Seex, ChiefExecutive, explains: “after viewing vari-ous equipment options available wechose METTLER TOLEDO based on theequipment presentation, usability, priceand experience of the company as a sup-plier.” Over the years Comma hasinstalled various METTLER TOLEDOproducts including Zone 1 scales, non-zoned floor scales, a weighbridge andfilling systems as well as the three new S3Garvens checkweighers. It also providesthe site with service support. A successfulrelationship has been developed bet-ween the two companies and althoughother manufacturers were approachedMETTLER TOLEDO was the preferredsupplier.

Comma wanted a 100% check on finishedproducts and the S3 checkweigher wassuggested as ideal. The new equipment isused for checking a large range of prod-ucts. The oil is poured into containersand then weighed before palletising andwarehousing. The checkweighers confirmthe weight of the bottles of automotive oil(ranging from 400ml to 5 litres).

The Garvens S3 checkweigher is availablein full stainless steel IP65 wash downspecification and, coupled with Garvensunique quick release belt grips, ensurescompliance with HACCP. There is mini-mal operator effort in performing beltchanges or obtaining access for washdown and cleaning and the base plates,rollers, bearings and conveyors are alsoconstructed in stainless steel ensuringoutstanding reliability and service lifeeven in the most hostile environments.The S3 checkweigher is suitable forweighing products up to 6000g and isavailable in four basic units that can beindividually tailored to meet specificrequirements.

The units are very user friendly and theaverage weight software and fill head test,purchased as options, provide a comple-tely integrated system - meeting the com-pany's requirements. Also the simplicityof the installation was a major advantage- “the checkweighers were installed overa weekend, commissioned on the Mondayand immediately put to use minimisingdowntime and disruption” explainsMETTLER TOLEDO Account Manager,Ashley Gilbey.

Today the company has a turnover of$75million and employs 240 people. Themain plant in Gravesend, Kent (they alsohave a site in Weert, Holland) manufac-tures products for the UK and Europe, theMiddle and Far East, Australasia andAfrica.

The UK site faced a number of issues withits quality control and quality assuranceprocedures - in particular overfilling.Previously the company performed off-line checks using METTLER TOLEDO'sSQC14 (Statistical Quality Control) and


The equipment has improved productcontrol - saving giveaway and time -David explains. “The equipment elimi-nates a majority of the manual handlinginvolved in checkweighing activities, pro-vides an accurate idea of product give-away, reduces product giveaway (the con-trol is located at the source) and elimi-nates potential for substandard runs. Inaddition the technicians' role hasbecome increasingly proactive and it hasprovided us with an excellent 'selling'tool for customers.” David concludes “theequipment has helped us to understandand even improve our processes.”

In addition to the various equipmentinstalled on site, Comma has also invest-ed in TotalCare 21. This package providesa complete range of after sales serviceagreement options designed to comple-ment existing quality systems. TraceyJohnson, Marketing and Customer Devel-

opment - Service explains “The platinumcontract is a fully inclusive agreementoffering predictable service coststhroughout the equipments' life. Labourand travel costs are included in the annu-al fee, together with spare parts' costs oncurrent products; routine service and cal-ibration visits are scheduled throughoutthe year.” Comma Oil's platinum agree-ment covers a wide range of equipmentincluding terminals, baseworks and indi-cators as well as other manufacturers'equipment. “The silver service contract isa cost-effective agreement and providesone scheduled routine maintenance andcalibration visit per year, as well as a dis-count on labour rates in the event ofequipment failure. The company's silveragreement covers a range of balances andother manufacturers' equipment” con-cludes Tracey.

4www.commaoil.com


Food

Over 150 years of chocolate artFounded in 1852, the Maestrani companyhas devoted itself completely to enjoy-ment. Maestrani produces a vast array ofdifferent types of chocolate, including thebrands Minor and Munz, as well as inno-vative customer products, such as organicFair Trade chocolates and Kosher choco-lates. In 2005, Maestrani received theDemeter approval trademark for productsof biodynamic agriculture. As a result ofcustomer requirements for confectioneryproduction, quality, innovation and a reli-able production process have increasinglybecome vital factors. Ladina Badrutt, Headof Quality Management and Research &Development: “The variety of confec-tionery products is growing constantly.Factors such as speed and a flexible, effi-cient production process are key to ourability to satisfy the varying needs of ourcustomers."

Success factors for an efficient production processIn a radically changing market environ-ment, controlling the relevant machineparameters for a range that, depending onthe product, demands a change in prod-uction or a special production process ischallenging. Success under these condi-tions not only requires experienced em-ployees but the right technical equipment.With the net weight control system fromMETTLER TOLEDO Maestrani succeededto gain transparency over the filling andportioning lines.

First class net weight and filling process controlMaestrani decided to implement threeweighing stations, including of one preci-sion balance connected via Ethernet to acentral PC in the quality laboratory. Indi-vidual chocolate bars, pralines or entiremolds filled with chocolate are weighed atthe weighing stations. The weighingresults allow line managers to intervene inthe machine parameters directly on site,and avoid possible over or underfilling.

On site

High-performance production with efficient filling process control

The long-established Swiss companyMaestrani, headquartered in Flawil,St. Gallen, specialises in the pro-duction of chocolate specialties andjelly products. By using statisticalnet weight control from METTLERTOLEDO, the company succeeded inoptimising its filling processes andthereby increasing productivity.

All the weight data is imported into thecentral PC, where it is statistically evaluat-ed, and documentation and reports areprepared based on the specific require-ments of the Maestrani company.

Key benefits for MaestraniFilling process control increased produc-tion reliability and quality. The perma-nent filling level information, clean docu-mentation and statistical evaluations sup-port the planning and preparation of thereports required by the quality manage-ment process. Ladina Badrutt: “Thanks tothe seamless control with METTLERTOLEDO's Freeweigh System, we've neverhad a problem meeting legal require-ments in filling process control. Reduc-tion of overfilling also made a big im-provement to profitability."

4www.maestrani.ch


sale companies and retail shops. Theprocess of storing Delecta products doesnot change parameters declared by theproducer, including their weight. That iswhy 100% reliability of the weight of themanufactured product is so important.

The equipment offered and installedmeets the user requirements, fulfils highquality standards and is also compliantwith Polish regulations, particularly theMeasure Law and the Act of PackedGoods. The professional service - instal-lation and activation of the equipment,training and service prepared to fulfillthe user's high requirements - completesthe successful cooperation.

For METTLER TOLEDO the user's satis-faction will allow them to continue thecooperation with Rieber Foods.

4www.rieberson.com

Even a few years ago weighing of thebags of products was done at ran-dom. One of the packing machineoperators duties was to weigh manu-ally ten subsequent packages fromthe production line. It had to be donebetween ten and twenty times anhour. That kind of work organisationobligated the workers to keep movingfrom place to place and decreasedtheir efficiency in a significant way.

Kujawskie Zaklady Koncentratów Spozy-wczych (Food Concentrates Plant ofKujawy) in Wloclawek, Poland - is al-ready a historical name - but personneland production profile remain the same.For a short time the factory was a work-ers' company producing an inheritedrange of goods under the brand nameDelecta. In 1996 the factory was boughtby a Norwegian company Rieber Foods,which left Delecta brand for the Polishmarket.

Four years ago METTLER TOLEDO rep-resentatives came to this puddings, jel-lies, cakes and sauces factory, andoffered to increase efficiency in produc-tion lines. As a trial, they installed twocheckweighers, which met the technicalrequirements of the production processperfectly. Both the size and the speed ofthe bags conveyor were ideally fitted tothe corresponding parameters of thepacking machines.

The automatic weighing of 100% of theproducts increased the efficiency of worksignificantly and the workers of Delectaliked the new solutions so much, thattoday there are already 17 METTLERTOLEDO Garvens checkweighers in pro-duction lines there. The most importantadvantages of the scales for Delectaworkers are: ease of use with clear touchscreen, adjustable screen to an anglewhich is easiest to read, and ease ofchanging and cleaning the belt of theconveyor, which makes it compliant withhygienic requirements of HACCP.

The checkweighers - according to cur-rent regulations - are programmed to“pass” only bags with nominal or high-er weight. The underweight bags areautomatically ejected from the produc-tion line. Technologists try to avoid suchsituations, because it is not possible toregain 100% of the product and in addi-tion the bag itself is lost.

All the checkweighers are linked to netweight software collecting and process-ing data from all measurements,according to the requirements of thelegal regulation of e-symbol. Thismethod of collecting data significantlysimplifies the process of supervision,control of production and helps duringaudits and controls. Controls of this kindare performed not only in the warehouseand production lines, but also in whole-

Food

On site

If you weigh 100% of your products you get 100% reliability


Increased invoice values through correct backcharging

Tran

spor

t & L

ogis

tic

Know

-how It is a common mistake to wait until

something breaks down before you fix it,and this is often the situation in industry.Time and perceived expense are the mostcommon factors, but in the long run itcan save time and costs to prevent ratherthan cure. Maintenance managers have tojuggle resources to deal with emergencyrepairs and find it difficult to implement apreventative maintenance (PM) pro-gramme. However, if an effective PM pro-gramme is implemented emergencies willbe limited.

Many companies perceive a PM pro-gramme to be sold from the top down, andoften management impose a cost/benefitanalysis. However, the benefits of imple-menting a system are clear - not only thephysical costs of equipment repair but alsothe costs involved in production downtimeand bad batch production. If brokenequipment, such as a load cell, is detectedand production is shut down expenses willarise. Detailed investigations are necessaryto check the quality of all former batchesproduced and several questions need to beanswered:• When did the breakdown occur?• What are the effects on product

quality? • How many batches were affected? • And why?

And for those conforming to GMP a devia-tion/investigation report is required andthe batches produced will not be released.

On the positive side - the breakdown hasbeen detected but it could become evenmore costly. If the equipment breakdownhas not been detected incomplete reac-tions or impurities may cause bad yieldand poor quality and the batch will not bereleased. If the breakdown goes as far asthe product to be sold by weight, manu-facturers could lose money by supplyingtoo much or if the weight is less than itshould be liable action can be takenagainst the manufacturer resulting in lossof image and reputation. The examplebelow is based on the rework/disposal of a500kg batch of API product because ofweighing errors:

DFDS Transport Ltd, part of the DSV Group, is a global leader in road,air and sea freight solutions and provides its customers with flexibleand cost effective transit solutions for individual consignments.

DFDS Transport has been part of the DSV Group - Denmark's largest and leadingsupplier of transport and logistics and environmental services - since 2001 andhas developed into a business with a turnover of over 4 billion Euros employingin excess of 10,000 people. The site in Purfleet, Essex required equipment to accu-rately and reliably capture weight and dimension data of palletised products andwanted to replace its manual measuring methods (tape measure and clipboard)with an automatic system. In addition the company needed to upgrade its IT sys-tem to uplift data capture to amend invoicing information.

After meeting with METTLER TOLEDO to discuss the latest technology availableas well as participating in extensive trials and equipment evaluation, DFDS Trans-port decided on the new Palletchecker as it met the specified mechanical, electri-cal, operational and data transfer criteria. The new unit has been installed in thewarehouse where pallets are removed from incoming vehicles and labelled thentransferred to the Palletchecker. The pallet is then moved to the infeed conveyorwhere the barcode label is scanned before weight and dimension data is captured.Finally the pallet is taken from the outfeed conveyor to the destination dockingstation for forwarding.

The Palletchecker is the first approved weighing, dimensioning and identificationsystem designed to meet the required Trading Standards weight and volumeapprovals. It provides pallet weight, volume and barcode data at a glance and withpallet feeding and off load from three directions it increases pallet flow in thewarehouse - vastly improving processes. The system saves data on to an integralhard disk - eliminating the risk of lost data - and provides a continuous parcel logof the last nine items.

The new equipment has provided DFDSTransport with reliable, accurate anddependable weight, dimension and identifi-cation data of all its palletised goods. Thisdata has allowed the company to improve itsinvoicing processes, increase revenue andrecover lost revenue from inaccurate cus-tomer weight data. It has also increasedinvoice values through correctly backcharg-ing other DFDS Transport partnership com-panies around Europe. The revenue issueaside this solution naturally also enhancessecurity on the roads as it ensures that accu-rate weight information follows the ship-ments loaded onto trucks.

This is the first UK installation of a palletsystem for automated data capture ofweight, dimension and pallet identity andis the first product to embrace currentdata capture technology for DFDS Transportin UK.

4www.dfdstransport.com

On site


Predictive/Preventative Maintenance

The costs vary from product to productand the quantities produced but it is clearthat the cost of preventing such errors willbe a small proportion compared withdealing with an emergency breakdown.Predictive maintenance is the comparisonof measured physical parameters againstknown engineering limits for the purposeof detecting, analysing and correctingproblems before failures occur. It is nec-essary to measure a physical parametersuch as pressure, resistance, vibration,voltage or temperature in order to adopt apredictive approach to detect problemsthrough routine monitoring.

Re-work of batchMaterial costs 33,000 approxCleaning of vessel 26,500 approxTotal Cost 59,500 approx(Without any opportunity costs e.g. for breakdown, etc.)

Dispose of batchMaterial costs 993,000 approxCleaning of vessel 26,500 approx Disposal of waste 13,000 approxTotal Cost 1,032,500 approx

Planning of maintenance and calibrationIt is important when implementing pre-ventative procedures to plan your mainte-nance based on a defined time period andnumber of weighings. Operators shouldbe aware of these procedures and equip-ment is now available that can notifyoperators of actions including calibrationchecks through email alert, indicator dis-play, alert to mobile phone or even dis-ablement of the scale. And events such ascalibration, alarms, errors etc for quickdiagnostics and recovery should be logged.This is easy and accurate with weighing

terminals that automate these processes.Internal calibration management definesthe calibration procedure, controls equip-ment calibration and monitors andreports to the operator when equipmentfails.

Condition monitoringCondition monitoring depends on theequipment in question - from measuringvoltage, current and strain through todrift, overloads, impacts and errors forweighing equipment. Again it is importantthat the weighing equipment can detectthese changes in condition and alert theoperator through his chosen method.Every item in the production process playsa vital part and at any point failure ofequipment will result in financial losses.New developments in intelligent weighingterminals play a vital part in predictivemaintenance programmes. The JagXtremeterminal from METTLER TOLEDO hasmany of the features mentioned, but alsooffers predictive failure management.While it is important operators are alertedto breakdowns, the management of failurecan save a company - financially and rep-utability.

The example below shows the right equip-ment can recognise fault but also recoverfrom loss of batch production.• Reviews monitor logs to identify load

cell failures or out-of-tolerance opera-tion

• Engages Run Flat• Estimation algorithm to accommodate

load cell failure or out-of-tolerance con-dition

• Operator notification of equipmentmaintenance (Indicator display, mailalert on PC, alert on mobile phone,scale disabled)

Where is the centre of gravity?The Centre of Gravity (CoG) has to be measured afterinstallation to enable the JagXtreme to determine the sym-metry:• RAAD Box converts analog load cell signals into digital

signals• JagXtreme receives weight values from individual load

cells through a RAAD Box and determines CoG

In case of a failed load cell, JagXtreme alerts either by:•Alerting on the display•Disabling the scale and alert•Emailing the alert message

Don't stop your processes - use Run Flat Estimation:• JagXtreme ignores the faulty load cell and recalculates

its value dependent on the CoG.• A damaged load cell is virtually replaced by the remain-

ing load cells• Started batch can be finished• Alert message tells maintenance to call METTLER

TOLEDO's service department to replace the faulty loadcell

• Installation can be used until the service technician ison site to repair it

• No down time!

With predictive maintenance• Schedule and track equipments own maintenance• Predicts failures before they occur• Performs fault recognition and recovery - Run Flat Esti-

mation and Symmetry Check• Alert individuals of potential failures or maintenance

needs by email

Advantages for the manufacturer• Prevents losing money through bad mixture with heavi-

ly expensive ingredients• Don't need to re-work or dispose of a bad batch as spe-

cial waste• Keep production upright and reduce downtime almost to

zero maintenance hours• Prevents charging too much or too less

4www.mt.com


Government agencies make heavy demands, which also apply to balancesIn many processes, manufacturing anddeveloping food without using balanceshas become inconceivable. Balances canbe found in the laboratory, the produc-tion plant and in logistics. For mostapplications, they must be certified tobe recognised by the control authorities.Their results are integrated into a vastarray of processes - nowadays oftenonline, directly into the host systems.

There are scores of regulations to be fol-lowed in the production and marketingof foods. New laws, such as EU Directive178/2002 on food safety, demand that allcompanies in the food industry designtransparent production and distributionchannels for their products.

Filling process control system madeto measureNo matter how the products are pack-aged, their weight must be preciselydetermined and recorded. Products aresubject to worldwide guidelines that, forthe protection of the consumer, definehow they are to be declared and whichtolerances are allowed. In this connec-tion, overfilling might be seen as onesolution to the problem of underfilling.It would be absurd from a businessstandpoint, however: Even with "eco-

Know

-how

Good service ensures seamless processes in the food industryThe food industry is subject to compliance with a wide vari-ety of regulations. With its varied product range, industryexperience and service network, METTLER TOLEDO standsout as a competent partner for these high standards.


nomical" products, the value of theadditional quantity would add up quick-ly. This is why quality conscious produc-ers use control systems that allow themto be informed about the filling processand intervene to make corrections, ifnecessary.

Today, networked computer systems witha central database are used for statisticalquality control (SQC). Where a simplerand more economical solution is de-sired, such as, in smaller filling opera-tions, the compact systems fromMETTLER TOLEDO offer suitable capa-bilities. With large databases and a fullrange of functions, they quickly pay forthemselves. The entire “SQC Intelli-gence” and statistical data are in thebalance, and the recording and evaluat-ing of the quality data is quite easy. Thisprevents the need for extensive trainingfor employees.

The required minimum weight and theeconomically sound maximum quantityare stored in the system, so the easy-to-handle random sampling control cannow be carried out at the weighing sta-tion. Depending on the version used, theresults can go directly into the host sys-tem of quality control or printed reportscan be requested manually. In each case,required machine settings can be imme-diately recognised and implemented, inorder to continue filling within definedtolerances.

In addition to the certification of thebalances, on-site calibration ensureshigher security for measuring results.For any system there are numreous fac-

tors that influence measurement uncer-tainty. Knowledge of these factors pro-vides valuable information on the qual-ity and reliability of the results. Environ-mental conditions such as temperaturefluctuations or whether the devices areused on the ground floor or the fourthfloor affect their precision.

Standards for the entire supply chain – from producer to retailerThese particular conditions must be metbefore large chains make a producertheir supplier. For example, the origin ofthe goods must be provable up to the rawmaterials suppliers, and the measuringresults should be traceable and protectedfrom manipulation. They require thatthe operational processes be certifiedaccording to a standard accepted by theGFSI (Global Food Safety Initiative).Audits require that manufacturers havequality control systems. These auditscheck the traceability chain, productionand batch traceability, HACCP plans, aswell as the reliability, precision andtraceability of the measuring equip-ment. Companies that use balances andmeasuring devices by METTLER TOLE-DO in their operation can face this pro-cedure without worry.

People in charge of quality managementin the food industry rely on competentpartners who guarantee reliable cus-tomer service. Lost time due to non-functioning measuring devices cannotbe allowed to happen. To ensure themaximum operating time for the equip-ment, METTLER TOLEDO offers its cus-tomers a network of specialists and serv-ice technicians. For globally operating

companies, this team also crossesnational boundaries to ensure profes-sional service that safeguards the quali-ty of the devices. The employees arehighly trained and know the food indus-try guidelines. On-site technicians care-fully service the balances and are thereimmediately if repairs are needed.

SummaryCompanies that know and implementthese requirements strengthen the trust oftheir trading partners and that of con-sumers. Well-functioning quality controlsystems can improve food safety and pro-tect consumers. Working with certifiedpartners not only builds trust but improvescost-efficiency in the entire supply chain.

4www.mt.com


The flight hours completed and the routenetwork of the airlines are only two ofmany factors that determine the capacityutilisation of an aircraft maintenanceoperation. Thanks to its commitment touncompromising safety and quality, SRTechnics, which was once the mainte-nance company for Swissair, was able toremain a successful company even afterthe long-established Swiss airline wentbankrupt. Under new ownership, the com-pany extended its operations over the Eng-lish Channel in 2004, with 4,700 employ-ees performing maintenance services forapproximately 750 airplanes, 300 enginesand 78,000 components in 2005 alone.

Every weighing change recordedBecause safety is a prime necessity in pas-senger aviation, there are strict regula-tions on airworthiness, among them thoseof the Swiss Federal Office of Civil Aviation(BAZL). There are also the manufacturer'srecommendations regarding the frequen-cy and scope of maintenance. In additionto small “checks,” a plane like an AirbusA330 undergoes a “heavy maintenancevisit” every 30,000 flight hours or after fiveto six years, during which the planespends about four weeks in the hangar.Thomas Züst, Workload and CapacityPlanning, explains: “The plane is partial-ly disassembled: The cladding is removed,the bottoms come out... Most of the time,the plane is re-weighed after heavy main-tenance, but also after an entertainment

electronics system or an auxiliary tank isinstalled."

Special solution in close cooperationwith the customerFor weighing, SR Technics uses 18 specialweighing platforms for a maximum loadof 30 metric tonnes each. When procure-ment of spare parts became difficult afterthe original supplier went out of business,the production engineering department,which is responsible for providing tools,turned to METTLER TOLEDO. HanspeterWehrli: “For organisational and financialreasons, we wanted to retain the specialaluminum frame, but install state-of-the-art electronics and weighing cells.Because we were already connected withMETTLER TOLEDO Switzerland through a

Safe and Sound, Thanks to the Weighing of Aircraft

With over 70 years' experience, SR Technics Switzerland, headquartered in the Zurich-Kloten Airport, is the most important mainstay of the SR Technics Group, the worldwideleading independent supplier of services for aircraft, component and engine mainte-nance. SR Technics relies on weighing platforms equipped by METTLER TOLEDO withthe latest technology for weighing the jumbo jets of its international airline customers.

Serv

ice

Hanspeter WehrliProduction Engineering

SR Tecnics


long-standing partnership, we took thisassignment to their engineering depart-ment. The cooperation was outstanding.”

To keep the operation going, the platformswere retrofitted in several phases. Newdouble ended beam load cells and a com-pletely new electronics system - based onstandard components of the METTLERTOLEDO 4-series - were installed in theone-meter square frame. To simplifyweighing, only the On/Off, zero-settingand taring functions are available tohangar personnel. Five-kilogram displayincrements are displayed at an internalresolution of one kilogramme. Newly in-stalled storage batteries guarantee eight-hour operation independent of the net-work.

To monitor measurement accuracy, theplatforms are calibrated once each year bythe calibration laboratory of SR Technicsusing a press system with software special-ly developed by METTLER TOLEDO. Thesystem itself is regularly inspected by theSwiss Federal Office for Metrology andAccreditation.

Hanspeter Wehrli is satisfied all round:“The retrofitted weighing platforms haveproven highly successful in the mainte-nance of our Airbus and McDonnell-Dou-glas jetliners.” A total of ten platforms areused for one Airbus A330 - one under eachwheel. The hangar mechanics position theplatforms and test their functionalityusing a cornerload test before each meas-urement. All platforms underneath awheel system are then connected witheach other. The airplane is pulled over aramp onto the platforms. The individualweight values and the total weight aredetermined and traceably documentedeach time as part of the quality manage-ment system.

The data is then stored in the airplane'sonboard computer, which determines thecenter of gravity and the starting weight -a maximum of 230 metric tonnes for theA330 - through the balances built into thewheel systems or based on manual entriesby the pilots each time before the planestarts. So that air passengers and crew canenjoy their flight in comfort and safety.

4www.srtechnics.com


People can disagree over the taste andquality of ready meals, but not when itcomes to the products of one of Ger-many's leading producers. To ensure thehighest quality at all times, importantproduct characteristics are continuouslyevaluated and monitored in the produc-tion process. The goal of the manufactur-ers was to combine test planning andquality documentation in one system,SAP's Quality Management module.Since the recording of measurement dataand control are not two of SAP's strongpoints, the company acquired the idealcomplement to the QM functionality ofthe SAP system with FreeWeigh.Net, anin-process control system from METTLERTOLEDO, and its fully developed measur-ing instrument control.

Paperless in-process control reduceswork stepsThanks to the data interface between theFreeWeigh.Net in-process control systemand SAP, quality recording is completelypaperless. When a process order is releas-ed in SAP, the various test plans for theproduct to be produced are automaticallysent to the in-process control system. Inthe past, quality testing formulae wouldhave to be printed and delivered to theproduction employees. Now the need formanually writing down the values fromthe measuring devices and making statis-tical calculations with a pocket calcula-tor has been completely replaced by thenewly launched system from METTLERTOLEDO. As paper is not highly regarded

in food production anyway, the elimina-tion of printed forms is a welcomeimprovement in the entire workingprocess.

Statistical process control made easyThree test stations are located in Produc-tion Unit 1, where the meat componentsare portioned, cooked and shock frozen.The production employee at theFreeWeigh.Net test station opens the testplan sent by SAP, and is immediatelyinformed how often a sample must berecorded - for example, every twenty min-utes. The weight value of the raw, cookedand frozen meatballs is accepted by theIND429 balance directly.

New

Pro

duct

Paperless quality data recording in the production of ready meals – SAP integrated!

It was especially important to the projectmanager that the balance be easy toclean. This is why the new IP69K protect-ed METTLER TOLEDO IND429 terminalwith chromium steel housing was chosen.The FreeWeigh.Net test station softwarepresents the employees at the portioningplant a clear mean curve of the weightvalues for the frozen product recorded inthe freezer. The operator can intervenebefore the trend curve of the “frozen”weight drops too low and violates theFinished Packaging Ordinance.

Reduce raw material loss throughoverfillingIf the meat components are portioned sig-nificantly above the declared weight, raw

Overfilling: If the sample mean curve of the weight runs in the pink colored region, there was excessive overfilling and the manufacturer is giving away raw materials. Declared nominal weightUnderfilling: If the sample mean curve of the weight runs in the red colored region, therewas excessive underfilling, resulting in a violation of the Finished Packaging Ordinanceand potential customer complaints.

total weight, and ensurefor the manufacturersthat the declared fillingquantity always complieswith the Finished Packag-ing Ordinance. Metaldetector systems are anessential component inensuring product safetyand the implementationof HACCP (Hazard Analy-sis and Critical ControlPoint) concepts. In thesematters, too, German

manufacturers of ready meals have reliedon the products and advice of METTLERTOLEDO for years.

SAP measures temperature andweight – with FreeWeigh.NetUsing two different systems to managethe test plans for microbiological tests inthe quality laboratory and the test plansfor quality control on the production linewas not what the project team had inmind. Why manage test plans in two ormore different systems when both can bemanaged in one application? The objec-tive was a centralised, multi-process testplanning system within SAP's QualityManagement module, and this wasimplemented with the project team fromMETTLER TOLEDO. This solution greatly simplifies and stan-dardises quality control tasks, and


material is literally given away to con-sumers. It's necessary to optimise this ina closed loop system. In the event ofexcessive overfilling, the system automat-ically sends an alert in the form of anadjustment message. The operator canthen adjust the portioning machine tominimise overfilling costs. In the back-ground, FreeWeigh.Net calculates theoptimal setting of the line based on sta-tistical algorithms. The setting algorithmis derived from the distance between themean value of the recorded weight valuesand the nominal value, as well as themean variation of the process expressedin the standard deviation. Productionemployees no longer need to calculatestatistical data by hand, as theFreeWeigh.Net SPC software handles itall.

Evaluating smell, taste, colour In addition to weight values, the coretemperature and the equalising tempera-ture of the frozen meat components, theoperator also evaluates product charac-teristics such as smell, taste and colourwith a grade of 1-6, and enters it in thesystem. For breaded meat, the percentageof breadcrumb crust in relation to themeat is also determined.

Laws completely under controlThe complete meals are produced in pro-duction unit 3. On each line, dynamiccontrol balances (checkweighers) byMETTLER TOLEDO Garvens check thecompleteness of the menus against the

markedly improves the transparency ofthe entire production process. The systemwas made possible through a bidirection-al data interface between the applicationsoftware FreeWeigh.Net and SAP's QMmodule. Complete test plans are sent fromSAP to FreeWeigh.Net via standard QM-IDI interface. The test plan can containboth qualitative and quantitative testcharacteristics. These are directly allocat-ed to the test stations that have therequired measuring instruments. Whenthe production order closes, a summary ofthe results of the quality test is sent backto SAP. As a result, the median value, the meanvariation of the measurement values, theminimum and maximum values, thenumber of recorded measurement values,and the number of tolerance violators forall quality-relevant product characteris-tics are available in SAP and can beaccessed at any time for additional evalu-ations.

METTLER TOLEDO's FreeWeigh.Net sys-tem software, the METTLER TOLEDOmeasuring instruments, and SAP areclearly the ideal combination for record-ing, evaluating and managing measure-ment data and efficient quality processes.Together, they form a uniform system inwhich each component brings itsstrengths fully into play.

4www.mt.com

Recording and real-time control of thefollowing product characteristics:• Weight, raw product• Weight, cooked product • Temperature, cooked product• Weight, frozen • Temperature, frozen product• % share of breadcrumbs/meat

Evaluation by production employees:• Colour, grade from 1 to 6• Taste, grade from 1 to 6• Smell, grade from 1 to 6

• Order data• Test plans • Qualitative and quantitative

testing characteristics• Test station assignment• Test instructions

Frozen meattest station

Cooked meattest station

Raw meat test station

FreeWeigh.Net

SAP System Version 4.6.C Quality Management ModuleQM - IDI Interface

Results Summary• Mean value• Standard deviation• Min./max. measurement values• Number of recorded measure-

ment values• Number of defective units

New

Pro

duct


refined. Matching accessories such asplug-in approach ramps and a lift system- for optimal cleaning - round out therange.

METTLER TOLEDO's new generation oflow-profile scales is a multi-talented offer-ing for use in a broad range of industries.These scales can also be used in wet oreven hazardous areas. Options such asdimensions, material, resolution, surfacequality, analogue/digital interface andconnection cables of various lengths makethe PUA57 low-profile scales with DMStechnology one of the leading products inthe area of weighing technology.

METTLER TOLEDO sees itself as a partnerin more than just matters of hardware andweighing technology. Increasingly, theemphasis is on connectivity, or the inte-gration of the measuring results into thehost system. Our weighing terminals cur-rently have numerous expansion capa-bilities, but a team of IT specialists, theengineering solution team of METTLERTOLEDO, takes connectivity a step farther.Working with users, the team developsindividual solutions for the transfer ofweighing data to internal company sys-tems like SAP and others.

4www.mt.com

A floor scale with low overall height andwithout pit mounting for easy loading andunloading was a hot topic as early as 20years ago, and is even more importanttoday. The advantage of a traversable scalelies in its top-of-floor installation, whichmakes an expensive pit model with itspotential sources of contaminationunnecessary. In the chemical, pharma-ceutical and food industries - the mainfields of application for low-profile scales- extremely high demands are made onthe products.

The low-profile scales developed twentyyears ago, which were based on electro-magnetic force compensation and con-trolled by a lever system, could not be driv-en on. New ideas and technologies weredemanded, because industry was waitingfor a traversable scale that could be opti-mally integrated into the weighing systemof production plants. This leap was madewith the help of DMS technology. Fourmeasuring cells and a direct force trans-mission offered new opportunities: arugged traversable scale with an overallheight of only 35mm. Advancement of thistechnology currently allows resolutions inranges that used to be reserved for forcecompensation.

METTLER TOLEDO offers DMS low-profilescales with a standard resolution of 1x3000calibration divisions. Optionally, the scalescan be expanded to 2x3000e multi-inter-val, 3x3000e multi-interval, and even1x6000e single-range. This option ensuresthe most precise measuring data over theentire weight scale.

For the manufacture of products in cleanrooms or in areas with strict hygienicrequirements, the material of the scalebase plays a decisive role. The painted sur-face of the first low-profile scale in 1985turned out to be unsuitable for these con-ditions. Mechanical influences can loosenpaint particles, which can contaminate theproducts being weighed. If the protectivelayer is damaged, the material at this loca-tion tends to corrode more easily.

Hygienically sensitive areas call for ease ofcleaning and handling, since dirt particlesand bacterial infestations can have a directeffect on the chemical products or food. Inthese areas, manufacturers are subject toguidelines such as the GMP (Good Manu-facturing Practice) of the chemicals andpharmaceuticals industry, and the engi-neering guidelines for hygienic design bythe EHEDG Group in the food industry. Thenew METTLER TOLEDO product genera-tion meets all of these standards: It's madeof rust- and acid-proof stainless steel witha buffed surface that can be further

A look back to the futureLow-profile scales meet customer needs with maximum flexibility

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More revenues for DHL with accurate measuring · PDF file · 2007-06-08More revenues for DHL with accurate measuring System phase-out ... the quality and handling routines of DHL