Batching system can replace eight workers

Plant managers are under pressure to streamline processes, resulting in higher yields for lower cost. Investing in machinery allows some operations to be automated, as well as potentially reducing the risk of contamination through human contact. Gainco said its AccuFill Quad-Batching system can replace between six and eight full-time employees working in a double shift, and calculates on that basis a return on investment of about 12 months. Whole muscle meat as well as further processed food can be handled by the system, which collects, weighs, batches and, optionally, counts four separate streams of incoming product. Finished batches are then indexed to any one of several downstream processes such as bulk packaging or bagging. The AccuFill features the company's proprietary Infiniti Plus programmable controller which identifies, prioritizes, batches, indexes and confirms the type, weight and count of products being batched at any given moment, the company claims. Infiniti controllers have large, bright displays and feature oversized buttons to allow easier operation by those wearing gloves. A durable polymeric housing protects the weighing apparatus in cold working environments and during hot washdowns using high pressure cleaning fluids. Furthermore, the harsh chemicals that now required during washdowns are meat, poultry and seafood processing AccuFill systems are supplied with a one-year limited warranty covering the weighing components, while the Infiniti Plus programmable controller carries a two-year warranty on parts. US-based Gainco is subsidiary of Bettcher Industries and manufactures scale systems for the meat, poultry and seafood processing industries.