Machine is alternative to combination scales – Spee-Dee
The Advanced Volumetric System (AVS) is available worldwide and measures and fills dry products in containers such as bags, bottles, pouches, cans and cartons.
Spee-Dee say it is the only company that supplies both auger and volumetric fillers, and servo drives for auger and cup fillers.
Ideal for differing weights
The firm said the machine is ideal for products that shift density during a packaging run such as some cereals and it is designed for dried food including cereal, nuts, rice and candy.
The machine is 40" tall and can sit directly on top of a vertical form fill seal machine and no mezzanine is required.
Sensors on the machine show the relationship to the top and bottom cup plates to identify the volume being dispensed.
The programmable logic controller (PLC) can regulate volume utilizing the servo volume adjustment, preventing fills from falling below minimum levels and eliminating overfills.
Fourth generation
Timm Johnson, vice president of sales and marketing at Spee-Dee, told FoodProductionDaily.com the fourth generation of the machine included new sensors to improve volume and weight control.
“It has evolved over time with the upper and lower limits and with more accurate sensors comes more control.
“If [the] density changes and therefore [the] weight is changing, we calculate the exact position the plate should be in and the servo moves it to that point instantly,” he said.
“[The machine] can be changed over in ten minutes, have a full washdown in thirty minutes, it comes apart easily and there are minimal parts and maintenance which reduces downtime.
“The only negative is it cannot fill flake products accurately enough yet as they are irregular in size but we are working on that as we speak.”
The system includes a single Allen-Bradley PLC to control both the filler and scale, the design enables easy disassembling for clean up and product changeover and components for the filling and weighing operations are non-proprietary, according to the company.
