Attractive packaging makes the consumer look forward even more to the cheese. The little Almette cheese barrel in the refrigerator section is quickly tossed into the shopping cart, and conjures up images of alpine pastures at the breakfast table. Patros white cheese as well, with its savory herbs, is an invitation to feast. Hochland’s packaging technology at their plant in Schongau, Germany, assures that your eyes enjoy your food as well. wenglor sensors provide for smooth operations in the packaging machines by keeping an eye on each and every piece of cheese.
Hygiene is extremely important for Hochland: No one’s allowed to enter the plant in Schongau without protective clothing. The cheese is manufactured in one hall, and its aged in another. After production the cheese is passed on to the packaging process. Small pieces of cheese are cut from larger ones here, which are then enclosed in colorful packages.
More than a hundred wenglor sensors are used in this area. “We’re satisfied with the sensors”, says Anton Eicher, director of the electrical workshop at Hochland in Schongau. “wenglor products function flawlessly.” Mode of operation and function are decisive as to whether or not a certain sensor will be used. According to Anton Eicher, wenglor meets both criteria. Both inside sales and the technical support department provide outstanding service.
Inside the Packaging Technology
For the most part, wenglor’s Photoelectric Sensors are taken advantage of in the packaging systems at Hochland. As soon as the portioned pieces of cheese are made available on the conveyor belt, the sensors help to determine how much they weigh. Reflex Sensors for Measuring Tasks ascertain the length of the cheese, and Reflex Sensors with Background Suppression transmit the minimum and maximum heights of the cheese to the controller. The weight in grams can be calculated in this way. An entire row of wenglor Reflex Sensors with Background Suppression keeps an eye on every piece of white cheese on the conveyor belt.
After the cheese has been packaged, product labels are attached. The labeler receives a signal from a sensor when the product is positioned at the labeling location. After the packages have been inserted into large cartons for shipment, a robot sets the cartons onto a pallet. 16 Reflex Sensors transmit signals to the robot enabling it to stack the cartons. As soon as a pallet is full, it has to be transported through a safety barrier. wenglor sensors assure that the pallets do not trigger any alarms.
Photoelectric Sensors
For the most part, Hochland uses Photoelectric Sensors. wenglor’s broad range of this type of sensor provides an ideal solution for a great variety of applications. They’re capable of simply scanning and counting objects, as well as performing high precision distance measurements and recognizing color, gloss and luminescence. Where all types of contactless detection tasks are concerned, wenglor is an experienced and innovative partner for its international customers. Suitable mounting systems for various housings and additional options for connecting sensors to glass or plastic fiber-optic cable allow for flexible and easy installation, as well as use under extreme ambient conditions.
Thanks to their fine focusing optics, Reflex Sensors are especially well suited for detecting objects at short distances and in front of backgrounds, for example in front of machine components and on conveyor belts, as is the case at Hochland.
In the case of Reflex Sensors, the emitter and the receiver are enclosed in a single housing. They evaluate light reflected from the object. When the object reaches the selected detection range, the sensor’s output is switched. Bright objects reflect more light than dark objects, and can thus be recognized from greater distances. PNP and NPN switching outputs, a contamination output and an RS-232 interface are included with wenglor’s Reflex Sensors. Sensor functions can be activated, and scanning results can be acquired via the RS-232 interface. Adjustments are made with a potentiometer, or with teach-in variants by simply pressing a button, as well as externally via the RS-232 interface. These sensors are preset at the factory to the customer specified detection range.
Innovative Products for Hochland
Hochland also profits from wenglor’s innovative spirit: Ultrasonic sensors have expanded wenglor’s range with yet another product. Hochland uses this type of sensor above all in production, because ultrasonic sensors don’t require any lenses. “We have to be absolutely certain that no lenses fall into our products during the manufacturing process”, explains Anton Eicher.
wenglor is well aware of its customers’ requirements in the food and pharmaceuticals industries, and has thus precisely matched a further product – the new InoxSens Sensors –to these needs. The lens is installed in a captive manner, and the accumulation of contamination and microorganisms doesn’t stand a chance on the round-shaped, all-of-a-piece design. Hygiene, and thus cleaning, plays an important role at Hochland. The laser welded V4A (1.4404/316L) stainless steel housing is rust-free and resistant to cleaning agents. And thus the Tettnang sensor manufacturer will be available to Hochland in the future as well – as a partner with highly suitable products.