Universal multi-purpose automated glass jar filler for the fruit and vegetable processing industry
Fruit and Vegetable Processing Companies process products that are varied in shape, size and ease to fill into a jar. Therefore, companies use filling lines with human assists that handle the products by hand to press them into the jars- this is a necessary but unhygienic procedure. Moreover, at least 20% of the product falls on the floor and there is an extended risk of jars breaking due to vibrations emitted by the vibrating plate on the filling machine. There are also very high occurrences of product changes due to the mismatched capacity between the filling lines and human assists.
There is need for a jar filling solution that is capable of handling the different types of products processed within a fruit and vegetable processing company. The solution has to upgrade from the semi-automated filling lines minimising direct human contact with the products that are common within these processing companies. As ZACMI a recognised global market leader in filling and seaming for the Food and Beverage Industry, we are developing a prototype for a fully automated rotating jar filling and tampering solution, called MP-Filler. Our solution is able to individually fill jars with most types of products typically found in a fruit and vegetables processing company. MP-Filler will enable the users to achieve 50% faster product filling per unit time, cut product loss due to falls onto the floor to <2% and achieve annual operational cost savings of €180,000.To bring our innovation to the market, we are conducting a feasibility study focused on optimising the design for easier integration and customisation into existing processing facilities, updating our IP strategy, layout the field testing and validation plan as well as preparing a project execution plan for Phase 2. As a result, ZACMI will generate a cumulative turnover and profit of €22.18-million and €6.65-million respectively, achieve a ROI of € 2.33 per Euro invested and our staff will increase by 11 new members.