Loma Systems (UK) - Based in Cheshire, UK, family owned Forresters has been manufacturing and supplying poultry products to some of the biggest names in the UK’s food industry since 1972. Producing roasted, steamed, marinated and sliced chicken portions for 128 different SKUs, Forresters process 60 tonnes of chicken daily. Their customers are mainly retailers, including giants Lidl, Aldi, Iceland and Morrisons, plus some food service companies.

The Challenge - faster product switching and space saving:

Operating 15 production lines and a high number of different products, Forresters needed an inspection solution that would allow them to achieve fast switching while maintaining inspection and weighing accuracy.

Crucial to accomplish their operations goal was the need to simplify the production line by replacing metal detection equipment and checkweighing systems from different brands with a combination system from one vendor. Ultimately, Forresters wanted to reduce product giveaway, have a smaller footprint to allow for more spacing in between lines on the shopfloor, while being flexible enough to handle switching between multiple packaged products.

The Solution - Metal Detector Combination System:

Forresters’ tender for eight packaged product lines was asking for a manufacturer who would deliver a competitive proposition, increase production efficiencies, suit the space restrictions, look aesthetically pleasing and overall deliver a reliable solution line operators would find easy to work with. Forresters' preference went to Loma’s Combination System for simultaneously detecting metal contaminants and reducing food giveaway, plus enabling quick and accurate product switches.

Combining the sturdiness of Loma’s IQ4 metal detection technology and the accuracy of CW3 checkweigher, the IQ4-based Combo offers a single touchscreen control with an easy-to-use icon driven menu for easy operation and integrated machine communication. The combination system proposed also suited Forresters’ space reduction needs, saving around 25% of floor space within their production line.

The Outcome - smiles all around:

“It didn’t take long for us to understand that Loma’s solution was the best for us. The Loma Combo is really easy to operate and we now don’t need to train operators on two different machines anymore. We’re also very pleased with the visibility the new systems provide, with set tolerances stopping unnecessary product giveaways, ultimately saving us money. Additional savings include having the same maintenance regime for metal detectors and checkweighers,”

“From ordering the machines, checking sizes, to making sure we received what we needed, Loma were one of the best companies we’ve worked with. They really go through everything in detail, which was very reassuring. We are so pleased with our new system’s performance and support; we have accelerated the timing of roll-out to all lines.”

Forresters’ Experience of the Loma Metal Detector Combination System:

Design Benefits:

• Inspects and checkweighs in one machine
• IP66 for open-hose washdown cleaning
• Single icon driven interface is operator friendly
• Smart design engages operators
• Auto-Learn functionality for quick product set-up
• Space saving design

Production Efficiencies:

• Increases speed of product changeovers
• Easier to use for problem free inspection
• Combi unit - no need to train on separate machines
• Checkweighing reduces product giveaway
• One system supplier - saving on maintenance regime