New luxury ice cream König Ludwig Glace Royale has selected Ishida’s IX-GA-4075 X-ray inspection system to reliably detect foreign bodies.
Produced by Berlin-based Florida-Eis Manufaktur, the ice cream combines the delicacies of French patisserie with sweet Bavarian desserts. The range features ten varieties with flamboyant titles such as Bavarian crème with fine elderflower, duet of yoghurt and apricot, and intense cherry.
The high-quality packaging comprises exquisitely printed dark blue, aluminium-coated 500ml paper cups.
Use of a metal detector for detecting foreign bodies was out of the question because an aluminium coating was applied to the paper cups to give them a silver lustre.
A wide range of potential contaminants including metal, stones, and plastic can be reliably detected by the Ishida IX-GA-4075 X-ray inspection system, which is installed at the end of the production line. The machine is also capable of detecting very tiny foreign bodies made from different kinds of metal in the -7°C ice cream. The inspection function operates regardless of temperature and water content of the food.
The patented technology behind Ishida’s X-ray inspection system is based on software featuring an intelligent genetic algorithm. By analysing image data over a number of generations, the machine achieves an extremely high level of inspection accuracy. Since similar contaminants are usually found again and again in ice cream manufacture, the system can create an increasingly accurate comparison log.
A data log collects valuable visual and numerical information and helps to eliminate recurring sources of contamination. In this way, Florida-Eis Manufaktur can demonstrate its production and packaging processes are properly and correctly performed.
The easy-to-use IX-GA-4075 features an automatic set-up function and is ready for operation within 90 seconds. Precision adjustments can be made during on-going production. A hygiene-friendly, IP65 open-frame design means it can be easily cleaned. There are also up to 100 programmable pre-sets, which permit rapid product changes.
Florida-Els Manufaktur has also used another of Ishida’s products, the DACS-W checkweigher. This ensures the correct weight of the ice cream pots once they have been filled and covered. This machine’s compact design means it can be easily integrated in the line.
Its high-speed loadcell has an accuracy of 0.2 grams, while a special system compensates for floor vibrations. Sundaes that are not the correct weight are reliably separated by a pneumatic arm. A range of useful diagrams and histograms are used for monitoring production.
Largely maintenance-free, the checkweigher is operated via a touch screen, and the 100 product parameter settings allow rapid product changes. The conveyors can be removed for cleaning without the need for special tools.
Florida-Eis Manufaktur’s owner Olaf Höhn explains why he was so keen to make these investments in the QC system: "Thanks to Ishida systems, I can sleep easier at night. As a manufacturer of premium products, we are subject to special scrutiny.
"For us, quality assurance is an ethical matter, too. The future is in X-ray inspection technology in particular, and the procurement costs are more or less the same as for metal detectors."
The "König Ludwig Glace Royale" has proved a big hit in terms of sales and Florida-Eis Manufaktur is already looking to expand production. In addition to switching to two-shift operation, it is also planning to procure new machines, with the QC systems again being purchased from Ishida.
