Baking&Snack - March 2013 - 42

SHEARER’S FOODS

ries in November 2010 at Brewster,”
Mr. Surmay said. “We took that
design and built six more for the
Millennium Plant.”
Still, plenty of innovation awaits
Shearer’s. “The technology we
don’t yet have in this plant would
be automatic case-packing and
case-sorting systems, but we’re set

up to do this in the future,” Mr.
Surmay observed. The company is
currently working with BluePrint
Automation on such systems.
Just as essential as the high-volume processing lines is the highly
responsive MIP that Shearer’s developed internally. The company’s
information technology group used
Invensys’ Wonderware software to
program the human-machine interface terminals that run MIP and
SCADA applications. Data flows
from the PLCs that operate the machines in the plant to the terminals
throughout the production floor
and managers’ offices.
“From these terminals, managers
and operators can read tank levels,
machine settings, wastewater generation, cases packed, poundage
output and many other variables,”
Mr. Surmay said. “Information
comes through in real time, rather
than by yesterday’s sheet of paper
To apply the correct amount of seasonings,
Shearer’s adopted a proportional dispensing system
controlled by the actual weight of the chips as they
travel along a weigh-pan. Chips flow out of the
revolving seasoning drum onto net-weighing scales
above the baggers.
Blane Sutton

passing hand to hand. Our MIP
allows enormous agility to meet
customer needs.”

Quality matters
Shearer’s MIP system supports the
company’s longtime quality philosophy. Mr. Brower explained,
“Any associate has the right to stop
the line if the product is not to
their satisfaction.”
Routine tests, performed by
line operators and QA technicians, keep product attributes in
line. Operators test and record the
product’s color, flavor, aroma, texture and appearance every other
hour. In the intervening hour, they
test process conditions. Operators
post this information on boards
out on the production floor.
Separately, the QA lab tests oils
for FFAs and products for allergen
presence as well as salt and seasoning
coverage. This group also tests package integrity and residual oxygen levels in bags. The technicians enter this
information into the InfinityQS quality management system to enable
real-time statistical process control.
Sampling for these tests takes place
on 45- to 60-minute cycles.

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/ Baking & Snack / March 2013

WWW.AMFBAKERY.COM

• Eliminates Shearing

AMF is a Markel Bakery Group Company
www.bakingandsnack.com
For more information, see Page 129

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Baking&Snack - March 2013

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