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HCU Center takes information from the stuffers and scales and sends it to the computer. It creates the database that can be seen on HCU View.
particular product formulation and all of the other specifics the HCU can do – from one central location.” HCU oversight is also easily scalable within an individual plant as management needs grow and for a network of dispersed plants. Other major HCU benefits include: • Weight regulation with scale – Promotes less overfilling and enhances food and worker safety. • Vacuum filling program management – Ensures a simplified sequence, effi ciency increase, while allowing less waste and boosting product safety. • Downtime recording and analyzing – Enters and archives downtimes (quantity and output combined with time) and allows fine-tuning to minimize variables and optimize the entire stuffing process. • Data acquisition/analysis – Capturing a wide range of process data leads to efficiency increases, reliable information through automatic acquisition and more precise product calculations.
4 • Handtmann HCU • June 2011

• Parameter limitation – Allows fine-tuning the process to promote constant quality and less waste/rework, as well as minimizing variables. The HCU is a best-of-breed production organization tool for process optimization, cost reduction and consistent quality and safety, Haug says.

Production managers can now take total electronic control of planning, monitoring and managing the entire sausagestuffing process. Essential
“HCU allows planning, monitoring and control of the entire stuffing department, as well as production data acquisition for perfect process analysis,” he adds. “Batch tracking, accurate documentation of production for each filling line and recording downtimes ensure 100 percent traceability, reveal weak points and thus identify

savings potential. It is possible to improve production capacity utilization in a targeted way due to the transparency and direct comparability of the filling lines. Automatic weight control via an online weighing system is another feature leading to significantly reduced costs due to less overfilling.” The HCU was originally designed primarily for multiple machines, says Colin Patel, who works in Handtmann’s service department. “The more output you can move, the greater the savings,” he adds. “It will give you numbers on anything [in the stuffing process]. But [because of the very high level of efficiency] HCU also makes great business sense in many single, high-volume machine operations.” Currently, HCU systems are in operation for several sausage processors in the United States and Europe. One customer that operates five plants in Poland faced a common challenge, which the HCU solved. “This customer was troubled by severe weight fluctuations of his products and was looking for a comprehensive solution, which the HCU was able to provide,” Haug says. After a three-month HCU test period, the company’s production manager presented the test results to corporate management, Haug says. “Approximately 40 vacuum fillers were linked during the test. The customer confirmed his test results of 2 percent savings in giveaway and as a result, they soon acquired 50 HCUs,” he adds.

requirements
To successfully operate the HCU system, processors must have vacuum stuffers with PCK1, PCK2 or PCK3 control; a PC equipped with Windows XP operating system and Office XP; 1024x786 screen resolution; and an Ethernet network (RJ45 cable to each vacuum filler and scales).

• www.handtmann.com

http://www.handtmann.com

Meat&Poultry - June 2011

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Meat&Poultry - June 2011