Project goal and implementation
Weigh price labelling machines are an important part of the meat production process so when R&J Yorkshire’s Finest Farmers and Butchers were introduced to the Minebea Intec WPL-S hardware in combination with Phoenix software, they opted for a quality-driven solution that would deliver real results.
Founders Jo and Robert Atkinson with their son Ryan and his wife Kate who manage the day-to-day running of the business
“We considered alternative products but decided on the Minebea Intec WPL-S because of the quality, it’s a much superior product to its counterparts because of the design, usability, hygiene, durability and we really preferred the connections and plug-in ports as well as the IP waterproof rating.”
The WPL-S produces labels for a variety of purposes including calculation of price based on weight, calculation of best by date based on product, packaging, fresh or frozen and calculation of cooking time based on product, size and weight. It is highly configurable and customers can choose from a wide variety of components; different screen sizes, printers, scales, scanners, indicators and endless software possibilities.
“It’s a slicker piece of equipment which speeds up our production and it’s much easier to clean and maintain. The software is great; it allows multiple screens to be open at once, the reporting tools are more user friendly, the in-house label design software offers more scope and the shortcut features saves the operators so much time.”
The WPL-S also offers R&J complete traceability of each product from field to fork to comply with government guidelines. R&J selected an IP69K 17” touchscreen that can withstand the hardest conditions. The company’s machinery also includes a Minebea Intec flat-bed scale IF suitable for a very wet environment and two indicators Combics. All the equipment enables various measurement results from incoming goods to be captured and bundled into an industrial PC using the Ethernet protocol.
The weigh price labeller WPL-S featuring touch screen, scanner and printer
Better than the competition Minebea Intec offers for its products a 24/7 on-site service support meaning production downtimes are kept to an absolute minimum. The individual service level include for example virtual support to resolve issues immediately or a Service Engineer on-site the next working day.
