Quality Control Package Quality ControlNet Content … · Quality Control Package Quality Control Net Content Control Billions of packages of all kinds are filled around the world

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Package Quality Control Net Content Control

Billions of packages of all kinds are filled around the world every day. “Package” can mean bottle, jar, tube, box or can – any container filled with product. All prepackaged goods by law display net weight or volume and number of pieces. Today, the value of a product includes more than its function. Saleable elements include safety and image as well. Even simple products include these elements and can influence their perceived compliance with regulatory requirements and enhance consumer acceptance.

Thorough product inspection checks – including ensur-ing packages contain what they state in legal amounts – are required for a successful product. Statistical Qual-ity Control (SQC) can help. A quality assurance system based on SQC provides (among other attributes) the following core quality data:•Production(period)meanvalue•Numberofviolationsofthelegallydefinedtolerance

limits T1- and T2-•Meanstandarddeviationoftheproduction(period)•Otherqualityorsafetyrelevantattributes(CCPs)*

Based on the legal requirements and test plans, this information allows real time assessment and control of production quality and safety parameters.

A suitable control system must be fast, simple to oper-ate, reliable and objective and requires an up-front investment.However,therightsystemcanprovideROIwithin 12 months or less through:•Minimizedproductgiveawaycausedbyexcessive

overfilling•Preventionofgovernmentobstaclestoproductdistri-

bution•Betterend-userproductacceptance•Optimizedproductionandpackaging•StreamlinedQAprocedures/personnel•Preventlegalconflicts•Minimizecustomercomplaints•Predictablequality

This paper addresses the aspects and benefits of imple-menting robust quality data management solutions and systems,suchasMETTLERTOLEDO’sFreeWeigh.Net®, to ensure overall product quality and safety improvement.

Contents

1 Costcontrolthroughminimizedoverfill

2 Available methods

3 System considerations

4 Summary

5 Additional resources

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Fillingissubjecttoalargenumberofinfluencesthatcan cause fluctuations in packaged goods weight. However, weight fluctuations must not cause the net weight of even a single package to fall appreciably belowstatednetweight.Governmentregulationsgen-erally specify permissible underfill amounts.

Some manufacturers systematically overfill to elimi-nate risk of consumer and legal complaints. But such

general overfills can be costly and lower the revenue considerably.Evenwiththemodestoutputrateofsmaller companies, corresponding product give-away costs are striking.

Accurate monitoring and quality data management providesbetterresults.Givingtheprocesscloselycontrolledlimitscanhelpreduceexpensiveproductgiveaway.

1 Cost control through minimized overfill

Inmanycountriesstaticscalesmustbeusedtoverifycompliance with net content legislation and produce packagetareweightverificationreports.Productspe-cific parameters and processes, in combination with financial and economic factors, usually dictate which method is beneficial on a production line.

In-depthunderstandingoffillingmachinescatterandpackage parameters are essential to select the right sampling method, random sampling on static scales or 100 % checks of all packages using dynamic Checkweighers.

2 Available methods – Random Sampling and 100% Inspection

Random sampling control with static scales

100% inspection control with dynamic checkweighers

•Randomsampling,•Rapidproductchange(size,weight)•Lowspacerequirements•Lowsystemcosts•Tareweights,componentweighingandfillingheadcontrol•Optimumregulationtothenominalfillquantity•Allowscollectingandanalyzingadditionalqualityandsafety attributes•Higheraccuracyandrepeatability

•Allpackagesarechecked(100%)•Toleranceinfringementsareautomaticallysortedout•Useinfillingprocessesinwhichaccesstotheproductis difficult•Lesscontrolpersonnel•Operatorerrorslessprobable•Slightlyhigherdeviations

Processandeconomicfactorstoconsiderwhenchoosingstaticordynamiccheckweighersinclude:•weightfluctuationpotential,fillingmachinerepeatability/scatter•productcharacteristics(packageweight,packagesize,shape,…)•productionlinethroughput•tradeoffbetweensamplingspeedandmeasurementprecision•initialinvestmentbudget•runningcostsofownership•manualefficiencyandpersonnelcosts

SQC delivers good results SQC or 100% depending on speed and product

100% checks allow to sort out defects

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How SQC helps

To truly quantify and control product fill, an under-standing of Statistical Quality Control (SQC) is re-quired. SQC takes random sample data and creates comprehensive quality control information. This information helps ensuring that a batch meets legal requirements.

The question of the optimum or lowest, possible fill quantity can be answered irrespective of the control system used. The goal of the filling process is to attain optimum mean filling quantity while fulfilling net con-tent legislation requirements.

3 System considerations

SQC spot-checks determine batch acceptability

Ideally,asolutionshouldaddressanyneedsforqual-ity data acquisition points throughout the factory and testlabs.Itshouldbehighlyconfigurableandexpand-able to ensure an enhanced degree of control with no need for software engineering during implementation or daily routine. System design considerations include:

System usability

Intuitiveuserinterfacesallowincreasedsetupflexibility,ease of operation and more precise control during fill-ing and packaging.

Dataconnectivity

IndustrystandarddatacommunicationinterfacessuchasEthernetwithTCP/IPprotocol,helpkeepinginfrastructure costs low when adding and networking instrumentation such as balances and scales, check-weighers, metal detectors, terminals and sensors to a comprehensive quality control system.

Easydataaccess

Easyaccesstoproductionparametersiscrucial.Akeyparameter in most cases is fill quantity. However, in-creasingly other parameters such as foreign body de-tection, ingredient analysis data (e.g. pH, moisture...), results from visual inspection or any results from other critical control points.

No packages allowed in this area

Average Fill QuantityDeclared Fill Quantity

ToleranceLimitT1-

ToleranceLimitT2-

MeanFillWeight

Consumerprotection/legalrequirements

Cost effectivness in the filling plant

=

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Gainingqualityinformationcanbebrokendowntofiveeasystepswithawell-designedsolution.

Step 1: Product specificationDefinedeclarednetcontent,applicabletolerances,taremanagementandotherQattributes

Step 2: Catalog definitionAdding product data and test item information to define the workflow

Step 3: Product selection Productisselectedonthetestscaleorterminalindirectdialogwiththesystem

Step 4: Sampling / data acquisitionSamples are taken, guided by the system according to test plan

Step 5: Monitoring and reportingResultsareautomaticallyanalyzedbythesystemandprocessdeviationsleadtoimmediate,alarmmessagestooperators and supervisors.Printedreportsinadditiontoelectronicrecordscanbeproducedbasedondocumentationrequirements

EnhancedCompliance

Iftheprocessbeginsdeviatingfromthetarget,thechosen solution should ensure that appropriate correc-tive measures can be taken for enhanced compliance aswellasoptimizedproduction.Forcompliancetrack-ing, traceability of all quality and safety relevant data is critical over the entire life of ingredients as well as final products.

Increasingregulatoryrequirementsrequirefoodindus-tries such as infant formula or nutraceuticals to adapt thelongerthemoretoPharmalikepracticessuchas‘audittrail’orelectronicrecordkeeping.

TheUSFDAhasimplemented21CFRPart11insucha way that electronic audit documents become the original, while paper printouts are non-binding copies. Companieswishingtocomplywith21CFRPart11must therefore implement systems that support it.

Overall,awell-implementedqualitydatamanagementsolution or system reduces user error and subsequent loss of product information. The resulting improved product quality helps a manufacturer reach important operating targets.

Definitionintheproduct catalog

Productspecifications

Monitoringand report

Sample/dataacquisition

Productselec-tion at the test site

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Overfillcostisdirectlyrelatedtorawmaterialcosts.But safe-margin overfills are an effective way to en-sure compliance with net content legislation. Overfillsarecostly,evenwiththemodestoutputrateofsmallcompanies.Calculated,minimizedoverfillingcan be very effective at controlling giveaway and its resultingexpensewithoutincreasingpersonnelcosts.

Various solutions are available such as static scales with built in SQC intelligence for random sampling of netcontentdataorinlineCheckWeighersfor100%data checks.

4 Summary

ProductQuality–afunctionofcountlessindividualvariablesandattributescanbeprocessedwithFreeWeigh.Net®

A state of the art quality data management system, suchasMETTLERTOLEDO’sFreeWeigh.Net® offers multiplebenefitstofoodmanufacturers.Itallowsdatacollection for important quality attributes from static scales,in-lineCheckweighers,ForeignBodyDetectors,pHmeters,sensorytestpanels.Italertsoperatorstorequired adjustments almost immediately, thus helps preventingfailedproductionbatches.Further,central-izedtestplanninganddecentralizeddataacquisitionat individual workstations can account for unique companystructureandexpansion.ItalsointegrateseasilywithMESorERPsystems.

An integrated quality data management system is an excellentwaytoachievebetterqualitycontrolandrealcost-savings.METTLERTOLEDOofferssolutionsandsystemsthatpayforthemselvesandprovideafullROIwithin 12 months or less.

Package quality parameters

Product quality parameters

Sealing ok?

Labelok?

Undamaged?

Net content ok?

Expirydateok?

Batch/lotIDok?

Sensory test

Visual appearance (colour...)

Single piece weight

Viscosity

Texturei.e.particlessize

Moisture

pH-value

Metalfree?

TypicalFreeWeigh.Net® screens

Mettler-Toledo AG CH-8606GreifenseeSwitzerlandPhone +41449442211Fax +41449443060

Subject to technical changes©08/2011Mettler-ToledoAGMarComIndustrial

Formoreinformationwww.mt.com/ind-food-productivity-guide2

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•WELMEC(EuropeanCooperationinLegalMetrology) www.welmec.org

AdditionalinformationonMETTLERTOLEDOsolutionscanbefoundunderthefollowinglinks:

•GeneralSQCinformation www.mt.com/sqc

•SQCApplicationOverview www.mt.com/sqc-application

•QualitydatamanagementsolutionFreeWeigh.Net® www.mt.com/freeweighnet

•RequestyourfreecopyofthecomprehensiveSQCguide www.mt.com/sqc-guide

•Assesyourpotentialsavingsthroughreductionofoverfilling–ROICalculator www.mt.com/sqc-calculator

5 Additional resources