Enhancing Safety and Efficiency in Baby Food Production with the AccuFlake™ PRO Holder
Challenge
A leading manufacturer of premium baby food and infant cereals such as creamy rice pudding and porridge faced critical safety and productivity concerns with their production equipment. Their existing clamp style scraper system with thick, heavy steel blades posed significant risks. The heavy clamped blades were released from the front of the holder, meaning there was a risk of these blades potentially falling out of the holder and injuring an operator during removal. This caused a major health and safety concern for the customer.
The baby food producer was experiencing loss of productivity with their clamp style scraper system. The operator would need to unscrew numerous bolts to release the clamped blade. This process alone could take 60 minutes. The existing blades were also reground for reuse, which increased the risk of metal contamination in the final product.
Solution
Kadant UK recommended converting the heavy clamp style holder to the AccuFlake PRO blade holder, which allows for quick, tool-free, easy blade changes. Blades used in the AccuFlake PRO holder are light, easy to handle, and can be removed quickly from the end of the holder, reducing risk to the operator.
Kadant UK offers a range of Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point (HACCP) International certified blades, which provide longer blade life; therefore eliminating the need to be reground, reduce the risk of metal contamination in food products, while simultaneously improving operational efficiency.
Results
After the installation of the AccuFlake PRO holder, the customer immediately experienced an increase in productivity and a reduction in downtime, due to the quick and easy blade removal process now taking less than two minutes. The customer also improved their food safety standards by introducing Kadant’s HACCP International certified blade holder and doctor blades, lowering the risk of contaminants in their final product.
By addressing both safety and efficiency concerns simultaneously, Kadant UK helped the baby food manufacturer maintain their commitment to quality while significantly improving their operational performance.
