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Speeding up packing line changeover times

10 May 2024

The use of a BFM fitting has saved over 250 hours per year of operator time, for changing connectors on packing lines.

Richard Whittaker Ltd is a UK-based specialist in dry powder blending, contract packing and has been supplying raw materials and dry food ingredients for over 50 years. The company employs over 120 staff and operates several blenders and numerous packing lines. The use of state-of-the-art filling machines allows the company to pack products in a wide range of weights, from 10g to 1,000kg into a variety of bags, packs, tubs and sachets.

In the main production area, the company operates five packing lines. Products being packed on these lines are regularly changed – often up to 10 times every week. Each time the line is changed, it is cleaned and the flexible connectors between the equipment are replaced. These flexible connectors are recognised as common hotspots for a range of problems in the plant.

Traditionally, the site had used clear ‘carrier bag-like’ connectors, held in place by jubilee clips above the fillers. The process to changeover these rudimentary connectors was extremely time consuming. It required an operator to collect a new bag, undo the clips, hold the bag in place and re-attach the clips – a process that would take around 20 minutes. This would need to be repeated for every line change. The challenges associated with this task were exacerbated by the location of the connector, which is at a substantial height of 3.5m off the ground.

Furthermore, the ‘carrier bag-like’ connectors could not be reused. This meant they needed to be disposed of after each line change, equating to roughly 20 connectors per week. Additionally, the connectors would fail regularly and leak, resulting in product waste and a dusty working environment for operators.

Knowing there must be a more efficient connection alternative, the maintenance manager at Richard Whittaker contacted ProSpare in 2015 looking for a way to reduce both its changeover times and wastage.

The solution 
A ProSpare process improvement engineer visited the maintenance manager at Richard Whittaker to assess the issues facing the company. After inspecting the plant, it was recommended that the clear ‘carrier bag-like’ connector be replaced with a BFM fitting.

The BFM system is designed to fit between two pieces of machinery, either where a stationary machine connects to a moving one, or where access to product flow is needed. It comprises two steel adaptors that are welded to the equipment and a snap-fit flexible blue-band connector that sits on the inside of the shaped portion of the two spigots, holding it securely in place, so no clamps are needed. The metal snap-band inside the cuff provides outward pressure, sealing the connector in the right place. 

BFM’s snap-in technology provides a 100% dust tight seal and allows quick, simple and tool-free changeover. BFM Seeflex 040E flexible connectors were specified for use in this application due to their durability and visible product flow.

A BFM fitting is now installed on two of the five main production lines at the Richard Whittaker site. Almost a decade after the initiallation, the maintenance manager visited ProSpare at an exhibition and spoke highly of solution:

Previously, connector changeover would take an operator 20 minutes and the product on the line changed up to 10 times per week. With the BFM fitting changeover times are now just five minutes – a reduction of 75%, much of which is spent gaining access to the connector itself. This results in a saving of approximately 250 hours per year.

The BFM fitting system is also far more sustainable than the previous bag-like connectors. Two or three BFM fitting connectors are used in rotation on each line and the company has indicated that each connector typically lasts up to three years. In contrast, the bag-like connectors were considered disposable and so needed to be replaced after the product on each line was changed. Based on client estimates, this would result in the disposal of 1000 bag-like connectors across the two lines each year.

Commenting on the improvements that the BFM fittings have made, the maintenance manager at Richard Whittaker said: “I like that the BFM fittings allow us to visually see the product flowing through the line and I also like how well it contains the products, but most importantly I like how easy it is to replace the fittings. From a maintenance perspective it saves us hours of time per week on downtime and cleaning”.


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