Crowning's brings fine English tea culture to Switzerland with Ishida weighing technology

Since 1977, the Appenzell, Switzerland-based company has been bringing fine English tea culture to Switzerland and beyond by selecting exquisite blends and packaging them meticulously - a requirement when hospitals, the military, and top restaurants demand to be served tea down to the last gram. In a tea market that is growing rapidly in Switzerland, Crowning's combines traditional Swiss craftsmanship with international taste. 

Fact and figures 

• Crowning’s invested in a complete tea packing system to increase speed and efficiency and reduce waste 
• The average weighing accuracy was enhanced to under 0.8g per pack at typically 70 packs per minute. 
• The user-friendly line configuration allows easy cleaning and operation and shorter walking distances.  

The challenge

The previous system had been in operation for over 25 years and had long since reached its limits: Inaccurate weights and product residue on the conveyor belts hampered efficiency, while cumbersome access routes and ergonomically unfriendly operator interfaces made daily routines a struggle.  

The solution 

The new line raises efficiency and accuracy to a new level, a significant enhancement that translates into less waste, better hygiene, and noticeably improved working conditions. 

The centre piece of the new line is an Ishida 10-head multihead weigher. The new weigher offers a capacity of up to 70 weighments per minute and boasts a simple user interface, 100 presets and a user-friendly design for quick product changeovers without the needs for tools. The Ishida multihead has also greatly increased weighing accuracy and consistency to better than ±0.8 g per pack, even for bulky or sticky tea leaves. The Ishida model is ideal for dry, free-flowing products and small target weights, and its excellent efficiency means it quickly pays for itself. 

Ishida's Swiss representative, ITECH, integrated the Ishida multihead weigher into a customized line comprising: 

• A vacuum conveyor, eliminating the need for conveyor belts, reducing product waste and enabling gentle product handling. 
• A custom-designed, compact gantry, allowing easy access to the weigher’s contact parts for cleaning and maintenance.  
• Dust-enclosure for the multihead weigher with extraction and explosion protection, essential for dusty tea blends such as chamomile and mint. 
• 25-off presets for fast and reliable recipe changeovers. 
• VFFS packaging machine with ultra-hygienic take-away conveyor.  

The results

• Overfilling has been virtually eliminated, resulting in direct savings in raw materials.
• Product losses have been drastically reduced. 
• Greater reliability, faster and easier cleaning and maintenance. 
• Optimised line layout allows for simple and intuitive operation and better access. 

Added value through partnership

Ishida Europe has been synonymous with innovative packaging technology in the food industry for decades. Its multihead weighers are considered the industry standard: reliable, durable, and easy to operate. For Crowning's, it was clear that switching from an outdated linear weigher to Ishida’s advanced multihead weighing technology was the decisive step towards fully automated production. 

Operations manager Christof Stillhart comments that ITECH was selected based on previous experience with other large companies in the food industry: "We were impressed by ITECH AG's engineering expertise and its turnkey approach. Their team took care of everything, from project planning and installation to training of our employees. 

"Today, we produce the same quantity much more efficiently and with much less product waste," he stated. 

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