Marco Scottish success

Marco MES have sold 72 Linemaster workstations in Scotland for the fruit growing and packaging industry

Marco MES have had some success selling equipment 'North of the Border' they are a leading soft fruit packhouse system manufacturer and have sold 72 Linemaster workstations.

The Managing Director Murray Hilborne is quoted as being "delighted" by these Scottish orders for 72 LineMaster workstations.

Marco's complete Packhouse Solutions have been ordered in unprecedented numbers by some of the biggest names in Scotland's Fruit Growing and Packing Industry.

The factory floor systems, with both hardware and software being developed and manufactured at Marco's facilities in Sussex, Leicestershire and Holland, consist of varying numbers of LineMasters, multiple tier conveyor lines, inkjet printers and label applicators.

The LineMaster stations, which communicate with the central PC via a secure RF wireless interface, are fully mobile and the frames have lockable castors.

This removes problems associated with external cabling and allows for rapid line changes if required.

The LineMaster scales feature Marco's innovative Automatic Optimisation (AO) software as part of the Trac-IT MES operating suite and have been specifically developed for high speed manual packing and portion control.

In a typical application, as the pre-packed punnets pass down the line, they are placed one by one on the scales.

The LineMaster's simple, yet highly effective, 16 segment coloured bar graph immediately gives a clear indication of whether the pack is over, under or within weight tolerance.

The operators now add or remove fruits to achieve the correct target weight.

To facilitate operation, the packing stations can be equipped with two separate bar graphs, one at eye level on the LineMaster control terminal, the other working in parallel, but built into the work surface next to the scale.

The operators soon 'tune in' to such systems and simply pack to the 'green light' without having to think about the actual weights.

This system is 'language transparent' making it ideal for multi-national operators.

To maximise the use of real time data capture, Marco have pioneered their Automatic Optimisation (AO) self-learning software.

Pack weight trends are continually monitored by the system and tolerance settings at individual workstations are automatically adjusted on an ongoing basis.

These continual subtle changes are transparent to the operators: the end result is minimal giveaway and compliance with average weight legislation.

Marco's MD Murray Hilborne is delighted with the latest successes in Scotland and as he concludes: "We have built an enviable reputation within the soft fruit industry and these latest installations endorse our close working relationship with companies in this sector".

"In such fast moving environments, packers need to strike a balance between speed and pack accuracy, whilst minimising unnecessary damage to the delicate fruits".

"Our systems, which are designed around the user, provide rapid return on investment and allow companies to measure, control and improve their operations.".

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