Automated cheese weighing system for Dairygold

Dairygold, Ireland‘s second-largest dairy processor, relies on an automated weighing solution to optimise the weighing, labelling and traceability of its cheese products. SysTec’s partner, DEM Machines, has implemented a catch weighing system to capture the individual weight of each cheese pack. In combination with PC software, the system also includes a control function to push out products that fall outside of tolerance limits. The in-line weighing solution features a SysTec IT6000E weighing indicator with the SysTec application software CHECK E. It ensures precise, legally compliant weight measurements and traceability across all packaging levels.

Before the introduction of the automated system, manual weighing and labelling processes limited efficiency and introduced potential sources of error. Inconsistent weight checks, manual label application, and limited traceability made it difficult to ensure compliance with regulatory requirements and customer expectations.

At the core of the solution is the SysTec IT6000E weighing indicator with Check E software, designed for dynamic control scale applications. The system captures weight data quickly and precisely, ensuring reliable results even at continuous high-speed operation.

Each cheese pack is weighed in-motion automatically with real-time tolerance monitoring. All weight data is recorded, providing full traceability and supporting quality assurance and audit requirements.

Products are classified into defined tolerance zones, enabling precise differentiation between compliant and non-compliant items. This allows targeted rejection during the weighing process while minimising unnecessary product giveaway.

Following weighing, the system performs fully automated labelling. A product label with weight, product ID, and barcode information is printed and applied to each pack. The label is then verified to ensure readability and correctness, eliminating labelling errors and ensuring consistent product identification.

Integrated quality control ensures that non-conforming products are automatically rejected. This includes packs outside weight limits, unstable measurements, or defective labels. Rejected items are diverted to an offline lane for rework.

The system also supports downstream packaging and palletisation. Box labels, pallet labels and pallet manifests are generated automatically, ensuring complete traceability from individual products through to pallet level..

The production facility processes cheese packs at a throughput of up to 24 packs per minute.