Solution
AMF teamed up with Itility to engineer a smart cheese applicator — a system that leverages data science to increase operational efficiency and reduce cheese give-away.
The digital solution consists of:
- An automated camera set-up, including lighting and motion sensors, that takes pictures of each pizza (9.000 or more per hour) and sends these to an edge computer next to the pizza line.
- An algorithm based on image recognition to determine the weight of cheese on pizzas.
- A system that processes the outcome of the algorithm and sends a signal to the PLC to directly adjust the amount of cheese that is applied.
- A solution that exports statistics and bitmaps to the cloud for reporting on efficiency and quality.
- A dashboard that analyzes data and controls product quality.
- A control system with a feedback loop that detects deviations and can adjust the belt speed accordingly, to retain the optimal amount of cheese; first via manual approval of the operator, later fully automatic.
Results
A prototype of the digital solution was executed at one of AMF’s customers, showing that:
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Cheese give-away can be reduced once the system is fully implemented – saving tons of costly cheese per year. |
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Manual operations can be minimized – resulting in a reduction of cost and a more standardized way of working. |
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Product quality can be ensured – based on increased consistency of the pizza production process. |
