Published on
January 18, 2023
By
Nick Halliday
When it comes to boosting operational efficiency and strengthening your bottom line, the small, incremental improvements make the most difference. It’s the same for our chocolate and bar equipment. Small innovations may not seem like much at first, but our customers agree they make a huge difference overall. They come from PTL workers truly understanding customer challenges and what it’s like for operators on the floor.
With well-placed reminders, usability enhancements and better tools, employees are more likely to catch and prevent mistakes while working smarter and faster. Here are some small PTL additions that add up to a big impact for our customers.
Replacing, moving around or maintaining components can be simple tasks if your operators know what they’re doing. With a high turnover of operators, you can’t assume this knowledge will always be available on the floor. Your people may have to call the engineer or find the product manual (which is probably shoved behind a couch somewhere). Otherwise, they use trial and error, which also takes time.
To sidestep all of this, PTL etches instructions and diagrams directly onto the chocolate and bar machinery, so even a brand-new worker can take action to keep the line moving. For example, we etch a map of the belt going into the drive section mark lubrication points, and add assembly instructions for connecting power or locking certain components. Our machine’s also indicate centre lines for belts on nose bars so an operator can quickly determine if the belt is positioned correctly.
To speed up machine adjustments, our T handles let operators tighten components without tools. When something goes wrong, your people don’t need to find an engineer (who’ll then need to find the toolbox). Instead, T handles allow any operator to make adjustments without tools. It’s faster and reduces the risk of leaving a tool on a machine by accident, which can go down the line and damage components.
As an additional safety measure, our T handles are secured to the machine by chains, so they’re always there when you need them.
Some settings require tools, to restrict user access. If adjustments to the machine need engineering experience, operators shouldn’t be doing them.
Our welding finish shows our commitment to sanitary design. We pay particular attention to this, not just in the product contact areas, but ensuring for all components Our craftsmen take the time to make sure each weld is finished to such a standard that it makes cleaning easier, eliminating areas of harbourage. These simpler hygiene practices means you lower your overall production risk.
PTL supplies purpose-built trolleys for removable components. Other equipment manufacturers may offer designs with easy access and cleaning, but without trolleys, they’re skipping a crucial step. The procurement person will have to spend additional time and budget sourcing trolleys. And because they may not fit snugly into the machines or may not work as a washdown trolley, they won’t be as hygienic, efficient or seamless. We’ve seen some operators simply lifting the component by hand onto the floor or to a table. This creates health and safety issues and is not as efficient.
Our PTL trolleys mean a faster changeover and seamless process. And because they’re each designed for a specific machine, the kit integrates perfectly and becomes a washdown trolley.
Bar and chocolate manufacturing is an industry where small mistakes can lead to big problems. By connecting with PTL customers all over the world, our engineers reduce production line risks with constant, smaller innovations. So, whatever your employees’ experience, you can be confident that PTL machinery is intuitive, easy to adjust and simple to clean.
