Protein processors who want to weigh and pack boneless and bone-in medium-sized IQF frozen products accurately into fixed-weight batches will find an ideal partner in JBT Marel’s Multihead Weigher Medium IQF. Batching products quickly and efficiently after freezing is easy with this 20-head machine that is engineered to deliver performance, meeting the high demands of prepared food products. When it comes to capacity and product size, this Multihead Weigher handles a wide range of medium sized IQF products (prepared food, meat, poultry and fish), up to 160 mm [6.3 inch] in size. The high capacity matches virtually all common high-speed freezing and packing lines. The Multihead Weigher Medium IQF connects easily with other JBT Marel equipment, making it part of a complete solution.

With its 20 hoppers, the weigher is well-fit to pack IQF products quickly and accurately into bags or trays (retail and bulk). This makes it perfectly suited for a wide range of portioned bone-in or boneless protein products, such as schnitzels, nuggets, fillets, drumsticks, and thighs. Features and hopper sizes accept 90% of frozen prepared food products.

Noise reduction

For the Multihead Weigher Medium IQF, JBT Marel has taken many measures to reduce the noise of frozen parts moving through the machine. The rotating center cone has a PU (polyurethane) synthetic surface, and so have the discharge chutes at the bottom end of the hoppers. The product buffer is equipped with a rubber curtain, while the vibrator trays include inlay mats. All these surfaces in contact with products have noise-dampening qualities, a non-sticky pattern, and are easily cleanable. As they are also gentle with products, these surface materials not only keep the plant quieter, but also protect the IQF products from damage.

How it works

Through an infeed system, products are loaded automatically into the Multihead Weigher’s 20 weighing hoppers. The Multihead Weigher then calculates the best possible combination of weights in the weighing hoppers, to put together a final batch with the exact predetermined target weight.
The Multihead Weigher Medium IQF uses special vibrator trays and 2-stage (storage and weighing) hoppers to move and weigh frozen products precisely. Thanks to the user-friendly HMI with large touchscreen, the system is easy and almost intuitive to operate.

The weigher can easily split its output, sending products to two packing lines at the same time. It can run different packing jobs at once—for example, fill 1 kg bags on one side and 400 g bags on the other. It works with JBT Marel MHW weighing software for easy, familiar operation and can be set up for new or existing lines. The weigher has a medium footprint to integrate flexibly in plant layouts.

Simple to clean and maintain

Cleanability is no longer a frustration. The stainless steel and the open design make it easy to clean. The PU and rubber surfaces do not affect cleaning ease—frozen products do not stick to it. Maintenance is simple and daily cleaning routines are easy for operators.

Connect with overarching JBT Marel Software

Dedicated JBT Marel Software for Multihead Weighers lets you monitor and control your batching operation in real time. This software package provides clear overviews of actual production, such as live dashboards showing giveaway and throughput. They highlight possible improvements or necessary corrective actions. Statistical reporting takes away the guesswork and gives you operational insight to make data-driven decisions. Remote management enables the control of the Multihead Weigher settings directly from the office.

Connect your business

JBT Marel Software can be implemented stand-alone with your Multihead Weigher or it can be integrated with other JBT Marel equipment across a full-line solution. This gives you central control over production, leading to optimized processing, higher yields and complete traceability for each and every batch produced.

Multi-Job Software

As an optional module, Multi-Job Software is available. It allows processors to run up to six different jobs simultaneously, – even with different packaging – while prioritizing one job over the other(s). This will result in higher product utilization, a significantly lower reject rate and higher throughput.

Split product zone

The Multihead Weigher Medium IQF can be equipped with a splitter on top to run two incoming streams of different products at the same time, such as drumsticks and thighs, or left and right wings. For the output, there’s the choice to pack them split or into a mix batch.

Marel has offices in 30 countries across all regions, and a global network of highly skilled professionals that provide remote as well as onsite service support. We provide quality spare parts and customized service agreements for our customers to ensure optimal performance of Marel equipment.