Materials handling expertise helps Florette salads

Lichfield-based project management and design integration specialists, FMA, have completed a significant materials handling project for the Soleco UK Florette pre-packed salads production facility

For this challenging task, FMA worked with Florette in developing the way they handled their raw materials crates and, at the same time, helped Soleco to reduce health and safety issues previously associated with the working height of pallets.

Fulfilling the role of project manager, FMA installed four new lifts and horizontal conveying systems to maximise operator lines and enable 'trimming' staff to access full salad crates at a safe height in a new mezzanine level.

The project was a turnkey approach to evacuate empty crates from the Florette salad trimming department to the raw materials department.

FMA were responsible for all civils, white walling and electrical installation.

The other key aspect for which FMA had responsibility was the Health and Safety management with FMA acting as Principal Contractor under CDM2007 regulations.

This covered in addition the specialist conveyor installation that Soleco were implementing concurrently to the project.

To ensure there would be absolutely no contamination of - or disruption to - food production, the majority of work was carried out overnight and at weekends.

With no allowance for additional disruption following commissioning, it was also stipulated that the finished solution must work first time, which was achieved.

Commented FMA Sales and Marketing Director, Paul Bunyan, "It was especially rewarding to be recognised by Soleco for our management and design capabilities and to be awarded this important materials handling contract at Florette.

As an organisation that places great emphasis on raising general levels of Health and Safety awareness, and one with both BSC Health and Safety at Work examiner status and a ROSPA silver award," he continued, "we were also able to assist Soleco in the creation of a much safer working environment, specifically where operator working heights were involved".

As an example of the emphasis placed on safer working by FMA and Soleco at the Florette facility, a newly installed pallet lift was designed to allow manual loading of salad crates at ground floor level by operators using electric pallet trucks.

The lift features an automatic stop facility when raised pallets reach the correct working height on the mezzanine level.

Once the first layer of crates is used on the pallet, the operator then presses the 'up' button in order for the lift to bring the next layer to the right working height.

This process continues until the pallet is empty.

At this point, the empty pallet is sent back down to the ground floor for loading again.

FMA Process Engineering offers considerable experience in liquid processing, with a particular focus in the dairy sector.

Established in 1981, the integration specialists have successfully undertaken numerous projects in the brewery, soft drinks, dairy and food manufacturing industries both at home and overseas.

As an ISO9001 accredited business and holders of the TickIT software and application-based standard, FMA are acutely aware of the need for quality in all aspects of system design and see their own internal standards and procedures covering the design, implementation, validation and testing of the systems they supply as a key differentiator for them as system integrators in the food and beverage market place.

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