The Challenge

 

The customer had existing machines for cutting slabs of cheese into cubes and required additional machines to handle an increase in demand. The customer was unable to acquire new machines from the original manufacturer since they were no longer in business; therefore, Midwest Engineered Systems Inc. was asked to produce similar machines incorporating several design improvements.

 

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The Solution

 

After a full evaluation of the project’s challenges and goals, Midwest Engineered Systems provided the customer with a complete solution, which included:

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• Engineering & Machine Design - Existing machines were examined and the design was re-engineered to incorporate improvements based on the customers experience to improve uptime and minimize wear.

• Control System Design & Programming – The equipment includes a control system with full PLC logic capability and an operator interface with motor speed controllers.

• Fabrication – Machining and electrical fabrication were built and tested at Midwest Engineering’s facility.  Manufacturing practices met with National Electrical Codes (NEC) to ensure safety and were evaluated by WDA for cleanliness.

• Machine Assembly & Integration – Includes complete machine assembly and electrical controls integration.

• Food Grade Equipment Construction - All potential food surface areas were constructed and finished to current USDA and WDA standards, using all food grade materials.

• Pre-shipment testing – A complete pre-shipment test was performed at Midwest Engineered’s facility to insure that all systems were designed, configured, and built to the customers satisfaction before being shipped to the customer’s site.  This includes hardware checkout and configuration, verified communications, and installed and tested software applications.

 

 

Impact to the Customer

 

The final automated cheese cubing machines provided the customer with the following benefits:

 

• Higher end product quality

• Flexibility for future expansion

• Increased production

• Reduced maintenance downtime

• Minimized potential wear and tear on machines