How SME Manufacturers Can Improve Product Quality With These 3 Technologies

In this blog, we’ve taken a closer look at technologies proven to help SME manufacturers improve product quality, as well as some examples of how they work in action:

Here are what we believe are the top 3 strategies:

1. Inspection

It’s a fact that humans make mistakes. If you’re relying on your employees to inspect your goods, it could be time to invest in some inspection equipment. Inspection technology can be used to inspect your goods for packaging errors, potential contamination (such as metal, plastic, and so on) and quality standards whilst improving efficiency along the line. This leads to fewer errors and better product consistency, which can help target cost reductions, improve customer satisfaction, and increase your bottom line.

Inspection systems can also demonstrate that reliable QA processes are in place, helping you to satisfy your customers. For some retail customers, like the major supermarkets, it can even be mandatory. Woolworths Quality Assurance (WQA), for example, requires that all Woolworths-branded products are, at a minimum, subjected to metal detection to determine if any products have become contaminated with foreign items.

Types of inspection technology include:

• Barcode scanners, which ensure that barcodes are present and correct for use through the supply chain and with point-of-sale. It can inspect barcodes on cartons and pallets, as well as individual items.
• Metal detection systems, which inspect products for metal and non-magnetic stainless steel (one of the biggest culprits of food contamination). It’s ideal for inspecting dry products, like flour, salt, sugar and frozen goods.
• X-ray inspections, which evaluate density throughout the product and its packaging (including thick foil pouches and even cans) to identify potential contaminants (such as glass, stone, high-density plastics, rubber and more). - Vision inspections, which are mostly used to inspect packaging integrity and product conformance (such as code validation for date codes and barcodes, validating the presence and position of labels, checking closures of tamper seals, and so on.
• Checkweigher, which precision weighs at high speeds to identify overweight and underweight goods, automatically removing them from the line. This ensures compliance and reduces manufacturing costs by minimising the number of product giveaways.

Inspection technology in action – Check out how TriMas Corporation uses vision technology to reliably identify parts, improve quality and eliminate the possible need to defect pass onto the next stage.

2. Coding

The rules around coding are becoming increasingly strict; you need to print date, batch and bar codes in a certain format and in a certain position, as well as ensure that they can be easily scanned. Get it wrong and customers might reject your products; get it right and you could build a reputation as a reliable supplier.

This is where coding technology comes into play. At its most basic level, this technology makes sure that the right code is applied to the right product – and that it will possess the precision retailers demand. As with all automation technology, it also gives you the opportunity to improve your quality processes and overall efficiency (which is not something than an SME should take lightly).

Types of coding technology include:

• Small character inkjet (SCI), which is an extremely versatile solution that is used across industries to code use by, batch codes, identification marks and more – and all at very high speeds.
• Thermal transfer overprinter (TTO), which is a highly cost effective printing solution that allows for easy printing onto generic film packaging (such as for snack foods, confectionary and fresh produce).
• Thermal inkjet (TIJ), which is ideal for printing human-readable information directly onto cartons (such as date codes, batch numbers and product descriptions). It is renowned for its print quality, even at high line speeds.
• Drop on demand (DOD) printer, which is ideal for moderate resolution, small to medium character print. It is renowned for being simple to operate, low maintenance and for having lower operational costs and capital than other inkjet coders.

Coding technology in action – Learn how Maipac, a family-owned business that makes Nespresso compatible capsules, used coding technology to provide a high-quality solution.

3. Labelling

Are you sure your labels are up to scratch? FSANZ has been notified of 608 food recalls from the 2007-2016 period, with more than a third of these (36%) from incorrect labelling. Many SMEs rely on their employees to manually label products, which is time consuming and labour intensive, plus it can compromise product quality. The wrong label could be placed on goods, they could be poorly presented, or the label might be missing entirely.

Labelling technologies can allow you to automate this process, thereby improving product quality. Even better, they can help you to improve efficiencies, saving you time and labour in order to create a Lean business.

Types of labelling technology include:

• Label printer applicators (LPAs), which print information onto pressure-sensitive labels and then automatically apply them onto a product. They’re capable of printing high resolution and high quality information (such as barcodes, graphics, text, logos, 2D codes and linear 1D codes), even at high speeds.
• Label applicators (LA), which are a cost effective alternative to the manual ‘slap-and-ship' without the need to print LPAs.
• Weight labellers and weigh-price labellers, which can be integrated into an existing automated production line for fully automatic price labelling.

Labelling technology in action – Find out how the best gelato maker in Australia, Messina, uses an automated labeller to improve their product quality and save as much as 2 hours per day in manual labour.

So, what’s next?

Do your research in order to understand which technology will drive quality and process improvement for your business, whilst deliver the best return on investment (ROI).

Whilst it might be difficult to justify the cost of investing in such technology when dealing with small production numbers, it’s important to consider the future – for example, will you soon be increasing volume output? If so, your manual operators may no longer be able to keep up with demand. This can quickly compromise on your accuracy and consistency. With the right technology, however, you can maintain high quality whilst driving some significant cost savings.

This is why leasing equipment can be a smart option for small to medium SME manufacturers. It will allow you to access new-generation technology, whilst making your line more efficient and productive – all without the upfront cost of buying your equipment outright.

Final Thoughts

Whilst technologies that improve your product quality are truly worth the investment, knowing where to start can be overwhelming for small to medium SME manufacturers. This is why Matthews Australasia helps you to take a step-by-step approach for identifying your needs and goals, selecting the right equipment, and implementing technologies that will improve product quality as well as your business as a whole.