Automation/Improvement of Packaging on Cookie Line Project Manager: Stephanie Rager (IE) Chief Engineer: Bruno Coelho (ME), Members: Brian Duffy (EE), Ben Powell (EE), Mark Voss (ME), Chukwuma Morah (IE) Acknowledgements Prof. John Kaemmerlen (IE Dept) Philip Bryan (Johnson&Johnson) Dr. Christopher Hoople (EE Dept) Scott Young & Chris Isaacson (Wegmans) Mission Statement The mission of this project is to create an automated prototype that will separate mini cookies by weight, while preventing cookies from moving on in the process until a specified weight is reached. It will create a clear separation between the sets of cookies that go into each package without substantially slowing down the packaging process. Project Description Wegmans bakes and packages all of their mini cookies at their bakeshop located here in Rochester on Brookes Avenue. Currently the packaging is done by six or seven people who stand around a conveyor and pull the cookies into the clam-shell packages. This leads to the problem of packing more cookies than needed into a package. The mini-cookie package calls for 397 grams worth of cookies but employees sometimes package up to 450 grams. This is a loss for Wegmans because customers are receiving more cookies than they are paying for. This project will look into building an automated prototype that will separate the cookies into the correct amount by weight, which the employees can then package. Customer Needs Hierarchy Need 1: Separates Products by Weight 1.1 Must separate Mini-Chocolate Chip Cookies by weight (9) 1.2 Should separate other Mini-Cookies by weight (5) 1.3 Should separate Mini-Muffins by weight (3) 1.4 Should separate Brownie Bites by weight (3) Need 2: Waste Reduction 2.1 Must reduce the amount of excess Mini-Cookies in package (9) Need 3: Separates Products by Count 3.1 Want to be able to separate Cookie Chunks by count (3) 3.2 Want to be able to separate other products by count that are packaged in that way on this line (3) Need 4: Long Term Solution 4.1 Should be adjustable for other products (5) 4.2 Must not substantially slow down the process (9) Need 5: Labor/Employee Use 5.1 Must be simplistic for employees to use (9) 5.2 Must not create a substantial amount of extra labor for employees (9) 5.3 Should be repeatable for employees (5) Need 6: Food Environment Restrictions 6.1 Production floor ready product must be stainless steel (3) 6.2 Production floor ready product must not be painted (3) 6.3 Production floor ready product must be water tight (3) 6.4 Production floor ready product must meet the NEMA4 level (will take a light water hose spray) (3) Need 7: Budget/Cost 7.1 Must not be considered a capital investment (> $10,000) (9) Economic Potentia l For additional information visit our site at: Key Target Metrics  Percentage of packages with excess (2 or more) cookies (currently at 95%)  Weight of cookie package  Requires training that takes X minutes  Changeover time  Creates clear separation of product for packaging  Throughput  Cost Key Target Metrics  Percentage of packages with excess (2 or more) cookies (currently at 95%)  Weight of cookie package  Requires training that takes X minutes  Changeover time  Creates clear separation of product for packaging  Throughput  Cost Team P09711 Results Move cookies into line Sifter bar organized cookies Original funnel design was inadequate Re-designed funnel system moved cookies into line and eliminated the need for the sifter bar Move cookies onto weigh station Drop chute allowed cookies to flow down at the needed rate Height of drop chute was adjusted to eliminate back up of cookies on the chute Accurately weigh cookies Scales were calibrated by Rochester Scales and were accurate within 1 gram Drop chute accurately rotated to other weigh scale when correct weight was reached Move cookies off of scale Push rod moved groups off of scale quick enough to create separation between groups and to return to it’s initial position before chute returned from other weigh scale Proposed Prototype Design Final Prototype Design MetricMarginal TargetIdeal TargetOur Result Weight of Cookies422 +/- 5 grams397 +/- 5 grams Average of 409 grams % with Excess Cookies (for a fully implemented system) 60%0% 20% (still have packages with 2 extra cookies ≈ 25 grams) Throughput Prototype: 375 +/ 2.5% 6.25 packages per minute Prototype: 425 +/- 2.5% 7.1 packages per minute 6.5 packages per minute Clear SeparationYes Cost of Prototype< $10,000< $5,000