Barba Stathis, Greece’s leading producer of fresh and frozen vegetables, has upgraded its Sindos processing facility with Ishida multihead weighers and checkweighers, enabling higher output and reduced product giveaway.

The company has installed six Ishida multihead weighers and four checkweighers to handle frozen vegetables, rice and vegetable mixes, pasta and plant-based products in retail and foodservice pack sizes ranging from 300g to 10kg. The equipment forms part of a wider automation project initiated in 2017.

The installation includes six 14-head weighers and a 20-head model from Ishida’s CCW-RV and CCW-RVE ranges. According to the company, output has increased by as much as 10%, while product giveaway has been reduced by a further 1.5% compared with the previous set-up.

“Our main criteria in the selection of the weighers were to achieve superior efficiency, higher capacity and excellent weighing accuracy from a supplier who could provide comprehensive service support,” said Antigonos Maltezos, Plant Manager Frozen Foods at Barba Stathis.

The Ishida weighers are designed to maintain accuracy at high speeds through features such as programmable digital filtering, automatic feeder adjustment, and optimised weigh hopper operation. Their waterproof construction enables fast daily cleaning, while ease of set-up supports the company’s need to manage up to seven product changeovers per day in a 24/7 operation.

Alongside the weighers, four Ishida DACS-GN-SE-050 checkweighers carry out final weight checks to meet retailer and legislative requirements. These units are equipped with Ishida’s loadcell technology and include quick-release stainless steel conveyor belts to facilitate hygiene and cleaning.

The checkweighers are also fitted with Ishida’s Data Capture System (IDCS), which records line statistics to minimise giveaway and waste while improving Overall Equipment Effectiveness (OEE).

“The performance and reliability of all the Ishida equipment have enabled us to increase productivity without compromising on product safety or quality,” said Maltezos.

According to Vassilis Papoulias, Industrial Infrastructure & Technological Development Director at Barba Stathis, the investment reflects the company’s long-term approach to efficiency and process improvement. “We knew Ishida could deliver all these to give us the guarantee of better performance,” he said.

Papoulias added that the vision behind the project was not only to meet immediate production requirements but also to gather valuable data to further enhance and optimise processes.

Barba Stathis, a Hellenic company with more than 50 years in the market, operates one of Europe’s most advanced packing plants for fresh and frozen produce. The company expects the new Ishida systems to achieve payback within three years and signalled further investment in automation as it expands production.