GEA has introduced Changeover Assist, a new digital application designed to provide standardised support for product and recipe changeovers on SmartControl-based food processing and packaging machines.
The software guides operators step by step through the changeover process, with GEA saying it can help reduce operator errors, product waste and unplanned downtime.
Developed primarily at GEA’s production site in Biedenkopf-Wallau, Germany, Changeover Assist is initially available for GEA PowerPak thermoformers and the GEA MaxiFormer drum former. A phased rollout to additional machines, including the GEA OptiSlicer, is planned.
Product and format changeovers can be among the more demanding stages of food production, particularly as manufacturers manage growing product variety alongside employee turnover and the use of seasonal labour.
Mistakes such as selecting incorrect packaging materials or missing individual changeover steps can lead to waste, rework, quality issues or interruptions to production.
Changeover Assist provides recipe-based operator guidance directly through the SmartControl human-machine interface (HMI), displaying only the steps relevant to the particular product changeover.
The application supports multiple languages, while instructions can be supplemented with images, videos and additional work information. Operators confirm each completed step, creating a record of the changeover process, and the machine can only restart once all required steps have been confirmed.
“With Changeover Assist, we make valuable machine and process knowledge available at all times, which helps our customers carry out changeovers safely and efficiently, regardless of individual experience levels,” says Michel Theiss, product manager digital solutions at GEA. “The result is fewer operator errors, less material and food waste, faster onboarding of new employees and greater overall production reliability.”
The application integrates with GEA’s cloud-based InsightPartner platform, allowing manufacturers to centrally manage and update their changeover instructions and add multimedia content.
GEA says this creates a digital knowledge base that can be used across multiple sites and updated as processes and requirements change.
The company has also introduced the InsightPartner Notification Service and corresponding mobile app, which can send real-time machine notifications directly to responsible personnel.
GEA says Changeover Assist will continue to be developed as part of its wider work on connected food processing and packaging technologies.
