Archives for November 2013

Engineered ice manufacturing systems ensure the highest volume of useable ice.

Efficient Ice Production

In the last Ice Talk I explored the importance of developing ice manufacturing systems that efficiently produce the highest volume of useable product at maximum operating efficiency, but this is just the beginning of a productive packaging ice operation. It is also critical that this ice production be processed in a way that gets the ice into the bag without producing additional  waste ice . Engineered ice conveying and bulk handling systems ensure the greatest volume of useable ice. The wrong ice processing equipment can yield significant waste ice along with costly packaging disruptions. Why invest in efficient ice production only to throw away a significant portion of that ice as waste? Traditional packaged ice plants yield 20-30% waste ice, whereas today’s Automatic ICE™ Systems typically yield less than 5% waste ice. How can you be satisfied with a 70-80% productive ice processing and handling system when 95% productivity can be achieved?

Packaging And Palletizing Systems

Now let’s focus on ice packaging and palletizing systems. People often tell me that their packaging equipment operates at a rate of 40-50 bags per minute for 5-10 pound packages. Although I quite often see packaging equipment set at this operational speed, I have never witnessed full shifts putting pallets of finished product in the freezer at these exaggerated rates. Real packaging rates are the rate in which finished pallets of product are produced, not the rate which the packaging equipment is set to operate. It is not uncommon for me to witness packaging equipment set to operate at 40 bags per minute (BPM), but with finished products entering the freezer at only 20 BPM. That’s a packaging productivity of only 50%! That is simply not an acceptable manufacturing practice. At AIS we engineer and supply packaging and palletizing operations that achieve better than 90% operational productivity. This increased productivity means significantly lower operational cost, quicker returns on your investment, and much greater profits.

Operational Productivity

Another way to analyze operational productivity is to quantify the number of people that are required to produce a measured number of pallets of finished product. A typical high volume packaged ice plant requires 2-3 operators per packaging line. That can easily translate to 7 operators per shift to put 100-110 pallets of finished product into the freezer. Today’s Automatic ICE™ Systems can cut this labor requirement to only one skilled technician for the entire operation and increase the number of finished pallets to 140 pallets. Let’s do the math: 3 packaging lines + 1 operator + 8 eight hours = 140 pallets of ice! This level of operational productivity can be achieved in a much smaller footprint with much less waste ice. How can we deliver this level of productivity? The simple answer is experience, knowledge, engineering, and attention to every detail.

Total Package Solutions

Automatic ICE™ Systems are not a collection of customer specified equipment. Automatic ICE™ Systems are total package solutions. Are these solutions expensive? That depends on whether you view your equipment expense as an investment in future earnings. The initial capital out lay may be more, but the return on investment (ROI) is usually quicker and the future earnings potential greater. Is your company ready to be productive? Contact me, or your area AIS Regional Manager, at (314) 849-4411 to find out how. Partnering with AIS may be the best investment your company has ever made.

 

 

We are concerned that our clients make the best equipment choices.

Understanding The Best Equipment Options

We get phone calls and e-mails everyday requesting the price of equipment components. These calls typically come from packaged ice manufacturers that are considering changes to their operation. Instead of just blindly passing on equipment pricing, Automatic Ice Systems seeks to better understand the obstacles and goals that motivate the purchase. We want to be sure that the equipment that the inquirer is considering will offer the best solution. If the equipment component is deemed the best product toward achieving the desired goals, many other details need to be analyzed to assure the equipment products are utilized best for the individual application.

Providing Solutions

Not only are we concerned that our clients make the best equipment choices, but we are committed to offering the best packaged solutions so that our clients get the most from their investments. This is where our experience proves to be of great value. At Automatic Ice Systems we are experts in ice equipment integration. We don’t just sell equipment, we work with our clients to develop the best operational platform to meet their needs for today and far into the future.

Purchasing your equipment through Automatic Ice Systems means longer equipment life, less equipment maintenance, and less operational down time. Partnering with us also means eliminating surprises during equipment installation, better control of installation costs, and more productive daily operations. Our solutions don’t cost more money. Our solutions save our clients money.

How To Meet Your Goals

So next time that you consider an equipment purchase, call Automatic Ice Systems at (314) 849-4411 to  turn your goals into a total engineered packaged solution.

Why Leer Is The Best Investment

Last week I was at the Leer factory with several members of the AIS Sales Team. Our goal was to better understand why Leer® Merchandisers are superior to other brands and to develop a marketing and sales platform to communicate why Leer is the best investment. During this process, two important concerns came to life. 1) Even though Leer has continued to promote their product improvements, they have never properly communicated a complete list of all the advantages their product offers over competitive units. 2) Very few package ice producers, and distributors, track the cost of ownership of their ice merchandising units. As for the first concern, we are working on a complete list of product improvements Leer has initiated over the past several years. I think most packaged ice suppliers will be surprised how many important improvements Leer has brought to the market in recent history. When viewed as a group this is an impressive list. These value added improvements are the result of Leer listening to the customers. I hope to share this list soon.

Cost of Ownership

Switching to the second concern, let’s touch on the cost of ownership. What is the true cost of your ice merchandising units? Merchandiser cost is much more than the initial purchasing expense. Better merchandisers cost more money to purchase, but these better units will always prove to be a superior investment. Cost of ownership includes, among other things, cost of maintenance. Merchandiser maintenance and the associated cost in down time, lost product, and unhappy retailer frustrations are real factors that should be considered when purchasing ice merchandisers. Just one additional service call can justify the premium investment in Leer. Factor longevity into the equation and I can’t understand why anyone would choose any other brand. I challenge your company to track the cost of ownership of all your merchandiser units. Record the unit serial number, location, parts replaced, associated labor, lost product, lost sales, and any other item that would add to the cost of ownership. A simple spread sheet, and a little extra effort, will help your company better manage these ongoing investments. Controlling cost is rarely about getting the best price. Controlling cost is about making the right investment.

Contact Automatic Ice Systems, Inc at (314) 849-4411 to learn more about how Leer Merchandisers can increase your profits.