The product inspection of baked goods with X-ray systems is easy to implement, even in a company with over 5,000 employees like Harry-Brot, which is still run as a family business and lives by these values. Only close collaboration with a firm focus on the customer’s wishes makes sustainable innovations possible in the first place. “This has developed over time and is reflected today in the diversity of our product range,” Jens Hagemann states.

As Head of Plant Engineering Packaging and Supply Technology, he knows the company. In addition to classic sliced bread, the product range includes bread rolls, toast and sandwiches for retail sale as well as pre-bake products for in-store bake-off stations. In certain segments, Harry-Brot achieves market shares of up to 25% and is one of the best-known manufacturers in Germany. Business never stands still and Harry-Brot is constantly evolving. “At the same time, it has always been our goal to keep the technology used here in the production process up to date,” Hagemann explains. “To this end, Wipotec’s systems play a vital role for us.”

In the food industry, precise controls for each individual product are vital. This is because demands on food safety and product quality are very high. For this reason, manufacturers should protect themselves and deploy the right technology on all production lines. For Harry-Brot, the choice was clear: Wipotec’s flexible X-ray systems were extremely persuasive. “We use the SC-E model from Wipotec to detect a wide range of foreign bodies,” says Hagemann. “Our SC-W series machines perform a detailed packaging check and also weigh the products.” In addition to X-ray inspection, the solutions also incorporate a classic checkweigher, both of which are permanently integrated into the system. “We also use density scanners to analyse the bread. The slice thickness is subsequently adjusted,” Hagemann continues. Harry-Brot was particularly keen to minimise overfilling of its bakery products. Such a giveaway causes considerable additional costs. However, underfilling is just as problematic in the long term, as it undermines customer confidence and has a negative impact on brand perception – not to mention the fact that legal limits must always be adhered to. The quality of the products is and remains crucial. Harry-Brot and Wipotec agree on this.

Wipotec’s X-ray systems perform numerous tasks at Harry-Brot. In addition to detecting foreign bodies, the scanners can also detect cracking of bakery products and can even check for holes. If a fermentation bubble has formed and the product is thus no longer suitable for sale, the X-ray system detects this defect and rejects the item concerned. The inspection solution can also check the position of the clip, for example on wicketed bags. Is the seal in place and is the bag properly sealed? Wipotec systems offer complete solutions.