The application of portion control optimization in an automated can-filling process

The main objective of portion control is to ensure that desired portions, u sually specified by weight, axe placed in the packages. In can-filling in p articular, an optimal goal would be to minimize underfilling and overfillin g. This paper develops an advanced packaging process for automated can-fill ing of fish, which achieves this goal. The overall automated system uses an innovative technique of optimal overlapping and cutting of fish. First, a batch of fish are overlapped in a linear orientation where the ordering seq uence, the head orientation, and the degree of overlap between fish are the Variables of optimization. The optimization is carried out with the object ive of minimizing the absolute total weight of underfill and overfill of th e produced cans. The optimal portioning method should possess a computational speed that is consistent with the process speed and the filling accuracy requirements. Se veral models of optimization have been developed. This paper follows a mode l development procedure that realizes a feasible and practical model. A num erical example that uses real data on a batch of salmon is presented to ill ustrate the approach and to demonstrate its feasibility in achieving both o ptimization objective and the processing speed. A comparison of several opt imization models that have been developed is given, with respect to the com putational speed and the filling accuracy. Results show that the optimal po rtioning method is able to achieve high production rates and improved filli ng accuracy in can-filling process of salmon.