Packinghouse

FQcode develops solutions for leading exporters worldwide -and especially to producers who are obliged to comply with increasing food safety and retail requirements.

In addition, FQcode assists companies by developing and providing easy access to process detail -details wich can improve efficiency.

At its simplest, FQcode works like this in the case of products that are picked and packed in a facility:

• Bins in the field are labeled at the truck scale with a lot number for each separate field area designated by the grower. Bar code labels with that number are affixed to the bins.
• Key information associated with that lot is entered into the system and stored including product, variety, caliber, producer, lot ID, geographic position of the lot, and transport truck ID.
  Other optional parameters can also be added. These might include chemical treatments, growing conditions...
• A scanner records the bar code and destination of each bin (which may be dumped immediately or held in storage).
• When the bins belonging to that lot are dumped, a terminal at the dumping station is used to make any adjustments to the information about that lot.
• The lot is then sorted in the manner, and using the equipment, employed by the packer.
• Workers packing the cases at each outlet pass their personal ID cards into the system to record the fact that they have packed the cases. The system then produces one label with:
  * a unique ID
  * a symbol for the identity of the packer,
  * and all grower and product information (variety, size, brand, producer and lot ID). These are then affixed to each case.
• Quality assurance for each case is then done automatically or by hand as each case is examined for weight and presence and positioning of all needed labels.
• As cases are removed from the conveyor and pallets constructed, a worker scans each case to record the contents of the pallet.
• A unique pallet ID label is then produced showing all relevant product information about its composition (variety, caliber, ID and quantity of boxes). The label uses bar codes together with either 2D or RFID.
• Destination and inventory control parameters are entered into the system (showing the location(s) of the quantity of cases and pallets, and in the case of labels using RFID, the pallet's 3D position.)
• Transport documentation is produced automatically.

Each step is reported to operations management online, in real time, showing whether the packing is taking place according to plan and if not, where the problem areas are.