Packing lines

PACKING -> Packing lines

This page provides a central hub to manage your packing lines. If you have more than one packing line you can change between them by clicking on the name of the packing line at the top of the page.

Dashboard tab

Tipping

This tab shows details and progress of the currently tipping run. Click the Change button to select a different run to start tipping.

Packing

This panel shows details and progress of the current packing and labelling run. Click the Change button to select a different run for labelling. If you are online labelling, the graph will show you what has been labelled and palletised based on the estimated incoming bin weights.

Plan (products)

This section lists the products on the packing plan associated with the current labelling run.

Clicking the Show inactive products box at the top of this list will include products that are either no-longer required or are not compatible with the current run.

Incompatible products are highlighted in red with exclamation icon on the left end of the row. Click or hover over the exclamation icon for more information about why this product is not compatible.

The Outlets (right-most) column shows which outlets this product is currently labelling on. Click this column to change these outlets as required to match your sizer setup.

The Stack (right-most) column is shown if you have Stacks setup (in this page's Setup menu -> Pallet stacks). Click this column to change the stack (or conveyor) you want the cartons to go to to be built into pallets.

Clicking anywhere else on the product row will bring up the page for editing the packing plan product details. Clicking on the Packing Plan name will take you to the PACKING -> Plans for more detail.

Note

Editing the packing plan product will affect all runs associated with the packing plan (including those still to come).

Infeed tab

This tab provides more details of the current infeed tipping status. It provides some general run information and a list of the bin submissions being tipped.

Tipping

Scan/enter bin barcodes to tip bins against this run. This function can also be performed using snapPacking's handheld scanner application (Scanner -> Tip a bin).

If enabled, there is an option to directly set the number of bins tipped for each submission by clicking in the # Tipped column. This feature is only recommended for organisations that aren't able to individually barcode label each bin due to reduced traceability.

Outlets tab

This tab lists each of the packing line outlets for labelling. The product assigned to each outlet can be set using the Dashboard product list as described above and should match your sizer setup.

Outlet settings

Clicking the settings cog for an outlet allows you to enter:

  • Code - identifies the outlet. This is often a number but can be alphabetical too (eg "BIN1", "BAG1", etc)
  • Sort order - allows you to manage ordering of outlets for display and reports.
  • Printer - select the printer for the main carton labels on this outlet.
  • Inner printer - (optional) printer for inner labels (eg bag or punnet labels).
  • Enabled? - untick to suppress label printing for this outlet.
  • Bin filler? - tick if this outlet is a bin filler. This changes the printer icon to a filler icon and enables bin labelling special features, see below.
  • Bulk Kgs? - tick if you only want to record a bulk kg figure for this outlet, this changes the printer icon to a scales icon.
  • IQP sample outlet? - usually only one outlet will have this ticked to identify the outlet where sample cartons are being collected for USA lot inspection.

Printing carton labels

The printer icon in the outlets list can be used for printing a carton label however this will often be done using a physical button configured for this outlet (see SETUP -> Buttons).

Bin labels

Bins are a special case where one or more bin parts can be accumulated to make up a full bin. System wise, each bin part is represented by a carton and the final bin label is represented by a pallet.

  • Once a bin is completely full, or is being pulled out of the filler for some other reason (eg variety change), the print/filler button should be pressed, enter the percentage full and Print a label to attach to the bin.
  • Before each significant change on the packing line (ie changing growers/runs) all bin fill levels should be recorded against the appropriate outlets (by pressing the print/filler button), including process bins.
  • If you press Print for a partially full bin, it is assumed you are putting that bin away. To top it up, you must Re-use bin.
  • You can pull a part bin out of store and continue filling it, press the print/filler button and press the Re-use bin option. You will be prompted to enter the bin label from the barcode of the incoming bin. This will destroy the incoming bin label and add its parts to the bin filler so you can continue adding to it.

Bulk kgs (scales icon)

This records a total bulk kg figure for the outlet.

  • Press the scales icon and enter the total Weight (Kgs) for this run. This will not print a label.

Runs tab

This tab lists each of the incomplete runs for this packing line. The expected order of the runs can also be managed here (by clicking on the arrows on the right hand side) - although the actual order the runs are processed in is controlled on the Dashboard tab by changing the runs for tipping and packing.

Clicking a run in this list will take you to that run's detail page PACKING -> Runs.

USA Lot tab

This tab allows you to manage the current USA lot for labelling cartons (when appropriate). Click the Change button to select a different USA lot.

Warning

Only products that have USA as one of their target markets will be labelled into the current USA lot.

Packaging images

Photos of packaging that have been setup in the packaging section of PACKING -> Plans. Helps to assist staff to use the correct packaging.

Setup menu

Add a packing line

Adds a packing line to this screen.

  • Code - packing line code. Used as a prefix for runs and QC lots.
  • Description - packing line description.
  • QC lot TCEs - number of TCEs in a QC lot.
  • Prefix - this prefix is used for the product line code and in the carton barcode.
  • Tipping shift offset (mins) - if you're recording shifts, this is the number of minutes a bin can be tipped before the actual shift start time to allow it to be recorded in this shift.
  • Labelling shift offset (mins)- if you're recording shifts, this is the number of minutes a pallet can be labelled before the actual shift start time to allow it to be recorded in this shift.
  • Active? - untick if no longer used which will hide from this screen.
  • Packer vendor - select the packer vendor associated with packing line.
  • Location - select the location associated with this packing line.

Line settings

This allows you to edit the details entered above.

Pallet stacks

Only required if you have an interface setup with the PLC to send particular product down different conveyor belts to pallet stacks (where pallets are being built).

  • Packing line
  • Stack code - pallet stack code, or conveyor code where pallets are built.

Reports menu

Various packing reports are available from this menu.