Hata Foods is a subsidiary of the Kobe Bussan Group, which manufactures frozen foods, chilled side dishes and PET-bottled products like salad dressings and sauces. Hata Foods has a popular product line highlighting the flavor of Japanese domestic potatoes, called Potato Salad Bases. To help with production of this line, Hata installed a Tomra Orbit 150 steam peeler, brusher, washer, and a Tomra Genius B1200 sorting machine.
“We have seen improved yields of approximately 5 percent from installing the Orbit 150 steam peeler,” says Hata CEO Toshiyuki Hata. “Before installing the Orbit 150, we were using a peeling machine manufactured by a different company, but that machine was outdated and often stopped working. This meant that we had to deal with decreasing work efficiency and the related increased labor costs, not to mention ever-diminishing yields. Because we were unable to sufficiently obtain replacement parts, we were faced with the risk of long periods of non-production in the unfortunate case that the machine broke down.”
Toshiyuki Hata continues: “We came to know of Tomra at the FOOMA Japan International Food Machinery and Technology Exhibition. We met Tomra’s sales team, who explained to us that Tomra produced a unique steam peeler that was able to produce the world’s thinnest potato peel and which would naturally lead to improved yield rates.
Following the installation of the Orbit 150, Hata’s production yield increased by about 5 percent and product quality was dramatically improved. Because high-pressure steam creates a 0.5- to 1-millimeter-thick heat ring around the surface of the potato, there is less hardening of the potato’s raw material. The resulting improved food texture has led to an increase in Hata’s sales.
An additional bonus for Hata Foods has been the machinery’s excellent operability. When using the equipment, the operator only has to deal with two main display panels. Anyone can operate the peeler with confidence. On top of that, even though the machinery is manufactured overseas, all operation options are displayed in Japanese, which makes it very easy for Hata employees to use.
“When we were considering installing Tomra’s steam peeler, we compared it with the products of other companies,” says Hata. “We found Tomra’s features to be very attractive. Firstly, in terms of throughput, the equipment is more compact than any other machine on the market. The design places a greater emphasis on efficiency, ensuring that less time is required to peel one item. This feature leads to a conservation of energy and a more effective utilization of space within the factory.
“With regards to maintainability, there is an alarm indicator on the touch panel, which is excellent for the purpose of easy detection of trouble in the early stages. In addition, Tomra maintains a register of four maintenance engineers and holds an inventory of principal spare parts. This gave us a great peace of mind.”
The whiteness of Hata’s Potato Salad Bases product is critical to its success. Because Hata’s products are stocked in a way that the color of the food is visible through the packaging, even a small brown discoloration can dampen a consumer’s desire to purchase the product. The sorting of potato sprouts, skin, decay, greening or blackening is an important process that links directly to sales. However, prior to installing the machine, this sorting activity at Hata’s facilities was heavily reliant on manual labor, and the company required an average over 16 staff members to complete it. Production stoppages would arise if they were unable to secure sufficient staff, which destabilized the supply of raw materials to the post-sorting processes such as loading of materials and packaging.
Hata saw a massive reduction in labor costs following the installation of Tomra’s steam peeler. Hata was able to reduce the number of staff required from 16 to four people. Seeing this success, Hata brought in another machine, and is now able to maintain the same quality with only one employee. This additional machine provides the same excellent operability as the steam peeler.
“One of the attractive features is that we can make detailed configurations in adjustment to the type of potato we are using because the sorter allows us to simply set the range of colors we want to separate,” says Hata. “Moreover, when using manual labor for this job, variation arises in the sorting standards of each individual staff member. But with the machine, the quality is consistent. I am very confident that this operability and stable quality will help increase our credibility and lead to higher earnings.”