Grupo Iberconsa increases production with automation and digitalization

Leading Spanish whitefish processor Grupo Iberconsa recently installed four Multihead Weighers (MHW) and have seen a significant increase in their throughput. Working 16 hours a day at high speeds and very high levels of precision, the Multihead Weighers are accurately weighing and batching 60 tonnes of hake fillets per day. The plant’s daily capacity is about 90 tons per day, with 500gr to 1 kg fillets and slices being bagged in the MHW, and an annual target of about 15,000 tons/year of fillets, slices and shrimp.

The automated weighing and batching solutions stand out for their robustness and reliability in working for such long periods. The flow control system in the product infeed is a particular plus for working with frozen fish fillets.

“I have been working with Marel for years, and I am very satisfied with the quality of their equipment, being a reference for me in terms of weighing, batching and labeling systems,” says Javier Aran Echabe, Group R&D Director at Grupo Iberconsa. “Marel’s technical service staff is highly qualified and has helped us optimize the operation of the weigher, in addition to their prompt response to our requests.”

He also highlights how Innova’s software intuitively and practically delivers quality data and real-time production management.

An international group with its origins in Galicia and a presence in five continents, Grupo Iberconsa has become a benchmark in fishing, processing, and distributing frozen sea products. Founded in 1981 by four Galician partners with deep roots in the fishing industry, Grupo Iberconsa has enjoyed spectacular growth both in its commercial and shipowning activity. Grupo Iberconsa is a vertically integrated company in the frozen fish industry with high expertise in each phase of the value chain: from capturing and processing of its sea products to their distribution and marketing.