Description du projet
La haute technologie au service de l’inspection du parmesan
Le parmesan est l’un des produits italiens les plus connus dans le monde. La demande internationale des consommateurs en parmesan est en constante hausse. Les problématiques de qualité et d’affinage dues aux techniques traditionnelles de manipulation et de stockage sont cependant des facteurs qui entravent sa commercialisation. Tandis que l’industrie du parmesan a amélioré ses méthodes de contrôle traditionnelles, il s’agit là d’activités manuelles requérant de la précision. Une très grande partie de la production ne peut être commercialisée. Le projet PARMESCAN, financé par l’UE, met au point un système innovant et automatisé d’inspection qualitative du fromage qui permettra d’achever le contrôle du processus d’affinage. Le système se compose d’un bras robotisé utilisant une technologie de tomodensitométrie pour manipuler et nettoyer parfaitement les meules, tout en évitant l’apparition de fissures et de défauts.
Objectif
Italian parmesan cheese, which can only be produced in Italy's Emilia-Romagna and Lombardy provinces, is highly appreciated across the world. However, its expansion is currently hindered by quality and aging issues such as cracks and other defects which appear from handling and storage. The sector has implemented, over the years, a process to assess and control cheese quality in its warehouses (which can contain over 150,000 wheels of cheese, each one weighing 40kg). But this traditional method, based on manual handling, cleaning and regular inspection by trained experts, lacks accuracy, can create more cracks and results in an incorrect cheese grading. This trend is alarming: as it affects directly the acceptance and value of the cheese, producers fail to sell a significant amount of their production, reaching up to 8% in 2015.
We are Ing. Ferretti, a 40-year-old Italian company that protects and promotes traditional Italian and EU products through design, manufacturing and sale of automation solutions for the dairy industry. Based on our customers’ concerns, and leveraging our experience in parmesan cheese quality assurance process, we have been developing PARMESCAN, our automated cheese quality inspection system. Combining a robotic arm designed for perfect handling/cleaning of the cheese wheels with CAT imaging technology, our innovative, non-invasive technique will allow producers to fully monitor their cheese maturity and guarantee the seal of authenticity on their products. Not only will our innovation ensure optimum quality grading of this flagship Italian product, but it will also create a simplified and accurate tracking process for every single cheese in a warehouse.
We expect PARMESCAN system – starting with parmesan before its expansion to other cheeses and types of food – to consolidate our position as a leading player in the dairy industry and provide us €8 million additional revenues after 5 years of exploitation and a ROI of 280%.
Champ scientifique
- engineering and technologymedical engineeringdiagnostic imagingcomputed tomography
- agricultural sciencesanimal and dairy sciencedairy
- social sciencessociologyindustrial relationsautomation
- engineering and technologyelectrical engineering, electronic engineering, information engineeringelectronic engineeringrobotics
Programme(s)
Régime de financement
SME-1 - SME instrument phase 1Coordinateur
42020 QUATTRO CASTELLA
Italie
L’entreprise s’est définie comme une PME (petite et moyenne entreprise) au moment de la signature de la convention de subvention.