Why Strip Charts Are a Valuable Tool for Food Manufacturers

Maintaining accurate, up-to-date data is critical to producing safe, quality products in a food processing facility. Many tools can be used to track vital data, with strip charts being one of the simplest and most popular.

A strip chart is a type of chart that presents a set of data on a single sheet. Like other charts, strip charts can assist in visualizing collected data so you can track its progression over time while looking at a single sheet. They are an excellent option for representing data when the sample size is small enough to highlight individual points. 

Strip charts are simple and easy to read, unlike more complex charting options. This makes them useful in food processing facilities where many people use different machines and appliances.

How strip charts are used

A strip chart is an immeasurably useful tool in food processing. An example of strip chart usage in food processing is tracking the temperature of a refrigerator or freezer. When the temperature is taken at consistent intervals and logged onto a strip chart near the appliance everyone can see the recent history of that machine. This helps maintain consistent and safe temperatures, as well as track temperature changes over time allowing you to intervene before the appliance malfunctions and jeopardizes your bottom line.

Applications are endless for strip charts in food processing plants. This simple charting system is also used to track things like pressure, flow rate, and pH. If a machine or appliance operates within certain parameters, a strip chart can help in maintaining those parameters.

This simple tool can ensure that food processing is always operating within safe parameters and gives you the chance to catch appliance errors or breakdown before it impacts the product and your bottom line.

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What are the benefits of strip charts?

Simplicity: A strip chart's simplicity allows numerous people to use and understand it. This allows for more accurate information and interpretation. By limiting the data points, a strip chart allows information to be tracked and digested more easily.

Fast: Logging a temperature or flow rate on a strip chart is quick and efficient, making it more likely that those measurements will be taken in consistent intervals making your food processing facility safer.

Intuitive: The simplicity of strip charts also makes them great tools for identifying trends. Because the historical data of one measurement is right there on one page, you can easily identify trends and intervene before a machine malfunctions and impacts the product. If a machine does malfunction, the strip chart will give you enough historical data to figure out when it was last operating within designated parameters, which can help in identifying what product was impacted.

Find the right strip chart for your facility at Nelson-Jameson

Strip charts are an important tool in maintaining a safe and profitable food manufacturing facility. The simplicity of this charting tool allows for fast, accurate documentation as well as simple interpretation that can save you from product malfunctions and recalls.

Find the right strip chart for your appliances on the Nelson-Jameson site or contact us for more information about strip charts or your food safety needs.