Higher throughput with double picking

New Flowpacker offers more functionality and performance
Handling of both flowpack and tray products
Shorter chain length for easy changeovers and easy cleaning

Requirements

The key to greater efficiency

Delica’s biscuit specialities, which have been produced since 1928, are essential to the Swiss confectionery tradition – be it for an afternoon snack or as the perfect accompaniment to four o’clock tea or coffee. Over the years, the ‘Guezli’, available in a variety of flavours with or without a chocolate coating, have gained a large fan base far beyond Switzerland.

Delica, a member of the Migros Industry group, employs close to 2,200 people at its five locations in Switzerland and many more sites abroad. Schubert packaging machines have long been a production cornerstone at the Meilen site in the canton of Zurich. In August 2023, Delica approached Schubert for a replacement of a well-established but somewhat outdated Pickerline used in the biscuit packaging process.

Although the original plan was to replace the line one-to-one, it became apparent during the consultation phase that a significantly more efficient solution for handling the ten packaging formats could be achieved using the possibilities offered by today’s technology. One of the main challenges was to find a solution for the range of products that was capable of handling both flowpack and tray products – and one that allowed format changes without incurring significant time and personnel costs.

With this in mind, it became clear that certain processes would have to be fundamentally reviewed in terms of their efficiency. For example, the post-process for flow wrapping without a tray revealed considerable optimisation potential. It was previously carried out manually by four workers and required further transport to another floor. Since Delica also wanted smooth running, quick and easy cleaning and high flexibility when changing formats, the Flowpacker from Schubert quickly emerged as the ideal solution.

Solution

Packed quickly and in perfect condition

With its space-saving layout, the new Flowpacker not only seamlessly integrates into its installation position, it also offers much more functionality and performance. Instead of the previous ten, eight F4 arms in a double-pick process now enable a throughput of up to 728 products per minute, without affecting the smooth running at this speed. Schubert’s advanced image processing system ensures that the goods are not only deposited quickly but also in perfect condition from the centrally aligned product belt onto the chain with the tray formats or, optionally, onto the belt for the flow wrapping format.

The integrated film dispenser with a short chain excels when handling the partially or fully enrobed biscuits. Since the pre-grouping is done on a belt, cleaning is much easier. Due to the shorter chain length, significantly fewer carriers need to be replaced when changing formats than would be the case with a long chain. Only one operator is required for the process and, since a carrier cassette is not necessary, additional costs can be saved as well.

With its ability to process both tray and flow wrapped products, the new Flowpacker basically combines two machines into a single, highly efficient and flexible solution. We can now productively utilise our freed-up personnel capacities elsewhere.

Kaspar Huber

Deputy Technical Manager at Delica

Technical details

Double-pick process
Output: 728 products per minute
98% machine efficiency (Pickerline incl. tray denester)
97% machine efficiency (Flowmodul)

The tray denester was designed with the option of a later conversion to paper trays.

From trays to flowpacks with just one click

As the magazine plate is the same for all formats due to identical tray dimensions, the format change can be carried out by a single person. If there is both a flowpack and a tray format, as with the Choc Petit Beurre, a single click on the operating terminal is all it takes to adapt the packaging process. If the products are to be packed directly into the flowpacks, the tray denester is simply removed from the process without the need for any further modifications.

In the Flowmodul, the proven combination of longitudinal sealing using ultrasonic processes and subsequent cross-sealing with heat ensures a gentle, secure seal. The flying cross-sealing unit also guarantees that the sealing time and temperature remain constant even in the event of uneven flow. Since the packages created this way are very narrow, two different forming shoulders are used to accommodate different formats. A new feature – and, due to space constraints, a minor challenge – was the integration of a tear strip into the flowpack, which the Schubert engineers solved with ease. The red plastic thread is unwound parallel to the Flowmodul film, to which it adheres by means of an adhesive layer and is then sealed.

Sustainability is playing an increasingly important role in the confectionery sector. At Delica in Meilen, the responsible use of natural resources is also standard practice. A new process cooling system that uses water from Lake Zurich was put into operation in 2021. With this in mind, the packaging design also had to take into account the possibility of a later conversion to more environmentally friendly paper trays by integrating a second F2 robot.

In the current version, the tray denester was sized somewhat more generously. And a further requirement scenario has already been considered: If, in the future, products are to be placed not only flat but also along their longitudinal edge into the tray, this can also be easily implemented using the integrated pivoting chain conveyor. Delica was completely won over by the Flowpacker’s performance features.