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Case packers hurdle five challenges

Source:Ringier Release Date:2011-06-09 829
Food & Beverage
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Four wraparound case packers installed at leading biscuit maker meet both technical and flexibility requirements

Arnott's, No. 1 biscuit manufacturer in Australia, commissioned Cermex to design and install an automated case packaging system capable of handling 58 different SKU’s packed into 32 different case sizes and formats BISCUIT manufacturer Arnott's has three manufacturing sites in Australia with robotic production lines. As one of the largest food companies in the Asia Pacific region, the company is committed to continuous development and extension of its ranges of biscuits and savoury snacks. Exporting its biscuits, including the famous Tim Tam, to more than 40 countries, Arnott's has invested more than A$350 million in modernising its manufacturing facilities since 1997.
 One of the most recent projects called for an automated case packaging system as well as to change the type of secondary packaging. André Spoor, project engineer for Arnott's, explained that the requirement was to simultaneously move from manual multicase packing to automated case packing and new secondary packaging, whilst guaranteeing a quick start-up in production on four lines. The solution also needed to protect the integrity of the products and offer flexibility to accommodate frequent format changeovers and exponential increases in speed, he added.
 Selected for its custom-built solutions was Cermex, which designed, built and installed four wraparound case packers for the iconic Australian biscuit maker in 2010. To meet the project requirements, the end of line packaging machinery company said it worked on two main axes to meet the Arnott's challenge: innovative project management and original technical solutions.

 Four lines, five major challenges
 On the four lines in question, there are three types of primary packaging: rectangular cartons, pyramid-shaped cartons and flow-packed plastic trays of round biscuits. Converting the existing system to an automated one meant hurdling five major challenges. The first involved controlling product conveying and collation, whilst preventing the flowpacks from rotating. The project's second challenge resided in protecting the product integrity with the capacity to implement gripping systems adapted to 58 different SKU's packed into 32 different case sizes and formats. The third challenge stemmed from Arnott's choice to change secondary packaging from RSC to wraparound blanks at the same time as the lines were automated.
 Speed was the fourth challenge, with a requirement for 12.5 cases per minute and a maximum pack speed of 175 packets per minute. Quick and easy format changeovers were also stipulated in the requirements. "The large number of SKUs and the fact that we previously packed our product in RSCs, and these all had to be changed to wraparound cases as part of the project, were the two most crucial aspects," explained Mr Spoor, in charge of the project for Arnott's.
 A fifth challenge comprised the quick integration of the four machines at Arnott's production site. The requirement for immediate reliability was outlined throughout the thought process.
 "The project required that we install four machines back to back concurrently on our four main production lines. Three of the lines have no buffer system prior to the case packer, so once installed any downtime on the case packers would have a significant impact on the site's efficiency," he said.

 Technical performance
 Three of the lines Cermex installed in 2010 consisted of identical multicase function WB45 wraparound case packers and the slower fourth line had a traditional wraparound case packer.
 A series of configurations on the WB45 were determined to respond specifically to Arnott's requirements and have product integrity in mind. The first decision was to integrate two robots per machine in order toNike Air Max 2017

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