MU May / June 2015

34 MACHINERY UPDATE MAY/JUNE 2015 www.machineryupdate.co.uk
Feature: Confectionery
Reducing total cost
of ownership is the
secret ingredient to
chocolate packing
“ Meeting the burgeoning
global demand
for chocolate is no
easy feat,” says
Martin Tanner,
director business development
and marketing, product division
confectionery and food, Bosch
Packaging Technology. For mass
produced chocolate, production
lines operate at high speeds and
volumes. What’s more is that
chocolate is a breakable, fragile
product that requires gentle care to
ensure quality. “Add to this the need
for a wide diversity of product types
in various sizes and packaging
formats, as well as critical hygiene
and line cleaning needs, and it’s
clear that chocolate producers have
their hands full,” he says.
Given the pace and also the
competitiveness of the chocolate
manufacturing environment,
selecting the right packaging line
is essential to keep up and stay
ahead, he asserts. The installed
equipment on the line should also
contribute to a low total cost of
ownership (TCO) and an increase
of operating profit margins.
There are numerous features
that should be considered when
selecting a chocolate packaging
line, whether primary or
secondary, horizontal or vertical.
Quick changeovers, high output
and ease of cleaning and operation
all contribute to lower TCO and a
faster return on investment.
Tanner believes automating
manual operations with smart
technology can help manufacturers
reach unprecedented volume levels
and high speeds and Endangered
Species Chocolate experienced
this first-hand. It has achieved
more than a 230% boost in output
after incorporating the Bosch
Pack 401 horizontal flow wrapper
with integrated Pack Feeder 4, an
inline feeder, into its packaging
line for organic chocolate bars.
By automating the transportation
Lower cost
chocolates
Partnering with
a supplier that
offers a varied
and full range
of technology
is a recipe for
success, says
Bosch
of chocolate from the moulding
process to the flow wrapper, which
was previously done manually,
Endangered Species witnessed a
production jump from 120 to 400
pieces per minute, meeting current
and future production needs.
“As competition intensifies,
chocolate manufacturers need
innovative products and packaging
styles at the point-of-sale to capture
consumer attention,” says Tanner.
That means packaging machines
must be flexible enough to not only
accommodate current pack style
needs, but also adapt to future
High output is critical to
meet demand; flexibility is
important for brand appeal
requirements. Ideally, a single
machine should have the ability
to handle multiple product types,
sizes and pack styles.
Nestlé Dubai employed a
seamless system from Bosch to
meet the speed and flexibility
requirements of its chocolate
production. The two companies
worked together to develop two
packaging lines to handle and
flow wrap a variety of products
at very high output rates, both up
to 1,440 products per minute.
The lines are able to wrap twoand
four-finger KitKat wafer bars
and Quantum and Chunky wafer
bars, including multi-packing and
cartoning, all with high operational
efficiency. This is achieved by
the seamless integration of all
equipment in the line, says Tanner.
T 01332 626262
W www.boschpackaging.com