Automation in the packaging of bakery products is undergoing a significant phase of development. Speed, precision, process continuity, aesthetic appeal and the protection of fragile products are the essential cornerstones of the most innovative technological solutions for food packaging.

Smart Factory, a company within the Gruppo Mondial, has for years been assisting packaging manufacturers in automating their production lines and enhancing their technological value.

The most recent and demanding challenge successfully overcome relates to flexibility. Indeed, it is necessary to easily manage an increasing number of different formats on the same line. It is within this context that the project developed for a long-established Piedmontese manufacturer of crackers, biscuits and snacks was undertaken. The problem to be solved was typical of secondary packaging lines: multipacks require the products to arrive at the flow-pack machine precisely in phase and in step, that is, perfectly spaced and positioned. Traditionally, this result is achieved using a series of sequentially controlled conveyor belts – an effective but inflexible solution that lengthens format changeover times and limits production flexibility.

A bespoke solution

The application solution developed by Smart Factory integrates the intelligent transport system with independent trolleys and Hepco GFX guides, combined with highly innovative software. A ‘flexifeed’ system that connects the conveyor upstream of the line to the flow-pack machine, whilst simultaneously streamlining and simplifying the production line. The technological heart of the system is the GFX system itself: by reducing the number of conveyors required, it enables a faster and more precise process, with precise control of the position of every single product throughout the entire route, independently and without the limitations of traditional belt or chain systems. This results in extremely rapid format changes and variable configurations, manageable via software without the need for mechanical adjustments to the line: placing products into trays, even with two products in the same pack, stacked or side-by-side arrangements, with biscuits positioned horizontally or vertically in trays.

The same platform, suitable for both primary and secondary packaging, guarantees high-speed performance, with a production capacity of up to 1,000 pieces per minute, whilst maintaining the care required for fragile products such as crackers and biscuits.

For the customer, the result is a line capable of switching between different formats very quickly, optimising the production process whilst safeguarding the aesthetic and structural integrity of the finished product. The system brings together the various synergistic expertise within the Mondial Group to develop practical, automated and highly customised solutions for the food industry.