Business challenge
A large confectionery producer based in the Middle East wanted to boost sales of its chocolate lentils, and increase its market share. To do so, they needed a fast, reliable machine to pack a guaranteed number of sugar-coated chocolate lentils into single-serve stickpacks for retail sale.
To minimize the Return on Investment period – a main concern for most manufacturers – the required output of this chocolate counting and packaging machine had to be at least 300 stickpacks per minute. To eliminate overages and avoid customer complaints, each stickpack needs to contain precisely 30 candies; not one more and certainly not one less.
In addition to speed and accuracy, quality and reliability were key factors in the company’s search for an apportionment control partner. Ultimately, the executive team turned to Cremer to provide an all-in-one, turnkey solution for its chocolate packing challenge.
Within just a few weeks of initial discussions, the final proposal and pre-production drafts for its largely customized counting and packaging solution were signed.
Provided solution
Well-suited for the counting and packing of candy resins, the company decided on Cremer’s CS-series counting machine. The CSTQI-830 is a food and pharma-grade counter designed for processing small, wrapped or unwrapped products at exceedingly high speeds.
The CSTQI-830 features a completely stainless-steel body and easy-to-clean, FDA-compliant contact parts. Three vibrating V-shaped plates are used for fast product transport and efficient product separation and singulation. The infrared multi-channel product detection unit “scans” and counts each piece with 100% accuracy.
Three vertically stacked “memory flap units” are used for collecting the counted chocolates and delivering them in the right quantities to a discharge/dispensing unit. From there, the product counts are released into a stickpack machine.
As a provider of turnkey counting and packaging systems, Cremer decided to incorporate a stickpack machine by Aranow, an international manufacturer of high-end packaging machinery that shares the same customer-oriented company values.
System configuration
To achieve the required output, three identical counting machines were placed on a platform, dispensing their product counts into the six-lane stickpack machine capable of easily producing 300 packs per minute.
To direct the candy counts from the counting machines down into the six infeed tubes of the packaging machine, an intricate dispensing unit had to be developed. The most challenging engineering aspect was not so much achieving the required output, as it was preventing the rather fragile colored coating of the chocolate lentils from chipping.
The customer relied solely on Cremer to develop and provide a complete counting and packaging machine. This means that Cremer was fully responsible for the selection, acquisition and full integration of a third-party packaging machine. Shipment, installation, commissioning and operator training were also included in the turnkey contract.
To deliver the bulk product to the three chocolate counting machines atop the platform, a customized supply/feeder system with inclined conveyor belt was used. Fully designed and manufactured by Cremer, the unit provided seamless integration.
With the help of Cremer’s expertise and customized solutions specifically designed for candy applications, the confectionary producer successfully met the production levels necessary to meet its ambitious sales goals.
The counting and packaging system comprised the following equipment:
- Three CSTQI-830 product counting machines
- Cremer DSH-400 product supply system
- Cremer Central control cabinet
- Cremer Discharge/dispensing unit
- Aranow AN1000 6-lane packaging machine
- Overhead platform
CSTQI-830 product counting machine
The CSTQI-830 product counting machine is based on the pharma grade CF counters with complete stainless steel body and easy to clean FDA compliant product contact parts.
Three vibrating V-shaped plates are used for fast product transport and efficient product separation and singulation. The infrared multi-channel product detection unit “scans” and counts the singulated products with 100% accuracy.
Three vertically stacked “memory flap units” are used for collecting the counted products and dispensing them in the right quantities into a discharge/dispensing unit, from where the product counts are released into the Aranow stickpack machine.
Applications
Typical applications for the CSTQI-830 counter are;
- chewing gums
- mints
- candy resins
- chocolate lentils
- chewy dragees
- gummies candy
- tablet sweeteners
- cough pastilles
- vitamin supplements
- homeopathic granules
- beans, nuts, peanuts and seeds
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Contact
We are always happy to help. Do you have any questions regarding possible counting solutions? Would you like some advice regarding your production facility? Do not hesitate to contact us.