Easy integration of new flow wrappers for cookies

www.packworld.com
Reprinted from the January 2014 issue of Packaging World
COOKIE POUCH. The new flow
wrappers can accommodate various
sandwich cookie counts in either
polypropylene or metallized film.
Easy integration of new
flow wrappers for cookies
Guatamalan plant adds two new flow wrappers required to integrate easily with existing
cookie creamers and provide product configuration and packaging material flexibility.


Perched in the scenic mountains overlooking Guatemala City,
the Molinos Modernos facility in San Jose Pinula is the largest
cookie and cracker plant in Guatemala. Its bakery products
supply the local market and are exported throughout Central America
and the Caribbean. In operation for more than 30 years, the company
has built strong brands such as Can Can cookies on a reputation of high
quality and fine taste.
Molinos Modernos is a division of Corporacion Multi Inversiones
and is dedicated to the production of products derived from wheat and
cereals. As one of the largest milling groups in Latin America, it also produces the flour used in its cookies and crackers. This vertical integration
from flour production to cookie baking helps ensure that its high-quality
160
PACKAGING WORLD | January 2014
standards are met. Equally important to top-quality ingredients is a consistent baking and packaging operation.
Both Plant Manager Mario Antonio Ivic and Maintenance Manager
Alejandro Cordon attribute their plant’s long-term success to the high
performance of their machinery and a commitment to preventive
maintenance. Termed “Gesman” in Spanish, their philosophy is simple:
Maintenance should be preventive and performed on a set schedule.
This practice has allowed much of their machinery to consistently operate at a high level for more than 20 years.
However, their diligent maintenance and long machine life recently
created an unforeseen challenge with one of their cookie lines. The
 p. 162
www.packworld.com
Reprinted from the January 2014 issue of Packaging World
EASY INTEGRATION. Two
horizontal flow wrappers
were installed and integrated
with existing creamer
machines in little more than
a week, with each flowwrapper leg achieving speeds
up to 310 packs/min.
horizontal flow-wrapping machines that package their four- and sixcount sandwich cookies, such as the popular Can Can brand, had outlived the manufacturer that originally built them. Because the wrapper
manufacturer had gone out of business, Ivic and Cordon wanted to
avoid a future situation where needed parts would not be available and
thus decided to replace the wrappers.
 INTEGRATION IS KEY
During sandwich cookie production and packaging at the Molinos
Modernos plant, a Peters Equipment creamer from Peerless Food
Equipment (www.peerlessfood.com) places the cream filling between
two cookie halves, then stacks and places the cookies into the flowwrapper infeed chain. When the company began looking for new flowwrapping machines, its creamers still functioned efficiently, in large part
due to its strict maintenance program, but Ivic knew that integrating
the machines into new state-of-the-art flow wrappers would pose a
challenge.
“Whenever integrating new technology into
existing equipment, there also needs to be
significant controls programming completed.”
As a result, the search for new flow wrappers to package the cookies came with specific requirements. “The most important part of this
project was seamless integration with the existing Peters creamers,”
states Ivic. “We were worried because we previously had bad experiences integrating new equipment with our existing machines.”
In looking for new equipment, Ivic and Cordon narrowed down the
number of suppliers they thought could handle the job to three contenders. In the end, they selected Bosch Packaging Technology
(www.boschpackaging.com) and their Pack 201 flow wrapper for a
162
PACKAGING WORLD | January 2014
variety of reasons, including their
successful previous experience
with Bosch wrappers, Bosch’s
long-term stability, and the wrapper’s robust design and state-ofthe-art technology. “Bosch was
the best choice for us,” says Ivic.
Molinos Modernos has been
working with Bosch for more than
13 years, including using Sigpack
and Doboy flow wrappers—both
Bosch brands—in their plant.
“Not only does Bosch provide
top-quality machines, but its service is terrific,” states Alejandro. “When
we need spare parts, the response from Bosch in the U.S. and Mexico
is very fast. This is critical because we need the lines to run 24 hours a
day, six days a week.”
 FAST AND FLEXIBLE
Despite the challenging integration, Bosch’s experience integrating
flow wrappers into creamers of all types facilitated installation of the two
Pack 201s in little more than a week. Each flow-wrapper leg has achieved
speeds up to 310 packs/min—faster than the required rate of 280/min.
Explains Rebeca Long, Bosch’s Latin America Sales Manager,
“Whenever integrating new technology into existing equipment, where
the creamer needs to take signals from the wrapper, there also needs
to be significant controls programming completed. Though most of the
programming is completed at the factory, the technician needs to be
able to troubleshoot during installation. Bosch knows how important it
is to reduce delays during the installation process.”
The model Pack 201 has the flexibility to handle multiple pack configurations, allowing it to accommodate two Can Can cookie formats:
four cookies (two stacks of two), and six cookies (three stacks of two).
Another benefit is the machine’s self-centering film reel holders that
quicken changeovers. This is important because some of the brands
packaged on the line utilize a metallized film, while others use polypropylene film.
Given Molinos Modernos’ maintenance practices, the Bosch flow
wrappers will be around for quite some time. “We value a long relationship with our machine providers,” says Ivic. Partnering
Share this story
with a major supplier such as Bosch will allow the
company to avoid the situation that caused it to purchase new flow wrappers in the first place.
“Our experience with Bosch makes them first on
our list of providers, and we expect to be partners for
pwgo.to/489
a long time.” —Anne Marie Mohan
Horizontal Flow Wrapping
Experience the Bosch Advantage
Application experience is critical
to successful flow wrapping
What is the difference between a flow wrapper
Bosch technology minimizes
downtime, speeding changeovers
and cleaning
that efficiently packages products 24/7, year
Bosch’s flow wrappers incorporate industry
after year, and one that frequently jams and
leading technology built on decades of ex-
requires maintenance downtime? Often times
perience. Many changeover adjustments are
it is a result of the flow wrapper manufacture’s
accomplished simply by selecting a stored
experience with your application.
recipe, triggering independent servo motors
Pillow Packs
Multi-Packs
to make the needed changes. Changeover
parts are replaced or adjusted within minutes
without tools. Outstanding accessibility and
a streamlined and sanitary design make the
machine easy to clean.
Carrying Inserts
Hand fed to fully automated
wrappers and feeding solutions
Stacked Products
The manufacturer’s optimization of their
Bosch flow wrappers extend from the entry
standard machine to your application is critical
level Pack 101, typically purchased by first
to your success. That optimization is based
time manufacturers looking for easy and flex-
on their experience wrapping products with
ible automation, to fully automated high speed
similar characteristics to yours and testing
wrappers. Feeding solutions range from hand
with your actual product. No company has
fed infeeds to completely automated product
more flow wrapping experience across a broad
handling systems including robotic pick and
range of industries to draw upon than Bosch.
place solutions.
Our associates work with you to understand
Whether you’re looking to produce standard
your operation and run tests using your
pillow packs, shrink packs, multi-packs with
product. They combine this with our unrivaled
support boards, or anything in between,
experience to deliver the most cost-effective
Bosch’s extensive flow wrapper and feeding
wrapping solution, ideally suited to your
portfolio ensures you receive the best solution
product and environment.
for your operation.
U-Boards
Shrink Packaging
Opening Aids
Download our free educational
“Guide to Flow Wrapping” at
www.boschpackaging.com/
nrd/guide
Guide to Flow Wrapping
www.boschpackaging.com
Bosch Packaging Technology, Inc.
Tel: 715-249-6511
[email protected]
www.boschpackaging.com
Cartoning of Flow
Wrapped Products