Chocolate packaging machine is the first Cartonpacker from the Schubert lightline series
The chocolate packaging machine combines proven TLM technology and a compact configuration.
The marzipan pralines enter the TLM line directly from the packing line whilst lay flat.
A grouping chain with quick-change format pockets stand the cartons upright.
A cross-pusher moves the required number of units from the chain into the F2 packaging robot’s pick-up area.
Depending on the box or packaging format, the cartons are rotated before filling.
REQUIREMENTS
An automated packaging machine with simple format changes for packaging chocolates.
Marzipan manufacturer Niederegger packs its classics with the lightline Cartonpacker
In response to the increasing global demand for its exquisite marzipan, nougat and pralines, the tradition-rich Lübeck-based Niederegger company relies on its long-standing partnership with Schubert and a high degree of automation in its packaging processes. For the dispatch-ready packaging of its classics, the exquisite marzipan pralines, the new chocolate packaging machine is an exceptionally compact system with easy, quick format changes. The lightline Cartonpacker is both the starting point and the first model in the new Schubert lightline machine series.
For many years, Niederegger has relied on the service provided by Gerhard Schubert GmbH as the market leader in top-loading packaging machines in general and packaging machines for the confectionery sector in particular. The marzipan classics from Lübeck have long been packed in elegant boxes on a TLM packing line. However, the manufacturer lacked the automatic packaging of the pralines in shipping cartons as the last production step – until now. The challenge was the typically limited space of a traditional production facility that had grown over more than 200 years at a single location. It was clear from the very first walk-through that a machine for packaging the chocolates would need an extremely compact design, could handle the demanding task reliably and with the necessary flexibility. Because as traditional as Niederegger’s products are, the packaging units are just as varied. The new system would therefore have to be able to process six different product formats and packaging on just one line. Additionally, the packaging machine was intended to pack the folding boxes into cartons and thereby prepare them optimally for a safe journey to marzipan connoisseurs all over the world.
SOLUTION
How does the solution meet the requirement?
Compact and preconfigured packaging machine impresses on all counts
By opting for a compact, preconfigured packaging machine that was limited to just one frame, the Schubert experts solved several challenges at once: the limited space in production, the customer’s wish for a fast start-up, a single-lane machine that could process one carton after the other and be easily changed over to other formats. This also enabled Schubert to deliver the entire packaging line fully assembled, which significantly accelerated the start of production. This new Schubert lightline Cartonpacker is also the first functional model in the latest lightline machine series for standard packaging tasks and it gave the final go-ahead for the entire range. The Schubert lightline is now in great demand worldwide from companies operating in a wide range of industries. It currently encompasses three machine types: the Cartonpacker, the Flowpacker and the Pickerline.
AT A GLANCE
- A fully automated packaging process in a single production line
- Proven TLM technology in a new configuration
- Rotating device for carton trays
A packaging machine for chocolates with compact design and easy format changes
At Niederegger, the folding cartons now enter the new chocolate packaging machine in a single lane, coming directly from the packaging line whilst lay flat. Once there, a grouping chain equipped with quick-change format pockets stands the cartons in an upright position. The number of boxes required depending on the format is moved out of the chain by a cross-pusher and brought together at a pickup position. Then an F2 packaging robot picks up the formation and places it into a carton. A carton centring system ensures a high degree of precision and rules out jamming of the boxes.
The boxes of pralines are packed ready for dispatch in folding cartons, so-called American Cases. Different quantities and orientations in the shipping carton apply for each praline box size. Depending on which format the line is currently set to, the cartons may have to be rotated. For this purpose, Schubert developed a unit integrated into the machine which turns the erected cartons on a separate device to the required orientation. This keeps the robot tool more lightweight and makes format changes much easier.
The chocolate packaging machine at Niederegger is set up for six different formats: Five, eight, ten or twelve boxes of pralines are packed into a carton, some standing, some lay flat, and in one or two layers. The system’s robots can process up to twelve finished shipping cartons per minute. The lightline Cartonpacker can be converted to a different format in just five minutes. The front magazine also proved its worth within the system’s overall “light” design. Due to its position, it keeps the pathway laterally free. This means that it can be easily passed despite the limited space available at the site.
The first of its kind
Since its installation in December 2018, the lightline Cartonpacker has been doing an impeccable job at Niederegger. Although it is an entirely new development, the first lightline packaging machine is not a prototype with the typical characteristics you would expect – non-standardised housing or non-uniform components – but rather, a machine that functions perfectly in every respect. It consists of proven Schubert TLM system components while blending in perfectly with the modern, highly functional appearance of the entire production facility of the long-established Lübeck-based company.
- The first lightline Cartonpacker
- All functions in a compact machine layout
- Up to 12 carton trays per minute
- 5- and 10-carton trays, American cases and display cartons
- Format changeover in 5 min