Related core topics: Business news, Cocoa & chocolate, New products, Packaging, Processing, Regulatory, Sustainability

Related topics: bakery, confectionery, equipment, flexibility, HMI, industry 4.0, sustainability, systems

Italian-headquartered Sacmi Packaging & Chocolate has unveiled a broad range of equipment and processing systems developed for the chocolate, confectionery and bakery sectors, as part of its ‘virtual Interpack’ presentation. Neill Barston reports.

According to the business, there has been an “extraordinary commitment” from its employees across its manufacturing sites, who have enabled production schedules to continue during the coronavirus pandemic.

The company devised an online representation of its Interpack stand in Dusseldorf (which will now take place next March), which was available to view by its customers last month, as it continues to expand its market presence since acquiring the renowned Italian Carle & Montanari confectionery equipment brand two years ago.

Within its chocolate processing portfolio, it has developed two new lines in the form of its Beta X2A tempering machine, as well as releasing a new continuous moulding system.

The Beta X2A (below) has been designed for aerated products that allow injection of quantities of gas into the variable speed intensive stirring/mixing sector, which has the effect of refining the density of the aerated product in a simple and functional way. The system completes the range for aerated chocolate products, which are key to the ventilation circuit for creams and milk chocolate of the Aero Core moulding depositor, that is already standard on SACMI Packaging & Chocolate moulding plants.

Furthermore, as the company noted, the tempering machine can also operate, in its versatility, in traditional mode when the production of aerated masses is not required. A small restyling and a brand new HMI panel improve the aesthetics of the machine.

In addition, the company is also releasing its Cavemil (below) Super 860, a new generation chocolate moulding plant with continuous movement. Its mono-line version with mould sizes 860. This is dedicated mainly to the production of solid bars and tablets, with premixed inclusions or cream filled with One-Shot technology, this plant meets the requirements of medium and high production capacity (from 500 to 5,000kg/h) which has been developed featuring a modern, highly functional design.

It has been designed to meet a high level of flexibility, performance and efficiency (existing moulds for the Multicavemil 650/1200 can be reused with some construction changes), modularity (all modules have standard measures to allow future line extensions), as well as total accessibility to the equipment for cleaning and maintenance operations. The range is equipped with the last version of the Core depositor, with a patent pending change over system, which reportedly offers class-leading times of under five minutes.

In addition to this, there are two other patent pending solutions on this plant: the mould extraction/loading system in the mould changing station and the innovative system for positioning the finished product on the conveyor in the demoulding station.

For its packaging systems, the company has devised a total solution through a gondola buffer feeding the new HY7 (image below), an hybrid wrapping machine and the flow-wrapping machine connected to a new trifunctional packaging cell, that will be demonstrated this autumn at Pack Expo in Chicago, US.

As the company noted, this latest line, which represents a new generation of high speed wrapping systems with its Hybrid Drive concept (patent pending), has been created with electronics and mechanics inside the machines are used in combination in order to maximise their benefits.

The research and development work on the application of electronic technology on medium-high speed machines, in addition to the deep knowledge of over 50 years in the use of traditional mechanical systems, has provided us with the appropriate tools to analyse in detail each functional group of the machine and to define which of the two technologies was optimal to best perform each single function of the machine.

This is said to have bought several benefits, including wrapping quality excellence, tailor-made wrapping sequence, as well as innovative solutions to prevent chocolate build-up and sanitary design with easy access for cleaning. It also has a compact footprint,  oil-less self-lubricating, as well as troubleshooting on board the new HMI. It has been designed to manage even the most delicate products and innovative and sustainable wrapping materials. Its modular design leads to a reduction in crossing times, facilitates the installation and set-up of the machine, which consequently reduces the time required to achieve performances to start production.

Also within confectionery, it has developed the H-1K, a wrapping machine for candies. This is a new generation of the existing Carle&Montanari Y871 candy wrapping machine, equipped with a new feeding system controlled by a servomotor, which optimises performance compared to the traditional cam system. It features a hygienic design, is compact, efficient and versatile for the optimal management of different innovative and sustainable products, styles and wrapping materials.

For bakery operations, it has also developed  the GD25, a tray forming machine for bakery, confectionery and other food and non food applications, which has been created as part of an ‘oven to case solution’ (main story photo) offered by the company.

The firm’s latest system is said to be well suited to several applications, with special look to the “bakery” world, where the features of flexibility and “handling care” are the skills requested to best preserve the integrity and quality of products, such as baked products that have ingredients on their surface or irregular edges. The solution shows a station of a primary and secondary packaging dedicated to biscuits and includes a loading cell provided with “fast picker” robots that are equipped with an exclusive smart pick tooling system. This device allows the handling of both single products and grouped products, synchronising the different phases of the processes.

The primary packaging process is both flexible and versatile. Starting with our JT PRO flowpack system. This system is designed to handle every type of baked product, specifically with irregular shapes or edges realised in most organically based products and particular to leavened products; the products are then conveyed directly to the Active Cell 222 which forms the box, and deposits the grouped products within. Finally, the filled boxes are sealed ready for palletising.

As the company acknowledge, the creation of its latest series of equipment has emerged despite the ongoing pandemic, which has placed considerable strain on logistics and equipment development across all segments of the food and drink sector.

Speaking on its response the crisis, the company said: “From the earliest stages of the emergency, we have taken all necessary measures to safeguard the health of personnel, customers and suppliers.

“We gained permission to continue our operations during the pandemic,  as we are recognised as performing an essential role within the food supply chain. We are still doing our utmost to minimise any effects, thanks also to the extraordinary commitment of our personnel to ensure smooth management of orders, deliveries and assistance services.

“We are reacting to the difficulties caused by the Corona: for example, we are doing remote factory acceptance tests, locating several cameras near the machine to test, in order to let customers, who are not physically in our premises, understand how it is performing; then, we have recently created a Virtual Booth, showing all the machines that we would have exhibited at Interpack.”

The business added that since becoming part of the Sacmi business network, there has been considerable investment made in the business. This has enabled it to continue a focus on its core areas of equipment for process and moulding, wrapping, primary and secondary packaging). In addition, it remains committed to creating a new generation of personalised, automated machines for the confectionery and bakery sectors, as well as delivering complete plants as part of its overall strategy.

The PPMA Show is the UK’s biggest exhibition of processing and packaging machinery, so make sure this event is in your diary.

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