Sweet confectionery solutions

Confectionery is one of the most fascinating fast-moving consumer goods sectors and is a platform for considerable innovation. This is ostensibly attributable to the competition across the chocolate, sugar confectionery and chewing gum categories, combined with the need to differentiate products on the shelf. However, many other factors come into play, particularly as confectionery is necessarily a value-added product. There are also considerable differences in confectionery types consumed across the world. For example, Russian and Eastern European products are often long-established and packaging reflects their heritage. American products, on the other hand, often have a very short life and are constantly being launched, discontinued or repackaged to suit new trends.

Other factors shaping the future development of packaging materials and machinery are related to the requirements of efficiency, hygiene and the problems emanating from an increasingly deskilled workforce.

Acma, Italy

Acma (part of the Coesia Group) is headquartered in the Bolognese ‘packaging valley’. In the confectionery sector, Acma specialises in high-speed lines for realising such individual wrapping styles as flowrapping, single wrappers and double-end twist. Its technology has also been harnessed to form and fill a wide range of containers. By collaborating with MC Automation, the chocolate division of Acma, it can offer a complete portfolio of machines to supply the different packaging types demanded by the market.

The modular FT301 machine forms and fills cardboard containers with regular and irregularly-shaped confectionery products. Regularly-shaped products are supplied via a feed unit, whereas irregularly shaped products are fed via a scale-feeding system at a speed of 300 packs per minute (PPM). The FT401 machine has the same degree of versatility and can achieve an output of 400PPM. The FT301 is usually integrated in-line with the C301 film-overwrapping machine. The Fin Seal version realises the transverse and longitudinal welding of the material prior to folding, thereby guaranteeing maximum product protection.

Acma has also launched the FT401 rigid model for filling and packaging products in metal or plastic containers. The machine design exploits the filling technologies currently used for cardboard cartons, using either counter or scale-feeding systems. If necessary, a container capping and labelling module can be integrated downstream.

Alcan Packaging, France

Building on its long-standing relationship with private-label manufacturer Monkhill Confectionery, the Paris-headquartered Alcan Packaging has recently completed production of the bags for the Marks & Spencer range of Organic Speckled Eggs. Reverse-flexo-printed on clear OPP laminate, the packs offer the required durability and shelf appeal. The simple graphics and colour scheme, supported by a clear film window, permit visibility of the chocolate eggs within the pack, thereby reinforcing the natural and organic nature of the product.

Des Healey, Monkhill Confectionery, commented: “We have worked with Alcan Packaging for over 20 years and we’re consistently delighted with the quality of the packaging produced by the team. The packs for the Marks & Spencer Speckled Eggs are no exception and they are bound to look fantastic on the shelf.”

A.M.P Rose, UK

A.M.P Rose of Gainsborough, Lincolnshire supplies machines for cut-and-wrap and pre-formed wrapping. These are suitable for a wide variety of confectionery products, realising various wrapping styles. The ‘750’ is an extremely versatile, yet low-cost, cut-and-wrap machine that can achieve an output of 750PPM. It can wrap a full range of confectionery products, such as bubble gum, hard candy, chewy sweets and toffees. In addition to traditional double-twist or folded-end concepts, the 750 can be used to package lollipops, products with a visible design (‘whirl’ machine), and bars up to a length of 150mm.

A.M.P Rose also manufactures the high-speed ‘Super 42HS’ range, capable of achieving outputs in excess of 1000PPM. This incorporates such user-friendly features as a PLC, fully-automatic wrapper feed and easy wrapper change-over. In addition, the company has developed a continuous-motion wrapping machine for pre-formed candy. This machine can wrap deposited or die-formed hard candies at a maximum speed of 1200PPM.

Boxes Prestige, UK

Boxes Prestige of Northampton has worked with premium chocolate manufacturer Thornton’s for the past seven years. Last year, Thornton’s decided to rebrand its Continental Range. This involved printing up to seven colours, using satin and spot varnishes. Each carton within the range also incorporates an individual foil-blocked design to differentiate between the seven products.

Boxes Prestige also worked with Thornton’s on the new packaging for the Continental Easter range. This involved satisfying Thornton’s self-imposed environmental targets, achieved by sourcing a special board that could act as support to the egg, yet reducing the total amount of packaging.

Jon Basford, Sales Manager, Boxes Prestige commented: “Working within the confectionery industry presents us with many challenges to provide value for money and shelf appeal, whilst also developing environmentally viable packaging. Our experience within the field means we are constantly innovating, and can provide the customer with a complete packaging solution.”

Bradman Lake, USA

The LJ-Series of robotic toploaders from Bradman Lake, headquartered in Charlotte, North Carolina, USA, has been installed in the packaging sections of numerous leading confectionery companies, both in the USA and elsewhere. These automatically collate and load products, incorporating the ABB Flexpicker Robot. This automation provides significant cost reductions, serving to optimise output.

The Bradman Lake range of robotic topload cartoning machines exemplifies the company’s progression into new equipment development. They have been developed in response to market demands for replacement of manual product loading with fully automatic systems. This range has been designed to pack regular products, including those with awkward shapes or comprising large cartons of multiple products. Examples are unstable shaped muffins or packs of 36 wrapped chocolate bars.

Using multi-axis robots, the LJ range of robotic cartoners can handle flowrapped, bagged or unwrapped products. Thereafter, these are collated in fast-indexing pocketed conveyors and loaded into cartons, trays or corrugated cases. The machines within the LJ range operate at various speeds up to 1000PPM, depending upon the product dimensions. Dual infeed versions are also available, designed to accept products from two primary sources.

The three models comprising the LJ range are the Single Race Track (SRT), Dual Race Track (DRT) and Triple Race Track (TRT). These operate at various loading speeds and dual infeed versions of all models are available. Each is designed to achieve a particular product speed input and carton count. Systems are modular, capable of achieving different pack configurations. Their modularity enables a wide variety of packaging line layouts to be achieved, making the best use of available space.

The carton management system applies the ‘intelligent belt technology’ utilised in the cartoning machines to create a method by which formed cartons, trays or cases may be transferred into the robotic loading station. This serves to achieve the precise spacing and consistent speed that is integral to high-speed product loading. This system is programmed into the software, being automatically adjusted to suit various dimensions of carton, tray or case.

The entire machine is PLC-controlled, and size changeovers can be undertaken in minimal time, only requiring a few change parts and negligible engineering expertise. The strong, lightweight robot gripper technology has been designed to handle a wide range of product types.

EAFA, Germany

The Düsseldorf-based European Aluminium Foil Association (EAFA) informed us about an innovative use of foil for confectionery applications. Ferrero Garden chocolate products, manufactured in Germany, are wrapped in a hermetically-sealed foil laminate of PP/alufoil/heatseal lacquer from Aluflexpack of Croatia. The modern aesthetics and barrier qualities of the aluminium foil are imperative in the confectionery sector, where exposure to light, aroma and moisture can detrimentally affect the product. The aroma barrier qualities facilitate a mix of Ferrero Garden flavour variants within the selection. The aesthetics of the wraps are optimised by imprinting with brilliant colours.

Heyne & Penke Verpackungen, Germany

Located in Holzminden, Heyne & Penke specialises in packaging materials for the confectionery industry. It particularly focuses on flowrapping compound films, capable of being run on the latest machines at outputs of 2000PPM. Heyne & Penke’s customers can select from a wide range of films, including metallised and transparent variants. These films exhibit excellent sealing and barrier characteristics.

Waxed paper is becoming popular once again, and Heyne & Penke has thus invested in a new Kroenert wax-coating machine. This has a working width of 1400mm, thereby facilitating a high production output. Simultaneous application on both sides is possible in a single run, together with high-gloss coating, if required.

Ishida Europe, UK

Birmingham-based Ishida has supplied its RS Series multihead weigher to Chocmod, the leading French confectioner. This is designed to maximise productivity and flexibility in the production of its world-famous Truffettes de France chocolate truffles, which are becoming increasingly popular in the USA and Canada. These truffles are packed in bags, which are then inserted in distinctive cartons. Chocmod had installed a new cartoner, capable of delivering 500g packs at a rate of 80PPM, and required a multihead weigher that could match these speeds.

Advanced hardware and software enable the weigher to factor more of the available weigh-head data into its computations, yet reducing calculation time by 80 per cent, when compared with competitor machines. Consequently, the cartoner can deliver 2.4 tonnes of truffles per hour.

The truffles are brought to the top of the 14-head Ishida weigher via an Intralox conveyor. The weigher is installed in a special chamber where the temperature is maintained at 16–17°C, which is the optimal temperature for quality chocolate manufacture. Product exits the weigher via a throat metal detector, and enters the bagmaker below. The filled and sealed bags are conveyed into the cartoning machine.

Kliklok-Woodman International, UK

Kliklok-Woodman of Whitchurch, Bristol is to install its new Celox high-speed stainless steel cartoning machine at United Biscuits’ McVitie’s factory in Manchester. The company has increased production of its popular Jaffa Cakes product, and thus needed to enhance the efficiency of its fully-automatic end-load cartoner, handling single, double and triple packs of product.

United Biscuits thus selected the Celox, due to its easy reconfiguration and use of servo controls, thereby increasing reliability. Furthermore, the machine has enhanced diagnostic capabilities. The innovative modular design of the Celox facilitates efficient integration with automatic product handling equipment. United Biscuits also selected a Vortex loading and collating unit, easily integrated with the Celox machine and providing a complete high-speed packaging solution, operating at rates up to 240PPM.

Korsnäs, Sweden

Raffaello is a ‘snowball’ coconut almond praliné manufactured by Ferrero in Poland. For Valentine’s Day 2008, the company decided to create a special pack. This special edition has set a new record in Poland, and has been used as part of an advertising campaign. Ferrero chose Korsnäs Frövi White cartonboard, as it knew the company was flexible, requiring minimal lead-times. However, Frövi White also has the required stiffness, imparting premium sensory properties. Furthermore, the material is interesting as it facilitates lightweighting, due to its strength.

Marden Edwards, UK

Marden Edwards is a world-leader in the design and manufacture of wrapping and packaging machines. The use of tuck-and-fold overwrapping, also known as cello wrapping, is well-suited to the torrent of environmental and high-energy cost considerations that face the industry. If the assumption is made that the confectionery pack derives benefits from the tamper evidence, protection and multipacking facilities provided by film-wrapping, then overwrapping is steadily improving its competitive position against shrink-wrap.

Furthermore, use of the technique serves to reduce cost and enhance environmental credentials. Overwrapping can use wood-based cellophane or corn starch-based film, both of which are biodegradable. Cellophane will happily biodegrade in landfill, yet produces a crisp, high-quality wrapped finish. If oil-based PP film is used, the cost is considerably less than the equivalent polyolefin shrink film as there is no requirement for a shrink property.

In fact, one of Marden Edwards’ Mexican customers, supplying the US biscuit market, made the switch to overwrap and paid for the machine in three months due to the reduced packaging materials cost. The company was also able to use printed films for seasonal promotions and the film did not need to be perforated to achieve a tight shrink, unlike the shrinkwrap that it replaced.

Shrinkwrap has traditionally scored over overwrap in terms of flexibility, particularly regarding the speed of format changeover. The major benefit is that little changepart tooling is required when new sizes are run. Furthermore, the capital machinery cost has been reduced, particularly for those machines operating at low production speeds. However, this is beginning to change. The assimilation of servo-motor driven operation and motor-assisted changeover have resulted in the achievement of size-change speeds that equal those of shrinkwrap. Furthermore, adjustable tooling is increasingly being specified.

MM Packaging, Germany

MM Packaging, cartonboard specialists, located in Hamburg, has recently developed the ‘Merci Petits’ heart-shaped concept, comprising a two-part construction consisting of a lid and bottom with banderole. This banderole of single thickness material can be attached to the lid and bottom with a decorative overhang, or can be rimless.

However, the ‘Feodora’ heart-shaped package is different as it features a double-walled banderole. The cut material edge is not visible in this more elegant version, even when the packaging is open. The high degree of technical expertise of MM Packaging prompted the customer to change his packaging supply from Asia to a regional supply.

Furthermore, MM Packaging offers a wide assortment of finishing options, including 15 hot-foil stamping units. A prime example is the ‘Chocolat Pavot’ sharing box, incorporating an internal mirror to achieve a fresh effect and gold-coloured relief hot-foil stamping on the window film. MM Packaging applied its technical expertise to eliminate waves or deformations in the window film around the logo.

Optima Group, Germany

Located in Schwäbisch Hall, the Optima Group is manufacturing an innovative packaging concept that integrates the advantages of the can and stand-up pouch. Developed by Huhtamaki and called Cyclero, the package combines premium quality with convenience and low production costs.

Cyclero is produced from film in the Optima SoftCan-Maker. The film is unwound and cut at defined intervals, providing the machine with a rectangular piece of film. It is then formed on a mandrel and side-sealed. Thereafter, the bottom is secured in the tube, which already resembles a cylindrical container. The Optima machine reinforces the film tube with a plastic ring positioned in the upper inner rim, ensuring stability of the package when opened. The ring imparts excellent resealing properties and the lid actually snaps back into the can when closed.

In order to extend shelf-life, Cyclero packs can be flushed on the inside with an inert gas, prior to closure of the can via the lid and sealing on the ring. This creates a safety closure. When first opening the can, the consumer will feel noticeable resistance when pulling off the lid. The final station of the SoftCan machine prints a sell-by date on the package bottom. Additional formats can be specified at any time and the Optima SoftCan machine offers an unusually large format range. The second generation of the SoftCan Maker is now available and can be augmented with a robotic handling station.

Polysack Plastic Industries, Israel

Polysack of Negev manufactures Polyphane Twist, a unique PE film specifically designed for candy wrapping. It twists naturally, has excellent twist retention and preserves product freshness. Smadar Bar, Flexible Packaging Division, Polysack commented: “Polyphane Twist constitutes a breakthrough in twist-wrap technologies. There is probably no better plastic substitute for cellophane.”

Smadar continued: “The improved properties of the wrapping film provide the user with a yield that is up to 50 per cent higher than other materials in the market.” Polyphane Twist is an exceptionally safe, environmentally friendly substitute for cellophane and PVC, which are predominantly used in the sugar confectionery industry. It runs on the older wrapping machines and on most modern machines. As it is a non-halogen material, Polyphane Twist is ecologically safe, can be recycled and is inactive to sugar, chocolate, liqueur spirit fillings and other ingredients used in candies and sweets.

Redpack Packaging Machinery, UK

Redpack, located in Norwich, has launched its new P100 flowrapping machine. With prices starting at just £16,000, this is a flexible entry-level item, designed to appeal to companies that flowrap products in lower volumes. The P100 is a rugged, compact machine manufactured from heavy-duty steel, designed to achieve a long, reliable service life. It is extremely compact and a stainless steel version is available for those packing environments with stringent hygiene requirements.

The P100 operates at speeds between 20–150PPM, using films with widths of either 350mm or 450mm. It provides fast, accurate bag length adjustment. Redpack believes this new machine will be of particular interest to the bakery and confectionery industries, where a wide product range needs to be packed during a typical production shift. Machine options and accessories include alternative in-feed arrangements, date-coding and gusseting.

RPC Containers, UK

RPC Containers Blackburn has launched a new range of standard PET jars for the weigh-out retail and gift markets. These injection stretch blow-moulded jars are supplied in three sizes of 2.5, 3.6 and 4.7 litres. These retro designs combine the look of traditional sweet jars with the modern benefits of PET, which is lightweight, shatterproof, easily-handled and has a crystal-clear finish that ensures products are displayed to their best effect.

The large decoration area also provides space for positioning eye-catching label designs to enhance a premium image, whilst the jars can be specified with a huge variety of cap options to help create an individual brand identity. The caps can be colour-matched to meet brand requirements and are manufactured by RPC Halstead.

Schubert, UK

Schubert UK in Coventry, West Midlands has supplied an automated packaging solution to Burton’s Foods in Wales for its Jammie Dodgers product. This high-performance line comprises 16 robots that rapidly pick and place more than 1700 biscuits a minute in a round-the-clock operation, operating for at least five days each week.

The robots package eight Jammie Dodgers into each tray and can fill up to 220 trays a minute from the system’s 1.6m-wide conveyor. The line also incorporates Schubert’s new-generation vision system that checks surface decoration, pattern and biscuit colour.

The incident light scanner takes a colour image of the product that is then communicated to the robots so only products conforming to quality standards are packed. The vision system is designed to identify potential problems, such as broken, displaced or missing shells. Ian Brisco, Factory General Manager, commented: “Jammie Dodgers were previously packed by hand and it was a monotonous, labour-intensive operation. The Schubert system is very good and it has exceeded all expectations to date.”

Sigpack Systems, Switzerland

Beringen-based Sigpack Systems, a Bosch Packaging Technology Company, recently launched an innovative variant on flowrapping called the Pull Pack. Featuring a tear seal, the Pull Pack enables consumers to simply pull off the short end of the wrapper to facilitate quick access to contents without coming into contact with the product. This optimises hygiene, keeping hands and clothing clean. The package opens precisely along the perforation, hidden beneath a folded flap, thereby preventing the unintentional tearing that can result from the use of tear tapes or zigzag cuts.

The Pull Pack is suitable for biscuits, chocolate bars, ice cream and other food or non-food applications. Furthermore, the special Pull Pack module can be easily integrated with existing Bosch flowrapping machines between the foil unwinder and folding box. Utilisation of the Pull Pack creates myriad marketing opportunities. For example, packaging coupons can be applied directly to the package.

Stora Enso, Finland

In 2007, the winner of the ProCarton/ECMA Carton of the Year Award was Aug. Heinrigs Druck + Verpackung. This was given for a chocolate package manufactured for Confiserie Coppeneur et Compagnon from Tamwhite board, manufactured by Stora Enso, headquartered in Imatra. Hans-Günther Heinrigs, General Manager, Aug. Heinrigs, commented: “The carton is designed to surprise the person who opens it. Two ends of the box slide apart and the carton turns into a small display table.”

The Collection Coppeneur was relaunched last year in the new packaging. In 2008, the range is being augmented with a new liqueur chocolate assortment. Taint and odour neutrality were the primary requirements for the board material, together with a smooth surface for printing and the necessary stiffness for the table function. Stora Enso Tamwhite thus offered the right combination of board properties.

Theegarten-Pactec, Germany

The Dresden-based Theegarten-Pactec has launched a new generation of medium-speed confectionery wrapping machines, capable of realising a wide range of wrapping styles. These are designed to be versatile, being easily changed over between products and packaging styles. The company has recently enhanced the product separation elements of its MCH range of medium-speed continuous-motion wrapping machines for high-boiled sweets. The engineers have particularly addressed the feeding plates, the purpose of which is to achieve more gentle transference from the plate to the first head at high speed. It can thus be used to wrap chocolate-coated products at high output.

Theegarten-Pactec has also introduced the MCC medium-speed continuous-motion wrapping machine for chocolate products, equipped with a feeding belt and integrated synchronisation to optimise product separation. This can be used to realise a range of wrapping styles at outputs of between 600 and 1200PPM. Formats include double-twist, fold-wrap, protected twist and foil-wrap. The challenging top-twist and side-twist wrapping styles can be realised at speeds of 700PPM.

Ukrplastic, Ukraine

Headquartered in Kyiv, Ukrplastic is constantly developing flexible packaging technology for confectionery applications. It has developed Twispan twist film for the sachet-wrapping of dome-shaped candies. The films have a thickness of 30–35 microns, thereby ensuring enhanced rigidity and twisting properties, together with an excellent deadfold and well-defined bottom shape. These are available in transparent, white and metallised variants. Ukrplastic also manufactures Twispan LW 100 white and LM 100 metallised for wrapping dome-shaped candies by pressing with tape. These films have a thickness of between 25 and 30 microns and thus exhibit enhanced rigidity, excellent processing qualities and are supremely cost-effective to use.

Ukrplastic has also launched three-layer and two-layer laminates, respectively known as Solan and Alpan. These incorporate a cold seal and are printed using ten-colour rotogravure or 11-colour flexographic processes. The company also manufactures laminates, whereby the external layer is strongly bonded with the internal layer. These materials are used for production of myriad pouch types, including gusseted bags. Ukrplastic offers peel-sealable barrier laminates, specially designed for use as easy-opening lidding materials for thermoformed packaging. These are manufactured from a range of materials, including PET, PS, PP and PVC.

The company specialises in high-quality finished pouches that are either flat, stand-up or shaped. These are becoming increasingly popular across Eastern Europe. Decoration of films and laminates is undertaken using vacuum metallisation, incorporating plasma treatment, continuous flexographic or rotogravure printing in up to ten colours and/or lacquering. Electronic design, digital prepress technology and laser exposure of printing forms for both flexographic and rotogravure technologies are used to achieve the optimal printing quality.

Chromatographic control of the residual solvents enables Ukrplastic to manufacture packaging materials that satisfy EU sanitation and hygiene standards for food contact applications.

Ferrero Garden chocolate products are wrapped in a hermeticall-sealed foil laminate of PP/alufoil/heatseal lacquer from Aluflexpack Ferrero Garden - wrapped in foil laminate These bags from Alcan Packaging are reverse flexo-printed on clear OPP laminate An organic approach Kliklok Woodman has installed its new Celox high-speed stainless steel cartoning machine at United Biscuits' McVitie's factory in Manchester to facilitate increased production of Jaffa Cakes Cartoning expedites production throughput Korsnas Frovi White cartonboard has been used to package the premium Raffaello 'snowball coconut almond praline from Ferrero An ideal Valentine's Day gift Polysack manufactures Polyphane Twist, an unique PE film specifically designed for candy wrapping, featuring excellent twist retention Twist-wrap solution Marden Edwards supplies machines to realise tuck-and-fold overwapping, also known as cello wrapping Premium solution for chocolates Cyclero, an innovative packaging concept combining the advantages of the can and stand-up pouch, is produced from film in the Optima SoftCan-Maker The big question: can or pouch? Boxes Prestige worked with Thornton's on the new packaging for the Continental Easter range, satisfying environmental targets by sourcing a special board that supports the egg Eggsciting prestigious packaging The AMP-Rose 750 is an extremely versatile, yet low-cost, cut-and-wrap machine than can achieve an output of 750PPM An effective, efficient machine RPC Containers Blackburn has launched a new range of blow-moulded PET jars for the weigh-out retail and gift markets Old-fashioned, but bang up-to-date The Schubert line for packaging Jammie Dodgers incorporates a 1.6m-wide conveyer Conveying the Jammie Dodgers The special Sigpack Systems' Pull Pack module can be easily integrated with existing Bosch flowrapping machines Pull Pack - easily integrated, yet with added value Ukrplastic has developed Twispan twist film for the sachet-wrapping of dome-shaped candies and specialises in high-quality shaped pouches Shaped packs enhance chocolate aesethetics Tamwhite board from Stora Enso was used to manufacture the 2007 winner of the ProCarton/ECMA Carton of the Year Award Award-winner uses Stora Enso board The Bradman Lake LJ series of robotic toploaders incorporates the ABB Flexpicker Robot A robotic solution