Sweet temptations

4 May 2007



It may be that sugar and all things nice go into making chocolates, but it's the packaging that really sells them says Nessan Cleary


Chocolates, sweets and all the various forms of candy can be challenging items to package cost-effectively. Most confectionery items are small and easily damaged, but they have to be sorted, weighed and packed in a hygienic environment, and yet they are not high value items in themselves. Consequently, developing confectionery packaging machines tends to be a highly specialised part of the market, dominated by a relatively small number of well-known players.

One of these, Ishida has recently added a number of small hopper weighers to its R series of multihead weighers. The new additions are designed for high speed weighing and packing of products at lower target weights, making them ideal for confectionery use. They can achieve speeds of 200 Weighs/min with very little product giveaway for virtually 100% efficiency. Much of this efficiency is down to the R series' use of new algorithms which allows the weigher to choose the best combination of weights from three options. Ishida Europe's managing director Graham Clements explains: “In today's competitive markets, maximising yield is more vital than ever but at the same time consumers and retailers can be very unforgiving if the finished product does not match up to their expectations.”

The R series is the flagship range of Ishida's multihead weighing products. They feature a pulse width modulation drive system to maintain a consistent product flow through to the hoppers, as well as an anti-floor vibration system to cancel out surrounding vibration. Touch screen interfaces powered by Windows XP make these machines easy to use, with little downtime for product changeovers, as well as being easy to network for integration with other packaging equipment.

The company also makes a slower budget SE series, which are mostly used for dry applications including confectionery, and a mid-range RS series. The RS models boast a self-tuning vibration system for optimal product flow together with easy training and maintenance.

Kliklok-Woodman produces a number of cartoning machines, both for end and top loading. Kliklok invented the mechanical lock-formed carton and not surprisingly produces several top load systems. Among recent top load cartoning projects have been two lines for Nestlé France, to handle wrapped chocolate Lion Bars. These work at speeds of up to 120 cartons/min, with two sizes per line; the carton itself is a three-flap charlotte style, lock erected and hot-melt closed. The lines each use a Kliklok SRW double headed forming machine to lock form two cartons at each stroke, depositing them into a flighted conveyor. These machines are interfaced with an existing automatic loading system which fills the right number of bars into the erected cartons. Once filled, the cartons are closed using the Kliklok Mini Genesis Closer, a small footprint machine able to handle cartons arriving at random.

Kliklok-Woodman also produces several end loading systems, including the SFR (Small Footprint Rotary), which was recently chosen by Cadbury Trebor Bassett in Sheffield, UK, for loading bags of Liquorice Allsorts and Wine Gums into tapered cartons. The machine can reach 120 cartons/min, but its main feature is its short footprint at 3.6m long. It has a modular design so it's possible to add different infeed options. It features a powered carton hopper, electronic carton control and a Nordson glue jetting system as standard.

Cadbury Trebor Bassett is also running a pair of Kliklok K170 high speed end loaders and TRACi product handling systems. The K170's run at 140 cartons/min and the TRACi's collate and group products in various combinations - singles, pairs, side-by-side and also one-on-one - for automatic insertion into both tapered and rectangular cartons.

Bradman Lake also produces a number of specialised machines for the confectionery sector. Its latest ADS (Automatic Distribution System ¬- see Packaging Today, April, p28) is an intelligent conveyor system designed for a long life operating in the most demanding environment and production conditions. It has a small footprint and boasts a belt tracking and removal system, integrated controls and light curtain technology to combine high performance and minimal maintenance. Bradman Lake will also customise this equipment, and recently adapted the guide rail technology on one of these machines for an international supplier of specialist confectionery products.

Easter always bring out a fair share of interesting packaging solutions. This year, Thorntons turned to Boxes Prestige for a range of cartons for several of its luxury ranges. Some of these, including the Single Origin and Organic ranges have packaging already printed by Boxes Prestige, and the natural and organic emphasis of the existing cartons is carried through into Thornton's new range of Easter products. Jon Basford, Sales Manager for Boxes Prestige commented: “We have a long and trusted relationship with Thorntons, and our understanding of their needs has allowed us to apply their existing designs to the new technical challenge of creating the Easter cartons”

When it comes to board products, Frovi Carry, from Korsnas, turned out to be the perfect solution in creating a chocolate pack which would still have shelf impact after a month's journey at sea to Australia. This job was carried out by Printing and Packaging on behalf of Ashbury Confectionery for its Needlers Moments brand. Printing and Packaging opted for a V-shaped carton together with bright colours to achieve the shelf impact, but, as Julian Sanders, purchasing manager at Ashbury Confectionery, explains: “In addition to the demanding voyage, the heavy content (1Kg) and the V-shape of the pack put extra pressure on the carton board, so we really needed a strong board as well as the usual need for a good print result.” Frovi Carry is a four-layer virgin fibre board with an unbleached bottom layer and a clay coated top layer, giving it both strength to weight ratio and high tear resistance.

Overwrapping also forms an important part of many confectionery packs, one key advantage being that it improves the overall appearance of a pack, which in turn allows for low cost materials to be used to make the carton. Jeremy Marden, marketing director of Marden Edwards explains: “Overwrap pulls a piece of film around the pack and then folds it almost as if you were wrapping it by hand. But you do get very close to a near hermetic seal and it acts as a pretty good barrier to bugs and to other gases passing between the pack and the outside.”

Marden adds: “The purpose of overwrap is to ensure shelf life and to show if someone has got inside and pilfered it. But in terms of confectionery it is very useful if you are giving the item as a present because it shows that it has kept the actual carton of whatever's inside clean and that it has not been contaminated since it left the factory. It can also help to contain aromas.”

Marden Edwards has recently launched a new overwrapping machine, the Evo-Fold, which operates at speeds up to 45 packs/min. This is an entry-level fully automatic machine which the company claims is cheaper than many automatic shrink wrappers both to buy and to run.

The company also produces the TM100 which gives crisp end folds and a lateral seal on the trailing edge for good shelf presentation. Standard options for the machine include a film slitter and powered rewind unit allowing one film width to be stocked for many different sizes. It also provides for a tear tape unit to add an easy open tab to assist unwrapping and a print registration system enabling the use of printed film.

Hotel Chocolate has been using a Marden Edwards B225FF which produces an end-fold overwrap to give a tactile surface and also allows a tear tape to be incorporated into the wrap. John Hadley, Operations Director at Hotel Chocolate, explains: “When customers are actually handling the products in-store, there are no raised seams and the film has a better feel to it.” He adds: “The Marden Edwards B225FF is capable of wrapping around 40 boxes a minute, which is almost four times as many as the L sealers and shrink tunnels we are using on mail order products. However, the retail sector is growing so fast we have already installed a second machine to cope with demand.”

As Marden points out: “Most chocolates are given as gifts. They are not meant for consumption by the person who's actually bought them in the first place so the packaging is extraordinarily important.”


Contact details

Boxes Prestige. T: + 44 (01604 811971. www.boxesgroup.co.uk

Bradman Lake. T: +44 (0)1603 441000. www.bradmanlake.co.uk

Ishida Europe. T: +44 (0)121 607 7700. www.ishidaeurope.com

Kliklok Woodman. T: 01275 836131. www.kliklok.com

Korsnas. T: +44 (0)208 886 6344. http://frovi.korsnas.com

Marden Edwards. T: +44 (0)1202 861 200. www.mardenedwards.com

Wine gums, as produced on Kliklok-Woodman's SFR end loading system wine_gums This example from Hotel Chocolate shows the beneficial effect of end-fold overwrapping Hot_Choc_test_pic Ishida has recently added a number of small hopper weighers to its R series of multihead weighers ish2005 Marden Edwards' entry-level Evo-Fold overwrapper which it claims is cheaper than many automatic shrink wrappers both to buy and to run Evofold_Machine

Marden Edwards' entry-level Evo-Fold overwrapper which it claims is cheaper ... Marden Edwards' entry-level Evo-Fold overwrapper which it claims is cheaper ...
Ishida has recently added a number of small hopper weighers ... Ishida has recently added a number of small hopper weighers ...
This example from Hotel Chocolate shows the beneficial effect of ... This example from Hotel Chocolate shows the beneficial effect of ...
Wine gums, as produced on Kliklok-Woodman's SFR end loading system Wine gums, as produced on Kliklok-Woodman's SFR end loading system


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