Handling system moves digestive biscuits gently and quickly

Digestive biscuits are fragile and require careful handling in the production plant to avoid breakages, so United Biscuits turned to Ingenia Solutions when it wanted to upgrade its production line to improve productivity and quality. Based in West Sussex, Ingenia Solutions specialises in the design, manufacture and installation of high-quality, custom-built machines. The company produces one-off machines, conveyors, industrial and commercial workstations, machine frames, perimeter guarding and more.

Steve Smith, the managing director of Ingenia Solutions, states: "United Biscuits are implementing a rolling programme of work at Harlesden to improve efficiency and quality across a number of lines. The company is probably going to replace a significant amount of equipment at the facility with the overall intention of improving quality.

"The key issue for them with the digestive line was the unreliability of transferring packages from one line to another, which was resulting in biscuits crumbling in the packet. Unfortunately, because the packets are sealed when transferred, damaged biscuits cannot be detected until the packets are opened by the end customer." But it was not only quality that United Biscuits wanted to improve, as Smith explains. "The client also wanted to up the speed of the line to get a much faster production. However, speed does not always equate to careful handling, which meant we needed to devise a bespoke solution which could deliver on both levels."

Transfer line specification

The brief was to replace the current biscuit transfer system and replace it with a new system that was faster and incorporated a metal detector (MD) station, biscuit transfer arrangement and two off-biscuit transfer units that direct product into the existing case packing machine. Ingenia's proposal was centred around a Bosch Varioflow modular chain conveyor system that can be easily adapted to specific tasks and production layouts.

Included in the handling system was a six-lane bespoke conveyor arrangement with a bend at the exit of the Varioflow conveyors. The Varioflow technology interfaces seamlessly with the existing plant, with bespoke conveyors carrying the product through the metal detectors, and reject chutes for any packets in which metallic contaminants are detected.

Varioflow advantages

Smith comments: "The quality of the Bosch product is very good. The Varioflow technology is the best in its class, capable of longer chain pulls with fewer motors than any other supplier's equipment. All in all we probably used half the number of motors that any other comparable manufacturer would have used for the line, which is a significant saving in both investment cost and running costs for the end user. It is an ideal solution for any industry looking for a delicate handling solution."

For United Biscuits, the end result was an increase in production to approximately 60 packs per minute, and the virtual elimination of damaged biscuits.

Smith adds: "United Biscuits are delighted with our solution and the Bosch product. In fact, we are currently working on another project at the same manufacturing plant, which involves a similar solution and equipment - which we won on the back of the digestive line project."

Follow the link for further information about Bosch Rexroth Varioflow conveyors.