issue 02/2007 · products with the fairtrade label reached retail sales of 757 million euros in the...

Issue 02/2007

Trend | Global packaging trendsKenafric | Bubble gum balls for African market Bochner Chocolates | Gourmet Chocolates

packazine

2 | packazine Table of contents | Editorial

www.bosch.com/pa [email protected]

News

Corporate News

04 IPI | Master of Packaging

05 Coffee Symposium | Coffee experts host guests from around

the world

Facts & Trends

06 Global Food and Packaging Trends

Customers & Markets

Food & Confectionery

10 Löfbergs | Lilac sets the mood

12 Bama | Frozen pie line is one cool system

16 Wycam‘s | The old-fashioned Belgian way

18 Kenafric | Bubble gum balls for the African market

20 Bochner | Robotic solution boosts gourmet chocolate

manufacturer

Events

23 Food 2007/2008

06 10 16

Cover

The packaging world of tomorrow

Table of contents

packazine | 3

18 20

Dear Readers,

We are fully aware that we can be successful only when you, our customers, are

successful. With this aim, we set standards: we launch innovations

onto the market, extend our range of products and services and

invest in employee know-how. The amount of orders received shows

that our methods bear fruit. More than ever, companies are turning

to Bosch when ordering machines and equipment; the reasons being

reliability, high availability, flexibility and consistently high perfor-

mance.

On behalf of Bosch Packaging Technology, I would like to thank you

for the trust and confidence you have placed in us.

2007 is an exceptionally good year! Due to the close co-operation in our group, we

offer our global customers one-stop, individual line competence. This also includes

Bosch services such as audits, consulting, engineering, start-up and commissioning

support or the partial operation of plants.

We not only demonstrate our technological competence with customers’ orders.

Our special events for the industry have, for some time, found a very positive reso-

nance, with guests participating from all over the world, coming together to discuss

trends and packaging strategies with experts.

This year, we again welcomed several hundred interested guests and experts to the

International Coffee Symposium in Stuttgart and the Confectionery Symposium in

Hamburg.

Our desire for an intensive exchange with our customers goes without saying: we

listen, we understand and we define the best solution together with the customer.

Your needs, as our valued customers, are also in the forefront of this current issue of

our own publication, “packazine”, in which you will learn of successful partnerships

and current trends in the foodstuffs and confectionery markets.

I hope you all enjoy your reading.

Best regards

Friedbert Klefenz

Friedbert Klefenz

President

Bosch Packaging

Technology

Editorial

4 | packazine News Corporate News

With a “Master of Engineering in Pack-

aging Technology” now being awarded

by the International Packaging Insti-

tute, it might not be long before we see

a “Master of Packaging” walking our

production lines!

The International Packaging Institute

(IPI) has its roots in the needs of the

package production and packaging

industries for advanced education in

packaging technology. Now, alongside

regular employment, participants in a

two-year Masters Study Course obtain

comprehensive knowledge of the entire

spectrum of packaging technology.

The Region of Schaffhausen and Lake

Constance: A European center of

packaging

In the world of packaging, Schaffhausen

and the Lake Constance region stand out

due to the concentration of packaging

industry companies. Trailblazing inven-

tions, made in this region as early as

the 19th century, established industrial

packaging. Small wonder then that it

became the very location for a training

and technological center, when the IPI

was founded in 2004 in Neuhausen,

Switzerland.

Bosch Packaging Technology is a leading

partner in the IPI and Friedbert Klefenz,

Chairman of the Bosch Packaging Tech-

nology Division Management, is enthu-

siastic about the institute. He explains,

“From the outset, the primary goal was to

give European packaging a technological

home with a global charisma. A place

where worldwide know-how merges,

industrial developments interconnect

and scientific knowledge, stemming

from various engineering sectors, is

integrated.“

«Master of Engineering in Packaging

Technology»

In 16 weekly blocks, of six days each,

and spread over 24 months, the partici-

pants acquire extensive knowledge in the

following areas:

uPackaging machinery construction

uMaterial technologies

uProduct-relevant technologies

uBusiness administration and manage-

ment

Next to projects, field studies and

interdisciplinary courses, E-Learning

is offered as well, in conjunction with

the School of Packaging at Michigan

State University (USA). All courses are

held in English. Furthermore, advanced

studies are provided to those interested

on a topic-specific basis at the Bachelor

level. Individual course modules can

be booked as “Professional Seminars”

so that anyone can find something

adequate.

For more information please contact:

Dr. Ingo Büren

Phone +41 52 675 51 51

[email protected]

„Master of Packaging“

The Modules of the Master Course

Materials – Structures – Systems

Materials in Packaging

Engineering for Packaging

Machines Technology Management

Interactions and Processes

Converting

Process Engineering

Fillgood Technologies

Interaction and Interfaces

Management

Strategy and Value Creation

Investment and Finance

Leadership and Responsibility

Communication

packazine | 5

From May 9 to 12, representatives of

large and small coffee producers, from

more than 30 countries, met at the

International Coffee Symposium held

in Stuttgart, Waiblingen

and Emmerich. The

guests were welcomed by

Bosch Package Makers

and Probat, the roasting

line producer, to a varied

program of technical pre-

sentations and practical

workshops.

The presentations covered

topics ranging from

developments in the raw coffee market,

to different packaging strategies and new

consumer trends. One of the speakers,

Thomas Meinl Jr., CEO of Julius Meinl

Austria GmbH, reported on a PME 4261

BN packaging line acquired in 2006,

explaining how it permits packaging

to be adapted to customer-specific

requirements. For Meinl, investment

costs for machines are justified when,

for example, they have a positive effect

on marketing opportunities and thus

support his business strategy. In the

practical workshops, at the package

maker location in Waiblingen, the guests

experienced numerous Bosch solutions

at first hand. Here, Bosch demonstrated

its expertise as a partner, particularly in

the areas of flexibility, aroma protection,

new packaging styles and materials, and

package checking.

For the trip to the Probat facilities in

Emmerich, guests climbed aboard the

legendary TEE Rheingold Express from

the 1960s. There was ample time to

party and Franky, playing rock & blues on

his electric piano, ensured that no one

sat still.

At Probat, among many subjects, guests

learned about the human sense of taste

and the influence of different roasting

profiles on the taste of coffee. The pro-

gram was rounded out with a fascinating

presentation by Dr. Bertrand Piccard of

his journey around the world in a hot-air

balloon. His experiences can readily be

applied to the requirements of the coffee

industry: here too, rapid, unconventional

decision-making is in demand.

The entire event demonstrated how

much Bosch shares the enthusiasm

of its customers for coffee, and how

enriching a professional exchange and

global networking can be. Due to the

overwhelming response, Bosch and

Probat have decided to organize another

coffee industry symposium in a similar

format for 2010.


Katja Vollmer

Phone +49 711 811 576 44

[email protected]

Coffee experts host guests from around the world

1 Great interest was shown during the work-

shops in Waiblingen

2 Thomas Meinl Jr., was impressed by the PME

packaging machine

3 Networking and socializing were an impor-

tant part of the symposium

4 Fritz Storm, 2002 World Barista Champion,

demonstrates the key factors required for the

preparation of perfect espresso

1

2 3 4

Ageing consumers with purchasing power are the target group of tomorrow

6 | packazine News Facts & Trends

packazine | 7

New markets

In Asia Pacific and Latin America, new

product developments showed sig-

nificant growth in 2006, while in North

America new product introductions grew

more slowly. New flavours with growth

potential, such as açai (a Latin American

citrus fruit), have been introduced and

dietary supplements, like antioxidants

and Omega-3 fortification, attract con-

sumers, promising diverse benefits such

as immune support or heart health.

Trends are not just about what marketers

have added to their products. They are

also about what they are taking out.

There is increasing demand from con-

sumers for “food free” products, such

as lactose-free and gluten-free, which

target the growing number of consumers

suffering food intolerance. Global food

and drink launches labelled “gluten-free”

nearly doubled in 2006.

New product launches are still growing world-

wide. The latest trends are not restricted to

new flavours or ethical products but see compa-

nies positioning products that will appeal to a

newly discovered target group with purchasing

power.

Global Food and Packaging Trends

8 | packazine News Facts & Trends

Fairtrade and sustainable packaging

Increasingly, consumers focus on the

provenance of products and the wellbe-

ing of others. Products with the Fairtrade

certification help those identifying

goods that meet environmental, labour

and developmental standards. In 2006,

products with the Fairtrade label reached

retail sales of 757 million Euros in the

EU and 379 million Euros in North

America. There is also growth in the use

of Fairtrade ingredients in mainstream

brands and the number of countries

offering these certified products is also

increasing.

The development of an awareness and

understanding of sustainability in societ-

ies around the globe is moving forward.

Therefore, consumer goods package

companies have to face an increasing fo-

cus on sustainable packaging. The target

is an ecological, economical and social

balance throughout the whole value

chain. The sustainable packaging revolu-

tion is about to start and the market for

sustainable rigid and flexible forms in

food and beverage packaging is expected

to surpass $ 42 billion by 2010*.

Ageing consumers

A demographic change in industrialized

countries has resulted in changes in

market structure, with a much larger

segment consisting of ageing consumers.

In America, the 78 million ageing Baby

Boomers (worth around $ 46 billion in

sales) will become the biggest senior

citizen market the US has ever seen.

Worldwide, by 2035, Germany will be the

country with the oldest residents: almost

50 % of the country’s population will be

in the 50-plus age group.

Deliberate buying decisions – Consumers are aware of “food free”

products and the Fairtrade certification

VERY21 %

SOMEWHAT36 %

NEVER 8 %

SOMETIMES 35 %

How important is sustainability in

packaging decisions?

Survey of nearly 2000 packaging sup-

pliers and brand owners in “Packaging

Digest”

(Issue February 2007)

L A C T O S E F R E E

*Candy & Snack Business, March/April 2007

packazine | 9

Europe

Region

Asia Pacific

34,055

2005

38,917

2006

103,893

Total

30,921

2004

20,538 26,963 67,33119,830

North America 19,380 22,878 63,08820,830

Latin America 10,684 12,422 29,8296,723

Middle East & Africa 2,929 3,887 9,6972,881

Total 87,586 105,067 273,83881,185

Global new product introductions by region

Source: Mintel GNPD

Europe103,893

Asia Pacific67,331

North America63,088

Latin America29,829

Middle East & Africa9,697

The special needs of ageing consumers

provide fresh challenges. Diminishing

eyesight and decreasing hand strength

require larger print on labels, ergonomic

design and easy to open and reclose

mechanisms.

Staying one step ahead

By researching future trends and factors,

Bosch Packaging understands the needs

and requirements of consumer good

markets. As a result, new opening and

reclosing mechanisms and the optimized

use of packaging materials are some of

our recent innovation projects. The early

involvement of machine and technology

competence is essential for the success-

ful production, marketing and sale of

consumer goods. Creativity, combined

with our vast engineering expertise, sup-

ports this holistic approach to packaging,

by adding value to every step of the

packaging design and implementation

process.


Ulrike Probst

Phone +41 52 674 80 53

[email protected]

The Löfbergs team and technical

manager, Lars Andersson (second from

right), after the successful acceptance

of the PKS

10 | packazine Customers & Markets Food and Confectionery

The largest coffee roaster in

Scandinavia

AB Anders Löfbergs kaffeegrupp, the

Swedish coffee importer and roaster,

was founded in 1906. The company com-

prises of the production plant Kaffehuset

i Karlstad AB, the sales and marketing

company Löfbergs Lila AS, Löfbergs

Lila International AB and Peter Larsens

Kaffe AS. To this day, Löfbergs is still

a family run company. With sales of

approximately 100 million Euros and 200

employees, it is one of the largest north

European coffee roasters and also one

of Europe’s largest importers of coffee.

Primarily, Löfbergs roasts and sells high

value coffee blends for many preparation

forms, such as special blends for the

growing catering and horeca markets

(hotel, restaurant, café). The bulk of

the coffee production is sold under the

Löfbergs Lila brand.

Meeting customers’ requirements with

reliable technology

Löfbergs has been using Bosch package

makers for more than 35 years. In the

production plant Kaffehuset in Karlstad

(Sweden) the packaging production is

performed solely on two Bosch PKD

3122 BV high output vacuum package

makers. At an output rate of up to 130

vacuum packages each, per minute, the

lines operate extremely reliably and with

a high rate of effectiveness.

In 2006, a major order was pending from

a retail chain, and so the capacity of

Kaffehuset had to be increased at short

notice. In March, 2006, Löfbergs again

decided in favor of its proven partner

Bosch and invested in the PKS 3151 BN

package maker with a FVS 3101 SQ auger

filler and a KWI 3010 N checkweigher.

In Scandinavia, Lila, meaning lilac, is synonymous with high

quality coffee. Produced by Löfbergs, it is one of the best-known

coffee brands in northern Europe and is packed solely on Bosch

vacuum package makers. When a new, major order challenged

Löfbergs’ capacity, the new PKS 3151 BN package maker

increased both production capacity and flexibility.

Lilac sets the mood

packazine | 11

Aroma protection combined with

flexibility

The new PKS offers Löfbergs modern

vacuum packaging technology for pro-

duction output of up to 65 packages per

minute. The unique product protection

system “neutravac”, with inert gas flush-

ing and evacuation, guarantees lowest

residual oxygen level. The machine is

also capable of producing attractive flex-

ible packages with various top closures

and valve packages.

Everything at a glance

To start with, Löfbergs produces 250

gram vacuum packages for ground cof-

fee, with a flat top, rolled in once and

held down with adhesive tape. The typi-

cal Löfbergs Lila paper wrap around the

vacuum package is produced on a line-

integrated wrapper machine. The FVS

3101 SQ auger filler, as well as the KWI

3010 N checkweigher, are operated from

a centrally installed touch screen. This

provides the operator with an instant

visual access to all production-relevant

data on a single monitor.

A mere six months had passed when the

machine was delivered to the customer.

Löfbergs can now produce all customary

packaging presentations in the market

and is looking forward to a rosy, or,

should we say, “a lilac future”.


Martin Kühl

Phone +49 711 811 57480

[email protected]

1 The PKS 3112 BN package maker with auger

filler FVS 3101 and KWI 3010 N checkweigh-

er – the flexible alternative for the output

range up to 65 packages per minute

2 The aroma protection system “neutravac”

combines lowest residual oxygen content

with large size flexibility1 2

1 2


Vision quality control system

Operational staff at Bama (Tulsa, Oklaho-

ma) are excited about the performance

of the recently installed 18-robot system

provided by Sigpack Systems. And, they

have good reasons. The line incorporates

a unique state-of-the-art vision quality

control system, which ensures that only

products of exact quality are accepted

from the process equipment before

being accurately placed into cases. Each

shock frozen fruit pie is inspected for

precise color, pattern, and dimensional

shape. The system distinguishes very

subtle parameter differences and all

product information is communicated to

each of the 18 robot cells. All this at a

rate of 1’400 pies per minute!

Several potential suppliers were evalu-

ated for this major automation project.

Bama’s Vice President of Engineering,

Randy Roark, states that “Bama chose to

partner with Sigpack due to the flexibil-

ity the robot system offered, by picking

the pies directly from the main belt and

placing them into the cases. Others were

suggesting row distribution solutions,

which involved multiple steps and greater

complexity. Sigpack streamlined the

process.”

Delta XR31 robots provide system efficiency of 99.7 %!

Frozen pie line is one cool system

1 Arriving of the apple pies directly out of the freezer

2 1’400 products per minute – more than 2 mio

per day!

3 Specialized vision system for quality control

4 Spreading of the products

5 Fast and gentle placing of the apple pies

3 4 5

packazine | 13

Application challenges

In 2006, the challenges presented to

Sigpack Systems included an applica-

tion involving a frozen product and its

environment, a high production rate,

complex product inspection and a cin-

namon topping. Production efficiency,

quality control and sanitation were key

considerations. Roark states that “A test

at Bama showed it required six people

for a proper visual inspection of the

product. Prior to the design phase of

the project, Sigpack Systems conducted

lab tests, with actual frozen product, to

review Bama’s inspection criteria, as well

as to confirm the pick reliability of the

gripping tool.”

The Sigpack Systems XR31 Delta robot

solution

The frozen fruit pies exit the Bama

freezer in rows consisting of 20 products.

After a series of belt turns, the products

enter the packaging room, where tem-

peratures and humidity are controlled.

The rows of pies are separated via

spreader belts and proceed under an

overhead camera, which examines the

entire product flow.

Nine Sigpack Systems Model XR31

Delta robots are positioned on opposite

sides of the main packaging belt. This

layout facilitates complete pick coverage,

reduces overlap and limits excess robot

movement. The design also allows for

easy operator and maintenance access

to each robot within the system. The

robots utilize a custom-designed vacuum

picker to gently pick and place pies into

the cases, which move in a counter-flow

direction to the main belt. The system

is also equipped with special filters to

assist with the collection and removal of

excess cinnamon dust. Roark describes

that “The line speed was previously dic-

tated by available staff. Now, the robots

are always ready to perform and we can

maintain a more consistent line speed

and production flow. The added benefit

is reduced product variability.”

1 Fast and gentle placing of

the apple pies

2 Simple and convenient

operation of the quality

control system1 2


Quality Control system

The heart of the system is the optical

quality control with a specialized vision

system. This system acquires a detailed

image of the product carpet at the

beginning of the line. Every single apple

pie is then evaluated for acceptability,

including minimum and maximum length

and width tolerances, partial products,

and overlapping or connected products.

Additionally, the number, shape and

position of the slits in the surface of the

pies are checked, as well as the quality

of the topping. The positions of all ac-

ceptable products are communicated

to every robot. Each robot detects the

exact position of the good products with

its own vision system and picks, based

upon a sophisticated strategy, the best

product for the cycle. Advantages of this

centralized quality control against an

individual control in each robot cell are

more reliable operation through easier

calibration and safer retrace ability of

bad products.

Sigpack Systems’ National Account

Manager, Tom Pecht remarks, “The

people at Bama are great to work with

and have welcomed the new technology

into their operation. In addition, the

line has helped Sigpack Systems gain

a stronger foothold for placement of

robots into frozen food environments.”

Bama’s Plant Engineer, Duane Cook,

echoes these thoughts. Cook says that,

“There has been a high level of coopera-

tion and professionalism between the

two companies. Sigpack Systems is

willing to listen, understand and resolve

real life production issues.”


Tom Pecht

Phone +1 920 662 1258

[email protected]

18 Delta robots XR31:

Compact washdown design

packazine | 15

bosch_sujet_20_e.indd 1 16.8.2007 13:54:55 Uhr


Wycam’s is a traditional candy company, located near Antwerp, Belgium.

For 60 years, it has been producing the famous “borstbollen” cough drop

and, over this period, nothing much has changed. The same original,

secret recipe is still used and the drops are still sold in their tradi-

tional tins. However, established tradition has now met the future with

Wycam’s acquisition of a new Bosch continuous cooking plant.

The old-fashioned Belgian way

packazine | 17

A long tradition

At Bosch Confectionery, we strive for

long-term relationships with our custom-

ers, based on mutual trust and living up

to expectations. The Wyckmans family

from Belgium has provided us with one

such successful relationship.

From 1946, Camille Wyckmans produced

cough drops in his kitchen by cooking

various sugars. The resulting mass was

poured on a hard stone for cooling

and manual cutting and was then cut

into small cubes with a cutting roller,

which produced a square with a dome

shaped top. The cough drops relieved

sore throats and, in the early days, were

especially used by mineworkers.

Cooking with Bosch for generations

Since the product was hygroscopic and

tended to be sticky, Camille decided

to sell his product in lidded tins. This

increased the shelf life from a couple

of days to several months. Then, in the

early 1970s, Bosch demonstrated the

advantages of continuous production.

The unsurpassed quality of the Bosch

coil cooker, with its combined vacuum

chamber, provided a continuous output

of consistent quality, which convinced

Wycam’s to start our relationship.

Cooking with benefits

From the first Bosch cooker, many

machines followed. These have included

die-forming lines, Gravomats and finally,

this year, a new continuous cooking line

BKK 1000A to replace the first continu-

ous cooker after 25 years of service.

This new line is state of the art and has

given Wycam’s the following advantages:

uMinimised risk of air pockets in the

product

uContinuous and consistent high

quality output

uLower consumption of water and

energy

uNo water pockets due to pre-

separation of vapor in the cooker

uLower inversion rates

Customized systems

The controls for the unit and the machine

layout have been specially adapted to the

needs of the customer within shortest

time possible. Wycam’s wanted a remote

panel near the cooker and certain read

outs close to the tempering belt. Fur-

thermore, the machine had to be placed

in an existing line with limited space.

A family relationship

Wycam’s is still a family owned busi-

ness, now run by a third generation of

Wyckmans, who are proud that their

distinctively packaged product finds its

way to many customers in Belgium, Neth-

erlands, France and, surprisingly, Hong

Kong and Egypt. The tin has not changed

much over the years and is considered a

Belgian design landmark.

Eric Wyckmans told Packazine that

their company is open to sharing its

knowledge and production facilities with

others. As a result it is now expanding its

business by co-producing and packing for

third parties.

Wyckmans has enjoyed the close ties

with Bosch and describes Bosch as a re-

liable company that can always fulfil his

company’s requirements. Communica-

tion lines between both companies have

always been open and this has made for

a successful, long-term relationship. As a

result, we are also glad to have Wycam’s

as part of the Bosch family.


Mark de Bruijn

Phone +49 2162 248 481

[email protected]

Continuous cooking plant BKK with

tempering belt

Infeed of the famous Wycam’s cans “Borstbollen” with Wycam-imprint on the way

to the packaging

Mr. Kirtan Shah, Technical Director:

“The choice for Bosch as a supplier for this

line was based on the excellent experience

we have had in the past decades operating

Bosch Equipment throughout our factory.

With this new installation of Togum equip-

ment we further deepened our long and

intensive relationship.”


Success for Kenyan confectioner

The mention of Kenya usually conjures

up thoughts of ferocious lions, imposing

elephants and herds of wildebeest, but

the country has another hidden treasure:

one of the most important confectionary

manufacturers in Africa.

In 1991, Kenafric Industries Ltd estab-

lished itself as one of the largest PVC

shoes and soles manufacturers in East

and Central Africa. After the success

of its Footwear Division, the Kenyan

company diversified and opened its

Confectionery Division, which quickly

flourished through the application of

modern and progressive management

techniques. With over 1000 employees,

Kenafric is now a large-scale confec-

tionery manufacturer and has become

one of the leading African companies in

this field. Exporting to over 37 African

countries, the confectioner is looking

to break into new European and Middle

East markets.

Products target Africa

In order to maintain its market leader-

ship, Kenafric designed innovative

products and acquired the latest techno-

logy. A dedicated line for gum balls has

now been installed in a new building in

Nairobi, with the various product ranges

extended by manufacturing round balls,

bottle-shaped and fruit-shaped bubble

gums, which were specially designed for

the African market.

Reliable partnership

As a long-term supplier of the Kenyan

confectioner, Togum naturally took the

lead in this project. Vandan Rughani

from the AGEC agency (Afro German

Engineers & Consultants) coordinated all

the technical and commercial details in

order to reach the specific expectations

of the customer: technical support with

cutting edge ball formers, high output

for large scale production, low invest-

Gum ball forming line with one Extruder RopeX and two RotoTwin

packazine | 19

ment, and the possibility to produce

bubble gum with various shapes. Thus,

a hand-in-hand relationship, as well as

technological know-how, allowed Togum

to efficiently support Kenafric in its

development.

High output, low investment

Due to the professional on-site support

from Kenafric’s Engineer, the line was

first step into operation in Nairobi after

15 days of installation and commission-

ing. The line starts with an RopeX 1020

extruder, where the product mass is

extruded into four gum ropes, shaped

with a high-end extrusion die, specifically

designed for the needs of the customer.

Then, each pair of two ropes enters a

RotoTwin ball former. A rotating knife

cuts the rope to a specific length before

the latter falls into a three-roller forming

system, where the gums are formed

into their final shape (ball, bottle, or

fruit). With its dual forming system, one

RotoTwin achieves the double output

of a conventional ball former. Finally,

in the third step, the formed gums are

gently cooled in a WSC 0080 cooling

unit: a set of oscillating belts conveys the

product to downstream processing, thus

guaranteeing the perfect shape of the

final products.

Today, chewing gum processed on the

Togum line makes Kenafric the leading

gum manufacturer in East Africa, with

the company successfully increasing

market share by gaining new business

throughout the continent and beyond.


Oscar Gomes

Phone +33 388 209 784

[email protected]

With the installation of a bubble gum ball forming line in Nairobi, Kenya,

Togum consolidates Bosch’s long-term partnership with Kenafric.

Bubble gum balls for the African market

packazine | 21

A small confectionery entrepreneur has found

robotic automation to provide a profitable and

very flexible packaging line. This highly efficient

line accommodates a wide range of packaging

configurations to supply the mass market.

Robotic solution boosts gourmet chocolate manufacturer

Efficient packaging for national account

In three short years, Eric Bochner, owner

of Bochner Chocolates, has grown his

business from a modest gourmet and

fine chocolate shop to attracting the

attention of national retail accounts. He

has now landed a national chain account

to distribute an exclusive line of fine

chocolates.

Bochner owns and operates his main

retail confectionery store, in Coralville,

Iowa, for his signature line of tantalizing

treats. This consists of assorted boxed

chocolates, covered nuts and fruits, a

gourmet coffee line, and three-ounce

premium chocolate bars with high quality

whole inclusions which is his fastest

growing line.

Not your ordinary confectionery entre-

preneur, Bochner holds a law degree,

as well as one in physics. In turning to

food, one of his other interests, Bochner

attended pastry school in Chicago and

found a knack for confectionery work. He

then became focused on making high-

quality confectionery in scalable, lower

cost ways.

“Entrepreneurs like to develop good

ideas, to make or create something new,

exciting and successful,” says Bochner.

He continues, “Our first two years were

an investment in research and develop-

ment. My signature products were doing

quite well, but I was ready to grow.”

It did not take Bochner long to strike

a deal with a national retail account

to manufacture an exclusive line of

designer chocolates. Although Bochner

Chocolates has a highly efficient staff of

20 employees, it became time to invest in

22 | packazine Customers & Markets Food and Confectionery | Events

automated equipment to handle the new

account.

Flexibility made simple

“The national retail account was a

fantastic opportunity to use our existing

capabilities and allow us to creatively

scale our operation further,” admits

Bochner. He adds, “My initial purpose

for efficient packaging equipment was

driven by the necessity to package

high volumes of seasonal products in

very short timelines. As it is difficult to

acquire, train and retain high quality

workers, we were prompted to consider

substantial packaging automation. Our

investment had to solve a wide variety of

packaging challenges and it was exciting

to work with Doboy and see the concept

develop.”

The automated line consists of a Doboy

Paloma Feed Placer two-arm robot

and a Doboy Linium 301 horizontal

flow wrapper. Determining how all the

product needed to be picked, oriented

and placed was no small feat, because

nearly every product is in some sort of

variety pack of different flavors, designs

or shapes and has to be placed in differ-

ent tray configurations. The packaging

line also had to single wrap the new

three-ounce chocolate bars. To handle

the various packaging combinations, the

Paloma robot independently controls

and picks from 16 incoming lanes. Each

lane has its own cross belt conveyor and

pneumatic row pusher to load a differ-

ent type of chocolate in each lane. Two

wider conveyors are dedicated for the

chocolate bar input when production is

needed.

The Paloma robot holds a range of

recipes and provides advanced vision

tracking to pick, orientate, and place into

a tray. Bochner worked with Doboy to

develop a vision tracking system to orient

the art on the face of the chocolates, in-

dependent of the outline of the product.

From the Paloma robot, the trays and

chocolate bars are fed to a Doboy Linium

301 horizontal flow wrapper. The Linium

301 wrapper infeed offers adjustable

width to accommodate various product

sizes. Doboy’s Linium 301 wrapper offers

the option of manual, semi-automatic or

fully-automatic feeding. The Linium 301’s

servo driven infeed conveyor interfaces

with the Paloma Feed Placer robot by

controlling the speed of the wrapper,

which provides variable speed, based on

product flow, with incredible accuracy.

Automation increases production

After the initial purchase of the Doboy

packaging line, Bochner calculated

output would greatly increase with the

new packaging line. “I’m still amazed!”

exclaims Bochner. The new line allowed

Bochner Chocolates to fill its second

large order in less than half the usual

time.

“I have a high level of confidence in the

Doboy robot and wrapper,” says Bochner.

So high, that Bochner recently accepted

a contract with a second national retail

account.


Jane M. Burbach

Phone +1 715 243 2559

[email protected]

Up to 16 incoming product lanes on Doboy Paloma robot increases packaging process by more than 75 %

packazine | 23

Date Events Location Branch

15. – 17.10.2007 PACK EXPO LAS VEGAS Las Vegas, US General

15. – 19.10.2007 AGROPRODMASH Moscow, RU Food

16. – 20.10.2007 Japan Pack Tokyo, JP General

04. – 07.11.2007 Fispal Recife Recife, BR Food

06. – 09.11.2007 AndinaPack Bogotá, CO Food

29.01. – 01.02.2008 Upakovka Moscow, RU General

24. – 27.02.2008 Gulf Food Dubai, AE Food

10. – 14.03.2008 Brasilpack São Paulo, BR General

19. – 20.03.2008 SouthPack Charlotte, US General

09. – 10.04.2008 Empack ’s-Hertogenbosch, NL General

24. – 30.04.2008 Interpack Düsseldorf, DE General

Events Pharma 2007/2008

DateEventsLocationBranch

15. – 17.10.2007PACK EXPO LAS VEGASLas Vegas, USGeneral

16. – 20.10.2007 Japan PackTokyo, JPGeneral

29. – 31.10.2007China PharmShanghai, CNPharma

06. – 08.11.2007 SupplySide WestLas Vegas, USPharma

19. – 22.11.2007PharmTechMoscow, RUPharma

29.01. – 01.02.2008UpakovkaMoscow, RUGeneral

14. – 15.02.2008INTERPHEXSan Juan, USPharma

10. – 14.03.2008BrasilpackSão Paulo, BRGeneral

19. – 20.03.2008SouthPackCharlotte, USGeneral

26. – 28.03.2008INTERPHEXPhiladelphia, USPharma

09. – 10.04.2008Empack’s-Hertogenbosch, NL General

09. – 11.04.2008ExpoFarmaMexicoCity, MXPharma

24. – 30.04.2008InterpackDüsseldorf, DEGeneral

Events Food 2007/2008

Customer magazine of the Packaging Technology Product Division Robert Bosch GmbH

Editor in ChiefCentral MarketingUlrike ProbstPhone +41 52 674 80 [email protected]

DesignBOHNER.concept · agency for creative communication & design

PhotosOtlinghaus Fotodesign; Bosch Packaging Technology

PublisherProduct Division Management, Stuttgarter Straße 130, D-71332 Waiblingen© Copyright · Packaging Technology Product Division Robert Bosch GmbH

The contents of this publication may not be reprinted except by permission.Subject to alterations.

Imprint

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issue 02/2007 · products with the fairtrade label reached retail sales of 757 million euros in the...

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