Tangerine increases productivity by 55%
A fully automated flowrapping line from Ilapak is helping Tangerine Confectionery to dramatically increase productivity and production line efficiency. The packaging line, using two of Ilapak’s Carrera 2000/40 electronic flowrappers, is achieving speeds of 350 products per minute, wrapping Jamesons’ Ruffle Bars around 55% faster than the company’s previous flowrapper.
Tangerine produces some of the UK’s most iconic confectionery brands, from Barratt’s Sherbet Fountains, Fruit Salads and Black Jacks, to Lion Midget Gems and Henry Goode Soft Eating Liquorice.
The new, high speed packaging line has had a major impact on productivity as manufacturing and development manager Andrew Hamilton explains, “The installation of the new Carrera packaging line is a significant step forward for us, bringing greater efficiency, increasing throughput while maintaining our high quality standards.
Fully automated, the new line comprises a high speed Carrera 2000/40 and six belt Indy automatic feeding system flowrapping individual Ruffle bars. A key feature designed to improve efficiency is an alignment belt and quality control system which uses laser sensors to check product size and ensure the product meets the required specification. If size and specification criteria are not met, the product is rejected while the line runs continuously, reducing machine downtime.
Other important features designed to reduce film wastage and cut packaging costs are the Carrera’s no-product-no-bag and misplaced product detection features.
Once individually wrapped, the Ruffle bars pass through a robotic interface which feeds them into a second Carrera 2000/40 flowrapper packing them into multi-packs of five or six. These multi-packs are supplied to leading multiple retailers.
“We’re achieving speeds of 350 products per minute on the new Carrera packaging line, around 55% faster than our previous flowrapper,” continues Hamilton. “The Carrera line is much more efficient, downtime is minimised and film wastage reduced. The line is very easy to operate and virtually runs itself so there is little need for any technical or engineering assistance, making life much easier for our operators. The layout is also well designed, bringing greater efficiencies and smoother operation.”
“Because the Carrera is very flexible, we’re also well placed to meet our packaging requirements in the future,” Hamilton concludes.
Tangerine Confectionery is also using Ilapak’s Vegatronic vertical, form, fill and seal machines at its Liverpool factory, packing its Princess range of marshmallows.
