Maestrani’s packaging system upgrade with Ishida yields results

Strategic investment in equipment upgrades from Swiss-based confectionery manufacturer  Maestrani Schweizer Schokoladen AG, has reportedly made a key positive impact on its operations, writes Neill Barston.

The well established business, based in the East of Switzerland, has revealed that it has delivered improved production of its Minor chocolate products following installation of packaging systems from Ishida, raising the speed and accuracy of its processing, as well as driving sustainability gains.

As the company noted, its latest multihead weigher is capable of handling chocolate pieces weighing from 5g to 22g at typically 40 packs per minute, as well as reducing noice level to well below  85dB. As the business noted, a major factor in the successful installation was the close partnership with Ishida’s local distributor, ITECH AG.

André Pfister, Production Manager at Maestrani, commented: “The multihead weigher Maestrani previously used no longer met requirements, its accuracy was declining, and the line was increasingly becoming a bottleneck in production. “The old weigher was simply too inaccurate and could no longer meet our throughput rates.

“Replacement was essential, especially given the rapidly growing volume: Around 4,500 tons of chocolate leave the Flawil factory annually, and that figure is rising for the confectionery producer,” which led to the business opting for its Ishida 14-head multihead weigher, with the company noting a smooth installation throughout the process. 

As the company noted, its weigher works in conjunction with an existing VFFS bagmaker and has been optimised for a wide variety of formats: from 110g stand-up pouches to 1kg pillow packs and cans. The smallest chocolate pieces weigh just 5g, including the well-known “Minerli” chocolate bars, while large chocolate figures weigh up to 22g.

“We are very satisfied with the solution and would work with ITECH and Ishida again at any time,” Pfister said, praising  the collaborative and goal-driven project management, which addressed all their requirements. He also praised the technical support aspect of the investment. 

He added: “Reach out to ITECH with clear requirements, and the implementation will be perfect. This collaboration is an example of how precise planning, close collaboration, and technical expertise enable sustainable weighing and packaging solutions production, in keeping with the spirit of genuine Swiss chocolate quality.”