From on edge to flat: efficient cookie packaging machine
- Packaging four varieties of flat oat biscuits
- Swivelling chain conveyors for products on edge
- Processing of plastic and slotted cardboard trays
Requirements
Automated packaging of delicious treats
From coffee desserts such as lemon tarts, nut wedges or the famous ‘Lambertz'sche Printe’ gingerbread biscuits through to stollen, muesli and chocolate, the Lambertz brand stands for an extensive variety of high-quality products. As early as in 1872, the eponymous master baker and confectioner Henry Lambertz achieved the status of Purveyor to the Court. To this day, the Aachen-based confectionery specialist has the licence to supply chocolate to the European royal families. Moreover, it has developed into an international biscuit group. The organic oat cookie from Lambertz is one of the strategically important products, available with or without a chocolate coating in dark, milk and, more recently, white chocolate.
They are presented horizontally in the packaging, with the chocolate side facing up. A tray contains a total of 16 biscuits, distributed across four cavities with four layers each. Lambertz commissioned Gerhard Schubert not only with an automatic packaging line for the delicious treats, but also with consulting services, as the oat cookie will also be offered in slotted cardboard trays without glue in the future. Additionally, the Aachen-based company wanted a format with products standing upright in the tray – and of course packed at the same high speed as for the flat biscuits.
Solution
Compact pickerline with double-sided tray conveyor
Schubert developed a compact pickerline for Lambertz with twelve T5 pick & place robots in a delta configuration as well as a double-sided tray conveyor to automate packaging of the well-known oat biscuits. Schubert met Lambertz’s request for greater sustainability by ensuring that, in the future, the new packaging line would be able to package plastic trays as well as environmentally friendly cardboard trays, which only need to be slotted together and therefore do not require glue. The tray loading station is already set up to handle this. A new format, whereby the oat biscuits are no longer packaged horizontally but vertically, was also taken into account and developed from the outset. The pickerline is therefore equipped with a swivelling chain conveyor that allows the products to be placed upright in the trays.
We are very satisfied with the new line. Since our popular organic oat biscuits break easily, they are not only packed extremely carefully, but also very efficiently. Schubert has helped us, as a traditional company, make significant progress in terms of automation. We are very pleased with the collaboration and the excellent results.
Hermann Bühlbecker
CEO, Lambertz GmbH
Technical details
- Pickerline with twelve T5 pick-and-place robots and double-sided tray conveyor
- Two four-lane tray magazines
- Reflected light scanners detect the products’ position and quality
The new line packs 16 organic oat biscuits into four cavities with four layers each.
