Posted by Rick Lingle, Technical Editor -- Packaging Digest, 12/3/2012 9:53:42 AM
Endangered Species Chocolate, which donates 10 percent of its net profits to species and habitat conservation efforts, expects more than a 230 percent boost in output by using Bosch's Pack 401 horizontal flow wrapper to enable it to meet increasing demand for its chocolate bars.
The company has been using Bosch machines since opening in 1993. As more and more consumers were craving its 0.35-ounce Organic Chocolate Squares, known as Chimp Mints and Bug Bites, Endangered Species needed to increase production capacity. The Pack 401 enabled production to jump from 120 pieces per minute to 400 pieces per minute.
"The Pack 401 wraps our products faster than we can currently produce them," says Bryan Fuller, director of operations, Endangered Species. "This positions us for our anticipated growth over the next few years."
Previously, defective packaging had to be manually sorted and discarded. The Pack 401 features sensors that automatically detect and reject inadequate products and packaging, such as empty packages, uncut packages, or packages with film splices, which increases efficiency and saves on labor costs.
"Our conservation mission is the core of our organization and we fully trust that Bosch's technology will produce results," Fuller adds. "Higher profits and reduced waste mean more donations to our not-for-profit partners."
As the company experienced tremendous growth in production, it needed a machine with simplified cleaning and maintenance to ensure product safety and remove all traces of allergy-causing ingredients.
"The Pack 401 is an expertly planned machine - every section is easy to access and clean," says Fuller.
"We always enjoy helping our customers reach their production goals and it's even sweeter when this also benefits important causes," says Paul Garms, marketing manager, Bosch Packaging Technology.
Endangered Species' previous solution required that the chocolate squares be manually transferred from their molds to the primary packaging machine. The Pack 401 automatically directs the chocolates from the mold line to the flow wrapper without human intervention, allowing the company to redirect labor to higher skilled positions.
Source: Bosch Packaging Technology
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