Speeding Up Production Processes

As one of the largest baking houses in the US, Richmond Baking requires efficient packaging systems to keep up with increasing demand for their products. When William Quigg, president of Richmond Baking, discovered tna—a global company with 25 years of experience in the packaging and processing industry—Richmond was able to significantly increase packaging production of its cookie and cracker lines.

The company started out as a small local bakery in 1902. From that humble beginning, it grew into an international manufacturer of cookies and crackers, which can be found throughout Japan, Australia, Canada, and the US. The manufacturer’s product range expanded to include industrial ingredients for coating systems used by the meat, poultry, fish, vegetable, and dessert industries. As demand grew, so did the need for increased efficiencies and higher bagging speeds.

“Initially we ran used other baggers under the new Ishida scales,” recalls Quigg. “The scales maintained desired throughputs; but the baggers, which were intended for large cereal bags, did not have the bag-per-minute rate required. We needed a minimum 90-bpm rate to maintain efficiency.”

“While in the process of a significant line expansion in mid-2005, a colleague told me about tna’s high-output equipment so we decided to put them to the test. The two baggers we purchased actually exceeded capacity needs and we were able to consistently average 120 bpm,” explains Quigg, “The success of the first expansion project meant we could prove our capability in the vertical-bagged product industry.”

The two robag 3 rotary double-jaw models placed on the production floor were some of the first models to ever be produced by tna of that particular vertical form/fill/seal bagger. From the first run, the machines were error-proof and ran continuously to contract package oyster crackers for a major food company. While Richmond Baking needed the machines to run 90 bpm, the machines’ actual capacity was one and a half times that—running 120 to 140 bpm.

When Richmond Baking expanded again with a long-term contract that would require a 300-percent expansion in line capacity in January of 2006, tna was Quigg’s first choice for equipment because of the success of the first upgrade.

Richmond Baking’s line expansion program was completed in two phases. After the initial two tna robag 3 baggers were installed under existing scales, Richmond Baking installed a new tna roflo distribution system that fed into tna combination 314 Delta high-speed scales, which then bagged product using four additional robag 3 machines with rotary triple jaws, all integrated with tna Intelli-date coders and Safeline metal detectors.

tna’s worldwide turnkey project-management capabilities allowed Richmond Baking to place the order with US National sales manager Mark Lozano. He ordered the machines from the Melbourne manufacturing facility, put them together with the US engineering team in Texas, and delivered them to Richmond Baking’s facility, ahead of schedule, and within 12 weeks of order.

tna’s engineering team was able to integrate all the wiring for the entire packaging line, including the distribution system, scales, metal detection, date coders and baggers onto one computer interface to alleviate the need for electrical contractors, and to maintain one electrical hook-up. The only supply connection required onsite for both electrical and pneumatic delivery was at the platform. The integrated touchscreen at the robag 3 easily told the line operator how the machine was running, making changeover quick and easy with all the information running off the main computer interface.

With each machine in place and running, Richmond runs the two original robag 3 rotary double-jaw machines as one and two, and the four robag 3 rotary triple-jaw machines as three, four, five and six for the additional production. “We promised Richmond Baking our machines would run at 160 bpm with a 180 millimeter flat-bag width,” says Lozano. “But we continually starve the machines because they can easily bag between 180 and 200 bpm. With six machines running under capacity, they’re in the perfect position to ramp-up production when necessary.”

Since the installation of tna equipment, Quigg explains that the increased capacity and higher throughputs have been significant benefits of the machines and he is impressed by the engineering of the equipment.

“tna really shines in functional design,” he says. “The engineering and foresight in the design of the robag 3 is impressive. They seem to live by the ‘simple is better’ philosophy because their design is straightforward and the equipment accomplishes the desired tasks effectively and efficiently.

“And they certainly know how to put together a good system,” he adds, “from product distribution through to specially-designed scales, metal detectors, date coders and, most importantly, the robag 3. Each product is outstanding on an individual basis; but it is their integration into a single computer interface that sets them apart from their competitors.”

tna’s Lozano explains that the tna robag 3 can pack at a rate of 220 bpm depending on the environment and the type of material being used. This rate is sets the benchmark for vertical form/fill/ users throughout the worldwide snack, biscuit, confectionery and general food packaging industries.

“It also enables users to pack products at high speeds with extremely low rejects,” says Lozano.