Whether chocolate, muesli or protein - consumers are increasingly asking for more individual bar products. “The rising number of bar variations requires highly flexible production machinery with short changeover times. In order to prevent bar products from cross-contamination by allergens, meeting food safety standards is a must,” says Josua Schwab, product manager at Bosch Packaging Technology (boschpackaging.com).

New standards in bar packaging thanks to linear motor technology
In order to live up to manufacturers’ growing demands for increased productivity, flexibility and excellent quality, Bosch will be unveiling an advanced version of its bar production system at interpack 2017. The seamlessly integrated system reaches a constant output of up to 1500 bars per minute in primary packaging with secondary packaging matching this high speed of the flow wrapper.

The latest innovation is the intelligent Sigpack FIT product infeed with linear motor technology. It allows for push-button format change, as well as a very fast, non-contact product feeding.

The cross-sealing station of the Sigpack HRM flow wrapper is based on high precision direct drive technology and reaches film speeds of up to 150 metres per minute. With the same setup, bars of varying sizes can be packed, substantially reducing the time required for format change.

A highlight in secondary packaging is the new intelligent Sigpack PFI feeding module using linear motor technology. To transfer the product from the flow wrapper into the Sigpack TTM topload cartoner, the new module gently turns and feeds the products into the grouping chain. It works exceptionally smooth at high speed without using vacuum. The Sigpack TTM forms, loads and closes up to 150 cartons per minute.

Industry 4.0 solutions for optimal operator support
Industry 4.0 solutions of Bosch Packaging Technology support operators in their daily work. For example, the biscuit system supports format changes using RFID-tags. If a different format is needed in production, operators can scan the RFID-code of the respective format part, thus ensuring that it is installed on the right place. This increases efficiency and reduces potential errors.

Complete solution for bar production enables high productivity
Manufacturers can maximize their productivity levels with a single-source solution which goes beyond the primary and secondary packaging.

The Bosch Contiline for bar production encompasses the entire production process, from mixing, slab forming, pre-cooling, lengthwise cutting and fanning out bars to crosswise cutting, coating and final cooling. Combined with the bar packaging system, manufacturers can rely on one single source for their bar production process with a complete system solution.

Of course, productivity is also key in bar production. At interpack 2017, Bosch presents, amongst others, the WRF 600 Flex roller former. The smooth slab former features easy and tool-free adjustments for precise edge cutting of slabs in different sizes, minimizing or eliminating trim and product waste. In contrast to comparable machines on the market, the working width of the WRF 600 Flex can be adjusted during machine operation, completely eliminating downtime.