Specialist company Theegarten-Pactec (theegarten-pactec.com) presents its latest developments for packaging chocolate products: CFW-D, the high-performance packaging machine for overwrapping chocolate products with a top performance capability of up to 1,400 products per minute, sets a new record.

The dual-track design produces this peak performance. The CFW-D from Theegarten-Pactec provides confectionery producers with a packaging machine which overwraps moulded or enrobed chocolate products and wafers with a top performance rate of up to 1,400 products per minute with or without banderole. At ProSweets, one machine demonstrates the packaging of small chocolate bars in envelope fold with banderole.

The high output rate of the CFW-D is made possible by the dual-track design of the machine. Product tolerances are compensated for with spring-mounted retainer jaws on the packing head. These also ensure that the packaging process is especially smooth, essential for enrobed confectionery in particular. The delivery process is monitored by sensors, which enables optimum control of machine speed in line with the product feed and keeps product backlogs to a minimum.

With Theegarten-Pactec products, machine control via touch panel with intuitive operator interface comes as standard. This makes packaging machine operation a simple matter. The monitor displays important data such as overall plant efficiency, machine states, running times and cleaning and maintenance cycles in simple and comprehensive formats. Even untrained machine operatives can operate the line because of its intuitive design and handling instructions. Machine performance and fault elimination are further supported and improved through the machinery's ability to self-diagnose. Direct access to the user manual and spare part catalogue allows operatives to eliminate faults rapidly and avoid unnecessary downtimes. In addition, the machine controls include display of maintenance and cleaning cycles and active notification of necessary servicing and maintenance intervals.

"The continuous further development of our plant and machinery with reference to production process transparency, automatic self-diagnosis and guidance for fault elimination with the aid of user-friendly touch panels and graphic displays has high priority for us. We are making our machines even more efficient and intuitive to operate," explains manager Markus Rustler. "In future, the user interface will be integrated into mobile terminals so that machine data can be called up and worked with from any point in the world."

As well as working on improved analysis of production data such as overall plant efficiency and capacity usage, Theegarten-Pactec is currently working on condition monitoring of its machines. Other subjects are machine self-regulation where, for example, products are incorrectly positioned in the packaging process.