Honeytop Speciality Foods Ltd, Europe’s leading manufacturer of high quality, authentic naans and flatbreads, invited Astec Conveyors to design and manufacture a conveying system to integrate new packaging equipment, taking discharged product from flow wrappers in the production hall, through to the warehouse for packing and palletising.
Two parallel RG Luma Automation lines utilised FlexPicker robots for picking/stacking of crumpets before feeding to four independent flow wrapping machines located between the lines. Space restrictions excluded the use of a spiral elevator to take product away from the flow wrappers and the need to maintain a clear passageway for pallet truck access made system integration difficult. Astec overcame this problem with a bespoke stainless steel, food quality modular plastic belt conveying system, combining a series of slat conveyors plus 90° and 180° bends.
In co-operation with RG Luma, the outer machine guarding was modified to create a passageway. Wrapped product passes down a chute to a low level conveyor, through the robot machines, up an inclined modular belt conveyor and onto the warehouse via overhead modular plastic slat conveyors. On entering the warehouse, product is conveyed to low level and checkweighed, prior to packing into plastic baskets or cases for hand palletising.
Astec’s in-house control department designed a bespoke control system that allows the conveyors to change speed depending on production conditions. As one FlexPicker can handle the total production if required, the conveyor system automatically adjusts speed to suit.
Zizou Benchaoui of Honeytop reported, “Astec Conveyors were very professional, clearly understood our needs and provided an efficient, cost effective solution. The whole project was superbly engineered, completed to time and budget. Since installation the new handling system has performed successfully and Honeytop Speciality Foods have experienced the benefits of integrated and automated handling systems.”
Astec Conveyors Ltd
Roger Pendleton – Sales Director
Tel: 01283 210333
Tel: 01283 210444
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