tna unsticks CTC’s sweet packaging problem

Output has increased and waste reduced at Australian sweet and snack distributor Confectionery Trading Company (CTC) of New South Wales since the company installed the tna robag vertical form fill seal (VFFS) bagger to address issues of burst bags and failing seals.

CTC packs high volumes of hard-boiled lollies, jubes, gummy sweets and jellies using tna packaging lines. After installing the tna robag 3, tna customised its flagship VFFS to handle the sugary confections being packed.

Loose sugar making its way into the seals was hampering the sealing process. By installing a dust extraction unit on the robag 3, sugar was kept away from the seals and tna had resolved the problem.

A second challenge at CTC was that the high sealing temperatures were causing the bottoms of the heavier (2 kg) bags to open. To overcome this, tna installed multidumping and stagger delay technology from tna-Yamato, which allowed the jaws sufficient time to cool.

“We had used tna equipment in the past so were familiar with their solutions-focused approach and quality after-sales service,” explained Dean Theouli, Director of CTC. “tna took the time to understand our business, carefully assess our needs and assess where we could improve and economise along our packaging line. We now have three of the tailored tna robag systems installed on site and are reaping the benefits.”

Additional benefits for CTC include a reduction in film use during changeovers thanks to a smaller film system, with total film waste having halved since the latest tna installation. In terms of speed, throughput levels now reach 140 bpm, with product rejects remaining under 1%. Operators at the CTC plant also responded positively to the upgrade, finding the controls and interface extremely user friendly.