Theegarten-Pactec is known as a leading manufacturer of high-speed packaging machines for small-piece confectionery products. Alongside this, the company has been developing and producing solutions for related products for several decades. 

Theegarten-Pactec is now expanding its portfolio with the new and innovative BHS high-speed machine for bouillon cubes. Impressing with an output of 3,000 packaged products per minute, the machine has set a new speed record. In addition, it is also setting new standards regarding economy, packaging quality and hygienic design. 

Boiled sweets, toffees, chewing gum, or even chocolate bars and pralines: When it comes to the fast and efficient packaging of these sweet treats –so-called small-piece confectionery products – the innovative Theegarten-Pactec solutions will inevitably be part of the conversation. 

Furthermore, for several years the packaging specialists, based in Dresden, Germany, have also been developing and producing solutions for related products such as bouillon cubes. More than 250 machines are already being deployed around the world for this special application. With its new development, BHS, the company is now introducing a machine to the market that promises to elevate the packaging of bouillon cubes to another level.

The machine, which is the result of intensive research and development work combined with the specialists’ technical expertise, makes use of the “continuous operation principle” developed by Theegarten-Pactec, which was previously intended primarily for confectionery packaging machines: There are no start-stop movements of the products within the machine during the packaging process, but rather a constant flow of movement. As a result, there are barely any acceleration forces acting on the products. In turn, this enables gentler product handling accompanied by a much higher output.

Simple integration, low staffing requirements, greater cost efficiency

In addition to its high output, the new BHS also scores points with customers on account of various other advantages offered. For instance, the BHS can be connected to existing presses for the manufacture of bouillon cubes and tablets from granulated foodstuffs without any problem. One production operator is sufficient for the operation of a line consisting of a press and a packaging machine. If the lines are positioned very close to one another, one employee can even operate two lines. 

In addition to manageable staffing levels, numerous benefits also mean that the new BHS remains particularly cost efficient throughout its entire product life. The system incurs barely any maintenance costs on account of the packaging machine requiring no lubrication, while oil changes are required at most once per year. What’s more, the BHS impresses with 50% lower energy consumption per packaged product when compared to other packaging machines.

The ability to track machine parameters in real time makes predictive maintenance much simpler, thereby minimizing the risk of fault-related downtime. And the packaging specialists have also reduced the duration of required downtime to a minimum: With the BHS, entire assemblies can be easily replaced, flexibly and quickly. Production continues to run efficiently with the secondary unit while maintenance is performed on the replacement unit.   

Guaranteed product quality thanks to reliable quality control

Another point of focus during the design process for the new BHS was highly efficient quality control. This ensures that faulty products can be reliably sorted out prior to the packaging process, and insufficiently packaged products afterwards. 

Pre-formed bouillon cubes or tablets that are too soft on account of an incorrectly configured pressure within the press, the height of which does not comply with the specified parameters, or that are incorrectly positioned on the conveyor belt are identified as flawed. As a result, no products that could negatively influence efficiency or packaging quality reach the packaging process. 

The camera-based quality control system screens out already packaged products. This also applies if the printed image is incorrect or the folding is distorted, or if the packaging is poorly sealed (for example if it has protruding, open flaps).

Improved machine design ensures better hygiene

With an improved machine design, the experts at Theegarten-Pactec also ensure better hygiene and process stability with reduced product contamination in the machine’s packaging area. For example, each product is only gripped once while unpackaged, thereby significantly reducing potential product abrasion.