How do factories ensure that every chocolate bar arrives perfectly aligned, every bar of soap is ready for wrapping or every blister pack of capsules is seamlessly wrapped? The secret lies in the precision of automatic feeding systems, and in particular, in the essential role that conveyors play within these systems.
Conveyor Feeding Systems (CFS) don’t just move products from one point to another: they organize, separate, align and synchronize them so that they arrive at the wrappers exactly as they should. They are invisibly responsible for keeping production lines in industries as diverse as food, cosmetics and pharmaceuticals running smoothly, hygienically and efficiently, even when handling thousands of units per hour.
What are automatic feeding systems?
Automatic feeding systems are industrial solutions designed to transfer products continuously from the production line to the packaging machines, such as flow wrappers. This type of automated system eliminates manual intervention, which improves efficiency, reduces errors and ensures greater hygiene in the process.
Thanks to their modular and adaptable design, automatic feeding systems can handle products of different shapes, sizes and levels of fragility. In sectors such as the food industry, they are used to transport cookies, bread, crackers, biscuits or toast directly from ovens or molds, maintaining the pace of production and ensuring a constant and synchronized flow.
In short, automatic feeding systems are a key element in optimizing the performance of industrial packaging lines, improving productivity and guaranteeing quality in the presentation of the final product.
Types of automatic feeding systems
Synchropack has developed three different technologies for the automation of product feeding to flow wrappers.
- Handling and Feeding Systems (HFS). The HFS receives the products, organizes them into portions and transfers them in an automated way to the flowpack wrappers. Their main objective is to maximize the efficiency of the packaging process, reducing manual intervention and ensuring accurate and uniform product handling.
- Conveyorized Feeding Systems (CFS). CFS automate the transport, distribution and synchronization of products prior to packaging. Their integration into high production lines optimizes product handling and maximizes automatic packaging performance.
- Robotic feeding systems (RFS). RFS automate product handling by means of different types of robots, selected according to the weight, speed and level of precision required. They are designed to optimize production processes, improve efficiency and reduce manual intervention.
In this article we will explore the different types of Conveyor Feeding Systems (CFS).
Conveyor Feeding Systems (CFS)
CFS automate the transport, distribution and synchronization of products prior to the flowpack packaging. Their integration into high production lines optimizes product handling and maximizes automatic packaging performance.
RDS: Ranging Distribution System
This system automates the distribution of products at the end of one or more production lines, transferring them to secondary conveyors for orientation and synchronization with the packaging machines. Depending on the characteristics of the product, the system can align, discard, store or reinsert it into the production flow.
It offers different configurations to ensure efficient and adaptable handling for various product types and production capacities, reducing manual intervention and improving operational efficiency.
POS: Product Orientation System
Allows aligning products that arrive in disorder or with irregular positions, ensuring their correct arrangement before packaging. For this purpose, it uses conveyors with speed adjustments, fixed profiled guides or motorized guides. Its design adapts to products of different shapes and sizes, ensuring a continuous and orderly flow to the next stages of the automatic packaging process.
DSS: Product Synchronization System
After distribution and orientation, this system adjusts the speed of the products to feed them correctly into the packaging machines. Different configurations are available depending on the required speed and pressure, allowing them to adapt to different production needs.
Its objective is to ensure a smooth and synchronized transition, avoiding jams or accumulations, and improving the performance of the packaging line.
Case studies
Case 1: rice cracker wrapping
Complete line for wrapping rice cakes in stacks of two units at 200 ppm. The line is composed of an RDS (range distribution system), a vertical buffer, an HSS (high speed) synchronizer, a DPS (dynamic stacking system) and a Pack 9000 RT wrapper.
Case 2: individual wrapping of cookies
Complete line for individual wrapping of chocolate chip cookies at 350 ppm. The line is composed of a production diverter system, a POS (product orientation system), a HSS (high speed) synchronizer and a Pack 900 RT wrapper.
Case 3: single wrapping of chocolate bars
Complete line for the individual wrapping of chocolate bars at 500 ppm. The line is composed of one RDS (range distribution system) with double exit, two RPS (product rotation system), two HSS (high speed) synchronizers and two Pack 900 RT wrappers.
