Case study: new packaging technology on the bread line

After winning the contract to supply bread and rolls at the London Olympics in 2012, demand for Speciality Breads’ produce has grown, with annual sales increasing by 30% over the last three years.

As a direct result, the Margate-based company has recently opened a second 3,000 square metre site, just minutes away from the original bakery that opened almost 20 years ago.

As part of the £3 million project, Speciality Breads asked Bedfordshire-based Endoline Machinery to install a high-speed packaging line at the new production facility.

Having designed and manufactured the system, Endoline installed and integrated additional supplier equipment into the fully automated packing line.

Case load

Speciality Breads freshly bake a daily supply of 20 different lines of artisan breads that are immediately frozen and packed, ready to be distributed via wholesalers to bars, pubs, cafes, restaurants, hotels and caterers.

Once frozen, the loaves and rolls are immediately packed onto crates and transported to the packing station.

At the start of the line a fully automatic Endoline case erector forms cases that are then fed down to a Pattyn bag inserter machine, which has been integrated into the line to insert a bag into each formed case.

The formed cases are then transported via an inclined automated conveyor The formed cases exit the automatic Endoline case erector before running through the Pattyn bag inserter system to four packing stations. It is there that manual operators pack the frozen product inside and then place it onto a lower conveyor. 

James Saywell, Endoline’s Southern sales manager, says: “As the boxes running along the first conveyor were empty, and therefore light, we built this system on an incline to run at head level for the packers. This was done to ensure it was ergonomically friendly and also to make the packing process as swift as possible.”

A case can be formed filled, sealed and checked within one minute

James Saywell, Endoline’s Southern sales manager

The second, lower conveyor line runs the filled boxes straight through to the Endoline case sealer to deliver a sealed box.

The company managed the entire line and integrated an existing labeller and metal detector into the end of the conveyor.

The boxes are then transported back to a storage freezer to ensure they remain at an ambient temperature before being palletised and transported to customers.

The fully automated turnkey packaging line means daily output can be up to 1,000 cases per day, Endoline says.

“A case can be formed filled, sealed and checked within one minute,” explains Saywell.

“This ensures that the product remains at its frozen temperature so, while packing is efficient, it is done in a timely manner to preserve quality.”

Speciality Breads managing director Peter Millen says the new facility has ensured the company has everything it needs to continue to move forward.

“Our new facility and the automated Endoline packing line give us the high-spec packaging plant I envisaged and it offers Speciality Breads scope for future growth,” Millen says.