Marzipan specialist Niederegger continues to develop its packing processes to a high standard, and has found a quality-conscious partner in Schubert. For the packaging of its “classics”, the long-established company from Lübeck/Germany needed a particularly compact line with simple format changes. Now, the marzipan pralines are packed on a TLM machine from Schubert.

Marzipan, nougat, praline – pure indulgence. Nieder-egger has successfully specialized in the production of these delicacies. The Lübeck-based com-pany with over 200 years of history produces marzipan in all conceivable forms, high-quality nougat products and truffle fillings in crisp chocolate. In the Hanseatic city, Café Nieder-egger is one of the top addresses for pralines and cakes, coffee and tea. Yet, the majority of the specialities are sold in the trade – above all the small marzipan pralines referred to as the “classics” with the characteristic packaging in red, white and gold.

Global demand requires a high degree of automation in packaging. To achieve this, Niederegger has long relied on Gerhard Schubert GmbH, the market leader in top-loading packaging machines. For example, the classics have been packed in elegant chocolate boxes on a TLM packaging line from the Crailsheim-based machine manufacturer for years. Yet, the specialty manufacturer lacked packaging in shipping cartons as the last step in automation – until recently. For some time now, another TLM packaging machine from Schubert has also been used to pack the folding boxes into cartons, preparing them for safe travel to marzipan connoisseurs around the world.

Confined space is a typical feature of long-established production sites. At Niederegger, too, it is noticeable that no generously planned greenfield production was created here, but that existing areas were repeatedly expanded and converted over the decades. The challenge for the new TLM system was therefore to pack a lot of flavour in a small space. “When we saw the space available for the machine, it was immediately clear to us that an extremely compact design was required,” recalls Werner Schäfauer, Sales Account Manager at Schubert.

As traditional as Niederegger’s classics are, the packaging units are just as varied: processing six different formats of products and packaging on one line was the challenge Schubert was given. “After some deliberation, we decided to design the first machine in our new Lightline machine series for this order,” says Werner Schäfauer. This is how the robot-based Schubert Lightline Cartonpacker was developed – with the aim of offering a high-quality TLM machine for standard packaging tasks that can erect, fill and seal cartons in a minimum of space.

The entire Lightline series comprises three machine types: the Cartonpacker, the Pickerline, which is a high-performance pick & place line for picking up and placing products into trays, and the Flowpacker, which packs products into flow-wrap bags in combination with the Pickerline. All machine types are based on preconfigured TLM modules – this simplifies the planning and assembly process. By delivering as a unit in one module, the installation effort can also be reduced considerably. Less time is required between ordering the machine and commissioning it. As one would expect from Schubert, the Lightline machines are also scalable: they can be adapted to the individually required performance by adding on further modules.

At Niederegger, the folding cartons now enter the new machine in one lane, coming directly from the packaging line and lying crosswise. On entering the machine, a grouping chain equipped with quick-change format pockets brings the cartons into a vertical orientation. The number of chocolate boxes required, according to the format, are pushed out of the grouping chain by a cross pusher and onto a grouping table that then closes up the gaps between the cartons. An F2 robot then picks up the formation and places it into the box. A high degree of precision is ensured with the aid of a carton centring system, which eliminates the risk of jamming whilst loading.

At Niederegger, the boxes of choco-lates are packed in folding cartons, i. e. in American cases. Different quantities and orientations in the shipping box apply for each chocolate box size. Depending on which format the machine is currently set to, the boxes have to be turned. “We developed a small yet very unique feature for this,” explains Sales Account Manager Werner Schäfauer. “A unit integrated into the machine turns the erected cartons on a separate device. This way, the rotation doesn’t need to be done by the robot.” This trick keeps the robot tool more lightweight and also makes format changes easier.

The TLM machine at Niederegger is set up for six different formats: five, eight, ten or twelve boxes of chocolates are packed into a carton, some standing, some lying down, and in one or two layers. The system’s robots can handle up to twelve finished shipping cartons per minute. The Lightline Cartonpacker can be converted to a different format in just 5 min. The front magazine has also proved its worth within the system’s overall “light” design. Due to its position, it keeps the pathway laterally free. This means that it can be easily passed despite the limited space available at the site.

Since its installation, the Lightline Cartonpacker has been doing an impeccable job at Niederegger. Although it represents an absolutely new development for Schubert, the first Lightline system is not a prototype with the typical corresponding features – non-standardized housing or non-uniform components. It is rather a machine that functions perfectly in every respect. It consists of proven Schubert TLM system components, which also fit in beautifully with the modern, functional appearance of the entire production of Niederegger.

For Kai Röblitz, Operations Manager at the Lübeck-based company, the investment in the new Schubert machine has paid off: “The compact Lightline Cartonpacker is an ideal addition to our automated processes. We can now further increase our production output”. Other production managers have drawn a similar conclusion since the market launch: more than 30 Lightline systems are already in use worldwide.