Supplying machinery for the ice cream and frozen treat category comes with its own set of challenges, including speed, efficiency, and ever-changing product needs. With Cama Group’s automated equipment, companies can quickly pump out frozen treats, while meeting the packaging industry’s need for changing demands and formats, such as sustainability and flexible packaging.
Cama Group, headquartered in Molteno, Italy, is known for designing and manufacturing secondary packaging systems such as cartoners, case packers, and robotic loading systems. It specializes in integrated packaging lines that ensure products get to customers in the most effective and appealing way possible. Its machinery adapts to various frozen treat products that require a variety of packaging formats, mixes, and materials.
When a Polish frozen treat manufacturer approached Cama Group with two needs — to implement automation and reduce materials — the Italian OEM got to work and set the client up with proper PLC controllers and robotic flexibility.
Adapting to formats & temperatures
Cama Group’s machinery can withstand a large assortment of packaging formats, including flow cups, wraps, cones, sticks, and the traditional ice cream carton. This equipment can also work with packaging made from both traditional and eco-friendly, sustainable materials.
Additionally, there’s another factor that this machinery must adapt to – it must be able to work and maintain its production in frigid temperatures required by the product.
Customer challenges
When the frozen treat client, which specializes in private-brand products for retailers, approached Cama Group, they needed two major solutions: automation and material savings.
First, the client needed to enhance speed, efficiency, and reduce reliance on low-skilled seasonal labor. With eight operators working across three different shifts, automation offered significant improvements in productivity.
Second, the customer needed to save on materials as they had been using cartons that were designed for manual loading. This made it a more complicated option because they required specialist handling.
Solution #1: Advanced controllers
To satisfy both client requests, Cama Group provided automation solutions. The core of the system include primary controllers, which work in conjunction with additional automation components to ensure precision, accuracy, and scalability. For this project, Cama Group selected Rockwell Automation controllers, including:
- Allen-Bradley GuardLogix: Part of the ControlLogix family, this controller is known for its integrated safety features, flexibility, and simplified programming.
- Compact Logix PLC: This controller offers high-performance processing, scalability, and flexibility, along with an integrated control system.
According to Cama Group, the controllers were selected because they offered seamless integration with the customer’s management software, machine onboarding, and robotic control needs.
This type of application isn’t new for Cama Group, as they offer a variety of machinery that work in cold temperatures.
“Our machines are designed for multi-environment applications and feature open easily cleanable frames and no trap points,” said Alessandro Rocca, sales engineering director at Cama Group, in a statement. “We have a range of machines that can fulfill the packaging needs, but being able to mix and match our solutions to best fit the customer’s needs is definitely a very powerful and highly desirable capability.”
Solution #2: Robotic flexibility
Cama Group’s solution also included its IT280 robotic loading machine and CL169 continuous motion cartoning machine.
- IT280 robotic loading machine: Features flexible infeed configurations, scalable robotic integration, compact, and hygienic design. This machine is designed to enhance efficiency in the packaging process and can be utilized for industries such as food production and pharmaceuticals.
- CL169 continuous motion cartoning machine: Capable of adaptable product handling, high-speed operation, carton opening, flexible loading system, and carton closing options. It’s designed for high-speed packaging across several industries, including food.
Cama Group’s packaging solution for this client included four feeds moving into the equipment, followed by accelerating conveyors spacing out the products. Each product is then placed into an intermittently moving pocket conveyor where products are gathered.
A delta robot picks up the products and places them into a bucket conveyor. The products are sideloaded into cartons by the CL169 and transferred to a flap-folding station, closed with hot melt, and conveyed to the machine’s outfeed.
According to Cama Group, both the IT280 robotic loading machine and CL169 cartoning machine feature scalable, hygienically designed frameworks to house automation solutions, including advanced rotary and linear servo technology. The company says both machines are part of Cama’s Breakthrough Generation (BTG).
“Our BTG range, with its multi-application, multi-environment capabilities, was designed specifically to address these needs,” Rocca said in a statement. “Thanks to its electronic backbone, it is also fully Industry 4.0 compatible, a capability that has been exploited extensively during the pandemic, where we have been able to undertake a huge array of remote operations and interactions, including full [factory acceptance tests]. These capabilities are set to stay commonplace as many end users begin to realize the outstanding capabilities that data-capable machines can deliver.”
Enhancing packaging with flexibility
Frozen treat manufacturers can leverage secondary packaging to improve product quality, reduce costs, and support sustainability initiatives while keeping pace with the industry’s evolving trends, like flexible packaging.
When compared to traditional, rigid packaging, flexible packaging is lightweight, cost-effective, and offers consumer convenience. It’s being called upon more as consumers and businesses request eco-friendly packaging. Flexible packaging comes in many formats like roll stock, liners, pouches, and bags.
For its part, Cama Group offers clients the ability to leverage flexible packaging for the frozen treat industry in the form of stand-up pouches and flow wraps.
