CASE STUDY- BEVERAGE INDUSTRY- HARSHEY INDIA CHOCOLATE MILKSHAKE LINE
BEVERAGE- BEVERAGES, is a vast industry. Specifically when the beverage is packed in the Aseptic Brick packs. The primary packaging machines that are coming in the market are of high speed & one should not neglect the man power required at the end of the line to properly manage their production lines.
Existing process is a manual process where there are more than 12 people are working on the same line to cope up with the incoming line speed usually 480 Aseptic Bricks per minute. The space requirement is also high & the shift workers are getting changed every 8-12 hours which results in slow end of line packaging & loss of productivity.
PRODUCTION CHALLENGES
High speed Primary machine:
Customer wanted to pack 10X3 Aseptic packs at a speed of 480 Aseptic Bricks per minute. The high speed line was the challenge in this case. The proposed solution for Wrap around case packer for the incoming line speed of 480 Packs per minute inside the shipper carton was done at a speed of 16 Wrap around cartons per minute with 10X3 Packing matrix.
BUSINESS IMPACT
While manual packing is cheaper on "Day 1," the Cost per Unit increases every year due to wage inflation. With automation, the cost per unit stays flat or decreases as the machine is depreciated.
MAS SYSTECH SOLUTION
We supplied Wrap around case packer to customer to cope up with the speed of 480 bricks per minute which gave them 16 Wrap around cartons per minute of speed. Which is one of the highest speeds in the industry.
CUSTOMIZATION APPLIED
We provided the solution inline with the current filling line. The Aseptic brick packs were wrapped around inside the Shipper Carton to provide unique solution to their manual handling problems.
INSTALLATION PROCESS
The installation of the such equipment is simple & easy to use. We Installed the whole setup in 14 working days.
The installed, commissioned & handed over to customer on 20th day.
CHALLENGES OVERCOME
Consistency
Unlike human labor, a machine does not suffer from fatigue. It maintains the exact same throughput at 4:00 PM as it did at 8:00 AM. The machine runs at 24X7.
Precision Placement
High-tech Wrap around case packer with Gluing system ensured that Aseptic Bricks are placed gently into cases, preventing "drop damage".
Data Integration
Automated lines provide real-time data on production rates, downtime, and reject counts, allowing for better inventory management.
PRODUCTION LINE DATA
The following table compares a standard medium-speed production line over a single 8-hour shift.
| Features | Manual Packing | Automated Packing |
|---|---|---|
| Throughput (Output) in BPM | 80-100 Bricks Per Minute | 480 Aseptic Bricks Per Minute |
| Staffing Required | 10-12 Line Workers | 1 Operator |
| Error Rate | 2-3% (Missed Mono cartons) | Less than 0.1% |
| Operating Hours | Limited by Breaks/Shifts | Continuous (24 X 7) |
| Annual Labour Cost | 10-12 Operators X Daily Wages X No. Of Days | Maintenance/Operator Cost |