Canadian Baker Installs Lightline Flowpacker from Schubert
La Petite Bretonne, a family-run company from Quebec produces up to 1.2 million Micro Croissants® every day. To expand its production, La Petite Bretonne added a lightline Flowpacker by Schubert for its main production site in Blainville, Quebec.
“La Petite Bretonne would need countless employees to be in the position to satisfy the high demand,” said Julian Conway, sales account manager at Schubert North America and responsible project manager.
To adapt the existing processes to the increasing production volume, the bakery was looking for an automation solution that is highly flexible, very compact and also cost-effective. The producer had already been operating several individual machines for end-of-line automation.
The Flowmodul from Schubert is a flow-wrapping unit, which is also integrated into the Flowpacker from Schubert’s lightline machine series. This range consists of three preconfigured, compact and highly efficient packaging systems. The proven TLM standard modules and intelligent robot technology ensure reliable operation with high system availability.
At La Petite Bretonne, the new lightline Flowpacker will have to pack, among other things, filled Danish pastry and chocolate-filled croissants in different sizes on one line, while gently handling the fragile, heat-sensitive products. Schubert’s system comprises four pick & place robots, a 3D scanner and the Flowmodul. The 3D scanner checks the position, shape, volume, orientation and degree of browning of each product and allows only perfect baked goods to pass on to the next packaging step. The baked goods are then carefully placed into the Flowmodul’s feed chain by four pick & place robots and packed into flowpacks. First, the longitudinal seam of the flowpack is sealed by an ultrasonic sealing unit. This is then followed by Schubert’s patented heat-sealing technology with the flying cross-sealing unit. It automatically adapts to the speed of the upstream pick & place robots and therefore enables constant sealing times.
“It’s fascinating that we can now package numerous products and formats on a single line. I’m convinced that with Schubert, we have the right partner at our side to successfully take on current and future challenges,” said Serge Bohec, the owner of La Petite Bretonne. The bakery was established 52 years ago.