Firelighter Manufacturer Expands Capacity with an Integrated Packaging Line

Geographical location: UK

Industry/Product lines: Firelighters

Solution: Automatic cartoning and case packing

Client Requirements

A UK firelighters manufacturer came to us for a solution to help increase its packaging capacity, due to an expanding customer base. Producing firelighters in a range of sizes, the business needed a setup that could handle the range without requiring excessive downtime for machine setting changes.

Another part to the client’s requirement involved a solution to accelerate the end-of-line process of case packing and distribution. The differing carton and case sizes meant that  flexibility was needed in the approach to how packages were grouped.

The priorities for the new line were:

• Bring products from two firelighter lines into a connected packaging process
• Handle firelighters of various sizes
• Automatically carton the product
• Pack cartons into cases
• Accommodate different case collations and pack formats
• Provide greater output capacity to support growing demand

Our Solution

The Jacob White team formed a strong partnership with the client, to better understand their current working practices and examine their challenges in detail.

We then designed a complete line, built around an NS-X5 automatic cartoner and a wraparound case packer. In our design, product handling units, transfer systems and conveyors connected the equipment and carried the firelighters through the packaging process.

The setup design took firelighters from the two incoming lines through to cartoning and sealing, before transferring the packaged products to the case packing stage.

The case packer was designed to accommodate the different collations, which gave the business operation more flexible options for its range of carton and case sizes.

The End Result

Throughout the project, the Jacob White team worked closely with the client, to address the practical issues and challenges that arose during both planning and machine build stages. Bringing two product lines together and allowing for several pack formats required dedicated attention to detail, from the way firelighters entered the line, to the way cartons were grouped at the end-of-line.

The new installation gave the two firelighter lines a combined top speed of 120 cartons per minute. This has given the manufacturer substantially greater output capability and a way to pack different product sizes and case configurations on one integrated line.

Discuss Your Firelighter Packaging Needs

At Jacob White packaging, we work closely with our customers to address real-world challenges in manufacturing and distribution. For more than 100 years, we’ve been designing and building packaging machines to erect, fill, seal and distribute a wide range of products from almost every sector.

If you’re working with multiple product types, sizes and cartons, we’re here to help you. Contact Jacob White Packaging to discuss how your products need to move.