A bulk packaging system that measured and loaded pretzels into large boxes for foodservice accounts couldn't keep up with Frito-Lay's increasing output needs. The older system was also overpacking the boxes.
To remedy the situation, the Plano, TX-based snack maker sent a team to the 1997 Pack Expo in Las Vegas to find a replacement system. The trip proved successful.
The company selected a system that accurately weighs and packs pretzels. Several calls to the company, however, were not returned at press time, so Packaging World is not able to identify the type of equipment or its supplier.
What we do know is that the system uses a vibratory chute to feed the pretzels onto a scale for weighing. Pretzels are subsequently packed into boxes for shipping. Julie Dittlinger, a Frito-Lay packaging engineer, estimates that last year the company saved 10% in costs, due to the machine's increased productivity and improved inventory control.
"The show gave us the opportunity to explore several different bulk packaging systems," she says. "All the equipment manufacturers we were considering were right there at one venue. We were able to review and compare size, cost, function and availability."
Dittlinger notes that "a critical show feature was being able to see actual machine demonstrations in exhibitor booths. Also, exhibitor technical personnel gave us information specific to our application needs."
The packaging engineer says she's "already looking forward to my next visit to the show." She'll soon get her chance. Sponsored by the Packaging Machinery Manufacturers Institute (Arlington, VA), Pack Expo Las Vegas 99 is scheduled for Oct. 18 to 20, at the Sands Convention Center in Las Vegas. For a preview of Pack Expo Las Vegas, see story on page 38.
