Discover your next big idea at PACK EXPO Las Vegas this September
Experience a breakthrough in packaging & processing and transform your business with solutions from 2,300 suppliers spanning all industries.
REGISTER NOW & SAVE

Modern packaging for a traditional treat

German-based maker of twice-baked biscuits opts for robotic pick-and-place system to gently handle chocolate-coated and other flavored varieties at speeds to 390/min.

Two Venturi-based end effectors per robot gently pick the rusk slices and place them into the infeed chain of the tray loader.
Two Venturi-based end effectors per robot gently pick the rusk slices and place them into the infeed chain of the tray loader.

Known across Europe for its famous rusks, or twice-baked biscuits, Hagen, Germany-based Brandt produces approximately 17,000 tons of rusks each year. Its products are mainly sold in Europe, but are shipped as far afield as Japan. The 100-year-old, family-run company says it owes its success to the long-lasting trust it enjoys among its customers and its innovative approach to product development.

One such development, currently very popular with consumers but initially challenging from a packaging perspective, is the flavor coatings applied to some rusk types. During production on a new line in Brandt’s Ohrdruf, Germany, facility, the freshly baked rusk slices are randomly placed on a conveyor belt. To pack the slices into paper trays, the company was looking for a highly versatile pick-and-place technology. The products needed to be oriented and positioned with accuracy, and in straight lines, with quality checks to ensure that only products meeting Brandt’s quality standards were packaged. Moreover, gentle handling was essential, particularly for rusks with irregular surfaces or a premium chocolate coating.

The company was therefore looking for a solution that could increase both production and flexibility. Brandt analyzed various solutions and in August 2014 selected a Delfi feed placer, which features an integrated vision system and three Delta robots from Bosch Packaging Technology SA.

Explains Marco Geimer, Plant Manager at the Ohrdruf facility and the man behind the decision to buy the machine, “It was Bosch’s expertise that won us over. The offer they put together was exceptionally detailed. We were confident that Bosch had asked the right questions, really addressed our product needs, and come up with the most suitable solution for us.”

From the time it was installed in early 2015, the Delfi solution allowed Brant to boost its output significantly—from 270 to nearly 390 products/min—due to a higher pick-and-place speed and a lower rejection rate, resulting from gentler product handling. Two Venturi-based end effectors per robot pick the rusk slices very carefully and place them into the infeed chain of the downstream tray loader.

Pharmaceutical Innovations Report
Discover the latest breakthrough packaging technologies shaping the pharmaceutical sector. This report dives into cutting-edge innovations, from smart containers that enhance patient safety to eco-friendly materials poised to transform the industry’s sustainability practices. All from PACK EXPO. Learn how forward-thinking strategies are driving efficiency and redefining what’s possible in pharma packaging.
Learn More
Pharmaceutical Innovations Report
Conveying Innovations Report
Editors report on distinguishing characteristics that define each new product and collected video demonstrating the equipment or materials as displayed at the show. This topical report, winnowed from nearly 300 PACK EXPO collective booth visits, represents a categorized, organized account of individual items that were selected based on whether they were deemed to be both new, and truly innovative, based on decades of combined editorial experience in experiencing and evaluating PACK EXPO products.
Take me there
Conveying Innovations Report