Up to 12 French frozen food lines to feed high-capacity potato palletising

Frozen potato producer Ecofrost has opted for 180-cases-per-minute multiline palletising from Scott Automation for its northern France plant.

When the food processor was planning this new facility, efficient end-of-line automation was one of its major priorities, says Scott.

Designed with future growth in mind, the plan for the site is to install up to 12 packaging lines, with eight lines forming the initial phase and a further four planned as production develops. With each line capable of handling up to 15 cases per minute, Ecofrost needed an end-of-line system capable of supporting high-volume production.

Ecofrost opted for a Scott multiline palletising approach, bringing products from several packaging lines together within one automated system. This reduces the number of individual palletisers required, making more efficient use of the available production space while also helping to reduce capital investment and total cost of ownership.

Flexibility was a key requirement, with Ecofrost needing to handle five different pallet types and a variety of pallet patterns across its production lines.

The core palletising operation integrates wrapping and print-and-apply labelling equipment, creating a connected process from incoming cases through to finished pallets.

Despite the high throughput, the installation fits in a compact footprint, says Scott, leaving Ecofrost with room to grow. Additional packaging lines can be integrated by extending the conveying and buffering system, without necessarily requiring additional palletisers. This would provide a cost-efficient route to increasing production while preserving valuable floor space, it adds.

01384 210278
www.scottautomation.com