Ice cream firm slashes packing time

The company had largely filled and packed its four- and five-litre tubs into outer cases manually, limiting output.

“The manual packing time was variable and, due to the nature of ice cream, we ran the risk of the product melting in the small window we had,”​ said Marshfield Farm owner Will Hawking. “Also, the cases were not always uniform, which left the product vulnerable further down the supply chain.”​

Endoline’s solution incorporated its 221 Fully Automatic Case Erector, conveyor systems, stainless steel packing tables, its 702 Fully Automatic Case Sealer and a Markem Imaje labeller.

Automation​

Once formed, cases are conveyed to packing stations, where cages holding the product are delivered. Cases are then pushed on to a conveyor to be automatically closed, and are sealed by the case sealer.

“Automating packing has significantly increased our production efficiency,”​ he added.

Marshfield now packs 30,000 litres of ice cream a day for more than 6,000 independent retailers.

Meanwhile, UK ice cream manufacturers have reported soaring profits ​​thanks to the record-breaking heatwave this summer, according to industry body the Ice Cream Alliance.

A survey of the organisation’s members found 80% of respondents reported a rise in profits compared with the previous three years.