November 2009

Automated crate handling boosts
bakery production

When a developing bakery aims at increasing production volume and market share, as well as expanding its market area, one of the key instruments of the modernization is renewing the packaging and expedition processes. A significant role in the improved logistics system plays automated plastic crate handling:  a system from Nekos Oy allows the crates to circulate to retail stores and back hygienically, safely and under constant control.  

Automated crate handling is the answer to two major challenges that the entire European bakery industry is facing – ever rising labor costs and quality demands. Tailor-made, automated system of plastic crate storages gives tools to improve productivity, as well as to cut down delivery times all the way to the consumers. In addition to reliable high-quality equipment, Nekos Oy offers its clientele full support from top specialists, starting from system design and installation and extending to further maintenance services.

Nekos Oy has supplied many rapidly developing bakeries with a fully automated plastic crate handling system that allows the company to manage increasing labor costs and restrictions in production space.  In many cases most of the equipment, including automated storages, can be located on mezzanine level, which releases ground floor space for other production purposes and dispatch department.  As production volumes rise rapidly, automated plastic crate handling system helps to prevent delays due to packaging and dispatch processes, thus enhancing bakeries’ strategy for growth.

Nekos Oy ’s system controls crate circulation from unloading through washing and storage all the way to packaging point and dispatch. Automated storage saves floor space can be conveyed on two levels without any cross flow, which helps to prevent bottlenecks in production. Following the highest standards of hygiene is also facilitated: plastic crates are washed after each cycle of use and transported exclusively on conveyors.  As crates are not being moved manually, there’s no need for the staff to move between packaging and dispatch departments.

In addition to technical expertise and space saving, Nekos Oy’s system excels in ergonomics and work safety issues. These factors give this experienced supplier of material handling systems for many European bakeries a substantial head start, when choosing the supplier for major scale bakery renovations.  At Nekos Oy dialogue with the customer does not end after successful manufacturing of the system, but customers are being offered reliable expert services in installation, training and maintenance, as well.

A Nekos system includes e.g.

Unloading and dirty crate storage

De-stacking

Washing and drying

Clean crate storage

Crate infeed to packaging and dispatch

Manual packaging points

Full crate stacking and counting

An example in figures

Stackers and de-stackers capacity - 2 000 crates per hour

Washing and drying capacity - 2 000 crates per hour

Dirty crate storage capacity - 15 000 crates

Clean crate storge capacity - 15 000 crates

3 unloading points for dirty crate stacks

2 packagin points