Case study - Matthijs BV (Confectionery)
Quote from the customer: “The Somic wraparound packer gives us the flexibility we need. Our packaging capacity has increased from 35 to 70 bags per minute - and that with half as many employees."
Matthijs B.V., a confectionery manufacturer from Hoogerheide, Netherlands, looks back on a hundred-year tradition of producing confectionery for various brands. They produce for both premium brands and private labels and are also known for their unique products, such as the Manneke Pis licorice, which they also offer under the name “Echte Mannekes” in various flavors. Matthijs B.V. relies on a SOMIC wraparound packer for the secondary packaging of all these confectionery products.
Flexibility in packaging: the Somic Wraparound Packer is the perfect solution
“The "Echte Mannekes" are packaged in 225-gram stand-up pouches, but we will also be offering other sizes in the future. We also sell our other confectionery, including the Original Manneke Pis liquorice, in kilogram packs, for example to confectionery stores,” says Nick Matthijs, Managing Director of Matthijs B.V.
In order to pack all these different sizes and products in outer cartons, Matthijs B.V. needed a flexible packaging machine with adaptable packaging formats. At a trade fair in Antwerp, the company found the right solution for its new packaging line: the SOMIC 424 Wraparound Packer. This machine collects, groups and packs the products quickly and efficiently into cartons. To ensure the most efficient operation possible, Matthijs B.V. has connected the infeed belts of several products directly to the SOMIC machine.
At the pop-up trade fair in Antwerp, Nick and Walter Matthijs, father and son and the current and former Managing Director of Matthijs B.V., were able to experience the possibilities for their packaging line at first hand. Jan-Willem, Area Sales Manager at SOMIC, remembers it well: “We showed Nick and Walter how we can pack both 225-gram and 1,000-gram bags in cartons of the same size without having to change the machine. A few days after this demonstration, they bought their first SOMIC machine. Together, we then planned the rest of the process, from the machine to bringing it into the production hall.”
Perfect interaction between the machines
“The entire planning process is of central importance,” emphasizes Jan-Willem. “You have to make sure that the right combination is made for all product formats. A good principle for this is the Pareto principle. At the request of the technical department, we determined a carton size that can be used for different contents and pack sizes.” The entire packaging line at Matthijs B.V. is tailored to this. The products are filled in a VH flow-wrapping machine, weighed, checked by an OCS-Wipotec system, packed in coded outer cartons and finally loaded onto the appropriate pallet.
“It all works perfectly together,” agrees Nick. “All the machines work and communicate closely with each other. For example, the SOMIC wraparound packer can stop the upstream machines and the palletizer can stop the entire line. From the planning phase to the handover of the machine, the entire process ran extremely smoothly. Shortly after installation in the line, the SOMIC machine was ready for use and production could begin.”
Twice the capacity with half the staff: automation increases efficiency
Matthijs B.V. plans to push ahead with automation and standardization: “Perhaps another SOMIC machine will be added in the future, but at the moment we can cover our production output very well with the SOMIC wraparound packer. Mannekes are still a relatively new product with many flavors, so we often produce in small batches. Thanks to the possibility of processing kilo packs on the same machine, we are very flexible and efficient. Our packaging capacity has increased from 35 to 70 bags per minute - and that with half as many employees. Doubling capacity while increasing quality is the perfect solution for us. We want to offer more packaging sizes in the future. With the SOMIC wraparound packer, this is easy because SOMIC QuickChange technology allows us to easily adapt the machine to new formats, such as 100 gram mini-packs."
Jan-Willem adds: “At SOMIC, we analyze our customers' requirements and use format parts for different packaging sizes where possible. This keeps investment costs and changeover times low for our customers. For example, the same format parts can be used for the 225 gram pouches as for the kilo packs. There are twice as many bags in one carton.”
From silo to film: reduction of packaging material at Matthijs B.V.
Matthijs B.V. used to pack its sweets in silos (buckets and trays made of hard plastic). “Back then, we needed seven employees to manually pack the silos into boxes,” explains Nick. “Now we have the SOMIC packaging machine. The operator only has to refill granulate for the hot melt and carton blanks. Only very rarely does the machine operator have to intervene if something goes wrong. The machine works very reliably and is less prone to errors than a human operator. Thanks to SOMIC's advice, we were also able to significantly reduce the amount of packaging material, which has improved both sustainability and our efficiency. Instead of 33 pallets of silos and folding cartons (RSC cartons), we now only store one pallet of film and one pallet of flat cardboard blanks. The more efficient transportation alone saves us around 80% of CO₂ emissions.”
SOMIC ensures that cartons with stand-up pouches are just as stable as those with silos. Jan-Willem explains: “Manually packed RSC cartons sometimes result in unstable cartons or pallets. The cartons can deform or collapse, which jeopardizes palletizing. With a wraparound packer, we avoid this problem as the products are first grouped and then slightly compressed. The result is stable, evenly packed cartons. We also eliminate the need for adhesive tape and labels, making the cartons fully recyclable.”
The future of automation: Matthijs B.V. is focusing on further growth
“The world's population is growing, demand is increasing, but at the same time the number of available workers is shrinking. Automation is therefore inevitable,” says Jan-Willem. “It is crucial to implement automated systems in order to remain competitive and future-proof.” Matthijs B.V. is already planning the next steps. “We will certainly invest in more SOMIC machines in the future,” Nick suspects. “As soon as you start automating, you quickly realize how much the investment pays off. In addition, the total cost of ownership of the SOMIC packaging machine is very low. The machine quality is excellent and the service is well organized. We receive immediate support in the event of problems, and 80% of cases can even be solved remotely.”
