SUGAR - TURN KEY SYSTEM
Client
Barbados Agricultural Management Company Ltd (BAMC) is a manufacturer of premium speciality cane sugars. The BAMC process begins with bringing in sugar from source. Canes are harvested and processed before being marketed internationally.
Challenge
BAMC needed to replace their standard 50 kg bags with Flexible Intermediate Bulk Containers (Jumbo Bags) as part of their export programme. They also wanted to bring the outsourced packing of retail/consumer packs for local shops and their speciality sugars for international markets in-house .
- Visibility of contents – BAMC wanted consumers to be able to see and appreciate the distinctive colour and texture of their muscovado sugar
- To provide a flexible, hygienic, traceable method of intermediate storage
- Improve hygiene control – equipment had to achieve HACCP standards and be EC compliant
- The sugar harvest is seasonal, therefore BAMC proposed using Big Bags for intermediate buffer storage, before their sugar was packed into small, 1 kg retail bags or 3 g sachets Bulk Bags also provide the ideal unit load for shipment to re-packers worldwide
- Reduce the labour input required through automation of the bagging process
Solution
Webster Griffin tailored a Turn-Key solution to BAMC’s unique situation incorporating:
- Big Bag IBC-PF2 filling line with patented semi-suspension concept, which uses the full volume of the bag
- CV3010 Velocity Form Fill Seal packer for 500g - 2.5kg retail packs, capable of a throughput of up to 70 bags/min
- Dust collection and filtration system
- Big Bag emptying station with product conveyor to the FFS packing line
- Quality assurance and traceability - every Big Bag is check weighed and logged. A printed identification ticket is inserted into a pocket on the side of the full bag
- Traceability – assured by printing code onto every small bag or packet, which is made on the FFS machine at the point of filling
- Metal contamination – before packing into bags all sugar has to pass through an in-chute metal detector and magnetic trap
- Plastic film - provides an attractive and robust retail package with excellent length of shelf life
- All packages and Big Bags are palletized and protected by stretch wrapping - the Uniwrap 100s semi-automatic stretch wrapper delivering complete pallet protection - before leaving the packing hall
Result
BAMC successfully commenced operation of their new integrated Bulk Bag and retail packaging facility. They can now better accommodate the needs of their international and local clients. The new packaging facility enables BAMC to:
- Appeal to wider international markets and regional customers. BAMC can now deliver their unique sugar in:
- 500g – 2.5 kg consumer packs for distribution to retail outlets and shops
- 3g – 8g “coffee shop” sachets and stick packs, for sale to local restaurants, hotel chains and airlines
- FIBC/ Bulk Bags for delivery of their sugar to wholesale/re-packing operations in Europe and the US
- Realise cost efficiencies resulting from integrating all packaging operations at a central location
- Utilise Big Bag Filling which provides an economical and versatile means of storing their sugar before packing into small bags
- Operate a HACCP compliant and hygienic packing facility.
- Produce waterproofed protected pallets ready for distribution worldwide
Case Images
Other Industry Experience
Big Bag Filling and Form Fill Seal Bagging of Sugar
Big Bag Filling of Sugar
Form Fill Seal Bagging of Rice