Case Study: Confectionery Production with VCSP Vibratory Grading and Laning Conveyors

Client Background

A leading UK confectionery manufacturer faced challenges related to production bottlenecks, product breakage, and inconsistent product sorting. Managing delicate confectionery products required gentle handling and precise control throughout the production line, while maintaining high throughput and ensuring quality standards were met.

VCSP designed a comprehensive vibratory conveyor system tailored to these needs, integrating both vibratory grading conveyors and vibratory laning conveyors to enhance the entire process.

The vibratory grading conveyors were designed to sort the confectionery products by size and quality and are custom-made with adjustable aperture sizes and shapes. Featuring a double-deck design, the system efficiently separated multiple grades on a single conveyor, ensuring consistent product categorisation with minimal manual intervention.

Quick-release screen panels enabled rapid changes between products, significantly reducing downtime and allowing for quick adaptation to varying product specifications.

To optimise product presentation and further improve efficiency in automated packaging, vibratory laning conveyors were implemented downstream.

Our conveyors ensured the same spacing and orientation of confectionery products, which the pick-and-place systems of robots operated with minimal mispicks. Our lane system has transformed the chaotic flow of products into a set of lanes, improving quality control and inspection.

The vibratory technology offered by VCSP provided a soft yet controlled motion that was gentle enough to avoid damaging delicate confectionery items. The adjustable vibration programme allowed operators to customise the system for different confectioneries and processing phases, providing a smooth flow and guaranteeing the integrity of products throughout the manufacturing process.

Electromagnetic drives with variable speed controls facilitated seamless integration with existing production line speeds, enhancing overall throughput.

The strong, stainless-steel-built, and hygienic architecture of the conveyors was constructed to a high standard in accordance with food safety laws. This ensured 24/7 operation in a confectionery setting, which requires a high level of demand.

The manufacturer witnessed a 30% increase in production productivity, significant cuts in product breakages and waste, accompanied by enhanced sorting accuracy. Our combined grading and laning conveyor system enhanced automation, enhanced throughput of the line and ensured consistency in the quality of product sorted to the packaging unit.

The project is a good example of how VCSP has managed to produce innovative and tailored vibratory conveyors that can address complex production issues in confectionery, making it profitable and enabling the production of high-quality products in a competitive market.