A new vacuum conveyor system from PIAB has helped yogurt maker YoFarm upgrade its packaging process and improve efficiency. Based in Naugatuck, CT, YoFarm has been producing smooth, healthful yogurt treats and ready-to-eat dessert/snacks for decades.
In 2002, YoFarm decided that its packaging process needed to be upgraded, both to keep up with growing production demands and to improve efficiency at the plant. One process that needed automating was the transfer of crunchy ingredients for its yogurt/crunchy treat combo snacks, YoCrunch.
Founded in 1984, YoFarm has always been a food industry innovator. The company created a whole new yogurt category in 1991 with the introduction of the first yogurt/granola topping combo pack. This new treat, called YoCrunch, combined mild low-fat yogurt with an accompanying packet of granola as a single-serve offering. Well-received by both the public and the industry, the YoCrunch line expanded to include such variations as a chocolate crunch topping, a Cookie ''n'' Cream product with Oreo® cookies, and a Strawberry YoCrunch with Nestle® Crunch pieces.
To improve operations and productivity, the company decided it wanted to automate the specific process of transferring the dry YoCrunch ingredients from 2,000 lb totes into "doams" -- plastic containers that sit atop the yogurt cup. For years, this had been a manual operation, with operators literally scooping the dry ingredient out of the enormous tote with a stainless steel bucket and carrying it over to a filler machine. The operator was responsible for monitoring the right quantities, using the cup as a guide.
Seeking a less laborious, safer, and more efficient transfer system, YoFarm turned to Hingham, MA-based PIAB Inc, a leader in industrial vacuum conveying technology, to purchase a state-of-the-art, USDA- and FDA-approved vacuum conveyor system. PIAB''s C-series conveyors are designed to transport up to 15 tons/hour of powders, granules, and food safely and quietly, in virtually any manufacturing environment. Made of stainless steel, these conveyors meet all the standards for hygienic safety and are corrosion-resistant and easy to clean.
"Our production capacity has increased by more than 40% over the last few years. We needed a transfer system that could keep up with increased productivity and make us more competitive and profitable, while reducing the physical strain on our employees. PIAB''s C-33 conveyors had everything we were looking for in terms of functionality, hygienic safety, and quality," says YoFarm plant engineer Peter Riebe.
"Another benefit we received by choosing to work with PIAB was the ability to test the flow of the products under real conditions at PIAB''s testing lab," comments Riebe. PIAB offers use of its test facility to all of its potential customers, running a variety of materials to determine their conveying characteristics as well as identifying any possible issues.
Adds Riebe, "Testing PIAB''s product was instrumental to us because we knew that the vacuum conveyor would work with our products before actually purchasing the system."
With two PIAB C-33 vacuum conveyors in place, the YoCrunch dry ingredients are now transferred in a safer, completely automated system. The packaging process is now entirely hands-free, as measured amounts of dry food are pneumatically transferred to the filler machine, dropped in the "doams," thermally sealed, and then mated with a container of yogurt. The machines run 24/7, and with no risk of human error, the quantities are always exactly correct.
"The PIAB conveyors have taken the manual labor out of the process," Riebe says. "There is now no risk of employee back strain, as the operators just have to run the machines and monitor the process. They are much happier in their work."
Modular in design, the C-33 vacuum conveyor facilitates fast installation and requires one simple connection to compressed air. It has minimal components, small dimensions, and is lightweight.
"The C-33 is a very reliable, well-designed and extremely clean system," Riebe concludes. "Our employees appreciate the fact that it is simple to operate and requires almost no maintenance. And our inspectors like the fact that it eliminates almost all risk of contamination. Removing the potential for injury from the packaging process makes for a very stress-free, happy, and productive work environment."
One could say that PIAB''s vacuum conveyors are now an essential, smooth-running ingredient in YoFarm''s delivery of smooth and crunchy treats.