Ishida quality brings peace of mind for snacks market innovator

The pack quality, accuracy and consistency delivered by an Ishida multihead weigher, bagmaker (Integrated Total Packing System (iTPS) and DACS Checkweigher are helping start-up crisp brand Simply Roasted to ‘shake up snacking’.

Simply Roasted crisps are baked in the company’s unique roasting ovens at its factory in Norfolk. The company says that this process, rather than frying the crisps in hot oil, delivers the same levels of crunch and flavour but with reduced fat, calories and salt. As a result, as well as listings with several leading retailers, Simply Roasted crisps are also being rolled out in cafés and shops throughout the National Health Service (NHS) sites. As Stuart Monk, Simply Roasted’s Managing Director, points out, one of the main challenges for any new brand is to build and maintain consumer confidence. The consistent pack quality and excellent seals that the Ishida INSPIRA snack food bagmaker delivers are therefore critical.

“With a new product, you literally get one chance to put it in front of consumers, so if the bag isn’t sealed properly or has a small leak, then our crisps may become stale and that creates a poor first impression which is unlikely to lead to a repeat purchase,” he said. “Our investment in Ishida equipment and the consistent quality seals that it delivers has therefore been very important in enabling us to build brand integrity and loyalty.”

As equally significant, the improved speed and efficiencies of the Ishida system have also helped Simply Roasted to navigate several major business challenges during its first years of operation. The war in Ukraine affected the price and supplies of cooking oil, and high inflation and major increases in energy prices greatly impacted on all the company’s input costs.

“Again, as a new business, we took the decision that we could not pass these price increases onto our consumers, so we initially had to absorb them,” said Stuart. “Now with the Ishida system running at around three times the speed of our previous bagmaker, while delivering excellent accuracy and minimal giveaway, we can pack more product into more packs and these improved efficiencies have enabled us to claw back some of these costs. So, we are continuing to maintain our prices at a time when many competitors are increasing theirs.”

The INSPIRA iTPS comprises an Ishida CCW-RV 14-head multihead weigher and INSPIRA rotary bagmaker. At Simply Roasted, it is handling the company’s two pack sizes of 21.5g and 93g across seven flavours at speeds of 80 bags per minute (bpm) for the smaller size and 60bpm for the larger – well within its top speed of 120bpm.

The Ishida system has replaced the company’s original bagmaker, which suffered from poor overall performance and lack of support.

“Pack weight inconsistencies and product trapped in the seals were two of the major issues, and when we experienced problems, it took a very long time for these to be resolved,” said Simply Roasted’s Operations Manager Paulius Imbrasas.

“Both Stuart and I had experience of Ishida in our previous roles so we knew we could expect both exceptional performance and high levels of service, including fast maintenance support and parts supply, and training.”

The Ishida CCW-RV multihead weigher is delivering accuracy to within one gramme of target weight. The INSPIRA bagmaker features enhanced motor and drive technology that improves positional jaw control at the point of sealing, while Ishida’s rotary back seal band technology ensures excellent back seals, all of which help to deliver consistent pack quality.

“A key benefit of the Inspira’s seal quality is that film wastage has also been greatly reduced,” added Paulius.

The INSPIRA bagmaker’s HMI touchscreen allows ease of set up. Changeovers involving the same flavour can be carried out in around five minutes while the machine’s open construction, which allows quick and easy access to all areas, means a changeover between flavours with a manual wash-down can be undertaken in around an hour, compared to up to three hours with the previous bagmaker.

“With the old machine, we had to do everything manually,” says Paulius. “With Ishida, you just select the appropriate programme, and everything is ready. This saves a lot of time.

“In terms of maintenance, the system constantly monitors itself and notifies us when actions need to be taken or issues addressed, and this further enhances its reliable performance.”

The Ishida DACS-GN-SE012 checkweigher provides a final pack weight check in line with regulatory and retailer requirements. It features an intuitive display for ease of operation, and a durable construction with fast and easy access for service and maintenance. Ishida’s proprietary Anti-Floor-Vibration (AFV) technology helps the checkweigher to maintain the highest weighing accuracy even in challenging production environments.

The entire Ishida system also offers valuable future proofing when the production capacity is further expanded. For example, the INSPIRA rotary bagmaker is capable of running at 33% higher speeds while the checkweigher can feedback pack weight information to the bagmaker to help adjust the bagging process and further increase performance and efficiency. This will be of particular benefit as production capacity at Simply Roasted is further expanded.

“The Ishida system is the Rolls Royce of bagmakers,” concluded Stuart Monk. “Ultimately, what all its features and benefits have brought us is peace of mind. Whether sending out samples to a retailer or a potential investor, or fulfilling an online order, we can have the confidence that there is nothing wrong with the packaging.”