Italian frozen pasta manufacturer Surgital produces 300 types of pasta every day - and new varieties are constantly being added. For its new ravioli variations, the company once again opted for Schubert's TLM technology. It ensures the careful packaging of the frozen pasta classics in trays at maximum output.
Convenience products are very popular in our fast-moving times and are achieving ever higher sales figures for manufacturers. At the same time, the growing quality and health awareness as well as the increasing enjoyment demands of many consumers must also be taken into account for convenience products. Surgital combines both: the company has been synonymous with original Italian „surgelata“ (frozen) pasta for over three decades. The family business, based in Lavezzola in the Emilia-Romagna region, specialises in the production of frozen fresh pasta and Ready meals specialised.
The manufacturer supplies its culinary specialities to retailers and restaurants in over 50 countries around the world. In addition to branches in the USA and France, Surgital has a local presence with sales offices in Germany and England. An average of 135 tonnes of fresh pasta, 60,000 ready meals in individual portions and eight tonnes of frozen pasta sauce in cubes are produced every day. With over 300 varieties produced, the range also includes many different types of ravioli.
Growth through innovation
Since 2005, Surgital has been producing ravioli with a Schubert system packed. The company is constantly expanding and therefore needed an additional packaging machine to increase capacity for its new ravioli variations. „We are constantly adding innovative products to our range, for example in other colours and geometries and with new fillings,“ explain Romana Tamburini and Edoardo Bacchini, Managing Directors of Surgital.
The positive experiences from the past made the renewed decision in favour of a Schubert solution easy, as the system has been running successfully for over ten years. „All the varieties we have invented in the last ten years have always been produced with the Schubert system. Automated packaging. We greatly appreciate the reliability of the cooperation with Schubert, the quality and the flexibility of the machine,“ says Bacchini.
The new system packs a total of Nine types of ravioli in different shapes and colours and with delicious fillings. The following applies to the packaging process: the filled pasta is very delicate, which requires a particularly Careful handling is required. At the same time, the pasta variations must correctly sorted and the Trays completely filled be sorted. It is also important that only undamaged products are sorted into the trays. This is why the optical image recognition of the products plays an important role. Schubert guarantees this with the help of a Incident light colour scanner. This recognises the position and condition of the products and forwards the corresponding information to the TLM-F4 picker arms.
Deep-frozen in the tray
The new Schubert system at Surgital consists of four sub-machinesIn the first sub-machine, the frozen ravioli arrive from the cooling tunnel at a temperature of around -20 °C, unorganised and without touching each other. They are taken from the infeed conveyor of the Schubert picker line and fed through the subsequent sub-machines, which have a total of nine F4 robots. The system is designed to save space: Thanks to a new design, three F4 robot arms could be installed in one sub-machine. The F4 robots are equipped with suction cups. Using gentle air suction, they pick up the ravioli from the conveyor belt and place them precisely into the trays.
An F3 transfer robot is used to three trays are removed simultaneously from a three-lane magazine and placed in a chain conveyor. This guides them in the opposite direction to the product flow through the individual stations, where they are filled by the TLM-F4 robots. The completely filled trays are transported to a Outfeed conveyor and leave the Schubert machine in the direction of a downstream sealing system.
On the system nine different types of ravioli sorted and packed into the appropriate trays. Depending on the type, the output rate is up to 720 ravioli per minute. The stainless steel design of the machine guarantees fast and thorough Cleaning, which plays an immensely important role in the hygienic packaging of food.
The two family companies are united by their innovative strength and the courage to break new ground. And both develop visionary products in their respective fields. Surgital's delicious creations and Schubert's flexible packaging solutions are the ingredients for the recipe for success in the future.
[infotext icon]Surgital was founded in 1980 as „Laboratorio Tortellini“ by Romana Tamburini and her husband Edoardo Bacchini and originally produced fresh pasta for the retail trade. The company soon made a name for itself and demand for its delicious products grew rapidly. It soon became clear that the Deep freezing the best solution for the marketing of pasta specialities, as this method means that no preservatives are used and the freshness and natural flavour are retained.
The family business has grown steadily and today supplies markets worldwide with a wide range of typical Italian delicacies for quick preparation. At the 60,000 square metre plant in Lavezzola, around 230 employees are involved in the Making ravioli, lasagne and co. busy[/infotext].
