How are biscuits packed in a factory? When you pick up a delicious biscuit, have you ever wondered what goes on behind the scenes to get it packed into that attractive package? Let’s take a look at the packaging process in a typical biscuit factory.
Before packaging begins, freshly baked biscuits undergo a rigorous quality inspection. An automated system equipped with high-definition cameras and sensors scans each biscuit.
They check for any flaws such as cracks, uneven baking, or deformed edges. Biscuits that do not meet strict quality standards are immediately sorted and removed from the production line.
This ensures that only the best biscuits make it to the packaging stage, safeguarding the brand’s reputation for excellence.
When fresh out of the oven, the biscuits are hot and soft. But in order to be packaged and achieve the ideal crispness, they need to be cooled. Conveyors equipped with cooling fans gently blow air through the biscuits as they move.
This rapid cooling process helps to fix the texture and flavor, making them ready to handle without crumbling. The cooling time and temperature are carefully calibrated to ensure batch-to-batch consistency.
After cooling, the biscuits move to the counting and arranging station. Here, robotic arms or precision conveyor belts work in tandem. They calculate the exact number of biscuits needed for each package size.
For a standard snack pack, there might be just a handful of biscuits, while a family-size package might have dozens. The biscuits are then neatly arranged in a specific pattern, either in a single layer or stacked in multiple layers to fit snugly inside the package.
The choice of packaging material depends on the biscuit type and the target market. For everyday biscuits with a shorter shelf life, plastic film may be the first choice. It is cost-effective and provides a good moisture barrier.
For premium or specialty biscuits, aluminum foil laminate is often more popular. Its excellent protection against oxygen, light, and moisture keeps the biscuits fresh and gives them a luxurious feel.
Cartons are also widely used, especially for large packages or gift combinations. They are sturdy and durable, and have plenty of space for branding.
Flow wrappers: They unwind the film from a large roll and cut it to the right length with precise timing. As the counted and arranged cookies pass on the conveyor, the film wraps them tightly.
Foil lamination packaging: For foil lamination, specialized machines handle this delicate material. They control tension to prevent tearing and use a combination of heat and pressure to achieve an airtight seal.
Carton assembly: Carton packaging involves folding-gluing machines. Flat pre-printed sheets of paper are fed in and the machine folds them into the correct box shape.