Cookie and cracker packaging

No other food segment is as diverse as the cookie, biscuit, and cracker market. Whether round, square or oval; sweet or savory; made from wheat, oats, or whole grain, choices are endless. While this huge product variety is delightful for consumers, manufacturers must meet the challenge of finding the right packaging technology for their products. As a trusted industry partner, Syntegon provides a broad portfolio of handling and flow wrapping solutions. All of our systems can be seamlessly integrated into existing production environments, enabling a quick response to changing production demands with varying degrees of automation.

Our expertise

Slug pack

Measured or counted products are erected upright and packed into so-called slugs, i.e. arranged in a row.

Pile pack

Stacked products are flow-wrapped individually or in piles of four to six products per pack.

Pile and Slug pack

A vertical start-up and linear motor technology enable changes between pack styles in next to no time.

Vertical packs

Our wide range of continuous motion vertical form fill and seal baggers (VFFS) supports easy bagging of free-flowing goods.

Tray pack

Our solutions enable you to flow-wrap different types of tray packs, including concepts with paper trays.

Carton and case pack

We support you beyond primary packaging – cartoning machines and case packers are among our specialties.

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Our love of biscuits

With Syntegon at your side, you can focus on your core competence: producing cookies and crackers. Our core competence? Providing process and packaging technology to customers around the world for over 100 years. Take advantage of our cookie and cracker expertise for your next project!

Register now for our portfolio presentation

Given the highly specific nature of cookies and crackers, no two handling or infeed solutions are the same. Producers require customized solutions that exactly meet their requirements. The video presentation sheds light on the most common handling solutions.

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Exciting insights into cookie, biscuit, and cracker packaging

Our white paper will guide you through the current trends and help you understand how manufactures respond to different production challenges. Varying levels of automation and customized handling and infeed solutions are only some of the strategies we focus on.

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The gain of linear motors (XTS)

Due to the high degree of flexibility that is becoming increasingly important in the confectionery industry, Syntegon recognized the potential of XTS technology from Beckhoff early on. The Syntegon team in Beringen has been working with the Beckhoff experts since 2011 and was one of the first XTS customers. No other manufacturer in the packaging industry has implemented as many XTS applications as Syntegon.

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Crackers and plain cookies are mainly transported through the respective packaging lines in an upright position, each product standing up on its edge. On-edge solutions are generally more compact since multiple columns run alongside each other during the feeding process, offering maximum storage capacities. A key element of efficient operations are vibratory channels, which ensure a safe product transport for on-edge products, while ensuring a hassle-free production environment. Syntegon relies on a flexible buffering system for different biscuit shapes.

Filled, gluten-free or sandwich cookies are usually handled and fed into the flow wrapping machine lying flat. During production and packaging, they pose a great technological challenge due to their fragile and/or delicate structure. Flat handling solutions reduce mechanical friction and vibration to a minimum. Easily accessible, hygienic design facilitates cleaning and the removal of product residue. Cookies and crackers that are transported flat can be packed in slug packs, pile packs or tray packs. Syntegon offers a new belt platform that secures effective and safe flat handling.

Robotic solutions are particularly suitable for packaging cookies and crackers in the high-performance range. The use of grippers, suction cups and vacuum cushions enables the fastest and most gentle product guidance possible without manual intermediate steps. This reduces rejects and minimizes cleaning times thanks to less crumbles in the machine.

Free-flowing, vertically bagged goods like salted crackers or pretzels require gentle handling right from the start. Our inclined product distribution systems and vibratory channels enable you to safely transport the unpacked products to subsequent production units like multi-head weighers. The continuous motion sealing system ensures airtight and safe bag closing, making sure the delicate products are not damaged inside the individual packs. Discharge belts reliably convey the flow-wrapped products to the cartoning systems.

Changing pack sizes or introducing additional pack formats calls for maximum process and packaging flexibility, including short changeover times and a vertical start-up. Linear motor technology and flexible product feed modules enable quick format and pack style changes at the touch of a button. Switching between pile packs of one, three or five cookies, or choosing between slug packs with three, nine or 17 cookies has never been easier.

Packaging makes sure that cookies or crackers reach consumers fresh and undamaged. At the same time, tight packaging contributes to sustainability, since it helps prevent food waste. Alternatives to composite materials, such as mono-material recyclable films, however, consist of a single type of plastic. Achieving the same tight seals with those materials requires changes in terms of packaging technology, as mono-material films are more temperature-sensitive. Sealing times and the sealing jaws on the flow wrapper need to be adjusted to the film properties. For this reason, we have developed the Amplified Heat Sealing technology (AHS) to ensure tight seals for alternative films.

The right handling system

When it comes to handling and packaging trend-driven products like cookies and crackers, packaging systems must fulfil several requirements to ensure future-proof production – a challenge and opportunity at the same time. Irrespective of their company’s size, manufacturers around the world need a reliable partner to make sure products reach consumers in perfect condition.

Key benefits

Pack style flexibility
Rapid and thorough cleaning
High overall equipment efficiency
System solutions
Sealing technologies

The stakes are high

When it comes to long-term production and market success, cookie and cracker manufacturers especially rely on their handling and infeed solutions. These have to offer high overall equipment effectiveness (OEE) and buffer capacity, while enabling quick cleaning processes and format changes. Depending on the product characteristics and desired pack styles, manufacturers can choose between different handling solutions – on-edge, flat or robotic handling.

Our expertise, your advantage

"Knowing each other’s business for more than 25 years is a great advantage and translates into an open and trustful business and personal relationship"

Sir Boyd Tunnock, CEO of Thomas Tunnock Ltd.

Our expertise, your advantage

"We highly appreciate that Syntegon is represented locally by a team of specialists. For us, this is definitely a major advantage. Production is now in the safe hands of Syntegon service technicians and two experts, who have been trained on this specific system and its technologies"

Hector Laing, Manager of the gluten free factory at Nairn’s Oatcakes Ltd.

delroy m. walsh-operations-manager-at-wibisco

Our expertise, your advantage

"Besides being able to rely on cutting edge technology, we are also very happy with the relationship with Syntegon and enjoy having a strong partner at our side"

Delroy M. Walsh, Operations Manager at Wibisco