ARTICLE

Blog : Is your bottling line optimised to its full potential?


Winery Automation

Foodmach specialises in line optimisation and turnkey solutions.


We’ll help you get the most out of:

  • Existing equipment
  • Provenance
  • Quality control
  • Our comprehensive range of packaging automation

We give you speed, control and absolute flexibility.


As a wine bottler, you need:

  • A factory layout that maximises productivity

  • Your existing equipment connected and optimised through an over-arching line control system with usable, real-time data

  • A coding solution completely integrated with line control and full traceability

  • The capability to handle both local and imported glass, and the associated mix of pallet sizes and dunnage

  • Robust, gentle conveyors to handle a wide range of bottles, including reverse taper

  • Local, experienced maintenance, service support and safety compliance training

Why Foodmach?

Foodmach has over 40 years of experience in the packaging industry servicing the world’s largest beverage companies – with a strong focus on bottling and glass container manufacturing.

We have a dedicated team of mechanical, electrical and safety-accredited technicians, engineers and software programmers leading the way in line integration and optimisation in Australia and New Zealand.

Our comprehensive range of packaging automation and in-house expertise means we can help you with every aspect of your production line.

Our speciality is line upgrades, where our customised conveying, palletising and depalletising is integrated into existing lines with high-end line control systems.

We’ll ensure that your overall equipment effectiveness (OEE) is running at peak performance.


Precise wine glass handling

Born of our strong history within the glass bottle manufacturing industry, Foodmach’s glass handling is recognised as the best in the market.

Our locally designed and built depalletisers cater for the widest range of local and imported glass. We offer entry level machines right through to highly automated systems with a full range of handling for dunnage, trays, straps and labels.

Foodmach’s bottle conveyors are robust and elegant. Teamed with our line control experience, they deliver a new level of gentle handling. Challenging applications like reverse-taper bottles benefit greatly from this combination of in-house mechanical and control expertise.


You need to see—and in particular, hear (or not)— a Foodmach line to truly understand the difference.


We’re all about simplicity and user-focus

Whatever we give you will be elegant and functional, easy to manage and understand.

There is no unnecessary complexity. Using a single, proven, automation and integration specialist takes the headache out of upgrading your operation.


Line optimisation

We’ve developed unrivalled expertise in information-driven manufacturing, whether it be IoT, IIoT, M2M or Industry 4.0 and industry standards such as OMAC PackML.

This means we can get all the equipment on your line communicating with a line management system that provides information you can actually use. We do this better than anyone else in our industry – we guarantee it.


Quality assurance

Our premium range of inspection systems will ensure quality control throughout the bottling process.

From continuous inspection of the bottle and seal integrity to residual liquid detection, checking for foreign bodies, fill levels, label quality and case inspection, you can be confident that every bottle and case you make is perfect.


Provenance

There is increasing pressure on wine producers to provide traceability and implement anti-counterfeiting measures.

We’ll provide you with:

  • Simple and reliable primary/secondary/tertiary coding solutions, with full software integration

  • Generic carton coding, with high-quality human-readable coding and compliant barcodes

  • Unique QR coding with a photographic database, or any customised anti-counterfeit solution required

Factory relocations

Foodmach also specialises in equipment and factory relocation.

We’re able to oversee the whole relocation process from dismantling, packing & transport to re-installation and commissioning, all to current Australian and International Safety Standards.


Safety validation & compliance

Utilising in-house TÜV Rheinland certified machine safety engineers, Foodmach provides consulting and turnkey safety solutions.

Our holistic approach to safety will identify inherent and potential risks in your operation, implement upgrades and document compliance.


Inspection systems

Have you ever wondered how to inspect the finish of your one-way glass wine bottle with absolute precision?

Slumped finishes that no one can see – but will mean a bad seal and air in your wine? 

Foodmach’s range of inspection systems will safely and accurately reject these bottles with the lowest possible false reject rate. This includes the “invisible” transparent sealing face fault that can be properly capped but is at serious risk of breakage when the bottle is opened, with glass splinters possibly falling inside.


No spiders

Many other issues can be identified using our inspection systems, for example:

  • Precise logo check recognition on the cap. Every fault can be recognised and safely rejected, regardless of the orientation and positioning of the bottles on the conveyor.

  • Base inspection to avoid foreign objects (and insects!) with no blind spots and minimum false rejects. Knurling marks are safely recognized and filtered.

  • A baby spider on the knurling mark? This will be rejected. Imagine the peace of mind and time you’ll save on quality assurance.

Our partnership approach

Foodmach team members with international expertise in inspection systems will take the time to understand your particular needs.

We’ll take you through the multiple inspection possibilities and guide you to the right solution for your business.

We supply both the equipment and the local service and support. We aim to equip you with everything you require to self-manage, but we’re on standby if you need us.


Coding & labelling

Our coding, labelling and traceability solutions are designed to support overall equipment efficiency and integrate seamlessly with your line control automation.

They’ll reduce coding errors and improve your anti-counterfeit measures.

Our traceability software is used in the demanding infant formula export industry, and so is perfectly placed to support all your wine export initiatives.

Naturally, our equipment is simple to operate and maintain, with a low total cost of ownership.


Glass handling 

DEPALLETISING & PALLETISING

Foodmach designs and manufactures depalletisers and palletisers for beverage producers.

We fully integrate our equipment with existing machinery and deliver the industry’s most efficient line management control systems.

Like all our palletising systems, our depalletisers are specifically designed for the user, with simple, intuitive controls, fast changeovers and flexible machine layout options.

Key features of Foodmach Depalletisers can include:

  • Fast changeovers from one bottle type to another
  • Fast changeovers from one pallet and dunnage format to another
  • Able to handle local and imported glass on a variety of pallets
  • Operator-free operation
  • Robotic dunnage handling
  • Automatic destrapping


CONVEYING

Your bottling line is only as fast its conveyors.

Poorly-designed conveying systems have a significant impact on operating speeds and packaging quality, so it’s critical to ensure you get the right expertise.

We can provide you with customised turn-key conveyor solutions.


Case study

Foodmach assisted Yalumba's Angaston site in upgrading two of its five lines.

Read the case study in our Winery Packaging Automation brochure.

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'We've increased capacity on Line 2 by 50%.'  Manager – Winery Operations, Yalumba