en.Wedoany.com Reported - Froneri has adopted the VarioFlow plus chain conveyor system from Bosch Rexroth at the end of the packaging line in its ice cream factory in Ferentino, Italy, to achieve efficient product transport from packaging to palletizing. Froneri is a joint venture between UK-based R&R Ice Cream and Swiss Nestlé Group, operating over 30 factories globally. The Terni plant primarily produces retail private-label packaged ice cream, while the Ferentino plant manufactures ice cream for foreign markets and its own brands, such as Nuii.
At the end of the production line in Ferentino, individually packaged frozen ice cream products are conveyed to a cartoning machine, then sealed, weighed, and inspected before entering the palletizing stage. Bosch Rexroth's VarioFlow plus chain conveyor system features a modular design to accommodate factory layout constraints and throughput requirements. Alfredo De Falco, Group Project Manager at Froneri, explained that the system transports products from metal detectors and weighing stations to shrink-wrapping machines, and delivers cartons to the palletizing area via floor-mounted or ceiling-mounted chain conveyors, with height differences overcome by spiral conveyors that occupy minimal space.
Claudio Morabito, End User Sales for Fast-Moving Consumer Goods (FMCG) at Bosch Rexroth Factory Automation, stated that to enhance production line resilience during interruptions, Froneri adopted spiral conveyors combined with VarioFlow plus conveyor components. During machine downtime, incoming products can accumulate and be temporarily stored in the spiral conveyor, with a buffer capacity equivalent to one-third of the total product volume on the infeed conveyor during machine stoppage. De Falco emphasized that this feature is crucial: during planned downtime of the shrink-wrapping machine, most incoming products can be buffered on the conveyor belt for 1 to 3 minutes, allowing interruptions to be resolved without immediately affecting upstream production.
During accumulation, the conveyor chain moves beneath stationary products, making it critical to prevent packaging damage. De Falco noted that the low-wear characteristics of the VarioFlow plus conveyor chain help reduce the risk of marking or damaging packaged products, with durability being a key consideration in system selection. Morabito explained that the spiral conveyor adopts a dual-lane design with two independent spiral conveyor lines, nearly doubling transport capacity compared to a single-lane model of the same size, thereby saving production floor space.
The conveyor system also enables vertical transport. At the Ferentino plant, the conveyor operates at a height of 2.4 meters above the workshop floor, allowing personnel and vehicles transporting pallets and materials to pass underneath. De Falco added that VarioFlow plus supports a wide range of conveyor speeds, accommodating different product specifications. Reflecting on the system's performance, he concluded that flexibility and reliability are key to long-term conveyor system operation. The system easily adapts to various layout requirements and has proven robust and reliable over extended operation, with no major production downtime caused by failures.
