Case Study: Standard-Knapp Tray Packer Helps Streamline Gourmet Sauce Packaging Line

Food manufacturer realizes increased packaging speeds and reduced downtime

When a well-known producer of specialty gourmet sauces decided to improve the efficiency of their packaging operations, they turned to Portland, CT manufacturer Standard-Knapp. It was a natural partnership: both companies were founded over 100 years ago, and have since built solid reputations as global leaders in their respective industries.

Standard-Knapp has not disappointed us in the promises made

Around 2010, the sauce manufacturer identified a need to accomodate a growing variety of differing container sizes in their packaging line. A new tray packer was needed, and it had to be flexible enough to handle 12 packs, 8 packs and 6 packs of product. Another critical requirement was speed: increasing product demand at the factory made minimal downtime a priority. It became clear that the new line must operate at high speeds around the clock. Above all, it needed to provide reliable performance.

Standard-Knapp came through with a tray packer that achieved these aims with flying colors. After 11 years of continual operation, the machine is still in use.

“Standard-Knapp has not disappointed us in the promises made,” says the company COO. “We are still running this same machine today and continue to see great success with their tray packer.”

Support did not end with the equipment sale, however. Standard-Knapp’s tray packer design has continually improved throughout the lifespan of the model, and several upgrades to this machine have been made since the initial installation.

“This has been very helpful for us to make sure we squeeze every little bit of efficiency out of our line to stay competitive in our market,” adds the COO.

“[Standard-Knapp’s] service team has been excellent to work with over the years. We’ve established great relationships with their mechanics, who all have been willing to help us out over the phone if we ever found ourselves dealing with an unfamiliar problem.”

In the 11 years since the tray packer purchase, the sauce manufacturer has continued to experience steady growth, in part attributable to the company’s innovative use of packaging equipment. They are currently considering the addition of another production line at their facility.

“We will definitely be looking to Standard Knapp once again to provide us with another great tray packer!”