Tetra Pak has launched a new high-capacity extrusion line, which is the most efficient solution currently available on the market for the large scale production of ice cream sticks and sandwiches.
The new line has the highest capacity in the industry, delivering up to 43,200 pieces per hour against an industry average of 36,000 for this segment.
Efficient freezer and high-precision cutting equipment guarantee a uniform product with high stability due to effective temperature control at every stage, as well as identical thickness.
Further along the process, the newly developed dip and transfer unit allows a gentle and precise dipping, as well as a careful and error-free lay-off to the wrapper, resulting in minimal product waste.
When the line is running at full capacity, operational costs and environmental impact are the lowest in the industry. An increase of 60% in production is achieved without extra manpower and with 44% more energy.
This innovation responds to growing global demand for ice cream. In 2014, 17.2 billion litres of ice cream were consumed.1
The compound annual growth rate forecast 2014-2019 is 1.8% and is led by Pacific Asia, north America and western Europe.
Tetra Pak Ice Cream category director Peter Lindstrom said: "For 70 years we’ve been helping our customers deliver quality ice cream products with outstanding taste and texture.
"This new solution allows them to increase production volumes, while delivering the same high quality at a significantly reduced cost per product."
The line allows greater flexibility in switching between ice cream sticks and sandwiches, as well as handling up to four flavours and 12 different coatings without changing equipment.
[1] Global Ice Cream Consumption Trends by Euromonitor
