Smart Response Saves Scotbake’s Dough
ILAPAK’s quick actions limited potentially
costly downtime at long term customer
Scotbake, when one of the bakery’s flow
wrappers succumbed without warning.
Within five days of the machine breaking
down, ILAPAK had delivered and installed
a new Smart flow wrapper, enabling the
Inverness bakery to resume production
on the line, maintain high quality pack
presentation and ensure uninterrupted
distribution.
An ILAPAK customer since the business
was started in 1994, Scotbake produces
a comprehensive range of craft bakery
products for sale under its own brand as
well as private labels. Besides operating
a 24/7 bakery, Scotbake distributes seven
days a week via its fleet of 20 vehicles,
delivering products to food service
and retail customers.Its fleet covers an
area the size of Belgium, reaching even
the remotest outposts of the Scottish
Highlands & Islands.
This business model allows no margin
for downtime, so when, one Sunday in
February, the circuit board went on one
of Scotbake’s flow wrappers, managing
director David Skeoch was straight on
the phone to ILAPAK’s sales manager,
Chris Gee.
“I told him the situation; he said he could
get a Smart flow wrapper to us by Friday.
Within a day we had agreed a purchase
and the machine had been adapted to
our specification ready for delivery to us
on Thursday,” recalls David.
Cantilevered hygienic design, ABB electronics, colour
touchscreen, and no-product no-bag and misplaced product
functions are all part of the package
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Whilst waiting for the new flow wrapper,
David says Scotbake “got by” with an old
L sealer, but was relieved when the new
machine was delivered on Thursday as
promised.
“Customers understand if the
presentation isn’t quite as good as
normal for a few days, but any longer and
it doesn’t do your reputation any good,”
he says.
When ILAPAK initially suggested the
Smart flow wrapper, Scotbake had
concerns that this entry level machine
might not be able to cope with all the
different product types and pack sizes
– over 50 in total – that are run on this
line. However, these reservations turned
out to be unfounded, with the Smart even
Scotbake are delighted with the versatility and programming
capabilities of the new flow wrapper