BARATTI & MILANO CHOOSES SACMI PACKAGING & CHOCOLATE

BARILLA chooses SACMI Packaging & Chocolate for next-generation packaging automation

A fully automated robotic line with 32 Fast Pickers for biscuits packaging

A new benchmark in automated packaging

When Barilla, a global icon in the food industry, set out to optimize the packaging of three of its most beloved enrobed biscuit varieties, the challenge was clear: manage over 3,000 biscuits per minute with absolute precision, ensuring each product was gently placed into thermoformed trays—all within a highly dynamic and modular system.
We rose to the occasion by designing and delivering a state-of-the-art packaging line powered by an impressive array of 32 Fast Pickers—high-speed pick & place robots working in perfect coordination.
This solution not only met Barilla’s ambitious production targets but also set a new benchmark in flexibility, scalability and product care.

The Solution

SACMI Packaging & Chocolate designed and delivered a fully automated packaging line, integrating advanced robotics, vision systems and intelligent tray handling.
The solution includes:

High-Speed Product Handling:

Up to 3,000 biscuits per minute
400 thermoformed plastic trays per minute
3 kinds of biscuits product

Modular Robotic Architecture:

Multiple pick-and-place modules equipped with vision-guided robots identify product position, geometry, and orientation in real time. Products are gently picked using suction-based grippers and placed into trays moving in counterflow

Smart Tray Management:

Eight multi-channel tray denesters feed trays into four parallel conveyor lanes.
Each lane is supported by a primary and backup denester, ensuring uninterrupted operation. Photoelectric sensors and tracking systems monitor tray positioning and ensure precise synchronization.

Dynamic Product Flow Control:

Incoming biscuits are aligned and spaced via phasing conveyors.
The system adapts to different product configurations, including aligned and non-aligned rows, ensuring optimal flow into the robotic system.

Quality Assurance & Self-Correction:

Each pick-and-place cycle is verified for success. In case of a missed placement, the system self-adjusts to complete the tray in subsequent cycles. Non-compliant trays are flagged and, if configured, automatically rejected before downstream transfer.

The heart of the system

The 32 Fast Pickers are the core of the system.
Each robot is guided by an advanced vision system that detects the position, orientation, and geometry of incoming products in real time. The robots then pick the biscuits using suction grippers and place them into thermoformed trays moving in counterflow.

This synchronized choreography ensures maximum throughput while maintaining the highest standards of quality and care.

A partnership built on trust and innovation

This project is the latest chapter in a collaboration that has grown stronger over time.
Barilla and SACMI Packaging & Chocolate share a common goal: to combine tradition and innovation, enhancing product value through intelligent automation.

With this new packaging line, Barilla not only increases its production capacity but also reinforces its commitment to quality, efficiency and technological excellence.

A partnership built on trust and innovation