Paramount Packaging Systems: Automation secures the future of a traditional bakery

A small, independent UK bakery specialising in traditional baked goods was under growing pressure. Rising labour costs, National Insurance increases and ongoing staffing challenges were limiting output and threatening the long-term viability of the business.

Demand for its products remained strong, but manual feeding of an ageing flow wrapper meant it could not keep pace.

The owner knew that without significant automation, the business would struggle to survive.

The challenge: Labour dependency on a manual line

The bakery needed more than a faster machine. It needed to remove its reliance on manual labour entirely.

Manual product feeding is labour-intensive, inconsistent and increasingly costly to maintain at scale. With wage and NI pressures continuing to rise, a like-for-like machine replacement would not solve the underlying problem. The bakery needed a fully integrated solution that could run reliably without the staffing overhead that had made the existing line unsustainable.

Why Fuji CX2 and PWR robotics?

The solution combined a Fuji CX2 horizontal flow wrapper with a PWR robotic automation system, supplied and integrated by Paramount Packaging Systems.

The Fuji CX2 is a bakery-specific, box-motion flow wrapper, selected for its ability to handle delicate products gently while maintaining seal integrity and presentation at higher speeds. It is built for the demands of a bakery environment.

The line incorporates multiple robotic cells, with robots picking, stacking and placing product onto an automatically fed U-card system. This fully integrated approach removed manual handling from the packing process without compromising product quality.

The system runs at 60 packs per minute, delivering consistent, repeatable performance. Two years on from installation, the collaboration between the Fuji CX2 and the PWR robotics remains reliable and trouble-free.

The results

The investment delivered clear and lasting benefits:

• Significant reduction in labour requirement
• Stable, repeatable output independent of staffing levels
• Improved consistency and reduced waste
• Protection against rising labour and NI costs

Most importantly, it secured the future of the business.

As the bakery owner put it: "The Fuji and the robotic system have saved my business. With National Insurance increases and rising staff costs, I genuinely don't think I would still have a business without it."

What this means for you

For small food producers, the cost of automation is often weighed against the cost of machinery alone. The more important calculation is what manual labour is costing the business today and what it will cost in two or three years.

A well-integrated flow wrapping and robotics line can remove that exposure entirely while improving output quality and throughput. If you are reviewing your packing line in light of rising operating costs, Paramount Packaging Systems can help you model the options.

Get in touch to start the conversation.

This article was originally published by Paramount Packaging Systems.