Overview:

Killer Brownie, a company that makes gourmet brownies, was hand-folding trays and had been considering automating this process for years. After the company that makes their baking trays recommended Wayne Automation to them, this brownie bakery decided it was time.

“Sometimes you struggle trying to figure out when is it time to automate, when is it time to buy a piece of new equipment, and how do you help your team members,” says Katherine Yates, the Senior Operations Director at Killer Brownie. “It took us years to figure out if this was the right time, and it was time.”

Upon contacting Wayne, Killer Brownie was immediately struck by their customer service, communication, quick response, and honesty about the project timeline. Wayne gave them a timeline and followed through with it. The bakery has saved time and money and increased productivity and job satisfaction with their tray former from Wayne.

The Problem: Hours of Hand Folding Trays Reduced Productivity

The company had a team of six people hand-folding trays every morning for several hours. Not only was this wasted time, but also employee potential–the employees didn’t enjoy folding trays for hours every day, and were even starting to see repetitive motion injuries such as wrist pain.

The company ultimately saw an opportunity to help their team members ergonomically while increasing productivity with an automatic tray former, and they chose Wayne Automation to help them integrate this machine into their process.

When Killer Brownie originally spoke with Wayne, it was clear that Wayne took pride in their equipment. They showed the Killer Brownie team exactly how the equipment would work so the team knew what to expect. They even shared testimonies from customers who have been using their equipment for over 20 years and it’s still running strong.

Killer Brownie ultimately decided to make the investment they had been putting off for years after speaking with Wayne Automation.

The Solution: An Automatic Tray Former Machine for Enhanced Production

The solution was clearly to automate their tray forming process, but Killer Brownie wanted to be certain they invested in the right machine. Their goals were to make changeovers simple and quick, have the machine go the speed they wanted to, and ensure the equipment would last.

With these goals in mind, a tray former machine made perfect sense. The company chose the TR-50 tray former from Wayne, which forms up to 50 trays per minute. After having the machine installed, Wayne worked with Killer Brownie to ensure they were up and running with their new equipment as soon as possible.

“Wayne has been a pleasure to work with,” says Yates. “From the beginning, through purchasing, factory accepting to installation and testing, the team has been very knowledgeable and hands-on.”

Once the Killer Brownie team was settled with their new equipment, the company was ready to reap the benefits of automation.

The Results: Money Saved, Happier Employees, and More Brownies

Killer Brownie says their team is ecstatic with the new tray former, as they no longer have wrist pain and they have greater job satisfaction. “Nobody is hand folding trays anymore, so that’s massive,” says Yates.

The company has also increased productivity while reducing costs with Wayne’s automatic tray former. “We’ve also saved $20,000 a month by deploying our team members to different positions, and are able to make more brownies—about 850-900 brownies per day—by adding this new tray former. We are overall very happy to have this piece of equipment.”

When asked what they would say to someone considering working with Wayne Automation, Yates said, “It’s definitely worth the investment. If you’re hesitant, ask a lot of questions—they will help you along the way and be sure you get what you need. What we received was stellar. It’s robust, it goes the speeds we need, it’s everything we thought it would be.”

Even after the machine was delivered and Killer Brownie was up and running with their new tray former, Yates said Wayne has continued to be there every step of the way. “Our experience with them has overall been really great.”

Contact Wayne Automation Today

The right automation technology can help you enhance productivity, reduce costs, and promote business growth. Is it time to invest in packaging automation? Discover how Wayne Automation can help you find the right tray former for your bakery or non-bakery applications by contacting us today.