commissary INSIDER - November 2017 - 10

Equipment:

Labor, cost savings in
sandwich production
by Andy Nelson

any sandwiches sold in grocery
store delis are still assembled
by hand. But with labor costs
and food safety concerns becoming more top of mind, the decision to
switch to automated production makes
more and more sense, equipment industry leaders say.

The 1000i series single piston depositor
line is food portioning equipment specialist Unifiller Systems Inc.'s top product when it comes to sandwich production, says Andy Sigrist, senior product
manager. Most of Delta, British Columbia-based Unifiller's sandwich customers are regional or global commissaries

GROTE COMPANY EQUIPMENT IS BEING USED
INCREASINGLY FOR SANDWICHES BOUND FOR
GROCERY STORES.
PHOTO: GROTE

providing product to grocery and convenience stores, airports and other endusers, he says.
The 1000i depositors, which can be used
alone or over a conveyor system, spread,
spray or print accurate portions of condiments and sandwich fillings. Fillings like
egg salad, tuna salad, seafood salad and
chicken salad and spreads like peanut butter and Nutella are among the common
applications, Sigrist says. Of course, "sandwiches" in this context also means burgers, wraps and breakfast sandwiches, and
the 1000i line also was designed with those
products in mind - depositing dressings,
beans, spreadable cheese and other toppings are among its other capabilities.
With the addition of simple spread or
spray attachments, the 1000i depositors
can apply ketchup, mayonnaise, butter,
relish and other condiments to a variety
of bread products, Sigrist says. In addition, transfer pumps can be used to fill
depositor hoppers for continuous production, if needed, and conveyors can be
added to fully automate production, with
sensors triggering deposits at any point
along the production line.

THE 1000i SERIES IS UNIFILLER'S TOP SANDWICH PRODUCTION PRODUCT.
PHOTO: UNIFILLER

10 * NOVEMBER 2017

commissary INSIDER

The majority of the sandwich equipment sold by Columbus, Ohio-based
Grote Company in North America is
used by companies that are making
sandwiches for c-stores and coffee
houses, but sandwich production for
grocery stores is on the rise among
both private label manufacturers and
grocery stores themselves, says Jon
Hissrich, a Grote Company application
specialist.

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of commissary INSIDER - November 2017