Vertical packaging machine for powder products
About the customer:
- Toro (Orkla Foods Norway)
- Location: Outside Bergen, Norway
- Segment: Food – powder products (cake mixes, sauces, dinner kits)
- Project type: vertical packaging machine for powder products (vertical form-fill-seal + dosing)
Background and context
Toro is one of Norway’s best-known food brands, with a long history in convenient everyday cooking products. Over decades, the portfolio has evolved with changing consumer needs – while powder-based mixes are one of the core categories.
At the site outside Bergen, production runs across a large packaging setup (30+ lines in total), including multiple powder product formats such as cake mixes, sauces, and dinner kits. The site, dating back to 1946, was previously privately owned and acquired by Orkla in 2012.
Kafeko Nordic has supported the site over many years, with multiple Syntegon vertical packaging machines delivered over time as part of the factory’s continuous line modernization and capacity development. As Erik Jørgenvaag, General Manager, Kafeko AS Norway + Iceland, describes it, the relationship is built on a practical rhythm: keeping existing lines running, while upgrading step-by-step as volumes, formats and serviceability requirements evolve.
Customer challenge
As the factory modernizes and scales, packaging equipment needs to stay serviceable and reliable. In this project, the customer needed to:
- Replace aging machinery where spare parts and electronics were becoming difficult to source
- Increase packaging capacity for selected products
- Install the new equipment into an existing line with downstream modules already in place (metal detection, checkweighing, case packing and palletizing)
Solution
With Kafeko guidance, the customer selected a Syntegon vertical packaging setup consisting of:
- SVE 2520 WR vertical bagger (VFFS)
- FVS 4121 dosing system for accurate powder filling
The new “heart of the line” was integrated between upstream powder production/mixing and the existing end-of-line equipment.
The order-to-delivery lead time was approximately 6 months, and the installation/ commissioning phase was completed within a few days during summer 2025, including operator training and changeover guidance. Erik notes that commissioning is planned to be fast and predictable: the goal is to get stable output quickly, then fine-tune speed and sealing parameters to the specific powder behavior and bag format.
Installation was handled by certified technicians aligned with Syntegon warranty requirements.
Results & outcomes
After commissioning, the line achieved stable production performance. For example, one 612 g product is running at ~75 bags per minute (with higher speeds possible depending on format), with speed and sealing tuned for powder dust behavior to maintain package integrity.
The customer highlighted satisfaction with the result – particularly line stability and the quality/finish of the bags.
Erik points out one simple operational indicator of a stable running line: one operator can monitor the process without constant intervention, because the machine behavior and pack quality remain consistent through the run.
Considering a similar move?
If you’re planning a packaging machine upgrade for your food products – whether driven by capacity growth, serviceability concerns, or line modernization – contact the Kafeko team to discuss the best-fit machine and dosing setup, integration scope, and support model for your site.