The Killer Brownie® Co. Gets a Killer Conveyor

The Killer Brownie® Company manufacturers and packages millions of brownies daily with the help of Multi-Conveyor.
Image Courtesy of The Killer Brownie Company

Product Turning Conveyance Boosts Throughput

When a brownie is trademarked, and has its own social media network – you know it’s a big deal! In fact, the Mayne family knew they were onto something special from the second they added The Killer Brownie to the bakery lineup at their Dorothy Lane Market in Dayton, Ohio in the 80s. The Killer Brownie became a stand-alone business in 2000, and in 2019 the business was rebranded, “The Killer Brownie^® Company.”

The Mayne family continues to own and operate the business, manufacturing millions of brownies each day. Over 100 types of signature, artisan and traditional brownies are sold in over 5,000 bakeries and food service operations, and sold online through Dorothy Lane Market. Katherine Yates, Director of Operations at The Killer Brownie^® Co. explains how Multi-Conveyor helped boost production throughput:

Why were you experiencing throughput issues?

Prior to the Multi-Conveyor product turner, we had a customized T-arm turner that spun and rotated containers to prepare them to be labeled. It was great while we were running slower, but as we increased speeds, the turner couldn’t keep up. If anything in the packaging line was off just a little bit, we could have major issues that might last all day long, decreasing our throughput.

The stainless steel hygienic washdown conforms with sanitation regulations. Image courtesy of The Killer Brownie Company

What did you need the conveyance system to do?

We were searching for a way to improve the consistency and speed of our packaging line, with the capacity to move up to 120 brownie containers per minute. We only have a certain amount of space for equipment and needed to turn containers 90 degrees to position them to be labeled correctly by our labeler. We also needed the equipment to meet food safety and sanitation requirements.

How did Multi-Conveyor address your needs?

Multi-Conveyor provided a single tray, dual-lane product turning conveyor. The system has two side-by-side opposing conveyor belts that move at adjusted speeds, causing individual product trays or cases to rotate 90 degrees. Precision adjustments are calculated to provide an adequate gap between products and ensure individual trays turn without colliding.

How does the system meet food safety and hygiene requirements?

The stainless-steel hygienic wash down has bolted stand-offs for guide rail brackets, flange bearings and floor supports. All welds are continuous and passivated per agency safety and food sanitation guidelines.  The turner also has e-stops to ensure the safety of the application.

How has the dual-lane product turning conveyor improved throughput?

We were running around 80-90 containers a minute and we have increased to 110-120 containers per minute with this new conveyor. The system runs 75 to 150 feet per minute at 60 hertz based on a distributed product load of one pound per linear foot of conveyor with no accumulation. Not only does the conveyor move product faster, but it also saves time and consistently positions packages correctly.

About the Author

Katherine Yates is Director of Operations at The Killer Brownie Company. The company manufactures millions of brownies every day for over 5,000 bakeries and food service operations, and the brownies are sold online by The Dorothy Lane Market.  All images provided by Matt Tye, Packaging Operations Manager, The Killer Brownie Company. See The Killer Brownie system in action at https://youtu.be/jcRYyXmB-KU  and learn more about product rotation and sanitary conveyance systems at www.multi-conveyor.