A central vacuum system from Busch Vacuum Solutions designed for ten packaging machines helps Paulig Belgium save 20,000 Euro per year on energy and maintenance costs.
The smell of freshly baked tortillas fills the air as one approaches the factory of Paulig Belgium, located in Roeselare, Belgium. Inside, several vacuum pumps from Busch are working together as a team, ensuring that production never stops. Usually, one packaging line would require three vacuum pumps. By centralizing the vacuum supply, the number of vacuum pumps and costs has been drastically reduced. Through the demand-driven basis of the central vacuum system, Paulig Belgium now saves 15,000 Euro on energy costs and 5,000 Euro on maintenance costs per year.
For a life full of flavor
The Paulig Group is a dynamic family-owned food and beverage company on a mission to grow a sustainable food culture. Founded in 1876 as a wholesale business for imported groceries in Finland, its products are now sold in 70 countries through retailers and caterers. It produces a large variety of products, from rich, aromatic coffees and refreshing beverages to sizzling Tex Mex flavors, spices, and a wide range of snack products such as popcorn and lentil chips. The company has 2,300 employees in 13 countries and is a European market leader in Tex Mex products. From tortilla chips, taco shells and wraps to salsas, dips and seasonings.
Paulig Belgium, along with seven other Paulig production sites, has been a carbon-neutral production facility since 2022. The company has switched to more energy-efficient processes, as well as district heating and renewable sources of electricity and gas. These initiatives have cut emissions by 98% since 2014. To further ensure sustainability, nothing goes to waste at the Belgium-based factory: Any misshaped tortilla wraps are ground up and used again, while anything that falls on the ground is sold as animal feed.
Transforming flour into a tortilla wrap
Paulig produces twelve different kinds of tortilla wraps. From wheat and whole grain to corn, beetroot, and even chia seeds. Production runs around the clock, with 25 tortilla wraps per minute. This amounts to 1.6 billion per year. That“s enough to wrap around the earth“s circumference almost eight times!
Amongst other ingredients, flour, salt, oil and water are mixed together to form a stretchable dough. Once formed, it is laid to rest in a warm and cozy environment, promoting the development of a uniform and strong gluten network. Afterwards, the dough is accurately divided and shaped into balls. For the gluten network to relax, the dough balls are proofed again. This step is essential, as it ultimately guarantees the quality of the tortilla wrap. Once rested, the dough balls are flattened, shaped, and transported to the oven. After being baked to perfection at 200 °C for 30 minutes, the tortillas are cooled, which prevents them from sticking together once stacked.
Safely packaged and transported with vacuum
The company relies on modified atmosphere packaging (MAP) to safeguard the freshness of its product. A thermoforming packaging machine is connected to the central vacuum system. The perfect interaction between heat and vacuum creates vacuum-sealed packages. Two rolls of packaging films are fed to the machine. The bottom film is heated to a specific temperature, allowing it to be molded into the desired shape. The heated plastic is then moved to a forming station, where vacuum pulls the sheet over the custom-made mold. A specialized cooling mechanism ensures that the tray is cooled, allowing the mold to be removed.
The tortilla wraps are placed snugly in the tray. Vacuum removes 99% of the air in the packaging, and another machine replaces it with CO2N2. The protective gas blend ensures that the tortilla wraps are well preserved and do not oxidize and become stale. Acting as a gas-tight seal, the second packaging film roll is applied and closes the tray. „Thanks to the vacuum supplied by Busch, we can significantly increase the shelf life of our product and ensure that it stays as fresh as the day it was packaged,“ says Rik Vandenbroucke, Technical Engineering Manager.
The central vacuum system is not only responsible for the packaging of the tortilla wraps but also for their transportation inside the production facility. Pick-and-place machines use vacuum to carefully lift each pack of tortilla wraps into a cardboard box. When the box is full, it is stacked on a pallet. Once the pallet has been fully loaded, it is shipped out to the customers of Paulig Belgium. The tortilla wraps can now embark on their journey to the shelves of various supermarkets worldwide. They are the base of various delightful dishes. From tasty burritos to cheesy quesadillas and delicious enchiladas – all stuffed with a variety of savory fillings such as meats, beans, rice and vegetables. Those with a sweet tooth also enjoy the tortilla wraps with fillings like chocolate and strawberries.
During the construction of the new production facility, Paulig Belgium consulted with vacuum experts from Busch, who advised them to opt for a centralized vacuum system instead of a decentralized one. Throughout the planning and implementation processes, the companies closely collaborated to ensure a successful installation. If Paulig Belgium had not chosen a central vacuum system, each packaging line would have been equipped with three vacuum pumps. „By centralizing our vacuum supply with Busch we significantly reduced the number of vacuum pumps required by our process, and vacuum is always readily available! With a central vacuum system we save 15,000 Euro on annual energy costs,“ explains the Technical Engineering Manager. The new system even enabled the company to replace the venturi ejectors that previously supplied all pick-and-place processes by converting compressed air into vacuum.
Preparing for the future
At Paulig, it is essential to prevent downtime. „Our production runs 24/7 in five shifts and is only shut down for two weeks out of the year. The central vacuum system from Busch not only ensures smooth day-to-day production, but it also makes maintenance a breeze,“ says Rik Vandenbroucke. „We do not need to stop production in order to carry out maintenance on our vacuum pumps, and since they are not installed inside the packaging machines, they are much easier to reach and service,“ he explains. Paulig Belgium saves an additional 5,000 Euro on maintenance costs per year. Thanks to the system being installed in a separate room, heat and noise on the production floor have also been reduced.
Currently, the central vacuum system is designed for ten packaging lines. It consists of nine R5 rotary vane vacuum pumps, three PANDA vacuum boosters, three MINK dry claw vacuum pumps, and a vacuum vessel.
To further reduce energy costs, each MINK vacuum pump is equipped with a variable speed drive (VSD) from Busch. It adapts the pumping speed according to the fluctuations in demand through the production process by regulating the rotational speed of the vacuum pump“s motor. The company plans to add another seven packaging lines to their production facility, amounting to 17 packaging lines in total. Powered by vacuum, Paulig Belgium will be able to produce even more tortilla wraps per year and continue to bring flavor to the lives of many.
The Busch Group is one of the world“s largest manufacturers of vacuum pumps, vacuum systems, blowers, compressors and gas abatement systems. Under its umbrella, the group houses three well-known brands: Busch Vacuum Solutions, Pfeiffer Vacuum and centrotherm clean solutions.
The extensive product and service portfolio includes solutions for vacuum, overpressure and abatement applications in all industries, such as food, semiconductors, analytics, chemicals and plastics. This also includes the design and construction of tailor-made vacuum systems and a worldwide service network.
The Busch Group is a family business that is managed by the Busch family. More than 8,000 employees in 44 countries worldwide work for the group. Busch is headquartered in Maulburg, Baden-Württemberg, in the tri-country region of Germany, France and Switzerland.
The Busch Group manufactures in its 19 own production plants in China, the Czech Republic, France, Germany, India, Romania, South Korea, Switzerland, the United Kingdom, the USA and Vietnam.
The Busch Group has an annual consolidated revenue of close to 2 billion Euro.
Company-Contact
Busch Vacuum Solutions
Florian Held
Schauinslandstrasse 1
79689 Maulburg
Phone: +49 (0)7622 681 3376
E-Mail: 
Url: https://www.buschvacuum.com
Press
Busch Vacuum Solutions
Fabian Fahlbusch
Schauinslandstrasse 1
79689 Maulburg
Phone: +49 (0)7622 681 – 3379
E-Mail: 
Url: https://www.buschvacuum.com
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