Brauerei Locher Boosts In-House Snack Production with Ishida Multihead Weigher
A bespoke automated packing system centered around an Ishida multihead weigher has enabled Swiss company Brauerei Locher to successfully bring the production of its fast-growing Tschipps crisp brand in-house, achieving speeds of up to 50 packs per minute with a maximum overfill of just 1.2g per pack.
Located in Appenzell, Locher has expanded beyond brewing by repurposing nutrient-rich by-products—including yeast, wort, and spent grain—into a range of innovative foods such as snacks, pizzas, and meat substitutes. Tschipps crisps, launched in 2017, feature ingredients like barley malt wort and yeast drawn from the brewery’s operations.
Rapid annual growth of 30% to 40% prompted the company to internalize its packing operations to reduce transport emissions and retain greater value creation. Locher partnered with Rotkreuz-based Itech AG, which designed and installed a fully automated system featuring an Ishida CCW-SE3-210 multihead weigher, a bagmaker, seasoning system, and associated feed and gantry equipment.
In the new system, freshly fried crisps are transported to the seasoning unit before being gently fed into the Ishida weigher via a vibratory feeder. To prevent operational vibrations from affecting weighing precision, the multihead weigher is mounted on a separate gantry. Weighed portions are then transferred via an intermittent-motion vertical bagmaker with an integrated metal detector and packed for dispatch.
Efficient weighing is critical to the success of the line. The Ishida CCW-SE3-210, developed for free-flowing dry products with low target weights, manages snack flow with exceptional consistency. A loadcell in the dispersion table ensures even distribution across the machine’s ten radial feeder troughs and weigh hoppers. Advanced digital filtering software allows weight combinations to be calculated with an accuracy of 0.1g.
The user-friendly Ishida system offers rapid changeovers, enabling operators to switch between product types and target weights by selecting pre-set programs. All contact parts are easily removable without tools, streamlining cleaning and minimizing downtime.
Currently, Locher produces crisp packs in 10g, 30g, and 90g formats, with plans to expand into 150g bags. The packing line achieves speeds of between 30 and 50 packs per minute, although the Ishida system is capable of even higher outputs, offering ample capacity for future growth.
“Our goal is to make sustainable use of all the wort derived from our brewing process,” said Yves Habermacher, Head of Food Production at Locher. “With the new packing line, we are well positioned to continue growing our Tschipps brand while maintaining our commitment to sustainability and innovation.”
The investment marks a major step in Locher’s strategy to diversify its product offering while embedding sustainability deeper into its production model.
