The installation of Ishida Europe’s latest snacks packaging systems has enabled Serbian manufacturer Chips Way to triple its packaging capacity and nearly double its overall efficiency, as demand for its products continues to rise.

Through its Serbian agent CD System, Chips Way invested in three Inspira Integrated Total Packaging Systems (iTPS), each combining an 18-head Ishida CCW-RV-218 multihead weigher with two Inspira rotary snacks bagmakers equipped with integrated metal detectors. The fully integrated systems, which deliver “maximum efficiency, reliability and flexibility,” have reduced giveaway by 2% and almost doubled packing speed compared to previous equipment.

The new setup allows Chips Way to “pack in two shifts what it took six shifts to pack previously.” For a 40g pack, production now runs at 70 to 80 bags per minute per bagmaker, with top speeds reaching up to 120 BPM for potato crisps. Overall, packing speed per kilogram has increased by nearly 100%, while downtime for cleaning has been reduced from four to two hours.

According to Chief Operating Officer Luka Jovanovic, “Ishida is a worldwide recognised brand and offers the best performance, quality and service, so they were the obvious choice to deliver the levels of performance that we required.”

He added that changeovers on the new systems take only five minutes—down from 20 minutes previously—and can be handled by line operators instead of technical staff. “The machines have provided the foundations for our continued growth, and we will be looking to invest in additional equipment as we seek to further develop our product portfolio,” Jovanovic said.

Founded in 1971, Chips Way is a major player in Central and Eastern Europe’s salty snacks market, known for its Čačanski čips and Gricko brands, distributed in Serbia and ten other European countries. The company employs more than 180 people and reports an annual turnover exceeding EUR 20 million.