Ernst Huwiler
Project Manager
HUG Familie

At Swiss family business HUG Familie, traditional baking craftsmanship meets high-precision robotics. To ensure their delicate tartlets continue reaching customers in top quality, the Swiss biscuit and bakery specialist has turned to Syntegon’s expertise. The result: a tailor-made line designed for tight spaces, multiple formats – and maximum indulgence.

The aroma of freshly baked shortcrust pastry fills the air as the first tartlets emerge from the oven at the production site in Malters, Switzerland. Golden brown and wafer-thin, the delicate pastry shells can break at the slightest wrong touch. Just a few meters away, the packaging process begins. Within a slim stainless-steel frame, eight robotic arms move with precision: swift yet gentle, they carefully pick up the fragile tartlets and place them into trays. “This is the new centerpiece of our tartlet line,” says Ernst Huwiler, Project Manager at HUG Familie, pointing to the robotic line from Syntegon. “Without it, we wouldn’t be able to package our tartlets in this quantity and quality.”

145 years of tradition – with a vision for the future

At HUG Familie, you can feel it immediately: traditional craftsmanship meets cutting-edge technology. What began in 1877 as a small bakery has grown into a modern Swiss family business with around 450 employees. From its headquarters in Malters and its production site in Willisau, HUG creates products that have accompanied generations from childhood: from the traditional original Willisauer Ringli and melt-in-your-mouth Wernli chocolate biscuits to savory Dar-Vida crackers – the Swiss biscuits and crackers are a must on every snack plate.

The promise of “natural and honest” forms the foundation of HUG’s business activities. Continuous development is taking place in seven areas of action to strengthen the culture of sustainability. The self-imposed raw materials charter gives customers peace of mind: HUG, DAR-VIDA, and Wernli products are made from raw materials that are as natural as possible. HUG AG attaches great importance to fair and sustainable cultivation and trading practices. By increasing efficiency and consistently reducing emissions, the company is taking responsibility for today and future generations.

Big challenges in a small space

Precision is everything in the tartlet production at HUG. Around 60 different varieties of these delicate shortcrust pastry shells come off the production line – all destined for foodservice customers such as patisseries, bakeries, caterers, restaurants and cafés that expect nothing less than premium quality. The tartlets are packed into approximately 20 different tray formats. The challenge: some of the shortcrust pastry variants – such as the Filigrano line – are wafer-thin, high-rimmed and as delicate as the name suggests.

Production space is limited at HUG. The long-serving packaging system was increasingly reaching its limits. Its performance was no longer sufficient to keep up with growing market demand. To continue meeting HUG’s high-quality standards, one operator was needed to constantly monitor product quality. It was clear to HUG that a new line was needed — and it had to be more than just a replacement: “We wanted a solution that makes us fit for the future — and that fits into our limited floor space. We were looking for an experienced partner who understands our industry and requirements, and with whom we could develop the right solution together,” explains Ernst Huwiler.

Technology with a delicate touch

Syntegon provides the answer to HUG’s requirements in the form of a custom-built robotic line based on the RPP platform – a modern robotic pick-and-place solution. Thanks to its compact footprint, the new system integrates seamlessly into the existing production environment.

The freshly baked tartlets travel along a conveyor belt toward the packaging line. Empty plastic trays are automatically denested, aligned, and placed onto the integrated tray transport system. The tray transport and the product belt run in counter flow to ensure optimal tray loading. An intelligent vision system detects both the position and quality of each tartlet on the belt and directs the eight robotic arms accordingly. This ensures that only tartlets of flawless quality are processed further. A specially designed lift station transfers the filled trays to a lower-level belt, which connects to the downstream packaging process.

The heart of the line is formed by eight Delta robots. They gently pick up the fragile tartlets from the conveyor belt and place them precisely into the designated trays—regardless of whether there are only two or up to 54 cavities per tray. Customized grippers with finely tuned vacuum control and carefully coordinated pick movements handle even the ultra-thin Filigrano tartlets without causing breakage.

A stainless-steel frame, easily accessible and slightly sloped surfaces, in accordance with EHEDG standards form the basis of Syntegon’s hygienic machine design. The modular structure adds further benefits: fast and flexible product and format changes significantly increase the line’s availability. “Right from the start, we made sure that the system would be compact, yet capable of doing everything HUG needs – now and in the future,” says Thomas Wegener, Syntegon’s Sales Manager for Switzerland.

From concept to production start

When HUG and Syntegon began planning the new robotic line together, it quickly became clear that the project would only be a success if everyone worked well together and communicated openly with each other. The geographic proximity between Beringen in the canton of Schaffhausen and Malters in the canton of Lucerne made regular exchange much easier. “We know each other, speak the same language, and share a similar mindset. That simplifies many things,” says Ernst Huwiler.

HUG Familie and Syntegon have maintained a close partnership for many years—starting with the initial project idea and definition of requirements, through installation and production start, and extending to service and maintenance plans that ensure long-term reliability. Syntegon sees itself as a trusted partner that supports the HUG team with passion, expertise, and creative solutions. Thanks to this strong collaboration, the robotic line quickly reached full performance and optimally supports the company meeting its tartlet sales targets. “Syntegon didn’t just put a machine in place,” emphasizes Huwiler. “They developed clever solutions. The system fits perfectly into our production and has been delivering results from day one.”

Double the output, clear advantages

Since the new RPP line was installed at HUG, tartlet production output has doubled. Instead of operating at the limit of its capacity, HUG can now flexibly respond to peak demand while maintaining consistently high product quality. The automated inline quality control system reduces the workload for line staff and ensures that only flawless shortcrust tartlets are placed into trays. As a result, costly downtimes have been significantly reduced, and the robust system design also lowers maintenance efforts. Thanks to the modular platform architecture and tool-free format changeovers, HUG can seamlessly switch between 60 tartlet varieties and around 20 tray formats. Guided step-by-step instructions on the HMI and intelligent sensors ensure that every changeover runs smoothly and safely. This keeps the line highly flexible and efficient—even with frequent product changeovers.

For HUG, the new line represents a future-proof investment. “We are now in a much stronger position,” summarizes Ernst Huwiler. “With this system, we can work flexibly and deliver exactly the level of quality our customers expect from us.”