Choosing between a single wicketed bagger (SWB) and a dual wicketed bagger (DWB) is one of the more important equipment decisions a produce operation will make. There's a lot to consider, throughput targets, labor costs, product type, and where you are in your growth. We talked through all of it with Noah Fox, Project Manager at Fox Solutions, to help you understand what actually goes into that decision.
Speed Is the Starting Point
The most straightforward way to think about it is bags per minute.
"A DWB becomes the better option when the person packing bags is trying to do above 25 bags per minute. Of course that answer changes depending on the bag size. For a larger weight bag that threshold would be lower. For example with a 5lb bag, that threshold would be if you want to be above 18–20 bags per minute. However, if your focus is just a broad stroke, a SWB is not going to go faster than 25 bags per minute."
If your production targets are below that 25 BPM mark, a single system will handle it. Above that, you're looking at dual.
When a Single Bagger Makes Sense
A lot of operations run a single wicketed bagger and it works well for them. Speed isn't always the priority.
"A SWB makes more sense when speed, bags per minute, is not a top priority. If consistency is more important, then the SWB is a better option because operators have only one bag head to manage. This means they are more focused on what is happening to that machine and can catch issues before they slow down production."
Fox Solutions worked with Tarrant Area Food Bank on a project that's a good example of this. They weren't chasing volume, they needed a reliable solution after struggling to find enough volunteers for hand packing.
"For them speed was not a huge concern. They needed a solution to combat the difficulties they were encountering finding volunteers to hand pack. Moreover, they decided to go with a V-belt style because they are packing a variety of products."
The SWB also tends to be a good fit for producers who are earlier in their growth and getting into automation for the first time.
"Customers who are in an earlier growth stage find the SWB to be the best option. Not only because of the cost savings, but the SWB also is a great entry level bagger. It is simple enough, in design and operation, that you do not need much experience with automated baggers. Additionally, it is versatile enough that once it becomes time to expand, it can be paired with another single to create a DWB, or a second one can be added to a weigher to utilize the full weigher capacity."
What Usually Pushes an Operation Toward Dual
When producers start asking about moving to a dual system, the conversation almost always comes back to throughput and labor.
"Throughput and labor savings are always the most common triggers. Throughput increases exponentially from hand packing and basically doubles from a SWB. Because of the increased throughput, the ROI on a DWB is typically better. And since throughput is roughly double, the labor cost reduction per unit is also double."
Price tends to come up, but it's usually secondary once the throughput and labor numbers are on the table.
A Real Example: Tanimura & Antle
In 2023, Fox Solutions worked with Tanimura & Antle in Hollister, California on a system that integrated Fox wicketed baggers with a Newtec 4014 weigher and QC-90 checkweigher.
"When they added their first pair of dual baggers, they eliminated the need for an entire shift and 6-day work weeks. They followed up with another matching set up that increased their throughput to somewhere between 120–140 BPM."
The line averaged around 60 bags per minute on 5- to 10-pound bags. Moving from a six-day schedule to four days a week brought a 33% reduction in labor hours. Automated weighing also cut down on product giveaway, which had been a consistent issue when bags were being filled by hand.
"We used to have one of our team members individually weigh bags by hand, which was time-consuming and led to product overfill. Now, with the checkweigher, we've reduced product giveaway, which not only minimizes waste but also maximizes profitability."
V-Belt vs. Flat Belt
This decision is separate from single vs. dual, and it comes down to what you're packing.
"The key difference between a V-belt and flat belt system is singulation. When product sizes get larger and bag weights get heavier, singulation is important. If you try to pile everything down the chute and into the bag you will cause bridging and then you will stop production. V-belts help put product in a single file line so they can smoothly flow into the bag. Additionally, for oblong shaped commodities like potatoes, a V-belt will help turn them so that either the stem or bud end is the leading side."
As a general guide:
- Flat belt works well for smaller, rounder commodities, limes, key limes, lemons, small oranges, Brussels sprouts, smaller potato and onion varieties. You'll also tend to get faster speeds on a flat belt.
- V-belt is the better fit for larger, irregularly shaped products like russet potatoes and jumbo onions. Also,so the right call for portions 6 lbs and up.
"The V-belt can run just about any product,oduct but it is especially designed for larger products and irregularly shaped products, think russet potatoes and jumbo, even super jumbo, onions."
How Bag Weight Affects Throughput
Heavier bags mean lower BPM, and it helps to have realistic numbers going in.
"As the weight increments increase, bagger throughput decreases. It is a lot harder to move 10lbs of onions vs. 5lbs. A bagger doing 5-pound bags might do 15–18 BPM whereas on the 10lb side you are looking at 12–15. Although, we have successfully done trials and projects on our baggers doing 15 and 20lbs. That is about the limit, and the bagger slows down quite a lot. For 25 and 50lb bags, that is a different machine that we source from one of our partners."
Changeover Time
Switching between bag sizes or SKUs on a Fox wicketed bagger is straightforward by design.
"To switch bag widths it is merely a matter of grabbing the old bags and replacing them with the new. If the portion size is different you can simply change the recipe on the HMI and that will adjust the timers accordingly. If the bag is longer you can lower the bag platform with one hand knob."
Chute swaps are quick too.
"Infeed chutes are attached by two hand knobs and a quick connect multi-port airline — you can go from a #1 chute for 1lb bags to a #2 chute for 5lb bags in a matter of seconds. Additionally, with the new 2/3 Combo Chute you can go from a #2 chute to an even larger #3 chute without removing any parts or pieces."
Remote Diagnostics and Uptime
Both the SWB and DWB support remote networking, and it makes a real difference when something goes wrong.
"Having the baggers connected to a network increases uptime exponentially. When our technicians and programmers have the ability to remote into machines we can diagnose problems and course correct without having to be on site. This means the customer does not have to pay for a service call — at most they will have to purchase parts. This shortens downtime on the machine as most issues can be fixed with some guidance over the phone."
What Buyers Most Often Overlook
After working with produce operations of all sizes, Noah has noticed a pattern in what tends to get missed during the buying process.
"Oftentimes the potential yield is overlooked for the average yield. In produce, nothing is guaranteed so usually we all work on averages. For the most part this works out. However, if you purchase equipment based on the average yield and then end up with a bumper crop, the equipment will not operate at the rate required. This is why if a customer is on the fence, we always recommend going up to the DWB. Although it might be self-serving at the time, in the long run the end user is much happier with that decision."
Every packing line is different, which is why the right bagger choice is not always the same from one operation to the next. The best fit depends on your product, your throughput goals, your labor realities, and your plans for growth.
To learn more about Fox Solutions wicketed bagging systems, contact our team.
