A quiet revolution is taking place inside a Serbian snack factory — and it’s being fuelled by some serious tech innovation. With the help of packaging specialists Ishida Europe, one of Central and Eastern Europe’s leading crisp producers, Chips Way, has transformed its production process, tripling capacity and nearly doubling efficiency to keep pace with the continent’s growing appetite for its much-loved snacks.
From Local Favourite to Regional Leader
Established in 1971, Chips Way began as a modest snack producer in Čačak, Serbia, before becoming one of the most recognised names in the salty snacks market. Its signature brands — Čačanski čips and Gricko — are now found on supermarket shelves across Serbia and in ten other European countries.
As consumer demand continued to rise, the company faced a pressing challenge: its factory was running at full capacity, with production struggling to keep up with orders. To meet this demand, Chips Way turned to the latest generation of integrated snacks packaging systems from Ishida Europe.
Technology That’s Redefining Snack Production
Through its Serbian agent, CD System, Ishida supplied and installed three Inspira Integrated Total Packaging Systems (iTPS) — an advanced line-up that combines precision weighing, high-speed bagging, and intelligent control in one seamless operation.
Each system features an Ishida RV series 18-head multihead weigher mounted above two Inspira rotary bagmakers. Together, they deliver extraordinary efficiency, reliability, and consistency.
The numbers tell their own story:
- Tripled capacity and nearly 100% increase in packing speed
- 70–80 bags per minute for standard 40g packs
- 2% reduction in product giveaway compared to previous systems
- Product changeover time cut from 20 minutes to just five
- Daily cleaning downtime reduced from four hours to two
The result? What once took six shifts to pack can now be completed in just two — freeing up time, resources, and energy while maintaining top-quality output.
Precision and Performance, Perfectly Balanced
“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,” explained Luka Jovanovic, Chief Operating Officer at Chips Way.
For Chips Way’s operators, the difference has been transformative. The Ishida iTPS can gently handle the company’s light, fragile crisps — each coated with one of nine different seasonings — at impressive speeds without compromising product quality. The advanced weighers ensure precision portioning, keeping waste to a minimum and pack weights consistent.
Perhaps most impressively, the systems’ integrated design means that changeovers — previously a complex, time-consuming process requiring trained technicians — now take just five minutes and can be handled by the line operators themselves.
Efficiency That Frees Up Time and Talent
The time saved across each stage of production has proven invaluable. Cleaning routines, once a four-hour operation, now take just two. Maintenance tasks that previously demanded specialist attention can now be handled directly on the line, freeing up the technical team for more strategic projects.
“A product changeover on the Ishida’s takes just five minutes, whereas on our previous machines it could take as much as 20 minutes,” said Jovanovic. “And cleaning downtime has been halved.”
It’s not just the speed that’s impressive — it’s the flexibility. With up to three product changeovers required per shift, the Ishida systems allow Chips Way to pivot quickly to new orders, pack sizes, and flavours without disruption. This responsiveness has helped the company strengthen its competitive edge in an increasingly dynamic snacks market.
Building the Foundation for Future Growth
Each iTPS installation at Chips Way delivers close to zero giveaway and film waste, achieving greater than 99% Overall Equipment Effectiveness (OEE) — a level of performance that ensures the company’s investment will continue to deliver long-term value.
“For us, the speed and reliability of the Ishida iTPS, its precision weighing and packing, and its ease of changeover and cleaning are all huge benefits,” Jovanovic added. “The machines have provided the foundations for our continued growth, and we’ll be looking to invest in additional equipment as we expand our product portfolio.”
The Next Chapter for Chips Way
From its humble beginnings in the early 1970s to its current position as a major regional producer, Chips Way’s journey is a case study in how innovation and technology can work hand-in-hand to drive sustainable growth.
Today, the company employs over 180 people and has a turnover exceeding €20 million, continuing to invest in new facilities and cutting-edge production technology. And with its partnership with Ishida Europe, it’s well positioned to meet the growing demand from snack lovers across the continent.
For Ishida, it’s another demonstration of how intelligent automation can help food producers improve efficiency without compromising on quality — ensuring that every packet of crisps, no matter where it’s sold, meets the highest standards from start to finish.
To learn more about Ishida’s range of advanced packaging systems and how they’re helping food manufacturers worldwide, visit www.ishidaeurope.com/en
