Packaging Automation Ltd launched its latest Vision model, the Vision 400, at this week's Total Processing and Packaging Exhibition at the NEC in Birmingham.
The company developed the Vision 400 after research identified a gap in the market for a compact tray sealing machine which offers high speed - up to 80 packs a minute combined with versatility and performance.
The Vision 400 is positioned to complement the company's existing offering of the Vision 182 with a speed of 60 packs a minute and the Vision 4000 which has been upgraded to operate at 100 packs per minute.
This smaller machine offers an alternative for those who want a fully automatic machine but who have limited packaging space and budget. It also offers tooling and product changes in a time of two minutes, the design allows all fixing to be released by hand. This ensures downtime is kept to an absolute minimum and production rates are enhanced.
The machine is suitable for a wide range of products including fruit, vegetables and convenience foods. It can be used for atmospheric, gas flushing (MAP-F) and vacuum (MAP-V) packaging with the option of high oxygen, which offers the benefit of an increased shelf life.
It has been designed to be integrated with chain or flat belt filling conveyors, and with the ability to accept randomly spaced trays. It can seal plain or printed film to any compatible container including aluminium foil, polypropylene and PVC.
Packaging Automation has also included a rotational touch sensitive control screen in the design. It is menu operated to allow pre-programming of recipes and tools for quick and easy product changes. Operational error is also reduced through the pre-programmed tooling sets which are automatically identified by the machine and associated with the appropriate touch button recipe.
Other key considerations when designing the machine was the attention paid to hygiene and cleanliness. The construction includes stainless steel guarding and a sealed machine bed that can be easily washed down.
Packaging Automation's commercial manager Samantha Ashton is confident that the Vision 400 machine will have a wide appeal. She says: "Our market research showed that there was a gap in the market for a space saving, fully automatic machine which combined efficiency with ease of use. Our development team have worked to ensure that this machine offers a full range of features. By including an option to hire, we are confident the Vision 400 will be of interest to the market."
PLAFORM KEEPS ITS COOL
Spanish brand Plaform has taken steps towards technological innovation and protection of the environment by launching a new model of box onto the market that aims to improve the pre-cooling of fruit and vegetables by up to 40 per cent.
Plaform is one of the most widely used corrugated cardboard agricultural packaging solutions on the European market for fruit and vegetables.
In 2002, almost 400 million boxes were manufactured, a six per cent increase on the previous year. Six companies belonging to the Spanish Corrugated Cardboard Manufacturing Association (AFCO) make up the Plaform group.
The new model of packaging is the end product of Project Friopack. After detailed laboratory study and tests with transport, the new design was shown to reduce the pre-cooling times of the product. This was due to the incorporation of a series of holes cut in strategic areas of the box. This provides considerable savings in the amount of product that can be cooled in a day. Through this innovation Plaform has managed to optimise the ventilation system, facilitating air circulation and improving preservation and transport conditions.
This model is the result of intensive R&D work, which included the participation of experts from Plaform's technical committee, the Valencian Technological Institute of Packaging, Packing and Transport (ITENE) and Anecoop, the leading company in the commercialisation and export of Spanish fruit and vegetable products.
The Plaform packaging system has received certification that guarantees compliance with the UNE EN 13428 standard. The application of this European environmental standard is essential, since it seeks to reduce waste at the point of origin of products.
To certify that Plaform packaging complies with the UNE EN 13428 standard, the product was subject to vigorous testing by one of the accredited technological laboratories in Spain - ITENE.
“The Plaform corrugated cardboard boxes provide an integral packaging system that combines a series of advantages to the transportation of fruit and vegetables,” says the company.
“It is the most hygienic method of handling and transporting produce, since the box is used just once. This eliminates all risks of contamination, which the makers feel is a real possibility in the case of reusable plastic packaging that is not properly washed.
“As it is a single use product, the end consumer can be entirely sure that the optimum hygiene is guaranteed.”
The Plaform quality seal certifies that the Plaform packages destined for export and the Spanish market for fresh fruit and vegetables comply with the technical specifications.
The basis of this regulation is more than 20 years' of experience in the use of more than 3.5 billion Plaform boxes in the fresh produce market.
DANES CORN MOVE
A new packaging material PLA which is produced from corn starch has been developed following collaboration between Danish company Faerch Plast and an American primary producer of plastic granulates.
The material aims to satisfy the increasing environmental awareness of both consumers and the food industry. US farmers cultivate the corn, but instead of using it as a food product, the corn in used in the manufacture of plastic granulate.
Transforming corn into plastic is not an easy task. The corn is broken down into lactic acid, which micro organisms then transform into plastic.
The packaging is transparent and is usually used for snacks. Also, as PLA is permeable, it help extend the product shelf-life for foods such as salads and cheeses. The packaging is also bio-degradable and has an ideal profile for organic products, which reflects consumer trends which are moving towards healthy living and environmental awareness.
The Danish-based company is committed to the development of new materials and applications. Jens Bornstein, ceo of Faerch Plast, says: "PLA is just one example of how we are continuously scanning the market for new materials which have impact. If a company is to progress in the new millennium, innovation is a must.
"There is no doubt that PLA packaging is an obvious opportunity for our customers to raise their profile and products above the competition. In addition to its environmental profile, the PLA tray has other benefits desired by the food industry. The plastic's transparency gives the food optimum exposure which has become very popular especially in southern Europe."
Faerch Plast considers PLA packaging to be a niche product as processing the raw materials is still relatively expensive. However, with the increasing demand for packaging with a green profile, the raw material price is expected to fall.
WITT’S NEW BABY
A new packaging material PLA which is produced from corn starch has been developed following collaboration between Danish company Faerch Plast and an American primary producer of plastic granulates.
The material aims to satisfy the increasing environmental awareness of both consumers and the food industry. US farmers cultivate the corn, but instead of using it as a food product, the corn in used in the manufacture of plastic granulate.
Transforming corn into plastic is not an easy task. The corn is broken down into lactic acid, which micro organisms then transform into plastic.
The packaging is transparent and is usually used for snacks. Also, as PLA is permeable, it help extend the product shelf-life for foods such as salads and cheeses. The packaging is also bio-degradable and has an ideal profile for organic products, which reflects consumer trends which are moving towards healthy living and environmental awareness.
The Danish-based company is committed to the development of new materials and applications. Jens Bornstein, ceo of Faerch Plast, says: "PLA is just one example of how we are continuously scanning the market for new materials which have impact. If a company is to progress in the new millennium, innovation is a must.
"There is no doubt that PLA packaging is an obvious opportunity for our customers to raise their profile and products above the competition. In addition to its environmental profile, the PLA tray has other benefits desired by the food industry. The plastic's transparency gives the food optimum exposure which has become very popular especially in southern Europe."
Faerch Plast considers PLA packaging to be a niche product as processing the raw materials is still relatively expensive. However, with the increasing demand for packaging with a green profile, the raw material price is expected to fall.
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