Karsten UK grape heat sealer

Karsten UK's new twin-lane eclipse TL6 heat sealing machine

A major table grape supplier has installed new heat-sealing equipment to keep down costs and protect the environment.

The Karsten Group has introduced a twin-lane heat sealing machine capable of sealing up to 200 packs a minute, upgrading from flow wrapping to heat-sealed punnets.

The introduction of the tray sealing machine, manufactured by Packaging Automation (PA), will reduce costs and bring environmental benefits by making the packaging more widely recyclable.

The new machinery will also reduce unplanned downtime by up to 90 per cent through continued operation during repairs, routine maintenance and breakdowns.

Bernie Niehaus, packaging and equipment manager from Karsten UK, commented: “Choosing PA was an easy decision, we had to make our film work. The machine is very easy to use and PA went out of their way to get us the setup we needed to make it simple.”

The Karsten Group supplies a range of seedless table grape varieties to the UK’s major retailers.