Machines that make a difference

Avery Dennison Fastener Division, a global leader in the design and manufacture of fastening products, has combined with a pineapple grower to produce a fresh produce tagging system.

The Industrial System 1000-II Pneumatic Tool tags pineapples and other produce and was initially developed to meet the tagging needs of pineapple growers.

Working by fastening a tag to the crown of a pineapple, the device allows growers to communicate important product information. The system fires fasteners into the produce and each reel contains 1,000 fasteners that are loaded simultaneously.

In addition, Avery Dennison has just launched a new version of System 1000 fasteners known as Brand ID fasteners - labels in their own right that display the brand name or logo on the plastic tag itself.

“After working with a major grower, we understand that tagging is an essential way for growers to build brand loyalty and increase sales,” said Mike Back, marketing manager. “Customers immediately identify with brands that they recognise, as they associate these brands with a guaranteed level of quality and feel safe in the knowledge that the fruit has been grown, packed, and shipped under conditions that meet stringent standards.”

SALAD DAYS OVER

The market for pre-packing salad machinery has reached full capacity in the UK, according to three produce machinery companies attending the PPMA show.

Spokespeople for some of the top salad-packing machinery manufacturers say the market has subsided, meaning a loss in revenue for many companies.

“The salad industry has reduced for machinery manufacturers. It had a massive growth two years ago and has reached capacity - now it’s just ticking over,” said Andrea Spencer, internal sales manager at Yamato Scale Dataweigh Ltd “As a company we’re quite diverse, so it’s not really impacted on us Salad packers are not shutting, but they are not growing at the moment.”

Steve Quilt, field sales manager at Ishida Europe agrees: “There was an initial large growth of investment, everyone investing in salad machinery but there has been lots of movement in the salad industry and some salad factories have closed down. Even if salad picked up today, there would still be an over capacity of the machinery. It has affected business there’s no doubt about it, if you look at the sales 18 months ago. The market’s diversifying and trying to find other salad products that will interest he consumer,” he said.

Michael Woods, sales director at Sandiacre, suggests that salad-packing companies should look for opportunities in Europe where there is still a demand: “The market has quietened in the UK, but there’s still growth in Spanish markets. There are two areas; replacing existing machines or new opportunities for supplying new companies.”

During the last year, Sandiacre has supplied six machines to the Netherlands and Woods expects to deploy another three for salad in this area soon: “In the UK there are few new companies starting up so its replacement lines only. It’s quite a mature market but there is growth in continental Europe markets,” he said.

ISHIDA DONATES MACHINE TO TECHNICAL TRAINING CENTRE

Food processing machinery manufacturer Ishida Europe has shown its support for skills training in the manufacturing industry by donating a packing machinery line to a university training centre.

The state-of-the-art machine will become part of the new Technical Food Training Centre at Holbeach Technology Park, part of Lincoln University.

The centre, which will be built in the next two years to best practice industry standards, will be run as a food-manufacturing site with authentic working practices and is part of an initiative by leading food companies in Lincolnshire to address the chronic shortage of well-trained technical operators for their businesses.

The £2.8 million Holbeach Technology Park has just been granted CoVE (Centre of Vocational Excellence) status by the Lincolnshire & Rutland Learning & Skills Council.

Before the Technical Food Training Centre opens, a food-processing hall is being established in the existing building to enable the immediate start of training courses. Ishida will supply a complete weighing and packing line for handling fresh foods into pre-formed trays for this hall and further equipment will be supplied to expand the line once it is installed in the new facility.