Packaging Automation Ltd has supplied prepared salad and vegetable specialist Soleco Ltd with a machine to seal an innovative range of steamer pots.
Best known for its Florette salad brand, Soleco already used two of Packaging Automation’s Vision 4000 tray sealing machines and has now acquired a Vision 182.
The latest machine is designed to accommodate deeper pots and can apply a seal to both the top and bottom of a container.
Using a heat-sealing system, the machine is stainless steel and is controlled using a touch screen for ease of use. Makers say that this, combined with its quick tool changes, makes it an ideal choice for Soleco.
"We were launching a new line, a steamer pot of vegetables in a container that is a little taller than the ones we usually use and which has two seals rather than one," said Soleco’s line manager Francois Cheron.
"So our needs were quite specific but we had experience of what Packaging Automation could do and we were confident in their ability to deliver."
"Like the Vision 4000, the Vision 182 is a well-built and solid machine which is very easy to maintain, more so than machines from the competition, from what I have seen," he added.
The Vision 182 can be equipped with a variable length chain conveyor, tray de-nesters, auto-fillers and labellers to facilitate a wide range of applications.
Packaging Automation’s sales engineer, Simon Turner, said: "We worked very closely with Soleco on the development of the new pot and we were able to source the right kind of film for it."
The pots are now on sale at major retailing outlets across the UK.
JOKER UPGRADE FROM SWEDES
A NEW series of versatile bag filling and sealing machines has been launched by Supreme Plastics, an ITW Zip-Pak company.
The company will be marketing the Pronova 500 in the UK on behalf of Swedish producers Pronova AB.
Pronova systems provide a complete solution for medium-volume producers seeking a low cost alternative to form-fill-seal equipment for packing produce such as vegetables and herbs quickly and efficiently.
Supreme Plastics claim the Pronova 500 series enhances the manufacturer’s original Joker packaging concept, with a new, improved design that builds in even greater convenience.
The system works with a continuous chain of pre-formed bags, which are specially designed in a variety of styles to work with the equipment.
Each machine is designed to work with a range of accessories to create an integrated, semi or fully-automated packing line.
SELECTOR ELIMINATES WASTE
A leading machinery producer, Aja Weighing Systems, claims its new TDW Selector, a manual multi-weigh scale, could help producers minimise give away when packaging awkward items.
As supermarket demand for fixed weight, fixed price packs directly from packers and producers increases, the problem of give away is becoming more of an issue.
AJA said that some packers lose 10 per cent of their produce through give away, but claim that by using its new machine, companies could benefit from huge savings by weighing fixed-weight, pre-packs more accurately, coupled with the absolute minimum possible give away.
It said the TDW Selector is particularly useful to companies with a specialist or seasonal line - particularly a product that is delicate or awkward to handle.
Many of Aja’s clients already include packers of grapes, vine tomatoes, leeks, sweet potatoes and courgettes, and the company said its equipment can enable packers to achieve a give away of less than one per cent.
Using a system of lights telling packers which pieces to pick up to make the most cost-efficient combination, staff can reach speeds of over 12 packs a minute with two operators.
The company said it can supply the equipment in a range of configurations to suit all packers' needs.
PUNNET POWER
SCHUR flexible UK, manufacturer of flexible packaging solutions and part of Schur International, has combined with sister company Schur Packaging Systems to come up with an innovative new packaging design for fresh produce - the Schur Punnet.
The punnet can be used for a whole range of fresh fruits, vegetables and herbs and has been designed to revolutionise the way fresh produce is packed, presented and sold.
Packed on the Schur Star System, a chain-fed range of packaging machines, the Schur Punnet can be easily adapted to cater for any form of fresh produce packaging.
The chain-fed design aims to give maximum opening in the bag fill zone - this means that goods of various sizes and attributes can be packed quickly and efficiently either manually, semi-automatically or in a fully automated process, significantly reducing the risks of bruising.
The packaging itself consists of a tamper evident Schur stand up pouch which can have a number of features added to it, such as re-seal strips for sustained freshness, venting for increased shelf life, and it can carry full-colour designs.
The makers said its features combine to present a much greater shelf presence than that of a traditional punnet, contents can be clearly seen and perfectly presented, meaning of course the Schur Punnet will be noticed above all other standard types of packaging.
Schur said the punnet also reduces wastage, storage and logistical costs compared to traditional packaging materials and can be supplied shelf ready in thermo-formed trays, maximising shelf storage space and reducing shelving time.
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