LC Machinery is set to introduce the Brimapack VePack-P system to the marketplace next week.

The machinery will be launched at the LAMMA Show on January 20-21.

The VePack-P series, which has been developed for iceberg lettuce, has a modular system developed for use in the packhouse and on rigs in the field.

One VePack-P packing unit, with a capacity of 16 heads per minute, can be used as a standalone packing system, but more units can be combined to make an efficient arrangement. Workers only have to clean the iceberg lettuce and place it in a cup, which then go though the packing unit and are packed automatically. The in-feed system can integrate with a grading system, in which weight, size and colour can all be used as grading criteria. Integrated labelling, printing or stamping can further optimise the packing process.

All of these options are available on rig, providing producers with a complete packing system in the field.

For in-field packing, several rigs have been built and have been in production for up to three seasons - two summer seasons in the UK and Germany and one winter season in Spain. In this time, the automated VePack-P packing systems have been shown to reduce the labour costs of rig harvesting by more than 50 per cent, giving substantial cost savings year after year, as well as increase rig capacity by more than 60 per cent, reducing the average investment per capacity and reducing variable costs for rig maintenance, fuel and rig supervision.

The system uses specially made CPP film, branded Nice Pack, which is closed by way of a seal on the bottom of the product. This gives the lettuce optimal appeal, as the tight-fitting film and seal combined with the film’s properties - with the micro-perforation - ensures good shelf life.

Several major iceberg producers will have one or more VePack-P integrated harvesting rigs in operation this coming season and the number of packhouse-based packing machines will be substantially higher.