FDBusiness.com

For 55 years Packaging Automation has driven the tray sealing market with its unrivalled expertise and innovation providing not only the fastest but the most environmentally friendly machines on the market today. As a company that is used to pushing boundaries, Packaging Automation will be demonstrating exceptional technical advances which enhance speed, performance, efficiency, flexibility and environmental credentials at Foodex 2018 on stand V319.

PA have two brand new products being launched at the show, the first being an integrated weighing system which was driven by a customer need to improve productivity on production lines. The weigh cell is directly controlled through the tray sealing machine and provides extensive live data enabling you to monitor the packing process.

Also launching is Rotofill, a newly designed machine in the pot filling and sealing range which is a versatile, high speed multi-station rotary filling and sealing machine with unlimited flexibility and performance designed to futureproof investment with the latest and most innovative technology.

Alongside these new products, will be the flexible, fully electric SL4 Motion tray sealer which is just one machine in Packaging Automation’s portfolio that incorporates patented motion control technology.

The development of this ‘motion’ technology means the cycle speed and throughput of the machine can be maximised. The increase in speed is due to the interpolating nature of the transfer arms working in conjunction with the in-feed and stepping conveyor allowing for a continuous smoother feed into the seal cycle increasing the stability of packs on transfer.

Rotofill has been developed to react to the market’s need to be able to launch products to retail quicker, the innovative design and manufacturing techniques used mean that lead times for this machine are improved by up to 40%. The machine comes with the option to run up to 3 lanes dependent on pack size meaning that customers can triple their throughputs for a similar footprint when compared to previous models. Other innovations include the ability to cater easily to a myriad of customer specifications including multiple fills (wet and dry fill), reel fed film or pre-cut lid sealing, clip on lid over capping, date coding in whichever configuration is required.

With an advanced control system with programmable recipe control, self-diagnostics, and real time adjustment of all operating parameters including fill weights, seal time and film feed. Rotofill also features an integrated setup wizard that walks the operator through tool changes step-by-step, simplifying and deskilling the process.

It is ideal for producers who want higher production speeds with space constraints and an option of gas flushing for MAP packaging.  It can be used for an extensive range of products including drinks, cream, yoghurts, sauces, dips, soups and liquid desserts, nuts, cereal and confectionery.

Commenting on these new product launches Neil Ashton PA’s Operations Director says: “Our Research and Development team are continually reviewing our product range and examining what improvements can be made for our customers. Through collaboration with the end users of our machinery, our R&D team have been able to bring to the market products that greatly increase the productivity of our customers.

“PA is the only tray sealing machinery supplier to provide machines that are fully electric. Featuring proven Powerdrive™ technology, machines operate without using any compressed air, therefore offering savings of up to 98% of the running costs of conventional pneumatically operated tray sealers. This enables food producers to demonstrate a real commitment to environmental issues, whilst delivering a competitive operating cost.

“With up-time being so critical for our customers, our range of machines can be connected via a network to the internet allowing PA’s service team to dial in and monitor the operating status of the machine or diagnose component failure over the phone at any time. This gives them peace of mind that they can be back up and producing in the shortest time possible.”

For further information contact Packaging Automation Ltd on Tel +44 (0)1565 755000 or visit www.pal.co.uk.