Freshline is cryogenic The latest Sigma Frontier Multihead Weigher from Yamato is a more environmentally friendly machine thanks to its unique discharge configuration, says the company.

It produces a clear product window which improves the bagger/weigher interface. Bottom Based Handling offers maximised sealing time,minimised sealing failures and improved efficiency, states the company. The result is less packaging waste and less product waste, claims Yamato.

Accuracy is maintained by using algorithms, at speeds up to 210 packs/minute on an 18 head machine, making it ideal for the snacks industry.

T: +44 (0) 1132 71***

E: sales**[ta]**atoscale.co.uk

Sigma weighs in with environmental Frontiers Shrinkwrap Machinery has received an order from Eatwell UK, a division of Anglo Beef Processors, for a fully automatic tray erector/ gluer for its Feaster range of products. The machine forms and glues shelf ready trays at up 30 trays/minute and features a side exit feed.

T: +44 (0) 1202 67***

E: sales**[ta]**inkwrap.co.uk

CAMA has introduced a line composed of an electronic sleeving machine and a high speed wraparound case packer which it claims is ideal for ready meal applications.

T: +44 (0) 1793 83***

E: cama3**[ta]**agroup.com

Planet Dryers is a new company formed from the sale of the Dry Food division of Planet Flowline to private investors. Based in Peterborough its machinery range will include Product Dryers, Roasting Lines,Coolers, Cutters and Flavour Systems.

T: +44 (0) 1733 84***

E: info**[ta]**netdryers.co.uk

Breakages have been reduced by as much as 30 per cent according to the manufacturer.

Ishida also claims to have quadrupled throughput of a range of gourmet convenience foods at Tanfield Food Company in County Durham, as well as increasing accuracy of key ingredients.

The Fresh Food Weigher allows pouches between 200g and 350g, plus 1kg catering packs, to be filled at about 2,000 packs/hour. Product giveaway has been reduced from 3g to less than 0.5g, it is claimed.

Weighed products are discharged into plastic pots which contain all the other ingredients.

T: +44 (0) 121 607 ***

E: info**[ta]**idaeurope.com

Cermex has introduced a new version of its WB45 wrap around case packer which loads cartons and flowpacked aluminium trays horizontally or on edge. The system, developed primarily for the food sector, uses two identical robots to stack the cartons and trays after they have been spaced at the case packer infeed.

T: +44 (0) 1480 45***

E: sales**[ta]**mexuk.com

Dutch cheese maker Kaaskeuken new Tapas product range is benefiting from Prosealʼs F40G gas flush system which is maximising throughput,claims the company.

The gas flush/heat seal machine delivers modified atmosphere without the need to pull a vacuum means higher speeds can be achieved,as one component of the seal cycle is eliminated.

It is being used to top seal round and rectangular trays, and delivers 15 cycles/minute on a three impression tool.

The companyʼs latest tray sealing model GT2 is its fastest yet, says Proseal. Capable of sealing 75 trays/minute, the machine is totally portable to provide high flexibility.

T: +44 (0) 1625 85***

E: info**[ta]**sealuk.com

T: +44 (0) 1322 27***

E: info**[ta]**obwhite.com

T: +44 (0) 1489 55***

E: info**[ta]**ussinspect.co.uk

The IntelliFeed high speed single lane feeder system is marketed in the UK by RNA Automation. The feeder can both singulate and equally pitch a variety of packs including pouches, sachets and ready meals at speeds up to 500/minute claims R***

Flow wrapping lines can be loaded directly and it is particularly suitable where a constant product supply is required with an accurate predetermined gap.

Separation and orientation is achieved by Intelligent Roller Module Technology. The system can be wheeled between production lines and changeover time for different products is minimal according to R***

T: +44 (0) 121 749 ***

T: +44 (0) 20 8977 ***

E: sales**[ta]**ahn.co.uk

The TP10 system detects metal, glass, stone and plastic contamination down to 1mm size. The system can be fitted with IP69K moisture protection features.

T: +44 (0) 116 235 ***

E: pi.mtuk**[ta]**com

Floella Benjaminʼs Caribbean Kitchens is using a PA217 manual tray sealer, supplied by Packaging Automation, to seal samples for a new product range of Caribbean ready meals. Recipes include mutton and rice, fish with sweet potatoes and two additional vegetable based dishes. The machine, which was supplied within 5 days of order, is used to seal trays 170mm x 220mm x 50mm deep and is on hire for the duration of the trials.

T: +44 (0) 1565 75***

E: info**[ta]**.co.uk

SNIPPETS One of the fastest ready meals production lines in the UK today has been supplied by Raque Foods to Headland Foods.

Part of Raqueʼs on going partnership with the company, the new line will be located at Headlandʼs Grimsby plant where it will fill and seal proteins, vegetables and sauces into trays which are then checkweighed prior to freezing.

A key requirement of the line, says Raque, was to reduce the number of manual operations while retaining the ability to handle dozens of different recipes. Servo drives on the machines give enhanced levels of control that result in improved weight accuracy and cleanliness to fill, it claims.

This enables the line to run for long periods without adjustment.

Raque previously supplied a freezer loading system to Headlandʼs Flint facility that enbled the company to optimise freezer capacity and distribution patterns.

T: +44 (0) 1905 64***

E: sales**[ta]**ue.co.uk

Developed by Schubert subsidiary IPS, they can place up to three different varieties of crisp packets into a series of horizontal flow wrappers.

Unidentified or incorrectly position bags are returned to the storage hopper.

T: +44 (0) 1676 52***

The system is not affected by pack rate, speed,vibration, air turbulence, pack orientation or stability, claims Loma.

Combined weight and object checking means packs with more than one weight zone are compliant for both overall pack weight and individual weight zone, states the company.

T: +44 (0) 1252 89***

The Sessions labeller achieves this in a single pass, holding the sometimes fragile packs positively in place between two feed conveyors,while not applying excessive pressure.

T: +44 (0) 1904 65***

E: machine.info**[ta]**sionsofyork.co.uk

The companyʼs new Matrix Express label head has been developed for facilities with high wash down requirements.

T: +44 (0) 1342 84***

T: +44 (0) 161 333 ***

E: england**[ta]**kem.com

Erapaʼs BandAll automatic banding/labelling system is a cost effective alternative to traditional labelling and cartonboard sleeving in the ready meals sector, says the company. Band widths of 29,48, 75 and 100mm are available on reels containing up to 2000 bands, which, the company believes, can be stored more easily than sleeves.

T: +44 (0) 1582 72***

E: info**[ta]**pa.co.uk

The new Scribing Laser Range from Linx Printing comprises the Linx SL101 and SL301 scribing lasers (respectively 10W and 30W power options).

T: +44 (0) 1480 30***

E: uksales**[ta]**x.co.uk

SNIPPETS The latest version of Claricomʼs CLARiSOFT software for Package Coding Management (PCM) includes a number of enhancements, including compatibility with the latest GS1 DataBar barcode.

Previously known as Reduced Space Symbology (RSS) barcodes, GS1 DataBar has been endorsed by GS1 for global, unrestricted trade item identification from 1 January 2010 onwards.

CLARiFY advanced planning software has been enhanced with the ability to integrate photo standard information into its database for improved efficiency and quality control, says the company.

The photo standard is the document used throughout food and related industries to provide operators at the start of a production run with a highly visible guide to what the product and packaging should look like. Usually, there will be a unique photo standard for each variant, which in a larger manufacturing facility may mean as many as 700 documents.

The need to address this inefficiency was coupled with a desire amongst many food manufacturers to make Photo Standard part of their Q & A processes.

T: +44 (0) 1159 55***

E: sales**[ta]**ricom.co.uk

Making sense of packaging codes Open and shut case for clamshells Sessions clamshell labeller Claricom’s DataBar in use Flat sleeve labelling at speedHowever the EcoDesign or Energy Using Products Directive (EUP) is aimed directly at minimising climate change by encouraging manufacturers of energy using products to redesign their equipment so that it not only requires less energy in use but also in manufacture and disposal.

Up to now the EcoDesign Directive has only affected products like domestic washing machines, refrigerators and water heaters but the EU Commission has been examining the potential for extending the scope to fifty seven other groups of equipment including: Weighing machines and equipment Refrigerating equipment Food and drink production equipment Printing equipment Packaging equipment Plastics industry equipment Industrial equipment for special processes However the study only proposes refrigerating equipment and food and drink production equipment for “possible” inclusion into the scope of the Directive and focuses mainly on consumer durable products and everyoneʼs current pet hate transformer based power supplies and products with high energy use standby modes.

It is not at all clear how the Directive can be applied to anything other than mass produced products, but it is noticeable how industryʼs attitude to this legislation is changing from resisting any initiative that is likely to increase costs to recognising that this could be an opportunity for companies to add value to their products by making them more environmentally friendly.

But strangely none of these Directives address the worldʼs current main concern of energy use and the carbon dioxide emissions that are causing climate change.

Indeed one could argue that the Packaging and Packaging Waste Directive is actually making matters worse with its insistence on reuse, recycling or incineration with heat recovery of packaging,regardless of the energy used and carbon dioxide emitted in the process.

Last year saw the start of the Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment Directive (WEEE) in the UK and within months the start of an EC review to look into the problems which were cropping up all over Europe with the implementation of this legislation.

Chief amongst the concerns for suppliers of processing and packaging machinery was whether this equipment was included or not.

Countries such as Germany and Ireland have taken the view that all business to business (B2B) equipment should be excluded.

Other countries including the UK have attempted to stretch the scope of the Directive as far as possible.

Martin Keay, Consultant

E: martin.keay**[ta]**a.co.uk

A four year moratorium on the introduction of the Electromagnetic Fields Directive (EMF) has been agreed following mounting evidence that the Directive will make it impossible to operate magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scanners, aluminium smelting and chromium manufacturing equipment and possibly even arc welding equipment.

The problem with MRI scanners has been widely publicised, because while equipment operators are not at risk for most procedures, it is necessary for staff to stay with some patients like babies in about 5% of cases and in this situation the hospital would be in breach of the EMF Directive.

The purpose of the delay is to give time for gathering more information on the likely negative effects of the Directive and so if your company has concerns of how this legislation may affect your use of induction sealing or microwave cooking equipment for example, now is a good time to put them down on paper and send them to the European Commission.

The hamburger buns are inspected as a final step in an automated production line; faulty buns are rejected and those that pass are automatically packaged into boxes by a robot.

The quality control process consists of measuring height,volume and diameter, to assure that each bun is within tolerance.

It also verifies that the sesame seeds are evenly distributed on the top surface.

SICK says the camera combines the flexibility with highspeed 3D image capture.

BIE Stand H45B

T: +44 (0) 1727 83***

E: info**[ta]**k.co.uk