< Previous10 Food & Drink Internationalwww.fdiforum.netSCHÄFER Container Systems see newopportunities for stainless steel IBCsSCHÄFERContainer Systemshave identified newmarkets for theirfood containers,designed forasepticapplications.Specialising instandard andcustomisedstainless steelcontainers,SCHÄFER Container Systems offer a comprehensive portfolio ranging fromIBCs in various sizes to bespoke aseptic containers for special applications,as well as kegs for the beverage industry. In related markets, SCHÄFER Container Systems see the possibility ofincreasing their market penetration. In addition to manufacturers, IBC rentalcompanies are an example of several new target groups the company isplanning to develop with concerted sales activities.Since 2002, SCHÄFER have been manufacturing their IBCs at their plantin the Czech Republic, which has a track record of several decadestestifying to a particularly high level of welding skills. Current investments innew buildings and machines are set to further increase weldingcompetencies and the factory’s high degree of flexibility in terms of batchsize and format. Starfrost strikes exclusive deal forUK food manufacturersStarfrost hasfurther strengthenedits prime position inthe global foodindustry bybolstering itsstrategic alliancewith Australasianfirm Milmeq.Following asuccessfulpartnership betweenthe two companiesin New Zealand and Australia, Starfrost is now acting as the sole agent forMilmeq in the UK and Ireland.Starfrost is the UK and Ireland’s exclusive supplier of Milmeq’s bespokerange of Carton Tunnels for chilling and freezing food products packaged incartons or boxes. The equipment range features the Single RetentionTunnel and Multiple Retention Tunnel for packaged meat, dairy, poultry andseafood products that require long retention times.The Milmeq SRT carton tunnel is a bespoke chiller or freezer with an airblast cooling system that provides single uniformed conditioning. Thesystem is designed for varying product types and different carton sizes thatall require the same chill or freeze time.Powerful, low shearfood pumpsOur MasoSine pumps combine virtually no shear with powerful suction and are ideal for food processing applications.• Hygienic and pulse-free flows• One shaft, one seal and one rotor – very low maintenance, easily cleaned and fully CIPable• Unique sine pump design provides minimal product damage and higher yieldswmpg.co.uk/masosine-uk01326 370370wm-62601326 37036304-11:Layout 1 24/3/14 09:56 Page 7More products in more colours fromVikanWith thelaunch of theirinnovative newPink range,Vikan now offerthe foodindustry morehigh qualityfood safetycleaningproducts in more colours than any other manufacturer. This expandedrange offers a comprehensive selection of tools and equipment in ninecolours all designed to provide food processing plants with superb hygienestandards, wide product choice and value for money. Developed in response to customer demand and to meet theincreasingly stringent requirements of the food industry, Vikan’s Pink rangeincludes brushes, brooms, squeegees, buckets and wall brackets all tailormade for specific cleaning tasks. Whether organic production, allergen riskor where a number of lines are running, Vikan can be relied upon to deliverwherever an extra colour is needed. FDA and EU compliant, Vikan’s products are autoclavable at hightemperatures for maximum hygiene. Designed to promote operatorconfidence, tools are comfortable and easy to use.Transdek launches innovative urbandouble deck trailerTransdek UK,the leading doubledeck loadingsystems andspecialists in high-cube vehicleconcepts, islaunching its newDouble DeckUrban Eco Trailer(DUET) at thisyear’s CV Show inBirmingham.The trailer has been developed to meet the growing retailer demand forgreater transport efficiencies on last-mile deliveries to urban centres. TheDUET offers a load footprint 200% that of a typical 18 tonne rigid, with costand emissions savings of up to 50% for city centre retail deliveries. Theinnovative trailer incorporates a unique rear door closure, which permitsthe lowest possible height profile while providing safe kerbside offloading.Mark Adams FCILT, Transdek’s Managing Director, says, “With our newDUET trailer, up to 100% more product can be carried per vehicle, whichoffers significantly improved operations for logistics companies. The DUETcan effectively half the number of deliveries, slashing transport costs andCO2 emissions by up to 50%.”Food & Drink International 11www.fdiforum.netDENNY BROSFix-a-Form®multi-pagelabels fromDenny BrosDenny Bros is a leading independent specialistprint company and the originators of Fix-a-Form®multi-page labels.Fix-a-Form®multi-page labels allow for the communication oflarge amounts of text on-pack and are often used by brandowners to supply additional information or to run short livedpromotions.These custom-built marketing devices can boost sales uplifts andprovide a competitive edge, helping your products to stand outon-shelf. They work in synergy with the host-pack eliminating theneed for major artwork changes to the original packaging whichcan be costly and time consuming. Alternatively, you may need asolution for compliancy or want to reduce or eliminate yourproduct packaging completely.Fix-a-Form®multi-page labels are used extensively in the foodand drink industry as the supermarket environment is increasinglycompetitive and on-shelf presence is key. With the rising costs ofgetting POS material into food outlets, it has become much morecritical to build a culture around the brand on-shelf with on-packideas being the easiest way to make impulse decisions happen.For further information, call 01284 701381 orvisit www.dennybros.com.To advertise your services onthe news pages contact us on+44 (0) 1472 31030204-11:Layout 1 24/3/14 08:02 Page 812 Food & Drink Internationalwww.fdiforum.netIWM bin washers go high careEfficient cleaning of 120 litre and200 litre Eurobins – includingwheels – with total segregation ofclean and dirty bins can beachieved easily and reliably with thenew EC20-HC high-care bin washerfrom Industrial Washing Machines.The latest addition to IWM’spopular and successful EC20 rangeof cabinet-style bin washers, thenew EC20-HC is a compact front-access machine with a double-leafdoor system that has separateoperating handles for the clean anddirty areas, and an interlockedcarriage system that guards againstconfusion of clean and dirty bins.The machine has been designed toensure bin wheels do not come into contact with the floor after washing, thelifting platform is washed and sanitised. Other refinements include fully-welded internal construction, eliminatingdirt traps, a newly designed high-efficiency stainless steel wash jet systemthat requires minimal cleaning and maintenance, programmable washcycles, and a duplicated operator interface that allows the machine to becontrolled from dirty or clean areas. Whyte & Mackay raises toast toAllen CodingAllen Coding has installed labellingsystems at Whyte & Mackay,including a split-head coder,designed for high quality, accurateprinting on different substrates in aconfined space. James Purves, BottlingEngineering Manager, explains thecompany’s requirements, “We werelooking to improve on the quality andlegibility provided by our coders andneeded two machines, one to printon paper labels on a wet glue labellerat speeds of up to 100 bottles perminute and one that would code onboth glass and self adhesive paper tothe required standard at 340bpm.”Steve Ryan, UK Sales & OEMManager at Allen Coding, says, “On the high speed line an extended headallowed access to a very small area to apply the code with full X & Ymovement of the coding head for a range of 12 bottle sizes. On the wetlabel machines the code was applied on the label pallets ensuring 100%accurate coding on a wet glue label.”Laser sorting technology enhances pea qualityTOMRA Sorting, represented in the UK byStein Solutions, has supplied two Best Heliusfree-fall laser sorters to Birds Eye’s Lowestoftfactory in order to provide greatly enhancedquality checks for the company’s market-leading frozen peas.The new sorters are allowing a far greaternumber of contaminants to be detected andremoved – up to 99.5% efficiency for mostdefects – while reducing the overall yield lossof each production run by as much as 50%. Inaddition, overall throughput has risen by 33%.The sorters are delivering a return oninvestment of less than one year.The Helius uses laser technology to detect all types of colour and structure defects in a stream of good product. The machine is also able to spotcontaminants by assessing biological characteristics that are invisible to the human eye. For the sorting of peas, it can detect the slightest shades ofchlorophyll to distinguish between good products and defects.Sensor breakthrough bridges the gap forpackagingproductivitySICK UK’s DeltaPac is the firstphotoelectric sensor able to detectindividual packs on a conveyorwithout a gap between them. TheDeltaPac will help productionteams achieve high levels ofaccuracy and throughput speedswhilst reducing the risk of pile-ups and stoppages.Phil Dyas, SICK UK’s industrial sensor specialist, says, “SICK DeltaPac is a true breakthroughin sensing for packaging applications using patented technology to eliminate the need toseparate packs on a FMCG production line.“Up until now, a clear gap had to be left between packs for an optical sensor’s beam of light tobe returned by the reflector on the opposite side of the conveyor. The DeltaPac differentiatesbetween packs in a new way, detecting changes in their outline contours at speeds of up to 3m/sand 200,000 units an hour. The result is more reliable upstream process control and downstreamaccuracy for printing, labelling and palletisation.”Ishida proves good sportfor variety chocolate packAn Ishida packing system featuring a 24-headmultihead weigher is providing speed and accuracy inthe production of mixed packs of Ritter Sport cubes atleading food logistics and packer Nagel Group.The Ritter Sport choco cube – small chocolate cubeswith different flavours and fillings in flow packs –required a solution to pack mixed varieties of thechocolates into cube-shaped cardboard boxes. Carehad to be taken to avoid damaging the chocolate andthat the ends of flow packs were not creased. The Ishida solution comprises automatic productinfeed system which requires minimal space, with acolour detecting sensor checking deliveredproduct matches the requested variety. The 24-head high-performance CCW-R multiheadweigher is divided into six sections to handle the mixedproducts. A double discharge chute system fills twofolding cartons in parallel. For the product mixescontaining three or four components, the Ishida systemachieves a speed of 60 boxes per minute.12:Layout 1 24/3/14 09:01 Page 1Food & Drink International 13www.fdiforum.netTropical Sun launches newAloe Vera drink Tropical Sun is bolstering its drinks portfolio with the launch ofa new Aloe Vera drink. The drink contains natural aloe vera,vitamin C and calcium and taps into the increasing demand forgreat tasting, premium health focused drinks. Tropical Sun Aloe Vera drink is available in a 1.5l and a 500mlbottle, addressing the take-home and impulse purchase salesopportunities for retailers. The premium offering also delivers in itsquality credentials – containing natural aloe vera and is free fromany artificial colours or preservatives.Brand manager Jag Singh says, “It has already become one ofthe most in-demand NPD launches from Tropical Sun of the pastfew years. We had customers pre-ordering stock even beforeproduct was released, so we are confident it will deliver greatresults for retailers.”Aloe Vera joins Tropical Sun’s drinks portfolio which includescanned Coconut Waters, its tropical soft drinks range Splash,Ginger Beer and flavoured Syrups.Nrich gets packaging boost to deliver step-up insalesNutritionally balanced milk drinkNrich has undergone a packagingrefresh, as part of the brand’sthree-year strategy to radicallystep-up growth. The revitalised packaging lookgives the product clear stand-outon shelf, is fresh and easy tounderstand and appeals to a wider mass market outside of just fitness conscious consumers. Thepackaging champions Nrich’s key selling points, such a low in fat, high in protein and rich in vitaminsand minerals. Marketing manager Jag Singh says, “Unique functionality and superior taste have really helped todrive the brand forward. We have developed a distinctive PROCarb recipe, which provides a solutionfor the need to balance protein and carbohydrate intake which is vital in maintaining and developinga healthy diet and lifestyle. We’ve also ensured that we use real milk and that Nrich is free fromartificial colours or sweeteners.”Successful firstcampaign bringsTropical Sun back on TVAfter the successful launch of their first TVcampaign, Tropical Sun is back on air with their‘Tropicalise Your Food’ advert. The advert, whichchampions the brand’s range of table sauces, willnow run across even more channels, at a muchhigher frequency to reach millions of existing andnew consumers. Brand manager Jag Singh says, “The first burstof activity was fantastic. As well as securing newlistings across retail and wholesale channels, wehave had a fantastic reception from consumers.This second burst of activity is to reinforce ourbrand message and invite even more people totropicalise their food with our sauces and widerrange of products.”The advert will run for two months, until the endof April across popular ethnic TV channels. It willreach out to multiple ethnic communities includingAfrican, Caribbean and South Asian consumersamong others. Fletchers fill cupcakes for first forayinto marketFletchers Group ofBakeries has launchedits first ever cupcakerange, complete with anindulgent filling, throughits Kara foodservicebrand. Kara now offers arange of four newcupcakes - ChocolateHeaven filled withchocolate sauce, Strawberry Sensation with strawberry jam, LemonMeringue with lemon curd and Ice Cream Sundae with raspberry sauce.Stephen Holding, managing director of Fletchers Group, says, “Cupcakeswere a gap in our portfolio. These are an innovation in the bakery market,with our four ground-breaking flavours and the concept of a luxurious,indulgent filling. There are no other cupcakes like this on the foodservicemarket.“Operators are looking for a point of difference to tempt customers andconsumers are willing to treat themselves and pay that bit extra, despite thechallenging economic times, for something new. There is still a huge marketfor cupcakes.”New lidding film for ExcelsiorTechnologiesThe tray lidding film marketfor soft fruit and fresh cutproduce in the UK has beenslow to develop newsolutions. ExcelsiorTechnologies has nowlaunched a new lidding film,PEELfresh, which has beenspecifically designed forchilled trays of fresh wholeand fresh cut produce, withpermeability added by eitherlaser micro hole perforation or macro punched holes.The biaxially orientated polyester film is coated on one side with an in-house developed proprietary heat seal lacquer formulation, which providesseals to both A-PET and PVC trays. The film is available in 19 micronunprinted and 25 micron printed. The film has excellent sealing propertiesover a wide temperature range with industry leading anti-mist propertiesand very high clarity. It is easy to peel and has excellent anti-shardproperties.Converted and coated in the UK, the film has a much smaller carbonfootprint than its imported competitors and improved response and deliverytimes.13:Layout 1 21/3/14 14:07 Page 114 Food & Drink Internationalwww.fdiforum.netDon’t forgetyou can now readFood & Drink International Digital Editionsnow available on iPad & iPhonewww.fdiforum.netIdeal for those who spendtime away fromthe officeonthego!New appointments support Pollard’sgrowthRigid box specialist PollardBoxes has appointed Karen Daviesas Business DevelopmentManager.In her new role, Karen willsupport Pollard’s ambitious growthplans in both existing and newmarket sectors, focusing inparticular on the company’s abilityto develop luxury packagingsolutions.Karen has extensive experienceof the personal care packagingsector, having previously workedfor leading companies including LFBeauty and Boots. She joinsPollard Boxes from McFarlane Packaging.Commercial Director Peter Conner says, “We are delighted to welcomeKaren to Pollard Boxes. We are experiencing strong demand for ourproducts across a wide range of markets and Karen’s knowledge andexperience will be invaluable in helping us to identify and maximiseopportunities.”Key appointment as RPC continuesto growRPC Tedeco-Gizeh has appointed James Cushing as Business AccountManager to support the company’s continued development of solutions forthe UK vending and drinks market.James has over six years’ experience of the vending industry and joinsfrom Nupik Flo. In his new role, he will focus on promoting the wide rangeof hot and cold drinks cups available from RPC Tedeco-Gizeh along withthe company’s expertise in supporting the development of appropriatevending and drinks systems.RPC Tedeco-Gizeh is able to offer a wide range of complementaryfoodservice products, including pots, tubs and trays. The company’sspecialist foodservice account management team is led by Archie Temple andAndy Roads who together have over forty years’ experience of the sector.This strong knowledge of the vending and foodservice industries,together with an experienced in-house design team, mean RPC is ideallyplaced to deliver bespoke solutions to individual customers, tailored to theirprecise requirements.To advertise your services onthe news pages contact us on01472 310302Left to right:AndyRoads,JamesCushing andArchieTemple14:Layout 1 21/3/14 14:07 Page 1Food & Drink International 15www.fdiforum.netPORT TO SHELFWith global supply chains increasing instature and efficiency, it’s never been a bettertime to import or export goods. Via ports inparticular is proving to be a fast, cost-effectiveway of doing business and investment in suchventures is increasing. With a joined-upattitude to proceedings it’s no surprise to findgoods are being delivered on time, in greatcondition and with a greater level oftraceability, while maintaining smaller carbonfootprints.One country which has grasped theopportunity to sell their goods to the world isScotland. Fiercely independent and boasting awhole heritage of food and drink products,Scottish producers are keen to point out theunique aspects.To punctuate this, for example, OrkneyScottish Island Cheddar was recently grantedofficial recognition from the EU – affording itextra protection against unauthorisedimitation.The cheese has been awarded ProtectedGeographical Indication status under the EUProtected Food Names scheme. Thedistinction means consumers are guaranteedthey are buying the genuine, premiumproduct, which is renowned for its distincttaste and unique production methods. The announcement brings Orkney ScottishIsland Cheddar into the same category ofprotection as high-profile products likeStornoway Black Pudding, Arbroath Smokiesand Scotch Beef. Cabinet Secretary for Rural Affairs RichardLochhead says, “It’s superb news that OrkneyScottish Island Cheddar now holds this16 SellingScotlandto theworldAs Scotland mulls overthe vote for independence,one thing it has nothing toworry about is itsprowess within theinternational food anddrink industry. Withenviable supply chain linksand unique products itsfuture success is assured.PHOTO: SHUTTERSTOCK.COM/SUSLIK198315-17:Layout 1 24/3/14 08:04 Page 1PORT TO SHELF16 Food & Drink Internationalwww.fdiforum.netprotected status, which helps guarantee thequality and reputation of this iconicproduct.“The Scottish larder boasts some of thebest produce in the world and this awardfurther cements our global reputation forexcellence. PGI status is recognisedthroughout Europe and beyond, indicatingtrue provenance for a number of our bestknown foodstuffs.“It is extremely important for the publicto know where their food comes from. Thisscheme gives customers from both Scotlandand further afield a guarantee that whatthey are buying is the genuine, high qualitycheddar from Orkney.” In other news that supports the idea ofScotland being leaps and bounds ahead ofthe curve in all respects, Boë Superior Gin,a spirit developed by Stirling-based VCBrands, has recently been awarded Silver inthe Contemporary Gin category at the2014 World Gin Awards. Distilled in small batches, usingthe Carterhead still system ensuresthe botanical vapours go through theliquid instead of being boiled,capturing more flavour. Graham Coull, director of VC2Brands, the company behind BoëGin, says, “To see Boë Superior Ginreceive this accolade is a great dayfor our business and proves what wehave always known - that Boë is aworld class product capable ofholding its own in the global drinksmarket. “We were awarded the World’sBest Flavoured Beer in 2012 for ourDouble Espresso beer which createdhuge demand and got us nationallistings with a number ofsupermarkets. We hope this awarddelivers similar results for Boë.”Funding food and drinkMore of Scotland’s array of foodand drink products will also beexported around the globe as a result offunding announced recently.To fully exploit opportunities in theUK and international export marketsfunding of £1.6 million is to be madeavailable to support food and drinksupply chains and build strongerfoundations for further globalgrowth. Linda McPherson, SeniorPortfolio Director for Food &Drink, Tourism and Textiles atScottish Enterprise, says, “Demandfor Scottish produce continues togrow across UK and internationalmarkets. Our companies now tradetea to China, sausages to Germanyand our salmon continues to grow inpopularity amongst the sushi lovingpopulation of Japan.“That success is testament toScotland’s talented and passionateproducers and to the strength of theScotland Food & Drink partnershipwhich has brought together ScottishEnterprise and its international armScottish Development International,Government and agencies with industryagainst a collective ambition to driveSuccess in unique productslike gin production is feedingScotland’s success abroad“It’s superbnews that OrkneyScottish Island Cheddarnow holds this protectedstatus, which helps guaranteethe quality and reputation ofthis iconic product.”Cabinet Secretary for Rural AffairsRichard Lochhead15-17:Layout 1 24/3/14 08:04 Page 2PORT TO SHELFs Chilled & frozen storages National next-day delivery anywhere in the UKs Factory clearance, order picking and despatchs Export groupage service to over 16 countries via the Nagel-Group networks ISO 9001 accredited Quality Management SystemInvesting in ScotlandNagel-Langdons are delighted to announce the planned opening of a purpose built, temperature controlled distribution platform due to be completed in early 2014. Ideally located at Eurocentral between Glasgow and Edinburgh and close to the main motorway network, the ten acre site will provide an ideal platform to support the continued growth of the food and drink sector in Scotland.Contact us for more information Telephone 0141 440 5230 Email sales@langdons.co.uk www.nagel-langdons.co.ukLocal landmark - ‘Big Heids’ at Eurocentral, A8Food & Drink International 17www.fdiforum.netgrowth. Since the launch of the industrystrategy in 2007, total overseas exports haveincreased 52% reaching £5.3 billion in 2012and total turnover stands at over £13 billion.“This transformational project harnessesthat collaboration and drive to support thefood and drink supply chain to fully exploitthe opportunities at home and abroad,ensuring our farmers and fishermen are ableto realise their potential and move into newexport markets whilst supporting existingbusiness.”Seemingly plans with deep roots are payingoff, but what one comes away with looking atthe Scottish food and drink import and exportplan is innovation and pride and belief inproducts. Such an attitude is obviously havinga great effect combined with such improvedimport and export supply chains.PHOTO: SHUTTERSTOCK.COM/JOHNBRAIDTruly unique products like cheese fromOrkney being granted PGI status meansScotland can shout about what makes itspecial15-17:Layout 1 24/3/14 08:04 Page 318 Food & Drink Internationalwww.fdiforum.netHANDLING & STORAGEThe food and drink industry iscontinually looking to trim the fat fromthe supply chain. While safety andsecurity cannot be compromised, theindustry has been hugely effective inlocating where efficiencies can be made,so, for instance, lorries are now rarelytravelling long distances while half empty.The challenge now is to ensure theentire process is as efficient as possible,from production to packaging, andbeyond. Many companies are realisingthat making an investment in newfacilities and practices may require short-term expense but has huge potential inthe long term to save cash and energy.One example of this comes at CampsieFells, part of the Highland Spring Group,at their Lennoxtown facility, where a halfmillion pound investment has enabled thecompany to significantly upgrade the endof line pallet conveyors and lorry loadingcapability at the plant. It used to be thatlorries had to be loaded by forklift trucksoutside of the main warehouse in thelorry loading area, which wasinconvenient and cumbersome for allinvolved.The project for the complete systemwas handled by Aetna UK, working withRussell Distribution, who handle thedistribution of the Campsie Fells productsto Britain’s leading retailers. Prior to thechanges, all pallets were loaded ontocurtain sided trucks and then taken to adistribution site where they wereunloaded and then reloaded intocontainers, incurring double handlingcharges.Now a loading bay has been built withthree dock levellers, allowing directloading of pallets in the dry, straight intocontainers. This was followed by theinstallation of the Aetna pallet conveyingsystem, to link the outfeeds of the threebottling lines, taking palletised loadsstraight to the loading bay. This involveda number of modifications to the existingend of lines, coupled with the relocationof a high speed Robopac Genesis palletwrapper, Aetna pallet conveyors, palletturntables and a hydraulic lift systemwhich elevates the pallets to the correctheight in the loading bay.The system was designed for a peakseason output of 75 pallets per hour, andas David Walkinshaw, National SalesManager Systems at Aetna UK, says,“The finished result has made such atremendous difference to the wholeenvironment at the factory. The savingson what was essentially double handlingwill be recouped in under two years.”Handling and storage operations are improving standards tosave money, time and livesThomas Hardy Brewing andPackaging have upgraded their endof line solution to offer both currentand future customers newsecondary packaging options withimproved hardware from Aetna UKIn safe hands18-21:Layout 1 24/3/14 08:06 Page 1Food & Drink International 19www.fdiforum.netHANDLING & STORAGEONLINE: teknomek.co.ukview the full range 24/7CALL: 01603 788833speak to the expertsWe design. We manufacture. We excel.ACCEPT NO COMPROMISE ON QUALITYThis is an example of how the supplychain is moving efficiently thanks tocommitment at every step. Atlet, forexample, were selected as the MHEsupplier for logistics specialists Bidvestthanks to their ability to provide a morebespoke service with improved servicetimes and lower rates.One of the areas that Atlet has beenable to improve significantly is truckdamage, an inevitable but costly aspect ofmaterials handling operations. Onedistribution centre had been experiencinghigher than acceptable levels of damage soAtlet advised Bidvest to invest in theDavis Derby Truck LOGDriver AccessControl module. As well as storingvaluable management information, thesystem forces drivers to log-on by enteringa PIN or Smart Card into the on-boarddevice, raising driver accountability anddriving standards, thereby reducing cost ofrepairs and downtime.The need to avoid downtime is alsoapparent in the various solutions that arenow available for end of line packagingand palletising. For example,Goplasticpallets.com’s CABKA-IPS BPPi9has been manufactured with gas-assist lowpressure injection technology specificallyfor the beverage sector. The BPP i9’s anti-slip strips and grommets have beendevised to provide firm and safe handlingof beverage containers and, because of itsintegrated reinforcement profiles and theanti-slip strips on the top deck, is alsoproves particularly useful for handlingheavy loads. Extra wide openings betweenblocks protects the pallets from damage.You can also see this in process at thecontract filling company assisted byAdpak Machinery Systems. Thepalletisation equipment they were usingwas causing a bottleneck, so they investedin two high level palletisers and a highspeed rotary arm pallet wrapper. Due thevariety of glass, carton and tray variablesthe customer used, the flexibility of thesystem together with the ease of addingfurther programmes led to the redesign ofthe method of inputting new palletpatterns.The customer wanted to make theprocess as simple as possible, and this wasachieved by using the auto pallet systemthat had previously only been used onrobotic pallet programming. This systemallows the operator to input the carton ortray size together with the pallet size, theprogramme then automatically offeringyou the best options on pallet layouts.OYSTAR are another company who areoffering solutions in end of linepackaging. At the forthcoming interpackevent, they will be showcasing a newmodular palletiser – a loader for the lowerand midlevel output range. The standardversion of the machine loads and unloadsthe pallets manually, but an automatedsolution is available. With a servo-driven20 An economical and fully mobile Blu-Robot palletisingsystem from Pacepacker has provided BelmontFarms with a plug and play robotic solution tohandle up to 1000 tonnes of potatoes per year18-21:Layout 1 24/3/14 08:06 Page 2Next >