< Previous20 Food & Drink International www.fdiforum.net END OF LINE PACKAGING might say. There has to be a view on everything that comes after the point, and what tangible benefit the packaging offers. Take, for example, the transportation process itself. It is still more common than not for food products to be transported by road by lorry. In these cases the biggest investment often comes from fuel, with the item that a company is buying essentially being the UK aftersales spares and service support provided. www.robopac.co.uk Robopac, Unit 7 – 8 Highfield Parc, Highfield Road, Oakley, Bedfordshire, MK43 7TA Tel: 01234 825050 Fax: 01234 827070 Email: sales Turntable Wrapping Machines Rotating Arm Wrapping Machines Case Sealers & Erectors Self-Propelled Robot Wrapping Machines Horizontal Wrapping Machines See us at Stand J60 empty space in the back of the vehicle. The problem comes from the fact that in many cases, all of this space cannot be utilised. The weight of products will push down on those stacked beneath them, often damaging products beyond what can be sold in a retailer. Obviously, this is unacceptable, and thus it is not uncommon for space to go unused in the back of a vehicle. This is empty space that has been paid for. Strong and rigid end of line packaging can help prevent this, strengthening and protecting the product so that more of it can be stacked without damage. This can be a delicate task, least of all because stronger material will undoubtedly be more expensive. There is a necessity to judge and test on how much is saved by filling lorries further than they were before, and whether this takes a significant number of vehicles off the road. In many cases this will depend on the product itself and how fragile it is. Products more prone to breakage will benefit more from the stronger packaging. This is particularly prevalent in the food and drink industry due to how fragile many foodstuffs are, from biscuits to crisps, ready-meals to cakes. Stronger end of line packaging can protect them during transit, while also diffusing the weight of additional boxes down supporting frames. If twice as much content can be placed into a single vehicle, then in theory it should allow for a fifty per cent saving on transport costs (or at least fuel). This balancing act must be taken further, however, and it’s always important to keep the end user in mind. While saving money on fuel - and thus environmentally as well - might sound nice, the enthusiasm will rarely reach the workers in the warehouses of supermarkets, who will not appreciate packaging that is difficult to get into. Rigid and unyielding end of line packaging that might have been good for protecting the product from strain, will not always be the easiest to break apart for the shelves. Unless it is specifically designed to be so, that is. Product display packaging and trays have helped to minimise this problem, with many 19-26.qxp_Layout 1 30/03/2021 09:38 Page 2Food & Drink International 21 www.fdiforum.net END OF LINE PACKAGING forms of transport packaging actually transforming into display packs with relative ease. To use the examples of biscuits again, looking back fifteen years it’s possible to remember that many biscuits were hand stacked on shelves. Nowadays it is different, with most transit packaging including 22 Á © Shutterstock /Robert Kneschke perforated lines where the top part can be torn off or pulled back, revealing the products inside a branded container. This is then placed onto the shelf itself, allowing consumers to reach in and take the product at will. This kind of innovation is commonplace now but was revolutionary at the time - not only saving the manufacturer time and money, but also the retailer. It also allowed manufacturers to have more control over their branding and advertising, as they could have free rein 19-26.qxp_Layout 1 30/03/2021 09:38 Page 3Durham Box’s e-commerce packaging solution helps fishing company diversify In collaboration with solid fibreboard specialist, Northumberland-based CRT Packaging, leading corrugated packaging manufacturer, Durham Box, is supplying the Ethical Shellfish Company with e- commerce packaging to support the fishing company’s online fresh seafood delivery service. Since the start of the pandemic, the restaurant industry has been hit particularly hard by the effects of lockdown. Like many others SMEs, this has meant that the Ethical Shellfish Company has needed to diversify. The company set out to expand its reach by establishing an online facility, meaning that in addition to top chefs, the UK public could also benefit from the fresh produce and have it delivered direct into their homes. To complement this new service, Durham Box was asked by CRT Packaging to design and supply an e-commerce packaging solution that would provide the Ethical Shellfish Company’s new customers with an excellent first impression. To find out more about, visit www.durhambox.co.uk. 22 Food & Drink International www.fdiforum.net END OF LINE PACKAGING © Shutterstock /MOLPIX on designing the displays. What manufacturers are more focused on today, however, is automation. Can the packaging systems be efficiently integrated into a line in such a way as to boost the efficiency of the process? Too often does it seem that the manufacturing line and the supply chain are separated by a wrought iron fence, with many accidents happening in transit between the two. The increased automation of this process can also cause problems in its own right. Most notably, in a high-speed packaging and labelling operation at a bottling plant, un- or mislabelled packs have to be detected by the human eye or by additional scanners, removed, returned and relabelled. In a competitive high-volume market, where product cost is low and margins are squeezed, this handling adds to costs. 24 Á 19-26.qxp_Layout 1 30/03/2021 09:38 Page 4Food & Drink International 23 www.fdiforum.net info@macpac.co.uk Tel: 0161 442 1642 www.macpac.co.uk THERMOFORMED PACKAGING SPECIALISTS We design, produce tooling and manufacture packaging all under one roof, at our AA grade BRC accredited factory. We use responsible manufacturing processes and raw materials with up to 100% recycled content as well as being 100% recyclable. UP TO 100% RECYCLED 100% RECYCLABLE Innovative, Economical & Responsible. UK MANUFACTURER Space saving - No tape or glue requ uired 19-26.qxp_Layout 1 30/03/2021 09:38 Page 524 Food & Drink International www.fdiforum.net END OF LINE PACKAGING Stacking for packing Western Handling Material (WMH) has recently completed the installation of a stacking unit to help in the packing operation of a large desserts manufacturer. The stacker is placed on the end of the manufacturing line after the retail packaging has been sealed and presents the products to the packing operatives in stacks suitable for loading directly into the outer transit packing cartons. The stacker significantly increases the packing speed of a single operative. The stacking unit is manually adjustable to be able to stack a range of product sizes and the stack height can be selected from a pre-set menu. The stacker used in this project is suitable for rigid packaged products at relatively low rate production lines up to 40 pieces per minute. For higher throughput and less rigid products WMH has a range of bespoke stacking solutions to draw on. For more information, visit: www.wmh-uk-ltd.com/ products/product-stacking. This is especially the case when the line has to deal with many different products with a range of sizes and shapes - all of which remains the manufacturer’s duty. This places some burden on scanning and detection equipment, which must be more robust than ever. Of course, one company’s problem is another’s opportunity, so those who are able to adapt and manage such difficult conditions will be in a position of competitive strength over their rivals. What one company classes as an end of line packaging system will also differ greatly from another’s, creating a © Shutterstock /Mark Agnor 26 Á Improving pack house efficiencies and outputs with Packaging Automation Packaging Automation Ltd are UK manufacturers of tray sealing, pot filling and factory efficient weighing systems suitable for many differing sectors: soft fruit, meat & poultry, fish & seafood, bakery & confectionary, dairy & desserts, salads & produce, cosmetics, medical, housewares, pet foods and ready meals. Whether you are looking to achieve business growth, improve pack house efficiencies or improve outputs, the range of machines is designed to suit a wide range of production speeds and levels of automation from low volume manually operated, to fully automatic high speed with mid-range models in between. The Revolution 2.0 machine is designed to be capable of achieving up to 25 cycles per minute sealing 8 trays at a time. With its new ergonomic design and innovative features, the Revolution 2.0 takes energy saving and manufacturing efficiency to the next level. To explore the full range, visit www.pal.co.uk/sales. 19-26.qxp_Layout 1 30/03/2021 09:38 Page 6Food & Drink International 25 www.fdiforum.net END OF LINE PACKAGING Endoline increases efficiency for Bird Bros by automating egg packing plant Endoline Automation is assisting egg producer, Bird Bros, with automating its end-of-line packing operation of four million eggs a week. Pushing the environmental benchmark, Bird Bros operate a low carbon Packing Centre. Since Endoline integrated four, 251 slimline case erectors into the egg packer’s Bedfordshire factory, the company has already reported efficiency gains of up to 10%. In a bid to automate the egg packing process, eliminate waste and increase overall efficiency, Bird Bros installed two new MOBA MR-12 dual robot loading cells last year. The twin capabilities of the robotic systems allows for the independent processing of two individual packing lines and Endoline, who work closely with MOBA as a preferred supplier of case erectors, was called upon to install machinery which would manage the flow of formed boxes into the MOBA systems. Endoline integrated four of its slimline, 251 case erectors into the packing lines, to work in tandem with the MOBA loading cells. To find out more, visit www.endoline-automation.com. Quality bag sealing & heat sealing machines from RM Sealers RM Sealers, UK’s leading bag sealing machine and heat sealing machine manufacturer, began its business life in 1969 under the name of RM Tool Company. Having built a formidable reputation as high quality mechanical and design engineers, they were approached by Doboy in the early 1980’s to exclusively design and manufacture their BD range of Rotary Band Sealers for them. The Doboy bag sealing machines were subsequently rebranded under SIG and Bosch, and now are exclusively supplied through RM Sealers. The company is still able to offer a spare parts and maintenance service for all the machines which are still in use today under and branded under either the Doboy, SIG, Bosch, OK International or RM Sealers name, a testament to the longevity of our bag sealing machines. RM Sealers has more recently increased its market share by venturing into International and European countries such as Ireland, Iceland, Holland, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, America and South Africa. As well as offering off the shelf equipment, the company can also provide bespoke solutions. This includes: * Extra Height Clearance Kit. Bags requiring a seal between 50 and 100mm from the top edge. * Driven Infeed. Mainly used in conjunction with our vertical machines. Assists the operator to accurately and speedily feed bags through the machine. * Emboss Coder. Fitted at the outfeed end of the machine where text and/or numbers are continuously embossed into the seal. * Bag Top Trimmer. If good presentation is important this will trim any excess from the top of the bag, parallel to the seal. * Digital speed option available. To find out more, visit www.rmsealers.co.uk. Shrink and stretch packaging for B2B food supplier Yorkshire Packaging Systems (YPS) has installed new shrink and stretch wrapping equipment at Food Store International, Sutton Coldfield. Food Store International is the go-to supplier of many grocery retailers, sourcing, fulfilling and delivering a wide array of food and non-food products and services to them competitively, efficiently and reliably. Its products are found in major supermarkets, high street stores, wholesalers and distributors both in the UK and overseas, including Costa Coffee, Hilton Hotels, Carrefour and IKEA. Food Store International contacted YPS aiming to upgrade its existing wrapping equipment to increase capacity and speed. The semi-automatic inline sleeve sealer it owned was too slow to cope with demand for its most popular products. Following a site visit, YPS recommended a fully automatic sleeve sealer, which achieves wrapping speeds of 15 packs per minute with the flexibility to wrap singles and multipacks. YPS also identified that a stretch wrapping machine would improve efficiency in the despatch department by automating the pallet wrapping process. The portable S6 robot wrapper was an ideal solution to tackle the entire product range, delivering self-propelled wrapping power for pallets of any size and shape, coupled with a compact footprint and a FDS mechanical brake suitable for pre-stretched film. The shrink wrapping machine was delivered and installed only three days after it was ordered and comprehensive training was delivered simultaneously. The pallet wrapping robot followed shortly later, in spite of expected delays related to COVID. A two visit service contract was included without charge to ensure ongoing preventative maintenance for both wrapping operations. Since the upgrade, Food Store International have also invested in a YPS motorised infeed conveyor to further automate their shrink wrapping line and are seeing great returns on speed and efficiency targets. Larne Patrick, Sales Manager at YPS, said: “Food Store International supply some of the largest grocery retailers in the world, so it’s important that their in-house packaging facilities measure up. It was a pleasure to help them achieve their goals.” To find out more, visit www.yps.co.uk. 19-26.qxp_Layout 1 30/03/2021 09:38 Page 726 Food & Drink International www.fdiforum.net END OF LINE PACKAGING situation in which one size certainly does not fit all. Some companies have chosen to specialise in entry-level systems, which have lower levels of investment but tend to be somewhat more labour intensive. These can be more suitable for individual lines, however, particularly for handmade or low-quantity production lines. On the other hand, large-scale industrial packaging lines can be used to fully automate a process, albeit at a higher level of investment. The challenge comes in finding out what individual assets can be seamlessly integrated into a line without any real fuss, and thankfully this is something that many packaging machine manufacturers are focused on. Reflex launch Pack Plus – a more sustainable packaging solution UK-based packaging company Reflex Group has launched a lined board division to provide a more environmentally-friendly alternative to plastic packaging. Grouped under the newly- formed Pack Plus division, the lined board products are suitable for a wide variety of sectors including, MFP (Meat, Fish & Poultry), food-to-go, fresh produce, bakery and horticulture. Product variants include skillets, trays, fruit punnets, flat boards, slide seam sleeves, cartons, crash-lock cartons and wrap boxes. The sustainable lined board options use FSC & PEFC accredited carton board, and more importantly its proprietary zero migration water-based inks and adhesives which are the hallmarks of this truly revolutionary technological advancement in recyclable packaging. As members of OPRL, Reflex are able to align packaging specifications to meet the requirements for recycling, which in turn helps to deliver the circular economy. The launch follows Reflex’s biggest ever single investment into two new state-of-the-art bespoke lined-board printing presses totalling over £5 million. To find out more, visit www.reflexlabels.co.uk/service/lined-board-reflex-pack-plus. © Shutterstock /Pavel L Photo and V ideo Tray sealing, pot filling & factory efficient intelligent weighing systems www.pal.co.uk +44 (0) 1565 755000 19-26.qxp_Layout 1 30/03/2021 09:38 Page 8www.fdiforum.net Plan your campaign with Food & Drink International… ...your competitors are! As marketing is the vital ingredient for the success and growth of any business, we can offer advice and packages to suit all budgets. Speak to one of our experienced account executives. CAN YOU AFFORD NOT TO? • Print • Online • E-Newsletters • Regular News • Topical Features The perfect medium to give your brand the best chance of being seen! Contact us below for our 2021 editorial schedule Call today on +44 [0] 1472 310310 or email: v.hunt@blmgroup.co.uk INTERNATIONAL Food&Drink Food &Drink I N T E R N Food Food &&& Food Food & N A T I O N &&Drin Drin Drin &&Drin A L nk nk nkk ahe The d y safety and a News Healltth, saf hygiene Pumps and nd fluids I N T E R N Food Food &&& Food Food & N A T I O N &&Drink Drink Drin &&Drink A L nk nk nkk inno Foc ovati io i News Packaging spotlight oading ba L ayy doors s ysand I N T E R N Food Food &&& Food Food & N A T I O N &&Drin Drin Drin &&Drin A L nknknkk News ng and challeng Meeting Flavouring colouring ges colouring c er Softw waaree sp spotlight I N T E R N FoodFood &&& FoodFood & N A T I O N &&Drink DrinkDrin &&Drink A L nk nk nkk Beverages ellff The futu in foc The futu On the shel ture s in focus i s End off line packkaaging MINIMUM COST…MAXIMUM IMPACT! www.fdiforum.net 27.qxp_Layout 1 30/03/2021 09:39 Page 128 Food & Drink International www.fdiforum.net GEARS AND DRIVES © Shutterstock /Roman Zaiets Gearing up for efficient operations For use in the food and drink industry, gears and drives must meet a plethora of requirements while serving their vital role in keeping production moving efficiently. Gearing up for efficient operations 28-30.qxp_Layout 1 30/03/2021 09:41 Page 1Food & Drink International 29 www.fdiforum.net GEARS AND DRIVES Subject to stringent regulations and increasing demand, the food and drink industry holds strict requirements of gears and drives throughout the supply chain where processes must function perfectly to guarantee quality and keep costs down. In agriculture, for example, gearboxes - whether used with conveyors, peelers, vegetable washing, et al. - need to be powerful, robust, and reliable in order to handle a harsh environment, all weather outdoor locations, and frequent wash downs. Moreover with tight schedules, down time must be avoided at all costs, with constant operation essential during harvest times. Simultaneously, power transmission drives must be reliable and fit for the environment and purpose, but also readily available if an issue arises. In food processing there are further firm requirements, with hygiene vital, particularly where direct contact may be made with foodstuffs. Food and drink processors cannot tolerate a failure here, where when products are not safe and sanitary, consumers suffer, followed by company reputation. Regular cleaning is key in food production too, often utilising harsh chemicals and high-pressure methods. This has resulted in a variety of easy to clean, smooth, long-life stainless-steel and anti-bacterial hygienic gears and stainless-steel drives that can withstand these environments as well as sectors involving high humidity levels like breweries, meat processing and dairy plants, all while meeting a range of guidelines and health and safety requirements. Alternative methods, meanwhile, are being used to bypass more costly stainless-steel gears and drives which have been hailed as the optimal solution for the food and drink industry for years. This can be seen in aluminium drives with a sealed surface conversion, which involves a chemically bonded outer layer that doesn’t chip, flake and is resistant to the corrosive cleaning methods used in the food industry. Other actions taken in optimising the design of gear units, depending on position and use case, are use of EPDM sealing rings to prevent the penetration of germs in gaps between housing parts, the standard avoidance of corners and undercuts to avoid dirt deposits, as well as use of laser engraving instead of glued labels. Furthermore, units with an IP69K rating are available to the food industry, highlighting protection against ingress of dust and high temperature and high-pressure wash downs - which are essential in conditions where equipment has to be sanitised carefully - and a resistance to corrosion. Choices in gears and drives, and their continued development, are also being impacted by the now common push for greater efficiency, which in turn helps to reduce costs arising during production processes, and the established need to tackle industrial energy waste. With the right combination of gears, drives, and motors one can increase the energy efficiency and extend the life of operations. Sophisticated drives are being utilised to transform processes once reliant on tech such as alternating current motors that could run at just one speed, fed by simple drives allowing for limited variation in current. Now, however, soft start and variable frequency drives are being integrated by businesses 30 Á 28-30.qxp_Layout 1 30/03/2021 09:41 Page 2Next >