Food Processing & Packaging

Notable at PACK EXPO International was a new application (1) of Claranor’s pulsed-light decontamination, a technique used to decontaminate surfaces by killing microorganisms using short pulses of light in an intense broad spectrum that’s rich in UV-C light. This Claranor technology, in use since about 2005, brings Extended Shelf Life (ESL) to food, beverage, pharma, and cosmetics packaging.

The application debuting at PACK EXPO falls into the dairy category. Think polypropylene cups of yogurt, for example. These are usually sealed by way of a pick-and-place approach in which pre-cut lids are pulled from magazine feeds and heat-sealed to filled containers. Recently, however, a Danish firm called PrimoReels came up with a machine that replaces pre-cut lids in favor of roll-fed lids fed from perforated reels. Because as many as 40,000 lids come on a single roll, this approach greatly reduces the need for operators to refill magazines with fresh lids. PrimoReels also says the cost of the lidding can be reduced by 30%. That’s because the cut-and-stacked lids need to be in the 50- µm range to be su ciently machinable in the pick-and-place equipment, while the roll-fed lids can typically be in the 36- µm range and some metallized polyester lids can be as thin as 23 µm. PrimoReels, it’s worth noting, is also the converter and supplier of the perforated roll-fed lidding.

Until PACK EXPO, the PrimoReels machine relied on UV light for decontamination. But the system demonstrated at PACK EXPO was the first to use Claranor’s pulsed light instead, which yields a more thorough decontamination. “This is especially true on microorganisms like molds, which are a constant quality challenge where yogurt products are concerned,” says Christophe Riedel, Claranor CEO.

On the system demonstrated at PACK EXPO, cups were being lidded eight across. The Claranor pulsed-light unit was positioned at floor level on the side near the roll-fed lid unwind cabinet. This arrangement occupies minimal space. In fact, just one Claranor pulsed light unit performs the decontamination task. The system brings eight lids into the unwind cabinet, the lids pause briefly so that the pulsed light can do its thing on the cup-contact side of the lids, and then those eight lids proceed into the part of the machine where two things happen:

First, specialized tooling— not a blade but more like a hammer—strikes the perforated reel in just the right way to cleanly separate each lid from the roll.

Second, vacuum cups pick all eight lids and rotate down 180 degrees to place them on the cups waiting below; a spot seal tacks the lids to the cup so the lids stay properly positioned until the cups reach the heat sealing station. Important to note here is the role played by a patented mechanism similar to a feed screw that causes the placement devices to separate left and right just the right distance so that each lid lands squarely on its designated cup.

Operating speeds are in the range of 45 cycles/ min when cups are being sealed 10 across. Riedel says that no commercial applications of the Claranor/PrimoReels solution are in place yet. But he believes it’s only a matter of time. “We saw a good fit between PrimoReels and our pulsed-light decontamination,” says Riedel. “For one thing, pulsed light does not involve heat the way some alternative decontamination methods like hydrogen peroxide do. That’s another reason why it’s possible to use a very thin plastic material for your lidding.”

Polypropylene, polyester, or metallized polyester can all be supplied by PrimoReels.

PrimoReels is now licensing suppliers in the U.S. to make it easier for brand owners to purchase rollfed lidding materials from multiple local sources. Also worth noting is that the new decontamination system can be retrofit onto existing fill/seal lines. a video of the Claranor/PrimoReel solution at pfwgo.to/7809.

More cup lling

The Versatech from Synerlink, a BW Packaging company, is a modular, ultra-flexible machine (2) that can fill cups from 40 to 150 mm at 12,000 cups/hr, with changeover from one format to another, including different shapes, materials, diameters, and heights, taking just 20 min from last to first container.

One key to the fl exibility of the system is its modular design, which allows functions to be added, switched, or removed easily and quickly— from half a day to two days, according to Fabien Jégo, design leader and product marketing leader at Synerlink. Each module is plug-and-play via a centralized cabling network. Through this network, each module automatically integrates with the rest of the system, both pneumatic and electric. The indexed position of the modules allows for simple placement and calibration, with a positioning accuracy of 0.1 mm.

Another feature that facilitates this flexibility is the machine’s ability to automatically load and unload slats, which Jégo says allows the customer to perform a slats change “in record time.” It also allows for fast and easy cleaning of the slats, with no tools required. Another advantage of the system’s fast return system is that fewer slats are required.

According to Jégo, the Versatech was engineered to address the top six issues currently facing users of cup filling machines. One is late- stage customization by brand owners. With the Versatech, “a project manager can place an order without having full specifications,” he explains. “The modular design allows fi nal packaging design integration and functions modifications until the last minute.”

The second is a need for packaging versatility, as it allows a brand to respond to rapidly changing markets without having to wait for long lead-time machine redesigns. Jégo says the potential—in terms of the range of cup sizes, shapes, and materials that the Versatech can handle—is infi nite. “We can process any cup within the mechanical range of the machine [40 to 150 mm diameter and 160 mm high], from standard stackable to non-stackable cups in plastic, cardboard, and glass,” he says. “Moreover, if a new generation of cup arrives on the market, the modularity of the Versatech will allow us to develop new functions and to implement them on the machines already in production.”

The cup filler has also been designed to adapt to a customer’s changing requirements, negating the need for packagers to purchase additional equipment as their business grows. Says Jégo, “We can imagine that a yogurt producer who starts his business might equip himself with a basic machine, and later on, when his market has evolved, he might add capacities to his machine, such as decontamination of the cups with pulsed light, a second dosing device for a fruit coulis at the bottom of the cup, or a snap-on lid.”

And, on the subject of fl exibility, the fourth issue the Versatech addresses is the ability to handle mixed batches, especially for customers such as co-packers who are running smaller-volume jobs. “It has never been so easy to fulfill mixed orders for a production manager,” says Jégo, who cites the machine’s 20-minute changeover capability.

The cup filler also tackles issues around labor, such as ease of use and ergonomics. “It is very important for a site manager to limit the turnover of his operators and to keep the experienced people,” says Jégo. “Our machine is designed to be extremely convenient to operate. The loading of consumables, such as cups, lids, and toppers, is done at chest height.” In addition, loading can be done while the machine is running. High visibility throughout the entire production process ensures the correct functioning of the machine and adjustments to the slats’ changeovers, transparency, weight, and size, reducing the risk of operator error.

Synerlink particularly recommends the Versatech for applications that include dairy products, desserts, baby food, and fruits and vegetables.

Meat packaging

An innovative semi-automatic stretch/seal application for food trays (3) made its debut at PACK EXPO International at the Point Five Packaging booth. “The idea is to address the problem of moisture buildup that you commonly see in film-wrapped trays of poultry or meat,” says Greg Levy, president of Point Five. “Too often this moisture leaks out of the pack and onto the consumer’s refrigerator shelf or kitchen counter, creating a most unwelcome mess. We’re using the same basic stretch film material, but we seal it to the tray flange rather than wrapping it fully around the tray and heat sealing it on the bottom.”

Fuji. “Another advantage would be related to shipping of the product. It currently takes three trucks to ship product packaged with foam trays for every one trailer truck of ground meat product without the tray.”

Removing the tray also eliminates the need for packagers to purchase, ship, store, and handle the trays. “Customers aren’t getting three or four truckloads a day of trays, so they’re able to reduce the footprint in their warehouse because they need less storage space,” Brenton remarks. “They can also reduce the amount of labor they have, which is a huge challenge for everyone right now. Just having someone move trays around the plant all day is kind of a waste when you don’t have to do it. You can then use those people somewhere else in the plant.” a PACK EXPO video of this technology in action at pfwgo.to/7810

Another benefit of the new process is that it eliminates a number of machines currently used in the tray-packing process. “End users can take out three machines from their current line because they no longer need a tray denester, a tray wrapper, and then an overwrapper to wrap three or four finished packs in a master pack,” Benton explains.

He adds that with the current tray-wrapped packs, the shelf life for the ground meat product is typically around 24 days, if the package stays within the master pack. Once it’s removed from the master pack for display at retail, the shelf life is just four to five days. Packages produced using the Formost Fuji system o er a 24-day shelf life with 18 to 20 in. of mercury on the seal test, Benton shares.

With this approach, the moisture has no opportunity to leak out. Plus, it yields a film cost savings because the film extends only to the tray perimeter rather than wrapping around the sides and down to the tray bottom.

Another PACK EXPO International exhibitor that was focused on meat packaging was Formost Fuji But in this case, it was ground meat being flowwrapped without the foam tray so commonly found in U.S. supermarkets. The FW3710B Box-motion, wet-duty stainless steel wrapper (4) can handle ground meat portions up to 40 lb in an 8-in-wide format at speeds up to 120/min plus.

The most notable advantage of the new packaging system is the elimination of the non-recyclable polystyrene foam tray traditionally used for this type of product. “That’s the obvious benefit,” says Lee Benton, South Central sales manager for Formost

The system uses a polyethylene film with an anti-fog coating that can be preprinted with branding information. Benton says that Formost Fuji is currently working with a major ground meat producer in Nebraska to test-market the packs in a regional grocery retailer.

Robotic pick and place

Demonstrated at the Orics booth in the South Hall was the D-Series delta-style robotic pick-and-place tray loading system (5) for pieces of protein products like chicken or steak.

Randomly spaced items to be picked are conveyed beside an automated tray denester that relies on servo motors to adjust width and length when a new tray size needs to be introduced. A Cognex vision system captures the location and orientation of each item on the conveyor belt and shares that