Thermoformer aims to meet food industry demands

25 March 2019

GEA has launched new thermoforming technology in the UK that is said to meet the demands of food companies for faster access to market, while significantly reducing the impact of film waste in the packaging process.

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The design of the PowerPak PLUS thermoformer is based on customer feedback, and aims to help shorten set-up and changeover times, while reducing film waste by up to 75%. PowerPak PLUS, which made a big impact when unveiled at a recent customer event at GEA’s facility in Germany, can also be operated in tandem with Oxycheck, GEA’s non-invasive in-line quality control system for Modified Atmosphere Packaging (MAP). Oxycheck is a measurement system that minimises the risk of product recalls, enhances food safety and limits food waste, whilst saving customers money.

This next generation thermoforming packaging machine can handle different printed films and a variety of packing weights and product sizes, making the equipment suitable for a huge range of foods, from meat and poultry to bakery products.

GEA’s investment in the new design involved optimising PowerPak PLUS’s systems for both the top and bottom films which are now motor-driven and synchronised with the machine’s advancing cycle. Speeding up the process, combined with the machine’s web tension, facilitates a secure film path preventing curling, while mis-alignment or curvature can be automatically adjusted. To accommodate the new film set-up, the sealing station structure has also been fundamentally redesigned for easy access and is now protected by vertically adjustable and transparent safety doors which can be lowered quickly when required, eliminating the need for loose, protective hoods.