High performance packaging solutions from Ilapak

04 September 2012

One of the highlights of Ilapak’s display at PPMA 2012 is its open-frame, vertical, form, fill and seal (VFFS) machine, the Vegatronic 2000 OF

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The bagging machine offers exceptional performance and speeds, while using ultrasonic sealing technology and a ground-breaking open-frame design to ensure easy accessibility for fast servicing and maintenance. Also on display are Ilapak’s Carrera 2000/40 high speed flowrapper which is being shown wrapping scones, and the Smart flowrapper, designed for first time users of automatic packaging machines.

The Vegatronic 2000 OF is ideal for prepared produce, salads, frozen foods and grated and shredded cheese. Its open frame design provides important operational and hygiene benefits – it is easily accessible, allowing fast access for servicing and maintenance, reducing downtime and so increasing efficiency and productivity.

Its design minimises the number of moving parts and optimises their operation, significantly reducing maintenance costs. And with no holes on the external side and rounded profiles, there are minimal cavities for bacteria to accumulate, so machine cleaning is fast and simple, making it easier to comply with the food industry’s ever stricter hygiene regulations.

The Vegatronic 2000 OF’s ultrasonic sealing solution delivers dramatically improved seal integrity and efficiencies. This ground-breaking technology minimises the amount of product damage in the seal area (which can discolour and contaminate the pack) and reduces leaker rates to a new low in industries such as salad, cheese and others.

It also offers exceptional performance, incorporating features such as an advanced control platform, advanced graphics, wide screen HMI and use of servo motors to improve speed and accuracy as well as increase efficiency and productivity.

Also on show is Ilapak’s high performance, fully automated alignment and flowrapping system with integrated quality control features. Based on Ilapak’s Carrera 2000/40 high speed flowrapper, the system has four highly engineered sections to maximise efficiency, allowing it to achieve exceptionally high speeds. The Carrera range of machines can run at speeds of over 1000 packs per minute, but this Carrera line has been set up to wrap scones at speeds of up to 400 packs per minute. Extremely versatile, it is capable of packing products ranging from bakery items to chocolate and confectionery.

Firstly, items are taken off the production line and fed into a chicaning system which aligns them into a single stream of narrow edge leading products to maximise the efficiency of the line. Secondly, products are fed into a quality control system which uses a series of side driven and base driven belts to further align products. Laser technology ensures a high level of quality control, measuring the height, width and length of products to ensure they conform to the product specification. If not, the product is removed from the line automatically while the line keeps running, with no interruption.

Next, Ilapak’s INDY automated feeding system takes products, buffering them and aligning them into a single stream into the Carrera infeed. It uses six belts to close gaps where necessary, modulating speed and ensuring a constant stream of products into the Carrera flowrapper.

Finally, the Carrera 2000/40 uses a solid state industrial pc and separate full colour touch screen and is very easy to use. Recently redesigned, it features an upgraded jaw sealing system for better seal quality as well as offering improved hygiene levels thanks to its cantilevered design which, in the latest model, has been further enhanced. The flowrapper also offers auto splicing, so when a roll of film runs out, the next roll is automatically pulled through for immediate use, keeping the production line operating smoothly. A final but extremely important feature of the line is that it uses all commercially available electronic parts (not black box technology) from UK suppliers so that spare and replacement parts are easy to obtain.

Visitors can also see Ilapak’s Smart flowrapper at the entrance to the exhibition. Versatile and easy to use, Smart is designed for first-time users of automatic packaging machines and is capable of high speeds of up to 100 packs per minute. It is suitable for food and non-food products, from bakery products, fresh produce and confectionery to toiletries and medical equipment.

PC controlled, Smart has a colour touch screen operator interface so is exceptionally easy to operate. It has no-product-no-bag, misplaced product detection and automatic size change facilities as standard.

Smart is around 30% cheaper than flowrappers of a similar specification, thanks to Ilapak’s commitment to achieving economies of scale and production efficiencies through its global manufacturing platform.