ULMA Packaging at Anuga Foodtec - Automation and productivity

ULMA Packaging has been focusing their latest product development on automation and productivity. Anuga Foodtec at Köln has presented the opportunity to discover ULMA’s progress. The fresh food industry holds high standards demanding maximum reliability and hygiene. ULMA is aware that the success of their clients depends on the quality of their products, and therefore on the packaging. Thanks to more than 50 years of experience developing packaging equipment for this sector, ULMA can ensure top quality, individual solutions for their clients’ product packaging requirements. ULMA has introduced for the first time their latest high production traysealer. The new double line TSA 1200 (please, see Picture) traysealer has a sealing area of 1200x500 mm which allows the sealing of many more trays per cycle than other traysealers. In the field of vertical wrappers, the new Tight-Bag system has been shown with the VTC 840 which is also a wash down machine with a hygienic design. The Tight-Bag has been specially developed on ULMA's vertical wrappers in order to preserve the quality of the product by optimizing the required volume of the bags. At the volume optimization level, which can be adjusted by the control panel, it has the same advantages as the traditional systems that perforate the bags but in this case, since there are no perforations there is no risk of contaminating the product. A TFS 607 thermoforming machine was demonstrated with a skin packaging solution. The application is specifically targeted at high-value fresh food products, resulting in optimum appearance and maximum shelf life. Another interesting installation was shown with the FV 35 machine for the FLOW-VAC® system. Using patent-pending technology, ULMA has developed a simple but brilliant solution to automate the feeding of a belt vacuum chamber on both sealing bars. Packages are sealed only on one end and prepared for transfer to the buffering belt of the vacuum chamber with the open end facing both seal bars on the vacuum chamber. A 90° transfer system pairs the packages to the buffering belt of the vacuum chamber so that both seal bars can be utilized. If the products are not small enough to be paired, an auto-detect system will load the product as a single item. This automated system increases productivity and reduces labor costs. This packaging system is ideal for the meat and cheese industry. Finally, an automatic side-loading case packer was also exhibited at ULMA’s stand. This installation has been designed in the concept of a compact cell where products are gently loaded into a carton box. The picture shows the new TSA 1200 traysealer