Packaging
New traysealer generation sets standards for efficiency, sustainability and hygiene
Friday 06. March 2009 - High performance, reduced energy consumption, easy cleaning
The T 700 from Multivac is the first of a new generation of traysealers to be launched by the company. As well as setting new standards in terms of performance and quality, its sanitary design simplifies the cleaning of machines immensely, boosting productivity for food packers.
The new traysealer range combines high performance – with outputs of up to 60 packs per minute with a 4-up die and standard trays – with outstanding quality and safety standards.
Maximum productivity and safety
The use of state-of-the-art control technology means that both maximum productivity and maximum safety can be achieved in the packaging process. Traversing movements can be adapted exactly to the tray and product and stored in the recipe, ensuring that the products to be packaged are carefully protected while being transported in the trays. That makes the machines suitable for a wide variety of applications, even for very delicate contents such as liquids or very lightweight products. What’s more, the precision handling systems allow even awkwardly shaped trays to be processed without difficulty.
Another unique feature of the new series of machines is their sanitary design, which is based on strict hygiene requirements as defined in DIN EN 1672-2 and ISO 14159 and the related requirements of US standard NSF/ANSI/3-A 14159. Key requirements set by these standards include the ability to clean down to a microbiological level, easy access for inspection, maintenance and cleaning, the avoidance of dead spaces, and design measures to prevent the accumulation of liquids.
These requirements, which go far beyond the statutory regulations, have been rigorously implemented in the new generation of traysealers from Multivac. This required a largely new design, both on the outside and more particularly inside the machine, where particular attention had to be paid to components in the exposed spray zone in the design considerations. All components and parts are constructed on the basis of hygiene factors. Where possible, attachments are positioned with a clearance between them, while sloping surfaces allow liquids to run off. This facilitates easy and thorough cleaning.
The hygiene concept applies on the inside too
The hygiene concept has been implemented on the inside too: cables and hoses have been reduced to a minimum, and in places where they cannot be avoided they are routed through frames or separated by spacers. Dead spaces and recesses in which particles can be trapped have been consistently avoided – even for bearings, rollers and internal components. In addition, the machines are designed to be washed down, and removable panels and belts allow them to be cleaned thoroughly. The sanitary design standards achieved in this way have never before been achieved in the traysealer sector.
The user-friendly controls on the new traysealer generation make the machines easy and intuitive to operate. Control features include a swiveling TFT touch display, interfaces for the line connection and external communication, and full traceability of packaging processes through the ability to log machine parameters and to change them.
Equally importantly, the new generation of traysealers has also been designed with resource conservation and energy efficiency in mind. A precision film transport system ensures that maximum use is made of the top web, compressed air consumption is optimized by means of an innovative electric lifting unit, and the high efficiency of the motors reduces energy consumption.