Processing & Packaging Machinery & Equipment

Explained
Packaging can be defined as "the science, art and technology of enclosing or protecting products for distribution,
storage, sale, and use". Packaging also refers to "the process of design, evaluation, and production of packages".
Packaging can be regarded as different types. The single item such as a bottle containing soft drink can be regarded
as the item that a consumer would purchase known as "primary" packaging. Where as a pack of bottles, shrink
wrapped, would be regarded as the transport package used within the distribution chain is known as "secondary"
packaging.
Primary packaging is the material that first contains the product. This is usually the package which is in direct contact
with the contents. For example, this could be a bottle or carton for liquids; or a packet for various snack foods.
The secondary packaging is outside the primary packaging, perhaps used to group primary packages together. For
example, this could be a tray and shrink film. Secondary packaging is mainly used as a means of transporting the
primary packs or product from producer to retailer. This is usually removed and recycled once the pack has reached
its destination. Secondary packaging can also be retained to enable the product to be purchased in bulk.
The choice of packaging machinery for primary & secondary packaging can depend on various situations. These can
include available budget, payback period, integration, associated running costs, machine technology and available
floor space.
Packaging machines can be of the following general types:

 Cartoning
 Cleaning
 Closing
 Coding and Marking
 Conveyors
 Filling
 Food Processing
 Form Fill Seal
 Handling
 Inspection
 Labelling
 Packing
 Palletising & Depalletising
 Pharmaceutical Processing
 Wrapping

These machine types are very general indeed. Each area or sector of packaging equipment can be expanded upon
to reveal the various applications that are available today.
As technology advances, packaging machines are becoming more and more advanced to not only meet the current
demands but to try and "future proof" the packaging equipment and product development within an organisation. This
can have a bearing on machine costs plus the interchangeability of operators and training.
Packaging machines can be integrated into an existing line. For example, a new labelling machine within an existing
line. Interfaces between new and old machines have to be considered as well as ingress and egress routes for the
equipment. Downtimes of the line and surrounding lines should also be taken into account.
From single machines, as just discussed, to small systems or complete lines containing more than one new or
existing / reconditioned packaging machines can be installed. Depending on the size of the installation, project
management methods should be employed. Project management systems such as PRINCE2 can be used for any
size of project.
 Cartoning Machines & Systems
Cartoning machines are packaging systems which erect, close and/or erect, fill and close carton blanks or folded
and side seam sealed cartons.
Cartons are one of the commonest forms of packaging. But while they almost all end up in a regular six-sided square
or rectangular shape there are a number of different styles which are dictated by the filling and closing method. For
example, some cartons are filled and closed via the end flaps; others are filled vertically and closed with a fold over
'lid'. Other important differences include the means of securing the carton in its erected form. Some are glued using
adhesive; others have pre-cut tabs and slots, or are pre-coated with a heat sensitive material. Some applications use
window cartons - a carton with a pre-cut area behind which transparent film has been fixed to allow the contents to be
viewed.
Cartoners which erect, fill and seal on one machine are sometimes called Carton Form, Fill, Seal machines.
Some cartoning machines and systems are patented like the Tetra Brik and "Combibloc" for liquids which can only
be produced on those companies' machines, while other patented designs like 'crashlock' cartons can be
automatically erected on a wide range of machines.
Cartons are made from cartonboard which is a semi-flexible paper material 250µ to 1,000µ in thickness. They should
not be confused with Cases which are made from rigid corrugated board and are larger, often containing a number of
cartons for transit.
Cartons can come in the form of blanks, which are flat, pre-printed and cut to size and shape, with slots and tabs pre-
cut if necessary. These are then folded or 'erected' to form the carton in the machine.
However the majority of cartons are delivered folded and side seam sealed to form what is sometime known as a
skillet. On the cartoning machine these skillets are erected and then filled with product before the end flaps are folded
and closed.
To add something extra to presentation, cartons come in a wide variety of shapes including hinged lids, triangular,
hexagonal, octagonal, double-wall, frame-wall, wave-shaped cartons; and tapered trays.
At their simplest cartoners can be semi-automatic machines which close the flaps of manually erected and filled
cartons at low speeds, but at their most sophisticated cartoners are fully automatic machines incorporating pick-and-
place product loading or stacking devices, leaflet inserters and coding devices and run at several hundred cartons a
minute.
Modern cartoners have benefited from the introduction of servo driven subassemblies, programmable logic
controllers and even computers which allow the machines to be size changed automatically and synchronised using
software rather than mechanical transmission components. However all these features come at extra cost and often a
combination of old and new technology can achieve the desired performance.
Cartoning machines are used in all fast moving consumer goods sectors but especially food, pharmaceutical, toiletry,
cosmetic, household products, and DIY and recorded media industries.
Cartoning machines are particularly important in the non-carbonated beverages industry but it is important to
recognise that while the Combibloc carton is produced on a variant of a mandrel cartoning machine the apparently
similar Tetra Brik cartons are produced on special vertical form fill and seal machines.

Case and Box Handling

Back in the day, everything was delivered in brown boxes or cases and this is still a major feature in the supply chain
today although with some modifications along the way. Shrink and stretch wrap has obviously played a part in the
distribution of fast moving consumer goods, in particular, but one of the latest developments in corrugated packaging
has been the growth of the combined transit and display packs or the so-called shelf ready packs. This is designed to
overcome the costs associated with getting products the last 50 yards of the retail supply chain, which are the most
expensive.
 Faster shelf-loading solutions using cases and trays with knock-out perforated sections, tear tapes or removable lids
have all been seen in recent times. These cut the time taken to replenish supermarkets’ shelves, while the greater
availability of microflutes with improved graphic quality means that the easy-access transit container can double as
an effective point of sale merchandiser. Many case or box packing machines are now designed to handle both
traditional and shelf ready corrugated packaging.
Another development has been the growth of robotics in case packing equipment to offer efficient and cost efficient
handling of products. Machines incorporating robotics are designed to fully automate the packing of products into
cases, trays or crates on new or existing production lines.

Coding and Marking Machines & Systems

Machines which apply a code, (including bar codes), dates and other variable or unique information to a package or
transit container. There are two basic methods: contact or non-contact; and programmable and non-programmable.
(See also Print & Apply and Weigh Price Labelling).
There is a whole range of machines and equipment carrying out these functions, from simple mechanical stamps or
overprinters to sophisticated ink jet and laser coders applying computer generated data. These machines are usually
attached to a larger packaging machine such as a cartoner, filler or wrapper.
Modern ink jet and laser coders can be programmed to carry a large amount of variable information such as lot
number, date code; sequential coding based on a unique serial number which is recorded in a secure database. A
range of styles, typefaces and character sizes can be used and changed easily especially in comparison with older
mechanical devices.
Sophisticated software means coders can be programmed to create a different mark for every product to create a
track-and-trace feature on a pack. This helps to prevent counterfeiting. Track-and-trace features can also be used to
ease product recall, monitor product quality and track products internally. Examples include sequential or non-
sequential codes, a covert code or a machine-readable code.
Both small and large character ink jet coding machines are available. The former tend to be used for individual pack
information and can be effective at high speeds, such as drink can lines. The latter tends to be used in warehousing
and distribution on transit packages and pallets.

Common Terminology
 Bar codes
 Data capture
 Dot matrix
 Scribing
 Drop on demand
 Ink reservoir
 Stamp
 Die
 Ink reel
 Ink droplets
 Laser tube
 Print head
 Embossing
 Large character
 Small character
 Track & trace
 Programmable
 Overprinting
 Conveying Equipment & Systems
Conveyors are machines and equipment which carry ingredients, products, containers, packs or packaging
components from one place to another.
There are a large number of different types of conveyor, designed to convey different types of product or to perform
particular tasks. They can be divided into four main groups:

 Conveyors for bulk products e.g. powders or free flowing solids

 Conveyors for both bulk products and small unit loads
 Conveyors for small unit loads e.g. bottles or cartons
 Conveyors for large unit loads e.g. pallets or kegs

In their simplest form conveyors are mechanical assemblies which can be demountable and easy to move. In their
most sophisticated form conveyors can be complex machines with drives, controls and sensors. In this form they
undertake complex tasks or those needing highly accurate sorting, ordering or distribution of the items or products
being conveyed.
Common forms of belt and slat band conveyors are used for all types of semi-automated or automated processing
and packaging functions. They facilitate different requirements during production, and enable different products and
packaging functions to be handled.
Some machines, such as large bakery ovens, include conveyors as part of the process, while high speed wrapping
machines require in-feed and out-feed conveyors to be built in to operate at the speeds required.
Different consistencies of products, (soft, delicate, sticky, hot, chilled, frozen), require different handling techniques
and so different designs of conveyor.
The ability to clean conveyors is an important requirement particularly in food or pharmaceutical plants where
rigorous clean-in-place and wash-in-place regimes exist. These conveyors are often made of wire mesh, plastic mesh
or stainless-steel and some can be dismantled or moved for ease of cleaning.
Packaging containers and components also need to be sorted or orientated, combined, indexed or unscrambled prior
to being presented to the packaging machine, or to bring products packed on different lines together and specific
types of conveyor have been designed to achieve all of these functions.

Common Terminology
 Accumulation capacity
 Belt
 Bucket
 Chain
 Drag Chain
 Elevator
 In Feed
 Linear speed
 Mesh
 Out Feed
 Residence time
 Screw
 Traffic Area
 Transport Area
 Traction Element
 Transfer Device
 Transfer Car
 Roller
 Wire Belt
 Working Area
 Filling & Dosing Machines
Filling and dosing machines are packaging machines which measure out a product from a bulk supply by some
predetermined value, e.g. volume, level in a container, mass or count. The filling method used is influenced largely
by the nature of the product e.g. liquid, gas, piece goods, powder, free flowing solids or sticky paste, but also by the
measure for selling the product e.g. by weight, by volume or by count.
However, it does not necessarily follow that products which are sold by volume have to be measured by volume, for
example oils which are sold by volume are frequently filled by weight because the density of the oil varies significantly
with temperature; conversely products like rice or frozen peas which are sold by weight may actually be filled by
volume because this can be done at higher speed and lower cost. In fact it is not uncommon for products sold by
count to be filled by weight.
Filling machines may comprise of one or a number of dosing devices that may be arranged with or without a
mechanism to control containers or packages as they are filled.
Fill & Seal machines undertake the filling function as described above, but incorporate a sealing mechanism to close
the container in a variety of ways (see Sub Pages). These machines are distinguished from Form Fill and Seal
machines (see Form Fill Seal Pages) in that they fill and seal pre-made packages or containers. A separate Page
covers dedicated Closing machines.
Volumetric and level filling is typically associated with liquid or gas products, but a whole range of products also use
this technology including dry products such as powders and granules, pet foods, through to semi-liquids such as gels
and pastes, or even products which are normally solid at room temperature like fats, lipstick and stick deodorants.
Different methods of filling have been developed not only to accommodate the different characteristics of the product
but also to achieve various accuracies of fill, because while for a low value product there may be no incentive to fill
more accurately than the statutory requirements, for high value product increased accuracy can represent a
considerable saving in product "giveaway".
The filling of powders and free flowing solids poses particular problems because of the generation of dust and
variations in bulk density. Very dusty products are typically filled using auger fillers or vacuum fillers, but where the
bulk density of product varies significantly it will usually be necessary to combine this with a weight correction
mechanism like a checkweigher because typically these products are sold by weight.
The filling of carbonated drinks like soft drinks or beer and products like liquid detergents which have a tendency to
foam also poses significant problems which are typically solved using a technique called "bottom up filling", where the
filling nozzle is inserted into the container and slowly raised during the filling process so that the mouth of
the filling nozzle is always kept below the level of the liquid.
At their simplest filling machines can be single head bench mounted devices that are manually operated and at their
most sophisticated rotary fillers which can incorporate scores of filling heads and be able to fill and seal thousands of
cans every minute.
The two most common arrangements of fillers with multiple filling heads are 'in line' where the filling heads are fixed
and containers are moved under the heads and then removed when filled in an intermittent process, and 'Rotary'
where several filling heads are mounted on a rotating carousel and containers are fed onto the carousel, filled and
then discharged continuously.
Some weigh filling machines for filling liquids like oils look remarkably similar to their volumetric or level equivalent,
however, large machines for filling sacks or bags have little physical resemblance to liquid fillers, but the techniques
of weighing, dosing or counting, etc, remain broadly similar.
The sub pages have been arranged according to the filling technique e.g. volumetric, level, gravimetric (weighing).
Fill & Seal machines are specific to a particular type of container or package but can incorporate different types of
filling heads and different closing mechanisms depending on the type of closure or method of closing the package
e.g. cap, cork, heat seal, crimp or fold.

Food Processing Machinery

 Can be defined as "the set of methods and techniques used to transform raw ingredients into food for consumption
by humans or animals".

Common food processing techniques include :-

Removal of unwanted outer layers, such as potato peeling or the skinning of peaches

 Brine mixing & storage equipment

 Chopping or slicing e.g. diced carrots.
 Mincing and macerating
 Liquefaction, such as to produce fruit juice
 Fermentation e.g. in beer breweries
 Emulsification
 Cooking, such as boiling, broiling, frying, steaming or grilling
 Deep frying
 Baking
 Mixing
 Addition of gas such as air entrainment for bread or gasification of soft drinks
 Proofing
 Spray drying
 Pasteurisation

When designing processes for the food industry the following performance parameters may be taken into account:

 Hygiene, e.g. measured by number of micro-organisms per ml of finished product

 Energy consumption, measured e.g. by "ton of steam per ton of sugar produced"
 Minimization of waste, measured e.g. by "percentage of peeling loss during the peeling of potatoes'
 Labour used, measured e.g. by "number of working hours per ton of finished product"
 Minimisation of cleaning stops measured e.g. by "number of hours between cleaning stops"

Form Fill Seal

Form Fill Seal (FFS) machines are packaging machines that form fill and seal a package on the same machine.
The main types are vertical form fill seal (VFFS) and horizontal form fill seal (HFFS) machines – a term often
used in the market place to cover horizontal versions of flow-wrappers, sachet machines, blister pack machines, four
side seal machines and thermoform fill and seal machines.; in both cases packaging material is fed off a roll, shaped,
and sealed. The bags/packs are then filled, sealed and separated.
Today many FFS systems are highly sophisticated featuring computer interfaces and control networks. Greater
speed and versatility are the major benefits of FFS systems for user companies. For example snack producers
demand systems that have the versatility to provide fast changeover between many different packaging formats to
meet growing demand for single serve packs. Here VERTICAL FFS is capable of creating virtually any size or shape
ranging from the standard pillow pack to bags sealed on all four sides.
The multiplicity of FFS machines employ a wide range of material types and are used across numerous markets
including food, drinks, cosmetics, electronics, stationary, tobacco, chemical, medical, and pharmaceuticals.
Form fill seal machines are often divided into the types of packs they produce:
Bags and Pillow packs
flow-wrapper; lower reel flow-wrapper; vertical form fill and seal; stickpack machines; mandrel form fill seal.

Bottles/vials
blow fill seal.
Cartons
vertical carton board form fill seal.

Pots trays and blisters

cold form fill seal; thermoform fill seal; blister form fill seal.

Sachets and Envelopes

edge seal machine; horizontal form fill seal; vertical sachet form fill seal.

Sacks and Bags

tubular sack form fill seal and vertical form fill seal.

However, each type is introduced individually on the following pages to ensure that browsers are able to access
information on easily.
Products commonly associated with form/fill/seal include:
Crisps; Nuts; Sugar; Rice; Pulses; Sweets & Confectionery; Sauces & Soups; Pet Foods; Grain; Jams & Preserves;
Cakes; Bread; Biscuits; Tea Bags; Condiments; Tablets, Capsules and Pills, Greetings cards; Phone cards.

Pharmaceutical & Medical Processing Machinery

Cosmetics Processing & Machines
Cosmetic processing and packaging is market driven and therefore demands for high quality products and
packaging is high.
As batch runs have been exhausted to their optimum, flexible process parameters are needed to meet the latest
processing trends. The combination of vessel and agitator system developed by various manufacturers offer high
productivity, quality and yield.
As well as the processing units themselves, deaerators, heat exchangers, mills and continuous manufacturing plants
are also part of the primary processing line.
Processing lines will always contain the basic requirements of filling, labelling, packing and palletising. Incorporated
into the processing lines will be inspection at varying stages plus associated services such cleaning.

Aerosol Processing Machines

Aerosols are a dispensing system which creates a mist of liquid. An aerosol can contain a liquid under pressure or
can be operated mechanically by hand.
Aerosol processing machines can be single station, automatic indexing machines or automatic rotary machines. All
processing machines also require a crimping section.

Tablet Processing
The compressed tablet is the most popular way of supplying dosages. Tablets can be made into virtually any shape
but the most common are round or oval in shape that are easy for a patient to swallow.
It is important that during the tablet pressing process, all ingredients are dry and are of a uniform grain size. There
are two basic techniques used to prepare powders for granulation into tablets; wet granulation and dry granulation.
Powers that are mixed well don't require granulation and therefore can be compressed into a tablet by Direct
Compression.
Tablet coating is the last stage and is carried out to protect the tablet from temperature and humidity and to hide the
taste. The most common forms of tablet coating are sugar & film coating.

Ready Meals
Pre-prepared food is big business in a modern society where demanding work and
social activities have put the squeeze on meal times. For ready meal producers, product
integrity and an appetising look is key to success in this market. Consumers demand
first class appearance, even spread of ingredients and product integrity and, according
to many producers, a ‘smashed up’ ready meal is the biggest driver of lost custom.
A ready meal line can be made up of many processing and packaging options as the
diverse range of ingredients, either fresh or frozen, are handled and then presented to
the consumer. In terms of processing, pumps can be deployed for operations such as
transfer and mixing to produce powerful suction with low shear, low pulsation and gentle
handling for such products as mashed potato. Also, depositors have to cope with filling
multi-component meals and deposit precise portions of product into trays, cartons or
pouches. Browning grills can then be used to give a baked-like finish to ready meals.
In terms of packaging, the tray as been one of the most popular formats for ready meals
which use either a modified atmosphere or gas flushing on fresh ingredients. Once the
trays have been filled, they are sealed and then tested for any leaks to ensure product
integrity at all times. Many meals are then placed in cartons to provide optimum shelf
impact.
In recent times, there has been a plethora of other packaging formats used for ‘fresh
meal kits’ including pouches and rigid plastics pots but the traditional, more high volume
ready meal continues to be packed in trays.
A line can compose of tray denesters that feed trays to single or twin lane conveyors
and arrive at a volumetric filler which can be used for bulky ingredients such as rice and
pasta. Filled trays can then move to another filling station which applies a pre-mixed
sauce.
Trays are then vibrated, to help settle the contents, before moving on to the distribution
system below a multihead weigher, through which the most costly ingredients are
generally added. These are often the main protein content of the meal such as meat,
poultry or seafood.
Trays can then pass on to other ingredient adding stations or straight to the traysealer,
where they are sealed under vacuum before then being checkweighed. Often, trays
then proceed to an autoclave for retorting to provide a shelf life of three months.
 Wrapping Machines
Wrapping Machines wrap a flexible packaging material, (e.g. paper, aluminium,
plastic film), around a product or group of products. Other common descriptions of
this style of packaging are Flow-wrapping, Overwrapping and Horizontal Form Fill
Seal (see form fill seal pages).
There are many distinct styles of wrapping and these are described in the sub-
pages below. A major application is in the field of shrink wrapping where heat is
applied by various means to a thermoplastic material already loosely wrapped
around the product or group of products, which then shrinks around them to form a
tight wrap. This method is often used for transit wrapping and protective packaging
of larger item such as doors or even bricks on a pallet.
Because wrapping is so versatile it is used in many sectors, however, it is most
common in food, bakery and confectionery for single items which can range from confectionery (count line), bars and
cakes through to cheese and sausages.
There are so many applications of this packaging technique for single items it would be difficult to exclude any
particularly for some products in daily use items, DIY or toiletries and cosmetics. Some techniques are used in very
particular product areas e.g. skin packaging for DIY products and high quality fold wrapping for cosmetics, CDs or
cigarettes.
Many single item wrappers can handle products at very high speeds, particularly in the confectionery sector.
When wrapping is used for larger items or units or for grouping single products in multipacks for point of sale, or in
larger numbers for transportation, then speeds tend to be slower. However some applications in the beverage sector
can achieve reasonable speeds to match demand from the speed of other machines in the line.
Machines have been specifically designed to wrap very large items and pallets (see Palletising) for both protection
and security reasons. These have found many applications in the building and beverage industries, but can be used
in many other sectors.

Industrial Cleaning Machines

The cleaning of the process machines will be mainly carried out by CIP (Clean In Place) systems. Depending on the
sensitivity of the product being produced, the equipment may be cleaned aseptically and therefore eliminating any
possible contamination from outside.

Sterilising Machines
Sterilising machines can also be called, Autoclaves and Retorts. There three main types of sterilising system; static,
rotary and pilot or laboratory systems.

General Characteristics are :-

 Steam-Water spray mix.
 Top shower for cans and glass jars plus side shower for pouches and trays
 Indirect cooling system by heat exchanger allows water recovery.
 All vessel, pipe work and valves and heat exchanger in stainless steel materials
 Insulated shell with mirror polished stainless steel cladding
 PLC control with modem connection allows remote troubleshooting and servicing
 Process monitoring in the operator interface with complete information of temperature, pressure, time and
flow
 Easy product recipe setup with password protected access
 Optimum heat distribution (+/-0,5 ºC)
 Accurate pressure control (+/- 0,05 bar)

The rotary machines will use inverter drives for accurate control during the sterilising process. There is also
associated equipment such as basket trolleys and automatic loading systems available to fully automate the
sterilising process of product.

Inspection Machines & Inspection Equipment

Inspection Machines are a series of machines including manual, mechanical and computerised electronic systems
which inspect products, packages or packaging components to ensure they conform to specification. For example
colour, size, mass, the presence of foreign bodies in a product or package, pack integrity, missing labels or items, or
incorrect data; any items which fall outside the pre-set values are rejected.
The most common forms of inspection machines are colour sorters, checkweighers and metal detectors but the range
of inspection equipment available has grown hugely in recent years driven by the need to automate production and to
remove the people from the line who as well as carrying out manual tasks also inspected products and packs visually.
Advances in technology have also increased the range of inspection tasks which can be performed. For instance
while conventional metal detectors were limited to detecting ferrous metal, using different technologies it is now
possible to detect bone, glass, wood, fibres and most non-ferrous metals in products as well.
Verification of the weight of a filled package using a checkweigher is an important legal metrology process but in
addition the checkweigher may be an integral part of a labelling or product filling system. (See
also Labelling and Form Fill Seal pages).
Other inspection machines carry out functions such as checking pack integrity for leaks, checking fill levels and even
checking the temperature of a product in the pack without destroying the pack.
Inspection machines are used in all end user sectors, including food, beverage, pharmaceutical, toiletries &
cosmetics, and household chemicals. Some kinds of inspection are more common in some sectors than others or
even unique to a particular industry (for example missing or broken pill detectors in the pharmaceutical sector).
In the pharmaceutical industry a range of inspection systems have also been developed to check that batch codes
are present and legible and to check that every packaging component is correct for the product being packed.
Inspection is also undertaken in many sectors outside the mainstream areas of use, for example, the garment
industry is a major user of detection equipment for pre-packed items such as shirts.

Labelling Equipment and Labelling Machines

Labelling Machines apply labels and decoration onto all types of packaging containers, display, point-of-sale and
transit packs.
Labels are used on every kind of product to brand, decorate or provide information for the consumer. Many labels do
all three functions and can contain, for example, pre-printed bar codes supplying, batch, stock and price information
to the retailer and consumer.
Other machines provide print on demand and weigh/price labels, usually for fresh or perishable products where the
weight of item varies from pack to pack or for transit purposes. Many of these labels are printed and applied in the
store or warehouse.
Labels are also used to provide protection against tampering (tamper evident) to ensure the product reaches the
consumer without interference and unopened. Sleevers or sleeving equipment that apply a sleeve of thermoformable
or stretch material to the neck or body of the container, are generally used to apply tamper evident labels. Shrink
sleeve labels are also used on products which do not have surfaces suitable for a conventional label.
A growing market is security labelling to counter fraud and theft, and give brand protection and authentication. These
include RFID and smart labels, holographic labels, tamper evidence, counterfeit deterrence and source tagging.
Other machines are used to apply Leaflet labels – multi-page labels that provide space for large amounts of
consumer information e.g. in pharmaceutical applications.
Other types of labelling include in-mould labelling a technique that applies labels to blown bottles, injection moulded
containers, and thermoform fill seal machines for yoghurt pots as they are formed on equipment.
There are two principal types of labelling machine: Wet Glue and pressure Sensitive (Self Adhesive) applicators.
These and their variants, plus special purpose machines are listed in the detailed pages.

Packing Machines
Packaging machines which group together a collation of products for transit purposes. Group packages include
cases, trays, crates and cartonboard sleeves.
Container Erecting
Featuring tray erecting, case erecting and division inserting machinery.

Container Loading and Unloading

Featuring drop packing, place packing, place unpacking and horizontal packing machinery and equipment.

Container Sealing
Featuring case gluing, pressure sensitive tape sealing, pre-gummed tape sealing, case stapling and
wraparound lidding machinery and equipment.

Package Form Fill and Seal (PFFS)

Featuring plastic ringing, wraparound tray packing, wraparound case packing, top load case packing, end
load case packing, bottom load case packing machinery and equipment

Package Handling
Featuring Tray denesting, crate stacking and unstacking and tray stacking Machinery and Equipment.

Closing Machines
Packaging machines which seal or close filled packages.

Pallet Loading & Pallet Securing Machines

Pallet Forming, Dismantling and Securing machines are packaging machines that
assemble or dismantle pallet loads of products, groups of packages or rigid
containers on a pallet, with little or no manual intervention, and secure the load on
the pallet for security and stability during transportation.
Modern warehousing and distribution methods mean just about every sector uses
pallets for storage and transport of their products. It is now common to see bricks
and sacks of sand and cement being transported to their point of use on a pallet
secured by a plastic film stretched or shrunk around the load.
A recent application for this type of machinery has been to form the retail-ready pallets, mini-pallets and dollies which
supermarkets are now demanding for fast-moving product lines not only to minimize the use of transit packing
materials but also reduce the amount of labour needed in store to prepare products ready for sale.
Just as technology has been developed to load and secure pallets in high volume environments, machines to de-
palletise or unload full pallets of rigid containers or crates have also been developed to automate the front of end of
production lines.
For safety, brand image, security and weather protection reasons, various kinds of pallet load securing systems have
been created. So, for example, corrugated cases of whisky or other high value spirits are secured by an all-
enveloping film of plastic material, including a top sheet to make it as hard as possible to break into the load and to
ensure that products are not spoiled if they are left out in the rain; while other, less valuable and more durable
products can be secured by a simple horizontal strap.