Cheese industry innovations from Ilapak

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE MARCH 22, 2015. ILAPAK INTERNATIONAL S.A. P.O. Box 756 CH-­‐6916 Grancia , Lugano, Switzerland. Christian Romualdi Phone: +41 91 960 5900 Fax: +41 91 960 5992 marketing@ilapak.com www.ilapak.com
PRESS RELEASE CHEESE INDUSTRY INNOVATIONS FROM ILAPAK ANUGA FoodTec 2015 Exhibiting at Anuga FoodTech in Cologne from 24-­‐27 March 2015, ILAPAK the leading manufacturer of packaging machines for flexible film applications, has invested heavily in R&D in recent months yielding several innovations that deliver hygienic design, modular construction and low cost of ownership (COO) to cheese producers and packers. These include the industry’s first hygienic design MAP flowrapper capable of packing cheese portions at the highest speed in the market, another version capable of presenting cheese portions in a revolutionary stand up format and a third version that promises unprecedented hygiene and flexibility at an affordable price. At Anuga FoodTec this year, Ilapak will be exhibiting further Cheese industry leading innovations including the high-­‐speed Lux 24, the perfect solution for stand-­‐up Doy bags containing grated, cubed or multi-­‐packs of cheese as well as the revolutionary cheese specification Vegatronic 6000 and Weightronic, the complete multi-­‐head weighing and bagging solution for all grades of grated cheese. Delta 6000: modular MAP at 200pm The Delta 6000, which debuted at last year’s Interpack, is the first full wash down horizontal form fill seal (HFFS) system for the cheese industry, is now also available in a full USDA Dairy compliant specification. This exciting new fully modular design flow wrapper offers complete IP65 protection, enabling full wash down capability, even of the sealing elements. Its ultra-­‐hygienic design has been achieved through full stainless steel execution, isolating the electrical cabinet from the main machine frame and smooth, angled surfaces without recesses. The system is ideal for cheese applications where performance and sanitary design are top priorities. The high performance Delta 6000 has broken new ground in high speed MAP flow wrapping. The horizontal flow wrapper now also incorporates a new single jaw, long-­‐dwell sealing system for packing 100g to 750g portions of cheese at speeds of up to 200ppm. Delta 4000 3SSC: horizontally formed “DuoPak” ILAPAK has scored an industry first with the Delta 4000 3SSC, a hygienic design MAP flowrapper capable of packing blocks of cheese in a stand-­‐up “Duopak” format with zipper at high speeds. The incredibly flexible Delta 4000 3SSC opens up new presentation possibilities for products such as cheese portions. The new stand-­‐up format DuoPak allows products to stand up (and stand out) on shelf, can now be made on the Delta 4000 3SSC horizontal flow wrapper at speeds of up to 150ppm with MAP. NEW Delta 3000: industry-­‐leading hygienic design made accessible Packers and processors of cheese now have at their disposal a mid-­‐level flow wrapper that offers all the hygiene features of Ilapak’s higher level Delta MAP machines at a lower cost, following the introduction of a re-­‐designed and re-­‐launched Delta 3000, a work horse of the Cheese industry. The new Delta 3000 is based on the same sanitary design concept as the top-­‐of-­‐its-­‐class Delta 6000, but with a price tag that is affordable to most cheese packers. Like the Delta 6000, the latest Delta 3000 now offers complete IP65 protection, enabling full wash down capability, even of the sealing elements. This has been achieved through full stainless steel execution, isolating the electrical cabinet from the main machine frame and smooth, sloping surfaces without recesses. A new digital electronic platform gives precise control over the sealing cycle and parameters. The machine’s competitive pricing has been achieved through modular construction, which allows users to start with a basic machine, and add on modules at a later date. “For example, customers might opt for a chain infeed to start with and then upgrade to an automatic infeed at a later date,” says Somaini. “The beauty of this modular concept is that it is completely flexible and scalable, allowing businesses to adapt to change. “Historically, when it has come to building flow wrappers for the cheese industry, this level of flexibility has been at the expense of hygiene. Now producers can have the best of both worlds: a machine that offers best-­‐in-­‐class sanitary design and absolute flexibility,” says Somaini. Vertical versatility: the Vegatronic series Manufacturers and packers of grated, sliced, shredded and cubed cheese will be impressed by the breadth of presentation options and ultra hygienic design offered by ILAPAK’s new Vegatronic 6000 VFFS machine which will be available to view at Anuga FoodTech 2015. Previewed at last year’s Interpack, this top-­‐of-­‐its-­‐class continuous motion bagger delivers unrivalled versatility and access for cleaning in equal measures. Thanks to its box motion jaw design, the modular machine can pack grated cheese, feta cubes and other cheese products in a variety of bag styles, including pillow, block bottom, Quattro, EasyPack, Flexcan and Doy-­‐style packs at up to 100ppm. Reclosable options range from peelable labels to velcro and zippers. Through its work with cheese producers, ILAPAK has engineered an in-­‐line zipper solution that removes results in more attractive seals and lower leak rates, without compromising speed. Fast format changeover and cleaning is facilitated by the machine’s open frame design, clean film carriage and a unique mounting of the forming tube on a swivel arm for easy removal. In designing the Vegatronic 6000, ILAPAK has addressed the particular challenges of packing cheese products vertically. “Making sure that the weighments are properly separated as they approach the sealing jaws is crucial for guaranteeing gas tight seals. This is ensured through the low product drop design of the Vegatronic 6000,” explains Andrea Boccolini, ILAPAK VFFS Product Manager. A well designed weigher is also key to maximising output whilst ensuring weighments are cleanly separated. On ILAPAK’s dedicated 14-­‐head cheese industry multihead weigher all product surfaces have special low-­‐adhesion finishes depending on the type of cheese to prevent product from sticking to buckets. Where flexibility is the primary objective, ILAPAK’s Vegatronic 2000 RJ intermittent bagger is hard to beat. With rotatable jaws, the VT 2000 RJ can run off the full range of bag styles that can be produced on a VFFS machine, with or without web-­‐directional zipper, peelable label or any other reclose solution. Boasting the highest seal pressure available to the market, the VT 2000 is also extremely versatile in terms of the range of weights it can handle. Gas flushed packs containing several kilos of cheese are guaranteed to remain fresh over a longer shelf life than can be achieved with rival machines. It’s not just natural cheese that can be packed on an ILAPAK bagger. Thanks to a special seal jaw pattern that prevents contamination of gusseting, liquid cheeses such as cream cheese can be packed in block bottom bags on either the VT 6000 or VT 2000, for an eye-­‐catching presentation. “Ordinarily, cream cheese would just fill up the gusset and prevent formation of a flat bag bottom. Our unique jaw design prevent this from happening,” says Boccolini. Masters of mozzarella Mozzarella balls are another application that few FFS equipment manufacturers have mastered, owing to the complication of a liquid bath. “Packing individual mozzarella balls requires synchronisation of the product and liquid feeding systems at very high speeds,” explains Boccolini. Years of experience in this field have enabled ILAPAK to develop complete integrated solutions, including multiple lane feeding systems and a patented forming tube design for high speed liquid injection in the bag. When packing in liquid, seal integrity is also crucial. On ILAPAK’s VT series, high pressure sealing coupled with special sealing jaw profiles guarantee the barrier properties required by this application. “The seal pressure our machines can apply, together with the dedicated seal profiles we’ve developed, ensure a gas-­‐tight, leak-­‐proof hermetic seal every time,” says Boccolini. ILAPAK’s Vegatronic machines can run off the full range of vertical bag styles, including pillow packs, stand-­‐up packs and Doy-­‐style pouches, perfect for making mozzarella balls really stand out on the shelf. ANUGA FOOTEC 2015 ILAPAK WILL BE EXHIBITING AT ANUGA FOODTEC 2015 FROM 24-­‐27 MARCH ON HALL 7.1, STAND B041 . ENDS Contact information Christian Romualdi ILAPAK http://www.ILAPAK.com T: +41 (0)91 960 5900 Editor’s note: Since 1970, ILAPAK has been at the forefront of form fill and seal technology, with a vast portfolio of horizontal and vertical packaging equipment that covers every conceivable flexible film application, from modified atmosphere packaging to sachet production, as well as associated product handling, automation and cartoning solutions. Every year, more than 600 machines and automated packaging lines are delivered to customers across the globe by one of the largest sales and customer service networks in the industry, with representation in more than 50 countries. Headquartered in Lugano, Switzerland and employing 450 people, ILAPAK operates four ISO 9001:2000 and ISO 14001:2004 certified manufacturing plants on three continents and 14 subsidiaries worldwide. ILAPAK is part of the IMA Group, a world leader in the design and manufacture of processing and packaging lines for pharmaceuticals, cosmetics, tea, coffee and food.