Ixia Packaging Systems, supplier of denesting equipment for the food industry, is offering a new lid placement and closure system, to help cut labour costs, improve line efficiencies and enhance pack integrity and food safety.
The new machine is designed to ‘accurately and securely’ fit thermoformed plastics lids to food trays of various sizes and shapes at up to 120 packs/minute. It can be customised to suit different output requirements.
The five-lane design incorporates a high speed conveyor gating device and automates a traditionally labour-intensive process.
Accumulated filled trays join a controlled ‘lug’ belt system. The packs pass under a five-lane lidder, where the lid is held and placed in position over each tray. Using a double action mechanism, the lids are ‘clipped’ down onto the trays for final closure.
Ixia’s Snapdragon ‘quick change’ tooling enables tray types and sizes to be changed in ‘less than two minutes’, says the company.
The modular format means the unit is easily transferred between different lines or moved for cleaning. Fully IP65 compliant, it is suitable for high performance wash down environments.
Safety has been improved thanks to maximum pack integrity throughout the distribution chain. Further, automating the process avoids repetitive strain injury claims and accidents in the workplace, it is claimed.
Ixia’s pneumatically driven denesters are suitable for closely stacked plastics, aluminium foil and paperboard trays, cartons, pizza bases, pots and containers in a variety of shapes.
