GEA PowerPak to demonstrate date packaging prowess at Gulfood 2018 Dubai
07 Nov 2018 --- GEA is to showcase its high-capacity thermoformer PowerPak during Gulfood Manufacturing 2018 in Dubai. The PowerPak satisfies the latest food sector requirements in food safety while providing “top quality and maximum flexibility” in food and dairy processing. The machine is ideal for packing dates, poultry, seafood or cheese products.
Dates perfectly packed
The date can rightly be categorized as a superfood because it has the highest energy and crude fiber content of all the fruit varieties, earning them the name “bread of the desert.” They are a true nutrient booster and filled to the brim with minerals, vitamins and other valuable plant ingredients. To make this precious fruit available to customers all over the world, it must be securely packaged.
GEA PowerPak is a thoroughly tried and tested series of deep-drawing machines with innovative technology which meets all customer-specific requirements in the date industry, the company reports. Maximum output quantities are possible, depending on pack size and type of loading. Thanks to a perforation feature the production of snack packages is easily realizable. To make the dates more durable, water is added to the packaging. An automatic water dosing system can optionally be integrated into the GEA PowerPak.
To ensure optimal packaging results, printers and labelers can be added to PowerPak machines as well. User-friendly operation is possible given local language options.
Shrink-wrap chicken in vacuum and MAP
The GEA PowerPak is compatible with a variety of packaging types. Thanks to the vacuum process, followed by shrinking in a water bath/spray tunnel, the film is wrapped skintight around the chicken without creasing. Contour cutting means the final package has only a minimally-visible sealing seam. Chicken parts such as thighs or wings can be packed using vacuum or MAP solutions, for which GEA has developed a unique oxygen measurement system.
“A new era of MAP packaging”
GEA OxyCheck is the world’s first inline oxygen measurement system that checks every modified atmosphere package, according to GEA. The system uses a unique sensor spot printed on the inner side of a lidding film. The thermoformer-mounted optical sensors project light onto the sensor spot and measure the wavelength of the light that fluoresces from the dye.
GEA invented a methodology of translating the dye’s fluorescence to O2 content depending on the temperature. The technology accurately measures the O2 content and seal integrity of every single MAP that leaves the thermoformer, without destroying it with a needle as was the standard procedure in the past. Costly and wasteful sample testing, undertaken on one percent of the packaging, can now be avoided. As a non-invasive quality control system, the film and seal remain intact and neither product nor film material is wasted. Since only approved packages enter the supply chain, GEA can prevent potentially costly recalls for entire batches. Additional information about the quality control system is available on request.
Tool-free die set changes on the GEA PowerPak
The GEA PowerChange is an operator-friendly system that enables die set changing of both the upper and lower parts of the forming and sealing stations without extra tools. Opening and closing are done without any pneumatic, hydraulic or electrical drive up to an index length of 800 millimeters.
It is an easy, quick and reliable way to convert the thermoformer to other formats and is typically 45 to 50 percent faster. It optimizes access to all parts of the die set for revision, checking or cleaning, and simplifies changing the draw depth – the height of the packages, the number of package rows, dividers, finish and filling plates. The upper parts are hinged and can be tilted, and therefore remain on the machine.
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