Modern packaging equipment for the food industry is a specialized apparatus that is complex from a technical point of view. Recently, fully automated lines with the function of filling and dispensing have been more popular among product manufacturers. When purchasing such equipment 5 gallon food safe plastic buckets, it is necessary to familiarize oneself with the process of its operation, parameters of the working cycle, and guarantees of suppliers.
Types of packaging equipment for the food industry
The widest range of packaging equipment includes dispensers, capping and wrapping machines, forming packaging and sealing equipment, machines for skin and blister packaging, stretch tape wrapping, shrink and labeling equipment, systems for protective, group and transport packaging, pallet forming, scanning, labeling, control, bar code application, conveyors, special installations for cleaning, sterilizing and drying packages, control and measuring and packaging equipment, as well as all kinds of components, spare parts for repair and organization of uninterrupted production.
Thanks to the filling and packaging equipment, the products have an accurate weight, are protected from external influences and do not absorb odors and moisture. Each product category has its own packaging equipment.
It is customary to divide food products into the following categories:
- free flowing and granular;
- pasty and viscous;
- free flowing and liquid;
- powdery, slow-flowing;
- piece.
Each category of goods requires individual storage conditions and, accordingly, packaging. How to pack these products depends on the quantity and type.
Usually, for these purposes, materials are used that are good in their own way, and for a specific line of food packaging:
- thin paper and polypropylene;
- multi-word films;
- metallized various materials with a paper base.
For convenience and fast packing of food products, there is such equipment as: pallet packing machines, as well as systems where stretch films are located, which are wrapped not only in several packages, but also in a small container.
Thermo-packaging devices for the food industry
Thermal packaging devices with different levels of mechanization and automation:
- special shrink machines for a group consignment of goods or individually wrapped in a plastic film,
- semi-automatic, with chambers of the cap and tunnel type, automatic monoblock and complex lines,
- shrink wrapping machines for wrapping containers with shrink film to create shipping containers. Suitable for glass and PET bottles, jars, long products, with or without pallets,
- equipment for packing cardboard boxes,
- automatic, with devices for gluing, as well as formers, conveyors.
Banding machines for the food industry
Banding machines, with the help of which it is easy to make strapping. They use polymer or paper tapes. As a result, they create a group or presentation packaging. There are both desktop and fully automated. The formation of packaging of some goods is not complete without an automatic clip forming machine.
Strapping packaging
Strapping packaging is used to strap printed products, boxes, boxes, pallets, group packaging, as well as to securely fix the load. This type of packaging is carried out using polypropylene or polyester tape. The goods are wrapped, tightened, the tape is fastened and cut off. In addition to automatic and semi-automatic strapping machines and hand tools.
Vacuum packaging is one of the most promising ways of packaging food products, it increases the shelf life of the product, preserves the quality and vitamin composition of the product, and improves its appearance. Vacuum packaging equipment is divided into aspiration (tubeless), chamber (most common) and thermoforming (vacuum is formed between special films) packers.
Other packaging technologies include “Sachet” (a flat three- or four-seam bag made of multilayer polymer films or various combined materials), “Flow-pack” (goods on a stand and covered with a film), “Doy-pack” (stable bags in which we are used to seeing mayonnaise, ketchup, sauces, etc.) and many others. It should be remembered that when choosing packaging material and equipment, you need to pay attention to the features and properties of the product.