Need to pay attention to detail in food packaging

Consumers increasingly demand convenient, long-lasting and flavorful food and our expanded product portfolio – through the Excelsior acquisition – allows packaging machine manufacturers to better meet customers’ needs and choose the high quality of food packaging machine suppliers.

The Retailer Survey found that confusing multiple date labels had been mostly removed, and there was good progress on improving freezing guidance. But it found that some product date labels have cut the time available to eat food and weight feeder.

We know that changes to packs and labels, which give clarity around date and storage options, can have a dramatic effect on how much good food ends up in the bin so getting the right messages in place is critical.

The information available on pack not only helps to ensure people have safe food, but that it makes it as easy as possible for them to manage and store their food to ensure less is wasted.

Loss-in-weight feeders on the overall process accuracy

Loss In Weight Feeder require periodic refill from an external device such as a screw conveyor, bin activator, pneumatic conveyor, slide gate valve, or rotary valve. Capacity requirements of the refill device and desirable refill frequencies are often overlooked by process engineers, yet they can have a major impact on the overall process accuracy.

A loss in weight feeder consists of three components: a scale with a dedicated controller to weigh material; a feed mechanism (screw, vibrating tray, etc.) with a variable-speed drive to introduce material into the process; and an integral weigh hopper for material storage. As the name suggests, the unit measures a loss in weight over a certain period of time and adjusts the feed mechanism output accordingly. In reality, of course, today’s loss-in-weight feeders do not sample weight every hour but approximately every 50 milliseconds to achieve the precise second-by-second control required by modern processes.

A typical accuracy statement for a loss-in-weight feeder specifies repeatability as a percentage of the sample-size at a given statistical confidence level. For example, a repeatability of 0.5 percent of sample size at 2 sigma means that if a sufficient number of consecutive 1-min. samples are taken at a 6000 lb/hr feed rate, then 95 percent of the samples will weigh between 99.5 and 100.5 lb (assuming perfect linearity). Implicit in this statement, however is an assumption about the refill rate. Compared to the feeding time, the refill time needs to be as short as possible to maximize the percentage of time the feeder is under gravimetric control. Although higher percentages are preferable, the following example will assume that a loss-in-weight feeder needs to be under gravimetric control for at least 90 percent of its cycle time for the accuracy expectation to be valid. Remember that the time in volumetric mode is defined as refill time plus scale stabilization time.

About the weight feeder and loss-in-weight feeder

As the name suggests weight feeder, the unit measures a loss in weight over a certain period of time and adjusts the feed mechanism output accordingly.

A typical accuracy statement for a loss-in-weight feeder specifies repeatability as a percentage of the sample-size at a given statistical confidence level.Compared to the feeding time, the refill time needs to be as short as possible to maximize the percentage of time the feeder is under gravimetric control.

Loss-in-weight feeders require periodic refill from an external device such as a screw conveyor, bin activator, pneumatic conveyor, slide gate valve, or rotary valve.

A loss-in-weight feeder consists of three components: a scale with a dedicated controller to weigh material; a feed mechanism (screw, vibrating tray, etc.) with a variable-speed drive to introduce material into the process; and an integral weigh hopper for material storage.

Why packaging machinery is important in the food industry

Food industry is experiencing a massive growth in developed and developing economies that in turn intensifies the sales of powder packaging equipment during the forecast period.

Apart from that many spices are available in the market in powder form which further intensifies the growth of powder packing machine market. The demand of small pouches of tea, coffee and other different spices are rising which is expected to further boost the sales of weight feeder packing machine.

Automatic and modern powder packing machines offer a wide range of durable and flexible pouch designs along with different sizes. The pouches can be customized according to the needs and requirements of clients. Powder packing machine is extensively used in the fast moving consumer goods especially for detergents which is expected to positively impact the sales of powder packing machine during the forecast period.

Many food products along with medicines are launching in the market in a powder form which is expected to fuel the global powder packing machine market. Moreover, the acceptance of powder packing machine is rising due to the various properties of the powder packing machine such as production speed and ability to produce different pouch formats.

Pharmaceutical packaging industry needs the innovation of packaging

In the last few years, the drugs packaging industry has successfully accepted the various challenges in the pharmaceuticals sector and devised suitable strategies for this highly specialised business. Thanks to its huge capacity for innovation, the supply industry to the former “pharmacy of the world” is also well equipped for the future.

Pharmaceuticals packages have to perform numerous tasks. They have to not only meet the complex needs and constraints of technology and safety, but also win through at the point of sale against a host of competing products. This applies particularly to over-the-counter medicines, although the competitive pressure among prescription drugs has risen significantly due to the increase in generics.

More and more medicines are being developed for which manufacturers are called upon to achieve greater complexity with ever smaller batch sizes. There is a trend away from standardisation and towards individualised treatment. For plant manufacturers and packaging machine manufacturers, the high flexibility and rapid retooling already demanded in the market is thus intensifying further.

The fact that patient leaflets in a medicine package do not always have to be in printed form is illustrated by the latest further developments in packaging equipment technology, now made possible for the first time by near-field communication (NFC). Facilitating cashless payment and keyless vehicle entry, NFC is already familiar in everyday life. Thanks to widespread smartphone use, contactless and wireless short-distance data exchange has also become of interest to the packaging sector. The possible applications range from reading-out the patient leaflet and the automatic re-ordering of drugs through to more detailed information.

The screw is the component of the feeder that provides the “feeding.”

The agitation ensures that the screw flights fill uniformly. Screws are selected to achieve maximum and minimum feed rates. The screw diameter and pitch are sized to achieve the feed rate at an optimal screw rotational speed. At too low a screw speed the “pulsing flow” may cause an undesired variation in the final product. Too high a screw speed may cause an incomplete filling of the screw. Below are discussed three common screw types.

Spiral Screw: The single spiral screw is the most common selection. It is “open” for the ingredient to freely flow into the flights of the screw. It has a smaller surface area that helps reduce adherence of the ingredient that changes the screw volumetric geometry. Ingredients are transferred with low shear. On the negative side, aerated ingredients can easily flood past the screw flights.

Blade Screw: The single blade screw offers more resistance to aerated ingredients however, because there is more surface area, adhesive ingredients can adhere reducing the volumetric geometry. Blade screws are often preferred for heavy powders with bulk densities over 80 lb/cu ft.

Twin Screw: Twin concave screws can provide superior performance for poor-flowing powders. Twin concave screws are solid and the screw flights have a low volume compared to spiral and blade screws. The screws are intermeshing and as such are self-wiping. The negative effects of some adhesive powders are reduced with the self-wiping of the two screws. Twin concave screws are co rotating. The powder flows around the flights of both screws. The shear on the powder is high, particularly in the screw tube. The screw tube is typically short to reduce negative effects of high shear.

Twin concave screws are ideally selected for powders with feed rates below 5 cu ft/hr. The cross section of the two screws is wider than an equivalent single screw reducing the tendency to bridge in the transition from the screw trough into the screw. Also, screw speeds for twin concave screws can be higher than single screws for the same feed rate because of the larger inlet and low volume of screw flight. Higher screw speeds reduce the negative effects of pulsation.

Packaging with resealable applications provide a modern design with increased functionality

As lifestyles change, food-to-go and sharing packs are becoming an increasingly important category for retailers. Packs with resealable technology address all these issues by offering a solution that is easily accessible and designed for repeated use. This enables consumers to enjoy a full product life and better manage their weekly purchases.

In order to drive product sales, food packaging machine manufacturers need to focus on user-convenience, provide an effective way to store products for longer, offer sustainable initiatives, and an ability to provide differentiation on-shelf.In a world where many cost-conscious consumers buy food in bulk, the ability to confidently re-close the package to keep food fresh is critical to prevent food waste.  

Apart from easy opening and convenience, resealable packaging equipment technology has many other benefits to offer to both manufacturers and the consumer. Resealable packs promote sharing and encourage consumers to reduce portion sizes. They can be opened and closed up to 25 times and are a great on-the-go option for healthy-snacking when travelling or away from home.

With resealable technology products remain in their branded packs when they are kept at home in the refrigerator after first opening, avoiding the need and cost of repacking in cling film, freezer bags or rigid containers.

A re-seal feature can keep food fresher for longer.  Households waste large amounts of food and that's an environmental disaster. Ten times more resources are invested in growing and processing food than in the packaging used to protect it.  It's well worth spending a little more on the packaging if that results in less food waste.

There are certainly challenges with easy open and reclosable solutions. Brand owners and converters need to balance the need to have a robust seal for the purposes of the supply chain process, yet allow easy opening and reclose functionality for consumers.

The food packaging to sway consumers with its choose

The food packaging industry goes to enormous lengths to sway consumers with its products. Similar delights in appetising wrappers and allowing the product to speak for itself are no longer enough these days.

However, when jostling for position, it is best not to overdo it. Because making excessive use of materials and hence resources does not go down well with the consumer. But industry should do without overly flamboyant and elaborately produced packages for economic reasons as well as ecological ones. The cost not only of raw materials such as milk, cocoa and sugar, but also of energy and packaging materials is steadily rising.

To lastingly attract consumers who want sustainably produced goods and prevent the cost of materials and production from spiralling out of control, industry has no alternative but to economise on materials and above all avoid excessively extravagant packages while also reducing energy input in production.

As the consumption of confectionery and bakery products continues to rise, so do the expectations of consumers. Not only do they want to be wowed by the taste, but they are also becoming choosier as far as the packaging is concerned. The latter has to catch the eye and provide additional functions while also responding to long-term environmental requirements. And this is forcing manufacturers of confectionary and baked goods to be more creative and efficient.

As consumers continue to pay close attention to food safety

As consumers continue to pay close attention to food safety, retailers need manufacturers to provide high quality food products at all times and also need to find high quality packaging machine manufacturers in the food safety protection. If food producers provide retailers with sub-standard products, there is a high risk that the contract will be cancelled, with other manufacturers ready to take over.

Consequently, it is vital for manufacturers to find reliable packaging equipment to optimise product safety and quality, plus minimise the risk of contamination from foreign bodies.

The state of the food is then evident at a glance. One of the most frequent causes of food spoilage is breaks in the cooling chain. Intelligent time-temperature indicators are capable of indicating such discontinuities, usually with a colour change.

In addition to consumer expectations, the packaging industry is also exposed to the growing requirements of its customers. Responding to the desire for greater flexibility and efficiency, the sector reacts among other things with an intelligent and interlinked factory in which classical mechanical engineering efficiently networks with sensors, software and services.

Food packaging need to play a part in achieving this goal

By food packaging machine producing packaging in a wide variety of styles and sizes we are enabling food manufacturers and retailers to be flexible in their offering, catering to a wide range of markets. In recent years a greater variety of multihead weigher packaging sizes has fuelled the increasingly popular 'food-to-go' market, for today's work hard, time poor consumer.

The modern packaging industry helps to drive change, meet new environmental standards, and create products that are both eye-catching and lighter in weight. Retailers and manufacturers are always on the look-out for efficient packaging solutions which will stand out, provide convenience, as well as a longer shelf life in a bid to reduce food waste.

The 80s signaled the dawn of the convenience meal and, coupled with the introduction of the microwave, packaging evolved further to allow consumers to reheat their purchases. This also heralded an increase in the popularity of high density polyethylene (HDPE) and polyethylene terephthalate (PET) in food packaging, both of which could withstand the changes in temperature without breaking apart.

With the onset of increased environmental awareness in the 80s and 90s, demand quickly grew for an alternative packaging material. Back in the 80s we had recycling, and in the 90s our 'here today, gone tomorrow' campaign for biodegradable packaging was ahead of the times! Today, however, the standards are high, and you can find a myriad of eco-friendly packaging materials on the market. From biodegradable, recycled, to fully compostable paperboard, even the rPET plastic lids used within our combination packaging are constructed from 50 per cent recycled material and window film is compostable. Every manufacturer of food packaging needs to ensure that their sustainable credibility is transparent.

Years ago packaging was just 'packaging'. It was simply functional and practical - a means to an end; a container that allowed people to transport their food and drink from one place to another.

why the multihead weighers widely used in the supermarket food packaging？

In the supermarket, The vast majority of food products are sold by weight, so measuring out precise quantities, quickly, time after time, with as little waste or giveaway as possible, is vital, and this is exactly what multihead weigher are designed to do.

The packaging equipment operate by having a number of hoppers arranged in columns, and each column is fitted with a weighing head. A portion of the product to be weighed is fed into each weigh hopper and the machine’s computer evaluates the optimum combination of hoppers to make up the target weight. These are then discharged together before the hoppers are recharged from above – ready to make the next weighing combination.

This method produces a high level of accuracy when weighing single products, and is used across a wide range of applications from snacks and confectionery to grated cheese, salads, fresh meat and poultry.

Each ingredient within a mix can be assigned to a specific section of weighing heads within the machine. They will measure out the required amount of each ingredient and then release them, in most cases simultaneously, via the multihead weigher’s discharge chute into the pack.

Multihead weighers offer packaging machine manufacturers a vital edge as they strive to meet the requirements of their customers. With supermarkets and the food service sector insisting on ever more exacting specifications, it is crucial that food manufacturers maintain consistent quality on their production lines.

Informed knowledge of the significance of weight feeder

In today’s tough global economy, the pressures for proper maintenance, increased longevity of process equipment, and optimal performance are higher than ever before.

Feeders are typically engineered to address a specific material at a specific discharge rate. Changes in material, operating conditions (such as ambient or material temperatures), plant vibration levels, as well as changes in material characteristics, can all affect feeder performance. Choosing a feeder that can be easily reconfigured in your plant to handle new conditions can help you solve these problems.

Unlike the volumetric screw feeder, a continuous loss in weight feeder (LIW) is a gravimetric feeder that directly measures the material’s weight to achieve and maintain a predetermined feed rate that’s measured in units of weight per time. The LIW feeder, consists of a hopper, refill device, weight-sensing device (typically either a digital or analog scale or load cells), material-discharge device (typically a volumetric screw feeder powered by a variable-speed motor), and a controller.

The bulk material or liquid is discharged from a hopper with a constant weight per unit time by weighing the hopper and regulating the speed of the feeding device depending on the rate of weight loss. The weighing control system compensates for non-uniform material-flow characteristics and variations in bulk density, thus providing a high degree of feeding accuracy.

Proper installation, ideal weighing configurations, and appropriate choice of weighing controls can result in the avoidance of a variety of future feeder problems.  Informed knowledge of the significance of these influences is key to optimizing its performance. 

Automation advances revolutionize manufacturing

As automation advances revolutionize manufacturing, it’s imperative for packaging engineers to keep up with the latest technologies. By implementing a fully automated system, manufacturers eliminate significant levels of workforce on the production line. These processes are especially suitable for the pharmaceutical and meat and poultry industries.

Weigh the needs of your packaging operation as it relates to workforce interaction and skill, quality, safety, productivity and profitability when deciding to use semi-automated or fully automated packaging machines on your production line.

Not all applications require the high speeds or positioning accuracy of fully automated packaging systems. Sometimes a semi-automatic solution provides the right level of flexibility and affordability. Photo courtesy of Piab.

In the meat and poultry industry, manufacturers focus mainly on quality and sanitation. By removing the human element, food processors can help decrease the risk of product contamination. Fully automated lines can help ensure that manufacturers are complying with the latest Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) regulations and help improve product quality and safety.

Additionally, fully automated lines can help to guarantee safety of the workforce on the manufacturing floor. As automation equipment design improves to allow for safer employee interfaces, the workforce can increasingly interact with equipment without compromising safety and skilled workers are able to interact with automation equipment remotely. Fully automated equipment can help increase employee safety on the line without compromising product quality.