FROZEN SEAFOOD MANUFACTURER
DOUBLES PACKAGING SPEED WITH tna
Frozen seafood manufacturer Whitby
Seafoods has been able to double its
packaging speed by installing a new
packaging and distribution line from
processing and packaging equipment
provider tna. The investment has
enabled Whitby Seafoods to meet
rising consumer demand by providing
additional capacity and seamless
integration between systems, helping to
save time and increase efficiency.
Based in Whitby, a traditional fishing
port in North Yorkshire in the UK, Whitby
Seafoods is a leading producer of frozen
seafood products. A growing family
company, Whitby Seafoods specialises
in locally sourced langoustines – or
scampi – that are breaded and sold in
bitesize portions.
A recent rebrand has meant that the
company updated its packaging design
to appeal to an even wider audience.
New pack sizes range from between
200g and 300g in a standard pillow bag
format. Whitby Seafoods therefore
required a flexible packaging and
distribution system that would allow it
to expand its product portfolio and allow
efficient product changes and integration
with existing elements of the production
line.
As a growing manufacturer, Whitby
Seafoods was looking to increase
capacity with a third packaging line. It
chose to install the tna robag 3ci – a
‘vertical form, fill and seal’ (VFSS)
packaging solution that would allow
consistent high quality at a fast speed for
a range of bag sizes.
44 SEPTEMBER 2018
tna regional sales manager Simon Hill
says packaging line speed was crucial
to maintaining food safety with frozen
foods like seafood. “While the two
existing production lines operate at
70 bags per minute (bpm), the new
line works comfortably at 140 bpm,
effectively doubling product throughput.
This now helps Whitby Seafoods to
ensure products are processed as
quickly as possible.”
With growing consumer demand for
new and exciting products, Whitby
Seafoods needed a flexible packaging
system that would allow it to enhance
production capacity. tna, renowned for
delivering the fastest VFSS speeds in
the industry, enabled the company to
double its production speeds, while
also improving product quality. The
installation exceeded the frozen seafood
manufacturer’s initial objectives in terms
of packaging speeds, which are integral
to the company as it grows in the future.
tna’s robag 3ci was chosen for its ability
to deliver a high-quality finish to Whitby
Seafoods’ packaging. With a rotary
jaw design that uses advanced sealing
technology for improved seal integrity
at high speeds, the new system helps
to deliver a consistently appealing end
product. The compact design, including a
shorter bagging system height and small
footprint, was ideal for the low ceiling in
the Whitby Seafoods factory.
With the ability to walk around upstairs,
operators have better visibility of the line
and therefore stricter quality assurance
standards. The new equipment also
has a user-friendly interface, making it
simple and easy to operate. This will
help Whitby Seafoods to save significant
time regarding ongoing operation and
training in the long-term. Helping to
realise further performance benefits,
the packing system was fitted with the
tna intelli-weigh omega 314 multi-head
weigher, with the capabilty for a 2200kg
per hour in-feed to the packaging
system.
Due to the frozen nature of the Whitby
Seafoods’ product range, it was crucial
to maintain a continuous production
process and keep the product moving
throughout the line to avoid thawing.
Lengthy stoppage times for a film or
product changeover could therefore
compromise food quality and safety, as
well as increase wastage. The tna robag
3ci and its simplified film system for
easy film threading and high accuracy
control has improved efficiencies at
Whitby Foods by reducing film waste
and cutting changeover procedures from
two minutes to 30 seconds.
“There are numerous benefits of having
a single source supplier,” Hill says.
“Not only does it save Whitby Seafoods
time by simplifying the implementation
process, but ongoing customer service
becomes much easier as there is one
point of contact for everything, such as
spare parts, after-market support and
warranty services. We have provided
Whitby Seafoods with optimum line
efficiency that goes above and beyond
its key requirements.”
tna robag FX 3ci at Whitby Seafoods
tna intelli-weigh
Whitby Seafoods tna robag FX 3ci Scampis on conveyor