PA C K A G I N G
GEA OFFERS FUTUREPROOF
ENGINEERING
Technology group GEA offers a wide range of engineering excellence in the area food
processing and packaging for meat, cheese, bakery, confectionery, and pasta.
GEA’s mission is to provide
customers with sustainable value
creation and future-proof ideas for
their continued success – whether
it’s a single piece of equipment, a
specialized production line for an
entire process or an entirely new
plant on a greenfield site. More
sustainable packaging solutions
and the advantages of complete
processing lines from once source
are focus themes for the company.
More sustainable
packaging solutions
One latest innovation is the
GEA PowerPak Plus, a new
thermoforming packaging machine,
providing better packaging quality,
reduced film consumption, simple
handling, and higher productivity.
Fully integrated the machine is
GEA OxyCheck, a non-destructive
quality control system for modifiedatmosphere
packaging (MAP)
that checks the oxygen content
and seal integrity of every single
food product packaged. The GEA
technology uses a sensor spot
made of a polystyrene-based
fluorescent dye that is printed on
the inside of the top film. Similar to
an indicator strip, the wavelength
of the dye changes depending
upon the oxygen content inside
the package. Sensors on the GEA
PowerPak thermoformer activate
this sensor spot and then take a
reading. GEA has developed a
special method for calculating the
oxygen concentration based on the
light emitted and the temperature.
The new measurement system has
no effect on either the line speed
or the throughput of the GEA
PowerPak. Defective packages
are automatically sorted out
individually.
Based on customer requirements,
more environmentally-friendly pack
solutions will be produced in future
– such as FoodTray – a pack made
from paperboard and plastic film,
which uses up to 80% less film
compared to classical packs. The
slicing, loading and packaging line
include a powerful human machine
interface from GEA, which monitors
and controls all line components.
Line competence
creates holistic
solutions
“We have decades of experience
in designing automatic slicing,
loading and packaging systems
of all sizes. GEA also offers
a wide range of efficient and
functional modules that can be
customized to meet the customer’s
specifications,” says senior product
manager slicing and loading for
GEA, Norbert Brunnquell.
“By constantly expanding our
range, including all production
line needs, we’re able to offer our
customers individual components
as well as holistic solutions for
slicing and packaging of various
products like sausages, cheese or
ham, all from a single source,” says
Brunnquell.
“All components on site are
brought into sync with one another,
ensuring no machine is either
oversized or undersized.”
As food processing and packaging
companies seek to meet changing
end-user needs in terms of
convenience, compliance and
safety, GEA supports with
packaging and manufacturing
technologies that are reliable
and offer maximise operational
efficiency, providing smart
solutions for sophisticated process
industries.
40 JUNE 2020
Your trusted partner
for food, beverage and
packaging processes
Decades of experience in developing specialised
solutions, combined with our expertise in food & beverage,
and solid and liquid packaging processing applications,
makes Bonfiglioli your trusted partner.
https://www.bonfiglioli.com/new_zealand/en
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