Tag Pack Expo

Spartech-ORICS partnership creates turnkey packaging solution for food brands

ORICS and Spartech sealing machine innovation

A recent collaboration between ORICS, designer and manufacturer of high-speed packaging equipment and Spartech Packaging Technologies, business segment of Spartech Corporation, has resulted in a turnkey solution for food brands seeking a comprehensive single-source option for food packaging.

A new option for food brands in the North American market, the 1-Seal lidding technology is a durable, sustainable, re-sealable packaging solution. The polypropylene label-lid combo serves dual purposes; capping and sealing rigid plastic containers in one step and eliminating the need for foil or film membranes in the sealing process. The 1-Seal lid is heat-tolerant, microwavable, freezer-to-microwave ready and recyclable in streams that collect polypropylene.

The 1-Seal technology was awarded the 2012 SPI International Plastics Design Competition Packaging Award and is featured in Packaging World’s 34 Best Packaging Designs of 2012. Jeffrey Best, Director of Marketing for Spartech Packaging Technologies, believes ORICS’ reputation as an innovator and trusted leader in automated packaging solutions will be an added value to any food brand looking to transition to using 1-Seal technology.

Best stated, “I have worked with ORICS for many years and during this time they have consistently incorporated new packaging technologies and materials into their production capabilities. ORICS is an innovator and has been recognized by the Packaging Machinery Manufacturers Institute (PMMI) for their efforts. When Spartech decided to commercialize the 1-Seal technology, I contacted ORICS because I was sure that they would want to promote this technology within their portfolio of packaging production capabilities.”

Through this partnership, customers can be assured that both equipment and packaging will work in harmony.

ORICS and Spartech sealing machine innovation

Original Article: Packaging World, October 26, 2012

Pack Expo show daily review of ORICS Eco-cut® Tray Sealer.

No film waste is the key to this tray lidding system from ORICS.

CMTS with Eco-Cut

Most cup, tub and tray sealing machinery currently available generate an inordinate amount of excess film that needs to be handled, discarded and ultimately recycled at a significant cost in terms of money, labor and energy.

The unique design of the S-30 and CMTS Eco-Cut® systems by ORICS eliminate this film waste and have proven to be a perfect fit for leading processors in the food packaging industry. ORICS’ Eco-Cut® film feeder technology cuts the film in between each container, leaving no wasted film and potentially saving the facility $35,000, or more, per year in material costs alone. Further savings include reduced labor costs and downtime by eliminating the need to handle and discard excess film.

What’s more, Eco-Cut® also lessens a producer’s carbon footprint and environmental impact by virtually eliminating discarded material. By reducing the material cost for the ongoing purchase of lidding material (film), an Eco-Cut® system practically pays for itself; turning environmentally-conscious eco-friendly design into verifiable savings.

Original interview: Packaging World, October 31, 2010

Their 2005 visit to Pack Expo Las Vegas yielded big dividends, so these two packaging professionals plan a return to Vegas for another look-see.

By Pat Reynolds, VP Editor, Packaging World

A. Duda & Sons increased productivity by 70%. Kona Joe Coffee boosted production even more dramatically. How? By purchasing new equipment seen at Pack Expo Las Vegas 2005. Needless to say, principals from both firms will return to Las Vegas for this year’s edition of Pack Expo Las Vegas, sponsored, as always, by the Packaging Machinery Manufacturers Institute (www.pmmi.org).

A. Duda & Sons, out of Oviedo, FL, is one of the world’s largest producers of celery products. It also serves both retail and foodservice markets, selling its products under the Dandy brand name. Products in addition to celery include mandarins, red grapefruits, red and white onions, broccoli, and cauliflower.

With operation centers as far-flung as Michigan, South Africa, and Spain, the firm found it increasingly difficult to maintain necessary production speeds while relying on a manual packaging process.

“Having been to Pack Expo on numerous occasions, I knew it would be a good opportunity to investigate ways we could improve efficiency,” says Steve Bocchino, vice president of procurement and packaging at Duda.

After extensive research, Bocchino purchased a linear-motion S-30-DX Heat Seal Machine from [ORICS]. (www.orics.com) to help increase the value of the company’s Dandy Microwaveable Sweet Corn brand. The sweet corn is fully-husked and tray-packed into individual packages that can go right into the microwave. Both three- and four-count packages are available.

Prior to the purchase of the Orics S-30, Duda depended heavily on a smaller table-top steam sealing machine. “Microwavable corn trays were filled by hand and manually steam pressed closed, requiring excess film and increased labor time as well as low productivity,” says Bocchino.

The sleek design of the S-30 proved to be a perfect fit for A. Duda & Sons. Orics customized the system to include an extended frame and registered film slice-cut mechanism to handle the specially vented printed film that adorns the top of each Dandy Microwaveable Sweet Corn pack.

The S-30’s film feeder technology offers additional benefits. Film is cut in between each container, leaving no wasted film and saving the company more than $35,000 a year. The approach also minimizes environmental impact by decreasing the amount of material discarded.

Installation proved to be an easy, hassle-free process. Orics also offered off-site training, which “was invaluable for our employees,” recalls Bocchino. “They were able to learn first hand from trained instructors how to operate the system.”

The S-30 packs two trays per cycle for A. Duda & Sons and has increased productivity by 70%. In addition, by eliminating the manual packing process, the S-30 has also helped free up employees to handle more strategic tasks within the organization.

Original Article: Packaging World, August 9, 2007

Pack Expo 2015

ORICS Capper helps Nestlé Beneful receive Pack Expo Selects award

The dog food package for Nestlé Beneful Prepared Meals was selected the winner in the inaugural Pack Expo Selects™ program by packaging professionals attending last November’s Pack Expo Intl., which is sponsored by the Packaging Machinery Manufacturers Institute (www.pmmi.org).

The package incorporates barriers for extended shelf stability, withstands the high temperature and pressure of the retort process, and appeals to pet owners. Thermoformed of a proprietary, clear, seven-layer polypropylene/ethylene vinyl alcohol coextrusion, the package has an inner seal to lock out air and other elements to protect nutrients. A full-body, heat-shrink sleeve label includes windows so consumers can view the product inside. A snap-on lid makes it easy for consumers to reseal and refrigerate any leftovers for future use.

The package is used for eight 10-oz varieties that sell for $1.59 each in about 50% of the U.S., primarily in the East, South, and Southwest. Shelf life is one year from the date of production. Once opened, product should be stored in the refrigerator for up to three days.

A PMMI press release noted that supplier/exhibitors contributing to the Beneful package include … ORICS Industries, Inc. (www.orics.com). Nestlé did not comment on suppliers for proprietary reasons.

Originally appeared: Pack Expo, February 9, 2007

Onions take to thermoforms

For both foodservice and retail channels, Gills Onions is now offering rigid packaging as an alternative to flexible film bags.

By Pat Reynolds, VP Editor, Packaging World

[av_dropcap1]T[/av_dropcap1]he nation’s leading supplier of fresh-cut packaged onions Gills Onions of Oxnard CA has been busy changing its approach to packaging in both its foodservice and its retail offerings. In both cases a rigid package is now being offered as an alternative to packs made of flexible film.

The firm’s first foray into packaging of fresh-cut onions for foodservice accounts came nearly five years ago when a flexible package was introduced for foodservice accounts. While foodservice operators appreciated the convenience of not having to peel and slice their own onions they suggested buy steroids australia paypal a tray might be more convenient. “They seem to prefer the handling characteristics of the tray over the bag” says Steve Gill who with his brother owns the firm. “The sliced onions are easier to remove from a tray.”

So about two years ago a rotary tray-sealing system from ORICS Industries was installed to package 5-lb portions of sliced onions. That system has since been replaced by a new model from Orics the S-30 in-line system. According to Gill the in-line machine occupies less space in the plant than its rotary predecessor. It also utilizes less lidding material because the film’s width is the same as the tray’s. So unlike the rotary system there is no excess lidstock around the perimeter of the tray that has to be trimmed after the tray exits the heat-sealing tool.

Thermoformed of 39-mil polypropylene by ClearPak Co. the foodservice trays for 5-lb portions measure 103¼8” x 121¼2” and are just over 3” deep. Operators fill and weigh the trays by hand along an 18’ long assembly conveyor. The trays are then placed in an indexing conveyor that feeds them into the cavities of the Orics in-line lidding system.

Lidding material from Packaging Products is a two-layer adhesive lamination of 48-ga oriented PP and 1-mil cast PP. It’s microperforated to give it a permeability that allows the proper respiration rate. In other words CO2 given off by the onions is allowed to escape and O2 is allowed to enter at rates that ensure the 16-day shelf life that Gills Onions needs for nationwide distribution.

Foodservice customers who order trays instead of a bag with a zipper reclosure pay a slight premium says sales manager Melia Alamo. “But they’re willing to because the product is so much easier to access and handle” says Alamo. “We still offer the bag but we’re seeing more and more converts to the tray.”

Shelf life on tray-packed sliced onions is 16 days same as for bagged product. The product is shipped from the Oxnard plant to warehouses in Oxnard Salinas or Los Angeles where it’s sold. “It becomes the buyer’s responsibility to get it through the chilled distribution chain” says Alamo.

And on the retail side

Gills Onions’ entry into the retail market is more recent than the launch of its foodservice line. In April of 2002 it began selling 10-oz zippered bags of sliced or diced onions. But in March of this year in response to retailers who thought it would display better a thermoformed PET cup with heat-sealed film lidding and a snap-fit overcap was being released as an alternative. A second ORICS S-30 sealing machine was installed to handle the retail line. It includes a station near the discharge area where snap-fit lids are automatically applied.

Thermoformed PET cups are 4.5” square and 3” deep. They’re supplied by Cool-Pak. The lidding material a 1-mil DuPont Mylar with a heat-seal coating is from Packaging Products. A pressure-sensitive bar-code label is applied to the bottom of each cup by Packaging Products. The firm also applies a brightly decorated p-s label to the side of each container. This label is printed flexo in four colors and is supplied by Label Technology.

For diced onions the cups are filled automatically by a 14-bucket combination scale from Heat and Control. The Orics S-30 cup sealer sits beneath it. For sliced onions cups are filled by hand and then sent through the Orics machine.

The cups run through the S-30 system two-across at 60 cups/min. Sliced onions are filled 8 oz per cup while diced onions—including a diced onion/celery mix—are filled 10 oz per cup. Cups are manually packed six per corrugated tray. Refrigerated shelf life is the same for the retail cups as for the foodservice trays: 16 days. The cups sell for about $1.99.

“We think consumers will like the cup better and we already know that retailers prefer it because it displays and merchandises better than the pouch” says Gill. “We’ll pay a little more for packaging materials but if we sell more product it will be worth it.”

Gill’s Onions Utilizes ORICS Equipment, the S-30

Originally Appeared: Packaging World, April 30, 2005

Sliced apples stay fresh for 36 days

(ORICS M.A.P. Systems and )Robotics to the rescue

By Pat Reynolds, VP Editor, Packaging World

Preformed three-compartment trays used for Reichel Foods’ snacks are filled with a variety of components. Monday it might be meat cheese and crackers Wednesday nacho chips and salsa and Friday peanut butter jelly and pizza bread.

The trays are filled by a semi-automatic depositor but some compartments are fed by hand. No two operators load trays at the same pace so filled trays in their eight lanes head toward the lidding machine randomly. The task of evacuating backflushing and lidding these trays is performed by an intermittent-motion machine that Craig Reichel describes as one of a kind.

“We needed automated equipment that would accept randomly fed trays in multiple lanes” says Reichel. “Most machinery builders who said they could design such equipment wanted a sizeble financial commitment from us before they would even show us what their solution was.”

Considering that his was a small firm in start-up mode such an arrangement was less than ideal. One equipment builder however willing to design machinery on acceptable terms was Orics Industries (Flushing NY). The eight-lane system installed by ORICS in 1998 uses eight-cavity-wide carrier plates 23 plates in all to take trays through a lidding chamber. Arranged like the treads of a tank in a long oval path the carrier plates come up to receive filled trays at the infeed end of the oval travel through the lidding chamber discharge lidded trays at the discharge end of the oval and then travel beneath the machine before coming back up at the infeed end.

Immediately upstream from this part of the system is a robotic pick-and-place tool and just ahead of that an eight-lane infeed device. The robot has eight pairs of end effectors. When a filled tray reaches the transfer position a sensor signals the central PLC to actuate a mechanical device that elevates the tray slightly. This puts the tray into the pick position. Also triggered is a mechanical stop that prevents trailing trays in that lane from advancing. When all eight lanes have a tray in the pick position the servo-driven robot’s eight pairs of end effectors pick up their assigned trays and load them into an eight-cavity carrier plate.

The carrier plate takes the trays into the sealing chamber. Just ahead of this chamber eight fiber-optic sensors detect when containers are present. A signal is then sent to the PLC indicating that the sealing chamber is to be activated.

Inside the sealing chamber says Reichel “A lot of things (Modified Atmosphere, M.A.P.) happen.” The first thing once the chamber is closed is evacuation. Next is backflushing with a modified atmosphere (M.A.P.) followed by heat sealing of lid to tray and finally cutting of the lidding material around the tray perimeter. With all these tasks performed the lidding chamber opens and all eight trays are discharged onto a takeaway conveyor leading to an automatic cartoner. Reichel runs the machine as fast as 120 trays/min.

“One of the nice things about the machine is that the carrier plates move independently of the film feed” says Reichel. “Film is only drawn from the roll when it’s needed. The carrier plates just keep steadily cycling through the lidding (M.A.P.) chamber while the infeed section waits for all eight pick stations to be occupied by a tray. Only then will trays be advanced and lidding material drawn. It’s a very clever solution that accommodates our random-feed requirement without wasting lidding material.”

Originally Appeared: Packaging World, April 30, 2001