ADAPTING TO THE DEMANDS OF THE PHARMACEUTICAL INDUSTRY

Developments have been made to U-E-T’s compact cartoning machine specifically to target the pharmaceutical markets, an enhanced version of this has recently been installed within the UK for a World leading global manufacturer.

Many products in this industry could be hazardous and with this in mind U-E-T changed the machine plate style to ensure that in these instances there is no chance of particles/droplets being left in difficult to clean areas or indeed them dropping to the floor.   Other nice features include coding systems, synchronisation with vision inspection systems checking leaflets, cartons & pharma codes.

In cases where there may be products that have more than 1 part to it additional product sensors are built into the machine enabling the operator to be alerted if there are any missing parts, the operation is then halted until the carton is filled correctly/removed. 

Health & Safety has been enhanced by fitting security switches onto access doors allowing them only to be opened when machine is in stop position and not during cycling.

CONTACT:

SPRINGVALE EQUIPMENT LTD FOR FURTHER INFORMATION – 01420 542505

 There are a number of reasons why faulty packages especially in the food and confectionery industry need to be unpacked.  This may be necessary due to machine start-up waste, wrong coding, best-before-use date overdue, under-or overfilling etc.  It would be too expensive to unpack such material manually or to completely throw away the product.

The German made PACK-SAVER range of Product Recovery Machines from LEU-TRONIC (www.Leu-Tronic.de) are designed to allow a clean separation of product from its packaging material.  The PACK-SAVER does not work with knives, but using adjustable tear-off rails to open the packages.  Due to the rail rotation and the special shape of the assorting chamber, an air-stream is produced which “blows” the empty wrapping material out of the machine.  The product is then transported to a vibration sieving device, where an exhausting device separates small wrapper particles from the product, which then can be re-processed and used again.

Depending on product, a capacity of up to 400kg per hour can be achieved.  Only one operator is needed to control a PACK-SAVER.

Typical products which are being recovered are;

coffee, tea, sugar, confectionery, chewing gum, chocolate bars, biscuits, crisps, detergent tablets etc.

For further information call

Springvale Equipment Ltd – 01420 542505 – www.springequip.co.uk

Feige are well known around the world for their quality filling machines for bulk containers from 25 litres up to 1000 litres but now have a new range known as Slimline for those companies wanting a robust machine without being loaded with extra features. www.feige.com

The prices are equally “slimline” as follows:

Slimline 4 for 25 litre containers             ex works Germany €9,375

Slimline 9 for 200 litre drums                  ex works Germany €11,875

Slimline 8 for IBC’s                                ex works Germany €13,125

Keeping with the economy theme we also represent Pack’R who specialise in weigh filling machines for containers from 1 litre – 25 litre and they too have launched a range of filler/cappers for straight forward projects needing a reliable monobloc filler/capper. www.packr.com

There are two machines in this range: a 6 head or an 8 head filling turret both with a single capping station.  The standard machine will include:

*Weigh filling technology with gravimetric tank

*Product infeed valve controlled by a level detector

*Capping station (screw or press-on cap)

*Motorised conveyor 3m in length

*Guards with interlocked doors (CE)

*Tooling for 1 container/1 cap (option for additional tooling for other containers)

*Siemens plc

                        6 head               8 head

1 litre or less                 50cpm                50cpm

2 litre                           40cpm                50cpm

5 litre                           20cpm                30cpm

10 litre                          14cpm                20cpm  (only cylindrical on this range)

Budget Price for 6 head filler/capper                    ex works France €85,000

Budget Price for 8 head filler/capper                    ex works France €100,000

Options available include CIP, coloured touch screen, statistics and production report, diving nozzles, cap elevator, click & play tooling, buckets.

                    

 See us at the PPMA show at the NEC from 30^th Sept – 2^nd October Hall 5 Stand D80

www.springequip.co.uk register for your free tickets  www.ppmashow.co.uk/springvale

Exhibition success if key to any business but for Springvale Equipment this was proven at last years Total Show whilst introducing new Principals U-E-T and Unifill selling one of their machines direct from the stand.  This year a new approach is being taken for a which a visit to the stand is essential – many solutions are offered for packaging machinery requirements.  Springvale Equipments Stand Location – D80.

Langenpac

Listening to customers requirements Langenpac in the last 18mths have made several developments to their existing range.  Vertical cartoning & tube filling, robotic feeding and a new manual load machine.  The AIR launched this year at Interpack is an entry level machine built on the success of the Chinook Family, Langenpac’s new generation of machines.

The AIR includes features from the automatic range such as

- lug chain to carry cartons preventing damage

- adjustable for different carton sizes, quick change features

- carton ‘pre-break” at the magazine to ensure full opening of the carton

- floor mounted or on castors for mobility

- output of upto 90cpm

Whilst offering the customer these benefits, you’ll also benefit from it’s flexibility and low investment cost.

 U-E-T Bernd Siebler GmbH

Adaptable, compact, versitle, easy to operate and economic are just some of the words that perfectly summise the cartoning machines manufactured by U-E-T.  Since the sale of the machine from Total these machines have proven to be reliable and moreso adjustable  - ideal  for example in the ever changing world of contract packing – quote “it is perfect as the core of our business is flexibility” says Don Johnson, Production & Engineering Manager, Laleham Healthcare Ltd.

Special Features

q   Compact 1m²

q   Automatic/Manual Load

q   Unbeatable size range

q   Adjustable star wheel allowing easy and quick change

q   Tool Free Changeover

q   Automatic leaflet inserter

q   Embossing, Hot-Foil, Ink-jet coding

q   Pharma-code reading

q   Hot-melt closing

q   Infeed systems for bottles/jars/tubes etc

Boato Pack

Italian based manufacturer of vertical form, fill seal machinery for variable width sachets and stickpacks. Offering to the market place a range of machines constructed to a modular system  available in upto 20 production lanes (product dependent) using dosing systems suitable for powders, liquids, wet tissue and solids.

 Ongoing developments bring customers

• Maximum efficiency
• High reliability
• Maximum flexibility
• Low maintenance
• High production capacity

UNIFILL SRL of Italy lead the world in the manufacturing of Vertical Thermoform Fill & Seal machines for monodoses and single portion packs for food, pharmaceutical, chemical and personal care applications. 

UNIFILL TF-400 is a hi-tech machine suitable for the production of multiple use containers with volumes ranging from 100 up to 400ml, at speeds reaching up 200 units/minute.  Due to the modular concept the TF-400 can produce finished filled & capped containers or empty spouted containers ready to be filled and capped on conventional lines.

Soft or thick plastic materials – to produce pouch like, or bottle like containers can be used with a thickness ranging between 150 and 600 microns, depending on the requirements of application.

UNIFILL TF-K is a highly compact machine designed for particularly price sensitive applications as well as for projects with limited output requirements, without compromising the technical standard levels.  The TF-K benefits from all the innovative features, and the reliability that characterises all UNIFILL machines.  Special care has been put in the selection of materials and technical solutions, the result is a machine that is essential, cost effective and easy to operate.

 Contact Details:

Springvale Equipment Ltd – 01420 542505  - www.springequip.co.uk

 With around 100 machines sold in the last three decades for pharmaceutical applications –thus representing around 30% on the total installations world wide – the Unifill technology is proven to be particularly attractive for the packing of a variety of liquid and semi-dense OTC products.

While in Europe and the Americas the most common product packed with our technology are cough syrup, mouth washers, neutraceutical products, topic ointments, pain-relief creams, tooth-pastes, etc the Far East market is mostly concentrating on vitamins, herbal drinks, energisers, body oils, etc.

From a packaging point of view the production of drinkable medicines into disposable plastic unit doses offers great economical and practical advantages in respect to glass containers which are often critical for what concerns sourcing, transportation, handling and outer packing. 

 The large consumption of healthy products such as ginseng-based drinks, herbal supplements, vitamins and energetic drinks – especially in the Far East markets – greatly contributed to the success of the Unifill technology in the para-pharmaceutical and the healthcare industry. China is today Unifill’s main market where a number of machines have been sold with over 50 installations, 70% of which are for pharmaceutical applications. 

HYGIENE LEVEL

Although Unifill machines are not aseptic and are therefore not suitable for the handling of sterile products such as injectables, a special ultra-clean package is available to greatly increase hygienic handling and filling conditions. In particular, the ultra clean package – that is available for any Unifill model- includes thermoforming with sterile air, inert gas flushing before or after filling, magnetic dosing and filling unit, laminar flow with HEPA filter.

Further to this, Unifill has recently developed, together with some of the top material suppliers, some projects where the Unifill machine utilise special retort materials such as PP/EVOH/PP or PA/EVOH/PP. Such materials are suitable for autoclaving and/or Gamma rays sterilisation.

SUPPOSITORIES

The RESNOVA machines represent UNIFILL’s ultra modern interpretation of suppositories packing. These hi-tech machines have been designed by the biggest world experts of suppositories packing, following the inputs and the suggestions gathered from the market in over 30 years of experience.

Fully complying with latest GMP regulations, the

RESNOVA machines combine the most advanced manufacturing technologies with technical solutions that are absolutely innovative to the suppositories market.

Easy and quick size changeover operations -only 2 hours to switch from PVC/PE to ALU/PE and vice versa against the 8 hours needed on conventional systems – balcony construction for immediate tooling access, no top trimming required, in-production reel replacement and many other features make this product a dream come true for the operators.

The RESNOVA family – entirely electronically controlled to grant the highest reliability and accuracy- consists of two models: the Resnova-15 for outputs between 12,000 and 24,000 suppositories per hour (available in different configurations and versions also depending on the number of cooling units) and the Resnova-35, capable of reaching up to 35,000 suppositories per hour.

Contact UK Agents: SPRINGVALE EQUIPMENT LTD – 01420 542505 – WWW.SPRINGEQUIP.CO.UK for further information.

With the launching of the stainless steel continuous CHINOOK cartoner in 2002, Langenpac has initiated the birth of a new generation of cartoning machines, featuring particularly fast size change over, easy cleaning and reduced maintenance requirements.

The “CHINOOK-family” has grown bigger in 2006 when the smaller footprint machines VENTO and BREEZE were launched. Using the same technology of the BREEZE, since 2007 the CHINOOK is also available in an intermittent motion version, the ZEPHYR.

Many machines have found their way to a multitude of markets where hygiene and state of the art design machines create added value to it’s users. Besides biscuits and chocolates, also the frozen food and tissue markets have demonstrated the success of this machine series.

Having started in the 90’s with an entry level cartoner, this machine has proved its usefulness in many applications where customers wanted to launch a new product or needed temporary extra cartoning capacity.

With the actual dynamics in the market where new products are requested more and more often, Langenpac has decided to complete its range of New Generation cartoners with a modern entry level machine allowing high flexibility at a low investment level, corresponding to its application.

This machine will be launched at Interpack 2008 (booth 6 D37) www.interpack.com.

For further info please contact Springvale Equipment Ltd – www.springequip.co.uk –  01420 542505 or visit Langenpac’s website www.langenpac.com.

ORBIS for open-mouth bags and impeller packer with integrated metal detector for valve bags.  

German packaging specialist will soon launch its new filling system ORBIS, for open-mouth bags that have been specially developed for the filling of powdery products at hourly rates of more than 500 bags with filling weights of 25 kg.

The demand of the international food industry for hygienic filling of powdery products into open-mouth bags at rates of more than 500 bags per hour has increased, as the valve bag has not been convincing for all products. The packaging machine manufacturers are confronted with the challenge that powdery products, just as flour, baking ingredients, starch, yeast, etc. cannot be filled as easily and efficiently as granules. Everybody knows powders are dusty. Optimum filling results can only be attained with the right filling system. The relation between low-air filling, dust-tight filling spout and efficient product de-aeration are of utmost importance, but influence the machine output.   

The new packaging system ORBIS made by BEHN+BATES guarantees both the efficient hygienic filling of powdery products, as well as high machine outputs of up to 600 bags per hour. It can handle all of the common bag types, just as gusseted and flat bags made of paper, PE or combinations thereof. It is equipped with 3, 4 or 6 filling spouts.  

The machine to be shown at Interpack 2008 (hall 12, stand 12D08/E07) is equipped with 4 filling spouts that work independently from each other thus making it possible to carry out the individual filling steps (bag application, coarse-flow filling, fine-flow filling and bag discharge) simultaneously. This results in shorter cycles and higher machine outputs. The individual filling steps are optimally synchronized. 

The empty bags are separated at their bottom,  then guided through the modern empty bag magazine by the optimized high-speed singling station. Thus, a controlled bag opening and a secure bag placing by a servo-driven applicator arm to the filling spout is guaranteed. The product is filled according to the gross system, i. e. the bags are weighed during the filling process. Height-adjustable bottom vibrators provided in an encapsulated design, due to the severe hygienic prescriptions in the food industry, assure that the bags are optimally compacted. The results are stable bags that can be easily stacked and a perfect pallet shape being of utmost importance for the product marketing.   

After the filling the bag is taken off the filling spout and transferred to the discharge unit. The filled bags are closed either by folding, sewing, sealing, gluing, hot-melt activation or combinations thereof. The chosen type of closing systems depends on the individual customer requests. In the food industry the combination of sealing and hot-melt activation has proven its worth as the bags are especially tight then. Humidity, foreign bodies, bugs or similar cannot penetrate the product. Even longer storage times are possible due to the tight closure in combination with an internal PE welding, provided that the right bag material has been chosen.  

Stringent hygienic standards within the food industry were one of the main criteria for the design of the new BEHN+BATES packaging system ORBIS: The filling system is suspended from the top making it easily accessible for cleaning purposes underneath the filling spouts. In addition, the machine bottom is completely closed and the energy cables are laid outside the dust area. The access doors made of security glass are flush with the machine frame. Possible dust deposit areas are reduced to a minimum. 

The ORBIS system, BEHN+BATES, is perfectly prepared for the future. Again and again new convincing packaging designs for the food industry arise from the combination of tradition and innovation.

Further information is available from SPRINGVALE EQUIPMENT LTD

Over the years, machinery manufacturer Langenpac N.V. of Holland, continually develop their technology by listening to their customers’ requirements and studying market trends.  Langenpac offer its customers a comprehensive service from the outset often providing solutions to both high speed and difficult to handle applications to the more standard that haven’t been available before.  Within their range of machinery a multitude of products can be handled: Foods – biscuits, bars, cereals, confectionery, frozen, ready meals, pizzas, pies and wet foods such as fish fingers. Drinks – Bottles into tubes, gift cartons @ 400cpm. Pharmaceutical –from contact lenses, medical device kits to female hygiene items. FMCG – from batteries to air fresheners.  This is just a snapshot  of products that can be handled.  There of course many more, with the potential to break into new areas. 

During the course of 2007 a survey was completed across Europe by Procarton to see how branded products were packaged and as such what effect this had when it came to purchasing.  The results were that cartoned products are at a distinct advantage of being recognised on the supermarket shelves over similar branded products packaged in an alternative format, therefore the likelihood of being purchased increased.  

On a brand level it was pasta and biscuits packed in cartons that scored the highest.  In general though it was found that appealing colours and print effects of the carton made the packaging more eye-catching, in turn making the product more recognisable.  Products packed in transparent material also scored high in several categories, as customers like to see what they are purchasing.  So, with transparent windows and carton packs in the case of pasta for example, this made a winning combination.  Overall, cartons scored higher than other materials for brand recognition.  Brand awareness and familiarity play in a big role in consumers’ purchasing choices. 

With this knowledge Langenpac, being specialists in collating & cartoning difficult to handle/delicate products at up to 250 cartons per minute, are well placed to help this sector develop new carton formats. 

Full information is obtainable from their UK/Ireland agents

Springvale Equipment Ltd – 01420 542505 – www.springequip.co.uk       

UNIFILL SRL of Italy remain the unchallenged world leader in the manufacturing of Vertical Thermoform Fill & Seal machines for monodoses and single portion packs for food, pharmaceutical, chemical and personal care applications.  Currently they are working on two new ambitious projects that will extend the UNIFILL range of equipment into two important market segments: the low output on one side and the large filling capacity on the other.

These two new machine models, which are expected to fill an existing gap, are to be officially launched at INTERPACK 2008 (Hall B, Booth G-39 April 24-30) Dusseldorf, Germany. 

Full technical and commerical details have not yet been disclosed but a brief resume can be found below.

UNIFILL TF-400 is a hi-tech machine suitable for the production of multiple use containers with volumes ranging from 100 up to 400ml, at speeds reaching up 200 units/minute.  Thanks to it’s modular concept the TF-400 could be set-up to produce finished filled & capped containers or empty spouted containers ready to be filled and capped on conventional lines.

Soft or thick plastic materials – to produce pouch like, or bottle like containers can be used with a thickness ranging between 150 and 600 microns, depending on the requirements of application.

UNIFILL TF-K is a highly compact machine designed for particularly price sensative applications as well as for projects with limited output requirements, without compromising the technical standard levels.  The TF-K benefits from all the innovative features, and the reliability that characterises all UNIFILL machines.  Special care has been put in the selection of materials and technical solutions, the result is a machine that is essential, cost effective and easy to operate.

The TF-K is the machine that should finally make the UNIFILL technology widely accessible.

Further information on UNIFILL’s range of machinery can be obtained from Springvale Equipment Ltd www.springequip.co.uk or contacting 01420 542505.

Specifically designed to suit the demands of the Spirit Industry, Langenpac now offer 2 vertical packaging machines to pack spirit bottles into either gift cartons or composite tubes.  We are delighted that both styles of machine have been ordered and will be delivered into the UK this year.

The vertical cartoning machine has been designed and built on the knowledge gained over many years on their existing horizontal style, but offers many benefits including a smaller footprint and the ability to handle a much wider range of different bottle shapes and sizes with differing degrees of label protection and cartons of differing carton board material and finishes.    The vertical cartoning machine runs at up to 200 bottles/min and the vertical tube filling machine runs at up to 250 bottles/min if filling into tubes. 

On both machine styles bottles are lifted and placed into erected cartons or tubes by means of a diaphragm pick and place system.  Leaflet feeding can be supplied following bottle placing by either a simple system to fire the leaflets into the carton or a more sophisticated placing system for larger leaflets or booklets, which are wrapped and placed around the neck of the bottle.

Langenpacs’ knowledge of handling such applications has grown and a number of specialist features have evolved to ensure that bottles and cartons are packed without damage in a reliable and repeatable way.

Quick and simple changeovers have become more and more important due to shorter run lengths, along with assistance in carton blank loading, to protect and reduce the labour needed to operate these machines.

Further information is available from Springvale Equipment Ltd, Langenpac’s UK/Ireland Agent.  Tel: 01420 542505. www.springequip.co.uk