Confectionery wrapper said to meet rapid changeover demands
The UK company further claims its new SEMI-AUTO over-wrapping machine can tackle the rapid changeovers required when a confectionery maker produces a range of chocolate selections in differing box sizes.
The system, said the manufacturer, can handle formats from 40x40x25mm up to 300x200x100mm, while it maintains that switching between different sizes on the wrapper does not require any tooling amendments and should take an operator less than 10 minutes.
The Dorset-based supplier added that outputs of up to 10 wraps per minute can be achieved.
Overwrapping machines, or cellophane wrapping machines, are used extensively by the confectionery industry to meet a range of different needs that span from providing tamper evidence to prolonging shelf life, and from improving the point of sale impact, to eliminating the possibility of odour contamination.
A spokesperson for Marden Edwards said that the wrapper is targeted at both entry level confectioners and more established specialist firms:
"Recent entrants that might be relying on shrink wrappers could switch to the SEMI-AUTO to get a better quality finish on their outer wraps, or could also benefit from the wrapper's paper heat sealing functionality, while specialist confectioners with low volume, short production runs could gain from the enhanced finishing the system allows," he explained.
The spokesperson added that the SEMI-AUTO has a small footprint and can enable a range of different folds.
The machine supplier said that the wrapper will operate with any reel fed OPP film and uses an external side loading film reel, while an inverter drive handles the film length requirement and can be digitally adjusted to assist in rapid changeover and set up.
The operator foot pedal begins the wrapping cycle, stated the firm, with film being driven to the correct length and the guillotine action enables cutting of the wrapping material.
The lateral seal is made manually by the operator, who then deposits the pack into the folding deck, where the individual pack transportation indexes the product through the tucking and folding process.
The UK firm said that film stock inventory has also been simplified through the incorporation of a film slitter in the new wrapper, providing a confectioner with a method of managing film supplies. “Twin knife blades to trim the film to the correct width for each carton,” said the company
The wrapper includes solenoid operated end sealers, which can be customised to suit individual pack sizes, seal the end tuck and fold, and an optional tear tape applicator allows confectionery manufacturers to add easy open capability to each over wrap.
The firm said the wrapper, which adheres to CE standards, will be launched at Beauty World Middle East in Dubai next month.
