Ulma launches stretch wrap solution

A top packaging design and manufacturing company has launched its latest state-of-the-art system onto the British market, hard on the heels of its new selling direct campaign.

Ulma Packaging​'s new Galaxy, a high speed stretch wrapping machine for trays, is being aimed at the fresh products sector of the food industry with meat, fish, fruit and vegetable producers and packers its prime targets.

Ulma says that the Galaxy has a number of innovative features but key to its success is likely to be its small footprint. Unlike some of its rivals, it takes up little space, a big plus on the food factory floor where square footage is always at a premium.

Ulma UK's managing director Derek Paterson, who has seen the Spanish-headquartered company launch its own 'home' sales drive in the wake of years of working with a network of distributors, believes the Galaxy will be one of the triggers towards the decision being amply justified.

He said: "We are convinced we are ready to make big strides in a competitive UK market and with the Galaxy we have the right machine for high speed stretch overwrap applications. And this is only the first of a number of new machines which Ulma will be launching in the UK this year. We know we have made the right decision in making direct sales from our base in Worksop, Nottinghamshire, and are confident we can build on an already strong customer base."​

The parent company, whose home is in Northern Spain, is committed to investing heavily in its UK undertaking to ensure it continues to expand. Its extensive range of packaging machinery will be heavily marketed and will go on show at leading trade exhibitions including the PPMA show.

Completely automatic, the Galaxy can run at speeds of up to 60 packs a minute and is of robust construction, anti-corrosive, as well as easy to clean. Allied to its mechanical strength are advanced electronics, which include an on-board diagnostic system and a sensor for automatic tray size detection, Ulma claims.

Ulma's new machine has a double motorised film unwind with an automatic roll change facility and is programmable for use with a range of film types including PVC, polyethylene, polyolefin and stretch shrink films. Its variable film folding capability helps to enhance the appearance of the finished tray. There is also an automatic infeed conveyor.

"We believe we have a winner in the Galaxy,"​ said Paterson. "We know it is a worthy enhancement to our existing range of stretch wrappers and with a lot of interest already been shown in it, it will only be a short time before it proves itself by adding new customers to an already established base."​

Established in 1956 in Onati, Northern Spain, Ulma Packaging has grown into a group with subsidiaries in 14 countries throughout the world. With a team of over 400 people, the company offers a wide range of innovative solutions for virtually any packaging requirement in the food and non-food sectors and is currently present in more than 40 countries.