Proseal claims that the new Auto Tool connections system is a radical development that delivers a clean and simple connection set-up for every tool set on the machine. Current tool changes require all heater and thermocouple connections to be made manually, a task that is not only time consuming and fiddly but also runs the risk of damaging the connections which are very frail and delicate.
By comparison the Proseal Auto Tool method means new tools can literally be slotted into place in a matter of seconds. This not only minimises downtime between production runs still further, it also creates a much cleaner tool surface and physically protects the electrical connections.
The innovation targets a particularly lucrative sector of the market. Ready meals remains one of the most dynamic sectors of the food and beverage industry, and the European market alone accounts for an annual consumption in excess of 480,000 tonnes.
The market has grown by 20 per cent in the UK alone over the past five years, and the trend shows no sign of having peaked. Most food and beverage manufacturers and retailers believe that changing lifestyles will continue to fuel the marketplace, and that by 2007 European ready meal tonnage will top the 500,000 tonne-mark.
Proseal is confident that the new system offers a further breakthrough in tray sealing technology.
"Customers who have seen the Auto Tool system are extremely impressed," said Proseal director Steve Malone. "They can immediately appreciate its cost and time saving potential."
Auto Tool is now being fitted to all new build models in the Proseal range. In addition, it can be retrofitted to existing machines.