High-speed bread packaging machine enters Russia and Americas

Canadian-based packaging firm Technopac International has secured distribution rights to North, Central and South America and Russia for a high speed bread packaging machine it say can improve productivity by 60% and significantly reduce waste.

The firm had been testing its RB 80 Bag Making and Filling System on the European and US market for the past few years in collaboration with its Italian partner. After further development the machine is now ready for the market in Russia and the Americas.

High-Speed

Stefan Gudmundsson, CEO of Technopac International told BakeryAndSnacks.com that the machine could achieve 60% greater productivity in packaging speed based on industry speed of 50 loaves per minute to 80 loves per minute. It could also be incorporated into existing processes, he said.

He added that the entire process could achieve speeds up to 80 bags per minute and could run without changing rolls for five hours.

“To eliminate downtime due to changing rolls or a change of label, the Technopac system accommodates a second roll of film in the ready position to be spliced together to the finished roll,” he said.

Waste Reduction

Gudmundsson added: “The major improvement to the current method of packaging bread starts with the elimination of pre-manufactured wicketed bags. “

“Wicketted bags rely on the strength and distance of “land” between the slit and the wicket hole to keep the bag in position. Any intermittent ‘land’ fluctuation will cause ‘cripples’ which can account for up to 5% of waste at a bakery, “he said.

He added that the machine would reduce weak side seams on pre-manufactured bags which often result in costly sorting delays and subsequent downtime. The system would do this, he said, by using printed roll stock, whereby the film is automatically gusseted over a bar assembly, and through a “hot knive”, which cuts and seals the leading and the trailing edges of the bags.

He added that another advantage of Technopac’s system was airtight films which allowed no bacteria to enter into the bag, increasing the shelf life of the bread.

“The roll stock concept eliminates the need for corrugated cartons, wicket wires and cardboard support, which accounts for a significant portion of solid waste generated at a bakery.”

He said the RB 80 could save 124,000 lbs of carton, wicket wires and cardboard support waste for every 2,000 bags per carton. Approximately 15% to 25% could be saved on packaging costs from pre made bags to roll stock, he said.

The compnay trades on the Frankfurt exchange under the symbol de:t7i.