To meet high demand for cost-effective and fully automated solutions for the food industry, ULMA Packaging UK has improved its FLOW-VAC machinery portfolio to now include the FV 55 SD flow pack wrapping machine.

Ideal for the packaging of cheese, fresh meat cuts and processed meat, the new FV 55 SD has been developed in-line with Health and Safety Executive (HSE) stringent food hygiene and safety standards.

Using ULMAs FLOW-VAC technology, the FV 55 SD provides a complete end-to-end packaging solution. Designed to automatically place the products to be packaged in the bag created by the FV 55 SD, without manual intervention, to reduce the risk of contamination and save on labour costs. The machine then transfers the pack to a vacuum system in sync with the production line.

Ed Williams, sales director at ULMA Packaging UK, commented:"Automation capabilities have rapidly grown in recent years and ULMA has been a leader in this technology in order to meet increasing customer demand. In fact, ULMA has been supporting the food industry with quality packaging machinery solutions for sixty years now. Over this time, innovation has been at the heart of the business and ULMAs continued success.

"The new FV 55 SD is a prime example of this commitment to pioneering new and improved packaging machinery, and demonstrates a sustainable, cost-effective, hygienic, and user-friendly solution for flow pack wrapping meat and cheese products."

Designed to further optimise the packaging process, the system automatically adapts the length of the packaging to the product, which has the threefold benefits of better aesthetic results, optimised materials use, and reduced packaging waste.

Furthermore, machine operators benefit from quick changeover times between formats and use a state-of-the-art human-machine interface (HMI) system to customise machine and production settings adjustments.

For additional reassurance, users can rely on the continued cleanliness of the FV 55 SD, which has been developed to avoid build-ups of water, dust or dirt. With easily released and dismantled conveyor belts and a feeding conveyor that benefits from an IP66 protection rating, it is also easy to clean.

Williams concluded:"With a strong emphasis on hygiene, the easy to clean design and automation aspects of the new FV 55 SD, which limit manual handling of products, work together to reduce contaminant risk. This is so important for the food sector wher striving for high standards of food safety and protection is paramount."