Contract Packer's Shrinkwrapper For Pet Food Packs

Aetna UK has completed the design and installation of the third Dimac Star shrinkwrapping system for the contract packer of a leading pet food manufacturer.

Aetna UK has completed the design and installation of the third Dimac Star shrinkwrapping system for the contract packer of a leading pet food manufacturer.

Flexibility was one of the main criterion for the system.

A new packing contract necessitated an increase in volume, whilst at the same time ensuring the highest quality level of the finished printed film pack.

A further requirement was the ability to carry out multiple size and format changes every shift with little or no downtime.

The new Dimac is equipped with a host of options, which provides maximum future flexibility with minimum downtime during size changes, by allowing the operator to set up new products, without the need for factory support or new change parts.

The system incorporates orientation and diverting equipment to automatically combine film multipacks in to shipping units (pad and film or film only) using non-fusion shrink to avoid damage to primary packs.

High repeatability and speedy format changes are achieved through handwheel guide adjustments, complemented with digital readouts.

All the prime movers are either servo or inverter controlled, so the machine can adapt to the containers to be wrapped, said Aetna.

Aetna's managing director, Mark Tucker, said: "We are always delighted when our customers continue to return to us.

One of the key drivers in the purchasing decision was the ongoing support and service, which we provide to our customers." He added.

"All our engineers are directly employed and, unlike other manufacturers who have to fly engineers in to the country, they are located throughout the UK.

This means that if there are any problems our people are on the spot and can reach our customers immediately, thus minimising downtime." Aetna Group company, Dimac, has invested in the shrink tunnel itself, and has paid particular attention to twin lane production, where pack finish can be compromised if the air flow is not carefully controlled.

The result is that the overall quality of film packs has been tightly controlled and matches or outperforms the more expensive, but similar equipment, from other leading manufacturers.

Aetna said that the system can handle a broad range of products including cans, PET and glass bottles.

As required, wrap-around trays, pads or film only can be processed and print registration has proved a popular option for the highly decorated multi-packs.

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