Together with the new shrink tunnel SE 130 and the drying tunnel TE 130, the Multivac conveyor belt machine B 400 or B 500 forms a complete line for packaging in shrink bags. The combination offers an economical solution to producers even for high-volume goods.

“With this packaging line, the customer receives a system in which all components are ideally coordinated with each other,” states Bernd Jokele, manager of the chamber machine business unit at Multivac. “The products run through the line withoutlosing any cycles and the machines are utilized to an optimum degree in terms of product size and form. What is also an advantage for the customer is that he receives the entire system from one supplier – projected by one individual contact person.”

Compact and highly efficient

The conveyor belt machines B 400 and B 500 have an automated infeed and outfeed belt. This serves to guide the filled pouches into the chamber, where they are evacuated and sealed on two sealing tracks. The conveyor belt machine B 400 is the more compact model of the two: It has been conceived as a solution for users from midsized companies and industry who tend to package highly voluminous goods but have to be very economical about their production area. The machine achieves a performance of up to 3 cycles per minute, depending on the product and vacuum. The B 400 also offers economic benefits when it comes to personnel costs: The operation and feeding can be carried out by just one person.

The B 500 offers an even higher chamber volume and usable chamber width for a maximum in packaging performances and packaging goods. This model can also be operated by just one person – if they use the optional separate feed belt: It consists of two parts that can be controlled separately. In that way the feeding into the chamber can be carried out step by step.

Shrunk to perfection

The transport belt of the machine automatically removes the packages from the chamber after sealing them and transfers them onto an intermediate belt that conveys them into theshrink tunnel SE 130, the largest model of the new SE generation of shrink tunnels. These devices work with two pressure-free hot water curtains from the top and two spray features from the bottom, so that the package is moistened with hot water across its entire surface. The duration and temperature of the contact are subject to precise controls. Thisprocess leads to optimal and especially uniform shrink results, even in critical packaging zones that are difficult to access.

The SE 130 is a transition tunnel without its own cycle. This increases the speed of the system, since no cycle synchronization is necessary. The design emphasizes the high userfriendliness in terms of cleaning and maintenance. For example,the transport belt can be pulled out towards the front, which makes the interior of the machine accessible for cleaning. The optional water softeners WE 20e and WE 50e simplify the cleaningeven further and improve the hygiene.

The drying tunnel TE 130 turns this system into a complete range, which is newly presented at IFFA. Two air jets from above and one from below ensure a quick and gentle drying of the shrink packages. The machine uses an innovative technology here: During the transition of the product, the upper air jets lift and lower themselves, following the contours of the product at the same time. In that way they will always have a fixed distance to the product. This process is controlled by light barriers so that the product is never touched. Once the products have been processed by this device, they can immediately be prepared for shipping.

More information: www.multivac.com