A new era for thermoforming machines

Whether transparent or colourful, thermoformed packaging can be produced with perfect accuracy, using a variety of different plastics. Modern thermoforming machines have reached the age of Industry 4.0, offering customers a wide range of digitisation options. Modern sensor technology, convenient user interfaces and maximum availability combine perfectly with low operating costs, excellent efficiency and almost independent operations.

One example of this latest generation of thermoforming machines was recently presented at interpack 2017 by the mechanical engineering firm Multivac Sepp Haggenmüller SE & Co. KG. The new X-line has nothing to do with Prof. Xavier’s X-men, yet seems to be equally powerful. Guido Spix, Managing Director and CTO at Multivac, explains the simplicity of the machinery: “The operator selects the appropriate packaging, packaging material and product features. Once the machine has the relevant tool data, it specifies its own settings. The Pack Pilot ensures that the machine is nicely set up to start production, enabling it to produce packaging without significant start-up losses, yet with maximum packaging safety, consistent quality and excellent performance. This leads to clear savings in terms of products, packaging materials and production time.”

One classic area of application for thermoforming packaging, for example, is bakery products. If the machines are suitable, entire loaves can be packaged automatically, although smaller machines also have their benefits. They are particularly suitable for small and medium sized portions and require relatively little space. To give food a longer shelf life, modern machinery can also produce packaging with inert gas.

Another type of packaging that can easily be created by thermoforming machinery is vacuum skins. The product is placed in a tray or a preformed packaging mould and is then sealed with skin film. This allows the safe packaging of products with a variety of shapes – as if they were given a second skin. A general rule can be applied in the selection of different forms of packaging: The fewer they are, the less often it is necessary to change the format, thus reducing setup times. This improves the availability and efficiency of the machines and also the general balance of total costs and productivity.