Bradman Lake Ltd.

Bradman Lake produces two variants of Top Loader machines, the Dual Race Track (DRT) Top Loader and the Single Race Track (SRT) Top Loader. 

Both machines employ the ABB FlexPicker IRB 360 delta robot for the picking and placement of product. In combination with a precision End of Arm Tool (EOAT) groups of product can be top loaded at rates up to 85 cycles per minute with a maximum payload of 8 kg. 

Intelligent belt technology provides a unique carton management system of servo driven belts that accurately spaces pre-erected cartons and delivers them to the carton loading stations. A servo driven vacuum infeed belt conveys product into the DRT. Misaligned and out of position products are automatically rejected ensuring high operating efficiencies. The DRT incorporates servo driven transmission belts with one or two trains of product specific pockets attached. Depending upon the infeed position, the DRT can produce either ‘flat pack’ or ‘on edge’ collations. While the product is feeding into indexing pockets on one train, the collated product is being picked from the second train and loaded into cartons, the empty train returns to the infeed station and the collating cycle continues. Groups of filled cartons exit the machine for closing. 

DRT Top Loader

The Top Loader is a multifunctional machine capable of top loading products into multiples of cartons, trays, and cases or collating, position synchronising and transferring product into a moving infeed of an end load cartoner or multi-pack flow wrapper infeed. 

SRT Top Loader

The SRT Top Loader comprises one pair of servo driven transmission belts with one continuous set of product specific pockets attached. The footprint of this machine is very compact with the infeed speeds up to 400 ppm. 

Dual Loading Top Loader

For ultimate secondary packaging flexibility, this DRT top loader provides dual loading functionality. Loading either side of the race track typically with a carton management system on one side and a multipack flow wrapper infeed on the other.

Dual Infeed Top Loader

This version of DRT top loader is equipped with dual infeeds feeding overlapping DRT’s with a common robot designed to accept product from two primary sources.

Bradman Lake has designed and manufactured Flow Wrapping machinery and machine systems that have proven to be the best solution for the most demanding of packaging needs. Continuous development and innovative designs ensure unrivalled reliability in operation as well as high production rates.

We can supply from a ‘stand-alone’ machine for a low speed hand fed application up to a fully automatic system to meet the demands of the most sophisticated processing and packaging lines.

Systems commonly include automatic feeding, product storage, multiple primary flow wrappers and secondary multipack flow wrappers.

The Bradman Lake FT Series Flow Wrapping machines operate at the highest levels of efficiency even in the most demanding of environments. The machines are simple to operate and maintain as well as being able to accommodate a wide range of product sizes with simple and quick change over.

Flow Wrapping Options
The soft jaw feature, unique to Bradman Lake, prevents misplaced products from jamming in the end seal jaws. The drive motor torque is constantly monitored and any increase above normal running level causes the jaw to reverse direction. This allows the misplaced product to pass through the jaws and produces a long pack that is rejected from the machine discharge. When the obstruction is clear of the jaws the machine automatically resumes normal operation.
Other electronic features include No Gap No Crimp and No Product No Bag.

Biscuit on edge

The operation of the biscuit on edge flow wrap machine is generally the same as the standard horizontal wrapper but the product feed system and handling during the wrapping process are adapted to suit the ‘biscuit on edge’ collation. The collation of biscuits is manually or automatically fed into the infeed of the BOE wrapper and is supported at the rear by the infeed carrier and at the front by a spring loaded finger. As the biscuits travel through the BOE flow wrapper the front and rear support transfers to side supports ensuring the collation stays in place while the pack travels through the end seal jaws and is completely sealed. The side supports also automatically gusset the end seals.


Reel to Reel Splicing
Automatic splicing is a standard feature on a system machine and optional on a ‘stand alone’ machine. A manual splice is also available for ‘stand alone’ machines.


Tear Tape Application
Self-adhesive tape is applied to the wrapping material which provides a more consistent method for opening the pack.

Automatic Web Tracking
Maintains position of wrapping material presentation from the reel providing increased efficiency and productivity whilst keeping material width to a minimum.

Servo Reel Unwind
Utilises servo driven reel mandrels which replaces the mechanical braking system, used on high linear wrapping material speeds.

Discharge Top Control
Provides a consistent transfer onto the discharge conveyor therefore ensuring a regular pitch between product when interfacing with downstream equipment.

Discharge Batch Counter
Delivers a pre-selected count of wrapped product to aid the hand packing process.

Coder Brackets
To mount various coders.

Empty Bag Removal
Vacuum system removes empty flow wraps prior to discharge.

The Cascade Loader comprises a system of infeed conveyors that feed product into a rotary pocket. The function of the machine is to collate single or multiple products and synchronize their placement into the infeed pockets of the secondary packaging equipment.

The cascade loader includes an abort system. Product that is either not sufficiently spaced apart or is out of specification, will be rejected prior to entry into the first infeed pocket. The products descend progressively through the servo driven pockets and are perfectly synchronised into the target pockets of the secondary packaging equipment infeed conveyor. The final cascade pocket can collate a number of products prior to deposition into secondary packaging equipment infeed. Single or multiple cascade loaders can be interfaced to a single equipment infeed.