Multivac's R3 handles recyclable films

PMM Staff

Multivac’s new R3 thermoforming packaging machine runs recyclable packaging films made of monomaterials, and new design features allow it to operate with “very low levels of maintenance during everyday production,” according to the company.

The company introduced the R3 in mid-May with the machines becoming available in July.

Multivac said the new machine design allows food packagers, including cheese and sausage companies, to meet growing demand for packaging products in recyclable films. The R3 is designed to run the latest types of packaging materials, including recyclable and environmentally friendly mono films, consistently and reliably, according to the company.

The modular construction allows the machine to fit into a variety of production environments, large and small.

“Our aim is to offer ‘best-fit’ machine configurations to not only small and medium-sized companies, but also larger companies with tight budgets,” said Michael Landerer, Multivac product manager.  

The R3 features four stations: the forming station, the loading area, the sealing die and the cutting area.

First, heat is applied to the lower web, allowing for the formation of pack cavities for the product by means of compressed air and vacuum. Product is loaded into the pack cavities, then the lower web is sealed hermetically to the upper web in the sealing die. The final stage involves cutting the individual packs with cross-cutting units and a longitudinal cutter.

“The R3 achieves a speed of 12 cycles per minute at its peak level and can therefore reach the output of high-end slicer lines,” Landerer said.

Companies increasingly are adopting policies to preserve the environment and address climate change concerns, Multivac said in a press release. Those changes increasingly include embracing closed-loop packaging that can be recycled rather than landfilled or incinerated. Many conventional food packaging films consist of multiple layers of plastic that cannot be recycled.

Films made from monomaterials such as APET (amorphous polyethylene terephthalate) or PP are recyclable, but often they have a less desirable appearance. For example, when such plastics are thermoformed, they can produce slight waves at the edge of the pack.

“In order to solve this problem, we have equipped the R3 with allover heating, which heats recyclable films very evenly,” Landerer said.

In addition, the chain guides for the web advance can be adjusted individually, and they are also decoupled from all the forces of the machine process. Therefore, no vibrations are transmitted to the film, according to the company.

“This enables us to achieve a constant web tension and consistently prevent waves at the edges of the pack,” Landerer said. “This, therefore, guarantees the optimum pack appearance with films made from monomaterials such as polypropylene.”

The R3 was designed to minimize the need for maintenance, according to the company. For example, the design of the new lifting unit has reduced the number of moving parts. In addition, no lubricant is needed. Sealing plate changeovers can be completed more quickly, and the new design includes additional reinforcement to the underside of the thermoforming packaging machine’s frame, which allows for a forklift to lift and reposition the machine in the event of any line changes, according to the company.

Contact:

Multivac Inc., Kansas City, Mo., 816-891-0555, www.multivac.com