Harpak-ULMA, the North American business of Spanish packaging company ULMA, has launched a packaging machine designed for poultry products.
The Tight-Chicken machine uses ULMA’s Tight-Bag technology that combines vertical bagging with a patented air extraction process.
Harpak-ULMA’s new machine replaces the commonly used manual-intensive processes with a combination of automated product loading and vertical bagging.
In addition to automating the bagging process, the machine is designed to reduce the sanitary risks associated with manual operations.
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By GlobalDataAccording to Harpak-ULMA, Tight-Chicken avoids leaks and ensures that the product meets applicable hygiene regulations until it reaches stores.
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The machine also removes the need for separate vacuum chambers and bagging stations without compromising production capacity.
Tight-Chicken is claimed to increase production yield by up to 35 high-quality, leakproof bags a minute.
The machine aims to help companies meet their sustainability goals by reducing the amount of plastic used in the packaging process.
Harpak-ULMA Flow wrap manager Hugh Crouch said: “Until now, packaging fresh poultry required two separate systems – one to open the premade bag to insert product and one to extract air and seal the bag.
“Compared to Tight-Chicken, that’s more costly, less efficient, and requires more physical plant space – both for installation and associated maintenance.
“In addition, traditional whole chicken packaging processes require more manual repetitive labour — operators manually loading bagged chicken onto the conveyor platforms and transference into vacuum chamber systems.
“In comparison, Tight-Chicken executes the forming, sealing, and air extraction continuously, like an assembly line.
“Another bonus is that Tight-Chicken shrinks the total packaging surface area, excluding any need for additional point-of-sale plastic packaging.”
ULMA’s Tight-Bag process features a forming film around the vertical tube and specialised cross-sealing jaws combined with venturi air evacuation to seal the bag.
The machine is suitable for packaging films, including the breathable film used in fresh, crust-chilled poultry.
