Anuga FoodTec 2024 live: Sealpac exhibits traysealer for small businesses and “Supermarket of Innovations”

19 Mar 2024 --- Under the banner “Go sustainable,” Sealpac is presenting contemporary solutions aimed at reducing material usage and energy consumption while maintaining high efficiency and performance at the ongoing trade event Anuga FoodTec 2024 in Cologne, Germany. 

The company is introducing its M-Flex traysealer, a semi-automatic solution that brings the features of fully automated tray sealers to smaller companies and businesses with diverse product lines.

Speaking to Packaging Insights on the show floor, Marcel Veenstra, the marketing and communications manager at Sealpac, emphasizes the M-Flex’s compact footprint and ease of use, making it an ideal choice for start-ups and larger enterprises.

“Sealpac has been known in the market for many decades with their fully automated traysealers,” he comments. “Currently, we are running the Amax-series traysealers as our latest series. Now, what we have done is that we have transferred the features of this fully automated traysealer range to a semi-automatic traysealer, which is the M-Flex.”

“This will allow the smaller companies that do small batches or that have a lot of different products in small volumes to use the full tray sealing options,” he adds.

“Ideal start-up machine”
The M-Flex traysealer is positioned as an efficient way to seal aluminum and stainless-steel containers in GastroNorm format, which are used by artisan butcher shops, suppliers of out-of-home meals and community caterers.

“This is the ideal start-up machine for companies that have not been able to afford a fully automated traysealer,” says Veenstra.

“This compact M-Flex machine has a small footprint and easy tool change,” he notes. “It still has all the features we know from the fully automated Amax series. So, it’s the ideal start-up for the small companies to get into the traysealers.” 

The M-flex traysealer.At the Sealpac booth in Cologne, attendees can witness semi-automated packaging in action, featuring the company’s FlatSkin application, which prioritizes the use of fiber and minimizes plastic content, while also showcasing modified atmosphere packaging for standard plastic trays. 

Visitors can also explore firsthand the user-friendly operation and adaptability of the Sealpac M-Flex. With its rapid tooling exchange system, the equipment facilitates product changeovers, ensuring minimal downtime for production processes, according to the company. 

“We have a lot of bigger customers that run the fully automated lines but use the M-flex traysealer for their smaller batches or for specific packaging concepts that they want to offer to the markets,” asserts Veenstra.

Industry trends revealed
Sealpac is also showcasing its commitment to sustainability through its “Supermarket of Innovations,” featuring a wide array of products in “no less than six refrigerators” filled with international product samples packaged using Sealpac equipment.

The supermarket reveals current industry trends with environmentally sustainable packaging materials such as paper-based alternatives, monoplastics and biodegradable films taking center stage.

“We have a big supermarket we call our ‘Supermarket of Innovations.’ It is filled with products all produced on our equipment around the world, from Australia to South Africa to Europe, for all different kinds of products. It allows you to see the trends that are going on in the market per product segment,” shares Veenstra. 

“The main [trend] is the move toward sustainable packaging. And even though we only manufacture equipment, we also try to help our customers by developing packaging concepts, which allow them to become more sustainable.” 

“There’s a lot of different things you can see — there’s paper-based packaging, which we see growing in the market. A lot of monoplastics are coming in because they’re easier to recycle. We even have a former biodegradable film, which is new. So a lot of different ways of working with thinner, less or better recyclable plastic,” he elaborates.Veenstra highlights 35% plastic savings by switching to Sealpac’s EasyLid system for butter packaging.

Collaborating for gains
In addition to showcasing innovative packaging concepts, Sealpac is demonstrating its collaborative approach to supporting customers in adopting sustainable practices. By working closely with materials suppliers and local design teams, Sealpac helps customers develop optimal packaging solutions tailored to their needs and objectives.

One notable example the marketing and communications manager highlights is a recent application in the Netherlands where a customer achieved plastic savings by switching to Sealpac’s EasyLid system for butter packaging.

“We work with materials suppliers on new concepts we can offer to all our customers. Then, the design team comes in locally with the customer. We work with them together to arrange the optimal packaging concept,” shares Veenstra.

“For example, we have a very recent application in the Netherlands for butter, which the customer now packs in a system that we call EasyLid. This means you can remove your snap-on lids by applying the film to a special tray. That saves a lot of plastic — this particular customer saves 35% on plastic by switching to EasyLid.”

By Radhika Sikaria, with live reporting from Natalie Schwertheim at Anuga FoodTec 2024