Equipment

Ulma Packaging has developed a system that can wrap and seal bunches of flowers in an atmosphere-controlled environment, which can extend their shelf-life by three days.

The company has adapted its PV-350LSHiX flow-wrapping machine (pictured) to handle flowers and has so far sold five of the machines to two new clients in the flower sector. The firm believes there is no other machine on the market that has the same capability.

The machine can use two packaging systems: the first wraps fixed-size pre-cut bouquets; while the second is suitable for flowers of unequal length, with the film being cut to length by machine.

The PV-350LSHiX operates at up to 50 packs/min and can accommodate labelling on the top and bottom of the packaging. Ulma developed its existing machine to package flowers because of its ability to handle irregular and difficult-to-convey products. It can cope with a film width of up to 1,000mm and has a jaw width of 400mm.

Jerry Fletch, Ulma's UK business manager, said: "The extended pack-life is ideally suited to both busy supermarkets and also smaller florists where, in both cases, flower wastage can account for a high percentage of lost profits."