Equipment

PFM Packaging Machinery will this month install three flow-wrappers at Dairy Crest's new packaging facility in Nuneaton, its largest ever UK order for zipper packs.

The new BG2800 Zip machines create modified atmosphere packs (MAP) of 200 to 800g, at speeds of 150 packs a minute and will be mostly used for the Cathedral City cheese brand.

They increase the dwell time of conventional MAP equipment by around 10 times, PFM said, to enable the reclosable zipper profile to be fed continuously and incorporated in the cross seals, rather than be cut to length.

Kate Hall, Dairy Crest prepack controller, said the machines would allow the firm to "handle of the styles of packaging in the future, giving us complete flexibility".

The machines also include an automatic film tracking system to maintain a consistent appearance to the packs.

A PFM spokeswoman said that the firm "normally allowed a week to 10 days" to install a new line and expected to have them up and running by the end of the month.