interpack 2023: Theegarten-Pactec to showcase primary, secondary packaging

Theegarten-Pactec will be presenting tailor-made packaging machines for each product type at interpack 2023 (4 to 10 May 2023). Whether further developed proven systems in the high-speed range such as the CHS or completely new designed solutions such as the cartoner BLM – the portfolio of the Dresden-based company offers the right machine for every demand. At Stand B51 in Hall 1, the innovation driver will be presenting its wide range of machines that help save resources, energy and ultimately costs through their efficiency and flexible processing of sustainable packaging materials. 

(Photo: Theegarten-Pactec)

Small-sized confectionery, food and non-food articles – the Theegarten-Pactec range offers the right solution for every application. The company’s machines combine continuous high performance in the packaging process with complete flexibility. The highlights at the upcoming interpack in Düsseldorf (4 to 10 May 2023) exemplify this combination of characteristics down to the last detail. Among the machines on show will be the CHS, which packs chocolate at a speed of 1,800 products per minute and can be switched quickly and flexibly between nine different folding types. In addition, with the BLM, a cartoner will be presented that is perfectly adapted to the primary packaging machines in the high-performance range and with which the full performance of the primary packaging machines can be called up in the process without sacrificing efficiency. High performance and flexibility are complemented by the sustainability of Theegarten-Pactec’s solutions: Customers can produce in a more resource-conserving, energy-saving and cost-effective manner thanks to their modularity and optimal adaptation to recyclable, paper-based packaging materials while maintaining high performance.    

CHS: modular high-speed packaging for chocolate products

At the international trade fair, the Dresden-based company will present its latest flagship: the newly developed CHS. After successful industrial testing, the machine was further developed and is now able to processes chocolate products at a speed of 1,800 products per minute. Its maximum flexibility is demonstrated by a quick changeover between nine different folding types. Thanks to integrated mounting devices and reproducible settings for product and material guidance, the required folding types can easily and quickly be retrofitted – regardless of the original configuration of the CHS at the time of purchase. Thus, customers can sustainably save extra floor space for additional machines and energy expenditure for their operation.

At interpack 2023, two versions of the CHS will be presented: The first CHS demonstrates the protected twist folding type with a two-lane infeed and a speed of 1,600 products per minute. With the second CHS the packaging specialists will show how a speed of 1,200 products can be achieved with a single-lane infeed with the envelope fold wrapping style and how an effective connection to a secondary packaging machine can be achieved with a two-lane delivery of two times 600 items.

High-speed packaging with paper-based flow packs

In the flexible packaging market particularly sustainable and recyclable packaging is becoming more and more important. For this reason, there is great interest from brand owners and the packaging industry to switch to materials such as recyclable mono materials and packaging processes designed for them. Theegarten-Pactec has already developed material-saving wrapping methods or optimised machines for processing particularly thin films in this context.

With the FPC5 the Dresden-based innovation driver is presenting a modular high-performance packaging machine at the trade fair that packs chocolate bars in paper-based flow packs – using the common cold-sealing process or the far more complex heat-sealing process. The machine has been optimised to deliver the best results even in the high-performance range of 1,500 products per minute. At interpack an application with large chocolate bars packed at a speed of 600 products per minute will be demonstrated.

Processing sustainable materials in a gentle, material-saving and process-stable manner

Theegarten-Pactec is demonstrating how packaging machines can be effectively and precisely adapted to sustainable, recyclable packaging materials by using the CFW-S to package chocolate bars. One highlight is the innovative suction supported sealing technology:

The self-developed sealing station is located directly after the actual wrapping or packaging process. As soon as a product – paper or a mono film serving as packaging material – has reached the sealing station, the sealing tool is brought up to the product. The packaging is sucked up to the sealing plunger with the help of negative pressure and sealed gently and yet stably within milliseconds. Combined with active cooling, this process does not create any pressure marks or other damage to the chocolate product.

Thanks to the innovative suction supported sealing technology, there is no need to apply glue dots to permanently seal the packaging. Costs for glue, for cleaning and maintaining the packaging machine as well as set-up and adjustment times can therefore be saved and the packaging process becomes more stable and, in turn, less prone to faults.

And sustainable packaging materials can also be used efficiently and in a process-stable way on other machines. The EK4, the fastest packaging machine in the world, will be on display at the exhibition stand. It packs 2,300 hard sweets per minute using a double twist wrap. Instead of the usual wax paper or films, a paper-based alternative without wax application can also be used and processed stably despite the high speed.  

Innovation for high-speed secondary packaging

For effective secondary packaging of products, Theegarten-Pactec will be presenting the BLM directly connected to the FPC5 – their first in-house cartoner. The system is a completely new development and designed for adapting to a primary packaging machine in the high-performance range. This means, customers have a powerful machine combination at their fingertips which enables full performance primary and secondary packaging without any loss of efficiency in the overall process.

With the BLM perfectly adapted for connecting to all high-performance machines, small products such as bouillon tablets, chewing gums and chocolate bars can now be processed at a high speed. Visitors can witness the cartoner’s performance for themselves at interpack while it packages 40-gram chocolate bars in cartons.

Solutions for sensitive jelly products

Theegarten-Pactec impressively demonstrates how sensitive jelly products for the OTC market can be packaged gently and extremely efficiently, therefore conserving energy and resources, using the FPH5. At interpack you can see how it effectively yet gently processes two-packs of jelly products at a high speed of 1,200 individual products or 600 two-packs per minute.

Bouillon tablets from the press directly onto the machine

However, not only confectionery, but also food items such as bouillon tablets are packaged effectively and, above all, sustainably. At the Bonals stand, for example, visitors can see a combination of a bouillon tablet press with the BCW3 from Theegarten-Pactec. The Bonals press is directly connected to the high-performance machine that packs 1,700 bouillon tablets per minute. With 200 BCW3 units installed, there are currently enthusiastic buyers primarily in the African market (90 per cent of machine installations).

Analogously, a solution for the medium power range will be shown: The combination of a tablet press from partner Kilian with the BCW-eco, also via direct connection, demonstrates effective packaging at a speed of 750 soup tablets per minute.

The common feature of the two machines, the direct connection option to the press, offers convincing advantages: It effectively prevents products from accumulating after the press. The additional energy-intensive separation of the products before packaging is no longer a necessity. Instead, a feed chain of the packaging machine that reaches directly into the press ensures a continuous product feed with sufficient spacing. This not only avoids product jams and the resulting downtimes caused by them but enables a more compact design of the production line and thus a more sustainable use of footprint.