FIRST TIME AT FRUIT LOGISTICA FOR CARRERA 1500 FLOW WRAPPER

ILAPAK launched its original Carrera 1000 in 2014, and the flow wrapper has since earned a reputation as a reliable workhorse for the full gamut of produce industry applications, from IQF to fresh produce.

“We know that produce manufacturers love the versatility and reliability of the Carrera 1000, but we also know, from conversations with our customers, that production budgets are continually being squeezed. This cost pressure isn’t going to disappear, so we have removed some of the features that are superfluous to requirement for most medium sized operations, and identified ways of stripping out cost whilst enhancing the build quality and performance the industry has come to expect from this market-leading flow wrapping platform,” says Marco Pocaterra, Carrera 1500 development team manager at ILAPAK.

This latest addition to the Carrera portfolio incorporates incremental innovations that have enabled ILAPAK to stretch the performance: price ratio of the system. A radical re-engineering of the machine frame has produced the first ILAPAK flow wrapper with a tubular frame for added robustness, whilst on the sealing system, heavy duty shafts and surrounding bearings allow for greater and more consistent seal-jaw pressure. This improved jaw profile results in superior seal appearance and integrity.

As well as removing some less popular features, ILAPAK has added several new features. For example, on the new generation Carrera 1500, rapid film reel change is facilitated via a pneumatic locking device on the shaft, whereas on the original machine, the reel had to be manually fixed onto the shaft.

The system is capable of creating tight flow wraps for unsupported items, enabling producers to do away with supporting trays. Products can be packed into multiple configurations, from single row ‘tubes’ to packs containing two, three or four rows side by side. Full support along the infeed and rollers on the side guides prevents any damage to product as it passes into the forming tube. Once product is in the tube, an overhead system traps the collation between two bars on the front and rear to keep the products from rolling out of position.

ILAPAK’s engineers have also conceived a special folding box for the Carrera 1500 that enables the flow wrapper to handle paper films and compostable films. How? come visit us at Hall 9 Stand C06 to learn more about! At Fruit Logistica, the machine will be demonstrated packing small fruit and vegetables into paper trays secured with compostable film.