Ishida Europe specializes in the fields of weighing, packaging, and quality control. The company is market launching a number of innovations in 2018.
The “AirScan”, which inspects MAP (modified atmosphere) packages non-destructively for leaks, forms part of the “Quality Control” task area. The device detects leaks of 0.25 mm and larger in diameter at rates of up to 180 packages per minute. According to the company, the “AirScan” detects infrared vibrations from the escaping carbon dioxide and can be integrated into existing packaging lines.
The model ACP-700 Casepacker has recently been developed to pack bags into cartons. It is responsible for getting the cartons ready to be filled, inserting the bags and closing the cartons again. The system can process a large range of carton sizes and bag formats with widths ranging from 108 to 330 mm (including side-gusseted bags and flat bottom bags). Its output is up to 150 bags or up to 10 cartons per minute. Packing patterns in stand-up and side pack format are possible. As Ishida demonstrated at a Snacks-Open-House in Birmingham, the system is easily accessible through doors that can be opened wide, which represents an advantage in cleaning and maintenance work. Another benefit is the footprint; according to the company, the model is the most compact of its type on the market.
The new ACP-700 Casepacker packs bags into cartons in stand-up or side-pack patterns
Cooperation for snacks
Ishida Europe has signed a cooperation agreement with the US company Heat and Control, Inc. of Hayward, California, specifically for the snacks segment. Complete lines for processing, weighing, packaging and quality control are offered under the name “HCI Snack Solutions”. The two companies demonstrated the machines in operation at a joint Snacks-Open-House in Birmingham.
At the company headquarters in Birmingham: (from left to right) Marketing Director Steve Jones and Managing Director Dave Tiso (both of Ishida) with Bobby Kane, Director of Business Development of Heat and Control
At the Snacks-Open-House, visitors were shown systems for the complete production of snacks, including multihead weighers and form, fill and seal machines. This picture shows the Casepacker ACP-700
Marketing Manager Torsten Giese explains the workings of the heat-sealed seam tester, which can be connected upstream of the Casepacker
The Casepacker can also communicate with an upstream Ishida sealed seam tester. The device not only checks the heat-sealed seam, but also the thickness and position of the bag and the distance between the packs.
Another innovation is the vertical Inspira form-fill-seal (FFS) machine, which can pack either biscuits or crackers at rates of up to 250 bags per minute. This high speed, the company reports, is made possible by a new vacuum system for tensioning the film and optimizing the servo drive. In addition, a new sealing mechanism is used, which according to Ishida works with a far greater sealing pressure than conventional models and which thus produces high-quality heat-sealed seams. Another new feature is the large touchscreen panel to operate the machine easily. When designing the machine, attention was paid to good accessibility. All the relevant components are easily accessible in order to enable rapid product change and maintenance work without the need to use any tools. Ishida offers the “Inspira” in both intermittent and continuous versions.
Ishida Europe
Ishida Europe Ltd., based in Birmingham, England, was founded in 1985 and is run by Managing Director Dave Tiso. The company is a subsidiary of the Japanese Ishida Co Ltd. of Kyoto, which has production sites in Japan (Shiga), The UK (Birmingham and Poole), South Korea (Buchun City), China (Shanghai) and Brazil (São Paulo). The production program includes multihead weighers, tray sealers, as well as form, fill and seal machines, X-ray testing devices, checkweighers, case packers, seal testers and leak testers for modified atmosphere packaging (MAP).
The AirScan inline system detects leaks in MAP packages
