Horizontal flow wrapper available for Southern African countries

Processing and packaging equipment supplier Bosch Packaging Technology is focusing on entry-level and midrange automation solutions for its customers in the Southern African countries, which will enable producers with small to medium production volumes to tap into automation or increase their productivity with a range of innovative horizontal flow wrappers.

“Our portfolio of horizontal packaging solutions ranges from entry-level through to high-end automation, making Bosch the ideal partner for brands that are new in the market, or require high-volume production lines. Our solutions are designed to complement our clients’ business growth, equipping them with the technology to elevate their offering,” says Bosch Packaging Technology South Africa GM Steffen Manke.

Manke points out that the Pack 201 for mid-range automation is an easy-to-maintain machine designed to handle delicate products, such as bakery goods, candy bars, wafers, biscuits and non-food products – also in trays.

He highlights that easily adjustable folding boxes allow for fast format changes for various product sizes, enabling maximum machine efficiency and improved package quality.

He adds that the newly introduced Pack 101 is an entry-level solution that offers the widest product size range currently available for wrappers in its class, with quick and easy setup and changeovers for increased operational efficiency. Manke explains that flexibility is enhanced with the fully adjustable former and multiple cutting head sizes.

“It permits a wide range of products to be packaged on a single machine, reducing the need for future investments and giving manufacturers the agility to quickly adapt to changing market demands,” he says.

Moreover, Manke notes that, during the Propak Africa show, the company exhibited the BVK 2000 A, which is the cost-effective horizontal flow wrapper for the high-quality packing of standard candy products and chewing gums. Bosch’s Miniwrap BVK 2000 A displays power consumption levels of up to 50% less than comparable machines on the market. The patented cross sealing unit guarantees the best sealing seams for high-quality packs, ideal for the region’s challenging climate.

He maintains that the machine is able to wrap one or several candies in a single pack, enhancing product variety in the market. He adds that its feeding disc is specifically designed for gentle product handling – even at high operating speeds of up to 2 000 products a minute.

“The integrated automatic splicing makes film reel changes at full production speeds possible, increasing uptime. The user-friendly colour touch panel enables easy operation, saving time on training and reducing downtime,” he explains.

Bosch also offers its new Pack 301 Length Slug (LS) horizontal flow wrapper for the efficient and flexible packaging of biscuits and crackers on edge. The midrange automation solution is comprised of a smart measuring loader, a smart slug feeder and the pack 301 LS horizontal flow wrapper.

“With innovative features for gentle product handling, as well as fast and simple changeovers, all components have been developed with a holistic approach, high reliability and robustness in mind. Depending on the product characteristics, operators can easily exchange side belts with side chains and vice versa for enhanced flexibility and optimal support of the slugs in the feeding chain,” Manke asserts.

He puts forward that being developed to address the challenges of today and tomorrow, the pack 301 LS solution is capable of packaging rectangular, square and round products, as well as sandwich biscuits. He adds that depending on the manufacturer’s requirements, the loader can be equipped with up to ten vibratory channels for maximum in-feed capacity, resulting in high productivity.

Manke emphasises that its modular design allows for scalable solutions and layout flexibility, enabling manufacturers to expand their production capacity or increase the level of automation.