Packaging is no longer simply «packaging for the sake of packaging». For producers of food, meat and dairy products, ready meals, as well as for the cosmetics and medical industries, the way a tray is sealed directly affects the shelf life of the product, its appearance on the shelf and the buyer’s trust in the brand. That is exactly why more and more Ukrainian enterprises are switching to tray sealers — modern equipment for sealing trays and containers with film.
In this article we explain what a tray sealer is, which types of this equipment exist, why it is worth paying attention specifically to the Italian brand ILPRA — and how Steiner Ukraine helps enterprises to select, install and service such equipment on a turnkey basis.
What a tray sealer is and why it is needed
A tray sealer (from the English tray sealer) — is equipment for the hermetic sealing of trays and containers with thermal film. Unlike manual packaging or simple shrink packaging, a tray sealer makes it possible to:
- hermetically seal a tray containing the product with film of a specified configuration;
- if required, fill the pack with a protective gas (modified atmosphere packaging, MAP), which substantially extends the shelf life of fresh and chilled products;
- create vacuum packaging or packaging using skin-packaging technology, where the film tightly follows the shape of the product;
- ensure an attractive, «display-case» appearance of the finished pack, which directly affects sales.
This approach is critically important for meat and fish products, dairy products, ready meals and semi-finished products, as well as for single-use medical devices and cosmetics, where sterility and tightness are important.
Types of tray sealers: how to choose one to match your production volumes
When choosing equipment for sealing trays, it is worth being guided first of all by production volumes and by the level of automation that already exists at the enterprise.
Semi-automatic tray sealers. The operator manually places the filled trays into the machine, while the sealing itself, the gas filling or the creation of the vacuum takes place automatically. This is the optimal option for medium production volumes and for enterprises working with a wide range of products in different formats.
Automatic tray sealers. The feeding of trays, the sealing and the unloading of the finished products take place without operator involvement. Such solutions are suitable for enterprises with a high production rate, where stable output and the minimisation of the human factor are important.
In-line tray sealers. They are built directly into the production line and integrated with other process equipment — dosing units, conveyors, labelling machines. This approach makes it possible to build a fully automated turnkey packaging line.
Why ILPRA is one of the world leaders in packaging equipment
ILPRA is an Italian company founded in 1955 in the town of Mortara; it is part of the ILPRA Group and is a world leader in the manufacture of packaging equipment for the food, medical and cosmetics industries. Since the creation of its first heat-shrink sealing machine, ILPRA has set the standard for quality, innovation and reliability, with more than 16,000 installations in 130 countries of the world, and in 2019 the company entered the Italian stock exchange, which underlines the scale and ambition of the business.
The ILPRA range of equipment for sealing trays supports MAP (modified atmosphere packaging), vacuum packaging and skin-packaging technologies for fresh and frozen products. A separate advantage is the patented ProGas system, which reduces gas consumption and increases the operating speed of the equipment, and this directly affects the cost of the pack and the profitability of production.
It is also important that the company offers solutions for the customer’s specific tasks — from small production facilities to fully automated turnkey lines, and all the equipment complies with the ISO 9001:2008 standard. This means that a business of any scale — from a small workshop to a large food processing plant — can select a configuration that matches precisely its volumes and budget.
ILPRA tray sealers in the Steiner Ukraine catalogue
Steiner Ukraine is an engineering company representing leading European manufacturers of process and packaging equipment, and it is the exclusive partner of ILPRA in Ukraine. The ILPRA tray sealer catalogue on our website presents models with different levels of automation — from compact semi-automatic systems for small production facilities to fully automatic in-line solutions for continuous production.
By turning to Steiner Ukraine you receive not simply the supply of equipment, but full support for the project:
- selection of the tray sealer model to suit the specific product, tray format and production volumes;
- delivery and installation of the equipment at your production site;
- commissioning work and staff training;
- service maintenance and the supply of original spare parts.
Who should consider an ILPRA tray sealer
Equipment for sealing trays will be a sensible investment if your business:
- produces meat, fish or dairy products or ready meals and needs to extend shelf life by means of MAP or vacuum;
- aims to move from manual or semi-automatic packaging to an automated line;
- wants to improve the presentation of the product on the shelf through high-quality, attractive packaging;
- works in the medical or cosmetics industry and needs hermetic, sterile packaging of its products.
Summary
A tray sealer is not simply equipment for sealing, but a tool that affects the shelf life of the products, their marketable appearance and, ultimately, the profitability of production. Italian ILPRA quality, backed by decades of experience and thousands of installations all over the world, combined with the expertise of Steiner Ukraine as an official partner, makes it possible to select a solution that will precisely match the needs of your production.
You can view the full range of ILPRA tray sealers and receive a consultation on the selection of equipment in the Steiner Ukraine catalogue.
