The Packaging Automation Trial Facility at our factory in Knutsford, Cheshire offers customers the opportunity to carry out tests and trials using their proposed packaging materials with their product, incorporating the process steps they intend to use (MAP, SkinPAC, chill, freeze or cook). This enables them to verify the results prior to investment in machinery. Shelf ready pack concepts can be produced to validate pack integrity and for performance trials such as shelf life and transit trials or as sample packs for retailers.
Simon Wilson, our Packaging Seal Technologist can guide you through the development of new packaging concepts including selecting environmentally friendly alternatives to plastic packaging and can help you access our vast database of packaging suppliers.
The Test Kitchen is available for customers both new and existing as well as for packaging suppliers.
Supporting New Customers
For those new to tray sealing and exploring options, the Test Kitchen can be a great place to start your packaging journey. #TeamPA will not only help you understand the benefits of #traysealing but what’s even better is you get to put the theory into practice by running trials on your product in your preferred packaging option, so whether you are looking to achieve extended shelf life, maximum output, environmentally friendly options or simply looking for advice you can be sure you’ll find all the answers you need.
Existing Customers
Once the customer has their machine and tooling and indeed their chosen packaging that’s not the end of the story, the test kitchen remains available for support as and when needed.
Perhaps a customer may be looking to explore more sustainable packaging options or even considering changing packaging suppliers. We can use the customer’s current packaging as the benchmark and run trials with the proposed new packaging, to make sure it gives the same or better results. This can be done using the burst test tank and the peel strength test. Trials can also be used to see if we can increase the shelf life of the products giving customers the opportunity to take away sealed packs to assess the shelf life.
As a respected British manufacturer of packaging machinery with 60 years specialist knowledge of tray heat sealing technology and factory automation, Packaging Automation have an enviable database of packaging suppliers and are happy to recommend the best option to customers but it’s not only customers who benefit from the Test Kitchen, packaging suppliers do too.
Film suppliers can use the test kitchen to develop their films. If they are looking at down gauging the thickness or swapping to mono film from laminate or even looking at compostable film, they can run seal tests to validate the film performance and seal integrity.
Tray suppliers also use the test kitchen to develop their tray material composition or when looking at changing their materials. Trial plates can be made to suit new designs or development trials and burst test tank and peel strength tests can help ensure new material or development products preform the same as current packaging.
