Filling and Packaging Equipment

What this section covers

Packaging splits into two parts, and it is worth keeping them apart. Primary packaging is what touches the product: a pillow pack of film, a tray in a modified atmosphere, a vacuum pack. Secondary packaging is the carton case into which the already packed goods go for storage and transport.

Primary packaging decides the shelf life and the look of the product on the shelf. The ROBYPAK flow-pack takes a discrete product moving as a flow — pancakes, snacks, bakery goods. The AL.MA. thermoforming machine forms the tray from a reel inside the machine and fills it with a gas mixture: for fresh pasta, meat and cheese that is the main lever on shelf life.

Secondary packaging means three COMARME machines that are often bought together: the erector opens the case from a blank, the GEM B52 seals the bottom, the GEM F470 or GEM 320 closes the top. Each can also be taken on its own if the rest of the operations are already automated.

What do you need

If you know the task but not the name of the machine, start here.

Items in this section

Flow-pack · ROBYPAK

ROBYPAK BP400 BB horizontal packaging machine

Film up to 400 mm · up to 100 packs per minute · recipe memory.

Bag from a reel · ROBYPAK

ROBYPAK V500 horizontal packaging machine

Film 500 mm · tipping feed system · AISI 304 in contact with the product.

Thermoforming · AL.MA.

AL.MA. thermoforming packaging machines

Modified atmosphere, vacuum, skin and plain sealing · the tray is formed from a reel.

Case erector · COMARME

COMARME F1000 automatic carton case erector

Up to 840 cases/h · magazine for 110–120 blanks · 7" touch panel.

Bottom sealing · COMARME

COMARME GEM B52 case bottom sealing machine

Up to 1000 cases/h · lower head T22/T23 · weight 85 kg.

Semi-automatic · COMARME

COMARME GEM 320 semi-automatic case sealer

Up to 1000 cases/h · top and bottom seals in one pass · cases of one format.

Automatic · COMARME

COMARME GEM F470 automatic case sealer

Up to 1800 cases/h in the HS version · closes the top flaps itself · four versions.

Comparison of the items in this section

The items solve different tasks, so comparing them for "which is better" makes no sense. This table answers a different question — which of them is yours:

The parameters are taken from the manufacturers’ technical catalogues. The exact configuration and output are selected for the customer’s product.

Video from real projects

The clips were filmed on equipment of this type at work.

The clips were filmed at our customers’ plants.

How we select the equipment

1. The taskYou describe the product, the volume per shift and the space in the workshop. If the product does not exist yet, we discuss what it should be.
2. CalculationAn engineer works out the output, chooses the units and the interchangeable tooling and checks the dimensions against the manufacturer's drawings.
3. The offerYou receive the composition of the set, the specifications, the lead time and the price. If needed, several options for different budgets.
4. ImplementationSupply, installation, commissioning on your own product, staff training — and service afterwards.

Why customers buy from us

The factories build the machines. We are responsible for making the equipment work on your product in your workshop — and for keeping it working. That is eight steps, and all of them are ours:

1. Selection for your product
2. Delivery
3. Installation
4. Commissioning
5. Staff training
6. Warranty
7. Service
8. Spare parts

Frequently asked questions

What is the difference between flow-pack and thermoforming?

Flow-pack wraps a finished item in film and makes a pillow pack — fast and cheap, but without changing the atmosphere inside. A thermoforming machine forms the tray from a reel itself, places the product in it and seals it in a modified atmosphere, under vacuum or with a skin effect. The first is about appearance and convenience, the second about shelf life.

Is a case erector needed if there is already a sealing machine?

It depends on the volume. A sealing machine works with a case that somebody has already erected. While the cases run at dozens per hour, an operator does that; at hundreds, erecting becomes the slowest operation on the line. The F1000 erector removes it, but calls for a bottom sealing machine — the GEM B52.

Can different formats be packed on one machine?

Yes, within limits. On the ROBYPAK flow-pack the format changes by calling a recipe from memory, but the forming tunnel is made for one specific film size. On the COMARME the range of case sizes is set by the construction and re-setting is manual. That is why our enquiry asks not for one size but for your whole range.

Which film can be used?

The ROBYPAK BP400 works with any heat-sealable film — polypropylene, plain and composite laminates. The V500 was offered with PA/PE for the customer's product. For thermoforming the lower and upper films are chosen for the packaging type — MAP, vacuum or skin.

Is a compressor needed?

Yes, for the COMARME F1000 and the GEM F470: the working pressure is 6 bar. A compressor is not part of the supply — compressed air is provided by the customer. We state the consumption per cycle in the technical brief for preparing the premises.

What is included in the supply?

Selection of the configuration for the product, delivery, installation and commissioning on your own product, operator training, warranty and post-warranty service, original spare parts. Film, tape, carton and the energy connections are on the customer's side.

Related catalogue sections

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