A tray erector, also called tray former, is used to shape trays into their final form. The forming is done from a flat shape. Blanks are picked up directly from the machine’s storage magazine.
Several options for the choice of materials are available. These include corrugated, micro-fluted or solid carton. However, frequently found in the food industry, they can be formed from a reel of aluminium, plastic (polystyrene, polypropylene, …) or wood.
The creation of trays can be achieved through different processes:
– Gluing (cardboard boxes)
– Snap-in (cartons)
– Ratcheting (cardboard boxes)
– Pressure (aluminium)
– Thermoforming (creation of plastic trays)
Tray packers are used in many industries:Food (food packaging: meat, cheese, fruit, …), dairy, cosmetics, …
Generally, these machines are able to cover several formats. We refer to these machines as multi-format tray packers.
Tray forming machines can be used in addition to automatic packaging solutions before logistics. A tray can contain bulk or stacked products, by unit or in various quantities. After shaping, they can be sent via a conveyor system to the following automatic packaging stations: case erector, pick and place robot, …
A lid inserter provides sealing as well as protection of the products by adding a lid. Lidding can be done with U- or X-shaped (cross) lids.
Buying a used machine remains a high investment for some companies. Prices vary depending on the condition, make, location and year of manufacture of the machine.
Osertech offers a selection of available and functional second-hand packaging machines, ready for use, in order to meet the needs of any type of budget.