MPE UK Ltd has launched a versatile, class-leading new compact tray sealer aimed at ready meals, fresh produce and meat products. Building on MPE’s extensive heat-sealing experience, the MPE i3 is high throughput technology capable of running larger format trays than its main competitors, while taking up minimal factory floor space.
Tray sealers ensure speedy processing of items like soft fruit and MPE already has machinery installations in greenhouses across the UK. The small footprint design of the robust and high speed i3 is ideal for growers, saving valuable floor space, while its simplicity offers efficient and rapid changeover between tray sizes. Belying its small stature, the i3 offers the deepest available tray sealing capacity at 200mm – also perfect for the catering trade and meat processors delivering lines such as joints and sausages.
In response to businesses crying out for sustainable packaging systems, the i3 is an all-electric machine. This means no pneumatics, bringing energy savings for the food industry and quicker payback on investment. It could also open funding streams through sustainability grants.
Future-proofed to take advantage of software upgrades to increase performance, features include a self-intuitive user interface, easy and quick tool change, advanced self-diagnostics, rogue object detection and ‘Smart spacing technology’. Pre-heating stations can reduce the already-speedy 10-minute changeover to just five minutes. Last but not least the i3’s programming constantly monitors performance and displays any issues to the user along with a solution.
Developed and manufactured in the UK, the i3 can be bespoke to a customer’s requirements. MPE’s Technical Director, John Hodgkiss, believes the company’s investment in the latest addition to its extensive range of tray sealers will pay dividends for food packaging companies, by bringing a cost-saving but highly versatile alternative to the marketplace which is easy to clean, easy to maintain and easy to operate.
He says: “Why should customers choose the i3 over an alternative model? That’s easy – cost, capability, simplicity and a non-corporate customer experience. Customers are very impressed with our products and we get comments on how simple and ingenious our solutions are. We often win contracts over our more established competitors because of this level of innovation and dedication to top flight customer service at all stages of the relationship.
“The i3 took just two months to get to market from the design stage. It normally takes most companies at least a year. Our design team is very flexible and quick in bringing great ideas through to the end product. We’re in a great position to provide the UK’s food processing companies of all sizes exactly what they need to stay ahead of the packaging innovation curve.”
With MAP as standard, the robust i3 is capable of 15 cycles per minute and is suitable for almost all packaging materials. This and the i4, which will be unveiled at a later date, are certainly raising the bar in heat sealing technology.
For more information visit mpe-uk.com