Ireland’s The Flat Bread Company has diversified into the retail market thanks to an extra-wide flow wrapper designed specifically for the firm by Italian supplier PFM Packaging Machinery.
The Irish baked good manufacturer was set up in 2008 to supply a major fast food chain with pizza bases. Since then it has developed a host of other products, including a fresh tortilla.
Managing director Kieran Walsh said the extra wide flow wrapper was required to handle the tortillas, which are presented in a pack of six, measuring 20mm high x 368mm in diameter.
The PFM Pulsar stainless steel machine – traditionally used for fresh produce – has been adapted to allow tortillas to be wrapped and gas-flushed for modified atmosphere packaging at a rate of 25 packs a minute.
Pizza bases
It uses film up to a maximum of 900mm wide. Smaller products such as pizza bases can be handled at 40 collations a minute.
As the pack is formed, the film is slit and rejoined with a strip of peelable tape, which provides an easy-open feature and allows packs to be reclosed.
The machine is driven by a servo motor and equipped with a flat belt infeed conveyor and box motion sealing jaws that follow the film to boost time spent sealing and hermetic seal quality.
“PFM has an established record in equipment to handle food products for the retail market and was able to provide machinery to accommodate the tortillas, as well as handle smaller products economically,” said The Flat Bread Company’s Walsh.
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