ULMA recently worked with dairy-free and vegan chocolate supplier Moo Free to upgrade its packaging machinery.
Established in 2010, Moo Free caters to vegan and vegetarian customers with its dairy-free, wheat-free, gluten-free and soya-free chocolate offerings. The company’s commitment to sustainability is evident in its use of non-single-use and recycled plastics for packaging, along with paper, to achieve zero waste to landfill.
The firm has now invested in ULMA’s FR 200 flow pack wrapper (HFFS). The decision was made when Moo Free’s existing machine, after years of continuous use, started encountering performance issues. The equipment struggled to wrap the desired amount of chocolate efficiently, leading to delays and waste. Sourcing replacement parts for the ageing equipment was also becoming increasingly challenging.
Marcus Woods, Moo Free’s operations manager, explained, “Our packaging machine was vital to our daily operations, but it could no longer keep up with our production demands. Its variable performance and frequent issues with film alignment were causing considerable disruptions and waste.”
After conducting research and considering sustainability-focused requirements, Moo Free contacted ULMA for a potential solution.
ULMA recommended the FR 200 horizontal flow pack wrapper, with the machine resolving the film alignment issues through motorised unwind on the film reel holder, a double adjustable folding box, and three pairs of rollers for longitudinal film pulling and sealing.
This design is said to have reduced waste and downtime, while another vital aspect was ensuring strict sanitising and safety measures to prevent cross-contamination in the food industry. The FR 200’s cantilever construction allowed ‘easy access’ for routine sanitation and cleaning. Additionally, the 7″ touch-screen HMI facilitated quick parameter adjustments to accommodate different product sizes and shapes.
Moo Free performed test runs at ULMA’s Sheffield HQ to ensure compatibility with the company’s chocolates and packaging materials.
Marcus Woods added, “The FR 200 has transformed our production process, and ULMA’s exceptional service and support have been invaluable. We are already reaping the benefits of this flow pack wrapper, and I wouldn’t hesitate to return to ULMA for future packaging machinery needs.”
The new machine achieves up to 110 packs per minute, compared to the previous peak rate of 36.
James Couldwell, ULMA Packaging’s MD, said, “We are delighted to have partnered with Moo Free to provide them with our FR 200 flow pack wrapper. It is incredibly rewarding to see how our packaging solution has contributed to improving both their productivity and sustainability efforts.”
