ISHIDA Europe has announced the launch of a new tray sealer, which has been developed for high-volume production lines and increased throughput.
The QX-800 offers a variety of sealing options, including seal only, gas flushing, stretch film and skinpack applications.
Ishida said the high throughput is made possible by the model’s servo-motor technology, enabling more impressions and cycles, with up to 25 cycles per minute for seal only, and 17 MAP cycles per minute for Modified Atmosphere Packaging (MAP).
The QX-800 is also designed to offer improved energy efficiency and a 50% reduction in power consumption compared with its previous QX Flex range. The machine operates without a water chiller or compressed air.
To minimise food waste, Ishida has developed a new patented tray transfer system. The manufacturer explained that the technology allows for ‘smooth’ tray and product handling, ensuring spillage-free transfer, even for difficult-to-handle products such as soup.
To cater for fast product changeovers, the QX-800 also features Ishida’s cassette-based tooling design. At less than 70kg on average, the tool can be lifted by two operators using Ishida’s compact tool handling trolley. Tool changeovers can be completed in under 10 minutes.
“We have four all-important criteria when developing new packaging machinery for the food industry,” said Tara O’Connor, Ishida Europe’s product manager for tray sealers. “The machine must be smart, compact, efficient and provide clear sustainability benefits for the customer. We’re proud to say that the QX-800 hits the mark on all four.
“Our latest tray sealer maximises throughput while maintaining high product and pack quality across various tray designs and materials, including plastic, board, aluminium and fibre tray formats. In a highly competitive food market, achieving these goals is crucial as it means more efficient production while not compromising food safety and pack presentation.”
The QX-800 comes pre-installed with Sentinel 5.0, Ishida’s AI-driven software, which combines machine performance monitoring with data capture to provide an in-depth analysis of entire food production lines. It connects with the machine to ‘learn’ how it is operating.
Additionally, Ishida said the user interface has been designed to be as intuitive as possible, with easy access to operator guides, performance data and engineer-level information. Presets for existing tooling configurations can be saved and copied to allow for quicker tool changeovers.
Tara added, “Food production is all about speed and being able to package as many products as possible to a high quality, with excellent seal quality and consistency. The QX-800 has been developed with this in mind, minimising downtime and maximising performance, all within a compact footprint.
“With increasing cost pressures on the supply chain, efficient machines like the QX-800 are invaluable to reducing energy costs on the factory floor while supporting the shift towards sustainable packaging designs and materials. We’re highly confident that the food industry will respond positively to the launch of the QX-800, and we look forward to introducing this exciting new machine to both new and existing customers.”
