Australia’s tna solutions prepares for major Interpack equipment reveal
Co-founder of tna, Nadia Taylor (right of pic), at the recent Gulfood Manufacturing event. Pic: Neill Barston
In the wake of its 40th anniversary celebrations, tna solutions will be unveiling a host of packaging and processing developments at Interpack, including the latest version of the key vertical form fill and seal system, reports Neill Barston.
The company’s Robag 3e gains its European debut at the major international industry event taking place in Dusseldorf between 4-10 May, shown alongside its autosplice 3 line that provide a combined reported production uptime of 5% with a 200mm increase in overall floor space.
As Confectionery Production covered at the recent Gulfood Manufacturing event in Dubai (pictured below), the business has enjoyed a notably strong period of sales and equipment development surrounding its 40th anniversary (see our video event review featuring tna here).
Notably, as the company explained it will use Interpack to showcase its proprietary sustainability calculator will also be available for visitors to assess how the use of single-serration jaws on VFFS packaging systems, which are widely used across confectionery and snacks operations, can help to reduce film consumption and enhance sustainability credentials.
“Our purpose is to help our customers to realise ambitious sustainability goals and create a greener, more prosperous world,” said Nadia Taylor, Co-founder and Director at tna solutions. “To cater for the growing aspirations of both brands and individuals towards a circular economy, we are very proud to apply our diverse capabilities and food industry experience to create solutions that improve the environmental footprint of manufacturing operations.”
Furthermore, the company’s sustainability corner will also showcase the capabilities of the tna robag to run a range of industry compliant sustainable film materials. It also demonstrates an integrated line for snack producers featuring the robag 3e, and its auto-splice 3 with EtherCAT real-time protocol and an integrated display controller system.
The latest software relays information from the tna checkweigher or from the product in-seal inspection to inform operators on the optimal weighing bucket configuration for prompt troubleshooting, significantly reducing rejects, product and material waste. As a result, snack manufacturers can now produce up to 2,800 more bags per line per day with minimal downtime and only 200 millimetres added to the VFFS system footprint.
As the company added, its experts will guide visitors through possible changes that can drive meaningful improvements in reducing environmental impact, such as the tna robag 3e, which lowers product waste levels to 0.1%, and offers a more efficient, sustainable packaging operation. With the world’s smallest VFFS footprint, the system delivers energy savings of up to 20% thanks to its enhanced productivity and intuitive power saving software, which automatically shuts the system down when not in use.
Significantly, the company noted that to further support snack producers on their sustainability journey, the business will showcase single-serration jaws that help to reduce the consumption of biaxially oriented polypropylene (BOPP), a recyclable but non-biodegradable material.
The sustainability calculator, available throughout the show, allows snack producers to evaluate potential film savings. For example, single-serration jaws enable a 5-millimetre material saving per seal. On VFFS systems that produce 150 bags per minute, these savings translate into 2.26 million bags per month. In a factory of 10 packaging lines, operating at least 12 hours a day, it results in almost 390 kilometres of film saved a month.
“As demand for energy-efficient and sustainable operations continues to grow, our customers are seeking solutions to measure and manage the environmental impact of their production plants,” comments Eric Geling, Chief Sales Officer at tna solutions. “We at tna believe that what is good for the environment can also be good for the bottom line. Reducing energy, waste and streamlining processing inevitably has a positive impact on product yield and line efficiency.”
Sustainability dedication
As the company acknowledged, sustainability remains high on its agenda and is a key area on display at the stand. As a responsible processing and packaging solutions supplier, the company added that it has always has a firm eye on the trends that continue to shape the future. Visitors to the booth (Hall 14, booths C56 & D56), will have chance to explore its full range of technology for the sector.
Speaking about the company’s wider mission, which involves giving back through its charitable foundation, which is active across 39 countries, Nadia Taylor added: “We believe true success is that which is shared by our company, our customers, and the broader community, and feel a moral obligation to create value so that we may help the less fortunate, especially children. One of the foundation’s key focus areas is the education of children in the regions in which we operate. It’s the gift that nobody can take away, and we therefore encourage our valued customers to also spend a little time to learn more in this dedicated section of the stand.”
