ILPRA at IPACK-IMA 2022

Our trade show calendar could not be complete without taking part in one of the great showcases of Made in Italy, IPACK-IMA, taking place from 3 to 6 May at Fiera Milano. ILPRA will be exhibiting in Hall 7, Stand B26–C25, where visitors can discover the latest innovations across our tray sealing, filling and thermoforming lines.

ILPRA is participating in the event in two ways: as an exhibitor and as an organiser of the Smart Factory, a series of demonstration lines that simulate the operation of a full production line within a manufacturing site. These demonstrations will take place every day at 11:30 and 15:30 in Hall 4, Stand C60/C68.

The Smart Factory project will involve the collaboration of several manufacturers, each one unique and essential to delivering a fully automated packaging line.

The process begins with RoboQb’s QBO 120 unit, a system capable of cooking, cooling, concentrating and vacuum refining any product. It will prepare hummus according to the optimal requirements of production. Once the desired result is achieved, the product will be transferred into a hopper and handled by the FS2500, ILPRA’s fully automatic rotary machine, equipped with Siemens electronics (panel and PLC) for fully customisable setup and control.

The Fill Seal 2500 will dose the hummus into paper containers that have been de-nested, then seal them using a paper-based film that is easy to recycle, supplied and produced by Alucart. During the sealing phase, ILPRA technology enables the introduction of a protective gas mixture into the container to help extend the product’s shelf life.

The finished pack is then ready to be checked by FT System and its Combi X inspection system, which will inspect each unit leaving the FS2500 to confirm correct weight and prevent the presence of any foreign bodies with a different consistency from the actual product.

Once inspection is complete, the packs are handled once again by ILPRA SpA through the RC end-of-line system. This automatic case packer is able to pick up the sealed cups from the conveyor belt and gently place them into pre-formed boxes, ready for palletising.