The best in the industry: MULTIVAC UK’s 40th Anniversary Event

11.10.2024

With a record number of attendees through the doors, MULTIVAC UK invited visitors to their headquarters in Swindon for two days, 2^nd & 3^rd October, to learn how to overcome some of the industry’s greatest challenges and future-proof their business. The agenda gave visitors the chance to discover machinery, application and full-line demonstrations, new product launches, hear from industry keynote speakers, and join in on MULTIVAC’s very own Oktoberfest evening event, which included a popular celebrity guest.

MULTIVAC provided a diverse schedule suitable for visitors producing a range of applications, including meat, cheese, fish and bakery products. A wide range of equipment from MULTIVAC’s extensive product portfolio was on show: from processing, packaging, inspection, labelling and automation, as well as integrated full-line capabilities, stand alone machinery and FRITSCH Bakery Technologies.

After launching the new and improved space only a year ago, MULTIVAC UK were proud to host their second event at their Innovation Centre to celebrate four decades of service. The dedicated space gives MULTIVAC the opportunity to run equipment of all sizes, which was reflected in what was described as the largest installation of the year so far, showcasing over 40 pieces of machinery.

Industry Speakers

A varied selection of industry experts presented a series of keynote sessions for visitors to explore the latest trends for sustainability, efficiency and digitalisation.

Day one began with a business wide update from Chief Sales Officer of MULTIVAC Group, Tobias Richter, who gave insight into upcoming activity from the group, new product launches, and the progress of the group’s complete sustainability strategy.

Continuing the theme of sustainability, this was closely followed by Elliot Chrisp, Materials Business Unit Manager, and Liam Smith, Processing Business Unit Manager, who shared MULTIVAC UK’s current sustainability position, key trends for processing and packaging in the UK, and a deep dive into the idea of sustainability that goes far beyond the packaging material.

Deborah Millar, Executive Director of Digital Transformation at Hull College, provided a thought-provoking slot on the world of AI and how consumers can navigate their way through the digital age more effectively; soon to be a huge growth area for many businesses in the UK.

Day two concluded the keynote speaker sessions with the final slot being hosted by Nathan Ward, Business Unit Director at Worldpanel by Kantar, who is now known as a regular at MULTIVAC UK. Nathan shared insight into current UK food trends, what ends up in consumers baskets and why, and patterns in the way the nation buys and consumes their products.

Complete Line Solutions: increased efficiency, reduced labour, maximum output

At the heart of its Innovation Centre, MULTIVAC UK were proud to display four full line solutions to showcase their automation capabilities:

Two TVI lines were exhibited, with line one hosting the brand new GMS 1000, the SCI 1000 and Double Lane MIS, which was alongside the MULTIVAC TX 720 Traysealer and I 211 Vision System. Line two exhibited the TVI GMS 400, alongside the Schomaker marinating machine and AIS 520 inlay system. Both lines showed visitors clear examples of perfect portioning with maximum yield and minimum waste ahead of next BBQ season.

The well-known Man vs. Machine challenge also returned for 2024, with round two: Strictly Come Dusting! Visitors were encouraged to get involved and go head-to-head against the GMS 400 to hand portion and marinade pork loins.

Line three displayed a full slicing and packaging line, including the high-speed SLX 2000 Slicer, and was complete with the RX 4.0 Thermoforming Packaging Machine and the L 300 Labeller. The line showcased its efficiency with Liam Smith, Processing Business Unit Manager, presenting a live scenario of MULTIVAC’s Smart Services offer and the features and benefits included.

The fourth and final line presented a fully automated system and included the MCF Centrifuge 900, which was joined by the H 244 Handling Module, MULTIVAC TX 620 Traysealer, and I 410 Vision System, showcasing a high-speed pick and place line for burger patties.

Compact Solutions: you don’t have to be big to be clever!

Visitors were able to explore a variety of compact machine solutions for packaging and processing, thanks to expert presentations from the MULTIVAC UK product management team.

The newest addition to the professional series of slicers from MULTIVAC, the S 300 Slicer, was paired with the R 085 Thermoforming Packaging Machine, which showcased the ability to produce and pack high-quality sliced products at a minimised footprint; also showcasing high versatility with a range of sliced applications.

MULTIVAC also displayed the B 425 and P 300 Vacuum Chamber Machines, the W 510 Flow wrapper, R3 Thermoformer, and T 255 Traysealer.

MULTIVAC’s specialised machinery and materials teams were on hand to answer questions about running different materials on both new and existing equipment, and to help provide visitors with a consultancy approach to adopt more suitable and packaging concepts.

Take your processing to the next level

MULTIVAC collaborate with manufacturers of complementary technologies which integrate seamlessly into their systems for the perfect automation solution or challenge. Processing equipment from partner companies LASKA and Risco, and Metalquimia gave visitors the chance to see the high versatility of the product range for a wide range of applications.

The MULTIVAC UK Processing Team were at hand throughout the event to showcase the most recent additions to their product portfolio. Karl Jones, Processing Product Manager, exhibited the LASKA WWB Bowl Chopper, and the ME 1000 Mixer. This was closely followed by Liam Smith, Processing Business Unit Manager, who gave a detailed overview of the Metalquimia Rollerpress.

Reignite your passion for dough

From artisan production to fully automated manufacturing, as if it were made by hand. FRITSCH Bakery Technologies provide the baking industry with first-class dough processing lines and together, FRITSCH and MULTIVAC offer the highest-quality solution for dough processing and bakery product packaging.

To help visitors master modern bakery challenges, MULTIVAC UK’s FRITSCH Product Manager, Paul Johnson, ran multiple demonstrations of the FRITSCH Rollfix and the FRITSCH MULTIFLEX L, presenting the most efficient dough processing solution for pan au chocolates and d-shaped pastries.

Cooking and butchery demonstrations

This year, MULTIVAC UK introduced new additions to their agenda with the introduction of a cooking demonstration and a butchery application demonstration. Lagomchef joined the event during the lunch hour on day one, where the self-titled food disruptor gathered crowds to host a live cooking demo in the test kitchen of MULTIVAC’s Innovation Centre. This gave brilliant examples of sous vide cooking and the extent of using MULTIVAC Vacuum Chamber machines in the hospitality industry.

On day two, MULTIVAC’s resident butcher, Paddy Ward from Dunbia, returned to MULTIVAC UK to host a butchery application demonstration. The crowds gathered once again while Paddy butchered a whole lamb with detailed commentary of the step-by-step process.

Oktoberfest 2024

Following a full day of discovery in the Innovation Centre, visitors were also invited to MULTIVAC’s well known Oktoberfest evening event to celebrate 40 years of excellence.

The evening space was transformed into a Bavarian Wunderland to highlight the value and importance of its German heritage, which was complete with a taste of authentic German culture and live music.

In addition, visitors were excited to meet the celebrity after dinner guest, Eddie the Eagle, who spent time with everyone before taking to the stage for a heart-felt story on his famous Olympic career. The evening was then rounded off with MULTIVAC UK’s first ever charity auction, with items including; VIP Tickets for FC Barcelona, 4 Ball Golf at the Grove, and 3 Courses at Alain Roux’s The Waterside Inn, proudly raising over £10,000.

As a leading global machinery manufacturer, MULTIVAC is committed to delivering industry-leading events to help the UK’s food industry explore the latest trends and innovations for modern manufacturing.