“The R 085 has made it possible for us to get into automatic thermoforming packaging.”
Nice Garden Industrial Co. Ltd. has set itself the task of bringing high-quality and healthy products from the farm to the consumer's table. “Food derived from animal sources can in our view only be healthy for the consumer and suitable for consumption, if we pay the greatest attention to quality in the early stages of the supply chain, and if we then systematically pursue this aim through all the subsequent stages,” says Kevin Wu, COO at Nice Garden, with conviction.
The company, founded in Taipeh in 1984, concentrated initially on food supplements for animals in the agricultural sector. With its focus on animal feeds and health supplements for the agricultural and aquacultural industries, Nice Garden International soon became the preferred partner for many international companies. Thanks to the expertise gained in this successful cooperation, the company developed its own technology for manufacturing mixed animal feed. True to its mission of integrating agricultural products into the food chain, Nice Garden Industrial is now also active in the sector of meat for human consumption.
Nice Garden underpins its high reputation with reliable internal controls, a sophisticated quality management system and comprehensive service. A management culture has been systematically created over decades, which incorporates all the departments and processes within the company, and which is based on the key factors of professionalism, morale, and teamwork. “We are constantly striving to offer our farm customers tested and reliable products from one source, as well as services they can trust. Our sales team is also characterised by its high level of technical expertise and closeness to its customers,” explains Kevin Wu. Today Nice Garden is among the leading suppliers in Taiwan of animal feed and supplements.
High level of pack quality and an even higher degree of automation
Part of the company's recipe for success is the fact that it focuses on market trends and adapts its products and packaging accordingly. One of the company's subsidiaries, which concentrates on the rearing and slaughter of farm animals as well as packing the meat for human consumption, turned to the experts from MULTIVAC when it came to developing a modern packaging solution for its products. The company had learnt of this in 2017 at a packaging exhibition in Taipeh. However, it was not clear before the start of the project which packaging technology or machines would be required for the investment. “It was a question of finding suitable packaging solutions which could be used for producing retail packs of pork cuts and minced pork. We first analysed the market and evaluated market trends on behalf of Nice Garden,” explains Wade Fang, who was responsible at MULTIVAC for the project. “In addition to a high level of pack quality, one of the customer's main requirements was a greater degree of automation, since in future fewer staff would be available for the packaging procedure.
B 310 and R 085 are very impressive with their reliable pack quality
The choice was made in favour of two different machines - and also of two different packaging technologies. Since January 2018 the large pork cuts have been packed on a B 310 chamber belt machine, which enables products of different sizes and formats to be packed in large batches thanks to its manual sealing height adjustment.
A compact R 085 thermoforming packaging machine is used to pack minced meat. “The R 085 has made it possible for us to get into automatic thermoforming packaging, which was a new packaging technology for us,” explains Kevin Wu. Wade Fang from MULTIVAC adds: “The demand for high-quality packs in small batch sizes is rising in virtually all product sectors. Entry-level solutions like the R 085 with a small footprint, which are easy to operate and can be converted simply and quickly, are very much in demand.” The thermoforming packaging machine can be used to produce vacuum packs and modified atmosphere packs for sliced products as well as larger cuts. This means it can also meet the requirement for extended product shelf life.
Cost-effective chamber belt machine
The B 310 chamber belt machine is a highly cost-effective model which combines all the benefits of MULTIVAC's chamber belt machine technology in one space-saving machine design. The 950 x 630 x 230 mm (W x D x H) chamber is equipped with two 950 mm long sealing bars, allowing the machine to be loaded on both sides. Depending on the desired output, the B 310 can also be equipped with various pump combinations. The machine is controlled by means of a MC 08/10 machine control with vacuum sensor. The B 310, which is designed in the MULTIVAC Hygienic Design™, is equipped with a tilting lid for quick and easy cleaning and servicing.
Compact thermoforming packaging machine
The R 085 is available with four standard format layouts and can run both flexible and rigid films. Thanks to a thermoforming depth of up to 80 millimetres, this flexible model provides a whole range of possibilities for pack design. Electric drives are used for both the lifting units and the transport chain; which means the R 085 also fulfils the requirements for improved energy efficiency. The machine is operated simply and ergonomically via the HMI 2.0 user interface with 12.1" touchscreen. The R 085 also has a quick-change system for forming and sealing dies with proven slide-in technology, which is integrated as standard in the die design. This makes it easier to convert the machine to other formats.
“Both MULTIVAC models have impressed us, in particular with the quality of the seal seams on the packs - and this means very reliable pack quality. Our customers have compared the new packs with the previous packs, which were produced on chamber machines from another manufacturer. They have clearly stated to us that the new packaging solutions from MULTIVAC are simply the best,” says a delighted Kevin Wu, who regards the important project objectives of Nice Garden as being completely fulfilled.
“The requirement for a higher degree of automation within the packaging procedure has also been met in full. Thanks in particular to the investment in the thermoforming packaging machine, the meat products are now largely packed automatically, and the product handling by operators within the packaging procedure has been reduced significantly,” says Kevin Wu in summary.
