Kenray Forming are proud sponsors of Woodville Rangers Under 11 Junior Football Team for the second year running.
We are proud to support our local community and would like to wish the team every success for the 2016 / 2017 season
We would like to invite you to visit us on stand JO8 at this year’s PPMA Total show, held on 27-29th September at the NEC in Birmingham.
At this year’s show we will be demonstrating our latest range of formers and accessories for the vertical form filled packaging machines. This includes our new Nitrogen Efficient Former which has been designed to overcome the nitrogen gas leaks prevalent in traditional former sets on TNA machines.
It provides a consistent vacuum pressure on an ongoing basis, ensuring a smooth film flow, helping our clients to maximise their food production line with minimum downtime.
This new technology provides an improvement in reliability and machine integrity for TNA machines, resulting in significant savings on both nitrogen use and replacement belts.
Staff will also be on hand to discuss our new method to refurbish TNA strippers in a cost-effective, reliable manner. Using bespoke engineered fixtures, Kenray refurbish TNA strippers to the original, exacting standards providing the performance of a new tube closer at a fraction of the cost.
The team at Kenray look forward to meeting clients on the stand to discuss any issues they may be having with their VFFS packaging machines.
Register to attend HERE for FREE and visit us on our stand
We look forward to seeing you there.
If you cannot make the show, but would like to discuss your issues with Kenray, please contact us via email or phone 01530 400 100.
KENRAY are delighted to confirm that they have developed a robust method to refurbish TNA strippers in a cost-effective, reliable manner. Having developed sophisticated bespoke jigging and production techniques, the team at Kenray can now refurbish TNA strippers to the original, exacting standards.
Kenray confirm that a TNA stripper or bag closer repaired by Kenray, will provide the performance of a new bag closer at a fraction of the cost. The refurbishment process of the TNA stripper sees the parts completely taken apart, cleaned and re-assembled. During the assembly process Kenray use a specialist bespoke jig to ensure all components are accurately aligned and checked, enabling the refurbished bag closer and stripper to operate as new.
Full details are on our solutions page around bags and strippers.
If you need to replace your bag closers and strippers on a regular basis contact Kenray to see how refurbishment could save you money and provide you with greater value.
The Kenray sales team have recently returned from the Gulfood Manufacturing Exhibition in Dubai as the company continues to expand its services into the region. The exhibition is one of the largest global events for the food manufacturing industry and visitors attend to keep pace with the latest innovations, equipment and ingredients.
Kenray were delighted to be involved and welcomed existing and potential clients to their stand demonstrating the quality and consistency of Kenray formers and Greener jaws. Kenray expertise in full forming sets extends to a variety of components for many different packaging types, independent of brand or make. Visitors to the stand learned about the solutions and many unique features which make the Kenray formers durable, light, easy to implement and cost effective.
As Mark Evans, Sales Director commented, “it was great to meet customers from around the world and share with them how Kenray formers and Greener jaws help with the productivity and efficiency on their production lines. We look forward to continuing discussions with many new contacts we met at the show from the Middle East, Europ and India”.
Anyone who wants to know more about the service and support for formers and jaws from Kenray should contact perform@kenrayglobal.com or phone the international head office in the UK on +44 (0) 1530 400 100
An important consideration for food manufacturers is the cost of their packaging machinery and forming sets. To cut costs, many packagers will purchase an average forming set, which meets the minimum requirements for safety and hygiene and produces bags suitable for sale. However, the average forming set that was meant to save money up front will often result in additional, hidden costs over time.
There are some common ways in which average forming sets negatively impact the profits of food producers:
Small Stops and Reduced Output Speed
Small stops are almost always caused by product blockages, which are caused by a wide range of circumstances. Product with low mass, high surface roughness or wide-ranging variation in unit size commonly can block the former, and integral chutes are required to reduce the possibility of blockages.
The design of a straight tube in an average forming set vs a bespoke set’s tube with gradual transition.
However, average forming sets use inlet chutes that do not feature a gradual transition from the chute into the tube, which results in food getting stuck in the machine. When small stops occur, the machine must be turned off and the issue must be corrected by an engineer. Every minute that the machine is off reduces the overall output of your company.
Misaligned Tubes
Average forming sets that are fabricated poorly will feature belt flats on the tube that are not an equal distance away from the centreline of the belts. One belt will apply less pressure, which results in uneven tension and it will wear out faster than usual. As such, the belts will have to be replaced more often than they would be with a custom forming set – another hidden cost which will add up over time.
An example of tube misalignment.
Problems With Back Seals
Misaligned tubes and shoulders can compromise the quality of the back-seal on the bag, which leads to waste of material. The film may wander off to one side, which will cause the material to ripple while it is being passed through the machine. This can cause the back-seal to expose graphics that are meant to be hidden or hide graphics that are meant to be shown. In some cases, the back seal will come apart. Both food products and packaging material are wasted, which presents a significant dent in the bottom line of food producers.
At KENRAY, we have seen many customers buy average forming sets to save hundreds of pounds in the short term. Unfortunately, over time the equipment presents shortcomings that cost thousands to correct. Our bespoke forming sets prevent these issues from occurring, helping you to increase your production and output.
For more information, view our Forming Set Solutions page or give us a call at +44 (0)1530 400 100. You can also read our full white paper on the Hidden Costs of Average Forming Sets.
The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) has announced its plans to fund a study that will endeavour to improve the recycling and remanufacturing of flexible packaging. The findings could potentially have a significant impact on the packaging of snack products with bespoke forming sets.
The study will take a close look at flexible packaging that contains aluminium, such as pet food containers, toothpaste tubes and snack pouches. Defra estimates that the UK marketplace uses 160 000 metric tons of flexible laminate packaging every year. As such, it is important for food manufacturers and OEMs to become aware of the recycling opportunities for this this type of material.
Several large UK food manufacturers will take part in the study. Nestle UK & Ireland, Coca-Cola Enterprises and Tesco UK will research, develop and test new methods of recovering and treating the materials used in flexible packaging. They will also endeavour to increase the recycling and collection of flexible packaging across England.
Should the trials prove successful, there is the possibility that new viable collection and recycling schemes will be implemented. This could lead to a significant reduction in carbon emissions, ultimately benefitting the environment in more ways than one.
Due to the nature of new materials used in flexible packaging, film control and former accuracy is paramount. Flexible packaging has the potential to pose a challenge to food manufacturers, and it is important to work with packaging experts that can develop custom forming sets to address these issues.
KENRAY has 30 years of experience in helping food manufacturers package their products using a wide range of materials. For more information, visit our Snack Food Formers page or call us at: (0)1530 400 100.
Over the next few months KENRAY will be exhibiting at a number of packaging conferences and exhibitions across Europe. With roots in the UK, KENRAY is a leading global company that manufactures bespoke forming sets for vertical packaging machines to address the specific needs of food producers, snack packers and OEMs.
This autumn industry professionals from around the world can learn more about our complete forming solutions at three of the world’s largest packaging expos. From 30 September to 2 October we will be exhibiting at the PPMA Show, ‘the complete production line event’. The PPMA Show is the UK’s largest processing and packaging machinery exhibition with over 300 exhibitors showcasing the latest technology in the industry. Visit us on stand F64 at the NEC Birmingham.
That same week KENRAY will also be exhibiting at TaroPak in Poland at the Poznan International Fair Grounds. With over 600 exhibitors from 30 countries, TaroPak is considered the most important packaging event in Central and Eastern Europe. From 29 September to 2 October visit our stand 50 in Hall 3 to learn more about our bespoke forming sets.
Then, from 17 – 20 November, we will be at the Emballage Expo located in Paris Nord Villepinte. As ‘the capital place for innovation’, the event is a meeting place for over 100 000 packaging industry professionals. Our Stand C 098 will be located in Hall 5A. Manning our stands will be multilingual representatives from our Polish and French offices. So delegates at TaroPak and Emballage will be able to speak in their native languages about our industry-leading technology.
As a global brand, KENRAY maintains an international presence in the packaging industry. It is important for us to network with food manufacturers and OEMs from around the world to listen to their packaging needs and offer custom forming solutions that will improve production and reduce downtime.
Packaging began simply as a way to protect food, keeping it fresh and clean until it was eaten. But it was not long before it acquired a range of other purposes such as branding, sales, and usability.
With all these areas invested in packaging, it is no surprise that companies are constantly growing and developing the ways they package their food. As a result, there have been huge changes in the industry over the past 20 years.
Going Green
Related to wastage, environmental concerns have also had a huge impact on the packaging industry. As well as being a factor driving the reduction of material wastage, environmental issues have affected the type of material used. Far greater quantities of food now use packaging which is recyclable or has already been recycled. These factors have also left their mark in the field of design and labelling. Most food packaging now includes advice on how the materials can be disposed of in the most environmentally-friendly way and whether the packaging is recycled. Brands that wish to show their environmental responsibility to their customers may also mention the fact their packaging is recycled clearly and visibly on the label.
Calorie Counting
Perhaps one of the most significant and noticeable changes in packaging over the last 20 years has been the inclusion of nutritional information. Concerns over public health and new legislation have led the inclusion of this data to be near-universally applied to food packaging. It has also become part of the selling process. Healthier foods, or brands that wish to convey a helpful and health-conscious image, put essential facts about a product’s nutrition in prominent places on the front of the pack.
Standing Out From The Crowd
Companies are keen to make their packaging stand out on the shelf, as well as ensuring it looks modern and impresses the customer. As a result, the field of packaging design has seen huge advancements.
New technologies have allowed labels to become more colourful and complex. A range of new shapes have also been developed, either for practical reasons or to look modern and unique. A range of forming shoulders are now widely available to help produce shapes that were unheard of 20 or even 10 years ago.
Reducing Material Wastage
Through the later part of the twentieth century, a number of studies in different countries were coming up with disturbing wastage figures. Not only were packaging materials being wasted in the manufacturing process, but inadequate packaging was leading to the wastage of large percentages of products. In Russia, for example, more than half of fresh fruit and up to 70% of potatoes were wasted for this reason. More reliable manufacturing processes, through the use of modern formers and more advanced equipment, have slashed these figures.
Since its humble beginnings as a simple means to protect food and keep it fresh, packaging has developed and changed to play a much more important role in many ways. For example, it now offers a whole host of other purposes including branding and usability instructions, and exciting designs to increase sales.
Companies tirelessly review and renew their packaging, investing large amounts of capital into the process and developing the way that products are packaged. This has seen large scale change in the packaging industry over the last couple of decades.
Packaging Design
Perhaps one of the most important considerations of modern day packaging is the design. It is imperative for companies to be able to provide a product that is packaged in a well designed way that is impressive to the customer. This necessity has facilitated the advancement of packaging technologies.
In addition to allowing more colourful and complex designs to become more easily viable, packaging technological advances have also allowed for unique and modern shapes to be easily made. Forming shoulders are able to assist with creating intriguingly shaped packaging that was simply unavailable from 10 to 20 years ago.
Wastage
Towards the end of the 20th century, studies and surveys across the globe found troubling and concerning wastage figures that saw packaging materials being wasted during the manufacturing stage, and also that poor quality packaging was leading to product wastage. This was of particular concern in Russia, where 70% of potatoes and over half of all fresh fruit was being wasted because of this reason. Modern manufacturing processes including the use of advanced equipment such as formers and forming tubes has resulted in even less wastage.
Environmental Considerations
Closely linked to wastage, the packaging industry has also been affected by environmental concerns. Not only does this fuel the desire to keep wastage at a minimum, it also has led to further considerations such as materials used. As a result, many foods now come in recyclable packaging, or packaging which is made from already recycled materials. This in turn has had an effect on packaging design, as most products now come with clear instructions on how the materials can be disposed of or recycled in the most ethical and environmentally friendly manner.
For some brands, their dedication to the environment is a key part of their sales pitch, and so the fact that they use recycled and recyclable materials in their packaging may become an integral part of its design.
Health and Nutrition Information
Another key change to packaging over the past 20 years has been the nutritional information that is present on food products. Public health concerns and new legal requirements have led to the inclusion of such information on packaging. As a result, not only does this conform to legislation, it again also becomes part of a brand’s market placement; many companies focus their strategy on promoting their message of selling healthy products, and so may include this information in a prominent place on the packaging. Health conscious buyers and customers are also attracted to this, so many companies highlight their health and nutrition information to attract more sales.
Kenray, the global leader in the design and manufacturer of forming sets and specialist parts for food processing and pharmaceutical packaging industries recently said goodbye to one of their longest serving members of staff. Phil Dennis has been with Kenray over 20 years during which time Kenray has gone from being a local machine engineering company to a specialist manufacturer of custom forming sets supplying customers all over the world including Pepsico, Kellogg and Intersnack.
KENRAY team thanking Phil Dennis for his decades of service
Phil has played a valuable role in the growth of Kenray over the years including building customers relationships, managing projects and conducting employee training. His retirement was honoured with a special event. All the staff presented Phil with gifts of gratitude in recognition of the important work that he has contributed to KENRAY’s development and success over the years. The Directors and Managers also personally expressed their appreciation for the valuable work that Phil has performed during his time at the company.
Joining KENRAY in the mid-1990s, Phil spent his early days as General Manager. He worked on the fabrication side of the operation as well as with customers. One of his first major projects saw him forge a relationship, which is still strong today with Ishida Europe, a leading supplier of Food Packaging Machines & Equipment. As the company grew Phil became responsible for the engineering side of the business setting and ensuring for the high standards of quality Kenray has become known for.
Over the years, Phil’s industry knowledge has been essential in training and mentoring numerous KENRAY engineers and he has passed much of his knowledge onto other members of the KENRAY team. Andrew Dennis, Technical Director commented, “Phil taught me so much during my early days at Kenray as a young apprentice. Over the years, I have been able to develop through the business and today am a co-owner and director. We now have a role reversal and technically I am Phil’s boss, however, I will always appreciate his advice and feedback and am grateful for everything he taught me on the engineering side.”
Phil with some of the team who wish him well on his retirement from Kenray – the global forming solutions company
While he will no longer assume the full-time role as the Machine Shop Manager, Phil will be joining Kenray as a part-time Technical Advisor. As such, customers will continue to benefit from his packaging expertise, as he offers his advice on various projects.
“The KENRAY team will certainly miss Phil in his role as Machine Shop Manager, as he has helped us build our business over the years”, says Commercial Director Mark Evans. “We are grateful for his hard work and dedication, and we are pleased that he will continue to join us in a consultancy role”.
