In the food industry, it is all about automating production, creating transparent processes, implementing market trends easily, and handling resources sustainably – all while maintaining the highest product quality The weighing technology manufacturer Bizerba offers a wide range of solutions for precisely these requirements throughout the entire line process. The showcases at the Bizerba stand at interpack will be arranged according to the individual process steps: From order entry through production to the fully automated end-of-line solution.

The main theme at the stand is the future trend of "connectivity". Michael Berke is Vice President for Sales & Marketing at Bizerba and explains the importance of networked solutions: "Connectivity has a green dimension at Bizerba. With our IoT-enabled solutions and services, we are designing a networked supply chain in the packaging sector that ensures demonstrably more cost-effective processes for slicing, inspecting and labeling through an automated work & data flow." Modular Bizerba software creates the basis for seamless processes in your production – from goods receipt to shipping.

The new generation weigh price labeler

Where does the product come from? What does it contain? Consumers are increasingly demanding transparency and quality. The food industry is being confronted with increasing demands for resource efficiency, productivity, and flexibility. It is calling for intuitive machines with a high degree of automation and a small space requirement, which also feature a short learning curve and ease of operation. The top exhibit at the Bizerba stand is the new GLM-I price labeling system which is designed for automatic weighing and labeling of pre-packaged goods in the industrial food sector. CTO/COO Thomas Schoen of Bizerba explains, "With its overall system effectiveness, the GLM-I measurably outperforms all comparable models. It optimizes production during labeling, saves 30% space, reduces downtime and offers customers a modular system. Networking creates a smooth and transparent flow along the supply chain." With the appropriate labels from Bizerba, market trends can also be easily realized with the GLM-I.

Integrating sustainability into processes

Manufacturers want to save resources and innovative technologies can help to achieve this. Sustainable label solutions and energy-saving slicing machines are a good first step in this process. The patented CleanCut® technology, which is adapted to the properties of Bizerba CleanCut® linerless labels, is optimally suited to this approach. This revolutionary solution prevents adhesive-stained knives and is fully geared towards reducing machine downtime. Wrap-around labels (full wrap), multi-page labels (C-wrap) and labels for classic labeling of individual packaging pages can be used without a liner. This allows up to 90% more labels to fit on a roll while simultaneously reducing waste. Even if labels often only make up a small part of the packaging, they play a key role in deciding whether packaging is sustainable or not.

Another relevant aspect for sustainable processes is the remote capability of the equipment. "Our cloud-based, digital services provide optimal support for decision-makers to get a handle on their maintenance and repair costs," explains Andreas W. Kraut, CEO & Shareholder of Bizerba. Remote support, predictive maintenance or even augmented reality – our digital services make it much easier to plan what action is required, enabling us to help increase the availability of our customers‘ devices or systems in a sustainable way. And that has a significant impact on service efficiency and consequently also on resource consumption and emissions," Kraut continues.

New packaging technologies prevent food waste

Bizerba’s cooperation with the Italian packaging specialist Italian Pack has led to the development of another high-performance slicing and packaging solution. This innovative solution for the packaging industry, which helps to reduce food waste, will be presented at interpack. The partners combine Bizerba’s A660 industrial slicer with Italian Pack’s Perseus tray sealer to create one complete line for slicing to target weight and hygienic packaging. There is also the option to flexibly combine the system with Bizerba inspection and labeling solutions for maximum product safety. These solutions are superior to the competition, especially in confined spaces.

The solution, which will be presented at the Italian Pack booth at interpack, relies on a technology that more than doubles the product life of fresh food, thus providing processing companies with an enormous gain in flexibility. There are also numerous options for making overall packaging much more environmentally friendly. For example, cardboard trays and compostable films can be used.

The complete solution is on display at the Italian Pack stand in Hall 5. With over 35 years of experience, Italian Pack is today one of the most innovative packaging specialists for fresh food.