Lamb Weston ® retrofits Ceetak Quick Pulse
Heat Sealing technology across packaging
production line in Wisbech factory
Lamb Weston is a world leading brand controller. This is held for the required
in high quality potato products, and is duration and then removed.
sold in over 100 countries around the
world. Supplying frozen potato products The second stage is the cooling phase
to customers in the Food Service, Quick of the process. The temperature of the
Service, Industry and Retail market patterned sealed area (again monitored
segments. The company operates six by the temperature controller) is cooled
factories in; The Netherlands, Russia, rapidly by a stream of water through
United Kingdom and Austria. the sealing bar provided by the thermal
regulator unit of the system. The rapid
Due to great success with other frozen heating and cooling process takes only
food manufacturers, Ceetak approached milliseconds and this facilitates fast
Lamb Weston with their Quick Pulse cycling times and increases output.
Heat (QPH) sealing technology; a
cyclic system which can be used on all By reducing the temperature of the
thermoplastic films, and incorporates sealed area, the system ensures that the
a unique seal bar and anvil design to weld is not weakened during handling (as
create a narrow width, patterned seal is possible if left to cool naturally). This
for material savings with superior seal is typically 1-1.5mm wide, showing
performance characteristics. a film material saving of approximately
10% against traditional crimp seals on the
The first stage of the QPH sealing system cross seal alone. The QPH sealing system
is the cut and seal phase. The jaws close ensures that heat and pressure are
on the film and the desired temperature applied evenly across the sealing surface
of the heated bar is reached and creating a completely fused, hermetic
maintained by a designated temperature seal.
66 FDPP - www.fdpp.co.uk
Ceetak provided Lamb Weston with a
free on site survey and installed a free
trial of the QPH seal technology; it was
installed on one packaging machine to
evaluate performance over a designated
time period.
Due to outstanding results, within
months Lamb Weston had invested in
the retrofit of QPH sealing technology
on the remaining bagging machines
across their whole packaging production
line, and saw a significant percentage
decrease in film use immediately.
Vikki D’Averc, Continuous Improvement
Specialist at Lamb Weston, said “We