Nichrome Vertipack 320 for cost-efficient Pulses Packaging

In India, increasing population and growing use in the food processing industry are driving continuous growth in the pulses market. Pulses are a staple of the Indian diet, especially for a significant section of India's population which is vegetarian and relies on pulses for its source of protein. There is also a revived interest in pulses as they are considered healthier than wheat or rice flour, and are being used increasingly for making 'healthy' snacks, mithai, etc.

Pulses are marketed as a raw whole as well as dehusked split. For marketing of pulses, quality of product becomes of prime importance. Cleaned and well-graded whole grains fetch higher prices. For dehusked splits, better packaging is required to reduce post-milling losses and to increase acceptability of consumers.

Deterioration and losses of products, during transport and storage depend upon a series of physical, chemical, biological and human factors. Proper packaging is an important element in reducing losses.

Stand Up Pouches for Pulses, growing in popularity

While flexible packaging in general is the popular packaging for pulses, cereals and grains, the Stand Up Pouch has grabbed the attention of brands to better promote, protect, and drive sales of their products. From production to purchase, stand up pouches offer multiple benefits to both manufacturers and consumers.

The main benefits include:

Durability: Stand up pouches are prepared from extremely durable materials which cannot be crushed, damaged or smashed like glass, cardboard or paper can.

Protection: Stand up pouches offer excellent barrier properties, protecting the pulses from moisture, oxygen, light, odours, infestations, etc. and thereby improving shelf life. Puncture-resistant films can be used to safeguard your products during transport & warehousing.

Visibility: Through use of transparent pouches or window pouches, companies can let buyers see the contents of the pack, thereby inspiring confidence.

Branding: Through Rotogravure printing or flexographic printing, one can print bright colours and graphics to strengthen brand presentation and build strong visual appeal for sales.

Convenience: With add-ons like resealable closures, stand up pouches offer a better customer experience. You can choose from handles, spouts, tear notches, press-to-close, zip lock, etc. for added convenience.

Economy: Stand up pouches are cost-effective, low-weight packs that deliver substantial savings in distribution. You can store more packs in less space, and it takes less time, fuel and labour to transport it.

Excel Vertipack 320 for Stand Up Pouch Packaging

Excel Vertipack 320 is India's first vertical pouch packaging machine! Yet another versatile innovation from Nichrome, Excel Vertipack 320 has been developed for packaging pulses, grains and cereals besides dry fruits, snacks, pasta, etc. in a variety of stand up pouches with or without zipper.

With its high speed performance, sturdy design, online check weigher & metal detector, compatibility with multiple fillers, and a host of other features, Excel Vertipack 320 assures you robust performance with unmatched versatility.

Excel Vertipack 320 is a truly versatile automated packaging machine, with a wide range of both applications and pouch formats. Other than the stand up pouch, Excel Vertipack 320 packs in CSPP, Gusset, Gusset with D cut, 3-side seal pouch, Pentaseal and Quad Seal formats.

Depending on the pouch size and format, Excel Vertipack 320 delivers a bagger speed of 45-55 pouches per minute.

Main features

• Produces standee pouches with or without zipper.

• Flexibility to pack products in variety of pouch formats in short changeover.

• Produces pouches on one side/both side heat sealable packing material.

• Sturdy & versatile design.

• Pneumatically operated horizontal & vertical sealing system.

• Servo motor driven belt draw-off for paper pulling.

• Built in safety door guards with machine off interlock.

• Use of AC geared motor with VFD for paper & zip unwind.

• Optimized paper path.

• Aesthetically improved machine ensuring safety.

• Less operational cost due to reduced space, manpower &  energy consumption.

Optional Accessories

• Print mark scanner

• Date batch coder

• Inert gas flushing

• On line check weigher & metal detector

• Provision for zipper application

• Pouch take up conveyor

• Product feed conveyor

• Pin prick assembly

• Provision for bottom flap folding

• Platform for filler

• Manual dump arrangement with foot switch

Conclusion

Nichrome is India’s leading provider of integrated packaging solutions, offering automated packaging machines, filling systems and complete packaging systems. With over four decades of industry experience, Nichrome is powerfully positioned to design, manufacture and commission the best packaging solution for your needs.

For pulses packaging, Nichrome offers other HFFS and VFFS packaging machines such as Excel 400 Plus Intelligent Electronic Weigh Filler/Cup Filler, Sprint 250 Plus Intelligent Electronic Weigh Filler and Wing 200 E-Line Snack Pack.

Nichrome also offers integration of primary packaging machines into existing lines and secondary packaging solutions such as stacking & wrapping, bulk packing, HDPE bag filling, etc. Contact Nichrome for your pulses packaging – and ensure better sales for your product.

GRAIN PACKAGING WITH NICHROME

Food grains are a rich source of life-sustaining nutrients. Excellent carbohydrate sources, they also provide protein, fats, vitamins and minerals. In India, rice is the predominant dietary staple, followed by wheat, maize, millet and sorghum.

Although grains/cereals are annual crops, their consumption is throughout the year. This means that storage methods and packaging play an important role in storage stability. Qualitative and quantitative losses due to insects & rodents, pilferage, microbial spoilage, high humidity, heat - all these factors adversely affect food grains.

While appropriate bulk packaging is critical for storage, retail packaging is key to successful marketing. It goes beyond visual appeal, convenience and accuracy in unit quantity, and ease of opening. The contents of the bag have to be protected against contamination, infestation, moisture and oxygen. Moreover, as bulk density of these products is high, packaging material needs to have good impact strength, tensile strength and puncture resistance for working on FFS machines.

For up to 10Kg unit packs, LDPE and LLDPE are the most commonly used materials. To protect special varieties like basmati rice and flours from flavour loss and rancidity, flavour barrier materials such as reverse printed polyester laminated to LDPE, and oxygen barrier film are used. Technologies such as CO₂ flush packaging and vacuum packaging also help to extend shelf life.

Nichrome Grain Packaging Solutions
Nichrome offers a wide range of automated packaging machines, filling systems and integrated packaging solutions for your grain and seed packaging needs. Food Packaging Machines like those in Nichrome’s Excel Plus series, equipped with modern technology offer innovative packaging solutions that follow stringent packaging quality standards for a wide range of products.

Excel 400 Plus Intelligent Electronic Weigh Filler/Cup Filler: A VFFS packaging machine for grains, pulses, sugar, seeds, whole spices and tea, Excel 400 packs pouches of up to 10 kgs at 80 packs per minute. Pouch formats include the Pentaseal & Pentaseal with D cut, Gusset Pouch, CSPP and 4 Line Seal Pouch.

Key features include print mark scanners, servo motor driven bag length control system, and adjustable stroke of cross sealing jaws for optimum performance. It is designed as per stringent quality standards, and can be easily integrated to upstream or downstream machines/systems.

A range of fillers makes the EXCEL PLUS series a truly versatile packaging solution for powders, granules, grains, snacks, etc.

Sprint 250 Plus Intelligent Electronic Weigh Filler: For pouch quantities up to 2 Kgs, Nichrome’s Sprint 250 Plus series offers speed, accuracy and efficiency for flexible packaging of a wide variety of grains, powders, snacks, etc.

Sprint 250 Plus is an automated machine with CE marked PLC and touch screen HMI. Its servo motor driven sealing system can effectively seal with pressure levels maintained. It is programmed to pull the exact length of film required for packaging, and offers a perforation system to deliver a chain of small pouches.

Sprint 250 Plus packs up to 2 Kg pouches at speed of 120 packs per minute. Pouch formats include the CSPP and Gusset Pouch.

Wing 200 E-Line Snack Pack: This automated packaging machine is a Nichrome innovation for startups and small-medium enterprises. It offers all the technology and expertise in a compact, affordable format. It packs at a maximum speed of 80 CSPP pouches per minute. Besides grains, pulses and sugar, Wing 200 E-Line is ideal for SMEs in snacks, biscuits, pasta, dry fruits, etc.

Nichrome also offers integration of primary packaging machines into existing lines and secondary packaging solutions such as stacking & wrapping, bulk packing, HDPE bag filling, etc. For end-to-end integrated systems, Nichrome partners with customers to design, install and commission solutions tailored for specific needs.

Conclusion
Packaging for grains, cereals and sugar is vital for storage, handling, display and preservation of the product. As these are essential commodities and staples of our daily diet, packaging must fulfill all its functions at the lowest possible cost to minimize losses and curtail retail price.

Nichrome is your go-to partner for a wide range of automated packaging solutions for grain packaging that promises safety, speed, accuracy and efficiency for best business outcomes.

Seven Great Advantages of Blister Packaging

Pharmaceutical Packaging Machine

Pharmaceutical Packaging Machine

Blister packaging seems to be growing in popularity as pharma manufacturers look for solutions with heightened protection against oxygen, moisture and contaminants. Opaque blisters also protect light-sensitive products from UV rays.
Blister packaging machines seal products in a pre-formed cavity or pocket made from a formable web, usually made of PET (polyethylene terephtalate) or PVC (polyvinyl chloride). This usually has a backing of paperboard or a lidding seal of aluminum foil or plastic. Another type is constructed with foil as both the blister web and the lid or seal. This type is usually created by cold stretching.

Today, blister packaging is the preferred packaging for the pharma industry, used for packing tablets, capsules, vials, ampoules, syringes and liquid products. It is also increasing popular for packing some foods and small consumer goods.

The main advantages of blister packaging include:
Protection

Blister packs not only protect the product against light, oxygen, humidity & contaminants, it provides protection against mishandling and tampering. Since the product stays securely sealed from the external environment, shelf life in extended, making it safe and suitable for long-term storage and display.
Marketing

Blister packaging offers a range of colours and finishes. The card option also allows manufacturers clean space to include branding, instructions, product information, etc. in an attractive, easy-to-follow way. All this helps the product to stand out in retail outlets, build brand and increase customer loyalty.
Cost-effective

Higher packaging speeds and reduced costs make blister packaging a more cost-effective solution. Blister packs eliminate the need for additional cartons, thereby reducing the cost of packaging. There are several different types of blister packaging – Face Seal, Trap, Mock, Slide and Interactive. Each one has its unique qualities and price points, from entry level to high end.
Visibility

With a see-through plastic front, these containers make the encased product perfectly visible to the consumer. Doing so provides reassurance that the amount of product contained is as advertised and that all pieces are accounted for. Visibility promotes retail display, and since customers can view the item but not touch it, is safeguarded against thieves and tampering.
Tamper-resistant

The product units are individually sealed and therefore individually protected from tampering. Any form of tampering is immediately visible.
Helpful & easy to use

For consumers, blister packaging provides clear space for instructions and other important data. It offers patients a clear individual dose, making it easier for patients to track whether they have taken the prescribed drug on a given day. To use, consumers just have to pop the pill out of the package which can be done quite easily. Drugs not consumed remain in the original package, fully protected. Blister packs are also easy to carry when travelling – ideal for today’s on-the-go lifestyle.
Customization

All plastic blisters are thermoformed, so manufacturers can customise every design to the product. Regardless of the size, shape or number of items contained in the blister pack, it can be customized to fit the needs of the product.
Conclusion

From medicines & electronic items to cosmetics & toys, SD cards & batteries to toothbrushes & dental floss, a blister pack makes a great marketing and packaging tool. If you have a product that could benefit from blister packaging, contact Nichrome.
Nichrome is India’s leading integrated packaging solutions provider, with over 4 decades of industry experience.  Well known as a world-class manufacturer of flexible packaging machines, Nichome offers a range of packaging solutions for Food, Pharma and other industries. If you are contemplating blister packaging machines for your business, Nichrome will partner with you to understand your requirements and deliver the relevant solution that can ensure desired outcomes. Talk to Nichrome to discover the most appropriate, efficient and cost-effective solution for production unit.

Spotlight on Stick Packaging Machines

MULTI LANE STICK PACK - NICHROME PACKAGING SOLUTIONS

Packaging is not only about hygiene and protecting the product. It's about convenience. Nothing illustrates this better than the stick pack, a form that's growing in popularity around the world.

Remember the slim, one-portion sachets of sugar, milk powder or coffee powder at the cafeteria or in the hotel room? Or those small use-and-throw packs of ketchup or mustard that accompanied the pizza or burger you ordered?

Those slim, single-portion sachets are called stick packs. The stick pack offers consumers convenience (it is easy to open and provides just the right amount of product) plus the freshness of the product is guaranteed. The stick pack is a safe and hygienic packaging form used in both the food industry and the pharmaceutical sector. Although at first glance, stick packs might not seem very environment-friendly because they are packaged individually, they comprise 35% less packaging material than a sachet.

Applications of stick packaging

Stick pack machines are perfect for packaging a wide variety of powder, granular, and liquid products. Powder products can be dense, fine, loose, and particulate materials. Liquids can be substances of differing viscosities including water-like fluids, gels, and pastes.

Stick packaging is very popular for powdered drink mixes, liquid and powder pharmaceuticals and nutraceuticals, and granular ingredients like sugar, seasonings, coffee/tea premixes. The medical and dietary supplement industries also highly favour stick packaging.

Stickpack with Servo Auger filler

Why stick packs are a hit

Single serve and controlled dosage packaging is very popular with today’s consumers, spanning across generations and demographics.  Millennials and young professionals love stick packs because they are portable, convenient, and fit unobtrusively into their busy lives. Whether they contain daily medication or favourite coffee, they allow ‘on the go’ consumers to take their lifestyle on the road. The aging population uses stick packs because they are lightweight and often feature easy-open options like tear notches, making it easier for those with limited dexterity to handle and use the product. Parents are attracted to stick packs because they can easily feed their children with a single, easy to open, controlled serving size package that requires little clean up.

Stick packs also offer unmatched economy and convenience for service providers in the hospitality, food or airlines industries. They help these players to provide food and neutraceutical powders in hygienic, single-serve packaging.

How stick pack machines work

The operation of stick pack machines is very similar to that of single lane vertical form fill seal packaging machines: a roll of film is cut and formed into multiple stick packs; the bags are filled with product and then sealed, all in a vertical fashion, at speeds of up to 80 bags per minute per lane.

Volumetric Multiple Cavity Filler

Stick pack machines produce more than one pack at a time and usually have multiple channels to produce several stick packs at a time. Some machines in the market can accommodate up to 20 lanes, producing over 1,200 stick packs per minute!

How to choose the right stick pack machine

When selecting your stick pack machine, it's always better to consult an expert or talk to a packaging machine manufacturer who will understand your requirements and guide you. You will need to consider the desired stick width & length, the product to be packed and its properties, desired speed (packs per minute, hour, shift, etc.) and convenience options (tear notches, chain of packs, pour spouts etc.).

All stick pack machines can utilise different fillers, depending on the product to be packaged.

• Liquid Fillers (for liquid, gel and paste type products such as honey, jam, ketchup, mustard paste, olive oil, shampoo)
• Auger Fillers (for powders and dusty products like milk powder, tea/coffee premix, spice powders, nutraceutical & pharma powders)
• Volumetric Fillers (for free-flowing non-dusty powders like sugar, table salt, pepper)

Stick pack machines can be built to accommodate different stick widths, convenient designs including pour spouts and specialty die-cut shapes, and can also feature easy-open options like tear notches and micro-perforations.

You may want to print expiration dates or lot codes on your stick packaging. There are many multi-lane printing options available for the task.

Stickpack with Multi-Piston Filler

Conclusion

As with all capital investments, it pays to go with a reliable and experienced packaging partner like Nichrome. Nichrome will work with you to understand your product and operations define key points and then provide the most accurate configuration for your specific needs. After all, you will be relying on this equipment to handle a vital part of your production process, so it must deliver.

As India’s leading packaging machine manufacturer, Nichrome designs, develops, manufactures, sells, and services flexible packaging machinery for food and non-food industries worldwide. Nichrome’s decades of industry experience, and focus on packaging innovation and project integration makes them uniquely poised to be your trusted packaging partner, for projects and enterprises large or small.

Status of flexible packaging in modern India.

Over the past 8 to 10 years, India has achieved tremendous growth in terms of industrialization and globalization. The inherent result of which, there has been tremendous demand of modern technologies and upgradation of quality of packaging and in general, the quality of life. Food industry offers what is unquestionable, one of the largest opportunities for growth in India today. The industry will play a vital and positive role in the Indian economy. To reach such phenomenon growths, it is quite evident that the processing and preservation technology of food products has to keep pace with the growth. Hence, it is expected that the modern technology of flexible packaging like Aseptic Packaging, Barrier Packaging, and Controlled Atmospheric Packaging will make big inroads in India.

Potential

The growth in the flexible packaging industry in India is mainly driven by the food and the pharmaceutical packaging sectors. The large and growing Indian middle class, along with the growth in organised retailing in the country are fuelling growth in the flexible packaging industry. Another factor, which has provided substantial stimulus to the packaging industry, is the rapid growth of exports, which requires superior packaging standards for the international market.

Flexible Packaging

The Indian packaging industry is dominated by plastic flexible packaging. The traditional rigid packaging users have also been seen to shift to flexible packaging in recent times. According to industry sources, the main reason for this is that flexible packages are found aesthetically attractive, cost-effective and sturdy. Consumer preference for the use of convenient packaging and packaged products in affordable quantities in laminates is also one of the main reasons that have contributed to the growth of flexible packaging in India. The food-processing sector is the largest user of flexible packaging, accounting for more than 50 percent of the total demand. The flexible packaging segment is estimated to be growing at over 35 percent annually.

Laminated products including form-fill-seal pouches, laminated tubes and Tetra packs are growing at around 30% p.a. This also represents a corresponding additional requirement of capacity in the manufacturing sector. This means that the production will need to increase nearly 100% from the current levels. This is a huge challenge before the nation and a great opportunity for the players in the Flexible Packaging arena. This also opens possibilities for new entrants in the field provided they meet the changing scenario of customer needs and new challenges.

Initiatives are needed to convert the large unpacked commodities into processed, packed and well-presented commodities. India’s imports at 20-25% with a value of $125 million of its total packaging machinery indicate further opportunities not only for Indian companies to increase their share in domestic market but also for international companies to explore new business opportunities in India. The food & beverage and pharmaceutical segments occupy the largest share in the packaging industry, accounting for 85% and 10%, respectively. The plastic packaging market is expanding rapidly registering a growth of 20-25% per annum and is valued at 6.8 million tonnes while the paper packaging industry stands at 7.6 million tonnes. The packaging industry is poised to grow rapidly led by the increasing use of innovative packaging equipment and the rising volumes in flexible packaging market. So it can easily be concluded that future is bright for flexible packaging in India for this decade.

As India’s pioneer and leading provider of integrated packaging solutions, Nichrome is well known for its expertise and experience in flexible packaging. From VFFS and HFFS machines for primary packaging to turnkey packaging solutions for end-to-end lines, Nichrome promises sound project design capabilities, strong R&D, and single-source convenience for enterprises of all scales.

Credits: Milind Bhole, CEO, Neil & Sid Consultants, Pune.

Carrying Indian rice across the world: Nichrome Packaging

Rice has been one of India’s biggest exports for some years now, and the demand seems to be growing. Iran and Saudi Arabia are two of the biggest importers of Indian basmati rice, accounting for 40-45% share.

According to ICRA, Indian basmati rice exports are expected to post strong growth in FY2018 and FY 2019. While the Middle East, Britain and United States import premium basmati rice, India also exports non-basmati varieties of rice to African and Asian countries. Thailand is a strong contender for non-basmati rice exports, and last year, Africa’s import demand shifted from India to Thailand, on cost competitiveness. However, with depleted stocks and rising value of the Thai currency (baht), importers have turned their gaze back on India.

Packaging plays a crucial role in rice exports, especially of premium varieties in retail packs. It needs to be accurate, properly sealed and strong enough to withstand the journey down the supply chain till the retail shelf, protecting the purity and flavour of the contents.

As India’s leading packaging solutions manufacturer, Nichrome has decades of experience and expertise in automatic packaging of Indian rice and other grains.

EXCEL PLUS INTELLIGENT ELECTRONIC WEIGH FILLER

Nichrome’s VFFS Excel Plus Intelligent Electronic Weigh Filler is a star performer amongst Nichrome’s range of grain packaging machines. It packs up to 80 pouches/min, in quantities from 100 gm up to 10 Kgs. The automation is equipped with CE marked PLC controller and touch-screen HMI. There is a pneumatic/servo motor driven system for horizontal sealing mechanism, with adjustable stroke of cross sealing jaws for optimum performance. Designed and manufactured to stringent quality standards, the Excel Plus offers quick and easy change-over, and integration to upstream and downstream machines.

Allied equipment includes a dynamic check weigher with tendency control facility, online metal detection system, dust extraction system, date/batch coding device, and baling machine for secondary packaging.

Pouch formats include the CSPP, Pentaseal, Four Line Seal and Centre Seal Gusset Pouch with ‘D’ cut. The flexible and efficient Excel Plus Intelligent Electronic Weigh Filler can also be used for sugar packaging, tea packaging, pulses/grains packaging and whole spices.

For rice and grain packaging plants, Nichrome also offers the Flexibale 450, a fast and accurate baling machine for integrated secondary packaging.

Visit for more:www.nichrome.com

Growing demand for Packaged Grains in India

Growing demand for Packaged Grains in India

As online shopping grows in popularity due to its convenience and attractive marketing, the demand for well packaged grains is booming. Any manufacturer, who wants his grains to sell online, or even to stand out amongst stiff competition on the supermarket shelf, has to invest in quality packaging.

Who better than Nichrome to partner in this Endeavour? As India's leading packaging solutions manufacturer, Nichrome has four decades of industry experience and a proven reputation for innovation, manufacturing and support.

Nichrome offers a wide range of VFFS, HFFS and Multilane machines for grain and seed packaging. Depending on the size and type of pouch you desire, Nichrome offers the optimal solution.

For staples like rice, wheat and lentils, Indian consumers prefer to buy larger quantities. Nichrome's sturdy “Pentaseal Pouch” is a great solution for quantities of 2 Kg and 5 Kg as it increases the pouch strength and stands tall on the retail shelf. Hygiene is maintained and spillage reduced.

Other attractive pouch formats include Flexi Block, Centre Seal Pillow Pouch (CSPP), Gusset Pouch, 3-Side Seal, 4-Side Seal, 4-Line Seal besides Stand-up Packs.

From 100 gm packs to 25 Kg bags, Nichrome offers the full gamut of automatic grain packaging machines. These ensure the pouches are perfectly sealed, with accuracy and speed for minimal wastage. Being fully automated machines, they are economical too as they reduce need for man power, consume less electricity and are fast, assuring higher productivity!

Another advantage of Nichrome’s innovative packaging solutions is that they are versatile and can be used for other applications as well. Sugar packaging, tea packaging, whole spices, even detergents and pharmaceuticals can be packaged on these automatic filling machines.

Contact Nichrome at www.nichrome.com