Three top tips for Successful Automated Tray Denesting
Here at Partners in Packaging HQ, we see many different tray types from the good, the bad, and the downright ugly!!!
We are often asked what makes a good denestable tray, and if you follow three recommended simple steps, the chances are that you will achieve auto denesting happiness!
Firstly, the tray should be made out of a material which doesnt resemble fresh air!! Often, companies will reduce the thickness of their trays to an extent where the only way they can be denested is using expensive labour to pull them apart. The material should have a slip additive to help them come apart and this applies to both plastic, microflute corrugated and card/paper trays.
Partners in Packaging manufacture a range of machine types, from Pick and Place to positive blade separation, and pull-down style solutions, but we find that for most applications, Pick and Place machines offer the greatest flexibility and reliability, with size change overs taking only a few minutes using our unique factory set masks.
Secondly, denest features are necessary to space the trays apart. They come in many forms, and where possible, A-B denest features are preffered. These are small indents typically near the tray corners which are offset from one tray to the next, and ensure that we can pull a single tray from the magazine by giving consistent spacing.
The method of retaining the trays in our denesters, enables us to handle a massive range of tray materials and designs, where other manufacturers often fail.
Finally, draught angle, which is the angle of taper of a tray, is important, to allow the air in, to enable the tray to be pulled apart. If the tray cavities are parrallel sided, the tray will not part from the stack easily, however hard you try!
We have a large range of different solutions for denesting different tray types, be it rigid trays for the meat industry, readymeal trays and tubs, or semi flexible trays and lids for industries such as produce and bakery
Contact us for more information on how we can help you find the right solution
