Manufacturers of sustainable thermoformed packaging products Macpac has completed the second phase of a £1.5million investment in its 50th anniversary year with the installation of a high speed Illig RDKP 72 automatic pressure thermoforming system at its plant in Stockport.
In line with a growth strategy which has been primarily driven by increasing demand from the food and pharmaceutical industries, Macpac’s new Illig six-bar thermoformer is set to offer the company more scope in terms of run speed. It offers industrial process control, forming/punching technology and a maximum forming area of 756mm x 535mm.
The advanced machine features a fully robotized stacking system and operates at up to 55 cycles per minute. It facilitates flexible production of medium to large-sized batch sizes with frequent changes of material type, format and tools.
The purchase of this new machine follows the installation of an Illig RD74 down stacking machine with an additional secondary punch press almost 12 months ago. This system has given Macpac the capability to produce thermoformed packs with holes punched and removed within the forming itself, using its second cut station for the required punching process.
The addition of the down stacking station means tooling can be produced more cost-effectively than any upstacked style machine without compromising run speed and quality to the product.
Macpac’s managing director, Graham Kershaw said: “The new Illig thermoformer is another significant investment designed to support further growth both in the UK and overseas markets. In particular, we are now ideally positioned to capture growing demand for our packaging solutions from the global pharmaceutical and food industries.
“Importantly, it will allow us to offer higher volumes while continuing to meet the high standards of service and quality our clients have come to expect. It also reflects utmost confidence in our people and products.”
The company has in-house design, tooling and production facilities, as well as experienced sales engineers offering knowledge and advice.
Macpac recycles approximately 680,000kg of r-PET per year which is re-processed back into extruded sheet to produce more thermoforming products.
With 11 Illig thermoforming systems and five CNC machines installed at its 46,500 sq ft plant, the company offers plastic packaging products for the food, drink, pharmaceutical, medical, horticultural, engineering, manufacturing and automotive sectors both in the UK and overseas including Australia, Costa Rica, France and Italy.
