published on 26/01/09
Contract packer Framptons has acquired an automated drum defrosting line to extend its offering to customers, the line was installed by contract engineers.
Framptons, which specialises in packing juice, said that the new kit will streamline its customers' order times because the majority of fruit and fruit puree for juice is packed and frozen in steel drums and can take weeks to defrost.
The kit allows deep frozen drums of fruit purees and concentrates to be loaded onto a conveyor, which takes them through a steam heated chamber, thawing the outer frozen layer. This enables the drums, on leaving the chamber, to be tipped into a chipper and then into a heated tank.
The defrosting process takes less than 12 minutes per drum.
Ian Harvey, managing director, said: 'Forecasting production when a raw material can take weeks to be usable and you're your customer may promote their product can be a real problem, the defroster is easily installed by a team of contract engineers who can oversee the maintenance with little or no downtime
'We believe the new defroster will significantly streamline order to delivery times, offering our customers the ability to respond quickly when order levels increase.'
Somerset-based Framptons said that although the service has been designed to help its co-pack customers, it will also offer it as a stand alone operation, and added that the contract engineers can install the line quickly and efficiently, thus reducing downtime and increasing productivity

Read the full article at Packagingnews.co.uk