Cups & Tubs Machinery
Range of machines
Link Pack Group is proud to offer a complete range of automatic cups, tubs, tray filling, and sealing machinery. If you currently employ or consider employing open-mouth containers to pack your products, we certainly can help you find the right solution.
Working closely with market-leading manufacturers of packaging equipment makes our job easy and pleasant. We know we can count on our OEM Partners at every stage of your project and never let you down.
Every year, our suppliers bring innovations in packaging, improved design, and faster machines to the marketplace, ensuring that you stay ahead of the curve.
Integrated Systems
Choosing the right cup or tub filling line is only one piece of the puzzle. Transfer from processing to filling and packaging requires efficiency, accuracy, and cleanliness. We have industry-wide connections with major OEM Partners to supply the suitable filler, scale, or customized filler to integrate perfectly with your tub filling line.
Efficiency does not stop after cups or tubs are correctly filled and sealed; they typically need to be inspected for defects and packed in cartons, trays, cases, or another secondary packaging. Link-Pack Group can supply fully integrated packaging lines for cups and tubs by integrating coding systems, tub labelers, metal detectors, checkweighers, x-ray systems and reject any faulty products.
We understand the packaging machinery business, and we have the expertise to help in many areas:
Tub Filling Lines for Yogurt
Automatic filling lines for foamy yogurt, including tub denesting, piston filler for yogurt, heat sealing with roll stock film, and lidding, are designed to control foam during filling and avoid drippage between each fill cycle. Filling systems are available in either single lane, dual lane, or triple lane configurations for higher speed.
We highly recommend using cup filling lines featuring sanitary design (full washdown), quick tub or cup size changeovers, Allen Bradley PLC & HMI with rugged construction for washdown food processing environments.
Clamshell Filling Lines
Grocery stores, foodservice, and food processing companies commonly use clamshells for convenient food packaging. Some hinged lidded (or attached lidded) clamshells can be painful to close in a food production environment.
Link-Pack can provide innovative filling systems for attached-lids clamshells, which facilitate the task significantly. Automation machinery feeds the clamshell from a stack and into the filling station (scale, piston filler, or other) then closes the lid. Programming allows for the covers to be date-coded with an inkjet coder or a label application. As an alternative, it is possible to apply C-Shape labeling or banding downstream.
Semi-Automatic Pail Filling Lines
Pail filling is very common in various industries such as food, chemical, lubricant, and filling operations which often rely on “fill-by-level.” With such applications, the operator must remain vigilant and shut off the filling valve when he has attained the correct level. Manual processes are costly in product give-away and labor-intensive because they require operators to stay focused and attentive over long periods.
Link-Pack offers a range of semi-automatic pail fillers, with either net weight fillers or volumetric technologies. Applications such as these are accurate and clean because attaining target weight or fill volume automatically disables the fill valve. For foamy liquids which can become agitated upon filling, it is best to opt for a bottom-up fill nozzle.
Pail Closing Machines
Pail filling is typical in various industries, and semi-automated filling process lines require lids to be applied by hand. Thick plastic lids are difficult for the operator to close by hand efficiently. The first step toward a more ergonomic and safe operation is to have a machine that facilitates this operation on large pails.
Link-Pack provides stand-alone Pail Closing Machines that efficiently close pails through a motorized conveyor and overhead roller. We also have solutions for “UN-Type” Pail Closers, Semi-Automatic Pail Fillers, and Automatic Pail Fillers.
UN-Type Pail Closing Machines
Pail filling lids are made of thick plastic and can be difficult to close by hand in semi-automated processes. As various industries tend to struggle with pail filling & closing procedures, Link-Pack provides UN-Type Pail Closing Machine solutions with minimal operator intervention. Seal friction and press-on lid lines are perfect for a wide range of container sizes and lid types. They require minimal operator intervention to position the lid by hand before sending the unit to the motorized conveyor fitted with an overhead roller which secures the lid.
Machine Integration Projects
Mechanical and electronic integration of packaging machinery is undoubtedly not a field that all OEMs have mastered. In addition to managing tight deadlines and multiple machine projects, you need to have the resources, such as space and staff, to achieve your integration project successfully. Unless this is a field you are familiar with and feel confident doing, consulting with integration specialists is worth considering.
Depositor with Mixing Hopper
Pre-made containers such as cups, tubs, and trays are commonly used for packaging freshly prepared soups, vinaigrette-based salads, and other refrigerated products. However, they can be challenging to fill. Packaging vegetable soups, vinaigrettes with particles, or combining solids into liquids all require special consideration. To maintain the homogeneity of your product, piston fillers with integrated mixing hoppers are a great option.
Depending on your application specifics, various configurations of volumetric piston fillers/depositors are available. For difficult-to-fill products such as potato salad, sauerkraut, pico de gallo, or other raw chopped vegetables, servo-driven depositors may be necessary.
Replacement Parts for Herma Labelers
Labeling automation eliminates interruptions and increases productivity, which is why they are common in the food packaging industry. Because numerous generations of labeling machines are still widely used, replacement parts may be challenging to come across. As an authorized Herma parts distributor, Link-Pack can assist you in locating required parts to repair your current model or even manufacture a machine to suit your particular applications.
Top Labeler for Clamshells
Clamshells and PET containers are the typical choice for packaging in the prepared foods industry. Ready-to-eat products require labeling, which identifies the brand, nutrition facts, and quantity, among other things. Given the clamshell and PET structure, it makes sense to use top labeling.
Increased production requirements often mean that manual labeling is no longer viable. Link-Pack provides diverse solutions, such as our stand-alone Top Label Applicator. Providing label placement accuracy, versatility, ease of use, and compact dimensions make this solution the ideal upgrade.
Perhaps your product requires a more innovative and customized approach? Please consult with our team of experts to advise you on the best suitable options.
Filling Lines for Dips & Prepared Salads
Dips and prepared salads in deli tubs are well-liked for their convenience, small show look, and reclosable lids. Link-Pack offers complete solutions for such filling, inspection, and end-of-line packaging.
Proposed filling lines for pre-made rigid containers will denest empty containers, fill viscous food products like dips and salads with a piston filler, heat-seal film, and automate lid application. We strongly suggest automated filling lines featuring quick container size changeovers, a total washdown design for easy cleaning, Allen Bradley PLC & HMI, and rugged construction for hot soups or other viscous food products. To preserve the product’s artisan look and feel, we also provide automatic deli tub labelers to apply labeling to the tops and sides of containers.
Tub Filling Lines for Hot Soup
Soups packaged deli tubs are popular because of their convenience, home-made taste, and small show look of their packaging. Link-Pack has complete solutions for filling hot soup into plastic tubs, labeling the tops and sides of deli tubs, inspection, and end-of-line packaging.
Freshly prepared soups, vinaigrette-based salads, and other refrigerated products sold in pre-made containers such as cups, tubs, and trays can be challenging to fill. Piston fillers generally feature an integrated mixing hopper designed to maintain the homogeneity of your recipe, whether it is vegetable soup, vinaigrette with particles, or any other combination of solids and liquids. In addition, to keep the artisan look, we can provide automatic deli tub labelers to apply labels to the lids and the sides of containers.
Deli Tub Labelers
Food processors with several SKUs may see an advantage in using generic tubs coupled with label application on the production line. Link-Pack recommends considering pressure-sensitive labels, in-mold labels, shrink sleeves, or silk screening to make your conical plastic tubs and cup packagings stand out.
We cater to your specific requirements with diverse labeling configurations. Top and bottom labelers for tubs or trays, top and side labelers or top and wrap around labeler for tubs.
Tub Filling Lines for Hummus
Plastic tubs are by far the dominant packaging style for hummus and dips, and automation of the filling process is quite simple for this type of container. Tubs are denested from a stack, transported under the fill station(s) by an indexing conveyor, the film is heat-sealed, and lid is applied.
Link-Pack offers a range of tub filling and sealing machines ranging from 1 to 3 lanes. We suggest adding appropriate depositors and additional fillers for spices, garnishes, and oils, to obtain a versatile and complete hummus and dip packaging line.
Semi-Automatic Film/Foil Sealer
Efficiently achieving cup, tub, or tray sealing using tabletop or semi-automatic machines is possible. As available models and pricing can vary greatly, rely on Link-Pack to recommend the perfect fit for your production output.
Semi-automatic cup, tub, or tray sealers are available in seal only, MAP, MAP application (no-vacuum), or skin-pack configurations. Plastic film or foil is supplied in rollstock, which the heat sealer will seal and cut to almost any shape of tray or cup. The rewound waste film allows for ease of disposal or recycling.
As an alternative, other semi-automatic trays sealers can do a complete vacuum and create skin packaging, which is great to extend shelf life of products like meat, fish, seafood and ready meals.
Cup Filling & Sealing Machine for Crumbled Cheese
Several types of cheese are sold in reclosable cups and deli tubs, mainly for convenience. The ideal application for cheeses that are liquid or viscous when filling is a volumetric piston filler. But for other types of cheese like shreds, crumbs, balls, or dice, it is necessary to use other dosing means.
Without any doubt, a multi-head combination scale is a good choice for accurately weighing and filling most solid products. However, we recognize that this is a bulky and reasonably expensive solution for smaller artisan cheese shops. We suggest filling cheese crumbs, shreds, or dices into cups with either vibratory plates or belt-driven feeders for a clever and affordable alternative solution.
Clamshell Filling Lines for Nuts & Dried Fruits
Nuts and dried fruits are sold in retail stores in a various range of clear plastic clamshell packaging. Automatic clamshell filling machines for nuts and dried fruits are a standard across the industry. These machines use a third-party scale, fully integrated with the cup filling system or with a linear scale weigher, and are available in single or multi-lane configurations to fill nuts and dried fruits efficiently. Whether you utilize clamshells with attached lids or clear plastic cups with detached lids, Link-Pack can propose filling, closing, and labeling solutions for your needs.
Tray Sealer for MAP or SKIN Pack
Food products sold in trays, like ground beef, are pretty standard, but skin pack packaging is gaining momentum and is a favorite among premium food packagings. The process consists of vacuuming all air from the packaging and enveloping the product like a second skin without altering the product’s shape before sealing.
Italian manufacturer CaVeCo offers a range of MAP (vacuum + gas injection) and SKIN Pack machines. One of their popular models is the YPSILON Automatic Tray Sealer that will let you do standard sealing (no vacuum or map), MAP (vacuum + gas injection), or Skin pack depending on the configuration.