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Adhesive solves produce palletizing challenges

Water-based adhesive applicator systems securely unitize pallets of tomatoes, eliminating the need for hot-melt glue and stretch wrap.

GLUE APPLICATION. The applicator puts narrow sprays of the quick-set, water-based adhesive along the top of the case before it
GLUE APPLICATION. The applicator puts narrow sprays of the quick-set, water-based adhesive along the top of the case before it

A leading producer of fresh packed tomatoes, Gargiulo Farms of North Naples, FL, has a reputation for quality. This reputation relies not only on the company’s ability to grow, pack, and ship quality tomatoes from its three Florida plants, but also to have them arrive in pristine condition. Until October 2007, the company found that the integrity of their packed cases was compromised, as they struggled with industry-standard solutions for unitizing pallet loads.

Palletizing produce such as tomatoes offers a unique challenge. Because the fruit must be ripened in an ethylene chamber after packing, stretch wrap cannot be used to unitize loads, as the plastic would hinder the gas from reaching the product. Instead, hot-melt adhesive is often used to hold the cases together. However, as Gargiulo Farms found, hot-melt equipment can be complex and difficult to maintain, and the strength of the glue means that cases are damaged upon separation.

For Gargiulo Farms, the solution to the problems associated with hot melt and with a subsequent cold-glue option that also damaged cases was the installation of an adhesive applicator system from Lock n’Pop® (www.locknpop.com) on 18 of its palletizers. The applicators dispense a water-based adhesive that is U.S. Food & Drug Administration-approved for food-grade applications.

The adhesive reliably secures 80-case pallet loads at Gargiulo Farms with a custom, quick-set formula that quickly binds cases together, readying the load for transfer to the ethylene chamber. While the adhesive does not allow the palletized cases to slide, it also does not glue them together, and it leaves no residue. Once cases are separated, they revert to their original, untreated state.

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