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Labeler proves 'berry, berry' good for Fabri-Kal

A new clamshell labeling system increases speed while reducing labor costs and downtime at the Greenville, SC, plant of thermoformer Fabri-Kal.

Fabri-Kal customers use labeled clamshells to pack a variety of produce, including blueberries and cherry tomatoes.
Fabri-Kal customers use labeled clamshells to pack a variety of produce, including blueberries and cherry tomatoes.

Kalamazoo, MI-based thermoformer Fabri-Kal Corp. doubled its speed, reduced its labor costs by one-third, and limited downtime since it employed a new clamshell labeling system in August.

The automatic system, which replaced older label applicating equipment, denests clamshells, applies a pressure-sensitive label to the top of each clamshell, then nests and counts the labeled containers. After secondary packaging, the trays are shipped to produce growers, or their packers, typically for filling with products like berries, cherry tomatoes, and grapes.

Supplied by Minnesota Automation (Crosby, MN), the system is equipped with two label applicators from Label-Aire (Fullerton, CA) that are designed to apply pressure-sensitive labels to clamshell tops and bottoms. At this time, Fabri-Kal is only applying one label, to the top of each clamshell, though it can apply a second label to the bottom, should a customer request it.

P-s paper labels are supplied by East West Label (Conshohocken, PA). The 60# semi-gloss paper labels are printed flexographically, usually in five colors. The labelers were acquired by Minnesota Automation through distributor Tapemark (West St. Paul, MN).

The equipment operates at Fabri-Kal’s Greenville, SC, plant, where 14 thermoforming machines are used to make both custom and stock packaging for foodservice and retail customers, including hinged clamshells. Fabri-Kal manufactures hinged clamshells from clear styrene-butadiene copolymers for their toughness and clarity properties.

“The one Minnesota Automation machine replaced two antiquated berry tray labelers that were labor-intensive,” explains Greenville plant manager David Taylor. “The old machines were slow and terribly inefficient.”

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