When it comes to packaging, rely on gravity to do it better and faster, according to Vincent Feix, vice-president and North American sales manager, De La Ballina Industries, Lachine, QC. “Vertical packaging is the best solution in a high-speed production line,” he said. “The chute is the quickest way a product can reach a bag. That will give you big savings by using vertical packaging.”

De La Ballina Industries, which mostly provides packaging equipment for bakery products, focused much of its recent technology improvements on packaging buns, rolls, loaves, croissants and frozen baked foods faster. Mr. Feix said De La Ballina’s biggest improvement was not simply speeding up the individual systems in its packaging line, but also improving the synchronization among those machines. This harmonization optimizes the final speed of the line. 

Mr. Feix also has seen customer demand for improved bagging materials such as film treatments that enhance the quality of the bag, extend product shelf life or create oven-safe packaging. This allows bakers or end consumers to put a par-baked or frozen product in a microwave or conventional oven without removing it from the packaging first, making life a little easier at the end of the line.