Marden Edwards Journal

Marden Edwards Limited, the UK based manufacturer of overwrapping and shrinkwrapping systems, has recently supplied its first overwrapper to incorporate an integrated shrink tightening system fitted within the frame of the machine.

Marden Edwards developed the ST100 Shrink Tightener to enable the wrap on uniform products such as cartons to be tightened using a controlled amount of heat, applied to the finished wrap using heated belts. The system is ideal for cigarette producers who are looking for improved wrap quality and enhanced shelf appeal and now insist on a skin tight overwrap. Although a traditional overwrap is tight, any slight variation in the size of the outer box can lead to small “stress” lines at the edges of the wrap. The ST100 offers the ideal solution as it not only draws the film very tightly around the pack but leaves the tear tape straight, still allowing the wrap to be easily removed. Read the rest of this entry »

Marden Edwards has been associated with memo pad wrapping almost ever since the product was introduced. Many of the major, and minor, producers of sticky memo pads have used Marden Edwards equipment, both for the individual pad and for the subsequent collations. Over the last 25 years the product has developed and so has the packaging. Originally produced as a block 3” wide by 3” long by 3/8” high, the memo pad has grown and shrunk in all dimensions. It has also grown in bundle size, extending up to 36 pads in one overwrapped collation. Extra paper colours have been introduced, adding extra complexity to coloured multipacks. All along the way Marden Edwards has developed the necessary machinery to overwrap all possible configurations of memo pad, often on the same machine.

The most straightforward application is for the wrapping of the individual pad. Typically with a pack length of up to 5” and width 3”, speeds up to 225 packs per minute can be achieved with a trailing edge seal and the use of printed film. What makes the WR200 machine ideal for this application is its ability to cope with under and over height pads, as much as +/- 1mm, and still achieve a high quality wrap. Product feeding can either be by hand or directly from the preceding cutting system.

Once the individual pad has been overwrapped, a Marden Edwards system can automatically collate and overwrap the bundle, in assorted pack orientations. For extra versatility and high speed, the collator can be external to the overwrapping machine. For example, to produce a stack of 6 high memo pads, a stacking speed of 225 per minute would be required if carried out internally within the machine. Using an external collator, up to 10 collations can be produced simultaneously and then the completed collation is fed into the overwrapper. Extra machine modules can be easily integrated to insert top sheets or even promotional pads on top of the collation before overwrapping.

For the multi coloured and small memo pads Marden Edwards has developed hopper and automatic feeding systems enabling the different colours to be matched and collated. Individual pad sizes as small as 1.5” by 1.5” can be collated and wrapped, producing small triple packs or large 36 pad bulk packs.

Whether the memo pad collation is wrapped or unwrapped, already collated or a single pack, automatically or manually fed, high or low speed, Marden Edwards has an overwrapping solution that’s already tried and tested in many countries around the world. From the USA, through Europe to the Far East Marden Edwards have many installations dedicated to memo pad overwrapping.

When it comes to wrapping products in film simply to provide protection or to secure a collation of items, a number of options are available but for retail applications where shelf appeal is paramount the preferred choice for wrapping cartons and other uniform objects is an end fold overwrap.

This style of wrap provides several advantages including a wrinkle free appearance, neat seams, which can be placed out of site if required, and a hermetic seal which keeps out dust and moisture and can help prolong shelf life in many instances. As a bonus, this style of wrap can also work out to be more cost effective than an equivalent shrink wrap. This is because polypropylene film is less expensive than an equivalent thickness polyolefin, which has to have at least a 30% shrink property. The film cost per item is therefore often lower.

The Marden Edwards Group is a world leader in overwrapping systems and offers both shrink wrappers and end fold overwrappers and so is able to advise customers on the most suitable system for every application. A popular misconception is that an end fold overwrapper requires a higher capital expenditure than an automatic L sealer and tunnel. In addition, an overwrapper’s running costs are considerably lower as the absence of a shrink tunnel means power consumption is far less.

As Sales Director Mike Patey says, “since the basic trend in the retail sector these days is towards ever higher quality, in many instances this does favour the end fold overwrapper. We work with customers in the food, beverage, perfume, cosmetics and tobacco sectors amongst others and everyone is striving to provide the very best presentation on the shelves, in gift shops, in duty free outlets and department stores as well as supermarkets. In fact almost all the supermarkets now offer an upmarket own-label range of foods which feature packaging every bit as luxurious as that used by brand owners”

The importance of a high quality wrap in the quest for shelf appeal is illustrated perfectly by the case of a major tea producer which decided to eliminate the overwrap from its cartons, considering the print quality of the cartons was sufficient to attract shoppers. Unfortunately sales began to fall as the public not only found the unwrapped cartons less appealing but, since the cartons did not provide a hermetic seal on their own, a certain amount of dust was able to escape from the tea inside and settle on the printed surface, giving a dull look.

The UK’s fastest growing chocolate retailer, Hotel Chocolat, is another company that has also decided the end-fold overwrap provides the best presentation for retail applications. Hotel Chocolat has been supplying the corporate gift sector and been running a very successful, internet-based mail order operation for a number of years but last year moved into the retail sector and is now opening shops throughout the UK.

While the shrink wrap used on mail order products provides protection and a reasonable finish, two Marden Edwards B225FF overwrappers have now been installed on the lines producing the retail cartons. The style of wrap these machines produce is not only considered to provide a superior appearance but is also more tactile. As John Hadley, Operations Director at Hotel Chocolat, puts it, “When customers are actually handling the products in-store, there are no raised seams and the film is not shrunk tightly against the carton surface, which gives a better feel.

The perfume and cosmetic industry is one where end fold overwrap is prevalent and Marden Edwards has been supplying machinery to manufacturers in the industry all over the world for the past forty years. However, until recently the company had enjoyed little success with French manufacturers, who large dominate this sector.

The breakthrough came with the new TM85 and now the TM100, which is able to handle a wider range of carton sizes. Both have been specially developed to meet the exacting standards of the French producers and during the development of these units, engineers from Marden Edwards consulted existing and potential customers about their requirements as far as pack presentation is concerned as well as operational considerations. They also received feedback from the company’s agent in France and benefited from their many years of experience in providing machinery to the French perfume and cosmetics industry.

As well as wrap quality, the wide range of carton sizes used in this industry meant that simple “de-skilled”, rapid product size changes were a major concern. With the TM100 the operator not only has the total control over the quality and repeatability of the overwrap but they are also able to vary the lateral sealing position and the size of the lateral seal to suit the item being wrapped. In addition there is greater visibility of the wrapping process and changeover from one size to another is extremely fast. A number of TM85 machines have now been installed in France and orders have already been received for the TM100 from perfume and cosmetic producers.

“To most people, luxury packaging and extravagance go hand in hand” Mike Patey says, “but in many cases we are able to provide high quality wrapping systems that actually save money and help manufacturers meet their environmental concerns”.

“For example we have developed collating and wrapping systems for the tobacco industry that enable cigarette manufacturers to wrap collations of cigarette packs in a high quality, printed film for sale in duty free and other outlets. As a result they are able to produce a pack with a quality appearance and do away with the outer carton, saving both money and space in shipping containers.”

“We have also supplied an end fold overwrapper to a French producer of herbal infusions who is very concerned that any packaging they use should have a minimal effect on the environment. The fact that the machine is able to operate with a biodegradable film and is very energy efficient met the company’s environmental criteria, while at the same time providing excellent presentation”

“While the overwrapping market is relatively mature it is certainly not standing still”, Mike says. “For one thing, product and packaging designers are constantly throwing new challenges at us, which means that we have to develop our equipment all the time. Also developments in China and Eastern Europe mean that producers are upgrading their packaging as they start to export to the West, which means that we have to be able to provide machinery that suits their needs and the back up to ensure they get the best from the equipment.”

Having already made inroads into the French cosmetics and toiletries industries with the TM85 trailing edge overwrapper, Marden Edwards has launched the TM100 to produce the same excellent wrap quality on a greater range of carton sizes.

The TM100 is ideal for all applications where shelf presentation is paramount; it produces an extremely tight, wrinkle free wrap with crisp end folds and a lateral seal position which is positioned on the trailing edge.

Jeremy Marden of Marden Edwards says manufacturers wrapping cartons holding all types of toiletries and cosmetics as well as gift items, high quality confectionery, presentation packs of tea and other types of foods and beverages can all benefit from the excellent appearance provided by the TM100.

The machine has been under development for some time and engineers from Marden Edwards consulted existing and potential customers about their requirements as far as pack presentation is concerned as well as operational considerations. They also received feed back from the company’s agent in France and benefited from their many years of experience in providing machinery to the French cosmetics and toiletries industries.

As well as wrap quality, simple “de-skilled”, rapid product size changes were a major concern and the machine Marden Edwards has designed not only meets but surpasses these requirements. The TM100 enhances the ability of the customer to fully control the quality and repeatability of the overwrap, to vary sealing the lateral sealing position and the size of the lateral seal, to have great visibility of the wrapping process and to rapidly change over from one size to another.

The machine is also “protected” from damaging itself and the product in the event of an incorrectly loaded product by a series of electronic and mechanical overload systems. The pack itself is always handled as gently as possible via the extensive use of special low friction fabric for all pack contact parts.

The machine combines the latest servo technology coupled with traditional mechanical design. This means that all the motions that do not alter when the product is changed from one size to another are connected with cams and levers. The film draw and the pack transfer are driven by servo motor meaning that the film cut length is automatically set by the machine controller and the infeed pusher automatically optimises its position and stroke depending on the size of the pack.

Standard options for the machine include a film slitter and powered rewind unit allowing one film width to be stocked for many different sizes, a tear tape unit to add an easy open tab to assist unwrapping and a print registration system enabling the use of printed film.