The thermoforming packaging process uses heat to custom-mold a plastic sheet of film into a tray. After the tray is made, the products are loaded into the formed cavities in the tray. After the products are loaded, a separate station in the machine uses heat to durably seal the trays.
The air inside the packs is evacuated with a vacuum pump and the packs are separated with cutting blades, and dropped onto the conveyor belt. Another option during the air evacuation is to add a gas, like nitrogen, back into the trays to extend the life of the product.There are three different types of packaging, however the main two are Vacuum Packaging and MAP (Modified Atmospheric Pressure) packaging. Vacuum packaging evacuates the air inside the pack and creates a negative pressure to keep the product sealed away from outside particles that may cause decontamination. The plastic film around the product matches the shape of the product. Thermoforming vacuum packaging is one of the most common methods for packaging food and non-food applications.
Thermoforming is generally used for:
- Dairy: (white cheese, yellow cheese, paneer, butter, etc.)
- Meat: (salami, sausage, dried meat, etc.)
- Poultry
- Seafood
- Baked Goods
- Dried Fruits
- Vegetables
- Medical Kits
- And More!
In thermoforming vacuum packaging, both the top and bottom films are flexible films. Here is a picture of a vacuum pack:
What are the Advantages of Thermoforming Vacuum Packaging?
#1. Hygiene & Shelf Life
Removing oxygen from packaging is the main advantage of vacuum packing. Certain bacteria that cause spoilage need oxygen to grow and reproduce. Without oxygen, the food lasts much longer because bacteria doesn't have the potential to reproduce. Air-expulsion can improve the hygiene and shelf life of products, which is why this process of packaging is widely used in edible material processing lines. The sealed products gain bigger confidence if the reservation gas (like nitrogen etc.) is flushed inside after the air has been extracted from the package. At Cehuma, we call this MAP (modified atmosphere packaging) which we offer our clients at their convenience.
#2. Convenient Storage & Transportation
Tightly-sealed, rectangular compact figures make storage and transportation much easier. The products don't have to take up too much space or weight to be shipped from location to location.
#3. Visual Transparency
The firm covering the products is transparent so consumers can get all the visual information they need to ensure their confidence during purchasing.
#4. Adaptability
Thermoforming allows customers to modify their packaging dimensions (within the forming die dimension) however they need. The thermoforming patterns are adaptable to products in size and appearance.
