German-based company, Multivac, unveiled its B 610 belted system, at the IFFA trade show last week.

The B 610 has a large volume chamber that can accommodate whole cheese or large pieces of meat from the cutting plant. The 1,500-millimetre sealing bars with 800-millimetre spacing, sized to match the chamber, allow either very large pouches or several small pouches to be processed simultaneously, said Multivac.

"It is one of the biggest machines of its kind on the market and has great potential for primary meat cuts," head of corporate marketing Valeska Haux said.

The largest belted machine in the Multivac equipment range, the B 610 has a cycle speed of up to 2.5 processes per minute. It also has the capability to use more vacuum pumps than the company's B 310 model. An automatic progressive ventilation system "ensures a gentle packaging process even with sensitive products" and the system produces exact double-seam sealing, said the company.

The HMI 2.0 system has a 12-inch touch screen display. "Status displays are given in plain text, as graphics or even video sequences. It is very straightforward to use and even inexperienced operators without computer expertise can learn how to use the machine quickly," added Haux.

The system can store up to 200 individual recipes and users can select from 30 languages.

The machine also helps resist contaminants with reduced number of components in the lid. Furthermore, the hinged side panels can be folded up and removed, as can the conveyor belt. The system can also be expanded into a fully integrated packaging line - with a discharge conveyor, shrink machine and dryer.

Optional extra parts include a fully automatic facility that allows the sealing height to be adjusted to that of the product. A cutting device for use with excess pouch material and pouch residue extraction is also available. A possible combination with a separate infeed conveyor enables a continuous process with just a single operator.