Interpack 2023

To maximize productivity and sustainability while minimizing costs we have taken a radical new look at the slicing & packaging line. Rather than seeing a series of loosely connected components ours is a vision of unity: a single line in which all components work in total harmony – as one.

Better Together!

The result? Higher capacity per square meter which reduces operating costs while giving sustainability benefits in terms of power consumption. Overall Equipment Efficiency is increased while making better use of existing floor space. And lines or standalone units precisely configured to your individual needs based on a ‘toolbox’ of available options. Not only easier to operate, a GEA One Line is also easier to maintain thanks to a modular design that shares key elements and spare parts across the different sections of the line.

GEA Bakery’s technology has taken a leap forward in terms of advanced automation and more sustainable manufacturing processes. Our goal with technological innovation is to provide you with the most sustainable, easy-to-use and intelligent process technology. 

Our focus on productivity hand in hand with sustainability extends to the field of Pasta and extruded products.

New technologies for processing, drying and packaging are combined with increasingly sophisticated digitalization and automation production options which are both sustainable and affordable. Innovative techniques open up entirely new possibilities for ‘new food’ too!

You asked, we listened! 

In response to customer demands our SmartPacker TwinTube vertical packing machine can now handle pillow bags up to 160mm bag width. 

With sustainability in mind we present the new GEA SmartPacker CX400 D-Zip design which reduces the amount of plastic required for the Zipper by approximately 15%.  

With our GEA Aquarius lollipop equipment, we rethought and started to focus on ‘reduce-reuse-&-recycle’. 

Experts from the Pharma & Healthcare team will be available onsite to discuss the very latest developments in tablet compression and containment, as well as breakthroughs in digitalization and the company’s sustainability initiatives.

For example, the game-changing Digital Canary atmosphere monitoring system has been designed to detect breaches in contained pharmaceutical production lines. More importantly, it also protects the people operating the machinery and the products being made.

Likewise, the NexGen Press® range represents the ultimate combination of modular design, safety, ease of use and ergonomic functionality. The perfect blend of physical and digital, one press has many applications.

In addition, the new BUCK® AC Valve brings solvent-resistant functionality to a wide range of powder transfer applications in multiple industries.

Learn more during the show where you can expand your network, broaden your knowledge base and discover how we’re better together.

Our newly optimized PowerPak and PowerPak PLUS thermoformers feature several breakthrough components which help you deliver the more sustainable packaging your customers are demanding. Packaging using recyclable mono-materials can now be efficiently and reliably produced on a state-of-the art thermoformer which is seamlessly integrated left and right.  

PowerHeat is a new – and unique – film heating system with multiple and separate heating zones to ensure even heat distribution. It is ideal for use with mono packaging materials like Mono PP or Mono PE, guaranteeing the required package quality on these recyclable packaging materials.

PowerJet is our new advanced evacuation and gas injection system for GEA thermoformer packaging machines. This smart new technology uses nozzles to evacuate the air and introduce modified atmosphere gases into the pack non-invasively. 

The GEA OptiSlicer 6000 provides the ultimate slicing precision. It’s designed for regular-shaped products such as calibrated sausage, salami, cooked ham and cheese. The Optimum in Precision means perfect slicing and portioning quality with high-performance and flexible operation.

Our new HMI (human machine interface) for bakery lines take intuitive process control to a whole new level and integrate all systems into one digital environment. In addition to the integrated control of production lines, the new visual interface enables you to see a large amount of information grouped together in a way that is both easy to understand and manage.

The electric oven retro-fit kit is a quick and easy way to switch from energetic gas ovens to more sustainable electric versions.

As part of GEA’s relentless focus on providing more sustainable solutions we have made it possible to convert direct-gas-fired ovens to an all-new electric one. 

The changeover can be done quickly and easily within a normal work shift of 8 hours (depending on the oven characteristics). Additionally, an electric tunnel oven consumes 15-20% less energy than a gas powered one! 

The innovative design and reduced dimensions of our new DFI multi-piston depositor deliver easier access and washability along with reduced energy consumption.

Pneumatic consumption has been reduced to almost zero, and CO2 emission is also zero thanks to a new system to individually control the dosing cylinder.

A new all-in-one extrusion system combines the functionality of the xTru Former and the xTru Cooker. Particularly suitable for products such as snack pellets and noodles, it promises lower energy consumption and a smaller footprint while maintaining the high standards offered by our previous machinery.

It is the new standard for processing lines for snacks, breakfast cereals and petfood.

Our new pre-dryer for pasta features a modular design which makes it easy to fine-tune according to production capacity on your line. By optimizing air-product interaction, it increases efficiency, improves product distribution and gives you a more flexible way to get the pasta line going.

Our GEA V-Packer IM-IV is an innovative vertical packaging machine featuring a variable inclination which makes it suitable for handling particularly fragile products such as nests and jumbo pasta shells as well as bakery products. As the inclination is adjustable, the GEA V-Packer IM-IV is a very versatile unit which can easily be adapted to different types of product.

The GEA M-Weigher H20 is a special version of our high performance multi-head weigher made in stainless-steel. It is suitable for many types of product from snacks to pet food and dry pasta. Replacing conventional springs with step motors for the return/closing mechanism of the 20 buckets helps reduce dust and residual waste accumulation which simplifies cleaning and increases efficiency. 

The new series of the GEA Package Weigher W & WS are being launched. Made entirely in stainless steel, these package weighers have been designed to cover a wide range of applications in the general food industry and offer higher accuracy than ever. A metal detector can also be integrated to these systems on request.

Our SmartPacker TwinTube vertical packing machine can now handle pillow bags up to 160mm bag width. Format changes for the entire format range are simple, quick and require no tools.

With its capability to run either mono material or paper based bags, this innovative machine also gives you new ways to demonstrate your sustainability credentials to customers.

With sustainability in mind the unique zip applicator concept (patent pending) in the new GEA SmartPacker CX400 D-Zip design reduces the amount of plastic required for the zipper by approximately 15% per bag .

The GEA Aquarius TwistWrapper is a cost-effective configuration that can use up to 30% less film than a single bunch wrapper to reduce the amount of waste produced. 

With the new Simple Quick-Change Kit for the GEA Aquarius TwistWrapper you optimize the conversion time of a format change to another weight as well as to another diameter lollipop, because no further fine tuning of the wrapping machine is required.

Based on the traditional concept of a live coal-mine canary, the 21st century equivalent from GEA is a continuous real-time monitoring system that’s been designed to detect breaches in contained pharmaceutical production lines.

By providing an additional level of monitoring, the Digital Canary reduces the need for routine occupational health checks.

The patented innovation comprises a sensor that provides a constant reading (compared with a baseline) of any product exposure at the sampling point.

Adjustable to suit a specific particle size distribution if required, the information is relayed to a control system that initiates an alarm or corrective action if out-of-specification data is received.

When the sensor detects powder levels that are above the allowed limit, a warning is sent to the operators. This enables them to leave the contaminated area as soon as possible. Once the concentration of airborne particles has returned to an acceptable level, the system will inform the operators.

Compatible with a wide range of new and existing solid dosage applications, the Digital Canary reduces the need for industrial hygiene testing.

It also provides an audit trail in terms of cross-contamination risk and regulatory compliance, and acts as a trigger for preventive maintenance.

Product loss and downtime can be costly. More seriously, exposing personnel to toxic or highly potent dust could be catastrophic. The GEA BUCK® Digital Canary is designed to prevent this.

In a constantly changing world that continues to rely on oral solid dosage forms for its health and welfare strategies, the need for ever-more efficient and sustainable tableting equipment is a constant driver of creative thinking.

To respond to present and future market demands, manufacturers are looking for flexible and multifunctional solutions that can handle both low and high potency active ingredients. This next generation of tablet presses will make machine selection easier, facilitate fast product changeovers and deliver price-performance leadership.

The modular design of this groundbreaking compression technology means that a spectrum of containment capabilities (from dust-tight to OEB 5) is available on a single platform. It’s also the first press range to offer both wash-offline (WOL) and wet-in-place (WIP) functions to suit a broad array of customer requirements.

For example, an entry level machine can be upgraded to meet specific process requirements, such as bilayer tableting, different washing options and/or to further reduce the risk of cross-contamination, as and when required.

Furthermore, the NexGen Press® range is fully compatible with GEA’s new Digital Canary monitoring system, which both detects product leaks from contained pharmaceutical production lines and protects the health and safety of your operators.

Offering operational excellence, each NexGen Press® is intuitive, simple to use and benefits from a back-to-basics design philosophy. And, of course, like any GEA press, safety, robust functionality, support and customer service come as standard.

With an increasing number of highly potent active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) in the drug production pipeline, particularly for applications such as oncology and hormone-based therapies, safe and efficient material handling solutions have never been more important.

Complementing the company’s other pressure-rated valves, such as the tried-and-tested MC valve — the AC has been built to operate at high temperature conditions (up to 150 °C) at up to 6 bar in both open and closed positions.

This next-generation addition to GEA’s valve portfolio also makes it suitable for applications using previously incompatible solvents.

Whereas the BUCK® MC Valve continues to be the default choice for the contained transfer of active powders from one vessel to another in oral solid dosage pharmaceutical manufacturing lines, the AC takes this performance to the next level for more physically demanding environments.

As well as delivering the same level of flexibility as the MC version, the AC valve seal is ten times smaller, 80% lighter and scratch-resistant.

This means that the AC valve can be used in both secondary pharmaceutical applications, like the MC, but also in agrochemical processes and systems for the production of active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs).

With two sizes already available, GEA is looking to add to the range in the near future.