Sealing solution: a natural choice for raw dog food maker

Proseal tray sealing technology has enabled natural dog food specialist Naturaw to automate its packing process in order to meet strong demand for its products, further enhancing the overall quality of the packaging while maintaining the company’s commitment to eco-friendly packs.

Producing fresh, natural, raw dog foods, Naturaw uses only high welfare meat from British farms and all products come in compostable packaging. With fast-growing sales, the company needed to replace the hand-packing operation that placed rigid lids onto the trays with a much faster automated solution. In particular, the use of the rigid lids could not consistently achieve the necessary hermetic seal to afford the fresh products maximum protection and extended shelf life.

The Proseal GT0s MAX inline tray seal machine is now able to seal trays at up to 60 packs per minute. In particular, Proseal’s E-seal technology provides an energy-efficient seal system that delivers an increase in seal force to ensure a good seal.

Equally important, Naturaw was able to use Proseal’s Test Kitchen facilities to confirm full compatibility of its trays with the sealing process.

“The service from Proseal has been impeccable,” commented Tom Johnson of Naturaw. “With the GT0, we can not only meet current demand but have the capacity to further increase production ahead of a fast-growing market — and we can be assured that our customers are receiving their high-quality dog food in the best possible condition.

“Sustainability is a vital part of our offering, so it was especially vital that our new automated system could still handle our carefully chosen eco-friendly packaging. Thanks to Proseal’s Test Kitchen, we were able to fully confirm the GT0’s suitability prior to purchase.”

The Proseal GT0s MAX combines high throughput and rapid two-minute tool changes in a compact design that can maximise use of space in its chassis to increase seal capacity. The tray sealing machine is incorporated into a fully automated line at Naturaw’s factory at Thorp Arch, West Yorkshire, that also comprises tray denester, filling system, sleever, checkweigher and metal detector.

The machine’s hygienic, food industry-approved construction includes full washdown protection. A user-friendly menu-driven control panel featuring step-by-step prompts, error and status displays, and batch pack counter, ensures ease of set-up and operation.