Fresh Leaf Salad & Herbs
For Fresh Leaf Salad & Herb Producers
GIC has been designing, installing, and servicing vertical form fill and seal packaging machines for four decades. UK-made to the highest standards, GIC’s machines play an essential role in some of the country’s largest fresh leaf and salad and herb producers.
GIC machines are designed and built in Gainsborough to exacting standards. We are a gold-level partner in the Rockwell Automation PartnerNetworkTM programme, and all our component suppliers are hand-picked for quality and reliability.
Irrespective of whether you are packing loose leaf salads or any variety of herb, we can design a machine customised to your individual requirements. We back up our engineering excellence with operator training and comprehensive service and maintenance plans to ensure hassle-free ownership.
Our vertical form fill and seal machines offer the optimum combination of effectiveness, reliability and low cost of ownership backed by first class technical and servicing support.
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Key Considerations
When it comes to salad & herbs, the importance of packaging cannot be overstated. Getting the format and packaging rightis essential.
If you’re a growing salad & herbs supplier considering upgrading your packaging machinery or investing in your first automated line, there are several things to consider.
Packaging leaf salad and herbs presents a unique range of operational and engineering challenges. From specifying the correct machinery to handle a range of temperature and humidity issues to achieving the optimal conditions for handling delicate leaves, GIC can develop a packaging solution for this market sector.
VFFS packaging machines operating in salad and herb factories often require specially designed forming sets. When developing your machine, our team will consider the fragility of the produce, the uniformity of the leaf size and shape, the desired weight and pack type.
Not all packaging materials are suitable for use in a salad or herb factory. Our machines are ideally suited to handle the fresh produce sector’s packaging materials of choice. Our VFFS machines can be specified with dual sealing systems to handle multiple types of material.
All GIC machines can be fully interfaced to a range of upstream filling systems and end-of-line plant including check weighers, metal detection machinery and pallet loading equipment.
GIC’s exclusive Leaf Salad Assisted Drop functionality integrates seamlessly with the company’s VFFS machines, increasing bagging speeds and reducing film usage, contamination levels and re-work.
Leaf Salad Assisted Drop creates an area of low pressure in the product chute, drawing salad leaves into the bag in one single slug, thereby eliminating upstream choking. Without this functionality, the product mass elongates into several clumps of salad leaf, which increases the chances of causing contamination by being captured in the seal. Leaf Salad Assisted Drop also allows packers to reduce their film use, by reducing bag size, something consumers are currently keen to see.
As well featuring on new GIC machines, we can also retrofit Leaf Salad Assisted Drop functionality, to deliver up to a 10% increase in productivity and vastly reduced seal contamination levels and downtime.
For Fresh Leaf Salad & Herbs
GIC 2100
- Maximum pack size250mm
- Maximum speed70 packs per minute
- Pack formatsPillow, Gusset, Block Bottom
- Packaging materialsAll suitable heat-sealable materials, including laminates and polyethylenes. Optional impulse sealing.
GIC 3000
- Maximum pack size250mm
- Maximum speed100 packs per minute
- Pack formatsPillow, Gusset, Block Bottom
- Packaging materialsAll suitable heat-sealable materials, including laminates and polyethylenes. Optional impulse sealing.
GIC 3100
- Maximum pack size400mm
- Maximum speed150 packs per minute
- Pack formatsPillow, Gusset, Block Bottom, Quad, Doy
- Packaging materialsAll suitable heat-sealable materials, including laminates and polyethylenes. Optional impulse sealing.
GIC 4100
- Maximum pack size400mm
- Maximum speed30 packs per minute
- Pack formatsPillow, Gusset, Block Bottom
- Packaging materialsAll suitable heat-sealable materials, including laminates and polyethylenes. Optional impulse sealing.
GIC 8000
- Maximum pack size400mm
- Maximum speed100 packs per minute
- Pack formatsPillow, Gusset, Block Bottom
- Packaging materialsAll suitable heat-sealable materials, including laminates and polyethylenes. Optional impulse sealing.
GIC 8100
- Maximum pack size400mm x 500mm
- Maximum speed160 packs per minute
- Pack formatsPillow, Gusset, Block Bottom, Quad, Doy
- Packaging materialsAll suitable heat-sealable materials, including laminates and polyethylenes. Optional impulse sealing.
Free Site Appraisals
Irrespective of whether or not you currently rely on GIC vertical form fill and seal packaging machinery to keep your production line flowing efficiently, we offer free site appraisals.
Our experienced engineers will visit your facility and provide an accurate overview of the current condition of your packaging machinery, service and maintenance requirements, available software and hardware upgrades and opportunities to improve operating efficiency.
To request your free site appraisal, email us or call +44 (0) 1427 611885
Fresh leaf salads and herbs require careful handling throughout the packaging process to protect delicate leaves, maintain pack quality and achieve reliable seals. Our FAQs answer some of the most common questions about salad and herb packaging machines, including VFFS machine selection, production speeds, packaging materials, product handling and GIC’s specialist Leaf Salad Assisted Drop technology.
The best vertical form fill seal machine for salad and herbs depends on the product being packed, required bag size, packaging material, production speed and filling or weighing system.
GIC offers several VFFS packaging machines specifically suited to fresh leaf salad and herb applications. These include the GIC2100 and GIC4100 for intermittent-motion applications and continuous-motion machines such as the GIC3000, GIC3100, GIC8000 and GIC8100 for higher-output production.
Machine selection should also consider the fragility and characteristics of the leaves, required pack format, factory environment and how the product will be transferred from the weighing system into the bag.
Contact GIC to discuss your salad or herb product, required pack format and target production output with an experienced application specialist.
GIC vertical form fill seal machines can be configured to package a wide variety of loose leaf salads, prepared salad products and herbs.
Fresh leaves can vary significantly in their size, shape, weight and fragility. These characteristics need to be considered when specifying the forming set, product chute, weighing system and overall machine configuration.
Unlike many free-flowing products, salad leaves can bunch together as they travel towards the bag. The packaging system therefore needs to be designed to encourage consistent product movement while reducing the risk of leaves becoming trapped within the sealing area.
GIC’s specialist salad and herb packaging machines can be configured around the particular characteristics of the product being packed.
Speak to GIC about your salad or herb product for advice on the most appropriate packaging solution.
Gentle product handling is an important consideration when packaging fresh leaf salad and herbs. Leaves can be fragile and need to travel from the weighing equipment through the forming set and into the finished bag without unnecessary handling or impact.
GIC considers factors including leaf size, shape and uniformity, required pack weight and bag format when designing the forming set and product handling system.
The relationship between the weighing system, product chute, forming set and packaging machine is particularly important. The complete line should be designed to maintain consistent product flow while reducing unnecessary product contact.
For applications where product flow presents additional challenges, GIC can also incorporate its specialist Leaf Salad Assisted Drop technology to improve the way leaves enter the bag.
Contact GIC to discuss the product-handling requirements of your salad or herb packaging line.
GIC’s Leaf Salad Assisted Drop is a specialist system developed to improve the movement of fresh salad leaves through a VFFS packaging machine.
The technology creates an area of low pressure within the product chute, helping draw the salad leaves into the bag as a single slug rather than allowing the product to separate into several clumps.
This helps reduce upstream choking and decreases the likelihood of leaves becoming trapped within the horizontal seal. Cleaner seals can help reduce rejected packs, contamination and unnecessary production downtime.
GIC states that Leaf Salad Assisted Drop can also allow packers to reduce bag size and film consumption while delivering up to a 10% increase in productivity.
The system can be incorporated into new GIC machines and can also be retrofitted to suitable existing equipment.
Contact GIC to discuss whether Leaf Salad Assisted Drop could improve the performance of your salad packaging line.
Leaves becoming trapped within the horizontal seal can result in contaminated seals, rejected packs, re-work and unnecessary production downtime.
One of the challenges with fresh leaf salad is that the product can elongate into several clumps as it travels from the weighing system through the product chute. This increases the opportunity for leaves to reach the sealing jaws before the bag has been completely formed and sealed.
GIC’s Leaf Salad Assisted Drop technology helps address this by creating an area of low pressure within the product chute and drawing the leaves into the bag as a more concentrated slug.
Correct machine timing, product handling, forming-set design and consistent feeding are also important when creating a reliable salad packaging process.
Speak to GIC if seal contamination is limiting the output of your existing salad packaging line.
GIC salad and herb packaging machines can operate with a range of suitable heat-sealable packaging materials, including laminates and polyethylene films.
The correct packaging material will depend on the salad or herb product, required pack format, shelf-life requirements and production process. Not all packaging materials are suitable for every salad or herb packaging environment.
GIC VFFS machines can also be specified with dual sealing systems where an operation needs to handle multiple types of packaging material. Optional impulse sealing is available across several machines within GIC’s specialist salad and herb range.
The packaging material and sealing system should therefore be considered together when specifying the machine.
Contact GIC to discuss whether your existing or proposed packaging film is suitable for use with a GIC VFFS machine.
Packaging speed depends on the machine, product characteristics, bag dimensions, packaging material, weighing system and consistency of product feed.
The GIC2100 AND GIC4100 provide speeds of up to 70 packs per minute, while the continuous-motion GIC3000 can achieve speeds of up to 100 packs per minute under suitable conditions.
For higher-output operations, the GIC3100 can achieve speeds of up to 150 packs per minute, while the GIC8100 has a stated maximum speed of up to 160 packs per minute.
Maximum machine speed should not, however, be considered in isolation. Product handling, weighing accuracy, reliable product transfer and keeping leaves away from the sealing area can all influence real-world production output.
GIC’s Leaf Salad Assisted Drop technology can also help increase productivity by improving the movement of salad leaves through the machine.
Contact GIC with your target packs-per-minute requirement for a tailored machine recommendation.
An intermittent-motion VFFS machine temporarily stops the packaging film while the horizontal seal is created and the completed bag is cut. This provides a reliable packaging solution for many salad and herb applications.
A continuous-motion VFFS machine keeps the packaging film moving through the sealing process and is generally more suitable for operations requiring higher production speeds.
For example, the GIC2100 is an intermittent-motion machine capable of speeds of up to 70 packs per minute, while continuous-motion machines such as the GIC3000, GIC3100 and GIC8100 are designed for higher-output applications.
The correct choice should be based on more than speed alone. Product characteristics, bag dimensions, film type, weighing equipment and required product handling should all be considered.
Not sure which type is right for your operation? Speak to GIC for expert guidance.
Yes. GIC VFFS machines can be fully integrated with suitable upstream filling and weighing systems as part of a complete salad or herb packaging line.
Consistent product delivery is particularly important when packaging fresh leaves. The weighing and feeding equipment therefore needs to work closely with the VFFS machine to achieve accurate pack weights and reliable product transfer.
For example, the GIC4100 VFFS can integrate with equipment including multi-head weighers, linear weighers and bucket elevators, allowing the VFFS machine to form part of a complete automated packaging line.
GIC machines can also interface with downstream equipment including checkweighers, metal detection machinery, conveyors and pallet-loading equipment.
Where a completely new packaging line is required, GIC can provide turnkey packaging solutions that bring the individual elements of the system together.
Contact GIC to discuss a new salad packaging line or integration with your existing weighing and end-of-line equipment.
Fresh leaf salad and herb factories can present challenging operating conditions for packaging machinery because temperature and humidity levels may differ considerably from those found in other production environments.
Packaging equipment therefore needs to be specified with the operating environment in mind, as well as the characteristics of the product itself.
GIC considers temperature, humidity, product handling and packaging requirements when developing a VFFS solution for salad and herb producers.
GIC’s specialist salad and herb range includes machines such as the GIC2100, GIC3000, GIC3100, GIC4100, GIC8000 and GIC8100, allowing the packaging solution to be selected around the individual production environment and output requirements.
Correctly specifying the machine for its operating environment can help support reliable production, consistent sealing and long-term equipment performance.
Speak to GIC about the operating conditions within your salad or herb production facility when discussing a new packaging machine.
Yes. GIC’s Leaf Salad Assisted Drop technology is available on new GIC packaging machines and can also be retrofitted to existing GIC VFFS machines.
For salad producers experiencing upstream choking, seal contamination or unnecessary film consumption, retrofitting the system may provide an opportunity to improve packaging-line performance without replacing the complete machine.
GIC states that Leaf Salad Assisted Drop can deliver up to a 10% increase in productivity while significantly reducing seal contamination and downtime.
The suitability of an existing machine will need to be assessed before a retrofit is recommended.
GIC also offers free site appraisals, allowing its engineers to assess existing packaging machinery, servicing requirements and potential hardware or software upgrades.
Contact GIC to discuss a Leaf Salad Assisted Drop retrofit or arrange a free site appraisal.
GIC has been designing, installing and servicing vertical form fill seal packaging machines for four decades, with UK-manufactured machines used by some of the country’s largest fresh leaf salad and herb producers.
GIC machines are designed and built in Gainsborough, Lincolnshire, and can be customised around the product, pack format, packaging material, production speed and operating environment.
The specialist salad and herb range includes machines capable of handling different production requirements, from the GIC2100 through to high-speed continuous-motion systems such as the GIC3000, GIC3100, GIC8000 and GIC8100. The GIC4100 provides an additional intermittent-motion option for applications requiring a larger format.
GIC can also provide operator training, servicing, maintenance, machine upgrades and ongoing technical support, providing one point of contact throughout the working life of the equipment.
You can learn more about GIC, explore the complete VFFS packaging machine range or contact the team to discuss your salad and herb packaging requirements.
Looking for a UK-manufactured salad or herb packaging machine? Contact GIC or call +44 (0) 1427 611885.