IMA Food North America has introduced its Hamba Flexline, a versatile cup fill-seal system capable of producing more than 57,000 cups per hour.
Built with stainless-steel construction and fully enclosed, the machine is servo-controlled and runs on an Allen-Bradley control system. It also incorporates hygienic technology, providing aseptic production along with fill and peroxide sterilization to extend product shelf life.
“The Hamba Flexline isn’t just a filling machine—it’s a modular innovation platform that gives producers the agility to meet changing consumer demands while maintaining top-tier efficiency and hygiene,” said Patrick Caroll, president of IMA Food North America, in an exclusive statement to Packaging OEM.
Production and sterilization capabilities
The Hamba Flexline can run 4-12 cups per cycle in either single or double-lane setups. Engineered for efficiency, the system can fill and seal as many as 57,600 cups per hour, making it a flexible solution for handling a variety of cup formats up to 180mm in diameter and 150mm in height, the company said.
The machine starts with an ionization station to remove potential static loads. From there, the cups are treated with hydrogen peroxide and dried with air. During this process, the cups are elevated to allow decontamination of the slats and the areas beneath the cup rim.
It can also incorporate lid sterilization elements, including an optional light decontamination system with 90-degree pick-and-place movement. Nozzles can be cleaned between runs via clean-in-place (CIP) or sterilize-in-place (SIP) options.
“The Hamba Flexline is the flagship solution that solidifies IMA Food as a true leader in enhanced, sterilizable fill-seal cup technology,” Carroll said in a statement.
Additional features include automatic format changes, push-button recipe control, and the ability to change lids without line stoppage to enhance production efficiency. It can also be tailored to utilize UV and pulsed light technology to clean applications that don’t require peroxide.
“In a food category where brand differentiation can be difficult to achieve on busy supermarket shelves, the shelf-life extension and sophisticated clean-fill presentation made possible by the Hamba Flexline helps our customers build trust and brand loyalty,” said Carroll.
Sustainable solutions for a variety of cup formats
Designed to handle eco-friendly packaging materials, the machine’s disinfection stations can be configured to accommodate a wide range of cup and lid formats, including polyethylene terephthalate (PET), polypropylene (PP), and paper.
Food companies can utilize this machine to produce products such as yogurts, spreadable cheeses, puddings, mousse, baby food, and other foods that are housed in cups.
For more information on the Hamba Flexline, click here.
