Tray handling lines

Semiautomatic of fully automated packaging line

We’ll customize the tray handling system to fit your needs. The line can be either fully mechanized with automatic packaging machines and dosing units. Or if you want, integrate manual workstations in the line.

Tray handling lines that grow with your production

When your production and capacity grow, the tray handling system grows along. We can add and integrate new units and machinery for added capacity or new seasonal products.

Meets the strict hygiene standards of the food industry

All our tray handling systems and lines meet the strictest quality and hygiene requirements set for the food industry. To maintain good hygiene, all our dosing lines and tray packing machines are easy to clean.

Dosing and packing lines customized for your unique needs

The Finntray tray handling line is a flexible food packaging solution for both fresh and ready meals. You can choose a fully automatic packaging line, or if you need, integrate manual workstations into the line. We can equip the manual workstations with scales to determine the exact weight of the product – and minimize losses and food waste. 

The final weight is adjusted by adding sauce with a Finntray sauce dispenser. If needed, other components, such as seasoning, spices, or cheese, can be dispensed to the trays.

How the ​​ready meal tray handling line works

The Finntray tray packaging line for ready meals is suitable for a variety of products, including rice, pasta, carrot, potato, meat, fish, and seafood as well as liquid components – all ingredients needed to make a ready meal. Our dosing and packing lines consist of weight-based and volume-based solid and liquid dispensers.

The dosing line integrates into tray handling equipment and tray closing machines to create the final packaged meal. The machinery is suitable for packing meals in trays of different sizes and shapes. We also offer adjustable denesters for several tray sizes.

Customer case: Lasagne dosing and packing line

We’ve developed a ready meal tray filling equipment and line specifically for lasagne products. The lasagne line consists of a tray dispenser, a trolley dock with mixer and pipe outlet for a pump, a Nestan 2-headed volume-based dispenser, a cobot, a closing and decking machine, a metal detector, conveyors, and a tray sealing device from our partner Tecnovac.

First, the Nestan dispenser doses the sauce in layers with lasagne sheets set by the cobot. The weight is balanced to the desired final weight by adding an adjusted amount of sauce for the last layer. A conveyor transfers the tray to a cheese dispenser if desired.

Next, the tray moves to a sealing machine that closes the tray either with a lid or film. The tray passes through a metal detector. Now the tray moves to a loading area to wait for packing. Finally, after the tray handling line, the final product is transferred to a freezer tunnel and lastly, to cold storage. All done!

Customer case: Bag filling and packing line 

Our bag filling line is a powerful complete solution for dosing and packing powders, liquids, or solid products into bags or pouches. 

In the bag filling line, we employ robotics extensively. This allows us to free up the most monotonous tasks with poor ergonomics to cobots. First, a cobot picks up the pouch with suction cups and opens it. Based on either weight or units, the desired amount of product is dispensed into the pouch. Next, the pouch moves to the checking scale where its weight is checked. If the weight doesn’t meet the set criteria, the pouch is rejected.

Finally, the pouch is closed and transferred to packing. The line is connected to a box conveyor where the pouches are packed into cardboard boxes either by staff or a cobot. We can also install a cobot to transfer the boxes to shipping or storage.

What does the process look like in practice? Watch our video.