High Street Butchers in Northern Ireland have added real value to their products which has proved to be hugely successful, with the D2 Food Systems turnkey solution for Foil Trays, Film and Tray Sealing Machinery. So far 12 new machines have been supplied in the last year each one a massive success.

Our D2 500 Bench top Tray Sealer is a simple yet extremely well built machine for heat sealing film onto Aluminium Smoothwall Tray.

The package put together includes the machine along with the ongoing supply of Aluminium trays and our own heat sealable film.

The applications have ranged from meat packing to specialist ready meals, salads and puddings all of which are sealed with our own film to a very high standard in a very well presented format.

The D2 500 Tray Sealer is easy to use, simple to maintain and very reasonably priced in both purchase or rental options.

D2 500 Tray Sealing Machine

The D2 500 is the starter machine in our extensive range of Tray Sealing Machines which includes Drawer type, Rotary Turntable, Inline Pusher Bar and Random Infeed type Tray Sealers all of which can seal in either standard air closure or with Modified Atmosphere Packing.

• New machinery showroom which will be able to demonstrate the state of the art, the D2 “Automated Packaging Solutions” which include a complete range of Tray Sealing Machinery, and the unique compact pre glued tray sleeving machinery range.
• Our Facility in Harpenden will be dedicated to the world leading Vortex Cook, Quench, Chill in line cooking systems & Pasta Manufacturing Lines.
• Increased warehousing capacity for finished Aluminium Trays.
• Additional storage for Raw Rolled Aluminium stock holding.
• A much greater production capacity with the two new Aluminium Container Press Lines.
• New Production & Stock logistical management system integration.
• New meeting & training rooms
• Global Virtual Conferencing facility

 “This is a key acquisition for us as part of our ongoing investment and growth strategy”.

Vanessa Herron – Commercial Director.

This huge investment is due to the recognition and ongoing constant improvement strategy which firstly addresses the need for increased stock holdings of both raw materials and also increased stock holding of finished goods. Our goal is to ensure a reliable and dependable source, even during peak periods.  The current market trend for short or at no notice of “Promotional Packs” can seriously diminish our customers and therefore our own stockholdings. By more than doubling our storage capacity will now ensure that we are always in a position to meet demand.

Secondly, the new machinery showrooms will enable us to demonstrate on site complete “Packaging Solutions”. Many of our customers choose to benefit from sourcing their machinery, film and tray requirements from a single provider. We are the only Smoothwall tray manufacturer that is able to offer this and that has an experienced and dedicated engineering team to support our customers on their own site.”

For further information please contact

Packaging Sales, Production and Quality – 01492 592 333
Machinery Sales, Engineering and Accounts – 01582 622 111

Our new 2011 Customer Service hours are;

Monday – Thursday

8am-6pm

Friday

8am-5pm

Please call 01492 592333 to speak to our Specialist Aluminium Foil Container Customer Service Team to discuss:

• New/existing orders
• Logistics
• Development enquiries
• Sample requirements
• Specifications and Quality

We look forward to being of service to you.

“These additional lines are key additions in the Company’s strategy, and as the UK’s largest supplier of Smoothwall Containers. The installation of these two lines has substantially increased the production capacity on site and further enhanced efficiency.

The ability to continually invest is vital as our business continues to grow not only in the UK but globally. More and more customers are choosing to develop with D2 due to our ability to be fast acting and flexible ”

With this investment and increased production capacity D2 will be able to further satisfy the UK and European demand .

As the Christmas period is upon us once again, I would like to draw your attention to the following information:

Our offices will close at 1300hrs on Friday 24^th December, 2010. We will re-open for normal business at 0830hrs on Tuesday 4^th January 2011

Delivery of Packaging and Spare Parts

Please note: There will be no scheduled deliveries during the above period. To ensure deliveries of goods prior to the Christmas break, please ensure that all orders are placed by close of play on Tuesday 21^st December.

 These will then be shipped Wednesday 22^nd and delivered Thursday 23^rd December.

There will be no deliveries on Friday 24^th December.

Emergency and Technical Support

Packaging Sales, Production and Quality

In case of an emergency delivery requirement please contact : 01492 592 333

 Wednesday 29^th Dec 0900-1600

 Thursday 30^th Dec 0900-1600

 Friday 31^st Dec 0900-1400

 For out of hours contact Claude on 07813 694 682

 Machinery Sales, Engineering and Accounts

In case of an emergency delivery requirement please contact : 01582 622 111

Wednesday 29^th Dec 0900-1600

Thursday 30^th Dec 0900-1600

Friday 31^st Dec 0900-1400

For out of hours contact either Tony 07974 187 051 or James 07786 628 394

We would like to thank you for your continued business throughout 2010 and wish you a very Merry Christmas and a prosperous New Year.

The range development is in conjunction with the procurement of new presses to help D2 accommodate the additional smoothwall foil container and standard wrinkle wall foil container business that has been gained and developed over the last year. With additional diversity in metal supply we look forward to the factory expansion programme commencing in September 2010 as D2 consolidate their position as the number 1 supplier of smoothwall foil containers.

Whilst continuing to explore global markets for new developments, D2 can provide our customer with the assurance of a 100% UK sourced and produced range of smoothwall foil containers. Additional investment in people, production, stacking, handling and distribution are all scheduled to run concurrently.

“Our position enables us now to re-evaluate our strategic partnerships with our European contacts in  the knowledge that D2 will be better placed to service all UK customers with UK produced products from a larger UK factory. D2 are proud to remain the only privately owned foil container manufacturing and sealing machinery business in the UK. There are huge benefits to be gained by the customer who chooses to work with a company that is able to be both proactive, and react quickly when necessary which is obviously not possible when owned by European manufacturers ”

D2 has completed extensive trials in the development of a new style of packaging which consists of a pre-formed Aluminimum Smoothwall Tray & a heat sealed, high clarity APET dome lid.

The technology has been already been seen in the market place however other systems have failed due to the packaging and machinery not being compatible. We overcame this problem quickly as D2 incorporates both Packaging and machinery divisions.

With our D2 Dome System the product sits above the rim of the tray for a full 3D presentation and maximum on the shelf impact.

We are now inviting customers to view our system in action and demonstrate the technical abilities including the option for MAP (modified atmosphere packing) here at our machinery division head office based in Harpenden.

This total solution is only available from D2, so for further details please call 01582 622111.  

The reliability and economical running costs of the D2 700 Rotary Tray Sealing Machine, which has been proven by their existing machine’s performance, was key in the decision to buy another one.

The initial D2 700 that they purchased was required to seal, heat sealable film onto Aluminium smoothwall foil trays, which are all supplied as part of a turnkey package by D2 . The strong and consistent seal quality achieved and the impressive durability of the machine convinced them to choose D2 again when a new project for sealing plastic trays came to fruition.

The fact we were able to meet the short delivery time required to meet their product launch date was a further important factor.

The D2 700 is a compact and portable machine which is flexible in terms of changeover and simplicity and is suitable for any tray sealing application whether it  is in ready meals, meats, salads or fruit, to name a few. 

For more information on this and all of our range of tray sealing machinery and associated equipment please contact our sales office on 01582 622111 or via our web contact mail.

This type of tray lidding is commonly used in the airlines and catering industries as well as large scale food service sector for hospitals and prison meals, pub grub and supermarket canteens.

Simple to use and virtually maintenance free the only energy used is manually provided.

For further information please contact our sales team.

We quickly identified the two main areas which required automation, and recommended installing a new D2 Smoothseal 800, fully automatic tray sealer, in-conjunction with a D2 PGS 2100, pre glued fully automatic pre glued Sleever.

The Smoothseal 800 fully automatic in line machine overcame the first issue, which was the time taken to load and unload the D276-75 Aluminium trays from an existing D2 Smoothseal 700, semi automatic tray sealer. Although a semi automatic tray sealer has many benefits such as its very compact design, and mobility, when it comes to speed, the in- line machines are more efficient because of the simple fact a semi automatic machine will only work as fast as the operator, whereas going in line only requires the loading of the trays in to the pusher bar conveyor.

The client’s second problem was the time taken and the amount of labour required to manually sleeve the finished trays, which D2 solved by installing our own D2 PGS2100 fully automatic, pre-glued Sleever. However due to the clients current sleeve not being suitable for an automatic machine, we were required to work with the sleeve producer and the Supermarket to obtain modifications which wouldn’t alter the appearance of the Sleeve or it’s rigidity. After trials with several pre production versions in our workshop, the final prototype was approved and produced, in time for the installation of the line.

Our customer is delighted to confirm that we have achieved the goal of doubling the production throughput, however with the line only working at 60% there is plenty of spare capacity in the packaging equipment for further improvements and savings to be achieved.

If you have a project you wish to discuss please don’t hesitate to contact us to arrange an appointment.

New D2 900 Dome Sealer

The D2 Smoothdome consists of an uncoated aluminium smoothwall tray with a peelable heatsealed high clarity APET dome shaped lid.

It is available in a range of sizes and styles and with pack heights up to 120mm, Smoothdome is the ideal medium for a wide range of convenience food products, including fresh ready-to-roast meat joints, chickens and turkey crowns.

New D2 Dome Lid Technology

The D2 900 tray sealer is a very simple and versatile in-line fully automatic traysealing machine. It is suitable for heat sealing both dome and standard packs in aluminium, board and plastic, with the option of MAP for extended shelf life as well as skin packing. The D2 900 offers the option of hand or automatic tray and lid placing, fast size changeover, touch screen controls, plus servo drives for controlled acceleration and deceleration of the trays when packing very liquid products.

Our D2 Smoothdome is unique. The product sits above the rim of the aluminium tray, achieving full 3-D presentation for maximum brand and on-shelf impact. The peelable seal makes the packs easy to open as well as preventing spillage and ensuring product integrity when in transit and on shelf. Smoothdome is environmentally friendly and the strong and visually appealing pack means there is no need of any outer packaging.

Please contact us for further information and to arrange a product demonstration

This size of tray is now available from D2 in Smoothwall Aluminium !

The new D2 tray has the reference D293-75 and comes with a top out dimensions of 194 x 153 and 75mm deep, additionally the tray features a trivet style embossed base. 

We have introduced this tray so that our customers can enjoy the benefits of using an Aluminium tray, without the cost of replacing expensive tray sealing machine tools.

Using Aluminium trays provides benefits such as high temperature oven or grill cooking, a 100% renewable, and eco friendly material and not forgetting the possibility to microwave product in the tray too.

For further details please contact our sales team.

We truly understand that to achieve a greater environmental reduction we have to look at all aspects of the supply chain not just the finished product.

D2 first led the market in weight reduction with the design and development of our “butterfly” base, enabling a 14.7% weight reduction on one of the most commonly used trays in the market. However after a comprehensive study on the reduction of tray weights across the range we discovered Not all tray re-designs result in weight saving. This is because the blank size of the metal used to form the tray remains the same even if corners are removed.

Since then D2 have invested heavily in multi cavity tooling on all Smoothwall foil containers meaning that we now achieve up to 10% less scrap metal produced during the tray manufacturing process.
Our focus is now to work closely with our customers and deliver new innovations such as enhanced base embosses, internal handles and close effect ribbing. By adding these design features we can offer greater rigidity and weight reduction without loosing any tray capacity.

For Further information Please see the attached PDF document.

D2 Smoothwall Gauge Reduction

We have also been made aware that many of our trays are being offered to customers as sample trays from their own range. This would lead to the assumption that they are not in a position to supply these trays from their own manufacture. Please take a view on any trays that may be sent to you, particularly those which do not fit with their known “cut corner” shape.

 Should you like any clarification on the above, or like to see in more detail our comprehensive range of trays, please do not hesitate to get in touch with myself, your Sales Manager, or the Sales Support team.

Thank you for support.

Yours sincerely

Vanessa Herron

COMMERCIAL DIRECTOR

Please contact us for further information and discuss your requirements.

D2 800 Compact In Line Tray Sealer

 The tooling used by the 800 utilises a cast fused elements offering excellent reliability and impressive energy efficiency. The tool sets are incredibly simple and easy to remove and are designed with maintenance, wash down or tool changes in mind. They have been developed to offer a high standard of finish and are extremely price competitive due to the simplicity of the design.

The D2 800 Tray sealing machine has been designed using the latest technology to reduce maintenance and make the machine extremely user friendly.

PLC with Modified Atmosphere Control

The D2 800 is available with a range of optional extras enabling either complete lines or a standalone machine.

Options include;

• Extended In Feed Conveyors
• Tray Denesters
• Depositors
• 1 / 2 or 3 lane configuration
• Powered out-feed conveyors with single lane channelisers
• Full MAP Controllers
• Busch vacuum pumps
• Gas Analyser s
• Vibratory tables for product settling

Common Tray Materials used in the D2 800 Fully Automatic Tray Sealing Machine;

• Smoothwall Aluminium Foil Containers
• Wrinkle Wall Aluminium Foil Containers
• Polypropylene (PP)
• Crystallised polyester terephthalate (C-PET)
• Amorphous polyester terephthalate (A-PET)
• Polyvinyl chloride (PVC)
• Polystyrene (PS)
• High impact polystyrene (HIPS)
• High density polyethylene (HDPE)
• Ovenable Board

For further information or to arrange a site visit from one of our representatives please contact us.

 Normally a product PH range of between 4.5-6.0 is recommended for use in plain un-coated Smooth wall Foil Container, however we have to also consider the product composition, storage conditions and shelf life period, as the PH level could change and a Epoxy Lacquered Smooth wall Container would then be specified.

Products with a PH range of less than 4.5 have been successfully tested and launched using an internal epoxy coating. The Epoxy Lacquer has eradicated corrosion of the tray which in turn has assisted in the extension of shelf life for highly acidic products.

All aluminium containers provide a total inert barrier to oil, water and gases.

Please don’t hesitate to contact us for further information.

The focus in the UK for many years is the recycling of Aluminium Cans (Coke Cans for example), however D2 are continuously marketing the fact that all our aluminium foil containers are also easy to recycle and there is no reason for them to end up in landfill sites. Recycling of used aluminium saves up to 95% energy and there is no loss of quality during the aluminium recycling process, making our trays completely renewable and sustainable.

D2 have been at the forefront of setting the environmental bench mark for the Aluminium Foil Container Industry; however we will continue to look for new ways to reduce wastage through the life cycle of the products we produce.

At the same time we have always recognised that our customers have their own individual preferences regarding both the appearance and rigidity of the trays they use. For this reason our new D271-43 smooth wall trays are offered in varying formats.

 For customers packaging light weight products such as mushrooms for example, who prefer the presentation of a plain, clean design, the D271-43 is supplied without any side ribbing and minimal base embossing.

D2 Smoothwall Tray D271-43 Plain Design

Where heavier products are being packed requiring greater rigidity in the tray we offer the D271-43R  version. This incorporate our unique design of tight vertical ribbing on the side walls and pronounced base embossing. These features greatly enhance the strength of the tray whilst giving the added benefit of a fresh and modern appearance.

D2 Smoothwall Tray D271-43 Ribbed Design

Both versions of the trays are available in 100, 105 and 110 micron thickness.

 The D271-43 and D271-43R are part of a family of trays, all with the same top out of 234 x  138mm,and with varying depths from 30-50mm.

For more information on D2 innovations please call the team today to discuss your requirements.