Eurilait reports higher uptime from four ULMA cheese wrappers

Eurilait has standardised cheese packing at its Somerset facility around four ULMA FM305C flow wrappers, reporting estimated improvements of 5–7% in machine uptime and approximately 3% less waste in the area handling mould-ripened cheeses. ULMA also reports easier maintenance and more flexible staffing across the packaging lines. These figures reflect Eurilait’s operating assessment, and the machinery has been introduced progressively over several years rather than installed as a single new production project.

The specialist dairy business cuts and packs cheese for retail, wholesale, foodservice and industrial customers, handling around 300 live product codes. Brie and Camembert sit alongside Cheddar, Gouda, Halloumi and other varieties that differ in dimensions, surface condition and storage requirements. That assortment requires frequent attention to portion size, film choice, labelling and the order in which production runs are scheduled. Demand also rises sharply ahead of Christmas, when packaging interruptions can affect the ability to fulfil orders placed close to delivery.

Eurilait previously used wrappers supplied by four manufacturers, with different controls, maintenance routines and spare parts. The company first adopted an ULMA FM300 several years ago and subsequently expanded its use of the FM305C, arriving at four machines on the present platform. An operator trained on one can now move more easily to another, while engineers can use common diagnostic knowledge and a narrower stock of parts. Standardisation reduces variation between production lines without changing the different handling requirements of the cheeses themselves.

The FM305Cs normally operate at about 55 packs per minute, according to ULMA, below the machinery’s potential maximum. Eurilait has selected that operating rate to balance throughput with pack appearance, seal reliability and the oxygen and carbon dioxide levels required for its cheese formats. A faster setting can move more packs through the sealing head, but the finished pack still has to achieve the selected gas composition and a reliable closure. Spare mechanical capacity offers headroom when product and packing conditions permit a higher rate.

Automated cheese cutting supplies portions directly to the wrappers, while automatic case labelling follows downstream. In a horizontal flow-wrapping process, film is formed around the product and sealed into a finished pack as the conveyor carries it through the machine. Consistent spacing from the cutting line supports accurate film presentation and sealing; differences in portion thickness or shape can require adjustments when the factory moves between cheese varieties. The case-labelling step then has to match finished stock to the correct product code and customer specification.

The approximately 3% waste reduction applies to the area handling mould-ripened cheeses. ULMA also reports less film loss associated with machinery breakdowns and restarts, while Eurilait attributes the wider improvement to a more dependable packaging operation. The case study gives neither a baseline quantity of waste nor a detailed breakdown by film, cheese or rejected packs. The operational picture is nonetheless more specific than a generic efficiency claim: reduced stoppages save material during recovery, while shared controls reduce the time engineers spend identifying machine-specific faults.

Sealing performance matters particularly for cheeses packed under controlled atmospheres. Gas levels, product respiration, film permeability and seal condition together influence how the environment inside the pack develops during storage. A consistent setting can support the desired shelf life, but a change of film may also affect gas exchange or sealing behaviour. Eurilait is trialling recyclable films with ULMA and says some validation periods exceed 100 days because of the shelf-life requirements of the products. The company has not yet moved those trial materials into routine commercial use.

With roughly 300 active product codes, common machinery also simplifies the preparation of successive runs. Operators still need to select the appropriate product programme, film and labels, confirm weights and dimensions, and clear the line between products where required. Maintenance staff can work from more familiar components and procedures rather than switching between four unrelated wrapper designs. Those benefits are practical when schedules change at short notice, although the exact reduction in changeover time has not been quantified in the October study.

The reported gain in uptime concerns the availability of the wrapping machines, while saleable production also depends on cutting yield, pack quality, staffing, planned cleaning and downstream dispatch. The four wrappers therefore provide a more consistent operating platform rather than a single fixed increase in annual cheese output. Eurilait expects that arrangement to support seasonal peaks and further co-packing work, with current evidence centred on the reported uptime and waste improvements, running speed and flexibility across the existing product range.