Bradman Lake wins a multi-million dollar “Tea-Rific” contract

When a large multinational food and beverage company decided to revamp their range of tea and market them in a completely new packaging style they selected Bradman Lake as the packaging machinery supplier that they would partner with. The reasons that drove this choice were based upon careful research with the conclusion that Bradman Lake met exacting engineering and commercial criteria.From the outset of the project the determination was made that they wanted one packaging machinery company to be responsible for all the tray making, horizontal flow wrapping, wrapped tray top loading, retail carton forming and closing. Each of these machines must incorporate the most proven modern technology with no average performers filling out the gaps.The selected supplier must provide the innovative ability to modify several of these standard machines to meet the proposed packaging line requirements. This requires in depth engineering expertise to design those new machines.Many of these individual machines must be integrated into complete packaging lines with inclusion of connecting conveyors, metal detectors, check weighers, coders, vision verification, open flap detection and comprehensive software program controls. It was acknowledged that Bradman Lake has Project Management teams to ensure seamless integration.The timeline for implementation of the first phase was aggressive which mandated that the equipment had to be selected, new or revised designs created and machinery construction achieved in less than 12 months from order placement to delivery.Large numbers of technical and after sales technicians who comprised teams of engineers working on site to achieve an installation and commissioning schedule that met the required product launch dates.The large financial resources required to support investment in the development, construction, installation, commissioning, Site Acceptance Tests and training involved with the execution of such a large machinery project.FAT of all machinery to be conducted at the large 40,000 sq ft Bradman Lake plant in Rock Hill, SC where all the individual machines were integrated together to ensure complete operating lines were checked out prior to installation.Guaranteed after sales technical support and spare parts availability provided from within the USA from the same Rock Hill facility.A large part of the Bradman Lake equipment range was utilized and several new machines were developed. These included:Bradman Lake HSS all servo motor 5 head glue tray makers capable of producing up to 250 4-corners hot melt glued trays per minute.Bradman Lake Flowtronic 120 horizontal flow wrappers designed to seal metalized extruded film at high speed while still achieving excellent heat seal quality and end crimp seals tight to the trays.Bradman Lake DRT robotic top load product collators and loaders that incorporated specially designed end of arm tools that enabled trays to be picked in one direction, rotated and then placed inside the retail cartons in a collation that was at 90 degree opposite.Specially designed, all servo motor, fully adjustable, high speed carton lid flap closers that created a unique lid opening and re-closable feature.

This contract has involved three phases of implementation and two have now been completed with the third underway. Bradman Lake is proud that its engineering prowess is now visible on virtually every beverage category aisle in stores throughout the USA.

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