Heat sealing specialists Proseal has launched the world's first semi-automatic tray sealer for skin deep packs.

The new Proseal GTR-E is able to seal products that sit up to 100mm above the edge of the tray, making it ideal for large pieces of meat and joints. As with all types of skin packs, the film wraps tightly around the meat to extend the shelf life of the product without the need for gas flushing, and provides enhanced presentation.

The GTR-E has been developed in association with the first customer for the machine, Rhug Estate, an award-winning organic farm in Denbighshire, Wales, owned and run by Lord Newborough. To meet Rhug Estate's need for maximum flexibility, as well as being able to handle skin deep packs, the GTR-E can seal a wide variety of other pack types, including standard, gas flushed, and vacuum gas flushed trays, and ordinary skin pack trays. Tool changes between standard, skin pack and skin-deep formats take just five minutes.

The new model also incorporates Proseal's innovative, in-house developed E-seal technology, a high precision, high force electric seal system that creates a very tight and reliable seal each time while reducing compressed air usage by over 90%, thus delivering important energy and cost savings.

The machine's semi-automatic operation makes it ideal for smaller scale enterprises, which do not require a fully automatic in-line tray sealer, while its compact dimensions mean it can fit into the smallest of factory spaces.

Unlike traditional manual machines where the operator has to wait for each tray to be sealed, the rotary operation of the GTR-E means a new tray can be loaded while the previous one is being sealed, delivering higher speeds and efficiencies to meet production line requirements.

Rhug Estate cutting plant manager, Gary Jones commented: "We needed a tray sealing machine that would ensure our high quality meat was both presented and protected effectively, in order to reach our customers in premium condition.

"With limited space available in our packing operation, we approached Proseal to help us come up with an appropriate solution. The GTR-E meets our requirements, and we have been delighted with the high standard of service from Proseal and the reliability and efficiency of the machine."