MEL110 automatic netting machine

The MEL110 is the fully automatic netting machine in the range. The product arrives on the infeed belt, and the machine forms the net around the load, closes it and cuts it without the operator having to step in on each cycle. Its catalogue sheet states up to 30 packs per minute, with woven or extruded net and the whole operation controlled from a touchscreen.

The difference from the semi-automatic MEN110 lies less in the packs-per-minute figure than in the staff it ties up. The MEN110 needs one operator per machine feeding the cycle; with the MEL110, one person can look after the line and get on with other tasks. When the problem in peak season is not buying the machine but finding people, that difference counts for more than any nominal output.

The touchscreen brings something you come to appreciate with use: the settings for each format are saved. Going back to last week's product no longer depends on the operator who set it up being on shift, and the result is repeatable from one shift to the next. That makes it a good option when you work with several product lines, as with exotic fruit, and also with delicate produce, where the cycle can be adjusted so as not to mark the skin.

Compared with the REK 140, designed for the packhouse running in series with strapping closure, the MEL110 is the option when volume no longer fits a semi-automatic machine but the line is shorter or combines formats. As with any automatic machine, it is worth checking what sits upstream: if the weigher or the grader cannot feed it at pace, the machine will be left waiting.

At Fontanet Group (Fraga, Huesca) we have a team with more than 30 years in the sector. MARFONT, our machinery division, handles installation, operator training and technical service. Tell us about your product, your formats and your seasonal peak, and our sales team will confirm whether the MEL110 is the right fit and which closure system you need.