Wrabacon Inc. Manufactures Stainless Steel Packaging Line for Ocean Spray

PRLog (Press Release) – Oct 02, 2008 – Wrabacon Inc. manufactures stainless steel packaging line for Ocean Spray. This line will consist of stainless steel conveyor equipment to transport fresh cranberries received from the bogs, which are cleaned, optically inspected, sorted, and sent directly to 7 vertical bagging machines.

When Ocean Spray Cranberries, the nation's largest cranberry processor decided to expand its production and packaging of its dried cranberry products, they turned to Selecpac Inc., a Wisconsin based system integrator of package machinery.

Selecpac founded in 1998 by Kim Dax, has been providing packaging solutions to many of the nation's largest manufacturers of consumer goods. His vast experience in providing the proper packaging machinery along with Wrabacon Inc. 20 year experience in manufacturing stainless steel conveyors convinced Ocean Spray to award the first of several craisin packaging line to Selecpac.

During several preliminary meetings with Kim Dax of Selecpac and Bob Lowder of Ocean Spray a scope of project was developed to insure that the proper packaging and conveying equipment was specified to meet the rates that were required to maintain a steady flow of product from the production/process area to the packaging line. Once a scope of project was determined Kim Dax, of Selecpac developed a series of drawings which placed the packaging machinery and conveyors in the proper location on the packaging floor. Once the drawings were approved by Ocean Spray a written specification for the conveyors were sent to Rob Bartlett, VP of Engineering at Wrabacon, Inc. After review by Bartlett the specifications were sent to a one of the CAD/CAM designers. The designer then prepared manufacturing drawings which would be used by the manufacturing team at Wrabacon.

The packaging line components consisted of a box erector, bag in bag inserter, vertical weigh scale, top taper, check weigher and labler. All connected via Wrabacon stainless steel conveyors.
Wrabacon Inc. manufactured the packaging line stainless steel wash down duty conveyors to the Ocean Spray specification for cleanliness and sanitation. All conveyors were manufactured with wash down duty components including motors, drives bearings and plastic belting. Once the conveyors were completed they were set up in the Wrabacon Inc. manufacturing facility for a Factory Acceptance Test by Selecpac. Upon completion of the FAT the conveyors were crated and shipped to the Ocean Spray facility in Wisconsin Rapids, WI, where they were integrated into the packaging line.

Selecpac provided installation of the packaging machinery along with the Wrabacon conveyors. Again "Selecpac provided an on time and trouble free packaging line for Ocean Spray", according to Bob Lowder, VP Engineering of Ocean Spray.

As of this writing Selecpac and Wrabacon Inc., have been contracted by Ocean Spray Cranberries to provide stainless steel process and packaging line conveyors for their Middleboro, MA facility. This line will consist of stainless steel conveyor equipment to transport fresh cranberries received from the bogs, which are cleaned, optically inspected, sorted, and sent directly to 7 vertical bagging machines.