British cheese specialist Eurilait has increased machine uptime by an around five to seven per cent and reduced waste in its mould-ripened cheese area by an estimated three per ent after standardising its flow-wrapping operation with four Ulma Packaging FM305C machines. The investment has simplified production and engineering support while adding capacity for seasonal demand and co-packing growth.

Eurilait cuts and packs an extensive range of cheeses for retailers and third-party customers, handling around 300 live SKUs across hard, soft and mould-ripened products, including cheddar, red Leicester, gouda, manchego, goat’s cheese, Stilton, Brie, Feta and halloumi. Demand increases significantly in the run-up to Christmas, making dependable seals, accurate pack sizes and consistent presentation essential. Because customers often place orders shortly before delivery, extended breakdowns can disrupt an entire production day and put service levels at risk.

Previously, Eurilait operated flow wrappers from four different manufacturers, requiring operators to understand several control systems and engineers to maintain a larger, more varied stock of spare parts. After installing an Ulma FM300 several years ago, the company’s experience with the equipment and Ulma’s support led to further investment. It now operates four FM305Cs, allowing employees trained on one machine to transfer their skills across all four and engineers to support each line using a common stock of spare parts.

The machines typically run at around 55 packs per minute. Although capable of higher speeds, Eurilait has selected this operating rate to maintain product consistency, achieve the required oxygen and carbon dioxide levels, and ensure reliable seals and a premium pack appearance. The available headroom gives the company scope to increase output when required. Automated cutting processes feed cheese directly to the flow wrappers, with automatic case labelling incorporated at the end of the lines. Improved machine reliability has also reduced packaging film lost during breakdowns and subsequent restarts.

Jamie McCabe, head of operations at Eurilait, says, “Working with Ulma has made our operation much simpler. Our operators only need to understand one machine, and those skills are transferable across all four. Our engineering team knows that one phone call will get the support it needs, while the reliability and spare capacity of the machines give us the confidence to grow.”

Eurilait is now trialling a range of recyclable films, although the long shelf life required by some cheese products means each trial can take more than 100 days to complete. These materials have yet to move into live production, but the machines’ flexibility provides a platform to test future film structures in collaboration with Ulma’s technical team.

With improved uptime, lower waste, simpler engineering support and transferable operator skills, Eurilait now has a packaging platform capable of meeting current customer demands while supporting seasonal peaks and the continued development of its co-packing business.