Bradman Lake has engineered and commissioned a customised cartoning and shrink-wrapping system for Birds Eye, part of Nomad Foods, at the company’s Lowestoft production facility in the UK.
The high-speed line is designed to package up to 770 individual potato waffles per minute into retail cartons in collations of 10 or 18. The cartons are then collated and shrink-wrapped in groups of 10 or 6 on edge, in line with hygiene standards and customer specifications.
Integrating Speed, Hygiene And Flexibility
Birds Eye required a packaging line capable of feeding waffles into cartons at high throughput, before collating and shrink-wrapping the finished packs in defined formats. The system also had to integrate an extended wash-down, hand-fed infeed and accommodate space for downstream labelling, while maintaining flexibility and reliability under continuous production conditions.
Bradman Lake responded with a tailored solution centred on its SL903 end-load cartoner and RTSW shrink wrapper platforms.
The SL903 cartoner is specified to run at up to 130 cartons per minute and incorporates a dynamic confiner to control unstable product during loading. For the Lowestoft installation, the machine was equipped with a six-metre washdown pocketed infeed conveyor tailored to Birds Eye’s requirements, alongside a servo upgrade to support the extended infeed and a fixed bucket design.
The cartoner features an Allen Bradley PanelView Plus touchscreen HMI and is constructed in hygienic stainless steel, carrying UKCA certification.
Downstream, the RTSW shrink wrapper incorporates a servo-driven up-ender and collation pusher, together with a hot knife system using electronically controlled heat sealing. The shrink tunnel is designed for low power consumption and fitted with a variable-speed Kevlar mesh belt. The system also allows for remote stop/start controls and compatibility with labelling conveyors, and is built to hygienic standards with UKCA certification.
Addressing Operational Constraints
According to Birds Eye, the supplier’s ability to adapt the design to existing operational challenges was a key factor in the project.
“Bradman Lake’s ability to meet our exact specifications after evaluating the existing issues, design changes were designed and implemented to take this into account, they provide exceptional after-sales support which was key to this project’s success,” said Chris Wilkinson, Project Manager at Birds Eye.
He added: “Their technical expertise and collaborative approach ensured a smooth implementation and reliable performance. From the initial design phase through to commissioning, the Bradman Lake team demonstrated a deep understanding of our operational needs and delivered a solution that not only met but exceeded our expectations. Their responsiveness, attention to detail, and commitment to quality have made them a trusted partner in our packaging operations.”
Supporting High-Volume Frozen Production
Birds Eye describes its Lowestoft site as a flagship facility within the Nomad Foods network. The plant plays a central role in producing frozen vegetables, fish and potato-based products, including the brand’s potato waffles, for the UK market.
Bradman Lake, established in 1948, designs and manufactures packaging machinery and turnkey systems for sectors including bakery and biscuit, confectionery, chilled and frozen foods, consumer goods, pharmaceutical and healthcare. The company operates manufacturing facilities in Beccles and Bristol in the UK and in Rock Hill, South Carolina, US, and is a wholly owned subsidiary of Langley Holdings plc.
The completed installation provides Birds Eye with a high-capacity, hygienic packaging line configured for current production demands while allowing scope for future upgrades.
