A sturdy solution for heavy rolls

Although cheese packaging is often only considered as a storage solution, it actually plays a central role throughout the product's entire life cycle. It supports maturation, regulates moisture and protects flavours, all while ensuring the toughest hygiene standards and the required mechanical stability, from the cheese maturation chamber to the shop shelf.

Since there are specific requirements for each type of cheese, the company works closely with its customers to develop precisely fitting packaging solutions. Depending on the application, they are either permeable to water vapour, adapted to seasonal changes, highly resistant to transport stresses or optimised for automated labelling processes.

“We test the packaging for each type of cheese individually, taking into account seasonal influences, because the packaging actively contributes to product quality and optimum maturation,” explains the Head of Technology & Purchasing at the Arcis-sur-Aube production site.

The multi-layer foils are manufactured in large rolls, which requires load carriers that are particularly stable, durable and hygienic.

Craemer’s H1 pallet – a sturdy and hygienic solution

Several of the enterprise group's production sites have now replaced their wooden pallets with plastic ones from Craemer. Their sturdiness and reliable compliance with the food industry's strict hygiene requirements were the decisive assets.

The pallet used is the H1 (1,200 x 800 mm), an industry-proven product from Craemer. The heavy rolls of foil on this pallet are held in place by clip-on brackets. The HDPE pallet is ideally suited to this task as it is manufactured in one piece by injection moulding, making it extremely stable and resistant: these properties are crucial for the safe storage of large-format rolls of foil in a production environment.

The pallets are easy to clean and hygienic. They are also free from any cavities where dirt or moisture could accumulate. They are therefore a more durable alternative to wooden pallets, which can be affected by splintering, dust and moisture.

Corporate design, right down to the pallet

During the collaboration, the group took things a step further by incorporating the load carriers into their corporate design.

The result is fully customised pallets in the distinctive fuchsia colour of the company logo, bearing the company name. Although grey pallets were initially used, the striking special colours now ensure immediate visual identification within the production facility.

“When I asked Craemer if that was possible, they initially responded: We’ll check what can be done. “Today, our roll carriers are instantly recognisable, and they bring a touch of colour to the production hall,” says the Head of Technology & Purchasing.

Thanks to Craemer’s expertise in developing and manufacturing customised solutions, more than 1,000 individually designed pallets are now in use, around 80 % of which are at the Arcis-sur-Aube production site.

About the enterprise group

Founded in 1912, the company is a French manufacturer of flexible packaging and labels which has remained in the same family for five generations. It designs bespoke solutions for a variety of sectors, such as agriculture and food production, healthcare, cosmetics and the chemical industry, among others.

The group has ten production sites in France and covers the full range of printing and processing technologies, including roll-to-roll processing, pouches, and customised packaging solutions. The company has 437 employees and achieves an annual turnover of around 91 million euros.

At the same time, the group is making steady progress in developing sustainable packaging solutions that meet increasingly stringent environmental requirements.