A premium frozen entrée in a thin aluminum tray needed a packaging system that could automate handling without damaging the product and fit within a constrained mezzanine layout.
The product was a premium, oven-ready frozen meal packed in a thin aluminum tray—significantly more delicate than standard plastic alternatives.
Unlike more rigid formats, these trays could not withstand traditional conveying methods like lane forcing or product bumping. At the same time, the packaging needed to support a retail-ready sleeve design and maintain integrity from infeed through sleeving and case packing.
Having worked with Aagard previously, the customer returned with a clear objective: automate the process while protecting product quality from start to finish.
The challenge wasn’t just automation—it was doing it without introducing risk. The system needed to:
Traditional multi-machine setups or rigid conveying approaches would add complexity and increase the likelihood of product damage. They needed a gentler, more controlled method of moving product through each stage of the system.
Aagard approached the system by rethinking how the product moved at every stage.
Instead of forcing trays into lanes, they were introduced on a wide belt to preserve spacing and orientation while minimizing contact. From there, robotic pick-and-place systems handled each tray individually, lifting, orienting, and placing them without compression or collision.
To support the retail package design, Aagard also helped refine the sleeving process. The system needed to securely apply a sleeve with a footed base that allowed the product to stand vertically. This required precise control during folding, crimping, and sealing.
An indexing system was implemented to guide trays into position. After early layout limitations, the system was re-engineered from a perpendicular index to an inline configuration, improving access, visibility, and overall serviceability.
The solution brought together several tightly integrated functions:
The entire process—from infeed through sleeving and into case packing—was built into a unified system. Despite the complexity, the system was engineered to fit within a mezzanine footprint and included integrated walkways and multiple access points to support service and operation.
The final system delivered a fully integrated approach to handling and packaging fragile aluminum trays—something traditional methods couldn’t achieve.
Key outcomes included:
Just as important, the project built on an existing relationship. The customer returned to Aagard based on prior success—and this system delivered yet another solution to a complex packaging challenge.