Tray Formers

The T-FORM Series Automatic Tray Formers are designed to automatically form high-quality trays with speed, reliability and repeatability. Built for industrial production environments, T-FORM provides an efficient alternative to manually forming trays and can be integrated directly into automatic packaging lines.

T-FORM can be configured for both self-locking trays and hot melt glued trays. Self-locking designs mechanically fold and lock the tray tabs without requiring adhesive, while hot melt configurations automatically apply adhesive during the forming process to securely bond the tray. These two forming methods allow the system to accommodate a broad range of packaging and retail-ready tray designs. Self-locking and glued trays are also two established approaches for automated tray forming.

Systems can be engineered to handle kraft board or corrugated material, with the forming tooling designed around the tray blank, material characteristics and required finished package.

A motorized carton magazine automatically supplies flat tray blanks to the forming section. The blank is positioned and formed using application-specific tooling to produce a consistent, square tray ready for manual or automatic product loading. The brochure’s page 2 shows the motorized magazine together with examples of both self-locking and hot-melt-glued finished trays.

The T-FORM Series can accommodate a variety of tray styles, including standard distribution trays, display trays and Costco-style stacking trays, making it suitable for food, beverage, bakery, produce and other retail-ready packaging applications. Automated tray forming is particularly useful for retail-ready and display packaging where consistent tray geometry and presentation are important.

Production speeds range from approximately 5 to 25 trays per minute, depending on the tray dimensions, material, forming method and application.

The T-FORM is designed for easy former and format changeovers, allowing the system to accommodate multiple tray dimensions on the same machine. The forming tooling and machine configuration can be adapted to the specific range of tray styles required by the application.

Construction is available in painted steel for standard production environments or stainless steel for hygienic and washdown food-production areas.

T-FORM can operate as a standalone tray forming machine or be integrated with tray loading, case packing, product handling, conveyors, labeling, inspection and other downstream packaging equipment as part of a complete turnkey system.