Migros Luzern centralizes vacuum supply for meat packaging

Migros Luzern has replaced a decentralized network of 18 vacuum pumps with a central system serving six packaging machines at its Lucerne, Switzerland production site. The upgrade is designed to reduce noise, cut energy use, improve maintenance and reduce stoppages in meat packaging operations.

Why it matters: - The new vacuum setup reduces the risk that a single pump failure will stop a packaging line. - The centralized system also lowers noise, waste heat and maintenance burden in a production area that must stay at about 12°C. - The change supports higher availability and more efficient meat packaging for the Swiss food trade.

What happened: - Migros Luzern and Busch Vacuum Solutions reorganized the vacuum supply at the Lucerne, Switzerland production site. - The site packages meat products for the Swiss food trade. - The new system replaces a decentralized setup that used 18 vacuum pumps for six packaging machines. - The installed system includes six R5 RA 0305 rotary vane vacuum pumps, three PANDA WV 2400 A vacuum boosters and one PANDA WV 0500 C vacuum booster. - Reserve space was added for future expansion.

The details: - The packaging lines handle different pressure needs across several processes. - Thermoforming packaging for meat is evacuated, filled with gas and sealed at pressures between 20 and 200 mbar. - The Darfresh process places product in a vacuum-formed tray and evacuates it with a top film at pressures between 5 and 15 mbar. - Before the update, each machine had its own vacuum pumps, some built into the machines and others installed externally. - Some pumps were housed in simple, uninsulated sheet metal enclosures on the roof. - The old setup created high noise levels in the production area. - The old setup also generated substantial waste heat. - Vacuum pumps could reach ambient temperatures of 40 to 60°C, which increased cooling demand and energy consumption. - The earlier system lacked redundancy, so a single pump failure could stop the associated packaging machine immediately. - Restricted installation positions made maintenance more difficult. - Adding new machines required more pumps and brought extra investment and operating costs. - The central system generates vacuum in one place and distributes it to connected machines through a network of pipes. - Pressure sensors in the piping continuously measure demand and control pump operation. - The system can also be operated manually. - Operation continues even if the control system fails. - Vacuum tanks support process stages including thermoforming, pre-evacuation and medium vacuum. - The outdoor container is temperature-controlled so the inside does not drop below 0°C, which helps prevent condensation and startup problems. - The pipework between the central supply and the packaging machines was planned and installed together. - The change was implemented without interrupting production.

Between the lines: - The project shows a shift from machine-by-machine utility systems to shared infrastructure in a space-constrained plant. - That approach can make future capacity growth easier because pump capacity can be matched more closely to actual demand. - The setup also separates vacuum generation from the manufacturing area, which improves workplace conditions and simplifies service work.

What's next: - Migros Luzern now has reserve space in the container for possible future enlargement. - The system is built to support additional packaging lines and different pressure levels if production needs grow. - A technical employee at Migros Luzern said the company was initially skeptical about placing the entire system on the roof, but now views it as an ideal solution for production.