Wisdom typically comes with hindsight, rarely with real-time vision. So in recent months, it has been hard to establish any consensus about how long, deep and damaging the current downturn is likely to be.

Preparing for the future is the theme of this month's International Travel Catering Association (ITCA) show in Barcelona, and UK packaging equipment manufacturer Packaging Automation will be exhibiting an entry-level manual tray sealer at the show. Catering companies are under pressure as the cost base for meals is reduced, so tight cost-control is needed throughout the production process.

After 32 years of manufacturing flow wrapping machines, Redpack Packaging Machinery's reputation for rugged equipment that 'just keeps on working' is well deserved. However, engineering advances mean that its earlier Pacer machines do not have all the benefits of today's technologies.

Ulma, the manufacturer of high performance packaging equipment, has introduced a new wrapper for medium to low volumes. This is the Olympus entry-level vertical form, fill, seal flow-wrapper.

Syspal has developed a conveyor unit which it says will transform the speed of many food packaging operations. The Transverger is designed to solve a traditionally weak link in food production lines – the sorting of goods into a single product stream.

Marco has announced a strategic alliance with packing line manufacturer Ishida. Under the alliance, Marco will supply Ishida's range of innovative tray sealing solutions on an exclusive basis to the soft fruit packaging sector in the UK. It says tray sealing offers a much more efficient and environmentally friendly solution for soft fruit packaging compared with plastic lids.

Thermoforming and tray sealing equipment manufacturer Mecaplastic recently installed its S3000 Automatic Sealing machine at ready-meal supplier Glens of Antrim, so helping the company to gain orders from Tesco, Sainsbury, Asda and Dunnes Stores.

Multivac of Germany has developed a range of product handling modules which can perform automated handling tasks at every stage of a Multivac packaging line. The modules consist of a portal, robot, and control unit.