In the high-stakes environment of Australian industrial processing, the speed of your packaging line defines your daily revenue. Whether you are an abattoir in Rockhampton processing primal cuts or a bulk food manufacturer in Melbourne, the bottleneck is the enemy.
For businesses scaling up from artisanal quantities to serious commercial volume, the single-chamber vacuum sealer often becomes that critical choke point. The lid closes, the pump hums, and your staff stand idle, waiting for the cycle to complete. This “dead time” is a silent cost that accumulates rapidly.
The solution for high-volume operations is the Double Chamber Vacuum Packaging Machine.
At Henkelman, our double chamber models—specifically the Polar and Falcon series—are engineered to eliminate this downtime. By facilitating a continuous, pendulum-like workflow, these machines effectively double packaging speed without increasing labour costs. This guide explores the mechanics, operational benefits, and specific industrial applications of Henkelman’s double-chamber heavyweights.
The Pendulum Principle: How Double Chamber Machines Work
The core differentiator of a double-chamber machine is its simultaneous load-and-seal cycle. Unlike a single-chamber unit, where loading and sealing are sequential, a double-chamber machine allows these actions to occur in parallel. The unit consists of two distinct vacuum chambers and a single, swing-action lid.
The Operational Workflow
- Load Left: The operator loads product into the left chamber and positions the bags on the seal bars.
- Seal Left/Load Right: The operator swings the lid to the left to initiate the vacuum cycle. While the left side is extracting air and sealing, the operator immediately begins loading the right chamber.
- Seal Right/Unload Left: Upon completion of the left cycle, the lid automatically opens or swings to the right to begin the next cycle. The operator unloads the finished product from the left and reloads it.
This “ping-pong” workflow ensures the high-capacity vacuum pump runs almost constantly. There is no operator idle time. In high-volume environments, this efficiency gain typically increases throughput by 50% to 100% compared to a single-chamber unit of similar footprint.
Henkelman Polar vs. Falcon: Choosing the Right Heavyweight
Henkelman offers two primary double-chamber series, each engineered for specific industrial environments. Understanding the distinction between the Polar and Falcon series is essential for selecting the correct asset for your facility.
The Polar Series: The Hygienic Standard for Food
The Polar Double Chamber series (including the popular Polar 2-50, 2-75, 2-85, and 2-95) is the definitive choice for the Australian food industry.
- Stainless Steel Construction: Built entirely from high-quality stainless steel, the Polar series is designed to withstand the rigorous cleaning protocols of HACCP-certified environments.
- Flat Work Plate: The defining feature of the Polar series is the flat working deck. This eliminates dirt traps and allows for rapid wipe-downs between shifts. It also offers superior flexibility for positioning products, from large legs of lamb to multiple small packs of sliced goods.
- Heavy-Duty Configuration: For facilities operating multiple shifts, the Polar series can be upgraded to a “Heavy Duty” configuration. This option includes reinforced components and the capability for up to 20 hours of operation per day, ensuring continuity in the most demanding abattoirs and fisheries.
The Falcon Series: The Industrial Workhorse
The Falcon Double Chamber series (such as the Falcon 2-60 and 2-70) offers a distinct configuration favoured by non-food industries and specific industrial food applications.
- Deep-Drawn Aluminium Chambers: Unlike the flat deck of the Polar, the Falcon features deep-drawn aluminium chambers. This construction is robust and lightweight, ideal for industrial manufacturing settings.
- Cost-Effective Durability: The Falcon series provides a rugged solution for businesses requiring high-volume packaging without the specific flat-deck hygiene requirements of fresh meat processing. It is widely used in the electronics and mechanical parts sectors.
Advanced Features Driving Profitability
Speed is only one metric of efficiency. Henkelman machines integrate advanced technologies designed to protect product integrity and minimise waste, crucial factors for maintaining margins in the Australian market.
Soft Air: Eliminating Punctures and Leakers
For the meat and seafood industries, bone-in products pose a significant risk. When a standard vacuum machine reaches peak pressure, the bag collapses rapidly around the product. Sharp bones, shells, or skewers can puncture the plastic, breaking the seal and leading to spoilage.
Soft Air technology mitigates this risk. By gradually venting air back into the chamber after sealing, Soft Air allows the bag to mould gently around sharp edges rather than snapping shut. This feature drastically reduces bag waste and product returns caused by seal failure.
Gas Flush (MAP): Protecting Delicate Textures
Products that are susceptible to crushing—such as grated cheese, fresh pasta, or leafy greens—require Modified Atmosphere Packaging (MAP). Henkelman double chambers can be equipped with Gas Flush capabilities, which inject an inert gas (typically Nitrogen or Carbon Dioxide) before sealing. This creates a protective cushion around the food, inhibiting oxidation and preventing physical damage, allowing pallets to be stacked without crushing lower layers.
Bi-Active Sealing: Securing Industrial Films
In the electronics and heavy industry sectors, products are often packed in thick, aluminium-laminated bags to protect against moisture and Electrostatic Discharge (ESD). Standard seal bars may fail to penetrate these thick layers effectively.
Bi-Active Sealing addresses this by placing seal bars on both the lid and the deck of the machine. This applies heat from both sides of the bag simultaneously, guaranteeing a hermetic seal even on the thickest industrial films (up to 2 x 400 microns).
Strategic Applications in Key Australian Sectors
The Red Meat Export Sector
Australia is a global powerhouse in meat export. For processors handling primal cuts—briskets, striploins, and legs—the Polar 2-85 or 2-95 is the industry standard. The expansive chamber accommodates large sub-primals, while the double-seal bars ensure a failsafe closure. By effectively removing oxygen, processors prevent the oxidation of fats and “freezer burn,” ensuring Australian beef arrives in international markets in premium condition.
Bulk Food and Catering Manufacturing
For catering companies producing high volumes of liquid products such as soups, sauces, or stocks, the double-chamber machine streamlines logistics. Using the Liquid Control sensor, operators can rapidly vacuum-seal large bags of hot liquid without the risk of boiling over. The vacuum bag serves as a storage vessel, facilitating rapid cooling, efficient stacking in cool rooms, and simplified on-site reheating.
Electronics, Defence, and Logistics
The Falcon series is a staple in clean rooms and manufacturing hubs. Vacuum packing circuit boards, wafers, and sensitive instruments protects them from dust, humidity, and corrosion. Furthermore, for export logistics, vacuum packing significantly reduces the volume of foam-padded shipments or textiles. This volume reduction allows manufacturers to fit significantly more product into standard shipping containers, directly lowering freight costs.
The ROI of Double Chamber Investment
Upgrading to a double-chamber machine represents a capital investment significantly higher than a table-top unit. However, the Return on Investment (ROI) is tangible and rapid for high-volume businesses.
- Labour Optimisation: By eliminating the “wait time” inherent in single-chamber cycles, you maximise the output of your staff.
- Throughput Scalability: A Polar 2-50 can process four to six times the volume of a standard table-top machine per hour, allowing businesses to meet fluctuating order volumes without adding shifts.
- Asset Longevity: Industrial double chambers utilise high-capacity Busch pumps designed for continuous load. Unlike smaller machines that may overheat under heavy use, a Henkelman double chamber is built for longevity.
Optimise Your Production Floor with Henkelman
There is a threshold in every growing manufacturing business where equipment transitions from being a tool to being a limitation. If your current packaging process struggles to match production speeds or if staff are spending valuable time waiting for cycles to complete, a double chamber solution is the necessary evolution.
Whether your facility demands the hygienic precision of the Polar series or the rugged industrial capacity of the Falcon, Henkelman Australia offers a configuration tailored to your workflow.
Scale your production today. Explore the full range of Henkelman Double Chamber Vacuum Packaging Machines or contact our Australian support team for more help.