Whether you are new to packaging automation or are considering adding premade pouch packaging to your product lineup, you are probably interested in how these machines operate.Today we are taking a step-by-step look at the processes involved in turning an empty premade pouch into a shelf-ready finished product.
Bag filling and sealing machines can be designed with an inline or rotary layout. For the purpose of today's article, we are diving deeper into the rotary layout. This design conserves plant floor space and is constructed with ergonomics top-of-mind, and thus is seeing more popularity than inline models.
Simplified, grip a preformed pouch, fill it with product, and seal it, at speeds of up to 200 bags per minute. This process involves moving the bag in an intermittent rotary fashion to different 'stations' positioned in a circular layout. Each station performs a different packaging task. There are usually between 6 and 10 stations, with 8 being the most popular configuration. Here is how the pouch packaging process works:
1. Bag Loading
Bags loaded manually by an operator into the bag magazine in the front of the automatic pouch filling/sealing machine. The bags are conveyed to the machine by a bag feeding roller. Developed a proprietary robotic bag infeed that completely eliminates much of the labor involved in properly loading and shingling premade pouches in the bag magazine. This robotic arm uses vacuum suction to grasp individual bags and load them into the bag gripping area.
2. Bag Gripping
When a bag is detected by a proximity sensor, a vacuum bag loader picks up the pouch and transfers it to a set of grippers, which will hold the bag as it travels around the rotary unit to different 'stations'.
These grippers can continually support up to 10 kg on the best bag filling and sealing machine models.
3. Optional Printing/Embossing
If printing or embossing is desired, that equipment will be placed at this station. It can utilize both thermal and inkjet printers. The printer can place desired date/lot codes on the pouches. The embossing option places raised date/lot codes into the bag seal.
4. Zipper or Bag Opening & Detection
If the bag has a zipper reclosure, a vacuum suction pad opens the lower part of the preformed pouch and opening jaws catch the top side of the bag. The opening jaws separate outward to open the top of the bag and the premade pouch is inflated by an air blower. If the bag does not have a zipper, the vacuum suction pads still open the bottom part of the pouch but only the air blower is engaged.
Two sensors are present at the bottom of the bag to detect its presence. If a bag is not detected, the filling and sealing stations will not engage. If a bag is present but not placed correctly, it will not be filled and sealed and instead stay on the rotary apparatus until the next cycle.
5. Bag Sealing & Deflation
Remaining air is squeezed out of the bag by two deflator components before sealing occurs.
A hot seal bar closes on the upper part of the pouch. Using heat and pressure, the sealant layers of the premade pouch are bonded together to make a strong seam.
6. Cooling & Discharge
A cooling bar passes over the seal to strengthen and flatten it. The finished bag is then discharged into a receptacle or onto a conveyor and can be transported to downline equipment like check weighers, x-ray machines,etc.
BTL-450+BM-50 Semi-auto L Bar Shrink Wrapping Machine
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Adopt high temperature and sticky free "L" bar sealing knife, sealing action without smoking and burned. sealed part is tidy and clean. Conveyor belt is adjustable on the hight by a hand wheel, adjustable film layer with needle device, easy to fit different size films with max, width of 550mm. Double electromagnets can pull sealing frame and also increase sealing pressure.
If you are interested in our products, please be free to contact us by the email of fww@exportimes.com, we are all ready to help you.
