In Part 1 of this Greener Tech Bite we diagnosed potential causes and solutions for the the splitting and fracturing in the upper left corner of this package.
Here in Part 2 we’ll diagnose problems with uneven pressure and leakers that can persist after adjustments and sealing jaw design changes have eliminated the splitting. Read more
When sealing problems kept a packager of energy bars from meeting their production requirements, they contacted Greener to see if we could help develop a solution. They explained to one of our technical experts that rejects and downtime due to split or unsealed packages had reached the point of crisis. Read more
When we work with clients, sample packages provide vital diagnostic clues for troubleshooting problems on flow wrappers or vertical baggers. And even when clients don’t report problems, we use sample packages to help them discover and implement improvements that they may have overlooked—from new knife, sealing jaw, and former designs to machine adjustments that optimize the whole packaging process.
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NeedThere is no one-size-fits-all solution for the design of crimpers and sealing jaws on horizontal flow wrappers and vertical baggers; they should be specified according to the packaging film, products, and conditions of your packaging operation.
This post, the last in our four-part series, reviews design options for crimpers and jaws. The optimal combination of serration patterns, materials, and special features can dramatically improve seal quality and productivity when sealing across extra film layers at the end seal. Read more
When end seal issues such as leakers or splitting occur, an important initial step is to determine where, and how often, the trouble shows up. For problems that occur inconsistently—perhaps leakers on every other package, or splits only on the top or trailing end seals of the package—you need to determine if the bad seals show up randomly or according to a pattern. Do the problems occur on every package? On both ends of the package?
Start out by collecting a series of packages produced by the machine during production conditions. Number the packages sequentially and mark the machine flow direction. If you are working on a horizontal wrapper with multiple crimpers, label each pair (ex: A, B) and mark each seal according to the set of crimpers it came from. Now you can trace the problem seals back to the place they occur.
♦ Optimize Knife Design
♦ Set Up the Crimpers First
The corporate engineering department at a large, international company commenced a project to reduce material costs for a variety of products that are individually packaged on horizontal flow wrappers. Greener Corporation was invited to participate in a series of meetings that defined the project’s initial goals:
