packaging film Archives - Greener Corporation Technical Resource Blog

Running Sustainable Packaging Films on Flow Wrappers & Vertical FFS Baggers

Matt Wojtech cutting, forming, horizontal flow wrappers, sealing, vertical FFS baggers January 12, 2022flow wrapper, forming set, knives, packaging film, sealing jaws, vertical bagger

Are you planning to test or convert to sustainable packaging films on your flow wrappers or vertical form-fill-seal baggers? Your current machine set-up and components may not provide quality results with these paper-based, recyclable, or compostable materials.

This Greener Tech Bite outlines steps in your packaging process that you should evaluate and adjust before running these new films. You’ll find links to resources for:

• Machine Set-Up

• Sealing Jaw & Former Design

• Standard Operating Procedures

• Training

Preventative Maintenance Checklist for Flow Wrappers

Mark Green cutting, horizontal flow wrappers, sealing July 21, 2021backlash, carbon impressions, cleaning, clearance, downtime, fin wheels, flow wrapper, forming box, knives, packaging film, seal quality, sealing jaws, wrinkles & creases

Changes on horizontal flow wrappers occur regularly—during sanitation, product changeovers, part installations and adjustments, maintenance, and from wear and tear. These changes can impact the success of your next production run, yet they often go unnoticed.

This Greener Tech Bite presents our quick, Preventative Maintenance Checklist. By investing five or ten minutes to inspect these four areas before starting production, you will be up and running more quickly and avoid hours of downtime. Read more

Troubleshooting Checklist for Horizontal Flow Wrappers

Mark Green cutting, forming, horizontal flow wrappers, sealing April 22, 2020crimpers, flow wrapper, fractured end seal, knives, leakers, packaging film, productivity, seal quality, sealing jaws, wrinkles & creases 2 Comments

This Greener Corporation “Tech Bite” provides a Troubleshooting Checklist for working with us to solve packaging problems on horizontal flow wrappers. Answers to the checklist questions will allow us to help define your problem, determine the causes, and develop solutions that restore package quality and productivity.
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Case Study: New Film Trials

Matt Wojtech case studies, horizontal flow wrappers, sealing, Tech Bites videos November 14, 2019crimpers, flow wrapper, fractured end seal, leakers, packaging film, pressure, projects, sealing jaws, serrations

In this blog post and Tech Bites video we consider a case study on running successful new film trials by optimizing parts designs, machine set-up, and operating procedures according to new film specifications.
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Product Presentation and Package Formation on Horizontal Flow Wrappers

Mark Green forming, horizontal flow wrappers, sealing December 13, 2018crimpers, downtime, fin wheels, flow wrapper, forming box, fractured end seal, leakers, packaging film, product flow, productivity, seal quality, sealing jaws, wrinkles & creases

The ultimate quality of the packages produced on horizontal flow wrappers requires a complex series of events to form and fill each package and move it through the packaging process. In the following post and “Tech Bites” video we explore the many steps that occur before and after packages are cut and sealed—from the product feed and film unwind through to the discharge belt—that must be fine-tuned to optimize seal integrity, package appearance, and productivity.
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Sealing Over Extra Layers of Film at the End Seal (part 4 of 4): Optimizing Crimper & Sealing Jaw Design

Matt Wojtech horizontal flow wrappers, sealing, vertical FFS baggers January 15, 2018crimpers, downtime, Dura-Therm, Easy Seal, flexible sealing face, flow wrapper, fractured end seal, heat, leakers, mooning, packaging film, pressure, projects, sealing jaws, sealing over extra film layers, sealing theory, vertical bagger

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

Troubleshooting Extra Layers of Film at the End Seal (Part 2 of 4): Refining and Eliminating Wrinkles and Creases on Vertical Baggers

Andrew Dennis forming, sealing, vertical FFS baggers April 24, 2017forming set, forming tube, leakers, mooning, packaging film, productivity, seal quality, sealing over extra film layers, vertical bagger, wrinkles & creases

Varying thicknesses of film at the end seal can cause sealing problems, especially at the transition points of multiple film layers created by the fin or lap seal, gussets, wrinkles, creases, and at the corners. Applications of pressure and heat must be great enough to cause the sealant layer to flow into and seal off these voids. However, excess pressure can easily crush or split the end seal, while overheating distorts the seal and can cause poor hot tack, where the film springs back open, or “moons,” before the seal can set.

Package Quality Issues_vertical baggers_Greener Corp

The operating window for creating quality seals can be elusive, resulting in packages that leak, are distorted, and have little appeal to consumers. Read more

Troubleshooting Extra Layers of Film at the End Seal (Part 1 of 4): Refining and Eliminating Wrinkles and Creases on Horizontal Flow Wrappers

Matt Wojtech forming, horizontal flow wrappers, sealing February 14, 2017crimpers, fin wheels, flow wrapper, heat, leakers, packaging film, pressure, seal quality, sealing jaws, sealing over extra film layers, serrations, wrinkles & creases

Varying thicknesses of film at the end seal can cause sealing problems, especially at the transition point between two and four layers created by the fin seal, gussets, wrinkles and creases, as well at the corners. Applications of pressure and heat (if applicable) must be great enough to cause the sealant layer to flow into and seal off these voids. Excess pressure can easily crush or split the end seal, while overheating distorts the seal and can cause poor hot tack, where the film springs back open, or “moons,” before the seal can set.

Package Quality Issues_Greener Corporation

The operating window for creating quality seals can be elusive, resulting in packages that leak, are distorted, and have little appeal to consumers.

An important step in troubleshooting these issues is to eliminate unintended wrinkles and creases. This post, the first in a four-part series, will examine this process on horizontal flow wrappers; Part 2 considers these issues on vertical baggers.

Case Study: Packaging Material Cost Reduction

Matt Wojtech horizontal flow wrappers, sealing January 1, 2016anvil, collaborations, crimpers, Easy Seal, flow wrapper, fractured end seal, knives, packaging film, productivity, projects, seal quality, seal reduction profile, sealing jaws

Project Goals

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:

To reduce the cut-off length for each package by reducing the overall seal width, thus allowing the product envelope to remain unchanged.

To achieve material savings without degrading seal integrity or productivity levels.

To achieve a project payback period of twelve months or less.