4 Min Read
Baggers for TV remotes get great reception

Sanyo, a manufacturer of revolutionary electronics and appliances, has dedicated 50 years to quality production, packaging and delivery. Living up to its name, which means "three oceans," Sanyo has expanded to all corners of the globe.

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The vertical L-bar sealer uses center-folded PE film to form a header/hole-punch combination bag for TV remotes.

In North America, the company's Forest City, AR, facility assembles 13- to 36-in. color television sets under the Sanyo and Fisher brand names, which are deemed by consumer reporting publications as "high performers with excellent repair history ratings." So, when the plant identified a need for a more efficient, less costly way to package the small essentials that accompany its televisions, it chose a solution that would reflect its commitment to quality craftsmanship.

That solution came in the form of a vertical L-bar sealer from Rennco that allowed Sanyo to save money and increase productivity without sacrificing quality.

Manual system leads to damage
Before Sanyo purchased its first Rennco machine, the process for bagging all remote controls, owner's manuals and literature was done by hand. The workers on the line placed the items in a bag and then sealed the bag by means of a lip that folded inward. With this system, however, the contents were likely to fall out of the bag and into the television box during shipment, causing damage.

In order to improve efficiency through reduced operating costs, Sanyo searched for a better packaging system for its small necessities. While looking for bagging equipment information on the Internet and in packaging magazines, Jerry Crawford, print shop supervisor for Sanyo, saw the potential of a Rennco machine. He found that other machines were bulkier, more difficult to operate and not as versatile. While the company considered equipment from two or three other vendors, ultimately it decided that Rennco's 101SF vertical bagger best met its needs.

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A hole-punch allows filled bags containing TV remotes and product literature to be hung on the back of the TV sets.

This decision was reinforced after Crawford took a trip to Rennco's plant in Homer, MI, to see Sanyo's products being run on the machine, which was recommended by local Rennco dealer Xpedx. In April, '99, Sanyo purchased the 101SF vertical L-bar sealer from Xpedx, and the machine was installed about six months later.

Says Crawford, "The 101SF creates a neater package than when we had people hand-bagging the products. And, it's really simple to use."

Better bagging
The equipment model chosen by Sanyo, the 101SF, has the capability to produce bags from 2 x 2-in. up to 14 x 20-in. at speeds from 10 to 30 bags/min, and includes a special hole punch, a hot-leaf imprinter, a pusher infeed, and a 10-ft flat-belt infeed. Replacing the many hands previously needed to bag the TV remotes, owner's manuals and literature, the new system requires only two operators to place the products on a conveyor that feeds the machine.

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The vertical bagger also comes equipped with a hot-leaf imprinter.

The system automatically seals center-folded polyethylene film to form a header/hole-punch combination bag. Once sealed, the bag is either taken directly to the television, where it is hung on the back of the set, or is stored in plastic containers for later use. According to Crawford, the bagger has altogether eliminated the problem of damaged accessories. "The 101SF completely seals the bag so that nothing falls out, and the hole punch allows us to easily hang the bag on the back of the television unit," he says. "It's definitely the machine we needed."

Success is in the bag
Since its introduction to Sanyo's facility, the 101SF has proven its worth. Because of its smaller size–34336-in.–the bagger takes up less space than other machines. And, it has provided virtually trouble-free operation, claims Crawford. "We have had the equipment for quite a while now with basically no problems," he relates. "It is a really useful machine."

Sanyo is also saving money with the new machine, since it has been able to eliminate two of the workers previously required on the line. In addition, because the machine is so much faster than hand bagging, Sanyo has had a production increase. Now, thanks to its new bagging system, for the first time, Sanyo is operating on a five-day lead.

More information is available:

Baggers: Rennco, Inc., 800/409-5225. Circle No. 262.

Bagger distributor: Xpedx, 606/655-2000. Circle No. 263.

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