Changing packaging materials quickly on a heat sealer

To help medical device companies change packaging materials quickly and easily, OK International has updated its Supersealer MBS. The continuously running rotary band sealer handles a wide range of materials such as Tyvek, Mylar, PET, paper and plastic, laminated foil, and metalized foil bags.

“At the push of a button, a user of the machine can change the recipe for a specific packaging material such as heat, speed, air pressure, and height, making it possible to run a pouch in a matter of minutes,” Ann Marie Kellett, product manager for OK Sealer/ OK International, tells PMP News. The HMI can hold up to 15 recipes.

The Supersealer MBS also features an advanced monitoring package. “The system monitors heaters and coolers with an electronic pressure regulator with analog input,” Kellett reports. “Sensors are available for detecting wrinkles and band breaks and monitoring whether a bag is straight or crooked. A reject station at the end of the sealer can collect failed bags.” 

To support Unique Device Identification, OK has developed a package that integrates a thermal-ink jet coder from Code Tech and a reader from Keyence with the Supersealer MBS. Because of the continuous process, all sealing and coding is done in one step. And “every component is monitored,” Kellett adds.

"The system also uses an Ethernet port to power both the printer and the system’s vision system, allowing seamless data communication between the sealer, the vision system, and the printer,” she continues. “This reduces the cost of integration and allows the Supersealer’s HMI/GUI to control both the printer and the camera from a single interface.”

See the Supersealer MBS in action at Booth #1750 at Medical Design & Manufacturing (MD&M) East June 13-15.