Product News

The IWKA FVU 16/60 D pouch f/f/s machine provides outputs of up to 1,500 four-side-sealed pouches/min. With a standard format width of 690 mm, the system features an Allen-Bradley PLC system for user-friendly operation. Precise film advance and product filling are accomplished with servo motors, and all machine functions are driven independently. Standard features include automatic opening of the vertical jaws, easy access to sealing assemblies, a proprietary seal-jaw coating that eliminates the need for Teflon tape, a vertical cutting and motorized film unwind with automatic reel alignment and splice detection.

Hassia U.S.A., 732/536-8770. www.hassiausa.com Circle 305 on Reader Reply Card.

Industrial scales

The Xpress line of industrial scales covers a range of 20 models and is available through a nonexclusive dealer network. The line includes crane, pallet truck, floor, bench, counting and compact scales, as well as bases and indicators. Xpress gives dealers purchasing control, allowing them to review specs, see up-to-the-minute stock levels, select shipment type, receive e-mail confirmations and track shipments online, all via the website, www.mt.com/xpress. The website is password-protected.

Mettler-Toledo, Inc., 614/438-4511. www.mt.com Circle 306 on Reader Reply Card.

Oxygen permeation analyzer

The Model 8001 oxygen permeation analyzer is capable of measuring oxygen transmission rates (OTR) on a range of barrier packages. Capable of detecting OTRs spanning 0.0005 to 28,000 cc/1002/day, it offers precise humidity and variable temperature control as standard features. The analyzer uses a Windows-based software application that's compatible with any Windows 95 or newer operating system.

Illinois Instruments, Inc., 815/344-6212. www.illinoisinstruments.com Circle 308 on Reader Reply Card.

Nip profiler

The D-Nip® is a dynamic, electronic, real-time nip profiling system. Designed to reveal inaccurate roll alignment, the profiler consists of a sensor element and data collection unit that resides on the roll surface and journal. The sensor system measures nip width across the length of the press as the rolls are rotating. D-Nip is temporarily affixed to one of the roll surfaces. Each revolution of the rolls produces one nip reading that is transmitted, via RF signal, to a host laptop. There, the data is displayed in a user-friendly graphical format.

Sensor Products, Inc., 973/884-1755. www.sensorprod.com Circle 309 on Reader Reply Card.

Case packer

The Model 486/542 is an integrated side-load case packer with a portal palletizer. Controlled by a ControlLogix PLC, it accommodates finished pallet heights of 72 in. with speeds of up to 15 cases/min. Options include open flap detection, a case upender, a case reject system for open flaps or manual palletizing and slip-sheet placement.

Focke & Co., 336/449-7200. www.focke.biz Circle 310 on Reader Reply Card.

Hot-melt system

The Shure-Melt? hot-melt system is suited for packaging tasks where low cost and simple operation are required, the co. says. The tank's energy-efficient slice-grid design offers a brisk melt rate to provide fast warm-ups, and it permits the use of sausage-pack p-s adhesives. Heat zones are adjustable, controlled by easy-to-use thermostats. The system has two hose ports, and hoses are available in 8-, 12- and 16-ft lengths. The unit can be configured for either 120- or 240-v operation, and self-programming peripherals automatically configure for voltage when connected with the Shure-Melt.

Shure-Glue Systems, Inc., 513/874-5581.
www.shure-glue.com Circle 311 on Reader Reply Card.

Film-roll edge slitter

The co.'s trimless edge-slitter station slits the film tube before actual winding. The slitter design features a lower blade that faces upward towards the inner shoe. The film walks down the blade, pulling tension on the film and facilitating a better cut. The dimpled, Teflon-coated surface allows the film to float more efficiently with less air volume, preventing a pillowing effect above the blade holder.

Battenfeld Gloucester Engineering Co., Inc., 978/282-9268. www.bge.battenfeld.com Circle 312 on Reader Reply Card.

Spiral radius belt

The Series 2600 Spiralox belt eliminates much of the labor and modifications associated with spiral retrofits, the co. reports. Offering lateral beam stiffness, a high- capacity, open area and a 1.6 turning radius, the belt is suitable for cooling, freezing, proofing and other applications. Its lightweight plastic materials and modular load-sharing ability allow it to carry more product. The belt operates at a very low tension, preventing premature wear.

Intralox, LLC, U.S.A., 800/535-8848. www.intralox.com Circle 313 on Reader Reply Card.

RFID labeling software

The latest version of EASYLABEL software includes an RFID wizard. The wizard assists in the creation and printing of smart labels, offering support for EPC specifications. Printer drivers are being added as manufacturers add RFID capabilities. The software also has an EAN/UCC-128 wizard that prompts the user for information and then automatically builds a bar code. Other features of the software include USB support and compliance tools for the FDA 21 CFR Part 11 regulation and European multilingual risk and safety phrases for hazardous chemical labeling regulations.

Tharo Systems, Inc., 800/878-6833. www.tharo.com Circle 314 on Reader Reply Card.

Shrink bundlers

Operating at speeds of up to 350 containers/min, new in-line shrink bundlers are particularly suitable for use in the pharmaceutical and healthcare industries. Incorporating a modified ?all-through? container design, the equipment is easily accessible and visibly open, facilitating changeovers and maintenance. No-tool changeover is coupled with handwheel adjustments and numerical reference points, ensuring repetitive changeovers. Standard features include a servo-operated lane divider and an on-board, Allen-Bradley PLC with a color touchscreen operator interface.

Omega Design Corp., 610/363-6555. www.omegadesign.com Circle 315 on Reader Reply Card.

Turntable wrappers

The Raptor turntable series of stretch wrappers wraps loads with up to a 731/2-in. diagonal and supports up to 4,000 lb. Capable of applying up to 275 percent prestretch, the systems can output up to 35 loads/hr. The series features an Allen-Bradley PLC with a Panel View operator interface, and it has a heavy-duty metal construction and quiet, heavy-duty ring-bearing support. Turntable speed is adjustable up to 12 rpm.

ITW Mima, 800/662-6462. www.itwmima.com Circle 316 on Reader Reply Card.

Product loader

The InFlight FT loader delivers precise, continuous-motion loading of product. A floating belt-to-belt transfer times randomly spaced product directly into the flights of a horizontal wrapper or cartoner at speeds of up to 400 products/min. Product can be loaded in registration onto lugless infeeds or directly onto the film on top-seal wrappers at speeds up to 300 ppm. The system's cantilevered design facilitates maintenance.

Benchmark Automation, LLC, 706/208-0814. www.benchmarkautomation.net Circle 317 on Reader Reply Card.

Shrink bander

The Sur-Band? is an easy-to-use, self-contained shrink bander that can be integrated into most packaging lines. Capable of running at speeds up to 80 bpm, it's designed for applying full-body sleeve labels or tamper-evident bands. The compact unit plugs into a standard 110-VAC outlet and features an operator keypad, permanently sealed, lubricated bearings, a DC brushless step motor and clear, anodized aluminum parts and stainless-steel covers. The knife cartridge design allows for easy knife replacement in a matter of minutes.

AZCO Corp., 973/439-1428. www.azcocorp.com Circle 318 on Reader Reply Card.

Blister sealer

The AERGO 2Plus is a two-station shuttle-sealing machine that features a variety of ergonomic and control enhancements. Capable of sealing both medical trays and lids and commercial blister packaging, its improved tray detent ensures proper seals. It includes a low temperature/low pressure warning-light tower as a standard feature, along with a cycle counter, a digital dual temperature readout and a heat cylinder lockup. The design also includes category 3 safety-compliant switches, locking casters or leveling pads and a frame with a footrest. Other ergonomic and safety features include a redesigned shuttle bed that reduces the distance the operator has to move the shuttle, and a flat heater plate that alleviates the need for the operator to change heavy heater plates. External measurement ports for time, temperature and pressure monitoring are among a selection of available options.

Alloyd/SCA Packaging, 815/787-5862. www.alloyd.com Circle 319 on Reader Reply Card.

Bulk bag unloading/filling/conveying system supplies packaging line

Surging sales of powdered flavors at Mother Murphy's Laboratories exceeded the capacity of the plant's manual dumping and packaging equipment. Operators worked overtime on two shifts, emptying 50-lb bags of dextrose into a 500-lb-capacity blender, adding spray-dried flavor bases, then bagging and boxing the blended products manually.

The company boosted production with two bulk-transfer systems comprised of three bulk-bag dischargers, two bulk-bag fillers and five flexible screw conveyors?all manufactured by Flexicon?as well as one 2,500-lb and one 500-lb capacity blender, and two fill-by-weight packaging machines. The systems allow simultaneous blending of one product and packaging of another, enabling the plant to fill orders from 2,000 to 20,000 lb, while minimizing overtime, eliminating manual bag dumping and packaging, and reducing the need for a second shift.

In the first transfer system, a bulk-bag discharger introduces dextrose granules from 2,000-lb bulk bags into an 8-cu-ft hopper, which doubles as a dumping station into which the operator manually adds spray-dried flavor bases from totes. A 15-ft long, 8-in.-dia flexible screw conveyor moves the dextrose and flavor-base powders at a 45-deg incline to the 10-ft-high blender, which mixes 2,500 lb of the material in 15 min. Another 15-ft-long, 8-in.-dia flexible screw conveyor transports the blended powders to the bulk-bag filler, which fills 2,500-lb bags. This enables the plant to warehouse bulk bags containing various flavors for future packaging, or to send bags directly to the packaging station.

The second, smaller transfer system employs two flexible screw conveyors to move powders from a second bulk-bag discharger into the 500-lb capacity blender, then to a second bulk-bag filler.

The packaging side of the operation consists of a third bulk-bag discharger unloading bags of powdered flavors into an 8-cu-ft hopper. A 15-ft-long, 6-in.-dia flexible screw conveyor elevates the product and discharges it onto a vibratory conveyor positioned on a 10-ft-high stand. The vibratory conveyor, containing a 30-mesh screen, acts as a sifter to scalp pieces of foreign material as the powder gravity-feeds through a magnet and diverter into two packaging machines.

From the point of material entry to exit, dust is contained by a variety of means specific to individual equipment. The bulk-bag dischargers employ iris flow control valves that enable the operator to cinch the spout prior to releasing the drawstring, then to open the valve gradually, controlling the rate of discharge of material from the bag, minimizing the amount of air and dust displaced from the hopper into the plant.

The dumping station portion of the bulk-bag discharger is equipped with a hood and dust collector that vacuums airborne dust from the operator's atmosphere onto cartridge filters that are blasted on a timed cycle by reverse-pulse/jet nozzles, causing built-up dust to fall into the hopper. Transition adapters at hopper outlets provide dust-tight connections to the flexible screw conveyors, which are fully enclosed, providing dust-free operation. Finally, the bulk-bag filler employs an inflatable rubber cuff that forms a dust-tight seal between the filler outlet and the bag-spout interior.

To promote flow of powders from the bulk-bag dischargers, pneumatically activated Flow-Flexer? bag activators raise and lower the opposite bottom edges of the bag at preset intervals. As the bag empties, the stroke of the plates increases, raising the bottom of the bag into a steep V shape, promoting complete product discharge.

Both hoppers include a pneumatic turbine vibrator and a mechanical agitator to promote the flow of material into the charging adapter of the flexible screw conveyor, whose only moving part contacting material is a rugged, centerless screw. The conveyor is capable of moving both free- and non-free-flowing materials handled by the company, including those that tend to pack, cake, seize, smear or plug, with no separation of blended products being conveyed to the filling line.

More information is available: Flexicon Corp., 610/814-2400. www.flexicon.com

Continuous-motion shrink wrappers

Featuring Ever-Clean? seal systems, the SW-2000 belt-infeed and SW-3000 flight-lug shrink wrapping machines include intuitive setup capabilities, on-the-fly tracking adjustment and side-seal/cross-seal systems. Capable of wrapping at rates of up to 60 and 75 packs/min, respectively, the machines can handle polyolefin, PVC and LDPE films. The SW-2000 can handle packages ranging in size from 33131/8 in. to any length by 1536 in. It provides electronic product spacing for random product lengths and can be used with numerous infeeds. The flight-lug on the SW-3000 provides tight control of unstable products and accepts the same minimum package size as the SW-2000, ranging to a maximum of 4031536 in. An adjustment-free rotary side-seal system cuts and seals simultaneously at minimum temperatures, avoiding melting film on components. Two adjacent wheels trim and fuse the side seal. The machines also include adjustable inverting heads and a color, touchscreen LCD control panel.

Lantech.com, 800/866-0322. www.lantech.com Circle 321 on Reader Reply Card.

Strapping machine

Featuring a modular construction, the JO strapper can be supplied with numerous arch sizes, tabletops, conveyors, side-seal capabilities, stainless steel and other configurations. It's compatible with most types of strapping materials, including PP, polyester and paper strapping. A patented TES track ensures reliable strap feeding. Other features include electronically adjustable tension control, automatic strap feed and a plug-and-play control panel. The machine is capable of reaching speeds of more than 52 straps/min.

Ovalstrapping, 256/845-1914. www.ovalstrapping.com Circle 322 on Reader Reply Card.

Semi-automatic stretch wrapper

The Spectra is a high-performance, semi-automatic turntable stretch-wrapping machine. It features the co.'s Insta-Thread? power prestretch carriage, which provides 5-sec stretch-film loading and a standard prestretch rate of 260 percent. The side-facing carriage is ergonomically designed to allow the operator to safely change film rolls without stepping on the machine between the carriage and the load. Motors, gearboxes, electronics and other components are all enclosed in the mast of the machine, keeping them accessible yet protected from hazardous environments. The system has a maximum load capacity of 5,000 lb and can handle pallet loads measuring 55355390 in. Other features include automatic height sensing, variable turntable rotation of up to 14 rpm and an automatic chain tensioner. The Spectra can wrap up to 50 loads/hr.

Orion Packaging Systems, 800/333-6556. www.orionpackaging.com Circle 324 on Reader Reply Card.

Pallet shrink-wrap oven

The Series 7000 DualForce? pallet shrink-wrap oven features four-way entry into the oven area. The system is designed to shrink-wrap HDPE film on a variety of pallets. It's capable of unitizing up to 30 loads/hr and can be automated with lifts, conveyors or dollies.

BBC Industries, Inc., 800/654-4205. www.bbcind.com Circle 323 on Reader Reply Card.

Inverters

The SJ200 Series of inverters employs Intelligent Sensorless Vector Control (iSLV) technology, which does not require an auto-tuning process to achieve optimal performance. The inverters feature a variety of new and enhanced functions, including an advanced trip avoidance function, side-by-side mounting capabilities, built-in timing logic and analog input math functions. A DIP-switch hand-off ratio, a removable control terminal connector and an RS485 modbus RTU communication interface are also standard. An optional NEMA4X keypad kit allows flexible and cost-effective panel mounting.

Hitachi America, Ltd., 914/524-6645. www.hitachi.us/inverters Circle 325 on Reader Reply Card.