Packaging machine reduces material use, manufacturer claims

Hassia Verpackungsmaschinen in Germany said its Polyflex 8/48 shapes polypropylene into sleeved cups and other containers in a variety of shapes and sizes.

The machine allows the polypropylene to be processed as a single-layer or multilayer film depending on the product.

The machine uses a pre-heating and deep-drawing technique to mould the packaging in a wide variety of shapes and sizes. The cups are led to the filling station at a rate of 25 per minute. Dosing assemblies fill the containers with liquid, paste-like, granulated or lumpy material.

Sealing devices prevent uncontrolled overflows of liquid or granular material. In the next work step, a covering film is drawn from the roll and guided to the next cup in line, Hassia stated in a press release.

The machine allows manufacturers to choose the quality of packaging material and coordinate sealing temperature, pressure and time to ensure both a hermetic seal and an easy opening of the cups.

The machine puts sleeves on the cups with film, which is imprinted with the shrink features of the material used and wrapped in a tube shape. The sleeve material is drawn from the roll by an applicator and cut off in a repeating pattern corresponding to the cup height.

The film tube, now spread open, is passed on to a piece of transfer equipment that positions the tube opening below the cup path. With a lifting movement, the sleeves are placed around the cups in time with the machine.

A paint applied to the inner side of the film is activated by the residual heat of the cup, allowing correct positioning on the cup during the transport of the film.

The sleeve is next fixed with jets of hot air before the line of cups reaches a chamber pressurised with superheated steam to carry out the actual shrinking.

After passing through a cooling device, individual packages are punched out from the line of cups. This is accomplished on a belt in an orderly process using suction devices, Hassia stated.

When identical packaging materials are used for cups, cover films and sleeves, the use of the system Polyflex 8/48 can result in savings of up to 35 per cent in material costs, the company claimed.