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Case Study - Packaging - Modular Bagging System

Case Study - Packaging - Modular Bagging System
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Case Study - Packaging - Modular Bagging System - 1

CASE STUDY Product category: Electric Actuators Industry: Packaging Problem: Inconsistent bag dimensions that slowed the production process Solution: Tolomatic rodless screw actuators precisely position incoming bags regardless of dimension Results: Increased repeatability and productivity Electric screw actuators from Tolomatic improve accuracy and productivity of Thiele modular bagging system The bagging system now automatically compensates for variations in bag dimensions and eliminates manual setup when changing bag sizes. MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA, USA— Thiele Technologies, a leader in packaging technology and equipment, recently faced the problem of how to compensate for inconsistent bag dimensions on its popular modular bag filling and sealing system. Thiele serves customers in the diverse bulk-materials processing industries, and the bagging system is designed to measure, fill and seal bags containing anything from pet food to salt, sugar, dirt, seed, fertilizer or animal feed. Many of Thiele’s customers had switched to lowcost bags with irregular dimensions. These irregularly sized bags were slowing the production process, which requires high-speed accuracy to meet manufacturing goals. Since repeatability is critical to the filling and sealing operation, Thiele engineers sought a solution that would increase accuracy, flexibility and productivity for packagers. They found their solution in four custom electric screw linear actuators from Tolomatic, Hamel, Minn., that precisely position incoming empty bags. The bagging system now automatically compensates for variations in bag dimensions and eliminates manual setup when changing bag sizes. The original version of the bagging system was automated except for the tray that positioned the empty bags prior to them being picked up and inserted into the filling line. When using high-quality bags with consistent dimensions, the trays required only a simple manual adjustment at the start of a run. However, when customers began switching to low-cost bags, some would not be positioned accurately, resulting in improper filling and sealing.

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Case Study - Packaging - Modular Bagging System - 2

“Pet food manufacturers were forced to switch from paper bags to woven poly bags because their customers—large retail chains—would reject entire truckloads of product if there was a single ‘leaker’ bag,” says Jon Gifford, R&D manager with Thiele Technologies. “Woven poly bags proved to be much tougher, but because of higher costs, China has become the predominant supplier. With lower cost has come lower quality, however. With bag lengths varying by as much as three-quarters of an inch, bag handling problems occur. To solve this problem, we developed a ‘bag top reference’ mechanism to...

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Case Study - Packaging - Modular Bagging System - 3

The programmable actuators also allow Thiele to incorporate automated adjustability into bag size recipes that help speed machine changeover. “This feature enables rapid change-over between product sizes and ensures repeatability previously dependant on the operator,” says Gifford. “This will eliminate trial and error, and operator setting preferences between different work shifts.” Modified-standard actuators kept costs down While many of the other actuators in the bagging system are pneumatic, Gifford says that he wanted to use electric screw actuators for the bag trays because they are...

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