Conveyors, Transfers, Chutes, Dust Control & Environment, Engineering

Advanced valve bag technology for flour packing

Kirsten Meyer from HAVER & BOECKER Australia explains how advanced valve bag packing technology can deliver a competitive edge.


Packaging floury products with a large large variety of grain sizes can be challenging for the milling industry. Australian mills and food manufacturers must adhere to strict regulations concerning dust emissions and food safety, yet remain competitive in a tough market.

A market-leading valve bag packing system not only meets but also exceeds quality, hygiene, operator safety, maintenance, productivity and waste reduction standards.

The key to engineering a revolutionary solution is to form close collaborations with the manufacturers themselves during the development process.

The next-gen valve bag packing systems are fully automatic and flexible with the ability to pack into valve bags from 5kg to 50kg.

The machine encloses the automatic valve-bag applicator, filling system, valve sealing unit, control system, operating unit and discharge belt inside one dust-tight cabinet. It can be equipped with one to four filling spouts and can fill up to 900 bags per hour.

Dust and noise emissions are reduced considerably, improving health and safety standards for operational personnel. Plus, the machine’s design guarantees cleanliness during the entire filling process, automatically reducing maintenance costs.

Cost and time-intensive assembly works onsite are avoided as all components can transported as one unit. This feature is particularly important when the packaging system has to be integrated into existing industrial processes.

Overall the transport and assembly of the turnkey unit is quick and safe, and only needs to be connected to the product and energy supply line.

Filling technology

Depending on the product’s characteristics, bags can be filled with either the air or the impeller filling system. Special consideration is also given to the bag design and particularly its de-aeration capability.

The pneumatic or air filling technology is highly suitable for the milling industry’s various bulk products and stringent requirements.

The product enters the filling chamber via a pneumatically controlled butterfly valve. The continuous product flow from the filling chamber is ensured by the design of the integrated chamber bottom and top fluidisation air system, which provides an optimal product feed rate with a minimal air supply. During the filling, air is removed from the bag with the help of a filling nozzle with de-aeration channel and a cyclically operating ejector.

 

 

Sealing technology

While sealing technology is now a standard feature in packaging plants across the world, innovative technology is taking it to the next level, delivering a quieter, cleaner and more profitable operation.

The bag’s external valve is sealed directly after the filling process by ultrasound. A generator produces high-frequency vibrations and transfers them to the sonotrode that is made of massive titanium. Due to the vibrations, the plastic lamination of the bag valve is melted and welded in about 0.5 seconds. This unique development guarantees the seal even if the surface of the inlet bag valve is unclean.

A compact unit design ensures noise produced by the ultrasound sealing process can be reduced effectively. Thanks to the valve bag sealing, the cleanliness of the filling installation is improved and with a cost-intensive spillage return system no longer necessary, the cost savings are considerable.

Products are completely safe without any possibility of contamination. They are more easily opened and emptied saving time and potential contamination from strings.

Applicator technology

A space-saving vertical bag magazine that is integrated in the cabinet ensures the empty bag feed. For higher storage capacities, a horizontal empty bag magazine that can hold 800 bags and more can be provided.

The empty bags are singled from the empty bag magazine and the bag valve is opened. A mandrel is inserted into the valve. It spreads the valve and ensures an optimal forming for the subsequent bag application. The optimally prepared valve bag is applied in a linear motion onto the filling spout.

A central aligning station ensures all bags are correctly applied onto the filling spout even if the tolerances between the bag valve and the filling tube are minimal.

The integrated feeler on the filling spout recognises whether the empty bag is correctly applied, ensuring it only starts to fill when the bag is correctly positioned on the filling spout.

By looking beyond conventional inline valve bag filling systems to the latest innovations being developed to solve the industry’s specific business challenges, milling manufacturers have peace of mind when it comes to the quality and safety of their products, and can enjoy greater operational efficiencies and improved bottom lines.

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