Form Fill and Seal FFS Flexible Packaging End

Form, Fill and Seal (FFS) Flexible Packaging End Seal Technology Development Project Developing collaborative partnerships that optimise the business of product research and development, assisting customers to exploit science and technology to create value, profit and growth Copyright 2008 by Automatic Test & Control Limited. All rights reserved.

Horizontal Form, Fill and Seal (HFFS) Flexible Packaging Infeed Transports products into folding box Folding Box Forms wrapper tube around products Fin Seal Unit Forms longitudinal seal on wrapper tube End Seal Unit Forms transverse seal on wrapper tube and cuts into separate packs using technologies ranging from simple rotary motion to high integrity box motion Copyright 2008 by Automatic Test & Control Limited. All rights reserved.

Existing HFFS End Seal Technologies Rotary Motion Box Motion Pros High machine speeds achieved (typically > 300 ppm) by matching crimp radius to bag length and using 2 or more jaws per shaft Pros Independent control of vertical and horizontal jaw motion allows wide range of product lengths and heights to be wrapped on same machine Constant seal time provides high integrity (gas tight) seals over wide speed range Misplace Product function operates when jaws are stationary as products are actively transferred over bottom jaw Cons Fixed crimp centres dedicate machine to wrap a limited range of product lengths and heights Cannot guarantee seal quality as seal time decreases with increasing machine speed Misplaced product function can be unreliable since products are not actively driven over bottom jaw when crimp shaft remains stationary Cons Maximum speed limited (typically < 130 ppm) by displacement and acceleration constraints in positioning crimp jaw mechanism Copyright 2008 by Automatic Test & Control Limited. All rights reserved.

Vertical Form, Fill and Seal (VFFS) Flexible Packaging Infeed Products dropped from upstream equipment Forming Tube and Shoulder Forms wrapper tube around products Back Seal Unit Forms longitudinal seal on wrapper tube End Seal Unit Forms transverse seal on wrapper tube and cuts into separate packs using technologies ranging from simple intermittent motion to high integrity continuous (box) motion Copyright 2008 by Automatic Test & Control Limited. All rights reserved.

Existing VFFS End Seal Technologies Intermittent Motion Continuous Motion Pros Mechanically simple 1 axis to drive wrapping material, end seal unit and back seal unit normally driven by pneumatics Pros Relatively short product drop height prevents damage to products High machine speeds possible (typically > 120 ppm) usually limited by effects of gravity when dropping products Cons Relatively large product drop height (set by maximum bag length) can cause damage to products Maximum speed limited (typically < 80 ppm) by sequential wrapper / jaw index motion Cons Mechanically more complex - 1 axis to drive wrapping material and back seal unit, 2 axes to drive horizontal and vertical jaw motion Copyright 2008 by Automatic Test & Control Limited. All rights reserved.

New End Seal Technology Research Process INPUT Pros and Cons of existing HFFS and VFFS end seal technology Copyright 2008 by Automatic Test & Control Limited. All rights reserved. OUTPUT New technology that includes majority of the pros while eliminating most of the cons

New End Seal Technology Features High machine speeds possible, comparable with existing rotary motion technology Wraps a wide range of product lengths and heights on same machine, comparable with existing box motion technology Single axis version provides extended seal time compared to rotary motion technology Twin axis version provides constant seal time over a wider speed range compared to box motion technology Provides new functionality that is not available with existing technologies Possible to retrofit single axis version to existing rotary machines with minimal modifications Same technology can be used on both HFFS and VFFS applications Copyright 2008 by Automatic Test & Control Limited. All rights reserved.

New End Seal Technology Benefits Machine User Increase productivity in multi-line plants by having the ability to run full product range on each machine, transferring production between lines as required Reduce training, maintenance and spares costs by reducing the number of machine variants within the plant Access to niche markets by providing new functionality not available with existing technology e. g. high speed “Cut and Count” Machine Manufacturer Significantly reduce design, manufacturing and selling costs by building fewer machine variants which are capable of wrapping a wider range of products Generate retro-fit business by upgrading existing rotary machines to utilise new technology Copyright 2008 by Automatic Test & Control Limited. All rights reserved. Existing End Seal Technology Different machine variants required, each only capable of running a limited product range New End Seal Technology Possible to use identical machines, each capable of running the full product range

Minimising Packaging using New End Seal Technology “Cut and Count” Products such as chocolate biscuits are normally individually wrapped using a high speed primary wrapper before being collated into multi-packs on a secondary wrapper. The cut and count function could provide an alternative way for supermarkets to supply products in multi-packs using only a primary wrapper. The number of products chained together is variable, while the seals between products in the multi-pack are perforated allowing the products to be separated and individually opened. Copyright 2008 by Automatic Test & Control Limited. All rights reserved.

Reducing Food Waste using New End Seal Technology “cut and count” 1 x 12 2 x 6 When large meat or cheese slice portions are supplied in pre-formed gas flushed plastic trays, the extended “use by” date is foreshortened to typically 2 or 3 days once the pack is opened. The cut and count function could provide an alternative way for supermarkets to supply the same product quantity divided into a programmable range of individual portion sizes. Each portion can be removed and opened while preserving the extended “use by” date of the remaining product. The chain of products can be easily folded to produce a stack, which can be held in place using, for example, adhesive labels folded over the stack edges. 3 x 4 4 x 3 Copyright 2008 by Automatic Test & Control Limited. All rights reserved. 3 x 4 stack

Other HFFS Development Projects Infeed Low/zero pressure inline feeding & storage Folding Box Different pack styles e. g. semi rigid Fin Seal Unit Constant/Extended seal time Reject Station Combines benefits of flap and air blow-off Copyright 2008 by Automatic Test & Control Limited. All rights reserved.

New End Seal Technology For more Information Email Please contact steve. wood@atc-ltd. co. uk Telephone +0044 (0)141 812 6031 Address Automatic Test & Control Limited 35 Lubnaig Drive Linburn Estate Erskine PA 8 6 AU Copyright 2008 by Automatic Test & Control Limited. All rights reserved.