In the world of packaging machinery, it may seem odd to refer to a diverse range of products like baking mixes, ground coffee, spices, and powdered sugar simply as "powders." However, regardless of the industry, producers share similar priorities when it comes to evaluating packaging solutions for their products.
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When it comes to selecting packaging equipment for your free-flowing powder product, the sheer number of models and brands available can be overwhelming. However, before diving into the comparison of run rates, technical features, and bag styles, it is essential to determine which factors are truly crucial for your business. Automation, accuracy, accessibility, and long-term support are some of the key considerations that can greatly impact the long-term success of your operation.
The importance and prioritization of these categories may vary depending on the type of product and your specific performance needs. Nevertheless, they all play a vital role in ensuring the efficiency and sustainability of your business.
High Automation for High OEE
When selecting a powder filling machine, one of the primary considerations is the level of automation required to streamline production. Some auger filling machines are designed with advanced automation capabilities, while others offer more manual operation features. If you have a low current volume and staffing is not a pressing concern, investing in a highly automated solution may not provide a justifiable return. However, if you are aiming for higher output, automation will significantly impact your overall performance.
Automated filling components, though not exclusive to powder filling, are particularly well-suited for high-volume operations. These machines often boast advanced features that enable you to accomplish more with fewer labor resources. For instance, certain models offer hands-free washdown capabilities or the ability to adjust auger screw rotation based on measured weight or volume, reducing the need for constant monitoring by operators. This level of automation proves invaluable in high-speed operations where precision is paramount, thus leading us to the next evaluation category: filling accuracy.
Filling Accuracy
The higher the value of your powder product, the higher that filling accuracy is going to fall on your list of priorities. Powder packing filling accuracy can be tricky, because even environmental factors can affect the density of the product being fed to your filling component.
For example, humidity level changes from day to day can change how dense a powdered product will become at room temperature. Temperature fluctuations throughout shifts can cause similar problems- so to avoid having quality issues with low-accuracy machine components, it’s important to choose products that are built to adapt as the production environment fluctuates.
These machines can be fully integrated with the bagger to include auxiliary sensors to monitor fill weights and can adjust settings automatically, minimizing variance in density across different powders. Accurate powder filling machines help ensure that end-users do not experience quality issues due to too much variance in overall powder weight percentage and help you to minimize product giveaway.
Powder Filling Machine Accessibility
A third crucial factor to consider when evaluating powder packaging solutions is the level of accessibility. What is packaging machine accessibility? This is the level at which operators and maintenance people can visually and/or manually gain access to a variety of components on their machinery, as needed. This can be anything from the electrical components, to the product in the machine.
High machine accessibility ultimately translates to shorter periods of downtime for washdown, which saves you money. It’s important that maintenance tasks are not only easy but also safe so they can be carried out effectively shift after shift, year after year.
There are a variety of solutions available to help your operation meet hygiene and automation requirements and allow for faster changeovers. ROVEMA auger fillers are available with automated, chemical-free washdown systems as well as a split door hopper that allows for easy cleaning and maintenance and also feature a window on the side of the hopper to allow operators to monitor the product.
Tech Support and Long Term Customer Experience
When you invest in capital equipment that you plan to have for decades, it's crucial to have a thorough understanding of what your overall experience will be like when issues arise. It's not enough to simply purchase high-quality and reliable packaging machinery; you must also ensure that the technical support, training, and wear parts provided by the manufacturer are of the same caliber.
Technical support plays a vital role in the long-term success of your operation. If when unexpected problems occur, you need a support team that is knowledgeable, accessible, and responsive. It's frustrating and costly to be left waiting for hours or days to get assistance. Your support team should be readily available to provide guidance and resolve any issues efficiently. They should feel like an extension of your own team, dedicated to your success.
In addition to technical support, training is another important aspect to consider. Investing in high-quality packaging machinery means that you want to maximize its potential and ensure that your operators are fully equipped to operate and maintain the equipment effectively. Look for manufacturers that provide comprehensive training programs to ensure that your operators have the necessary skills and knowledge to optimize machine performance.
Wear parts are also a critical consideration when evaluating packaging machinery. High-quality and durable wear parts are essential to minimize downtime and maintenance costs. You want to avoid constantly replacing worn-out parts or dealing with frequent breakdowns. A reputable manufacturer will offer reliable and long-lasting wear parts, ensuring that your machinery operates smoothly and consistently.
Furthermore, it's essential that your support team understands the urgency and cost implications of machinery issues. Emergencies can arise at any time, and you need a support team that prioritizes your needs. They should be responsive and efficient in addressing any problems, minimizing the impact on your production and profitability.
Diving Deeper: Evaluating Your Machinery Solution
If you're currently deep in the weeds of evaluating a solution for your products and need a tool to help break down additional specifics, I recommend downloading our free comparison matrix spreadsheet. It's a good starting point for evaluating different vendors and machine specs and can help you understand where ROVEMA falls on the spectrum for many critical factors.
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Multi-head Weigher: An Ultimate Guide
Dust and airborne particulates can pose a problem for even the most advanced packaging process.
Products like ground coffee, protein powder, legal cannabis products, and even some dry snacks and pet foods can create a fair amount of dust in your packaging environment.
Dust emissions are most likely to occur when dry, powdered, or dusty product passes through transfer points in the packaging system. Basically, any time the product is in motion, or starts/stops motion suddenly, airborne particulates may occur.
Keep dust at bay with our free vffs machine preventive maintenance worksheet. >>
Here are eight features of modern powder packaging machines that can help reduce or eliminate the negative effects of dust in your automated packaging line:
1. Enclosed Jaw Drives
If you operate within a dusty environment or have a dusty product, it is vitally important for the moving parts that drive the sealing jaws on your powder packaging machine to be protected from airborne particulates.
Packaging machines designed for dusty or wet environments have a completely enclosed jaw drive. This enclosure protects the jaw drive from particulates that can impede its operation.
2. Dust Proof Enclosures & Proper IP Ratings
Machine enclosures that house electrical or pneumatic components must be adequately protected against ingress of dust in order to maintain their proper function. When purchasing packaging equipment for a dusty environment, make sure the machinery has an IP (Ingress Protection) Rating suitable to your application. Basically, an IP Rating consists of 2 numbers that indicate how dust- and water-tight an enclosure is.
Learn more about IP Ratings >>
3. Dust Suction Equipment
Dust ingress into the machine isn't the only thing you have to worry about. If dust finds its way into package seams, the sealant layers in the film will not properly and uniformly adhere during the heat seal process, causing rework and scrap. To combat this, dust suction equipment can be utilized at different points in the packaging process to remove or recirculate dust, lessening the likelihood of particulates ending up in package seals.
4. Static Elimination Bars
When plastic packaging film is being unwound and fed through the packaging machine, it can create static electricity, which causes powder or dusty products to stick to the inside of the film. This can cause product to end up in the package seals, and like mentioned above, this should be avoided to maintain the integrity of the package. To combat this, a static elimination bar can be added to the packaging process.
5. Dust Hoods
Automatic pouch filling and sealing machines have an option to place a dust hood above the product dispensing station. This component helps to collect and remove particulates as the product is dropped into the bag from the filler.
6. Vacuum Pull Belts
Standard on vertical form fill seal machines are friction pull belts. These components are responsible for pulling the packaging film through the system, and they do so by friction. However, when a packaging environment is dusty, airborne particulates can get between the film and the friction pull belts, reducing their performance and wearing them down prematurely.
An alternative option for powder packaging machines is vacuum pull belts. They perform the same function as friction pull belts but do so with vacuum suction, thus negating the effects of dust on the pull belt system. Vacuum pull belts do cost more but need replacing much less often than friction pull belts, especially in dusty environments.
Learn how a vacuum pull belt works >>
7. Continuous Motion Powder Packaging
Packaging equipment can operate in either continuous or intermittent motion. Put simply, the film is always moving in a continuous motion machine. On an intermittent motion machine, the film stops once per cycle to be sealed.
The constant motion of the packaging film on continuous motion machines creates a constant downward flow of air. This means dust from the product is encouraged by the airflow to end up inside the package where it belongs.
8. Proper Machine Preventive Maintenance
While adding dust-controlling measures to your powder packaging process will go a long way to combating the ills of particulates wreaking havoc on your system, following a proper machine preventive maintenance schedule is the other important piece of the puzzle.
Many preventive maintenance tasks include cleaning and inspecting of components for residue or dust. For a comprehensive 2-page document that details these tasks and their recommended intervals, download our new Packaging machine Preventive Maintenance Worksheet:
Originally published 6/6/2017, updated 4/24/2018, 6/21/2021.
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