High Speed Packaging Pouch: Match Your Coffee Pack to the Production Line

The major criterion for assessing a High Speed Packaging Pouch is whether or not it can be successfully fed through the packaging process. While attractive print and a good seal are important, consistent feed, correct positioning and repeatable filling are important too. When a material frequently stops, it can decrease the effective output even if the machine's displayed speed is good.

To a coffee producer and/or contract packer, the aim is to have a regular stream of finished acceptable packs. This will need to be agreed between the packaging specification, the product characteristics and the machine set-up.

Cyan Pak provides ready-to-use pouches and printed roll stock for various uses. The first step towards a workable enquiry is to know what type of supply your equipment requires!

Determine if Your Line is a Pouches or Roll Stock Line

Bags are placed one at a time into pouch equipment which opens, fills and seals them. Form-fill-seal equipment begins with film on a roll and forms the package as it is being used. It's a different buying requirement.

The custom flat pouches from Cyan Pak are said to be suitable for both manual and automatic packing, even high-speed filling applications. When using a pre-made bag line, ensure the pouch style and handling is confirmed before discussing appearance.

Starting point for a line making packs from film is roll stock. Cyan Pak's seal and form fill coffee film is provided for automated coffee packaging systems, especially for VFFS.

Don't presume either format could be substituted for the other on the current equipment. Submit the model of the machine, current packaging drawing, type of product and proposed output so that the proposal can cover the actual process.

Set the judge for an accepted output within a number of runs.

Production performance is not determined with a quick burst at a high machine setting! Compare quantity of acceptable filled packs over an agreed period, taking into account the quantity of stops and rejects that have occurred during normal operating conditions.

Before the trial determine what is an acceptable pack. Consider adding the agreed fill requirement, seal integrity, appearance, coding and/or print-position requirements applicable to the project.

Note down the operating conditions, also. The meaning of a result depends on the product, fill weight, machine setting and time of the trial. If you have a number of conditions that change between runs, it is not possible to compare the runs fairly.

Use the “high speed” attribute as an application target that must be backed up by evidence. No universal bags per minute rating can be achieved from a pouch description alone, taking into consideration the various machines, products, sizes and operators.

Include Feeding and Positioning within the Specification

The material must be moved through the line in a predictable manner before it gets to sealing stage. With preshaped pouches, discuss size, flatness, opening characteristics and gripper or suction contact areas.

Discuss and negotiate tolerances in consideration of equipment requirements. Some minor variations can be easily accommodated in the manual packing process and can become more problematic if repeated through automatic handling.

For roll-fed applications, other details are required. Cyan Pak's rewind film rolls are a timely supply format for automation applications. Check film width, core requirements, roll diameter, direction of wind and any registration requirements with machine team.

Include thickness, stiffness and surface friction as these have an impact on handling. Do not give a general value of friction, without referring to the machine and film contact surfaces. The useful objective will be steady movement under the intended operating condition.

Set up a Sealing Window, NOT One Temperature

Heat sealing is dependent on the four factors of material, temperature, pressure and contact time. Raising the line speed may alter the sealing time and a previously used temperature should not be considered as being a sufficient indication of compatibility.

Contact packaging supplier and packaging machine team to establish appropriate starting conditions. Then determine an operating window by conducting controlled trials, verifying the accepted seal performance for each of the settings under consideration.

Check the pack after it has exited the sealing area (including subsequent handling). A seal should not only be closed when lying between a pair of jaws, it should survive the second phase of production.

Maintain the original material reference and successful settings as a group. When sealant layer, thickness or machine configuration is changed, go back through the process rather than simply moving the old configuration.

Ensure Product is not in Sealing Area

The product can reduce speed of usefulness even if the feeding of the packaging material is right. Whole beans, ground coffee and instant coffees require different dosings and settling.

Check the relative position of the filling outlet, pouch opening and desired seal position. Provide sufficient clearance to allow dose to enter without frequent contact with closure area.

If the coffee particles are found in the seal, look at the filling sequence, product behavior, and setup of the machine. Raising the sealing temperatures alone is no good solution to contamination.

Determine if the work area is sufficient for the chosen size of pouches. A pack that is unnecessarily tight can cause problems that will recur and require a speed adjustment to correct the problem. If valves or zippers are present, make sure that the positions of these allow access for the required filling and sealing.

Maintain control over print registration – without compromising product protection.

Printed packaging should be compatible to the forming, cutting and sealing set-up. For roll-fed lines, verify artwork repeat and registration needs prior to approving production files.

Cyan Pak's custom roll stock service provides custom film sizes, film constructions and printing options. Provide the artwork with the machine specifications to ensure print development and material preparation will be done in the same specification.

Avoid having critical data on agreed seal and cut areas. Ensure the final pack shows the design as desired once it has been formed; do not evaluate artwork solely as a flat image.

Besides coffee protection, machine compatibility needs to be taken into account. Even a film which runs well must have appropriate barrier and mechanical properties for storage and distribution. Approve the full application – not just packs off the line.

Repeatability is assured with Trials and Change Control.

Production suitability may not be determined from a sample that has shown some degree of colour or pouch shape. Ensure that test material is consistent with the structure, size, elements and material supply of what is intended.

Cyan Pak's coffee packaging samples can assist in making initial comparisons of materials and formats. Discuss other machine-trial material if there is a deviation from the standard samples of the production specification.

Identify the point of interruption during trial and distinguish the interruptions between material or dosing/equipment. Where possible vary one relevant variable at a time, leaving sufficient detail to explain the result.

Once approved, create and keep the agreed specification, reference material and settings. Ensure suggestions for replacement are subjected to review prior to production. Repeatable supply requires an understanding of the repetition of successful combinations, and a commitment to repeat the combinations in subsequent deliveries.

Conclusion

When material handling, filling, sealing and product protection harmonize, a High Speed Packaging Pouch is successful. Start with the machine's supply format, design acceptable output and test the packaging under real conditions. Let Cyan Pak know these requirements so that they can create a specific pouch or roll-stock specification.

FAQs

Q1. A High Speed Packaging Pouch is a packaging machine?

No. Packaging which is designed for appropriate automation use. For the specific project, the machine needs to be compatible for output and machine.

Q2. Are pouches available to be manufactured on a roll fed machine?

They are the various ways of supplying. Order equipment that will accept individual bags or roll stock packages.

Q3. There is one sealing temperature for all coffee packing?

No. Variations in settings are required as per material and equipment. Determine the temperature, pressure and contact time by conducting a suitable trial.

Q4. Is production necessarily increased with faster machine speed?

No Stops and rejected packs can compensate for a higher setting. Make comparisons between acceptable finished product over a specified time of operation.

Q5. I'm seeking a quote, what should I include?

Enter the machine model, the format of the supply, the product, fill weight, dimensions and the output target. If known, current drawings and operating problems should be included.