End of Line Automation for Flexible Packaging
Rapid-Paced Pouched Products 

By John French
Director, Sales & Marketing
BluePrint Automation, Inc.
 
 
 
Pouches are everywhere. Consider a typical walk-through of a supermarket or big-box store and you’re guaranteed seeing a multitude of products packed in pouches. The format’s popularity is obvious.  
What might not seem so apparent is the best way to get those products on their way to market. Today, end-of-line automation can pave the way toward efficient, cost-effective methods of providing pouched products to consumers. 
A simple maxim covers the essence of this approach: A system that handles flexibles must be flexible. 
 
For all its appeal, however, automation isn’t simply a no-brainer. Many challenges exist when utilizing or considering end-of-the-line automation technology. Consider the following:
•  Automation offers more flexibility for different package configurations and
container varieties, as well as shorter runtimes and changeovers. 
•  Automation might not be a possibility for your company. Variables such as
floorspace, return on investment, and operator acceptance/ability need to be
considered.  However, the upside is potentially higher throughputs, reduced
corrugated costs, and labor savings or re-deployment.
•  Short horizons (uncertainty) of package styles and shippers/ displays are a reality
due to consumer and marketing demands, and the associated automation needs to
be able to adapt to change.
•  Trained personnel are needed to operate a complicated end-of-line system.
•  Pouches are “tough to handle,” meaning that you should work with an
experienced automation company, one that is experienced in dealing with
pouches.  Pouches do not have repeatable shapes, footprints, or characteristics,
unlike bottles or cartons, which is where the experience factor comes in.
•  Faster filling speeds (500+PPM, out of a single filler) are becoming
commonplace.  Automation needs to be able to handle those higher speeds at high
levels of efficiency in order for it to make financial and operational sense.   
An automated system, therefore, must be flexible (capable of change-overs to different sizes, patterns and container styles) and adaptable (able to reconfigure a line to radically different package and container styles for possible future variables). It also must be fast and efficient, intuitive-to-operate and performed by bag-handling specialists.

Antiquated vs. advanced 
To fully realize the possibilities automation offers; consider the old vs. new ways of
doing things. 
 
In the traditional approach, product handling, container forming, handling and sealing are integrated into one complicated custom-built unit. The drawbacks include: minimum flexibility and adaptability, reduced overall line efficiency and difficulty in operating.
 
By contrast, automation by an experienced company, which offers single-function cells (SFCs), will boast greater flexibility (able to feed multiple container styles from different formers or by hand) and increased adaptability to meet future needs. 
SFCs also feature less downtime via accumulation of pre-made containers before and after the case-loading cell. Plus, less troubleshooting time is required with only partial power-down required during malfunctions.  In this format, as each Function Cell has its own efficiency, by isolating them, we can increase the overall line efficiency by
eliminating the micro-stops for small issues (i.e. operator forgets to re-load a new tape roll or glue chips to a case former or top sealer).
 
In addition, SFCs offer faster changeover via easier access and greater overview. Cells also can be changed concurrently, thereby reducing idle line time.
 
In addition, SFCs are made up of more standard “off the shelf” components.  SFCs can be standardized “across the board” in many different packing operations. By utilizing the SFC approach in your secondary packaging automation plans, you can also use “best of breed” components, ie. the best case former for the application, the best casepacker for your environment, etc.  The bottom line: The SFC concept provides the best operating line, with the most current and future flexibility, to meet changing marketing and consumer demands. 
 
The example of a major pet-food company points to the possibilities. This particular
manufacturer runs a wide variety of bag sizes, container types and packing configurations at speeds up to 190 bags per minute. Using corrugated RSC cases and chipboard display cartons, the company’s packages would feature bags standing up and laying down. Pouch sizes range from over 1kg to under 100grams.  A daunting task for any automation company!  By using the SFC concept, the company was able to feed the casepacker (which had to be flexible enough to handle it!), multiple format cases, erected from stand alone formers, and then feed loaded containers to one of two closing formats.  Switching to automation saved the company six people per shift, three shifts a day, five days a week and increased production speed by 10%.   
In another scenario, a contract packaging company ran various stand-up pouches for two years utilizing a flat-packed method with inverted layers at a rate of 120 bags per minute. The company changed to top loading “cereal bowls,” picking from two lanes at speeds up to 180 bowls per minute. The conversion cost was only 25% of the cost of a new machine. This would not have been possible with a all-in-one type machine where all operations are performed in one complicated, dedicated machine.
 
Forward motion
Recent advancements in flexibility include a 2 axis robotic pick and place system that:
•  Performs a less than one-minute changeovers between radically different
bag/pouch/carton sizes;
•  Handles more than 440 PPM while still offering total flexibility to run varying
pitch products;
•  Guarantees perfect pouch control by utilizing individual pockets for each pouch
(i.e. no reliance on friction);
•  Offers a stand-up (vertical) display pack  and horizontal-inverted bulk on the
same line;
•  Includes automatic changeover; and
•  Features easy-to-program robot modules.
 
Pouch-accumulation advancements include a system that not only provides accumulation, but permits perfect metering between filling and end-of-line operations.
 
Before taking the major step toward automation, consider your situation carefully. First, perform a needs analysis. Does secondary packaging automation make financial sense?
Does the equipment or solution I am selecting offer me the flexibility to Casepack my
current and future products?  Will the company I select meet or exceed my operational expectations? Then determine if you want a turn-key situation. I would highly recommend the extra up front capital cost to do so, as it will save you a lot of time and effort during the startup process with ‘missed scope of supply”, un-clear expectations of the individual parties, etc. If so, allow a company with extensive bag-handling experience to perform the integration. Do not let anyone sub-contract this critical step to third parties.  As those of us in the business are aware of, bags to not behave like cartons or bottles, and are extremely un-predictable.  There is no substitute for experience. Even if a turnkey situation isn’t desired, always give a pouch-loading machine supplier responsibility for a pouch-feeding system. Guaranteed, you will experience faster start-ups, higher efficiencies, and extremely satisfied plant personnel!
 
Once you’ve carefully weighed the pros and cons, adopting the SFC concept can prove a major step forward in your company’s continued success.