What Is Packaging Machinery?
Packaging machinery is used to pack and package foodstuffs and pharmaceuticals automatically.
There are various types and names of packaging machinery, such as filling machines, pillow wrapping machines, shrink wrapping machines, sealing machines, and tying machines. There is also packaging machinery with automatic weighing functions to keep products at a certain weight and quantity, as well as vacuum packaging machinery that creates a vacuum inside packages. There are many other types of packaging machinery to create appropriate packaging for food or pharmaceutical products.
Uses of Packaging Machinery
Packaging machinery is used to package products in food and pharmaceutical plants.
Bottle filling machines are used to fill bottles with liquids. Pillow packaging machinery is used to wrap powders in sticks, frozen foods, and snacks. Container forming and filling machines are used when a box-shaped container, such as a milk carton, is to be made and the product is to be placed inside.
Sealing machines are used to seal food products to keep them from outside air for a long time. Gas-filled packaging machines and vacuum packaging machines are used to vacuum or inject gas.
Closure machines are used to close the mouth of the bag with tape or vinyl tape after the bread, etc., is packed in the bag. Boxing machinery is used for packing finished products into cardboard boxes. Shrink packaging machinery is used when trays containing side dishes are to be wrapped in film.
Shrink-wrapping machines are used to wrap trays of side dishes, etc. in film.
Principle of Packaging Machinery
Packaging machinery named “filling machines” includes liquid level regulating types, piston types, weight types, and meter types. The level control types use a level sensor to check the volume inside a bottle. The weight type has the function of a weight scale, and the meter type has the function of weighing liquid levels. The piston type uses the same method as a syringe and is used to fill bottles with highly viscous liquids, such as shampoo. Both types stop when the product weight or liquid level reaches a set value.
Pillow packaging machinery and sealing machinery use heaters to crimp the ends and dorsal fins of the product as it is being packaged. The film is cut by a cutter as it is crimped, resulting in a product of a predetermined length. In the case of a sealing machine, the entire bag is lightly crushed with a sponge or other soft material to prevent air from entering the bag just before crimping.
In the case of a tying machine, pre-bagged products such as bread are conveyed by a conveyor belt, and the mouth of the bag is squeezed while being pulled in with a roll, and then tied with a bag closure or vinyl ties.
The box-packing machine uses a robot arm to fill the product into a box. It has a sensor that detects the product to be filled and the presence or absence of a small box. The robot arm fills the box in accordance with the signals emitted by the sensor.
Shrink packaging machinery packs products by wrapping them in film that shrinks when heated. When the shrink-wrapped product is passed through a tunnel, the film is heated by hot air or steam in the tunnel and the product is shrink-wrapped.
Gas-filled packaging machinery inserts nozzles through the entrance of the bag containing the product. Air is drawn from one side of the two inserted nozzles, and gas is filled from the other side. This method is also called the nozzle method, and vacuum packaging machinery works similarly.