Tubular Bagging


Vertical tubular bag machines serve to pack bulk products. The bag is formed during the film transport, e.g. via a belt, by turning the sheet around a tube. The product to be filled is filled into the tubular bags through the tube. The bags are sealed by means of longitudinal and cross-sealing stations. All hot sealing capable materials such as cellophane, paper, and aluminum composites, varnished polypropylene, polyester-polyethylene composites, are suitable packing materials.

Typical machines operate at 20 to 200 cycles per minute and have between three and eight axes. Continuous tubular bagging machines usually have a main drive (servo or asynchronous motor with a frequency converter) for example, for plastic sheet feed. The motion control (longitudinal and cross sealing, and cutting) is implemented on these machines via electronic cam plates, gearboxes etc.

Solution

The Totally Integrated Solution for vertical tubular bagging consists of PROFIBUS-DP connected MASTERDRIVE MCs. One axis is feeding the sheet into the form. Typically, the sheet speed dictates the reference speed for the machine, and the filling and sealing will follow the reference from the MASTERDRIVE MC controlling the sheet feed. Synchronization with printing mark is required for sheet material with printed image on it.

The SIMATIC S7-300 PLC System will be used to control all temperature zones for the longitudinal and cross sealing. A SIMATIC HMI (touch pane is preferred) enables easy configuration, troubleshooting and changeover.