LAS VEGAS — Bakers attending Pack Expo Las Vegas, taking place Sept. 11-13, are seeking innovative solutions for versatility in a small footprint. To meet that demand, Syntegon Processing and Packaging has launched its SVX vertical form/fill/seal bagger, equipped with a new cross-sealing system that allows for packaging of high-speed pillow bags and Doy zip bags, all on the same line.
“It gives our customers the potential for maximum flexibility in regard to packaging styles, bag sizes and bag speeds,” said Jason D’Arcy, vertical product group sales manager for Syntegon Processing and Packaging. “With this system, they can run pillow bags at up to 300 bags a minute and Doy zip bags at up to 100 bags a minute.”
What makes this system special is that it can all be done on the same platform. That’s because the machine is built with a modular design that Syntegon calls “backpack” that creates a level of future-proofing for commercial bakers.
“If a customer were to buy a bagger now, and they wanted to make pillow bags, for instance, they could install this as a pillow-bag machine,” D’Arcy said. “But if a few years later, they decide, ‘We want to package this in zip bags,’ the machine has a defined upgrade path. Because it’s modular, customers can purchase it to specifically make pillow bags now, and then two years down the road, they can configure it with additional modules that allow it to create different package styles.”
Previously, the bag styles would be configured on separate machines, requiring changeovers that come with added time and cost.
That “backpack” style means the module can piggy-back onto the machine to ensure a smooth changeover.
“Once it’s mounted, it’s simply a matter of format change parts,” D’Arcy said. “It allows changing over to a different format within the same shift. They could run pillow bag for a half a shift and then do zip for half a shift.”
Other features include index scales to achieve what Syntegon calls “first bag,” meaning that the first bag on the changeover will be sellable product, which significantly cuts down on waste.
The increased speed and added versatility provide the opportunity to increase production output inside the same footprint.
Pack Expo attendees can see the SVX in action at Booth C-2800 through the close of the show on Sept. 13. More demonstrations will also be available in a Commercial Baking TechTalk included in Pack Expo post-show coverage in the coming weeks.
