Purpose of packaging labels
1. Identify product
2. identify brand
3. identify company
4. provide sales messages
5. show product pictures
6. provide consumer information
7. add decoration
8. show tax stamps on controlled items
Label issues
-missing labels
----can render a product unfit for sale since key product info and/or legally required info may be missing
---misaligned, torn, upside down, and blemished labels all detract from product/package appearance, resulting in lower perceived qua
Container Positioning
-package and labels must be perfectly aligned
-package must be held firmly during application (need counteracting force)
-timing of package and label is an issue
Label Types
1. Spot Labels
2. Wrap Around Labels
3. Pressure Sensitive Labels
4. Heat Sensitive Labels
5. Shrink Sleeve
6. Stretch Sleeve
Spot Labels
-labels that do not extend completely around a container (usually less than half the circumference)
Tamper Evident Spot Labels
-often cover portions of 2 sides of a package, and have to be removed or torn to open the package
Spot Labels - tax stamps
-can cover portions of 3 sides of a package
Wrap Around Labels
-Labels that wrap completely around the container with glued edges.
-Common on metal cans.
Pressure Sensitive Labels
-Supplied on roll with quick release backing
-Labels removed from backing and placed on package
-Several application techniques
Heat Sensitive Labels
-Heat sensitive (heat activated) labels have adhesive that gets tacky (sticky) when heated and sets (hardens) when cooled
-Can be applied in a clean manner, making them attractive for use in areas where clean systems area required (pharmaceuticals, food)
Heat Sensitive Labels: in-mold labeling
-where the label is placed in a container mold prior to the injection of melted plastic
- in-mold labeling can give a very smooth appearance and feel, leaving no bump at the label edge
Shrink Sleeve Labels
-initially stretched when manufactured and shrink back to original size when heat is applied
-designed to have a loose fit for going around containers during application, and then fit snuggly after heating without the use of adhesives
-Artwork initially a
Stretch Labels
-Made of elastic materials that can be stretched to fit over a container and then return to original size when released
-Designed to cling to the surface of the containers without the use of adhesives, and no heating is required
-Containers may require ri
Label Printing Methods - Flexography
1. Most widely used process for reel-fed (roll) labels
2. Allows for high speed printing of labels
3. Useable on a wide variety of substrates
-most cost effective
Label Printing Methods - Letterpress
1. Second most popular process for roll labels
2. Good quality reproduction at relatively low cost
3. Ability to hold accurate print definition throughout print runs
Label Printing Methods - Gravure
1. Excellent quality and print definition
2. Very fast throughput
3. Best suited to large quantity print runs due to high initial set up cost
Label Printing Methods - Silkscreen
1. Unmatched ink coverage
2. Prints on almost any substrate**
3. Slower printing speeds than most methods, so higher per unit cost
Label Printing Methods - Hot-Foil Stamping
1. Gives striking effects when combined with other processes (marketing)
2. Good for short runs of specialty labels
3. Increased cost versus other methods for long runs
Label Printing Methods - Digital Printing
1. Good graphics & vibrant colors
2. Min setup & less labor intensive
3. Good for LOW VOLUME, CUSTOM labels, prototype labels, and applications where there are many changes
What does a form-fill-seal machine do?
1. Container (flexible, semi-rigid, rigid, etc) is formed from a web of material , usually preprinted
2. Container is filled with product
3. Container is sealed and separated from web
2 categories of Form-FIll-Seal Machines
1. HFFS
2. VFFS
- designation refers to general direction of stock (material) flow through the machine
The __________ usually determines the category of machine used
type of product
Heavy or wet products like consumer items or meats, and produce use ____________
HFFS
Light weight products such as snack foods are often packaged in pouches or bags using ____________
VFFS
As there is less/more? distinction as to what products can run on HFFS versus VFFS
-less distinction
-ex: soup and sauces can run on VFFS
HFFS machines can handle a variety of package styles
1. Flexible
2. Semi-rigid
3. Rigid
4. Ambient
5. Recloseable
---available package styles vary from one machine to another
VFFS machines handle a variety of pouch styles
1. Pillow
2. Gusseted (tuck excess material out of the way)
3. 3 or 4 Sided Seal
4. Stand-Up Bag (flat bottom, gable top)
5. Specialty packages such as Chub (tube package used for sausage, hamburger, cookie dough)
---available pouch styles vary from one m
Basic Form-Fill-Seal Process For Pouches (#1-3)
1. Pull the film (web) forward one pouch length
-using a set of wheels that apply tension to the film
2. Seal the film into a tube through the use of heat and pressure
-amount of heat and pressure must be carefully measure to prevent damage to film
3. Gus
Basic Form-Fill-Seal Process for Pouches (#4-7)
4. Seal the leading end of the pouch
5. Fill the pouch with a measured amount of product
6. Seal the trailing end of the pouch
-the same jaw sealer simultaneously forms the trailing end of one pouch and the leading end of next pouch
7. Separate (cut off)
Sealing Jaws
- can be made to produce a number of different patterns and features for the end seals
---starter cut for tearing open
---punch holes
---area for labeling
Sealing jaws and cut-off devices
1. Rotary
-spinning in a circle
2. Reciprocating
-opening and closing
Preprinted webs can include ______________ to control cut points between packages
Registration Markings
Three sided pouches are made from
- a single web of material
Material types suitable for form-fill seal pouches
1. Thermoplastic (PE)
2. Heat-Sealable Materials
When are thermoplastics generally used?
-when a high degree of product protection is
not
required, and low material cost
is
important
Polyethylene (PE)
-Not ideal for applications where hermetic seals are necessary for long shelf life, freshness, gas flushing, etc. because of its porosity
-Ideal for frozen foods, chemicals, fertilizers
The class of "heat sealable" materials or "resistance seal films" includes:
-paper and cellulose
-as well as co-extrusions and laminations
Because paper and cellulose don't melt at sealing temperatures, or do not melt at all, they require:
-heat seal layer
(can be on 1 or both sides depending on package configuration)
Fin Seal
-can be made of materials with sealing properties on ONE side
-bc heat sealable surface seals to itself
When should you use a fin seal?
-effective for powder products that need the seal to eliminate sifting
-good seal if hermetic-seal integrity is important, as with gas-flush packaging
Lap Seal
- uses slightly less material
- requires sealing properties on both sides
---seal is made by sealing the inner surface of 1 edge to the outer surface of the other edge
The ______________ being packaged is generally the ____________________ regarding the production rate capabilities
-product
-limiting factor
Machine operation is affected by:
- product characteristics
---dust
---fines
---stickiness
Some products create a ____________________ when dropped into a bag-forming tube
-piston effect
---air gets trapped in the bottom of the bag, with no easy way to escape
---use inner fill tubes to release air pressure
The shortest distance on between two points is the ______________ on VFFS systems, so the filler is best mounted directly above the vertical bag making tube.
-the rule of thumb
---optimizes gravity based filling
---less distance for product to travel means shorter fill time and faster operation
Checkweighing
-generally refers to in-line, automatic check weighers
- normally no operator is necessary once system is set up and running
Does __________ weight inspection of products in a production or packaging line _______________ interrupting product flow
-100%
-without
What is check weighing used for?
-compliance with government regulations
-classify product into weight categories
-verify counts
-pricing
-production reporting
-process control
Compliance with Government Regulations
- Fair Packaging Labeling Act concerning variations in packaging weight
Checkweighing: classifying products into weight categories
-when products are grouped on the basis of weight, check weighing can be used to group a product belongs to
Ex: separating whole turkeys or chickens into s, m, l categories
Checkweighing: Verify Counts
-in applications where individual units of a product have a consistent weight, check weighing can be used as a means to verify number of units in package
Ex: golf balls in a sleeve or box, cans in a case
Checkweighing: Pricing
- some products are sold by weight; however, the individual pkgs can vary significantly in weight due to the nature of the product.
-can be used to drive a labeling system that puts the weight and price on each item.
Ex: meats
Checkweighing: production reporting
-information from check weighing can be used to inform management about production, reject, over fill, and under fill quantities and rates.
Checkweighing: Process Control
-information from check weighing can be used to
adjust the filling of packages
--If check weighing indicates the fill amount in packages is trending too low, the filler upstream of the check weigher can be adjusted to increase the amount of product in eac
Checkweigher Components
-weighing element
-set up controls and indicators
-product transport mechanism
-reject device:
----air blasts
----pneumatic pusher
----swing gates
----drop-through
----center gate rejecters
----parallel gate rejecters
----slider conveyors
CheckWeighing Application Considerations
-must be only
1 item on a scale
at a time
-weight transducer must have
time to stabilize
to the desired accuracy
-airflow, vibration, package content (solid or liquid) can affect accuracy
Static weighing
-stop (pauses) an item while weighing, and then starts moving again, resulting in improve accuracy at the cost of slower line speeds
Dynamic weighing
-allows item to continue to move while weighing, resulting in lower accuracy in exchange for increased line speed.
Metal Detection is primarily an issue with:
-food processing
---metal contamination represents a potential danger to consumers
---fast automated production lines provide many opportunities for accidental metal contamination
Consequences of Metal Contamination
-danger to consumers
-product recall
-damage to product quality image and loss of good will
-possible damage to machinery
Reality of Metal Contamination
-occurs rather frequently
-grinding, cutting, sieving, mixing, or packing processes are all possible sources
Metal detection theory of operation
-Ferrous (containing iron) and non-ferrous metals will disturb an electromagnetic field
1. electromagnetic field is generated so "no metal" condition is established
2. food products pass through field, metal contamination will interact with field resultin
Metal detectors consist of:
-a control unit that processes signals
-a shielded case with an aperture opening and antenna system
---Apertures can be horizontal or vertical
2 basic types of metal detection operation
1. High frequency oscillating magnetic field
2. Static magnetic field
High Frequency Oscillating Magnetic Field
1. detects both ferrous and non-ferrous metals
2. detection based on both magnetic effect and electrical conductivity of the metals
3. Can not be used to inspect food in aluminum foil
Static magnetic field
1. Sensitive only to ferrous (iron containing) metals
2. Ignores aluminum (nonferrous)
Factors that influence Operating Sensitivity
-type of metal
-orientation of metal
-shape of metal
-size of aperture
-food product effect
Ferrous metal
-good electrical conductors and are magnetic, making them easily detected
Nonferrous metal
-such as aluminum, copper, and lead are nonmagnetic, but are good electrical conductors, making them generally easy to detect using an oscillating electromagnetic field
Stainless Steel
-can come in many different grades, is often nonmagnetic, and is generally a poor electrical conductor, making it difficult to detect
the smaller the cross section of a metal presented to the detector, the
harder the metal is to detect
--think of a wire, looking at it perpendicular to the long axis will have significantly more cross section then looking parallel to the long axis
metal detector sensitivity is based on
the smallest diameter metal sphere that can be detected
-a sphere presents a consistent cross section regardless of orientation to the metal detector
A small aperture is _____________ sensitive than a large aperture
more
-can detect a smaller sphere
Metal Detection: Food Product Effect
-dry products
-wet or conductive
dry products: relatively easy to inspect
---cereal
wet/conductive products: more difficult to inspect
--ice cream or fresh meats
the conductivity of wet or salty products
-creates an inference signal that needs to be canceled (zeroed) out before inspection can be done
Metal detection mechanical considerations
-most metal detectors are mounted on independent conveyors
-usability of a metal detector requires the system to be able to ignore metal in the immediate surroundings
By including a purpose built conveyor:
-suppliers of metal detectors can adjust out signals attributable to the conveyor system
Tramp Metal
-any metal that does not belong in a product
-can be from various sources, including broken machinery and incoming goods
Cases vs Cartons: Purpose
cartons: often the sales unit for one or more items that are already in primary packages
cases: secondary or tertiary packaging intended to provide protection needed for shipping
Cases vs Cartons: Contents
cartons: may contain different products bundled together for the convenience of the consumer
cases: generally contain multiple units of identically package product
Cases vs Cartons: Marketing
cartons: good graphics for marketing to customers in the store
cases: usually not intended to provide an attractive display for product marketing
-exception: point of purchase displays, display trays
The case size is generally
governed by distribution requirements
cases are designed to contain ________________ of product
-marketable quantity
Products intended for individual display on store shelves often have cases designed to hold an amount of product considered an increment for:
replenishing shelf stock
-case sizes of 6, 10, 12, 14 and 24 units are common
-case sizes can be limited by handling issues in distribution (ex: a 1 person lift requirement)
Case Weight Lifting Limits
-neither OHSA or the military have set max limit or amount of weight 1 person can lift in all circumstances
Amount of weight considered acceptable varies on:
1. Who is doing the lifting?
2. How easy can the item be held?
3. Does a person have to twist or bend to lift the item?
4. How high (or low) must the item be lifted?
5. What is the total distance the product must be moved?
6. How many repetitions are expe
The stated limit for a single lift performed by either a male or female where an object is lifted from the floor and placed on a surface not greater than:
3ft above the floor is 44 lbs
Requiring repetitions of a lift:
reduces the weight limit per lift
Factors effecting case packaging operations
-type of cases
-loading direction (horizontal/vertical)
-case closing and sealing
-tray forming
-overwrapping
-materials and machines
-palletizing
Types of Cases
-slotted cases
-brewer (gaylord) cases
-open top cases
-tray
-wraparound case
Slotted Cases
1. RSC - Regular Slotted Case (container)
2. CSSC - Center Special Slotted Case
3. OSC - Overlap Slotted Case
Regular Slotted Case (RSC)
-popular shipping container for consumer products
-Inner (end) flaps do not meet on rectangular cases
Center Slotted Special Case (CSSC)
-end and slide flaps meet
-provides extra layer of top/bottom protection
Overlap Slotted Case (OSC)
-side flaps overlap when closed
-can be sealed with staples, stitches, or straps
-end flaps do not meet on rectangular cases
Brewer (Gaylord) Cases
-heavy and durable construction
-wax coated
-top flaps have tabs that fold into the center and hold case close
-reusable, intended to be used with returnable bottles
Open Top Cases
-made of wood, metal, plastic, or corrugated board
-reusable cases for containers of milk or soft drinks
-frequently partition into cells to hold individual bottles
-can have telescoping lids
Trays
-shallow, with solid bottoms
-sides frequently lower than the height of containers
-good for groups of cans or other containers that can handle compressive loads
-often over wrapped in with stretch or shrink film to hold containers in place
Wraparound Case
-alternative to standard slotted case
-uses less corrugated board
-offers tighter product fit, often improving column strength and and pallet pattern efficiency
Case Delivery
-Cases come knocked down
---reduces cost
---saves space during shipping & storage
---requires case be erected before use
Horizontal (side) case loading machines
1. products delivered by conveyor
2. products guided into pattern positions using dividers, lane guides, suction cup stacking, etc
3. For multiple tier operation, 2 or more layers of product are accumulated before loading
4. the product is moved as a sing
Vertical (top) case loading machines
1. products delivered by conveyor
2. products dropped using gravity into open-top cases, or products are held by the top or sides of the containers and lowered into open-top cases
3. Often used for cases with a single tier of product; however, multiple ti
Case Sealing
1. Filled case on conveyor
2. Close inner flaps - plow down leading flap, use tucker bar to close trailing flap
3. Apply adhesive (if glue is used) to outside of inner or inside of outer flaps, close outer flaps and hold until glue sets up
4. If taping, a
Stapling
-strong sealing system for corrugated boxes
-glue and tape only contact paper liner board, limiting the strength of seal to less of the glue bond giving way or paper tearing
-staples penetrate full thickness of corrugated board, including all liner boards
Shrink Wrapping
-commonly used to hold containers on trays
Stretch Wrapping
-commonly used to bundle products together on pallets for shipment
Name 2 basic categories of Form-Fill-Seal machines
1. horizontal form-fill-seal machine
2. vertical form-fill-seal machine
______________ make it possible for packages to use the same can, bottle, or other type of container for a number of products
-labels
Checkweighing does __________________ weight inspection of products in a production or packaging line __________ interrupting product flow
100%
without
______________ are widely used type of shipping container for consumer and industrial products
cases
Inventory represents a commitment of _________
money
Conveyors should be thought of as the ____________ of a packaging line
artery
T or F:
In-mold labeling does not require adhesive on the labels
false
E= electric
H= hydraulic
P= pneumatic
1. Subject to fluid leaks
2. Good, precise motion control
3. Movements generally to stop limits, no in-between
4. Used for medium to high force or weight applications
5. Most prevalent type in industry
1. H
2. E
3. P
4. H
5. E
T or F:
Most inventory decisions are trade-offs involving a compromise between cost and customer service level
True
Cases are design to contain ___________ quantity of product; 6, 10, 12, and 24 units are common
marketable
Heat sensitive labels are labels that change color with temperature
false
Name 5 of the 6 label printing methods discussed in lecture
1. flexography
2. gravure
3. silkscreen
4. digital
5. letterpress
What type of metal often used in food processing equipment is difficult to detect with metals detectors
stainless steel
What is the reason in lecture that cases come knocked down
-reduce cost
-take up less space during storage and distribution
D = dynamic weighing
S = static weighing
B = both
N = neither
1. Stops (pauses) an item while weighing
2. Lower accuracy in exchange for increased line speed
3. Allows an item to continue to move while weighing
4. Improve accuracy at the cost of slower li
1. S
2. D
3. D
4. S
5. B
1. Line runs 3 shift a day, and the line is expected to operate for 7 hrs each shift
2. downtime is 56 hrs per day
3. equipment is designed to run at 150 packages per day
4. 175,000 packages are produced per day, of which 150,000 are acceptable
Availability:
(uptime - downtime) / uptime
(3 shifts x 7 hrs x 60 min) - 56 min = 1204 min
=1204 min/1260min
Performance:
actual produced/ (uptime x expected produced)
175,000pkg/ (150pkg x 1260min)
Quality:
acceptable pkg / pkg produced
150,000pkg / 175,
A solution to handling small, thin, asymmetric, and irregular shaped containers on a packaging line is to place the containers into ___________
pucks
If a downstream machine is jammed, the ______________ continues to accept product flow from upstream machines for a while
accumulator
The tacky surface of labels using ______________-sensitive adhesive is covered with a quick release liner
pressure
Metal detection is primarily an issue with ________ processing.
food
List 3 of the 5 basic questions (the 5 W's) that should be asked when evaluating machines, lines, and efficiencies
1. Why are we doing this?
2. Who should be doing this work?
3. What needs to be done?
4. When does something need to be done?
5. Where is the work being done?
List 3 of the 6 end effectors for industrial/packaging robots
1. mechanical grippers
2.
vacuum grippers
3.
vacuum suckers
4.
magnetic grippers
5. pneumatic grippers
6. hydraulic grippers
T or F:
Line speed is the rate at which the conveyor moves along a surface, generally stated in feet/min
F
Name 3 of the 4 most popular styles of cases according to the PMMI reading material
-RSC
-Trays
-Open top cases
Briefly describe the piston effect that can occur when some products are dropped into a bag-forming tube on a Form-Fill-Seal machine
when air gets trapped at the bottom of the bag with no easy way for it to escape
T or F: Vertical machines generally require more floor space than horizontal machines
F
T or F: Sealing jaws and cut-off devices can be either rotary or reciprocating
T
T or F: 3 sided pouches are made from a single web of material
T
A lap seal can be made of materials with sealing properties on only one side
F
Horizontal machines that fill from the top use a single sealing jaw to simultaneously form the top (closing) seal of one pouch and the bottom seal of the next pouch
F
H = high frequency oscillating magnetic field
S = static magnetic field
1. Detects both ferrous and nonferrous metals
2. Sensitive only to ferrous (iron containing) metals
3. Can not be used to inspect food in aluminum foil
1. H
2. S
3. H
Conveyor
a horizontal, inclined, or vertical device for moving or transporting bulk materials or objects in a path predetermined by design of the device having points of loading and discharge
---
pkg line conveyor transfers products or pkgs between points on the l
Conveyor speed
the rate at which the conveyor moves along a surface, generally stated in ft/min or m/min
Line speed
the rate at which product is transferred past a point on the conveyor, generally stated in units of product (pounds, parts, containers) per min
single-lane flow
- a single row of product being carried along a conveyor. AKA: in-line flow
mass flow
-two or more rows of containers being carried side by side on the same conveyor without dividing rails to separate them into individual lanes
line width
-the number of adjacent (side by side) rows in a mass flow being carried on a conveyor
conveyor width
-the physical width of a moving section of a conveyor
-ex: width of a moving belt
frame width
full physical width of conveyor system, including any farm or mounting
longitudinal pitch
the center-to-center spacing between containers in the direction of motion (travel), generally stated in inches or meters
transverse pitch
the center-to-center spacing between containers across the width of the conveyor, generally stated in inches
Integration of conveyors into a packaging line must consider several factors:
1. Proper type of conveyor for product
2. Speed and load capacity required
3. Compatibility (easy of interconnecting) with available packaging machines
4. Dynamic movement of product/containers on conveyor
5. Inclusion of guiderails, sensors, and other co
Conveyor Cleats
-outward extensions from a conveyor belt that aid in movement of a product or pkg along the conveyor system
-prevent unwanted sliding
-useful when using an incline
Pucks
Small, thin, asymmetric, and irregular shaped containers can have stability and other flow issues that prevent them from moving smoothly through a pkg line
--pucks help hold these containers in proper orientation
Accumulators
- allow conveying systems to isolate, at least temporarily, the critical machine from disruptions in upstream or downstream package flow
-can be either vertical or horizontal
3 main causes of downtime
1. maintenance
2. changeover
3. stoppage impacts
Power Sources
1. Hydraulic
2. Electric
3. Pneumatic
Power Sources: hydraulic
-high power to size ratio at robot
-used for medium to high force or weight application
-subject to fluid leaks, fire hazards, noise, etc
power sources: electric
-can be AC or DC electrical power
-good, precise motion control
-clean, no contamination
-low noise
-limited force development
-most prevalent type in industry when weight or force capacity is not a major factor
Power Sources: pneumatic
-compressed air readily available in industrial settings
-movements generally to stop limits, either open or closed, no in-between
-lower forces than hydraulics, generally used for lower weight or low to medium force applications
-noisy
Medical Device: Equipment and Process validation
-Installation Qualification (IQ) -Verifies all utilities and options per the equipment manual
-Operational Qualification (OQ) -Equipment>Statistically verifies critical equipment functions.
Process Qualification (PQ) -Verifies critical parameters at nomin
Medical Industry Challenges
1. Equipment Purchase
�It's important to get involved upfront in the purchasing process, if possible
2. Ever-changing Regulatory Environment
�Standard Updates
�Seal Width
3. Day to Day Activities on the Production Floor
�Operator Training
�Equipment Maint