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Heat Sealer with Custom-Shaped Elements (Case Study)
Two of the custom seal shapes required
In the Autumn of 2024, we were contacted by a medical contract manufacturer with a challenging opportunity. They required a custom sealer to replace an existing unit that was experiencing too many service issues, specifically, failure of the expensive custom impulse heating elements. IMPAK's technicians have years of experience in designing and building custom-shaped heating elements for a variety of applications.
For this build, the customer specified that the unit would need to meet the following criteria:
- Produce bottle-shaped seals of three different shapes/sizes
- Use more robust, longer-lasting heating elements
- Eliminate the need to use a second straight line sealer to make the final seal for each pouch
- Require minimal time to replace elements when necessary
- Use a control system that only allowed the operator to choose pre-set recipes, not to change recipe parameters
- Use a cycle start system that would provide maximum safety for the operator
- Create seals that would be strong as well as visually appealing, as the machine was sealing a product that they would be sold to end users
- Have features and finish that would allow the machine to be delivered clean room ready
Given these parameters, our engineering team designed a machine that would use heated die sets in place of the custom impulse elements used on the customer’s original machine. Since three different die sets would be used to seal the three sizes of bottle-shaped pouches, they were designed to be changed out via a simple pin mechanism.
The seal cycle was activated via dual Opti-touch switches that would ensure the operator's hands were kept out of the seal area. All parameters of the seal cycle were to be controlled by an Idec PLC / HMI system, specified by the customer, where the operator could choose what preset recipe was to be used but would require a password if any cycle parameter changes were to be made.
IMPAK has experience with IDEC, Panasonic, and Allen-Bradley PLC / HMI control systems as well as the proprietary iS2 Intelligent Sealing System that utilizes the excellent Siemens PLC / HMI hardware. To allow the machine to operate in a cleanroom environment the entire frame and control housing of the machine was manufactured using number 304 stainless steel.
The other pouch shapes this machine was designed to produce
Once the machine was completed, it was tested using material supplied by the customer. The customer traveled to our location and performed an FAT (Final Approval Test) on the unit. After a few minor adjustments, the machine was approved for shipment. The customer has recently confirmed that the machine is working well.
If you have a heat sealing project and have correctly determined that your application is too much of a challenge for other manufacturers, contact IMPAK and talk to our engineers to make it happen. Be sure to include a spec sheet for the material being sealed and the target production piece rate. If you include details of your application, we will exercise discretion as a matter of policy.