Dessert Maker Sees a ‘Shrink’: Motion Shrink Wrap Machines

“We looked at other automatic L-bar machines and none of them would run for more than a couple of hours without a problem, or if they did run, the quality of the wrap was not to our standards,” Fink explains. “Based on positive experience with Lantech’s stretch wrapping machinery, we agreed to shake down their new SW-1000 shrink wrapping machine. They knew we’d put a lot of cycles on it in a short time, and this enabled us to suggest a number of improvements that were adopted as well.”

With its continuous rotary side-seal and reciprocating end-seal jaws, the SW-1000 provides a blend of technology found in a high-speed machine, but at the low end of cost, according to Fink. The SW-1000 is suited for polyolefin, PVC and LDPE films. With a maximum rate of 40 packs/min., the machine accepts min/max product sizes of 3” L x 1” W x 0.125” H to infinite length x 15” W x 8” H.

The wrapping machines utilize Lantech’s Ever-Clean rotary side-seal system in conjunction with an innovative electronic film drive. The rotary side-seal mounts a sharpened cutting wheel and a heated fusing wheel adjacent to each other on the same axis. The unique system allows setting of the true seal temperature, not an arbitrary voltage. Because the sealing wheel does not have to cut the film, the temperature can be set for the minimum needed to fuse, or laminate, the seam, instead of melting the film to a liquid state, which causes film build-up on the sealing surfaces. The heated wheel maintains light pressure against a special rubber back-up wheel.

“The side seal system has proved very reliable and easy to set up for our work force,” Fink says. “Film doesn’t stick to the sealing surfaces, so it has eliminated the need for routine cleaning.”

Variable frequency drives on the machine provide electronically controlled film collapse and product spacing – all settable through the machine’s control. The trim winder for the side seal is tension controlled. It only pulls on the trim when it senses “slack.” There is no clutch to adjust to compensate for the changing diameter of the trim spool. Thus, a very narrow edge trim can be used without it tearing and causing machine stops. And removing trim from the take-up spool is easier too, because the material cannot be over tightened on the spool.

Bag length is set in the machine’s control. Fink says this alone saves at least two inches of film per bag. And with the packs under better control by the machine, they can now be fed with the 8” dimension as length, so trim at the side seal is reduced by several inches.

The password protected control prevents unauthorized personnel from changing the machine’s settings, which is a nice feature, according to Fink.

“If you put a knob on a machine, you can be sure someone, who’s not supposed to, is going to turn it,” he adds.

Lantech’s control offers three levels of password protection to allow supervisors to control exactly who has access to what features. Running 60-ga., 18-inch, center-folded Bemis Clysar film, Lakeview Farms currently puts about 10,000 to 15,000 cycles per day on each of its three Lantech shrink-wrap machines.

“We’re producing more, with three fewer operators on the line, less material and virtually no rewrap,” Fink said. “We received the third machine just as we started producing a large order in early January. We just rolled the machine in, set it up, and within 20 minutes it was running…and we’ve never looked back.”

Ray Kemble of Kemble & Rude Communications, Inc. (Cincinnati, Ohio) can be reached at 513-871-4042 or [email protected].