The new technology could provide a valuable tool to the industry, with promises of greater flexibility and increased end product numbers. The new Sigpack Systems line handles 600 blister packs a minute, wraps them into pillow packs then groups these with explanatory leaflets before placing them into cartons.
The system attempts to overcome problems packaging lines tend to suffer, such as jamming or overflow. Sigpack uses a belt approach - claimed to be unique in the marketplace - that feeds the product into three vertical machines, offering a buffering function to iron out any production peaks or troughs. Sensors individually control the fill levels and controlled non-jamming dosing is integrated in the machine as standard.
A quality control mechanism is also included that inspects each individual blister pack. Before blister packs are placed into a lug chain, the barcode is scanned to double check the correct literature is provided.
The system records any error and the reject is eliminated accordingly. Perfect blisters can therefore be reused at a later time without any interruption to production. Suction is used to suck empty or faulty packs out of the line. Production statistics are recorded by the control system.
The system benefits from a new approach for infeeding, using a feeding wheel spun at a speed of 600ppm. This provides precise and secure handling of products of different heights. Quality control is further maintained by the use of a laser that codes the individual packs before they are passed on. Rejects are again removed at this point so that the good blisters can be reused.
As a result of the implemented features, Sigpack Systems claims to operate at efficiency levels of up to 98 per cent.
Meanwhile, IWKA PacSystems of the UK recently introduced a new blister packing machine that can also operate at speeds of up to 600 packs per minute. The Blisterpac BP20 was the first machine in the new range.