Simplifying Complex Processes

Sustainability, safety, energy efficiency - the list of requirements when building a machine is long. When it comes to the automation of packaging systems such as FFS machines, for example, engineers need to ask themselves what the ideal solution might look like. Configuring individual components takes a lot of time. SEWEurodrive's StarterSET, however, offers a fully comprehensive automation solution that covers everything from the hardware and software to the cloud.

- Hans-Joachim Müller

It's not just amateur gardeners I green fingers who need sustainability actually becomes a key focal point much earlier on in the supply chain, when their seeds are being packaged. Materials that can be recycled and composted are growing in popularity. This places special demands on the automated packaging process, during which vertical FFS (form, fill & seal) machines are used to package bulk materials such as tea. The individual steps of the fully automated process not only need to dovetail perfectly to enable high throughput, the machine also needs to be operated with maximum energy efficiency. "On top of that, we are seeing more and more sustainable paper packaging being used instead of film and foil," explains Alexander Hack, Strategic Portfolio Manager at SEWEurodrive.

However, what initially sounds like a simple change presents many machine engineers with new challenges. This is because paper tears more easily than film and foil. Machines need to be able to control the packaging process very sensibly so that packaging doesn't get damaged and failures don't occur. Furthermore, the most important factor in operating FFS machines is that they provide all-round safety for both the operator and the machine.

STARTERSET MAKES LIFE EASIER FOR MACHINE ENGINEERS