Baking & Snack - November 2019 - 102

HORIZONTAL FORM/FILL/SEAL

Heat seals require a window of time to operate,
which could slow down
the process but maintain
overall efficiency.
Bosch Packaging Technology

melting point than the inside so that the film doesn't
stick to the machine's jaws and hinder production.
Mr. Meer compared heat-sealing h/f/f/s equipment
with baking a cake. "If you're in a hurry, you can't just
turn the temperature up," he noted. "But there are tricks
to go faster. We have machines with what we call 'long
dwell' or 'extended dwell' technology. We don't increase
the temperature, but we increase time."
With a cold seal, however, the speed of products such
as snack bars can easily be increased. Like a Post-It note,
all it needs is pressure. This type of seal doesn't work for
every baked good or snack item, however, and it's more
expensive than heat seal.
Bakers and snack producers moving to sustainable
packaging must also understand that the change may affect the speed and quality of a package. Dennis Gunnell,
president, Formost Fuji, said that recyclable films not
only don't seal as fast, but the seal also won't be recyclable or as secure.
Despite the good intentions, there will be tradeoffs,
though this is an area that film manufacturers and others in the industry increasingly look to improve.
"Formable paper and semi-rigid compostable bioresin are coming on strong, and we have to adapt
to form and seal these materials," Mr. Angel said.
"Partnering with material providers is key to overcome
these obstacles and provide the sustainable packaging
people are expecting."

Moving forward with ease
While there are certain process parameters with h/f/f/s
to slow it down or change its direction, acceleration
in its less scientific definition is still a priority. "With
h/f/f/s, it's going to be pretty hard to be revolutionary," Mr. Gunnell said. "It's more evolutionary. We can
have better sensing and better control with servo, but
it will be incremental changes and not large changes."
Improved functions such as centerlining and additional

102 Baking & Snack November 2019 / www.bakingandsnack.com

digitalization, though perhaps not overall revolutionary,
make big differences.
For example, on the mechanical side, a new option for
repeatability has increased changeover speed and setup
consistency. "A few years ago, we had an adjustable former
that had a bunch of slots and scales. An operator had to
put it back in the same spot, but if you did it 10 times, you
probably wouldn't get it exactly the same," Mr. Meer explained. "Now our adjustable former is made up of digital
positions horizontally and vertically. This allows the operator to put it in the exact place every time."
Formost Fuji's adjustable-forming box also has greater precision than the typical fixed forming box. With a
preset point, a simple knob will adjust the parameters in
seconds, and employees don't have to constantly remove
a part and put a new one on, according to Mr. Gunnell.
Through digitalization and specific functional changes,
the company's h/f/f/s equipment also has greater flexibility and gives more control to the customer.
Film splicing is also another technology that has allowed for greater repeatability and less mistakes by operators. "Traditionally, it was very operator-dependent,"
Mr. Meer said. "If they do it consistently in the right way
every time, that method can be pretty good. The problem is that they don't. They lose focus and lose efficiency." Bosch has a film splice for its HRM wrapper that is
high speed and automates the entire changeover.
In addition to changeovers, digitalization has altered the
rate and consistency of machines during production. For
example, Ossid, decreases production time through picking and placing solutions, which have also helped h/f/f/s
equipment become more feasible, according to Mr. Angel.
Volpak America's new continuous unwind and printto-seal functions on its h/f/f/s machine prevent material from being stretched and, if stretching does occur,
ensure the pouch is sealed correctly, according to Marty
Bechtel, sales director, Volpak America, supported by
RA Jones. Walking beam technology also grips two

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Baking & Snack - November 2019

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