Stackable packs of baby feed cups
The Challenge
Two Fuji flow-wrappers, specially adapted to provide closely wrapped collations of plastic cups that can nevertheless be stacked, have been installed by Cannon Avent, Glemsford, Suffolk, to handle its new Via range of baby feeding containers.
The Via cups are supplied as a sterile product, particularly for one-time use outside the home, yet can be re-sterilised and re-used if required.
Production takes place within a clean-room where the moulded product from injection moulding machines is transferred automatically into the infeed of the two Fuji FW3710B flow-wrappers, in nested collations of varying numbers.
Supplied by UK agent Paramount Packaging Systems, the flow-wrappers are equipped with automatic reel splicing equipment to allow continuous running, with operators only required to enter the clean-room to reload reels of film into the splicers.
The Solution
The machines are fitted with gas flushing facilities to maintain sterility and employ box motion sealing jaws that move with the laminate films employed, so providing the extra dwell time required for secure hermetic seals.
However, the sealing system also incorporates a new mechanism, designed in collaboration between Avent, Paramount and Fuji, which allows the front edge of the pack to be drawn back deep into the leading cup.
The Outcome
“The ability to create this pack form was critical for the product and Paramount where the only machine manufacturer that was prepared to develop a system around our ideas,” explains Cannon Avent industrial engineer Andrew Lees.
“The machines also give us the high-quality seals we require, as well as stainless steel construction and ease of cleaning.”