TMI - bagging & palletizing

ONE BAGGING MACHINE, TWO DOSING SYSTEMS: FLEXIBILITY AND SAFETY IN FOOD PACKAGING PROCESSES

April 30, 2021

TMI's new solution enables two very different products to be bagged with a single FFS bagger with hygienic food grade design.

TMI has developed and manufactured a customised solution for a major international sugar producer that needed to bag two different products with very different performances. The in-depth knowledge of our product engineers, together with the customer's expertise, has allowed us to develop this solution for bagging two types of sugar using a single bagging machine.

 

The needs of the customer

The customer produces mainly two types of sugar: Soft Brown Sugar (SBS), which is highly mellow, adherent and difficult to handle, and Coarse Medium Sugar (CMS), which has a completely different behaviour and can be easily dosed by gravity.

Up to now, the customer was using a semi-automatic belt-weighing bagging machine, which was not specially designed for SBS. This generated a significant loss which at the end of the day would result in hundreds of kilos being stored in a reject bin. Therefore, one of the main goals was to reduce it.

The customer had assigned a limited space for this process automation project, which was too small to accommodate two bagging machines. Therefore, it required a single bagging machine that could handle both products.

A further important factor for the packaging of the two different products was the preservation conditions, which depended on the properties of each product: SBS requires an airtight vacuumized bag in order to preserve its properties for a longer period of time. CMS, on the other hand, requires breathable packaging to prevent the forming of clumps.

Because sugar is a food product, it requires a high level of hygiene. In this case, frequent water cleaning together with thorough drying of all parts in contact with the product were key to the design of the solution, which had to include food-grade finishes, such as parts in contact in AISI 304 stainless steel or FDA-certified.

And all this while maintaining a minimum nominal production of 7 bags/minute, and a maximum speed of 10 bags/minute in 20kg bags of FFS film.

 

The solution from TMI

TMI proposed the ILERBAG V flat film bagging machine to the customer, given the need to install an automatic bagging machine with FFS technology.

Having carried out the required tests in the TMI laboratory (ILERLAB), it soon became clear that this project required two different dosing systems: gravity and conveyor belt. This automatically opened the door to develop a bagging machine that could switch between the two dosing systems and which would allow:

- packaging 2 products with a single bagging machine,

- to use the minimum space necessary for packaging,

- to alternate filling and cleaning cycles,

- to pack hermetic or breathable bags, depending on the product.

These were the keys to the design of the ILERBAG VNGT:

 

MOVABLE BAGGING MACHINE

Easy and precise position switch: The ILERBAG VNGT shifts from one dosing system to the other by means of an upper rail system. It has three positions, enabling the bagging machine to be placed under each of the weighers and in a third position for maintenance.

Automatic connections: as soon as the machine is in position under one of the weighers, the connecting mechanism is activated by means of a pneumatic cylinder and flexible connections, the connector drops down, locks into position and automatically fastens onto the bagging machine.

 

HYGIENE

Quick and easy water cleaning: An automatic cleaning system with internal circulation and strategically placed sprayballs that apply hot water to all the internal surfaces of the dosing system. This water is evacuated by means of a watertight collecting system and is directed to the drainage point. This cycle is activated automatically by recipe and runs for 5 minutes. Finally, an air drying cycle is activated, preparing the surfaces to come in contact with the product.

Minimal floor support: Thanks to the upper guiding system, the bagging machine remains in contact with the floor only during bagging operations. 

Minimised loss: A double scraper system optimises the packaging process by recovering the product stuck to the conveyor belt, which falls into the weighing bucket during filling. This minimises the wastage of product, which occurred with the previous system used by the customer.

 

FLEXIBILITY

For the packaging: The same bagging machine can be used to produce airtight bags for Soft Brown Sugar, and it can also perforate the bags with the integrated punching system.

For operation: While the ILERBAG VNGT is working under one of the two dosing systems, the cleaning cycle can be activated in the other, so that the overall operation and hygiene process is optimised.

 

EASE AND SAFETY OF OPERATION

Tool-free operation: Both dosing units are designed to be completely disassembled without the use of tools, likewise the reel change system, the forming tube and the punching device.

Safe position change: The position change is carried out using a pushbutton terminal with dead man's device, which ensures safety around the machine during movement.

Quick and safe connections: The harting connections ensure that the change of position of the bag exit conveyor belts can be carried out quickly and easily, with a quick connection of the wiring.


AGROPIENSO - DESIGN AND CONSTRUCTION OF A COMPLETE BAGGING LINE FOR FEEDSTUFFS

October 18, 2021

Agropienso, a Spanish cooperative feed manufacturer, has modernised its end-of-line with a bagging machine, a palletiser and a stretch wrapper from TMI. The mutual trust between the two companies has been the key to the success of this project. José Enrique Calderón, Head of Agropienso's factories, tells us about his experience:

 

ABOUT THE COMPANY

Agropienso is a cooperative founded in 1979, whose more than 40 years of history with a constant evolution in infrastructures and investment in R&D, has made it one of the main producers of compound feed, both in Aragon and at a national level.

Among its greatest achievements are ensuring the profitability of farms, food safety, respect for the environment and animal welfare and health, with a positive and direct impact on the agricultural economy of the surrounding area.

The company aims to meet the needs of both large and small farmers, and this largely involves diversifying its activities. For this reason, Agropienso also has a petrol station, cereal drying and storage facilities, an insemination centre, etc., which provide a service to many livestock farmers in the area.

José Enrique Calderón, Head of Agropienso's factories, explains: "We offer the same product as many other feed producers, but we go further thanks to our cooperative mentality. For the farmer, coming here is like going to the supermarket, we have: a medicine shop, hardware store, phytosanitary products, products for the fields, our petrol station... we have a lot more things around us and people take advantage of this.  This differentiates us from other feed producers and that is why the farmers in the surrounding area trust Agropienso".

 

ITS NEEDS

Although it is true that the automation of livestock farming, with increasingly larger installations, has increased the demand for bulk at the expense of bagged products, small farmers continue to use the bag format, which is more suitable for small-scale consumption. Agropienso wants to continue looking after all these farmers around them who have always trusted the company, offering its products in this format as well.

On the other hand, Agropienso also dedicates part of its activity to packaging services, offering them to other feed producers who do not own bagging machinery. Therefore, the company needed modern machinery that would allow them not only to bag their own products, but also to be prepared to provide a packaging service to any producer who might require it.

Agropienso already owned two bagging lines (the first one equipped with a TMI palletiser and the second one completely manufactured by TMI).

The need to modernise the first line had long been considered, given the disadvantages a bagging line presents after 30 years of use: weighing was carried out using weights, the components were already obsolete and it was difficult to find spare parts, almost more time was spent on small repairs than on the actual use of the machine, etc....

In addition, the existing line consisted of a bagging and palletising machine, with a semi-automatic turntable stretch wrapper. This had initially been installed to be used occasionally for the storage of pallets outside. However, in practice, it came to be used on a regular basis, because the handling of unwrapped pallets often resulted in broken bags. Therefore, it became clear that it was necessary to integrate an automatic stretch wrapper into the new line. 

So Agropienso contacted directly TMI for advice on the possibilities of modernising this line.

 

WHY TMI?

Not only did Agropienso own a complete TMI bagging line, but it had also worked very closely with its engineering and technical team in changing an existing bagging machine's dosage from gross to net weight. This long-term relationship had generated "a good experience track record with TMI".

Another decisive factor in the choice of supplier was proximity. As we have already mentioned, one of Agropienso's missions is to bring life to the region around it, opting mainly for local companies as suppliers. Not to mention that proximity speeds up all maintenance, interventions, and communication in general.

 

THE SOLUTION FROM TMI

After a thorough analysis of the project and Agropienso's needs, TMI proposed a complete line consisting of:

  • ILERSAC ANT: This is a precise, rigid, and cost-effective bagging machine, and is therefore very well suited to the needs of the animal feed sector. ILERSAC A makes the bagging process fully automated: from the moment the bag placer module picks up each bag to place it at the filling spout, to the evacuation and closing of the filled bag, all the processes are carried out automatically within the same bagging machine. It is also a flexible and modular bagging machine, which can bag from 5 to 50kg of feed in pre-packed bags, with a quick and agile format change.

In the case of Agropienso, ILERSAC A has been equipped with a net weight dosing unit by conveyor belt model ILERPES NT, hence the full name of the bagging machine: ILERSAC ANT. This bagging machine reaches 700 bags/hour when combined with this weighing and dosing module.  It therefore optimises production at the bagging point, while always maintaining a constant production rate.

  • ILERPAL R: This is TMI's robotic arm palletiser. With the change of palletiser type - from Cartesian gantry to robotic - Agropienso has been able to increase its palletising capacity from a maximum of 400 bags/hour to 700 bags/hour, without taking up more space in the plant and obtaining optimum pallet finishes and great stability.  

ILERPAL R has a layer forming system using a gripper that allows the overlapping of open-mouth bags. It is also highly versatile, simplifying format changes in a range from 5 to 50kg.

  • ILERGIR: The pallet wrapping system from TMI is very compact and highly efficient: This automatic stretch wrapper ILERGIR can perform a complete wrapping of the pallet, from the bottom to the top, protecting the loads against the weather and improving safety in the plant.

In the case of Agropienso, it helps to ensure that the loads are kept intact during handling in the plant, providing great savings in safety and labour costs (compared to the semi-automatic system previously available).

 

THE RESULT

This line has recently been installed at the Agropienso plant in Esplús, Huesca, Spain

José Enrique explains that, although not everything in the garden is rosy and there have been moments of "pressure trying to start using the machines as soon as possible", cooperation and perseverance have been the key to the success of this project, given that "good results have been obtained when working in partnership with TMI".

"After many years without undertaking a new installation, when you actually do it, you find out a lot of surprising things; a lot of improvements that ultimately you realise you would like to apply to the old [machines]. TMI has learnt a lot and has incorporated them into its new machines. TMI has acquired knowledge from the installations it has made, and you can see an evolution". - explains José Enrique, who sees an improvement in this line, not only in the bagging process but also in the entire plant environment and in the day-to-day life of the workers: "The cost of the machine is not only what you can recover, but also all the safety and labour costs that a manual system entails and which are saved thanks to a line with these kind".

 

THE FUTURE

The agri-food sector is very changeable and the future is always full of surprises. In the case of Agropienso, having an end of line with these capacities means being prepared for whatever may come - both in terms of their own production and the outsourcing services they offer.

"You never know when someone is going to come along asking you to make 40,000 bags every day. Now we are prepared. Before, we weren't. We have been offering packaging services for many years using the old line and now we have increased this capacity".

Thus, this new installation provides Agropienso with a greater entity in the sector and establishes it as a reference company for those producers in the area who need packaging services.

 

EXCELLENCE IN RELATIONSHIPS

Trust and partnership have been the key to the success of this project. Among others, because offering professional service and attention, collaborating with customers in the development of their business and the desire to exceed their expectations are key links in TMI's chain of values.

Do you want to know how you can improve the productivity of your production line with TMI? Contact us through this form and get customised advice.


BAGGING OF POLYAMIDES, COMPOSITES AND MASTERBATCH - TECHNICAL ISSUES TO CONSIDER

August 25, 2021

This article deals with the technical particularities of packaging in petrochemicals, more specifically in the field of polymers and technical resins.

A whole world of possibilities opens up when we talk about polyamides, composites and masterbatches. Talking about "polymers" as a general term is like talking about "the stars in the universe" (also as a general term): This is a highly technical type of product, and few are the lucky ones in this world who are up to date with all the existing materials in the field. Only the manufacturers have an in-depth knowledge of the characteristics of each of their products. 

So, no: in this article we will not go into detail on whether this or that solution is better or worse for each type of polyamide. What we will do is focusing on the most common concerns when packaging polymers and masterbatches and on those technical packaging solutions that can dissipate them.

 

 

SMALL BATCHES, BIG REQUIREMENTS

If there is one thing that differentiates the production of technical compounds from that of polyolefins (PE, PP, HDPE,...), it is the volume: specialisation in the production of increasingly technical materials micronises production, resulting in a large number of small batches.

These are batches of generally +/-200kg, that once packaged turns into 8 standard 25kg bags. This amount allows no room for error: accuracy is of paramount importance, and you need to fit your bagging equipment with a dosing system capable of guaranteeing it from the first to the last bag you produce. This would be, for example, an ILERPES BG gravity gross weight dosing system, which has been designed to optimise the height for maximum accuracy

Wondering what height and accuracy have in common? You see...

There are several variables that influence weighing accuracy: the product behaviour, because it is not the same for a product that flows in a regular way (such as granules) or one that tends to vault (some powders); the product density, because the higher the density, the greater the challenge of accuracy; and the height of the product column, i.e. the distance between the dosing unit and the inside of the bag, in the case of gross weight, or between the dosing unit and the weighing bucket, in the case of net weight.

The latter is decisive for the weight controller to be able to perform its predictive function and stop the flow rate at the right time, taking into account the falling product in the product passage column. The lower the height, the more precise the flow cut-off and thus the weighing.

 

CLEANING, CLEANING, ... AND CLEANING AGAIN

Still on the topic of manufacturing technical materials in small batches: If your company produces masterbatch or other technical materials with very specific and/or powerful characteristics, you know what it's all about: cross-contamination is to an extruder like food after midnight for Gremlins, it can have devastating effects!

This is why it is extremely necessary to implement a cleaning protocol after each batch change. Of course, this has a direct impact on the optimisation of the production line, because applying the cleaning protocol costs time and labour (hygiene, change of consumables, ...).

How can you optimise this process to reduce downtime and related costs? Well, by choosing the right equipment:

  • The bagging machine should be designed without any corners, especially in the product circulation ducts. In this way, there is no possibility of uncontrolled product remains.
  • Include a blowing system through the product circulation ducts prior to the cleaning protocol: you will ensure that no product is left and also shorten the time the operator spends on this task.
  • The cleaning process will be considerably shortened if the equipment is easily accessible. The tool-less approach is highly recommended in as many parts of the bagging machine as possible. This will make your bagging process much more agile.

 

HUMIDITY: IT'S NOT ONLY BAD FOR YOUR BONES

Humidity can intrude and invade polymers in many ways: by binding to their constituent molecules, by resting between constituents, or by remaining on their surface. In the case of hygroscopic plastics, moisture absorption into the granules is particularly insidious. When polymers are subjected to processing temperatures, humidity negatively affects the aesthetic and functional quality of the final product in many ways (scratches, bubbles, structural stresses, cracks, ...). 

To prevent this possibility, polyamides must be properly protected during transport and storage.

But, how?

First of all, make sure that you choose a technical bag that meets the requirements of the product. There are a variety of bag manufacturers offering bags made of complex laminates of PE, PET, metallised PET, sandblasted PET, OPA, APP, aluminium, ....  Make sure that the bag you choose can be thermo-sealed correctly and that your supplier fully understands your needs. The type of bag, pre-made or reel type, together with the target output, will determine the bagging technology to be applied: manual, automatic or FFS (Form-Fill-Seal).

Whatever the bagging machine, what really matters in terms of product protection is that the bag sealing system is capable of completely extracting the air, and even inerting the atmosphere, thermosealing the bag perfectly (without the possibility of breakages or leaks). This can be achieved using a vacuum cannula thermosealing system such as the one you can see in this video.

In addition, a thermosealing machine with vacuum cannula such as the ILERSEAL C, can contribute to cost reduction, because it can eliminate bag deaeration systems and valves that add technical costs to the consumable.

 

SAFETY FIRST

One of the top concerns of the petrochemical industry is, and will increasingly be, safety. This covers operator safety, product safety, asset safety, property safety... the safety of EVERYTHING in and around a production plant.

The key to keeping every task and every gesture under control in these circumstances is the standardisation of procedures.

What if there were procedures that do not require standardisation?

Automation of the packaging process can make a big contribution in this sense: An automatic bagging machine for pre-made bags with integrated heat sealing, such as the ILERSAC H, or an FFS (Form-Fill-Seal) bagging machine, such as the ILERBAG H, is a step forward. In an area of about 15m2, an automatic bagging machine takes the bag, fills it, thermoseals it and lays it down on the exit conveyor.

This way, no human intervention is required in these processes and the operators can be assigned to other tasks where they are less exposed.

 

SUSTAINABILITY

By now you probably know that recyclability, sustainability and the famous 3Rs no longer sound like a tall tale. Preserving the environment has become the greatest challenge facing humanity in the 21st century. Thus, not only is legislation to regulate the consumption and management of plastics gaining importance (especially in the European Union), but also initiatives are emerging in industry to prevent the dispersion of plastics, such as the OCS-Zero pellets loss.

The main objective of this initiative is to control the risk of product leakage at all stages of the value chain, including the filling and handling of bags. And it is here that the need for the bagging machine to be fully leak-proof, designed to prevent product losses at all times, becomes particularly relevant. And in the event that leakages do occur, they should be detectable and recoverable.

The big problem for generations to come will be the tons and tons of plastic released into the environment, along with the lack of resources to produce more. This is an issue of growing concern to consumers, who are increasingly aware of the problem and are becoming more picky about the product they buy and its entire value chain. This has an upstream impact on the industrial producer, who needs to reduce plastic consumption, starting with optimising packaging.

One way to achieve this can be through FFS technology, which allows you to optimise bag sizes based on product density and weight for each format, so that you can ensure that only the minimum material required to protect the product is used for each bag. By working according to recipes and format adjustments, machines such as the ILERBAG H or ILERBAG HS enable you to reduce the tonnes of plastic used annually to package your product.

This reduction not only translates into sustainability, but also into profitability for the company: the less material used, the lower the cost of consumables per unit.

 

REGARDING PROFITABILITY...

Do you know if your end-of-line really allows you to achieve the expected ROI?

Low equipment availability may be slowing down the return on investment. It is important to provide your end-of-line with a control system that allows you to collect data, especially OEE (Overall Equipment Effectiveness) indicators, in order to carry out an objective analysis and identify those points that need improvement, both in terms of equipment and procedures. In this way, you will be able to make better decisions for the profitability of the company based on real data.

You can read more about OEE and real-time control in this article.

 

Do you want to know how TMI can help you optimise the packaging process of your products and achieve your improvement goals? Contact us and we will study your case.

 


BAGGING AGRI-FOOD INGREDIENTS - THE KEYS TO SETTING UP YOUR OPTIMAL BAGGING LINE

July 23, 2021

Do you want to know which are the key points to consider when defining your bagging line? In this article, you will learn more about it

Developing and manufacturing premixes, correctors, and ingredients for the agri-food industry is not a simple task: in order to cover the vitamin-mineral deficiencies of different types of animals and to meet the demands of this market, a wide range of products with different characteristics and behaviours are produced.

Managing such a variety of products in a single plant is complex: not only does it affect the manufacturing or the mixing process, but also the packaging and the packaging process.

In this article we want to show you the main points you should take into account when defining your packaging line for animal feed ingredients:

 

5 KEY FACTORS TO CONSIDER WHEN DEFINING THE BAGGING LINE

There are many aspects to consider when defining the technical solution that meets the needs of each manufacturer. Here are the ones you should take into account:

 

1. NUMBER OF PRODUCTS AND BATCHES

Vitamins, macro-correctors, micro-correctors, preservatives, pro-nutrients, enzymes, antioxidants, flavourings, ... The range of products that a manufacturer of agri-food ingredients can work with is very wide. Production is often micronised, resulting in many small batches. This has a direct impact on the optimization of the production line, as every changeover costs time and labour (hygiene, replacing consumables, ...) thus penalizing the total production.

If your company produces a lot of batches, you probably already know what we are talking about: the famous and dreadful downtime. So what you need is a bagging system that allows you to make quick and agile changeovers and avoid cross-contamination. You can achieve this with a purpose-built bagging machine with a hygienic design finish. As well as the application of the tool-less concept: i.e. the machine can be cleaned without the need to use tools to access all parts of the bagging area.

 

2. PRODUCT PROPERTIES

Bagging pelleted animal feed is not the same as bagging a powdered vitamin corrector: the dosing system is not the same, nor is the complexity involved.

In an animal feed pellet production facility, the conventional approach is belt dosing and packaging in paper sacks with stitching or perhaps a more complete closure in certain cases. There are no major technical complications.

By contrast, in the case of powdery products, such as vitamins, premixes, additives, agri-food colourings, medical ingredients, etc., where the granulometry of the product is usually measured in µm, things change: It is necessary to ensure a certain degree of tightness in the packaging process, as well as in the packaging itself; it is also necessary to provide for the aspiration of dust that may be released during the filling and bag handling process, or even to prevent the release of dust; The surfaces of the equipment must be prepared to be easily sanitised to avoid accumulations of dust that could result in sources of contamination; as aluminium bags are typically used, it is likely to be necessary to include some system for extracting air from the bag, and even for defluidising the product to ensure the stability of the bags and pallets.

The above aspects directly affect the configuration of the bagging line and the technology required to ensure an optimal bagging process in each case.  

 

3. HYGIENE / ACCESSIBILITY

All food production facilities must maintain certain hygiene conditions to guarantee the quality of the product, whether for human or animal consumption (while in the case of products intended for human consumption the requirements are generally higher).

To this end, it is important to keep the environment clean and free of dust, avoid any remains in the ducts through which the product flows, and establish a cleaning protocol that ensures the elimination of any product remains at each batch change.

This brings us back to downtime: the longer spent on hygiene, the shorter the uptime of the bagging line, and the lower the profitability. This is why you need your bagging machinery to be as accessible as possible and designed in such a way that operators can clean it quickly. In other words, it has to meet the precepts of hygienic design.

 

4. LOGISTICS

When defining technical solutions for end-of-line, logistical requirements must always be taken into account. To this end, certain questions have to be considered:

Does your product need an airtight bag to maintain its properties for longer?

Are you going to transport your goods in containers?

Are you exporting your product to countries with strict packaging regulations?

Do you need to ensure that your product arrives fully intact at its destination?

If you answered yes to most of these questions, you may want to consider investing in good packaging and protecting the pallet with more than just plastic to ensure that unexpected costs do not arise in the long run.

Make sure you choose a bag that can maintain the properties of the product, and that it is suitable for the bagging technology that permits the correct extraction of air from the bag. If the vacuum is carried out correctly, palletised loads will also be more stable. And if you also protect the pallet laterally with film and cardboard, you will ensure that no breakages occur along the entire handling chain of your goods avoiding returns.

 

5. AVAILABLE SPACE

Whatever your product is and whatever bag you pack it in, there is one question you can't ignore before setting up your bagging line: How much space do you have for the end of the line?

Whether it is a new plant or an existing plant being renovated, it is important to consider the space that can be dedicated to packaging (including bagging, palletising, stretch wrapping, and handling and stocking of full pallets). And not only in terms of square meters but also in terms of height: A low building height can mean limitations for a defluidisation probe or a Cartesian palletiser.

Furthermore, unlike many might think, a fully automatic packaging installation can sometimes be more compact than a semi-automatic installation: bear in mind that the systems for closing bags, labelling, lying bags, etc. after bagging, also require space. Whereas an automatic bagging machine can contain all these processes in just 15m2 (depending on the machine model).

 

A CASE STUDY

All the above factors must be analysed one by one, to finally define the appropriate technical solution in each case. TMI can help you with this so that the implementation of your automatic or semi-automatic bagging line is a complete success.  Just to give you an example, we tell you how we designed the line that you can see at the following link video:

https://youtu.be/-oCm0dfeNRA

This producer manufactures additives and blends for animal feed. The particle size of its products ranges between 190 and 212 µm, with densities between 0-5 and 1,3 gr/cm3.  In other words, powdery products that are a potential source of contamination in the plant, if not properly treated.

Initially, these mixtures and additives were manually bagged in aluminium and PE bags, from which the air was partially extracted manually, and a Goglio degassing valve allowed the evacuation of the remaining air. But this system, despite being practical in terms of hygiene, given the easy accessibility of the manual bagging machine, entailed certain disadvantages: labour, special bags, the reduced shelf life of the product, ... Not to mention the difficulty of making higher pallets.

The need to automate this process was obvious. So this was the reason why this client consulted TMI.

TMI carried out a laboratory study of the different products, concerning densities and behaviour. As a result, it was possible to define the appropriate dosing system for a wide range of products as well as the bag size for each of the ranges that could be distinguished.

From here, a bagging and palletising line was designed to cover all the customer's packaging needs, consisting of the following machines: ILERSAC HCBSD automatic bagging machine for heat-sealable open-mouth bags, ILERPAL H hybrid layer palletiser, ILERGIR automatic stretch wrapper, and ILERBOX corrugated cardboard side protection module.

This installation has a small footprint, given that the processes of bagging, air extraction, heat sealing of the bag, weight control, rejection of non-conforming bags, palletising, wrapping, top cover with film, and side protection of the pallet with corrugated cardboard are carried out in a surface area of approximately 75m2.

Moreover, the conventional ILERSAC H has been redesigned to include a hygienic design, becoming the new ILERSAC HC, with the aim of making it a more accessible, easy-to-clean, and dust-free machine. Among others, the new improvements consist of:

  • Prevent any dust emission during the bagging process, using a new mobile, flexible and airtight bagging spout.
  • Apply hygienic finishes throughout the product flow path as well as in the design of the machine surrounding the parts in contact.
  • Extend the distance between sections within the bagging machine to make it more accessible.
  • Prevent dust accumulation and contamination with hygienic cabling integrated into the chassis.

The customer can therefore carry out batch changes much more quickly, optimising time and resources.

Further optimisation has been achieved by the customer at a logistical level: With the new ILERPAL H automatic bag palletiser, it can produce pallets up to 2.7 m high. This is clearly a logistical advantage, as it allows full use of the capacity of the HQ containers that are used for sea export. In addition, thanks to the ILERBOX module, side protection with cardboard has been automated, ensuring that the bags arrive unbroken at their destination.

As you can see, TMI offers very specific solutions to meet the requirements for end-of-line bagging.

What are yours? Tell us about them via the contact form and we will prepare a custom-made proposal for you.


ILERPORTAL: IMPROVE THE EQUIPMENT'S OVERALL EFFECTIVENESS

February 19, 2021

Traceability and real-time monitoring of the packaging line for optimised productivity

The main response to this new era is to monitor the production line constantly to make the right decisions through objective data analysis. Meanwhile, knowing where the final product is at all times is no longer preferable: it is essential. The key to achieving these goals lies in data traceability and communication systems and the integration of marking and coding systems into the production line.

 

What are OEE indicators and what do they measure?

Overall Equipment Effectiveness, or OEE, refers to key indicators that measure the overall effectiveness of the equipment in a production line (a packaging line, in this case). The advantage of this parameter, compared to others, is that it measures a production centre’s fundamental parameters, like availability, efficiency and quality, through just one indicator. Using this metric, the plant manager can see the bottleneck in the line and make decisions to optimise production and operation costs on the packaging line.

 

Real-time production line monitoring

It is highly important for pieces of end-of-line equipment to be connected to each other in order to send production data in real time to those supervising operations in the factory. With this in mind, as a manufacturer of complete bagging, palletising and stretch wrapping lines, TMI has developed its own management software named ILERPORTAL, which can monitor production data from various machines and create common working recipes.

Specifically, the software measures the availability, efficiency and work quality of each machine and can recognise why a machine is not running (lack of product, lack of consumables or technical fault). It can also detect how many units have been produced correctly, and how many are defective. The software’s ability to measure each machine’s performance over a certain time and communicate with higher systems ensures a very effective monitoring of the factory packaging line’s production.

 

Traceability solution integrated into the packaging line

Final product traceability within the production line makes it easier to monitor the production process. This traceability is achieved through individual product marking, so that each unit can be identified during each production process, thus improving the subsequent logistical process. Traditionally, on industrial packaging lines, bags can be identified in one of two ways: with marking (using ink or thermal transfer) or labels (sewn directly onto the bag or adhesive). But both of these solutions can pose problems, as this marking or labelling takes place in dusty environments, on irregular bag surfaces. Labels can come off easily.

TMI has developed a solution to mark the bag when it is empty, rather than when it has been filled. With this subtle change, the issue of the irregular surface is removed and the problem of the dusty environment is reduced considerably.


TMI REMAINS COMMITTED TO INTERNATIONALISATION

January 10, 2020

Within the current global context where more and more business is generated in the packaging sector, TMI keeps working towards internationalisation during 2019 in order to achieve a wider global presence.

Within the current global context where more and more business is generated in the packaging sector, TMI keeps working towards internationalisation during 2019 in order to achieve a wider global presence. The promotion actions carried out during the year are a clear example of this endeavour.

In 2019 TMI has exhibited in several international trade shows, and there are still others to come during the last quarter of the year. Thus, directly or thanks to the cooperation of the different local partners, this year TMI has satisfactorily exhibited in:

PROPAK CAPE 2019 – This leading show on Packaging took place between the 12th and the 15th march in Cape Town, South Africa. TMI was represented in the event by our distributor in the whole Sub-Saharan Africa: USS PACTECH.

AUSPACK 2019 – This packaging trade Show to watch out in Oceania was held from the 25th to the 26th March in Melbourne. Thanks to our local partner, PACKWEIGH, TMI was present in the event, where also David Padullés, sales director of TMI, could attend and give support.

POWTECH 2019 – This fair dedicated to solids handling took place in the well-known Bavarian city Nürnberg between the 9th and the 11th April. The event hosted all kind of solid products producers looking for handling solutions. TMI exhibited in a joint stand with its local partner ICOMA ZGS, where Iryna Siutsova and Ariadna Rovira advised the visitors about the newest bagging technology for their products.

COMPOUNDING WORLD EXPO 2019 – The first edition in the USA of this trade show dedicated to plastic compounds and its handling technologies was held the 8th and 9th May. TMI exhibited in it as an expert in the packaging of plastic compounds, plastic granules and products alike. The goal was to get in touch with its producers in North America and providing them insight on the bagging technology and specific innovations for this sector. We had the pleasure of the presence of our partner HS AUTOMATION, who supported Gerard Martinez and Ariadna Rovira ,from TMI, advising the visitors. The results of this show were immediate.

EXPO PACK Guadalajara 2019 – The young TMI LATAM was responsible for the successful presence of the brand in the Packaging leading trade show in Mexico. This show, held between the 11th and the 13th of June in Guadalajara, was a success for the subsidiary with seat in Queretaro, who has received the support of Jordi Martin from TMI. This edition has resulted into another demonstration of the good position of the subsidiary in this market. After the great success in the show we expect it to expand even more.

Still, these are not the only actions the company has planned for 2019: the third quartal of the year will be marked by other European shows, such as VRACTECH in Le Mans, France, or MASTERBATCH in Vienna, Austria. The company expects to consolidate with all this its international presence as a bagging and palletizing technology provider in all the sectors.


TMI PARTICIPATES IN THE 6TH INMERSIÓN ESTRATÉGICA

October 22, 2019

More than 100 professionals from the spanish Packaging industry met the 18th and 19th October in Sant Cugat del Vallès (Barcelona) during the annual meeting Inmersión Estratégica organised by the Packaging Cluster.

More than 100 professionals from the spanish Packaging industry met the 18th and 19th October in Sant Cugat del Vallès (Barcelona) during the annual meeting Inmersión Estratégica organised by the Packaging Cluster.

The event has covered four different topics through conferences, roundtables and innovative workshops – like Game storming –: “Circular Economy”, “Innovation management and methods”, “Market strategies and trends”, and finally “New business opportunities”.

TMI has participated in the event as a member of Packaging Cluster and has been represented by its CEO Mr. Joan Caba, who appreciated the opportunity of promoting ideas, sharing experiences and exchanging strategical challenges of the sector with other companies in synergy.


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