Automatic shrink film baling

Brookville Glove Company has closely followed the changes in the application of industry, agriculture, and sports, and created various gloves to build its enviable honor. But until early 2003, rookville's packaging operations only kept pace.

So, when Eric Luvaas became the general manager of Brookville, a Pennsylvania-based manufacturer, he turned to Philpac, a sales agent for a packaging vendor in Buffalo, New York. When Luvaas was working at another company, Rosel and Luvaas had colleagues in another job.

Later, Rosel transferred to work with Bob Lemke, Philpac's packaging equipment specialist. After watching Brookville's operation, both of them provided Luvaas with improved packaging, offering several different options.

Finally, Philpac installed a new, semi-automatic glove bundling and packaging line with a variety of equipment they represented. The line included a L-film film packaging machine and shrink tunnels in Denmark (Lewisville, TX); Richmond, British Columbia, Canada, Belcor (Richmond,
Box Coat and Tape Sealer from British Colunbia, Canada); a Labeling and Labeling Machine; and a High-Resolution Inkjet Printer, both from Loveshaw (South Canaan, CT) and KPC from Ohio, USA - Master's Craft (Wooster, OH) motorized and gravity conveyors.

Brookville's proposal is based on current production and company expectations. According to Luvaas, the factory's space restrictions are still a problem.

Hand-binding

When Luvaas joined Brookville, the workers used hand-wound bales, 12 bundles each, and inserted a hand-printed stamp pad to show the type and size of the gloves. Then, the baled bundles are packed into cartons for protection. At the time, there were five workers in the factory responsible for packaging, and the output was 750 packs per shift.

"We have wooden tools that pack the bales into a cardboard tag," adds Luvaas. "The operator uses the pedals to tie the bales, but it must also be tied by hand. Therefore we must also have a large inventory with rubber stamps." When Luvaas was asked about the priority of the glove packaging, he said that product protection , The seller's storage containers, more automated packaging, reduced labor, and higher output are all important. Luvaas said: “Now, we have the same production, but we use a full-time and a part-time staff. More importantly, we have the flexibility. If we increase one person, we can triple the output to about 2,100 dozens. So, in general, we can use this equipment to triple our original production and use two fewer people than before."

Manual and automatic operation

Brookville's solution combines manual and automatic workstations, suitable for the compact space available in the factory. Once the gloves were removed from the warehouse and manually stacked into 12 pieces, the stack was placed in an automatic L-bar sealer. Here, it is packed in a shrink film and then transported through shrink tunnels for good tight packaging. In fact, Luvaas and Philpac selected 5-ga-gauge, polyolefin-based, high-transparency Opti-shrink films from Cryovac (Duncan, SC), South Carolina, for high shrinkage. “We eliminated the compression device on the packaging machine and chose the film based on the compressibility of the film,” said Luvaas. "We tested several types of films and finally selected the appropriate film to really compress the bales."

When the bundle emerges from the shrink tunnel, it is conveyed through the nose of the Loveshaw print labeler. The pressure sensitive label includes bar code and product information, all from Brookville PC-based computer software.

Ergonomic box packaging

Shrinkwrap replaces the carton used as a 'storage wrap', while the new packaging system provides other material savings. "With a carton, we must have 12 different sizes of outer cases to accommodate the small boxes inside," Luvaas pointed out. “Since we have installed this system, the number of outer cases has been reduced to four, which has saved costs and eliminated the small boxes inside.”

Labeled packaging goes to the semi-automatic packaging line. “The Belcor 507 is an ergonomic workstation that leans toward the packaging operator for easy loading of cartons,” said Bob Lemke of Philpac. The operator simply opens the box, places it in the machine position, and firmly holds the box when packing. ”

When full, the box is turned out of the machine, transferred to the roller conveyor and directed to the Belcor automatic tape sealer. When the package is sealed, the tape is sent to the head of the inkjet printer.

"This system prints another bar code on the side of the box," Luvaas said. “This gives us the opportunity to put a variety of information on the box, including the packing date, order number, item name, quality, etc. If the customer needs it, more information can be added.” Like the printing labeler, the spray The ink system is also controlled by the computer.

collect information

The use of barcodes has brought Brookville's customers to the 21st century and it is the same for the company.

"In the shipping area, we used to use markers to write some information on the boxes," Luvaas said. “In addition, we must keep a production summary table, and one must summarize it and enter this information into the computer program.” Now, the company uses a worker at the shipping department to operate with a handheld scanner. Luvaas said, "The operator scans the bar code and indicates whether it is order or inventory. This actually helps us keep track of inventory in the easiest way possible. Therefore, software is also an important part of this improvement."

According to Luvaas, the new packaging process improves overall inventory records and processing steps with lower labor and material costs. In addition, he said: “With shrink packaging, gloves are better protected against moisture and dust, and our packaging has a better professional look and labeling is more accurate.” Although there are a few workers in the packaging, they He appreciated the response to packaging changes. “They understand that money is reinvested in the company and that the old method is eventually replaced by current technology,” Luvaas said. The new packaging system has been well received, Luvaas added: "Based on current production levels, a 12-month savings can fully compensate for the cost of this equipment."