Decorative Aggregates - FFS Bagger
Client
Derbyshire Aggregates was founded in 1984 built with a reputation of problem solving, sourcing the unusual and processing difficult materials. They initially started as locally based merchant however due to dynamic growth, the company has now secured itself as an industry leader in aggregates. Their products are exported globally and contribute to a vast array of applications such as landscaping, decorative surface dressing for resin bound applications, surfacing driveways, pebble dashing and flooring in addition to the extensive specialist aggregates.
Challenge
Derbyshire Aggregates were looking for an integrated system capable of doubling their packing rate with enough throughput to be able to satisfy a growing customer demand for their quality, high performance decorative aggregates. The system should also be able to cater for different bag sizes and weights to ensure adaptability for future commercial products.
- To reliably and accurately fill 20kg & 25kg bags with abrasive decorative aggregates at a high speed.
- The new high speed bagging machine must be able to fit into the limited space available – without the added cost incurred from modifying the existing building.
- To be able to have fully automatic bagging without any manual intervention to maximise their OOE (Overall Operating Effectiveness).
- To be able to respond immediately and economically to peaks in demand and avoid the cost of adding an additional shift.
- To remove dust emission from the bagging process and therefore improve the working environment for their employees.
Solution
Webster Griffin has Improved it’s OOE and equipment reliability by reducing the amount of moving parts (linkages, bearings, chains, cylinders, suckers) within the bagging machine which were wearing out and needed constant replacement. (Webster Griffin’s FFS Velocity Bagger does not have any moving parts in contact with the material being packed or employ any ‘suckers’ to pick up the empty bags).
Webster Griffin recommended utilising Form Fill Seal Technology to deliver cost effective, high throughput bagging at an affordable price. The total solution provided the following benefits:
- Two Hi-speed Form Fill Seal machines which can produce 20-25kg pillow or gusseted bags in machine with Ropex sealing systems.
- The FFS velocity has a high throughput of 950-1100 bags/hr.
- Highly accurate bagging of dry free flowing aggregates at +/- 1%.
- One surge hopper will receive product from Derbyshire Aggregates inclined belt conveyor or buffer hopper.
- One automatic volumetric product doser.
- Robust heavy-duty mild steel frame suitable for industrious environments.
- One powered film un-winding device.
- One mild steel bag forming tube sized to fit the 25kg flat bag.
- Perforator to allow the expulsion of air once the bag has been filled.
- One parrellel vertical sealing bar.
- One PLC operators touch screen control panel with 44 pre set packing recipes.
Result
The system was installed at the Derbyshire Aggregates site by a Webster Griffin engineer and has brought about the following benefits.
- The Form Fill Seal system is a self contained, modular machine which occupies less space than a conventional auto bagging machine with it’s automatic bag placing and closing mechanism and conveyors.
- The Form Fill Seal system saves on the consumption of plastic film because it makes a shorter bag with smaller ullage between the product in the bag and the top seal.
- To improve presentation of the bags on the pallet, the FFS Bagger automatically makes bags with a side gusset and squarer ends.
- The Webster Griffin FFS Velocity Bagger runs without an operator in attendance or even observing the machine – a reel of film lasts for hours therefore there’s no need for an operator to be ‘standing by’ to load empty bags into the bag applicator – it is fully automatic.
- Zero dust emissions – the ‘continuous flow principle’ of Webster Griffin’s FFS Velocity Bagger means that the passage of powder is totally encapsulated inside the bag forming tube and hence it’s dust free.
- Webster Griffins solution can fill bags twice as fast as conventional automatic bagging equipment with an empty bag placer.
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