The new solution uses high-performance application heads to apply glue from below, effectively replacing glue wheel units. Because it is a closed system, it prevents adhesives from contaminating folder gluers and straight-line boxes.
‘We have totally redefined straight-line box gluing in collaboration with packaging and adhesives manufacturers. Our Side Seam Gluing solution guarantees perfect gluing, with millimetre accuracy, right to the edge of the glue flap. It is very easy to operate and configure, putting the work of machine operators on a new level. The new system can also significantly reduce glue consumption in the production of straight-line boxes thanks to our intelligent Xact up controller, our high-performance PX 1000 application head and our DPP double-piston pump for high-accuracy pressure regulation.’
‘What is more, the new solution eliminates machine downtime for changing glue discs or wheels, and reduces the time and effort for cleaning to a minimum. These improvements take a lot of the burden off of operators’, said Ralf Scharf, Folding Carton Business Development Manager at Baumer hhs. ‘Customers who are already using this new equipment in practice confirm the outstanding gluing results – even at maximum machine speeds of up to 600m/min.’
One of the unique features of the Side Seam Gluing solution is its auto mode: Baumer hhs integrated a light barrier immediately upstream of the PX 1000 application head that reliably detects the length of the glue flap on a straight-line box. As a result, the distance to be maintained between glue application and the leading and trailing edges of the glue flap only needs to be entered once in the Xact up controller. After that, the Side Seam Gluing Solution automatically adheres to the specified values for all jobs.
Conventional glue wheel units take a lot of time to clean. The wheels and scrapers require regular maintenance and cleaning. At the end of a production day, one of a machine operator’s tasks is to thoroughly clean the glue wheel units and dispose of any residual adhesive in the glue tanks. The new Side Seam Gluing solution eliminates these steps and reduces cleaning time to a minimum. In addition, the wheels no longer need to be switched out for major changeovers in box format.
‘We calculated the time saved by eliminating just the cleaning step, which is one of a machine operator’s basic tasks when using glue discs. Assuming 25 minutes per shift for cleaning and 2-shift operation over a period of 250 working days, we arrived at an annual availability increase of about 200 hours per folder gluer. Depending on the situation, the machines can produce more than 20 million folding cartons in that amount of time’, said Scharf.
The Side Seam Gluing solution also leads to significant reductions in adhesive consumption, which benefit not only the cost-efficiency of the process, but also its overall sustainability. For instance, about three litres of adhesive are usually wasted cleaning the glue wheel units every day and disposing of residual glue from the tanks.
The intelligent Xact up controller, the PX 1000 application head with its high-quality gluing, the laser light barriers that reliably detect glue flaps and the intelligent software algorithms all work together perfectly in the new solution. The PX 1000 boasts a high closing force that guarantees perfect cut-off for precision metering and application of glue dots and stitches, making it possible to switch the gluing process to the Baumer hhs Glue Save mode (stitching mode) for numerous applications. In this mode, gluing can be interrupted at defined intervals, which reduces adhesive consumption by up to 50% while improving adhesive strength. ‘Applying dots or stitches of glue results in maximum distribution of force in the adhesive. That prevents cohesive failure and enhances the quality of the glued joints,’ said Scharf.
The Side Seam Gluing solution boosts the sustainability of straight-line box production in two other ways as well: at least 30 litres of warm water are used each time to clean conventional glue wheel units, which is unacceptable today from an ecological standpoint. Secondly, the adhesive application system from Baumer hhs boasts high energy efficiency.
Another advantage of non-contact gluing with this innovative solution is the continuous supply of adhesive in a closed system. The electronically controlled DPP double-piston pump reliably delivers the right adhesive pressure at every production speed, so that the specified quantity of glue is dispensed onto the glue flap every time, and that guarantees consistent quality in folding carton production.
‘Our Side Seam Gluing solution incorporates the latest technology for regulating glue application on glue flaps flexibly and very easily, while achieving outstanding application quality in straight-line box production. It also considerably enhances ease-of-operation and minimises set-up times, because the system detects the length of the glue flaps using light barriers and makes the necessary settings automatically. These advantages eliminate virtually all arguments in favour of working with conventional glue wheels’, Scharf said.
The new solution can be used and retrofitted on any folder gluer. For quality control, packaging manufacturers can use the same sensor systems they have been using all along with their glue wheels.
BAUMER HHS
https://www.baumerhhs.com/
