The new line is specifically designed for the pet food market. The main features are:

• Fully integrated turnkey plant engineered by one supplier
• Fully automatic system
• Wide multiformat capability including PE bags from a reel
• Quick changes between different formats
• Fully automated changeovers from a single position
• High precision bag handling
• High quality bag sealing
• High production capacity
• Ease of operation and maintenance

It consists of:

• Net weigher with belt feed and vibrator for fine dosing
• IGF 1200 multifunction bagging machine suitable for bags from 1.5 to 20 kg
• Bag collator and shrink tunnel for a collation of up to 4 bags of 1,5 kg
• Robot palletiser for bags with a capacity of up 1,300 bags / hour and bag collations up to a speed of 1,000 packs / hour.
  
  

The system is turnkey: designed and engineered by one supplier. The customer has only to provide electrical power, compressed air, pallets and bags of the various kinds and the product itself, while the machine provides the capability to pack and palletise in a wide range of formats and in weights between 1.5 and 20 kg.

The system is fully automatic. Everything is under precise programme control from the point the material is weighed out to the final pallet being neatly stacked and stretch wrapped. The multi-format feature means that many different bag sizes and types can be handled, both paper and PE either premade or from a continuous reel, with different closure methods using plain sewing, sewing with crepe tape or heat sealing.

However, this multi function capability does not mean that changeovers are long and complicated with change parts required. Far from it. To change packaging style the operator needs only to select the new programme, everything in the entire line (weigher to wrapping machine) is then automatically adapted to the new format in 90 seconds. No tools, no change parts, no manual activities are required!

After just a minute and a half the system is ready. The operator has only to introduce the new product and bags and to ensure the correct pallets are in the dispenser, to begin packing operations.

The IGF 1200 is characterised by high precision bag handling throughout the filling and closing cycle to ensure optimal bag aesthetics. This is the result of many years continuous research for innovative solutions including:

• Keeping the gussets closed during the opening phase of the bag mouth and subsequent filling, closing and alignment.
• Once aligned and during transfer to the various stations the mouth of the bag is kept completely closed by special grippers until the final sealing.

To guarantee smooth and uniform welding of PE film Concetti has developed a robust and innovative system with Teflon covered impulse-sealing bars. When the sealing bars are in use the sewing head is automatically raised.

For small 1.5Kg bags a heat shrink system is incorporated which collates 4 bags into a single shrink-wrapped pack to simplify subsequent palletising and handling at the retailer.

The Concetti robot palletiser is specially designed to allow overlapping of bags and provides both side and top compression giving all of the stacking benefits of a layer palletiser with the flexibility of a robot and with speeds up to 1300 bags/hr. Both Euro pallets and 1200 x 1000 pallets can be handled and a dispenser automatically applies a bottom sheet.

Finally, a great deal of thought is given to ensure ease of operation and maintenance beginning with the touch screen displays that allow all the system parameters and status messages to be monitored to the Perspex panels and generous interlocked doors that give access to all the key parts for cleaning and maintenance.

A modem permits Concetti technicians in Italy to provide rapid technical support when required.