Makers of vertical form/fill/seal machines have offered automatic set-up functionality for mechanical axes of motion for some time now. So when changeover to a new bag size requires an adjustment of the vacuum belts that pull the flexible film down over the forming mandrel, for example, the operator selects the new setting by pressing a button on an HMI.
However, this auto set-up feature has typically been available only on expensive models of vf/f/s machines. That’s what makes the Morpheus continuous-motion vf/f/s machine from Matrix Packaging Inc. quite unusual. Using servo motors from ZD-Motors USA that are specifically modified for this application, Matrix, which is part of the Pro Mach Flexible Packaging Group, is able to offer auto set-up in a machine with a rated speed of 180 bags/min that has a less-than-sky-high price tag.
“Ordinarily it can cost from $3,000 to $5,000 to automate one mechanical axis of motion on a vertical bagger like this,” says Mike Krummey, Senior Controls Engineer at Matrix. “We’ve figured out how to do it for a few hundred dollars per axis. So when we change to a different bag size, we make physical changes on the machine through automation. By minimizing the operator’s role this way, you do away with adjusting thumb screws, for example, and then making a few test bags to gauge where you’re at. It’s faster and more accurate because you are able to move mechanical parts in very fine, controlled increments. In addition, it’s repeatable because you’re able to store that setting as a recipe item in the controller.”
