Based in Shelton, CT, Arkwright makes and markets specialty papers, films, and other media for high-end digital imaging. These products are manually placed into low-density polyethylene bags that are heat-sealed shut.
For a time, Arkwright used to make the bags by purchasing continuous tubes of LDPE and manually cutting the rolls into desired lengths in the 24” to 60” range. But then Arkwright was introduced to the Model 900e bag maker from Better Packages. Now bags are made automatically. An operator places a continuous tube of LDPE in the 900e, sets the desired length and quantity of bags, and presses the start button. As bags are being made, the operator can tend to any number of other tasks instead of cutting and stacking bags.
“Our plant is safer because we no longer have to use a knife to cut bags,” says Iris Avitable, coordinator of the converting department. “The bags stay cleaner, too, because we make them as we need them and do not store them in a dusty area. With this machine we ended having to throw out unused bags.”
