Bagger’s predictive maintenance minimizes downtime

As Pregis LLC explained at its North Hall-based booth at PACK EXPO International, predictive maintenance, technology advancements, and faster speeds are the cornerstones of its new Sharp® MAX-PRO 18 automatic bagger.

“We believe the Sharp MAX-PRO 18 is the most advanced bagger available and the first with predictive maintenance,” explained John Hubert, Director of Engineering, Sharp Packaging by Pregis. “It utilizes the Maxwell intelligent interface featured on other Pregis on-demand systems. The diagnostic abilities mean the system is constantly checking data such as run rates and other usage metrics so that it is able to notify a technician that there might be a potential service issue down the road. The ability to send that alert in advance of an actual problem results in no, or minimal, downtime,”

The MAX-PRO 18 is recommended for large e-commerce and manufacturing operations with high volumes. The bagger was designed for easier operation, with fast bag and pass-through changeovers. Sharp E-Z Bags® feed through the machine, are opened, filled with product, and then sealed. The MAX-PRO 18 accommodates 18-in.-wide bags with an 8-in. pass-through depth. The unit also features an intuitive user interface and thermal printing technology that prints barcodes, graphics, and alphanumeric fonts directly onto the package.

Also new at the show, Pregis debuted its Sharp SX GO tabletop bagger designed for operations seeking a simple, plug-and-play machine that requires minimal training. Said Pregis, the bagger is compact to fit into workstations but is powerful enough to meet peak season demands. According to the company, the SX GO is the first bagging solution specifically designed to address the challenges of ship-from-store fulfillment—space limitations and training among them—while improving shipping costs, increasing speed, and allowing for printed bags that enhance the customer experience.

“It’s the only tabletop on the market that can handle an 18-inch bag and a pass through of up to eight inches,” said Hubert. “It is also the only tabletop unit that can use fan-folded bags, which means fewer reloads. We’ve engineered it so that it only requires a couple of hours of training, for fast start-ups and companies employing seasonal labor.”

Sharp flexible bags and bagging systems are used in a variety of applications, including e-commerce, medical/pharmaceutical, retail displays, injection molding, linen, services and OEM parts.