The Alloyd Division of Sonoco announced a new, patent pending, roll-feed, cut and seal machine for medical packaging applications that use Tyvek. The integrated machine brings automation to the production environment to help create a faster, more efficient production system for sealing Tyvek-based packaging. It is capable of being integrated with the existing line of Aergo 2 and Aergo 2 Plus heat-sealing machines.

“Any time you can increase speeds, seal quality and seal accuracy, while also reducing material scrap and tooling costs, it’s a win, win, win,” says Jim Lassiter, Sonoco segment vice president, global plastics. “Precision and performance are so critical in medical packaging where there is very little, if any, room for error. The fact that the addition of this machine to the production process is able to dramatically reduce, or in some cases, completely eliminate operator error, delivers peace of mind for customers because they can have greater confidence in the performance of their final package.”

The machine is compatible with all common Tyvek heat-sealable lidding, Tyvek 2FS, 1059B and 1073B. Able to handle a maximum width of 14 inches, the roll-feed, cut and seal machine incorporates an automatic Tyvek feeder designed to increase production speeds of semi-automatic equipment and allow for the use of thinner Tyvek due to the lack of air movement that could impact tray contact during the packaging process. Using either linear length measurement or a unique optical scanner ensures more accurate cutting registration, plus or minus 1/16th of an inch. In addition, given the construction of Tyvek, which is made from 100% high-density polyethylene (HDPE), scrap can be collected and mechanically recycled.

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