The challenge: how to better meet industry demand for versatile packaging equipment that can satisfy engineers, plant managers, marketing executives -- and ultimately -- end users. While Triangle’s X-Series vffs baggers already offered quick and easy changeover, cleaner designs, and smarter features such as Rockwell Automation controls, was there an even better way to serve the needs of food packaging customers, particularly those in the poultry, IQF vegetables, cereal, and snack markets? Well, yes. Explains Mike Wolf, P.E., Sr. Mechanical Engineer, Triangle, “We developed the Model XYRJ because we knew many of our customers, and potential customers, wanted a bagging machine that was versatile, easy to use, and able to run a variety of bag styles on the same machine.”

The X-Series vertical form form fill seal (vffs) bagger from Triangle Package Machinery Company was already well known for its ability to help food packagers run faster, cleaner, and smarter. With bagging speeds up to 150 bags per minute and quick, tool-less changeover of forming tubes, sealing jaws, and film rolls, changing packaging formats from a pillow bag to a quad-seal, stand-up bag, for instance, could easily be achieved in just a few minutes. The baggers also exceeded typical sanitation standards, with rugged, accessible machine designs that excel in the harshest environments and can even be designed to meet USDA/3A sanitation standards.

Model XYRJ, however, takes versatility to a new level. “With the popularity of stand up bags, zippered bags, Doy bags, etc., we knew our customers would benefit from having a single vffs bagger that allowed them to easily switch between package formats,” says Wolf. Triangle’s Model XYRJ is a vertical form fill seal (vffs) bagging machine designed to easily run a wide variety of bag styles, including 3-sided seal, Doy, pillow, gusseted, and flat bottom bags. “One of the biggest advantages provided by Model XYRJ is its unique rotatable sealing jaw, which provides more flexibility than ever,” says Wolf.

While the ability to rotate the sealing jaws 90 degrees allows users to make more bag styles on the same machine, “the most impressive thing about this machine is that we’re doing the rotation in under 10 minutes,” says Wolf. “Rotating the sealing jaw is extremely simple and requires no heavy equipment or complicated tools. There are basically 3 steps involved. If a user will be running a different bag format, they need to loosen the knobs on the sealing jaw, rotate the jaw 90 degrees, then tighten the knobs. Changeover time from pillow to 3-sided seal bags can be easily achieved in under 10 minutes. Unless a user is running a different size bag, they can even use the same forming tube for pillow and 3-sided seal bags. They only need to switch film rolls, which can be accomplished in a couple of minutes or less.”  

Since its introduction at Pack Expo 2015, the versatile bagging machine has attracted considerable interest because of its easily rotatable sealing jaw and ability to run pillow bags, gusseted bags, and 3-sided seal pouches. To help meet consumer demand for convenient, resealable bags, Model XYRJ also features an optional longitudinal zipper applicator. This feature was included on a recent installation in the poultry market, and will be exhibited on Model XYRJ in the Triangle booth at Pack Expo this November.

The bagger is ideal for a variety of markets, including:

• Cereal and Oatmeal;
• Cheese;
• Coffee, Powders, and Sugar;
• Confectionery Products, Crackers and Snacks;
• IQF Products;
• Meat, Poultry, and Seafood;  
• Produce.

In addition to being extremely easy to set up and maintain, the bagger offers better product flow and improved sanitation. Other key features of Model XY-RJ include:

• Ability to run supported (laminated) and many non-supported film structures.
• Bagging speeds up to 120 bpm.
• Package size flexibility. Model XY-RJ runs bag widths as small as 2.5” to as large as 15”. 
• Cleaner designs. Like all of the baggers in the Triangle X-Series, Model XYRJ features a stainless steel film cage, minimal welding, and no hollow structures – only solid side frames and solid cross frames. It also features minimal use of aluminum, and no aluminum material at all in the forming tube.
• Available in intermittent or constant motion.

Another unique feature of Model XYRJ is the option of Ultrasonic cross seal and/or back seal. “The addition of optional Ultrasonic sealing provides a terrific advantage that food packagers – particularly those in the produce, seafood, and cheese markets -- cannot find elsewhere,” states Ralph Hernandez, VP – Sales & Marketing, Triangle Package Machinery Company. With Ultrasonic sealing, a bagger can seal right through product for a completely product-free and airtight seal, which provides such benefits as product, labor, film and material savings.

Triangle will demonstrate the vffs bagging machine in Booth S-2430 at Pack Expo International in Chicago, November 6-9, 2016. Technically advanced and operator friendly, the new bagging machine is available with intermittent or constant motion, and offers Triangle service and quality.

About Triangle

Triangle Package Machinery is a U.S. manufacturer of vertical form fill seal (VFFS) bag machines, combination weighers, horizontal cartoning / bag-in-box systems, and tray loading / depositing systems. Founded in 1923, Triangle is headquartered in Chicago, IL, and offers a 120,000 sq ft facility that houses its entire manufacturing process from raw material fabrication through complete machine testing and checkout. Triangle also provides superior after sales support, training, documentation, and online troubleshooting, as well as spare parts service. To learn more about Model XYRJ bagging machine or other solutions offered by Triangle Package Machinery, contact us at info@trianglepackage.com, 800-621-4170, or visit us online at www.trianglepackage.com.