Baumer hhs is revolutionising adhesive application in straight-line box production with an innovative solution for side seam gluing. The new solution uses high-performance application heads to apply glue from below, effectively replacing glue wheel units. Because it is a closed system, it prevents adhesives from contaminating folder gluers and straight-line boxes.
“We have totally redefined straight-line box gluing in collaboration with packaging and adhesives manufacturers,” says Ralf Scharf, Folding Carton Business Development Manager, Baumer hhs. “Our Side Seam Gluing Solution guarantees perfect gluing, with millimetre accuracy, right to the edge of the glue flap. It is very easy to operate and configure, putting the work of machine operators on a new level. The new system can also significantly reduce glue consumption in the production of straight-line boxes thanks to our intelligent Xact up controller, our high-performance PX 1000 application head and our DPP double-piston pump for high-accuracy pressure regulation. What is more, the new solution eliminates machine downtime for changing glue discs or wheels, and reduces the time and effort for cleaning to a minimum. These improvements take a lot of the burden off operators, enumerating the main advantages of the new Side Seam Gluing Solution. Customers who are already using this new equipment in practice confirm the outstanding gluing results – even at maximum machine speeds of up to 600 m/min.”
One of the features of the Side Seam Gluing solution is its auto mode: Baumer hhs integrated a light barrier immediately upstream of the PX 1000 application head that reliably detects the length of the glue flap on a straight-line box. As a result, the distance to be maintained between glue application and the leading and trailing edges of the glue flap only needs to be entered once in the Xact up controller. After that, the Side Seam Gluing Solution automatically adheres to the specified values for all jobs.
Conventional glue wheel units take a lot of time to clean. The wheels and scrapers require regular maintenance and cleaning. At the end of a production day, one of a machine operator’s tasks is to thoroughly clean the glue wheel units and dispose of any residual adhesive in the glue tanks. The new Side Seam Gluing Solution from Baumer hhs eliminates these steps and reduces cleaning time to a minimum. In addition, the wheels no longer need to be switched out for major changeovers in box format. “We calculated the time saved by eliminating just the cleaning step, which is one of a machine operator’s basic tasks when using glue discs: Assuming 25 minutes per shift for cleaning and 2-shift operation over a period of 250 working days, we arrived at an annual availability increase of about 200 hours per folder gluer. Depending on the situation, the machines can produce more than 20 million folding cartons in that amount of time,” says Scharf.
The Side Seam Gluing Solution also leads to significant reductions in adhesive consumption, which benefit not only the cost-efficiency of the process, but also its overall sustainability. For instance, about three litres of adhesive usually are wasted cleaning the glue wheel units every day and disposing of residual glue from the tanks. “Assuming 250 annual working days and €2.50 in adhesive costs, that results in total savings of nearly €2,000 per year and folder gluer. This alone, combined with eliminating the time for cleaning, means that an investment in the Side Seam Gluing Solution pays off in less than six months,” says Scharf.
The intelligent Xact up controller, the PX 1000 application head with its high-quality gluing, the laser light barriers that reliably detect glue flaps and the intelligent software algorithms all work together perfectly in the new Side Seam Gluing Solution. The PX 1000 boasts a high closing force that guarantees perfect cut-off for precision metering and application of glue dots and stitches, making it possible to switch the gluing process to the Baumer hhs Glue Save mode (stitching mode) for numerous applications. In this mode, gluing can be interrupted at defined intervals, which reduces adhesive consumption by up to 50% while improving adhesive strength.
The Side Seam Gluing Solution boosts the sustainability of straight-line box production in two other ways as well: At least 30 litres of warm water are used each time to clean conventional glue wheel units, which is unacceptable today from an ecological standpoint. Secondly, the adhesive application system from Baumer hhs boasts high energy efficiency.
The new Side Seam Gluing Solution can be used and retrofitted on any folder gluer. For quality control, packaging manufacturers can use the same sensor systems they have been using all along with their glue wheels.
Baumer hhs is hosting a webinar on February 2, 2023, where viewers will receive further information on the new Side Seam Gluing Solution.
