In a development partnership, SN Maschinenbau and Südpack have developed an overall concept for the in-house production of stand-up pouches with spout, which is designed for the packaging of pasty and liquid products. The concept is aimed at food manufacturers and bottlers who previously used prefabricated spout bags and will be presented at Anuga FoodTec.
With their innovative solution for the in-house production of stand-up pouches with spouts, the two cooperation partners are breaking new ground and offering manufacturers and bottlers of thick and thin liquid products such as fruit purees, smoothies and other liquids a new and innovative solution. Sustainable and economical alternative to the use of prefabricated bags.
The overall concept is based on high-performance packaging technology and high-performance and Recyclable packaging components made from polypropylene, which are perfectly harmonised and offer users not only easy handling but also maximum process and packaging reliability. The concept is also ground-breaking in terms of quality, cost-effectiveness and flexibility and, thanks to the use of recyclable mono-materials, also impresses with added sustainability.
„With this overall concept, we offer our customers an attractive alternative to the use of high-priced ready-made pouches, the processing and filling of which is often associated with high logistical costs. Our solution allows manufacturers and fillers of pasty and liquid food products to produce spouted pouches in-house, which are then filled and sealed in the usual way on existing filling machines. Our concept is based on an easy-to-operate pouch making machine combined with films and spouts that can be processed safely. Film can be processed from the roll, which leads to many advantages in terms of efficiency and cost-effectiveness without having to compromise on quality.“
Lutz Neugebauer, Product Manager at Südpack
Focus on recyclability and sustainability
The PP-based Pure-Line films used in this packaging concept are categorised as recyclable due to their mono-structure. The combination with PP spouts available on the market creates a recyclable spout bag. Due to its heat resistance, the bag can be Also for hot filling and pasteurisation can be used. In addition, the films can be equipped with different barrier functions depending on the products to be packaged. The film material was developed on the basis of Südpack's many years of expertise, in particular in the production of innovative sealing layers.
On the Horizontal bag making machine SPM 50 from SN Maschinenbau the spout bags are produced horizontally from the film roll and the spout is sealed. They are then automatically inserted into standard rail systems and stored on a transport trolley. Each rail can then be easily and ergonomically inserted into the existing bag filling machines and the empty spout bags filled. Compared to pre-made bags, this makes handling considerably easier and enables staff to process a larger number of bags more efficiently, as the time-consuming separation of the rails, for example, is no longer necessary. The low-maintenance machine is highly efficient and can also be used in confined production environments thanks to its compact design. As a result It can be flexibly installed either directly on the filling machine or independently in a separate room. become.
Insourcing bag production is effortless as the machine is extremely user-friendly. It can usually be operated with existing personnel. Among other things, the reel changeover requires minimal set-up time and only needs to be carried out once per shift. The SPM 50 from SN Maschinenbau produces up to 4,200 pouches per hour and achieves a continuous production of over 30,000 spout bags per 8-hour shift with just one film roll. This corresponds to an annual production volume of 7 million spout bags in single-shift operation up to 21 million in three-shift operation.
„The factors mentioned above mean that the investment in this bag concept is very economically viable. In conjunction with the significantly improved ergonomics of the spout and rail handling as well as a high degree of flexibility with regard to different bag and spout shapes, the SPM 50 is an excellent investment, also for increasing your own added value.“
Thomas Fuest, Director Global Sales at SN Maschinenbau
Reduction of logistics and handling costs
On-site bag production eliminates the need for time-consuming handling and the associated logistics costs for the finished bags, which are usually delivered on rails in cardboard packaging. The Space requirement of the roll goods corresponds to about one third of the space required by prefabricated spout bags. In addition to lower transport costs, this also leads to easier storage. In addition, the cardboard packaging for the prefabricated bags also becomes obsolete.
The concept for the in-house production of spout bags also offers considerable advantages in terms of flexibility. The machine can flexibly converted for the production of bags in various sizes and shapes and for processing different materials can be realised. This allows producers to adapt quickly to changes in demand, shortening delivery times and time-to-market. This concept can offer added value, not least in terms of resilience to disruptions in the supply chain.
Source: SN Mechanical engineering
SN Maschinenbau at Anuga FoodTec: Hall 8.1, Stand B-028
