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Servo technology reduces changeover times from one day to half an hour
The worldwide demand for hand sanitiser has reached huge proportions as a direct result of the Covid-19 pandemic. An important link in this story is the packaging machine. After all, it must ensure that the products function seamlessly in dispensers. Right up Scaldopack’s street, as a company specializing in stand-up pouches. Together with Yaskawa's technology, this company designed a machine that can switch flexibly between packages, while at the same time ensuring the stable and reliable production of up to 70 packages per minute. A strong display of technical know-how.
What do you do if you don't find the right machine to produce your packaging? For Scaldopack this marked a turning point in its activities. Since 2013, this company has established itself as a machine builder specialized in stand-up pouches. CEO Harald Saelens: “This type of packaging has enormous growth potential. Compared to our 'best competitor', Scaldopack’s pouches only require 30% of the materials. The next generation will even be 100% recyclable. It says something about the sustainability of this packaging, but it also offers an economic argument now that plastic prices have skyrocketed since the corona pandemic. At the same time, stand-up pouches are best-in-class in terms of marketing. Because we work with a flat surface, there are endless possibilities for designing the communication about the product.”
Flexible servo motors crucial
Why are stand-up pouches not yet in the picture prominently? This type of packaging is not so easy to produce. That partly explains the nice growth curve that Scaldopack has experienced. “The handling and filling is by no means obvious. We are one of the manufacturers who have the technical skills to deliver well-functioning solutions for this,” says Harald. Modesty is a virtue, but thanks to Scaldopack, Belgium is definitely on the world map when it comes to the production of stand-up pouches. The machines of the Kortrijk-based company stand out, among other things, by the flexible servo motors that can handle multiple packages. “Our changeover times are limited to half an hour, while otherwise they can quickly take up to a day. We also focus on accessibility and remote access. Everything revolves around uptime for our customers. We build our machines in such a way that even if a problem occurs, they are back in production as quickly as possible.”
Customized standard machines
A recent example of such a project in which Scaldopack pulled out all the stops was the construction of a packaging machine for filling hand gel pouches. Since the start of the corona pandemic, the dispensers that these stand-up pouches eventually end up in have become commonplace in society. The machine consists of two standard products from Scaldopack, on the one hand a loading station with a carousel for extremely fast delivery of the pouches and on the other hand a linear solution for the discharge station where reliable filling and sealing takes place. Harald: “Standard machines yes, but we adapt them to fully meet the customer's wishes. In production, this machine will be able to steadily fill 70 packages per minute. The unique thing about this project is the closure, because caps are usually used. For this customer, a manufacturer of hand gels that is active worldwide, the machine clicks a hand pump on top of the pouch.”
All engines tuned in one afternoon
As mentioned, one of the most important parts of the Scaldopack concept is the servo motors. Where the machine builder from Kortrijk used to use two brands, today it resolutely focuses on Yaskawa's servo motors. “We needed more speed and stability and so almost automatically came to Yaskawa. The collaboration has been going on for about two years now, in which these motors have proven themselves to be very reliable. In this machine there are about forty from the Sigma-7 series. They work perfectly as they should. With the auto-tuning package included, we only have to adjust 40% of the engines ourselves. A figure that is actually still high, because it is such a dynamic machine. The rest is done completely automatically, which saves us a lot of time. To give you an idea, we tuned all the engines in one afternoon. Not bad, eh?” Harald says with a wink. “We are also very satisfied with Yaskawa's service and support. Competent employees who are easily accessible when we encounter a problem. That really makes the difference.”
First integration with robot for even more flexibility
For this machine, Scaldopack has also introduced the integration of a Yaskawa SG650 SCARA robot for the first time. “Because of the flexibility”, Harald emphasizes. “To be able to use different bag sizes, but also to have complete freedom in the positioning of the pouring spout. This is often done, for example, at an angle, 45°, 30° or 10° or off-centre, with a full contour or without. With the robot it doesn't matter how the end customer wants it. It can handle anything, giving the manufacturer flexibility.” It was obvious for Scaldopack that it was going to be a Yaskawa robot. “I didn't see the point in switching to another manufacturer. The robot has the right specs in terms of speed and accuracy and there are also many advantages in choosing the same manufacturer. The learning curve was a lot shorter, for example.”
Direct drive motor can correct real-time
A second striking newcomer in this installation of Scaldopack is the direct drive motor from Yaskawa, also from the Sigma-7 series. Harald: “They may not be very common in the packaging market, but they are perfectly suited to this application. When you work with a classic transmission, you will always be confronted with slack. And the longer the arm movement, the more slack arises. Direct drive motors do not suffer from this. In combination with artificial intelligence, the motor measures the packaging in real time during production and can correct the position if necessary. We can therefore transmit new coordinates live during the movement, without shocks or other side effects. This means that our machine can work more accurately and therefore better. We want to distinguish ourselves in the market by offering technical added value and Yaskawa is the perfect partner for that.”
Shared DNA
The integration of the direct drive motor went without a hitch. It goes without saying that Harald is very proud of the work done and the collaboration with Yaskawa. “They think along with us just as hard as we do with our customers. That shared DNA makes it easier to successfully complete more complex projects like this one. Even when we don't make it easy on ourselves and introduce new elements. But if it is the right application, it pays to go the extra mile for the customer.”
