Industrial Packaging

When it comes to large-scale pallet wrapping, the preparation and condition of your products before wrapping are as important as the wrapping process itself. Gardner Denver bi-lobe blowers play a vital role in maintaining the quality and integrity of your products up to the point of wrapping.

Why Use Bi-Lobe Blowers Before Pallet Wrapping?

Surface Preparation: Before wrapping, it is essential that your products are free from dust, debris, and moisture to ensure the stretch film adheres properly. Our bi-lobe blowers can be integrated into air knife systems, which provide a high-velocity stream of air to clean the surface of your products, resulting in a secure and protected pallet.

Product Treatment: Some products may require specific conditions before pallet wrapping, such as cooling or drying. Our bi-lobe blowers are adaptable and can be used to create the optimal environment for your products, ensuring they are in the best condition for wrapping and storage.

Efficiency and Flow in Operations: The use of bi-lobe blowers in material handling and pneumatic conveying systems ensures a smooth and continuous flow of products to the wrapping station. This contributes to a more streamlined and efficient operation, reducing bottlenecks and increasing productivity.

Bi-lobe blowers are built to last, ensuring minimal downtime and consistent operation. For environments where lower noise levels are essential, our Heliflow blowers are the ideal solution, offering quieter operation without compromising on performance

Sutorbilt Legend series blowers, Heliflow blowers, and CycloBlower series are the optimal solutions for the air cushion machine industry. For standard air cushion filling needs, the Sutorbilt Legend series provides reliable and consistent performance. When a more refined operation is required, the Heliflow blowers with their helical screw technology ensure a quieter and smoother experience. For processes demanding versatility and high efficiency, the CycloBlower series is the recommended choice, capable of handling a diverse range of air flows and pressures. For specialized applications requiring precise air delivery in smaller volumes, the precision and adaptability of the CycloBlower series make it the ideal option. These selections cater to the full spectrum of air cushion production needs, guaranteeing excellence in both performance and energy consumption.

• Product Preservation: Removing air helps protect the product from spoilage and degradation, ensuring it stays fresh and effective for longer.
• Quality Control: The evacuation process helps maintain the original quality of the product, whether it's the taste of a beverage, the potency of a pharmaceutical, or the consistency of a cosmetic.
• Contamination Reduction: The vacuum created by evacuation minimizes the presence of bacteria, mold, and yeast
• Safety Assurance: For sensitive products, especially in pharmaceuticals, a sterile environment is crucial. Evacuation helps achieve and maintain sterility.
• Cost Savings: By reducing spoilage and returns due to compromised product quality, businesses save on costs associated with waste and customer dissatisfaction.

Forming refers to a manufacturing process where materials are shaped into specific forms or structures using a combination of pressure and a mold. Vacuum and pressure are used to manipulate materials such as plastics, composites, or metals into desired shapes. This process is used in a variety of applications, from packaging and product manufacturing to the automotive and aerospace industries.

Let's dive into a couple of the popular methods:

Vacuum Forming

This is a simplified version of thermoforming where a sheet of plastic is heated until it's pliable and then draped over a mold. A vacuum is applied, sucking the air out from between the plastic sheet and the mold, causing the plastic to conform to the shape of the mold. Once cooled, the plastic retains the shape of the mold, and the newly formed part can be trimmed and finished as needed. This process is widely used for making product packaging, components for vehicles, and many other plastic items.

Pressure Forming

Pressure forming involves applying a force of compressed air to one side of a heated thermoplastic sheet, pushing it into a mold to shape it. This method is similar to vacuum forming but uses pressure to achieve greater detail and a higher definition in the forming of the plastic. Pressure forming is often used for parts that need fine textures or precise details, like medical device components or equipment enclosures.

Benefits of utilizing vacuum and pressure forming processes

Precision: Both techniques allow for the creation of parts with detailed contours and precise dimensions, which is essential for components that must fit together seamlessly.

Efficiency: These methods are typically faster than traditional manufacturing processes, leading to quicker production times and the ability to meet high demand.

Cost-Effectiveness: Vacuum and pressure forming generally require lower tooling costs compared to other molding methods, making them a more economical option for producing plastic parts.

Flexibility: A wide range of materials can be used, and molds can be quickly changed out, allowing for a variety of products to be made on the same equipment.

Quality: The end products have a consistent quality with excellent surface finishes, which can reduce the need for secondary processing.

Customization: Molds can be customized to create unique shapes and designs, offering endless possibilities for product development and branding.

Food packaging plays a critical role in preserving the quality and extending the shelf life of fresh food products. Air, and specifically the oxygen it contains, can lead to spoilage and deterioration of food items. Consequently, the removal of air through evacuation processes is essential in many food packaging applications.

Key Processes in Food Packaging

Vacuum Packaging:

This is a prime example of vacuum application in the food industry. Vacuum packaging involves using a vacuum pump to evacuate air from the package before it is sealed. This process reduces the oxygen level, which in turn, minimizes oxidation and spoilage. Vacuum packaging is ideal for a variety of foods, including meats, cheeses, and nuts, and is facilitated by various packaging machines.

Modified Atmosphere Packaging (MAP):

MAP is another technique that benefits from vacuum technology. It entails removing the air from the packaging and then introducing a specific gas mixture to preserve the food. This custom atmosphere can significantly extend the freshness of products like fruits, vegetables, and baked goods.

Blown Film Extrusion:

In the production of plastic films for food packaging, blowers are used in a process called blown film extrusion. This involves inflating molten plastic to create a bubble, which is then transformed into films for bags and wraps.

Common Equipment for Food Packaging:

Vacuum Pumps: Integral to packaging machines, vacuum pumps are used across various systems such as chamber machines, form-fill-seal machines, carousels, and tray sealers to effectively evacuate air from the packaging.

Common Packaging Products:

• Vacuum-Sealed Bags: These are used to store products that need a low-oxygen environment.
• Plastic Trays and Films: Combined with a sealing film, these are used for ready meals and produce.
• Flexible Films: Created through blown film extrusion, these are used for wrapping snacks and other items.
• Rigid Containers: Such as bottles, jars, and tubs for liquids and semi-solids.
• Cups and Lids: For single servings of yogurt, ice cream, etc.
• Cans and Canisters: For a wide array of processed goods.

Gardner Denver's vacuum technology is instrumental in the blower and vacuum industry, playing a key role in the extraction of air to meet the high standards of product safety, quality, and longevity in food packaging. This technology also caters to the market's demand for packaging solutions that are both cost-efficient and effective.

Using vacuum technology to decrease the volume of goods for transport and packaging is a strategic approach widely adopted across various sectors. This method not only trims down transportation and storage expenses but also enhances logistical efficiency and lessens the environmental toll of transporting merchandise.

In the blower and vacuum industry, this volume reduction is achieved through two key methods:

Vacuum Packaging for Compactness: Employing vacuum pumps, the air surrounding a product is extracted, leading to a significant reduction in package size. Textiles are an excellent example of products that benefit from this technique, as they can be substantially condensed. Consequently, more items can be packed into containers, optimizing space utilization and reducing shipping costs.

Compression for Space Efficiency: Products can also be mechanically compressed to occupy a smaller footprint. Occasionally, this is done in tandem with vacuum packaging, ensuring that the compressed state is maintained throughout transportation, thereby maximizing space in transit vehicles.

The advantages of reducing the volume of goods for transport:

• Cost Efficiency: Utilizing less space means spending less on shipping and storage.
• Logistical Optimization: Compact packaging allows for a greater quantity of goods to be transported in one go.
• Environmental Benefits: A more efficient use of space leads to fewer transportation runs and reduced fuel usage, which is better for the environment.
• Minimized Transit Damage: Tightly packed goods have less room to move around, reducing the risk of damage during transit.

Gardner Denver's vacuum technology plays an essential role in achieving more sustainable and cost-effective logistics. By vacuum-sealing new garments, the volume of the clothing is significantly reduced. This efficient packing method allows for maximal utilization of space in trucks and shipping containers, ensuring that the transportation process is optimized for both capacity and efficiency.