Packaging Machine Seal Part Preheating and Ultrasonic Sealing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional retort pouch packaging machines experience issues with large bubbles forming on the inner surface of the seal part due to water droplets not being completely vaporized during the sealing process, leading to creases in the seal part.
Innovation Solution
A packaging machine and method that includes a seal part preheating station, a decorative seal applying station, and an ultrasonic seal applying station, with a cooling station to remove fine bubbles, ensuring a reliable and aesthetically pleasing seal without large bubbles or creases.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If steam deaeration is carried out to fill the packaging bag, then deaeration is achieved, but water drops adhere to the inner surface of the seal part and cannot be completely vaporized
Solution Approach 1:
The seal part is preheated before applying the ultrasonic seal to vaporize water drops that adhered during steam deaeration. This preliminary heating action prevents water drops from interfering with the subsequent ultrasonic sealing process, resolving the contradiction between achieving deaeration and preventing water drop adhesion issues.
Solution Approach 2:
The temperature of the seal part is changed through preheating to transform the state of water drops from liquid to vapor, thereby eliminating the harmful effect of water drop adhesion while maintaining the benefits of steam deaeration.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If preheating seal is applied to vaporize water drops, then water removal is improved, but large bubbles form on the inner surface of the decorative seal
Solution Approach 1:
The decorative seal is applied before the ultrasonic seal, creating a sequence where the decorative seal is in place before water drops are vaporized. This preliminary sealing action prevents large bubbles from forming on the decorative seal surface during the subsequent ultrasonic sealing and cooling processes.
Solution Approach 2:
The conventional sequence is inverted: instead of applying seals first then dealing with water drops, the decorative seal is applied while water drops are still present, and the ultrasonic seal with cooling is applied afterward to vaporize water drops without creating bubbles on the decorative seal.
3Reliability
If ultrasonic seal is applied to seal the bag mouth, then sealing is achieved, but creases are formed in the seal part due to trapped water drops
Solution Approach 1:
The seal part is preheated before applying the ultrasonic seal to vaporize water drops in advance. This preliminary heating action eliminates water drops that would otherwise cause creases during ultrasonic sealing, while still allowing effective sealing to be achieved.
Solution Approach 2:
The temperature parameter of the seal part is changed through preheating to transform water drops from liquid to vapor state, thereby preventing crease formation during ultrasonic sealing while maintaining sealing effectiveness.
4Manufacturing precision
If decorative seal is applied before ultrasonic seal, then aesthetic appearance is improved, but the process complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The ultrasonic sealing station performs multiple functions: it applies the ultrasonic seal and simultaneously vaporizes water drops through heating. This multi-functionality allows the decorative seal to be applied first for aesthetic quality while the subsequent ultrasonic sealing step handles both sealing and water removal, without significantly increasing overall process complexity.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The solution effectively prevents large bubbles and creases, ensuring a good-looking finish and reliable sealing of packaging bags by vaporizing water droplets and applying an ultrasonic seal after decorative sealing, followed by cooling to remove fine bubbles.
Implementation Method 1
a seal part preheating station for preheating a seal part of the packaging bag after the packaging bag has been filled with the article and steam deaeration has been carried out
Implementation Method 2
an ultrasonic seal applying station provided downstream of the decorative seal applying station for applying an ultrasonic seal to a part of the packaging bag below the seal part
Implementation Method 3
a cooling station provided downstream of the ultrasonic seal applying station for cooling the seal part of the packaging bag
Data Source
AI summary
Providing a packaging machine and a sealing method in the packaging machine both of which can reliably seal a packaging bag in a good-looking finish without forming large bubbles on a seal inner surface of a bag mouth of the packaging bag and/or creases on a seal part.A packaging machine includes a seal part preheating station for preheating a seal part of a packaging bag after the packaging bag has been filled with an article and steam deaeration has been carried out, a decorative seal applying station provided downstream of the seal part preheating station for applying a decorative seal to a part of the packaging bag above the seal part and an ultrasonic seal applying station provided downstream of the decorative seal applying station for applying an ultrasonic seal to a part of the packaging bag A below the seal part.