A new trend in the packaging-industry is multi-compartment PVOH (Polyvinyl alcohol) applied in the detergents market. The possibility to combine fluids with powder or gel, creates new marketing and product development opportunities. It is no longer necessary to choose between liquid of powder pods. Our machine platform even makes it possible to combine liquid with powder and pills or to combine gel with liquid or powder.
Current machine platform
With our machine platform Pullig-M it is possible to produce pouches with outstanding seal strength, at high speed. The precision dosing systems guarantee that every compartment will get exactly the right filling. The design of the pod is transferred to the moulds placed on the bream. The shape of the pod is only limited by the possibilities offered by the PVOH foil and the dosing material. Each foil has its own characteristics, just like the dosing material.
The heart of the Pulliq-M is a drum with a 1500 mm radius. Depending on the size of the mould a minimum of 70 beams and a maximum of 85 beams can be placed. With 7 to 15 moulds per beam, Pulliq-M has a maximum output of approximately 1200 pouches per minute, if filled with 2 liquids.
With the development and production of multi compartment pods (up to 5 is possible) the process of production becomes more and more critical. Most critical processes are filling and welding. As an option, customers can add an end of line vision inspection, to inspect the quality of the cut pods on leakage and position (for the reject mechanism).
Next steps in development
Since the pods getting more and more complex, achieving a high quality standard is becoming increasingly challenging. Next to an improved process control (real time sensing / inspection) during the filling and welding process, end of line leakage detection becomes more and more important.
Most leakage issue’s will occur and detected directly after the production of the pod, but can also occur after 5 minutes (after cool-down of the product). Some leakage issues will even occur only after a longer period while the pods are already packed in boxes or bags.
Since end costumers (users of the product) demanding a high quality of the pods, especially when it comes to leakage / empty pods in the box or bags, Tembo is looking for a way to avoid leakage of the pods at a later stage.
A reliable prediction of leakage in a later stage by having inspections and measurements during the filling and welding process is one way to avoid leakage in a later stage, the other way is to have a leakage inspection after the pods are boxed or bagged just before the boxes or bags leave the factory.
Our ultimate goal is to satisfy the costumer or end user by designing machines that are able to deliver high quality non-leaking pods.