PowerPouch Filler Options

The Auger Filler is an industry staple for filling both free and non-free flowing products into bags or pouches. Offered both with clutch-brake and servo drive systems, auger fillers provide a simple repeatable method of accurately dosing powdered products. SPM has a working relationship with all major manufacturers of auger fillers, and can integrate any brand of filler to the PowerPouch IM packager. Southern Packaging can also provide rebuilt Bartelt^® Model D clutch/brake fillers, or upgrade existing fillers with servo drives.

Volumetric cup filling is a low cost alternative to a Combination Weigh Scale for products with consistent density and uniform shape such as nuts, corn, seeds, and dehydrated fruits and vegetables. Fill volume can be easily adjusted with telescopic cups and large volume changes can be made by changing the set of cups.

The duckbill inserting device can fill pouches with products that tend to bridge or get hung on the pouch opening. The bags are positioned underneath the duckbill before lowering the filling spout into the mouth of the bag and releasing its contents. This method helps to reduce spillage when filling pouches. In most cases the duckbill inserter is used below a Combination Weigh Scale system to contain and time the product to the packager.

VRC fillers provide automatic product loading using a series of vibratory conveyors and a rotary cup dispenser. Product volume can be adjusted by controlling the speed of the vibratory conveyors. The VRC is capable of achieving very low fill weights which cannot be achieved with many fillers, including most scales. The VRC is ideal for products that cannot be sheared or cut during the filling process such as marshmallows and raisins, as well as dried vegetables and beans.

Slide Gate fillers utilize a sliding-gate product cutoff to dispense predetermined quantities of product. The fill volume range on these fillers is from a minimum of .50 in³(8.2 cm³) to 16.0 in³ (262 cm³) depending on the model. Easily interchangeable product cups and a volume fine adjustment control allow quick setup of proper weights. Speeds up to 120 fills per minute are possible depending on product characteristics such as volume, density and shape. Slide Gate fillers are commonly used for noodles, rice, and freeze-dried vegetables.

The Towelette Folder/Feeder (TFF) uses towelette web material which can be pleated, folded, and inserted into the pouch prior to top sealing. Typically, a Liquid Pump filler is combined with a TFF to add a dose of liquid to the pouches. Speeds up to 270 individual pads per minute are attainable when utilizing a three-lane TFF integrated with an IM packager running three up pouches. This operating principle can also be used to form and fold nylon, polyester, or polyethylene bags as well as coupons, recipes, and similar single-sheet promotional materials and insert them into pouches.

The PowerPouch is very popular with packagers of small liquid fills such as creams, lotions and multi chambered pouches that provide a variety of products in a single pouch, such as shampoo, conditioner, and hand cream with separate chambers formed on the machine. Liquid fillers are also used in products such as microwave popcorn, to dose the heated oil and flavoring after the corn is filled.

Combination Weigh Scales offer accuracy over fill volume when package weight is critical. Fill weight is programmed into the user interface by the operator and can be saved into recipes for loading various package weights. Chutes mounted to load cells are arranged in multiple rows in a circular pattern. Each chute of product is weighed independently and then a “combination” of chutes is opened to dispense the desired weight of product to the PowerPouch.