Productivity in the stitched up bag  

An automated bagging line by Pacepacker has enabled Merseyside chip shop potato grower Baxters High Brow Produce to improve pack presentation, increase throughput by 38% an hour and reduce production staff.

Baxter's line consists of a C21 Sack Placer that can present the total bag control (TBC) system sack closing system with up to 10 open-mouth bags a minute.

"Bagged potatoes are unstable due to their irregular shape and size," said Pacepacker sales manager, Ian Merchant. "The sack can tip backwards when released onto a moving stitcher conveyor and this, coupled with the potential collapse of the sack mouth, can result in untidy or, worse still, unstitched sacks."

The TBC stretches the sack mouth while it is still on the filling clamp then, by gripping the sack top prior to its release on to a short static conveyor. The sack top and base are indexed clear of the filling clamp at high speed and in perfect synchronisation, allowing for the rapid placement of the next bag for filling. The top grip arms transfer the filled sack to powered belts, which feed the sewing head ensuring neat, parallel stitching.

Contact: Pacepacker ServicesTel: 01371 811544