ABOUT HAND SEALERS AND SEALING PLASTIC HOW DOES SEALING A PACKAGING WORK?

In this whitepaper you can read all about the use of hand sealers and the sealing of plastic packaging in general. Which fac- tors determine the choice of the type of hand sealer? We have written 4 articles in which this question is further discussed.

THE HAND SEALER, A CLASSIC AMONG PACKAGING MA- heated up. You place the packaging inside the , with the CHINES resistance wire or sealing bars at the point where the packaging Sealing is a decades-old packaging method and remains the only is to be sealed. You then close the device, causing heat and technology for creating air-tight packagings. In this article, you pressure to be applied to the packaging, which fuses together. can read how sealing works and the various technologies which The machine needs to remain closed for several seconds – how are available. We also discuss the function of hand sealers in long depends on the packaging material. With the tabletop hand greater depth and which packaging materials are suitable for sealer, you cut through the tubular foil in a single action and the sealing. packaging is ready.

HOW DOES SEALING A PACKAGING WORK? THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN HEAT AND IMPULSE SEALING Sealing is fusing together two layers of a material so that those two layers cannot be separated without causing damage. The There are two types of sealing technologies for sealing machi- fusing takes place by applying heat and pressure to the material. nes, impulse and heat sealing. Impulse sealers work with a wire This technique is ideal for closing up and protecting products. that heats up momentarily (impulse). In other words, the sealer For example, it protects them during transport or can guarantee is not continuously hot, but is activated each time it is used and their storage life. heats up for a fraction of a second. An added advantage of an impulse sealer is that it does not use energy continuously. 3 KEY FACTORS THAT MAKE FOR A GOOD SEALED Audion offers various ranges of impulse sealers: PACKAGING The width of the seal may seem crucial for the success of the • Powersealer seal. However, this is not the . A 1 mm seal can work just as • Magneta well as an 8 mm seal. The three key factors for a good sealed • Sealboy packaging are heat, pressure and the packaging material. • ISM • Sealkid HOW DO HAND SEALERS WORK? • Super Poly Hand sealers have a resistance wire or sealing bars which are In contrast to impulse sealers, heat sealers work with sealing PACKAGING MATERIAL FOR HAND SEALERS bars which are constantly heated. Following a warm-up time of The choice of a sealing device always begins by answering the approximately 8 minutes, the sealer is ready for use at any time. same two questions: which product is the packaging machine being used for and how is the product being packaged? The ans- In addition to the different technologies, there is also a differen- wers to these questions determine the packaging material. ce in the type of seal. An impulse sealer makes a flat seal, which means that any foreign substances will be enclosed within the Requirements of packaging materials can vary significantly and seal of the packaging. With a heat sealer, it is also possible to are influenced by the product, the function of the packaging and make a ridged seal. This is wider and offers better adhesion in other conditions. For instance, the requirements for packaging the event of contaminants, ensuring that the product is enclosed coffee beans vary substantially from packaging requirements in in the packaging free from moisture, dust and dirt. the medical world. The requirements of the product are key, for Audion ranges of heat sealers: example storage life or protection of the product. The choice of packaging material is also dependent on the weight – logically, a • Super Cello heavier product requires a stronger packaging. • Portable Poly • GPS • Powersealer • Lamino • TTCD

Which type of seal and which sealing technology is suitable depends on the product and the packaging material. Our speci- alists will be pleased to advise you.

SUITABLE MATERIALS FOR HAND SEALERS Will you be packaging products in or using tubular foil? Hand sealers can be used to seal different types of packaging materials, i.e.: CAPACITY OF HAND SEALERS I Besides the packaging material, the number of packagings to • be handled plays a major role in the choice of sealer. How many • Polyamide packagings will you be sealing per minute, per hour or per day? • Low, medium and high-density Hand sealers are ideal for handling relatively small numbers, • Laminates up to approximately 200 packagings per day. However, there • Coextrusions – combinations of different materials are 2 different types of sealing devices available, impulse and heat sealers. The expected number of packagings determines The choice of packaging material determines which sealing which of these two technologies is best suited for the packaging technology and sealing machines are suitable for the pack- process. aging process. The difference between impulse and heat sealers is actually f PACKAGING MATERIAL DICTATES THE BEST HAND SEALER FOR YOUR PACKAGING PROCESS fairly simple. An impulse sealer is not continually hot but has a How do you choose the right sealer? The choice of sealer con- resistance wire which is momentarily heated up each time it is sists of 4 elements: the packaging material, the capacity, the used. A heat sealer, when it is switched on, is always hot. packaging format and the desired mobility. The packaging and the requirements of the packaging process determine which PACKAGING WIDTH AND SEAL LENGTH sealers are suitable. In this article, we outline these 4 factors Based on the packaging material and the number of packagings in the decision-making process and explain step by step how to to be handled, we can choose the sealing method: heat or impul- choose the right sealer. se. After that, the width of the packaging determines the sealing length. The sealing length is the length of the sealing bar on the multiple locations, sealing tongs offer mobility benefits. Compa- sealer. This must always be slightly greater than the packaging red to a table sealer, this type of sealer is easy to carry to the width, but not too long in order to prevent wear and tear to the product, where it can be sealed in situ. This is a great benefit sealer. if the product cannot easily be moved, for instance. The tongs are available as both impulse and heat sealers and in different If you are going to be sealing packagings of different widths, you dimensions for a flexible approach to the product. A wall-moun- should base the sealing length on the widest packaging. Consi- ted stand is available for the sealing tongs, which can be used to der the usage frequency of the different packagings. The sealer safely store the device when it is not in use. wears quickly if the same part of the sealing bar regularly remains unused. In that case, it may make sense to add a second PACKAGING MACHINES: SEALING PLASTIC BAGS OR FOIL sealer to the packaging process for narrower packagings. USING SEALING TONGS OR A TABLE SEALER Which packaging machine fits best within your packaging pro- cess? Hand sealers for sealing plastic are available in various shapes and sizes. In this article, we compare the smallest hand sealer, sealing tongs, with table sealers. We outline the differen- ces in mobility, capacity and use.

SMALLEST SEALER FOR PACKAGINGS: SEALING TONGS Audion has been supplying sealing tongs since the 1950s. They are available both as heat sealers and impulse sealers. Hand sealers consist of two sealing bars which are pressed onto the packaging by closing the jaws of the tongs. The term hand sealer Audion hand sealers are available in various sealing lengths, is often a literal description of sealing tongs, which are held in from 150 mm to 2500 mm. The width of the seal ranges from 1 the hand. to 15 mm. MANUAL SEALING WITH A TABLE SEALER Audion has been producing table sealers, the original hand sea- MOBILITY lers, for over 65 years. A table sealer stands on a table or sup- Is the packaging process static or mobile? A static packaging plied support and works with a resistance wire. The table sealer process always takes place at the same location. This process is offers two extra features which sealing tongs do not: suitable for a table sealer which is placed on a workbench. This facilitates comfortable and accurate working for the person who 1. A process which is easy to operate thanks to the guiding of seals the packages. Audion sealers can be supplied with various the or tubular foil in the machine accessories, such as wheeled supports which allow our sealers 2. Using a knife to cut off the tubular foil immediately after to be deployed at virtually any location. sealing. In processes in which the packaging of products takes place at MOBILITY OF HAND SEALERS the packaging with the sealing tongs. Unlike a table sealer, there Depending on the choices made in the purchasing process, both is no need to move the entire workstation. In a packaging process hand sealers offer a certain degree of mobility for the packaging in which the hand sealer is used at multiple locations, the extra process. As stated previously, a table sealer stands on a table mobility of the sealing tongs can offer efficiency benefits. or support. However, the workstation can be on wheels, which means the sealer can be used at virtually any location. 4 REASONS TO CHOOSE AN AUDION HAND SEALER AS A PACKAGING MACHINE Sealing tongs offer greater mobility, as this type of sealer is lite- Wherever packagings are sealed, Audion machines can be used. rally held in the hand to seal a packaging. With a long lead, the You will therefore find our hand sealers in a wide variety of potential distance between the power point and the packaging is branches of logistics, foods and electronics, right through to high- fairly large. This is useful for packagings that need to be sealed tech industry. Want to find out why our customers opt for Audion in situ, for example, or are difficult to move. hand sealers? In this article, we present the top four reasons to choose an Audion hand sealer. CAPACITY OF THE PACKAGING MACHINE An important element of the packaging process is the required 1. ADVICE ABOUT PACKAGING MATERIALS & PACKAGING capacity. Hand sealers are ideal for customers who are looking MACHINES for a sealer to seal up to approximately 200 packagings per day. Your choice of the right machine for your packaging process will be guided by the product and the packaging material. At Audion, CHOOSING A HAND SEALER OR TABLE SEALER we always provide input to our customers. That means we ad- Based on the required capacity, a choice can be made between vise you not just on the right sealer, but also on the packaging impulse or heat sealing. But both table sealers and sealing tongs material. For this reason, every potential purchase comes with a are available in both options. The choice is personal – both types recommendation. of sealers can be used in processes that handle up to 200 pack- agings, or far fewer. The two types of sealers do offer different benefits. A table We first discuss which product you will be packaging and which sealer offers a degree of comfort and makes it easier to work packaging material you will be using. If you don’t yet have a very accurately, because it stands on a workbench. This makes it packaging material or you would like to switch to a different one, easier to work with tubular foil, for instance, and draw packaging our experts will be pleased to discuss your packaging require- after packaging through the machine, making it easier to work ments and options with you. Together, we will meet your request efficiently and accurately. in full during this process. That way, we can be sure that all your requirements are clear and that you are choosing the right pack- By contrast, sealing tongs are more suitable for use in an en- aging machine. vironment where the packaging capacity is distributed across various points in the packaging process. You can easily walk to Once the product and the packaging material have been establis- If a sealing bar, resistance wire or knife holder for your hand hed, we will look together at which packaging technologies and sealer needs replacing, we can show you how you can easily packaging machines match your requirements. We will provide carry out the procedure yourself with the help of three training a comprehensive, tailored recommendation. If you would prefer videos on our website. greater certainty, we will be pleased to test your packaging ma- terial on the various devices in our showroom. That way, we can 4. PACKAGING MATERIALS AVAILABLE FROM STOCK ensure together that you are using the correct packaging machi- Besides spare parts, we also supply various packaging materials ne in your packaging process. from stock. Audion supplies common sizes of tubular foil for hand sealers. For users of hand sealers in particular, it is a great bonus 2. QUALITY HAND SEALER: CONTINUITY FIRST that Audion supplies the packaging material too, because they Our high-quality packaging machines stand for quality. They use it in relatively small quantities. enable us to offer you a sustainable solution for your packaging process. In order to remain productive now and in the future, con- Interested in more information about sealing or which machine tinuity of your production and business process is crucial. With suits your product/material best? Please contact our sales team! our machines, we help to maintain productivity and continuity in our customers’ business processes.

3. SERVICE AND SPARE PARTS AVAILABLE FROM STOCK In order to assure productivity and continuity in your packaging process, it is very important that the machine is back in produc- tion as soon as possible. In the unlikely event that a part of a hand sealer needs to be replaced, Audion will be there for you. This is thanks to our reliable service in virtually every country of the world. We have spare parts for all our machines in stock and are able to supply them worldwide within a few days. In ad- dition, sets containing standard spare parts can also be supplied on request.

Audion NL ABOUT AUDION Hogeweyselaan 235 Established in 1947, Audion is specialized in the design and development of machinery for the high-end 1382 JL Weesp packaging industry. Today, our machines are sold in over 100 countries which makes us one of the key suppliers T: +31(0)294-491717 for the global packaging industry. We pack everything; from medication, industrial parts to fresh goods.

We do this with dedication and a unique approach. We design and develop the machines ourselves, which gives us the opportunity to provide the best tools for our customers. The characteristic and appealing design consists of a smooth finish and round corners. This ensures less waste, optimal hygiene and efficiency in the processing and packaging of goods.

[email protected] www.audion.com