Extrusion International 3-2017

29 Extrusion International 3/2017 EASY CONTROL can be divided into three broad areas: EASY OPERATION, EASY MANAGEMENT and EASY COL- LABORATION. EASY OPERATION are modules that make working directly on the machine in the production envi- ronment easier. One example of this is the integration of third party equipment, such as metal detectors, ink- jet printers and weighing scales, into the line manage- ment systems. Third-party equipment can be managed and monitored centrally via the PLATINUM controls. The benefits are obvious: the operator only has to learn a single system, they have all of the data in one central location, and when it comes to making optimizations, analyses provide better insight because they include data from the entire line. Another example is a MOBILE function that makes status alerts available anywhere via smartphone or tablet PC, and also provides information about upcoming events. The machine can report an upcoming roll change, for example, and the operator can then plan the most ef- ficient route and resources in advance. The status of the machine is visible anytime, anywhere, so operators can react quickly when they need to which ultimately mini- mizes downtime. The next module, EASY MANAGEMENT, involves provid- ing and analyzing data. Staff working in the back-office can use an “Office” function to pull and analyze all of the production data. EASY COLLABORATION involves integrating process steps from outside of the system itself. At interpack, W&H has demonstrated data transfers from an extru- sion application using its SMART ROLL system. Inline quality assurance and 100% traceability are becoming increasingly important for end customers. The intelligent TOPAS system enables us to connect in- formation about the film from the extrusion system with production data from the packaging machine using QR or barcodes. This not only gives customers the complete traceability they need, but also optimizes extrusion and FFS processes. The valve sack experts The market for industrial packaging is full of different valve sack concepts for paper, woven plastics and plastic films. There are a number of reasons for this, such as dif- ferent applications, availability of the respective materi- als, or even regional differences, sometimes with histori- cal root causes. The AD proFilm MP sack is manufactured on the AD PLASTIC 2 valve bottomer. The machine, launched in 2015, is unusual in that it uses hot air to seal the sacks. This means that it does not require adhesives, which can be the source of significant production costs and techni- cal process limitations. When the company was developing the new AD proFilm MP film valve sack, it chose to focus on two key factors: high moisture protection (MP = moisture proof), and ex- tending the product’s shelf life. It achieved this through the use of its innovative Breathing Chamber Technol- ogy – a ventilation chamber along the longitudinal seam of the sack. This technology means that effective ventila- tion and high moisture protection are no longer mutu- ally exclusive. Valve sacks have the important benefit of being able to be filled on nozzle packers, which ensure a high filling output. But although paper, woven plastics and plastic film sacks all have this one factor in common, each ma- terial has its own specific advantages. Paper valve sacks are a comparatively cost-effective form of packaging made from a renewable source. Valve sacks made from paper, film or woven plastic – W&H has the perfect machine solution for every material The AD PLASTIC 2 machine for film valve sacks requires no adhesive as it seals the sacks with hot air Windmöller & Hölscher www.wuh-group.com