Baking & Snack - September 2014 - 114

Going with the Flow
Packaging systems need to adapt to new and better films as companies strive
to enhance their products' consumer appeal.
by Ryan Atkinson

Long-dwell technology
is one way to overcome
challenges of varying film
thickness.
Bosch Packaging Technology

F

Flowwrappers are like any other piece of machinery in
a bakery or snack food manufacturing facility when it
comes to ever-changing challenges. Products evolve and
consumer demands waver, but the end product must still
be wrapped quickly, efficiently and reliably.
Meeting those challenges are even more important
when the flowwrapper is responsible for putting the final
touches on a food product. The package is the first thing
the customer sees and touches, which can go a long way in
product sales.

Managing modern materials
Bakers and snack producers are trying new films to cover their products. Some are going with thinner, higherquality films to reduce packaging while some are looking
for more sophisticated materials.
"One of the big things, in general, is that this is requiring
some more flexibility," said Dennis Gunnell, vice-president
of sales and marketing at Formost Fuji Corp., Woodinville,
WA. "Different films require different sealing patterns and
some of these patterns can get quite complicated."
The thinner films can present unique challenges. If too
much pressure is applied to the film, it can fracture. If too
much heat is applied, it will burn.
"We're playing with three variables: heat, pressure
and dwell time," said Paul Garms, product and marketing manager for Bosch Packaging Technology, New
Richmond, WI. "When you have a thinner film, you're
giving up certain qualities that you had with a thicker film
with multiple laminations."
One way to work around that problem is to change the
profile of the jaw and the serration patterns or use methods traditionally used for thicker films, such as long-dwell
technology.
"We can adjust it to where the sealing jaws on a flowwrapper actually move with the film for a certain amount
of time and that will help with the pressure problem," Mr.

114 Baking & Snack September 2014 / www.bakingandsnack.com

Garms said. "On our long-dwell machines we can actually
move with the film for one second. That is another potential solution: just add more time to get a good seal."
Mr. Gunnell said the varying sealing patterns of higher
quality films can be most problematic. "The actual seal bar
has a pattern face on it and, depending on the film, that
pattern face can handle different films," he said. "Some
films stretch one direction, some another, some have flow
characteristics so the film can flow caulk and create a seal.
Others have little. There are things going on that put a
higher demand on the technical aspects of the seal bars."
Mr. Garms pointed out the challenge of becoming more
sustainable and using less product to complete a wrap
while, at the same time, retaining the qualities necessary to
keep food in the best condition possible.
"Everything is an evolution, a gradual change, but I
think all suppliers right now are focused on sustainability and environmental concerns," he said. "And they're always looking to reduce costs. A lot of times these things
are aligned when you're talking about moving to thinner
films, but in certain applications, they need certain barrier
properties to eliminate air flow and oxygen ingress that
might degrade their product."
Many a move to thinner film can't be made because
those additional laminations are needed, either for the
look and feel of the package or for the barrier properties
that come with them.

Revisiting resealability
It can be challenging enough to keep up with the newest
and best ways to package a product. It can throw a completely different wrench in the operation when the need
arises for a package that can be closed again after opening.
But that, Mr. Gunnell said, is a trend that rears its head
after few years.
"That comes up every so often. People start looking
more for something that you can open and close again
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