BW Packaging aims to clamp down on jams in high-speed flow wrapping

BW Packaging recently introduced its Hayssen X850, a multi-jaw flow wrapper engineered for high-speed sealing applications.

The system follows the company’s RT platform, which has been used in cheese applications for decades, and is designed to reduce maintenance and changeover duration while maintaining long dwell time for high-speed, high-integrity sealing.

“The X850 is a next-generation flow wrapper machine that’s built on the legacy of the RT that we’ve had in the market for almost 70 years,” said Brantley Turner, senior product manager at BW Packaging. “It’s reimagining that machine, solving some of the pain points that customers have experienced while enhancing the things that make it so great.”

Changeovers and jam recovery

One update on the X850 is a quick-release jaw mechanism intended to simplify changeovers and reduce maintenance time.

“We have a quick release mechanism built into the jaw itself,” said Turner. He explained that instead of needing a separate tool to remove and replace jaws, operators can handle changeovers, such as heater or knife issues, directly at the assembly. 

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The system also incorporates jam detection and clearing capabilities aimed to keep production running during disruptions.

“Our philosophy is that a bad bag or two is better than a minute, two minutes, or five minutes of downtime to clear and recover from a jam,” said Turner.

Speed and product range

In addition to reducing downtime, the X850 maintains high cycle speeds, running up to 300 packs per minute while sustaining more than one second of dwell time.

“It’s great for any product that needs to run high seal integrity at high speed,” said Turner. “When we say high speed, we mean beyond 150 packs a minute, even up to 300 packs a minute in some cases.”

In addition to cheese applications, Turner said the machine may be suitable for wet wipes and certain confectionery or baking products with similar sealing requirements.

Film handling and sustainability

The X850 is also designed to support a broader range of films, including sustainable materials, through tighter temperature control of the sealing jaws.

“Controlling every temperature within a few degrees has opened the door to run recyclable films at similar speeds as traditional films, which has been one of the challenges for recyclable films in the past,” said Turner.

Incorporating RFID for operator use

The machine also includes radio frequency identification (RFID) technology and human-machine interface (HMI) controls as standard features. Turner said RFID access allows manufacturers to manage user permissions and track machine changes across operator shifts.

“By using the ID badges that many people already use for building access as the login tool, we can set up individuals with access levels based on their role,” he said. “The other nice thing is we keep a log of those changes.”

In the field

BW Packaging confirmed that the Hayssen X850 has been integrated into a packaging line as part of its development process.

“We have a machine in the field that’s been running about six to eight months,” said Turner.

Additional trials in adjacent markets are planned for later this year.