Spee-Dee Packaging, a provider of filling and weighing solutions, demonstrated the efficiency of its compact rotary with auger filler at the inaugural Pack Expo Southeast in Atlanta.
The company, based in Sturtevant, Wisconsin, says the machine is designed for fast, hygienic filling of dry goods, such as powder or spices, into rigid containers of various sizes, resulting in a more efficient operation when compared to hand packing.
“It makes everything easier,” said Bobby Tracy, regional sales manager for Spee-Dee Packaging, in an interview with Packaging OEM. “If you’re doing something by hand, then you’re probably filling a container or two a minute, whereas something like this is going to be 60 to 80 containers per minute. So, you’re running at a lot higher speeds, especially if you’re trying to expand as a food manufacturer. Trying to increase automation, you’re definitely going to increase your speed and output.”
Designed for industries such as food, pharmaceuticals, cannabis, and nutraceuticals, the machine is built for ease of use, enhancing automation and integration while reducing labor costs, the company said.
Engineered for versatility
The compact rotary measures 30” x 24” 12” and features 12 pockets with a 24-inch turret, It’s driven by Bosch Rexroth servo motors and an 18A amplifier with integrated PLC.
Additionally, it’s also equipped with an Allen Bradley Flex4 variable frequency drive (VFD) to provide smooth operation and conveyor control.
Key features
According to Spee-Dee Packaging, the compact rotary auger filler offers an accessible design for easy maintenance and the following:
· Electrical: Mounted panel on the base of the machine to reduce the overall footprint.
· Change parts: Cleaning and maintenance become easy with tool-less change parts to accommodate different-sized containers.
· Magnetic rotary funnels: Shortens change over time and improves cleaning.
It also features a 7-inch, full-color human-machine interface (HMI) for user-friendly control and integration.
“We have our own checkweigher that we integrate into our rotary fillers,” said Tracy. “We can have that check where it’s talking back to the auger filler, making sure that the volume that we’re dispensing is matching the appropriate fill weights that we’re listing on labels.”
Rigid container filling
The compact rotary can accommodate a variety of rigid containers for dry goods, including:
· Plastic tubes and bottles: Applied for products like nuts, spices, parmesan cheese, protein and nutraceutical powders, infant formula, baby food, and pet food.
· Glass: Fills products such as spices.
· Fiberboard: Utilized in household products, like detergent.
· Metal cans: Processes products such as milk powder.
The machine can be modified to produce non-dry goods, like gummies. In this case, the multi-head weigher or electrical counter dispenses the products into buckets, while a bottom rail vibration system around the turret ensures the proper settling time of the product in the container. This adaptable system is used for the nutraceutical and cannabis industries. The machine can fill gummies into rigid containers of various shapes and sizes, including glass, metal, composite, paper board, or plastic.
“If we’re doing gummies and generally filling by count or weight, then that’ll all be handled by the scale itself,” said Tracy. “We’ll be making sure that our machine is talking to their scale so that we can have a bucket underneath the dispense point.”
Working with machine builders
Spee-Dee Packaging actively collaborates with other machine builders to provide the best solutions for their customers.
“We are constantly working on projects, mounting auger fillers on top of baggers, cup fillers on top of baggers,” said Tracy. “All the time we are working with OEMs.”
To learn more about Spee-Dee Packaging’s compact rotary, click here. Catch up on the action from Pack Expo Southeast by viewing our photo gallery.
