A Complete Guide Bag to Inserters and Bag Uncuffers
Eliminating Labor & Reducing Bag Costs on the Production Line
Bag inserters and bag uncuffers allow the bag-in-box process to become completely automated. Inserters place bags into boxes, cuffing them over the box’s lid before being filled with product. Once filled, the uncuffer will lift the bag off the top of the box and close it. With the bag closed and inside the box, the package can continue down the production line.
By purchasing a bag inserter and uncuffer, you will cut down on labor by eliminating operators from handling bags. This will speed up your production while executing accurate and repeatable bag insertion, uncuffing, and closure.
In this document, we’ll cover the following:
- What bag inserters do?
- Benefits of bag inserters
- What bag uncuffers do?
- Benefits of bag uncuffers
- How/Where customers use the machine
- Upstream/Downstream
- Favored manufacturers
- Industries using this machine
- Summary
What bag inserters are used for
Bag inserters are typically used for bag-in-box applications. This type of packaging puts products, such as liquids, powders, and pastes, into a bag that’s inside a box. Bag inserters are designed to line the inside of a box with a plastic bag and cuff it over the top of the open box.
[Source: PATTYN]
How a bag inserter can benefit your production line
Adding a bag inserter to your operations can be incredibly beneficial to your production line by removing manual labor, reducing bag cost, and increasing production speed without losing consistency.
First, bag inserters eliminate the process of manually lining boxes.
It also reduces costs by creating bags from a film roll stock instead of using preformed bags.
Bag inserters are simply faster than the manual process. A worker is able to insert about four to five bags a minute while an inserter can do 12 to 18 bags a minute, depending on material and application.
This machine can do all of this while maintaining accuracy and repeatability, making your production line extremely efficient.
What does a bag uncuffer do?
After the bag is inserted into the box and filled with product, the package is ready to go through the bag uncuffer. This machine is designed to seal the bag within the box. Performing this task first requires uncuffing the bag from around the top of the box or case. This machine uses mechanical fingers to achieve this.
[Source: Professional Packaging Systems]
Once uncuffed, the bag is ready to be closed to prepare the box for the sealing process.
Bag closure methods
There are three main closure methods, which include:
- Fan Fold
- Tape/Tie Closure
- Heat Seal Closure
[Source: Qitai Intelligent Automatic Equipment]
Fan Fold:
When the uncuffer’s mechanical fingers lift the bag off the box, the bag is suspended vertically. Once the bag is lifted, the machine uses a plow that closes the bag by folding it.
Tape/Tie Closure:
This method uses either tape or ties to shut the bag. Once the bag is uncuffed, the package moves down the conveyor where the bag is necked together so it can be taped or tied shut.
Heat Seal Closure:
The final type of closure is a heat seal closure. Once the bag is uncuffed from the box and standing upright, it is clamped together with seal draws that use heat to seal the bag together.
Why a bag uncuffer is beneficial to production lines
Incorporating a bag uncuffer into your production line will increase your output rate while providing reliable uncuffing and consistent bag distribution.
Where to find Bag Inserter & Uncuffer in a production line
[Source: KIVO]
If you are purchasing a bag inserter or an uncuffer, you will need a case erector, filler, and a case sealer, if you don’t already have them. If needed, our integration team can assist you with incorporating these pieces into your production line.
Upstream Equipment
Downstream Equipment
- Filler
- Product Inspection Equipment
- Labeler
Favored manufacturers
- BW Flexible Systems
- Wayne Automation Corporation
Industries used in
- Bakery
- Plastic Resin (Pellets)
- Powder
- Meat/Seafood
- Fruits/Vegetables/Nuts
- Food ingredients
Summary
Bag inserters and uncuffers are some of the most efficient machines that make production lines quicker and more automated. Integrating these pieces of equipment will remove manual labor when handling bags, thus increasing your product output. If your operations call for bag-in-box packaging, a bag inserter and uncuffer is a reliable way to speed up production while saving your facility money.
Click here to view our section of bag-in-box packaging equipment.
If you’re interested in purchasing a bag inserter and bag uncuffer for your facility, contact our sales team by clicking the button below.