Allpack Stick Packing Machine

1.What is stick packing?

As the picture shows, stick packing is to package products into these long and thin stick packaging pouches. You can use this packaging method to package powders, liquids, semi-liquids, gels and so on. The stick packaging pouches are narrow so that they are very portable, can save space, therefore, many industries prefer using stick packing in their production.

2.What is stick packing machine and what is it used for?

Now you know that what is stick packing, can you guess what is stick packing machine? Stick packing machine is a high speed packaging equipment which is designed for stick packing, it can produce stick packaging pouches automatically and fill your products into them, besides, the sealing and cutting operations are as well.

Stick packing machine is universal, it can be used to package a variety of products such as powders, granules, liquids and pastes, as a result, this machine is widely applied in industries, including food, beverage, pharmaceutical, nutrition, chemical and so on.

3.What are the benefits of using stick packing machine?

Are you curious about the advantages of stick packing machine? Wanna to know how can this machine benefit you during the production process? Well, you can read the following content to solve your puzzles.

• Intelligent Operation Process

Stick packing machine is equipped with advanced PLC touch screen, which is smart and sensitive, you can easily operate it and set up all kinds of parameters during the working process of the machine. Also, with the high degree of automation, the stick packing machine can intelligently complete the whole packaging process.

• High Sensitivity Photoelectric Tracking System

In fact, most stick packing machines on the market will use photoelectric tracking systems, which have high sensitivity, can help the machine track the position of printing automatically, moreover, it can accurately position the packaging film and correct stick pack length.

• Advanced Servo Control System

Stick packing machine adopts advanced servo control system which can control the speed and position precisely, therefore, the machine has high production speed and production capacity. In addition, with the servo control system, the stick packing machine is durable and easy to maintain so that it can save your extra cost.

• Precise Temperature Control System

Stick packing machine has a precise temperature control system, therefore, the machine can provide perfect sealing effect, to give your product a beautiful appearance. Besides, to ensure the sealing quality, there is an automatic stop function when the temperature is too high.

4.What are the applications of stick packing machine?

Generally speaking, stick packing machine can be applied in a lot of industries, and here you can see the most common applications of this machine, which are as follows:

• Food Industry

Food Industry-Photo Credit: Turpack

There is no doubt that stick packing machine is very common in food industry, it can package various food products, including candies, cookies, sugar, salt, tea leaves, spices, ketchup, sauces, chocolate and so on. This machine provides separate package for food products so that they are portable and easy to transport.

• Pharmaceutical Industry

Pharmaceutical Industry-Photo Credit: Healthcare Packaging

Stick packaging is also common in pharmaceutical industry, in your daily life, besides solid medicines such as capsules and tablets, there are also some oral liquid medicines and water soluble drugs are packaged in stick pouches. So, stick packing machine can be applied in pharmaceutical industry to package medicines.

• Beverage Industry

Stick packing machine also plays an important role in beverage industry, for an instance, instant drinks are very popular among people who are very busy. There are many types of instant drinks, such as soluble coffee, instant juice and so on, thus stick packing machine can be used to produce these beverage products.And besides instant drinks, stick packing machine can be also used to package milk powder, tea powder, coffee powder, yogurt, juice, etc.

• Chemical Industry

Chemical Industry-Photo Credit: Pantero

You will never be unfamiliar with desiccant, which can be seen everywhere in your daily life, this chemical product is always packaged in stick pouches to reduce footprint. Sure, there are other chemical products are similar to desiccant and stick packaged, thus stick packing machine is put into use.

• Personal Care Products Industry

In the personal care products industry, there are many travel sized or one-use products, which are generally stick packaged, such as shampoos, shower gels, body emulsion, face cleanser, lotion, face cream and so on, these products are all packaged by stick packing machine.

5.What types of stick packing machines are available?

In terms of the amount of lanes, stick packing machines can be divided into 3 types: single-lane stick packing machines, the double-lane ones and the multi-lane ones.

• Single-lane Stick Packing Machine

Single-lane stick packing machine is very common on the market, as the picture shows, this machine can only produce one stick package for one turn, thus it is the slowest among the three types of stick packing machines. Relevantly speaking, single-lane stick packing machine will not occupy too much space, so you can purchase such a machine even though your workshop is small.

Single-lane stick packing machine can complete bag forming, metering, filling, sealing, cutting and discharging operations automatically, it has many advantages such as high efficient, accurate, easy to operate, low noise and so on. This machine is more suitable to medium scale production.

• Double-lane Stick Packing Machine

Double-lane Stick Packing Machine-Photo Credit: Sanko

As the name implies, the double-lane stick packing machine can produce two stick packages at the same time, and during the filling and packaging processes, the two lanes will not affect each other. Double-lane stick packing machine can be used to package a wide range of products such as powders, granules, liquids, creams, etc.

Double-lane stick packing machine works faster than single-lane packing machine, it can produce dozens of stick packages in one minute, therefore, if you want to possess a stick packing machine which has a little faster working speed, you can choose this one.

• Multi-lane Stick Packing Machine

In the three different types of stick packing machines, multi-lane stick packing machine has the highest production speed because it has multiple working channels, which can support it make several stick packages simultaneously. Since this machine has multiple lanes, it always has a large size, so you need to prepare a larger workshop for it.

Multi-lane stick packing machine adopts full servo control design, therefore, it has high degree of automation, ultra fast working speed and high production output. If you need to package a large amount of products, it is suggested that you can choose a multi-lane stick packing machine.

6.What are the differences between stick packing machine and VFFS machine?

Can you distinguish stick packing machine and VFFS machine? Seriously speaking, stick packing machine belongs to VFFS machine, however, there are still some differences between the two machines, let’s explore together.

• Stick packing machine can only produce stick packaging pouches, and the width and length of these pouches are limited. However, besides stick packages, VFFS machine can provide many other bag styles, including 3-side sealing bags, 4-side sealing bags, back sealing bags, guested bags, pillow bags and so on, and the sizes of these bags are not limited.
• As is mentioned that there are three types of stick packing machines: the single-lane one, the double-lane one and the multi-lane one, while VFFS machine only has one working channel, so sometimes the stick packing machine has higher production capacity than VFFS machine.
• In terms of design, stick packing machine and VFFS machine are different, the design of stick packing machine is more compact than that of VFFS machine, as a result, the maintenance of stick packing machine is more difficult and troublesome than that of VFFS machine. In other words, the maintenance cost of stick packing machine is higher than that of VFFS machine.
• Relevantly speaking, the application range of VFFS machine is wider than that of stick packing machine, why? It is because that VFFS machine can provide various bag styles which can meet different packaging demands, but the stick packing machine is only suitable for specific packaging demand.

7.How does stick packing machine work?

To be honest, the working principle of stick packing machine is very similar to that of VFFS machine, if you divide the whole working process of stick packing machine into different steps, there are 9 steps, which are as follows:

• Film Pulling: At the beginning, when the stick packing machine starts running, the packaging film which are stored on the film holder is pulled downward, to prepare for the bag forming step.
• Coding & Printing: This step is optional, not each stick packing machine has this function, if the machine is equipped with a coder, in this step, the production information, such as production date and expiry date, are printed on the packaging film.
• Film Tension: To provide a perfect packaging effect, there should be no wrinkle on the packaging film, therefore, before the bag forming step, the packaging film is pulled and tensioned.
• Stick Pack Forming: In this step, the packaging film enters the forming tube and be shaped. When the packaging film passes through the forming tube, it is folded, so, the two sides of the packaging film are overlapped, at this moment, a stick pack is formed.
• Horizontal Sealing: In the last step, the stick pack is formed, however, it can not package product because its top and bottom are not sealed, therefore, in the horizontal sealing step, the bottom of the stick pack is heat sealed so that it can play its role.
• Metering: When the stick pack is formed, the product need to be filled in it, and before the filling process, the product which is in the hopper is fallen into the measuring cup, this step is to ensure the filling accuracy.Notice that if a stick packing machine package different forms of products, the metering device is different, too.
• Product Filling: At this moment, the stick pack is already formed, and the product is measured, next, the product in the measuring cup is filled into a stick pack.
• Stick Pack Sealing: When the filling process is finished, the product is in the stick pack, but it can be poured out because the stick pack is not sealed. Therefore, in this step, the top of the stick pack is heat sealed, now, a complete stick package is produced.
• Cutting & Discharging: The sealing step is not the end of the working process of stick packing machine, don’t forget that the packaging film, or you can say, the stick packs are connected with each other. The stick packing machine is equipped with a cutting device which can cut off the connection of stick packs, and then the finished products are fallen down and discharged.

8.What parts constitute a stick packing machine?

A stick packing machine is similar to your body, only if all the organs work together, your body can run normally and healthily, so does the stick packing machine. So, what parts consist of a stick packing machine? Let’s discuss together.

• Hopper: This is a storage tank of the product, before operating the stick packing machine, you need to pour your product into the hopper.
• Volumetric Cup:This is a measuring and dosing device for your product, before the product is filled into stick packs, it need to be measured first.
• Forming Tube: This is the place where the stick pack is formed, when the packaging film passes through this component, it is folded into stick pack.
• Vertical Seal Jaw:The function of vertical seal jaw is to heat seal the side of the formed stick pack.
• Hot Horizontal Sealing Device: Like the vertical seal jaw, the hot horizontal sealing device is to heat seal the stick pack, but it is to seal the bottom and top of that.
• Cutting Device: This part is to cut off the connection of each two stick packs so that they can become separated packages.
• Conveyor: When the whole packaging process is at the end, the finished products will fallen down on the conveyor and be discharged.

9.What products can be packed by stick packing machine?

It has been mentioned for many times that the stick packing machine can be used to pack different forms of products, such as powders, granules, liquids and cream. Next let’s discuss them in detail.

• Powder & Granule

Powder & Granule-Photo Credit: Yumeng Packaging

Stick packing machine can be used to pack a lot of powder or granular products, no matter they are food products, medicines, chemical products, etc. It is not difficult for you to recall that in daily life, many products, such as milk powder, coffee powder, seasoning powder, flour, medicine powder, baking powder, etc., are packaged in sticks.

• Liquids & Cream

Liquid & Cream- Photo Credit: INVpack

Moreover, stick packing machine is widely applied to package liquid products, which include juices, honey, ketchup, cooking oil, chili oil, shampoo, lotion, hand sanitizer, ointment and so on. No matter the fluidity of the products is high or low, the stick packing machine can pack them well.

10. What are the optional dosing devices of stick packing machine?

As a matter of fact, to package different forms of products, there are different types of dosing devices equipped on stick packing machine, they will be mentioned to the below.

• Dosing Device for Powders

Dosing Device for Powders-Photo Credit: Atopone

If you need to use a stick packing machine pack powder products, the dosing device should be a auger screw filler, in which powder products are totally stirred and mixed, and then flow down and be filled into the stick packs.

• Dosing Device for Granules

Dosing Device for Granules-Photo Credit: Atopone

The dosing device for granules is the volumetric cup filler, which uses the cups to measure the volume of the granular products and then fill them into stick packs. This device is suitable for dust-free granular products, to guarantee the filling accuracy.

• Dosing Device for Liquids

When the stick packing machine is used to package liquid products, it is equipped with an electric gear pump, this devices uses the movement of gear to deliver liquids, which can achieve constantly and stable liquid product feeding and filling process.

• Dosing Device for Cream

Dosing Device for Cream-Photo Credit: Packaging Machines

When the stick packaging machine needs to be used for packaging weak fluid liquids, the most suitable dosing device is piston pump, it uses the pressure generated by the reciprocating movement of the piston to convey the cream product, therefore, it is the most suitable for handling viscous liquids.

11.How can you troubleshoot a stick packing machine?

When a stick packing machine is used for a long time, there are likely to be large and small faults, how should you solve them? In this part, you will learn the basic troubleshooting skills of stick packing machine.

• Weak Sealing

If the sealing effect of the stick packs is not good, the reason might be that the sealing temperature is too low, or the sealing time is too short. To solve this question, you need to change your set up, adjust the sealing temperature or time, until the stick pack is perfectly sealed.

• The Stick Pack isn’t Fully Cut

If the stick packing machine can not totally cut off the connection between stick packs, there might be two reasons: the position of the cutter is incorrect, or the blade is dull. For the two different reasons, there are also two solutions, adjust the position of the cutter, or replace it with a sharper blade.

• The Machine can not Feed Product

If you don't clean the stick packing machine regularly, or the product you want to pack is too viscous, there will be problem in the product feeding process. When this situation happens, you need to clean the feeding port right away, to avoid the product jam.

12.What are the considerations for buying stick packing machine?

Now is the most important question, if you want to purchase a high quality stick packing machine, what should you consider? Here are some common considerations for purchasing a stick packing machine, which can be a reference for you.

• Machine Model

According to the classification of stick packing machine, there are three choices for you, the single-lane stick packing machine, the double-lane stick packing machine and the multi-lane stick packing machine. Choosing a right type of stick packing machine for your business is very necessary, you need to figure out your output requirements at first.

• Product Category

The product which you need to package is also an important factor to consider when choosing a stick packing machine, as you know, different forms of products require different dosing devices. So, you need to choose a stick packing machine which is suitable for packaging your products.

• Technical Specifications

This point is the most important, the technical specifications of a stick packing machine can determine many things such as the production capacity and the durability of the machine. Therefore, before purchasing a stick packing machine, you need to learn about the technical specifications of the machine from the manufacturer to see whether it meets your requirements.

Conclusion

In summary, stick packing machine is commonly used in various industries to help them pack products efficiently, it is an ideal packaging equipment. After reading this blog, do you feel you are more familiar with stick packing machine? And if you have other problems about this machine, you can contact us, your problems will be solved as soon as possible.