Heater sealers are often used in production facilities to seal bags and packaging materials as they come off the production line, so that the product is ready to be shipped. Heat sealers can work on a variety of materials, including the thin plastic bags used for food products as well as thick plastic used to encase products ready for store shelves. When you're in the market for a heat sealer for your production facility, note a few important factors to consider before you buy.

1. Impulse versus continuous heat

A continuous heat sealer is just that; it provides a continuous stream of heat to melt plastic together or to melt an adhesive to a package. This is best for production lines where bags or packages will be split or divided after they are sealed, or for very high-volume production lines that cannot wait for the sealer to get hot.

Impulse sealers produce heat at certain impulses, and these impulses can usually be programmed to match your production line. They are better for sealing individual packages and for slower lines. They are also good for areas where too much heat might be damaging to your packaging or the production line, as continuous heat sealers may generate vast amounts of heat throughout the day and, in turn, cause materials or other nearby machinery to overheat. This can be damaging to your packaging itself, as some forms of plastic or other materials are damaged when exposed to too much heat in a sealer.

2. Vacuum sealers

If you need to provide a vacuum seal for your packaging, such as is often needed for certain food products or to shrink the packaging for shipping, you can use a vacuum heat sealer. This will remove the air in the package with the vacuuming before sealing; this can save you the cost of a secondary machine that vacuums air before the package is sealed and also ensure that the package stays vacuumed before it is sealed.

3. Direct heat

Direct heat sealers are those that have heat on both sides of their jaws, and these are good for very thick materials that need higher, direct heat in order to be penetrated and to seal. Materials like wax paper, foil, and very thick plastics may not seal without this direct heat penetration on both sides, so choose these for any thicker materials you may be using in your production facility.

For more information, contact companies like W.A. Bag Closing Equipment.

Share