Problem: A Midwestern baking facility needed to apply tape to the top of a PET tub and snap-fit lid at approximately 20 cases per minute. Driving the flexible container through a taping process and then trying to apply tape to an uneven surface at that speed were the problems to overcome.
Solution: A machine was offered that would consistently apply tape to the top of this style container at 20 CPM. The containers are indexed into the machine by the bakery’s powered in-feed system which provided the proper spacing between each container. A bottom belt drive propels the PET container past a pneumatic “C-clip” tape cartridge that applies tape to the top of the snap-fit lid securing it to the tub with 2-1/4” to 2-1/2” long vertical tape tabs on the leading and trailing ends of the tub.
The development of a pneumatic tape cartridge activated by photo eye sensors allowed Loveshaw to apply tape consistently to the very flexible PET container considering there was no support from the product (donuts) inside the container. This machine can be designed and constructed to the customer’s specific container range and is an excellent solution for customers needing to seal similar style containers.
