Press release submitted on behalf of Rinco Ultrasonics.
Rinco Ultrasonics, Danbury, CT, a leading global manufacturer of ultrasonic welding equipment, will showcase its latest film-sealing equipment for the packaging industry at PACK EXPO Las Vegas 2025 (Booth SU-30019) Sep. 29-Oct. 1. Rinco’s newest equipment advancements which improve performance and raise productivity include the FPA4500EM servo-driven pouch sealer and the new Micro-35 packaging actuator.
The FPA4500EM system is the industry’s first fully servo-driven, ultrasonic pouch sealer. It raises the bar in the packaging industry by delivering significant sustainability advantages with reduced energy use along with enhanced productivity benefits, according to Bill Aurand, sales manager for Rinco Ultrasonics.
The servo system has the ability to dynamically manipulate key parameters such as vibratory amplitude, weld force and stroke velocity during the weld cycle, ensuring the best possible weld strength and the fastest possible cycle time. By eliminating the use of compressed air to develop seal force, the servo-driven welder significantly reduces energy consumption. The advanced servo system monitors the force and position of the sealing tools, and can detect folded and missing pouches. Historically, the filling machines have been required to prove pouch presence before welding to prevent damage to the ultrasonic tools. Eliminating the need for these sensors will simplify integration into pouch filling machines.
Meanwhile, the new Micro-35 packaging actuator is designed specifically to meet the needs of continuous fin sealing and zipper crushing applications for the packaging industry. The new actuator can be easily integrated into fin sealing and zipper crushing applications, delivering speed and energy efficiency, thus helping manufacturers meet today’s demanding productivity requirements, says Aurand. “We’ve developed a highly adaptable ultrasonic system that is repeatable, user friendly and safe,” he said.
Ultrasonic fin sealing is an economical way to create continuous, hermetic longitudinal seals on flexible packages. Rather than pulling film between two heated jaws, the film passes between ultrasonic sealing tools. Ultrasonic zipper crushing is an effective way to facilitate hermetic side seals on standup pouches that contain zippers.
Rinco’s Micro-35 actuator is the smallest fin sealing and zipper crushing system in the industry. The ultra-compact design enables integration into tight spaces. Furthermore, the lightweight system makes it viable for continuous movement zipper crushing applications where the actuator must move with the film.
The 35-kHz frequency is optimal for continuous seals, delivering high power using proven standard components. The resulting process is extremely reliable and almost completely silent. The Micro-35 has a robust, integrated positive stop to prevent damage to the tools if the film is not present and the integrated air-cooling ports ensure the ultrasonic sealing process remains stable.
Among the advantages of ultrasonics is that sealing does not rely on radiant heat but on ultrasonic energy which can melt films almost instantaneously. Energy consumption is significantly reduced due to the high efficiency of ultrasonic sealing systems. Thermal fin seal jaws draw up to 10 times the wattage of a typical ultrasonic unit. In terms of productivity, common heat seal jaws can take 10-15 minutes to warm up at the beginning of a shift or after servicing. No warm-up time is required with the ultrasonic process, which enhances machine productivity.
Ultrasonic welding is also a more sustainable process with the capability of sealing recycled and bio-based films as well as many paper-based materials. Many of these newer materials don’t respond well to thermal processes and can result in a leaky or wrinkled bond area. Ultrasonic sealing delivers unparalleled process control. Thermal sealing processes are blind and often affected by ambient conditions and are unable to confirm seal quality. Intelligent ultrasonic systems provide a high level of process data, offering insight into the sealing process. In terms of safety, ultrasonic sealing is a maintenance-friendly process often requiring little to no
operator adjustment.
For more information, visit www.rinco-usa.com.