Bonding - More than materials | Herrmann Ultraschall

Recyclable materials New monomaterials and paper-based packaging are on the rise. With ultra- sonics, they can be processed without long down times. U ltrasonic welding has always been sustain- able: It is extremely fast and consumes little energy. It does not require any bonding agents such as adhesive or screws. And it reduces the amount of rejects. Us- ing the technology from Herrmann Ultraschall can support customers from all industries in becoming more sustainable. A conversation about the commonalities between a bag of salad and a diaper. The Karlsbad company helps partners and customers in various ways to become more environmentally friendly. “Our technology is very reliable, es- pecially in the food industry. In this in- dustry, if a packaging machine breaks down, the product spoils and must be disposed of,” says Robert Hueber, Business Unit Director PACKAGING. “Food waste, in particular, is an emo- tive subject; it is not good when food must be thrown away.” Addi- tionally, says Hueber, ultrasonic technology allows customers to manufacture significantly tighter sealed packaging than with other methods, such as heat sealing. He uses the example of a bag of salad. A manufacturer wants to pack washed and cut salad in an airtight packaging. In traditional sealing techniques, it can occur that a lettuce leaf is welded into the seam. “This would mean you have two bags of sal- ad you can throw away, because they are not properly sealed tight,” says Hueber. With ultrasonic welding tech- IF WE CAN HELP OUR CUSTOMERS TO PRODUCE IN A MORE RESOURCE-FRIENDLY MANNER, THAT MAKES US HAPPY. GOOD FOR THE CLIMATE Robert Hueber, Business Unit Director PACKAGING. nology, that would not have happened. There are fewer rejects; less food is wasted. “Additionally, the seam would be very strong; no bags would tear on the truck during transport and no bacteria could get in that would spoil the products.” Point one, food waste – reduced. THINNER SEAMS = LESS MATERIAL The second point for sustainable and resource-friendly customers: Less packaging material is consumed. “Ev- eryone has been complaining about the packaging industry for years now; plastic has a bad reputation. How- ever, there is large saving potential,” says Robert Hueber. Because pack- aging welded with ultrasonics require less material. “The distance to the filled-in product is smaller and the seams are very slim,” continues Hueber. Ultrasonic welding consumes less energy and produces less CO 2 . “Poorly packaged goods do not need to be loaded back onto the truck and transported back,” explains Hueber. “Ultrasonic welding consumes less electricity, particularly compared to heat sealing. The preheater, then the master station, and the cooling down involved in heat sealing are not required. This cuts down the energy requirement by about a third. This makes quite a difference financially for the manufacturers. Only in that way can they be convinced. The biggest driver has always been where it hurts most for the companies: cost.” Ac- cording to the Business Unit Director PACKAGING, savings have always been the drive for innovation. “Also for us in ultrasonics, where significant cost advantages for the customers have emerged.” SPACE-SAVING AND FAST In addition to these advantages in matters of sustainability and mate- rial waste, companies who use the Karlsbad ultrasonic technology also save space. “Heat sealing requires large machines to heat up, seal, and cool down. This is not the case with ultrasonics – the production system becomes smaller – an important as- pect these days. This is called the ‘machine footprint’ – the smaller, the better! As a conse- quence, customers of Herrmann can package more product by setting up further machines,” says Hueber. “Also to be mentioned is the high produc- tion output, i.e. the quantity, because welding with ultrasonics is done in a fraction of a second.” This applies not just to the Business Unit PACKAGING, but also to the other areas in which Herrmann offers solutions for joining with ultrasonics. Such as in the NONWOVENS area, in the production of diapers. SAVING TONS OF ADHESIVE By using ultrasonic technology, the use of adhesives is no longer re- quired. “These are chemical products, perhaps also with allergy-triggering components and high energy con- sumption, both in manufacturing and in processing: The adhesive must be melted so that it can be applied,” Robert Hueber explains further. Ad- ditionally, he says, the need for spare parts and the workload for cleaning the machines are higher; this leads to machine downtime, which is inefficient. With the plastic applications in the Business Unit PLASTICS, Herrmann customers can also produce more sustainably, as fewer rejects are generated thanks to the sophisticated technology from Karlsbad. “Each part I must throw away has consumed energy, energy I would have used up for nothing.” When all the advantages are taken into account together, Robert Hueber is sure: “With our solutions, our cus- tomers automatically become more sustainable!” “WITH OUR PRODUCTS, OUR CUSTOMERS AUTOMATICALLY BECOME SUSTAINABLE.” Sustainability through ultrasonics – using the example of packaging Flexible packaging forms Whether plastic films, aluminum foil bags, or high-quality paper – the pack- aging must suit the product. 100% air-tight Even if the seal area is coated with product contamination, the packaging can still be sealed absolutely tight. A major advantage for packaging food. No food waste Thanks to the vibrations, the product contamination is pushed out of the sealing zone. This enables a safer and secure packaging of the food which remains good for longer. Saving raw and working materials By sealing using ultrasonics, the cus- tomers need less packaging material, as the ultrasonic weld joints require less space. Energy-saving Up to 75% of energy can be saved – and that saves costs. Unlike heat seal- ing, ultrasonic sealing needs energy only during the sealing time. “WASTE IS AN EMOTIVE TOPIC.” 123