Five Step Plan to Boost OEE with Automatic Roll Splicing

Butler Automatic offers top five tips to get the maximum Overall Equipment Effectiveness from reliable Butler Automatic splicers

Backed by the experience of delivering more than 17,000 automatic splicing solutions worldwide over the past 65 years, Butler Automatic has published a Five Step Plan To Boost OEE With Automatic Roll Splicing, which results in customers gaining several points of increased Overall Equipment Effectiveness (Availability x Productivity x Quality) for roll fed packaging lines. 

The first step is to involve Butler Automatic in discussions with roll fed applications equipment providers from the beginning of the project.  When the Butler team is directly involved on-site at installation and ramp-up, Butler achieves successful implementation quickly, 99% of the time.  The second and third tips are to utilize Butler’s One Point Lesson Plans (OPL’s), and Clean-Inspect-Lubricate instructions (CIL’s). With these documents Butler customers are able to train and maintain for top performance of Butler solutions, consistently achieving increased output by eliminating 100% of line stoppages for roll changes.  The fourth step includes having a short list of essential wear parts on-hand since Butler solutions consume very few wear parts. The fifth and perhaps most vital, is to establish a solid connection with our team. Butler service and parts teams support our applications 24/7.

Achieving Operational Efficiency and Vertical Start-up Through Technology Transfer and Training Plans

By William Brum, P.E., Manager, Aftermarket Parts & Service, Butler Automatic

Incorporating a new piece of equipment into a packaging line can be extremely difficult if proper technology transfer and training information is not provided by the OEM. World class OEMs’ work with customers in the early phases of sales and design processes, discussing existing equipment, process needs, and how new equipment will integrate into the existing operation. This integration is especially important, with consideration paid to physical incorporation into the facility, integration with other equipment in the line, operator needs, and more.

Experts from OEMs that provide top-quality technology transfer and training take a wide look at the process specifications and goals of incorporating the new equipment in order to properly plan for equipment startup. When OEMs do not take this careful approach to technology transfer and startup, issues are sure to arise that drastically hinder efficiency and performance.

Read the full article in Refrigerated and Frozen Foods.

Shrink Sleeve Packaging on the Rise

By Michael Mucci, Vice President of Engineering, Butler Automatic

Shrink sleeve packaging is on the rise, largely in the beverage industry, because it allows the product manufacturer to make use of the entire surface of the package for artwork and information. This type of packaging enables rapid, cost-effective packaging design changes, providing product marketing groups the ability to make sure that the product stands out from competitive products on the shelf. As with all packaging applications, finding ways to increase efficiency is critical in shrink sleeve packaging operations, as increased efficiency directly translates into higher throughput and greater profit margins.

Like all other packaging film, shrink sleeve film must be spliced together. The typical challenge to creating a hand splice in these applications lies in operators’ ability to achieve a consistent splice joint for smooth operation over the mandrel. In many cases, an overlap joint is created with the expiring tube of material being “tucked” inside the new tube, thus allowing the new material to be guided over the mandrel.  This can create issues if the combination of the tape and double-thickness of shrink sleeve does not move smoothly over the forming mandrel.

Automatic splicing technology in the form of the patent pending Butler Automatic SP3HSL Sleeve Splicer solves the challenge of striking a balance between fast splices to minimize downtime and accurate, well-formed splices. Butler’s SP3HSL provides a zero-speed, in-registration, automatic splice from an expiring roll of film to a new roll, all while continuously providing film to the downstream process at speeds up to 450 feet per minute without interruption or any need to reduce the process speed.  The SP3HSL provides a butt-splice joint with tape on both sides, ensuring smooth motion over the forming mandrel.

Automatic splicing technology enables packaging operations to fully reap the benefits of this type of packaging, in terms of marketing optimization and rapid, cost-effective packaging design changes.

Learn more from Food News International. 

Butler Automatic Film Splicers Increase Profitability and Reduce Lead Time

With automatic splicing, pre-applied zipper film is easy to incorporate into existing packaging lines 

Middleborough, MA– Butler Automatic, the inventor and global leader of automatic splicing solutions, announces that its film splicers such as the SP1 Automatic Splicer make pre-applied zipper film easy to incorporate into existing packaging lines. As a result, these splicers greatly increase profitability and reduce lead time for reclosable packaging. Butler’s automatic splicers are engineered with a small footprint, and are custom built to fit on the front end of virtually any flexible film packaging line. Butler splicers make reclosable packaging retrofits a possibility for many packaging lines.

Reclosable packaging is in a period of rapid growth, as many manufacturers realize the added value reclosable features offer consumers. This is especially true in the food industry, where a push towards reclosability has led to the implementation of a number of reseal technologies. Many methods of adding reclosable features to an existing flexible packaging line require large capital investments, but pre-applied zipper film can be an ideal tool for companies looking to make the shift to reclosable packaging without significant up-front costs or extensive lead time.

Rolls of pre-applied zipper film are less dense than traditional film roll stock, leading to fewer impressions per roll and therefore less time between roll changes. Automatic splicing eliminates the downtime of these additional roll changes, dramatically improving the profitability of packaging with pre-applied zipper film.

With a simple mechanical design and high-quality manufacture, the SP1 delivers long-term, trouble-free performance. The device senses the diameter of the expiring roll of film and automatically splices the end of each expiring roll onto the new roll.

Butler Automatic SP1 Automatic Film Splicer Reduces Downtime in Consumer Packaged Goods Packaging

Splicer performs non-stop film changes in CPG packaging operations 

Middleborough, MA– Butler Automatic, the inventor and global leader of automatic splicing solutions, announces that its SP1 Series Automatic Film Splicer is ideally suited towards consumer packaged goods (CPG) packaging applications. The SP1 Automatic Film Splicer increases efficiency in packaging operations by eliminating the packaging line downtime caused by manual film roll changes.

“CPG packaging operations can benefit from the introduction of the SP1 Automatic Film Splicer because it has a significant positive impact on line efficiency,” said Mike Mucci, Vice President of Engineering at Butler Automatic.  “The SP1 enables customers to eliminate the leading cause of planned downtime – film roll changes – and therefore to dramatically improve profitability.”

In eliminating film roll change and manual splicing, Butler’s automatic splicing technology typically reduces downtime by 5-10 minutes per operational hour. For a typical packaging line operating 20 hours per day, 6 days per week, this can yield up to 20-25 hours of additional production per week, or the equivalent of an extra day’s production.

With a simple mechanical design and high-quality manufacture, the SP1 promises long-term, trouble-free performance. The device senses the diameter of the expiring roll of film and automatically splices the end of each expiring roll onto the new roll. It is capable of running at speeds of up to 600 feet per minute (FPM).

In addition to the standard SP1 automatic splicer, Butler offers the SP1 RB, designed for full wash-down capability. The SP1 RB is built to standards common with many regulatory requirements. It features mostly stainless steel construction, with only specific splicing head cylinders using coated aluminum, and has minimal flat surfaces.