27 October 1972
Abstract
The shape of the shoulder of a forming, filling and closing mackine is calcu-
lated, based on geometrical colisiderations, first for a circular and subsequent-
ly for a rectangular (superelliptie) section. I t appears to be possible to formu-
lare a feasibie solution for a model represented by a flat triangular region in
the centre, which eonnects two truncated cones; for eaeh cone olle half of the
intersection of shoulder and cylinder acts as the directrix of the cone. The
solutions are formulated in terms which permit direct application in machine
constructioli. Verification of the theory witk the help of paper models and
with real shoulders on machilies shows a very good agreement between
theory and practice. III addition practical tests produce excellent results as
well.
NOmenclalure
a,b semi-axes o~ superellipse
h height of shoulder
exponent of superellipse
p distance between guidance roll and centre of shoulder
q half widtla of film
radius of cylilider
(v, % z) polar coordillates
(u, v) coordinates on film
(x, y, z) Cartesian coordinates
(«o, yo, zo) coordinates of the apex of the cone
ot aligle between film and x-coordinate in central plane
tan fl «IP
section of skoulder plalie with cylinder (also: directrix of eones)
P radius of aligles of superellipse
2 E. MOT
aperture 1
l for filling
- filling tube
§ 1. The problem
On a forming, filling and closing maehine for pouches, a flexible
film, destined for wrapping grainy materials is drawn from a web
and subsequently guided over and drawn through a "shoulder",
with the result that it is folded into the shape of a tube. (Fig. 1 and
2). After this forming proees the film moves in between two con-
centric cylinders.
The inner cylinder aets as a guidance as well as a filling tube. The
outer cylinder which acts as a guidance only is part of the shoulder-
shaped casting.
In technological practice, it appears to be difficult, to find the
proper shape of the shoulder, ensuring a correct undisturbed guid-
anee of the film. In this respect, the shape of the intersection of
shoulder and cylinder seems to be the most critical point.
§ 2. Analysis
It is known, that a film that is folded around a cylinder can be
"tueked up" and then adjusted in such a way that the shape of a
shoulder is formed.
Let us assume that during this forming proces
(a) the film remains isometrie with a plane. This implies that in the
plane of the film the strains are zero.
(b) the radius of the interseetion of shoulder and cylinder is small
in comparison with other dimensions of the shoulder (r, h, etc.),
but large with respect to the thickness of the packaging material.
T =apex of c o n e
TT//Y - aXfs
T'in xoz-prane
Tb//z - ~xfs
DMI/X- ax(s Z Tix~# z~)
hAT'= e
~~i,~ I~~
Y
Fig. 3. Scb,ematic representation of shoulder and cylinder.
Now the tube (lower part in Fig. 5.) is cut open along the line SS'
and subsequently b o t h patts (shoulder and tube) are flattened (see
Fig. 4).
Since T P is part of the cone, it will remain straight in Fig. 4 as well.
Its length can also be obtained from
/2 = (e t a n f l + u ) 2 + (h - - e - - ~ ( u ) ) 2 (5)
FORMING,FILLINGANDCLOSINGMACHINES 5
NQ=u
A i~c
= 'f'(u) "~
7"P = f [ / Z ~
P'/~'''"-~ f [h
SQ N S
u=77r u=o
¢(u) = h - - (6)
e(1 + s i n ~) J
It can be seen from (6) t h a t the b o u n d a r y condition
~b(O) = h (7)
has already been satisfied.
The length of e will now be chosen so t h a t @(nr) = 0.
It appears t h a t
e - (8)
h(1 + sin ~) -- nr tan/~ -- 2r cos
F r o m the geometrical situation of the shoulder it follows t h a t only
solutions for whieh [x0l < r a r e admissible. Hence, it should be
required t h a t
0 < e < 2r/cos ~. (ga)
Computer calculations resulted in ample feasible solutions. Thus it
has been proved t h a t the shoulder problem can be solved analyti-
cally.
§ 3. Experimentalprocedure
F r o m (6) and (8), the shape of @(u) was calculated. This shape was
scratched into stift paper and subsequently the paper was folded as
6 E. MOT
§ 4. Rectangular shoulder
F o r certain purposes, machines are necessary to form the film as a
r e c t a n g u l a r w r a p with r o u n d e d angles. This is offen the case on
horizontal forming, filling a n d closing maehines. I n t h a t case,
r e c t a n g u l a r p r o d u c t s r a t h e r t h a n g r a i n y materials are wrapped. On
FORMING, FILLING AND CLOSINGMACHINES 7
Fig. 7. S h o u l d e r no. 1 ( u s e d f o r p a c k a g i n g p u r p o s e s ) .
t(u)lII! r = 3856(mm)
(mm) ~ = 106.97 (mm)
I ~= 83~0'
120~ P = 123.0 (mm)
q = 127.5 (mm)
6O
4O
2O
0 20 40 60 80 100
U (mm) ,-
Fig. 10. Measured and calculated shape of the intersection between shoulder
and cylinder (shoulder no 5).
I 2a I
a + b + S~/r 2 -k (dr/d~0)2 d 9
# = ~/2 (21)
2 -- ~ / 2
§ 5 Practical results
At present orte shoulder with a circular inner tube without "wings"
has been produced based upon the present method of calculation.
From experiments on packaging machines it appeared that these
wings probably play an important role in uniformising the stress
F O R M I N G , F I L L I N G A N D C L O S I N G MACI-IINES 13
Acknowledgement
The author wishes to thank the firm of Hamac Hansella N.V. at
Weert, The Netherlands, for their assistance on behalf of the
experimental approaeh of the problem and Mr. J. Bos of TNO-
Iweco and Mr. A. Kooistra of IWIS-TNO for their important
contributions to the present calculations.
Reeeived 10 J a r m a r y I972
REFERENCES