Rinco Ultrasonics launches new ultrasonic sealing technology

Switzerland-based Rinco Ultrasonics has unveiled what the company calls a "breakthrough technology" for ultrasonic film sealing of flexible packaging for dry and liquid foods, personal care items and electronics.

Rinco, a manufacturer of ultrasonic welding equipment, said the new FPA series ultrasonic pouch sealing systems elevate ultrasonic welding to a new performance level, enabling users to increase seal strength, improve aesthetics and also broaden the processing window versus competitive ultrasonic sealing and heat sealing processes.

The FPA-4500 was designed specifically for sealing pouches with up to four and a half square inches of seal area while the FPA-4500S was created for use in duplex and triplex applications where a narrow profile is required.

Rinco's entire FPA series of ultrasonic sealing systems have been designed to replace existing heat sealing equipment on liquid filled pouch form-fill-seal (FFS) machinery or pre-made pouch systems. Each FPA system features a highly rigid actuator capable of rapidly generating the clamp forces required to seal pouches with minimal cycle time.

Gordon Hull, managing director of Rinco Ultrasonics, said the company's technology propels ultrasonic welding to "an entirely new level, broadening the design and manufacturing options for OEMs and co-packers, simplifying the process, and making it less costly to operate."

"The limitations of ultrasonics have been solved, making the joining system a highly useful and viable option for a range of flexible packaging applications," Hull said.

Rinco's PPS0145 interlocking film sealing technology permits seal patterns with greater surface area than competitive ultrasonic seals. In addition, instead of straight-line seals, it allows the production of contour-shaped seals. These seals can take almost any configuration, offering end users a range of branding options to differentiate their products, according to Hull.

Rinco says the new ultrasonic film sealing system produces seals with greater surface area than competitive ultrasonic systems and provides the widest processing window of any ultrasonic sealing system currently on the market. Seals anywhere from 2-mm to 25-mm are now possible compared to 1- to 2-mm previously, according to Hull. With the interlocking design and robust equipment, Rinco can offer wider ultrasonic seals without the need for follow-up heat sealing.

Depending upon the film used, Rinco has determined that its interlocking pattern can provide a 20% stronger bond than conventional ultrasonic seals.

Rinco offers a complete line of actuators, the FPA 4500 series and 2500 series models, for OEMs, co-packers and end users. The FPA series actuators are designed specifically for the packaging industry as a drop-in retrofit to convert heat-sealing stations to ultrasonics. They are extremely rigid to accommodate the demands of sealing thin films, and various sizes are available to suit any horizontal sealing application.

The AGM series generator features 100% digital circuitry for precise control of the sealing process, along with upper and lower process set-up for quality monitoring and sophisticated graphing capabilities for easy troubleshooting.

Rinco manufactures the FPA series ultrasonic pouch sealing system at its Danbury, CT facility. The company has already sold several systems to OEMs, co-packers and end users in the U.S. and abroad, according to the company.