Afra International installs its flagship new paper bag-making machine at Dubai-based printing press, promising to boost quality and speed up ROI. Afra International recently installed a new high-speed Champion Bagpro SFH 43-15H automatic sheet-fed paper bagmaking machine with auto handle fixing unit at Atlas Printing Press in Dubai.
Packaging MEA learned more about the machine and spoke with the key decision-makers behind the installation.
ABOUT THE MACHINE
The SFH 43-15H is suitable for the production of eco-friendly paper shopping bags with twisted rope handles in line. This machine adopts a single sheet feed and the handle-making unit uses reinforced paper roll and paper twist rope as raw material.
Through servo delivery, the handle, servo cutting and positioning automatically paste the paper handle on the inside of the bag mouth, followed by automatic top folding (directly pasting), automatic creasing, tube forming, gusset forming, square bottom open, bottom glueing, bottom pasting and compaction output.
This machine equips an advanced compact servo handle cut-off system to replace the traditional complex mechanical structure, reducing setup time. The bag-making machine and handle-making unit have separate servo control systems to avoid handling waste.
Packaging MEA (PMEA): Paper bags is a new segment for Atlas. Please tell us what you are working toward.
Amit Radia, Atlas PP CEO (AR): We have opened a wideformat division that focuses on retail merchandising and branding, and this was a vertical that fit well into that spectrum. The recent ban on plastic was another reason to explore this avenue, as we are very focused on sustainability. Finally, our segment is niche in that we do not insist on large minimum quantities but rather on high-quality brands which have smaller requirements and more personalisation.
PMEA: With many printer converters entering this sector, is this business profitable?
AR: Existing suppliers predominantly produce bags online on flexo with very basic print quality. That is fine for brands for whom it is purely a means of carrying a product from A to B, but our clients are in a different league and this is more of a branding opportunity.
PMEA: Are paper bags the answer to the single-use plastics ban?
AR: Apart from its superior strength and protection, paper is 100% eco-friendly. It degrades naturally in weeks and kraft paper can be recycled. Being eco-friendly and having FSCcertified recycled packaging can increase sales, as the world is now realising the importance of protecting the environment.
PMEA: Please tell us about Afra’s journey with paper bag-making machinery.
Mohammed Azam Arabi, Afra Assistant GM (MAA): The bag-making segment has been going through tremendous changes from the early days of laminated luxury square bottom bags to today’s more sustainable and environmentally friendly kraft paper bags. About 16 years ago we introduced bag-making as a combination of tube-forming and bottom-folding machines with a manual handle-inserting process. Later, we launched the fully automated laminated square bottom bag-making machines. In 2015, we ran a fully automatic sheet-fed kraft paper bag-making machine with a handle-fixing system.
PMEA: How is Afra’s Champion different to others paper bag makers?
MAA: Bag-making machines are extremely complicated to install and run. Given the high investment and production costs, the key to a quick ROI is to keep running at high production levels. This is where Afra comes in, with our 25+ years of experience in the installation and commissioning of complex machines.
PMEA: Please give us some insight into the machine’s specs and capabilities.
MAA: Our machines are all servodriven with user-friendly GUI and many modifications custom-engineered for the Middle East. We have focused most of our improvements on quick make-ready and added machine intelligence to reduce operator dependence. We have added several enhancements like auto moisture control ECU, auto glue adjustment system and quick plough change setup.
PMEA: How do you complete quality checks of paper bags?
MAA: Most checks are done before the bag-making process. We suggest some of the tests, like bursting strength, tear strength, peel strength and cobb sizing. On the machines, we have several devices like auto handle detection and also a sensor that detects glue variations at great speeds. We have incorporated devices to check bottom-gluing issues and an auto ejector system to ensure each bag is of the highest quality.