Category Archives: Instruction

Vacuum Chambers Explained

VacuumChambers

Vacuum Sealers remove oxygen from a package prior to sealing the bag.  By removing oxygen from the package, vacuum sealing can extend the life of a food package or prevent rust of industrial items.  Our vacuum chamber sealers require no external compressor and can vacuum seal liquids and powders.  Depending on the bag size, vacuum chamber sealers can also vacuum seal multiple bags at a time.

Learning how a vacuum chamber works may be less intuitive than a nozzle vacuum sealers so we created a quick little infographic to walk you through the mechanics of a vacuum chamber.

  1. Bag is placed in a vacuum chamber sealer.  The open end of the bag should go over the sealing bar.
  2. Vacuum pump removes oxygen from the vacuum chamber including the oxygen inside the bag.  The pressure in the chamber is now lower in the chamber than outside.  Because air rushes out of the chamber more quickly than in the bag, this can cause the bag to puff up inside the chamber (pressure in bag is higher than chamber for a short amount of time).  This is normal.
  3. Vacuum sealer seals the bag closed.
  4. Vacuum sealer then allows the chamber to equalize.  This allows the pressure of the chamber to be the same inside and outside of the chamber.  The bag (because it is sealed) cannot equalize the pressure along with the rest of the chamber.  As a result the atmospheric pressure in the chamber causes the bag to collapse and thus vacuumed.

As a result of this method, vacuum chambers are able to vacuum seal liquids in bags and provides an advantage over nozzle vacuum sealers.

Chamber-Vacuum-Sealers

Watch our DZ-500T vacuum chamber in action.

SealerLogo_DZ-500T

For the month of April, we will be offering 10% off our DZ-500T vacuum chamber.

Shipping Rates to Increase

As we expected, UPS announced rate increases which will take into effect December 26, 2016.  FedEx is also expected to make similar announcements later this month.  Please keep this in mind as you are working out shipping rates with your customers.

UPS 2017 Rates Information
Effective December 26, 2016, the following changes will take effect:

  • Daily rates for UPS® Ground service will increase an average net 4.9%.
  • Daily rates for UPS Air and International services, as well as UPS Air Freight rates within and between the U.S., Canada and Puerto Rico, will increase an average net 4.9%.
  • The Additional Handling charge will be assessed for UPS Air and International packages with the longest side exceeding 48 inches, instead of 60 inches.

Over 1 Million Views on YouTube

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You have helped us reach over 1 million views on our channel!! Our YouTube channel provides a wealth of resources to assist you with your customers.

For those of you who have not checked out our channel, check it out!

Visit our channel at https://www.youtube.com/user/sealersales and click Subscribe in the upper right hand corner.  We continue to add videos to our channel so subscribing will allow you to stay up to date with our latest videos.

 

SEALER SALES VIDEO SERIES: Band Sealer Maintenance – How to Use Dry Ink Coding

Part II of our Sealer Sales Band Sealer Maintenance Video Series will show you how to use the dry ink coding function on your Sealer Sales band sealer to print on the seal line.

The feature is easy to use and made even easier with our video instruction.  Print lot codes, expiration dates, and much more!

Refresher Course: How to Use a Heat Sealer

Getting Started - Heat Sealer

SEALER SALES VIDEO SERIES: Band Sealer Maintenance – Changing Sealing and Drive Belts

Daily maintenance or replacement of parts for your band sealer will keep your machine in its optimal condition.   Our first video in our Band Sealer Maintenance Video series will discuss how to change the sealing and drive Belts.

Both sealing and drive belts are consumable items and we recommend changing the belts from time to time. Sealing belts should be changed when the band sealer begins to display “spotty” sealing and/or the user notices that there are “burnt” or worn out areas. Drive belts should be replaced when the belts break or become badly cracked.

Stand Up Pouches…what sealers should I choose?

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For your stand up pouches, we suggest using either a 5mm impulse sealer or a direct heat sealer (constant heat sealer).  We offer a variety of equipment at various price points and all the sealers listed here will work with your pouches…choose based on the width of your stand up pouch.

Download our stand up pouch sealer recommendation guide.

…for your most basic needs…

If you are just starting out your production and looking to seal sample sizes, these options will work the best.  Affordable and easy to use with very few moving parts.

FS-200 FS-300_revised

FS-205 / FS-305
easy to use / 8” and 12” lengths
seal width – 5mm (0.20”)

KF-150CST 6” jaw / 2 temp settings seal width – 15mm (0.59”)

KF-150CST
6” jaw / 2 temp settings
seal width – 15mm (0.59”)

….for quicker sealing

These two options (THS & W-300DAT) utilize a foot switch for faster production. (Hands get mighty tired after a full day of sealing).

THS-200 / THS-300 / THS-400 foot switch activated / 8”, 12”, and 16” seal width – 15mm (0.59”)

THS-200 / THS-300 / THS-400
foot switch activated / 8”, 12”, and 16” seal width – 15mm (0.59”)

W-300DAT table-top model / foot switch activated seal width – 15mm (0.59”)

W-300DAT
table-top model / foot switch activated
seal width – 15mm (0.59”)

….fastest production volumes…

Band Sealer – Our fastest option yet!  Simply place your bag on the conveyor.  Adjustable temperature and speeds available.

ertical continuous band sealer seal width – 8mm (0.31”) 15mm option

ertical continuous band sealer seal width – 8mm (0.31”) 15mm option

Maintenance – How to change the Heating Element and PTFE Cover/Adhesive on your Hand Sealer

Maintenance is KEY to a long lasting impulse sealer.  Regular maintenance of your impulse sealer will ensure the longevity of your sealer.  After using between 1,000-5,000 seals, it is normal for the heating element (wire) to break .  The number is dependent on your timer setting and will vary from user to user.  Regularly replacing your sealer’s heating wire, PTFE adhesive (sticky brown protective skin under the element), and the PTFE cover (brown protective skin over the element) is essential for your sealer’s health and well-being.

Take a look at our instructional video on how to change out your heating element and insulation pieces.

What Does “Seal Width” Mean for a Sealer?

When shopping around for a heat impulse sealer, the two most important questions you will need to answer are:

Q:  What sealer size should I purchase?
A:  How wide is your bag?  This one is easy.  If your bag is 6″, then you will need a sealer that will fit your 6″ bag.  The closest size to that is our 8″ hand sealer.

Seal Width Examples_small

Seal Width Examples

Next Q:  What seal width should I choose?
There are a variety of seal widths that a sealer can make.  There are two types of heating elements: round or flat. The round wire is mainly used to cut and seal with no excess material above the seal.  Depending on the width of the flat wire element, sealers are available in 2-3mm, 5mm, 8mm, or 10 mm.   If you are sealing thicker materials, you may want to choose a wider seal width for better heat penetration.  Please download our seal width guide for a better idea of the type of seal width you should choose.  The most basic seal width is 2mm and if you are sealing a general poly bag, the 2mm seal width will do the trick.

Impulse Sealing vs. Direct Heat Sealing – Your Questions Answered

We often get this question:  What is the difference between impulse sealing and direct heat sealing and how do I choose??

Impulse sealers – require no warm up time and seal by applying a pulse of energy to the sealing  area, followed immediately by cooling.  Impulse sealers only use power when the jaw is lowered.  **So if you are just sealing your every day poly bags, an impulse sealer will do the trick.**

a 5mm impulse sealer will do the trick for this poly bag

Direct heat sealers (constant heat) – maintain constant heat in both jaws.  Direct heat sealers use power as long as the machine is turned on.  As a result, direct heat sealers possess better heat penetration in order to seal thicker materials.   **If you are sealing thicker materials such as kraft paper or anything with gussets, go with a direct heat sealer.**

Gusset bags require direct heat sealers

Use our handy little chart to help you make a decision but if you still are unsure, please contact us or one of our distributors for assistance!

Impulse vs direct heat_larger