Valve bagging machine: an efficient packaging solution in modern industrial production

In the packaging process of modern industrial production, valve bagging machines have become an indispensable key piece of equipment for packaging powdery and granular materials. Through automated and precise operation, they not only significantly improve production efficiency but also greatly enhance the working environment, meeting the multiple requirements of modern industry for environmental protection, precision, and efficiency. This article will delve into the working principle, technical characteristics, application areas, and key points for selection and maintenance of valve bagging machines, providing you with a comprehensive analysis of this important industrial equipment.

Working principle of valve bag machine

Valve bag packaging machines are automated quantitative packaging equipment specifically designed for fine powder materials (such as dry mortar, putty powder, thermal insulation mortar, etc.) and materials with similar properties. Their core working principle combines mechanical automation, precise sensing, and intelligent control technologies.

When the equipment is working, the motor first provides power, driving the impeller inside the discharge seat to rotate smoothly to achieve uniform feeding. The material enters the dividing wheel from the outer hopper, and then enters the ash hopper through the feed port on the machine base. The rotating impeller evenly delivers the material to the discharge port. After the operator inserts the packaging bag and lightly touches the limit switch on the right side of the nozzle, the sealing cylinder retracts, the discharge nozzle is unobstructed, and the filling process officially begins.

As the material steadily falls into the bag, the sensor continuously measures the weight of the material inside the bag and inputs the measurement signal into the microcomputer system. When the material weight reaches the set requirement, the microcomputer outputs a signal, the sealing cylinder extends to seal the discharge port, and at the same time, the electromagnet pull rod moves upward, causing the material bag to fall, completing the entire process of automatic metering and automatic bag dropping.

Technical features and advantages of valve bag machines

Valve bagging machines have been widely used in the industrial packaging field due to their many outstanding technical features and advantages:

High-precision metering performance : The valve bag machine adopts automatic quantitative weighing and packaging with both fast and slow feeding speeds to ensure high accuracy. Employing screw feeding and vibration compensation technology, the metering error can be controlled within ≤±0.2%, far below the national standard requirement of ≤±0.5%. This high-precision characteristic is particularly suitable for packaging weight-sensitive building materials (such as specialty cement).

Highly efficient and dust-free operation : The valve bag machine uses valve bags for packaging, with a complete exhaust and return air system and excellent sealing performance. Almost no dust overflows during operation, greatly improving the working environment. The negative pressure exhaust system recovers dust to the dust collector, keeping the dust concentration in the workshop ≤10mg/m³, fully meeting environmental protection requirements.

High degree of automation : Modern valve bag making machines are highly automated and easy to operate. Fully automatic models can automatically feed materials, feed bags, load bags, weigh, fill bags, and seal them. Intelligent programs automatically control the entire production line, enabling continuous operation.

Reasonable structural design : The valve bagging machine has a compact structure, small footprint, and is easy to move. Parameter setting and weighing calibration are simple and easy to understand. The operator only needs to put on the bag and press the allow button to automatically complete the entire feeding and weighing process.

Flexibility and Reliability : The valve bagging machine can be equipped with multiple communication interfaces according to user needs, enabling real-time monitoring, remote diagnostics, and networked management of the fully automated packaging and palletizing production line. The equipment also features fault alarms, displays, and automatic interlocking shutdown functions to ensure safe and reliable operation.

Main types of valve pocket machines

Valve bagging machines can be classified into various types according to different classification standards to meet the needs of different materials and production environments:

Classification by feeding method :

• Impeller-type valve-type packaging machine: suitable for powdery materials with good free flowability.
• Spiral valve packaging machine: suitable for materials with poor flowability.
• Pneumatic packaging machine: uses airflow to convey materials, suitable for ultrafine powder materials.

Classified by degree of automation :

• Fully automatic valve bag making machine: realizes the complete set of operation procedures such as automatic material feeding, automatic bag feeding, bag loading, weighing, bag filling, and sealing.
• Semi-automatic valve bagging machine: Manual bagging is required; the rest of the process is completed automatically.

Classified by packaging specifications :

• Standard type (20-50kg/bag): Meets general industrial packaging needs
• Large-size (up to 2 tons/bag): Meets the large-capacity packaging needs of special industries.

Application areas of valve bag machine

Valve bagging machines have been widely used in many industrial fields due to their superior performance characteristics:

Building materials industry : Valve bag making machines are most widely used in the building materials industry, mainly for packaging powdery materials such as cement, gypsum powder, putty powder, thermal insulation mortar, and ceramic raw materials. For powdery materials such as cement that are prone to static electricity, specialized valve bag making machines are also equipped with explosion-proof features.

Food Industry : In the food industry, valve bagging machines are used for packaging food raw materials such as flour, starch, seasonings, and additives. The equipment is required to meet food hygiene standards and is usually made of stainless steel with special surface treatment.

In the chemical industry , valve bagging machines are also used to package chemical products such as plastic granules, rubber granules, fertilizers, and various chemical powders. These materials often have special requirements for explosion-proof and corrosion-proof properties, necessitating specialized equipment to meet these requirements.

Pharmaceutical industry : Pharmaceutical raw materials, traditional Chinese medicine powders and other products have extremely high requirements for hygiene and precision. Valve bagging machines can provide dust-free and precise packaging solutions.

Other industries : In addition, valve bagging machines are also widely used in industries such as mineral products, metal powders, and feed to meet the packaging needs of various powdery and granular materials.

Valve Pocket Machine Selection Guide

Choosing the right valve bagging machine is crucial to ensuring production efficiency and quality. Here are the key factors to consider when selecting one:

Material characteristics : The flowability, density, particle size, moisture content, corrosiveness, and explosiveness of a material all affect equipment selection. For materials with poor flowability (such as gypsum powder), a composite metering method with vibratory feeding and screw compensation should be preferred; for materials that easily absorb moisture (such as cement), a quick-fill nozzle and a sealing valve bag are required; for ultrafine powders (such as ceramic raw materials), it is necessary to increase the negative pressure exhaust power and high-efficiency filter element.

Production capacity requirements : Select the appropriate type of equipment based on the production scale. For small-scale production (<100 tons/day), a single-head valve packaging machine can be selected, which is inexpensive and easy to maintain; for large-scale production (>200 tons/day), double-head or four-head packaging machines should be considered, along with automatic bagging machines, with a capacity of up to 600 bags/hour.

Environmental and safety requirements : In places with strict dust emission standards, pulse dust collectors must be installed with a filtration efficiency of ≥99.9%; in flammable and explosive environments, explosion-proof motors and electrostatic grounding devices should be selected.

Equipment Material : The material of the contact parts should be selected based on the characteristics of the materials. The food and pharmaceutical industries typically require stainless steel; the chemical industry may require higher-level corrosion-resistant materials.

Automation level : Select an appropriate level of automation based on labor costs and production process requirements. While fully automated systems have a high initial investment, they can save labor costs and improve production efficiency in the long run.

Supplier services : Select suppliers that can provide comprehensive after-sales service, technical support and spare parts supply to ensure long-term stable operation of equipment.

Operation and maintenance of valve bag machine

Proper operation and regular maintenance are key to ensuring the long-term stable operation of valve bag machines.

Operating procedures :

1. Before operation, remove any foreign objects around the weighing body and check that all mechanical parts are in normal working order before powering on the equipment.
2. Turn on the power switch and wait for the control instrument to complete its self-test; the display will then show "0".
3. Wait for the green material level indicator light on the control panel to light up, insert the empty bag into the material nozzle, and trigger the start switch on the dust collector cover. The packaging machine will then begin automatic metering and packaging.
4. If material spraying occurs during the packaging process, press the packaging emergency stop button on the control panel to stop the packaging machine immediately.
5. After finishing the work, turn off the power switch on the control box panel.

Routine maintenance :

• At the end of each workday, any remaining materials inside the packaging scale should be emptied promptly. The manual feed button on the control panel can be used to empty any remaining materials.
• Clean the fluidized bed residue and dust from the scale body before starting work each day.
• The cylinder should be maintained every six months.
• The rubber discharge valve and rubber flexible connector should be replaced every six months.
• The air cushion in the pneumatic feeding mechanism should be inspected every 3 months. If wear is found or if the material discharge is not smooth or uneven during use, the air cushion should be replaced in time.

Precautions :

• The packaging materials must not contain lumpy materials or adulterants, otherwise they may damage the air cushion or rubber discharge valve.
• The compressed air used must be free of moisture, and the air compressor should be drained regularly, otherwise it may cause blockage of the discharge nozzle.
• The oil cup of the pneumatic coupling should always contain lubricating oil.
• When pressing the start and emergency stop buttons, the time interval between two consecutive presses must be more than 5 seconds, otherwise the solenoid valve may burn out.

Valve pocket machine industry development trend

With the continuous advancement of industrial technology, valve bag making machines are also constantly developing and improving, exhibiting the following trends:

Intelligentization and Automation : Modern valve bag making machines increasingly adopt PLC control, touch screen operation and network communication functions, which can realize remote monitoring, fault diagnosis and production data management, greatly improving the intelligence level of the equipment.

Energy saving and environmental protection : With increasingly stringent environmental protection requirements, valve bag making machines are continuously improving their performance in reducing dust emissions, lowering noise, and saving energy. Highly efficient dust removal systems and sealing technologies make the working environment cleaner and more user-friendly.

Multifunctional and modular : To adapt to the packaging needs of various materials, modern valve bagging machines adopt a modular design, which can select different feeding methods, metering systems and control modes according to different material characteristics.

High precision and high speed : Market competition is constantly increasing the requirements for packaging speed and precision, driving valve bag machines to develop towards higher precision and higher speed.

Service and Support : Suppliers are shifting from simply providing equipment to providing overall solutions and full lifecycle services, including installation and commissioning, operation training, maintenance and spare parts supply.

Valve bagging machines, as an indispensable packaging equipment in modern industrial production, have provided efficient, precise, and environmentally friendly packaging solutions for various industries through continuous technological innovation and development. With the advancement of Industry 4.0 and intelligent manufacturing, valve bagging machines will continue to develop towards intelligence, networking, and greening, bringing greater value to industrial production.

Choosing the right valve bagging machine and operating and maintaining it correctly can not only improve production efficiency and quality, but also improve the working environment, reduce operating costs, and enhance the company's market competitiveness. This article aims to provide helpful guidance for your valve bagging machine selection, use, and maintenance.