Want to increase the speed and efficiency of your Avatar Vertical Form, Fill, & Seal (VFFS) machine, or diagnose a problem faster? Use this often overlooked tool everyone owns, but rarely uses: It’s your eyes!

The power of observation will help solve almost any problem. Let’s face it, the operation of Vertical Form, Fill, & Seal  filling machines is not overly complicated. As the name implies, this specific filling machine forms the bag, fills the bag, and then seals the bag. Simple, right?  That is, until something becomes misaligned or the timing is off. Then, bags break , they leak, and then they don’t seal. Instead of pushing buttons, or throwing parts at a problem, take a few minutes and watch what is going on.

Yes, you are probably going to make a mess, and waste some packaging material but,  in the long run you are going to waste less by observing and learning how to better maintain your machine in the future. This is certain to be a good exercise for the operator as well. The machine operators should have management’s trust and be counted upon when the operation gets off track. If you observe closely, your timing adjustments, and parts alignment are sure to save you time and money.

A key thing to remember, change one thing at a time. Don’t throw a bunch of changes out there and see which ones stick. Changing one variable at a time will allow you to isolate the problem and diagnose it much faster. Make a change and record what occurs and then repeat this process as needed. Ask questions: “Did the problem get better?”  “Has the problem been resolved?” or, “Has the problem gotten worse?”. If better, change it some more and if it gets worse, change it back and try something else, if solved then you’re done. Remember everything happens for a reason, and it usually is something simple, like an accessory that is off when it should be on or visa versa. If the problem is beyond your capability and you call the factory for assistance, knowing what’s going on will point the technician in the right direction, solve your problem faster and save you money by reducing the amount of down time the machine is not in service. Like any tool, with a little practice, you will become more proficient in its use.

Your accurate observations will also help if you need to call All-Fill Field Service for assistance. All-Fill Field Service is trained to troubleshoot Avatar VFFS and Alpha Checkweigher issues. The more information you have the better. The field service team will take a systematic approach towards identifying the problem at hand. They will start with the basics and move forward towards more intricate details.

Please call the Avatar Sales Team or All-Fill Field Service for more information.