Last week I wrote a bit about our line speed calculator which many people find helpful. Another tool that we offer free of charge and ship with every system is our handy gap gauge used in setting up your sealer.
One of the key variables in the setup of your induction sealing system is the gap between the top of the closure and the bottom of the sealing head. While the specific gap can vary from application to application, the important piece is that the gap you use for each product is consistent every time you run the product. The strongest part of the field that we are creating is closest to the sealing head. Because of this many times we'll recommend running a 1/8" gap to take advantage of the most performance possible.
However, as we all know bigger, better, faster isn't always the best route. In some cases it makes sense to dig in a bit deeper into your application and the tolerances involved with your containers and closures. Depending on these tolerances we may want to look at increasing the gap to find the operating window that fits your application best.
Utilizing our gap gauge makes this consistent setup a breeze. Simply place a bottle on each end of the sealer. Set the gap gauge(s) on top of the capped containers. Lower the sealing head until it just touches the gap gauge(s). After that you're off to the races. Turn your conveyor on, find your operating window and finally start running production. It's a process that usually only takes a few minutes to complete.
If you'd like us to send you a free gap gauge, fill out this form and we'll get one off to you.