Automatic Placing and Closing – Autoloader 4
Designing the Autoloader
During Covid, the global manufacturing industry realized its vulnerability to relying on imported labour and expertise for maintaining high-tech foreign equipment. Consequently, we used the international shutdown period to design and develop our own automated bag filling machine. It is specifically engineered to retrofit existing manual packing lines.
Capabilities and Automation
Our fourth-generation model (Autoloader #4) is fully automated. It stores and executes multiple packing “recipes” for different configurations. Furthermore, it remains the only machine capable of handling maize bags from 5 to 80 kg in a single embodiment. Additionally, it is the only fully automated system worldwide that allows manual packing to continue at a slightly reduced rate while replacement components are sourced.
Deployment Advantages
As a result, the machine is ideal for remote areas. Technical support and repairs in such locations often take weeks or months, and this system significantly reduces production losses. The automated bag filling machine features two primary sub-systems that work together seamlessly to ensure reliable operation.
1 - Bag Placer and Closer (Incl. Bag Magazine)
The first main sub-system presents empty bags for filling. It clamps them, moves them through the closing process, and seals each bag via heat sealing, stitching, or other methods. Then, the sealed bags are ready for transfer onto the packing line. Two bag storage options are available. First, a bed with multiple pockets stacks empty bags in bundles. It automatically indexes them to the bag picker and opener. Second, a stationary magazine holds numerous bags in a single tray. It presents them to the bag picker and opener.
2 - Pack Conveyors (Auto Height Adjustment, Tamping and Non-Tamping)
The second main sub-system automatically adjusts the packing height to match the required bag size. It supports the filled bag from below and transfers the closed bag off the line. Additionally, some products require tamping—gentle bumps from below—to release trapped air. This increases product density and ensures the correct filled volume. Since the bag-closing system height remains mostly fixed, the packing conveyor compensates for bag height variations during closing. Finally, a bridge piece connects the variable-height packing conveyor to the fixed-height bag handling line after filling. This ensures smooth and continuous product flow.