FAWEMA FA 217
A new-generation small bag packer
When it comes to bagging, one of the most important criteria today is production efficiency.
Operational reliability and minimum scheduled downtime are of the essence.
Servo drives are ideally suited to meet these criteria. Often used initially in high-speed, lowtorque packaging applications areas such as pharmaceuticals, servo drives today are more
robust and the ideal drives when exact velocity, torque, or positions are required.
FAWEMA has used servo drives for many years; first replacing clutch & brake systems for
auger fillers, and then integrating servo drives into complete packaging lines. Therefore, the
decision to design a small bag packer completely from scratch, to fully utilize the tremendous
potential of servo technology, was simple.
The result of this design effort is FAWEMA’s FA 217 flour bag packer - a servo-driven bagger
that covers a large fill weight range from 1 to 10 lbs, or 0.5 to 5 kg. The bagger uses the proven
design principle of a linear packer with large clear-plastic doors which allows full visibility of the
packaging process and quick access for housekeeping and maintenance ( Figure 1). The servo
drive design eliminates the need for a lubrication system, as is commonly needed for cam drives.
Figure 1: FA 217 Bag Packer
The linear design has the benefit of longer settling times between bag filling and bag closing.
This is most important for brick-type bags with flat-top closure. Without proper settling, bag tops
show the accordion effect when stacked. This negatively affects the shelf appearance, and
consumers may think that the bags are under-filled. The long vibration section of the FA 217
packer assures that the flour has sufficient time to de-aerate in the bag prior to closing the bag,
resulting in excellent bag appearance.
The transport system is mounted at a fixed height which eliminates the columns needed for
height adjustment; as a result, the packer has a clear machine bottom which simplifies clean-out.
With a footprint of only 75 sq.ft or 6.5 m 2, the FA 217 packer can fit into most existing packaging
operations. The control cabinet is integrated in the back of the packer. This not only eliminates
the extra space needed for stand-alone cabinets, it also minimizes installation costs and time.
In order to allow a large range of bag sizes, the FAWEMA engineers came up with a real clever
approach: by using a triple filler, the packer can be changed over from 1-up (one bag per cycle)
to 2-up (two bags per cycle) in a simple
change-over process.
For wheat flour, the 10 lb bag size would
be run in 1-up mode; the 5 lb and smaller
bag sizes would be run in 2-up mode.
The triple filler is simply adjusted
horizontally and vertically to match the
bag openings.
In 1-up mode, each bag is filled 50% by
dosing auger 1 and 50% by dosing auger
3; in 2-up mode, two bags are filled
concurrently and 100% each by dosing
auger 1 and dosing auger 2 ( Figure 2).
Figure 2: 1-Up and 2-Up Operation Comparison
This approach leads to high fill rates as shown in Figure 3. If production requirements call for
the concurrent filling of different bag sizes, two FA 217 packers can be arranged side-by-side in
mirror image design. Then one operator can easily tend to both lines.
Bag Size
Fill Rate
Bag Size
Fill Rate
2 lb (2-up)
80 BPM
1 kg (2-up)
80 BPM
5 lb (2-up)
60 BPM
2 kg (2-up)
60 BPM
10 lb (1-up)
30 BPM
5 kg (1-up)
27 BPM
Figure 3: Typical Wheat Flour Fill Rates for the FA 217 Packer (BPM: bags per minute)
The change-over procedure includes both replacement items as well as adjustments. Main
replacement items are the auger screws, bag magazine rails, bag nozzles and flaps, transport
fingers, and pre-fold head (if changing between 1-up and 2-up). All parts are designed for quick
and simple replacement. The door of the triple auger filler is secured with quick-release latches
and swings either wide open ( Figure 4) or can be removed for full access. The bag magazines
are replaced as a complete unit, eliminating time consuming adjustment work. The replacement
items are designed to be handled by one operator in about 45 minutes but it is beneficial for a
second operator to assist and speed up the process.
Main change-over adjustments for the FA 217 packer are horizontal and vertical positioning of
the triple filler, pre-fold head elevation, and pre-fold finger spacing (not required when replacing
the pre-fold head). Repeatability for the pre-fold finger spacing is achieved by laser-engraved
scales (Figure 5).
Figure 4: Auger Screw Replacement
Figure 5: Pre-fold Head with Laser-Engraved Scales
The HMI uses a color touch-screen display
that allows quick and intuitive access to
machine settings and parameters. Bag size
settings are easily retrieved from a simple
pull-down menu but users can also zoom
into the different machine areas to make
changes if necessary. Figure 6 shows the
HM main screen with available zoom areas
marked with yellow borders.
Figure 6: HMI Main Screen
FAWEMA has built the FA 217 for a variety of applications with different fill systems and fill
products. As a replacement for high-speed rollstock packers, FAWEMA has developed the FA
217.3 packer in dedicated 3-up operation mode with extended settling track. This design allows
a fill rate of 110 bags per minute for 2 lb or 1 kg wheat flour, and 90 bags per minute for 4 lb or 2
kg. Metal detector, checkweigher, and shrink bundler can be integrated with the FA 217 packer
to form a complete high-speed packaging line ( Figure 7). The line can be arranged in straight
configuration, or in L- or U-shape (shown) to best fit into available space.
Figure 7: FA 217 Packer in 3-Up Operation (FA 217.3) with Extended Settling Track and Shrink Bundler System
The extraordinary versatility and excellent cost/performance ratio of the FA 217 packer make
this packer ideally suited for flour bagging operations with highest production requirements.
fawema North America
Exclusive Agent for FAWEMA GmbH, Germany
18 Kings Highway, Suite 109 ▪ Middletown, NJ 07748
Contact: Henning von der Wroge ▪ Cell: 732-763-3990
Email: [email protected] ▪ Internet: www.fawema-usa.com