Packaging with an impeccable finish using ULMA's “male-female" shaped cutting system

Jan 12, 2023

We interview Iker Zabaleta, the Product Manager of ULMA Packaging's thermoforming line, to find out the details of this system that is designed for customers who require impeccable, flawless edge trimming

OUTSTANDING PACKAGING FINISH

Iker, what benefits does it offer for the packaging's finish?

The “male-female" shaped cutting system offers impeccable and flawless trimming around the entire edge.

At the same time, it prevents what is known as a collateral seal from happening, during which, while the cover film is being cut, it can stick to the base film in areas with easy-open corners.

“male-female" shaped cutting system

APPLICATIONS WHERE ITS USE IS RECOMMENDED

For what applications is the “male-female" shaped cutting system recommended?

The “male-female" shaped cutting system is very well suited to rigid packaging that is mainly designed for the medical and pharmaceutical industry. This industry requires the trimmed perimeter to be completely free of any edges that can harm the end user.

Medical packaging with “male-female" shaped cutting trimmed edge

Compared to the traditional cutting system (end to end cutting system), “male-female" shaped cutting provides an increased cutting capacity.

The “male-female" shaped cutting system is also the recommended option for thermoforming machines that require a large total cutting edge, which is normally the case with packaging machines with a high number of packs per cycle.

Finally, it is also a suitable solution for packaging that requires custom-shaped cutting.

USEFUL LIFE OF THE SYSTEM

What is the useful life of a “male-female" shaped cutting system?

In conventional end to end cutting systems, the blade can last for half a million cycles, which obviously depends on the film material, thickness, the number of cavities and the maintenance performed.

However, in the “male-female" shaped cutting system, as the cut is gradual and the only wear is due to friction with the film, it can last for 3 million cycles before it needs to be sharpened again.

The “male-female" shaped cutting system can be reconditioned up to 5 times, so it has a useful life of around 15 million cycles.

For this reason, the maintenance costs of this cutting system are far lower than in conventional systems.