Press Release

Small Steam Tunnel Offers Lean, Efficient Stand-Alone
Performance . . . also Ideal as a “3rd Zone” for a Dual-Zone System

Who benefits?  Contract packers, food and beverage companies; firms that need a very
economical steam tunnel to run heat shrinkable sleeve labels and tamper evident bands. 

Also, testing laboratories and packaging development companies who want a
flexible tunnel that allows manual control over all process parameters.

April 14, 2008.  Norwalk, CT.  PDC International Corporation, developer-manufacturer
of steam, infrared and convection shrink tunnels, has expanded its product family with
the addition of a single-zone, manually-operated shrink tunnel.    

Most notable:  The new single-zone tunnel  is a high quality steam tunnel that
incorporates many of the engineering features (such as proprietary nozzle positioning
technology and dual-wall stainless steel construction) which have distinguished PDC’s
larger capacity tunnels and labeling systems.  

The a single zone system precisely focuses the application of heat.  This minimizes
energy use, optimizes container appearance, and minimizes the risk of container
distortion.  There are five rows of steam distribution tubes on each side and each
is externally adjustable for steam volume. 

With its optional Electronic Regulator, tunnel temperatures are self-monitoring,
and adjust continuously to compensate for the “thermal loads” of incoming product. 
This is particularly important with full and cold containers.   

The single-zone shrink tunnel is a moderate speed system, operating up to 100 cpm. 
It can be used without an electronic regulator for highest-flexibility, manual control. 
Containers can be filled or empty, and virtually any geometry, including round,
oval and square packages.  PVC, PETG, OPS and PLA films, in gauges a thin
as 40 micron, are compatible.

Optional equipment includes cantilevered tunnel stand for easy raising and lowering,
a powered steam venting manifold with dampers, and condensate diverter package. 
Steam filtering down to .5 micron provides culinary grade steam while removing
impurities.   

The single-zone steam tunnel is an excellent alternative for end-user packagers
and contract packers who want a highly reliable, and very economical shrink tunnel. 
It is ideal as a stand-alone system, or as a supplemental “third zone” for a dual-zone
tunnel.  It is also a highly efficient as a pre or post-shrink module.  Opening dimensions
for the are 4-12” in height and 5 to 7” in width, depending upon the application.

Like all steam tunnels and shrink sealing systems provided by PDC, the single-zone
tunnel is manufactured using many readily-available, off-the-shelf components. This
assures that the system will be easy and inexpensive to maintain throughout its long
service life. For more information, contact Gary Tantimonico at 203-853-1516 or 
sales@pdc-corp.com. PDC Corp. Norwalk, CT.

Download Word Doc | Download Photo

Information on other PDC steam tunnels here.

High-Speed Shrink Sealer Delivers True “24/7” Operation

Downtime is something that can never be recovered. And increasingly,
operators of food, beverage, pharmaceutical and “health niche” product lines
want packaging systems that perform free of shut-down.

Now, PDC has introduced a high-speed shrink sealer with true “24/7” capability to
meet this demand.  Named the Series 90, it was engineered for highest OEE* rankings
in all 3 categories: uptime, performance, and quality of product produced.

March 18, 2008.  Norwalk, CT.  PDC International Corporation, a leading developer and
manufacturer of tamper-evident packaging and labeling machinery, has introduced the
90 Series high-speed shrink sealer, an advanced new in-line applicator that combines high
throughput rates (up to 500 containers per minute) with true “zero shutdown” performance.
Systems will run as slowly as 200 cpm to synchronize with slow-downs on processing systems.

90 Series high speed shrink sealers apply bands .375 inches to 3.0 inches (10 to 75 mm)
diameter and .625 inches to 8 inches high, making them suitable for a broad range of products.   
Monolayer and multilayer PVC, PETG, PLA, and OPS films, in gauges as thin as 40
micron, (1.5 mil) are compatible, depending on throughput rate and cap configuration.   

PDC ‘s Reel Changeover feature makes this critical function automatic, eliminating
downtime for operator action, and allowing a second reel of material to be loaded while
operation progresses at normal speed.  A detection feature senses when the initial reel
is spent and automatically engages the new reel. 

Standard features of the 90 Series high-speed shrink sealer include stainless steel frame
and covers, NEMA 4 enclosures, Allen-Bradley PLC with touch-screen interface, and
static eliminator. Systems are supplied with complete tooling. 

There are sensors for low material and film feed irregularity, and available sensors for
imprint and bar code verification.  As with all PDC shrink sealer systems, conveyors
and heat tunnels can be provided as part of the package. 

The 90 Series high-speed shrink sealer interfaces easily with PDC’s Smooth Diversion
Inspection / Ejection System, which confirms the location of bands and gently diverts
any imperfect packages without disrupting operation.   

The PDC 90 Series high-speed shrink sealers is UL and CE approved. As with all
PDC systems, the use of readily available components minimizes operation costs
and difficulties throughout the system’s long service life.

For more information, contact Gary Tantimonico at PDC International, Norwalk, CT  
203-853-1516 or  sales@pdc-corp.com or visit www.pdc-corp.com

* OEE (Overall Equipment Effectiveness) is a common manufacturing metric for measuring the
overall production efficiency of a machine (or of a production line or cell.)

Download Word Doc | Download Photo

Information about other PDC shrink sealers here.