George Gordon Associates Company Profile

ACCUWRAP MACHINE SANITATION PROCEDURE
(Overhead unwind with fin seal)

The following procedure is supplemental and subordinate to your general plant sanitation and safety procedures as a guideline to assist with the cleaning process. This is a wash down machine with the exception of sealing areas, which are wipe down, and compliance to these guidelines as it protects the machine will ensure continued functionality.

Listed below are step by step instructions for cleaning and maintaining your new wrapping machine. The machine is designed to be washed down with hot water at city water pressures on all product contact surfaces. The controls and electrical connection boxes are all NEMA 4 capable of a wash down application too. However, high pressure hoses are not advised as they can wash grease out of certain bearings causing premature failures.

Since the majority of the machine is constructed out of stainless steel, it can easily be scrubbed and scoured by hand to remove excess dirt. Some areas are more sensitive to water then others. Operator training should be conducted to familiarize the sanitation staff with the locations that should avoid direct water contact. Machine life is extended while keeping it sanitary.

The procedures listed below are a guideline for keeping contact parts clean and sanitary. Part of the periodic cleaning procedure requires the removal of covers, guards and shields. This should be done periodically by qualified and trained personnel. With the AccuWrap design substantial time is saved in the cleaning process and makes thorough sanitation a much easier task.

CLEANING PREPERATION:

1. Place machine into cool down mode.
2. Remove the packaging film from the machine.
3. Shut down machine, lock out and tag out.
4. Protect the drive motors from direct contact with water.
5. Shift the pendant mounted control panel out of the wash down area.

INFEED CONVEYOR:
(No tools required for items one through nine)

1. Raise Lift up guide rails on the in-feed conveyor.
2. Release the tension arm on the in-feed conveyor to free up the conveyor belts/chain.
3. Remove miscellaneous debris from in-feed conveyor.
4. Blow off excess particles where applicable.
5. Move blue conveyor belt and/or chain by hand off of its driving sprockets.
6. Hose down the conveyor area with hot water and/or foam.
7. Continually move the conveyor belts by hand as required to expose all areas.
8. After the conveyor frame and belt have been cleaned, replace the belts onto their drive sprockets.
9. Align the belt in between the guide frames and re-engage the take up assembly.
10. Weekly, or as required, remove the bearing covers to inspect for any contamination.
11. Wipe the area clean as required.

HARD/SHRINK FILM FIN SEAL AREA:
(No tools required for items two through eleven.)

1. Make certain the fin seal has cooled down.
2. Blow off excess particles, where applicable.
3. Wipe clean all sides of the fin seal heads to remove any foreign material. A water solution can be used. Care should be taken not to get water into the seal wheel though.
4. Wipe down the all surface areas with hot water solution and/or foam.
Weekly or as required remove the cover over the fin wheels with hand knob.
5. Inspect for debris.
6. Clean all surfaces by hand with wipe down techniques with hot water solution.
7. Clean the seal wheels with a soft brush turning as required to expose all areas for the first and third fin wheel.
8. Clean the center bead seal for shrink film in a similar manner being careful not to wet the heat sealing element.
9. Clean the inside of the fin wheel guards.
10. Replace the guards and tighten the hand knobs.

END SEAL AND KNIFE CUT ASSEMBLY AREA:
(No tools required for items two through six)

1. Lift open the cover guard over the area to expose the crimper and knife assembly.
2. Brush off any loose particles.
3. Wire brush with a brass brush only the crimping and cutting surfaces.
4. Blow off where applicable excess particles.
5. If required the area can be washed by hand. It is not recommended to hose this area unless absolutely necessary.
6. If necessary to hose the area, avoid getting water into the drive openings in the side of the crimp head frame.
7. Weekly or as required remove the cover over the slip ring power feeds to inspect for debris. Clean by hand only.

DISCHARGE CONVEYOR:
(No tools required for items two through eight)

1. Lift and move the belts by hand off of their sprockets.
2. Remove miscellaneous debris from infeed conveyor.
3. Blow off where applicable excess particles.
4. Move blue conveyor belt by hand off of its driving sprockets.
5. Hose down the conveyor area with hot water and/or foam.
6. Continually move the conveyor belts by hand as required to expose all areas.
7. After the frame and belts have been cleaned, replace the belts onto drive sprockets.
8. Align the belt in between the guide frames.

GENERAL PROCEDURES:
1. Blow excess water off of the equipment to dry it off.
2. Remove excess water and detergent from the forming film rubber drive roller.
3. Semi-regularly, remove the main drive motor cover to inspect this area for foreign materials. Hand wipe the area clean with water and air blow the area.
4. Certain parts are nickel-plated aluminum and they will tolerate normal detergent washing.
Since this is a heat sealing machine there are electrical components in the seal areas that need to have water kept away. The guards in place will keep water out of these areas but a good preventative practice will be to inspect these areas at least weekly to guarantee years of uninterrupted sanitary performance.

START-UP:
1. When cleaning is completed, remove any protective coverings on motors and controls.
2. Remove the lock out tag.
3. Allow machine to achieve a fin seal temperature for the film as specified in the recipe.
4. If authorized, jog the machine to make sure conveyors are aligned properly for start-up.